electric wizard

Pretty stoked today, I just ordered my gloves and shin guards for Muay Thai yesterday. Gloves - http://www.muaythaifactory.com/muay-thai-gloves.asp?ProductID=TKBGSA-BLACK Shin Guards - http://www.muaythaifactory.com/muay-thai-equipment.asp?ProductID=TKSGPGL-BK-RD After spending way too much time researching I decided to go with "Top King" gear based on web reviews. They're being sent from Thailand hopefully I see them before Christmas lol. I dropped $150 with shipping, not too bad. I'm gonna be a bit bummed if they don't fit right and have to send them back. It's gonna be awesome to not use the communal gear at the gym though, can't wait. I also just bought a shock guard single mouth guard, gotta protect them pearly whites. After boiling it and fitting I realized I can't breathe very good through my mouth with it. This lead me to do some research and it seems most people breathe through their nose... hmmm I guess I'm one of those obnoxious mouth breathers haha. I'm gonna try to make an effort to breathe soley through my nose this month. This is gonna be tough especially once my heart rate get's jacked, but apparently you perform less breathing cycles per minute nose breathing compared to mouth breathing, there's just an adjustment period that's difficult.

Thanks for the link Kishi. It's kind of nice to start out a little slower instead of doing full blown yoga right away. I think one thing that's for sure is I need a yoga block. My legs (mostly hamstrings) just can't stretch quite like I'd like them to yet. Thanks for the words of encouragement Zuel. I'm finding my scheduling hard to stick to thus far but my diet and exercise regime has been going strong. I'm gonna try to lessen the work load of my schedule so it isn't so daunting to do.

Thanks for the words of encouragement Kishi and Hugh! 2nd day on the job. I had a shake and also got the week one sprinting challenge in. Things went well the first day too. I did an hour of Jiu Jitsu and an hour of Muay Thai. I'm gonna try to double up on both at the gym as they're right after one another on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It wasn't as grueling as last weeks double session was, it was screaming hot out. I made some cauliflower rice for a dinner dish last night called "Mexican Rice Bowls". They were was awesome. The first time I made cauliflower rice I totally ruined it and it was soggy. This stuff was not soggy wet and had a slight hint of a buttery taste, kind of like bok choy when you cook it up. Tonight I'm gonna try to get a 30 minute yoga session in. I need to improve flexibility. Anyone have any good yoga routines they like to follow? I used to do P90X's and it gets the sweat going but I followed another video with my girlfriend and I realized the breathing and movements are way out of sync in P90X. You feel good when it's done but I don't think Tony Horton is the best Yoga teacher, his description of getting into the different poses is lacking and in some cases wrong.

I just found an awesome free iphone app called Sports Tracker. It logs the time, distance, maps, mph, has features for other workouts (i.e. hiking, swimming etc), and allows you to log them in a diary to recall later - pretty cool. The negative is running around with an iphone in your athletic clothes, but I have an Otter Box so the rubber grips in pretty good. Like others I despise running with a passion. I clocked 1.21 mi at 9:05 and was feeling it pretty damn good. My 1 mile lap time was 7:18 (another awesome feature of this app, it let's you look it your time for each individual lap, as my speed started declining noticable after about 5-6 minutes). I'm gonna try to boot up another run before this Sunday and beat my time. I'am dead tired this morning as I didn't sleep good last night so we'll see if that factors in.

