Items I will Discuss In This Post.
-why adventure racing is growing super fast
-how difficult are the obstacles
-should you attempt this race
-the best reason to sign up for ToughMudder
-overall impressions of the event

It was obvious from the outset that this event had built up some serious hype. This race really does cast a wide net of fitness enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies. Runers, lifters, and average joes could be spotted all over the course.
This was the largest Mudder in the history of the event with over 17000 people registered. Quite and amazing feat. I would credit that to an amazing marketing campaign and raving fans who spread the word all over the internet.  Now I understand why people are going nuts for this type of adventure race.  You get to face your fears, and push your comfort zone.  A genuine learning experience.

How difficult are the obstacles?. Surprisingly I think most people would agree that 90% of the obstacles were easy to medium level of difficulty (if you could turn your brain off). The biggest obstacle in my opinion were not technically obstacles according to the course map. The hills at MoonStone were daunting and positioned at challenging points of the course. At one time we scaled a double black diamond hill from bottom to top! This was the biggest hurdle for me and many others I’m sure.

If you were able to turn your brain off and forget about heights, enclosed spaces, and electric shocks the obstacles were a piece of cake!

OK ..not all were that easy. My ranking of difficulty from a physical perspective

1. Everest – not only do you have to scale a crazy tall 1/4 pipe, but it was placed at the end of the race! Cruel, but amazing accomplishment to reach the top. Not having practiced this, everyone was going based on the advice of other participants. Keeping your legs moving, and try to reach a fellow mudders hand at the top.

2. Hangin Tough – (Tarzan Rings) If you are not a gymnast or have limited experience on the rings, this is a challenge. Some people make it look easy, but it’s not! I managed to get two fingers on the last ring, then splashed into the water. (I’ll get em next time!)

3. The Berlin Walls (second set) – this was a tough task. There were some animals out there scaling 10 foot walls with no help. Not me….I needed serious help. Thanks team…without them, I would have relied on randoms to push my butt up that wall.

4. Electric Eel – Just a ridiculous task when you think about it. Lying belly down in cold water with live wires dangling over top of you. Just silly.  If you were lucky you did not get shocked at every wire, but when you did, you realized it was for real and it hurt!

5. Funky Monkey – (monkey bars) My training partner and I had incorporated some monkey bar work into our training for toughmudder in preparation for this obstacle. I did not perform well in practice so I thought I was screwed for this challenge, but I was determined to get through it. After watching two of my teammates successfully get through the obstacle I was determined to do it. After successfully getting to the other side I think I did a fist pump. I was so proud of myself at that moment. It was a personal highlight for sure.

Are you ready for the Mudder?

If you are an endurance athlete with a cross country background I think this challenge would be easy to prep for. The most underrated component of fitness to complete the course is definitely cardio endurance. My group passed over 1000 people on the course at least…..countless people were sucking wind between obstacles. We were only passed by a group of ultra fit athletes in the heat behind us. Besides that nobody passed our group. It is a darn good thing that I was in running shape for this event.

The obstacles were challenging, but manageable for people of all levels of physical ability, especially with the help of fellow mudders. Obviously team work was most important at the obstacles, but getting from one obstacle was the responsibility of your own two feet.

Only participate in TOUGH MUDDER if….
You can comfortably run 5km
You can climb a ski hill without stopping…walking is fine though
You are comfortable getting dirty
You can turn off your mind, and just face your fears (heights, enclosed spaces, darkness, electic shocks…lol, etc.)

*There were many people that walked a significant portion of the course, and not because they were injured but because they were unprepared. Although it is not a race, I would expect a baseline level of fitness be required before you enter. This does not mean you have to be an ultra fit athlete though.

Reasons to do the TOUGH MUDDER
1. It is super hype…everything from the website to the colours, to the course itself, the atmosphere is great
2. You want to test your fitness level against others (there was a huge range of fitness levels represented at this event) I am not pro level by any means, and I found many weaknesses to attack for next time
3. You enjoy team work – Our team did not really discuss a strategy before we sprinted out onto the course, but we soon realized that the event was more satisfying if we helped each other out and encourage each other at every turn. It was not just teams helping each other, but a bunch of randoms helping each other. My wife commented that she could not believe the camaraderie on display amongst total strangers, which is the essence of this event.
4. It’s a date on your calendar to get amped for! The Tough Mudder served as my training motivation for the last few months. You don’t always need external rewards to get motivated to workout, but I wanted to be ready and be able bodied for my teammates. Completing events like this builds character, and tells you a lot about your overall condition.

My team was awesome! Great work men.

