well, the arms were a little sore this morning, but felt better as the day went on, so i ran over to the pool for the evening swim and managed 70 laps for 3.5k in exactly 70 minutes. that gives me 32k of swimming for the month, which was good enough to hit my C goal! (A goal was 62k,B goal was 46.5k). it's been generally a good week in terms of strength and energy. i ended up with 271k of running for the month, which is not too bad considering i spent most of the month nursing that nagging knee injury. it hasn't been a problem at all for the past 4 days so i am really hoping that i have turned the corner with that.
well, i am really looking forward to starting a new job tomorrow. perfect way to start a new month!
i'm sure it will be an interesting adjustment getting back into a routine, but i hope to find myself at the pool on a regular basis after work. it will be great to run to and from work on a regular basis too.
Jenn
Sunday, January 31, 2010
January 30, 2010 - awesome day!
well, it was 5k of running yesterday but 15.5k today! plus an awesomely fast 4k swim (75 minutes), about 10 minutes faster than my usual time for a swim like that. i was full of energy after a great long sleep in. and to top it off, i had a really awesome ticket to see the Blue Rodeo concert tonight, my 13th time seeing that band play live. They are one of Canada's best bands, but one of the least known bands in the world outside of Canada.
well, if i can swim 4.65k tomorrow, i will give myself the best monthly swim total since March 2009, which would be a really nice accomplishment.. so i will plan to give it a go at the pool tomorrow. there's also a good chance that i will be down a few pounds this month too, which would also be a great way to start the year!
Jenn
well, if i can swim 4.65k tomorrow, i will give myself the best monthly swim total since March 2009, which would be a really nice accomplishment.. so i will plan to give it a go at the pool tomorrow. there's also a good chance that i will be down a few pounds this month too, which would also be a great way to start the year!
Jenn
Friday, January 29, 2010
January 29, 2010 - return to work!
I am pleased to announce my return to the Newfoundland Public Service, as i will start a new job on Monday with the Dept of Justice. While it is an entry-level job, it's a major milestone as this is my first hire as Jennifer, and a chance to get my foot back in the door with an organization for which i hope to have a long-term and rewarding career.
Jennifer
Jennifer
Thursday, January 28, 2010
January 27 and 28, 2010 - rainy days, but warm, sort of!
4 degrees Celsius is definitely warm by Newfoundland winter standards! The drizzle and fog, nor the melted snow puddles didn't bother me as i went for my 8k run on wednesday... Today (Thursday) i ran 10k on the track and 7k outside, and swam a very strong 3k!
Jenn
Jenn
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
January 26, 2010 - sluggish day
well, even with a long sleep in, i didn't feel very energetic today. i went over to the pool but i only managed 1.5k before i gave up. at least i had a nice walk around the pond. hopefully tomorrow will be a better day!
Jenn
Jenn
Monday, January 25, 2010
Jan 26, 2010 - My Reaction to International Olympic Committee's so-called Gender Summit Results
Earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) met with their team of so-called gender experts to apparently review and create new policies with regards to intersexed and transsexual athletes. The following news release summarizes their key decisions: IOC Statement on Gender Test Centres.
In short, nothing has changed. The IOC continues to hold the values that intersexed athletes are 'disordered' and will require 'treatment' before they are allowed to compete in the Olympics. Even worse, they did not release any type of polices or guidelines. Instead, stating that evaluations would occur on a case by case basis upon complaint or request. So essentially, intersexed athletes have no idea what the rules are and they must risk being subjected to cruel scrutiny and violating test procedures in order to even have a chance at competing.
Not surprising, the Coalition of Athletes for Inclusion in Sport (an organization of experts who recently submitted a policy amendment proposal to the IOC, based on scientific research and human rights law) have responded with harsh criticism, which is definitely just, as the IOC will continue to operate with no rules, except when a crisis occurs and they will create ad-hoc rules on the spot, without informing anyone up front of what they are.
I am highly upset at the IOC's blatant disrespect and disregard for human rights, human respect, human dignity, organizational protocol, and the spirit of inclusion at the Olympics. I feel equally as disappointed as there appears to have been no progress made on the issue.
Furthermore, I find it even more disappointing that at this so-called gender summit, that they did not review or make any revisions to the seriously-flawed Stockholm Consensus, which I gather will remain in place as their official protocol for the classification of trans athletes.
This drastically affects me, as although I am not anywhere near being considered an Olympic-hopeful, the same Olympic policies, are often adopted at the provincial and local level, which is where I compete.
To review, the Stockholm Consensus document outlines the criteria that transitioned athletes must meet in order to be accepted into their new category:
- gonadectomy must have occurred at least 2 years ago
- cross sex hormones must be administered and hormone levels must be consistent with new sex norms for 2 years
- full sex reassignment surgery (genital modification) must be completed
- legal recognition of sex change must be validated by athlete's country's government officials
While I tend to agree with the appropriateness of the second, there are cases where the first one might not be necessary (explained later), and the last 2 are completely irrelevant and absurd.
Becoming female in terms of athleticism is about hormone levels, which directly affects body fat and body muscles. Gonadectomy is ultimately what this is all about. in my case, it is generally understood that it takes 2 years to both demasculinize and feminize a male body. removing testicles and taking estrogen artificially on a daily basis for 2 years will render me sufficiently demasculinized and feminized so that my athletic potential would be on par with other female athletes. (Interestingly enough, what isn't mentioned is the fact that transwomen are at an added disadvantage by nature of having to maneuver the heavier male skeleton with only female muscle levels, but that's another story in itself.)
