…Why Weight Loss Isn’t a Personal Journey Anymore…

In the past, many people assumed that weight loss was a very personal and private endeavour. They wanted to keep their plans hidden and they tried to research everything on their own. They may have tried to take shortcuts with phoney weight loss pills and fad diets, or they might have taken small steps towards permanent weight loss by changing their habits. Either way, it was a very private thing that most people kept under wraps.

However, with the advent of personal trainers, online communities and fitness partners, weight loss no longer has to be a solo journey that can’t be shared. In fact, it’s actually far better to tell people about your plans to lose weight or at least ask for assistance.

Source: Pexels

Gyms are surprisingly friendly and welcoming places

Far too many people think that they’ll be ridiculed for going to a gym when they’re overweight, but this certainly isn’t the case. Why would anyone laugh or make fun of you for trying to change your life around and get fit? Sure you might get some looks, but at the end of the day, you’re there to lose weight and show them you have the will to change. You’ll make friends at the gym, you’ll be in a more focused atmosphere to burn fat and you’ll be motivated to try harder.

Online communities can be incredibly supportive

One of the best things about the internet (and admittedly, often misused) is that everyone is anonymous. You could create a random username that has no link to your real name and start asking for advice without needing to feel embarrassed about your situation. Many people want to keep their weight and lifestyle choices private, but with the power of the internet, you’ll find plenty of online communities that are more than willing to give you expert advice and share their own experiences with you.

Personal trainers can be life-changing

We all try to use common sense when it comes to weight loss. However, there will come a point where you’ll need a push in the right direction in order to help you burn more fat and teach you better habits. Most people think that personal trainers are difficult to find, but if you look online you’ll find people like Will Bradley that can become your entire family’s personal trainer. All it takes is a bit of research and looking around to find the right candidate for your needs.

It helps people understand your personal situation

When you show up to a dinner party and refuse to eat much, it gives the wrong kind of message to the hosts. If you at least try to let people know about your circumstances and your will to change and lose weight, then they’ll always help you out and understand your situation and the choices you make. You’d be surprised at just how helpful and supporting your friends and family members can be if you tell them about your intentions.

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…Badass Women: Laura Tereshko…

Name: Laura Tereshko

Age: 35

Instagram Handle: lauramay20

Occupation: Corporate Event Manager

How  many events have you done? : only a few… I think about 4? I only started rucking at the end of 2016!

First GORUCK Event: Rock ‘N Roll Light in Cleveland

Events coming up: Memorial Day Light in Cleveland and/or Constellation in Tampa

What brought you to your first GORUCK Event? My Crossfit gym where I also coach, Molon Labe (IG handle molonlabecrossfit) partners with Cleveland Area Rucking Crew (CARC) (IG handle cleveland_area_rucking_crew) for ruck nights every Thursday for anyone in the Cleveland/Akron Cleveland that want to join in.  It’s basically like a 2 hour Welcome Party every Thursday. I kept showing up to those amazing workouts, and monthly rucks that CARC had and eventually my friends talked me into doing a GoRuck Light with them.

Why do you keep coming back? The people and the community!  I can’t tell you how many ridiculously amazing people I’ve connected with rom all walks of life on such a close level of friendship that I never would have met had I not put myself out there and gone to weekend rucks or training or ruck events.

What do you appreciate about being a woman in the GORUCK community? It’s a different level of strong women I can lean on and look up to for inspiration and guidance.

What is challenging about being a woman in the GORUCK community? I’m not sure men of the GoRuck community regard us as being equal teammates when it comes to events and our ability to handle team weights, or changing out coupons, or buddy carries, etc.  

Favorite training exercise /event gear/rituals…etc  that you want to share? All of the PT all of the time.  Being only 4’11” I tend to “shuffle run” with my ruck during events to keep up with the pace, so any PT based work is extremely welcomed.

Advice for other women?  You have to be mentally prepared for the suck and not bitch and complain about it out loud. Oh, and wear underwear…and use body glide and baby powder.

Any GRT women that you admire or love to be on a team with? I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many awe-inspiring strong women, mentally and physically, during events and in their personal lives.  I’m so honored to be part of this community since I’m so new to this.

Any memorable stories with you and another GRT  you want to share? Don’t take my food away…I get hangry pretty quickly and it’s not pleasant for everyone around me 🙂

Check us out on Facebook and Instagram! 

Want to be considered for our Badass Women’s spotlight? Or do you have a Badass Woman you would like to nominate? Email us at [email protected] for more details! 

