The Dirty Hog Race - Laurinburg, NC

Yesterday I took an hour and forty-five minute drive from my home near Charlotte to Laurinburg, NC to do the Dirty Hog race. There was another mud run, The Thunder Challenge, going on at the same time in the nearby town of Raeford but I decided to do the Dirty Hog for a few reasons:

1) Longer Distance - the Dirty Hog touted a 9-12 mile course with about 30 obstacles that sounded quite challenging on their website.

2) Mystery Challenges - I was intrigued by mystery challenges that determined the difficulty of your course.

3) It was a shorter drive to the course.

My biggest fear going into this race was that it looked like a new mud run promotion. I am no expert at organizing these races but I am sure the logistics to get just one off the ground can be a daunting task and I appreciate the effort that has to go into it.

There is plenty that can go wrong on race day.  Unbearable  long waits to do obstacles is one issue that has arisen in a few races that I have done but the absolute worst is when a course is poorly marked leaving the race participants in utter confusion and frustration. Most people who enter these races take the race seriously and want to get everything out of it that they can. There is nothing worse than knowing that you missed challenges. These races are not cheap and people want their money's worth. I know I do.

I guess you know where I am going with this.  The Dirty Hog had some really impressive marketing. It sounded like they had it all together - at least on paper. The marketing appeared on par with the more established races like the Warrior Dash, Tough Mudder, and the Spartan Race but the execution was probably one of the worst I have seen.  The event itself appeared to be an exercise in over-hyping and under-delivering.

The race map made lots of promises that fell far short.  Here are some examples:

Obstacle #3 MX Hell promised "1.5 miles of grueling watered down motocross track, sure to slip you on your ass."  The reality was that there was more sand than there was mud.  It was like running on the beach for most of the course.

Obstacle #5 Hineys - "High knees through tires up a watered down hill."  The reality - tires up a slight grade if at all and dry as a desert.

Obstacle #6 Blue Baller - Jump into a blue ice cold pit.  The pit was no deeper than slightly above my knees.  It felt great.  With temperatures starting to push into the 80s in the sun - this was hardly an obstacle but a way to cool off.

Obstacle #9 Where Pigs Fly - A rope climb up and then a deep cold muddy plunge.  I do not recall any ropes.  It was a jump into deep muddy water that completely submerged me.  So that one they got half right.

There were supposed to be Reality Show Style Challenges - I do not recall encountering any except for shooting the paintballs with slingshot at a target.  I missed the log carry completely.   The barbed wire over the mud pit was so high that you could bear walk on hands and feet with your butt up in the air and still easily clear the barbed wire - no need to military crawl.  I did get to do a car push, tire flip, sand bag carry and a high wall climb which were the most challenging of the obstacles.

I could have dealt with some of the obstacles falling short of their promises but that wasn't the worst of it.   The course was poorly marked and the race was not properly staffed with enough knowledgeable  people who could give directions.  Even the people at water stations and the obstacles had no clue about where to go next.  After going for about an hour and a few minutes in what we estimated was about 7 miles or so - (not 9-12 miles as advertised) - I found myself back near the race start with a group of about 15 to 20+ others who had no clue where to go.  There was no staff in sight to direct us to the next part of the course.

We looked around for a few minutes then finally decided to just head to the finish line out of frustration.  Nobody was happy.  We all wanted more but did not know where to go to find it - and nobody could help us.  Very disappointing.

So I learned my lesson.  I think I will stick with the big name promotions next time.  I may try the Spartan Beast in October down in South Carolina and then eventually the Tough Mudder.  I'll keep you posted.  When it comes to new mud race promotions - do your homework - and don't fall for the hype like I did.

The Madness Of Overweight Crowds

I get alot junk email and every now and then one skips through my filters and catches my eye before I can delete it. This one had to do with Raspberry Ketones. Apparently this is another "hot" weight loss supplement. In the email ad I saw that it was featured on the Dr. Oz show so I clicked the link and watched the video. I then did some googling and found that two days after the show, Charlotte, NC health food stores were selling out of the stuff. Apparently when TV doctors speak people listen. The problem is that people are taking what is said on TV at face value and not doing their homework. One thing to point out is that Dr. Oz's assistant who is touting the benefits of Raspberry Ketones stands to make lots of money selling this to her clients after the show. She shows pictures of two of her clients who take the stuff but did they lose weight from the supplement or by diet and exercise? Where are the long term human studies? Side-effects? I hear crickets!

