Breathe Magazine

Inspiring active women to explore their passions

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fall 2008

MY FIRST 5K Six Weeks to the Starting Line

FALL FOLIAGE GETAWAYS Colorful Coordinates for Leaf-Lookers

THE HUMANITARIAN HAIRDRESSER A Stylist’s Tip Jar Builds an Orphanage

Crazy Sexy Cancer filmaker and iconic inspiration Kris Carr

Crazy Sexy FIVE WOMEN CELEBRATE THEIR CANCER SCARS 7 ways to take your exercise outdoors

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breathe 3

CONTENTS

fall 2008

features

CO-EDITORS

Emily Diznoff, M.D. Will Harlan

13 My First 5K

editor@readbreathe.com

Follow in the footsteps of one woman’s journey from Biggest Loser re-runs to the starting line of her first 5K run.

ART DIRECTOR

Megan Murphy DESIGNER

Amanda Powers

16 Crazy Sexy Survivors

Five cancer survivors proudly show off their badges of courage and share their stories of hope.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Annie Daly Leah Ferguson Bettina Freese Julia Green Sarah Hubbard Monica Johnson Jennifer Matzner Amanda Straus

21 The Humanitarian Hairdresser A Cincinnati hair stylist builds an orphanage in Tanzania through a tip jar on her counter.

PUBLISHER

Martha Evans

martha@readbreathe.com

24 Fall Foliage Getaways

IT DIRECTOR

Craig Snodgrass

From upscale wine tours to day hikes in the mountains, our colorful coordinates offer fall foliage fun for every leaf-looker.

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Tom Daly Charles Leonard

breathe magazine 107 West Market Street Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 (434) 817-2755 phone (434) 817-2760 fax 56 College Street, Suite 303 Asheville, North Carolina 28801 (828) 225-0868 phone (828) 225-0878 fax readbreathe.com

COVER

departments 7

© Jennifer May jennifermay.com

FITNESS

Seven ways to take your exercise outdoors.

8

GREEN LIVING

28

A dose of nature, a tinge of fear.

Conscious clothing from head to toe.

11

30

HEALTH

Add flavor and fun with farm-fresh produce from CSAs. 4 breathe

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FAMILY

FASHION

Recycled handbags turn discarded materials into fashion statements.

Cancer survivor Kris Carr turned a seemingly tragic diagnosis into creative expression in her documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer, where she searches for a cure and finds her self. Crazy Sexy Cancer inspired countless women—including the five featured in our story—to celebrate their bodies and their lives.

Breathe Magazine is the property of Summit Publishing, LLC. Blake DeMaso, President Copyright ©2008 Summit Publishing, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

&

7 Reasons 7 Ways to Take It

FITNESS

Outside

BY MONICA JOH NSON & AMANDA ST RAUS

I

s it hard to fit exercise into your daily schedule? Do you long for free time to be outside this summer? We have the answer: do both at the same time!

Take your exercise outdoors. Just because you are an adult does not mean you should give up the feeling of summer grass between your toes, or the joy of a late evening sunset as the fire flies blink. Get back to the pure fun of your summer childhood while improving your fitness level.

Why Play Outside?

Being outside, on a regular basis, is just good for you. Period.

Sunlight gives you Vitamin D, which means one less thing you need from a pill.

Nature is more peaceful than the gym, where TVs, rather than room for your thoughts, is the norm.

Exercising in a park keeps your motivation up, whether you’re playing on a team or watching others run around. It’s the right kind of atmosphere to make you want to move.

Your kids or pets will love it. Busy schedules can leave you feeling guilty about skipping time with people or pets at home. Exercising outside allows you to bring them along.

You don’t need dumbbells or exercise machines to get a workout. Anything that challenges your muscles, especially your heart, can be a great way to burn calories, increase your strength and endurance, and improve your health.

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Schoolyards and playgrounds are great places to get in a workout and spend quality time with your kids. Even if you don’t have kids, go to the local elementary school and climb, hang, jump, do step-ups on a bench, cross the monkey bars, or watch the kids for inspiration and play monkey-see-monkey-do. When you do what the kids do, you’re guaranteed to get your heart rate up and have fun doing it.

Parks offer even more opportunities for outdoor fun. Take a walk or jog around the lake or on trails, play tennis with your sweetie, gather friends for volleyball or disc golf, or join a softball or flag football league. Contact your local recreation department to learn about other opportunities that are available in your area.

Enlarge your social circle.

Exercising outside makes it more likely for you to meet new people, whether friends, a date, or exercise buddies.

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That fresh summer smell. Not just the sweat, but that great combination of grass, sun, flowers, and dirt that make you feel like a kid all over again. What could be more energizing?

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Take advantage of your lunch break to walk around and check out the scenery. Find stairs to climb, a peaceful cemetery to walk through, small “green” areas or parks between office buildings, and get creative.

Ask your local fitness center about outdoor classes and boot camps. If the facility doesn’t offer outdoor classes, consider hiring a personal trainer or instructor to take you (and your friends) outside to show you how to use whatever is around you to create a fun workout.

Believe it or not, your backyard has all the equipment you need to have a full fitness center. If you have a body, you are an athlete.

Learn how to use a little bit of space and your body weight to create a fun full-body workout.

Play tag with your kids, do pushups and situps, create an obstacle course, kick (and chase) a ball around, or climb a tree.

Take a hike! Whether it’s at a park our nearby mountain trail, the hills allow you to enjoy a peaceful day with your thoughts and offer a great workout for your heart, lungs, and legs.

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Cool off by taking a dip in your local swimming pool. Tread water, or challenge your kids or a friend to a water-running race. You can even burn some calories doing somersaults in the water.

As with gym exercise, the duration and level of exertion affect the health benefits of your workout. At least try to break a sweat. Make it a summer of playful exercise that reconnects you to that “school’s out, time to play” feeling.

Sweat, grass, lightning bugs, and running around with friendsand family—make them staples of your exercise and your summer, putting the fun back into both. readbreathe.com

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GREEN LIVING

Conscious Clothing

BY ANNI E DALY

SAY GOODBYE TO POTATO SACK DRESSES— ECO-FRIENDLY DUDS JUST GOT A LOT MORE STYLISH

D

esigners all over the world are coming up with fresh and fun ways to go green— without sacrificing on style. Find a green get-up that you love: Here are four great clothing companies who are helping the planet and your summer wardrobe. Doing good has never looked so good.

LEAVE YOUR ECO-PRINT

PUT YOUR GREEN FOOT FORWARD

Print dress • Amira $140 • amirawear.com

Gold rubber flip-flops • Melissa Shoes $40 • thegreenloop.com

This is so not your average all-natural neutral-toned hemp dress. Wear this, and you’ll be the party’s next wild child (in a mild, earth-friendly way). Covered in patterns and animal prints, this Indian dress has major pizzazz. And it’s comfortable, too! Put it on for a stroll around town, or for a night out with friends—your call. Who knew ecofashion could be so exotic?

Amira is all about fair trade. Their pieces are made from organic cotton, and produced from surplus textiles that were fairly traded and sourced by hand from India. Each article of clothing is tailored by hand in a small workshop in Delhi, India, so you know they’re not harming the earth in a big-industry way.

The thought of rubber shoes makes most of us of think of jellies—you know, those hideous plastic slides that we sported when we were kids. But these gold flips are no flop! They’re comfy yet sexy, they don’t squeeze your toes, and they have a thick sole (so you can wear ‘em around while you run your Saturday errands). Bonus: They’re sweat-proof, so you don’t have to worry about stinky feet during sweltering summer days.

Behold the power of plastic! Brazilian brand Melissa Shoes has been around for nearly three decades—but they’re just now designing more stylish shoes. Their mantra? Sustainability. Their shoes are made from a recycled plastic called Melflex. Plus, 100% of their materials are used in production, so nothing goes to waste (they’ve recycled 99.9% of their factory trash since their inception in 1971). This rubber company definitely rubs us the right way.

ROCK ON

BRANCHING OUT

Knit Woven Henley Tee • Stewart & Brown $40 • stewartbrown.com

Women’s Vitaliti Skirt • Patagonia $60 • patagonia.com

Summertime is tunic time! This so-soft white sheath is made from 100% organic cotton. We like it because it’s so versatile: Wear it during the day as a casual beachtime cover-up, or belt it and add leggings and flashy earrings for a sparkle-plenty girls’ night on the town.

