The Dirt Roar: Girl Power Educational Safaris and Consulting, an educational outfitter based in Gaviota, California, has been leading teens in the outdoors for 26 years and sees firsthand the trend of young girls wanting to get out in the world and make a difference. Last summer on its philanthropy trip to Bolivia, 16 of the 22 participants were young women. The group spent three weeks hiking through the rain forest of the Upper Amazon Basin and supporting the Rio Beni Health Project, which strives to improve access to primary health care by giving money, education, and physical labor to the indigenous populations living along the Beni River. And there was nothing they would rather have been doing. If these girls are our future, the world is in good shape. Nikki Klobucher, age 15 “I have always wanted to have a hands-on humanity experience, and I knew that this project would mean so much to such a poor country. I also knew we were going to the Amazon and that of course was a big plus. Going into the experience, I had no clue what to expect. I knew I was getting into a big deal, but I don’t think that I could have anticipated how much it would actually mean to me until I was there. Helping people pretty much gave me the greatest feeling ever. The Bolivians are very amicable people, but at the same time we are complete strangers in their country, and just breaking through that wall was a bit intimidating at first. One of my favorite times on the trip was when we had a girls’ soccer game against the Bolivian team and then it started to rain on all of us, and it was just amazing. Now whenever I am feeling a little down, my parents always tell me to think of the kids I saw back in Bolivia, and I realize how lucky I really am. But most importantly, now that I am back home I have this sense of unrest. I won’t stop until I find something else that I can do, whether it’s raising money for the Bolivia project or finding medicinal manufacturers to donate supplies, or maybe taking on a completely different project. For now I am trying to get my parents to send me to Rwanda for the summer.” Jordan Zola, age 14 “The adventurous part of the trip seemed like a fun way to spend my summer. But I knew that if I was going to travel to a different country, especially one like Bolivia that needs so much help, I wanted to chip in. The entire trip was about thinking about others. After traveling to Bolivia and making such a great difference, I realized that it makes the trip all the more meaningful for me to help people while also traveling abroad. The most memorable part of the trip was building biosand filters for one of the communities. We spent the whole day down at the river, sifting sand, measuring gravel, and rinsing the sand of impurities. It took hours of hard work, and when we finished we were all sore and tired. But this entire experience was meaningful to me because I know that having clean water is something that will help these people for years to come. It definitely changed my perspective on the world and world cultures. I try to remember every day how lucky I am and what a difference my actions can make in the world.” Emma Turner, age 12 “I just really wanted to help people. When we got to the first village, we gave them a volleyball and a soccer ball and then we played a big volleyball game with them. None of us spoke the same language, yet we could all understand each other, and at that moment I thought I would never be able to get that at home—where I could just play with my friends without needing to talk and still have fun. That was really special. It was scary sometimes to see the difference between our lives and theirs. In one village, even after we made water filters and the water looked clean, they said we would still get sick if we drank it, and yet that is the cleanest you can get the water over there. I think now I will be more willing to help other people and poorer countries. I am definitely going to go back to Bolivia as much as I can, and if I come upon another trip like this but that goes to another country in need of help, I will try to sign up because I just want to help.” On an especially blustery Sunday afternoon, my six-year-old daughter, Alexandra, and I were in the mood to bake. We decided to try out Zebra Mix, a new baking kit for kids, and we turned the next half hour into a fun-filled opportunity to make a mess, lick our fingers, talk about math, and sing songs. Most importantly, Alexandra got to run the show and be the chef, while I was her sous chef, fetching bowls and ingredients. Zebra Mix is a lot more than the typical cupcake mix. Inside the box is a “Safari Baking Map,” a large page of instructions, with lots of pictures and activities along the way, which allows the child to be in the driver’s seat. Alexandra is just beginning to read, so it was particularly exciting for her to follow the age-appropriate map and tell me what was happening