Eating What Our Ancestors Did

Learn to Like the Foods that are Simple and Clean

This is a bit of a change from my last couple of articles. But that is the life of an Integral Warrior. The point is to develop yourself as a whole person and lead a balanced life. To do this you need to develop yourself on a number of levels. Yes we all concentrate on the exercise stuff, and that is an important point, but so is developing  your spiritual awareness, emotional awareness, mental intelligence, as well as your physical ability and your nutritional awareness as well.

It is no good committing to a physical practice and expect to get results if your diet is no good, or has not changed for the better at least. It is like a V8 Supercar turning up for a race and putting in the lowest grade of fuel you can, thinking you are saving money and still thinking you can win. Not going to work. Okay maybe your diet is all right, but you work 14 hour days, or run your own business trying to do everything yourself to save money. Heaps of stress, poor sleep,poor diet. It is all piles on top of one another and at 50 years of age you could possibly be a Type II diabetic, or have high blood pressure, will be 10 to 15 or 20 kg overweight and just a bloody hard person to be around. How can you expect results when on some level of your total person you are way out of alignment. You need to bring yourself along on a reasonably even keel. So you can see one part is interlinked with the others. If you are good in one area then you need to be attentive to your other areas as well, "bring them along". What I want to do here is to talk about the nutritional aspect of your whole person as part of being an Integral Warrior.

Now I know you might be thinking just another dammed article on what we can and cannot eat and making our lives in abject misery. Well, yes and no .

My views about Nutrition have changed a lot with since I completed my nutritional course and I am living what I have learned. And I do feel a lot better for it. It does make a difference.

I might start with an interesting quote attributed to Thomas Edison whom I am told invented the motel. When I heard this I thought he did not invent the motel he invented the light bulb and then a light bulb came on in my mind in that all motels have an abundance of lighting to advertise themselves in all different ways shapes and means.What a marketing guru!!!!!. Creating a market for his invention( just joking) . His quote is this, "The mindset, thoughts and decision processes that were used to create the problems should not be used to get yourself out of that hole". Otherwise you are all doomed to failure. The take-home message is, we have to change our mindset and the way we make our decisions regarding what we eat and when we eat. I guess he was trying to say that we have to think out of the box, left of centre and not be stuck in the same old way of doing things simply, because.

Gone are the days when you had to chase a reluctant horse around the paddock  to ride to school, or to a large extent a decent walk to the school bus stop, testament to the huge pile of cars at school at the start and finish of the school day. The hard, hard truth is we are not that active any more, and the type and amount of food we eat is way beyond our level of activity. Food manufacturers spend millions on observing shoppers, and using every trick in the book to get them to buy their product. Have you ever wondered why the Tim Tams are at eye level in the biscuit section and  all the other delicious chocolate coated delights?  The advertising of these products just goes on and on. These people are very skilled. They mostly do not care about how good or bad their product is. They make it with the cheapest ingredients or artificial substitutes, and bend the labelling and advertising laws to the maximum, to maximise their company's profits.

The harsh truth is we are as addictive to the easily digestible highly processed foods with God knows what in them as the people who are addicted to drugs. Do not believe me? Try an experiment on yourself. Don't  eat any processed foods at all for a month  including cordials, lollies, biscuits, cereals, bread ,cakes, pastries and  most things that come in plastic or cardboard. I bet you become pretty damm irritable, because that is what happened to me.  If I had not thrown out all the rubbish in our pantry I would have just binged 'till they were finished.  I tried an experiment with ice cream during my 2nd week of this trial. I really have a weakness for  that stuff. I bought a 2 L container and ate the lot over 2 nights, and I only stopped on the 1st night because I got an ice cream headache!! I hope you get my point. You have to "hold the line" get over the hump.  It does get easier, much easier. For me it was an interesting experiment as I did this while I am training for my 18th Ironman triathlon. I must admit I felt terrible during training initially, with no energy, and I slept like the dead and just mentally felt right out of the game, but after 4 weeks or so, one day I realised I was flying along. My body had finally adapted and that is how it will stay- for life, not just 6 months or 12 months.

OK  you say what is the secret, and I will tell you there is no secret. There is a lot of information out there that makes this whole nutrition "thing" very confusing. Everyone seems to be promoting something. And you can get a scientific study to support almost anything. Yes I am promoting something too, it is called "eating clean".

If we decide to start a physical training program and think that we can eat whatever we want then wrong. Most training plans are 3 to 4 times a week for 45 minutes, 60 minutes, 30 minutes.  Fact:  The body during very high intense exercise, Resistance or Cardio will burn roughly a maximum of 10 calories a minute (sorry walking and jogging and all other activities at the same exertion level do not count) so you do the maths. Most people are not doing that much. 60 minutes equals 600 cal. 30 minutes 300 cal. Go and have a cappuccino and muffin  or carrot cake, whatever,  because you have been so good and you have just added 800 cal. You have just wiped out all that effort in your physical practice. Not getting the results you want? Do not blame the trainer, or the program. Look at yourself, your own mindset and decision-making processes. Could it be you that is holding yourself back? Go back to what Thomas Edison said we really have to think out of the box, we have to change our mindset and the way we think about things to actually get the results that we want.

The basics are this: Plenty of protein. Fish, lean meat, (no processed meat) chicken, eggs, egg whites, whey protein, tofu, legumes, and nuts.

Carbohydrates need to be broken into 2 groups.

