NOVEMBER 2015 | FREE | VOL 1 NO 2 | INDIEFITMAGAZINE.COM
™
THE VOICE OF THE NEW KANSAS CITY
FEATURE
TANYA K’S JOURNEY
FROM CHERNOBYL
TO
KC RUNNING
ROYALTY
BACK TO THE FUTURE w/MOTHER EARTH NEWS INDIE EATS
GENGHIS KHAN REVIEW BAKE GLUTEN-FREE BREAD BIZARRE HOLIDAY LOAVES CALENDAR
RACES RIDES TURKEY TIME! •1
INDIEFIT | NOVEMBER 2015 | VOL. 1 NO. 2 Publisher
Christina Frazier
Managing Editor
DR G
Copy Editor
Ted Dace
Contributing Writers
Christina Frazier, Dave Greenbaum, Japhi Westerfield, Dr. G, Megan Helm Contributing Photographers
Zach Bauman, Craig Thompson, Christina Frazier, Slate Conner, Nancy Caldroun, Sampson Wright
8
MIX IT UP THIS THANKSGIVING WITH VEGGIES LOAVES KC SMOKE
Art and Production Design
Ashley Lane, Christina Frazier Advertising
Aaron Wright, Christina Frazier Circulation Director
FRIENDS OF THE KAW INVENT WAY TO GAMIFY WATER QUALITY TESTING
Dr. G
The Voice of the new Kansas City
Hip, healthy, happy, fit: IndieFit Magazine is the Kansas City/Lawrence area’s first alt monthly dedicated to the health and fitness lifestyle, with an indie twist. Through engaging narratives that uncover the story behind the story, IndieFit takes a fun, personal, and sometimes edgy look at local health and fitness. We tell the stories of people who are interested in maximizing their health and performance through local, independent resources. We focus on lifestyle, food, motion, community, calendar. IndieFit is the only locally owned alt press publication in the Kansas City area. Copyright
The contents of IndieFit Magazine are Copyright 2015 by Tallgrass Labs, LLC. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the express written permission of the publisher of IndieFit.
ON THE COVER
NOVEMBER 2015 | FREE | VOL 1 NO 2 | INDIEFITMAGAZINE.COM
FEATURE
TANYA K’S JOURNEY
FROM CHERNOBYL TO
KC RUNNING
ROYALTY
BACK TO THE FUTURE w/MOTHER EARTH NEWS INDIE EATS
GENGHIS KHAN REVIEW BAKE GLUTEN-FREE BREAD BIZARRE HOLIDAY LOAFS CALENDAR
RACES RIDES TURKEY TIME!
2•
Zach Bauman ZACH BAUMAN
•1
15
CONTENTS 3 Tanya K’s Unlikely Journey 7 IndieFit Confidential 8 What are you grateful for? 9 Mother Earth News 11 Indie Eats 12 Archer of Loaves 14 Slice of Heaven 15 Fix it or Pitch it 16 Hyrdocaching on the Kaw 17 Indiefit Academy 19 . IndieFit Calendar Distribution
IndieFit reaches 47,000 area readers each month with a reach of over 25,000 and is available free throughout the greater Kansas City and Lawrence areas. Readers are limited to one free copy, additional copies may be purchased for $5.00 each plus postage. IndieFit may only be distributed by IndieFit’s authorized distributors. No person, without permission in writing from IndieFit, may take more than one copy. Mail subscriptions: $20.00 per year. Make check payable to Tallgrass Labs, LLC. Email feedback@indiefitmagazine.com for mailing instructions. If you want IndieFit in your store, email feedback@indiefitmagazine.com. Disclaimer
The opinions expressed are those of the authors. The articles and content of IndieFit are not meant to represent any form of medical care. Contact
Christina Frazier
christinaf@indiefitmagazine.com, 913.908.0542 Letters to the Editor
Email feedback@indiefitmagazine.com
TANYA KHVITSKO’S UNLIKELY JOURNEY
RUNNING STARDOM IN KANSAS CITY TO
BY DR. G ZACH BAUMAN
Belarus native takes adaptive athletics to the mainstream ABOUT A YEAR AGO, TANYA KHVITSKO – WHO IS QUICKLY BECOMING ONE OF KANSAS CITY’S BEST KNOWN RUNNERS –
went for a short three-mile jog south of KU Med Center on a familiar course. Somewhere near State Line and 42nd Street she fell hard. Tanya was trying out some new gear and had an equipment malfunction. When she woke up in the arms of a “cute police officer,” all she could think to do was profusely apologize for being sweaty. That’s how running in Kansas City seems to go for the 25 year old Lenexa grad student. Even injuries that result in a concussion come with an upside. It wasn’t always that way. Tatsiana Khvitsko was born in Belarus, four
and a half years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. After the explosion at the Soviet nuclear energy facility (which today is in modern Ukraine), the radiation cloud drifted north and Belarus took much of the resulting radiation. The health fallout from the unprecedented incident was profound. The blast caused 31 immediate deaths, mostly among plant workers and the fireman who fought the resultant blaze. The United Nations reported that nearly 5000 additional emergency workers died from longer term exposure over the next 15 years. Blast zones around the facility, where human activity is restricted and wildlife has moved in, include the Polesie State Radioecological Reserve that extends into Belarus. This and other no man’s lands stand in mute testimony to how the event froze time for many Soviet-era citizens. But one of the guttural consequences of the disaster was the effect on
Continued on P.4 •3
Continued from P. 3 children born in the fallout zones. The most common problems of these“Chernobyl babies” were thyroid issues, including thyroid cancer. But thyroid disease wasn’t the only malady attributed to the radiation. Khvitsko, who doctors both in Belarus and the US say is one of these Chernobyl babies, was born with missing limbs and deformed fingers on both hands. Before her first birthday she was already a congenital, “below the knee/above the knee” double-amputee. Her parents sent her to live in a boarding school for children with disabilities 300 km north of one of the most poisonous places on earth. She made her first baby steps when she was four years old using heavy
“WHETHER YOU’RE WEARING WEARING PROSTHESES, WE’RE A THIS WORLD.” wooden prostheses. Most of the time she got around on crutches. Life improved when she turned five. While she was still living in the boarding school, a group of Kansas City area doctors, on a trip to Belarus with what was then called Project Restoration, learned of Khvitsko and came to examine her at the school. Eventually she was invited to travel to Kansas City for the summer to receive medical treatment and physical therapy. There she was fitted with better prostheses.
