rui

per·sist  /pərˈsist/

Relentless City - Reykjavík, Iceland

Reykjavík, Iceland



After a messy start, Reykjavik proved to be one of the most interesting places I ever visited, mostly because of its people. The relief map at the City Hall. On Saturday, the 25^th of May, I walked through the downtown area and visited the City Hall, where a full relief map of Iceland can be found, and then ended my afternoon with the guys from MUCK, interviewing them for the Fanzine in a local pub and just talking about music in general. (Funny fact: Asi, the drummer from MUCK, also drummed for Self Defence Family, a band which I follow and even had a record distributed on Juicy. He's the guy on the cover of this record.) That night they gave a hell of a heavy performance at the Music Mess Festival main venue, a club called Volta, and I ended up partying with them on another cool place called Harlem, which is kinda like one of those East London’s bars that turn into a chaotic clubs after a certain hour. MUCK on stage I met Marielle again there, the friend of Julius, my host from the first night in Iceland, who was at his house when I arrived, and we talked for hours immersed in the loud music, while everyone else around went crazy, dancing in a sea of bodies that was more like pogo moshing, sweating until sunrise (bear in mind it’s never actually dark so loads of people also hangout in the streets). She told me about life in Sweden, her work with ceramics and pottery and the kids she helped in her community by letting them paint graffiti on walls previously assigned by the council. I promised I’d try to visit her if I ever managed to go to Sweden. During my time with the guys from MUCK I realized how everyone in the music scene there acts as a tight community, completely disregarding the different genres they may play or like more or less. Everyone they introduced me to was really nice and made an effort to really showcase a different side of Reykjavik. A creative side, enriched with music and art. Reykjavik is a trendy city, but not because everyone there tries to follow outside trends. It’s trendy cause everyone pretty much does something different, creative. People don’t just commit 100% of their lives to the job routine and go about worrying about useless details, they do music, they express themselves in their streets, their shops, their clothes. Street art or public service infographic? There’s not a single bar and/or store in Reykjavik, with the obvious exception of international franchises, that looks the same, or just "normal". Walking through its streets you get a young and vibrant feeling, you hear music (many stores bear inbuilt outdoor speakers that boast the same music playing inside to the street), you realize that this small place has something different to offer. But it is indeed a small town. It’s population so small that everyone knows everyone, literally. I rented a new car on Monday the 27^th and that gave me freedom to roam through the outskirts of the city and also to visit Snæfellsbær, an area in the west of Iceland, north of Reykjavik, with two new travel mates: Kasha and her daughter Zoe. They came from Alaska to visit Iceland and had already done another road trip, so they just joined me on Tuesday to a quick journey. Snæfellsbær landscape Once again the landscape mesmerized me, very different from what I had seen from the southern regions. More rocky, with huge black rocks everywhere, and the vegetation had a weird puke-like green colour that gave a very edgy look to everything. Zoe and Kasha entering the cave Unfortunately the wind was so strong that we barely could step out of the car, much less hike. Still, we found a cave that went deep and deep until there was only a tiny hole in the ground that could only fit one person at a time, crawling. There were tours being done at that moment further down through that hole, as there were many cars parked next to the entry of the cave but no people on sight (and there was nothing else there). You would have to pay ME to get me to crawl inside a tunnel in a volcanic cave in the middle of nowhere in Iceland, not the other way around certainly. Inside the cave And to prove that Iceland is really a small place, Natalia appeared in a car as we were leaving the cave. She was on another road trip with her host. We hugged and smiled and talked briefly about the days after our own trip. Really happy to see her again. The rest of my time in Iceland was pretty much spent browsing Reykjavik and using the library wi-fi and electricity to work on my writings. Exhibition about American biker culture at the library I was indeed on the library when I got a text from Nathalie, giving me a tip on a hot pool on a beach behind the domestic airport (this one is quite central to the city). She said the pool was free, there was sea water also to swim in, and free showers. Say no more. Later on that day I was chilling at the beach, body submersed in geothermic hot water, enjoying airplanes taking off just on the side. There was also a REALLY HOT sauna and the sea water Nathalie had mentioned was actually mixed with a bit of hot water in a bay they had artificially built, so you could go for a proper swim and not feel the actual temperature of ocean water. The view from the hot pool This was probably the best spot in Reykjavik, and completely revitalized my energies for the days ahead. Thanks Nathalie! The Harpa Concert Hall And that was it for Reykjavik and Iceland. On Wednesday I dropped the car off at the airport, got my swiss army knife delivered to me by the people from the car rental who managed to clear it from customs, and spent around 20 hours in the airport, watching movies, doing a new mix and trying not to die of boredom. Oh, another thing about Iceland: they love cats. Almost everyone in Reykjavik owns a cat. Apparently it’s part of the old Viking mythology. But don’t quote me on that. ----- Após um começo atribulado, Reykjavik provou ser um dos sítios mais interessantes que já visitei, muito em parte pelas suas pessoas. O