Monthly Archives: June 2015

How To Get A Good Night’s Sleep On Expedition

June 29, 2015 by Keith Partridge
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Scrabbling through loose coils of rope at the right end of our bivouac ledge we discovered a black scorpion, sinister looking, its tail curled round it’s needle point sting. At the left we found inch-long bullet ants – the world’s most venomous ant where a single sting is said to be like being shot. Given the ‘interesting’ variety of bedfellows the choice of a place to lay your head simply had to be driven by other things – space, flatness and the nightmare possibility of Continue reading →

Trail Running Gear Shopping Part 1 – Sports Watch and Heart Rate Monitor

June 23, 2015 by Jackie Maclean-Martin
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So I’ve finally gone and done it ………………. I am the proud owner of a heart rate monitor and watch and I love them! For many years I have pushed off the time consuming, research-loaded, slightly geeky world of buying gear. My issue with sports watches and heart rate monitors was basically down to the perceived time involved in acquiring all the data. Why on earth would you want to spend 4 hours training then get home and have to spend yet another 4 hours analysing Continue reading →

Ten Tips For Your First European Cyclo-Sportive

June 20, 2015 by Tony Lowe
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For most of us riding in a large well organised sportive in the French or Italian Alps is about as close to feeling like a professional cyclist as we are ever going to experience. With superb organisation, fancy starting and finishing set ups, spectators, motor cycle outriders, rolling road closures and incredible roads and scenery, this experience should be on every cyclist’s bucket list. Here are a list of tips for your first cyclo-sportive which I have learnt almost always the hard way! 1. Organise Continue reading →

3 Exercises for Lifelong Fitness

June 14, 2015 by Rachael Lowe
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clank for gluteal, obliques and core stability training in athletes
We are living in a time where non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes are on the rise.  In fact they are running out of control and we are at risk of lowering the average lifespan. One of the main contributing factors is that we have become less active.  We are busy, we sit at our desks all day, we often sacrifice our exercise fix for work, kids, chores, the pub etc. It’s no surprise then that we are so inspired by the elderly Continue reading →

Great Gear – The Benefits of Slacklining

June 10, 2015 by Rachael Lowe
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me slack lining on holiday in sicily
In our new series of Great Gear posts, we’re going to take a look at the various bits of kit out there that can help you to become a better athlete, improve peformance and reduce injury. First up – the humble slackline –  one of the greatest cross training and rehabilitation tools of all time. Whilst the most extreme of slackliners grab the headlines for the awe-inspiring backflips and tricks performed high above the ground, millions of ‘normal’ folks can also be found enjoying the sport in gardens and parks all over the world and having Continue reading →

Trail Running – A Journey Begins

June 6, 2015 by Jackie Maclean-Martin
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In just a few months time I will be standing on the start line of the OCC (Orsiéres – Champex – Chamonix), a 53km trail running race that makes up part of the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) week in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France. Not only is 53km a really long way in anyone’s book, the race also involves a few extra ‘speed bumps’ along the way – in particular a positive height gain of 3,300 meters. Eek. My running background is not exactly that of an elite athlete – I did Continue reading →

Behind The Scenes At The Volvo Ocean Race

June 2, 2015 by Neil Maclean-Martin
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THE ROLE OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR BLOG POST FROM LISBON I’m in Lisbon and its 5.58am. I have been up since yesterday at 6.30am and myself and the team now have a very full day ahead as the boats we have been waiting for since the early hours are just coming into sight over the horizon.  I am working as Human Performance Director for DONGFENG RACE TEAM and it is not the first time on this edition of The Volvo Ocean Race that I have Continue reading →

Good intentions – trying to stay active while at a conference

June 1, 2015 by Tony Lowe
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Singapore – a great but expensive conference venue As part of our other lives Rachael and I regularly attend international conferences in some interesting places. However rather than being a glamorous activity, living in a conference hotel, eating buffets and spending the day stood on an exhibition stand networking is not conducive to feeling fit and healthy. So when we book the hotel we are always keen to have access to a good gym facility and perhaps a pool, promising ourselves that this time it Continue reading →