Flame On!

With fireworks and the beat of 2,008 drummers, the lighting of the Olympic flame kicked off the official Opening Ceremonies for the 29th Olympiad today, widely considered one of the most compelling, complex and criticized Olympics in history. China welcomed the more than 10,500 hopeful athletes, who will compete over the next 17 days, from 205 countries at the ceremonies as an estimated crowd of 91,000 jammed into the National "Bird's Nest" Stadium.

Now if you're like me, you'll be trying to catch as much of the action as you can. I know I'll be tuning in for the swimming and gymnastic competitions…Michael Phelps is virtually assured of at least a handful of gold medals this go around, while Shawn Johnson, who happens to be our hometown favorite, is the favored all-around contender herself. I'm also eagerly anticipating the track & field events, especially the men's marathon event that will be hosted on Saturday, Aug 23. Go for it, Ryan!

Though these events are taking place literally half a world away, that doesn't mean you can't be part of the action. If you are looking for a good way to celebrate the Olympic kickoff, might I suggest one of Non-Runner Nancy's newest virtual races...the official 8-on-the-8th Olympic Race. That's right, you too can be an "olympic" athlete! Be sure to join us in honoring the Olympic Games by running 8 miles today, all while in your own neighborhood and at your own pace. I took the challenge myself and logged 8 miles myself (8.3 miles to be precise) running through a challenging stretch of hills I've now officially dubbed "The Great Wall of…um...Iowa". Yeah, I am a bit sore, but it was well worth the effort for the cause. Thanks to Nancy for putting together another fine virtual race!

Olympics Coverage

For those interested, Wired's Wiki is compiling a list of places where users can watch the Beijing Olympics online. This includes NBC, the BBC and YouTube, though access will vary by country. There's also a link on the right hand side of the Beijing 2008 official site…just look for the box that says Olympic Video.

Also, for a short but detailed program guide of NBC's expected nightly broadcasts, check out the Guide to Olympics Broadcasts.

Best of luck to all participating Olympic athletes (both official and virtual)!