Metro Dash

I recently competed in a Metro Dash adventure race in Atlanta, and it basically kicked my behind. I have participated in several other events, including the Warrior Dash and Tough Mudder, but neither of those required even a portion of the physical demand needed to complete the Metro Dash.

I registered for the race a couple of months ago, and was able to round up a team with three other girls. I checked out videos of past events, and read about it on the Metro Dash website. I felt like I was in good physical condition, and that I would be successful at this kind of challenge.

I began seriously training for it about a month prior to race day. I added deadlifts, pushups, dips, rows, assisted pull ups, burpees, box jumps, and even flipping tractor tires, hurdles, and climbing walls to my regular routine. I knew the race would be continuous, so the last week before the event, I did these kinds of exercise without breaks in between. I felt ready.

I didn't work out at all the day before the race, and I made sure to eat lots of nutritious food to prepare my body. I got plenty of rest, and headed up toward Atlanta the morning of the event.

We arrived about an hour early, checked in, and proceeded to watch other competitors attempt the course. Hardly anyone was running. Everyone seemed to be going at a leisurely pace. I know the race is about time, and I intend to push myself as hard as possible.

We noticed that there were a few obstacles that not many people were able to finish successfully. One was a series of hanging ropes with handles at the bottom of each. Participants were required to swing from handle to handle until reaching the last one in order to complete the obstacle. Another was a wall with a rope hanging from the top that we were supposed to climb over.

If you could not complete an obstacle successfully, the rules state that you must complete a set number of burpees in order to go on to the next challenge. Almost all the athletes were doing burpees beside the two previously mentioned obstacles. They looked extremely tough.

Our team lined up to race. I was pumped! When the start whistle blew, I ran to the first obstacle, which was flipping tractor tires a certain distance and back. Piece of cake. I ran to the next one, carrying a large, heavy medicine ball a set yardage and back. The following one was picking up a huge stone ball and running with it. By then, I was more than a little winded. I kept pushing on.

Next were box jumps. I've practiced these in the gym numerous times. The first two were relatively easy, and then my legs didn't want to work for the third, and highest, box. I had to take a few seconds rest to recuperate because I was determined to complete each challenge the correct way. I didn't want to just step over it. I waited about ten or fifteen seconds, and then attempted it again, this time successfully! I went on to leap up onto three more boxes, the proceeded with the race.

Then, we had to pick up a sledgehammer and a tire and run a set distance and back. It was a little awkward, but not too bad. Next up was the rope ladder. It was quite a bit more difficult than it looked. The whole thing was shaking, and the rungs were spaced further apart than I would have liked. Pulling myself up onto each level was a challenge, but I made it to the top without having to rest. Now we understand why everyone was walking rather than running. This is tough!

Next were the dreaded monkey bar type things. You had to be more like a swinging monkey to complete this one! I hadn't seen even one person get all the way to the end, but I gave it my best shot. Didn't make it. Burpees it is! Now, I had seen quite a few people make it over the wall using just a rope, even a few women, but I guess I didn't have the right technique. I attempted it twice, but to no avail. More burpees.

Then we had to make our way over a series of ropes around two feet high. That wasn't too unpleasant, but I had to lift my leg up super high to get over. Good thing I'm flexible!

Next were cargo nets. They were not hard at all, but I had to wait for several minutes, literally, while some girls tried to make their way across it. I didn't want to just run over them. That set my time back, but I wasn't too upset about the recovery time I was able to get!

Then came the hardest part for me: the rope traverse. It was just a horizontal rope that we had to shimmy across using our hands and legs. I had never done anything like that before. There must be some kind of technique to getting across quickly with minimal pain because a couple of my team mates made it across without a problem. Not me. I wrapped my hands and ankles around the rope and slowly made my way across. After about three hoists, my biceps were on fire, but I kept pulling. I was using nothing but upper body strength. It seemed the fastest way, but there must be a method to use your legs too.

