Inspiration on the Big Screen

I think when you try to do just about any big sort of feat, getting the inspiration together to pull through sometimes is a little hard to come by.

'Gumption' they call it.

Now I'm a movie buff and there are always a couple of movies I come back to when I want to feel some very good vibes, especially before a competition.

1. The World's Fastest Indian starring Sir Anthony Hopkins.

The story is about a 60-something Kiwi named Burt Munro who has a love affair with motorcycles and dreams of racing on the salt flats of Utah for the annual Speed Week.

Based on a true story, Munro ships himself out with his trusty Indian motorcycle which he built up and broke the record for fastest time for built sub-1000 cc motorcycle.

If you aren't out of your seat, cheering on Burt in the final scene, you are pretty cold.

2. Invictus starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.

There is always something lovely about seeing the underdog make it through. I think people can relate to a story where someone has everything going against them. But for some insane reason, they keep believing that they can.

And they do.

That was the story of the Springboks, the South African rugby team. Last in the rankings, newly elected Nelson Mandela (played by Morgan Freeman) decides that the country needs unification and looks for it through this sport and its capitan, Francois Pienaar, played by Matt Damon.

3. The Pianist starring Adrien Brody.

I only saw this movie just recently and it blew my mind. Anyone who has watched this movie will understand why I chose this image as the most representative one.

All I kept thinking was that this man was starved, witnessed death, had become sick, scrounged for food and was in hiding all those many years and the one thing that kept him alive was his music.

You have to be a very strong person to be able to survive. And then, want to survive after all was said and done.

4. The Peaceful Warrior starring Nick Nolte.

I've always hated showboats. People who have no respect nor care for the world and only search for praise and adulation.

That's how our hero, Dan Millman, starts out: cocky, daringly stupid and seemingly invincible. That is, until his motorcycle accident.

Socrates, played by Nick Nolte, gives him a few philosophical knocks on the head, some good advice and does some really cool magic tricks to boot.

5. Ikiru by Akira Kurosawa.

I saw a documentary on the director, Akira Kurosawa, and it was amazing for me to learn that 23 years after making this masterpiece, he had attempted suicide because there was a tremendous lull in his career.

The title of the movie is the Japanese verb "to live".

It is rather slow for the modern-day viewer of movies but it is a story that is pretty common: a bureaucrat has lived his life stamping documents and living estranged from his wife and son. When it is discovered that he has cancer and only months to live, he goes on a desperate journey to find meaning in his life. And much to the surprise of his co-workers and family, he finds it.

I always cry like an absolute bastard whenever I watch any of these movies so if you prefer not to hear my Kleenex-shuffle, watch these on your own and I'll see you on the track!

Casual Biking

I have an American-made Cannondale CAAD 4, my noble little race bike.

Most triathletes will not use their race bikes in any other condition unless they are:

a. training or

b. racing

That said, most have two bikes. The other would be to ride about town on.

A while back, I remembered seeing something that amazed me. Women in Denmark, I believe, who went about their day-to-day on bikes, wearing skirts and high heels.

The top tube comes all the way down so that you can discreetly lift your leg up and over without pulling a Britney Spears.

So I got curious and wanted to see what was out there.

Madsen Bucket Bicycle in yellow

This is the Madsen Bucket Bike. It's made out of steel and it comes in black, blue and yellow. The most noticeable feature of this bike is the 40 gallon bucket in the back. Throw in your groceries, books or small children (I'm not kidding) in there.

The back bucket actually has seat belts in it so that your kids are strapped in safely for the ride. I'm not usually a fan of kids in a kid seat on a bike for the same reason that I don't trust lots of drivers out there.

Interior of Madsen Bicycle Bucket

This, however, looks like a safer option. The lower center of gravity as well as the kickstand make it a more sturdy choice.

Another option is the Yuba Mundo Cargo Bike. This has various modalities you can add to it like two panniers for about 6 large grocery bags. You can also put a regular rack, a kid's bike seat and can seat up to two kids on the back.

Like I said, not a fan of the kid's seats but there you go.