The therapy helped, but she needed regular treatment, so the doctors arranged for her to start coming to Kansas City every summer. She stayed with an American family who treated her like their own daughter. She started going by the name Tanya when she was stateside. Khvitsko told me that from the very beginning people in the US treated her differently than back home in Belarus where she could never wear shorts or dresses in public because, as she said, her
Confiscated/Closed Zone greater than 40 curies per square kilmeter (ci/km2) of Cesium-137
PERMANENT CONTROL ZON 15 to 40 Ci/km2 of Cesium-137
PERIODIC CONTROL ZONE 5 to 15 Ci/km2 of Cesium 137
UNNAMED ZONE
1 to 15 Ci/km2 of Cesium - 137
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neighbors there felt sorry for her. She never wanted anyone to feel sorry for her. Kansas City provided an opportunity for a life less defined by her disability. In 2008 her “American family,” as she now called them, helped her come to the Kansas City to enroll at Mid-American Nazarene College in Olathe. She’s been here ever since. One day when she was at church, Khvitsko met another woman with prostheses. After studying Tanya’s equipment, the woman said she needed better quality walking legs. During her senior year of college she did some research and found a clinic in Florida that could help her get a new more advanced set of prostheses. She had hoped the new legs would provide better mobility – and a shot at running – but, even though they were far more comfortable than her older units, they still wouldn’t allow her to do anything more than walk. She spent several days at the clinic undergoing therapy and adjusting to her new legs. Then on the last day of her visit the doctors surprised her. Somebody had anonymously donated a blade for Tanya, and along with another prosthesis for the leg that was amputated below the knee, she now had a set of “running legs” as she calls them. Tanya was elated. Remember, she had had never run before, not once. She told me, “I always tell people now, appreciate your legs. I never
had a chance to run. I never had the legs to run. I didn’t even know what it felt like. “ The experience was electrifying. “When I got a chance to run for the first time, that’s when my confidence went up as an individual and as a female. With my walking legs, I can wear jeans. I can wear long dresses. Nobody knows I have a prosthesis. But when I wear a blade, I can’t hide my legs. If I wore jeans it would look goofy, you know? So that’s when I realized, I am so much more powerful, so much stronger. I am beautiful in my own way because of those legs.” But the running itself was what surprised her the most at first. For awhile it was the only thing she wanted to do. “When I first put on those running legs, I was running so fast, I felt like I was flying. This was the first time I’d ever run, and it felt like what I’d imagine flying must feel like. I always tell people, in some ways I am flying, because I have no feet. I have no legs at all, so with my blade, I’m really flying.” That’s when her journey changed. Instead of being a disabled Chernobyl baby, Tanya had become an adaptive athlete. In 2012, a few months after she got her running legs, Tanya ran her first 5k. A year later she ran her first half marathon. Since then she’s been a non-stop runner, entering races almost every weekend. She was able to run right away, but it took her a couple of months to get the
GLASSES OR I’M ALL ADAPTING TO – TANYA KHVITSKO DISCUSSING HOW WE ARE ALL “ADAPTIVE” IN SOME ONE WAY OR ANOTHER
hang of her new running legs. In particular, compared to walking on prostheses, she had to strengthen her core. Many runners have issues with their knees, but for Tanya, it’s her core and lower back that take most of the pressure. With the blade, she had to learn how to balance, how to move her hips in order to will the blades to follow her direction. “When non-adaptive runners run, they don’t have to think about where their feet go. But for me, since I can’t feel where I step, I had to figure out how can I step on a big rock and not fall down.“ It was like a non-adaptive
athlete trying to run on stilts. The blade doesn’t have any sensory feedback. Tanya had to teach herself an intermediate for feeling. It was all about controlling her upper body. “When I run, I use so much of my upper body and my lower back. I have to do a lot of ab work to make sure my core is strong.” Tanya does group strength and conditioning classes at Real Fitness and Conditioning by the KU Med Center. Her current goal is not just to get faster but to run longer distances without stopping. The main challenge is her back. To run a 10k non-stop is the
CHERNOBYL MAY HAVE TAKEN MY LEGS, BUT IT GAVE ME SO MUCH MORE INSTEAD.” - TANYA KHVITSKO
first step. She still has to walk during any distance longer than 6 miles, but she hopes through her conditioning work to overcome this. Like all runners, she’s had her injuries and setbacks. About a year ago she got a new running knee for her leg without the blade. That’s how she came to find herself in the
arms of the policeman. On her first run, she was unaware that her prosthesis hadn’t been tightened properly. Something popped and she ended up on the ground with a mild concussion. Tanya’s accomplishments include two Rock the Parkway half marathons and too many 5ks and 10ks to count. The
half marathons were difficult. She has to keep her back in the same position for more than 13 miles. The first 10 miles were OK but the last three seemed impossible because she was in so much physical pain. For days after the race, her lower legs were so swollen
Continued on P.6 •5
Continued from P.5 and blistered, she couldn’t put on her prostheses. Moisture is the enemy of prosthetics users. Non-adaptive athletes can wear socks that absorb moisture and prevent blisters and rashes. For Tanya, if she’s sweating, the sweat just stays there until she takes off her prostheses. In 2012 Tanya graduated with a degree in Corporate Communications. Now she’s enrolled at William Jewell working on a master’s degree. She admits, beyond helping others, she has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She’d like to work with amputees or, barring that, with anybody she can help, especially young girls struggling with self-esteem. She’s already doing it; she regularly gives talks to small groups in the area about her own struggle and how her experiences can help them. Tanya has developed a special bond with her adoptive home. “I truly love my country. I love Belarus and I miss my
6•
family. But I love my adoptive country too, especially Kansas City. But look at me. I’ve been here seven years. Look how successful I’ve become, not just as an athlete but as an individual. I’m confident. I’m not afraid to open up and talk to people about my prostheses. I don’t think people feel sorry for me here, but back home in Belarus, I know they would, and it would close doors for me. I’d have to force myself to talk to people. People treat me there like I’m a special person, and I don’t need that. I’m getting my master’s degree now. And that’s what I try to tell adaptive athletes I meet. Don’t feel sorry for yourself, even if others do. We’re all adaptive. Whether you’re wearing glasses or I’m wearing prostheses, we’re all adapting to this world in some way. If you’re feeling sorry for yourself, you’re just bringing yourself down. There are times when I get upset, when I want to have legs. Look, I’m a girl. I’d love to wear heels. I’d love to wear a short dress where my legs would look fantastic. But because I wear
prostheses, I get to meet so many people, and hopefully I help people. Chernobyl may have taken my legs from me, but it gave me so much more instead.” She might not know what she wants to do with her life after graduate school, but she’s certain what her main running goal is: 26.2. She would love to break the female double-amputee record for the marathon. “Will I do it? I don’t know, but I’m going to go for it. I’m going to try my best,” she told me. What’s certain is that she’ll have many area supporters as she works towards her goals. “When I run races, everybody just comes up to me. ‘Hey Tanya!’ I know so many people here now. Kansas City is my new home, I feel like I’ve grown up here, at least the most important part of my growing up, even if it came a little later than for most people. I love this place.”
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CHRISTIAN BEER Current Digs
LFK (aka Lawrence) Alma Maters
University of Kansas and Washburn University Day Job
Marketing Coordinator for the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of Kansas Say What?
Actually not what but in what language. Beer speaks English, German, Czech, Italian, and French. Along with his MBA and stamp-laden passport, Beer is a perfect fit for his position at KU. Side Project
Until recently, amateur elite cycling and racing. Beer competed both collegiately for KU and post-collegiately at USAC events around the country. He notched wins at the collegiate level and helped KU dominate in team time trials during his tenure. Beer still rides hard but now blends his old passion with strength training and “functional fitness.” I didn’t know bike racing was a college sport
In the NCAA, racing is not varsity-level and so technically the teams are called “racing clubs.” They have their own multischool leagues similar to conferences like the Big 12. In the beginning
“As a kid I was overweight. At age 14 I started riding a mountain bike and lost more than 60 pounds. When I turned 18 my father said, ‘Son, for your birthday I’m either going to buy you either a car or a bike. Choose wisely.’ I chose the bike.” Greatest Triumph
Using a point system, USA Cycling assigns a rank to each cycler. There are five categories. Beginners start at Category 5 and can work their way up to Category 1 – the most elite status – through a carefully calibrated system of performance gates. “One of my greatest successes was moving from a Category 5 to a Category 3 in a single season,” Beer said. Eventually he earned a Category 2 ranking, in part, by winning a Category 2-3 race in St. Louis with more than 120 riders. Coolest job
“My current one of course! Before I got started in marketing, though, I managed an iconic bike shop called Littleton Cyclery in Littleton, Colorado that’s been there since the hippie days.” Dietary
In a word, paleo. “Seventy-five percent of the time I eat paleo and the rest of the
Languages expert talks about the transition from elite cycling to functional fitness
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time I eat like a normal person. I try to cut out as much refined sugar and carbs as possible. I can’t remember the last time I had a sandwich, or a burger with bread.” About carb loading before bike races Beer said, “the thinking of the nineties, that you had to carb-up before a race has changed dramatically. At first I was very adamant that I had to have a certain number of carbs. But I really don’t. I can get all of the essential carbs I need from foods that don’t have any refined sugar, flour or grain.” What you love to hate
Scales. “I’ve have always hated stepping on the scale. When you’re racing bikes you need to keep your actual weight in mind, but now I just go by feel. Every time I do step on the scale I’m positively surprise.” When Life Hands you Lemons
Eventually every rider falls. Beer almost had career ending crashes several times. Once he was riding in Lawrence at about 50 miles per hour when a car pulled in front of him. “I flew over the top of the trunk and landed straight on my head and flipped over a few times, just skating across the road.” The result was a concussion and some relatively minor abrasions. Make Limoncello
“I’d already had a couple of really hard falls before. Falls are part of the game. You can’t let them keep you from riding. If you pick up a bike today, you’re going to fall at least once in the next year. Guaranteed. I didn’t let it stop me. I was back on the bike a week later.” Current Project
After he started working at KU last year, Beer’s riding dropped from about 25 hours to five hours per week. To fill the void he took up strength training. “I started going to the Underground Lab for doing weight lifting and Olympic type lifting (mixed in with some “crossfittype” exercises). Today I’m stronger and leaner than I was. I’m not a huge lifter, I want to point that out, I mix in a lot of high intensity cardio. Functional Fitness.” Most importantly he says he has more energy and is happier with the new blend. Hey, Kansas City
“Kansas City has a tremendous cross fit community and, in general, there are a lot of gyms and a lot of opportunities to go work out. It’s an active city. Especially downtown we ride, we walk, we run. The urban cycling scene in Kansas City is tremendous. There’s a lot of cool bike shops, a lot of commuters. We have an urban cyclo-cross series. We have inner city mountain bike trails. I think we have tremendous potential.” KNOW SOMEBODY WHO’S PERFECT FOR INDIEFIT CONFIDENTIAL? EMAIL FEEDBACK@ INDIEFITMAGAZINE.COM • E-mail feedback@indiefitmagazine.com •
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. Email georgef@indiefitmagazine. com with your resume if you have strong organizational skills and love doing sales for a product you believe in. This is a great way to make substantial supplemental income while working with a new startup that’s going places. •7
WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR? Café Gratitude’s Annual Free Thanksgiving Community Meal INDIE FIT STAFF
PHOTO COURTESY OF CAFE GRATITUDE
CAFÉ GRATITUDE, ALONG WITH FÜD AND EDEN ALLEY, MAKES UP A THIRD OF THE RESTAURANTS IN KANSAS CITY’S VEGETARIAN “WHOLESOME” TRINITY.
