Volume 3 Issue 1
Conditioning for Success
Success Story
- ANTHONY DELUCA -
Top of His Game At the Top of the World
Robert Drysdale
All Those food Trucks! Crystal Petrello
Get Out There With Your Pet! –
Exercise
Can LESS be MORE? Dr. Darian Parker
Dr. Carlos Varela
Forever…For Now. Laser Tattoo Removal
Dr. H.L. Greenberg
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PULLING NO PUNCHES 5 Editor-in-Chief, Mary Cassidy MMA
8
CONDITIONING FOR SUCCESS Robert Drysdale
Nutrition
10 fOOD TRUCKS
Crystal Petrello
HEALTH
13
LASER TATTOO REMOVAL
8
10
16
26
Dr. H.L. Greenberg
CONNECT TO FITNESS
14
FALL EVENT
success story
16 Top of His Game at the Top of the World
Anthony DeLuca
mind and BODY
18 New BeginningS
Kimberly Castell, E-RYT
TRAINING
22
24 Less Can Be More Page
26 Working Out With Your Dog
Dr. Carlos Varela
Tennis In las Vegas
pET FITNESS
Jason Harman Dr. Darian Parker
SPORTS SCIENCE
28
Putting – On Second Thought Tom Woods
PULLING NO PUNCHES “Ahhhhhhhhhh….”. You can hear the collective sigh of relief and anticipation as the extreme heat of the summers in Las Vegas suddenly melts away into the crisp mornings and cooler days and nights. If you’ve lived in Las Vegas over a year or more, you know of what I speak. It takes a special kind of human to make it through our summers and declare them dry and bearable and the key reason most of us can pull off that extraordinary feat is only partly due to swimming pools and air conditioning. It’s also the knowledge of what follows our intense summer climate.
Fall.
Mary Cassidy, Editor-in-chief hat a glorious season in Las Vegas! Earlier this week we were treated to unusual thunder and lightning storms and pounding rains resulting in flood watches but also in a giant cleansing of the entire valley. The rain kept coming for a few days and nights and then, as it always does, the sun reappeared but somehow less fierce, less demanding than just weeks earlier. For those of us who enjoy the wonderful outdoor experiences Las Vegas has to offer, now’s the time to get out and enjoy them. At most, you’ll need a light jacket. Golf courses beckon, tennis courts are open, and hiking and biking in the mountains is a beautiful excursion. Speaking of the great outdoors, this issue features an article and pictures from an adventure most of us will never take. Local attorney Anthony DeLuca climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro this summer and shares his incredible experience with Element Fitness readers. That’s him on the cover and you can see, he was well prepared for the physical intensity of the trip. Read about local pursuits within the covers of this issue, too. As always, we try to bring you topics relevant to pursuing a healthy lifestyle in Las Vegas and this month is no exception. Tom Woods help you tune up that golf game and Dr. Varela gives you pointers on how to share your exercise regimen with your dog. Our hard-working Dietician Crystal Petrello gives us the lowdown on all those food trucks we’re encountering these days and Dr. Darian Parker urges us do less exercise to get more benefits! (Huh?!) Read on. And when you’re done, get on your walking shoes, throw on a jacket and get out in that fresh clean autumn air. Take a deep breath and appreciate all there is to living in Las Vegas.
E L E M E N T
F I T N E S S
M A G A Z I N E ™
Our Mission: To inspire the residents of Las Vegas to live an active, healthy and nutritious lifestyle
MARY E. CASSIDY Editor in Chief
mek@thegpsinc.com
ROBIN SKONE-PALMER Managing Editor robin@thegpsinc.com
PHIL COVERT Director of Information Technology phil@thegpsinc.com
CHARLIE KEITH Director of Operations sck@thegpsinc.com
TAURAN WATKINS Director of Graphic Design tauranwatkins@gmail.com
MARK A. ESHGHY Printing & Production
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & SUPPORTERS Anthony DeLuca, Attorney Crystal Petrello, MS, RD Darian Parker, Ph.D, NSCA-CPT Dr. H.L. Greenberg, Dermatologist Jason Harman, Tennis Instructor John J. Pierce, D.O.
Julio Garcia, M.D. Kimberly Castello, E-RYT, Yoga Teacher Robert Drysdale, Jiu Jitsu Master/MMA Trainer Tom Woods, Golf Professional/Author Wayne Posner, Photographer, Cyclist
Element Fitness Cover: “Anthony Deluca”
Photos courtesy of Elite Imaging and CANDE Studios
To ADVERTISE in ELEMENT FITNESS MAGAZINE™ contact sales @ the gpsinc.com or CALL: 702.834.6363
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MMA
CONDITIONING FOR SUCCESS Robert Drysdale
is a World Champion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, gym owner, fighter, and MMA coach. Robert has competed and taught in his sport in over a dozen countries around the world but today he makes his home in Las Vegas. Robert was introduced on Countdown to UFC 101 as the BJJ coach of former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin. He was also selected as a coach on TUF season 8 for team Mir.
