I'm sure someone has come up with this before, but here is my version of this nice mix of faux meat mix for tacos:
1 8 oz package of tempeh (regular, three grain, rice, or your favorite kind)
1/3 cup of black beans
1 jalapeno pepper
1 sweet onion
1 can of black olives
1 pack of taco seasoning or hot mexican chili powder
cooking oil
I start by cooking the black beans for about an hour in boiling water. When the beans are near done I take a large frying pan and crumble up the tempeh into it, slice up a whole jalapeno pepper and if you want it super hot try a habanero, slice up part of a sweet onion, not the entire thing unless you like a lot of onion in your mix, slice up some black olives again depends on how much you like, then add the beans, and a small amount of cooking oil enough to coat the frying pan. Cook all this for about 10 minutes, making sure to mix/stir it thoroughly while cooking. You can then add your taco seasoning mix, or in my case hot mexican chili powder, let it simmer on the stove as directed on the package, or with the hmcp I let it go another 5 minutes to really soak in. Once this is done remove from the heat and spoon into your taco shells. Add your favorite tacos and enjoy. A very simple recipe everyone can enjoy, again you can always modify if to your level of spiciness you desire, this should make about 5 or 6 tacos, so increase size as needed for servings. If you need to make it gluten free be sure to check the tempeh as all tempeh may not be gluten free, also for taco seasoning mix some have wheat, as well as your taco shells.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
ING NYC Marathon 2011
Yesterday was the ING NYC Marathon for 2011, overall the experience was fun and a great challenge. The day started VERY early for me, as I am staying with a friend in South Jersey. I got up just before 2AM, and that is after daylight savings time, made something really quickly, mixed up my VitaCoco water and Vega Sports Performance Optimizer drink, to get hydrated. I drove up to Journal Square to catch the PATH train into the city, which if and when I do NYC again I'll go out of Hoboken instead. I only say this because it takes a long time from Penn Station to get to Journal Square via Hoboken on the weekends, and not good if you have to pee. In fact when I got to Journal Square there was no open bathroom, which I don't comprehend, the PATH employee said I could go to McD's and pee, well I went out back and peed on building, lol. 4:15 I am on the PATH train to Christopher St, and see some other folks headed to the marathon as well. After leaving PATH there was a few blocks walk up to the 1 train on Christopher St, which took us to the Staten Island Ferry. I waited for a little bit and here came the ferry, eventhough I could have caught the 6:15 one, a volunteer said it's ok to take the earlier one, they didn't even verify your transportation sticker, though I changed it at the Expo from the Jersey bus to the SIF. It was amazing going thru the harbor and seeing the Statue Of Liberty so close and the Ferry driver slowed down a little for us even. Getting off the Ferry the first thing I noticed was the nice stench of Staten Island, P U !!! Then caught a shuttle bus to the start area.
By the time I got to the start area the sun was coming up, which was good, and it was about 6:30 at this point, which meant over 3 hours to go until the start of the race. I tried to stay in sunny areas, to stay as warm as possible, even with sweatpants and some long sleeved shirts on, for throw away later. That was all over my singlet, arm warmers, and shorts, of course I had my Zensah compression sleeves on, and a little beenie hat to keep my head warm. I had a small coffee, thanks to Dunkin Donuts, and continued drinking water. A shame there was no fresh fruit available to eat though. I did start taking some Chocolate #9 packs every so often, I think I downed 4 or 5 before the start, to give me a little reserve for the race, I also had 5 in my pack, to take them along the race route. The corrals for wave 1 opened up at 8:20 and I went into the corral, and started stretching and warming up some. Though not always easy, with as croweded as it was, we weren't packed in there, but still not a lot of space honestly. About 9 we started moving towards the Verazano-Narrows Bridge, by this point I only had one long sleeve shirt still on and had tossed the sweats and the other long sleeve I had. More standing around for a bit, as the elite women started at 9:10 roughly. Finally I lost the last of my throw away clothing about 9:25. Here I am ready to get this thing on:
We move forward more about 9:30 or so, Bloomberg makes a very short speach literally 15 seconds, national anthem, and the introduction of the elite men. It is 9:45 before we actually start, technically 5 minutes late, but no big deal. I took it easy going up the Verazanos still did 7:55 for it, but I wasn't going to kill myself on that first mile pretty much straight up. Thru the 5K point I was keeping a 7:32 pace, which was in the range I wanted to be in, I wanted to stay between 7:30-8:00 minute miles if possible for the entire race. I was slowing down gradually through the first half of the race, and then this upper respiratory infection and bronchitis I've been battling kicked in good. I was not going to quit though, I made it through the first half in 1:48:20, not bad really, since I was no where near 100%, I'd say 60% at best if that even. I got to the Queensboro Bridge and was either walking most of the way up or jogging very slowly, again another big incline and I didn't have to lung power to kill myself here. Also at this point the arm warmers and beenie were back on to keep myself warm, good thing I hadn't tossed them, as there was a lot of shaded areas and breeze the rest of the way. The rest of the race included quite a bit of walking very fast and slow run, also walking thru water stations and trying to stay hydrated. I was able to run a slow pace most of the Bronx, including getting off a few Baba Booeys with some local firemen. Over the Madison Ave Bridge, last bridge, thank god, and back into Manhattan/Harlem. Still a lot of walking going on with some slow running, no way in hell I was quiting. Into Central Park, ugh uphills, though the downhills were nice. I managed to have a steady pace for most of mile 26 with little walking, and ran the last .2 miles, thru the finish. 4:25:07 later I was done, also according to my Garmin it was actually 26.49 miles:
If you want to see all my splits you can go here: Track Runners and enter bib number 4423.
Here is the front and back of the finishers medal as well:
No I didn't get it engraved no biggie, I finished that is what matters.
At the end we are hurried thru to get medals, and goodie bags, then walk quite a way it seems to get our gear bags. Luckily I was able to exit Central Park on 79th and Columbus Ave. Which I knew was close to Cafe Blossom. I needed some good food to refuel right away. After eating I got the subway back to Penn Station, which was crazy, not enough C trains running on Sunday. Then the PATH back to Journal Square.
That evening was a nice ice bath, ok not so nice it's not very comfortable, but keeps the swelling and inflamation of muscles down. Though today there is still much pain and suffering going on.
Thanks to everyone who donated to the North Shore Animal League America it is really appreciated.
Something I learned from doing this marathon, is to not discard items like arm warmers or hats along the way, though I had read the same thing in Meb Keflezighi's book as well, he made that mistake one year and could have really used his hat later in the race. I hope to do NYC again, this time without a severe cold, like this year. I know I would have done much better if I wasn't battling this, but again I finished my first ever marathon, so when is the next one :p
By the time I got to the start area the sun was coming up, which was good, and it was about 6:30 at this point, which meant over 3 hours to go until the start of the race. I tried to stay in sunny areas, to stay as warm as possible, even with sweatpants and some long sleeved shirts on, for throw away later. That was all over my singlet, arm warmers, and shorts, of course I had my Zensah compression sleeves on, and a little beenie hat to keep my head warm. I had a small coffee, thanks to Dunkin Donuts, and continued drinking water. A shame there was no fresh fruit available to eat though. I did start taking some Chocolate #9 packs every so often, I think I downed 4 or 5 before the start, to give me a little reserve for the race, I also had 5 in my pack, to take them along the race route. The corrals for wave 1 opened up at 8:20 and I went into the corral, and started stretching and warming up some. Though not always easy, with as croweded as it was, we weren't packed in there, but still not a lot of space honestly. About 9 we started moving towards the Verazano-Narrows Bridge, by this point I only had one long sleeve shirt still on and had tossed the sweats and the other long sleeve I had. More standing around for a bit, as the elite women started at 9:10 roughly. Finally I lost the last of my throw away clothing about 9:25. Here I am ready to get this thing on:
We move forward more about 9:30 or so, Bloomberg makes a very short speach literally 15 seconds, national anthem, and the introduction of the elite men. It is 9:45 before we actually start, technically 5 minutes late, but no big deal. I took it easy going up the Verazanos still did 7:55 for it, but I wasn't going to kill myself on that first mile pretty much straight up. Thru the 5K point I was keeping a 7:32 pace, which was in the range I wanted to be in, I wanted to stay between 7:30-8:00 minute miles if possible for the entire race. I was slowing down gradually through the first half of the race, and then this upper respiratory infection and bronchitis I've been battling kicked in good. I was not going to quit though, I made it through the first half in 1:48:20, not bad really, since I was no where near 100%, I'd say 60% at best if that even. I got to the Queensboro Bridge and was either walking most of the way up or jogging very slowly, again another big incline and I didn't have to lung power to kill myself here. Also at this point the arm warmers and beenie were back on to keep myself warm, good thing I hadn't tossed them, as there was a lot of shaded areas and breeze the rest of the way. The rest of the race included quite a bit of walking very fast and slow run, also walking thru water stations and trying to stay hydrated. I was able to run a slow pace most of the Bronx, including getting off a few Baba Booeys with some local firemen. Over the Madison Ave Bridge, last bridge, thank god, and back into Manhattan/Harlem. Still a lot of walking going on with some slow running, no way in hell I was quiting. Into Central Park, ugh uphills, though the downhills were nice. I managed to have a steady pace for most of mile 26 with little walking, and ran the last .2 miles, thru the finish. 4:25:07 later I was done, also according to my Garmin it was actually 26.49 miles:
If you want to see all my splits you can go here: Track Runners and enter bib number 4423.