Yuba Mundo Cargo Bicycle

If you are looking for something that is more like a "normal" bike, Breezer makes a whole series of options for both men and women.

Their Transportation bike line offers ergonomic frames that have the Town Bike style (with mud flaps and racks) and the Range Bike style, which is more "normal" bike like.

2012 Breezer Uptown Infinity - LS

Whatever your bike of choice, ride safe.

Meanwhile, I'll be dreaming of riding up and down the Champs Elysees wearing some things I put together, perhaps in part, picked up from a vintage shop and from a couture house.

Always, of course, with a hat on nicely coiffed hair.

Fashionable Hatted Women with a Bike

Being Fit and Fashionable

Fashion is about looking good. And that also means looking good in the clothes you wear.

We triathletes have this misconception that because we exercise a ton, we can eat whatever we want.

Not true.

I went on a rigorous diet and lost about 30 lbs and I can honestly say now that whenever I think about eating something "non-Kosher", as it were, I think about Mad Eye Moody from the Harry Potter series and his famous catchline, "Constant vigilance!"

Constant vigilance for the rest of my life. And I really don't mind.

So here's a couple of tips, words from the wise, as it were, so that you don't fall into the same traps as I did:

1. High fructose corn syrup = BAD!

Studies (in particular, one done at Princeton University) have shown that lab rats showed considerably more signs of obesity when fed high fructose corn syrup as opposed to table sugar.

Do this test: go to your local supermarket and pick up anything off the shelf. You would be surprised by how many items have HFCS. I can only find one type of bread out of the 25 I regularly see on the shelves that DOES NOT have HFCS.

2. No-Carb Diets

It may have worked for Jennifer Aniston but I'm pretty sure she wasn't running or doing triathlons. Carbs are a necessity. Think of it as having gas in your car. You have no gas, you don't move.

Same principle with the human body.

Your body needs carbs (in limited amounts, mind you) in order to function. A friend of mine was eating proteins before working out and carbs afterwards and was always tired.

What he should have done was switch those two around.

Proteins help your muscles knit and repair themselves and sit a little heavy in the stomach if you eat them before working out. Carbs are fuel and you would definitely need those before the work out!

3. Fried Food

This one's a big no-no. I had a daily allowance of 1 portion of oil per day for my diet, usually used for cooking purposes.

That's one tablespoon! Deep fry anything and you're way over your limit.

4. Starchy Foods

Did you know that corn and bananas are starchy? They may be low in fat but they are high in calories. Potatoes, yams, peas and taro are among the several foods that are as well.

Like everything, eat limited amounts and don't go overboard.

5. Beauty Rest

It sounds like a cliche but it really is true. Sleeping helps you repair your body and is also a part of weight loss. If you don't sleep enough, your body will never have the time to recover from the beating you give it.

Feet That Fly

Running was the first of the three disciplines I started training when I decided to do a triathlon.

It is also the one that weighed most upon me. Literally. Getting off the bike and running was like asking me go and happily peel off every finger and toe nail with a pair of pliers.

Not going to happen.

But shoes are an amazing thing. And here are a selection of the more specialized running shoes, with a particular emphasis on triathlons:

Zoot Women's Ultra Tempo 4.0

I've been a Zoot wearer for a long time and these are the choice for the stability runner (like me):

Love the pop of color against the silver and black. This also comes in pink.

Ecco has been known for making a very comfortable shoe and it's one I always associate with my dad, who is crazy about this brand. It has never struck me as a contemporary look but their Biom line is something I rather liked. The color is definitely sporty and it's a very attractive shoe.

Ecco Biom

Now, there is one shoe that I've always been curious to try but have always been a little iffy, seeing as that I have a very wide foot.

That shoe is the Vibram Five Fingers. It's truly a sock-shoe, taking the Japanese tabi socks to new heights by actually having each and every individual toe in a separate aperture. It's an odd "shoe" and I kind of feel like telling the person who's wearing them to put on some socks. Apparently, it's great for an injury-free run.

Vibram Five Fingers 2011

This shoe is not for everyone but you do have the occasional person running an Ironman in these.