ne of the most critical factors to competitive success in combat sports, especially Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, is conditioning. There are several text book definitions of what physical conditioning means, but what it boils down to is being able to perform at a high level of intensity during an entire fight, or through several fights in a tournament style competition. I would consider the importance of physical conditioning to rank a close second behind technical ability. You can have all the technique in the world, but if you’re so tired that you can’t apply it…then what does it matter? Good conditioning can and often does overcome technical knowledge when a fight gets past the initial flurry of activity. If the less technical but much better conditioned athletes can weather the early storm, they have a good chance of being able to impose their will as the fights go on. But here’s the thing about conditioning. It sucks. It’s hard, and a lot of times is painful. Not painful like you just fell out of a tree and broke your arm, but painful like you just ran 10 fifty yard sprints in a row— as a warm up for your cardio training. It’s not pretty, but what comes out of that hard work is essential. Proper conditioning not only gives you the ability to stay in the fight, but the confidence to push the pace and go for the finish the entire time.
Training conditioning halfheartedly will result in halfhearted results. If you’re doing cardio training and it doesn’t seem too tough, then you’re not doing it right. Training that will push you to the next level has to take you out of your comfort zone. It has to be uncomfortable to be effective. BJJ and MMA, unlike a lot of traditional martial arts, aren’t fought on just one level. There’s both stand up and ground work to deal with, and it’s the constant transition from the ground to the feet which puts a serious strain on an athlete’s muscles and the ability to supply them with enough oxygen to stay effective. There are several different ways to get your cardio to where it needs to be in order to perform well. Tabata, High Intensity Interval Training, oxygen deprivation--all of these will accomplish your goal, which is to keep you in the mix until the bell rings. The best thing to do is to try out several different methods and see what works best for you. It’s ultimately up to you and the amount of work you’re willing to put in.
Training conditioning halfheartedly will result in halfhearted results. If you want to succeed in your combat sport you need to put in the work on the front end to reap the rewards on the back end. Dan Gable, arguably the best amateur wrestler ever (who won the 1972 Olympics without having a single point scored against him) said this, “One thing I noticed about myself when I wrestle: I have constant pressure on my opponent. If I’m on the mat I’m gonna wrestle. Aggressive, hard the whole time. I’m not gonna let my opponent get a chance to do anything to me. So long as I’m the aggressor, as long as I’m making the moves, as long as I’m in command while I’m out there, it really keeps him mixed up and it keeps me in a position to where I’m always to my advantage.” The only way he was able to get there was his extraordinary level of conditioning. If you have questions or want to sit in on a strength and conditioning session, contact the gym at (702) 258-0048. We have classes available on Saturdays from 9-10am with Ryan Silver, NASM certified personal trainer and certified MMA conditioning coach. There’s never a better time to get yourself into fighting shape than now! Free digital subscription at lvefmag.com
9
nutrition
Crystal Petrello, MS, RD
completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Dietetics and her Master’s Degree in Community Nutrition and Health at Ohio State University. She also proudly served in the Air National Guard. Crystal now owns a dietary firm in Las Vegas, called Crystal Clear Wellness and Nutrition. Crystal is a member of the Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition practice group of the American Dietetic Association. Crystal’s new book, “But I’m Hungry!” is available at www.butimhungry.net.
he Cooking Channel calls them “Food Mavericks.” We know them as a new breed of restaurateurs taking their cuisine on the road and creating a new culture around the United States. It’s the Great Food Truck Revolution! It was bred from our desire for inexpensive, high-brow eats that cater to fast-paced on-the-go lives. We’re bored with burgers and subs. We want to expand our palates. We don’t want bigger meals. We want smaller portions but more of them so we can try more creations. Each rolling diner is like a personal tapas restaurant. We eat while we dance at Vegas StrEATs. We salivate while we watch food truck television shows such as Eat St. (Cooking Channel) and The Great Food Truck Race (Food Network). Las Vegas is a world leader in culinary hot spots, and our food truck lineup is just as impressive. Our city’s Truckies, however, bring a new mentality to the chef-patron relationship. Using primarily social media, Truckies connect with their fans. We watch their twitter
feed or fan page to see when our favorite food truck is going to be around the corner. They may even go to a spot we recommend. While the City Council figures out proper parking distance from your 2am bar, let’s talk about the sanitation standards of these food caravans.
must be disposed of in an acceptable manner. Just like a regular restaurant, the truck must be free from bug infestation. Health Cards are required of all workers on the truck.
Before today’s Food Truck Revolution, mobile diners were aptly-dubbed “Roach Coaches.” They typically left something to be desired when it came to cleanliness and sanitation. Remember the deep-fried-fair-like food you could purchase from a guy that looked like he had not showered in days? Or possibly, for my fellow military members, the tar-like coffee you get during break from your technical school training? While Las Vegas’ new fleets of trucks attract people of all palates and tastes, we still tend to wonder if the prepping and cooking areas on the inside are clean and sanitary. Are appearances deceiving? Behind that shinny façade and glittering lights is it still the “Roach Coach” of old?
