Jim's Fitness Journey Part 1

Guest blogger: Jim K of Thessaloniki

How does change come to ones life? I’d say it usually is due to an external stimulus which triggers a “special” mechanism in people’s minds or it could be due to the fact that the person is fed up with his/her current way of living.

Looking back to my childhood years I can remember that generally speaking I wasn’t into sports, except for some football. When we’d run as kids I’d be the first one to stop because I’d get out of breath. As a teen I had some extra kg due to my love for food. Yes, I’d eat huge quantities of pizza or whatever was in front of me on the table considering eating big as something really worthy! Although I wasn’t fat I had to keep on buying trousers of bigger size time after time because of my increasing waist’s diameter.

However, my aforementioned low performance on running comparing myself to the rest of kids had started bugging me and after a certain point I realized it’d have to be changed.

* First I told myself that I needed to lose some weight otherwise this ongoing weight increase wouldn’t lead to anywhere good. So I managed to convince myself that instead of eating 3 sandwiches in the evening 2 would be enough and then the 2 became 1, and so I did it and the difference of before and after became more evident.

* I’d also buy slightly tight fit clothes so as to force myself sticking to my goal of getting thinner, and yes it worked (I keep using this pattern even today and it works BIG!).

Part 2: The teenage years

Thanks Jim! Teammates, two great suggestions from Jim here -- post comments with your solutions and I'll fire them out on Twitter (@aldenmills).

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

Completing a Marathon: IV (a): The TAPER

CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell

Hello Charlie Mike teammates – I was initially going to cover just the day of the race in the final post of my marathon series. After reviewing a previous answer to CM teammate, Joe G., regarding tapering, it was suggested that I should cover this topic and break up the blog up into two parts: tapering and the day of the race. It was a great idea!

Tapering is very important if you want to post a good marathon time. It gives your body the opportunity to recover from all of the hard training you put in leading up to the race. You can replenish energy, rejuvenate muscles and possibly kick any nagging injuries you might have up to this point.

The tapering rule of thumb is the longer the race – the longer the taper and the more important it becomes. This is especially true for distances marathon and above (3 weeks). For shorter distances, the taper generally starts about 1-2 weeks out.

The two categories of concern when discussing tapering are volume of training and intensity of training. I will talk about volume of training first. When starting a 3-week taper, you can either do a measured stepped reduction in volume over the entire period or a major reduction in volume at first (50% in the first week) followed by smaller reductions over the remaining taper period. In my opinion, the latter is most effective.

When it comes to intensity of training in the taper period, you still need to run at race pace (just not as far) at least one day a week leading up to the event. Although you will be reducing your volume, you should not being running all your runs during the taper at a slow pace leading up to the marathon. Your muscles will not be ready race day if you cut back too much on both volume and intensity.

I would also suggest that you do not change your daily routine/habits (e.g., sleep and diet) too much leading up to the event. Keep doing what you have been doing. It will be a shock to your body otherwise. The one area that you really should watch is your calorie intake. Since you will not be training as hard, you might put on an extra pound or two if you are not careful. The bottom line is that you should eat healthy foods and hydrate regularly.

Fired up and ready for your questions!

Tim

FYI Teammates --
Here's a link to Runner's World -- I do not follow every single blog, but I do check out a lot of them on a regular basis.

Stew Smith's Bodyweight Exercise Plan: Part I

CM SEAL Team blogger: Stew Smith

Calisthenics, or bodyweight exercises, originated thousands of years ago in ancient Greece and have been a major component of fitness in athletics, military, law enforcement, and daily fitness for home workouts without equipment. Here is a request from a Perfect Pushup user in our YouTube group seeking to do more exercises without having to go to a gym.

"I need help in making a full body bodyweight routine. Any advice/sample that you can offer? I am seventeen and have been using the Perfect Pushup on and off for a year now. With it, I am able to pump multiple diamond push ups more than I ever have in the past years."

I have been creating calisthenics based workout plans for more than twenty years to build muscle stamina, strength, and flexibility. By adding a form of cardiovascular activity like running, swimming, or biking to complete the workout, you can burn more calories and improve heart and lung circulation. I also like to supplement calisthenics with some form of simple weight training like dumbbells in full body movements. If you use the Perfect Pushup or the Perfect Pullup with your sets of exercises, you can reduce your repetitions by 50% typically depending on your fitness level.

Here are some sample routines that focus on both upper body, lower body, and core exercises:

Upper body Warm-up
Repeat 5-10 times
jumping jacks - 10
pushups - 10
*add pullups when multiple sets is possible at 5-10 reps per set

Lower body Warm-up
Repeat 5-10 times
jumping jacks - 10
squats - 10

Upper / Lower Body & Cardio Combo - A full body plan like the one below is a fast way to complete a workout with little or no rest by resting your upper body by working your lower body and abdominal exercises:

Repeat 3-4 times
Pullups - max reps
Squats - 20-30
Pushups - 20-30 reps
Lunges - 10-15 / leg
abs of choice - 50 reps
Optional Cardio of choice - 10 minutes

Supplemental Dumbbell Routine - see link for a great way to add to the full body workout.

Lower body / Cardio Workout - Here is a quick and challenging workout to build both leg speed and endurance.

Repeat 4-5 times
Run or bike 3 minutes
squats - 20 reps
lunges - 15/leg reps
heel raises (calves) - 20-30 reps

Tomorrow: Upper / Lower back Balance Cycle, Push / Pull Upper body Cycle, and Abdominal Cycle.

These workouts can be done throughout the week, but as with weights, it is not recommended to do the same major muscle groups on back to back days. So picking a calisthenics day and following it with a cardio workout on the next day is the easiest way to create a fitness routine for yourself. If you are new to exercise, just google some of the exercises in the workouts above or visit StewSmith.com for articles, pictures, and books complete with workouts and exercise descriptions.
______________________________________
Stew Smith CSCS, is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author specializing in military, law enforcement fitness for future and active duty members who serve the country in physically challenging and potentially dangerous professions. Contact Stew at stew@stewsmith.com for answers to your questions.

