Back Porch FanHouse

New York Times Ethics Column Weighs In on Oscar Pistorius

Michael David Smith — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST

The man you see above is Oscar Pistorius, a South African sprinter who races on prosthetic legs like the one he's holding. Pistorius is really fast -- so fast that he nearly qualified for the 2008 Olympics, which raised questions about whether his prosthetics give him an unfair advantage. Now the New York Times ethics column has weighed in on the debate.

From The Ethicist:

The fact is that prosthetics are not like steroids or even the Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit (whose subtle aerodynamics grant anybody who can squeeze into one a measurable advantage by turning him into an artificial dolphin). You don't see lots of amputees winning able-bodied races, and you don't see lots of able-bodied runners strapping on their own Cheetahs. The fact is that this piece of equipment isn't supernatural and doesn't bestow any occult powers on those who possess it - even if many of us have dreamed of such things ever since we bought out first pair of PF Flyer high-tops, whose "flying wedge" was supposed to make us "run faster and jump higher." Turns out, the "flying wedge" technology only activates if you put a superior athlete in the tennis shoes.

I'm not sure I buy all of The Ethicist's arguments, but I certainly agree that Pistorius is no cheater, and I'd love to see him compete in the Olympics in 2012 if his times are fast enough to qualify. The day may come when runners on prosthetics regularly outrun those on human legs, and when that day comes, we'll need to re-evaluate the rules of track and field. But for now, we ought to let Pistorius run in any race he's good enough to run in.

New York Times Ethics Column Weighs In on Oscar Pistorius originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Usain Bolt Adopts a Cheetah

Will Brinson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Random Acts of Sport, Track and Field

Usain Bolt is, without question, the fastest man in the world. He owns the record for the 150-meter dash, the 100-meter (where his record is a ridiculous sub-10 seconds), the 200-meter, and, as MDS mentioned, he may as well go ahead and try to add the 400-meters and the long jump trophies to a case that includes 2008 Athlete of the Year.

In the meantime though, he's busy with a new, ahem, pet project: he just adopted a cheetah, which, as you may know, is the world's fastest animal. Seriously.

The Jamaican sprinter's sponsorship of the 3-month-old male cheetah is part of an effort to boost Kenyan conservation efforts of its famous wildlife, whose survival is threatened by trophy hunting, climate change and human encroachment.

But the best part is his name: Lightning Bolt!!!! Get it? His first name is Lightning (because he's fast) and then because he's Usain's "child" his last name automatically becomes Bolt! (Sorry, I have no idea why I think that's so awesome, but I do.)

Know what else is awesome? Bolt is doing this as part of an effort to PROMOTE nature conservation and to help animals and although I'm sure PETA will find a way to get angry with Bolt, it's really cool to see someone who doesn't need to help out this cause do so anyway.

Particularly when you consider that Bolt paid $13,700 for the cheetah and will pay $3,000 a year to care for LB, who will be placed in a Narobi conservatory. And let me tell you one other thing: if I wouldn't feel like a total wuss for saying "OMG, THAT CHEETAH IS SOOO CUTE!" I totally would. Just saying.

Usain Bolt Adopts a Cheetah originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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100-Year-Old Ruth Frith Sets Age Group Shot Put World Record

Michael David Smith — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Track and Field

A 100-year-old Australian woman set a new age group record in the shot put Sunday at the World Masters Games with a throw of 4.07 meters, or 13 feet, 4 inches.

Ruth Frith said she entered the competition confident she'd be the best of the bunch in the 100-and-over age group: "As long as I didn't foul I was going to win it," Frith said.

Frith said her advice to people who want to live a long life is, "I just think each year is another year. You just enjoy each day, and let the years go by." She adds, "Don't eat vegetables, because I never eat vegetables. I never have."

Frith also competes in the javelin and hammer throw, and she lifts weights regularly. She started competing in the World Masters Games when she was 74 and says she has no plans to retire, and she's hoping to compete in the next World Masters Games, in 2013.

100-Year-Old Ruth Frith Sets Age Group Shot Put World Record originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tests Allegedly Reveal Runner Caster Semenya Is a Hermaphrodite

Mark Hasty — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Track and Field, Women's Sports

After easily winning gold in the women's 800 meter race at August's World Championships in Berlin, South Africa's Caster Semenya found herself the target of allegations that she was not actually a woman. At the time, International Amateur Athletics Federation officials were quick to note that Semenya was undergoing gender testing, but the results would take a while.

Well, it's been a while, and the results are now in. Semenya is reportedly intersexed, possessing both male and female genital organs.

The New York Daily News reports that Semenya lacks both a uterus and ovaries but has undescended testicles instead. While the Daily News article doesn't mention anything about Semenya's external organs, the fact that she was raised as a woman suggests that her external genitals are female.

