Kimmy Fasani: Keeping fit in the off-season

(Ed. Note: Winter X Games veteran Kimmy Fasani is a  Pretty Tough Team Rider. This is one in a series of exclusive blog post for the site. )

The 2009 to 2010 season is just around the corner and as an athlete, a healthy lifestyle is the glue that holds my body and mind together. When I feel strong physically, I typically feel a lot more confident mentally. Each year from June until November I have to find my rhythm again with how I’m going to get my body back in the best shape. This summer has flown by and I’ve been on the road a lot so I have hard a hard time finding my groove for getting into the gym. However, even when I’m not able to hop into the gym I find ways to get active.

When I’m on the go, and not in a place long enough to get a gym membership, I try to do some kind of cardio workout at least four times a week. During this hour workout I will do three sets of lunges, squats, pushups, and sit-ups. This gets my muscles firing and keeps me fit, while also not taking up too much time. I notice a big difference in my endurance levels on the hill when I make time for this quick workout.

When I am home in Mammoth Lakes, CA and don’t make time to go to the gym I have found a good routine that will make me strong going into the 2009-2010 season. I am an early riser and prefer to get my workouts done in the morning, so I don’t have to worry about doing later in the day. Plus anything I do after my morning workout will be an added bonus. About five days a week I hop on my road bike before I eat breakfast giving my body a chance to burn off more of ‘last nights’ dinner. Later in the afternoon I may go rock climbing with my boyfriend, if we are both in town. About three times a week I do yoga, which keeps my body limber and stretched out. The three of these together lengthen, strengthen, and stretch my body making me feel rejuvenated and ready for another season.

If you’re an athlete or not it’s very important to keep your body moving. This will keep your joints lubricated and healthy, which will make your body happy for the rest of your life.

Samantha Brunner – Pro Kayaker

Sport: Freestyle Kayak
Home: Tennessee
Birthdate: 3/24/87
Occupation: Full time student
Other Sports/Accomplishments: I skydive, rock climb, and snowboard.
Favorite Athletes: Nikki Kelly, Emily Jackson, Clay Wright, Jessi Stone
Favorite College Team: Memphis Tigers!!
Favorite Sports Drink: I actually like the PowerBar electrolyte mix that you put in water, but I also like Gatorade.
Favorite Workout Music: Oohh, thats a toughie! I like the Bravery and Pendulum.
Hobbies and Interests: Photography and music!
Best Moment: Learning a trick right before my first competition and using it to win 1st place!
Dream Job: Traveling the world with my camera, kayak, and boyfriend.
Favorite Books/TV Shows: Nature Girl is a funny book and I like The Office.

What has been your biggest accomplishment?
Getting the first female descent of a creek in Colorado.

What advice would you give to up and coming female athletes?
The only way to progress is if you set reasonable goals and focus on them with hard work. Don’t get caught up in comparing yourself to other people, it only gets in the way of your progression and can get you down. Stay positive and stay strong.

Competitive Highlights: 2008 USACK Women’s Pro, 1st Women’s Descent of Upper Daisy Creek, CO; 2008 North Alabama Whitewater Festival, 1st Place Pro Women’s Waterfall Freestyle Comp; 2007 North Alabama Whitewater Festival, 2nd Place Overall Pro Women’s Athlete.

Tennis anyone?

If you find yourself all fired up to play tennis watching the U.S. Open, remember that watching elite athletes can be really deceptive.  It may appear as if they hit,  jump and lunge with ease, but tennis is one tough game.

So while Serena Williams, Jelena Jankovic and Maria Sharapova are showing us how it’s done during this week’s  tournament,  here’s  a primer for those who want to learn the basics of the game.

Scoring

• Each women’s tennis match is made up of two to three sets (guys play five sets). To win a set, you must win at least six games.
• The games are scored starting at “love” (or zero). From love, the first point is 15, then 30, then 40, which wins the game.