TGIF: PERFECT Workplace

Here's a new look for emergency room physicians: doctors with green shamrock antenna! Karin, our newest CM blogger and her friend/co-worker, went back to work in scrubs and race t-shirts after running a St. Patrick's Day race.

HOOYAH!

Life is Complicated

Guest blogger: Karin Anderson

First of all, please call me Karin. Just Karin. The "doctor" part is only for work.

I am a normal person. I'm not a born, natural athlete. If I eat too much crappy food and fail to exercise, I get fat. I have about as much coordination as your average toddler. I am fit because I work at it every single day. I do have a trainer, who is awesome (just check out his picture!), but a trainer isn't going to pull the pound cake out of your mouth or lift the weights for you or run in your place. Life is complicated, we all have a lot of obligations, and the only way to get and stay fit is to make a commitment to yourself and to make that a priority, or a part of everyday life, like brushing your teeth or feeding the dogs. Often that means going to the gym after a busy night shift, but you have to do what you have to do. Working with regular folks on what to do to lose weight, to keep it off, and to enjoy the process (or at least not hate it) – that’s why I’m here. There are so many emotional processes at work, and they involve learning to understand and accept your relationship with food and exercise, learning to find your place in this world, and learning to find joy in the little things.

Although I have not had any formal training in nutrition or exercise physiology beyond what I've learned in medical school, which is at least a decent background, I have several nutrition and exercise physiology texts which I love to read -- studying is actually FUN when you're doing it because you're interested in it, rather than having to cram for a test. So even if I don't have the answers off the top of my head, I have access to the resources and the ability to digest (no pun intended) them.

CHARLIE MIKE may be upbeat and positive, but it’s also realistic, and I’m not going to be the first blogger to tell you that you can sit on the couch and eat and achieve all of your fitness goals! Now that we have that behind us, if there’s a topic you’d like me to tackle, let me hear from you.

Meet Dr. Karin Anderson

Guest blogger: Keith Greer

CM Teammates -- my name is Keith Greer. I have been with Alden and Team Perfect since almost the beginning. My role is to run the television campaigns for the company’s products. It's an exciting job, especially when you have such great products and customers. Perfect Pushup was the #1 direct response spot for all of 2008 as measured by the Infomercial Monitoring Service. We owe this great distinction to our dedicated customers.

This week I would like to introduce Dr. Karin Anderson. She is an Emergency Room Physician in the Greater Dallas-Ft. Worth area so she definitely knows how to deal with stress. Karin is also a dedicated physical fitness athlete who clearly knows the human body. She's going to be an excellent addition to the CHARLIE MIKE team. We can all pick up some great tips from her knowledge of both disciplines.

Welcome Karin!

Effective Fire and the Right to Bare Arms Workout

CMT (CHARLIE MIKE TEAMMATES) -- Memorial Day weekend is coming up fast -- the "opening bell" for water-borne and by-the-beach activities – and with it comes what we call OPERATION SIERRA OSCAR – that’s short for time to take your shirt off…are you ready to bare your arms, abs, chest and back? If you’re still sporting your winter “coat” don’t despair – follow the below workout and you’ll be proud to Bare Arms by June. Just remember, YOU are the only one can make it happen – TAKE ACTION and you’ll be surprised at what can happen.

In SEAL Team we spend an excessive amount of time on learning to generate what we call Effective Fire – that is, making every bullet count, i.e. hitting the target as much as possible. Now not every bullet is going to hit the target, but the idea is make the large majority of the bullets fired “effective” otherwise, we’re just shooting air, wasting bullets and letting the bad guys know where we are – not good. Same rules apply for taking action toward our goals – if you take action but it’s not toward your goal than it’s wasted effort, but if you take action – however small – and the action is Perfect (on target), then even small amounts of “Perfect” action can reap you HUGE results over a relatively short period of time.

In essence, that’s what Team Perfect’s mission is – to create products that are Perfect in action so when you decide you want the ability to Bare your Arms, Abs, Back, Chest or whatever, you can take action that is as Perfect as humanly possible to achieve your desired results as efficiently and effectively as possible…all that said, as good as our products are, they’re only as good as those who decide to take action. So Fire Up your Summer with Effective Fire at your goal and know that everyone has the Right to Bare Arms!

HOOYAH!

CHARLIE MIKE – ALDEN

P.S. Enjoy the “Right to Bare Arms Workout”:

Equipment needed: Pullup Bar of some kind – Optional: Perfect Pushup, Perfect Pullup, Perfect Dip Bar

Week One
10 (Perfect) Pushups – Regular Position (one hand width wider than your shoulders) – so you can work your chest
5 (Perfect ) Pullups (if you can’t perform a Pullup do negatives – hands facing away) – so you can work your back (V-back!)
10 (Perfect) Dips – if no dip bar, then conduct Pushups in Close Position (hands in line with shoulders and elbows facing back) so you can work your Triceps
5 (Perfect) Chinups – hands facing toward you so you can work your Biceps

*Repeat this throughout the day 4 times
*Conduct every other day (4 days)

Week Two
12 Pushups – Regular
7 Pullups – hands facing away
12 Pushups or Dips – Close
7 Chinups – hands facing toward you
Sames rules as above – 4 sets day, every other day for 4 days

Week Three
15 Pushups – Regular
10 Pullups
15 Pushups or Dips – Close
10 Chin-ups
Same rules as above

Week Four
20 Pushups – Regular
12 Pullups
20 Pushups or Dips – Close
12 Chinups
Sames rules as above

If this is too easy or too hard for you then increase or reduce numbers by 2 repetitions at a time – THERE IS NO SHAME IN GOING TO YOUR KNEES TO COMPLETE THE PUSHUPS AND CONDUCTING NEGATIVES WITH PULLUPS AND CHINUPS – going to your knees on pushups or doing negatives on pullups and chinups is a helluva lot more effective “fire on your goal” than not doing anything at all – your biggest gains are on the last few reps that challenge you the most – so TAKE ACTION and CHARLIE MIKE!! ALDEN

Secret Weapon #1: Nutrition

CM SEAL Team blogger: Mike Ryan

What do you need?

