Friday Inbox Mixed Bag Compilation

Before I go any further - VOTE FOR MY DOG PLEASE. I would really appreciate it. Thank you!

I'm so honored that Danielle Tucker asked me to be a part of her Golf Club Radio Show tomorrow. Danielle's a really cool chick that you can follow on Twitter as well as listening to her every Saturday morning. You can listen online starting at 7:00 am HST (she's in Hawaii). Look at her archive for previous guests and you'll see why I am so honored.

UPDATE: Everyone please wish the best for Hawaii, they're under a tsunami warning right now that is expected to hit them in a few hours. Danielle called me at 4:00 am PST to let me know that she had to get on the radio and start warning people to evacuate the coast. Please wish her and everyone on the islands the best. More info here.

On to fitness - If you've been by here at all this year you will have noticed how focused I have been on my personal fitness goals. I received an excellent link that complies marathon and half-marathon training plans. Completing a marathon is definitely on my "bucket list" and I hope to get to my first one in October. I know, I want to do everything. I get it.

Did you know that in spite of a ruling by the Canadian government that the practice was overtly sexist that women's ski jumping was not allowed at the 2010 Olympic games? It seems very silly to exclude women from this event, doesn't it? Check out today's video and then go here for the details and what you can do to take action on this issue.

Curl It Up!

Since the last Winter Olympics, I've been absolutely fascinated by the sport of curling. It seems as though I am not the only one in Southern California as clubs have sprouted up since then as well. I found one in Simi Valley and one in Hollywood. I'm definitely going to hit one of the upcoming clinics and give it a try for myself.

Olympic Curling has grabbed the spotlight much more this this time around it seems. The Norwegian team has been making fashion statements. Team Canada showed the world that one can be pregnant and an Olympian at the same time. Unfortunately, Team USA hasn't fared so well in these Olympic games. Both men's and women's squads have lost more rounds than they have won.

I won't even try to explain the rules or strategy for curling since I am still learning. I did find this link that has plenty to read to help get you up to speed.

Have you ever tried curling?

Regaining Confidence

Throughout my life I have memories of trying to overcome hesitance in one sport or another which usually came from a misstep of some sort. Yesterday I talked about how tough it was for me to actually pull off a back handspring in gymnastics but how I managed a double axel on roller skates. It took a bit for me to figure out that I wasn't cut out for gymnastics but could skate like nobody's business. In addition, it became clear that water sports came naturally to me. I taught myself how to swim in one afternoon at my cousin's pool and then even made my high school swim team years later without even one hour of formal instruction. Basically, when I was a kid I could do any sport that I decided to play. Tennis, track, basketball, and even football with the boys also came to me without the "hard work" or "sacrifice" that one attributes to playing sports.

Then I got older.

A couple of months ago I got crushed pretty badly at my favorite surf spot. A really big set came in and I had to ditch my board and dive for cover. Even though I was held under for a bit I was really no worse for the wear. On Sunday I had another experience with a big set in which I did not win. For some reason this ended up being much scarier even though the waves weren't quite as big. I was on an unfamiliar surfboard (surf company demo that day) and there were three others quite close to me. It was one of those situations where the break started happening faster than we thought and we were getting pushed together by the current. I didn't want to toss aside my board in fear of hitting someone so I tried a turtle roll just a bit too late. While being held under I couldn't tell if a board "softly" hit the side of my face or if that was the force of the wave. After surfacing I realized that one of the guys next to me, our boards, and I were dangerously close to each other. We immediately asked if the other was alright. We were both fine but I did get out of the water for a moment to compose myself and then got back in. My time didn't really last long out there after that as I couldn't shake the dazed feeling I had.

I wasn't going to let a bad session ruin my confidence so I got back out yesterday. I paddled out on my favorite board but the muscle stiffness and memory of being slapped by Mother Nature taunted me. Half an hour later I came back in after catching only one wave. It was only then I realized how badly shaken I was from the day before. Ugh.

I'm not going to beat myself up about being a big baby yesterday and I plan to get back out tomorrow morning.