Most owners of the food trucks are also the chefs/cooks. They take pride in their property. If you think of it from their perspective, you can see why they would want a super clean truck: 50 hungry people in line for their 30 minute lunch break. The air conditioning is blasting in the truck and the grill and deep fryer are ready to meet the demand. There are three or more people trying to maneuver in the tight quarters of the truck; the stress of trying to meet the demand is turning up the heat. The last thing you need is a parade of ants on the prep stations -- especially when everyone can see into your kitchen. As you enjoy the fiesta in your month from trucks such as coffee from Grouchy Johns and fried risotto balls from Sauced you can be sure that they have high standards. Truckies want you to enjoy your food and know that you are safe from culinary harm. So enjoy and take a look at these Twitter feeds for our Las Vegas food trucks.
Rest easy. The Nevada Health District grades the food trucks in the same manner as the brick and mortar kitchens and restaurants. For example, the trucks have restrooms and hand washing facilities available to their employees. Potable water must be available for cooking and drinking. Trash and waste
Food Truck
Type of Cuisine
Twitter handle
Slidin’ Thru
Gourmet sliders (my personal favorite)
@slidertruck
FUKU Burger
Asian inspired burger
@fukuburger
Haulin Balls
Meatball Sandwich, The BallWich
@HaulinBallsLV
Chi-Town Hustler
Best of Chicago food screen
@CHITOWNHUSTLER2
Sin City Wings
Wings, tenders, and fried pickles
@SinCityWings
Curbside Cafe
Fresh diner food with international flair
@CurbsideCafeLV
Rusty Pickle
Southern comfort food favorites
@RustyPickle
Sauced
Sauced Food and excellent sauces!
@SaucedVegas
Lovegrub Truck
Famous “Sloppy Tots”
@LoveGrubTruck
FoodSlingers
Gourmet Sandwiches
@foodslingers
Sausagefest
Gourmet Sausages
@SausagefestLV
Charlie’s Lunch
Panini sandwiches
@Charlieslunchlv
Wings on Wheels
Chicken wings
@WINGSONWHEELS1
Top Notch Barbeque
Southwest cowboy flare
@topnotchBBQ
Tasty Bunz
Buns packed with flavor
@TastYBunZ
Senor Blues
Tex Mex
@SenorBlues1 Source: http://www.lasvegasfoodtrucks.com/ and Twitter
Sources: SNHD http://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/food-establishments/carts-kiosks.php Vegas StrEATS https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vegas-StrEATs/197513136937573 Free digital subscription at lvefmag.com
11
*Banquet room *Catering *Outside patio seating
health
Laser TaTToo removaL
is redefining, “forever for now”
Dr. Greenberg
has been practicing dermatology at Las Vegas Dermatology since 2007. His office specializes in cosmetic dermatology (Botox, Fillers) and in laser therapies including: Laser Hair Removal, Medical Grade Laser Tattoo Removal, and Fractional CO2 Laser Resurfacing Therapy for Wrinkles.
lmost one year ago, I attended, “The Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth” hosted by Mario Barth at the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas. My experience at the show was life changing- from artists tattooing with primitive instruments to sophisticated computer designed tattoos; the tattoo artist and patron community drew me in. While at the show, Mario and I got in to a discussion about laser tattoo removal and I informed him that I was thinking of purchasing a laser to treat unwanted tattoos. At the time, I simply assumed that most people who wanted their tattoos removed were ashamed or embarrassed, experiencing deep tattoo regret. Mario corrected me, “No, H.L., they want ‘Fresh Canvas’ for more tattoos.” His words altered my paradigm and served as the source of inspiration for the name behind my tattoo removal business at Las Vegas Dermatology- Fresh Canvas, Medical Grade Laser Tattoo Removal. I have discovered that many people are looking to change the words or images on their body in order to better express themselves. Whenever someone asks me about removing something that they had always thought of as permanent, I am reminded of Harry Connick Jr.’s song (and album of the same name), “Forever for Now.” With advances in laser technology, “Forever for Now” has become my go-to verbiage for unwanted ink. Lasers have unique properties based upon a number of factors- the wavelength of light, the amount of energy the laser delivers and the time over which that energy is delivered. By firing energy through a specific medium, a particular wavelength of light is emitted-Mediums include dyes, crystals, and gases. Each laser can only fire one wavelength because lasers fire energy through only one medium. My company, Las Vegas Dermatology boasts 2 Yag lasers; one Yag laser destroys hair follicles and blood vessels firing in the millisecond range 10-6 seconds; the other Yag laser fires in the nanosecond range 10-9 seconds, and it destroys tattoo ink. Firing in the nanosecond range is a really rapid way to deliver energy. It has to be fast as the target--in this case, a piece of tattoo ink--is very small compared to the hair and blood vessels. A nanosecond Free digital subscription at lvefmag.com