You've also got your staple triathlon shoe in Newton. Lots of pros have been known to promote this brand and with due reason. Their racers are traditionally as light as socks. And there is no missing out because they are always noticeable in their red lettering against a bright yellow background.

Craig Alexander wearing
Newton's Stability Shoes
in yellow

So there it is. Shoes seem to be looking good this year.

I think I'll be asking Santa for some early Christmas presents.

Biking Sexy?

I've always been a fan of Castelli clothing.

Color pairing and the cut of the clothing always makes me very happy that someone has thought about looking good in cycling wear. Plus that scorpion logo is pretty badass.

Castelli
Velocissimo
Bib Short

What I've never understood are the bike "bib" shorts.

When a guy (and yes, this only applies to guys) wears a pair under a jersey, you never can tell that its not a regular short. The only real convenience is that it has no elastic waistband and doesn't restrict breathing. It is also an advantage to bigger athletes who have a bit of a belly and would prefer not to have an elastic waistband.

I love George Michael but these shorts remind me of the Wham! days when no one "noticed" that Michael seemed slightly gay.

Why?

They make these for women as well but with a different cut so that it doesn't look like something typical to wear at the local strip club.

Castelli Velocissimo Bib Short
on a model

Depending on how the short was built, the number of panels can free up the movement.

And then again, you might just want to see one of these guys, dressed like this at the strip club.

Sexy or no? You be the judge.

Jeremy Scott and Adidas Bullfighting Wear

Adidas by Jeremy Scott
Torero Jacket in Red

I happen to be rather knowledgeable on bullfighting so when I saw this little number, I knew I had to talk about this one.

Let's get something straight:
1. No self-respecting bullfight aficionado is EVER going to wear this, much less buy it, lest he wishes to be the laughing stock of the plaza.
2. It would have to take a very special type of person to wear this.

That said, the latter pretty much describes most of Paris couture.

Adidas by Jeremy Scott: Torero Jacket in Red
(Detail: "Alamares")

The embroidery and the hand work is amazing and does its best to resemble an actual bullfighting suit. This, technically, is not a "traje de luces" (the common name for the bullfighting suits) because the term refers to those suits adorned with either gold or silver embroidery, hence the word "luces" which means "lights" in Spanish.

Usually, black embroidery is a sign of a bullfighter who is an auxiliary to the matador.

I've never been a huge fan of this color combination in the suits because it has always seemed a little too aggressive to me. But given what is generally known about bullfighting, outside the plaza, red being the color most associated with the spectacle, I understand.

Plus that Adidas logo on the back is a very nice touch.

Fancy Feet That Run

I have wide feet.

I mention this because I've always had a problem with finding shoes that would fit me. Maybe the length would be right but I wouldn't know because I wouldn't be able to squeeze my feet into them.



Adidas by Stella McCartney
Fortanima Boots

 Thinking about going to New York one day, I started to imagine I'd like to be seen in. And I would come to the feet and think, "there is no way in HELL I am going to wear heels in New York." All the walking I'd be doing, I would be three blocks behind my friends because that's my relationship with heels.

So I started looking at shoes. Nothing looked like something that fit the idea in my head.

Then I discovered Stella McCartney's Fortanima Boots.

"Comfy," I thought, "but I don't know if they'd be comfortable for me in the calves." I have really thick calves and anything over the ankle, I think twice.

Jeremy Scott's Leopard Print Adidas JS Boots

And that's when I saw Jeremy Scott's rendition of the Adidas three-stripe logo and all hell broke loose.

Dare I try them? Apparently they are very limited edition and a tad higher in price than your regular Adidas. In boots, there was more of a selection with Scott.

So I put together an outfit.

In my mind, of course.

My grocery list would be as follows:

A pair of black Adidas JS Boots:

A pair of black dress shorts:












Gucci White Poplin Stretch Front Clasp Blouse

 With a lovely little white blouse:











Trasparenze Delhi Hold-Ups

 With some very nice stockings:

Adidas Jeremy Scott Fringe Bomber Jacket

And if it's cold out, a jacket to make the colors pop:











I get the feeling New York is going to be a lot of fun....