Less than 2 weeks to go. Matt Pearl and I fly from Atlanta to Dallas then on to Vancouver. The plan is to start shooting stories right away, hit the ground running.
One of us will probably be limping.
Working out at the gym today, running sprints on the basketball court, I twisted but the bottom half of my leg didn’t.
I could equally hear and feel the pop.
Twice over the last 10 or 12 years I’ve torn my ACL, the anterior cruciate ligament. (left leg, right leg, now I think the left again) It acts as a lynch pin to keep your knee together, your leg bone connected to your thigh bone so you can keep moving your hip bone and so on. Surgery, weeks in a knee brace, months of therapy, 6 months to a year before you’re back to normal. No Fun.
Some swelling and pain right now, if memory serves the pain should go away in a week or two and I should be good as gold for The Games…as long as I don’t twist…
Thinkmarriage.org is a website devoted to helping couples stay married. They are sending out 400 FREE love letter kits per day until Valentine’s Day that contain materials and tips for writing a love letter. Go here to order a love letter kit. Once the offer is gone the ordering instructions disappear from the website.
Participating Pottery Barn Kids stores will be holding Valentine’s Day card making classes for kids on February 6th and 7th 10am to 2pm while supplies last.
The Mercantile food and wine store at 1660 Dekalb Avenue is having a free wine tasting on Saturday, January 30th from Noon to 2pm. That tip comes from Atlanta On The Cheap.
CED Solutions in Marietta is a computer training company that is offering FREE classes for the first 1000 people who sign up. They one and two day classes include Intro to Personal Computer, Excel and Power Point. To sign up call 1-800-611-1840.
Callaway Gardens has free admission through the end of February, no coupons needed.
And this weekend the first 50 guests through the doors at the Andretti Indoor Karting and Games on Saturday and Sunday will get $10.00 worth of game tokens. Andretti Indoor Karting & Games is located at 11000 Alpharetta Highway in Roswell.
To say we’re “covering the Olympics” is a little off. If I want to see Team USA compete in any sport with my own eyes, I’ll have to buy a ticket.
Local stations aren’t allowed to shoot the actual events, you all get to see that live on tv anyway, so we cover the fringe…and that can be almost as much fun.
Like I said before, I lived just outside Vancouver as a kid. We got 1 tv channel, 2 if the antenna on the roof was blessed in chapel that day. One of the first news stories I remember- Sasquatch runs in front of a school bus full of kids…lots of witnesses, no debate-Bigfoot had to be real.
Well a few days later police caught a regular foot returning his ape costume to a magic shop.
Still, many people are convinced something lives in the millions of unexplored acres of Beautiful British Columbia.
There’s even a Bigfoot research group. Here’s where it gets cool for me…I get to go Sasquatch hunting with them.
Of course it is 2010, the economy and all…I get (have) to be my own photographer on this trip. It’ll be a tough story to shoot but you don’t hear bobsledders complain right?
We won’t earn any medals with our Olympic coverage, but the stories might be as much fun to watch as curling.
I was in the car at a red light with a friend last summer when a runner passed us. You know the type: not an ounce of fat, muscles glistening in sweat, running at a speed I only achieve in my dreams. “Now, he’s a REAL runner,” my friend said.
I thought, “I’ve run half-a-dozen marathons, who knows how many halves, 5Ks, 10Ks. I know the lingo. I wear the gear. Who are you to say I’M not a REAL runner?” Instead what came out of my mouth was, “Are you saying I have a big ass?”
What happened next was the smartest thing (and the only thing) a man can say in that moment: “No, dear, not at all,” in a voice with just a touch of fear.
Here’s the ugly truth about running: I doesn’t make you lose weight. Let me alter that slightly: It doesn’t make ME lose weight. It seems so unfair that even when I run 12, 16, 18 miles; I don’t lose a single pound. My pants DO fit better. My legs LOOK better, but that’s about it. Everyone I convince to run usually does lose weight, which allows me to practice my evil-eye.
So, what’s the deal?