High density carbohydrates and Low density carbohydrates. This is really where we need to change the way we look at these 2 food groups.

Carbohydrates per se are not bad. In fact we need them to operate effectively. If your career is a very physically active one i.e. a framing carpenter, then part of your meals need to be high density carbohydrates. And I am talking about pasta, bread, rice, wheat, barley, potatoes. They need this to be able to match their energy needs with their food intake. (Unfortunately it does not include the beer some of them down as well!!) But for the large majority of people these high density grain based carbohydrates are not required to get us through the day and so to make ground with good nutrition we need to rely on the low density carbohydrates. They are fruit and vegetables with a small amount of nuts (not the whole packet) and good quality omega 3 oils. So for the majority of our day, your meals and snacks need to be high in protein with either salads or vegetables with good quality high ratio omega 3 oils found in walnuts and flax seeds and Chia seeds and olive oils. Vegetable and salads are not about cabbage and lettuce. I am talking about tomatoes, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beans and peas, zuchinni, cucumbers, peppers. You get the idea. If you eat a meal that has a good fist size steak, chicken, fish, that takes up one 3rd of your plate, and two thirds vegetables. Your full stomach will win often before you are finished without the huge load of calories that grain provides along with its insulin spike. One of the things we are trying to achieve by (eating clean) is to even out our secretion of insulin and energy that we eat. This poor organ works flat out in most people for most of the day and eventually you wind up with adrenal fatigue, things like type II diabetes, or metabolic syndrome. The more you can keep your insulin levels on an even keel and not spiking up or down the better able you are to control your urge to eat whatever is closest to you.

Make sure your snacks are the same. Some whey protein, various, fruits or fruit salad, a small amount of chocolate, some flax seeds or Chia seeds some flaxseed oil and some milk. If you mix it up in a blender with ice, I can tell you it is a pretty damm  good snack. The only time that we make a change to this is when you do your physical practice i.e. your training program. This is only if you are doing high intensity resistance training or cardio training. With a small snack beforehand, a small whey protein shake mixed with some rolled oats and may be a small amount of honey and afterwards some tuna some rice potatoes or pasta in one or 2 small meals afterwards. If your physical practice is close to one of your main meals then grain based carbohydrates are part of that meal. Your window for these high density carbohydrates is about 3 hours, after that you go back to fruit and vegetables, good protein sources and good quality oils.

So over your day you need: Breakfast, lunch, tea plus 3 snacks or mini meals to replace your normal morning and afternoon tea and a small snack at night. Most people get caught up on all food that you suddenly have to eat and yes the volume of food is increased but not the overall caloric value. What you must do is break up your meals so that you eat smaller meals each time but with more regularity so the total energy for the day quite often will be less but  the volume will be more.

Tea and coffee are okay, but try and drink as much water as you can, but do not force the issue, rely on your thirst.  A big NO is soft drinks unless you have just completed an Ironman triathlon or marathon or other long endurance event. These drinks can be up to and over 350 cal per can. It causes a huge spike in insulin production, it is like throwing petrol on a fire it is a quick burn and then the fire dies down. It is the same in your body. A big hit of sugar a big release of insulin a big release of energy and then it is gone, and then it is I want another can. A vicious circle that leads to a tractor tyre around the middle.

Dairy is a sticking point for some people. Whey protein, low fat cheese, plain flavoured low-fat yoghurt's to add to your protein shakes are all fine. Just keep away from anything dairy that has sugar in it. So no mousses or any other dairy deserts including flavoured yoghurt's, use fresh fruit to flavour your yoghurt's.

One important point I want to make is that no one is perfect. And you do not have to be to get the results. The 80% /20% rule makes this very easy to fit in to modern day life. If you go to a restaurant occasionally or out to someone's party then have a good time and eat what is there. Then when you get back home you go back to what you were doing without feeling the least bit guilty because for 80% of the time you are doing pretty well.

Remember at the start I said something about being Integral Warrior? Nutrition in today's modern world can be likened to a fire storm, a huge battle where the stakes are high. It is your long-term health that is on the line. They are high-stakes. As you age do you want to be medicated to keep some quality in your life, and hand over your health responsibilities to the medical profession, or do you want to stand on your own 2 feet, be fit and healthy energetic and responsible for your own health and those of your family.

Be a leader and be responsible for yourself, for your children, and your grandchildren. It starts with you and then you lead those that you care about along as well. That is what being an Integral Warrior is all about.

The Pick and Shovel of Yoga and Meditation

Balance, Mastery,Focus

THE PICK AND SHOVEL OF YOGA AND MEDITATION

As I have mentioned in my last blog words mean nothing without actions, and so the tools that I use that have been taught to me by Cmdr Divine at the SEAL Acadamy are as follows.

