Some Gold Medals Have Arrived

Australia has won some gold medals in the last few days, with possibly more to come.  It seems assured of a gold in one of the sailing classes, with maybe a second posible in another class.  That adds to the one in the Laser class won by Slingsby.

And both Sally Pearson [110m hurdles] and Anna Meares [ womens cycling sprint] have won gold medals over night.
There might be more medals to come.  But in mens pole vault.......not so sure as Steve Hooker is not at his best it seems.

But lets not forget that competition is VERY STRONG, with lots of countries now performing much better than a few years back.  Maybe what hurts most is that Australian coaches are plotting at the highest level for the opposition - yes, some of the best coaching talent is helping other countries'athletes to achieve at their best.  BUT.......wait......has not Australia used Chinese diving and gymnastic coaches, European rowing and cycling coaches - with the father of silver medallist Jessica Fox in kayaking from the UK.

It is a two way trade.

I think is that where it matters is that some of these coaches now operating overseas or coaching overseas athletes, at the highest levels and with outstanding success, were spurned by Australian authorities to coach Australians.

Media stories are likely to expand over coming days on this issue, methinks!

Get Exercising

Source:LiveScience

As the commentariat said recently.........not exercising when older might mean being able to live longer, because of medical advances, but if you do not exercise, well........you might not be able to get out of the chair!! So it improves QUALITY of life.

So .........get to it!

Time to Spare?

So the Tour de France is over for another year, there has been time to catch up on sleep.... so what do you do now??


In Australia and Asia the time difference makes for late night tv viewing, and with the finish so relevant.....it is about 0130hrs here in the Central time zone of Australia......and later on the east coast, around the finish time each day.


Is now the time to hit the bike and catch up on exercise?



OR.......prepare for the Tri Nations Rugby and the World Cup? More tv viewing.......it is a struggle!


This week cool nights are back with us, so swimming may not be a good option either.

International Surfing Day - June 20, 2011

International Surfing Day — 20th June 2011

June 20, 2011 marks the 7th annual International Surfing Day (ISD), a day where surfers and surf enthusiasts alike from across the globe join together to celebrate this world-renowned sport. Since its founding, ISD has grown into over 200 separate events in 25 different countries with an emphasis on giving back to the world's oceans and beaches that provide us humans with such awe-inspiring experiences.

It's not just humans that can ride the waves though, hang ten and take a look at ARKive's top surfers!

Perfect 10 for Fantastic Maneuvering

Gentoo penguins may have a funny walk on land, but when they are in the water, there is nothing funny about this amazing talent. Using their feet for powerful propulsion, gentoos can dive an impressive 170m deep in pursuit of prey.

Perfect 10 for Waves Caught

The most common of dolphin species, the short-beaked common dolphin can be found swimming in packs of 10, and sometimes even up to 500 individuals! They are highly active mammals, often leaping out of the water (known as breaching), and slapping their flippers on the water's surface (called lobtailing).

Dolphins are known to use surf as a way to travel on long journeys, and also for sport.

Article continues: http://blog.arkive.org/2011/06/international-surfing-day/

Long Live the Grey Legion in Lycra ...

[editorial from The Weekend Australian newspaper of April 10, 2010]

Guest Blog ... what the Monsoon Frog is reading while he is recuperating ...

"Which is what older men who take up exercise generally do

THEY were out this morning, swimming and cycling, lifting weights and running laps, the army of middle-age men who understand the way to stay sane and live long is to exercise like mad - which in Tony Abbott's case, as he rides from Melbourne to Sydney, looks like a literal description. These blokes of a certain age don't have to share the Opposition Leader's opinions on other matters to know he is on to something, that exercise is an investment in health and sanity, that they feel better, think smarter, are easier to live with and more reconciled to life's routine rejections when they are fit. And they know it is cheaper and safer than self-medicating on alcohol, which is what many men in their 50s watched their dads endure. So good for the legions in lycra - they may be sweating but it's not over the small stuff."

