Sport and Fitness Issue 13 Triathlon

Official Magazine of

Sport&Fitness Middle East

Middle East

ISBN 978-9948-15-428-0

9 789948 154280

Issue 13 Dh10; BD1; RO1; QR10; KD1; SR10; ÂŁ1.95

Play it. Follow it. Read it

Welcome to Sport & Fitness Middle East Exciting times for Middle East sport WHAT a few of months for sport in the Middle East we’re in the midst of. We’ve had Jo-Wilfried Tsonga getting his 2012 tennis schedule underway with victory in the Qatar Open, Tiger Woods in town for the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and Ethiopian long distance runner Ayele Absher smashing the record in his Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon debut with a stunning time of 2:04:23 – the fourth fastest marathon time in history.

Still to come we’ve got Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Co. battling it out for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, our cover star Faris Al Sultan and Team Abu Dhabi taking to road and water for the Abu Dhabi Triathlon and….fingers crossed, Sebastian Vettel and defending champion Fernando Alonso revving it up in the long awaited Bahrain Grand Prix.

The global sporting calendar is also in full swing and Djokovic and Nadal’s Australian Open final was nothing short of epic – Djokovic v Murray in the semis was none too shabby either for that matter and things are only going to heat up over the coming months as some of the big sporting calendars reach their climax.

It’s been sad to see that the spectre of racism has reared its ugly head again in the world of football – with Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Chelsea’s John Terry both accused of using racist language. It’s something we thought we’d seen the last of years ago, certainly in a football nation as well developed as England, so let’s hope the powers that be stamp it out quickly. Football did, however, show its magical side with the astonishing victory of the Zambia national team against the odds in the Africa Cup of Nations.

First they beat a star-studded Ghana team 1-0 in the semi-finals after Al Ain striker Asamoah Gyan missed a penalty. Then, against overwhelming favourites the Ivory Coast in the final, they came out on top in the penalty shootout, after Chelsea star Didier Drogba had also missed a spot kick in normal time. It was 19 years after a plane crashed and killed 18 members of the Zambia squad in the same town, Libreville, that the final was held.

Now, I’m not superstitious, but if that isn’t the hand of fate at work then I don’t know what is.

Speaking of football, we ran into former Manchester United legends Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke at a proam golf event held at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi recently so our quick thinking news hounds bagged an exclusive interview which you can read from pg 33. We’re also featuring football of a different kind in this issue with our exclusive interview with Kai Trompeter, Head Coach of the newly formed UAE Falcons American Football team, who play their first ever competitive match at the Dubai 7s stadium on March 17th. We’ve got the insane ramblings of Mixed Martial Arts star Chael Sonnen while Faris Al Sultan reveals all about his life as one of the world’s foremost triathletes along with a host of other meaty features for you to get your teeth into. There’s also all the usual health and fitness tips from the experts at Fitness First to help you on your road to self improvement.

We hope you have as much fun reading the magazine as we’ve had creating it.

Richard Bevan Editor

Page 1

Contents

46

Features 20

Bahrain Grand Prix

32

Cover Story: Faris Al Sultan

33

Dwight Yorke and Andrew Cole

37

Dakar Rally

41

Chael Sonnen

46

Victoria Leckie

56

UAE FALCONS

72

Welcome to America

After last year’s race was cancelled due to the troubles in Bahrain the region’s motorsport fans are waiting with bated breath to see if the 2012 event will go ahead.

The Team Abu Dhabi triathlon leader talks about his life’s quest to get to the ‘red line’.

33

SFME caught up with legendary Manchester United strikers at Yas Links Golf Club where they revealed their golfing obsession.

Tim Strurtridge reports from one of the most gruelling rallies of them all which broke new ground in Peru this year.

The most outspoken fighter in MMA shoots off about his eagerly anticipated grudge re-match with reigning middleweight UFC champion Anderson Silva and declares “welcome to the year two-thousand-and-‘Chael’.

The Fitness First sponsored athlete talks about her enduring passion for distance running.

An exclusive interview with Kai Trompeter, coach of the region’s first American Football team.

The SFME team go exploring on the East Coast of the USA.

41

Sport&Fitness Middle East Partners

Regulars 12

Sports News

16

Sports Calendar

53

Behind The Stars: Graham Anderson

A concise look at recent happenings in the Middle East and around the sporting globe.

A look ahead at what’s happening over the summer on the local and international sports scene.

In the first instalment of our new series we talk to top ATP Tour physio Graham Anderson who has worked with the biggest stars in men’s tennis.

52

62

ASK Hisem

Fitness First’s Corporate Wellness Manager answers your questions on how the growing sport of MMA can greatly improve your strength and fitness.

65

Fitness & Nutrition

78

Lindsey Vonn

Our guide to beating the bulge and keeping your body and lifestyle in tiptop shape.

We chat to delectable alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn.

58 72

air Matthias Dandois in action at the Marina Barrage, Singapore.

Page 7

earth Brook MacDonald rides downhill through the mountains near Queenstown, New Zealand.

Page 9

ice Fabio Studer shows his prowess on the slopes as he perfroms a 360째 jump at the Freeskiing Big Mountain Freeride in Silverton, Colorado.

Page 11

Photocredit: Damea Dorsey

NEWS

UAE TO COMPETE IN ARABIAN SAILING TOUR THE President of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation, Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed bin Saqr Al Nahyan, has revealed that the UAE will compete in the Arabian Sailing Tour for the first time in 2013.

“We want to make a strong impact when we participate … and will have a strong presence next year,” he said.

“Sailing has a great tradition not only in the UAE but the entire region. It is in the modern form now and that is even better for the youth.”

Sheikh Khalid also stated his opinion that the regional tour will continue to grow in the future.

“The Sailing Arabia started with six boats and this year there are nine,” he said. “That itself is an encouraging sign. The plan is to have a UAE presence next year and hopefully a few more.”

GYAN TAKES BREAK FROM INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL AL Ain’s star striker Asamoah Gyan has declared that he is taking an “indefinite break” from international football.

The 26-year-old, who has 59 caps for Ghana, was targeted for abuse by the national team’s fans after missing a penalty against Zambia in the semi-final of the African Nations Cup. He had also missed a last minute penalty in the 2010 World Cup quarter-final against Uruguay.

“Firstly it’s important that I express my sincere apologies to my country,” he said “I never intended to make a decision like this early on in my career. Psychologically I am down.”

Despite the shock announcement the Ghanaian FA’s vice-president Jordan Anagbla is confident that the striker will be back in time for the country’s opening World Cup 2014 qualifiers against Lesotho and African Nations Cup winners Zambia.

“He’ll be available – he’ll be there to play for Ghana,” said Anagbla.

CHISORA AND HAYE SHAME BRITISH BOXING HEAVYWEIGHTS Dereck Chisora and David Haye brought shame upon British boxing when they brawled with each other during the post-fight press conference following Chisora’s points loss to WBC champion Vitali Klitschko.

Chisora had already caused controversy in the build up to the fight when he slapped the Ukrainian at the pre-fight weigh-in – an offence which is likely to see his £100,000 cut of the purse reduced. He then mocked Haye, who was covering the event for a television channel, for the manner in which he lost to Vitali’s brother Wladimir last year in an attempt to secure an all-British fight with the former WBA champion.

The pair then squared up to each other and punches were thrown, with Chisora claiming Haye had “glassed” him and Haye’s manager Adam Booth also suffering a cut to the eye which he claimed was the result of being hit with a glass.

The pair now face the possibility of a lifetime ban from boxing although Haye does not currently hold a license having retired after his defeat to Klitschko before announcing he wanted to return to fight Vitali.

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

PORTUGAL REMAINS ON MOTOGP CALENDAR MOTOGP’s ruling body, FIM, has confirmed Portugal has secured a contract to host a round of the championship in 2012.

The Estoril event was included on the provisional calendar revealed last year, but subject to the successful conclusion of a contract.

On Wednesday, FIM confirmed the event will go ahead as planned on May 6.

Portugal has been on the world championship calendar since the 2000.

VETTEL THE NEW FANGIO RED BULL’S double world champion Sebastian Vettel reminds Stirling Moss of Juan Manuel Fangio, the Argentine all-time great who denied the Briton a Formula One title with his dominance in the 1950s.

Moss, generally regarded as the greatest driver never to win the Formula One crown, poured praise on the fresh-faced 24-year-old German with the mischievous grin.

“Vettel is a modern Fangio, really, in Formula One. I can’t see, other than his natural ability, how he is that good, how he can be that good,” said the 82-year-old Briton, his walking stick poised by his side.

“I think Vettel is quite outstanding, but then he has got the best car, which is fair enough because normally the best driver gets the best car.

“Fangio went around and took what he wanted and one took whatever was left.

“Where we’re lucky is that Vettel has a great sense of humour. He is a damn good World Champion. I can think of a lot of other people who get to that position and they don’t give back as much as they get out, but he really does.”

Moss was runner-up in the Formula One championship four times while Fangio, regarded by many as the greatest driver of all time and the Englishman’s team mate at Mercedes in 1955, won five titles.

Vettel dominated last season, taking his second successive crown with four races to spare and chalking up 11 wins from 19 races.

Page 13

BO THE MAN TO BEAT FOR DALEY BRITISH diving hope Tom Daley, who makes his first appearance in Dubai at the FINA World Diving Series on March 16-17 believes that current World Champion Qiu Bo remains his biggest rival for Olympic Gold when the Games are held in the talented 17-year-old Englishman’s homeland this summer.

“Qui Bo is definitely the one to beat,” said Daley. “It’s his to throw away, really. He’s got such a level of consistency.

He’s a perfect shape for diving. He’s short, powerful and he can spin really fast and enter the water really well.

“But it will be interesting to see if he holds his nerve at the Olympics because he hasn’t done an Olympics before. If you put pressure on someone and they don’t like pressure, then they can buckle.

“That’s the thing about diving. It’s so unpredictable. In the 2008 World Cup, Sascha Klein won the individual title and then didn’t even make the semi-final at the Olympics, so it’s one of those sports where you can do all the hard work but it all comes down to the 1.6 seconds it takes to perform each of your six dives.”

0%

calories

100%

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Š2008 The Coca-Cola Company. COCA-COLA,

COKE, COKE LIGHT, DIET COKE, the Contour Bottle and the Dynamic Ribbon are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.

Face of Fitness First’ Voted through Online Competition Fitness First Facebook Page Registers Over 10,000 Fans JAMES Llagas has been named the ‘Face of Fitness First’ after winning an online competition held through the Fitness First Facebook page. The competition urged users to vote for the image of their choice and Llagas was so keen to win he posted his picture entry onto the wall of all his friends. The step worked as he friends then re-posted the pic to their friends, inviting them to vote for him.

A member of the Al Hana Center Club, James Llagas joined Fitness First in May 2011. Since then, he has successfully shed 10 kilos and dropped down two sizes from an ‘extra-large’ to a ‘medium’.

George Flooks, Chief Operations Officer, Fitness First Middle East, said: “James Llagas was interviewed by a panel of judges from the Fitness First team and was chosen as the overall winner because he not only has an inspirational story to tell on his phenomenal weight loss, his strategy to earn votes was also very impressive. His passion for health and wellness make him the ideal brand ambassador for Fitness First Middle East.”

Through engaging the virtual community in the competition, Fitness First has also expanded its online fan base to over 10,000 users.

As an added ‘thank you’ to their Facebook fans, Fitness First Middle East are giving away 1,000,000 AED worth of one-day guest passes online. Their thank you campaign is in recognition of reaching 10,000 fans so they offering 10,000 1-day guest passes available for anyone to use in all Middle East clubs.

Fitness First’s 19th branch in the region recently opened doors at Oasis Centre. With more branches in the pipeline across the region, particularly the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Fitness First is dedicated to ‘making the world a fitter place’ with its state-of-theart equipment, fully qualified personal trainers and the latest group exercise classes.

For more details, call 800 FITNESS (348 6377) or visit www.fitnessfirst-me.com

‘Cycle the Seven Emirates’ Challenge concludes at Bab Al Shams

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

TO mark the 40th Anniversary of the UAE, Gulf4Good, organised a ‘Cycle the Seven Emirates’ challenge to raise money for charity.

The participants rode into Bab Al Shams on December 2nd after setting off from Al Ain on November 28th. All seven emirates of the UAE were visited during the expedition, covering a route of over 350km. Mountain paths and wadis were navigated and during the night they pitched their tents for some much-needed rest.

Organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and CEO of Emirates Group, Fitness First contributed AED135,000 through the event for the Al Manar Charity School in Ajman.

A seven-member Fitness First team, led by Chief Operating Officer George Flooks, participated in the arduous challenge while Mark Botha, Sales and Marketing Director, and Nathan Brown, Group GX Manager, were also part of the squad.

Single TUFF routine burns approximately 1,000 Calories FITNESS First recently launched an exclusive routine that will be offered as part of the Group Exercise schedule. The Ultimate Fitness Firster (TUFF) programme was officially rolled out last November and is a first-of-its-kind routine for the global fitness community – as well as Fitness First members.

In the run up to its launch, the routine was tested at Ibn Battuta, Dubai Festival City and Dubai Media City Clubs. The trial sessions generated positive feedback and drew in great participation from members, with the head count going up to 62 for one of the classes at the Ibn Battuta club. The revolutionary freestyle routine dramatically changes the shape of one’s body through a three dimensional plane utilising 50 per cent body weight and 50 per cent barbell or weight exercises. The optimum combination decreases body fat and increases lean muscle tissue to give the body a chiselled look.

