There is no shortage of health and fitness apps these days, and that shouldn't come as any surprise, given that fitness based competitions like 5k's to Marathons and Bike Races to Paddle events seem to be popping up everywhere with participation in the 10's of millions.  But, which one is really the right app to use.  Some are only available on iPhone or Android, some are free and some are not, and some only track one activity type while others include nearly 30 trackable activities.  I personally haven't tested them all, so I'm not the expert on the subject, but I did do some research and here is what I found as it relates to Pedal, Paddle, Pack.

With the shear volume of apps available, you will likely be able to find a free app that will work just fine.  So, no paid apps here.  Also, I like the idea of being able to share your fitness achievements, regardless of how big or small they are, with other individuals.  I believe, the additional support of fellow users helps keep you motivated and helps keep you on track with your goals.  So, with that being said, apps need to be on multiple mobile platforms and be able to post to social media.  And lastly, its important to be able to track anything from a bike ride, to a canoe trip, to a fitness run. 

Here's what we found:  At around 30 million users each, these three apps seem to be outpacing much of the competition.   RunKeeper, Endomondo, and Runtastic all are feature-rich apps that enable GPS tracking, distance, speed monitoring, caloric output, and activity history. You can use them just for running or in multiple other sports, including cycling, hiking, skiing, and swimming.  Once your workout is complete, the data can be synced to your account on their websites to keep track of your vital stats.  And, if you want to stir up a little competition between friends? Post your results to Facebook and Twitter!  Or create a course, event, or competition online to challenge others in your area. 

I'm sure there are other apps out there that likely perform just as well as these three, but 100,000,000 users seem to have established the front runners.

"It is health that is real wealth, not gold and silver."  Mahatma Gandhi

I have been finding it difficult lately to address relevant topics for my blog while attempting to keep my small readership entertained.   But when my brother/most frequent backcountry travel companion had the idea to test a variety of homemade protein/energy bar recipes, it seemed like the right topic for this time of year.  With the days getting longer and the snow melting, most backpackers and backcountry paddlers are gearing up for their adventure travel season.  So, what better time to perfect your backcountry menu.  The recipes we tested were chosen because they appeared delicious and the list of ingredients addressed the 4 components of nutrition required to be an effective backcountry bar; Protein, Carbs, Omega 3's, and Antioxidants.    

Protein:  Just because you're not weight lifting doesn't mean the muscles don't need to be fed. Sometimes we focus way too much on the carbohydrates, and we forget what's responsible for not only maintenance and repair, but nearly every chemical reaction that takes place in the body.

Carbohydrates:  It is common for athletes to refuel after a strength or endurance workout only with protein. However, without a source of carbohydrates post-workout, your body will not be able to produce insulin, the hormone that drives muscle building. Carbohydrates also help to replace muscle and liver glycogen to refuel your energy stores. The current recommendation is a ratio of 2:1 carbohydrate to protein following strength workouts and 4:1 after endurance workouts.

Omega 3's:  Redness, pain, heat and swelling are the four symptoms of chronic inflammation, the root cause of disease. Over-exercising can take its toll on not just the muscles and joints, but the organs of the immune system, and when combined with stress, chronic illness and poor eating habits, you're left with a large recipe for inflammation. Because the typical American diet contains pro-inflammatory foods high in omega-6 fats, the body needs the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats to
maintain a sweet balance. Because the body doesn't make them on its own, these fats are considered essential, which means we must get them on our plate. 

Antioxidants:  Antioxidant rich foods help reduce inflammation and decrease muscle soreness and also aids athletic performance and comes highly recommended for recovery foods.

Alright, enough about the details, lets get to the food. 

Recipe Link: http://dailyburn.com/life/recipes/coconut-chocolate-truffle-recipe/

The true definition of "good things come to those who wait", the 5 hour prep time generated the highest taste score of the recipes tested.  The recipe link above gives a nutritional  breakdown, however, based on the  information we had, the values looked a little more like this.   

