Emotional Preparation For The Olympic Games by Cal Botterill

Emotional Preparation For The Olympic Games by Cal Botterill

A great article and one worth reading. Here are some random points ..

Being clear minded should be an important objective going into the Games [Championships]. Once again though, it is critical to feel focused and occupied and to avoid falling into the human tendency to start overanalyzing. It has been suggested that "nothing never happens"; in the absence of a constructive focus our minds sometimes start "over-thinking" or "over-perceiving."

• Enjoy the emotional spectrum that is part of life.



• Accept and experience feelings, let them go, and channel the energy into growth and effective responses.



• Respect the power and positive and negative significance of emotions on your system.



• Manage relationships and time so that you do not become emotionally drained at key times in your life, especially when working hard physically and mentally.



• Let go of irrational beliefs and perspectives.



• Reaffirm your mission, values, and perspective.



• Live. Never have to say, "I wish I would have ..."

An athlete should be confident in mental skills going into the Games [Championships]. Responses to stress and boredom should automatically be constructive, and time and relationship skills should be crisp and effective. Creative simulations, quality training sessions, and lead-up competitions can help ensure the rust is off attention and competitive skills during the countdown.

He concludes with the following:

I would say to each of our Olympic athletes: Walk away knowing you gave it your best shot and exulted in the opportunity to test yourself in one of the most prestigious and emotional environments in the world. Accept that you can never totally control your emotions that is part of the challenge of being human. With emotional preparation, practice, and management we can often come closer to our situational potential.

Compete with passion, perspective, and preparation and be all you can be as you pursue your Olympic destiny. I wish you physical prowess, a clear mind, and an unburdened heart. Citius, Altius, Fortius! [The Olympic Motto]

Definitely worth a read. Take from it what you can for your own mental preparation.

PD's Mixed Team Pre-race Team Huddle - 2011 Nationals - Canberra (Fri 01 Apr 2011)
Willy and George - Pre-race Preparation/Rituals - Senior A Mixed 500m Final - Racice /Prague (Sat 29 Aug 2009)

Some Down Time - Chinese New Year - Darling Harbour / Sydney (Sat 06 Feb 2009)
Turning it on - World Club Crews - Penang / Malaysia (Sat 02 Aug 2008)

Writing Skills - Ultimo (Wed 05 Mar 2013)

Writing Skills - Ultimo (Wed 05 Mar 2013)
They both just appeared out of nowhere.

Some Favourite Outrigger Canoe (OC6) Technique Related Videos (Wed 28 Jan 2015)

Team Hawaii training for 2010 Havaiki Nui Vaa (Vimeo Video)

Just watch this one - Seat 3 is amazing!! - Team Hawaii Preparing for Havaiki Nui 2010 from Dolan Bros. on Vimeo.
Kamini Jain talking about Paddling Stroke Technique

Kamini Jain talking about Paddling Stroke Technique (Vancouver Outrigger Conference -Nov 2010)
Manny Vincent on Outrigger Canoe Technique - bapuiii (05 Nov 2010)

Manny Vincent on Outrigger Canoe Technique - bapuiii (05 Nov 2010)
A few other good ones include:

• The Catch - Johnny Puakea and Danny Ching OC Clinic (16 May 2008) (this one is definitely worth a read)
• Va'a Paddling Connection Tahiti (great video and music - shows the skills needed to catch the bumps).
• lots more here.

[Just click through the links above each video to see the original posts here at eljeiffel. Not sure if all the embedded videos will render properly on this page.]

More Than a Feeling (Boston) by Igor Presnyakov [YouTube]

More Than a Feeling (Boston) by Igor Presnyakov [Youtube (*)]
More than a feeling
And I begin dreaming


Just amazing!!! Igor's performance, skills and passion are breathtaking. Just love watching his fingers and his face.

Following on from the previous post ..

A Couple of Random Memories: The original Boston version of the song was released in 1976, the year my family moved from Tamworth to Wagga Wagga. Would have been in 4th Form (or Year 10 as it is called now). Just a kid. Remember being very sad to leave Tamworth (we had moved to Tamworth from Goulburn when I was a few weeks short of the age of 2) as it was all I knew (have very few childhood memories before starting school).