Hello everybody. My name is Dave, I just finished my first challenge on NF with good success so I am here for another 6 weeks of hard work. I recently started Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai (began about mid August) so I thought the Monk guild would suit me. Let's dive into what I have mapped out for the next 6 weeks of my bootcamp. MAIN QUEST Lose 3% bodyfat. This is the same as my previous challenge and I think it's practical and allows me to intergrate healthier habits into my life rather than going full force and burning out. Last challenge I was a little shy of my 3% - I lost about 2.7% fat based on measuring tape and fat calipers. Some of the readings aren't the most reliable but I tried to go hard on myself so that I wasn't cheating (noting a higher/larger reading instead of a smaller figures). I think 3% is totally feasible I just need to be a little more strict with my diet and exercise regime. GOALS 1) Lower Alcohol Consmption No more than 1 beverage a day, except one day a week1 day a week, allowance of no more than 5 beveragesOn most days I don't even bother drinking my one allowed beverage, it's usually only in social situations with company and friends. On the day I can have 5 drinks I usually space them out largely, a beverage an hour and try to be in control. 2) Gluten Free I have cut back immensely on beer and drinks last challenge and although I wasn't perfect last challenge these habits are starting to stick with me which is great. Now I wanna try gluten free.I believe going gluten free will create a road block between the ease of reaching for a beer or ordering a sub sandwich etc.Plus I have also heard people have felt great after going gluten free so I figured I would try it and see if I notice an improvement.3) No delievery - Take out/Dining-in only 2x per week These places need to fit my guidelines and be healthy food too. LIFE QUEST Follow a daily schedule I will write out the night/day before. This daily schedule is almost more important than my main quest goals!This will allow me to map out my day in advance with a workout routine, meals, other goals (which I have written out on a large list), and to better my professional (career) life.I will create a list for the work week days only, weekends I won't necessarily "take-off" I just won't have penciled in time structures.I expect 90% success with this list. Writing out the times to do certain activities and then assuming completion doesn't always pan out as expected, random things in life interfere. Therefore I have given myself some leeway. MOTIVATION It's cliche I know but inspirational quotes usually help fire me back up when I am struggling, so I will use them as my motivation. “If people knew how hard I worked to achieve my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful after all.†- Michelangelo “Effort is only effort when it begins to hurt.†- Jose Ortega y Gasset “There's only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.†- Vince Lombardi

Day 39 - Sunday, September 8th, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Small bowl of Chicken Massuman Curry Lunch Chicken Chili w/ 1 slice of Gluten Free Bread EXERCISE NF Body Weight Routine 3 Circuits & Pull-Ups - 40 minutes

Day 38 - Sunday, September 8th, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Coffee Chilled Tea Egg Scrambler w/ Tons of Veggies & 2 slices of Gluten Free Toast (not too bad when toasted god awful in regular form) Snack BBQ Chicken Spring Roll w/ Peanut Sauce 1/2 a roll Dinner 3 bowls of Chicken Chili w/ 1 slice Gluten Free Toast Drinks 2 shots of Jack 7 PBRs opening football, the beer flows good around this time of year making it a goal to not get excessive w beer this week EXERCISE Yoga - 15 minutes

Day 37 - Saturday, September 7th, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Coffeeeee Lunch Lobster Roll French Fries (don't eat these stinkin' things!) Fried Clam Strips Dinner Chinese Chop Salad w/ Chicken A little Japanese Pan Noodles 2 Moon Man Beers Snack 1.5 Glass Cabarnet 1 shot of Randomness Bomb 1 Heineken 1 Powers & Diet Coke EXERCISE Fishing - 6 hours of standing (exercise? hardly but wahtevs)

Day 36 - Friday, September 6th, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Toast w/ Overeasy Eggs, Peppers, Spinach, Onion & Sriracha Vegan Rice Crispy Bar Lunch Salad - Kale, Spinach, Onions, Peppers, Chicken, Poppy Seed & Tahini Dressing Jasmine Tea 2 cups Dinner 1 Spring Roll Veggie + Peanut Sauce Chicken Satay 2 + Peanut Sauce 2 Big ol Bowls of Massuman Chicken Curry and White Rice Snack 1/2 Vegan Rice Crispy Bar 5 Small Glasses of Wine/Cider/or Beer (Friends Birthday had to enjoy that w them haha) EXERCISE Core Conditioning - 60 minutes