I use yoga for peace, tranquillity, mastery, focus, to set yourself up mentally, and spiritually for your meditation practice. The yoga poses I use are taught at the Navy SEAL  Academy under the name of Warrior Yoga. They are essentially a series of poses to get you to focus intently on your actions of mobility, and flexibility. The tranquillity and mastery flow from these. To mesh one pose into the next, to maintain balance, mastery, requires concentration and all the while focusing on your breath control, and your ability to relax, or you will not be able to complete the movement. These were all things I was not very good at. Again, getting the mind, and body to work together under the leadership of your spirit is very difficult to master. I fell over a lot, and at the very least was wobbling all over the place, but with persistence, consistency, and practice, I noticed that I was getting more balanced, and I have felt more relaxed, and had some sort of control over my movements. Have I mastered it? Not likely!!! That will take the rest of my life . The mastery of my breath also has  improved a lot with time, and became a lot smoother and easier  the more relaxed I am. I'm talking about 5 months of nearly daily practice here, I am only a white belt still. It will take a life time of practice. The words consistency, and persistence have become the bearer of good news as I become better. Now I love doing it. Some days I find myself in the peace, grace, and tranquillity. Other days I feel the movement, the mobility, the flexibility, and the balance. It also sets me up for my meditation practice. At the moment in our classes, Cmdr Divine has us doing Box Breathing, Breath Awareness, Still Water Visualisation and Focused Visualisation Practice. I liked the Box Breathing, because it provides a strong structure as a tool to reach a meditative state. I use Box Breathing most of the time, and  when I want a break, I use the visualisation. At the moment preparing for my Ironman Triathlon I visualise every step of the marathon leg. Every part of that course , nothing escapes my gaze, and how I want to feel, and what to do if things are not going my way. I have the tools. These are very strong tools and with constant  practice are very successful . Box Breathing is essentially being in a relaxed position and breathing in, filling your lungs from the diaphram up, and then holding your breath for a count, say starting at 5, then breathing out, right out and then holding for another count of 5. Breathe in again hold for 5 and then breathe out hold for 5. Cmdr Divine gives us some latitude on how we hold our concentration. He has given us the tools, and we all choose the ones that are suited to our own specific success. I use visualisation with box breathing, and I literally draw a number in my mind. If I start to think about other things,I don't beat myself up. It's very important to stay calm. I choose to bring myself back to the task and I concentrate harder on drawing that perfect number. A simple task, but not easy. Many people think that meditation is about thinking about nothing, this could not be further from the truth. Meditation is the ability to be able to master the thought process in your mind. Another part of box breathing is the "feeling" you have  when you are holding your breath. It is the "how about taking a breath now fella" feeling. You remember when somebody challenged you to swim the length of the pool underwater. You remember that feeling turned into a very strong urge to actually take a breath, but you did not because you knew you would get a lung full of water. It is the same with Box Breathing meditation. The urge to actually take a breath and to renounce that urge produces an intense focus, and concentration on the job at hand. When you do take a breath make sure it is a controlled breath. You do not  fast breathe, you take in one deep breath from the belly all way up to your chest and then relax hold the breath and count again. I can tell you it certainly holds your attention. And even though I am aware of sounds around me they do not impact on my thought processes. The point of all this is to actually master the art of your thought processes. That is what meditation is all about. The mastery of your mind and thought processes. One of the reasons people do not persist with it is that they do not see any difference in a week or two,  or they just forget for a few days and it becomes intermittent, and then the excuses come rolling in, and then they realise that they have missed so much so they give up. But it is a practice which is so important as I am finding out after 5 months, I am starting to notice the difference. I can master my breathing up to account of 10 now, and control it. I can hold that feeling of stillness for 15 minutes without thinking about what is going on today, tomorrow, or what happened yesterday. It is still only a short time. And some days are better than others, but I know if you persist, have consistency, and courage to do something different, to walk the path less  trodden, then you will discover a peace, and  a calm that was not always there. How does all this relate to the 28 km mark of a marathon, or an ultramarathon, or an Ironman marathon. Now in these endurance challenges, when things get tough, you feel the wheels wobbling, and you feel like the end is near, and I am not talking about the finish line. I will now use these tools of relaxation, of breath control, of visualisation and to be able to mesh with the mantra that works for me, "slow is smooth smooth is fast" and instead of worrying about finish times, or pace, or whatever other silly thoughts pop up, the tools of relaxation, breath control, mind mastery will come to the fore, as it has been practised  and as I have said before it is fine to have a goal, but if you keep looking for the finish line, you might just trip over the stone right in front of you. So set that goal and then concentrate on the journey, and success will be yours.

Self Mastery is a Life time project of Improvement

Peace and Tranquillity.
Would you rather be here or in your office 

Kokoro-Unbeatable Mind Yoga and Meditation

The magnificence of the universe

YOGA AND MEDITATION

You hear a whole heap of phrases about "pushing  through, be tough, hang in there," the list goes on and on. As one who regularly undertakes long endurance challenges, I often ask myself what the hell do they all. They are just meaningless words in the end. At the 28 km mark of an Ironman marathon you can hang tough all you want and still fall in a big hole, spit the dummy, or have your "wheels fall off ". What I have come to realise is that you really need some solid tools to use. You need to use those tools to train your mind to pull itself into line, and mesh and be at one with your goals and your spirit. I hate my mind dominating my spirit, and  it was a big reason why I enrolled in a course that has just opened up, called Unbeatable Mind or Kokoro which is the Japanese term. This course is run by the SEAL Academy in America. Interestingly, my teacher is Commander Mark Divine. Commander of SEAL Team one for nearly 10 years. He was a Navy SEAL for 20 years. These days, now retired, he is running an Academy to train seal candidates before they do their selection process. He was getting calls from the general public wanting to participate, to develop themselves into better whole people. And so minus all the military specific training, he has developed a course called "Unbeatable Mind" – Kokoro, . This is the stuff they are teaching seal candidates to help them bring focus, concentration, and intense trust and love of their teammates. These men when on a mission where ever it may be, need to be focused, and aware on a way higher level than the common man in the street, because their life literally depends on it. If you blink at the wrong time, you are dead. Two tools that are reiterated again and again are YOGA and MEDITATION. Who would have thought that these men and women would do something like this on a daily basis to help keep themselves alive. Just like physical practice needs to be undertaken on a regular basis, so does mental training and has for me at least been the missing link in my development. You can be as fit as anything but if your mind wanders all over the place, and you do not have a mastery of your mind  then you could end up with your race in tatters and for the SEALS worse. It is that black and white. Lots of people are attracted to yoga and meditation, but few persist. Why? Well like me they thought it was for sissies and really did not improve anything. I personally saw it as a fad. But when these 2 practices are part of a daily ritual of a Navy SEAL, then it raised my attention level, and gave me the courage to do and try something different. Whenever I have not felt like practising I think of these SEALS, I am all over it then, because I want to attain that higher level of mastery and focus.But like your physical practice it needs time and patience to develop some sort of mastery, infact like the physical side the mental practice should be seen as a life long journey  Never will my mind take over. My spirit is in charge. Because now I have the tools. They just need to become part of me which only time, patience, and courage to tread the road less followed.