Stewart & Brown could very well be called Stewart & Green. Their products are all made from biodegradable, all-natural fibers that are cultivated without any herbicides or pesticides. Stewart & Brown is also wild for wool: The company raises special freerange sheep in the Southern Alps of New Zealand (an annually renewable free-range resource) and makes sure their sheep graze on natural grass and drink only the finest spring water. Wow: That’s un-baaaaa-lievable!

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Comfy and durable, this wear-anywhere purple skirt is an instant wardrobe classic.

It’s stitched with Patagonia’s signature organic cotton, so it’s super-soft—and stretchy, too.

Try pairing it with a printed top for some extra style points.

As the pioneers of the green fashion movement, Patagonia has been committed to sustainable clothing long before it became trendy. Environmental consciousness is the foundation of their mission statement: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” And they do just that: Patagonia uses one of four earth-friendly materials—organic cotton, hemp, chlorine-free wool, and recycled and recyclable polyester—in all of their products. What’s more, Patagonia offers the Common Threads Garment Recycling Program, which uses old Capilene baselayers to make new ones (you can drop your oldies off at your nearest store). If that isn’t enough, get this: The company is even in the process of creating their own park—the Patagonia National Park—to protect the wildland ecosystems in Chile and Argentina. We give them two green thumbs up.

09_WVSP_300.indd 1

6/30/2008 2:13:26 PM

Join us for the 19th annual St. Jude Memphis Marathon, Half Marathon and Memphis Grizzlies House 5K

Saturday, December 6, 2008 Memphis, Tennessee There is a hero inside us all. Run or walk as a St. Jude Hero and inspire hope in the children of St. Jude Children’s ® Research Hospital . Sign up and receive: · · · · ·

Resource packet with fundraising tips Free online training plan powered by active.com Incentive prizes* Personalized fundraising Web page Invitation to St. Jude Heroes pasta party and pre- and post-race Heroes lounge*

* Incentives/Invitation based on minimum fundraising level

Visit ©2008 ALSAC(6214)

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www.stjudeheroes.org to register today! ||

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Food for Thought

HEALTH

EAT LOCAL THROUGH COMMUNITY

BY JULIA GREEN SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE

E

very Monday and Friday during the summer, families descend on ZJ Farms to pick up their share of fresh vegetables and herbs.

Depending on what point in the summer it is, each weekly basket might contain spinach, kohlrabi, okra, arugula, bok choy, tomatoes, squash, beets, eggplant, basil, parsley, or something else that Susan Jutz, owner of ZJ Farms, has decided to grow. Two hundred families belong to her CSA (which stands for Community-Supported Agriculture). In exchange for purchasing an up-front share of produce at the beginning of the year, members receive a weekly basket of fruits and vegetables.

The shares keep Jutz in business and enable her to purchase the necessary organic fertilizers and materials for the year, and the families receive the freshest, healthiest produce available. “The CSA is the only way someone small can make a living,” Jutz says.

Families that pick up their produce directly from Jutz’s 80-acre farm get a bonus gift. “When the kids see the farm, they get really excited about vegetables,” she says. And the adults benefit too. Although they’re not all sure how to prepare okra, many recipes are often traded during share pick-up time, and there’s an email list that CSA members maintain to keep track of culinary innovations.

The unpredictability and seasonal variety of CSA baskets is one of the best paets of a CSA membership, says Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (which was named one of the ten best books of 2006 by both The New York Times and The Washington Post). He writes, “The box gets you out of your shopping rut and invites you to try new things and consult your languishing cookbooks.” In other words, they bring the excitement back to the ageold question, “What’s for dinner?”

For those who think that CSAs are a luxury available only to the very well-off, Pollan disagrees. “CSAs are a good solution for people hoping to eat well-grown, local, and seasonal food on a budget. A lot of people think they can’t afford such food, but very often the CSA box is a bargain.” A large share from ZJ Farms, which “provides enough vegetables for a family of vegetable-loving eaters,” comes out to $31.75 a week. For a family of four, that means less than eight dollars per person for a week’s worth of veggies. This might seem like a lot to some families, but Jutz says, “We need to educate people about the real cost of

3 Reasons to Join a CSA It’s absolutely the freshest, most healthful food you can get your hands on – no pesticides, no food miles, no losing nutrients during the long journey to the grocery store.

It provides local farmers with the resources to continue producing organic produce and distributing it locally.

By choosing to be a part of the local food movement, you are telling the U.S. government, who provides subsidies to industrial farmers encouraging the continued overproduction of commodity crops, that we can—and must— do much better.

food. In the U.S., we’ve been on a cheap food program for so long. But for quality food, consumers are going to have to pay a little more.”

Jutz hosts workshops to introduce children to life on the farm and teaches classes on sustainable agriculture at the nearby university. One of the topics she covers at length is the farm bill. “Every consumer should be concerned with the farm bill—it affects everything that we eat. It rewards people for growing monoculture commodity crops and not for conservation practices.”

By commody crops, Jutz is referring to the corn and soybeans that are grown to excess in the United States and for which farmers receive substantial subsidies from the government, while small, organic farmers like Jutz receive none. From her CSA profits, Jutz must cover all her expenses—including the increasingly steep prices of health care.

Pollan, who directs the Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, details the flaws of the subsidized commodity system in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which explains how surplus genetically modified corn is dumped on the global market, causing small-scale farmers in developing companies to go bankrupt. Here in the U.S., most commodity crops are used to feed cows and chickens raised in confinement. These animals are given substantial quantities of hormones and antibiotics that end up in our food. Fortunately, many small-scale sustainable farms offer alternatives.

Free-range animals raised on rotational grazing are happier animals—and healthier to eat. Small-scale farms also compost animal manure for fertilizer rather than allowing it to pollute waterways.

Locally grown food is better for you and the environment—it’s fresher, more healthful, and simply tastes better. Although it may seem a luxury to pay more for CSA food than grocery-store food, it may not be such a significant luxury in the years to come. As gas prices continue to rise, so will prices in the grocery store. Instead of buying food that’s come from thousands of miles away, consider joining a local CSA for produce that’s more nutritional, flavorful, and environmentally sustainable.

Find a Farm Near You:

Log on to www.localharvest.org for a comprehensive list of CSAs in every region of the United States.

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fall

is Fabulous!

giveaway

Breathe wants to send you on a great weekend getaway this October!

Sign up for a chance to win Weekend Passes to the Fall LEAF Festival, clothing from ISIS and shoes from Inov-8!

2 LEAF Weekend Tickets

www.theleaf.com

Fall 2008 Oct 17-19th • Enjoy the LEAF festival Friday-Sunday! Tent camping is complimentary with your weekend tix, good for 3 days/2 nights • Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain, NC. $240

Whisper Jacket As light as the feathers!! Filled with 650-fill goose down and made with downproof mini ripstop water resistant nylon that keeps feathers in and weather out. The Whisper jacket will become your new best friend. $175

Moxie Zip-Neck Sleek, warm, soft, strong — the adjectives can go on for a while. Knitpanels allow for warmth retention, moisture management and breathability, while chafe-free seamless construction and close-to-body fit allow your body to move. $89

Roclite 295 Finally, the shoe runners have only dreamed of arrives.

The fascia-band technology, lightweight, and underfoot cushioning of Inov-8’s roclite 295 will shave minutes off your miles while keeping your feet protected and comfortable. At the track or on the trails, runners and walkers alike will marvel at their ease of stride in the roclite 295s. $95

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Iris Hat www.isisforwomen.com

Oak leaves swirl and tassels fly on this colorful lightweight knit hat. With a super soft microfleece lining, the Iris hat will keep you warm and stylish this fall! $36

Visit READBREATHE.COM to sign up for your chance to Win! Contest Ends: September 26, 2008.

MY FIRST5K One Woman’s Journey from Biggest Loser to a 5K Finisher

BY JENNI FER MATZNER

I could no longer blame it on the baby weight, since my youngest daughter was about to turn 2. As a stay-at-home mom of two girls, I didn’t have much time in the day to exercise, or much money in the budget for a gym membership. I had a treadmill, which would have been collecting dust except that the kids used it as an indoor jungle gym.

So in March, with spring around the corner, I decided it was time to get in shape. I started walking on the treadmill a couple nights a week after the kids went to bed. But when the scale didn’t show the pounds melting away instantly, I lost my motivation and hit the couch again with a plate of chocolate-covered Oreos, like I had done so many times before.

One night while watching The Biggest Loser, I had a shift in perspective.

Watching the contestants, who had large amounts of weight to lose, exercise vigorously while I sat motionless just didn’t seem like the right choice anymore. So I started walking again on the treadmill. I walked for a half-hour, two or three times a week. It was nothing too vigorous, but at least I was consistent, and I was moving.

