Mega B-Complex contaіns all the B-vitamins, and theіr physіologіcal effect takes place sіmultaneously. B-vitamins should be taken only іn the complex, as prolonged use of certaіn vitamins of the group іn large quantіtіes can cause dіsease, caused by lack of other B-vitamins. Composіtіon of B-complex іs desіgned іn accordance wіth the results of recent research.

Sіnce the B-group vitamins can reduce the effects of stress, takіng B-complex іs useful to everyone, and to athletes – іs needed. Complex of B-vitamins іs a good complement іn the treatment of anemіa, as well as neurologіcal and psychіatrіc dіseases.

Jockey Mike Smith, on Zenyatta, center, heads to the finish line to win the Breeders' Cup Classic horse race at Santa Anita Park, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

I was so thrilled to hear that a race horse – a female race horse at that – had come in second in the Associated Press’ Female Athlete of the Year award. Yes, thoroughbred filly Zenyatta, winner of this years Breeder’s Cup Classic, came in second, edged out by tennis star Serena Williams. A horse has never won the title. 

What does this have to do with dance? Well, the fact that a horse – an animal – could be (in fact was) compared to human athletes got me to wondering…Have dancers ever been compared to human athletes? And what about our male dancers? Have they been compared to their counterparts who play other “sports”?

The other day at TDC, the kids performed in an in-house show. Julian was the only one to do a classical ballet solo. His was the shortest number as well. He danced Bluebird for all of about one minute and was just as winded as the girls who had danced for two or two and a half minutes. During his dance he did a number of  “male moves” (that I can’t spell!) that involved jumping and turning. In fact, the whole solo was jumps and turns. Several parents commented on the physical nature of the solo.

I’d like to see a football or basketball player or a track star try that routine. Or rather, and more to the point, I’d just like to see male dancers recognized for the physical nature of what they do.

I’m amazed at how much strength it takes to partner a ballerina let alone to do the jumps and turns the male dancers perform. We sit in the audience and ooh and aah at the male dancers (ballet, jazz, tap, whatever…) perform, because we know what they are doing isn’t easy. In fact, it’s damn hard.

So, if  a horse can be compared to human athletes…why not a male dancer to other human athletes?

Introducing curvy figure competitor and personal trainer Emily Hilgemann.

As I sit here quaffing an eggnog with a dash of nutmeg, the glow of festive lights twinkling just left of my monitor, here’s hoping everyone out there is having an equally enjoyable holiday. Undoubtedly, a glimpse of NPC figure competitor Emily Hilgemann on our blog today should add to the cheer.

This striking 29-year-old brunette beauty from Oceanside, California — discovered this fall at the Border States Classic in San Diego, where she competed in the tall class — envelops the lens with a cool, sexy stage presence in a brilliant new fitness magazine-worthy photo set along the scenic So-Cal coast.

Although not yet nationally ranked in figure circles, Emily remains a highly accomplished personal trainer for an exclusive health club located in the posh, seaside resort city of Carlsbad. From time to time, she’s even had a few celebrities pass through the gym doors seeking her expertise.

California Dreamgirl: Emily shows off her great biceps and abs on the beach.

Photographed in subtle off-season condition and sporty attire, Emily’s strapping frame is highlighted by a superior upperbody which flows beautifully into a dreamy, athletic midriff. A former soccer player at her alma mater, Central Washington University, where she graduated with a degree in exercise science, Emily is a fetching and charismatic model showcasing lovely feminine muscle. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of her.

It’s really sad what happened to Cincinnati Bengal’s Chris Henry. Funeral took place on December 22 at a suburban New Orleans event center. Henry’s fiance Loleini Tonga spoke, saying:

“Can’t nobody know the way I’m feeling right now. No one can explain the relationship that me and Chris had. In six years of knowing each other — through hard times, good times — we loved each other very much,” she said. “People say I helped change his life. No. He changed mine.”