MASTERY

                                                                   Mastery
We connect mastery with control these days. But really that is not it at all. To control something is really to exert a dominance over it,for what we are trying to control, either an action,person, or an object has to some degree be submissive.

To master something is to understand it, to work with it, to become one with it. There is no dominance,only peace and calm as you become one with what you are trying to master. It can be anything from a skill for work, getting the best from your staff or team, to physical endeavors of running, swimming, cycling, tennis,or golf, kettlebells and barbells. Mastery though, is a never ending process. It does not stop when you feel "comfortable"with that skill. There is still a long way to go, and you pass through different levels. The 1st few are taken very easily, and you pass through these lower levels of competence quite often with ease, but then with each successive gain in mastery it takes longer and longer, and requires more and more work, attention and concentration to attain the next level. It is like an eagle soaring on a thermal, sometimes gaining high quickly sometimes not, but it knows with patience that it will keep rising.

Patience aha!!There is that word that so few of us have so little of. Patience is the 2nd piece in the quest for mastery. As I have mentioned before, we live in an unsustainable world, rushing here, there, bosses breathing down your neck to do more with less, or to make that deadline, 30 second grabs of information here, bolt down the meal there. The US Navy SEALS have a great answer to this. In their training they are trained to slow down. In training every action is pulled apart, and slowed to the nth degree. Practice each element of the movement slowly over, and over, and over and in time put  all the pieces of the movement back together,and then they do become fast, because there is mantra they use and it's "slow is smooth, smooth is fast". Notice the word speed is never used. The actions are an extension of themselves, not only their physical being, but it is a projection of their mind, their focus, and their spirit. They are so focused that they essentially become the movement. Sayings like "be in the moment" is really what this is all about, and unlike the 30 second world we live in, this other world of mastery takes excruciating patience, commitment, discipline, and practice, sometimes over years. Masters of yoga and meditation will attest to that.

A great way to practice this is when you are driving a car. Firstly relax and forget about time. Be very consciously aware of all that is around you. Feel the car, the engine, tyres, driveshaft, see it in your mind and be aware of them, and your ability to manipulate all those things. Bring into your consciousness all that is going on around you. Traffic, road signs, people, noise, smells, colour, and when driving be deliberate, be smooth. You need a good dose of patience to be in the moment, to be at one with your surroundings.

The same goes with physical training. Whether it is swimming, cycling, running, golf, tennis, what ever you enjoy. Take these same skills. Be aware that practice, and slow practice will make you fast. You want to master your golf swing. Be aware that this is your goal, then leave it up there to look at occasionally, and then concentrate on the journey. Breakdown the elements of your swing and practice those elements. Bring patience, focus, commitment, discipline, concentration, because only with those tools will you attain some degree of mastery with your swing, whether it takes 6 months or 6 years it does not matter. Sometimes you will progress, other times you will plateau, sometimes you have to go back a few steps, but patience and the enjoyment of the journey will keep you interested and moving forward.

Mastery through physical challenges is the gateway to your spirit, which is not your mind. It is all encompassing, of which the mind is only but one part. Mind, body, spirit all need to be together in unison to become a better whole person, to progress in your development as a whole person. Be aware that there are plenty of seemingly intelligent people that really are quite stupid and arrogant because their is intelligence is projected as the be all and end all. But you need to connect with other aspects of yourself, not only to master yourself, but all that you do. Physical activity achieves not only fitness and health which brings accountability to yourself, but a single focus where your mind is intent on what you are doing. Yes, you can sit in front of a computer with half a dozen Excel spreadsheets, and be in the moment. But where is your body, where is your spirit, where is your whole person. Through physical development you connect with your other aspects to develop the whole. I love kettle bells because it involves mostly rhythmic movements which I find very relaxing and compelling (maybe it is why I like about trails and ultra endurance events) the rhythmic movements of running or kettle bells or anything that you enjoy, is a great mastery tool in that the movements are repetitive, and enable you to nail that repetition then the next one is not so good, the next one is better, and damm, really stuffed the next one right up!!!! Patience, patience, break down your actions, be in the moment, put it all back together, and then after a few days you can get 10 repetitions just right. Return to the practice, be patient, get better again, stick at it and you will be a better person. Why? Patience, practice, awareness, mental focus, knowing yourself better equals a better whole person in all aspects of your life. Parts are not so good? Go back and practice. Yoga, meditation, physical practice, then try again. Mastering yourself is a lifetime of practice of being patient and focused and enjoying the journey. Mastery, the way to be a better balanced person and to live a better balanced sustainable life.          
                    BULLS EYE

Maningrida Marathon 2012

                                    THE INAUGURAL MANINGRIDA MARATHON

Hot, dusty, humid, mozzies, sweat, drinking, nausea, aches and pains, determination, persistence, and courage. That was what I saw in the Inaugural Maningrida Marathon today. Two athletes Martine Kramer and Mango,aka (Robert) Schonherr, a marathon  couple. This will be their 3^rd marathon this year.