pulse should not affect the larger targets. Each laser is special in a number of different ways, and each laser costs around $100,000.Technology does not come cheap and technology in this case matters. A lot! In my clinic, I own four lasers for hair removal, blood vessel destruction, wrinkle removal, and now tattoo removal. Some people are just looking to lighten their tattoos to get a “cover up” placed in the area of unwanted ink, whereas others are looking for complete removal. In most cases, it takes 10-12 treatments (spaced 6 weeks apart) to remove ink to the point that nearly all evidence of the tattoo is gone- some lighter or darker areas may persist; whereas lightening of the ink occurs after each treatment. Recently there has been a lot of press surrounding the R20 method of laser tattoo removal involving 4 treatment sessions in 1 day (spaced 20 minutes apart). At Las Vegas Dermatology, we have taken to calling this R20 method the Rapid Removal Technique, and we are noticing faster results when compared with traditional laser tattoo removal methods. The risks are greater for rapid removal and include more lightening or darkening of the surrounding skin. So, when your tattoo has become a tired expression of something you once thought would be lasting forever, or your sports team has changed their logo, you’re ready to come in for treatment. I have a number of patients whose current boyfriend, girlfriend, or fiancé is refusing to move forward with the relationship as someone else’s name is on their lover’s skin. (A piece of advice, if you’re looking to increase the odds of your relationship failing, put your current partner’s name on your skin.) As fall approaches, now may be the perfect time for Fresh Canvas. 13
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“Connect to Fitness�(CTF) brings Las Vegas fitness professionals together for the purpose of education, socialization and increased exposure to opportunities in the field. For information about CTF, please contact Dr. Darian Parker at darianparker@gmail.com
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mind & body
By Kimberly Castello, E-RYT
all provides an opportunity for us to turn over a new leaf. It is a time to reflect on the seeds we planted in spring and redirect our focus to what lies ahead. Yoga means to yoke or union. It can be a path to developing physically and mentally. It can allow us to reap the benefits of the goals we set in the previous seasons.
Kimberly Castello, E-RYT Kimberly is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) with Yoga Alliance. She has been teaching yoga for 13 years. Her hallmark is vinyasa sequences with a range of asana options that vary in depth and intensity to meet the different needs of her students. Her focus on safety and alignment combined with restorative sequences allows her students to develop a deeper state of awareness, connection to their breath, and the ability to relax completely. Kimberly developed a 200 HR Teacher Training based on her vinyasa & restorative training.
Typically, there is a huge misconception of what yoga is all about. There is the idea that yoga is a religion and that all we do in class is chant. Another good one is yoga is too slow and “I can sit at home if I want to do nothing.” My favorite is “I am not flexible enough to do yoga.” Isn’t that a reason to come to yoga? The truth is yoga is whatever you want it to be. Yoga is something different for everyone! I have found that my students come onto their mats for various reasons. For some, it is to learn to touch their toes and gain more flexibility. For others, they want to work out, sweat, and are happy to skip the final relaxation (savasana) that can absolutely be the best part of a yoga class. I came onto my mat for the very first time merely for physical reasons. I lived at the gym and thought it would be a nice complement to cardio and strength. I loved to stretch so it seemed like a natural thing to do. Initially, I was a little reluctant to attend a class, as I thought it had something to do with religion. Thanks to the encouragement of a good friend, I attended my first yoga class 13 years ago and have never looked back!
“Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind,” The benefits of yoga go beyond what most people imagine. In addition to increasing your flexibility, it enables you to gain strength, balance, and overall can be wonderful for stress relief. Depending on your personality and what your intentions are with yoga, you can find a class that meets your needs. An active flowing (vinyasa) class would provide a workout while teaching breathing & proper alignment within the body. A restorative class encourages a deeper state of relaxation while creating a deep opening within the body. Learning to relax completely promotes better digestion, improves insomnia, and decreases fatigue. Regardless of what you are looking for out of your yoga practice, everyone can benefit from learning ways to preserve the muscles and joints.
Often, students do not realize the value of yoga until they have an injury that forces them to slow down. Eventually, my students begin to realize that it was not just physical flexibility that they were in need of. It is truly an eye opening experience when you begin to realize that yoga goes beyond the mat. Just as approaching a new season we begin to see subtle changes, that is how our yoga practice begins to unfold. What we often find through a yoga practice is that we can take what we have learned (strength, flexibility, balance, slowing down) on the mat and utilize it in our everyday life.“Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind,” Patanjali.
