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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Half an athlete?
By Sean Callahan
As this issue of Masters Athlete went to press, I was spending my evenings watching the Olympics on television. As I grow older, I marvel at just how much faster, higher and farther these athletes go than I ever have or ever will. Earlier this summer, I started doing some "speed" work. I hadn't attempted a timed 400-meter run in years. So when I started running on a track near my house once a week, I was shocked at how slow I turned out to be. I'm getting slightly faster as I do this speed training more often, but my best 400-meter time is 82 seconds. Just how slow is that, you ask? Former Olympic gold winner Michael Johnson set the world record for the 400 meters in 1999. His time was 43.18. That makes him almost twice as fast as me. But I'm 43 years old, so I probably should measure myself against Masters runners. . . . keep reading...>>
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Olympian feats
By Sean Callahan
DARA TORRES LOOKS LIKE SHE'S 21. More importantly, she still swims like she's 21. And that has the 41-year-old mother poised to make her fifth U.S. Olympic swimming team. After competing in the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympic Games, Torres made an Olympic comeback in 2000 and won five medals in the pool. Part of Torres' road back included competing in the FINA Masters World Championships in 2006. "Everyone at [the] Masters World Championships urged me to do it again," she told USA Swimming, "but if I were going to spend more time in the water and incur more need for massage therapists and other people to help me do it, I needed to do it for a bigger reason. I'm doing it this time for my daughter -- to leave her something special to look back on when she's older." . . . keep reading...>>
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The girl from Ipanema goes running
By Sean Callahan
Masters sports are growing in Brazil, especially in Rio de Janeiro Later this year we plan to run a special report on Masters sports around the world. Our first stop on the Masters Athlete World Tour 2008 was Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which had a very visible Masters athletic movement. Rio is a gigantic beach town of almost 12 million people. The city's beaches -- from Copacabana to Ipanema to Barra da Tijuca -- are filled with athletes of all ages. On the walkways by the beach, men and women jog and bicycle parallel to the Atlantic Ocean. On the beaches themselves, permanent volleyball courts and soccer fields are set up for year-round games in the sand. . . . keep reading...>>
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Old jocks, new tricks
By Sean Callahan
I've always been a big believer in coaching -- mainly when it comes to other people. I see the value of coaching all the time in my two favorite spectator sports: college football and college basketball. In football, whenever a good coach moves to a new school that had been performing poorly on the field, immediately the team starts playing better. You see it with all of today's great ones, from Steve Spurrier to Nick Saban. It's the same in college hoops. Current coaches such as Bill Self, Ben Howland and John Calipari always make their teams better, almost immediately. I also believe in coaching for kids. Over the years I've paid coaches to work with my daughters in swimming, tennis and basketball -- not to mention their dance and piano lessons. I've certainly done coaching and teaching work with my girls. . . . keep reading...>>
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Introducing Masters Athlete Daily
By Sean Callahan
In 2008, we're revamping this Web site to be an indispensible daily destination for you, the Masters athlete, providing all the information you need to stay on top of your game. Every business day, we'll be making new posts on the site, including news and feature stories, calendar listings, event results, blog entries and more. . . . keep reading...>>
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Naming right
By Brian Reilly
There is something different about us, but what is it? Drum roll, please... We have a new name, as all of our astute readers will have noticed by now. GeezerJock has become Masters Athlete. Find out why... . . . keep reading...>>
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It's good to have goals
By Sean Callahan
Editor Sean Callahan reveals his personal goals for the GeezerJock Masters Triathlon Championships. You can help him achieve one of them. . . . keep reading...>>
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Not the retiring type
By Brian Reilly
Masters champion Kent Durso is retiring from competition in the Scottish Games. Will the man, who has thrived on competition most of his life, find another sport to play? . . . keep reading...>>
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Baker's man
By Sean Callahan
Arnie Baker, a record-setting Masters cyclist and cycling coach, is among the key defenders of Floyd Landis, last year's Tour de France winner who is battling doping charges. And Baker's defense is more convincing than you might think. . . . keep reading...>>
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Cold running
By Steve Boman
One of GeezerJock's founders trains in the Minnesota winter, all to win a bet At 6:15 a.m. on the Saturday of Super Bowl weekend, the emergency weather radio I keep in my . . . keep reading...>>
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Help for the sixth man
By Brian Reilly
In 2007, GeezerJock is partnering with the Prostate Cancer Foundation's Athletes for a Cure program, a fund-raising and awareness effort to assist individual athletes in their quest to raise money for better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer. Every dollar raised from the program goes directly to the PCF. . . . keep reading...>>
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Hall of famers
By Steve Boman
Ten athletes were named in the inaugural class of the Huntsman World Senior Games Hall of Fame. They were admitted based on three criteria: 10 years or more association with the games, exceptional contribution and a love of the event. . . . keep reading...>>
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Back on track
By Steve Boman
Former college sprinter and GeezerJock editor-at-large Steve Boman, now in his 40s, makes a bet that he can a 25-second 200-meter dash. . . . keep reading...>>
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