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…Cycling Records to Attempt Yourself…

Cycling Records to Attempt Yourself:
Strength manifests itself in many ways, whether it be in strongman competitions or on the road. It’s not just squats and dead lifts which impress when showcasing this trait either, as speed, strength and stamina of insane magnitude can all make us pause and take notice.

Bike stockist Leisure Lakes Bikes aims to demonstrate this where cycling is concerned by looking at some of the most impressive records of strength performed by some of the mightiest cyclists in the world — how close can you get to these impressive feats?

The highest altitude cycling race
The record: 4,873 meters (or 15,987 foot)
Achieved by: The Ruta Internacional de la Alpaca race in Peru.

Want to attempt the record yourself?

There’s not a lot you can do to organize a cycling race at a higher altitude than the Ruta Internacional de la Alpaca race, unless you’re a very dedicated race organizer! However, you can definitely be prepared to be in with a good chance of winning the race in Peru and maybe even setting a course record.

We have already mentioned how to adjust your body so that it’s ready for being in a destination at a high altitude above. But there are some more things that you can do which will help you especially when you’re getting ready to race. Fit your bike with smaller gears to make climber a lot easier, for example, and aim to drink between one to three bottles of water per hour depending on how hot it is on the day.

The greatest vertical descent made on a mountain bike in 24 hours
The record: 32,796.9 metres (or 107,601.16 foot)
Achieved by: Mark Haimes, of Australia, and Reg Mullett, of Canada, individually and concurrently on the Mount 7 Psychosis course in Golden, British Columbia, Canada.

Want to attempt the record yourself?

It’s best to start small here, so find a steep drop-off on a trail route that you’re familiar with to practice your technique. Aim to have your preferred foot forward when approaching the edge of the drop-off. When it’s time to take off, lean back, gently pull up on the handlebar and bring the front wheel of your cube mountain bikes up. Just take note that you will be going off the edge, not up from it, so you don’t want to pull up too far and increase the risk of looping out — just give enough effort so that both of your bike’s wheels will touch back down onto the ground at the same time.

The highest altitude achieved when cycling
The record: 7,211 metres (or 23,658 foot)
Achieved by: Gil Bretschneider and Peer Schepanski, both from Germany, on the slopes of the
Muztagata peak in China’s Xinjiang province.

Want to attempt the record yourself?

Preparation is highly advised if you plan to cycle at a high altitude. In the weeks before travelling to your destination, build your endurance as much as possible with a series of short cycling workouts and some longer and more intense bike rides.

Be patient when you first arrive at a destination that is situated at a high altitude, as your body will be subjected to the acclimatization process. This is where your body will look to adapt to the thinner air — which will be evident when you begin breathing more quickly and deeply, and your heart starts to beat faster to deliver more oxygen to your muscles. Internally, your body will also be making more of the hormone EPO when at high altitude, which regulates the production of red blood cells which increase the absorption of oxygen. Both your heart rate and breathing will normalise as your body adjusts, but it’s best not to go out on intense bike rides from the first day of arriving at your desired location.

The fastest time to cycle 10,000km
The record: 22 days, 15 hours, 34 minutes and 9 seconds
Achieved by: Guus Moonen, of the Netherlands, around three different circuits around the village of Oisterwijk, in the Netherlands.

Want to attempt the record yourself?

There are so many ways to become faster when cycling. Review your positioning on the saddle to begin with, as either sitting too far forward or leaning further forward than necessary will both result in poor energy transfer from your body to your bike. On the topic of your body, reduce how much energy you lose when cycling by keeping your upper body as still as you can get it — much of your energy should be put into your pedal strokes.

The setup of your bike can also help make you faster. This is because tires which are inflated correctly will roll faster and those which haven’t get the right tire pressure are chance to go soft.  You can find the recommended pressure of your bike’s tires on their sidewalls, while having a mini track pump to hand is sure to prove a huge helping hand if you encounter problems on the road.

The longest distance cycled with no hands
The record: 75.8 miles (or 122 kilometres)
Achieved by: V.T Vignesh Kumar, of India, by completing pre-measured laps of a flat surface set out in Tamil Nadu, India.

Want to attempt the record yourself?

Even if you don’t get close to the world record, just learning how to cycle for longer with no hands can offer many benefits. Scott Bugden, a coach educator for both British Cycling and the Union Cycliste International (UCI), points out to Cycling Weekly: “It helps you to develop control of your bike and increase confidence. It  provides a little bit of a core workout and teaches you how to engage your core instead of slumping your weight on the handlebars.”