The day arrived like any other day up here in Arnhemland , hot and humid. The mozzies were lurking already. It was pitch black, broken by the sharp beams of headlights from the escort vehicles. The start line was as always the water tanks near the airport. What lay ahead was 4 laps of a 10.55 km ribbon of a gravel, dusty, sandy, road with plenty of corrugations thrown in, which thankfully had been graded by Craig the day before. A small band of friends and curious onlookers gathered. Our Emergency Services providing backup and support with vehicles and aid stations. It was great to see the support.

Four a.m.  came around. Pictures, videos, and the last of the good-humoured chatter that accompanies the start line, and then it was on. Two athletes, side by side, escort vehicles shining the way ahead. A small breeze picked up, but it was not a cooling one. Running well, they looked good right on their pace target.

Minute by minute the darkness waned and mozzies really made an effort to be friendly. Thank goodness for Aeroguard.

In just on an hour, we hit the turnaround at 10.5 km. The light now was good, and a call for some liquid refills. Mango was in pain already though. A persistent knee problem which only revealed itself in the last 2 weeks before race day came back to haunt him. He had to make a decision now to push on and manage, or to stop. He chose to manage it and keep the effort at a bearable level. But, he was okay, and still in good spirits. Martine was starting to feel the effects of the heat, and knew she was in for a tough time.  A few of us were running various distances to support these two and our jobs to provide encouragement and support was about to start as we headed back into town with them.  I tried to get them to focus on the things they could control, and not worry about what they could not control. Our terrific local emergency services crew, had set up aid stations now it was light, and these were a godsend, as they gave us something to run to as well as the goodies that were on the table. Liquids, lollies, and salt tablets, were loaded up and the push began again. One foot in front of the other. The mind starts turning its attention more and more to that very simple act of putting one foot in front of the other, concentrating, each of them drawn into themselves, as they moved towards the 21 km mark.

It’s not often things go  exactly according to plan. Mango had to deal with his knee. When he stopped at an aid station to fuel up, it took 300 mt to get going again, his knee was stiff, and sore and then after running a little more it became bearable again, but he was asking why this had happened again. It is hard to throw that thought out, but he did keep going, showing Martine his courage and strength. Martine meanwhile, was dealing with her own demons of overheating and feel suffocated in the humid air, but she persisted, and drove on. The 21 km mark came and went. Now was the time that marathon runners call, “the race start”. The next 21 km would be tough, and it was. The sun got hot, the shade disappeared and it became very humid. we had a few four wheel drives, drive past at speed, and coat us with dust that permeated your eyes, ears, down your lungs and throat. It became more difficult as the sun gave us a taste of tropical buildup heat. The focus on forward movement became even sharper, concentrating, became harder. Sweat dripping off every bit of clothing, and an incredible urge to stop. Cold water at an aid station to soak the hat, and pour it all over yourself, man that feels good, so good in fact that you don’t want to leave, but you must go on. Mango is now limping. His commitment though is strong, and we finally get to the turnaround point at 32 km. He was going to finish, even if he had to crawl. He was hot, tired, and sore but if the leg wasn’t so painful his efforts would have yielded him much better results, for he had done the work in preparation, but you have to accept whatever this race puts in your way, and the strength of your character is shown in how you deal with that. His strength, and determination still shone through, but there was hard effort etched on his face, as he dealt with the pain.

Martine was really struggling now, her pace was ebbing, then flowing. She would put in an effort until she could not bear it, and then backed off. Walking offered some respite, as did the aid stations and the great encouragement from our small group. It was hard to leave these little oases.  She had courage as she pushed on. Her focus sharpened on her effort, a real battle was going on back and forward between good and bad. Eight km left. Mango was now walking and jogging. It was painful, but he was going to get there. Martine couldn’t breathe. It was tough, and humid, and suffocating. Relax, relax I kept urging her, big breaths, calm yourself, quieten the mind. Six km left, walking and running became the way to move forward. Battle on as best you can just so as you keep moving.The simple effort of running became and all consuming exercise.  Three km and we came to the final bend in the road towards town .Duel thoughts of its nearly over,and its taking so long, anguish results, Mango had put in a huge effort and was up the road about a half kilometre. What a class act.  Martine could smell the finish. All of a sudden it was going to happen. Marathon number three was now a reality. The fire tower came into view. One km to go,Martine put in a big effort and  they caught up to each other, and the effort was nearly too much. They could see the small group gathered at the end, but it felt like they were miles away. 100 yards to go and they knew. Clapping, cheering, and a few tears met them. A small red carpet, and an orange tape at the finish and then it was over. Such a relief to stop. But it doesn’t take long before stiffness sets in. To see them hobbling over to their chairs was funny.

Champagne was cracked, sprayed, and drunk. I was very proud to put the 1^st ever Maningrida Marathon Medals around their necks.