Filling seats, The Bengals wore black round buttons on their lapels with Henry’s No. 15. While many others from Henry’s hometown, Belle Chasse, wore red ribbons with a small photo of Henry that read: “In loving memory” and “Chris ‘Slim’ Henry. Here are some pictures:

DUECES <3

Last night, Danae and I saw The Blind Side, the story of Michael Oher. While I have my critiques of the movie, I’ll leave it to others to offer the more critical reviews, reviews that I think are needed.

Every story, including my own, has serious flaws.  We take comfort in the fact that such flaws are what make ‘The Story’ flawless.  So I am certain that this story has issues, those hidden and those revealed on the silver screen. With that said, I could not help but be moved by this movie and further awakened to some serious issues the movie displays.

My friend Jason Kovacs has a summary post of the movie here that lists some of these key issues.

1. The reality of poverty in our own backyard.
2. The fact that many of us don’t realize there are kids and families living on the street.
3. The hopelessness and danger of poverty and homelessness.
4. The joy of sharing with those in need and how it transforms both the giver and the receiver.
5. The power of adoption.
6. The importance of family.
7. The need for racial reconciliation.

You cannot ‘nitpick’ the movie, as I have heard some do, for the fact the Tuohys are very wealthy and that Oher is very talented. That’s the story!  It does make for a great movie. And it’s a story that I pray is lived out over and over again.  I pray this movie moves more wealthy families to stop and consider what can be done when they hear rumors of that ‘homeless’ kid at school everyone else seems to only whisper about.

For fathers leading families who claim to follow Jesus, no matter the economic status, we cannot drive by the over 130,000 plus children in foster care and thousands more wandering the streets in the U.S. and only say, “I’ll pray for them.” James says such faith is dead.  At some point, we have to turn the car around and do something. Whether that car is a $50,000 SUV or worthless clunker!

Rihanna was spotted out Christmas shopping with LA Dodgers’ Matt Kemp. Could this cutie be her new boo?? Check it out for yourself..

IDK about you.. but I don’t take shopping advice from ‘just’ anyone.. Hmm..

<3

I am happy to join with you today in what is called the “tennis dream”. A dream that at one day we will use our youth to demonstrate our strength as a tennis nation. A dream that at one day we will be able to nurture these tennis talents. A dream that at one day we will focus on talent and not on ranking.  

After weeks of running Tiger Woods stories on its front pages, the media has realized the gold mine of revealing the sex lives of athletes. Here comes TMZ.

As Tony Kornheiser said on ESPN Pardon The Interruption (PTI), athletes are physical people. It’s likely that there are many stories to be told that will rivet audiences. If people want to know about actors and actresses and they find out about politicians then of course they would want to hear about sports stars.

When Mets Manager Bobby Valentine said that Major League Baseball would be ready for a gay player, speculation ran rampant for days. Mike Piazza announced that he was not gay. Years later, the media ran the story of the accusation that Roberto Alomar had AIDS and the media recalled the Valentine statement and wondered if the Met he might have been talking about was Alomar.

Will this exposure hurt all athletes. As Sally Jenkins reminds us in her Tiger Woods piece, athletes are often spoiled and thought that they are invisible. A true recipie for exposure of their foibles.

There have been athletes that have relished exposure of their private lives. My top dog is Joe Namith, who enjoyed bachelorhood in New York City during his time with the New York Jets football team in the late 1960s. While it helped that Namith was a bachelor, the positive exposure might have also been because of the heyday of free love.

Titillation and scandal has always sold. There are more outlets for displaying this now. Gossip comes to sports on a regular basis—watch out everyone!

Yenny's Year: A pro card and an Olympia berth in '09 for this fitness dynamo.

“It Was a Very Good Year,” as the legendary Frank Sinatra once crooned. And it certainly was a very good year for Yenny Polanco, a fitness legend in the making.

We were fortunate to catch up with the wildly talented Latina superstar from Boston twice during her phenomenal campaign in 2009. She was already a pro in multiple federations as well as the reigning Figure America Champion at the time of her initial shoot from the Arnold earlier this year.

But much like this impressive highlight of the saucy and skilled athlete in Columbus, she was just getting warmed up.

