Doping? No thanks, I choose LOVE

   I have been away from my blog quite awhile, this year I plan to be more consistent specially on showing my diet to everyone, because I know that is most of the curiosity come from.
Anyways, today I will express my opinion on doping (cheating) since everyone is talking about Lance. I am not here to point fingers or anything is just MY personal opinion and I need to get out of my chest.

   Well, first I want to explain a little. 2010 was a great year for me on triathlon. I set a few PR's I changed my diet 180 degrees, and I got healthier. 2011 and 2012 season were great but hard seasons, but with a lot of mental challenge and changes, specially on the spiritual level.
   My first question on doping, is what is the difference from doping and drafting? Both are cheating, so there is no difference. The reason I say that is because on Ironman Brasil 2011 I was one thing that marked me as a triathlete. On that race I saw the triathlete that I was a huge fan and one of my biggest inspiration to start doing ironmans drafting. She is a female pro that pass me drafting from a man on a non draft legal race. My world went down. I saw many times, many athletes from 1st places to age groupers drafting in all races. Honestly isn't that cheating as well?
   Second, I know many athletes pro and age groupers that take PED, nutritionist that suggest to them to take and etc.Also, taking PED is easy. If you look at some ingredients at a few supplements sold in local vitamin shops they might contain PED. Just look it up and you will see.
   Third, look at our society. Honestly, look deep into to it. Look to some companies that might lie about an ingredient just to make 10% more profit, or might lower the content of something to make an extra dollar. Or your coworker that might lie about you just to get that promotion. Isn't all that cheating? 
    People might ask: and you are perfect? No I am not.I did plenty mistakes in all my life, but I was always true to myself. I have a clean nutrition because it is my choice. I don't draft in races because is my choice. I avoid buying from corporations that lie (or do something I don't like) because is my choice. Bottom line is, I CHOOSE to LOVE myself. All those choices are loving choices. Because in the end of the day I can lay down in bed and sleep in peace.
   The message I try to bring with all this is simple: "Chase happiness" there is nothing better than laying down in your bed knowing that you are doing your best with nothing to hide to anyone.
   So if you are tired of the way we are living, because for me the Lance Armstrong story is just a reflection of our society, change. Like Ghandi said " Be the change you want to see in the world". Live a life of true unconditional LOVE. It is possible. Just be yourself, love yourself and be true to yourself because in the end of the day you will sleep with inner peace!!!

Feel Good, go Raw and love yourself,
RW
  

Physiological adptations on a Raw diet

I have been thinking a lot on how Physiological adaptations happens faster on a raw diet. I have no way to prove that  just my own experience as coach and athlete.
What I found is pretty amazing, for example I added a few strength exercises to my training routine and I felt a difference within 3 weeks. Also my adaptation on high altitude training, when I went to Boulder was really quick. When I decide to train in Boulder for 2 weeks everyone told me was not worth it because was to short of a period and the 1st week its so hard to adapt and I was going to be really tired and that did not happen at all!
What it gave me the click to write this post was when I read The Secret Race book where Tyler describe the sensations when he donated blood for his first blood transfusion (doping). He said after he donated the blood he went for a ride and felt really weak, and he said "my power was in in the blood", when I read that I thought that is why! On a raw diet you have a cleaner blood due to a good digestion and clean diet, so basically your body its not producing (or producing less) toxins from digestion. A good way to see how clean is your blood just see how hard is to wash your plate after you done eating :)
Hopefully I will be able to do a bigger study on that. I am doing a small one by myself, but it would be great to have one with a lab involved. More info on my study check:   http://rwtraining.net/blog/ 
I also started doing some you tube videos about diet, training etc. Here is my last 2 videos:

Feel Good and Go RAW!
RW

Recovery

The other day I started to think about recovery, and for me looks like we are always worried about muscle recovery, carbs, protein, recovery workouts etc etc but nobody thinks internally!
What I mean about that is simple, have you ever thought on how hard your internal organs work to keep you moving, digesting etc etc.
So for that I add in my workout schedule it is a juice day, all I have this day it is juice, nothing else! It is juice from a juicer, therefor there is no fiber in it. What I notice it is a big stress relief, followed by a great night of sleep and I wake up the next day ready to go  and full of energy! It is a great feeling!
As of a menu I try to use different stuff for the juices, for example:
Beets
Celery
Turnips
Radish
Ginger
Turmeric
Cucumbers
Bell peppers
Kale
Spinach
Carrots
Apples
Pear
My approach is to make the juice as green as possible. Try it and you will feel a difference!

Feel Good and GO RAW!
RW

Ultra Desires

Everything happens for a reason.... After my fall before Ironman Texas, I restarted to think in a lot of things, that brought me old memories, new thoughts etc. When I first started on triathlons, my desire was Ironman, until on my second year I learned about the Ultraman and that came to my mind, with more I learned and read about endurance sports the more fascinated I was but I kind of forgot about ultras.....I did 2 ragnar relay races without much training, and in both of them I ran 30+ miles (I had to cover some people), I felt pretty good and I ran pretty well.  
When I read the "Ultra Marathon Man" I really thought about doing ultras, but I never did. It was something on the back of my mind, and all came back after the fall, sometimes what you think is bad is actually good!
I love ironmans,I will still race them and I will still race pro, but I took a decision to spicy up training and racing. After Ironman Texas I almost sign up for Ultraman Canada, but I thought was too soon to build up that much mileage in all 3 sports until august, so instead I sign up for a 50 miler Trail Run. I must say I am pretty excited to do that, and in 2013 I am really thinking about the Ultraman, and of course a few ironmans :)

If you want to know how ultra marathon will turned out, also how training will go and nutrition (Raw) stay tuned.

