Gym Matters

Last week, for the first time in four years, I signed up for a gym membership. This summer was a period of significant stress, so I needed an activity that helped me to relax my mind and recharge my batteries. For an unknown reason, weight training is the physical activity that unloads the most of my stress levels.

Since the moment I grabbed the dumbbells, an indescribable sensation ran throughout my body. An hour of curling, pressing, and pushing weights didn’t stop my thirst of pumping iron. I wanted more adrenaline in my muscles. But my conscience advised me to take it easy, “Calm down, you are pushing too hard for a middle-aged fellow.”

I paid my dues over the weekend. My leg muscles were swollen from squatting, and my biceps hurt. My back implored me to get a massage. Ouch! Yet my spirit was full of life; my posture, upright; my energy tank, overloaded; and my mind, totally relaxed.

I am ready to hit the weights this week.

El Fútbol Inglés

Hay una competencia que tiene lugar cada año que se llama The F.A.Cup.  Todos los equipos del fútbol en la liga de fútbol inglés entran en la competencia.  Todos los nombres de los equipos se ponen en un sorteo y es posible que los equipos más conocidos jugarán contra los equipos menos conocidos.  Desde que conocí mi marido,  ha sido un aficionado de un equipo que se llama Brentford. Desde niño su padre le llevó a ver todos los juegos de casa y mi marido ha hecho el mismo con nuestro hijo y ahora mi hijo le lleva a mi marido a los juegos!.  Brentford es un equipo en el primera división, hay dos divisiones por encima de la primera división.  Todos los equipos que ganan, entrarán en el próximo sorteo. Hace dos semanas Brentford tenía que jugar contra Chelsea, uno de los más famosos equipos en Inglaterra (de hecho los campeones de Europa.) También el juego tuvo lugar en el humilde estado de Brentford.   Brentford jugó muy bien, y ganó dos goles contra Chelsea y estuvo ganando hasta que Fernando marcó un gola contra Brentford en los últimos segundos y el partido terminó en empate.   El domingo que viene, Brentford tendrá que jugar de nuevo, pero esta vez en el estadio de Chelsea!   No hay ninguna manera que Brentford va a ganar, pero los aficionados están muy contentos de que su equipo ha llegado a esta etapa de la competencia, tambien mucha gente verá el partido en la televisión, todo el mundo le gusta ver los equipos menos conocido jugar contra los gigantes

Stiffness

I was thinking that this morning I was going to be stiffness. Yesterday evening my children and I were in the indoor pool. While I  was swimming some lengths my children were playing to something. When I met with them, they were competing to see who was faster running inside the water.

First I have to say that the Friday is the best day of the week to go to the pool. That day there are not swimming courses and, I do not know the reason, but very few people go to the pool and we have, almost all time, the whole pool for us.  Perhaps I am an strange father and I should take my kids to burger bar or something like that, I do not know.  I only know that my children really enjoy a lot these occasions.  The jokes in the changing room, the first shower, the games in the pool and some "aguadillas" (to hold somebody's head under water), then a while in the jacuzzi, the last shower, get dressed, stop for a moment to see their Grandma, who lives near the sport centre... In short, Friday evening is a great joy for them.

Well, as I was saying, in some moment I joined them and I discovered a great exercise to my legs. We were quite a while spinning around the pool and, when we stopped, I felt my legs broken.

Sport at Home

I have practiced on the exercise bike in winter for many years. The rest of the year I like going out to cycle with my mountain bike and getting lost on the tracks.
Regarding to the exercise bike I think it is a good invention but you must have a strong will.
I try at the moment to do about half an hour exercise almost everyday. When I do it I like to listen to the ipod that my wife won in a raffle in the place where she works. Every so often* I change the songs. I also think that it is another invention very useful. You have the option to create reproduction lists, that is to say, you can choose, among all songs, those that you prefer in a specific time. I always choose from four to six different songs depending on its length. In this manner I expect to suffer a  torture less unpleasant.

Returning to the topic of sport, I also have at home two small weights. Each one weights four kilos. I do not know much about the use of these weights. I just have heard something about the series of exercises. Short series to lose weight and long series to gain musculature or volume. I do a wide range of exercises. Exercises for the arms, legs, shoulders, chest, back, etc. I think it is a good thing. As they are of little weight I work out more than do weightlifting and I get to keep my belly at bay.

*(I wanted to experiment with another alternative of "from time to time") Did I use correctly that alternative?

