A life of Pee

I was doing some research on the stats of this blog. I don't do that very often or almost never. But I noticed one of the search phrases that draws people to my Blog is Peeing in Europe. I laughed when I found out.

Here it is, the famous Peeing in Europe story.

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The other evening on one of my extended bike rides home I had the strong urge to Pee. I don’t really want to get into my bodily functions but I drink a great deal of water and therefore I pee quite a bit. Something though has happened to me and it’s disturbing me.
I’ll digress for a minute. I’m a guy so peeing in public is no big deal. I’ve been doing it since I was wee little. I’m also a Plodder athlete (more on that in a later posting) and have gotten used to pee breaks on the bike or in the middle of a run. Yes, I do take pee breaks while swimming on occasion but I always get out of the pool for that. I’ll have to admit though, I’m not European. Here in Europe pee breaks are not just for runners in the woods. Regularly you’ll see guys and kids standing on the side of the road, just about any road, relieving themselves. On the Autobahn there are frequent rest stops. Driving at high speeds can be very tiring. These rest stops generally do not have bathrooms (It’s Europe, remember) they usually have parking spaces and picnic benches. The dogs and I found out a couple years ago that lack of bathroom doesn’t stop anyone. And Peeing is not the only thing they do at the rest stop. It was so bad I think the dogs felt weird taking a leek. Anyway it’s an acceptable practice to go when you have to go here in Europe. Don’t think it’s just for the guys either. Maybe not as blatant, but the girls aren’t bashful about it either.
Now back to my problem. I feel like I’ve lost my sense of decency. For instance, my coach has me inserting walking breaks into my long runs. If I have to pee I do it during one of my walking breaks. I turn around continue my progress only backwards and pee. On the bike I’ll stop just about anywhere along the road. I generally don’t wait for a trail head any longer. I just stop and go. The other day in our local forest was the breaking point. I had to go so I stopped on my Mountain Bike. Instead of turning towards the side of the trail like I normally do I turned towards the middle of the trail. In mid stream I heard the click, click, click of a Nordic walker. I paid no attention and continued. When I stopped I pulled my shorts up (no, I’m not a little kid, they were not at my knees) and got back on my bike. Only then did I look up. The Nordic walker was a solo woman. I had just peed on the trail she was walking on. Her polls or her boots were going to go right through my pee. I was devastated. I wanted to scream. I wanted to stop and apologize for all men on this earth. I wanted to hide. Instead, I just road right past her saying nothing and acting as though nothing really happened. I’m really bummed by my actions. My inner voice has failed me. I’m not that guy. I have furthered the notion that in Europe anything goes.
I think I’m writing this because in less than 3 months I’m going to be living in Sunny San Diego again. If by chance you are driving down the coast highway one early Saturday morning and you see a guy walking backwards taking a leek, please honk and remind me where I am.
It’s a good life….

More Failure

What an adorable boy. He's a bit older, a bit wiser and a great deal faster. The learnings are still the same. The Track does not lie. Failure on the track is yours and yours alone.

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This Photo 2 years ago this month. 

I've spent quite a bit of time at the track these past few years. There is something very special about watching  distance events. I wish that life was more like a distance event. If you fail on the track because everyone sees it (you are fully exposed) it's your "fault". In much of life if you fail you point out that it wasn't you. I suggest we all act like distance track runners. Put it all out there on the track and let yourself go. If you fail at least you know you failed going after it. 

I Keep Right on Failing

If I were an unstable person, the last 4 years would have sent me to my grave (either by drink, drugs or self mutilation). Why you ask. The Zoot footwear business in the US has only gone down. I've never in my life worked in a declining business. Everywhere I've gone it's been up, up, up. But because of the lessons in the post below I've stuck to it. Look out because if the booking on our new shoe is any indication we are on the way up and the future looks very bright.

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This year like any year has been filled with Failure. Although my Ironman St George result to many seemed like a success it was a failure to me. I wasn't close to my goals (however stretched they might have been) and worse than that I often failed to even compete. I was so bad my competition was a guy who was worried about making the cut off for the day. 