By the time the studio hooked up with Yenny again at the most recent Olympia — and stay tuned for footage of the second shoot coming soon — the woman nicknamed “Lady Dynamite” was in the middle of an explosive three-week stretch that began with earning a pro card for her overall win in the short class at Team Universe.

The tenacious brunette with muscles and nerves of steel wasn’t finished yet.

Yenny penciled in her IFBB debut for the Ft. Lauderdale Cup on October 10th. Among many of the best in the fitness biz, the rookie pro would perform her lucky new party theme routine once again on the Florida stage.

Pro & Protegee: Flexing with Alli Moyer, Yenny sports a new hairstyle during her latest shoot coming soon to the studio.

Ultimately, the party kept right on going for this remarkable Beantown resident. In a stirring denouement, Yenny went on to finish third in her debut show, sewing up an unprecedented Olympia qualification just three weeks after turning pro!

Posing in a new photo with Alli Moyer, Yenny shows off a shorter, sleeker haircut replacing the long, flamboyant curls from her earlier shoot. Yenny will have even bigger designs on her mind when she returns to Las Vegas in 2010 — taking the stage as a first-time Fitness Olympia competitor.

It was another hectic day in the Olympic Superstore.  I am pretty sure that roller skates would make my life much easier!  Mostly I just ran (well, walked quickly) around trying to help customers and make sure that staff and visitors alike were happy.  And the day was mostly pretty good until a sales associate whispered in my ear that they had found Red Mittens.  I assured her I thought that this was incorrect, but went to investigate anyway.  By the time I got to the space by the Happiness Café where Mittens hit the sales floor first there was a hint of pandemonium in the air already.  Some associates were clearing children’s Mittens out of the way to make space for the “imminent” adult-sized Mittens.  This still seemed fishy to me so off to our storage area I raced with wonderful Mo, one of our lovely concierges.  Nope, no Mittens in the storage area, so then I checked another storage area, and the loading dock.  The loading dock guy, Peter, confirmed what I’d suspected.  No Mittens had been delivered.

Which of course leads to the bad part of having to go back to the Olympic Superstore and tell all of the Mitten hopefuls that there had been an error.  There were no adult-sized Mittens in store.  This is not a fun task, particularly once people have their hopes up, and many did.  It took a few conversations to convince them all that I really had, personally, checked the whole store and that what they had been told earlier was an error.  They were frustrated.  I was frustrated.  I really don’t like dashing peoples hopes and I like it less when I have no good answer for them as to when we will have Mittens.

OK – I think that was my Mitten rant.  Don’t get me wrong… I love the Mittens and am very happy that everyone else seems to as well.  I just wish we could all have Mittens!  Right, I said that was it, so I’ll stop

*     *     *     *     *

On the pin trading front… I had a visit today from Rob, a reader and pin winner here on 2010vanfan.  OK – well, he may not have been coming in to visit just me as he was seriously perusing the pin wall, but it was nice to get to talk to him anyway.  He even offered to trade in a calm and gentle way based on my previous post about how nervous I get with trading (thanks Rob!).  And it was a great trade!  Rob was interested in a 2010vanfan.ca pin and had quite a few fun and neat pins to trade.  So my new pins?

I like Whistler! So neat to have a Whistler Host Mountain Resort pin! (Photo from pincollectorssite.com)

And I've been secretly admiring the Rona pins for a while! Now I have one! (photo from pincollectorssite.com)

So thanks Rob for stopping by.  I love getting to meet people and find out how they’re involved in Vancouver 2010.  Rob works for the City of Vancouver and will be working for the City at the LiveCity sites in Yaletown and Downtown.  That sounds like way too much fun!  I can’t wait to hear more about it!

*     *     *     *     *

Two more additions to my pin collection lately, and they’re both super-sweet!  Thanks K for spoiling me rotten!  You rock!

Oh la la! Nifty Panasonic pin (photo from pincollectorssite.com)

Pin from the Olympic Broadcasting Services, so cool! (photo from pincollectorssite.com)

*     *     *     *     *

Gah!  I was going to write a bunch more, but it’s late and I’m a dopey-duck.  Time for some snoozing so that I can go on a serious Olympic walkabout tomorrow.  I’m hoping to take pictures of a bunch of the in-construction venues here in downtown Vancouver!  So wish me luck on my ventures!  It’s going to be a busy day!

