When Life Gives You Lemons...

First off I'd like to thank Michelle and the Ladies at the Central Camp for putting up with me for most of this week. You other camps better watch out cause the the Central Ladies are running fast!
I got to talking with Jan G. who has a 13- year old and a 5 year old and has been working her way through Deceptively Delicious, that tricky book from Jessica Seinfeld. She says so far so good. The premise is that you take vegetable puree and you put it in regular foods, thus hiding the healthy stuff from your kids. Honestly I think this is right up my alley. Of course that is if I was eating. Which I am not.
Crazy? A little bit. Let me clarify. I am not eating solid foods and I haven't for 5 days.
I am actually doing the Master Cleanser. I drink a "lemonade" made from lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. It is actually pretty tasty. The hard part is the salt water flush every morning. Its like swallowing 32 ozs. of the ocean.
Five days and no solid foods.
How do I feel?
Well, I have a surprising amount of energy. My congestion has decreased significantly and my allergies are still there (I have a million) but much more mild. Oh and as of today I have lost 6 pounds so I'm feeling lighter, which is great for my plan to look like Tina Turner.
Please do not step into the Master Cleanser lightly. I did a lot of research before I started and talked to my nurse practioner and a nutritionist. So please read up and then consult your doctor before starting a fast.
Am I hungry?
Surprisingly no. I've had cravings, which they say is normal. Mostly for things I've seen on tv or for something to chew.
Would I dare go past 10 days?
Maybe. It had been oddly calming not having to prepare meals or wonder what to cook. Oh and not doing a bunch of dishes has been more than a little nice. Some people do this fast for 40 days. But I'm pretty sure that ten will do it for me.

Prison Break

On Monday I went to the evening boot camp, since I was more awake (thank you sugar free Red Bull, my hero) and also since it wasn't as cold. Also I had accustomed myself to sleeping until 11:30 AM every day over the Thanksgiving holiday.

We started with a challenging post-Thanksgiving push up/plank/squat thrust/mountain climbers circuit (made even more difficult with half a pumpkin pie in your stomach) and then had "interval" runs in between. I was just glad we weren't doing the Ring of Fire again because I still maintain it gave me a cold last time.
For our second interval run, McD announced we were going to be doing a prison run which is one of the few boot camp exercises that actually sounds as difficult as it is. Which is testament to how tough it is.

A prison run is basically where you put your hands behind your head and then you take off running as if you just busted out of Pelican Bay Maximum Security Prison. Which may not sound hard, but running without your arms is kind of like swimming without your legs or playing the piano without your hands. Rather difficult and, in this case, aerobically challenging. From now on I am going to refer to the Indian Run as the Chain Gang Run, in an effort to create more truth in advertising.

When we got done with the run, we started up some more circuits, most of which I've quickly forgotten in a sort of Stockholm-syndrome cycle that I go through post-workout. I do remember McD saying "You guys were all so talkative before the prison run!" No one responded, just various gasps and Hail Marys from the crowd. "What happened?" McD continued. "What happened to chatty?"

Had I not been utilizing every ventricle of my heart to pump blood to my shoulders at that moment in time, I would have responded "I think Chatty got shot escaping from prison."

Just Beachy

My family heads down to the Texas coast for Thanksgiving (and pretty much any other four-day weekend we can get, as we are all displaced second-generation New Zealanders and feel a call from the ocean daily). This year the weather hasn't been the greatest -- cloudy, cold and blustery. But we still have managed to pack several hours worth of walking on the beach, which is way more interesting than strolling around Circle C on the weekends. There are seagulls to observe, the sound and energy of the waves propelling you forward and also people-watching with the rest of the tourists making their way up and down the beach. Yesterday we actually saw someone swimming in the ocean (the water temperature is about 66 degrees but it's 41 degrees outside and WINDY! You do the math!).
All of this beach walking got me wondering about whether it is better for your health to walk on a beach -- it seems more difficult to walk in the sand, bracing yourself against the wind. I found this entry on DiscoverWalking.com about the benefits of walking on the beach:

Aside from the beautiful view of the ocean and the great people watching there are many benefits of walking on the beach. Walking in sand requires a greater effort than walking on a hard surface. Your muscles and tendons will work harder as your foot moves around.

Walking at a slower pace requires more effort than walking fast or even jogging. Walking in sand requires 2.1 to 2.7 times more energy than walking on hard surfaces. Jogging in sand uses1.6 times more energy than jogging on hard surfaces.

For most of us burning calories is one of the benefits of any exercise. One the primary benefits of walking on a beach is that you will use 20 to 50 percent more calories than you would walking at the same pace on a hard surface.

So this is good news for me, especially after all of that pumpkin pie I ate yesterday and the mimosas I have (and continued to) downed.
Although I don't know that anything will save me when the alarm goes off at 5:09 AM on Monday and it's time (yet again) to do the mile run.

Just Add Water

I know that you all thought I was going to wax on about The Bachelor today, but I am not that shallow of a person. I have ambitions and goals and higher purposes in life other than just blogging about the Bachelor. No, really, I do. But boy is Brad Womack a tall drink of water. Speaking of water, has anyone reminded you lately that you need to drink plenty of water? Here are some reasons why:

75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (This likely applies to half the world population.)