In building running shoes, the failures have been many. The most recent has been heel problems. Notice the pictures below. Those are my feet and those are my heels. This was last week in a pair of top secret new shoes for next year. They are simply the best shoes we've ever made so I'm proud of that. But I'm not proud of that heel. Failure to the highest degree in running shoes. 

 Which leads me to our house. We sent Marco to a camp last year and were really impressed with his attitude coming out. What we learned though was that we need to work with him on the camp values to make them stick. He wanted to go again this year which was great. That mean's this camp that is all about his head was doing something. When he got home from camp Mary had the great idea of ordering all the camp materials. So we did, and received a couple great books, DVD's, posters and the 8 keys. Sunday Marco and I hung the 8 keys and the posters around the house where we would see them regularly. The one below caught my attention today.

This key is so right. Failure Leads to Success if you let it. If you let failure get you down you will stay down. But if you learn from your failure you will grow. I can tell you that I hope to fail often in the future. I can also tell you that the Zoot heel will be fixed to success and that Ironman racing may not ever truly be a success but I'm willing to give it another shot.

It's a good life....

Taking Life for Granted

This post struck a cord I think. It ranks up there as an all timer and it continues to attract readers weekly.
Written in late 2011.
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We made the decision 13 years ago to have a small family. Our goal in doing so was to give our one child a life that maybe we didn't have or one that we simply felt he deserved. A big part of that life is shaped by how Mary and I grew up. It's not chance we found each other. She the teacher with the big heart for all things Latin America. Her second language, her choice of work place and her choice of travel destinations. Me, born in Bogota, Colombia, living in Sao Paulo, Brazil learning what poor looks like. If you think you are poor just search, Favela.

Through the 13 years we hosted two exchanges students one from Portugal and one from Colombia. We've Traveled to Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, me to Brazil, Argentina and Mary to Cuba. It is Cuba where this story starts.

Last week we began hosting a Cuban defector. He made his way to the border of the USA, walked into the immigration office, asked for Political Asylum and it was granted. I am withholding his name and pictures to protect his family still in Cuba. With that I give you some thoughts/statements from our guest. This his first trip out of Cuba in his lifetime.

• Oh my that's the first time I've ever seen this - A grill with steak on it. 
• Nobody here talks about Cuba - We're told that it's all you talk about. 
• It's so nice to see you take the time to sit at the dinner table together - We are told that you don't have time to spend time with your family, you work all the time. 
• At Target - oh my god, it's so big! 
• Is everything on this menue available right now - looking at the menue board on his first trip to McDonald's. 
• Watching me prepare my lunch for the week - it will be ok at your office, nobody will steal it? 
• Today being his first day out and about in San Diego - Public transportation the entire way - I'm scared. 
• He's been to 3 cross country races in just over a week. 
• He sleeps in our game room. The game room that Marco gave up for our guest. The game room Marco gives up with his heart and a smile on his face. 

We take the freedom we have to do whatever we want as our given right. We know nothing different. It's not until we have experiences like this do we learn that we've got it really good. 9% unemployment is horrible but it's better than fearing that someone is always watching you, that the enemy is 90 miles away and talking about you all the time. It's better than 1 chicken breast shared between 3 people for dinner. It's better than being told what kind of windows you can have on your house. 

It's a good life...

Running Form - 2012

I'm traveling over the next two weeks and don't have time for writing. So I thought I'd share some of the more popular posts. I was on the Vinnie Tortorich Podcast recently. We didn't talk much about form but I got into the fact that running is a purely beautiful sport and if you do the right things it can be done for life. This is just an example from Elite running where it's poetry in motion.


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If you didn't watch the Olympic Marathon yesterday what's wrong with you. The winner Stephen Kiprotich crushed yesterday. In the field were the fastest Marathoners of 2011 from Kenya and Ethiopia and a little known man from Uganda took the title. He did it with one of the boldest moves in Marathoning. At the 23 mile mark on a slight incline he let fly and his Kenyan running partners could not match the pace. It was beautiful. Also in the race Meb Keflezghi proved that he's the best marathoner in the USA. He's not the fastest but speed doesn't count without results and Meb has the results. Silver Medal Olympic Marathon '04, NYC Marathon Champion '08, Olympic Marathon Trials Champion 2012, 4th Place Olympic Marathon 2012.

