Milk does the body good

                There are a lot of diet plans and health fads that I don’t jump ever really jump on.  I guess I just have a routine and I really don’t ever add extra protein in such into my diet.  However there is a new study that I am very willing to jump on the so called band wagon and that is chocolate milk for post-workouts.  I need to say that again CHOCOLATE MILK for post-workouts.  

                Studies have started to prove that when you drink water only after a workout that it is only replenishing the sweat that was lost.  When you drink fluids like Gatorade and Powerade you are replacing the water lost from sweat but I the same time you are giving your muscles the much needed fuel of carbs and proteins to help repair and replenish your muscles.  This goes the same for chocolate milk.  I don’t know about you all but I am not made of money and purchasing Gatorades and Powerades even from Costco will quickly send me into bankruptcy, so I think it’s great tasting always enjoyable chocolate milk for the win.  If you want to read up some studies on this newer found theory I have placed a few below.

Hope you all are having a great weekend and that you have an even better weekend.

Bogo out

Fitness Magazine, Got Milk?

Runners World, Is Chocolate Milk Really Best for Recovery?

Asics GT-2000 Review

                Growing up as a kid shoes were shoes.  I got the size shoe I needed for whatever activity it was intended for.  Skate shoe for skating, casual for schools and such, and running for athletics.  As the years progressed and I began running to stay in shape because let’s face it when you are a kid you have so much energy and you are going all the time that having to exercise to stay in shape was never a thought you had.  So once I began consistently jogging I was finding problems with my shins locking up on me.  It would stop my foot from doing its natural roll from heal to toes and it caused my entire foot to slam down at the same time.  It didn’t hurt just was extremely annoying forcing me to change my stride and slow down.  At first I thought that it was just shin splints and I would ice my legs and stretch, but I was still having a problem.  It was time for new shoes and instead of doing what I had been doing for years I decided to go to a local running store and see if they could help me find a better shoe.  It was then they informed me that I was flat footed and had wide feet.  And with that I decided to go for a wider shoe and settled on Asics because they give me the support I need for my flat feet and went with a 2E width.

                Things did get better I wasn’t running into the problem of my shins tightening and locking up on me as much but every now and then it was still there.  When it was time for a new pair of shoes I stuck with Asics because I liked the support that they did give me and decided to go with a 3E this time to see if the extra room would help me.  Well it did.  I wasn’t having any problems and things were going well.  There was a little more movement from the extra space, so I just tied my shoes tighter.  Now coming to this year and 2 pairs of shoes later it was time for a new pair of shoes.  I did want to see If there were any other brands that would support my feet as I felt it was time for a change.  I had 3 pairs of Asics in total; I loved them just felt like a change.  I went to the store wearing an old pair and started looking around.  Once someone was free to help me I was sadly informed that the pairs I was looking at would not give me the proper support that I needed.  I was directed to a pair of Asics and New Balance.  After trying them both on, I felt that again the Asics just fit my foot the best.

                You are probably asking me where the heck the review is, well here we go.  I purchased a pair of GT-2000.  Because of the extra movement of my foot in the shoe I dropped back down to a 2E width as recommended.  I was a little hesitant but their return policy didn’t have me worried about not being happy and being stuck with the shoe.

                Looks wise I am very pleased.  The last 3 pairs I have owned all have been GT-2000s, but man were they just plain boring light grey with some blue ascents.  This year it seems that all shoe companies really stepped up the pop factor with their choice of colors.  The cushioning and support of these shoes are great I don’t feel a hard impact when I place my foot down.  I also have noticed that the tread has been changed with this year’s model.  With last year’s model there is a ridge that would run down pretty much the inside of your foot starting at your large toe and continuing to your arch where it splits.  With this year’s the ridge is not as wide but is deeper and begins again at the large toe, but this time it has moved farther to the outside of the foot.  There are also more break points which help your foot move more naturally and may help with the reason I have not had a problem dropping back to a size 2E width from a 3E.  You can take a look at the difference in tread from last year’s model to this year model below.

                                       2012                     2013

                Over all I am very pleased with my purchase.  I no longer have the extra foot movement and I am still getting the same support and width to not cause a problem with my shins.  These shoes have already followed along with me to California at the end of June (first pair to travel to the west coast).  And they have helped me train and finish well in the Belmar 5miler.  The only problem I have is I just may need to get another pair.  I did just see a lime/white/red pair that I am liking very much.