Indie Fit recently caught up with Natalie George, the café’s “Creator/Director of Awesomeness” (yep, that’s her actual title) to discuss their free Thanksgiving community meal and to reflect back on the restaurant’s recent third anniversary. Known for their idiosyncratically named entrées (which all begin with “I AM...” – I AM MUCHO, a Mexican bowl of black beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa verde, cashew ricotta cheese, etc.), the vegan stronghold is the only member of the upscale Café Gratitude chain outside California. (The other restaurants are in Santa Cruz, Berkeley and LA). With only six locations (eight if you count the uberhip Mexican spinoff Gracias Madre in San Francisco’s Mission District and West Hollywood), Café Gratitude nonetheless is a strong brand in the vegan world, having garnered praise from the New York Times and a cadre of veggie-leaning celebrities who love the culinary radicalism of the chain, which is loosely based on the very Left Coast-sounding philosophy of “Sacred Commerce” that attempts to integrate personal transformation, sustainability and business. So why is Kansas City the first outpost of the brand outside Cali Nation? George, a Wichita native who previously worked at Garmin for ten years, said she originally wanted to bring the restaurant to KC because “for the longest time in my life, I’d wanted to live in California, but I stayed in the Midwest. Then something clicked in me. I realized I wanted to bring the things that are in California to Kansas City.” Believing that the Midwest, particularly Kansas City, is very community driven, George felt that “community is what the culture of Café Gratitude is all about.
It’s more than just the food or vegan philosophy. There were people in Kansas City who craved the energy of clean eating -or at least the promise of it -- that California represented to me and also the more open definition of community that is what Café Gratitude is all about. We were hungry for that in Kansas City.” Café Gratitude’s annual free Thanksgiving community meal will once again take place at their Southwest Boulevard location, which is undergoing renovations to add an upstairs for private gatherings and community workshops. George wants to set one thing straight about the purpose of the event. “When we first started doing the meal two years ago, so many people would want to come volunteer, but they wouldn’t want to eat with us. I think the normal way people viewed this sort of thing was that it was about giving to the homeless.” But George has a different vision for the event. “At our community dinner, anyone and everyone is invited to participate. And we do have homeless guests, but this is our way of giving back to all of the community, including our customers. We don’t target the homeless. We target the community. The main focus is celebrating together. It’s about sharing our gratitude because Thanksgiving is the day set aside for that.” Attendees all pitch in to help serve the meal. George carefully searches for words to describe how the event makes her feel about food, community and even the definition of family: “I love my family and -- how should I say it -- this is the only way I’ll ever do Thanksgivings going forward or at least some version of this. My favorite part is at the beginning when we all stand in a circle, and everyone goes around and shares what they’re grateful for. It’s really moving. It almost moves me to tears every year. Usually there’s a line out the door waiting to come in. We can get upwards of 70 people. So to go around and have that experience with so many people at once, it’s really powerful.” When I asked if her definition blended the notions of family and community she said, “yes, that beyond resonates with me. That’s what I’ve created at the café. The staff is like my family, and I think they would say that about each other.”
CAFÉ GRATITUDE’S COMMUNITY MEAL WILL TAKE PLACE THURSDAY NOVEMBER 26, NOON – 3 P.M. (OR WHEN THE FOOD RUNS OUT)
8 • •• 8 • ••
On the Menu: A salad, main dish and dessert, all served family style Café Gratitude Kansas City 333 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108 816) 474-5683
CLASSIC SUSTAINABILITY MAGAZINE MOTHER EARTH NEWS KEEPS PLUGGING AWAY IN THE 21ST CENTURY But did you know they operate out of Topeka? MEGAN HELM
SLATE CONNER
THERE AREN’T MANY PLACES IN KANSAS OR MISSOURI OR even the United States for that matter where conservatives and liberals agree besides the pages of Mother Earth News, an iconic magazine that started off as a voice for the “goin’ up the country” post-hippie crowd back in 1970. Many people, and not just locally, are surprised to find that today it’s headquartered in Topeka, Kansas. Through the nineties and early years of the new century, old Mother Earth issues were a perennial at garage sales, next to old paperback favorites like the Population Bomb, Your Erogenous Zones, and CDs by the grunge band Seven Mary Three (their one CD that is). So when I first heard Mother Earth now operated close to the Brownback governor’s mansion, I decided to find out more about their choice of locale and how Mother Earth, which still sports its core themes of building an earthy, sustainable life (by hand when possible), has changed to serve a new generation of readers.. First the back story. John and Jane Shuttleworth created the magazine from their kitchen table starting in 1970. They described it as “edited by, and expressly for, today’s influential ‘hip’ young adults. The creative people... Heavy emphasis is placed on alternative lifestyles, ecology, working with nature and doing more with less.” Even though the magazine has been bought and sold more than once over the last 45 years, it has managed to stay true to its mission in addition to becoming more and more politically inclusive. Early themes focusing on how to live off the land, reduce the need to consume mass produced food and other products, and maintain the home crafting and animal husbandry skills formerly handed down through the generations have remained and, notably,
seem to cross political ideologies. The year before the magazine launched could be considered the apex of the hippie movement. 1969 was the year of Woodstock, the Stonewall riots, and the Manson family murders. The desire to drop out and get back to nature was partially a way to elude law enforcement and government i n te r fe re n c e and partially a way to thwart what the hippies felt was an evil corporate lifestyle t a k e o v e r. Utopian vibrations p e rc o l a te d . Making an independent living off the land was a major theme in the seventies and has come back around today in aspects of the Food to Table, CSA, urban farming, and sustainable housing movements. The early issues of the magazine (which I actually found at a library on microfilm – remember microfilm?) channeled the creativity of the Shuttleworth’s and the motley crew of young contributors they assembled to write about themes of the
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time: the struggles to make it when unemployment was going through the roof and an OPEC oil embargo was taking down an economy that wouldn’t fully bounce back until the 1980s. Titles like “Building a House of Straw,” “Curing Pork,” and the “The Herdsman’s Handbook” call to mind a certain fairy tale quality juxtaposed to the vexing issues in the mainstream news. “Corn Cob Pipes” and “How to build an Ice House” are reminiscent of a certain snowman, and “Witch for Water” and “Harnessing the Wind” conjure an Ozarkian magical realism. While browsing the early archive I half expected to find articles like “How to make a trail of breadcrumbs” and “How to build a house of candy.” Other alluring articles promised a way to strike it rich. “Be an antique picker,” “How to retire six months every year” -- as well as stories about how to sell your original music and art -- all fueled the dream of working for oneself and leaving “the man” behind. Cottage industries are still a huge draw for audiences. Learning how to keep goats and make cheese or beer or pickles or pasta sauce are in nearly every issue. Founder John Shuttleworth was a bit of an “eco-prophet.” In a March 1975 article he lamented, “You’ve got to be collectively crazy when you belong to a species that can casually assemble enough nuclear weapons to totally destroy all the life on earth a hundred times over. Or breed and stockpile more than enough special strains of anthrax and God knows what other super-diseases to do the same thing. Or completely—and, again, casually—exterminate other whole species for the manufacture of lipsticks and rectal suppositories. Or ransom the lives of the next 20,000 generations with atomic waste just so this generation can continue doubling its consumption of electricity every 10 years... Civilization, it
