Terrified of lice? THESE are far scarier

/in , /by

Recently on social media, there’s been an uptick in the uproar about Washoe County School District’s policy on head lice. WCSD, like many other school districts, is following the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses who recommend that children who have head lice be allowed to attend school. There are a number of well-thought out, evidence-based reasons for this policy.

Reading through everyone’s comments criticizing the school district, it struck me as odd that some of these same parents weren’t as worried about their child contracting diseases that are certainly more contagious and definitely more life threatening.

Click here to read my thoughts on vaccine-preventable diseases and why we should be much more focused on them.

Celebrating 10 Years of Support for 1% For the Planet

/in , /by

Silver Sage  is celebrating 10 years of membership with 1% For the Planet, and has donated more than $116,000 to area environmental groups since January 2007 through this partnership.

By participating in the 1% For The Planet program, member businesses commit to donate one percent of their sales directly to the sustainability-oriented nonprofit(s) of their choosing, after 1% For The Planet has carefully vetted each nonprofit for track record, credibility and impact. For more information, visit http://onepercentfortheplanet.org/.

“More than ever, it’s important that we do what we can to protect the environment,” said Dr. Andrew Pasternak from Silver Sage Center for Family Medicine. “Donating to local environmental charities helps us make sure our patients can experience Mother Nature, which in turn helps their own health. It’s essential that we promote conservation in the Reno/Tahoe area.”

Organizations that have benefited from Silver Sage’s partnership include: Headwaters Science Institute, Truckee River Watershed Council, League to Save Lake Tahoe, Truckee Donner Land Trust, Lahontan Audubon Society, Tahoe Institute for Natural Sciences, Animal Ark, Center for Biologic Diversity, TAMBA, Peregrine Fund, Friends of Nevada Wilderness, Great Basin Bird Observatory, Reno Bike Project, Poedunk, and Truckee Trails Foundation.

About Silver Sage Center
Silver Sage Center is committed to providing high quality health care for the entire family. They treat the entire spectrum of medical conditions, ranging from simple ear and sinus infections to more complex problems like heart disease and cancer. For more information, visit http://www.silversagecenter.com.

The Science Behind Your Metabolism

/in , , /by

Endurance athletes have a number of challenges when preparing for competition. There is the sheer volume of training hours required for a four to six-hour event, but also how to manage intensity and fueling during workouts. Not surprisingly, performance is directly related to how well athletes understand their bodies’ metabolism and fueling needs, during training and competition.

An important predictor of your ability to finish strong in longer races is how well your body utilizes fat as a fuel source. Understanding your metabolic rate and how to maximize metabolic efficiency is useful for any athlete, but particularly for those focused on endurance events.

Fortunately for local athletes, Silver Sage Sports & Fitness Lab is equipped with the gold-standard in metabolic efficiency testing equipment and the science and knowledge to extrapolate and analyze the resulting data, to further focus your workouts and maximize your training investment.

This data is valuable when properly implemented, meaning the individual’s results are combined with the individual’s fitness goals to create a training program that phases proper nutrition with appropriate training to maximize the metabolic benefits.

Silver Sage metabolic testing provides you with the specific heart rate, power and/or pace to help you scientifically focus your workout. At the end of the assessment, you will know:

  • Caloric expenditure at various heart rates and intensities
  • How to preserve carb stores in order to decrease the amount of fuel replenishment required
  • How to increase fat as fuel, so you can perform workloads faster, longer
  • Lactate levels for your various metabolic zones

During a long race, or even a long training session, it’s impossible to ingest as many calories as you’re burning. As a result, your body depends on breaking down fat to get more energy.

“If you find yourself bonking during an event, or having gastrointestinal distress during races, our assessment will give you the information you need to improve your ability to utilize your on-board energy sources,” explains Silver Sage Sports & Fitness Lab Director Julie Young.

Professional XTERRA triathlete and professional mountain biker on the Sierra Endurance Sports Team, Suzie Snyder, gets the data she needs to maximize her training.

Professional XTERRA triathlete and professional mountain biker on the Sierra Endurance Sports Team, Suzie Snyder, gets the data she needs to maximize her training.

