Everyone goes into the new year with great intentions to get healthy. However, most fall short by the beginning of February. We have to change that pattern. Here are a few tips to help get and stay fit.
Don't set a start date. Start Now!
Once a date is set to start getting fit and changing your diet, the goal is put on a pedestal. This is not necessarily a bad thing since goals are meant to be tough and put up high, but set an end date and start today. You hear it all the time. I am going to start working out on Monday. I will go to the gym tomorrow. I will finish all of the food I have left and go grocery shopping for healthy food on Sunday.
Don't do it!
Start right now!
Once you get the ball rolling and not make it an event, it will easily become a part of your daily schedule. Slowly, but surely, it will become a habit. Working out and dieting correctly becomes second nature, making it more enjoyable and pleasurable.
Set a goal with an end date.
Whether you plan to compete in a race or trying to lose 10 pounds, set a date to reach your goal. When you set a date, plan your attack. Start mapping out weekly meals and workouts. The calender becomes your best friend because it prepares you for other events or occurrences life throws out you. And the best part about it, you will be prepared. We all like to stick to our original plans but things change, so when items are mapped out, you are giving yourself a chance to adapt and change sensibly. The best way to relieve stress in fitness is preparation. The more you document, the more you will be excited about your progress. You look forward to your next workout and seeing how much stronger you're getting.
Don't forget, strength is mental, physical and spiritual. Dwell in these moments of good fortune. Fortune you have created. It's an addicting and unbelievable power.
No Excuses.
The excuse I can't stand the most is "I don't have time to workout". That statement is overflowing with negativity and weakness. One, if this holds true, then being healthy is not that important to you because if it was, anyone would make time for it. Don't sell yourself short.
Now, I am not saying that time isn't limited for families with children, full time jobs, and extracurricular activities but there are so many mediums to workout with it's unfathomable we are in the midst of an obesity epidemic.
Let's go over the options:
Workout Facilities: We are in a gym boom. They are every where with more coming. All of them are competing to get you into the door. Some gyms cost $10 a month with no initiation fee. Remember when $500 a month and a $200 sign up fee was a common gym membership program? No more! They now offer trainers in sign up packages. Plus, the trainers work around your schedule. So get out there without the worry it costing you an arm and a leg.
On Demand: We all use our DVR to record "The Voice" & "Duck Dynasty" or go to On Demand to rent "Zero Dark Thirty" but have you checked out the sports and fitness section recently. It's incredible. From 10 minute workout videos to instructional yoga, there are tons of exercise films at your disposal with no charge. This is all included with a basic cable bundle. I have personally used this and it's legit. A lot of hard workouts in a small period of time.
Internet:www.active.com is littered with great workout ideas you can do in your room, basement, or work office (I may or may not have done workouts in any or all of these places).
Amino Vital is wonderful with youtube. They have one of the best exercise channels on the web. Check out one of their Strength and Endurance Workout Videos:
Here are a few other forums at your disposal: running, biking, Insanity, T-25, P-90X, Home exercise equipment, and personal gyms.
The options are abundant. Take advatnage of your resources!
There are plenty of other reasons for you to stay in shape but it all comes down to one thing. Do you really want this? And if the answer is yes, stick with it. Everyone goes through ups and downs. Gaining weight is going to happen from time to time when you are trying to losing weight. Feeling weak and fatigued is apart of getting in shape. Don't get discouraged. Get plenty of rest. Eat well. Drink lots of water and most importantly stay positive. Stay motivated. Brag to your friends. Inspire others. The fountain of youth is plentiful and rich (When I say the fountain of youth, I am referring to Amino Vital's Endurance Orange Electrolyte drink). Take a gulp and enjoy yourself.
Now get out there and change your life for the better!
These type of new year resolutions regurgitate out of every one's mouth this time of season, yet we know that it will be a distant memory by February. However, it continues to occur. Every individual goes with the best of intentions to start the new year right. To make a change. To alter one's sedentary lives but ends in failure 98% of the time (an accurate assumption).
How does that occur?
What can everyone change to keep their promises to themselves?
It's simpler than you think.
Let's start with the most common New Year's Resolution out there: I want to be a healthier me!
Before we begin, let's analyze that last statement. The first question that comes to mind is what does healthy mean to that respective person because it is such a loose and vague term these days, it's lost its' bearing on society. I have gotten in multiple conversations where Chinese food and pizza are considered healthy options. As hard is that to hear, I can understand where one can get that conclusion.
The FDA has recently classified pizza as a vegetable due to the contents of tomato sauce (1). Tomato sauce! Plus, the FDA requires two vegetables sides for every lunch meal served. So let's due some simple addition: the FDA has already classified french fries as a vegetable, add pizza and chicken nuggets on this diversified and ethnically cultured menu (2) to get:
Chicken Nuggets + French Fries + Pizza=
Look how whiny that kid looks... it's starting to piss me off and I am the one who uploaded the darn photo...moving on
(1)Ingredients for Tomato Sauce: 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 7 cloves of minced garlic, tomato paste (water, citric acid, tomatoes form concentrate, 2 cans of tomato puree, 1 teaspoon of white sugar, 2 teaspoons of dried basil leaves, 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper & 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Now, this is from a home cooked recipe. Did you see any tomatoes in there? Can you imagine what Sodexho sends every school? Yikes! No wonder we suck at health.
(2) I love writing sarcastically
So right from the start, we are running up hill. Even when I started eating healthier, I considered pizza, Chinese food, and baked potato chips to be legitimate healthy options. It's understandable. Our education on nutrient and mineral based food is embarrassing. It took me three years to fully grasp what the definition of health means.
Now, millions of people want to eat healthy and get in shape but have no idea how to start. Let's delve into this.
It is so easy to find a good workout in today's technological age. The excuse "I don't have time to workout" is effin ridiculous and inexcusable anymore. You can put in a solid workout in 15 minutes. There is even T-25, which is a tough 25 minute a day workout plan designed by the creator of "Insanity". There are hundreds of on demand workout videos included with a simple cable package, youtube videos, and workout based websites (www.active.com). Do you also notice how conveinent gyms are these days? You can't go 5 miles without accidently finding one in central Jersey. We are in a boom of workout facilities. Ever since obesity has been labeled a disease (another genius move), more and more pop up with competing membership dues. Even getting a trainer is inexpensive. I remember when I was growing up, only the wealthy could afford a trainer. Now, they offer them in starter packages...for free! So don't blame your lack of physical condition on anything but yourself.
The crazy thing is that isn't the root of the problem. Every one who makes New Year's Resolutions are doomed to fail because of one reason. It's to vague. The terms of the goal are open for interpretation which most people do because they feel it gives them the opportunity to adapt to what everyday life throws at them, but don't you already see the problem with that.
One foot is out of the door before anything begins.
If you want to get in shape, sign up for a race. Any race! If you don't want to compete or find it pointless but want to lose weight, set a goal with a deadline. Then, when you hit a deadline, set a new one with new goals, change up your plan because the last thing you want to do is become redundant. But once you set a goal, whether it be for a race or weight loss, write a plan out, document your progress, blog your daily trials and tribulations. Build on the experience. The moment you don't define a set of rules to follow, chaos will slowly take over and leave you right where you started. Acutally, it will leave you in a worse state since defeat and dejection will settle underneath your skin. Then, you will make excuses and blame things that are totally within your control to make yourself feel better.
Don't do it!
It isn't worth it!
This brings me to my final point. If you really want to reach a goal. Start now! If you are reading this, stop, go downstairs, hit the floor and do some push ups and marine sit ups (don't do tradition sit ups, they are terrible for your back and neck. Plus, they don't do a damn thing for you). Don't start your diet on a Monday. Don't wait until New Year's Resolutions to begin a path down to a healthier life. Start right now! Once you decide the resolution for this year, you are already putting the goal on a pedestal, which isn't always a bad thing, but in this case, you are setting yourself up to fail. Don't do it. Get started right now! The resources for a better lifestyle are abundant. It's easier than you think and have fun with it.
It has been 12 days since I finished Alejandro Hunger's Clean Diet (1) and I have been able to reflect and feel the changes that occurred over the tough 21 days of strict eating.
I feel great.
Renewed even.
It's a wonderful thing to know your body is in a good state of health.
