Tough Mudder aka...Hah! We fooled you!

Jason and my Tough Mudder experience started last August when he heard about the race. He showed me the videos and pictures as a joke and I thought that it would be fun to do. Fast forward till today and all of the excitement came to fruition.

We left our place way too early and made it to the raceway while it was still dark. We had an hour or so to roam the main area, stretched and admired everyone's costumes. The race started out mild enough, we had a short run and then we had to go into a pond and duck our heads under the barrels that were floating. The obstacle itself wasn't bad because the water wasn't as cold as I thought and I'm a good swimmer. The only issue was that there was someone in front of me that wasn't going under so Jason and I ended up treading water for awhile. There were a whole bunch of obstacles and we got to the point that Jason and I lost track of them.

The easier obstacles were in the beginning of the race and they got harder as we went on. However, everybody helped everyone else and it was actually quite fun. I wasn't expecting so much mud though. I know that it was a mud run, but it seemed like once the mud was drying off, they made us go into some ore mud. My shoes were not up to par, which made it harder and I ended up getting rocks un my shoes every time there was mud and then I slipped and slid for at least 100 yards afterwards. I was actually having lots of fun!

However, towards the middle of the race, my legs started cramping up. I would occasionally stop to stretch and be good to go. Jason and I actually brought a camelbak and some larabars for snacks and they were very helpful. Unfortunately, around mile 8 or 9, my legs cramped up majorly and I almost thought that I was going to have to give up. I did appreciate how everyone that passed me asked if I was ok and volunteered to get the medics. Jason helped me work through the pain and we moved on, albeit a lot slower. I also decided to sit some obstacles out so that I could finish the race. I ended up sitting out the most physically draining obstacles. As much as I would have loved to do all the obstacles, I didn't want my legs seizing up and having to quit. Plus, the electric eel (crawling through mud while trying not to get electrocuted) looked scary and Jason got zapped 5 times. In the end, I finished the race and was even able to go through the last obstacle which was running through live wire. I actually army crawled under the wires and was able to not get zapped. However, according to Jason, I had a wire tough my bun but it didn't zap me. Thank God!

My favorite obstacle was probably the mud mile where they had hills of mud that you climbed up and then slid into ponds. It was actually lots of fun!

My proudest moments were when I went through the two sets of tunnels. I'm claustrophobic so that was definitely my most mentally challenging obstacles. One set even had water halfway up the tunnel and I had to try to not freak out.

My scariest moment was during the arctic enema. It was pretty much a huge dumpster filled with ice water. There was a board in the middle that you had to go under. I wanted to just go in and get in done quickly, however, the board went down much lower than I thought and ended up getting caught up on the board because I had a backpack on. For a split second, I thought I was going to drown, but was able to gather myself and dove deeper to make it to the other side. I quickly got out and froze for awhile. Jason now calls me Casper.

The most painful obstacle was actually this huge mud hill that you had to climb up. And what goes up must come down, so we had this steep mud hill to slid down. Which wouldn't be so bad except for the embedded rocks in the hill. Jason and my backside is still sore!

I was most pleasantly surprised by how easily I was able to do the strength obstacles. All my training definitely helped and I was able to do some upper body obstacles with ease.  I was also pleasantly surprised at the fact that most of the water events were quite warm. It was nice to not get cold. In fact, the weather was wonderful and it was the perfect weather to do the race. Not too hot and not too cold and when we did get hot, the water events cooled us off nicely.

I was most unpleasantly surprised by the fact that it was a 12 mile race and not a 10 mile race. Not only was the even 20% longer, there were a lot more obstacles to conquer. The obstacles weren't so bad but the extra 2 miles definitely was a killjoy at the end of the race when I was barely putting one foot in front of the other. Although I made it to the end and Jason didn't have to carry me!

While I wasn't expecting so much mud, I enjoyed using it as a natural sunblock and now my hair is actually really soft! In fact lots of people used it as sunblock and I ended up smearing a big burly dude in a kilt with mud because he was getting red.

I'm really happy that Jason and I ran Tough Mudder today. It was a great bonding experience for us since it was our kind of fun. But it was also a great test of my dependence on God. Towards the end, I was really suffering but Jason and I prayed and I was able to rely on God's strength to finish the race. It was a great humbling experience because I couldn't do it without people helping me and I definitely wouldn't be able to do it without God's strength carrying me through.

All in all, I would definitely do it again but I would train more for it. Although I'm not sure that I would do it next year, but then again, I'm still sore!  I would also get some Vibrim 5fingers for shoes since Jason did much better with those shoes. And I would bring the camelbak and snacks again. There were hydration stations and snacks along the way, but it was good to have a snack and water on hand for when I needed it. Plus, it helped us float for the water obstacles!

