SEAL Museum Bridge Challenge 2016

  On Saturday May 21st, I competed in the 3rd annual Navy SEAL Museum Bridge Challenge. It was definitely a challenge!

   Unlike the 1st year where it was 1 on 1 this year we competed in 3 teams of 2. As usual, we started at the Riverside Cafe in Vero Beach. We jumped off the pier in to the lagoon, while strapped with an oar & a ( fake!) MP 5 sub machine gun . We then swam out about 150 meters to an anchored raft, climbed in , rowed around the lagoon, anchored our raft. Then we climbed up a caving ladder about 70 feet , with our fake gun still strapped to us, on to the Barber Bridge. Like they say in SEAL training " It pays to be a winner"  and this challenge lived up to it. When you reached the top, the first man had to carry 2 kettle bells , farmers walk style, down to the bottom of the bridge . That's almost a half mile! Well the first team got 20 lb kettle bells, the second team got 25 lb kettle bells, the last team 30 lbs! Sad to say , because of my slow swimming and non existent rowing skills, my team made it last! I had the pleasure of carrying the 30 lb kettle bells down the bridge ! Teamwork also was critical. My team mate helped sling my kettle bells around my back saving my grip, some. At the bottom of the bridge we switched, and I slung both guns  around me while he took both kettle bells and carried them up the bridge ! When you made it back to the top, you got a paintball gun & got 5 shots from the bridge down towards a dummy target in the lagoon. I got a whopping 1 shot while my partner got 4. Then we climbed back down the caving ladder. I went first, then my partner came in, and we just repeated rowing around , swimming back to the pier and climbing back up. Easy right?!

       This race shows why I believe in practical workouts. Tactical athletes & adventure racers take note. Isolated exercises like triceps kickbacks, leg extensions & pec deck flyes won't do anything for you ( note: the exception would be exercises prescribed by a physical therapist for a specific injury). Even the big , heavy power lifting compound exercises like overhead presses & dead lifts will be of limited use in such an endurance race, although these are good starting exercises. What I found was my forearms & biceps were burned, and this was just climbing the caving ladder! Remember, then I had the pleasure of farmers walking with 30 lb kettle bells! Even climbing down taxed the forearms. Also, carry 5 lb guns or worse kettle bells slung around your back totally changes your gait. Running will be changed to trotting. Having a strong core is critical.Completing such a race requires long, strength endurance workouts. Focus on moderate - high rep/multiple sets of pull ups ( both regular & biceps), push ups, kettle bell or dumbbell overhead presses, especially Kettle bell bottoms up presses,kettle bell swings,farmers walks,etc. If possible also try rope climbs & farmers walk. Of course swimming & running are also important.


          As a side note , one of the teams was composed of retired SEAL team 6 officer Ryan Zinke and Army EOD tech Brian Mast.  The fact that Brian Mast competed says alot about him. While disarming an IED in Afghanistan the bomb blew up. Tragically, he lost his legs. That didn't stop him from competing. Think about that. I don't know if I could do that.

          Thanks to the National Navy UDT/SEAL Museum for hosting this awesome event. A extra special thanks to the man who made this possible, my teammate Army ROTC candidate Shawn Zingler. I'm not joking when I say I wouldn't have made it without his help. From pulling me in to the raft, showing me how to paddle the raft, slinging the kettle bells around me, shooting the target on the spot unlike me, he was literally a life saver. I know America is in good hands with guys like him protecting us. Thanks ( future) Lt. Zingler!

                       

                                   

My First Marathon

             On Sunday March 6th, I ran my first marathon, the Marathon of Treasure Coast ! My time was 4:07:05 , 38th overall! Was it tough? Do you even have to ask?!


                I had no serious injuries this year. Oh I had my fair share of muscle strains & sprains but no fractures. I also did some prehab/rehab body work. Basically foam rolling as well as mobility work. Outside of running I also worked on strengthening my body, with extra focus on lower body ( calves, glutes) and core. This meant heavy weighted squats & dead lifts a couple of times a week along with daily body weight 1 legged squats . I also did a little bit of plyometrics/explosive work once or twice a week.


                  Of course there was lots of running. In the fall, my longest race was a 10 k so most of my training runs weren't longer than 9 - 12 miles. But around December I made my long runs longer. By January I had run a 17 mile long run. On the Saturday before the race I did a 20 mile run. This is an example of specific training for a specific event. I was averaging 40 - 45 + miles plus per week after January.

