Upcoming sporting events:
1) The Olympic trials are already underway and will continue into early July. Though I rarely watch television, I made an exception for the final rounds of the women's 10 meter platform diving trials; the last round of dives included four spectacular iterations of the back 2 1/2 somersault with 1 1/2 twists.
2) The Tour de France will begin on June 30 and continue through to July 22. Unfortunately, the 2011 runner-up and one of my favorite riders to follow, Andy Schleck, had to withdraw with a fracture (he fell while riding and continued another two days before withdrawing from that competition with the break). This may make for a less suspenseful Tour - projections suggest Cadel Evans is in good position for a second consecutive win - but there's something gripping about cyclists zooming down a hill at upwards of 50 miles per hour and I love the teamwork required for Tour success.
3) Once the Tour ends, sports enthusiasts will get two whole days off (I'm sure there's something happening then) before the Olympic soccer matches pick up on July 25. The full Olympics 2012 schedule will kick off with the first day of competition and Opening Ceremony on July 27; the final day of competition will be August 12. If you miss Andy Schleck at the Tour, you just might catch him cycling for team Luxembourg at the Olympics.
That's your sports schedule update for the summer. For other knowledge unrelated to sports, here's some fun facts about the Inca Trail. I've been asked recently (on multiple occasions) about the altitude and length of the Inca Trail. Here are some numbers from Llama Path (the trail company with which I'll be hiking) and other trail companies:
Inca Trail length: About 43 kilometers (within a mile over a marathon --> 26.2 miles = 42.195 kilometers)
Altitude at Trail start: 8,920 feet
Highest altitude reached: 13,780 feet
Altitude at Machu Picchu (Trail end): 7,780 feet
Denver, Colorado, by comparison, sits at one mile (or 5,280 feet).
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