seems, is just another word for ‘lunatic asylum.’” The Shuttleworth’s started the magazine in Ohio but turned it over to Bruce Woods, a long time editor. He and two other employees bought the magazine in 1979 and moved production to the 600 acre research center or “EcoVillage” in North Carolina where thousands of people came each summer to take classes in the experimental gardens and studios. Paid print subscriptions passed a million, a radio show had hit the airwaves, and according to an article by former contributor Sara Bacher in the March/April 1990 issue, “we began to exert real influence on environmental legislation.” Mother Earth News was now a bona fide player on the fringes of mass media. Bacher was hired for her travel expertise to develop one of the first ever incarnations of Ecotourism, via a Mother Earth trip that took readers to the Alps, Nepal, China, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Scandinavia and Kathmandu, to name a few locales, to see sustainability and ecological issues first hand. Then the Reagan years hit. Ronald Reagan wasn’t big on environmental policy. His Secretary of the Interior James Watt once said, “My responsibility is to follow the Scriptures, which call upon us to occupy the land until Jesus returns.” These years took a toll on the magazine. Subscriptions plummeted, the staff was whittled, and the EcoVillage closed. In 1985 the magazine was sold to New York publisher Owen Lipstein. 16 years later, the magazine was again sold, this time to Bryan Welch of Ogden publishing. Thus, at the turn of the millennium in 2001, the staff and offices of Mother Earth News were relocated to Topeka, where it remains in operation to this day, though Mr. Welch passed the reigns to Bill Uhler last April in order to lead B The Change Media, a new multiplatform media company. In an article written by
former publisher Bryan Welch for his blog Beautiful and Abundant in January of 2014, the unifying principle of self reliance is the key to Mother Earth’s success. After Mediamark Research & Intelligence, an audience analysis company specializing in the advertising industry, evaluated the demographics of Mother Earth over the last 10 years, surprising new data emerged. Mother Earth News had quadrupled the size of their audience. At a time when print media was suffering a slow death, when newspapers all over the country were firing reporters and limiting coverage, when everybody and their brother had a blog or a YouTube channel showing people how to do things no one ever thought they wanted to do, Mother Earth almost doubled newsstand sales. In addition they improved their layout, designed an interactive website, added videos, blogs and extended their outreach with annual “fairs” at select towns around the country as well as gaining a prominent social media position. Their readership continues to feel included and important. In fact, according to the article, readers tell the editors what to cover. “We send 10 to 50 email surveys to various groups of readers every week.” They established an advisory group that anyone can request to join on the website. The Mother Earth Fairs are where the readers really interface. Events and workshops, vendors and activists field questions and provide solutions. I attended the fair in Lawrence two years ago where Temple Grandin was a keynote speaker, Hilary Brown was launching a new veggie burger and my son and I learned about tea and how to raise goats and make cheese. Current Editor-in-Chief Cheryl Long admitted there are sometimes interesting political questions at the Q&A’s
after various sessions but says “the focus is on how to do things. People come with their notebook in hand ready to learn.” This year’s Midwestern fair was held in October in Topeka. But perhaps the most surprising statistic to come out of the Mediamark research was that only 10 percent of the audience responding to the survey considered themselves “very Liberal” and 21 percent identify as “very Conservative. “ Bryan Welch puts it this way, “... political differences apparently don’t extend to your feelings for gardens, tomatoes, farmhouses, pure food, a healthy human habitat or great grandchildren.” Which is inspiring. The words “global warming” are rarely used and the magazine makes a concerted effort to avoid partisan buzzwords. They work hard to not alienate readers. It is understood that people on both sides of the political spectrum agree that our planet is beautiful and should be protected for future generations. According to Bryan Welch’s blog, “We used to refer to our readers as ‘environmentalists.’ Now we know many of you don’t see yourselves that way. You prefer to be characterized as ‘conscientious.’ Or maybe you just prefer not to be characterized at all--which is fine with us.” He likens the tone of the magazine to a dinner party where the conversation is “interesting, varied and provocative. But we don’t want any of our guests to feel insulted, and we try to make sure that no one is offended, even if they are challenged.” Consensus exists where it overlaps with the American ideal of self-reliance and independence. Conservatives don’t want government interference. Liberals don’t want corporate manipulation. Americans want to be free to live healthy, affordable lives they create for themselves. In that we can agree.
THE BITE
BY dr. g
GENGHIS KAHN MONGOLIAN GRILL BEFORE I DIVE INTO THE CULINARY SPLENDORS OF GENGHIS KHAN MONGOLIAN GRILL, which has been open
now for almost 20 years just south of 39th Street on Belle Street, I need to start with a disclaimer. I love this restaurant and not just for the well-curated ingredients on the buffet or the ginger water or the sleek urban vibe that can build to a crescendo on Saturday night or the portrait of Stephen Hawking that watches over guests who jockey for position around the restaurant’s signature 700 degree cast-iron griddle. Not long after we got married, my wife was diagnosed with a rare and very acute blood disease that landed her in the intensive care unit at KU Med Center. For a while things didn’t look good for her. At nights I stalked the empty halls of the top floor of the main hospital or hiked back and forth on 39th Street when I needed to get some air or food. One night I walked into Genghis Kahn for the first time. I ate my dinner at the bar and plunged into more detail than I’d planned about what had been going on with my wife and her condition for the last couple weeks. When it was time to pay and head back to the hospital, I looked at the check and restaurant – either the barkeep or manager Nga Huynh who you can still find at the restaurant most days - had picked up the tab. I’ve never forgotten that kind gesture. My wife eventually made a full recovery and we’ve been loyal customers ever since.
Back to the food. Most people come to Genghis Kahn for the Mongolian grill, an all-you-care-to-eat buffet of vegetables, meats, seafood, and sauces that you select to create your dish. Despite the name, the Mongolian grill tradition is really Taiwanese in origin. Taiwanese, Malaysian, and Singaporean “fusion” cuisines are incredibly popular in California and other parts of the US but aren’t as common in the Midwest (with the recent exception of bubble tea), but the restaurant definitely has a fusion flair to some of the menu items. The Genghis buffet is hands-down the best of its kind in Kansas City. I’ve noticed that some of the more suburban incarnations have an almost parental oversight of your “experience,” where servers guide you through options, explain how to choose sauces depending on your spice tolerance, or even disallow certain food combinations for reasons I’ve never fully understood. There’s pomp and flair at the Genghis Kahn buffet as well, but you don’t need a guide dog to enjoy it; the experience speaks for itself. The curation happens before you ever get to the restaurant. Ingredients on the buffet include fat black beans and pinto beans, crispy tofu, the usual thin slightly-frozen chicken and beef, calamari and shrimp, and a plethora of sauces and “waters” (like my favorites ginger and garlic water). A couple sauce combo recipes are taped to the last station in the line if you need inspiration, but otherwise you’re on your own. (I always use the same mix: five ladles of ginger water, two ladles of garlic water, and a dollop of sesame oil – try going
lower sodium than that at a restaurant). The buffet includes seasonal fruit (how they manage to find decent watermelon even in the middle of winter has always impressed me), small dessert squares, a killer hot and sour soup (which you might have to ask for) and their legendary sesame bread – a thin baked concoction of sesame seeds, brown sugar, and white flour. Venturing back onto the menu, some good IndieFit choices include: • For vegans: Tofu Mushroom Pot ( $13) • For vegetarians: Crispy Portabella and Avocado Mango Salad ($13) • For Paleo folks: I can’t say enough about the Pacific Cod in clear ginger, scallion, and cilantro soy sauce. The infusion of steamed ginger is wonderful ($14) • Gluten-free: Here you should ask the wait staff to be safe or choose the buffet. I suspect that someday aging Gen Xers might haul their grandkids to 39th Street’s restaurant row, much like their own grandmothers hauled them to the bygone Putsch’s Cafeteria institution that fed generations of blue-haired grannies and their broods on Sunday afternoons of the past. Until then, I’ll keep coming back to Genghis Kahn on Saturday afternoons for the little blue bowls of veggies, the ginger water, and the memories of a compassionate gesture many buffet visits past. • E-mail feedback@indiefitmagazine.com •
GENGHIS KAHN MONGOLIAN GRILL
3906 Bell St, Kansas City, MO 64111 | (816) 753-3600 M-T 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. | Friday 11:00 a.m.- 10:30 p.m. | Saturday 12:00 a.m.- 10:30 p.m. | Closed Sunday www.gkbbq.com • 11
ARCHER y
How better to celebrate Thanksgiving IndieFit style than with a savory holiday veggie-loaf?