Here is the front and back of the finishers medal as well:
No I didn't get it engraved no biggie, I finished that is what matters.
At the end we are hurried thru to get medals, and goodie bags, then walk quite a way it seems to get our gear bags. Luckily I was able to exit Central Park on 79th and Columbus Ave. Which I knew was close to Cafe Blossom. I needed some good food to refuel right away. After eating I got the subway back to Penn Station, which was crazy, not enough C trains running on Sunday. Then the PATH back to Journal Square.
That evening was a nice ice bath, ok not so nice it's not very comfortable, but keeps the swelling and inflamation of muscles down. Though today there is still much pain and suffering going on.
Thanks to everyone who donated to the North Shore Animal League America it is really appreciated.
Something I learned from doing this marathon, is to not discard items like arm warmers or hats along the way, though I had read the same thing in Meb Keflezighi's book as well, he made that mistake one year and could have really used his hat later in the race. I hope to do NYC again, this time without a severe cold, like this year. I know I would have done much better if I wasn't battling this, but again I finished my first ever marathon, so when is the next one :p
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Team Animal League
As many of you know by now, I am a big fan/supporter, of the North Shore Animal League, the world's largest no kill animal shelter. This place is great and I really think they do an amazing job helping out animals in need, providing medical treatment, and finding a good home for animals. They have been around since 1944, and saved almost 1 million animals, wow that is a lot in 67 years, then again a lot of abused animals out there, puppy mills, and other places that have animals to be saved from. In 2008 Beth Ostrosky, aka Beth O, ran the NYC Marathon for the North Shore Animal League, and it was called Team Beth O, later renamed to Team Animal League, which has been going since 2008. People with that already have entries, or are looking to get one can run for Team Animal League and raise money for NSAL. If you have an entry already, like me, you need only raise a minimum of $500, but those without an entry need to raise $3000.
A few years ago, when I really set out to do NYC, I wanted to be part of this team, it is something I wanted and was really looking forward to being part of. I believe in the mission of the NSAL, and doing what I can to help them provide the services they do. Also being a vegan this really falls so much in line with my views on animals, and a lot of things I see as my personal value system and beliefs. I really think being part of Team Animal League will keep me even more motivated, as I will be thinking of all those animals as I am running through the 5 boroughs for 26.2 miles, and crossing many a bridge, I might stop off at the Bronx Zoo's Reptile House and see the Egyptian Cobra too, lol, jk. I will be 39 on the day of the Marathon, and it is my first. I really want to go out and do well, but also have a lot of fun doing it. I will be very glad that it is much cooler on November 6th, and the humidity will not really be a factor, unless there is an extended summer, also hoping for no rain on race day, I don't mind cloud cover, but a bit of sun would be nice. I have a goal time in mind, but I still have a bit over 3 months to get ready, so I will see how things go, and hope I can hit that goal.
As I stated earlier I have an entry in the NYC Marathon, which means I need to raise a minimum of $500 for the NSAL and Team Animal League. Though I would love to hit around $2000 or more honestly. So here I am asking you my readers to help me out, and give a donation for this good cause, if you are able, even the minimum of $10 will help, but give what you are able to give. Here is a link to my Team Animal League Donation Page, I have also created a Fan Page on Facebook for my Team Animal League Run, so you can like that as well and follow some info I will post on there as well. Also any reposting of this on facebook, twitter, or any social media network would be greatly appreciated. Any podcasters, bloggers, news reporters, or anyone willing to interview me about this would be awesome too!!! :> Help get the word out as much as possible.
I want to thank everyone in advance who does help with a donation, and remember to keep track of it for your taxes, as it is tax deductible, you can not know how much it truly means to me. Namaste, shanti!!!
A few years ago, when I really set out to do NYC, I wanted to be part of this team, it is something I wanted and was really looking forward to being part of. I believe in the mission of the NSAL, and doing what I can to help them provide the services they do. Also being a vegan this really falls so much in line with my views on animals, and a lot of things I see as my personal value system and beliefs. I really think being part of Team Animal League will keep me even more motivated, as I will be thinking of all those animals as I am running through the 5 boroughs for 26.2 miles, and crossing many a bridge, I might stop off at the Bronx Zoo's Reptile House and see the Egyptian Cobra too, lol, jk. I will be 39 on the day of the Marathon, and it is my first. I really want to go out and do well, but also have a lot of fun doing it. I will be very glad that it is much cooler on November 6th, and the humidity will not really be a factor, unless there is an extended summer, also hoping for no rain on race day, I don't mind cloud cover, but a bit of sun would be nice. I have a goal time in mind, but I still have a bit over 3 months to get ready, so I will see how things go, and hope I can hit that goal.
As I stated earlier I have an entry in the NYC Marathon, which means I need to raise a minimum of $500 for the NSAL and Team Animal League. Though I would love to hit around $2000 or more honestly. So here I am asking you my readers to help me out, and give a donation for this good cause, if you are able, even the minimum of $10 will help, but give what you are able to give. Here is a link to my Team Animal League Donation Page, I have also created a Fan Page on Facebook for my Team Animal League Run, so you can like that as well and follow some info I will post on there as well. Also any reposting of this on facebook, twitter, or any social media network would be greatly appreciated. Any podcasters, bloggers, news reporters, or anyone willing to interview me about this would be awesome too!!! :> Help get the word out as much as possible.
I want to thank everyone in advance who does help with a donation, and remember to keep track of it for your taxes, as it is tax deductible, you can not know how much it truly means to me. Namaste, shanti!!!
Monday, July 18, 2011
New Training And More
This week I got an email saying I have been accepted to be part of Team Animal League for the NYC Marathon, very good news. Also I should have my link to my fundraising page later this week, then I can get that going. It will give me 3 1/2 months to raise some money for them, again a very good organization, the largest no kill rescue in the world. I only have to reach $500, but I'm really hoping for a few thousand.
Trying to change things up with my training for the Marathon as well, trying to up my mileage some and throw different workouts in there. Yesterday I did my first ever Yasso 800s, I went to the local high school track to do it. I can not complain at all, I averaged a 3:20 800, and then did a slower 400 in between 800s. If you are not familiar with the workout you do 10 reps 800m or .5 mi then do a slower 400 m/.25 mi before taking off again. I did a 400 m cool down, victory lap if you will. Then walked back to the car stretching a little. Also rewarding myself with a Starbucks iced coffee. I want to keep doing these and get my 800m time down around 2:50 by November, if I can, and in the next year get it down to 2:20-2:30. I also really need to start doing some hill repeats, maybe like a .25 mi stretch on a good hill, and build it up to a .5 mi repeat. I'll be increasing the long run mileage as well, I need to get back up to 20 milers in the next 2 months. Anyone else have any good running workouts let me know.
This past Saturday was the Dekalb Decatur 4 Miler at the YMCA and done by the ATC. It was good weather for July, about 67 degrees at 7:30 and not much humidity at all, cloud cover, a slight breeze at times as well, which made it great. The course was pretty hilly the first 1.5 miles, then it was downhill until about 2.75 into the race, then mile 3-4 was mostly on an incline, not to mention took us through a McD's parking lot, which was really too funny, and something I will never forget. My Garmin had it at 4.05 mi total and I was able to really sprint it out at the end, which was downhill. The one good thing about most ATC races they end on a downhill or mostly flat, and not uphill. Overall time of 27:26, which is a 6:46 mile 9th of 57 in the 35-39 age group, and a shame I'm not in the 30-34 age group, would have had 3rd oh well, my age group seems to be very large and the most competitive of all of them at most races.I got to meet Kristy from Kristyruns.com, her husband Mark, and their friend Casey as well, which was cool. They are getting ready for the ATL Marathon in late Oct. I informed them that Cardiac Hill is mile 24 of the marathon, which is very cruel of someone, oh and there are some nasty hills on Lindbergh as well, before the turn onto Peachtree.
