Cleanse Recap

Day Thirty of my 30-Day Detox Cleanse ended three days ago (cleanse recipe here).  I would rate this a success, and recommend it to anyone.

Get it done early. Getting the cleanse done the year has several benefits, some of which I mentioned in cleanse recipe post.  From a training perspective, there are three major benefits to getting it done early:  It is free weight-loss;  It will improve your nutrient absorption for the season;  and It gets the disruption to your diet plan out of the way.

A word on Duration.  There are benefits to doing a shorter time period (say three or seven days), but I didn’t see the real effects until day 10.  That means it took 10 days to get ramped up, and another 20 of full benefit from that point.

Free Weight Loss.  I mentioned before that my second of third go round on a similar cleanse several years ago resulted in a permanent 10-pound weight loss.  This would have been mostly crud and compacted fecal matter lining my small and large intestines.  It is estimated that many people may have 45 pounds of this stuff.  This stuff inhibits nutrient absorption, holds onto toxins, aggravates your intestinal walls.  Eliminating it reduces these issues, and the potential complications arising from them.

Be aware that weight and body fat readings during the cleanse period may be all over the place, particularly if you use a bioimpedence device.  Be sure to take a good weight and body fat reading before you start to compare to what you get the day after your done.

Nutrient Absorption.  Training-wise, eliminating this crud along your intestinal walls increases the amount and rate your body can absorb the nutrients you feed it in your nutrition plan–Get this benefit going as soon as possible.  Additionally, albeit temporary, side effects, of the cleansing process (frequent pooping, increased allergic sensitivity) can create problems during the more intense portions of your training season.

Disruptions.  One issue I had trouble with was the degree to which the cleanse schedule interfered with other aspects of my diet plan.  For example, I am already bad about taking supplements on schedule.  I’ve therefore developed a little morning routine the entails drinking water right out of bed, brushing my teeth, making coffee, and taking my supplements while I wait for the coffee to brew.  Well, the requirements for the cleanse sucked up the supplement time, and then my work day was upon me, and well.  .  .  I’m not too upset as it is only a short interlude, and when it’s over, my supplement absorption and effectiveness will go up.

Another example surrounds my Slow-Carb diet plan, which again entails consuming a fair amount of protein right out of bed.  Again, a temporary disruption, and one with high long-term payoffs.  Well worth it.

TMI.  There important aspects of a detox cleanse, that are not good dinner conversation.  The major action of the cleanse process is excrement.  Your body excretes toxins several ways, the top four are respiration, perspiration, defecation, and urination.  There are a few other more minor ways.  Of these four, you will notice major effect in defecation and urination, and perhaps perspiration.

If you don’t already poop at least once a day, you’re not pooping enough.  When on the cleanse, particularly early on, you will have urgent and immediate need to hit the toilet.  This is why I highly recommend a 30 day cleanse around any trips or major competitions.  You poop will come in all manner of varieties, as your body rids itself of excess crud.  You may notice actual parasites (tapeworms, etc.)  In fact, the majority of Americans (15% at any one moment, some say %25) are infected with an intestinal parasite at one time or another.  At any rate, you should have improved regularity once after the 30 days.

Similarly with urination.  Additionally, with urination and perspiration, there may be some odd odors as your body expels toxins.  Just be prepared and adjust accordingly.

Drink lots of water.  If you already drink a lot, drink more.  If you don’t drink a lot, get it together.  Flushing, expeling, excreting all depend on having plenty of extra water to get the job done.  Funny odors will only be concentrated if you are dehydrated.

Enough TMI.

Common parasites & treatments in the United States

Some good info on the role of intestinal bacteria

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– Jalal

Comments are always welcome.

My Temple

The Mountainside is my Temple;

The Shoreline is my Masjid;

Deep in the Woods, I kneel,

The Shrine surrounds me

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– Jalal

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Detox Cleanse Recipe

This is a thirty-day detox cleanse based on a system from Unicity.  The Unicity cleanse pack runs over $100.  This setup costs closer to $30.  The Unicity system is very good, but perhaps a little pricey, so the Queen and I put our heads together, visited our local longevity/detox expert and came up with a good (equal) alternative.

The program:

30 Days, broken down into ten-day sections.

The goods:

• Parafree–flushes intestinal parasites, and loosens intestinal gunk and compacted fecal matter.
• Bentonite solution–binds with inorganic compounds (typically toxins) in your intestines, and also draws them from body through intestinal walls
• Psyllium husk fiber.  A good fiber plug moving through your system is like a bottle brush, and is perhaps the most important part of the system.  Not all fiber is created equal.  Metamucil and it’s clones are generally inferior.
• Senna tea.  Naturally stimulates intestinal movement, provides that extra kick in the last third of the program.

First 10 Days:

• Two droppers full of Parafree.
• One tablespoon of Bentonite.
• One tablespoon of Fiber.

