I just realized I have only had 5 posts here at DDD since the start of 2013. My apologies. Things have just been busier than before. Sadly, this meant having to stop writing a monthly column over at the iRunnerBlog too. Bear with me another month and a half until the semester is over, and there will be much more here on the blog!

Anyways, we are back again with Gene of Z-Fanatical Fitness for Part 2 in the “Train Like a Wrestler” series. This time to learn about LIFEPROOF workouts and go through the Killer QuadZ LIFEPROOF, No Excuse Workout. What, you missed Part 1?? Don’t fret. Just go catch up here. Then come on back and get ready for a killer workout! Turning it over to Gene in 3…2…1!

I was torn between calling Z-Fanatical the “No-Excuse workout” and “LIFEPROOF Workout.” I still use these terms interchangeably. No matter how you slice it, Z-Fanatical cuts through all the nonsense and leaves you starring in the mirror. These workouts can be performed anywhere, anytime, by anyone!

Let’s face it, people are busy. You may have an hour commute to work, stay at home with a newborn child, travel often, etc. etc. Whatever your situation may be, the number one excuse people give to not working out is, you guessed it, TIME. There’s simply not enough of it in a day. If only we had more time in a day… To improve physically, your exercise must be improved in at least one of the three domains: Intensity (how hard you exercise), Frequency (how often you exercise), or Duration (how long you exercise). In the success equation, frequency is the truest constant. In other words, you must exercise often to see success. So what are we left with? Duration and Intensity. You have two options: (1) exercise at an easy intensity for a long period of time OR (2) exercise hard for a short period of time.

Back to your time dilemma. If there is not enough time (duration) in the day, then the only variable we are left with is Intensity. By default, you are left with option 2: exercise hard for a short period of time.

You still have one major excuse left in your bag of excuses - you don’t have equipment. Maybe the gym is out of the way, or you don’t belong to one. Your neighbors may have equipment, but you don’t own any. Bottom line- you don’t need gadgets or time to exercise- you need Z-Fanatical Fitness: 10-minute isolation circuits that require absolutely no equipment whatsoever. All you need to bring is your courage. This is why I like “No Excuse Workout’- lazy people cannot say a word.

But, maybe you’re not an excuse maker. Maybe you exercise frequently, but today you truly are hard pressed for time and you cannot make it to the gym. Z-Fanatical Fitness is your back pocket workout since it is indeed “LIFEPROOF.” Ahhh, that’s why I like using this term. No matter what circumstance life throws at you, you never have to miss your legs day again. (Sorry for that…well, not really). Z-Fanatical Fitness has eleven 10-minute workouts isolating different muscle groups including Abs, Arms, Legs, Butt, Cardio, and Plyometrics. Each workout isolates a muscle group while enhancing your cardiovascular endurance.

Here’s an example of how you would use it: You would own the “The Z-Factor: The Missing Link Between You and the Body of Your Dreams” or the streaming videos on www.zfanatical.com and then use them on a day (or everyday) you are pressed with time. Maybe it is a Wednesday and you don’t have time to do your leg workout at the gym, but you know you need to. Now, you whip out your Killer QuadZ workout and knock that all out in under 10 minutes. Problem solved!

And, here is that very Killer QuadZ LIFEPROOF, No Excuse Workout. There are 4 exercises: Squats, Jumping Lunges, Side to Side Squats, and Stars. You will go through this series of exercises for a total of 5 sets, with a 10 second rest in between sets. Your reps depend on your level. If you are on the Amateur Level, you will perform 3 reps of each exercise, Bronze is 5 reps, Silver is 7, Gold is 10, and Fanatical is 10 with an additional 6^th set. I would recommend you begin at the Bronze level, or 5 reps for each exercise. In time you will Jump Levels as you burn fat, get stronger, and build endurance. I demonstrate the regular workouts, while Z-Coach Amy demonstrates the modifications. A description of each workout is attached. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of the workout. You will soon realize that simple is not the same thing as easy…enjoy:

1. Squats- Ready position. Sit back on your heels. Squat as deep as possible (this is how low you will squat each time). Return to ready position and repeat to the number of prescribed reps. Figure 1.a, 1.b modified.

