Tough Mudder Indiana: Proud and Stupid

Back in August it seemed like it was a good idea to put a challenge in front of me. Something to aim for.  Some carrot to dangle to keep me motivated to maintain a sound diet and consistent workout regiment. Being a part of Crossfit Carmel means being immersed in a community of like-minded folks. So when a few fellow workout buddies signed up for the 2011 Indiana Tough Mudder, the carrot dangled. Now that the experience is behind me, several thoughts continue to swim through my mind.

Training for the Tough Mudder was simple. Crossfit. It's the perfect combination of endurance, weight training, body weight, cardio, and mental training. While I've listened to my fellow gym buddies discuss how Crossfit Endurance is all that is needed to train for longer distances, and while two fellow workout pals solely used Crossfit as their means for their first Ironman, I continued to have my doubts pinning my thoughts to my 6'2", 240 lbs. frame. "What if....." consumed me. But I trusted what I was told and my gut.

Those who know me clearly know I'm a bit consumed with planning at times. While I want to know directions, departure time, what to wear, where to park, etc., this event was different. I did not take much time to think about the course length, the crazy amount of obstacles, or the weather conditions until the week of the event. For that, I'm glad, because I may have quit before I started.

Plan and simple: The Tough Mudder is NO JOKE. But in the back of my mind I must admit I thought, "They make those videos to intimidate you. There is no way it's all that." Ha! There is not enough room in cyberspace to adequately share what was all entailed. Here's the course map.  You decide. 

Thirty of us all set out on this 40 degree day with a windchill in the 30's and 20's at time. The plan was that we were all to stay together in packs. No one gets left behind. Everyone finishes.  When I said this was no joke, I was not kidding. This realization was never more evident than when the mood shift of all my teammates smacked me in the face harder than the wind that was whipping at my cheeks. Our group went from laughing and tossing a football while running, to a more solemn, introspective quietness. I could hear others thinking, "What have we really gotten ourselves into?" But no one dared say it. I kept thinking, "Now come on. We are not climbing Everest." I was thinking, "Maybe some of my friends were right. Maybe I am stupid. Why WOULD I want to do such a thing?" And as quickly as I asked myself, I answered. "Because it's there. Because I can learn from this. Because I want to see how far I can push myself. Because I can."

And so roughly 4 miles in and with only 25% of the course behind us, two of our most fit athletes at the gym could not warm their bodies and had to call it a day. As I became a bit scared knowing these folks are physcial specimans of fitness, I wondered, doubted, and went through some serious mental ping pong. I was scared I'd get stuck under muddy water. I was worried I might twist an ankle and not be able to make it to the end. I was fearful of hypothermia. I hate, hate, hate being cold and there was no alternative on this day.  Cold was normal. At one point I found myself alone for about 30 minutes wondering how I got separated from my team, but I had to keep my body moving through the course as I felt my quads, hip flexors, and calf muscles tightening up. It was at this point where I was trying to fight off fear. I struck up a conversation with a 48 year old, grey haired guy like me for a bit. He wished me good luck and we separated as I traversed down a steep hill with mud so caked on my shoes you could not really make out that I was even wearing shoes. At the bottom of the hill I saw a pack of red shirts just like mine and had caught up to a group of my teammates. I discovered I was with a middle pack. There were a handful ahead of them and a few behind, so our plan was still intact. No one finishes alone.

I stuck with this group for about two more hours. The mood of the group fluctuated between collegial encouragement, to silent fortitude. We all knew what we were thinking, but we made the most of it. And somehow with about 3 miles left, my teammate Derek and I found ourselves alone the rest of the way. Our commitment: Attempt every obstacle. Keep moving. Be positive. Derek was great. He did not mind that I could no longer run for long periods of time. My right hip flexor was shot and my right calf was cramping. We crawled face down in mud. We got through waste deep water, and we waited 20 minutes to get across a 3 inch wood plank over a pool of freezing waste deep water. (We both made it half way until we dove in.) And when we saw the finish line, we got a bit giddy. Derek, who got separated from his wife on the course three hours earlier kicked it into another gear. We finised together.