Here are my splits for the Dekalb Decatur 4 miler:
mi 1 6:43
mi 2 6:42
mi 3 6:43
mi 4 7:01
.05 0:17 which was at 5:26 mi pace
Trying to change things up with my training for the Marathon as well, trying to up my mileage some and throw different workouts in there. Yesterday I did my first ever Yasso 800s, I went to the local high school track to do it. I can not complain at all, I averaged a 3:20 800, and then did a slower 400 in between 800s. If you are not familiar with the workout you do 10 reps 800m or .5 mi then do a slower 400 m/.25 mi before taking off again. I did a 400 m cool down, victory lap if you will. Then walked back to the car stretching a little. Also rewarding myself with a Starbucks iced coffee. I want to keep doing these and get my 800m time down around 2:50 by November, if I can, and in the next year get it down to 2:20-2:30. I also really need to start doing some hill repeats, maybe like a .25 mi stretch on a good hill, and build it up to a .5 mi repeat. I'll be increasing the long run mileage as well, I need to get back up to 20 milers in the next 2 months. Anyone else have any good running workouts let me know.
This past Saturday was the Dekalb Decatur 4 Miler at the YMCA and done by the ATC. It was good weather for July, about 67 degrees at 7:30 and not much humidity at all, cloud cover, a slight breeze at times as well, which made it great. The course was pretty hilly the first 1.5 miles, then it was downhill until about 2.75 into the race, then mile 3-4 was mostly on an incline, not to mention took us through a McD's parking lot, which was really too funny, and something I will never forget. My Garmin had it at 4.05 mi total and I was able to really sprint it out at the end, which was downhill. The one good thing about most ATC races they end on a downhill or mostly flat, and not uphill. Overall time of 27:26, which is a 6:46 mile 9th of 57 in the 35-39 age group, and a shame I'm not in the 30-34 age group, would have had 3rd oh well, my age group seems to be very large and the most competitive of all of them at most races.I got to meet Kristy from Kristyruns.com, her husband Mark, and their friend Casey as well, which was cool. They are getting ready for the ATL Marathon in late Oct. I informed them that Cardiac Hill is mile 24 of the marathon, which is very cruel of someone, oh and there are some nasty hills on Lindbergh as well, before the turn onto Peachtree.
Here are my splits for the Dekalb Decatur 4 miler:
mi 1 6:43
mi 2 6:42
mi 3 6:43
mi 4 7:01
.05 0:17 which was at 5:26 mi pace
Monday, July 4, 2011
Peachtree Road Race, Fathers Day 4 Miler and More
So today was the Peachtree Road Race all I have to say is it was damn hot for 7:30 this morning. 76 degrees and 87% humidity at start time, luckily I was starting in wave A, and not in T like last year, oh man that would have been even more brutal. I was very nervous about the weather, but it was good to be way up near the front with some of the faster runners this year, which meant a lot less weaving in and out of people to get to Piedmont Park. I took the first 3 miles pretty easy, but then came Cardiac Hill, oh man it got me, mile 4 and 5 were rough this year, last year I flew through these 2 miles, though honestly I am not in great shape right now. Also a bit of a summer cold going on as well, with other issues too. I did better on mile 6 and then really turned it up for the last .33 miles, yes that is right not .2 but .33. I grabbed plenty of water before the start of the race, and hit all the water stations, drinking some and dumping plenty on my head and body to keep cool, not sure how much it helped, a bit nervous to run through the water spraying on Peachtree though, my luck slip and get hurt. 60,000 runners with only 55,090 finishers, that is a lot of DNF's for today, though they probably got hurt or were overwhelmed by the heat/humidity. Hell even the great Ryan Hall finished 9th in the US 10K National Championship, 9th American across the line, not sure his overall finish, which isn't that good for someone like him, though everyone has off days. Honestly though if you aren't used to the humidity in ATL it can get to you and hit you hard. Here are my splits and other stats:
mile 1 6:49
mile 2 6:54
mile 3 6:53
mile 4 7:27
mile 5 7:34
mile 6 7:09
last .33 2:11
mile 2 6:54
mile 3 6:53
mile 4 7:27
mile 5 7:34
mile 6 7:09
last .33 2:11
Overall Finish 1288 of 55090
Sex Place 1114
Division Place 146
Sex Place 1114
Division Place 146
Still 3:01 better than last years time, of 47:58, with 44:57 though the weather last year was much better. Still not to bad for a guy who isn't really a great runner, and also is fueled only by plants. I guess some of those 53,802 finishing behind me should think about changing their diet, then they might catch me :p So next year I should be in a lot better shape and knock quite a bit of time off of this and finish in the top 1000 easily.
I did get to enjoy a great lunch at Cafe Sunflower in Buckhead, great food there and I really recommend it to everyone, even a nice gluten free menu :>
Fathers Day Four Miler, part of the Atlanta Track Club Grand Prix Series. This race took place right by Turner Field, finishing at home plate, and the old Fulton County Stadium. The temperature was good for the start of the race in the mid 60s and not super humid for a GA morning. The course was just challenging enough, but nothing to crazy, taking us by Grant Park and the Zoo, then back toward Turner Field and as I say finishing up right behind home plate. A lot of people out for this event, and you could get tickets for the Braves game later in the day, also a t shirt, if you wanted. I didn't opt in for this, haven't been into baseball in ages now. Overall time of 27:38, not bad here are my splits:
mile 1 6:44
mile 2 6:57
mile 3 7:02
mile 4 6:55
mile 2 6:57
mile 3 7:02
mile 4 6:55
One thing I know I have to get more serious and consistent with my training for Nov, or I'm going to be in big time trouble. Time to stop talking about it and do something about it, and not a lot of time to do it in either. The next big challenge is the 13.1 Marathon series in Atlanta on 10/2, I hope to do quite a bit better than I did last year for this one. As I say I really need to up my miles, and mix in some good core and alt cardio work. Oh one good thing about the 13.1 Marathon, I doubt it will be 76 and 87% humidity in early Oct, which will be nice. Also Nov 6th in NYC I damn sure know it won't be that warm. They say ideal temps for a marathon is 40-55 at most, the body stays cooler and doesn't dehydrate as quickly, which is great, and makes for nicer running, and hopefully a bit of a faster pace without dying.
I haven't heard anything from the North Shore Animal League about being a part of Team Animal League, and if I don't by sometime in early August I am thinking of setting up a page on First Giving to have folks donate that way. I really believe in what they do and want to help them out to continue the services they provide to abused and rescued animals.
One last thing, I am really considering the Brooks T7 Racer for my next shoe, though I may stay with the Mizuno Musha Wave 3. The Brooks is a nice shoe and only weighs 6.4 oz, which is light, and be nice over longer distances, instead of a bulkier 12+ oz shoe.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Heat and Training
The heat in Georgia has been very oppressive the last week or so, and makes running outdoors rough, even biking outside is rough. When you get up and get ready to go for a run at 6am and it is 70+ degrees and over 80% humidity, that is not fun at all. Also considering it is just the start of June makes it a bit worse, and concerning honestly, if it's this hot already how will it be in July/August. We haven't had much rain in the last several weeks either, so an added concern. Still I have gone out on some runs and done some biking, as early as I can, even before the sun comes up if I can.
This week was a bit off for running really for me, didn't even bike into work much, did a lot of stationary biking though. I made it a total of 156 miles combined. Most of my runs were shorter in distance, nothing over 6.3 miles. I went for my long run on Saturday morning, and felt good at first, but my legs became heavy and I could feel some tension in my muscles as well. I only managed 3.18 miles on this run, and didn't attempt a long one today. Though I was able to go to the gym on Saturday and do some cardio on the bike, I did a Level 17 hill program for 1:10 and got in a killer workout there, made up for the not so good run. I was lucky enough to get out the door this morning before 6 am and do a nice long bike ride on Satellite Blvd, 31 miles total in just over 2:10, now to be able to run that distance in that time :p
This week I plan to start doing sumo squats again, I took them out of my workout for the last 6 weeks, just trying to mix things up really well in my lifting and not get into to much of a comfort zone, so I can really shock my body some. I want to get my hips, and core region a lot stronger as well, and know this will help my running form a lot. I may end up opting to run on the treadmill as well, as it is a bit cooler indoors and going outdoors to run, even early in the morning, is just rough right now. Though I will still be hitting the pavement some as well, just not every day.
I need to start boosting my carb intake as well, already eating plenty of potatoes and rice right now, but going to increase it gradually, to keep weight on and help boost my GI. Still a long way to go before Nov 6th, but I want to get my carb intake up to 800-1000 g a day if I can by then, as I say do it gradually so my body can adjust to this intake.
I have been really focusing on my form lately too, using ChiRunning, and seeing an article in Runners World about Ryan Hall and other elite runners forms, and staying focused on my arms and overall posture, not to mention landing on my foot better, more midfoot strike or closer to the ball of the foot, staying away from heel striking.
Hopefully this week goes better and I can keep some mileage up, and really work on my cardio conditioning, maybe kick up my cardio training a bit and add time to get it better.