Scoring the Game

• Before serving the score is announced, with server’s score first. So if you’re serving and you have zero and your opponent has 30, say “love-30.”
• The server gets two tries. The serve must go over the net, land in the opposite service box, and bounce once before the opponent returns it.
• If it doesn’t land in the service box,  a second serve is taken. If the second serve also misses, the point is lost.
• If the serve grazes the net but still lands in the service box, the serve doesn’t count, and the server gets a do- over. This is called a “let.”
• If the serve goes in and the opponent returns it, players continue hitting back and forth until someone hits the ball into the net, hits it out of bounds, or misses a shot. The other person gets the point.
• Whoever is serving continues serving until the score reaches 40.
• If the score is tied at 40 (”40-all”), that is “deuce,” which is  another word for tie. To break the tie, someone must win two points in a row.  If  a server at deuce wins the next point, then it’s  ” ad-in” which means “server’s advantage.” If the opponent wins, it goes back to deuce, and someone again must win by two points in a row. Yes, this could go on forever.
• Once the game is over, the serve switches to the opposing player. After even numbered games  players switch sides of the court.

Scoring a Set

• Before the first serve in each new game,  the score in sets is announced with the server’s score first.
• To complete a set, someone must win six games; the first person to win six games wins the set.
• However, as with “deuce,” players must win a set by at least two games. So, if the score is 6-5, the person with 5 must win by two games. If the score ties at 6-6, a tiebreaker is played.

Scoring the Match

• The match is determined by the best two out of three sets. So whoever wins two sets, wins the match. If each player wins a set,  a third set is played to determine the winner.

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Lingo

Want to know the difference between a drop shot and a foot fault?  You can learn all you need to know to speak tennis here.

And if you’re ready to jump onto the court and play, here are a few tips to help your game.

What to wear

The right kind of shoes are important.  Though running shoes offer a cushioned sole, they don’t offer enough support for the side-to-side movement demanded in tennis.

You may not want to immediately  splurge on a new pair of tennies, but check the regulations at the court where you’ll be playing, since many don’t allow dark-soled shoes that could scuff the court.  If you own a pair of cross trainers, wear those instead of running shoes, as they offer better support.

Warming-up

• Warm up before playing.  Jog for five to ten minutes to get your blood flowing. Your body should feel warm.  Do a few grapevines the length of the court to wake up your coordination.
• Walking lunges are a great way to prepare your legs for tennis. This simultaneously lengthens and activates muscles in your legs, priming them for the court.
• Twisting is the major action of the torso when hitting the ball. A standing twist stretch is easy to do against the fence of the court. Follow with some basic twisting from side to side to lubricate the joints in the back. You can try this with your racquet tucked under your arms, behind your back.
• Warming up your shoulders is also essential. Move your arms as if you’re doing the backstroke, circling your arms overhead slowly at first and building up speed for 20 repetitions. Follow this by clapping your hands in front and in back of your body.

How do you get to centre court?

It’s sometimes hard to hear but there is no substitute for practice.  The more you practice, the easier it is to play well when it counts. Remember to get to the court early so you can prepare your body before you start to play and don’t get discouraged.

Etiquette

Remember that tennis has a reputation for being a very polite sport.  While it’s less stuffy than it used to be, there are many niceties you need to know so be sure to learn the proper etiquette before you start batting the balls over the night.  Here are a couple must-know rules:

• If you arrive while other people are playing, wait until the point is over before passing behind to get to your court.
• If your ball rolls into the adjacent court, don’t run after it. Wait for your neighbor to return the ball when it’s convenient. If a ball rolls onto your court, toss it back to the player it belongs to.
• If you have any doubt about whether a ball is out, make the call in favor of your opponent.
• At the end of the game, shake hands with your opponents.

Game on!

Video: Tribute to IAAF World Champion Women

The athletes have left Berlin – some with medals and some with heartache – but all with the sense of pride that comes from representing their countries. World records were broken,  personal bests were recorded and fans got to see elite competition between the very best track and field athletes in the world.

Some of the many highlights include:

Allyson Felix scored a hat trick by winning her 3rd World Championship in the 200m.

Brittney Reese became the third American woman in the history of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics to win the Long Jump title.

After a string of misses, Sanya Richards won her first 400m global title.

Jamaican Shelley-Ann Fraser confirmed her Olympic title winning form by adding the world 100m gold in a faster time than Beijing.

Blanka Vlasic of Croatia became the IAAF World Champion in women’s High Jump for the second time.

Oh, and in a nod to the guys, let’s not forget Usain Bolt’s two smoking hot world records.

Check out his video tribute to the Wonderful Women of the 12th IAAF World Championships:

WMX action resumes for final round of 2009 series

The final round of the 2009 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship in Lierop will get underway this weekend with series leader Stephanie Laier looking for her maiden Title.