Here's what I took from this experience:

Part of this was indeed stupid.

Being pushed to my limits only makes me stronger.

Teamwork and togetherness can make anything happen.

I now know what being uncomfortable really feels like.

I'm in the best shape of my life:  I never questioned my physical condition.

Crossfit and proper eating prepared me for this.

I'm more mentally strong than I allowed myself to think. 

I'm just as happy for and proud of my teammates as I am of myself for doing this.
I now believe in the Tough Mudder Pledge 

In and Out of the Rut

A few posts ago I mentioned a new movie I discovered titled, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.  If you have not had a chance to see it, it's super.  It's a documentary about two guys who transform their lives after being incredibly unhealthy and obese.  A major theme of the movie is Reboot Your Life which has become a trademarked product.  Check it out.  I'm always up for another inspirational movie, quote, book, story, whatever.  It keeps things fresh and helps me avoid ruts.  However, I've found myself in a new rut.

Over a year ago, I was nearly 270 lbs. again.  You can see what I mean in the My Progress page.  I spent the year before that running a few half marathons, achieving my personal record with a 2:07 at the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon.  That was two years ago.  Last summer, I was down and out.  I'd run half marathons.  I'd tackled the Men's Health Urbanathlon in Chicago.  I'd been with personal trainers, belonged to every globo gym in a 5 mile radius of my house.  Then I found Crossfit.  It was what I was looking for.  It challenged me in every area of my health and fitness.  It pushed me to my limits and it instantly gave me access to a community of like-minded people.  However, arguably the most important aspect of my "new community of like minded people" was the access to others who were concerned with eating healthy.......permanently........forever.  I figured, if I'm going to push myself this hard, then I'm not going to ruin it with my food choices.  After all, finishing a Crossfit workout provides the same feeling of accomplishment as crossing the finish line at a race.  Only it happens several times per week.

So I have not hit the pavement to really run in a year.  A WHOLE YEAR!  While I sometimes am in shock that I let that much time go by, I justify it by saying, "Look what you've done with your body, your strength, endurance, and dietary habits."

"OK, OK," I say to myself.  "Give yourself a break.  Why do it if you are getting the results you have been looking for your whole life?"  The answer I come back to is...."I want to use my new-found strength and endurance gains and apply it to something."  Sounds fair, right?  But I'm not sure I want a typical road race.  I want a challenge.  Something that will test me beyond just running, running, running.  I think I found the answer.  I've registered for the following........

The Super Spartan Race:  An 8 mile course with crazy, challenging obstacles that will challenge my running, strength and endurance.  While there are races closer to home, this one is two miles from my family on Staten Island, NY and will give me something for which to aim.  It will force me to ramp up my running milage and make me learn to apply my Crossfit training to running/endurance work.  More importantly, it will force me to focus on a part of my diet I've not paid a ton of attention to:  body fat content.  I've spent a lot of time concerned with pounds and portion control, but I think to get to where I'd like to be, I'd prefer to be a bit more lean than I am.  

Out of the rut I come.  Stay tuned....

P.S.  If you haven't had a chance to check out the new cSpinHealthy Facebook page, head over there.  I'd love it if you'd "like it".  

Just Keep Moving Forward

It was a busy week in our house.  We are an interfaith family, Jewish and Methodist.  Palm Sunday and Passover (and my 39th bday) packed together.  We are cooking, preparing, and working in two soccer games this weekend.  But.......this was the Sunday I was going to run alongside Dean Karnazes, The Ultramarathon Man.  If you read my post a few months ago, you know Dean is running across the United States to raise money and awareness for Action for Healthy Kids, an organization devoted to kids' health and undernourishment in our country and specifically in our schools.  So this was right in my wheelhouse!!!

My busy weekend was interrupted by a 5:15 a.m alarm clock for a chance to meet this guy who I  have read about, followed on Twitter, and have admired not only for his incredible physical and emotional strength, but because about the manner by which he goes about it.  Here's a guy who has run a marathon at the South Pole!  Here's a guy who has finished in the Top 5 at the Badwater Ultramarathon, a grueling 135 miles through Death Valley culminating at Mount Whitney....IN JULY! (you must read about this race!) Here's a guy who has run 50 marathons in 50 days across 50 states!  