Overall Evaluation
The Tough Mudder Toronto was pretty crazy. Parking and shuttles to the mountain were a mess, but there were over 17,000 attempting the challenge, so that was to be expected.

The scene at the mountain, and on the course was awesome. The only thing I can suggest is that they have water cups at the refreshment stations on the course instead of bottles. Much less waste that way.

I would recommend this race to anybody that wants a challenge, has an open mind, and is comfortable getting dirty. If you are overweight, out of shape and want to do the ToughMudder…that’s great. Sign up you have lots of time to get prepared. My only advice however is to be prepared. Don’t show up out of shape! Get r done! Go get that Headband!

This was my first DIY project in our new home, so I was kind of excited….and nervous…

For guidance I started with the usual practice of googling and youtubing ways to get this done.  The search was fruitful, especially when I stumbled upon this blog called ChrisP Constantly Varied.  The post titled CrossFit Garage Gym DIY Pull Up Bar was written by Chris Plentus, and was exactly what I needed to get started.   Without this I would have been lost!  Thanks Chris.

I am an absolute rookie when it comes to home projects.  I have never used a power drill, let alone a hammer drill or a leveler!  What was I thinking?

The first consideration for everyone wanting to create their pull up rig is to figure out how much space can you afford to lose in your house, or garage?…big question.

We have a double car garage, so after packing two cars in the garage I still wanted to be able to have space for my bar.

I also wanted my pull up bar to be attached to the ground.  I feel this is the best way to anchor the steel, plus …like I said, I am an amateur.  Suspending this rig from the roof scared me… not gonna lie.

I wanted to have my bar anchored to the ground and the wall of the garage.

Next important decision …. how high do you want the bar?  This is important.  The reason I put this damn thing in the garage and not the basement is because I am just a touch too tall for for this pull up bar to be effective in my basement.  The bar had to be be 7’2” off the ground.  This was optimal.

Here is the shopping list I took to Home Depot (I feel like a hack every time I go there!)

Steel Pipe

• (2) 7’2″ – one inch galvanized steel pipe threaded
• (2) 3’10″ – one inch galvanized steel pipe threaded
• (1) 4′ –  one inch galvanized steel pipe threaded (this is my pull up bar!)

Connecting pieces

• (2) 4’ nipple connector (for 1 inch steel pipe)
• (2) elbows (for 1 inch steel pipe)
• (2) T connector (for 1 inch steel pipe)
• (4) 1 inch steel flanges – 2 for the wall, 2 for the floor

Wall Anchor

• 2x6x6 piece of wood

Nut and Bolts!

• (12) 1/4 x3 inch lag bolts (going into the studs)
• (8) 14×2 flat head wood screws
• (8) Tapcon concrete screws for drilling into the floor (the package comes with the correct bit to drill into the floor) 
  

Power Tools 

• Power Drill
• Hammer Drill (for drilling into concrete)

I did not have to purchase the power tools (thanks uncle Joe, and Richard!:) so this honestly cost me less then $100 and a bit of sweat equity.

A few quick notes.  

Make sure you get trained personnel to thread the pipe when you pick it up at the hardware store.  They may also need to cut your steel to it’s desired length.

The easiest way to get started is to connect all your steel until it forms the shape you want.  This sounds easy, but it took me some time because I wanted the pipes to be fitted very tight.

When the steel pipe is the way you want it, the next step is to place it in the upright position, in the place you wish to install it.

From here I got up on a ladder and outlined where I needed to drill the 2x6x6 piece of wood to the wall.

Move the steel out of the way, and get that wood on the wall.

This was much trickier than I expected, and I could have used another body for sure.

I put the wood up into position then hammered in some cardboard to keep it propped up.  After that I nailed the board to the wall.  Just one nail into each of the 4 studs.

(what a hack job!)

Now time for the power drill.  I drilled lead holes for each of the 12 lag bolts that were required to keep the wood firmly in place.

After the lead holes were drill, in went the lag bolts.

With the wood firmly in position, even though it wasn’t completely level I pulled the steel into place, with the flanges secured on all the contact points.

It lined up fairly well, and I made sure that all the flanges were flush to their respective surfaces.

Then use the power drill to screw the flanges to the wall with the 14×2 wood screws and bam…all secure.

The last step, connecting the bottom flanges to the ground.  This is when the hammer drill comes in, and you need to wear your safety goggles (onion goggles for me).

Create the lead hole in the concrete then use the power drill to screw in the TapCon screws!

All done…..time for some pull ups!

