0 Running Naked: The Busy Athlete Goes Au Naturel And Loves It

Yesterday I ran naked for the first time in way too long.  Don't worry.  I wasn't jogging nude around the running trails of Melbourne, frightening people.  I did something much more radical, and for a lot of runners and triathletes, even more unimaginable.  I ran without a GPS, heart rate monitor or mp3 player.  I got home and had no data to review.  No split times.  No "time spent in Zone 3".  I have no idea how far I ran, or how fast, and I will never know if I took the Strava CR on Yarra Bend Road. I realised recently that I, and many people I know have become addicted to data.  We endlessly...

0 Mental Toughness: Pushing Yourself Past Your Limits

I recently started to use Strava to track my runs.  Not only does it map my route and give me pace and distance data (like a million other apps), it also allows me to challenge the times of other users my area.  Being a ridiculously over competitive guy who likes winning a LOT, this is right up my alley.  The first thing I did upon downloading the app was to plan a run that took in as many local sectors as possible, in order to break the existing records and claim top spot. I'm honest enough with myself to know that I am by no means physiologically gifted when it comes to athletic endeavours.  I'm an average, middle of...

0 How My Exercise Addiction Saved My Life

My addiction (and it is an addiction) to training has saved my life.  I'm absolutely convinced of that.  If I hadn't embraced exercise as passionately as I have, I would be dead well before my time. 5 years ago I was 14kgs (30lbs) heavier than I am now.  I was a heavy smoker, drinker and recreational drug user.  I was lazy, unfit and existing on a diet of unhealthy junk food.  I had a big wobbly belly and suffered from an unfortunate case of man boobs.  I would go out and party for days on end, and would never be asleep before midnight during the week.  I never exercised, was weak and generally just in...

0 A Great Ironman Movie - Ironman Coeur d'Alene

Check out this great movie on Ironman Coeur d'Alene.  Some excellent interviews with the pros and the age groupers who make this such a wonderful event. ...

0 Get Off The Couch! 5 Reasons You Should Start Getting Fit Today

It's cold outside at the moment.  The weather is terrible, it's grey and dark and the only thing most people want to do is stay inside where it's warm and cosy.  If you're anything like me, you also want to eat filling, hearty winter foods that might not necessarily be fantastic for your waistline. It's all too common to see people putting aside their exercise routine in the cooler months, and paying a heavy price for it (pun intended) As our lives get more sedentary and we spend more and more time at our desks, sitting in cars or on the couch, it's never been more important to include regular exercise in our daily routines. ...

0 Tour De France For Dummies: The Busy Athlete's Guide For Cycling Beginners

If you are not a cycling tragic like I am, you may find the terminology of the Tour De France (or cycling in general) a bit confusing, if not downright baffling.  Terms like peloton, echelon, gruppetto and maillot jaune are an impenetrable code to the unitiated.   So that there are a few less people in the world to stare at me blankly when I talk about cycling, here is the Busy Athlete's Guide to Le Tour. The Jerseys: What are all the different jerseys about?  Yellow (Maillot Jaune) - The jersey worn by the overall race leader Polka Dot - The jersey worn by the King of the Mountains.  The rider who collects the...

0 Le Tour De France 2012: An Australian Fan's Survival Guide

The Tour de France.  An epic, three week test of endurance.  The battle of iron will over the screaming fatigue of an exhausted body.  And then there is the bike race. As an Australian, I count myself lucky to live in a beautiful, relatively uncrowded land of startling beauty.  We have wonderful food, beautiful beaches and generally pretty good weather compared to much of the Northern hemisphere.  What sucks is the fact that we live in a VERY unfriendly timezone for watching European sports.  I can't count the number of nights sleep that I've missed because of Football, Cycling and Ironman races over the years,...