Big Boy Series

Posted by Eason Wednesday 01st of October 2008

Eason explains why the Red Sox/Angels series will decide the World Series... Read more

LA Dodgers on a July roll?

Posted by superindy0604 Wednesday 30th of July 2008

After sweeping the Nationals and playing strong with SF and Arizona, the Dodgers have a good chance at taking the division.... Read more

The Caumsett 50k USATF 50k Road Championships - A Good Day for a PR

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of joining 200 runners for the Caumsett State Park 50k in Lloyd Harbor, NY, put on by New York Ultra Running. As the USATF 50k Road Championships, lots of speed demons were out to enjoy one of the first sunny days to come after a long, hard northeast winter. What better way than a 10 lap loop course with fellow ultra warriors?

As I warmed up with Team Inov-8 runner Ben Nephew, we agreed that the day had a lot the right ingredients for a breakthrough PR. Although the temp was in the high 30's, the sun would warm up the day to ideal low 50's by the halfway point. Short of some wind gusts, this was MUCH better than snow/sleet/sub-zero Caumsett 50k's of the past. Plus there were a lot of great runners here - 2x defending champ and course record holder (2:56) Michael Wardian, Scott Jaime (pronounced Hi-Me) from Colorado, 50k Masters American Record holder Dan Verrington, 24-hour American Record holder Mark Godale, 24-hour National Team member Phil McCarthy, Montrail runners Annette Bednosky and Jill Perry, the great Scott Jurek, and a half dozen more that could go sub-3:30 on a good day. I felt like a kid meeting my favorite rock stars!

My personal goal for the day was to improve on my 50k PR (3:37 at the 2009 Ruth Anderson 50k). My speed work was going INSANELY well over the last three months, particularly by teaching me that I could be in a lot of pain and still hold my form. To achieve a PR, like any stretch goal, you need three things. First, you need to show up (check). I know that sounds simple, but as we all know, getting the start line healthy and ready can be tough. Second, you need the opportunity, like a day of perfect weather and runners faster than you (check). Third, you need to believe that it is possible to achieve something beyond your best (check, thank you speedwork). Let's DO THIS!

At 8:30am, Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper sent off the 50k runners (30 minutes ahead of the 25k runners) and the front pack quickly spread out. Wardian, Jesse Regnier (in his first race beyond 8 miles), and 2:19 marathoner Malcolm Campbell went out hard, running 5:30 min/miles. Scott Jaime and Malcolm Campbell each ran solo at a sub-6 pace a few steps back, and Dan Verrington, Ben Nephew, Mark Godale and I clocked 6 min./miles in the next chase pack. Dan was doing most of the work in our pack, letting us know right up front that he was shooting for "3 and low teens since the 45-49 50k American Record is soft at 3:17". I guess he would know - it's his record! We finished the first lap in 18 minutes. My God, this was fast.


We got site of the Womens race on the out and back section, and front runners Annette Bednosky, Jill Perry, and Yolanda Flamino were sticking close to each other. Last years champ and course record holder, Kami Semick, was not present today so it was anyone's race. They were all keeping each other in sight.


Ben Nephew was nice enough to help pace the pack with Dan, but around lap 3 (mile 9) Dan picked up the pace charging the uphill grades and dropped us. Mark Godale fell off the pace, and Ben and I speculated that he probably wasn't in peak shape thanks to daughter #3 recently arriving. We both had 3-year-olds and knew how that could crimp a training plan, but #3? Fuggetaboutit.


On each subsequent lap, we molted layers of hats, gloves, sleeves, wool, etc. until we were down to our tank tops in the 45-degree air. Ben continued to do the lion's share of the pacing, running with a short and powerful stride from all his snowshoeing. I was nursing a sore shoulder from a sex-related injury (best if I don't provide detail on that one, but let me recommend that you stretch out before ANY strenuous exercise), but otherwise feeling strong. The aid station volunteers at both stops were amazing, and we barely had to slow for whatever we needed.