Figure 1.a                              Figure 1.b

2.Lunges- Ready position. Jump into a lunge with one knee coming an inch from the ground (2.1a). Repeat movement to the other side (2.2a). *Modified*- Lunge forward and bend the knee as much as possible without pain (2.1b & 2.2b). Perform the prescribed number of reps.

3. Side to side Squats- Ready position. Hands over your head. Squat to right side with right elbow pointing straight (3.1). The right knee should fall between both elbows. Squat as low as possible (this is how low you will squat each time. Repeat to the other side (3.2). Perform prescribed reps.

4. Stars- Ready Position. Bend knees and squat down as your heels raise up (4.1a). Bend as low as you can go (this will be where you will jump from each time).  Touch the ground with both hands at your side [if you can bend that low, if not, let your hands just fall to your side]. Jump up from your toes into the air with your hands raising up (4.2b). Perform prescribed reps. *Modified* Jump as high as you can (4.1b & 4.2b).

If you are looking for more of these workouts that can be performed anywhere, anytime, by anyone- the videos can be found at www.zfanatical.com

Lastly, I realize that I can serve this solution  to time and equipment to most people on a silver platter…and they still will not use it. (Here is where we go back to the starring yourself in the mirror) You are left with one conclusion- your own laziness, lack of motivation, or lack of discipline. Call it whatever you like. But it is no longer time, equipment, or the gym- it’s you! With no excuses left, we have effectively boiled it all down to your mindset. You cannot expect to see results if your mindset is not working with you. You will be like a racecar driver with the emergency brake on. Z-Fanatical Fitness will provide you next time with the 2^nd Secret from Wrestling: Mindset Training. Stay tuned..Stay FANATICAL!

Tanya here: Thanks Gene, you rock! Until next time everyone, your homework is to do this workout! In your home, your office, while waiting in line at the post office (seriously, those lines get LOOOONG)…whenever, whereever…get it in!

I came home on February 14th (aka-Valentine’s Day) in a crabby mood. I had gotten ~2 hours of sleep, spent ~$1,000 in car repair bills, and suffered through an Immunology test all before noon and then was working until 9pm. It was a rough day. Luckily, some love from Chobani was waiting at my doorstep to cheer me up!

{Big Box Just For Me!}

{Chobani Stocked Fridge}

{A Chobani spoon – so cool –  and info packet}

NEW FLAVORS:

Joining the standard Greek Yogurt line-up are Pear (Non-fat) and Banana (Low-fat). After trying out the pear  flavor all I could think was “Why don’t I eat pears more often? They are delicious!”. Both flavors were wonderful, but I think Black Cherry is still my all-time favorite Chobani flavor!

CHOBANI BITES:

These small (3.5 oz) yogurts come in at 100 calories each. Perfect for a small snack and sweet enough for dessert. Currently available in 4 flavors (Raspberry with Dark Chocolate Chips, Coffee with Dark Chocolate Chips, Fig with Orange Zest, and Caramel with Pineapple Chunks). I was sent the Raspberry and Coffee varieties, which were both great. I may try to stick the last Coffee yogurt in the freezer and see if it would be an appropriate substitute for coffee ice cream!

CHOBANI FLIPS:

A few months ago I posted about some of my recent favorite foods. On the list was the Muller Corner Yogurts, so I was excited to see Chobani Flips in my box full of Yogurt. I was able to try out the Almond Coco Loco and the Honey Bee Nana flavors. I didn’t think the Almond Coco Loco would be good since I am not much of a coconut person, but mixing almonds and chocolate in to coconut yogurt is actually pretty amazing! They have some other interesting, out-of-the-box yogurt flavors, such as Key Lime Crumble, that I am going to track down and try next!

CHAMPION TUBES:

I don’t know why, but yogurt from a tube has always freaked me out a bit. While my classmates were downing Go-Gurt back in the day, I did not. That has stuck with my since childhood, so I passed the Tubes off to my advisor’s children to enjoy! Most kids seem to like eating yogurt from a tube, and since no spoon is involved it is probably great to pack in to lunch boxes, so check those out if your child is a fan!

