Boys on Bikes moments before… ” I told you so….”

Guys love adventure, most of us have that little screaming boy inside of us telling us to do things even when the adult inside of us says that we shouldn’t . OUr little screaming inner child is normally egged on by your best friends telling you that you can do it.

These two pictures remind me of just that moment before it all goes Pear shape, I think if i look at that Kid on the BMX i can see some of my mate sin the crowd telling him that he can do it.

10 000 Friends to run Great Wall Marathon

So i was talking to a potential advertisor and friend for the new magazine we publishing, Triathlon Plus SA and we were argueing about the power of Viral Marketing like Blogs, Twitter, Facebook etc.

I said its a great way to go to grow brand awareness etc and he said he didnt think it worked.

Then he gave me a challenge and this is how it is going to work.

Rule # 1 : I can only Use Blogs, Twitter , Facebook to complete the Challenge

Rule # 2 : I have to end up with 10 000 Friends either on Twitter or on Facebook to win the Challenge

Rule # 3 : I only have the my Birthday month to do it, So from 1st March till 31st March

If i get this right he will pay for me to go and run the Great Wall of China Marathon which i really want to do.

So here is how you can help me :

• Click Here to add me as a friend on Facebook : Collin Bradley Allin
• Click Here to follow me on twitter : Collin Bradley Allin

Then get your friends to come to my site and do they same or post it up as your status, or twitter it. Lets show him that the underground in alive and well.

Lucky i already have a head start, so only 8900 odd to go.

Have a great Weekend

Why no SA beer ?

I have just returned from Zambia and i have been lucky enough to visit 3 African countires in 3 months thanks to the Bar-one Manhunt TV Show. The one thing you get in every African country i have visited is a Beer  with the name of where you are.

This is something we don’t do here in SA. I mean every tourist when in that African country drinks that local beer because that is what you do when you in a different country. But here we do offer local beer and we do have all the other imported beer, but no Cape Town Lager if you know what I mean ?

With all the tourists coming through maybe there is a real gap here in the market for one ?

Hmmm…i am off to investigate. Watch this space people.

Best Snooker Trick you have ever seen

The legend of WHASP..you can even google it

Whasp Legend of Suzumebachi the Emishi Warrior

Heian periods (7th10th centuries AD).

The story goes…. During the 38 year war somewhere between 774-811AD, Honshu, Japan,in the Tōhoku region a peasant farmer from the Emishi Clan had a near death experience after accidentally stumbling upon a hornets nest.He had got lost in a tropical forest fleeing from magistrates sent to govern their lands and collect taxes.

Searching for food he mistakenly opened a hornet’s nest, thinking that he would find honey in the “bee hive”. He managed to escape the deadly swarm by diving over a cliff into a steam, clutching the nest under his arm.

Once on the riverbank, still hungry, he opened the nest and found thousands of larvae in the nest. In desperate need of energy and stamina he started to eat the larva for survival, carrying the nest with him and replenishing his energy as he ran for miles through the forest looking for a road to take him back to his village.

He managed to find his village 3 days later after travelling more than 200 km inland down the northern bank of the Kitakami River.

When the people in the village asked him what happened to him he told them that he came across a miracle juice secreted by the larvae of what he called, the “Sparrow Bee”. He originally had mistaken the black and orange body of the wasp for a bee and because of the size, 50mm from head to stinger and the 76mm wingspan of the insect reminded him of a sparrow, therefore the reference to “Sparrow Bee” or Suzumebachi in Japanese.

The clan then renamed him Suzumebachi, later becomming the fearless leader Aterui. In the year 789 AD at the Battle of Koromo River (also known as Battle of Sufuse) the Japanese army under Ki no Kosami Seito shogun was defeated by the Isawa Emishi under their general Aterui. A four thousand strong army was attacked as they tried to cross the Kitakami River by a force of a thousand Emishi. The imperial army suffered its most stunning defeat, losing a thousand men, many of whom drowned.

It is believed that the defeat was possible because the 1,000 strong Emishi force ingested the larvae juice of “The Asian Giant Hornet”, Vespa mandarinia, also known as the Japanese hornet, it is the world’s largest hornet, native to temperate and tropical Eastern Asia.

Modern science has identified and isolated the secret behind the Vespa’s near supernatural energy, stamina and power. The adult wasp does not eat this solid food, rather, it receives a liquid secreted by the larvae in a symbiotic relationship called trophallaxis. This potent larvae juice consists of a specific amino acid profile believed to act as an enzyme catalysis to increase the bodies ability to metabolize fat and use it as energy.