On lap 6 (mile 18), my body demanded a bio break and I made a absurdly efficient 20-second stop at the port-a-potty. Ben wished me well, and from that point on he would be little more than a dot on the horizon. That was okay though - I knew the last third was going to be a three-night stay in the House of Pain, and it felt proper to venture into that valley of darkness alone.


I wasn't alone, however, since thanks to the loop format I got to see EVERYONE. The New York Ultra Runners were having a great day and making the most of the early signs of Spring. I exchanged atta-boys with 78-year-old Sam Soccoli from North Babylon, NY, and the famous Roy Pirrung who was defying his 62-year-old age with a sub-5 hour pace. 70-old Patricia Delaney was also making good time, and always had a smile on. They sure breed 'em tough out here!

At Lap 8, I hit the marathon mark in 2:48 (almost a PR!) and fought desperately to hold my form. Michael Wardian gave a few words of encouragement as he lapped me, slowing but still on course record pace. At the turnaround, I could see that Dan Verrington had passed Scott Jaime, but Scott was keeping him in sight. Ben was still holding on strong and was about a minute ahead of me now. The Womens race found Yolanda Flamino in front after dropping the hammer on lap 3 and gapping the other women by a good 15 minutes. Annette Bednosky, however, was picking up speed in one of her classic negative split finishes.


As I entered Lap 10, my stomach knotted up, my head started spinning, and my muscles began twitching like crazy. My pace had slowed to a 7 minute mile as I walked the two aid stations to try and get more liquids in. The pain. My God, the pain! I could feel my heartbeat in the back of my eyeballs. But as the mile markers reminded me, this was almost over. Annette was kind enough to pick up the pace and run along with me until the last 1/2 mile, and I gave it everything. I crossed the finish in 3:20:48, good enough for 6th overall.


I laughed out loud as I crossed the finish line. Did that just happen? Did I just take 17 minutes off my PR? Either the training is going well, or I have been seriously sandbagging for a long time now. As I spoke with the other finishers, it turns out many of them had breakthrough days. Michael Wardian (2:55) had beat his previous record by 40 seconds, with Malcolm Campbell (3:04) getting second with a great performance. Scott Jaime (3:13) had passed Dan Verrington (3:15) to claim third and the Masters win, but Dan set a new 45-49 age group American Record in the process. Ben was quite pleased with his 3:18 PR, and Mark Godale hung on to finish a few minutes behind me. Jesse Raginer clocked a 3:28 in his first 50k - not bad at all!


Yolanda Flamino won the Womens division in 3:34, with Annette Bednosky (3:43) taking second and winning the Masters division in a time well under her goal. Jill Perry (3:47) fought through some tough spots to hold onto third. (full results)


I felt like an Olympian with all my medals (a gorgeous finisher medal, a USATF medal for 6th overall and a USATF medal for 2nd in 40-44), and was tickled to get the $50 check for third Master. Paydays are rare in this sport! My thanks to RD Amy Goldstein, her wonderful volunteers and sponsors, Howard Nippert and the crew at USATF, and the nice folks of Long Island for putting on a great race. Thanks to the opportunity, assistance, and support you provided, I had a breakthrough day!

...

Mike and Kim Rouse: The Ultra Marriage (San Diego News)

Michele Wallace from the San Diego News wrote a fun article about Mike and Kim Rouse, a couple who (somehow) gets along while training for ultras, Ironmans, and even the Ultraman. I love their quotes about each other - it's truly a match made in heaven!

You can read the whole article here....

Long Run Revelations, Part II - Want A Fulfilled Life? Embrace Death.

