SportsGeezer

Durango, the Ultimate Outdoors Town

The New York Times describes Durango, Colorado as the "home of world-class mountain bikers, road cyclists and kayakers, where sun-kissed locals in visors and sunglasses kick back with pints of microbrewed beer - then head back out to indulge their adrenaline-charged exuberance for outdoor adventure." It's all true. The town has more adrenaline-per-pound than any Western town that Geezer has seen,  and in certain very pleasant quarters, more beer per pound. The Times is also accurate in its report that the best way to see Durango is on a mountain bike--and writer Alison Berkley should get a truth in travel writing award for being the first person to write about Durango and not tout the inexplicably famous smoky, expensive and eternal ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Read more.

Six Cycling Tips From Floyd Landis

Don't ask us how he did it, but Men's Health writer (and rider) Doug Donaldson managed to snag these six cycling tips from Floyd Landis, leader of the Phonak cycling team, during training for the 650-mile, 6-day Tour de Georgia. Geezer suggests that you take 'em and ride.
1. Pedal through the full circle. 2. Find your most comfortable RPM speed and stick with it (90 RPM on level ground is considered ideal).  3. Turn by dipping a shoulder, not turning the handlebars. 4. Keep seated during climbs. 5. Learn to exploit the draft of riders in front of you. 6. Keep your hands in the drops during descents. Read more here.

Three Tips to Prevent Skin Wrinkling

No, Geezer doesn't much care that readers might wonder what skin wrinkling has to do with health and fitness. This entry is about vanity, plain and simple, and while vanity may be sinful (Geezer has reason to believe that the jury is still out on this one) it's definitely popular. The Scientific American, possibly the devil's favorite journal, has some three tips for people who spend a lot of time out of doors and would prefer that the skin on their faces present fewer vertical lines than their topo maps. Tip number one: Sun protection against both UVA and UVB rays is critical 365 days a year using an SPF of at least 35.  Tip number two: Use Retin-A (a vitamin A derivative that uses the generic name tretinoin) as an antiaging cream. And finally, tip number three: If tretinoin treatment is not enough, medium depth chemical peels and some non-invasive lasers can help build collagen and thus improve the skin's appearance. It may be better to feel good than to look good, but Geezer believes it's better still to feel good and look good. Read more.

As We Come of Age, So Comes Yoga

Last year, a Harris Poll commissioned by Yoga Journal estimated that 16.5 million Americans, 7.5 percent of adults, practice yoga. And according to this article in the Washington Post, those numbers are expected to increase this year. What's up? Americans are up--agewise that is, and yoga happens to be particularly well-suited to bodies that prefer a low-impact workout that will build strength and improve flexibility. This particular piece gives us an idea of just how many years we can do yoga--by focusing on a remarkable woman who still teaches classes at age 87. Yes. 87. Read more.

Cardio Tennis Rocks, But Doesn't Play Much Tennis

Can Beyonce save tennis? How about Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez? The United States Tennis Association and the Tennis Industry Association seem to think so. The two organizations, concerned about their sport's failure to thrive in recent years, have created a new and way more extreme tennis workout, and it often includes blasting music from at least one of the two young ladies. What else does in include? There's a 10-minute warm-up,  45 minutes of cardiovascular conditioning — including team games and forehand, backhand and volley drills — and a five-minute cool-down. As this piece in the LA Times reports, it's called cardio tennis, and it seems to be less about tennis than it is about cardio. The main selling point is that it is a high-energy workout that burns more calories than singles or doubles by elevating the heart rate into the aerobic training zone. And if you think no one will buy that selling point, think again. Cardio tennis workouts are offered at 760 public and private courts across the country. Read more.

High Blood Pressure? Blame the Wife, or Husband

A University of Toronto study has found something else that men can blame on their wives: high blood pressure. The study, which examined the blood pressure, job stress and "marital cohesion" of  216 men and women between the ages of 40 and 65 for a one-year period, found that those with high stress jobs and supportive spouses had lower blood pressure than those with stressful jobs and less supportive spouses. Note to wives: Yes, the rules apply to both genders. Women with supportive husbands had lower blood pressure than women with less supportive husbands. Read more from the BBC.

GORP's Great Guide to Fall Foliage

While Geezer knows that fall is about harvesting the basil and switching from white wine to red, many people continue to believe that it is about foliage. Whatever.  Here's a tip for foliage lovers: Bookmart this site. It's GORP's great state-by-state guide to peak foliage weeks, and it includes lists of great foliage hikes in 19 states (Florida not among those states included), scenic drives, and top fall forests. All in all, it's a nicely put together package. And for those of us who love fall for different reasons, here's another tip: Petite Sirah is the year's Merlot.

What Every Middle-Aged Man Should Know About Middle-Aged Women

Every hetero man over 40 should read this piece in the Washington Post about what women want, and more importantly, what women want to want, but often don't. That would be libido, from the Latin, libido, desire. There are apparently lots of reasons of this, and there are lots of therapies, several which are delved into here. The scariest quote in the piece comes from Andrew Goldstein, co-director of the Sexual Wellness Center in Annapolis, who tells us that although loss of sex drive is unfortunate, " it is common -- almost universal."  Very disturbing: This could mean that some men are not the problem. Or, it could mean that all men are the problem.  Geezer must contemplate.  And perhaps reread the piece several times.

Bees Are Deadlier Than You Think

How deadly are bees? According to this piece in the New York Times, they kill more people each year in the United States than any other animal--with the exception, of course, of human animals. One big reason for that, the Times explains, is that when people who are allergic to bee stings go to the hospital for life-saving treatment, they don't get it. The Times refers to a study published in the September issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology that found that only 13 percent of patients with insect sting allergies who show up at hospitals with anaphylaxis or less severe systemic reactions were treated immediately with epinephrine, as is recommended.  Another 27 percent left with the proper prescription, and 20 percent got referrals. The study found that of 259 patients who showed up with systemic reactions, only 6 received all the recommended interventions. The moral? Not so much that we BEEware of bees, but that we BEE quick and BEE directive if we get stung, react badly, and seek medical care.   Read more in the Times.

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Plyometrics-Lite Said to Revive a Star's Career

Plyometrics, an intense exercise regimen that was born in the Soviet Union in the 1970s, is regarded today like just about everything that was born in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. Many trainers place  the explosive drills, which include tricks like jumping off a box to the floor and to a higher box WHILE CARRYING WEIGHT in the same category as high-impact aerobics, whose high injury rates have taken them off the sign-up list at most health clubs. Yet now comes this piece in the Los Angeles Times, thanking a newer, kinder and gentler version of plyometrics for extending the career of volleyball legend Karch Kiraly. The story reports that Kiraly, who is 44, first met plyometrics in their original unpleasant incarnation when he was training for the 1984 Olympics, and since then has moved on to two versions of plyometrics-lite, the most recent version devised by an  Orange County-based trainer-coach named Mike Rangel.  Geezer doesn't doubt Kiraly's devotion to the regimen, but then, as the Times points out, the Hungarian volleyball genius has approached every aspect of the sport with an intensity that terrifies everyone, even those who were on his team. Read more.