Over the weekend my friend, Mark, purchased the Vibram FiveFingers KSO Trek Sport at REI. I haven't been to REI in awhile and I was very happy to see that they now carry FiveFingers and have them prominently displayed. It appears that this barefoot running concept is really picking up steam. I think the success of Born to Run by Christopher McDougall has alot to do with it. Mark grew up in South Florida and was always playing barefoot as a child and was not happy wearing regular running shoes to run trails so he made the switch.
Mark is now my second friend who has purchased FiveFingers. My friend David picked up a pair of Bikilas a couple of months ago. Both of them made the switch after reading Born To Run after initially considering me to be a whackjob for wearing them. The Bikilas are the FiveFingers made specifically for running and also have improved traction. David intends to do marathons wearing his Bikilas and using the Jeff Galloway marathon method.
Maybe in a few years it will be the footwear with the big shock absorbing heels that will be the oddity and the flat minimalist shoes will be the norm. I am also glad they came out with the Trek Sport because I really didn't care much for the regular Treks since they are made with Kangaroo leather. I just didn't find that particularly minimalist. The Trek Sports looks like a more rugged version of my standard KSOs. The biggest visible difference is the better traction and toe protection.
Today was Mark's first run in his new Trek Sports. We did our usual 5 mile trail loop through Colonel Francis Beatty Park today. It was a great day to run with temps in the 50s. We spotted 4 deer about midway through the run. As they scattered upon seeing us, one of them got on the trail and ran about 20 to 30 yards in front of me before veering off into the woods - usually I only see squirrels at Beatty so that provided some entertainment.
So how Mark's run? He kept up with me quite well and improved his usual 39-40 minute run to 37 minutes. Was it the FiveFingers? He certainly thinks so and is very happy with his purchase. He told me that he felt more surefooted in the very rooty turns and curves of the singletrack. We have been running the trails regularly now since the weather has gotten cooler so his cardio was bound to improve but you can't deny that a two minute time improvement on a five mile run is pretty impressive considering it was his very first run in his new Vibrams. I am curious to see if the balls of his feet will be sore tomorrow. If not - he is truly an anomaly or I need to get a pair!!!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Why Grass-Fed Meat is So Much Healthier for You
In a few of posts I have mentioned that when I eat red meat, it is almost always grassfed beef. I ranked it at #3 in my Do's list in my 21 Do's and Don'ts For Losing Weight and keeping it off. Here in Charlotte there are a many places where I can buy grassfed beef - Earthfare, What's Your Beef in Ballantyne, and Baucom's Best. Those are my top three but I know there is more in the Charlotte area.
So what is so good about grassfed meat and why is it better for you than any other meats? Plenty of reasons! Rather than explain it here, I found this really good article. Try it for yourself and I think you will find grassfed meat is tastier and more tender with way less gristle and fat.
So what is so good about grassfed meat and why is it better for you than any other meats? Plenty of reasons! Rather than explain it here, I found this really good article. Try it for yourself and I think you will find grassfed meat is tastier and more tender with way less gristle and fat.
Friday, November 5, 2010
USMC Mud Run in Columbia, SC
I was happy to hear the USMC Mud Run in Columbia, South Carolina has announced a new date for next Spring – April 5, 2011 and registration is now open! I already have my team of 4 signed up and can’t wait to give it another go. My team did the September 25th race and we had a great time. We finished in 1:23. We hope to beat that this time. It is just another great reason to keep training hard.
Compared to the other mud races that I have done, both individual and team, “The Leatherneck” course, as it is called, was definitely the most challenging for me. There were 33 obstacles in all for the over 4 mile course. If you don’t like running long distances, the running is broken up into very short segments in between the obstacles and the course is very well marked. There is plenty of mud! Unlike the Warrior Dash that only had a big mud pit near the finish line, the majority of the obstacles in “The Leatherneck” involve mud- either climbing, crawling, swimming, or slogging through it. They had every type of mud too – from soupy to thick as tar – so be prepared to get really dirty.
If this upcoming April race gets the turnout they received back in September – which made it the largest mud race in North America - make sure you register early and arrive early as well. Visit http://www.usmcmudrun.org/ to register or for more information.
Compared to the other mud races that I have done, both individual and team, “The Leatherneck” course, as it is called, was definitely the most challenging for me. There were 33 obstacles in all for the over 4 mile course. If you don’t like running long distances, the running is broken up into very short segments in between the obstacles and the course is very well marked. There is plenty of mud! Unlike the Warrior Dash that only had a big mud pit near the finish line, the majority of the obstacles in “The Leatherneck” involve mud- either climbing, crawling, swimming, or slogging through it. They had every type of mud too – from soupy to thick as tar – so be prepared to get really dirty.
