CORSO LA META

Run for Boston

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 03:13:00 +0000

Running is the great leveller. It breaks down the artificial, man-made barriers that are erected to divide us. Running refocuses us on our common humanity, and the incredible potential of these frail bodies we inhabit for 80 or so years.

When we cheer a great runner across the finish line, we are not just celebrating their victory, but the victory of the human spirit. When we take part in events like the marathon, it is not just about 'me' but far more about 'us'. We are celebrating life together.

In a sad way, it doesn't surprise me that something as good and as inspiring as a marathon, and the Boston Marathon in particular, has been chosen by people of ill-will to make a statement about their hatred and the barriers they wish to build between people.

But the same spirit that takes a Kenyan champion and the middle-aged, suburban back-of-the-packer across the finish line of the marathon is the same spirit that will see runners in solidarity around the world refusing to succumb to fear and hate and doggedly pursuing our vision to celebrate life in our chosen sport.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the tragic events in Boston today. Let us pause, pray, reflect and then tomorrow, lace up our shoes and keep on running.

From beat up runner to CrossFit athlete

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:43:00 +0000

I've recently read T.J Murphy's book 'Inside the Box: How CrossFit Shredded the Rules, Stripped Down the Gym, and Rebuilt My Body'.

I found the book fascinating, because like the author I was starting to experience burnout and injury with my long-distance running and desperately needed a way to train that addressed weaknesses not dealt with by running and mitigated against overuse injuries common to endurance athletes.

If you're a distance runner looking to mix up your training, or improve your functional fitness but are not too sure about CrossFit, Murphy's book is a great place to start.

Here's the Amazon blurb:

"In Inside the Box, veteran journalist and marathoner T.J. Murphy goes all in to expose the gritty, high-intensity sport of CrossFit®.

"Murphy faced a future with a permanent limp from one too many marathons. Desperate to reclaim his fitness and strength, the 47-year-old signed up for his first CrossFit® workout with nothing to lose. Anaerobically blasted by each workout of the day, Murphy discovered a sweat-soaked fitness revolution that’s transforming bodies and lives.

"CrossFit is the sport of fitness, a radical new approach to exercise that is turning the traditional gym workout upside down. Every day at thousands of CrossFit gyms across America, fitness seekers of all shapes and sizes flex their inner athlete by racing to finish fast-paced workouts. Each workout mixes weight lifting and gymnastics into an explosively effective and addictive new way to lose weight and carve out a new physique.

"Inside the Box is Murphy’s journey through CrossFit. From staggering newcomer to evangelist, Murphy finds out how it feels, why it’s so popular, whether it can fix his broken body."

Learning to love the Concept 2 Rower

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 02:32:00 +0000

When I was an undergraduate in the early nineties, I spent more time on the water rowing than I did in lectures. I had taken up the sport after high school, but it was the first sport I'd competed in where I seemed to have an innate natural ability. I loved it. The commitment I made at the time to row competitively saw me on the water for 2-3 hours a day six days a week, with cross training 2-3 times throughout the week. It was a huge time commitment and one I would not be able to sustain once I began post-graduate studies.

It was during this time that I began my love/hate relationship with the Concept 2 Rower or the 'Erg' as we referred to it. For rowers, it really is an awful device in comparison to actually being out on the water, but very useful in its own way for precisely measuring speed and power over time. Once a week we'd do a 2500m time trial on the erg, and it was something we used to dread doing, despite loving the competition within my crew to out do each other.

It's been 20 years since I was last on the water, and in that time I've continued to use an erg as part of my training. I even owned one for a number of years. It was always a fantastic low-impact cross training tool for running.

I also love that CrossFit recognises the enormous benefits of rowing, and that the 'erg' features so strongly in the program mix. That said, I don't think there is nearly enough attention paid to developing the correct rowing form and maximising the benefits of this device. One of the most frustrating things I continue to see is people who are otherwise highly competent in other training areas thrashing about on a Concept 2 in a sloppy and inefficient way.

Learning and mastering the correct rowing form on a Concept 2 will help this device in giving you one of the best whole body workouts you could ever hope for, and one that incorporates full range functional motion through the ankles, knees and hips that cycling and swimming simply can't.

There are plenty of good videos demonstrating good form available on the web, so it's worth investing the time watching them and applying the principles next time you're at your gym or box. There's a few things to keep in mind concurrently, much like in improving your running form, but like running, it will eventually become quite natural.

Below is one good video that was put out by CrossFit HQ this week.

Christmas: Dangerous but Good!

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 21:43:00 +0000

The (nearly) quintessential Australian Christmas picture.
Source: news.com.au

I love Christmas time for all the reasons most people in Australia do. I love the time off work to relax during summer. I love the extra time I get with my family, both nuclear and extended. I love gathering with them all around tables laden with food and wine, not just once, but many times!

