Aging up, USAT Board Meeting, Movie reviews

Well folks it is now time to see the USA Triathlon aging up rule in action. Here's is how it works. When you register for a USAT sanctioned race, i.e. duathlon/triathlon, you simply put your birthday down on the application, and your age in this race would be age on 12.31. To carry this even further let's use my birth date as an example, which is December 16, 1938. So, I register for the duathlon this weekend not putting my age down, but putting my birthday of 12.16, which means that rather than being 69 I am really 70 by their standards. Which also means that for the first time in my life I will be competing as a 70 year old. This also means that many people have ask me what it feels like. What a helluva a question. My response is fairly typical of me in that I answer with a question. I simply say, "well look around you and how many things do you see that are my age(really 69), i.e. say an automobile-no way are there any 69 year old autos on the road, but let's say there might be, then think if the automobile was 69 how worn out the parts would be, i.e. carburetor, generator, wheels, transmission, etc., etc.?" So, does that answer how I feel or is it just two steppin around the aging process. While I don't really know for sure I can say that my body probably feels better than the 69 year old auto would feel. After all I have had the opportunity to service my body whereas the auto depends on some human meat head to take care of it. If I have done a decent job on taking care of myself I should feel good, and I do. Bottom line here is that I am ready to race and bring on those 70 year olds'. Funny thing is since the age group goes 70-74 I could be racing a true 74 year old depending on his birthday. Isn't it strange how organizations come up with these complicated rules. I think there is nothing easier than being in my own true age at any thing I do. Oh well, so be it, watch out you 70 year old studs I am on the prowl.

Just returned from the first USAT Board meeting in Colorado Springs. It was a very productive and positive meeting. Rob Kasper was re-elected as the President of the Board. Rob has been a very stabilizing President of the Board and it was a wise choice by the voters to elect him back. I ran against him, so does that make me a gracious loser or what? I hate the word loser so let's just say he got more votes than I did and we are both winners. As I told him I will serve with the same enthusiasm for the sport and represent those that elected me no matter my position on the board. The Federation is in very good shape and Skip has done a great job in putting the new face on USAT and leading it forward to the 100,000 member total for 2007. The sport is on a 40' wave at least and the growth is tremendous. All is well in the Springs.

Movie reviews: "In the Name of the Kind: A Dungeon Siege Tale", 0000Terrible, This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. While I thought they had quit making B movies, I was mistaken. The script was terrible, the acting was worse(Burt Reynolds as the King, Ray Liotta as the villain, stumbled through their parts, but I am sure took the money anyway, while Jason Statham did a fairly good job as the Hero). It is in mid evil times, good against evil. That is the best way to describe a disgusting waste of money. If you go see this after this rating, God forgive you!

"The Bucket List", *****, This is a true five star movie with awards to follow I am sure. Played by two 70 year old actors, Jack Nicholson is a billionaire, while Morgan Freeman is an auto mechanic, they both have something very much in common. They are both dying of cancer, so they prepare a list of things they would like to do before they die. Thus, they live out together the items on the bucket list and get to know many new things about life. These two actors, while very different in style, play the parts to perfection and probably present these characters like no other actors I can think of could do. Even though the ending is predicteable, the presentation makes it very enjoyable and worth the ticket price, doubled.

greerman