If you find yourself face-to-face with any of these new products, I recommend trying them out. To make it easier to afford, coupons are available on the Chobani site!

Have you seen the new Chobani flavors? Which ones have you tried out and like the best?

-Tanya

Disclaimer: Samples were provided to me for free by Chobani. I was not expected to post a review, nor am I am compensated for doing so. My opinions are honest and my own.

When Gene first contacted me about posting information here in Dine, Dash, and Deadlift I was a bit apprehensive. I mean, don’t wrestlers basically starve themselves and then run around covered in trash bags in a sauna to make weight? At least that is what I remember seeing wrestlers at my college doing before meets. [Kidding, kind of] Obviously that is not the case, and so Gene is going to be here for a few posts to tell us about how to use wrestling-based training to get in GREAT shape before summer rolls around. So with that, I am passing it over to Gene so he can give you some background info on wrestling and his company.

{Gene showing off what wrestling has done for him!}

My brothers and I were fortunate enough to participate in the oldest and arguably toughest sport in the world- wrestling. We began in 1^st grade and progressed into Nationally Ranked and All-Ivy League college athletes at the Division 1 level. Wrestling, now an Olympic sport (although, it may be getting cut from the 2020 Games), originated as a necessity for a man to defend his land and his woman. It is considered the holiest sport because it is the only one to be mentioned in the Bible, Torah, and Koran. Wrestling is described in the Epic of Gilgamesh, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and stories about Henry VIII and Abraham Lincoln. Socrates once swore, “upon Zeus that the elite runner could not equal the average wrestler.” Wrestling is the foundation of one of the fastest growing sports: MMA. Many champions and former champions have a strong base in wrestling: Jon Jones, Frank Edgar, Brock Lesnar, Matt Hughes, Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, etc. What is so special about this sport, and what does this have to do with you?

Wrestling requires a unique balance of all fitness attributes. Figure 8 illustrates the unique fitness demands of a wrestler compared to a distance athlete and weight lifter. Notice the combination of fitness requirements (strength, speed, and endurance) compared to other sports.

{Bomba, T. O. (1999). Periodization training for sports: Programs For Peak Strength 35 Sports. Human Kinetics. Champaign, IL.}

Wrestlers are also in a unique situation that requires them to compete within a weight class. A very low body fat percentage is more of a necessity than it is desire for a wrestler. A wrestler must also strive to get stronger and build endurance. A wrestler’s physique seems like a paradox- be as strong and small as possible. Are these not America’s mainstream fitness goals- burn fat, get stronger, build endurance? Aren’t these your goals?

Anyone can train like a wrestler. Z-Fanatical Fitness has a Progression System that can take anyone from whiner to winner, victim into victor, worrier into warrior, chump into champ, you get the picture. You must first be willing to learn and apply wrestling’s 2 Fanatical secrets. (1) Mindset Training and (2) LIFEPROOF workouts. These philosophies are the backbone of Z-Fanatical Fitness. Over the next few weeks you will learn how the body of your dreams begins with your mindset- fitness is never just physical. You will also learn workouts that can be performed anywhere, by anyone, in only 10 minutes. Mindset training combined with LIFEPROOF workouts will soon give you the body of your dreams.

GIVEAWAY:

Want to get yourself a copy of Gene’s E-Book, “The Z-Factor: The Missing Link Between You and Your Dreams”? Well just leave a comment on this post telling us what you think about the IOC’s recommendation to cut wrestling from the Olympics.

Winner announced next Monday!

Until next time!

Why the hesitation? It seems people get very heated one way or the other about CrossFit so I wanted to avoid the likely hate mail. I had a change of heart because this is my blog and if I can’t share my experience and voice my opinion here, where can I?

First Impressions:

Curious about what this CrossFit thing was all about I contacted my local CrossFit gym to see about membership and pricing options. I found them (and all CrossFit gym websites I have looked at) to be secretive about their cost. No information publicly available and very little information given to me upon request. I was given a response of: “come in and try it out once for FREE and then we’ll tell you the cost per month is more than you make in a year membership options”. I found this annoying, but because I would have to pay for access to the campus gym over the summer anyway and was looking to switch up my workout, I decided to commit for 3 months. Below I go through the “Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” – in my opinion. Feel free to voice YOUR opinion(s) in the comments section.