Nathan Brown, Group GX Manager, devised the routine over 10 weeks with more than 200 participants volunteering for the trial classes. Examinations revealed that approximately 1,000 calories are burnt during one TUFF workout session among people in the 25 – 40 age group.

The functional training increases overall fitness levels and guarantees personal achievement and satisfaction.

George Flooks, COO, Fitness First Middle East, said: “The launch of our home grown GX product takes root in our philosophy of offering holistic fitness training rather than a mere exercise plan. TUFF will be offered as an exclusive privilege to our members. Following its Middle East launch, we look forward to taking the TUFF GX concept to Fitness First clubs worldwide.

“We are confident that the unique routine will gain popularity through its effective results, fun filled approach and ease of practice. We, at Fitness First, are committed to conceptualise innovative products and services as part of our objective to provide members with the best possible experience and outcomes.”

Nathan Brown said: “A lot of people think that joining the gym is good enough for achieving their fitness objectives. This is a huge misconception because fitness is about challenging yourself and trying new training techniques to push your goals and reach your maximum potential. This is one of the reasons I have devised the TUFF programme to help our members accomplish their desired results.”

Page 15

MARCH

March 16-18

Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne, Australia The Formula 1 season gets underway with Sebastian Vettel hoping to set to tone for another dominant season by defending his Australian Grand Prix crown. The German won 11 races last season as he took the Driver’s Championship for a second successive year. Past winners include Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso – Aussie Marc Webber would dearly love to win on home soil. His best finish is fifth.

best of the rest in March Badminton: 1-4th March Egypt International, Cairo, Egypt.

Football: 2-3rd & 9-10th March Power Horse Dubai Football 7s, The Sevens, Al Ain Road, Dubai.

Cricket: 26th March Test Match Series – Sri Lanka v England First Test, Galle, Sri Lanka

Swimming: 16-17th March FINA Diving World Series, Dubai.

American Football: 17th March UAE Falcons v Mersin Mustangs Dubai 7s Stadium, Dubai.

Formula 1: 23-25th March Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang, Malaysia.

Motor Racing: Mar 30th – April 6th Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Abu Dhabi Vehicles of all shapes and sizes take to the Abu Dhabi dunes for a five-day motorsport spectacular at the end of March in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

Roll up to watch motorbikes, quad-bikes, four wheel-drive cars and trucks battle through Abu Dhabi’s desert in an epic display of showmanship and determination.

17th March RUGBY: RBS Six Nations Final Round England v Ireland, Twickenham, London Italy v Scotland, Stadio Olimpico, Rome Wales v France, Millenium Stadium, Cardiff The final round of fixtures in the annual RBS Six Nations take place on the same day with England, Italy and Wales looking to take full advantage of their home matches and end with a flourish.

England were the victors last year for the first time since 2003 and are looking to win it back-to-back for the first time since 2000/2001.

Cycling: Mar 28th – April 1st Track World Championships, Melbourne, Australia.

Page 16

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

APRIL

April 5th-8th

GOLF

The Masters Tournament, Augusta National, Georgia, USA Golf’s Major season kicks off with the Masters at Augusta National with the world’s elite battling it out over four days for the coveted Green Jacket. Some of the game’s greatest ever players have triumphed over the undulating Augusta layout including Jack Nicklaus (6), Tiger Woods (4), Gary Player (3), Nick Faldo (3) and Seve Ballesteros (2). The last few Masters Tournaments have been memorable affairs with Phil Mickelson storming to victory (his third) in 2010 and Charl Schwartzel birdieing the final four holes to win last year.

best of the rest in April Cricket: 3rd April Test Match Series – Sri Lanka vs England Second Test, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Athletics: 6th April Dead Sea Ultra Marathon, Amman, Jordan.

Football: 17-18th UEFA Champions League Semifinal first legs, Europe.

MOTOGP: 6th-8th April Rd 1, Doha/Losail, Qatar.

Casey Stoner’s recent dominance in the season-opening Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar means it’s like a home from home for the Australian. Since Stoner has won four of the last five races since 2007 – including last year – with Italian legend Valentino Rossi breaking the run in 2010.

Formula 1: 20-22nd Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir, Kingdom of Bahrain.

Tennis: 9 - 15th April ATP Grand Prix Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco.

Formula 1: 13-15th April Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai, China.

Athletics: 22nd April Virgin London Marathon, London, England.

Football: 24-25th April UEFA Champions League Semifinal second legs, Europe.

Horse racing: 14th April Grand National, Aintree, England.

MotoGP: 27 - 29th April Moto GP Rd 2, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.

Page 17

Snooker: April 21st - May 7th World Snooker Championship The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England The biggest and best snooker tournament in the world has been held at the icon Crucible theatre in the heart of Sheffield city centre since 1977 and the cream of the crop compete for the most prestigious title in the game. Stephen Hendry has won it six times while Steve Davis and Ray Reardon have both won six.

Current champion John Higgins won his fourth last year.

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

REEBOK LAUNCHES GLOBAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN

S

INCE 2010 Reebok has been in partnership with CrossFit, a strength and conditioning programme based upon performing functional movements from real life such as picking up objects and climbing up stairs, pull ups and sprinting.

Now, following the success of the ReebokCrossfit Games and the shared vision of Reebok and Crossfit towards the future of fitness, the international sportswear brand is taking the partnership to a global level with the launch of ‘The Sport of Fitness has Arrived’ campaign.

A fully integrated marketing campaign, Reebok is aiming to change the way people perceive, define and experience fitness, and ultimately show the world that fitness can deliver everything they love about sport. In fact, fitness is a sport.

and activations. Secondly, Reebok will bring shipping containers, which serve as mobile CrossFit gyms complete with equipment for a 15 person WOD (Workout of the Day), to city centres around the world, and thirdly, Reebok will continue to demonstrate how “The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived” through creative executions for its key fitness products such as RealFlex and ZigTech.

“Fitness should be in all our DNA and as

Reebok has a heritage of empowering people to get fit – it is also part of the Reebok brand DNA”, said Reebok Chief Marketing Officer Matt O’Toole. “Today, more than ever, people are making fitness a part of their life. Reebok and CrossFit aim to stay at the forefront of this trend by promoting a more engaging brand of fitness. Together, Reebok and CrossFit will change fitness, and help make people physically, mentally and socially fit for life.”

There is a shift happening today in the fitness world that is born from the idea that fitness can be a sport – with all the elements that we love about traditional sports.

CrossFit is leading this shift.

CrossFit® At the centre of the campaign is CrossFit®, one of the fastest growing fitness movements in the world and a sport that is about community, competition and camaraderie – and delivers amazing results.

Reebok President Uli Becker explains the partnership: “There is a shift happening today in the fitness world that is born from the idea that fitness can be a sport – with all the elements that we love about traditional sports.

CrossFit is leading this shift. More and more people are coming together to experience fitness in a community environment, with shared goals, shared experiences, and a certain level of competition.”

So how will Reebok convince us that fitness really is a sport? Firstly, the campaign will reach us through a multi-channel, provocative offering via TV, print, digital and OOH media, as well as consumer events

Page 19

Reebok President Uli Becker

SEATBELTS FASTENED IN ANTICIPATION...

WILL BAHRAIN GP RETURN? THE news that the 2011 Bahrain GP was to be cancelled was undoubtedly, on one hand, a disappointing blow to race fans across the region but also a stark reminder that in the grand scheme of things, there is much in life of far greater importance than mere sport.

In the end common sense prevailed and it was the right decision to withdraw the race from the F1 schedule. The race has returned to the calendar for the 2012 season and motorsport lovers throughout the Middle East are waiting with bated breath to see whether it will go ahead as planned. There have been objections from some quarters on the grounds of the continuing instability in Bahrain but Bahrain International Circuit Chief Executive Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa believes that it is vital to the country’s economic recovery that the race, which is being marketed with the slogan “Unified: One nation in celebration” takes place.

“This race is such an important race for Bahrainis,” Al Khalifa said. “The economic impact of the grand prix runs into the millions of dollars and it ties us to the world in that we – this small island of Bahrain – are part of a very unique group and really become a world player with this race.

“So, as well as the benefits it brings to the country, we hope it can unify for the well-being of the kingdom.”

While there have been sporadic outbreaks of violence since the unrest which led to the cancellation of last year’s race, things appear to have calmed down and Al Khalifa is convinced that race goers and competitors will be perfectly safe when the race gets underway on April 22nd.

“Life has come back to normal, people are moving around without problem now,” he said. “I don’t see an issue. Obviously, there are always concerns and the authorities are aware of that, but my main concern is that everybody is secure in and around the circuit and I am confident we can provide that.”

“The grand prix for us is a world class-event and all world-class events will always have a small group of people looking to take advantage,” continued Al Khalifa when asked about the remaining threat from protesters.

“We take that very serious and have a strong team ensuring the safety; and I am sure the administrations are doing the same to ensure visitors are secure from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave.”

The race, which lost an estimated 1.74 billion Dhs when it was withdrawn last year, won an important ally when United Nations war crimes expert and chairman of the board of commission Cherif Bassiouni wrote to Bahrain GP Chairman Zayed Alzayani adn F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone expressing his support for its staging. “The grand prix is a significant national event,” he wrote, “which is of great interest to a substantial percentage of the population and all of its communities. It is therefore an event of deserved national pride, which you have used in this year’s launching as a way of promoting national healing and reconciliation.”

If the race does get going the 2012 Bahrain GP is sure to once again deliver a captivating spectacle.

2010 RECAP

Acting as season-opener for the first time since 2006, the 2010 Bahrain GP proved to be a captivating and dramatic affair. Sebastian Vettel took pole position and impressed in a blisteringly quick Red Bull car, leading comfortably for the majority of the race until a spark plug failure caused him to slow over the closing stages as Fernando Alonso got his Ferrari career off the perfect start with a winning drive on his debut.

Race Date:

April 22nd

Circuit Name:

Bahrain International Circuit

Number of Laps:

57

Circuit Length:

5.412 km

Race Distance:

308.238 km

Lap Record:

1:30.252 - M Schumacher (2004)

Venue Info:

Bahrain International Circuit / Gate 255 Gulf of Bahrain Avenue Umm Jidar 1062 Kingdom of Bahrain

2010 Bahrain GP Results Position

Driver

Constructor

Laps

1

Fernando Alonso

Ferrari

49

2

Felipe Massa

Ferrari

3

Lewis Hamilton

4

Time/Retired

Grid

Points

1:39:20.396

3

25

49

+16.099

2

18

McLaren-Mercedes

49

+23.182

4

15

Sebastian Vettel

Red Bull-Renault

49

+38.799

1

12

5

Nico Rosberg

Mercedes

49

+40.213

5

10

6

Michael Schumacher

Mercedes

49

+44.163

7

8

7

Jenson Button

McLaren-Mercedes

49

+45.280

8

6

8

Mark Webber

Red Bull-Renault

49

+46.360

6

4

9

Vitantonio Liuzzi

Force India-Merc

49

+53.008

12

2

10

Rubens Barrichello

Williams-Cosworth

49

+1:02.489

11

1

T: (+973) 17450000 F: (+973) 17451111 www.bahraingp.com

SEATBELTS FASTENED IN ANTICIPATION...

Bahrain GP – The Lowdown THE Bahrain GP has been running since 2004 when it made history as the first F1 race to be held in the Middle East. The race, which was won by Michael Schumacher (who else!) made an immediate impact by being named the ‘Best Organised Grand Prix’ by the sport’s governing body. With a 45,000 seating capacity, including 10,500 in the main grandstand and a plentiful array of food beverage and VIP hospitality suites like the eight storey Sakhir Tower the Bahrain International Circuit is a great venue for fans and corporate guests alike and in 2007 it claimed another award from the FIA when it was the first circuit to receive the ‘Institute Centre of Excellence’ trophy.

Giant run-off areas make the Sakhir track one of the safest on the schedule but also allow for daring overtaking manoeuvres and invariably a thrilling race. Fernando Alonso has proved himself the master in Bahrain with three wins – in 2005, 2006 and 2010. You won’t see the Champion doing the traditional champagne celebration but the non-alcoholic rosewater ‘Waard’ acts as a worthy alternative.

Past Winners Year Driver

Constructor

2010

Fernando Alonso

Ferrari

2009

Jenson Button

Brawn-Mercedes

2008

Felipe Massa

Ferrari

2007

Felipe Massa

Ferrari

2006

Fernando Alonso

Renault

2005

Fernando Alonso

Renault

2004

Michael Schumacher

Ferrari

Fernando Alonso Team: Ferrari Nationality: Spainish Date of Birth: 29.7.1981 Podiums: 73 Points: 1086 Victories: 27 World Championships: 2 Best finish at Bahrain: 1st (05,06,10) Three-time winner in Bahrain, Fernando Alonso won back-to-back Drivers Championships in 2005/06 with seven victories a season and was second in 2010 after five wins including his third in Bahrain. The 2010 race was his debut for Ferrari and last year he won once to finish fourth in the end of season ranking.

Mark Webber Team: Red Bull Racing Nationality: Australian Date of Birth: 27.8.1976 Podiums: 30 Points: 669.5 Victories: 7 World Championships: 0 Best finish at Bahrain: 6th (05,06) Aussie Mark Webber has finished third in the Drivers Championship for the past two seasons for Red Bull after finally realising his potential.

In 2010 he won four times and never finished outside the top 10 when he completed a race.

Last year he didn’t finish outside the top five in any race apart from Italy when he was forced to retire. He won the season ending race in Brazil to finish with 258 points.

