How I conquered death

I'm gearing up for a repeat of the biggest challenge of my life next week. Here is a recount of our team effort from last year:

Last year I faced the toughest physical challenge of my life to date. I joined an amazing team of runners in the 178-mile Reno-Tahoe Odyssey relay race.

Over the past year, setting fitness goals has been an important part of staying focused on my health, helping me lose 75 lbs. I started with a 5k, then 8-mile coastal race, then two sprint triathlons. But I wasn’t sure I was ready for the Odyssey.

The race turned out to be a life changing experience. I now have a deep, personal understanding that human limitation is an illusion. Pain is an illusion. You can subordinate the body’s desires to the will of your mind.

Maybe it’s just called runner’s high, but I have this new feeling of complete satisfaction and an incredible feeling of gratitude for this world, it's people, my family and myself.

Check out "Like A Virgin's" team page on Facebook, That's me with the afro.

On race day our whole game plan changed. The runs I had planned for were scrapped and re-shuffled. We were two runners short of 12 and two of our 10 had painful calf injuries. Our plan to each run three legs of the race turned into four.

My first leg, No. 5, was 5.8 miles, mostly down hill with a couple uphill grades. It was along the Truckee River at noon from a high dam. It had rolling hills sprinkled with snow and beautiful green meadows. I passed three runners and was passed by no one. I was inspired to move quickly because Jon, our team captain, had just completed the toughest leg of the race, No. 4, over a hill with 8 miles. He finished so strongly I had to hustle. I finished in 53:14.

My second run was very cold, at about 10 p.m., in to the city of South Lake Tahoe. It was 3.8-miles long and the vehicle traffic at night was a little scary. The grade was flat, but my perception was of a slight uphill grade. I had a lot of clothing on and it weighed on me. I felt sluggish. It was great to see signs of civilization: inns, lodges, bars and people on my way to the check point at Bank of the West on South Lake Tahoe Blvd. I ran it in 38:24.

Leg three was a 3.3-mile run from a fire station to Hwy 395, then to a shopping center. I really tried to move on this leg. I knew it was short, but it was also 4 a.m. and I was getting fatigued. At this point, I started thinking I was letting my team down, because most of them were running 5 or 6 mile legs or very steep legs, whereas mine were shorter and/or down hill. I gave it some juice and tried to keep up with faster runners. I did better than I expected and surprised my teammates, who were not quite ready for me. I did it in 29:28.

Originally we were each planning on doing three legs each. Jon and his friend Jeff had trained to make up a few legs just in case. But we had so many to make up, because of missing and injured runners, we all needed to pitch in a little extra. Our plan was to split up the last four legs among those who could take more. Since I had done some pretty easy runs, I knew I was needed.

After Virginia City, Jon took the run up over a peak of 3.7 miles. He said that if he was feeling good, he would keep moving down the hill. I was going to do an additional three miles on from where he stopped.

At the end of the 32nd leg run, I was prepared to run, but expected him to keep going. When I saw him coming, he gave the "slash across the throat" sign and I realized I was on for the next run. I felt the adrenaline rush, took the wristband baton and ran off at a good clip. I felt great.

At this time the team had been up for more than 30 hours. There was grumbling on the bus. It sounded like we were out of energy and low on spirit. I had dark thoughts that we might not be able to finish. I realized that my commitment to take three miles was weak and not even half of the next leg.

I was listening to Pink's Raise Your Glass and F’ing Perfect and reflected on everything I had done in the past year to get in shape. It was a turning point where I could choose to be a man or a mouse. I decided I would do whatever it took to finish the race and I was starting by finishing this leg.

When I saw my team halfway down the hill at the 3-mile mark, I pointed at my chest and then down the hill. I threw down my hoodie. I shouted to the team: "I am going to finish this leg!" I gained speed and kept running. The team cheered me on.