The Good:

1. OLYMPIC LIFTING - Few things in this world make me feel more badass than the Olympic Lifts. “Back in the day” – aka when I was a D1 athlete, we frequently performed these lifts because we had a great set up of platforms and bumper plates. [See picture below.] Most standard gyms – including my current gym - do not allow Olympic lifting because they don’t have the proper equipment and/or they don’t deem it safe. I certainly agree with their reasoning, but I still miss the “RAWR” feeling of “yes, I DID just make this bar go from the floor to above my head in the blink of the eye“.

{University of Wyoming-Athletic Department-Weight Room}

2. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT – It is hard to keep up a level of intensity while working out alone all of the time. Having a set workout where you can compete against others is AWESOME! Maybe it is the former athlete in me, but I loved trying to keep up with the men during 400 repeats or attempting to put up the same weight as some of the stronger women. It was a great motivator that I certainly miss now.

{Burpees}

3. FUN/CHALLENGING WORKOUTS: The WODs are difficult (see this previous post). No doubt about it. If it was easy, you didn’t lift enough weight or go fast enough. Plain and simple. The nudge to get out of my comfort zone was there and each day I had the choice to answer back with a confident “I CAN and I WILL”.

4. SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY: The owners and coaches at CrossFit gyms (at least the one I went to and the impression I get from hearing about others) really focus on creating a community not just running a gym. They want members to know each other, cheer each other on, push each other, and ultimately help to hold each other accountable. Standard gyms generally don’t seem to have a great system for creating a sense of community or membership. Through small classes were you directly work with and against other members, to “fun”-themed workouts (dress up for Halloween), competitions, and member potlucks it was easy to get to know others, make friends, and want to go back day after day.

{Drilling Snatch and Overhead Squat Form}

The Bad:

1. LACK OF ACCESS / INCONVENIENT CLASS SCHEDULE: You can only go to CrossFit gyms when classes are held. This was annoying since often times my plans would be to go to a specific class and then something would happen to delay me which could mean totally missing out for the day or my work schedule was just so long that I literally did not have a chance to get to a class.  When my schedule changes at the last-minute or I have a long day while a member at a more traditional gym I simply arrive x minutes later than planned and carry on with my workout. The scarce class availability at CrossFit just didn’t fit my schedule. {FYI: during the summer – which is when I went- the schedule is not as filled out. I was told the academic year has more classes available}.

2. “NUTRITION” – One of the “pillars” of Crossfit is that they pride themselves on having a solid nutrition base. What that means is: “We are going to convince you that Paleo is the ONLY way you should eat and you are WRONG if you don’t think like this.” Give me a break. I don’t need people with zero to limited nutrition background to tell me – a Registered Dietitian and PhD Student in Nutritional Sciences – that I am “unhealthy” because I choose to eat peanuts and to not eat chicken.

{Toes to Bar Ab Workout}

3. KIPPING: Words cannot express my disdain for kipping pull-ups. Oh wow, you can do 50 kipping pull ups but no strict, deadhang pull-ups. Not impressed. Also, no one ever gave me a good reason for doing kipping pull-ups other than “you can do more for time if you kip than if you don’t”. Umm, okay. I can also get from my Point A to Point B quicker in my car than I can on foot. That doesn’t make it ‘better’ for me to drive my car than walk.

4. MARKETING: This isn’t really a con…just an FYI/Public Service Announcement. One of the reasons CrossFit is so popular is due to a “genuis” marketing scheme (also used by every other exercise program in the history of the world from Step Aerobics to P90X), which consists of: 1) Take fit people. 2) Have them do CrossFit. 3) Voila, CrossFit is the best damn thing ever. Do some people see extraordinary results after undergoing CrossFit training? Yes, I’m sure they do. But people also undergo dramatic transformations from training to run a marathon, taking Zumba classes, using “Insanity” DVDs, calling Jenny Craig…and anything else you can think of. There are very fit people who do CrossFit - that is true. There are also very UNFIT people who do CrossFit…just like there are in any other workout program.

