Triathlon Training – Am I Allergic to Chlorine Pools?

Sniff, sniff, ACHOO! What could be causing these sneezy, runny nose symptoms as I train for an upcoming sprint triathlon? Would you believe it’s because of swimming? And no, there aren’t any cats swimming in my lane although that would explain my itchy, watery eyes afterwards. Thankfully, I’m not allergic to water (which is a real thing– aquagenic urticaria). I can swim in the ocean and a lake or river and everything is fine. Well, not EVERYthing. I’m still a slow swimmer but aside from this lack of ability, something else happens when I swim in a pool. Every single time, without fail, I’ll finish, shower off, pack up and leave, and for the rest of the day I’m sneezing like I just put on a coat made of cat fur.

It must be the chlorine, right? I had no idea chlorine allergy was a real thing. Well, spoiler, alert… it’s not! Chlorine is not an allergen but it might cause a reaction for frequent swimmers. My symptoms are not physical (like a rash or burn), but just affect respiratory and nasal passages. In other words, allergic rhinitis. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (full article here):

Chlorine may indirectly contribute to allergies by irritating and sensitizing the respiratory tract. Studies have suggested that frequent swimming in chlorinated pools and exposure to cleaning products containing chlorine may increase the risk of developing asthma and other respiratory allergies, both in adolescents and in adults.

Do you ever have this happen to you? If so, have you found a good solution? Off the top of my head I can think of three: 1. Give up triathlons altogether. Who wants to wear spandex anyway!

The other two solutions are a little less dramatic. One is to use a nose clip to help reduce the amount of chlorine inhaled. Another is finding a pool with less chlorine (salt water pool) or go to a lake, river, ocean for the swim training. You might want to avoid the lakes and rivers in Florida (and the entire southeast, for obvious reasons) so if you’re near an ocean, that’s where I’d go first. Stay along the shore, bring a swim buoy, and get on with it! I practiced in the ocean when I camped at St. Andrews State Park awhile back and absolutely loved it, while of course still embracing a healthy fear of sea creatures that lurk below.

As you’ve trained for races (triathlons, marathons, mountain bike races, cycling, etc), what physical hurdles have you come across that you needed to overcome? Comment below!

-Out of the Wilderness

Eat the Cat – A Music Video

Childless cat ladies all over the country should be so thankful that Donald Trump shined a light on the misfortune of cats in rural Ohio. Cats Lives Matter, am I right, ladies? I’m just a childless dog guy but I have a healthy appreciation for cats, even though I’m allergic to every single one of them. I guess you could say I’m feline-intolerant.

[portrait of my neighbor’s cat]

After Donald Trump said “They’re eating the dogs, they’re eating the cats” in a recent debate with Kamala Harris, the line has gone viral and whether you like Trump or not, I think his wild remark has endeared him to folks. There are memes, GIFS, and even a music video sampling Trump’s iconic quote. Take a look at “EAT THE CAT” by The Marine Rapper.

Any biased aside, this is a well-written and executed rap song. Cameos from so many famous cats, including Garfield, Heathcliff, Keyboard Cat, and more… genius idea.

It’s a light-hearted reminder that not every single political event has to be so divisive. Sometimes it can just be fun to r…e…l…a…x… everything is gonna be OK.

-Out of the Wilderness

A Sinister Abortion Ad From Kamala Harris

Things are getting intense here are the ground. With the upcoming presidential election in 48 days, nominees facing life-threatening events– Trump gets shot at, Harris does an interview. The candidates we’ve heard of (not Cornel West or Chase Oliver) are pouring money into commercials that illustrate their dearest causes. For instance, Donald Trump with ads about illegal immigration and another about the economy. Kamala Harris endorses commercials about building up the middle class and there’s this new one about women’s healthcare, aka abortion. Check it out then scroll down for more…

The Democrats have the focus of a brain surgeon when it comes to their platform. While I don’t agree with most of their policies, they certainly know how to put together a presentation that appeals to our emotions, our empathy. This woman’s story about her step-dad is heartbreaking. It’s sick. He should be in jail without bail, without parol. But I think there’s something more going on with the ad’s strategic wording. You see the title, right? “Monster.” The people responsible for the ad don’t care what you think about the step-father. He’s just a piece of the puzzle but he’s not the monster. The purpose of the ad is to persuade the viewer to associate that word “monster” with Donald Trump. It’s a slick marketing strategy, even if it’s also sinister at the very same time.

Propping up this victim, Hadley Duvall, as a spokeswoman for abortion rights might help sway people’s opinions on how to move forward locally and/or federally. What the ad doesn’t tell the viewer are the things that might appeal to their more logical side. For instance, only 9 states have a complete abortion ban that does not make exceptions for rape/incest. Each of those 9 states share a border with a state that does allow abortion in some capacity. More than half of the states in the U.S. do not have any ban at all.

