CrossFit... Don't Be Hatin!

  Lately I have been reading a few “fair and objective” articles about CrossFit.   They typically go something like this…. “I’m not a CrossFit hater but, here’s why it sucks!”  (Not a direct quote but, the jest of most articles)   So, let me explain why I think some of them are missing the point and why I like the CrossFit method.

   One of the biggest arguments that I see, over and over, is that CrossFit will not make you a better athlete.  Be it runner, power lifter, body-builder, etc…   Here is where I think they don’t get it.  For me, and I think this is the case for most people, CrossFit is a means by which the average Joe or Jane can get fit; and isn’t that what most of us are truly seeking?  The people that are signing up in droves this time of year at globo-gyms across the nation couldn’t care less about being a better Olympic-rower they just want to get in shape.  If you are an elite athlete, more than likely, you are going to seek out a coach who specializes in the sport you want to compete in.  You are not going to go join Curves or a CrossFit gym for that matter.  Also, most of these people don’t understand the importance of having a personal trainer or someone to help them with nutrition, so they don’t hire anyone.  They want to spend their $29.95 per month, hop on the elliptical and dream of abs.  However, when that same person joins a CrossFit box, they are going to be coached in a fitness methodology that has proven itself time and time again to be effective.  From personal experience CrossFit has made me a better athlete.  In fact, at 38 years of age, I am the most athletic I have ever been in my life and as runner I am the fastest I have ever been.  Just this past weekend, I set a new 5k PR in a local race, a PR of 1:59 faster than my last 5k time using the CrossFit Endurance method of training.  Obviously the training is making me faster and isn’t that, in turn, part of being a better athlete?  I will never be a pro runner, and frankly don’t want to be but, I am without a doubt becoming more athletic.

  Another argument that I hear is that CrossFit is not safe.  Any physical activity can be dangerous.  Case in point, I was reading an article just yesterday about a women suffering “compartment syndrome”.  The syndrome is typically caused by high-impact accidents, like something involving a motor vehicle.  However, she was not in a car accident, she had just left Zumba class.    Of course, CrossFit can be dangerous, especially if it is not coached well but, there are risks involved with any type of physical activity.  Proper coaching and being smart about your training can help ensure a safe and effective experience.

   As a CrossFit Level 1 trainer, can I make you strongest power lifter on the planet? Nope. Can I make you the best football player? Nope.  Can I improve your overall strength, speed, agility, endurance, and health and in turn make you a better athlete? Absolutely.  And, while I cannot promise zero injuries, I can certainly help you to remain injury free. 

Someone with Less Time than You Is Eating Right and Exercising

Man, I hear this all the time.  “I just don’t have time to exercise” or “I would eat better if I wasn’t always in such a rush”.  Well, guess what? There are people all over the world with less time than you that are choosing to be healthy by eating right and exercising.  I recently read an article in The Huffington Post that was talking about our excuses not to exercise.  Of course, by far, the number one excuse was lack of time.  However, the study that was cited by the article tracked 22,000 people and of those people, 80% of them spent as much as an hour a day surfing the internet.  Not to mention time spent in front of the TV.   According to reports published by AC Nielsen, the average American spends almost 4 hours per day in front of the TV.  Yet, we don’t have time to exercise?  Seriously?

So here is my point, stop making excuses.  You don’t have time to exercise because you are not choosing to have time to exercise.  Same goes for all those fast food meals.  You are choosing to not eat healthy and blaming it on lack of time.  It has nothing to do with lack of time, but priorities.  If your health is a priority for you, you will make time for it.  The problem is most people will not prioritize their health until they get a good scare from the doctor.  Don’t be that person.  Make the choice today, for you and your family, to be healthy. 

A few tips that will help…

• Find something that you enjoy.  If you don’t enjoy being in a gym then don’t join a gym.  Find something that you like and you will be more likely to stick with it. (running, sports, swimming, tree climbing, etc…)
• Give it some time.  If you start a new exercise and eating program give time to become a habit.  Studies show that after about 21 days it will become routine.
• Find you a partner.  First, they will hold you accountable and second, it is always more fun sharing your workouts with someone.

I can’t tell you the number of folks that I have talked with that start exercising and eating right and a few weeks in to their program they tell me how amazing they feel and they had forgotten how much fun it is exercise.  Truth is, we were designed to be active and we were designed to eat real food.  So, stop with all the excuses, you have plenty time to be healthy!