Felipe Massa Team: Ferrari Nationality: Brazilian Date of Birth: 25.4.1981 Podiums: 33 Points: 669.5 Victories: 11 World Championships: 0 Best finish at Bahrain: 1st (07,08) Back-to-back winner in Bahrain in 2007/08, Felipe Massa’s career was dealt a major set back in 2009 when a loose spring from another car struck him and he suffered a fractured skull, ending his season early. Massa made his 100th start for Ferrari last season.

Sebastian Vettel Team: Red Bull Racing Nationality: German Date of Birth: 3.7.1987 Podiums: 36 Points: 773 Victories: 21 World Championships: 2 Best finish at Bahrain: 2nd (09) Sebastian Vettel dominated the 2011 season with an astonishing 11 victories, wrapping up the Drivers Championship with four races to spare. His worst finish of the season was fourth in Germany. In 2010 Vettel won the Championship for the first time with five wins including the final two races of the season in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

Lewis Hamilton Team: McLaren Nationality: English Date of Birth: 7.1.1985 Podiums: 42 Points: 723 Victories: 17 World Championships: 1 Best finish at Bahrain: 2nd (07) In 2008 Lewis Hamilton became the youngest ever World Champion in Formula 1 history after five wins and five further podiums helped him secure the title by just one point. Last year Hamilton was beaten by a teammate for the first time, finishing fifth in the final standings after a frustrating season.

Michael Schumacher Team: Mercedes Nationality: German Date of Birth: 3.1.1969 Podiums: 154 Points:1517 Victories: 91 World Championships: 7 Best finish at Bahrain: 1st (2004) German legend Michael Schumacher made a surprising return to Formula1 in 2010 after initially retiring in 2006. His results in 2010 and ’11 were impressive but his Mercedes car was well off the pace of the top three teams last year. Schummacher is a seven-time World Champion and known as one of the greatest drivers of all time.

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Jenson Button Team: McLaren Nationality: English Date of Birth: 19.1.1980 Podiums: 43 Points: 811 Victories: 12 World Championships: 1 Best finish at Bahrain: 1st(09) Jenson Button finished second in the Drivers Championship last year after emerging from the shadow of his team mate and compatriot, Lewis Hamilton. Button famously won the 2009 Championship with Brawn (formerly Honda) after winning six of the first seven races on the calendar.

Nico Rosberg Team: Mercedes Nationality: German Date of Birth: 27.6.1985 Podiums: 5 Points: 306.5 Victories: 0 World Championships: 0 Best finish at Bahrain: 5th (10) Nico Rosberg continued his progress for Mercedes last year with a steady campaign.

The young German had three podium finishes in 2010 on his way to collecting 142 points and finishing seventh in the Drivers Championship.

Kimi Räikkönen Team: Lotus Nationality: Finnish Date of Birth: 17.10.1979 Podiums: 62 Points: 579 Victories: 19 World Championships: 1 Best finish at Bahrain: 2nd (09) Kimi Räikkönen returns to Formula1 for 2012 after two years away from the circuit to pursue a career in rallying. Räikkönen won his one and only Drivers Championship in 2007 by a single point for Ferrari.

FARIS AL SULTAN

LIFE ON THE RED LINE Richard Bevan talks exclusively to Team Abu Dhabi Triathlon leader Faris Al Sultan about his career as an Ironman and his desire to come out on top at the forthcoming Abu Dhabi Triathlon.

F

OR Team Abu Dhabi Triathlon leader Faris Al Sultan it’s all about one thing – pushing yourself to that red line and staying there. Go too hard and your body gives up on you, too soft and you fall short of your goals.

Thirty-four-year-old Faris, whose father is from Iraq and mother from Germany, has been in search of this optimum state of output his whole adult life and he’s become pretty accomplished at finding it.

He did his first Ironman at age 19, won his first title in 2005 at 27 and the same year claimed the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. A string of victories have followed, including an emotional win in his German homeland at the Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt last year. But it’s the challenge of getting the best out of his own body that drives Faris above all else.

“This is part of the game and this is what makes it interesting,” he says as he talks to us from his training camp in Al Ain prior to the Abu Dhabi Triathlon. “To stay on that red line, where you’re on the edge of going too hard and blowing up – or going too slow and not

says. “To some degree you have to be light – but you can’t be as thin as a runner because then you won’t be able to swim. So you always have to find the right balance and there is not only one way or one body shape that leads to success.

“If you look at the winners from the last few years they’re all different shapes and sizes. Peter Reid, the thee-time Ironman World Champion, he’s quite tall and very thin; two-World Champion Chris McCormack is relatively big built around the hips which is strange for somebody who is running so much. So we all have different features and different body types and we have to compromise. This is the fun part. It’s not only about winning it’s about proving that your way of training, your theories are right.”

The variety of training involved in training for a triathlon is also part of the fun for Faris. “One of the best things is there is no average day – there’s no day that is completely the same as the other. Sometimes you get up in the morning have a small breakfast, then go for a run, then have a big breakfast and go riding, then have a swim in the afternoon.

“To stay on that red line, where you’re on the edge of going too hard and blowing up – or going too slow and not achieving what you could achieve – this is the interesting part and this is what it’s all about.” achieving what you could achieve – this is the interesting part and this is what it’s all about.”

For those who are unfamiliar with triathlon or Ironman (a longer triathlon involving the same disciplines) the events are a combined swimming, cycling and running race. In the case of Ironman, it’s a 3.86km swim followed by a 180.25km bike ride and then a grueling 42.2km run. Professional athletes like Faris at the top of the sport face a unique challenge in that they must prepare their bodies for the differing demands of each discipline. In a sense they have to become a ‘jack of all trades and master of none’, as Faris explains: “That’s the challenge and that’s the compromise that you always look for,” he

Gym Work “But another typical day might be that you get up in the morning, have a relatively big breakfast, then go on a six-hour bike ride and have a little swim in the afternoon. The fun thing with us rather than runners or cyclists or swimmers that just have one set very disciplined routine – we can switch it around and make it much more varied and interesting.

It’s not only that we can – we have to.”

He also believes that regular work in the gym plays a crucial role in getting his body into prime condition. “Gym work should nowadays be a base pillar of every athlete’s training regime,” he says. “Some athletes don’t do that much gym work but all of them should do

to some degree – myself included. It’s great for core work and I also do some work on the upper body for swimming but we don’t do that much leg work as the legs are already tired from all that running and cycling so you have to be careful with that otherwise you over-stress.”

Competitive Faris began his competitive life as a swimmer but entered the sport at the relatively late age of almost 15, “You don’t have a chance at that age – you’ve missed four or five years of intensive training,” he says. So he began running alongside his swimming training and did a marathon when he was 16 but this wasn’t enough for the ambitious youngster. “I looked for the next challenge because I simply wasn’t satisfied with running.

Then I saw some coverage of the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii and Thomas Hellriegel (the first German World Champion and Faris’ biggest inspiration) and that got me hooked.”

Faris admits it was the constant quest to find out where the boundaries of his physical capabilities lie that eventually led to him becoming a full time triathlete.

“I wanted to check where my limits are so I did it step-bystep. I trained more and I became more successful – I made mistakes as well – but step-bystep I became better and better and eventually it was time to become a professional.”

But while testing his body’s limits and getting the most out of it from a performance perspective has always been the big thrill for him, the German admits he’s never been tempted to attempt some of the more outlandish feats of endurance, such as a triple Ironman (literally three Ironmans back to back).

“To me there is a clear border,” he explains. “Ironman is so fascinating to me because I consider it to be the border between adventure and competitive professional sport. Every

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

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distance that is more than say, 15 or 16 hours, where you battle sleep deprivation – isn’t really competitive sport. That shouldn’t devalue what these guys are doing, it’s just different because different aspects come into play. And distances that are shorter than Ironman are ONLY competitive sport.

“Nobody would clap if Usain Bolt completed 100 metres in 12 seconds because it’s not about finishing – everybody can run 100 metres – it’s all about time, this is what counts.

With Ironman it’s different – on one hand it’s a competitive sport – about times – and we’re sitting in the wind tunnel trying to shave a few seconds off but on the other hand it’s still hard to finish. The finishing is, even for us who train so much, an achievement in itself. During the race we come to that point where it’s not obvious that we’re going to finish!”

Many people don’t find their way into Ironman until they’re in their late 20s and most don’t win a World title until their 30s but by the time Faris achieved his dream of becoming World Champion with victory in Kona, Hawaii seven years ago, he’d already been competing in the sport for eight years.

“With the other guys who are relatively old when they achieve success in Ironman – most of them have pursued short course triathlon or 70.3km careers first so the whole way they’ve conducted their careers is different. I did my first Ironman when I was 19.

“In the beginning I didn’t want to do triathlon – I was just interested in getting that title of being an Ironman finisher – that’s what inspired me. When I did my first race I was beaten up but also satisfied and hungry for

more. It was very mixed emotions. On one hand I was content with my performance but on the other I wasn’t at all so it was obvious that I would come back for more.”

Despite already being an accomplished Ironman competitor by the time he went to Kona for the World Championships in 2005 and being full of confidence after his first win in Ironman Arizona earlier that year, Faris admits to being left slightly bewildered by his victory.

Victory “I didn’t expect to win because I thought of myself as someone who was ‘among’ the best guys so to finally make it was something very special,” he says. “Everybody says that after a victory they need time to really digest it. I had this moment about six months later when I was at home in the shower and I thought to myself ‘I did it, I really did it!’ That was the moment when I finally accepted and was aware of the fact that I was the World Champion. There is so much that came with it. It changed my life.”

He went on to win Ironman Malaysia in 2008 and Ironman Regensburg in 2010 as well as posting a string of good results at triathlon events around world, but he was again surprised when he pulled off another huge win at the Ironman European Championship last year. It’s a race he wanted to win badly – firstly because it takes place in Germany and secondly because in his three previous attempts he had performed poorly by his own standards. Having turned up to the race with only a “mediocre” level of fitness he certainly didn’t expect to walk away as

“In the beginning I didn’t want to do triathlon – I was just interested in getting that title of being an Ironman finisher – that’s what inspired me. When I did my first race I was beaten up but also satisfied and hungry for more. It was very mixed emotions. On one hand I was content with my performance but on the other I wasn’t at all so it was obvious that I would come back for more.”

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European Champion. “I was sure that I would have the base to cover that race but I wasn’t sure if my speed would be sufficient,” says Faris. “I truly benefitted from the fact that it was a very, very tough race because of the conditions. It was 12 degrees and raining so everybody was suffering big time – I could simply withstand the suffering better than everyone else!

“It was a very emotional moment. I’d had three bad races in Frankfurt and I wanted to have a good race so badly so to eventually be able to win it gave me limitless pleasure – although it was combined with a lot of pain because the last 10km was so tough and my legs were super-stiff. In my long career it was the first time that I crossed the finish line and cried.

Special Race “The race in Frankfurt is pretty special because the finish line next to the Town Hall in the square gives you the impression that you’re in a football stadium with 20,000 people cheering you on. It gives you goose bumps just to be there. As a tri-athlete you don’t often encounter such a big crowd so it’s a very special race.”

The Abu Dhabi Triathlon team began life in 2009 when Al Ain resident Faris, whose father is good friends with Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority General Director of the Mubarak Al Muhairi’s family, decided to put a team together with fellow triathletes Swen Sundberg, Andi Bocherer, Ina Reinders and Andrea Brede. Having been looking for a team to rival the established Tri Dubai team ADTA were thrilled to support the venture and Team Abu Dhabi Triathlon was born.

The team, which now comprises Paul Ambrose and Kristin Moller along with Swen and Faris, has represented Abu Dhabi in triathlons and Ironman events all around the world, experiencing a great deal of success along the way. But one title that is missing is the Abu Dhabi Triathlon and having been consulted by the ADTA when they were germinating the idea of creating the race, Faris would love nothing more than to add it to his resume.

“For obvious reasons it would be extra special for me to win it,” says Faris, whose best result came in the inaugural race in 2010 when he finished fourth. “I’m a little bit

“The running is only half a regular Ironman whereas the cycling is a little bit more. In total it’s about a 7 hour race whereas an Ironman is about 8 to 8-15 hours race so it’s a little bit shorter. But the most important thing for the professional athletes is that the run is shorter because the run is what does the most muscle damage, so the event is able to attract a lot of pros who might not otherwise risk it so early in the season.” unhappy that in the last two years – myself and my colleagues were either not really super fit, because it’s very early in the season and we have a lot of things going on around the race, or somebody got injured. This year I’m in pretty good shape, I prepared earlier to make it happen and have a decent race. I hope it works out.”

The Abu Dhabi Triathlon, while not a full Ironman, features a 3km swim, 200km bike ride and a 20km run and Faris believes that it’s a race that plays to his strengths.

“It’s very cycling orientated and that’s one of my strong points. So the race itself, the distances suit me, but you have to be very fit because otherwise you simply get dropped at 140km in the bike ride – which has happened twice and I don’t want that to happen again.

“The running is only half a regular Ironman whereas the cycling is a little bit more. In total it’s about a 7 hour race whereas an Ironman is about 8 to 8-15 hour race so it’s a little bit shorter. But the most important thing for the professional athletes is that the run is shorter because the run is what does the most muscle damage, so the event is able to attract a lot of pros who might not otherwise risk it so early in the season.”

Whether he wins in Abu Dhabi or not – as always – Faris’s main goal, as he enters his mid-30s (considered by many to be the prime years of an Ironman competitor) is to get the most out of his body as possible and keep striving for that magical red line.