(The results of the tests have not been released by the IAAF, and the report of the results appears to be based on a single anonymous source. That doesn't mean the report is false; it just means that it's based on one person's word, and we don't know who that person is.)

If true, Semenya might lose her gold medal. She might lose even more than that, in fact.

Australia's Daily Telegraph was the first to report the findings, citing an unidentified source with close ties to the investigation. The Telegraph reports that the source believes South African athletics officials knew the nature of Semenya's situation but chose not to investigate.

The UK newspaper The Telegraph reported this quote from IAAF Secretary General Pierre Weiss: "It is clear that she is a woman, but maybe not 100 percent. We have to see if she has an advantage from her possibly being between two sexes compared to the others." The Telegraph also speculates that Semenya will be allowed to keep her medal, but will be disqualified from future women's races.

All sources agree that Semenya's testosterone levels are at least three times what is considered normal in a female. However, before you jump to the conclusion that these levels prove Semenya is a man, bear in mind that the range of normal testosterone levels in a man is roughly 10 to 12 times that of a woman. If Semenya's level is three times that of the highest level usually considered normal in a woman (80 nanograms per liter of blood), her level would still fall well below the lowest level considered normal in a man (300 ng/L).

Semenya's family and South African officials are strongly dismissive of the reports. Semenya's mother claims jealousy is the motive behind the allegations; the South African officials correctly note that the IAAF has not officially released the test results and are urging everyone to back off from Semenya until the next IAAF Council meeting in November.

The saddest thing in all of this is the effect it's having and will continue to have on Caster Semenya. It would be one thing if her elevated testosterone levels were the result of, say, steroid use. Testosterone is considered a performance enhancing substance, after all. If the reports of Semenya's physiology are true, however, then her elevated testosterone level is not the result of anything she has done and is entirely outside her control. She may lose her chance to run competitively over something which is no one's fault at all, least of all her own.

Tests Allegedly Reveal Runner Caster Semenya Is a Hermaphrodite originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sarah the Cheetah Sets 100-Meter Record for Mammals, 6.13 Seconds

Michael David Smith — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:50:00 EST

Filed under: Track and Field

Usain Bolt is the world's fastest man, but he's not the world's fastest mammal by a long shot. A Cincinnati Zoo cheetah named Sarah has covered 100 meters in 6.13 seconds, besting Bolt's record for humans by nearly three and a half seconds.

Sarah ran two timed 100-meter dashes on Wednesday, first running a 6.16 to top the previous record of 6.19 seconds held by a male South African cheetah named Nyana since 2001, then shaving three-hundredths of a second off that time on her second attempt.

You might ask what the point of all this is, but I think it's great that the Cincinnati Zoo uses events like this to call attention to cheetahs, an endangered species whose worldwide population has shrunk from about 100,000 in 1900 to about 10,000 now.

And I love the enthusiasm of the Cincinnati Zoo employees, with one declaring, "This is the all-time great day in cheetah racing," and another saying, "When people see a cheetah, they see heart, skill and commitment." Just like a great human athlete.

Sarah the Cheetah Sets 100-Meter Record for Mammals, 6.13 Seconds originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Young Gentleman of Leisure Gets KTFO by Field Goal at High School Game

Will Brinson — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Sports of an Extreme Nature, High School, Track and Field

Some people are athletes. Some are not. And the latter group is usually more likely to be tagged in the face by a football after it travels through the uprights en route to a successfully completed field goal. Like the kid below, who got absolutely dominated in this little tiny pile of awesomeoness.

Young Gentleman of Leisure Gets KTFO by Field Goal at High School Game originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time for Usain Bolt to Challenge Himself: 400 Meters, Long Jump in 2012

Michael David Smith — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:31:00 EST

Filed under: Track and Field

Usain Bolt could retire today, having just turned 23, and he would live forever as a legend in track and field. Having already won three Olympic gold medals and broken the world records in the 100 meters and 200 meters at last year's Olympics, he returned to the track and field world championships this summer and won three more golds, breaking his own records in the process.

So what's left for Bolt to do?

The easy thing would be for Bolt to continue dominating his favorite events at every major track and field event over the next couple of years and then win the 100 and 200 in the 2012 Olympics in London. Throw in the 4x100-meter relay gold that Bolt can continue helping his country win, and his talent is so great that he can have six Olympic gold medals at age 26.

But the greatest athletes are the ones who don't settle for the easy thing. And that's why it's time for Bolt to take on a challenge that, should he succeed, would establish him as the best athlete in the history of track and field.

Bolt should turn his focus over the next three years training in the long jump and the 400 meters. His athletic talent is so great that he could win the 2012 gold medals in both, and if he did that, he'd eclipse Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens and stand alone as the greatest track and field Olympian of them all.

Bolt's performances in the 100 and 200 have been spectacular, but both Lewis and Owens won the 100 and 200, too, and they were both long jump gold medalists as well. Bolt hasn't tried the long jump, but he has the pure athletic talent to win it. Just ask the current long jump world record holder, Mike Powell, who says he thinks Bolt could top his record.

"With his height [6-foot-5] he is the type who would scare me," Powell told the Guardian. "He is tall and fast. We are dealing with a freak-of-nature athlete. He is off the charts. He is destroying other athletes, making them look like kids."

Bolt says he's up for it: "I tell my coach I'd love to try the long jump before I retire. Definitely," Bolt said. "Hopefully I can do this before I retire because I think I'd be very good."

The 400, however, would be an even greater challenge. Athletes who have the explosive power to win the 100 usually don't have the stamina to win the 400, which is why no one has ever won gold in both. Can Bolt be the first?

"I don't know," he said. "I don't want to do it but if my coach decides I'm dominant over the 100 and 200 and let's try something new, I'll definitely try to put my heart into it also."

Let's hope Bolt's coach convinces him to tackle that new challenge. Bolt can keep collecting world records for years to come, but every world record will eventually be broken. Winning golds in an unprecedented variety of track and field events would allow Bolt to truly establish himself as the greatest.

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Usain Bolt Photos

Jamaica's Usain Bolt signs autographs in front of a piece of the Berlin wall offered to him by Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit on August 23, 2009 in Belrin. Superstar Usain Bolt replicated his Olympic gold medal tally at 2009 IAAF Athletics World Championships when Jamaica won the men's 4x100 metres relay title. AFP PHOTO DDP / OLIVER LANG (Photo credit should read OLIVER LANG/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

DDP

Usain Bolt Snapshots

AFP/Getty Images

Jamaica's Usain Bolt poses in front of a piece of the Berlin wall offered to him by Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit on August 23, 2009 in Belrin. Superstar Usain Bolt replicated his Olympic gold medal tally at 2009 IAAF Athletics World Championships when Jamaica won the men's 4x100 metres relay title. AFP PHOTO DDP / OLIVER LANG (Photo credit should read OLIVER LANG/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit (L) poses with Jamaica's Usain Bolt after offering him a piece of the Berlin wall on August 23, 2009 in Belrin. Superstar Usain Bolt replicated his Olympic gold medal tally at 2009 IAAF Athletics World Championships when Jamaica won the men's 4x100 metres relay title. AFP PHOTO DDP / OLIVER LANG (Photo credit should read OLIVER LANG/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit (R) poses with Jamaica's Usain Bolt after offering him a piece of the Berlin wall on August 23, 2009 in Belrin. Superstar Usain Bolt replicated his Olympic gold medal tally at 2009 IAAF Athletics World Championships when Jamaica won the men's 4x100 metres relay title. AFP PHOTO DDP / OLIVER LANG (Photo credit should read OLIVER LANG/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit (R) poses with Jamaica's Usain Bolt after offering him a piece of the Berlin wall on August 23, 2009. Superstar Usain Bolt replicated his Olympic gold medal tally at 2009 IAAF Athletics World Championships when Jamaica won the men's 4x100 metres relay title. AFP PHOTO DDP / OLIVER LANG (Photo credit should read OLIVER LANG/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit (R) offers a piece of the Berlin wall to Jamaica's Usain Bolt in Berlin on August 23, 2009. Superstar Usain Bolt replicated his Olympic gold medal tally at 2009 IAAF Athletics World Championships when Jamaica won the men's 4x100 metres relay title. AFP PHOTO DDP / OLIVER LANG (Photo credit should read OLIVER LANG/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

BERLIN - AUGUST 23: (L-R) Darrel Brown, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callander and of Richard Thompson Trinidad and Tobago receive the silver medal Michael Frater, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell of Jamaica receive the gold medal and Simeon Williamson, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Marlon Devonish and Tyrone Edgar of Great Britain & Northern Ireland receive the bronze during the medal ceremony for the men's 4x100 Metres Final during day nine of the 12th IAAF World Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium on August 23, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Darrel Brown;Marc Burns;Emmanuel Callander;Richard Thompson;Michael Frater;Usain Bolt;Asafa Powell;Simeon Williamson;Harry Aikines-Aryeetey;Marlon Devonish;Tyrone Edgar

Getty Images

BERLIN - AUGUST 23: Michael Frater, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell of Jamaica receive the gold medal during the medal ceremony for the men's 4x100 Metres Final during day nine of the 12th IAAF World Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium on August 23, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Frater;Usain Bolt;Asafa Powell

Getty Images

Time for Usain Bolt to Challenge Himself: 400 Meters, Long Jump in 2012 originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Natalia Rodriguez Finishes First, Disqualified for Pushing Fellow Runner

Michael David Smith — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: Track and Field

The women's 1,500-meter final had a strange result at Sunday's world track and field championship in Berlin, as Spain's Natalia Rodriguez made a late surge and crossed the finish line first -- only to be disqualified because part of that late surge included pushing past Ethiopian runner Gelete Burka, who fell to the ground and couldn't finish the race.