To save you some time...here is a link to the Dr. Oz segment and the Charlotte News segment and finally an article that I wholeheartedly agree with 100%. Don't run out and buy this stuff until you have read the article. I personally think you can save your money.

Dr. Oz Segment On Raspberry Ketones

Charlotte News Segment

Dr Ozs Raspberry Ketones Dismissed By Dietitian As TV Hype

NEW World record in speed climbing 2011 - Great Video

If you have ever done any rock climbing - indoors or outdoors - you will appreciate this video. These guys truly defy gravity. It looks like they are crawling top speed on the ground and not vertically up a wall. Amazing!

Gluten-free Paleo Egg, Bacon, Guacamole Pure Wrap

Happy New Year! This is my first post of 2012. I came up with many things to write about over the holidays but just haven't had the time until now to sit down and get all my thoughts together.

January is the traditional month of weight loss resolutions so I thought I would share a simple gluten-free wrap recipe that my wife and I both love. As a side note, I am not on the paleo diet but I am definitely trying to cut out gluten as much as possible.

You might be wondering how can a wrap be gluten-free and acceptable for the paleo diet? I found this bread through the Whole 30 program that I stumbled upon through Facebook. The Whole 30 program endorses the product so I thought I would try it. It is called Pure Wraps and is available at improveat.com. It has only three raw ingredients - coconut meat, coconut water, and Himalayan salt and each wrap has only 60 calories and only 8 grams of carbs. Those 60 calories are amazingly nutrient dense.

The wrap looks like a thin square piece of light brown paper and I was skeptical at first that it would taste like cardboard but after only a few bites I enjoyed the texture and the coconut flavor. It gives you a "bread fix" without the guilt of processed carbs. After my first order I was hooked and ordered a dozen packages to get the free shipping. Each package of 4 wraps is $4.99. It is not cheap but it will get eaten and not thrown out. My wife and I go through a pack every 3 to 5 days. The coconut flavor is not that strong but it is present so if you are not a coconut fan you might not like it as much as I do but may still want to try it especially if you are watching your diet or trying to go gluten-free. They also have a curry flavor but I haven't tried that yet.

Okay, so enough about the wrap bread itself and on to the rest of the recipe:

Simply spread one 100 calorie pack of Wholly Guacamole on the pure wrap or make your own guacamole and spread that or simply add a few slices of avocado. Scramble some eggs - two extra large eggs are perfect for the wrap (I scramble mine in clarified butter (ghee) or coconut oil). Cook up two pieces of Uncured turkey bacon. I cook the bacon in my table top convection oven. Optionally, I add some baby lettuce and some hot peppers. Put the all the ingredients on the wrap and enjoy.

Here is a picture of the wrap - couldn't wait to have it for lunch today:

So that's a wrap. Yes, that is lame but I couldn't resist. Leave comments if you give Pure Wraps a try.

Hindu and Divebomber Pushup Variations

If you are looking to add more variety to your workouts and you are bored with pushups - try these divebomber and hindu variations from Paul Zaichik from Bodyweight Culture. Great video...

Top 5 Bodyweight Exercises

For those of you who think you need an expensive gym membership or need to spend hours in the gym to get a good workout check out this video. Most of the exercises involve burpees. There is simply no better exercise than burpees to get your heart pumping without having to spend a dime on extra equipment.

Don't believe me, try a burpee-only tabata - 4 minutes (20 seconds on and 10 seconds of rest) or try my favorite high intensity intervals - 30 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest for as long as you can go. I guarantee you that it will kick your butt!

What? Don't have time for 4 minutes? Sure you do. You just spend too much time on excuses!

Losing The Thanksgiving Weight Update

Another good morning on the scale. I weighed 181.8 upon waking and paying a visit to the bathroom. I had the same breakfast for the last three days and had the same dinner that I had on Monday but this time I added a small portion of lentils seasoned with my very tasty mixture of ghee, lemon, Himalayan salt, black pepper, garlic and basil. I had lunch at Qdoba opting for a naked burrito with black and pinto beans, chicken, red and green peppers, onions, guacamole, lettuce and extra hot salsa. Again I did not snack on anything sugary.

I did work out last night doing 24 30 second intervals with 15 second rest intervals in between using primarily the airdyne bike, jump rope, and the Bulgarian training bag. I drank only water throughout the day but had a single size container of coconut water right after my workout.

So to sum up...I lost 5.6 pounds in two days. I am back to the weight I was just before Thanksgiving but would like to be in the area of 175 in the next week or so and maintain that. So far...so good!