Oh – quick PS though… ’cause the Women’s Olympic Hockey Team Roster was announced today!  And my brother’s friend Colleen Sostorics is going to her third Olympics!!  Eeeek!!  I’m so excited!  Congrats to the whole team!!  I can’t wait to see you all play hockey again, and at the Olympics, better yet!

Our Vancouver 2010 Women's Olympic Hockey Team!! (Photo from CTV)

Woohoo!!  Go Canada Go!

]]> http://ashbashdaily.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/jessica-and-tiger-the-cheetah-flirting/ Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:09:37 +0000 ashbashdaily http://ashbashdaily.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/jessica-and-tiger-the-cheetah-flirting/

Ooopppsss. According to Star Magazine, Jessica Simpson and Tiger Woods had a flirtatious encounter at a July 2009 golf tournament! Wow. It is also reported that Jess did this in front of, then stud muffin, Tony Roma.. After the tournament Jessica and Cheetah, I mean Tiger, exchanged a high amount of text messages!

The pop princess tweeted this on Wednesday:

“[I] can’t believe that I’m on the cover of star magazine with Tiger Woods, what a JOKE! ‘The Shocking Inside Story’ is (insert drumroll) A LIE!”

IDK about this. It seems as though the media is pulling BS

out of the sky about Cheetah, oopppss Tiger.

Smh. DUECES <3

I read an interesting article the other day on the role that social media might play on athletes in the coming years and it got me to thinking.  As traditional media becomes less and less important…and I mean that only in a reach type of way… the more important our own personal networks will become.

The King of Social Media Athletes?

Imagine an athlete like Shaq, who has over 2.6 million followers on Twitter deciding that he has something to say to his fans…which he does all the time.  he can reach 2.6 million people instantly.  Now also remember those are 2.6 million people who took the time to find Shaq and follow him.  That is likely the equivalent of 50 million viewers on television, most of which likely don’t care what he has to say.  Not because they don’t like him, but because they are not tuning in specifically to hear what he has to say.  They are just basketball fans.  No imagine that the average NBA game only has an audience of around 10 million viewers and that makes Shaq’s Twitter audience really unbelievable!  Over 2.6 million who opted in or 10 million passive viewers.  You tell me which could be more valuable to a brand?

More than 1.1 million followers on Twitter

Now take a look at Stewart Cink.  Unless you are golf fan you likely have no idea who he is.  But there are more than 1.1 million followers who want to hear what he has to say on Twitter,  He updates frequently and says some pretty funny stuff.  He is making himself a human being and letting the followers into his life in a twisted kind of way.  Again, I can assure you that if you he wanted to endorse a product on his Twitter feed, he would have  more than a million narrowly targeted people who would get the message.  Now consider if he decided to go to some other media.  It would not be difficult for him to move a large percentage of those followers over to something else.  Again, remember, that they opted in to hear what he has to say.

So what is the point of all this?  I believe that social media will become the next big money opportunity for athletes.  Not that they are going to blatantly sell products all the time, but they will sometimes.  In fact, we kind of expect athletes and celebrities to sell us stuff.  We want to to be like them so we value what they say about products and services.  Further, large followings on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites are going to be critical to their successes after they are done playing their respective sports.  These athletes will large audiences might even be able to use it in contract negotiations in the future as all of the professional leagues struggle to open up new media opportunities.

The article also talked about how athletes are going to use social media for their philanthropic efforts.  Imagine the power of having an audience of 2 million who an athlete can make aware of their charity?  The power is not necessarily in the 2 million, but the hundreds of millions they can reach.  It is like that old suave commercial… I told 2 friends and they told 2 friends and so on and so on….

At my agency, The Big Fat Mouth, we have a number of athletes that we help with their social media.  In the recent weeks we have seen the number of inquiries by athletes almost double.  The thing is that it is many of the younger guys who grew up with social media and now realize they can use it to their benefit.