“I was in pretty good shape in the year 2004, 2005, 2006 – when I was on the podium in Kona three years in a row – and to be honest with myself I have to say that I’m not in the shape at the moment that I was at that time but that’s not to say that it’s impossible to get back to that shape and that level of fitness – that’s what I’m trying to do.

“I was close last year. I was in really good shape before the World Championships – not Hawaii winning shape, but top 5 shape. Unfortunately on the day itself I was unable to push myself to that limit.

“And maybe that also illustrates that even at the World Championships, even with good preparation and even as a good pro – it’s not easy to always go to that red line and keep it there.”

With the support of the home crowd behind him and the benefit of proper preparation this year, Faris is primed to hit the red line in Abu Dhabi, which could just see him first past the finish line. n

FARIS ON.....SFME readers interested in getting into triathlon People are sometimes a little bit scared about triathlon thinking that it may be something only for the very fit or the chosen few. But there’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of because everybody can run and basically everyone can ride a bike. Even if you might not be able to swim freestyle properly you can learn that and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t go for it. It’s a very healthy sport. With that change between running and swimming and cycling it’s a complete body workout. If you look at any race you can see that there are people from 15 years old to 80 years old who enjoy triathlon – people of all shapes and sizes.

Nobody should feel excluded from the fun.

1997 Ironman World Champion Thomas Hellriegel

He was a big inspiration – his dedication and his willingness to suffer in training and races was a huge inspiration. Although when I was on a team with him later on I didn’t agree with him on everything training-wise and nutrition-wise but still I learned a lot and I’m grateful that I had the experience to be with my role model in close quarters.

DIET

Our diet is pretty boring – most of us eat everything. Because we burn so much energy we have to eat a lot and we also eat a lot of what you would call cr*p – like sweets and sugary stuff simply because it contains high energy and if you try to get all of these calories in with potato salad you would eat all day and your digestive system couldn’t handle it. So to some degree you need those carb rich foods that are maybe unhealthy to people with a very sanitary lifestyle but are necessary to athletes who are, like me 70kg in weight and have an average sport output volume of four hours per day.

For our guide to what amateur triathletes should eat turn to the nutrition section.

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Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

&

COLE YORKE FAIRWAY FRIENDS They were one of the most feared striking partnerships in the world during their Manchester United heyday, terrorising defences up and down the English Premier League and all round Europe.

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DWIGHT YORKE

Dwight Yorke and Andrew Cole had an almost telepathic understanding on the football pitch – helped, some said, by their great friendship off it. Cole has five Premier League titles to his name while Yorke has three and the pair’s goals played a key role in the Red Devils’ historic Treble winning season of 1998-99 when the team won an unprecedented clean sweep of Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. Cole is second only to Alan Shearer in the Premier League’s all-time scoring list with 187 goals while Yorkie netted 148 times.

But, apart from working as pundits on various sports TV channels, what have they been up to since hanging up the boots? We’ll tell you what....playing golf! SFME caught off with the inseparable pair at Yas Links Golf Club in Abu Dhabi, where they were competing in the star-studded Emirates Airline Invitational.

SFME: How did you enjoy playing in the Emirates Airline Invitational at Yas Links?

AC: It was brilliant – a top, top day – me personally I was a Steady Eddy but the two pros in our group – Oliver Fisher and Thorbjorn Olesen – were unbelievable. Not just the way they played the game but the way they treated me – fantastic. I can’t speak highly enough of them, fantastic. It’s a great tournament, they’ve done a really good job. I spoke with James Bowring, the Tournament Director, to say thanks very much for inviting me because it’s not as if they invite anybody! To be given the opportunity to come out to the UAE and play golf with some top professionals is brilliant.

DY: It was magnificent. I think (tournament host) Abdullah Al Naboodah has created a first class event – you look at the players it attracts and some of the personalities who turn up. I can see why everyone is keen to play it! The whole set up – the food, the people – it’s all great and of course the weather is fantastic at this time of year. The event also raises a lot of money for charity which is great.

SFME: Dwight, you were a late entry into the event weren’t you?

DY: Yeah, I was only passing through to catch up with some friends and I was told about this golf tournament that was taking place. I’m bit disappointed that I was invited in the first place...no, I’m only joking!

SFME: Was it your old mate Andrew who told you about the event?

DY: I knew Andy was playing some tournament but I didn’t know which one. We’re out here in the UAE quite frequently and we play a lot of golf when we’re here so I’m delighted I was invited.

SFME: Andrew, it was your first competitive outing wasn’t it?

AC: It was but to be quite honest, you say ‘competitive’ but it didn’t feel like that because I felt so comfortable playing with the pros. They’ve got so much time for you they just put you at ease. Even though I’ve played in front of thousands before as a footballer I thought I was going to be so nervous playing in the Invitational but the pros made me relax straight away and it was a great day. Sometimes you might not get that but the two boys I played with were fantastic. It was my first ever pro-am it was

one of the best sporting days I’ve ever been involved in. Top drawer.

SFME: How did the nerves on the first tee compare to playing in the Champions League Final?

AC: Ha ha – well the Champions League Final was a bit different, it was my first Champions League Final and I was definitely nervous but at the Invitational, standing on the first tee, playing with pros and not being sure what it was going to be like, I was nervous. But I got my first shot away and then for the second one I was really relaxed and it just went from there and I really enjoyed it throughout the 18 holes.

SFME: What were your thoughts on the Yas Links golf course?

AC: The golf course is one of the best I’ve played on and I’m fortunate enough to have played on a lot of golf courses. I’ve played Yas Links quite a few times as I’m out here a lot due to media commitments. It’s always in tip top condition, the greens are always phenomenal and I just think the people around the place always make you feel very welcome. It’s a bit different to England where it can be very snooty when you go to a golf club. Here it’s very relaxed, you can chill out in your shorts, wear flip flops if you like, and nobody’s chasing you around the clubhouse telling you off.

I just think to play golf out here is very special.

DY: It’s amazing what they’re doing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi period let alone on the golf course, it’s just seems to get better every year. Yas Links is a great addition for Abu Dhabi. They’ve got the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship played at Abu Dhabi Golf Club and now to have this alongside it is great – it’s right up there with the very best courses in the world. I’m sure all the players who took part in the Invitational who hadn’t played Yas Links before left thinking it was a great course.

SFME: Dwight I guess, like Andrew, you’d played Yas Links before then?

DY: I’ve played here probably about 20 times before so I’m a bit of a regular around the place and I know where to hit the ball and where not to.

SFME: Did your local knowledge help during the tournament?

DY: Well it’s kind of intimidating when you’re playing with all these pros

and they hit it a country mile. You end up trying a little bit harder to try and catch up with them. I hit some good ones and some bad ones, bearing in mind that I hadn’t actually played the game in over two months. With the weather being so bad back home I can’t play at the moment…not that I’m making excuses!

SFME: Andrew, you only started playing golf three years ago are already down to a 13 handicap. What made you take it up after all these years?

AC: When I retired from football it was case of thinking, ‘What am I going to do?’ My wife asked me that question a few times as well – I think she wanted rid of me. Now she’s what they call a ‘golfing widow.’ It’s been a fantastic avenue whereby you can meet people and quite often they’re people who love football as well. We hold them (the pros) in the highest esteem as golfers but they also think very highly of us as footballers so it’s good. You get the banter straight away – they want to know all about what it’s like being a footballer but we’re more interested in talking about golf.

SFME: Dwight, I believe David Platt got you into the game during your Aston Villa days in the 1990. Did you play much during your Manchester United days?

DY: Yeah – I got fined by Sir Alex for playing golf once. Teddy Sheringham forced me into it! It was my first fine from Sir Alex because Teddy said ‘let’s go play’ one Thursday and it wasn’t allowed. The boss had spies everywhere so he found out. You live and learn.I’ve been playing a while but not really consistently. Obviously when I was playing football it was more difficult, time didn’t always allow it. But now I’ve been two years out of the game so I’m finding a little bit more time to play.

SFME: Andrew, did you never think about taking up the game back then?

AC: I never fancied it – I had been given loads of opportunities to play golf and it never floated my boat when I was playing football to be honest.

But I look at it now and think ‘you missed the boat there’. I’m kind of disappointed that I didn’t start playing a lot younger but it gives me the opportunity to work hard on something now and try and be as good as I can be.

SFME: What do you like about golf?

ANDREW COLE

DY: Golf is a great sport. It’s a sport that you can play at any age which is good when you’ve retired from football as unfortunately we don’t get to play that anymore!

SFME: A lot of former footballers seem to play golf – why is that?

DY: I think a lot of ex-sportsmen in general play golf. It’s the only sport really where you can be any size or shape and still play the game. It’s a game you can play until late into your 60s and still be competitive. I think it’s the competitiveness we miss as ex-footballers and golf gives us that.

SFME: Dwight, do you play with Andrew a lot?

DY: Not as much as we ought to but as I say, the weather’s shocking back home in England so you don’t have as much opportunity. Even when the weather’s good we both have fairly busy schedules but we’re neighbours – we only live about 300 yards from each other – so we do play occasionally.

SFME: How does golf compare to football in terms of its technical difficulty?

AC: It’s very difficult – when you play golf as an amateur you’re constantly thinking about what you’re doing whereas with football everything is natural. You think about it for a split second and then you go and do it.

When you play golf you might drive the ball and then you’re thinking about the next shot after that and what you need to do to execute it properly – you’re thinking all the time. To a certain extent football is reactive – you do something and then forget about it, you never think too far ahead. In golf you have to think ahead.

SFME: Andrew, you haven’t exactly got what you’d call a conventional swing but it seems to work for you?

AC: Well when you talk about a ‘conventional’ swing, I don’t think many people have one do they? As long as you get it round – everyone has their own swing. I think it’s a case of – as long as you don’t put too much strain on your body you’ve got half a chance. For me, it was a case of asking myself ‘can you get round and enjoy it and not slow people down.’ That what I was thinking before I accepted the invite to play at the Invitational but once I got into it, it just flew by.

SFME: Dwight, are you impressed that he’s got down to a 13-handicap in three years?

DY: He’s a bit of a bandit is Andy. He’s not been playing long but he’s doing alright.

SFME: You’ve had some pretty amazing moments during your football career – how does the thrill of say, making a birdie compare to scoring a goal in a cup final?

AC: It’s a big buzz. Making a birdie or even getting a par is a massive buzz. Obviously it’s different to the Streford End cheering your name or whatever – that’s playing football, something I’ve been blessed to be able to do. When I play golf I have to think about it much more so it’s a great feeling if I pull off a good shot.

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Fresh Ground

broken at the Dakar 2012 AS the Dakar Rally returned to South America there were plenty of new challenges for the competitors to face. For the first time since leaving Africa the desert classic travelled from coast to coast. The 9,000km race departed from Mar del Plata on Argentina’s Atlantic coastline before heading on a path towards Peru’s capital city of Lima and the Pacific Ocean.

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By Tim Sturtridge

As well as taking the bikes, quads, trucks and cars over the Andes Mountains and through the Atacama Desert the 2012 Dakar Rally broke fresh ground. Peru became the 27th country to have hosted motorsport’s toughest test of endurance. Among the tricky terrain covered by the Dakar was El Paso de San Francisco that connects Argentina and Chile. The mountainous pass sits an ear popping 4,800 metres above sea-level.

Just a couple of days into the 14-stage race it became clear that once again the bike race would be contested by Cyril Despres and Marc Coma. The daredevil duo had three Dakar Rally titles each before the start of this latest edition and the race was on for one to collect a fourth victory. With the lead changing hands right up until the final stages it was Despres who eventually got his hands on the prize.

“This is without a shadow of a doubt the toughest Dakar I’ve ever raced in,” recounted Despres.

In a freak of statistics neither Cyril or Marc have ever won the Dakar on two consecutive occasions and have instead been swapping the title for the last seven years. This fact gave Marc great comfort after having to stand beside Cyril as he celebrated his latest win.

Third place in the bike race once again went to Helder Rodrigues. The Portuguese biker has vowed to come back even stronger next year and finally break-up Marc and Cyril’s stranglehold on the top prize.

The car race welcomed back 2009 champion Giniel de Viliers and his co-pilot Dirk Von Zitzewitz. The pair had won the first ever Dakar on South American soil but arrived in 2012 with a car that was experiencing the race for the first time.

Despite this race being the debut of the Toyota Hilux the skills of Giniel, Dirk and their mechanics brought home the vehicle for a podium finish.

“It was an excellent rally for my copilot Dirk and myself, for the Toyota Hilux and the entire team we’ve had behind us the whole way,” said De Viliers of the pair’s third place finish. “To come here with a car that had never been tested at the Dakar and finish on the podium is absolutely brilliant. Next year we’re coming back to win.”

Another first timer at the 2012 Dakar Rally was Olympic medal winning ski jumper Adam Malysz. Expectation was intense as the highflying Pole got behind the wheel of his Mitsubishi Pajero. After getting a taste of absolutely everything the Dakar has to offer Adam was all

smiles as he brought his car over the finish line in Lima.

“The titles I won as a ski jumper made people expect that I could go to the Dakar Rally and win but just finishing the race on my first attempt feels like a victory to me,” smiled Malysz.

There were some tough times for Team Kamaz as the Dakar provided a steep learning curve for a new generation of Russian truckers. The retirements of Vladimir Chagin and Firdaus Kabirov saw some fresh faces sitting in the cabs of the big blue trucks.

Problems such as the disqualification of Eduard Nikolaev and truck No.500 in the first week of the rally were eventually overcome as Team Kamaz finished the race with their pride restored.

“We arrived at the 2012 Dakar Rally with a team of young drivers and it was important for them to get a feel for the race,” said Chargin, seven-time Dakar champion and coach of Team Kamaz.

