So here's the deal. I thought I was signing up for a cutesy, fun 5K where they throw mud at you. Oh, please. This baby has obstacle courses that challenge you mentally, physically, and emotionally. I signed up to volunteer a double shift in October, and I will be able to do the run the next day for $20 which is a freakin' good deal.
As scared as I am of this tough mudder run, I'm geeked. I am doing my Mudderling training right now, and I figure, with the adoption of a new workout routine, I may as well clean up my eating. I have been riding a roller coaster with my health and weight and I'm going to give discipline another try. While I train physically, I am giving healthier eating a try. I have been using a meal plan from 100 Days of Real Food, an awesome blog discussing healthy, real food eating (no unprocessed foods at ALL). Here's a picture of our dinner from yesterday, pork carnitas tacos with pico de gallo, corn on the cob, and avocado.
We had mangoes for dessert and I loved every bite of it. The recipes I found are easily adaptable. You can totally swap this for that to make the recipes more your taste. That's what I did for this recipe and some of the others I found.So, back to the Tough Mudder Run...Today is day four of my mudderling training. Basically a mudderling is someone who isn't in very good shape. Tough Mudder has a bootcamp you can do based on your current physical fitness. The Mudderling training has a 5 minute warm-up followed by three 10-minute circuits that alternate strength and cardio exercises, all designed to prepare you for the obstacles you will face during your tough mud run. You end with a very brief cool-down, and that is it. I have done the training twice. On your in-between days you are supposed to do some cardio. I haven't had the strength, quite literally, to do cardio on my off days, but my goal is to start cardio next week or the week after.
A few things I've learned since starting the training, and yes, I've learned some things just since MONDAY--
1- A minute is a lot longer than you think. And two minutes, torture. ( each exercise you do is timed. No reps or sets are given. You just complete as many of the exercise as you can in one-two minutes)
2- I get as red as a beet during this workout. I am at my wit's end by the end of each one or two- minute exercise segment.
3- It takes time--to prep my meals, to prep my snacks, to do my training...and I'm not very patient. Also, I can gain three pounds overnight, but to lose one takes several days...grrr....
Update later! I'll post a post-workout pic and share some of the recipes I've been making!
Recipe: Pork Carnitas Tacos with Pico de Gallo- Serves 2-4
Pork Carnitas recipe from 100 Days of Real Food
Modifications: We used regular corn tortillas for this. You can use 4-5 lbs of pork butt or shoulder, just double the seasonings. I only use a sprinkle of salt, and the meat still tasted wonderful. No need to double the length of time the meat slow cooks for. When you shred the meat, use one-quarter/half of the recipe for tacos, and then save the other half/three-quarters to make tamales or quesadillas. You can freeze or refrigerate (2 days) the extra meat in an airtight container or gallon-size plastic bag until you need to use it. I will be making tamales with the leftover shredded meat. We used one-quarter of the meat and made 6 tacos with it, but you can easily make 8 tacos with it, which can serve 2-4 people. Pico de Gallo recipe and Tip below.
Tip: Grill the tortillas so they are nice and firm with a little crunch. Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Heat three tortillas at a time, turning frequently until golden-brown marks appear on the tortillas. We served the tacos with corn on the cob and mangoes.
Pico de Gallo:
Yields 1 1/2 cups
2 firm tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
juice of half a lime
dash salt and pepper
~Mix all ingredients. Let sit in fridge at least 15 minutes for flavors to meld. Serve atop pork carnitas tacos.
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