Go Ruck

This is the first event (ever I think) that I have registered for and is NOT a cycling race.  On June 7 at 8:00 pm, I'll be experiencing a partial day in the life of a special forces recruit.  One piece of required equipment for this event is a ruck sack (backpack) filled with 6 bricks... and that's probably the lightest thing we'll have to carry around.

This event is in Omaha, NE and the cadre as it's called (our team) is a maximum of 30 people and from Grand Island, we have around 15 registered for it, most from the Crossfit box and the others are endurance adventure friends.  It's designed as a teambuilding event not a race, we are going to receive some "Good Livin" which I think is the slogan for subjecting yourself to the hurt locker.

http://www.goruckchallenge.com

Indoor Triathalon

Some people who know me have probably heard my story of how I got into Endurance sports.  I college I saw Ironman Kona on TV and thought that would be super cool to do.  That week I started running.  A few months later my knees swelled up and my dreams were dashed.  Later that year in college, I was introduced to mountain biking and that didn't bother my knees and I've been a cyclist since.  Never regreted not being able to run one bit, because quite frankly I love cycling.  I've ran a few miles here and there, and really I just don't get that excited for it. 

A couple years ago, you may have saw my posts on barefoot running, I had envisioned that proper running form would allow me to run without knee problems, and that actually may have been true, but cycling season kicked in and I forgot all about that objective.

Now here I am doing Crossfit and gaining all around fitness is more important that ever to me and the next thing I know Crossfit Heartland is holding a Running Clinic.  I'm in of course, and timing is great because I just signed up for the indoor Triathlon at the YMCA next month.  It's a sprint distance, so training for a 5k is plenty good for me.  A couple weeks ago I started running a few times a week and I've stuck to the proper technique, if I get tired I stop and sort of like Frankenstien "It's Alive"  well better put It's Working!  no knee issues, but I am having to rebuild my lower calves, they are used to the bike not pose running.

Also important for the Tri is swimming, so I started back to doing the Master's swim 3x's a week.  All of this is pretty much at the cost of regularly scheduled cycling work outs, but that's ok, I'm having a lot of fun right now and really it's the time to do it.  I don't feel my cycling is going to suffer at all this summer, I'm still riding more than I have in past winter's...

So I bought a tri suit last week, and doing a lot of reading on swimming to try and figure out some better technique in the pool and next month...   It may not be KONA, but it will be my first triathlon, and will definately be a lot of fun.  Also definatatly a change from the usual cycling events, and also is breaking up the winter nicely and keeping my motivation high.

Week 2: Paleo In A Box AMFAT Challenge

Today is the end of Week 2 and I'm actually writing this blog in real time, so no more future insights like the last post.  However, the adventure is just revving up and it's going to incredible!  I am hooked, I've drank the Kool Aid (figuratively that is, as I now know Kool-aid is the devil -It's pure sugar...)  Actually everything with sugar in it is super bad and even worse is substituting in some sort of fake sugar AKA: Toxic Waste.  Those are my descriptions!  PIB does not phrase it that way, I've taken some artistic liberties in my above statements, but I will tell you I'm telling it how it is, and that's known as the TRUTH.

OK, this isn't a rant about sugar.  Back on track now:   Week 2 has been amazing, I really didn't expect to see any results this early, I spent all summer trying to diet by starving myself and all I accomplished was being desperately hungry, losing performance on the bike, and barely losing any weight.  HOWEVER, my pants are looser, yes, I would estimate a half inch off the waist!  The best part of that statement, I didn't eat any more or less that I normally do, I just changed to healthier food,  aka:  Whole food.  In fact, I ate more grease and oil than I ever have!  Sure, it was the right types and kinds, and just for interest, did you know that you can eat coconut oil right off the spoon and it's healthy for you!  How's that for a teaser!

So, I'm losing weight, maybe your not impressed.  Wait for it....   I feel awesome!  I have more energy than I ever have, I'm recovering extremely well from my workouts and yes this is all real, I am not smoking crack, this is really happening.  The crazy part?  There's still lots more to come!  4 more weeks of diet and health improvements!  I can hardly stand it, I want to do it all today!  Also, I should mention, I have not once been hungry, if anything I've been eating more than usual...

Week 1: Paleo In A Box AMFAT Challenge

The PIB system is set up as modules that arrive every 3 days and it takes about 6 weeks to complete the whole program.  It seems a bit slow waiting for the modules to arrive, but this is by design.  If they just dumped on the information on you at once, you would have no idea where to start and would fail.  That would be bad, so each module gives you the theory and then the practical.  The changes they ask you to do, seem simple on the surface, but really take some effort to properly put into place.  Not hard, it's just that you have to actually do it!

The purpose of this blog is to capture my progress in this adventure, and since I'm now catching up on a backlog of blogging, I can tell you straight out that that the system is going to deliver and I'm seeing results already!  But I'm getting ahead of myself, back to week 1.

First things I had to do was take pictures of myself.  That's a fun one for sure, even though I really only have around 10 lbs of fat to lose, I still wish I had the ripped out abs of an underwear model.  OK, so pictures done, sorry, but not going to post them here.  Next, I had to benchmark several Crossfit workouts.  Keep in mind this is a performance oriented program, not just a diet (actually it's way more than either of these, as overall health is the main benefit, but this will become more obvious in future posts.)

The benchmark workouts are:
FRAN 8:08 (and I have to use a band for pull-ups due to my shoulder tear)
Death By Burpees: 15
Fight Gone Bad: 305

Additionally, I had to take a bunch of measurements, waist, hips, arms, legs, etc...  Perhaps at the end of the challenge, I'll post the before and after pics and dimensions...

One of the biggest things I had to do this week was clean out all the processed toxic crap from my cabinets and fridge!  Knowing how bad this stuff is for you, I felt guilty for even giving it away, but unless you have the insigt and motivation that I now have, this was regular food approved by the government as healthy for you!

It's hard to say that anything is really happening in just a few days, so from a performance and weight loss standpoint, I'd have to say I'm the same.

Paleo In A Box AMFAT Challenge

This is the final frontier.  I've been doing everything possible to increase my performance and the only thing I don't have a handle on is my weight, which has to be directly related to my eating habits.  I've been making lots of improvements, but honestly the last several 10 or so pounds aren't coming off.  Not only that, the amount of will power required and calorie deficit I have to go into just to lose a pount or two is ridiculous, and doing that has really bad effects on my performance.
So far Crossfit has delivered more than I could have ever hoped it could, and Paleo is pretty much synonamous with Crossfit, so why not buy in all the way...? 

Timing was perfect about the time I was thinking this, a couple other's at the Box were talking about the Paleo In a Box system, and PIB was starting a 90 day AMFAT Challenge.  I can't say that I was thrilled with how PIB set up their website.  It's done in an identical layout as many scams, which compromises it's credibility right off the start, but I kept researching and then the day before the challenge started they hosted a webinar (for free), I had already decided I was going to join, but the webinar was excellent, and if the whole system delivered half the information it claimed it would, there is no doubt it would be amazing.

The challenge started on Jan 14, and so far it's been everything it promised to be.  Weekly updates to follow!