“We ended up with three trucks in the top five but next year the podium will be all blue.”

One thing all the winners and the losers had in common at the Dakar Rally was the determination to come back next year for even more blood, sweat and gears.

UAE hopefuls Abdulla Alheraiz (driver) and Khalid Ahmad Bilal Abdulla Alkendi (co-driver) performed admirably in the Car competition. They drove their Land Cruiser Toyota to 30th place overall out of 78 teams.

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Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

Chael Sonnen Page 41

Chael Sonnen started his career in Mixed Martial Arts at the age of 19 after growing up in the small town of West Linn, Oregon. He wrestled at West Linn High School and was later an All-American wrestler at the University of Oregon. He gradually worked his way up the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) ladder before joining the UFC full time in 2005. With another ladder to climb Sonnen got down to business and in 2010 he earned a bout with Brazilian Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship.

Sonnen stepped into the Octagon with Silva and pounded him for four and a half rounds. The American looked sharper than ever while the Brazilian was strangely lacklustre. But in a split second while on his back, Silva slipped his legs round Sonnen’s head and left shoulder and forced a triangle armbar. With Sonnen choaking he tapped out and Silva kept the belt. The fight was named the Fight of the Year at the World MMA Awards and ever since, because of the nature of the defeat, the pair have been mortal enemies. Sonnen has taken every opportunity to give his opinion on the fight in California two years ago and in the run-up to the rematch later this year (in Silva’s native Brazil) you can expect more and more from the mouth of the Oregon native.

He might talk with the bravado of a WWE star but his record of 28-11-1 in the Octagon speaks for itself and since 2006 he’s lost just four times in 17 matches including the loss to Silva. he defeated Brian Stann in October last year and in January this year he unanimously beat Michael Bisping in a UFC Middleweight title eliminator.

SFME gets the lowdown on what makes Chael Sonnen tick and what he thinks of that fight with Silva. Expect fireworks.

Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen

The fight with Britain’s No.1, Michael Bisping, in January was close – do you think it was good preparation for the potential rematch with Silva?

What is the greatest obstacle that you have had to overcome?

We had no plan but to win. If we had to punch then we had to punch, if we had to kick then we had to kick, if we had to tackle him we had to tackle him but we had to win, we must find a way to win. I have never been hit in my life like he hit me. He hit me so hard I didn’t know where I was. He hurt me in my jaw and I felt it right into my toes – but I had to win. I had to walk through that stuff. I must win, I must find victory. I don’t care about injuries, I don’t care about broken bones. I’ve never asked for approval from an audience and I’m not gonna start now, the crowd at that fight sounded wise and they came over to a wise man – me.

How do you feel about that infamous fight with Anderson Silva two years ago?

In some parallel universe you can hit a man 300 times, he wraps his legs around your head for eight seconds and they call HIM the winner. On the streets of West Linn, Oregon that is NOT the rules.

I am the middleweight champion and I’m the best middleweight that’s ever been. He’s a thief. He’s got my gold. His 15 minutes of fame is up come June 2012.

The greatest obstacle – I can’t really think of any to be honest. I grew up on the other side of the tracks. I had a good family, good support system all around me. I was pretty lucky in that regard but I’m from the mean streets of West Linn, Oregan. You gotta look over your back, you don’t know what it’s like out there. It’s rough!!

Do you have a romantic side?

Yeah I like to think so absolutely, I do my level best. I’m not exactly a Casanova or a Don Juan or something like that – I’m from the mean streets of West Linn! I’m a one-woman man. I’m not one of these guys who needs a whole bunch a women, I don’t float around. I got myself a very nice young lady and I’m gonna keep a hold of her. I’m not one to shower her with gifts and I don’t want someone who needs things to keep her happy – be it given gifts or being taken somewhere. I’m not looking for a hired hand I’m looking for someone to go through life with. When Christmas and birthdays roll around, sure she’ll find herself some nice presents but I’m not buying friendship.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Anderson Silva’s name?

Fraud. Phony. Third thing that comes to mind: Paint your face like Mike Tyson, gain 100 lbs, sit in the second row and talk about when you meant something to the world because your time is over. Welcome to two-thousand-and-Chael.

Steven Seagal backs Anderson Silva – what do you think about that?

Well, I don’t know what he (Silva) pays for that but he sure does pays for that. I’m sure he’s got an endgame somewhere so good for him. I don’t really care – he wrote those guys a cheque and they say some nice things about him in the media.

What do you think of Anderson Silva’s credentials?

I am the UFC Champion. That belt is nothing more than a piece of tin around Anderson Silva’s waist.

I am the people’s champion and I’m the best middleweight to ever live.

WhEN was the last time you were scared before combat?

To describe the actual emotion that you feel going into a situation like that is pretty hard, it’s hard to put my finger on it. I think it’s an emotion that’s unique to itself – part of what you have to overcome, part of what you learn and learn to enjoy. It’s one of my favourite parts about the whole thing. A lot of people can be fighters but only one can be champion. Maybe I’m wired a little differently – but that’s the way it goes.

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Chael Sonnen What’s your position on Steroids in professional sports?

Well, there’s two things you can do if someone takes steroids, you can kick em out and throw them out forever. Or you can open up an all-steroids league and let the games begin! I really don’t care either way – put it in your body or don’t put in your body. One-on-one, two-on-one, five-on-one – I’ll make sure they all need 911.

Any plans to return to Amateur wrestling after your MMA career?

Yeah, with it being an Olympic year I get Olympic fever like everybody and I love it and I respect the sport a lot and I follow it close. So yeah I have fantasies about that, I close my eyes at night and see myself trying to make an Olympic team again.

Who do you consider friends within the sport?

There’s a lot of good guys on the roster. I’m very close to Jake Shields, Yushin Okami, Charlie Brenneman and Johnny Hendricks and I grew up in the same wresting club with Mike Pierce since we were young men. There’s a lot of great guys – Shane Carwin is an awesome guy, really smart and his wife is an absolute gem – which is rare for a fighter because fighters have awful taste in women!

You often get accused of talking up fights – trash-talking your opponents and mocking their credentials. What do you say to those accusations?

I am a brilliant man. It is something that has plagued me for a very long time – in my entire life I’ve never said a four-letter word. I don’t curse and I don’t talk trash. I’m not in the business to make headlines. I will share my thoughts and every now and again you get a guy in the dock who you want to fight. I’m sure there are loads of people who have somebody in their office who they would like to get in a fight with – the good news is that in my profession I can. That’s it.

name Three people who have existed in the world – past or present, who you like to fight?

I would give Hitler an ass-whipping, I’d like to go a couple of rounds with Osama Bin Laden. And there was this real jerk that cut me off in traffic the other day that made me slam on my breaks. I’d like to tell him that he almost hit me. I had the distinguished gentleman from West Linn, Mr. Danger Waffles with me, that’s my dog. And he almost came flying forward through to the front seat. And Mr Waffles hates to be disturbed while he’s having a nap.

To find out how Fitness First can get you in shape for MMA, turn to the Ask Hisem column.

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VICTORIA LECKIE

FITNESS First ambassador Victoria Leckie only started long-distance running to keep fit for her other sporting passions – mountaineering and skiing. But she quickly caught the bug,“it’s a brilliant metaphor for life because you get out of it exactly what you put into it,” and now the 35-year-old Scot is one of the region’s foremost athletes, excelling at a variety of distances and proving her ability to cope with different altitudes and terrains.

The Dubai resident, who grew up in Hong Kong, won her first marathon in Petra, Jordon in 2009 and then the following year claimed the Dead Sea Ultra – a gruelling 50km race, also in Jordon from Amman to ‘the lowest point on earth’, the Dead Sea. She topped that achievement last year when she was the first female finisher in the 2011 Sundown Ultramarathon – a 100km race in the heat and humidity of Singapore and ended the year by winning her category in the 250km Racing The Planet Nepal – a multi-day self supported race in the mountains. With barely a

pause for breath over the winter break she was back out in Nepal in January, taking second place in the 50km Annapurna 50. Sound exhausting?

Well all those who those who believe that such feats of physical achievement are the preserve of full-time professional athletes may be surprised to learn that Victoria still manages to find time for her work as a writer and PR & Marketing consultant and recently completed a Diploma in Sports Psychology.

SFME caught up with Victoria to find out why she does it.

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VL: I grew up in Hong Kong where there’s a very sporty / outdoors community. Just on leaving my house, I had hundreds of kilometres of trail on my doorstep. I swam very competitively (to national level) and did lots of other sports at school. Later, at boarding school in Scotland, I played the usual hockey and lacrosse. I would also ski regularly and loved mountain climbing. I’ve climbed three of the Seven Summits and lots of other mountains in Borneo, Nepal, Japan, France and Scotland. I started running really just to keep fit for other things, especially for mountaineering trips. It’s just so easy to fit in and you can do it anywhere. Soon after, it became a passion in its own right.

SFME: What is it about the sport that you love so much?

VL: Where do I start? I love that running is a great way to keep fit and embrace the outdoors. I love that it’s a brilliant metaphor for life because you get out of it exactly what you put into it. I love that a run can fix a bad day, a stressful situation or a broken heart. I love that no matter how often you run, no run is ever the same. Discovering new cities on foot or embarking on little adventures, even in your own neighbourhood is always fun and sets you up for a day of creativity and productivity!

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Victoria Leckie

SFME: What is your background in distance running – where did you grow up and how did you get into the sport?

Victoria Leckie

SFME: What impact can athletics have in teaching youngsters positive values in their lives?

VL: I think all sport has so many benefits that leak into every area of your life. Most of all, it teaches you that passion is never enough… you need to have commitment, dedication and focus to train, improve and succeed. You also need to be willing to sacrifice certain things which I guess boils down to how much you really want something. If youngsters can learn the value of hard work and dedication, be that through running or any other sport, it will stand them in very good stead throughout their lives.

SFME: What are your ambitions within the sport?

VL: The sorts of events I do are really more about the journey than the destination – it’s not a race from A to B, rather it’s a question of conserving your energy, fuelling well and having a great level of endurance. It’s also much more of a mind game. Your legs will only take you so far! My ambitions then are not to win more races but to pick great events in beautiful countries, to enjoy them and to finish feeling strong.

SFME: What made you want to be associated with the Fitness First brand – what makes them appealing as a gym and a sponsor?

VL: I’ve always loved Fitness First clubs and despite having tried so many places in the UAE and other countries, Fitness First has always been my favourite. The gyms are so well equipped, the classes extensive and fun, the instructors are great and the clubs just seem to have that ‘x factor’. The atmosphere is friendly and energetic so even if you arrive not in the mood to train, you leave feeling fantastic.

SFME: Talk us through your training schedule – what work do you do in an average day/week?

VL: I run most days, always in the morning, but the distance varies depending on where I am in my training. A few months before an event, I’ll increase my distance gradually and train with a pack on my back to build strength in my upper body. I try to stick to running on sand and trail as much as possible to minimise the pounding on my body. The couple of weeks before a race, I start to taper. I also work out at Fitness First a few times a week, be that cross-training in the gym or going to classes. I love body pump, combat, balance and yoga, especially yoga!

SFME: What exercises do you do in the gym that help you in your sport?

VL: I think all gym work helps – be it to build strength, improve balance and flexibility, strengthen my core or just to generally use more muscles than I do when I’m running outside. Right now, I’m loving the TRX and also the BOSU and Wobble Board, they’re great for core work.

SFME: What kind of foods do you eat when you are in training and when you are competing?

VL: I’m generally a pretty healthy eater. I love fish and eat lots of fruits and veg. With all the energy I spend though, I need a lot of calories every day. During an event, eating often is really a huge key to success. Once your glycogen levels are depleted, you rely entirely on what you’re managing to take in during the race. I prefer ‘real’ food to energy gels so have pockets full of dried fruit, nuts, snickers bars and jelly beans.

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MEN For strong and resilient skin.

Behind the stars In the first of our new ‘Behind the Stars’ feature, looking at the crucial people who support the world’s top stars on their road to success, we talk to leading ATP World Tour physiotherapist about his life working with some of the biggest names in tennis.

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SFME: How long have you been a sports physiotherapist?

GA: 25 years.

SFME: Which sports have you worked in over the years?

GA: I began in rugby then gradually worked with different sports including badminton, judo, boxing, korfball, athletics, football, hockey, triathlon, golf, and road cycling – all at national / elite team level. I then became more specialist in professional tennis, badminton and endurance cycling and have often been used to support GB squash too. Now most of my time is taken with tennis and badminton.

SFME: What elite athletes have you treated?

GA: I’ve treated many household names when working at the last three Olympics with team GB where as HQ physiotherapist I worked with rowers, track athletes, gymnasts and tennis players side by side. Now working in professional tennis I work with all the men on the ATP World Tour from Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafa Nadal to some of the lesser ranked doubles players.

SFME: You’ve got you own practice, Balance Performance, which has been established for 10 years, what services do you provide and who are your clients?

GA: Balance Performance provide a medically orientated multidisciplinary sports and wellbeing team (including doctors, sports physiotherapists, masseurs, strength and conditioning trainers, podiatrists, nutritionists) to treat injuries and improve the performance of the elite and the not so elite. Everyone is treated like an Olympic athlete at a level tailored to their needs, be it injury or improvement. We provide expert and professional analysis through biomechanical knowledge and video analysis – be it a tennis serve, a golf swing, a running style or even on-bike cycle analysis. Our speciality is rehabilitation – taking the client that bit further. Our feeling is that we need to turn an injury into a good thing and improve people 120% rather than just getting 70-80% better.