mapa em relevo na Câmara Municipal No Sábado, 25 de Maio, caminhei pela zona central e visitei a Câmara Municipal, onde se pode encontrar um mapa em relevo de toda a Islândia, e terminei depois a minha tarde com o pessoal dos MUCK, entrevistando-os num bar local para a Fanzine e falando de música em geral. (Facto interessante: o Asi, o baterista dos MUCK, também tocou com os Self Defense Family, uma banda que sigo e que até tinha um disco deles distribuído na Juicy. Ele é o gajo na capa deste disco.) Nessa noite eles deram um concerto pesadíssimo na sala principal do Music Mess Festival, um club chamado Volta, e acabei a celebrar com eles noutro sítio bacano chamado Harlem, que é tipo um daqueles bares da zona Este de Londres que se transformam em discotecas caóticas após uma certa hora. MUCK em palco Foi lá que encontrei a Marielle de novo, a amiga do Julius, o meu anfitrião da primeira noite na Islândia, que estava na casa dele quando cheguei, e falámos durante horas imersos na música alta, enquanto toda a gente à nossa volta virava doida, dançando num mar de corpos que era mais como que um mosh, tudo a suar até ao nascer do sol (tenham em conta que nunca fica mesmo noite por isso montes de pessoas ficam também pelas ruas). Ela contou-me sobre a vida na Suécia, o seu trabalho com cerâmicas e olaria e os miúdos que ajudava na sua comunidade deixando-os pintar graffitti em muros previamente designados pela Câmara. Prometi-lhe que tentaria visitá-la caso alguma vez conseguisse ir à Suécia. Durante o meu tempo com pessoal dos MUCK percebi como toda a gente na cena musical de lá age em comunidade, completamente indiferentes aos géneros musicais que possam tocar ou gostar mais ou menos. Todos aqueles que me foram apresentados foram super fixes e esforçaram-se por me mostrar um lado diferente de Reykjavik. Um lado criativo, enriquecido com música e arte. Reykjavik é uma cidade de vanguarda, mas não porque toda a gente anda atrás das últimas modas que vêm de fora. É de vanguarda porque praticamente toda a gente faz algo diferente, criativo. As pessoas simplesmente não comprometem 100% das suas vidas à rotina do trabalho e andam a preocupar-se com coisas inúteis, fazem música, expressam-se nas suas ruas, nas suas lojas, nas suas roupas. Street art ou serviço público? Não há um único bar ou loja parecidos em Reykjavik, com a excepção óbvia dos franchises internacionais, ou meramente “normais”. Ao caminhar pelas suas ruas absorve-se um sentimento jovem e vibrante, ouve-se música (muitas lojas têm colunas no exterior que passam a mesma música que toca no interior para a rua), e percebe-se que este pequeno lugar tem algo diferente para oferecer. Mas é de facto uma cidade pequena. A sua população é tão pequena que toda a gente se conhece, literalmente. Aluguei um novo carro na segunda-feira dia 27 e isso deu-me a liberdade de vaguear pela periferia da cidade e também visitar Snæfellsbær, uma area no Oeste da Islândia, a norte de Reykjavik, com duas novas companheiras de viagem: a Kasha e a sua filha Zoe. Elas vieram do Alaska para visitar a Islândia e já tinham feito outra viagem de carro, por isso apenas se juntaram a mim na terça-feira para um curto passeio. A paisagem de Snæfellsbær Mais uma vez a paisagem deixou-me parvo, muito diferente do que já tinha visto das regiões sulistas. Muito rochosa, com pedras pretas enormes em todo o lado, e a vegetação tinha um verde-vómito que dava um aspecto muito marado a tudo. A Zoe e a Kasha a entrarem na gruta Infelizmente o vento estava tão forte que mal dava para sair do carro, muito menos escalar. Ainda assim, encontrámos uma caverna que descia e descia até já só haver um buraco minúsculo no solo, onde só passava uma pessoa de cada vez, a rastejar. Dentro da gruta Havia visitas guiadas a serem feitas naquele momento nas profundidades daquele buraco, pois haviam vários carros estacionados junto à entrada da caverna mas ninguém à vista (e não havia ali mais nada). Tinham que me pagar a MIM para me meter a rastejar dentro de um túnel numa caverna vulcânica no meio do nada na Islândia, não o contrário de certeza. E para provar que a Islândia é mesmo pequena, a Natália apareceu num carro quando estávamos para sair da caverna. Ela estava noutra viagem de carro com a sua anfitriã. Abraçámo-nos e sorrimos e falámos brevemente sobre os dias seguidos à nossa própria viagem. Fiquei mesmo contente de a ver de novo. O resto do meu tempo na Islândia foi em grande parte gasto a explorar Reykjavik e a usar a Internet wi-fi e electricidade grátis da biblioteca para trabalhar nos meus escritos. Exposição sobre a cultura dos motards Americanos na biblioteca E estava mesmo na biblioteca quando recebi uma mensagem da Nathalie, a dar-me uma dica sobre uma piscina de água quente grátis numa praia atrás do aeroporto doméstico (este é bastante central em relação à cidade). Ela mencionou que a piscina era grátis, havia água do mar também para nadar, e chuveiros grátis. Não digas mais nada. Mais tarde naquele dia estava a relaxar na praia, corpo submerso em água quente geotérmica, a desfrutar de aviões que descolavam mesmo ali ao lado. Também havia uma sauna MESMO QUENTE e a tal água do mar que a Nathalie mencionara era na verdade misturada com um pouco de água quente numa baía que tinham construído artificialmente, portanto dava para nadar em condições e não sentir a verdadeira temperatura da água do oceano. A vista da piscina Este foi provavelmente o melhor sítio em Reykjavik, e revitalizou completamente as minhas energias para os dias que se seguiram. Harpa, Sala de Concertos E isto foi Reykjavik e a Islândia. Na quarta-feira deixei o carro no aeroporto, tive o meu canivete suíço a ser-me entregue pelas pessoas do rent-a-car que conseguiram desbloqueá-lo na alfândega, e passei aproximadamente 20 horas no aeroporto, a ver filmes, fazer um novo mix e tentando não morrer de aborrecimento. Oh, e outra coisa sobre a Islândia: eles amam gatos. Quase toda a gente em Reykjavik tem um gato. Aparentemente faz parte da velha mitologia dos Vikings. Mas não tenho a certeza.

