Tevis Cup, Hawaiian Ironman, and Molokai Hoe

Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric."– Bertrand Russell

The month of October is filled with so many sporting events that are difficult to keep track.  After the Cool Ride and Tie, we have the following: The Tevis Cup, The Hawaiian Iron man, and the Molokai Hoe (women’s Outrigger canoe race).  These races begin a long time ago, and at first were considered to be unpopular. Bertrand Russell makes a good point, as these events were considered eccentric but are quite popular today even though they are extreme. 

The Tevis Cup is a 100 mile horse race that begins at Robbie Park and finishes at Auburn.  This race began in the 50s as a result of an idea by Wendell Robie himself.  He was an excellent horseman and exceptional businessman.  What a way to bring publicity to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.   He certainly knew what he was doing.  Let us face it, to ride a horse 100 miles in mountainous terrain during the day and night and to complete this event in one day is spectacular.  People were concerned that the animal would be harmed during the event. Robbie countered that argument by giving expert opinion from his vet from the University of California at Davis. It Has Nothing To Do With Age has more information about this event.  Go to Forest Hill and take a look for yourself on Saturday.

The Hawaiian Iron man also takes place on Saturday, but on the big island in Hawaii.  Once again, all it takes is an idea or vision to start.  A small group of Navy officers came up with this idea to determine toughness.  A 2.2 mile ocean swim, followed by 110 mile bike ride, and then a 26.1 mile marathon run completes this event.  This happening has skyrocketed in popularity.  There is television coverage, and it is more of a spectator sport than the Tevis.  Lew Hollander is likely to be a record holder this year.  Check the finisher list and look for his name. More information about Lew can be found in It Has Nothing To Do with Age.

The women’s Molokai to Oahu Outrigger canoe race takes place on this weekend as well.  Of course, there was the men’s race first.  The men were discouraged from putting on this race because they were told it was too dangerous and this was in the 1950s.  One can imagine the difficulty the women faced when they wanted to put on a race of their own.   It was not until the late 70s that officially their race began. Doc Shay was in the very first canoe of women to complete this rough ordeal.  These women completed this race before it became official.  Read about Doc Shay and Sammie Stanbro and their canoeing exploits in It Has Nothing To Do With Age.

By the book and come to The Auburn Running Company on Saturday the 15^th.  I plan on giving a short presentation and book signing.  Watch for the time.

Cool Ride and Tie,Tevis, Outrigger Canoe Race and Ironman

Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor."– Truman Capote

Truman is right on.  We know when we have experienced failure, and how that feels.  It is great to compare failure with success. And we all have our own definitions of success and failure.  Make sure that you rethink your definitions.  Since we control the definition do not make the mistake of shortchanging yourself.  Failure to one is not failure to another.  By the same token, success varies based on the perception of the beholder.

Secretariat, Randall, and I are going to mark trails for the Coolest Ride and Tie. The day of the event is just around the corner, and I hope to see you there.

Today is the third installment of Fran’s review of   It Has Nothing To Do with Age.  The book is available at Barnes & Noble, as well as Amazon.  Hope you like it.

Meet Gypsy his horse. The turning point of his life happened in 2009 with a serious accident. Things would radically change for him but never his spirit. Thrown from his horse, seriously injured and learning through the many tests taken that he had Stenosis which is a narrowing of his spinal cord, Frank has to learn to deal with life in a different way. Wearing a brace all the time and hoping for a miracle it is no wonder that he managed to rid himself of it, go to rehab and rejuvenate himself. There are many more stories of older people overcoming the odds, like Jack Sholl. Read the many stories in Chapters 14-16. The last two were my favorite: Paddler of the World and the Ultimate Caregiver.

Let’s sum up the journey: You can learn a lot from reading this book, those he meets along the way and the reasons behind writing this book. At 71 years of age he is out there running, riding, exercising, going to rehab and meeting great and inspired human beings. I have to agree with our young at heart author that genetics does not control what you can do and age means nothing. Parental models, guiding your children to want to play sports, compete and get out there is paramount. Walking, exercising and creating a framework for your child to want to develop and live a healthy life are so important. I agree that where you live and your environment often plays a part in how well you live. Playing with your kids, encouraging them to participate in sports and teams, understanding that competition is healthy and doing their best win or lose if really what it is all about. Competition is healthy, good and does influence you. Live longer, get out and find a sport of something that you can do and meet people, get off that couch and start today. You just might feel better, younger and those aches and pains might disappear.

Your life is not defined by your age. I know that. If these determined athletes our author tells us about can do it SO CAN YOU! I walk every day, I try and run several times a week, I am in great shape and this book is a brain and energy booster for anyone who wants to live longer and realize: AGE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! YOU DO!

Great book for seniors, even younger people to motivate them to get started before it is too late.
Fran Lewis: Reviewer

Tillamook,Hawaii Ironman, and Moloka -Outrigger Canoe Race

"When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge."– Tuli Kupferberg

I agree with Tuli.  However, I want to share my dilemma with you.  Secretariat has a secret that I am going to share with you.  The secret is called Tillamook, with Mountain Huckleberry as the flavor.  Yes, it is premium ice cream from the great Northwest. The taste will transform you.  You may never want another brand of ice cream again after tasting  this  delicious treat.

To continue yesterday’s book review on It Has Nothing To Do with Age.  Also notice the links on the blog.