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17
Success story A familiar face to Las Vegas, successful bankruptcy attorney Anthony DeLuca recounts his summer adventure to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro
Anthony
Deluca
Top of His Game
aT THe Top of THe
World pproximately six months ago, I stumbled across an article describing a mountaineering extreme challenge known as the Seven Summits Challenge. This extreme accomplishment consists of reaching the summit of the highest mountain peak on each continent including Mount Everest. It has only been done by approximately 375 people. The idea of travel combined with exercise seemed like a fantastic combination. The problem of course was that I was slightly underprepared to climb Mount Everest. In fact, the last time I went on a “hike” was with my pregnant wife on a near flat trail at Zion National Park about seven years ago. It was about a half of a mile and took about 45 minutes. I started to do some research on which of these seven summits involved the least technical knowledge of climbing. In other words, which treks would not involve scaling the side of a mountain with harnesses as I dangled 2000 feet off the side? Although far from easy, Kilimanjaro at an incredible 19,300 feet seemed possible. Please do not confuse my statements that the least challenging of the world’s highest mountain peaks was a joke. I swam with a trainer five days a week, and I trained in high intensity crossfit training with a trainer five days a week. I was physically prepared but how do you train your body to adjust to hiking at 19,000 feet? In any event, I made up my mind and booked my airline ticket to Tanzania, the location of Mount Kilimanjaro. It was a seven day hike total to go up and down the mountain. On July 14, I arrived in Africa on a British Airways flight. However,
what did not arrive with me was my luggage including $2,000.00+ worth of equipment specifically for the climb to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. Basically, I had nothing but my carry-on bag. I had no warm clothes, hats, gloves, jackets, changes of underwear, soap, deodorant, sleeping bags, or any of the tons of dried food and many other necessities for such an endeavor. Most importantly, my medications for altitude sickness, malaria, dysentery and other Africa pleasantries were apparently sitting in London. For some bizarre reason, I anticipated something like this might happen, maybe Murphy’s Law, so I decided to wear my most important piece of equipment on the plane, my hiking boots and I carried my camera. The trip started out frustrating and very disheartening to say the least. Life is not perfect. On a brief side note, I earned a Masters in Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. One of the skillsets I attained from this very worthwhile educational experience was learning acceptance. At any given point, you can fight reality and curse things that should not have happened, how they should be different, and why life is unfair, or you can accept that life does not proceed according to your design and accept and deal with the facts as they exist. I was at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro facing an ascent to a place which geographically is rough, cold, and has little oxygen, and my gear was somewhere between London and Africa. These were my facts. There were only two options. I had to choose between borrowings some clothes from my African guides and roughing it in the truest sense or going home. Well, I didn’t spend thirty hours on planes and airports just to go home, so I packed what makeshift gear they could provide and started the ascent. One of the most amazing experiences of the journey is the change of the terrain as one ascends further up the mountain. You begin the journey in very tall, thick lush trees, and more of a softer mud earth. It’s almost pleasant and peaceful. The scene and the terrain changed almost daily. As we went higher, the trees became noticeably shorter and the ground started to become a little less forgiving. By day three, there was nothing but small brush and some rough gravelly trails that seem to go on forever. It was about day three that my mental fatigue started to set in. This was the day I started to wonder why the hell I was 10,000 miles+ away from home in three day old underwear traversing the side of a mountain in the middle of Africa. It was also about the time that my I-tunes music was about played out and was providing me neither distraction nor motivation. Day Four arrived. We were now at 15,000 feet. I was sitting at breakfast with the main guide while he showed me the attack strategy to reach the summit. He pointed out several rest camps along the way that seemed more frequent. The requirement for more frequent rests was to allow the body to acclimate to the higher elevation. We were already at 15,000 feet+. I inquired whether if we skipped a couple of these rest stops, we could finish the climb early. This thought process did not come to my mind because I wanted to be a superstar and reach the summit two days early. The reality was that the smell of the same T-shirt that I had sweated in for the last four days was making me gag. This explains the no –shirt picture not to mention, it really was “Africa hot”, no pun intended. I wanted nothing more at this point than a hot bath in a five star hotel, a massage, and room service. The guide indicated that if we skipped multiple camps, we could arrive almost two days earlier, but advised against such an aggressive schedule. He warned it would involve hiking seventeen hours on the last day and less time for the body to acclimate to the altitude. Altitude sickness ends the journey to the summit for many hikers on Kilimanjaro. Free digital subscription at lvefmag.com
This was the first time during the trip, or perhaps my life, where I wanted to simply quit something. 19
This meant that reaching the summit would be the next day. We arrived in camp around 4:30 p.m. on Day 4. We ate and immediately went to bed with the plan of waking up at midnight to reach the summit while the sun was rising over the Serengeti. We woke up, bundled up warm as can be, and began the very slow and arduous task of climbing at altitudes of 19,000+ feet. It was bitter cold and extremely dark. In fact the only light you could see was a trail of headlamps being worn by the other individuals who were presently ascending the meandering path and undoubtedly wondering what on Earth they were thinking when they got themselves into this mess. The trail seemed to never end and time was standing still. I began frantically counting I-tune songs, while calculating the average song length, the relative distance to the top, the approximate speed of travel, all to calculate how many songs I would need to listen to in order to find myself at the pinnacle of Africa. Suffice to say, there is good reason I am a lawyer and not an accountant. Based on the number of I-tunes songs I counted, I believed the time to be approaching 5:00am only to check my watch to discover it was only 3:30 a.m. This was the first time during the trip, or perhaps my life, where I wanted to simply quit something. Fortunately or unfortunately, that was not even an option. I couldn’t go back down, it was even further down to the last camp then up, and at the point, far more dangerous. The other two options were to journey forward or to just lie down and wait to die of starvation or hypothermia. I continued upwards. Every breath at 19,000 feet was exaggerated with a full deep breath in and a full exhale as if every step was doing leg lunges or a squat. One step after another up through the cold, never-ending blackness occasionally hearing one of the local Tanzanians say, “Polly,Polly”, which simply translated means “slowly, slowly.” Daybreak finally came. The most difficult aspect of Kilimanjaro is the mental endurance of continuing the paths. The paths literally feel as though they will NEVER end. Adding significantly to your demoralization is a series of “false peaks” as I like to call them. This is where you reach a point and look up and say “That’s it. I made it! I’m at the top!” You pick up pace, exhausting already tapped physical reserves and reach the “peak”, only to discover that it really wasn’t the peak at all. The peak is off in the distance about a quarter of a mile up…or is it?