One half batch created 20 bites - each bite averaging 117 calories with 2.3g of Protein, 6.4g of Fat, 12.4g of Carbohydrates and 3.6g of Fiber.  The Carb : Protein ratio was more than 5 to 1, meaning it was a little deficient in necessary protein levels, but that may be supplemented with a protein powder addition to the recipe.  

Recipe Link: http://www.backcountry.com/explore/6-next-level-backcountry-snacks

Be advised, in the quick 15 minutes of production, I botched the recipe by adding the sesame seeds to the processed mixture instead of rolling them in the seeds afterward.  Therefore, they appear a little different than the link picture.  I have made similar bites before, and they were excellent, but this time they only garnered a second to last place taste score.  Nutritionally speaking, these bites hit a homerun.  It addressed all 4 components and had a Carb : Protein ratio of 1.22 making it more protein dense than a Clif Builder Bar.  A batch created about 20 bites at 72 calories, 4.4g of Protein, 4.2g of Fat, 5.4g of Carbs, and 1.3g of Fiber per bite. 

Recipe Link: http://spabettie.com/2012/09/24/ginger-vanilla-protein-crunch-bars/

This recipe was kind of a wild card for me.  It used a number of ingredients that I was unfamiliar with, and along I am a fan of ginger, I wasn't sure how it would present itself in this bar.  A very close third in tasting and second in nutrition along with its relatively painless preparation put this wild card on top of my list to make again.

The 9x9 pan can be divided into whatever size bar you would like, but for purposes of nutritional values, I went with a 3x3 bar.  These bars contained 272 calories, 11.5g of Protein, 11.9g of Fat, 30.1g of Carbs, and 3.7g of Fiber. 

Recipe Link: http://www.thesweetlifeonline.com/2013/01/03/raw-banana-bread-breakfast-bar/

These no bake, minimal ingredient bars were easy to make, with the only difficult part of the process was due to a lack of a rolling pin in our kitchen.  On a side note, if you find yourself in need of a rolling pin, but don't have one, a wine bottle works great.  Unfortunately, these bars scored the lowest among our tasters.  We found the banana flavor to be minimal.  This can easily be remedied by ensuring you use the ripest and freshest bananas.  We would suggest trying a fresh banana instead of dehydrating them, as we found the need to add moisture to the mix as well.

The nutrition values also landed it at the bottom of the list.  The 9x12 sheet cut into 12 pieces yielded 189 calories, 2.8g of Protein, 14g of Fat, 16.2g of Carbs, and 3.2g of Fiber per piece.  This had the worst carb to protein ratio at more then 5.8 and it had the highest fat content among the 5 bars tested.

Recipe Link: http://www.backcountry.com/explore/6-next-level-backcountry-snacks

For those with a sweet tooth, the name itself makes this recipe worth trying.  Even though this bar required baking, the total preparation time was well worth the outcome.  Second place in tasting and third in nutrition and preparation, these bars were the most all around good bar addressing all areas of testing adequately.

The 9x9 pan was divided into 9 pieces again with values as follows: 291 calories, 9.3g of Protein, 19.8g of Fat, 23.8g of Carbs, 5.2g of Fiber.  With a carb to protein ratio of 2.5, this bar was ideal for muscle recovery with out the use of a protein powder.

When looking at Preparation, Nutrition, Taste, and Cost we created a common denominator of 500 calories.  The list below is based on this common factor and allows us to compare a number of factors.

Preparation is not an issue if you buy commercial produced bars, but a number of the tested bars and bites performed just as well or better in taste and nutrition, and at a more affordable price point, they are worth the extra effort to make at home.  The truffle bites, date bites, cake bars, and ginger bars were nearly identical in final tally, so the final decision is up to you.  Give them a try and add your favorite to your backcountry menu.

Photo credit and special thanks to my brother, Josh Kufahl, for the idea and taking the time to create these recipes with me. http://joshkufahl.com/index.html

Also, some of the information given was collected from active.com and outsideonline.com, both great sources of information. 

