Athletes in the Military
By Nancy Averett
There are mornings when Marine Corps Maj. Andrew Christian wakes up before the sun in anticipation of a tough workout. The 40-year-old might lie in bed, dreading the three-hour bike ride and 90 minutes of running he's facing. Then he thinks about that morning in February 2006 when he and a team of Marines were traveling by convoy to a military compound in Karbala, Iraq, and a roadside bomb exploded, killing one of his comrades and severely wounding two others. "I want to make something good out of something tragic," he says. "It could have been me." Christian thinks of those impacted by the blast -- the fatherless children, the Marines' painful rehabilitations, their wives' struggles to pay the bills -- and he gets out of bed. They are the reason he trains. With each endurance event Christian competes in, he earns money from sponsors that he donates to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund and to a college fund to benefit 6-year-old Kaiya Collado, the daughter of Staff Sgt. Jay Collado, who was killed in the attack. So far, he has raised more than $100,000 and completed two Ironman triathalons, a marathon and a half Ironman. In October, he was slated to compete in the 2008 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Not all Masters athletes who serve in the military compete for such a dramatic reason. But many share his determination to be the best they can be at their sport. . . . keep reading...>>
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State of the Sport: Golf
In honor of golf's grand scale and booming 300-yard drives, we've devoted plenty of copy to our look at the state of the sport in senior golf. We have included some advice for staying in shape to hit the ball those long distances. There's a look at new equipment and coverage of the U.S. Golf Association's senior amateur championships for men and women. There are also lists of associations that can help senior golfers and tournaments for the over-50 player. . . . keep reading...>>
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Wallen wins CEO Challenge triathlon
By Ray Glier
Aaron Wallen lives in Hawaii so when he trains for triathlons he swims in the warm waters of his home state, which are 80 degrees and familiar. So when he plunged into the relatively chilly waters of Portland, Ore., for the CEO Challenge Triathlon in mid-September, where the outside temperature was 55 degrees and water temperature was in the 60s, Wallen had a challenge within a challenge. Even in a wet suit, his muscles were tight. "I'm a poor swimmer to begin with, and the temperatures seemed to affect my race," Wallen said. "It wasn't anything I was accustomed to." It still did not keep him from winning. . . . keep reading...>>
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Hypnotized!
By Sean Callahan
Hypnosis has often been a font for comedy. David Letterman, back in the day, went for a few weeks where he would shout out for no reason: "I must have been hypmotized!" Hypnotists who perform on stage make their subjects cluck like chickens. But hypnosis can also be serious business. It is a scientifically recognized phenomenon that has been defined as a wakeful state in which subjects experience heightened suggestibility and concentration. I visited Sue Marcus, a sports hypnotherapist in Chicago, this summer to help with my golf game, which was in a rut. For 18 holes, I was averaging almost exactly 86. I like to think I'm better than that. . . . keep reading...>>
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Becoming "Badwater Bob" at 63
By Bob Becker
It was race day for the 2008 Badwater 135 Ultramarathon, and it was already 110 degrees. I left my room at 6:30 a.m. in Death Valley, Calif., to head to the starting line at Badwater, Calif., the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere at 282 feet below sea level. Before I'd reach the finish line at 8,300 feet on Mount Whitney, 135 miles and a couple of days would pass. The desert is a place of spectacular beauty and outrageous extremes. The fun was about to begin. . . . keep reading...>>
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The Longest Game
By Ray Glier
This could be the longest baseball game ever played. And it wasn't played by high school or college kids with fresh muscles trying to get their names in the Guinness Book of World Records; it was played by Men's Senior Baseball League players like Cabrera, who is 67. As remarkable as the average age of the 40 players (over 50), or the length of the game, was their service to a cause. The game, which is in the process of being verified by Guinness, raised more than $40,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. "You get one chance at life, you go for it," said Jerry Maier, 55, an environmental project manager from Suffolk County, N.Y., who figures he pitched 40 innings for the Dodgers. "I stayed awake for the whole thing." . . . keep reading...>>
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Baseball and Softball
For many of us, especially as we get older, it seems that baseball is accurately called the national pastime -- if only because our playing of the game is in the past. But it doesn't have to be that way. With organizations such as the Men's Senior Baseball League and Roy Hobbs Diamond Enterprises, adult age-group baseball is available across the United States. And if hardball isn't your thing, senior softball is virtually ubiquitous with local leagues and groups such as Senior Softball USA and the International Senior Softball Association holding age-group softball tournaments around the country. While overall sports participation in baseball and softball are in decline, participation is up for adults playing the games. As major league post season approaches, you may be watching more ballgames on TV and wondering if you still can swing the bat or turn a double play. In this state of the sport feature, you'll find a list of associations and tournaments for both senior softball and adult baseball to help you return to the games. . . . keep reading...>>
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How To: Swim like a dolphin
By Terry Laughlin
If you watch Michael Phelps, the guy who won 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, swim, you'll notice that he doesn't swim faster than his closest rivals -- on the surface that is. But in the first 15 meters of each 50-meter pool length (except in breast stroke), you're likely to see him gain several meters on his rivals. He' ll still be underwater while they're on the surface stroking. When he finally joins them on the surface, he'll have pulled ahead. In other words, Phelps is the world's fastest swimmer, because he's better than anyone else at what coaches now call the "fifth competitive stroke," the subsurface dolphin kick. . . . keep reading...>>