The previous six rounds of this second edition of the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship have been full of drama, with the season’s turning point being Livia Lancelot’s withdrawal in Teutschenthal. The defending Champion from France had dislocated her right shoulder after winning her home round and increasing her lead. Despite a brave attempt to race in Germany, Lancelot was forced to retire and the red plate was snatched by Laier, who now leads runner up Larissa Papenmeier and third placed Franke – all of Germany.

With Lancelot and Laier being the sole riders to have won rounds in the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship, once Lancelot quit this year’s campaign Laier went on to win the German and Swedish rounds by taking victory in each of the four motos. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing representative is pumped to end the season with another double win, which would make up for last year’s mechanical failure in moto two. In 2008 Laier, who had missed round one in Bulgaria due to an injury, entered Lierop with a chance to take the title but after winning the first heat she dropped down to an eventual 6^th in heat two due to a broken rear shock absorber.

Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2’s Papenmeier is second in the Championship as she aims at defending the spot from German compatriot Franke who sits in third. The duo are spread in just one point while leader Laier is 37 points ahead.

Franke of Kawasaki Elf Pfeil has been taking back to back podiums since Germany while the last round in Sweden saw the 17-year-old take her best season result with second overall.

Kane is now fourth in the Championship, which could be her best career’s result if the MVR-D Suzuki rider can keep fifth placed Mann behind.

The Swedish is just three points adrift and she will be on a mission to break into the top four this weekend.

Injured Lancelot sits in sixth while De Mol, Veenstra, De Winter and Van Wordragen complete the top ten.

2008 FIM WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PODIUM:

1. Livia Lancelot

2. Stephanie Laier

3. Ashley Fiolek

Dutch teen in battle to sail around the world

I came across an interesting article about a thirteen-year-old girl who wants to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

Laura Dekker was born in New Zealand while her parents were on a round-the-world sailing trip and spent the first four years of her life on the ocean. She has had been sailing solo since she was six and began dreaming of sailing around the world when she was 10.

Laura plans to navigate the world in her 8.3-metre-long Hurley 800 named Guppy, financed by sponsors. She  hopes to achieve the feat in two years, continuing her schooling through internet correspondence and resting in ports to avoid bad weather.  And her parents fully support her.

So what’s the problem?

Laura, whose parents are divorced, reportedly lives with her father on a boat in the central Netherlands. The Dutch Council for Child Protection is so concerned about the dangers of the marathon voyage it has asked a court to grant it temporary custody of Laura so it can do what her parents refuse to: halt the trip.

…the legal battle has ignited a wide-ranging debate even in this traditionally seafaring nation about the role that parents should play in their children’s risky adventures.

The rat race to become a so-called “super child” — the youngest to accomplish some grueling feat — can be fueled by ambitious parents, laser-focused children with talent, or youngsters with a deep need to please or be praised, psychologists say.

Laura is the latest in a long line of children seeking to put their name in the record books, sometimes with disastrous consequences.

Despite the ongoing battle, Laura hopes to set sail in September.

Zac Sunderland, a 17-year-old from Thousand Oaks, Calif., grabbed the youngest solo record last month when he completed a 28,000-mile trip on his 36-foot boat in 13 months.

British sailor Mike Perham, who is a few months younger than Sunderland, is expected to snatch that record away when he completes his own round-the-world voyage in the coming days, docking in the southern English city of Portsmouth.

Should Laura be allowed to become the youngest sailor to chase this dream? What do you think?

Play It Forward: Coaches who make a difference

Behind every athlete is a great coach.  Has a coach made a difference in your life? Now is your chance to say Thank You.  Nominate your coach and Play It Forward.

YouthNoise Play City is a nonprofit campaign that promotes using sports for social change.  Last Friday, they launched a nation-wide writing contest called “Play It Forward” that asks entrants to submit stories and photos of the coaches who have made a positive impact on their lives. Prizes are available for both writers and the nominated coaches.

Do you have a coach who has made a positive impact on your life? Enter the contest!

The details:

“Play It Forward” runs from August 21 until September 21, 2009.

Contest is open to any US resident age 13 or older.