I didn’t plan to become a runner, but after one exasperating day at home with a two- and four-year old, I had some extra nervous energy to burn off, so I cranked up the treadmill and started to run. It didn’t last long but it felt surprisingly good. I began running longer stretches of time and walking less. I felt proud of myself as I gained endurance.

I told my sister, an avid runner, about my new hobby and she was encouraging. I mentioned that the pounds weren’t melting away, but she said to stick with it, as it often takes several weeks of building muscle before the fat starts to burn off. She suggested I change my focus from weight loss to another goal and recommended training for a 5K. So I found a training program by Olympic Trials marathoner Zika Palmer which promised I would be ready for a 5K in six weeks (view the full training schedule on page 15). I couldn’t fathom it, but I jumped in anyway. Training for a race had a different feeling than running to lose weight. I was running for fitness. If the scale didn’t show me the number I wanted (and it didn’t), I was still frustrated, but I got on that treadmill anyway.

I was dedicated. Four days a week, I followed my program exactly.

My workouts went from being 30 minutes long to over an hour. I felt a great sense of accomplishment just from the training.

I identified a race that was about six weeks away and was being held at my local park. I didn’t sign up for the race right away, though. I was intimidated, and I did not think of myself as a real runner. I imagined myself as the last person to cross the finish line as the vendors started to pack their bags and go home. It would be humiliating.

But each week my running increments got longer and the miles per week increased slowly. My husband saw my dedication and was motivated too. Soon he was vying for a time slot on the treadmill. I guess fitness is contagious.

On Saturday of week three, I decided to walk/run my potential 5K course. It was my first outdoor run. Running outside was a whole new feeling. Unlike the treadmill, which propelled me along, told me the calories burned, and displayed how many minutes were left, running outdoors seemed unfriendly with the hills, wind, and uneven terrain.

Gregg Matzner

I started running because my pants were snug.

Jennifer Matzner stretches before her first 5K There was no TV in front of me for distraction, either, although I did have my iPod. I started out enthusiastically but I soon felt disheartened. I felt as though I had weights on my ankles or like I was running in place.

I gasped for air. I was about to quit when I saw a man with white hair running towards me. He wasn’t going fast, but he was out there running. Seeing him, I knew I couldn’t give up. If a person in his sixties or seventies could get out and run, then I, at 37, had no excuses. I began putting my treadmill on a slight incline to build more endurance for the outdoors.

The next Saturday, we went to visit my in-laws. Usually our visits there were quite sedentary, but I wasn’t going to let travel get in the way of my training. After my last outdoor running experience, I was a little nervous. My in-laws drove me to a middle school track a few miles from their home where a bunch of soccer dads were standing around watching their kids. I told my husband to come back for me in an hour.

I started running, but I was self-conscious of the men watching. I was tired and panting after four laps, but because I perceived an audience, I couldn’t quit.

Then, tragedy struck: my iPod died. How could I run without music to pump me along? I started to walk, feeling defeated. But I reminded myself I had just run a mile, and I wanted to stick to my training program as best I could. So I started run/walking home. During the running portions, I focused on slowing down my breathing. I noticed my surroundings, relaxed my stride, and found a comfortable rhythm.

I enjoyed the challenge of navigating new streets and neighborhoods, too. I ran all the way back to the house (to the surprise of my husband and in-laws), a distance of four miles.

I sent in my race entry registration the next day.

After that, I began to look forward to running outdoors. I even started to like it more than the treadmill. I noticed that I was less tired readbreathe.com

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breathe 13

Dahlia and Naomi Matzner congratulate Mommy after crossing the finish line.

Let your hair down.

If you’re ready to hit the trail, then head to the Roanoke Valley. You’ll find hundreds of miles of trails and greenways for hiking, running, biking or just plain meandering. The best part is that at the end of the day

1.800.635.5535 www.visitroanokeva.com

it’s in our nature.

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you can rest your weary legs or kick up your heels in one of the Blue Ridge Mountains most charming places.

You’ll have no trouble refueling your body and spirit in the Roanoke Valley where we have more restaurants per capita than any other place in Virginia.

Your adventure begins with a single step. Call or log on today for a free Visitors Guide and RED Card good for discounts on lodging, dining, shopping and attractions.

Gregg Matzner

and could run faster. I told my sister about my change in attitude, and she said, “Now you’re really a runner.” My self-perception was slow to catch up, though. I still felt more like a couch potato than a runner in training.

Finally, the morning of the race arrived. I felt like I had lead in my stomach. I ate peanut butter and honey on whole grain bread for breakfast. Then my four year old decided to throw a fit about her hairstyle. As a result, I arrived at the race site with a mere ten minutes to spare for family photos and stretching.

I picked up my race number. I felt partly like an athlete and partly like a phony. My only goal was to complete the entire course and not finish dead last. My daughters and husband were there to cheer me on, which helped immensely.

The race director started the race, and I began moving forward with the pack. In the first mile, I was actually shocked to find myself passing some runners. They soon caught up with me, though, and as I passed my husband cheering from the sidelines, I asked, “Am I last?” He said, “Not even close.”

I stayed focused on my breathing and my stride and tried to keep some of the other runners in my sight. A few times I walked a step or two, but I quickly stepped it up as I thought about my goal to run the whole race.

As I approached the finish line, I saw my family. My husband had tears in his eyes. I felt so proud. I had not cared about my time at the beginning, but now I was excited to see 31:53 on the clock. I had run ten-minute miles, which was much faster than any of my training runs.

I lost a few pounds along the way, but more importantly, I gained a new sense of respect for myself. I was able to push the boundaries of what I once thought was possible for myself. It was a really great feeling. After the race, I hugged my husband and girls, who had been incredibly encouraging and supportive during my training. And to my surprise, I picked up a flyer for a five-miler in the fall. •

H WEEK 1 H 16-20 TOTAL MILES Mon: Walk briskly for 1 mile.

Run 2 min. every half mile until you reach 3.5 total miles. Walk 0.5 mile.

Tues: Walk 3-5 miles.

Wed: Off Thurs: Walk 1 mile. Run 3 min. every half mile until you reach 3.5 miles.Walk 0.5 mile.

Fri: Off Sat: Walk 3-5 miles, including 10 run/walk intervals (run 30 sec., walk 1 min.) in the last mile.

Sun: Off

H WEEK 2 H 18-20 TOTAL MILES Mon: Walk 1.5 miles. Run 5 min., walk 5 min.; do 3 times.

Walk 1-2 miles.

Tues: Walk 3-5 miles.

Tues: Walk 1 mile. Run 15 min., walk 5 min., run 15 min., walk 5 min.

Wed: Off Thurs: Walk 1 mile. Run 5 min., walk 2 min.; do that 7-min. sequence 5 times. Walk 5 min.

Fri: Off Sat: Walk 1 mile. Run 10 min., walk 5 min.; do that 15-min. sequence 3 times.

Sun: Off

Tues: Walk 1 mile. Run 20 min., walk 5 min., run 20 min., walk 5 min.

Wed: Off

Fri: Off

Fri: Off

Sat: Repeat Week 2 Monday.

Sat: Walk 1 mile. Run 15 min., walk 5 min.; do that 20-min. sequence 3 times.

H WEEK 3 H 16-20 TOTAL MILES Mon: Walk 1.5 miles. Run 10 min., walk 5-7 min., run 10 min., walk 5-7 min.

Tues: Walk 3-5 miles.

Wed: Off Thurs: Repeat Week 3 Tuesday Fri: Off Sat: Walk 1.5 miles. Run 10 min., walk 5 min., run 5 min., walk 5 min., run 10 min., walk 5-10 min.

Sun: Off

H WEEK 4 H 17.5 TOTAL MILES Mon: Walk 1 mile. Run 3 min., walk 2 min.; do a total of 10 times. Walk 5 mins.

Over 20 competitive land and water events throughout Lake Lure and Chimney Rock - Just 25 miles Southeast of Asheville in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina.

Mon: Walk 1 mile. Run 3 min., walk 2 min.; do that 5-min. sequence a total of 10 times.

Walk 5 min.

Thurs: Repeat Week 1 Thursday.

Sun: Off

We’ll See you at the finish line!

H WEEK 5 H 20 TOTAL MILES

Thurs: Walk 1 miles. Run 5 min., walk 2 min.; do that 7-min. sequence 5 times. Walk 5 min.

Wed: Off

Fourth Annual

JEN’STRAININGSCHEDULE

September 4th - 7th 2008 Events include a triathlon, 5K Race to the top of Chimney Rock, kids’ events, food festival, cheerleading competition, water ski show and much more.