A recent Runner’s World magazine article titled “What’s Your Ideal Weight?” said:
“There’s no denying healthy runners will race about 2 seconds per mile faster for every pound they lose. . . the less weight you carry around, the more miles per gallon you get from oxygen.” This applies to runners with a healthy BMI, between 18.5 and 24.9. If you drop below 18.5, you’re at risk for becoming weaker and slower.
As with all things running these days, I turned to Team in Training coach Barb for some information. She passed along an article from nutritionist, Nancy Clark (Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics). An excerpt:
“Why “quick weight loss” is a fantasy
While the promise of quick weight loss is enticing, runners who lose weight quickly on a severe diet inevitably regain the weight, if not more. That’s because the body overcompensates for extreme dieting with overeating. You will never win the war against hunger…
Hunger is physiological. Just as your body needs to breathe, urinate and sleep, your body also needs to eat. Urges to overeat (that is, blow your diet) often have less to do with will power and more to do with the physiology of hunger. Just as you will gasp for air after having been trapped under-water without oxygen, you will devour food after having been denied calories during a crash diet (or after a long run, for that matter). Yes, you can white-knuckle yourself to stick to your crash diet, but your well-meaning plan to quickly shed some pounds has a high likelihood of exploding into a demoralizing pattern of binge eating followed by yet-another attempt to crash-diet. Don’t go there…. it’s depressing.”
Well, darn. Then…
The better plan is to chip away at slow but steady weight loss, targeting 0.5 to 2 pounds a week. Why, by just knocking off 100 calories at the end of the day (one cookie, one heaping spoonful of ice cream), you can theoretically lose 10 pounds a year. Knock off 200 calories at the end of the day (16 ounces of cola, 4 Oreos), and you’ve lost 20 pounds a year.
Well, I can do 100 calories less a day. Until then, I guess I’ll just be that chubby runner. Recently, the Cooper Aerobics Center (fitness and BMI gurus) released a report that said aerobics fitness (not weight) is a predictor of longevity. It’s better to be fat but fit rather than lean and out of shape. And anyone that runs 26.2 miles is definately, without question, in shape.
Make no mistake; I am a “real runner”. So are you. In my book, that has nothing to do with your size, your weight, or your speed. To be a runner, you just need to put one foot in front of the other and cross the finish line. See you there.
For a couple nights in a row our trash cans were ransacked. Since we had a big St. Bernard that lived on The Ranch, Felix, we all assumed he was the mess maker.
But as a 12 year old I really hoped we were actually being invaded by something scary. Living at the base of the Golden Ears mountain range in Maple Ridge, BC it was pretty likely.
Racoons or Big Foot or Bears oh…you know.
The noise got our attention. 5 or 6 of us kids who lived with our families at Timberline Ranch were in “the little” house when we heard something dropping out of the apple tree. Every mountain kid worth his lack of tv signal knew if you shine a light in the dark and an animal is there, the eyes will flash like little bulbs.
4 eyes, 2 bear cubs eating apples in the branches….how cute. So cute we ran under the tree. “Can we touch one”?
It might have been a growl…A bark…Just the scraping of claws on rocks. I don’t remember the sound, just the sight. 2 big black bears tearing around a corner, heading right for us with Felix trying to get in the way.
Quick survivor lesson now: momma bear doesn’t want you to touch her babies, she probably doesn’t even want you lookin at em.
Can kids who ride horses for exercise outrun bears? Maybe I could I thought but that’s because I was 12. We scrambled to get back in the house. Anita, a year or 2 younger than me fell down. I watched Murray, 18 or so pick her up by the belt loop and toss her towards the door. My 2 sisters dove in. The door slammed shut.
It might have been a bluff. It might be Felix, the dog everyone was mad at when we thought he was the trash thief cut the bears off and saved one of us a good mauling.
I always thought it was cool to be able to say “I’ve been chased by bears in Canada” one of my favorite places on earth.
I get to go home to cover the Olympics.
Just not the way I thought.
