From The Facet of the Road… health and fitness strategies for your World of Bluegrass encounter

In previous a long time when we get to this month of the calendar, I have talked about snooze, conditioning, and eating plan procedures for possessing a safe and sound and healthful IBMA Planet of Bluegrass. For the uninitiated (most of the populace), this is bluegrass music’s largest occasion of the yr. It’s Christmas, Hanukkah (don’t you dare carry up the Hanukkah channel again!), Halloween (centered on some attendees’ clothing alternatives) and Tax Day all rolled into just one. There is a trade demonstrate, enterprise convention, numerous awards demonstrates, showcases, jam periods, and a lot of ready for elevators.

Even before we ended up working with COVID-19, this was an celebration that was regarded for using its toll on attendees’ physical overall health. Quite a few individuals remaining the celebration unwell with some ailment or other, and the main host lodge, no make any difference which resort or in which city it was, was generally blamed. “It’s the air flow,” was the regular cry. Absolutely it couldn’t be sleeping two several hours a night, shaking a great deal of sweaty hands, and packing on to an elevator with 23 men and women.

Every little thing we’ve acquired to do in the past two yrs is precisely the reverse of what we have ordinarily done for up to a 7 days at the IBMA WOB.

I will, of study course, leave the quantity of COVID hazard you intend to consider up to you (which will save this remarks part from blowing up like bag of hand grenades), and we’ll just focus on the diet and exercise element.

A whole lot of new facts has occur together due to the fact we final discussed this, these kinds of as the new disdain for tomatoes, intermittent fasting, and the advent of the Keto Food plan (named for Common Maximilian Keto of Flanders, who was slim and successful, but even now craved donuts).

The Planet of Bluegrass diet plan is famously horrible, and typically is composed of slightly stale cake from the Marriott Starbucks, shipping pizza, and whatever is put out for snacks in the Pickin’ in a Big Subject pageant showcase area.

Intermittent fasting is not a challenge for the reason that we often just neglect to eat for 16 hrs at a time, in any case. We just have to be informed of it and understand that it is ok. 

Here’s a advised Tuesday through Saturday IBMA Entire world of Bluegrass Diet regime. There are lots of food stuff options within easy going for walks distance of the conference middle, and you can also go grocery purchasing, so almost everything on this record is fairly quick to get hold of. It just requires a tiny scheduling. Just use the exact sort of corporation you use to attend your favored showcases and seminars. It’s possible that’s not a excellent instance.

The diet program:

Tuesday

Breakfast: Biscuits and gravy. Facet dish: cantaloupe.
Keto alternative: gravy
Vegan alternate: cantaloupe

Lunch: Beef, bean, and cheese enchiladas. Aspect dish: Mexican rice and small salad
Keto different: Beef and tiny salad
Vegan choice: lengthy conversation with someone about select shapes

Meal: Rooster and waffles. Facet dish: waffles
Keto choice: Rooster and waffle-shaped hen
Vegan alternate: Vegan waffles. Side dish: Exact

I’m currently tired of this food-arranging. That ought to work for a couple of times, if you do not brain a biscuit and waffle-based diet plan.

Physical fitness is a further challenge, but we can just take some motion to boost the week for our bodies. If you’re in a position to get absent from the very long-winded person who has you trapped by the convention registration (“So then I claimed to Béla, why do not you connect with your band ‘the Flecktones,’ and he explained . . .”), you probably develop up a ton of steps throughout the meeting. It’s just that people steps are not often steady and they arrive with heaps of interruptions. 

I endorse, dealing with it like a circuit, one thing like this: 

Commence at the Raleigh Convention Heart convention registration booths, then head upstairs to the to start with seminar space, exactly where the “How to Be a Additional Arrogant Bandleader” seminar is occurring. Poke your head in, but immediately shift on, heading downstairs to the exhibition corridor. Walk rapidly by each and every booth, sampling their sweet and performing interested in their merchandise (recognised as the “Costco strategy”), but never ever stopping anyplace for additional than five seconds. Head back upstairs, then wander outside to the Marriott, go straight to the bar, act like you are wanting for someone, then stroll again out, head to the Sheraton and do the very same. Wander again to the convention heart and you are carried out. Do this as soon as a working day.

In buy to keep your momentum going, however, you will have to grasp the “IBMA stroll,” which I may well have mentioned in a former column. If not, I should really have. To stay away from being stopped by a person together this circuit, you have to stroll in a speedy and purposeful fashion, as if you are late for a seminar or have still left your phone someplace. Although performing this, take it easy your gaze until eventually all people looks blurry and a very little like Lester Flatt carrying pajamas. This way, you will look to not identify any person because you really won’t (it can not be the authentic Lester in pajamas, right after all, or it’s not likely), and your determined stroll will deter most men and women. The occasional appear at your check out wouldn’t harm.

Alternatively, you could get your cell phone out and faux to be owning an important conversation, it’s possible even an argument:

“No that was not J.D. Crowe, it was Sam (Porky) Hutchins . . . Yes, particularly . . . Okay, but really do not fail to remember to consider it out at the time an hour and baste it . . . Positive . . . Great luck . . .” (Just some concepts experience cost-free to occur up with your have script).

Eventually, there is the problem of sleep, which is in pretty small source throughout this 7 days. New experiments from the IFMB (the Institute for Faux Medical BS) advise that quality of sleep may possibly be just as critical as quantity. To put that in IBMA WOB terms, two several hours of solid, restful slumber may possibly be just as great as 4 hrs of fitful interrupted snooze. To achieve this kind of revitalizing rest, it’s advisable that you decrease liquor and caffeine consumption nicely right before your 4:00 a.m. bedtime (I do not make these rules), stay away from searching at your cellular phone one hour right before sleep, and check out to preserve from listening to disturbing music, like The Very little Woman and the Dreadful Snake, The Ghost of Eli Renfro, or Down the Road.

I’m wishing you a delighted and nutritious IBMA Entire world of Bluegrass.