Travel (http://www.travelandleisure) new year's resolution

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Looking to start 2011 on the right foot? Here, 12 trips to get you motivated. From December 2010 By Katrina Brown Hunt , Colleen Clark

Of all the storied holiday-season traditions, the New Year’s resolution has long been a laughingstock, ranking somewhere between the office Secret Santa and the barking-dogs version of “Jingle Bells.”

If you’ve been down that resolution path (and who hasn’t?), you know the drill. You begin with an earnest proclamation of intent while standing by the chip bowl at a New Year’s Eve party—“I’ll lose 20 pounds! I’ll run a marathon! I’ll never order fried cheese again!” But once you get back to your usual life’s routine, those ambitions fizzle like day-old champagne. No surprise: a University of Washington study found that almost half of us have ditched our resolutions before March.

To keep a resolution from becoming more than a joke, some say you need to start with a plan of action—and what better plan of action than to plan a trip? When you take your resolution on a vacation, you can immerse yourself in your new mind-set, whether your goal is to eat better, quit smoking, or overcome a fear.

One place to go: Tucson’s miracle-making spa, Miraval. Travelers come looking to lose weight, of course, but perhaps also to deal with an emotional issue or just to slow down life’s pace. Such a trip “can be the first step in creating an awareness of what you want to change,” says Erica Bennett, Miraval’s director of programs. “It’s giving yourself a chance to look at the patterns of how you do things at home, and then change those patterns.” If nothing else, the memories of a great trip will periodically remind you that there’s more to life than fried cheese. —Katrina Brown Hunt

Report: McQuaid, EPO prohibitions should be 4 years (PA) (Yahoo!)

PARIS (AP) - the Chairman of the Board of Directors of cycling has renewed his call for sentences more heavy use of EPO, while insisting on the fact that cycling is clean sports.

International Cycling Union President Pat McQuaid said the team Monday it supports doubling the length of suspensions for the first time offenders, tested positive for EPO from two years to four log. He also stated that Alberto Contador doping cases be resolved before the end of the year.

"Personally, I am in favour of an increase in the duration of the suspension," said McQuaid, having supported more severe penalties in an interview with the Associated Press last month. "He should have four years for those who take the EPO prohibitions."

"We are going to propose as soon the federations and that they should be on the same line as we."

The Spanish cycling Federation are defined to determine if Contador is banned for two years after having tested positive for Clenbuterol for his victory in France tour this year. Contador, a champion three times Tower accuses meat rotten for his positive test.

"At the end of the month of August, accompanied of the, we gave the opportunity to explain himself, Contador" McQuaid said. "Twenty-four hours later, he told us this story of contaminated meat." We asked the experts to conduct a study to see if its version is credible. There is a decision before the end of the year. »

Clenbuterol is a steroid muscle building and weight loss.

McQuaid also spoke of the possibility of distributing reduces riders suspensions caught in the "light" substances

"We need to make a difference between the light and heavy," said McQuaid. "EPO is serious, which should be a four-year ban." Ventolin, for example, could be six or nine months. »

Claiming that cycling is the cleanest of all sports, McQuaid said that most of the riders do not substances of enhancing performance.

"Thanks to our biological passport (program), we noticed that the parameters have improved," McQuaid said. "Most of the riders is own."

Olympia successful lineup "best in 10 years" (Horse Talk)

Five of among the ten showjumpers planet have confirmed their participation at London International Horse Show week next to Olympia.

Olympia starts next Tuesday and runs on the following Monday. The lounge also hosts

Among the starters in the Entertainment World Cup qualifier jumping are Kevin status (FRA), world leader in the classification of Rolex. Rolf Goran Bengtsson (SWE) (5); Edwina Alexander (AUS) (8); Billy Twomey (IRE) (9) and Penelope Leprevost (FRA) (10) all are travelling to London next week, like Rolex FEI World Cup jumping qualifying winning year last Eric van der Vleuten (NED) (21).

Top two riders Britain, Ben Maher and Guy Williams, also listed, as well as Michael, John, Ellen and Robert Whitaker. William Funnell; Peter Charles; Tim Stockdale; Robert Smith. Laura Renwick; Tina Fletcher. Scott Brash and David McPherson.

"Olympia has a fantastic queue jumping stars this year and looks to be incredibly ferocious competition game, said the event director Simon Brooks-Ward." This is really the best jump line-up that olympia has seen in a decade. »