Written by Sergei Boutenko

If you run, hike, swim, snowboard, cycle, attend crossfit, or actively engage in any other sports, then you’re probably aware that your body requires extra nutritional supplementation in order to function properly. Simply put, athletes need more nutrients than less-active people. They demand more from their bodies and thus must compensate with the right nutrients to keep up performance and recovery.

Unfortunately, today’s athletes have been duped into believing that in order to maintain proper health, they must consume a wide range of animal products, supplements, and power gels. I think this is one of the biggest misconceptions in the field of sports and fitness. In this post, I am not interested in arguing whether athletes should be vegans or not.

I simply want to challenge the traditional approach and illustrate that the nutritional needs of an athlete can be met through natural means. I believe all athletes can benefit by consuming more fresh, organic greens and fruits in a blended concoction commonly referred to as a “green smoothie.”

To keep the body performing optimally, you must consistently replenish the following seven essential nutrients: calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium, sodium, and zinc. Traditional athletes accomplish this by taking multivitamins and supplements. In my personal practice, I have found it beneficial to disregard tradition and instead blend green smoothies made from dark leafy veggies and fresh fruit. While I do not consider myself an “endurance athlete,” I live an extremely active life.

Here is my idea of a good time: last summer I climbed Mt Shasta (a 14,179 foot tall mountain in Northern California) in four hours and forty-five minutes. The following day I decided that I needed to climb more mountains so I scaled nearby Mt Mcloughlin (9,495 feet) and Mt Thielsen (9,182 feet) in one day. Mind you, I have never taken artificial supplements and base my success and endurance largely on my diet.

 

Athletes Need More Nutrients Than Less-Active People

Let’s look at the essential nutrients needed to sustain prolonged exercise, as well as how one can get these elements in natural form.

1. Calcium is essential because it prevents muscle cramps and helps strengthen bones. According to the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) most athletes don’t meet their need for daily calcium intake. Lack of calcium can lead to a slew of problems, such as, osteoporosis and hormone imbalance. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommended daily dose of calcium ranges between 1,000-1,500 mg per day. Most people think that the best way to get calcium is to drink a glass of milk. Few people are aware that dark leafy greens are just as effective at loading the body with calcium. According to the USDA, one cup of milk has 314 mg of calcium. A cup of collard greens has 357 mg of calcium. That’s 63 mg more than a glass of milk. Thus a green smoothie crammed with collard greens can meet ones need for calcium no worse than milk.

2. Iron is another common element that athletes are deficient in. One of iron’s primary functions is to carry oxygen to cells and eliminate carbon dioxide from the body. Most sports nutritionists recommend eating red meat to get your daily dose of iron. In traditional sports nutrition it is rarely mentioned that tomatoes, apricots, pomegranates, currants, olives, Swiss chard, and parsley are also excellent sources of iron.

