Non-Running Commentary: A Steakhouse for the Ladies

Word on the street is that STK, a female-oriented steakhouse, is coming to DC.  (Apparently, this is a thing in several other trendy cities.)

Where do I even begin with this?

The commercial? 

Because, let me tell you, when I go out for steak with my lady friends, we suggestively feed each other before cutting into a cut of meat with a chainsaw.  The only thing missing from this is someone spilling the vodka all over their dining companion's white blouse.

This quote from the CEO?

The idea behind STK, said Jonathan Segal, the CEO of the One Group, was to create a steakhouse for women. When he visited several area steakhouses, "the majority were full of men," said Mr. Segal. "If you cater to a female market, men will follow happily and empty their wallets into your tills."  

Oh right -- because we all know that women aren't the real money-making customers.

How about this one?

STK, then, became a place where women wouldn't find crab cakes but "crab salads," Mr. Segal said, and steaks came in small, medium and large cuts.

Women love salads, y'all!  (Also, why would you order a crab at a steakhouse?  Rookie mistake.)

I'm taking bets on how much pink will  be used to decorate this place...

Oh Really: Black Women Avoid Exercise to Preserve their Hair

The Huffington Post covered a study that found that two of five African-American women avoid exercise because of concerns about their hair.

"To find out if women were putting hair above their health, the researchers surveyed 103 African-American women who came to the dermatology clinic at Wake Forest University in October 2007.

They found that more than half of the women were exercising for less than 75 minutes per week, which is less than the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise.

That's also less than U.S. women on average, according to a 2007 study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found about half of all U.S. women were exercising close to 150 minutes per week.

More than a quarter of the women in the new study said they didn't exercise at all.

About a third of the women said they exercise less than they'd like because of their hair, and half said they have considered changing their hair for exercise.

McMichael and her colleagues found that women who avoided exercise because of their hair were almost three times less likely to meet the recommended physical activity guidelines. That finding, however, could have been due to chance."

Ignoring the survey methodology (this is hardly a representative sample) -- this can't be an actual thing, right?  There are women in this world who are more concerned about their hair than living a healthy lifestyle?  In the words of Mr. Oblaski, such an excuse is "one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard." I fail to see how this can even be considered an excuse especially when African-American women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese compared to other groups in the U.S. 

I mean, to some degree, I get it.  I'm a black woman who has spent many hours (and dollars) at the salon on haircare.  But, a perfect hairdo will never be as important to me as getting exercise.  Then again, I guess it's a matter of priorities...

Oh Really?: New York City Marathon Eliminates Bag Drop

So, NYRR decided to eliminate bag check at this year's New York City Marathon.

From NYT:

The New York Road Runners, the club that organizes the race, said the new policy was designed to reduce the bottleneck at the end of the race, when tens of thousands of runners are forced to walk around the park and adjoining streets in search of the trucks carrying bags containing their sweat pants, cellphones and wallets. 

To eliminate what the Road Runners called “overwhelmingly the No. 1 complaint of our runners for years,” the bag drop was scrapped. Runners will now be given a wrap and a fleece-lined poncho to keep warm. Kiosks will also be set up so that runners can call family and friends, who presumably will be able to bring them other items.

If this wasn't a marathon, I could see eliminating a bag check.  But, for such a taxing event, I think it's reasonable to want to have access to whatever items you've made part of your post-race routine.  (Changing socks after some races has felt absolutely amazing!) 

I think it's great that NYRR will provide runners with something warm (as much as I love the shiny heat sheets race organizers distribute after marathons), but I imagine that the kiosks will be just as much of a disaster than whatever bottleneck is created at bag check. 

(Also, NYRR, you've been doing this for a while.  Don't you have your system streamlined by now?)

But, what else can you do?  I've thought about - gasp! - capping the number of allowable registrants. It's great that marathon running has gained popularity and that so many people want to do the big races (Boston, New York, Marine Corps) but at some point, you have to cap registration at these larger events in favor of logistics.  Granted, yes, I will be among the first people to fret about qualifying standards (my 4:39 PR certainly wouldn't cut it) but it ultimately improves race conditions and logistics, why not?

Although, now that NYRR isn't providing the service, I think this is a great opportunity for an enterprising person to make a few dollars by schlepping bags across boroughs.

Oh really?: "Plus-Size Friendly Gym" Bans Skinny People

So, this is...interesting:

(via Time)

For some gymgoers, a plethora of thin, peppy gym rats can prove to be too big of an obstacle to overcome. That’s why Body Exchange, a Vancouver-based gym, has made a bold business move and banned skinny people from their establishments in the hopes of fostering a friendly work-out environment for a primarily plus-size clientele.

Body Exchange isn’t the only gym to launch a weight-based policy. According to the New York Daily News, similar rules exist at gyms like Buddha Body Yoga in New York City and Downsize Fitness, which has branches in Las Vegas, Chicago and Dallas. Marty Wolff, a former competitor on the reality show  The Biggest Loser, owns and operates Square One in Omaha, Nebraska which caters to people who aim to lose 50 pounds or more. ”Clients want a place where they can get fit without feeling like they’re being stared at or criticized,” he told the Daily News. “My whole life, I have always wished there was a place for other big people. So I created one.” 

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/06/21/plus-size-friendly-gym-bans-skinny-people/#ixzz1ywuP8fvE

I'm torn.  I can understand a need for a safe space where people can feel comfortable working out, but I think it contributes to the us-versus-them dialogue that sometimes pops up during discussions about weight loss.  (Check out the comments on the article.)  Erika at A Black Girl's Guide to Weight Loss raised great points on this:

Five things really made me uncomfortable while reading this: 1) the idea that “skinny, healthy people” being around is a problem; 2) the implied assumption that “skinny” and “healthy” are one in the same; 3) the idea that there’s something wrong with being a “peppy gym rat;” 4) the belief that the answer to people being “fearful” about becoming active is to create a space where the thing that so many people want… is unwelcome; and 5) the idea that it’s only “skinny, healthy” people are the only ones doing the staring and ostracizing.

Excerpted from Discuss: Pro-Plus Size Gym BANS Skinny People? | A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss

What happens to the clients once they reach their fitness/weight goals?  Or, is this going to be one of those places that doesn't actually encourage people to reach their goals?  (This is about making money after all.)

I'm curious to see how long this business model lasts.