Games of the XXX Olympiad

The Games are underway and that means it's time for some commentary from your humble narrator . . .

The biggest concern for everyone in London was transportation and after four days, the general consensus is that they prepared for the worst and it hasn't been that bad.  I haven't heard of anyone missing their event or getting stuck in traffic.  Trains have been full leaving the Olympic Park each night, but the party atmosphere has prevailed.  Those arriving early Saturday morning were greeted by revelers who were just on their way home from the night before.

Watching the Olympics on television in America has always been to mixed reviews.  I understand NBC's desire to catch the largest audience during primetime, but for those of us who are die hard fans, we'd much rather see it live.  Obviously, with this being the first social media Olympics, it is nearly impossible for any true fans to remain oblivious of the results until primetime or later.  And while in year's past, I have been one of the biggest critics of NBC's tear jerking athlete profiles and over-the-top coverage of the US athletes, it has become the same way here in England.  The bright side is that on the BBC's online site, there are 24 channels of live coverage and I am able to watch every heat of every race, as well as coverage of matches between countries like New Zealand and Lithuania.

Speaking of social media, it has been very cool to follow some of the athletes, reporters, and groups directly involved with the Games.  @PressAssoc2012 provides great general Olympic information, @SITimLayden (Sports Illustrated's Tim Layden) is up-to-date with all the breaking news, @AtoBoldon is hands down the best Twitter Broadcaster there is, and it's been fun following athletes like Lolo Jones @lolojones and Amy Hastings @HastyHastings for behind-the-scenes observation and commentary.

England (or Team GB as they are known) has a lot of pressure to succeed.  They won 47 medals in Beijing and as host country, they are granted more entrants in this Olympics.  It was a surprise that the men's cycling team was shut out on day one, but the men's gymnastics team came out of nowhere to win their first medal in over 100 years.  It is very exciting to be in a pub when England gets a medal and the patriotism comes out strongest from those whom you'd expect it least.  Team GB has advanced many swimmers and rowers into the final rounds, but with more participants, come more non-medalists.  Many British athletes have already placed fourth or fifth, which is either just out of the medals or heart-breaking failure, depending upon how you look at it.  On the positive side, every athlete interviewed has praised the support of the crowd and said he/she has done his/her best.  Even London Mayor Boris Johnson has chimed in, saying "We are showing great natural restraint and politeness as host nation in not hoarding the medals more so far."

Swimming is the first week's marquee event and it has been pretty cool to watch Lithuania's 15-year-old Ruta Meilutyte and China's Ye Shiwen win gold and I take patriotic pride myself with USA's 12 swimming medals so far.  Just watched Andy Murray win his second round match and the women's soccer teams play again tonight, with the USA taking on North Korea at Old Trafford and Great Britain playing Brazil, who are as dazzling as their male counterpart.

Tomorrow, I will make my first foray into the Olympic Park for a session of Team Handball.  Can't wait . . .

Citius, Altius, Fortius

Citius, Altius, Fortius

Let the Games of the XXX Olympiad begin . . .

FINALLY

Just enough time to find a great spot to watch the Opening Ceremonies!

Rudyard Kipling

Visited the home of another famous traveler and author, Rudyard Kipling.  Inside, there are many cool items, including some original artwork from The Jungle Book.  Mowgli was vthe most popular character, but I always liked Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.  Kipling lived at Bateman's from 1902 until his death in 1936.

Bateman's, home of Rudyard Kipling

The desk and a fantastic reference library

And on a totally different subject, it just passed 8:12 a.m. and I think everyone in England was ringing a bell to mark the final journey of the Olympic Torch along the Thames.  The time is getting closer . . .

Relaxing

My path has crossed with that of my parents for a few days and we enjoyed a nice pub lunch at The Old Vine with my cousin Susan.  Tomorrow, my dad and I will have a day out in London while picking up our tickets for the Olympics.  I have already purchased tickets for Athletics & Team Handball, while my parents will be attending Athletics and Field Hockey.  Meanwhile, I'll just pretend I'm still on the beach looking out and up into paradise.

Looking up from my table in a Barcelona cafe

 

I had the fish & chips, of course.