(1) If you are interested in the diet, I recommend reading Hunger's book. He resides in New York City. I also just realized that I have been misspelling Alejandro's name these past 4 weeks. Oops. It's Junger...not Hunger... I can be really dumb sometimes. Moving On
The problem with time stringent diets is once they are done, most of us quickly return to our old habits and usually gain more weight and eat unhealthier than we did before. People fall victim to this because we train our minds to stop eating the items we have been stuffing our mouths for years over a short period of time. Over this time, we crave these foods more than any of us can fathom, yet we discipline ourselves with shear determination to stay away and stick to the guidelines to the respective diet we are on. Then, after the diet is finished, we return to the foods we know and love, our brains go wild. The mind is so happy to have these foods again, it craves it more than one can handle.
We have all heard of the phrase "Mouth Hunger". The state of mind where you don't need to eat but your taste buds need to chew on something flavorful. It doesn't even matter what is, it just craves something delicious in the mouth. This "hunger" usually ends with Entenmann's Chocolate Chip Cookies and/or Wendy's in the system.
After a strict diet, this craving is multiplied exponentially.
In two different circumstances, I fell victim to this treacherous ordeal (possibly an overreaction) over the past twelve days. The four slices of pizza on the last day of the diet and a creme filled brownie seven days later made my brain happy, but my body wanted to give me a wedgie and melvin simultaneously (easier than you think). Besides that, I have delved into a decent amount of grains and breads but still maintain at least a 51% raw intake per meal. It's nice to have fruits like strawberries, bananas, and grapes again.
It is also terrific that I can have a turkey or veggie burger.
Cavatelli and broccoli is as delicious as always.
Actually, any pasta dish is superbly tasteful.
Thank God for small miracles.
So what did I take from this experience and will use in the future? I will put it in a professional bullet point presentation (I am very professional):
Dairy is terrible for you. Technically, everyone is lactose intolerant. Our bodies are so adaptable that most of us have the enjoyment of a nice glass of whole milk without feeling ill. It's remarkable when you think about it.
If you are worried about getting your Vitamin D, drink coconut or rice milk or take vitamins.
The 12 hours of fasting from your last meal of the day to the first meal of the next day is paramount. I have to say it was a knowledge gaining experience to discover all of the benefits from doing this simple task. I will use another bullet point presentation to illustrate and prove my argument (This is getting out of control):
Allows the digestive system to properly rest
It takes 8 hours for the digestive system to fully get rid of any consumed food while during sleep (another reason why 8 hours is recommended)
The digestive system is uninterrupted while trying to remove all of the toxins and waste from your system
Breakfast is derived from the phrase "breaking fast"
It aids in complexion
Promotes good metabolism
Promotes more hydration to vitalize and lubricate the organs
Alkalizes the body
Eating a raw garlic clove with an apple a day--This is really difficult to do because taste buds are so sensitive to the garlic, the body will spasm from time to time (not an exaggeration) but let's again list the benefits of doing something that literally takes 45-60 seconds out of your day (All information supplied in Junger's book):
Eliminates bad bacteria, yeast, & parasites
Regulates blood sugar levels
Enhances fat burning
Reduces hunger sensations
Lowers cholesterol
Relieves Arthritic pain
Reduces bowel gas
Before eating or having a morning coffee, drink at least a liter of water
Drink at least 4-5 liters of water a day
Don't eat more than 500 calories 2 hours before bedtime
There are many others but those are the ones I plan to follow and already in the middle of practicing on a daily basis.
If you are reading this, you don't have to follow this diet to change your health and improve yourself. This is just a difficult way to reboot the system. It was hard, extremely hard. I would go out to the bar's with my friends and couldn't have a beer or delve into chicken quesadillas. Not even a bite. The cravings are nuts. The temptation is cruel and relentless. The mood swings are unpredictable.
There are ups and downs in this diet, but the positive, is complete worthwhile. By week 3, I felt incredible. You can actually feel your body operating on all levels. It's a very unique feeling and something I don't want to give up.
And this leads us to the point of documenting my path to good health. There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path. It is common knowledge if everyone eats fruits and vegetables and stop eating junk food, society's overall health will improve, obesity would lessen, disease and cancer will decrease. So why with this common knowledge is such a struggle to convince so many to change their diet?
Answer: There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.
I have experienced it and hope you do the same.
If anyone has any questions or concerns with improving your life, feel free to leave a comment.
I am finished! Finite! Done! However you want to say it, the "Clean" diet is over.
The last three days were tough, so much that I cracked...big time. I cheated on Saturday eating whole grain cereal with rice milk (Oh geesh, I hope someone up there forgives me) and I had four slices of pizza on Sunday (a legitimately bad cave in on my part). I should be upset with myself but it ended up turning into a little experiment.
About 2 hours after I ate the cereal on Saturday, my stomach starting going nuts. It didn't recognize what I had put into it. The grains from the cereal (not allowed in the clean diet) didn't mix well with my body's symmetry. The body had to instill an incredible amount of energy to digest.
Eating the pizza on Sunday magnified this issue by 2.
This isn't a representation of my stomach not recognizing something I hadn't put into for awhile, but a substance my body doesn't need. The point of the diet is to hit the reset button. To reveal the ins and outs of my body by cleaning it out.
There are thousands of people who went on this diet and found out they were lactose intolerant afterwards. Other allergies became transparent to many others because the body wasn't running on bad fuel anymore. When you clean out the body, it will dictate everything an individual can or cannot have. The human body is so adaptive, it finds ways to run on anything after awhile. It wasn't too long ago where I ate at a fast food restaurant at least 3 times a week. That is not a typo. If Wendy's had a customer appreciation program, I would have given the eulogy at Dave Thomas's funeral. And at the time, I felt great (I know everyone's argument is "But Derek, you were really young and could eat anything and feel fine."That is a fallacy). I was able to run and play basketball for hours without getting tired. Then, I started to slowly add healthier stuff to my diet after I gave up junk food for Lent.
During those 40 days, I didn't eat any fast food, pizza, Chinese food, or candy. I started to add fruit and wholesome meals (Example: baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans) to my diet. I felt no difference to my body. Nothing changed in my energy output or at least I didn't notice anything.
After Lent passed, I went to Wendy's for my usual order: Spicy Chicken Sandwich Value Meal (The #6), four 5 piece nuggets (non-spicy), & 2 bacon cheeseburgers (1) because I was so excited to be done with the diet. By the way, that is not an exaggeration. I understand a decent group of my closest friends read this blog. If one of you could be so nice and comment on this and back me up, it would really validate and solidify the point I am trying to make. Nevertheless, after I finished consuming this glorious mass produced, but not frozen meal, my body shut down. My stomach started to ache. Discomfort quickly crept in making a nap completely out of the equation. I didn't want to move, sleep, or do anything. It was horrible. My skin started to tingle. Body temperature rose. Felt exhausted and easily agitated.
(1) Quick Tangent: My future wife, Lindsay, eats terribly. She loves McDonald's Chicken McNuggets and is addicted to grilled cheese, chicken fingers, and french fries. Trying to get her to eat vegetables and fruits is just as effective as trying to take away a smart phone from a teenage girl. Why am I telling you this? Lindsay does not believe me I ate worse than she does. She is legitimately convinced this happened in an alternate universe. She even hates it when I bring it up because she thinks I am lying. Who could blame her? I cringe everytime she eats chocolate for dinner (not a joke) or consumes every piece of meat dripping ribs and leaves ALL of the vegetables on the plate. The frustrating thing is I have tried everything to get her to change. I have presented a bunch of information proving why eating a certain way is better for your health short AND long term. She acknowledges all of the information and is even disgusted at times, yet she won't change one bit......... Phew! Learn to pick your battles Derek, learn to pick your battles, you're in this one for the long haul (which is why I want to improve her health but, ugh, nevermind, I am wasting my energy).
Now, this was 6 years ago and I can tell you with extreme detail how I felt after I ate that meal. I can even tell you where I was and what I was looking at when the aforementioned feelings reared it's ugly head. I never wanted to feel like that again. Since that day, I started to change my diet for good. I didn't delve into organic, paleo, or juicing diets right away but did start to add fruits and vegetables into my daily intake. Over time, I did some research. Watched some documentaries. Studied reactions to certain foods and read testimonials. Then, I started doing triathlons and everything I researched became magnified. I wanted to give myself the best chance to operate optimally during training and races. My diet became stricter and more organic based. Each meal, I attempted to eat at least 51% raw and even started to go to 65-70% raw for a few weeks at times. The change in my body's overall functions were astounding. I always felt energetic and jovial. My performances and training improved. My skin and overall outlook altered dramatically.