If this upcoming April race gets the turnout they received back in September – which made it the largest mud race in North America - make sure you register early and arrive early as well. Visit http://www.usmcmudrun.org/ to register or for more information.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Tire Flipping!
Flipping tires has become a rather popular technique for strength training. If you want to get your own tire and start using it in your training, you will want to read this article first. It covers everything from where to find tires, how to transport it and then cover the proper technique with a good video and some good links too. Check it out here.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Whole Eggs or Egg Whites Debate
I love eggs but there are "good" eggs and "bad" eggs. If you want some good information about eggs, this is an excellent article - click here to read.
Friday, October 29, 2010
The salad dressing to NEVER eat
If you think the salad dressing that you bought at your local supermarket is healthy, you might want to read this...The salad dressing to NEVER eat.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
21 Do's and Don'ts for Losing Weight and Keeping It Off!
Anyone can lose weight. That is the easy part. Getting down to your healthy weight and keeping that weight from coming back is the hard part. Very few books focus on maintaining a healthy bodyweight and instead concentrate solely on weight loss as a short-term goal. The goal should be staying at an optimum healthy weight for the rest of your life. The key is taking control and making positive changes and being able to stick to them. If you are in the process of losing weight right now and you describe the process to friends using words such as “suffering” or “torture” chances are you are likely to quit before you reach your goal and will likely return to your previous bad habits.
You do not have to eat bland food and exercise for numerous hours every day to get to your goal weight and maintain it. You just need to know what you should and should not do. Most information in the media is confusing at best so I thought I would provide what I have learned over the years.
What do I know – you may ask? What I know I learned from reading and experience. I weighed 213 pounds at age 36 and since that time I have lost weight and managed to maintain a healthy bodyweight of 175. I am now 44. I have been ridiculed by friends and family members for the things I eat and do for my health but when it comes down to it, I am not the one struggling with my weight and more often than not, the same people who ridiculed me end up eating and doing the same things I have been doing. The list below contains things I do and don’t do that keep me successful in maintaining my healthy weight. I hope this helps you too.
Things I Do…
1) Eat whole foods preferably organic when possible – as a rule of thumb I try to eat organic whenever I can. If you stick to the items in my Don’ts list this is not as expensive as you would think. Calculate how much you spend weekly on sugary snacks, soda and fast food each week and just by removing that, you can afford to eat organically. The less pesticides and chemicals that go in my body – the better I will be.
2) Eat eggs from free range chickens – Eggs from overcrowded factory farmed chickens are not healthy. Eggs from free roaming chickens fed an organic diet are healthy.
3) Eat grassfed beef – Grass is the natural diet of cows. They taste better too and are less fatty. If you like steak and burgers – don’t give them up – just get the grassfed variety.
4) Eat organic free range chicken – what goes for eggs goes for the chicken. My favorite is Coleman’s Organic Chicken breasts that I buy at Costco and put over an organic salad.
5) Eat lots of raw organic nuts and seeds - There is a raw food movement where folks eat nothing but raw uncooked foods. It is not for me but may appeal to some people. Nonetheless, walnuts, almonds, pecans in their raw form and organic contain good fats, make excellent snacks and give you lots of energy. Nuts and seeds are the core of my breakfast in the morning – my favorite seeds are hemp and chia.
6) Eat lots of raw organic fruits and vegetables – I try to have salad every day. When I eat chicken or a burger, it is never in a bun - it is usually over a salad with some hot sauce , avocado, and hemp seeds.
7) Exercise smart – new research has shown that you do not have to spend hours in the gym to get outstanding results. Short intense workouts that can be performed in under 20 minutes or less have been shown to have benefits up to 48 hours after the workout.
8) Get proper sleep - Always give your body time to recover. Recent studies have shown that people who sleep less are prone to weight gain.
9) Eat food low in calories and high in nutrients – When choosing foods to eat I try to go with foods with the least amount of calories and the most nutrition. You get this by doing items 1 through 6 religiously.
10) Stick to items 1 through 9 90% of the time and try to avoid or keep items in the Don’t list to 10% of the time - heck even 80%/20% is a good ratio. Think of it as 4 good meals/snacks for every bad meal or snack. Strive to get that to 9 to 1. This way you don’t have to completely deprive yourself. It is impossible to be perfect all the time and you should not have to pout when it is cake day at the office or a pizza party. I try to follow these rules most of the time. Here and there I will have a cheat meal or a cheat day but I don’t go crazy overboard either. Some rules I can stick to almost all the time - some I just have to cheat here and there. As you get healthier your body will crave junk less and less.