Suzie Snyder is a professional XTERRA triathlete and professional mountain biker on the Sierra Endurance Sports Team, as well as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). She began working with Silver Sage in early 2016. “I knew the importance of training easier between closely spaced races, but I didn’t have the data I needed until I started working with Julie at Silver Sage,” she says. “Once I completed the metabolic efficiency evaluation, I adjusted my training accordingly and I definitely saw a difference when I competed.”

Young explains, “When you’re training for an endurance sport, it’s even more important to understand how your body is expending calories and preserving carbs. With this assessment, an athlete can better understand how to increase fat as fuel, reducing the need to ingest calories. All of this can shave time off a race, while also helping with healthy weight management.”

In 2015, Snyder was having her best season yet as a pro, winning XTERRA New Zealand and the XTERRA East Championship. But then she fractured her pelvis, cutting her season short. After spending 9 months recovering, Snyder competed at XTERRA Oak Mountain in May 2016. She won handily and, according to Slowtwitch.com, held a women’s best 22:33 swim split followed by the women’s fastest 1:35:36 mountain bike split—2:28 faster than nearest challenger, Maia Ignatz. This year, Snyder also earned her professional mountain bike license by winning the first three national qualifying races she entered—all by significant margins.

We can’t promise Suzie Snyder-level performance for all athletes who do metabolic efficiency, but we do guarantee that the data you collect will enable you to improve the way you train and perform. Click here to see a sample metabolic efficiency test.

If you’re interested in finding out how this simple test can up your performance, call us at 530-448-0498.

We’re Offering a 20% Donation to Bike Like A Girl

/in , /by

Silver Sage Sports & Fitness Lab is now offering a 20 percent donation to Bike Like A Girl for anyone who mentions Bike Like A Girl when they sign up for physiologic testing, bike fitting, gait analysis or a year of coaching, paid in full.

Bike Like A Girl organizers Julie Young, Michelle Faurot and Sian Turner formed the organization with a mission of creating an environment for girls that promotes social and emotional learning, as well as a lifelong love of cycling. Since then, they have added in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) elements like understanding the math involved in planning bike trips and engineering in repairing bikes.

“It’s more than just learning how to ride a bike,” Young explained. “It’s about the self-esteem, confidence and empowerment that comes from the power of sport. We want to develop lifelong athletes.”

Bike Like A Girl started in Reno, will expand to Roseville and then the sky is the limit. “We’re working with educators on the STEM aspects, as well as psychologists to help with confidence-building, then we’ll create a template that can be picked up and used anywhere in the country,” Faurot said.

For the inaugural Bike Like A Girl program, eight girls, ages 10 to 12, were recruited from local Girl Scout and soccer programs. During the four-week program that ended in November 2015, the girls learned cycling skills, mechanics, safety, rules of the road, and engineering skills to design their own obstacle courses.

The three women are currently recruiting female cyclists to act as instructors and mentors, while also reaching out to potential sponsoring organizations. “It can be a cost-prohibitive sport and we don’t want a girl to be left out because she can’t afford a bike,” Turner said. “So we want to partner with organizations that share our goal of helping girls become healthy, well-balanced young women.”

For more information on Bike Like A Girl, visit https://www.facebook.com/Bike-Like-a-Girl.

For more information on Silver Sage, visit www.silversagecenter.com/sports-and-fitness.

 

 

Holiday Special

/in , , , , /by

SS_151663 - Christmas Facebook Campaign_p1.2_Page_3

Give the gift of fitness. 

This month, give the gift of fitness and performance and you’ll be rewarded all year long. Let us know you’re buying your package as a holiday gift and we’ll give you 10% off the total!

To order your gift certificate and get your 10% discount,

please contact Julie Young at jyoung@o2fitness.net.

Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers. 

Former Teammates, Team Up To Conduct World-Class Training Camps

/in , , /by

304_julie_bike-2

Michael Sayers, current U23 National Team Director and former BMC Team director and professional cyclist and Julie Young, current Director of Silver Sage Sports and Fitness Lab, former US National A-Team member, World Championship Team member and Grand Tour winner have teamed-up again to provide a unique opportunity to experience World Tour level training camps.

Gila Photo

Mike and Julie have created a robust training camp, enriched by their experience, knowledge and insights based on cycling success at the elite international level. As top US professionals and National team riders, they worked with the sport’s most prominent physiologists, coaches and biomechanists, and applied this science in their training to achieve success at the sport’s highest levels.

