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Tag Archives: Olympic
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The Countdown Begins for the London 2012 Olympic Games
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If your childhood revolved around sports, like mine did, it was never a surprise that every four years brought an overwhelming rush of inspiration in the form of the Olympic Games. Like many young gymnasts, I reveled in the heart-stopping performances of the ’96 Magnificent Seven gymnastics team. At swim meets, I watched fellow competitors and wondered if any of them might one day take their place on the starting blocks next to Olympic standouts like Amanda Beard or Dara Torres.
But to reduce the Games to simply the biggest stage of athletic performance is missing the point. To train endlessly and relentlessly in pursuit of a dream—all of which boils down to a few hours, minutes, or even seconds—is not merely a physical feat. In each Olympic moment, these athletes breathe truth into nearly every earnest cliché (hard work pays off, winners never give up, no odds are insurmountable), displaying superhuman levels of discipline, focus, and character.
Take Mary Lou Retton and Micheal Phelps; or Greg Louganis and Kerri Walsh and Misty-May Treanor. These names are etched into history not because they fought in a world war or won an election, but because of their hard-fought chase to be the best at what they do. And for two weeks during each Olympics, we get to share their dream. The moments that define their lives also define our country. With each breathtaking win or gut-wrenching loss, we are moved and inspired by their visceral reactions. They make each of us believe that with complete dedication, we too, can succeed. They prove that there’s power within each of us to achieve greatness in our own lives—if we accept the challenge to push past every limit and box we had drawn for ourselves.
Roots of Our Olympic Fever
This year, the Games hold even more meaning to me. (Find out what the Olympics mean to the rest of the editors at Women’s Health!) I have had the privilege of watching the road to London up close on behalf of Women’s Health. I’ve had the opportunity to meet some of the most talented athletes in our country—both accomplished medalists and hardworking hopefuls. I met Nastia Liukin, Allyson Felix, and Natalie Coughlin (all of whom share their secrets to success in our July/August issue); I’ve spent time in the pool with three-time medalist Rebecca Soni, and gleaned workout tips from Brittany Viola, who will be making her Olympic debut this summer in the 10-meter platform; the legendary 12-time medalist Dara Torres visited our office, and the inspiring seven-time Paralympic medalist Jessica Long told me about what drives her through tough moments. Each of these women—and the countless others I and the Women’s Health team have interviewed—prove that it’s not (simply) raw talent that separates an athlete from an Olympian, but rather an unrelenting passion and refusal to ever throw in the towel.
I’m not the only one at Women’s Health who’s excited. In our July/August issue you’ll find a 15-page Olympic Bonus, packed with tips and secrets from some of the most buzzed about Olympians. On our website you can click through interviews, training tips, and motivational quotes from more than 50 athletes. You’ll also score gold-medal worthy workouts, advice from athletes’ top trainers and nutritionists, and how-to videos taught by Olympians and promising hopefuls. Look for it next week at WomensHealthMag.com/Olympics. Plus, join us during the games for Twitter chats, where you’ll have a chance to win great prizes (including a trip to London!). Get reminders by signing up at WHWinningWomen.com and tweet your questions and favorite London moments to @WomensHealthMag with the hashtag #WinningWomen.
Let the games begin!
–Jen Ator, Women’s Health senior fitness editor
Follow me on Twitter at @jen_ator for #London2012 updates
More from WH:
What WH Loves About the Olympics
Running Tips from Olympian Natasha Hastings
Exclusive Q&A with Deena Kastor
Gold-Medal Worthy Abs: Workout Moves from Top Olympic Trainers
Print It: The Sports Workout
Why We Love the Olympic Games
Here, our staff sounds off on what the Olympics mean to them and the moments that have captured their hearts:
I vividly remember sitting transfixed in front of the television to watch the Olympic Games when I was a kid. Everything about them was mesmerizing and moving—the physical prowess of the athletes, the superhuman feats they pulled off, the exuberance and pride displayed by those who made it onto the podium, and yes, the crushing disappointment felt by ones who didn’t. The part that floors me: These men and women go through years of grueling training to play at the Olympic level, and they do it knowing they could be felled at any time by an injury, a political standoff (like when the U.S. boycotted the Moscow Games in the summer of 1980), or a weak performance during a qualifying round. No doubt, the discipline and guts required to pursue a medal is mind-blowing. Can you imagine what each of us could achieve if we channeled just an iota of these astonishing qualities?
–Michele Promaulayko, Women’s Health Editor-in-Chief
I’ll never forget watching the 1996 Olympics when Kerri Strug performed that perfect vault on a busted ankle to win gold. I think that moment captured how incredibly talented and focused these athletes are—it’s superhuman. Most of us would have crumpled with the pain Kerri felt in ’96, but she just hopped around smiling.
-Kristen Dold, Women’s Health Associate Editor
There are so many incredible moments that are impossible to forget. Greg Louganis smashing his head on the diving platform, getting stitches, then still going on to win gold. Amazing! Our women’s soccer team silencing the rest of world when they won gold in 2004 and 2008. Flo-jo being the fastest woman in the world, all while sporting the longest decked-out nails with nail art. Michael Phelps winning his 8th gold metal in Beijing and letting out that animalistic rebel yell with outstretched arms—it was simply electrifying!
