Olya Perevalova has come a long way from her humble life in Russia. Now, the amateur marathoner is aiming for a goal she never thought she'd reach, the U.S. women's Olympic team.
David Bailey and Ricky James are side-by-side and the wind is howling. They are on their handcycles and both of these athletes certainly understand the ups and downs of life more than most.
When the publishers of Competitor Magazine told me that, along with “Off-Road”, there was an “Organic” theme slated for the August issue, I had to really think about what topics we could cover and what exactly organic is. My idea was to focus on companies in Texas that produce organic foods or products and to let the readers know more about these companies that are in our own backyard. Companies such as Sweet Leaf Tea, Chomp! Cookies, SOS from Texas T-shirts and a few others made the list.
There’s another side of being organic; not just the much-touted health benefits of living an organic lifestyle. There are other attributes (or stereotypes, at least) of those that live the organic lifestyle. They include living a more simple life, caring for the environment, trying to reduce one’s carbon footprint and making other Earth-conscious choices.
So, what does it mean? Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides or fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; no bioengineering; no ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled “organic,” a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.
The reason I titled this column “The Human Race and More” is that it seems as though people like us, who regularly take part in an exercise program, have a greater respect for ourselves and a tendency to eat organic food. The Nike Human Race on August 31 celebrates running and being active throughout the world, and it helps to showcase the active lifestyle that readers such as you are living or aspiring to.
When you start an exercise program it’s hard to not do things that contribute to your exercise goals (whatever they are). Whether it’s drinking more water, eating organically or just cutting back on calories, we become more conscious of our health when we begin to exercise. And the more involved in exercise and increased performance we get, the more it becomes ingrained in our beings. Personally, I know that the more I work out the better I eat, the more vitamins and supplements I take and the more health conscious I am. If I am missing workouts and not getting to the gym I tend to let the other things slide as well.
Maybe an event like the Nike Human Race on August 31 can get a few more people started on exercise programs and thinking about their health and well being. And hopefully, as I believe, the correlation between caring about one’s health and one’s impact on the environment will make the world just a little bit better.
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When women come together for sport, great things can happen. 
