Sport & Fitness Middle East - Haile Gebrselassie

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IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

Play it. Follow it. Read it.

Get your motor running!

DISTANCE running unfortunately is an exercise that’s never appealed to me over the years as most of my cardio work has been sweated out on a bike. The low impact benefits of the bike and the fact you can free-wheel has meant the trainers have remained locked away for many years. However, we had a rare opportunity to talk to Haile Gabrselassie as he prepares to defend his Dubai Marathon crown and bag the £250,000 winner’s cheque.

After putting the feature together I decided to dust off the running shoes and start on my cardio conditioning. I’d been cycling four days a week so I knew my lungs would be up to the job but my legs didn’t know what had hit them. I managed four miles before my legs turned to jelly and I realised my ambition level was set a lot higher than my actual capability. I remember a famous runner once saying: “Without the wheels a good engine means nothing!” The phrase rattled round my brain for days and every step I made still felt like my calves and thighs were about to explode. In this issue we’ve continued the Haile Gabrselassie feature to focus on essential training tips for those looking to put some miles in their legs, the latest footwear and what action to take if an injury occurs. If only I’d read all this before I laced up my trainers!

I did return to my comfort zone when I interviewed Steve Peat just one month after he’d won the prestigious, illusive 2009 UCI Downhill Mountain Bike Championship title.

At 35 Steve is a legend of his sport who continues to rewrite the record books as he powers down the treacherous slopes fending off riders nearly half his age. A rigorous training programme and two young children has certainly kept him fit and alert.

From one slope to another, Richard Bevan caught up with the bubbly Jenny Jones about becoming the only Brit to win gold at the Winter X Games. That’s an astonishing feat considering her first encounter with a snowboard was on an artificial slope in her hometown of Bristol at the age of 17.

In our fitness section Rob Richards from Fitness First explains just how to go about achieving that six pack while pointing out the most common mistakes we make in trying to achieve stunning body status. After reading our nutritional guide you will never look at a banana the same again.

For those with the courage to run or even walk the Dubai Marathon on the 22nd of January I take my hat off to you and wish you all the best of luck. If I manage to keep on track with my training I’d like to think I’ll be joining you all next year...or maybe 2012.

Alex Gallemore Editor

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20 Haile Gebrselassie

Published in the UAE by: Prographix, PO BOX 24677, Dubai, UAE

COVER STORY 20

Haile Gebrselassie Ethiopian long distance running legend Haile Gebrselassie gives us the low-down on his career in the build-up to his defence of the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon in January.

FEATURES 37

On Track – Running Trainers SFME takes an in-depth look at some of the best running shoes on the market.

74

Ray Mears SFME sits down with Bushcraft and survival expert, Ray Mears, to find out more about one of the world’s bestloved outdoor enthusiasts.

43

Jenny Jones Britain’s No.1 snowboarder talks exclusively to SFME about her meteoric rise from the dry-slopes of Bristol to winning Gold at the 2009 Winter X Games.

52

Steve Peat The 2009 UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Champion, Steve Peat, or ‘Peaty’ to his pals, takes time out from his busy schedule to talk to Alex Gallemore about his award-littered career.

72

Splashing about in Dubai SFME invites you to take a guided tour of Atlantis, The Wild Wadi, Aqua Adventure, The Lost Chambers and other watery delights that Dubai has to offer.

REGULARS 12

Sports News A concise look at recent sporting events from around the globe.

18

Sports Calendar A look ahead at what’s happening each month on the international and local sports scene. >>

Sport & Fitness Middle East Partners

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Alex Gallemore +44 1625 535081

70 Mercedes Perez

80 Get a Grip

GET IN SHAPE 70

Candy Shop Mercedes Perez talks to SFME about how she keeps her bikini body in shape.

TRAINING & NUTRITION 65 Pocket Trainer - iPhone Apps Say goodbye to your personal trainer and download all the latest fitness applications straight to your iPhone.

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IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

POCKET trainer

app’y with your workout TURN YOUR IPHONE INTO THE BEST PERSONAL TRAINER MONEY COULD BUY WITH THESE FRIENDLY APPLICATIONS TO HELP YOU TRAIN HARDER, WATCH YOUR DIET AND SLEEP BETTER. Strength

Exercise Routines

Hundred PushUps

iFitness

If you’re serious about increasing your strength, follow this six week training program and you’ll soon be on your way to completing 100 consecutive push ups! It doesn’t matter which group you fall into, this push up training program says it is positive you will be doing 100 push ups in no time!

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.2.1 or later

iFitness provides images of over 230 exercises, sorted by body region or the exact muscle it targets. Choose a target, tap on an exercise, and you are presented with a picture of the exercise. Double tap to flip the image and reveal clearly worded instructions on the back - directing you step-by-step.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.0 or later GPS Fitness Tracker

This workout training coach will help you get into shape with a series of interval workouts spanning 9 weeks, culminating in your ability to run 5km (3.1miles) without stopping or walking. For runners, joggers, walkers or marathon training.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.0 or later

Weight Watching

GPS Bike Computing

WeightBot

CycleMeter

Rest

Sleep Cycle The app works by waking the user up within a 30 minute window. Sleep Cycle measures the different levels of your sleep from light sleep to deep sleep then determines which phase you are in by measuring your movement and wakes you up at the right time.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 3.0 or later

Nutrition

Tap & Track Keep a track of your calories by calculating your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and finding the daily calorie needs of your body based on your gender, age, weight, height and even job type. This can be devised into four parts, Food, Exercise, Weight and Reports.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.0 or later

Records your time, location, distance elevation and speed via GPS for rides up to six hours. You can view your results on maps, graphs and a calendar organised by routes and activities. You can even compete against previous rides along a route, each ride is ranked from best to worst.

Req: iPhone - OS 3.0 or later

69

Hard Abs Five belly-busting tips.

Stamina

Bleep Test The test which is used as entry requirements for the Police, Fire and Emergency Response, Army, Air Force and Navy is now available on your iPhone.

Designed to push your stamina and endurance to the limits in order to discover your true level of fitness.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.2.1 or later

www.sportingpublications.com l Page 65

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Banana Power All the benefits of the banana.

Couch to 5k

Muscle Gainer

iPump Pilates

66

Running

Protein Counter

Toning

Tips From fat to fit in eight weeks.

CrunchFu Forget boring sit up courses and endless sit ups in the gym. Train and battle to improve your crunch fu with score points and crunch battles, track your motion and get feedback as you are doing them. Train to 200 crunches and see detailed reports and ratings of your training progress.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.2 or later

Lack of muscle growth is mostly attributed to poor protein intake. If you want your time in the gym to count you should increase your protein intake and track it every day.

This handy app allows you track your protein intake at all levels of experience.

Req: iPhone - OS 3.0 or later

The app guides and inspires you through a strength training and body toning fitness regimen and makes it easy to log and track your progress with 63 Pilates images, videos and audio coaching to target your core, challenge your strength and flexibility as well as tone your midsection.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.1 or later

63

Ab Building

RunKeeper RunKeeper enables you to use the builtin GPS in your iPhone to track all of your outdoor fitness activities, including duration, distance, pace, speed, elevation, calories burned, and path travelled on a map. You can store all of your historical activities and share them with your friends!

Req: iPhone - OS 3.0 or later

Set your goal weight, record your weight at any interval, view your BMI, and see your progress. Weightbot also has a built-in secure password feature to protect your weight from prying eyes. It’s easy to use, surprisingly addicting, and designed for everyone to enjoy.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 3.0 or later

Running Tips Our experts give you the rundown on all the necessary disciplines required for a successful run.

Equipt We get our hands on the latest sports and fitness gear that’s taking the world by storm.

60

Ask SFME With the help of the team at Fitness First SFME answers a number of questions that will help you in your quest for a healthy body.

80

Get a Grip Fancy a spot of climbing? SFME showcases three ways to enhance your grip.

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Š 2009 adidas AG. adidas, the 3-Bars logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

Because lunchtime runs aren’t my only luxury I’ve put in the hours. Done the late nights and early mornings.

Now it’s time for a little me-time. Great lunchtime runs, every lunchtime – thanks to these, the best running shoes I’ve ever worn.

adiSTAR Ride Because every runner is different compatible

adidas.com/running

AIR Mathieu Rebeaud wows the people of Madrid as he summersaults across the halfpipe during the Moto X Freestyle event at the X-Fighters contest.

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water Eneko Pou scales one of the many cliff faces on the island of Majorca in his native Spain.

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earth Theo Duarte dashes through the colourful city of Rio de Janeiro during the Red Bull Desafio no Morro downhill mountain bike challenge.

Children of Rio manage to find a safe vantage point on top of a nearby building to watch the action.

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NEWS

Kiwis storm to victory over Samoa to win the Emirates Airlines Dubai Rugby Sevens NEW Zealand won the Emirates Airlines Dubai Rugby Sevens for a record seventh time after powering their way to a 24-12 victory against Samoa.

The Kiwis had built a 10-0 lead at half time but two tries in quick succession pulled Samoa into the lead. However, they couldn’t hold on as the New Zealanders came back quickly with a try from Kurt Baker and added another from Tomasi Cama just before full time to seal the title they last won in 2007.

“It’s great to have won this,” said coach Gordon Tietjens. “I thought we were a bit ‘underdone’ coming into this tournament, not having played in any warm-up matches like a lot of the other teams so I am really surprised at how well the team came together.

“We played some really tough games and I’m really happy to have come through and to have won this prestigious title.” The Kiwis scored more than 30 points in each of their opening three games as they brushed aside

Right: Alafoti Fa’osiliva of Samoa is tackled by New Zealand’s Ben Souness (right) and Zar Lawrence during the final of the Emirates Airlines Dubai Rugby Sevens.

Right below: Kurt Baker (left) runs in for a try ahead of Samoa’s Reupena Levasa during New Zealand’s 24-12 victory over Samoa in the final of the Emirates Airlines Dubai Rugby Sevens.

Portugal 34-0, France 33-10 and Argentina 3810 to top their group. They then despatched Kenya in the quarter-final 17-14 and cruised past Fiji 19-0 in the semi-final to set up the final with Samoa, who had earlier defeated England 28-19 in their semi-final.

Meanwhile, in the other finals, Wales beat Zimbabwe 38-7 to take the Bowl, Russia defeated Portugal 17-14 to claim the Shield and Australia defeated South Africa 7-0 to lift the Plate.

A huge partisan crowd supported the 16 nations vociferously in the four-group format over the three days of the competition that produced some memorable Sevens rugby.

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

MESSI WINS THE BALLON D’OR BARCELONA star Lionel Messi has been named the European Footballer of the Year after a sensational year for the Catalonian club.

Messi, 22, becomes the first Argentine to receive the accolade and beat Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo into second place by a huge margin – 473 points to 233. Barcelona midfielders Xavi (170) and Andres Iniesta (149) finished third and fourth respectively as the club won the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Cup last season.

DAVYDENKO TAKES ATP WORLD TOUR RUSSIAN Nikolay Davydenko won the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro to end the season sixth in the world.

Davydenko, who beat Rafael Nadal, Robin Soderling and Roger Federer on his way to the final, easily defeated the Argentine to claim the biggest title of his career. “To win a trophy is always something important in the career of a tennis player,” he said. “It was important to beat Federer in the semi-final, but a final is different.”

FIFA WORLD CUP TAKES SHAPE IN CONTROVERSIAL STYLE..

FRANCE defeated Ireland in controversial fashion while Greece, Portugal, Slovenia and Uruguay took the remaining spots for the Fifa World Cup to bw staged in South Africa in June after dramatic play-off victories.

France defeated Ireland after Thierry Henry (2) deliberately handled the ball before passing to William Gallas (5) to make it 1-1 in extra time in Paris - 2-1 on aggregate. Greece saw off the Ukraine 1-0 in Donetsk while Portugal beat Bosnia and Slovenia upset Russia.

Uruguay booked the last spot for South Africa as they defeated Costa Rica 2-1 on aggregate.

HOSTS: South Africa.

AFRICA QUALIFYING: Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria.

ASIA QUALIFYING: Australia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea.

EUROPE QUALIFYING: Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland.

SOUTH AMERICA QUALIFYING: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay.

NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA QUALIFYING: Honduras, Mexico, United States.

ASIA/OCEANIA PLAYOFF: New Zealand. www.sportingpublications.com l Page 13

NEWS BRAZIL THE KING OF THE SAND BRAZIL defeated Switzerland 10-5 in the final of the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai in November.

The Brazilians dominated the week-long competition and duly won the tournament for the fourth consecutive time with another convincing display on the sand.