                Obviously there were several things I should have done to lower my pace.  On many of those long runs, I started running interval style. At first 1:00 fast, maybe 80 % - 85 % intensity, then 2:00 easy. Eventually I worked towards 1:00 fast, 1:00 easy over my long runs, including the 20 miler! I won't lie, the "fast " 1:00 wasn't always that fast, at least after 15 miles! However, I should have started running this style much sooner. And while this was a marathon, I definitely should have done more short & medium distance speed work/intervals such as 12 - 20 x quarter mile repeats or 1 mile x 4 or 6 repeats. Based on previous races, not just 5 K's but 10 K's and even my best half marathons ( 2009 & 2010 ) I honestly believe such training at least twice or more a week can make a difference. I also should have ran twice a day , at least twice a week. Usually a medium - long distance run in the morning & these short , fast intervals in the evening.


                      One thing that helped was hill runs. Even though people think Florida is flat we went over bridges 4 times! There were also quite a few steep hills in Jensen Beach!  I trained on the St. Lucie West bridge, usually doing up/down intervals , about .14 miles each way as well as the Roosevelt bridge, which is a mile each way. I did these work outs at least once a week, sometimes twice


                      I also focused on form, correct cadence, correct landing of the foot. Such things are important to avoid injury and can help with speed. To a lesser extent maybe if I had run a longer warm up I would have been able to start with a good pace ( my first mile was around 11:00!). Each mile however became better, averaging around 9:15 - 9:30 per mile. I'm proud to say I didn't stop once. I only took water at mile 22 maybe & Gatorade at mile 24 maybe, and I spilled 90 %! Maybe I should have taken those earlier. Something to consider next time.


                     One other factor that held me back was lack of hip flexor mobility. Clearly this is why I have to foam roll more and do more mobility work. Remember, running fast is achieved through fast stride rate/ cadence & stride length. And stride length doesn't mean reaching your legs out but rather the angle between your forward knee and hip crease.


                         There are many people I want to thank. On the web some good sites include naturalrunningcenter.com, therunexperience.com & stewsmith.com.  Locally , in terms of actual  running advice a big shout out to PT Bob Haviland & Dr. Kurt Barnhill. Their experience & advice in marathons really helped. In terms of body work & the importance of structure & postural alignment as well as mobility work, over the years the following people have really helped. I'd like to thank LMT Ari Globerman, MasterCharlie Chen, Dr. Aihan Kuhn & LMT Michael DiCampli. You folks have also been able to help me literally get back on my feet again!


                  Hopefully you found this post informative. I hope you can learn and apply from my experience, whatever your activity may be,but especially endurance/tactical athletes. Meanwhile, back to training for me and on to the next challenge.

               

                 

 Here are a couple more pictures of me  on  the Sewalls Point bridge I think. This was our first of four trips over these bridges! I know for sure under mile 10 ! And here are picture of my run at the finish line and here. Thank god! By the way, the reason for the difference between my official time and the time at the finish line is because we left in different groups based on our race numbers. No complaints. Thanks again to everybody for their encouragement and advice. And I hope this post shows you what's possible with smart, progressive training.


                         

                     

More Info On Injuries And Training

                     Continuing on one part from last times post, I wanted to talk a little more about injuries and training.


                        I also forgot to give a shout out to two other local guys who've helped with my injuries. One is Kung Fu/Tai Chi/Chi Kung master. Even though Tai Chi is a martial art/health art some of the aspects, especially the emphasis on posture , is important no matter the activity ( throwing a punch, running,etc) if you want to prevent injury. But he's also helped when i've had injuries. Using Tui Na massage and the almost lost art of bone setting especially, has helped with fractures. I also want to thank massage therapist Michael Dicampli. He really helped loosen tight muscles on the week of the Navy SEAL Museum 5 K.


                         Again, I'm not a physical therapist but as a competitor as well as someone who's been injured I can speak from experience. Obviously try to avoid injury at all costs! Focus on form, avoid over training, do avoid static stretching before activity but do joint mobility/active stretching/warming up before an activity. I would also suggest foam rolling once a week or so.

                           If you do get injured, depending on the severity, if it's a muscle pull you may be able to work around it, again depending on the severity as well as the activity. For example, a we speak, my right knee , because of improper form, is strained. I'm still able to run, however I warm up good before a run, focusing on my glute medius , usually with squats or lunges. I also focus on my form during the run, not worrying about speed so much right now. On the other hand a dislocation or even worse, a fracture, will definitely stop you entirely, at least from certain activities. If you shoulder was dislocated you wouldn't be able to punch or press for example. Or if your ankle complex was fractured running will be out of the question. You may be able to do other exercises that don't involve the injured area ( for example with a dislocated shoulder you could still probably bike, with a fractured ankle you could probably do seated presses,etc).

