Comeback win for Island Real Estate

The Sun sports game of the week was an Anna Maria Island Community Center adult co-ed volleyball matchup between Island Real Estate and Tyler’s Ice Cream.

Going into the match, Tyler’s Ice Cream was in a tie for first place and Island Real Estate was in sole possession of second place and only two games out of first. To keep pace, Island Real Estate needed a big win.

In the first game of the best two out of three series, it was apparent that both teams were equally matched. There were four lead changes and three ties in the first game alone. Tyler’s Ice Cream finally pulled away with the first game when Tyler Bekkerus began his serve on an 11-11 tie. With his serve they pulled out in front 16-11 before Island Real Estate called a timeout. Later in the game, it was 19-15 when Larry Berkery of Tyler’s Ice Cream finished their opponent off on his serve. Tyler’s took the first game 25-17.

In the second game, Island Real Estate jumped out to an early lead 4-0 on Leah Purvis’s serve. Tyler’s bounced right back though and tied the game 4-4. The two teams battled back and forth with tie scores at 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, 10-10 and also at 11-11. It looked like Tyler’s Ice cream was going to win the second game and also the match when it had a 24-20 lead and match point.

The momentum switched to Island Real estate then on the power serve of Leah Purvis and an ace. It rallied together and tied the game 24-24 on a Don Purvis spike for the kill. With Leah still serving and one more kill from Don, Island Real Estate scored six unanswered points to win the second game 26-24. This forced the match into a third and final game.

In the final game it was back and forth again leading up to an 11-11 tie. Island Real Estate pulled away for a time on the deep strategically placed serves of Ryan Moss, which gave them the lead 17-11 before Tyler’s Ice Cream called timeout. Tyler’s finally got a side-out, which put the ball in Berkery’s serve hand. Berkery had an ace, and Mark Templeton had two kills to help bring Tyler’s back to within one point.

Both teams fought hard, and the final game was tied 20-20 and also 21-21. Emily Moss began service for Island Real Estate, and with an ace, brought them to match point 24-21. Tyler’s was able to get a much needed side out on a nice set by Laura Alderson and kill by Bekkerus. On the next serve, Leah Purvis set it to her husband Don who spiked it to an opening in the middle and gave Island Real Estate the decisive comeback win 25-22.

Adult co-ed Flag Football Results

Agnelli Pools & Spa Giants 34
Lobstahs Lions 26

Beach to Bay Construction Ravens 25
Harrington House Bucs 18

The Island Sun Bills 44
Florida Discount Signs Colts 25

Southern Greens Seahawks 38
Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings 32

Sato Real Estate Browns 39
Duncan Real Estate Cardinals 6

Waterfront Restaurant Dolphins 55
Duffy’s Tavern Raiders 35

Adult co-ed Flag Football Schedule

Feb. 13, Wednesday, 7 p.m., Southern Greens Seahawks vs. The Island Sun Bills
Feb. 13, Wednesday, 8 p.m., Harrington House Bucs vs. Sato Real Estate Browns
Feb. 13, Wednesday, 9 p.m., Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings vs. BY Construction Bears

14-17-Year-Olds Flag Football Results

Lobstahs Colts 35
Beach to Bay Construction Browns 20

Integrity Sound Falcons 14
Eat Here Packers 13

Walter & Associates Bears 20
West Coast Surf Shop Bucs 19

Integrity Sound Falcons 33
Lobstahs Colts 12

Walter & Associates Bears 33
Beach to Bay Construction Browns 26

West Coast Surf Shop Bucs 26
Eat Here Packers 7

14-17-Year-Olds Flag Football schedule

Feb. 16, Saturday, 10 a.m.. Lobstahs Colts vs. Walter & Associates Bears
Feb. 19, Tuesday, 7 p.m., Walter & Associates Bears vs. Beach to Bay Construction Browns
Feb. 19, Tuesday, 8 p.m., West Coast Surf Shop Bucs vs. Eat Here Packers

11-13-Year-Olds Flag Football Results

Ross Built Construction Dolphins 28
Edgewater Realty Jaguars 0

Holy Cow Ice Cream Cardinals 39
Beach Bums Ravens 18

Beach Bums Ravens 32
Edgewater Realty Jaguars 0

Ross Built Construction Dolphins 32
Mr. Bones Colts 19

11-13-Year-Olds Flag Football schedule

Feb. 15, Friday, 8 p.m., Lobstah’s Bucs vs. Mr. Bones Colts
Feb. 16, Saturday, 9 a.m., Beach Bums Ravens vs. Lobstah’s Bucs
Feb. 16, Saturday, 1 p.m., Walter & Associates Bears vs. Mr. Bones Colts
Feb. 16, Saturday, 2 p.m., Edgewater Realty Jaguars vs. Ross Built Construction Dolphins
Feb. 18, Monday, 8:00 p.m. – Holy Cow Ice Cream Cardinals VS. Walter & Associates Bears

8-10-Year-Olds Flag Football Results

Lobstahs Browns 45
Miller Electric Chargers 19

LPAC Cardinals 47
Coastal Orthopedics Bears 12

Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings 32
Manatee Cancer Center Dolphins 6

Air & Energy Jets 18
Beach Bistro Bucs 16

Coastal Orthopedics Bears 19
Beach Bistro Bucs 6

Miller Electric Chargers 19
LPAC Cardinals 18

Lobstahs Browns 19
Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings 6

Manatee Cancer Center Dolphins 19
Air & Energy Jets 12

8-10-Year-Olds Flag Football schedule:

Feb. 13, Wednesday, 6 p.m., Coastal Orthopedics Bears vs. Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings
Feb. 15, Friday, 6 p.m. , Beach Bistro Bucs vs. Lobstahs Browns
Feb. 15, Friday, 7 p.m., Miller Electric Chargers vs. Manatee Cancer Center Dolphins
Feb. 16, Saturday, 11 a.m., Beach Bistro Bucs vs. Coastal Orthopedics Bears
Feb. 16, Saturday, 12 p.m., LPAC Cardinals vs. Air & Energy Jets
Feb. 18, Monday, 6 p.m., Miller Electric Chargers vs. Air & Energy Jets
Feb. 18, Monday, 7 p.m., Manatee Cancer Center Dolphins vs. LPAC Cardinals
Feb. 19, Tuesday, 6 p.m., Manatee Cancer Center Dolphins vs. Air & Energy Jets

5-7-Year-Olds Flag Football Schedule

Feb. 15, Friday, 6 p.m., Lobstahs Broncos vs. Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings

Adult co-ed Volleyball Results

Lobstah’s - 25
Duncan Real Estate – 20
(First game of best 2 out of 3)

Lobstah’s - 25
Duncan Real Estate – 14
(Second game of best 2 out of 3)

Tyler’s Ice Cream – 25
Island Real Estate – 17
(First game of best 2 out of 3)

Island Real Estate - 26
Tyler’s Ice Cream – 24
(Second game of best 2 out of 3)

Island Real Estate - 25
Tyler’s Ice Cream – 22
(Third game of best 2 out of 3)

Adult co-ed Volleyball schedule

Feb. 19, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Island Real Estate vs. Lobstah’s
Feb. 19, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. , Duncan Real Estate vs. Tyler’s Ice Cream
Feb. 19, Tuesday, 8:30 p.m., Lobstah’s vs. Tyler’s Ice Cream

 

Thoughts on bariatric surgery

There are runners faster and younger than me. There always will be. Yesterday marked a milestone at the St. Stephens Falcon 5K in Bradenton. I placed in my 45th 5K race or longer since 2006. I placed first in my new age group, 60-64. I love my new age group. Definately much easier to place in it.

But I also saw I saw a different kind of first at the race. An award was given to the oldest male and female runner. I wasn’t that far off. I’m happy to say I did not get it. Several of the other racers in or near my age group set around while we waited for awards and commiserated how few of us there were.

I apologized to the group for my somewhat sluggish finish time, but since I just registered this week for the National Senior Games this summer in Cleveland, I know was saving my energy and muscles for training for that. I will compete in all four events I qualified in at state, placing fourth in the 100, and third in the 200, 400 and 1500 meters.

Two weeks ago I did my version of the Disney Goofy. That is a half marathon on Saturday followed by full marathon on Sunday. I did a 5K on Saturday, and in my age group, placed first in that and then a half marathon on Sunday and placed sixth in my age group in that.

At the half, somewhere around mile 10, a woman who is an extremely fast runner and her boyfriend passed me. Both were fast runners. I was very surprised as I realized as they were passing me that I had actually been ahead of them for 10 miles.

Since I am a much better sprinter than endurance runner, I knew that my time for the half marathon was pretty average, and very slow by this couple’s standards. Thoughts wander as you run, and I kept trying to figure out why this couple had been running so slowly. I have not seen them in a long time. And as I watched them from behind I realized that the man, who had been in great shape, had gained back some of the weight around his waist that he had previously lost a few years ago.

I remember that a big deal had been made about the huge amount of weight that he had lost through running. I was so curious about it after the race, I started asking around and was told by several friends, that he had been hospitalized recently with a complication from bariatric surgery. I had not known that he had lost the weight mainly as a result of the surgery. The revelation was a disappointment.

Before I wrote my book, I had a client in the healthcare industry. A woman we knew was on a waiting list for years to have bariatric surgery to help relieve her morbid obesity. I was in shock as I listened to her story about how she really didn’t want to lose weight because then she would be bumped off the insurance company’s waiting list for the surgery.

She eventually did have the surgery, and lost a lot of weight, as most people do post-surgery. But she had lots of discomfort and distress. And what was even more shocking was seeing her drink soda after the surgery.

There is no question bariatric surgery works for a lot of people. But these experiences make me wonder what price are we willing to pay for the quick fix? There are many known and unknown complications from some of these magic bullets, which often don’t work, especially in the long term.

At the race yesterday, once again most of the food was atrocious. Candy was given away by one of the sponsors. Some cupcake company was handing out sugar-laden cupcakes to anyone they could. After you’ve run 3 miles, there is nothing quite like a juicy orange or a potassium-rich banana, which fortunately they had.

When will people start connecting the dots and understand that a plant-rich diet combined with a sensible exercise program is the only magic bullet?

Ellen’s refrain, “There is not money in broccoli.”

Gotta run.

You can follow Island resident Ellen Jaffe Jones on her Facebook page and keep up with her just released book:,"Eat Vegan on $4 a Day," or her website: www.vegcoach.com. She is also a nationally certified personal trainer and running coach. For training in a gym or private hire, contact Ellen at ejones@vegcoach.com or 941-704-1025.