“We have a gift. There are a lot of talented youngsters back home who can come in and do just as good a job,” said captain Benjamin, the oldest member of the championship-winning team. “We won because of our togetherness, our respect for each other and the love that there is in the camp, and this fourth title is reward for all our hard work.”

Portugal defeated Uruguay 14-7 in the consolation match to take third place.

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

UAE FOOTBALLER SALEM SAAD DIES DURING TRAINING SESSION SALEM Saad, 31 (pictured below in red), of the Al Nasr Club in Dubai died during a routine training session after suffering a massive heart attack on November 18th last year. Saad was immediately rushed to the nearest hospital but died soon after arrival.

“Salem Saad suffered a major heart attack during a routine training session held at Al Maktoum Stadium,” read a statement on the club’s official website.

“Salem was immediately transferred to the Rashid Hospital following the training ground incident. However, despite desperate attempts from the doctors, he sadly passed away in the intensive care centre.”

AFGHANISTAN DEFEAT THE UAE TO WIN THE ACC TWENTY20 CHAMPIONSHIP A SUPERB all-round display from Mohammad Nabi guided Afghanistan to an 84 run victory over the UAE in the final of the Asian Cricket Council Twenty20 Championship at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in November.

Afghanistan batted first and were struggling at 63 for 4 before Nabi came to the wicket and scored a superb 73 runs which helped them set a target of 196. He then destroyed the UAE’s hopes of reaching the total with a deadly spell of bowling, taking the last four wickets in the space of just nine deliveries as the UAE were bowled out for 112.

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Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events

NEWS SHARJAH WELCOMES TWO NEW FITNESS FIRST CLUBS AT SAFEER MALL IN a move which sees Fitness First’s expansion across the UAE continue, two brand new clubs were opened in November in the popular Safeer Mall in Sharjah.

The state of the art facilities, designed specifically to meet the needs of both male only and female only members, offer a unique fitness experience for those based in the up-and-coming emirate.

Announcing the opening of the clubs, Fitness First CEO Gary Knill commented: ‘We are delighted to be able to extend our offering to another important part of the UAE and look forward to increasing our presence in both Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the months ahead. The two Safeer Mall clubs are Fitness First’s 16th and 17th clubs in the group’s regional network.”

Adventure Features

PENJAN WINS INAUGURAL FIM UAM ASIAN SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP RACES Thailand’s Thanarat Penjan was flying high in December after winning Saudi Arabia’s inaugural FIM UAM Asian Supercross Championship race meeting at the Reem International Circuit in Riyadh. He also clinched the 2009 UIM UAM Asian Supercross Championship title.

The event was staged in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Fahd Al-Saud, President of Youth Welfare and the President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAOC).

It actually rained in Riyadh before the start of the first of two Asian races on the purpose-built course. Penjan led from the start to the chequered flag after dominating the first race, but was forced to pass four other riders to confirm victory in race two. Runner-up in both of the Saudi races was the 40-year-old Japanese rider Tadakauzu Otsuka, who duly finished second in the general classification at the Saudi race meeting.

“I am physically fit and I feel that gave me a distinct advantage on this demanding course,” admitted a delighted Penjan. “The course was tricky and I needed to focus and be at my best. It was doubly special to confirm the Championship title.”

EMIRATES BODYBUILDING FEDERATION MUSCLES UP FOR SPORTEX Sportex Middle East 2009 held its Fifth Annual Body Building Competition at Dubai World Trade Centre earlier this month.

In association with the Emirates Body Building Federation (EBBF), the annual event attracted a strong line up of athletes from across the region.

After years of dedication and months of strict diet and preparation, the two weight categories split between 85Kg, made it hard for the judges to award the podium positions.

Winners of the Sportex Cup 2009 Body Building Championship event were: Below 85 Kg of SPORTEX CUP 2009: 1.

Issa Sala Ali of the Sultanate of Oman 2.

Ahmad Sayeed Saif of the UAE 3.

Ahmad Hussain Mohammed of the UAE Above 85 Kg Of SPORTEX CUP 2009: 1.

Anas Al Haj Hassan of the UAE 2.

Salim Ahmad Al Bastaki of the UAE 3.

Mohammed Jawad Gulam of Kuwait www.sportingpublications.com l Page 17

January

Haile Gebrselassie and Gary Knill, Fitness First Middle East CEO pictured at Fitness First’s ‘Platinum’ club in Dubai Media City.

January 22 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon

All eyes will be on Dubai for the return of the Standard Chartered Marathon as World Record holder and two-time Champion, Ethiopian, Haile Gebrselassie returns to Dubai in an attempt to win the showpiece race for the third time in a row. Bezunesh Bekele Sertsu is expected to return to defend her women’s title, while there is also a 10k run and a 4k fun run taking place.

It’s world-class distance running and it’s also free to watch. www.dubaimarathon.org January 23-25

Fencing Grand Prix Doha, Qatar Held at Doha’s Al-Sadd Club and Al-Majlis Hall every January, the Fencing Grand Prix is a tournament open to all fencers holding a FIE licence. Organised by the Qatar Fencing Federation, it offers total prize money of US$31,000.

best of the rest January 3-7 Third Test Match (cricket) South Africa v England, Cape Town, 8:30.

January 10–17 The Masters (snooker) Wembley Arena, London, England.

Australian Neil Robertson will defend his crown at Snooker’s most prestigious invitational tournament at Wembley Arena.

January 4-10 ATP Qatar ExxonMobil Open, Doha, Qatar (tennis).

January 14-18 Fourth Test Match (cricket) South Africa v England, Port Elizabeth, 8:30.

January 18-31 Australian Open (tennis), Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia. Rafael Nadal returns to

Australia as defending champion at the first Grand Slam of the season.

Nadal ended his thrilling final with Roger Federer last year by taking the fifth set 6-2.

Dubai to Muscat Offshore Sailing Race This 360-mile offshore sailing race takes a flotilla of boats through the famous Straits of Hormuz before arriving in Oman. First held in 1992, the race is still growing in popularity. Join the celebrations as the yachts reach the finishing line at the Marina Bandar Al Rhowdha in Muscat.

January 28- 31 The Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy, Doha Golf Club, Doha, Qatar (golf). Alvaro Quiros (above) defends his title against a worldclass field that includes Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Kenny Perry, Retief Goosen and Camilo Villegas.

January 21-24 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi.

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style

February February 4-7

Dubai Desert Classic Emirates Golf Club, Dubai

The Dubai Desert Classic is held at the Emirates Golf Club, the first grass golf course in the Middle East. Its lush fairways are in stark contrast to the surrounding desert terrain, which provides the course with many natural hazards. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy will defend his title at the scene of his first ever professional victory.

News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

best of the rest February 1-5 Extreme Sailing Series – Asia Muscat, Oman February 7 Super Bowl XLIV Dolphin Stadium, Miami, USA

February 20 Aviva Indoor Grand Prix (athletics) Birmingham, England.

One Day International Series Australia v West Indies,

February 7 Melbourne

February 14 Brisbane

February 9 Sydney

February 19 Melbourne

February 19 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon Manar Mall Car Park, Ras Al Khaimah Free to watch; registration for participation closed Nov 30, 2009.

Half Marathon 7.20am; Team Relay Challenge 7:30am

February 8-12 The America’s Cup Ras al-Khaimah, UAE

February 12 Adelaide February 14-27

Dubai Tennis Championships Dubai Tennis Stadium, Dubai Women’s: February 14-20 Men’s: February 22-27

February 12 - 28 Winter Olympic Games, Vancouver, Canada.

February 21-27 Maktoum Sailing Trophy Dubai Marine Club February 23-27 Kuwait Open, Pro Tour (table tennis) (date TBC) Mzaar Winter Festival Mzaar Kfardebian Ski Resort, Faraya, Lebanon

The Dubai Tennis Championships attracts many of the world’s top male and female players to the city’s impressive Tennis Stadium and incorporates both Men’s ATP Tour and Women’s WTA Tour events with singles and doubles competitions.

February 17-21 Qatar Open, Pro Tour (table tennis)

Sinbad Classic (date TBC) Marina Bandar Al Rhowdha, Muscat, Oman www.sportingpublications.com l Page19

The legend returns 2010 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon

T

HE streets of Dubai will once again be transformed into the race circuit for one of the most prestigious events on the world athletics schedule as the US$2 million 2010 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon gets underway on January 22.

The star attraction at the world’s richest road race will undoubtedly be two-time defending champion and long distance running legend Haile Gebrselassie, who is looking to add another title to his bulging collection with one eye on breaking the world record of 2h:03m:59s he set in Berlin in 2007.

“There are few, if any, greater names in athletics history than Haile Gebrselassie so once again we are proud and delighted that he has chosen to make his next marathon appearance in Dubai,” said Event Director Peter Connerton.

Ethiopian Gabrselassie is quite simply one of the greatest athletes of all time. His passion and penchant for distance running started when he was a young boy growing up on a farm in Asella in the Arsi Province of Egypt when he had to run a

total of 20km to school and back every day. If you look closely, you’ll see his running style still bears a resemblance to those days, with his left arm cocked and his hand fairly still – it was in this hand that he carried his schoolbooks while he ran.

The 36-year-old’s astonishing career has seen him set 26 world records and win countless Olympic gold medals. He has dominated at every distance he has run, from indoor races at 1,500, 2,000 and 3,000 metres through to his famous track victories at 5,000 and 10,000 metres to his recent speciality – road racing in10km races and half and full marathons.

His first appearance in Dubai in 2008 saw him come agonisingly close to the world record as he blew away the field with an awesome run and a time of 2hr:04m:53s.

He then showed his amazing versatility with a tremendous successful title defence in the rain last year to win in 2hr:05m: 29s.

SFME caught up with Haile Gabrselassie as he trained in his hometown of Addis, Ethiopia, ahead of his bid to make it three in a row in Dubai.

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

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Below: Haile Gabrselassie relaxes at last year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, China, with the backdrop of the famous ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic stadium.

SFME: You’ve got a perfect unbeaten record in Dubai. How does the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon rate in comparison to other marathons around the world?

HG: Of all the races I run in the world, the two best courses for me are Berlin (where he has won four times in a row) and Dubai. These are places where you can make your own race.

I’ve run twice now in Dubai and while the 2009 race was not the best for me, as the weather was bad and I didn’t feel 100 per cent, winning and proving I could run well in the wet conditions was a bonus. The 2008 race still hurts me. I really should have broken the world record that day as everything was perfect – we just went a little too fast in the first part of the race.

I may have only raced in dubai twice but it is one of my favourite events, no question. It is close to where I live and train so travelling isn’t a problem. The weather is usually fantastic when we race and the hospitality is incredible!

Sometimes I think it is too good – maybe we will become too pampered and not want to run!

Seriously, it is also a very good course and I am amazed that the organisers can still put together a great route despite all the changes taking place in the city.

You know, everyone wants to race in Dubai.

Everywhere I go after the race, athletes ask me,

“How do you get such a fast time? What’s it like to run there?” For me, Dubai is the perfect racing venue.

SFME: You’ve already broken the marathon world record twice, so how important is it for you to do it again?

HG: It’s very important. People say I just chase records – so what? It is what I want to do. You know, in Berlin they put in Duncan Kibet who is the fastest marathon runner in the world after me and I said, “that’s OK, let him run”. It just made me concentrate even more to finish him off in 20km.

SFME: How much quicker do you think the marathon can be run – your current record is already incredibly fast?

HG: I truly believe that one day a man will run the marathon in under two hours. It won’t happen for 20-30 years but I believe it will happen in our lifetime, although definitely not in my running lifetime!

SFME: How has your training been going and how do you prepare for a race like the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon?

HG: For the three months leading up to the Dubai Marathon, I start slowly with a number of

long runs. I then do a month of speed training and by December everything has to be ready.

Before Dubai I will do a number of speed tests.

These are very important to gauge how well I am running and what I still need to do to be absolutely ready for a world record attempt.

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

SFME: Talk us through an average training day?

HG: I will do 30-35km maximum road training per day split into morning and afternoon runs.

I will also work in the gym – treadmill, cycling, exercising – for around three hours minimum, once a week. By the time I start the Dubai Marathon I will weigh 58kg. By the time I finish, I will weigh 54kg.

SFME: How important is diet and nutrition to you?

HG: It is very important to eat the right things and stay in good condition when you are an athlete. Only after a win will I allow myself to eat fast food. My normal diet consists of vegetables and injera, which is our traditional food. It’s made of teff, which is grown in Ethiopia and is a very rich grain with a lot of minerals.

SFME: Tell us about your childhood when your passion for running began.

“In Berlin they put in Duncan Kibet, who is the fastest marathon runner in the world after me, and I said, ‘that’s OK, let him run.’

It just made me concentrate even more to finish him off in 20km.”

– Haile Gebreselassie

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Classes starting in January 2010 UAE

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

HG: I grew up on a maize and rice farm in rural Ethiopia. I used to run to school, 10k every day.

Then 10k back again. And this at altitude. It was perfect preparation, really. In the rainy season, sometimes to get to the first lesson we had to run really quickly, because we had to cross the river to school and we’d have to go up and down the bank to find a place to cross because there is no bridge.

SFME: I believe this daily routine influenced your running style?

HG: Yes. My left hand is not very active always, because it was in this hand that I carried my schoolbooks. My carrying hand was always my strongest. Now I think my other hand has developed more muscles from signing all those autographs.

SFME:How do you think running can help to improve people’s lives?

HG: The world is facing many problems due to stress, lifestyle changes, climate change, poor economy etc. I firmly believe that to help you overcome such obstacles the best method is to run. I could have been a victim but I chose to run and today I am fit and healthy. After 30 minutes’ running I feel so much better no matter what is getting me down. Do I ever think, “I really don’t want to do this today?” No, never.

SFME:How important is it for you to influence others to start running?

HG: Extremely important. Whether it’s running or jogging,I encourage people to get out there and run. It doesn’t matter how far – if more people come out as examples to others, then these leaders will help more and more runners to take part.

SFME:You’ve already achieved so much in

athletics, what is there left for you to do?

HG: I still have aims. I really want to break the marathon world record again and I want to compete at the London Olympics in 2012 in the marathon. I don’t believe in putting up any borders or limits. We don’t need that in sport – you should always look ahead. Some athletes have certain aims of where and when to retire. I believe that when you make that plan, in effect you have already retired.

Entries for the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon are being accepted now at all branches of Fitness First in Dubai and online at the event’s official website www.dubaimarathon.org.

Teams and individuals are asked to make sure they book their places in the line-up before the closing date for entries on December 31.

“I could have been a victim but I chose to run and today I am fit and healthy. After 30 minutes’ running I feel so much better no matter what is getting me down” – Haile Gebreselassie

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Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon Past Winners

Women (put alongside men)

Year

MEN

COUNTRY

TIME

WOMEN

COUNTRY

TIME

2009

Haile Gebrselassie

Ethiopia

2hr:05m:29s

Bezunesh Bekele Sertsu

Ethiopia

2hr:24m:02s

2008

Haile Gebrselassie

Ethiopia

2hr:04m:53s

Berhane Adere

Ethiopia

2hr:22m:42s

2007

William Todoo Rotich

Kenya

2hr:09m:53s

Magarsa Assale Tafa

Kenya

2hr:27m:19s

2006

Joseph Ngeny Kiprotich

Kenya

2hr:13m:02s

Delilah Asiago

Kenya

2hr:43m:09s

2005

Dejene Guta

Ethiopia

2hr:10m:49s

Diribe Hunde

Ethiopia

2hr:39m:08s

2004

Gashaw Asfaw

Ethiopia

2hr:12m:49s

Leila Aman

Ethiopia

2hr:42m:36s

2003

Joseph Kahugu

Kenya

2hr:09m:33s

Irina Permitina

Russia

2hr:36m:26s

2002

Wilson Kibet

Kenya

2hr:13m:04s

Albina Iwanowa

Russia

2hr:33m:31s

2001

Wilson Kibet

Kenya

2hr:13m:36s

Ramilja Burangulowa

Russia

2hr:37m:07s

2000

Wilson Kibet

Kenya

2hr:12m:21s

Ramilja Burangulowa

Russia

2hr:40m:22s

STRIDERS TARGET 100 CLUB

From Addis to Dubai – Haile Gebrselassie confirms his appearance at the 2010 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon at a meeting in the Ethiopian capital with Event Director Peter Connerton (left) and Event General Co-ordinator Ahmed Al Kamali.

Pat Carey from the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon presents the “Largest Team In The Marathon” Trophy to Dubai Creek Striders’ Chairman Malcolm Murphy and Gayatri Viswanathan, who accepted it on behalf of AP Kumar, the 63rd member of the Striders to finish the 2009 event.

AS the countdown continues to the 2010 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, the Dubai Creek Striders are already focused on maintaining their position as the largest team in the world’s richest marathon.

No sooner had Striders’ Chairman Malcolm Murphy collected the trophy for bringing home 63 runners in the 2009 event, the man who cofounded the popular running club back in 1995 was already setting a new target for the next staging of the race on January 22, 2010.

“We have to look at getting one hundred runners over the start and finish line next year,” said Murphy after receiving the “Largest Team In The Marathon” trophy from Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon Facilities Manager Pat Carey.

“To get 63 to complete the 42.2km was a great achievement but I think we can raise the bar even higher.”

Murphy’s Striders will once again line up alongside World Record holder Haile Gebrselassie and a host of elite male and female athletes when the $2 million race is staged for the 11th time.

Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, and staged under the aegis of the Dubai Sports Council, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon is already attracting considerably more numbers than in previous years.

But while Gebrselassie is the star attraction, it is the spirit of running clubs like the Striders – as well as the thousands competing in the Marathon, the 10km and the 3km Fun Run – that helps add to the unique camaraderie of the occasion.

“While we are delighted to accept this trophy from the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, we will present it to A.P. Kumar who was the 63rd member of the Striders to finish the event in 2009,” said Murphy. “It’s that type of spirit and determination that makes running such an enjoyable and social sport”

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“I really want to break the marathon world record again and I want to compete at the London Olympics in 2012 in the marathon. ” – Haile Gebreselassie www.sportingpublications.com l Page25

Running Tips Using the right blend of miles, rest, nutrition and the correct footwear is an essential formula for runners of all levels. If you just start pounding the tarmac without the correct preparation and don’t listen to your body it’s only a matter of time before an injury occurs.

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

www.sportingpublications.com l Page29

1

BRAWN BUILDER

HILL RUNNING When you talk about hill running, many will instantly assume you mean uphill. This need not be so. The merits of uphill running are fairly obvious: improved strength, the extra aerobic work required, emphasis on better sprinting form, etc. What is not so obvious is that downhill running can be equally beneficial. It does not help that downhill running is often blamed for an assortment of injuries.

By lengthening your stride and increasing your turnover, you are able to run at a significantly faster and more efficient rate than you would otherwise. The key is to choose a gradual incline, one that you feel comfortable running your hardest without feeling like you are leaning back and braking.

It is that very braking motion which causes the majority of the injuries that give downhill running such a bad name. Try to lean forward and visualize running on your toes. You will be amazed how much faster you can go with no extra effort.

2

ENERGY SAVING

PROPER REST

3

ESSENTIAL

FOOTWEAR SEE OUR FOOTWEAR FEATURE ON

p37

I am in favor of three hard workouts a week (two if one of the days is a race), with an easy day between hard workouts and races. I prefer six days a week of running, with the seventh day spent cross-training or cycling. There is much more to rest than when and how hard to run, however. Other related things to consider are: sleep, diet, stress level, and mental preparation. All of these combine to dictate how your body will be able to react to your training regimen. You’ve probably

heard your personal trainer say, “two days before the race is most important.” This refers to both sleep and food. Why two days before?

Because the night before a race you will probably be too nervous or excited to sleep!

By replenishing the energy levels and allowing the muscles to recover with a balanced diet of complex carbs and protein together with a full night’s sleep you will be fully charged for either a race of high exhersion training session.

It can never be stressed enough to wear proper running shoes.

I shake my head every time someone says they don’t understand why their body hurts here or there and then they say they’ve run in the same shoes for 2,000 miles!

Remember: 500. That’s the maximum number of miles most shoes are rated for. Do not be fooled by tread life. A better indication would be to look at the sides of the midsole

(the foam part between the outsole and the upper). If it is noticeably “wrinkly,” it’s probably time to switch to a new pair. Old running shoes make great walking shoes, so don’t despair.

Another excellent strategy is to rotate several pairs of running shoes at the same time, even if they are the same model. This keeps any particular shoe from causing irratations or wearing excessively in a particular area.

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4

CONTROL

BREATHING With a name like that, how can you help but be curious? Breathing is one of the more difficult techniques to master, but is very helpful even if you are only mildly proficient. As always, here’s the run-down: The idea is to maximise the amount of air drawn into your lungs with every breath. Roll your shoulders forward slightly and let them relax. As you breathe in, push out with your stomach and at the same time push down and out with your diaphragm. This allows maximum room for your lungs to expand and draw in precious oxygen.

Once you get comfortable with how this feels, focus on how many strides you can cover between inhales. Initially, four strides (eight total steps, two steps per stride) will probably be just about your limit, but after a little practice you should be able to reach eight strides. Give it some time, it will start to feel more natural.

And if you have problems with side cramps, this technique will put an instant smile on your face. www.sportingpublications.com l Page31

RACE TIPS

5

STAMINA

EATING

With a name like that, how can you help but be curious? Belly breathing is one of the more difficult techniques to master, but is very helpful even if you are only mildly proficient. As always, here’s the run-down: The idea is to maximise the amount of air drawn into your lungs with every breath. Roll your shoulders forward slightly and let them relax.

As you breathe in, push out with your stomach and at the same time push down and out with your diaphragm. This allows maximum room for your lungs to expand and draw in precious oxygen.

Once you get comfortable with how this feels, focus on how many strides you can cover between inhales. Initially, four strides (eight total steps, two steps per stride) will probably be just about your limit, but after a little practice you should be able to reach eight strides. Give it some time, it will start to feel more natural. And if you have problems with side cramps, this technique will put an instant smile on your face.

6

CAUTION

INJURY PREVENTION & REHAB

There are two basic types of shin splints, although the symptoms can be further broken down into any of several varieties. The first type, and the one I suffered from, is medial, or

the inside of the shin. The second is lateral / anterior, or front / outside of the shin.

The exercise that was recommended is, as I tend to refer to it, best described as figure-eights.

Find yourself an old bicycle tube or some surgical tubing, and tie a loop at one end to put your foot through. Position your foot so that the ball of the foot is making contact with the tubing so that you have good leverage. This is best done seated. Pull back on the other end with as much resistance as feels comfortable, and rotate your foot in circles (point your toe, rotate clockwise toward you, then away from you, etc.). Vary how hard you pull so that the resistance stays fairly even as the foot comes closer and moves further away. Change directions from time to time, making slow, controlled movements. After five to ten minutes a day of this, my shin splints were gone for good within a mere week or two.

As mentioned left, there are two basic varieties of shin splints. I have had exceptional success curing medial (inside) shin but I’ve been frustrated in my inability to come up with an effective treatment for lateral/anterior (front/outside) ones.

The tubing exercises help a bit, but they are rather hit or miss. Over a number of years working with many athletes I determined that lateral / anterior shin splints are effectively the same as medial shin splints, but they are a more extreme case and thus do not respond as well to the basic tubing exercise.

As an aside, lateral / anterior shin splints seem to be most common in more powerfully built athletes, especially females. This probably has something to do with more muscle increasing the likelihood of imbalances in small muscle groups.

An exercise that I’ve found to be effective is a partner drill, with the second person acting as an aid to carefully control resistance. The patient is seated on the ground with one leg extended in front of

them, toes pointed up. The aid is facing the patient and grabs the foot -- probably best done with shoes on for grip and gives steady resistance while the patient pulls the toes toward their body. Start with the toes pointed, pull to 90°, release, pull, etc.

The aid should keep the resistance just below the point where the foot starts trembling. Do as many as possible, right to the point where it feels like there’s no strength left in the leg, then switch to the other leg. Do each leg twice. Two to three times per week of this exercise seems to work well.

CARE

7

ACHILLES

The most difficult aspect of rehabbing from an achilles tendon injury is how darn long it takes! This is largely due to the limited blood flow in that area.

Also, the achilles rarely ever gets a rest. Be it walking, running, standing, or even sleeping, there is always pressure on it.

The solution is a rather simple one, although rather annoying at the same time. Go to your local hardware store and get some casting / plater cloth, then find some knee-high socks you don’t mind making a mess of. You will need someone to help you with the next step. Lie on your stomach, with

ALSO

9

CARE

your feet hanging comfortably off the end of bed or couch. Put the sock on the injured leg and with your foot perpendicular to your leg, have your assistant create a cast of your lower leg. You only want to cast the back of your leg and the bottom of your foot, wrapping around the sides slightly and to the ball of your foot for stability.