Comment from the Monsoon Frog
It is about time that the rest of the population came to the realisation that we are not mad, no......absolutely the opposite. And it is fun, develops camaderie and as has been said, it is good for you. But to get an editorial in the premier national newspaper.......that is something else!

As someone who has been considered a bit crazy over exercise, and been a regular exercise person since primary school, I liken it to the words of Zorba in the movie "Zorba the Greek" as Anthony Quinn intones ......"a man needs a little madness" except here it is exercise!

The madness is really among those who DO NOT exercise. Yes, Jim Fixx the runner's junkie died while running, but I bet he was still enjoying himself. Exercise IS good for you. Yes, we do not always do what is good for oneself, but with exercise, and all the benefits that come from it, one is a bit crazy not to indulge.

As the guest blogger says....."I know that the MF is a lot easier to live with when he has his swim every day, or at least regularly ..."

Back in Normal Water

People who know me well also know that I fret if I do not swim regularly. Well, maybe not fret, but at least suffer minor to major withdrawal symptoms.

Separation from swimming has happened before, when isolated and working for extended periods away from swimming pools, surf or water, but in those circumstances you allow a certain tolerance and the mind and body adjusts........and no withdrawal symptoms.

Recently - over the past month or so - there has been unannounced and quite sudden remedial works at my normal swimming hole. This has caused some minor difficulties, in timing of my regular swim training, not to mention the instant super-annoyed pique when I arrived to swim on the day the pool had already shut. I like my late afternoon swim to chase a black line and eliminate inhibitions. And it was too late to go anywhere else.

However, my equilibrium was partially restored the next day, with a realisation I might be able to swim at the Darwin City Council operated Nightcliff Aquatic Centre, relatively close to home. But the opening hours were a bit trickier, closing a bit earlier than preferred for my swim training times.

While I vowed never to swim at a Darwin City Council operated pool, over some Council smart tricks that effectively screwed up the local swim club about 15 years ago, I have had to adjust that in light of pool availability, and swim there. But reluctantly, and after 15 years.

I must admit though that sunsets at Nightcliff Pool are still stunning, and I am of the opinion it is probably the best located swim centre in Australia, for the view at sunset. It is on a cliff top overlooking the ocean.

BUT.............I am out of there now, the other pool has reopened!!

There is one minor issue though, I might have to do some ocassional distance training there, in preparation for the across the Darwin harbour swim. The view is quite fantastic at times [especially post and pre the Wet Season] but I am not fully reconciled about using the pool, even after all these years.

Fannie Bay Swim 2009

The Fannie Bay Swim 2009

Saturday morning was cold……….official temperature in Darwin was a cool minimum of 14.9C, and a dry cool wind.

But the day warmed up to around 30C by early afternoon.

It was very cool waiting in waist deep water in front of Pee Wee’s Restaurant at East Point for the start of the Fannie Bay to Trailer Boat Club Swim [commonly known as the Fannie Bay Swim Classic] and even cooler once we got under way with the usual argy-bargy at the start.

There was a strong on shore sea breeze which made it rough and choppy and very difficult for those breathing to the right – directly into the sea water chop! Everyone made a mad scramble to swim for the first buoy with a fair amount of kicking legs and shoving of arms, then settling down to try to manage a good steady pace and concentrate on technique. The chop interfered with that and most swimmers when discussing it afterwards seemed content with ploughing on and just trying to keep a good pace.

The buoys are quite large but with a strong NW breeze and an incoming tide there is a tendency to swing left so one needs a regular correction to stay on line.

The winner overall was a young woman – Rachel Maclean in a time of just under 29 minutes, a good minute in front of the first male. She has good form – is from Darwin, and a member of the training team for the Australian open water contingent for the next Olympics, so the win was not unexpected. Kyle Gear was second and the first male to finish.

