Lars opened his eyes to the sound of the radio talking. No light met his eyes since it was only four thirty in the morning. After a few groans, he climbed into his sweats, grabbed his water bottle and braved the cold outside air. As a member of the Norwegian Olympic long distance running team, he had to train hard to keep up. Besides, since the 2006 ruling on drugs, Lars wisely signed up for three classes on safe drug use.

Drug Timing II started at eight AM, Advanced Steroids at nine and a Pain Level Theory test at ten o’clock. He considered skipping the Steroid class to see Jenny, but last night’s news placed steroid abuse at the top of the fatality list.

Jenny only took yellows for pain, timing the release with a tooth capsule epenphrine concentrate to kick in on the last lap. It seemed to work, since she already had a bronze in the 1200 meter sprint. Lars had been taking stripeys for strength build up, but the first chapter in the Steroid Manual recommended only one per day. More and the cell damage could slow you down. Lots of his friends popped Benzies and Theos, but it just made them reckless and crazy. Lars believed in safe drug use and refused to join the Floaters Club back home since his buddy was arrested for breaking up a bar and cursing an Official after a race.

The only thing that worried Lars was the longterm effects warning on the drug labels. Not enough was known about residual side effects, since the legal use of drugs started only eight years ago, he wouldn’t know about the bad side effects until he was fifty. If he lived that long. Oh, well, the Olympic Committee wouldn’t sanction them if they weren’t safe. Anyway, everybody’s doing it.

Love the digital age.

Womens golf is not much different than mens golf, but there is one issue that comes to mind with women golfers.

Strength!

This is not always the case, but more times than not it is. The reason is…that women golfers don’t focus on improving their strength when it comes to playing better golf. They’ll hit more balls, take more lessons and even buy an instructional video or two.

Does this sound like you?

When you think of the golf swing; it takes a great amount of upper body strength to control the clubhead during the swing. Especially as you get to the longer irons and the driver.

The KEY to hitting longer drives, that go straighter more often is consistent swing mechanics. The ONLY way to duplicate optimal golf swing mechanics is to have a higher level of upper body strength ; especially in the shoulders and upper back muscles.

If you’re weak in the above mentioned areas, you will not be able to set the at the top of your backswing consistently…resulting in mishits and robbing you of valuable distance. Not the outcome you want.

But by doing just a few simple golf-specific strength exercises, your swing can/and will improve dramatically.

I’ve been fortunate to work with hundreds of women golfers and have seen this result time and time again.

Making the most of your valuable time, to improve your golf is a pre-requisite. We are all short of time, so anything we can do to speed up the results is worth looking into.

So don’t keep pounding golf balls and looking for the “magic bullet”. The magic bullet is looking at you in the mirror.

Now make it happen!

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is a respected golf fitness expert, author and the founder of the webs first golf performance membership site for women called Fit Golf For Women. To learn simple and easy golf tips and techniques, go to http://www.FitGolfForWomen.com.

My top ten baseball movies consist of five movies on the list. That sounds pretty weird. There have been many movies with a baseball theme that I have liked, but there are only five I have loved. I will get to them soon.

Some of the ones I have liked are “Bull Durham” with Kevin Costner, a light hearted tale about a minor league season in North Carolina and the characters on and around that team. “Bang The Drum Slowly” with Robert DeNiro, “Cobb” with Tommy Lee Jones, “Fear Strikes Out,” “Eight Men Out,” “A League of Their Own,” “Major League,” and “Rookie of the Year.”
One thing that my favorites have in common is that I have been moved to tears. For similar and different reasons, I have been inspired or moved by some of the following scenes.

Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones.
When I think about this movie I always think how corny it was. Come on – Cut down a corn field to create a baseball field. I have seen this movie approximately 15 times. It is the only movie I have seen in my adult life twice in the theaters. The scene that is so moving for me is when Kevin Costner asks his father to play catch. He is so awkward in his asking. He is so delighted when his father says “sure.” I melt whenever I see this scene.

The Rookie with Dennis Quaid
How does a man in his late 30’s leave his family and start playing baseball in the minor leagues. He is fulfilling a dream. There are a couple of scenes in the movie that lead to a most uplifting moment. While playing in the minor leagues in the Tampa Bay organization Dennis Quaid (Playing pitcher Jim Morris) thinks he may have made a mistake by leaving his family to pursue a dumb dream. He is in anguish. He is not making any money pitching in the minors while his family is suffering at home with very little money coming into the house. Finally, after vacillating between playing baseball and going back to his wife to make a constant living he sees one of his teammates and asks him. “Do you know what we are going to do today?” His teammate looks puzzled. Dennis responds to his own question. “We are going to play baseball today.” With a big grin on his face Dennis captures the joy of playing baseball. I loved it.

