Have watched The Olympics, but not obsessively. I prefer the winter ones, as more of the sports are more interesting, and Canada is more competitive. The time difference is also difficult, as most events take place before I’m up or when I’m at work.
Live-streaming is a nice thing, though. The most thrilling thing I did get to view live via that technology was the end of the women’s soccer match, including that one goal! Though I didn’t watch much of the heart-breaker soccer match between Canada and the US, I heard so much about it after, I felt like I had. So I was vested in that Bronze medal match. Christine Sinclair is a good choice to carry the flag.
Another fun live-stream was that incredibly long tennis match between Miloas Raonic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Live on TV, I enjoyed the men’s 1500-meter swim, which was surprisingly exciting for such a long race, and I managed to catch the women’s eight rowing team final.
But I am really looking forward to the Closing Ceremonies, with its promised focus on British music, including Ray Davies, Queen, and The Who. Great Britain proved themselves athletically in these games with the amazing performance of their team, but they long-ago demonstrated that they were unsurpassed in producing great rock musicians.
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For various reasons, my main workout choice these days has been via exercise DVD. I like to get new ones semi-regularly to shake things up, and avoid boredom. Looking up my collected titles, you might think I’m desperate to lose weight:
- Dance Off the Inches! Hip Hop Party
- 10 Pounds Down! Cardio Abs
- Fat Burning Fusion!
- Super Slim Down!
- Secrets to a Great Upper Body!
Which is just starting to get on my nerves. I know it’s all marketing, and there are a lot of overweight people that might be sold on such promises, but… Does “thin-ness” have to be the only selling point for these things? I mean, I have one called Fat-Burning Yoga, for heaven’s sake. Yoga. And it’s not some funky fusion of yoga and aerobics or whatever; it’s just your basic yoga stretches and holds, maybe a little more peppy. But not so you’re going to break much of a sweat.
Thing is, inside, they’re really good workouts that will do good things for your heart, lungs, muscles, stress level, sleep, and so on. In most cases, by the end of these workouts, I feel great. That’s why I do them. Yes, I’m sure it’s helping me maintain a healthy weight as well, but that’s not what’s motivating me to keep it up.
Is that so unusual? Reminds me of having been stopped by someone selling gym memberships, and asked why I exercise. I said, “To stay healthy”, and she looked down her list of possible answers and said, “Huh. That’s not on here.” So maybe it is that unusual…
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And that big toenail that I damaged on my Amalfi hiking trip? Gone! Leaving just the stub of toenail that had been growing underneath it.
It’s kind of gross, of course. And the timing is really bad, because it’s still sandal season. (I’m thinking, cover it with a Band Aid, I guess?) But it’s still making me feel unusually athletic. Me, the marathoners, and the cross-country skiers: Losing toenails in our pursuit of extreme sport. 🙂
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August 13, 2012 at 9:05 am
I am completely Olympic’ed out. I had it on in the mornings when I got up, at work all day, and would often re-watch some in the evenings. Totally happy for Team GB. Find it rather funny that some CDN media sources claim we finished 13th overall in the medal standings – no we didn’t, we were 33rd or something. You get more points for Gold medals – as you should, otherwise, there’s no point handing out 3 different types of medals. Highlights for me include Oscar Pistorius, the South African blade runner, the UK’s Mo Farah, and Andy Murray winning over Roger Federer in that sort-of Wimbledon rematch. I think some sports should be eliminated – anything synchronized stuff (esp. the swimming – the judging is totally fixed – worse than ice dancing used to be), and the non-traditional gymnastics (the crap with the balls and ribbons and shit) – those would be top of the chopping block for me. I also think they should put in a limit on the number of NBA pros any team can have in its roster as the US just makes a mockery of that sport now. They’re the only country that can field an entire team of NBA pros – Canada has only one Steve Nash, Argentina has only one Manu Ginobili, etc.Maybe a maximum of 3 pros on any line at one time. Would make things a bit fairer.
August 13, 2012 at 9:23 am
Well, the official Canadian target had always been total number of medals, exclusive of color, so it made sense to me that’s what was tracked in the media. If Canada had been after a weighted target, then it certainly would have been a lower number selected (and wouldn’t have achieved it, of course, given just one gold, but …).
I don’t think I watched any basketball at all. I agree the number of pros on the American team is absurd. Like it used to be with Canada and hockey, but that’s no longer so much an issue in that sport.
The Pistorius story was great, and I was happy for Andy Murray. Though I only watched bits or highlights of their actual events. (And I’m glad I missed the men’s 4×100 relay, because that would have just been depressing to see live.)
It does seem the judging in synchronized swimming is–predetermined, shall we say. And rhythmic gymnastics is pretty, but not so much a sport. The other thing about those two is only women are allowed to participate. Isn’t that discriminatory? Especially now that women are in boxing, wresting, judo, tai kwon do… In fact, I thought that Lisa Laflamme report on women in the Olympics said there weren’t any men-only sports in the summer Olympics anymore. If that’s true, then why have any women-only ones?
My favorite part of all was definitely the Closing Ceremonies. 🙂 I like the Twitter comment that Great Britain should just do all of those from now on.
August 13, 2012 at 10:43 am
There was something in the UK media about how there are still more medals given out to men – so there must be some events that are men only, or maybe just more weight classes (like boxing and stuff?). But yeah, seems rather odd to have some events which are women only.
What did you think of the Kaiser Chiefs’ rendition of Pinball Wizard? I thought it was the Who at first. Thought they did a really good job of it, though a bit odd that they did a Who track when the Who were also there, rather than one of their own pieces.
August 13, 2012 at 11:01 am
I hadn’t heard of that band before, but I thought the Kaiser Chief’s did a great job on “Pinball Wizard”. I never seem to get tired of that song. Agree it was a bit odd they did a Who song when The Who were there, though. Also quite weird that no Rolling Stones songs were included.