In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied (in a University of Washington study).

Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

Preliminary research indicates that 8 to 10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math (Ed. Note: This explains EVERYTHING), and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.


COKE

In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days.

To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion. (Ed. Note: I have actually done this with a golf cart battery several times and it works really well. Kind of fun, like pouring soy sauce on a snail.)

To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy. (Ed. Note: I don't think McD would endorse this on the nutrition plan.)

To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.

Coke will also clean road haze from your windshield.


FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.

To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the "Hazardous Material" place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!


Now the question is, would YOU like a glass of water or Coke?

Actually, I'd just like a Brad Womack please.

Gooooooaaaal!

So I've figured it out. After much searching and pros and cons lists I have decided on my next fitness goal.
For those of you joining us late, I had accomplished all of my fitness goals. Mile under 9 minutes, run my first 5k, lost 60 pounds, yadda yadda I got kinda stuck. But no longer.
My new goal: To look and feel more like a rockstar. More specifically this rockstar.

I'm setting up a show with my hoot night band and the Hooting and hollering is going to be all Tina Turner. So I am going to have to de-flab my legs (lunge-a-palooza here I come) to get ready for the short and shredded look. So we are going for the Lean Mean Tina look and if we in fact get down to the smallest size of jeans I have in my closet then so be it.

To prepare for that I'm researching a kick off Master Cleanse doing some reading about it (I'll report back if I decide to do it or not). Following that up with a revised nutrition plan, admittedly I've gone astray, and back to adding my ever other afternoon extra cardio bonanza.

So, that's my goal. Did you guys figure out yours? Have you done the master cleanse and have tips for me?

And You Thought I Was Mean

Last weekend I went to the Xtreme Fight Championship (XFC) in San Antonio, Texas at the AT&T Center. It's kind of ironic that when I was a kid, you couldn't say the word "blood" around me without me bursting into tears, and now I find myself sitting cageside within inches of giant men (and women) punching each other. Either way, I never turn down the opportunity to get a free media pass and possibly bump into Tony Parker.

If you thought boot camp made you sore, just try to imagine this for a second: Climbing into a chain link cage and staring down someone who probably would be better suited for breaking a coconut open with his bare hands. That coconut will soon be replaced with your skull.

All in all, if you like action or just enjoy being at an event where it's completely appropriate to shout out "Go for the groin!" then you'd enjoy mixed martial arts fighting. I took a short video of one of the fights, between Kenny "The Italian Hit" Trevino and Kyo Gregoire. Trevino ends up knocking out Gregoire in the 2nd round and winning. If you're interested, you can read my (entirely too long) recap on the XFC Fight Blog.

Don't Sweat the Skirt Stuff

If you were at Race for the Cure, you might have noticed McD sporting what is known as the Skirt Sports. Evidently the newest exercise gear phenom is something as simple as a few extra inches of spandex (since when isn't that a good thing). To the right is an example of one of the Skirt Sports styles -- the Gym Girl Zebra, found here. This would be great if you occasionally go running down the strip in Las Vegas.

I've always avoided skirts not because I don't like them but because I find them rather awkward to get around in -- and when it comes to exercising in a skirt, no one's interested in pulling a Britney while doing bicycle crunches. But a rather inventive triathlete by the name of Nicole DeBoom came up with the idea to take your typical running shorts and turn them into a skirt, keeping the inside lining the same. The result is a more feminine style when running and working out. So if you're trying to pick someone up at the co-ed class, this is your golden ticket!

Since Race for the Cure, I saw a News 8 report on the Skirt Sport product line and also heard about the Skirt Chasers 5K which was held last weekend in Austin. Basically it's a 5K where women get a head start on the men and see who wins. For now, skirts are the new shorts.

While you won't see me in a skirt unless I'm knocking back a vodka soda at The Marq while simultaneously making eyes at The Bachelor and motioning for him to call me, I think it' a great sign of the times that the female demographic is being targeted as a powerful influence on the work out apparel market.

I Just Want A Runner's High

I came across this news story today, about a recent study that found that a "runner's high" can be good for your heart. I'm sure everyone's heard of the infamous runner's high: the heady, king-of-the-world feeling you get sometimes during or after finishing a run. According to studies, your brain releases chemicals called endorphins that make you feel happier and euphoric.
I guess I have no choice but to believe in the legend of the runner's high -- I sure as heck feel euphoric when I stop running. But that usually has more to do with being able to collapse on the ground and breathe again and less to do with endorphins and my brain synapses. I know that during a run I never feel euphoric. In fact, my mind thinks of the opposite when I run like "If that car hit me, I at least wouldn’t have to run the rest of this mile," or "Why on earth am I doing this?" I certainly have not experienced a runner's high while actually running, and if I ever did, I would immediately assume that I had gone unconscious. The only true runner's high I get these days is from watching a Nike commercial while eating a bag of Doritos.
So knowing that, I have to find other ways to entertain myself while running. A lot of people like to listen to music while they run and sometimes I do too. But I also get kind of frustrated with carrying the albatross of an MP3 player, especially if a song I'm less-than-thrilled with comes on or if I want to skip to another song. It seems like such a huge effort while running to press the fast-forward button on an iPod -- as if that's going to knock off seconds from my world record-breaking mile time. Instead while I'm running I often try to meditate to the point where I no longer feel like I'm running and am curled up in my bed under the blankets. I haven't fully achieved this yet, but don't worry, I'll let you know when I do.

