Go for Gold at Equinox's Summer Games

Don't burn out yet! Credit: chelmsfordblue

It’s hard to believe that the Olympic torch is going to be extinguished in less than 48 hours. Sure, I’ve watched my fair share of live feeds and primetime coverage, and I’ve read plenty of stories and Twitter updates about the 2012 London Olympics. But these 17 days of sports always manage to fly by faster than expected.

How is it possible that last night I was watching 1992 footage of the original Dream Team and by tomorrow afternoon the 2012 U.S. men’s basketball team likely will have clinched their gold medal performance? How is it possible that Abdi, Meb and Ryan will be running 26.2 miles tomorrow morning—and that Desi, Kara and Shalane are already thinking about their next races and not the Olympics? How is it possible that some Olympians are already back from the Games and back to the daily grind?

I know it’s bound to happen, but I’m not quite ready to put an end to the 2012 Olympics just yet. I’m not ready to wait four years for the Summer Games—I’m not even ready to wait almost two for the Sochi Winter Olympics. But enough of my whining…it turns out that Equinox is going to let me live out my Olympic dream a little longer. It might not be one of the medals that was locked in the Tower of London, but the Equinox Chicago Summer Games could be the closest I get to wearing gold around my neck (and even that I’m not so sure of).

Equinox’s Summer Games kicks off on Tuesday, August 14, with a special edition of the fitness club’s MetCon3 workout. MetCon3 is already a tough workout in itself—granted I have yet to try it due to my ever-growing to-do list that is getting lost in Ironman training at the moment, but that’s what I’ve heard and read. Short for metabolic conditioning, this workout targets the body’s three energy systems, phosphagen, glycolic and oxidative. Don’t ask me what exactly that means, but the big take away is that you max out your calories burned in the shortest amount of time to fire up your metabolism and keep burning fat hours after class is over.

Julie Culley: Before She Was an Olympian

Culley's No. 1!

I was cheering for Julie Culley to win the 5000m race at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. Not because the other women racing didn't deserve a spot but because she was the only person in the field, aside from Julia Lucas who won the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle in March, who I knew. As luck would have it, I read about Culley's track accomplishments three years ago and interviewed her for the Mid-Atlantic edition of Competitor magazine.

Back then, Culley was 28 years old. She worked part-time at Pacers Running Stores in the Old Town section of Alexandria, Va. She coached track and cross-country at American University. She was a relative newcomer to the professional circuit when she ran the 5000m at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin--it was only her third time on a world championship team with indoor track in 2008 being the first and cross-country in 2009 being the second. She ran a personal best while racing in Belgium to qualify for Worlds--she ran another personal best to win at Trials. And she had goals of qualifying for the 2012 Olympics and said she was determined to make it happen.

Oh how right she was. Here's some of that interview:

How was the experience at the World Championships?

Worlds was much different than any other team and the experience was beyond any other. The whole city of Berlin was involved in the meet, and the stadium was sold out EVERY DAY. It was extremely significant because it was the first time a world championship was held in Berlin's stadium since the 1936 Olympics. The U.S. team made quite a big deal about this because it was also the Olympics where Jesse Owens cleaned up for the U.S. on the world's stage.

The Daily Feed: Sites We're Searching 8/9

A little online browsing. Credit: n8kowald

You'd think that all of my Olympic excitement would have calmed down by week two. I almost wish it had though now I'm cheering for those running laps around the track instead of those swimming laps in the pool. This Daily Feed isn't as Olympic-themed as last week's, but it comes close. Check out what I've been reading in the last 24 hours.