 Next we meet Russ Kiernan who won the Dipsea Race. Meeting Jack Kirk would help Russ, as he became his mentor and trainer. Using Jack’s techniques even after he passes away does much to help him when he competes in a Ride and Tie and 28 more competitions. Can you feel the energy? Next the author tells the reader about his 2nd Ride and Tie: THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP in 1998. What he does and the pain he endured just to enter was totally remarkable. In 1999 he and Steve Anderson his Ride and Tie partner entered together and ran a trail. Learning about the 3rd Annual Marathon was next. Never stopping and always looking for the next race and competition to enter. The history of the Tevis was really interesting first awarded in 1959.

His friend Jim Steere’s story was quite compelling and interesting. A vet for large animals, learning about his early life, his memories, the tough discipline invoked by his father and how his mother came to the rescue for him and his horse Lady, will definitely endear you to him. Jim spent time with his dad while in High School was impacted by December 7, 1941 and even jointed the Air Corps. But, let’s get back to the important stuff: At 80 years young in 2008 this man became the oldest rider to compete and yes COMPLETE THE TEVIS! How cool is that! Jim was competitive and liked to finish his events and what he started. To learn more about him you need to read Chapter 7. You didn’t think I was going to tell you everything and spoil your fun of reading it yourself. Read both Chapters 8 and 9 to learn more about the Tevis and how 9/11 impacted his life and others.

Dr. Iron man: Lew Hollander was born in 1930 and believe it or not at the young age of only 54 he completed the 100 mile Western States Run. At 65 believe it or not he was the oldest winner of an Iron man Competition in Japan. Read about him and his navy career and you will be totally inspired. Now, get up, walk, and run, that couch has a huge dent in the middle where you have been sitting and watching too much TV. Move! Are you not inspired by what I have written? Okay: This should do it I hope!

Life after the Western States Run is Chapter 11, and then the Third Hurdle the 100- mile Ride and Tie follows. One thing you have to admire about Frank he never lacks women or companionship. This man has more drive and energy than most 20 year olds.

To be continued……

Barry Bonds,Osteoarthritis,Aging,and Competing

Barry Bonds is the greatest home run hitter in modern baseball. He hit more home runs than anyone else in this game. He is no slouch in the field or running the bases either. There is no controversy about him being a tremendous athlete. Barry, so what if they place an asterisk next to your home run total? Did you take legal steroids during your career? The jury is divided on the question however, the public probably less so. Barry, I realize you had injuries and that likely you had top medical treatment. "To say that you didn’t know what your trainer was doing to you sounds stupid" says Tony .I don’t think you’re stupid. Saying "yes" is a better way to go. Too bad you can’t undo it.
Today, Tony and I ran a 10 mile tapering training run on Western States trail. That means that the entire run is not as fast as a regular training run. The tapering started because we have a run in Malibu on the 23^rd. Tony is running the 20 K "call me a wimp if you like but I don’t want to beat up my body" and I am running a 50 K. The question I have for Barry Bonds is "are you going to be able to run a 50 K 25 years from now"? I hope that you will be able and that the things that you injected into your body will not come back to haunt you in the future. I figure that you did what you did because you wanted to continue to be the best at what you were doing at that time.
Related to health, treatment, and fitness is an article in the Wall Street Journal, April 12, 2011. The title: Doctors’ New Advice for Joint Pain: Get Moving by Laura Landro. In the article, Kate Lorig at Stanford University "the most dangerous exercise you can do when you have arthritis is none". According to the research, each extra pound of body weight adds the equivalent of 4 pounds to the knees.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that recently has shown up more in young and middle-age adults as a result of obesity and sport injuries. Currently, treatment is focusing on weight loss combined with exercises aimed at improving joint function and building up muscles that support the joints. Consider the scope of the problem as this disease affects some 27 million Americans and leads to 632,000 surgical joint replacements a year. This number is expected to grow as the population ages: one and two adults will likely develop knee osteoarthritis before the age of 85. The risk increases to two in three adults who are obese. If you are going to reach age 85, you better start to do something. Stretching exercises found in Bob Anderson’s book is helpful as well as taking Tony’s advice and not beating up your body. Find the right physical activity for you. Consider paddling or bike riding. A trial of glucosamine – chondroiton in 2006 found that 22% of the people in the study had significant pain relief. However, in 2008, a different study found that the supplements are no better in slowing loss of cartilage of the knee compared with placebo according to lead researcher Daniel Clegg. He recommends that patients discuss with their doctor whether the supplements are an option.
My buddy, Dr. Wayne Fiske told me that he believes age has something to do with it because he’s afraid that things can wear out. We are both the same age. One difference when we were younger is that he beat up his body with karate. So currently, I am in superior physical condition. I spend my time with exercise, health, and competition and he spends his time doing good photography. So for me, in one sense age has nothing to do with it.
Just yesterday, I had communication with Linda Rodgers my running partner in 2001 and 2002. At that time, Linda was married and living in Greenwood which is "Beyond Cool". Linda and I ran and ran and ran and preparation for the Western states 100. Chapter 9 in my book tells about some of our experiences. Linda has completed the Tevis, Western States 100, and the Hawaiian Ironman. This attractive female is currently selling real estate in Los Altos, California. For those of you looking for an athletic, energetic realtor, contact her at Lrodgers@interorealestate.com