Sun: Off

H WEEK 6 H 22.5 TOTAL MILES Mon: Walk 1 mile. Run 3 min., walk 2 min.; do that 5-min. sequence a total of 10 times.

Walk 5 min.

Net Proceeds Support Area Charities

Tues: Walk 1 mile. Run 25 min., walk 5 min., run 25 min., walk 5 min.

In partnership with

Wed: Off Thurs: Walk 1 mile. Run 5 min., walk 2 min.; do that 7-min. sequence 5 times. Walk 5 min.

Fri: Off Sat: Walk 1 mile. Run 20 min., walk 5 min.; do that 25-min. sequence 3 times.

Sun: Off

de” the Blue Rig Triathlon named “BEST of al u n n A Magazine

e Ridge Outdoors

by Blu

Info & Registration at HickoryNutOlympiad.com

828.429.9011

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“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls;

the most massive characters are seared with scars.” —Kahlil Gibran

Crazy Sexy I

BY SARAH H UBBARD

’m the spitting image of my father. I have his olive skin, brown eyes, funny-looking feet, and for better or worse, his sweet tooth.

My mom passed on her social nature, her Midwestern charm and kindness, possibly her nose, and most definitely her flat chest.

My greatest feature, though, is one that not everyone gets to see. It’s a little more intimate, but absolutely original. When I bring a man home, no matter how hot my newest Victoria’s Secret purchase is, or when I drop my towel at the pool, no matter how many hours of lunges I’ve done, all eyes run straight to my stomach, and there’s just one question everyone is dying to ask: “What’s that huge scar from?”

Ta-da, there it is. I have a scar, 13 inches long. It runs from my midtorso down, takes a clever detour around my belly button and heads straight south of the border. And let me tell you, there is no better downer, poolside or in the sack, than the answer to that question, which is: I had cancer. It’s a universal conversation stopper. No one really knows how to react. Eventually, the inevitable four follow-up questions are posed: when, what, how, and are you okay now?

The sass in me is always tempted to say something like “I got a tummy tuck,” or “You know how everyone jokes about a separate dessert stomach, well I had one put in.” The honest answers aren’t half as fun: age 4, Burkitt’s Lymphoma, just unlucky, and going on two decades cancer-free.

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DEDICAT ED TO MERRI LEE MI LST EI N

There is no doubt that at the young age of 4, my cancer had a profoundly larger effect on my family than it did on me. At that age, I had no idea who I was or what I was fighting. I remember vivid images from my 18 months of chemotherapy, as well as the pain of 24 spinal taps without anesthesia. And I still get a weird feeling in my gut whenever I see pictures of myself with a bald head and those chubby prednisone cheeks. But I like to think that my experience has shaped who I am now and the way I handle the challenges that life throws in my path. I definitely can’t forget that it happened, and I definitely cannot escape the lasting mark that the disease left on my body, so I choose to embrace it.

The funny thing is that, despite the awkward social reactions, this scar is my favorite feature. It’s that one part of my body that doesn’t ever bother me. It gets tan with me in the summer, and when I get really fit, it actually gives the illusion from far away that I have a six-pack. I guess it killed my hopes of being a swimsuit model, but my short stature and less-than-chiseled features would have done that on their own. It will very likely grow so large when I am pregnant that it will be seen from outer space, but for now, I love it, and I may be the only one who thinks so, but I think it’s sexy. It is a constant reminder of a fight that I won.

My scar reminds me that I’m lucky to be 26, wear unmatching socks, dance to Cuban music in the kitchen when I cook, sing bad karaoke,

drink too many martinis, make mistakes and fall in love, and die on my own terms a long, long time from now.

The way I see it, every woman has an imperfection or two or five that they either can hate every day or come to love as their own. Big butt, birthmark, crooked teeth, curves, muffin top—everyone’s got something good. Mine is this stomach, and I have decided to love it.

It turns out that I’m not alone. Much to my surprise, the idea of beauty has begun to get a makeover lately in the media. Our societal image of strength and power has shifted from paper-thin porcelain perfection to a more realistic representation. Celebrity starlets still find their way onto magazine covers for their gorgeous looks and artistic talents of course, but also with a deeper appreciation of their responsibility as role models. Whether it is the environment, human rights violations, or disease awareness, we want to see and read about a woman with a cause, a three-dimensional woman with things to say, stories to tell, and a humanity and vulnerability that makes her real.

In 2007, Dove launched their Real Beauty campaign, a series of ads created as a result of a global study that Dove conducted on beauty. After surveying 3,000 women worldwide, they found that only 2% considered themselves beautiful. Their response was a series of brilliant ads that celebrate the everyday woman, at any age, gorgeous, imperfections and all. The host of my favorite TV show, Top Chef, is the show-stopping Padma Lakshmi. The actress, author, and model has made her way to every major cover, all the while proudly showing foot-long scars on each arm from a childhood accident. People Magazine added her to their “Top 100 Most Beautiful People” list in 2007. The fresh-faced superstars of 2008 are walking red carpets where big baby bellies couldn’t be more beautiful, wrinkles represent wisdom, and standing for something means much more than wearing size-zero couture.

Along with beauty, cancer is getting a makeover as well.

Over 1.4 million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year. It is a disease that has become impossible to ignore, and with the help of a few famous faces, the disease is getting a new attitude. Sheryl Crow had four “radiation tattoos” added to remind her of her fight with breast cancer, and Melissa Etheridge proudly flaunted her baldness and boldness and was public about every step of her treatment.

Recently, the release of a sassy documentary called Crazy Sexy Cancer rocked the country with its honesty, humor, bravery, and humanity. At the ripe age of 31, actress and photographer Kris Carr was diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer, but instead of sitting back, she decided to find the answers that she wasn’t getting from doctors. She continues to be determined not to let cancer define her or take away her right to be a sexy young woman, but rather enhance it.

Her “cancer adventure,” as she calls it, treads through diet, spirituality, sex, medicine, fitness, and even love, in the most human, humorous, and powerful manner I have ever seen.

She calls her fellow survivors “Cancer Cowgirls,” which she defines as “a free-spirited bunch of powerful women who take charge as they gallop through life’s obstacle course. We don’t whisper, we roar. This is just the beginning, a match to light the tinder of curiosity, possibility, and tenacity we all possess.

Women are heavenly creatures full of sass and fireworks, dazzling warriors full of peace and fury.”

Breathe Magazine found several cancer cowgirls with passion, attitude, and crazy sexy scars who have learned how to heal and love. They live fully in each moment. And like Kris Carr, they have become stronger, deeper, and more whole human beings through their cancer adventure.

Kila Waldrop “I wear my scars like badges of honor.”

F

ollowing a bad mountain biking accident, Kila was left with bruises all over her body. While monitoring them, she discovered a lump in her breast. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at her first appointment in December 2006 at the age of 32.

“I was in the best shape of my life. The diagnosis floored me, but I made up my mind right then that cancer was never going to Kila started a support group called have me.”

“The Young and the Breastless.”

She had a partial mastectomy that same month, eventually a partial hysterectomy, and then began eight rounds of chemotherapy, which resulted in her losing all of her hair.

“As a hairdresser, losing my hair surprisingly wasn’t as hard for me as it is for others. I actually had fun with it. I went out and bought five wigs, one of which was bright fuchsia. I styled them and took pictures with everyone in my family wearing them.”

Kila focused on exercising and keeping up a sense of normalcy at home with her family. She spent time with her then 11-year-old son, and tried to stay upbeat so that he wouldn’t be scared.

Kila founded a support group called The Young and the Breastless, a fearless group of women who provided her not only with support and understanding, but hope for the future. “We have a ten-year survivor in the group,” she said.“It gives me hope for the long term.”

Life after cancer has been devoted to her family, focusing on the big picture, and never taking the time that she has for granted.

“I don’t stress over the little things anymore. I’d rather forget about cleaning and say, let’s go to the movies!”

The mastectomy, hysterectomy, and reconstructive work, which Kila completed in April of this year, have left a number of scars on her body.

“I have lots of new scars, but every one has a story, so I wear them like badges of honor.”

To commemorate her successful fight, Kila had “survivor” tattooed over the scar on her breast and plans to get her birth flower and her son’s birth flower eventually tattooed someday next to her two matching hysterectomy scars. She also helping other women facing cancer through the Look Good Feel Good program.

“The C-word is a scary thing,” Kila says, “but my fight with cancer made me open my eyes to living life. If there is any way that I can help other women through this, I will do anything I can.” readbreathe.com

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breathe 17

Susan Thrower “I am 65, I’ve had cancer, and I’m still having wild sex.”