-Molly Nover-Baker, Women’s Health Beauty Director
I have two young daughters. When I watch the games I think about how much pride the athletes’ parents must have whenever they watch their children compete. I always picture how I would feel if it were one my daughters competing and I end up tearing up every time. My oldest daughter will soon start playing organized sports in our town. I have two hopes: 1. That she has inherited her mother’s natural athletic ability (because I have none); and 2. That I will make it through a game without looking like a blubbering idiot.
-Jay Ehrlich, WomensHealthMag.com Editorial Executive Director
The Olympics mean dedication, determination, and reminds me that the human body is capable of anything. It nudges me to get off my butt and go to the gym (if they can train tirelessly for years, I can muster the strength to work out for just hour a day), and I like how the Olympics always remind me that strong, sexy bodies come in all different shapes—not just tall and slim. Nothing like watching a gymnast to make me feel proud of my own muscular calves!
-Jill Percia, Women’s Health Associate Beauty Editor
If you’re a fan of the marathon, you’re used to watching Kenyans and Ethiopians (and occasionally some speedy Europeans) lead the pack. That’s why 2004 was such a special Olympic year to me—it was when Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor battled the brutal heat of Athens to earn unlikely spots on the marathon podium. Meb took silver to become the first American man to win an Olympic Marathon medal in 28 years; Deena finished third, giving the U.S. its first women’s Olympic Marathon medal since 1984. Her run in particular is etched in my memory. She was a true underdog. I’ll never forget the emotion on her face when she entered the Olympic stadium right before the finish—the mixture of sheer exhaustion combined with utter joy and shock at what she was about to accomplish. That moment seems to capture what the Olympics are all about. The Games give athletes like Deena and Meb a stage to show us what can be accomplished with hard work and determination and the failure to give in when the going gets tough or others count you out. They kept dreaming big even when the odds were stacked against them, which shows us what’s possible when we don’t give up.
-Katie Neitz, Women’s Health Deputy Editor
At the heart of every Olympian is the drive to always do better, to be the best athlete they can be. In that way, every one of us should strive to be Olympians. Maybe we won’t stand on a podium wearing a medal under our flag while hearing our National Anthem, but just trying to always be our best possible selves in whatever it is we love is just as great!
-Julianna Wojno, Women’s Health Photo Intern
Photo: Hemera/Thinkstock
More from WH:
London 2012 Olympic Games: The WH Countdown Begins!
Running Tips from Olympian Natasha Hastings
Exclusive Q&A with Deena Kastor
Gold-Medal Worthy Abs: Workout Moves from Top Olympic Trainers
Print It: The Sports Workout
WH Exclusive! Q&A With Olympic Runner Deena Kastor
As the Track & Field U.S. Olympic Trials begin this week in Eugene, Oregon (a.k.a. Tracktown USA), one notable athlete will be missing from action: Deena Kastor, 39, who won the bronze medal in the 2004 Olympic Marathon in Athens. After placing sixth at the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in January (just one spot shy of making the team), Kastor was on a quest to qualify for her fourth Olympics—this time in the 10,000 meters (that’s a 10-K or 6.2 miles). But an ill-timed back injury has forced her to the sidelines. While her spikes may be hung up (for now), Kastor shares with WH the training tips to her long record of success.
WH: We’re so sorry to hear that you’re hurt! What’s happened?
DK: My back was tight going into the Bolder Boulder Memorial Day 10-K [in which she placed third]. After the race, my muscles started spasming. I have been in trouble since. The pain is hindering my entire day, let alone my running career. I haven’t run since that day and have been simply trying to figure out the root of the problem.
WH: Back and sacral issues can haunt some women after they’ve had a baby. Your daughter was born in February 2011. Do you have a sense that there’s a link?
DK: I actually don’t think my injury was related to pregnancy. I had an MRI, and my bone structure was sound. Most of the specialists agree that it is strictly a soft tissue problem, and the chiropractors and therapists I’ve seen all seem to agree that I’m in a pain/muscle spasm cycle that my body is having a hard time of letting go of. It’s complex, which is why this hasn’t been an easy fix. I have been getting a lot of ART—active release technique—which is a great form of massage and stretch therapy. I’ve had some relief, but need much more in order to get back to training.
WH: At what point did you realize you’d have to pull out of the Trials?
DK: I had taken three weeks off of running and cross-training [after the Bolder Boulder Memorial Day 10-K]. After going to all the therapists and people I believe in, I was left only a fraction better. I ran out of options, and unfortunately, I have to be a spectator at what will be a truly amazing Olympic Trials.
WH: Throughout your career, you have faced—and overcome—your share of challenges. Does that help you maintain a healthy perspective now?
DK: There are always setbacks as we strive to evolve and grow, but it shouldn’t detour us from making strides forward. I was really excited to make my fourth Olympic team and share the Olympic experience with my 1-year-old daughter Piper. Right now I need to focus on getting healthy, but I’m positive that I will share more success with my daughter in the future.
