London, Here I Come - for Summer Olympics 2012!

The Olympics would not usually be on my radar now, but I have joined a group, Journey to the Games, to go to London for the 2012 Summer Games, so the countdown is ON! Just 700+ more days...

Background - Going to the Olympics is on my Bucket List
I have been interested in attending the Olympics as a spectator and/or sports journalist for many years. I came very close to making that happen at the 2010 Winter Games held in Vancouver, British Columbia,  on the west coast of Canada - only a few hours' flight from me in Santa Cruz, California.  Ultimately, I decided I didn't want to deal with the cold weather and housing logistics by myself so I did not go. But I have many friends who went. I enjoyed reading their updates and resolved to go the next chance I had.

As a freelance sports and travel journalist, I  visited Olympic venues in Vancouver, Whistler and Richmond a year prior to the opening of the 2010 Winter Games. I wrote some Olympics preview stories, too. In addition to making me want to learn to curl and ski jump, my trip made me determined to go see an Olympic Games - it's on my bucket list.

 Ready, aim, fire! Then, jump on your cross country skis!  I got to take a shot at biathlon in British Columbia before the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Whistler and Richmond. Here, an instructor guides me on the basics of shooting.

My 2012 Olympics Tour Group and Guide
After witnessing the many talents and great charisma of Merritt Hopper, an organizer of my Costa Rica running trip with The Coastal Experiences in October 2009, I decided to join him and his crew for the Olympics in 2012. He has rented a youth hostel in London and I have paid a deposit to join his group - (which is now full). I feel lucky to be part of the gang.

Words of Wisdom from Olympics Veteran Merritt Hopper
"I know it's tough to get excited for a big trip like this so far out, but trust me, it's worth this much build up!" wrote Merritt in a recent email.  "Our trip to London will mark the first summer Olympics where more than 8 of us will be going on the journey overseas.  [For past Olympics group trips] we had 3 in Salt Lake, 4 in Athens, 8 in Torino, 7 in Beijing, 80 in Vancouver and now we're matching that 80 mark in London!"

Merritt Hopper leads the pack of runners during our Costa Rica 2009 running vacation.

Photo Credit: Karen Kefauver

Resources for the 2012 London Olympics - courtesy of Merritt
* www.london2012.com - official site
Start getting the lay of the land.  See what venues are hosting what events.  The more of a variety you have in terms of venues, the better.  The architecture alone is always something special.
* www.cosport.com  - If you haven't already registered to get ticket info, DO IT!  You could miss the boat on the first phase of ticket sales if you don't.  Sign up to receive their newsletter.
* * www.journeytothegames.com - Merritt's site for his 2012 London Olympic group


More Helpful Hints from Merritt
*   Will Call vs. Mailing tickets to your home - Will Call is for suckers.  Don't do it.
*   Airline tickets - If you're planning to use miles, GOOD LUCK!  It's doable but you'll need to be on the ball exactly 331 days before your departure and again 331 days before your return.  That is the first time airlines allow you to utilize frequent flyer miles.  Phones light up at redemption centers when it's 331 days before a global event in a certain city.  Mileage will be somewhere between 50,000 and 90,000, so if you're two decades behind the time, it's probably time you got a credit card affiliated with an airline that flies to Europe.  You could start building your point base now, get bonus points for signing up for the card, fly with that airline a few times, and potentially hit the required mile number 13 months from now.

Inspired by the Olympics, I pushed hard in my first mountain bike race of the season

To justify gobbling sweet treats on Valentine's Day, I jumped into my first mountain bike race of the year, competing in the women's sport (intermediate) class race today, Sunday, February 14 at Fort Ord in Monterey, California. It was the opening event of the seven-race CCCX series, nearly all of which will take place at Fort Ord, an hour's drive south from my Santa Cruz home.

Signing up for the race was a bold move, considering I can't even recall the last bike race I did. I haven't been on my mountain bike on weeks because it's been so rainy - the trails have been too wet to ride. But at Fort Ord, there's lots of sand, so no danger of destroying delicate trail eco-systems there.

My race consisted of 4 laps - beginners did 3 and pros did 5. Seemed like I could manage four. Little did I know how brutal those sandy laps would be! I estimate each loop was about 5 miles, but I swear as I huffed and puffed up the numerous climbs that they were 10 miles each.

I considered dropping out after the first lap, seriously thought about it again after the second lap, then decided to stick it out. I thought about the Olympic athletes, in particular the tragic death of the luger on Friday and felt the need to press on, despite my discomfort. My strategy was to make the third lap  a "rest" lap in order to banish lingering fantasies of bailing out. Then, for the 4th lap, I would go for it!

I did indeed ramp up the speed in a grand finale and dug deep to get there. I made it to the finish and got a second place medal in my age division! The medal was nice, but what really mattered was how hard I pushed myself and how I persevered despite wanting to quit more than once.

Race Highlights:

* Felt stronger than expected, given all the rainy weather time off the mt. bike.

* Enjoyed pushing the pace with my friend Henri Stern, of Pacific Grove. She inspires me!

* Teammate Andrew Murray's support - he cheered at every lap when I needed it most. And provided water, and later a bar, when I was near bonking.

* Loved racing my new Specialized full suspension bike for first time.

To sum it up, by the fourth lap, I was too tired to talk during the race - for those of you who know me and my laid-back racing style, that's saying a lot!

The results will be hosted on CCCX's new website:
http://www.cccxcycling.com