It was an emotional breakthrough for me. I smiled and cried most of the way. I thought of my inspirations. I thought of my training. I thought my team needed me in this moment. I pushed hard.

I used a few thoughts to keep me focused on finishing the race. I thought of Siddhartha learning to overcome the pain and desires of his physical body during his ascetic years.

I thought of my Native American ancestors and imagined channeling them. Their spirits ran through me and energized me.

I thought of Einstein’s quote, “for us physicists believe the separation between past, present, and future is only an illusion.” I imagined that I had already run a marathon, an ironman and had completed this Odyssey.

It was much easier than I thought. I was one of three runners on the team to do four complete legs. It was a 6.5-mile run down 1,750 feet of elevation. It was my longest run and the third longest of the 36 legs. I was done in 59.35.

I was prepared to do more, if needed. But our heroic team stepped up and saw us to the finish line. We finished in 29 hours and 32 minutes. Our average speed was 9:57 minute-miles, my average was 9:19.

This is a note I jotted down just after finishing my 19.4 miles: There is nothing more powerful than accepting your own death. I accept it. I am at peace with myself and with my life. I have conquered death. I am not afraid of dying.

I am very proud of my team and myself for completing this relay. I now feel energized to accomplish just about anything and I won’t give up ‘till I collapse.

Adventures in Fasting

Fasting must have been a regular occurrence for our ancient ancestors, yet in America today it is virtually absent. Food is so plentiful that fasting is hardly imaginable.

Yet not long ago, when the winter came and food stocks ran low, our ancestors would make it through on their reserves of body fat. A typical slim and fit man has at least 70 days of reserve calories, most of us probably have months or years.

I started doing some research and was surprised to find there are people who fast regularly for as much as 40 days in a row. That sounds a little extreme, but I think a day or two of fasting on a regular basis would be good for everyone. Let’s review the benefits of fasting:

Longevity

Numerous studies have found that calorie restriction increases lifespan. Whether this is done with a daily low calorie diet, or by intermittent fasting, the results are similar.

One recent study showed that fasting mice survived significantly longer than the full-fed mice, in spite of the fasting group having a heavier body weight than the control group. Mean survival times for fasting and control mice were 64 weeks and 47. That’s a pretty impressive increase. Source.

Another study on the life expectancy of worms found that alternate day fasting had a 40% increase in lifespan, and intermittent fasting (every two days) had a 56% increase in lifespan over the control worms. In contrast, daily calorie restriction only increased lifespan by an average of 13%. Source. 

Confirming these studies on humans will take more time than I have to wait.  But there is some promising research coming in.

For example, people who fast regularly (once a month) have a 58% lower risk of coronary disease compared with those who don’t fast, according to a report presented at the American College of Cardiology conference in New Orleans. Source.

Weight control

Fasting helps maintain weight loss, by reducing your overall energy consumption. Mentally, it proves to yourself that you have the will power to control when, what and how much you eat. This is a tremendous psychological power over your eating that carries on to days you are not fasting.

Contrary to some worries, fasting for a day or two does not lower your metabolism. On the positive side, your body increases production of human growth hormone, which protects your muscle tissues, and helps muscle growth in the days following your fast. Fasting reduces insulin resistance, which aids weight loss.

Self-healing

Fasting is often credited with “flushing toxins from your body” and other claims that I could not find studies to support. It does make sense that your body might spend more time healing itself, when it is not spending so much time on digestion.

A well documented benefit to fasting is autophagy. When you fast, your body goes into a survival mode to secure a ready supply proteins needed for daily cellular functions. Your cells wall off a tiny portion of their cytoplasm and begin to consume everything in it. Damaged portions of the cell are consumed along with healthy portions. When your fast ends, your body rebuilds the consumed portion, making the cell younger and healthier.

Biochemist Ron Mignery wrote a study on how autophagy works called the “Protein Cycling Diet.” He estimates fasting one day a week for 10 years will result in 70% of your cellular material being rejuvenated. Read it here.