Whether one has their scrotum and penis turned into a vagina and clitoris will have no affect on athletic abilities, muscles, or hormone levels. Furthermore, whether or not one's government agrees to amend a birth certificate record equally has no bearing on one's athletic potential.
So what does this mean? In my case, I have had the gonadectomy, but not the vaginoplasty. and without the vaginoplasty (which I can't afford at this time, given that my province's health care system is unwilling to fund the procedure on the basis of a recommendation from my team of doctors), my birth province will refuse to amend my sex on my birth record. so ultimately, come the 2 year anniversary mark of my gonadectomy, I will be sufficiently demasculinzed and feminized to the point where it would be deemed appropriate for me to compete as a female, but due to these other irrelevant rules, I wouldn't be allowed to compete, nor will anyone else in my position.
To take this even deeper, the transgendered athlete who does not identify as transsexual will never have a gonadectomy, and would it be fair to exclude them from competing for life? Or is there a way to equally demasculinize and feminize the body through the use of testosterone blockers? Probably so. Therefore, there's got to be a way to include them at the Olympics too.
Ultimately, the way things stand now, it is safe to say that most transsexual and intersexed athletes will feel discouraged from getting involved in sports, as they do not wish to be set up for ridicule, humiliation, or a violation of privacy rights and/or human rights. I'm thinking that the only way to bring about change will be either athlete revolt or athlete legal action.
To go back to the Coalition, one of their questions raised is regarding the appropriateness of using gender as a method to segregate athletes. Gender is a state of mind, and quite franky, has nothing to do with athletics. Sex is biological and physiological, but is far from binary. Ultimately, in a perfect world, all human beings, would be given the opportunity to compete in the Olympics, without any surgical requirements. One argument is that to require surgery would be the same thing as asking a tall basketball player to have surgery to become shorter because their height gives them an unfair competitive advantage.
Specifically, intersexed athletes who contain both male and female sex organs, should be allowed to take part. But the big question then becomes, how to do you classify them? Likewise, how do you classify a transsexual athlete who is only part way into their transition?
My solution, which I successfully lead to implementation at the 2009 World Outgames in Copenhagen, Denmark, was to have a 3rd category created: a category that would be specific to athletes who do not identify with either man or woman gender, and/or athletes who do not meet the criteria to be classified as male or female; and/or athletes who have some sort of biological and/or self-identity reason to reject being classified male or female.
Now, some would suggest that it is a bit of a joke to award a Gold Medal to an athlete who is the only one in the category. And furthermore, some would say it is a joke that a marathon time of 4.19.53 was a gold medal winning time, but hey, you gotta start somewhere. The first Boston Marathon had only 15 participants! I'm sure there are other athletes out there would identify as trans or intersex who are quite capable of running faster marathons, but they all had their chance and none of them showed up! They all decided to stay home in their closet.
If the Olympics were to open the doors to a 3rd category, I'm sure there would be a long line up of athletes interested in being involved. This would likely lead to qualification standards. Most importantly, it would bring transpeople and intersexed people out of the closet and into mainstream society. It would help society better learn to understand and overcome transphobia; and it would shine a spotlight on the best interesexed and trans athletes in the world. Ultimately, it would appear to be the only way to ensure that all athletes have an equal chance to be a part of the olympics.
Think this idea is crazy? Well, it's case study time... Let's fast forward ahead to the 2012 summer Olympics. Think about Caster Semenya. Her 800m time still stands as a female world record. This time would not likely get her even qualified for the Olympics if she were classified as a male. If these rumours turn out to be true about her having male sex organs, and if a decision is ever made that she is not allowed to compete as a female unless she has these organs removed, and observes the 2 year demasculinizing waiting period, then would it be fair to leave her out of the Olympics? Probably not! She is a world class athlete. And besides, people want to see the best at the Olympics. This would be a huge story. Yes, Olympics is about winning to a certain extent, but it is mostly about the spirit of participation. If Caster is not deemed allowed to run as a female, I really think the Olympics should consider having here there anyway and running under some other category, if she wants to be there, that is. Anything would be better than telling her to stay at home.
So, C'mon IOC. It's time for change before you get yourself into trouble with human rights lawsuits and privacy law suits, and time for change before your reptutation gets destroyed anymore than it already is! and time to revisit your book of values, specifically the value about the spirit of inclusiveness. Why not do something good for the trans and interesexed community; especially after all the harm you have done? I say invite Caster and invite me! If not primarily for our athletic talents, invite us because we are strong people who have fought and overcome so much scrutiny, discrimination, and hatred. Include us because we are athletes who deserve a fair chance and deserve some recognition for the hard work we do on and off the track!
Jennifer
In short, nothing has changed. The IOC continues to hold the values that intersexed athletes are 'disordered' and will require 'treatment' before they are allowed to compete in the Olympics. Even worse, they did not release any type of polices or guidelines. Instead, stating that evaluations would occur on a case by case basis upon complaint or request. So essentially, intersexed athletes have no idea what the rules are and they must risk being subjected to cruel scrutiny and violating test procedures in order to even have a chance at competing.
