While dabbling with all the different kinds of healthy smoothie / shakes you can make, my wife and I came up with a healthy coffee alternative with benefits. You see, one of my biggest calorie vices was all the sugar I would put in my coffee. I love strong coffee, but I love sweet coffee. So, this is what we came up with.
1 cup - whey protein (I like to start my day off with protein, of course this is best after a work out)
4 TBSP - Hemp Hearts (Heart Health, Omega 3 & 6, Iron, Vitamin E, energy, Appetite control)
2 TBSP - Ground Flax Seed (Fiber, Heart Health, Omega 3, maintains hair, skin, and nails, antioxidant)
1 TSP - Seaweed Extract (No you can' taste it, curative properties for TB, arthritis, cold, and flu, and appetite control)
1 Cup - Chocolate Soy Milk (Silk) - No dairy, high calcium, low cal (90), 15g Carbs, 300mg Potassium (hydrate)
1-2 packs of Starbucks Ready Brew Instant Coffee (Use any brand, doesn't have to be Starbucks)
4 large Ice Cubes
Blend Approx. 45 seconds.
I will add 1 banana if I am going to do high cardio later for the potassium.
This makes about 16oz . You can tweak it to your liking. Less caffeine, more Silk, add more fruit.etc.
Some of the ingredients may sound funky, but all you taste is the coffee, chocolate, and a pinch of the fruit you add. It is actually very deelish ! Give it a shot and check it out.
Tough Mudder Las Vegas 2012
Kelly (Wife) and I decided we would tackle our 2nd TM in Las Vegas, NV October 6th. It was actually in Beatty NV. About 90 minutes outside of Vegas. The event was held at Spicer ranch. Way out in the desert. Past a couple of cattle ranches, RV parks, a brothel, and a few left for dead cars. We got lucky with the weather. It was about 65 degrees when we started.
We got right in, parked, picked up our bibs, got out numbers "sharpied" on our foreheads, did our bag checked, taped up our shoes, and strapped on our camelbaks. "9am racers, head to the start line".
Had to start off with an 8ft wall just to get to the start. The MC pumped us all up with music and giving great thanks to the wounded warriors and our country's soldiers. Goosebump city. Freakin' awesome !
And we were off !! Run, run, run ! Army crawl through water and mud under barbed wire. Run, run, trudge through knee deep mud, not totally man made mud either (Think cattle ranch). Hit the ground and army crawl under ground for about 50 ft in the dark. Come out and trudge through that awesome smelling stuff again and do your best not to fall over. Get out and.....run. Came up to the Artic Enema. 3 huge 8ft deep dumpsters filled with water and ice. EXTREMELY cold !! All 3 dumpsters a different color. Get up the ladder and jump on in ! Get to the middle. In the middle, there is a 2ft deep 4x4 that extends down into the water and ice. This forces you to have to go under the ice. Get under and feel for the bottom of the 4x4 so you don't blast your head coming back up. Then get to the end quickly, jump out and scream something crazy !! Then....run. Run, run, start heading UP, up the hills. The Mudder's hardest parts are the hills and distance (11 mile average). This Mudder had much more water obstacles. Where you actually had to swim. Didn't really want to know what was swimming in those ponds. Pretty crazy. We got to the first pond and had to swim out and go under 55 gallon barrels 3 times. Then headed to "Walk the plank". This is a 15 ft high platform that you have to jump off of into about 8ft of water. This was a real "face your fear" for me. Don't care too much for heights. But, didn't think, just did. Then....we ran. Got to the Berlin walls (10-12 ft walls). Got over those (2). Started getting calf cramps bad. That was the injury of the day. Saw lots of Mudders constantly stretching. Then the hills really started. I can remember being so gassed, but I just seemed to keep going. Kelly was incredible on the hills. She never seemed to tire.
We got to the "Log Jam" which is a series (8) of 3 logs that you had to climb over and under. That's when my calf froze. Holy crap !! Couldn't stretch it out. This was at about mile 6. I had to fall off the logs because I couldn't get my calf have to "un-freeze". Made it through it and found a way fix it temporarily . Then it was crazy hill time again. Got to the bottom and it was flat desert. Whew ! Yes ! Nope.....it was "find a mudder to carry" time. Good God !! Kelly got on my back and away we went !!
