Update on Self Experiment.

So a week and a half on the diet, and this is what I have noticed so far, and what I am going to change:

1. Reducing the frequency of meals was actually easier than I thought. For some reason my thirst increased, so I have been taking in a lot more fluids. Change: I am going to use a 6-8 window instead of 4. I was having a hard time fueling my workouts, and fueling recovery in so little time. There were times I felt crazy and like my senses were in overdrive. 

2. My ankle Tendonitis only lasted 9 days, instead of 2-4 weeks. I am impart giving credit to Kelly Starrett and his tactics. (banding, mobbing, and mobilizing) Diet could have helped due to my body wasn't digesting as much food, so it could actually work and focus on helping heal my ankle. Who knows on this point. 

3. Change: I have decided to go Vegan as well as using a condensed window. I have decided to do this for reasons I don't want to get into at the moment, but it has happened. 

4. Even with some time off due to ankle, my workouts have been really good, and more focused. 

5. According to scale I have lost about 4 lbs, this is pretty good in a little over a week. 

Long story, and boring sciency (is that a word) stuff aside, the biggest key is consistency. I will leave you with a though. Results come from CONSISTENCY, doesn't really matter what vehicle, exercise program etc. you choose. Results are born from consistency, and having the determination to stick to your plan. Exercise builds fitness, good diet allows the results to show. #runhappy

If you want to kick like Chuck, well then you need to start kicking, and kick a lot! 

A Journey in Self Experiment.

Ok so here is the deal, I am carrying around about 40 pounds of excess weight. I carry the weight pretty well, so I don't look obese or anything, BUT at 210lbs and 5'10"'s tall I need to lose the weight in hopes of greatly improving my athletic and mostly my running performance. So what can I do now at 210lbs? I can run sub 50 min. 10k's, sub 23 min. 5k's, and sub 1:50 1/2 marathons. So what is possible if I drop 40lbs? Who know's but I would love to see. The key for me is keeping my endurance engine in tack. Plainly speaking I have a big engine, so if I can maintain my power and endurance and drop the weight I should greatly improve. So how am I going to do this? In the spirit of crazy experiment, I am going to stick to an intermittent fasting regimen called the Warrior Diet. Basically you have none, to very little calories for 20 hours, then for 4 hours you have 1 big meal. Now this big meal does not mean 4 triple cheeseburgers, but a satisfying amount. What has led me to wanting to try this are 2 things. One, conventional wisdom says you should not fast and partake in endurance training and events, so being a good running coach (my opinion, proof is in the pudding) I think I can make it work with the diet. Two, I like to eat, hello this is why I am carrying 40 extra pounds around, so a bigger meal at night will fit the description. The biggest key is getting them to work together. If you look at evolutionary science, this should work as we evolved to hunt during the day and eat at night. Also, evolutionary science has proven that we evolved to be endurance oriented to run down and track prey for long hours. So without getting crazy into the science, I think this could work, and I am going to give it a shot on myself. I am not going to do the fancy blood indicators, although that would rock, I am just going to go by the old standard of how to I feel and what results are occurring from this experiment. I will keep track of Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Cholesterol. I am just gonna keep this simple, then go from there. So here we go, gonna start this Journey Tomorrow and see how it goes. I am going to write a weekly Blog entry to keep track and I will fill you guys in on anything crazy, weird, or just plain cool.

 Thanks for reading! ---Justin GCA Head Coach. 

This is not a perfect picture, but a good starting photo. You can clearly see the extra weight I am carrying around. #fitfat hahaha. 

Pilot Mountain trail run/hike

As part of my New Year's resolution, I have decided to stop being a slave to paces, and I want to add more adventure to my running. I have always loved trail running, and hiking so why not start combining the 2 more often. I had the great privilege to go out to Pilot Mountain State Park to do some of said trail running/hiking. I decided to take the Grindstone trail from the ranger station up to the summit, then connect to Jomeokee for a small stretch, then hit the Ledge Springs trail that takes you around/under the small pinnacle, then merge back onto Grindstone back down to the car. It was outstanding! Weather was good, although cold, and conditions were good.

Starting out on Grindstone 3.3 miles up to the summit. Ledge Spring 2.2 miles, then 3.3 of Grindstone back down. I hiked up most of Grindstone to the summit. It was great, and conditions were good considering there was some snow at the top. I decided to use my body like a bicycle hiking the uphills, and when walking felt easy I ran, and on downs I was darn near sprinting at times. Once I got to the Summit and on Ledge Springs, I was in heaven working through the rocks the scenery was amazing at times. On the way back down Grindstone my quads were on fire, but I ran almost all of the 3.3 miles back down and made good time coming down. I could write a book on how much fun this was, but I will just leave it here as one of the best days I have had on my feet in a long time! Recovered with some Shock Top IPA :) Attached are some pictures of the trip.

Tech notes: around 8 miles/ shoes NB MT110/ Nathan Race Vest (blog post on this bad boy later)

Pics are in order and attempt to be chronological.

New Year, Old Hat

I have decided to get this Blog up and running again as just a place to keep up with my running and other adventures. The past 2 years have been very hectic with the birth of our twins and other things. I am also gonna start writing about cool gear, and as always showcase some cool experiences.

Since the time of my last post a couple of things have been achieved that were on my list of things to do in my life. I completed my first Marathon, and I P.R.'ed in the 5k with a time of 21.08. My wife has taken up running which makes me very happy. So here is to what will hopefully be a good year, Thanks!

Pics of Marathon, 5k PR, kids etc. etc.