Mediterranean Coast & Barcelona

On my rest days from the Tour de France, I took advantage of my location and made a quick trip to the Mediterranean Coast in France and then on down to Barcelona.  Narbonne was on the first Roman road in Gaul and over 2000 years old.  I didn't know it until I was there, but it was also the part time home of Edmond Rostand, who wrote my favorite play, Cyrano de Bergerac, in the late 19th Century.  A fifteen minute bus ride from Narbonne is the coastal village of Gruissan, where I was able to swim a little and walk along the sea.  And while it wasn't a topless beach, there were quite a few topless women strutting their stuff.

The city square of Narbonne

Better than a Corona commercial

From Narbonne, I headed south into Spain and the city of Barcelona.  I had only 24 hours there, so didn't waste any time sleeping.  Barcelona is a city that never sleeps and I'm going to remind everyone that that this is a PG-13 blog, so for the full story, you're going to have to buy me a beer sometime.  I walked many more miles and saw as much as I could, including Camp Nou, which is the home stadium for FC Barcelona.

The main gate to the walled city of Barcelona

Barcelona, old and new

Champions League Trophies

 

Club Nou, home of FC Barcelona

Le Tour de France

The month of July means Le Tour de France and for many years, my ritual was to get up and turn on the television (think Outdoor Life Network and Vs.) and watch the day's stage.  The success of Lance Armstrong increased the Tour's popularity in the United States, but the drug scandals have counter-balanced the respect and attention the entire sport receives.  For three straight years, I attended the Tour of Missouri, seeing many of the sport's top stars, including Hincapie, Cavendish, and Contador.   Last year, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge marked a return to Colorado, but I missed it.  That was disappointing until I realized that by going to the Olympics this year, I would also be able to attend the biggest of the them all  . . . Le Tour de France!

The parade of sponsors begins an hour before the start.

The Mayo Jaune:  England's Bradley Wiggins

I arrived in Luchon for the finish of the 16th stage and decided to walk back from the actual finish line to see the final climb of the day.  It was a ten mile hike up the mountain but well worth it.  Hundreds of amateur cyclists were riding to the summit from both sides, with their reward being the ride down after the race had passed.  France's own Thomas Voeckler came across first to great cheer and after the peloton flew by, I started back down so that the riders near the end would pass me at full speed.  By the end of the day, I had walked close to 25 miles.

First over the mountain: Voeckler

Found a spot at the start of the stage in Luchon

Because the next day's stage started in Luchon, everyone stayed in town and it was one big party all night.  The riders, obviously, ate privately with their teams, but many members of the support crew were in the local establishments into the long hours of the night.  In the morning, I commandeered a great spot between the starting line and the officials tent so that I could see and hear all of the introductions.  The riders were close enough to touch and the cheers for the leader in yellow, Bradley Wiggins were enormous.

The moment I realized I was actually here

The Brits were out in force to support Team Sky.

After skipping the next two stages for a side trip to Barcelona and the Mediterranean Coast, I returned on Sunday to watch the final ride into Paris and the laps around the Champs-Élysées.  As I was walking from the train station, I turned the corner and saw the tunnel that is always shown on TV and it hit me that I was really in Paris for the final stage of the Tour de France.  I walked my own lap around the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde, talking to every British person I saw.  Many of them had ridden their bicycles the day before after it was clear that England would place two on the podium and possibly capture another stage win.  This was achieved when Mark Cavendish was launched early and held on for the victory, while Wiggins and Chris Fromme placed first and second in the overall tour.

The first Englishman to ever win the Tour de France.

Alive and well

Just a quick update to reassure everyone I am still here. I've been in the Pyrenees watching a few stages of the Tour de France and now I am headed south into Spain. Everything has been new and exciting and I will provide details and pictures when I have a chance. Crazy, I didn't think I could speak French, but people seem to understand me. Now let's try Spanish.

Chartwell

Time for a quick history lesson for my friends who care about more than sports.  Over the weekend, I visited Chartwell, the home of Sir Winston Churchill, who was the Prime Minister during (and again after) World War II.  It's just over 30 miles from London, but a world away in terms of peace and quiet.  From decades before he was Prime Minister up until his death in 1965, Chartwell was Churchill's escape from the world and where he wrote and painted while enjoying the Kent countryside.  

