30 Years, 30 Miles

It's finally here, my 30th birthday.  For the last couple years, I had dreaded this day.  I honestly have been having a hard time wrapping my mind around the concept of turning 30.  Don't ask me why, especially when I consider everything that I have either accomplished or been able to do over the past 30 years.  Maybe, it's the fact that I am now the father of 2 beautiful girls, with a third on the way in the very near future.  Or maybe it's how much I have already accomplished throughout my life with the fear of not being able to match my success during my next 30 years.  Either way you slice it, I am turning 30 and there is nothing I can do about it.  I was pretty bummed about it until a week or two ago.  I was listening to a podcast with an interview of a 78 year old guy who still does triathlons and is still the race director of a very successful Ironman 70.3 in Texas.  He said that your age is literally just a number and continued to ask, "how old you you be, if you didn't know your birthday?"  It got me to think, There is no way I would say 30.  I feel better and healthier, or at a minimum the same, as I did when I was 23 or 24.  I said all throughout last year, that I was in the best shape of my life - and to be honest, I would say I feel even better today, then I did last year.  After really thinking about it, I have shifted from an anxiety over turning 30 to a new source of motivation throughout my next 30 years.  There is still so much more I want to accomplish, such as qualify and race the Ironman World Championships in Kona, HI, run a 50 mile, 100km, and 100 mile ultramarathons, qualify and race for Team USA at the ITU World Championships.  I also want to watch my kids grow up, find passions and hobbies of their own and be a part of their lives as they grow up and move throughout their lives.  I also want to travel the world and continue to explore some of the most breathtaking places on earth.

A couple years ago, I had the idea of running my age.  I didn't think much of it at the time and didn't act on it last year due to my ultimate goal of getting to the start line of Ironman Wisconsin healthy and didn't want to structure a training plan around running 29 miles on my 29th birthday when I had such a huge goal later that year.  So, this year was the year and how fitting that it would be on my 30th birthday, a rather big milestone (at least in my eyes).  I have never run anything longer then a marathon (26.2 miles), so running 30 miles would be a new adventure for me.  Not that it would be that much more significantly longer, but still pretty long.  I want it to be a nice and relaxed run, nothing compared to the intensities of a race.  I also wanted it to be a time of reflection of everything that I have done and everywhere that I have been throughout the last 30 years of my life.  So here we go....the past 30 years of my life, in miles.....

Mile 0 (March 1984): My true birthday!

Year/Mile 1 (March 1985):  The start of it all!  I honestly, don't remember much of anything from my first year....but then again, should I really be able to?  In January of 1985, just before turning 1, I took my first ever steps.  The true definition of the first steps in the journey of a thousand miles.

Year/Mile 2 (March 1986): My second birthday was my Golden Birthday.  Again, I don't truly remember much of anything from this year but I do know this was the birthday which I got a wagon for my birthday present which remained with me for most of my life.

Year/Mile 3 (March 1987): In August of 1987 I became a brother.  I still do not really remember much of anything, but I do know, I was a jealous brother - no surprise through, right? 

Year/Mile 4 (March 1988): This was my first full year of being the big brother.  I can't even begin to speculate how long it truly took me to get used to this role, but I'm sure it took me a while considering I was the only child for the first 3.5 years of my life.

Year/Mile 5 (March 1989): This was my first year of organized school.  I started preschool at St. Pious Church in Appleton.  I do not remember how often I went, but I know I went for a few hours in the morning.  It was also this year when I learned how to tie my own shoes.

Year/Mile 6 (March 1990): This was the first year of organized school with the Appleton Area School District.  I went to Kindergarten 5 days a week in the morning at Johnston Elementary School which was conveniently a block away from my parents house.

Year/Mile 7 (March 1991): After starting Kindergarten last year, I was now going to school for full days 5 days a week.  I made it to 1st grade wahoo!

Year/Mile 8 (March 1992): We took one of our first big family vacations this year with my aunts and uncles from my mom's side of the family.  We took a trip down to Florida to go to Disney World.  I remember the long drive, Sea World, and of course Disney World.  For what ever reason I can still clearly remember the "It's a Small World" ride being the most annoying thing ever.

Year/Mile 9 (March 1993):  After turning 9, I was finally old enough to start playing organized baseball.  I began playing Little League Baseball and played for Appleton Heart (our team name/sponsor).

Year/Mile 10 (March 1994): During 4th grade a tragic event happened that I truly think had a significant impact on my mind.  A girl I went to school with, she as not considered a friend by any means, but the fact that she attended school with me in the same grade was evidently enough of a relationship to have an impact on me.  In the spring of this year (I believe) she was accidentally shot and killed by her younger brother with a gun that was left insecure in the house.  I remember this having a significant impact on me and caused many sleepless nights initially.

Year/Mile 11 (March 1995): I honestly can't come up with anything of significance from this year.  With that being said, I am sure there was something that happened this year.  I am sure my mom will chime in with something after the fact.

Year/Mile 12 (March 1996): This year my family and I spent a week in January with my Grandma Kohl in Tucson Arizona.  This was my first time ever flying.  It was a great vacation and found it to be one of my favorite vacations to date.  We went to the Grand Canyon along with another smaller canyon/park that I do not recall the name of.  During the 6th grade I also started playing the trumpet.  I initially wanted to play the trombone but was told that my arms were too short (?).  Not really sure about that reasoning, but what ever.  It turns out that it was a great choice for me down the road as I would eventually become a pretty decent trumpet player.

Year/Mile 13 (March 1997): I started middle school this year at James Madison Middle School and was extremely nervous going into school this year.  It was something completely new to me.  It was the first year with lockers, taking the bus to and from school.  It was also the first year that I met my wife-to-be in band class.

Year/Mile 14 (March 1998): After my first year in middle school I got into the swing of things and got into a new rhythm.  I played football this year for a school for the first time as opposed to playing Pop Warner football.  This was also the year that I would say I started looking at Sarah as a crush.

Year/Mile 15 (March 1999): In 1999, I started high school at Appleton East High School.  I was both anxious and excited to starting high school.  The best thing that happened this year was Sarah asked me to home coming.  Yea, yea, I realize that I should have asked her, but I was way to nervous around girls and probably never would have asked her.

Year/Mile 16 (March 2000): During my Sophomore year of high school, my Grandma Kohl passed away on New Year's Eve/Day going into 2000.  I was spending the night with some friends and found out the news when I came home on New Years Day.  I took the news extremely hard.  It was the first real death in my family after the point were I was old enough to understand death.  I had some serious anxiety issues and attended several sessions with a psychiatrist.  As I said early, the death of a classmate during the 4th grade had a significant impact on me, so I think with this death being so close to me, it compounded and ultimately caused a high level of anxiety on me.  I worked through my issues with my family and Sarah.  My Grandma was active in my life and a huge supporter of my endeavors as a trumpet player in school bands.  She attended most, if not all of my concerts.  She was also a "snowbird" and would travel to Arizona every winter after New Years until the middle of March.  My family was planning on traveling to Arizona at the end of January to spend a week with her in the desert, which obviously never happened.