It’s been a while since my last post.  It was a much needed break…plus I was incredibly engaged in my work at school in what was the most rewarding year of my career to date!

Anyways….  I have recently started the whole 30 challenge.  For those of you unfamiliar with the Whole30 Challenge, it is basically an implementation of the Paleo style of eating for 30 straight days.

My love affair with Paleo goes back several years and my success with it was the reason I started this blog in the first place.  Since that time I have experimented with different eating strategies, but have never felt as good as I did when eating Paleo.

It helped me lose 50lbs…so how can I not support it.  The Whole30 takes Paleo principles and encourages people to quit their bad eating habits cold turkey and go hard for 30 days.

Paleo = no grains, no dairy, no sugar, no legumes

The Whole30 goes one step further to exclude alcohol and tobacco products.

This challenge is difficult at any time of year, but July is typically a jovial month around our house….school is out for the summer, birthdays are abundant and wedding season is in full swing.

The best weapon I have in social situations is the word “No”.  It is so easy to say yes to food, especially when everyone else is eating it and it’s delicious of course.  You must be prepared for questions, comments, and snickers from your friends and family.  My go to line is that I’m putting my body through an experiment to see if the food I eat has an effect on me.

If you are thinking about starting the Whole30 or experimenting with Paleo I am happy for you.  I also suggest that you do it cold turkey, no baby steps, figure out what you can and can’t eat, and go to it, don’t waste time, and dive in head first.

Over at the whole9lifewebsite they have a great article about the day to day feelings of the typical whole30 participant for the duration of their 30 day adventure.

Check it out if you are interested.   The commentary is quite funny, and spot on for what I am experiencing.  Check it out here.  The benefits of eating this way are not always realized in the first few days and your body will need some time to adjust, but it will.  You will be so satisfied when you completed this challenge.  You will feel better, have more energy, and know that you have to the power to change whatever behavior you want.

What Dallas and Melissa Hartwig have done in their book “It Starts With Food” (I downloaded the Kindle edition, and then later bought a hard copy) is give you the tools to get started today!  I have read countless Paleo books, and this one is practical, easy to follow, and more so than any other I have read…inspiring.  I read it, and started my whole30 the next day.

I’m sure I have been the “Debbie Downer” in a few social situations of late, but I feel pretty good about my health, and people get used to it.  I hate being that guy at a party…the one that everyone is trying to accommodate, but it’s ultimately up to you what you decide to put in your mouth, nobody else.

Since I am preparing for the Tough Mudder event in August, it’s a good thing I did this WHOLE30 right now, otherwise I could have easily tacked on 20lbs!

I will detail my Whole30 experience in another post, but at this moment I am on day 18 and I feel awesome!

The best part about the program is that you get to reitroduce the food that you gave up.  The catch…you must reitroduce each group on it’s own day.  For example after day 30, you get one day to eat dairy products, then evaluate how you feel.  Then another day for  sugar, etc….

I am particularly excited for this part of the program as I’m sure there will be some interesting revelations at that point.  I can’t wait to down a chocolate chip cookie dough blizzard from DQ!  Is that dairy or sugar?  Who cares, I’m eating it after my WHOLE30, and I will let you know how it feels.

Cheers,

Jordan

Crossfit is possibly the most polarizing workout routine in the history of fitness. Thousands sing its praises, while some industry pundits repeatedly try to discredit it. I have stayed on the perimeter watching its growth for many years. It was only a matter of time before I would dive in head first.

The major criticisms of the program are based on what some would call dangerous rates of intensity, general not specialized training, and concern with the difficulty level of the movements.

I have been flirting with the idea of joining a crossfit affiliate for over 4 years…I even tried a few of the workouts at the YMCA, but nothing can compare to the experience of completing the WODs (work out of the day) in an a crossfit affiliate gym.

10 days of crossfit, and several positive remarks

1.  Group Fitness Increases Motivation
I did not give much thought to the motivational impact of group fitness. Many people have labelled crossfit an obsessed community similar to a cult, but every group could be seen a such. What about running fanatics? Same deal…so this cult argument is lame. One thing that is not lame is the competitive workouts, combined with the camaraderie that leads to exercise adherence. Love it or hate it, crossfit programs increase exercise adherence through peer to peer motivation, unmatched by any other program I have experienced.

2.  It will test your physical limits.
How fit are you? I think I am in decent shape, but I was in for a surprise when I could not complete some of the crossfit moves as prescribed. It truly is an eye opener for most people, me included. Try completing 100 overhead squats in a row, if you drop the bar that will cost you 10 burpees. Now do it as fast as you can, with proper technique.