This guy is pretty unbelievable.  And here's a guy who is inspiring people to move more and eat well.  I can't argue with that.  Here's a short clip about he is.....

So yesterday, my life long friend, Randy and I took off to run 2.5 miles around the Indianapolis Speedway with Dean as he passed through town.  He got here the day before after a 40 mile day, woke up at 5:15 a.m. to run 2.5 with Randy and me and roughly 300 others on a 35 degree Palm Sunday morning.  

Here's a few moments from yesterday....

The world famous speedway pagoda with Dean's transportation services.

Dean's crew in one of his two custom buses. (Kelly Ripa was not there!)  :(

 Grumpy and cold Good Morning America production guys.  We were on live!

My only close up of Dean to get an idea of how small his is and how fit he looks!

Dean finishing up.  I beat him!  Ha!

So what this guy does in incomprehensible to the vast majority of the population, but I see this guy as an opportunity to learn more about my own health and fitness which is what I believe he is all about.  While some would view Dean Karnazes as egotistical, I choose to see him as something else:  humble, incredible, inspiring, and real.  

Some observations from my experience:

1.  This guy eats 8,000 to 10,000 calories PER DAY when he is doing this stuff.  And he is a tiny and incredibly ripped/athletic man.  Proof in the pudding that you are what you eat!

2.  He does not worry about pacing with this kind of experience.  His goal is to finish.  He said, "As long as I am moving forward, I don't care if I'm doing a 9 minute or 12 minute mile."  Something to consider in my own training whether it running, Crossfit, a sprint triathlon, or swimming.

3.  This guy has major sponsors, Live with Regis and Kelly, books, a team of doctors, nutritionists, a sport psychologist, two running buddies, and much more following him.  He was interviewed live in front of us on Good Morning America.  With all of this, he still stopped to not only sign autographs, but look people in the eye, smile, talk, engage in conversation, ask questions of complete strangers, cheer on others, and just exude an incredible positive energy while being real about it.  After all, he puts his shoes on the same way you and I do every morning.  This energy was contagious and something I think is often overlooked by many.  While a produced piece of media, I think this video demonstrates this about Karnazes very well...

4.  This experience rekindled my desire to continue running, something I've put on the back burner since discovering Crossfit.  I've put a goal out there before to run a sub two hour half marathon, and running around the world famous oval today with a life long friend may have lit that spark again.  

5.  Patience is a tough concept.  Thinking about what Karnazes does in order to better me is tough given what his body is capable of versus mine.  However, I believe the principles he follows can comparatively transfer to my life or anyone's for that matter.  My point?  I need to be patient with my training, my expectations, and my overall fitness goals.  There should be no rush to achieve as long as I'm doing the same thing Dean is doing on his run across America:  

Just keep moving forward!!!

On and off the Wagon

Yesterday started a bit differently for me.  My normal Saturday routine is to get a cup or two of coffee and head to CFC for the Saturday Hopper workouts.  Check out the link if you are unfamiliar with Crossfit.  However, since I'm heading out of town next Saturday to the Whole 9 Foundations of Nutrition Workshop in Chicago, this was my morning to be Mr. Mom, so my wife could head to the downtown Indianapolis Farmer's Market.  Check out her very non-Paleo find here.  If you like marshmellows you should check it out.  At least she brought back some sweet and spicy buffalo jerky for me.  

Upon my wife's return, I headed out to spend just a couple of hours at the Great Lakes Crossfit Invitational at a nearby Crossfit box in Noblesville, IN, just down the road.  What an event by Crossfit Indy North.  I've been Crossfitting since July and it's changed my life as I've written about in post after post, but I can not begin to describe to you what I experienced in as just an audience member and cheerleader at this event.  

The intensity of the athletes!  The endurance of the athletes!  The passion of the athletes, men and women alike!  The athletes!!!!

These folks started competing at 8 a.m. and had 4 workouts to try to finish in the top 20 which allowed them to compete in the final WOD.  I watched one guy do the following in just six minutes!!!!!