                             Of course see a doctor, then a physical therapist, Rolfer, chiropractor, bone setter, acupuncturist, or a massage therapist. Those guys should be able to get you back to action.

                          Have an injury free 2016.

2015 In Review & What We Can Learn

                  Well 2015 is over and on to 2016. I hope everyone had a good , productive 2015. I had a pretty good year. Let's get to it and see what we can do to improve.

                      I started the year limiting my running, in fact stopping for a few months due to potential lower leg injuries. I also limited ( and continue to limit ) shoulder work, specifically overhead presses. I however didn't stop working out and neither should you.


                        While I was limited in shoulder pressing I could still use my contraction/pulling muscles , specifically my lats.  This meant dead lifts , both weights and 1 leg body weight, along with adding pull ups. Remember, with pull ups, if you have shoulder problems you have to make sure you don't hyper extend at the bottom point. Take my word on that!


                            To get back to running I focused on squats, again both weights and 1 leg body weight, then the elliptical machine, then jumping rope, then plyometrics, finally getting back to running.


                              Even running took time. I focused on drills, specifically those with emphasis on correct landing. I also realized that racing would take time.


                               Well eventually I was able to race . My first race of 2015 was important in many ways. It was held on September 12th, in Vero Beach, with the unusual distance of 3.43 miles. It was in honor of the 343 firefighters killed by the terrorists on 9/11 at the Ground Zero. In fact there were New York firefighters among the runners. There were also firefighters and police racing in full gear. Truly inspiring. Never forgotten! America strong!

                              At the 3 mile mark I was under 24:00, about 23:35 +, dueling with an 18 year old Sheriff's Explorer the last 300 meters , finishing with a time of 26:37, 3rd in my age group, 15th overall!


                                My next race was also meaningful, especially for me. It was the New Horizon's Run for Recovery 5 K. It was held at Tradition Field near my house in Saint Lucie West.  I've always wanted to do a race there. But that wasn't the only reason . New Horizons helps people with addictions  as well as mental problems. As long time readers of my site/blog know I used to live a unhealthy life, including smoking alot. In fact, as of December 1st,( actually November 27th, 2000 , what would have been Bruce Lee's 75th birthday, I thought about it but actually quit on the 1st) it's been 15 years since I quit smoking. No patches,etc just quit. 7 + years I haven't had sweets. And 20 + years since I've drank. People from back then would be shocked!

                           I started out good and surprisingly picked up the pace, dueling again near the end, with fellow runner Ed Burrows. I finished 2nd among men, 3rd overall ,with a time of 22:36!


                           My next race was the Run To Row in Palm City which I did in 2013. This time instead of the 5 K however I did the 10 K.  I also celebrated my birthday by running this. I did pretty good except for taking a wrong turn off the Veteran's Memorial bridge, adding about :20 to my time! Nevertheless, I came in 4th overall , with a time of 48:39!



                              My last race of 2015 was my favorite, and almost always the toughest, the Navy UDT/SEAL Museum 5 K. It was high tide like last year but not as bad. The shoreline was slightly firm and not too slanted but hardly great. No excuses, nevertheless I managed to come in 2nd in my age group , 17th overall with a time of 26:04.

                                I also completed my longest training run to date, a 15.7 mile run around here in Port Saint Lucie! Took me 2:28:08 ! And even though it was in the new year, on January 2nd , 2016 I finally hit my long sought 20 pull ups! I'll write about how in the future.


                               Some of the things I learned was to focus on form whatever the activity , but especially running. Many of the injuries in running are due to improper form. This is in turn is brought on by imbalances/weaknesses in various areas ( weak hip flexors, hamstrings, etc).  So find where your weakness may be and work on fixing them. That may require a physical therapist or body specialist, which is beyond this blog.

                            Of course an overall strength & fitness program is a must. How you approach is it may vary depending on your specific needs  ( boxer, sprinter, military recruit,etc) but as I've repeatedly said,  maximal strength ( often determined by maximal squats, dead lifts, presses ) should be your basic starting block.  Then you can add as needed for your activity ( short, explosive work for a sprinter, endurance work for an endurance athlete,etc) along with practicing your activity ( bag work & sparring for a boxer, swimming drills for a swimmer,etc). Remember, specificity! For example, for all my races I did speed work ( quarter mile, hill sprints,etc) at least once a week.

                            I hope this post was useful.  So stay healthy, avoid injury, train hard but smart, and have a productive 2016 !