• Usain Bolt is fast, proven by his repeat gold medal win in the 100m dash. As he gears up to repeat his 200m win, a feat that would make him the fastest sprinter, Equinox takes a look at what makes him so fast.
• Last week it was all about what Michael Phelps was doing in the pool. This week People may have had a little too much fun digging up the budding relationship between him and Megan Rossee on Twitter.
• I'm totally intrigued by the Science of the Games section at nbcolympics.com. How do Oscar Pistorius's blades work? What makes Missy Franklin fly through the water? What's up with Usain Bolt's biomechanics?
• Thanks Barre Bee Fit for sharing this Cooking Light recipe. That salad needs to go in my tummy...now!
• Congratulations to Allyson Felix for grabbing her gold! Sports Illustrated takes a look at the 200m race.
• I finally read more in The Washington Post about the women's marathon race last Sunday and what happened to that lead that Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher held. I feel for Kara: running with calf pain is awful.
• Lake Michigan: good for sailing, swimming, kayaking and SUP-ing. Ready to take your stand-up paddleboarding to a new level? Try competing in this four-person relay on Saturday--or come out and watch me and the media team test our luck.
• I've been searching but I can't find this Today Show link. Jenna Bush Hager finished her Today segment with a goof--I swear she said Ashton Easton instead of Ashton Eaton. The only problem is I can't find the video.

What's caught your eye online? What are you reading?

Photo grabbed from n8kowald at flickr.

Top 10 Workout Songs for August

Credit: Taylor Burnes

What are those Olympians listening to? If you've been watching even an iota of the Summer Olympics coverage, you've probably caught at least one person, namely the swimmers, wearing headphones as they stride onto the pool deck. Some are big--like those hiding under the hoods of Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Anthony Ervin--while others are the basic iPod earbuds. As for what those athletes are blasting through their ears to fire them up for their races, I can only guess, but I'd surmise that its loud and fast-paced.

That's what I'd want to listen to--and often do when I'm running a marathon or training along the Lakefront--when I need to get the adrenaline rushing. And while I might have a playlist that many would cringe at (hey, it works for me), I'm not too off-beat. Run Hundred's top workout songs, this month especially, are fast-paced and popular--finally a month where I've listened to most of the songs, and more than once. All but two among August's top 10, according to votes placed at Run Hundred, have more than 120 beats per minute, perfect for busting out a speed set even when you're not an Olympian.

13 Random Notes on the Olympics

I want this look! Credit: Nike

I'm not going to lie: It's definitely turning into Olympics central around here. It might not seem like it 100 percent of the time on Fit-Ink--because I can't keep up with all the action of training, working, recovering, event-attending, and Olympics-watching--but it's obvious offline. Two TVs running during primetime, recording coverage especially when I have to leave for a swim or run, live streaming on the swimming because I simply can't wait seven or eight hours to watch the tape delay, and engaging in random Olympic discussions like the one where a friend thought Ryan Lochte sounded pompous after he won gold in the 400 IM. Basically, I don't know what I'm going to do with myself when the torch is extinguished in two weeks because I can't watch sports 24/7.

Enough about me and my Olympics love that borders more on craziness and obsession rather than adoration. Here's a baker's dozen of random facts, comments and notes--mostly swimming related--that I've noticed in the first three days of London 2012 competition.

1. I'm not shy on my love--and strong following--of the swimming events. And I can assure you that I follow the sport any time it airs on TV, not just during the Olympic years. You can learn a lot about your own stroke mechanics by watching these Olympians especially when you look at the underwater views. I know I'll never swim breaststroke like Rebecca Soni--I can barely swim a 100 free that fast and that was when I still had some of my sprinting speed--but the girl whisks through the water. Matt Grevers pushes an amazing amount of water behind him as he powers through the 100 back (Did you see that underwater shot? It was insane). And then watch any freestyler and you'll pick up plenty of tips to make your stroke a little faster and more efficient.

What Will You Be Watching During the Olympics?

We've got Olympics fever. Credit: CefnFforestBluebird

You could say that I've been waiting for the next three weeks to roll around since the Olympic flame was extinguished in Beijing four years ago. If you thought I was a fan of the Winter Olympics, I'm an even greater fan of the Summer version. I literally camp out on the living room couch for the 17 days of competition watching everything from the prelims to the finals of swimming, gymnastics, track and field, and whatever else happens to be airing when I power on the TV.

It started off where I'd only watch the swimming events--it was my swimming background and the desperate desire to learn how to swim butterfly and breaststroke like the Olympians--as if it were my job to analyze every last detail. That was 1992--and I made the mistake of taping over those videotapes the next summer, thinking that I'd never need that footage again (oh how I wish I could watch Summer Sanders, Pablo Morales, Jenny Thompson and Mike Barrowman swim their way to gold). But by 2008, I was watching everything airing during primetime for two weeks straight. My rear literally left an imprint on the couch--good for Ironman training recovery (I rode my bike in the morning before the swimming prelims) but bad for anything else.

