I'm not great at a lot of things...but I'm a damn good sleeper.  Unfortunately a lot of you suck at it. I often send out some of my favorite resources with mental, physiological or behavioral changes you can implement in order to "hack" your sleep and fear a similar application rate as the soldier who requests an APFT training plan two weeks out.  0.0%  Well done. Stop complaining.  BUT I maintain hope that one of you will actually want to identify/address your root causes because you desire a high quality of life, health and happiness.  

It only made sense to compile my favorite resources here so I can direct future sleep deprived folks to this page instead of going through all the leg work of emailing the links.  Bottom line, there is a reason (or ten) that you can't fall asleep, stay asleep, or awake feeling terrible. Experts like Ben Greenfield, Robb Wolf, and Dave Asprey to name a few have dedicated their lives to hacking these and other issues so I will pass along their researched/tested findings.  I attempted to summarize key points but if it's too general then click on the links to drink from the fire hose.  

Your training for the next two weeks is in the calendar below and can be downloaded as well.  Print the calendar and check off workouts as you go.  Break them up or combine as your schedule allows.  Who will get the most sessions in??  I kept the format basic so you couldn't punk out b/c you didn't know how to do something or have the right equipment.  There are not workouts listed for Kelley's Wednesday WODs but you can combine workouts from the week to build the hour or I will provide to her directly.  Work hard and I will test your progress when I'm back June 16th.  

Official Website:  http://enduringwarrior.org

Hi!  I've been accepted into Ph II of the Indoc process en route to becoming part of Team Operation Enduring Warrior.  There are three phases of the Indoc process with the culmination being a three day selection weekend in January.

The Ultimate goal is to become part of a team that serves to Honor, Empower and Motivate Wounded service members through a physical, mental and emotional rehabilitative cycle modeled for overcoming adversity and hardship through innovation, teamwork and perseverance.

Awareness and fundraising is the objective in this phase.  Those who continue on to Phase III will be announced December 1st.  I need your help!  


There are a number ways you can support the organization and my selection process.  

1.  Visit the official website and my Community Athlete Page:  Search Holly Di Giovine.  Tax Deductible Donations can be made in honor or remembrance if you wish.  

2.  Become a Community Athlete today!   http://enduringwarrior.org  Community Athletes support and race with the team at official events and are a huge asset to the organization.  

When the contestants arrive to Project Runway, they first settle into a super hip boutique hotel and then meet Heidi and Tim on the roof for a warm welcome and champagne toast.  When prospective Gut Check Fitness Affiliates arrive in San Diego, they check into a Real World size house and prepare to meet Joe and Nicole Decker for the festivities they have planned for us...just bring your headlamp, life jacket and 30-50# sandbag.  Hey wait...where's my Champagne?


The nine of us had traveled from as close as LA, Sacramento and Vegas and as far as PA, NJ and SC on the East Coast...and Melbourne, Australia.  What better way to shake off a 6 hour drive, or 24 hour flight, than to storm the beaches at the Torrey Pines Gliderport for a little workout known as Eisenhower.  

This is what the Gliderport looks like during the day...
But we arrived well after sunset and hiked down the steep grade with loose footings and unpredictable drop-offs.  Tide was low and the surf was a good 200 meters out, complete with a dark orange crescent moon hanging low over a single star.  Right away we knew this was going to be an epic workout. 

Joe welcomed us to Eisenhower and explained how we would be storming the beach and breaching the high-ground...with 9 x 25 reps of other exercises thrown in, plus low crawl/sand sprints, chilling ocean dives and "running" to the top with and without our sandbags.  The record finish time is 57' and our fastest came in just over an hour...the rest of us tried to keep the FML's to ourselves as we pushed to finish below 1:30.  The mid-workout ocean plunges were actually a refreshing opportunity to take in the awesome-ness of the workout and realize you were surrounded by your favorite brand of Crazy.  This was the first of many times I would be humbled over the next five days, as I was surrounded by eight great athletes, each with a ridiculous amount of heart--a Gut Check Pre-Requisite.  

Thursday morning...less than 10 hours after we successfully captured the high-ground at Gliderport...we were introduced to the Cave Man Workout composed of trail running up and down the hills I assumed were the famed "Ass Scraper" and "Chin Scraper" I had been hearing about.  After an hour of ladders from one point to another, with or without a rock and squats/situps...I met the real Scrapers....see pic above.  Most. Ridiculous. Thing. Ever.  Dirt so loose you sunk in mid-calf deep on the way down and climbs so steep I was essentially on my hands and knees to move forward or should I say up.  It was definitely SUPER slow-go for dismounted troops.  And apparently the norm is to do it wearing a heavy ruck...in the dark.  
Again, I found myself pushed to my limit and dealing with the stress of feeling slow and weak.  I don't often near that point in my workouts--even when I think I am working hard I am now fully aware there are many more levels to push through in order to be the athlete I want to become.  Once I finally arrived at the top of Chin Scraper and the rest of the gang was already out of site, I began the descent. Amazing how "just running" feels when you've been moving at less than 1 mph.  I felt light and quick and capable...and then I had to climb back up the original hills and recover my rock so I could return it to it's home.  Can I get a STAR BUCKS??

I will cover the Gut Check Challenge in a different post...b/c it was that awesome.  By this point in the week, the instant bonds from Like attracting Like had been reinforced to create a synergy that will only build from this point forward.  I feel like I now have eight brothers and the coolest mentors in Joe and Nicole Decker.  It's rare you find yourself challenged on a physical, mental and emotional level and this experience exceeded that by Eisenhower dimensions.  Standby for Gut Check Challenge Race Report...I'm going to title it REDEMPTION.

