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Michael Schumacher – A Racing Legend Forever

The very first thought that comes to the mind when a debate is being done on racing is “Michael Schumacher”. In fact there was no other person in this world or during the whole era to bring about such fame and popularize this sport. The sport was in its transition phase and that’s when the world came to know of this driving legend. In the beginning during the early times motor racing was considered a very rash game, a game especially for the rebellious or mavericks.

But with time and addition latest gadgets, a game which only dependent on speed came to think on things like driver safety, traction control, aerodynamics etc. And it was during this phase many a drivers found it very difficult to cope with all the restrictions, rules and regulations. Though F-1 racing was not a simple sport but still with the invention of the television many people from across the globe had the opportunity to view it.

Michael Schumacher started his racing life as a go kart driver and from there on he joined a racing team called the Benetton. It was after three years of joining the racing circuit that he tasted victory and from there on started the winning streak. His name would always be remembered in the annals of history for the impact he created on the world racing. He was a role model for many a budding drivers.

Well most of the time he is remembered for the positive things he had done but he had his share bad deeds. He was a different person on the racing track and many of his competitors agree with it.

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Marathons: A Sport of Legend

USMC Marathon
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The year is 530 BCE. The Persian army, thirsty for blood and power, lands on the shores of Maraton, Greece ready for war. Though heavily outnumbered, the Athenians fought off the violent Persian forces and the battle ended with a Greek victory. In order to send message of their victory to Athens, the soldiers sent the spritely young Pheidippides to deliver the victorious news. So he ran 25 miles from the shores of Marathon to the center of the Athenian assembly and announced, “We have won!” After his announcement, he collapsed and died, and from his death, the Marathon was born.

Though the story of Pheidippides is still up for debate, the legend still provides a powerful inspiration for jogging-sport’s ultimate realization, the Marathon. The current official length of a marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards – 138,435 feet. Some people spend years training for marathons, especially if they’re interested in competing for marathon victory. Most runners, however, look to the marathon as a personal victory and accomplishment.

A skilled runner can finish an entire marathon in four to five hours. Professional marathoners can do it in almost two. The current olympic marathon record is an astounding two hours and six minutes, accomplished by Kenyan Samuel Kamau Wanjiru in the 2008 Summer Olympics. A marathon runner is a human of extraordinary breeding, and spends their life training for one of the world’s most grueling sports.

Super-dedicated runners will go beyond marathons and enter in what are generally referred to as ‘ultramarathons.’ An ultramarthon will extend anywhere between 50 and 100 kilometers (62.14 miles). The ultramarathon is for only the fittest of the fit, and training for it must be closely moderated, since your body can only endure so much of a beating before turning on itself. Currently only a niche group of marathoners will compete in ultramarathons (something like 70,000).

As a sport, marathons have been around for thousands of years, and despite the obscurity of their beginnings, they’re here to stay.

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Cycling is an Ideal Sport for People of All Skill-Levels

Freeriding on a hardtail freeride bike.
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Even if the memories of your childhood have been obscured by the years of distractions that constitute adulthood, a few poignant instances will always remain. That special birthday, that favorite movie, and “most importantly” the first time you learned to ride a bike. Maybe you taught yourself, or maybe one of your parents taught you, but what they say is true: once you learn to ride a bike, you’ll never forget how.

The problem is, as the years go by, less and less people stay on their bikes. A lot of lifestyles call for cars, and some people are just too busy to get on a bike and ride for leisure or for exercise. Nonetheless, that feeling of elation you experience when you realize you’re zipping down the road on two wheels powered entirely by yourself; this feeling will always stay with you, and for some people, it may be calling your name.

Fortunately, cycling isn’t a difficult sport to get in to. There are all types of bicycles for every skill-set, and you can enter into cycling alone, join a cycling club, or just have a bike to ride for fun on the weekends with your friends. You can get hybrid bikes, mountain bikes, cruiser bikes, BMX bikes, touring bikes, cyclocross bikes, and the ever-important road bikes.