Yes, I finished, and quite a good time for the conditions – 48.11 minutes, which is nearly 6 minutes better than last year, with many swimmers finishing behind me. Not quite as sharp as I was aiming for but I had a few “off course” issues which cost a bit of time. But being much quicker than last year, in quite tough conditions was really great. And I managed to win my age group too, although again, not quite as quick as the female age group winner - Gerda Williams – but I reckon that as she holds a few world swim distance and backstroke records for her Masters Swim Age Group, I should be reasonably content.

It was a great event, a good afternoon.

There was a good turnout of swimmers ranging in ages from the sub 20 year olds and an especially large group in the 30s and 40s, through to the 60s.

Distance swimming, or bike riding, or running does require a commitment to doing some serious training. It does not happen, at least with any vigour or speed, without that commitment. And it is great to see so many enjoying themselves on a very pleasant dry season afternoon.

I also must acknowledge my strapper for carting me and the gear around……….thanks Roni!

Tomorrow is the Big Swim

The training has been done, entries are in, and a good nights sleep is wanted.

Tomorrow is the Big Swim - the annual cross Darwin Harbour event. The entry indicates that you need to be aware that crocodiles and sharks, marine stingers and similar creatures are out to get you......and you cannot wear flotation wet suits.

Oh well.........most things have some risk, even getting out of bed.

It is likely to be cold to night [15C predicted] and there has been a strong afternoon sea breeze over the past few days - that will make it a bit cooler and probably very choppy. Or should that be just rough.........makes for a much harder swim.

It is Legit - Swimming Keeps You Alive

As an avid swimmer who suffers withdrawal symptoms if more than a day passes without swimming, it is good to know you might actually be doing the right thing.

Afterall, you need to do crosswords, play scrabble learn something new or similar activities to keep the brain functioning [ how topical - In Australia today a lot of talk about oldies with Alzheimers Disease - and more coming to a place near you too!] but exercise is also useful to keep the body functioning - whether old or young.

I attach some recent pronouncements about the role of swimming to keep you fit AND alive.......yes, it lowers mortality rates!

So all you folks.......get with it. However, I do find it still difficult to do the crossword in the newspaper while I am swimming.
------------------------
A NEW study shows that swimming cuts men’s risk of dying by about 50% compared to runners, walkers and sedentary peers.

The University of South Carolina study led by Dr Steven Blair evaluated comprehensive physical exams and behavioural surveys from thousands of people who were enrolled in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal study (ACLS) over the last 32 years.

The results were presented in the 2008 World Aquatic Health Conference in Colorado Springs, USA, last month and have been published in the International Journal of Aquatic Education and Research.“Swimmers had the lowest death rate,” explains Dr Blair.

He also adds that the study takes into account the age, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, hypertension, other medical factors and family history.“This is the first report that examined mortality rates among swimmers in comparison with other types of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle.

We conclude that men who swim for exercise have better survival rates than their sedentary peers,” summarises Dr Blair.

The ACLS includes extensive medical and physical activity data on more than 40,000 men aged 29 to 90. “These lower rates in swimmers compared with walkers and sedentary men might well be expected,” comments Dr Blair, “but it is surprising that we also observed lower mortality in swimmers than in runners,” he adds. “Therefore swimming appears to be a healthful alternative to other types of physical activity.”The study population was limited to white, well educated middle to upper class men.

While this limits the general cover of the study, it should not affect the study’s internal validity, advises Blair. He explains that, “there is no compelling reason to assume that the benefits of swimming would be different for women or for men from other socio-economic groups.

In an earlier study in this same population we found that both women and men had similar benefits from swimming in terms of fitness and other health indicators.”Dr Blair concludes that “Swimming provides a healthful alternative to traditional modes of exercise for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and health for the general population, as well as for patients suffering from chronic diseases.
Swimming may be a good alternative exercise for individuals who cannot participate in running or other forms of physical activity.”

