photo gallery of miss world? Ok this time i would like to share beauty pageant, Miss Phuket. Check it out!

Say cheese, she looks cute in pink!

CAN I?

Im sure it’s a question we are all asking of ourselves as the Laguna Phuket Triathlon and the 70.3 Ironman Phuket quickly approach. I know that up until last week it was a question that Garry Holden was asking of himslef. Each week Garry swims, bikes and runs and completes weight training sessions. He pushes himself to new levels that even he did not know he was capable of before he began.  Garry is on a journey of Constant And Never-ending Improvement or C.A.N.I. or as the Japanese call it, Kaizen.

Just like we all do, Garry may have his doubts about his abilities to undertake such challenges ahead, but our doubts are only based on a belief system with old data. Our old data may have told us that we cant, we shouldn’t, and don’t even try. Garry is now erasing old data in his memory bank and replacing that with new information that says, I should, I can and I will ‘tri’. Failure is now, NOT an option. If you knew that without a doubt, that you could succeed….what would you do in your life differently?

If you always do what you have always done, then you will always get what you have always got.

Sometimes limits are places on us and they can come from a variety of sources. Limits may come from family, from friends, from those closest to us, and sometimes they can come from us. However limits are only based on a previous data, because we have failed in the past, but the past does not equal the future.

When we fail, we gain experience. When we gain experience we gain a blue print of what not to do. When we know what not to do, it helps us find out what to do and how to do it better, and that leads to success. So essentially….failure leads to success.

So whether you are training for the laguna phuket triathlon, the ironman 70.3, the 6km 91.5fm fun run, or your just heading out the door for the very first time…go ahead and fail, it will only lead to success!

Look fwd to seeing you out on the road, track, beach, pool or in the ocean!

….just remember to say HI!

Health Fitness Wellness….Its a Lifestyle!

Darren

It’s just 33 days until the triathlon and training has been stepped up of late but I’ve also had to deal with the problem of losing the bike that I was training on…..

After work last Wednesday, I hit the pool and racked up 3km before heading down to the Irish Times to help Doris with the quiz.

Thursday was scheduled as a running day and off I went with the goal of running somewhere between 10 and 12km. Things were going well until I had a dire need to use the bathroom which made running particularly tricky…. Didn’t make it all the way but did find a handily placed convenience before finishing my run.

I had a friend in town on Friday so took her for a sunset cocktail which meant no time for training and then found out that the bike I had been using was going back to its owner which left me on the triathlon course without a bike….

Managed to go shopping for one on Saturday and it should arrive by the end of the week but I haven’t been over the hills in a while which is a tad worrying but will be reet as they say. After my shopping I did a run – swim – run combo which was tough – 8km running and 3km in the pool which included another sub 30min 1.8km swim.

Sunday was spent first giving my mate swimming lessons to work on his technique so he can make up some time on his swim and then out on a boat with Coral Seekers. Had a bit of a swim in the sea which was pretty tiring as it was choppy – note to self, practise in the sea a bit more….

Monday I pulled on my speedos and got back in the pool. I wanted to do a long swim so did another ironman swim (3.8km) and possibly did 100m further as I lost count of my laps twice in a total of 4.2km before embarking on a 6km with my mate, Steve who is also doing the triathlon.

Armed with new trainers, I did an 11km run last night taking it very steady and made it round in 74mins but felt that I could have run much further which was also encouraging.

Just need to get back in the saddle now and get over the hills again – will attempt a mini triathlon next week….

Watch this space…..

kinds slipped up with the training regime,,all will be better on hols where ill be so bored all ill do is train!
juat a 3 k run monday,dentist tuesday,,thats my excuse for not training,,,watch this space,,im getting there!

enjoying the gym so hopefully keep that going.november the 28th is only around the corner!

We do not build muscle while out pounding the pavement. We do not build muscle in the pool as the resistance of the water is too little to induce a change in lean muscle tissue (which is why elite swimmers do weight training). We do not build muscle while out riding our bike, unless we exclusively go up and down the layan hills!

…and we definitely dont build muscle sitting on the couch wishing that we looked, felt and peformed better in life.

So how do we increase our muscle size?

Well, you can only do it one way…..overcome resistance. That may come in a variety of ways….at the gym lifting weights, at home using either dumbells and barbells or using your own body weight or even at the park or beach using the tools that nature gave us.

Since I work at a health club…I am going to give you a program that can be done at a gym. Next week we can discuss other options.

Now, a gym program needs to work around your time constraints….not the other way around. Too many times have I seen people trying to complete this huge program, that takes 90minutes plus to complete, only to give up in a month, because they just cant find the time.

First tell me how much time you have, and then I will give you the program that suits YOU!

Two days a Week – Whole Body

3 days per week – (Opt.1) Whole Body / (Opt.2) Upper Body / Lower Body Split

4days per week – Upper body / Lower body split or a Push / Pull Split

5 days per week – Two body parts per day

As you can see the options are endless and what works best, is what works best for YOU!

Since most of us have little time and weight training is only part of our total program, lets look at a whole body program. Now remember, time is of the essence…so dont waste time training small muscle groups that dont affect any other body part or have an affect on your overall metabolism.

Warm Up (Essential) Cross Trainer / Rower – 5min medium intensity

Main

D/B Bench Press / Machine Chest Press or B/B Bench Press

Latt Pulldown / or Seated Row

Leg Press / B/B Squats / or D/B Lunges

D/B Shoulder Press

Ab Curls

Complete 1 set of each exercise for between 20 – 25 reps for the 1st set. Repeat Circuit 5times increasing the resistance each time so that on your last set you are only lifting / pulling / pushing approx. 6-8reps.

Example -

Set 1 – 25reps / Set 2 – 20reps / Set 3 – 15reps / Set 4 / 10reps / Set 5 – 6reps

This format will warm you up to make sure you dont get injured, fatigue you so you build muscle endurance and test you so you build muscle strength. This, over time, will increase your metabolism and maintain your lean muscle tissue so that you become stronger, leaner, fitter and feel better!

We will discuss other options next week about other specific goals.

But remember….Have you ever noticed a marathoner walking down the beach with their shirt off…..EXACTLY! We can not see the condition of someones heart but we can see muscles and a lean strong and healthy physique!

So you Whether your goal is Weight Loss or Performance or even just to look good….Weight training helps!

Health, Fitness, Wellness….Its a lifestyle.

Darren

The Laguna Phuket Triathlon is drawing ever closer and the dawning realisation of what I’ve let myself in for is growing on a daily basis…

It’s been a mixed week training wise – I’ve done a lot but I’ve also enjoyed myself a bit too much….

After last week’s show I had an evening off training and then on Thursday I did 10km (58mins) but then had dinner and drinks at a friend’s house.

Friday was spent catching up with friends in Phuket Town and Saturday was supposed to a session in the pool but unfortunately socialising got in the way and that went right out of the window…..

Feeling guilty, on Sunday I took the bike out and did 43km (1hr 27mins) and then followed that up on Monday with another session in the pool which included another 29min 1.8km.

Yesterday the bike was out again and did a bike/run combo – 30km on the bike and 6km run – 1hr 38mins. 1hr 3min on the bike and 33min run. Bit disappointed with the bike but I was held up in traffic. I was, however, happy with that run.

I feel fit but need to knuckle down now and stop enjoying myself quite so much. Plenty of time to let the hair down after November 28th…..

Until next time, ciao