Things that brightened a damp cold Monday

I will return to this video over and over again when I need to smile uncontrollably.


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To see how it was done:




Note the plea to share the first video with your friends and family. It is a good cause. Some of my closest friends work in shelters - it is a tough place to be for both animals and the people who look after them. This is a simple way for you to make their lives easier.

I put together a Christmas themed indoor cycling class for tomorrow - two twenty minute climbs. I thought it would be fun to play seasonal music that most people would never have heard before. There's some Trans-Siberian Orchestra, The Moody Blues, Pink Martini, Brian Setzer, and Kelly Clarkson among others. I decided to kick off the class with a brand new release from Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. This song is from their new holiday album (almost all original music) and is free right now at eMusic.com (I don't know if you need a membership to download it).

I can't seem to embed the song in this blog post but you can goto  this NPR story and listen to 'Just Another Christmas Song'. Check out some of the other songs as well.

On a less silly note but something that brings me just as much pleasure, watch this video of Chihary Shiota's installation at the Venice Bienale 2015. I have been doing a lot of thinking about repeated elements and this inspires me to continue to pursue some crazy ideas.

Busy days

I'm not ill or off on a sunny vacation. Nope - just very busy. I have accomplished an enormous amount in the last week. I submitted the first draft a patient handbook regarding my surgery. I also developed several new indoor cycling classes and wrote one up for publication on ICA. There has been a lot of SAQA work to do as well, including getting our spring retreat organized. I am happy to report that I am keeping up with the homework in Jane Dunnewold's class. The workload gets a little heavier each week so I don't know how long it will be before I miss a deadline. A couple of weeks ago I started taking an online course with Fenzi Academy. It is very well done but we get new assignments every few days, not once a week. It has been fun to have a reason to work with Tock. He is a very smart dog and I haven't challenged his brain enough.

I have been collecting items that I wanted to share on the blog. This week Jane Dunnewold's essay was about large and/or obsessive work. The next day I stumbled on John Grade's work (open the gallery on the linked page). Wow! It definitely appeals to my interest in repeated elements but he uses them in a different way.

This morning I learned about Teresita Fernandez. I have looked through galleries of her work and don't see anything I don't like. See for yourself. This image is of an installation at the Massachusetts Museum of Modern Art which can be seen through March 2015.

Watch this video.




I came across it on the collection Jane Dunnewold curates (Creative Civilization) on Scoop.it. As she said in her notes, you will be reminded to:

1. Do what you love.
2. Keep doing it even if only your dad thinks it's good. And if you dad doesn't think it's good, keep doing it anyway.
3. See possibility.
4. When community embraces you, embrace it back.
5. Use plenty of tape.

There has been a lot more activity around here. My Spoonflower fabric order arrived so I can now start work on the final version of the Ivory Tower piece. I have a sweater to show which has been finished for over a week, as well as a completed UFO and a new knitting project. More tomorrow.

Lessons from the TV

Many people are surprised to learn how much time and attention I devote to watching televised bike racing and reality shows. At this time of year it can add up to about 25 hours a week, between the Tour de France, So You Think You Can Dance and Amazing Race Canada. I am always multi-tasking (knitting, grooming dogs) but that doesn't really mitigate the investment of time, at least from the point of view of my friends and family. My response is that I am better entertained and learn more from the real drama that unfolds on the screen then I ever would from the manufactured dross of shows like a Game of Thrones. I see people at their best and their worst, I see them develop coping skills, I see the effect of community and I see excellent coaches at work. All of that is learning which I can both pass along and use in my own life.

The Tour de France has been particularly eventful this year, filled with unique challenges, crashes and the withdrawal of several of the favourites. But one event stood out - the determination of Garmin-Sharp rider Andrew Talansky to complete stage 11. His struggle did not go unnoticed - the TV coverage was actually extended to show him cross the finish line and the crowds stayed to cheer him on. You can see snippets of video here (footage from the road), here (post-race interview) and here (analysis) and read about it here and here (interview with Talansky).

The opportunity to watch Talansky and his coaches was both inspiring and instructive. It was even more helpful to get their perspectives after the event. When I construct a training plan for people who are going to ride the Cabot Trail - a multi-day trip with some exceptionally difficult climbs - I try to build in moments of despair which lengthen to minutes and then hours. That sounds cruel but how else will both my riders and I know that they have the tools to deal with what they will experience on the trip? They need to be able to tap into the experience of prevailing over doubt and weakness. As Frankie Andreu says in the third video clip, they have to have pushed the negative thoughts away and installed some useful ones. The depth of their pain, exhaustion and anguish will never compare with Andrew Talansky's - or will it? It is never far from my mind that lessons learned on the bike will have applications to every aspect of their lives.