Stitch a Flag for Team USA

Raise a flag, wave a flag for Flag Day. Credit: braveheartsports

A month's worth of groceries for an athlete: 15 stitches. A full set of weights: 1,600 stitches. Starting blocks for the USA Swimming Team: 125 stitches. A month of prepared meals for an athlete: 40 stitches. The stitches aren't priceless as the Mastercard commercial might suggest, but they do help to put a symbolic value on the fundraising needs of Team USA in an Olympics year and make fun, social and virtual. Each stitch costs $12, a small price to pay for helping to weave together an American flag that will accompany the U.S. Olympic Team to London this summer.

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) launched this creative fundraising program on April 18, back when the London Games had 100 days until their opening ceremony. Nearly 60 days later, more than 10,000 stitches have been made to Raise Our Flag, which helps equip Team USA with some of its training essentials. When you get as excited as I do for the Olympics--please don't ask me to choose which one I like more, winter or summer, because it's tougher to decide every year--you can't help but love the chance to be more actively involved than simply watching on TV and following the results online.

Bump, Set, Spike for The Journey

It might be an Olympics year--my favorite kind of year--but I'm about to sound really stupid about a sport primarily highlighted during the Games. I'd like to think that I watch a lot of Olympic sports except volleyball's not one of them. Beach volleyball, a little, but only because Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor and the gripping men's competition in Beijing were too exciting not to watch, and they often played between the swimming coverage. But indoor volleyball, no. It's no one's fault but my own--I think I'm still scarred from the weeks of volleyball we had to play in high school gym class where I whacked someone on the head two courts away and knocked his hat off (an embarrassingly true story).

I might be less into volleyball than I am into swimming, skiing and running, as far as Olympic sports go, but a contest that Mizuno launched has me wishing I could pull a 13 Going on 30 number and wake up tomorrow as a teenager, and a volleyball-playing one at that. And if we're going all-out with the fantasies, I'd want to defy my family's genetics that err on the side of shortness. But dreamland aside, it's the contest that has me excited even without being a volleyballer.

Mizuno created The Journey, an online contest for young volleyball players, as a way to celebrate its partnership with the USA Men's and Women's National Indoor Volleyball team. The Journey encourages volleyball players to submit video diaries, photos and essays about how they've been shaped by the competitive sport. From this collection of inspiring stories, Mizuno will award a volleyball clinic to the grand prize winner's team in his or her hometown, conducted by a USA Volleyball team member. Entrants also have the opportunity to win Mizuno Volleyball footwear, apparel and accessories. All for sharing their stories of competitive drive and passion. If that's not inspiring for someone who has aspirations to earn a spot on the national team then I don't know what is.

Fit-Pic: Abdi Abdirahman Runs Chicago

At the risk of embarrassing myself, here goes nothing. That's me above with 3-time Olympian, 4-time qualifier, Abdi Abdirahman. I'm bundled up, overdressing for the spring-like temperatures outside. I'm lucky that I put on some run-looking attire as I jetted out the door after an afternoon chained to my desk. And unlike the other 300 or so in attendance (or my estimate since the event was limited to that number), I didn't run because my leg still felt tight from Sunday's stair climb and I needed to gear up, or try, for tomorrow's scheduled run. But you don't really care about my story...hearing about Abdi is way cooler.

Fresh off the Houston course where he qualified for his fourth Olympics, his first in the marathon distance (don't quote me on that just yet though I know his other three Olympic berths were in the 10,000m if nothing else), Abdi landed in Chicago to help launch the registration opening for the 35th annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon. He ran. He got a run for his money from the Sandburg cross-country team (I'm convinced they either chased him or sprinted so he'd have to run really fast). He signed autographs and posed for pictures (not sure how there wasn't a line stretching through the event space but I barely had to wait). He talked to the crowd about his running experiences, making me feel very sloth-like in the process. You see, he doesn't eat fast food. He only stares at weights in the weight room. And his high mileage weeks run somewhere in the 120-mile range. It's no wonder he's an Olympian...and one whom I can't wait to follow when the London Games happen this summer.

