Thursday Grab Bag: Bolt Changes Sprint Theory

I completed my ninth 14er of the summer this morning. San Luis Peak felt like a walk in the park compared to Crestone Peak last week from the lower parking lot.

I bet Usain Bolt would be an insane climber.

I wondered about two things today during my hike.

1) Why do we always forget things when we try to remember?

Example: You go to an ATM, stick your card in while thinking about something else and your fingers punch in the pin number on their own. Or, you think to yourself as you're walking to the ATM, 'What's my pin number?' and more times than not you won't remember.

2) Why is it that we go backwards for a time communication-wise in relationships after the beginning?

Example: You meet someone and talk spontaneously. You don't analyze it. You don't feel self-conscious. You just let it happen. Later, if you enjoyed it, the next several times, you overthink. Should I leave them alone for a while? Has enough time passed? Communication becomes more forced and unnatural as you try to monitor and filter what you say. You want the person to like you, too. But if you think about it, it's silly.

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All-Star Game: The Native American All-Star Game is Friday and Saturday at Ricketts Park.

Previously at Isotopes Park, the game was relocated this year. The Navajo are 1-5 in its history against the Pueblo, but will attempt to turn their fortune this year in the best-of-three series.

They have a solid 20-man lineup featuring players from most of the local high schools:

Pat Aspaas, Kirtland Central
Ian Arthur, Kirtland Central
Josh Bilison, Window Rock
Troy Billy, Tuba City
Darrell Brown, Window Rock
Xavier Hardy, Many Farms
Ryan Hemstreet, Tuba City
Nolan Hoskie, Gallup
Chandler Joe, Farmington
Joshua Joe, Westwood
Seith Joe, Westwood
Brent Jones, Chinle
Brian Keesie, Many Farms
Craig Littleman, Page
Ramon Littleman, Page
Vince Littleman, Page
Tyler Nakai, Shiprock
Colin Nez, Chinle
Steven Redshirt, Shiprock
Bryce Rockwell, Shiprock
Allen Silversmith, Chinle
Chris Skrelunas, Flagstaff, Ariz.
Tyrus Warren, Kirtland Central
Dominic Valdez, Piedra Vista

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Bolt a boost for T&F: We as humans are scientific geniuses.

We can clone people. We invented the hydrogen bomb. We can take off the ground and stinkin' fly in an airplane.

How is it that, through the year 2008, we believed that tall and sprinting didn't go together?

It's one of the most dumbfounding misconceptions ever.

There are three elements that comprise good speed:

1) Stride frequency
2) Minimal time in contact with the ground
3) Stride length

If you've got a 5-foot-9 guy racing against the 6-foot-5 Bolt, he's got an enormous advantage in the third category. If you can teach him to get out of the blocks, and he possesses similar fast-twitch muscles and burst, his top-end speed is going to be higher. He's going to run more relaxed because his stride is so much longer. And a longer stride doesn't have to mean less stride frequency.

I believe it's possible that Usain Bolt is clean. I sure hope so for the sake of my sport.

What that man has done at this world championships is, no hyperbole, incredible. He broke two world records, the ones he set at the Beijing Olympics. The 100 record we all expected to fall.

But the 200? The one that he broke by .02 seconds by running flat out, eclipsing Michael Johnson's long-standing and perhaps more impressive record by a fraction?

Then he experienced discomfort in his foot after a car crash and couldn't train on the curve as much -- perhaps the most important element for a 200-meter dash. And he ran a 19.19 (?!?).

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Links of the Week: This engaging piece on the Philadelphia Eagles fan base, and their reaction to Michael Vick, is typical for ESPN's Elizabeth Merrill, but once-in-a-lifetime for everyone else. Is there anyone today that does longform, investigative or emotional pieces better than Merrill? If you crave something original, creative, in-depth, insightful and crafted just so, read her stuff.

This guy may be a criminal genius. They're calling him the $83 bandit, apparently because of his propensity to walk into banks, hand the teller a note demanding $83 and walk out.

Now, if you're going to rob a bank, isn't it the perfect amount? Anything less and it's worthless. But the teller will think: Why $83? And then they'll be busy finding three $1 bills. And before they can as much as show alarm on their face, the man is gone. And is it really worth risking your life for a few $20 bills? The people that work at banks handle so much money, it's got to seem like one bad overcharge fee and nothing more.

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher