With this in mind, and as part of this partnership Nissan has teamed up with some of the other official partners of the Flora Women’s Marathon such as 2fm and the ISCP(Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists) to host a selection of fun family fitness events. These events are designed in such a way that there is something on offer for everyone, from balloons and face painting for children to a warm up exercise ad work outs.

Wexford Car Centre (12^TH May )

To help people in the Wexford area who are preparing for the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon Wexford Car Centre turned the garage into a Gym for a day.

• Gym equipment will be available all through the day.
• The Nissan boot camp trainers were on hand with some exercise routines.
• There was also advice on training and diet
• Physiotherapists on hand to give advice on sport injuries and equipment will be available all through the day.

Dulick Motors Ennis (18^th May)

This Saturday the 18^th of May Dulick Motors Ennis are hosting a 4 mile charity road race and fun run.

• €15 when you pre-register for the race and €20 on the day
• All proceeds going to four worthy charities.
• Goodies bags on offer which includes sports watches and earphones
• Ample parking is kindly been provided at Lidl & Auburn Lodge Hotel
• Free physiotherapy consultation
• Advice from a nutrition experts provided by Flora.
• Homebaked buns & cakes  post-race for everyone.

Dulick are offering everyone an opportunity to do this fun road race for charity, and it is the perfect opportunity for the Women who are participating in the largest charity event in Ireland and the largest all women’s event of its kind, the Flora Woman’s Mini Marathon to have a warm up race. Also after the race there is an opportunity to get a free physiotherapy consultation as well an opportunity to get some advice from a nutrition expert from Flora.

To find out more or to register for the event leave a commnet on the Dulick Motor Facebook page here.

Windsor Airside (19^th May)

This Sunday May 19th Windsor Airside will be hosting a Crossfit Fitness Event, where they will have 2-4 teams compete in a series of short fast-paced events that challenge all aspects of fitness.

• For 3 hours, the teams will go head-to-head in tests of Strenght, Agility, Speed, Power and Skill
• Events will take place in the Windsor Motors showroom.
• Airside will also be hosting “Yoga-4-all” and will be showing us how to flip and fly in their AntiGravity yoga hammock.
• There will also be some short yoga class demonstrations to keep everyone supple, flexible and feeling good.
• After all this activity Heath Hayward of Motion Physical Therapy will also be on hand to perform sports massage for the competitors.
• David Clancy from the ISCP will be giving physiotherapy consultations.

Find out more about Windsor Airside event here.

Plus the 2fm Roadcaster will be broadcasting live throughout the afternoon on both days.

So if you are looking for something different to do this Weekend why not check it out, and bring your friends and family.

Nissan Go is a new finance option from Nissan which offers a surprisingly affordable way to drive a new Nissan.

The main benefit of Nissan Go for most people is that the monthly repayments and term of the agreement are lower than conventional Hire Purchase agreements or Personal Loans. Lower monthly repayments are possible because an agreed final buyback value of the car and any deposit paid at the start of the agreement are not included in the amount to be financed.  So, effectively customers are financing a much smaller amount over an agreed period rather than the full price of the car. 

How does it work ?

With Nissan Go you simply choose the car you’d like to drive, choose a deposit, choose how long you’d like the contract to run for and the mileage you intend to do, agree a final value for the car when you return it and you get fixed low cost motoring for the term of the contract. 

Once your contract is up you have three choices. You can:

1)     Start again with a brand new car and a brand new contract.

2)     Choose to buy the car outright for the final value of the car agreed at the start of the contract.

Or

3)     Return the vehicle with no further commitments.

Under the Nissan Go scheme customers can drive a new Nissan Micra from €149 per month, a new Nissan Note from €189 per month, a new Juke from €199 per month and a new Nissan Qashqai from €249 per month. 

First up the nippy new Micra DIG-S which builds on the existing Micra model that recently celebrated a landmark 30^th year in the Irish marketplace. As the name suggests, the Micra comes fitted with a Direct Injection Gasoline Supercharged 1.2L engine which delivers sparkling performance, frugal economy and exceptionally low emissions.

