“The Female Brain” by Louann Brizendine (bantam books)
I picked up my copy at the Auckland airport. I never know which book I’m going to buy. I just browse around and the “right one jumps out at me”.
I thought if I can understand them better I can coach them better. But results tell me I’m doing OK. I’ve had more women on the stage in Hawaii than men.
This book is one of those entertaining and enlightening ones that come along every now and then. It gives an insight into the mysterious workings …

I have often said, “I’m not a details person, I’m a big picture man”
That’s not entirely correct. I hope I haven’t mislead too many. I really don’t care whether you have a carbon, an aluminium or a titanium bike. As long as you’re set up pretty right and you ride it hard. I don’t care if your shoes are 20gms less than another brand as long as you don’t walk in the marathon, I’m happy.

Anyone who has raced an Ironman race well will agree it’s done with the mind.
That’s true, but no matter how mentally prepared you might be, if the fuel is not getting through to the legs, it’s not going to be as good as it could be.
So we’re about to set out on a mission where we have to have a stomach in top working order. Not a sack into which we toss whatever the hot-box has sitting in it ready to go. Save all the fast food options for after the …

Are you prepared to run your Ferrari on standard unleaded?
After you spend $5,000.00 and upwards for your bike. $500.00 or more for a wetsuit. $650.00 to enter the race. $1000.00 for accomodation. $300.00 for fuel to get there. $50.00 per week for supplements.
Are you going to risk drinking the local water in your last few days?
Not all bottled water is the same. A bit like the Castrol advert. Some are just like local tap water that’s been bottled.
Mt Franklin, Peat’s Ridge and the “best buy Pure Spring Water” from Foodworks …

There are lots of athletes who are winners in training but unfortunately are FORDs. F***ed on race day. We all laugh about it amongst our mates, but it’s so disapointing after all the hard work to not get the results they deserve.
Any successful Ironman athlete will readily tell you “it’s all in the head”. Yet in most cases 95% of the athletes training time is spent on training everything except the top three inches. One of the hardest jobs a coach can face is when an athlete has failed …

Inner Health
A bottle of probiotics belongs in every athlete’s fridge.
Last year in Kona, Norman Stadler and Faris AlSultan both gave the reason for their failure to finish and failure to start the Hawaii Ironman as a “stomach bug”.
I recommend every athlete take a probiotic like Health World’s, Inner Health each day in the week ot two leading into a major race. Using it as an insurance policy against stomach upsets.
Anyone travelling to a foreign country should carry a probiotic, just in case.
There is a balance in our stomach between the …