Ryan at the First Obstacle

Q: Did you have any idea exactly what you were getting yourself into when you signed up to compete in the season-opening round of the 2012 Spartan Race Series?

Ryan Deauville: “I tried not to think about it (laughs). I actually had a pretty good idea so I was ready for it.

Q: Was there any specific training you did leading up to the event?

RD: It was a mix of my normal CrossFit routine with some longer cardio, longer runs … five miles with simpe body weight exercises, such as pull ups and push ups, mixed in.

Q: Was there ever a time in the Super Spartan when you wanted to quit?

RD: You really didn’t have a choice when you got out there on the course. The only time you would have really been able to quit was at the midway point back at the start/finish line. I think most people that would consider quitting at the midway point would probably never jump into doing something like the Spartan Race to begin with. There’s enough intensity just signing on to do it that you pretty much know what you’re getting into. You mentally prepare for it … it’s not really an option to quit. It’s actually fun once you get into it. It would be different if I was running eight-and-a-half miles to run eight-and-a-half miles. This race is fun. The obstacles are cool. There were five or six hundred competitors every heat so you were constantly among people who were struggling but would take the time to pat you on the back or tell you “Good job. Keep it up.” It was a great group of people that provided lots of motivation.

The Rope Obstacle, Vail Lake

Q: Was there a moment that sticks out in your mind? 

RD: Not too far after the midway point, in the fifth or sixth mile, you reach the top of a hill, look up and see a trail of people just walking up what I would call a mountain. It was a little intimidating … you get up one hill and think you’re at the top and then, all of a sudden, you get a chance to take a peak at the course ahead and see a trail of people moving very slowly up this bigger hill. I’m on my sixth mile and I’m dying … my legs are killing me because my training didn’t include any hills so it was a quick ego check. That was definitely the most difficult part of the course because we were already so far into the race and getting up that hill was so intense. It wasn’t quick, either. It had to have been at least a good half-mile climb up. At one point, I was on all fours trying to get to the top. 

Q: How does the Spartan Race Series fit the Greens Plus consumer?RD: It’s something completely different than what we’ve done in the past at Greens Plus. When we talked to the people at Spartan Race about the opportunity for Greens Plus to be involved, we asked them who their core market was. They talked about people who CrossFit and triathletes being the base of their clientele. And those are the types of people we’re trying to reach. We’ve worked with elite athletes and we know they’re looking for the best nutrition possible to reach their maximum performance. They’re eating healthy, trying to eat enough fruits, vegetables and protein. Greens Plus falls right in line with that because the ingredients in our products are the key ingredients to living a healthy lifestyle. There are other races that have some difficulty but people mainly do for fun and a good time. We wanted to take our message to the next level, where people are having fun but are more competitive in what they do. The Spartan Race Series is the perfect platform for the competitive part of our message.

Being at the race, I found out that the majority of people were stoked that we were there and wanted to learn more about the performance benefits of Greens Plus. We’ve been around for 25 years so we see this is a great opportunity for us to reach a whole new audience through our involvement with the Spartan Race. This new base of consumers knows what’s good for them and what’s not. They can look at the label and know immediately that this is the good stuff. 

Q: Do you plan to participate in any more Spartan Race Series events this year?

 RD: I plan to run both days in Miami (Feb. 25-26) and a few others. I’m also looking at one at a ski resort in New York that’s about an hour north of New York City in Tuxedo. I’m definitely going to get out to a few more. We’re hoping to have Chris Obertlik run all of the U.S. races on behalf of Greens Plus so we can follow along on his journey through his blog entries on blog.greensplus.com.

Q: Any final thoughts?

RD: Our goal is to showcase Greens Plus as a lifestyle and much more than just a product. That’s fun. It was great for me to compete in the race and then stand at the booth, covered in mud and sweat, and talk to the people about our product. I’m not just some joe off the street trying to push a product. It’s a different connection and it should be a great benefit.

Flying the Banner

 After competing and seeing the reaction Greens Plus received at the first event, I’m a thousand times more energized about the whole program … and I was already like a little kid at Christmas. It’s going to be a fun year with the Spartan Race Series. It’s a growing series run by a great group of people so I see it as a really cool opportunity for Greens Plus. Stay tuned

Why Spartan? Because the Spartans were tough as nails. Because we all thrive under the pressure of survival of the fittest. Their goal is simple… to get you off your couch, throw you in the mud and trails, and feed you the toughest endurance event of your life. And Greens Plus will be there to help push you through it, with the most nutrient-dense Energy Bars on the planet.