 As is to be expected with any Nissan model, the Micra DIG-S boasts an extensive and unrivalled spec list for its class, including air-conditioning, Intelligent Key for keyless entry, start button, heated door mirrors and cruise control with speed limit control. Special design features include a panoramic glass roof, chrome interior door handles, grey 15” alloy wheels, fog lamps and a roof spoiler. If that’s not appealing enough already, the Micra DIG-S reduces emissions from 115 g/km to just 99 g/km making it one of the most environmentally friendly cars in its class while power increases to 98 PS, up from 80 PS, and all for a price of just €15,095

.

Next up, the Nissan Juke N-Tec which offers the latest Nissan Connect navigation system, meaning getting lost is a thing of the past. The latest Nissan Connect system incorporates advanced features including up to date weather forecasts and flight information to keep you always in the know. With a generous 5.8″ touch-screen display, it makes it even easier to enjoy the ample on-board entertainment and communication features.  In the interest of safety, other additional features have been added such as a motorway ‘exit view’ complete with lane guidance to help when leaving highways. The system also displays existing speed limits, and has an Over-Speed warning that provides visual and audible alerts when the car hits a certain speed above the limit, with the Over-Speed threshold being set by the driver. Other standard equipment includes a reversing camera with colour display, front fog lights, leather trimmed steering wheel and gear lever knob, automatic climate control and audio with Bluetooth compatibility and USB port. Juke N-Tec comes in three different engines -1.5L Diesel, 1.6L Petrol and 1.6L DIG-T engine at the top of the range. Prices start from €21,495.

Nissan have also upgraded the Qashqai range, further enhancing the considerable strength of the segment leading crossover. The Qashqai SV has been upgraded to the Qashqai SV+, which now boasts 18” alloys and silver roof rails as standard. Prices start from €25,245, which is €800 less than the SV model it replaces.

At the top end of the Qashqai range is the brand new Qashqai 360 with Around View Monitor (AVM). AVM is an advanced camera system that gives the driver a 360° bird’s eye view of their parking area.  Using 4 separate wide angle cameras located at the front, rear and in the side mirrors, the integrated 5.8″ Nissan Connect touch-screen monitor displays an image of the vehicle from above. This helps the driver visually confirm the position of the vehicle in relation to the lines around the parking space making parallel parking or parking in tight spaces less of a burden. The Qashqai 360 is also particularly well equipped versus its rivals thanks to standard equipment including a panoramic glass roof, piano black roof rails, and privacy glass. Inside, the Nissan Connect touch-screen monitor that is home to the AVM features an integrated satellite navigation system, Bluetooth, USB and iPod/iPhone connectivity while there is a semi leather trim throughout. Prices start from just €26,745.

Last but not least is the ground breaking Juke Nismo, the ultimate expression of the Nissan brand: Innovation that Excites. Under the Nismo performance brand, Nissan will launch a range of new sports models, and the Juke is first to get such treatment. As a result, it benefits from motorsport engineering honed on the track and comes with a 1.6 DIG-T engine developing 200 PS. The Juke Nismo is available in manual 2WD and All Mode 4X4i CVT . The manual 2WD has a top speed of 215km/h while reaching 0-100km/h in 7.8 seconds. The All Mode 4X4i tops out at 200 km/h while reaching 0-100km/h in 8.2 seconds. Juke Nismo delivers high performance without high fuel consumption owing to the advanced technology of its 1.6 DIG-T engine, which delivers 200PS in both front and four wheel drive. With track-derived design, enhanced performance and engaging handling, Nismo’s unique motorsport DNA adds a new dimension to the pioneering compact crossover’s list of attributes. Pricing for the 2WD is set at €29,675 and €33,375 for the All Mode 4x4i.

An incredible 1,654 people took to their local Nissan dealerships over the space of a week to help Nissan raise €82,700 for Breast Cancer Ireland.

As part of their on-going Corporate Social Responsibility association with Breast Cancer Ireland and to assist in raising much needed funds for the charity Nissan dealers nationwide hosted a Micra Pink Week from 16^th to the 24^th November.  During Micra Pink week Nissan pledged a donation of €50 to the charity for every Micra test-drive.  Over the course of the week, 1,654 people visited their local dealership and took a Micra test-drive to assist the charity, resulting in a significant donation of €82,700..

James McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer, Nissan Ireland said: “We are delighted that so many members of the public got behind this initiative to help make it so successful. The work that Breast Cancer Ireland carries out in researching a cure for Breast Cancer is invaluable and we are delighted to be associated with such a worthwhile cause.”

