New guest post! The esteemed Dr. Luepnitz talks about Post-Exercise Immune Health

You want to suck up this information! Every athlete wants to know what Dr. Luepnitz has to say on all matters nutrition, supplementation, and overall health. We are so fortunate to have him contributing to our Pure Austin!

Dr. Luepnitz says:

POST EXERCISE IMMUNE HEALTH

Multiple components of the immune system in athletes exhibit transient dysfunction after prolonged, heavy exertion. During this "open window" of impaired immunity, pathogens may gain a foothold, increasing infection risk. This phenomenon, known as the "J-Curve of Immunity", can knock you out of the gym or your next competition.

Nutritional supplements have been studied as countermeasures to exercise-induced immune changes and infection risk. Recent exercise-based studies with macro- and micronutrient supplements, and "advanced" immunonutrition supplements including b-glucan, curcumin, and quercitin indicate that immunonutrition supplements have the potential to lessen the magnitude of exercise-induced immune dysfunction and to reduce the risk of upper respiratory tract infections.

Empowered athlete:

Consume high-antioxidants fruits post-exercise
Be aware of your exposure to other who may be sick
Utilize supplements to give you a powerful advantage: medicinal mushrooms for the beta-glucan, natural Vitamin C, and advanced Curcumin (BCM-95 or Curcu-Gel).

Smoothie of the month - Mamma Jamma Special!

Congratulations Taylor Riche our Resolve your Resolution Winner!

Taylor won a year free membership! Way to go Taylor, you deserve it in spades.
Second and Third place results to be posted soon!!


Here is Taylor's final submission before the judging -

The last month of the RyR contest didn't quite go as planned. We had a family health emergency that has kind of turned things upside down. That being said, real life never goes by a script, and we all have to learn to take life's challenges and deal with them day by day and in the most positive way possible.

While I had to spend an extra week away, I am glad to be back and to be back on the plan that Drew and I have worked out. I really feel like I have turned a corner with my fitness. As I said a few weeks ago, I really and truly believe that I am in the best shape of my life.

For the first time now when I think about upgrading from Cat 4 to Cat 3 on the bike I really believe it is possible. That has never been the case before.

This may be really silly, but I tuck my shirt in all the time now. My stomach doesn't poke out when I tuck in the shirt, so I figured I should rock it tucked. In fact, I've gone from my belt being a little snug on the 2nd hole with a shirt in to being able to put it on the 4th hole and still be totally comfortable. I don't have a tummy bump, and that is a great, great feeling.

While the contest may be wrapping up, I am not stopping. The bike gives me a way to relieve stress and to decompress. The healthy eating has helped my somewhat sensitive stomach stay happy. The new strength and slimmer figure makes me feel more confident. While I have reached my original goals of the program, new ones have cropped up. I want to actually get that Cat 3 upgrade. I want to lose a little more fat and continue to gain muscle strength. But mainly, I want to live a healthy fulfilling life. That's a goal that you work to meet every day.

I would be remiss if I did not thank my wife. Her constant support has been fantastic.

So all in all I have gone from getting dropped on the 2nd lap of the The Driveway races to being able to stay in and actually *race*. I have lost 25 pounds (still, even after a week on a cruise and a week of high-stress and hanging out in a hospital). I am stronger, lighter, thinner, and more confident. While the past four months have been crazy, this contest gave me an opportunity that I am immensely thankful to have. But the most importantly, it woke something up inside of me that I don't plan on ever letting go of.

Hilary's RyR feedback - reminders for us all!!

Hilary tells us some of the things that have led to her success with the RyR challenge. These short "take-home" messages are truly the essence of this experience, and are the paving stones to long-term success. Go Hilary!!


I can’t believe we’re in the final month of the RyR Challenge! It’s really been an incredible journey & I’m so thankful to have been a part of this program. I’ve been thinking about a few things that have made an impact on me during this challenge & things I’ll take with me after the challenge. (I’m type A, so forgive my need to number things.)

1. Try something new.

I’ve been reading a lot of the feedback from the other RyRer’s and this is a consistent theme! I love the quote by Eleanor Roosevelt – “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” It’s all about pushing through your fears & tackling something new. It doesn’t have to be earth shattering or totally outrageous like climbing Everest. Try something small- take a new class, run further, swim longer, set a goal for something that makes you a little scared.

2. You’ve got to have support.

If you’re committed to changing your health, I’m convinced you can’t do it alone. You have to have a support system of family, friends, and trainer to encourage you. My husband and I have been working to lose weight together & we cheer each other on. We’re proud of each other’s successes (he’s lost 60 pounds!) and we motivate each other on bad days.