Top 3 nominated coaches will be flown to Washington, D.C. to be awarded as “Coach of the Year” at the national Up2Us Coach Appreciation Week conference.

Prize includes round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, food and conference registration.

Approximate Retail Value: $850 each.

Three first-place writers will win $250 Eurosport gift cards, and three second-place writers will win $100 Eurosport gift cards.

Check out the contest site at http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/playitforward/!

Female judo champ gets her gold after 50 years

Here’s a Pretty Awesome story.

The New York Daily News recently ran a piece about a 74-year-old Brooklyn woman who was stripped of her first place medal 50 years ago. The gold was taken away from Rena (Rusty) Kanokogi after judges realized she was a woman competing against men.

On Friday, August 21st, organizers tried to right that wrong. Finally getting the gold was a sweet moment for Kanokogi, who became a pioneer for her sport – and a champion for equal rights – after her 1959 victory turned sour because she was the wrong gender.

Kanokogi is now frail, battling cancer, and walks with a cane. But she vividly recalls the moment she took on her opponent in the New York State YMCA judo championships. She was an alternate, and had to step in when a male team member was injured.

Although women were not explicitly barred from the YMCA contests, no female had ever tried to take part. Because her hair was as short as a boy’s and she had an athletic build and tape around her breasts, Kanokogi’s gender wasn’t questioned until she won her fight – and her team won the contest.

She was pulled aside and forced to admit she was a woman or else her teammates would have been stripped of the title.

Fifty years after the fact, the New York State YMCA has given her the medal to make amends, and to honor a lifetime of work on behalf of women and sports. After losing the medal, Kanokogi went on to fund the first female judo world championships and worked to get women’s judo into the 1988 Olympics.

Kanokogi’s Career Highlights Include:

• Holds a seventh-degree black belt in judo, making her the highest-ranking American woman in the sport of judo
• Received the honor of World Pioneer of Women’s Judo, which was given to her by the International Judo Federation (IJF) Congress in Japan, which has representatives from 103 countries
• In 2007, the USA Judo Referee Commission voted unanimously to award the John Osako Award for excellence in refereeing to Kanokogi.
• Was the NBC sport expert commentator at the 2004 Olympic Games for judo.
• A former member of the Women’s Sports Foundation Board of Trustees (1996-2001)
• Current chair of the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame Alumnae Association
• Received the 1991 Women’s Sports Foundation President’s Award.

As she was presented the medal she once had to forfeit, Kanokogi said:  “This one’s even better.”

Sweet!

Cincinnati Cyclocross Festival offers $10,000 women’s prize

It’s tough to make a living as a professional athlete. Even tougher when you’re female.

So it comes as good news that organizers of Cincinnati UCI3 Cyclocross Festival are offering an unprecedented $10,000 women’s prize purse for the three-day UCI event on October 9-11.  The $10,000 in prize money for the weekend will be just a portion of the nearly $27,000 in published prize money for the weekend of races.

“I think it’s awesome that the Cincinnati weekend has so much prize money for the women,” says five-time U.S. cyclocross champion Katie Compton, who has already committed to the event.  “I think it’s the only weekend of my cross season where I have the potential to cover travel expenses and actually make money.  That’s one of the reasons why I continue to come back to Ohio for the three-race weekend.  Not only are the courses super fun and the promoters, racers and spectators awesome; but the prize money is the best all year for women.  We have to continue to support the races that pay the women and continue to fight for equal pay out.  Just looking at the C1 prize list for women compared to men makes me angry.  It’s just not right that the women make $250 for a win when the men’s winner makes over $2,000.  It costs us the same amount of money to get to the races and we work just as hard and we should be equally rewarded.”

Compton will also be hosting a special women’s-only cyclocross clinic in Cincinnati on the Wednesday prior to the Festival.  It’s a unique opportunity for women of all ages and abilities to learn the sport from the most accomplished cyclocross racer in American history.  “I want to encourage women to come out and learn new things, or get a refresher on skills they already have,” said Compton of her goals for the clinic.  “A little practice in the early season always helps.”  Joining Compton in teaching the clinic will be Compton’s husband and mechanic, Mark Legg-Compton.  Junior women will receive a 47% discount when they register for the Katie Compton Clinic through the Cincinnati International Cyclocross Festival registration page on BikeReg.com.

Pretty cool!

WPS Championship Game Photo Journal

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