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.

Time keeps on movin'

This is my first blog post in a while. Since the birth of my twins, I have had little to no time to do much of anyting, especially keep up with my blog. The twins are doing well, and Barrett (3 year old) is adjusting well to screaming babies in the house.

This is the last week of the 2010-2011 school year and what a wonderful year it has been. My student have excelled on all levels, and have destroyed any expectations I had at the beginning of the year. I wish them the best as they get ready to move on to 7th grade.



I have made numerous changes to my diet. I will do a seperate post on this. It has been very rewarding for me to focus on what I am putting in my body for fuel. As far as running goes, I have been getting in some miles, but my volume has been low. I have been able to average about 15 miles a week, and Barrett has had to go along in the jogging stroller, so anything over an hour really starts to test his patience. I have some thoughts on my running which I will post very soon, so more on this subject later.

Overall, life is hectic and crazy...........but honestly I wouldn't change a thing! I am very fortunate to have a wondreful wife, children, supportive family, great friends, and for the most part good health. I am very thankful for these things.

How to sum up March.

It has been a month since my last blog post. Some pretty awesome things have happened in the month of March, so I will briefly try to list and give some detail to these events.

First off on March 18, my wife and I celebrated the birth of our twins Mr. Liam John Collins and Sophia Catherine Collins. They are healthy and doing very well. Barrett or oldest son (almost 3) has been adjusting well. Sleep is something that will be missed in the coming months, but it is well worth it.

School related, I was honored at the SVRTC meeting at Longwood College as the Patrick County Technology Teacher of the Year. It was a lot of fun and was in great company on the trip.

Running related I am now able to get in at least 3 solid days a week and sometimes more. I can accomplish this by taking Barrett wit me in his jogger. He plays games, looks at books and likes the scenery. I am also adhering to the Galloway Run/Walk/Run method of training. This is where you set up different intervals of running to walking, with a walk break of no more than 1 minute. Taking this small walk breaks allows the lactic acid to drain and you feel fresher later in a run and recover a lot faster. This is important to me now with newborns and a toddler in the house. I can go farther than normal and still feel good at the end. If you are a runner that can get over your ego, or don't really have one, I suggest you try it, especially if you are busy and trying to avoid injury. I was skeptical at first and had to get over my own ego about walking during a run, but am now a firm believer.

Well that about sums March up, I will try to be a little more consistent with the updates, so until next time, keep on keepin' on!

Images: Liam, Sophia, and Tech Award.

Pilot Mountain Corridor

Today a friend and I went to run on the Pilot Mountain Corridor Trail. This trail runs from the Ranger station at Pilot Mountain State Park to Pinnacle, NC near Horne Creek Farm. It is about 13 miles out an back. There are also many other trails that branch off from this one, but today we stayed on the Corridor.

We ran 4 miles total due to time constraints, but 4 miles on a trail feels like about 6-7 on the road due to the terrain. We started at the Ranger station end and went towards Pinnacle. It was a nice late morning and the weather was perfect for running. The trail was well groomed compared to the single track I have been running. The climbs and descents were longer though, and my legs were feeling the last couple of hills.

I will definitely be back to this trail and network of trails on a regular basis. They are fantastic!

Technical Notes:
Shoes: Brooks ASR 6, 4 miles. 865ft of elevation gain and 836ft of descent

Pics: