The Beast Report: December 2020

Issue 37
December 2020

By Kim Collings

1. Beast Profiles

2. Nutrition

Articles and interviews dedicated to reporting on the amazing people and stories of Your Beast Team!

Meet Donna Murphy!

What was your first OCR race and what made you decide to try it?

Tough Mudder, March 2012, in the Poconos, PA with my former teaching colleague and running buddy. We froze! It snowed the night before and I ended up hypothermic by the end of the race, and swore off of all obstacle course racing! Fast forward to 2018 when I met Marilou Ubungen, who brought me to the Snohomish September Open House and fell down the OCR rabbit hole! Jeannie Nieman convinced me to go for Ghost 2019, on my birthday weekend. Team Dang! I gained the confidence to go for the Spartan trifecta.

How has OCR helped you overcome challenges?

When I taught middle school back in NJ, I would have my middle school cross country team add mud/trail runs to their trainings to help get a break from the late summer heat and add some fun. My goal was and is to inspire others to push their comfort zone and view obstacles as opportunities for challenges and maybe growth. Moving to the WA four years ago, leaving teaching and Jersey behind, and getting involved in the OCR community renewed my spirit and helped me adjust to the PNW groove. Being able to measure physical growth, mental fortitude and regaining confidence while quelling self-doubt is the embodiment of OCR for me.

What do you love most about the OCR Community?

What can I say about this community that has not been said before? What an amazing, supportive, and welcoming group of people and athletes!

Who inspires you?

The Beast Family inspires me. I love how this is not “just a Spartan Racing” group, rather an innovative, challenge yourself while supporting others, and eat tacos until you almost puke, group. From TP challenges to learning about rucking all while making life-long friendships. A huge kudos to the bad ass women in this community. Whoa!

What is your favorite OCR memory?

Favorite memory/race: Whistler BC 2019. It was the last medal for my first trifecta, an amazing venue- trail race surrounded by such great friends, whilst staying at an AirBnB with a cat named “Tuna”. Lots of us: “are we at the top of this mountain, YET?” , and “who’s idea was this?”

What are your favorite and least favorite obstacles?

Favorite obstacles: heavy carries-takes me back to my “farm-girl” days and least fav is rope climb. It’s still a burpee obstacle for me.

What length of race do you like best?

Favorite reach length is the Super. Perfect distance, with just the right amount of “funishment”.

Tell us something about yourself that few people know, whether OCR related or not.

Something about me: I am a former social worker and addiction counselor who specialized in adjudicated youth with gang affiliations. Once I had kids, I became a middle school teacher. Now I work in the family construction company-in the office. I am a published Six-Word memoirist.

What are your goals for 2021?

Goals: Keep grinding through these weird times and staying motivated to train. I am going to keep signing up for the virtual races while trying to outsmart and train our 1 year old Australian Shepherd, Rio. I look forward to racing in real life again and hope to make it through one race burpee(s) free.

Photo Credit: Donna Murphy

2. Beast Nutrition

Milk

Milk Fun Facts:

1. Although it is nearly impossible to pinpoint, most historians believe that using milk as a beverage began about 10,000 years ago when animals were first domesticated.

2. Despite its creamy texture, milk is comprised of 85 to 95 percent water. The rest of its volume comes from nutritious vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, and fat.

3. Young children need the nutrients milk provides because their developing skeletal systems replace bone mass about every two years until they reach maturity.

4. Milk pasteurization, which began in the late 1800s, is partly responsible for curbing the tuberculosis epidemic of that time.

5. Goat’s milk breaks down during digestion in 20 minutes whereas cow milk takes a full hour.

6. It takes 10 pounds of milk to make a pound of cheese, 21 pounds of milk to make a pound of butter, and 12 pounds of milk to make a single gallon of ice cream.

7. A single cow yields about 90 glasses of milk per day or about 200,000 glasses of milk per lifetime.

8. Milk is the only drink in the world that contains such a large range of naturally occurring nutrients.

9. Goat milk is non-allergenic. Goat milk does not have the protein that is the main stimulant of allergenic reactions (B-Lactoglobulin).

10. A cow gives milk for the first time, only after she gives birth to a calf.

11. Milk not only re-hydrates the body, but provides a host of beneficial nutrients and protects teeth at the same time!

12. Milk was delivered in glass bottles until plastic containers were invented in 1964.

13. Milk from camels is a good staple food because it does not curdle like cow milk.

14. Unlike cow’s milk, camel’s milk is easily digestible for the lactose intolerant population. It also contains more vitamin C than cow’s milk.

15. Milk delivery to homes began in 1942.

16. Hippo’s Milk Is Pink in color

17. Until the development of milking machines in 1894, farmers only milked about six cows each hour. Today, the average dairy farmer milks more than 100 cows per hour.

18. A cow udder holds between 25 and 50 pounds of pure milk.

19. Milk is an important part of diet, especially a breakfast is incomplete without it, either it is coffee or tea, shakes or corn flakes, everything requires milk.

20. In some parts of the United States, milk is more expensive than gasoline. !!!

Photo Credit: https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/05/08/kroger-to-dairy-farmers-stop-dumping-your-milk-wel.aspx

Article Credit: http://did-you-know-thats.blogspot.com/2013/05/interesting-facts-about-milk.html

Recipe:

Protein-packed smoothie

Protein-rich foods containing the amino acid leucine can drastically speed muscle recovery, said researchers at the University of Illinois. For a fast, big dose, you can gag down a raw egg white. Or you can whip up this delicious smoothie instead; it’s perfect for after heavy weight training.

1 cup skim milk
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1/2 banana, sliced
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon honey

Combine ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.

Photo Credit: https://www.expertrain.com/blog/health/homemade-protein-shakes—two-quick-and-tasty-recipes.htm

Article Credit: https://www.espn.com/espnw/training/nutrition/story/_/id/6642310/make-recovery-drinks