Day 35 - Thursday, September 5th, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Toast w/ Overeasy Eggs, Peppers, Spinach, Onion & Sriracha Lunch Kale Salad - Onions, Kale, Tomatos, Chicken, Croutons, Cucumber, Tahini Dressing Snack Toast w/ Overeasy Eggs, Peppers, Spinach, Onion & Sriracha Dinner Chicken Thighs, Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Spinach Beermosa New Glarus Moonman Beer EXERCISE Jiu Jitsu - 70 minutes Biking - 25 minutes

Day 34 - Wednesday, September 4th, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Toast w/ Overeasy Eggs, Peppers, Spinach, Onion & Sriracha Lunch Kale Salad w/ Chicken, Peppers, Onion, Carrots, Croutons, & Miso Asian Dressing Snack Toast w/ Eggs and Veg Dinner Peanut Asian Zucchini Noodle Salad Watermelon + Champagne Drink EXERCISE Biking - 30 minutes

Day 33 - Tuesday, September 2nd, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Toast w/ Overeasy Eggs, Peppers, Spinach, Onion & Sriracha Lunch Eggs? I cannot remember exacty but I believe it was similar to breakfast Snack BBQ SunChips a couple handfuls Dinner Chicken Thighs w/ Cilantro Sauce Mint Sauce 2 big thighs Salad w/ Fennel, Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon Dressing Beermosa x2 EXERCISE - none again, ugh I was pretty beat down need to get back at it

Day 32 - Monday, September 2nd, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Coffee Egg Scrambler, Eggs, Onion, Tomatos, Toast, a Pork Chop, Basil, Garlic Lunch Trail Mix - No Salt, Almonds, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Sunflower Seeds, Cashews 1 cup or so Handful of BBQ Sun Chips Dinner Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Prosciutto w/ Chimmi Churri Sauce Salad w/ Spinach, Sauteed Broccoli & Cauliflower, Honey, Croutons, & Red Wine Vinegar Dressing EXERCISE - none I got back into town today, I ate pretty healthy and tried to exercise, either hike or run when we were camping. Alcohol consumption was pretty minimal though so hell yeah.

Day 26 - Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Coffee Raw Beets, Pistacchios, Garlic Infused Raisins, Vinegar, Oil Lunch Salad w/ Greens, Sesame Dressing, Green Onion, Peanuts, Carrots Snack Crab Cake Sandwich, 2 Pieces Sourdough, Crab, Vegannaise, Onion, Mustard, Herbs Dinner 1/2 Chicken Korma, Vegetable Samosa 3 Pints, 1 shot of Knot, Ginger Cocktail, 1 Cider Beer EXERCISE None! Going out of town again today for a 6 day camping/cabin adventure, I hope I can keep things healthy. Hopefully there will be a lot of activity and exercise at least.

Day 25 - Monday, August 26th, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Coffee Lunch Erbert & Gerberts Pompeii (Chicken Salad) Sub (no bacon on wheat) + bowl of Chicken White Bean Chili Snack Mesquite BBQ Chips - 3 Servings (I ate them now they're gone, I vow to not be more chips till these 6 weeks are over) Dinner Fresh Pasta w/ Roasted Squash, Garlic, Oil, Herbs, Nuts Strawberries EXERCISE Yoga Core/Abs (Grueling!) - 25 minutes

Day 24 - Sunday, August 25st, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Biscuits + Gravy, Sunnyside Up Eggs, Hashbrowns, Ketchup Lunch Chicken Ramen Snack Mango and Avocado Salad + Shrimp Cakes Dinner Chili Verde (Pork) + Chips & Salsa EXERCISE NONE!!!! - Finally made it back home today from a long weekend trip though

Day 23 - Saturay, August 24st, 2013 FOOD Breakfast 2 Overeasy Eggs + Bok Choy & Mushrooms + Rice-a-Roni Lunch Chicken Salad Sandwich half of a large one Snack A few Gardettos Chips Dinner Porkcetta, Chicken Breast, Lots of Veg, Penne Pasta w/ Ranch Sauce, 1 Slice of Bread 4 Glasses of White Wine 6 Beers 2 Shots (It was a wedding out of town that's why this weekend was so downhill) EXERCISE Mild Walking - 30 minutes

Day 22 - Friday, August 23st, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Egg Scrambler - Chicken Sausage, Cherry Tomatos, Corn, Eggs, Cucumber (yuck not my choosing), Onion, Pepper Coffee Snack Chicken Ramen Lunch Chicken Salad Sandwich from Culver's Dinner 5oz Salmon, Bok Choy, Mushrooms, Onions, Rice a Roni Snack 8 Beers + 4 Shots EXERCISE None - Again AH!