LOAVES CHRISTINA FRAZIER & DR. G | ARTWORK BY NANCY CAULDRON
To stay on the up-and-up, I should tell you that most of us here at IndieFit Central are all about the turkey. That said, we also know that some people – especially those of us who sweat it out in the kitchen while Uncle Joe and Aunt Trudy chomp Brazil nuts and sip Cold Duck in the living room – get bored cooking the same old traditional turkey and dressing we’ve eaten every Thanksgiving since we were kids. We’ve mixed it up in the past by declaring, cuisine-wise, an Italian or Mexican or Chinese-themed holiday. But, in the end, these solutions fell flat. Despite our best attempts to guide our families and friends towards new culinary terrain, we missed the aroma of fresh sage and rosemary. First some loaf history. The original The solution? Even if you’re a rampant carnivore the other 364 days a vegetarian holiday loaf - Tofurkey year, this Thanksgiving go veggie! After was introduced to America in 1955 all, its harvest season, and autumn as a quick, tasty way for vegetarians vegetables and aromatics are at their to enjoy the holidays. Tofurkey’s peak in local markets. It’s a fun way to inventor, Seth Tibbott, emulated the cook a traditional Thanksgiving meal texture of turkey meat with the magical that’s healthy, steeped in holiday flavors properties of soybeans, rather than and aromas you’d otherwise miss, and using vital wheat gluten, the more definitely a change from the usual common meat substitute of the day. focus on the bird. (The American wild The original Tofurkey sold for an eyeturkey’s scientific name, if you were popping $30 and featured not two wondering, is Meleagris gallapavo ). but eight faux gobbler legs! Over time Also if you would rather eat no meat the legs came off, stuffing and gravy for the holidays than a cheap factory- mixes were added to the kit, and the produced turkey raised on a diet of price was slashed. Tofurkey’s still the antibiotic-laced corn (factory turkeys king of vegan birds, but today it has eat corn not only to fatten up but also competitors. What follows is a guide because workers chop off their beaks to several glorious veggie main courses soon after they exit the incubator), a that might be just what you need to vegan loaf is a sustainable alternative wow (or worry) your Thanksgiving that’s a lot less expensive than a high feasters, depending on their proclivity quality organic turkey that you might for the loaf. have to order weeks in advance.
The Magical Loaf Studio
Our first entry is not a loaf but an entire loaf studio! Regardless of your dietary requirements, the Magical Loaf Studio website (www.veganlunchbox.com/loaf_ studio.html), created by Jennifer McCann, has a loaf for you. Simply click through the screens of a short interview about ingredients (you’ll be asked to select your carbohydrate, protein, binder, and so forth) and voila! Out comes your customized loaf recipe.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody, and thanks for supporting IndieFit! 12 •
Let’s Talk Turk’y Roast by Quorn The “meat” of this roast, and all Quorn products, is created by using a special mico-protein derived from fungus. (Like with sausage making, I think the less I know about how some of these products are made the better). Of all our loaves, this one has the most realistic meat texture. The flavor is mild – like real turkey - so you may need to jazz it up with spices and gravy. Leftover Turk’y can be used convincingly for sandwiches. It’s not vegan (they use egg whites and milk protein), but it’s a good choice for people avoiding gluten. Serves four.
Tofurkey The original traditional faux turkey with the silly name is a holiday staple for many vegetarian homes. Tofurkey is a non-GMO, wheat and tofu based loaf with a flavorful rice-based stuffing that will infuse your kitchen with the herbaceous aroma of Thanksgiving at your grandmother’s house. This loaf comes with gravy, and optionally, an Amy’s Kitchen Chocolate Cake. The flavor is mild. Serves about four people.
Holiday Roast by Gardein Gardein is a plant-based product developed 25 years ago by a French chef, although it’s relatively new to the US. Their Holiday Roast is made from a combination of non-GMO soy protein and grains (including wheat). The roast has a turkey-like exterior that’s filled with a hearty cranberry stuffing. The Gardein faux meat is, again, similar to turkey, and hence flavor-neutral, but with the two gravy packets and delicious stuffing it makes a fine roast. Serves four.
Turkey
Should you wonder, IndieFit Magazine is editorially omnivorous. Vegan, paleo, veganpaleo, flexitarian, pescatarian, lacto-ovocurious, opportunivore. It takes a village. We intended to publish a guide for buying organic turkeys, but at our press time, not every store had published availability and we didn’t want to leave anyone out. We’ll post info on local organic turkeys to our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/ indiefitmagazine.
Celebration Roast by Field Roast Field Roast is the new kid on the block. Originating in 1997 in Seattle, Washington, out of all our loaves, the Celebration Roast best evokes the abundance of a true holiday cornucopia. The Field Roast is loaded with vegetables, mushrooms, herbs, spices, and even fruit (apples). The base is seitan (wheat gluten). Along with the savory stuffing, this dish is not bland, but some people think it’s a little too salty. The one-pound roast is small and serves two-three people.
Mention this ad at the OP store for 15% off your first order! November 2015 Only
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GLUTEN-FREE
ARTISAN
BREAD INDIE FIT STAFF
SAMPSON WRIGHT
A little slice of heaven
BACK WHEN I FIRST GOT SERIOUS ABOUT CUTTING GLUTEN OUT OF my
diet, my number one priority -- and biggest frustration -- was finding a great bread recipe. I wasn’t just trying to check off a box on my path to subbing out gluten. I wanted to bake a crusty, sensuous bread with a come-hither aroma that takes over your kitchen. The first products I tried were uninspiring; I began to fear that gluten was the soul of bread, and without it, the only thing left were pale, flavorless ghosts based on the mealy bones of refined rice flour. The discovery that saved my gluten-free life was Luce’s artisanal bread mixes. I can’t properly digest gluten, but it took me a long time to figure it out. Once, when I was at the beginning of a low carbohydrate diet experiment where I basically ate nothing but meat for a week, I noticed something really amazing. Ever since I’d graduated from college, my allergies had become worse every year. They started out as simply irritating, a runny nose in September and perhaps a week where post-nasal drip pitched my voice down into the P. J. Harvey registers. Eventually, though, I found myself with prescriptions for eye drops, nasal spray, ear drops for itchy ears, and Montelukast (Singulair). This pharmacopeia only took the edge off; for months out of each year I was miserable. I started the all-meat diet on a Monday and by Thursday my allergies were gone. Vanished. Not even a nose twitch. I stopped taking my medicines. The week ended and my allergies were still in remission. Although I was leery of the hype that’s part of the gluten-free movement, I made the connection that gluten might be at the root of my newfound breathing abilities, and over the next weeks and months I mostly steered clear of breads, grains, and anything made with gluten-flour. My diet wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t have allergies and I felt much better all around.
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The debate over the value of gluten-free diets rages on, but now I’m a believer (Even though I never had the stomach and intestinal discomfort many gluten-intolerant people report, lab tests last year showed I had non-Celiac gluten sensitivity, a rare but apparently growing condition in the Western world). Luckily for me I was on the right side of history. By this time, entire aisles in the grocery store were devoted to gluten-free products. I definitely missed bread, and this was always my priority on shopping trips, but as I said before, I kept striking out. Then I stumbled onto the Luce brand of artisanal bread mixes, and I immediately knew that bread was back on the table. Charles Luce was struck with celiac disease in 2002, and like me, within days of going gluten-free he realized he was going to have to become a baker to enjoy decent bread on his new diet. Luce, who lived in New Jersey, had learned to bake as a child, and his dormant skills not only led to some great glutenfree baking for himself and his family, but a new business and line of bread mixes you can find all over the country. Luce’s mix kits have everything you need to make a loaf of bread. Once you know which mixes you like best, you can buy them in bulk for about half the kit price. His line includes mixes for rye breads, pancakes, Italian breads, flatbreads, and an entire variety of baked items. I’ve tried nearly all the bread mixes. My favorites are Winter Spice, Italian Rustic and Bold Buckwheat. They are relatively low carb (which is important
2
since many low-gluten products bump up the carbs to make up for the lack of gluten) and derived from a curious blend of uncommon flours, a difference I noticed right away from his competitors. The recipes are all vegan and require no milk or eggs. I’m not a big fan of the sourdough because it creates its sourness from vinegar instead of natural fermentation. It doesn’t quite work in my opinion, but I’m a terrible cook so maybe I didn’t make it right. According to Luce, one of the tricks to create a golden crust is to bake the bread in a special parchment bag. This simulates the conditions of a brick oven and yields almost miraculous results. Beyond the instructions in the box, here are a few tricks I learned that will improve your loaf: • Don’t skimp on the rise. You might have to let the bread rise longer than the instructions suggest to get good air pockets and avoid a dense loaf. • I use the rise feature on my bread machine and transfer the dough to the parchment paper once it finishes. • Use three staples to shut the bag. This will allow for air flow. • For KC area cooks, bake for an hour and twenty five minutes. Use your automatic timer and leave the load in the oven to cool after it’s done baking. Gluten-free breads rely on gums to bind the flours. If you don’t allow the loaf to cool slowly the gums will not set. You’ll wind up with a “gummy” loaf that’s hard to cut without collapsing the center. Luce’s bread mixes are a great way to enjoy the comforting holiday tradition of warm, freshly baked bread, without nixing your hard-fought health gains. For more information on Luce’s Gluten-Free Artisan Break Mix, visit http://www.lucegfbread. com.
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BY DAVE GREENABUM
KC has options if you want to repair old electronics or appliances THE ONLY THING RELIABLE ABOUT ELECTRONIC GADGETS AND GIZMOS IS THAT THEY ALL EVENTUALLY FAIL.