To the Olympics (Trials) They Go

Overbeck at the Chase Corporate Challenge

I always knew the California International Marathon was fast. I once wrote it down on a list of marathons that were good Boston Marathon qualifiers. I ran it in 2008 when I desperately tried to chase a second Boston qualifying time so I could run with Liz in Beantown the following April. I may not have qualified as I had hoped--note to self: don't try to run another 26.2 after finishing your first Ironman and a hotter-than-ideal Chicago Marathon--but I ran faster than expected, given that I could barely finish 10 miles two weeks before the race.

But could California International really live up to its fast reputation when several speedy female runners needed it to as they gunned for their Olympic Trials qualifying time in what would be their last chance before the January event in Houston? (How's that for a long-winded sentence?) The answer would be a resounding yes. For some runners, December 4, 2011, will go down as a day in history, the special Sunday when they reached one tough cut-off on the road to Olympic glory. And for a few others, they'll hopefully forget that Sunday just wasn't their day. It pains me to write that, since I silently cheered for several Chicagoans after learning of their Olympic attempts over the summer. It helps to meet filmmaker Wendy Shulik, who's been chasing the women as they try to qualify and filming them for her Miles and Trials documentary, and who will get you as excited (or close to it) as she is for Trials' tribulations.

Who Should Be on the Cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition?

Maybe I'm missing something, but with the timing of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition being just days before the Winter Olympics start in Vancouver, it almost seems more fitting for an Olympian to be on the cover over Brooklyn Decker. I totally understand that the Swimsuit edition audience varies from the Olympic crowd, but still it'd be cool to see one of the beauties that landed inside the magazine--Lindsey Vonn, Hannah Teter, Clair Bidez and Lacey Schnoor--on the outside.

True, Vonn landed the February 8 cover of Sports Illustrated--a salute to the best female downhill skier--but isn't the swimsuit edition a diverse enough crowd where she could be featured again (a little like the week in 1975 where Time and Newsweek ran Bruce Springsteen on their covers)? Or what about another Olympian like snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler who circuited magazines--covers, features and ads--following her silver-medal win in 2006? I'm just saying...

Where do you weigh in? Would you rather see any Olympian on the cover? Please share in the comments. Photos grabbed from thebiglead.com and newsroom.mtv.com. Posted by Kate

The Biggest Loser Goes for Gold

When it was the week of the Super Bowl, The Biggest Loser organized a football challenge (season 7). When it was the Oscars, the contestants received red-carpet-worthy makeovers (season 7). Now with the Olympics quickly approaching, it comes as no surprise that the preview for the February 9 episode features an Olympic spin. The Biggest Losers travel to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to not only get worked by some of the best trainers and coaches in sport but also to get motivated by some Olympians. Check out the above video from NBC to see more of the preview.

It's a dream opportunity for any sports nut (me included) even if it does include a gut-busting workout. I say this because I got a sampling of the training rigors of an Olympian back in October thanks to Nike. It was only an hour training with a yoga mat, weights and body strength but I was sore for the next two days! I'm jealous that the contestants can partake and as a sidenote, hope it motivates me to finish up a post about said Olympic workout sooner rather than later.

Yes, the coaches are world-class--they'd have to be with all the medal winners that have come through the Training Center--but my eye will also be on the Olympians who surprise the Losers. Skier and Torino gold medalist Julia Mancuso is one of them--catch her in the preview above. One look at some of Mancuso's training exercises, like Mancuso balancing on the stability ball to strengthen her turns, and you know why she won gold.

Who's in for watching with me? Video grabbed from NBC. Posted by Kate

Goooo Rio!

I know I should show more pride in my country, in fact, more pride in my place of residence since it was the city I've called home for seven years up for contention as host city of the Olympics. But I'm actually glad and even a bit relieved that the 2016 Games went to Rio de Janeiro (yes I'm one of the 42 percent who voted for Rio on the Fit-Ink poll).