Atop a hill and surrounded by gardens & fields.

Churchill could look out this window from his desk.

Life in England

Greetings!  Today is another lazy Sunday, but I have many tasks to accomplish before I head off to Paris on Tuesday.  I've just returned from what for me is a long run.  Almost 5K!  I'm in virtual training with two good friends back home who are preparing for various races this fall.  For those who know Tunbridge Wells, I've been alternating between laps around the lake in Dunorlan Park and 120-meter sprints up the hill in front of my cousin's house, which is pretty steep.  Stacy and Anna-Lynn, I'm with you in spirit!

Hopefully not much has changed in 136 years.

The rain has stopped and the sun is shining, so I can do my first load of laundry and take advantage of my cousin's solar dryer.  The weather for the Tour de France has been excellent thus far, so keep your fingers crossed for the Pyrenees and my voyage deep into Spain.  I could use a little tanning before the Olympics begin.  My plan is to take the Eurostar from London to Paris and then catch an overnight train to Luchon, which will be the finish line for that day's stage.  No hotel rooms booked, so I will be camping and/or riding overnight trains for the next few days and hope to make it to the Costa del Sol before returning to Paris for the final day of Le Tour.

Hopefully not much has changed in 136 years.

I'm not sure how much access to the Internet I will have next week, so if there are no updates here or on Facebook, don't worry.  If you're watching the Tour de France closely, you might just spot me as I plan on being one of the crazy fans doing something wild to show my support, especially with two Brits leading the way.  Didn't have the time or money to run with the bulls in Pamplona, but promise to make up for it this week.  The French and Spanish people are famous for knowing how to enjoy themselves and I intend to discover it firsthand.  That said, it was a beer from the past that I enjoyed on tap in Crystal Palace.  Paul, wish you could have been there for the Bitburger and some world class hurdles.

Drink Bit, Stay Fit!

And finally, someone I hold very dear in my heart lost her mother this week and it only reminds me of those horrible phone calls we are all eventually going to be making and receiving.  Some of you have already experienced this and my heart goes out to you.  Life is far too short and we need to celebrate every single minute!  Gretchen, this one is for you!  Cheers!

Crystal Palace

Two weeks until the opening ceremonies and I've already kicked off the athletics competition with a visit to Crystal Palace for the Diamond League Grand Prix.  Quick note to my American friends, in England and for the duration of the Olympics, Athletics is the official name for Track & Field.  The highlights of the meet I attended last night were victories by Mo Farah, Tyson Gay, and Javier Culson.

The stadium at Crystal Palace holds nearly 16,000 spectators.

Tyson Gay didn't get off to his best start, but finished strong to win the 100 meters in 10.03 over the up-and-coming Ryan Bailey.  Keep an eye on both to challenge the Jamaicans.

Puerto Rico's Javier Culson seems to get little respect, but is my favorite for gold in the 400 hurdles.  In this race, he held off England's hopeful and fan favorite, Dai Greene with a 47.78 finish.  Unfortunately, Bershawn "Batman" Jackson, whom I met at the KU Relays, false-started and didn't get to compete.

Speaking of hurdles, China's Liu Xiang posted the fastest time in the prelims, but scratched out of the final with a sore back.  The USA then placed 1st-6th, with Aries Merritt winning in 12.93, the fastest time in the world this year.

Mo Farah is England's best distance runner and easily won the 5000 in 13:06.05.  He is definitely a crowd favorite and the stadium was rocking for the entire race.

Mo Farah on BBC Two: "Thanks to the crowd, one last time here at home and then it's the Olympics on my door step. I'm in great shape. It's important I work on speed. It was a good race, I love this race, I love this crowd. I'm used to the conditions - it won't be a problem [at the Games]. I just have to take it as a another race. I'm looking forward to it."

Wanderlust

"Not all those who wander are lost."

J. R. R. Tolkien

A Living Legend

Roger Bannister running the first sub-4 minute mile . . . 

. . . and today, on the same track

Games of the Olympiad

Can you remember your first Olympics?  When I was little, all we had for a television was this old black & white monolith from I don't know where, but for an event as important as the Olympics, we rented a brand new color television and for me, it was game on.  I haven't missed one since and that includes 1980, when we just happened to be in England all summer and I was able to watch the complete BBC coverage of the Games while NBC joined the American boycott.  How far back can you name the correct Olympic host city?