Proper protein intake is critical for athletic performance. Though protein can be used as energy by converting amino acids into glucose, its primary function is to build and repair tissues. Protein is made up of essential and non - essential amino acids. The key difference is that the body can produce non-essential amino acids whereas essential amino acids must be gained through food. You need both. Good sources include whole foods (beef, fish, turkey) as well as high quality sports supplements. Supplementation is a convenient way to augment your diet to ensure adequate protein intake. (We’ll discuss this later - a lot of you aren’t getting enough.)

Are all proteins created equal? Not really. Different types of proteins are digested and synthesized differently and at different rates. Let’s take a look at two common sources of protein: whey and casein.

In a recent study, ingestion of whey protein produced a rapid rise in amino acids, whereas casein showed a slight rise in amino acid levels - but over a longer period. Additionally, the casein resulted in higher Leucine retention after 7 hours. Quantitatively speaking, whole body protein breakdown was inhibited 34% with casein. Whey however, resulted in a 68% increase in protein synthesis vs. only 31% with casein. Further studies suggest that a combination of protein sources may yield optimal results.

When do you need it?

The benefits of consuming protein as part of every meal are varied and well documented. In addition, recent studies have demonstrated the importance of protein as a component of both pre and post-workout meals. According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Nutrient timing, “Post-exercise ingestion (immediately after through 3 hours post) of amino acids, primarily EAAs, have been shown to stimulate robust increases in muscle protein synthesis. The addition of carbohydrate may increase protein synthesis even more, while pre-exercise consumption may result in the best response of all.” Bottom line, in order to grow and repair muscle tissue, we need to maintain net positive gain in protein synthesis vs. degradation. Here’s a good approach. Throughout the day, eat small meals (with protein) and focus on pre and post exercise macro-nutrient intake.

How much do you need?

Protein requirements vary greatly and are determined by a number of factors including type, frequency, duration, and intensity of training. Recent studies show that protein requirements for athletes far exceed those of sedentary adults. Intake estimates range from 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg (of lean body mass)/day. I bet that’s more than you thought! Individuals engaging in endurance exercise should ingest levels at the lower end of this range, individuals engaging in intermittent activities should ingest levels in the middle of this range, and those engaging in strength/power exercise should ingest levels at the upper end of this range.

One final bit of advice.

Everybody’s different. There is no ‘on size fits all’ program for optimal nutrition. There are tried and true guidelines (i.e. no sugar, beer is not a good carbohydrate, etc.) but you need to determine what works for you. As the saying goes, “You need to know where you are in order to get where you’re going.” Or something like that. Make a commitment to focus on nutrition for one month. Before you start, get a basic blood panel and get an accurate test of your body fat and lean body mass (ideally from a hydrostatic chamber.) Keep a log of everything you eat and check your weight once every seven days. At the end of the month, retest you blood and body fat. Have your doctor help you to interpret your ‘before and after’ blood work. From there you need only to modify your program and you are well on your way to increasing performance and overall vitality.

Write me and keep me posted of your progress and your results. Better yet, send pictures. Don’t quit. Stay focused. Remember, you only get one go-around. Live with Intensity.
_________________________________________________
Biography:
Michael Ryan is the President and CEO of Intensity Nutrition LLC. Founded by former Navy SEALs, Intensity develops super-premium sports supplements for professional, semi-professional, tactical, and functional athletes. Intensity will launch early summer ’09 and welcomes any recommendations for product development. Mike and Alden met during “running remediation” at Basic Underwater SEAL (BUDs/s) training. Special thanks to BMC Pardue for the introduction.

Meet Jack Clark, Cal Rugby Coach

Guest blogger: Jack Clark, Perfect Athlete Ambassador and Coach of the University of California at Berkeley (Cal) rugby team

NEWS FLASH: Bears Beat Army, 42-17, Setting Up Final vs. BYU Sat. at 7 p.m.

Read how the National Rugby Coach of the Year uses the Perfect Pullup: Go Bears!

“We do a lot of pullups because they’re great for grip strength” said Coach Clark. Picture this: if you’re lifting your opponents up into the air by gripping onto their shorts – be it in a scrum, a ruck, or a maul - you have to rely on your gripping, pulling and hoisting muscles.

Rugby is a field sport that requires a huge range of motion, from lots of different muscles, and the goal is always to prevent athletes from getting injured when they find themselves in unnatural positions. The Perfect Pullup helps to build up the muscles that will protect players’ shoulder capsules. Although pullups are for everyone, for athletes, “pullups are HUGE because they address the core, which is very important. The specificity is exactly what we need.”

Coach Clark also talked about the culture the pullup develops within their team. Rather than a competition with a useless exercise like the benchpress, i.e. “What can you bench??” the Cal rugby players have a competitive vibe of, “How many pullups can you do?” For workouts the Bears do a “handful of sets of pull-ups” or “max out” to see how many reps they can do it one set. Last word from Coach Clark: “Your max-out number becomes a big deal to us, and to test well on that test, you have to train.”

The CHARLIE MIKE Teammates are rooting for the Bears when they meet Army TONIGHT, at Stanford University.
_________________________________________
Jack Clark was named National Coach of the Year by American Rugby News on Dec. 29 in honor of his 2008 season, a 24-1 campaign that puts Clark’s career coaching record at 440-66-5 (.861) after 25 seasons, making him the all-time winningest coach in the Cal rugby program’s 127 year history.

