Yum & Yuk

Fresh Air had an interesting interview with Henry Louis Gates about his new book Black In Latin America - there's so much I have yet to learn about the history of slavery and racism in Latin America (I'm totally guilty of hearing "slavery" and thinking only of slavery in the US). I'm really curious to see the PBS series he produced, Black In Latin America.

On the "non consumer" front, I went through my closet again and got rid of more clothes (probably about 40 pieces of clothing). I also found another 15 or so books to get rid of, and some assorted other things. My process is to try to sell everything first, and then donate whatever doesn't sell. So far, so good.

Image: source.

I appreciate this blogger writing about the running magazine fixation on losing weight. It's been especially frustrating to me to see the difference between magazines that cater towards men (most running magazines, triathlete magazines, Outside magazines - all about bad ass outdoorsy stuff, and "push yourself to the limit!") and those that focus on women (Women's Running, etc - lose weight, lose weight, look cute, lose weight!). Am I totally happy with my body/weight? No. But I get reminders about that constantly - I'd like some sources of inspiration that are about healthy, fitness, kicking ass, and reaching goals.

This short article about the role of the bike in Dutch culture highlights the effects of bike riding on everything from driver education to eating fresh bread.

I signed up for another century, this time the Alpine Century in August: "Alpine Century is your opportunity to ride through some of Oregon's wild and scenic beauty on some of the best cycling roads in the Northwest, Alsea Scenic Byway and Lobster Valley Road. Challenging ascents and descents, rest stops and SAG support staffed by friendly local volunteers, and fresh local food served to you at the completion of the ride. The 50-mile or 100-mile routes include 4000 ft or 6000 ft elevation gain and loss, plus the chance to ride the gorgeous Alsea Scenic Byway and Lobster Valley Road." I'm pretty nervous about that 6000 ft elevation gain and loss, but here goes nothing! Last week I biked into work 4 days (a total of about 120 miles) and I'm hoping if I keep doing that through August and Sept I'll be in pretty solid shape....and then ready to start running again.