Aisling Hurley, Development Director, Breast Cancer Ireland said: “This is a fantastic result.  We are extremely grateful to Nissan and their network of dealers for the real commitment and effort they put into this initiative to make it such a success.  The funds raised will go directly towards funding our pioneering research programmes and will assist us significantly in our Race for a Cure”

Picture Caption:

James McCarthy, CEO Nissan Ireland presenting a cheque for €82,700 to Professor Arnold Hill, Chairman of Breast Cancer Ireland.

Nissan pledged a donation of €50 to the charity for every test-drive taken during their Micra Pink Week last November. 1,654 people in total total took a test-drive over the course of the week resulting in a total donation to Breast Cancer Ireland of €82,700

We’re alive and (just about) kicking after the Pakie Ryan 10K Memorial Run.

The options were: 5K, 10K or 10 Mile! We chose the 10K & 5k for health and safety reasons!!  

What a day it was!! For this week we mixed business with pleasure! Planning a surprise birthday party around a 10K is not something you would class as fun but we the Dulick Pink Team wouldn’t have it any other way!

The plan was to run the Pakie Memorial run that morning followed by dinner and drinks with the girls. With the run falling on a significant birthday of one of the DULICK Pink Team a little surprise shindig was in order!

With a week ago we googled tips for preparing for 10k

• Get plenty rest ….check
• Get well hydrated ….does wine count…..check
• Eat well…. Fruit, Fish, Chicken, Carbohydrates, (Chocolate)….check

So we arrived at the race as giddy as ever TRYING to blend in with the other participants, stretching out in our fluorescent pink Breast Cancer T-Shirts …

As we set off to our second 10K (Yes, we’re counting) it was an exciting experience with a massive crowd a well organised event with great atmosphere.

The route was hilly (we were prepared sure hadn’t we doneCarrantuohillthe previous race) the weather was ideal and the crowds were so supportive throughout the whole race.

We completed the race without any pit stops.

Crossing the finish line in under the hour and beating our PB from the Hurley Hoey, WE FELT UNSTOPPABLE!!

The  Dulick Pink Team who had signed up for the 5K

Started the race with great enthusiasm

Full of excitement

Chit chats of the forthcoming girl’s night out

SOMEHOW missed their 5K turn-off and actually didn’t realise they had done so until they met the 7k mark ended up doing 10K (well done girls)  

Well Done To The Pakie Ryan Team A Great Event ..Well Organised…Enjoyed Very much the after race cuppa tea and apple tart.

Somehow, the Mini Marathon in June doesn’t sound as unachievable as it did two weeks ago!

Really enjoyable day, as for that night….still recovering!

On to the next race- Eamon Moloney 10K

And local motor factor shops need to have regular stock in store as well as being able to fulfil any requests for specialist parts.

 This has opened the way for a big industry in spare parts as even new vehicles, under warranty, require replacement parts from time to time due to wear and tear. However, it seems many customers are not prepared to wait patiently to get their hands on those spares, compared to past times.

 ”Forty years ago, it was a weekly order you got. Now people expect their spare parts immediately,” says Gareth Fitzpatrick, Warehouse Manager of J & S Automotive Distributors who specialise in car part distribution, stocking all the top brand name products. They have invested heavily in Information technology systems in their continuous quest for increased efficiency for their customers.

It has all resulted in J & S having a strong reputation among customers for being able to supply what they want, and to deliver on time.

The company, a family owned business, started in 1977 with its first premises located in the North Strand area of Dublin city, followed by a second shop in Dun Laoghaire. After closing the first shop, the company moved to Clondalkin and started up the distribution business.

The business grew over the years resulting in J & S forging a strong reputation for being able to supply their customers needs, no matter how strange the request, and being able to deliver on time.

They are now located in a large 20,000 sq ft industrial unit in Park West in Clondalkin as well as renting another 10,000 sq ft warehouse unit close by.

 All the products they distribute from their warehouse are catalogued on TecDoc and MAM Autonet. It’s a big operation as they keep around 60,000 items in stock at all times and process well over 100 orders an hour, fully integrated with their delivery system.   “All our customers are trade. We concentrate on our core customers,” Gareth explains. “Half our business is in or around Dublin, the rest are scattered around the country.” That amounts to about 200 customers nationwide.

