Top 3 U.S. Olympic Moments

This post brought to you courtesy of the 3 handfuls of peanut m&ms I ate at approximately 9 p.m. last evening. #Tweakinglikeakidonhalloween

In celebration of this glorious time of year -- the country's coming 236th birthday, the watching of the Olympic Trials and the countdown to the opening ceremony of the London Olympics -- I felt it was appropriate to revisit some of the most memorable and evocative Olympic moments for us as Americans.

First on my short list is not only practically guaranteed the first on yours too, but also my favorite sports moment of all time. Kerri Strug's gold-medal-earning ankle-spraining vault at the 1996 summer games in Atlanta is everything you want in a sports moment: an eleventh hour, world-is-watching personal performance that leads to team victory. 

Let's relive it, shall we? 

Follow the 2012 women's Olympic gymnastics team members on Twitter:

Gabby Douglas

Jordyn Wieber

Kyla Ross

McKayla Maroney

Aly Raisman

No matter how many times I watch that video (5 times so far this evening), it still gets me. Plus, you have to appreciate Mrs. Strug and the Magnificent Seven showing off the best of 90s fashion trends: owl glasses and visor-like bangs. Here's my mom sporting both like a true 90s babe.

Next, let's travel over to the 2008 men's swim team. I know, I know, no one likes a men's swim team, but do it for your country, okay?

The men's 4x100 freestyle relay in Beijing lasted a bit over 3 minutes, but the final 25 yards seemed to stretch out as American, Jason Lezak attempted and succeeded in passing the French by a fingertip's distance to win the gold. I still can't believe he touched the wall first. 

Please excuse the cheesy intro and the annoying music at the end of this video of the grippingly close race.

Finally, though I wasn't born when this one took place, as a BU alum, I feel indirectly connected to the 1980 "miracle on ice" that happened at Lake Placid, where four Terriers helped comprise the US Olympic hockey team that year. For those that don't know the story or haven't seen the movie, first of all, please do watch the movie, but second, the story is one of underdogs (the US) beating the top dogs (USSR, at the time), but the rivalry it features is all the more potent because of the decades-old Cold War between the two super powers. 

The game wasn't played for a medal; though the US did go on to earn gold that year. And everyone loves a good celebration video, so check out the final minute of the game, where the US leads 4-3. 

Now that you're feeling nice and patriotic, head on over to my dear friend's blog for a festive Fourth of July recipe that's colorful, decadent and pyrotechnic. 

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! 

Ziplining Maui

The name of this adventure starts with the first syllable of a feature on your pants. 

That was clue #3 of 3 that I gave Jordan in order to figure out what we were doing for his Maui birthday surprise. Ziplining!

It was both of our first times zipping down a mountain, and the canyons above Kaanapali were the perfect setting for a birthday-themed adventure. So we piled into the off-road van and the 14 of us – 12 zippers and 2 guides – made our way up the winding, bumping, red dirt road.

Preston and Pat were our guides. I appreciated their alliterating names and their complementary personalities. Preston – a zipline guide by day and reggae singer by night – “graced” us with his melodies and obviously recycled jokes. Pat – soft-spoken until he wasn’t and last year’s supposed Employee of the Year – offered a more subdued humor that you had to pay attention to notice: little mumblings under his breath and off the wall comments like “Have you guys seen We Bought a Zoo?...great movie.”

At the top awaited 8 lines averaging about 500 feet in length and varying in height off the ground. As you would expect, the lines got longer as we went along, so as we got more comfortable we had the time to look around and enjoy the impressive view.

Looking down on Lahaina. 

On an adventure scale of 1 to scary, I’d give ziplining a cool 5. Before I explain why, I should mention that I think Splash Mountain at Disneyland is scary. It’s true that I’ve bungeed jumped before, but that was an isolated incident brought on by post-Australia identity confusion. So really, you should consider me a bit of baby when it comes to thrills. That said, ziplining was not scary; I’d put it somewhere in between surfing (not scary) and mountain biking (kind of scary). It’s like white water rafting – a perfectly approachable outdoorsy adventure. 

Here’s a video of me on one of the middle lines (with a bit of narration from Preston).

We were also invited to take running starts and curl up into a ball once on the line in order to maximize speed and fun. Here’s a video of Jordan doing a running start.

At the end of the final line, the group surprised Jordan with a round of "Happy Birthday" that sufficiently embarrassed him. Mission accomplished. 

Me and the birthday boy.

I'm curious: Where have you ziplined?

The Dailey (or 2 Times a Week) Method

Memorial Day Weekend -- a time for consuming calories in any form -- booze, treats, grub. None of it counts this weekend. 

Alyssa's birthday cake featuring 4 sticks of butter -- just one player in the all-you-can-eat Memorial Day festivities.