To master the technique of cycling with no hands, it’s important that you sit upright in the saddle and make sure you don’t ride any slower than jogging pace — cycle too slowly and you will fail to maintain either your balance or your bike’s momentum.

The longest distance cycled backwards
The record: 209.77 miles (or 337.60 kilometres)

Achieved by: Andrew Hellinga, of Australia, at the Holden Performance Driving Centre in Norwell, Queensland, Australia.

Want to attempt the record yourself?
Cycling backwards is something that you should probably leave to doing on a recumbent exercise bikes, though research commissioned by the American Council On Exercise and carried out by a research team at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse has highlighted the benefits of the technique. The study found that those who pedalled backwards on a Cascade CMXRT bike had increased heart-rate and energy-cost values than those who pedalled forwards but with all other
workloads kept the same.

Dr John P. Porcari, who led the study, commented: “The concept of specificity tells us that pedaling forward should still make up the vast majority of a cyclist’s training, but the subtle differences in muscle activation seen when pedaling backward can be very beneficial.”

The longest distance covered when cycling underwater
The record: 6,708 metres (or 22,007.83 foot)
Achieved by: Jens Stotzner, of Germany, by completing 78 laps of a course marked out at the bottom of a swimming pool in Bibert Bad Zirndorf, Zirndorf, Germany.

Want to attempt the record yourself?

Underwater cycling — which you may come across as being titled aqua cycling or hydro-spinning — has become increasingly popular across Europe, as well as in American cities like New York and Los Angeles. So, a great way to improve your technique is to sign up to a class near you.

There are so many benefits to aqua cycling even if you don’t break the world record mentioned above. The support and the pressure of the water means that you can burn up to 800 kcal every hour that you cycle in the water, for instance. Water’s hydro-static pressure when paired up with the movement of cycling also means that you can increase both your blood flow and circulation substantially — elements which energize your muscles.

The longest marathon static cycling
The record: 268 hours, 32 minutes and 44 seconds
Achieved by: Jamie McDonald, of the UK, in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, UK.

Want to attempt the record yourself?

Comfort will be key if you’re aiming to endure close to 269 hours of static cycling in one sitting. Ensure the exercise bike’s seat is adjusted to the height of your hips and that your knees are slighted bent to between five and ten degrees once you’re sitting on the saddle and the pedal is as close to the floor as possible.

Make sure your muscles are ready for an intense workout too by warming them up adequately too — you don’t want your world record attempt to be squandered due to an injury that could have been avoided if you’d prepared your body properly. For the warm-up, begin by spending at least five minutes stretching your abductor muscles, calf muscles, hamstrings and quadriceps. Then use another five minutes to cycle at a moderate pace of between 70 and 80 rounds per minute.

Sources:
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/highest- altitude-(cycling)

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/highest- altitude-bicycle- race
https://healthyliving.azcentral.com/cycle-high- altitude-2495.html
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/114458- greatest-vertical- descent-on- a-
mountain-bike- in-24- hours
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/article/technique-how- to-air- drop-offs- 16333/
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/fastest- time-to- cycle-10000- km-
https://www.mensfitness.com/life/outdoor/7-strategies- cycling-faster- farther-and- more-efficiently
http://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitness/training/13-ways- increase-average- cycling-speed- 144937
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/recreational-cycling/11005580/Laura- Trotts-10- pro-tips-
for-surviving- a-100- mile-bike- ride.html
https://www.bicycling.com/training/fitness/last-going- long-0
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/102647- greatest-distance- cycled-no- hands
http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/how- to-ride- no-handed- 191823
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest- distance-cycling- backwards
https://www.cascadehealthandfitness.com/news/2015/05/21/cycling-backwards- improves-
performance/
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/farthest- distance-cycling- underwater
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/08/29/aqua-cycling- new-underwater- workout.html
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he- aquacycle-20170902- htmlstory.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/07/health/aqua-cycling- is-an- underwater-spinning- workout.html

10 reasons to cycle under water

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/208937- longest-marathon- static-cycling
https://shop.vescape.com/en/blog/6-how- to-exercise- on-a- stationary-bike

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…Coffee And Fitness: To Brew Or Not To Brew?…

Did you know that the average adult drinks approximately 2.7 cups of coffee every day? If you love your morning cup of coffee as much as you love your daily workout, you may find yourself wondering whether the two are compatible. Decades ago, research linking high caffeine consumption to elevated blood pressure led many to believe that coffee was unhealthy.

Of course, it was not the coffee that was to blame, but the overconsumption of large amounts of caffeine. Fear not fitness gurus! Read on to find out why your morning Joe is beneficial to your physical fitness and healthy lifestyle.