Day 21 - Thursday, August 22st, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Smoothie - Mango, Spinach, Almond Milk, Spirulina Snack Vegetable Soup + 2 Overeasy Eggs Lunch Southwest Salad - Avocado, Greens, Black Beans, Tortilla Strips, Dressing Kilkenny Irish Cream Beer 16oz on tap Guinness Beer 16oz on tap Dinner Jorge's Tacos - Beans, Cilantro, Chicken, Corn Tortillas, Poblano Peppers Chips & Salsa EXERCISE None - AH!

Day 20 - Wenesday, August 21st, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Smoothie - Blueberries, Spinach, Banana, Spirulina, Almond Milk, Oats Lunch Subway Sub 6" - Chicken Breast, Southwest Sauce, Various Veg on Wheat Baked BBQ Chips Dinner Corn and Bean Tortilla Soup 2 Mahi Mahi Tacos + Chips & Salsa EXERCISE Disc Golf - 220 minutes (yes!) P90X Chest & Back - 40 minutes (3/4 of the workout and I was toast, hot day here today)

Day 19 - Tuesday, August 20th, 2013 FOOD Breakfast PB, Choc, & Banana Smoothie - Natural PB, 2 Bananas, Vegan Choc Chips, Almond Milk, Spirulina, Cocoa Powder Jasmine Tea 2 cups Snack Vegetable Soup + Overeasy Egg + Creamy Horseradish + Sriracha Lunch Chicken Salad Sandwich 1.5 + Sriracha + Creamy Horseradish EXERCISE None - boo! let's tar and feather this man!

Day 18 - Monday, August 19th, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Sun Chips Garden Salsa 4 servings (boooo! chips bad!) Vegetable Soup + Overeasy Egg Lunch Vegetable Soup + Cream Horseradish + Couple of Chips Dinner 6oz Salmon Sauteed + Mushrooms & Bokchoy + 3/4 cup of White Rice Snack Apple Sun Chips 1 serving (yay I finished them now I can't eat them) Popcorn with a Spicy Horseradish Drizzle EXERCISE Gardening - 70 minutes Foam Rolling - 15 minutes

Day 17 - Sunday, August 18th, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Apple Naked Juice Berry Lunch 2 PBRs Sun Chips Garden Salsa 4 servings Dinner Beef Chipotle Cheese Burger on Pretzel Bun 3oz New York Strip 2oz Beef Tenderloin 2 New Glarus Moon Man Beers EXERCISE Jiu Jitsu - 50 minutes Foam Roller - 20 minutes Disc Golf (Walking) - 130 minutes

Day 16 - Saturday, August 17th, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Naked Juice Green Machine Vitamin Water Lunch Veggies and Creamy Spinach Dip Dinner 2 Grilled Chicken Breast + Mango Salsa 1 cup of Rice Asian Coleslaw 3 slices of Wheat Garlic Bread 1 Miller LIte EXERCISE None - booo!

Day 15 - Friday, August 16th, 2013 FOOD Breakfast Coffee Egg & Toast Lunch 1/4 Chicken Kabob & BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich & Small Cup of Pasta Salad Dinner Ehhhh... No dinner Copious amounts of beer (friend had a birthday keg) and shots therefore I opted not to eat a lot in lieu of the alcohol EXERCISE Kegball (Kickball with a Keg at 2nd base lol) - 90 minutes, it was actually a decent workout running around the bases as fast as I could