Kicking off the 2024 race season and the ultra training plan…and then getting COVID! Everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the face, as “Iron” Mike Tyson used to say. Here’s what I’m doing to keep moving forward.
My Journey To Ultra - Baseline (Day 1)
Embarking on a transformative journey in 2024, I'm taking on two monumental challenges: my first 50K mountain ultramarathon and my first Spartan Race Ultra on my 50th birthday. Despite recent health setbacks and injuries, I'm determined to reach peak physical condition. Join me as I document this journey of resilience and self-discovery - it won't be boring!
Brachiation (Hanging Grip / Movement) Training
If you want a good chance of succeeding on the hanging obstacles on a Spartan Race, you're going to have to train your grip and learn to swing like a primate!
While being able to do pull-ups is great, it's not really necessary if you have a strong grip and good technique. It's also less important how long you can statically hang than it is to be able to grip HARD and release over and over again.
Combined with that, it is important to learn how to properly move your body in space while hanging to control your momentum and smoothly load / unload your hands. This can help you to be much more confident in transitioning from one grip event to the next as you move through the obstacles.
Put it all together, and you have brachiation.
My Thoughts After The Spartan Death Race / Race Recap
I Will Endure, I Will Experience, and I Will Learn
With so little time to prepare going into my Spartan Death Race (I fly out in 2 weeks!), I'm not going to be able to do anything to meaningfully alter and train my body for the physical demands of this kind of ultra-endurance event. It's simply not possible. Preparing to take the step up from around where my current conditioning is at to run a multi-day endurance race is usually achieved on the timescale of years (yes, YEARS, plural), not weeks, so I'm just going to have to "run what I brung" to use an old motor-racing phrase.
But I can't help having some real moments of deep self-doubt. Like, literally tears streaming down my face while out on a walk or run, "who the hell do I think I am to attempt this?" and "I am in WAY over my head" kind of moments.
So, knowing that I can't change myself physically, and working through my moments of self-doubt, what CAN I do to prepare?
Is Coach JP Crazy? Maybe A *Little* Bit...LOL
What I Learned While Climbing WAY Too Many Stairs Last Weekend
I went into last weekend's Step Up For Cardiac Health event with zero expectations. I was just there to put in my best effort and support a good, local cause. To end up finishing as the first place male and second place overall was honestly quite a shock.
I can't remember the last time I was first place at anything. I honestly don't know that I've EVER been first place before. Maybe sometime in grade school at a Sports Day event...? Nope- just remembered. Raina and I won first place in the Boys & Girls Club Car Rally back in 2002, I think.
Anyway, here are a few things I learned along the way…
Reality Check: Do You Need To Lose Weight To Be Healthy And Happy?
One common thing people mention as a goal when we first talk about trying to eat better is weight loss. For some, it's just "a couple of pounds" and for others, it's pretty significant. The reasons behind wanting to lose weight may be to improve some health markers, to move better and feel less day-to-day aches and pains, to "look better naked" or for similar aesthetic reasons, or simply because of some preconceived notion of what they "should" weigh. Some of those reasons also feed into emotional and mental well-being, and can affect our self-confidence, self-image and happiness.
The truth is, most people don't NEED to lose weight to be healthier, and with the right mindset, they don't NEED to lose weight to be happier or more self-confident either.
Read more…
"Recreational Hardship" - Why I Do The Crazy Stuff I Do
In an article from Mountain Tactical Institute's website that was recently featured in their newsletter, the writer used the term "Recreational Hardship" to describe the idea of doing hard stuff when you don't have to (I.E. it's not your job, or a requirement for your life in some way) in order to train your body and mind to be resilient and persistent in the face of the challenges that life brings your way. I really like that, as it clearly and simply defines, for example, participating in Spartan Race events.
Read on for more…
Protein Price Guide - UPDATED 2022.11.09
One of the keys to maintaining a lean, healthy body is eating enough protein. In addition to the energy (calories) it provides, protein also provides essential amino acids that are needed by your body to rebuild and renew tissue, vitamins and minerals to support your body’s day-to-day functions, AND it can help rev up your metabolism because your body has to work harder to break it down than it does for carbs or fats.