On a side note:  My wife suggested that I include our hectic schedule as an example of being able to live an active healthy lifestyle while being run ragged with kids, school, work, personal training, volunteer work, marathon training, crossfitting, blogging, etc…  I decided not to include the details of our crazy life but, if you would like specifics you can message me and I would be happy to share.

Playing Around in Rocky Mountain National Park

 Below are a few pictures that we took on vacation in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Carson tree climbing.

Carson headstand 

Carson rock climbing.

Hanging by a thread.

Just chillin... cooking some deer sausage and grass fed beef.

Standing on a huge stump of a tree that had fallen.

Playing on a snowfield up above the tree line.

Madalyn rolling off the cliff.

Just hanging around.

Ready to go hiking.

Mando in a headstand at 10,000 feet.

Just us.

Just had to climb the tree.

Challenge Yourself: Do Something Epic!

I see so many people just trudging along in the monotony of their daily lives, happy to get up, drink their cup of Joe, eat their muffin, and head off to their jobs; only to trudge home and plop down on the couch in front of the TV.  Ugh!  Why?  Instead of going through the motions like everyone else, why not challenge yourself and do something epic.  Do something mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting, something that will forever change your life and define who you are as a person.

Most people think they can’t and they are correct; as long as they think they can’t do something, they will never be able to do it. They think they are too old, too out of shape, or some other excuse that they have convinced themselves is true.  When I began exercising I weighed over 300Lbs, I smoked, drank and was an illegal drug user; I was the epitome of self destructive and out of shape.  By God’s grace, I escaped that lifestyle and chose to channel my passion into my health and wellness and hopefully to inspire others as well along the way.

A few years ago my wife and I had a crazy idea.  We had been running for a couple years and I just mentioned the idea, almost jokingly, that we should run a marathon.  Her first response…. “Are you crazy?”  Then a few weeks later, while we were running, she said… “Hey, I think we should run that marathon.”  So, long story short,  we talked to a few people who had ran one to get some advice and began training for the San Antonio Rock n’ Roll Marathon.  Little did we know the impact that it would have on our lives.  After finishing the marathon people would ask us how was it, or did you win? People don’t understand the significance of those 26.2 miles and that just getting to the finish line is a huge feat. I’m not sure if it was during the run itself or afterwards that I had a bit of an epiphany, a light bulb moment.   What was my “light bulb” moment?  Everyone should do something that is as challenging as a marathon.  What I learned about myself during the training and especially during the marathon itself is something that is a bit hard to put into words.  This may sound cheesy, but it taught me that I am capable of anything that I set my mind to.  I am not an athlete, nor have I ever been.  I was the asthmatic fat kid growing up that never stepped into a gym or took a P.E. class.  But, I set a goal for myself, went after it, and achieved it!  And guess what? It has forever changed my life.

Will I do another marathon? Well, I have run two marathons so far but, I think it is time to move on to the next challenge, whatever that may be.  Perhaps I will run a 50K or a 50 miler, I really enjoy trail running so that is a definite maybe.  I will be 40 in about 3 years and I am seriously considering a triathlon.  I have never really swam and I don’t own a bike so I figure it would be a great challenge for me to do a triathlon and who knows, maybe I’ll start training for an Ironman.  What better way to celebrate my 40^th birthday. How awesome would it be for the former fat little asthmatic kid, who never took a P.E. class in his life, to finish something as significant as an Ironman?

 At this point all I know for sure is this; you need a goal that impacts who you are as a person.  You need a challenge that will change your life and open doors to what you never thought were possible. Find something that you don’t think you are capable of and just go after it. You might be surprised what you are truly capable of.  Do something epic!    

Some Pictures from Gator Bait 15k

Our Crew.  From left: Tina, Ron, Me, My lovely wife Amanda

Post run cool down, it was crazy hot!

Gator Bait In The Inov8's

The first annual Gator Bait 15k at Huntsville State Park started like all other races that I have been in, with eager anticipation.  For me, this would be the first true distance test since switching to a minimalist shoe, the Inov8 F-lite 195s. At race start the temperature was about 82 degrees and guessing, I would say the humidity was 70-80%.   Obviously, not ideal for a 15k race but,  I was eager to get going and had tried to prepare accordingly by taking in some pre-race electrolytes and plenty water.  Also, I have been training in this East Texas heat and humidity for months now in preparation for this race.  So, at the start I felt great and well prepared.

