The following is an article written by my friend Fred Stepanov. It’s all about watches – the why, the what and the when. Enjoy!

Let’s be frank: wearing a watch is not really necessary anymore. If you want the correct time, consult your cell phone, your TV or your computer. Why spend money on it? Why even bother?

I’ll tell you why.

What you wear on your wrist is not only an object to tell the time. It is a statement, telling people (and girls!) around you a lot of things. Is this guy into sports, the rough guy, a businessman or a connoisseur?

The sportsman

The sporty fellow is wearing something like a Swatch, maybe one of the new Chrono-Plastic models with an all-plastic body and straps. Cheap, durable, no frills and with an electronic heart that will run forever…or until the next battery change. This is fine to wear at work and in bars and clubs.

Wearing one of these running watches that are connected to a pulse belt is bad style. Sure, it is sporty, but still…wearing one of these on a date indicates that you think it is all right to bring a very sweaty item, no matter what. Better leave it at home.

If you’re not a diver, don’t buy extreme divers watches. Go for Swatch, Seiko, Suunto. Chronographs are more than accepted, plastic is perfect, don’t go for anything golden. Black is OK, as is metal.

The JKTC pick: The Suunto t3c

The rough guy

The watch for guys like police officers and fire fighters. Men need something rough and dependable, something that can tell the time and occasionally help with hammering down a nail.

No frills and no woman-sized items here. Citizen, Oris, Fortis are generally good buys, and don’t go below 40 mms. Get a black rubber strap or go for all-metal.

You want your watch to be as tough as you are, so choose something that looks dependable.

The JKTC pick: The Citizen Pro-Master AJ9230.

The businessman

Only one brand gives you the right image: The all-classic Rolex.

It can be old, worn and torn, a GMT-Master or a Submariner, an Explorer or a Milgauss, the Rolex is just… a Rolex. With this watch, you never go wrong.

If you are a more artistic guy, a Dubey Schaldenbrand, a Jaeger -LeCoultre or a Franck Muller could do it, but choose a curved model. This will embrace your wrist in an elegant way, perfect with a white shirt and a grey jacket.

Gold is OK, chronographs are not. Go simple, this is not a tool watch but more jewellery. Do not mix steel and gold.

The JKTC pick: The new Rolex GMT 2. So simple, so nice. This will land you any contract.

The connoisseur

Now we’re getting somewhat nerdy. Your watch goes from being a tool to an obsession, or a conversation piece.

On a normal budget, any mechanical watch from the sixties or seventies are fine, but an Omega Seamaster or Speedmaster or Flightmaster is creme de la crème.

Maybe a Russian or American army or divers watch could do it? As long as it looks original and mechanical, people (people equaling girls) will notice that what you’re wearing was not manufactured yesterday or something that not everybody can find, afford or even like.

You might want to go Italian: Officine Panerai from Firenze makes big-sized watches that look great on a hunky wrist, or go for some obscure Swiss company making watches in very limited numbers, like Roger Dubuis or Ulysee Nardin. An IWC from the sixties or seventies is also ok.

The JKTC pick: The Omega 300 Seamaster with a broad mesh band from the mid-sixties. 100% James Bond, but still affordable and with so much style. If we had the money, a Panerai Radiomir 8 days 45 mm could also do it…

Are you a watch guy?

Do you wear a watch? If yes, which one? And when? Tell us all about it in the comments.

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Thanks to 96dpi for the image.

Well, the answer could be the mother of all sports: boxing.

And you don’t have to risk a broken nose or a black eye either. Enroll in a boxing club if you want the real atmosphere and that true Rocky feeling, or just try one of the classes in your local fitness studio.

They are normally called things like Pro Boxing, Boxercise or similar. And there is another great thing about boxing classes: They attract a lot of women.

You don’t need any fancy or expensive equipment: What you normally would wear in the gym is fine, and all you need to invest in is a pair of gloves (roughly 40 dollars) and hand wraps (20 dollars max) to protect your knuckles and wrists.

Remember a bottle of water, too.

You will get new skills

If you have never boxed before, you need to get a few things straight from the start.