I can’t tell you how proud I was of these 2 athletes proving again that they were willing to put in the work, and tests themselves in an event that takes your abilities to the edge. The achievement will stay with them for a long time. They can rest now, and feel that pride that comes with the achievement.

Martine Kramer and Mango Schonherr, marathoners  together.  ENJOY!!!!

Nutrition-Back to Basics.

Nutrition-Back to Basics

G’day.

Today, I thought I would attempt to look at nutrition, and how we perceive food, and how it affects our fitness, and health, with a little emphasis on masters athletes (mainly because I am one!)

Firstly, I’d like to say that as usual we have over analysed, and over complicated our nutrition. The food manufacturers have given us many tasty, quick, easy, and seemingly healthy foods in plastic, and cardboard. There are a couple of things in that statement, that I’d like to expand on.

One is choice. I wrote a letter to my niece not long ago about a big problem in this world today,and that is that we have too much choice. So much in fact that we are losing the ability to make up our minds, and stick with it. Realise this. Food companies are only trying to sell you a product, and they make sure it’s sweet, or fatty, and tasty, or both. They are trying to run a business, and it’s to do with doing the bare minimum to stay within the regulations, and do it as cheaply as possible for maximum profit, and that is all. And those of us who take a few vitamins,  and minerals, it is the same. So don’t be fooled by them.Do some research it all there on the Internet. When you go and buy any brand of muesli bar, or savoury biscuit, remember, cheap costs, high profits and you might want to put that packet back, and listen to the Pink Lady or Sundowner apples, and Valencia oranges or the Mercott Mandarins, or the Coffs Harbour bananas, or the Mildura grapes singing out in the next aisle, pick me, pick me, I can do a better job than that other stuff. I can, I really can!!!!.

Fast and easy is another one. Oh I’m too tired, McCain’s pizzas look good, or rice in a bag looks quick. I don’t like cooking much, but I can get a stirfry, or steak, chicken, and veggies going in 15 minutes. Ever tried a big bowl of veggies with mint sauce for lunch, or tomato and bacon sauce, very good! One weekend make up a big pot of veggie soup and freeze it, great in the winter. Salads for summer crunchy. You can eat as much of this as you can hold. No counting calories just enjoy the taste. Fruit is great. Buy in bulk and make a fruit salad. So long as you don’t cut your finger and include that it’s too much Protein!

Protein is the big word on everyone’s lips these days as the secret to weight control, and they do have a point in that Protein needs to be broken down into its amino acids, or building blocks, and then rebuilt into muscle tissues in our body. So that takes more metabolic energy to do that, and so your basal metabolism rate goes up a bit, but don’t dwell on that point too much, it’s not a lot but it can build up over time into some sort of calorie deficit. Older people need a bit more Protein to help slow down the loss of muscle mass as we age, whether we are active or not. The main reason why we lose muscle mass is the 2^nd part of that last statement, we are not as active. So what are you going to do about that! Remember to that Protein used to build muscle needs a stimulus, so you need to get off your bum, and show a bit of “ticker”. Protein also gets laid down as fatty tissue if it is not used for muscle building, and if you do exercise, especially for an endurance sport then Protein can make up to 15% of your energy source. If you are going to increase your protein sources then make sure that that Protein is 1^st class Protein. These are foods that have all the essential amino acids. The ones that I use, and are probably the most common ones, are all types of lean meats, and fish and whey and casein Protein powders. These types of Protein are known to initiate muscle tissue growth in the body. But just as I said to my niece you have to be balanced. There is only one secret and that is that you need to be balanced.

Fats. The stuff that makes things taste good. People think of fats as the “bad boy” of nutrition, and we have been fed heaps of garbage through the media about fats over the years, and really it has done more harm than good, because we have turned to a pseudo-Mediterranean diet and started eating processed carbohydrate, because gram for gram, they are less calorie dense than fats, so we can eat more right?! Wrong. We are in trouble today because of that message. Yep, fast processed foods are out!They have the fats in them that are really doing us alot of damage. Give them up like you did when people were smoking, they are just as bad for you anyhow. The difference between a fresh apple and a processed fruit strip with no added sugar is the cardboard, plastic, price, and all the extra fructose which is the sugar found in fruit. It’s called a labeling loophole! So see what I mean, breads, cakes, muffins, biscuits, chips,Nachos, cheese chips, Twisties, sweet biscuits, a lot of dry biscuits are all in the same list.All hidden fat and again the nasty ones. I will only eat bought bread if there is nothing else. I am proud to say that I make my own bread from fresh ingredients. Yes I have a small flour mill that I grind my own flour, and yes it is powered by me. Not a motor. So I get an upper body workout at the same time, and you can turn down the heater after that too. I make my own biscuits with Chia seeds ground up, and a small amount of flour, and eggs, and a small amount of honey and that’s it. I use these as food for when I am running marathons, ultramarathons, Ironman triathlons, and on my long training runs. Seeds and nuts are full of good fats along with avocados and oily fish. Here another big mistake can happen, and it’s called portion control. These are all calorie dense foods. Fats have about 9 cal per gram, soooooooo ? you just make sure that you get your fats from unprocessed, wholesome foods, and you only need a SMALL handful, not half a kilo of peanuts,. Another big mistake is that we under estimate our food intake, and over estimate our calorie expenditure. Here is an interesting fact. Our bodies can only burn about 10 cal per minute maximum. That is high-speed interval running, VO 2 Max training, intensive weighttraining. It is not jogging, walking, playing tennis, or golf. So if you walk for 30 minutes a day that’s about 4 cal per minute and that is only 120 cal extra, that’s not a reason to have a treat like a cappuccino and a muffin of 1000 cal. Do you see what I am getting at.

