MEOW - Mobility Exercise Of the Week - Thoracic Rotation

"MEOW"

Twisty Child's Pose:  

This is a mobility exercise to increase thoracic rotation.  With a band anchored to something solid and wrapped around your outside shoulder, sit into child's pose.  Place your hand behind your head and begin to rotate towards the anchor point, keeping your hips down to lock out the lumbar spine. You are looking for 50+ degrees of rotation.  If you cannot get 50 degrees without using the band for assistance, this is a great exercise for you...

Spartan Race 30 Day Training Plan

WOW - Workout Of the Week...Obstacle Training

"WOW"

1 - Rope Climb

2 - Sled Pulls

3 - Army Crawls (20 feet = 1)

4 - Atlas Carries (20 feet = 1)

5 - Sand Bag Lunge Walks (20 feet = 1)

6 - Tire Flips

7 - Box Jump Overs (30 inch)

8 - Monkey Bars (If you only have one bar, do 8 pullups and reverse your grip at the top each time)

9 - Burpees

1000 Meter Row/Run

Sprint = Repeat 3x
Super = Repeat 5x
Beast = Repeat 8x

Have fun!!!

MEOW - Mobility Exercise Of the Week

"MEOW"

Below is an exercise to improve ankle dorsiflexion.  If ankle range of motion is limited, which is fairly common, it can cause major problems up the kinetic chain (i.e. plantar fasciitis, tight calves/achilles, sore knees, hip pain, back pain, etc.).  

• Place a stick in front of your big toe.
• In a lunge position, push your knee to the outside of the stick until you feel your heel wanting to come off the ground.
• Move back and forth 20-30 times, gradually pushing further into your end range. 
• Do this 2-3x daily if range of motion is limited. 

This is also a good way to assess dorsiflexion.  You should be able to place the stick a fist's distance from your big toe, and be able to touch your knee to it without your heel coming off the ground.  As you can see, my ankle range of motion is limited (because of a major ankle injury in Mexico, but that is another story), so I have work to do... 

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

This delicious smoothie makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  It fits with a vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and whole 30 food plan.  It's about 500 calories of energy packed foods, with 53% of calories coming from carbs, 27% from fat, and 20% from protein.  And it tastes like a party in your mouth.  Enjoy!

• 1 Cup Almond Milk
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Water
• 1/2 Cooked Sweet Potato
• 1/2 Avocado
• 1/2 Banana (or 3 Pitted Dates)
• 1 Scoop Vega Vanilla Protein Powder 
• 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
• 2 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Tsp Nutmeg

Nutritional Facts:

• 500 Calories
• 15g Fat 
• 66g Carbs 
• 25g Protein 

By the way, Vega also sells a protein powder with greens in it...What?!

Boise Spartan Sprint Recap

The much-anticipated Boise Spartan Sprint did not disappoint.  Was it in a beautiful setting?  No.  Were there trees or lakes or mountains?  No.  Were there mud pits, rocks, dirt, and cow pies?  Oh yes.  The 4-mile course consisted of 5 steep hill climbs and descents, with 21 obstacles scattered throughout.  I experienced a couple of firsts during this race.  It was the first time I failed the rope climb, and the first time I've thrown up during any race.  I was moving quickly, bounding over walls and climbing cargo nets when I suddenly stopped, ralphed twice, gave the thumbs up to a wide-eyed volunteer, and moved on.  The following 60 seconds were the best I felt all day.  

Running up Tablerock trail in Boise was great training for the hills, but I didn't stick the spear in the enemy hale bale target, even after practicing with my friends for months (I am now 4 for 6).  You definitely can't get hung up on mistakes, though.  You just do your burpees with a muddy-toothed smile and keep moving.  Although I definitely recommend taking your time, wiping your hands in the dirt, and catching your breath before attempting the spear throw.  

With just over a mile to go, there were 4 grip-burning obstacles in a row:  The Multi Bars, Z Wall, Hercules Hoist, and Rope Climb.  About 3/4 of the way up the rope, my feet slipped and I slid cursing into the muddy water below.  I pulled myself out, completed the burpee penalty, and sprinted (hiked) up the last hill.

With the finish line in sight, they threw in the Monkey Bars (my favorite), Rolling Mud and Dunk Wall, Slip Wall, and of course the Fire Jump into one last muddy water pit for good measure.  It was a spectacular feeling to cross the line and collect that hard-earned medal (and half a banana).

Feeling comfortable being uncomfortable.

I underestimated the wet rope climb and slipped, which cost me.  30 burpees to be exact...and a few rope-burned fingers.

The dunk wall was one of the last obstacles.  It always gets the adrenaline pumping.

Thank you Therapeutic Associates Physical Therapy

My good friend Eli smoked his first Spartan without any penalty burpees! Can you see the ants climbing the hill in the background? That was the last of the 5 hill climbs.  

Training in the Boise foothills with my fellow Arbor Crossfit athletes really prepared me for this race (More training posts to come).  I hope they felt the same way as they ran, jumped, crawled, and climbed to victory.  I finished in 15th place, good for 225 points toward the overall elite rankings (If you're curious about how the points work, click here).  It was a blast and I can't wait for the next one...which is August 8th in Washougal, WA.  See you all there...

WOW, COW, and MEOW

"WOW"s, "COW"s, and "MEOW"s are ways to challenge yourself on a weekly basis. Here is the workout, challenge, and mobility exercise of the week for June 8-14. Try to do each one at least once.

WOW: Workout Of the Week

• 5 pullups 
• 10 pushups
• 15 burpees
• Sprint 30 seconds
• Rest 1 minute
• Repeat 5x
• Modify movements as needed

COW: Challenge Of the Week

• Step out of your comfort zone and try a new class this week (e.g. Aquatics, Zumba, Crossfit, Barre, Turbokick, TRX,  Hip Hop Twerk, etc.).  There are so many ways to challenge yourself physically, and trying something new will challenge your brain as well.  Grab a friend or go solo and meet new people.  Don't be afraid to look dumb!

MEOW: Mobility Exercise Of the Week

• Most of us are tight in our upper back, or thoracic spine; especially if we sit at a desk and use a computer most of the day.  Below is a great exercise to mobilize each segment along the T-spine.  You can do this multiple times a day.  I recommend following it up with a nice, easy child's pose for 60-90 seconds.