{Handstand Push ups}

The Ugly:

1. $$$$ – So SO So SO Expensive - Crossfit gyms are insanely pricey! Full disclosure – I had to pay $125 a MONTH to only attend 2 classes week! Full, unlimited classes cost over $200 a month I believe, and this seems pretty standard at most gyms. WAYY too much in my opinion, especially on a graduate student budget. I know some Crossfit gyms have open hours every night or a few times a week where members (regardless of how many classes they can attend a week) can come in to do what they want. This would have made the whole experience a lot better and helped to justify the cost because I would have seen it as paying for a gym membership and a group training package, rather than just group fitness classes.

CrossFitters often counter this by saying that “you get so much more” than a standard gym. Agree to disagree I guess. Does it work out to be cheaper than paying for a gym membership and personal training? Yes! Is it cheaper than full-time access to a gym + group fitness classes {which is what CrossFit essentially is}? Heck NO!

{Thrusters}

2. CULT-LIKE (Crossfit is the best and only form of physical activity) MENTALITY – Crossfit certainly seems a little bit like a cult. A fitness cult, but a cult nonetheless. This is something I am not particularly fond of. The “Crossfit is Life” attitude annoyed me to no end. I generally have a “live and let live” outlook on life and think that there is no such thing as a “bad” form of exercise/physical activity. To each their own. Yet, in “Crossfit land” there seems to be a constant bashing of all other types of exercise/athletes/competitors.

I heard comments like “Runners/Triathletes/etc are not fit” ; “Body builders are not that strong”, etc. To pull a comment directly off a recent blog post from the Crossfit gym I went to: “Who would you rather have help you move … a CrossFitter or a world-champion triathlete?  I’ll take a CrossFitter any day.” I believe comments like this are 1) super rude and 2) way off base. I’ll take the world champion triathlete to help me move. They are used to working out for hours at a time and will go until the job is done, not stop  when they hit the 8 minute WOD time cap. Just saying! [A snarky comment, yes - but it just gets across my frustration with the comments made to me and to the general Crossfit community on a regular basis]

I don’t think there is anything wrong about being passionate about Crossfit. I believe people should be passionate about their lives and the activities they choose to fill their time with. However, I do take issue with people being so narrow-minded that they do not think any other form of exercise is “worthy” and make out of line, inappropriate comments about them. That doesn’t make you “elite”. It makes you a jerk.

Also, just something I found humorous. For all of the bashing I have heard about triathletes from those involved with Crossfit it is strange that the opening event of the 2012 Crossfit Games was a mini triathlon. 700 m swim (with fins), 8 K bike, 11 K run. Oh and it took the winner of this event about 2 hours to complete it…aka a long time. So therefore, I would say that what the “inventor” of Crossfit has been quoted as saying in articles, “That Crossfit training would make elite endurance athletes like Ryan Hall better”, is completely wrong, as suggested by the results of the Crossfit “Tri”.

{Kettlbell Swings}

3. RANDOM PROGRAM LACKING BALANCE: My experience at CrossFit has been that the lifts/WODs are selected at random. There is not much structure in terms of making sure different muscle groups or movements are focused on regularly. In the 3 months I was at CrossFit I squatted with a bar on my back ONCE. And no, it is not that I just simply did not go when back squat day was happening, it is that it was hardly on the schedule. However, I could usually count on Kipping pull ups or Kettlebell swings to show up several times a week. A month went by with no dead lift on the schedule, then it was the strength session 3x in a single week. RANDOM. Not balanced. Annoying.

CrossFit – while they claim to incorporate agility and plyometric movements, do not. No to very small amounts of multi-planar/multi-directional movements occur. This makes CrossFit a poor choice as a sole training program for most athletes. As a former college soccer player and someone who still plays recreationally it is those side to side, forward-backwards, rotational type, sports movements that suffer as a result of CrossFit training.

{Getting used as a hurdle to warm up}

OVERALL: Is Crossfit a good workout? Yes. Is it the end all, be all, pinnacle of fitness? No. It has its downfalls as well as its strengths and if those in charge of it would acknowledge them and not have this “we are the best ever” attitude, I wouldn’t be so negative in response. Would I do it again? You bet. In an ideal world I would retain a normal gym membership and a CrossFit membership so that I could do the WODs in a group setting, and still maintain a traditional, progressive, structured weight training schedule. However, until costs go WAY down at CrossFit gyms or I come in to A LOT of extra $, I will stick with my regular gym. We’re pretty strong and fast over here in ‘RegularFit’ land too!