                             Special thanks to so many . Too many to list!  But a few , on the web include, naturalrunningcenter.com , stewsmith.com & helmingathletics.com. Locally a big shout to Ari Globerman, Kurt Barnhill & Bob Haviland. You guys, with your advice, helped get me back and stay in the fight!

                    Like and subscribe to this blog, as well as my facebook page & my youtube channel for useful information.

                         

                             

All American Workout

  Remember the Murph Challenge I did on Memorial Day? That workout is named in honor of SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy. The workout consists of a 1 mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups & 300 squats, followed by another 1 mile run. In addition, you want to try to use a weighted vest. Lt. Murphy did this workout before deploying with a 25 lb - 40 lb vest! There was also a 4 mile run in his hometown in Long Island, NY in his honor this past Saturday.


    Well this past Sunday , June 28th, marked the 10th anniversary of Operation Red Wing. It was this mission, made famous in the movie "Lone Survivor", where Lt. Murphy earned the Medal of Honor, posthumously sad to say. Also, coincidentally, June 27th was the birthday of Martin County resident/SEAL Aaron Vaughn. He was a member of SEAL Team 6. His helicopter was tragically shot down in Afghanistan in August 2011. There's a swim named in his honor held in Jensen Beach every year on June 27th weekend.

    If you recall, on Memorial Day I did the Murph Challenge with a 10 lb dumbbell in my old backpack. It took over an hour. Well , this past Saturday, rather than just doing the swim or a run , I decided to do my own "triathlon".  In a tribute to both men , I swam a half mile, ran 4 miles, then did the exercises in the Murph Challenge, this time with a 20 lb dumbbell in my backpack! And I did it at Pepper Park, the home of the UDT/SEAL Museum. A true all American workout!

    I wont lie, none of it was easy. The swim, which I did with fins, took about 27:00. The run , this time without weight, took over 43:30. I was dragging . No excuses, it happened. The exercises were tough, especially out in the hot sun, but surprisingly I was able to do the exercises in pretty good form & hold a pretty good pace. I definitely did shake it out in between sets but the rests weren't super long. And because I used 20 lbs this time, I did 25 sets of 4 pull ups, 8 push ups, & 12 squats. Total time; 1:11:50! Believe me, I was glad to be done!

     A few points. As I always emphasize, this isn't a beginner workout. However, this can be a goal to work towards. For those of you already well conditioned ( tri -athletes, emergency personnel, athletes,etc), especially those of you who want to join the military, this is something to try, with good form ( especially on the pull ups). But do so cautiously. And don't worry if the first few times things aren't by the book. Examples include using  little or no weight, low reps per set with many sets, using sneakers not boots. Few of us can run a couple of miles in boots, do pull ups, push ups & squats with 40 lbs & boots with high reps & low sets. It's best to do half of your maximum reps per set.If you can do this all with 40 lbs however, please send me a video, you beast!

    On a more serious note, I just want to say, these guys, Michael Murphy & his men of Operation Red Wing & Aaron Vaughn & his fellow SEAL Team 6 members, should never be forgotten & remembered every day. These are true American heroes.

                                        

Murph Challenge Memorial Day 2015

       Hey folks, I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day, remembering those Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.


          Besides the parades there are other ways to honor the dead. One way some people, including me, honor them, and challenge ourselves, is the Murph Challenge. It's named in honor of SEAL Lt./Medal of Honor recipient Mike Murphy. His story was made famous in the movie "Lone Survivor" . He sacrificed himself, calling in an air strike after being overrun by Taliban forces in Afghanistan, protecting his men. His selfless actions earned him our countries highest military honor, posthumously.


          A workout he did before he deployed, and done/named in his honor, is run 1 mile, do 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats, and run one more mile! Yes you read that right. You try to go as fast as possible. By the way, Lt. Murphy did this workout with a 25 lb -40 lb weighted vest/body armor! Wow!


           You can do this anyway you want, i.e., just body weight, sets of 2 pull ups, 4 push ups, and 6 squats if that's all you can do. Obviously you want to do this in as few sets as possible, sticking as close to the original workout as you can. I can't stress enough, if you're not physically ready, don't even attempt this. If you can't even do 1 pull up for example or you can't even run 1 mile, whether because you're physically not ready or especially due to injuries, don't hurt yourself. This won't help you and in fact would in all likelihood set you back!