Now to the topic at hand. Stephen Kiprotich proved that running foot form mean's nothing. Upper body form and strength mean everything.

 In this picture you can see that the right foot on Stephen (guy on the left) is kicking out before it lands. The only thing a foot will do when this happens is it will Over-Pronate. Over-Pronate as in be really slow on the ground and cause all kinds of problems from the ankle up. The other two runners are perfect if you look at their feet. Just looking at feet there is no way Stephen should win.

Yet win he did, and by a wide margin. It just proves that your foot does what your foot does. It lands midfoot or on the heel it stays strong or it rolls in. What matters is how you carry your upper body and your overall cadence. That and some strong legs and core. Stephen and the other two runners had perfect form. They ran upright, used their arms and had a very high turnover. All the energy was directed forward and very little was wasted.

It's a good life....

The Industry Ride

What a great time. The first Friday of every month there is an industry ride. All the people in the cycling industry in San Diego are invited. The first ride was a total blast. Easy conversation pace with as you can see was a big group. I met quite a few people I didn't know and that is part of the reason for the ride. We all work in this very fun industry and why shouldn't we all get to know each other. No question the Zoot crew took advantage of the 8 am start.

One of the guys mentioned "Many go play golf, we ride". I was happy this day to keep the conversations personal and not business. I learned from a great mentor (Think Wolf of Wall Street kind of guy) that work is work and play is play and they should not mix. You do and talk work at work, you don't talk work at play. He would not allow it when we played golf. So I was happy during this ride that even if someone tried to lure me into a business discussion I turned the channel.

It's a good life….

Gratitude Practice

One thing I've done this year differently is work on gratitude. The first thing I do every morning is write down who, and what I'm grateful for. I got the template from The New Man Podcast. Here's what it looks like:

People - Maybe somebody I interacted with the day before, someone I will be with that day or maybe someone I'm having a tough time with. I write down what's good about these people and why I'm thankful to have them in my life.

Opportunity - What's great about my life. This week we are teaching Zoot Universtiy to our new tech reps. I'm really thankful to have the opportunity to kick some ass with these new reps.

Experience - What great things happened the day before.

Things - My bike, running shoes and pools are often in here but so is the Sun, and the cool mornings. Dog walks (the walk is the thing), Bullet Proof Coffee

The end result is a calmer, happier day. People don't get on my nerves, and I take time to sit back and reflect on what a great life I have.

I highly suggest if you do one thing different the rest of this year, it's practice Gratitude.

It's a good life…..

Running Shoes: The RRS Top 10

Here you have it. I can tell you that I'm angry that your filled with misinformation about running shoes. I can get angry when I see pictures of people in the latest fad of running shoes thinking that the shoe is the answer to their problems. But it's really good to see this. This picture shows me that all is right in the world of running. With all the misinformation of the world out there,  runners are still going with real shoes.

Do I like all of these shoes: No, in fact I think a few of them are really poorly built.

Is this consistent with the market as a whole?  No, the Asics Gel Kayano is not the #1 running shoe in the world but it has been #1 at RRS for more than 10 years.

What makes this so good: Running shoes don't run for you, but good running shoes allow you to run comfortably day after day and these are the basics of what makes a good running shoe. Give me 10 runners at random and I can find a shoe in this mix that will service all of them for most of their running.

It's also this grouping that makes being in the running shoe business so hard and so fun. I was a part in one way or another of building this top 10. All of these shoes were launched in running while I was at RRS. Now it's my challenge that I accept joyfully to knock one of these shoes out and put one of our shoes in there. Like I said I think there are a couple in here that are poorly built. So we will target the weakness.

It's a good life….

Product of the Week: The Water Bottle

The bottle is important. If you are buying water at the store you are paying more for the bottle than the water. And where does that bottle go. As much as we recycle in our household there are still a couple bottles that don't go to recycling. The picture below should be enough to stop the madness.   Europe has it right because you only pay for the water. If you turn the bottle in you get credit which really encourages you to recycle the bottle. 