This week was a bit off for running really for me, didn't even bike into work much, did a lot of stationary biking though. I made it a total of 156 miles combined. Most of my runs were shorter in distance, nothing over 6.3 miles. I went for my long run on Saturday morning, and felt good at first, but my legs became heavy and I could feel some tension in my muscles as well. I only managed 3.18 miles on this run, and didn't attempt a long one today. Though I was able to go to the gym on Saturday and do some cardio on the bike, I did a Level 17 hill program for 1:10 and got in a killer workout there, made up for the not so good run. I was lucky enough to get out the door this morning before 6 am and do a nice long bike ride on Satellite Blvd, 31 miles total in just over 2:10, now to be able to run that distance in that time :p
This week I plan to start doing sumo squats again, I took them out of my workout for the last 6 weeks, just trying to mix things up really well in my lifting and not get into to much of a comfort zone, so I can really shock my body some. I want to get my hips, and core region a lot stronger as well, and know this will help my running form a lot. I may end up opting to run on the treadmill as well, as it is a bit cooler indoors and going outdoors to run, even early in the morning, is just rough right now. Though I will still be hitting the pavement some as well, just not every day.
I need to start boosting my carb intake as well, already eating plenty of potatoes and rice right now, but going to increase it gradually, to keep weight on and help boost my GI. Still a long way to go before Nov 6th, but I want to get my carb intake up to 800-1000 g a day if I can by then, as I say do it gradually so my body can adjust to this intake.
I have been really focusing on my form lately too, using ChiRunning, and seeing an article in Runners World about Ryan Hall and other elite runners forms, and staying focused on my arms and overall posture, not to mention landing on my foot better, more midfoot strike or closer to the ball of the foot, staying away from heel striking.
Hopefully this week goes better and I can keep some mileage up, and really work on my cardio conditioning, maybe kick up my cardio training a bit and add time to get it better.
Monday, May 30, 2011
NYC Marathon Training
Ok I have to start out by saying I've been a very bad blogger in the last few months, and it's time to really sit down and be a bit more serious.
For those that don't know already I was chosen in the 2011 NYC Marathon Lottery back in April, which is very cool, since so many people join the lottery. Also I was no where near having the qualifying time for guaranteed entry. Which means I have 159 days to get ready and really train, I have a specific goal in mind, which I will keep to myself right now, and might get modified as training goes on. I already know I think it is going to be rough to hit my goal of a sub 40 minute Peachtree this year. So I have been running, biking, and even swimming a little, to help get ready. I have had 2 weeks of 100+ mileage with biking and running, more biking than running. The running is coming back slowly still after the Freibergs, though it is getting there, and I am still not satisfied with my overall conditioning, but that is me, I am hard on myself and push myself to the limits all the time. The other week I rolled my right ankle a bit, only a grade 1 strain, if even a 1 really, I immediately got a brace on it and started icing and other therapy for it. I took the entire week off from training, and not by choice, but just to give it some time to heal up.
Today I ran the Celebrate America 10K, I wrapped the ankle well, though had no issues with it at all, during the run. The heat and humidity at 7:30 was bad, well bad for that time of the morning, and the course not having a lot of shade made it hard to not have the sun beating down on you. I finished in 44:39 a PR for a 10K, which was actually 6.26 miles, also with a still somewhat bum ankle, so hey I really can't complain, ok I can again because I am just that way and very hard on myself, but still pleased overall. It is roughly 35 days until the Peachtree, so I hope to be feeling much better by then, and shave at least 1-2 minutes off this time.
As far as training goes I have been biking to work, which is roughly 27.5 miles round trip, and my times get better with this as well. I travel Satellite Blvd, which is a hill infested road, and good for training. Right now it takes about 2 hours to do a round trip, hoping to knock this down to 1:30 before the end of the summer. I need to do more running to, whether it be on the treadmill or road as well. I can do around 15 milers in just under 2 hours right now, but need to build up to 20+ milers by September at the latest, should be fun with summer coming up in Georgia, and it looks like it could be a really hot one too. I want to work on my swimming too, which is completely different cardio than biking or running, don't think so get in the pool and see what I mean. So it has truly begun, past time to get serious, stay healthy and avoid any kind of injuries between now and Nov 6th.
In the next few weeks I should hear something about my application to run as part of Team Animal League, for the North Shore Animal League, hoping to be accepted and start raising funds for them ASAP. Since I got into the Marathon via Lottery I only have to raise $500, but wouldn't mind getting oh 10 times that much or so really. Well any amount would be great and help them so much, a great place that helps rescued animals.
As I say I do have a goal for the Marathon, and also notice if I want guaranteed entry for 2012, I'd have to do a sub 3:10, since I'd be in the Masters category by Nov 2012, which is 40+. Kind of weird to think I'll turn 40 in 2012, not that it bothers me at all, just puts me in another grouping, and also having lower standards for seedings and all.
I also have to start watching what I eat better and really start dumping even more carbs in my diet, oh yeah I eat a lot of carbs already, but good carbs not bad ones. All plant based baby!!! Also I have cut gluten products out of my diet as well, which hasn't hurt me at all. So I guess I want to prove a bit of a point in the marathon, but also it is something I truly want to do. The better I do, the more credence it gives to a plant based diet really.
So I hope to be better about updating things here, also you can all find me on twitter, facebook, and dailymile, to get a better view of how my training is going.
For those that don't know already I was chosen in the 2011 NYC Marathon Lottery back in April, which is very cool, since so many people join the lottery. Also I was no where near having the qualifying time for guaranteed entry. Which means I have 159 days to get ready and really train, I have a specific goal in mind, which I will keep to myself right now, and might get modified as training goes on. I already know I think it is going to be rough to hit my goal of a sub 40 minute Peachtree this year. So I have been running, biking, and even swimming a little, to help get ready. I have had 2 weeks of 100+ mileage with biking and running, more biking than running. The running is coming back slowly still after the Freibergs, though it is getting there, and I am still not satisfied with my overall conditioning, but that is me, I am hard on myself and push myself to the limits all the time. The other week I rolled my right ankle a bit, only a grade 1 strain, if even a 1 really, I immediately got a brace on it and started icing and other therapy for it. I took the entire week off from training, and not by choice, but just to give it some time to heal up.
Today I ran the Celebrate America 10K, I wrapped the ankle well, though had no issues with it at all, during the run. The heat and humidity at 7:30 was bad, well bad for that time of the morning, and the course not having a lot of shade made it hard to not have the sun beating down on you. I finished in 44:39 a PR for a 10K, which was actually 6.26 miles, also with a still somewhat bum ankle, so hey I really can't complain, ok I can again because I am just that way and very hard on myself, but still pleased overall. It is roughly 35 days until the Peachtree, so I hope to be feeling much better by then, and shave at least 1-2 minutes off this time.
As far as training goes I have been biking to work, which is roughly 27.5 miles round trip, and my times get better with this as well. I travel Satellite Blvd, which is a hill infested road, and good for training. Right now it takes about 2 hours to do a round trip, hoping to knock this down to 1:30 before the end of the summer. I need to do more running to, whether it be on the treadmill or road as well. I can do around 15 milers in just under 2 hours right now, but need to build up to 20+ milers by September at the latest, should be fun with summer coming up in Georgia, and it looks like it could be a really hot one too. I want to work on my swimming too, which is completely different cardio than biking or running, don't think so get in the pool and see what I mean. So it has truly begun, past time to get serious, stay healthy and avoid any kind of injuries between now and Nov 6th.
In the next few weeks I should hear something about my application to run as part of Team Animal League, for the North Shore Animal League, hoping to be accepted and start raising funds for them ASAP. Since I got into the Marathon via Lottery I only have to raise $500, but wouldn't mind getting oh 10 times that much or so really. Well any amount would be great and help them so much, a great place that helps rescued animals.
As I say I do have a goal for the Marathon, and also notice if I want guaranteed entry for 2012, I'd have to do a sub 3:10, since I'd be in the Masters category by Nov 2012, which is 40+. Kind of weird to think I'll turn 40 in 2012, not that it bothers me at all, just puts me in another grouping, and also having lower standards for seedings and all.
I also have to start watching what I eat better and really start dumping even more carbs in my diet, oh yeah I eat a lot of carbs already, but good carbs not bad ones. All plant based baby!!! Also I have cut gluten products out of my diet as well, which hasn't hurt me at all. So I guess I want to prove a bit of a point in the marathon, but also it is something I truly want to do. The better I do, the more credence it gives to a plant based diet really.
So I hope to be better about updating things here, also you can all find me on twitter, facebook, and dailymile, to get a better view of how my training is going.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Don't Call It A Come Back
Today was the Atlanta Track Club Spring Had Sprung 8K/15K, I was a little nervous about this race, since it was my first one in four months. I took this week off too, due to some pain in my lower ab region, maybe a bit of a strained/pulled muscle, but felt good this morning. I did the 15K, and was really hoping to do about an 8 minute mile, but did much better. I finished in 1:08:18 officially, which is damn good I think, with the layoff I have had with Freibergs.
I got to the event early, like 6:10, as they said parking was limited at the Stove Works, I got my bib, and went to relax for a bit in my car, and listen to my ipod. Always good to listen to stuff like Motorhead, Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Combichrist, Rob Zombie, and White Zombie, to name a few, to get you ready to go. I had mixed up some Vega Sport Performance Optimizer, before I left home, I used about a serving and a half, figured I needed the extra energy, also used two Chocolate Number 9 energy packs, before I started the race. Good thing I used the portapotty before the start, and had about 2 minutes before start, after I was done with that, I knew I should go instead of dealing with that I have to pee feeling for 9.3 miles. I was ready to Just Bring It, at this point, and off we went. The temperature was warm for this time of year, plus very humid, which was another concern I had, not to mention pollen. I was also trying out my Mizuno Wave Musha 3's for the first time in a race, though I have broken them in.
The course was not bad at the start, not very hilly, I was a bit concerned when I hit mile mark 1 and my garmin 405 said I was on a 7:01 pace, didn't want to run out of energy, so I slowed down a little after that. The course took us up by the Masquerade, which was the one really killer hill on the course, though a few of the other hills were challenging as well. Going down Moreland Ave past Little 5 Points was cool as well. I kept a good pace going, only have a few miles over 7:30, which was way better than I was planning. I hit the 10K mark at 45:38, which is 2:20 better than my Peachtree Road Race time from 2010, awww yeah!!! I was still feeling good and not sucking to much wind :>, I downed another Chocolate Number 9, just to be safe. Around 7.5 I started kicking it up a little, at 8 even more, 8.8 I turned it on, and really kicked it in the last .3. Good enough to finish with my time of 1:08:18, felt awesome.
I really worked on my Chi Running forms today too, being very aware of my posture, leaning, landing on my midfoot, and keeping my feet from not landing in front of me. I think this really helped me a lot as well.
I hung around for the award ceremonies, hey you never know, eventhough I have never placed in the top three at any race I've done. I was really shocked when I heard my name for third place in the male 35-39 age group, I was so happy and got my medal, thanked the man who gave it to me. Almost started crying, yeah I was that damn happy!!! Below is a picture of the medal, something I am very proud of.
I am very proud of myself this day, and still on such a high, it is amazing, haven't felt this good ever I think. I have a 10K coming up in a few weeks, last years overall winner did it in 42:05, after today I really feel I could win the whole thing this year. Oh and all on a Vegan Diet too, so don't say a Vegan Diet isn't healthy ok folks :p
Not being able to really run the last 4 months left me a bit down, but not out. I feel revived and ready to take on the world again, though I never lost this mentality. I Bring It everyday of my life, to face the challenges of the world, and everything it throws at me. I know I can overcome anything in life and succeed at everything I want to do. I hope some of you out there can take something from this, share it with others. Freibergs and other things will not keep me down. Freibergs being a condition in the metatarsal bone, where the tissue degenerates, essential causing arthritic pain, I have it in my left second toe, and really don't let it bother me.
I have a lot of training left to do I am really ready to take on the Peachtree this year, I want to do a sub 40 minute Peachtree, and know I can do it, with the right training. Also I am in the NYC Marathon Lottery, and hope to get in through the lottery, which means I only have to raise $500 for the North Shore Animal League, which is who I will run for, a great organization. If I don't get in through the lottery I can still run for them, but will need to raise $2500, which I'd love to do, and much more than that, so obviously I'd be asking for a lot of help doing this. I have a goal time for NYC too, keeping it quiet now, until I see how training goes, hopefully no more setbacks this year. So my road to NYC has begun, and will continue, I will keep a running log here of my training. Below is my splits for todays race, taken from my Garmin Forerunner 405:
Mile 1 7:01
Mile 2 7:26
Mile 3 7:25
Mile 4 7:35
Mile 5 7:20
Mile 6 7:20
Mile 7 7:30
Mile 8 7:32
Mile 9 7:26
Mile 9.3 1:43
I got to the event early, like 6:10, as they said parking was limited at the Stove Works, I got my bib, and went to relax for a bit in my car, and listen to my ipod. Always good to listen to stuff like Motorhead, Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Combichrist, Rob Zombie, and White Zombie, to name a few, to get you ready to go. I had mixed up some Vega Sport Performance Optimizer, before I left home, I used about a serving and a half, figured I needed the extra energy, also used two Chocolate Number 9 energy packs, before I started the race. Good thing I used the portapotty before the start, and had about 2 minutes before start, after I was done with that, I knew I should go instead of dealing with that I have to pee feeling for 9.3 miles. I was ready to Just Bring It, at this point, and off we went. The temperature was warm for this time of year, plus very humid, which was another concern I had, not to mention pollen. I was also trying out my Mizuno Wave Musha 3's for the first time in a race, though I have broken them in.
The course was not bad at the start, not very hilly, I was a bit concerned when I hit mile mark 1 and my garmin 405 said I was on a 7:01 pace, didn't want to run out of energy, so I slowed down a little after that. The course took us up by the Masquerade, which was the one really killer hill on the course, though a few of the other hills were challenging as well. Going down Moreland Ave past Little 5 Points was cool as well. I kept a good pace going, only have a few miles over 7:30, which was way better than I was planning. I hit the 10K mark at 45:38, which is 2:20 better than my Peachtree Road Race time from 2010, awww yeah!!! I was still feeling good and not sucking to much wind :>, I downed another Chocolate Number 9, just to be safe. Around 7.5 I started kicking it up a little, at 8 even more, 8.8 I turned it on, and really kicked it in the last .3. Good enough to finish with my time of 1:08:18, felt awesome.
I really worked on my Chi Running forms today too, being very aware of my posture, leaning, landing on my midfoot, and keeping my feet from not landing in front of me. I think this really helped me a lot as well.
I hung around for the award ceremonies, hey you never know, eventhough I have never placed in the top three at any race I've done. I was really shocked when I heard my name for third place in the male 35-39 age group, I was so happy and got my medal, thanked the man who gave it to me. Almost started crying, yeah I was that damn happy!!! Below is a picture of the medal, something I am very proud of.
I am very proud of myself this day, and still on such a high, it is amazing, haven't felt this good ever I think. I have a 10K coming up in a few weeks, last years overall winner did it in 42:05, after today I really feel I could win the whole thing this year. Oh and all on a Vegan Diet too, so don't say a Vegan Diet isn't healthy ok folks :p
Not being able to really run the last 4 months left me a bit down, but not out. I feel revived and ready to take on the world again, though I never lost this mentality. I Bring It everyday of my life, to face the challenges of the world, and everything it throws at me. I know I can overcome anything in life and succeed at everything I want to do. I hope some of you out there can take something from this, share it with others. Freibergs and other things will not keep me down. Freibergs being a condition in the metatarsal bone, where the tissue degenerates, essential causing arthritic pain, I have it in my left second toe, and really don't let it bother me.
I have a lot of training left to do I am really ready to take on the Peachtree this year, I want to do a sub 40 minute Peachtree, and know I can do it, with the right training. Also I am in the NYC Marathon Lottery, and hope to get in through the lottery, which means I only have to raise $500 for the North Shore Animal League, which is who I will run for, a great organization. If I don't get in through the lottery I can still run for them, but will need to raise $2500, which I'd love to do, and much more than that, so obviously I'd be asking for a lot of help doing this. I have a goal time for NYC too, keeping it quiet now, until I see how training goes, hopefully no more setbacks this year. So my road to NYC has begun, and will continue, I will keep a running log here of my training. Below is my splits for todays race, taken from my Garmin Forerunner 405:
Mile 1 7:01
Mile 2 7:26
Mile 3 7:25
Mile 4 7:35
Mile 5 7:20
Mile 6 7:20
Mile 7 7:30
Mile 8 7:32
Mile 9 7:26
Mile 9.3 1:43
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Evolution Of A Vegan
I am often asked why I am a vegan, because you know that isn't very healthy or it is just plain weird. I sometimes respond by how long do you have, because there are many reasons I can give them, and just not one.
This is a bit of the evolution into being vegan, that I took. 2006 was a pretty bad year, at least the first half of it, I can say I wasn't in a really good place or environment for part of the year, and once I was gone from it I did a lot of soul searching. It was after reading Tuesdays With Morrie, I really started looking at how I was living, and my personal beliefs. I said I loved animals, but I was still eating them, hmm didn't make much sense really. I was also about 195 lbs at this time, and really needed to start doing something about my weight, I was worried about health issues, as my dad and moms parents had heart issues, not to mention other health concerns of others in my family. So I went started cutting meat out of my diet and replacing it with way to many faux meat products, which meant way to much soy. Not that soy is bad, I was just getting a lot of my protein from it, not to mention eating a lot of processed foods to get it, not really a good idea, now that I look back at it. I started working out again, running and biking. During the next year I did a lot of reading and started seeing how bad dairy and other animal products were for you as well, not to mention just the overall cruelty that goes on for the sake of these products as well as meat. I completely cut out any dairy products out of my diet at this point, using mostly soy or rice milk, and some faux cheeses. With the way I was eating and exercising I dropped 55 lbs within a year and was feeling a lot better. My blood pressure went way down, it was borderline high before I changed how I was living and eating.
