Archive for July, 2012

The Game Plan

Posted: July 19, 2012 in Challenge
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30 days, no food or water from sunup till sunset, clean eating, CrossFit training. I’ll need some what of a game plan if I want to tackle this successfully. I don’t have to many details in mind since this is an experiment for me this year so I will adjust as I have to.

What I know:

  1. Schedule – I usually workout in evening around 7 or 8. The last CrossFit session at my gym starts at 7.30pm so I plan on attending that. I’m going off my experience from my high school days when I used to attend wrestling practice during Ramadan. By the time practice would end, it was time to open my fast and I felt fine. Then again those days Ramadan was in the winter time and the days were much shorter (fast opened at 5pm). Nonetheless, aside from the gym schedule, I want to attend taraweeh prayers at the mosque after opening fast so I would rather take care of the workout before hand.
  2. Programming – Shorter metabolic conditioning, more strength related workouts. I won’t be trying to tackle Murph anytime during this month. Most of my workouts will include strength based olympic lifting and gymnastics. I will try to throw in shorter met-cons after the strength workouts if I’m feeling up to it. At some point, if I’m well rested and fed, I’ll try a named met-con WOD and see how it goes. I’ll be following the gym’s programming where I can and other days I will develop my own.
  3. Nutrition – This is where it will get tricky. My plan is to eat as much protein and fat as I can in the mornings. Not an easy task at 4am. Eggs, chicken, and avocado will be my best friend in the mornings. I’ll work in some carbs though at least in the beginning.  In the evening’s I’ll try to stick to Paleo style meals the best I can. Easier said than done, especially if you have seen how Muslims (especially Pakistani Muslims) eat during Iftaar. I’ll try to post when I can what I ate and maybe some recipes.
  4. Rest – One of the most difficult things to attain during Ramadan in the summer. My window to sleep is very limited. I have to be up between 8.30pm and 11.30pm to eat and pray. I then have to be up by 4 am for Sahoor. I also have to be at the gym from 7.30-8.30pm. I may adjust my work schedule and go in right after Sahoor, giving me the ability to come home early and take a pre workout nap. Problems: I’m not a morning person and I’m not a napper. this should be fun.

The other details will be worked out as I face certain situations. Tomorrow will be my first workout while fasting. I’ll pace myself and make sure it’s an easier going strength based workout.

Aside from all this I have to make sure I’m getting the most out of this month. I have to make sure my mood isn’t affected to the point where I’m not nice to people. I have to make sure I set aside time for volunteer work. I have to make sure I donate more generously to charities or to those who are less fortunate. I’m confident that if I make sure I’m taking care of these things along with my fitness, this month, the hardest 30 days I have ever had to fast in my life, will be over in no time and I will be missing it.

It’s go time tomorrow!

My Ramadan Challenge

Posted: July 17, 2012 in Challenge
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Aslaamulaikum all!

Well it’s that time again, 325 days have passed and it’s time to start the month of Ramadan. While most people know Ramadan as Muslims not eating or drinking from sun up to sun down, there is actually a lot more to it. This is a month where Muslims push themselves to become better people through fasting, spirtual cleansing, discipline, philanthropic and charity work. It’s 30 days of reflecting on our lives, understanding how people less fortuante than us who don’t have food may feel, giving to the less fortunate, and developing self-control in restraining our selves from bad actions. All in all it’s a month designed to better our mind, body, and soul. Most people do a great job with the mind and soul but all too often I see the body part being neglected.

I’ll be the first to say I have been guilty with that neglect. 10 minutes before the sun sets, I’m salvating over which egg rolls I will eat first and what sugar drink I will gulp down in a 0-60 contest. But why? I’ve heard all the excuses in the book  (a lot of them made by me) about eating the way we do when it’s time to open our fast or neglecting even doing a few pushups when we wake up.

This year I’ve said no more of these excuses. How can I maintain my fitness level, push my self to eat clean, and at the same time show others that it can be done? I want to show people that as a Muslim that observes Ramadan, I can harness the greatness of this month that will push me not only to be a better son, brother, co-worker, and community member, but to also be a better athlete that respects the body God has given me.

Over the next 30 days I will document how I eat, how I workout, how I rest, some recipes that I find useful, and other tips and tricks I pick up along the way. I want others to read this and believe that they too can do it. Make no mistake, the main goal this Ramadan will be to better my deen and myself but in doing so, maintain or even increase my fitness. Will this work? Will I be able to maintain it for 30 days? Who knows. All I know is that if this works, this will be a game changer for me and how I tackle Ramadan in the future. Hopefully it will motivate some of my friends and family to do the same.

July 20th, here I come!

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