Not surprising, the Coalition of Athletes for Inclusion in Sport (an organization of experts who recently submitted a policy amendment proposal to the IOC, based on scientific research and human rights law) have responded with harsh criticism, which is definitely just, as the IOC will continue to operate with no rules, except when a crisis occurs and they will create ad-hoc rules on the spot, without informing anyone up front of what they are.
I am highly upset at the IOC's blatant disrespect and disregard for human rights, human respect, human dignity, organizational protocol, and the spirit of inclusion at the Olympics. I feel equally as disappointed as there appears to have been no progress made on the issue.
Furthermore, I find it even more disappointing that at this so-called gender summit, that they did not review or make any revisions to the seriously-flawed Stockholm Consensus, which I gather will remain in place as their official protocol for the classification of trans athletes.
This drastically affects me, as although I am not anywhere near being considered an Olympic-hopeful, the same Olympic policies, are often adopted at the provincial and local level, which is where I compete.
To review, the Stockholm Consensus document outlines the criteria that transitioned athletes must meet in order to be accepted into their new category:
- gonadectomy must have occurred at least 2 years ago
- cross sex hormones must be administered and hormone levels must be consistent with new sex norms for 2 years
- full sex reassignment surgery (genital modification) must be completed
- legal recognition of sex change must be validated by athlete's country's government officials
While I tend to agree with the appropriateness of the second, there are cases where the first one might not be necessary (explained later), and the last 2 are completely irrelevant and absurd.
Becoming female in terms of athleticism is about hormone levels, which directly affects body fat and body muscles. Gonadectomy is ultimately what this is all about. in my case, it is generally understood that it takes 2 years to both demasculinize and feminize a male body. removing testicles and taking estrogen artificially on a daily basis for 2 years will render me sufficiently demasculinized and feminized so that my athletic potential would be on par with other female athletes. (Interestingly enough, what isn't mentioned is the fact that transwomen are at an added disadvantage by nature of having to maneuver the heavier male skeleton with only female muscle levels, but that's another story in itself.)
Whether one has their scrotum and penis turned into a vagina and clitoris will have no affect on athletic abilities, muscles, or hormone levels. Furthermore, whether or not one's government agrees to amend a birth certificate record equally has no bearing on one's athletic potential.
So what does this mean? In my case, I have had the gonadectomy, but not the vaginoplasty. and without the vaginoplasty (which I can't afford at this time, given that my province's health care system is unwilling to fund the procedure on the basis of a recommendation from my team of doctors), my birth province will refuse to amend my sex on my birth record. so ultimately, come the 2 year anniversary mark of my gonadectomy, I will be sufficiently demasculinzed and feminized to the point where it would be deemed appropriate for me to compete as a female, but due to these other irrelevant rules, I wouldn't be allowed to compete, nor will anyone else in my position.
To take this even deeper, the transgendered athlete who does not identify as transsexual will never have a gonadectomy, and would it be fair to exclude them from competing for life? Or is there a way to equally demasculinize and feminize the body through the use of testosterone blockers? Probably so. Therefore, there's got to be a way to include them at the Olympics too.
Ultimately, the way things stand now, it is safe to say that most transsexual and intersexed athletes will feel discouraged from getting involved in sports, as they do not wish to be set up for ridicule, humiliation, or a violation of privacy rights and/or human rights. I'm thinking that the only way to bring about change will be either athlete revolt or athlete legal action.
To go back to the Coalition, one of their questions raised is regarding the appropriateness of using gender as a method to segregate athletes. Gender is a state of mind, and quite franky, has nothing to do with athletics. Sex is biological and physiological, but is far from binary. Ultimately, in a perfect world, all human beings, would be given the opportunity to compete in the Olympics, without any surgical requirements. One argument is that to require surgery would be the same thing as asking a tall basketball player to have surgery to become shorter because their height gives them an unfair competitive advantage.
Specifically, intersexed athletes who contain both male and female sex organs, should be allowed to take part. But the big question then becomes, how to do you classify them? Likewise, how do you classify a transsexual athlete who is only part way into their transition?
My solution, which I successfully lead to implementation at the 2009 World Outgames in Copenhagen, Denmark, was to have a 3rd category created: a category that would be specific to athletes who do not identify with either man or woman gender, and/or athletes who do not meet the criteria to be classified as male or female; and/or athletes who have some sort of biological and/or self-identity reason to reject being classified male or female.
Now, some would suggest that it is a bit of a joke to award a Gold Medal to an athlete who is the only one in the category. And furthermore, some would say it is a joke that a marathon time of 4.19.53 was a gold medal winning time, but hey, you gotta start somewhere. The first Boston Marathon had only 15 participants! I'm sure there are other athletes out there would identify as trans or intersex who are quite capable of running faster marathons, but they all had their chance and none of them showed up! They all decided to stay home in their closet.
If the Olympics were to open the doors to a 3rd category, I'm sure there would be a long line up of athletes interested in being involved. This would likely lead to qualification standards. Most importantly, it would bring transpeople and intersexed people out of the closet and into mainstream society. It would help society better learn to understand and overcome transphobia; and it would shine a spotlight on the best interesexed and trans athletes in the world. Ultimately, it would appear to be the only way to ensure that all athletes have an equal chance to be a part of the olympics.