More on that later.
I’m getting sick and tired of everyone being sick and tired.
Well, that’s probably not true; it takes a lot to get me truly annoyed. But I do raise an eyebrow every time the Olympics comes up in conversation and someone responds, “Who cares …”
On a certain level, I understand if people are somewhat nonplussed about the Games. After all, many of the events that get such attention during the Olympics can otherwise only be found on ESPN: The Ocho. And the international symbolism that spurred such intense emotions in the past is rarely found today.
But I’m a big believer in taking things as they are — and the Olympics, as they are, are still pretty darn cool.
Blinded sports fan, you think? An NBC shill promoting the network, you say? Not in the least (I won’t be writing any Jay vs. Conan blogs anytime soon …); mine are simply the words of someone who enjoys competitive sports, finds intrigue in international competition, and appreciates the escapade and extravaganza of this rare event.
Let’s start with the most obvious positive: the sheer thrill of the sports. Yes, the bobsled and snowboarding aren’t exactly household sports — and that’s precisely why they’re so much fun to watch. You and I most likely have never raced on a luge sled, and that only adds to the mystique of how these athletes do what they do. And for the most part, the events are presented very well on TV. Have you seen the camera angles on the skeleton? It’s like they’re running a 24-style spy mission. There’s a nice balance in styles among the events – the grace of figure skating, the speed of the sledding sports, the outdoor elements at play during the ski events, and the physical punishment of ice hockey. And even though the international angst isn’t as deep anymore, I still enjoy the pure fun of following the medal count and rooting for the U.S. to climb the ladder.
And let’s not discount the subtext at play when nations compete against nations. No, it’s not war — and thank goodness, in many cases, the emotions don’t run that hot anymore — but it is a test of both our athletes and our equipment. One of the stories I have already done for this year’s Winter Games deals with the secrecy involved in protecting the technological and stylistic advances in American equipment. Countries are constantly trying to come up with the perfect recipe — in terms of sleds, skis, sticks, and any other piece of equipment at play. On top of that, other countries are always trying to steal each other’s secrets. It’s actually pretty funny — especially because, in talking to the American athletes about it, everyone sheepishly admitted getting caught up in the espionage.
But more important than anything, I use a variation of that oft-quoted Chevy Chase line to describe why I like the Olympics: “They’re the Olympics, and all these other sporting events aren’t.” See, it’s easy to deride the Winter and Summer Games for a variety of reasons, but they’re still the only competition to bring in athletes from more than a hundred nations. They’re still a major point of pride for cities that get to host them (see Atlanta, 1996). And they’re still a spectacle unlike any other in sports. And listen, I LOVE sports. I’m a Hawks season ticket holder who regularly finds himself planted on the couch with a game on the teleivision. The Super Bowl, the World Series, the U.S. Open … these are all great events. But none of them match the sheer scope of the Olympics.
Now I’m not foolish enough to deny that the Olympics are flawed in a variety of ways. But, to be fair, no sport runs without its share of issues. And at the end of the day, the positives far outweigh the negatives; more importantly, the negatives that do exist, for the most part, don’t take away from one’s ability to enjoy the sheer athleticism and competition on display.
So, let’s put down the collective Haterade for a few weeks. It’s time to appreciate and enjoy two weeks of plain ol’ fun. When it comes to the Olympics, I do care — and am proud of it.
Sometimes life just smiles upon you.
Let’s say, for example, you have just returned from a vacation in Japan — one of the most amazing trips you have ever taken. You are already feeling pretty wonderful – refreshed and rejuvenated – and you arrive to work ready to sift through hundreds of unread e-mails and return to the daily grind. And then, let’s say, about midway through the day, your boss comes up to you and says the following:
“Hey, would you like to cover the Winter Olympics in February?”
Um, what was that?
This is normally the time where I would do somersaults across the newsroom. But when it actually happened, not looking to jump to conclusions, I held up. I asked all the questions that seemed utterly obvious but needed to be asked before I fully embarrassed myself in front of my co-workers … questions like, “You mean, in person?”