I spent the rest of the day shooting nine at a little executive course in the Valley. This turned out to be a great confidence builder. I played with two guys, hubby and my cousin, that are much better than I. They had a less-than-desirable outing and I easily kept up with them in distance and score. This was just the ego boost that I needed.

All of my personal surfing falls and wipeouts can't possibly be as nerve-wracking as a spill by an Olympian in a medal event. They can't go out the next day and try to redo where they faltered the day before. All of this should have been dealt with in all the years of practice that led up to that moment.

I'll be rooting for Lindsey Jacobellis tonight when she attempts to remove the memory of the spill in 2004 that cost her a gold medal. GO LINDSEY!!

Monday 5: Some of My Favorite Olympic Memories

Ever since I can remember, the Olympics have always excited me. I remember being glued to the television as a little girl for both the summer and winter events. Here are five of my favorite memories and inspirations from the Olympics:

1. Gymnastics: I was so enamored by gymnastics around the age of 8 or 9. My father shared this interest with me since he participated in high school gymnastics. We would work outside in the backyard for hours trying to get front and back handsprings down. I crushed myself pretty badly on one back handspring attempt and it was really hard to overcome. Pretty soon after, it was evident that I was going to be too tall to ever be competitive in gymnastics. I went to a free day at a gymnastics training center and was already the same size as many of the 16 year old girls. That settled that, long arms and legs means that you aren't going to be a competitor in this sport. It's cool - at 5'10" I can still do front handspring combos on command and even some moves on bars that are high enough. To this day, I particularly love to watch the floor routines and the uneven bars when the Summer Olympics come around.

2. Figure Skating: Talk about obsessed - I was so in love with figure skating as a child. My friends an I would practice all of the moves we saw the Olympians do on our roller skates. I got pretty good on mine and could even pull of a double axel. I still remember the first time I did it on the concrete - that rush you get when you accomplish something tough is amazing. We had practiced for days on our front lawns so it wouldn't hurt so bad when we fell. On either my 12th or 13th birthday I got to have my party at a roller rink and one of my friends and I did our best to imitate a routine that we had seen in the past. I still love to skate today and can even ice skate now. Watching this year's figure skating has motivated me to take my ice skates with me to the office now since there is a nearby rink I can hit on the way home.

3. Curling: I have been intrigued by curling since I discovered the sport. I still don't fully understand it but have been reading up and watching whenever it is televised and on videos that I find. The mental precision draws me in every time. I've tried to contact a few clubs to get an interview but nobody will ever write me back. I'd be great if there was a local group that I could check out here in SoCal. If anyone knows any curlers definitely shoot me a note. I really want to learn more.

4. The Original Dream Team: Need I say more? I even have a Magic Johnson Olympic jersey! Personally, I don't feel there can ever be another team that is this awesome. If you need further explanation check out this link.

5. The Hockey Miracle: See video above and read about the "Miracle on Ice" here.

What do you love about the Olympics?

Wild World Of Wednesday - Two Contests

First Contest

This is a sweepstakes from Pepto-Bismol to celebrate InstaCool, chewable tablets that give "an instant blast of cool" to provide relief from nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, and diarrhea. You could win a trip to Vancouver for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games by submitting a short essay about a time when you could have used some "cooling out." The contest page says the essay is actually optional and all you have to do is fill out the entry form here. For the full details on this contest check the link here.

Hurry! This contest ends on Monday, January 4th.

You can also get the full scoop of Bepto-Bismol and Team USA here.


Second Contest

This is a also a Pepto-Bismol themed contest. To win a prize pack that consists of a sample of the new InstaCool product and a spiffy commemorative 2010 Olympics pin all you have to do is live in North America and leave a comment about your best Pepto-Bismol moment. The two best will be selected - yup, two winners so let's hear those stories! This is what the pin looks like:

I can't wait to hear what you come up with - be creative! This contest will end on Friday, January 8th so get your comments in. Oh, and yes, you can comment more than once if another idea strikes you.



P.S. They're sending me a sample and pin as well in case you had to know.