“The rest of your life is waiting for you and your optimal weight.”

Welcome to another update with Shmulik! Since June, Shmulik has gone from 332 pounds to 267 pounds —a loss of 65 pounds! He’s on a great path to accomplish his goals and ready to run the Jerusalem Marathon next March. So let’s listen in for a great chat with our friend Shmulik!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Shmulik’s current status: feeling great, not hungry or deprived
• Why Shmulik is “on his own” right now
• Eric recounts the different phases of weight loss: misery, success, complacency, recommitment, support, and when the newness of success wears off
• How to guard against complacency
• The importance of socialization around fitness goals and healthy activities
• Shmulik talks about plans to sign up for and run a 5k!
• The benefits of being involved in 5K/10K races in the local community
• Shmulik’s current workouts: mostly on the treadmill in the gym, with 3 km of running incorporated into each 5-7.5 km session
• Shmulik’s current favorite foods: salads with garlic and lemon juice, mushroom dishes, and wild rice with lentils seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, onion, and tomatoes
• Shmulik and Eric discuss potential future guests for the show
• An update on Shmulik’s family, his sons, and their military service
• A summary of Israeli military service requirements: three years of service after high school, and then are on military reserve until age 40
• Shmulik describes how people in Israel who self-classify as “highly religious” can commit to study the Torah and become exempt from military service, and also receive payments from the government that are higher than military pay
• Shmulik and Eric discuss peace, war, and Israeli and American politics

Shmulik slimmed down and looking great on his daily walk!

“Even the mayor of Jerusalem participates in the Jerusalem marathon!”

Welcome to week 15 of our reality podcast, with Eric O’Grey in Spokane, Washington coaching Shmulik Shwartz in Lehavim, Israel to lose 140 pounds in 10 months so the two can run the Jerusalem marathon together in March 2017!

For those wondering what happened to Episode 16:  Eric messed it up and only one track recorded last week, so we skipped a week.  Eric promises to be more careful going forward!

Today’s show features Ariel Rosenfeld, a friend of Shmulik. Ariel is a vegan ultra-marathon runner who participates in ultramarathons all over the world. Listen as he shares his experiences in training, running, and winning!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Shmulik lost 3.1 lbs. last week, for a total of over 60 pounds since June!
• Ariel tells us about the running scene in Israel and its recent exponential growth.
• Ariel explains why the Jerusalem Marathon is THE BEST race in Israel:  The mayor of Jerusalem participates in the race, and the course covers the history of Jerusalem.
• Ariel describes the 100 mile Berlin Wall race, which he ran and WON FIRST PLACE several weeks ago!
• The physical AND psychological benefits to running/walking
• Why uphills AND downhills are challenging
• The importance of training as specifically as possible for each race
• Ariel talks about his next big challenge: the Spartathon, a 156 mile (246 km) race in Greece, from Athens to Sparta, which is considered to be one of the hardest ultramarathons in the world.
• Ariel’s advice for training with a running club.
• Eric outlines his running expectations for Shmulik’s training.
• Why Shmulik’s running is primarily in the gym on the treadmill.
• How writing everything down makes it easier to follow an eating plan.
• A recap of Shmulik’s diet: eliminated bread and other calorie-dense foods, minimized nuts, and focuses now on greens, potatoes, rice, and fruits.
• The priority for Shmulik is to train without getting injured.
• Why it’s better to focus on the length of the workout and NOT the pace.

Resources:

Ariel Rosenfeld – Great Vegan Athlete

Ultramarathon runner Ariel Rosenfeld has won the Berin Wall 100 mile race

One hundred miles Berlin wall – race report