Geoff and Lynn - maybe 1963 ? - "Lynn has this photo: one of my earliest memories - sitting on top the lounge having our photo taken." - Tamworth (picasa)
I have always said that while the move was difficult in the initial stages, it was one of best things to happen to me in many ways. It was a quite a formative experience to be separated from everything you had ever known and to have to start all over again. I think it helped me to accept change (particularly when you have no choice - you just have to accept it and make the most of it) and made me more resilent to the impact change can have on you, particular in the early stages of the change (hope that makes sense).

Have been to Boston quite a few times - 1988, 1990, 1991 and 1994. Planning to spend a few days there following Tampa 2011 in August 2011. Been a while, so looking forward to seeing it with another 17 years of life experiences behind me. Had always hoped to run the Boston Marathon which is held on Patriot's Day (3rd Monday of April). I tried to qualify by running the Melbourne Marathon in 1993, but was about 8 mins short of the pre-qualifying time of 3hr 15min (it was a bit easier in those days). Was lucky enough to be in Boston to watch the 1994 Boston Marathon.

Boston Marathon - Boston (Patriot's Day - Mon 18 Apr 1994)
Boston Marathon - Boston (Patriot's Day - Mon 18 Apr 1994)
Boston Marathon - Boston (Patriot's Day - Mon 18 Apr 1994)

On Coaching - Daniel Coyle (Mon 15 Sep 2014)

Garmin Team Bus - Westminster Bridge / London (Sun 14 Sep 2014)
The Talent Code (*) writes Inspiration (*):

A conventional coach focuses first on skills. A relationship-based coach, on the other hand, focuses first on creating a sense of belonging.

A conventional coach asks: what can I do to help them win? A relationship-based coach asks: what can I do to help us nurture connections and create a culture?

A conventional coach views his team through the lens of performance. A relationship-based coach views his team through the lens of family — which, not coincidentally, tends to make the teaching all the more effective.People work hard for a team. They work even harder for a team that truly feels like family.

via The Best Locker-Room Speech Ever, and Why it Works (*) by Daniel Coyle (*).

A great post and it is definitely worth reading. It has helped me understand how well we did in Ravenna and it is the kind of message that will help motivate me to keep paddling at the same level and intensity I have now for 10 years. Both Paul's and Gavin's talks on the last day of racing are examples of this. I will post some more from the post later.

On Imperfection - Stephen Glibert / Lucy Feagins (Fri 28 Nov 2014)

Untitled - Murano (Wed 10 Sep 2014)
Stephen Glibert (*) writes Imperfection (*):

Imperfection became my new perfection, and I commenced ‘unlearning’ many skills.

via Stephen Glibert (*) by Lucy Feagins (*).

Sydney Life 2006 (3-22 Oct 2006)

Cover - Sydney Life 2006 - Art and About 2006 (picasa)
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Sydney Life

Every year, around 500,000 people come to see Sydney Life in Hyde Park North. The resonance of these images, and their evocative setting in one of Sydney’s most popular public spaces, provides a unique representation of the city’s amazing variety.

From 800 images submitted by 410 photographers, 26 artworks have been chosen by a panel of judges. Again, there is a good mix of established and emerging artists from across the spectrum of the art form, including press, documentary and art photography.

The emphasis this year seems to be upon Sydneysiders enjoying their leisure time. Portraits of people flourishing in their domestic environments such as Joanne Saad’s ‘Karaoke Friends, 2006’, Danny Huynh’s man with his chook in Fairfield, or Martin Mischkulnig’s ‘Ingrid Hoffman with her collection of ‘50s and ‘60s aprons,’ capture worlds hidden behind the suburban fence. Just outside, Adrian Brown’s ‘Cul de Sac 7’ argues that housing estate dead-ends are the place where the next generation of Socceroos are building their skills.

Some photos dwell on the diversity of the city’s subcultures, while others encompass broader cultural activities such as the outdoor cinema and surfing, or capture the beauty of Sydney’s iconic parks. This year’s images are mainly celebratory in tone, however, there are some which speak to alienation, both human and from the natural environment, such as Beverley Veasey’s wonderful ‘Goat, Capra Hircus, at the Royal Easter Show.’

I would like to thank the City of Sydney and AMP Capital Investors for their support of the project. Thank you, too, to my fellow judges. Finally and foremost, thank you to the photographers for capturing with such poignancy the many possibilities for life this wonderful city offers.