Over the next 3 1/2 years what I eat is still changing, I eat a lot of different beans now, and not so much soy, though I will enjoy some tempeh or tofu from time to time. I eat a lot of quinoa and rice, and have almost cut out all gluten from my diet, I would say I am 95% gluten free. I also try to include more raw foods into my diet, and natural supplements like Vega products, to help boost my protein intake, I as am very active and workout pretty hard, and need some help in recovery, which the Vega products have provided. Reading Robert Cheeke's book and John Joseph's have even made me think about what I eat and how often. I now eat 6-8 times a day, and one of those times being Vega Health Optimizer shake. I just started using Chia seeds, and some other supplements, and will see how they work out as well for me. I would like to incorporate more organic foods and even juices into my diet, but can't right now, unless I really just had a large sum of money come my way. Though I am feeling pretty damn good with the way I am eating right now, and getting a good source of nutrients from a lot of sources. I stay around 140 these days, and have more energy than most of those I work with, that are at least 14 years younger than me, and I usually get 6-7 hours of sleep a night. Though I do see what they eat on a daily basis, lunch comes from the vending machine and is like a few bags of chex mix, a honey bun or other candy bars, and some kind of soft drink, not exactly stuff that is going to give you the nutrients you need to keep going on a day in day out basis.
Some other reasons I use for being vegan is the workers in meat processing plants, and on the farms aren't always treated very well, Smithfield is well known for being the worst to their employees. Read Gail Eisnitz book Slaughterhouse, and find out all the horrors workers endure, even after all the big reforms in the early 20th century. Environmental reasons hey it takes a lot of water and grain to make meat, not to mention factory farming produces more greenhouse gases than anything else on the planet. Let us not forget all the all the feces and urine from the animals that ends up in the water systems as well. Yes with all that feed and water we use on factory farming, we could feed the entire planet, and have plenty of clean drinking water for everyone. We could also practically eliminate heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other illnesses as well, it's pretty well documented that meat and overly processed foods lead to disease, so it's really not very good or "healthy" for you.
Again as I read more and more, and watch various documentaries, my views change just a little, and always leave me questioning what goes into my body and how it effects all the other Earthlings I share the planet with. This is just a very short summary I know, but I hope it gives some of you a bit of insight, especially any omnivore's that may be reading this, stop and think, and you can always email me if you have any questions, or want to know more.
This is a bit of the evolution into being vegan, that I took. 2006 was a pretty bad year, at least the first half of it, I can say I wasn't in a really good place or environment for part of the year, and once I was gone from it I did a lot of soul searching. It was after reading Tuesdays With Morrie, I really started looking at how I was living, and my personal beliefs. I said I loved animals, but I was still eating them, hmm didn't make much sense really. I was also about 195 lbs at this time, and really needed to start doing something about my weight, I was worried about health issues, as my dad and moms parents had heart issues, not to mention other health concerns of others in my family. So I went started cutting meat out of my diet and replacing it with way to many faux meat products, which meant way to much soy. Not that soy is bad, I was just getting a lot of my protein from it, not to mention eating a lot of processed foods to get it, not really a good idea, now that I look back at it. I started working out again, running and biking. During the next year I did a lot of reading and started seeing how bad dairy and other animal products were for you as well, not to mention just the overall cruelty that goes on for the sake of these products as well as meat. I completely cut out any dairy products out of my diet at this point, using mostly soy or rice milk, and some faux cheeses. With the way I was eating and exercising I dropped 55 lbs within a year and was feeling a lot better. My blood pressure went way down, it was borderline high before I changed how I was living and eating.
Over the next 3 1/2 years what I eat is still changing, I eat a lot of different beans now, and not so much soy, though I will enjoy some tempeh or tofu from time to time. I eat a lot of quinoa and rice, and have almost cut out all gluten from my diet, I would say I am 95% gluten free. I also try to include more raw foods into my diet, and natural supplements like Vega products, to help boost my protein intake, I as am very active and workout pretty hard, and need some help in recovery, which the Vega products have provided. Reading Robert Cheeke's book and John Joseph's have even made me think about what I eat and how often. I now eat 6-8 times a day, and one of those times being Vega Health Optimizer shake. I just started using Chia seeds, and some other supplements, and will see how they work out as well for me. I would like to incorporate more organic foods and even juices into my diet, but can't right now, unless I really just had a large sum of money come my way. Though I am feeling pretty damn good with the way I am eating right now, and getting a good source of nutrients from a lot of sources. I stay around 140 these days, and have more energy than most of those I work with, that are at least 14 years younger than me, and I usually get 6-7 hours of sleep a night. Though I do see what they eat on a daily basis, lunch comes from the vending machine and is like a few bags of chex mix, a honey bun or other candy bars, and some kind of soft drink, not exactly stuff that is going to give you the nutrients you need to keep going on a day in day out basis.
Some other reasons I use for being vegan is the workers in meat processing plants, and on the farms aren't always treated very well, Smithfield is well known for being the worst to their employees. Read Gail Eisnitz book Slaughterhouse, and find out all the horrors workers endure, even after all the big reforms in the early 20th century. Environmental reasons hey it takes a lot of water and grain to make meat, not to mention factory farming produces more greenhouse gases than anything else on the planet. Let us not forget all the all the feces and urine from the animals that ends up in the water systems as well. Yes with all that feed and water we use on factory farming, we could feed the entire planet, and have plenty of clean drinking water for everyone. We could also practically eliminate heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other illnesses as well, it's pretty well documented that meat and overly processed foods lead to disease, so it's really not very good or "healthy" for you.
Again as I read more and more, and watch various documentaries, my views change just a little, and always leave me questioning what goes into my body and how it effects all the other Earthlings I share the planet with. This is just a very short summary I know, but I hope it gives some of you a bit of insight, especially any omnivore's that may be reading this, stop and think, and you can always email me if you have any questions, or want to know more.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Review Of Meat Is For Pussies
I just finished reading John Joseph's book, Meat Is For Pussies, a very good book about being vegan and not just from the health side of it. In the movie Se7en, Kevin Spacey's character, John Doe, says "Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice, you've got their strict attention." This is what John does in MIFP, he takes a very punk, hardcore, streets of New York, in your face approach in MIFP to hit you with a sledgehammer and get your attention and "scare you straight" off of eating meat forever and get your pussy ass into shape.
From the start John tells you he is going to use the scared straight tactics to get it through your meathead that meat is not good for you. He goes into how you are poisoning your body and just how you can heal and reverse this poisoning by eating a good and healthy plant based diet. Tackling the bullshit protein myth, and how eating to much protein is bad for you, not to mention getting protein from meat is just a recipe for many other health issues down the road. Diets are for jerk-offs, you think Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers is good for you think again. These "diets" are used to help make these companies rich, while you may lose some weight on them, as soon as you go back to eating "normal" again the weight comes right back. He talks about how bad these "diets" really are and why they will never work for you. Do you like being a human lab rat? John doesn't and I know I don't, he brings up the most evil bastards on this planet, Monsanto, and even Codex Alimentarius. They have a plan to give you GMO food, and use all kinds of chemicals on your food as well. Oh and have you ever thought about the fluoridation of water, you should, John brings this up and I did some digging, this will scare the living hell out of you. After all this it's time to kick cancer in the nuts, yeah eating meat is giving you cancer, but there is good news you can reduce your risk for the big C. Meat your meat, talking about what all that meat is doing to your sex life, or more like lack of ability to perform if you keep eating meat, and who wants to keep popping V and Cialis for life after 40. John even says how exercising all parts of your body, mind and spirit is what a real man should be doing, if not your still a pussy. The real inconvenient truth, eating all that damn meat is killing not only you, but the planet you live on. John goes on to give you a nice 7 day kick start to exercise plan to start getting your pussy ass into shape. Hey he even gives you a nice list of foods and supplements, along with a meal plan, and some great recipes to help you in your transition off of meat. In the appendix you'll find some books, websites, and documentaries to watch.
Being vegan for several years now I still took a lot out of this book, and it has even made me think more about how my diet is impacting not only myself, but the planet. I even am questioning some of the things I thought I new about good eating. Hey if I can take something out of this book you should too, or ladies your man should too, or men sharing this with other men. This book might be more aimed at males, but I really suggest women read it too, that way you can get your man to stop being the pussy he is eating meat, and get him to give a damn about his health and you. It is a very fast read and easy enough to read even if your intelligence isn't that of a Cro-Magnon. So you really have no excuse not to read it, so get up off your sorry pussy ass and read it already. If you still eat meat after reading this book, you are a no good pussy waste, and not even human, and really part of the problem. Like I say if a Cro-Magnon is smart enough to know a vegan diet is good for you, surely you can figure that out too, just by reading this book.
