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Marathon Guide Planning on conquering the marathon? We've prepared a gamut of topics from nutrition tips to getting in tip-top form so you'll be ready for race day.
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Her Say: Love Me, Lead Me As much as women love being in control, there's nothing sexier than having a guy who knows what he wants and gets it done. But don't take our word for it, that's what our female writer, Ana Issac says.
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The word “adventure” conjures up images of extreme sports – with leaping off a moving aircraft 5,000m above the ground being one of them. Pure insanity? Skydiving is actually safer than it looks: According to the United States Parachute Association, roughly one in 100,000 people die in parachuting accidents a year. That’s much fewer than those who die in traffic accidents. Still, you’ve got to know your drills before you take your first jump. Here’s a quick guide to getting your wings
On the ground
Training begins on terra firma – individuals have to undergo a ground class that will take around half a day of skills practice before they’re allowed to make their first jump, says Danniel Lee, a skydiving instructor at Skydive Singapore (www.skydivesingapore.com).
“The start point for each individual can be different – they can start with accelerated free fall (the faster method), static line deployment (where the parachute is deployed two to three seconds after exiting the aircraft) or tandem skydiving,” he says. The final objective of these classes: jump solo.
In the air
Skydiving’s exhilarating, terrifying and fun all at once. It seems like it’s all about jumping and tugging the chute cord, but it’s not so simple. There’s much more to the sport than at first glance. For starters, your position when freefalling is of utmost importance, because “falling belly first into the wind results in a more reliable deployment of the parachute,” says Lee.
Here’s how you should position yourself in the air prior to deploying your parachute, he says.
- Push your hips forward, keep your back arched and your chin up.
- Keep your knees shoulder-width apart.
- Slightly extend your legs, bend your knees at 45 degrees and point your toes.
- Position your upper arms at a 90-degree angle or less from your sides and keep them relaxed.
- Keep your elbows bent at a 90 to 120- degree angle.
Landing time!
The fall rate for an average person is 180kmh, says Lee. When your chute deploys, you can expect to feel “sudden deceleration, similar to pulling the emergency brake in a car,” he says. Your speed will slow dramatically and you’ll descend at about 20kmh, depending on the type of parachute you’re using.
You’ll be able to control the direction of the parachute with the toggles attached to the parachute’s trailing edges. When you’re just about to touch down, tug on both to flare the chute and slow your descent.
To get started, and If you’re looking within South-east Asia, head to the drop zone in Udon Thani, Thailand. For those who want to seek a thrill elsewhere, try Japan and Australia. Be prepared to pay though – equipment alone can cost up to US$6,000 (S$9,190).
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The word “adventure” conjures up images of extreme sports – with leaping off a 
