an athletic weekend for the family

Yesterday David competed in an indoor rowing competition at the boathouse of a local university. Indoor rowing isn't on boats inside, it is on ergometers or rowing machines. The machines are set up identically and are all linked to each other and to a central computer. Each competitor can see his or her progress and how he or she is doing compared to the competition. The race is 2000 meters and it is taken very seriously. The college rowers in particular row to exhaustion. The last time I went, the boathouse was overly heated so the college rowers stripped down to next to nothing. By the time they were finished, they were covered in sweat and exhausted. One in particular finished and just rolled off to the side and couldn't get up for a while. Seeing a hot college student, laying there covered in sweat, wearing very little, unable to move... well, bad thoughts went through my head for a moment.

Anyway, David finished second in his age group and class. Being 6'4" and about 205 has its advantages. He won a silver medal, which Leo wanted for himself but David elected to keep. Here's a photo of his medal.



Today Leo and I ran in a local road race. Leo ran the kids half mile run and I ran the 10k. Leo "runs like a rabbit" according to David, who was given the honor of running with him. David didn't mean he ran fast, more that he runs in bursts of speed, then slows down for a while. He also doesn't run in a straight line, but darts and weaves, partly to avoid other kid runners.

I've never been a fast runner but didn't do too badly, 51:46, for 8:21/mile. I finished 177th out of 958, so in the top 20%. I was the 15th male 45-49. Running is funny that way - there aren't many younger guys that run once you get past the high school runners, since the college guys don't bother with races like this. So if I had been younger, I would have placed better in my age group - I would have been 9th among men 40-44.

So that was our family's athletic weekend. We didn't watch the Superbowl. I would rather be active myself than watch others do a sport.