Think this idea is crazy? Well, it's case study time... Let's fast forward ahead to the 2012 summer Olympics. Think about Caster Semenya. Her 800m time still stands as a female world record. This time would not likely get her even qualified for the Olympics if she were classified as a male. If these rumours turn out to be true about her having male sex organs, and if a decision is ever made that she is not allowed to compete as a female unless she has these organs removed, and observes the 2 year demasculinizing waiting period, then would it be fair to leave her out of the Olympics? Probably not! She is a world class athlete. And besides, people want to see the best at the Olympics. This would be a huge story. Yes, Olympics is about winning to a certain extent, but it is mostly about the spirit of participation. If Caster is not deemed allowed to run as a female, I really think the Olympics should consider having here there anyway and running under some other category, if she wants to be there, that is. Anything would be better than telling her to stay at home.
So, C'mon IOC. It's time for change before you get yourself into trouble with human rights lawsuits and privacy law suits, and time for change before your reptutation gets destroyed anymore than it already is! and time to revisit your book of values, specifically the value about the spirit of inclusiveness. Why not do something good for the trans and interesexed community; especially after all the harm you have done? I say invite Caster and invite me! If not primarily for our athletic talents, invite us because we are strong people who have fought and overcome so much scrutiny, discrimination, and hatred. Include us because we are athletes who deserve a fair chance and deserve some recognition for the hard work we do on and off the track!
Jennifer
January 25, 2010 - sunny day!
gee, what a strange start to the day. couldn't fall asleep last night til 2.30 am. but somehow woke up at 5.30am and couldn't get back to sleep. so i decided to turn on the tv to watch some live australian open tennis, where i watched roger federer demolish lleyton hewitt, something he seems to do on a regular basis!
then i watched the sun come up and ate my breakfast, and eventually headed over to the track for what turned out to be a very strong 16k! then i took a nice walk around outside and visited the ducks at the pond, and then more ducks at the river! then it was back inside for some cleaning up and some job searching. and then back outside for more sun! it was so lovely!
Jenn
then i watched the sun come up and ate my breakfast, and eventually headed over to the track for what turned out to be a very strong 16k! then i took a nice walk around outside and visited the ducks at the pond, and then more ducks at the river! then it was back inside for some cleaning up and some job searching. and then back outside for more sun! it was so lovely!
Jenn
January 24, 2010 - lovely afternoon
still cold here today, about -10, but that didn't stop me from having a lovely run to kent's pond and back. the sun was peaking thru the clouds for a while and it was not windy at all, which is rare for here! 9.5k in total. the knee was not a problem so that is good news, given that i tweaked it the other day on the track.
Jenn
Jenn
Saturday, January 23, 2010
January 23, 2010 - prorogue protest!
wow, it was -13 degrees here today, the coldest day of the year so far, but it was fairly calm, so i decided to put on my running shoes and head down to the Colonial building here in St. John's to be a part of the cross-Canada non-partisan parliament prorogue protest, an event for Canadian to voice their concerns about the prorogation of our Canadian parliament by our prime minister.
here are two videos i shot at the event, the first is my intro and the second is the keynote speech by local celebrity Pete Soucy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zZFZlLQSjk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V52hZ2V2sg&
after the event, i ran down to quidi vidi lake and then to kent's pond to feed the ducks, then visited some friends, and ran home, where i am now warming up indoors and settling down to watch some hockey and tennis on tv tonight.
Jenn
here are two videos i shot at the event, the first is my intro and the second is the keynote speech by local celebrity Pete Soucy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zZFZlLQSjk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V52hZ2V2sg&
after the event, i ran down to quidi vidi lake and then to kent's pond to feed the ducks, then visited some friends, and ran home, where i am now warming up indoors and settling down to watch some hockey and tennis on tv tonight.
Jenn
January 22, 2010 - mega work out!
well, it was 2 hour - 21k run on the indoor track this morning, then immediately into the pool for an hour swim.. a pseudo 3/4 marathon if you will.. lol and i felt great in terms of strength, endurance, and energy levels. amazing to have 3 great energy days in a row! and overall, i have been in a rather good mood for most of the week, better mood than i have been in a long time. not really sure why though.
only real negative thing today was that i appear to have tweaked the knee injury again. i actually cut the run short, as this was supposed to be a 30-40k run, but i decided to take it to the pool. hours later though, the knee feels ok. i will test it out gently tomorrow to see where things are at, and i will definitely be speaking to my family doc about the knee upon my next visit.
other good news this week was that i was given a complete clean bill of lung health by the specialist. my breathing has gotten better since the summer, or maybe it just seems that way. could be i am just better adjusted to the change in hemoglobin as part of the estrogen process, which leads to less oxygen being processed thru the body..
anyway, not a bad day at all, and looking forward to what will hopefully be a great weekend!
Jenn
only real negative thing today was that i appear to have tweaked the knee injury again. i actually cut the run short, as this was supposed to be a 30-40k run, but i decided to take it to the pool. hours later though, the knee feels ok. i will test it out gently tomorrow to see where things are at, and i will definitely be speaking to my family doc about the knee upon my next visit.
other good news this week was that i was given a complete clean bill of lung health by the specialist. my breathing has gotten better since the summer, or maybe it just seems that way. could be i am just better adjusted to the change in hemoglobin as part of the estrogen process, which leads to less oxygen being processed thru the body..
anyway, not a bad day at all, and looking forward to what will hopefully be a great weekend!