Describing a painting

This painting is in the Hall of Remembrance, inside The Imperial War Museum, and in that particular place you can see a huge painting by John Singer Sargents. In fact, it is a mural 20 feet long and probably 10 feet high, and it shows ten soldiers, almost life size being led by a medic through hundreds of injured bodies lying on the floor. All of the man have bands across their eyes, describing that they have been damaged after a gas attack during the First World War. But, through their legs in the background of the painting, you can clearly see a football match taking place.

Historians say that sports had become an escential part of army life. Informal football matches were used to bring worries soldiers together. Those sort of matches entertained the troops meanwhile they were recovering from the fight and preparing for it. It was also a great distraction from the horror what was going on around them.
Of course, the military autorities were very keen on providing oportunities to play football as well as to watch others play. In the 1940's, football had a great fame among the troops and the working class, the soldiers could watch few professional football players playing it. The common enjoyment of taking part or watching sport together gave people a form of equality, and because of that, sport in war was little different from sport in peace.

Getting in Shape

After several months feeling sick with the laziness syndrome, I resumed getting in shape. Today, I went to my city's sports track to begin my exercise plan. Although I had not run for months, I managed to finish some 400 meters repetitions without going breathless. Tomorrow morning, I plan to start off a circuit training program composed of jumping rode, sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups.

I hope to be in shape by year's end and complete a 5k race.

Olympic Games Final Thoughts

- After vying for two weeks at the rhythm of “Chariots of Fire,” the USA outperformed China in the final medal table and took revenge for the defeat in Beijing 2008. The economic and political rivalry between these two behemoths has a new battle arena. I think we have seen this movie before.

- What basketball team is better: Jordan's Dream Team or Kobe's Team USA? The former had more basketball fundamentals, but the latter is more athletic. Comparing different eras is always difficult. Can you imagine Larry Bird guarding Lebron James? It looks like a horror film.

- Puerto Rico wrapped up the Olympic games with two medals, an unexpected silver medal in freestyle wrestling with Jaime Espinal and a could-be-better bronze medal in the 400m hurdles with Javier Culson. Unfortunately, we have to wait four additional years to win an elusive gold medal.

- Usain Bolt was again the king of the track and field competitions. The Jamaican cemented his legacy after being the first man who wins the 100m and 200m in back-to-back Olympic games. In addition, his anchor leg in the 4 x 100m relay sealed a spectacular world record. A superb performance!

- Kudos to the London 2012 organizing committee. The punctuality of the events, the impressive quality of the TV transmission, the British humor in the opening ceremony, the tidy sports venues, and the Londoners' hospitality were praised by almost everybody. The world will miss the “God Save the Queen.”

Practicing with sentences

The year before, They had beaten West Germany 7 to 1 in Wembley.

Your fellow belarusian won a gold medal, they are a team with another guy whom I don't remember the name. They played very well, they are the best of them all.

I can't walk and chewing gum at the same time.
Which would it be your first stop?

I can not never understand their way of being.
Well, some people are kind and sympathetic, but others are really weird though.

So, you have few time for vacations remainig(or left?)

In February, 500 students applied to study at that university but, only 6 months later we were only fifty good students remaining.
The first year is like a "filter?" since it is all for free, only good students can continue.
Even if you are a good student if you get tired, then you don't stand a chance.
Despite they are very young, they are quite mature.

Sentences about football and everyday matters.

Well, I don't actually hate them but I don't like them so much.
The year before, He had taken over as the 10th president of FIFA.
It's better hearing something so(or like that?) from other countries.
I hope you had understood me.
So Argentinian football became more internationally aware.
I will change my concept(or impression?) of them.
He looked outwards instead of looking inwards about our game.
They start the conversation by themselves.
Everything is upside down like in a mirror.
I'm getting(or going?) mad.
At least, They would have to have waited that you grow a bit up.
I stopped the video sending.
It reminds me a reading text book from primary school.

Practicing sentences

But in giving it to others, They lost control of the game they had created and crafted.

The farewell was in Spanish because it's more expressive for me. 
But even the passion for football in this country was not enough to persuade them.

They could take your soul away.
It would be a suitable host for the 2014 FIFA world cup.

Let me know the river's name that cross the city.
I scarcely(or barely?) believe that It happened one time.
FIFA's decision to overlook Argentina and favor Brazil as host of the 2014 world cup.

It was an aerial picture.
FIFA does not appeal to me.