If you are wondering if I am this disciplined all the time, you are greatly mistaken. I still eat fast food every now and about. Fried chicken is still delicious. A good burger is almost impossible to resist and I will always be ridiculously addicted to fruit snacks.
We all have our vices. I am no different. But my vices started to become more relevant in my diet. That's the reason I did the cleanse. I wanted to get my body back to the point of clarity. And it was a success.
A great success.
Everything needed to be cleaned out so I can get back where I need to be. I forgot my ways for a little while. A nice reminder and reset button is always useful.
I am going to write a synopsis in a few days portraying all the lessons learned from the diet while hoping to inspire any readers to change theirs, but in the meantime, I feel great and will continue to improve myself as I head into the offseason. I am two workouts and one race away from entering a break in the action.
I am taking two days off from any type of arduous training to give my body some rest. The long run on Tuesday took a lot out of me and my left knee has been bothering me for some time. It's nothing serious but after some hard training, it gets stiff. I just want to play it safe. Plus, I have a tough regiment planned for this weekend.
Friday: 6 mile surge run
Saturday: 35 mile bike ride
Sunday: 9-12 mile run
It's the perfect way to enter into tapering mode. I have already gained confidence from Tuesday's run. Now, it is time to build off it. I am looking forward to next Sunday.
For the diet, I feel the difference now. I have felt great the past few days. I am energetic, alert, and nourished. The shakes, portion control, eating mostly raw, and discipline has brought my body to a new level. The addition of Goji Berries (1) has improved my nutrient and mineral consumption. The feeding with different kinds of nuts have fulfilled my calorie needs (for the most part). It's a wonderful feeling when you are energetic throughout the day. No 2:30 feeling. No sluggishness after eating a meal. Just fueling my body the way it needs to be fueled.
(1) Per foodmatters.tv: "Goji Berries are grown on vines in the protected valleys of inner Mongolia and Tibet. These distinctively flavoured red berries are a very rich source of vitamin C, having 500 times more Vitamin C per ounce than oranges and actually more than any other fruit. They are a superb source of vitamins A, B1,B2, B6 and E and contain a full complement of protein with 18 amino acids and 21 trace minerals. Most of all they are an excellent antioxidant making it an ideal natural whole food for reversing aging and protecting against disease." It is literally an anti-aging human growth hormone. I have already shared my view on HGH, now I supply you with an all natural PED to improve your life. I will warn you it is a very expensive fruit since you can only get it from the Himalayas: $22-$28 per pound.
When you fuel your car, does it run worse or not at all?
Neither occurs, it operates smoothly.
Then, why is it so common to feel tired after we eat. This is not suppose to happen. Food is our fuel to keep us going, but in today's society, it is the antithesis. Marketers and business people have even coined a genius phrase to give it a positive spin: Comfort Food. After you eat a nice piece of fried chicken, you get this warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Feels good doesn't it. You lie down. Get comfortable and take a nice nap (my girlfriend nodding in exuberant agreement). That's not suppose to happen! The body goes haywire trying to figure out what the hell you fed it while trying to utilize and obtain all the minerals and nutrients. The immune system is triggered to battle anything entering the body over the temperature of 150 degrees. Then, the digestive system spends hours liquefying the material so the body can use it. This takes an incredible amount of energy to perform making you feel sleepy and lethargic in the process
In the clean diet, this never happens
Ever
And you don't have to do a cleanse diet to achieve this type of digestive harmony. All you have to do is three things:
1. Every meal, eat at least 51% raw and 49% cooked.
2. Portion Control
3. Water-Drink lots of it
That's it.
If you do that for every meal, you will exponentially improve your overall health.
The crazy thing, it is simpler and easier than you think. Order a salad with your burger instead of french fries. Eat an apple and a pear with your ham and cheese sandwich. Drink water before you delve into your morning coffee. Small changes will make big improvements over a period of time. Be patient. You don't have to do the "Clean" diet to receive this type of enlightenment. Just understand you are adding quality and longevity to your life.
I haven't read the entire book of "Clean" by Dr. Alejandro Hunger, but I have read enough excerpts to understand the goal and process of reaching that goal. The trials and tribulations. The ups and downs. Well, yesterday was the epitome of an up and down. I felt really good. Energetic and clean. I understand that may sound cliche but it is the best adjective I can think of at the moment. I was able to release a lot of toxins through my bowel movements but was plague by a ridiculously strong headache. I don't think it was a migraine but it was strong and consistent. Hunger mentions multiple times experiencing headaches during the 21 day cleanse is normal but don't be alarmed. Well Doc, it is hard not to be alarmed when I am trying to work effectively with head pains.
The diet may not be the only reason I got a headache. I have already mentioned multiple times work hasn't been going smoothly, creating a lot of stress in my life in the process. I also slept on my neck incorrectly causing severe vertebral subluxation (1). I am not sure what caused this pain in my head, but I am going to go with all three.
(1) Vertebral Subluxation can be simply defined as your neck and/or spine being slightly or severely out of alignment causing contact with your spinal cord. Your spinal cord is separated in different sections and each section contains the responsibility of transporting signals to the rest of your body. Therefore, if the pressure on the spinal cord is severe enough, it can cause an array of problems. You may not feel it right away but over time, it will deteriorate your immune and nervous system. If you do have subluxation, go to a licenced chiropractor and get a schedule of adjustments and exercises. I have seen with my own eyes people who took medication for arthritis and migraines ended up throwing out their prescribed medicine after their subluxation was reversed. Subluxation can be caused by a number of items: sleep, sleep posture, posture, and genetics.
So in this bittersweet day, I had a big run planned. I was worried I may be risking my health by forcing myself running but I had to. There really wasn't much of a choice because any inclination of getting sick was thrown out the door once I realized I was being a panzee.
I went out the door with the highest of hopes to return (I was honestly worried I may collapse or something...I can be dramatic sometimes) and finished an 11.85 mile run with flair and exuberance. And by flair, I mean there was a step in my stride. I wasn't doing ribbon dancing down Terrace Avenue or doing the Ickey Shuffle...if you were wondering what I meant by flair.
This run became my solace.
My church.
The release of serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins gave me the clarity I needed. I have required this type of run for awhile but the timing couldn't be anymore then sublime. With work, diet and the half marathon coming up, it gave me everything I was craving. The confidence needed to go into the half marathon without worrying about a lack of performance has been obtained. The concern of the diet affecting my ability to train properly was answered positively. And the fear of my job in peril became a distance memory as I know I am good at what I do and it would be silly to think otherwise.
A few months ago, I wrote a post supplying a link to The Oatmeal's "The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run" and I was considering writing my own version because there are a few differences between my interpretation of experiences compared to The Oatmeal's. However, if I were to write a post about the why, this run would be an excellent example.
All of those items that were plaguing the last two weeks...silenced. Major, major items in my life were solved with nearly 2 hours of self-masochism.
I have hinted at my training being lackluster. I am not hinting anymore. My training has been near pathetic. I didn't feel like doing the race anymore but after this run, I feel re-energized and rejuvenated. (Laughing to myself as I am typing this) It's a little to late to be rejuvenated since the Philadelphia Half Marathon is only a week and a half but better time than any I guess. It just feels good to have that drive back.
Plus, the best thing, and I mean the BEST thing about the run, my headache went completely away.
Good Day
In a few of my recent posts, I have left inspirational videos, here is one of my favorites. I hope this pushes you to the next level in what ever you need to get done.
The past few days have been tough. Nothing compared to real problems that unfortunate people have to go through on a daily basis, but first world issues that have bummed me out. So, that's the reason I have not posted anything recently, not like anyone is holding their breath waiting for my next one (Tiffany, you can breath now), but I have experienced better days.
Work has been tough. My job is somewhat in peril and it is sobering to say the least. I don't want to get into it but it has affected my workout regime. I took off Wednesday and Thursday, ran 6 miles on Friday, played flag football on Saturday and was a complete piece of crap on Sunday. I even cheated on the diet on Sunday. I caved. I needed some bad carbohydrates so I devoured cavatelli and broccoli. It was delicious but I did feel bad doing it. I just don't like to quit on things (shoot to my father disagreeing strongly) and I almost quit the diet whole right there and then.
I didn't but to make things even more pleasant to my failures, I found out I was cheating on the diet without realizing it.
Remember when I was harmonizing in the revelation I could have sushi? I was wrong. You can't have raw fish.
Eff
Really?
Raw Fish?
I don't know the science of it but author Alejandro Hunger strongly urges not to have raw fish as it is detrimental to the cleanse process.
Translation: This is a microcosm of my recent struggles.
It is going to be difficult to properly reflect on this diet without adding the psychology altering the results. I admit it is fabulous I can have a meal and feel energize afterwards but with the recent troubles with work, I feel it is affecting me mentally, spiritually, and even physically.
My latest runs have been lackluster. On Friday, I planned to do a tough 11.5 mile run but cut it to 6. I was terribly stiff and couldn't break out of it. I tried different things, even added some surges to try and loosen things up. No dice. My body restricted itself from performing at a higher level, which was extremely disappointing since I had a great breakthrough with the cleanse. I felt wonderful during the day and feeling the two days rest would have revitalized my stride and training output. Not the case. Quite the contrary to be exact. It happens from time to time but I felt this one to be different. In the runs I feel stiff, I usually breakout of it by mile 4 at the very latest but it would not go away. With all of the stress, emotion, and lack of calories, it has affected my ability to train properly.
Stress affects us in ways we can't even imagine. Even today's science can't put their finger on it. With all of the bearing pressures each day presents, it can damage our ability to perform in physically daunting tasks. It doesn't even have to be athletic. It could be stuff you do in your sleep. Hell, it affects your sleep too! Then, you start to question things that are usually second nature. It destroys your confidence and damages your personality. Stress does strange things to the human body. The best sociologists and neurologists can't figure it out because stress affects people differently and is dictated by the situation and environment.
I usually handle stress very well but this one is defeating me. Maybe I feel this way because this can affect Lindsay and I a great deal and I don't want to put us in that position. She goes through enough as it is (and I am including my day-to-day BS), she doesn't need my failures to affect her success.
The point I am trying to make is I am going through a wave of feelings and emotions since I started this diet and I can't figure out which is what. Is starving myself of needed calories damaging my ability to feel good? Or is it stress from work? Or both? I can't properly answer that elementary question. All I can say is I am going to push this, get back on track and finish this diet. I have learned a lot and the lessons will be taken into account when I return to my normal diet.
Now, I will leave you with this video because I am going to get on the bike and ride for an a good hour.
Today was a mixed bag of nuts. I finally got tired of the way I was treating my diet when I am in between meals, so I went a little grocery shopping and got some delicious items I can have without breaking the contents of the diet. And in this discovery, I have been able to appreciate the smaller things in this strict and intense diet. Here are some of the items I started consuming that make me smile while I type this:
-Turkey Jerky
-Almond Butter
-That's it
And just those two items made me so happy. Every bite I savored. When I scooped up the almond butter and devoured every morsel off the spoon, I can feel myself getting to a better state of mind. It was almost sublime.
It's interesting how we all adapt to situations. When things get really tough, we make the best of it, yet, when things are going well, we find, in some cases, search for ways to be miserable. The simple answer to this paradox is human nature but isn't it disgusting we act like this.
For example, I vacationed in California for 10 days this past summer and during my time there, I got to visit Orange County. Now, my mom watches all of the stupid "housewives in name the dumb city" shows and all I ever hear when I pass by the television is whining and moaning how tough things are and how one wives' friend shouldn't eat a salad with the big fork or God forbid, have the same wardrobe in their closet as one of their closest companions. That would be the end of the world.
Sorry, I am digressing. Back to California. When I was walking around in Laguna Beach, I was shocked on how beautiful it was. Amazing and impossibly built houses on cliff sides with the Pacific Ocean greeting blessed families every morning, wonderful 75 degree weather year round, and food so good that I understand how the obesity epidemic is so high; however,all I hear from these people on the show is how much their life sucks.
When your life is perfect, you find ways to make it imperfect.
In the documentary "Happy", the filmmakers go around the world studying different cultures to find what makes people happy and in that revelation, who is the happiest culture on the planet? You want to guess which culture was the happiest?
The poorest.
With barely nothing, a culture residing in Africa find themselves to be more than content with their situation by doing simple activities with their families and local community.
Amazing how that works out.
I am not saying my happiness can be compared to the honest and admirable happiness people conveyed in the documentary but being able to have those treats made my day.
The other thing that made me happy was the long run. I was planning on doing a half marathon but decided to do a 10 miler instead. I would like to do a speed workout tomorrow and knew I couldn't if I stayed with the 13.1 mile trot. Nevertheless, it felt great because I needed the time to myself. Work hasn't been so hot lately and today was no different. I needed to get into my own head for awhile and there is no better way to do that then by running. I cannot tell you how many times I have want to put a bullet through my brain but after a good, tough run, I end in complete harmony. I gather clarity over what is bothering me as it also aids in dealing with future situations. It is beyond therapeutic. I recommend running to anyone who is physically capable. There are way too many positives not to.
The release of serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins also helps.
Tomorrow, I plan to do a speed workout. I am looking forward to it.
I was thinking about just writing that. That's it! We are done here! Thanks for reading!
But, yeah, nothing really exciting to write about today. I had a good day at work. I had to wait until noon time to finally eat something since I did the bike trainer workout so late last night but everything went well. After all of the temptations I experienced this weekend, I found it easier to deal with my hunger. It is surprisingly taking less and less energy to fend off cravings. Or maybe it was a good day for helping my stomach shrink.
This week, I am eager to see if I get some of the side effects author, Alejandro Hunger, discusses in his book. This week, I am supposed to experience random energy bursts and nightmares.
Yeah, you read that correctly.
Nightmares
I am so happy I starve myself everyday so I can lay down and hang out with Freddy Krueger.
So there's that
For the workout, I said in yesterday's post I was planning on doing a half marathon. Because of the late workout, I didn't recover the way I imagined I would, so I just did another T25 workout with Lindsay. It was nice, a good cardio workout, but it is no long run. I needed one of those random energy bursts to even think about running.
I am semi-happy with my training right now. As you can read between the lines, I am trying to stay positive. It is only two weeks away from tapering into the Philadelphia Half Marathon and I am in nowhere near the shape I need to be. I want to get close to a 6:45 mile pace but would be fortunate if I broke 1:31 (7:30 pace). I still believe I can get close to that, but it's going to take more discipline. Every run I do is difficult and always challenging my initial physical prowess, but I haven't been building on each workout to reach a new level. I would partly blame this on being so adept to triathlon training, where I run 3 times a week max, but my heart isn't into it. I am looking forward to some time off. I will still workout from time to time but just to keep in decent shape and not lose my mind. These seasons are long and I am looking forward to spending some more time with Lindsay, even though the woman works 49335 hours out of the day (slight miscalculation).
However, I signed up for this race and I am not going to do this half-assed. I have enough time to salvage a good race and can't make any excuses.
Let's Go
Tomorrow will be much more interesting...I promise.
Here is a video that is a lot more interesting than this post.
I could post an old man watching the grass grow and that would be more interesting than this post.
Since we all have lives containing responsibilities and events, it is best I don't overflow your facebook and twitter feed with updates on this diet. Therefore, a weekend update will suffice. It also allows me to live a little bit and not be tied down myself.
Before we get started, I must state I have cheated on this diet...to a certain extent. The "Clean" Diet developed by Alejandro Hunger is a 21 day cleanse diet which instructs to have two smoothies and one hard meal a day. In the smoothies and hard meals, he supplies food and recipes to make everything delicious and nutritious...sometimes. There are a few additional items he recommends to help improve the revitalization process. A few examples are fasting for 12 hours before the last meal of the day and the first meal of the next day, a tablespoon of olive oil before you go to bed, and eating a raw garlic glove a day. Hunger explains in explicit detail all of the benefits from following this diet and most of them are to help you get through this with the least path of resistance.
