This, from Sports Scientists, is the best wrap of high-tech sport on the planet…

2009 produced some fascinating sports stories. Below are links to our coverage of those top stories of 2009

• The debate begins: Is Caster Semenya male or female?
• The complexities of sex determination explained
• The debate takes a racist turn as politicians enter the fray
• More detailed explanations of the physiology of male and female
• Media leaks begin as the rumour mill begins to spin
• Media reports that Semenya IS a “hermaphrodite” – scientific view
• The medical perspective vs performance. Why performance advantage may be irrelevant
• Leonard Chuene of ASA admits to lying about Semenya – cover ups and lies

• Swimming records fall like tenpins at the World Championships – analysis of the record rush
• Swimming’s dilemma – swimmers, swimsuits and sponsors
• A new perspective on the swimsuit debate

• The research that ‘cleared’ Pistorius is finally published – our critical view of its merits
• Detailed analysis of the Pistorius research – why it was flawed
• Pistorius has a 10 second advantage over 400m – his own scientist reveals startling facts
• Sports Illustrated comment on the rift between Pistorius’ scientists
• Viewpoint on Pistorius’ case and the CAS verdict – time to review

• What does it take to climb with the Tour? Power output numbers
• Analysis of Contador’s climb of the Verbier
• Analysis of the final individual time-trial of the 2009 Tour
• Does Alberto Contador have a VO2 max of 99.5 ml/kg/min? Discussion and opinion

The Science of Sport Dr. Ross Tucker Dr. Jonathan Dugas

Continue Reading →

I thought to give a bit of background to the camp, and the idea, and what I had hoped for before we set out on what was already a mad idea, just in concept. Here were the rules:

1. Carry everything in a small backpack that you would need for the week.
2. Book accommodation in advance.
3. Avoid franchises at all costs.
4. Bring a dose of humility and humor.
5. Ride as smart as possible.

We had a route planned, with a 2 day MTB race in George, followed by the route of;

Day 1: George to Prince Albert
Day 2: Prince Albert to Ladismith
Day 3: Ladismith to Barrydale
Day 4: Barrydale to Kleinhoekkloof
Day 5: Kleinhoekkloof to Kleinhoekkloof
Day 6: Rawsonville to Cape Town

But why trek 700km unsupported through the semi desert and call it “holiday” ???

Couple reasons:

1. To switch off totally. Cellphone use was limited to about 10min a day for me.
2. To gain a base fitness for a crazy 2010 which includes 19 days of racing in the first 4 months of the year alone.
3. To get away, and really away, from what was a very rough last 6 weeks to the year.
4. To have a boys adventure and talk boys rubbish for a few days.
5. Because.

The last point may be the best one and it resounds with me most clearly since we have been back. Cape Town will always be Cape Town. Big parties, fuzzy heads, attitudes, crazy Joburgers in December, etc etc. The idea was to challenge that and to do something which not only scared the living bejezzzzus out of the 3 of us on paper, but threw us in the deep end and tested what we were made of.

Each guy got something different out of the trip. We were each given specific challenges – physical, emotional, spiritual, etc – to clear in the week, very randomly at times.

It was to be unceremonious and harsh, but I believe we all came out better for it.

Continue Reading →

So as you would have noticed, there has been a distinct lack of posts from the site in the last 2 weeks. I have been on a semi sabbatical. After a really mad year I needed a time out, and it actually happened a day earlier than I had planned, but I had really just had enough, and got to a pretty low point.

We undertook an epic, unsupported 700km trek through the wild (more posts on that coming, its a life changing story), in pretty extreme circumstances and conditions, but came out with a new smile and a fresh lease on work, life, love, etc.

Before I get fully back into it, I thought to post something from my favorite contributor of the year, Zenhabits.It had to do with sticking to your New Years Resolutions…

‘Habits are at first cobwebs, then cables.’ ~ Spanish Proverb

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

Let’s face it: most of us fail when it comes to sticking to resolutions — so much so that many people swear never to make resolutions again.