Remember, you want to be able to get it off! Once it has dried, take it off and cut it down to about mid-calf level. When you put it on at night, wrap it with an ace bandage to hold it in place, you’ll understand... Especially if you have the cast on both feet!

8

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IT BAND

Like achilles problems, the IT Band can flare up with very little warning and take quite a while to go away.

I was fortunate -- once I discovered the cause of the problem and how to stretch the tendon, the pain disappeared rather quickly.

The IT Band runs down the outside of your upper leg, from your hip down to your knee. It tends to be most troublesome closer to the knee.

Because of the area it is located in, it is pretty difficult to stretch.

Here’s what worked for me: If you’re trying to stretch your right IT, stand sideways on a step with your left leg dangling. Drop your left hip and push your right hip to the right. Keep pushing gently and you should feel a good, deep stretch throughout the IT Band. Like most stretches, hold it for 30 seconds, relax, and repeat.

The other stretch that works fairly well is performed on flat ground.

Again, if you are working on your right IT Band, cross your left leg in front of your right and bend over as if touching your toes. Instead of trying

to stretch the back of your legs, lean to your left and push your hips to the right, similar to the first method.

Lastly, you might have some success continually massaging the area that is overly tight. You will need your leg straightened for this to be possible, and relaxed. If you’re sitting in class or at work and have nothing better to do, find something to put your leg up on and dig in!

BIKING This could equally be included as part of your training regime, but I like to look at it as a way to prevent injuries and recover from them should you be unfortunate enough to get hurt. It is often stated that bicycling in a standing position, specifically hill sprints, is the closest exercise to running. It can be an excellent way of maintaining conditioning while undergoing.

www.sportingpublications.com l Page33

10

FINALLY

METABOLISM AND SPEED WORK The advantage of high intensity speed work is the effect it has on your metabolism. A common misconception is that long, slow runs will burn more calories than will short, fast runs. The reasoning is that although calories are burned at a slower rate, the longer duration will tip the scales. However, this ignores several important factors.

The first is quite obvious; higher intensity means more calorie consumption per minute or hour or whatever. You could also argue that the time saved by the shorter, faster workout leaves more time in the day where you will still be burning calories if nothing else than by breathing.

But the most important reason why high intensity workouts are superior is this: Research has shown that the metabolism can remain at its highest level for up to 17 hours following high intensity exercise! Remember, “If the furnace is hot enough, anything will burn.�

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www.sportingpublications.com l Page35

Running is far more than a sport.

For many it’s a way of life One with its own language.

Its own norms. Its own culture. And like many cultures, its members identify themselves through a unique and defining form of shoe.

Saucony

Shop # 215, Egypt Court IBN Battuta Mall Dubai. UAE. 04 3685578

Shop # L2 – 208 Dubai Mall Dubai. UAE 04 3398081

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////////ON

TRACK R

UNNING shoes are the first line of defence against any potential injury. There are three selection considerations when purchasing a running shoe to meet one’s bio-mechanical needs. The first consideration involves what foot type the runner has (high arch, flat foot, or normal arch). Next, it’s important to analyse the runner’s foot strike (heel striker, forefoot striker or mid-foot striker) and stride pattern (pronater, supinater, or neutral).

The mid-sole of many running shoes breaks down at 400 miles and offers little or no protection after that period. Don’t just go off tread wear to assess if your trainers need replacing, make a note of the miles you’ve covered and rotate between two pairs to prolong their life expectancy.

In this issue we’ve had a look at the latest distance trainers the leading brands have to offer.

adidas

ASICS

NEW BALANCE

newton

NIKE

PUMA

REEBOK

SAUCONY

www.sportingpublications.com l Page37

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Asics GEL-KINSEI 3

FOCUSING on the success of its predecessors in the GEL-Kinsei series, the new ‘3’ model introduces an innovative adaptive technology in the form of the new Guidance Line system.

With a long vertical groove that flows the length of the shoe, the Guidance Line encourages the foot to repeat an optimal path through the gait cycle, thereby creating a more efficient run which ultimately reduces fatigue or irritation.

The GEL-Kinsei 3 also takes comfort to the next level by removing the synthetic overlays used on the exterior of previous versions replacing it with an open-mesh environment which not only provides a better fit and breathability, it also contains an exclusive nano-scale metal film that is applied to the mesh under-layer which provides tremendous thermal qualities – releasing heat to keep the foot cool in warm environments, while retaining heat in cool conditions. The Gel-Kinsei 3 are a superb fit and one of the most comfortable pairs of running shoes available.

new balance MR1225 NEW Balance’s premier stability running shoe from the NBx line, the MR1225, features the Stabilicore medial support system and is designed for the runner who demands moderate to high stability with exceptional cushioning for all their runs. New Balance insert a Dual Density Collar in the sole which provides both a softer density foam against the foot for cushioning, and a firmer density foam for support.

On this shoe, a wide selection of premium technologies all work in sync to take your run to the next level. Whether you’re running a quick warm-up lap or your third marathon this year or you’re a relative newcomer or a seasoned athlete, the MR1225 are some of the very best shoes on the market.

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newton MOTUS=MOTION

The Motion (Motus) is the support model of the Newton range, an excellent shoe with a medial (support) post that extends from the arch area to the metatarsal heads to combat early and late-stage pronation.

The Isaac model is a guidance shoe with a supportive heel and mid-section for those who are looking to transition their running into a forefoot style and different from the other models. All the models provide cushioning towards the front, with highly breathable closed mesh upper with lightweight ergonomic support strapping as this is where the forefoot impact is most felt.

adidas Supernova

Whether you are in training for the Dubai Marathon or RAK Half Marathon, or simply keeping fit, running enthusiasts can now reward themselves with the new adidas adiSTAR and Supernova.

The adiSTAR shoes feature new active ForMotion™ technology in the upper to provide superior fit and flexibility for an enhanced plush and responsive ride, bringing the elite shoe to an even higher level. With great cushioning and comfort, this road shoe is perfect for neutral runners.

Specifically designed for a runner’s stride, the Supernova™ uses GEOFIT™ for custom fit and 3D ForMotion™ for adaptable cushioning motion control. These shoes are ready to hit the ground running.

The upper uses NoSeam support technology, with lining made from GEOFIT™ construction for an anatomical fit and comfort. adiPRENE® inserts complete the shoe, for comfort and shock absorption.

Buying Tips ■ Try on shoes later in the day when your feet have swelled to their maximum size.

■ In selecting the correct size of shoe you need, be sure that there is approximately a half-inch of space between the front of the shoe and your longest toe.

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■ Bring to the store where you plan to purchase your new running shoes the type of socks you normally run in.

www.sportingpublications.com l Page39

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nike ZOOM VOMERO+ 4

NIKE’s Vomero, both in men’s and women’s models, comes with full-foot Zoom Air cushioning in the sole. Air is Nike’s trademark cushioning technology, but compared to the technology in the Nike Air or Air Max trainers, the Zoom technology allows the shoes to achieve the same amount of cushioning with a much thinner air pad inserted in the midsole.

A moulded sockliner in the shoe provides you with that extra cushion whilst also adapting to the shape of your foot as it moves. The midfoot section of the upper adapts in a similar way to the natural expansion of your feet during running to provide you with added comfort.

A moulded heel counter makes sure your heel stays in position during the run while the upper mesh is very open and breathable and contributes to the overall lightness of the shoe.

The Zoom Vomero+4 offers a soft, cushioned ride for both heavier Neutral Pronators and Supinator and manages to keep the comfort sensation for longer runs.

Take care of your running shoes ■

Wear your running shoes only for running.

They will last much longer if you follow this important guideline.

■

Do not machine wash or dry your running shoes.

If your shoes become dirty, hand wash them with commercial shoe care products.

■

When your running shoes become wet, stick bundled up newspaper inside to accelerate the drying time.

puma CELL EXERT THE Puma Cell Exert features a lightweight synthetic mesh upper for good breathability while a lightweight EVA midsole is there to help increase shock absorption.

Puma’s Id Cell technology is featured in this model which is specifically designed for the cushioning required in the forefoot when running.

When it comes to aesthetic design of running shoes, less is more. In Puma’s simple and sleek outlook on the Cell Exert they have created one of the most stylish shoes on the market.

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reebok PREMIER ROAD PLUS KFS VI

THE KineticFit System found in Reebok’s Premier Road Plus KFS VI offers your feet flexible support step after step, mile after mile.

It provides a fit system that accommodates the changes in the size and shape of your foot as it moves. From impact through toe-off, the foot can change up to a half of a shoe size and the KineticFit System features a series of engineered stretch panels positioned in key areas of the shoe which allow the shoe to respond and move naturally with the foot.

The full-length EVA cushioning gives enhanced comfort while DMX Foam adds even more cushioning.

The midsole is softer than previous versions and the heel of the shoe has been cored out to improve heel-to-toe transition.

Previous models were already soft underfoot and the Premier Road Plus KFS VI is even more plush and, as one of Reebok’s leading shoes, it’s great for high mileage runners.

saucony TRIUMPH 6 SAUCONY’s latest Triumph model combines fantastic flexibility with a snug arch wrap which enhances the advancements made with the previous models.

The volume of Saucony’s ProGrid cushioning is increased from the previous models which provides the Triumph 6 with even better cushioning.

In addition, the ComfortRide sockliner, which is made of memory foam and enhances first-time fit and feel. It is anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and highly durable.

The Triumph 5 range were widely regarded as one of the best sets on the market and they’ve somehow managed to increase its comfort levels.

The combination of the plushness of the Triumph 4 and the smooth transition found in the Triumph 5 make it the best Saucony running shoe yet.

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www.sportingpublications.com l Page41

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The world’s continents were once all joined together as one.

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The world’s continents were once all joined together as one.

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The Powder Princess Richard Bevan talks exclusively to the U.K.’s No.1 female snowboarder, Jenny Jones, who earlier this year became the first British athlete to win gold at the Winter X Games.

Photography courtesy of Nathan Gallagher

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www.sportingpublications.com l Page27

J

ENNY JONES is a girl who loves to fly in the face of convention.

She’s English for a start, which isn’t usually a precursor to becoming an internationally renowned professional snowboarder – and yet that’s just what she is.

Scandinavian, yes; Swiss, definitely; Canadian, of course; American, you bet, but English? You must be joking. We all remember the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics and that infamous ski jumping eccentric Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards, who finished last by some margin despite breaking the British record with one of his jumps. The English don’t do Alpine sports – or do they?

Just shows what I know. It turns out the delectable Miss Jones has been shaking up the traditional snowboarding superpowers since first gate-crashing the party a decade ago. She didn’t even take up the sport until she was 17 – slightly later than you would expect was necessary for a girl growing up in the flatlands of Bristol, hoping to stand half a chance of making the grade against her snow-spoiled counterparts.

Yet with only a rickety old dry slope to hone her skills, make the grade she did. Her first big tournament was the 1999 British Championships and while not exactly surrounded by a wealth of exceptional talent Jones nonetheless took home the overall Junior title, despite having only been riding for a year.

It wasn’t long before she won her first international event at the wonderfully titled Gumby’s Big Day Out in Tignes, France, in 2001,

while the 2002 Triple Crown in Colorado saw her topple the world’s best, sparking a non-stop stream of victories that has continued to this day as the 29-year-old continues to defy the rulebook by showing the latest crop of young international riders who’s boss. She made history as the first Brit ever to win gold at the renowned Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado, this year before claiming her eighth British Championships title in Laax, Switzerland.

“I went to the local dry slope for a free lesson with my brothers when I was 17 – that was the first time I tried snowboarding,” recalls Jones.

“Then I went away for a week boarding in Italy with college and got really into it – I loved being out in the mountains every day.

“After I finished college I worked a full season in Tignes as a chalet maid. The plan was to take a year out before University, take a break from all the academic stuff and just have a totally new experience while learning to snowboard at the same time. I went riding every day after work for about four or five months and that’s when I really started to improve and began to learn new things. I realised how much I liked it and that I wasn’t too bad at it.

“After the end of that first five month season, someone suggested that I go to the British Championships. I ended up winning the Junior category at 18! It was crazy but at the same time I wasn’t oblivious to the fact that there weren’t loads of English girls in the contest. I’m not devaluing it in any way but compared to the French, Austrian or American Championships it

“The level of British riding now is amazing but back then it was nowhere near as good as it is today and there weren’t anywhere near as many British girls in the sport” – jenny jones

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was probably slightly easier. But at the same time I went there and landed a back flip and won the junior title. At the time I thought, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that’s just happened.’”