The problem for me is, training for a half marathon is too much not to go a little bit outside the parameters. I follow all of the do's and do not's when it's pertaining to the food you can have but I simply can't have just one hard meal a deal. With the amount of calories I burn a day, I would lose weight at a rapid and unhealthy rate.
Example: I lost 7 pounds the first two days.
Therefore, when I am really hungry, I eat another meal. Simple as that.
Day 5:
Friday was interesting since I would be around a lot of temptation (I was around temptation this whole weekend, it actually should have been the slogan). I attended the South Plainfield High School Reunion. Now, for the people that know me and went to school with me understand I graduated from that high school in 2004; however, I was bored, love my friends, and know a lot of people from that grade. Call it weird, stupid, or whatever. I really don't care. I had a wonderful time. I actually discussed the diet with a few people and some listened with intrigue. Others looked at me as if I was a Jacksonville Jaguars fan. Most people were wondering how you can't drink alcohol, eat certain foods, and be around some much temptation without cracking.
Look, it's hard and I am going to be honest, it is way harder than I could imagine. It sucks. It's not only the temptations but the frequency of them. Everywhere you turn, there is something I want to put it my mouth (That's what she said) and savor every last bite, but once you do that it weakens you. You fail. Everything you are trying to accomplish goes right out the door. It's just not worth it.
I didn't workout at all on Friday. I was lazy. What do you want from me? I just didn't feel like it.
Day 6:
My good friend Michael Kasmer (Kaz) drove up from Philadelphia for the reunion but decided to go running with me on 5 hours of sleep and at least a half liter of alcohol still in him. We went down to Holmdel Park and ran a couple of laps on the hardest 5k course in the state of New Jersey. Kaz hadn't ran since the Ragnar Relay in New York (September 27 & 28) but you wouldn't ever know it from watching him run.
He dismantled me.
Holmdel Park is known for "The Bowl", a part of the course that takes you down a hill and around the bottom of it before it forces you to traverse a tough and rigorous uphill with the last 20 feet going at an insane angle of 60 degrees. Once you take your last stride up the hill, all your quadriceps want to do is take a rest. They shut down. Your brain tries to tell them to go faster, but quickly becomes an irrelevant request. Your legs don't care.
That small section of trail has destroyed so many cross country runners' races, it's makes Boston Marathon's Heartbreak Hill look like a nice drive to grandma's house.
Yet, after explaining the course, I was struggling, while Kaz seemed to be excelling with every stride. It's frustrating but that man is blessed with a mental ability most can't fathom, including myself. I also think he has been blessed with a rare gene.
A few weeks ago, I finished reading "The Sports Gene" by David Epstein and one chapter talked about naturally talented athletes. It delved into endurance genetics and how 6% of the population is born with this rare gene to automatically be in shape without much training. It is even documented that a Kenyan ran a 4:15 mile....on his first try! Now, other elements led to his success (high elevation and advance demographic genetics) but to achieve that time without any real training is absurd. I am pretty sure Kaz has that gene because to go to Holmdel Park and run a little under 7 miles while being hungover and sleep deprived is nothing short of amazing. It's just incredible!
On our way back, Kaz was talking about having a delicious Chicken Parmesan Sandwich from arguably the best Pizzeria in town (Tony's...I am a Ciccio's guy) and it was almost making me depressed. He asked me if I can have any pasta. I said no but did mention I could have brown rice. Then, he asked if I could have sushi. I forgot all about sushi. Brown rice, raw fish, avocado, cucumber, and ginger, it's the perfect combination while simultaneously satisfying my cravings. We rushed to Asahi and destroyed multiple kinds of rolls with vigor and excitement. A satisfying meal indeed. Made the afternoon.
In the evening, I attended my good friends' surprise engagement party (Congratulations to John and Jenn!) and had grilled organic chicken with brussel sprouts and red cabbage. My second hard meal of the day if you are counting at home.
Anyway, I had a great night with good friends.
Day 7:
Two hard meals again today: sushi and red snapper. I spent most the day over my friend Sheed's house and watched some football (a weekly routine). It was a great time and always is.
My workout was an hour on the bike trainer. I haven't done that since early September. A good change of pace and I was able to watch the late football game while working out. Really the best of both worlds. It's tough but feels great when I am done. Tomorrow is going to be a big run (13.1 miles---the half marathon distance) so I am going to go and get some rest. Big day tomorrow!
This post may be skewed in a way since I had a terrible day at work. I am not going to get into it but it wasn't one of my best days.
I am emotionally compromised.
Nevertheless, today I woke up with a screaming headache. It felt like a cross between a hangover and a sinus headache, so yeah, it was pretty painful. It lasted until 9:00 am. I woke up at 7:00 sharp. I am not sure of the cause of the headahce but it made sure it was present in my wake up call. It didn't really make sense since I drank a lot of water before I went to bed and stuck true to the diet. I did read and heard from various people that this is a normal thing and shouldn't be alarmed. Actually, this headache usually arrives due to caffiene withdrawal, which doesn't make sense since I barely drink the stuff. If I drink coffee, it is a clear and glaring sign I am really tired.
Anyway, it eventually went away and I was able to spend the day without any real discomfort.
For lunch (First bite at 2:12 pm), I had a delicious piece of lamb. I am going to proclaim lamb my favorite meat on the planet. It's delcious, lean, flavorful, and one of the healthiest meats there is. It made my day just having it at lunch (no exaggeration, it was the highlight of the day) I didn't start having lamb until I worked at Trap Rock Brewery (A fine dining resturant in Berkeley Heights). I was 22 when I started and so thankful the cook was addicted to the lean meat. The beauty of lamb is there are so many different type of cuts, each supplying their own unique texture and flavor. If you haven't eat it or have something against it, change that immediately.
Here are the benefits of eating lamb:
-Besides fish, lamb has the most omega-3 fatty acids per serving
- Daily Value Percantages (%):
(1) Trypotphan is an amino acid with the following qualities:
Help regulate your appetite
Improved Sleep
Mood elevation
The mineral also helps with the following conditions:
Depression
Anxiety
Irritability
Impatience
Impulsiveness
Inability to concentrate
Weight gain or unexplained weight loss
Slow growth in children
Overeating and/or carbohydrate cravings
Poor dream recall
Insomnia
(2) Selenium improves your metabolism and is high in antioxidants
The tough day at work made me crave terrible things to eat. Candy, Frozen Snickers Bars, Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich and plenty of other delicious, yet horrifically non-nutrious treats. I desperately needed a coping mechanism so food was the first choice. The crazing is even more magnified due to the diet but battling it felt good. And I didn't cave. I feel accomplished and it is the only other positive today.
I am sure tomorrow will be better.
Meals:
Breakfast: Peach Cobbler Smoothie (blueberries, peaches, cocoa powder, coconut water, flax and chia seed) Lunch: Lamb with dijon mustard seasoning over a mixed greens--Squeezed a lemon over the salad ass the dressing Dinner: Peach Cobbler Smoothie Snacks: Cashews, Brazil Nuts, Almonds, Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, and 3 Apples
Workout:
I decided not to run to give my legs some rest. Instead, I did another T-25 workout with Lindsay. I was hoping it would be an upper body or core workout but naturally, it was all legs. Perfect. I didn't attack the workout like I usually do because I plan on running at least 5.5 miles tomorrow and add a little speed to the workout. I didn't want to injure myself or threaten an injury. But still, it was nice working out with Lindsay. I hope she sticks with it. It's a really good workout plan and most of all, fair. It challenges you but encourages not to push yourself in the beginning stressing that the fitness will come over time and soon enough, you will be able to mirror what everyone else is doing on the screen. I can also see that they took the public feedback from Insanity and made some improvements. Really brilliant stuff and hard to ignore the results. All you need is a half hour of your time and you've got a really good workout. There really isn't any excuses for this one. Stick to it and you will see the results without committing a large portion of your life to it. Also, very inexpensive since the only thing you need is your body.
From this simple workout, it is evident that the diet had no effect, whether it is positive or not.
Today was a lot better than yesterday. Besides a random flash headache, I felt good. No feeling sick or sluggish, just normal. The main reason for this change from yesterday was I snacked like a human being instead of relying on three meals to hold me over, which was so stupid to begin with since I am probably intaking a sum of 1750 calories throughout the entire day. That is 750 below the recommend daily amount and that's excluding exerecise.