And yet the rest of us are eternally hopeful when the New Year comes around, believing without any credible evidence that we can improve our lives, that change is possible, that we’re not going to be stuck in the same old rut again this year.

I’m here to tell you that you can do it. It’s possible. I’ll show you how.

The Problem with Most Resolutions
While I love the optimism of New Year’s Resolutions, unfortunately, the enthusiasm and hope often fades within weeks, and our efforts at self improvement come to a whimpering end.

New Year’s Resolutions usually fail because of a combination of some of these reasons:

• We try to do too many resolutions at once, and that spreads our focus and energies too thin. It’s much less effective to do many habits at once (read more).
• We only have a certain amount of enthusiasm and motivation, and it runs out because we try to do too much, too soon. We spend all that energy in the beginning and then run out of steam.
• We try to do really tough habits right away, which means it’s difficult and we become overwhelmed or intimidated by the difficulty and quit.
• We try to be “disciplined” and do very unpleasant habits, but our nature won’t allow that to last for long. If we really don’t want to do something, we won’t be able to force ourselves to do it for long.
• Life gets in the way. Things come up unexpectedly that get in the way of us sticking with a habit.
• Resolutions are often vague — I’m going to exercise! — but don’t contain a concrete action plan and don’t use proven habit techniques. That’s a recipe for failure.

There are other reasons, but the ones above are easily sufficient to stop resolutions from succeeding.

The 6 Changes Method
So what are we to do? I’ve created the 6 Changes Method, along with a new site called 6Changes.com, to solve these problems:

• We only focus on one habit change at a time, so our focus and energies aren’t spread thinly.
• We implement the habit changes gradually, so we don’t run out of steam.
• We start out really, really easily, so it isn’t intimidating.
• We focus on enjoyable activities, so we don’t need “discipline”.
• We have two months to do the habit change, so if something comes up, it’s but a small bump in the road. And because we’re publicly committed, we’re going to get back on track.
• We have a very specific plan with actions built in, using proven habit change techniques.

If you stick with the method, you’ll do much better than you’ve done in the past with New Year’s Resolutions. You’ll focus on creating long-lasting habits rather than trying to reach a short-term goal that fails. You’ll maintain your enthusiasm for longer and not become overwhelmed by the difficulty of change. You’ll have habits that will change your life, and that’s no small feat.

The Method
So how does the 6 Changes method work?

It’s simple:

1. Pick 6 habits for 2010.
2. Pick 1 of the 6 habits to start with.
3. Commit as publicly as possible to creating this new habit in 2 months.
4. Break the habit into 8 baby steps, starting with a ridiculously easy step. Example: if you want to floss, the first step is just to get out a piece of floss at the same time each night.
5. Choose a trigger for your habit – something already in your routine that will immediately precede the habit. Examples: eating breakfast, brushing your teeth, showering, waking up, arriving at the office, leaving the office, getting home in the evening.
6. Do the 1st, really easy baby step for one week, right after the trigger. Post your progress publicly. (Read more.)
7. Each week, move on to a slightly harder step. You’ll want to progress faster, but don’t. You’re building a new habit. Repeat this until you’ve done 8 weeks.

You now have a new habit! Commit to Habit No. 2 and repeat the process.

Further Reading
Read more on creating your new habits for the New Year:

1. Suggest habits. Which six will you choose? Some recommendations.
2. The Importance of Public Accountability. Why it’s one of the foundations of the method, and how to do it.
3. What’s a Trigger & Why Is It So Important? Another key to the method.
4. Why You Should Do Only One Habit at a Time. Answers one of the most common questions people have about the method.
5. How to Be Patient as Your Habit Develops. It’s not easy to do it this slowly, but here’s how it works and how to do it.
6. The Art of the Start of a Habit. Why starting is so hard and how this method overcomes it.
7. How to Kick a Bad Habit. Suggested method that has worked for me in the past.
8. How to Form the Exercise Habit. How to apply the method to the habit of exercise.
9. Key to Habit Change: Enjoy the Activity. Don’t force yourself to do something you hate. Find ways to enjoy it instead.
10. Make Your Habit Change a Priority. How not to let it drop by the wayside.
11. Don’t Worry So Much About Long-term Goals. Focus on the process, not the end point.
12. Why Daily Frequency of Habits is Important. Daily habits are better than ones you do once a week, or even 2-3 times a week.