Is Coffee Healthy?

As with almost everything fit for human consumption, coffee is healthy in moderation. High amounts of caffeine are linked to high blood pressure; however, this does not mean you should ditch your morning ritual. In fact, recent research suggests that a daily cup of coffee is actually quite healthy.

A 2005 study from the University of Scranton found that coffee is the single highest daily source of antioxidants for the average American. Coffee has been linked to other health benefits, such as reducing the risk of liver, breast, and uterine cancer, as well as, cardiovascular disease.

Does Coffee Intensify Your Workout?

For most gym rats this question is a no-brainer. Coffee contains high amounts of caffeine, the consumption of which is tied to an increase in energy and alertness. This caffeine boost increases mental focus, as well as, physical performance. However, coffee is beneficial to fitness-minded individuals beyond its use as a pre-workout supplement. The caffeine content increases your metabolism and causes fat cells to be burned instead of glycogen, accelerating fat loss.

Research from the University of Illinois suggests that coffee consumption decreases muscle pain during a workout. As mentioned above, coffee prevents disease and increases longevity, which is ultimately the most important benefit if you’re hoping to maintain your fitness levels throughout your lifetime.

How Can You Incorporate Coffee Into Your Fitness Regime?

The best and most convenient way to incorporate coffee into your fitness regime is to acquire an instant coffee maker. A handy coffee maker allows you to brew a cup while you pack for the gym or prepare for a jog, and leaves no mess whatsoever. For full fitness benefits, it is recommended that you consume one to three cups of java per day, depending on your weight.

It is important that you refrain from using lots of cream and sugar to flavor your coffee, as these sources of empty carbohydrates are linked to negative health benefits. Try to use almond milk, cinnamon, honey, and other natural, healthy alternatives. Also, coffee is a diuretic, so you’ll need to consume more water to ensure that you do not become dehydrated. Refrain from drinking coffee late at night, as poor sleep will negatively affect muscle recovery.

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…How to Get Even More from Your Fitness Routine…

No matter what stage you are at in terms of your fitness journey, the aim is always to achieve more. This becomes increasingly difficult the fitter you get. However, there are always ways that you can get more out of your fitness routine so that you can achieve better results. Let’s take a look at some suggestions…

Image – https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-a-woman-s-sport-shoes-6346/

Foam rolling – There are lots of fitness fads that come and go; yet foam rolling is a trend that is here to stay. There is evidence to back this up, as a study was published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showcasing the benefits of foam rolling. It showed that foam rolling significantly boosted recovery while reducing soreness. The test showed that foam rolling after squat exercises resulted in reduce muscle soreness, as well as better performance in a vertical leap test and increased range of motion in the quadriceps.

Consider a sports movement assessment – This is one of the most beneficial ways to get more from your fitness workouts. A sports movement assessment will use data to assess your risk of injury so that you get the optimal rest periods. Knowing when to rest can be difficult for anyone. After all, it feels like the more you workout, the greater results you will see. However, this is not the case if you are pushing your body past its limits and exercising when you are too fatigued. This is where an assessment will come in. You will receive analytics that can help you to understand how often to train, as well as how to structure your training programs efficiently.

Choose your playlist with greater care – For more people, music is a vital part of their exercise routine. It is the key ingredient that motivates them and helps them to achieve more. There have been numerous studies that have shown that music encourages people to push themselves harder and makes strenuous workouts feel easier. So, what sort of music should you be adding to your playlist? The answer to this question is very easy: your favourites. While a lot of people feel that you can only listen to upbeat music, power ballads can be just as effective. What matters is that you really enjoy the music and connect with it.

Get competitive – Finally, you may have been exercising for many years now, but have you been engaging in competitive exercise? If not, this could be the perfect solution to help you get more from your workouts. A study that was published by Preventive Medicine Reports revealed that, when compared with friendly support, competition was a much greater motivator.

So there you have it: four effective ways to get more from your fitness routine. It does not matter how far along you are on your exercise and fitness journey, there is always more to be achieved. This doesn’t have to mean achieving greater gains; it can mean achieving the same gains in a lesser amount of time, or simply finding more motivation so you enjoy your workouts more.

 

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…Badass Women: Andi Piscopo…

Name: Andi Piscopo

Age: 39

Instagram Handle: andimarie1

Occupation: Assistant Director  (Fisher House of Boston) , Yoga Instructor, Columnist (Sun Chronicle), Public Speaker, Advocate and Survivor for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and most importantly…Mom of 2 awesome kiddos!