When I was only about six feet from the end of the rope, my arms were toast, but I refused to give up. I wrapped my arms around the rope to rest for a moment, which helped get some strength back in my biceps, but made huge bruises on the insides of my arms later. I gave it one more pull, and had to rest again. There were other contestants dropping around me, unable to hold on, but I refused to let this obstacle beat me!

By then, there were spectators and other competitors yelling at me to keep going, that I only had a few more feet, and that they knew I could do it! I can't let all these people down! I HAVE to hang on! After a few more grueling minutes, I made it! It was complete torture, but I finished! I had never had such a pump in my biceps, and my arms felt like noodles. I will need lots of practice doing that if I attempt the Metro Dash again next year.

Next up was the 12 foot wall we had to somehow make it over. My body was spent from the rope, so I had to take a little break. They had me go first so I could sort of rest until I had to help them over. I made it without any major issues, and walked back around to help the other girls over.

Continuing on, we had to do a farmer's walk with kettlebells, run a set distance and back carrying a 50 pound sandbag, and finally the sled pull. Those were all challenging and tiresome, but manageable. I was so relieved to cross the finish line!

Our times were monitored by a bracelet we wore with a tracking chip. My time was a little over 18 minutes to finish. I remember hearing that the average times were between 10 - 15 minutes, so I felt extremely defeated as I packed up to leave. You can't argue that we all gave it our best shot though. My arms felt like Jell-O, and it took much longer for my heart rate to return to normal than it does during my regular workouts. This race is no joke. All four of us were totally pooped!

A few days after the race, I received everyone's results in an email. We didn't enter the elite division, which is what you have to register for to be eligible to win. It was our first attempt at the Metro Dash, and we knew it would be difficult. The fastest female in the elite division finished in 20 minutes. Seeing that made me feel great! Everyone on our team completed it faster than 20 minutes. We would have all been the winners. We will definitely enter as elite athletes next year!

Coming next: Steak Dinner!

Good Ole' BBQ

I am convinced that anyone can cook healthy homemade meals with the right preparation. I went to Sam's Club over the weekend, and stocked up on boneless, skinless chicken breast at $1.99 per pound. I purchased around 25 pounds of it, which should be enough for at least a month.

As soon as I got home, I took around 20 minutes and trimmed the visible fat off of every piece of meat, then packaged the chicken breasts into freezer bags to remain frozen until needed. I left out enough to cook meals for the next few days.

I feel like some cooking plain American barbeque, so I check out some recipes online. I never end up using just one recipe. I will pick out a few that sound good, and use whatever I have in the kitchen, and kind of combine them together. I have never been disappointed, although some meals taste better than others.

I made a marinade out of water, brown sugar, chopped garlic, onion powder, thyme, and a touch of liquid smoke flavoring. I let the chicken soak in it for an entire afternoon. When I was ready to start cooking, I placed the breasts on a foil-lined cookie sheet, and covered them with grated onion and garlic, plus more thyme, some paprika, and Ms. Dash onion and herb seasoning.

While the chicken was cooking, I threw some bags of Steamfresh veggies in the microwave, and went off to do something else while I was waiting. I want to give a huge hug to whoever invented those things. I always have to make sure to buy the "Pure and Simple" bags that don't contain sauces or flavorings. Those are high in sodium and preservatives. The ones I purchase contain only the vegetable, and nothing else.

After about 20 minutes, I go back into the kitchen, and pull the chicken out of the oven. I brush barbeque sauce over each one, and flip them over. My favorite sauce is Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet and Spicy Barbeque Sauce. I let the chicken bake for about 15 more minutes, and then pulled it out to cool.

I place the veggies and chicken on a plate, and serve it with a little extra sauce on the side. Yum! This meal was fast, easy, healthy, and delicious!!!

Next up: Metro Dash Recap!