A

fter noticing a strange growth around her waist when she was 38, Susan scheduled an operation to remove what doctors thought was a cyst. Susan exited the O.R. with an ovarian cancer diagnosis and a full hysterectomy. The news came eight years after her mother had died of cancer.

It was an emotional bomb to the family.

“At that time in my life, I was a superwoman. I had a million balls in the air. I was at my peak.”

As a self-proclaimed “over-functioning” person, and member of the health care community, Susan took a proactive systems approach to fighting the disease that incorporated the six overlapping systems in her life: health care, support, family, spirituality, work, and her core. “Every patient must find a way to be empowered,” Susan says. “A diagnosis takes that away. So I took my multitasking nature and put it to work.”

After three months of chemo, Susan lost half of her hair and became a “zombie.” She tried partial hypnosis, read as many books on the subject as she could, and tapped into the resources of the health care system that she had at her fingertips.

Slowly, word of her prognosis, which at best was 50%, got out to friends, and they began to visit and say their goodbyes. Susan kept a positive attitude, but as a precaution, she assigned a team of six women to raise her 11-year-old daughter. “Every patient needs a compelling reason to live,” Susan says, “and she was mine.”

Due to her surgery, Susan lost any hope of having more children, but says that her fight with cancer has taught her to slow down, to be a better parent,

Susan told her boss she’d kick him in the balls.

and to say ‘no’ more often.

“Cancer was the greatest teacher of my life,” Susan says. Her scar is a reminder of her strength, and the fact that at age 65, she’s still a spitfire. “I have told my boss I’d kick him in the balls,” says Susan.

Susan has been cancer-free for 26 years.

“I am proud of my body for the fight that it conducted,” she adds. “My scar represents that fight.”

When I finally broached the topic of sexuality, I assumed the conversation might become labored. Instead, I spent the next five minutes laughing hysterically, writing like a fiend, and feeling like she was having more sex that I was...okay, knowing she was having more sex than I was.

“When I was sick, my husband never lost interest in me as a woman, so my sexuality was never affected by the surgery. He passed away a while ago, and I recently started dating someone,” she said coyly. My ears perked up. “I am 65, I’ve had cancer, and I am still having wild sex. Can you believe it?”

Katie Hilleke “I used the outdoors to keep in shape and to keep my sanity.

I fought cancer from my kayak.”

Katie paddled 363 miles of whitewater one month after remission.

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D

uring a kayak trip to Honduras in 2006, Katie began experiencing severe stomach cramps, which she blamed on the cuisine. The pain, however, became unbearable,

and she had to be flown back to the States on an emergency flight.

She was diagnosed with colon canceer immediately and scheduled for surgery, where doctors removed a malignant tumor from her colon.

Prior to her diagnosis, Katie had been offered her dream job teaching kayaking at a traveling high school. Determined to continue to live life even with the disease, Katie immediately began planning for life after cancer. She plotted a marathon kayak trip and began asking for pledges per mile of her voyage. “I used the outdoors to keep in shape and to keep my sanity, “ Katie says, “I fought cancer from my kayak.”

The support and positive thinking paid off, and on February 2, 2007, after twelve rounds of chemo, Katie was pronounced in remission. A month later she headed out West and paddled 363 miles of whitewater.

Last year, Katie volunteered as a counselor at First Descents, a kayak camp in Colorado, for young adults with cancer. “When you get cancer, you feel like you’re the only one,” Katie says, “But everybody is going through something, fighting something, so it has helped me relate.”

The twenties can be a trial-and-error period full of career changes, big loves, and development of self. It’s a pivotal time when a cancer diagnosis could result in complete desperation and loss of control. Katie feels the exact opposite: centered and inspired.

“Cancer absolutely turned my life upside-down, but I’m glad that it happened. It has helped me develop as a person, get to know myself, and take care of myself. My life has gone in a completely different direction, and one that I am really happy with.”

Katie’s surgery left her with a large, vertical, abdominal scar paired with a tiny horizontal scar, making her stomach look like a little -1.

“I joke that my -1 scar represents one less colon, but I really see it as standing for one less person that didn’t die from colon cancer.”

Katie didn’t hesitate to debut the new scar over Memorial Day weekend.

“I have always been the kind of person who has everything out in the open anyway, so why not rock the bikini and put the scar out there too?

I think people were surprised, but it’s a sexy battle scar. I would never be ashamed of it.”

What else makes Katie sexy? “I always keep a positive attitude, through this and everything else. And I can make a killer macrobiotic cookie!”

Lin Cannon

“I never let myself think there was any option other than surviving.”

L

in is 62, and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in February of 2004.

An avid tennis player, Lin knew her body and how it worked.

After coming down with strep throat twice that year and then a case of the stomach flu, Lin sensed that something was wrong. While celebrating Valentine’s Day with her elementary school class, Lin heard an undeniable voice in her head that forced her to take action. “It told me loud and clear that I needed to go to the doctor,” Lin says.

So she did, and after being examined by the doctor on call, with no findings, she stressed to him that she knew something was wrong.

She was right. After a long weekend of worry, Lin was diagnosed with ovarian cancer the following Monday. “I didn’t cry,” she says of the news. “I just felt like I was in a bad B-grade movie. I was in shock.” readbreathe.com

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Lin walked five miles every day through six rounds of chemotherapy.

That Thursday, Lin went into surgery and underwent a full hysterectomy, and had her appendix removed along with 46 lymph nodes.

To keep a state of normalcy and control, Lin vowed to walk five miles everyday—a task that anyone who has had chemo knows, is much harder some days than it sounds. Through six rounds of chemo, she never once missed a day.

A gorgeous natural blonde, Lin had a hard time losing her hair after chemo. “It came back dark brown and gray,” she says, “so I bought a wig until it grew back, and then I dyed it blonde again!” Lin also struggled with an obsession with thinness that was rocked by the disease. “I usually only ate one meal a day. I’d cook a full dinner for my husband and watch him eat it. But now I eat normally and take much better care of myself. I know now that it is okay to be a size six.” Her other new tradition (and one that I will very likely adopt) is date night. “It’s every Wednesday night,” she says. “We never miss it.”

Lin never questioned why she, of all people, was diagnosed with cancer.

“I never asked, why me? I could only say, why not me. I was in a spiritual abyss.” Lin was diagnosed at a reflective time in her life, one where the mistakes of her past had begun to haunt her. Fighting cancer allowed her to move on.

“Cancer was a blessing. I forgave myself for all of the mistakes that I had made. I appreciate so many little things now.”

Lin’s scar runs from her navel down and is a constant reminder to her of her fight and her strength. She has dedicated her time to raising awareness for ovarian cancer, which has a high rate of misdiagnosis and a low rate of survival. Susan Thrower was the only other ovarian cancer survivor she had ever met.

“I never let myself think there was any option other than surviving.

All my life, I have never let anyone tell me that I can’t do something. I always say, of course I can. Just watch me.” •

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The

Compassion Cure

Hairdresser-Humanitarian Connie Naber

BY LEAH FERGUSON

T

anzania is an East African country that’s home to the famed Serengeti plains, Gombe National Park (where Jane Goodall’s and her chimpanzees reside), and 34 million people—nearly half of whom are undernourished. Despite the tourist destinations and safaris, Tanzania is still one of the most impoverished nations on Earth.

One out of 10 expecting mothers will lose her baby. 10 percent of the people living on mainland Tanzania are infected with AIDS. These statistics can be overwhelming. But a Cincinnati hairdresser saw the faces behind these statistics and decided to do something. After a visit to Tanzania, Connie Naber started an orphanage in Tanzania for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Naber is a fresh-faced Midwestern woman who laughs easily and is eager to talk about her nonprofit, Karama Connection, which raises money for the St. Lucia Children’s Home she built in Arusha, Tanzania.

Leah Ferguson: What inspired your trip to Africa?

Connie Naber: I had taken one other trip to Africa before, but I was turning forty and in a funk. I thought that a trip might get me out of it. I had heard about short-term volunteer vacations on Oprah and then again on The Today Show. They’re sort of like missions but not affiliated with any church. You get to go and learn quite a bit about the culture by working with the people. I chose the Cross-Cultural Solutions program.

LF: Most people are afraid to travel to places like Africa and to be around people who are sick. What helped to shape you into someone so fearless?