Grandma Kohl, Ben, and I at the Grand Canyon

Year/Mile 17 (March 2001): During my junior year of high school I started touring colleges.  I toured UW - Oshkosh and UW - Stevens Point first and then finally toured UW - La Crosse.  After touring UWL, I knew immediately that was were I wanted to go.  It was also at this point that I knew I wanted to pursue a degree in Exercise and Sports Science.  Later that summer, I learned that I was accepted to UW - La Crosse.  That summer I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to England with our High School band this summer for a week and a half.

Year/Mile 18 (March 2002): Senior year of high school came and went and I had finally graduated high school.  That year, I didn't play a full year of football due to suffering from a serious concussion in our Homecoming game.  I had my greatest year season ever of baseball during my senior year and lead the conference in Home Runs.  I was voted as 1st Team All Conference and also All Area.

Senior Prom with Sarah

Year/Mile 19 (March 2003): I remember I couldn't wait to start College and move away from home for the first time ever for my freshman year at UW-L.  But I learned very quickly that it wasn't all fun and games...well, it was still quite a bit of fun and games, with a small side of responsibility.  For some reason, I thought I was a good football player and tried playing college football.  During my feeble attempt at playing football, I learned very quickly that I was not nearly the football player I thought I was.  I also tried playing baseball and still to this day think I should have made the team (along with a few other guys who played that year).  After getting shot down in both football and baseball, I focused on lifting very heavy and had a pretty muscular body.  I weight 196 pounds at my heaviest and was about 12% body fat.  My thought was that I would try playing baseball the next year.  It was this year that I met Erik Mork at UW-L football training camp.  Little did I know that the two of us would end up becoming pretty good friends.

Year/Mile 20 (March 2004): During my sophomore year at UW-L, I rented an apartment and lived off campus.  Later this year, I learned that Erik Mork lived across the street from me and this was ultimately how I met Dave Danley - and the rest they say is history.  Pat Nissen also moved to La Crosse for school and attended the Technical College.  The two of us lived in the same small bed room and really tested our friendship.  This year was also the year that my Grandpa passed away.  This was the second death in the family, since my dad's mom passed.  I handled it much better and has the support of Sarah and my family and extended family to help.  Later this summer I was playing in a State Tournament for Fast Pitch Softball and tore my MCL.  Luckily for me, it dd not require surgery, but I was stuck in an immobilizer for 3 months.  It was terrible, from July through mid-September, I was hobbling around on crutches.  The good thing that came from this injury, was my doctor suggested that I start biking for rehab.  This was ultimately how and why I started biking and running.

My Grandma and Grandpa after my High School Graduation

Year/Mile 21 (March 2005): During my junior year at UW-L, I learned that I did not get accepted to Fitness program, and change major to Physical Education.  After deciding that education was not for me, I changed my major again to Sports Management.  During the spring of this year I completed my first ever multisport race at the Coulee Region Duathlon in the spring.  It's kind of funny looking back at the way I trained and prepared for this event.  I did pretty much every stereotypical first timer mistake known to man.  I ate a huge pasta dinner the night before and also a huge breakfast the morning of.  During the race, I fueled with way too many calories and also trained way too hard too close to the race.  Either way, I had a blast and was immediately hooked.  This summer, Sarah and I got engaged in Door County and had a huge party weekend at Peninsula State Park.  We had our college friends come from Minnesota and surprised her after she said yes.

Year/Mile 22 (March 2006): During my senior year at UW-L, I continued to study sports management and strength and conditioning.  I bought Sarah an early Christmas present this year of a new puppy.  It was this year that Sarah and I became pet owners for the first time.  Sarah completed her internship in Milwaukee, WI, at Froedtert Hospital.  I joined her in  Milwaukee throughout the summer of 2006 and lived with her and 3 other girls.  That summer I worked minimal hours at the Wisconsin Athletic Club throughout the summer.  Sarah and I both did our first ever half marathon in May at the Green Bay Half Marathon.  I also bought my first road bike this year and did my first ever triathlon at the Oshkosh Triathlon in August.

Year/Mile 23 (March 2007):  I finally finished my final semester actually at UW-L and then did semester long internship in Appleton at Sports Performance Advancement a private sports specific training studio.  In April of this year, my dad ran his first Boston Marathon and it was at this point that I made the promise to myself that I would qualify for the Boston Marathon some day.  Sarah and I got married in June and had an absolute blast at the wedding.  I finished my first marathon later that fall at the Fox Cities Marathon in September.  We then went to Cancun, Mexico in November for our honeymoon and immediately fell in love with Mexico and vowed to go back as often as possible.

Year/Mile 24 (March 2008):  Our first full year of marriage and bought our house, which we still call home.  We also returned back to Mexico, this time with both of our parents and spent a week in Riviera Maya.

Year/Mile 25 (March 2009):  We found out Sarah was pregnant just before my 25th birthday and in October I became a father for the first time.  On October 13th, Sarah and I welcomed Maya to the world.  She had to spend a short stint (4 days) in the NICU due to a potential heart issue.  It was at that point that I realized how much love you can have for someone or something that you have never had or seen before.  Everything ended up being just fine in the end, but it was still a long 4 days.  After becoming a father for the first time, my life changed for the better.  I learned what it meant to truly love someone else.  Nothing against Sarah, but there is totally different type of love for a child.  I think anybody who is a parent knows exactly what I am talking about.

Year/Mile 26 (March 2010): This year Sarah and I made the difficult decision for me to change careers from a Health and Fitness Coordinator to Police Officer in May to better help our family financially.  In May I ran a Boston Qualifier time for the first time at the Green Bay Marathon and ran a personal best in the marathon with a time of 3:03 at the Fox Cities Marathon later that fall.  In November of this year, I was hired by Winnebago County Sheriff's Office, which is were I am still employed yet today.

Year/Mile 27 (March 2011): We found out that we would be having our second child later this year and went to Boston in April to run the Boston Marathon with my father, which is and will forever be one of my greatest endurance racing memories.  A couple months after returning from Boston, Sarah gave birth to our second daughter, Delaney in June.  As nervous as I was prior to our second child, having 2 kids was not nearly as challenging as I had thought.

Year/Mile 28 (March 2012): I was finally able to convince Sarah to let me register for an Ironman race and did just that in September of this year.  After registering for that race, I immediately started my blog which was initially created to be a spot to write about my journey to becoming an Ironman.  Little did I know that the time that this blog would become so much more.

Year/Mile 29 (March 2013):  This year was probably one of the most difficult periods of time, in regards to the stress on our marriage.  This year was not only just a stress on our relationship but also our finances.  It all fell directly back onto me and my dream of completing the Ironman.  Ultimately, we worked through it and all the countless hours of me being away to train and I had finally become an IRONMAN with finishing Ironman Wisconsin in 11:37:09.  The days following IM Wisconsin, Sarah and I brought the girls to the Milwaukee zoo on Monday and then took the girls to Mexico the Tuesday after the race.  Even though the weather was not the best, it was still one of my favorite vacations since it was just Me, Sarah, and the girls.  It was so nice to just spend a week as a family away from everything and everyone.