Cutting The Thanksgiving Weight

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. I spent it in the mountains of Tennessee with family and friends in Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area - the home of Dollywood. We did some brief hiking with the kids in the Great Smokey Mountains and I did squeek in a couple of very short bodyweight tabatas - a six minute one on Friday with nothing but burpees - and an eight minute one on Saturday mixing burpees with lunges and air squats.

I ate with reckless abandon during the 5 day trip and was not surprised that the hiking and tabatas did not do much to keep my weight at bay. When I weighed myself upon waking up yesterday (Monday) morning on my home scale I weighed 187.4 lbs. My Tanita scale gave me a 15.5 reading on bodyfat so I was not terribly alarmed. My weight has been creeping up since early last February. My diet has been less than stellar this year as I had my share of ice cream, cake and other indulgences and kept my portion sizes rather high. I also have not participated in any organized races since I ran a 9 mile trail race back in January at the US National Whitewater Center. I have been training consistently all year but not as hard as when I am training for events. When you put all these factors together, my weight has climbed from the mid-160s to the current 187.4 peak of yesterday morning.

I decided yesterday that the weight gain is now over and I am going to clean things up. This morning's visit to the scale was encouraging - My weight was down 3.4 pounds to 184.0. Yesterday I did not do a workout. I did walk briskly from my car to the office and back to my car - about a 1/2 mile each way - carrying my laptop but it wasn't what I call a workout.

The trick to the weight loss was my diet. I have found as I get deeper into my 40s that diet is more important than exercise when trying to lose weight. That is not to say that exercise is not important. As I mentioned, my diet has been less than perfect and I have been exercising consistently. I still gained weight but I have been able to maintain healthy bodyfat levels. Had I not been exercising the wieght gain would have been more profound. My biggest isue is that it is way too easy to overeat and it is too easy to eat bad foods.

Rather than a massive breakfast I ate:
A small bowl of raw almonds, walnuts, pecans, brazil nuts, hemp seed, chia seed, raisins, coconut flakes, maple syrup, cinnamon and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. The nuts were no more than a small handful and the hemp seed was two tablespoons. The chia was two scoops. I add a small amount of raisins, maple syrup, cinnamon and coconut flakes for flavor. Without these four items, the flavor is rather bland. I try to avoid sugar at all costs when trying to drop weight but will use small amounts just to stay sane.

For lunch I had a large salad from Blynk Organic. Their salads cost just over $10 when you include a protein - my choice is usually chicken. They have a great variety of veggies and fruit that you can put in your salad. My salad was topped with a tasty Raspberry Pomegranite Vinagrette dressing and had a colorful mixture of baby greens, spinach, pineapple, celery, almonds, onions, olives, grapes amongst other things.

I did not snack at all between breakfast and lunch or between lunch and dinner - nor did snack after dinner.

For dinner I had another salad at home topped with chunky mango salsa with a fairly large boneless chicken breast in some Gator hot sauce. I mixed up the greens and my usual assortment of nuts in black pepper infused olive oil and strawberry infused vinegar. I will have an upcoming post on infused oils and vinegars as that makes eating salads much more exciting.

The three square meals were it for the day. I do have to add I do take a tablespoon of Carlson's Cod liver oil and also take Magnesium and Vitamin D supplements after my breakfast and sip water throughout the day. I plan to eat similarly today. Thus far my breakfast today was identical to yesterday. For myself, salads are definitely the key to keeping my weight in check. I recommend keeping the salads clean and don't add cheese, processed bacon bits or thick processed dressings that contain questionable oils - just add a lean protein.

I will post my weight tomorrow with an update.

The Schwinn Airdyne Bike

In my previous post I posted a top five wishlist of fitness items that I have been wanting to buy. One item on that list was the Schwinn Airdyne bike. I am happy to report that I can cross it off the list as I picked one up on Craigslist for $150 last week. It is about 4 years old but in like-new condition. I will be using it primarily for intense interval training but I found this video that demonstrates ways to use the bike in ways I would never have thought of to get a full body workout. Enjoy!

My Workout Equipment Top 5 Wishlist

I am fairly satisfied with the workout equipment I have in my garage gym but to keep things interesting I am always looking for some new items. Over the past few years I added a pull-up bar and the Ultimate Strength Apparatus - a unique type of suspension trainer. Last year, I added ropes from Cal-Ropes. A couple of year ago I purchased the Bulgarian Training Bag, weighted chaps, the hypervest and a talking jump rope. All this in addition to my medicine balls, kettlebells, and other stuff. With all this old school equipment it is easy to arrange my workouts so that they keep me interested. So this year I figured I would list 5 more items that I would love to add to my collection...