To some degree I think it is the most recent “fitness fad”…. but I don’t necessarily think that is a bad thing! Is there really such thing as a “bad” workout fad? If it gets people off the couch and being active then why not! I’m a big believer that the best form of exercise is the one that you will actually do – and continue to do….so if CrossFit does that for you, go for it! I would just ask that you refrain from building a shrine of kettlebells that you bow down and worship every night and we will get along just fine. Unless you tell me you can do a million kipping pull-ups but not one legit dead hang pull-up. Then friends off. Sorry.

Agree? Disagree? Agree to Disagree? Hate Me? Love Me? Let me here YOUR opinion and experience in terms of CrossFit.

-Tanya

*Pictures from this FB Account

But for now let’s do a quick catch-up.

SCHOOL/WORK:

The semester is underway and between classes of my own, trying to get some research done, abstracts submitted, papers written (and ideally accepted without any revisions – HA, a girl can wish), a GTA, a GRA, and an adjunct position – I am STRUGGLING to keep my head above water!

Speaking of school – I will actually have to start ANOTHER blog for my Contemporary Pedagogy class. I know, I barely have time for my beloved Dine, Dash, and Deadlift so why in the world would I start another one? Well, for one, it is required and two, I didn’t want to use THIS site to write about my “thoughts, beliefs, experiences, etc” related to teaching strategies for the modern-day collegiate environment. It is now up and running and is called “Stuck in the Middle“. Please go check it out if you are interested in following along over there!

RUNNING:

Training for the Blue Ridge Marathon is underway. 4 weeks down and I am having some serious hip issues. Pain sets in anywhere from 11 minutes to 4 miles in to a run. For now I am grinding and getting the workouts in as best I can. If this hip issue doesn’t magically vanish, well I may need to scale back and go with the half marathon instead .

GOOD EATS:

Go and purchase the “Carb Conscious Vegetarian” cookbook. My roommate recently brought it home and I am hooked. Well actually I have only made one recipe so far – the “Spaghetti Squash and Snowpeas with Peanut Sauce”- but I have made it 3 weeks in a row. It is THAT good. So check it out.

See you soon!

-Tanya

First and foremost I would say to not highlight the fact that it is “you helping them”. Rather I would suggest taking steps to make your typical interactions with them more ‘health-focused’ and extend invitations to activities you think would help them reach their fitness and nutrition goals. Head on over to the iRunnerBlog, where I give specific ideas in my monthly “Nutrition Nerd” column!

Between the end of the semester and traveling the final month of the year was a hectic one. Four items remained somewhat incomplete at the start of the month, and two of them did not get completed fully this year (Ski 30 days and Go on 12 Hikes). However, I am happy that I accomplished nearly everything I initially set out to do (particularly run my first marathon and visit two national parks I had not yet been to)! Here is what happened over the past month:

#4 – Ski 30 Days: Coming off of a poor ski season at the start of the year getting to 30 days became impossible since I had only skied 13 days at the start of December. Luckily there was ample snowfall in New Hampshire this past week and I was able to get in 6 days while back in New England visiting my family for Christmas. I worked as a ski instructor every winter in high school and over the Dec/Jan break in college at a small mountain in NH, so it is always nice to go back and ski the trails I know so well! While I am disappointed I wasn’t able to hit the 30 day mark, I am happy with the days I was able to get in given how busy this past year was.

#9 – Cut My Peanut Butter Intake Down to 2 Jars a Month: For the 12th month in a row, I stuck to this one, checking it off for the year! Doing so has (hopefully) broken me of the 4 jars a month habit for good.

#10 – Make a list of all of my commitments, obligations, etc and the prioritize them and remove some: This item will be an ongoing struggle for me. 2013 will be busy, but hopefully manageable now that I have (mainly) learned how to think logically before agreeing to take on a new task! I’m considering it completed for this year!