I'm not trying to stir any arguments here but as someone said last night when we started discussing all the Olympic hubbub, it would be "politically correct" for Rio to have the Games. They've never been held in South America. Brazil will have a huge dress rehearsal two years prior when they host soccer's World Cup. Rio has tried to host the Games four other times: 1936, 1940, 2004 and 2012. And from a media standpoint, whatever network is televising the Games will have pretty seamless coverage with Brazil being closer in time zones than Australia or China.

But it was pretty cool being able to watch the election process at the IOC in Copenhagen. Chicago was so excited about the bid that people were gathered in Daley Plaza and Washington Park, the news broadcasted info on the event since the middle of the night, NBC put local coverage on after only two hours of the four-hour Today Show broadcast, the newspapers talk about the decision on the front page. Chicago did have the best Olympic logo out of the bunch though, and I'm not saying that because I live there. Photo grabbed from SantaRosa OLD SKOOL at flickr. Posted by Kate

Stunner! No Games for Chicago in 2016

Shocker in Copenhagen. While thousands waited and watched in Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago, the IOC announced that Chicago was removed from the voting after the first round in the selection process for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The crowd gasped and stood confused wondering what happened. Media reported Chicago slightly in the lead, analysts were calling it neck and neck between Chicago and Rio de Janeiro, and many had written off Tokyo and Madrid as even having a shot at the Games.

I can't help but wonder if all of our hype caused Chicago's demise as a choice. The Obamas flying to Copenhagen to voice their support, Oprah Winfrey praising the city, newscasters flying in from New York to broadcast live from Chicago in hopes that they'd have happy news to report by evening. Hmm, so many questions since the Windy City was eliminated in the first round. Apparently it can come down to one vote and a city could be gone from the next round of voting by barely falling short. Let the news unfold... Posted by Kate

T-Minus 10 Days...Are You For Chicago 2016?

October 2 is creeping up on the calendar faster than we know it. While in most years that date would seem pretty insignificant unless it was marked by a birthday or anniversary, but this year, especially for those of us living in the Windy City, it marks a special announcement. And the end to years worth of campaigning, planning, plotting and presenting. Will Chicago host the Olympic Games in 2016?

The International Olympic Committee announces its decision on October 2 from Copenhagen, Denmark. They're choosing between Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, all of which have been involved marred by bad news at some point during the selection process that could have ruined its chances. And all of which have people for or against the vote. Take Chicago where some locals not backing the bid at home are urging for Rio to get the Games. Or look at the online betting sites where odds are circling over which city gains the greater chance of being named.

In Chicago, the word on the street is that President Obama needs to go to Copenhagen to voice his support of holding the Games in Chicago for his presidential pull and Chicago connection. And the big news yesterday was that Obama was indeed planning to travel to Copenhagen for the October 2 announcement, as rumor had it that Chicago wouldn't get the Games unless Obama made an appearance. Now he's saying he wants to go, while others make a case for Michelle Obama being able to represent her husband just as well especially since she's the Chicago native. For now it's just wait and see for what pans out over October 2.

But in the meantime the all important question is who do you predict will host the 2016 Olympics? Make your vote known and feel free to share any opinions in the comments.

poll by twiigs.com

Posted by Kate

Olympics' Judgment Time

Could Chicago be host to the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games? That's the news around town as the selection committee lands in the Windy City to evaluate its potential as host to the largest gathering of sports. The IOC doesn't make an official announcement until six months from now on October 2 but they have yet to view the other competitors, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. And Chicago wants to put its best foot forward and leave a lasting first impression to topple the other cities.

We're on our best behavior too, at least according to one news reporter (I wish I remembered what station I was watching when I overheard this). As for what that means I can only surmise that the CTA will be running on time since one of the selling points to holding the Games in Chicago is that spectators can use public transportation to travel between venues, the El trains were fumigated to remove the urine stench one often encounters, Mayor Daley had an excuse to "greenify" more of the city, the massive craters on the pavement were finally taken care of--at least those on the tour route. And after checking out a slideshow at the Chicago Tribune, that's exactly what city officials have been doing to prepare for putting the city centerstage. Buildings have been painted, greenery abounds, city lamps boast signs pronouncing the Games, banners hang at bus terminals and below bridges, decorative lights illuminate the Wrigley Building and the Michigan Avenue Bridge towers, the leaves from Douglas Park (proposed venue for cycling) have been raked up, and other potential Olympic venues are going for gold with an extra-care cleaning.