Jenn
Friday, January 22, 2010
January 21, 2010 - snow storm!
wow, another big snow storm here in St. John's today. the schools were closed and the roads were fairly empty. luckily, the pool was open so i went over and swam for almost 2 hours today! it was a rather gentle swim, covering a total of 4.6k. i was actually preparing to swim more, but they decided to shut down the pool early due to an apparent scheduling conflict with the MUN swim team. oh well, it was a great swim and i felt really strong at the end. As i type this tonight, i feel as though i could go over there now and swim another 2 hours. it's nice to have a day where i was full of energy! looking forward to a long run and a long swim tomorrow.
Jenn
Jenn
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
January 19 - 20, 2010 - long run!
well the 19th was a bit of a rest day as i recovered from a busy monday. i still managed 6.5k of running. today featured a long run to the blood clinic, which is about 8k from here. strange that the city has essentially closed down all other general blood clinics for the general public and ask that people use this one way out on the outskirts of town. oh well, it was a hilly run, but a beautiful sunny day. lovely for a nice 16k run. i grabbed a few groceries on the way back so carrying them through the unplowed sidewalks was quite the challenge, but a great workout nonetheless.
i've been enjoying the tennis on tv this week. it's nice to see justine henin and kim clijsters doing well in their comebacks after brief 'retirements' from the sport. they are both way too young to be retired anyway!
Jenn
i've been enjoying the tennis on tv this week. it's nice to see justine henin and kim clijsters doing well in their comebacks after brief 'retirements' from the sport. they are both way too young to be retired anyway!
Jenn
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
January 18, 2010 - indoor run!
a very busy day for me with a job interview, a visit to the pond to see the ducks, a run outdoors in the cold but lovely sun, and an indoor run, part with Kim and part on my own. 13.5k of running total today. felt rally good despite only 5 hours of sleep. hoping for a great week ahead!
Jenn
Jenn
Sunday, January 17, 2010
January 17, 2010 - rest day
only managed to get outside for a short time today, and that's probably good as it was -11 and high winds. ran a token 0.5k just to say that i ran at all, then walked 1k on top of that, over to the river where i have seen ducks as of late. one duck had an icicle frozen to it's forehead.. poor thing!
watching NFL quarterfinals (aka divisional playoffs - not sure why they call it that when it is not really divisional anymore).
looking forward to catching some of the Australian Open tennis on tv over the next few weeks. 3 canadian girls have made the draw. the focus will definitely be on one of my all time favs, Justine Henin, as she makes a comeback after a 2-3 year retirement. should be interesting to see how she does..
big day tomorrow with a doc appt, a job interview, and a run with Kim over at the track.
Jenn
watching NFL quarterfinals (aka divisional playoffs - not sure why they call it that when it is not really divisional anymore).
looking forward to catching some of the Australian Open tennis on tv over the next few weeks. 3 canadian girls have made the draw. the focus will definitely be on one of my all time favs, Justine Henin, as she makes a comeback after a 2-3 year retirement. should be interesting to see how she does..
big day tomorrow with a doc appt, a job interview, and a run with Kim over at the track.
Jenn
Saturday, January 16, 2010
January 16, 2010 - weekly update
it's been a very busy week for me with 3 job interviews. all that went very well. all three were with government entities but 2 were with arms-length organizations, as opposed to direct department jobs, so the interview format was quite different. it will be very interesting to see how things end up with these ones.
not very much running for me this week. i ran every day but only 4-5k each day. i managed 2 swims, one of which was a long and strong 4k swim.
i am looking forward to getting in a couple of longer runs in the week ahead.
Jen
not very much running for me this week. i ran every day but only 4-5k each day. i managed 2 swims, one of which was a long and strong 4k swim.
i am looking forward to getting in a couple of longer runs in the week ahead.
Jen
Thursday, January 14, 2010
January 13, 2010 - brief update
been very busy this week preparing for 3 job interviews. haven't had time to post an update. but it's been a good week with a couple of short runs and one short swim.
my duck feeding video is becoming a real hit, with all my friends loving it. almost 100 youtube views already in just a few days.
the video is posted here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJEssXA_Bvg&
i recorded another one today, which is equally as fun, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2fU3L6kJUI&
Jenn
my duck feeding video is becoming a real hit, with all my friends loving it. almost 100 youtube views already in just a few days.
the video is posted here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJEssXA_Bvg&
i recorded another one today, which is equally as fun, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2fU3L6kJUI&
Jenn
Monday, January 11, 2010
January 11, 2009 - update for the day
well, the snow storm finally halted but it was a very windy day here in St. John's. I decided to venture over to the pond with my video camera to shoot some footage. I just let the film roll with no planned script. I was so happy with the 9 minute recording that i posted it on my youtube site as is, with no edits. you can see the video here. I want to remind people that ducks are very precious and can bring so much fun and joy; and that we all need to do our part to ensure that the wildlife have a safe and comfortable environment to live in that is free of litter.
only a 4k run for me to and from the pond. i am saving my energy for tomorrow, which is likely to be a busy day with lots of errands to 'run'!
Jenn
only a 4k run for me to and from the pond. i am saving my energy for tomorrow, which is likely to be a busy day with lots of errands to 'run'!