“Yes, in person.”
Then I did the somersaults.
That was five months ago, and now our departure date is two weeks away. Ted Hall and I will be in Vancouver bringing you the stories of the athletes, events, hoopla, and entertainment that make up the 2010 Winter Olympics. You can catch our work on the air all day on 11Alive.
And, of course, we’ll be hooking you up online as well.
In the weeks leading up to our departure, and then throughout our days in Vancouver, Ted and I will be blogging here at 11aliveblogs.com. We also plan to frequently update our Twitter accounts (Ted’s is tedhallnews; mine is MattPearlWXIA11), bringing you our up-close photos and thoughts from the whirlwind of the Winter Games. Check back in this space over the next few weeks as we provide a little insight into the work we’ll be doing (and in some cases have already done) and the stories we’ll be telling.
Hopefully, we might just be able to make you smile, the same way life has smiled upon us.
Com-mit-ment: noun (1) an act of committing to a charge or cause (2) an agreement or a pledge to do something
Reading this definition started me pondering about commitment in our world today. In my head, it started sounding a lot like my dad’s stories: “when I was your age, I had to walk to school. Up Hill. In the snow.”
I’m too young to talk about the past that way, but here I am thinking it. Are we ever really committed to anything? I mean REALLY committed?
For me, commitment must come with consequence. If you break your commitment, whatever role you were supposed to play, whatever job you were supposed to do: it won’t get done. When you’re fundraising for cancer, those consequences are significant. Families that need help won’t get it. Research won’t happen. Cures won’t be found.
We had recommitment night for the ING Georgia Marathon last night. For Team in Training, this means two things: (1) You must have 25% of your fundraising done, and (2) you should be on target in your running schedule.
This is it. There’s no turning back. I signed my name on the line. From here on out, it’s full force ahead. In a wishy-washy, gray-area world, the solid commitment feels good. It stretches out before me like a long road just begging for a run.
Speaking of fundraising, I still have $1,000 to go. You can donate here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/Georgia10/jwolfe
Tuesday night, I stepped onto a track for the first time since high school. The squishy rubber and bright lights started giving me flashbacks:
-Our track at McEachern High School backed up to a pasture. For some reason, instead of being afraid of the starting gun, the cows were attracted by the sound. Every track meet, they would line the fence like a mooing cheering squad.
-One time, I took so long getting into my blocks, the other team’s track coach yelled at me. It flustered me so much I had a false start. He yelled at me more. Since then, getting into starting blocks makes me break into a sweat.
-It was team picture day and my uniform was rumpled on the floor. I ironed it. It melted. There was a big hole in my shorts. Funny thing is, I can’t remember what happened. Certainly, I didn’t stand in the back row with my hiney hanging out. Or maybe I did and I’ve just blocked it out.
My Team in Training Coach tells me track workouts will play a huge role in getting me to my goal of a sub-four hour marathon. If you’re like me, most of you have not had a track workout in a long time (maybe ever). Here’s what you missed:
-Short strides. Instead of taking long, loping strides, long-distance runners should take shorter, faster strides. From Coach Barb: “Basically the theory states that the slower you take steps, the longer time you spend in the air. The longer you’re in the air, the more you displace your body mass and the harder you hit the ground on landing. This can lead to injury and also demands more from your leg muscles.” You should aim for 90 strides (that’s 2 steps, so count every time your right foot hits) in 60 seconds. This works and has changed the way I run.
-Run on egg shells. Sometimes, I hear myself running and I sound like an elephant. This is bad. Running lightly is (obviously) easier on your ankles, knees, and hips. You do this my rolling with your foot. Think heel, mid-sole, toe in a fluid rolling motion.
-Pick-Ups. We ran a series of 100 meter runs, starting slow, speeding up to 80%, then recovering. In this exercise I made a discovery: I am not fast. It’s possible I was never really fast, it’s just that golden hue of memories that make things look better than they were. Still, it’s kind of strange. I can run for a long time at a pretty solid speed, but running fast… well, that’s a whole other issue.