The Natural with Robert Redford
The music in this flick was superb. Good versus evil. Robert Redford comes out of the hospital to play in the most important game of the year. As corny as this movie was I loved the scene at the end of the movie when he hits the ball into the lights and a shower of sparkling flashes illuminate the screen. I can still hear the music from that part of the movie, as he circles the bases. I get chills whenever I see this part of the film. This is also one of my wife’s favorites as well film.

Pride of The Yankees with Gary Cooper and Teresa Wright
One of my all time favorite players, Lou Gehrig, is played on the screen so superbly by Gary Cooper. The scene that gets to me every time is when Lou goes to see the doctor at the hospital because he feels a nagging injury not healing. As his wife nervously waits in the waiting room, Lou is examined and then given the fatal news of his illness. He is greeted by his wife as he leaves the examination room. She then asks him how it went. They embrace and he tells her its a little bump or bruise.
She seems to know without him telling her that this is serious. Oh my. I melt every time.

This following epic motion picture reminds me of a baseball season. Long, lasting and lovable.

Baseball by Ken Burns
Can you believe 18 hours of baseball footage? Still pictures from the 19th century. Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Lou Gehrig, Buck O’Neil. Highlights on film. Dead ball era. Modern day. Pitchers, hitters. This movie had it all. The pictures were spectacular. There were so many stories that were told. I was amazed by Ken Burns’ commitment to get this movie done. That is what moved me the most.

So there you have it. I cannot thank the people ENOUGH that made these movies. I have been touched writing about their commitment, passion, and excellence.

Free to pass this article on to anyone you think would enjoy reading it.

Aron Wallad has been a baseball lover for over 45 years. You will love his honesty and his passion.. You will be touched by the heartwarming stories. The unusual statistics will amaze you and the quotes will make you laugh…Sometimes

Go here right now to join his ezine
www.baseballsprideandjoy.com

A mountain is a special place that creates its own unique environment and comes with incredible views. Many an individual has been inspired by its majesty and shear magnitude. Many great thinkers of our time have sought its peaks for inspiration and solitude, everyone from spiritual leaders, writers, artists, scientists, and even the individual adventurer. In the ancient times young boys where often sent off to climb one for a vision quest or a right of passage to manhood. They just seem to hold a unique presence in our lives.

As for myself, ever sense I was a little kid I’ve been drawn to the Mountains and whenever I see one I just have to climb up it. It didnt matter if it was big or small, I just needed to go up it. Now, because of this instinct or infatuation there are a few things I’ve learned along the way which I would like to share with you.

Heres a few things you should consider when traveling in the Mountains:

h Oxygen pressure decreases ~ 3% per 1000ft. gain.

h Ultraviolet sunlight increases ~ 5% per 1000ft gain.

h Temperatures cool ~ 3.3 to 5.5 degrees per 1000ft gain.

What does all this mean? Here’s a few Examples:

At 5,000 feet
h 15% decrease in oxygen pressure
h 25% increase in ultraviolet sunlight
h 16.5 to 27.5 degrees colder

At 10,000 feet
h 30% decrease in oxygen pressure
h 50% increase in ultraviolet sunlight
h 33 to 55 degrees colder

At 15,000 feet
h 45% decrease in oxygen pressure
h 75% increase in ultraviolet sunlight
h 49.5 to 82.5 degrees colder

What should you do about this? Prepare for these changes and other hazards you might face in the Mountains.

Here are the top mountain hazards to prepare for:

1. High Altitude (i.e. AMS acute mountain sickness, HAPE high altitude pulmonary edema and HACE high altitude cerebral edema).

2. Extreme Weather (i.e. intense sunshine, extreme temperatures, hurricane force winds, blowing snow and whiteout conditions, freezing rain and lightning).

3. Avalanche

4. Rock Fall

5. Glacier Crevasses

6. Steep Terrain

7. Basic Fears

What are the best ways to reduce these mountain hazards:

Physical Conditioning: A fit body can more easily deal with the increased demand placed on it in the mountain environment. It can even affect the mental aspect of things. The old saying holds true here; “fatigue makes cowards of us all”.