Burka was the pre-race favorite, but she ended the race lying down on the track. Ultimately it was Maryam Yusuf Jamal of Bahrain, who crossed the finish line second, who ended up winning the world title. Rodriguez went over to apologize to Burka immediately following the race, but she insisted afterward that she hadn't intended to knock Burka down:

I have a clear conscience, I know that I ran well," said Rodriguez after learning she had been disqualified. "I saw a space down the inside and then Burka tried to close me out. There was some barging and then she fell. I did nothing wrong.

"At about 150 meters, Gelete opened up a little and left some space open on the very inside of lane one. I tried to get by her, but as I tried she closed me down and forced me off the track. I was going to do the lap of honor, but all the stadium was whistling and the truth is it wasn't very nice."

The Spanish track team, however, felt upon viewing the replay that Rodriguez had, in fact, pushed Burka, and as a result decided not to appeal the decision.

Natalia Rodriguez Finishes First, Disqualified for Pushing Fellow Runner originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Decathlete Willem Coertzen Unhurt in Pole Vault Mishap

Michael David Smith — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:49:00 EST

Filed under: Track and Field

South African decathlete Willem Coertzen came away unscathed when his pole snapped into three pieces during the pole vault event at this week's world track and field championships.

Broken poles are a serious problem in track and field, and vaulters have sometimes been seriously injured in falls. But Coertzen was fortunate to land on the mat, and he came back to clear 4.6 meters, his personal best in the event. Coertzen got personal bests in six of the 10 decathlon events and came in 14th place in the world championships.

Another video is here.

Decathlete Willem Coertzen Unhurt in Pole Vault Mishap originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Usain Bolt in 19.19 Seconds

Chris Burke — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:54:00 EST

Filed under: Track and Field

Usain Bolt continued his sensational week, adding a world record of 19.19 seconds in the 200-meter dash to his 9.58-second mark in the 100-meters. Bolt has turned in a performance like no other at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, ending any lingering questions about his ability.

In case you missed Bolt's latest magnificent run, or if you'd just like another glimpse of greatness, you can check out the video below

Video: Usain Bolt in 19.19 Seconds originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Usain Bolt Wins 200 Meters in World-Record Time of 19.19 Seconds

Michael David Smith — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:35:00 EST

Filed under: Track and Field

The world's fastest man has struck again, as Usain Bolt (pictured above center) cruised to victory Thursday in the 200-meter final at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, setting a world record in the process with a superhuman time of 19.19 seconds.

Bolt, the Jamaican who dominated the 100 and 200 at last year's Summer Olympics, was already the story of these World Championships after he won the 100-meter world title, topping his own world record with a time of 9.58 seconds. Now he has another world record to add to his collection.

The field was a fast one, with four men breaking 19.9 seconds, but Bolt made the rest of the pack look like they were running in slow motion. Bolt grimaced down the home stretch, then looked at the clock as he crossed the finish line, breaking into a wide grin when he saw his time -- a time that will earn him a $100,000 world record bonus, just as he earned $100,000 for winning the 100 meters.

"I'm tired as hell now, but I got my work done, so I'm OK," Bolt said. "This is what we work for, me and my coach. We work for championships."

There's no question now that he's far and away the best track athlete in the world; the question now is simply what he can accomplish. The 100 in under 9.5? The 200 in under 19? Move on to dominate the 400 meters? Anything seems possible. Bolt will turn 23 on Friday. He's already track's biggest superstar, and he's showing no signs of slowing down.

Here are the full 200-meter final results:
1. Usain Bolt 19.19
2. Alonso Edward 19.81
3. Wallace Spearmon 19.85
4. Shawn Crawford 19.89
5. Steve Mullings 19.98
6. Charles Clark 20.39
7. Ramil Guliyev 20.61
8. David Alerte 20.68

Usain Bolt Wins 200 Meters in World-Record Time of 19.19 Seconds originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Runner Caster Semenya at Center of Gender Controversy

Mark Hasty — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:55:00 EST

Filed under: Track and Field

Caster Semenya (pictured right) is an 18-year-old South African runner who may be the fastest female middle distance runner in the world right now. There is little question that Semenya is as fast or faster than any of the women she competes against.

There is considerable question as to whether Semenya qualifies as a woman.

Before you start quoting lines from Juwanna Mann, let's get one thing straight. No one is arguing that Semenya is a man competing in drag. Given the fit and styling of women's track uniforms, I doubt even Industrial Light and Magic is up to that particular task.

So just what is all the fuss about, anyway?

More Coverage: Caster Semenya Photos

The argument is that Semenya was born intersexed; that is, with some combination of male and female reproductive organs. Before you start assuming that a simple visual inspection would clear this right up, please consider that these matters are a little more complicated than that. There are a lot of possible combinations of reproductive organs which would qualify a person as intersexed. It's even possible Semenya might have the external organs of a woman and the internal organs of a man.

So don't act too shocked when the IAAF says that it won't know the results of Semenya's gender testing for a couple weeks. This is a much more complicated matter than it first appears.

Even then, what are the results going to tell us? What would they mean? If Semenya is intersexed, should she compete as a man or a woman?

As we've become aware that gender is less binary than we think and there actually are some points in between male and female, issues like these are going to remain up for debate. Personally, I find it interesting that this story is breaking today, August 19th, the birthday of Renee Richards. Richards, a tennis player, was born a man but underwent sex reassignment surgery in 1975. She then tried to enter the 1976 US Open but was denied entry by the USTA. She sued and won a judgement from the New York Supreme Court.

Obviously, the Richards case has no bearing on international track and field, but at least one sport has walked a similar road before. The rest of us now wonder what Semenya's biological situation really is and, if she is intersexed, what the fairest course of action for the IAAF would be.

Runner Caster Semenya at Center of Gender Controversy originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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U.S. Olympians: Michael Phelps, Manny Ramirez Got Off Easy

Elie Seckbach — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 20:10:00 EST

Filed under: Track and Field, Women's Sports, Swimming

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Track and field star James Carter, a member of two U.S. Olympic teams, has very strong opinions about pro athletes who get busted for substance abuse or have their pictures taken with bongs.

In this video we talk to Carter about his thoughts on the subject. We also hear from track legend Maurice Greene, who tells us what he thinks about Manny Ramirez, while Olympic gold medal winner Dee Dee Trotter tells us who her idol is and why baseball will never change its policy when it comes to substance abuse.

Check out the video after the jump.

U.S. Olympians: Michael Phelps, Manny Ramirez Got Off Easy originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 20:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Candice Davis, the Beyoncé of Track

Elie Seckbach — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: Outdoor Sports, Track and Field, Women's Sports

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Candice Davis has been a track star her entire life, but she started getting national attention when she went to USC and won the Pac-10 Championship for 100 meter hurdles. Along with being super fast (her best time for 100m hurdles is just over 13 seconds), she has a one of a kind personality. In this video, Candice shows us how she moves like Beyoncé, why athletes are not allowed to eat popcorn and lets us know where she get her athletic skills from.

Check out the video after the jump.

Candice Davis, the Beyoncé of Track originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Run, Forrest, Run: Why I Hate Jogging

Clay Travis — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:53:00 EST

Filed under: Distance Running, Endurance, Outdoor Sports, Track and Field

I hate jogging. Passionately. Every couple of years I get fat and I have to start jogging again. Now is one of those times; I'm up to 186 pounds, about 11 pounds above my playing weight. Recently I saw a picture of myself in a wife-beater and I looked like a beached whale. Well, a beached whale in a wife-beater. Traditionally I loathe every moment that I spend jogging, but this time around it's worse than it's ever been before.

Why? Because I live in a majority black neighborhood in downtown Nashville where no one ever jogs. No one. When you jog here, people look behind you to see who you're running from. Once they confirm that you've chosen to run on your own and aren't being pursued, they make fun of you. "Run, Forrest, run!" my neighbors call from the shady comfort of their front porches, from the insides of their air-conditioned cars, from the jungle gym in the neighborhood park.

Yep, I'm white, I have a beard, and I jog. This makes me Forrest Gump to everyone in the neighborhood.

The first time I was taunted by kids playing in the neighborhood park. Five kids were standing in line to come down the yellow slide, and I jogged past them. Without skipping a beat a young girl of about 10, pointed me out, "Run, Forrest, run!" she said. Everyone laughed. It took me a while to realize exactly what had been said, but by now I'm used to it. Everyone from eight to 80 is doing it, making fun of me while I jog, reinforcing my distaste for running with every step.

While you jog you have lots of time to think. Often, I count down the reasons why I hate to jog in my head. They go something like this:

1. I don't ever get a second wind. Never. Ever. In my entire life of running, I've never suddenly felt my legs lighten and believed I could go on running for days. I don't believe second winds actually exist.

