July 9

5000m row as fast as you can.

Sleep the most underrated aspect of achieving performance. It's not just sleep that is important it's the quality of it. Lack of sleep is the one thing that will eat into the gains you are trying to achieve. Sleep is the glue that makes your gains stick.

Have you ever slept in the mountains in a secluded cabin with no outside lights or sounds. Well if you are lucky enough to have had the experience then you know true sleep. You wake up feeling incredible and rested. Now with our job we are definitely at a disadvantage even if we get no calls. So the bottom line get as much as you can on your and make it good.

Here are some guidelines to follow in order to get good quality sleep.
1. No drinking alcohol. It inhibits true REM sleep. When in REM you release HGH and a bunch of other goodies that help repair tissue.
2. GO BLACK....make your room as dark as possible. Black out windows, all those little stupid lights on electric devises black em out. Really this is important. Your body can feel light and the less the better.
3. Quiet....quiet means more rest.
4. No late night carbs. HGH(human growth hormone) is the most beneficial hormone your body can produce and carbs late at night will blunt this. This is especially important for us older fellas who start to produce less as we age

The margin for error as you get competitive in the Challenge is small. You have to stack all the cards in your favor. But sleep is half the deck, along with working hard for a goal and diet. Castillo and I have been eating Paleo and feel it is like being on a drug when it comes to feeling good and recovery. Pretty amazing what food can do.

Two good books to read for basic understanding about food, insulin, HGH and more than I can talk about here along with better explained.

Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf
Protein Power by Dr. Eades