Current Zumba® Playlist March 2012

These are the songs we are jamming out to during my classes this week:

International Love - Pitbull and Chris Brown
Baila - Willy Williams ft Lyloo
Down on Me Merengue Mix - Jeremiah and 50 cent ft Pyro and Jun
Tigi Tigi - Hakim ft Don Omar
Hay Que Empezar Otra Vez - Celia Cruz
Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
Zookey (Lift Your Leg Up) - Yves la Rock
Oh Africa - Akon ft Keri Hilson
Dhoom Again - Vishal Dadlani and Dominique Cerejo
T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever) will.i.am ft Jennifer Lopez and Mick Jagger
Mawa Sillah - Zumba® Fitness Original Music
Samba Groove - Zumba® Fitness Original Music
Enamorame - Papi Sanchez
Wobble Wobble - V.I.C.
Killing Me Softly (salsa remix) - Omara Portuondo

Last week's playlist:

Turn Me On - David Guetta ft Nikki Minaj
Suave - Nayer ft Pitbull and Mohombi
Yeah! (Batuka Mix) - DJ Joao and DJ Payasso
Ven Conmigo - Daddy Yankee ft Prince Royce
Salta Sin Parar - King Africa
Party Rock Merengue Mix - Ariana
Something for the DJs - Pitbull
Quedate Mas (I Want You Back) - Los Super Reyes
Descargo en Do - Zumba® Fitness Original Music
African Beats 2 - Zumba® Fitness Original Music
Velocidade 6 - Mulhur Melancia
La Despedida Bachata Mix - Daddy Yankee
L.O.V.E. - Robin Skouteris

Most songs available on iTunes or Amazon. If you're unsuccessful locating a certain song, please contact me, and I will do my best to help you find it.

Clean Eating, Mexican Style

I LOVE Mexican food! It is my absolute favorite, but I rarely eat it because it's loaded with fat and sodium. Last time I ate at a Mexican restaraunt, I overindulged just a little, and I certainly paid for it. My stomach hurt for hours, and I got terrible heartburn. I am challenging myself to make a tasty, healthy, Mexican-style dinner.

The process of preparing this meal took a few days. I am only willing to spend a few minutes at a time in the kitchen, so I started planning when I still had food left from my last cooking experience.

One evening I cleaned dried pinto beans, and let them soak overnight. The next morning, I tossed them into my crock pot with the recommended amount of water, and let them simmer throughout the day. That evening I chopped fresh cilantro, onions, and peeled garlic, and put that, along with the cooked pinto beans, in the fridge for the next day.

During my lunch break the following day, I sauteed the veggies, and added chili powder and cumin to the pan. I cut all visible fat from a family size pack of boneless, skinless chicken breast, and placed it in the crock pot. I then added the veggies and seasonings, and turned the crock pot on low to cook while I went back to the gym for my afternoon clients and classes.

When I arrived home, everything was almost done! I decided I would make some corn tortillas from Maseca corn flour, and followed the directions on the bag. They were relatively easy to make, but I didn't have a tortilla press recommended by the instructions, so I made due with a rolling pin. They didn't turn out perfectly circular or consistent throughout, but they tasted fantastic!

I reheated the beans and topped them with a little Mexican crumbling cheese. I added the beans and cheese, chicken, and some all natural prepared pico de gallo to the tortillas, and I have to say, this is the absolute best meal I have ever cooked! I am no chef, but this turned out way better than I expected. I could eat this every day!

There's still room for improvement though. Next time I will season the beans a little more. I didn't put anything in them, so they were a tad bland, but all the other tastes certainly compensated! The best thing about this Mexican style dish is that the only fat comes from a miniscule amount in the cheese, olive oil, and corn flour, and the only salt is from the tiny bit in the prepared pico de gallo.

I just had the tortillas as a treat today. Although delicious, they are also high in calories, most from carbohydrates. I consumed 440 calories worth of just tortillas at one meal, so I shouldn't eat them all the time. They sure were delicious with the rest of the meal, but I am pretty sure I can do without them next time.