            The last time I did this work out was about a month ago. After 30:00 as a warm up on the elliptical machine , I rested about 10:00, then I did the 1 mile run, which I did in sneakers, I did 10 pull ups on the first and  last set, 8 pull ups x 10 sets, 20 push ups on the first and last set, 16 push ups x 10 sets, & 25 squats x all 12 sets. I did this using body weight only, no weight. Then I ran 1 more mile. Was this tough? You bet! The first mile was 11:37,  the actual exercises, with minimal rest , all 12 sets was 47:48, and the second 1 mile run was 10:01! I barely made the pull ups  ( I didn't kip or bicycle but my chin was literally on top of the bar !) & the push ups and chose to put some intensity in to the last set of squats by turning them in to jump squats.  Total time for the Murph Challenge  , including runs & breaks ,was about 1:20:00!


         This time, for Memorial Day, I chose to progress to a weighted challenge. As I've always said, if you want to make progress you've got to challenge yourself. At the same time you've got to be realistic. I did a mini Murph on Saturday , as a test,with different weights, first 20 lbs, then 15 lbs. I barely cranked out 6 reps with 20 lbs, with 15 lbs again I cranked out 6 pull ups but it was difficult. Don't get me wrong, I can do 3 pull ups with 30 lbs but that's very tough, not to mention such a work out would take 33 + sets. That means over 2 hours! Remember, I'm trying to maintain the # of reps per set. With a 20 lb vest I'd have to go with 2 or , 4 pull ups at most, maybe, and even then there'd be long periods of recovery.


             So I chose to use a 10 lb vest. Trust me, this was tough! My "weighted vest" was a 10 lb dumbbell stuffed in to a beat up old backpack. It was far from perfect. The worst part was the dumbbell rolled too much to the left, especially during push ups & my runs. However I made do with what I had. Just like the first time I tried this,first I did a 24:00 kettle bell warm up of overhead lunges and swings to get my circulation moving. Then I did the first 1 mile, then I did 5 pull ups, 10 push ups  and 15 squats per set but this time everything, including the runs,  with 10 lbs. I could definitely feel the difference!


             I've got to stress again, this isn't a work out for beginners.As I always explain, what's possible for me isn't always possible for you. And there are guys who do things beyond my abilities. Even for intermediate and advanced athletes, this will challenge you. Start with a body weight challenge.  Try to do work towards 10 sets,  eventually completing this in 5 sets. By the way, if you can do this work out in 5 sets that means 20 pull ups,
40 push ups, and 60 squats per set! Even with body weight this is a challenge; if you can do this with weight you're really a beast!

         This is also a very practical work out in many ways. In terms of equipment, all you need is a pull up bar & if you can, and want, a weighted vest or as I did a backpack with weight. Also, this workout uses whole body/total chain exercises, thus working pretty much every muscle in the body. Remember, isolation ( leg extensions, triceps push downs,etc)  doesn't do anything for performance and in fact  often leads to injuries. The body moves as a whole, not individually. Pull ups, push ups, and squats are right on the mark. Adding weight makes them even harder. This is truly a strength endurance workout.

                For those of you who are serious, military, emergency responders,tri athletes,etc, give this a try. For those who aren't there yet, now you have a goal to reach.Stay motivated, focus, and reach your goal. And if you want to try this , you may want to consider June 28th, the day he was killed.

               Good luck.


     Below are videos of me after the first mile, after the exercises and after the whole Murph Challenge. Like and follow this page as well as my Facebook pageand my youtube channel I'm starting to add videos. Keep watching, and I hope these posts and videos keep you  motivated .

                  

                           

Stick With Basics

    The title says it all. As we all push for new successes in 2015, we're tempted to look for new and improved programs. Especially those of us who are serious competitors. But actually we should focus on basics and tweak little by little.


   Let me explain. When I say basics, I'm referring to the basic program method for everyone.  A combination of strength with some stabilization along with actually practicing your activity.


   When it comes to strength training stick to the 3 or 4 basic weight lifts, the squat, the dead lift, the military press, and possibly the bench press.  Later on if your activity calls for it, you can try the explosive lifts, the snatched & the clean and jerk. These exercises could also be done with kettle bells or dumb bells. If you don't have access to weights body weight exercises like push ups, pull ups, and squats will work,  though you may have to be creative to increase the intensity. This means push ups with feet elevated or weighted pull ups. 

   There's been a recent trend emphasizing balance training as well as unilateral training.  While there is a place for such training it has been over emphasized. Why do you need to stand on one leg on a balance ball for 10:00? Remember, all activities require strength, which is force production. And that can be best developed by mostly bilateral strength training. Skills, such as running and gymnastic moves, are developed through practice,  and all require a basic level of strength, which again, is best developed through strength training ( read Mark Rippetoe's excellent article for a detailed analysis ).


   So remember, strengthen yourself with the basics, practice your skill/sport, eat properly, and 2015 will be a success.