Well, if you're like me and your good morning greeting on this Wednesday came in the form of snug jeans and an overpowering craving for vegetables, I have just the thing for you: a workout that will make your thighs scream, your posture erect, and your triceps pinch. 

It's called The Dailey Method -- a fitness potpourri with a Pilates base, a ballet flair, and a reputation for building long and lean bodies -- and it's the only strength workout that I've ever stuck with. In the hour-long class you'll squat and stretch at the bar like a ballerina (a tired and sweaty ballerina), you'll hold plank longer than you want to...like way longer than you want to, and you'll even experience the dichotomy of hilariousness and misery from the trademark thigh dancing.*

Aside from feeling stronger in my arms and abs, I credit TDM with improving my posture and lengthening my running stride. But my favorite part of TDM is that each class challenges you with different and new exercises, so it keeps my interest. Kudos to all of you who touted strength training as essential and efficient long before I did. I get it now. 

I even bought the $10 socks. #Sucker.

If you too want to feel like a wannabe ballerina, here's a list of TDM studios. Note, if you don't live near a studio, TDM is very similar to The Bar Method and other barre workouts. I stuck with TDM studio in Santa Barbara because it's closer to my house than The Bar Method and it has free parking. Amen to that. 

*You'll have to try it to find out. 

My Thoughts on Mountain Biking (or Sliding Down a Mountain in Padded Spandex Shorts)

Jordan exemplifying real mountain biking.

One of the things I initiated during my year-long blogging intermission was my mountain biking career. The use of the word "career" is funnier if you know that I've been mountain biking a number of times that I can count on one hand, and also if you could hear the "woahs" and screams I let out as I "mountain bike" down the trail. 

After a recent mountain bike excursion in San Luis Obsipo, I put together a collection of my thoughts and learnings about the sport, but first let's start with the basics.

The Basics

Okay, Anatomy of a Mountain Bike, Volume 1: Mountain bikes are built to go over rocks and logs and annoying small children. 

They prefer to do so at a quicker speed. 

Left brake slows down the front wheel = death trap. Right brake slows down the back wheel = your friend.

I have also heard mountain bikers use these words: pedals, handlebars, thirsty, Idaho, gears and breakfast. 

Now that you know everything there is to know about mountain biking, I give to you... 

Ramblings of Spandex-Clad Jedi in Training

Montaña de Oro State Park

Montaña de Oro is a one of a few confident peaks on the south tip of a small bay near San Luis Obispo (SLO), in a state park boasting a two lane road covered in arches of eucalyptus trees, stunning ocean views and an excellent beginner mountain biking trail. As you get started on the namesake trail, the incline is gradual and surrounded on both sides by stubby bushes. Toward the top you're challenged by sharper turns, rocky obstacles and rides along steep ledges. To get over and through all of these challenges, the trick is to...

1) Look Where You Want to Go

The best advice Jordan has given me about mountain biking thus far is that you want to look where you want to go, about 10 feet in front of you. When it works, you not only end up where you meant to (yay!), but you also feel like you're a Jedi using The Force to control the bike. At the path you look and continue safely you will; off the cliff you look and die you will. I will admit, however, that when you have a boulder garden* beneath you, this concept is harder in practice than in theory. But I have found that when I am able to completely ignore said boulder garden, I will likely go right over it!, which makes me wish that this look-where-you-want-to-go concept was applicable in other areas -- mainly traffic jams, work days/weeks, and airline seat assignments, among other things. 

*Something that real mountain bikers may refer to as "a single rock." 

2) Embrace Speed as Your Friend (the pushy, show-off kind)

Another thing to keep in mind is that the quicker you go, the more stable you will be. I haven't seen the equation that proves this math, but I have experienced firsthand the slow and inevitable fall a single rock can cause when you so much as touch your brakes before going over it. It's like the rocks on mountain bike trails have a personal vendetta against slow cyclists. So people like me who prefer snail mail speed -- I may get down the mountain in 3-5 business days -- are wise to suit up, sit down and hang on. It's like that scene in Forgetting Sarah Marshall where Chuck (Paul Rudd) is trying to explain to Peter (Jason Segel) how to pop up on a surfboard: The less you do the better. Ya gotta pop down, and never, ever, touch your brakes. 

3) Never Use Your Brakes (Ever)

This tip might confuse some of you, but seriously the brakes on a mountain bike are one of the most dangerous features. They are known to cause flipping, sliding, falling, bloating, headache, dizziness, vertigo, and sometimes death. My advice, just take them off. Waste of space. All you have to do is look where you want to go. 

On my way down Montaña de Oro last November.

What are your newest or favorite adventure sports? Any other ideas where the look-where-you-want-to-go rule should apply?