Overall this past year was wonderful – definitely on of my favorites. Some of the highlights include:

Visiting Tahoe

Welcoming Oakley in to my Life

Being Chosen as the SCAN Graduate Student Research Grant Recipient

Attending the ACSM Annual Meeting for the 1st Time

Being Invited to Participate in a GSSI Meeting at IMG Academy

Visiting Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park with my Mom

Running My First Marathon

Visiting Shenandoah National Park

All while working towards “Bucket List Item # 1″ – Get my PhD!

While I enjoyed having these 12 “goals” over the past year, I am currently undecided if I want to do a similar “13 in 2013″ list. I will keep you updated!

What are the highlights of 2012 for you? Are you setting goals or making resolutions for 2013?

-Tanya

I highly recommend doing something like this. No race fee required.

Anyways, on to the point of this short post…the winner of the Mediterranean Snacks Giveaway is

Teri of the fabulous blog, Managed Macros. Woot woot! I will be e-mailing you to send the goodies your way!

Have a great week everyone!

-Tanya

#1 – Run 6 trail races: This item officially got completed at the start of the month. Oakley and I participated in the Big Lick Vet Tails and Trails 5K ,with my roommate and her dog, which was put on by the Subway Commonwealth Games of Virginia. There are very few dog friendly events, so I jumped at the chance to sign up for this doggie-friendly 5K trail race.

The course started out running  a lap around a field before heading in to the trails. We did a quick loop in the woods, then popped out to run around the field again. Mile 1 complete. Oakley had racing fever and pretty much dragged me up until this point.

Then it was back in to another section of trail, then out of the woods, across a parking lot, in to the woods and UP a VERY steep hill. It was so steep and also filled with tree roots and rocks that running was close to impossible. We arrived at the top, passed the 2 mile sign, and joined the 1st trail loop we ran.

We were supposed to run this section TWICE to finish, but a lot of people only ran it once before heading out of the woods, around the soccer field again and to the finish. The volunteers didn’t have a good system for keeping track of who had completed the final lap or not, so they incorrectly told people to head to the finish before they were supposed to. Then these folks didn’t seem to even realize the error (I think the fact that they passed the 3 mile sign so soon after the 2 mile sign should have been a clue, but oh well) so most didn’t even tell the timing staff to DQ their finish.

Oakley and I ran the correct route, and here we are coming in for the finish:

TIME: 27:29 (8:52 mile pace). According to the “official results” we were 19th overall, 6th for females, and 1st in  my age group. However, these results were VERY  wrong due to people not running the entire course. For instance, there were NO women running with dogs ahead of me, yet somehow one or two finished ahead of us? There were other folks who were also not ahead of me who finished in front of me (like a 50 year old man who is commonly at the trail races running close to an 11 minute pace, who somehow was behind me from the start, never passed me….yet finished in an 8:30 something pace) hmm suspicious. I saw this in action as well since as I was finishing my final lap, people who I passed who were on their 1st lap just came with me to the finish even though they still need to run another lap.

I know it is just a “fun” event and shouldn’t be taken seriously, but I am competitive by nature. So it just really irks me that Oakley and I missed out on the top prizes simply because so many folks only ran about 2.5 miles, not 3.1. Grrr.

Other than that the race was good. Positive: Oakley got a nice toy (which he played with immediately) in the race bag and there were lots of cute pups there! Negative (other than the course/results): The shirt, was way too big and I will never wear it.

#4 Ski 30 Days: I got one ski day in at Snowshoe Mtn on Black Friday. It was okay…lots of driving for little snow, crowded trails, and a teeny tiny ‘mountain’. It’s the best I have here in the southeast though, so I will take it for now! This brings me to a total of 13 days for 2012. This item will not be getting accomplished since there is no way I will be on skis for 17 days this final month. This is a huge fall off from my previous winters during undergrad when I would get about 20 days of skiing in during the month of December alone! Growing up and being responsible has its downfalls….

#5 Go on 12 Hikes: 3 hikes were checked off this month. A quick one to the top of Mill Mountain after the doggie 5K was #8 for the year.

Running around in the woods for both the race and the hike tired the Oakley dog out and he promptly passed out on the drive home. How cute is he?