It’s not just about hitting hard, it’s about learning to avoid getting hit, and to learn how to protect yourself.

To be able to do that, you need to learn the correct posture, get your balance right and never let the guard down.

You will spend a lot of time finding out how all of this should be done – and it’s much harder than you think.

But after 5 hours of practising, you suddenly know how to punch, how to duck and dance away, and how to effortlessly divert the throw at your body into a counterattack.

All of this gives you balance, a lot of training for your back, legs and abdominal muscles. You will be light on your feet like a panther, fast as a reptile and smooth in your way of moving. You will get faster.

You will gain a lot of muscle

Remember Rocky’s training sessions?

Well, its not that hard these days, but classic exercises like skipping the rope, military favourites like jumping jacks and of course lots of push-ups are essential parts of any boxing class.

All trainers have different methods, but they are normally quite simple and usually very effective.

For example: my trainer puts in 15-20 push-ups between different parts of the class, and all of a sudden you realize, that you within an hour have performed 200 push-ups. That is quite a massive amount of training.

Another example: Hitting the sack with your left jab arm with full power for a minute doesn’ t sound hard, does it? Think again!

One minute of this will make your arm, shoulder and back go almost numb from strain. After a few weeks, you will notice that your body looks different, and especially your triceps, back and shoulder muscles will have grown and look more tuned.

You will get that V-shape. Just take a look at any professional boxer – they don’t look bulky, do they?

You will lose weight

An important part of box training is stamina: If you don’t have the ability to fight for 3 minutes in a row, you would lose the round or even get knocked out.

So you need to be in good shape. Your training will include things like interval running, jumping up and touching your breast with your knees, running on the spot for 1 minute as fast as you can – that type of training.

All of this will make you use a lot of energy meaning that you will lose weight. But its not as tedious as running for 10 kilometres or go bicycling for 2 hours.

This training is high-intensive, and the atmosphere and the pumping music will make you forget how hard it really is.

Have you ever watched boxing on TV? These top-tuned athletes train for hours every day, and still, some of them are just completely exhausted and can’t fight anymore after just a few rounds.

That is how hard boxing is on a professional level – and after hitting the sack for just a few minutes you know why, and your sweaty T-shirt will be the evidence! You will drop kilos fast, but you won’t use that much time on the project.

You will clear your mind

As for all intensive training, boxing has a therapeutic effect. You can hardly think of your work, bills or love problems when the biggest issue RIGHT NOW is to make that extra push-up, or avoid getting hit by the trainer if you forget your guard position.

There is also something quite primitive about boxing. It’s up to you, your skills, your stamina – and nothing else. You’re not part of a team, or someone in the back row of an aerobics class.

You’re all alone, and something happens in your brain, trust me. Something I can only describe as releasing your powers and hormones in a positive way, instead of taking it out on the road or in your relationship.

People might notice that you smile more, you seem more confident and relaxed. And for sure you are: You know by know, that you can manage one of the toughest training techniques in the world – so hey, that problem in the office is just a little something, when comparing it to make the last 5 minutes of skipping the rope at maximum speed.

Notice your mental change – it will come guaranteed.

Boxing is sexy

Next time you talk to a woman you just might be interested in, and she asks you what you do in your spare time, what do you think sounds best? “I play golf” or “I box”?

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Photo by Loura.

Question 1

“I’m not actually a man, but I figure tinnitus is a pretty gender neutral affliction ;) My question would be, what’s the best way to get over it?” – Skellie

My answer:

Tinnitus is affecting men a little more often than women. Hearing loss and tinnitus are well connected, and more men than women work in noisy places (construction, industry, musicians) and there also seems to be a slight male overweight in tinnitus cases without noise exposure, also among young people. But lets get back to your question. You will not get rid of it in the sense that a wound will heal or like recovering from a broken bone.

This goes for tinnitus coming from noise or damage to your central nerve system caused by certain drugs and medicines. But there is also the possibility that your tinnitus origins from tension in your neck, jaw, back, or even your muscles in your face. A few very simple but helpful tips:

1. Relax. This can be really hard, when all you can concentrate about is the hissing sound in your head. But try anyway. Go and see a therapist or chiropractist, learn how to relax maybe using yoga or meditation.