Year/Mile 30 (March 2014):  A new milestone....30.  Yup, I am now 30.  WOW!  It's amazing to think that I am 30.  Not only and I just 30 years old now, but 30, married, 2 beautiful girls and a 3rd on the way...any day now!  I have done a lot of things in the first 30 years of my life that most people do not get the opportunity to do their entire life.  I have been and continue to be the luckiest man on the earth.  I am happy, healthy, and proud.  I have healthy, happy kids, a steady job, a caring, loving, and supportive wife, and I have been pretty successful in my endurance racing career.  I love my life.  I am excited to see what I am able to accomplish in my next 30 years.

Hammer Spotlight - Endurolytes

Basics

There is no other supplement on the market geared toward athletes where individual dosing recommendations can very so widely.  The electrolyte requirements for athlete "A" can possibly be 10 times the amount that athlete "B" requires to achieve similar results.  Electrolyte replacement can also be the single most important piece to your fueling puzzle as electrolytes have the ability to single-handedly derail your athletic endeavors.  Just look at any single sports drink on the market that is geared toward athletes and you'll find that each company has their own patent on their blend of electrolytes.  Every company also deems their blend as "the best."  Well, truth be told there is not one single blend of electrolytes that works for every person.  Electrolyte replacement is different from carbohydrate and fluid replacement.  There is a general window of how many calories a body can absorb per hour during exercise but there is no such window for electrolytes.  As I stated above, every single person is different and it is up to you to find your own individual sweet spot during your training and racing.

You must also realize that electrolytes ≠ sodium.  There is so much more than sodium to electrolytes.  Sodium alone can not and will not effectively replenish electrolyte needs and may cause more problems than it resolves. With Endurolytes you're assured of getting all of the right minerals in exactly the right balance.  Sodium Chloride (salt) is indeed an important component of electrolyte replenishment, but it does not fulfill the entire requirement.  A satisfactory electrolyte replenishment product needs to include balanced amounts of sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, as these minerals work synergistically in the maintenance of important body functions, such as muscular contraction.

  

Hammer Nutrition's Endurolytes come in 4 different varieties; Powder, Capsule, Endurolytes Fizz, and a brand new Endurolytes Extreme.  The Powder and Capsules contain nearly identical ingredients lists and contain similar ratios of the same spectrum of electrolytes.  The single difference between the two is that Hammer added 50 mg of the amino acid glycine, which helps neutralize the naturally salty, slightly bitter taste of the electrolytic minerals.  The new Endurolytes Extreme contains three times the sodium and potassium as the original Endurolytes formula and is specifically designed for those athletes training and competing in the harshest of conditions.  Endurolytes Fizz is essentially the same formula as Endurolytes, only in an effervescent tablet.  When comparing the serving size of each of the three forms of Endurolytes, 1 scoop of the powder equals 1 capsule and equals a half of a tablet of Endurolytes Fizz (1 tablet = 2 capsules/scoops).  Endurolytes Fizz comes in 4 flavors; Grapefruit, Grape, Lemon-Lime, and Mango.  All flavors are designed with very subtle flavors, none of which are over powering.  Endurolytes Fizz is made with all natural ingredients and has no toxic ingredients which are commonly found in other popular effervescent electrolyte tablets.  See the chart below for specific differences between Endurolytes and Endurolytes Fizz.

What’s the difference?
Endurolytes vs. Endurolytes Fizz

1) It was necessary to use bicarbonate forms of sodium and potassium—and more total sodium in Endurolytes Fizz than in Endurolytes capsules/powder—in order to achieve the desired effervescent properties.

2) Because more sodium (via sodium bicarbonate) is necessary in Endurolytes Fizz, the formula required slightly less chloride. However, the net total of both of those mineral components combined is extremely close, with only a 30 mg difference between the two products – one Endurolytes capsule/scoop of powder contains a total of 100 mg of sodium and chloride combined, and one-half of an Endurolytes Fizz tablet contains a total of 130 mg of sodium and chloride combined.

3) Endurolytes Fizz contains magnesium in the oxide form, calcium in the carbonate form (as well as the chloride form), and manganese in the gluconate form, whereas Endurolytes in capsule/powder forms use amino acid chelate forms. These specific forms of minerals were chosen for Endurolytes Fizz because these particular chelating agents do not inhibit the effervescent reaction process, and in some cases aid in the process. Conversely, an amino acid chelate (as is used in Endurolytes capsules and Endurolytes Powder) would severely inhibit and perhaps even halt the process. 

4) The amounts of potassium are higher in one-half tablet of Endurolytes Fizz (50 mg) than in one Endurolytes capsule/scoop of powder (25 mg). As mentioned in #1, the formula required more bicarbonates in order to achieve the desired effervescent properties while also helping to maintain a fairly close sodium-to-potassium ratio (62.5% in Endurolytes capsules, and 50% in Endurolytes Fizz).

Endurolytes Capsules Supplement Facts
Serving Size 1 capsule
	Amount Per Serving	%DV
Sodium (as Sodium Chloride)	40mg	2%
Chloride (as Sodium Chloride)	60mg	2%
Calcium (as Chelate)	50mg	5%
Magnesium (as Chelate)	25mg	6%
Potassium (as Chelate)	25mg	1%
Vitamin B-6 (as Pyridoxine HCL)	6.6mg	330%
Manganese (as Chelate)	1.6mg	80%
L-Tyrosine	50mg	†
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. † Daily Value not established.
Other Ingredients: Rice Flour, Dicalcium Phosphate, Vegetable Capsules (plant cellulose and water), and Magnesium Stearate.

Endurolytes Fizz Lemon-Lime Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 tablet (4.1g)
	Amount Per Serving	%DV
Calories	10
Total Carbohydrate	<1g	<1%
Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride)	13mg	650%
Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Chloride)	100mg	10%
Magnesium (as Magnesium Oxide)	50mg	13%
Manganese (as Manganese Gluconate)	3mg	150%
Chloride (as Calcium Chloride)	60mg	2%
Sodium (as Sodium Bicarbonate)	200mg	8%
Potassium (as Potassium Bicarbonate)	100mg	3%
Tyrosine (as L-Tyrosine)	100mg	†
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. † Daily Value not established.
Other Ingredients: Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Sorbitol, Stevia, Wheat Germ Oil*.
*Patent Pending

Uses

Using any of the three forms of Endurolytes depends greatly on your personal needs for electrolyte replenishment.  Hammer Nutrition does offer a sports drink that has a full spectrum of electrolytes along with 100 calories per serving.  A single serving of Heed contains approximately a half tablet of Fizz (1 capsule of Endurolytes).  Specifically, Endurolytes should be taken as needed, but primarily when:

1. Exercise last for more than 2 hours, regardless of temperature or humidity.
2. Exercise lasts less than 2 hours and: 
1. Temperatures are above 80 degrees and/or 70% humidity or 
2. Temperatures and/or humidity are over 10 degrees from your normal range of what you are accustom to.