The Sydney Life Prize, valued at $10,000, is comprised of $5,000 in cash from the City of Sydney plus a $5,000 investment in the AMP Capital Investors Sustainable Future Australian Share Fund. It will be awarded for the most outstanding work in the exhibition, as decided by a distinguished panel of judges: Sandy Edwards (Curator, Sydney Life and Curator, Stills Gallery), Alan Davies (Curator of Photographs, State Library of NSW) and Bec Dean (Curator, Australian Centre for Photography).

Sandy Edwards, Curator Sydney Life

The diversity of Sydney’s communities is magnificently captured in these photographs mounted on large-scalecanvas against the leafy backdrop of Hyde Park North. Take a wander down the central boulevard and admire these stellar images.

FREE SYDNEY LIFE
CURATORIAL TOURS
Wednesday 18 October and
Saturday 21 October at 1pm
Bookings Essential:
Telephone (02) 9246 7626

Page 4 - Sydney Life 2006 - Art and About 2006 (picasa)
Page 5 - Sydney Life 2006 - Art and About 2006 (picasa)
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Page 7 - Sydney Life 2006 - Art and About 2006 (picasa)
Page 8 - Sydney Life 2006 - Art and About 2006 (picasa)
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Page 11 - Sydney Life 2006 - Art and About 2006 (picasa)
The Photographers and their Photos

Gregory McBean - The Baron and Baroness de Boyd (a.k.a. John and Jeanette)
Martin Mischkulnig - Ingrid Hanging her Aprons
Adrian Brown - Cul-de-sac 7
Jonathan Reid - Sydney Park – St Peters
Marco Bok - Mitch and Kay, Hyde Park, 1 July 2006
Kelly Mitchell - Skaters – Martin Place
Tamara Dean - Harmony Day
Beverley Veasey - Study of a Goat, Capra Hircus, at the Royal Easter Show
Steven Siewert - Not a Dry Eye in the House
Quentin Jones - Surfing from Space
Peter Solness - Dharawal Engravings and Sydney Skyline
Martin Mischkulnig - Guan Wei in Boat
Vera Hong - Rebecca
Steve Christo - Fire in his Belly.
Karl Sharp - “Revolution” (soccer fans)
Moshe Rosenzveig - Tango
Anne Zahalka - Chinese New Year Parade
Paul Blackmore - Backyard Wedding
Sasha Ruth Woolley - Natasha, 2005 (From the Limelight Series)
Danny Huynh - Culture and Cultivation
Steven Lojewski - Without a Trace, Enmore, 2006
Belinda Allen - Sacred Site – Angophoras, Royal National Park
Jeff Darmanin - Autumn in Sydney, 2006
Annette Willis - Niki and José 2006
Lee Valentine - Red

At www.archive.org - Sydney Life 2006, Art and About 2006
At Google: Programme (pdf as html)

Communication - Joel Spolsky / Nick Heath (Tue 10 May 2016)

markings - "it means something to someone" - Wilson Street / Newtown (Fri 01 Jul 2016)

Joel Spolsky on Communication:

the most successful people are the ones who can explain their ideas the best

via Stack Overflow founder Spolsky: The three skills every software developer should learn by Nick Heath.

On Quality - Brooks Jensen / Lenswork Daily (Thu 16 Jan 2014)

Skippy Girls (*) - Wilson Street / Redfern (Thu 16 Jan 2014)
Brooks Jensen (*) writes On Quality (*) and On Understanding Others (*):

I've learned (*) the dangers of my narrowly restricted definitions of image quality. Knowing them can/should become the foundation of my personal work, but they can also be a terrible and unjust barrier to my appreciation of the work of other photographers — especially those whose criteria are different than mine. It is a good idea, I believe, to develop the complimentary skills of knowing our own definitions while simultaneously suspending our personal prejudices when we look at the work of others. Without that, we might miss a lot.

via Defining quality (*) by Brooks Jensen (*).

Outrigger Surfing The Currumbim Alley by peterando06 (Sat 11 Dec 2010)

Outrigger Surfing The Currumbim Alley by peterando06 (Sat 11 Dec 2010)
Looks like a lot of fun in an OC3 with only 3 paddlers. Great way to get some steering skills in the surf. Definitely a skill best acquired by actually doing it. For the paddlers, definitely will give you confidence in unstable conditions as well as the opportunity to feel the boat and how it responds in the swell, when to lift (rating and power) and when to back off and change sides and wait for the next one, etc. Seat 1 is wearing a 2007 Short Sleeve USA National Dragon Boat top.