3. Changing habits takes time.

I read somewhere that it takes 21 days to develop a new habit (& even more to break a bad one!). Waking up at 5am to work out a few days a week definitely didn’t come easy. But over the weeks & months it’s become a habit and actually something I really enjoy! Same thing goes with changing food habits. Don’t expect to give up chocolate & never have a craving…it takes time!

4. Don’t beat yourself up.

I’m human; I’m going to have bad days; days where I don’t want to go to the gym & definitely days where I’d rather have pizza instead of a salad. The key for me has been not to dwell on the bad days. I know there will be bumps in the road. Don’t get derailed from one bad meal or a missed workout, just push forward & try harder next time.

5. Clean up your diet.

This is the hardest one for me! In the middle of the challenge I did a cleanse diet for 2 weeks. Essentially eating clean, organic, nothing processed & no caffeine. After I got over my bitterness about no more cheese & chocolate, I was completely shocked with how great I felt. Good food = Feel good. It’s as simple as that! I have more energy, I’m leaner, my allergies don’t even bother me as much and my body recovers faster.

Thanks!!
Hil

Valerie's update - check out how far she's come with some strength + flex added to her cardio base

Valerie has been so amazing and inspiring to me the past couple months. With all she's been through, you might have found me in a corner crying. She is so positive and resilient, and despite all these setbacks has come out stronger (and fitter) than ever.
Since I didn't have a picture of Val, I threw in the logo of her super-cool company, ModGreenPod, an organic upholstery fabric and vinyl-free wallpaper company. Talk about progressive! I love it!!!!

Val's update:

I'm both excited and sad that we are nearing the end of the program. It's mind-boggling how the timing has corresponded with so many hiccups in my life (pinched nerve, shoulder injury, setback to my small business, mother's heart procedure, father's diagnosis with prostate cancer, car accident, etc.) that I am particularly grateful for how my stepped-up focus on total fitness has given me so much more resilience to deal with life's challenges. My reaction to stress has become "get to the gym and you'll feel better" rather than lying around worrying.

A few specific things I'm excited to share:

1) I am officially off my knees for push-ups! This is huge for me and makes me feel so much stronger and more "legit." Knocked out at least 30 in kickbox last week.
2) My pull-ups are getting better every time! I can do 10 per set, and I've moved up another level on the machine (making it harder). This is a goal I've been working on for some 10 YEARS, and I'm finally doing it. Pull ups, people!
3) I've added at least 10 pounds to all of the strength machines for upper body, 20+ pounds for lower. I'm no longer afraid of getting too pumped looking.
4) My legs and arms are definitely smaller and much more toned. Core is way stronger, too. (Still working on that annoying waist of mine.)

For the past few years I've been under the impression that my triathlon training -- swim, bike, run, swim, bike, run -- was all I needed for total fitness. It's been a huge learning lesson for me to see how much an increased focus on strength training and flexibility have ramped up my fitness levels. Doing these sessions several times a week also has paid off in unexpected ways:

*I'm throwing around 50-yard bolts of fabric at work like I used to with 25 yarders. Used to need help carrying those -- no more!
*My hip flexors are holding up much better during my long runs. This has been a chronic issue for me in recent years. I'm still vigilant about trigger point and foam roller work, but my strength and flexibility gains have me feeling so much more comfortable out there! Cutting back a bit on my running in favor of strength training has improved my running, not hurt it.
*I had to adjust my bowling because I'm stronger, and it changed my release. Good problem to have. My average is up 10 pins!
*I spent this week pretending that the program was over and so I was only accountable to myself again. I passed that test with flying colors, feeling blue and antsy if I missed a scheduled gym session and making sure I did something active (neighborhood run, etc.) to get that "good" feeling. 5 days a week has become my new minimum standard, as opposed to a maximum goal. Achieving this as a habit was one of my primary goals for the program. It feels great.
*Saturday I decided to attempt a goal that I was saving for the last week of the program. In February, either PUMP or Kickbox would wipe me out pretty completely. Today I did both BACK TO BACK (I have my own gloves now!). Roar! The high five Stephanie gave me afterward felt like winning the contest already.

A continued challenge for me remains eating for maximum high metabolism. I take several chronic medications that slow my body down, and no matter how clean I seem to eat, I'm only down 6 pounds from all this effort. (I'm also down a size, which is great, but I'd really like to get down another 10 pounds to improve my running and overall feeling of fitness.) Laura gives me a lot of great advice, and I keep trying new things to stay positive. But this is hard. I'm saving up for a trip to a specialized nutritionist to see if that can help, too.