Jenn
Sunday, January 10, 2010
January 9, 2010 - Mundy Pond Duck Dead - City officials ignore pleas to help
Well, a big shame on the City of St. John's and their team of wildlife officials in the Humane Services Division for failing this duck. They wouldn't even send one person out to help this poor suffering animal, who has starved to death due to being unable to eat for 2 weeks with a plastic ring jammed around its head and in its mouth? Whoever manages that program should be replaced with someone who actually cares!
...and shame on city officials who get paid to clean up garbage in our parks. You didn't do your job either. and shame on all you ignorant litterbugs that are ruining what used to be a lovely city.
Yup, Newfoundland! We litter our parks and ponds with fast food garbage, we pollute our harbour, we let our dogs poop everywhere, we don't recycle, we are clear-cutting our forests and parks to build more houses and more parking lots, we'd rather drive than walk or bike (who needs snow cleared from sidewalks anyway?), we kill our ducks, and we club our seals, for that matter too!
.. and this is supposed to be a prime tourist destination?? Gimme a break! No wonder half of the country is laughing at us and the other half is so upset with us. I am highly ashamed of our City tonight!
i feared the worst yesterday when i went over to Mundy pond Friday afternoon and didn't see that particular duck. i really wish this story had broken sooner. i have a great deal of experience studying ducks and i have managed to do a very good job at getting ducks at several different ponds to feel comfortable approaching me, eating bird seed out of my hand, and even letting me hold them. I went over friday with seed and scissors fully expecting not only to find the duck, but to free it.. but it was apparently too late.
..on a brighter note, we had a major snow storm here today, our second storm of the year. but that didn't stop me from having a wonderful swim at the pool and a nice visit at Burton's Pond, where i fed several hungry ducks, who probably didn't know quite what to make of the storm.
Jenn
...and shame on city officials who get paid to clean up garbage in our parks. You didn't do your job either. and shame on all you ignorant litterbugs that are ruining what used to be a lovely city.
Yup, Newfoundland! We litter our parks and ponds with fast food garbage, we pollute our harbour, we let our dogs poop everywhere, we don't recycle, we are clear-cutting our forests and parks to build more houses and more parking lots, we'd rather drive than walk or bike (who needs snow cleared from sidewalks anyway?), we kill our ducks, and we club our seals, for that matter too!
.. and this is supposed to be a prime tourist destination?? Gimme a break! No wonder half of the country is laughing at us and the other half is so upset with us. I am highly ashamed of our City tonight!
i feared the worst yesterday when i went over to Mundy pond Friday afternoon and didn't see that particular duck. i really wish this story had broken sooner. i have a great deal of experience studying ducks and i have managed to do a very good job at getting ducks at several different ponds to feel comfortable approaching me, eating bird seed out of my hand, and even letting me hold them. I went over friday with seed and scissors fully expecting not only to find the duck, but to free it.. but it was apparently too late.
..on a brighter note, we had a major snow storm here today, our second storm of the year. but that didn't stop me from having a wonderful swim at the pool and a nice visit at Burton's Pond, where i fed several hungry ducks, who probably didn't know quite what to make of the storm.
Jenn
Saturday, January 9, 2010
January 8, 2010 - new video camera!
well, i finally opened up one of my little christmas presents, a very small video camera. the quality is not great, but this is going to be perfect for doing interviews and online blogging. I decided to have a little fun and create a short sports tv documentary special that features some highlights of tonight's big Atlantic University Sports conference Women's volleyball grudge match between the 0-8 Memorial University SeaHawks and the 0-8 Aigles-Bleu de Moncton.
The video is now available for viewing here:
Jennifer's MUN Volleyball news video
in other news today, i ran 17.5k, including another run to Mundy Pond to see if i could locate and help the poor duckie that was featured on the CTV news last night. The duck had an elastic band wrapped around its head! I had no luck finding the duck, but i was told by others that someone else was their earlier in the day trying to help, so i certainly hope the duck managed to escape the elastic band.
looking forward to a weekend of running, swimming, and watching some football on tv.
Jennifer
The video is now available for viewing here:
Jennifer's MUN Volleyball news video
in other news today, i ran 17.5k, including another run to Mundy Pond to see if i could locate and help the poor duckie that was featured on the CTV news last night. The duck had an elastic band wrapped around its head! I had no luck finding the duck, but i was told by others that someone else was their earlier in the day trying to help, so i certainly hope the duck managed to escape the elastic band.
looking forward to a weekend of running, swimming, and watching some football on tv.
Jennifer
Friday, January 8, 2010
January 7, 2010 - duck needs help
sad news today as it was reported on CTV that a duck at Mundy Pond had somehow managed to get a thick elastic band jammed around its head and into its mouth, forcing her beak open. the duck is unable to eat and unable to use it's beak to do anything. local university wildlife specialists have been over there trying to catch the duck in order to help, but without success.
i hope this is a lesson to everyone out there who litters around places like ponds, parks, and forests that there are serious risks to wildlife animals from human behaviour.
i went over to the pond tonight to try to find her but wasn't successful. i will head over again in the morning daylight and see if my sweet charm and my birdseed is able to work.
10.5k of running for me today in what was a very busy one with lots of work. i am now preparing for 2 more government job interviews, which i will have next week. i'm also starting to plan out my trip in April to run the Boston and Big Sur marathons, which may very well be the only two i run this year off Newfoundland soil. then again, if one of these two jobs work out, i may be able to splurge and hit Mississauga and/or Halifax again. you never know! first things first though, i gotta get into better shape!