next. A far cry from the little cakes that popped out of my Hasbro Easy-Bake Oven as a kid, these cupcakes are delicious. They’re made with organic evaporated cane juice sugar and flour, and such high-quality ingredients really make a difference in the taste. The other side of the map is geared for older children, so these mixes make a great project for any kid age four and up. Zebra Mix is also available for chocolate-chip cookies and brownie bites. $6. Available at Wild Oats; or to find a store near you, go to www.zebramix.com. The Doctor is In: Tennis Elbow What it is: Lateral epicondylitis came to be known as tennis elbow because it is so common among tennis players. Up to 50 percent of tennis players can suffer from symptoms at some point, but women who engage in such sports as volleyball, tennis, golf, and climbing can also be at risk. What to look for: Symptoms include pain on the outside of the elbow that increases when you play sports, shake hands, do any heavy lifting, or open doors and jars. X-rays may show calcium deposits in the tendons that attach to the lateral epicondyle, which is the bony prominence on the outside of the elbow. Muscles in the forearm that extend the wrist and fingers attach here. How to treat it: Stop the activities that cause pain, ice and stretch the area, and use a tennis elbow brace. Acupuncture is also effective. Once the pain eases up, it’s important to gradually restrengthen the arm. You’ll experience the biggest setback by ignoring the pain and continuing to use your arm in the same way. Early attention is crucial. The longer the condition persists, the more difficult it is to treat it yourself. If it’s not going away: If pain persists, you can get a steroid injection. If that doesn’t do the trick, the next step is surgery. Shock wave therapy, which is also used to break up kidney stones, can be an effective alternative to surgery. —Dr. Joanne Halbrecht Smart Gardening Adopt the techniques of xeriscaping, the art of gardening with less water, and be even greener this planting season. Along with saving you up to 60 percent of the usual water you expend in a growing season, xeriscapes require less maintenance than traditional gardens because of the utilization of natural lighting, improved soil treatments, and a decreased need for irrigation. Start by assessing your yard and identifying the shady and sunny spots, along with how water drains from one area to another. By growing the correct plants—ones that need maximum sunlight versus those that don’t need any—in each section, you’ll need less water to keep them healthy. Next, choose low-water plants that are native to your ecosystem. By visiting a local nursery or www.eartheasy.com/grow_xeriscape.htm, you can learn which flowers, shrubs, trees, and grasses grow without an abundance of water. Enrich your soil with organic soil amendments or compost. This will help sandy soils hold water more effectively. Once you’ve got the plants in the ground, surround them with mulch, as that helps hold the water in and cuts down on evaporation. Finally, check your irrigation system to make sure that there are no leaks in hoses or faucet attachments; check that an in-ground sprinkling system is watering just the garden and not the sidewalk too. Drip irrigation systems are an efficient way to deliver water to the roots of the plant at a slower pace, so the plant can absorb water more efficiently. Keeping up with the latest cell phone has gotten to be like keeping up with the newest style of jeans—last year’s skinny leg is this year’s wide. So what do you do with that drawer full of castaways (phones, not jeans)? Your need to stay on top of things can actually benefit all sorts of charitable organizations, and it’s as easy as getting a prepaid envelope or finding the closest drop box. Visit www.recyclewirelessphones.com—it’s a clearinghouse for participating cell phone companies that recycle old phones in a way that benefits good causes, from environmental to educational. It’s as easy as that, and it will help you make room for all those jeans you’ve got piling up. Here’s what snowboard champ Leanne Pelosi has got playing in her ear. The Bang Gang, “Find What You Get” Run for Good Due to poor dietary habits and a lack of exercise, babies born today are the first in 100 years to have a life span shorter than their parents, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. Nearly 17 percent of children ages two to 19 are overweight. In response to this disturbing trend, in 2006 shoe manufacturer Saucony established the Run for Good (RFG) Foundation, dedicated to funding and supporting community-based organizations that combat childhood obesity. We realize that the fight against childhood obesity is no small task,” says Richie Woodworth, president of Saucony. “The Run for Good Foundation’s grant program allows us to help communities build local programs that will encourage children to live healthier and more active lives.” With the help of the proceeds from the Red Lace Program, which sells red shoelaces at running events nationwide, as of December 2007 Saucony has awarded nearly 30 organizations up to $10,000 each. Last year one RFG Foundation grant recipient, Students Run LA, an organization that challenges at-risk inner-city teens to train for and compete in the City of Los Angeles Marathon, saw 90 percent of its participants who started the 26.2-mile run complete it. Want to get involved? Identify a local organization that helps youth in your area battle obesity and tell it about the RFG Foundation. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even volunteer to help the group apply by filling out the paperwork. For more information about the RFG Foundation, to purchase red shoelaces in bulk (50 pairs for $50 plus $8 shipping), or to apply for an RFG Foundation grant, visit www.sauconyrunforgood.com. Spring Break Spring is just around the corner, and with the melting snow come your long-lost cravings for sunshine, blue skies, and a good old-fashioned roll in the dirt—on your bike, that is. Here are five spring and summer cycling adventures sure to help rekindle your love of the saddle. The Kokopelli Trail: Colorado to Utah Singletrack: West Virginia The Underground Railroad: Alabama to Canada RAGBRAI: Road-touring Iowa The Longest Off-road Bike Route in the World: The Great Divide Feel the Berm So you’ve tried mountain biking on a series of ups, downs, and flats, on fire roads and singletrack, but have you ever cruised your way up to the top of a mountain either by riding, shuttle, or even chairlift and then ridden straight down? Downhill mountain biking doesn’t have to be intimidating. Here are nine tips from 2007 world champion Sabrina Jonnier on how to stay in the saddle. Hold on—you’re in for one heck of a ride. Getting Started 1. Get ready. “I run and ride cross-country, road, and motor bikes,” says Sabrina, “to help develop my downhill skills.” These less technical bike sports will help you not only get comfortable with the basics of riding but also develop the leg and core muscles needed for efficient downhill biking. You may also want to do some strength training for your core muscles to help you with balance and stability on uneven terrain. It’s a good idea to spend some time on a mountain bike too, riding flat fire roads and nontechnical trails to help you get comfortable with the feel of a mountain bike, how the shocks will react to the trail, and how different terrain feels under your tires. Before you’re ready to get into downhill, you need to be comfortable with standing on the pedals and braking, and both should come naturally when the situation calls for it. “You’ll know when to advance [to technical downhill terrain] when you have the basic bike skills and when braking will just be a reflex at the right time,” says Sabrina. 2. Get the gear. To safely participate in the sport, you’ll need protective gear. “Full-face helmet, safety jackets with the back plate, knee pads, and gloves are the main stuff we use,” says Sabrina. These things will help keep you safe if you fall or crash. Protecting your face and your spine is key! So don’t skimp on these items. You’ll obviously also need a bike with mountain tires and full or front suspension. It’s a good idea to borrow or rent a bike at first so you can check out different kinds and decide what is best for you. You may want a bike with only front suspension if you plan to ride more than just downhill, but the added shock absorption of full suspension is ideal for strictly downhill riders. Also, advises Sabrina, “Knowing how to take care of your bike is important so that nothing goes wrong with it when you’re midride.” 3. Start with the basics. Be sure to start out on simple beginner terrain. Go for easy tracks—smooth trails that aren’t too steep and that have only small jumps, where you can get the feel for the bike and the terrain before you get into anything more technical. Once you’re comfortable on these routes, you can gradually try steeper trails with rocks, roots, and bigger jumps and slowly increase your speed. “Trying to be at the top (riding the biggest, steepest mountains) too quickly is a common mistake,” says Sabrina. “Going step by step is a good thing.” Making realistic goals, keeping them in mind at all times, and taking your progress slowly will help ensure that you safely reach each new level only when you are ready. 4. Learn to brake. Knowing how and when to brake is the difference between being on your bike and being on the ground. The most important thing to remember, says Sabrina, is that “it’s too late to brake when you’re close to a crash.” When entering a turn, just like when driving a car, you’ll want to brake going into it and then accelerate coming out of it. Braking once you are in a turn will result in losing control and possibly falling. The same goes for riding sections with roots. Always brake before you enter the section. If you brake on top of roots, you will lose your balance and crash. The moral of the story? Brake early. How do you know if you waited too long to brake? You’ll probably be on the ground. 