Have you ever noticed that half of the stories in endurance magazines sound like Mad Libs for people in recovery? Sometimes I swear they just plug in the facts:

"[Name] got into running after recovering from [near-fatal disease or accident] just [random number] years ago. "I was in bed, feeling sorry for myself, [another random number] pounds overweight, and my [body part] looked like [bad food or construction analogy]. I decided the best way to beat [near-fatal disease or accident] was to celebrate the health I had one day at a time. I trained for months and completed [major race]. I'm not embarrassed about my [body part] since it gives me a chance to educate others about [near-fatal disease or accident]. I've now hooked up with [charity of near-fatal disease or accident] to run more, and hope to inspire others with [near-fatal disease or accident] and be living proof it is possible to overcome."

Unfortunately it's easy to gloss over the message in these formulaic summaries. In truth, there is something very powerful at the heart of these tales. This is Part II of my long run revelations:


I've had the good fortune of losing some friends and family in the last six months. I know that sounds backwards, since the pain and loss that immediately accompanies such devastation is soul-crushing. But by embracing loss and authentically internalizing the myriad of feelings that surround it, life feels more precious. Life IS more precious. If we are living, we are survivors. We should all embrace life as fully as our formulaic heroes.

It's such a shame that most of us can easily avoid our own finality in day-to-day routine, distracting media, and pharmacologically-enhanced lives. Comfort is good, and probably necessary for some level of sanity, but it's important to regularly remind yourself not to take it all for granted. I often feel this is the reason many of us enter endurance events and push our personal limits - we surround ourselves in pain and adventure so thick that we can't escape asking ourselves the very basic questions of what makes us happy, what makes us tick, and what gives life meaning. Through the pain, we grow, and for days afterward, we cherish every breath, every sunset, and every laugh.

At the 2009 Western States, I got so deep it got scary. But the serenity that followed lasted for weeks, even months, and was nothing short of life-changing. If 27+ hours on the trail is all it takes to reach that level of enlightenment and peace, it may very well have been the easiest thing I have ever done.

Embrace your finality. Treasure the moments you have. See life in its fullest hue. It's the best way to honor those who left before you, and makes for MUCH better stories.

- SD


[You can also read Long Run Revelations, Part I - There Is No Such Thing As Work/Life Balance, Only Life Balance]...

Blogger Tips - Analytics, LinkWithin, Bring On The Pics

I've recently seen a large increase in traffic to this blog from blogger.com, meaning more and more bloggers are following me. Great to have you! Just in case it's helpful, I thought I would share a few tips picked up from analyzing traffic over the last few months.

We all have different goals for blogging, and it's totally fine if you don't ever analyze your traffic or try to boost your readership. But I will say once you start looking into it, you will be surprised how many people are connecting to your insights. Here a few quick and simple ways to boost your traffic:

1) Use an analytics service. Wonder how I knew about the increase in traffic from blogger.com? My analytics service helped me track it. If you aren't using one, I would suggest you do. Most of these services are free - StatCounter and Google Analytics being two of my favorites - and will start giving you fascinating data immediately after you add a few lines of code to your template or add a widget. Imagine being able to see who sends the most traffic, which search words bring people to your site, and how folks navigate your blog. This week my top referral sites were run100s.com (Stan Jensen's encyclopedic site on ultrarunning), wikipedia (largely on Dean Karnazes inquiries), and forum.somethingawful.com (from a forum conversation that linked to toenail removal), and my top search terms were "caballo blanco", "coconut water", and "cross country championships". It's a fascinating time suck. ;-) Once you get some analytics, a few of these other suggestions will make sense.

2) Add the LinkWithin widget. If you look at the bottom of my blog entry, you'll see a thing that suggests other blog posts you might like. That's LinkWithin, and it's a very simple free widget to add. On average, it has increased my traffic 18% without having to do a thing. But more importantly, it helps convert a lot of first time visitors into reading 2-3 pages. Odds are a few of them will be more regular readers.

3) Bring on the pics! Behind Google, my #2 contributor of traffic is images.google.com. This is from people looking for pictures of trail running, parks, people, etc., and has continuously been one of the big attractors of new readers to my blog. You can help Google figure out what your pictures are about with some clever image naming, such as "2009_xterra_trail_running_world_championship_hawaii_max_king_winning.jpg". Think about how many image searches might hit that - xterra, max king, hawaii trail running, etc. - especially over time. I've found a direct correlation to the number of pictures in a blog entry, and the number of visitors over time. Basically you can't ever have too many and if you name the images correctly, they will pull readers in for years to come.

