The Importance of Cross Training

Hey there Mammoths. I thought today I would talk a little about cross training. Cross training is when you do a different exercise routine other than the one you are normally doing. For me I do a thing called WoW BootCamp! Now WoW is runner oriented, Michael and April Williams are big time runners and triathletes, but we spend a lot of time developing our core muscle strength, arm and leg strength. I also like WoW because it gives me a chance to hang with the other guys who are also determined to lose weight and be healthy. I have made some great friends in my cross training class and it helps break up the loneliness of the run.

I have attached a video of the first 5k. I put it up on YouTube and will do that from now on.

Have fun roaming the range, drink your water, and be careful of what you are grazing on.

New Year 5K

Stampede!!!

Hey Mammoths I was wondering who is reading this so I am asking for a stampede! If you would either hit follow on the blog or leave me a message on FaceBook I would greatly appreciate it. Yes, it is an ego thing LOL

Keep Drinking!!!!

Well it has been rather cold here in Georgia as of late. It is so cold that when I do exercise outside I am having to remind myself to get a drink. I usually do this during my second and fourth walking phase of my 6/4 workout. It is important Mammoths to make sure that you keep hydrated during your runs, and when its cold outside our bodies can sometimes fool us into believing we don't need the water because we don't feel the same thirst drive as we do during the warmer months.

It is very important to keep hydrated because hydration fuels recovery. A study that was given to my by a trainer at H3 said that most Americans are dehydrated 60% of the time. That is an amazing statistic. Lack of hydration, the study continues, leads to sluggishness which in turns leads to eating, which leads to extra calories, which leads to excess weight. I found this study to be pretty remarkable.

So my Herd Mates I suggest you get yourself a nice big glass of water every hour or so. You will see that by drinking your water you will be less hungry and more energized. When running make sure that you have access to water and schedule times for drinking. If you are doing a long run, something over 4 miles for a guy my size, I would invest in a Camel Pack. I would tell you to get a Spy Belt but they just don't make them in our size.

Well my little Mammoths I wish you a good running day, keep near the water hole, and watch what you graze on out there.

Fat Guy Guidon

About a year ago or so I did a 5K in my hometown of Athens. At the start line I began warming up by doing dynamic stretching that I learned at WoW BootCamp!. While I was stretching out I heard one guy say to another, "Well at least I won't be coming in last," as he jerked his head towards me. Another time I overheard a young runner say, "Geez with that fat guy there the race awards won't start for at least an hour, that means I have to stand around for forty minutes waiting on chubby, mcchubberstein to cross. I hate fat people." As Mammoths we have to endure these comments in stride. It is hard to just let it go but that is what you have to do. You need to always remember that you are racing against yourself and not the field. As a Mammoth I have long forgotten the notion of winning my age group or any other type of award. If I do bonus, but what I stick to is how am I doing compared to my last race.

Being the Fat Guy Guidon means being the pace setter for someone who believes because you are a Mammoth means that they should be able to beat you. It has been my experience that the people who do this are normally people who are very race inexperienced. To feel better about themselves they use your size as a motivating tool. You notice the FGGs because they blaze past you at top speed and then slow down to a walk about ten steps ahead of you as they pass. When you pass them you can sometimes hear an audible grunt of disgust as they are now required to pick up their own pace, when really all they want to do is just quit. I use these folks to ensure that I hit my marks. Yesterday, for instance, there were these two guys who were using me as their FGG. It really motivated me to keep up my pace and follow my intervals. The payoff came when we hit a part of the course where you double back to the finish and I saw this pair as they were struggling to finish while me and my herd were doing just fine. It is all about perspective. If you let these folks get to you then you will have a bad race. The key for me is to keep my marks, keep my intervals, and run my race.

Tomorrow I will discuss hydration and why its so important for Mammoths to do this during the cold season. Have fun on the range my herd mates, keep hitting your marks, following your intervals, and watch what your grazing on.

Hey Let's Run On New Years Day

So Matt and I decided that today would be an awesome day to do a 5K. Now Mammoths finding a 5k on a weekend is not very hard. Just get on Active.com or just do a google search of your area and add 5k and you will more than likely find one, especially if it is around a holiday.


Matt and I found the New Years Day run at Sandy Creek Park and we went there, registered, and started stretching. While we were stretching we ran into two great people, Jennifer and Katie. Jennifer is a person I know through WoW BootCamp! here in Athens. She is a veteran runner with 1/2 marathons, marathons, and a couple triathlons under her belt. She is so inspiring and it was so great to see her on the first day of the year. Katie is a friend of mine I met through other friends and she is new to running so she decided to stick with the herd. We had a really good time running and Katie did a great job of sticking to the pace and then turning on her jets to finish.




My time was 46:10 a minute slower than the Savannah run but that is okay. I had a hard time "getting into" the race. It was a hilly in some areas but overall I have run tougher courses. The last mini hill got me after the bridge and I had to walk up 1/2 way but I got into the rhythm again really quickly and finished strong. Matt did awesome and didn't even look like he broke a sweat but hey come Monday we will both be sweating as we get down to serious training for the Snicker 1/2.


Tomorrow's blog Mammoths will be on being the Fat Guy Guidon, what that means and how to use it to your advantage. Until then keep moving around the range and watch what you are grazing on :)