‘It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop.’ ~ Confucius

Continue Reading →

“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” - Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist monk

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow him on Twitter.

The holidays are a busy and stressful time for most people — with work and gift shopping and get-togethers and all kinds of other events and worries, it’s a wonder we stay sane at all.

The secret to survival — and in fact to having a wonderful time during these holidays and any stressful situation — is to stay in the moment, as much as possible. This is something I work on all the time, and it’s easy to forget.

However, it’s also easy to do, if you stay conscious of it. Here’s how:

1. A simple practice. Take a fruit — an apple, a pear, a peeled banana or kiwi, some berries — and eat them mindfully. Slowly. Take a small bite, and really experience it. Feel the texture in your mouth. Savor the taste. Smell the fruit. Think about how you feel as you eat the fruit. Feel the juices in your mouth. Feel yourself swallow the bite. Eat the entire fruit this way, one bite at a time, really feeling and tasting and smelling and experiencing this fruit.

2. A simple mantra. Each time you feel yourself getting stressed or overwhelmed, remember the fruit. Say to yourself “apple” or “banana” or “berries” (or whatever fruit you ate), and remember what it was like to be mindful as you ate that fruit. Now do the same thing with whatever you’re doing right now — whether you’re out shopping, or spending time with loved ones, or doing a work task. Focus on one thing, and really be in the moment with that thing or that person.

3. Remember what’s important. During these holidays, think about what’s most important to you. That might be your loved ones, or a loved one, whether that’s a spouse or friends or kids or parents or whatever. It might be your work — what you create and are passionate about. It might be something else. Focus on that during these holidays, and remember that the rest is just noise. It’s not important. Fully experience what’s important to you, and let the rest fade away.

Continue Reading →

Came across this on Sue’s blog yesterday…

From Seth Godin’s blog:

Now, more than ever, we need to shake things up.

Now, more than ever, we need a different way of thinking, a useful way to focus and the energy to turn the game around. I hope a new ebook I’ve organized will get you started on that path. It took months, but I think you’ll find it worth it the effort. (Download here).

Here are more than seventy big thinkers, each sharing an idea for you to think about as we head into the new year. From bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert to brilliant tech thinker Kevin Kelly, from publisher Tim O’Reilly to radio host Dave Ramsey, there are some important people riffing about important ideas here. The ebook includes Tom Peters, Jackie Huba and Jason Fried, along with Gina Trapani, Bill Taylor and Alan Webber.

Have fun…

Continue Reading →

1. Take 5 minutes to focus on your breathing before you go to bed. Slow it down and fill your entire body with fresh oxygen.

2. Change someones day by giving just that little bit extra to them.

3. Stop talking and listen to what we are really trying to tell you.

4. Define the difference between balance and contentment.

5. Find yourself outdoors in a new place where there is no noise. Sit there. Relish in the fact that you are alive. Clear your mind. Sit longer than you want to, because you need to.

6. Walk before you run. Its called momentum.

7. Tiredness is good. Fatigue is a problem.

8. Learn the difference between healthy food and real food. Real food has no more than 5 ingredients and doesn’t come in a tin.

9. Turn off your phone for a day. Change your voicemail before you do, informing the world that you will be back, in 24 hours.

10. Dance happy, not sexy.

Continue Reading →

Its a bit later than normal, but here goes.

