The Olympic Spirit

So, we've been watching the Olympic opening ceremonies. It's something that is kind of lame and passe but I still do it because they only come around every 4 years. I might have teared up a few times in the first, oh, 45 minutes of the opening ceremonies. I thought about my little family 4 years ago when we did this same thing - the host city changes and the athletes are different but you always remember the Olympics and how they made you feel - at least I do. 

Now I'm a bit bored and am emailing and blogging and Facebooking and keeping an ear out for interesting tidbits. My point of this post is not so much the ceremonies themselves, but something that reminds me of the real point of the Olympics.

A few weeks ago I heard this story on The World. A South Sudanese marathoner (who, by the way, had never ran a marathon until last August! And then he qualified for the 2012 Olympics! Man, if only.) South Sudan isn't a country that is recognized by the IOC, so this runner tell his story of how he had petitioned the IOC to allow him to compete under the Olympic flag. He talked about how he witnessed atrocities at the hands of his original country, Sudan, before coming to America. He found a home here but still has personal and family connections that links him to what is now South Sudan. It's newness, however, keeps South Sudan from gaining representation in the IOC. The story ended with his hope that his application to compete as an independent athlete would be accepted, but he didn't know. I wanted so much for him to be able to live out his dream: represent himself at the Olympics, not the country that brought him so much pain. (Sorry, that was kind of jumbled. Check out the link for a much more inspiring way of hearing the story.)

Fast forward to tonight. I didn't see it, but Shane remarked that there were 3 athletes without a country. I remembered this story and asked if there was a marathoner in the bunch. Guess what? He wasn't there. BUT....he will be! He will be one of 4 athletes allowed to be independent. He is working out his visa and will be in London in time for the men's marathon (one of the last events of the games.)

That is the spirit of the games. You take a person who only knew running because it was a way to stay alive, to keep from being killed. You give him a country that is rich beyond belief who asks him to run not for a grade instead of to stay alive, and he finds he is good. Great, even. And then he gets to live out his dream without betraying himself or his family. I love it. That is the point of the games: representing yourself and your country with dignity and courage. Seeing the greatness of the human spirit in today's athletes and the athletes of the past. Everyone, athlete or not, can relate to that.

I am looking forward to watching the games for the next few weeks. I can't wait for the swimming, gymnastics, track and field, and beach volleyball. 

So, are you watching the Olympics? Do you have events that you won't miss? Did you compare yourself to where you were during the last Olympics, or the Olympics in Atlanta, or the memories of the Salt Lake City Games? I took a little family self-portrait just to remember: we were here. And I was happy that the marathoner will soon be there.

Swimming stuff.

Remember this? My inordinate desire to run, bike, and swim myself to yet another ignominous race finish? Yeah, that.

I am super excited for this triathlon. Most triathlons go in this order: swim, bike run, but the one I am doing is backwards, which I know will make things much easier for me. Mostly because I am not any any way a swimmer. My whole life I've sported a mean doggy paddle. Using it I've managed to get back to the boat after waterskiing hundreds of times. But putting my face in the water, wearing goggles/swim caps, breathing from the side? Nope, never ever ever. On the day in May that I decided to do the tri, I jumped in the 50 meter pool at the local rec center and did 4 laps of what had to be the most awkward swimming in the history of the world. My face never went in the water once. I flailed around for about 10 minutes, knew I could get from one end of the pool to the other, and I called it good.

I went to a master's swimming class one morning with a friend. I told her that I would embarrass her (and I probably did) but she still went with me anyway. She was super kind and brought me some goggles to borrow and a swim cap to keep. The most awkward moment was when the master's coach asked me to swim for her. I knew I had zero technique. I knew I was awful, but I didn't know any better so I set off in a repeat of my Memorial Day swimming experience, except this time I knew someone was watching. I think I would have rather sang a solo for her rather than have her watch me swim (I don't sing any better than I swim. And it's likely to stay that way.) Luckily, the coach was super kind and she started with the basics. I learned how to breathe. I learned how to kick off the wall. I learned what position to keep my head in for optimal results (notice I said "learned" - have not mastered this. I'm sure I still look rather flail-ey in the water, but oh well.)

I think I went about 300 yards that day. In an hour. Pathetic. But, I have learned a lot since then and improved a little, too. Let's explore my thoughts on swimming (you know you want to.)

• I prefer long course (50 meters) to short course (25 meters), even though I tire out after 30 meters. I feel like it makes me stronger.
• I have to breath out my nose under water. I then suck in as much air as humanly possible through my giant open mouth when I come up.
• I forget to turn my hips to the other (non-breathing) side. I'm all about the air....
• I know I'm supposed to be looking straight down so my hairline is in the water, but I know it isn't.
• I have to remind myself to bend my elbows and drag my fingertips along the water.
• When I make my hand into a blade when it enters the water, I have a better stroke. But the concentration involved in making my hand do this makes me forget how to breath. I then suck in a lot of water. 
• I probably kick way too much. But it's a reaction to the tiny amount of panic that is in my heart most of the time I'm swimming.
• I cannot stop mid-lap. If I do, I have to dog paddle the rest of the way because I almost drown trying to get started again without the aid of the wall to push off of.
• I am out of breath the entire lap. I have to breathe on the wall after each lap. I wonder if I'll ever have an opportunity or need to learn the cool little turn the real swimmers do at the end of their laps.
• One positive: I think it will help my breathing when running eventually. Being out of breath for a half hour straight has to make my lungs stronger, right?
• On Sunday I swam 500 meters. It is the longest I've ever swam (swum?) in my life. And 150 more than I need for the tri - whew!

But, this is the kicker: I like it. Even though I'm not good at it and it makes me tired and I feel 1 breath away from drowning the entire time, it's satisfying. It takes up all my brain power to swim. I can't think about anything else while I am doing it, and I love that. It's related to what I love about any intense physical activity - when the brain screams at my body to go faster and my body obeys, despite tired legs and lungs and blisters. That moment when your mind is only focused on what the body needs right then. It's wonderful. It happens when I run, it happens in yoga, it happens when I body rock, and it happens when I swim. It is incredibly satisfying.

I am looking so forward to August 4th. The date itself is significant. Thursday August 4, 2011 was my day to spend with my dad before he passed away. It was the day I ran in my hometown, and it was the last full day of my dad's life. I like that I am celebrating something I've never done before to mark that anniversary. It will be a good day!

(And, notice I say nothing about biking? Yeah, I've been on the bike 3 times - the longest ride I've had is 4.5 miles. The biking aspect is not going to be pretty, people. Not pretty at all.)

4th of July Randomalities

I like July 4th. I have a very limited time that summer feels like summer. It starts feeling like summer around the end of May. Then the second weekend in June my family usually attends a parade in my hometown. Definitely feels like summer. I run Ragnar - summer. As June turns to July, I start to lose my hold on summer. But with my very fingertips, I hold on until the birthdays: our country's, mine, and my mom's. By the time July 24th rolls around, I'm done.

But today, it's still summer according to my reasoning. So, we did summer activities such as:

• Ran 10k with my husband. I intended to be up and out of the house by 7:30 am - it actually happened about 8:20. It was hot, but we did it. I was sorta sad that there wasn't a July 4th 10k to sign up for, so I figured I should just run my own.

 (I know - I look so sweaty in this picture. What you can't see is that Shane's bandana is just aching to drip. The couple that sweats together....well, I don't know. But we like each other for whatever that is worth.)

• On said run, I wore my most patriotic running outfit: blue 2010 Ragnar shirt, blue hat, and silver sparkle skirt. I was stylin'!

• Watched Spider Man 2 on TV. What's more American than Spidey?
• Went to a barbecue at my sister's with most of my family. It was really fun to see everyone. The kids swam in the pool and squirted the people sitting on the patio. Good times.  All of my pictures are on Shane's phone so they will have to wait.
• Watched the fire on the mountain in Alpine. It makes me sad and sick that the mountains are burning. It makes me anxious. I've never known such a year.

Right now, at this very moment, I am listening to my environmentally conscious neighborhood lighting plenty of fireworks into the air. It's illegal where we live and the whole state is on fire. Go team!!

How was your 4th?