It also helped I didn't have my morning shake until 10:15 am instead of having right in the morning and then wait for lunch.
There is also a reason for eating so late so I can't pat myself on the back too much.
Part of the diet is to fast for 12 hours a day until you eat next. I finished my shake at 9:45 pm last night and had my morning shake today at the stated time above. I was surpisingly shocked I wasn't hungry leading up to the first shake. Honestly, I could have held out a few hours longer but couldn't because my whole eating schedule would have been thrown off.
Could my body be adapting to the diet already?.
Talking to my mother, she says that she can strangely control her appetite while on the "Clean" diet. It may be mental. Or it may be part of the design. I am not completely sure. I understand eating a variety of different nuts is supposed to curb your hunger but when you are usually eating 3500-5000 calories, it barely suffices. Hell, I barely can tell if I have eaten something after eating a few handful of nuts. It's a large part why this is so tough, yet I could control my hunger without much negotiation, which is a battle I combat with multiple times a day when I am eating my normal diet, let alone a cleanse.
The mental aspect deserves more thought. I mentioned in yesterday's post when you have your eye on the prize, you bargain with yourself to get through the discomfort and constant cravings. It makes you appreciate the glory when you experience the trials and tribulations during the journey. The few positive returns feel so much sweeter. It's what keeps you going. Those small and quick moments in time you see your hard work paying off. It keeps you dedicated. It keeps you determined.
Anyone who partakes in this diet comprehends the ugly beauty of this revitalization process. That's where the mental part comes into it. It's amazing how our minds work when you strip things down and make things strict and simple. You mentally become stronger.
I am just happy I didn't have to delve into that type of mental strength today because yesterday, I wanted to quit. However, after today, I feel pretty good.
Snacks: Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews, Pumpkin Seeds, 4 Apples, 1 Garlic Clove, Goji Berries, & 1- 6 oz. pack of Blackberries
Workout:
Yesterday, I was kind of lazy and stated I will make up for it by running 9-11 miles. Tonight, I ran 11.6. I ran it a 7:50 clip and it was the longest run since the half-marathon in the Timberman 70.3 Half Ironman on August 18. I am very interested to see how I feel tomorrow because I have never consumed so little calories after a big workout. I have already drank a bunch of water and eaten as much nuts as I can. I hope I am not sore. I want to build off this workout. The route was initially concieved to be 10 miles but it was a minor miscalculation. It felt good to be out there for awhile going through the ups and downs of a long run. Runs like this make you stronger mentally. I was in a decent amount of pain but felt so good aerobically that it didn't bother me as much...which was nice. Nevertheless, I need to build of this momentum if I am planning to perform well on November 17.
I am not going to sugar coat this at all. Today sucked. I felt sick, even though I knew I wasn't. So, because I have never experience this feeling before, I talked to a few people who have done this diet before, my mother, sister, and co-worker, Melissa. I gathered input and found out this is actually a very normal thing. From finding out this information, I felt better since this represents I am doing something right.
It still sucked either way.
I was hungry the entire day. I tried to snack on some nuts in between meals to carry me over but that did not help one bit. It almost made me moody because all I could think about was the infinite amount of food I couldn't eat.
Burgers, Pizza, French Fries, Bananas (The diet doesn't permit eating bananas which stinks because I effin love bananas), Pasta, & other delicious foods running through my head all day.
It became a vicious cycle tempting me in breaking the diet only 36 hours in. How do people do this? I have gained so much respect for people who attempt these crazy diets and do it more than a week. This is hard. It's more than discipline. It takes, dare I say...faith.
Faith in what I am doing is going to work.
Now from that statement, I could go on a diatrobe on how 99.9% of diets are a designed system for you to fail, but that would deter the point of these posts.
Instead, the visualization of how you will feel, look, and most importantly, be, is what drives us all when we attempt to conquer these strict dietary plans. The point of victory is wonderfully brillant when everyone who completes such an arduous task remembers the trials and tribulations that go through the journey. The ups and downs. The temptations baiting us into doing something we aren't supposed to, yet having the strength to say no.
That goal is what's driving me...for now because I will completely honest with you, I want to stop. I just want to yell "Eff it, I don't need to do this. I am in the best shape of life and eat healthier than most. Why, oh why, am I doing this to myself?"
However, that would weaken me and I am doing this is to bring my body to another level.
Polar opposite results....Keep your eye on the prize.
Something I need to do going forward is to have more raw vegetables and fruit to snack on and not rely on trail mix to carry me through the day. I am only allowed one hard meal a day so I need to attack this smarter and take in as many calories as I can since I am working out and training for a half marathon.
Meals:
Breakfast: Avocado, Lime & Ginger Smoothie
Lunch: Grilled Chicken over mixed greens, avocado, and red onions
Dinner: Mango, Flax Seed, and Lime (Delicious by the way)
Snacking: Raw Garlic Clove with an apple as a chaser (try it...without wincing or going into epilectic shock), almonds, cashews, walnuts, and raisins.
Workout:
I was somewhat lazy today. I was supposed to do a speed workout but didn't do any running. Instead, I did a T-25 (the new Sean-T videos) workout with Lindsay. I must say it is pretty tough. I really hope Lindsay sticks with it. She is on Day 2 and already feeling beat up. It's pretty challenging and does a good job to keep you interested and motivated for the next day. I kind of what to do the Wednesday workout tomorrow but because I was lazy today, I am going to run between 9-11 miles tomorrow and add push-ups, marine sit-ups, and planks to act as my core exercises.
Tomorrow should be interesting as I have not run that distance since 2 weeks before Ragnar.
Over the past 5 years, I have transformed my health and lifestyle to a degree I did not expect. I feel good, rarely get sick, and perform in endurance events near an elite level. However, it's not enough. Through reading books and talking with individuals who do this for a living (Twitter at it's all time best), I have been able to find more ways to get to the next level. This one of those steps.
My sister and mother read "Clean" by Alejandro Hunger and executed his 21-day cleanse diet. After completion, both received great results: weight loss, improved skin complexion, and superb immune revitalization.
The ability to battle disease and sickness without the use of medicine or professional aid.
Furthermore, I want to be healthy.
Now, most people believe health is defined by the absence of disease, but that is a common misconception and just plain wrong. Well, not wrong, just half right. Health is a superior state of being. A state where anyone can reach their true potential. I know this sounds to good to be true (and kind of cheesy) but it is. It's that simple. It just takes a lot discipline, hard work, and determination.
It is a very strict, yet realistic diet. Let me explain:
-Two Smoothies a day
-One "hard" meal a day
-No dairy
-No citrus
-No bananas, grapes, or strawberries
-At least 5 liters of water a day
-No rigorous exercise
-A plethora of varietal nuts
The last one is going to be the interesting one.
I am training for the Philadelphia Half Marathon and in the middle of my training plan. I can't just stop exercising and let this diet take precedence. This is why I want to document this. I can't intake the amount of calories or food items I need to to recover properly. I will burn more calories than I will intake, even without working out. Now. add running and occasionally biking, weight loss will increase, my body fat percentage will decrease, and recovery will be compromised. I am not sure if it will affect my running while I am out on the road but I want to document this and see how it affects my performance.
The "Clean" diet perfect starts today and will end on November 11. The race is on November 17. This will run my training right into my tapering period. This will also allow me to utilize my normal nutrition during a race (Amino Vital Endurance, Clif Shot Bloks, and whatever other goodies I can get my hands on.
So let's get this started
Starting Weight: 192.5
Body Fat %: 18
Day 1
During the day, didn't feel much difference than normal, which is to be expected. I have been informed you don't feel a difference until Day 3 (where you feel moody and lethargic... I am looking forward to Day 3).
In the morning, I had a spinach and mango smoothie (it's as disgusting as it sounds).
For lunch, I had a chicken salad with pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and onions. No dressing. The only dressing you can put on your salads is oil and vinegar. On the side, I had some raw trail mix containing cashews, walnuts, raisins, and almonds, two avocados, and a 6 oz pack of raspberries.