Most Kansas Citians already know they shouldn’t throw electronic items in the trash (for green reasons). Many cities in the metro have recycling events and will even help you haul away larger appliances. Before you put your old iDevices and other implements of destruction out to pasture forever though, consider the following options to squeeze some extra usefulness out of those gadgets that brought such joy when you first cracked them out of their security cases.
PITCH IT OR FIX IT
Your first decision is whether a repair is worth the effort. For obvious reasons, you usually won’t want to pay more to fix an item than its replacement cost – whether you’re buying used, refurbished, or new. Most appliances and electronic devices have limited life spans. You can check eBay to price-check used gear. View the “completed listings” to see how much items similar to yours commonly sell for. Unless that black and slate iPhone 5 with the cracked screen and fried out headphone jack has a high sentimental value, don’t fix it if you can nab a new iPhone 6 for less.
REPAIR IT YOURSELF
Even if you aren’t mechanical or technical, that doesn’t mean you can’t fix something yourself. Mike Silverman of Lawrence was frustrated that his window air conditioner wasn’t working. After an outrageous repair quote, he took to Facebook. A few friends suggested a YouTube video showing how easy it was to clean out the innards of the unit, and an hour later, the air conditioner was back up and running. Social media is a great place to start your repair journey. Friends can offer suggestions and even let you borrow tools, and there are numerous web sites that guide even inexperienced do-ityourselfers with many simple repairs. Kansas City’s Surplus Exchange and Connecting for Good recycle electronics, but they also have tech repair shops with helpful staff. They’ll assist you in finding the part you need and give you
some expert advice. The parts are used or recycled, so they’ll cost much less than buying new. For smaller home electronics and appliances, check out the local Habitat For Humanity. Most cities in both Kansas and Missouri have them. Bob Akers of Surplus Exchange also suggests going to makerspace communities like Hammerspace Community Workshop in Brookside. There you can meet with more technical people who like fixing things as a hobby. Members love sharing their knowledge. Most communities in our region have a makerspace.
REPAIR IT WITH FRIENDS
A “social experiment in improvisational fixing” that began in Brooklyn, New York, in 2008 has unexpected progeny in Kansas City’s Astor Place neighborhood near Brookside. Cate Bachwirtz launched a twice yearly “Fix it Day” (and associated “Trash it Day” that follows a week later) after reading an article about the movement in Yes! Magazine a few years ago. According to their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/fixerscollective), the New York-based Fixers Collective is a “social experiment in improvisational fixing and aggressive asset recovery.” They created “Fix it Days” as a way to bring people in the community together. Rather than just tossing out broken items, the premise is that fixing and caring for things helps people feel more connected and empowered. The monthly Brooklyn version is an open house, of sorts, where people come, not only to
get stuff fixed (and hopefully learn to fix things themselves), but also to meet their neighbors. The Astor Neighborhood Fix it Day takes place twice a year, in October and March. Everyone’s welcome, but if you don’t live near Brookside, consider starting a “Fix it Day” in your own neighborhood.
SELL IT - EVEN IF IT DOESN’T WORK
Who wants broken stuff? Lots of folks. People learning how to fix electronics need broken phones and iPads and video cameras to practice repairing. Dave Mead of Olathe put a broken fridge on Kansas City’s Craigslist. The fridge looked great but didn’t work. A real estate agent purchased the fridge to help stage a home. If your laptop has a water spill, you might be able to swap parts with someone who has a cracked screen. Many communities have Buy/ Sell/Trade groups on Facebook. Search for your city and you’ll probably find one nearby. If something is too big to ship, don’t
hesitate to put it on eBay and mention that local pickup is needed. You won’t get rich off this, but you might be able to at least buy a nice cup of coffee as well as keeping something out of the landfill.
GIVE IT AWAY
Many people in the metro swear by “freecycling.” Search for the name of your community and “Freecycle” and you’ll find the local list. Someone will pick up your unwanted electronics and put them to good use. Typically it’s best to first offer items when joining the local Freecycle group, so you These companies won’t seem like you joined might be able to just to take. The key rule is help. you can’t charge anything for SURPLUS EXCHANGE the stuff you’re giving away. 518 Santa Fe St Previously mentioned Kansas City, MO organizations like Surplus Surplusexchange.org Exchange and Connecting for Good focus on CONNECTING FOR electronics. They’ll make GOOD sure the computers, monitors NE Wyandotte Co. and phones are reused in Community Tech Center the community whenever 2006 North 3rd Street possible. Goodwill of Western Kansas City, KS Missouri and Eastern Kansas www.connectingforgood. have the Dell Reconnect org program that accepts most electronics. HAMMERSPACE Whether you repair, sell, COMMUNITY swap or give away your old WORKSHOP items, you will be doing your 440 E 63rd Street part to keep trash out of the Kansas City, MO landfill and build community. www.
Gizmos got you down?
hammerspacehobby.com
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HYDROCACHING ANYONE?
Friends of the Kaw gamify river quality testing PHOTOS BY CRAIG THOMPSON
KAW POINT SUNFLOWERS
WITH THE HELP OF THE MIDAMERICAN REGIONAL COUNCIL, local river rats at Friends of the Kaw have developed a riparian twist on geocaching just in time for the pleasant and often-overlooked fall float season on the Kansas River. Oh, and you’ll learn something too: Water quality hydrocaching uses the geocache format to help teach practical lessons on water quality in the Kansas River. The organization, which boasts a paid “River Keeper”
16 •
16 • ••
BOATS AT SUNSET
EARLY WINTER ON THE KAW
position on its org chart, has stashed five caches at Kansas River boat ramps in metro Kansas City. If you’re able to find a cache you will be asked to do a simple water quality test and enter your data on their website. The first ten people to find all five caches, complete the simple water quality tests, and submit their data to the site will earn a free canoe rental for a group float trip with Friends of the Kaw (equipment included). Fear not,at low water levels the Kansas River is slow moving and totally appropriate for novice paddlers and families. They person their floats with mud-loving streamsters to keep you safe and paddling with the current once you’re on the river. Visit http://kansasriver.org/ learn/hydrocache to find out more. These photos of the Kansas River appear in Craig Thompson’s book Along the Kaw, available at the Raven Bookstore, 6 E. 7th Street in Lawrence; Signs of Life Book Store, 722 Massachusetts Street in Lawrence, online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and at www. facebook.com/AlongTheKaw.
Rock Core FIT academy
e
Use unstable moves to stabilize your core
Want better abs? Then you need better core stability. Paradoxically, the following “unstable” core moves help activate deep abdominal stabilizers (they’re in there somewhere!). The moves are best performed in the gym since you need rings and a wheel. As with any new moves, go easy until they feel comfortable or consult a personal trainer. INDIE FIT STAFF PHOTOS BY INDIE FIT STAFF
Jackknife with Rings
Helps fire up your core and engages hard-to-reach stabilizer muscles.
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Tighten abdominals and squeeze shoulder blades together. Keep lats tight and head in a neutral position. The back should be in a straight or slightly concave position (neutral spine).
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Passively extend shoulders and hips by eccentrically contracting the abdominals and hip flexors.
3 sets of 5-10 reps with a 90 second rest between sets
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Continue until biceps are even with ears ( or as far as possible keeping tight form avoiding lower back hyperextension). Initiate the return to the starting position by actively contracting hip flexors and abdominals. Avoid “pulling in” with chest and lats.
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Banded Wheel
The wheel is of the all-time best ab moves. The effect is very similar to the jackknife.
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Passively extend shoulders and hips by eccentrically contracting the abdominals and hip flexors. Keep abs tight, squeeze glutes .
3 sets of 5-10 reps with a 90 second rest between sets
Back Extension Row
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Continue until biceps are even with ears ( or as far as possible keeping tight form avoiding lower back hyperextension). Initiate the return to the starting position by actively contracting hip flexors and abdominals.
This exercise is essentially a suspended plank. move (which is what we’re after).
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Hold body out over the GHD machine so the pad is on the thighs. Squeeze glutes and abdominals throughout the lift. The shoulders , hips, and knees should be in a straight line. Grab bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder width.
3 sets of 8-10 with a 60 sec rest
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Tighten lats, and squeeze shoulder blades together. Pull bar to the bottom of the chest. Avoid using hip /trunk extension while pulling the weight. Stay tight while lowering the weight back to the starting position.
between sets
PETE TOWNLEY (who designed this KIMBERLY STROUP is an IFBB Fitness workout) is personal trainer and strength Pro based out of Lawrence, Kansas. coach at Summit/Next Level Gym.
Add the row and it becomes an unstable
Is your gym IndieFit? Send your workout to feedback@indiefitmagazine. com and we’ll consider it for an upcoming IndieFit Academy.