On the flip side, I recently tried out "Snapshots", a widget that popped up a pre-link window that did not do much for traffic so I turned it off. I've also added "recent comments" on the right, but haven't seen a noticeable change in traffic. But I find it useful, so I will leave it up a bit longer.

Got a great tip? Let me hear it! It's how we all get better.

Thx, SD

...

Research on Obesity in the United States

How much does obesity cost the United States? See the following infographic for details.

It highlights work and health care costs by state, as well as comparing the states to one another.

Arizona, where it is hot, has the lowest percent of obese people in the country. Either the heat forces them to move away, or they sweat it off. The old grade school joke about the desert being so hot that only one S can grow there perhaps some foundation in reality.

Alaska is a leader in obesity – perhaps its to cold to go out and do anything, or people need the extra layers for warmth. What other area is right up there with Alaska on the leader board? Washington D. C. … no doubt some politicians and greasy lobbyists are living high on the hog.

Click on the mini-snapshot image below to open up the full extended infographic in your web browser.

...

…and the student becomes the teacher. Literally.

So, I realize that I’ve not blogged for a little while… it has been a few weeks at least, and admittedly, there’s a part of me that wants to only write when I feel like I have something important to say. And since my last post, I’ve accomplished one of my goals for 2010.

I am now a certified indoor cycling instructor.

Very cool. As you know, I took up indoor cycling (spinning) last fall, and found very quickly that it helped to push me through a plateau in my weight loss journey, and catalyzed a motivation in me that propelled me to my goal of dropping 200 pounds before Christmas. The experience of indoor cycling has taken me out of the gym in many ways — it has helped me move from feeling like my fitness experience is a solitary journey into one that includes being a member of a community. My fellow participants at Legacy Indoor Cycling in Toronto are motivating, inspiring, and fun to be around — and the teachers there who have helped me accomplish my goals compelled me to take the certification course and head down the path of sharing my enthusiasm for this fitness activity with others.

So last weekend, I spent 10 1/2 hours at the Legacy Studio, under the tutelage of James Gekko (a Master Trainer with Schwinn) and the watchful eye of Andy (Legacy’s patriarch), and soaked up what I needed to learn to become certified. I learned a lot about technique. I learned about how to structure a meaningful class for participants. I also learned that becoming an instructor presents me with an opportunity to do something that I think is going to be an important part of my journey from here on in: now is my time to really pay it forward.

Read the rest at: http://tinyurl.com/ykvghyv

...

Bob Harper Bio

Who is Bob Harper?

Bob Harper is a generally known as a fitness guru and is most famous for his appearances on the television show, Biggest Loser, a reality television show where contestants compete to lose the most weight in a given period of time. In addition to Biggest Loser, Bob Harper is a celebrity trainer with clients like Ben Stiller, Selma Blair and Gwyneth Paltrow. As something of a celebrity himself, his sexual orientation and dating status has become a point of interest for many people. Mr. Harper is a proponent for a training regime known as the “Function Training Method” which he developed while working as a trainer in Los Angles.

Personal History

Bob Harper was born on August 18th, 1965 in Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Harper was apparently not active in high school athletics. After graduating from high school, he attended university in Clarkesville, Tennessee at Austin Peay State University. Following his time at college, he received a fitness instructor’s certification from the American Fitness Training of Athletics association as well as from the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America. Mr. Harper worked extensively in Los Angles, where he began instructing several celebrities, initially Jennifer Jason Leigh. Through this connection he was eventually selected to become a judge and cast member for Biggest Loser. After reaching a degree of fame from this program, he went on to produce fitness related materials including books and DVDs.