Feel Good and Go Raw!
RW

Clay

I did not update my blog for a long time, there is many reasons for that....
I went to ironman Texas and the day before my race, as I was testing the bike and going to drop of the bike on transition I felt and I hurt my right shoulder. I tried to race and 25 min into the swim I just could not take the pain and I decided that was better for my health to stop. After that I went to boston to the fivefingers meeting and it was pretty cool, I got to know Boston, the new fivefingers products and learned a lot. I also got a chance to see the Vibram store in Boston, very cool.
Since my accident I have not been training much, because I wanted to concentrate all my energy in my healing. I am actually grateful for the accident because I am learning a lot from it. There is always a good side of it.
What I wanted to say today about my healing is something that I used before and forgot until 2 days ago. I found Clay(Argila in portuguese), and I remember that I was thought that clay is the same PH as the body and when you pass on your body  the clay dries it sucks all the toxins (or whatever is bad) from the body. The incredible part is that if something is wrong like an injury the clay takes longer to dry. So the part of my shoulder that was hurting it took longer to dry. As you can see in the picture.

I did that 3 times yesterday plus heat and ice witch I was doing already, and today shoulder was 80% better. It is pretty amazing what nature can do it! We have all the medicine we need in nature and in our mind! We just need to be open and aware to it!

As part of my healing I am eating lots of sprouts, trace minerals, and turmeric root. And of course a lot of meditation and love!

Feel good, and GO RAW!

RW

Sports Drink

I am studying Holistic Sports Nutrition and I also study lots of thinks on my own and I test what I study as well. So what I learned about sports drinks freaked me out a little bit.
Basically a sports drink it is complex carbs(laboratory created), little bit of simple sugars and salt. Studies show that complex carbs (sugars) do not satisfy us, simple sugars do (simple sugar from fruits), and salt do not hydrate us, in fact salt dehydrate us. See, try drinking sea water to see if you survive? You will dehydrate. The only sodium that the body absorb is organic sodium from plants. With the been said, complex sugars (laboratory created) that does not satisfy you and salt that makes you thirsty you can drink commercial sports drink ALL day long that you will never be satisfied and always be thirsty.... as a Hydration system not good, but as money making machine is great isn't it?
You can test your self if you want, try to overeating in fruit, is nearly impossible because the simple sugar in fruit will fill you up.
What I do for sports drink? I either make apple and celery juice or I soak a few dry fruits in a jar over night, the sugar and electrolytes from the dry fruit will mix into the water due to the osmotic pressure. I did that with dates, figs, or goji berries so far and both worked great. You can also blend bananas with water or use coconut water (raw of course).
For example, on my 100 mile last sunday, we were riding at 24 to 26 mph all I had was water and my electrolyte drink and some bananas. I felt really good, it was 90 degrees out side and a few people cramp. I didn't. Even on my swim later on I had no cramp :). I did a bunch of Ironmans with those sports in all of them I cramp LOL the very first Ironman that I didn't use (used coconut water) I did not cramp!
If you want more info on that Dr Douglas Graham have a book called Nutrition and Athletic Performance and he explain that in deep!

Feel Good and GO RAW!
RW

Diet

Yesterday I mesuare my body fat % and it was the lowest ever! So I decide to talk about diet here today!
I went to many nutritionist before in Brazil and USA, tried many differents diets and approaches like, high protein low carbs, high fat, lots of supplements etc, read a bunch of books and none of them gave me the result I wanted, expect the ones that talk about raw food diet, but I see as eating the way we were supposed to instead of a diet!
Any modification on the food such as heat, adding, etc makes the food different and it is either unrecognized by the body or really hard to digest causing lots of stress! Some people might say: "we were intent to eat meat" and my answer will be with a few questions: if we are intent to eat meat, can you chase an animal, kill it and eat right at the spot? With blood and everything? If you can maybe you were intent to eat meat.... I know I can't! Also, how come meat is so hard to digest and make our PH acid wicth is danger for our life? Also can you eat meat with no salt, and spices to have a better taste?
The truth is every animal in this planet know how to reconize the foods that they were desing to eat, just look around nature and how animals eat!
So, I got to a 4.5% body fat eating a raw vegan diet! I eat 80% carbs, 10% protein and 10% fat, and I am stronger and faster than ever! Think about it! Detox your mind and body from all the bad marketing around and eat the way you were intent to and reach maximum health! Remember it is not a diet, it is eating the way we were desing to! Also not being sick or not being overweight does not means that you are healthy!

My last few days my food intake has being a lot simple! Lots of fruits and a few veggies! For example, Sunday I did a 100 mile ride, and that day I had:
Breakfast orange, banana and papaya smoothie
During the ride 5 bananas and raw sugar, plus my electrolyte drink (will talk about this in another post)
Lunch 2 mangos, and orange juice
1 hour later raw garden of life protein mix with water
Swim workout than after mangos
Dinner spinach and strwberries salad

Feel good and GO RAW!
RW