1) The Ultimate Sandbag - I have wanted one of these for awhile but never purchased one. I like the variety of exercises that can be done with them.

2) The Bulgarian Training Bag - The Bulgarian Training Bag is similar to the Ultimate Sandbag but you have to buy it in fixed weights. It also has a much different look than a typical sandbag. As I mentioned I already have one - the 26 pounder - and love it. I got the leather one. It is very well constructed and it can take a beating. There are loads of exercises you can do with it and it comes with a very helpful DVD. My favorite exercise is the spin - a great transverse plane exercise. The reason I want another one is that I think I am ready to move up to the 37 pounder. Unlike the sandbag, there is no shifting sand but it is still one great piece of equipment.

3) Schwinn Airdyne Bike - I first tried one of these bikes at my local Crossfit and my last place of employment had one of these as well. I think I may have been one of the few people that used it. The faster you peddle - the harder the resistance. It is great for building tremendous cardio. If you watch The Ultimate Fighter - the bikes are a mainstay in their gym. The funny thing about these bikes is that they look really old-fashioned but they are rather pricey if you buy one brand new - upwards of $600. They are fantastic for interval training. Best place to look for one is on Craigslist.com where you can often pick one up for well under $300.

4) A Heavier Kettlebell - I have a 16kg, 20kg, and 24kg kettlebells. Lately I have been doing a great number of two-handed swings with the 24kg and think I can benefit by moving up to a 28kg - or maybe - dare I say a 32kg. When I first started using the 24kg I could hardly move it - I am sure a 28kg will feel that way at first too but I welcome the challenge. I usually get the gray series kettlebells from MuscleDriverUSA.com.

5) Hyperwear Hypervest COOL - This one I currently don't need so badly with the weather getting cooler - but would like to pick one up before next summer. I already have Hyperwear's 10 pound hypervest. I have had it two years now and use it regularly to add extra resistance to my workouts. It is very well made and fits me perfectly. What I like best is that it does not limit my range of motion when I am wearing it - it just makes the workout tougher. Based on this I would assume that their cooling vest will also fit perfectly and allow full range of motion as well. I want to try out their cooling vest for next summer as my garage gets hot even in the early morning hours. I would also like to use it for trail running in the hot weather to see if it helps my performance. I do not run well in the heat and prefer cooler temperatures.

Well, there you have it. My current fitness equipment wishlist. If you know of a piece of equipment I might want to add to my list let me know!

Unbelievable Performance - Boyanka Angelova - Ball Exercise

Why We Get Fat...

If you want to know why you are fat and what you can do it about it -  read this article.  It explains the whole fat storage process and why it is different for obese people. http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/low-carb-library/why-we-get-fat/

Raw Revolution Bars

I just recently tried Raw Revolution bars and have to say I like them.  I like that they contain no soy, are organic and are made of mostly raw ingredients.  I also like that many bars contain coconut.  My local health food store sells them for just over $2.00 a piece but you can get them at Vitacost.com in boxes of 12 for only $20.33 or less than $1.70 per bar.

On days when I have an early workout I will have one in the morning well over an hour before my workout.  As an added bonus, I spread some coconut oil on it for added energy and flavor.  It keeps me satisfied during my workout - even high intensity ones.

Coconuts Can Save Your Life?

As you may know from reading my blog, I am a big fan of coconuts especially coconut oil which is perhaps the most versatile oil in the world.  It is one of the most stable oils for cooking at high temperatures or can be used as a moisturizer or hair conditioner. Some people use it as a deodorant since it has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.  It also tastes great over sweet corn on the cob and over veggies but did you know these facts about coconuts?


COCONUTS CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE
by Jeremy Safron (www.lovingfoods.com)

• The coconut is one of the greatest gifts of this planet.
• Coconuts are a prehistoric plant which can survive many months floating at sea.
• The coconut is a natural water filter that takes almost 9 months to filter each liter of water. The water travels through many fibers being purified where it is stored away STERILE in the nut itself.
• This coconut water is pure clear and is one of the highest sources of electrolytes known to man.
• Coconut water is identical to human blood plasma which makes it the universal donor. Plasma makes up 55% of human blood. By drinking coconuts we give ourselves a instant blood transfusion.
• Many peoples lives have been saved in 3rd world countries by the coconut IV.
• Coconuts in their young stage of growth are the most health enhancing.
• Drink at least one a day (I drink 5 or 6).
• Coconuts are a great blood purifier.