For dinner, I had a avocado, lime, and ginger smoothie with flax seed (better than it sounds)
Workout
I did a nice and flat 7 mile run. I felt good, not great, but good. Moved at a 7:45 minute per mile clip. However, by mile 5, I started to feel sore in my muscles. Now, I don't know if this was mental because for some reason, I was expecting radical changes to my body when I started this diet but I did feel sore, which is an uncommon thing. I am very interested to see how I feel tomorrow morning. I plan to do a track workout tomorrow (oh yes, my favorite).
Note: This post is way overdue. I was working too hard on the PED Issue columns Part 1 and Part 2 (please read if you haven't) However, without further ado:
Ironman 70.3 Timberman
Before getting to the breakdown of my performance, this must be stated. The Timberman is by far the best race I have been a part of. It revolves around the beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee and immerses athletes and spectators alike into a wonderful festival atmosphere. From the Race Check In at the stunning Gunstock Ski Resort to the Athletes Lounge at the end of the race, it is the most organized, well run event I have involved myself in. This is the first time I have endured zero stress in the mandatory pre-race activities. It was almost relaxing. I never slept so well before a race and I look forward to doing this next year.
Now onto the race.
Pre-Swim
Perfect weather conditions, cloudy, low 60s, very low humidity. I am getting excited with anticipation that this may be the race I qualify for the 2014 World Championship in Mont Tremblant, Quebec while breaking 5 hours.
I start to visualize my success, but more importantly, I start to believe it.
Let's get started
The Swim
Due to my age bracket, I again, start the second to last wave. 8:09 am exactly. This sucks but also has it's advantages (Not waiting for the Porter John is by far the number one advantage).
The gun goes off. I am able to get into a nice rhythm without much chaos from the start.
I feel really good.
But wait....
....wait for the turmoil
....
It's coming
For the sake of Murphy's Law, water continually gets into my goggles. I stop at least 7 times to fix this during the swim, breaking my rhythm every effin time. I attempt to calm my nerves to the best of my ability but fail on multiple occasions during the course of the 1.2 mile swim.
I finally finish the swim and felt like I did it in about 38 minutes.
Lindsay clocks me in at 34 minutes flat... a personal best...but I don't realize this at the time.
Transition 1
I get out of the water and attempt to get my swim suit zipped down so the volunteer "strippers" (they have to fine a better name than this) can take it off rapidly. I try several times to get it off. I pass my mother and Lindsay as they are cheering me on. The pictures speak for it self
As you can see, I am struggling to zip down my wetsuit so I can take half of it off (look at the left picture, notice the woman who executed this to perfection) and have the "strippers" rip off the suit. They can't do anything to help me otherwise. I get to the volunteer section and one of them zips down my wetsuit and the strippers do their thing, but after this transpires, my swim time clocks in at 35:29. It's only 150 meters from exiting the water to the entrance of the transition area and Lindsay clocked me in at the point she saw me, so a lot of time added up quickly during this little period (more about this later).
I put all of my bike gear on but my watch is being a complete pain in the butt. The stem that locks into the adjustable slot is not cooperating.
By the 5th time, I finally get it in.
Crap...I am losing valuable seconds
The Bike
When I started doing triathlons, running was my greatest strength; however, over the course of time, biking has taken over that throne. That wasn't the case here or for anytime in the future. My cycling isn't a strength anymore, it's a weapon. A force I unleash onto my opponents. I cannot stress how many people I passed so I will let the numbers tell the story:
Overall Rank after the swim: 617
Overall Rank after the bike: 233
I passed nearly 400 people during the bike portion.
Competitors who passed me during the bike: 3
3!!!
The course was mostly flat with a few big hills at the end. It wasn't the most beautiful bike course I have ever done but it was so much fun to do. In the first 30 miles, I averaged 24.4 mph and felt ridiculously good. The numbers speak for itself. I can't tell you how good it feels when you pass a group of riders in the matter of seconds. It's invigorating. It's something you have to experience yourself.
It also helps that I have a top of the line bike (Specialized SHIV Expert with 404 Zipp Tires, courtesy of Knapp's Cyclery in Lawrenceville, NJ) in this process but my cycling has improved each year and I do not expect it to stop here.
The last 26 miles was a little bit tougher since the course sent everyone on a different route on the way back to Lake Winnipesaukee (the bike course is out and back). It was hilly to say the least. Not as hilly as Syracuse but enough to force every rider to get out of the saddle and hammer on multiple occasions.
Nevertheless, I get back to the transition where I see Lindsay and my mother. Naturally, I am happy to see them.
Transition 2
Over my short triathlon career, I have learned to take the transition area more seriously. It took a few failures and bone-headed mistakes (1) to get the picture but I have finally gained the knowledge to take transitions seriously. I have even read a few articles on how to improve my transition time. It's a very meticulous task. The way you organize your set up area, what you put on first, locating your spot in the transition area, and what you really need during the bike or run, it all adds up and when you are trying to qualify for the World Championship, these seconds matter. It's crazy when you think about it. I compete in 5 hour races and precious seconds are the difference between the elite and everyone else.
(1) The bone-headed mistake I will never let myself forget: For the Steelman Olympic Triathlon (Olympic distances: .93 mi. swim, 24.85 mi. bike & 6.2 mi. run) I tried to mark my area in the transition by leaving a carton of blueberries in front on my bike. Well, someone kicked the carton of delicious fruit before I got there and as I arrived in the transition area, I couldn't figure out what row I was in. So, I started running up and down the aisles looking for the dumbest GPS locator of all effin time with an increased look of panic on my face every step I took. I had to run up and down the transition area 15 times before locating my bike. I ended up taking a full 5 minutes in the transition area before I escaped on my bike.
The goal for the race was to break 2:30. My finish time: 2:32...
I am getting depressed...let's move on
I enter the transition, put my bike away, take off all my bike gear and start putting on my run gear. I put on my Amino Vital visor cap (Thanks again Amino Vital), sunglasses and race belt. Then, I start to put my socks on. By the miraculous working of Murphy's effin Law (again), a pebble gets in one of my fresh pair of running socks. I don't realize it until I put it on and feel the pebble stab my foot upon impacting the ground.
Crap... I take off the sock and start shaking it like a mad man.
"OK, that should be good enough," I state to myself.
I put the sock back on...
Same result
EFFFF!!!! I rip off the sock, turn it inside out, grab the pebble and throw it away as I curse it off as if it has tried to personally attack my family and friends.
I put on my shoes and head out for the run. My T2 time clocks in at 3:09. My usual bike-to-run time: 2:15.
The Run
The run was fantastic! Most of it was along Lake Winnipesaukee. The aid stations were perfectly placed. There were only 4 big hills and the weather was fantastic. I felt good.
So good compared to Syracuse
This is how I looked entering the second loop for Ironman 70.3 Syracuse.
Here is how I look entering the second lap for Ironman 70.3 Timberman
I don't need to say more much instead of I gave it all I could muster and finished the half marathon at 1:46.
I ended up injuring my calf but it was a fantastic run nonetheless.
My total time: 5:00:46.
I missed qualifying for the WC by a few spots.
I missed breaking 5 hours by 47 seconds.
Conclusion
The best way to describe the outcome of the race: bittersweet. Even though I broke 5 hours before, this is by far, my best performance. This performance immediately becomes bitter when we add up all of the little stuff that stopped me from breaking 5 hours and possibly qualifying for the WC.
These are approximate additions:
Loose Goggles: 1:10
Swim Suit Zipper Fiasco: 1:20
Watch Trouble: :40
The Pebble From Hell :50
Total Time Lost 4:00
Time without all of the horses***: 4:56:46
I don't know about you but 4:56:46 looks a lot better than 5:00:46. It would have also put me ahead of three people, inching me closing to World Championship qualification. I am not sure if I would have qualified but I would have a lot better chance to be competing with the world's best.
So, as I said, the result is bittersweet. This is the last race of the season. It's time to rest and next year, I will become better and I will qualify.
Additional Notes:
Thank you to my sponsors for giving me support (TGIFriday's, Amino Vital, & Knapp's Cyclery).
This is part 2 of this article. Click here for part 1.
Other PED's
It doesn't matter if it is cortisone, EPO (Erythropoetin), blood transfusions, anabolic steroids, testosterone, or amphetamines, the public questions how athletes continually threaten their own bodies by taking banned substances.
What a joke of a question.
