Transformation 5.0

Muckfest, Vitamin D, and Embracing the Ups

Muckfest Start It’s easy to forget the inspiring power of competition and social activity.

When you’re not regularly involved in sports games, sports teams, recess, or intramurals as a child/teenager, long stretches of time can pass without anything competitively physical as an adult.  Life gets in the way.  Different things pop up on the radar.

Put something on your calendar.  Now.  Choose a mud run, obstacle race, 5K, 10K, any-K, charity walk – you get the idea.

There’s something about running alongside friends and others.  There’s something about navigating a fresh terrain, one that isn’t part of your daily routine.  There’s something about pushing yourself a few notches higher than you would on your own, because that’s what you do on race day.  There’s something about doing all of this in the great outdoors.

These posts are my stream of consciousness, and so my calendar now has the Spartan Race on it.  September 20th at Citizen’s Bank Park – I’ll see you there!

Day 5 and 6 Recaps

There’s a whole weekend to recap, isn’t there?

It begins in a place that Marissa and I will use to kick start any weekend we can – the apartment complex roof:

Stress Management

That’s a good segue into an oft-forgotten piece of any Transformation.  Making moves to manage stress does wonders for physical change, not to mention personal happiness and productivity.

What better way to do exactly that than soak in some Vitamin D?  Even better than that is finding a peaceful place to do so.  And even better than that is finding good scenery or a picturesque view to boot.

Find your own Vitamin D recharging station.  You’ll come out a new person.

It’s worth noting that we returned to the roof on Sunday afternoon (when the actual Vitamin D is more plentiful).  No sunblock for approximately 40-minutes, flipping over every 10.  No burning at all.

Sleep

Saturday checks in at 7 hours and 45 minutes (3 minutes restless).  Short but sweet.

Sunday checks in at 8 hours and 32 minutes (3 minutes awake, 15 minutes restless).  Longer but choppier.

Exercise

The weekend’s exercise was dominated by the MuckFest.  Here’s a sub-section of Team Relentless – Ross, Jeremy, Karen, Michelle, and me (not pictured: Chris, Ian, Devon, and Nick) – prior to the race.  Don’t we look dry?

Before Muckfest

Let this be an official RIP to the blue Merrell’s that served me so well over the past year (thanks Jackie Brown!)  A mud run is the perfect time to retire (and donate) a faithful pair of shoes.

Shoe Farewell

The MuckFest race itself was definitely longer than the stated 5K.  Our group estimated between 4 and 4.5 hilly, muddy miles.  The distance contained 20 assorted obstacles, which included climbing through mud pits, getting up and over tall cargo nets, hanging onto ropes as they rotated you over moats, bear crawling through low tunnels, and navigating giant stability balls that aimed to knock you off balance.

I’d grade it as moderately challenging.  It took me between 57 and 58 minutes, finishing just off the pace set by Super Trainer Ross at 56 and change.  One thing is for sure – it’s great prep for the Spartan Race!

Here’s Michelle, Chris, me, and Ross after showering the mud away (sadly, we don’t have a good mud shot).

After Muckfest

Here’s Ross with his post-race beer (part of the MuckFest after party).  I lived vicariously through him, as I’m keeping the Transformation squeaky clean for its first two weeks.

No Beer for Me

The weekend activity via Fitbit was completely skewed due to not wearing it during the race.  It logged about 13,000 steps and 6+ miles for the weekend as a whole.  This was one time I didn’t need the device telling me I had been active!

Nutrition

On Saturday morning, disaster struck.  The One Village coffee was gone, and I forgot to replace it.  After hustling out to the local Starbucks, the problem was quickly remedied.  It’ll be Starbuck’s beans for the next week.

Day 5 Breakfast Day 3 Breakfast

I went mobile with my pre and post race fuel.  Banana, Rise Bar, and Raw Tea before.  Rise Bar and Recovery Nectar after.

Day 5 PreRace Day 5 PostRace

Grass-fed whole milk upon return to the apartment.  It’s a good time to note that I anecdotally believe that the whole milk is making a big recovery difference.  I expected to be fairly beaten up after the mud run but was pleasantly surprised to feel fresh on Sunday.  Chalk another one up for grass-fed dairy – the early returns on this experiment are positive.

Day 2 Post Workout

Race day dinner of grass-fed tri tip steak, organic white sweet potato, and asparagus.

Day 5 Dinner

Sunday breakfast of goat yogurt (another new variation), cacao nibs, chia seeds, banana, blueberries, and cinnamon with black gold.

Day 6 Breakfast

Sunday lunch, done brunch style.  Leftover grass-fed tri tip steak, 4 free-range eggs, greens/tomato/vinaigrette salad, organic sweet potato.

Day 6 Lunch

Rise Bar snack.

Day 2 Snack

Sunday dinner of ground bison and tomato sauce over rainbow kale and brown rice pasta.

Day 6 Dinner

And that right there, ladies and gentlemen, wraps a booze-free, dessert-free weekend.  Onward and upward!

Daily Fuel

I am only one man undergoing one Transformation.

Perspectives matter.  Different perspectives matter because different stories resonate with different people.  That’s a pillar of the program – individuality.

Today’s daily fuel is all about my Transformation partner, Marissa, who is rocking her own journey.  Read her Week 1 recap and get inspired!

Week 2 Precap

Onward and upward into a new week.  The program now transitions into one of my favorite phases – bulking (more on this tomorrow).

Having a full week in your back pocket is powerful.  It’s proof that you can do it.  That you will do it.  That you were silly for doubting yourself in the first place.

There will of course be downs to complement the ups, but we’re at an up.  Acknowledge and embrace the ups on your own journey.  Let’s go!

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    33% Complete: A Look Back
    June 21, 2014 at 2:12 pm

    […] major Transformation highlight thus far was completing the MuckFest alongside Team […]

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