colleen-i-fying the world

I tend to think of myself as invincible when it comes to doing anything athletic.  My parents taught me from a very young age to "cowgirl up" if I was ever hurting or sick in the middle of competition.  So when asked what kind of trail I wanted to ride when going mountain biking for the first time in Sedona a couple weeks ago, I didn't hesitate to take on the intermediate/advanced course.  

One of the challenges that I approach in life is being a bit too tall for modern day sporting equipment. The calf raise machine at the gym that my legs do not fit under because they are just too long, the hotel pool that I can't swim laps in because I can only fit three strokes in, and rental bikes which place my rear end at a height to accommodate my long legs that my center of gravity is at a constant push forward, which makes me so thankful to be working with Trek in fitting a bike to my non-traditional height.  

I wish I had video evidence to demonstrate how completely out of control I was when hurling down the rocky mountainside on an extremely light bike which I felt I had no control over.  No sooner than I would hit a rock as it would redirect me into a bush on the side of the trail.  I am still quite shocked I was not thrown over the handle bars as was my biggest fear throughout the "advanced" downhill part of the trail. My experienced mountain biking boyfriend instructed me to try to put my weight back when going downhill and slightly forward when climbing uphill.  Might I just say "easier said than done."

After twenty minutes of frustration and my eventual admittance to needing an easier course to ride, we relocated ourselves to a fun hour of or so of "Colleen friendly" mountain biking.  Sedona, AZ is absolutely beautiful and Chris and I had a wonderful weekend.

(The photo shows me on the largest frame bicycle at a store with a large selection of bikes.)

Other everyday matters of height:  

In the front seat of some cars, my foot cannot reach the gas pedal because my knees hit the dashboard first:

In the back seat of a "roomy" SUV, car manufacturers expect all legs to fit within this space:

 

The height of the sink I wash my face in is 30".  Also, note the length of my pajama pants:

 

The height of the kitchen counter where I chop veggies is 36":

 

And table manufacturers expect me to fit my legs under 2 feet of clearance?  And yes, there is 8 extra inches of denim sewn to the bottom of my jeans.

 

This world is about to become Colleen-i-fied, one step at a time... 

Comments

[Jheri]

Colleen-i-fy the world! This is wonderful and Jheri loves it!

I really like you hair in these photos. Both of us have faces that love striaght hair.

[Steve]

Very exciting that Trek is helping to colleen-i-fy the world and there are so many other things that can and will be done. And we get a jheri-i-fied world for free when we get colleen-i-fied!

[Nancy White]

Colleen, I was thinking of you as I sat next to a very tall woman on a 13 hour flight from Sydney Australia to LA. And I don't think she was quite as tall as you are. Your post points out many things to me, not just about being different or different from the "norm" but how we see the world, how we design for ourselves and others (or not) in the world AND the power of visuals. The photos in the blog post make the difference for us to "see" a tiny bit of the way you experience the world. Brava!

[Colleen Smith]

Hi Colleen! I first heard about you just by googling my name(I'm Colleen Smith too), but I love your blog! I'm 5'0", and I'd love to be tall for a day. If I were to colleenify the world, everything would be a lot shorter... I guess we all bear our burdens. ;)

Take Care,
Colleen

[Todd]

Colleen, what a great story. This coming from someone who is 6'7". I know it is more common for a guy to be tall but being this tall certainly has it's "ups and downs". (sorry for the pun). My wife is 6'0" and she too has had challenges. Cars, clothes, household items are all things we have to consider.

[Ackee]

Coleen,
I have always hated being tall, sometimes I like it, but mostly I hate it, but for somereason I read your blog and it doesn't matter any more.
Thank you
:)

[Kate]

Way to go girl! Love being tall- it has it's moments, but all in all, wear it proud! I'm 6'4" and I've enjoyed every moment of it ;)

[Kate]

P.S.
Silver jeans make 37" inseams- they are fabulous....
Long Tall Sally has some decent tall girl stuff as well
For shoes- Nordstroms, Designer Shoes.com, Barefoot tess.com are all good

[tracy steele]

Hi Colleen,

I was very excited to see a link to your post on Apartment Therapy! I am one of the designers you are looking for to help your cause! I am a furniture and interior designer, specializing mostly in upholstered furniture. Seeing the need for furniture for people of non-average size, I launched a line called little people, BIG DESIGN made especially for people with dwarfism at the LPA convention in NYC last summer. I would love to expand my business to include furnishing for people of exceptional height!

You can see a PDF catalog of the line at www.lpbigdesign.com

Though I am based in NYC my manufacturing is done in LA. Are you in soCal?

I would love an opportunity to talk with you and discuss how we might work together!

Tracy Steele

tracy steele designs, inc
tsteeledesigns@me.com
646.337.3341

[Memathews]

Love this post. I'm only 6'3", which is not really tall for a guy, but I know your pain with counter heights and tabletops (lots of bruised knees with low table bridges). My wife is 5'11", so she pretty much understands the issue, too.

We bought our first house from a couple where the husband was about 6" and the wife was maybe 5'. Everything in the house that was associated with her was extra short! In the first year we redid the kitchen with counters to a nice 42" height--the project manager said we were crazy--and the bathroom sink and shower followed a couple of year later. We lived there 15 years, so the investment was well worth the expense and the skipped trips to physical therapy for lower back pain. We sold the house to a tall couple and they loved it.

Next time you look for a car, try a Honda Element. Lots of head room. Not as generous on the leg room, but way more than most vehicles and not so tight that your knees get locked under the steering wheel (my legs are only 36" inseam, your mileage may vary). The back seat has tremendous leg room when the front seats are all the way back--no complaints from backseat passengers--but the theatre seating cuts the backseat headroom back to a normal car. The best part: this car fits an active lifestyle with a vinyl floor and a tailgate you can sit on under a liftgate that keeps rain and sun off (but remember to duck under the liftgate, it's a bit low).

Good luck with your Colleen-i-fying, VB quest, your new bike, and your green movement.

Mike