While her late entry into the sport, along with her less-than-ideal home location, may have provided obstacles for Jones to overcome, she was helped enormously by a childhood spent competing as a gymnast.

“Gymnastics definitely enabled me take to snowboarding quite quickly,” she says. “I think that also helped with my body strength, spatial awareness, flexibility and that sort of thing. It got me trying things a bit quicker and made it easier.”

Jones is now the UK’s biggest snowboarding export. She has sponsorship deals with Billabong and Oakley, has starred in several snowboarding movies and appeared in countless magazines, including lad’s mag Loaded’s ‘Top 100 Hottest Babes’.

Her good looks certainly make her more marketable but it’s undoubtedly her skill on a snowboard that people are interested in. Since she first entered the sport Jones has helped grow snowboarding enormously in Britain and the standard of British riders now coming through is far superior to those she encountered during that first trip to the British Championships.

“The level of British riding now is amazing but back then it was nowhere near as good as it is today and there weren’t anywhere near as many British girls in the sport,” she says. “I hope I’ve helped popularise the sport in Britain and also for girls who are a little bit older who have only just got into it. Hopefully, they feel a lot more inspired because I was older when I started. It wasn’t as though I’d stepped on a snowboard when I was four or five and I think that’s a big inspiration. They think, ‘Yeah I can be just as good as other girls at this, even if I am 18.’”

Jones’ event is called slopestyle, which involves riding down a course which combines jumps and rails of varied difficulty levels. Riders aren’t timed but the object is to get from the top of the course to the bottom without falling off, showing as much technical prowess and tenacity on the way down as possible. Points are awarded for the technicality of tricks and their execution and there is a choice of bigger or smaller jumps, with the more difficult ones yielding more points. Unlike boardercross and halfpipe (see our breakdown of the different snowboarding events) slopestyle is not currently in the Olympics, much to Jones’ chagrin.

“It sucks big time,” she says. “It has been put forward but it won’t come in until after I’ve retired.

How cool would it be to represent your country?” www.sportingpublications.com l Page31

Today's fast-paced, cutting-edge lifestyle requires total dedication across the board: to your career, your fitness and your personal pursuits. It's about achieving your best - and looking your best is just part of the package.

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You'll feel totally at ease in a stylish environment that has been customised to suit your every need while you take a little time out.

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An Olympic gold medal may be one honour missing from Jones’ trophy cabinet but there have been plenty of other highlights during her decade in the sport. The aforementioned eight British Championship victories are a great source of pride, made all the more impressive when you consider that for five of the last 10 years she hasn’t entered the competition due to international commitments or injury.

Finishing second on the sport’s top level TTR World Championship Tour in 2006 is right up there, as is her Triple Crown and a long-awaited victory in the Japan Open in 2008. But winning the gold medal at this year’s Winter X Games topped the lot.

The X Games is the pinnacle of the sport for exponents of the non-Olympic disciplines. The event brings together the cream of the crop in a variety of action snow sports and just to be asked to compete is a huge honour. To win is a superb achievement but to become the first British man or woman to do so is phenomenal.

“That one is massive for me because I grew up watching it on TV and knowing that you had to be invited to compete,” she says. “It was always out in the States and all the big guns compete in it so for me to actually be invited, go there and be involved and then come away with a medal is something that I’d always dreamed of. It’s the one that brings out the most emotion in me when I think about it.”

Both of Jones’ first two runs in Colorado saw her

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“It was always out in the States and all the big guns compete in it so for me to actually be invited, go there and be involved and then come away with a medal is something that I’ve always dreamed of.” – jenny jones

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pull off 540-degree spinning jumps, which left her in second place. On her final run she nailed the fabled 720 – two full turns in mid-air. It’s a trick that most women won’t even attempt but she went for it, got some mammoth air, and landed it perfectly, reaping the reward for her bravery in the shape of a gold medal.

“My first run was sketchy, my second run I cleaned it up, so it looked better and I felt happy with the run,” she said. “But it wasn’t enough, as I was still in second place by about three points.

So I just had to go for it on the last run with the last jump, an 80ft frontside 720.

“I hadn’t practised it all day and it was kind of ‘hit and hope’. I just made it round, landed and rode away with no hands down. I was so pleased to win and suddenly the emotions went crazy and I had to try hard not to cry.”

She’s hoping to repeat her success in 2010 when the first ever Winter X Games Europe is held in Tignes. “I can’t wait for that one,” she says. “Winning it again in Europe would be unbelievable.”

In her earlier days Jones wasn’t exactly known for her love of gyms or nutritional advice. In good general shape due to a sporty childhood, she always found that side of things a chore and preferred just to get out there on her board.

But she takes a different view now. An injury to her knee when she was 21 resulted in Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction, which led to ongoing problems with the meniscus cartilage.

The problems came to a head two years ago when the doctor told her that she had two choices – either have more surgery or embark upon a bulk training regime to strengthen the knee and delay the need for an operation. For Jones, entering the twilight of her career and unwilling to spend any more time off the slopes, the choice was an easy one.

“I’ll probably need the surgery eventually but I thought it was worth doing the work so I didn’t have to have it immediately,” says Jones, who currently competes on the newly formed Dew Tour where she finished third overall last season.

“I now have a strength and conditioning coach – Chris Gaviglio from Bath Rugby Club. He trains me at the Bath Institute of Sport. I do six weeks to two months training with him before the season starts and then once I’m away I just do some basic work to keep the strength in the knee up. He gets me training twice a day five days a week, which is quite a big change from a few years ago! It was a shock to the system but it’s great and last year I had such a successful year and didn’t need the surgery. My knee was sound

“ I probably wouldn’t have bothered if it hadn’t been for my knee! They basically told me that I need to eat more protein. I didn’t realise how much protein you need to keep your muscles going!”

– jenny jones

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all season. The strength I had was amazing and I thought, ‘Wow, this has really made a difference,’ so I’ve continued with it this year.

“Two or three weeks ago I went to a nutritionist for the first time ever,” she adds laughing. “I would never have done any of this before but if I want to snowboard any more I have to do it. I probably wouldn’t have bothered if it hadn’t been for my knee! They basically told me that I need to eat more protein. I didn’t realise how much protein you need to keep your muscles going!”

Jones received the ultimate honour in her sport when she was invited to the men’s version of Snowboarded magazine’s 13th annual ‘Superpark’ event at Mammoth Mountain, California, which showcases the world’s best riders.

She was one of only two women invited and she set new standards for female riders by pulling off the biggest jump she’s ever done off a 50-foot ‘hip’. Her performance at the esteemed gathering drew plaudits from all around the snowboarding world and the footage was included in her latest movie, Stance.

Nobody should really have been surprised. It was just another step in the remarkable journey that has seen the down-to-earth girl from Bristol rise to become the ultimate Powder Princess.

SNOWBOARDING: THE LOWDOWN SLOPESTYLE: This is Jenny’s event. It involves riding down the mountain and tackling a series of jumps, terrain features and rails. The rider isn’t timed but must try to complete the course without falling off. Points are awarded for technical prowess and execution of tricks on the way down. There is a choice of bigger and smaller jumps which award different amounts of points.

BIG AIR: Another event Jenny has been known to compete in and one for which she has won many gold medals. Big Air is fairly simple. Riders take off from a single jump and perform tricks in the air. Points are awarded for the amount of ‘air’ (height) they achieve; difficulty and execution of tricks; and a clean landing.

BOARDERCROSS: One of the Olympic events. Competitors race through a course that features banked turns, terrain changes and jumps. Each rider races the course solo at first and the fastest times determine the start order for the knock-out rounds. The elimination rounds then see four riders in the start gate at the same time and racing together on the same course, with the fastest two from each eliminator advancing on to the next round. A four-rider final determines the medal positions. Other ‘racing’ events are similar to those found in skiing and include Slalom and Giant Slalom.

HALFPIPE: Another Olympic event. The halfpipe competition is, like slopestyle, a judged event.

Judges each give the rider’s completed run an overall impression score. The runs are evaluated using several criteria, including the sequence of tricks the rider performs, the amount of risk in the run and how the rider uses the pipe. The scores are compared, with a Head Judge overseeing the process. After qualifying for the finals, the slate is wiped clean and qualified competitors take two more runs. The higher of the two final run scores are used to rank the riders and determine a winner. www.sportingpublications.com l Page31

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JENNY JONES QUICKFIRE SFME: Snowboard girls look like a lot of fun – what’s the atmosphere like on Tour?

JJ: People don’t take things too seriously.

I’m sure when they’re at the Olympics in the halfpipe competition it’s a different story but at a lot of Slopestyle events all the girls are having a good time. I remember last year we had a champagne chugging contest on the podium. I lost – the Norwegians beat me!

SFME: How do you get yourself psyched up for an event?

JJ: I don’t find it too difficult to get myself up for an event. For me it’s more about making sure that I don’t get too nervous. Sometimes if it’s all getting a bit hectic or I’m getting too nervous I phone my mum or dad just to find out what they’re doing that day and talk about normal stuff!

SFME: What do you like doing when you’re not snowboarding?

JJ: Surfing. I love it. I try to go away somewhere sunny every summer after being up cold mountains all winter. You can fall off and not get hurt as much at my level which is a nice change!

SFME: What’s heli-boarding?

JJ: It’s when they take you up in a helicopter and they drop you off on the top of a peak. You can ride down on fresh powder that no-one else has ridden on. It’s brilliant.

“ I just managed to get out to the side in time as the avalanche went past and turned into a huge mushroom cloud at the bottom. It made me feel very small and made me realise I definitely wasn’t invincible.”

– jenny jones

SFME: What’s the scariest moment you’ve had a snowboarding?

JJ: It was when I was heliboarding, actually!

There was an avalanche. We got dropped off by the helicopter and it was my turn to drop in first at the peak. The guide we had with us told us it would be fine but when I took my first turn the whole mountain started moving. I just managed to get out to the side in time as the avalanche went past and turned into a huge mushroom cloud at the bottom. It made me feel very small and made me realise I definitely wasn’t invincible.

SFME: What’s your favourite trick and which is the hardest?

JJ: My favourite is a backside 180 tail grab – half an anticlockwise turn while grabbing the back of the board. My best trick at the moment is a front side 720 indy, which is two full clockwise turns with a grab in between your two feet. www.sportingpublications.com l Page31

Mud, Sweat & Gears ALEX GALLEMORE TALKS TO UCI DOWNHILL MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPION, STEVE PEAT, ABOUT KEEPING ON TRACK AT 35

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F

OR those readers unfamiliar with the name Steve Peat, a forty-foot drop off might be associated with airport terminals, but for the current UCI World Downhill Mountain Bike Champion, “Peaty” sees forty-foot as the perfect launch pad.

Now before you conjure up an image of a spotty teenage adolescent from Ohio who talks street slang and can only be understood by the inner circle of mountain bike extremists be aware that you couldn’t be further from the truth.

Born in 1974, the six foot three Englishman has been pedaling himself down severe gradients, through trees and over boulders for the past 17 years.

On the way, he’s collected an astonishing list of championships and trophies, including 17 World Cup wins, eight British Championships, 50 World Cup podiums and now the one that’s eluded him for so long, the 2009 UCI Downhill World Championship crown.

All cycling events are considered a young persons sport, where endurance and strength are elements that unfortunately fade as the experience builds. But the fierce competitor and young-hearted Peaty is not prepared to become a legendary figure who just wilts into the record books.

Being a similar age, my amateur road and mountain bike racing days are long gone as I struggle to keep up with my kids on a weekend ride. Bearing this in mind I was eager to talk to Peaty and discover his secret elixir and whether he’s using ‘Just For Men’ hair colouring!

I managed to speak to the easy going Yorkshireman as he was taking a well earned break with his family in the Lake District.

At 35, with two young boys, life has never been more hectic but he’s managed to turn back the bio-mechanical clock and show the young guns he’s still the man to beat.

He’s collected more downhill titles than anyone else in the game, even surpassing the great Nicolas Vouilloz, but how does he keep going?

“I’ve been working hard with a team at Sheffield University,” added Peaty. “I now

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STEVE PETE

Q&A

When did you start cycling and why?

SP: I started riding bikes from around the age of 3 years old. I had two older brothers who I used to chase around the streets at home and then we all got BMX bikes and I used to chase them over the jumps in the park. I got into mountain bikes when I finished school and didn’t start racing until I was 19.

Who influenced you and how?

SP: Early on I would say it was my brothers who used to influence me, but since then the people who I look up to in races are Jason McRoy. He was the first UK guy to go out to the States and get a big deal. John Tomac always looked wicked in pictures and was an awesome all-round rider.

Have you suffered any serious injuries cycling?