Have a great weekend everyone

Bogo out

Race Recap

                On July 13, 2013 I ran the Belmar 5miler.  A few months ago my sister texted me saying she will be home and I should do the run with her.  I instantly said yes, and responded to her asking if she knew it was a 5 mile run and not a 5k.  Even so it wasn’t a problem and we decided run it anyway.  We probably had one of the biggest groups there between my sister’s friends and our cousins who came down from Connecticut.  All of us were seriously excited and could not wait to get going.

                On race day things were looking a little bleak.  The Friday before it was raining all day, and the clouds still weren’t pushed out by the morning.  With my mud run background a little water wasn’t going to stop me.  Game time finally came around and the race began.  The group was already split up and didn’t matter cause we were all running for our set times anyway.   Two of my cousins and I started about mid pack.  I was begging to feel a little claustrophobic and I needed to get out of the pack to get on my pace.  Once I got out I was only about 12-15 seconds off my pace time so I was happy by mile one.

                Almost nothing felt better than making the final turn and I started sprinting for the finish line.  As I crossed the line I checked the timer and it said 39.24.  When I first signed up I set a goal of running it in 40 minutes or less.  I was happy with the time.  It was very humid that day but thankfully the clouds kept the sun away.  I was feeling good, and then I checked my official time that they posted as the runners came in.  So my net time was 38:46, I was so excited when I saw that.

(photo courtesy of my pops)

                All in all it was a great day.  The run was fun, weather was kind to us for the most part, and the group was such a blast to be with.

Till next time

Yurbuds review

            I don’t know about you guys but I have a hard time finding earbuds that fit me.  They are always falling out when I am running or even when I am just sitting.  In the past I have tried everything from straight headphone, behind ear buds, or just plain old buds.  For a while I was using Skullcandy’s which I was very happy with for the sound and for the comfort but they never wanted to stay in place.  I have tried everything even using apple earbuds and flipping them so they hung upside down but again they never stayed.  I was really tired of trying different things and decided to do some research before I tried my next pair.

            So I came across a company called Yuruds and they seemed to be a sport orientated company.  I decided to go with their Inspire Duro earbuds.  A few weeks ago my pair came in and I have been trying them out.  When you first look at these headphones you will notice how weird they look but that’s why they work so well.  The shape helps the buds sit in your ear better allowing them to stay in place during times of a lot of movement.  The first time I tried them on a run I was so relieved to find how well they work.  I was able to move my head all over the place and the buds didn't budge at all.  So finally I found a pair of buds that I completely love.

            Now let’s get to some pros and cons.  First let’s get the cons out of the way, however these are few and very very far between.  Yurbud says that the cord is supposed to be tangle free but because the cord is cloth instead of rubber I find it getting tangled more then ever.  I also am a person that wears my headphones under the back of my shirt.  But the cloth cord gets pulled by my shirt tugging on the earbud.  So now I wear the cord under the front part of my shirt, such a major problem right.  That’s it for the cons, like I said few and far in between.  Now for the pros.  As I said the shape helps lock the buds into your ear and they don’t move.  I still have a habit of checking and repositioning my headphones, just because I always had to.  What is also great about these buds is that they are not noise canceling.  If noise canceling is what you are looking for then look somewhere else.  But these headphones allow ambient noise in which makes running in the road much safer.  And this all happens with out risking the sound quality.

            I have been so happy with these earbuds and I highly recommend them to everyone but especially those that have a problem with buds falling out all of the time.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Ups and Downs to Training for Belmar 5ml Run

                So a few months ago I decided to run the Belmar 5 mile on July 13^th.  Not only did I decide I would run but I set a time for myself to try and beat.  I wanted to run it in 40 minutes or quicker.  Now before I continue going on with the now let me give you a little history.  I have run 5k’s, mud runs, and color runs in the past.  Running in a race like this is nothing new to me and I know what I'm getting myself into.  However the difficult part is a history of injuries.

