karinajean does the things frequently and with great vigor

[karinajean]

Hi darlings,

I'm a little late to start this challenge because things are REALLY STRESSFUL.

* I have a big proposal that is due next week, and I'm kind of managing all the cats.

* I have another project where things aren't going as well as they should be

basically, for the last 2 weeks I've been waking up randomly at early hours in the morning because stress. I've been busier than I ought to be at work (LIKE WHOA). in times like these, I need to fall back on my good healthy routines. so, simple challenge, very much like last time:

 

* keep going to the gym classes. I signed up for the non-crossfit crossfit gym down the road from my house on 2/23, and I've been doing classes pretty regular. I want to go on average 4x a week. 

* keep tracking food and thinking about what I'm eating. I don't want to worry about cutting or whatever. I do want to worry about eating good for me, generally whole foods, without a boatload of beers. I did a pretty good job of this last challenge, and so to bump it up this challenge, I'm focusing on good strong breakfasts (esp on workout days) and getting veg / fruit at lunch.

 

Special things that I don't want to make me stressed out about:

* do some yard things. I managed some good yard clean-up last weekend and there's always a million things to do. I'm going to get a shipment of plants to install the week of May 14th, and I need to plant them right away. Also, May 12 is about 15 million plant sales in my neck of the woods, and I would like to get other plants and plant them.

* do the hobobujo thing. I've been slacking off on this all year so far. I have a bunch of photos, and you know, it is pretty relaxing to just paste them in now and then. also, yard notes. I just have to have a minute to do it. I can do this.

 

other standard stuff applies: I'm still doing tkd 3x a week (teaching 2x, helping out 1x, and then attending / practicing on dojo saturday as often as that instructor can make it). 

also, I decided not to worry about running right now, in case you were holding your breath on that one.

 

[alienjenn]

I like vigor

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[Mike Wazowski]

Here for all the exercise parties and managing work stress with grace - you got this!!

[karinajean]

So, considering I started exercise party about 2 months ago I thought it was worthwhile to look back and see if I have any records about how it's changed me. also, I'm terrible at records. What I do have is some potentially fake body comp info from my fairly old withings scale. I've gained 5 lbs since I started.... probably because my initial response was to eat lots of avocado toast on homemade sourdough bread (AND I'M NOT SORRY ABOUT IT).  BUT, I've also gained 8 lbs of lean mass and lost 3 lbs of fat mass, which is probably not reliable, but it is a good relative indicator that exercise party is doing something awesome to my body. I did a check to see if I was eating more food or whatever, and I'm not. I think my body just got used to this thing I'm doing. So, I'll keep doing it, and see what happens.

 

In other more reliable but less scientific measurements, yesterday we did a 10 minute workout and it was not as terrible as a 10 minute workout was just 2 or 3 weeks ago. so, my stamina is getting better! that's good news. ALTHOUGH, today's workout was actually terrible. I did it, but it was hard, and I wanted to quit.

[karinajean]

so, how is this challenge going, anyway.

 

well, bad news first: I think we are out of ice cream sandwiches. 

 

Good news, I've been to exercise party 3 days.

 

week 1 day 1 exercise party was all about back squats. we were supposed to do a bunch of 70% max and then go to 2x maxish, which was at 135 for me. 

and then I had yogurt and protein shake for breakfast and 2nd breakfast, and a reasonable lunch, and I worked late and got home and literally grabbed a cold chicken thigh out of the fridge and practically ate it over the sink and then had an ice cream sandwich and climbed into bed.

 

week 1 day 2 I was so hungry when I woke up! so I had yogurt on my way to the gym, and nearly regretted it when he had me doing lots of pre-handstand drills. like, wall stands and this handstand walk practice where he put boxes in a row and I put my feet on the boxes and my hands on the ground and walked on my hands. And THEN, the workout involved sumo deadlift high pulls alternating with handstand push-ups (so knees on a box hands on the floor pushups) for 10 minutes. OH AND DID I MENTION I WAS THE ONLY ONE THERE? so I got a lot of one-on-one attention. it was fine, honestly, and afterwards I realized that this 10 minutes was SO MUCH less terrible than prior similar 10 minute exercise parties of yore. that was great. 

breakfast was a shake and then another yogurt, another reasonable lunch, and then dinner after TKD was totally just a hunk of bread and a bunch of hummus. I was so tired. also, by the evening I was like: why am I breathing so shallowly? OH ALL MY RIB AND CHEST AND BACK MUSCLES ARE SO TIRED AND SORE, RIGHT.