Jenn
i hope this is a lesson to everyone out there who litters around places like ponds, parks, and forests that there are serious risks to wildlife animals from human behaviour.
i went over to the pond tonight to try to find her but wasn't successful. i will head over again in the morning daylight and see if my sweet charm and my birdseed is able to work.
10.5k of running for me today in what was a very busy one with lots of work. i am now preparing for 2 more government job interviews, which i will have next week. i'm also starting to plan out my trip in April to run the Boston and Big Sur marathons, which may very well be the only two i run this year off Newfoundland soil. then again, if one of these two jobs work out, i may be able to splurge and hit Mississauga and/or Halifax again. you never know! first things first though, i gotta get into better shape!
Jenn
Thursday, January 7, 2010
January 6, 2010 - really nice day
lovely day here. sunny, calm, about 3 degrees. i had 25.3k of running today, which included an early morning run after an unplanned extra early wake up call due to a fire alarm, and a late afternoon run down the rennie river trail to quidi vidi lake. never thought i would see grass, trails, and unfrozen ponds in january here!
Jenn
Jenn
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
January 5, 2010 - another quick update
felt rather sluggish today. only a light 4k run then back inside to rest and do some work on the computer. hoping to feel more energetic tomorrow and have a nice long run in what is supposed to be a beautiful sunny morning!
Jenn
Jenn
Monday, January 4, 2010
January 3, 2010 - cold rainy day
hehe, cold rainy day could probably be the title for at least 300 of the 365 days out of the year for someone who lives in Newfoundland... But you know, i still love it here. the air is so fresh and pure, and the ponds, walking trails, and ocean are still beautiful to see in the rain.. and the wildlife such as ducks, squirrels and the rare occasional rabbit can still cheer anyone up!
i ran 5k today and swam 4k in the pool, for a nice overall light workout. the visit at the pond on rainy days is always more fun because the ducks are usually hungrier as nobody else has dropped by to feed them..
the rest of my day was spent on the couch watching week #17 of 17 of the NFL season, as several teams struggled to get that one last win to get themselves into the playoffs.
i guess the christmas season is officially over tomorrow, and i look forward to getting down to some serious business with my some Plan Bs and Plan Cs as far as strategies to find meaningful employment,and to improve my health and fitness.
Jenn
i ran 5k today and swam 4k in the pool, for a nice overall light workout. the visit at the pond on rainy days is always more fun because the ducks are usually hungrier as nobody else has dropped by to feed them..
the rest of my day was spent on the couch watching week #17 of 17 of the NFL season, as several teams struggled to get that one last win to get themselves into the playoffs.
i guess the christmas season is officially over tomorrow, and i look forward to getting down to some serious business with my some Plan Bs and Plan Cs as far as strategies to find meaningful employment,and to improve my health and fitness.
Jenn
Sunday, January 3, 2010
January 2, 2010 - sunny warm day!
An amazing 5 degrees here today with the sun peaking through made for lovely conditions to be outside for a run and a visit to the pond. 15k of light running for me this afternoon, after a nice long sleep in. no swim in favour of being outside instead. what a lovely day it was!
the sun is still setting very early though, so it's been several hours inside continuing to struggle with signal issues from Rogers Cable. this is 4 days in a row they have had major outages in Newfoundland. they keep thinking they have the problem fixed, but it seems to come back every day. this has essentially ruined 4 days of bowl games for me.. but at least some channels have gotten through ok, so i've at least gotten to watch some of them. it will be interesting to see if we have more problems tomorrow, as the 400 series special sports channels seem to be the ones most affected.
Jenn
the sun is still setting very early though, so it's been several hours inside continuing to struggle with signal issues from Rogers Cable. this is 4 days in a row they have had major outages in Newfoundland. they keep thinking they have the problem fixed, but it seems to come back every day. this has essentially ruined 4 days of bowl games for me.. but at least some channels have gotten through ok, so i've at least gotten to watch some of them. it will be interesting to see if we have more problems tomorrow, as the 400 series special sports channels seem to be the ones most affected.
Jenn
Friday, January 1, 2010
January 1, 2010 - off to a good start
well, yesterday's turned out to be a cold and windy day. Kim and I attended the Running Room's resolution run, where we both got our hands on a really nice running jacket. it was Kim's first run in 8 weeks, so we took it easy and just did 2k. It was fun to finally run with Kim again after such a long time.
later that night, i took in a new years eve party and got off to a good start with a 4k run home at 1 am.
after a good sleep, i was off to some friends for a new years day lunch feast! and then it was a run over to the pond for my first visit with the ducks in 2010.
more cable problems with rogers meant that i missed out on a couple of the bowl games. this time, in addition to the 400 series sports channels, about 80% of basic cable was down for about 4 hours! but it appears they are back on now so i have been enjoying the rose bowl and look forward to watching cincy take a shot at upsetting Florida in the sugar bowl. i still can't believe rogers continues to have signal problems. the technical support folks seem to be clueless as to what is going on. luckily, i have found a couple of tape trader websites, so there's a chance i can still get my hands on copies of the bowl games i have missed. perfect timing huh? cable has been fine all fall but the glitches hit right in the peak of bowl season.. always seems to be the case!
looking forward to getting back to the pool tomorrow for my first swim since dec 23. i am determined to get the swiming levels back to where they were in 2008.