Ideally, we should be getting most of our protein needs from whole foods, but sometimes it’s tough to know what to buy, especially if you’re on a budget. For that reason, every once in a while, I take a cruise through the local grocery store and update this protein price guide for the reference of our members at The BTG, and now I’ve decided to share it with all of you!
Fear of Failure / Fear of Success
As part of a program I was going through when this blog post was originally written, we were asked to examine our fears with regards to the program, and that got me thinking about the nature of fear when it comes to failure or success of achieving goals or tasks we set ourselves.
There will always be things that are genuinely beyond our control that can influence our success or failure at something, but here we are talking about the things we CAN control – our own behaviours and choices.
So, what do “Fear of Failure” and “Fear of Success” really mean?
When You Can't Walk The Talk...
Loving Yourself While Still Wanting To Change
When it comes to making lasting change, one stumbling block that I’ve seen with clients and come up against in my own journey of self-discovery and behaviour change, is the apparent dichotomy between loving and accepting one's self as-is versus the desire to improve and be one's best self.
In simpler terms, "How can I truly love myself, yet still want to change?" (Read more…)
Why You CAN'T Stop Overeating
Have you ever wondered why there are certain things you just...CAN'T...STOP...EATING?
It may have nothing to do with willpower.
There's a whole industry dedicated to creating hyperpalatable foods that hit all of the sensory triggers that compel you to keep on plowing through that bag of chips, box of cookies, or bucket of chicken. They are like fireworks in your brain, a party in your mouth...you get the idea. (READ MORE…)
Change Your Self-Talk To Change Your Identity
“What we dwell on, we become." —Oprah Winfrey
The quote above from one of the most successful women in entertainment history highlights the simple idea that what we focus our attention on begets more of that thing, even if only in our own mind, and it is in our MIND where our reality is constructed.
Read the full article for some ideas on how to take control of your self-talk to build the identity and self-image you want…
The Truth Behind "Athletic" Body Fat Levels for Women
Have you ever wondered what your body fat percentage "should" be?
With the general standard that higher than 33% body fat for women is considered obese and the considerable stigma around that term, the outrageous claims of low body fat for celebrities and "fitness influencers", and the unrealistic images in the media (often photoshopped, but sometimes the result of dangerous weight-cutting / dehydration pre-photo-shoot), we've been given some really skewed perspective to work with.
Read the full article for the TRUTH behind the body fat percentages of some really athletic women - it might surprise you!
What Does "Healthy Eating" Look Like FOR YOU?
On a coaching call this past week, one of our members expressed her frustration with one of the lessons that asked her to “Imagine a really awesome, healthy, delicious meal.”
The problem was that what her brain told her a “really awesome, healthy meal” should be didn’t at all look like something delicious to her.
Achieving the health and physique outcomes you want and maintaining them is all about finding the balance that works for you between what you’re doing now and that unattainable “perfect” ideal diet.
Here’s how it works…
I've Been Robbed! (...of my "calories burned")
Your Calories Burned Through Exercise May NOT Be As Much As You Think…
Some interesting research came to my attention this week showing that even though your fancy smart watch tells you that you’ve burned 100 calories, your body has really only burned 72 more calories than it would have had you not exercised at all because it automatically ramps-down base energy expenditure (BEE) in response to the activity to compensate for energy consumed.
Read on to see what this means for YOU, and what you can do about it!
Is There An "Off-Season" For Fitness?
We've all heard of the "off-season" for competitive athletes. It's that time of year when they're not in competition, and are either backing off on training to recover for their next season, or amping up their training to be in better condition. Either way, managing the off-season well is often crucial to the performance of an athlete from season to season, and in increasing career longevity.
But what about those of us who don't compete?
What if our "sport" is simply being better at our lives - being stronger, healthier and happier? Is there an off-season for that?
Well...yes and no.
Finding Purpose / Direction In My Journey - Coach JP's Journal
OK - I’m Struggling
Over the past couple of months, but this past eight days in particular, I’ve experienced what I would describe as the culmination or confluence of a number of different stresses and struggles. It’s felt as if the sum of all the difficulties and challenges of this past 14 months has finally burst the floodgates and beaten me down. As a result, I haven’t been journaling this past eight days because I didn’t want it to be just a repeating message of negativity.