While the city is spruced up, you can't help but hope for good weather too. Sunny days with warm temperatures also make a good selling point, with runners and cyclists dotting the Lakefront, sailboats on the water and a smile on nearly every Chicagoan's face. That sold me on Windy City living more than eight years ago and it definitely paints a pretty picture for Chicago. Now hopefully the IOC will see something they like and can overlook some of the news that's tainted our city in the past few months like former Governor Rod Blagojevich and the appointment of Ronald Burris. For the next six days, we're all about letting friendship shine, the motto for the Chicago 2016 committee. Photo grabbed from goodlogo.com. Posted by Kate

Fit-Fact: U.S. Hockey Team Wins Gold

Regardless of the sport, anything relating to the Olympics excites me. And while you might be wondering how this relates to Fit-Ink, this is one Olympic fact that I didn't realize occurred on this day. And it's one that year after year keeps its notoriety among the sports annals. Now the drumroll for today's Fit-Fact...

The Miracle on Ice happened 29 years ago today. On Feb. 22, 1980, the U.S. hockey team defeated the Soviets in Lake Placid at the Olympics Games to come one step closer to winning the gold medal. The Soviet team was considered to be the best amateur team of the time and the U.S. team barely skated by, 4-3.

Thanks to The New York Times for sharing this bit of Olympic trivia--I spotted this while perusing my e-mail newsletter from the paper. Photo grabbed from Mr. T in DC at flickr. Posted by Kate

Works like an ox

In honor of the Chinese New Year and welcoming in the year of the ox, I thought it might be fun to take a look at athletes born in this zodiac year. When I think of an ox, I think of characteristics like strong and hard-working, which are also adjectives I'll hear often enough to describe an athlete. While there's probably no correlation between the year you were born and your athletic prowess--just coincidence and luck of the draw--I was curious to see who might be predisposed to ox-ness. And I was pretty surprised at the results.
The quick requirements on this list: these athletes are born in 1961, 1973 and 1985, and they have participated in sports like running, cycling and swimming. Also, most happen to be American, but I think that's due to my wikipedia search.

• Gunn-Rita Dahle, Feb. 10, 1973, Norwegian cross-country mountain biker who won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and won six World Championships and six European Championships.
• Amy Van Dyken, Feb. 15, 1973, U.S. Olympic swimmer who won four golds at the 1996 Games.
• Cathy Freeman, Feb. 16, 1973, Australian athlete who won gold at the 2000 Sydney Games and carried the Olympic flag to kick off the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.
• Jenny Thompson, Feb. 22, U.S. Olympic swimmer who competed on four teams: '92, '96, '00, '04. She's also one of the most decorated Olympians in history with 12 medals, eight gold.
• Antii Autti, March 15, 1985, a Finnish snowboarder who won gold at the 2005 Winter X Games.
• Haile Gebrselassie, Apr. 18, 1973, Ethiopian long-distance runner who currently holds the fastest marathon time--for the first time under 2 hours and 4 minutes--and numerous other running accomplishments.
• Greg LeMond, June 26, 1961, U.S. road cyclist. Before there was Lance there was LeMond--LeMond won the Tour de France three times.
• Michael Phelps, June 30, 1985--U.S. Olympic swimmer. After Beijing, he almost doesn't need an introduction...capturing eight golds in a single Olympics.
• Carl Lewis, July 1, 1961--U.S. track and field star who won 10 Olympic
• Inge de Bruijn, Aug. 24, 1973, 1973, Dutch swimmer with four Olympic wins in freestle and butterfly.
• Lindsey Vonn, Oct. 18, 1985, U.S. skier who's currently tearing it up on the World Cup circuit.
• Levi Leipheimer, Oct. 24, 1973, U.S. cyclist who won a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games in the time trial and races the tour circuit.
• Jan Ullrich, Dec. 2, 1973, German cyclist who won the Tour de France in 1997, medals in the 2000 Games and finished second to Lance Armstrong in the Tour a few times. (Monica Seles the U.S. tennis star shares his birthday)
• Laszlo Cseh, Dec. 3, 1985, Hungarian swimmer who finished second to Michael Phelps in three events at the Beijing Games.
• Paula Radcliffe, Dec. 17, 1973, British runner who holds the marathon world record for women.

