Marathon Tours

Only 17 days remain between now and the moment in which I’ll run my first 26.2 mile full marathon in Detroit. Am I excited? Heck yeah, you bet I am. And you probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you this, but I despise running. I hate the high impact and grueling feeling it has on my knees. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy the sense of community and spirit amongst runners, the feeling of achievement and most certainly the opportunity to go places, but it’s so hard for me to remain mentally positive when my body is wondering why I’m pushing it the way I am. Anyhow, what I’m trying to say is if you’re in Detroit or Windsor on October 29, come out and cheer me on! I’ll need the support.

Moving right along now that I’ve managed to squeeze my own shameless promotion into the plug, I suppose I should point running loving individuals or people who may want to get into the sport to this Marathon Tours site. First off, if you’re truly a marathon fanatic you’re probably already aware of this site, but even then I encourage you to check it out and start planning some serious marathon trips. Perhaps you’ve exhausted some of your options, favorite races, scenic routes or whatever. Why not run Antarctica or Dubai? To be quite honest it’s destinations like these and doing some so crazy that may keep into all this running jazz. Seriously, how cool would that be? Marathon Tours makes it easier if you’re looking to head abroad and check out the local scene in places like Iceland, Jamaica, Stockholm, Kenya and Australia. With all the other prep going into the race I’d imagine their services to be a huge load off one’s plate.

Word for the Travel Wise (04/27/06)

It’s coming… The World Cup that is and it’s time to start prepping for the big journey over to root for your country’s team. Now in my mind there is no better way to cheer the team on than in your native tongue, but it’d also be pretty nice to know some of the local vernacular. To stay in the theme of things you can skip right over all the unimportant jargon like “Where’s the bathroom?” for something a bit more useful when you’re in the stands like “Go for the pill!” With the games approaching so fast there is no time to waste. Click here for cool World Cup phrases.

Today’s word is a German word used in Germany:

Bolzen (s) – To kick about. Playing just for fun in your spare time.

You can find audio and German slang at BBC Languages, who continue to impress on the online scene. They probably have one of the BEST FREE German language guides on the net. Make no mistake in passing this one up! When it boils down to it there are several good sites to learn the Deutsch lingo. Deutsch Lernen and German for Travellers are two other good picks. First Step World offers study abroad courses in Munich and Berlin.

Past German words: vorglühen(s), krieger

Chicago's Gay Games 2006 & Culture

From July 15-22, 2006, Chicago will play
host to the 2006 Gay Games. Chicagoist reports more than
8,000 athletes
are preparing for the games and Chi-Town is "thriving" as a gay-friendly city. 
Beyond the games there is much for the extremely liberal minded to do in the city aside from the snoring-boring old bar
scene as pointed out in a new book by Kathie Bergquist and Robert McDonald, which is scheduled to hit shelves in May, "The
Field Guide to Gay and Lesbian Chicago."
Just in time for folks with an interest in the Windy City and taking
part in the games.

The games will offer 30 different sport competitions varying from recreational to elite
levels. The sports villages will be split into five areas for convenience and to help foster camaraderie and support as
noted on the official site. Sports include badminton, basketball, beach
volleyball, ice hockey, rowing, martial arts, power lifting and rugby to name only a few. Sir Elton John, a Gay Games Ambassador, is thrilled to be involved with the
Gay Games and feels a well-deserved spotlight has been turned on athletic and cultural performances by members of the
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender folks and their friends globally due to the games.

Check out the official website for additional details inlcuding event schedule.