SFME: You spent five months last year working with some of the world’s leading tennis players on the ATP World Tour. Can you describe a typical working day?

GA: Yeah, it’s long! Get up, eat breakfast and meet with players – often at 8am.

Go to site and prepare players for practice and early matches. Help players with stretches and KT tape. Meantime I also have a long list of players with injuries requiring attention. Players playing on the day have priority but there is usually a queue. Once play starts (usually out about 11am) I’m then on duty for all court calls.

When called I usually have to stop treatment or player preparation and run fast to get to court on time. It can be busy if have 3-4 court calls one after another. This busy day continues until the close of play. Oh, and then I usually have to wait for a player to come back from media before I can treat them before we both leave site – often in the early hours of the morning.

Behind the stars

SFME: You’ve worked as Lead Physio at the Wimbledon Championships for the past nine years. Can you describe your most memorable experience?

GA: I guess it was my first court call on Centre Court. It’s a great place to visit, but far less to be put under pressure to show your skills to a packed audience!

SFME: Which ATP and WTA players have you treated over the years?

GA: Not many WTA players (although a few now seek me out for occasional assistance with their neck etc.) but I’ve treated nearly all the top 300 ATP players and still treat many of the past players/champions.

SFME: What are the common tennis injuries you see on a daily basis on the ATP World Tour?

GA: Well it’s like any of us who play tennis. It’s the usual back pain and neck pain. These top players push themselves so far they all stress their hips (usually non dominant side), elbows, knees and of course shoulders.

That’s not including the odd sprained ankle – we get through a heck of an amount of KT tape!

SFME: You worked at the US Open at Flushing Meadows for the first time last year, what was it like?

GA: Yeah it was my first time – I hadn’t even been to it as a tennis fan. I’m familiar with Wimbledon, being one of the organisers behind the scenes there, but this seemed so much bigger. The crowds were very unlike those at SW19!

SFME: What are the most enjoyable parts of the job and are their elements that you dislike?

GA: If you’re talking about the AT my main dislike has to be the travel (well the aeroplanes and airports) – although it’s the travel that brings me in touch with so many fantastic people from all walks of life around the world, and even in my gathering years I am still able to learn each day from other therapists from other countries.

SFME: Why is physiotherapy so important for amateur sportsmen and women as well as for elite athletes these days?

GA: Well, both get the same injuries and both want to win! The injuries are maybe due to intensity and the goal to win is definitely more financial with one group.

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SFME: In your opinion what are the long-term health benefits for people who have regular physiotherapy treatment throughout their life?

GA: My belief is that physiotherapy is not a role for repair only. In fact I get fed up patching the same people up sometimes. Prevention is the cure, that’s why the ATP physio team, including myself, are continually educating these elite athletes to self help themselves from recurring injury. Speaking with the coaches can also highlight technical and technique errors. All these points are with the aim to see us physios less.

But, when you slip up, fall, fracture, sprain, bruise or tire we will be there to help pick you up and get you out on court again.

FALCONS The man in charge of the UAE Falcons has big ideas for the region’s first American Football team.

SPREADING THEIR WINGS IN THE UAE

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

AFTER two years of hard graft things are starting to happen for the UAE’s first American Football team and head coach of the UAE Falcons, German Kai Trompeter, is delighted at the prospect of what lies ahead, starting with their first ever competitive match on March 17th.

“We’ve waited a long time for some action and now it’s about to happen I’m very excited,” says Trompeter. “We’ve had some hiccups on the way – a match we organised with a squad from Egypt has had to be re-arranged because a lot of members of their team have been called up for military service – but I’m looking forward to what we have planned and what is potentially in the pipeline for us.”

The Falcons have undergone a series of scrimmages in the UAE – a small exhibition game or small-sided practise match – but will finally get to lock horns with Turkish side Mersin Mustangs at the Dubai 7s.

The Falcons were formed in 2010 when The American Football Academy (AFA) in the UAE was set up by two

nationals who studied in the USA – Chairman Ahmad A.R. Anoohi and Athletic Director Sami Al Hashemi – and they initially installed Rex Stevenson as the man to whip any potential players into shape.

Stevenson invited Trompeter, a former wide receiver who fell in love with the game as a teenager in the USA, to coach the youth sections. When Stevenson moved back to the USA Trompeter was promoted to Head Coach and he is excited about the prospect of steering the Falcons to success.

“In order to form a team to represent the UAE we had a try-out in September 2010 which over 100 people attended,” says Trompeter. “We measured their performance data and from that pool of 100 we have maintained a core group of 30 players. Then in September last year we held another trial and 80 people came. Now we have a core of about 45 – many of them very talented athletes who have played to a high level before – all turning out for regular training sessions.”

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Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

One such player to have played to a high level is former professional Dustin Cherniawski who played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League – however he isn’t one to get padded up and take to the field any more. He retired in 2008 and coaches the Falcons alongside Trompeter.

The team might be primarily made up of expats in the region but there are four Emiratis who play for the Falcons including 25-year-old Khalid Al Qassemi, a private banker from Sharjah, who relishes the high-octane action.

learned

“I’ve taken some hard hits but I love testing my body to the limit,” says Al Qassemi, who learned the game while studying at the American University of Sharjah.

“Back when I was a kid me and my brothers would play wrestling and watch the WWF on television. We got some pillows, made our own ring and just went crazy.”

A love for all things physical makes Al Qassemi a dream for a coach and Trompeter is quick to sing his praises: “He doesn’t shy away from contact, he’s very physical and loves it.”

The other Emiratis are Hassan Salem, Nader Al Mahri and Abdullah Al Hosani and Al Qassemi enjoys sparring with his fellow nationals and everyone else in the Falcons’ squad in training.

“It’s such an adrenaline rush,” he says.

“It’s fun to get tackled and push people around and beat them up – I can’t wait

“At the moment there are a few teams in Saudi, Kuwait and Egypt and we’ll be looking to play friendly matches with as many as we can in the next 12 months in order to try and expand our team. to play in a full match against unknown opposition.”

Trompeter’s passion for the game might have been ignited in the USA but it was only when he returned to Germany that he began to play seriously.

He joined the Dusseldorf Panthers who played in the top league before going on to become player/coach and then moved on to full time coaching when injuries started to take their toll. He moved to Dubai in 2005 and has watched his beloved sport grow since the formation of the AFA. “After we have established the Falcons our aim is to share the sport across the different cities in the UAE,” he says.

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“We’re currently based in Dubai but using the basis of our current players we want to set up teams in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain. “At the moment there are a few teams in Saudi, Kuwait and Egypt and we’ll be looking to play friendly matches with as many as we can in the next 12 months in order to try and expand our team.

MIllions on TV

“In addition we’ve also been looking at the development of the Elite Football League of India (EFLI) which formed just last year. It is set to get going towards the end of this year and will be watched by millions on TV – not only in India but in places like Hong Kong and Japan.

“We’ll be looking into the possibility of playing a few friendly matches with some of the teams involved – perhaps even look into joining the league, who knows at this stage?”

For now though, Trompeter and the Falcons can concentrate on their longawaited competitive debut at the Dubai 7s.

“Entrance will be free of charge for everyone,” he smiles. “Finally after a few scrimmages here and there we can play against another team – we can really let our emotions out, take some hits and give some hits.

“Work is on-going to re-schedule our match with an Egyptian side – hopefully we will play the winners of a fourteam league they have there – with the possibility of it happening in April.”

American Football explained Each game features two teams playing against each other. Each team is allowed 11 men on the field at a time.

Any more than 11 could result in a penalty. Unlimited substitutions are permitted, but players may only enter the field when the ball is dead. Each team is comprised of an offense, defence, and special teams. If team ‘A’ has possession of the ball, they use their offensive team to attempt to advance the ball toward the opponent’s endzone. If team ‘B’ has the ball, team ‘A’ will use their defensive team to attempt to stop team ‘B’ from advancing the ball. If a kicking play is expected, both teams will use their special teams.

The object of the game is to outscore your opponent by advancing the football into their endzone for as many touchdowns as possible while holding them to as few as possible. There are other ways of scoring, but a touchdown is usually the prime objective.

Kickoff

A game starts with the kickoff. The ball is placed on a kicking tee at the defence’s 30-yard line, and a “placekicker” kicks the ball to the offense. A kick return man from the offense will try to catch the ball and advance it by running. Where he is stopped is the point from which the offense will begin its series of offensive plays. When a kickoff is caught in the offense’s own end zone, the kick returner can either run the ball out of the end zone, or kneel in the end zone to signal a touchback – a sign to stop the play.

The ball is then placed on the 20-yard line, where the offense begins play.

Down and Distances

All progress in the game is measured in yards. The offensive team tries to get as much “yardage” as it can to try and move closer to the opponent’s end zone. Each time the offense gets the ball, it has four downs, or chances, in which to gain 10 yards. If the offensive team successfully moves the ball 10 or more yards, it earns a first down and another set of four downs.

If the offense fails to gain 10 yards, it loses possession of the ball. The defence tries to prevent the offense not only from scoring, but also from gaining the 10 yards needed for a first down. If the offense reaches fourth down, it usually punts the ball (kicks it away). This forces the other team to begin its drive further down the field.

Progress

A play begins with the snap. At the line of scrimmage (the position on the field where the play begins), the quarterback loudly calls out a play in code and the player in front of

him, the centre, passes (or snaps) the ball under his legs to the quarterback. From there, the quarterback can either throw the ball, hand it off, or run with it.

RUN

There are two main ways for the offense to advance the ball. The first is called a run.

This occurs when the quarterback hands the ball off to a running back, who then tries to gain as many yards as possible by eluding defensive players. The quarterback is also allowed to run with the ball.

PASS

The other alternative to running the ball is to throw it. Or as they say in football, pass it!

Usually, the quarterback does the passing, though there are times when another player may pass the ball to confuse the defence.

Actually, anyone on the offensive team is allowed to pass the ball as long as the pass is thrown from behind the line of scrimmage.

A pass is complete if the ball is caught by another offensive player, usually the ‘wide receiver’ or ‘tight end’. If the ball hits the ground before someone catches it, it is called an incomplete pass.

TACKLE

The defence prevents the offense from advancing the ball by bringing the ball carrier to the ground. A player is tackled when one or both of his knees touch the ground. The play is then over. A play also ends when a player runs out of bounds.

SCORING

The object of the game is to score the most points. There are four ways to score points in football – Touchdown, extra or two-point Conversion, Field Goal and Safety.

A Touchdown is worth 6pts. The ball must be carried across the goal line into the endzone, caught in the endzone or a fumble

recovered in the endzone. It allows the scoring team an opportunity to get an extra point.

Immediately following a Touchdown the ball is placed at the opponent’s two-yard line and the offense has two options. Usually the offense will kick an extra point, also called the Point after Touchdown, Conversion, or PAT. If the offense successfully kicks the ball through the goal posts, it earns one point.

The offense can also score two points by running or throwing the ball into the end zone in the same manner as you would score a touchdown.

If the offense cannot score a Touchdown it may try to kick a field goal. They are worth 3pts and often are the deciding plays in the last seconds of close games. They can be attempted from anywhere on the field on any down, but generally kicked on fourth down within the defence’s 45-yard line.

A Safety is worth 2pts and occurs when the offensive ball carrier is tackled behind his own goal line.

TURNOVERS

While trying to advance the football to the end zone, the offense may accidentally turn the ball over to the defence in one of two ways: The Fumble When the ball carrier or passer drops the ball, that’s a fumble. Any player on the field can recover the ball by diving on it or he can run with it. The team that recovers a fumble either gets-or retains-possession of the ball.

The Interception An aggressive defence can regain possession of the ball by catching (intercepting) passes meant for players on the other team. Both fumble recoveries and interceptions can be run back into the end zone for touchdowns.

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THE TWO SIDES OF THE PLAY THE OFFENSE Whichever team has possession of the ball is the offense. While only the quarterback, the wide receivers and tight ends, and the running backs can legally handle the ball, it is the quarterback who is the leader of the team and the playmaker. In fact, he’s a man of many talents – he not only throws the ball, he outlines each play to his team.

THE OFFENSIVE PLAYERS * The quarterback (“QB”) passes or hands off the ball. * The centre snaps the ball to the QB and blocks the defence. * Two guards and two tackles keep the defence at bay. * Two/four wide receivers catch the ball thrown by the QB. * One or two running backs take the ball and run with it. * One or two tight ends block the defence and can also catch passes.

THE DEFENSE The job of the defence is to stop the offense. The 11 men on the defensive team all work together to keep the offense from advancing toward the defence’s end zone.

THE DEFENSIVE PLAYERS * Linebackers defend against the pass, and push forward to stop the run or tackle the QB. * The defensive line (ends and tackles) battles head-to-head against the offensive line. * Cornerbacks and safeties defend against the pass from the QB to the wide receiver and help to stop the run.

the

knowledge

ASK

Brought to you by

Brought to you by

HISEM Hisem Hagras – Fitness First’s Corporate Wellness Manager

Training for Mixed Martial Arts is an exceptional way of keeping fit and maintaining a trimmed body. The intense exercise and physical exertions that MMA fighters go through are a testament to their will and desire to be in as-good-a-shape as possible. UFC star Chael Sonnen is testament to that, as you will have already seen in our Q&A with the West Linn fighter.

The sport is fast growing across the world including here in the Middle East and, not one to fall behind with the modern trends, Hisem Hagras talks us through the benefits of training for MMA. Q: What is MMA?