I love the sounds – incessant choirs of cicadas, kids splashing in a pool, boisterous laughter around the table and the collective groan at a particularly corny joke from a Christmas cracker.

I love the smells – roasting turkey, Christmas pudding, lemon juice on smoked salmon even sun cream and insect repellent!

I love the sights – beaming smiles on my kids’ faces, the reflection of the pool shimmering across the roof of our lounge room in the middle of a sunny day, proud grandparents bouncing babies on their knees.

There are also things I don’t like about Christmas.

I don’t like the crowded shopping malls – in fact I don’t like them any other time of year either, but they’re particularly loathsome in the lead up to Christmas.

I don’t like the pressure it puts on people to meet a particular social ‘standard’ of generosity and hospitality, robbing people of the joy they can experience just spontaneously sharing with and serving those they love.

There are also things that challenge me about Christmas.

Despite the attempts of western culture to ‘decaffeinate’ Christmas, it is at the end of the day, a chance to reflect on one of the most profound moments in human history – the incarnation.

That a man named Yeshua was born in Palestine around 4BC (trust the Romans to screw up the calendar!), that he became renowned through Judea and Galilee as a teacher and miracle worker, that he got up the noses of the religious authorities of the day because of one claim in particular that he made and was executed by the Romans sometime in his mid-thirties is beyond historical doubt. You will not find an ancient historian anywhere in the world regardless of their personal faith position who will doubt these basic facts of history.

It is celebrating or remembering the birth of this historical figure that is the basis for Christmas. This figure of Yeshua, or Jesus as we know him in English, looms large over history: more books have been written about him, more songs sung about him, more paintings done of him than any person who has ever lived. Yet he himself never penned a word, or ever travelled further than a couple of hundred miles from where he was born. He grew up in a small rural hamlet and swung a hammer in a carpenter’s shop before going on to say and do the things that got him into trouble with the powers of the day.

Why on earth do we remember him, why on earth should we remember him? Why do we squirm inwardly at the sound of his name, and avoid conversation about him in ‘polite company’? I know I still do!

He did something that not too many people do. He claimed to be God. This more than anything else got him into trouble with the Jewish authorities of his day. Sure they were waiting for a promised saviour, but this bumpkin from Galilee with the uncultured accent wasn’t him.

Now this is where Jesus becomes difficult to deal with. And what we are presented with here is what CS Lewis called a ‘trilemma’. Explaining this during one of his BBC radio talks in the 1940s, he said:

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God’. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

If Jesus was a cruel liar or a deranged lunatic, then Christianity is an evil hoax that must be denounced in the strongest possible way. But, if he’s neither of those things and is who he claimed to be, then it changes EVERYTHING.

The friends he walked the dusty roads of Judea and Galilee with came to believe he was who he said he was. They went on to claim that they saw him die and rise again, that he lived the perfect, blameless life we are incapable of living and died the death of a traitor that we deserve – in our place. They travelled as far as they could to tell as many people as they could about him. What did they stand to gain from doing that? Not much according to the historians. All of them except one was violently executed for doing so, with John surviving an attempt to kill him before spending the rest of his life in exile on a remote island.

In a society that relied heavily on oral traditions and verbal storytelling, they eventually realised in the face of mounting official persecution the importance of recording their testimonies about what they had seen and now believed. The oral account that Peter shared person to person, house to house, town to town about Jesus as he moved throughout the eastern Mediterranean was written down by his friend Mark when they were in Rome as a near verbatim transcript. The Gospel of Mark is one of four incredible accounts of Jesus’ life, written within the lifetimes of those who had witnessed it. They are the most astounding and influential pieces of literature ever penned. Nothing comes close to them in their scope and simplicity, their power and their purpose.

So a challenge for me at Christmas is to wrestle anew with the answer to the question: “Who is this man?”

It would be much easier for me to avoid it altogether and just focus on the obese old guy in the red and white suit created by the Coca Cola Company, or just on a harmless, voiceless baby in a nativity scene. But the baby grew up and became dangerous. In C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy trembles in front of the lion Aslan. “Is he safe?” she asks nervously. “Safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good,” comes the reply. If ‘dangerous but good’ is true of Aslan, it’s also true for the Jesus to whom Aslan points, a man at the centre point of history, who claimed to have the answers to the biggest questions anyone can ask.

The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard encouraged his readers to live an 'examined life' in which they would seek the answers to a number of core 'why' questions including: "Where am I? Who am I? How did I come to be here? What is this thing called the world? How did I come into the world? Why was I not consulted? And if I am compelled to take part in it, where is the director? I want to see him".

Jesus claimed to offer the answers to all these questions, and his first followers claimed to have seen the director. Do I trust Jesus’ answers? Can I trust the testimony of his friends? Lunatic, liar or Lord?

