Hazard Rebirth: The second evolution

[Lil_Red_Devil]

On 02/05/2018 at 2:52 AM, Hazard said:

General update

 

Once we’ve got our new home fully functioning, I intend to post fitness stuff more regularly in here again.  Bear with me.

 

One thing I’m looking forward to is an increased workout space.  My old workout space in our apartment was about 100 sq ft.  My new workout space in the house is around 400 sq ft. .

 

 

 

Congrats on the new house mate, that's awesome!!  I too am trying to get myself back into the swing of things, so if you need a "get myself in gear" buddy, I'm happy to help

[Hazard]

On 5/1/2018 at 10:30 PM, WhiteGhost said:

Organizing a new house is a major drain, emotionally, financially, physically...  Hope you can get everything sorted soon

 

Ten days later, we're still not sorted. The house is a total mess of our stuff everywhere. .  But!  After two back-and-forth trips in a U-Haul truck this week, we finally got all the furniture over and have officially moved ourselves in.  . 

 

 

On 5/1/2018 at 10:44 PM, elinox said:

No worries! If you find time and want to re-join us, there's a spot open for you.

 

Thank you.  Though it turns out moving homes can be pretty good exercise. .  My legs are exhausted.

 

 

On 5/10/2018 at 3:41 AM, Lil_Red_Devil said:

Congrats on the new house mate, that's awesome!!  I too am trying to get myself back into the swing of things, so if you need a "get myself in gear" buddy, I'm happy to help

 

I can always use the help!  .

 

 

[Hazard]

 

Update

 

The new kitchen is fully armed and operational.  Since I'm not getting all the walking in that I was doing to fight my waistline, as of six days ago I changed tactics and dropped into a PSMF diet.  I'm down 5 lbs for the first week.  I have another 8 lbs to lose to get back to where I was two months ago, before I allowed the process of moving to a new house break me.  By the end of next week, I should be back down to my 2018 low-so-far of 180 lbs.   Then we'll ride the momentum and see how much lower I can get.

 

I'm not measuring my waist at the moment.  There's no need.  All of those daily measurements I consistently took earlier this year and ran through formulas repeatedly showed that I'll need to drop below 150 lbs to get anywhere near my Epic Waist goal.   Until I get my weight down there, I can skip the waist measurement, keep things simple and just make the scale move.

 

 

 

[WhiteGhost]

24 minutes ago, Hazard said:

Until I get my weight down there, I can skip the waist measurement, keep things simple and just make the scale move.

Yeah, but don't forget that the scale is a filthy liar and can't be trusted

 

Congratulations on getting the kitchen up and running  

[Hazard]

8 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

Yeah, but don't forget that the scale is a filthy liar and can't be trusted

 

I swear Steve must have been playing Portal when he wrote that nonsense in the blog. 

 

8 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

Congratulations on getting the kitchen up and running  

 

Thanks. .   The stovetop’s been getting a workout lately, as I've been making a lot of egg-white omlettes and hamburgs.  And yesterday I used the oven for the first time.  I made a cake for Mrs H and our Little Love, since this is birthday month for both of them.

 

 

 

[Hazard]

 

I got my weight-lifting cage re-assembled in the new home, and it is glorious!  So much space!  I can walk around the entire thing in a circle. 

 

And that's just a fraction of the room.  Hazard's Home Gymnasium is also sporting two weight-trees, a dumbbell rack, a treadmill, an exercise bike, and a 3-seat reclining sofa....  And there's still an empty wall space where I can work handstand pushups with enough room to safely pirouette bail.  Seriously considering installing Stall Bars on that wall.  I've been wanting stall bars for years.

 

I've also been grinning at the thought of installing ropes and ball grips and such from the ceiling beams/joists/studs.  Because the floor is lava. 

 

And, for any idea I can't comfortably fit inside that room ----->  I now have a 1 acre yard, and no HOA.  .  A backyard gym project, a la @RogueLibrarian, is a real possibility.  Might be fun to have Ninja Warrior obstacles like the monkey pegs, cliffhangar, salmon ladder, etc.

 

 

[WhiteGhost]

Oh, wow, that sound like a really great set up.  Lava avoidance rigs are the best, my dream is to someday be able to install some of those

 

4 hours ago, Hazard said:

Seriously considering installing Stall Bars on that wall.  I've been wanting stall bars for years.