Now watch this video of dog owner/trainer Kris Osojnicki and her dog Tori. Keep track of what you are thinking and feeling throughout the six minutes of the video. (For context, the dog in the video comes from the breeder of my last Bernese Mountain Dog and I was once very involved in canine performance activities.)

I was tickled when a friend sent me a copy of a post that linked Andrew Talansky's decision to continue with Kris and Tori's persistence and eventual achievement. The author, Ruth Nielsen (no relation), could see and explain the parallels between the two events and draw out a valuable message. Her time watching the Tour de France paid off if she was able to alter just one person's definition of success. Here is what she wrote, reproduced with her permission.

One of the things that came to my mind as I watched the video of Kris and Tori’s journey to MACH 3 is how easy it can be to negatively "judge" other competitors or trainers when we see a team struggling for success. Comments – even in jest – suggesting that someone’s dog is "blowing them off" – or questioning why someone is bothering to compete with (or train) a dog that is having problems are often heard, and those comments can be hurtful and discouraging. Watching Tori turn from a tentative and reluctant competitor to a teammate at the top of her sport is pretty compelling evidence that a dog who appears to be struggling can ultimately become a super star. I’ve judged teams in draft that had what I would call a train wreck of a performance come back and be picture perfect – and I’m always thrilled when I see that happen.

Everyone deserves support in their journey – and I believe that support can be a factor in the progress the team ultimately makes. It’s a lot easier to give up when things aren’t going well than it is to keep trying and maintain your goals and positive attitude and take the long view towards success.

I watched an internationally televised example of perseverance in the face of struggle and challenge today when I was watching the Tour de France coverage. (I admit I’m a fan of this event!) Andrew Talansky, one of the American bike riders who finished in the top ten of the Tour last year came to this year’s race with hope of getting a top five finish – something well within his capabilities. But a series of disastrous falls took their toll on him and after being in the top ten in the early days of the race, he lost a significant amount of time and was well out of the running for a top spot. On today’s stage of the race he was obviously riding in a lot of pain, and at one point pulled over on the side of the road and stopped. He had a long conversation with his coach that lasted about 4 minutes. This is pretty significant in a race where time is everything, and everyone assumed that this meant he would be quitting the race. The two top favorites already had to drop out of the race with serious injuries, so it would not be a surprise if he quit. But what was a surprise was that Andrew got back on his bike and started riding again – completely alone and well behind everyone else in the race. This is huge in a big bike race because the riders all prefer to have the support of other riders around them who will make the ride easier as they take turns drafting off each other. Riding alone is much more difficult, and riding alone when you are way behind everyone else has got to be psychologically devastating, especially when you had goals of being one of the top contenders. There is a time limit each day based on how far you are behind the winner – and if you don’t make it to the finish line within the time cutoff, then you are dropped from the race. This meant that Andrew had to race against the clock since having chosen to keep riding, he would be dropped from the race if he didn’t cross the finish line in time. There is a big difference between quitting and "being dropped" – and no one wants to leave the race because they couldn’t make the time cutoff. The tv cameras that normally just cover the winners crossing the finish line chose to film this solo journey in last place as Andrew rode alone against the clock, struggling just to finish so he could say that he made the time cutoff. The announcers speculated about whether he would make it, and you could see he was reaching deep in spite of obvious pain just to make the time. Even though the winners had crossed the finish line half an hour before he got there, the spectators stayed to cheer Andrew across the finish as he managed to make the time cutoff. Instead of treating this as the unimportant event of the last person across the finish line, the media and the spectators applauded a competitor’s choice to keep trying, even though his goals had changed and "success" on this day meant something vastly different than it did when he started the race.

I tell the story of Andrew Talansky because it’s another example to me of the journey that is illustrated by the video of Kris and Tori. We don’t always know the struggles that are behind someone’s success, and by the same token, when we see someone struggling, we have no idea how successful they can become if they keep trying. Talansky’s teammates talked about the long term goal of having Talansky win the Tour de France – but that isn’t this year, it’s in the next 3 – 5 years. Not giving up today was part of that journey. Watching some of Tori’s early runs was not an indication that this dog would have three MACH’s (and likely more) in her future. We can all applaud the journey and support those who are trying – no matter what their struggle may look like. The guy who was in last place today may be standing on the podium in Paris in a few years. And all those runs where Kris and Tori didn’t Q were just part of the journey to MACH 3 and beyond.