The thing about this picture is that we the USA shop at 7-11, throw the bottle of water/sports drink in the trash and think nothing of it. Most of all we don't see it. But go around the world enough and you see it. 

But whats really important is the water. When I feel like crap for days the first thing I look at is my water consumption. I can generally find where I've been too busy or forgotten to drink often enough.  I take this bottle with me every where I go. I drink 32 ounces of water every day during the work day and more on work days when I travel. This is not it, I drink water when I wake up, for breakfast and for dinner. So all in all I drink 60-80 ounces of water a day. I weigh 145 lbs. When I feel like crap I can point to my water consumption almost every time. If I drink too much, I pee it out. If I drink too little I feel like crap so guess what I'd rather do. 

To reset. 

1. Buy the bottle so you don't fill the world with plastic. 
2. Fill the bottle every day and drink it empty. 
3. Repeat daily
4. You will feel better

It's a good life….

Running Stores of the World: Road Runner Sports San Diego

Yes, I worked there for 12 years so I have an affinity with RRS. Even while I worked there I loved the San Diego store for what it is. It's billed as the Largest Running Store in the World. In terms of store square footage it is not. Boulder Running Company in Boulder and the New BRC Cherry Creek are larger stores. But there is no question it is the largest in terms of revenue. There is no running store close.

What's Great About the Store

1. Selection - If you want a shoe, bra or anything running the selection is the largest of its kind. Just the shoes alone will blow you away. 
2. Shoe Inventory - This is the big advantage of the store. There is a 50,000 square foot back room that holds all the inventory. If you see a shoe you want, chances are great they have your size in stock in fact I never get turned down when I shop there. That's a huge advantage to runners because you get to try everything on for yourself. 
3. Treadmills - There are something like 20 treadmills for gait analysis. 

What's Not Great

1. They oversell custom insoles. Custom insoles are casts for your feet. They work if your feet hurt but they are inhibitors. You don't go to the doctor for your broken arm and hear him say "come back in 6 months and I'll replace your cast" The same should be true for an insole. Use it to fix the problem and then remove it. 
2. Saturdays - Even with 20 treadmills you have to take a number on Saturday and in general the store is too busy to shop. 
3. The Bell - I get it, you are joining the club but that darn VIP bell rings often and it's a distraction and kind of corny. That said the VIP club is worth joining if you can stand the ringing of the bell. The benefits are worth it if you run often and replace your shoes like you should. 

 Lot's of Space for Shopping

 A sampling of the Treadmills. 

 Great Value in Apparel and it's really good stuff

This is just 1/2 of the shoe wall. It's simply amazing with selection 

It's a good life...

Happy Valentines Day!

It's a good life….

Angry Runner

I listen to a podcast called the Angriest Trainer I like it because he has a strong point of view, has good guests, is funny and has flaws. He says he's the Angriest Trainer "because your good intentions have been stolen" and he speaks out against all the health/training fads and sticks to his point of view of No Sugars and No Grains which I aspire too as well.

I'm stealing a bit of his energy to say that I am the Angriest Runner. I'm angry because if you are a runner and you spend anytime looking for a running shoe, there is so much misinformation it pisses me off.

Running is the most pure, easiest sport in the world to do. You don't need anything but a pair of shoes and your head. But the information out there would say something else. Who's spreading this information?

1. Writers, Bloggers and more. Christopher McDougall is the biggest name in the misinformation. Read his book Born to Run, it's simply a great read. But don't believe his talk about shoe companies and barefoot running. It's pure bullshit. Yes if done properly some people can run barefoot. Yes, shoe companies are in the business of staying on trend and making money. But to blame shoe companies for all the injuries is stupid. 
2. Shoe Companies - We are in business to make money and sometimes we jump on trends. We are also responsible for overbuilding shoes to make them appear worth the price tag. There are also some who truly believe their own story that a shoe can put you in proper form. 
3. Running Stores - We (I'm still a retailer at heart) are in the business to make money and do more year over year. Sometimes we jump on trends to do just that. 
4. Trainers/run form trainers - I don't even know where to start here the license does not give you the right to cloud the mind. 