3 Rounds of...

20 back squats (115 lbs)

20 toes to bar

20 double unders

And that was after 3 previous workouts!!!  Unreal.  

Made me think of this....

An intended two hour stay turned into six hours of me cheering on the CFC folks who have become my workout friends.  Here's some of them.........

Reijo doing toes to bar

Kevin and his toes to bar

Keith getting ready to squat and Nick in the back right.

Kyle fighting through his toes to bar

I wish I would have felt like Superman a few hours later as I knew I was going out to eat with friends.  We went to one of the best places around our area:

Bonges Tavern

In the wam months this place encourages tailgating outside while you wait on a table.  While it's "controlled and civil" tailgating, it's a blast.  And the food inside..........Check out the menu.

This was my second trip here.  No tailgating, but our friends are neighbors with the lead chef, so we walked right in and probably pissed off the fifteen people waiting in the foyer near the space heater.  Anyone who knows me needs half a second to tell you what I ordered......

If I was tech savvy I would enter an mp3 soundbite here of the Pac Man sound when Pac Man get eaten.

While the cheesy horseradish potatoes are obviously not Paleo, the duck....yes....duck!  That heavenly tasting rolled duck with bbq sauce on top and stuffed with some kind of cheese that delicately oozes out of each slice......NOT PALEO........ok folks.......and neither were the three Sun King We Mac Brown Ales that I had.  

Not quite part of my 30 Day Paleo Challenge.  I've logged the food in my daily journal and today.....well.....I move on......No guilt.  No worries.  Just back on the wagon and off I go.  I don't feel any real impact to my digestion or how I feel this a.m.  It's one meal.  It was a damn incredibly good meal from start to finish.  Not what the 30 Day Challenge prescribes, but.........

While I'm a life-long fan of R.E.M., I'm not Superman.  I'm human.  Today is a new day and I can't wait to get to Crossfit tomorrow.  

A Very Brady Crossfit

Remember the scene from The Brady Bunch when Peter discovers that his volcano "really works" and it gushes all over Marsha who is trying to impress some new girls in order to get into a club?  Well, for some reason, that silly but nostalgic sit com scene is what I thought about recently.  Warning:  Not bragging here.  Simply trying to demonstrate the power of Crossfit.

Disclaimer:  When I first started Crossfit, I was running, running, running.  I wondered how something that does not warrant a lot of time (i.e. the daily WOD's sometimes being 3-4 minutes and that's it) make such a significant impact on my fitness.  The Crossfit Coaches at CFC politely and patiently persisted that if you eat well and do Crossfit consistently, then your fitness will change.  The exact words were,

"Don't focus on weight loss.  Focus on eating a "clean diet" and coming to Crossfit consistently."  

Six months later I have the following WOD's to compare:

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Helen
3 Rounds of  .  .  .

400 meter run
21 Kettlebell swings
12 pull ups

October time:  15:12
December time:  12:40
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The Filthy Fifty
50 box jumps (24")
50 jumping pull ups
50 kettlebell swings
50 walking lunges
50 knees to elbows
50 push press (45 lbs.)
50 back extensions
50 wall balls (20 lbs.)
50 burpees
50 double unders

October time:  29:50

December time:  28:10

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When Peter Brady discovers the power of his volcano, he is astonished.  He's astounded!

Cheesy but true.  I feel the same way.  It's easier said than done, but any sound exercise program combining strength and endurance coupled with a solid, clean diet WILL.  YIELD.  RESULTS.  It's harder than hell some days.  Anticipating the valleys after the high of the peaks is important.  So much goes into it.  But.........

IT REALLY WORKS!!!!!!!

Superhuman or Supercrazy?

When I saw this on t.v. the other night it reminded me when I came across Dean Karnazes somehow a couple of years ago as I was training for a half marathon.  This guy is something else.  His nutrition is crazy and very non Paleo.  His endurance and drive is relentless, and his book Ultramarathon Man is a superior read for anyone interested in "mind over matter" stuff.  It's not just a "running book".  I am in awe of ultra-marathoners!