The Biggest Loser - Season 14

Every season of The Bachelor, So You Think You Can Dance and The Biggest Loser seem to have at least one contestant from Utah. I have no desire to watch The Bachelor (or The Bachelorette) but the local morning shows mention it quite a bit. However, I am a faithful fan of TBL. Last season with the horrible Conda and Jeremy was the only one that I did not watch from start to finish.

This season's Utah contestant is Jackson Carter from Layton, UT. He is a youth guidance counselor and also works as a manager at a movie theater. So far, he has made it through two eliminations. I like his work ethic and he really does not whine and complain. Maybe he is getting a "good edit" but he is very respectful of others and despite his health issues, he appears to have a steely determination. His competitors would be wise not to underestimate him. I wish him the best and hope he does well in his journey, even if he is not this season's winner.

You Don't Know Dixie

I saw an advertisement for "You Don't Know Dixie" on the History Channel so I recorded it. My husband and I watched it this morning and it was very informative. While it did gloss over a few dark moments in the name of Southern Pride, it was very fair to all aspects of Southern life and of Southern people. One of the segments was on religion and its importance in the South, also known as the Bible Belt. Of the 10 most religious states in America, nine of these states are in the Bible Belt. The term "religious state" is determined by the percentage of the state's population who attend religious services at least once per week. Only one state in the top 10 is not located in the Bible Belt - Utah. I found the survey results in an article at Live Science and Utah is number two on the list, second only to Mississippi. While it is not surprising to me, I think that it might be surprising to most Southerners.

What is a Beetdigger?

Discussing high school memories with our favorite server at Village Inn this morning and my husband asked her about Beetdiggers. We have driven by Jordan High School several times since we moved to Utah. Every time we passed, one of us would always remind the other that we needed to find out "what is a beetdigger?". As it so happens, our favorite server says she and many of her family members attended Jordan High School and she gave us the scoop on beetdiggers.

The school was founded in 1907. At that time, there was a large sugar beet industry in Utah and the district for Jordan High School was largely rural. Therefore, when it was sugar beet harvesting time, the kids were out of school for two weeks in the fall to dig up beets. Thus, the Beetdiggers became the mascot for the school. Mystery solved.

Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

The local PBS stations air the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas performances. As a non-Mormon, I am not eligible for the ticket lottery so I would never be able to see them live. If it were not for living here in Utah, I would have to purchase the DVDs in order to see these fabulous Christmas concerts. You do not get to see the current year's concert as I think they air them with a one or two year delay to allow for fund raising with the DVDs.

I really enjoy the concerts. One thing that most religions have in common is expressing joy through song and dance (exceptions are oppressive cults such as Islam). While I am not a religious person, I can appreciate the beauty of the hymns and dance performances. 

Athleta

I have continued my workouts on the treadmill in the garage instead of purchasing winter running gear. It is boring but considering all of the yummy, highly caloric holiday food I have been consuming, it is a necessity. Just because an item is vegan does not always ensure it is healthy. It is "healthier".

I do continue to search for reasonably priced winter running gear. I saw a segment on Fresh Living this week for a new store at CCC. It is Athleta, a clothing store for women. I did not want to go downtown to check it out so I looked at their website. Great selection of athletic wear. Very cute. However, the prices are on the high end and not budget friendly, despite being owned by the same company as Gap and Old Navy.

Cold Weather Running

Today is the first snow up in the upper elevations. It is time to make a decision. Spend the money on cold weather gear or stop training until spring? My first choice is continue training. The wicking fabric gear at Salt Lake Running Company seemed pricey but I have not done my research with regards to local pricing. One of the biggest issues I will face, however, is sizing. While I have shed 135 lbs., I am still not a small person. Sometimes I can wear XL and sometimes not. It just depends upon the manufacturer. Based upon past experience, sports gear for women tends to be sized for small, athletic women and the items that I find do not fit me. If I cannot find anything in my size, the decision is made for me. If I do, then it will just be a matter of the best deal. My husband and I have been discussing the idea of checking out the new Scheels store in Sandy to see what they have available in Nike's Hyperwarm line. I am hopeful.

MapMyRun

An app that I have found very useful for tracking my progress is MapMyRun. There is a version for iPhone and Android. I downloaded the free version. You can track your route in real time and log your training. (NOTE: You should make sure your phone is fully charged before you take off.) I do not use the social networking option as I keep all stats private but you could post your routes and/or pacing, etc. to your Facebook account or Twitter. I think there may be a way to post to a blog as well but not really certain. There are other useful features but I have a FitBit Ultra and FitBit app for tracking exercise other than running as well as food logging.