I can’t believe it. They got into the Big Dance. The Longhorns’ streak of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances is still alive. Coach Rick Barnes will be able to keep the angry mobs away for at least another season. Maybe.

The end of the regular season wasn’t pretty by any stretch of the imagination. The Longhorns stumbled their way into the Big 12 tournament. There was a loss against Baylor, followed by a tenuous overtime victory against Texas Tech. They did get an end-of-season win against Oklahoma – always a good thing – but then got pounded by Kansas. Up and down, up and down, all season long - much like a roller coaster.

All the Horns could do at this point was hope for a good showing in the Big 12 tournament. With the sixth seed, they had a bye in the first round. This season, that was as good as a win.

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Pick up any book on training for virtually any sport. Crack it open and review the contents. I have no doubt that you will find it filled with copious content on the physical elements of training. Everyone likes to discuss how to build the physical capacity of sport performance. Workouts are king.

What we need to remember, however, is that the brain and central nervous system control everything. The brain can be trained - just like the rest of the body. Cognitive strategies will have an impact not only on the central nervous system, but the endocrine and immune systems as well.

So without any further adieu, here are five mental strategies that can help optimize your training, improve your racing, and yes, change your life.

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It’s almost that time of year again. Spring break is right around the corner, and with it comes the influx of creative types to our fair city. It is time for SXSW in all its myriad of flavors. The most prolific (and original) part of SXSW – the music conference- starts on Wednesday March 14 with the Austin Music Awards.

It has been a while since I have been fully exposed to all that is SXSW, but I can say that I do have some great and fond memories of it from years long past. I may end up sounding a little “old school”, but as Dylan said, the times they are a changin’. SXSW has changed a lot over the years, of that there is no question. Nonetheless, here are five great memories I have of SXSW.

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Imagine, if you will, a world in which arbitrary rules are placed on which cars you can purchase or what milk you can drink. Imagine that same world limiting your access to the Internet for certain purposes like, say, reading Consumer Reports. Imagine having regulations placed on the neighborhoods in which you can purchase a house, regardless of how much money you are ready to spend.

The inevitable question is "why the limits"? And the response is, well, "just because".

I have no doubt you would be outraged. You would immediately think that your freedoms and liberties were being trampled upon, and you wouldn't consider that acceptable at all.

But what happens when it comes to your health and health care?

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