From the start John tells you he is going to use the scared straight tactics to get it through your meathead that meat is not good for you. He goes into how you are poisoning your body and just how you can heal and reverse this poisoning by eating a good and healthy plant based diet. Tackling the bullshit protein myth, and how eating to much protein is bad for you, not to mention getting protein from meat is just a recipe for many other health issues down the road. Diets are for jerk-offs, you think Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers is good for you think again. These "diets" are used to help make these companies rich, while you may lose some weight on them, as soon as you go back to eating "normal" again the weight comes right back. He talks about how bad these "diets" really are and why they will never work for you. Do you like being a human lab rat? John doesn't and I know I don't, he brings up the most evil bastards on this planet, Monsanto, and even Codex Alimentarius. They have a plan to give you GMO food, and use all kinds of chemicals on your food as well. Oh and have you ever thought about the fluoridation of water, you should, John brings this up and I did some digging, this will scare the living hell out of you. After all this it's time to kick cancer in the nuts, yeah eating meat is giving you cancer, but there is good news you can reduce your risk for the big C. Meat your meat, talking about what all that meat is doing to your sex life, or more like lack of ability to perform if you keep eating meat, and who wants to keep popping V and Cialis for life after 40. John even says how exercising all parts of your body, mind and spirit is what a real man should be doing, if not your still a pussy. The real inconvenient truth, eating all that damn meat is killing not only you, but the planet you live on. John goes on to give you a nice 7 day kick start to exercise plan to start getting your pussy ass into shape. Hey he even gives you a nice list of foods and supplements, along with a meal plan, and some great recipes to help you in your transition off of meat. In the appendix you'll find some books, websites, and documentaries to watch.
Being vegan for several years now I still took a lot out of this book, and it has even made me think more about how my diet is impacting not only myself, but the planet. I even am questioning some of the things I thought I new about good eating. Hey if I can take something out of this book you should too, or ladies your man should too, or men sharing this with other men. This book might be more aimed at males, but I really suggest women read it too, that way you can get your man to stop being the pussy he is eating meat, and get him to give a damn about his health and you. It is a very fast read and easy enough to read even if your intelligence isn't that of a Cro-Magnon. So you really have no excuse not to read it, so get up off your sorry pussy ass and read it already. If you still eat meat after reading this book, you are a no good pussy waste, and not even human, and really part of the problem. Like I say if a Cro-Magnon is smart enough to know a vegan diet is good for you, surely you can figure that out too, just by reading this book.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Freiberg's And Running
It was recently discovered that I have Freiberg's Disease, in my second toe on my left foot. Basically part of the bone dies away and flattens instead of being rounded. Going to put a damper on running for a bit, so it's time to change my focuses for right now. I will be lifting weights more, yoga, maybe pilates, biking, and elliptical for now. I am not going to let this get me down, I can really focus on building more muscle mass and stronger muscles, I want to gain 10-20 lbs of muscle mass in the next year, so with the lack of cardio in the mix, this should be a bit easier. I am taking different supplements as well Vega Performance Optimizer, Vega Performance Protein, Vega Health Optimizer, L-glutamine, and an Ethyl Ester Creatine. Watch out Robert Cheeke here I come :p
For now the doctor has given me an orthotic, to stiffen the shoe and relieve stress on the bone, which honestly has done little good. The next step is a steroid injection into the bone, and last resort is surgery to remove part of my toe bone and any stress/pressure on said bone and pain/inflammation. Though I am honestly ready to just straight to surgery, I am not sure I want to have consistant steroid injections for the rest of my life, as I am not a big fan of anything like this being in my body as it is. It will be 5 more weeks before I see the doctor again, I might make it sooner if things really don't improve. Also it would be nice to resolve all of this a lot sooner than later, as my health insurance really stinks. Though I wonder if they'd even cover the surgery, if not I'll find a meat cleaver and chop the toe off :p, ok not really , but it is a thought.
For now the doctor has given me an orthotic, to stiffen the shoe and relieve stress on the bone, which honestly has done little good. The next step is a steroid injection into the bone, and last resort is surgery to remove part of my toe bone and any stress/pressure on said bone and pain/inflammation. Though I am honestly ready to just straight to surgery, I am not sure I want to have consistant steroid injections for the rest of my life, as I am not a big fan of anything like this being in my body as it is. It will be 5 more weeks before I see the doctor again, I might make it sooner if things really don't improve. Also it would be nice to resolve all of this a lot sooner than later, as my health insurance really stinks. Though I wonder if they'd even cover the surgery, if not I'll find a meat cleaver and chop the toe off :p, ok not really , but it is a thought.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Workouts
Some who follow me on twitter or have me on facebook, have heard me saying about the aches of the workout I just switched up. They have been pretty rough and my muscles ache in a good way. I thought I'd list the last 3 I've done, for different body parts, any suggestions for changes/improvements would be welcomed. Also something you all may wish to try as well, let me know how they work out for you. Also I am not listing weights, makes it easier to adapt to how much you can lift.
Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Bench Press 1 set 15, 1 set 12, 2 sets 6
Incline/Decline Close Grip Press (super set) 3 sets 8
Dumbbell Flys 3 sets 12
Dips 3 sets 12
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 sets 10
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs/Rolls Forward and Back 3 sets of 10
Dumbbell Punches 3 Drop Sets I drop down by 5lb incriments and do each one until fatigue then go down
Tricep Pushdown with Rope 4 sets of 15
Dumbbell Tricep Press Behind Head 3 sets of 15
Tricep Extension 3 sets of 15
Legs
Sumo Squats 1 set of 20, 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10 Sometimes I'll super set this with body squats
Leg Press 1 set of 15, 3 sets of 10
Dead Lift 3 sets of 12
Body Squats/Deep Knee Bends 3 sets of 50 hold each rep at bottom for 2 seconds
Leg Curl/Leg Extension Super Set 3 sets of 15
Seated Leg Curl 3 sets of 12
Hip Abductor/Adductor Super Set 3 sets of 12
Wall Sit for 5 minutes
Back/Biceps
Lat Pull Down with palms facing in to put more emphasis on biceps 4 sets of 15
Cable Rows 4 sets of 15
Rows with Barbell 3 sets of 12
Iso Lateral High Pulldown 3 sets of 10
Chin Up 3 sets of 12 you can use the assisted pullup/chinup/dip machine if needed for this
Machine Cable Curl/Wrist Curl Super Set 3 sets of 20
E-Z Bar Curl drop sets 2 sets
Concentration Curls 4 sets of 12
Dumbbell Curls 3 sets of 15
Dumbbell Wrist/Forearm Curls palms up then down 4 sets super setted up/down until fatigue
I will usually get on the stationary bike for at least 60 minutes as well, doing manual or hill programs, or I go in the pool for some laps or maybe both. Right now not able to hit the treadmill, but hopefully soon. I also don't always super set some of the above listed exercises, or do drop sets, I just did those in the last 3 workouts I did for each body part. I would like to note at the end of the leg workout doing a wall sit of 5 minutes will seem like an eternity and really add a crazy burn to your legs. I also recommend adding calf raises on leg days, but right now I am not able to do them, due to injury. As I say any comments or recommendations on this are welcomed.
Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Bench Press 1 set 15, 1 set 12, 2 sets 6
Incline/Decline Close Grip Press (super set) 3 sets 8
Dumbbell Flys 3 sets 12
Dips 3 sets 12
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 sets 10
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs/Rolls Forward and Back 3 sets of 10
Dumbbell Punches 3 Drop Sets I drop down by 5lb incriments and do each one until fatigue then go down
Tricep Pushdown with Rope 4 sets of 15
Dumbbell Tricep Press Behind Head 3 sets of 15
Tricep Extension 3 sets of 15
Legs
Sumo Squats 1 set of 20, 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10 Sometimes I'll super set this with body squats
Leg Press 1 set of 15, 3 sets of 10
Dead Lift 3 sets of 12
Body Squats/Deep Knee Bends 3 sets of 50 hold each rep at bottom for 2 seconds
Leg Curl/Leg Extension Super Set 3 sets of 15
Seated Leg Curl 3 sets of 12
Hip Abductor/Adductor Super Set 3 sets of 12
Wall Sit for 5 minutes
Back/Biceps
Lat Pull Down with palms facing in to put more emphasis on biceps 4 sets of 15
Cable Rows 4 sets of 15
Rows with Barbell 3 sets of 12
Iso Lateral High Pulldown 3 sets of 10
Chin Up 3 sets of 12 you can use the assisted pullup/chinup/dip machine if needed for this
Machine Cable Curl/Wrist Curl Super Set 3 sets of 20
E-Z Bar Curl drop sets 2 sets
Concentration Curls 4 sets of 12
Dumbbell Curls 3 sets of 15
Dumbbell Wrist/Forearm Curls palms up then down 4 sets super setted up/down until fatigue
I will usually get on the stationary bike for at least 60 minutes as well, doing manual or hill programs, or I go in the pool for some laps or maybe both. Right now not able to hit the treadmill, but hopefully soon. I also don't always super set some of the above listed exercises, or do drop sets, I just did those in the last 3 workouts I did for each body part. I would like to note at the end of the leg workout doing a wall sit of 5 minutes will seem like an eternity and really add a crazy burn to your legs. I also recommend adding calf raises on leg days, but right now I am not able to do them, due to injury. As I say any comments or recommendations on this are welcomed.