How many events have you done? : 35 GORUCKS, 4 Marathons, 1 Ultra Marathon, 1 HCLS,  I pretty much love the suck so I keep coming back for more

First GORUCK Event: Class 312 November 10, 2012 –  I remember two things very clearly.  Not knowing who our cadre was and asking him (thinking he was a participant) if he thought “they would put us in the water” (the answer was yes by the way) and being on our faces in the first 30 seconds. I knew practically no-one when I started…and it sucked SO MUCH…but it was so incredibly awesome at the same time.

Events coming up: Tough Ruck and Boston Marathon Patriots Day Weekend. The inside joke is that I am only ever “interested” in GORUCK events…well…I am!  I want to make as many as I can!

What brought you to your first GORUCK Event? I was running the Spartan Beast in VT when an OG saw my ruck and asked me which class I was. I hadn’t signed up yet, I had just gotten off of crutches from breaking my knee…”if you can do this…then you’re ready!” needless to say, I signed up for the next event and never looked back!

Why do you keep coming back? Ultimately, it is the people and the relationships that you make along the way.  I cannot imagine my life without some of the friendships I have made.  The memories are completely worth the blood, sweat and time under a log.  The physical aspect isn’t so much pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, although I think that is a given at this point, you get comfortable with being uncomfortable; but mentally, I believe that it takes you somewhere else where you have no choice but to go head-to-head with yourself.  It is definitely a confidence builder.

What do you appreciate about being a woman in the GORUCK community? We are surrounded by some pretty bad as ladies!  To bear witness of such an amazing group of women be so supportive of one another whether they are in a role leading a team, or they are organizing something behind the scenes to assist a fellow ‘teammate’ – there is no stopping these ladies.  Each one has an incredible life story to tell and each one has something to bring to the table (and not just desserts, but that would be AMAZING!)

What is challenging about being a woman in the GORUCK community? I sometimes feel that we have to prove our strengths or leadership.   It is a male dominated community but the standard is the standard regardless if you are male versus female.

Favorite training exercise /event gear/rituals…etc  that you want to share? I think I am going to echo Sara when I say this…You guys train?  I kid I kid.  Training:  I have a few consistent programs.  I practice yoga 5 days a week, even if I can only squeeze in 15 minutes and I follow SOFlete.  My other training will change depending on what my goals are currently. Event Gear:  I SWEAR by LeukoTape and Trailtoes, Darn Tough Socks and Salomons for shoes (sorry kids…no boots).  Baby Carlos was my old ruck and is now retired, my GR0 is still unnamed and I still prefer bricks over plates.  Rituals: I carry an American Flag that I rescued from the Charles River during a 4th of July event in 2013 with me, a penny and dime for my Dad, and 2 patches that mean a lot to me.

Advice for other women? Whether it is GORUCK, or applying for a job – get after it ladies.  We sometimes feel that some of these sayings feel “canned” but maybe they feel that way because they are repeated so often, and they hold truth.  So if you are reading this and there is something you want to try and it scares the hell out of you, DO IT.  If we let the fear of failure stop us, then we will never know how great we can truly be, but if we TRY and push outside of what we are comfortable with, we may fail, but fail forward and use that knowledge to gain strength and try again.  If you are signing up for a GORUCK and you feel that you aren’t ready…remember, that is what your team is for, to lean on.  That in itself is a lesson.  Believe in yourself! I’ll see you out there!

Any GRT women that you admire or love to be on a team with?  Oh my gosh, you want me to name them all?!  Stephanie, Jessica, Betty, Sara, Hannah, Justine, Christine, Kim, Amanda, Janis, Delilah, Debi, Denise, Amy, Heather, Nana, PocketGRT,…Jeeze…I could keep going ON…and ON…and ON

Any memorable stories with you and another GRT you want to share?  I had signed up for BEWBS HCLS – it was shortly after my Dad had passed away and I was nervous going into it.  It wasn’t just ONE GRT, it was my HCLS team.  We had a moment at one of the Memorials to speak, I don’t remember how, or why or what (sleep dep is amazing), but I got up to speak about my Dad and how he was MY Hero.  Anthony Cataldi was at my side the entire time as I fought through tears.  I made it through the entire event (and the Sox game after) – This One is For You Dad!