The Supreme Court of the United States made abortion a state/local issue, since 2022. While I can see how that might be inconvenient for someone in a state with a ban, interstate travel has never been easier thanks to President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill becoming law back in 2021.

-Out of the Wilderness

Original Christmas Songs with Beyonce, The Killers, Train, and More!

Is it ever too early or too late to talk about Christmas music? I’m one of those people that play it year-round so I’d have to answer that question with a jingle bell ringing, heartfelt “no!” I often go back to one of my favorite holiday hit makers, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra for their cover versions of classics but also their original songs, too. Whether it’s an instrumental or a song with lyrics, they have such a vivid sound. While they perform Christmas classics along the way, they also have original songs which can’t be easy when it comes to (almost) everyone’s favorite holiday. Of course, I can’t even figure out how any songwriter is able to come up with something new. But writers are gifted with the ability to do that. I came across a country music band who recently posted an original Christmas song and it’s this one that inspired today’s list. “Christmas Night With You” is a beautiful song by Little Big Town that reminded me, yet again, that not every song about the holiday has to be playful and cheery. In fact, some of my favorites lean more towards heartache and angst. So let’s get to it, shall we? Here are my favorite original Christmas songs. And by “original,” I just mean they aren’t songs that have been covered a million times and perhaps they haven’t become an essential part of holiday playlists… yet.

First up, Jon McLaughlin with “”Christmas Time Is Here, But You’re Not”…

The Killers featuring Dawes “Christmas in L.A.”

“Christmas Must Be Tonight” The Band

“Christmas Canon Rock” Trans-Siberian Orchestra

“Ave Maria” Beyonce

“All Alone On Christmas” Darlene Love

“Gather Round” Band of Merrymakers

“Christmas Island” Train

There are plenty more and I’ll be continuing to add to my “Christmas 2024” playlist as I’m introduced to the songs. If you have suggestions, comment below!

-Out of the Wilderness

The Woman in the Tears for Fears “The Girl That I Call Home” Music Video

“Shout, shout, let it all out.” If the next line in your brain is… “These are the things I can do without” then this post is for you. When my brother-in-law and I do our outdoor workouts as we train for an upcoming sprint triathlon, we call up rock songs from 2000s, 1990s, or 1980s. And it’s the 1980s playlist that would include “Shout” from rock band Tears For Fears. Another of their well-known songs is “Everybody Wants To Rule…” and if you know the end of that line is “…the World,” then you were definitely born before 1995. Both of those songs were released in the 80s and now, about 40 years later, Tears For Fears is rocking their way back into the modern music scene. They have a new album and a new music video to accompany a new song. The track written by Roland Orzabal and John Shanks is called “The Girl That I Call Home.” Take a look then scroll down for the name of the starring actress.

The Home Girl. Starring in the video is a woman of many talents. She’s actress/dancer/singer/director Renee Kester. Check out her Instagram (@nayya_official) for many other projects she’s part of including directing, acting, and choreography.

Renee is so natural on camera and that’s a skill that isn’t easy to acquire. Especially when you’re the only person appearing in the video! She must be an Enneagram 7, right? Playful, optimistic, spontaneous. Or at least that’s the part she plays convincingly in this video. Side note: I’m totally on a personality-investigating kick ever since my friend Nick Shell wrote a book (Amazon: The Guy’s Guide to the Enneagram) detailing personalities through the lens of the Enneagram system. I’m a 4, if you must know you nosy goofball!

Aaaaaaand back to the music. I reached out to Renee (because I guess I like investigating things?) to find out about her experience as the main character of the video. She had worked with the music video director before and said she was happy to work with him again, calling him a genius and an amazing human being. She also was gracious enough to tell me more about the shoot itself:

I had an amazing time working on “The Girl That I Call Home”. It was a quick couple of shoot days and the director had me go through a range of emotions. I was acting to the camera for the most part, but they allowed me to bring on my acting partner, Lincoln Adam, to be behind the camera to make it more real. He actually ended up shooting some of the shots on a video camera.

OK, yes, allowing an actress/actor to bring in someone they are super comfortable with was a brilliant idea. I’m starting to think Renee was right about that genius director thing!

You might also recognize Renee from when she showed off her flexible dance skills avoiding a bunch of lasers in this Prius commercial from a few years back.

Random memory alert. Watching that Prius commercial reminded me of that time I was side by side with a Toyota Echo (remember those?) at a stop light in Nashville, Tennessee. I should be embarrassed by what happened at that intersection, but instead of hiding it, I wrote about it here.

What do you think about the new song from Tears For Fears? Chime in with a comment below! I post every day at 1pm central time so check back for future posts or subscribe (link at the top of this post) for email notifications.

-Out of the Wilderness