                Early February of 2012 I seriously sprained my ankle while playing indoor soccer.  Looking back now this was something that I should have gone to a doctor to get checked and to allow it to heal properly.  But stubborn me and thinking I know everything I didn't go to one.  The icing and time I took off from all activities wasn’t enough.  So needless to say I had a reoccurring injury that lasted for so long and really got me down.  So ever running a competitive time last year was never going to happen.

                Because I knew my injury was from being out of shape and working in an office I was determined to not have the same issues a second year in a row.  I started working out again and have been steadily going to the gym.  I feel great and more importantly my ankle feels stronger and better.  So this past Saturday (6/29) I had a paintball tournament, and during our second match I well thankfully didn’t sprain my ankle again but I pulled my groin.  When it happened I first focused on finishing out the tournament but once done I sat down and I thought oh crap there goes my goal for the run.

                After relaxing and icing on Sunday I decided Monday I would try to see how things went.  I ran 2 miles and I am happy to report that it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting and after being able to run 5 miles today a little off the pace I was shooting for and feeling fine I think I can say that the goal is close if not completely back.  And I will gladly keep you all posted on how the race goes.

Hope the rest of your week goes well.

Planning next workout series

                Since I ended my last workout series I have joined a gym (something I have not done in many years).  I never really cared about paying for a membership or making time to go.  I felt like changing it up this year and decided I wanted to start lifting some weights again, nothing major just wanted to tone up a little bit.  So once LM Combat was over, I joined Planet Fitness.  I have to be honest, the Planet Fitness commercials really helped me make this choice.  Only kidding, a good friend of mine has been going there for years and has nothing but good things to say about it.  Planet is also somewhat on the way to work, so with my ever changing afternoon schedule, going before work has been such a joy.

                For a while now I have wanted to do 2 workout series a year, one in the late winter (which has always been when I kick my butt back into shape after the holidays) and another sometime in the fall.  After doing some research I think I am leaning toward doing P90x.  I have heard good things about it and like everything I am reading but I don’t really know anyone who has done it.  I love workouts that keep your heart rate up high and don’t give you much time for rests.  Yes it is terrible when you are in it but the results are completely worth it.  I am a Health and Physical Education major, and from my classes in Anatomy & Physiology and Kinesiology I have built up a belief in muscle confusion.  Not letting your body and muscles know what it happening that day is a good thing.  Doing this in the past for me has always worked better than doing the same circuit day in day out.  This is one of the beliefs of Tony Horton and in his deciding to create P90X.  If any of you have done this workout series before please comment I would love to hear to thoughts about it.

Where have I been?

                Hey everybody.  Yes I know I have been gone for months and I apologize.  I have become really busy lately and I also am still trying to figure out what directions to go in.  I started this blog when I started Les Mills Combat.  I wanted a way to record my progress and I thought this would be an interesting way to do it.  So I would like to take some time now and close that chapter.

                Les Mills Combat was a great workout series and I completely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a way to get back into working out, for a new series, or are just plain curious about it and want to try it.  As I have said before I have done Insanity a couple of times before, and it is nice to have something to compare LM Combat to.  For starters it was much easier both physically and mentally.  I was challenged by the different stretching that was involved with the series like trying to do a round house kick (and even more trying to do one above my head which sadly never happened, just need more time with stretching).  The second half of Insanity was tough because of the physical strains from the work outs and it just felt like it was never ending.  So in short I really enjoyed the LM Combat series.  Would I do it again, yeah I definitely would.  Do I recommend it to someone, sure do.  It a great way to get back into the routine of working out, and it’s also a great series just to change things up.  Hope you all try it and enjoy it as much as me.

                Now we will talk about the direction of this blog.  When I first started I thought this would be a breeze that I would just write about the week during my workout series and that it wouldn’t be too hard.  Well, couldn’t be farther from the truth.  At first I struggled with should I write a post a day, do my potential readers really want to hear me rant about pretty much the same thing every day.  So I never set a schedule and I feel this has hindered me in my writing and hindered you all who were/are interested in what I have to say.  I would like to get to a point where I will be posting once a week.  This may still be a little sporadic as I have to do some research.  I may write about articles that I have come across, maybe about my races like a 5 miler I am doing in July, I am also trying to get my sister to join in with us and write some posts, I mean she is a Bogo after all and is in love with fitness as much as me.

Hope you all have a great day,

Till next time