Each morning:

1. First thing in the morning, on an empty stomache, 2 droppers full Parafree, and one tablespoon Bentonite, together in about 8 ounces of water.
2. Wait twenty minutes, and take the Fiber in a tall glass of water.  Mix well, and drink straight away.  The fiber gels quickly and will become a thick mass if not drunk straight down.  You can mix with orange juice, as a more palatable alternative.
3. Wait about twenty minutes, then feel free your breakfast as normal.

In the event this takes too much time in the morning. . .

Protocol option B (a lessor, but viable alternative)

1. At night:  Take the Parafree and Bentonite mixture at night, just before bed, after allowing any dinner to clear you stomach.
2. First thing in the morning:  Take the fiber first thing in the morning.  Wait twenty minutes, then eat breakfast as normal.

A couple of key points:

1. It is important to take the Parafree and Bentonite on an empty stomach, to allow the supplements to work without interference, dilution, or unnecessary absorption from actual food.
2. Wait the twenty minutes between the detox mixture and the fiber mixture and your first meal, again to allow the fiber to work as a cleansing unit, without unnecessary dilution from actual food.

Second 10 Days:

1. Continue as above, plus:
2. Add a dropper of Parafree in the evening right before bed.  (or first thing in the morning, if you were on Protocol B).
3. After Five days, increase that dose to two droppers.

Third 1o Days:

Add the Senna tea in the evening, time is not super important.  The key here is gradually increase the steeping time.  Start out with two-minutes, then increase 30 seconds each day to reach five minutes.  This is a very important point, Senna tea is a powerful “motivator” and you will definitely regret going too strong, too soon.

Some thoughts

I’ve found this regimen to be extremely effective.  You’ll want to be sure your not traveling too much during this time frame, because the bowel movements can be unpredictable as you settle in.

It’s been a few years since I’ve done this cleanse, but the last go round I lost 10 pounds–mind you this was not fat, but gunk lining my small intestine, and compacted fecal matter in my colon (TMI?).

At any rate, you’ll likely experience some strange effects as your body starts to unload toxins and crap in your digestive tract.  Parasites, tapeworms, acne, multiple bowel movements, frequent urination.  Just ride it out, and try not to plan any long trips.  I waited until my first half-marathon was out of the way.  For me, getting this done as early in the year as possible is ideal, as it is usually the slowest time, with the least travel demands, and the race season still a few months away.

From a training perspective, this cleanse is great because clearing the gunk from your intestine is free weight-loss, but also will increase the nutrient absorption, making your training diet, and nutrition strategy much more effective.

More of my post-cleanse recap.

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– Jalal

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Be Different

We try so hard to change those around us.  The closer we are to people, the more we try to change them.  The closer they are to us, the harder they try to change us.  With so much effort put into changing people, why is there so little change?

Each year we renew our resolve to change ourselves, to turn a new leaf.  By March, we have a hard time even remembering what those resolutions were–Spending the rest of the year focused on what other people are or are not doing.

Therein lies the problem.  We cannot change other people.  All the effort put  into changing folks is utterly wasted effort.  We can only change ourselves.  Once we can effect real change in ourselves, and maintain it consistently for a period of time (three months?  two years?  eight years?), only then will we see a reflection in those who around us.

Changing oneself is the classic “easier said than done”.  Everyone around us is utterly invested in us being as we are.  We are utterly invested in being as we are.  We are utterly invested in everyone around us being as they are.  Consequently, everybody works very hard to keep everybody else from changing.  Pushing buttons.  “Going there”.   Bribing.  Extorting. Doing what we must to pull us and everybody else back into familiar ruts.

If the people we interact with (love, work with, struggle against) change, then either how we interact with them must change, or we must stop interacting with them.  Hence a change in them, causes a change in us, however slight.

And therein lies the key.

If your relationships suck, you must change.  If the world around you needs work, you must change.  If your business is not awesome, you must change.  It’s your only other option.

It is imperative that you be different.

The only way to change others is to be different.

The only way to improve the world is to be different.

Be different.

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– Jalal

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Please comment below.

Happy Birthday, Queen

In the midst of Winter
The camellia blooms.
Spring is near.
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Jalal
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–Old 454

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Your comments are welcome and appreciated.

On Missing Training Days

This week we had a birthday celebration, one day for family, one day for friends, and two days on the road for college visits.  The resultant effect:   I missed two whole days of training, and had three highly modified days.  Missed training days are extremely bothersome to me.  I obsess over how to adjust my schedule, and how to make up for the losses.   Truthfully, I probably needed an unload week.

All of which underscored the extent of my attachment to training and things training-related  (e.g., logs, nutrition protocols, gear improvements, results).  If Training is a Practice (as it is for me), then one very insidious, and deceptive attachment is to the Training itself.