Personally, I use Endurolytes capsules during anything longer than 2-2.5 hours, such as a marathon, long training runs, Half Iron and Full Iron distance races.  I opt to use Endurolytes Fizz during shorter more intense races or training sessions where hydration is more important than refueling with calories (such as 1-2 hour indoor workouts).  I would encourage folks to look at replacing their chemical filled sports drinks (Gatorade, Powerade, etc), a simple Hammer Endurolytes Fizz Tablet - especially when calorie replacement is not necessary.  I personally feel that these companies have forced the idea that any exercise (no matter the duration) requires calorie and electrolyte replacement.  And to be honest, that couldn't be further from the truth!

Hammer also carries capsule dispensers for a mere $0.75, which are highly recommended for carrying your Endurolytes during your training and racing.

Suggested Dosing

As I mentioned above, each individual athlete needs to experiment with different levels of electrolytes during training and racing and in different environmental conditions to find the perfect dosing for their individual needs.  During Ironman Wisconsin, where I had mild temperatures (70's), I added a single tablet of Endurolytes Fizz to my water bottle every hour during the bike and transitioned to 2-3 capsules of Endurolytes during the run.  With that being said, below are some basic guidelines to get you started in the right direction.

Capsule Usage Instructions

• Lighter weight athletes: 1-2 capsules per hour
• Medium weight athletes: 2-3 capsules per hour
• Larger athletes: 4-6 capsules per hour

Powder Mixing/Usage Instructions

• Lighter weight athletes: 1-2 scoops per hour
• Medium weight athletes: 2-3 scoops per hour
• Larger athletes: 4-6 scoops per hour
• Please note that taste issues may limit you to 1-3 scoops per hour.  If conditions warrant additional dosing, capsules should be used/considered.

Fizz Mixing/Usage Instructions

• Lighter weight athletes: 0.5-1 tablets per hour
• Medium weight athletes: 1-1.5 tablets per hour
• Larger athletes: 2-3 tablets per hour

Notes:

Endurolytes DOES NOT prevent heat stroke, hyponatremia, or any other dangerous physical condition resulting from overexertion in the heat.

Body weight, level of fitness, weather conditions, acclimatization level, and biological predisposition all greatly affect electrolyte depletion so you must do your own trials with Endurolytes dosing, under a variety of conditions, to determine individual requirements.

At 10 calories per tablet, Endurolytes Fizz is not a source of calories.

Special Note: 

The amount of salt (sodium chloride) you habitually consume in your daily diet largely determines the amount of salt, and therefore Endurolytes, you will need to consume during exercise and races. The higher your dietary sodium intake, the more Endurolytes you will need to take. In extreme cases, this may be far more than the dosages indicated above.

Resources

1. Hammer Nutrition Catalog
2. www.HammerNutrition.com
3. Hammer Nutrition Product Usage Manual
4. The Hammer Nutrition Fuels & Supplements Guide
5. The Endurance Athlete's Guide to Success

The Whole30: Final Overview

February 18th was my final day on the Whole30.  My 30 day adventure (or how ever you want to phrase it) began on January 20th.  I had no idea what to expect.  Would it be hard?  Would I struggle? Would I really feel any different?  Would I even make it the full 30 days?  When I started, I was at a point in my life where my eating habits were progressively getting worse and worse.  I found myself binge eating foods that I have had no issues saying "no" to.  I was drinking more beer then I have in the past and just found myself in a downward spiral of uncontrollable cravings that I would regularly give in to.  I had lost all my self control and discipline when it came to food and diet.  My weight had exceeded 180 pounds, which for me was well above even my high end of where I wanted to be.  I needed to do something.  I knew that I had to do something or I'd continue going the wrong direction.  I had tried simply cutting the amount of food I would consume during meals, but then would find myself eating between meals or before meals to satisfy my hunger.  I also knew that working third shift had a significant impact on my eating habits and knew going in that I would need some flexibility in what ever diet/program I decide to attempt.  That's is when I pulled up the Whole30 and read up on it.  I remember hearing about the W30 from a gal at work who attempted it last year, but I never really dove into exactly what it was about.  So, I did some reading and figured I would give it a try.  It sounded simple in terms of rules and the format.  While at the same time, sounded pretty challenging, in terms of actually accomplishing the Whole30 for the full 30 day period.  Basically, you eliminate all added sugars, artificial sweeteners, sugars, grains, dairy, legumes, and white potatoes from your diet and rely solely on veggies, fruit, and high quality meats.  Again, simply, yet challenging.  And hell, I like a good challenge.  I was asked quite frequently, why I chose to do this Whole30 when I really don't need to lose any weight.  Well, first my main reasons for doing the W30 were not weight loss, as I just explained, but I knew that would also happen and I would definitely welcome the weight loss.  I weighed myself at the start of my W30 and was 184.4 pounds.  The first thing I did the morning after day 30 was jump on the same scale.  I weighed 172 pounds.  I lost 12 pounds on the Whole30!  I was happy, and definitely can tell I had lost some body fat over the past 30 days.  

The final 9 days (days 22-30) were actually the easiest of the days.  It hit me on day 22 or 23 that I really feel better, or so I thought.  During the final week and 2 days of my W30, my work schedule had changed a bit.  I was scheduled to train our department on our new CAD system for our in squad computers, and was assigned to "normal" work hours of 8-5.  It was great, I was sleeping at night, going to bed early and getting up earlier for morning workouts before leaving for work.  I felt great during my workouts and never really felt sore or tired throughout the day while at work.  I was getting up before 5am and usually working out before 5:45am.  It was during this week that I reintroduced caffeinated coffee to my diet after abstaining from caffeine for 3 full weeks.  I have only been making my own partially caffeinated coffee by using one scoop of decaf with 2 scoops of regular coffee in my morning coffee.  I would drink a small cup of coffee on my way to the gym in the morning and then would not eat until while on my way into work.  I made a simple breakfast of diced sweet potato and diced apple sauteed in a small amount of clarified butter topped with unsweetened coconut flakes and cinnamon.  This has become one of my favorite simple meals for post workout.  I would also have a couple of hard boiled eggs as a source of protein.  I stayed satiated without cravings until lunch which I would eat around 12:30.  I packed my own lunch of a salad, sardines, and some veggies.  I would then have a simple afternoon snack of nuts and a piece of fruit (either grapefruit or a kiwi).  At night we would have dinners as a family and then I would do the same thing the very next day.  We had some of my favorite meals during this past phase of the W30; some of which include, Mocha Rubbed Beef Roast, Chicken Bacon Mushroom Quiche, Zucchini Noodles with Pesto topped with Baked Spiced Chicken, Crab Cakes, and a Slow Cooker Whole Chicken.  I even took the time to make my own mayonnaise, almond butter, and ketchup.  