I promise this, I'm going to continue to write about running and how to stay injury free. My hacking of my running and my ability to stay injury free speaks for itself. My thirst for knowledge on the subject should also help clear the misinformation. I am going to tell you about the best running stores. They are the real experts on the field of running shoes and deserve notice. I'm going to talk about the best coaches and trainers on the planet. And I'm going to talk about the most pure runner I know, my son. He doesn't read about running, running shoes or injury prevention. He listens to his coach and he runs. I'm going to talk about how running shoes are made, what I believe are the great shoes on the market including the shoes my company makes. 

Time to run. 

It's a good life...

Suit,Tie, a Hot Wife and some inspiration

It was such a good time spending Saturday Night dressed up for the Endurance Live awards. It's the awards show for the endurance sports world and it's always good to see everyone out of their running or triathlon gear. It's especially great when it's spent with my Hot Wife and friends. Heck all three of the men in this photo can claim to have a Hot wife.

The inspiration comes from two people. I'll start with my friend Javi.

Javi was handed the Triathlete of the Year award for his stunning year in 2013. If you haven't seen his race for the World Championship watch it. It never gets old.

Next on the inspiration meter is Breezy. She was diagnosed with cancer. Asked to have her leg removed, learned how to walk again, decided she wanted to run, 30 days or so after receiving her running leg she competes in the Wild Flower Mountain Bike Triathlon. She's 12. I say again, she's 12.

Watch Breezy Here

It's a good life….

Product of the Week: Improve Your Running

I first met Greg McMillan when he joined Road Runner Sports the company I worked for. Greg was a runner, researcher and a writer and RRS had purchased A highly technical running news letter called Peak Running Performance. RRS brought Greg in to do the writing, editing and to grow the readership. It was here where we became friends. Soon though his coaching skills took over and he began his career as one of the best running coaches on the planet.

He started McMillan Running as one of the first on line coaching platforms for runners. Today his website is the #1 Run coaching website. From personal one on one, to on line training programs to the most comprehensive free content his website does it all.

This brings me to the reason for the post. You can decide if you need a running coach and if you really do I suggest you visit this website and sign up. But most runners don't use a coach are are self coached. Triathletes too! And most are doing it wrong. Most people go too easy on the hard days and too hard on the easy days. And this is where the #1 tool for runners on the web comes it, the McMillan Calculator.  All you need to use the calculator is a current race time. Plug that time into the calculator then put in your your goal race distance and the time you want to run. The Calculator will give you the pace you should run for every type of run. Making sure you don't run too hard on easy days and too easy on hard days. You will get faster.

If you really want to use the Calculator to better serve you but you're not ready for a full on coach, sign up for McMillan Pro. You spend more on coffee in a week that you will spend monthly with McMillan Pro. Here you get access to richer content on the calculator and great how too videos from my Friend Greg.

Bottom line, if you want to improve your running, start with the McMillan Calculator and be true to yourself in your running.

It's a good life…..

Running Stores of the World: Runners Service Lab

This is a repost from 2011.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I would write about one of my favorite topics, retailers. Because I worked retail for more than 20 years I firmly believe the real running and running shoe experts sit in running specialty stores. They talk to more runners and the problems they have daily than any running shoe product manager or running shoe blogger will talk to in weeks. Interestingly I think most if not all will tell you that running shoes weren't built to prevent injury, they were built so you could run.

Today I write about the most impressive running store I've ever visited. Calling them a running store is selling them short. If you happen upon the Runner's Service Lab it would be the luckiest visit of your running life. The first thing is although they've been around since the first running boom, there is a sense that every experience with a runner is new to them. They welcome you in like you are the first person to walk through their door. And before you leave you'll know more about your bio-mechanics and about running shoes than you ever thought you needed to know. For the complete history click here and read.

The first thing you notice when you walk in is that the store looks more like a lab than a running store. The shoe wall is small and the selection is smaller. Although Jempi and his team research every running shoe in the market in depth, they only offer a small selection. Reasons range from what they believe a running shoe needs to be but also their ability to alter the shoe. More on that latter. Like I said what you'll notice is the lab like atmosphere.