7.15 - 26.2
RUN FREE THE TRUE STORY OF CABALLO BLANCA USA FILM TOUR
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 4 PM AND 7 PM SCREENLAND ARMOUR 408 ARMOUR ROAD NORTH KANSAS CITY Run Free - The True Story of Caballo Blanco will premiere in Kansas City, MO on Wednesday, November 4 at 7pm at the Screenland Armour, located at 408 Armour Road, in North Kansas City. The feature-length documentary is about ultra-running legend Micah True. Better known as Caballo Blanco – the White Horse – True was the focal character of Christopher McDougall’s 2009 bestselling book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen about the Tarahumara Indians of northern Mexico. The onenight-only event is sponsored by the Trail Nerdz running club. Tickets are $12 in advance at www.imathlete.com/ events/runfree or $15 at the door the night of the show.
INDIE FIT WILL GIVE AWAY
TWO FREE TICKETS
TO ONE OF THE SCREENINGS. LIKE OUR PAGE FACEBOOK.COM/ INDIEFITMAGAZINE FOR DETAILS.
Stonehaus Farms 9401 Mission Road SUNDAY Winery Leawood, KS NOVEMBER 1 Benefiting Epilepsy 24607 NE Colbern Rd 9 a.m. RUNNING.EVENTS ADDELL & REED KANSAS CITY MARA THON Corporate Woods Lees Summit, MO http://www.cureo9401 Indian Creek 6:30 p.m. fars5k.com Pumpkin Smash 5k Parkway Run/ Walk KANSAS CITY’S MARATHON STARTED URDA Y OCTOBER 17 Overland Park, KS SATURDAY Turkey Trot 5k Waterfall Park THON (26.2 MILES) BACK IN 1979 AS “MACY’S Marathon” (why 8:00 am NOVEMBER 7 Historic Downtown MARA THON (13.1 MILES) Independence, MO Macy’s? before ditching us for Ohio the department store THON RELAY (TEAMS OF 3 www.efmk.org – 5) Lee’s Summit RUNNING.EVENTS 9:00 am chain used to be headquartered in downtown KC). This Lee’s Summit, MO www.ow.ly/PBNYD T AND FINISH AT year more than 2000 runners will undulate the hilly Breathe Deep Kansas Grandview Turkey 9:00 am TINGTON SQUARE PARK Day 5k THCliff OF Hanger CROWN 5kCENTER), & 10k City course and pray for cool temperatures.www.olpturkeytrot. Feeling zippy? THE CORNER OF 22ND 5K Race The & Walk com 13500 Byars Rd, 4600 Gladstone Blvd KC Marathon is an officially sanctioned Boston ET AND GRAND. Liberty Memorial Grandview MO Kansas City, MO qualifier course. 100 W. 26th Street 8:30 am Tails on the Trail 5k 8 am Kansas City, MO Shawnee North Comwww.cliffhangerrun. 8 a.m. SUNDAY NG.EVENTS 8:00 a.m. munity Park Team RWB KC 5k com OCTOBER 4 Washingtonwww.kcinfertility.org 300 NE 43rd Street Square oginta Topeka, KS Park Kansas Half Marathon FRIDAY 7th Annual Pink RUNNING.EVENTS mile Tour de NOVEMBER 6 10:00 am Kansas City, MO 13.1 & 5K nty Ride Kansas RUNNING.EVENTS 9:00 am Laundry Run Lawrence, 220 SE Green Street Rompin Stompin Run for LITTLE www.teamrwb5k.com ence, KS 7:30 am Lees Summit, MO Mason Tiger10K/5K/1M Trail Raider Band 5K Hearts . http://www.kana.m. Run/Walk andMO, 8:00 Cure of Ars8 5K &1 Shawnee Mission sashalfmarathon.com Run Unity Village, lbc-cycling.com/ www.pinklaundry.org South High Glow Run Mile Fun Run am /octoginta.html Seize the Day 5k Run/Walk
A GUIDE TO:
A GUIDE TO: FARMERS MARKETS
FARMERS MARK
WINTER’S COMING. We know that Jon Snow. But there’s still time left to visit one HARVEST IS farmers UPONmarkets US, but if your of Kansas City’s before the walkers show up and ruin the (sorry, don at didn’t rise or your lettuce letparty you down, Indie Fit we’re a little geeked out on Game of Kansas City’s farmer’s market scene is bur Thrones). Grab your produce sack and small and is still a great month f bills October and get ready to mingle with neighbors – or meet neighbors you never knew yousack had. a grown goods. Grab your produce There’s probably a farmers market close enough bills and to bike to. get ready to mingle with neighb
meet neighbors you never knew you had. Badseed Farmers Market Downtown Leet’s Summit probably farmers market Farmersclose Marketenough t 1909 McGeeaStreet 2nd and Douglas Kansas City, MO Lee’s Summit Friday Nights, 4 – 8 p.m. Kansas City Organics Saturday 7:00 a.m. – until Through November 21 sold out Special Pre-Thanksgiving Kansas City, MO Through November Market Minor Park, Saturday 8 a.m. – noon www.downtownls.org Friday November 20 www.badseedkc.com KC Organics and Natural Badseed Farmers Market Market City Market
Kansas City, MO Downtown, north of I-70 Minor Park KansasMcGee City, MO Street, Friday KansasNights, City, Saturday 1909 4 – 9 p. Saturday & Sunday, 7 a.m. 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Through November City Market Year-round www.kcorganics.com www.thecitymarket.org Saturday & Sunday, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. Brookside Community
Kansas MO OverlandCity, Park Farmers
Market
63rd & Wornall 7950 Marty, Saturday Kansas City Brookside Farmer’s Market Overland Park, KS Saturday 8 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Kansas MO 8:00 a.m.City, - 1 p.m. Through November Through Star November 21 www. Border Montessori, Saturday 8 a.m. – www.downtownop.org/ brooksidefarmersmarket. market blogspot.com Market
Merriam Farmer’s Market
Lawrence Farmer’s Farmer’s Market Merriam, KS Market Topeka 12 & Harrison 9th & New Hampshire Merriam Marketplace,Topeka, Saturday KS 7 a.m. – 1 Lawrence, KS
Saturday 7:30 a.m. – noon Saturday 8 a.m. – noon. Through November Through November 21 Olathe www. www. Farmers Market Downtown, Saturday 8:00 a.m. - sellout. lawrencefarmersmarket. com
Overland Park Farmers Market
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DAILY FIX
MONDAY
KCTC Cass County Intervals
Hills and Intervals Harrisonville, MO 5:30 p.m. https://www.facebook.com/ groups/kctcharrisonvillerunning KCTC Brookside Run Trolley Track Run all Paces Brookside Bar and Grill Kansas City, MO 6 p.m.
KCTC Ward Parkway Run Meet at Gary Gribbles Ward Parkway Center 8600 Ward Parkway Kansas City, MO 5:45 p.m.
Mud Babe Mondays Run Shawnee Mission Park Marina Parking Lot 7900 Renner Road Shawnee, KS 6 p.m.
KCMBC Heritage Park Bike Ride Heritage Park 16050 Pflumm Road Olathe, KS Parking lot N side of lake 6:30 p.m.
TUESDAY
Red Dog Days Community Workout South Park Lawrence, KS 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
KCTC Northland Runners Macken Park, west side Kansas City, MO
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5:30 p.m. http://kctrack.org/northlandrunners
Kansas City, MO 5:30 p.m. http://kctrack.org/northlandrunners
75th Street Brewery 75th & Wornall Kansas City, MO 6:30 p.m.
Meet at Gary Gribbles Ward Parkway Center 8600 Ward Parkway Kansas City, MO 6 p.m.
KCMBC Brewery Bike Ride
KCMBC Hen House Ride
69th & Mission Road Prairie Village Shopping Center Prairie Village, KS 8:00 a.m.
KCMBC Blazing Saddles Ride
Buffalo Wild Wings Independence 1-70 & Little Blue Parkway Independence, MO 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY Liberty Run Rock and Run 110 Kansas St. Liberty, MO 6 p.m.
KCMBC Coach’s Bike Ride 135th & Antioch Overland Park, KS 6:30 p.m.
THURSDAY Red Dog Days Community Workout South Park Lawrence, KS 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
KCTC Northland Runners Macken Park, west side
KCTC Ward Parkway Run
KCMBC Brookside Weekly Bike Ride The Roasterie Parking Lot North of 63rd Kansas City, MO 6:30 p.m.
KCMBC Blazing Saddles Ride Buffalo Wild Wings
Kizer-Cummings NE Corner of 9th & Vermont Lawrence, KS 7:30 a.m.
KCTC Saturday Morning Run at the Plaza
Open to all runners, also beginner’s class Aixois 55th St. and Brookside Blvd Kansas City, MO 7 a.m.
KCTC Harrisonville Run
Harrisonville City Park Harrisonville, MO 6 a.m.