 

Carbohydrate as everyone 

knows are the preferred source of fuel for our bodies. They have about 4 cal per gram of carbohydrate. So will carbohydrate be a major part of your diet? Sure will. About 50 to 65%. BUT, not all carbs are the same. We will take the “bad boys” first. Processed carbohydrate, the cause of 70% of illnesses that we get today, from cancer to heart problems to Type 2 diabetes. These carbohydrates should be treated like cigarettes. But I hear you say, that I like them, they taste so good! And you are right, and I fall into the same trap occasionally, but I keep telling myself, learn to like the foods that are good for you. So what are these “bad foods” I am talking about biscuits, cakes, most brought breads, most cereals, chips,  Twisties, lollies,Picinic Bars, Mars Bars,Snickers, bagels, muffins, pastries, and the list goes on. So now we come to the “goody-goody two shoes” of food. Fruit that is raw, not canned, vegetables, fresh or frozen. Porridge, rice cakes, honey, some muesli , nuts and seeds as I have said before, non-flavoured yoghurts, home-made breads, or some of the unprocessed specialty breads like cape seed loaves, and multigrain breads. One thing that catches everyone out is that grain based carbohydrates, although good, are very energy dense. And we eat way too much to support our lifestyle, way too much. So if your job, or lifestyle is largely sedentary, instead of a sandwhich, try a chicken, turkey, or beef salad, or in winter make it with vegetables, minus potato and corn. The Protein smoothie can be good if you make it with just Protein powder and skimmed milk or with water and fruit like blueberries, strawberries, or Kiwifruit. If you feel hungry later in the afternoon, a chicken breast is good, all on its own. Other things are blueberries, strawberries, and other fibrous fruit like apples, oranges, kiwifruit, watermelon, rock melon are all good examples of fibrous fruit. I suppose what I am trying to say is to keep the grain based carbohydrates for before, and or just after your main activity of the day like a workout session, lifting weights, running for more than one hour at a good steady pace, or cycling for a couple of hours or on a wind trainer. Things will be different if your job is active, and by that I mean a lot of carpenters, plumbers, and electricians, anything where lifting, pushing, pulling is a large part of your day, then grain based carbohydrates have a place because they are energy dense. Those of us that use workouts as exercise only need those carbohydrates either just before and just after a workout. Scientific literature notes that there is a 3 hour window, from the start of your exercise routine for carbohydrate, and protein replenishment, but don’t go and stuff yourself with rubbish. One slice of bread, a banana, a protein powder and skimmed milk shake, is all you need if your workout is about 1 hour. Remember, you broadly have only burned 400 to 500 cal if that workout was even moderate. I said before, our upper limit is around 10 cal per minute of very intense exercise. If you’re a marathon runner or an Ironman triathlete who is training for more than one hour per day, then the amount of proteins, and carbohydrates go up too, but they should only be within that 3 hour window. Add some yoghurt to the protein shake, peanut butter or other nut butters, a turkey or chicken sandwich, a banana and yoghurt, a small bowl of pasta with tomato sauce. When building up training for an Ironman triathlon or an ultra marathon, I can be training up to 20 hours a week for short periods of 8 weeks or so, but I try and go back to the fruit and vegetables outside that 3 hour window. Most times it is okay, but like everyone else I give in occasionally to a muffin and cappuccino, hey the muffin had blueberries in it so that is healthy right!? But I have also been on my bike for 7 hours before that.

Fluids are important too. Not only good for health, and hydration, but they can fill you up. Sometimes you are not really hungry,but thirsty. You also need to be aware that fluids can be a significant source of calories in your day. Beer and wine are big culprits. Half a dozen cans or so of beer, or a bottle or 2 of wine, can double your daily calorie intake. I hear all the time, people saying that they lose weight just because they cut their alcohol intake. Most cans of beer, and glasses of wine are around the 150 to 250 cal per glass. So if someone has 6 cans of beer, that is a tick under 800 cal. Do that a couple of times per week and there is your spare tyre. The same with wine. Orange juice is a killer too, healthy yes, but you have 9 oranges in that class and that’s a lot of sugar. Coke, Pepsi, and all the others soft drinks are around the same energy content. So say if you cut out orange juice from breaky, and have an orange instead, and cut the charge you get with a can of Coke or other sugary drinks in the afternoon, you can reduce your daily intake by 400 cal a day without even trying. If you like the bubbles like I do, then low-calorie drinks like Diet Coke, or Pepsi are okay in moderation. Sometimes there is nothing nicer than a cold bubbly drink. Soda Streams that are on the market today are also a good option.

So to sum up, you can increase your protein intake, without affecting your kidneys, but it must be first-class proteins, one with all the amino acids in. All lean meats, and fish, caseins and whey powders are some that I use. Keep the grain based carbohydrates around your highest energy activities during the day, and make sure they have come from a nutritious, unprocessed source with plenty of fibre. Eat a lot of fruit, and vegetables fresh, or frozen. Keep the dairy going with yoghurts, and milk, but watch the sugar, and or fat. If they are low fat, they might be full of sugar, so read the labels. Drink plenty of fluids, but be aware that water is the only calorie free drink. And I forgot. You need to work out too. 3 to 4 hours a week of intense, and I mean intense exercise. Yes I hear all the whingeing, and complaining, and I had this injury or that ,and I have this special condition. In the end they are only excuses and I bet they were being trotted out many years ago at school!! I remember not long ago, I had this one chap tell me he had this, and that wrong with him, and I said to him give me 30 minutes, and I can have a program worked out that will be high intensity, and will not affect your injured part. He ran out of excuses!!. 3 to 4 hours of exercise a week is only 2.5% of the 118 waking hours that we have per week. It’s not much is it.

