Fitness is in. We’ve all seen enough alarming articles about obesity in America to know that something has to change, and there are plenty of people in Springfield trying to do something about it. We’ve selected a small sample of people who are trying innovative and interesting approaches to helping those around them attain a […]
fitness
Posted inArts & Culture
Out of the belly of a whale
Trapped in a body? Here’s an easy and effective diet you might try – the Flat Belly Diet from the folks at Prevention Magazine. Basically this plan guides you through five days of cleansing (cleansing, meaning eliminating soda and fast food burgers and all the processed, empty calorie, bad-for-us-anyway foods). A specially-prepared water accompanies regular […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Marathon time
Once again, I must apologize for being so lackadaisical about posting here. I’m happy to report, however, that I haven’t stopped blogging because I’ve fallen off the wagon. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I’ve been training intensely for my first marathon, and the big day is this Sunday! I’ve put in my double-digit miles […]
Posted inArts & Culture
5 tips for holiday health
Wow, it’s been months since I’ve updated this blog. To both people who read this, I’m sorry. (That’s the standard apology when a blogger comes back from a period of laziness: first comment on how long it’s been, then jokingly understate the number of people who read said blog. In reality, we actually have four […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Hunger Challenge Days 4 & 5: Pols and parties
I’m not hungry today. The challenge has been pretty easy lately, which is completely the opposite of what I expected. I am definitely learning a lot about the cost of food, though. A lot of my favorite things, like hummus, cost a ton of money for ingredients that are relatively cheap, which signals to me […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Hunger Challenge – Day 3: Cupcake Conundrum
Tracy Smith with Feeding Illinois poses this question for the day: The cupcake truck is outside your building, calling your name, but at $3.25 that decadent temptation is out of the question. What will you be snacking on instead to refuel? No sweat. I would (hypothetically) go with an old favorite: a spoon full of […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Conquering the Century
The 38th annual Capital City Century was this past Sunday, and although I didn’t bike it, I did sleep in. It’s a 100-mile bike trek outside Springfield, and a few of my friends and family rode the whole thing. Here’s a video of the race put together by a friend. It’s pretty amusing, and it […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Running buddy fail
I’ve had a couple of great running buddies over the years. Key qualities include justthe right level of cheerleading and knowledge of such things as stretches, tennisshoes and running paths. (I’m also glad when they’re talkers – ‘cause runninggets boring, and I’m usually too busy panting to bring much to the conversation.) But far more […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Do it right in the dog days of summer
Watch this: I love that clip from Will Ferrell’s film Anchorman, and it fits tangentially into today’s post. Summer in the Midwest is a time of wretched, smothering humidity and baking heat, the combination of which usually makes you sweat without exerting any effort. If you dare to move around while outside in this sweltering […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Inside a runner’s mind
Perhaps it was the heat. By 9:30 in the evening, one would normally expect the sweltering fever and thick humidity of the day to dissipate, but the sultry blanket of summer seemed to defiantly drape itself over the park even as the waning crescent of moon slowly climbed into the night sky. Full of root […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Pumpers gotta pump
Drugs. In the world of fitness – and by extension – sports, they have become an issue impossible to ignore. Even though most of us amateur runners, cyclists and other athletes will never deal with steroids personally, we are constantly barraged by allegations about or confessions by the names we admire: Lance Armstrong, Mark […]
