Everyday Cycling Adds Up

I joined a couple of challenges as part of Bike Month but deliberately didn’t do too much more than normal. I wanted to see what that would look like. I normally bike to the office four days a week (just over 2.5 km each way). I bike to swim practice once a week. I visited… Continue reading Everyday Cycling Adds Up

Fat (and other) Shaming Women in Public Life: Just Stop!

Recently a woman who serves on our local board of public health received a letter from a stranger telling her that she did believed she “cannot fulfil that role because of your unhealthy status. It is unacceptable to be overweight by the 20 pounds you appear to be carrying”. Other women serving as elected officials… Continue reading Fat (and other) Shaming Women in Public Life: Just Stop!

Renaissance Dancing for Fun and Fitness

Last weekend I went to an event sponsored by a local medieval club and found myself sucked into the rabbit hole of dancing. I’m usually too busy in the kitchen or working on crafts to think about dancing, but this time it was a small event, I had plenty of time, and someone was teaching… Continue reading Renaissance Dancing for Fun and Fitness

Mlemsday with Fancy

Over on Twitter, the cats who rule the internet have deemed Wednesday to be Mlemsday and everyone posts pictures of cats with their tongues stuck out (known for some mysterious reason as “”Malens” or “bleps”). They all seem very relaxed and content. On Sunday I had a fantastic riding lesson, finally figuring out how to… Continue reading Mlemsday with Fancy

I Survived Thrived Through a Winter of Cycling

I wrote about my idea of cycling through the winter here and here. Sam wrote about it here, and that one includes lots of links to other posts about winter cycling. Unlike Sam, my goal was to be a bike commuter and I am proud to say I DID IT! I go to the office… Continue reading I Survived Thrived Through a Winter of Cycling

Grieving the Loss of a Feminist Friend

On Sunday, my world got just a little darker when one of my oldest friends died suddenly. I first met Jennifer 37 years ago in the context of a medieval group I belong to. She was one of the first people I knew who broke the second-wave stereotypes of feminism. She was married for over… Continue reading Grieving the Loss of a Feminist Friend

Nowruz Mubarak

Happy New Year, if you happen to be of Persian, Afghan or (many parts of) central Asian origin. To celebrate, here are some images of women athletes from Afghanistan, who have lost the ability to compete since the return of the Taliban to power, but not their desire. I found the protest photos of them… Continue reading Nowruz Mubarak

Fit is a Feminist Issue – and an Infrastructure Issue

I have been involved in a lot of conversations about active transportation in the last few weeks. And about the reasons both kids and seniors may be less active than they would like. And Mount Alison University geograph Professor Leslie Kern talking about her book Feminist City (my copy is on order). And far too… Continue reading Fit is a Feminist Issue – and an Infrastructure Issue

The Swimmers

The Swimmers is a 2022 movie about real-life sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini, Syrian refugees who swam alongside a sinking dinghy full of refugees in the Aegean Sea on their way to the island of Lesbos. Eventually they reached Germany and Yusra went on to swim at the 2016 Rio Olympics as part of the… Continue reading The Swimmers

My bike is a mobility device – who knew?

As a kid, my bike was for fun. As an adult, I have always thought of myself as a commuter cyclist. I was never interested in road racing, or cross-country cycling or any of the other specialized cycling options involving fancy bikes and Lycra. I have realized, however, I actually need my bike as a… Continue reading My bike is a mobility device – who knew?

Kudos to Those Who Fit in Fitness While Travelling

I’m talking here about travelling for work, when you are on a tight schedule, and probably struggling with different time zones. Throw in security challenges too, depending on where you are going. Sam has written about her ways of fitting in fitness while travelling for work here, and Cate has written extensively about her adventurous… Continue reading Kudos to Those Who Fit in Fitness While Travelling