Coaches generally advise viewing missed training days as needed recovery.  I try to get in every session I can, knowing I will miss some, and then those become recovery days, instead of lost progress.  But that is all very intellectual.   On a gut level, the missed days still feel like loss.

This feeling of loss gives us an opportunity to deepen our practice by reflecting on the nature of our attachment to training.  If Training is a Practice, then it is not the goal.  Only the goal is the goal.  (Goals and Zen have their own ironic relationship.)  Practice is a vehicle we use along the Road.  Or as Suzuki mentions in Beginners Mind, it is the boat we use to cross a stream that crosses the Way.  In this light Practice is further removed–not even the Road to the Goal.

I have no answer here, nor any real conclusions.  Only that it is an interesting phenomenon.  An experience I am thankful for, as it helps peel back another layer, another curtain between me and Reality.

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– Jalal

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Museum of Aviation Half Marathon 2012: Race Rep

Museum of Aviation Half Marathon 2012

Yesterday, I finished my second Museum of Aviation Half Marathon, on Robins AFB, in Warner Robins, GA.  It was a cold day, but not quite as cold as last year.  I was hopeful, as last weekend was almost balmy, but then the weather took a turn mid-week, and I knew the weekend would be blustery.

My goals for this race were:

1. benchmark the 5k to 50k (modified of course) running program I’ve been following.
2. test out my pre-race & race nutrition changes
3. test out some equipment.

From those perspectives, it was a successful run.  I was about 30-40 seconds off pace from last year, but given my training volumes, some recent ankle twinges, I am happy with the result. (more in a future post)

Location:  Warner Robins, Georgia

Gun time:  8 pm

Distances:  5k, Half-Marathon, Marathon

Course:  13.1 mile loop around airfield

Registration:  $20-5k;  $40-13.1;  $50-26.2.

Host:  Robins Pacers

Race Results

Weather:   Sunny, Clear & Cold (26 deg) Running shorts, Mid-length sleeve compression shirt, Short sleeve technical Tee, Arm warmers, Double layer Gloves (took outer shell off at mile 6), Fleece headband (took off at mile 6), Bandana, Nike Frees.

Terrain:   Fairly flat, a couple of rollers, and a couple of creepers (inclines that don’t actually look like inclines).  All asphalt with some nice looks at the airfield, for those with that connection.

Competition:   It is a Half-Marathon, so most folks are going to be in decent shape.  But it is a good mix with good company the whole way.  Top men’s time was 1:16, top women’s was 1:27.  Last year times were 1:12 and 1:23 respectively.

General Impression:   This is a nice race.  Definitely show up early because there is no early packet pick up due to security considerations, thus 1200-1500 people picking their stuff up at once can create some bottle necks.

Packet pickup and post-race recovery food is in the covered and heated Museum–very nice.  Good recovery food.  Nice folks.

Room for improvement:   Water stations were a little behind the power curve.  Would be nice to have bottled water at the finish line, just from a volume perspective.

Slow Carb–First Look

Now a few weeks into the “Slow Carb” diet, a check-in seems appropriate.   Setting up my 2012 training (peak

Fat White Bread

goal being Ironman Florida), I incorporated some specific programs.  One of these is the so-called Slow Carb diet–basically a low-glycemic index diet.  Generally, I follow my own modified version of the “Abs-Diet”  with certain other elements mixed in.    My approach has been to make the Slow Carb diet an addendum to my existing plan.

The plan is promoted (designed?) by Tim Ferris in his book The Four Hour Body.  The idea being to prevent blood sugar spikes, the subsequent insulin spikes with its accompanying issues, one of which is fat storage (other goodies include blocking fat burn, risk of diabetes, risk of cancer).  Ferris has added some other specific ideas surrounding protein intake, not generally found in generic low-glycemic index approaches.

The Slow Carb diet is significant in that it not only emphasizes reducing fat storage, but also looks to increase relative muscle mass.

Key points:

1. Avoid anything that can be white (with a couple of exceptions, e.g. cauliflower).
2. Make protein the focus of each meal, especially breakfast eating protein rich meal 30 minutes after waking.
3. Eliminate refined sugars, corn-syrup.
4. One cheat day where food type & quantity are unrestricted–cheat day is mandatory.
5. A good list of the rules and review of the diet can be found at Fitnessblackbook.com

The first thing I did was stop sweetening my coffee.  I drink a fair amount of coffee, generally strong, black and sweet.  If I’m drinking bad restaurant coffee, or on the road (e.g. one particular weekly morning meeting), I would mask it with sugar and sweetener.

The shift to straight black at home wasn’t so shocking, as my coffee is quality and strong.  Coffee on the road is another issue, but now instead of drinking sweetened, creamed, bad coffee, I just drink bad coffee.  It has been tolerable, and certainly hasn’t killed me.

