Ecosystem and Circuses

• Wegman's—arguably the greatest supermarket on Earth—makes whole wheat bread that uses raisin juice concentrate and vinegar as preservatives. Why can't all preservatives be this benign?

• I never want to purchase bottled water again. When did our culture suddenly become obsessively dependent on bottled water? What a strange commodity. When did tap water suddenly become undrinkable?

• The source for Aquafina bottled water: Latham, NY municipal.... that's right, tap water. What's next, oxygen?

• How is it possible that I have five children that are nothing alike?

• How is it that in the last two weeks I have watched, or read at least five separate exposés on school lunches, but little is being done to try to rectify them?

• Why are there literally acres of garbage floating—mostly in the form of small plastic items—in the Pacific Ocean, wreaking havoc on the ecosystem and endangering wildlife on Midway Island?

Training: I did a solid 200o yard Master's Swim again this week. It was not nearly as difficult as the week before when we swam four, 150 yard sprints. I also have been running again, sans pain of any kind! My cardiovascular fitness is a little weak, but I am committed to getting out there Thanksgiving morning and running a 10K. It will certainly not be easy. It's amazing to me that I can go from running a marathon and a half-ironman to worrying about faring well in a 10K. Of course, more of it is psychological than physical. I have started some serious weight training workouts again this fall. I am hoping that my leg workouts, along with my stretching will also keep any knee pain at bay.

Challenge: I contacted Wegmans' supermarket marketing department yesterday to see if they might be interested in sponsoring a last minute weight loss challenge for all of YOU! This is what I proposed:

I would like to hold a challenge for my blog readers to lose weight during the holiday season (Thanksgiving to New Years.) The reader with the highest percentage of weight loss wins. Here are my possible suggestions:

1) The winner recieves a $500 donation-in their name-to the charity of their choice. Many of us run for causes. For instance, I run the Finger Lakes Triathlon every year for the Mary M. Gooley Hemophilia Center. I raised over a thousand dollars in donations this year.

2) A paid entrance fee to one event during the 2010 season (not to exceed $X.) Unfortunately, races can be expensive, and prohibitive for some because of the entrance fees. This would be a huge incentive for athletes. Perhaps, one stipulation would be that the athlete race in the Wegmans triathlon/race bib. Not that Wegmans needs the exposure, but it would show their continued dedication to promoting healthy lifestyle choices. I am still awaiting an official "yes" or "no."

Music: I am attending a concert 24 November at the Eastman School of Music to hear Eastman's new music ensemble Ossia, and watch my wife and Donna Davenport dance in a performance of John Cage's Musical Circus. Should prove to be amazing.