After a quick pre-race meeting to discuss the trail we were off and running.  Not too much congestion at the start and at 5 minutes in I had settled into a nice pace.  By mile 2 I had realized two things about the course.  First, the trail was very sandy and second, there were more hills than I was used to running.  Also, I noticed at around 20 minutes in that my t-shirt was totally soaked through with sweat due to the humidity and heat. (Sure am glad I remembered the Body Glide) The next mile or so that followed was nothing spectacular and I still felt fine.  Then, around mile 4 the course got sandier and the hills just kept coming.  At mile 5.25, the second water stop, I rested for a couple minutes, had a GU, and several cups of water.  After a couple minutes I was off again, still sort of pacing off one of my running buddies, Ron.  Immediately post water break the hills continued and with more sand and more roots from the trees.  I was thinking good Lord, where did all these hills come from in East Texas.  Somewhere around mile 7 Ron stopped to walk for a minute and I plodded on up the hill ahead.  The next hill however was too much and I decided it was time to walk for just a bit.  My calves had started “twinging” a little and I remember thinking …please don’t cramp.   Around that same time Ron passed me and I didn’t see him again until the mile 8 water stop.  At that point I stopped for about 2 and half minutes, took in a lot of water and I was off again.  At this point, Ron is out of sight and I didn’t see him again until the finish.  The last 1.3 miles was tough for me, although relatively flat my calves were exhausted and just on the verge of cramping up until the finish line.  Every time there was the least bit of an incline I found myself walking to prevent the muscles in my calves and my feet from cramping up.  I can tell you that, for me, the finish line could not come soon enough. 

Overall, it was a great race.  Well organized, not too many people, and a really nice course that meandered through the woods and around the lake at Huntsville state park.  For me, I learned that I needed more time to prepare for that terrain and distance in the new shoes and my new Pose style of running.  Ron ended up finishing about 3 minutes ahead of me and both our wives behind us a few minutes.  All-in-all, it was a nice father’s day run, my kiddos were there to greet us at the finish and we enjoyed a nice post race picnic in the park.

PS:  I'll try to post some pics as soon as I get them.

Stop Rewarding Yourself With Food

I am all about enjoying food.  In fact, I love food, but we have to stop using it as a reward.  Food is fuel, pure and simple.  Just like fuel for a vehicle, the proper fuel for your body will make you more efficient and less injury prone.  I cannot count the number of times that I have heard people tell me that they exercise so that they can eat whatever they want. If you are guilty of this I think it's time that you examine your health and fitness goals and get a true understanding of why we should exercise and eat healthy, real food. 

As an athlete, even an average Joe athlete, take the time and learn proper nutrition for your goals and don’t fall victim to the faulty thinking that you deserve more food or you can eat junk because you are working harder.  Eat only what your body requires to keep you at your most efficient weight for optimal performance. During marathon training last year I was guilty of overeating, especially on long-run days, and I actually ended up gaining weight and nursing injuries that really hurt my marathon performance.  Now, training for an upcoming trail-run, the Gator Bait 15k, I have focused on limiting my calories to only what is required for my amount training and it has really paid off.  Also, I have intentionally lost some weight over the past year so that I would be “lighter on my feet”.   I have focused on eating clean, real food.  No junk, no processed food, no alcohol, and I have been trying to eat foods that are anti-inflammatory as much as possible. 

Obviously diet is hugely important to the pro’s but, I think it is equally important for the average Joe like you and me looking to perform better.  So, do yourself a favor, eat real food, organic whenever possible, and stop using food as a reward and letting it hurt your training efforts.

Rays of Sunshine

It's amazing what a little rain will do for the garden.  This bloomed the day after the rain storm. We are in the worst drought in about 100 yrs, but I am still growing some organic veggies and, of course, sunflowers.

Is Barefoot The Way To Go?