250_couple-2

The camp provides the rare opportunity for full focus on training and unique, elite-cycling-world knowledge and experience to help you reach your cycling goals. You will leave camp with tools to better understand the importance of a comprehensive training program, balancing on-bike work, with supporting off-bike work, as well as key structured cycling workouts. Mike and Julie’s depth and scope of experience will provide you with the understanding to effectively and efficiently maximize your on and off-bike workouts.

train camp

But as they say in cycling, fitness only allows you to be a player in the game, it’s ultimately the tactics that win races. During workouts and discussions, Mike and Julie, will share their race winning, shrewd and intuitive tactical knowledge.

Camp schedule

Day #1 total approximate mileage, 75 miles

  • Glute activation – help the brain find the muscle to use it on the bike
  • Breakfast and overview of the day
  • Endurance with sprint workout – skill development, tactics
  • Stretch and regeneration
  • Lunch
  • Massages
  • Active recovery ride
  • Dinner

Day #2 total approximate mileage, 75 miles

  • Hip-Trunk stability
  • Breakfast and overview of the day
  • Endurance with hill intervals – pedaling efficiency
  • Stretch and regeneration
  • Lunch
  • Massages
  • Active recovery ride
  • Dinner

Day #3 total approximate mileage, 75 miles

  • Movement Preparation
  • Breakfast and overview of the day
  • Endurance with specific cycling technique and strength
  • Stretch and regeneration
  • Lunch
  • Massages
  • Dinner

Location: Tuscon, Arizona

Dates: Camp #1 January 9-12; Camp #2 January 13-16

Camp Limit: 10 riders/camp, campers are welcome to sign up for one camp session or both camp sessions

Cost: $1100.00, (includes, accommodations, all camp activities, transportation to and from the airport, does not include travel to the camp). Additional person, non-rider $300.00 (Prices are for 3 day camps, for full 8 days double price)

Arrivals/Departures: Campers will arrive on Jan 9 into either Phoenix or Tucson airports.  Camp #1 will commence on the 10th, departure will be late on 12th. Camp #2 will commence on the 13th and departure will be on the 16th.  It is a 13 hr drive from Northern California to Tucson for those who would like to drive.

Registration Deadline: November 30, 50% non-refundable

Join us for this unique experience – gain knowledge, perspective and insights that you cannot learn in a book or by reading the latest blog.

To register or for further questions, please contact Mike Sayers at michael.s.sayers@gmail.com or  Julie Young at jyoung@o2fitness.net.

Team City Junior Mock Race Clinic

/in , , , /by

Looking forward to Taking It To the Streets coaching the Sacramento Team City Juniors in a Mock Race.

Its a great opportunity to share my experience and perspective on all of the ingredients that contribute to successful racing. It starts with the bike fit for efficiency and handling, and consistently following a well-structured training plan.

IMG_0479

But fitness is only the very basic requisite that allows us to be a player in the race – its ultimately positioning near the front; conserving when possible in order to use “it” when it counts; reading the race and learning better what to expect; and employing intuitive tactics – for me this means listening and acting when the small voice says “go”, to go without hesitation or doubt.

For this clinic we have recruited some of the area’s women racers to act as mentors, and help create a more dynamic challenging mock race feel for the juniors. Mentors are sure to gain as much knowledge and experience as the juniors.

The Mock Race format as follows…

IMG_0480

We create teams of four.

For the initial part of the race – we have the teams huddle-up  and devise their team plan. We race a one lap race, each lap the team designates one leader. They as a team will figure out how to best help the designated leader, based on his or her strength, win the race. Each person on the team will have the opportunity to be the designated team leader. After each lap – we regroup and critique tactics as well as answer questions.

During the second part of the race –  two sprint lines are marked on the course, and the teams will practice giving lead outs, again rotating the designated sprinter.

Silver Sage Sports & Fitness Lab to Present at Tahoe Ultra Camps 2015

/in , , /by

 

Reno, NV (May 15, 2015) – Dr. Andrew Pasternak, of Silver Sage Sports & Fitness Lab, will be presenting on “Hyponatremia in Ultramarathoners” as part of the Tahoe Ultra Camps endurance training, June 12 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. For more information on the Tahoe Ultra Camps, visit tahoeultracamps.fitzgeraldendurancecoaching.com.