3. Magnesium is essential for athletes. Its presence is vital in more than 300 chemical processes that sustain basic human function and health (http://triathlon.competitor.com). These functions include blood pressure regulations, muscle contraction and relaxation, nerve function, immunity, and cardiac activity. Foods that contain high amounts of magnesium include: almonds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, spinach, beet greens, collards greens, and dates. Adding these foods to your green smoothies will aid your body in many of its metabolic processes.

4. Potassium is easy! Every good smoothie needs a banana. According to the USDA, one cup of mashed banana has more than 800 mg of potassium. If you’re not a fan of bananas, here is a list of other foods that are high in this essential nutrient: avocado, beet greens, spinach, apricots, cantaloupe, figs, nectarines, and pears.

5. Selenium is critical to antioxidant production. Athletes who don’t get enough selenium in their diet experience more cell damage and take longer to recover from strenuous exercise. Regular consumption of Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, spinach, and seaweed will ensure that your body gets enough selenium.

6.  Sodium retains water in the cells and prevents dehydration. Fresh fruits and vegetable are better at helping cells retain water than any sports drinks on the market. Period!

7. Zinc levels are directly correlated to endurance. Athletes who have lower than recommended zinc levels in the body will struggle to perform at their peak. According to the ICPA (www.chiro.org) zinc is also crucial for tissue repair. Here are some foods that contain high amounts of zinc: pumpkin seeds, squash seeds, water melon seeds, peanuts, bee pollen, sweet peppers, spinach, parsley, and seaweed.

 

Why you should stop spending money on expensive supplements

In addition to the seven essential nutrients, sports enthusiast also require higher than normal amounts of protein. If you look at the nutritional composition of most dark green, leafy veggies, you will find that they rival many types of meat in essential amino acids (protein). For example, one pound of romaine lettuce or kale provides you with roughly the same amount of protein as a quarter pound steak (www.drfuhrman.com). One pound of greens may seem like a lot, but when you blend a pound of greens in a smoothie, it’s not too difficult to consume it in its entirety. After all, large, muscular animals like elephants and cows get their protein from greens.

In a nutshell, my message is simple… “Stop spending money on expensive supplements and instead, blend a smoothie!” I am so confident that green smoothies rival conventional supplements, I’m making a documentary about it. One week ago I launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a documentary about how green smoothies affect endurance athletes.

If you pre-order my video your contribution will help me fund this documentary. For more information on my project, check out this link: Kickstarter Project | Powered by Green Smoothies Film

P.S. Here’s an awesome Power Green Smoothie that’s great for pre and post workouts…

 

Sergei’s Green Power Smoothie

1 cup spinach
1 cup Swiss chard
1 cup collard greens
1-2 stalks of celery with dark green leaves
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 banana
1 peach, pitted
1 pear
1/2 avocado
4 dates, pitted
2 tablespoons bee pollen (optional)

Serves 2-3

Add enough water to blend everything in the blender. Blend until smooth and enjoy!

 

Join the conversation

What green smoothie are you slurping on today? Do you drink green smoothies before or after an intense workout? I’d love to hear about it! Share in the comments below.

The post How do green smoothies affect endurance athletes? appeared first on Simple Green Smoothies.

How CrossFit Embraced Fans And Became The Next Great Spectator Sport:

adventuresofthelittlespoon:

CrossFit has evolved beyond fitness fad, but can it come into its own as a spectator sport?

This is an amazing article. Goes to show you how our sport is expanding for EVERYONE. 

I secretly want to see CrossFit Games in the Olympics. youdidnthearmesaythat.

Kobe at 12 years old. Playing grown men of Italy. 

Box[es] Jump

Os seguidores da mais longa série norte-americana em exibição, "The Simpsons", poderão visitar as ruas de Springfield num parque temático a ser inaugurado na Flórida, anunciou hoje a Universal Orlando.

Don King is an institution. A self-described “black Horatio Alger,” his rags-to-riches, Cinderella story is the American Dream come to life. But if we pull back the curtain and look beyond the wild hair, smiling countenance, bespoke jean jackets,…

HMV, the UK's last independent music chain, is to break from its previous strategy of selling tablets and other technology devices after it was bought by Hilco out of administration.

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What even is this guy?

This is the best thing I have ever seen on Dead lifting.
If you are in to weight training, watch these 4 videos.

Very technical.  But if you consider yourself serious about your form, and gaining strength, then understand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&v=aafbPDRcFQc&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=VBoM0eEzO5I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&v=m5axfjEkq30&NR=1 

Been reading a lot on squat form lately.  Hear a lot of chat about “ass to grass” etc.

I don’t follow that theory, and this diagram shows why