The Asian Mandarin Wasp (Vespa mandarina) is one of nature’s most potent endurance animals. This wasp flies between 70-100 KM per day in search of food and carries between up to its entire body weight in food back to the colony to feed to the larvae.

The key to sustaining athletic performance lies in optimizing the body’s ability to metabolize fat. Fortunately, the body has a plentiful and highly concentrated supply of energy in the form of fat. Training for endurance develops mitochondria, large mitochondria, which increases the body’s ability to oxidize fatty acids.

The unique amino acid complex derived from the Vespa mandarinia Wasp works by shifting the muscles to metabolize a higher level of fat during physical activity thus stabilizing and conserving glycogen.

The brain and nervous system have to utilize glucose to function optimally, however, they require very little. Muscle tissue, when using glucose for muscle metabolism, consumes glycogen at an extremely high rate which will eventually result in the commonly experienced state of “bonking” if sugars are not replaced.

By shifting the muscles to metabolize a higher percentage of fat as the primary energy source glycogen/glucose levels are stabilized and conserved so the brain and nervous system can function optimally resulting in greater mental clarity/focus and optimal motor skills/coordination over a greater period of time.

Whasp Endurance Energy went a few steps further in selecting only those Amino Acids in the natural profile which are beneficial for human psychology and which have the scientific backing to prove the results.

The specific Amino Acid Complex has been carefully selected to form a synergistic matrix for optimum results. The formula has been developed to help;

- increase your physical endurance

- reduce lactic acid build-up in your muscles

- transforms reserves of body fat into long lasting energy

- lose body fat when exercising/training (Helps transfer fat into energy)

- enables the body to use the reserve glycogen as energy

- reduce muscle fatigue and cramping and after events

A Day when Comic Books were Innocent

There was a time when you could have this kind of thing in a comic book and nobody thought any different.

In today’s age you would never be able to do that, so that raises a question, what is happeneing to society ? And how sick have our minds come ?

Have we lost all innocence ? This got me thinking about our children who are growing up and not getting to have fun and play just like kids like we did. In fact a lot of my friends and i are still kids inside and i love that, so here is my point, don’t let your inner child die, don’t become like everybody else.

How bad do you want it ?

This sentence comes up a lot with me in different fields of my life. How bad do you want it ? How much are you prepared to give up or sacrifice for it ? How far are you willing to push to get it ?

I think that the athlete who wants it the most on the day gets it, he might not be the most talented, the fastest or the most experienced but the hungry athlete often walks away with a win.

This i think is true in life as well, we are all out there trying to find the bigger picture and some of us have endured a lot in order to try and get there, we have sacrificed and worked hard and although some of us may never get to the end of the rainbow its the journey in trying that will enrich our lives.

So here is to you, the warrior, the person who wont give up, wont surrender.

This picture sums up what i am trying to say, these guys came down to the line, the guy on the right had a 7min lead off the bike and lost the race by 2sec , after 4hrs of racing to the man on the left who is the Current world Champion.

So keep up the good fight and remember, never give up, the next corner could be the finish line.

Life Lessons from a 90 year old woman

Written by Regina Brett, 90-years-old, of “The Plain Dealer,” Cleveland, Ohio.) To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me… It’s the most-requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolled-over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

6. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

7. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

8. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

9. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

10. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful

Red Bull in HOT water and possibly Coke too ?

Found this earlier post by Shane Starling :

Red Bull Cola has been banned in at least six German states after the newest offering from the world’s leading energy drink maker was found to contain cocaine.

The controversy blew up on Friday after the food safety agency in North Rhine-Westphalia (LIGA) state found 0.4 micrograms per litre in the drink.

While Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection both said the level did not pose a threat to public safety, it was thought more states may join the ban.

“The institute examined Red Bull Cola in an elaborate chemical process and found traces of cocaine,” said Bernhard Kuehnle, head of the food safety department at the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection.

Decocainised

Austria-based Red Bull issued a statement yesterday that said the problem had arisen out of its “use of a decocainised coca leaf extract in the product.”

“Decocainised coca leaf extracts are used as flavouring in foodstuffs around the world and are considered to be safe (eg FDA Gras Status, Council of Europe). Red Bull Cola and other foodstuff containing such extracts may therefore be sold legally.”

Red Bull said an assessment commissioned by the Austrian Belan Institute was unable to detect any trace of cocaine, “and consequently clearly contradicts the assessment furnished by LIGA.”

It said it met yesterday with the Bavarian Ministry for Environment, Health, and Consumer Protection.

“Based on this meeting, the Ministry has decided to officially investigate the existing examination results. In this way, we are sure that we will be able to clear up the facts very soon.”

BfR said it would produce a detailed report on the matter on Wednesday.