Awesome NOLA Zumba® Instructor Teaching in Valdosta Saturday!

This Saturday, March 10, I am hosting a master class with New Orleans' licensed Zumba® jammer Jennifer Rupp. I couldn't be more excited! She will be bringing her Louisiana flavor to Anytime Fitness in the five points shopping center at 11 am Saturday morning.

Jennifer is the owner and manager of NOLA Danze Fusion dance studio in Metairie, Louisiana. She has been a Zumba® jammer since 2010, which means she is licensed to teach choreography jam sessions to other Zumba® instructors. Jennifer has been teaching Zumba® since early 2008, and has been dancing her entire life. She also works in real estate, and is a mother and wife. What a busy woman! I am thrilled that she is taking the time to come to Valdosta to share her amazing talent!

If you are a regular at my Zumba® classes, no doubt you have danced to songs that Jennifer choreographed. She is the genius behind the moves to "Mr. Saxobeat," "Quedate Mas" (I want you back), "Reflejo de la Luna" (the dramatic tango), "Say Na, Say Na" (fun bollywood), and Usher's "More." I can't wait to see what's in store for us Saturday!

If you would like to attend her master class, just show up at Anytime by 11 am, and you may pay the $15 admission fee upon arrival. This is a great deal, and anyone is welcome to attend! You will definitely get your sweat on, and leave with a huge smile. Jennifer is a phenomenal instructor. She is sure to motivate you to move!

She is also instructing a choreography jam session only for licensed Zumba® instructors that are members of the Zumba® Instructor Network later that afternoon. If you are a ZIN member interested in attending, you must contact Jenn directly at jennrupp@gmail.com. Please become a fan of her Facebook page Zumba® New Orleans.

Stir Fry

All the food I cooked Sunday is gone. I polished off the last of it for dinner yesterday, so it's time to hit the kitchen again. My meals are all about convenience and flavor, while keeping them low in fat and sodium and high in protein and fiber.

Today I have a taste for Asian food, but the challenge will be to keep it low sodium. According to WebMD, people living on the northern islands of Japan consume more salt than any other region in the world, and they also have the highest incidence of high blood pressure. I will certainly miss the taste of soy sauce, but I think I can make up for it with other flavors.

I started preparing during my lunch break. I chopped one orange bell pepper, one onion, plus garlic and fresh ginger. I use a lot of dried herbs and spices, but you can't beat fresh ingredients when you have the time to spend chopping it up. I also trimmed the fat off from a family size package of boneless, skinless chicken breast, and placed them on two foil lined cookie sheets. If you aren't able to go home for lunch like I am, it's a lot easier to take a few minutes the night before, or in the morning, to plan your meal, and get started with preparation.

After arriving home from this evening's Zumba® class, I first got out the pans of chicken breast and added seasonings. I sprinkled them with fresh chopped garlic, ginger, and onion. I then added cilantro, a little brown sugar, sesame seeds, and some Chinese five spice powder to both sides, and put the chicken in the oven.

I definitely want stir fried veggies as a side item. I have some frozen steamable bags of asparagus and snow peas that will work nicely. I also have a bag of chopped broccoli slaw that I am going to try out. I steam the asparagus and snow peas in the microwave while I sautee the onion, pepper, garlic, and ginger I chopped at lunch in a little dark brown sesame oil. Then I add in the steamed veggies and broccoli slaw. I stir fry it over medium high heat for about 10 minutes, then scattered some sesame seeds on top.

The chicken is done by now, and I'm ready to dig in! It's yummy! I was a little skeptical of eating a stir fry with no soy sauce, but ginger, garlic, and sesame add monstrous flavor! I actually put a little too much ginger on the chicken, but the veggies are absolutely perfect.

Hint: when using steamable bags of veggetables, be sure to drain water out before adding to fresh produce in a skillet. If not, veggies will be soggy.