# 12 Visit 2 National Parks: Hike #9 was the day before Thanksgiving in Shenandoah National Park, making #12, visit two national parks officially checked off this month. It was a 6-7 mile loop, which brought us past 3 waterfalls.

Hike #10 was on Thanksgiving Day at Crab Tree Falls, which is supposedly the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi. It’s only about 2 miles to the top of the falls, and then another 1.5 miles to Crab Tree Meadows (so about a 7 mile hike round trip). We missed out on peak foliage, but it was still a great view at the top of the falls.

How many National Parks have you visited? Which was your favorite? What is on your to-do list for December?

-Tanya

P.S. – Go enter my giveaway for Mediterranean Snacks if you haven’t yet, winner announced on Monday!

I had never heard of this company before, but after a quick look on their website, I said, “Lentil-based chips and crackers? Send ‘em my way!” (Yes, the benefits of being a nutrition blogger strike again). As a vegetarian, lentils are a common occurence in my diet. High in protein, easy to make, and incredibly versatile in various dishes. They get an A+ in my book. So what did I think of the samples that came my way?

Mediterranean Baked Lentil Crackers:

The Sea Salt variety was my favorite. Great on its own and because it doesn’t have a stronger flavor associated with it like the Cracked Pepper or Rosemary Herb versions, it is also the best choice for dips/spreads. I personally LOVED this topped with some tabouli and it was eaten up rather quickly.

I primarily ate the other two topped with plain hummus. I didn’t really like the Cracked Pepper alone, a bit too “peppery” for my taste buds!

Mediterranean Baked Lentil Chips:

I am not a big “chip” person by nature (well anymore that is…as a kid I considered Dorito’s a necessity for life) so I wasn’t really sure I would like this lentil-based chip either. None of them were a big hit for me. The texture was not very “chippy”. It was more like one of those Moonpop crisps you may have recently seen in the grocery store lately, having a bit of air incorporated in to them. The crunch-factor was still intact and most definitely “chip-like” though. For me, these chips are a no.

However, keep in mind that my taste buds also hate cheese, olives, and soup so you might not want to accept my view on its own. Kristen (aka Swanky Dietitian) posted a review of these same products and was a big fan of the chips. She even said one of the Lentil Chip flavors was the best snack food she has ever had!

Overall:

Both of these products are Gluten Free and use non-GMO ingredients. I am not a proponent of a gluten free diet for no reason. However, I know a lot of people are currently following a gluten-free diet regardless of if they have Celiac’s disease or wheat-intolerance. Therefore, I would recommend these crackers/chips for parties and gatherings. This way everyone can enjoy the snacks you plan to lay out (cheese & crackers, hummus & chips, etc.) without worry.

Furthermore, having family members who were diagnosed with Celiac’s disease before it was “cool” I am glad that there is more awareness of the dietary restriction these folks face and therefore more products available for them. I have also noticed the gluten free products becoming better over the years. I remember it being so hard after my cousin was diagnosed to find snacks/baked goods she could eat that were tasty and sturdy. There was the pizza crust that even the dog refused to eat and the chocolate chip cookies which fell apart and left much to be desired in the taste department.

Win It:

So now for the giveaway. See that last picture? ALL of that could be yours (Lentil Crackers, Lentil Chips, and Hummuz Chips) to try out! To enter:

1. Comment on this post telling me if you have ever had any of the Mediterranean Snacks before and if so, which is your favorite. If not, which one are you most interested to try? (mandatory)

2. “Like” Mediterranean Snacks on Facebook (optional, for an additional entry)

3. Follow Mediterranean Snacks on Twitter (optional, for an additional entry)

4. Tweet out: “I just entered @NutritionNerd ’s giveaway of @MedSnax products and you should too, http://wp.me/p1BMNm-Ei” …. or something like that (optional, for an additional entry)

Get your entries in by Sunday December 2nd, winner will be announced Monday, December 3rd!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

-Tanya

Disclaimer: Mediterranean Snacks provided me with samples to review and are sponsoring the giveaway. I receive no monetary or other compensation for blogging about this product. Thoughts and opinions are my own.