I’ve made my choice, and the ramifications of this choice continue to play out in terrifying and wonderful ways. I’m weak, but in this Jesus I have a strong faith that provides a bedrock foundation for identity, an understanding of self-worth, perseverance in times of trial and a lens though which to perceive and make sense of the complexities of the world around me. Best of all, I don’t have to earn the love of God, he’s proven to me I already have it free of charge. To sound so certain is a bit of a post-modern sin. That’s fine, because I’m still a sinner. But, I’m actually no different from anyone else in this regard really – we all have an exclusivist, faith-based world view.

Christmas is a time when I, when we, can be challenged anew by all these things, (with still plenty of time for eating, drinking, laughing and merry-making with the most important people in our lives!).

Cheers and Merry Christmas!

Jaydub

Strong mind, strong body, strong faith

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 03:49:00 +0000

What do Ryan Hall, Don DeLillo, Rich Froning Jr, C.S. Lewis and Haruki Murakami have in common? Not much, but they have each in ther own way considered how faith and body, body and mind or mind and faith relate. So below, some people far smarter than I share some insights on aspects of the mind, body and faith nexus.

Strong Faith /Strong Body

Ryan Hall: “From my experience through my running career of weathering many lows and enjoying some really high mountain peak experiences, I have felt that the sweetest part of running is feeling God with me as I run, and the great thing about that is it isn't something that only one person or a couple of people can experience in a race. We can all experience it. We can all feel something that is even sweeter, available every time we toe the line and more lasting than winning or setting a record. Today, whenever I sign my name to an autograph I always write John 10:10 with it because it is the best part of following Jesus and having his Spirit in me – it makes life sweeter. My running is better, my daily life is better, etc. Following Jesus doesn't mean abandoning the fun things of this world; it means having more fun, being free from the worries of daily life, and experiencing things in greater, more fulfilling ways.”   

http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/ryan-hall-faith-interview

Rich Froning Jr: “If I ever got tired and looked down at my shoe, I was kinda like, ya know, ‘This is nothing compared to what he went through for us.’”

http://journal.crossfit.com/2012/05/baileyfroningfaith.tpl

Strong Body /Strong Mind

Haruki Murakami: “The most important qualities to be a…writer are probably imaginative ability, intelligence, and focus. But in order to maintain these qualities in a high and constant level, you must never neglect to keep up your physical strength. Without a solid base of physical strength, you can’t accomplish anything very intricate or demanding. That’s my belief. If I did not keep running, I think my writing would be very different from what it is now.

http://www.runnersworld.com/celebrity-runners/im-runner-haruki-murakami

Don DeLillo: “I work in the morning at a manual typewriter. I do about four hours and then go running. This helps me shake off one world and enter another. Trees, birds, drizzle — it’s a nice kind of interlude. Then I work again, later afternoon, for two or three hours.

http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1887/the-art-of-fiction-no-135-don-delillo

Strong Mind/Strong Faith

John Lennox: "Faith is not a leap in the dark; it’s the exact opposite. It’s a commitment based on evidence… It is irrational to reduce all faith to blind faith and then subject it to ridicule. That provides a very anti-intellectual and convenient way of avoiding intelligent discussion."

http://johnlennox.org/

C.S Lewis: “If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.

http://cslewis.wikispaces.com/Reason

Monday Meme

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 04:42:00 +0000

It's funny 'cos it's true.

Monday Meme (Two days late!)

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:55:00 +0000

My 30-Day Paleo Challenge - Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 23:53:00 +0000

Finally, the third and final instalment of my account of the 30-Day Paleo Challenge I undertook in June.

In my last post, I covered week one of the challenge and how I began to notice some changes quite quickly in terms of weight, wellbeing and improved rest/recovery. This continued over the next few weeks of the challenge.

I was religiously keeping a log of everything I ate, and was ensuring what I did eat adhered strictly to the “Eat lean meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar” formula. It wasn’t too difficult. My wife and I have always been ‘home cookers’ and over the last few years have focused more and more on fresh seasonal ingredients. Where The Lovely Ms Jaydub and the two Dublets would have pasta, rice or couscous with their meals, I would eat the same meal but replace the grain-based stuff with a salad, or experiment with things like cauliflower rice.

I think I was only about ten days into the challenge, feeling great and singing the benefits of the challenge to my wife when she decided to read Robb Wolf’s book herself. Four days later she was on her own 30-Day challenge.

The weight continued to drop off rapidly as my re-booted metabolism started drawing on fat reserves to fuel my body rather than relying on the sugar it had gotten used to over many years. I was continuing with Crossfit three times a week and running two-to-three times a week. I was really beginning to fall in love with CrossFit. I loved the intensity and variety of the workouts and I was able to hit them harder and faster and recover from them more quickly now that I was ‘clean-fuelling’.

Without a major race to train for (I just had the annual 14km City 2 Surf in August on the racing calendar, along with my Running Club’s monthly 10km races) I focussed on ‘joy runs’ on the trails with my dog. Just going out for fun and enjoying ourselves as we ran 7-12 km and not much more than a few times a week. However, as I got lighter, and as I improved my flexibility and strength through my hips with CrossFit, I found I was running much faster with the same perceived effort.