Sense of wellbeing

The most surprising effect of fasting for me was the improved sense of wellbeing. My spirits were lifted. My sense of control over my body was enhanced. I wasn't hungry. Overall, I’d say it’s euphoric. That might explain why fasting is an important part of so many religious traditions.

What I did

A couple of months ago I started a basic 24-hour fast once a week on Tuesdays. I eat dinner Monday night at 5 p.m. and then fast until dinner Tuesday night at 6 p.m. It almost seems too easy, because I’m only skipping two meals.

I decided to try increasing it to 36 hours. It wasn’t as hard as I thought. Then I did it for 48 hours. Afterward it occurred to me that 48 hours was the longest period I had gone without eating in my life – A weird thought.

I have kept it up, alternating between 24- and 36-hour fasts. I am very happy with results and plan to keep up this experiment.


I look at it like exercise. Just like we benefit from a workout where we put our muscles through a temporary period of stress, so we benefit from fasting. It puts our entire body through a short period of stress that we recover from in an improved state.

Longer fasting

If you’d like to see more on 40-day fasts, check out how Dr. Alan Goldhamer of True North Health is using water fasting to improve the symptoms of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and more. Watch video. 

The 178-mile Odyssey was a life changing experience

Last weekend I faced the toughest physical challenge of my life to date. I joined an amazing team of runners in the 178-mile Reno-Tahoe Odyssey relay race.

Over the past year, setting fitness goals has been an important part of staying focused on my health, helping me lose 75 lbs. I started with a 5k, then 8-mile coastal race, then two sprint triathlons. But I wasn’t sure I was ready for the Odyssey.

The race turned out to be a life changing experience. I now have a deep, personal understanding that human limitation is an illusion. Pain is an illusion. You can subordinate the body’s desires to the will of your mind.

Maybe it’s just called runner’s high, but I have this new feeling of complete satisfaction and an incredible feeling of gratitude for this world, it's people, my family and myself.

 Like A Virgin's team page on Facebook

On race day our whole game plan changed. The runs I had planned for were scrapped and re-shuffled. We were two runners short of 12 and two of our 10 had painful calf injuries. Our plan to each run three legs of the race turned into four.

My first leg, No. 5, was 5.8 miles, mostly down hill with a couple uphill grades. It was along the Truckee River at noon from a high dam. It had rolling hills sprinkled with snow and beautiful green meadows. I passed three runners and was passed by no one. I was inspired to move quickly because Jon, our team captain, had just completed the toughest leg of the race, No. 4, over a hill with 8 miles. He finished so strongly I had to hustle. I finished in 53:14.

My second run was very cold, at about 10 p.m., in to the city of South Lake Tahoe. It was 3.8-miles long and the vehicle traffic at night was a little scary. The grade was flat, but my perception was of a slight uphill grade. I had a lot of clothing on and it weighed on me. I felt sluggish. It was great to see signs of civilization: inns, lodges, bars and people on my way to the check point at Bank of the West on South Lake Tahoe Blvd. I ran it in 38:24.

Leg three was a 3.3-mile run from a fire station to Hwy 395, then to a shopping center. I really tried to move on this leg. I knew it was short, but it was also 4 a.m. and I was getting fatigued. At this point, I started thinking I was letting my team down, because most of them were running 5 or 6 mile legs or very steep legs, whereas mine were shorter and/or down hill. I gave it some juice and tried to keep up with faster runners. I did better than I expected and surprised my teammates, who were not quite ready for me. I did it in 29:28.

Originally we were each planning on doing three legs each. Jon and his friend Jeff had trained to make up a few legs just in case. But we had so many to make up, because of missing and injured runners, we all needed to pitch in a little extra. Our plan was to split up the last four legs among those who could take more. Since I had done some pretty easy runs, I knew I was needed.

