It's Olympics Time!!!

I think for all of us who once called ourselves athletes, there is something about watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics that excites you. From the comfort of your couch, the opening ceremony seems magical enough to give you a rush of endorphins via your high-definition television screen. The athlete inside of you remembers what it is like to compete on the highest level, to feel the thrill of playing in front of a crowd, the agony that comes with a hard-fought loss. Your muscles remember the motions you used to make a thousand times over, and that competitor inside of you longs to feel the exhilaration of constantly putting your body to a test.

You watch the men and women march in to an athletic stage of the highest kind, and part of you feels like you could be there if you really tried. You tell yourself that tomorrow will be the resurrection of your athletic career. No more sleeping in late; morning is the best time to run. Forget that strawberry ice cream that you polished off after a barbeque dinner. It sure won't help you get your body into competitive form again.

But...the ceremony ends, and you remember that you don't really enjoy getting up for an early morning jog anymore. And that strawberry ice cream seemed especially delicious last night. And if you were busy training to be an Olympic athlete, you'd miss most of your shows and probably wouldn't be able to hang out with your friends as much. Granted, you might have to pass up a deal with Nike or Speedo, but maybe it's okay to be a has-been too. Maybe, remembering what you used to be will be enough to get you through the 17 days of non-stop athletic competition.

And so I will continue to wear in my spot on the couch, eating ice cream after dinner and sleeping in too late. But man, I sure do love the Olympics.