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that wasn’t enough, there are also frequent elk and mountain lion sightings. Oh, and thunderstorms are so common that participants have been struck by lightning on numerous occasions! Conditions can change at a moment’s notice, so runners are given updates and warnings about when to simply get off the course and wait for a storm to pass. Perhaps no race combines the majestic beauty of nature with the challenge of endurance running quite like the Hardrock 100. Luckily, there are 14 aid stations throughout the course where runners can stop, warm up, rest, and replenish. Without them, we’d venture to say that the Hardrock 100 would be more aptly named the Hardrock Impossible. These are just three of the many ways fitness junkies can take their passion to its absolute apex. Of course, you shouldn’t enter these events or others like them without plenty of preparation. That being said, for many people, challenges like these are what make the hours spent in the gym pay off in spades.
Each year, entrants sign up to compete either individually or in groups in both stand-up and prone divisions. The course itself spans the Ka’iwi Channel, which translates to “the channel of bones.” As the name suggests, it’s no lap pool. With gale-force winds and massive ocean swells, it’s known for being treacherous and intense. In adverse conditions, it’s borderline unnavigable. Needless to say, M2O is not for novices. A 100-mile endurance run sounds tough enough as is. Add more than 60,000 feet of elevation change, and you have a recipe for one of the toughest races in the world. That’s exactly what the Hardrock 100 offers competitors each summer. Racers have 48 hours to complete the course, with various resting points along the way. Beginning and ending in Silverton, Colorado, the closed course passes through mountains, rivers, and everything in between. As if HARDROCK 100-MILE ENDURANCE RUN
described as insane. Participants are tasked with completing a course as many times as they can in 24 hours, with the winners completing in excess of 100 laps. World’s toughest, indeed.
MOLOKAI 2 OAHU PADDLEBOARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
For many people, paddleboarding is a relaxing way to spend a summer afternoon. The brave souls who sign up for the Molokai 2 Oahu PaddleboardWorld Championships (M2O) aren’t looking for leisure, though; they are testing themselves in choppy waters over a course 32 miles long. In fact, the M2O is so dangerous that every participant has a boat nearby in case they fall in rough waters or get too tired to continue. While the race started in 1996, it has its roots in the ancient cultures of the Hawaiian Islands. Polynesian people, the first migrants to Hawaii, often paddled their way from island to island in search of a place to settle. It’s with this spirit in mind that M2O was created. It didn’t take long to become extremely popular.
Why Celebs and CEOs Swear by It 3 Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Tom Hardy, Christian Bale, Chris Hemsworth, Liv Tyler, and Beyonce — all of these celebrities have used intermittent fasting (IF) to meet their fitness goals. Fasting dates back thousands of years — in fact, one of the most popular fasts is called the “Daniel Fast” because it mirrors Daniel’s abstinence from food as portrayed in the Old Testament. This ancient trend is gaining popularity in the nutrition community. Here are three ways IF might benefit you. One of the most common misconceptions about fasting is that you can’t eat any food. The truth is that we all fast for a period of time each day while we’re asleep; intermittent fasting simply extends that fasting period. After eating, your body transitions to a fed state where your food is used for fuel. However, after 8–10 hours without food, your body enters a fasted state in which your body burns stored fat for energy, which leads to weight loss and more muscle definition. With intermittent fasting, you fast for a specified period — typically 16 hours — and eat all of your meals within an 8-hour period. WEIGHT LOSS
MENTAL ACUITY
Fasting has become popular among the Silicon Valley crowd in recent years due to the endorphin rush and mental acuity associated with IF. When food is scarce and you haven’t eaten, your brain sends endorphins into your bloodstream to make you more alert. Your brain then digests information more efficiently. This is thought to be a holdover from our hunter-gatherer days, when we had to be alert enough to find food or we’d starve to death. CEOs in the nation’s tech capital have begun using this strategy in recent years to increase their productivity.
BOOSTED IMMUNE SYSTEM
According to researchers at the University of Southern California, fasting essentially flips a regenerative switch in the body. “It gives the ‘okay’ for stem cells to go ahead and begin proliferating and rebuild the entire system,” says Valter Longo, Ph.D., director of the USC Longevity Institute. “Fasting cycles can generate, literally, a new immune system.”
2 • www.touchofbeautyspokane.com
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