Anti Cardio Rant

In a second you'll hear my NYC Marathon Anti-Cardio rant. BTW, I hate the word rant, but there's no other word to describe my article today.

But before that, a diet update.

Monday was a perfect CASS-Free day. I didn't have a nap, but I noticed the lack of caffeine. To me, that means consuming even LESS caffeine, rather than more. I don't like building dependencies. I don't want to be one of those folks that relies on caffeine to get going. But I did have caffeine today before today's workout. It helped me focus.

Today I traveled to Toronto for some admin stuff (Global Entry interview). Wednesday morning I fly to LA. It'll be a challenge to get enough water without plastic bottles. But I'll take my S'well bottle, fill it where I can, take some coconut water (so I have another cold beverage tomorrow in the hotel room tomorrow morning), and then I'll buy some coconut water (in a can) at the airport. I've also started drinking the classic airplane beverage, tomato juice, while traveling. It's viscous! And tasty! And full of salt! And even some tomato!

Alright, now for my Anti-Cardio Rant.

This morning I read a cute article (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/03/sports/completing-the-new-york-city-marathon-even-after-the-finish-line-comes-down.html) about three people that finished the NYC marathon after the official cut-off time. It took them nearly nine hours. That's fine. It was on their 'bucket list'. They were very happy, despite losing toenails and having so many blisters that they ended up with soaking wet, bloody socks. But here's the problem. They have fallen for the biggest myth when it comes to cardio. And that myth is that it burns so many calories that you eat whatever you want. From the article...

Wicki Ball, who had traveled from her home in England to cross the marathon off her bucket list, said she planned to enjoy a nice dinner.“I don’t know how many calories I’ve burned,” she said, “but I’m going to do my damnedest to put them back in.”

Listen, the average person burns 100 calories for every mile traveled (it's generally the same whether you walk or jog), so a marathon burns about 2600 calories (slightly more calories than the average person needs to maintain their weight). Too many joggers, marathoners, and cardio addicts use exercise as an excuse to feast and gorge. Later the article quoted another, Shari Diaz, about her post-race binge-eating plans.

They all dreamed of their guilt-free postrace meals. Diaz told her new friends that marathoners burned the caloric equivalent of 24 cupcakes, which led one of them to suggest that race officials put cupcakes at every mile marker. Maybe next year.

That's false! A cupcake, according to Google, contains 300 calories (if not much more). With this silly cardio mindset, it's no wonder so many people who jog and run marathons remain overweight. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Alright, enough cardio, let's talk lifting.

My workout:

1A) Hang Clean

1B) Mobility

2A) Deadlift

2B) Mobility

3A) Military Press

3B) Snatch-Grip DL

Good times. Certainly better than a 9-hour marathon.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:

Don't run 9-hour marathons.

But seriously...

Make a list of what you should stop doing and what you should start doing to achieve what you want in life. What should you do if you want to be more productive? What should you stop doing if you want to be a better parent and partner? What should you start doing for your health…and stop doing for your wealth? Practice accurate, objective thinking about your behavior. What can you change that will make a big difference in your life?

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - On a side note...I saw a shooting star while walking the dog at 5:30am...

"An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day." - Henry David Thoreau

PPS - Another great quote...

"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." - Henry David Thoreau