In addition to his appearances, speaking dates, and writing duties, Mr. Harper still teaches regular classes in Los Angeles and works as a yoga instructor. His client list is a mixture of high profile celebrities, with many of whom he’s maintained a long relationship, as well as regular individuals who have signed up for his classes.

In his personal life, Mr. Harper is naturally very physically active. He claims to be an active snowboarder, as well as a tennis enthusiast. His other fitness-related activities include cycling, running and swimming. Outside of fitness, he is known to be an avid photographer.

Fame

Bob Harper was originally a celebrity personal trainer working in Los Angles. His stable of clients included several popular actors and actresses. With the popularity of the Biggest Loser television program, he’s become a legitimate celebrity in his own right.

Bob Harper is best known for his presence on the Biggest Loser program. He joined the cast of trainers in 2004, during the show’s first season. Biggest Loser is a reality television program based around helping overweight and obese individuals become physically fit and lose weight. The program started in 2004 and has run for a total of nine seasons, and Mr. Harper has been a fitness instructor in all nine seasons. In addition to his appearance on the show’s American version, Mr. Harper participated in two season of the Australian version of the show, once in 2006 and again in 2008.

In addition to his part in the Biggest Loser, Mr. Harper has appeared on a number of other television programs, mostly relating to his role as a fitness advisor. These include six episodes of the Ellen Degeneres program, both the Tyra Banks Show and the Today Show, as well as a cameo on Days of Our Lives. He’s also a regular target for reality television recap shows like the Soup and Best Week Ever. Other television appearances include news programs, most notably “Larry King Live” and “CNN Today” as well as the entertainment news programs “Entertainment Tonight” and “Inside Edition.”

While his television appearances have been the primary vehicle for his fame, he has also been involved in a number of different fitness related products. This includes his book Are You Ready!: Take Charge, Lose Weight, Get in Shape, and Change Your Life Forever, and a number of fitness DVDs produced under the Biggest Loser brand.

After his success with Biggest Loser and its related media and his own bestselling book, Mr. Harper has been in increasing demand as a trainer and motivational speaker. His appearances range from lectures and speeches to group training events, and his work has taken him to a number of countries in Europe, North America and Asia.

Fitness Philosophy

Bob Harper’s approach to fitness is based on a holistic approach to both exercise, diet and psychology. He terms this approach the “Function Training Method.” This training philosophy was developed during the ten years he spent working as a Hollywood personal trainer. The Function Training Method is characterized by both a physical fitness component and a mental component similar to a number of self help techniques. Special care is taken to address both portions of the regime in an attempt to adjust habits and behavior patterns to address fitness problems.

The physical element of the exercise system is based around a comprehensive nutritional and exercise method that adjust body shape by controlling caloric intake and food types. It is based on a number of preexisting exercise platforms that combine diet and exercise to address weight and health issues. A great deal of the mechanics of the program are derived from exercise methods with a significant amount of scientific backing and approved by the American Fitness Training of Athletics association and Aerobic and Fitness Association of America. In short they are a combination of several techniques proven to be effective for fitness and weight loss.

The most novel element of his fitness regime is the integration of fitness into daily life. Rather than pursue exercise elements in a manner distinct from regular life, the Function Training Method advises an approach that combines exercise and daily life together. Practically this means small, discrete exercise activities that take between 20 minutes to an hour to perform.

The psychological component of the fitness program is designed to focus on the root causes for poor health habits. These are often habits or psychological conditions which lead to self-defeating behaviors like overeating or the like. Rather than focus exclusively on what not to do, the Functional Training Method provides several example of good behavior to replace negative thought patterns, destructive behaviors and self-reinforcing psychological problems. These include a variety of self-confidence boosting behaviors and tips.

