Monday, October 1, 2012

Is Racewalking a Sport?

Physicists pretty much have the answer in this episode of "Minute Physics" on You Tube.  When cheating occurs on practically every step by every athlete and no cameras are allowed to document it, does it make a sound?



And it also seems that Justin Bieber feels the same way about any music since the 1980's as I do:



Which is kinda, sorta my plea for more content from the Peanut Gallery.  You guys haven't let me down before!

7 comments:

  1. Ah, racewalking.
    Who recalls the unattached individual that ran with us at PSU in the mid to late 70s that eventually got fed up with being far behind and took up racewalking and did very well?

    As for my racewalking resume, I never cheated because I couldn't go fast enough...my hips were pining for relief. I did the mile twice at the Junior Olympics...two seconds on muddy cinders. First place won nationals the one year. At least I wasn't lapped.
    I also revisited the "sport" this year in the county Senior Games. I swept and sweat-ed to victory in the 400, 800, and mile, while using them as inbetween events for running races...all in the flavor of my first speed workout in about 30 years.
    Embarassingly, a pic of me soaked with headcover from the sun and clear pain and exhaustion on my face got plastered on the back of the front page of the Delco Times...with a caption reading I had just finished the 800 m WALK and looked that bad. In fairness to my mind, it was 97 degrees with 95% humidity. If only I could throw in uphill both ways and in the snow, I'd have even better justification for my ugly mug. KKOB80

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  2. That would be Leonard Jansen! I discussed him in my "Bear Story" He is the guy that came upon me on Corl St. after I had run face first into a bear. I met up with him several years ago and he verified my story to my wife, who probably had never really believed it before. (See "The Bear Story" at http://psutafalumnigolf.blogspot.com/2009/07/bear-story-requiem-for-ursidae-she.html)

    He walked at a time when cheating was less problematic in the sport, although I feel it is impossible NOT to cheat. He was a real good guy.

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  3. Leonard, like many of us then, had quite the shaggy 'do and 'stache. Yes, he was a good guy. To Harry, race walking was the only track related activity lower than a road racer's worm belly...and Leonard got his share of abuse. Glad to hear he's around. KKOB80

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  4. Speaking of Harry, the official PSU athletics website references the Harry Grove Spiked Shoe Invitational. I guess that with all the Sandusky money the school is losing, they couldn't afford an 's'

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  5. I hope to arrange a Kung Pao Outreach in Suburban Philly soon. I hope to tape some snippets of Coach Groves remembrances for the blog. Stay tuned! (And the list of things Coach finds "lower than a road racer's worm belly..." could be one great topic of conversation.)

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  6. Speaking of Harry, the official PSU athletics website references the Harry Grove Spiked Shoe Invitational. I guess that with all the Sandusky money the school is losing, they couldn't afford an 's'

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  7. I found it extremely difficult to earn my "S", but I think that Coach earned his many times over!

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