WH: Your past two trips to the Olympics have been as a marathoner. [In the 2000 Sydney Games, she ran the 10,000 meters.] What made you decide to pull out your track spikes again?
DK: I was disappointed after the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials since that was the first time I had failed to make an Olympic team. After a short recovery, I got back into training thinking I would run another marathon. I found myself running with my teammates who were all training for the Track & Field U.S. Olympic Trials and felt a great desire to attempt to make the U.S. team in the 10,000 meters.
WH: How is training for a marathon different from training for a shorter track event?
DK: Training for the 10,000 meters is very much like training for a marathon. They both require hard work and discipline; however, the marathon requires patience and a long enduring effort. As I prepared for the track, I felt a greater intensity and burn. Runners call it “booty lock”: the moment at the end of a race or hard workout when you’re at the physical limit of your muscles. I had not run a track race in five years, so it was fun to feel the difference while asking my body to get extreme again.
WH: Is there a particular aspect of your training you really enjoyed?
DK: I won’t be competing at this high level much longer, so I was making a big effort to make the team for London. Experience speaks loudly, but when there is feisty young talent nipping at your heals, you need to dig down for something new and refreshing. Returning to the track made me feel like a kid again, and I really embraced the workload.
WH: Is there a part of training that you dreaded?
DK: I love the workouts I dread the most! When I see weakness in my training, I get excited to overcome or become stronger. In the past, I have not been very good at shifting paces, so I worked on the mental and physical tools to thrive when my competitors shift the pace.
WH: You know better than anyone that you can’t completely safeguard yourself from injury. But how to you attempt to stay healthy?
DK: I believe the key is balancing rest with work. When my training program gets heavy, I make sure I balance that work with extra rest. We can’t keep asking of ourselves without something giving in to the pressure. I work hard, rest hard, and on top of that live very joyfully and eat well.
WH: What do you usually eat while in training?
DK: I typically don’t get in the habit of eating the same things. Variety is much more fun—unless you’re talking about coffee. I begin each day with coffee and breakfast (a piece of fruit with any of the following: eggs and toast, bagel with lox and cream cheese, my husband’s French toast). Post-workout I enjoy another breakfast different from the one I had earlier. I always try to get in a good balance of protein and carbohydrates with some veggies or fruit for vitamins and minerals. I always have Snickers Marathon Bars on hand so I can have a well-balanced bar within a short time after working out. My favorite is Caramel Nut Rush because it’s high in protein. I carry them with me so I can begin re-fueling quickly after a workout.
WH: Do you have favorite foods you enjoy splurging on?
DK: I enjoy cooking and eating, and nothing is off limits. I workout hard twice a day, and I’m a full-time mom of a speedy toddler. It doesn’t seem fair to add more discipline to my day, so food has always been fun for me. We eat a lot of nutritious foods, but enjoy fine chocolate, well-made pastries, and wine from all over the world.
WH: Do you listen to music during a workout?
DK: Music has a way of inspiring many of us, but I enjoy listening to the sound of my footsteps, my breathing, or my thoughts while I’m running. Give me a windy day, though, and I’ll grab my MP3 Player to block the sound of the wind. Beautiful Day (Sunburst Radio Edit) by Matt Darey is the ultimate running song for me. Good Feeling by Flo Rida is also a great running tune.
WH: Do you have a mantra that helps you stay focused when things start to hurt?
DK: The ability to continue when training gets difficult is the greatest opportunity to grow as an athlete and a human being. If you can find the right encouragement within you during a tough moment, you’re giving yourself a vital tool to accomplish many great things. Sometimes the same verse can get stale, so I think it’s important to keep mantras fresh and effective. That being said, the most significant words my coach Terrence Mahon ever told me was as I was heading to the starting line of the Chicago Marathon in 2005. My goal was to win the race, and my training had gone very well. He is a guy of many words and on this day he simply said “Define yourself.” It was such a powerful statement and I rehearsed it a million times on the streets of Chicago that morning—and got my first marathon win.
WH: How has becoming a mom affected you as an athlete?
DK: Being a mom is the most important thing I have ever committed to. I have always had a lot of passions, but this one takes the cake! I have a deep love for running, cooking, writing, and reading, but watching my daughter grow is the greatest experience I can ever image. Running has made me very goal oriented in everything I set out to accomplish. I thought striving for and reaching goals was the epitome of my existence. Now I know better.
WH: Who would you love to go on a run with?
DK: My dream running partner would be Kihachiro Onitsuka, the founder of ASICS. He passed away a few years ago, but I would have wanted him to join me on a long run because I would have had so many questions. How he came from such a humble background and built the most successful running shoe company in the world is a truly fascinating story. ASICS is an acronym for the Latin Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, or A Sound Mind in a Sound Body. He lived and worked by this motto his whole life.
Editors Note: From all of us at Women’s Health, we wish you a speedy recovery, Deena!
photo: GettyImages
More from WH:
Olympic Athlete Workouts
Gotta Run: The Women’s Health Running Blog
101 Greatest Running Tips
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