I'm sure you've been soaking up the Olympic coverage over the past 2 weeks, just like me. And now that it's over, the Post Olympic Depression ("POD") is starting to kick in… One of my favorite moments from each Games is when the Canadian team parades around the stadium in the Opening Ceremonies. It sends chills down my spine. Even some of the commercials (the first 2-3 times I see them) shake me to the core. Growing up watching the Games on TV, and live in person in Vancouver, London and …
How to scientifically engineer a better pump-up playlist
Anxiously sitting in the bleachers before the City Championships 1500m race in grade 5, I first learned about the performance-enhancing effects of music. One of my competitors told me that he usually sang "Old McDonald had a farm" in his head while racing to give him something else to focus on. But since this was a big race, he was going to sing along to something special: "Who let the Dogs Out." While it may have technically been an upgrade, the Baha Men's one-hit wonder was specifically …
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Why I’m Abandoning my New Year’s Resolutions
Last week I made up a laundry list of New Year’s resolutions. Although they've been going well, this week I decided I should abandon them. Why? Not because they weren't going well. Not because they weren't important. Because New Year’s resolutions are too boring, intimidating, and infrequent. But, I haven’t given up… Let me explain I can't remember when I first started making new years resolutions, probably halfway through high school. Since then, I haven't made …
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Post-season pitfalls and how to avoid them
It's November now, which means that fall sports like cross country, rowing, volleyball, football, field hockey, and soccer are now into playoff and championship season. Due to the high stakes nature of the upcoming competitions, many athletes begin to wonder what they can do differently to boost their performance. However, many changes at this point in the season are more likely to hurt, rather than help, performance. Athletes should rely on the routines and rituals that took them to the …
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How to boost your brain power while studying
Standing naked in front of my bathroom mirror, I had never been so disgusted with what I saw. I had just finished a project that had me camp out in a boardroom for ten days straight. Ten very sedentary days. I gained a little weight. Next up: the holiday season. It didn't help. I came back to work in January determined to return to my pre-project weight. As a former elite athlete, I knew the drill: Eat less, exercise more. Except after two weeks, it wasn't working. Burning calories …
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The student-athlete’s shopping guide to gaining an edge this fall
As soon as I was old enough to venture off on my own, I started going to Staples in mid-July while my mom went grocery shopping next door. I'd walk up and down the aisles, dreaming about the different school supplies I'd hope to get. I'd begin to strategize how I could justify asking my parents for different things, and thinking about how much of my own money I'd be willing to part with as well. While I sadly I have no reason to go back-to-school shopping anymore, I can salvage some …
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