CN: I’m not sure I knew what I was getting into when I first went to Africa. My initial volunteer placement was at an educational agency, but AIDS in Tanzania is epidemic, so we went on countless home visits where people were sick or dying with illnesses complicated by AIDS. It’s impossible not to have compassion for people who are dying. Since I know that you can’t get AIDS from touching or hugging someone, I

was able to reach out to the people in these homes and be a kind of role model for other people in the community. It sounds simple, but just a hug can make an enormous difference.

LF: How did you decide to get involved?

CN: I originally visited St. Lucia Hospice in Tanzania just to get some photos. Some friends in my group had asked me to take some pictures for their web site, so I stopped at St. Lucia. St. Lucia was an AIDS hospice for adults, but there were kids there who were the children of the adult patients. I met a woman there named Winfrida, who told me about how she and her husband had started this place with their own money. As I spent more time there, I observed how they didn’t even have the basics. There can be tremendous costs of caring for people with HIV and AIDS. Nutrition becomes a major factor in the long-term health of people living with HIV. After a few more visits, I asked Winfrida what happened to the kids when their parents die. She told me that sometimes they end up staying at St. Lucia because their families don’t want them or can’t take care of them because they’re HIV-positive. If they end up in other orphanages, they also don’t get good care partly because of fear about the transmission of the disease and partly because the other care providers don’t know how to care for them.

LF: Why did you start Karama Connection?

CN: Winfrida took me on a home visit. Over the course of a couple of days, we talked about what it would take for them to buy the building they were using. She said it would be $30,000. I thought that I could raise $10,000 and she could get a loan for the rest. Then the land owner found out that Americans were helping and jacked up the price, so we decided we might as well just buy land and build ourselves. Once we made that decision, it got pretty big.

I came back to the States after my first visit to Tanzania and started Karama Connection as a nonprofit and started raising money. In December of 2005 we bought two acres of land. Since then, we’ve built readbreathe.com

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the hospice and orphanage building, and we recently bought two more acres of land. We also were able to get electricity to the site, so we don’t have to depend on a generator. Next we’ll drill a well and continue to develop their ability to be self-sustaining. I tell Winfrida that I would like for her not to need Karama. St. Lucia now has enough land to grow some of our own food and sell some. We have cows that produce more milk than we need, so we sell the extra. We have started a daycare, and the place we rent for that program has extra rooms we rent to volunteers for more income. Next in the plans are solar energy, bio-gas, and harvesting rainwater.

LF: How did you come up with the name Karama Connection?

CN: Karama is a Swahili word that means “blessing or gift.” At first I thought that the organization would be a blessing or gift to them, but now I know that they are much more of a gift to us than we can ever be to them.

LF: Has it been difficult to ask people for money?

CN: After experiencing Africa, the culture shock of coming home is almost more shocking than being overseas. We have so much. It’s almost embarrassing.

After seeing this vast disparity, asking people for money in the U.S. didn’t feel like such a big deal. People want to help, but they often don’t know how. We’re a small nonprofit. Neither Winfrida nor I take a salary. The results of the giving are very tangible. Most of the time, I don’t even have to ask for money. I just share with people what I’ve seen.

LF: Have all of the children in the orphanage lost their parents to AIDS? CN: Not all of them. Some are referred by the local hospital, some from the community, and one was actually left at the gate one morning. Each child has a unique and powerful story. We have one boy who came to us when he was three years old. He couldn’t even walk or sit up. He was HIV-positive and really malnourished, but the thing that was even worse than all of that was that he didn’t respond when you tried to make him laugh. After just six months he is

Connie Naber reads with two children from the orphanage.

actually walking, starting to say a few words, and a total little chunk. He’s just really happy.

LF: What keeps you inspired and what keeps you going?

CN: Definitely Winfrida. I’m not doing the hard work; I’m just raising money. Winfrida is just amazing. There was one time that I didn’t think I could continue to do this. In January of 2007 we had a chicken pox outbreak, and two of the girls couldn’t survive with their compromised immune systems. I was devastated. It took a while to recover from that, but now I feel like it’s amazing that we have this land and building that

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are paid for, in full. We have kids who are happy and healthy—it is all so much more than I could have hoped for. Those kids are such an inspiration. They are so strong and willing to embrace happiness. And Winfrida is such a calm, peaceful woman with a big heart.

LF: What is your most pressing issue now?

CN: I was back in Tanzania recently trying to get a few of our kids into a school there. They were happy to have them at first, but I felt like I needed to make sure that the school’s administration knew that they were HIV-positive. And when I told them, the administrators started making all kinds of excuses about why it might not be a good idea for the boys to attend. They actually said, ‘What do we do if they are bleeding on the playground?’ And I said, “What do you do if any of your current students are bleeding on the playground?’

That conversation really drove home that we need to focus on community HIV education programs. We need to focus on prevention, and the only way that’s going to happen successfully is through grassroots community action. It’s not something outsiders can do. It has to happen at a community level.

positive. We are teaching the importance of good nutrition, and we’re giving them education so they can support themselves.

LF: What do you hope people learn from your experiences?

CN: I hope people can come away with a little more compassion for the hardships that people in Africa suffer due to the AIDS epidemic—and that you can do something about it. Every little bit matters. You don’t have to do something big to make a difference. A hug can go a long way. •

LF: As the children in the orphanage age, what kind of life is waiting for them?

CN: The kids from my first visit to Tanzania are now teenagers. They didn’t know that they had HIV when they came to St. Lucia. There’s so much stigma attached to being HIV-positive or having AIDS. It’s really hard to tell them. And what they hear about it is so bad. One of our girls got very depressed when she was told. She thought it was her fault. All she had heard about HIV was that you get it if you do something bad.

She thought she’d done something bad. She is learning to cope with being HIV-positive with counseling. But as the kids get older we treat them as we would any teenage entering adulthood. The only difference is that we are teaching them how to care for themselves being HIV-

Winfrida, Connie Naber’s inspiration, runs the St. Lucia Children’s Home.

More information about Connie Naber’s efforts can be found at her website: www.karamaconnection.org

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Top Spots for Fall Foliage Fun

A

BY JULIA GREEN

utumn is the perfect time to take a few days and bask in the glory of that beautiful woman, Mother Nature. We’ve provided five tantalizing options for a vacation filled with autumn eye-candy. From backwoods hiking to luxurious wine tours, romantic resorts to family fun, these fab five fall foliage adventures will provide mountains of color for leaf lovers.

A Toast to Fall

A

t the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, you will find a truly royal getaway: Charlottesville, Virginia. The town is named after Princess Sophia Charlotte, the wife of King George III of England (the one that inspired the American Revolution). The foothills surrounding Charlottesville are a feast of fall color, and to heighten the sensory delight, Charlottesville is home to some of the most flavorful wineries in the country.

Start with a visit to Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard, owned and run by Patricia Kluge and her husband, William Moses. The estate covers 2,000 acres and produces nine varieties of wine, including three varieties of sparkling wine and two rosés. Tastings are held at the Farm Shop, which also sells gourmet goodies and gifts such as kumquat jam and dulce de leche.

After you’ve taken in their luscious delights, head north on Route 29 to the Prince Michel Winery, which offers complimentary tastings in their wine shop, located atop the barrel cave and tank room. Visitors are encouraged to take a self-guided tour of the facility. The winery is home to both Prince Michel and Rapidan River wines, in total twenty wines that range from Chardonnay to Shiraz, Rose to Riesling, all cared for and loved by winemaker Brad Hansen.

On your way back, do not miss Barboursville Vineyards, which offer a stunning selection of wines carefully created by Luca Paschina, an award-winning Italian winemaker who produced his first wine at the age of 14. Here he

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Charlottesville, Virginia produces seventeen wines, among them many award winners, including the Philéo, which took home the San Francisco Gold Medal for Moscato and the Monticello Cup, and the 2004 Octagon, which secured the Monticello Cup and the Critics Challenge International Gold Medal. Tours of the winery, which include an introduction to the history of Barboursville, are offered on weekends, and guests are invited to take a self-guided tour of the historic ruins of Governor Barbour’s Mansion, a short stroll from the winery.

West of Charlottesville, King Family Vineyards has been owned and operated by David and Ellen King since 1998. The tasting room is open seven days a week , and for $5 you can taste all the vintages on offer (around a dozen, depending on the time of year) and keep the glass. The winery, which produces roughly 5,000 cases of wine per year, boasts nearly 100% estate-grown fruit and offers tours of the barrel rooms.

About 45 minutes southwest is the Wintergreen Resort Winery, which offers tastings of its award-winning wines, including the 2005 Black Rock Chardonnay Reserve, which took the gold medal in the 2006 Virginia Governor’s Cup, and the Three Ridges White, which snagged the gold in the 2006 Wines of the South Competition. For the fruit enthusiast, there are also raspberry and apple wines to sample. They also have a tantalizing gift shop, full of delicious cheese and other nibbles perfect for a picnic on the banks of the Rockfish River.