1.
Ultimately, I reached the peak. There was no fanfare, ticker tape parade, streamers or balloons. There was no moment of reflection about the meaning of life, or what’s really important, or some fate-changing revelation. Actually, there was just a great big sign that said “Congratulations.” Subconsciously, I read “Congratulations Idiot. Now you have to climb back down the 19,000 feet.” In front of the sign was a line of people waiting to take their picture. The scene reminded me of all the parents waiting with their children at Disneyworld to get their picture with Mickey Mouse. As for me, I just wanted to take the darn picture and continue on my new goal of a hot shower, clean clothes, room service, a cold beer, and a massage. But eleven hours and 13,000 feet of rugged mountain stood between me and that fantasy. The trip was far from over. We were taking a different route down then we had taken up. Down is much, much harder than up. All of us have done a very hard leg work out and then attempted to walk down a flight of steps the next day. Not fun. Think about working out hiking eight hours per day for five days straight and then walking down hundreds of flights of steps for eleven hours straight to reach the bottom. By this time, my legs were jelly. The
Premi
um
first third of the mountain on the way down was gravelly, loose sand, which my foot sunk into and was double the effort to get out with each step. About this time, altitude sickness began to set in. My stomach felt horrible nauseous. The guides insisted that I had to eat something because of the calories I was burning. They tried to get me to eat a single square of a chocolate bar, the thought of which made me want to vomit violently. We started working in two man teams, going arm in arm down the mountain at an accelerated pace. It worked well for purposes of balance and once into a rhythm, we were bounding down the mountain at almost a light jog. That was the first three hours of the eleven hour descent. The second leg of the downward journey consisted of incredibly windy, rugged terrain, dense with jagged rocks and large boulders. The most apt comparison would be walking down a cobble stone road in Europe except it lasted for almost three hours and the cobblestones were a foot high, slippery, sharp, and looked incredibly painful to fall on. The final stretch brought us back into the forest section of the mountain. There were man-made steps in
the lower parts, some which were a foot and a half high. My foot would step down with a thud on to the next step. And then adding to my joy, the rain started. The trail became a very thick mud which my foot would sink in and pick up two pounds of wet sludgy mud with each step. This went on for the last four hours until we reached the gate signaling the end of my adventure. We popped open some bubbly, and took some memorable pictures with my rag tag crew of Tanzanian guides. Although rewarding and a unique experience, my first thought when reaching the bottom was that I swore I would never do any type of trip like that again. However, with time, I have slowly forgotten how difficult doing this trip really was and I have started eyeing my calendar for my next ascent in the Seven Summits Challenge. Will it be Aconcagua in South America or Mount Elbris in Russia? I’ll keep you posted.
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In the meantime, I am off training to complete the course for the Race Across America, a cycling route from Oceanside, California to my hometown of Atlantic City, New Jersey. I firmly believe life is about memorable experiences and continually challenging ourselves so that we continue to grow as a person. What will be your next great adventure?
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TRAINING
TENNIS IN LAS VEGAS
Jason Harman started playing tennis at Cimarron Memorial High School in LasVegas, NV. After completing High School he played tennis for College of the Desertin Palm Springs, CA, and University of Nevada Las Vegas. His first teaching position was for one of the top tennis resorts in the country, the Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head Island, SC, where he worked closely with the well-known Stan Smith. After 4 years of gaining valuable experience he made his way back to Las Vegas. There he worked for several tennis clubs including Darling Tennis Center, and Canyon Gate Country Club. He is currently the Director of Tennis at Club Ridges. He believes that every player has his or her own style, and tries to incorporate that into his way of teaching.
“Tennis is a fast-paced sport that requires a combination of many different aspects of fitness,...� ennis season is just about to start! Weather is getting cooler, kids are back in school, and Tennis Leagues for adults are starting to form. Tennis offers a wide variety of health benefits, helping you strengthen your heart and burn calories. You will build your fitness, probably lose weight and tone up, all the while having fun and meeting new people who share your interests. One of the great things about tennis is that it can be played at nearly any age and at any skill level. It is one of the rare games that let adults play a physical game without the fear of serious injury.