“Hyponatremia is the medical term for low sodium,” said Dr. Pasternak. “It’s of particular concern to ultrarunners as it can lead to severe illness and even death.”

Silver Sage Sports & Fitness Lab will also be offering a 10 percent discount to all Tahoe Ultra Camp participants on physiologic (lactate threshold, Vo2 max and metabolic efficiency) testing and gait analysis through September 30.

Silver Sage Sports & Fitness Lab provides integrated physiologic testing, biomechanical and coaching services to help athletes of all abilities and interests maximize their training time and achieve results. For more information, visit www.silversagecenter.com.

 

 

###

Dr. Andrew Pasternak to Speak at Reno Rotary of Reno Sunrise

/in , , /by

Reno, NV (May 8, 2015) – Dr. Andrew Pasternak, of Silver Sage Sports & Fitness Lab, will speak to the Rotary Club of Reno Sunrise, Friday, May 22 at 7:00am at the Atlantis Resort Spa. He’ll be sharing tips and tricks to help cyclists entered in the Edible Pedal, addressing topics including bike equipment, bike fitting, training and nutrition.

Silver Sage Sports and Fitness Lab is the Official Training Partner for Edible Pedal 2015. The company uses a scientific approach to physical fitness, helping athletes of all abilities and interests maximize their precious training time and achieve results. For more information, visit www.silversagecenter.com.

 ###

Race 178, Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Training Chalk Talk

/in , /by

While the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey is, for some, an opportunity to partake in a progressive pajama party with BFFs and a little running thrown in along the way, that experience will be enhanced and injuries avoided if consistent preparation is in place. Below is food for thought as you embark on this memorable all-night adventure.

The key to improving your experience is having an overall training plan to reach your RTO goals. One priority needs to be avoiding injury. In our experience, as runners, you insure against injury by investing in consistent purposeful hip and trunk stability exercises, global mobility (joints, muscle length, soft tissues), quality work and quality rest, and a gradually progressive training program.

There should be a clear objective to each and every day’s training session and an understanding of how that relates to your RTO goal. Empowered with this understanding, you will train more purposefully and more effectively.

Here are a few suggestions to improve your RTO preparation and race experience:

  • Training Tips
    • Individualize your training and make it relative to your individual circumstances
      • A training plan needs to be based on your current fitness/past training goals, and then gradually progress as you adapt to the training
    • Toe the start line mentally and physically fit, injury free and hungry for action
      • The key to improving fitness and avoiding injury is a gradually progressed training plan
    • Balance sport-specific training with supplemental cross-training for improved performance and injury prevention
      • Focus on consistent hip and trunk stability, and general mobility
      • Cycling, swimming and hiking are good supplemental cross-endurance training tools that will provide mental and physical variety
    • Vary your training, which provides the opportunity to continue to challenge and improve
      • Once a solid endurance base is in place, systematically and consistently include speed and higher tempo workouts in your training plan
      • Train hard and rest hard – rest should be of equal importance to the running workouts
      • Quality workouts trump quantity
    • Train to meet the specific demands of the RTO
      • Run in the morning, at lunch and in the evening
      • Build up your endurance – include long endurance days and gradually build to the distance you will cover over three legs
      • Train the intensity and terrain of your segment
        • Train at the intensity you hope to hold during the event
        • If you have the opportunity, run the sections you will run in the RTO
        • Simulate this terrain in your training – uphills, downhills and flats all present different challenges
      • Use training to implement your recovery strategies for RTO
        • Use the recovery lessons learned during preparation and incorporate them between your RTO run segments. These might include:
          • Post-run segment recovery drink
            • Believe it not, chocolate milk tops the list
          • Compression socks
          • Stretching and rolling after your segment
          • Movement preparation exercises before your segments
        • Dial in your race-day nutrition strategies during your preparation, not the week or day before
    • Build your bank account of sleep leading into the race

A successful training plan often needs to be custom fit to incorporate all the training components while balancing your life’s work, family schedule and your own physiology. Whether you’re looking to complete the RTO injury-free or you want to set your own personal record, Silver Sage Sports and Fitness Lab helps people at all levels of ability. If you have questions about any of these workouts or are just looking for advice, email us at jyoung@o2fitness.net.