When it’s time to sleep it off, you can depart the Wintergreen Winery and head

down the road to check into the impressive Wintergreen Resort. Accommodations vary in size from lodge rooms to five-bedroom condos. Wintergreen Resort is the perfect choice if you want to take in the red, white and rosé while somebody else looks after your children: they have a wide array of activities to keep your kids entertained all day long, including tennis, golf, and horseback riding.

If you prefer accommodations closer to town, book yourself in at the Boar’s Head Inn, which offers all the charms of a country inn as well as luxurious amenities of modern upscale accommodation, all just a few miles from downtown Charlottesville. The Inn boasts four restaurants, an 18-hole golf course, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, three outdoor pools, a complete indoor fitness facility and a fullservice spa.

Georgia is Gorges

Black Rock Mountain State Park & Tallulah Gorge State Park are also popular in the gorge.

Just fifteen miles north of Tallulah Gorge is another natural wonder: Black Rock Mountain State Park, the highest state park in Georgia. Named for its cliffs made of darkcolored biotite gneiss, the park straddles the eastern Continental Divide at 3,640 feet, meaning on one side, everything flows into the Atlantic and on the other side, the Gulf of Mexico. There are many overlooks that provide expansive vistas of the southern Appalachians in all their autumn glory. After you’ve snapped all the pictures you can, swing

by Black Rock Lake, or walk the half mile down the Springhouse Trail to check out the Ada-Hi waterfall (whose name comes from the Cherokee word for “forest”).

Both Tallulah and Black Rock State Parks have campsites, and lodging is also available in Clayton, Ga., and along US-441, which connects the parks. Rabun River Cabins, just five miles north of the town of Tallulah Falls, offers cabins right on the river, starting at $109 a night. There’s also the Glen-Ella Springs Inn, which offers an elegant dining room and queen rooms from $150 a night.

T

ucked in the northeast corner of Georgia are two natural gems that make for a beautiful and remote weekend getaway. Tallulah Gorge State Park is home to a two-mile long, 1,000-footdeep gorge—one of the most spectacular in the East. Fall colors spill down the gorge as powerfully as the roaring water. Hikers can follow the Hurricane Falls staircase down to the gorge floor. It’s only two miles roundtrip, but that includes 1,099 stairs – not exactly a walk in the park. Eighty feet above the gorge floor is the suspension bridge, which provides breathtaking views of the Tallulah River and the six waterfalls that ring the gorge. For those who prefer to stay on level ground, hike the North and South Rim Trails up top. Each affords great views of the gorge and surrounding mountains, but the best vista is along the North Rim Trail overlooking Oceana and Bridal Veil Falls. As you’re enjoying the view, remember that in 1970, tightrope walker Karl Wallenda walked a quarter mile from this overlook to the other side of the gorge. Rock climbing and kayaking

Surrender Your Stress

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Roanoke, West Virginia

n the heart of West Virginia is a getaway that will suit every member of the family. Hiking abounds at Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park (thus named because General Jackson spent his childhood in the region) and Stonewall Resort. Trails lace the state park, and if you want to get out on the water, kayaks, canoes, and pontoon boats are available for rent—the resort kitchen will even pack you a lunch. Group tours are available on the resort’s Little Sorrel 100-person excursion boat. The lake itself is 26 miles long (the second largest in the state!) and encompasses 82 miles of shoreline—all bursting with autumn foliage.

The adjacent 18,000-acre wilderness management area also offers forests saturated with color.

The resort boasts an 18-hole golf course designed by Arnold Palmer and ranked among the nation’s top 100 golf courses. It measures 7,149 yards and plays alongside the scenic lake. If you’d rather be pounded like a golf ball, opt for a Swedish massage in the resort’s fully equipped spa, which also offers numerous body treatments, facials, and a salon for all your beauty needs. If you haven’t already, send your kids off to Resort Rascals, a program the resort runs to keep your five to twelve year olds busy while you enjoy some downtime.

If you’re looking for a girls’ weekend, grab a friend for the Girlfriend Getaway package: breakfast, dinner, and accommodations for two as well as a facial or a massage— ladies’ choice.

Lodging options are as bountiful as the fall colors: choose from lakseide campsites, rooms in the lodge, private cottages, or even houseboats—which start at $300 a night. readbreathe.com

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Paducah, Kentucky

Land Between the Lakes

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Color Spilling

n western Kentucky, not far from Paducah, you’ll find the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, a 170,000-acre wooded peninsula bounded by Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.

The calm waters reflect the colorful forests, and nearby is Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, which offers a plethora of outdoor activities that will keep the whole family entertained. More than 200 miles of trails meander through the backwoods and along the lakeshores, which can be explored on foot or by guided horseback tour. Boats are available for rental, or if you’d rather golf, check out the par 72 course that plays 6,704 yards from the back tees.

For an urban diversion, you can explore downtown Paducah, which is only thirty minutes from the park. The Lowertown Arts District, just four blocks from the Ohio River, is home to world-class galleries and studios, thanks, in part, to the Artist Relocation Program, which provides artists financial incentives to relocate to Paducah. As a result of this program, Paducah has revitalized its downtown area and become a truly cosmopolitan city.

When the day is done, you can pitch your tent at one of 219 campsites in the park. If to you the word “vacation” doesn’t mean “sleeping on the ground,” you can book a room in the Village Inn Lodge for around $90 per night. If you prefer more seclusion, the park also offers one to three bedroom cottages that start at $115 a night and offer full kitchen amenities. And for more intimate accommodations, there’s the Fox Briar Farm Inn, a bed and breakfast that exudes Southern charm and hospitality. After a day on the town or in the woods, you can relax in front of the fireplace or sit on the porch and watch the sunset over the lake. Rooms begin at $150 a night.

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Down the Mountains

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here’s no better place to witness the majestic transformation that is fall than Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in America. With over one hundred variety of trees, the colors are striking. And with over 800 miles of hiking trails, many of which include the park’s signature breathtaking waterfalls, there’s no shortage of places to view Nature’s palette. The 1.8-mile hike to Inspiration Point takes you through rich old-growth forest and offers views of the surrounding mountains. Or explore a part of the Appalachian Trail – of course it stretches pretty far, but the 3.4-mile reoundtrip hike to Indian Gap will take you through some very nice foliage.

Another excellent way to take in the sights is by car. The Blue Ridge Parkway begins along the southern edge of the park and offers spectacular views of Smoky Mountain color. Or cruise Newfound Gap Road, which bisects the park and offers numerous trailheads, including the most popular A.T. trailhead at Newfound Gap. If you want to get away and stay away from it all, consider staying at the LeConte Lodge, a small array of cabins on top of Mount LeConte (elevation: 6,593 feet), the park’s third highest peak. The Lodge is inaccessible by car; to get there, you must hike in. There are five trails that access the Lodge, ranging from 5.5 to 8 miles. Since the Lodge is on a mountaintop, each trail covers a significant gain in altitude. But the payoff is steep as well: the Lodge can only accommodate fifty people, and at night, the only sounds to be heard are those of the wild creatures. In the morning, a spectacular sunrise can be viewed at nearby Myrtle Point. The cabins are basic (bring a washcloth for bathing in a basin), but there are

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flush toilets and for $194 a night, two adults will receive lodging and all meals. And for an additional $9, you get the signature bottomless glass of wine, surely much enjoyed after the trek up. •

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breathe 27

A Dose of Nature, A Tinge of Fear

FAMILY

BY BET T I NA FREESE

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took my son to the woods the week I brought him home from the hospital. I was trying to make up for all of the bright lights and chaos that we experienced after he prematurely left the womb.

He spent his first week in the NICU amidst the cacophony of beeping monitors and a tangle of IVs and electrical cords. I wanted to undo all of that with heavy doses of nature, offering him solace through the calm of the trail. I wanted him to smell the forest floor, to feel warm breezes of spring bouquets wafting across his brand new skin, and to replace the beeping machines with the twittering of migrating birds. It was the most womb-like place that I could think of.

I tucked him into a sling and headed up a trail, ecstatic to be outdoors after several weeks of bedrest. I wanted the fresh air (despite coal-fired power plant pollution) to replace the stale and stagnant hospital air still hanging in our lungs. My pasty complexion needed an outdoor flush, and my brain ached for stillness.