The dietary component of Mr. Harper’s system is based around a full dietary adjustment. Low calorie and high nutrition foods are outlined, along with cooking techniques designed to maximize their value. His book included a number of tips to help deal with dietary issues, focusing on how to deal with eating outside of the home, sample recipes and over 20 sample menus. A central conceit of the dietary plan is the ‘eat more’ diet, a staple of Mr. Harper’s work on Biggest Loser. Essentially it suggests that eating a larger number of smaller meals over the course of the day will increase the dieter’s metabolism. An increased metabolism will lead to a healthy and sustainable weight loss plan.

Effectiveness of the Function Training Method

The Function Training Method is apparently a fairly effective method to improve health and fitness for normal people. The dietary information is within scientific guidelines for healthy eating, especially considering the exotic nature of several competing weight loss diets. Unlike the low-carb or low-calorie diets, the Eat More approach is effectively a restricted-calorie diet coupled with exercise. The novel component of smaller meals has been supported by some research as being closer to the type of eating habits that prehistoric man engaged in, as well as an effective control over blood sugar levels over the course of a day. By monitoring and controlling these levels, larger hunger ‘attacks’ will be prevented, thus reducing overeating. There have been no signs of any health problems cause by this diet.

The exercise component of the Function Training Method is similarly uncontroversial. It focuses on natural exercises using free weights, resistance training and the like rather than exercise machines. There is no particular emphasis on any single fitness component, though cardiovascular and strength training are highlighted as significant elements to proper health. A more esoteric component of the methods advocated by Bob Harper is yoga.

Yoga is a 5,000 year old philosophical tradition that was originally developed as a healing technique in premedical times. The advent of modern yoga in the West is fairly recent, dating to the 19th century. Most of the religious components of yoga have been stripped from modern fitness yoga, which is billed as a flexibility, strength and general health practice. Mr. Harper’s advocacy of yoga stems from its holistic nature, coupling psychological and spiritual components to a physical activity and incorporating elements of this synthesis into the Functional Training Method. By incorporating yoga into his system, Mr. Harper intends to address some of the psychological root causes that can cause behaviors that adversely affect personal health.

The efficacy of yoga has been studied in some depth, though there are no conclusive studies suggesting its benefits versus other health systems like Pilate’s. Most research suggest that yoga is effective for treating some types of back pain, improving posture and increasing the flexibility and lubrication of joints and ligaments.

The Function Training Method combines several established and proven health methods into a holistic fitness approach that seems effective. More novel than its individual components, Bob Harper’s introduction of a matrix of healthy activity, especially the psychological and personal elements that lead to poor health, is the root of the system’s effectiveness.

Related Controversies

No one in the public eye can escape a degree of controversy, and Bob Harper is no exception to this general rule. The controversial elements of Bob Harper’s fame have generally come in both professional and private categories, with the former centering on the portrayal of weight loss in The Biggest Loser and the latter on his private life and sexuality. Though not a particularly divisive figure, Mr. Harper does have a rather favorable public opinion as a result of his generally amiable nature and sympathetic performances on Biggest Loser, and some of this controversy is most likely a combination of professional spite and the tendency for a popular figure to attract negative attention.

The professional issues with Bob Harper are generally split along two general lines of reasoning. The first is the mildly derivative nature of the Function Training Method, which he developed. The argument goes that there is very little new in the training method and that Harper is benefiting off of a set of techniques he didn’t develop. As mentioned above this is most likely a factor of Mr. Harper’s fame rather than a serious critique of the training techniques he advocates. The primary selling point of the Function Training Method is the holistic nature of its implementation, with the unification of a large number of well supported and researched health practices under a single plan. The popularity of the Function Training Method is closely related to the personal charisma and visibility of its proponent, so claims suggesting Harper is benefiting from others work unfairly are most likely unfounded.

The second criticism relates to his participation with the Biggest Loser program, which many dietitians and health professionals believe may be raising unrealistic expectations for individuals attempting to improve their own health. Most commonly, these objections relate to the rapid rate of weight loss and especially restrictive diet. Due to the production constraints of the show and the desire to increase viewer excitement, the regime the contestants are put through is significantly more intense than most recommended by dietitians. Some even go so far as to call it a dangerous system, mitigated only by the presence of extensive support staff and observers. To be fair, most of these criticisms have been aimed at the ‘red’ team, which uses a boot camp style of training, but some criticism for the blue team has also been voiced.

