Back Recover Report #4: Olympics, Yourlympics, and Mylympics
Sidebar #1:
My friend and teammate on GRC–Goosetown Racing Club–has asked me to commit to racing a bike race series in March. That’s crazy: I have only been on my bike once in 2010 (in the garage on my Elite Fluid Trainer…I know it sounds like a joke, but I actually did ride such a thing). But I don’t know if I can get out of racing considering that my team is organizing the series. I do like the idea of it: it’s going to be a road + gravel race. I seem a bit anti-bike right now because the snow makes me think of skiing and skiing makes me think of my back (more on that later).
Sidebar #2:
The writer Richard Ford keeps all his notes and manuscripts in the freezer, so that if the house burns down, he might not lose all his work. He also said: “Writing is the only thing I’ve ever done with persistence, except for being married.” I like this. If I were to re-write this sentence, I would add that, in addition to writing and being married with persistence, I persistently enjoy obscure endurance sports.
Olympic Ski News:
My hometown newspaper The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that later today NBC will show the “Men’s 15 km. biathlon speed skating event.” I would like to see speed skaters racing around a 300 meter ice rink while blasting away at targets: FUN!
While I am happy for Spillane for taking the silver in the Nordic Combined, I encourage him to work on his sprint. Watch the clip here: He must have been completely blown, for he did not exactly kick it into high gear down the home stretch. I think he actually went from V2 to V2 alternate in the last few hundred meters. Okay, folks, I admit that he could still stomp my gizzard.
And the final of the men’s 15 km. Skate: I love P.P. Cottrer! I think the Italian team has really timed their “peak” just right this season. And they have kick-ass hats with a tiny ball on top! Such style. Yes, I know that he didn’t win. Readers of this blog should know by now that underdogs and second-place finishers rule.
Norway: I heard, waxed their skis with a combination of ear wax, bees wax, and candle wax.
And the women’s final: Charlotte Kalla is fast. But click here to watch how slow and controlled she is out of the gate. If you can’t watch this because of your cable connection, I apologize.
“Back” At It:
And lastly. My own condition is just a mish-mash of complaints. First, although my newish One-Way poles are nice and light, the straps are too confusing and not really comfy. My back hurts. My boots are getting stretched out. My side hurts. My gloves ride “down” after 20 minutes of skiing. My rib hurts. The area around my rib hurts. My rib muscle hurts. My rib tendon hurts. And my rib ligaments hurt. My new glasses ($9) are thumpin’ and my hat situ is nailed down tight. My skis are slow, but that is only because they are connected to my legs.
It is official. I am now racing the Korte. Sorry Birkie Freaks. Next year.
My goal for the Korte is to finish in the top half of my age category (40-44). So, in order to come around 25th out of 50 (last year’s number), I need to beat 5 minutes per kilometer. Sounds easy considering I did the Raw Race last month, and did those flat 12 km in 39:56 (which is 3:20 /km). Sounds easy! Ha. I’ve said that before!
Chow for now,
Scraps
One Comment on “Back Recover Report #4: Olympics, Yourlympics, and Mylympics”
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The Brooklyn Customizer: 
oh yeah, i heeded your warning about the windy conditions/cold. wore my performance wool pants for protection. 19:23, while not fast, was probably some sort of wool pant record.