NOW.......all you runners note that, and remember what happened to Jim Fixx!!!

Exercise Junkie

I am coming out............yes, I am a bit of an exercise junkie. I really enjoy my afternoon swim training. And I am getting a bit serious.

There is the joy of chasing the black line and the graceful feeling of water sliding past your body, especially if travelling a bit fast doing freestyle, and really developing a rythmic side movement of the body as you twist from side to side, swimming down your arm. No one can get you unless they come to the end of the pool. NO......music [ although that is optional these days], mobile and regular phones, e-mails, noise, and at least where I train, not too many people in a lane.

There are some serious open water swims coming up here from about June, including the Pee Wees to the Trailer Boat Club swim - about 2.4km open water across Darwin Harbour. Are there sharks? Well, the common answer here is that, no there are no sharks.......the crocodiles ate them. But seriously, they check the area and with a few hundred swimmers entered, there is a fair bit of protection around.

These types of open water swim are becoming very popular around Australia with many now in SE Australia in the summer time. Just don the budgie smugglers and away you go. [ Budgie Smugglers aka Speedos, swimmers, togs, cozzies, racers, nylons, lycras; those skimpy ones worn by Olympic swimmers in previous Games - except that many are, like me of a different, older, more mature generation......and women too!]

Back to the training.......it is finally starting to make a difference. I have put in some hard metres in the pool , some tough interval swim sessions and at the gym on weights and strength training, and training times and interval periods are coming down. Everyone has good sessions and definitely not so good training sessions, for all sorts of reasons; with work for many being a seriously interfering factor in training.

No luxury of being a full time athlete, although these days, surprisingly, many mature age competitors [retired] are able to train.....and they do.....virtually full time. Most, though, do work or run a business, and putting in the training can be an effort. BUT.....getting organised does help!

It is still many weeks to go to June, but recent results are heartening. I won my age group last year; I would like to do well again this year.

Di-Hydrogen MonOxide - DHMO - the quiet killer

Monsoon frogs, in fact all frogs, do rely on access to that recognised environmental toxicant, DHMO , or dihydrogen monoxide.

It is very common in most tropical regions although less common for a significant part of the year in the monsoonal and mediterrean regions.

Many environmnetal groups rail against the material, citing it as a serious concern, especially when mixed with common pollutants such as sewerage.

More detail is available on the website www.dhmo.org where a lot of detail is available to enhance your understanding of this substance.

Dry Season Weather

It is dry, very DRY. The dry season [ there are two seasons here, wet and dry] is now deepening, with the weather turning COLD. Well, for Darwin it is cold. The local green tree frogs are rarely seen.

Down to a shattering 17.5 degrees Celsius last night and 18C previous night, with days around 30 - 31C. Lots of sunny weather, plus a strong persistent SE / ESE wind.....a strong wind of around 30km/hr or slightly more. Rarely a cloud in the sky. Glorious.

BUT......there is more! Tonight the temperature is predicted to drop to 16C, then 14C the next night. For Darwin, that is very cooooooooold. Humidity is way down, and the wind makes it seem drier and cooler anyway, and with the typical open style house plans, inside the house does cool down quite a lot too. Sitting still last night watching the Tour de France on TV needed internal warmers - coffee, etc to help. Even the dog protested, and came in to lie on a mat in the laundry area.

Those keen on cycling give Cadel Evans - an Australian, Born in Katherine near Darwin - a good chance to do well, maybe even win [he was 2nd last year]. Early days yet, but he is doing ok and came 4th in time trial yesterday. So there is some local interest. Makes for late nights, as is running live between 2200hrs - finish, usually around 0100hrs.

BUT........the dry season is absolutely fabulous weather. Right now!

Only difficulty is that outdoor pool swimming is cool, no - it is cold! Hard to warm up, even after a few laps. Currently, swim training has been relegated to a lower priority. Lets stick to cycling, gym work and some walking / running. It will warm up - sometime, soon?