The immediate effect of this one simple change was to level out my emotional peaks and valleys throughout the day, especially the crash I would typically feel around 2pm.  I still have a dip around 2pm, but it isn’t the crash it used to be.  Additionally, I smooth it out with my siesta plan.

I’ve also had fewer headaches.  But this could be the result of several changes I’ve instituted.  However, many of my headaches are blood sugar related, and with more stable insulin releases, come more stable blood sugar levels, and I’m sure this is a part of the equation.

The fat loss portion has been there, but not super.   Check out Fitnessblackbook.com for some good thoughts on this as well.  I’ve lost about a percentage point, and I’ve stopped adding pounds from my Augusta Half-Ironman low.   This has been pure fat loss, based on body weight percentages I’ve maintained muscle mass.

However, I’m still in the adjustment period, so we’ll see. The hardest aspect has been adjusting to not eating bread and cereal.  I still occasionally eat these, but it is far less than what I used to.  This has created a couple of challenges:

1. What to eat for breakfast, if cereal is out of the equation.
2. An endurance athlete in training has a real need for and benefit from dense carbohydrate sources.
3. Bread and cereal were mainstays in my fiber sources (fiber being a key part of my existing plan)
4. What to eat so that I actually feel full.

I’m working on some solutions and tweaks, which I will need to post in a future update.

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–Jalal

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Race Report: 2012 Resolution Run

Four years now at the  ATC Resolution Run (my son and & I)–The Queen and Princess graced us with their presence this year.  The race is basically in the same area as the past several years, but with a new route.  I personally feel the new route is an improvement.  Still true rolling hills, but with more variety in the hills, and interest overall.  The biggest benefit is you don’t have to watch all the super fast runners coming back while your still going out on the old out-and-back section.  I also feel the hill variety is better.  However, both the start and finish are uphill–not super grades, but enough to notice on cold or tired legs.

My first race of the year (obviously), having this race on the calendar keeps one motivated during the dietary and activity disaster zones that are Thanksgiving through New Year’s.

Location:  Kennesaw, Georgia (exit 269 Barret Pkwy)

Gun time:  11:10 pm (11am–5k, 10:30–fun run)

Distances:  5k, 10k, kids fun run

Course:  Two separate 5k loops throughout office parks.  Twice round for 10k.  True rolling hills.

Registration:  $25–5k & 10k;  one-mile fun run–$10;  Tiny Trot–Free

Host:  Atlanta Track Club

Race Results

Weather:  Perfect weather.  About 56 degrees at start.  Showers had just passed before we showed up at 9:45 or so.

Terrain:  New route has more variety than last year.  Rolling hills.  Often courses are described as rolling hills but are really Hilly.  This one is actually rolling hills that some may not notice much.  One or two hills to motor up, but not bad.  Office parks and industrial lawns.  Some insignificant traffic.

Competition:  A little for everyone.  Walkers, midpackers, and the usual speedy ATC crowd.

General Impression:  Port-a-Potties were abundant, with a moderate line only just before the 5k start.  Not a soul in line just before the 10k start.  The wave start was good in the respect of removing the initial crush between pure runners, joggers and walkers.  New route is an improvement.

Room for improvement:   Recovery food was better than last year (thanks), with good bagels, Powerade, and some type of fruity granola bars.  Still would have liked bananas.  The largest issue (as it is in many races) is I think more emphasis can be made on asking people to observe some race etiquette–not seeding yourself up front if you know you’re going to go slow, check over shoulder before you step out to pass someone, check behind you before you decide to come to a dead stop in the middle of the road.

I love this race.  Will be back next year.

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–Jalal

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And your comments are always welcome below.

 

Irony of Goals: Training and Zen

I am struck by the necessity of,  and yet, inherent contradiction, between training goals (or any goals, for that matter), and Zen Practice.

Goals are necessary to Practice due to the peculiar wiring of the human mind and physiology. The will needs a target to focus on.  As in Kyudo, the archer needs a target to focus his bow and arrow on.

Paradoxically, goals are an attachment, and Practice is about detachment.  The Archer aims at the target with his mind, and then releases attachment to striking his aim.

In triathlon, this is particularly tricky, as there are so many goals, targets, variables, and equipment to track and monitor. Additionally, it is a competition, so times and standings are inescapable. The trick is to track these goals, work towards them, but then have no attachment.

This is the trick in life. We need to eat to live. Our bodies and minds will scream for nourishment. How then do we remain detached from food, yet seek nourishment for our bodies? There are many, many more mundane examples.

Warriors in combat have the same quandary. We train. We fight. All with an objective. Yet, to Practice we must also remain detached.

In this way triathlon is good Warrior training because of long and continuous training period, the number of variables, the specificity of success or failure, the concentrated pressure. I find it a great environment to Practice.

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– Jalal

Find me at Twitter.com/Old454

Your comments are welcome and appreciated.