Here is another great article on Coconut Oil:
http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health...

iHerb.com has the best deal on Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil - 54 ounc...
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SealFit Workout of the Day 4-30-2011 and Upcoming Race Challenges

I wasn't going to work out today but then I stumbled upon the SEALFIT website which was advertised on the Super Spartan Race website which is coming to South Carolina on  June 25th.  Today's (4/30/2011) workout of the day or (WOD) as they call it looked interesting to me.  They called it Old School and that grabbed my attention.  All bodyweight - no weights.  The workout is as follows:


Work Capacity:  Old School Pyramid (see notes):

• 1 x Dip
• 2 x Push-up
• 3 x Sit Ups
• 4 x Air Squat

Start round one with the number x presented.  Add 1x each round until you do 10 x dips, 20 x Push-ups, 30 x Sit-ups and 40 x Squats.  Then work your way down again. Do  not repeat the 10 round.

Seems simple enough and at first glance it appears easy - at least the first round appears easy.  If you complete the entire pyramid you have done 400 air squats, 300 sit ups, 200 push-ups, and 100 dips.  Not too shabby for a day's work.

I gave it a go even though I was sore from yesterday's workout and was able to complete up to the 10th round to the top of the pyramid but my arms were smoked and rationalized that if a 44 year old guy could do half of what a Navy Seal can do in the gym - he's not doing too bad.  My goal is to do the entire pyramid before the Super Spartan Race event in late June.

I am looking at three races over the next couple of months.  First, the Rock2Rock Run on Friday May27th at 5pm.  I have done this challenging 10K for the last two years.  My goal is to break under an hour.  Last year I did it in 1:09 after doing it in 1:16 on my first visit. My time improved even with taking a wrong turn on the way down and getting a bad cramp in my left calf which slowed me down considerably.  Both times I did the race , the 3.5 mile climb to the top of the mountain kicked my butt more than any workout I have ever done.  I hope to get better at it as I get older.  For more info on the Rock2Rock Run click here.

The next race I am looking to partake in is the Metro Dash.  This is an endurance obstacle course being held on the field of the Charlotte Motor Speedway up in Concord, NC on June 11th.  No mud in this one - just crazy obstacles and less running than I am usually used to.  You can enter as an individual or a team of 4.  I will run solo for this one.  For more information and dates and locations, check it out here.

Finally as mentioned earlier, the Super Spartan Race on June 25th looks like a pretty tough challenge.  It is an individual and team mud race with 8 miles of running with lots of tough obstacles.  You can find out more about it here.

That should provide me with some motivation.  Until next time!

Basketball Prodigy

This 10 year old is truly amazing! Enjoy!

15 Different Types of Burpees

This video was an entry to the http://bodyweightculture.com video contest.  Plain vanilla burpees are a pretty tough exercise and if you want to mix things up, this video demonstrates 15 kinds of burpees.  I am posting it here as a reference for myself but I hope my readers find it useful too.  Enjoy!

Big Fat Fiasco Parts 1 - 5 plus Fathead - The Movie!

If you still are holding on to the notion that you need to eat a "low fat" diet to lose weight,  you really need to watch this five part series by Tom Naughton whose movie, Fathead, may just convince how you really should be eating to lose weight and for your overall health.  If you have time watch the movie - it is about 100 minutes - I embedded it under the 5 part Big Fat Fiasco presentation.  Naughton does a great job in presenting the subject matter in a very entertaining way. You will learn the truth behind cholesterol, saturated fat, grains, sugar, the so-called "obesity epidemic".  You will also understand why you gained weight and why you have so much trouble losing it.  Forget all the conflicting nonsense you hear in the media - these videos are all you need.  Enjoy!

Big Fat Fiasco Part 1

Big Fat Fiasco Part 2

 

Big Fat Fiasco Part 3

Big Fat Fiasco Part 4

Big Fat Fiasco Part 5

Fathead The Movie

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A Good Article on Saigon Cinnamon

I mentioned in a previous post that I just recently tried Vietnamese / Saigon cinnamon and love the flavor when I sprinkle it on honey crisp apples.  Here is a great post on this type of cinnamon and where to get it online:

Where to buy - click here
Article on this great tasting cinnamon - click here

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

This time of year it is crucial that you get enough vitamin D.  Due to reduced exposure to sunlight in the winter, your body may be vitamin D deficient.  Vitamin D deficiency is vital to your immune system and the absorption of calcium.  Here is a great article and video featuring Dr. Robert Rountree.  Enjoy!

http://newhope360.com/vitamins-and-minerals/robert-rountree-md-takes-ioms-vitamin-d-recs