Charles does not know so much of that language.
It seems to me a case of fixing.

¿Quién es?

Algún desconocido ha ganó la medalla de oro en el tenís. Creo que viene de una isla en el atlántico del norte, talvez Islandia, no estoy seguro. Pero me parece que a la muchedumbre le gustó mucho el resultado. Por cierto, el partido fue ¡una zurra!

Olympic Diary II

Puerto Rico has never won an Olympic gold medal. Our Olympic athletes have won several silver and bronze medals in boxing, but a gold medal has always escaped from our hands. However, on Monday our luck may change.

Our maximum expectations are in the men's 400 meters hurdles with Javier Culson. Culson has been dominant throughout the year in his event and has the season-best mark before the Olympic Games. He arrived to London in the best mental and physical condition of his life. On Friday in the quarterfinals and yesterday in the semis, Culson finished first in his heats and with the second best time among all athletes.

All the planets are lined up for Culson. The men's 400 meters hurdles final will be on Monday at 20:45 British Time (3:45 p.m. Eastern Time). If you watch the race, Culson is the tall and slim guy with a headband in lane 5. We have our fingers crossed for Culson. Good luck!

Olympic Games Diary I

Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen has been the greatest attraction of the Olympic Games so far. She has won gold medals in the 200 meters individual medley with Olympic record and the 400 meters individual medley with an outstanding world record. Her performance seems normal for an Olympic gold medalist, but it is spectacular considering she is only sixteen. And more surprising is that she swan the last 50 meters of the 400 meters race faster than her male counterpart in the same event. Awesome!

Obviously, her records have raised a few eyebrows among swimming coaches and competitors. The Chinese authorities have backed up her swimmer, and the person-in-charge of the Olympic Games anti-doping program has defended the drug detention procedures. In brief, we will have to wait for the final results of the doping tests. I hope she is clean.

Describing a game

First, mark an area of about 8 by 3 meters as the "bowling alley". Use 10 plastic bottles as the "bowling pins", don't forget fill the bottles with a little of water to make them heavier. Line up the bottles in rows of 4, 3, 2, and 1, just like a 10 pin bowling.
Then, give a frissbee to each player and allow them take 2 shots every time. Give the players a total of 10 turns to each one. You will score one point for each pin that knock down. If you score a "strike", knocking all the bottles down, then all the points will be added together and the player takes two more shots.
Finally, Win the game the player with the most of the points. Be carefull, don't play this game in a very windy day.
And now my question:
Is this a very kind way to explain a game for children or not?

Los Juegos Olimpicos

La semana pasada ha habido mucha controversia sobre la seguridad del juegos olimpicos.  Hace mucho tiempo el gobierno dio un contrato a un empresa de seguridad para organizar la seguridad de los juegos olimpicos.  La semana pasado la compaña le dijo el gobierno que no tiene suficiente empleados capacitados para garantizar la seguridad de este evento.  Cuando la compaña ganó el contrato, se anunció que se necesitaba empleados desde  todas partes del país, pero las personas que se incorporaron a la empresa apenas llegaron a  trabajar y pocos de ellos han sido entrenados totalmente para el trabajo.  Vaya qué esta ocurriendo en este país cuando hay tantos desempleados y sólo pocos quieren trabajar!!!!!  Ahora ha sido anunciado en las noticas que el éjercito tendrá que hacer el trabajo de seguridad.  Con el gobierno recortes al éjercito va a ser un empujó a los limites.

Euro 2012 Championship Game

Soccer fans have a can’t-miss match this Sunday when powerhouses Spain and Italy clash in the Euro 2012 championship game. The battleground for this exciting match will be the Olympic Stadium of Kiev, Ukraine. Spain is the favorite team and defending champion, but Italy has exhibited great performances throughout the tournament.

The lackluster history of the Spain national soccer team has been full of disappointments. However, the current generation of Spaniard players is reshaping that history. The Spaniards have conquered the two previous major soccer tournaments, Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010, and they aspire to raise their third trophy in a row.

On the other hand, Italy has been a perennial contender in Euro and World cups. Italy slammed Germany in the semis with two outstanding goals from forward Mario Balotelli, and paved the way for the championship game against Spain. The Tifosi (die-hard Italian supporters) are hungry for revenge because Spain eliminated Italy in penalty kicks in the Euro 2008.

For American viewers, the game will be transmitted by ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 2:30 p.m. ET (free online on espn.com and espndeportes.com).