Delaney helping make the pesto sauce

On Tuesday, we went out to dinner with my in-laws for my Father-in-Law's birthday.  I chose to order their Liver and Onions, something that I had not had in years.  It was surprisingly good and a successful W30 meal....a win-win!  The hardest moment came on Valentine's Day, Day 26 of my W30.  I was damn close to just saying 26 is close enough, I am not going to let my W30 ruin my Valentine's Day.  Sarah and I had made plans to go out for dinner with our good friends, Pat and Melissa for a couple's date.  We went to a high end Latin restaurant- Osorio's Latin Fusion.  I read each individual menu item and chose to order the Baked Sea Bass topped with a lime, cucumber, cilantro sauce, with two sides.  I chose to order their vegetable medley and a salad for my two sides.  My salad came which was fine, I ordered it with out cheese and no croutons.  Then my meal came, it looked soooooooo good, it smelled amazing.  The fish was flaky and done perfectly, but it was topped with a cream sauce, obviously made with dairy.  The veggies, were a Mexican/Latin inspired veggie mix with spinach, beans, corn, and cheese - basically a lot of things I can't eat.  I sat there and just stared at my dinner, trying to decide what to do.  Do I just not eat it and get it to-go and then eat it after my W30 is done?  Do I say screw it, and just eat it.  Luckily, Melissa ordered fajitas, which came in a large lava rock bowl and consisted of just meat, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and seasonings.  She offered her dinner to me, which I gladly accepted.  I gave her my fish and veggies and I just ate the meat and vegetable portion of her fajitas.  Yup, I did that, part of me thought, how pathetic, while the other part of me thought, nice work, you're still going strong and only have a few more days left.

The last couple days came and went and I had continued to feel pretty damn good.  I am curious however what was causing me to feel noticeably better.  It is either one of three things or a combination of the following.  1. It quite possibly could be my very strict diet I had been following with the W30 guidelines.  2.  I had started supplementing with several of Hammer Nutrition's top daily essential supplements specifically formulated for endurance athletes.  3.  It very well could have been the fact that I was on a normal sleep pattern for the first time in a long while.  My personal feelings are that it was ultimately a combination of all three things.  There is no way I would just look past how clean I had been eating over the past 30 days.  But at the same time, Hammer's essential supplements are highly engineered and formulated to allow athletes to better recover and perform at a higher level more frequently with less built up fatigue.  Even with those two significant facts, having the ability to sleep at night and live a normal life for more then just a day or two, no doubt, had a positive effect on my body, recovery, and mood.

Maya at Gymnastics class.

My training had continued to progress nicely over throughout this past 9-10 days.  The past week, I had a total training volume of over 10 hours.  My running is back to a high level.  During this past week were I had a total volume over 10 hours, I ran a total of over 46 miles.  I ran 8 miles twice during the mid week and then had two key workouts on the weekend.  With my sights firmly set on running 30 miles on my 30th birthday, I had planned a back-to-back long run on Saturday and Sunday.  On my training plan I had a 12-16 mile run on Saturday with a 10-12 mile run on Sunday.  I did my run outside on Saturday and felt so good, I opted to run 17 total miles on Saturday.  After my run, I felt fantastic.  I was not sore (relatively speaking) and was moving great.  Sunday I woke up feeling pretty good.  My quads were a little sore, but more of a fatigue-based soreness as opposed to a painful-soreness.  We got a decent about of snow over night and chose to run indoors at the YMCA on a treadmill.  I again felt pretty darn good and ran a total of 13 miles on Sunday for a total of 30 miles covered in two days.  I was thrilled with how I ran and how I felt during and after both runs.  I left that weekend feeling confident for my 30 mile run which was now just two weeks away.  My plan is now to complete a 20 mile long run this upcoming Sunday to work on my fueling strategy and then cut my mileage and rest the next week before running a 3 mile loop 10 times for 30 miles on my 30th birthday, March 2nd.  After running my 30 mile long run, I will begin focusing my efforts on running the Green Bay Marathon in under 3 hours.  I am extremely excited and confident right now and am feeling motivated again, especially coming off my shin/calf injury last month.  I have been in a great mood lately, similar to how I felt throughout most of last year as I trained for Ironman Wisconsin.  At times, I feel that I am setting myself up for more success then I had last year.  I feel this way mainly because I think my extended rest period I took immediately after finishing the Ironman and even the extra break I took following the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving.  I also can't look past the 3 week hiatus I took from running in January.  I just need to be careful not to get overly ambitious and end up pushing myself too hard/far too fast.  I have taken the mindset to listen to my body better and pay attention to any possible signs of injury or fatigue and have been using that as a way for me to formulate a day-to-day training plan as I build up to my 30 mile run on March 2nd.

Delaney and I at my cousins hockey game.

All that is left at this point is to figure out where do I go from here in regards to my diet and nutritional decisions.  I have just spent the past 30 days eating extremely strict.  I would read nutritional labels closer than I ever had and simply said "no" to so many foods that I regular consume without ever thinking otherwise.  So now what the hell do I do?  Do, I reward myself for doing a good job and eat food that I had wanted to eat the past 30 days but didn't allow myself to?  Do I continue to eat this way with out the same level of paranoia and allow for slips and a few non-Whole30 approved foods?  Or do I slowing reintroduce specific food groups and see how my body reacts to that specific food to see if I have a reaction or intolerance to specific food groups (gluten, oats, dairy, legumes, etc).  I will tell you that on my 1st day off the Whole30, was already a pretty busy day as I had SWAT training from 8a-4p and then I had to work third shift that night from 10p-6a, so I had little room for snacking or treats.  I woke up Wednesday morning at 5am to go to the YMCA and run.  I ran a solid 9 miles and made myself a small bowl of oatmeal (one thing I REALLY wanted throughout my W30).  I made it was whole oats, full fat coconut milk, banana, almond butter, chia seeds, wheat germ, and unsweetened coconut flakes.  I also had two hard boiled eggs.  I then attended our SWAT training which we worked through lunch and did not eat lunch until close to 2:30p.  I never once had any noticeable stomach pains or issues and never felt hungry or low on energy.  For lunch I ordered a Greek Salad which had feta cheese, kalmata olives, artichoke hearts, and a vinaigrette dressing with two pieces of pita bread (2 things I was not allowed to eat while on the W30).  After getting home from training I had a clementine orange at home and a small partial handful of a trail mix (nuts, raisins, and m&ms) and then went to bed and slept from 5-9.  Before leaving for work I ate a slice of my left over Quiche, another small portion of trail mix and then I dipped some banana chips in peanut butter.  Again, more food that are not that inherently unhealthy, but definitely do not live up to W30 standards.  Honestly, up to this point I have not felt any different in the 24+ hours after finishing my W30.  I have had the same energy levels, same cravings, same hunger pangs, and same overall feeling.  Personally I am going to continue to eat with an awareness of what I am putting in my body but will definitely eat some non-Whole30 approved foods (peanut butter, some foods with small amounts of added sugar (pickles), and high quality breads).  I will monitor how my body reacts to these foods and make note of specific food that cause my digestive system issues/discomfort.  I will continue to eat freely for the next week or two, at least through my birthday.  I will not restrict myself the weekend of my birthday and eat freely that weekend and have some beer as well.  After that weekend I think I may try another diet experience to see how my body reacts to a different diet philosophy.  I think I will follow a diet recommended by my sponsor Hammer Nutrition.  Their diet is basically the exact opposite of the Whole30's diet philosophies.  Hammer's diet recommendations are more plant/grain based as opposed to meat/vegetable based.  Hammer recommends that you minimally eat meat, once a week at most.  And focus on fruits, vegetables, and grains as the main staples for your diet.  I would still limit if not continue to avoid any added sugars and artificial sweeteners in foods.  But not nearly as strict as I have been.  I will start using fuels and supplements which I had avoided the past 30 days due to the added sugars in them.  I will continue to avoid junk food and limit between meal snacking.  This will be a dramatic switch in my nutrient breakdown from a higher fat higher protein lower carb diet to a high carb, moderate fat, low protein diet.  I will follow this protocol for 30 days and see how my body reacts.  I will compare my body weight, overall feeling of health, recovery, sleep, and overall mood over those 30 days and compare them to how my 30 days of following the W30 protocol to see which style of diet is better suited for my body.  I have attached the PDF file of a simple breakdown of how I plan on eating while following the recommendations set forth by Hammer Nutrition.  I am really curious to see how my body reacts.  I really think it won't have a large impact on my body as I feel I have a rather strong stomach and have had very little issues with my digestive system when I eat highly nutritious foods including gluten, grains, dairy, and other typically sensitive foods....but there is only one way to really find out and that's to experiment, which is exactly what I intend to do.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE HAMMER NUTRITON PHYTOLEAN NUTRITION PLAN FROM HAMMER NUTRITION'S PUBLICATION "ENDURANCE NEWS ISSUE #88"