Greens Plus will attend each of the 32 Spartan Race events in the United States in 2012, with a selection of nutritional products on hand to assist racers in achieving their personal goals.

For more information on Spartan Race and to sign up for the nearest event, visit www.spartanrace.com or contact Greens Plus at 1-800-643-1210 and online at www.greensplus.com

To help us better understand the importance of health and its effect on us as we age, the National Center for Health Statistics published findings that show the chances of suffering from one of the major chronic diseases: Arthritis, Diabetes, Cancer and Heart Disease, exponentially increases with age. 

Aging and Disease

The Aging Process - 4 Key Factors

But what is Aging? Scientists today believe there are 4 Key Factors in the Aging Process. They are:

1. Free Radicals

2. Methylation

3. Glycation

4. Hormones

As cellular waste and environmental toxins build up, Free Radicals damage our DNA. This damage prevents the Methylation of homocysteine and greatly reduces biological efficiency. 

As metabolism slows down, the stress Hormone cortisol increases blood sugar and the resulting Glycation produces weak connection tissue, inflammation and disease. 

Superfoods Slow the Aging Process

Luckily, Superfoods have been scientifically proven to slow the aging process. In fact, Mother Nature has provided an antidote for each of the 4 Factors, and these antidotes are readily available and easily consumed in the nutrient-rich Superfoods contained in Greens Plus. They are:

1. Antioxidants

2. Methyl Donors

3. AGE Inhibitors

4. Adaptogens

Consuming these nutrients can significantly enhance our ability to live a long, healthy life. And that’s what The Power of the PLUS is all about.

Chris Obertlik, Team Greens+ Athlete, recently competed in the Super Spartan Race on Staten Island in New York and finished 17th out of a field of 7500.

Chris takes on the Spartan Rope Challenge

Spartan is the King of Adventure Races, containing gruelling obstacles in mud, water, extreme weather conditions, on unruly trails and on courses with even more mind blowing mental and physical challenges than you can imagine. With 3 mile, 8 mile or 13 mile runs, Spartan Race caters to every type of person from the extreme athlete to the weekend warriors who just want an adrenaline rush. These events challenge any person to push themselves past their own limits and give an individual a true testament of what they can accomplish if they JUST DONT QUIT.

Spartan Mud Bath

Chris says, “I have seen these races change friends and family members work ethics, life philosophies, goals, and how they approach teamwork once they complete a race. It opens up new paths and new challenges that you flat out did not know existed… are you looking to take the next step? try something new? bored? want to have fun?….want to have the greatest feeling in the world….”a sense of true accomplishment”….take it upon yourself to compete in a Spartan Race. You’ll be glad you did.”

At the Finish Line

Spartan Races are coming to:

Malibu, California – November 19

Dallas, Texas – December 3

Temecula, California – January 28

Chandler, Arizona – February 11

Miami, Flroida – February 25

Learn more at www.spartanrace.com

Follow the action at http://toughmudder.com/events/worlds-toughest-mudder-series-finals/

Neil Primrose - Brands Hatch Raceway

One of the world’s most iconic motor racing venues, Brands Hatch plays host to some of the most prestigious events in motorsports, including the British Superbike and Formula Two Championship. Brands Hatch is located 20 miles outside central London.

First built in 1971 by the UK’s first manufacturer of racing vehicles, the Lola T212 has consistently placed in top competitions. It sports a monocoque chassis, where the shell of the car carries the stress loads instead of an internal frame, and a four-cylinder Ford engine mounted in the rear.

Greens+ Sponsored Lola T212

Travis - The Invisible Band (Neil Primrose second from right)

The Landing Zone

Pete Allum, 19 time UK national skydiving champion, 5 time Italian national champion and member of Team Greens+, attended the Dubai Skydiving World Cup in January in the United Arab Emirates. Held at an elite venue next to Palm Island, an artificial archipelago built in the Persian Gulf, the competition boasted the largest ever field of competitors in world skydiving.

Palm Island

Pete Allum

Unlike most skydiving competitions, jumps were performed from helicopters instead of airplanes, significantly reducing the time it takes to reach jumping altitude (14,000 ft) and giving skydivers an unparalleled view of what some call the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’.
Pete competed in Canopy Piloting and coached a Formation Skydiving team. Based at Skydive Empuriabrava on the Costa Brava, Spain, Pete Allum (innerrythmcoaching.com) has successfully completed more than 27,000 jumps from perfectly good airplanes and will also be attending the World Skydiving Championship in Dubai next year.