I applaud Kris and Tori not just for their ultimate success, but for the courage to keep on trying. Some days the goal is just to finish. I’m going to keep that journey in mind when I see someone who is not successful now – and remember that their success may be down the road for them. I’ll be cheering for all of you on your journey – whatever it may be. "Success" is what you define it by where you are in your journey with your dog - and I wish everyone the greatest success!

That's just one of the many ways in which what we see unfold in the crucible which is bike racing or dancing for your life or travelling with a loved one can inform and educate our 'real' lives. For that reason I will keep watching TV and telling the stories and attempting to articulate what I have learned. You'll know where to find me every May for the Giro, July for the Tour de France and September for the Vuelta. Please keep your eye rolling to yourself.

Two sides

I was forced to be inactive this weekend because I am recovering from surgery to remove a tumour from my bladder. I was looking forward to a warm sunny weekend but both days ended up cloudy and chilly. George went off with the cycling group to do a lovely route in the Annapolis Valley. I tried hard to find some way to avoid feeling sorry for myself. In the end I devoted far too many hours to watching the live feed from a conference which was held in Newport, Rhode Island. (I did get some handwork done while sitting in front of my iPad.)

The conference was the second presented by a group called the Society for the Promotion of Applied Research in Canine Science. SPARCS is the brainchild of one person - Prescott Breeden. He had an idea and with the application of energy and intelligence (and some financial support from his parents) he pulled it off. More accurately, he created a revolution in the way in which important issues regarding dogs and companion animals are discussed. The conferences have brought together some of the best scientists in the field of canid biology with a special emphasis on behaviour and learning. The selection of speakers is refreshing in terms of the diversity of their viewpoints and approaches. The program includes opportunities for dialogue about those differences. On top of all that, the events are available at no cost to everyone around the world through live streaming.

I watched the second conference this weekend and was really impressed. There were several organizational ideas that I will definitely use the next time I put together an event. On the whole the speakers were well-prepared and engaged. They frequently referred to concepts and ideas in the others' talks which suggested to me that they were also there to learn. It was clear to me that lots of emphasis had been put on the visual appearance of the event. This added a sort of polish that enhanced the sense of professionalism which was developed by the speakers.

I think I heard that 40,000 people from around the world viewed some portion of the live stream over the three days of the conference. They stayed in touch with the organizers and submitted questions for the speakers using Twitter and Facebook. At one point #SPARCS2014 was trending on Twitter second only to the FIFA World Cup.

It all sounds pretty wonderful, doesn't it? There's always another side to the story, though. Some friends of mine attended the event in person. They were extraordinarily disappointed and will probably not attend any future SPARCS conferences. Most of the problems seem to be related to the venue. It was small and uncomfortable and unsuited to a multi-day event of this type. In addition, there were many accommodations made for the live stream at a cost to the people in the room. For example, the theatre was completely dark. It was impossible to take notes and for the speakers to interact with individuals. Even in question periods, queries submitted via Twitter received more attention than those from people who had paid to attend the event.

Registration was not inexpensive and the cost of staying in Newport was very high. Most of those who attended probably spent more than $1000 for the three days, even taking into account that most dog people don't seek out the fanciest hotels and restaurants. I heard that people in the theatre complained to the organizers but changes were not made because it would affect the live stream. By the end of the weekend my friends felt like second class citizens in spite of the fact that their registration fees were what allowed the conference to proceed.

The SPARCS board and Mr. Breeden have some hard work ahead of them. In just two years they have created an event of enormous scale and importance. But it may not be sustainable in its current form. They must make some tweaks while honouring the SPARCS mandate, the novel outreach component and the needs of those who wish to meet and network in person. I hope that they will find a creative solution. SPARCS is too good to lose.

Why bother describe SPARCS on my blog? It is always important to remember that there are two sides to every story and that things are not always what they seem. But what interests me more is the extent to which  my reaction to the conference might have been affected by the visual environment which was imposed on me. Everything was very 'shiny' and perfect and that gloss may have carried over into my evaluation of the content. I think the effect was minor because I was aware of that possibility in real time. If I use my friends' reactions as a standard it is clear, though, that what I saw on the live stream did induce a favorable bias of some kind. Or maybe the uncomfortable seats, dark room and lack of coffee created a different sort of bias in their response to the conference.