After Virginia City, Jon took the run up over a peak of 3.7 miles. He said that if he was feeling good, he would keep moving down the hill. I was going to do an additional three miles on from where he stopped.

At the end of the 32nd leg run, I was prepared to run, but expected him to keep going. When I saw him coming, he gave the "slash across the throat" sign and I realized I was on for the next run. I felt the adrenaline rush, took the wristband baton and ran off at a good clip. I felt great.

At this time the team had been up for more than 30 hours. There was grumbling on the bus. It sounded like we were out of energy and low on spirit. I had dark thoughts that we might not be able to finish. I realized that my commitment to take three miles was weak and not even half of the next leg.

I was listening to Pink's Raise Your Glass and F’ing Perfect and reflected on everything I had done in the past year to get in shape. It was a turning point where I could choose to be a man or a mouse. I decided I would do whatever it took to finish the race and I was starting by finishing this leg.

When I saw my team halfway down the hill at the 3-mile mark, I pointed at my chest and then down the hill. I threw down my hoodie. I shouted to the team: "I am going to finish this leg!" I gained speed and kept running. The team cheered me on.

It was an emotional breakthrough for me. I smiled and cried most of the way. I thought of my inspirations. I thought of my training. I thought my team needed me in this moment. I pushed hard.

I used a few thoughts to keep me focused on finishing the race. I thought of Siddhartha learning to overcome the pain and desires of his physical body during his ascetic years.

I thought of my Native American ancestors and imagined channeling them. Their spirits ran through me and energized me.

I thought of Einstein’s quote, “for us physicists believe the separation between past, present, and future is only an illusion.” I imagined that I had already run a marathon, an ironman and had completed this Odyssey.

It was much easier than I thought. I was one of three runners on the team to do four complete legs. It was a 6.5-mile run down 1,750 feet of elevation. It was my longest run and the third longest of the 36 legs. I was done in 59.35.

I was prepared to do more, if needed. But our heroic team stepped up and saw us to the finish line. We finished in 29 hours and 32 minutes. Our average speed was 9:57 minute-miles, my average was 9:19.

This is a note I jotted down just after finishing my 19.4 miles: There is nothing more powerful than accepting your own death. I accept it. I am at peace with myself and with my life. I have conquered death. I am not afraid of dying.

I am very proud of my team and myself for completing this relay. I now feel energized to accomplish just about anything and I won’t give up ‘till I collapse.

Top 10 list: How I lost 75lbs in 12 months

A lot of friends ask me what I did to lose weight and get in shape. Here's my top ten list:

1. Stop eating carbs. They are making us fat. The fewer you eat, the faster you lose. Cut carbs and hunger vanishes. If you are counting, less than 20g a day is awesome.

2. Exercise everyday. Start with walking and lifting, work up to running, biking, swimming, take a class or a lesson, mix it up and have fun. My favorite is racquetball.

3. Set goals, especially a fitness goal a few months out. For me, it started with a 5k. While working out, visualize yourself achieving the goals you set.

4. Eat breakfast everyday, and within 30 minutes of waking up. Always have protein with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Eat three to five small meals a day. I love to eat. I’m eating right now!

5. Eat good food every day. Eat eggs, fish, nuts, berries, green veggies, tomatoes and avocados often.

6. Lift heavy. Heavy lifting will help build the muscle you need to burn fat. Hit the weight room once or twice a week and lift weights heavy enough that you max out at 7-10 reps. Do one set and move on.

7. Keep a log. Write down what you eat and how you exercise. Weigh yourself every morning, but remember that weight loss comes by the week, not the day. Measure your progress in inches, pounds, blood tests, body fat, speed and distance.

8. Take your vitamins. Be sure you get a multivitamin, plenty of fish oil and vitamin D.

9. Sleep 8 hours every night.

10. Read to stay focused on your plan and get inspired. I recommend:

The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet (See all Weight Loss Diet Books)

The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman (See all Health, Mind & Body Books)

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