Takano training former Olympic wrestler and Pro MMA fighter Kazuyuki Miyata

Mak Takano has been training pro-athletes and non-athletes alike for holistic health for the past 30 years. For 15 of those years as a Physical Fitness, Strength and Conditioning Trainer, he has also been an avid user of Greens Plus products.

Takano says, “I have trained many different athletes from different sports, but Mixed Martial Arts is one of the most physically demanding sports. Also, due to its popularity in the past 6 to 8 years, I am seeing more athletes wanting to compete in the sport, as compared to back in 1994, when I first started training in MMA.”

Bibiano Fernandes, five time World Jui-jitsu Champion, winning DREAM MMA World Featherweight Belt

For optimum health and due to the vigorous impact of MMA training, which consists of different forms of martial arts, including boxing, muay thai and juijitsu, as well as strength and conditioning training, Takano knows it is essential to use the very best nutritional products. He customizes each program based upon the needs of his athletes and clients.

Takano uses the same principles in his own program, which he shares with us.

• Upon waking, Takano drinks his Greens Plus Powder. He chooses Orange or Berry for extra Vitamin C, and takes it before breakfast for better absorption of all the greens nutrition. He says, “Greens Plus powder gives total balance of natural multi-vitamins, anti-oxidants and intestinal health.”
• An hour before each training session, he takes Greens Plus Thermo-Greens, which contains acetyl l-carnitine, Japanese green tea extract, cocoa bean extract and green coffee bean extract. Takano uses Thermo-Greens for its “fat-burning effect and natural caffeine.”
• To sustain hydration and energy during training, Takano uses Chia seeds and natural apple juice. For low blood sugar, he recommends Greens Plus Energy Bars or Omega 3Chia Energy Bars.
• Immediately following training, he drinks another round of Greens Plus powder, this time adding Greens Plus Resveratrol. He values Greens Plus Resveratrol for its Vitamin C, MSM and grape seeds, which aid in muscle and joint recovery.
• Between meals, Takano reaches for Greens Plus Chocolate-coated Peanut Butter Protein Bars. He says, “It’s the optimum snack. It’s the best and healthiest protein bar on the market.”

To learn more about Mak Takano, visit maktakano.com.

Lee of Atlanta, who authors “In My Tummy.” Lee writes on her “About Me” page that she has battled with weight issues and diet since she was  in junior high. At one point, she lost 35 pounds and then decided she was overly concerned with what she was eating. Lee backed off and regained 15 pounds. In late 2006, she began blogging while training for long-distance running. Please see her first post about Chia.

A mom in the Northeast, who authors “Lil Runner“. She completed the Boston Marathon just 10 weeks after giving birth to her son.  She writes because, as she says in her “About Me” page, “I also have an interest in food blogs and while I am staying home with my baby, I have taken more time to buy and make healthy foods. You will see some food posts here and random musings as I go about my life, transitioning through different phases of life.” Check out her first post about Chia.

Emily, who describes herself as a “a 26-year-old newlywed who recently gained too much weight after getting married.” She writes in “Homecookedem” about finding the right balance of healthy foods, proper weight and personal happiness. “Please join me as I highlight unique homecookedem meals, reflect on thoughts I have, and give thanks for all that I have,” she writes on her “About Me” page. Please see Emily’s first post on our Chia.

Meanwhile, blogger Heather updated her experiences with Chia in a Hangry Pants post. And triathlete Stacy wrote about her weekend exercise, aided by a Greens+ Protein Bar, in her Eating to Live Love Laugh Tri post.

Brandi is the latest person to join our fast-growing list of people who are enjoying Greens+ products. We encourage you to visit her blog, “Bran Appetit!” to learn more about Brandi and her approach to healthy living.

Brandi is a young, married woman who enjoys running with her husband and preparing and eating balanced meals. As she writes in her blog,  “I don’t always eat the healthiest things, but I try to do my best.” She says her blog is “a place for people to share ideas, tips, recipes, and anything else that will help us all keep a balanced and healthy life while enjoying every single thing we eat.”

Part of that experience includes participating in the Great Greens+ Experiment. Here is a recipe for Greens+ Omega 3 Chia that Brandi recently posted:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup water
• cinnamon
• vanilla

Visit the blog to see learn what else Brandi added to the mix.

The newest participant in the Great Greens+ Experiment is HangryPants, aka Heather, who maintains a healthy living blog. We shared our Omega 3 Chia with her and she is writing about her experiences with the product. Please see her blog and learn how Chia and a bowl of oats can make for a nutritious, delicious meal.