Whole30 Update: Week 3

And I'm on the home stretch!  3 weeks down and just a little over 1 more week to go.  Day's 15-21 were without a doubt, the worst days of this journey to date.  They sucked.  They were hell.  They were miserable.  I want my homemade oatmeal.  I want some yogurt.  I want a cookie.  I want a bar.  I want a beer.  I want something other than eggs, sardines, and salads.  I brought up The Whole30 Timeline in last weeks update and will do the same this week.  Per the timeline the third week falls between Boundless Energy -Now Give Me a Damn Twinkie and Tiger Blood.  First, during days 12-15 they say that typically cravings come back, stronger then ever.  Then, from 16-27 it's said that these are the days that you do this program for.  Typically these are the days were you feel great, you thrive on the program.  To quote the Boundless Energy Phase (days 12-15):

"All joking aside, though, this phase gets really intense and for some people. This is the part of the program where our minds try to drive us back to the comfort of the foods we used to know. Our food relationships are deeply rooted and strongly reinforced throughout the course of our lives and breaking through them is really big deal. Journaling can be especially enlightening and helpful during this phase, and helpful for reflection later. Take some time to jot down what you’re craving, how you’re feeling and what tools you’re using to work through the cravings."

That pretty much sums up my past week.  That with a combination of a typical early phase (days 10-11 - "The Hardest Days").  During this phase typically, this is where you really start to experience the true psychological hold that your food habits have on you.

I don't know what it was about the past 7 days, but I really started to question this whole "Whole30" thing all together.  I mean, do I REALLY feel better?  Did I REALLY eat all that bad before starting this?

Monday was a breeze as I still was in my little mid-week work routine.  It has been that any day/night that I have had to work, I have been able to stay busy enough with my life to not have any meaningless cravings.  But Tuesday was the start of one hellish week.  Tuesday was my first day off and I started the day with a nice long swim (3,500 meters).  I came home and ate a couple of our leftovers from the previous week as my post workout snack.  I caught about an hour or so nap and then was back up into a long rest of the day running on little to no sleep, just trying to make it to 8:30pm to go to bed and crash.  But, as I mentioned in last week's update, my sleep deprived turn-around days are the worst mentally for cravings and just feeling hungry all day.  Again, I went throughout the day with moderate snacking, but mainly all vegetables just to try over my mental hunger until dinner.  On Wednesday, I had one of our regular standby dinners, (even before I started the W30) of spaghetti squash with seasoned chicken breasts, all topped with pasta sauce.  I even went out and bought pasta sauce that was all natural with no added sugars, sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners.  So, as I was putting our dinner together I grabbed the sauce from the fridge and on a random whim, I checked the ingredient list, just to double check.  Sure as shit, I grabbed the wrong pasta sauce.  Ahhhhh!  I was so frustrated!  I had already assembled all the dishes and topped them all with the sauce.  One of the dinners I had been looking forward to has now become uneatable for me.....juuuust grrrrreat.  So instead of a nice salad and dinner, I just topped my salad with some tuna and ate my salad.

This leads me to my first gripe - what the hell is it with all the f-ing added sugars in just about EVERYTHING?!?!  If you haven't ever looked, next time you go grocery shopping just try and buy something with no added sugars.  Yup, that means, you'll have to actually turn your product around and see what exactly you are putting in your bodies.  If you see Sugar, Dextrose, Maltodextrin, Fructose, Glucose, basically anything that ends with "ose" - it's off limits - Good luck!  Sure, I knew that your typical products such as cereals, breads, prepackaged oatmeals, bars, etc all had added sugar, no surprise there.  But, now, I'm looking for atypical stuff, such as seasoning blends (all have sugar), "all natural bacon" (has sugar), many beef and chicken products (have sugar), literally damn near EVERTHING has some form of sugar somewhere in the ingredients.  Why you ask?  Well, to feed our culture's sugar addiction.  If you didn't think sugar was addictive, here is your proof.  Food companies add sugars to their products, no only to make it more palatable, but also to create that endorphin release that causes things to becoming highly addictive.  So, like I said, good luck finding anything that doesn't have any added sugar.  And then, when you do find something with no added sugar, you end up seeing that it is loaded with preservatives or artificial sweeteners.  So FRUSTRATING!

Eventually I got over the fact that I screwed up my dinner that night and just looked forward to Thursday night's dinner.  My brother-in-law recently was hired at a new job and to celebrate we planned on getting together for a celebratory dinner at my favorite restaurant, Stone Cellar Brewpub.  I knew going into this that, one, it would be a test for me mentally to be in that setting with some of the best beer and damn good food and not be able to order any of it.  And, two, that if there was any one place in the Fox Valley, that would have numerous choices that would meet the W30 criteria, it would be Stone Cellar, who is known for locally grown, minimally processed, local grass-fed beef, and mostly organic food choices.  I had scoped out Stone Cellar's menu that morning to get an idea of what I might be able to order and had it narrowed down to a couple choices.  Once at the Brewpub, all I wanted as a beer and to be able to just order something without having to worry what it was made with.  I was officially starting to get extremely frustrated with the W30 style of living.  It was a minor state of paranoia - always reading ingredients, always checking what you order, asking family what they will be having for dinner in advance.  Yea, it was getting old.  On top of that frustration, Thursday was bill paying day for us and as usual, we hadn't done nearly as well as we had hoped, which added an additional stress on myself and Sarah.  So, here I am, going to literally, my favorite bar/restaurant with my family, worried/concerned/stressed about our family finances, and now I'm pissed that I can't just order fish tacos, with their 6 Grain Pale Ale, or their limited edition 666 Grain Pale Ale.  Plus, we all ordered two appetizers of spinach and artichoke dip along with a pub basket.  Now, normally I don't go crazy with all the deep fried goodies that come in the pub basket, but seriously, all I wanted was a cheese curd, or a kettle chip.  It was seriously hell.  I ended up ordering their grilled sirloin with a side of sweet potato fries, which came with a house salad and balsamic vinaigrette.  Don't get me wrong, the food I had ordered was absolutely delicious, once I ate, I was satisfied with my choice, but still wish I had just 1 cold beer to wash it down with.  For the first time since starting, I was seriously contemplating just giving up on the W30 and just getting a beer and ordering what I really wanted, not what I should want.