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Like the Ancient Greeks
By Sean Callahan
Jim Hart, a personal trainer and amateur bodybuilder, let us know about a nude duathlon, which was held in June at the Sunny Rest Resort in Palmertown, Pa., in the Pocono Mountains. The race is part of a series of "clothing-optional" duathlons, 5ks and triathlons that are professionally run with timing chips and well-marked courses, according to Hart, who is 48. He said more than half of the competitors were 40 or older. Among the races in the series are the Running Bare 5k in Crossville, Tenn., and the Bare Hare Sprint Triathlon in Reidsville, N.C. Hart noted that the organizers of the events are named -- wait for it -- Gary and Sue Butts. On a more serious note, Hart pointed out that at the original Olympics in Greece the competitors wore no clothing. Of course, that would be impossible today. Where would you put the Nike swoosh? . . . keep reading...>>
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Gear up for tennis
By Patrick Fitzell
Here's the latest tennis gear designed to improve your game. There's Nike Air Max Breathe Cage II tennis shoe, the Wilson [K]One racquet and the Bolle Swiftkick Sunglasses. Read on for more detailed information. . . . keep reading...>>
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Tennis 101: Why you should play tennis
By Ron and Kathy Woods
It's clear that we need to work out several days a week to stay fit and active. But working out sounds too much like working -- and not like all that much fun to us. So how about "playing" instead? And playing the game of tennis is a perfect fit as we age. Tennis is resurging in popularity among players of all ages and abilities. Among traditional sports, tennis is the only one showing consistent gains in participation in the past five years. Why should you be joining these folks on the court? Well, the game is a great physical workout. But before you start playing, we suggest visiting a doctor for a check up to get the go-ahead to run around the court. Tennis is an exceptional workout if you can rally with a partner. If you learn the game's fundamentals, both in terms of the physical skills and strategy, we think you can enjoy playing for years -- with the right approach. . . . keep reading...>>
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Competition EVERYWHERE
By Nancy Averett
The organization has a large network of local leagues, which are generally based on skill-level rather than age. It also has an extensive array of age-group competitions where players from 30 up to 95 can vie for titles at national competitions on a variety of surfaces -- clay, grass, hard court and indoor. Among the organization's national age group competitors, Lee Burling of Oswego, N.Y., may hold the record for the most titles. The 76-year-old has won 41, including one this past March for doubles in the 75-79 age group in the National Women's Clay Court Championships in Houston with her partner, Nancy Reed. . . . keep reading...>>
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Haas wins Senior PGA Championship
By Rich Skyzinski of Golfweek
On the verge of falling out of contention late in the third round, Jay Haas, the 2006 Senior PGA champion, holed an improbable 8-iron from 162 yards for an eagle 2. That jumped him into Sunday's last group, from where he held on despite a 4-over-par 74, the highest final-round score by a champion since 1980. His 7-over total was one better than Bernhard Langer, who lost his 54-hole lead on Sunday's first hole with his only double bogey of the week. "That was pretty miraculous," Haas said of the shot that landed well short of the green, bounded into and out of the first cut of rough, made a left turn and rolled into the cup. "I could stay out there a long, long, long time and never do that again. I could probably hit 100 balls from that same spot and maybe get 15 of them on the green and make a birdie with two others or something. It was just a freakish thing." . . . keep reading...>>
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NSGA launches new event
By Sean Callahan
THE NATIONAL SENIOR GAMES ASSOCIATION announced that Rhode Island will host the new National Senior Games Championship Festival and Euflexxa Hockey Championships in 2008, 2010 and 2012. The 2008 event will take place Sept. 4-7. In addition to ice hockey, the championship festival will feature billiards, pickleball, team bowling and weightlifting. The various competitions will take place in and around Providence, R.I. To compete in the 2008 National Senior Games Championship Festival and Euflexxa Hockey Championships, athletes must be age 50 or older by Jan. 1, 2008. Qualifying is not necessary. The festival is slated to take place in 2009, 2011 and 2013 in Florida. For more information, visit www.nsga.com. . . . keep reading...>>
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Challenge of a lifetime
By Margaret Hagerty
I THROW BACK THE HEAVY WOOL COVERS, crawl out of my sleeping bag, start layering on warm clothes and leave the Sherpa hut. Crossing a road of slippery, frozen snow, I enter the small dining hut where a welcomed fire burns in the large fireplace. Sitting in chairs around the fire, sleepy runners enjoy a breakfast of hot oatmeal and coffee. At 6:30 a.m. in the semi-darkness of Sandakphu, India, I stand on the icy starting line for the thrill of a lifetime: running the Mount Everest Challenge Marathon. Although Sandakphu is high enough to be above the clouds, the altitude of 12,000 feet will be a minor factor because I came to Lake Myrik several days ago to adjust to running in thin air. . . . keep reading...>>
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Ambassador Navratilova
By Sean Callahan
News about people, places and things in Masters sports...File this under D for "Duh": Masters athletes will not be surprised by the results of a recent study by Cambridge University, which found that people who don't smoke, eat their veggies, exercise regularly and drink alcohol in moderation tend to live an extra 14 years on average. What's been ignored in most press coverage of the study is that those extra 14 years are more likely to be lived in good health -- not in a nursing home -- because if you keep using your body and treating it right, it will, in turn, stay useful and treat you right. . . . keep reading...>>
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Cycling
