Final photo credits: Brad Kerr, Phillip Taylor

​             November 2016, the month of World’s Toughest Mudder (WTM) came around quickly and I was a bundle of nerves. Self-doubt was creeping into my mind a lot, but I was also ready to see what I could do. I would be heading to Vegas for World’s Toughest Mudder very soon and I had hardly told anyone that I was about to do a 24 hour race. This was probably a safety blanket for me; in case I failed, I wouldn’t have to listen to anyone telling me that it was a dumb idea from the beginning. Looking back though, I wish I had talked about it more. Even in failure we grow and usually we grow stronger from the experience. No one can accomplish anything that they do not attempt.
               The days leading up to the race were crazy to say the least! For anyone who has never done an event like this, the days before are a huge rush of things to get done, gear to sort, items to buy and just going over your race plan many, many times. The day before the race is registration and pit set up. You get a 10x10 area as a home base for 24 hours, where all your food and gear will be kept. I know this is not something that most people think about, but normal things that are brought and needed are tents, flash lights, thermoses, tote bags/ containers, first aid kits, headlamps, strobes, various neoprene items including a wetsuit, gloves, shoes, food… this list could be a whole other blog in itself. There is this crazy set up day… and then back to the hotel to… relax? But all I could think about was the next day; what the obstacles would be, how I would do, what I was going to eat that won’t upset my stomach, etc. 
               In 2016 we had a noon start on Saturday. The atmosphere was filled with nervous excitement as people returned to their pit areas to do last minute organizing and planning. Around 1120 we were all corralled into the starting shoot and all I could do was look around and think, no turning back now, this is what I’ve been waiting for. As always Sean Corvelle gave an amazing and inspirational speech, the horn blew, and just like that 1280 participants, including me, began our 24 hours of running, obstacles, mud, and swimming.
               I wish I could say this was the perfect happily ever after ending to my journey, but in life, nothing is perfect. I have to say I surprised myself on a lot of the upper body strength obstacles. I did not have to take a penalty until my fourth lap, when I slipped off the last ring of Kong right before the platform. I really was loving the whole experience. At the end of the laps, right before the pit area, there were these very steep hills that you would run. At the end of this fourth lap, I went into an autopilot mode on these hills and started daydreaming about various things. As I was on the decline right after the top of a hill, my foot hit a rock and I flew superman style through the air until I landed, very hard, on my right side. At the time I had the bottom of my wetsuit on, but the top tied on my waist. I hit the ground so hard that I initially thought I had ripped right through the leg of my wetsuit. As I got up I saw the wetsuit was fine, so I forced myself to get up and jog it out, through tears, thinking if I stopped now I would lock up and never finish.
               Back in the pit, I took a quick 15 minute break and headed right back out. The right hip was sore, but nothing I couldn’t jog through. I mistakenly thought that I could keep racing without issue. The real problem did not start until I hit the water in the first obstacle. As soon as my hip submerged into that cold water, my whole right side locked up on me. I could barely lift my right leg up and I struggled to complete that fifth lap. Moving slower now, the cold of the dessert night started to get to me and I decided to pack it in for the night.
Now here’s the thing with having a dream. Even when you are at your lowest, if you have the chance to prove something to yourself, you should do it. I had waited four years to get to this race and I was not giving up this easily. It was not about winning or losing, it was about finding strength in myself to keep going and finish something I had set out to do. I got up early that next morning and finished two more laps slowly but confidently. Before coming, my goal had been to go 50 miles in the 24 hours. I had finished well below that goal, but I didn’t give up on myself, even when the plan needed to change. I ended the 24 hours with an official 35 miles (approximately 40.7 miles with penalties).  I had completed something that most people would never attempt and I earned my 24 hour headband; something that was priceless to me.
               The plan in 2016 had been to only do this race once in my life, and for a while I really had no desire to try it again. In May 2017, I started again with strength training and took it much more seriously this time around. I did not run much in 2017 until the summer. Doing the Long Island Tough Mudder in July reminded me how much I enjoyed these races and sent me back to dreaming of competing in WTM yet again. I set my sights on WTM 2018. I have ran consistently and strength trained since that LI TM. I also began cross training in the beginning of 2018. This year I have completed two Toughest Mudders (8hr through the night obstacle races) and obtained my contender status for WTM in these races. I also completed my first official marathon this year; something I really never thought I would do. All of this from someone who in 2011 barely exercised and couldn’t run a quarter of a mile. It’s amazing what you can do when you set your mind to something.
               World’s Toughest Mudder is in Atlanta this year, and with only one week to go I am beyond excited. I know I am more prepared for this race than I had been in 2016. The moral of this is to never give up on personal goals, no matter how farfetched they may seem. I would like to thank everyone here for reading through my story and for the love and support I have recieved. I can’t wait to see what this year has in store.