At least my shorts didn’t have a hole burned into them.
I’m eight weeks from standing at the ING Georgia starting line, still more than $1,00o from my goal. Click here to donate to fight cancer. Thanks!
Livingston Restaurant and Bar in Midtown Atlanta has a special called Millionaire Mondays: a whole lobster or filet mignon, soup or salad and one side for 16 dollars.
Livingston is the new eatery across the street from the Fox theatre in the Georgian Terrace Hotel.
Off 5th, which is the Saks 5th Avenue outlet store at Discover Mills and North Georgia Premium Outlets, has cashmere sweaters for 70 percent off their original price. The sale runs through Tuesday.
The Thrifty Living Store in Sandy Springs has marked down all of its gently used clothing by 50 percent. They also have books on sale starting for under a dollar. Money spent at Thrifty Living benefits local women’s and children’s charities. The store is located at 6650 Roswell Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30328-3167(404) 303-8053.
Bargainata, the sale that is held yearly by the National Council of Jewish women is holding a one day, one dollar sale to get rid of unsold merchandise. The sale will be Thursday, January 21st from 11am to 2pm at 6297 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs.
The Yellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn is lowering admission to $1.00 on Martin Luther King Day. Admission is normally $8.00.
Wow. What a week to start a New Year’s Resolution. Can you even feel your toes? The tough thing about resolutions isn’t starting them, it’s keeping them. That’s where Duffie Dixon comes in. I remember Duffie telling me, “I can’t run.” 2009 changed all of that. Here’s a look at how she became a runner (and how you can too!)
I’M A RUNNER??!!
I’ll admit it. It was peer pressure. Actually, it was co-worker pressure. Fellow reporter Julie Wolfe sent out an email inviting us to take part in a Zooma 5k. I was looking for a boost in my workout routine (I walked a treadmill or went to spin classes a couple times a week) so I agreed. Then I realized the last time I had run for any significant length of time was back in college (think late 80s).
Committed, I re
membered a friend had trained for a beginners’ race and had a training guide. It was straight forward—I started by walking three minutes then running for one. Each week I was running more and walking less. I did this four days a week for several months. I’m not going to say it was easy, but it was do-able. The hardest part was the first month…literally, after every session something different hurt—an ankle, a knee, a hip, my shins—but I just kept walking and running. To my amazement soon the pains ceased, I was no longer gasping for air and I was soon running (albeit slowly) for 15 minutes straight, then 20 and eventually 30 and 40. I was hoping to do that first 5k in 45 minutes.
My first 5k (approx 31/2 months after beginning training) It was a great experience—great weather, no aches and pains (and thanks to my panic of needing to use a port-a-pottie at the finish line)—I finished in 38 minutes. I was elated. For the first time in a long time I set a goal for myself, just myself, and did what it took to reach it. What seemed impossible and downright laughable (that at my age I could pick up running) is now my preferred exercise! I try to run 30 minutes a day three times a week and on the fourth day (and sometimes 5!) I allow a lot of time and just go until I can’t go any farther. I’m up to 4.3 miles and now looking forward to tackling 5 miles. I forgot how much I love being outside with so much to look at and the sheer feeling of getting away from it all—nothing beats stress like a good run.
Duffie Dixon, 11 Alive News Reporter
Taco Bell is offering a free taco to the first one milllion people who print a coupon from drivethrudiet.com Make sure to redeem it fast; they expire within 7 days of printing them.
If you bring an old cell phone to Fernbank Museum between January 15th and 24th you can get a free ticket to the Wild Ocean movie and a free shopping bag. Movie tickets are normally $13.00.
Leapfrog has a free hardback book for your little one. Go here to register and receive the board book, ABC Animal Orchestra.
Yoplait is giving away Free Yoplus Yogurt. Click here to sign up for a free yogurt sample.
And from the skin care company Become Beauty, free weekend travel beauty kits are available. Go here to get yours.