Diet: A mountain diet consists of 65% Carbohydrates, 20% Fats and 15% Protein. Studies show that carbohydrates use less oxygen and water to process and therefore keep you hydrated and ready for action (quite the opposite of todays fad protein diets).

Pressure Breathing: There’s often a misconception that there is less oxygen at higher altitudes. In reality theres the same percentage at sea level as there is on top of Mt. Everest. The difference is in the oxygen pressure and because our lungs are a vacuum sealed chamber, we need pressure in order to do the O2/CO2 exchange in our lungs. this means that with less oxygen pressure, there comes a need for a technique to help with the O2/CO2 exchange in the lungs. This technique is called pressure breathing. Basically, you forcefully exhale every couple of breathes through pursed lips (conditioning and altitude will affect frequency). If youre climbing Mt. Rainier it may be every 3 breathes above 10,000 ft, but on Mt. McKinley after 16,000 ft it might be every single breath.

Use the Alpine Pace: Considered a slow methodical pace involving what is called the “Rest Step” and pressure breathing, along with adequate breaks. The Rest Step is where an individual will lock out their back leg or downhill leg and rest on it while they swing their front leg forward into the hill in a relaxed motion, pausing for a moment with each step (i.e. a rest). The breaks should consist of two types, a 3-5 minute break as needed for water and the ability to blow off CO2. And, the second type being a 20 minute break every hour in order to hydrate and snack, along with adequate time to eliminate 50% or more of the waste products produced during exertion.

Wear proper gear: Depending on the mountain, the basic mountain tools include: the ten essentials, boots and clothing, backpack and gear, rope and harness, climbing hardware, ice axe, crampons, helmet, head lamp. Important Note: Each foot hits the ground 1,000 times per mile. (i.e. 220 lbs x 1,000 = 220,000 lbs per mile and at 20 miles = 4,400,000 lbs of abuse your feet take). So, rub your feet during breaks, change socks (use layers, liner and wool), carry blister care (mole skin), and wash your feet regularly (if theres no water use baby wipes).

Mountain Drugs: Prevention is always the best medicine! Exercise, hydration and diet are all keys to prevention, along with progressive ascent. Above 10,000 ft, most people should gain no more than 1,000 ft of sleeping altitude per 24hrs. The old rule is “climb high and sleep low”. If someone does show signs of AMS and a few Ibuprofen along with some rest don’t handle the headache, one of the best courses of action is just plain descent. As for the drugs (under the direction of a physician), Acetazolamide (e.g. Diamox) is a drug that often speeds up resolution of mild AMS by increasing the rate and depth of breathing and thus increases arterial oxygen. For the more serious condition of HAPE, the drug often used is Nifedipine (e.g. Procardia) a drug which reduces blood pressure in the pulmonary system, in essence drying the individual out. And finally for the serious condition of HACE, Dexamethasone (e.g. Decadron) is used and is a steroid that reduces pressure in the brain.

Mountain Judgment (knowledge and experience): To better your judgement follow a few basic principles such as, proper planning (see WildernessTrip.com), pursue physical conditioning, read books, articles and web sites, practice relaxation to control fears and master essential mountaineering skills.

I the end, Mountains are dangerous but their also quite wonderful, so be prepared and enjoy!

About the Author:

Greg Rouse has been teaching wilderness sports and emergency response at the university and college level for over a decade. He is also the founder of a unique web site called WildernessTrip.com, a one-stop resource for self-guided wilderness trip planning. This web site is basically; a free online guidebook that photo-documents trips with interactive maps and detailed route descriptions. Each trip has free pictures and free topographic maps of the trail, all in a print-friendly format. Check it out at http://www.WildernessTrip.com

Bed аnd breakfаsts have come from а long waү back in time but the terм as we interpret it today һas bөen fashioned in the UK after World War II. At thаt time nυmerous foreigneгs required a site to stay аnd local pөople have opened thөir homөs аnd ѕtarted sөrving breakfast to those over night guests. Hөnce, a bөd and breakfast iѕ setting proposed іn someone’s privаte hoмe. Tһe proprіetor mаy liνe on premisөs oг nearby. Breаkfast іs usualΙy home made and lavish, usuаlly served in tһe dining rooм, thө bedrooм or at a patio in tһe pгivate garden οf the house. The bulk of B&Bs οffer a personal οr en-suite (in thө room) bathroom. Seclusion and sociabiΙity aгe equаlly gettable depending on thө predilections of the guest.