This led me to my second gripe - Is this Whole30 thing, really making a difference - I mean, now that I have been doing this for 18 or so days, is it REALLY that different from how I was eating?  Sure, I did have an unhealthy relationship with sweets, I will certainly cop to that.  But, to say that I ate unhealthy, would just be foolish.  My downfall came when I would succumb to my cravings.  Not only would I give in and have a treat, but I would not know when to stop.  But, is this Whole30 thing going to fix that?  Or is that something that I will just need to get a grasp on and just stop allowing myself to not be a better athlete?  Then, I began thinking of foods like oatmeal, my whole fat plain unsweetened greek yogurt, and other minimally (if at all) sweetened health foods that were deemed unhealthy by the fricken "Whole30 Food Gods."  And, what I really feeling better?  Can I even tell a difference from a month ago?  To be honest, other than not overeating and that "stuffed" feeling you get from just stuffing your face, no, I felt pretty much the same.  As far as my gut and digestive health - that might be the one difference.  Previous to starting the W30, I usually went to the bathroom once a day or so.  Now, it's more like once every 3-4 days.  Yea, not sure about that, but what ever.

After leaving Stone Cellar, I was feeling better, knowing that I had made the right choice not to scrap all my progress.  I started this thing for a reason.  I started it for me, to learn about my relationship with food and to hopefully develop some new healthier relationships with my food.  I was on day 18 of 30, over half way.  I knew that I would hate myself and truly regret giving up, so I was, in the end, happy with my choice, no matter how frustrated I was at the time.

Friday was another similar day to Thursday evening.  We had SWAT training during the day and then I was off Friday night.  We always go out for lunch on SWAT training days, and on this day, it was decided we would go to Red Robin for lunch.  So, once again, I was left to scour the menu for a W30 approved dish.  There was not one single meal that I could order outside of getting a chicken sandwich with nothing on it wrapped in lettuce as opposed to a bun.  Sounds like an expensive salad right?  I just went with their plain chicken salad with no cheese or croutons.  It wasn't bad actually. It was simple and tasty.

The remainder of the week came and went with much of the same issues as previous weeks, dealing with hunger pangs from higher than "normal" training volumes (in comparison to majority of folks who do the W30) and random snacking throughout the days.  The past week I had a total training volume of over 9 hours (about 1:20 average per day).  I had quite a lot of almond butter this week, more then I probably should have.  It was my "coping" treat.  I was eating it as opposed to my typical chocolate or baked treats.  I was eating it either on celery or on a banana.  But, man, I'm freakin hungry!

My training has finally found a consistent routine.  I ran 10 miles on Wednesday and did 7 of those miles in my Newtons.  I had to stop at home after 7 and swap out shoes because I could feel my calf getting tight.  I realized that I need to ease into my Newtons due their their lower heel drop in comparison to what I have grown accustomed to with my previous shoes.  For example, my New Balance 890 V3's have a 7mm heel drop (28mm heel height and 21mm toe height), while my Newtons have a heel drop of 5mm (28 heel height and 23mm toe height).  Sure, that's only a difference of 3mm, but you couple that with the dynamic shift in a full foot, foot strike to a exaggerated forefoot striking shoe such as the Newton, it will put more stress on your calf muscles.  The final 3 miles of my 10 mile run felt good in my old pair of NB 890's that I wore at Ironman.  I took a couple days off between my 10 mile run and my next run.  I filled those two days with a swim along with a 2:00 ride on my indoor cycle.  Saturday, I was nervous to go back to running.  During those two days away from running, all I could feel was my calf/shin, and I thought for sure I would be stopped almost immediately after starting to run.  I went to the YMCA Saturday morning to do an indoor brick.  I rode on their indoor cycle for an hour and then jumped on a treadmill with hopes of running 6 miles.  I started running at a conservative pace and then just kept going.  My calf was never an issue.  It felt normal the entire time.  In fact, I felt so good, I decided to stay on the tread for a couple additional miles, for a total of 8.  With a good volume of training already in my log book, I opted to cut Sunday's workout a little shorter and just focus on recovery.  I jumped on my indoor bike after getting home from work and just rode super easy for 30 minutes just to move my legs.  It felt good.

Maya got a much needed haircut this week!

The final 9 days of my W30 will be the real test.  I am working day hours Monday through Thursday and will be working out in the morning before work.  I think those 4 days will be relatively easy to get through as I will be so busy to just get home and then cook dinner, prepare for the next day, and then get to bed early enough to get up early enough to get a decent workout in before work.  Friday I am off from work, but we are getting together with Pat and Melissa for a couples Valentine's Day dinner at a new local up scale Latin Restaurant.  So, yet again, I will test myself (on day 26 - so close!) with no beer and having a very limited menu to choose from.

The good news, is that as of today, I have made it a full 3 weeks with absolutely NO CAFFEINE!  I will start back up again with regular coffee and green teas starting Monday.  I will mix my coffee 2:1 with decaf coffee just to keep my caffeine consumption down from what I was at previously.  I am just looking forward do drinking regular coffee again!  :)

Whole30 Update: Week 2

14 of 30 days are done.  And today is in fact the half way point.  When I first started the W30, everything I read talked about how it was only 30 days, or just 30 days.  I thought to myself, sure, it is just 30 days, but that's still 30 days, over 4 weeks, a full month - they only say that it's just 30 days to make it sound easy.  But here I am, nearly half way through my 30 day journey.  According to a post on the Whole30 Blog titled, The Whole30 Timeline, week 2 consists of "Days 8-9: My Pants are TIGHTER?!," "Days 10-11:The Hardest Days," and "Days 12-15: Boundless Energy."  I have pretty much followed this timeline pretty closely.  I wouldn't say I ever felt as though my close were tighter, leading me to believe I gain weight.  Most of the time to this point, I have felt about the same or slightly thinner, never heavier, or thicker.  To be honest though, I hadn't really had a feeling of this process being difficult.  It has been a big change in my eating habits, no doubt.  But for the most part, I have eaten similar to this, just with more snacking.  Basically, The only change I have made during these past 14 days has been eliminating my excessive snacking.  Yes, I have eliminated many of my regular foods, including yogurt, rice, oatmeal, peanut butter, and bread.  But like I said, the biggest change has been my elimination of excessive snacking of junk food.  I hadn't really had any cravings....until day 13 or 14.