2. People who I convince to go jogging with me end up doing better than me. This has happened three times. The first time with my college roommate, Krisha, the second time with my wife and the third time with my friend Tardio. Now they jog all the time for miles on end. They enjoy it. I still hate it.

3. I live in Nashville and am allergic to everything on Earth. Truly. I went to the allergy clinic as a 25-year-old, finally got the needle testing done, and the only thing I'm not allergic to is mold. My entire arm where they pin-pricked me was one raised bump. The city of Nashville is located in a bowl, surrounded by large hills. It's one of the worst places for allergies on Earth. I can never breathe here. For the past several months everywhere you look pollen is literally floating in the air. Occasionally I've even swallowed the pollen out of the air. As I'm jogging attempting to spit the pollen back out of my mouth, I sometimes think I'm going to die.

4. Waiting to cross streets. It's impossible not to look like a tool while you're waiting to cross the street and going for a jog. Do you keep moving your legs through a traffic light sequence? No, I can't do that. I feel like I'm auditioning for A Chorus Line. So instead I stop moving and just stand there. Which reinforces my desire not to be running. As soon as the light changes I have to start up again.

5. Even if you're really good at jogging, you're still just really good at jogging. Why do people brag about how far they can run? The only reason you can run long distances is because you do it all the time. It serves no actual purpose in life. It's not the Middle Ages. No one walks up to you at work and says, "This document has to be 11 miles from here in 58 minutes or the company is going bankrupt." Nope, they just put someone in a car and get it there in 20 minutes. It's a skill that has no useful purpose. Imagine if I decided I was going to juggle every day for two hours. I'd be awesome at juggling. But unless I wanted to pick up lonely lady clowns, it's not terribly helpful.

6. Running is like cross-word puzzles, I used to do them because I thought they would make me smarter. Then I heard that the only thing completing crossword puzzles did was make you better at doing crossword puzzles. It's the same with running. Your endurance just gets better for running. Even people who go for two-hour jogs aren't that good at, say, playing full-court basketball where you're required to run at different speeds and take breaks in between plays. It's a solitary skill that has no lasting benefit, like being awesome at horseshoes. Only you can't drink beer while you run. So even worse.

7. Runners are snobby. Whenever a regular runner sees you stop running, they look down their nose at you. "Oh, you're stopping already," their cutting eyes seem to say. Whenever I stop running in front of other runners, I always want to say, "Whew, polished off those fifty miles pretty easy today." Because running is a "sport" that plodding misanthropes embrace, people who are really competitive but pretend they aren't. That's why so many lawyers run.

Question: How many hours did you bill yesterday?

Me: 10.1

Questioner: Cool, knocked out 10.2 myself.

Question: How many miles did you run today?

Me: Three

Questioner: 3.1 here.

Me: I hate you.

8. I don't get a runner's high when I'm done. My body isn't suffused with endorphins that make me sky-high with the feeling of accomplishment. I've just got really sweaty socks and I can barely breathe. If I feel any relief it's because I don't have to dread running anymore for that day.

9. If people find out you run more than three miles at one time, they ask you whether you've ever run a marathon. Everyone does this. I have no idea why. If someone sees you playing basketball, they don't walk up and ask if you can dunk. Although, to be fair, dunking requires athletic ability. Running requires no real athletic ability, just a desire to keep moving no matter the consequences.

10. No one actually likes jogging. Look at the faces of people as they jog. I defy you to find someone who looks like they enjoy it. (I'll craft a small exception for men who have managed to get behind a really hot woman and are mesmerized by watching her from behind.) How has something that no one likes become so popular? I'll tell you, because people lie about liking jogging and no one calls them on it. Jogging is sado-masochism disguised as sport.

11. Oprah ran a marathon. So I don't doubt that if I committed myself to training for 20 hours a week, or whatever it is, I could run a marathon too. Otherwise I'm required to believe that Oprah is a better athlete than I am. But here's the deal, once Oprah ran a marathon didn't it strip away the majesty of the marathon-ing experience. It would be like if Jose Canseco's next book was One Hundred Years of Solitude. I'd just throw up my hands and quit writing.

I'm looking at my tennis shoes by the door right now. I don't want to put them on, I really don't. But I know sooner or later I'm going to, a latter-day Pickett's Charge into the heat of the day. And I'm going to hate every second of it. Like everyone other person who has ever run.

It's starting to get hot in Nashville. The other day, I was out on a Sunday morning. It was already 80 degrees downtown. The sun was baking off the pavement, shimmering on the reflected windows of the Kentucky Fried Chicken. A Lincoln Continental pulled past me, stopped, and rolled down the window. An old hand extended outside. As I jogged by an elderly black woman wearing a white hat and a white dress, on her way to church, addressed me.