Clark has also served as head coach for the Collegiate All-America team, from 1985-92; head coach of the U.S. National Team, from 1993-99; and general manager for the national team, from 1993-2003

Drum Roll for Perfect DIP Bar

CM Teammates – drum roll please or perhaps a 21 gun salute (Okay – that’s a bit much) – but after months of prototyping (and many, many broken prototypes) it’s time to let you know about our latest product launch: the PERFECT DIP BAR. Why is it Perfect? Good question: first, it mounts onto your existing Perfect Pullup without tools (however, we do suggest you swap out your bottom bracket of your Perfect Pullup with the included Perfect Dip Bar bracket). It attaches/removes within 7 seconds (yes – we’ve timed it) – but the best part is: it’s the first adjustable bar that adjusts to your Perfect shoulder/elbow width to ensure you get the maximum tricep engagement while maintaining PERFECT shoulder – elbow – wrist alignment.

We’re Fired Up about it and we’re looking forward to hearing from you about it – first ten comments (success stories – positive – negative – whatever) posted to me on CHARLIE MIKE get a free t-shirt!

CHARLIE MIKE - ALDEN

Form Follows Function: Running Equipment and Clothes

CM SEAL Team Blogger: Tim Grizzell

Completing a Marathon: III(b) Running Equipment: CLOTHES

“It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic,
Of all things physical and metaphysical,
Of all things human and all things super-human,
Of all true manifestations of the head,
Of the heart, of the soul,
That the life is recognizable in its expression,
That form ever follows function. This is the law.”

Author, Louis Sullivan - Great American Architect

No question – clothing design and aesthetics often play a key role selecting running apparel. We all want our running clothing to perform, but we all want our clothes to look good on us while we are performing. Right? I get it – I am starting a running apparel company. Yet – I subscribe to the theory that form follows function and that running apparel design should be based on its intended function or use. In this post, I am going to focus on function because clothing design is a personal preference. Look at women’s options for running shorts these days. There are skorts (shorts with a flap of fabric in front designed to look like a skirt), “buns,” tights, regular old running shorts and a number of other options. Some women swear by skorts. My wife who was also a middle distance runner growing up would not be caught dead in a skort. Like I said, design is a personal preference!

So, let us discuss function (NOTE: I am going to focus mostly on the base running layer in this post). When you run, the most important function of your clothing is to stabilize your core body temperature because you will ultimately be more efficient, more comfortable and perform better. Decreasing or increasing your core body temperature to extremes is not good for your health. When running in hot weather, you want clothing that promotes heat loss. When running in cold weather, you want clothing that prevents heat loss.

How does this work? The function of clothing is to trap a thin layer of air between your skin and the fabric of the garment. The thin layer of air will match the temperature of the body. Since air is a poor conductor of heat, it will act as a layer of insulation.

Light, thin, porous fabrics will circulate air more quickly in between your body and the fabric (promoting heat loss) as where heavier fabrics, less porous fabrics obviously will have the opposite effect (preventing heat loss). Regardless of the fabric’s thickness, it needs to allow for breathing and it must allow for sweat evaporation (the ability of the fabric to move sweat from the skin to the outside of the fabric where it can evaporate). The ability to promote heat loss or prevent heat loss relies on your garment’s ability to keep the area between your skin and the inside of the fabric as dry as possible. When you run, your clothes are bound to have a certain amount of sweat on them. You just want a high rate of sweat evaporation. Some fabrics do this better than others.

You have to also consider the elements (i.e., wind, rain, snow) and how they play an integral role in what to wear. Most of the discussion here is focused on the base layer. Yet -- it does not matter how well that base layer can move moisture away from your skin if you are running in a downpour. The fabric will not be able to keep up. If it is windy outside, the effective temperature will decrease. The bottom line is that you will need to think about a second (protective) layer if the elements are strong enough.

In today’s market place, there is a lot of clothing made from performance fabrics (e.g., polyester, wool, performance cotton). Most of these fabrics get their performance capabilities from a chemical finish. Chemical finishes wear off after multiple washes and then you ultimately will lose the performance capability of your garment. In addition, they are not as effective as new technology whereby the performance capability is hardwired into the fiber of the fabric. I recommend that you search out garments made from this type of fabric because they will last longer. More to follow on this topic at a later date.

I would like to close by discussing compression clothing. Although it is not a new concept, compression clothing has garnered a lot of attention lately in areas outside of football and other team sports. The main area that you see it in running is in shorts and socks. The two main benefits of compression clothing are the following:

-Larger muscle groups move a lot when in motion and compression lessens this movement. Less movement, less energy expenditure.

-Compression increases blood flow in the body. More blood flow means more oxygen going to the muscles, which makes the body perform better and ultimately more efficient. More blood flow also helps muscles recover quicker.

I am sure that some of you might have some more specific questions for me.

Go ahead…fire away!

Tim
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CM SEAL Team blogger Tim Grizzell is a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer who led SEAL units in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. He is currently starting a running apparel company that will be officially launched in second quarter of this year. He has run numerous marathons. Tim resides in San Marino, California with his wife and their three young children.

Tim met Alden when Alden had just graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training and he had just arrived to begin BUD/S training.

TGIF: Perfect Pushup at Work

Fellow Teammates: Having been a fellow SEAL for ten years and now a desk jockey here in Dallas, TX, I wanted to share my Perfect Pushup story with you guys. I left the TEAMs in June of 2001 (I know 3 months too soon) to start my civilian life. Since leaving the TEAMs I’ve never quite been able to find something I can do during the day while at work that benefited my physique and overall health. Well, not until nine weeks ago when my business partner Kyle (that's his picture above) and I discovered the Perfect Pushup. Since then, we have been utilizing this great concept every day at the office. We do 20-30 pushups every hour of almost every day. At first we didn’t think it would be very challenging; however, after the first 5 hours on the first day we realized our little lifestyle change was going to be more difficult than we had originally thought. Nonetheless, through prodding and verbally hazing one another we have managed to keep true to doing our Perfect Pushups every day, and believe me they add up -- we’re at the shop 11-13 hrs a day! Do the math -- if you do 1,000-1,500 push-ups a week you will see the results! It makes our day go by so much quicker and we actually look forward to the challenge every morning at 7am, although we were very sore in the beginning.