Like any running store the first stop is the shoe wall. It's instinct to go there first. You will be addressed by one of the service technitions and asked to take a seat. They will talk to you about your running and your issues with running. Then they'll ask you to take your shoes off and head down to the end of the track. Yes that's right they have a 20 meter track in the store. As one technition sets up the computer the other will tell you what you are about to do. You are to run down the track and hit the sensor pads at the other end. You'll do it a couple times to make sure the readings they recieve are correct. This system is called FootScan and it's home grown. Jempi and his team developed this and continue to improve on it. Here they are measuring foot placement, force and movement in the foot. They can tell for instance if you land heavier on one leg or the other. From here they either do more testing or go to shoe selection. If you are showing extensive pressure on one leg or another you may  be directed to the back scan where they can see what's happening. It's a new quick way of scanning without radiation and without MRI.

The purpose of all this is to individualize the experience. The problem with running and running products is that we are trying to cover the vast array of running styles and the infinite body structures and running style combination with a few running shoes. What Runner's Service lab does is take that shoe platform and make it completely customized to you.

1. They may just set you up with the running shoe and the best lacing technique for your feet.
2. They may suggest a custom insole where using their scan the can customize the insole by length, arch height, arch length and softness.
3. They even have a full shop in the back to customize the actual shoe. They can pull the entire shoe apart, add or subtract from the midsole and then put it back together.

They don't just send you on your way. They ask that you run in your new shoes for a couple weeks and then return for updates you may need based on real experience. The custom insole is much cheaper than you may think. My memory tells me something like $20. Everything else, the altering of the shoe, the foot scan, back scan, the hours of time they will spend on you and your shoe is all included in the retail price of the shoe which is the suggested retail set my the manufacturer. In other words the service is free.

I was lucky to visit RSL twice. My first visit I spend 3 hours in the store just watching and asking questions. Everyone in the store is extremely knowledgeable. A huge part of that 3 hours was spent and the kitchen table in the back room, eating an amazing lunch and just talking shoes with Jempi. I learned more in that 1.5 hours at the table about running and running shoes than probably ever.
My second trip there was all spent with Jempi. He showed me slow motion video of Paula Radciffe running on the track and using a portable Foot Scan that he has. Paula came to Jempi because she was having hip problems. In the videos he pointed out how the problems got there and what he was doing to fix them. The first thing he was doing was sharing all of his knowledge with the team at Nike who made her shoes. He then uses that information to further enhance his service back in the stores.

One thing you didn't hear me mention was the treadmill. Their view on treadmills is that they are a great way for a runner to train or judge fit on a running shoe. They are a really bad way to analyze gait. Feet just don't act the same when the surface is soft and moving instead of you applying all the force on a surface that doesn't move.


If you are ever in Belgium look this place up. It's just not your typical running store.

 Runner's Service Lab

It's a good life...

Happy Birthday Mom

The Best Running Shoe Design in the Last 3 Years

My friend Dieter in Germany picked up a shoe and said this was the best shoe designed in the last 3 years. In fact he said it was perfect. As soon as I got home I bought a few pairs and handed them out. From a pure design and feel aspect I can't argue with it. This is one beautifully created shoe. It is perfectly balanced from medial to lateral side and from back to front. It rides so smooth.

The Brooks Pure Connect

You can see the perfect balance heel to forefoot. One thing Dieter pointed out and I agree is that the fit is awkward. The normal size feels too small and the next size feels too sloppy. At least that's true on my foot and the feet of the people I gave it to. 

At the back of the shoe the medial size is roughly 2mm thicker than the lateral side and this creates the great balance. The big pod in the middle creates the smooth transition and those pods in the forefoot are like butter. They are simply a joy to run on. 

The problem I see is that great geometric design does not make a great shoe. The Pure Connect works for about 2% of the running population for daily running and about 10% of the running population for weekly running. Maybe that was the Brief and if so they nailed it. The shoe is obviously beautiful which mean's it's out selling it's true market which from a shoe company standpoint that's great too. 