Had to do that twice. Then it was huge hill time again with more Berlin walls waiting near the top of the hill. Whew ! I'll jump forward to the last mile. This included, Funky Monkey (monkey bars over water), gymnast rings (over water), Wall crawl (wall climb with very small pieces of 2x4 to hold onto, over water), Electric Eel (army crawl under barbed wire in water, with "hot" live wires hanging down to shock the crap out of you), Mud mile (waste deep thick mud that drains every ounce of energy you have left), Everest (15ft high half pipe that you have to run up, grab the lip and pull yourself up), and finally, Electroshock therapy (you have to run through mud with 5 ft "Hot" live wires dangling all around you ready to shock and knock you on your butt !!). After you wake up from your "Shock Coma" you yell or scream something cool and walk to the finish line and receive the ultimate prize, your Orange Tough Mudder Headband......and a fresh cold beer ! I would describe everything that happened in those obstacles, but it's better to see for yourself in the video.
I will say, the Tough Mudder is a life changer. It is incredibly difficult and you will learn a lot about yourself. Way more mental than anything else. Enjoy the video.
Reviewing the Salomon Speedcross 3.
I hit the trails 8-10 times a month. Hiking and running. I had been wearing the Adidas Kanadia's. I loved the Kanadia's. Low price and incredible traction. But, they got very uncomfortable after about an hour of hiking. So, I decided to look into the Salomon Speedcross 3. A bit pricey ($125 / Zappos) but, I really needed an upgrade. So, I went for it.
This shoe is at another level. Incredibly light, incredible traction (equivalent to the Kanadia), very breathable, very comfortable. Same comfort and weight as a top running shoe. I love the Salomon "Quick Lace" system. Pull and slide. Very secure and never have to worry about coming untied in the middle of a trail. The shoe is has a "mud guard" coating around the bottom of the shoe and dry very quickly when wet. Also, the look and style is one of a kind.
If you are on the verge of the next level or at the next level, I highly recommend the Salomon Speedcross 3. Excellent trail runner !! Price: ** Fit: **** Traction: **** Weight: **** Comfort: ****
Analysis: Great shoe, all the things you'd want in a trail runner, You gotta pay to play ! $$$
I'm a pretty big running shoe consumer. I have tried at least 6-7 different running shoes. I like a very light, cushion, and stable shoe. I am more of a stocky (5'7", 190#) runner. Lots of pounding.
I kept seeing the Nike Vomero advertised, but it came with a very pricey $130 price tag. So, I waited and waited for the newer model to come out. So when it did, I went to Roadrunnersports.com and saw that the price had dropped dramatically to $76.00 ! So, I went for it ! When my shoes arrived, I was amazed at how light they were. I put them on and was even more amazed ! Very very comfortable. They had a ton of cushion. There also seemed to be a little more width by the toes (which I like). The sole was like a softer rubber. I have had running shoes where the sole was hard and it just banged on my feet and knees. Not these at all. The softer rubber also gave me a nice grip. Running on wet streets were no problem at all. The only thing that was a bit of a bummer was that the sole did wear down quickly. I ended up buying 2 pair to rotate them. Ratings: ***** Best - * Bad Price ** Price for older model ***** Weight ***** Cushion ***** Stability **** Grip ***** Durability ***
Thought I'd go for the "Fortuna" loop at Mission Trails this morning. I'd done North Fortuna several times and that's a great hike. So, I thought I would pump up the mileage today and add the South side. WHOA ! The climb was straight up ! Whew. There was railroad ties as stairs. Also a couple of very steep rocks to climb (love that!). Major heart beating work !! Very glad I got to the trails at 7:15 this morning. I was drenched when I got to the top. There were quite a few people there, but it was not crowded. Got to the top and made my way down to the middle of both peaks. Took a deep breath and headed up to North Fortuna. Oh man ! I was sucking wind bad ! But, I made it through it ! To the top and the 3.5 more miles back to the car. Awesome training for the Tough Mudder coming up in October. Would love to be able to run those peaks, but I am light years away from that. But, conquering it by hiking is a great start ! Difficulty: 4/5, Distance, 4/5. Shape to be in to do: 4/5.
Ok, I thought I'd write another quick review on my Salomon XR Mission's that I bought recently. I have been training very hard in the hills with them. Did Iron Mountain (Poway, CA 6 miles) yesterday. These shoes are begining to have the feel of a lightweight, cushioned running shoe. Not as light and comfortable as the Nike Vomero's I wear for running, but I consider them the equivalent for trails. Plus, they have great arch support. I was concerned about the tread being able to grip rocky terrain, but so far so good. I would like to see how they handle a wet surface still. Their durabilty has also been impressive. They have been banged and scraped a ton and have handled it too. Really putting them to the test. I definitley want to see how long the tread lasts. But, again, no signs of wear at all. I am a believer and at $110, I am glad !
THis week I have started HIIT. I want to see how my 44 year old body reacts. So far, so good. I have a 5k in mid June and really want to beat my time.