Around this time too, one of my long-term dreams came true. The Lovely Ms Jaydub (who is a long-time and committed aficionado of ‘Body Pump’ at our local Gym but had sworn off running following a stress fracture which ended her very promising middle-distance running career as a teenager) took on a Couch to 5k challenge. We began to run with each other each weekend J. Bliss.

Fast forward to June 30, and my final weigh in and stats session to mark the end of the 30-Day Paleo Challenge.

Stats:
Height: 187cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight: 91.6kg (201.94 lbs). A reduction of 4.2kg or 9.2lbs
Chest: 109.5cm (43.11 in). No change.
Waist: 89.0cm (35.03 in). A reduction of 7.5cm or 2.95 in.
Hips: 94.0cm (37.0 in). A reduction of 6.5cm or 2.55 in.
Waist to hip ratio: 0.94 down from 0.96.
Right upper arm: 37.5 cm (14.76 in). No change.
Left upper arm: 35 cm (13.77 in). No change.
Right thigh: 61.5cm (24.21 in). A reduction of 3.0cm or 1.2 in.
Left thigh: 60.0 cm (23.62 in). A reduction of 1.5cm or 0.6 in.

I also calculated that I went from approximately 20.2% body fat to 16.9% body fat. A reduction of 3.3%.

And yes, I did the ‘after photos’ and yes, there was a significant difference. And no, they won’t be posted here.

So… where to from there? It’s now mid-November and today is Paleo Day 167. Paleo is not a ‘challenge’, or a ‘diet’. It’s not even a *cringe* ‘lifestyle’. It is a set of healthy eating habits that I have adopted for life.

I’ve reached a plateau weight of around 89.5kg (197.3 lbs) and am continuing to see an ongoing recomposition with my body as body fat goes slowly down, lean muscle mass goes slowly up and I become fitter and faster.

The Lovely Ms Jaydub completed her C25k… actually, she smashed it! She is and always was a natural runner. She’s the sort of person who could comfortably run a 3:30 marathon if she trained for it. But, she has nothing to prove to anyone and is just happy to run a few times a week with the dog and run with me on the weekends. Like me, she has adopted the Paleo ‘habit’. She didn’t have a great deal of weight to lose, but has still managed to drop 10kg (22 lbs) since June.

Our greatest ‘cheat’ is red wine. We love to chill out together in the evenings with a glass or two once the dust of the day has settled. After all… Paleo isn’t a religion, it’s just a favour you do to your body.

My 30-Day Paleo Challenge - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 04:40:00 +0000

So day one of my 30 Day Paleo challenge arrived. I did what Robb Wolf suggested in his book, and snapped two ‘before’ photos in the mirror – front and side views, (and no, they won’t be posted on this blog you sicko!). I then took a range of measurements and recorded them. I use ‘Evernote’ on my iPad, so set up a note book in there to track my food, exercise, hours of sleep, mood and other stats during the course of the challenge. Here’s what I recorded for Day 1:

DAY ONE

Stats:

Height: 187cm (6 ft 2 in)

Weight: 96.0kg (211.64 lbs)

Chest: 109.5cm (43.11 in)

Waist: 96.5cm (37.99 in)

Hips: 100.5cm (39.56 in)

Waist to hip ratio: 0.96

Right upper arm: 37.5 cm (14.76 in)

Left upper arm: 35 cm (13.77 in)

Right thigh: 64.5 cm (25.39 in)

Left thigh: 61.5 cm (24.21 in)

Sleep:

1030-0300, 0430-0715. Total 7:15 (interrupted)

Meals:

0730: 2 fried eggs, banana, mandarin, 4 walnuts

0930: instant black coffee

1140: Espresso, long black

1400: salad – baby spinach, kale, cauliflower, broccoli and smoked tuna.

1930: pumpkin soup, two beef hamburger patties, glass of red wine.

2052: NorCal Margarita

Exercise:

Warm up:

500m on the C2 Rower - 1min 40 sec

Benchmark WOD ‘Cindy’

As many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 20 mins of 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 squats.

Managed 12 rounds plus 5 pull ups and 5 push ups.

Totals: 65 pull ups, 125 push ups, 180 squats.

Warm down:

500m on the C2 Rower – 1min 50sec.

Core:

50 sit-ups

Mood:

Good. Felt hunger pangs mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Was stronger in the WOD than anticipated.

So overall, not a bad start. However, things would get a little tougher before they got easier.

WEEK ONE

As someone who has spent many years consuming processed grains in the form of bread, cereals, pasta and rice etc. and eating these every day, my body was used to the spikes and troughs in my blood sugar and insulin levels. So eliminating these (and dairy) did see my body did go into a bit of shock for a couple of days to begin with. There were hunger pangs, but they were related to my going into sugar withdrawal. Basically, my body was saying “Where’s my sugar? Where is my sugar? Where is my SUGAR? WHERE. IS. MY. SUGAR!” I am reliably informed by my wife that I was a ‘little more irritable than usual’ that first weekend (read: short-tempered and grumpy). However, this detox phase only lasted a couple of days.