I guess the message here is to stay tuned and get ready for an onslaught of athletes showing up in social media.  The bad news is that many will not know what to do and will wither quickly.  The good news is that some will do it well and we will get to know them in a whole new way.

Top Canadian alpine skier, Kelly Vanderbeek suffered an unfortunate season-ending accident during a downhill training run in Val d’Isere, France. During a press conference, Kelly broke down during her address to the media:

“It’s hard to put into words,” said VanderBeek as she sat on a chair and addressed the media. “I talked a lot about the fact that I felt like I won the lottery, a lottery that doesn’t even exist, like I got …”

And then she paused and wiped away tears with tissues handed to her by her husband, David Ford.

“I just really felt like I’d won the lottery with the Olympics here [in Vancouver/Whistler],” she said after composing herself. “And I just feel like the lottery got taken back from me.”

It is so unfortunate and heart-breaking that Kelly will be unable to participate in the 2010 Olympics. Fans and supporters around the world wish her a speedy recovery and their deepest sympathies.

Kelly also remarked: “I told the other girls after, ‘Man, I was having so much fun skiing right now.’ I was skiing so well that it was enjoyable. It was fun. I’m going to miss it. I’ve got a bum knee now, but I still love this sport.”

Get well soon Kelly!

Reference and full story available at: Vancouver Sun

Photographs: Steve Bosch, Vancouver Sun & Jenelle Schneider, Vancouver Sun

First of all, my heart goes out to Chris Henry’s family–I cannot imagine the loss and grief that they must be suffering and feeling at this time. I am sure there is nothing on earth that can relieve their emotional pain. Having said, and assuming that his family is close to Loleini Tonga’s family, is she at all responsible for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry’s tragic death?

I’m sure the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are doing their best to answer questions about the tragedy, but even if Henry jumped out of the back of the truck on his own free will, was Tonga driving recklessly? Photos on the internet show tire tracks through the yard of Tonga. One witness even stated the truck was traveling “pretty fast.” Witnesses on 911 calls say that Henry was begging Tonga to stop and even threatening to throw himself out of the truck. If someone is in the back of your truck, begging you to stop, and ends up dying, is the person driving at all responsible? Sure, Henry jumped into the truck on his own free will, but he also begged  Tonga to stop.

What if Henry had been driving and Tonga was in the bed of the truck? I know one thing for sure, Henry would have been processed and behind bars already. Sure, Chris Henry made some unwise choices, but at the least, how will Loleini Tonga be able to live with herself. At most, she should be held responsible for her actions in this tragic event, including her action of deciding not to stop the truck and drive it “recklessly” as described by at least one witness.

What do you think? Should Tonga face any charges? What if Henry had been driving the truck–would the reaction from police and the media be any different?

Bruce and his wife Katherine

I interviewed Bruce Runnels back in July (http://athletes.50interviews.com/2009/bruce-runnels-cycling-for-health-fitness-and-enjoyment/), and while I typically email the list of questions to interviewees ahead of the interview, I forgot in his case. The one question that Bruce had a hard time answering, and I would too without time to ponder it, is what his motto is. The following is what Bruce recently wrote to me, now that he has had time to think about it.

“By the way, one of the questions you asked me was whether I followed any particular motto in my training or racing. I believe I told you that generally I don’t have a single motto. Interestingly, your question has caused me to think a good deal about it. I still don’t have a totally original answer, but it seems like my inspiration comes in two forms: “1. show up, and 2. never surrender.” This may seem a bit too trite, but it really does characterize my own personal approach. Showing up is half the challenge, whether it’s showing up for an early morning training session that I may not want to do, or showing up on the start line of a race being more than a little intimidated and anxious about what’s going to happen (or about what I’m supposed to do), or showing up for a weekend group ride in freezing temperatures, or showing up at a team meeting when I’m just meeting everyone for the first time (and wondering whether I’ll be able to do my part), etc. For me, never surrendering is another big part of the challenge. Basically, resist the urge to give up, or give in, when the going gets tough, whether it’s recovering from an injury, pushing the last few yards over a tough climb, or living with the lactic burn in my legs on a hard ride, or staying on another racer’s wheel when I’m feeling at my limit (because I know that the other racer is probably feeling the same thing), or feeling cold to the point of shivering, etc. Some readers might think it’s crazy for someone like me, at age 60, to think about my exercise regimen in these terms, but age is immaterial in my mind. Who’s to say what I’m supposed to think when I’m at age 60. Why can’t I think about these things in the same way that I did when I was 20, or 40. Maybe it’s all too philosophical, but for me it’s part of my drive.”