I love running shoes and this is a gem. In the entire mix of good and bad shoes out there this one stands out for it's simplicity and function. Too bad it's so limited in its use. 

The High School Runner Back at it and Mad

This past Sunday the family suited up for the Cardiff Kook Run. I ran the 10K while Marco and his mother ran the 5K. He asked me the night before if he should run it or race it. I said he should decide on his own. As we warmed up I still wasn't sure if he would race or run. The 10K departed a half hour before the 5K and both are on the same road so I knew I would know his decision when I was on my way to the finish and the 5K was in the first mile going the other way.

He ran by side by side with another high school kid and they were flying. I finished and headed back out to watch the finish of the 5K. The leader at one mile was the winner overall. The other high school kid (a junior) was second and in third place was Marco. He finished strong but came across the line mad. He felt out of shape and felt like he should be running faster.

We got home and I looked up his 5K time from the Turkey Trot which was at the end of Cross Country. He was super fit at that time and he ran 16:47. Sunday after a good 3 week break from running and some consistent but light running to now he ran 16:49 and was mad about it.

The competitor is now coming out.

It's a good life...

Product of the Week

I've talked often of Bullet Proof Coffee. It's quite a simple mixture to make up.

• Coffee
• Upgraded Brain Octane
• Kerri Gold Butter
• Cinnamon, Stevia to taste
• combine in a mixer and mix

Saturday, I drank Bullet Proof Coffee, got on my bike with a bottle of water and road 2 hours with as much energy at the end as the start. Sunday I drank Bullet Proof Coffee, ran 5 miles,  then ran the Cardiff Kook Run 10K. I had a couple cups of water during the race. No bonking involved! 

So why does it work. Fat from the butter and Brain Octane are the fuel for the body and my brain. The coffee wakes me up. I believe the key ingredient is the Brain Octane. 

Get some! 

Food Hacking

I think like most people, I've been a food hacker the majority of my adult life. For the most part it was in the interest of performing better on the field of play. 10 or so years ago I settled on the fact that my body does best with some sort of beef, fowl or fish along with fruits and veggies. I knew what worked but I was a bit sketchier on what didn't. This month I've worked ever so hard at figuring out what doesn't work. The final installment was this week where I tested myself using the Sweet Beat app on my phone.

I use the app daily to measure my heart rate variability (HRV). Your hear rate is a finite number but your heart does not beat in equal sequential steps. There is variability in your heart rate. The higher the variability the better healthier, more rested you are. The lower the variability the more stressed or tired you are. I use it every morning and at least twice this month it's kept me from going out the door in my running shoes or on my bike. I know when the variability is low the body needs rest.

This week I used the Food Sensitivity part of the App. Here you take your pulse before you eat, eat, then take your pulse ever 30 minutes for 90 minutes. You are looking for little to no change in your pulse after you eat. If you have a significant increase you have a problem with what you just ate. The last 6 days I've tested every meal I've eaten.

What works

• Natural food, meat, fowl, fish, fruits veggies and rice. 
• Bullet Proof Coffee
• Fruit and veggie smoothies with high quality low carb protein powder. 
• Organic Cage free eggs. 
• Betty's Tacos - Yipee because Betty's is awesome
• Scotch in small amounts. 
• Almond Butter

What doesn't work

• Nutzo  I tried it 3 different ways thinking it was the other ingredients. The Nutzo or more important the Peanuts in the Nutzo cause my Heart Rate to spike 30% every time. I've eaten Peanuts and Peanut Butter my entire life only to find out my body is sensitive to it. 
• Wine - Shuts my head down. 
• Yogurt - I only eat full fat yogurt but by itself it spikes my heart rate. 

There is a great host of things I didn't test. I didn't test Pizza or French Fries and I didn't test Coke. I know all of those will spike my heart rate. I can feel it. I can also taste and they still taste great. So will I stop forever, no but will I eat them daily or weekly, no. 

Before I said this was about performance. But this is not about performance this is about feeling good all the time, and working hard to stay out of the health care system. I will test again in a few months with the goal of finding foods that don't work for me. It's a fun experiment. 

It's a good life...