"Good morning, Forrest," she cackled.

I hate it, I really do.

Run, Forrest, Run: Why I Hate Jogging originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 21 May 2009 17:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Talks to Allyson Felix, the World's Fastest Woman

Elie Seckbach — Fri, 15 May 2009 13:51:00 EST

Filed under: Track and Field

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Allyson Felix and Jennifer Stuczynski are among the world's greatest athletes and along with other track and field stars they will be competing at the Adidas Track Classic taking place at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California on Saturday. This will be Allyson's first 200m run of the year. In this video chill with the stars as they are searching for LA's fastest five-year-old. Also on hand was Maurice Greene (who still holds the world record for 60m), and he tells us what's it like to be a record-breaking athlete.

Check out the video after the jump.

FanHouse Talks to Allyson Felix, the World's Fastest Woman originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Fri, 15 May 2009 13:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leryn Franco Lands Deal With Nike

Will Brinson — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Outdoor Sports, Track and Field, Women's Sports

Leryn Franco is notable across the internet for two things: a poor 2008 Olympic performance and being attractive.

Did You See That?

The field clears a fence during the New Season Handicap Steeplechase during the at Ludlow Racecourse on September 16, 2008 in Ludlow, England.

Emanuele Canonica of Italy helps his caddie in the rescue of a pigeon from the water around the 18th green during the first round of the Portugal Masters at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course on October 16, 2008 in Vilamoura, Portugal.

A multiexposure image showing Britain's Andy Murray returning to Croatian Marin Cilic during a last sixteen tennis match at the Madrid Masters in Madrid on October 16, 2008. Andy Murray won 7-5, 7-6.

English football fans dressed in armours and tunics play in a friendly match against Belarus fans in Minsk on October 15, 2008 before the start of the Belarus vs. England 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier of European group 6 match.

Travis Brigley (R) of Hamburg fights with Matt Keith (L) of Ingolstadt during the DEL match between Hamburg Freezers and ERC Ingolstadt at the Color Line Arena on October 14, 2008 in Hamburg, Germany.

Russian Nikolay Davydenko returns a ball to US Robby Ginepri during a second round tennis match at the Masters in Madrid on October 15, 2008.

A golf ball which has been enveloped by the tree over many years is pictured during the pro-am for the Portugal Masters at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course on October 15, 2008 in Vilamoura, Portugal.

Andy Murray of Great Britain plays football during his training session prior to his thrid round match tomorrow at the Madrid Masters tennis tournament at the Madrid Arena on October 15, 2008 in Madrid, Spain.

Samuel Peter from Nigeria gets a punch from Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine during their WBC heavyweight boxing world championship fight in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008. Klitschko won the fight after round nine due to technical knock out.

Herbert Knosowski, AP

Japan's Kyoko Hamaguchi (lower) fights with China's Hong Yan (red) during the semi-final of the 72kg class of the Women's Wrestling World Championships in Tokyo on October 13, 2008. Hong defeated Hamaguchi and will face Bulgaria's Stanka Zlateva in the final.

Yoshikazu Tsuno, AFP/Getty Images

Fortunately for Ms. Franco, not being perfect at your job and being utterly and completely marketable are not mutually exclusive. And, as a result, she has reportedly landed a deal with Nike to represent the company's international interests while wearing their finest athletic apparel.

Now, bear in mind that this appears (like Ufford said) to have little substantial information by which to ascertain that Ms. Franco has been signed. Until you get loose on the Google translator and hit up La Tercera:

According to the newspaper ABC Color, Paraguay, Franco signed a contract with Nike to be the face of campaign advertising signature sportswear. "In February 2009, Nike launched the campaign in Europe as Leryn image, so that the Paraguayan is shown on all the brand stores and in magazines," says the tabloid.

The new link for the athlete-model bordearía 500 thousand dollars. Discover the video of the photo session that made the sexy Paraguayan latercera.com.

Now, I'm not sure exactly how much she's getting for this deal, but one would think it will probably be a pretty substantial amount of cash.

Of course, as always, there are moral implications here. Is alright for Nike to sign an attractive athlete who may or may not succeed at his/her sport? Doesn't this sort of reward -- simply for being attractive -- take away from the hard work that attractive but also talented people, like the lovely Ms. Anna Rawson, do every day?

Maybe. Personally, I'm fine with it; Franco is an Olympic quality athlete, so it's not like Nike is just picking attractive women off the street. And she'll sell their product, so it's probably a good business decision.

