Wheelchair Racing Video

The Lisbon Half-Marathon was last week.  Roger Puigbo of Spain was kind enough to take and post this video on YouTube.

This is the best wheelchair race video I've seen.  If you're up for it, see if you can count how many times these guys take a push before resting.  ;-)

Hubba is not in this race, but this is what he does for a living.

Fiber Arts Friday: First Knit Socks have gone Walkabout

Hubba loved his hand-knit socks so much that he took them to Guadalajara while he was there for the Para Pan American Games.

It was quite warm during the day, but very cool in the mornings.  The Athlete's Village did not have heat, so he was happy to have some woolies with him.

Then one day last week, he was showing them off and bragging on me.  :-)  He wanted me to knit a pair as a tip for the massage therapist.  :-)  Then sometime later he didn't have them anymore.  :-(  He was heartbroken.  :-(  He traced and re-traced his path, but didn't find them.  :-(

He called me with the sad news and then asked if I could whip up a pair before he got home. lol.

Well, my answer to whipping up a pair of socks in a few days is Not Possible, but I was working on a secret that I'll tell you about next week.  ;-)

I hope that someone picked up the socks, that they fit that person, and that he or she will have warm and toasty toes for a long time to come.

I do wonder where the socks have gone now that the games are over... Argentina?  Canada?  Brazil?  or maybe they've decided they like it in Mexico??

It's Fiber Arts Friday, so please go see what everyone else has been up to.

Feeling Patriotic

I dropped Hubba off at the airport yesterday morning.

He's headed to Guadalajara, Mexico for the the Para Pan American Games later this week.

I couldn't help but feel patriotic as I drove away.

I left Hubba on the curb all decked out in his USA Track and Field garb.

I really wish I had taken a photo.

The New York City Marathon Experience

Here's a link to a great article about one man's experience with the New York City Marathon  last weekend.

He intended to run, but due to injury could not.  So he volunteered to escort the wheelchair athletes.   This was his first time in the role, so it was quite an experience for him.

Please take a few minutes to read the article.  It's very well done.  :-)

Hubba was there.  He finished 25th.

I am so Proud

Really, it goes without saying.  But as they say... it's nice to hear it anyway.

I am so proud of my husband!  Always have been.

He has dedicated himself to achieving a very specific goal.

Today, one step along the way has been achieved.

Hubba was named to the US Para Pan Am Track and Field Team.

It looks like we're going to Mexico in November. :-)

The Boston Marathon

This morning, the 114th Boston Marathon was run.

Ernst van Dyk won for the 9th time.  He surpased Jean Discoll's 8 for the most wins for anyone, ever.

Los Angeles Marathon

The Los Angeles Marathon is Sunday.

They are debuting a new course this year as well as broadcasting the race live.  The race starts at Dodger Stadium and ends in Santa Monica.

If you are in the Los Angeles area you can watch it on KTLA - Channel 5 or listen on AM 570 KLAC.

Universal Sports will also be broadcasting the race live.

Finally, you can watch online at http://www.ktla.com/ or listen at http://www.am570radio.com/

Since I will not be at the race this year, I am thrilled to know I will be able to watch it from home.  As usual, Hubba is competing in the push-rim division.

The start times are as follows (PDT):

• Push-rim Wheelchairs – 6:55am
• Hand cycles – 7:00am
• Professional Women - 7:05am
• All other participants – 7:23am

Usually the LA Marathon gives the professional women a statistical head start based on the professional field, then gives an award for the first professional runner to cross the finish line.  I'm not sure if they are doing that this year since I havn't been able to find any information about it on the LA Marathon website.

With that being said, 234 people have completed every LA Marathon since the first in 1986.  That's 25 years!

Vancouver Paralympics

The Vancouver Winter Paralympics are starting on Friday.  Like the abled-bodied Olympics, the Paralympics is the premier competition between the best athletes in winter sport.

The same venues are used.  Many of the same sports are played.  Some of the rules are modified.  They are classified between men, women, sitting, standing and visually impared.

NBC doesn't typically provide much coverage of the US Paralympic Team and I don't think the opening ceremonies are scheduled on network tv.  However, you can see all of the events live and on demand on Paralympic Sports TV.

The opening ceremonies begin at 18:00 PST, Friday, March 12.