After a few weeks of successful racing I headed up to WP Trials on Friday last week with a bit of hesitance, as I was nursing an upper respiratory tract infection, commonly known as a Stuffy Head. I did not feel great and was going up to see how I went, but not to kill myself. My plan was to work hard in the swim and bike, and coast the run with a hopeful lead.

I knew some of the faster guys were not coming up and this gave me a bit of hope for the day as well.

We lined up on Saturday morning with the usual smack talk and chatter and I got a good spot on the swim line and before we knew it, we were off on our 2 laps. I hung with swim rabbit Emslie for about 300m and then backed off once I saw we had a gap on the group. I merely wanted to limit loss to Emslie but still build a bit of a break to the chasing pack before the bike got going.

My new Orca Alpha suit, boys and girls, is the shiznitz. It felt really amazing in the water, with less restriction on the arms than I have ever felt. I swim with quite straight arms, and the suit didn’t inhibit that for one second. Kudos to Orca, I think first 4 out the water were all in Orca suits.

Onto the bike, and the mission was to sit up till about 5km, then hammer till 30km, then spin into T2. Mission was on the way when at about 5km I passed young Emslie on the bike and motored by, riding hard (there may have been a bit of white foam on the mouth at this point), checking my Suunto to make sure I was keeping it above 170. At 10km, I had 75sec on 2nd place, at 20km, it was 120sec. On leg 3 I thought I heard a puncture and nearly platzed myself, but the faint noise wouldn’t go, even if the tire was staying hard.

At 30km I still had 120sec over Harold chasing, with a foxy Brendan Lowen on his ass like a fly to a vrot carcass in the sun. I could see they were catching as Harold murders the bike, his freakishly sized calves not being supportive for his running agendas. I was pumped full of Whaspgel by this stage and was ready to spin/hammer home, but I felt as if I was riding with someone holding onto my shirt.

The last leg was murder and I couldn’t understand why it seemed so much harder (inspection after the race revealed that the brakes had locked onto my rear wheel a little and it was tough to spin the wheel – hence the extra effort and loss of time in the last 20km) but kept spinning as I wanted to have semi-fresh legs for the run, whereas I knew the two behind were going to hammer all the way into T2.

The official gap was around 30sec into T2, but I set out running lightly up the hill, but not murdering myself. My Puma racers were perfect for the day, no socks, light, no blisters, and YELLOW!

All our flat running was about to pay off. I buried the downhills and the flats, going deep into GP circuits for inspiration. The lead went up to 1:30 by the end of lap 1, 2:30 by the end of lap 2 so that I had the time and space to chill on lap 3 heading home for a well deserved win, sinus and rubbing wheels couldn’t stop me today.

As I came into the finishline I knew that the sickness, the strange bike feeling and the new, much harder run route would add to around 5minutes of extra time, so to come in just over 2 hours was a happy achievement, and proof that these damn ME workouts have paid off, that the calorie counting has paid off, and that a new attitude is paying off.

Thanks to all my sponsors, you make it so much easier. Puma, Orca, Whasp, Suunto, Rockets (worn in the car on the way home for no sore legs the next day), Jack Black Beer (official recovery fuel).

all images credited to Tess

Continue Reading →

While I`m busy compiling a race report and life report from the weekend (it was a big one!) I found this gem and I thought you might schmaak this… its pretty insane.

Continue Reading →

You’ve heard the song here, you`ve seen Jack Parow in a taxi jamming, now click the official video ekse.

Continue Reading →

I realize that may have made you cry. I know this because when I watched it this morning, I cried. People wonder why the likes of a Chrissie Wellington roll across the line at Ironman races, and its because of this guy, John “Blazeman” Blais.

Life is pretty short, and we often get stuck in the bad moments, hanging onto them and stretching them out. I`ve been there, and so have you. Let’s both stop this behavior, and endeavor to be even close to the life force that Blazeman was.

Rock on people. Its Friday, its world cup draw, there are races this weekend, Killers concerts, friends to party with, family to share with, long lost important people to reconnect with.

Make it happen.

Continue Reading →