“Joining a tennis team is another great way to socialize and enjoy the fun side of the game.” Tennis is a fast-paced sport that requires a combination of many different aspects of fitness, making it a great all-around physical workout. Playing tennis regularly will increase strength, flexibility, speed and your coordination. Swinging a racquet for an hour or two works many muscle groups at the same time. It will help you tone your biceps, triceps, shoulders and forearms and will leave you stronger and more shaped throughout your upper body. The sudden and powerful movements you make in tennis, such as taking the first step towards the ball or changing direction in an instant, use every muscle in your legs. Because tennis is a whole-body sport and it involves constant movement, you can actually burn a lot more calories than other popular physical activities. Playing tennis may be the most intense, as well as fun, workout you will ever get! Tennis is also a very social game, too. You will meet a lot of people through interaction on the court. Some of the nicest people I have met and know, came from tennis. Las Vegas has endless possibilities to play tennis: public parks, country clubs and
indoor and outdoor tennis clubs. Most tennis clubs offer private lessons, in which you can learn the basics of the game: forehand, backhand, serve and volley. The price for a private lesson is about $60-$70 per hour, and you can share that with a friend to reduce the costs. Once you get comfortable with the grips and swings of the basics, you can think about attending some group clinics. Group clinic prices are around $10-$15 per hour, usually consisting of 4-8 people in a class. Joining a tennis team is another great way to socialize and enjoy the fun side of the game. Most country clubs in Las Vegas offer Women’s, Men’s and Mixed Double teams ranging from beginning to advanced level. Spring and fall are the two seasons to play on a tennis team. During a season you will typically have one group team clinic and one match per week. Tennis matches are played all over Las Vegas against teams of the other Tennis Clubs. So next time the opportunity arises to play, I encourage to at least give it a try, you might be surprised!
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TRAINING
Dr. Darian Parker
has over 12 years of academic preparation and working experience in the fitness, health and wellness industry. Dr. Parker earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Kinesiology from James Madison University. He earned his Doctorate from UNLV. Dr. Parker has taught in both the university and career college systems. Currently, he works for WTS International, a global leaders in spa, fitness and recreation management. He serves as the General Manager for Club Ridges and is a Corporate Fitness Executive for WTS as well. He also runs a fitness networking organization, Connect to Fitness in Las Vegas.
LESS CAN
BE MORE! n business some of the best advice you can give someone is to cast a wide net to capture as much business as possible. A successful business requires a substantial amount of networking and connection time. You have to get out there and make yourself available often to tip the scales in your favor. However, while this may be a good rule of thumb in business, it doesn’t necessarily hold true for exercise.
What? Shouldn’t more exercise be better for you than less exercise? Well, you might think so but the physiology of the human body and the latest research in fitness say otherwise. Can you do too much exercise and restrict the benefits to your body? The answer is a big YES! Although in our society obesity has become a major issue, we are beginning to explore the possibility of too much of a good thing when it comes to exercise. Certainly the goal is to be physically active. However, what happens when physical activity become overtraining?
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Current research from the American Journal of Physiology examined people who exercised for 30 minutes vs. people who exercised for 60 minutes. Amazingly, the people who exercised for 60 minutes did not have a significantly greater weight loss or change in body composition than those who exercised for half that time. So this study indicates that you can get the same results by doing less rather than doing more. And this research is actually nothing new. Several studies have indicated these same things over many years. So, why do exercisers continue to stress that more is better? Logic tells us that if you do just a little bit more, then you will benefit more. However, the concept of diminishing returns will override that. As a fitness professional I work with people who are looking for weight loss and need to exercise more, but I also work with people who are just looking to take their fitness to another level. Once someone gets to a good place with their exercise program I always see the same thing happening. More, more and more exercise. Greatly increased levels of exercise don’t always equal greater results when you are aiming for a peak level of performance. Human physiology and research tell us that spending hours running or lifting weights are gone. Less is more! Now don’t read this and ask, “Is a fitness professional really telling me to not exercise?” Of course not! Exercise has a tremendous amount of physical and mental benefits. Everyone -- and I mean everyone -- should exercise. However, everyone should exercise in a way that is smart for their body. No two people respond to exercise or recover from exercise the same way. Still, we know through years of research that if you don’t listen to your body and give it the proper amount of recovery, then it will not make the necessary positive adaptations. Conclusion? Work incredibly hard for a shorter amount of time and allow your body to get enough rest and you will see the results you want to see. Source: “Body fat loss and compensatory mechanisms in response to different doses of aerobic exercise - a randomized controlled trial in overweight sedentary males.” American Journal of Physiology. Available at http://ajpregu. physiology.org/content/early/2012/07/30/ajpregu.00141.2012.abstract?utm_ source=twitter&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_campaign=twitterclickthru
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Working Out DR. CARLOS VARELA
is originally from Puerto Rico. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science at Louisiana State University in 2002. From LSU, Dr. Varela took his passion for small animal surgery and exotic animal medicine to the Tuskegee University School of Veterinary MedicineWhere he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Tuskegee in 2006. Dr. Varela became the managing doctor of Camino Al Norte Animal Hospital in November of 2009. Dr. Varela’s wife is also a D.V.M. and they have a family of 3 dogs, a cat and a new human baby!.