I am a goalless drifter.

It's Wednesday. The middle of the week, and right now my only serious goal is to get to 5pm Friday unscathed.
Having run the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure 5K I have completed my goals for 2007:

1. Lose weight for the reunion
2. Get medical insurance
   
3. Get my mile time under 9 minutes
4. Find out what I'm allergic to
5. Run a 5K without having a heart attack mid sprint
6. Make a significant dent in the writing/planning of my recording project.

Missions Accomplished. Now what?! I need more goals, new plans. Unfortunately it is not like I can put up a craigslist ad looking for goals.

"Motivated achiever seeks goals of the personal and attainable variety. Previous goals were wonderfully fulfilling but alas, have been, fulfilled. Please make yourself known ASAP so I can beat the New Year's rush."

Seriously though, setting goals is very important to your success. For me, having goals to push towards keep me in line. Stops me from zipping into the drive through and eating an entire loaf of bread's worth of toast.

Tips for setting goals.

• Pick something you care about. Something that means something to you directly.
• Make sure its attainable in a reasonable amount of time. Its cool to plan things that will take a year or more, just be sure there are milestone markers along the way to keep you from getting discouraged.
  
• Make it VISIBLE. Write it down. Put it in a journal. Put it on a card in your wallet, put it in a frame by your bed or on your desk. Hang the skinny jeans outside of the closet so you have to look at them every day.
• Visualize yourself achieving your goal. Keep the feeling of how wonderful it is in your mind at all times.
• Tell someone. Tell a lot of people. Blog about it. After all, you are going to need people to celebrate with when you cross it off the list!

I'm off to find some new goals, drop me a line and let me know what your goals are.

How To Kill a Camper in 100 Reps or Less

I woke up the Monday morning after the Race for the Cure feeling like someone had punched me in both eyes. I think this was mainly allergies, but allergies were definitely not to blame for my hamstrings feeling like they had reduced in length by half. So I decided that I was going to sleep in the extra heavenly two hours and try to make the evening boot camp class instead.

Last night we did an Indian run, which is when everyone runs in a single-file line. The person at the front carries a baton and the last person in line attempts to sprint/crawl their way to the front and take the baton. This process repeats for the duration of a mile, or until the group falls apart and everyone just shuffles along in a mass of bodies.

After the Indian run, we started doing what Stephanie calls "The 100's," which I think stands for how many sets of each upper-body exercise you do, but also represents the number of times I wanted to throw up during the work out. It's kind of humorous that anyone would look at me with the expectation that I could do 100 push ups and then assume I would ever be able to move again, let alone work out.

The ten sets of ten push ups were definitely the most miserable part, where you would squeeze out about six and then the last four would simply be an out of body experience. In between each set, I curled up into a ball and pretended I was on a reality show where I would win a million dollars after all this. But the truth of the matter was that I was really just not going to be able to wash my hair that night or lift a beer up to my mouth since my arms ceased to function somewhere between the 17th and 20th push up I did.

I suggested we take our exercise down a notch, maybe the "I love the 90's" or the "Roaring 20s" work out but Stephanie didn't seem to think that was such a good idea. Instead we continued on with 100s. At one point, she asked us all how we were feeling but no one managed to say anything. I personally think that was because of one of two reasons: 1) We were all too busy counting, hoping we were almost to 100 or 2) We couldn't come up with any words that wouldn't break the "no four letter words" class rule.

Race For the Cure

This Sunday the Austin Adventure Boot Camp participated in Austin's ninth Susan G Komen Race for Cure 5k. Thanks to the wonderful members of our team we were able to surpass our original goal as well as our secondary goal and raise $1,010.00 for the cause. Many thanks to the Campers and Coaches that participated!

Pop a top and give me twenty!

So this is my kind of news! A recent study has shown that drinking beer after a work out is better than water. I knew I was on to something!

Check out the article here. An excerpt from it:

The study was conducted on 25 students of Granada University by Professor Manuel Garzon.

They were asked to run on a treadmill under stifling temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius / [104 degrees Farenheit] until they were close to exhaustion.

Their hydration levels, concentrationability and motor skills were later measured by the researchers.

While half were given two half pints of Spanish lager to drink, the rest were provided water. Both groups were then allowed to drink as much water as they wanted.

Professor Garzon said the rehydration effect in the students who were given beer was slightly better than those given water.

The article goes on to say that the carbon dioxide in beer helps quench thirst more quickly, while the carbohydrates replaced the calories lost during exertion.

Perhaps Gatorade will be coming out with a new GatorBeer?
We can only hope.