 

What's a stall bar?

[Hazard]

8 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

What's a stall bar?

 

Stall bars are a gymnastics training tool.

 

 

 

 

[WhiteGhost]

10 hours ago, Hazard said:

Stall bars are a gymnastics training tool.

Yep, I want those too  

[Hazard]

 

Update

 

With the cage reassembled, I jumped right into lifting on Monday, and again today.  No frills right now.  Just the Big 4 -- squat, press, bench, & deadlift -- a la the SS novice linear program as a template.  I'm not technically following the program though, since I'm eating below maintenance calories.  So expect my GainzZz to plateau accordingly.   Feels good to be working my muscles again either way.

 

 

[Hazard]

Update

 

A Florida vacation broke my linear stride.   S'alright.  The aggressive progression of novice LP was driving me into the ground anyway.  I had a hard time convincing myself to move the barbell when I got back home.    To prevent falling into the trap of avoidance behavior, I shifted my routine over to 5/3/1 and kept lifting.  Seems like a good choice so far.   I'm enjoying the slower progression of 5/3/1.  My joints are thanking me, and it feels more compatible with my current lifestyle.

 

 

[Taryn Ann]

Hi! I'm new to the NF forum, and just finished posting my first challenge. Thanks for all your really helpful information in the 1st challenge forum.

So I came over here to see what you've been up to lately, and the little kid in me is really hoping you get the parts of your gym room installed so the floor can be lava. If you do, please post a picture; I'd love to see it!

[Hazard]

On 7/28/2018 at 10:36 PM, Taryn Ann said:

Hi! I'm new to the NF forum, and just finished posting my first challenge. Thanks for all your really helpful information in the 1st challenge forum.

 

You're welcome. . 

 

On 7/28/2018 at 10:36 PM, Taryn Ann said:

o I came over here to see what you've been up to lately, and the little kid in me is really hoping you get the parts of your gym room installed so the floor can be lava. If you do, please post a picture; I'd love to see it!

 

I'll be happy to post some pictures if/when I get some of the climbing/gripping/obstacle/ninjary stuff installed.  It'll probably be a while though.  It's a low priority at the moment.

 

 

My focus lately has been twofold.  (1) I've been establishing the habit of a steady, controllable diet that doesn't require exact calorie counting.  And (2) I've been establishing a morning schedule that allows me to get all of my exercise done before my 2 year old wakes up.

 

 

[Hazard]

Update

 

I’ve been transitioning from all that walking into running.   For the last couple of weeks I’ve been doing intervals of jogging, walking, running - no particular program set, just listening to my body and doing what I feel capable of each morning.   As of this morning, after about two weeks of this, I did my first full mile of non-stop jogging.  I completed the mile in 9 min 40 seconds. 

 

When I completed it, though the muscles in my ankles felt a tiny bit tight, I was sweaty, and breathing a little harder -- I wasn’t hurting or tired.  I could have kept going.  I didn’t (aside from continuing right into a 30 minute walk afterward) because I train 6 mornings a week now.  Knowing that I’ll be training again the next morning keeps me from over-doing it on any given day.

 

It’s not even close to what I used to be capable of as a runner, but, physically, that jog made me feel more like myself than I’ve felt like in years.  I was a track runner when I was younger, and this feeling is a reminder that being a decent runner is simply part of my body’s nature.  It’s long past time that I reclaim that piece of me.

 

And for my strength-traning friends out there, no worries — the run training hasn’t stopped me.  After I was done with the jog & walk, I went straight into Leg Day.   Moving that barbell with Squats, SLDLs, and alternating Lunges.   Rawr!

 

Edited to Add:  Fooooooood —

 

 

The rest of the day I do 4 alternating meals of chicken & broccoli with 150- 200 cals from whatever carb source I feel like, and fish & asparagus with 100-150 cals from whatever carb source I feel like.  Then I finish off the day with more steak & a spinach/tomato salad.   If I happen to still be extra hungry any given evening after all those meals, I feed the Stomach Beast a bonus 5 scrambled egg whites and a 15 gram protein shake.

 

Total calories from meals comes in under 2500, and when combined with the morning exercise puts me into a deficit to keep the bodyfat trimming off.   If I ever hit a cut plateau, it’s as simple as moving those carb-source calories lower.  If I want to bulk, it’s as simple as moving those carb source calories up.