with your DOG Every year I eagerly await the fall season to arrive and the summer heat to fade away so I can once again workout with my dog outdoors. As the head veterinarian at Camino Al Norte Animal Hospital here in North Las Vegas, I treat hundreds of dogs every week, and a large portion of those dogs’ ailments stem from the fact that they are overweight. Just like humans, obese dogs face very dangerous health risks, such as heart disease. One of the most effective (and fun!) ways to combat obesity in your furry friend is to integrate them into your workout routine. And since the weather has cooled, there is no better place to work out with your dog than the great outdoors. Before you begin a new workout program with your dog, you should pay a visit to your vet. Each animal is different and their exercise routine should be individualized based on age, breed and sex. It’s also important to walk through your dog’s medical history to see which forms of exercise would work best for them. Based on this information, your vet should be able to help you come up with an ideal nutrition and workout plan to get Fido in tip-top shape. Once you’ve discussed your dog’s health and fitness with your vet, it’s time to develop a workout routine that you can complete outdoors. Below are some helpful tips on how to develop an exercise plan for your dog that works for you: Around Your Neighborhood: For most of us, getting outside with your dog is as easy as stepping out the front door. Take advantage of your neighborhood by walking or jogging with your dog as often as you can. You can track your progress by seeing how far you make it each time. If you and your dog can only make it to the 3rd house on your street the first time out, try to reach the 5th house on your next workout.
Use Your Imagination: If you’re sick of walking your dog in circles around your neighborhood every day, start to think outside the box! Dog parks are a fun place to get to know fellow dog owners and to let your dog run around in the open. Another idea is to take your dog on a hike at one of our beautiful state parks such as Red Rock Canyon. Just make sure to always bring a leash and extra water so your dog stays hydrated. Workout AND Get Things Done: If you are facing a particularly busy week and you know you don’t have time to take your dog on long walks, integrate them into your errands. Even little things such as walking your dog to the mailbox can make a difference. The benefits of working out with your dog outside are endless. Not only are you preventing health problems for your dog such as arthritis, but you’re also getting a good workout as well, all while enjoying the great outdoors. This fall season, take advantage of the cool weather and grab your dog’s leash for a workout so you can enjoy your dog long into the future.
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Sports science
Tom Woods
is a former SNGA Professional of the Year and the author of True Golf, a guide to the natural rhythm of swing motion. tom@truegolfbook.com
PUTTING ON SECOND THOUGHT If you change your mind over your putt, you are 98% more likely to miss it! just wanted to get your attention. Of course, no one could possibly come up with a statistic so ridiculous, politicians excepted. So, have you ever stood over a putt after reading the break and determining the speed, and then just before you hit the ball, had a second thought,* and then in that unplanned instant, changed your mind which changed your stroke? That’s a simple question for all golf pros and amateurs. Let me guess. Your answer is yes. And, you probably did it a few times when you last played. When you have changed your mind over your putt and altered your stroke, do you usually make that putt or miss it? Let me guess. As we say in the game; “You dogged it”, just like the pros on TV every week! They jerk it, push it, and pull it because of that cursed second thought. Of course, some pros can do it twice in a round and still shoot 66, but they all regret changing their mind just like you do. Yes, you might read the putt wrong and miss it, but if you follow through with your intention you will have a positive learning experience. When you follow through with your first thought,** your mental
image of the stroke you have imagined as your solution and the resulting image of rolling the ball both become grounded into a single action memory. (This happens whether the ball goes in the hole or not, so watch it without emotion until it stops rolling.) This positive action memory becomes filed in your subconscious mind for future reference, and your mind is open and responsive to receiving feedback on this information. This is your attempt to create your ideal stroke, one you are training yourself to make again and again. This memory becomes a building block for a consistent stroke. But when the second stroke thought is added to the first, they combine to create a negative action memory, which only fuels more of the same actions. As I’ve said before, what you fear will come upon you. Considering your high failure rate when changing your mind at the last second, why do you keep on using the same strategy? Why do it if it does not work? Do you think that if you continue on this path that some day it will begin to work and the true line and speed will somehow be revealed to you as you stand over the ball, in some kind of magical moment, like sudden cosmic putting consciousness? Never. Ever.
With practice, you will learn to keep your attention on your intention, and quickly become a better putter.
So quit it now! Trust yourself to be able to follow through with your decision. This is absolutely required if you want to improve. Make a vow to yourself that on every putt you will simply go through with your decision regardless of how appearances may seem to change at the last second. With practice, you will learn to keep your attention on your intention, and quickly become a better putter. **Your first thought is a compilation of all of your viewpoints in reading the putt. It is your final stroke decision considering all factors. It is the thought you carry with you as you begin to line up to the hole. It is your imagined stroke and aim solution. *Your second thought on how to hit the putt is always fueled by doubt, a lack of trust in your ability, a lack of trust in yourself. It is focused on a single viewpoint over the ball.
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