You might be surprised at my next statement though, for me it wasn’t only the results I got from using the PPU that has made me a believer -- it was what it made me realize all over again. You see having been in my old environment for ten years I became accustomed to looking fit and feeling strong, but once I left that environment it’s been a struggle even for me to recapture my health. The PPU has made me realize that life is too short to not do something about your health and more importantly do something about it today!



Alden Mills and I served together at ST-2 and he’s one of the finest men I have ever had the privilege of knowing on every level. Hence when he asked me to tell my simple yet practical story, I had to oblige. For those of you who are not SEALs please don’t look at the Perfect Pushup or any product out there as something that’s beyond your ability level or physical scope because nothing could be further from the truth. I couldn’t agree more with all the posts that are geared toward trying to convince people the best way to get healthy is to make the decision that “you” will change. That might mean eating a little less or simply eating breakfast. That might mean using the PPU as your impetus for that change. Whatever it is, it will work as long as you commit and educate yourself as to what might work for you.

Having served side by side with Alden, I can tell you that he would be the one I would listen to If I was serious about making strides in my personal life irrespective of what that consisted of. In the TEAMs we have a saying, “The only easy day was yesterday!” What that always meant to me was if you aren’t giving it 100% and going 100mp then why did you even get out of bed? Sounds simple, but was today easier for you than yesterday?

Cheers,

"Sav" Saviano and Kyle Chron

Btw --If you were to ask those SEALs how difficult that shot was they would probably smile and say, “Not as easy as it would have been yesterday!”

Completing a Marathon: Choosing Shoes

CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell

Completing a Marathon: III(a) Running Equipment: SHOES

It is now time to discuss one of my favorite topics – running equipment. I am very passionate about this subject. As some of you might know from my first post on CHARLIE MIKE, I am currently in the process of starting a running apparel company. I have been working on this venture for over a year now and I am fired up about it. The company has now entered a new phase and I am about to go into production for part of the clothing line. I will keep you posted on my progress.

My discussion about running equipment is going to be broken up into a couple posts on CHARLIE MIKE. In the first half, I will first talk about different types of running shoes and how important it is to be properly fitted in the right shoe. The second half will cover running apparel. We could also discuss accessories (e.g., hydration devices, injury-related devices, etc.), but we will save all of this for another post down the road.

Choosing the appropriate shoe in today’s market where there is such a large selection can be overwhelming. Yet – if you want to complete a marathon or even want to run injury free, it is vitally important that you select the best shoe for your body structure and the type of training you do.

Now you ask – where do I start? Prior to starting your running shoe research, I would suggest that you become aware of the different aspects of your body structure. The primary categories that you need to think about are your foot mechanics, your body frame, your arch type, and any injuries you might have.

In terms of foot mechanics, you want to figure out whether your foot rolls inward (over-pronates), rolls outward (under-pronates), or is neutral. You can figure this out by having someone watch your ankles and feet when you walk away from them. Most good specialty running shoe stores will do this analysis for you. It is very important to understand what category you fall in. For example, a person who over-pronates and wears a shoe a designed for neutral runner will most likely get shin splints. Your body frame clearly has an impact on your decision. If you are a big guy, you do not want to buy a shoe that was designed for a Chihuahua. You need a shoe that has some cushioning in the midsole. A high arch, medium arch and low arch are all major factors. So, you will want a shoe that is designed for your arch type. Also, if you have any injuries like bunions or plantar fasciitis, you will want to make sure that you have a shoe that will accommodate these injuries.

Besides body structure, the weekly mileage you put in and the type of terrain that you will be training on all play a vital role in the selection of a shoe. In my opinion, most runners will need a little stability control in their shoes. It is just a matter of how much you stability you will need.

After your body structure self-awareness is complete, the next step is going to your local sports store (assuming you do not live in some remote area) to try and find a shoe that matches your body structure and is designed for the type of training you do. If you have access to one, I suggest that you go to a specialty running shoe store because they generally (not always) have more running shoe expertise than a large sporting goods store.

Once you start trying on shoes that might fit the bill, here are some important rules to keep in mind.

Shoe Size: Your foot swells about a half size during running so you want to buy shoes slightly larger than your normal shoe size (maybe one-half to one size larger). The rule of thumb is that you should be able to fit the width of your index finger between the longest toe and the front end of the running shoe.

Toe Box: Your toes need freedom of movement. Make sure that you can wiggle them up and down in the toe box.

Initial Comfort Level: The shoe must feel great the first time you try it on. Anyone who tells you that the shoe will feel more comfortable over time either (a) does not know what they are talking about or (b) is trying to move a certain shoe out of inventory.

Heel Slippage: Make sure the heel does not slip. Can you say blisters?

I will leave you with a great quote from a CM teammate (that would be Joe G.) back in January in response to one of my posts, “A higher price does not mean a better shoe. Just like wine. Just like a lot of things, come to think of it.”

Fired Up and Standing By to answer your questions!

Tim

Too Short to be a SEAL? Part IV

CM SEAL Team blogger: Stew Smith

Here's the conclusion to the "Strength in Diversity" series. I often receive emails concerning guys who are “too lean”, “too short”, “too tall”, or “too big” to attend SEAL training. This is one of the first “doubts” you will have about yourself on whether or not you are tough enough to make it through SEAL training. There is not much you can do about what God gave you physically - BUT the good news is the SEALs need men of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and colors. I'm here to help you clear the self-doubt you may be having about attending SEAL training.

Here is a sampling of emails I receive on a near weekly basis and this will hopefully help you clear the self-doubt you are having about attending SEAL training.

Too Short:
I am only 5’2” am I too short for BUD/S? Most guys I see are huge on TV.