There's no dispute that fitness based competitions have been increasing at a rapid rate over the past 3-5 years.  In 2010, the obstacle course race, Warrior Dash, had 120,000 participants.  In just two short years, those numbers increased by 358% to over 550,000.  And with 50+ events on the schedule for this year, its anticipated to have more than 700,000 participants in 2014.  If you look at the big three of OCR; Tough Mudder, Spartan Race, and Warrior Dash, the participation levels are well over 1.5 million and some estimates show near two million.  The 24+ hour Adventure Race format has seen its numbers decline recently, however, the formats of shorter races have changed to make off-road racing a more accessible event.  Even U.S. Running events from 5k to Marathons have seen a 11.2% increase in just one years time.  With more than 15.5 million finishers at 26,370 events in the U.S. alone.  This surge begs the question, where does the growth of fitness based competition go next?  

While I don't claim to have the answer to the previous question, I do offer a potential solution.  I myself am a competitive person who enjoys the outdoor recreation disciplines of adventure racing (biking, paddling, running) and I often use those activities as my exercise and leisure routine.  Adventure races or Obstacle Course races have long been on my list of things to do, but I prefer to have my weekends for other activities and the travel that is often required makes the financial commitment significantly more than the $100-$200 entrance fee.  Knowing that I can't be the only one to feel this way and with the increase in fitness based challenges, as well as, a renewed focus on local resources, 3P has created the Pedal, Paddle, Pack Multi-Sport League for 2014.  

The 3P Multi-Sport League is an 8 Event league designed to provide a unique 2-person team competition in a simplified format of an adventure race.  The courses are shorter and offer challenges for all skill levels.  There is less gear required.  And, the event locations take advantage of the trails, parks, and waterways we have right here in Central Wisconsin.  Because the locations are right out our backdoor, this new league is held on weeknights (Tuesday evenings) starting in late May and ending in early August.  Each event will start at 6:00 pm or 6:30 pm depending on course length and available day light hours.  And, each event will have winning times around 1 1/2 to 2 hours and will consist of any or all of the following activities; biking, canoeing, and running, while offering a one of a kind league experience.

The teams of two (2) will be required to complete the course based on a course map with checkpoint placement and other league rules.  Each team will be awarded points based on their correct completion of the course.  At the end of the 8 event league season, the team with the most points will receive a 3 day / 2 night multi-sport wilderness trip for 4.  In addition to a final prize for the team with the most points at the end of the season, we hope to be able to award prizes for the teams with the best total Pedal, Paddle, and Pack times.  This will be dependent on sponsorships and overall participation. Dates, times, and included disciplines for the events can be found in the 3P League menu on our website.  http://www.pedalpaddlepack.com/general-information.html

If you have additional questions about the league concept, please feel free to send me an email at info@pedalpaddlepack.com.  We hope to see you on the trail pushing your limits with us this year.

"Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning." - Thomas Jefferson

The Holidays are often the most fun and yet most stressful time of the year.  We get to enjoy the company of our families, buy gifts for loved ones and of course indulge in the traditional holiday foods that we all love and dread so much.  It's not uncommon for a typical American to eat almost twice their required daily calories in any given holiday feast, and with the "Holidays" extending from Thanksgiving till New Year's, the feasting often consists of 3+ overindulgent meals.  This gastronomic workout leads to a 1 to 2 pound weight gain and the quintessential New Year's resolution of losing the weight.  This year you could avoid both the weight gain and the corresponding resolution with only a few simple steps. 

I'm not suggesting that you skip the festive meals or use a new magic diet pill, I'm simply asking you to consider taking a few steps in the right direction and through the snow.  Each pound you gain is equivalent to 3500 calories, and snowshoeing has the potential to burn off that pound in only a few beautiful hours.  The calorie burn from snowshoeing varies based on intensity, terrain, snow conditions, and the individuals metabolism, but here are a couple rules of thumb.  Multiply your weight by the following Metabolic Multiplier to estimate your calorie burn per hour of snowshoeing.

My advice to you, is to enjoy the season for everything it offers us.  Compete in the Holiday Hunger Games, just don't finish in first place.  Be the first one out the door and into the wilderness.  You may just discover something even better than the weight loss.

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill,  to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." - Calvin Coolidge