P.S. Jason was great and he helped me through the race and supported me the whole time. He even spent over 5 minutes stretching my calves out so that I could keep going. He completed all the obstacles and even made some very hard ones seem like a cake walk. He is a rock star!

Life just goes on....

I can't believe I've been away from the blog for so long. But life just has a way of moving on doesn't it. Since I last wrote, I turned 30, got sick, found awesome paleo food blogs and got better! I know, what an exciting life!

Turning 30 wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was a mellow day that was spent with the family. Since we were on the strict paleo diet, we really couldn't go anywhere to get food we can have. Which is ok with me since most restaurants serve overpriced versions of what I can make at home. Plus, paleo has been good for the family. We all have more energy, are more alert during the days and don't have the random stomach issues that plagued Jason and I. I do have to say that the most inhibiting factor of paleo is cost. Nut milks and flours are much more expensive than dairy and unfortunately it costs more to eat healthy in the States than to buy processed junk foods. However, I have found out how to cut the costs by making my own nut milks, nut butters and nut flours. That alone has saved us lots of money and the end product was way tastier. I've even found some desserts that we can have that uses fruits as sweeteners. I can have treats again! Like regular desserts though, we only have them sparingly because they still aren't all that great for us. But they are amazing!

The kids have done well with the change and we have started to slowly add food back into our diet to see if we have any adverse reactions. But Jason and I think that we will probably be eating the paleo way from now on. We will probably modify it so it's not as strict, but it's definitely been treating us well.  A lot of my clothes are loose now and my body is definitely shaping up quite nicely.

I'm hoping that all this extra energy will help me out when we run Tough Mudder next week. I can't believe it's only a week away! While I could have trained more for it, I'm pretty confident that I will have lots of fun and make it though unscathed. Well, that's the hope anyways! I'll let you know how it goes next week!

How Paleo is going...

I have to say that Jason and I decided to go on the Paleo Diet to figure out our tummy issues. We put the kids on it too because we wanted to make sure that they don't have any food sensitivities. While there are a lot of iterations of the diet, we decided to go on the strictest one for about 30 days and then slowly reintroduce foods to see if we have any problems. The diet that we decided to go on consists of meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts , seeds and healthy fats. No grains, dairy, processed foods, potatoes, legumes and most oils.

To start with I made a lot of grilled foods and salads with fruit for snacks. But you can only make grilled chicken differently so many times and the family was getting bored after a couple of days. My breaking point was when I thought we couldn't have sweet potatoes and Audrey's breaking point was dairy. She loves her cheese. But after coming to terms with the fact that we could reintroduce stuff in a little while, we were able to handle it. Since then, I did some research and have put sweet potatoes to the diet. I've also stumbled across health-bent and it's been a lifesaver. The recipes are yummy and it took me out of my rut. I have tried her butternut squash lasagna which is delicious! I've even found a brownie recipe that we can have even on our super strict diet! Yea, we can have dessert again!

I have to say that the hardest part is making sure that the kids understand why we are doing this. I took the kids to see a movie today and Aiden was sad that we couldn't have popcorn and a drink when everyone else around us did. Or that we have to bring a special snack with the kids for Sunday School. But it gives us another opportunity to tell them why we are doing it and how God can help them through it and that they should be thankful for what they can eat.  God is definitely using something as simple as a diet and making it something that we can use to glorify Him. Praise God for that opportunity!

Fasting Friday #9

This week was actually quite enjoyable. I've gotten a lot better at planning ahead and I'll make a larger meal on Thursday for dinner and just give the kids leftovers for lunch. Since the rest of the family gets up before me, Jason usually gives the kids something for an early breakfast and I'll make something more substantial when Jason kicks me out of bed. I make a lot of eggs and the whole family has come to love frittatas. It's a quick and easy breakfast to make.

Fasting on Friday has actually become a normal routine for the family which I'm thankful for. I really thank God for getting me through the first couple of months because they were rough. I'm hoping that from now on I can focus more on God during the fasting and not on how to make it through the day. I've learned a lot about myself and now it's time to see how God is going to show Himself to me through fasting! I'm so very excited!

Crocodile pushups: when a normal pushup isn't hard enough!

There was a lot of strength training this week. I'm sore for the first time in weeks. Oh well, it'll be worth it when I can rock Tough Mudder!