There is a saying that my strength and conditioning coach likes to use. And it is this.

“Do today what others won’t do, so tomorrow you can do the things that others can’t”. If you really think about that, it says an awful lot about what we need to do to be healthy, fit, and an effective person. It’s your choice, and you are the ones, that must take action. You, not the personal trainer, or the dietician, or the doctor. It is YOU. I already have taken that decision, and I am on my journey. I hope to see you somewhere out on the track somewhere with a Snickers, ummm sorry that was a stick of celary!!! celary not Snickers. What, you've ridden your bike for 7 hours? OK but only half!!! And I hope your bum hurts!!!

Cheers

RELAXATION and  BEING A MENTAL CASE

As our running group head towards their next series of races, the Athens marathon, the Nelson half marathon, and the New York marathon, we are all finding out a few things.

1. It's bloody hot in the Northern Territory at this time of the year.

2. Training for a marathon is a battle of mind over matter.

Our long runs on the weekend start at 5:30 in the morning and it's already 25,° and gets to well over 30° or the time we finish. We haven't had any rain here since the start of April, and when there is traffic on the road, you get coated in a choking cloud of bull dust. We have to carry all our own water these days, as the creeks have all dried up, so that adds at least 5 kg to our packs. If we can organise it, we get a car to come out, and meet us along the way with resupply. The sun beats down on you once it's up, there is not a whole lot of shade. Sweat, and hydration is the name of the game. Everyone is finding the last hour of our long-running pretty tough, as we all start overheating. This is where mental strength comes in. Your ability to hold the line when it all gets very hard. In my mind, it's the biggest lesson we can learn, and relearn, not only for our sport, but in life in general. The battle of physical pain, against mental strength is the hardest combination you are going to have to deal with in your lives. Pain is terribly debilitating, and it can just wear you down to the point of capitulation. Everyone has to find their own way to deal with it.

But there are a couple of common things.

First is to RELAX. Start focusing on what's going on inside, and not to think about other stuff. It takes work, and concentration to relax. All your senses are your gauges, and you have to listen to and decide on a plan of action to address what each of those senses are telling you. Start with the ones that are obviously taking your attention, and deal with those. A lot of pain comes from your technique deteriorating as you become tired. So start looking for technique changes. Think back to my last blog on running technique. I can tell you from some experience now, that if you look at your technique, and make an adjustment, most of the time that pain will go, or at least abate to a manageable level. RELAX it can make a big difference.

As I have mentioned, it is not the time to distract yourself. You have to concentrate, and deal with your issues. This is where mental strength plays a big part.

I have often wondered what mental strength is all about. What does it mean? The best I can come up with is, it's your ability to endure in the face of increasing hardship. Increasing hardship, or pain while you run long distances, is different to pain from an accident, or illness. That pain largely is out of your control, but running discomfort is self inflicted. You have full control over your level of discomfort, and that is the difference. It is so easy to stop, so hard to hold the line. My blog on Excuses, addresses this issue to some extent. You can make an excuse, or a decision to hold the line.

Do things like talk out loud to yourself. This is where experience, and maturity can make a big difference. Hurray for us "oldies"!!!! You also need to be methodical, calm, and remain relaxed. There is that word again. Years ago when I set my fastest times for the marathon, and the Ironman Triathlon, my training had not been any different, my job was the same. There was not anything different physically and psychologically, or in regards to my nutrition that brought about  those better times. But what I do remember, and it is a common observation, is that it was so easy. I was relaxed the whole way. Don't get me wrong, it was fearfully hard work, but I remain focused and aware of my senses, and after 5 or 6 years of these competitions, I had a level of confidence. The ability to play these cards right, takes time with these long distance races. It takes time to try different things, to endure, to not let up, to keep pouring on the pace, the intensity. In the end what ever method you use, you have to say to yourself at some stage, "I am going to do this" or "I am going to slow down, or walk a bit or stop". Again don't get me wrong I've done it wrong plenty of times too. It just doesn't happen right all the time. But when it does happen remember it. Its a good exercise to go back over that race, and write down your thoughts, and how you felt, and use it as a template.

As our group is finding out, running marathons has a high degree of mental ability, and not just physical strength.

I have been following Scott Jurek for some years now. He is one of the best ultra marathon runners in the world, and here is something I pulled out of one of his interviews, and I guess it covers it pretty well.

"Pain is only temporary, it may last a minute, an hour, a day, a week, month, or a year. But eventually it will subside, and it will be replaced by something else. That something else is success. The ability to endure your pain, and to come out the other side a better person. But if you give up, slow down, or stop, that pain will last forever inside of you. You have to want success, and want it as much as the next breath of air. Push, push, push, 'till you go beyond that wall, where there is a never ending source of energy, and peace. The trouble is, most of us, never push hard enough.

Ironman Medals 1st, 10th(legend club) and my Hawaiian W/Champs 

Scott Jurek and Anulfo Quimire in Mexico