2. Exercise more. Exercise, especially that kind where you use all your strength and stamina, like running, playing football, martial arts or boxing, are good. You will focus 100% at the activity, get caught up in the action, and will forget the sound, giving your central nerve system a break, and so to say teaching yourself that you don’t have to focus on the sound 100% of your time. And it the same time, you will get fitter. Not bad, huh?

3. Enjoy the natural sounds surrounding you. Try to really listen actively to cars, the wind in the trees, the radio playing in the background. Train your central nerve system to focus at other sounds, like your feet while walking. It takes some time, but it´s all about training.

4. Don´t be afraid. Remember, this is just a sound. And sounds don´t hurt you. They are not dangerous. If you react to the sound like the sound of the fridge humming (and that´s not annoying, is it?) your tinnitus will take its proper place in your consciousness, gradually fading away.

5. Get your healthy sleep. If you have severe sleeping problems, it’s OK to take sleeping pills from time to time. These drugs are now not as addictive as they used to be, and mentally it´s nice to have them as a backup. Just having them will relax you. And that’s good.

Skellie, without knowing you or anything about your tinnitus, these are a few useful tips how to get on top of your tinnitus, controlling it and eventually notice it fade away into complete silence. This happened to me after 19 months of tinnitus, where the first year was quite bad. Now, I hardly notice it, and from time to time I experience complete silence for days. Good luck!

Question 2

“I went to this really loud concert a few days ago, and afterwards I noticed that my hearing was somewhat muffled and I notice a not very loud but irritating high-pitched tone in my right ear. Should I worry, go see the doctor or just relax and see what happens?” – Rufus

My answer:

Hi Rufus, by now, I hope your hearing is ok again. You have experienced a noise trauma, where your whole inner ear and especially your hair cells in your cochlea have been working overtime.

If this is the first time you experience this, chances are very good that your tinnitus will disappear within a few days.
Some of your hair cells are now probably dead – and they will not come back. The ones you have left must be protected.

1. No loud music. Don’t use your iPod, and if you do, keep the volume very low.

2. Wear protection. Next time you go to a concert, or know you will be exposed to noise, wear protection. You can easily get something from the drugstore for a few dollars, or invest a little more and get the type of protection professional musicians use: They don’t disturb the frequencies, so you will still enjoy all sounds and the music, but instead of the full 100 db blast to your ears, you will be exposed to 75 db. And that’s all it takes to save your ears from further damage.

3. Give your ears a break. You don’t have to listen to music all the time, go for a walk in a quiet place like in the woods or enjoy the silence while diving, that kind of silence. It´s pure medicine for your ears.

Question 3

“I´m a guy (28) who for as long as I can remember had something I only can describe as a buzzing or whistling sound in my head, like a TV set not tuned into any channel. It doesn´t really bother me that much, but what is it? It gets worse when I´m tired or stressed. My hearing is OK, even though places like bars and clubs or places with a lot of noisy people are hard to handle from time to time. Just read this post, and guess that you maybe could help me.” – Hanson

My answer:

Hi Hanson, I´d like to know more about you. When did you notice your tinnitus for the first time? As a teenager? As a child? Did you have any ear problems as a child? Any history of tinnitus or hearing problems in your family?

What you describe could be something like what a colleague of mine also is having. She doesn´t give her tinnitus much attention, but like you is wondering where the heck it comes from? Please write again.

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1. Book early

Airline tickets are like Christmas trees: the closer you get to the date, the more expensive they get.

Check prices at 5 different websites and search engines, and order as soon that you have found the price you’re willing to pay.

Don’t wait, prices might change tomorrow.

2. Check the charter flights

If you’re flexible and like to gamble a little, “odd” airlines might have the right deal for you.

Normally, going from London to Istanbul would make you look at ba.com, lastminute.com or expedia.com, but what about checking a few charter websites?

A company like Thomson might just have a flight that suits you, and often they sell tickets at prices way below normal airlines, as they need to fill up the flight.

They already paid for it, and as the departure day gets closer… prices drop.

3. Everything comes to those who wait

Waiting might save a lot of money.