3.  It will push your mental limits with intense workouts.

I think I know a lot about exercise, but I can honestly say I have never worked this hard in my life. The intensity levels are insane, but such a rush. You think you are pushing yourself in your solitary workouts at the gym, your not.

4.  Crossfit attracts great trainers.
Knowledgeable coaches make every session better. Much of the criticism of crossfit is placed on the training programs that can be completed in a weekend. With the fear that instructors are not technical enough, thus increasing the incidence of injury. My experience paints a much different picture. The instructors at our affiliate are technically sound, and practice caution with new members. Did you know that 90% of personal trainers at your local gym have a weekend certification as well?

People can disagree with the training principles, but there are many reasons to like crossfit, and it is now clear to me why people are nuts about it. It is a program that anyone can try, there is always room to improve, and everyone involved wants you to succeed. Sounds good to me.

Cheers,
Jordan

During this time our players and coaches were interviewed by local media outlets (really cool experience), and countless newspaper articles, as well as being featured on the sports highlights!

If you don’t know, I am a physical education teacher at St. Mary’s High School in Kitchener Ontario.

As the coach of the Boys Hockey team for the last 4 years, I have experienced a lot of ups and downs. It’s easy to be happy when things are going great, but it is harder to find hope when things don’t go so well. After 2 years of being at the bottom of the standings, we achieved a second place finish last season. Dealing with the transfer of an influential coach and close friend, and the loss of key players we approached this season with a different attitude, and went on to win the League Championship!

The players showed passion, desire and dedication throughout the entire season.  This Championship meant the world to them …and it showed. I have never been so proud of a group of guys.

Now to my work….I’m not going to win an oscar for cinematography, but I will never forget these moments.

Thanks to CTV for the video coverage!

Two days into my illness I felt a bit better so I went for a personal best in deadlift (which I hit), so I was pumped. Too bad that excitement only would only last a few hours, before I became feverish, had a massive headache, and a sore throat.

I’m not saying dead lifts are the cause of illness, but my youthful enthusiasm got the best of me, and I could not resist a training session. Big mistake!

If you do not feel well, don’t push it. The weights, the cardio…it can wait. In fact it needs to wait.

I should take my own advice. Learn from me, if you are sick….skip your workout. Period. Rest, drink fluids, and you will come back stronger and faster.

You could always try the neck test which basically states that if you have symptoms only above the neck (sore throat, headache, running nose) then you have the green light to workout. If you have symptoms below the neck (stomach issues, chest tightness, breathing issues) then stay out of the gym.

Flu season is almost gone! Keep your head up!

I have never even ran an official 5k race, but this is my goal!  For anyone interested in training for this event go check out the TOUGHMUDDER facebookpage

People are going crazy for this race, and using it as a tool to get active and reach their goals. I’m not used to training for this kind of race, so it should be interesting. Good luck to all those brave enough to take this challenge. It should be a great day!

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” – Leonardo Da Vinci

Eat Clean

Avoid Sugar

Eat Real Protein (Animals)

Don’t forget to drink a lot of water

Lift Heavy Things

Run, Jog or Walk

Play

Don’t freak out if you miss a meal

Life gets busy

Keep it Simple!

I’d walk around from class to class speaking at people (teenagers).  Were they listening?  I think so, but what I should have asked myself was, “am I listening to them”?

Think about your day, your interactions.  How many people do you assist, speak with, and more importantly listen to.

Most people long for someone to listen to them.  Not just a person that will give feedback, and try to solve their problems, rather somebody that will simply listen, without judgement.

I am blessed to have many such encounters everyday, and am forever grateful for that opportunity.

If you really want to make a difference in somebody’s life….just listen to them.

I’ll admit that I am not the best listener, but I am trying to get better.

Are you?

I would advise anybody that struggles to maintain a healthy weight, or any inflammation issues to give paleo a shot.

Thinking back to what Paleo Guru Robb Wolf said at his Paleo Solution Seminar last year in Toronto, I believe the Paleo crowd needs to cool it down a notch.

Robb said that we can’t make the Paleo diet a religion (although we will continue to capitalize it!).  Just like crossfit, the paleo crowd is growing fast, they are loud and becoming increasingly less accepting of people that do not follow their practice.  It is evident in blogs all over the net,  and this is precisely why the paleo diet will ultimately lose credibility in the mainstream media.

We must chill out Paleo friends.  It is just a way to eat (a good one for sure), but even for me the Paleo evangelicals are becoming a bit too much to tolerate.

There are many lean healthy people that are not eating a paleo diet.  It is not for everyone, so get off the soapbox!