       After running the Tristate Tough Mudder in October of 2012, I was so excited and I reading up on all things related to Tough Mudder. This is when I first heard of World’s Toughest Mudder (WTM). In 2012 it was the second year of this race. I was intrigued from the start. These people were running laps for 24hrs through mud, water, and obstacles in New Jersey in November! There was water freezing on obstacles as they were running.  It looked absolutely amazing to me, but everyone that I told about this just seemed to think it was just a very crazy thing that some crazy people did and they did not comprehend why or how someone would do such a thing. I saw it much differently. These people inspired me! They were pushing themselves to real limits and doing things that most people could not do.
       I read everything about the race that happened in 2011 and counted down the days to the 2012 event. I’m not sure how I followed the progress of the race day back then. I was probably just reloading the standings and reading updates; but I was so fascinated. I remember going to bed and waking up in the morning thinking “wow they are still running right now”. Nearing the end of the race both the lead male (Junyong Pak) and lead female (Amelia Boone) were only 8 minutes apart! Both finished with 90 miles. I was hooked; at some point in my life I wanted to do this, but that task seemed monumental at the time. I have fanatically watched WTM every year since. It has gotten much easier to find streams and now they have real commentators and live video feeds to tune in to.
       I officially signed up to do my first WTM in the beginning of 2015. I was hardly running at the time, but I thought 8 months should be a good enough training period. I began running and increased my mileage way too fast. At the end of May I went out for a run and noticed a pain on the outside of my right hip and knee. Thinking I could run through the pain, I kept going until what felt like a very sharp stabbing pain on the outside of my knee. I tried to run again and the pain was so bad it made my knee buckle. I jog limped my way back home.
       This was the beginning of a very long bout of IT Band syndrome. I didn’t know much about it at the time, but I was about to learn. I thought I would be back to running in about a week… which turned into about 5 months. In July 2015 my mother was also diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In September had pretty much given up on running at the 2015 World’s. My IT band still wouldn’t let me run longer than 3 miles, I was helping my mom with things that she needed to do and I was mentally drained. I deferred my race registration to the next year and started daydreaming about getting a phoenix tattoo for the next year to symbolize my journey “back from the ashes” (This might sound random now, but it will tie into my story later- but not until part 3).
       2016 was a rough year for me all around, but I was very determined to go to WTM that year and not defer again. I was terrified of aggravating my IT band again, so beginning in January, I began running only one mile 3x a week. Every week I only increased my mileage by a quarter mile. Even though it doesn’t sound like much, it was the most consistent I had ever been with my running. I started to feel more confident and the running was almost therapeutic.
       In April 2016 my mother passed away. It wasn’t expected. Yes she had been sick, but it didn’t seem like she was at that point yet. I had gotten a call from her one afternoon before she went home from the cancer center. She said she was feeling tired and unwell and couldn’t talk long because she needed to rest. That was the last time I spoke with her. The next phone call I received was from my aunt saying my mom was in hospice. By the time I arrived to the hospice my mom had had 2 strokes and a seizure and I was told by the staff that she had about three days to live.
       If this had happened at any other point in my life, my running would have stopped dead in its tracks from this. I visited her in hospice a lot and talked to her. In between visits I still ran. It wasn’t fast or long, but it seemed to help me cope. There were many runs during this time and after she passed that I would be crying, but I didn’t stop. In fact I used it as a drive to get better. I thought a lot about when my mom had first been diagnosed. She was just about to retire and she always talked about all the things she wanted to do after she was done working. How was she to know that she would only be around 4 months after she retired? When she was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, my mom made a bucket list, and to my knowledge she only checked one item off of that list. I felt like I was running for her now. I wanted to live my life so that when I died I would know that I had accomplished a good amount. For her, I wanted to push myself, I needed to run.
       So even though 2016 was a rough year, it was a very enlightening year. I ran my first half marathon, I ran at least five Tough Mudders, I ran to cope with grief, but most of all I ran to be true to myself and to make my mom proud of all that I was to accomplish. I was going to do this 24 hour race and I didn’t care who thought it was crazy, or who thought I wasn’t tough enough. I knew I could do it and I knew I was never going to limit where my dreams took me from that point forward. 