When going to Asia, companies like the Russian Aeroflot, Hungarian Malev or Austrian Austrian Airlines might have really good deals, if you are prepared to stay for a few hours or maybe waiting until the next morning.

The story goes: normally a flight to Budapest is more popular in the morning both for tourists and business people.

Grab the late flight to Budapest and the cheapest flight out of Budapest to your destination (for example Bangkok) the next day. Or stay a day or two in Budapest – if you have the time for it.

4. Travel when others don’t

Avoid flying when other people travel.

A long weekend break in Barcelona will cost you the most money if you travel out Thursday evening and home Sunday evening.

Reverse it: travel out Saturday morning and back Monday evening. Both trips give you 3 full days in Barcelona, but the ticket will be much cheaper.

And you still just have to be out of the office for a day. And trading Monday for Friday sounds nicer, right?

5. Become a member of the bonus programmes

Become a member of all the airline bonus programmes you can manage to handle.

All that plastic might feel stupid and you will get a lot of mail, but still: every time you fly, you will earn something. A little something, that very often can be used to get an upgrade when you have booked a flight in economy class.

It might involve a little cash as well, but it anyway be cheaper.

And hey, all those programmes are free to apply for. You have nothing to loose.

6. How to get upgraded

If you’re looking for an upgrade make sure that you arrive just before the check-in closes.

At that time, the most of the passengers have checked in, and if you present that airlines bonus program card, if you’re wearing a tie, if you smell good, and if you manage to establish some sort of contact to the man or woman sitting behind the counter, maybe saying “I had a rough day, I’m looking forward to relax during the flight…

Your odds are now at their best, if your flight is overbooked and there are seats left in business class or first class. Good luck!

7. Know your rights

If something goes wrong, use your pen. If you had a bad experience whilst flying, if you had a delay or if the food or service was bad, complain in writing. Don’t bother to complain about stupid details.

The people handling your complaint are just people, and if your arguments are good enough, you will be taken seriously.

They might just give you a free flight or reimburse a percentage of your flight cost. And stating that you are a member of their bonus programme will definitely improve your chances.

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Things started off bad

I leave home at 08.30, the race is going to start in roughly an hour. I don’t have a car, and there’s around 5 kilometres to the starting area, so I decide to take my bicycle. But I had a struck of bad luck. I had a flat tire 600 meters away from home on my bicycle, so I had to run back and change to my sons bicycle, and then get to the starting area in time.

When I finally got there, I was very late. The race was going to start in 5 minutes, and still I hadn’t got my chip, I hadn’t changed clothes and I hadn’t warmed up. Shit!

I just threw the bike away, tried to find the chip spot, got the chip, fastened it to my shoelaces, stripped off my clothes, threw them into a plastic bag in a corner, prayed that I would find it again and ran to the starting line.

As the announcer called all 3.000 runners to take their positions, I was stressed out. I had not warmed up physically, and mentally I wasn’t ready at all.

Go straight to the 5 Things I’ve Learned »

The race

0-1 km: Bang! It´s 09:30 in the morning. Off we go, and I just try not to step and run into other people. I find myself trapped behind three big ladies, wearing T-shirts saying “Walking is as good as running”. Do I need to say they were walking…erhhh…quite slowly?

1-2 km: A little more room now. I focus on finding my normal running pace, thinking about how I extend my legs, lifting my pelvis to an upright position, keeping my shoulders low and remembering to breathe.

2-3 km: I run. Things are working, and as we are running through the outskirts of the city, and the morning sun fights it´s way through the clouds, I feel alive and happy.

3-4 km: We are now a small group of people running at the same pace, and I notice a guy running in a T-shirt saying “I run for the police, not from the police”. That´s a good statement. There’s another guy with a T-shirt saying: “As long as I´m out running, I don´t have to stay at home with my wife”. The cobblestones of the city have now changed into concrete. Nice, I like concrete, it gives you good friction and you won´t slip even if has been raining.

4-5 km: I feel just right. Legs are working, lungs are pumping, I check my watch and see that I have been using 4,40 minutes per kilometre up until now, it´s all according to plan. I have just begun to run, and my body is fully awake, I´m not sweating, I´m not thirsty and everything is just perfect. No wind, no rain, no sun, and that girl a few meters in front of me have beautiful long legs and the most perfect (…) to focus at.

5-6 km: As we enter a stretch of somewhat slippery concrete with some sand on top of it (this is an area where the city is building the new headquarters of the national broadcasting company, and they also plan for a new line of the subway) I for the first time notice that I´m a little hot. A small streak of sweat lingers on my forehead, and finds its way into the corner of my eye.

6-7 km: For the first time, I notice my legs. They work all right, but I can now feel them. I feel the impact from the concrete working its way into my lower legs through the knees and into my thighs, pelvis and lower back and of course, stomach. I had the perfect runner’s breakfast: One cup of coffee without milk, one bowl of oat meal with milk and frozen strawberries and a dash of sugar on top, one leaf of bread with Nutella. But still: The contents of my bowel are now telling me that they don’t like to be twisted from side to side.

7-8 km: We now enter a long stretch. It´s stretching for about 3 kms ahead, slightly upwards and the wind has been picking up from nowhere. This is not funny, knowing that everything you can expect for the next 15 or so minutes is just pacing upwards, keeping the rhythm and ignoring the very normal thoughts saying “Why do you do this?. This is stupid. Just stop. Go home. Read a book. Go get a cup of coffee…

8-9 km: Thinking about getting home and relaxing with the paper. Running alone. No girls to look at, but legs and stomach have gotten used to these new terms of activity now. I am slightly bored.

9-10 km: I now leave the upward stretch and enter a forest area, but the wind keeps on pushing from the left. Disturbing, but at least I don’t feel it coming right into my face anymore. There is a control post, and I use 20 seconds to grab a glass of Powerade and a glass of water. I have been running for almost 44 minutes now, and just getting 20 seconds of rest is nice. At 10 kilometres, my watch says 43 minutes and 30 seconds.

10-11 km: This race is not for those who need new horizons. No, the second part of the race is actually the first part all over again. This is both good and bad: You know the path but you also know what to expect. I feel fine: Legs are ok, lungs and stamina are fine, but I notice a small pain in my back, just where my kidneys are. There is a theory, saying that you will get pain from your kidneys while running, as they get more oxygen-enriched blood pumped into them, and as this is new to them, they protest, like all parts of the body being exposed to something new.

11-12 km: Just running. I notice one guy, who got off at an alarmingly high speed at the start, about my age but maybe a little bigger and heavier. He is having severe difficulties, panting and sweating. His face is very red, and he looks to be in pain. I guess he just started out too fast. Running for more than a few kilometres requires that you find your pace, and not running faster than your body can keep up to. If he manages to fulfil the race, he will be in bad hurting for the next 45 to 55 minutes, and if he is in bad shape, this will give him either very sore muscles for the next couple of days or, if his very unlucky, a stroke.

12-13 km: I´m just flying! Now, this is the way you´re supposed to feel while running. I keep my 4 minutes and 30 seconds per kilometre, and it is a gratifying feeling to pass those runners who set off so happily almost an hour ago. I recognize a few of them: The bodybuilder guy, the thin stepmother pushing 60 and the guy being the star of the company runners club. They all thought that if you just give it all you got from the start, you could make it to the end. But they couldn´t.

13-14 km: The sun makes its entrance again. Disturbing, but I try to keep in the shade, and grab another cup of water. I try to keep my legs long and relaxed, and try to keep my shoulders low. A lot of the runners I pass and see are way too tense. Running is a natural thing, this is what our bodies are supposed to do, and its stupid to be tense about something natural. I feel fine, and I look at the sky, the clouds, I feel the wind slowing down and think about what to eat as soon as I reach the finish line.

14-15 km: Wham! It just hits me, as a sudden rush of alcohol dispensing in your blood. My legs suddenly feel tired; the pain that I ignored from my kidneys is back and I´m actually sweating now. My t-shirt, which was cool and dry, as now soaked with sweat and somewhat heavy.