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…Setting Up A Home Gym …

Image

So many people have the want to get fit but don’t have the time, the money or the means to go to the gym. It might be that membership prices are too high, that the location of the nearest gym is too far to be feasible, or that the time you need to spend at the gym to justify the cost just doesn’t for into your busy schedule- but that doesn’t mean that you can’t gym at all. Home gyms are becoming increasingly more popular and are nowhere near as costly or take up as much space as you might fear. In fact, you can easily get one of the best treadmills under $1000 – which is a huge component of your home gym. If you don’t want huge machinery, there are so many things you can do with free weights and simply using your own body as resistance – plus you can easily run outside rather than on a treadmill.

The space

Dedicate some space for your home gym. If you can utilize a whole room then perfect – but even if you just have a corner of the lounge to store your things, make sure that you have a dedicated space for your workouts. You might be able to mix it up and work out outside now and again – yoga in the morning sun is so relaxing and a great start to the day. But make sure that your family knows that when your mat is out that you’re focused on the gym and to not constantly call you away to do other things. Don’t be a space hog – if you’re doubling your lounge with your studio, make sure you only monopolize the space for an hour or so just to keep the peace. Having a reserved space and time helps you to get into a routine through the week, particularly if you’re having to squeeze it into your busy life.

Workouts

There are so many great 10 or 20 minute workouts that you can fit into your morning and evening. Working out in the morning helps to kick your metabolism into gear and really wakes you up, getting those creative juices and endorphins flowing. In the evening it’s a great way to unwind and work off any stresses you had during your day. Exercise is nothing without the right diet accompanying it – so when we say ‘workouts’ we mean the food to. You need to get into that routine of keeping healthy meals rather than buying out, eating a filling breakfast each morning, not snacking, and eating the right things for your work out plan. If you’re trying to shed weight while building muscles, for example, you need to try a low carb and dairy, but high in protein diet.

Fitting a home gym into your life is such a great idea as you can fit it around your needs; smaller workouts and classes (video lead probably) are whenever you want them, you have the equipment you need for the goal you want, and you have a space where you feel secure and happy.

New Equipment

You will only be able to train in a limited way if you don’t buy new equipment for your home gym. Consider home fitness equipment from Not One Rival if you’re hoping to improve your strength and stamina right now. Investing in the right equipment whilst working out from home is so important. Although there are plenty of body resistance workouts that you can do without any equipment at all, there are certain machines that will take your training to the next level. Explore some of the options available and see how they could work in your home.

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…Badass Women: Carmela Pine…

Name: Carmela

Age: 40

Instagram Handle: carmaonfire

Occupation: teacher

How  many events have you done? : 35 ish…

First GORUCK Event: Cadre Reunion– July 4, 2013 DC 044 Light

Events coming up: St. Patty’s L- Pittsburgh, Bataan DC Challenge, Triple L- DC

 

What brought you to your first GORUCK Event? My brother. I was in a shitty place in my personal life and had started this “Year of Yes”  . He had just done his first challenge and was like, “Hey, you should try this”. So I shadowed his first light, thought it looked terrible and then was mad that I didn’t do it myself. So I turned around and signed up for the 4th of July light in DC.

Why do you keep coming back? I thought I was going to be a one and doner.  But there are two things that keep me coming back. 1) I’m a classic over thinker.  I worry about a lot of things. I’m scared of a lot of things. GORUCK forces me out of my own head and it forces me outside of my comfort zone.  It puts me in the present and makes me make decisions in the moment. I can’t over think there– I just have to do.I need that in my life. 2) The people.  I was a college athlete and I’ve always been part of a team. When I graduated from college, I really missed the “team” aspect of my life- these people who had the same shared experiences.  GORUCK gave me that back, and added to it in ways I didn’t imagine. I’ve met some of my greatest friends and motivators through these events.

What do you appreciate about being a woman in the GORUCK community? That there are so many incredible women in the community that are supportive of each other and that it’s always been more about what you can do, vs what you look like.  

What is challenging about being a woman in the GORUCK community? One of the things that is challenging is the “boys club” mindset– over the internet and sometimes in person.  I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by the GORUCK men that respect me as a teammate and human, but I know that’s not always the case.

Favorite training exercise /event gear/rituals…etc  that you want to share?

Favorite Event Snack- Twizzlers and Swedish Fish, Favorite.

Training– Rucking with my friends.. Anywhere and all over the DMV and PA area–I especially love Battlefield rucks and overnight rucks in DC.

I always have my Mama Stump bag (from All-Women’s 001), a laminated photo of Army Staff Sgt Jeremie S. Border, a buff and a windbreaker.

Advice for other women? Don’t be afraid to try– try everything. Carry everything.. Even if it’s only for 30 seconds. Don’t wait for someone to come get you, go up and tell someone you want to carry whatever it is.   There’s a place for all of us at an event you just have to take it.