Additional criticisms of the show and its approach to weight loss have been raised as well. As the contestants are literally working 24 hours a day at losing weight in an extremely supervised situation, the results they’ve received have been greater than what regular individuals can expect to achieve. As a result, some have argued that the show has increased the difficulty in maintaining a realistic weight loss program and deterred individuals from continuing to exercise and diet when they cannot match the results seen on Biggest Loser.

Bob Harper has replied to these comments by pointing out the safety constraints on the show, the differing nature of his personal exercise program and approach on the show and the motivational power of the program. The connected media, especially the DVD exercise programs which he hosts, have also been effective in helping individuals lose body weight and maintain their new physiques. Additional criticisms of the ‘eat more’ approach to hunger control have been raised, especially its effectiveness for individuals with metabolic issues, but the more extensive coverage of the diet offered in Mr. Harper’s book has mitigated those criticisms.

There have also been a number of other criticisms of the show, which reputedly pushed contestants past safe limits in order to provide entertaining television. Several minor scandals, mostly dealing with former contestants and their inability to maintain their weight loss have been aired, though Mr. Harper has never been implicated in any of them.

The relatively minor criticisms of Mr. Harper’s professional reputation are joined by a series of personal controversies, generally centering around his relationships and sexual orientation. Much of the controversy over this point stems from Mr. Harper’s personal mannerism, which some consider to be stereotypically effeminate. His single status has also raised people’s curiosity, with a large number of web searches on the search term ‘bob harper’ leading to questions regarding his marital status. Google lists ‘bob harper married’ and ‘bob harper girlfriend’ as the two most searched terms relating to his name. Mr. Harper has not publicly addressed his sexual orientation, either to confirm or deny his status as a potential homosexual, leading some to assume that he is, in fact, gay.

Though his sexual orientation has no bearing on his ability as a personal trainer, it may impact his marketability as a successful speaker and professional motivator, which may be a motivation for his reticence to comment on the subject. Though Mr. Harper has commented on a religious element to his life, saying “I love being a personal trainer…it’s hearing God’s calling for me,” he has steadfastly avoided commented on his sexual preferences.

Additionally, several former contestants have hinted at his status as a gay man, most notably Phillip and Amy Parham who were Blue team contestants on the sixth season of the show, implied that Mr. Harper was homosexual when they responded to questions regarding Mr. Harper’s marital status. Other contestants have mentioned their preference for Mr. Harper to ‘do the interior design’ for their homes as well as several other traits typically associated with gay men. Unsourced comments on several Internet sites have also pointed to Mr. Harper’s homosexuality, saying “he’s been out for years now.” It is worth noting that none of the contestants ever explicit said that Mr. Harper was gay, nor has he commented, making the whole controversy one of gossip and hearsay rather than anything conclusive.

...

Reflecting on a Week of Meals

For those of you who have been following along on my weight loss blog you know that I have been experimenting with a new technique this past week – taking pictures of everything that I eat.  It hasn’t been easy and honestly I have missed a few things, but all in all I’ve been happy enough with the results that I think I will try to continue with this and make it a habit. Although I’d like to see more readers rating my meals, it’s simple to do!

Here is a quick summary of my week in meals:

	Didn’t get off to a great start by losing the picture of breakfast, but I ate well this day in my opinion – no meat at all, something none of my commenters mentioned!
	I just realized it, but almost no meat again this day – just some sausage in the soup. Loving that fresh pineapple!
	First day at work on the plan and you can tell because there is some fast food – but I chose a healthy Subway sandwich done as plainly as possible. Not bad.
	I only ate a little more than 1,000 calories on Tuesday because I was SO busy at work. More fast food, but I tried to make it a healthy chicken sandwich.
	Two visits to fast food for lunch and dinner and the ratings from readers reflecting it – only 3 stars out of 10, the poorest of the week. Still, I think I made healthy choices.
	Readers looking for more veggies in my diet liked that I ate a salad bar meal for lunch that consisted mostly of leafy greens.
	Finished up the last of the pineapple, missed taking a picture of lunch because I was interviewing a candidate and running out to the car for my camera phone ould have been too weird!