Jenn
later that night, i took in a new years eve party and got off to a good start with a 4k run home at 1 am.
after a good sleep, i was off to some friends for a new years day lunch feast! and then it was a run over to the pond for my first visit with the ducks in 2010.
more cable problems with rogers meant that i missed out on a couple of the bowl games. this time, in addition to the 400 series sports channels, about 80% of basic cable was down for about 4 hours! but it appears they are back on now so i have been enjoying the rose bowl and look forward to watching cincy take a shot at upsetting Florida in the sugar bowl. i still can't believe rogers continues to have signal problems. the technical support folks seem to be clueless as to what is going on. luckily, i have found a couple of tape trader websites, so there's a chance i can still get my hands on copies of the bowl games i have missed. perfect timing huh? cable has been fine all fall but the glitches hit right in the peak of bowl season.. always seems to be the case!
looking forward to getting back to the pool tomorrow for my first swim since dec 23. i am determined to get the swiming levels back to where they were in 2008.
Jenn
Dec 31, 2009 - it's over, thankfully!
well, 2009 was probably the most challenging and negative year of my entire life. so many bad things happened to me that weren't fair.. it was just one thing after another. guess that's what happens to transsexuals in a world that is full of bigotry, transphobia, and outright hate and discrimination.
i certainly hope that 2010 is better, although i am not very optimistic about it. this is going to be a year of survival, where i take life one day at a time, with the ultimate goal of surviving each day with the daily goal of achieving 4 things: a visit to the pond to see the ducks, having food on the table, having a daily estrogen pill, and having a roof over my head to sleep each night. if i can achieve all four of these things for 365 days in a row, i will consider 2010 a success. anything else will be icing on the cake!
icing which i hope will include a new job, a change in provincial government health care policies to include surgery and other care deemed needed for transsexuals, and a year in which i better learn to manage the physical challenges of being on estrogen and going thru the feminizing process - and get some weight off and continue to excel in my running and swimming.. hopefully a year that includes some great marathon runs, and some great trips to see family and friends on the mainland..
i finished 2009 having run 4002km, an annual record for me. this included 7 officially sanctioned marathon runs, including the Boston Marathon and World Outgames Marathon in Copenhagen Denmark, where i gold medalled, and became what appears to be the first formally-sanctioned transsexual in world history to complete a marathon. It was also the year i joined the MarathonManiacs.com and achieved their level 5 status while running 3 marathons in 8 days, in what ended up being 5 marathons in 30 days.
i only managed 335k in the pool, which is only 48% of what i swam last year. but i did manage to participate in my first ever swim meet, also at the World Outgames, where i set a personal best in the 1500M freestyle and took home another gold medal!
it was also a great year in terms of reaching out and giving back to the community, both in terms of becoming a volunteer running coach, and in terms of taking on countless pieces of advocacy
work for the rights of transsexuals.
after losing 70 pounds in a span of 18 months from Jan 07 - July 08, i managed to gain back 30 of them in the following 18 months, which is something i expected with the hormonal side of my transition. i sense that the worst of the adjustment period is over, and i can now expect to get used to more stable hormone levels, which means i should be able to start losing weight again if i am a little more careful with my calories and pick it back up a notch in terms of training.
well, i'm sure there will be more reflecting back on the year that was, and the year ahead, in the coming days in these blog pages!
hope everyone has a great 2010!
Jennifer
i certainly hope that 2010 is better, although i am not very optimistic about it. this is going to be a year of survival, where i take life one day at a time, with the ultimate goal of surviving each day with the daily goal of achieving 4 things: a visit to the pond to see the ducks, having food on the table, having a daily estrogen pill, and having a roof over my head to sleep each night. if i can achieve all four of these things for 365 days in a row, i will consider 2010 a success. anything else will be icing on the cake!
icing which i hope will include a new job, a change in provincial government health care policies to include surgery and other care deemed needed for transsexuals, and a year in which i better learn to manage the physical challenges of being on estrogen and going thru the feminizing process - and get some weight off and continue to excel in my running and swimming.. hopefully a year that includes some great marathon runs, and some great trips to see family and friends on the mainland..
i finished 2009 having run 4002km, an annual record for me. this included 7 officially sanctioned marathon runs, including the Boston Marathon and World Outgames Marathon in Copenhagen Denmark, where i gold medalled, and became what appears to be the first formally-sanctioned transsexual in world history to complete a marathon. It was also the year i joined the MarathonManiacs.com and achieved their level 5 status while running 3 marathons in 8 days, in what ended up being 5 marathons in 30 days.
i only managed 335k in the pool, which is only 48% of what i swam last year. but i did manage to participate in my first ever swim meet, also at the World Outgames, where i set a personal best in the 1500M freestyle and took home another gold medal!
it was also a great year in terms of reaching out and giving back to the community, both in terms of becoming a volunteer running coach, and in terms of taking on countless pieces of advocacy
work for the rights of transsexuals.
after losing 70 pounds in a span of 18 months from Jan 07 - July 08, i managed to gain back 30 of them in the following 18 months, which is something i expected with the hormonal side of my transition. i sense that the worst of the adjustment period is over, and i can now expect to get used to more stable hormone levels, which means i should be able to start losing weight again if i am a little more careful with my calories and pick it back up a notch in terms of training.
well, i'm sure there will be more reflecting back on the year that was, and the year ahead, in the coming days in these blog pages!
hope everyone has a great 2010!
Jennifer
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