SP: I have had plenty of different injuries, some serious some not so serious. I just try to grit my teeth and get back to what I love doing as quickly as possible. I know I will have aches and pains as I get older but I know it will have all been worth it.

What are your strongest qualities as a racer?

SP: I can ride most terrain fast, carry speed well, hit technical sections fast, and keep a level head when it comes to the mental side of things.

What are your current and future goals in racing?

SP: I want to go and win lots more races, now and in the future.

What are you doing to achieve these goals?

SP: Training hard in the off season and preparing my assault for the season.

What are your current and future goals in life?

SP: Currently I am training and spending time with my family. I am also working on a Steve Peat academy which I will get running over the next few years. This will, hopefully, be my future goal so that I can put something back into the sport.

Describe your worst race or cycling experience.

SP: It has to be Les Gets World Champs in 2005. I was up at the split and crashed with only 200 yards to go.

That hurt me a lot and will hurt forever.

Describe your favorite race course.

SP: I like a track with lots of different challenges – something for everyone.

When you are trying to be the fastest guy in the world you need different challenges to prove you are the best on every kind of terrain. I like it all.

Full Name: Steve Peat Nickname: Peaty Hometown: Sheffield, England Height: 6ft 3” Weight: 14 stone Birthdate: 17/06/74 Birthplace: Chapeltown, UK High School: Ecclesfield Comprehensive Favourite foods: Fish and Chips Hate foods: Not much Favourite drinks: Stella Artois Music: Artic Monkeys

need to pay more attention to recovery after intense training sessions, which his why the guys have been constructing a programme that blends endurance, power and recovery.

I just can’t ride and train hard then go for a blast with my mates at the weekend. Things are more structured and, believe it or not, I feel better than ever.”

When you think about downhill racing many onlookers might think that blending gravity and madness is the winning formula.

But when asked what power ranges Peaty works on in the gym to develop speed and endurance he bursts into laughter down his hands-free phone. “Ahhhhh – that’s hilarious!

My little lad, Jake, who’s five and with me in the car now thinks I train with the Power Rangers. He’s well into them. Now he’ll want to come with me to training all the time.

“But seriously, it’s not an easy thing to get right. I need the power for the sprints between the jumps and for that I stick to the free weights and barbell squats. The reps are quite low as essentially I’m building power.

But I still need the endurance as some of the courses are quite long and too much power work doesn’t help disperse the lactic acid that builds up during the sprints.

“I’ve been training hard to increase my VO2 max with the team at Sheffield

University. They’ve hooked me up to several machines where we’ve been able to see and chart what’s been going on while on the bike. By knowing my VO2 base mark we were able to train in such a way using the heart rate zones to help boost my oxygen efficiency. Where this has helped is in the transitions between the sprints. When riding the technical sections you’re resting on the pedals for a couple of seconds but pushing hard to balance the bike.

“These are the areas in which you can rest and try to recover for the sprints. The races can be three minutes of non-stop breaking and sprinting and 100th of a second can make all the difference at the line.”

I asked Peaty the importance of nutrition and whether his metabolic rate has changed over the years. “I’m naturally quite lucky when it comes to bodyweight as I’ve never carried much fat. But during the 2009 season I really watched what I was putting in. I kept an eye on my carbs and protein as I try and leave some space for the odd beer at the weekend!”

Bodyweight is one thing but how important is bike weight and has technology advanced in the sport over the years?

“A lighter bike is easier to handle and changing direction requires less effort. It also

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helps you accelerate quicker after scrubbing speed on the brakes or in corners. It’s ideal to have a lighter bike but they need to stand up to the battering on a downhill run or they will be smashed to bits. Carbon technology has come a long way. I’ve just come back from testing some new carbon components with my bike sponsor Santa Cruz in Tahoe, Nevada. It’s unbelievable how carbon technology has come on in recent years.

The components aren’t just light but they’re unbelievably strong.”

I guess the wheels come in for the most punishment? “Yeh. The rims do have to withstand a battering. Shortly after my trip with Santa Cruz I was off to Scotland to test some new rims. I’m constantly working with my bike sponsors to find the extra edge,”added Peaty.

Have you ever raced or trained in the Middle East? “Funny you should ask. I’ve never been before but I’m planning a training camp out there soon. I hear Oman has got some great mountains and no doubt some great downhill potential.”

With the illusive World Championship finally under his belt and driven on by his two young boys, who are getting more active by the day, there are plenty more pages to be added to the Steve Peat Record Book.

“My little lad, Jake, who’s five and is with me in the car, now thinks I train with the Power Rangers. He’s well into them. now he’ll want to come with me to training all the time.”

– STEVE PETE www.sportingpublications.com l Page55

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The carbon-fibre plate reduces stud pressure and improves the lightness of the shoe while the bladed style studs make them ideal for firm ground.

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SANTA CRUZ NOMAD The do-it-all mountain bike UCI Downhill World Champion, Steve Peat, has a Nomad at home in England for mixing it up on the muddy cross country trails and when he approaches that ten foot drop he knows the bike can rise to the occasion and take the strain.

With 160mm rear end travel on a lightweight aluminium frame the Nomad tips the scales at around the 30lb mark, depending on the specification. This puts it in a class of its own that blends all-mountain, heavy duty cross country and light freeride.

BOBLEBEE MEGALOPOLIS SPORT Hard hitting back pack for the outdoor adrenaline junky THE clear choice for four seasons sports when weight , ventilation, and ruggedness is a priority. Equipped with a perforated and breathable back plate and shoulder straps made out of high density foam. The back plate / harness is dressed with strong nylon mesh and is waterproof.

Polyester fabric for the interior (triple coated Polyurethane as water seal). The interior features larger mesh pockets for your bike tools or the power lunch.

The pocket divider can be removed for easy cleaning and once inserted creates a sleeve pocket for your laptop or maps. Overall, the Meg Sport is prepared to handle all the available Megalopolis accessories to customise for biking or skiing, or just for expanded packing capacity.

Like other Megalopolis models the Meg Sport also comes with standard phone pocket, standard waist belt and cargo strap. The patented impact protective shell is for the Meg Sport diamond polished plastic. Beat it up and it will stand up for more every time.

UNDER ARMOUR The leading U.S. Sports brand available in the UAE THE brand that’s taken the American sports market by storm is now available at Sun&Sand Sports. But it’s the compression garments that have been assisting top athletes worldwide to achieve their ultimate performance. Keeping cool under pressure is essential when the world is watching and the latest HeatGear range from Under Amour not only wicks moisture away from the body but as a compression garment HeatGear also increases power and boosts recovery time.

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ASK SFME MISTAKE ONE Doing ab workouts to lose fat off your stomach Correct exercise and nutrition will give you a flat stomach, not thousands of sit-ups. The abs cannot use the fat stored directly around them.

Any fat used by a muscle must be broken down to Free Fatty Acids in the liver first. You have no control over where you lose fat as you did over where you gained it. A combination of full body resistance training, aerobic exercise and correct nutrition will be far more effective in fat loss than doing 100 sit-ups a day.

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

by Rob Richards, Fitness First

MISTAKE TWO Doing all your ab work on the ground Following on from Mistake One, if you agree that ab workouts alone will not make you lean, then we need another reason to do them. One of the main benefits of abdominal training is to strengthen the core muscles. Think of the core as the muscles that wrap around the body between the ribs and the pelvis. These core muscles are responsible for the strength and stability of the spine (thus helping reduce injury) as well as being considered the link between the upper and lower body during all movements. Conditioning the core is best achieved by using a variety of angles and exercises that duplicate everyday movements.

Seated, standing and moving abdominal exercises are far more beneficial in conditioning the core muscles than just lying on the ground.

MISTAKE THREE High rep abs The abdominals are like any other muscle in the body and respond best to a variety of exercise parameters. However, most people tend to stay in the same rep range for every ab workout.

For the best response in your abdominal conditioning you must employ a variety of rep ranges. If you are working your abdominals to strengthen the core then rep ranges of 5 – 8 are far more effective than high rep sets (anything over 12 is really a waste of time unless you are doing rehab). Get out of the habit of 3 sets of 20 and try different rep and set protocols (more on that later…)

MISTAKE FOUR Using no resistance Following on from mistake three is the lack of external loading during ab workouts. To effectively strengthen the abs, we need to apply tension to the muscles, unless you’re a beginner at some stage your body weight will no longer be enough to strengthen the muscles.

This is where adding weights to your workouts becomes crucial. Use the weights just the same as you do with any other exercise – look to increase the resistance as soon as you can safely perform the required amount of reps / sets as per your programme.

MISTAKE FIVE Always doing abs last If you really want to get a benefit from your ab training, stop squeezing them into the end of your workout. Adding a couple of sets of crunches before you go home will do as much for your abs as the Ab Roller from TV – i.e. nothing! To effectively condition the abs, treat them like any other body part and make a plan to train them as part of your workouts, just like your arms or back.

MISTAKE SIX Not planning your ab work outs As stated in Mistake Five most people just don’t plan their ab workouts, instead they do them as an afterthought at the end of their workout.

Plan your abs as you would any other body part and use variety of exercise parameters. Vary the reps, sets, volume, exercises and load to get the maximum from your training. Try 5 sets of 5 reps, 6 sets of 8, super-setting and adding more weight to each set. The possibilities are endless!

THERE WE HAVE IT! Six common ab-training mistakes put to rest.

DON’T forget to try what you have read about, and if we ever see you doing body weight crunches on the floor again – watch out!

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ISSUE5

HOW CAN I GET BIGGER BICEPS – MINE HAVEN’T GROWN IN MONTHS! THERE are numerous reasons why you might have stopped getting results with your bicep training. Without seeing your training history I can only give you some advice based on experience. One of the most common mistakes I see is not enough variety with your training routine. As a basic guideline you should change your routine every 4-6 weeks. Try changing the exercises used as well as the amount of sets and reps you do per workout. By constantly changing your workouts you should see much better results from your training.

SHOULD I STRETCH DURING MY WORKOUT? STRETCHING can be great for you if done correctly, or it can decrease performance if done incorrectly. For example, for some people with very tight hip flexors (front of the thigh) stretching the hamstrings (back of the thigh) is counter-productive as they will already be too long. Static stretching of the chest muscles before a heavy bench press may be bad but stretching the chest between sets of high rep bench press may be helpful.

The best advice I can give is to find a qualified fitness professional to evaluate your needs and prescribe the appropriate type of stretching to suit your goals.

I AM ABOUT 10KG OVERWEIGHT – WHAT’S THE BEST DIET TO USE? Nutrition and diet are very personal – that is, everyone is different and for that reason there is no such thing as the best diet. Some people do great on some diets but badly on others.

Instead of recommending a diet, I would suggest you look at your eating habits because that is what has caused the 10kg weight gain. Try the following suggestions that seem to make a big difference for most people. Eat 4-6 times per day, focus on quality meats, vegetables and fruits – and stay away from processed and packaged foods. As for drink, try to replace any fruit juices or sodas with green tea and water.

I AM TRYING TO INCREASE MY BENCH PRESS TO 100KG – ANY TIPS? If you’re trying to improve your strength in the bench press, you must choose a training programme that focuses on strength development. Doing reps of 3-6 per set will focus on getting stronger. Try a workout of 5 sets of 5 reps twice a week for your bench press, using a dumbbell, after 5 workouts, change to 10 sets of 3, using the bench press then take a week off from bench pressing. After the week’s break retest your bench and you should see some great improvement.

www.sportingpublications.com l Page 61

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IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

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8 week body transformation AFTER Body Fat: 13.62% Waist: 31.25% Weight: 172lb Fat Mass: 23.42

BEFORE: Body Fat 23.28% Waist 33.75” Weight 183lb Fat Mass 42.6

Best tips for fat loss Tip 1: Cycle your calories and your carbs. Some people call it the zig-zag method, or you could describe this as nutritional periodization.

It’s not only powerful, it’s physiologically and hormonally correct. Your body has a weight- regulating mechanism that could be compared to the thermostat in your home. When your body detects a chronic deviation in the normal levels of food intake your calories are too low, or there is a deviation in the normal levels of body composition. When your body fat gets too low, it makes adjustments to bring you back up to normal just as the thermostat automatically adjusts temperature to bring it back up to a comfortable,

pre-programmed level. Carb and calorie cycling is how you bypass your body’s normal adaptive starvation response.

Tip 2: Understand your level of tolerance to carbs and eat accordingly. Why is it that some people lose weight and feel great on a high-carb, low-fat diet, while others are most successful on an Atkins-style, low-carb, high-fat diet? Obviously, there are great differences in metabolism and the way each person processes food. Avoiding extremes and balancing the macronutrients evenly might be the best approach for the long term for most body types, but adjustments must be made for each individual.

