Messed Up In Vegas

I got messed up in Vegas...but no, not what you are thinking. Something much more innocent than partying...

Turns out I just didn’t feel so hot from plane ride…even though I drank water, and ate almonds, apricots, and an apple. When I landed and got to my hotel, I had headache…probably from the 2 naps I had on the plane - I should have fought the urge to fall asleep.

The headache was so bad I had to have another nap in the hotel, and fortunately that cured everything. Then I got up and had a chicken breast sandwich and banana before the fights. The undercard started really early because of the time zone change, and my buddies wanted to see them all so we got to the UFC 98 event at 5.

I always like the undercard fights…they are just as entertaining as the ones they show on TV, and there was a highlight reel knockout and submission that folks at home will have missed.

The Matt Serra-Matt Hughes fight was okay, and really needed another 2 rounds to really make it "UFC Fight of the Night".

Hughes won, I agree, and almost choked out Serra in the first round. Serra put on a little attack late in the 3rd round but it just wasn’t enough. For all the talk, this one under-delivered. Impressive skills by both guys, but left everyone wanting a little bit more.

Finally, the title fight. Interestingly enough, it showed a training video of Machida, and he was doing a bunch of bodybuilding exercises (hammer curls and smith machine squats). I wonder if he really trains like that and if those exercises really help him at all. That type of training might be a waste of his time.

The fight lasted two rounds and Machida dominated from start to finish. I seriously thought Evans was dead when Machida knocked him out…dang, that’s gotta hurt the brain. A nice reminder to stay out of trouble!

After the fight I decided to skip the nightclubs that my buddy and his friends were going to, and instead I went to the “CraftSteak” steakhouse in MGM with some other friends who you might know, Vince DelMonte and Joel Marion, who were also at the fight.

I had one beer at the fight, and by the time the fights were over I was hungry, even though it was 10pm local time and almost 1am back home in Toronto.

Because of those naps on the plane and the hotel, I really messed up my system. Fortunately, I was feeling really good so I treated myself to a great dinner.

I had roasted red peppers for an appetizer, followed by the 16 ounce ribeye and side dish of asparagus.

I’m also trying to learn to appreciate wine, so I had a Cabernet Sauvignon – can’t remember the name…initials were BV. It was good, and so much better than trying to drink a beer with a meal like that.

Great steak, great meal, great company, and great “scenery” watching all the pretty girls walk by in their party dresses.

After dinner I called it a night (it was around midnight), but on my way back to my hotel I decided to hit a walk up and down the strip because the weather and energy were perfect. A nice little walk after a big meal (research shows this has health benefits if you overindulge) and then back to the hotel.

I think I’m back on my schedule today. I have to switch hotels, get in a workout, and then take a few hours off by the pool I think…and then maybe catch the Dane Cook comedy show tonight with a few friends.

Make sure to stay active with a little bit of fun activity even on your non-workout days,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

PS - Want to know more about my nutrition?

I listed what I regularly eat here:

Craig Ballantyne's Meal Plan