Spartan Up!

3.22

Today was filled with undiluted awesome! I completed my first Spartan Race, the Sprint in Palmerton, PA (at Blue Mountain Ski resort). It was everything you would expect it to be and more, full of life-lessons, physical challenges and exertion that you can't get anywhere else, and the personal victory of finishing.

I had this crazy idea a year or so ago to do an obstacle course run, and after studying a number of the mud-runs out there, settled on Spartan Races because they are the classiest and seemed to be the most well-run. I was right on both counts.

Their goal behind great planning and execution is to get our sedentary, overfed population off the couch and engaged in this great life around us. And the Spartan races certainly do just that. There were thousands of racers there today, from the most serious gym-enthusiasts to the middle-aged casual-training guys like me.

I hit my three modest goals today: Finish (my time was 3:12:24); don't get injured (no blisters, sprains or cuts, just one small rope burn); don't throw up. Mission accomplished!

There are so many lessons learned it would much more than the space I could commit here. But the great thing is that finishing a significant personal goal reminds you that you have

what it takes, and after the finish line you can be assured it was all worth it.

Now it's time to rest up, and I've already been hitting the apple cider vinegar to help my muscle recovery, and just get a good night's sleep.

If you feel like you haven't done something 'significant' lately, dig deep and challenge your thinking, and maybe you'll find yourself on a personal journey toward something that will change your life.

By the Way

There was one huge disappointment for such a great day - my Fitbit Blaze isn't waterproof!! There are numerous waterholes and wet events in a Spartan Race which would have wrecked it... So for all the extreme physical challenges, exertion and accomplishment I had today, I wasn't able to record any of it. But no worries, I know what an awesome day it was!

FitnessPals and Beet Juice

3.21

I was talking with a business colleague a few weeks ago about some wellness discoveries he is making, and how he is benefiting in significant ways. He also shared one of his recent discoveries about beet juice with me, which got me thinking and researching. One thing he tried out some time ago was MyFitnessPal, and took it seriously, logging his food choices consistently and making appropriate additions and deletions. Now he is training for and running in half-marathons and has seen his weight drop and energy increase.

I love hearing power pantry stories like his. Stories outlining how life wasn't terrible or unhinged, but could obviously be better. And then this new world of nutritional excellence and discerning choices opens up, and voila', unanticipated benefits begin to accrue.

And I really appreciate that he mentioned about the substantial benefits of beet juice. As a new runner, he was trying to improve his times and endurance, and had found that beet juice was giving him an edge. Making the hand-off of a personal discovery solidifies our place in the lifestyle wellness community - we're in it together...So here are some things I looked into and am learning about the numerous benefits of beet juice as well:

• the micronutrients and antioxidants in beet juice aid in cleansing and detox
• betaine in beet juice fights inflammation in tissue which can reduce the effects of arthritis, skin issues like acne, heart disease and things like kidney stones and gout
• beet juice lowers blood pressure by helping our bodies produce nitric oxide which relaxes and dilates blood vessels
• it assists with the absorption of oxygen, providing more stamina in workouts and cardio exertion

Check out some of these resources on how beets are a natural source of nutritional health and healing:
Dr. Mercola on the benefits of beets
Beet juice benefits from The Best of Raw Food website

So if you want to try out a great, nutritionally-dense raw food that your body will love, give beets and beet juice a try. And wherever you are in your journey of wellness, share what you're learning with someone and maybe you'll be helping them on their journey as well.

By the Way

Because beet juice helps with the absorption of oxygen, it is also known for improving endurance and reducing your time in running events. While the effect doesn't seem to benefit Olympic-level athletes (they apparently reach their ideal oxygen absorption through years of extensive training) studies show beet juice is helpful for the novice to moderate athlete. You could try cold-pressed beet juices like those from Naked Juice, or supplements from Beet Elite, if you're really serious.