Best piece of ocean steering/paddling advice I ever got was from Billy. It goes something like this:

"remember that what has just passed you and is now in front of you, is also just behind you"

Will be up that way next week for Christmas. Always go to Currumbim Beach and Headland. Will keep my eye out for an OC3.

The seven sins of a specifier - Bertrand Meyer / IEEE SOFTWARE (Jan 1985)

On Formalism in Specifications (*)
Bertrand Meyer (*), University Of California, Santa Barbara
IEEE SOFTWARE, January 1985
The seven sins of a specifier:

• Noise: The presence in the text of an element that does not carry information relevant to any feature of the problem. Variants: redundancy; remorse.


• Silence: The existence of a feature of the problem that is not covered by any element of the text.


• Overspecification: Thc presence in the text or an element that corresponds not to a feature of the problem but to features of a possible solution.


• Contradiction: The presence in the text of two or more elements that define a feature of the system in an incompatible way.


• Ambiguity: The presence in the text of an element that makes it possible to interpret a feature of the problem in at least two different ways.


• Forward reference: The presence in the text of an clcment that uses features of the problem not defined until later in the text.


• Wishful thinking: The presence in the text of an element that defines a feature of the problem in such a way that a candidate solution cannot realistically be validated with respect to this feature.

I had an opportunity, this week, to reflect on this paper and these basic points on writing a clear and concise specification. They have remained with me since first reading the Paper in the early 1990's. A formative Paper for some one like me who has always struggled to write clearly and concisely.

Bertrand also introduced me to Object-oriented software construction (*) and the The Eiffel Programming Language (*), an elegant way to construct software, that I use everyday to great advantage. Many thanks to Bertrand, who helped equip me with the skills to achieve more than I could have otherwise.

What matters most is what we believe about ourselves - Alain Briot (Dec 2010)

What matters most is not where we are right now.

It is not the skills we have today [..].

What matters most is what we believe about ourselves.

Why? Because it is this belief that will determine what we can become, what we can achieve in the future.

It is this belief that will shape the road ahead, it is this belief that will influence which path you are going to take.

Alain Briot from Rethinking Talent at Luminous Landscape (Dec 2010)

Jenny - She always believed no matter the circumstances - she has shown us the way forward so that we can live meaningful and fulfilling lives - she still guides and inspires us - always will - Broadway / Sydney (Sat 20 Jul 2002)
Geoff - Sydney - 2:57pm Tue 01 Feb 2010

On Creating a Moment - Drew Ginn (Fri 17 Aug 2012)

Car Park - Black and Yellow - Jongno-gu/ Seoul (Tue 11 Sep 2012)

Drew Ginn on Creating a Moment:

we all start out simply focusing on what we do. Then we either become inspired or imagine and things begin to progress. The days add up along with the months and years. Our focus improves along with our capacities and skills . We advance and things become interestingly possible. Then one day or over a period of days it becomes real. I mean it all starts to hit you that you are living your dream and aspiration has become action. This is a flexion point and a phase of confidently growing and shifting into a belief. Some times it faintly begins to unfold before the big moment and yet no one wants to let themselves get caught up in getting ahead of themselves. So then it's often not until its either to late or almost beyond the moment. The door is welcoming and somehow we can still hesitate. No moment stays open forever and some times they pass with out being taken.

via RUDDERFISH: Dreaming, Reality, Being Home & Moving Forward by Drew Ginn.

On the Humanities - Robert Heinlein / AthanasiusKircher / Slashdot (Fri 02 May 2014)

Street Portrait - Barcelona (Tue 06 Aug 2013)
Robert Heinlein (*) is quoted (*):

Whatever our calling, whether we are scientists, engineers, poets, public servants, or parents, we all live in a complex, and ever-changing world, and all of us deserve what's in this toolbox: critical thinking skills; knowledge (*) of the past (*) and other cultures (*); an ability to work with and interpret numbers and statistics; access to the insights of great writers and artists; a willingness to experiment, to open up to change (*); and the ability to navigate ambiguity (*).

via An MIT Dean's Defense of the Humanities (*) by AthanasiusKircher (*).