      I have been counting down to World's Toughest Mudder (WTM) over the last few months on my social media sites, but I'm not sure how much people know about it, or my story to getting there. I'm also unsure how many are interested in my journey, but I decided to write a few posts to explain how I started and to commemorate how far I have come as an athlete. I'm hoping it can be inspiring for some. I definitely started from a very minimal exercise background and I keep working on growing and improving every year. I thank all of you who have cheered me on along the way. I will try to be brief and elegant in these posts, but unfortunately I cannot promise either. I hope you enjoy them! Here is the first of many posts. This one talks about the journey to doing my first ever Tough Mudder, which was the spark that started this whole crazy World's Toughest Mudder journey.

My First Tough Mudder Race

     Back in 2011 I was introduced to Tough Mudder, which at the time was a 10-12 mile muddy obstacle course that called to me. A chiropractor in my office had done one and the more he talked of the obstacles and what the race entailed, the more I wanted to do one and find out more. 
Some of you know, but not many, that I spent some of my teenage years learning about flight and even getting flight experience and working towards getting my piloting license. I wanted to be a pilot in the military. For reasons that will not be explained here, I obviously never went into the military, but still had, and still have a sadness to that. Among other things, I always secretly wanted a boot camp to kick my ass and push myself to my limits. As silly as it sounds, Tough Mudder was going to be the next best thing for me 11 years later.
     I was never a runner. I always dreaded any type of run longer than a sprint. The mile run in high school always left me winded and nauseous and I really hadn't run much since. The first training run I did for TM had me gasping for air at a quarter mile down the road, but this was the first time in a long time that I had a physical goal to work up to. I was signed up to do the Philly TM in may of 2012 and began doing P90x every day and gradually working up my running distance. My first P90x workouts were done with 5lb weights and most exercises were modified. My runs started at a mile each. The May 2012 race ended up being postponed because my good friend's wedding ended up being the same day on long island. I signed up for Tristate (NJ raceway park) to take place in October 2012 and continued to work towards improving. By September I worked my way up to doing one 9 mile training run. I also found out that my college roommate's wedding was going to be the same day as Tristate, but it was at night and also in Jersey. There was no way I was going to postpone again. I was going to do both that day.
     That first Tough Mudder was an amazing experience. I dragged myself to the starting line, full of nerves and on my own. It was 45 degrees at the start and the first obstacle was the one I had feared the most- arctic enema- basically an ice bath. I got through that and many other obstacles with a new found respect for myself. I remember reaching the walls for the first time thinking, how the hell do people get over these things?? The camaraderie on these courses are amazing. Everyone there is willing to give a helping hand. I failed some obstacles- I couldn't get up Everest and I didn't give myself enough momentum to grab the second ring in hang time, but I kept moving forward. At about mile 6, I became an honorary member of Team Baldy- a group of (mostly) bald men that I was keeping the same pace with. We finished together in about 2hr and 15 mins. I officially earned my first headband. And yes I made it to the wedding that night without issue.

     This morning I went for a run and I started out just feeling off. This happens from time to time. I felt like my gait was off, I felt like my feet were smacking the pavement too hard… I also felt like my arms were doing something weird.
     Just before I made it to my first mile mark, my music just stopped. It was as if something was telling me hey, get out of your head and pay attention for a minute. I rounded a corner and down the street was a man with a shopping cart. I did my usual sum up of the situation to figure out where I was going to avoid being in this man’s way.
     And then he stopped. He stopped with the cart and pulled it to the side of the sidewalk. For a moment I thought he was stopping because I was coming and did not want to be in my way. But then he started walking into the wooded area to the left of me, and I noticed that he was heading that way because this was his home. There was a little set up, with what was probably furniture that others had thrown out. He was taking some items down to his little area in the woods with his shopping cart.
      My heart went out to him. I know I am so blessed in so many ways and here is a man, not too far from me, that is living out in the elements. As I write this it is raining outside. What is he doing to keep dry? We are in the holiday season and there are so many unfortunate people that need help. As I am writing this I realize I don’t know how to help them. I can give to charities or toy drives… but how do I help the homeless man living in the woods?
     I am saddened by the conditions this man faces daily, but at the same time I am thankful for everything I have. Those everyday problems do not seem so big when compared to the true suffering that others go through everyday. I am thankful for my friends, family and accomplishments. But I also do not want to be blind to others who are less fortunate. Life is a gift and we need to look out for each other. A little compassion goes a long way. 