Another couple of things I noticed in the first few days was how my waistline shrank quite quickly as the normal level of bloating and fluid retention that accompanied my previous diet abated. I also began to feel quite ‘full’ all the time – to the point where I ate at mealtimes because I felt I should, rather than because I was hungry.

Day three, and I was travelling interstate for a conference for a few days – staying at a big city hotel. I was a little worried at first about how I would manage, but there were plenty of menu options that were paleo-friendly, and the opportunity to have a nice cooked breakfast every morning was great.

I’d committed to doing CrossFit three times a week for the duration of the challenge, and maintaining my running at two to three mornings a week. At the hotel in Melbourne, I adapted ‘travel WODS’ to do at the hotel gym, and would go for runs along the Yarra River in the early morning. The aim when I got back to Sydney was to sign up at the CrossFit box I’d been visiting casually and committing to training there regularly.

I was back in Sydney at the end of the first week and weighed myself for the first time. I was 93.9kg, down 2.1kg (4.6 lbs) in six days. Not a bad start! I’d begun to sleep better, feel more rested when I awoke and was enjoying trying out new foods and new ways to prepare them. My wife’s initial scepticism was slowly being replaced by curiosity.

To be continued…

My 30-Day Paleo Challenge - Part 1.

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 07:05:00 +0000

During the month June I undertook, and completed, a ’30-Day Paleo Challenge’. Paleo is a way of eating based on the diet that our pre-agrarian ancestors would have had consumed. I thought it would be a tough, but interesting one-off experiment. However, in a physical sense at least, it has turned out to be life-changing.

Put simply the paleo prescription specifies:

· Plenty of lean, preferably grass-fed or wild caught meat, seafood and eggs for protein.

· Lots of fresh vegetables for good, nutrient-dense, low-GI carbohydrates

· Nuts, seeds and good oils (e.g. Olive, coconut) for good, essential fats

· Some fresh fruit

· No Grains at all (Bread, pasta, rice, oats, barley etc)

· No Dairy at all (Milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter etc)

· No Legumes (Beans, peas, lentils etc)

· No sugar (this also means no fruit juice due to its high sugar content)

No alcohol (or just red wine or non-grain based spirits like tequila in moderation).

It sounds pretty harsh and difficult. In fact, in turned out to be quite easily achievable.

Why did I do it?

I’ve been running seriously for the last seven years. As a result, I lost some weight, from a pre-running peak of about 104kg/230lbs down to around 95kg/209lbs. However, my weight plateaued there and no matter how hard I trained, how far I ran, or the modifications I made to my diet, I was still carrying 15-20lbs more than I needed to. I knew that to improve my running I would need to get lighter. I replaced cow’s milk with soy milk, I stopped having sugar in my tea and coffee, I focused on having more whole grains, cut out sweets and fast food. These were all positive changes and good habits to have developed, but nothing really made that much difference. I was only making minor adjustments and as a result I only achieved minor results. I had invested a lot of time studying running and making big changes to the way I trained to be able to compete in road marathons and trail events. But I had only tinkered with how I fuelled my body and what that meant for my running and overall health. My diet was the one big variable left that I had not seriously addressed.

Through reading lots of Crossfit related blogs and web-sites I’d been hearing a lot about the benefits of the paleo diet. Earlier this year I bought the kindle version of Robb Wolf’s book ‘The Paleo Solution’ and was fascinated by the theory behind the benefits of eating like our paleolithic ancestors, as well as recognising that perhaps my inability to shed those stubborn pounds (and some other negative physical symptoms I had) were perhaps related to consuming ‘neolithic’ grains.

At the time I was training for my first trail ultra-marathon and was just weeks away from the event itself. I wasn’t prepared to risk making any drastic changes to my diet, so thought ahead and decided that after the race, I would dedicate the month of June to taking up Wolf’s challenge to ‘go paleo’ for 30 days and see what I learned. In the meantime, I sat there looking at every meal I ate, thinking through the ingredients and how I would do without this or replace that when the time came. This mental preparation as very helpful. I told my wife about the book, and my intention to go paleo for thirty days. I wanted to make sure I didn’t impact too much on what the rest of the family would be eating. This was my thing, not something I wanted to impose on anyone else. She thought I was crazy.

Wolf’s challenge to his readers is to just give the paleo thing a go for thirty days and see if it makes a difference. I had no big events on the horizon that I was training for. I wanted to begin focussing more on Crossfit as a way of cross-training to develop those areas that running doesn’t, but which would help me become a better runner in the process. I’d read about it, I’d thought about it, I’d even rehearsed it in my mind as I sat down to every meal for weeks. The gauntlet was thrown down. I picked it up and accepted Wolf’s challenge.

