Lester: The rundown on Geneva native's Olympic bid Saturday
If you had the same regimen as 22-year-old Geneva native Ben Kanute, you could down that loaded Chipotle burrito and then tuck into a full steak and potato dinner with dessert before settling onto the couch to binge-watch Netflix without any trace of guilt.
There is, however, a slight catch: You'd need to log about 25 hours of running, swimming and biking every week - training for all three activities on most days. Then allot time for weight lifting and stretching, plus massages to get the kinks out of those tired muscles.
That's life for Marmion Academy graduate Kanute, who will take a shot at making the Olympic triathlon team Saturday.
15 years in the making
Kanute a modest, sandy-haired 2014 University of Arizona graduate, tells me the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Chicago is the culmination of nearly 15 years of training.
If he places in the top eight in the 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run this weekend, Kanute has a chance to win an automatic spot in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Can you recommend a movie?
He has one pre-race tradition: “bad made-for-TV movies” to help lull him to sleep the night before a competition. “One of those that is fun to watch and make fun of,” Kanute says. One recent choice was “Termination Point,” a 2007 thriller about a top-secret government experiment with time travel.
You can check out Kanute on Twitter at @BenKanute or his blog at BenKanute.com for photos of his travels, race results and his love bordering on obsession for coffee (the lifeline of victory, right?).
Best of luck, Ben.
Joe Walsh ties
Did you know Kathy Hamilton, expected to make news tonight by attempting to void COD President Robert Breuder's contract, was former congressman Joe Walsh's volunteer coordinator in his 2012 campaign? COD attorney Dan Kinsella also was involved in Walsh's campaign as an election attorney.
Lederhosen brothers
It's almost October, and you know what that means: the Walter E. Smithe brothers in lederhosen. Mark, Tim and Walter were at Rosemont's Hofbrauhaus last week to tape a commercial and be “celebrity keg tappers” for the restaurant's Oktoberfest celebration. Mayor Brad Stephens says the brothers taped their antics with about 1,000 patrons in the background. Head to www.smithe.com/viewourvideo.inc to see the commercial, which debuted this week. It includes oompah music, beer and even a paddle.
New team for Rosemont?
Stephens says he hopes to announce a deal next month for a new minor-league franchise to come to Rosemont affiliated with the American Association of Independent Baseball, a 13-team league based in Durham, N.C.
Polo crowd
The 11th annual LeCompte Kalaway Trail Owners Cup Polo Matches was, by all accounts, a smashing success, with more than 2,000 attendees last weekend at the Barrington Hills polo field.
Jeff Hensel, the Barrington Hills Polo Club's marketing director and also a player in last Saturday's matches, said club members practice at three polo fields, one in Barrington Hills and the other two near Wauconda. Several matches took place throughout Saturday afternoon, with Oakwood Farm in Barrington Hills winning the main game.
Brass on hand
Hensel, of Elgin, says among those in attendance were Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton, Barrington Village President Karen Darch, several members of the Cook County Board, and Forest Preserve Superintendent Arnold Randall - part of the club's outreach to make sure the area's horseback riding trails are protected and valued.
Daily Herald Editor John Lampinen was there, too, to judge the event's tailgate competition. He calls it “clearly one of the social events of the year in Barrington Hills.”
The back shot
A group including Julie Carani of Barrington won first place for tailgating with an elaborate multi-roomed tent that included a crystal chandelier, black-and-white tile floor and plush, white furniture, accented by bistro tables and striped umbrellas. There was also plenty of wine on hand for guests.
Here is her submitted “selfie” of the week with a cutout of male model and polo star Nacho Figueros. He's flanked by Carol Carani, left, and Laura Fitch.
Biden backer
Democratic political consultant Kitty Kurth, who's worked on suburban campaigns for decades, was named senior communications adviser for the Draft Biden movement. The SuperPAC is an effort to compel Vice President Joe Biden to throw his hat into the 2016 presidential ring.
Edgar for Bush
And former Gov. Jim Edgar and Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Mateno have been tapped to head up Jeb Bush's Illinois campaign, I'm told.