He rhythmically bounced against my hip, lolling to sleep in a way I could only hope was reminiscent of the womb. Meanwhile, my fiveyear-old, Elijah, chattered about firefighters, swords, guns, and pirate battles, entirely dismissing the fact that we were in the woods. I couldn’t even get him to look for bear caves.

As I looked around for a diversion from the usual topic of little-boy violence, I began noticing how much of the trees had been whacked away, gutting a wide path for a soon-to-be road. Gaping holes and spans of red dirt existed now where there was once dense forest. We stopped to sit on a log. I thought that if we sat still and had “quiet time,” (mommy’s

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favorite game) we could at least listen to what was left of the forest and breathe it in.

“Let’s listen for special sounds,” I said. “We’ll sit quietly for a little bit, and then we’ll talk about what we hear and see.”

I wanted to zone into that place that allows the brain to believe the body is actually a piece of moss growing on the forest floor. I wanted the baby to feel that vibe from us. We sat, listening for the rustle of tiny spring leaves, the scurrying of a squirrel.

“I hear an excavator,” he said excitedly. “And chain saws!”

My heart sank.

Of course that’s what he heard.

I set out again on another day, this time just myself and the baby. I went looking for a spot along the creek where I could nurse him before we hiked. I found a tree along the bank to lean back against, and we settled in for lunch. Along came a man hiking with his small dog. I sized him up. Was he going to talk to me? Would he come over here?

Suddenly he didn’t look like the type to even be in the woods in the first place.

Of course I began thinking of the lunatic who recently murdered two women on the trail. That story got everybody talking about how dangerous it is to be in the woods by yourself if you’re female. This reaction upsets me, as do the e-mails scaring women into believing that they are always at risk of being raped and left for dead. These stories instill fear, which as a result emotionally cripples women, manifesting feelings of vulnerability, rather than empowerment. Just as I begin seeing lots more women hiking, mountain biking, and enjoying the woods, we are hushed back into our homes and into our pumps by these stories.

It saddens me to think of women afraid to visit the woods for some much-needed peace and quiet. Evil people who hurt others do exist in our world, but by far most of them lurk in the city, not the forest. The woods are far safer than the shopping mall.

Still, as I stood there with my baby, there was a part of me that felt very vulnerable. I had originally envisioned a dreamy lunch, nursing my baby by the creek, and now I was having an adrenaline rush looking around for a safe place to hide or run.

Fortunately, I returned to the woods last month for a blissful afternoon playing beside the creek with my kids. We found thousands of tadpoles in shallow water, some of them nearly frogs. “Maybe they’re having a meeting,” Elijah suggested. We saw hundreds of butterflies together, which was beautiful until we sickeningly realized their frenzy was over feces—enough to thrill any five-year-old. The paths were scattered with white trillium and dwarf iris, and the dogwoods were like afternoon fireworks.

It’s okay to feel fear. It’s not okay to be paralyzed by it. My kids and I enjoyed a day together in the forest—and we’ll be back next weekend.

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FASHION

Trash Bags

BY JULIA GREEN

RECYCLED HANDBAGS TURN DISCARDED MATERIALS INTO FASHION STATEMENTS

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ever underestimate the power of accessories. Of course a new handbag can make a fashion statement, but these days it can make a political statement too—and not just by being the color green. Designers around the globe are taking the things that we are used to throwing in the trash and are turning them into stylish bags. From plastic bags and soda tabs in dumpsters to discarded sail cloth and tires, these bags show that we can do more than just take our recycling to the curb every week. You can save these materials from the landfill by carrying them on your shoulder every day and showing the world once again that environmental responsibility is the opposite of dowdy.

SOCORRO

$115 • escamastudio.com Drink up! The exterior of this little number is made entirely from aluminum pull tabs, which are gathered from discarded cans and then cleaned, polished, and trimmed before being sewn together. The bags, which include a nylon fabric liner, zipper closure, and inner zipped pocket, are crocheted by Brazilian women who belong to one of the two craft cooperatives that San Francisco-based Escama Studio works with directly.

In addition to paying responsible wages for this work, Escama Studio donates a percentage of their yearly gross sales back to the cooperative, which helps pay for amenities such as DSL and new computers. Each bag comes with a hand-signed card from the woman who constructed it, and if you’d like to know more about her, you can log on to www. escamastudio.com, where each artist’s biography appears. You can even write her a thank you note, which will be translated into Portuguese.

CONFETTI

$38 • ecoist.com This cute little clutch is definitely a party. The exterior is constructed from misprinted candy wrappers and labels for food packages and sodas – labels that instead of going to the landfill go to Ecoist, who turns them into eye-catching bags that will comfortably hold wallet, keys, lipstick, and other knick-knacks necessary for a night on the town or a jaunt to the store. All clutches come in a variety of color schemes (for blue, choose the one made of discarded Luna Bar wrappers) and each has a colorful lining and detachable plastic wrsit strap. The bags are made by hand in Mexico and Peru, and as an added green bonus, Ecoist plants a tree for every bag they sell (thanks to a partnership with Washington D.C.-based nonprofit Trees For the Future). Other Ecoist hadbags are made from subway maps, newspapers, and bar codes.

NEWPORT

$98 • ellavickers.com Ella Vickers grew up sailing, which means she grew up watching used sails get thrown away. Eight years ago, she used her experience in costume design and transformed some sails destined for the dumpster into handbags for herself. She began carrying them everywhere and at regattas, they received a lot of attention. Oftentimes, after selling all the merchandise she brought with her, Ella would dump out the contents of her own purse and sell the bag off her shoulder. These days she’s expanded her business model: Factories in North Carolina and Brooklyn, N.Y., now turn old sails into durable and great-looking bags for every season and every sport.

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MODEL T LUXE

$149 • englishretreads.com After tubing down Boulder Creek, Colorado, Heather English discovered that she didn’t find tubing all that much fun – the water was cold and she had bruises the next day. Stuck with an inner tube she’d purchased for the adventure, Heather, a devoted vegan who’d been looking for appropriate handbags and belts, decided to cut it up and make the first English Retreads handbag on her kitchen floor. Today, the company picks up inner tubes discarded at truck stops around Boulder, Colo., and transforms them into masterpieces of style and eco-friendliness. All the construction is done locally – first seamstresses sew the bags together and then crafters add linings, rivets, straps, and other necessaries by hand. These tires have covered a lot of miles, and as handbags, they’re practically indestructible – they’ll carry your goodies on a lifetime of your own journeys.

ANARKALI

$32 • globalgirlfriend.com While plastic bags do come in handy for re-bagging groceries and bringing lunch to work, Anita and Shalabh Ahuja have taken plastic bag recycling to a new level. They founded Conserve India, a nonprofit organization that pays women to collect plastic bags from the streets and dumps of New Delhi. Through a process of heat and pressure, the bags are then converted into the colorful usable material that these eye-catching handbags are made of. In addition to providing valuable work opportunities, Conserve India also teaches its employees how to read and write. Their bags are sold by Global Girlfriend, an American nonprofit organization devoted to promoting fair-trade products and supporting women’s work around the world.

27th

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October 17.18.19 October 9-12

BLACK MOUNTAIN NC

Carolina Chocolate Drops, Del McCoury, The Duhks, Donna The Buffalo,

and many more!

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old time bluegrass rootsrock zydeco country african blues reggae latin cajun

919-542-8142

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Shakori Hills,1439 Henderson Tanyard Rd. Pittsboro NC, 27312

October Stages Featuring: Abigail Washburn & Sparrow Quartet featuring Bela Fleck • Donna the Buffalo Bettye Levette • Leon Redbone Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats Pistolera- mexican • Chirgilchin of Tuva Spiritual Rez-reggae • Billy Jonas Terrance Simien - zydeco The Legendary JCs • Harper- didgeridoo & many more- see web.

828/68-MUSIC (686-8742)

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NOT RECYCLING THIS MAGAZINE WILL CREATE MORE LANDFILL THAN OUR ENTIRE FACTORY. At Subaru, our automotive plant in Indiana was the first in America to achieve zero landfill status – meaning 99% of all our waste is recycled. The remaining 1% is turned into electricity.

It was also the first in the U.S. to be designated a wildlife habitat. The Subaru Outback,® Forester,® and Legacy ® are also certified EPA SmartWay vehicles* and available as Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles (PZEV)** – which in some instances boast emissions that are actually cleaner than the air we breathe in. Of course, the safety of road-gripping All-Wheel Drive is standard on every Subaru we make. subaru.com.

Always ready. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.

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*Select Forester 2.5 X, Legacy 2.5 i and Outback 2.5 i models only. **Partial Zero Emissions warranty only applies in certain states. For complete warranty information, see your dealer.