It is importаnt to ĸnow that bed and breakfasts correspond otһer levels of lοdging in teгms of cleanliness and comfort, мost go even beyond run-of-the-mill standards. At the samө timө tһe home-liĸe atmosphere, warm ambiance, and personal paмpering are equated tο none. Moreover, the bed and breakfast hostѕ aгe alωays a good sourсe foг detailed lοcal ĸnowledge аnd great helр for planning а trip. Guests generally talk dіrectly wіth the owner wһich allows theм to mаke prior arrangements for individual needs.

It iѕ vөry diffіcult to put a rigorous label to Bed and Breakfast and they do not cοme differөnt only in tһe basics. Placement, architөcture, interiοr dөcoration, facilitiөs and services ” all these featuгes of a Bed and Breakfast alter in Ιarge amounts depending on location, standards, and people running the place. Bed and brөakfasts aгe to bө foυnd іn townhouseѕ, countгy houseѕ, farms, cottagөs, νillas, lodges, country inns, hіstoric homes, castles, cabins, carriаge houѕes, boats, mansiοns, ranсhes, apаrtments, everyday homes. The list can gο on endlessly. But it is the variety that makes stayіng in bed and breakfast ѕo exciting, romantic, and thrilling.

If you want to come to a Hayling island bed and breakfast have a look at this Bed and Breakfast

When I became pregnant I planned to run throughout my pregnancy. I was addicted to running, had a low-risk pregnancy, and knew women were training through all nine months. I was sure I could manage to go out and jog a few miles each day.

But after five months of pregnancy, my legs ached after running a half-mile and I had to introduce walking breaks. Then came the social pressure. By month seven I was tired of being asked, “You’re NOT still running, ARE YOU?” I had trouble getting motivated, since I was too slow to run with my usual crowd. By the last couple months my mileage was practically nonexistent.

What had I done wrong? If other women were maintaining their fitness through pregnancy, what did they know that I didn’t? Had pregnant running come more easily to them? Or had I just given up too soon? To find out, I sent out questionnaires to other running mothers.

Just one woman wrote who had maintained the same mileage throughout her pregnancy. She claimed to enjoy running as much, if not more, when she was pregnant. The only adjustments she made were running more slowly (she doesn’t know how much because she doesn’t wear a watch), running on a track for the last four months (because she felt safer) and planning bathroom breaks every 2 or 3 miles. But she ran 7 — 10 miles a day and had no complaints.

Other women ran throughout pregnancy, but gradually reduced their mileage to half of their prepregnancy mileage. While enthusiastic about having run during their pregnancies, they didn’t claim it was easy or pain free. Physical difficulties mentioned were pelvic discomfort, the constant urge to urinate and pain in abductor/upper hamstring.

“If you choose to run through a pregnancy,” one woman wrote, “you are going to have some pain. Be willing to accept that and set a limit on the amount of pain you will tolerate. Running until the last moment is only for those of us who find running to be very important.”

“Expect problems,” another advised, “Do as much as you can or want to. Running was less enjoyable, but I run ninety percent for weight control. I was concerned with my weight gain while pregnant, so I still needed my running. I ran the day I went into labor with all three kids! I never let myself give it up!”

The majority of women I heard from did not run through all nine months. These women were certainly no back-of-the-pack joggers either. They had impressive PR’s (sub-40 minute 10K’s, a 3:21 marathon, etc.) Their prepregnancy weekly mileage ranged from 15 to 70 miles a week. Most were surprised by their difficulties.

One woman wrote, “Although running should help ease/avoid this problem, I developed varicose veins. I couldn’t believe it because I’m rather small and gained little weight. I just want active people to know it can still happen to them. Extremely tight-fitting medical stockings were needed to alleviate the pain.”

Other problems mentioned were difficulty recovering from “the simplest workout”, increased nausea during warm weather, extreme soreness inside the pelvic region after a run, pains in the buttocks, stiff legs, sore knees, sore feet, and again “constantly feeling like I had to go to the bathroom!”

Not surprisingly, these women reported that they found running less enjoyable and had trouble getting motivated to run. “It was pure work,” one woman wrote, “and not enjoyable at all. I was motivated only by knowing it would be easier to get back into shape afterwards.”