First of all we all look bigger on TV than we really are in life. But secondly your height is fine. You will no doubt be in the “smurf boat crew” meaning all the shortest guys in the class will have their own boat to carry. But pound for pound shorter / lighter guys do well at BUD/S and usually have above average PT scores and even obstacle course scores (if they can get over the obstacles - i.e. the Dirty Name).

In the SEAL Teams you will be able to go places many others cannot so your size will be an advantage in many situations.

I always tell people that there is Strength in Diversity - we all carry unique skill sets whether they are physical, mental, or the experience of life that all come together to create a platoon of well rounded SEALs in a TEAM. If you make it through SEAL Training, you obviously have “something special” to share with your teammates and add to the strength of the team.

Here are links to the other three "Strength in Diversity" blogs:

I: Introduction and Too Lean to be a SEAL?

II: Too Big to be a SEAL?

III: Too Tall to be a SEAL?

Questions? Fire away!____________________________________________


Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL, and author of several fitness and self defense books such as The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness, Maximum Fitness, and SWAT Workout. Certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and as military fitness trainer, Stew has trained hundreds of students for Navy SEAL, Special Forces, SWAT, FBI, ERT and many other law enforcement professions. See him at StewSmith.com.

Don't miss Fight Science Special Ops with Stew Smith


Look for Stew Smith on Nat Geo Channel

Marathon Training Program: Part II: B

CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell

There are a number of marathon training programs that you can follow. I have written my own. I have trained under Hal Higdon’s programs and Jeff Galloway’s programs. The main difference between Hal Higdon’s program and Jeff Galloway’s program is that Jeff Galloway promotes a run-walk-run method during the long distance runs (i.e., run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute – this varies depending on your pace) that he considers injury free training. Hal Higdon only suggests walking if necessary and at aid stations. I personally did not like all the “starting and stopping” associated with the Galloway program. However, the Galloway program is a proven program. If I were to personally recommend it to anyone, it would be a true beginner. Keep in mind though, Galloway has had followers post times below 2 hours and 30 minutes using his method.

Most training programs consist of the following type of training:

-Running 3-7 days a week depending on what category you fit in.
-Non-running days incorporate rest and/or an alternate form of exercise
-A long run ranging in distance from 10-20 miles that is normally run at a pace slightly slower than your marathon pace (i.e., 1-2 minutes per mile slower). Usually, most runners complete this on a Saturday or Sunday when they have the most time.
-Mid-week runs generally range from 3-8 miles.

A typical week would look something like this. Please keep in mind that these are average distances. A beginner will run less and an experienced runner might put in more miles each week.

Monday – Rest/Alternate form of exercise
Tuesday – Shorter Run (3-5 miles) and/or Alternate form of exercise
Wednesday – Mid-Distance Run (5-8 miles)
Thursday – Shorter Run and/or Speed Work (3-5 miles)
Friday – Rest/Alternate form of exercise
Saturday – Mid-Distance Run (5-8 miles)
Sunday – Long Distance Run (10-20 miles)

You can move these workouts around to fit your schedule. The most important workout of the week for this training is the weekly long distance run. In addition to the long run, I recommend at a minimum that you do not miss the two mid-distance runs. I suggest that you do not miss any runs at all. If you have to miss some, I would cut out the short ones.

Just remember that there is no substitute for running. If you do not run consistently, you will be breathing like a lung-shot caribou the day of the marathon and potentially putting your health at risk. I said this once before and I will say it again. You cannot phone in the training.

Alternate forms of exercise are very important. The first couple days after the long run it is good to inject some low-impact exercise into your weekly schedule, such as cycling and swimming. Do not forget to continue your strength training (i.e., Perfect Pushups, Perfect Pullups and working your abs).

There is a lot of ground to cover when it comes to training for a marathon. I believe that I have given you a very thorough overview, but I am sure you all have some questions. So – go ahead and fire away.

Next week, I will be discussing one of my favorite topics – running apparel and shoes. Hoo Yah!!

Fired Up!

Tim

Marathon Training Program: Part II: A

CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell

“I've not found any experience which bestows the high level of satisfaction, accomplishment and self-respect as one receives from finishing a marathon--at any speed.” – Jeff Galloway

I mentioned in Part I of my four part Completing a Marathon series that you need to determine which category that you fit in prior to choosing a marathon training program. The other factor to consider when selecting a program is your end goal. Some individuals just want to complete a marathon. Other people might have a time goal in mind. Your marathon goal, running experience and fitness level all play an integral role in how you train for this race.

Just as important as selecting the correct training program is ensuring that your mind and body are ready to begin your training. I would submit to you that you ideally should have a year of consistent running under your belt prior to entering into a marathon training program. At a minimum, I would recommend at least three months of pre-marathon training running. You need to be comfortable running 4 to 5 days a week with distances ranging from 3 to 6 miles. In spite of what I just told you, there are a number of individuals who throw this advice out the window. They begin their training on Day 1 of marathon training. I do not suggest you do this, but just telling you what reality is for some and it is completely doable – not recommended.

Secondly, you must be mentality prepared for the “commitment.” Look – all of us need to make time for fitness, right? You need to take care of your body and your body will take care of you. Staying committed to fitness is one thing. Staying committed to a marathon training program as it starts to ramp up in mileage is something different. Your body will undoubtedly want more rest than usual. Your body will demand that you fuel it correctly. Garbage in – Garbage out! It always amazes me when I hear people who are training for marathons say, “I can eat whatever I want.” Yes and no. Sure, you burn a lot of calories when you are training, which allows you to indulge. Yet – you do not want to make it a zero-sum game. You need to burn more calories than you take in so you will be as light as possible the day of the event. You want that powerful motor inside of you pushing the weight of a Ferrari chassis, not the weight of Sherman Tank – especially over 26.2 miles.