Things I Don’t Do (or try not to do)…
1) Eat highly processed foods – As a general rule, if a box or container or food has more than 6 ingredients – it is processed and not that good for you. Many processed foods will say “organic” which will mean they likely have better ingredients but it was still processed. Rule #9 in my Do list says eat food low in calories and high in nutrients. Processed foods are the exact opposite. If the ingredient list contains any items I don’t understand – I don’t buy it. As a general rule I tend to stay away from things in a wrapper or a box except for an occasional organic dark chocolate bar.
2) Drink sugary beverages – For centuries man and woman walked the Earth with only water to drink. If it was good enough for them – it is good enough for me. You will also save a fortune! Most sport drinks are just good marketing and most energy drinks have some really bad ingredients in them. Stick to water!
3) Eat heavily breaded or fried foods.
4) Eat dairy – I do not drink cow’s milk and prefer unsweetened almond milk instead. I do like ice cream during the summer and enjoy pizza on occasion. When I am training for a trail race or endurance event I have noticed that I perform better and lose fat quickly when I eliminate dairy. Keep in mind most dairy products are highly processed. Remember Rule #10 in my Do list – you don’t have to give up dairy. I just avoid it 90% of the time.
5) Overeat – eating until you burst is just not good for you. I will tend to do this on occasion and it causes nothing but stomach pain. If you snack often with quality snacks (see Do list #5) it will keep you satisfied throughout the day and less likely to overindulge.
6) Eat foods with MSG, trans-fats, artificial colors or other types of preservatives. Any food with this in it I label as pure junk. I stay away from these foods as a general rule. Just about any food with these ingredients has a healthier alternative at a natural food store and I would suggest getting the alternative.
7) Eat at fast food restaurants – Fast food restaurants have the lowest quality food you can eat. If you are serious about losing weight stay away from fast food and any restaurants in general. Always ask to see the nutritional information. Most restaurants have online menus and nutrition information. I would do some homework before you eat out. If I do eat out – I have a rule called WORK OUT/EAT OUT. If I eat out I always make sure I do an extra good workout before I eat out. It makes me feel less guilty about breaking a rule.
8) Eat candy as a snack – empty calories that are high in processed sugar and low in nutrition are a terrible snack. Organic nuts and seeds make a much better snack.
9) Eat processed soy products – soy is not as good for you as you may think. When there is too much controversy around a food – and there is with soy – I just stay away.
10) Eat lots of processed grains – I hear everywhere that you should “get your whole grains.” I definitely agree it is better than bleached, enriched white flour products but in general if you are trying to lose weight, most grain products are highly processed and do not give you much in terms of nutrition per calorie compared with nuts, vegetables, and fruits.
11) Drink Alcohol – I choose not to drink alcohol. If you are looking to lose weight I would definitely cut down or cut it out.
There you have it! I would not call this an exhaustive list but it should give you some insight into what I do and don’t do. Again, this works for me and should work for most people who can follow the rules. I wouldn't recommend converting and doing all these things all at once - that is rather drastic - but rather slowly adapting one at a time. Perhaps one or two positive changes per week. If you have any questions please leave a comment and I will be glad to respond. In my next few posts I will cover some of these items in some more depth. Until next time!
You do not have to eat bland food and exercise for numerous hours every day to get to your goal weight and maintain it. You just need to know what you should and should not do. Most information in the media is confusing at best so I thought I would provide what I have learned over the years.
What do I know – you may ask? What I know I learned from reading and experience. I weighed 213 pounds at age 36 and since that time I have lost weight and managed to maintain a healthy bodyweight of 175. I am now 44. I have been ridiculed by friends and family members for the things I eat and do for my health but when it comes down to it, I am not the one struggling with my weight and more often than not, the same people who ridiculed me end up eating and doing the same things I have been doing. The list below contains things I do and don’t do that keep me successful in maintaining my healthy weight. I hope this helps you too.
Things I Do…
1) Eat whole foods preferably organic when possible – as a rule of thumb I try to eat organic whenever I can. If you stick to the items in my Don’ts list this is not as expensive as you would think. Calculate how much you spend weekly on sugary snacks, soda and fast food each week and just by removing that, you can afford to eat organically. The less pesticides and chemicals that go in my body – the better I will be.
2) Eat eggs from free range chickens – Eggs from overcrowded factory farmed chickens are not healthy. Eggs from free roaming chickens fed an organic diet are healthy.
3) Eat grassfed beef – Grass is the natural diet of cows. They taste better too and are less fatty. If you like steak and burgers – don’t give them up – just get the grassfed variety.
4) Eat organic free range chicken – what goes for eggs goes for the chicken. My favorite is Coleman’s Organic Chicken breasts that I buy at Costco and put over an organic salad.