Three big mistakes Tip 3: Eat natural foods and avoid refined foods. This is the best single tip. It will give more people more mileage than any other nutritional advice. It’s so embarrassingly simple, it’s almost like something your mother would tell you. (In fact, your mother probably did tell you this!) Jack Lalanne has been preaching it for decades: “If man made it, don’t eat it.”

Regardless of your metabolic type or genetics, everyone can and should follow this simple advice, and the results can be incredible.

Mistake 1: Too severe of a calorie deficit and too rapid weight loss. This is the fatal flaw in almost all popular diet programmes, and it’s the reason most diets work in the beginning but don’t work for long. Most diets put calories at starvation level and encourage weight loss greater than two pounds per week. Ideally, you should use a conservative calorie deficit (15–20%) and lose weight slowly (one to two pounds per week).

Mistake 2: Too prolonged of a calorie deficit. More than 12-16 weeks of dieting in a significant caloric deficit will almost always result in a decline in metabolism, a fat loss plateau, and/or a loss in lean body mass. This makes the case for “nutritional periodisation” or cycling calories and carbs.

Mistake 3: Over-training while under-nourished.

A lot of people believe that doing too much cardio is the primary cause of muscle loss.

Over-training, especially when you are very lean, in a severe calorie deficit, on low carbs, or have been on a diet a long time, is by far the most guaranteed way to lose muscle, because you break down muscle tissue but the raw materials to rebuild it are simply not provided.

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POCKET trainer

Happy with your workout KEEP YOURSELF IN CHECK AND ON TRACK WITH YOUR FITNESS FIRST PERSONAL TRAINING PROGRAMME, WITH THE AID OF THESE USER FRIENDLY IPHONE APPLICATIONS. Strength

Exercise Routines

Hundred PushUps

iFitness

If you’re serious about increasing your strength, follow this six week training programme and you’ll soon be on your way to completing 100 consecutive push-ups! It doesn’t matter which group you fall into, this push-up training programme says you will be doing 100 push-ups in no time at all!

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.2.1 or later.

iFitness provides images of more than 230 exercises, sorted by body region or the exact muscle it targets. Choose a target, tap in an exercise, and you are presented with a picture of the exercise. Double tap to flip the image and reveal clearly worded instructions on the back – directing you step-by-step.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.0 or later GPS Fitness Tracker

Ab Building

RunKeeper

CrunchFu

RunKeeper enables you to use the builtin GPS in your iPhone to track all of your outdoor fitness activities, including duration, distance, pace, speed, elevation, calories burned, and path travelled on a map. You can store all of your historical activities and share them with your friends!

Req: iPhone - OS 3.0 or later

Forget boring sit-up courses and endless situps in the gym. Train and battle to improve your CrunchFu with score points and crunch battles, track your motion and get feedback as you are doing them. Train to 200 crunches and see detailed reports and ratings of your training progress.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.2 or later.

Protein Counter

Running

Muscle Gainer

Couch to 5k This workout training coach will help you get into shape with a series of interval workouts spanning 9 weeks, culminating in your ability to run 5km (3.1miles) without stopping or walking. For runners, joggers, walkers or marathon training.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.0 or later.

Lack of muscle growth is mostly attributed to poor protein intake. If you want your time in the gym to count you should increase your protein intake and track it every day.

This handy app allows you track your protein intake at all levels of experience.

Req: iPhone - OS 3.0 or later Weight Watching

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WeightBot

CycleMeter

Set your goal weight, record your weight at any interval, view your BMI, and see your progress. Weightbot also has a built-in secure password feature to protect your weight from prying eyes. It’s easy to use, surprisingly addicting, and designed for everyone to enjoy.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 3.0 or later Toning

iPump Pilates The app guides and inspires you through a strength training and body toning fitness regimen and makes it easy to log and track your progress with 63 Pilates images, videos and audio coaching to target your core, challenge your strength and flexibility as well as tone your midsection.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.1 or later

Rest

Nutrition

Sleep Cycle

Tap & Track

The app works by waking the user up within a 30 minute window. Sleep Cycle measures the different levels of your sleep from light sleep to deep sleep then determines which phase you are in by measuring your movement and wakes you up at the right time.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 3.0 or later

Keep a track of your calories by calculating your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and finding the daily calorie needs of your body based on your gender, age, weight, height and even job type. This can be devised into four parts, Food, Exercise, Weight and Reports.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.0 or later

Records your time, location, distance elevation and speed via GPS for rides up to six hours. You can view your results on maps, graphs and a calendar organised by routes and activities. You can even compete against previous rides along a route, each ride is ranked from best to worst.

Req: iPhone - OS 3.0 or later.

Stamina

Bleep Test Try the test which is used as entry requirements for the Police, Fire and Emergency Response, Army, Air Force and Navy. It’s now available on your iPhone.

Designed to push your stamina and endurance to the limits in order to discover your true level of fitness.

Req: iPhone / iPod Touch - OS 2.2.1 or later.

www.sportingpublications.com l Page 65

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IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

TIME TO GO

BANANAS

Bananas make for a nutritious and healthy food choice because they are a good source of fibre, are low in sodium, cholesterol, calories, and contain almost no fat. Because bananas are loaded with potassium (422 mg per medium banana), they are a great post-workout snack for those who exhert througstrength train or engage in cardio exercise to help replace potassium lost through sweating.

AFTER reading this, you’ll never look at a banana in the same way again. Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose, combined with fibre. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the No.1 fruit with the world’s

leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit.

It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana.

This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

Anaemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal

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Bananas provide trace amounts of calcium, zinc, copper, iron, vitamin E, and selenium. In addition, bananas also contain fructo-oligosaccharide, a resistant starch that acts as a prebiotic. Prebiotics promote a healthy gut and help the body more easily absorb nutrients from food. disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralises over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalise the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a highpotassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in “The New England Journal of Medicine, “eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Although bananas are somewhat high in carbohydrates, the American Diabetes Association suggests eating bananas should not raise blood sugar levels too high and can be considered a part of a healthy diet.

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Protein.

It’s like going to the gym twice as often.

Being toned. Getting in shape. Losing weight. Goals that drive you to the gym and make you work hard when you’re there. But much of that sweat and effort will go to waste if you don’t feed your body with the nutrients it needs to get toned, fit and in shape. Trust nature to have the perfect answer. Protein. The finest nutrient for naturally toning and repairing our muscles.

This is where Promax Diet comes in. It’s packed with 37g whey protein, for developing your muscle tone and making your hard work in the gym more effective.

Best of all whey protein makes you feel fuller for longer, helping to avoid those cravings that ruin your diet. A couple of servings a day as a shake or in a fruit smoothie will make a noticeable difference to your gym programme.

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5

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING

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TIPS TO RID THE BELLY FAT

IN order to lose belly fat it is not enough to just do sit-ups or crunches. What you put into your mouth is of vital importance. Your nutrition determines how much fat will accumulate on your abs and how fast you will be able to burn that fat off.

So, what do you need to eat to lose belly fat?

1. Lean protein – Protein is very important as it’s the building block of your muscles. However, not all protein is created equal and you must choose your protein sources to be as lean as possible to avoid eating fat along with the protein. Some lean sources of protein are: chicken breast, egg whites, turkey, and various fish, such as tuna.

2. Fruits and vegetables – not only are fruit and veg rich in fibres, vitamins, and antioxidants, they are the perfect snack. Eating more of these will help you avoid the temptation of snacking on the wrong things.

3. Complex carbs – Often, people who wish to lose weight look upon carbs as the enemy. They’re not the enemy. In fact, they’re a crucial part of your diet. However, you need to eat complex carbs which break down slowly inside your body and keep you full and energised for long periods of time. Such carbs can be found in whole flour or whole wheat bread.

4. Water – Dehydration is the enemy of weight loss. If you want to lose belly fat you need to drink enough water each day. 8 glasses at least is a good rule of thumb.

5. Good fats – Yes, there are good fats and they’re a necessary part of your diet. Good fats can be found in olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts, almonds, and seeds. You don’t need to overeat good fats, but in moderation they’re very healthy.

If you make sure to comprise your diet with these foods to lose belly fat you will have a much easier time in toning your abs.

THE current record for sit-ups is held by Edmar Freitas of Brazil. Freitas broke his previous record of 111,000 sit-ups in 24 hours by completing 133,986 in 30 hours. Many people may remember Mark Pfeltz for setting the Guinness Book of World Records for the number of sit-ups by completing 45,005 sit-ups in approximately 58.5 hours.

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CandyShop

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SFME: What are your goals for the future?

MP: Well first of all, my personal goals are to be healthy and happy. My career goals are to continue to expand my success in the fitness industry.

SFME: What’s your favourite ‘cheat’ food that you treat yourself to when not training?

MP: I allow myself one cheat day per week and I anxiously await all week long the arrival of this day. My favourite cheat meal is gourmet pizza. Yummolicious! I’m craving it right now.

SFME: What are the best foods to eat to maintain a bikini body?

MP: Nutrition is key when it comes to achieving and maintaining a sexy bikini body. It is important to eat lean proteins such as chicken and fish. Your carbohydrates should come from healthy whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

SFME: Give us an idea of the workouts involved in creating the perfect bikini body?

MP: It involves high intensity strength training workouts with plenty of cardio thrown into the mix. I like to perform three sets per exercise with high intensity exercises, such as mountain climbers and jumping jacks in between sets. The key is very little rest during the workout for optimal calorie burn.

SFME: You’ve designed an online training programme, tell us about that?

MP: I wanted to make my personal training services available to people outside my area, that’s why I created this programme. I create a customised programme for each client, which involves three to five workouts per week.

Clients can do these workouts at home or at the gym depending on their preference. I keep my clients motivated and accountable with frequent phone calls and e-mails.

SFME: How long have you been involved in the fitness industry and tell us about the specific areas you’re involved in?

MP: I’ve been in the fitness industry for the past nine years initially as a personal trainer and now as a fitness competitor, entrepreneur and fitness model.

MERCEDES PEREZ

Height: 5’ 3” Weight: 110 lbs Measurements: 34-24-34

VITAL STATS

SPLASHING ABOUT IN DUBAI RESIDENTS and visitors to Dubai are literally spoilt for choice when it comes to water related activities. Everywhere you turn there’s some sort of cooling fun to be had, so we’ve splashed out and sampled the offerings of three of the biggest hotel groups in the Emirate to give you the lowdown on what to expect.

RITZ CARLTON BEACH THERE are plenty of beaches to choose from in Dubai but for our money, the stretch of Jumeirah beach at the Ritz Carlton is one of the best.

The immaculate 350m beach is 100% real rather than artificial and it’s a wonderful place to while away a few hours doing not very much at all. But if you like a little action on your day out at the beach there is a full range of water sports on offer.

There is also a choice of three pools including a great children’s pool with a waterslide. There are plenty of activities at the beach for children and adults while it’s not uncommon to see a camel or three meandering along the shoreline. www.ritzcarlton.com/dubai

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

THE LOST CHAMBERS (ATLANTIS, THE PALM) IF you need a break from actually going in the water, you should pay a visit to The Lost Chambers at Atlantis, The Palm.

The story goes that during the construction of the resort a complex series of passages was discovered underwater, thought to have been buried thousands of years ago by the waters of the Arabian Gulf. Upon investigation an ancient street system was discovered and the theory emerged that the findings were actually remains of the Lost City of Atlantis.

Whether it’s true or not, it’s certainly a great story and the underwater halls and tunnels are fascinating. There are guides dotted around the maze of tunnels to show you where to go and to add to your experience by telling stories of the legend of Atlantis. Ancient artefacts are on display at every turn while the multitude of different species of fish you see while you’re down there is truly spectacular. www.atlantisthepalm.com

AQUAVENTURE AT ATLANTIS, THE PALM AQUAVENTURE at Atlantis, The Palm, is the new kid on the block in the world of waterparks. The largest in the Middle East, it offers a splashtastic 42 acres of Master Blasters, speedslides, rivers, rapids and Splashers set amid lush tropical gardens and a private beach.

Guests staying at Atlantis, The Palm, can use the park for free and there are plenty of rides on offer to keep you interested. The Ziggurat is the centrepiece of the park reaching 30m into the sky. Seven slides snake out of the Ziggurat tower with the 27.5m Leap of Faith the highest and scariest of the lot.