For your summer evolution...here is a two week plan you can fit into your schedule whether at home, busy with work or on the road for work or pleasure.  Gone are the days of obsessive cardio and "earning your food."  PS...it rarely works.  So pick up your friend, carry him/her around the parking lot and then get on with your day.  

But really, focus on high intensity, short workouts that leave you panting and exhilarated...eat like a carnivorous rabbit (i.e. tons of veggies with supporting protein) and drink water.  Lubricate the system with avocado and coconut oil and you are all set.  It's NOT HARD!  


Step One:  Download Training Plan and Print
Step Two:  Watch Video and make notes on Training Plan
Step Three:  Coordinate training plan with your schedule and make necessary adjustments
Step Four:  Be awesome and inspiring to others

Reserve Sports Stretch Classes.  Note that 6 p.m. Fit Camp has moved back to Thursday nights to accommodate for Wednesday night lake swims...

I find that many people want to make up their own rules when it comes to losing body fat (or weight period...who cares what is gone as long as the scale number is smaller, right?!)  Application of "diet laws" is typically an individual's mix of preference, experience, exposure to information and emotion rather than an unbiased look at science and physiology.  

Take the classic example of a runner going on a "long run."  First of all, "long" is pretty relative. Just b/c it is the longest run you've ever attempted, do your cells consider it an extended period of time?  But it's a great excuse to Carb Load, eh?  So you eat a bunch of oatmeal and almond butter, or a bagel, with OJ etc then head out with a carby-electrolyte solution whether it is hot/humid out or not, and religiously eat gels every 45-60', finishing up with the much deserved post-training food reward.  

You think, "Surely I burned half a pound or more during that run?!"  Perhaps, but consider the external sugars you were pumping into your body--400-600 calories before, 100-200 calories/hour during and a minimum of 500 calories after...so on the low end you consumed 1/3 pound of calories (or likely much more).  So you did burn calories but that perceived sure-thing weight loss didn't come from your body fat (aka love handles/thighs/etc)....suck!  If you are lucky, you entered into fat burning periods throughout the run, but wouldn't it be great if you spent more time in fat-burn land?  

Yes, you need some carbs to fuel your activity.  But most people fall into one of two camps:  Overestimating carb needs during a workout (see above) OR Overestimating their amount of activity.  (Of course there is the third camp of people who want to do whatever they want regardless of how they look and feel but I highly doubt they are reading this.)

Camp IV Option--Be a better fat burner!!  Now, this is not a mental decision--you can't simply decide to go for a run and not take your gels with you b/c you are willing your body to burn fat.  You actually have to stimulate this process through consistent, long term (i.e. 4-8 weeks minimum) food habits/choices.  Overeat carbs and you'll continue to turn off efficient fat metabolism.  

Here are some basic tips to become better at burning fat and you can read to infinity on the subject starting with this discussion from Dr. Cate Shanahan.  Your action items are in GREEN!

1. Breakfast--Kick off the day with a meal containing no more than 10g of carbs.  That way your body isn't already looking for more external energy to burn from the get-go.  You can eat 1 cup of shredded cabbage sautéed with coconut oil and served with pastured eggs for only 4 carbs and it is very filling.  How many carbs are in your current breakfast and how can you adjust that?  Simply eating 10g of your current carb source, i.e 1/4 of a bagel is not the right answer, b/c you'll want more and be starving shortly after and it's not setting you up for success.
2. Keep daily carb totals under 100 gm, and between 30 and 70 gm for faster results.
   Start by keeping track of how many carbs you currently consume...you'll be shocked!  You can eat comfortably at 100 carbs IF every single gram counts.  This adds up to only 400 calories so you have to consume enough protein and fat to stay above the 1200 calorie total mark.
3. Eat more fat.  Fat contributes to tissue regeneration, constructing cell membranes in your skin and central nervous system, and deliver fat soluble vitamins and antioxidants.  But the kind of fat you eat matters. Here is a recommended list of oils for consuming hot/cold. (Print this list to keep in your kitchen for reference.)  Stick with this basic list so you are firmly in the safe zone of fat sources.  You can venture out once you have become more adapted to this concept.  

4. Eat more protein.  Start by determining how many grams you should be eating and then divide those into 3 meals.  

5. Stop Snacking.  This is a hard one for most of us to wrap our brains around and will take a bit to get used to.  But then again, this whole approach is different and since what you're doing isn't working the best, I challenge you to give this a fair shot.  Reasons to skip snacks:

• It prevents your body from dipping into snacking on it's own fat
• It's hard enough to eat three proper meals...so it's best to avoid the risk of choosing unwisely 
• Eating three times a day ensures you'll be hungry for your meal when it arrives and will help you become more in tuned with true hunger vs simply the desire to eat
• Rest your GI Tract!!

Determine your meals for the next three days and ensure they meet the above criteria, eating enough protein to meet your body's needs.  If you are hungry before your meal, drink water and busy yourself knowing that food is available and you are training your body to listen to a new, healthier set of signals that will also meet your goals of becoming a fat burning machine!  Review the Meal Challenge inspired by the Four Hour Body.  Apply the format discussed above and you are on your way.  

And stop making up your own rules!!  Do this plan as it is written for one month and then you can assess your actual success.