Monday, January 10, 2011
My Review Of Robert Cheeke's Vegan Bodybuilding Book
I have just finished reading Robert Cheeke's book, Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness The Complete Guide To Building Your Body On A Plant-Based Diet. This book is a must for anyone who is into bodybuilding or any athlete, and following a Vegan Diet, or anyone who might be thinking of following a Vegan Diet, and not sure how it could effect their performance or body in general.
Robert takes on his personal journey into veganism and the dream of being a pro wrestler at first, then changing that to bodybuilding. He admits he was not always vegan and started out at 120 lbs and has put on 75 lbs of muscle, on a 100% plant based diet, also using no performance enhancing drugs, 100% natural, not even consuming any alcohol, completely straight edge.
He starts out in Chapter 1 by going over why choose vegan, and is not preaching to anyone in the manner of his writing. Following up in Chapter 2 by how to get involved in bodybuilding and achieve results. This includes being ready for the expenses involved, being able to set goals, changes to your body and overall mood, and the time and hard work involved in bodybuilding. Chapter 3 talks about nutrition, not only is nutrition in bodybuilding, but in any sport/exercise regimine you are involved in, or just in general everyday life. There is a very good list of DO's and DON'T's in this chapter, he also points out the importance of protein, carbs, and fats in your diet. He also provides sample meal plans to help you put on mass, burn fat, prepare for a competition, and maintain your body gains. There are also examples for a raw food diet and allergen free diet as well. These are all just guidelines, and you can change them up as you need to for yourself. He ends the chapter with a list of 10 ways to build a successful nutrition plan. In Chapter 4 Robert goes into creating a successful training program. The importance of stretching and warming up, as well as exercises for endurance and the lower body, upper body, core, and total body exercises. How to incorporate super-sets, drop-sets, burn-out sets, and partial reps, into your routine, to help your training and build strength. There are also sample weight and nonweight training programs for a week in this chapter. Chapter 5 goes into lessons learned and followed, one of the best tips in this chapter is to keep a journal of your workouts, also of what you eat on a daily basis. This way you can go back and see your progress, see what foods and exercises help you gain the most from your workouts. Chapter 6 is an entire chapter devoted about where vegans get their protein. He gives a list of 10 ways you can handle this question, when someone asks you it in your life. There are also several high protein meals he lays out for anyone in this chapter, and a table showing the protein levels of different foods. Chapter 7 is about choosing the best exercises to get good gains, with a list of the top 12 exercises for bodybuilding. Chapter 8 how to turn what you are doing into activism and outreach. If you look healthy and muscular, people will change their image of what vegans are, the typical skinny wimp, the basic message in this chapter. You can use your body to change the world and it's perceptions. Chapter 9 how to market yourself, how to go about getting sponsorships with companies, also how to use social networking to get yourself more recognized and again change the perception of vegans in the world. Chapter 10 goes into supplements, the importance of using them and ones that are vegan. Let's face it supplements are vital to everyone vegan and nonvegans, it helps us gain the necessary nutrients in our diet, especially if we live a very hectic life. Chapter 11 is how to take your passion into a career, this is true for bodybuilding or any other athlete, or fitness person. Chapter 12 we get a list of vegan equipment, products and services to use, this is a very important chapeter for all vegan athletes. Chapter 13 Robert gives a list of his favorite vegan cities in North America, which can be helpful if you live in a nonvegan friendly town, and might consider relocating, this list also includes place to eat. Chapter 14 is testimonials from people Robert has inspired. Chapter 15 are final thoughts, and the appendix lists foods high in various nutrients as well as exercises for various parts of the body, and websites that are helpful for any vegan to checkout.
This book is very well written and with Robert's addition of his personal experiences, it makes it even better, you get to follow his ups and even some downs. His enthusiasm and positive attitude literally jump off the pages, and inspire you to better things and new heights in your life. Even if you are not into bodybuilding, you can use this book to help you perform better in any sport you take on. You can use the suggestions for exercises to help increase your overall muscle mass and strength, which will aid you in sports, also impress others who might think vegans are "skinny wimps". As a runner I know the importance of having a strong core and legs, and have been incorporating some of the advice Robert has shared into my own training. Also rethinking my protein intake and general nutrition, I have modified it some since I started reading this book. Again being a runner it is very important to have good nutrition, and have seen a difference since changing my diet slightly. Again any athlete can use the information in this book, and adapt it to their own needs and training program, also as a true inspiration to them to work harder. I have even started pushing myself even more in my daily training. Robert is a true inspiration to all, and I hope he is around for a long time to inspire others and show what is truly possible on a plant based diet. I highly recommend this book to any vegan athlete and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Robert takes on his personal journey into veganism and the dream of being a pro wrestler at first, then changing that to bodybuilding. He admits he was not always vegan and started out at 120 lbs and has put on 75 lbs of muscle, on a 100% plant based diet, also using no performance enhancing drugs, 100% natural, not even consuming any alcohol, completely straight edge.
He starts out in Chapter 1 by going over why choose vegan, and is not preaching to anyone in the manner of his writing. Following up in Chapter 2 by how to get involved in bodybuilding and achieve results. This includes being ready for the expenses involved, being able to set goals, changes to your body and overall mood, and the time and hard work involved in bodybuilding. Chapter 3 talks about nutrition, not only is nutrition in bodybuilding, but in any sport/exercise regimine you are involved in, or just in general everyday life. There is a very good list of DO's and DON'T's in this chapter, he also points out the importance of protein, carbs, and fats in your diet. He also provides sample meal plans to help you put on mass, burn fat, prepare for a competition, and maintain your body gains. There are also examples for a raw food diet and allergen free diet as well. These are all just guidelines, and you can change them up as you need to for yourself. He ends the chapter with a list of 10 ways to build a successful nutrition plan. In Chapter 4 Robert goes into creating a successful training program. The importance of stretching and warming up, as well as exercises for endurance and the lower body, upper body, core, and total body exercises. How to incorporate super-sets, drop-sets, burn-out sets, and partial reps, into your routine, to help your training and build strength. There are also sample weight and nonweight training programs for a week in this chapter. Chapter 5 goes into lessons learned and followed, one of the best tips in this chapter is to keep a journal of your workouts, also of what you eat on a daily basis. This way you can go back and see your progress, see what foods and exercises help you gain the most from your workouts. Chapter 6 is an entire chapter devoted about where vegans get their protein. He gives a list of 10 ways you can handle this question, when someone asks you it in your life. There are also several high protein meals he lays out for anyone in this chapter, and a table showing the protein levels of different foods. Chapter 7 is about choosing the best exercises to get good gains, with a list of the top 12 exercises for bodybuilding. Chapter 8 how to turn what you are doing into activism and outreach. If you look healthy and muscular, people will change their image of what vegans are, the typical skinny wimp, the basic message in this chapter. You can use your body to change the world and it's perceptions. Chapter 9 how to market yourself, how to go about getting sponsorships with companies, also how to use social networking to get yourself more recognized and again change the perception of vegans in the world. Chapter 10 goes into supplements, the importance of using them and ones that are vegan. Let's face it supplements are vital to everyone vegan and nonvegans, it helps us gain the necessary nutrients in our diet, especially if we live a very hectic life. Chapter 11 is how to take your passion into a career, this is true for bodybuilding or any other athlete, or fitness person. Chapter 12 we get a list of vegan equipment, products and services to use, this is a very important chapeter for all vegan athletes. Chapter 13 Robert gives a list of his favorite vegan cities in North America, which can be helpful if you live in a nonvegan friendly town, and might consider relocating, this list also includes place to eat. Chapter 14 is testimonials from people Robert has inspired. Chapter 15 are final thoughts, and the appendix lists foods high in various nutrients as well as exercises for various parts of the body, and websites that are helpful for any vegan to checkout.
This book is very well written and with Robert's addition of his personal experiences, it makes it even better, you get to follow his ups and even some downs. His enthusiasm and positive attitude literally jump off the pages, and inspire you to better things and new heights in your life. Even if you are not into bodybuilding, you can use this book to help you perform better in any sport you take on. You can use the suggestions for exercises to help increase your overall muscle mass and strength, which will aid you in sports, also impress others who might think vegans are "skinny wimps". As a runner I know the importance of having a strong core and legs, and have been incorporating some of the advice Robert has shared into my own training. Also rethinking my protein intake and general nutrition, I have modified it some since I started reading this book. Again being a runner it is very important to have good nutrition, and have seen a difference since changing my diet slightly. Again any athlete can use the information in this book, and adapt it to their own needs and training program, also as a true inspiration to them to work harder. I have even started pushing myself even more in my daily training. Robert is a true inspiration to all, and I hope he is around for a long time to inspire others and show what is truly possible on a plant based diet. I highly recommend this book to any vegan athlete and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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