Leryn Franco Lands Deal With Nike originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Usain Bolt Wins 2008 International Athlete of the Year over Michael Phelps

Matt Snyder — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: International Olympics, Track and Field, Swimming

I don't quite understand this one. Michael Phelps -- he of the Olympic record eight gold medals this past year -- was beaten out in the international voting for athlete of the year by Jamaica's Usain Bolt. I mean this as no disrespect to Bolt, who is a stud in every sense of the word. I've gushed about his abilities before. Sure, some might be a bit miffed by the fact that he's been known to showboat from time to time -- including during a race. Overall, though, Bolt is a superstar and would be quite worthy of this accolade in most years.

My problem is that 2008 wasn't most years. Michael Phelps broke the record for the most Olympic gold medals of all time in a single games. He should be an automatic winner.

As I sit around trying to figure out what would compel voters to vote for Bolt over Phelps, I'm only left with the simple realization that many people hate America.

Look, I know we can be ego-centric in this country, and I'm more guilty of that than most people. Knowing this, I tried to figure out what else could have possibly spurred on this voting. Here's what I came up with:

1. Bolt is more explosive. I can see someone claiming it was more exciting watching Usain pulverize his competition on the track than it was watching Phelps do the same in the pool. The only problem with this argument is that Bolt only won two individual races in the Olympics, and Phelps accrued at least two blowouts of similar dominance in the pool.

2. Bolt competes in more non-Olympics events, and this isn't just an Olympic award. If the margin between the two in the Olympics was narrow, I could understand this. I'm looking at eight to three on gold medal count in an Olympic year, however, so this is ridiculous. It would be like naming someone the golfer of the year over a guy who won four of the five majors. When does it matter the most?

Actually, that's it. I can't think of any other argument to vote for Bolt over Phelps.

Unless you hate America.

Usain Bolt Wins 2008 International Athlete of the Year over Michael Phelps originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Usain Bolt is Not Satisfied With 100 and 200 Records, Will Now Run 400

Matt Snyder — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Track and Field

Who can blame him at this point?

Usain Bolt barely even broke a sweat in Beijing this past year when he broke every Olympic record in front of him. The 100 meter world record wasn't even a challenge, as he celebrated for the last 10-15 meters, and he also took down Michael Johnson's 200 meter world record -- which had stood for 12 years.

Now he's going to start running the 400-meter, and there is very little doubt he can easily shatter this record as well -- also owned by Johnson. He's obviously the fastest man in the history of the planet, so I see no possible reason he cannot break this record with ease, barring injury.

In fact, I started doing some thinking about Bolt and his amazing gift. Remember those Man vs. Beast shows on Fox? When they did sprints, they'd pit a sprinter against a giraffe or zebra or something. The human would always burst out of the gate with a lead. Once the animal got a little warmed up and started moving they'd blow by the poor human with ease.

If we set this up between Bolt and a zebra in a 100-meter dash, I'm quite confident he could reach the finish line before the zebra blew by him. I mean, did you watch him run the 100 in the Olympics? That was a joke. He wasn't even trying, so let's give him a worthy adversary in the form of an animal. Maybe even eventually a gazelle or cheetah would line up next to him, just so we can see that he's human and capable of losing.

On a serious note, Bolt would be the first man to ever own the world record in the 100, 200, and 400 at the same time. It would be quite the historic feat for a transcendent sprinter. It's a no-brainer for him to make this leap as he looks to capitalize on his window of opportunity.

Usain Bolt is Not Satisfied With 100 and 200 Records, Will Now Run 400 originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Montgomery Shows Futility of Olympic Drug Testing

Michael David Smith — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:54:00 EST

Filed under: Track and Field

In an interview set to air Tuesday night on HBO's Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, the former Olympic sprinter Tim Montgomery reveals that his performance-enhancing drug use went beyond just his involvement in BALCO.

Montgomery now says he took testosterone and human growth hormone before the Sydney Olympics, and as a result, he and his Olympic relay teammates -- Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams, Brian Lewis, Maurice Greene and Kenneth Brokenburr -- will likely be stripped of their gold medals.

"I have a gold medal that I'm sitting on that I didn't get with my own ability," Montgomery told Gumbel. "I'm not here to take away from anybody else's accomplishments, only my own. And I must say, I apologize to the other people that was on the relay team if that was to happen."

Everyone at the International Olympic Committee will, of course, condemn Montgomery, but they ought to take a lesson from Montgomery's admission: Olympic drug testing is woefully ineffective.

Montgomery (who also told Gumbel he regularly used marijuana) is just the latest example of the scores of Olympic athletes who made it through the Games without testing positive, only to admit much later that they were using drugs the whole time. Olympic athletes get away with using drugs because the drug testing doesn't work.

Tim Montgomery Shows Futility of Olympic Drug Testing originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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