So what is so special about these two recipes? Well they are both gluten free, dairy free, healthy and delicious! I have plenty more recipes that also fit these descriptions, but for today these two get the spotlight. The point of this blog is just to show that healthy doesn’t have to be bland, or boring and no matter what restrictions you have, there is always a creative way around it. 

               Mexican Quinoa Casserole



     









































      Ok, so to be completely honest I took this picture last year when I first made this recipe. I have made it many times since. It passes both the test of my son and my father… which believe me is a great honor. I have played around with this recipe many times also. I’ve added chilies and zucchini, cilantro, avocado and many other variations, and you know what? I have not been able to ruin it. It’s always amazing and its one of those recipes that when you eat it at work you suddenly have a crowd around you to catch a peak at what smells so amazing. This recipe in particular is gluten free, vegan (dairy and meat free) and completely nutritious. Vegangela is a genius for creating this and I love her for it.  http://vegangela.com/2013/02/18/oven-baked-mexican-quinoa-casserole/

Shephard’s Pie with Cauliflower

    The inspiration for this blog, and many future blogs, will go to my father, who is a very good natured, thoughtful and generous person. He is also one of the most stubborn, inflexible and impatient human beings I have ever known, but he reserves those negative qualities for people closest to him. 
    My father grew up in a poor family as one of four boys born to a very nurturing and complacent mother. I was only eight when my grandmother mentally left us. I realize now that I never knew who she was as a person. I only saw the hard working woman whose main purpose in life was to serve and please everyone else in the family. I hate to say that I don't know if she had any hobbies of her own besides cooking and cleaning. 
    I'm unsure if my father's upbringing contributed to him being so stuck in his ways, but I am sure many of these blogs will be lovingly dedicated to the thoughts he throws my way. He does keep me on my toes and keeps me thinking. So without further ado.... 
    
    "Dad you shouldn't put so much salt on everything, it isn't good for you."
    "I can eat as much salt as I want, I don't have high blood pressure."

    It's interesting that while at work all day, I am constantly answering all types of different and difficult health questions for my patients, yet my father has this uncanny ability to throw me off guard with these types of statements. I am just left blindsided watching him pour on more salt, and the only response I muster is "Well it's still bad for you". I automatically think of my grandfather, who when he was not much older than my father is today, had a massive heart attack while driving and died instantly. My father loudly huffs at me, making it quite clear he isn't listening. 
    
    Technically our body does need sodium for many bodily functions including muscle movements, water regulation and nerve conduction. We cannot function properly without it. However, most sodium deficiencies are caused from excess loss from vomiting, diarrhea, excessive exercise, etc. Sodium is naturally found in many foods, making it a very rare deficiency from dietary means. 
    The problem with excess salt intake comes from our love of it. Salt is so commonly added to foods to make it more palatable and we have become so accustomed to it being there that food tastes bland without it. Sodium is also used in excessive amounts in processed foods, both for taste as well as to keep it fresh. The over abundance of salt is very taxing to our kidneys and the artery walls, and when eaten in excess daily it can cause permanent damage. Its scary to think the average American consumes around 3400mg when the recommended dietary amount is between 1500mg-2300mg (1). 
    So, what is that excess salt doing to your body exactly? When you have excess salt in your system, your blood vessels harden and become less flexible. For someone with high blood pressure, this hardening will cause enough pressure to increase the blood pressure even more. So then why would an individual without high blood pressure need to worry about this? Independent of whether blood pressure is high or not, this continual hardening of the blood vessels leads to atherosclerosis, which puts massive amounts of pressure on the heart and can eventually lead to heart failure (2).   
   The Kidneys are responsible for filtering all of the excess salt out of your body and they are very efficient at this job. However when they are constantly overwhelmed by the amount of sodium in the body it can lead to kidney dysfunction.(2)
    I'm sure every woman has heard of the importance of calcium for the bones and many women take calcium supplements to help with bone density problems. Did you know that an excess of sodium in the blood can cause both calcium being eliminated in the urine as well as calcium loss for bones? This leaching of calcium from the bones can have another adverse effect. The calcium that escapes from the bones makes its way to the kidneys and can become kidney stones. (2)
    Now that I have listed reasons that excess salt intake can be harmful to the body, I just want to state that I am not saying that you can never again enjoy salty foods. Its the overload of continual a-salt (I crack me up...) on the body that will have detrimental effects. So how can we limit salt intake without eating food that tastes band? Here are a few simple tips.
    