Inov-8 F-Lite 195

     Some of you have seen the picture that I posted a couple weeks back of my new shoes.  What you don't know is that with the new shoes I am transitioning into a new style of running.  Beginning in the 1970's with the advent of the "running shoe" runners have been gradually forced in to becoming heel strikers.  It has been well documented that runners that land on their heels experience more impact force on their joints. (Knees, hips, etc...)  What I am trying to accomplish, because frankly I am tired of being injured, is to learn how to land more naturally on the ball of my foot thus, reducing the impact on my joints.
      I have trained for a ran a couple of marathons and during the training of both I was plagued with injuries. Over the past couple of years I have added or changed several things to see what impact it may have on my running and injuries.
      First, I added stretching to my daily routine and within a couple of months my hip pain went away.  Second, I added a Crossfit style workout to my normal weightlifting routine.  Crossfit gradually replaced my conventional workouts all together and I have seen such fantastic results with it that I really don't see any point in conventional weightlifting, for me any way.(If you want to know what Crossfit is all about checkout this link)  The only problem with Crossfit was I still suffered injuries in my knees from running.  So after running the San Antonio Rock & Roll Marathon this past November and having to walk some because of a ton of pain in my knees I decided to really shake up my running training routine.   I discovered and had been reading about Brian MacKenzie and his site Iamunscared which in turn led me to the Crossfit Endurance site. I had also been following T.J. Murphy the Burning Runner for a while.  T.J. was a long slow distance runner, an elite, that was suffering my same injuries and was looking for something new. What he found was Crossfit Endurance and Brian Mackenzie as a trainer.  Frankly, I thought the premise behind Crossfit Endurance and what T.J. and Brian were talking about was crazy but, since Crossfit had worked so well for my conditioning I thought they just might be on to something.  Basically, the premise is a focus on the Crossfit workouts, run a couple days a week and the conditioning will be there for distance runs. The primary focus is speed and interval work with a focus on intensity.  What I have discovered since transitioning to this method is that I have gotten way faster and that so far I have avoided injury. I have set 3 back to back PRs in my last 3 5Ks.  To me, the next logical step in this process was to transition from a heel striker to a forefoot striker with the Pose Method.  Pose is a barefoot style running method that emphasizes form. (Recommended by CF Endurance and Mackenzie)
  That brings us back to the shoes and my new plan.  My hope is that the barefoot style of running will improve my form and keep me injury free.  Stay tuned...

What Is Real Food?

 I think sometimes that I am a bit naive in thinking that people understand what I am talking about when I refer to real food.  I have always just assumed that the concept of real food was fairly simple. However, the more I talk with people about nutrition, the more I realize that most people really have no idea what they actually eat.  They mostly rely on others to prepare "food" for them and when you talk to them about grocery shopping and cooking they are relatively clueless.  We are a society that allows marketing and price to determine what we eat and we trust that they are telling us the truth.  (McDonalds, Subway, Healthy Choice, etc...)

  So, let's talk about real food.  It is food that is not processed, refined, or preserved. It has very few ingredients or better yet, doesn't need to list ingredients because it is just what it says it is. (I.e. an apple) It is not food that has not been genetically modified like 80% of all corn and soybeans grown in the US nor, does it contain ingredients that you have to have a degree in chemistry to pronounce. Real food is just the stuff that God put on this earth for us to eat before science started jacking it all up.

  How do you start eating real food again?  Well, first you have to stop eating all that fast food as well as "TV" dinner style garbage.  Yes, that includes all those "healthy" and "smart" dinners in the frozen section. Next, you have to learn how to cook. Don’t tell me that you don’t have time.  My wife and I both work and we have two kids that we have to shuffle around to Scouts, choir practice, softball etc... We also live 30 minutes from town.  You just have to schedule and prepare ahead of time.  There are some fantastic resources online to provide you with healthy recipes and tips on how to prepare them.  My suggestion is to find a few that are simple and fast and let them be your “go to” meals.  Next, you will need to spend some time at the grocery store or local market learning how to shop.  Real food tends to be on the perimeter of the store. (Produce, meat, and dairy)  I typically avoid the center of the store except for items like olive oil and frozen veggies.  Look for seasonal fruit and vegetables they tend to be more reasonably priced.  Also, the local farmer’s market or local CSA’s are excellent places to find organically grown veggies and grass-fed and free range meat and poultry.

  Finally, I have said this before but it bears repeating, don’t be afraid to question what you have been taught about nutrition and don’t get caught up in some fad diet.  Nutrition is really simple; you just have to re-learn how to eat healthy.  There was a time, in our grandparent’s or great grandparent’s generation, that it was just a normal way of life to eat a diet rich in local, seasonal fruits and vegetables and locally raised meats and poultry.  We have simply forgotten how to eat that way.   I say start now, choose real food.