A: Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a combination of Karate, Grappling, Wrestling, Tang Soo Do, Boxing, Jujitsu, Tae Kwon Do and more all combined in one. Mixed Martial Arts, in its modern form, emerged in 1993 through the Ultimate Fighting Championships and was based on pitting different fighting styles against each other with minimal rules to determine which system would be better in a real, unregulated combat situation.

Q: I am a regular gym user. How can I benefit from MMA training?

A: Martial arts are great for the body.

Regular training strengthens and tones the muscles and adds flexibility.

Training in martial arts gives you a full cardio work out. You can expect to greatly increase your strength and stamina and improve your hand eye coordination. Martial arts is a good weight loss programme as well because it becomes a complete system as when you combine physical activity and a healthy diet proper weight loss is assured.

Q: What does an MMA class look like?

A: A typical class will have you start with a warm up consisting of various stretching exercises, trunk rotations, jumps, squats and abs tightening exercises. Then there will be a series of movements taught and explained in full. Sparring is controlled and protective gear is worn, such as helmets, gloves and guards.

Q: I hear about Kettlebell being used in such training. What exactly is it?

A: Picture a black bowling ball with a suitcase handle on it and you have an idea of what a kettlebell looks like. A kettlebell is a big hunk of iron that comes in several sizes: 8lbs, 12lbs, 18lbs, 26lbs, 35lbs, 44lbs, 53lbs, 70lbs, 80lbs, 88lbs, 97lbs and for super strong men and women 105lbs! You can do standard weight training exercises with kettlebells such as: bench presses, curls, and rows. However, the unique value of kettlebells is derived from ballistic (fast exercise) work such as: snatches, swings, cleans, and jerks. In addition, to giving you incredible muscular endurance when done in high repetitions, with a proper nutrition plan any excess fat that you have will melt off rapidly.

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Q: Is kettlebell training effective for fat loss?

A: Yes, however pushing yourself away from the table more often and cutting crispy crème out of your diet is even more effective. Fat loss is 70% diet and 30% training – unless you are a professional athlete where training is your job. Do not kid yourself into thinking that you train like a professional athlete unless you are one. Kettlebell training can be a very effective way to ramp up your metabolism. However, anyone that tells you that you can lose fat with kettlebell training and a poor diet is doing you a disservice.

Q: What other benefits can I have from such type of physical training?

A: Strength, endurance, balance, confidence, and self-respect.

MMA training is a terrific way to exercise and strengthen the body and mind. Begin with a training programme today and start feeling and looking better!

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Triathlon Nutrition SUCCESS in triathlon competitions depends on several factors but specific triathlon nutrition could well be the most critical.

Triathlons are an athletic contest of three successive events – swimming, cycling and running – over various distances. The consumption of a healthy diet is essential for your body when put through these demanding activities.

Very few athletes realise the importance of a good, balanced diet but research shows that the most successful athletes more often than not comply with a strict and healthy nutritional programme. In order to get the best out of yourself you have to put the best into yourself. Maximise training by taking on board the right fluids and foods so that when it comes to competition you’re prepared to the best of your abilities.

Some of the best triathlon nutrition tips for beginners include the following:

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Triathlon Nutrition 1. Reduce your consumption of refined foods

Refined foods do not provide the necessary energy levels that are required for triathlon competitions because they contain sugar alcohols that the body absorbs rapidly, and they are of no value in terms of nutrition per calorie.

In addition, processed foods tend to stimulate blood-sugar levels and this can be detrimental to an athlete’s health. Refined foods also tend to cause inflammation of the muscles and joints – especially processed oils such as hydrogenated vegetable oils. Natural, unrefined foods that contain wholegrain ingredients are good choices for triathletes as they are rich in nutrients.

2. Don’t miss breakfast and eat little and often

Research shows that foods that are consumed early in the morning are more likely to become heat energy rather than stored as fat.

Skipping breakfast tends to cause people to overeat during the day and evening, which is a practice that leads to the storage of fats, because the body will not need the calories that are consumed immediately. Eating frequently and in small quantities is ideal for triathlon nutrition, as it tends to provide the necessary energy that is required at any particular time. Moreover, frequent eating constantly supplies the body with the energy that is required for training and workout sessions.

3. Balance in nutrition is the key

An athlete needs to incorporate a balanced diet in all meals at all times. During the preparation for a triathlon competition there is no room for compromise. Consumption of “junk” food is not encouraged. Triathlon athletes need to consume more proteins and carbohydrates, as these foods contain calories that are essential for the production of energy.

4. Gorge on fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables contain fibres that are necessary for the normal functioning of the body. They also contain nutrients that are effective in helping the body maintain fitness levels. However, you should avoid taking fruit juices, because they contain too much natural sugar and less fibre. Eating fruits and vegetables also helps in body recovery, especially after a training session.

5. Always drink more water

Water is so important for triathlon nutrition as it enhances exercise performance during workout sessions. It increases blood volume and lowers body temperature through hydration, and therefore, it improves performance. Sport drinks are often better than plain water since they contain additional contents that are more absorbable and have a better retention rate.

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JUST BREATHE How breathing can improve your health – and your happiness by Peewee Sanchez

Peewee Sanchez has been working for Fitness First for nine years and has been based in the Middle East for the last three. She is the regional yoga trainer for Fitness First and teaches classes at the FF gyms in IBN Batuta, Oasis Centre, Burjuman, Uptwon Mrdif, Sharjah and Deira City Centre.

She is keen to rectify some of the common misconceptions about yoga and gets an opportunity to do just that during the 11 classes that she holds every week. Sanchez is also responsible for the hiring and training of experienced yoga teachers for Fitness First Middle East but her personal mission is to promote yoga and its benefits to everyone willing to give it a try.

W

ith over 10 years worth of experience of teaching yoga, I can honestly say that one thing that can makeor-break a yoga session is the way you are breathing.

Sadly I often encounter people who have a lot of bad breathing habits when they first come to a yoga class and it is these habits that have an effect on the amount of stress they carry around their bodies. This in turn affects their health.

A lot of people come to me asking for help and advice on neck and shoulder pains, back ache, lower back pain, insomnia and anxiety. When I looked at the way they breathe the answer is obvious. When these habits were corrected the symptoms disappeared.

If you look at the way a new-born baby or young child breathes you can observe the ribs floating outwards and the belly softly moving outwards and upwards. This is a natural breath – the way we were born to breathe. However, due to our modern high-stress lifestyles, most modern people instead breathe very shallowly, through their chest and shoulders.

The diaphragm is the muscle of inhalation and it moves downwards when you inhale properly and completely. The stomach, liver and heart are connected to the diaphragm and as it moves down these organs are gently stimulated by it. You could say that the muscle ‘massages’ these organs, improving their function with every deep and full breath you take. The physiological effect of a deep breath can be felt as far into the torso as the lower back. Also, when a proper breath is executed, the shoulders remain at rest and

gently float away from each other as the ribs expand. The lifting up of the shoulders due to incorrect breathing his a big factor in stiffness in the neck and shoulders.

Finally, not being able to take a full breath means you are not getting the oxygen that your body needs. When you don’t get enough oxygen your body can suffer from the effects of oxidative stress. This means that free radicals – normally neutralised by oxygen molecules in your blood – are free to roam around and wreak havoc on your health. Symptoms of oxidative stress in people include: chronic fatigue, poor concentration and memory, thining hair, bad skin and premature ageing.

As a person who has been doing yoga for over 20 years and teaching for more than 10, the most important thing you must do to have a profound effect on your health is ‘Learn to Breathe Properly’.

Testimonial from Fitness First Burjaman member Peter Vivean: “What I learned from the yoga classes and instructor Peewee Sanchez at Fitness First has helped improve my life immeasurably.

Before I was a very anxious person. As a sales person I attended 5-6 meetings a day and I would drive everywhere to see corporate clients. My anxiety has been reduced drastically and for the last one-and-a-half years I have not relied on any tablets – it’s all down to the breathing techniques I learned at Fitness First.”

Additional information on breathing and yoga can be found at the following sites: http://www.womentowomen.com/fatigueandstress/deepbreathing.aspx http://www.naturalhealthcure.org/yoga-and-exercise/benefit-of-pranayama-breathing-exercise.html http://www.livestrong.com/article/391028-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-breathing-techniques

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A running schedule to help you to run 3 miles in just two months Many people don’t get the most out of running simply because they start off too fast and never get into a good rhythm due to impatience. Bodies rebel and then people wonder why anyone would want to do this to themselves.

THE answer lies in easing your way into a running programme. Gradually, and with the help of some jogging and even walking, a beginner’s programme outlined later will help instil some confidence and help you progress at a comfortable rate. The idea behind it is to transform you from a non-believer to a fully-fledged runner, running three miles on a regular basis in just eight weeks.

It is very easy to get impatient and feel temped to skip ahead, but you must hold yourself back to reap the rewards. Don’t try and do more – even if you think you can. If, on the flipside, you find the itinerary too strenuous, stretch it out.

Don’t feel pressured to continue faster than you’re able and repeat weeks if necessary, moving on only when you feel ready.

Each session should take about 20 or 30 minutes and be done three times a week. This just so happens to be the same amount of moderate exercise recommended by numerous studios for optimum

fitness. This programme will get you fit. Runners who do more than this amount are doing it for more than fitness, and before long you could find yourself doing the same as well.

Be sure to space out these three days throughout the week to give yourself a chance to rest and recover between outings. One thing to remember and remind yourself is to not worry how fast you’re going. Running faster can wait until your bones are stronger and your body is fitter. For now, focus on gradually increasing the time or distance you run.

There are two ways to follow the programme – measure the runs by time or by distance. Either one works just as well and you should choose the option that seems easiest to keep track of.

If you go for distance – just estimate. It’s not vital that the distances are exact. Before setting out make sure you’ve limbered up for five minutes with a warmup or walk or jog and be sure to stretch both before and after.

WORKOUT 1

WORKOUT 2

WORKOUT 3

1

Brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

2

Brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:

• Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) • Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) • Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) • Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)

• Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) • Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) • Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) • Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)

• Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) • Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) • Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) • Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

• Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) • Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) • Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) • Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) • Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

• Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) • Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) • Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) • Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) • Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) • Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) • Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

• Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) • Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) • Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) • Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) • Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) • Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

• Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes) • Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) • Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)

• Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) • Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) • Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) • Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) • Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) • Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 22 minutes) with no walking.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).

The final workout! Brisk fiveminute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).

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Coming to America

THEY say the USA is the Land of Opportunity and for the adventurous of heart this melting pot of a country certainly offers up a tantalising array of choice.

Having previously sampled the delights of the West Coast, SFME paid a visit to the East Coast to run the rule over three very different but equally intriguing destinations – Miami, the Florida Keys and New York and found plenty to keep adventure loving tourists busy on both land and water.

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Miami Beach Situated on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in Southwest Florida, Miami is divided by the Bay of Biscane with Downtown Miami on one side and Miami Beach on the other. Despite being only a few miles apart geographically the personalities of these close neighbours couldn’t be more different.

South Beach

Sun, sea, sand and beautiful people, South Beach, our chosen stopping point in the Miami Beach area, is where the cool (and rich) people go to be seen. You’ll no doubt be familiar with the iconic images of roller bladers and sports cars cruising along Ocean Drive, desperate for attention, from countless American movies. In fact, during our visit they were actually filming a movie there, but scratch beneath the somewhat superficial surface and famed celebrity hangout SoBe has much more to offer.

Play: The oceanside walkways that run right along South Beach make fantastic jogging paths with the dramatic vista and cooling breeze of the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the striking, iconic architecture of the famous Art Deco District on the other.

If jogging isn’t your thing there are plenty of other modes of transport available that are both great fun and good exercise.

DecoBike is Miami Beach’s official bike sharing and rental programme. There are 100 solar powered stations dotted around the city where bikes are cheaply available 24-hours a day for people to pick up, use for as long they want, and

leave at whichever station they like. Simply insert your credit or debit card at one of the stations and away you go – you can pay for a monthly membership or by the hour.

If you want to join the ubercool roller blade gang, check out Fritz’s Skate, Bike and Surf on Washington Ave for reasonably priced rentals.

There are also a number of companies offering Segway tours of the South Beach area so if you fancy seeing all the sights in half the time whilst having a blast, they can be a lot of fun.

Stroll down the Lincoln Road Mall in the early evening for a spot of shopping and soak up the atmosphere by stopping for a drink or something to eat in one of the countless café bars and restaurants Finally, you can’t go to South Beach without spending some time on the beach so join the hordes in partaking in a game of volleyball, football or Frisbee...or simply dive into the blue waters of the Atlantic for a an invigorating swim.

Stay: Sagamore, the Art Hotel One of the reasons South Beach features in the movies so much is its stunning Art Deco District and a tour of the area is a must. The glamorous deco buildings were built in the 1930s and 40s as a futuristic colourful symbol of recovery from the Great Depression of the 1920s and their protection and restoration was the key to Miami Beach

flourishing in the 1980s as it gave the area it’s own distinct, vibrant personality.

We stayed in the ultra cool yet friendly Sagamore, the Art Hotel. From the moment we walked into the minimally designed white lobby, with local artist’s works adorning the walls, there was a laid back, welcoming atmosphere to the Sagamore. It’s a boutique hotel situated right on the beach and all of the rooms are suites with plenty of space, while the impeccable design of the building’s exterior and lobby continues throughout the property.

We managed to bag a sought after ocean suite with a lovely balcony overlooking the pool and beach, perfect for partaking in a spot of people watching over a morning coffee. The staff at the hotel were fantastic and couldn’t be happier or more helpful yet unlike some places in America, they’re not at all ‘in your face’ and give you the space to relax and enjoy the Sagamore experience at your own pace. The food in the restaurant is wonderful and full, as you would expect, of delicious fresh caught seafood, while the hotel has its own designated private stretch of beach where you can kick back on a sun lounger and enjoy a drink in the pleasant ocean breeze.