Another thing to take into account is the ability to garner support from your inner circle, especially those of you with families. One of the key components to marathon training is the weekly long run. It can take up to 3+ hours in the late stages of marathon training, and that is just the running part of it. Post-run stretching and recovery activities (i.e., re-hydrating, sleeping, etc.) can all take more time. In addition, as your weekly runs get longer you will have to carve out more time for these as well. In the end, you must wake up earlier. I recommend that you do all of your running in the mornings anyway. All marathons (at least the vast majority) start at “O-Dark-30” (i.e., Navy SEAL speak for “before the sun comes up”) so your body needs to be accustomed to early morning physical activity. The bottom line is that you want buy-in from your close supporters. You can get this support by minimizing the impact on your family’s daily routine. Early mornings (before anyone else in the house is awake) is a great time to train.

I would be happy to answer any questions about marathon training you might have as you get further into race preparation.

Monday: Training Programs Part II: B

Fired UP!

Tim
___________________________________________

Guest Blogger Tim Grizzell is a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer who led SEAL units in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. He is currently starting a running apparel company that will be officially launched in second quarter of this year. He has run numerous marathons. Tim resides in San Marino, California with his wife and their three young children.

Tim met Alden when Alden had just graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training and he had just arrived to begin BUD/S training.

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall Diet Plan

CM SEAL Team blogger: Marcus Colburn

Let's talk some more about your "Eat Clean" diet. Eating habits are the most important change that one can make to gain ground in your fight for health & well being perfection! Ask any pro bodybuilder male or female, even the fitness folk, will tell you that it's 80% diet and the rest physical stuff. Everyone must realize that in order to achieve success in your war & it is a war, that you have to have the "win win" attitude!

Diet, more than anything, is within your "CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE". In other words you can choose what goes on your altar of your temple.

Just be like your ancestors the hunters & gatherers that you got your "Levis" from. They only ate nuts & berries. Because they were always on the move they just grabbed a few here & there. Also, they started planting veggies so they grabbed a few carrots & heads of lettuce & tomatoes for their hunting & fishing trips where they would bring home fish, animal protein & other assorted proteins! They never had stuff in their food like all the word that we can't pronounce. All they had was uggga bugga, with no preservatives for fresh taste forever.

Or diet this & that: all this new diet crap is just they way it sounds, diet crap! Like: aspartame = ass-pertain (grins), saccharin show sh*terin (evil grins), demerara= diarrhea, even ten dollar words that sure sound kewl like polysaccharides are all wrong! Just stick with water -- tons of it -- but make sure you stop drinking all that water by late after noon unless you want to keep waking up all night to relieve yourself thus losing sleep which is the other important factor for well being.

Break fast, or breaking fast from a good night sleep which should be 8 hours! Hey even N.A.S.A makes sure astronauts get 8 hours of sleep! Now they are the cream of the crop. Think whole wheat waffles. If you really need some thing sweet find some kind of sub like natural bee's honey from the hive! Any fruit or some sweet veggies like dates or figs all make excellent sugar subs. The most important meal of the day as your breaking your night fast! You can go big on this meal but "eat clean". Kashi cereal, "steel oatmeal"skim milk, v8 juice or carrot juice, Bananas, plain yogurt. even a little cottage cheese & applesauce makes for a good snack as well as a part of breakfast.

2 hours later: second breakfast: An Apple & Grapes some nuts & mini carrots.

2 hours later: prelunch: Rice cakes & natural peanut butter or baked pecans are awesome.

Around noontime: lunch: Don't let the title or name whole wheat fool you -- most of it is just colored white bread. The kind of bread you want is the "sprouted bread"! Tuna, salmon, roast beast, turkey or chicken with veggies like avocado, tomatoes, lettuce.

A few hours later -- but not later than 18:30 (SEAL time) or 6:30 pm, your final meal could be fish, your fave sushi, chicken but bake or broil everything. NO FRYING ANYTHING or Fast food or FRIED CHICKEN! Kentucky fried is out: it's bad bad bad. The final meal should be at 18:30 or 6:30 pm so you can get to sleep later without the digestion process disturbing you. Also I would say that one should be finished pounding down the water by 17:00 or 5:00 pm so that your sleep is not disturbed by bathroom visits! Remember, sleep zzzzzzzz sleep is soooooooo important!

"YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE. TREAT IT AS SUCH!" "WHY PUT CRAP ON YOUR ALTAR?"

If you consistently refuse to respect your body, you better find a money tree, because you will need it to pay for all those doctors and nurses.

If you do follow my plan you will find yourself feeling better, smelling better, throwin' down with the younger crowd more. Happier & healthier!

"THE ONLY EASY DAY WAS YESTERDAY."
__________________________________________________


Back in 1997 while serving with the elite Navy SEAL jump team called Leap Frogs, Marcus was involved in a life changing parachuting accident. After free-falling to three thousand feet, Mark opened his chute. But the SEAL above him did not and continued free-falling at ninety miles an hour. The other jumper tore through Mark's chute, hitting him in the head and hand with his body. The impact sent Mark twirling unconscious through the air with few cells left on his chute, and he hit the ground, changing his life forever. Mark's amazing recovery became his biggest challenge – and surviving the accident is a miraculous story in itself -- but what is even more inspiring is how he handles his life after the accident.

How Do I Get Perfect Cut Triceps?

Teammates -- great triceps question from Albert!

He said, "I do tricep pushups at each 'stance' (regular, wide, close). I do them from the floor, instead of on a chair like you're supposed to do. I'm sure I will be able to do them from a chair somewhere down the line but only at a regular and close position stance unless I use a bench for the wide. I just thought about it, I could use my piano bench!! Anyways, how does this sound? I do the tricep pushups just like the regular pushup workouts, 8, 6, 4, 2. I did notice that the regular close position works my triceps pretty good, but for some reason I've always liked how cut triceps look, so that's why I'm giving them extra attention.

I think as I sit here I can feel my muscles growing!!! I definitely notice a difference."

- Albert

Thanks for the question - EXCELLENT WORK so far! Tricep work - couldn't agree with you more - the tricep looks much better "cut" then just bulked up on the arm, and using the Perfect Pushup in all 3 positions will definitely get you the "cut" tricep look - just don't forget to work the other positions so you don't leave out your chest and shoulder muscles.

A reminder -- If you cannot maintain proper form, then DO NOT try completing all three sets of regular, wide, and close positions at the full body position, instead, drop to your knees. This is why I say to space them out throughout the day - you'll get better muscles gains if you do the full range of motion when performing pushups.

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

Marcus Colburn's Eat Clean Diet

CM SEAL Team blogger: Marcus Colburn

Here's my Mojo Frog Lifestyle change diet for gaining your goals....but first, let me tell you a story.

During BUD/S there was this one student of mine who was a stud. A big tuff (smart) unusual for a former marine, a very oordinated awesome athlete. We thought this guy would breeze right through no prob. One day he forgot to drink enough water. He drank soft drinks (soda pop). A badddd move that he paid dearly for! Well, of course he cramped up big time during an obstacle course run. As a result he had to be rolled back!

So let that be a big lesson learned for him and a sermon for you!

The Marcus Colburn Eat Clean Diet -- and here's the trick, Make It An Easy Day!

1. Four or five small "clean" meals per day work best for cleaning out, because your body can absorb protein only in small amounts. That's about 30 grams per meal.

2. Excess protein will be stored as fat. Since the goal is to strip off fat and build lean muscle mass, go with the low-fat protein sources such as fish, lean meat, chicken, whey protein powders and egg whites, and spread out those proteins over your five daily meals.

3. Carbs as well as good fats (olive oil, nuts, avocados, assorted fruits) are a must because they produce energy for training and for thinking clearly. That, my dear friends, are a prerequisite for quality training.

4. Remember the mind-muscle connection!

5. Even as far as drinks. All that so called diet crap is just that, crap.
Water is best. If you're one of those people that can't stand plain water, get over that weakness. Think, how bad do you want to reach your goals? You could take real lemons & squeeze them in H2O or oranges or any natural clean source. Work it out by making your choice easier for you to swallow. With a smile.

If your body is a temple, why put crap on your altar and piss off your Maker?

Can I get an AMEN Brothers & Sisters!
__________________________________________________


Back in 1997 while serving with the elite Navy SEAL jump team called Leap Frogs, Marcus was involved in a life changing parachuting accident. After free-falling to three thousand feet, Mark opened his chute. But the SEAL above him did not and continued free-falling at ninety miles an hour. The other jumper tore through Mark's chute, hitting him in the head and hand with his body. The impact sent Mark twirling unconscious through the air with few cells left on his chute, and he hit the ground, changing his life forever. Mark's amazing recovery became his biggest challenge – and surviving the accident is a miraculous story in itself -- but what is even more inspiring is how he handles his life after the accident.

PutYourself First When It Comes to Exercise

CM SEAL Team blogger: Tom Rancich


Question from Nancy B: Any input on a way to motivate a 60year old plus person to get going? One bad knee,limited exercise time and a sense that "I am not as young as I used to be."(Did I mention the economy?)

Start small and be quirky! The biggest impediment to people getting started is the idea that you have to start some huge endeavor---simply not true! It can be as simple as being that odd lady who always parks as far away from the store as possible (please only do this if you shop in a safe area at safe times) or the person who always says “I’ll meet you: I am taking the stairs” or who curls her grocery bags three times before placing them on the counter---etc—the point is that a great first step is to look for simple ways that you can improve fitness that require little discipline.

My quirky thing, which does require more discipline, is that I run in the heat of the day—so so the little mental rut that is made is that as it heats up, I start to think about running. The rut (and you thought ruts were bad things) that will be created for you is that as you are walking across the parking lot or up the stairs you will be thinking about your health----and that is 70% of the battle!

Question from Up Your Mind: How do you put yourself first when it comes to exercise/being healthy?

I get this question a lot---it is an interesting paradox---because of course why would you not want to be healthy? (assuming a balanced mental state). So one of the mental games to play is, ask yourself why you want to harm yourself? Why do you want to be uncomfortable with your body image? Why do you want to be short of breath, unable to play with your kids etc---the answers might surprise you—or me—but the most common root cause is “I just can’t do anything about it” well, once you put that on a piece of paper it looks pretty stupid---of course you can! My previous answer is germane, but don’t create monsters where there are none---start small, start thinking about it, and start doing little things. And remember—you can write this down somewhere—YOU ARE IMPORTANT! Treat yourself that way.

In some of my leadership lectures I use the example, you are with a child, both hungry, not sure when the next food will be found and you have one chunk of a survival biscuit which can’t be divided---who gets it? The correct answer is, you! The reason is simple, the only chance both or either of you have to survive is for you to remain strong---it does the child little good to out survive you. So, when thinking about motivating to exercise, or prioritizing exercise --think about what good it does to wash the dishes first, if it means you aren’t going to be around ten years earlier to wash the dishes at all, if you don’t take care of yourself.

Oh and be kind to yourself when you slip up!
_____________________________________________
Lt. Commander Thomas Rancich, US Navy SEAL (Ret.) is the co-founder of VRHabilis, a disabled veteran-owned small business that seeks to employ the highly trained and motivated veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for work in construction and related fields. Rancich and co-founder Elliott Adler are pioneering the concept of using adaptive technology to bridge the gap between industrial and medical technology. Their company contributes proceeds to two worthy causes: a fund for the development of adaptive technology that will allow disabled veterans to pursue their desired career path and the EOD Wounded Warrior Fund.





Through his consulting firm, Off-Shore Consulting, Tom provides professional advice on leadership and team building, often as a motivational speaker, in addition to being an expert consultant to the entertainment industry.

Alden Mills and Charlie Mike blogger Tom Rancich served together in the Teams.