5. Get the jumps. A jump without impulse (see tip 8) involves general downhill motion, going off a lip or ramp, and continuing to land downhill. When you’re approaching the jump, you need to lift your butt off the seat and put all your weight forward onto the pedals. “Look straight ahead at the landing and put your body up on the pedals,” says Sabrina. “When you take off, shift your center of gravity to the rear (buttocks a little behind the seat). Once in the air, stay flexible and keep your gaze straight ahead. Do not put your head down or look under you, or you will lose your balance and your line of landing. When landing, put your front and back wheel down simultaneously and stay flexible, absorbing the landing with your arms and legs.” Taking It to the Next Level 6. Get over the berm. One difficult piece of terrain you’ll frequently encounter in downhill biking is a berm, which is a banked corner, sometimes known as a switchback. To navigate over a berm, you’ll need to keep control of your bike. It is important to have control going into the turn so that once you round the corner you can coast into the next section. “Going into the berm, I brake at the entrance just to slow down a bit then let the brakes go,” says Sabrina. “I put both feet parallel. Never put the inside foot down or the pedal will hit the ground and you can be sure to finish teeth to the dirt! I push in with my legs and arms so I can get maximum speed into the berm and eventually go out with more speed than going in.” 7. Stay focused. As with many outdoor sports, downhill mountain biking can be dangerous. Because of the ever-present possibility of injury, it is important to stay focused and not let your mind wander beyond your next move. A great many injuries to mountain bikers occur when they’re not paying attention to the ground beneath their tires. Keeping an eye on the terrain at all times will help you stay safe, especially novices. “For a beginner, I think accidents can happen more often from braking too hard, which can make the front wheel slide and cause you to lose control of the bike,” says Sabrina. “Also taking a berm wrong and putting your foot down would make you crash. To prevent most accidents, knowing your level and trying not to skip any steps is important.” Speed combined with varying terrain can easily psyche out a beginner. But taking it one section at a time and mastering your current level before trying to advance will help you build confidence and teach you to think through your rides before getting in over your head. “I always think twice before doing a hard section,” says Sabrina. The pros know that they need to use their brains to effectively use their brawn. Don’t rely on muscle alone to get you through the technical stuff. 8. Get the bigger jumps. Jumping over an obstacle or attempting double jumps is referred to as “jumping with impulse.” Going into a jump with impulse, you approach in the same way as a downhill jump, with your eyes straight ahead, focused on the landing. As you take off, you compress in the suspension on your bike (push down on the handlebars so the front shocks are fully pressed together like an accordion) while bending your arms and legs. Then release your arms and legs (letting the shocks open back up) as you go over the impulse while moving your center of gravity to the back. Then continue the jump as you would a jump without impulse, by looking straight ahead and landing both tires at the same time. “Be careful not to let yourself get in front of the bike, stay flexible on the bike to absorb the landing, and always look ahead,” says Sabrina. “Don’t look at the take-off. To progress, it is important to begin with easy jumps and then get harder and harder.” 9. Get to the next level. As with any sport, to advance you need a level of commitment. With some dedication and a little flexibility in your routine, you can be on your way to a downhill career. “Training every day will help a lot,” says Sabrina. “I know it can be hard with a day job, but even using your bike to get to work will help. Also waking up early to go for a run, then dropping by the gym at lunch or after work could definitely make it possible. Then you can ride downhill on the weekends and you’ll progress a lot.” You can also try racing to help advance your skills. Every country has a national federation with a website that lists races. You also can check out the National Off-Road Bicycle Association’s national race series for both amateurs and professionals at www.norbanationals.com. First Hand —Star Hoerauf, freelance outdoor clothing designer, on discovering downhill mountain biking
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