Availing of an overnight service from the UK, also helps keep customers happy. A partner transport company are AGL Logistics, based in Athy, Co Kildare who specialise in supplying to the auto trade, provide a same day and an overnight delivery service.

Due to a gap in their network which meant J & S were unable to offer their Cork customers a fast service, the decision was taken to provide their own delivery service to Cork.

Following a week’s trial run in a Nissan NV200, Gareth says he was hooked. The extra advantage was that it used ‘half the fuel bills over our previous van, the tyres are cheaper, and they run brilliantly.”

So he took possession of the first Nissan NV200 in 2011 literally from the launch floor. “We needed it that badly,” he recalls.

It was the first of many purchases from ‘across the road’ as the distributor company now have a fleet of Nissans including four NV200s and two NV400s. And the good people in Nissan Ireland see them coming and going as both buildings are directly opposite each other in Park West.

The NV200s are used to service the company shop, for Midlands and East Coast runs, and up to Drogheda while the larger NV400s are used for their busiest runs to Galway and Limerick. Their own vans now account for about 15 percent of the company’s deliveries. Gareth says his drivers love the Nissans as they are both comfortable to drive and can carry a great load. He is impressed with the high levels of standard specifications and the simple things like the double sliding doors which help his drivers speed up deliveries.

“The vans have cruise control which means they’re in top gear most of the time. Besides that, you can’t argue with the price and the cost of running them is very economical. And, of course, we look after them well, with regular servicing.”

Theirs is a highly competitive business, so they are constantly looking for ways of doing things more efficiently.

Due to the big increase in business since the move to Clondalkin, which saw a doubling in size of the warehouse, and the resultant number of vans coming and going, J & S Automotive Distributors have had to provide an extra carpark at the rear of the warehouse in order to cope. “We’ve also recently had to add more racking in the warehouse, and a mezzanine floor for additional space. Having the stock, having the range and the overnight deliveries, are all essential to our business,” Gareth says.

Providing the right product to customers requires training and J & S Automotive Distributors currently employ almost 60 fully trained staff including drivers, to give their customers a complete service. Staff are trained in-house and the company promote from within. But some staff members have come from other aspects of the motor trade.

“One thing we pride ourselves on is our service, from our guys in sales, to those packing and delivering. The knowledge is great and somebody calling in downstairs knows they’ll be given the right parts, and the lads in the warehouse know the requirements of certain of our customers so can deal with them quickly and efficiently.”

We get our vans out first, like clockwork, with two Dublin deliveries per day, working to a timeline. The main batch of deliveries takes place from around 11am from Monday to Thursday; on Fridays, they start deliveries at 10am. In the evenings, it’s more laid back. “We open from 7am till 4pm looking after the Dublin area with two short deliveries a day.”

The company is ideally located close to all the Dublin motor factors and close to the M50 and N11 motorways for country runs, as well as the N7 dual carriageway.

“Our stock is always tip top. If I haven’t got the specific part you want, I will give it to you in another brand for the same price. Our business is all about supplying solutions to our customers, tailored to their specific needs.”

The way the business is going, they may need to increase their storage capacity even further in the near future.

Trish Whelan.

The chance to win a new Nissan Micra is open to all entrants of the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon which takes place on the 3^rd of June 2013. All you have to do is enter for the race and you are automatically included in the draw for the Micra.

Whether you are a runner, jogger or walker you have an equal opportunity to be in with a chance to win the Micra. Contrary to popular belief the Winner of the Race isn’t the winner of the Micra. 

The winner will be announced on the 3^rd of June before the race, where she will then be handed the keys to her brand new Nissan Micra.  

Please note that there is no cash alternative to this prize.

The Herald are running a competition to win a new Nissan Note. the Competition runs from Monday March 19th – Friday 29th March. All you need to do is collect 6 tokens and fill in an entry form (which can be found on pg 2 of The Herald) and post it back to; The Herald, 27-32 Talbot St, Dublin 1

Download your bonus token here

Ok so we considered it…. talked about it…. slept on it….. and talked about it some more and eventually came to the conclusion that yes, following our very successful Nissan Pink Week campaign where we raised a massive €22,400 in aid of Breast Cancer Ireland.

The Dulick Pink Team will be pulling up their socks again in aid of Breast Cancer Ireland and signing up to The Flora Womens Mini Marathon 2013!!

Decision is made… no going back now!