KCTC Saturday Morning Run Lee’s Summit
Independence 1-70 & Little Blue Parkway Independence, MO 6 p.m.
3390 SW Fascination Dr. Lee’s Summit, MO 7 a.m.
Blue Moose Ride 4160 W 71st St Prairie Village, KS 6:30 p.m.
Liberty Golds 8620 North Ditzler Avenue Liberty, MO 8 a.m.
KCMBC Blue Moose Bike Ride
FRIDAY Red Dog Days Community Workout Lawrence High School Track Lawrence, KS 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
KCMBC Hen House Bike Ride 69th & Mission 8 a.m.
SATURDAY Red Dog Day’s Fun Run Downtown Parking Lot behind
KCTC Saturday Morning Liberty Run
KCMBC Bikesource Group Bike Ride 95th & Mission Leawood, KS 8:30 a.m.
SUNDAY KCTC Northland Runners Macken Park, west side Kansas City, MOholiday 8 a.m.
Is your event IndieFit? Tell us about it: feedback@ indiefitmagazine.com
Overland Park, KS 7:30 am Jogging for the Jags 5k
Mill Valley High School 5900 Monticello Rd Shawnee, KS 8:00 a.m. Wilderness Run 5 mile & 2 mile Runs
Shoal Creek Living History Museum 7000 N.E. Barry Road Kansas City, MO Hodge Park 9 a.m. South KC 5k
Blue River Park Kansas City, MO 8:00 a.m. Hayes Harvest Run 5k
Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church Pleasant Hill, MO 8:00 a.m. BIKING.EVENTS KC Tweed Ride
Cliff Drive, Kessler Park Kansas City MO 10:00 am SUNDAY NOVEMBER 8
RUNNING.EVENTS Gobbler Grind Marathon
Overland Park, KS 8:30 am
http://gobblergrindrun. com
Contribute! ARE YOU A KC FITNESS SUPER-CITIZEN OR A BONAFIDE LOCALVORE? KC TWEED RIDE 2015 SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7 10 A.M. WWW.BIKEWALKKC.ORG CLIFF DRIVE NEAR KC MUSEUM
Veteran’s Day Fantastic 4 Mile
Shelter 9 Wyandotte County Lake Park Kansas City, KS 9:00 a.m.
http://www.psychowyco.com/id65.html
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14 RUNNING.EVENTS Longview Half Marathon
Longview Lake 11101 Raytown Road, Kansas 8:00 am www.longviewhalf.com
In bicycling’s golden age, sophisticated peddlers mixed athletic rivalry and social revelry on some of the strangest-looking two-wheeled contraptions ever built. In that spirit, BikeWalkKC invites you to break out the tweed, mustache wax, and your Victorian finest and ride through some of Kansas City’s oldest scenery near Cliff Drive. This family-friendly event is about elegance and finery, not brute strength. In past years, prizes were awarded for best costumes and fabbest facial hair. All proceeds benefit BikeWalkKC, an organization that promotes active living and healthy, safe, and accessible outdoor experiences in the KC area.
JROTC 5K Hero Run and 1-Mile
Blue Springs South High Blue Springs, MO 8:00 am
https://bluesprings. revtrak.net
Buck O’Neil 2.2 Mile Walk & 5K Run
Negro Leagues Base-
9TH ANNUAL NAPA
KANSAS STATE & LAND OF OZ BODYBUILDING & FITNESS CHAMPIONSHIPS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH
ARARAT SHRINE TEMPLE 5100 ARARAT SHRINE DRIVE KANSAS CITY, MO. 64129 NAPA, the National Association of Physique Athletes (you didn’t think this was about auto parts did you?), promotes body building and fitness competitions, including the Kansas State Championships and Night of Champions events, which both occur on the same day. Are you
ball Museum Kansas City, MO 9 a.m.
https://www.facebook. com/BUCK2POINT2
DOES YOUR PROSE SIZZLE?
THEN WRITE FOR US.
Email georgef@ indiefitmagazine. com with a brief email introduction and samples of your work. • 21
WARD PARKWAY THANKSGIVING DAY 5K WARD PARKWAY CENTER KANSAS CITY, MO THURSDAY NOVEMBER 26 9AM WWW.KCTHANKSGIVING5K.COM
Cadenza 5k Glow Run
World War I Memorial Kansas City, MO 8 a.m. http://cadenza5k.com
FITNESS.EVENTS 9th Annual NAPA Kansas State & Land of Oz Bodybuilding & Fitness Championships
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Saturday November 14th Ararat Shrine Temple 5100 Ararat Shrine Drive Kansas City, MO. 64129
Isn’t it better to run 5 kilometers after you put on the feedbag? Not according to the organizers of this turkey trot, but all participants will receive a 6-inch pumpkin pie.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 15
https://runsignup.com/ Race/MO/KansasCity/WarHorsesForVeterans5K
MFCAA’s Fun Run for Adoption 5k
Rock the Socks 5K
RUNNING.EVENTS
Zona Rosa Kansas City, MO 8:00 am
www.mfcaa.org/events War Horses for Veterans 5K
Liberty Memorial 100 W. 26th Kansas City, MO 64108 8 am
Waterfall Park Independence, MO 9:00 am
http://rockthesocks5k.com Kettle Run 5k
Zona Rosa (Town Square) 8649 N. Dixson Ave Kansas City, MO 8:00 p.m. Pilgrim Pacer Run Marathon, HalfMarathon, 5K & 10K
Theater in the Park Shawnee Mission Park Shawnee, Kansas 8:30 a.m.
http://www.psychowyco.com/pilgrimpacerrun Girls on the Run 5k
Arrowhead Stadium Kansas City, MO 10:00 a.m.
10:00 am www.gotrkc.org THURSDAY NOVEMBER 26
RUNNING.EVENTS Ward Parkway Thanksgiving Day 5K
Ward Parkway Center Kansas City, Missouri 9:00 am
http://www.gotrkc.org/ race/302-2015-fall-5k
wardparkwaythanksgivingdayrun.com
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 20
Pilgrim Run 5k
FOOD.EVENTS Badseed PreThanksgiving Farmers’ Market Biggest Badseed Market of the Year
1909 McGree Kansas City, MO 4 – 9 p.m.
www.badseedkc.com
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21
RUNNING.EVENTS Turkey Trails 5k & 10k Run
Waterfall Park @Bass Pro Shop Independence, MO 8:00 am www.bodieshealthandfitness.com Girls on the Run 5K
Arrowhead Stadium One Arrowhead Drive Kansas City, MO
Pilgrim Chapel 3801 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO 9:00 am
SATURDAY DECEMBER 5 RUNNING.EVENTS Westport Santa Dash 5K
Westport Kansas City, Missouri 10:00 am www.santadashrun. com
SUNDAY DECEMBER 6 RUNNING.EVENTS Great Santa Run 5K and Kids Run
Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd. Overland Park, KS 9:00 am www.kcsantarun.com
SATURDAY DECEMBER 12 RUNNING.EVENTS Candy Cane Course 5k & 10k Run
19100 E Valley View Pkwy Independence, MO 64055 8:00 am
Christmas Light Run
2010 Howell Street North Kansas City, MO 5:30 pm
http://www.christmaslightrun.com Kris Kringle 5K Run Swope Park
Kansas City, MO 9 a.m.
http://kcparks.org/ event/kris-kringle-5krun-2 COMMUNITY.EVENTS KC Organics
2015 Holiday Market 106th & Wornall Kansas City, MO 9:00 a.m. – 2 p.m. SUNDAY DECEMBER 13 RUNNING.EVENTS Jingle Bell Run 5K Run/Walk
Meritex UNDERGROUND Executive Park, 17501 W. 98th Street, 9:00 am
www.JingleBellRunKC. org
www.pilgrimrun.org Run Lawrence Thanksgiving 5k
Woodlawn School North Lawrence Lawrence, KS 8:30 a.m.
http://www.runlawrence.org/TDay5k.html Liberty Giving Thanks 5k
Liberty Community Center 1600 S. Withers Road Liberty, MO 9 a.m. Thanksgiving Day 5k & Family Stroll
Sprint Campus Overland Park, KS 9 a.m.
www.sportkc.org/ thanksgiving-day-5k
DUDE, WHERE’S THE TRAIL? 50K TRAIL RUN SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29 8 A.M. RUN SOLO OR AS A TWO PERSON RELAY 33K AND 50K OPTIONS WWW.BSRUN.COM
Late November is a great month for long trail running, whether you’re a dude or not. Blue Springs Runners (“We’re slower than you might think”) are a quirky bunch, but don’t think you won’t have to train for this grueling trail slog that doubles as a benefit for the club. The race circles two lakes, promises bison and elk viewing, and starts at south Jacomo Marina on Beach Road off Colbern. OK, I’ve already lost the trail.
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