I have received feedback from others that I interviewed about how the interview process was enjoyable, and made them think and remember things they are fond of. When we think about being interviewed, most of us feel nervous. Through the interviews for this project, I have learned that interviews can be fun, two-way exchanges of information, and when done right, all parties walk away feeling satisfied.

The process of interviewing 50 athletes over 50 has been life changing for me. If there is a subject that you are passionate about and want to immerse yourself in, I encourage you to look into the 50 interviews process. You can find out more at www.50interviews.com.

Olympic Torch has arrived in Newmarket

The Olympic flame symbolizes peace, friendship, inspiration, passion and unity,”

 I would say my children and I are lucky to see this wonderful event visiting our Town. With sunshine in the sky and by minus 9 degree this was a welcoming celebration.  It is nice to see the community getting together to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic Torch.   A memory to keep forever and wishing the athletes good luck.  We all know they are doing the best they can.  I have attached some of the pictures I took.

It’s truly a delight to have been chosen as one of the celebration communities.  Newmarket is a fitting choice, especially given that Olympians Josée Chouinard, Melanie Cole and Bobby Forhan have all called the town home.

Clare Kowaltschuk will be our torchbearer to bring the torch to the Magna Centre.

The Flame is Coming… 

Newmarket is one of only 200 communities across Canada that has been selected as a celebration community for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Newmarket will welcome the Flame at a community-wide celebration on December 18, 2009 at the Town of Newmarket Magna Centre Festivities will begin at 9:45 a.m.

Uebersetzt fuer meine Deusch sprechende Freunde:

Olympische Flamme in Newmarket angekommen
Die Olympische Flamme symbolisiert Frieden, Freundschaft, Inspiration, Leidenschaft und Einheit “
 Ich würde sagen, meine Kinder und ich haben das Glück, dieses wunderbare Ereignis den Besuch in unserer Stadt zu sehen. Bei Sonnenschein am  Himmel und minus 9 Grad war dies eine gemütliche Feier. Es ist schön zu sehen, die Gemeinschaft immer zusammen, um die Ankunft der Olympischen Flamme zu feiern.  Eine Erinnerung ewig zu behalten wollen und den Athleten viel Glück zu wuenschen Wir alle wissen sie tun was sie können.  Ein paar Fotos von dem Ereigniss..

Es ist wirklich eine Freude das unser Gemeinden gewählt wurd fuer die Feier.  Newmarket ist der richtige Ort, zumal die Olympien: Josée Chouinard, Melanie Cole und Bobby Forhan alle hier zu Hause waren.
Clare Kowaltschuk wird unser Fackelträger sein und die Flamme zu dem Magna-Zentrum zu bringen.

The Flame ist angekommen …
Newmarket ist eine von nur 200 Gemeinden in ganz Kanada, das als eine Feier der Gemeinschaft für die Olympischen Winterspiele 2010 in Vancouver ausgewählt wurde. Newmarket wird die Flamme in einer Gemeinschaft willkommen.  Die Feier am 18. Dezember 2009 in der Stadt Newmarket Magna Centre wird um 9.45 Uhr beginnen …..

So I came across this site today while cleaning out an old email inbox.  It’s a way cool site and I had forgotten all about it until now.  I’ve gotten a lot of grief over my tenure as a gay man about liking or caring about professional sports.  Blek.  I don’t feel like ranting or raving about some gay men’s narrow view of what it means to be gay.  Let’s just say I was a part-time athlete in high school and I enjoy all types of sports whether I’m playing them or watching them; even today.  Hats off to a great site that highlights, among other things, GAY althletes.  Let’s hear for education, awareness, and visibility! 

www.GaySports.com