My first day of HIIT, I used the eliptical. Warmed up for 7 minutes. Then I started at 4.5 mph for a minute, then I would shoot up to 11.5 mph. Check my heart rate and then repeat for 20 minutes. I will definitley change the overall time to 30 minutes. It felt real good !
The next time I hit the gym, I used the treadmill. Much harder !
4 mph, 1 minute, 7.5 mph 1.5 minutes. 30 minutes total. Definitley harder. I do love the way the sprint feels. They say that HIIT doesn't need to use a lot of time. But, I notice I want to go longer. But, I am trying to keep it to a minimal time to see how it works and feels. I will review it again in a couple of weeks.
Did a great Trail Run / Hike with my Son this morning. Mt Fortuna at Mission Trails. 2 hours, 6.25 miles. Wore my new Solomon XR Missions too. They were very good, light, stability, cushion. Definitely not as much grip as the adidas though. I did slip a few times where the Adidas would have held. But, with a straight trail run minus the rocky slopes, they would be perfect.
This trail (Mt Fortuna), definitely needs the following gear:
Camelbak (I drank 64oz of water), some sort of base layer (under armour), cell phone, nice treaded trail runners, hat. For me, I like to wear sunglasses too.
Trying decide what I will be wear once the weather heats up. Ticks, snakes, etc. Anyway, here we are:
Kelly did her first climb of Cowles Monday (042312). Man, she destroyed it ! 52 minutes, 3 mile round trip. She's in the best shape of her life !! Great job Kel !!
Well, I've been wearing my Adidas Kanadia 4's for a while now on the trails. On my 3rd pair. Donated two pairs, 1 to Tough Mudder and 1 to Survival Mudrun. They are great for the straight up hikes. Rocky, flat, climbing types of trail runs and hikes. But, after reading a Trail runner magazine, I had to try the Salomon XR Mission's. Man, these things are sweet ! Well, walking around the yard ! Plan on using them in the hills this weekend. They don't have the same crazy tread as the Kanadia's but they have a specially designed tread. Lots of cushion too. I will have a full review after the weekend.
Here are my Adidas:
Here are the new Salomon XR Mission's
Turning 44 years old tomorrow. I don't feel middle aged. Guess that's a good thing ! Going to start the celebration with a 90 minute killer work out !
Kel and I headed out on a very cold Saturday morning to the Barona MX track. The site of the Gladiator Rock n Run (Mud Run)5k. Cold, rainy, and windy. Parked, got bussed into the race. Got all taped up (shoes), warmed up. As we were waiting to start our run, they announced the race was now a 6k. Cool !
We counted down and took off ! Up hills, through windows, down hills, over tires, over concrete pipes, through ice vats, carrying bags of sand, over 8 foot walls, over 3 sets of 8ft metal dumpters, up mega muddy hills, under barbed wire in the mud, through muddy drainage pipes, up cargo nets, sliding down a muddy slope into a pool of pure mud water, up and over a 10 foot fall using your legs and a rope, and finshing with a leap over fire. Whew. The actual race was a lot of fun ! Everything around it, not so much. But, Kel and I finished very well. We continue to train hard for the upcoming Tough Mudder in October. Woohoo !! Click below to me the video I shot with my GoPro on my head !
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Love the new workout schedule. Cardio, weight training, cardio, etc. feeling stronger. Ready for Saturdays Gladiator Run !!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Switched up my routine a bit. Skipping a day of cardio for weight training. My legs are dead and my cardio actually dropped. Time to change it up.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
As of 4/10/12 I'm at 37 miles for the month. Trying for 80 miles total . This includes elliptical , treadmill, road work , and trails. Anything with miles !!
SHOULD I DO IT? The choice is yours. You can remain ordinary, pathetic, beat-down, cruising through a mundane existence, like a sheep herded by fate - or you can take control of your destiny and release the beast inside you.
Getting ready for the next obstacle course. The Gladiator run ! A minuscule 3.2 miles (LOL) of running and obstacles. Honestly, after the Tough Mudder (11 miles) I feel pretty confident we (Kel and I) will do very well. I'll be a dork / geek wearing my GoPro on my head to get some awesome footage !! Hopefully, I won't smash it and change the setting like I did at TM. WooHoo !
Tough hike today. Just did this same hike last wednesday. Felt like it was twice as long today. Made it up to the top, only to be swarmed by a huge swarm of bees. Curled up and covered my face and waited. Whew ! Made it. Ran down ! Made it down in a lot of pain. But, had my best time, 1 hour 44 minutes, 5.93 miles. Definitely will do it without music next time, also will bring Kel. Much better trail running with some one !
