Tough Mudder

So, this past Saturday May 11th I participated in the Tough Mudder Toronto event. I had planned on training for it, because everyone I talked to suggested I should do so. However, I lost track of time and suddenly it was the day of the event and I hadn't so much as gone for one jog. 

I didn't think it would be a big deal not to train but I also had no clue just how out of shape I was until I started. It took place over 16 km, and I felt exhausted after just 4 km. The weather was not in my favor either, it was overcast and went up to only 13 degrees and it was really windy on top of that. 

The first obstacle was the easiest in my opinion, it was called Glory Blades and consisted of climbing over wooden walls, some of them angled. It involved a lot of teamwork because not many people could clear the wall on their own although some jumped it like it was nothing. Naturally sitting at not even 5 ft tall, I needed a boost from another mudder although I got over the first wall on my own.

My face looked like this guys, but 10xs more shocked

                              

The second obstacle was Arctic Enema which was one I was dreading doing. I absolutely hate cold water and typically don't swim in water under 86 degrees, the water in the dumpsters sat at about 35 degrees. This requires you to jump into the dumpsters with ice water and swim under a wooden plank to the other side, and climb out. I jumped as close to the wood as I could manage, and swam right under. By the time I reached the other side, a matter of a few seconds I could barely move my arms, and just managed to get my head up for air. As I caught my breath, I was really disoriented and my friend called my name to help me focus. After I got out I felt weird pins and needle feeling all over my body, and I did not warm up completely after this obstacle for a while.

Next came the Funky Monkey, which was just a set of monkey bars that went up in the middle, then down  again to the other side. I was really surprised to see that almost everyone that went on them fell into the water. I thought for sure I was going to fall in as well, but to my surprise both me and my friend made it over tot he other side. This one was more fun then challenging for me.

                                            

Another one I found challenging to get into was the Electric Eel. Watching the people in front of me I saw people twitching and contorting as they got shocked. It really psyched me out to get in the water. I finally worked up the courage to do it, and as I stepped in I got the shock from another girl who hit a wire. I began to crawl under, but instead of army crawling I put both arms in front of me and pulled myself on my belly. It was the best way to get hit as little as possible. The shocks were not too painful but I really wasn't a fan of the involuntary twitch accompanied with getting hit by the wire. It was more of a mental challenge to get myself into water with live wires hanging over me then it was a physical challenge once I got too it.

                                                                     

                

I happen to have a fear of small, confined spaces so the Trench Warfare and Boa Constrictor were a big challenge mentally for me. Trench warfare is crawling through a tunnel that's all muddy, and I was fine until I realized it turned and wasn't just a straight crawl through. For some reason, when I saw I had to turn to get out, it became hard to breath and caused me great anxiety, I couldn't get out fast enough. I really just wanted to get up and run out, I really hated the constricted feeling. The Boa Constrictor was the same feeling, I absolutely hate not having the use of my legs and feeling so trapped.



Walk The Plank was another big mental challenge, more than physical. I never realized it until I was at the top of the plank and about to jump, but I have a fear of heights. When I looked at the obstacle from a distance, it didn't seem very high and jumping into water then climbing out didn't seem hard at all. However when I reached the top and looked down, I couldn't bring myself to jump. My friend jumped in, swam across and was calling me to jump. I had to let 4 people pass me before I got the courage to jump, and for a minute I seriously considered climbing back down and passing it, but finally I jumped in. It's really fun to over come a fear like that, but I hated being cold.


                                        


One of the biggest challenges in the whole thing for me was also the actual running aspect, I don't have a good lung capacity, and I don't go for runs or jogs..ever. My legs were in a lot of pain and cramping up a lot, but I continued stretching and ran through the pain. In the end I'm glad I pushed myself. Although now every muscle in my body is aching like I got beat up.
                                     
                                   




There was 22 obstacles in total, so I decided just to post about ones that were really challenging to me, and a few that were just fun. In the end, it was a truly unique experience and I would love to do it again. It was really fun to challenge myself so much physically and mentally and it was a really gratifying feeling to finish it. I saw a lot of team work throughout the whole thing, and people pushing one another and cheering each other on. I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I finished it, because I was so sure after starting it that I was insane for thinking I could do it. But I did, and it was awesome, and I will be doing it again next year for sure. And to avoid being as sore as I am now, I'll be training this time around for sure.

                                                                                              

Culminating

So.. I decided to try eating healthier and follow a meal plan over the course of a few weeks. I pre planned all my meals for 3 weeks, although I definately cheated a few times, and perhaps ate a little more then I should have. But for the most part here is what I ate.

On day 1 for breakfast, I had 3 scrambled eggs for breakfast, a cup of skim milk and a pink grapefruit. For lunch I ate a whole wheat wrap with low fat turkey and lettuce, and a red apple. Dinner was a boneless skinless chicken breast with a small amount of BBQ sauce to dip, and a small salad with low fat dressing. I also snacked on some celery throughout the day.



Very plain turkey wrap



Day 2 for breakfast I had two slices of toast with penut butter on them, a bananna and a cup of skim milk. I snacked on some almonds as the day went on when I was hungry. For lunch I ate some left over chicken with some steamed veggies. For dinner I ate Salmon seasoned with dill herbs and lemon juice, and steamed broccoli with garlic powder on it.



Yummy Salmon



On the 3rd day for breakfast I had 2 activia yougurts and a pink grapefruit. For lunch I ate a greek salad with low fat dressing mixed with pepers, onions, tomatoe and cucumber... I left out the feta cheese to be healthier. I snacked on slices of cucumber and celery throughout the day to keep full inbetween meals. For dinner I ate whole wheat pasta with low fat pasta sauce.

Day 4 I ate an omlette made with two eggs, and 1 bell pepper. I also ate a bananna, and some orange juice to drink. For my lunch I ate tofu stir fry with a pepper, brown rice, onion and some teriyaki sauce. For dinner I ate Soul (a lean, white fish) seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, sliced tomatoes, and sliced onions.

For the next 10 days following these 4, I ate the same meal plan switching up the order the meals were in to keep it somewhat interesting but also simple. I did eat a chocolate chip muffin or two from Tim Hortons as well as cheating daily by having a tripple tripple from Tim Hortons...oops.

On day 14 I changed the meals slightly, I tried to minimize my meat intake for the last 14 days. I am not trying to be a vegetarian, just keeping things interesting. Again I did not strictly stick to this diet either, I have no will power and am surrounded by fatty foods.

                         

Day 14 for breakfast I had an apple, a bananna, some yougurt and a cup of skim milk. For lunch I ate an omlett with bell peppers, and some celery sticks on the side. For dinner I ate a cesar salad with low fat dressing, with cucumbers on the side. I snacked on carrots throughout the day to keep full as well.

Day 15 I ate scrambled eggs for breakfast, with orange juice and strawberries. For lunch I ate a cucumber sandwich with salt and pepper and a little low fat margerine, with some watermelon. For dinner I ate brown rice with soy sauce, and steamed veggies like bell peppers and broccoli. I snacked on rasberries throughout the day as well.

                                  

   

Day 16 I ate a pink grapefruit and egg whites with skim milk. For lunch I ate a garden salad with cucumber, tomato, bell peppers, and low fat low calorie italian dressing. For dinner I ate a tomato sandwich with salt pepper, cucumber on the side, and carrots on the side. I snacked on red grapes through out the day as well.

Day 17 I ate an omlett with green peppers and a bananna with skim milk. I also cheated and ate an everything bagel from Tim Hortons. For my lunch I ate spaghetti with whole wheat pasta and low fat sauce and fresh crushed tomatoes in it. Through the day I snacked on blueberries to keep full. And for dinner I ate a greek salad with low fat dressing, no feta cheese or olives but all the other vegetables that belong in it. On the side of that I had some extra carrots and cucumbers. For desert I had some chocolate covered strawberries....not so healthy but so delicious.

Once again to keep it simple and easy to follow, I repeated the same fruit and veggie based menu that I started on day 14 until day 21. Over the past three weeks in addition to my meal plans I drank 8 bottles of water daily, and tried to excersize on the treadmill for at least 20 minutes a day. I did slack on several days.

Overall, I feel more energetic since starting this meal plan, and it is actually less stressful to have my meals pre-decided then to go day by day. I think it could be very benificial to me to continue trying to eat halthier, and eat based on this or a similar meal plan. It was interesting to eat only veggies and fruits for a week, and I took vitamins and supplements to make sure I wasnt lacking any nutrients during that time. I think I should really try to start working out more frequently though to improve my mood and my health. I also found in addition to having more energy, that eating healthier and working out helps a lot with my anxiety which can get pretty out of hand at times. It was an interesting few weeks.

             

                                                           
           

               

              Unit 5 Web Quest

1. "Inspire Yoga" is a public fitness facility.

2. There are fee's to participate in the classes. The prices greatly vary based upon how many classes you'd like to do. Drop in classes cost $20, 2 week intro special costs $25, 10 classes for $155, 1 week unlimited $35, teen drop in $10, unlimited memberships are also available 3 months for $300, 6 months for $425, 1 year for $700. Annual unlimited costs $1300, and monthly unlimited pass prices for studens (under 22) and seniors are $50.

3. The hours of this facility start from 6:00 am till 8:30 pm with a variety of classes throughout the day.

4. This yoga facility appeals to all age groups with classes for moms and babies, teens, kids, and discount prices for seniors it is a great place for any age group. It does however appeal to people who are interested in yoga or getting in shape.

5. There are many programs that run regularly, and in addition to the regular classes there are also classes for athletes, children, moms with babies, and classes to become a teacher of yoga.

6. There are no extra fees for the additional programs, as you buy passes for a set price and then attend whichever class best appeals to your needs.

7. For those who cannot pay a lump sum of $1300 for an annual unlimited membership, there is a payment plan available for $120 a month.

8. The classes are all co-ed so there is not separate areas for men and women to work on their fitness. However, there are different classes based on age group and ability levels.

9. I think that this is a great facility, it offers a very wide range of programs to participate in and at many different times and days during the week so it is easy to work around your needs. I have always wanted to try Yoga, and it would definitely help me on my journey towards health as it exercises both the body and mind.