One German retail group, Rewe, stated it would remove Red Bull Cola from its shelves.

The use of coca leaves is something that industry is understandably coy about given its links to cocaine, even if decocainised leaves are legal in most countries.

According to a story in Time magazine, Coca-Cola refused to confirm or deny whether it used either regular or decocainised coca leaves in its products.

Dont forget the simple things

I managed to surprise my mother for her 50th birthday. She knew in her heart that if it was at all possible for me to be here that i would, but for weeks i have been leading her down the path of thinkiDOgsng i wasn’t coming. So when i walked into the door it was a huge surprise.

There is nothing like surprising somebody and most of the time is doesn’t even cost a lot money. We all get too busy to try and do something nice for somebody else. But it is definitely worth the effort when you see how you can touch somebodies life.

Sorry i have been busy or i don’t have the time shouldn’t be things we say to each other, we should make time for the special people in our lives and not let opportunities slip by. Say YES to a opportunity because then you open yourself up to the possibility of anything happening, you OPEN yourself up to life. If you say NO you constantantly stay in your little bubble where nothing good and nothing bad will happen and you will not really be living or growing.

Then do something simple like play with a DOG, they such great animals who just love to do things because they can. MY mom has 2 dogs and the staffie called JOCK will fetch the ball again and again until he dies and for no other reason because he cant help himself. He just loves it.

What do you do that you just love ?

Good to change your point of view

Sometimes you even need to do this literally. I watched Saturday’s SHARKS rugby match from a box on the side of the field and got to watch the game from bottom to top and not from side to side. Was a bit weird but also kind of cool.

Which got me thinking , i think we should all mix it up a bit from time to time. By driving a different route to work. Or training at a different gym, choosing something different on the menu at the same retaurant we always eat at.

Variety is the spice of life and pay attention so you dont get stuck in a rut.. So go one, get out there and mix it up.

P.S the sharks won the game…GO BOYS GO…

Sometimes when you think you cant…YOU CAN

We all have these moments when we feel like what we have to do is too much for us to handle…where we stare at the project ahead of us and don’t know where to start. So what do you do ?

Well my grandfather used to tell me you just start and do little by little until you finish…or if you have a decision to make, you flip a coin and pick a path but the important thing is that you never look back.

I have lived most of my life by those words and find myself making it apart of my daily life, if you break what you have to acheive into bite size pieces then it wont look so bad…

Imagine this guy trying to get the pig to where to he needs to get it on the scooter…but here he is getting it to where it needs to be.

The simple things….

We have all heard it before right ? ” Don’t sweat the small stuff ” but how many of us actually listen to it and i bet not many of us actually do it.

I was reminded this weekend about how if you focus on simple easy things how easy they can all seem. I mean why look at the whole mountain, just look at a tree you can see and then get there, then once you are there look for a rock or the next tree.

We use this in racing, we focus on a object and just ride to there, not thinking about the whole 21km we have to run as that will always seem scary. So digestible easy to swallow pieces is how we should be facing life.

Then find simple things that give us joy, like taking the dog for a walk, or going to a movie, for this dog it was me scratching his belly, he lay like this for 30min and even fell asleep i think. Simple yet very effective.

So go out there today and do something simple for you and chew your day up little piece by little piece.

Head Space, go and get some

What do you do when you have one of those days that even just ordering a burger comes out wrong ?

Head space is a very important thing and i think more of my guy friends seem to search for it, it that moment in a crazy day when you can free your mind and think of nothing…yes i said nothing…us guys can do that..ZONE OUT..

After my crap day today i got onto a stationary trainer, so i can ride my bike and stay in one place, i hate doing this normally, but i put some tunes on and looked out onto my beautiful view and found my center again

Try it this week, find something to do which is good for YOU, your soul and your mind, quiten it down and find your center again because that is where you are strong.

Here is my view from my balcony while i was riding tonight

What would you be doing if you could do anything ?

I had the chance to go and experience some truly breathe taking nature this weekend. On Saturday afternoon i was having a jog alongside a cliff, the drop off to my left was about 1km down, we were running past zebra’s, buck and other game.

I was then hit by this thought : Realistically, what would i want to be doing with my life right now ? now i say realistically as i didn’t want to have be the president as a answer, i meant things that if i applied my mind too or time and money to could achieve. The 2nd part of the question was that if that was what i wanted to be doing then was i taking the correct steps in getting that ?

Think about it for a bit ?? Because if you are not doing that, then what are you actually doing ?

Are you just going along the path that presents itself to you at the time or is there a big picture and plan to what you are doing..

I think we should all take a breather and look at what we are doing instead of just putting our heads down and trucking along a path that might not come out where we want it too ??