This challenge program has been so positive for me, no matter if I win or not (but don't get me wrong -- I want to win! My small-business-running self doesn't always take a paycheck, so every dollar counts) But seeing my monthly gym charge no longer gives me the guilts -- I know I've made the most of my membership, and the investment in myself is worth it. I'm really happy, too, when I see such great updates from the other contestants and their great efforts and results. We definitely belong to the best gym in town. Such a positive, spotlessly clean, supportive, inspiring, and happy place!

Lost 25 lbs and flipped the switch - Taylor's RyR success story! YAH!!

The Resolve Your Resolution program is really proving to be a fantastic life change for me.

My main goal was to feel competitive in bike races for the first time in my life. No more getting dropped in 5 or 10 minutes, I really wanted to race. My secondary goals were to lose weight and develop overall and core strength.

Tonight marked the second bicycle race this year where I really stayed in it. Instead of feeling dead from the start and focusing solely on survival, I was thinking of tactics. Should I follow that guy to move up in the pack? Should I move over a little here to get a better line on that turn?

In previous years the only question I really ever asked myself was, "Oh goodness, how long is this again and are they going to slow down?"

So while I'm not challenging for the win in the races just yet, I feel that I am actually racing. And it feels great.

Drew talked about one day a switch was going to flip. In the past few weeks I've really felt that. When I'm out training, I feel strong. Going up hills, it just seems, well easier. All of a sudden, everything just started to come together.

As for the secondary goals, I've lost over 25 pounds since the program started and I feel much stronger in my strength workouts at the gym. I take both of these as big positives.

Drew has laid out the steps, I just had to follow them. Small changes to the diet, becoming truly mindful of everything I put in my mouth, and a workout plan. Having structure was what I needed for me to finally wake up and get it done.

I want to thank Pure Austin again for picking me for this program. I have gone from the worst shape I was in in years to the best shape I have ever been in in my life. Even when the competition ends, this newfound passion in me will not.

Thanks,
Taylor

Yoga, Core Strength, Perserverence, Progress. I love this RyR update from Eric

In the last few weeks I've been attacking several problems.

First and foremost, I'm starting to see some very positive results from my yoga practice as far as loosening up the shoulder where I had extensive cancer surgery. (I had a radical axillary
lymphadectomy performed in 2002, and that shoulder -- which already had a blown rotator cuff -- has been pretty much a mess ever since.) With enough downward dogs and a little bit of work warming up to inversions, much of the scar tissue there is finally starting to release and break up. Pincha mayurasana ("feathered peacock inversion") is finally starting to come to me as a shape that actually exists in my current body. A lot of that has to do with building core strength, but there's no question that I wouldn't be where I am with it were it not for the fact that my shoulder is loosening considerably. In light of the fact that the surgeons who dug into that shoulder weren't sure I'd ever be able to raise my arm above shoulder level when they got done, I'm sorely tempted to get somebody to snap a photo of me in the full inversion so I can send it to them.

Speaking of core strength, it seems that every coach I have is in cahoots at the moment to hammer me on that very subject. I run regularly with "Gilbert's Gazelles," and with warmer weather approaching and the number of marathons dropping to a seasonal low,
he's been backing off some of the requirements to log lots of long mileage but cranking up "core conditioning" in their place. At the same time, Greg Galindo has passed along a few tasty exercises with a stability ball that also dig deep into core. And the two yoga instructors with whom I train the most -- Logynn and Sanieh -- are both pretty merciless in their driving home of the whole "core conditioning" concept. Also, since I've been with them both long
enough, niether seems to be at all bashful about singling me out for "special attention" during class. Other people get a bye on a lot of poses where I don't. But this is probably all to the good. As Sanieh says, "It's my job to make you uncomfortable, and I'm okay with that."

Meanwhile, I'm going after two giant problems that have always plagued my workouts. First, I like to eat. A lot. And second, I like to stay up way past my bedtime. So I'm continuing to
do more intelligent "portion control" of my intake as well as putting myself to bed earlier. Actually, if I'm rested, I'm also generally a lot less hungry, since I'm not trying to compensate for lack of energy by shoveling more food into myself. The key there is just to stay disciplined. Not always easy when you have a startup business and clients who'd like you to work all day and night on their stuff. Or when you're networking your way through another restaurant
meal. But as best I can, I'm trying not to let the realities of having to earn a living interfere with the real goal of leaning out.

Wish me luck...