Me: Day 1- 50 sec. on, 10 sec. off, move to next exercise, repeat 3 more times, record first set

Crocodile Pushup- 11

Deck Squat Jumps- 8

1 Leg Wall Squat- 22

Jack Knives- 6

Day 2- 20 sec. on, 10 sec. off, repeat 7 more times then move to the next exercise, record lowest score

Crocodile Pushup- 1

Deck Squat Jumps- 6

1 Leg Wall Squat- 1

Jack Knives- 3

Day 3- (Day 1 score + Day 2 score) x 3, Do in shortest time

Crocodile Pushup- 39

Deck Squat Jumps- 33

1 Leg Wall Squat- 90

Jack Knives- 21

Time: 13:30

Jason: Day 1- 50 sec. on, 10 sec. off, move to next exercise, repeat 3 more times, record first set

Crocodile Pushup- 18

Deck Squat Jumps- 13

1 Leg Wall Squat- 40

Jack Knives- 15

Day 2- 20 sec. on, 10 sec. off, repeat 7 more times then move to the next exercise, record lowest score

Crocodile Pushup- 5

Deck Squat Jumps- 3

1 Leg Wall Squat- 15

Jack Knives- 3

Day 3- (Day 1 score + Day 2 score) x 3, Do in shortest time

Crocodile Pushup- 69

Deck Squat Jumps- 48

1 Leg Wall Squat- 200

Jack Knives- 54

Time: 14:44

Yes, Jason is a rock star and I am a pansy. 

Training's not fun.

Last week Jason and I did the timed exercises again.  Let's just say that it wasn't fun at all but here are our scores anyways.

Me: Day 1
Jump Squats-84
Indian Lift- 57
Alternating Splits- 87
Dips- 42
Time- 11:55

Day 2
Diamond Push ups- 34
Wall Squats- 186
Side Tri Rise- 45
Mountain Climbers- 234
Time- 14:37

Day 3
Snowboarder 180- 96
Plank In & Out- 51
Jump Kicks- 138
Dive Bombers- 28
Time- 13:36

Jason: Day 1

Jump Squats-99

Indian Lift- 102

Alternating Splits- 126

Dips- 111

Time- 13:06

Day 2

Diamond Push ups- 93

Wall Squats- 200

Side Tri Rise- 60

Mountain Climbers- 258

Time- 14:20

Day 3

Snowboarder 180- 117

Plank In & Out- 78

Jump Kicks- 150

Dive Bombers- 36

Time- 14:00

Jason and I both agreed that the worst exercise to do last week was the Snowboarder 180s. It wasn't the hardest to do, but we didn't like them because it messed with our equilibrium and I was getting dizzy and it made Jason's knees hurt.

This week's training was not any better. The program threw us for a loop and had us do the same 4 exercises all week long. Not Fun! It was a very arm intensive week and after the last workout my arms felt like they were rubber and about to fall off. 

Me: Day 1                              Day 2 (lowest score)                           Day 3

Burpees- 10                            1                                                          33

Cross Hops- 11                       6                                                          42

Cliff Scalers- 5                       1                                                            18

Incline Dips- 6                        3                                                           27

                                                                                                      Time- 13:40

Jason: Day 1                           Day 2 (lowest score)                           Day 3

Burpees- 12                            3                                                          45

Cross Hops- 12                       9                                                          63

Cliff Scalers- 8                        3                                                           33

Incline Dips- 18                       14                                                         96

                                                                                                      Time- 14:20

As you can see,my numbers were pretty pathetic. But this week I worked so much harder. I thought things were going to get easier, but boy was I wrong!

Fasting Friday #7-8 plus our new diet

It's been a busy couple of weeks. Between sickness, researching new rings, my new class and just life in general blogging got pushed back. However, I would like to say that Fasting Fridays is going splendidly. Jason and I decided that it was important for us to eat at least one meal as a family a day. Which isn't a big problem during the week because lunches and dinners are usually a family affair. Fridays are different though, as much as I would like to just sit there while they eat, I don't have that kind of will power. So now fast until dinnertime, which works out to about 20-22 hours of no food.

I like the new set up a lot more because I get to spend the meal time with the kids and I get to eat sooner! I have noticed that between the fasting, exercise and new diet that my body just doesn't have as much reserves to run on anymore. So in the end, I think it was a good thing that we decided to break our fast at dinnertime. And we might go back to a 30 hour fast later on down the road. Especially on the Paleo diet, I don't think that I will be taking in as many calories as I will need to keep the full 30 hour fast.

As for our new diet, Jason and I decided to put the family on the Paleo diet for lent. The main reason was that we wanted to make sure that there were no food sensitivities with anybody. With Jason's mom having Celiac, which is genetic, we wanted to make sure that gluten wasn't an issue. And then since I have dairy issues, we're just trying to play it safe and test everybody. We're hoping that it will help us solve the random stomach issues that we have or at least give us an idea of what's causing it.

So what can we have? Lean meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. No grains, dairy, salt, sugar, processed foods, legumes or starchy vegetables. It sounds extreme and it is, but then again we're only trying this for a little over a month and then we are going to slowly reintroduce foods. I'm cautiously excited about the diet because I want to make sure that we are eating the best things for us and not stuff that our bodies can't handle. But as the main food preparer, I'm racking my brain with how many different ways I can cook chicken. I don't know if we're going to stick with the strict Paleo diet forever, and we probably won't since I love sweet potatoes so very much. But I think that we will have a much better diet in the long run.