5) Eat lots of raw organic nuts and seeds - There is a raw food movement where folks eat nothing but raw uncooked foods. It is not for me but may appeal to some people. Nonetheless, walnuts, almonds, pecans in their raw form and organic contain good fats, make excellent snacks and give you lots of energy. Nuts and seeds are the core of my breakfast in the morning – my favorite seeds are hemp and chia.
6) Eat lots of raw organic fruits and vegetables – I try to have salad every day. When I eat chicken or a burger, it is never in a bun - it is usually over a salad with some hot sauce , avocado, and hemp seeds.
7) Exercise smart – new research has shown that you do not have to spend hours in the gym to get outstanding results. Short intense workouts that can be performed in under 20 minutes or less have been shown to have benefits up to 48 hours after the workout.
8) Get proper sleep - Always give your body time to recover. Recent studies have shown that people who sleep less are prone to weight gain.
9) Eat food low in calories and high in nutrients – When choosing foods to eat I try to go with foods with the least amount of calories and the most nutrition. You get this by doing items 1 through 6 religiously.
10) Stick to items 1 through 9 90% of the time and try to avoid or keep items in the Don’t list to 10% of the time - heck even 80%/20% is a good ratio. Think of it as 4 good meals/snacks for every bad meal or snack. Strive to get that to 9 to 1. This way you don’t have to completely deprive yourself. It is impossible to be perfect all the time and you should not have to pout when it is cake day at the office or a pizza party. I try to follow these rules most of the time. Here and there I will have a cheat meal or a cheat day but I don’t go crazy overboard either. Some rules I can stick to almost all the time - some I just have to cheat here and there. As you get healthier your body will crave junk less and less.
Things I Don’t Do (or try not to do)…
1) Eat highly processed foods – As a general rule, if a box or container or food has more than 6 ingredients – it is processed and not that good for you. Many processed foods will say “organic” which will mean they likely have better ingredients but it was still processed. Rule #9 in my Do list says eat food low in calories and high in nutrients. Processed foods are the exact opposite. If the ingredient list contains any items I don’t understand – I don’t buy it. As a general rule I tend to stay away from things in a wrapper or a box except for an occasional organic dark chocolate bar.
2) Drink sugary beverages – For centuries man and woman walked the Earth with only water to drink. If it was good enough for them – it is good enough for me. You will also save a fortune! Most sport drinks are just good marketing and most energy drinks have some really bad ingredients in them. Stick to water!
3) Eat heavily breaded or fried foods.
4) Eat dairy – I do not drink cow’s milk and prefer unsweetened almond milk instead. I do like ice cream during the summer and enjoy pizza on occasion. When I am training for a trail race or endurance event I have noticed that I perform better and lose fat quickly when I eliminate dairy. Keep in mind most dairy products are highly processed. Remember Rule #10 in my Do list – you don’t have to give up dairy. I just avoid it 90% of the time.
5) Overeat – eating until you burst is just not good for you. I will tend to do this on occasion and it causes nothing but stomach pain. If you snack often with quality snacks (see Do list #5) it will keep you satisfied throughout the day and less likely to overindulge.
6) Eat foods with MSG, trans-fats, artificial colors or other types of preservatives. Any food with this in it I label as pure junk. I stay away from these foods as a general rule. Just about any food with these ingredients has a healthier alternative at a natural food store and I would suggest getting the alternative.
7) Eat at fast food restaurants – Fast food restaurants have the lowest quality food you can eat. If you are serious about losing weight stay away from fast food and any restaurants in general. Always ask to see the nutritional information. Most restaurants have online menus and nutrition information. I would do some homework before you eat out. If I do eat out – I have a rule called WORK OUT/EAT OUT. If I eat out I always make sure I do an extra good workout before I eat out. It makes me feel less guilty about breaking a rule.
8) Eat candy as a snack – empty calories that are high in processed sugar and low in nutrition are a terrible snack. Organic nuts and seeds make a much better snack.
9) Eat processed soy products – soy is not as good for you as you may think. When there is too much controversy around a food – and there is with soy – I just stay away.
10) Eat lots of processed grains – I hear everywhere that you should “get your whole grains.” I definitely agree it is better than bleached, enriched white flour products but in general if you are trying to lose weight, most grain products are highly processed and do not give you much in terms of nutrition per calorie compared with nuts, vegetables, and fruits.
11) Drink Alcohol – I choose not to drink alcohol. If you are looking to lose weight I would definitely cut down or cut it out.
There you have it! I would not call this an exhaustive list but it should give you some insight into what I do and don’t do. Again, this works for me and should work for most people who can follow the rules. I wouldn't recommend converting and doing all these things all at once - that is rather drastic - but rather slowly adapting one at a time. Perhaps one or two positive changes per week. If you have any questions please leave a comment and I will be glad to respond. In my next few posts I will cover some of these items in some more depth. Until next time!
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