During days 10-12 I began to have thoughts about comfort foods or foods like I can't eat...and shouldn't eat, such as cake, cookies, ice cream, and pizza.  It wasn't ever a craving or a thought of, "Oh, I just have to have _________!"  It was more of a generalized thought of, "If I stick with this style diet after the 30 days, I will never have _________ again. <sigh>"  I truly think the whole reason I have been thinking like this is the idea of falling back to my poor relationship with junk food; where I start eating some junk food with an acceptable portion, but then end up going back for seconds....then thirds....then - oh wait, I just ate it all....  Let me tell you, I do NOT want to fall back into that cycle.  I won't fall back into that cycle.  

Even now, with 14 days under my belt, I am still trying to figure out the right strategy to eat right while working 3rd shift.  As if figuring out the right sleeping pattern isn't challenging enough, now I have to find how to eat right without overeating and leaving myself craving junk food?  I heard on The Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast, that sleep deprivation can produce false signals in your brain telling you to eat more, on top of that, sleep deprivation induces cravings for sweets and sugars.  You want to talk about stacking the deck against you.  Working 3rd shift leaves you tired on most days, especially on my first days on or off (turn-around days).  So now, besides, being tired, cranky, and lethargic, now I have to deal with cravings and hunger-pangs.  I have been handling this by drinking tea and water.  

Kombucha...with chia seeds....Brilliant!!

Last week I discussed needing to decrease the amount of fruit I was eating on a daily basis.  To help with this, I purchased less sugary fruits when I went grocery shopping, picking up kiwis and grapefruits.  I have cut back the amount of fruit I have been eating considerably, down to just 1-2 pieces.  For the most part, my eating has been very good.  I never really over ate during any one meal. My pre and post workout meals have been going good.  I have been eating some nuts with a small fruit about 1-2 hours prior to my morning workouts when I work.  On days when I worked the night before working out, I will just have a can of coconut water to replenish and rehydrate.  During my off days this week, I had some combination of sweet potatoes and eggs.  If there was one thing I need to focus on for the final half of my W30, it would be my between meal snacks.  I have been snacking pretty regularly, but still on healthy vegetables and nuts.  I think to stay in spirit of the W30 program, I need to cut out all between meal snacking and focus solely on the main meals throughout the day.  I still plan on eating a couple of smaller meals during my night shifts at work, just to better handle the unknown factor with my job.  I just never know when or sometimes even if I will be able to eat.  What I do know is just eat a small meal of sardines and veggies earlier during the shift and then some nuts and a small piece of fruit later for my pre workout meal.  Most of those foods are easily eating on the go, which is perfect.  

A new staple in our home, 100% Organic Grassfed Beef

This past week, we have had some more really good Whole30 approved meals.  On Tuesday, I made a crock pot chili which was easy and very good.  Wednesday was my first night back at work, plus I had training for most of the day from 8-4pm.  I did have a decent break between a morning session and my afternoon session and took advantage by going for a quick run during my lunch break.  For food, I packed a salad topped with salmon along with some vegetables.  It really wasn't too difficult and tasted really good.  After training I went home and grabbed a couple hours of sleep before returning to work for my first night back.  Wednesday, I tried something new, with making blueberry turkey breakfast patties.  Surprisingly they were a hit.  We did a breakfast theme dinner and fired up some potatoes for the girls and had pancakes, while I had a small sweet potato.  On Friday, we had one of my favorite simple meals of fried butternut squash with quartered Brussels sprouts.  Saturday I had picked up overtime and went in early to work and just packed a salad and chili left overs for my dinner and then my regular work lunch for the remainder of my shift.  For Super Bowl Sunday, I kind of fell off the wagon, but still stayed true to the Whole30.  I baked a filet of cod topped with salsa for dinner, and steamed green beans for a side.  I also finished the little remains of the chili left overs and then went on to the squash and Brussels sprouts left overs.  I didn't stop there though, I had a banana with almond butter for a dessert, and started getting the same cravings I used to get before starting the Whole30, where I would go dive into the candy jar and finish anything and everything I wanted.  I resisted the temptation to quit the W30, and just had a second banana with almond butter.  This was the first actual thought I had of just scrapping the entire Whole30 thing and just eating some Rolo's my wife has sitting in the pantry, or a granola bar, or some Scooby Snack graham crackers.  I wanted to eat the junk food that previously controlled my eating.  After eating so much food, I still wanted to eat some treats.  I ate a small clementine orange then a kid's sized box of raisins.  Yes, I realize that this was way to much food and was completely NOT what I should have done.  But at least, I am still on track to finish my W30 and didn't jump off.

I have been getting used to not consuming any caffeine, almost to the point were I am considering staying caffeine free for the remaining 16 days.  My plan as of today, is to stay caffeine free until Saturday, day 20, and my first night back to 3rd shift.  My thought is that not only will I limit the amount of coffee I drink at any one time, but also start mixing decaf with caffeinated coffee to blend my own half-caf coffee.

First run in my Newton Gravity's

My training has been going surprisingly well.  The past two weeks my training has been right at 9 hours per week.  I have been in the pool quite a bit and on a bike more then usual.  My running is slowing building back up.  After first returning back to running last week Sunday, I followed it up with a 5 mile run on Wednesday, a 3 mile brick run on Friday, and then another 5 mile run on Sunday.  I am starting to put together a plan to get me back on track to run 30 miles on my 30th birthday March 2nd.  On Monday, I plan on biking for an hour and then running 3 miles immediately after.  My thoughts are, that I have two tests to determine if I am able to dive head first back into running.  1 - running frequency and 2 - running volume.  For frequency, I started first with taking a 2 day break between my first and second run, followed by 2 day break between the next couple runs.  Now, I am running on back to back days, from Sunday to Monday.  With my volume, that will be a little more tricky to figure out.  Because, with volume, you need to consider proper rest between runs following more damage to my legs.  I plan on trying an 8-10 mile run on either Wednesday or Thursday.  Based on both, how my shin feels during that run and how my legs feel the day or two following that run, I will play it by ear when my next run is.  My fear right now is that I either re-aggravate my shin injury, or worse, produce a new running related injury from rushing back too quick.  It's really tricky for me, who just wants to plan everything.  I need to know what I am doing next week.  I need to know where I am going.  But, realistically, I need to really listen to my body until I can run consistently without any issues.  Once I reach that point, I can start putting together a training plan.  I have the knowledge to train on the fly and do it smart, it just makes it that much more challenging.  It's hard enough planning out 3 months worth of training on a blank calendar, not to mention basing the next day's training schedule on the how the previous day went, all while keeping the following day and the next race in mind.  

Running out of room to put the snow!

Maya got to play while Daddy worked

Week 3 of my Whole30 looks like it will resemble more of a "normal" human's schedule.  Tuesday-Thursday are my scheduled off days and then Friday I have SWAT training from 8-4pm which means I am off that night from 3rd shift.  I then work 3rd shift on Saturday, only to have Sunday off for more training.  I am going to focus more on decreasing, if not eliminating, my snacking and focus on eating during main meals only.  I think this week will be the hardest week of the W30.  I have a feeling I will be most tempted to abandon ship during the next 7-10 days, but if I can stay focused, the last 7-10 days will fly by.