Any GRT women that you admire or love to be on a team with? Steph McGrew, Sara Bagala, Lisa Stephenson, Kay Rosen, Rachel Beard, Kristen Ohlsen, Meghan Howland. The entire Charlie Company of the All-Women’s 001 Challenge in Miami.

Any memorable stories with you and another GRT  you want to share? There’s so many it’s hard to come up with just one… but I will never forget Alex telling me to “Go do some of that yoga stuff you’re so fond of” when I tried to explain that my legs didn’t work after my first heavy and telling me that we could just “Go to the start of the challenge.. And see how I feel” to get me to the challenge portion of my HCL… he knew I wouldn’t leave once I got there.  

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…Badass Women: Crystal Clarke…

Name:  Crystal Clarke
Age: 32
Instagram Handle: cclarke0410
Occupation: Information Security Analyst, Warrant Officer Candidate in the National Guard
How many events have you done? : 12
First GORUCK Event: Hartford Light, June 2015
Events coming up: unfortunately none; currently finishing up my masters and training for military schooling

What brought you to your first GORUCK Event? My friend Michelle told me about the events; I was looking for a challenge so I figured why not?

Why do you keep coming back? I’ve met a ton of cool people through each event and I like the fact no two are exactly the same.

What do you appreciate about being a woman in the GORUCK community? That we are a family. It’s similar to the military where you keep the friends you make even if you don’t talk for a long time.

What is challenging about being a woman in the GORUCK community? Typically people misjudge you because you’re a woman. That and playing casualty all the time; I have to be actively helping the team!

Favorite training exercise /event gear/rituals…etc  that you want to share? I like to lift..a lot- currently I’m doing the juggernaut method to get stronger. Also as for event gear you can never go wrong with a good pair of boots.

Advice for other women?  Do what makes you happy, even if it’s out of the norm. Get a good support system who will help you achieve your goals.

Any GRT women that you admire or love to be on a team with?  I haven’t met a GRT woman who I haven’t loved being on a team with. Each badass brings their own to the table.

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…Could Your Home Be Ruining Your Health?…

When you dedicate yourself to your fitness, you slowly learn of all the bad habits you’ve racked up through the course of your life. Not just bad habits in terms of eating calorie dense and nutrient poor foods, and not getting enough exercise. We start to notice bad habits in every aspect of our daily lives. Bad habits that not only dull the fine edge we need to be at peak fitness but could also end up seriously endangering our overall health. The path to fitness and a healthy lifestyle is about effort, sweat and exertion, sure, but it’s also about self reflection and constantly striving to be at your best; setting ourselves targets and smashing them accordingly and trimming away the lifestyle habits that impede our ability to do this.

Image by MaxPixel

Most of us have already carried out a thorough audit of our working environment and the health risks that it represents. We know that sitting at a desk all day can seriously impact not only our spinal health but our digestive health too, slowing our metabolism and increasing our risk of depression. We also know that the vending machine is full of temptation, loaded with convenient but fatty, salty and sugary foods that will derail our fitness goals so we bring in healthy snacks to help curb our cravings. We try to avoid driving to work when we can, choosing instead to walk, jog or cycle.

Yup, we’re pretty sure we’ve got our health on lockdown. Anything that could compromise our health or fitness is identified and eliminated before it can do us any damage. Far too few of us, however, give much serious thought to how our homes can damage our health. Why would we? Our home has our back right? Unlike our gym or our working environment everything in there has been chosen by us with the express purpose of improving our quality of life. While this is absolutely the case, despite our best efforts and constant diligence, our home can end up affecting our health negatively in ways we had never even considered. Here we’ll look at how your home may be adversely affecting your health and what you can do about it.

Image by Pixabay

Your bedroom

Let’s start with where the magic happens. Your bedroom should be a calming environment that’s conducive to rest and relaxation and nothing else… Well, one thing else, and getting plenty of that is also important for your health. Your bedroom is not, however, the place for watching TV, catching up on Facebook or playing video games. Watching TV in bed is a fun treat at the weekend but it can all too easily encroach on our sleeping time. Moreover, the proliferation of mobile devices means that we’re usually never far from a screen even in this sedate temple of sleep.

The ubiquity of tablets and smartphones is proven to impede restful sleep by stimulating the nervous system and interfering with your body clock. Not to mention the addictive nature of social media and mobile video games.

Then there’s what you’re sleeping on. Most of us choose our beds for their aesthetic value rather than their ability to aid restful sleep. Thus, we can find ourselves woken up at night by aches and pains that over time can translate into serious mobility issues that can ruin our posture and prevent us from achieving the gains we deserve at the gym. Fortunately the right mattress can cure all ills. Check out https://mattress-guides.net to see just how much a memory foam mattress can aid restful sleep. If you need a little extra support from your mattress my personal recommendation is a core of pocket springs with a memory foam top. This will help you to manage the essential balance between comfort and support.

Sleep is absolutely essential for your health and should be considered a key component of your fitness regimen. It’s while we’re asleep that our bodies build muscle mass and repair injured or damaged muscle tissue. Moreover, if we fail to get enough sleep, our bodies start craving the nourishment that they’re missing from food sources meaning that we start craving all the wrong fatty, starchy and sugary foods.   

Your windows

Most of us know that exposure to sunlight and nature are conducive to good mental health. Obviously these are best enjoyed among the great outdoors but there’s even value in looking out of the window to see your back garden or even the greenery of your surrounding neighborhood. Yet we often find ourselves doing everything we can to keep natural light out of the home, suffocating our windows with heavy blinds and drapes to seal out the natural and cause us to rely on artificial light sources.

For the benefit of your mental health, you should make the most of your natural light. Cast open the blinds and drapes for as long as you can (except of course when your privacy needs to be protected) and you’ll find that your disposition becomes sunnier along with your surroundings. This is because sunlight boosts your brain’s serotonin levels resulting in good feelings throughout the day. If you work from home, this is particularly important.

The air

When we were kids our parents constantly told us to go outside and play because spending too much time indoors was bad for our health. Turns out they were right. The very air you breathe at home could be compromising your health in a number of ways. If you live somewhere very hot you likely rely on the AC to keep the temperature of your home clement. Unfortunately the AC can invite a lot of contaminants into the air of your home such as carbon dioxide, trichloroethylene, benzene, formaldehyde, xylene and ammonia. There are also a great many of these air pollutants in everyday objects around the house from your furniture to your dryer sheets.

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If, however, your lifestyle necessitates long hours spent at home you’ll be delighted to learn that certain plants like the Japanese peace lily can naturally negate the effects of these pollutants as well as oxygenating the room.

You may also use aerosol sprays to add a burst of fragrance to your home (especially if the cat has recently left a deposit in her litter tray). While scent is one of the oft neglected but extremely important facets of home decor this is to be expected but be wary of overusing aerosols and scented candles as these can fill the air with pollutants. Opt instead for combinations of essential oils to lend natural scent to the room.

Your bathroom

The average family bathroom sees a lot of action on any given day with people hopping in and out for baths and showers regularly. All the hot water and steam create the perfect conditions for fungi such as mold and mildew which can not only ruin the pristine effect of your pricey bathroom suite but lead to health hazards especially if you have a naturally sensitive to toxic molds. Prolonged exposure to these unsightly fungi can lead to allergic reactions and respiratory problems. Fortunately, they’re fairly easy to eradicate without the need for abrasive chemicals such as bleaches. Simply apply a paste of water and bicarbonate of soda, leave for fifteen minutes and rinse away with white vinegar. If the smell of vinegar persists use some essential oils to mask the smell. It should fade away naturally after around 24 hours. If the mildew keeps coming back you may need to look into your bathroom’s ventilation or invest in a dehumidifier.

Your kitchen

The kitchen’s greatest crime is neglect. Many of us spend a fortune on a beautiful and well appointed kitchen… Which they barely use. As we find ourselves leading busier lifestyles, working longer hours and experiencing more stress, the allure of high calorie, low nutrient take out becomes incrementally stronger. Make sure that your kitchen is filled with fresh veggies and fruits and the recipe books to enable you to work them into your diet quickly and easily, and master meal prep and you’ll save your wallet and your waistline!

The C Word

Most homes face a daily battle against clutter, but few of us are fully cognizant of the effects that clutter can have on our health. As much as we tell ourselves “this is how we like it”, clutter invites stress into our minds in a space that is supposed to be conducive to relaxation. Elevated stress levels cause our body to produce more of the stress hormone cortisol which causes our body to store more fat, particularly around the belly area.

It can also cause us to cling to the past in ways that aren’t necessarily helpful for our mental health. It can be a cognitive distraction, robbing us of our productivity, making it anathema for those who work at home. It can even aggravate allergies. A cluttered environment is inherently more difficult to clean, resulting in dust gathering in hard to reach places.

With a little reshuffling and a whole lot of diligence you can ensure that your home aids your health every day instead of detracting from it.

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