To Be Continued…

Paleo: What's all the fuss about?

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:32:00 +0000

Image from greatist.com

Paleo is becoming a little bit controversial and experiencing the sort of backlash that many ideas and movements face when they reach a bit of a tipping point.

Like anything people get passionate about, it's easy to overcomplicate matters. At the end of the day the paleo approach to eating is really quite simple: "Eat lean meat and fresh vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar".

Just read a neat little article from greatist.com on the pros and cons of the paleo way of eating. Check it out here.

I prefer not to refer to paleo as a 'diet'. To me the term 'diet' (in everyday usage) implies a temporary change to one's way of eating to achieve a primarily aesthetic goal - i.e. "I'm fat and I want to get skinnier asap". This has certainly not been my experience of it, and while I have come across some people online who have approached it this way, for the vast majority of folks paleo is more a 'lifestyle' than a diet - just one part of a broader, more holistic approach to purposeful nutrition, complimented by a functional approch to overall fitness, that supports a healthy, active lifestyle. People are getting healthier and fitter and leading better lives as a result. So, what's all the fuss about?

Hey, I'm back! With tales of ultras, CrossFit and eating like a caveman.

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 06:48:00 +0000

Yeah, so it's been a while between posts.

It's not that there's been nothing happening, on the contrary - there's been way too much happening to even think about quarantining some time to blog about it. Now though, my life is finding a little bit more equilibrium and I can start contributing once more to my own little dust pile in a remote and forgotten corner of the interwebs.

The Run World Radio podcast has been tracking along. Seven episodes and a number of 'running shorts' in the can and available for your listening pleasure/punshment here and on iTunes. I love my catch up chats with Steve Chopper and Runnrgrl.

In May of this year I competed in (attempted!) my first trail ultra marathon, the North Face 100. I got as far as 85km of the 100km course but let myself down with some poor nutrition. It was an awesome experience though and I loved every minute of it!

In June, I signed up at a CrossFit Box where I've been training three times a week for the last two and a half months. I could go on forever about CrossFit and may well do on this blog - so consider yourself warned!

I competed in my seventh City2Surf on August 12 and as usual had a ball. I set a new personal best time for the course which was surprising given how little training I did for the event itself. I'm still running three times a week, but currenty have no races on the calendar apart from a return visit next May to complete the North Face 100. Training for that will kick off in November.

The biggest news has been my decision to adopt the paleo diet, initially as a 30-day trial after reading and being challenged by Robb Wolf's book, 'The Paleo Solution'. I reached the thirty day mark and have kept on going. Today is day eighty! So expect some posts in the near future about the amazing physical impact this, along with ramping up the Crossfit, has had. So stick around... I'm back and there's plenty to talk about!

Run World Radio Episode 3: Virgin

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:56:00 +0000

Hi everyone and welcome to Edition 3 of Run World Radio!

We have a fun show for you today all about the Ghosts of Virginity - the past, present and future

Runner Girl grabs us by the "short and curlies" waxing lyrical about her first "go faster female topiary" session. We hear vox pops from triathletes across North America on the time they shaved their legs and body hair for the first time.

In the present day, Steve Chopper takes us out with him to experience losing his Hashing virginity. We are not talking about smoking here - but listen in on a typical run/drink event with the Wessex "Hash House Harriers". The Wessex Godfather "Gates" tells us about the interesting history of the Hash House Harriers, probably the largest running organisation on Earth.

Jaydub looks to the future and ponders running a 100 km trail marathon soon. Like a coiled spring he's been saving himself, looking forward to his first time, but fears his performance may not be what is expected in the big day. We talk nutrition and training.

We also have the regular BPM running music from our friends at Hellasound and also hear from a number of listeners who have been kind enough to send audio clips into the show. In addition we have a "scrotum tightening" chaffing story that will get you giggling, from HonestJim from the UK.

You too can be a part of the show by sending your audio to Runworldradio@gmail.com
Follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RunWorldRadio
Show notes can be found on www.runworldradio.blogspot.com

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Run World Radio Episode 2: NAKED!

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:24:00 +0000

This is Episode 2 of Run World Radio, a free audio podcast for runners everywhere.

We have a great show this time .. the NAKED edition as we explore varying aspects of naked running.

Runnrgrrl from Canada discusses "Going Commando" - do you run without underwear? We hear the opinions of runners from around the world as they battle this question - are you "air cooled" like an old V-dub?

From V-dub we go to JayDub in Australia, who goes on the trail of the Naked Runners, tracks them down and interviews them for the show. "The Naked Runners" are award winning TEDx speakers encouraging Aussies towards a more natural running experience - with clothes, but not relying on technology and constant performance monitoring.

Steve Chopper in the UK throws off his clothes and runs completely naked in the forest in the dark as an experiment. Does he find a new way of expression and freedom? You'll have to listen to find out!