We live in a nation with extreme obesity, get prescribed medications from doctors that have no idea what they are prescribing, get radical and threatening surgeries just to improve our appearances, yet people have the audacity to question athletes how they put their health in jeopardy. It is one of the most hypocritical things I have ever heard. And I can understand that it is human nature to contradict ourselves but the thought process is absurd.
Let me see if you recognize any of the following numbers:
39,000
80,000 106,000
225,000
Google it, Look through Wikipedia, hell, call Jeeves and see if he knows.
.....
.....
39,000 represents the number of deaths per year by unnecessary and errors in surgeries at hospitals
80,000 deaths per year by infections from hospitals
106,000 deaths of year from prescribed adverse drug reactions (this is not overdosing, the number represents deaths per year from taking medication prescribed by licensed doctors)
225,000 is the sum of deaths due to modern medicine (Source: foodmatters.tv)
I haven't even mentioned the number of deaths from heart disease (#1 Killer in America) which is a direct correlation from the "obesity epidemic".
After all that, can those same people question the risk of taking performance enhancing drugs after knowing those numbers.
Furthermore, here is another example. Here is a list of things that some of you may be able to recognize:
Struck by car x4
Shoulder Sprain x1
Cuts and Abrasions xToo much to count
Heat Exhaustion x2
Pulled Muscles x5
Near Death Experience x1
Close Calls x589349542394
These are injuries and experiences that I have gone through in my tenure with triathlons and running.
Why do I bring this up? Almost every sport professionals put their lives on the line to do what they have to do to win. They inherently chose a dangerous sport. If all of these athletes were concerned about their well being then they wouldn't sweat profusely day by day to get where they are. And sometimes, it's not enough.
I am just tired of hearing the health risk when it comes to PED use.
Yes, I know for a fact that many of people got, and still do get addicted to steroids and died because of it. In the 1990s, a plethora of cyclists died from excessive EPO use. These are harmful substances. I am not denying that. But in the grand scheme of things, it is very minor in comparison.
Plus, did you notice I said "addicted" and "excessive" when deaths occurred.
We Are All Cheaters
The general public casts every cheater caught as if they were stealing their first born child. Nobody can stand the idea of someone cheating or gaining an extra hand in their respective profession. Its pretty remarkable considering the same general public I am referring to act as if they haven't done anything to gain an advantage throughout their lives. And no, I am not talking about stealing $500 in monopoly money. The fact is that everyone has used performance enhancing drugs during their lifetime, they just don't realize it.
Exhibit A
According to opposingviews.com, 35% of non prescribed college students admitted using adderall to help them finish projects and cram for finals in 2012.
Adderall is a type of amphetamine that treats attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Narcolepsy.
Amphetamine was one of the first PED's used in cycling throughout the 1980s and 1990s
A drug known to increase attentiveness, concentration, focus, and overall performance in students studies is spreading fast. The usage from non prescribed users rose from 6.4% in 2007 to 35% in 2012. The drug is a stimulant and very powerful. Close to 90% of non prescribed users (according to SAMHSA.gov) eventually get addicted to the substance making it very difficult to perform any type of task that requires any sense of determination and focus without taking the drug.
Now, if you ask every student who used adderall if they think this is cheating or if they are using a performance enhancement drug, what do you think their response would be?
"Well, everyone is doing it!"
Sound familiar?
Exhibit B
This next PED may be conceived as a bit of a stretch. I am pretty sure many will roll their eyes when they first read the word. All I ask is hear me out because of all else, all of this information and opinion is to think more deeply about PED use. Not to change views and beliefs in the matter, but at least consider most are being extremely biased and hypocritical.
We used it everyday and it helps get through....well...every day.
I think you know what it is by know.
You are already rolling your eyes... I can feel it.
Caffeine
It can be found in coffee, chocolate, soda, energy gels and drinks. Pretty much, something almost every first world individual consumes on a daily basis. Caffeine picks you up in the morning. It carries you through the afternoon and in some cases, through late nights.
Caffeine is a drug that makes you more alert, firing signals throughout your brain, creating a better you. A substance known to pick up any user to a new level. How many times have you been tired to do a task that needed to be done, whether it be at work or at home, drink a cup of coffee and finish the job? Did you even bother counting? Why would you? Everyone uses it. We need caffeine. It helps keep our jobs that support our families. It keeps you going when you are exhausted. Caffeine helps raise your kids and enjoy yourself on an idle Friday night when your 36 years old but you haven't been out passed 11 since you were in college. The stimulant raises your energy level and keeps you going for hours so any user can be more productive and efficient.
One of the greatest advertisement slogans puts it perfectly, "America Runs on Dunkin."
Everyone would not think caffeine is a performance enhancing drug since it is so commonly used, but it is. There is nothing wrong with using caffeine; however, to not agree with it increasing one's ability is ignorant. That's exactly what the drug is made for! To bring you from point A and get you to point B better than you originally started. How is it any different from "other" performance enhancing drugs? Caffeine is safer than steroids, but it doesn't mean it's all that healthier either. For example, my mother gets migraines when she goes one day without coffee. She tried to do a cleanse but couldn't give up caffeine since her brain badly needed it to function. It's not life threatening, because this is very common, but it isn't very healthy either.
Exhibit C
If you think caffeine was a stretch, I suggest you stop reading now.
Music
When listening to music while performing an athletic task, preferably any long distance sport (running, cycling, swimming, kayaking, rowing etc.), it has the same effect as taking 6 pills of Advil (Source: Finding Ultra by Rich Roll...great book by the way). Therefore, you don't feel the same amount of pain as someone who isn't listening to music.
Music decreases your perception of effort by 10% and increases your maximum input by 25%.(Source: jsonline.com)
Ethiopian Runner Haile Gebrelassie broke the marathon world record by timing his steps to the beat of Scatman by Scatman John at one of the hardest marathon courses in the world: The Boston Marathon. Time-- 2:03:46 (1) (4:43 min/mile).
(1)I just want to note that my fastest mile time, now that's just running one mile as hard as you can, is 5:00. Gebrelassie ran a 26.2 mile race on one of the hardest marathon courses in the world at an average of a 4:43 minute per mile. I looked up his splits and his fastest mile was 4:31! That time would win you the state championship in High School!
Remember that song:
Music is also known to help people who suffer from depression and other anxiety ailments get back to a normal state of mind.
Exhibit D Prescription Drugs
David is a landscape architect. His job consists of hand excavations, mowing the lawn, cutting down trees, and raking the leaves. He is 43 and suffering from severe arthritis. 2 hours into the day, he is suffering from extreme pain and affecting his ability to complete simple tasks. His boss notices and is considering firing him since he can no longer hold his own. Dave is at a crossroad. He has been doing this since the age of 22 and it's too late to find another job that can support his family but it's to early for him to retire while he has three kids that are planning to go to college. What does he do? He goes to the family doctor and gets prescribed pain medication (1) to combat the arthritis. After he takes the first two pills, he feels great again. He is able to perform work like he was 30 again. His boss notices the difference in productivity and is impressed enough to give him a raise for all of his hard work.
(1) There is an all natural alternative to getting rid of arthritis (that's completely legal in all facets of life) but it takes a strict diet to combat. I have already noted the tragedy of modern medicine in the first post; therefore, just wanted to continue that trend.
Now, what's wrong with this picture?
....
....
....
Absolutely nothing
Dave did something everyone and their mother would have done in that situation and there is nothing wrong with that. So why do we go ballistic when someone uses HGH to recover from an injury in a sport where the average life expectancy is 3 years (football for all of you non sports nerds)? Or why everyone is disgusted when a cyclist uses EPO, testosterone, and blood transfusions to compete in a three week race that covers 2,500 miles?
I don't have answers to these questions but I hope someone does.
We all get older and no one can battle father time. Our bodies start to break down and it's make it very hard to do routine tasks we are accustomed to doing. In some cases, this affects our ability to perform jobs. What's the solution? We go to the local doctor's office, get prescribed allocated medication and go back to work.
When we consider all of the exhibits mentioned, we all use performance enhancement drugs and methods to get where we need to go. It helps us get through the day, makes working out more pleasurable, studying more effective, and gets us back to work. PED's are in everyday life, yet I am forced to leave you with this question:
What's the difference?
Stay tuned for the final installment of The PED Issue, which will be out next week. Enjoy the Labor Day Weekend!
