Are You a Warrior? ~ Warrior Dash Preview

This is a repost from my other blog, Kihon Wasa. This morning I go to the Warrior Dash. How did I trian, I didn't. It is only 3.2 miles and I workout often in karate and other sports as well as lifting heavy things and hiking long ways. I will finish, and I probably wont finish first. The aim is to do my best and keep pushing MY limits. Here is the preview of the race:

The gear that is included.

I can't believe the day is almost here. I registered over 3 months ago and have been excited ever since. It will be my first race. I will be headed out this Saturday around 7AM. I am dragging Gaylen to race with me and Michelle to take pictures.

I know there are races almost every weekend no matter where you live, but this race is different. This race is more of an obstacle course and the fee includes a viking helmet and a beer! What race have you been to that gives you beer? It also comes with a t-shirt, and a medal.

12 obstacles from hell await you along this 3.02 mile course. Are you a Warrior?

Zumba ~ Try Someting New

Rainy, cold days are the worst for keeping up with the cardio. Sure there are the old standbys, treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical and what not. After a winter of such things, I would rather eat danishes while watching CSI reruns rather than run in place. It was past time to switch things up.

I went to the gym last week on a cold rainy day and after a weight workout, Zumba was about to start. I said "what the hell" and joined in.

For those of you who don't know, Zumba is a cardio workout using classic latin and other dance moves. Invented by Beto Perez in the mid 90's, Zumba is now world wide. It's fun too. You get to dance and have fun while working out. Songs last from 3 to 6 minutes and then you get a 30 second break getting ready for the next song. So we are talking intervals, which is the kind of talk I like.

The class starts with a bubbly fitness instructor cracking jokes and asking how you are. She then did a break down to the upcoming song. Songs are a great beat so that even if you aren't getting the "moves" you can still move to it. Classes are about an hour long. 

I totally have two left feet and can't seem to get my arms, legs and ass to move at the same time, but man, did I work up a sweat. In the long run, it doesn't matter if you mess up, just keep moving which is what a cardio workout is all about. So much more fun than staring at weight machines while running in place on the treadmill. 

Dudes: sorry there just aren't that many of you in the class, but you would be more than welcome. Beside a girl LOVES a guy who can dance.

Shane Carwin is OBESE

@ShaneCarwinShane CarwinAccording to the Body Mass Index I am Obese.

This was a recent tweet from Shane. Shane you are in good company. I myself am only 4 pounds away from being obese. I guess I will waddle to the couch and cry into my bonbons because the Government says I am fat. :(

Gym Equipment to Aviod

I am brand new to becoming a gym rat. I have always worked out at home. I would scour freecycle, and yard sales for equipment. Friends would give me their year old barley-used cardio equipment. I once even picked up a stair stepper from the metal pile at the dump.

Last summer we had to move from our house, with the HUGE basement and into a smaller duplex, with half a basement and a dirt floor. All of my stuff is dismantled and piled up in the shed. My dining room has a corner in it with red milk crates holding all my weight plates and my table is in with the equipment in the shed so I can have room for the treadmill. There is just no room.

I Have Been Duped, Lied To, Baboozled! Were you?

I really dislike franken-foods. Back in the day, when it really was a low-carb 'craze', every food company was coming out with low carb foods. I remember getting a loaf of low carb white bread. It had an odd taste, but I thought I could live with it. That loaf of "bread" was later found behind a box of crackers. It had to have been there for 6 weeks. That bread looked, smelled and felt like it did on the day I bought it. I knew food was not meant to be preserved like that so I tossed it and stayed away from "low carb" versions of food I shouldnt eat.

There was one exception, Dreamfields Pasta. I have been a loyal customer for YEARS. It tastes just like the real thing. Yes it is twice the price, but we are talking pasta. Pasta is really cheap. That $2 can feed four people  It definitely stretched the food budget. I stopped eating it about a year ago when I started the Primal 30 day Challenge. But the kids, well every once in a while I would get a request for some mac and cheese, or spaghetti and meatballs. I thought I was making the better food choice for them. The propiatry protien blend and their patented process that made the carbs undigestable would be "ok" just once in a while.

I was lied to and so were you!

Blood Sugar readings after eating different foods

Recently there was a low-carb cruise with many speakers incuding a doctor named  Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt . At the end of his lecture he briefly spoke about Dreamfield's and the blood sugar spike that mimics the spike you get from eating 'regular' pasta.

They did two studies, the first was with 5 "older people" and the second from "young people". None of the subjects had diabetes. Weather young or old, it didn't matter, the glucose curve remained the same for each group. Dreamfield's sugar spike is almost the same as regular pasta. 

I have learned my lesson for good this time. No more franken-foods for my family! I have to thank Jimmy Moore for bringing this to my attention.

Blood glucose response following ingestion of pasta.
Study #1, Old people (top).
Study #2, Young People (bottom).