15-16 km: I again experience that long boring slightly upward stretch, with the wind again challenging my whole body, now at an even more sturdier strength. This hurts. I try, I really try to keep my pace, but it is hard to keep your spirits high, when all you see is… 2 kilometres more of running against the wind. It’s hard, it’s brutal.

16-17 km: Now I notice that I do run slower. I try, I do try, but legs, body and mind don’t answer to my prayers. I´m not keeping the 4 minutes and 30 seconds pace per kilometre right now, but clock myself at 5 minutes per kilometre. I don’t like this anymore.

17-18 km: Finally, I reach the woods again, but the last 3 kilometres have robbed me of a lot of energy. My feet are OK, but my left calf is burning, cramping, and my whole left leg says “Stop now. Why do you do this?”. Lungs are OK, I´m not really sweating anymore, but I´m really thirsty. Luckily, there is a waterhole coming up, and I use 30 seconds getting a glass of water and 30 beautiful seconds of rest for my left leg.

18-19 km: So, this is what it has come to. Pain. So stupid, that my body can do it, my lungs and brain and stomach can do it, but my left calf can´t do it. I run on, but this really hurts now. But still, if I just keep on this pace, I will be seeing the finishing line in about 15 minutes. That feels nice!

19-20 km: I get some help. A guy (thanks to you, whoever you are and if you ever read this!) runs up to me and says “Yeah, I know it hurts, I hurt to. But in 10 minutes this is all over with. Why not finish in style? Follow me!” And he just runs off, in a blaze of energy. And I follow. I run again, not actually feeling my feet, my hurting calf or my kidneys anymore.

20-21 km: I spurt at an 4 minutes per kilometre pace up to the sign saying “These are the last 400 metres” and those 400 metres are just so nice to enter. I run between high rises, the harbour, I see the spectators, hear the cheers and suddenly I see the finishing line. As I pass, I get this stupid feeling of being to slow, why didn´t I run faster? But still, this it what it comes down to. If I could have run faster, I would have. But I didn´t. My result gets to be 1 hour, 43 minutes and 33 seconds. And that´s all right by me. I just relax, get a cup of soup and a slice of bread, and feel very very proud. I did it.

The preparations

There are different theories about how to be a good runner. Some say, that to be able to run long distance, you have to run long distances, and others say, that running that long will cause damage and not strengthen but exhausting your muscles.

I believe in both. So my training programme for this event was running for 7-10 kilometres 3 times a week, and during one of these runs using interval training, including parkour-style training like running up stairs, jumping up and down from benches and rocks, that way strengthening the joints and ligaments in my feet and legs. I began this programme roughly 10 weeks before the race. It is probably also a good idea just once to run for lets say 15-17 kilometres, just to get that “I can!” feeling. If you can run for 15 kilometres, you can run for 21.

So if you´re aiming at running the marathon, my simple but useful tips must be doubling my amount of kilometres, and combine it with a few very long trips, but not more often than once a month. And don’t forget to do other activities like weightlifting, boxing, playing football and swimming once in a while.

That will give you a more balanced body mass in the first place, and secondly, women usually don´t find ultra thin long distance runners super attractive. And maybe most important of all: your mind needs distraction and a little play, not only the steady pace of running alone.

5 things I’ve learned from this race

1. Come well prepared and make sure you arrive to the race in time to stretch out, warm up and mentally convincing yourself that this will be a great experience.
2. When starting out, my strategy with starting quite slowly, letting the body getting adjusted at its own pace, worked just fine. I was not really physically tired at the end, but more annoyed from the pain.
3. The 20 to 30 seconds breaks for slowing down and getting water is well spent time, It´s really hard to drink while running and you will either way slow your pace while drinking. So get that short rest and drink properly. Take your time to smile and say thank you to that kind person giving you your drink.
4. At the end of the race, I forgot to focus at the kilometres left behind; I forgot to be happy about what I had achieved. If I had been better at this, I would probably finished better and maybe not that focused at the pain. This is an important learning.
5. I now know that 21 kilometres surely requires some training and preparations to be run properly, but I didn´t really use that much time to the project. If I would invest some real time into running, running the real thing, the marathon, should be within reach 6 months. I am not sure yet, but I do feel a little tempted…

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