Talk about an impressive list between Tour de France wins, speedy marathoners and Olympic talent. I wonder if competition in the year of the ox can work in a non-ox's favor and turn out some steadfast races. A clever and quick-witted monkey or a soft-spoken and reserved rabbit might appreciate and little rub-off of the ox's endurance through hardship, especially in those last miles of a marathon or at mile 75 of a century. Note: if you know of any triathletes born in these years, please share. I was hoping to find at least one and came up empty-handed. Posted by Kate

A Fitting Mantra

I subscribe to a Runner's World email list that sends an inspirational quote to my inbox at about 4am every night, so new words of motivation are waiting to encourage me when I groggily surf the web over coffee each morning. This one came through the other day and I can't seem to shake it (and I don't think it's because I studied Latin in high school and college). The words make me want to run outside and do something. 

"Citius, altius, fortius....swifter, higher, stronger." -Olympic Motto

Cool, right? Posted by Liz

Remembering the 2008 Olympics

While I realize I should be looking forward to 2009 and not backward to 2008, I had to turn back the clocks a few months to recall some motivational memories. Every two years when the summer and winter Olympic Games roll around, I get psyched for the two-plus weeks of competition and literally glue myself to the television to watch all the action. I'm a sucker for the stories about various athletes, plus I love watching the competition in sports that only get this much coverage on national TV during the Games, and follow closely in hopes of picking up tips to improve on the slopes and in the pool (and watch in awe at the speed-racing prowess of the marathoners and triathletes). Then when the closing ceremonies occur, I almost fall into withdrawal wishing the Olympics came around more often, and I still have the 2008 Beijing Games on my mind.

Remember the gold medal win in beach volleyball by both the men's (Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers) and women's (Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh) teams? Or how about Michael Phelps' eight gold medals in the pool? Remember Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson finishing one-two in the gymnastics all-around competition? Or Usain Bolt's lightning speed on the track? I spent those two weeks in August in front of the TV watching events, replays and commentaries unfolding each night in a variety of sports. But some of my favorite memories from those two weeks occurred in the pool.
The swimming venue, the Water Cube, is an amazing architectural site, with equally amazing feats occurring in its pool. The accomplishments by the U.S. swimmers really got me pumped for my own races, motivated me to keep up with my swim training and left me awestruck.

Dara Torres first made news headlines a few months prior when at age 41 she qualified for her fifth Olympics in the sprint freestyle events. Not only was she old enough to be the mother to some of her Olympic teammates, but she was now a mother herself to two-year-old Tessa and was absent from the Games for eight years (at Sydney in 2000, she made another impressive comeback and was also the oldest member on the swim team). And in 2008 she was swimming faster than ever--setting an American record in the 50-meter freestyle and clocking the fastest split in the 100-meter freestyle in relay history. Coming home with some hardware, two silver medals, was nothing to scoff at either. Sounds like she has her eyes on London in 2012 for more waves in the pool, at least according to a story on msnbc.com.

Then there's Michael Phelps. What hasn't been said about this guy in 2008? He's spotted in Rosetta Stone commercials, endorsed a variety of products, featured in an in-depth profile on 60 Minutes and more. But anyone interested in sports--I think, unless it's just me--is going to remember how close Michael came to missing one of those medals and how amazing it was that he did pull off the win. The 100 butterfly winner was decided by a stroke--and actually not even a full stroke but half a stroke separating Phelps from Milorad Cavic as they hit the wall. Phelps has explained it that he took a last stroke to propel him into the wall and Cavic possibly glided in and looked up which slowed his momentum into the wall. The images from the photo-finish are impressive and still leave you wondering won really touched first--at least I'm still slightly perplexed. And how he still won the 200 fly with room to spare and having googles that were filled with water. But props to Michael Phelps for not only reaching the eight-medal milestone, but for putting swimming on the map in the sporting world.
For more reading, check out this story about Dara Torres published in the New York Times before the 2008 Olympic Trials. It's pretty cool to read about her entourage that whips her into competition shape. Posted by Kate