Useful Contacts: Sagamore: Tel: + 1 305 535 8088 www.sagamorehotel.com; Miami info: www.miamiandbeaches.com; Fritz Skate, Bike and Surf: www.fritzsmiamibeach.com

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Downtown Miami Downtown Miami It may be separated from South Beach only by a thin stretch of water but Downtown Miami is a different proposition altogether. There’s a much more urban, businesslike feel to the place and yet with great shopping, a hugely diverse range of cuisine and a wealth of cultural and leisure attractions it’s well worth a visit for leisure as well as work.

Stay: Mandarin Oriental Our base in Downtown was the exquisite Mandarin Oriental. Situated on an exclusive private island just outside the city centre called Brickell Key, with its own private beach, everything about this hotel screams quality. Where the Sagamore is laid back cool, kitsch and arty, in keeping with its Art Deco surroundings, the Mandarin Oriental is all about refined elegance and luxury.

The fittings and furnishings in the bedrooms are of the highest standard and the view of the bay from the balcony is unbeatable – there’s nothing quite like the feeling of being in the middle of a thriving city but right by the ocean at the same time. The hotel has a fabulous gym stocked with all the latest equipment while there is a jogging track around Brickell Key, which we were able to easily navigate using the helpful map that was left for us in our room. The Spa is an absolute delight,

featuring floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the Bay and after a hard day’s sightseeing it was great to come back and have one of the expert therapists make the aches and pains magically disappear.

Outdoor yoga classes, Tai Chi and Oi Gong can also be arranged while the hotel’s pool, overlooking the Bay, proved to a wonderful place to kick back and catch up on some much needed relaxation.

A special mention must go to the Azul restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental. Seldom do you have a meal that is a real ‘experience’ but the combination of a spectacular setting, a great creative European, American, Asian fusion menu along with waiting staff and sommeliers who really knew their stuff made our visit to Azul truly memorable. The tasting menu is well worth a try but make sure you book yourself some sessions with a personal trainer in the gym as it’s quite a feast!

Play: The whole Miami area is famous for the amount of world class golf courses it houses and we couldn’t resist the opportunity to play one of the most famous tracks in the world – Doral Golf and Country Club, home to the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. It’s just a few miles outside the city centre and if you’ve got the nerve it’s an unforgettable experience trying to

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tame the Blue Monster (pictured above).

If tennis is your thing courts can be booked for guests at the Mandarin Oriental at the Brickell Tennis Club – one of the top clubs in the country.

There’s also some great mountain biking to be had just across the causeway in nearby Key Biscayne, an area of outstanding natural beauty with an abundance of fauna and wildlife and some truly spectacular views.

Useful Contacts: Mandarin Oriental Miami – Tel: + 1 800 526 6566 www.mandarinoriental.com/miami/ Doral Golf Resort & Spa: www.doralresort.com

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a series of small islands stretching out from the southernmost part of Miami and connected by one of the most unique roads in the world – the Overseas Highway. Each Key is different but all are equally beautiful and despite the close proximity to the metropolis of Miami there’s a much more laid back, tropical feel and if you love nature and the outdoors the Keys have much to offer.

Stay: Cheeca Lodge & Spa Islamorda, our base in the Florida Keys, is famous for having some of the best fishing in the USA but whether you’re interested in snaring a whopper or not the heavenly Cheeca Lodge & Spa is the perfect reason for visiting this beautiful spot.

The oceanfront resort manages to marry everything that is good about the Florida Keys – the super chilled out, close to nature, outdoorsy, hippy vibe – with a good dose of unashamed luxury. Hundreds of people get married at Cheeca Lodge every year and it’s easy to see why. If you close your eyes and imagine how paradise might look, it may be something close to this.

Set within lush gardens with fresh water and saltwater pools dotted around it’s got an almost Caribbean feel to it and the stresses and strains of everyday life start to drain from your body the minute you set foot in the resort. Our huge suite overlooked the pristine beach and the Atlantic Ocean where the hotel’s 525-foot private pier allowed guests to fish using complimentary fishing rods. This idyllic vista can be enjoyed while relaxing on the sizeable balcony and you needn’t miss out on the view when bath time comes either as there is a sumptuous round tub on the sundeck, perfect for watching the sunset of an evening.

Kayaks, sail-boats and windsurfers can also be rented from the hotel’s private beachfront and snorkeling or SCUBA diving trips can be arranged while there is also a whole range of land based activities to keep you occupied during your stay.

Our favourite was the Jack Nicklaus designed

9-hole Par 3 golf course but there are also tennis courts on the property as well as a luxurious spa, while bikes can be borrowed free of charge.

Islamorada is renowned as having some of the best fishing in the US and the hotel can arrange private charters where you can try your hand at reeling in a monster tarpon or a yellow tail snapper which will then be prepared for you at the Atlantic Edge’s Restaurant.

For corporate groups anything from scavenger hunts and fishing tournaments to sailing and raft building challenges can be arranged while kids are well catered for at Camp Cheeca. There is no town centre as such in Islamorada – all the restaurants, shops and bars are spread out along the highway making it potentially difficult for those traveling without a car – but a great service the hotel offers is to drop-off and pickup guests anywhere within a 3-mile radius free of charge.

Play: Islamorada is all about fishing! Whether it’s taking a charter and hooking a giant sail fish in the waters of the Atlantic or heading into the backwater to snare a bonefish Islamorada offers some of the most renowned fishing in the world.

We went for the slightly lower key (excuse the pun) fishing off Cheeca Lodge’s private pier before heading down to Robbie’s Harbour where we purchased a bucket of sardines and hand fed the giant tarpons! Islamorada also offers some great

eco-tours where you head out into the mangroves of the backcountry on a kayak to soak in the breathtaking wildlife with manatees, Pelicans, alligators and some truly spectacular scenery on display.

The 120-mile island chain of the Florida Keys is home to the USA’s only living coral reef formation so a snorkeling or scuba diving trip is a must and the array of tropical fish and weird and wonderful aqua plant life we encountered will live long in the memory.

With Key West only 1.5 hours down the highway we fired up the Corvette Convertible and headed down to the biggest Key of them all. Key West, home to Ernest Hemingway for more than 10 years, is where the real action in the Keys lies. For a great combination of thrill-seeking and sight seeing we tried a jet ski tour around the perimeter of Key West with Barefoot Billy’s which was a highlight of the trip and a great way to see the island. A whole range of watersports are available on this party loving Key – from parasailing to wakeboarding to jetpack rides (yes, you read it correctly!) but if you prefer something slightly more sedate Danger Charters offer fantastic sailing trips daily.

Tourist highlights include the obligatory visit to the USA’s southernmost point, which is just 90 miles from Cuba, a trip round Hemingway’s old home with its resident six-toed cats, and of course a taste of the famous Key Lime pie!

Useful Contacts: Cheeca Lodge & Spa: + 1-800-327-2888 www.cheeca.com Barefoot Billy’s: www.barefootbillys.com Danger Charters: www.dangercharters.com Hertz – www.hertz.com Florida Keys – www.www.fla-keys.com

New York After another exhilarating drive back up the Overseas Highway we hopped on a plane to the Big Apple and another complete change of pace and scene. New York is one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities in the world with every culture, cuisine and attraction imaginable right on the doorstep. Split into five distinct boroughs – Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and Statten Island – our stay focused on the popular Manhattan area, which is effectively an island with the Hudson River on one side and the Harlem River on the other.

Stay: Hotel On Rivington Just like its blossoming Lower East Side Manhattan location, the Hotel on Rivington is achingly cool. This place is pure hip, trendy New York through and through – even the staff look like models and pop stars! The boutique hotel is set within a 21-storey glass tower offering breathtaking unobstructed 360-degree views of Manhattan.

Clean lines and minimalist design are prevalent throughout the hotel’s rooms, which were furnished by renowned Paris-based designer India Mahdavi. Our ‘Unique’ room – located on the 19th floor – was surprisingly large for New York with spectacular floor-to-ceiling windows, even in the bathroom which featured a free-standing Japanese soaking tub enabling us to enjoy the wonderful views at all times.

The room was furnished with a sumptuous velvet sofa and chairs and equipped with a huge top-of-the-range flatscreen television, iPod docking station and Wi-Fi while the Swedish Tempur-Medic mattress on the bed was heavenly.

The lobby at the Hotel on Rivington is more like a trendy hangout than a traditional lobby – it even features a black pool table – but despite the ice cool appearance of the staff, we found them to be warm, welcoming and endlessly helpful when it came to deciphering the myriad of choices available for the ardent explorer on the streets of NYC. The hotel’s Co-Op bar-restaurant is fast becoming the place to be seen in New York with a regular stream of celebrity customers (during our stay American model and DJ Jessica White celebrated her engagement there). It’s not hard to see why New York’s glitterati have claimed Co-Op as their own – the American-Japanese fusion food

is delicious with a modern and inventive menu created by renowned executive head chef John Keller and sushi expert Stephen ‘Neo’ Wong set against the backdrop of a beautifully designed bar with an electric atmosphere.

Play: There is enough to keep you busy in New York for years and it would certainly take at least a dozen trips to really get under its skin but a great way to see many of the city’s famous sights and attractions in a relatively short time without spending a fortune is a by purchasing a City Pass.

For a one off fee of $79 we were able to jump the queue and gain entry into a selection of the most famous attractions including the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, American Museum of Natural History, The Rockerfeller Centre and the Guggenheim Museum.

A particular highlight was a white-knuckle tour down the Hudson to Ellis Island on the Statue of Liberty aboard The Beast speedboat. A unique perspective on Manhattan with plenty of photo opportunities whilst enjoying a thrilled packed ride at the same time!

New York is a sport lover’s paradise – whether it’s baseball, basketball, American Football, soccer or hockey there’s always a big game going on. You might want to take in a New York Yankees baseball game or head down to the Meadows Stadium Page 77

to see the New York Giants in the NFL. We were lucky enough to be in town when the New York Red Bulls were up against David Beckham’s LA Galaxy and were pleasantly surprised to see how much soccer is growing in this part of the world with regular attendances of around 20,000.

Central Park is an 843-acre green sanctuary in the heart of the city and home to a whole spectrum of sports and leisure pursuits. We went for the obligatory jog around one of the park’s many trails before catching our breath in John Lennon’s favourite spot, Strawberry Fields, opposite the famous Dakota Building, where he lived and was, tragically shot dead in 1980.

You can also hire a boat on one of the many lakes, and reservoirs or go for a bike ride while the Great Lawn is home to eight softball fields and several basketball courts.

Eat: After four days of dedicated sightseeing and sporting endeavour we decided to round off our trip by treating ourselves to a meal at the renowned Asiate restaurant. Situated on the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental, diners at Asiate are treated to breathtaking views of Central Park through huge floor-to-ceiling windows. The food is delightful with a seasonal menu utilizing local produce to serve flavours combining Asian and American influences while the service is top class.

Useful Contacts: Hotel on Rivington: + 1 800 915 1537 www.hotelonrivington.com City Pass – www.citypass.com New York: www.nycgo.com Asiate: www.mandarinoriental.com/newyork

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

L I N D S E Y

V O N N

YOU won’t find many people who slide down a snow covered mountain on two planks of wood quicker than the gorgeous Lindsey Vonn.

One of the greatest alpine skiers the world has ever seen, Lindsey won her 50th World Cup race at the famed Kandakar downhill course at Garmish-Partenkirchen, Germany in February. She’s second in the all-time victories list and last year became one of only eight women in the history of the sport to win races in all five World Cup alpine skiing disciplines Page 79

Nutrition Training Tips Equipment Style News / Calendar Events Adventure Features

SFME: Do you have favourite runs?

LV: My favourite ski run in the US is International on the front face of Vail Mountain. It has always been an iconic run; they recently changed its name to Lindsey’s. My favorite run internationally is tied between the race track in Lake Louise, Canada, and the race track in St. Anton, Austria.

SFME: What is the iciest run you’ve ever been down?

LV: Well, all of the World Cup race runs are injected with ice to make for an even playing field for all the racers. Injected snow is definitely the iciest condition I have ever seen. In fact most skiers and coaches can’t stand on the hill because of the risk of sliding down.

SFME: What is the coldest place you’ve ever been skiing?

LV: Levi, Finland, is always a very cold race. The temperature can get below minus 39 degrees Celsius.

SFME: What do you wear when it’s that cold?

LV: I make sure I don’t have any skin exposed. I wear fleece neck gaiters and heavy Under Armour long underwear.

Basically, I put as many layers on as I can. If I could wear boot heaters in my racing boots I would...but unfortunately my boots are too tight to fit them in.

SFME: What’s the best time of day to ski?

LV: Lunchtime! Everyone is inside eating and the mountain is wide open.

SFME: Skiers aren’t normally used to the kind of media attention you receive. Do you have someone who helps coach you on what to say in interviews?

LV: I have a pretty good support team with my husband, my agent, the US Ski Team, and all of my personal sponsors, but figuring out the right thing to say has never been that hard.

It’s pretty important that I’m always me, but I do take time before interviews to think about what I want to say.

SFME: What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you about skiing?

LV: Just point your tips downhill!

SFME: Is there anywhere outside the US you’d like to ski that you haven’t already?

LV: Funny as it sounds, I would like to try skiing in an indoor ski-dome. I heard the one in Dubai is pretty cool. It’s not the mountains but I think I need to do it at least once!

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