        1) Try spicing things up with other seasonings 
                 Garlic, lemon, onion, herbs and vinegars can all add flavor without increasing the salt content of food 
        2) Try to stay away from processed foods
                 Cooking your own meals from fresh ingredients will considerably lower your sodium intake 
        3) Look at nutrition labels
                 If you must eat processed foods, at least make smart informed decisions. Limit any meal to 500-600mg sodium

If you do suffer from high blood pressure and are having a hard time managing it with a low sodium diet, try acupuncture. It has been shown to lower blood pressure and also considerably lower stress and anxiety that may contribute to the problem. Read a case study on the topic here--> http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1189-acupuncture-lowers-hypertension-new-case-study

Now I'll have to work on getting my father to listen to me.

    (1)http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284
    (2)http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/food/article/more-reasons-shake-salt-habit

Insomnia and sleep issues are very common in the United States
and can contribute to many health issues. People who suffer from insomnia are
more likely to obtain serious health issues such as heart disease and diabetes.
Lack of sleep can also lead to depression, decreased productivity, increased
likelihood of accidents and much more. If you suffer from occasional sleep
issues/ insomnia, try some of our sleep tips below and think of incorporating
some acupuncture into your life! Acupuncture helps to naturally calm and rest
the body. Read some research on it here:

http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/827-sleepgv20ub62

Simple
Sleep Tips:
1) Make sure the room you are sleeping in is
quiet and without light
    As
simple as this sounds, a room without sound or light plays a huge role in being
able to get into a healthy sleep rhythm. Our
bodies naturally perceive light
and sound as clues to morning coming and will put you into a lighter sleep. If
your surroundings aren't exactly serine, try earplugs and possibly a sleep
mask. 

2) Try to have the same sleep routine every night
and go to bed at the same time to help establish your circadian
rhythm. 

3) Limit Caffeine and Alcohol
   
This is especially important 2 hours before bed. Caffeine is a central nervous
system stimulant and can both increase the time needed to fall asleep as well as
decrease the time spent sleeping. Alcohol on the other hand is a sedative; why
would this be a bad thing for sleep? Alcohol will actually make you fall asleep
faster, however it decreases the amount of time spent in REM sleep and increase
the amount of times waking throughout the night. 


4) Try some herbal tea and (raw)
honey
 
  Some herbal teas that promote sleepiness and relaxation
include chamomile and peppermint. The warmth of the tea alone will
also increase relaxation and promote sleepiness. A
teaspoon of honey can also help sleep by increasing the stores of energy for the
brain at night without the dramatic blood sugar spike from white
sugar.

5) Try one of the following *
   
Tryptophan - An amino acid that is known best for creating sleepiness
after a turkey dinner. Our bodies ultimately convert tryptophan to seratonin, a
neurotransmitter that helps with many things including mood, sleep, and
energy. 
    Valerian Root - This root is good for
people trying to wean themselves off sleeping pills as it acts as a sedative on
the brain and nervous system. Since it is a sedative, it really should only be
used short term. 

*If you have any health issues, please consult
your doctor before adding any new supplements into your diet

6)
Acupuncture can help!
     We don't
get many people in the office that specifically want treatment for sleep issues.
However, during all intakes, the subject of sleep comes up and it is amazing how
many people have trouble in this area! Acupuncture treats a person as a whole,
and lack of sleep can effect and exacerbate so many conditions. We very
frequently end up treating sleep conditions as well as the main complaint.
People are amazed when their sleep is improved and they are sleeping deeper and
longer! http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/827-sleepgv20ub62