PRIORITY NUMBER ONE:

• WE MUST GET FIT!!!
• WE ARE GOING TO RUN THIS RACE!
• NOT WALK, RUN….OK MAYBE A FAST JOG!!

With less than three months to go; Yes, this is doable, the motivation is there…as is the full packet of figrolls and digestives!!! Thank god for lent and will power!! We have spread the word…we will run this race.

The Dulick Pink Team will join Nissan Ireland who are partnering the event and set off on the morning of the 3^rd of June to the big smoke to run the Flora Womens Marathon sporting our bright pink t-shirts in support of Breast Cancer Ireland.

As a trial run, we participated in the Hurley Hoey 10K in Gurteen last Saturday, just to check how our fitness levels and if the lungs were in working order.

 OH WHAT A TOUGH RUN

 Misleading signs “Well Done! All downhill form here” when in fact sign should have read-“ BEWARE!!!!CARRANTUOHILL AHEAD”

It was tough very tough,  It was hard very hard, We were tired very tired. Well enough of the moaning We were sore but weren’t sorry- We survived the trial run! 

Onwards and upwards, deep heat in hand…

Our first official outing as the Dulick Pink Team

 Pakie Ryan-10K, Newmarket on Fergus on March 23^rd!

Stay tuned where we will fill you in on all the ups and downs (literally!!) of the race!

Regards

The Dulick Pink Team

Use these tips to get moving again.

Is the weather too cold or too wet for you to go for your walk/run today? Is catching up with a friend messing with your fitness goals, or are you simply “washing your hair”, if these are the justification you are using to skip excerise then maybe you have a motivation problem.

Not to worry, even diehard exercisers sometimes lose their will to get their rear off the couch. “The trick is to find something that keeps you going during a lull in your motivation .Find that something  that will set a fire under you and get you racing out the door before you even know it.

1. Set goals.
Brown says that without a concrete goal exercise can start to feel a little aimless. Workout goals, he advises, should be realistic yet just enough out of your reach at the start that they feel exciting and meaningful. They should be measurable and specific so it’s obvious when you reach a milestone. It’s also good to have mini “stepping stone” goals along the way to a major goal so you always feel like you’re accomplishing something and “back-up” goals in case you get temporarily derailed.

2. Act like a child.
Sometimes the ways your mother got you to do things when you were five still work best. Just maybe try to be mature about self-bribery; rewarding yourself with a piece of cake or an expensive jersey is both unsustainable and counterproductive.

3. Trick yourself.
Brown also likes the idea of “scaffolding” into exercise. That’s where you gradually prepare yourself, little by little, to start your workout and almost without realizing it — you’re moving. For example, you might start by putting on your tights. Then, a little while later, lace up your shoes. Next, you put on sunblock or fill up your water bottle. Though it may take you a little longer than usual to get out the door, each step moves you a tiny bit closer to the actual workout until you’ve committed so much energy to preparation, you might as well just do it.

 4. Get a buddy.
If you’ve been working out by yourself, find a partner. A recent study by the National Strength and Conditioning Association found that working out with someone else makes it more likely both of you with stick with the routine and get better results. What if you’re already working out with a partner and still aren’t feeling motivated? Brown suggests the two of you try training with a bigger group for a while or invite some others into the mix.

5. Choose an optimal location.
Finding the right workout setting is crucial. You may love the noise, busy-ness, and social interactions of a gym, crave the quiet of a serene park, or prefer pedaling an exercise bike at home. The point is that you have many options. If where you work out is bringing you down, changing the scenery will make a world of difference. And, as Brown points out, environment isn’t limited to your physical surroundings, either. Changing what you listen to or starting to listen to music if you’ve never done so, can provide that missing motivational spark.

6. Remember your Peek Moment
 A peak moment is a time when you felt you were at the top of your game it connect you with that time when you felt most fulfilled most present when you were truly happy in the moment. Whatever it may be it might just give you that warm and fuzzy feeling and some confidence to go out there and do more.

7. Take a break.
It could be that your motivation is seriously flagging because you’re suffering from burn-out, and you simply need a short break from exercise to recharge your enthusiasm. Brown advises allowing yourself a 3- to 5-day rest. The time off should help you rev your engines and allow you to regain that sense of excitement and energy you get from regular exercise. Just don’t let those few days turn into a few months.

How have you kept your motivation going? What tricks and tips would recommend to others who are in a workout rut?