The different genres of cycling have their own positives and negatives, so depending on where you are geographically, one type of cycling may be better than another. The genres of cycling that have organized sport associations backing them are road cycling (obviously), track racing, mountain biking, and more recently, cyclocross racing. The latter of these is an up-and-coming mixture of mountain and road biking, and though it has been around since the late 70s, it has becoming increasingly popular the past few years.

No matter what you do with the sport of cycling, you will burn calories, strengthen and lean the muscles on your legs, and most importantly, you’ll feel like a kid again.

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Boost Your Sports and Fitness Aptitude with Spontaneous Exercises

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What makes a proficient athlete is initially evidenced by their talent. How high they can jump, how fast they can run, and what levels of endurance they are able to moderate through their races and competitions. Professional athletes spend every minute of their waking life dedicated to the improvement of their sport, but for most of us here on the ground, we have other obligations. But despite life’s other demands, it is still possible to maintain a strong athletic regime to prepare yourself for the next race, or to drop that extra two or three pounds.

One way to do this is to schedule in your workouts. Wake up forty-five minutes early and do a few sprints around the block, or do some stretches and jumping jacks to get the blood flowing. If you have a long lunch at work, maybe spend fifteen or twenty of those minutes doing something to burn some extra calories: walk faster, take the stairs instead of the elevator, do some lunges. It might look funny to the casual observer, but what’s more important – looking good, or looking funny?

These are things everyone can do to burn off a few extra calories throughout the day, but for the more dedicated trainer, the workplace and other obligations tend to get in the way. This doesn’t mean you can’t do stretches throughout the day, or strengthen your core by pounding out a few planks, push-ups, and sit-ups wherever you are. Again, it might look funny, but it will give you an advantage come your more dedicated work-out time, it will keep your calorie count down, and it will keep your strength and flexibility up.

There is no reason why you have to wait for your scheduled times to start working out. For the professional or the novice athlete, the sport should come first (after the other things, like showing up to work or eating breakfast).

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Lance Armstrong — A Study in Courage

Lance Armstrong zipped past surroundings in th...
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There are sports legends in every generation, household names that trip off the tongue like Mark Spitz, Roger Bannister, Muhammad Ali, Roger Federer, Bjorn Borg, Eric Heiden, Tiger Woods.  In their respective fields they have scaled the heights, achieving victories at levels other athletes, and common humans, can only dream of.  How does an athlete achieve this level of achievement?  And how does he do it after recovering from cancer?  Is it even possible?  In the case of one sports legend, the answer is yes.

Lance Armstrong’s unprecedented victories as a cyclist in the Tour de France competitions have brought him legendary status as one of the greatest athletes in world history.  He won the top prize in the tour for an unparalleled seven years in a row, from 1999 through 2005. His achievement in this unforgiving race, which calls on cyclists to use every inch of muscle and determination their bodies can muster on a course approximately 2175 miles through the hills and valleys of Europe — and then asks to them to push on and give even more — is an awe-inspiring achievement.  Then add to all that Armstrong’s role as a cancer survivor, and his story is jaw dropping on every level.  It is utterly insane, and completely inspiring

In 1996 Armstrong was one of the top rated cyclists competing anywhere when he was diagnosed with advanced stage testicular cancer, a disease that is generally fatal within a year for 1/3 of those diagnosed with the disease. With a combination of therapies, and a return to cycling in between rounds of chemotherapy, Armstrong recovered and began to compete again, going on, of course, to his incredible 7-year domination of the Tour de France.  Armstrong says as difficult as it was, the fight against cancer gave him perspective and in some ways was the best thing that every happened to him. In acknowledgement, he created the Lance Armstrong Foundation to raise money and awareness for others suffering from cancer.  His heroism on the cycling track seems matched only by his courage in the face of a shattering illness.

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