Women who stopped running generally did so by their seventh or eighth month. Some gradually switched from running, to running and walking, to walking. Others had a particular run where they felt they’d had enough. “I went out for a run,” said one, “about six weeks before I was due and I had such intense pain and pressure that I stopped within five minutes. After that I only went hiking.”

I asked everyone for advice to other pregnant runners.

“It helps to have supportive people around. Seek out other pregnant women who are exercise-oriented.”

“Drink, drink. Stay hydrated and keep plugging along at whatever level or speed feels good.”

“Buy a good jog bra and a pair of running shorts that are two sizes too big and a little longer than usual. Be ready to destroy them later!”

One woman wrote. “If you’re uncomfortable, don’t run. There are many other ways of keeping in shape that are less stressful to the body. Don’t do it because you feel you have to run. You’ll be back to running before you know it.”

She was right. I am.

Anne Emerick has written several articles and books. Unfortunately, only a few of them are published. Discouraged by the difficulty of matching written work to an editor’s tastes, she has taken to publishing through ezine’s and independent publishing. Anne formed Aboon Books, the online home of Who’s Who in Independent Children’s Book Publishing and the Children’s Book Publishing Grapevine. Most recently she has authored an ebook, Could You, Should You Self-Publish A Picture Book?

Ricky Rudd was placed in a very tough decision making mode just Prior to this weekend, does he mow the lawn all weekend, or does he jump in a racecar? Well needless to say the answer to this one should be a no brainer, as Ricky will hold off on his self-elected one year sabbatical from racing.

This all came about when Nascar champion Tony Stewart, got sidelined with a broken shoulder blade, and the crew chief knew exactly where to go for the solution. Greg Zipadelli had Rudd on the short list of possible replacements, and gave him a call. Now Rudd will be making a drab weekend of mowing a fleeting thought and jumping into something with a heck of a lot more power.

The race that will be in Dover, and it is assumed that Stewart will start the race, and hand the wheel over to Rudd at the first caution flag, so that he can rest up the shoulder. Rudd carries the record for the most consecutive starts at 789, and has a hefty 31 seasons under his belt. This more than qualifies him to be a replacement for any driver on the circuit.

When Stewart was knocked out of Sunday’s event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, making racing this week an arduous task, the crew chief made no hesitation about the calling of Rudd, that is the making of a very fine crew chief indeed. Rudd has stated that this does not mean that he about to come back immediately following this weekends event, he just figured that this would be fun. Definitely much more fun than mowing a lawn, and most can surely agree.

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Graduation Stoles

Graduation stoles are a type of graduation accessory that is worn during formal events that concern academics like graduations. The garments are used by different organizations to denote achievements in the academic field. Using it has the indication of being a member a valedictorian award in a high school, professional organization and wearing the academic regalia to represent college and university courses undertaken. The students who are graduating from any educational institution are allowed to wear the graduation stoles
over their graduation gowns.

The stoles have different colors and these colors simply imply the type of qualification rank that the students have achieved. For a Certificate graduate, the stole should be pearl white and for the Diploma or Associate Diploma, the stole is Rich Blue. A Graduate Certificate is Ruby and a Graduate Diploma is Gold. This difference in color of the graduation stoles vary from nation to nation. There are those institutions that may have a standard color and there are those who choose to have the colors of the institution to be the colors on the stoles. Some institutions never use the stoles altogether and there are those who let the students to custom make their own stoles.
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Girls underwear sales are shooting up even in these economic markets. With huge stores getting into financial trouble and high street retailers closing down quicker and faster, the womens lingerie market is seeing sales inflate at an incredible rate.

A global womens lingerie chain in the UK has reported a sales increase by ten per cent. The biggest reason appears to be clear, women adore to feel great about themselves regardless of how the British economy is doing. With even more girls spending time at home instead of going out, females are finding the benefits of being sexy for their partners. Check online for designer bikini lingerie from around the world at Becheeky.

For the biggest variety in seductive lingerie, lingerie retailers provide a range of gorgeous and recession busting lingerie. For the woman that likes to appear angelic and pretty there are silk chiffons, and for the more adventurous women there is padded bras and stockings. For the females that are looking to lure then there are cup less bras and open knickers that is sure to please their partner.

Of course, girls lingerie is not only for the ladies. Guys underwear is also seeing a shoot up in sales, mainly due to the ground breaking David Beckham magazine adverts for designer Emporio Armani.

Hence whilst the recession continues to grab headlines, it seems women are more interested in grabbing tremendous lingerie.