Unlike the triple level descent of the Wild Wadi’s Jumeirah Sceirah, this one is a near vertical drop which propels you down into the water where a clear tunnel is the only thing stopping you becoming shark food. That’s right – all of the slides in the Ziggurat end with you sliding through a shark-filled lagoon, where five different species lurk!

There is a great children’s play area and lots of slides and pools to suit all ages, while those who prefer a more gentle pace will have plenty to keep

them occupied. If it all gets too much, the private beach offers a sanctuary…until the kids find you! www.atlantisthepalm.com

WILD WADI WATERPARK (JUMEIRAH GROUP) ONE of the oldest but still one of the most popular attractions in Dubai. The Wild Wadi is great fun for kids and adults alike with a good selection of slides and rides to suit all ages and constitutions!

A big plus point to this waterpark is its great location in between the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach hotels. The Wild Wadi opened back in 1999 and its award-winning design is based around a tale from Arabian folklore about a character called Juha and his seafaring friend, Sinbad.

The unique feature of the Wild Wadi is that 14 of its 30 rides are interconnected, meaning that you can go from one to another without ever leaving the water – you are even propelled uphill by water jets to get to the top of certain rides!

Personal favourites during our trip were the Flood River rapids, which were enjoyed by all the family, especially when the Pulse Wave went off almost capsizing our rubber rings; and the famous Jumeirah Sceirah – a 27m triple drop slide which is definitely not for the faint-hearted. www.jumeirah.com www.sportingpublications.com l Page73

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

Life in the R wilderness Iain Richardson talks to the world renowned survival expert, television presenter and author RAY MEARS, whose latest television show and accompanying book, Northern Wilderness, sees him tackle the Arctic expanse of Canada’s Boreal Forest.

AY Mears is one of the world’s foremost experts in bushcraft and survival. Whether it’s carving a canoe from a single piece of wood with a penknife, hunting wild boar, cooking stinging nettles or building a shelter in the Rain Forest, Mears is your man.

Inspired by his school judo teacher, he cut his teeth tracking foxes as a child on England’s North Downs and was soon devouring every bit of information on ancient survival techniques that he could get his hands on.

He formed the UK’s first survival movement, the ‘School of Wilderness Bushcraft’ back in 1983, and was soon passing on his skills to hundreds of people, including the military, every year.

Knowledge, empathy and an understanding of traditional cultures and techniques rather than high-tech equipment are the key to staying alive in the wild, according to Mears and it’s these values he holds strong throughout his adventures in some of the most diverse and challenging terrain on the planet.

Having penned several books, including his 1990 seminal, ‘Survival Handbook,’ he was soon spotted by BBC television and began showcasing his skills and knowledge on screen, spawning a string of hit shows and books. He’s now regularly called upon to give lectures and seminars on survival all around the world and there have been several reported cases of people surviving ordeals in places like the Malaysian jungle by using techniques learned from watching his shows.

I caught up with him when he’d just returned from his latest journey, which took him through one of the world’s last great wildernesses – Northern Canada’s Boreal Forest – as he retraced the footsteps of early European explorers who overcame unimaginable hardship to break new ground. www.sportingpublications.com l Page 75

RAY MEARS responds to Sport&Fitness Magazine’s Question and Answer session on life in the wilderness:

SFME: Tell us about Canada’s Northern Wilderness, your new television series and the accompanying book?

RM: Basically, I’ve wanted to tell the story of some of the forgotten explorers who opened up Canada. They were remarkable men with remarkable stories to tell. That’s what the series is all about. We explain what the Boreal Forest is and how the fur trade influenced the exploration of the forest. The stories of these explorers are truly amazing. I just love Canada, it’s an environment I’m very fond of.

SFME: What was the most challenging situation you faced during the trip?

RM: I think the hardest place we worked was when we were telling the tale of Dr John Rae (a Scottish doctor who explored Canada and found the final part of the Northwest Passage in the mid 1800s). I was right up in the far north of the country with the Inuit people in temperatures of -40, which wasn’t the coldest we experienced.

On another occasion it was -50 and we had 40 kilometre winds. If you looked at a windchill chart that would come out at -74. I actually saw an Inuit shiver and I’ve never seen that before in my life.

SFME: There is always a big historical element to your television programmes. You seem to be fascinated by the techniques and lives of those from the past and how the techniques they used back then stand the test of time. Are the old ways still the best?

RM: At the end of the day it all comes down to people doesn’t it? That’s what makes it more interesting. If you want to learn about survival it’s better to look at things that have actually happened. That’s why we try to tell the stories of these amazing people and how they did the things they did.

SFME: You mentioned that you spent time with the Inuit people during your Northern

Wilderness expedition. How important is it for you to learn from the indigenous people when you’re on your travels rather than relying purely on the techniques you already know?

RF: It’s crucial. They are the experts. Sadly, it’s getting more and more difficult to learn old skills because the old knowledge and the old ways of life are disappearing. But I persevere because you can still discover things that can be incredibly useful. It’s a two-way process – I’m learning from them and at the same time I’m demonstrating that there’s an interest and a value in their knowledge and practical experience.

SFME: What new things did you learn during this trip and did anything surprise you?

RF: I learned a lot from a Tlicho or ‘Dog Rib’ Indian in the forest. With the Inuit it was more a case of reaffirming old skills. I hadn’t built an igloo for about 13 years so it was a good opportunity to practice that skill again. I’m glad to say that I wasn’t found lacking because I had this elder from the local Inuit community watching me very closely – so the pressure was really on!

SFME: Tell us about how you became interested in bushcraft and your early experiences.

RF: I started by tracking foxes as a kid on the North Downs, where I grew up. I learned judo at school because it was taught as a lesson and not as a sport and the man who taught me had lived behind enemy lines in Burma during the war. He taught me that you need skills more than equipment for survival – from there the door opened and I stepped through it. So my judo teacher was very much my mentor.

SFME: You have an amazing skill range – carving, cooking in the wild, shelter building, hunting etc. Did you do any sort of training courses yourself or was it all self taught?

RM: I’ve spent a lifetime researching and

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

“the man who taught me had lived behind enemy lines in Burma during the war. He taught me that you need skills more than equipment for survival” – RAY MEARS

www.sportingpublications.com l Page 77

learning these techniques. I’m still learning and I love it. When I was younger I went on various courses.

Some of them were good and some were not so good but it didn’t matter as it was all part of learning and developing and finding what I wanted to do.

Sometimes if something’s not good it teaches you what is good by reflecting that. The most important thing is the time you spend going out and actually doing stuff. Even once you learn a skill, and even if I teach someone a skill today, they still have to spend time going out and practicing it in order to make it their own. I was taught very early on that it’s not just about reading things – you have to practice them.

SFME: Tell us about the School of Wilderness Bushcraft. Is that still your main passion ahead of the television and books?

RM: Yes, definitely. It’s a very big part of what I do. The school has been in operation for 26 years. It was the first bushcraft school in the UK and as we speak there are people from the School out in the woods learning how to take care of themselves, which is wonderful.

SFME: You’ve even taught the military. What did you teach them?

RM: I don’t talk about what I’ve done with the military. That’s between me and them, but they’re wonderful people to work with!

RM: The wind chill of -74 in Northern Canada was the most challenging. It’s just really hard to function at those temperatures because filming isn’t like doing things for real. Building an igloo with the Inuit gentleman, for instance, would normally take an hour but it took me all day due to the filming. I think that was a surprise for the Inuit gentleman!

SFME: Is it true that you were involved in a helicopter crash?

RM: Yes, it was a few years ago. The helicopter was flying too low in strong winds and it came down and somersaulted three times, impacting each time. I walked out with a bruised leg but, sadly, my cameraman broke both his legs and his back. The pilot also broke his back – and there was nothing left of the helicopter. I was lucky to be alive.

SFME: I believe you also used some of your survival skills to help the injured members of your group at the scene?

RM: Yeah. I pulled the cameraman from the helicopter, straightened his leg out and called for help. It’s my job, you just do what you’re trained to do. There’s no heroics or anything. It’s your mate, he’s hurt, and you do for him what he’d do for you – there’s no two ways about it.

SFME:You’re very watchable on screen, did you find it difficult to adjust to having the cameras watching you when you started?

RM: All I did was what I do normally and it seemed to work. Since then I’ve learned more about the television process and I work hard to try and get better at that if I can.

SFME: Do you do any special fitness training for bushcraft survival?

RM: I do actually, although you wouldn’t think it because mostly you see me on the telly looking quite chubby. For the past l0 years I’ve suffered from Lymes Disease – it’s caused by a tick bite and causes massive back pain which made it very difficult to do any exercise. But that got sorted out last year which is wonderful.

It is important to stay fit, especially as you get older. You have to be fit in two ways – physically and psychologically. Physically, to cope with the punishing schedule, the flying, the walking, the climbing – all of the physical things I do.

Psychologically, because if you’re not fit in that department you make bad decisions – you get lazy, you get sloppy and that not only holds you back, it can be dangerous.

SFME: Bear Grylls does similar shows but his seem more ‘just for TV’ and he’s been exposed before for staying in hotels instead of in the wild and also ‘faking’ certain other parts of the show.

Do you consider him a TV rival and are your shows completely genuine?

RM: I don’t watch Bear’s shows so it’s difficult to comment. I really don’t watch a lot of television – I’m so busy making them at the moment. But there’s room for all sorts of different approaches. The programmes we do are all completely genuine. We do stay in hotels sometimes but if we say we’re out, we’re out.

SFME: What sort of training and nutritional programme do you keep to?

RM: I do regular low intensity exercise. I can’t exercise when I’m away filming but I do exercise in between filming. I do a mixture of cardio and medium intensity weights – around half and hour of each every day, five days a week. One of the things I find really useful is the machine I use in the gym called the StairMaster – that’s a very good exercise to use because it helps you with deep snow, travelling on snow shoes, skiing etc. It’s more important than running. Nutritionally, it’s about being sensible. I eat lots of fruit and drink lots of water.

SFME: What’s the most challenging trip you’ve ever done?

SFME: Do you have to prepare your stomach for eating unusual things when you’re filming?

SFME: How did you come to start making television shows showcasing your skills?

RM: I’d been teaching bushcraft for about 10 years. The BBC were making a television series called ‘Tracks’ and I was asked if I would do some items for it, demonstrating what I do – that’s where it all started. After that I was asked if I wanted to create my own show.

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

RM: No. I’ve got a cast iron stomach so I’m quite lucky. That side of things is all fine.

SFME: What’s the worst thing you’ve eaten?

RM: I ate something that I really didn’t enjoy in Mongolia. Everything there tastes like it’s fermented. It’s a very strange diet. You probably thought I say some sort of grub, but most of the grubs I’ve eaten taste delicious – some of them I really like.

SFME: What’s the most useful skill to know if you’re stuck out in the wild?

RM: Where do you start, they’re all useful.

Probably, keep a sense of humour!

Ray Mears’ ‘Northern Wilderness’ book is published by Hodder & Stoughton and is available online or at all good book stores.

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P I R G A GET When climbing you have probably noticed that your grip goes before anything else.

Improving a climber’s grip strength is the quickest way to improve your climbing, this is true at all climbing levels. Of course you don’t climb with your forearms exclusively, but when your forearms are tired, you are done climbing. Add the forearm workout to your routine and extend your climbing time by improving your forearm strength. Forearm workouts are essential for a rock climbers training.

1

CURLS Do this exercise from a seated position, either sit on a bench or chair and pick up a dumbbell holding it with a fist face up as if you are going to do a bicep curl. Holding the dumbbell allow the bar to roll down to your finger tips then roll it back up into your palms. For strength and endurance, do this for time not repetitions. Start out with 1 minute and work yourself up to 5 minutes or more. Climbing routes and indoor climbing routes take around 5 to 10 minutes so you will need to get your forearms ready for this.

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2

ENDURANCE Continuous low stress repetitive gripping improves endurance. Another version of the forearm exercise targets endurance a little more than you get with the static hang.

While hanging from a chin-up bar, drop one arm and shake out your forearm for 5 seconds, then trade arms. Reach back up, grab with both, then drop the other arm and shake it out. Repeating this exercise will add a lot of endurance while improving forearm strength. This exercise best simulates the actual forces and stress on your forearms during a climb.

3

FINGER STRENGTHENING Fingers and forearms are related and perform similar functions in climbing.

The difference between working forearms and fingers is with forearm exercises the fingers move together. Strengthening exercises for individual fingers will work the muscles controlling opposing movements. Thumb strength is important in rock climbing, thumbs grip sideways to rocks or holds and provide the friction needed to stay on the hold. Using a forearm exerciser will help strengthen the fingers, including the thumb.