2012 - London                       My Olympics
2008 - Beijing                       Visually spectacular
2004 - Athens                       Back where it all began
2000 - Sydney                       Australia's Cathy Freeman wins the 400
1996 - Atlanta                       I went to the Track & Field trials instead
1992 - Barcelona                   Spain's Fermin Ruiz Cacho wins the 1500
1988 - Seoul                          Ben Johnson, NOT
1984 - Los Angeles               Alonzo Babers
1980 - Moscow                     Coe vs. Ovett
1976 - Montreal                    Dwight Stones & Mickey Mouse
1972 - Munich                       Tragedy
1968 - Mexico City                Bob Beamon
1964 - Tokyo
1960 - Rome
1956 - Melbourne
1952 - Helsinki
1948 - London
1944 - none
1940 - none
1936 - Berlin                         Jessie Owens shows up the Nazis
1932 - Los Angeles
1928 - Amsterdam
1924 - Paris                           The Chariots of Fire Olympics
1920 - Antwerp
1916 - none
1912 - Stockholm
1908 - London
1904 - St. Louis                    I ran on this track at the AAU Junior Olympics
1900 - Paris
1896 - Athens

Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon

On the southeast coast of England, there is a town with the same name as another town just southwest of Pueblo.  The English Rye is a town made famous by smugglers as far back as the 13th Century.  The  pebble beaches both north and south of Rye separate the English Channel from the lush fields of County Kent.  Today, the sun was intermittent, the clouds were spectacular, and the sea air was full of healthy negative ions.  

Typical medieval Rye houses 

Lost in London

Today, I am glad none of you were with me because as a tour guide, I would have been awful.  My plan was to get lost in the walkabout way, but I ended up getting lost in the literal way and walked miles and miles on Hampstead Heath.  Ray Davies, of the Kinks, grew up just east of here in Highgate and it's been one of my favorite places to explore in London.  On a clear day you can see all the way to London town.

Slightly smaller than Central Park in New York, but much wilder

360 degrees of peaceful woods

Canary Wharf is on the left and St. Paul's & the Shard are on the right.

With all the walking I did today (a good five hours at least) the train ride home never felt so good.  When I am driving across Kansas, I think about each of the stops the train makes from Tunbridge Wells to London Charing Cross.  High Brooms, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Orpington, London Bridge, and Waterloo East always sound much more appealing than Topeka, Salina, Russell, Hays, Oakley, and Sharon Springs.  What saved me from total exhaustion was the fantastic bicycle system they have in place.  For just £1, you can take a bike from one location, ride around London, and drop it off somewhere completely different.  The first 30 minutes are free and it was really fun racing around traffic on a Saturday afternoon.  Tomorrow's Grand Prix had nothing on me!

Under 30 minutes, you don't have to pay!

Sports. Sports. Sports.

How many times in your life can you say that you know exactly where you will be in seven year's time?  Well, seven years ago today, it was announced that the 2012 Olympics would be in London and I knew that without a doubt, I would be here.  People tell me I'm lucky that I don't have a family or a job to keep me away, but that's bollocks!  I would be here no matter what and if I was lucky enough to have a wife and children, they'd be here right with me.

Olympic fever is everywhere!

The Opening Ceremonies are still three weeks away, but there is plenty of hype.  If my Kansas City friends are getting tired of the All-Star Game promo's, think times ten and you've got the hype here.  EVERYTHING is Olympic related!  We've also got Wimbledon and Le Tour de France to enjoy.

Scotland's Andy Murray has just qualified for the finals and will take on Roger Federer on Sunday with the weight of a nation upon his shoulders.  Quick lesson for my American friends . . . England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have separate identities under many classifications, but together they form the Great Britain or the United Kingdom.  Andy Murray is the first man from Great Britain to make the final since 1936, so he is everyone's home town hero this week.

Le Tour de France has also completed its first few stages and is about to approach its first mountain range.  If you're watching each morning, you might see me before it's all over!  I will be heading to France for the final mountain stages of the Tour and as long as I make it safely back from Spain, I will be in Paris for the ride along the Champs-Élysées.