Daily RAW: Running again & Gluten-free (at least less) stuff

Greetings RAW Warriors,

This week was a good start to getting back on a solid running schedule, I was able to get in 3 workouts and might get another one in on Sunday if the body is up to it.

My running workouts are basically limited to the hallways at school, as I could go run on some treadmills but I prefer on-the-ground running over that. The hallway route I take is an out & back one, of 150m down, 150m back as an approximate measurement.  Time wise, its about right with my running speed.  I get 300m done in about 1:15-1:10 or under that if I do just one interval at a time.

My goals this week were to get 3 workouts in, and do 3000m to 3300m worth of intervals. Monday was basically 1, 300m interval every 2 minutes on the clock, getting 10 of them done in 20 minutes time that way.

Wednesday was a bit different: 1 rep, 2 reps, 3 reps, 2 reps, then 2 reps to finish.  For each rep, it was done in 2 minutes of time. 2 reps would get done in about 2:30-35, then I'd rest until 4 minutes was up. 3 was completed and recovery time total in 6 minutes, then I'd do the next series.

Today's routine was 1, 2, 3, and finally 4, with a bonus one of 1 rep done at 18:40 to see if I could finish the workout under 20:00 when that came up.

Overall, its good to get back into the running mode and get focused after the crazy hustle & bustle of the holidays. I just started coaching my JH Boys basketball crew and that helps me get back into a groove this time of year as well. 

Whatever it takes to get you back into a groove, use it to your advantage. 

Programs to follow are a great way to do this:  "Just Swing It!" is doing that for some people this week, as well as the 5,000 Swings Program I have posted on here via occupyfirstplace.com.  The free one is a hit at the 10K Swings Challenge page on Facebook.

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Gluten-free (or less of it, basically)?

Before Christmas, I got a book called the Gluten-Free Edge, geared towards athletes and a lot focused on endurance athletes who have had issues with gluten intolerance and more severely, celiac disease from its intake. 

I read a lot of it in bits & pieces before New Year's Day, and the athlete stories in there were very similar to some experiences I've had, especially after eating foods with high gluten content, such as wheat foods.  I'm a fan of Wheat Thins, bran flakes, Wheaties, shredded wheat, etc. 

It's no wonder I was having issues with it, such as feeling bloated a lot after eating a meal. In simple terms, this past week I have reduced what I can, when I can, of wheat intake as my main focus.  I replaced my wheat cereals with rice-based ones and corn-based ones, and also switched to soy milk.  Its been a great difference in how I feel & move when exercising.

It's not a magical change overnight, but in the course of trying this since last Sunday for a good week now, I noticed a 2 pound drop in weight.

3 runs, 2 HWR workouts, and a diet change of this nature have certainly contributed to this positive weight loss and boost in feeling better after eating meals. I'm obviously going to stick with this because it was such an easy change to make (easier than I thought it would be) and it makes me more aware now of what to eat overall. 

I don't get anything for promoting this book, but for $2.99 versus the hardcover price, its worth looking into to read more about this issue and how it may be affecting your performance. 

http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Edge-Nutrition-Training-Performance-ebook/dp/B007JN6ZIW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388874550&sr=8-1&keywords=gluten+free+edge

I always hate feeling 'bloaty' while on a run and its very difficult to deal with such discomfort every time you workout.  If you have such feelings during intense exercise, it could be caused by your diet intake and gluten may be a factor.  This book was eye-opening to me on this issue and it has certainly made a positive change in such a short amount of time. You get real-world stories from top-level athletes (especially triathletes in this book) who all experience the effects of gluten and have changed their diets for the better. 

If you have a Kindle, its a must-read if you're a committed athlete.

Maybe eating your Wheaties every morning isn't such a good idea for some people?

It won't be for me any more unless its my only option.

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Week #2's workouts will come tomorrow for the RABC way... so stay tuned.

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Lift. Dominate. Repeat.
Rats Alley Barbell Club
Coach Rick Karboviak
http://tinyurl.com/rkofp