We have a new BPM programmed running track from Hellasound.com to enjoy as well as best wishes from some listeners and Gordon Scott's outro recorded specially for the show.

Additional music: "Teddy Bears' Picnic" performed by Henry Hall and his orchestra on 78 from the 1930s

The titles this week contain elements from "The Devil is in the Kitchen" from Prydein from the Celtic Music Podcast.

The host intro jingles feature the voice of Peter Dickson (Xfactor)

http://www.runworldradio.blogspot.com/
Tell us you are listening and send us your emails and audio: runworldradio@gmail.com
On twitter use: #Runworldradio

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:14:00 +0000

Welcome to the Pilot edition of Run World Radio - we have a great show for you!

Runngrrl takes us back to the start of her running story, so if you have got a pair of running shoes for Christmas or are looking to start running for your New Years Resolution you must hear this!
Jaydub takes us on a run through a National Park on the edge of Sydney to a very special place where the Indigenous people of this area passed down their stories via engraved images in rock. http://www.atnf.csiro.au/people/rnorris/SydneyRockArt/sites/BobbinHead/index.htm
Steve takes us on an audible journey into the magnificent city of Lincoln for Christmas. A few of his friends run with him (in Santa suits) 10km into the medieval centre. Hear the ambiance of yuletide in England

We have some good luck wishes from our friends across the world and discuss amongst other things Hash running and a topical discussion on the links between dictators and sporting prowess!

We have the first of a series of terrific specially programmed running music (at 180 BPM) courtesy of our friends at Hellasound.com. Gordon Scott has also recorded a special song at his studio on the beautiful Scottish island of Tiree just for the show.

The dance track "Sky and Sand" was by Paul Kalkbrenner. The title sequence contains elements of the track "Alligator" by the band Finn from the Podsafe Music Network.

Don't forget to tell your friends about the show and "like or friend" us on Facebook.

While you listen to the show join our "spread the word" campaign on Twitter and Tweet "we are listening to Run Word Radio" and include the hash tag #Runworldradio.

Special thanks for Andrew Nobbs from Barton Design for the great Run World Radio logo

NOTE: Future episodes of Run World Radio will be available via www.amilewithme.podbean.com or by searching for "Run World Radio" on iTunes.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

B-HAG Running Podcast: An Encore episode featuring Dale, Digger & Mike

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:46:00 +0000

A special encore edition of the B-HAG Running podcast where I am joined by Digger, Michael Runner and Dale H. We discuss our running in 2011 and the year ahead and ruminate in depth on the important issues surrounding BCF and SAF*.

Warning: This podcast contains tasteless, sophomoric humour. You have been warned!

Links to key, peer reviewed articles on BCF/SAF:

Dirtdawg on the BCF

The BCF Chart

The SAF Chart

The RunWorldRadio Podcast is coming!

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:31:00 +0000

I'm back in the podcasting saddle and have joined forces with Steve Chopper in the UK and Runnrgrrl in Canada to bring you the RunWorldRadio podcast.

In each episode of Run World Radio you can take us out on the road with you, simply by downloading the show and plugging in your ipod and ear buds!

Join us as we catch up on our running, through the contrasts of seasons and terrain:

recordings from our running events and adventures;
views and opinions;
our training and goals;
running news with some of the stranger stories from the world of running; and
the very best podsafe music.

The first episode will be out shortly, but you can subscribe to the iTunes feed now and download a special promo, or just listen on the podbean player below.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

B-HAG Running Podcast Episode 40: Bye-Bye B-HAG

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:59:00 +0000

In this episode I go for a run along the Parramatta River and talk about the Australian Army’s Basic Fitness Assessment (BFA). I also talk about why this is the final episode of the B-HAG Running podcast and what the future might hold.

Download the free BFA iPad/iPhone app here: http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/australian-defence-force-army/id456518302?mt=8

Song: ‘Persist’ (Fast Mix) by All India Radio

Title song ‘Golden Year’ by Isaboe

All music in the episode from www.musicalley.com

Contact the show:

Email: bhagrunning(at)gmail(dot)com

On Twitter: @JayDubRunning

Facebook: JayDub Running

The Basic Fitness Assessment (BFA)

Male
Age	Push ups	Sit ups	2.4km Run	5km Walk	Min/km	Min/mile
18-25	40	70	11:18		4:42	7:34
26-30	35	65	11:48		4:55	7:54
31-35	30	57	12:18		5:07	8:14
36-40	25	50	12:42		5:17	8:30
41-45	20	30	13:12	44:00	5:30	8:51
46-50	10	20	13:48	45:00	5:48	9:15
51-60	6	15	14:30	45:00	6:02	9:43

Female
Age	Push ups	Sit ups	2.4km Run	5km Walk	Min/km	Min/mile
18-25	21	70	13:30		5:37	9:03
26-30	18	65	14:00		5:50	9:23
31-35	15	57	14:30		6:02	9:43
36-40	10	50	15:00		6:15	10:03
41-45	7	30	15:30	45:00	6:27	10:23
46-50	3	20	16:00	45:00	6:40	10:43
51-60	3	15	16:30	47:00	6:52	11:03

Podcast Powered By Podbean

B-HAG Running Podcast - Episode 39: Feeling the heat

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 23:12:00 +0000

In this episode I share my experiences running (surviving!) the 2011 Sydney Marathon.

