Cardiff LGBT Mardi Gras 2012
1 Sept
Coopers Field

Wales' largest celebration of diversity and equality starts with the Mardi Gras Arts festival events across the capital  from 29th - 31st August  which sees the inaugural Mardi Gras Parade, The Mardi Gras Festival at Coopers Field and the official After party SuperMartXé World Tour.

Join us and experience the main stage acts: Marcus Collins, The Freemasons, Abel the Kid, Ruth Lorenzo, Bright Light Bright Light and many more to be confirmed. It's Wales' largest opportunity to be yourself...

Check website for times, stage line up and admission prices

www.cardiffmardigras.co.uk
Facebook - Cardiff-WalesLGBTMardiGras
Twitter - @CWMardiGras

Cardiff Harbour Festival Extreme Sailing

31 Aug - 2 Sept

Cardiff Bay

Event Timetable:

At a glance.....
Fri 31 Aug

• Parade Of Sail, 13.45 -14.00
• Extreme Sailing Series, 14.00-17.00
• The British Fishcraft Championships, 10.00-16.00
• Continental Market, 10.00-18.00
• The Last Resort, 10.00-17.00
• Walkabout Entertainment, 10.00-17.00
• Shanty Singers, 10.00-17.00
• Live music on Bandstand, 10.00-18.00

Sat 1 Sept
• Aerial Entertainment, 13.30-13.45
• Parade Of Sail, 13.45 -14.00
• Extreme 40 Catamaran Races, 14.00-17.00
• The British Fishcraft Championships, 10.00-16.00
• Continental Market, 10.00-18.00
• The Last Resort, 10.00-17.00
• Walkabout Entertainment, 10.00-17.00
• Shanty Singers, 10.00-17.00
• Live music on Bandstand, 10.00-18.00

Sun 2 September
• Aerial Entertainment, 13.30-13.45
• Parade Of Sail, 13.45 -14.00
• Extreme 40 Catamaran Races, 14.00-17.00
• Best Dressed Pirate and Sea Creature Competition: Cast the net of your imagination and dress as an octopus, sailor a mermaid or ye olde favourite – a pirate, 15.00
• The British Fishcraft Championships, 10.00-17.00
• Continental Market, 10.00-18.00
• The Last Resort, 10.00-17.00
• Walkabout Entertainment, 10.00-17.00
• Shanty Singers, 10.00-17.00
• Live music on Bandstand, 10.00-18.00

*details correct at time of publication times are subject to change

What they say:

Cardiff Harbour Festival presents Extreme Sailing Series^TM
31 Aug - 2 Sept
Cardiff Bay
FREE EVENT
some activities may incur a charge

NEW DATE, NEW EDITION!

We're ‘Extremely' excited to announce details of this year's Cardiff Harbour Festival!

This family friendly event moves to the end of August / beginning of September and is bigger than ever as we welcome the Extreme Sailing Series to Cardiff. The UK leg of the most exciting inshore racing series will provide a high octane centrepiece to this year's festival.

The British Fishcraft Championships

We are also delighted to welcome back the British Fishcraft Championships for a fourth year. Be amazed by the speed, skill and accuracy of Britain's top fishmongers as they compete across a range of categories to win the coveted title of British Fishcraft Champion.

There will also be a series of talks and demonstrations on Friday 31 August where you can learn how to buy, prepare and cook fish. Fish from the competitions will be on sale to the public either to take home and prepare or cooked on the premises for a tasty lunch on the day. Delicious! 

Attractions around Roald Dahl Plass

Take a stroll around the superb continental markets that offer a large array of produce from all over the world or soak up the atmosphere provided by sea shanty singers, comedy walkabouts and live music on the bandstand.

Venture down to ‘The Last Resort' our alternative end of pier attraction that returns for a third year complete with sand pit, beach huts, hilarious shows and other surprise attractions. The Last Resort is also the place to be to enter the ever-popular ‘Best dressed Pirate and Sea Creature Competition' on Sunday afternoon.

Extreme Sailing Series

The award-winning and adrenaline-fueled Extreme Sailing Series^TM is an innovative and uncompromising format, offering a grandstand experience within a whisker of the high-speed action.

The challenge of racing the Extreme 40 catamarans attracts some of the best professional sailors in the world. This year eight international teams will compete and the line-up reads like a who's who of sailing, with a stellar cast of top professional sailors including Olympic medallist's, America's Cup veterans, World Champions and Round the World sailors.

The teams battle each other at breakneck speeds around demanding courses, often within touching distance of the shore, guaranteeing spectators a grandstand view of the fast and furious action. The power and speed of the Extreme 40 means heart-stopping encounters are always on the menu!

The race village is free to enter for the public and offers bars, live entertainment and a viewing area of the racing with commentary. The atmosphere can only be described as electric and makes for a totally unique experience!

www.extremesailingseries.com

 Source: cardiff.gov.uk

Running In The City

Running Tips and Advice

Are you new to running? Or are you still thinking about it? We will look at a few classic running tips to help you get on the road and start pounding pavement.

If you’re still teetering on the edge of the urban racetrack, the simple benefits of running are something you should know about.

There’s something about running that brings an enormous sense of well-being.
Work driving you crazy? Studies have shown that a run of just 20-30 minutes a day can leave you feeling refreshed, energised and de-stressed. The health benefits are huge, keep it up and you will be fitter, stronger and will shed weight.

Now, it’s important both for safety and if you want to improve to consider a few running tips:

Start slow..

First of all, let’s look at the lengths of runs. Ok, you’re not Forest Gump, so don’t start off trying to run 10 kilometres (k) and giving up when you collapse in a red-faced heap. Start slow, you can build yourself up to do the big stuff and it helps massively with progress to say, ok I can do that, let’s do more next time.

Watch where you’re running..

Another thing to consider is where you’re going to run. More specifically, the surfaces you’ll be crossing.  You want to run on grass or packed dirt trails as much as possible, this will put a lot less pressure on your joints and feet. I know cities don’t offer much in the form of wooded glens, but there are plenty of parks and trails if you look for them.

Try to avoid running next to the curb for long, the curvature in most roads will unbalance the muscle use in the legs.

Help your body..

Energy drinks are a great way to replace lost salts on long runs. A less pricey way I use is a 50/50 mix of water and fruit juice with a pinch of salt.

Stitches & Cramps..

Next, we look at the curse of the running people: the stitch. Stitches are caused when lack of blood supply to the diaphragm causes it to cramp. What can you do? 

Well, to prevent this annoying pain, try not to eat just before going for a run and remember to warm up properly.

If you’re mid-run when the stitch appears, apply pressure to the part that hurts and just keep going to “run out” the stitch.

Adding weights?..

Lastly, we’ve all seen the runners who attach weights to their arms and legs to get a more “hardcore” running fix. I don’t suggest doing this right away, you need to get used to the way your body moves first. If you are dead set on it, see a trainer first. Otherwise you can strain muscles and ruin your posture.

Nothing left to do now but get out there and get going!

Keep Calm Be Welsh Do It Now In A Minute