Librarian of Doom

Been struggling with lack of spell slots to get in here and update, but I added back squat and bench press numbers. I'm pretty comforted by how little I've lost in the time I wasn't lifting, tbh.

Added some Deadlift numbers today...holding steady at about 80-85% of my old 1RM

I'm hoping so! My aerobic endurance is...terrible, but there's sadly only one way to fix that. Monday: A rough day. Ended up working 9 am - 8 pm because the person who was supposed to work that night called in sick, but late enough that I couldn't work a split shift. Still hit my caffeine goal, though. No workout, as it was a CrossFit rest day and also we're sleep training the baby, so I was very tired. Did watch the Hulu documentary about the Fyre Festival and WOW. So many mediocre white men. Tuesday: I don't normally work until noon on Tuesdays, but today I went in late since I worked extra hours yesterday. So that was nice. Got a workout in at CrossFit and talked to my coach about nutrition coaching, since he recently got certified in OPEX. I told him about how big sweeping changes make me anxious/depressed and he said the goal was to make small gradual changes to get me where I want to be. So we'll see how that goes. I scaled the hell out of the workout and it was a good thing I did. But I finished and no vomiting. Check plus on caffeine since I forgot to bring a soda to work for my lunch. Wednesday: Taking a rest day so I don't try to do too much and burn out in the process, although I may try to do some yoga this evening if I can. Caffeine is on track so far. Challenge Tracker Find a new gym and make arrangements: 1/1 complete Exercise 2-3 days per week: 3/12 workouts complete Cut back caffeine to 1 coffee/1 small soda per day: 9/28 days complete Revise my YA novel at least 1x per week: 1/4 complete

Saturday: I worked 8-5 so no gym for me. Caffeine goal was a check-I asked the waiter to bring me water instead of a soda refill at work. And even though I got portion sizes that I've devoured completely in the past, I wasn't hungry for all of it, so I took the leftovers to go instead of stuffing myself uncomfortably. Sunday: Woke up with a migraine, probably because I was up until 12:30 getting the baby to sleep--sleep training is super fun. Managed to avoid caffeine overdose and instead went back to bed around noon to try and sleep it off, which worked. Did miss CrossFit, though, but I'm going to get back Tuesday morning (Monday and Friday are the rest days this week. Working on revisions to the YA novel tonight. Challenge Tracker Find a new gym and make arrangements: 1/1 complete Exercise 2-3 days per week: 2/12 workouts complete Cut back caffeine to 1 coffee/1 small soda per day: 6/28 days complete Revise my YA novel at least 1x per week: 1/4 complete

They taste even better than they look. A "small" is enough to be lunch for me with food left over, and under $7. The only saving grace is that the restaurant is too far from where I live/work for me to go there all the time like I'd like. It's a Vietnamese fusion place with excellent Bahn Mi and other deliciousness.

This week at work has been a Trial, and I say that because I've had to do my actual job 8 hours a day instead of spending some of that time on personal projects. Thankfully my therapist is back from maternity leave so I can start working on some of my overwhelming tsunami of feelings and maybe deal with them like an adult instead of repressing them until I snap. Wednesday: No workout, caffeine goal gets an A+ because I had horchata for lunch instead of soda (the taqueria down the road from my house is a gift) Thursday: No workout, caffeine goal is a B because I had a soda with lunch and got one refill Friday: Caffeine goal is a B again; I went to the Vietnamese fusion place with the pork belly fries and got a refill. But just one. Also went to CrossFit. Found my new 1RM for front squat. I topped out at 185, which is about 85% of my former max. It could've been a lot worse after being gone for 6 months and eating like crap. I was assuming it would be more like 75% or 80%. Then: AMRAP 10 minutes 10 dumbbell step-ups (20 inch box, 20 lb db) 10 pullups (black and green bands) 10 dumbbell hang clean and jerk (20 lbs) I got 2 rounds 17 reps; I was hoping for three rounds, but after puking on Tuesday I decided to keep the pace slow and steady and I think it was the right choice. Although the limiting factor was more my grip strength than my aerobic endurance. Challenge Tracker Find a new gym and make arrangements: 1/1 complete Exercise 2-3 days per week: 2/12 workouts complete Cut back caffeine to 1 coffee/1 small soda per day: 4/28 days complete Revise my YA novel at least 1x per week: 0/4 complete

Got some Front Squat numbers in yesterday at CrossFit! I'm at about 85% of my former 1RM, which isn't too bad after 6 months off and frankly terrible nutrition.

Thanks so much for the encouragement. It really helped yesterday. Today was my first day back to CrossFit! Since I didn't work until noon, I was able to actually attend a class. It was good to see people I knew and also meet new ones. I pushed a little too hard and ended up DNF-ing the WOD because of puking; I need to probably work on getting a protein shake or something pre-WOD like I used to. But after the cooldown, hydrating, and eating, I felt fine. Of course tonight I feel sore, so tomorrow is gonna be an adventure (imagine me saying that last word like Jake Peralta from Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Challenge Tracker Find a new gym and make arrangements: 1/1 complete Exercise 2-3 days per week: 1/12 workouts complete Cut back caffeine to 1 coffee/1 small soda per day: 2/28 days complete Revise my YA novel at least 1x per week: 0/4 complete

Day 1 morning report: currently fighting off the Anxiety Goblins and the Depression Slimes who have been drawn to my hormonal shifts at this point in the month. Have communicated my workout plans to A and B (my partners) in hopes of accountability. Today's refrain from the Goblins is that I'm behind because all I accomplished this weekend was sleeping and taking care of the baby so B could catch up on sleep. They say I'm never going to be able to make a living at my writing so I should just give up and let the Depression Slimes lull me to sleep.

Hope your first class went well!!!

That tracker is very intriguing. My Fitbit separated from its band and is out of warranty so they won't replace it. A refurb like that might be a better option. I'm also intrigued by the rep counts feature; awaiting more details once you get yours set up!

I 100% believe that; I have no idea how many hours a week I work on top of my day job at my writing/cover design and last year I made what was big money for me...about 15% of my gross salary. Working for yourself is hard. If my boss wasn't emotionally and (sometimes) verbally abusive, I'd just let it be.

I know how frustrating it can be to be stuck in Terrible Job Limbo (I've been applying for jobs since April 2016 with no luck) and I'm sorry you're struggling. Proud of you for taking actionable steps to meet your goals, personal and professional!!!

It's very helpful. Possibly a bit more pricey than paying a trainer at the new gym, but probably not, considering what the hourly rate for a personal trainer is. And I get the added benefit of the showers, it being closer to my work/home, and not having to strain my social anxiety by going to a completely new place with completely new people. I just have to work on focusing on my own race, not comparing myself to other people who are in different situations. For some of these people, CrossFit is their only hobby and they can devote their lives and attention to it. For me, it's a tool on my path to fitness and has to fit in my life, not have me shape my life around it. I have too much going on for that.

You're making me vaguely wistful for Dragon Age. Looking forward to watching you crush this challenge, Thedas-style!!!