The Sydney Marathon http://sydneymarathon.com.au/

Song: 'So Hot' by NoCo

The 2011 Worldwide Festival of Races http://worldwidefestivalofraces.blogspot.com/

Title song ‘Golden Year’ by Isaboe from www.musicalley.com

Contact the show:

Email: bhagrunning(at)gmail(dot)com

On Twitter: @JayDubRunning

Facebook: JayDub Running

Podcast Powered By Podbean

B-HAG Running Podcast: Episode 38 - Glutton for Punishment

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 07:57:00 +0000

Three weeks ago I ran the Gold Coast Marathon and hit the wall like a bug against a car windscreen. A glutton for punishment, I signed up and ran another marathon three weeks later. In this episode I share with you my experiences from the M7 Cities Marathon.*

Music: Flashback by Mark Vidler at Go Home Productions

M7 Cities Marathon

Course Map M7

Course Profile M7

Title song ‘Golden Year’ by Isaboe from www.musicalley.com

Contact the show:
Email: bhagrunning(at)gmail(dot)com

On Twitter: @JayDubRunning

Facebook: JayDub Running

*Note: Ignore my hopeless centigrade to Fahrenheit conversions!

Podcast Powered By Podbean

B-HAG Running Podcast: Episode 37 - Going the distance in my 2nd Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 22:26:00 +0000

In this episode I talk about my second marathon on July 3, The Gold Coast Marathon in Queensland, Australia.

Music Samples from ‘I Will Survive’ and ‘The Distance’ by Cake.

The Gold Coast Airport Marathon

http://www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au

Title song ‘Golden Year’ by Isaboe from www.musicalley.com

Contact the show:

Email: bhagrunning(at)gmail(dot)com

On Twitter: @JayDubRunning

Facebook: JayDub Running

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Taper madness sets in...

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 07:20:00 +0000

Five days until the Gold Coast Marathon.

The slightest niggling pain is a catastrophic injury.
I hear someone sniff and run in the opposite direction.
I'm afraid of walking outside the door in case I trip over and injure myself.
Every piece of food that passes my lips will either give me severe food poisoning or make me feel like i've put on 5 kilograms.
I worry I'm not getting enough sleep and that's stopping me from sleeping!
I'm paranoid that I'll forget to pack my running shoes for the flight to the Gold Coast.

It's arrived... I officially have taper madness.

Gold Coast Marathon Training Video: Episode 5 - Hydration and Nutrition

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:59:00 +0000

B-HAG Running Podcast Episode 36: Interview with Pat Carroll

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 05:27:00 +0000

In this episode I interview Aussie marathon legend Pat Carroll. We discuss his training philosophy and the upcoming Gold Coast Airport Marathon. Thanks to all those listeners who submitted questions – we tried to cover as many as we could.

Pat Carroll’s web site

The Gold Coast Airport Marathon

Title song ‘Golden Year’ by Isaboe from www.musicalley.com

Contact the show:
Email: bhagrunning(at)gmail(dot)com
On Twitter: @JayDubRunning
Facebook: JayDub Running

Podcast Powered By Podbean

The MOJO LOCO is coming to Sydney!

noreply@blogger.com (JayDub) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 02:12:00 +0000

The MOJO LOCO is an incredible social running phenomenon, where people come together who have met through social networks like dailymile and facebook and new media such as podcasts to run across the planet - together.

The Mojo Loco is a non-competitive social relay in which groups of three or four from a team of around 12 runners complete individual legs of a total course which can vary in distance. The emphasis is on fun and cementing ‘virtual’ friendships in while taking part in an activity we all love in common – RUNNING!

The first Mojo Loco event in November 2010 included 13 crazy runners that ran 80km in an independent relay in Florida in the United States.

Subsequent Mojo Loco events have taken place in Boston (the Poco Loco) and events are scheduled for St. Louis (the Mojo St. Loco) and London (The Mojo London).

Well, the Mojo Loco is now coming down under with the THE WOJO LOCO in Sydney in early 2012.

A separate web site for the event has been set up here.

We will be running a relay course starting at North Head near the beautiful Manly Beach, through the lower North Shore, across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and onto Bondi Beach via the Rocks, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the route of the famous City2Surf road race.

We’ll finish up with a dinner together and a few cold beers.

There are only a limited number of places available for this great event. If you’re interested drop me a line vie the email address at the top of this page.

¡VIVA EL MOJO LOCO!