 

 

That’s 2 beef meals, 2 fowl meals, 2 fish meals.  Plus veggies and flexible carb sources.

 

Simple.  Varied.  Tasty.  And Nutritious

 

To break any feelings of monotony that might creep in, I also give myself one high carb “cheat” meal on Sunday evenings (Sundays are my Sleep In x No Work Out day), which helps with recovery and replenishes some muscle glycogen so I can wake up the next morning filled with energy and ready to rock the week!

 

 

 

 

[WhiteGhost]

Nice to see an update   Glad to hear you enjoyed your run (or at least enjoyed that you did the thing)

[Hazard]

7 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

Nice to see an update   Glad to hear you enjoyed your run (or at least enjoyed that you did the thing)

 

Definitely enjoyed it.  When those endorphins kick in, woo boy.   It was wicked to feel the runner’s high again, just like I used to get in my youth.  When it hits, my body suddenly goes from “ugh, I’m having to work” and transforms into “that’s right you freakin’ gazelles and antelopes and stuff, you better run! Because I’m coming hard and my teeth are sharp!

 

 (That’s what she said.  huh? Huh? Lol.  Badump tsk.)

[Hazard]

Update

 

Last update I’d jogged a mile in 9 min and 40 sec.

 

Today is six days later.  This morning’s accomplishment is one of endurance.  I did intervals of jogging and walking, covering just over 7.1 miles in 1 hr and 40 minutes.   As a reminder, when I did my Walk to Morder from last Oct thru this March, my daily average was 7 miles, and I got the mileage in by walking/pacing on and off throughout the day.  This means that today I was able to jog/walk in only 100 minutes the same amount of distance that used to take me, on average, an entire day.

 

Moreover, I did this morning’s 7 miles almost entirely at an incline.  I spent the first 20 minutes raising the incline by intervals until I reached 3%.  I stayed at 3% for about 10 minutes, and then spent the next 70 minutes very slowly letting the incline back down a half percent every 15 minutes or so.

 

 

#FeelingScouty

 

 

 

[Hazard]

Progress Report

 

 

5 weeks ago:  I began jogging, instead of only walking.  I do it 6 mornings per week.  No particular program, just doing what feels right to me any given morning while pushing myself for improvement.  I mostly do walking/jogging intervals, with varied speeds, times, and treadmill inclines.

 

 

3 weeks ago:  I completed my first non-stop-jogged mile after several years of not jogging. 

• 1 mile
• at 9 min and 40 sec,
• for about a 6.2 mph pace on average
• which, if speed were steady, would be 2'25" quarter-mile splits.

 

Today:  I jogged non-stop again, this time for --

• 2 miles
• at 18 min 27 sec,
• which is a 9 min 14 sec per mile average
• for about a 6.5 mph avg pace
• which, if speed were steady, would be 2'19" quarter-mile splits.

 

 

 

Stat Increases since last update

• Consecutively Jogged Distance:
  • +1 mile
• Speed
  • -26 seconds per mile

 

 

 

[WhiteGhost]

Nice gains!

[Hazard]

Progress Report

 

Today:  I jogged non-stop for 3.5 miles.  A big distance improvement over the 2 miles I was able to do for my last continuous jog about two-and-a-half weeks ago.  This was also really cool because I noted my time when I hit the mileage equivalent of a 5k race (3.107 miles).  My 5k time was 34'39". 

 

This also means I went from only walking (not jogging at all) to completing (more than) a no-walking/non-stop/continuous 5k jog in right about 7 and 1/2 weeks.

 

 

[WhiteGhost]

34 minutes for a 5k is not a shabby time.  Congratulations on the huge improvement

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

[Hazard]

Yeah, I was going to give an update in here.  Then I remembered that I'd been considering posting an "Example" challenge in the Level 1 forum for the newbies.  Realized I could kill two birds with one stone by going ahead and making myself 4 WK Challenge threads again, but in the Level 1 forum. 

 

I don't want to waste time posting the same thing in two places.  So I'm not really sure what to do with this Battle Log at present. 

 

 

Maybe use this log to post short End of Challenge summaries with progress numbers?  Could be a quick/easy way to track the big picture of how I'm doing over time.   I don't know.  Suggestions are welcome.