Here are a few of my early observations about the process:

• I am using a G1 phone which works great for this – camera quality is decent and after taking the picture it’s really easy to post on Twitter and send a copy to my email so I can get the picture on my computer. I’m sure most of today’s smart phones would do this equally well of course.
• One of the benefits for weight loss that I think this will offer is that it is really forcing me to try to compose a plate full of food, which means I need to think in advance what I will be eating and what the portion sizes would be. I’ll often resort to grazing, which is not only bad for taking photos but of course supremely bad for dieting.
• The feedback that I have been getting is great and adds to the interest of taking the photos. Although it is getting a little old when most of the comments are “Eat more veggies!”

I’ve tried to record what I ate before and was never successful doing it. Taking pictures has enabled me to actually do it for a week, which leads me to believe this is something I could do for awhile.

Hopefully by taking this approach I will be eating less, making better food decisions and ultimately lose weight.

Like the idea? Give it a try and let us know your results!

...

Browns Cut Quarterback Anderson

The Browns terminated the contract of their former starting quarterback, Derek Anderson....

State of the Steelers: What the 2009 Film Revealed

The loss of Troy Polamalu meant everything for the Steelers. Without him, the secondary was no longer adept at disguising coverages or cloaking unfavorable matchups....

Sorgi Goes From Backing Up One Manning to the Other

After six years as Peyton Manning's little-used backup quarterback in Indianapolis, Jim Sorgi signed with the Giants to play behind Eli Manning....

Notre Dame Inks Another Neutral-Site Game

I read today that Notre Dame has just inked a deal to play Maryland at FedEX Field for the 2011 season, a neutral site game that will give the Irish four seasons in a row with such a game. They've also got Arizona State scheduled in Cowboys Stadium in Texas for 2013. Last year they played Washington State in San Antonio, a matchup that had to be created purely for the accumulation of frequent flyer miles, and they play Army this coming season at Yankee Stadium. Even an ardent Notre Dame detractor such as myself has to admit that the matchup and venue combination is pretty cool. The only bad thing about it is that it's scheduled for late November, the game before the Irish's season-ending rivalry match with USC. It might draw way more attention if they played it earlier in the season, like a kickoff game, but I forgot that they schedule other activities in Yankee Stadium around that time.

I applaud the Irish for doing more touring than Jimmy Buffet. It keeps their name out there, and gives their still enormous fan base a snowball's chance of seeing them somewhere outside South Bend, which is pretty handy since they don't always accept bowl invitations. Keeping relevant is important for a team that who although has it's own individual television contract, has played Georgia Tech almost as many times (34) as neighbor Michigan (37). Yet with new coach Brian Kelly barely settling into South Bend, the temptation to cut some slack on his upcoming schedule might be too great. Why risk going on the road when you could have a gut game at home and help your new coach build confidence, especially the week before your biggest game of the season? Kudos to the Irish for this unique scheduling approach. If they keep it up, they might be able to resist joining a conference for at least another decade.

Know this: These one-shot games are the way of the future. They allow easier scheduling logistics than a home and home, and generous payouts help ease the financial sting of the subtraction of a home game from the slate. And the venue and/or timing of the game give unparalled exposure. Last season's Chick Fil-A Kickoff Game gave ABC huge numbers, with football-starved fans eager for any pigskin action. It's like a bowl game to kick off the season, but even better than one because all of CFB is focused on you. The game isn't diluted with a bunch of other meaningless games like the bowl season is.

© fanblogs.com

View the original post or comment on Notre Dame Inks Another Neutral-Site Game...

...