 

week 1 day 3 that's today! 

there was one other person at exercise party today. we did a bunch of pull-up practices, which felt extreme after the exercise yesterday. the routine was a 15-12-9-6-3 rep thingy w. squat cleans, pull-ups (or rather, ring rows), and then wall balls.... which I was CERTAIN I would not be able to finish by the time I had to leave... but I did!  it was HARD.  squat cleans are hard to do when you have to do a bunch in a row, but my form really cleaned up as I got tireder and tireder, which was awesome.

it took me 21 1/2 minutes to finish, and it felt REALLY good to stop. all in all, I wouldn't recommend it.

also, I had to drive 3 hours to a site meeting and then 3 hours home and I was so worried that after all those squats I would fall out of the car like magikarp when I got to the site meeting in front of the client and the state regulator. HAPPILY that did not happen. 

breakfast was good again - protein shake. my husband made me an amazing salami and cheese sandwich which I ate with my breakfast yogurt on the way home from the meeting. dinner was chicken quesadillas. I have some more work to do before bed but should be able to turn in reasonably soon, THANKFULLY. I'm pooped!

 

 

[Happienumber]

2 hours ago, karinajean said:

well, bad news first: I think we are out of ice cream sandwiches. 

 

That is VERY bad news

 

Quote

this 10 minutes was SO MUCH less terrible than prior similar 10 minute exercise parties of yore. that was great. 

 

 

Quote

I had to drive 3 hours to a site meeting and then 3 hours home and I was so worried that after all those squats I would fall out of the car like magikarp when I got to the site meeting in front of the client and the state regulator. HAPPILY that did not happen. 

 

THAT would have been a sight  

[karinajean]

UGH I SET THE WRONG ALARM AND OVERSLEPT AND MISSED WEIGHT DAY AT EXERCISE PARTY. AND WE WERE GOING TO DO THE BENCH PRESSING. BOO HISS.

[annyshay]

It's you. Will catch up later, but I am heeeeere!

[Mike Wazowski]

3 hours ago, karinajean said:

UGH I SET THE WRONG ALARM AND OVERSLEPT AND MISSED WEIGHT DAY AT EXERCISE PARTY. AND WE WERE GOING TO DO THE BENCH PRESSING. BOO HISS.

BRO NO!

 

Also, that Magikarp imagery is perfect. And excited for your scientifically dubious but promising data on body comp changes!

[RogueLibrarian]

On 4/24/2018 at 10:29 AM, karinajean said:

Hi darlings,

 

HI DARLING

 

On 4/24/2018 at 10:29 AM, karinajean said:

basically, for the last 2 weeks I've been waking up randomly at early hours in the morning because stress. I've been busier than I ought to be at work (LIKE WHOA). in times like these, I need to fall back on my good healthy routines. 

 

Yeah, I feel you. Exercise routine will help your sleep, I bet, but stress is stress.

 

On 4/24/2018 at 10:29 AM, karinajean said:

* keep going to the gym classes. I signed up for the non-crossfit crossfit gym down the road from my house on 2/23, and I've been doing classes pretty regular. I want to go on average 4x a week. 

 

Whoa -- you're going to workout classes 4x/week and teaching/assisting 3/week? You're a boss. I don't know how you do it.

 

On 4/24/2018 at 10:29 AM, karinajean said:

* do some yard things. 

 

Yeahmetoo. Every weekend has been either raining or too busy to fit it in, but it's spring and rainy in the south, so the yards are exploding. The back yard I haven't done anything to in months so it's a mess, and the front is going to need mowing every couple of weeks for a while just to keep it presentable.

 

[tei_]

17 hours ago, karinajean said:

avocado toast on homemade sourdough bread

YASSS BEST FOOD EVER

 

15 hours ago, karinajean said:

3 hours home and I was so worried that after all those squats I would fall out of the car like magikarp when I got to the site meeting in front of the client and the state regulator. HAPPILY that did not happen. 

Once I took my husband to the gym and taught him how to squat, and then he fell down the stairs on the way out. It was hilarious because I'm a terrible person.

[sylph]

Oh noez on missing exercise party. That's terrible.

But, unexpected 'rest' day means you'll be full of vim and vigor for next time?

[raptron]

Aw, sorry you missed bench pressing day but your upper body will probably be happy about the rest after the last two workouts! Exercise party!!! And while you did start going 2 months ago and it does sound like your body is adapting in a GOOD WAY with lots of awesome lean body mass building. Work stress sounds to be super duper high stilll though -- will it cool off at all after this proposal is in? 

[Lara]

I read your challenge and thought "oh, no, she's gonna need to bend time-space again"  

 

Sorry about the missed party. I hope that at least you're back to having ice cream sandwiches at your disposal.

Following!

[Nymeria]

I'm sorry that you've been so stressed.  Hopefully, when some of those projects are finished, you can at least get back to some degree of normalcy.  

 

What is this exercise party thing?  I've never heard of that one.  

[Mad Hatter]

Hiiiii! Following with great vigor!

 

On 4/26/2018 at 2:52 AM, karinajean said:

also, I had to drive 3 hours to a site meeting and then 3 hours home and I was so worried that after all those squats I would fall out of the car like magikarp when I got to the site meeting in front of the client and the state regulator. HAPPILY that did not happen. 

Haha love the imagery!

 

4 hours ago, Nymeria said:

Hopefully, when some of those projects are finished, you can at least get back to some degree of normalcy.  

I'm pretty sure this is KJ's normal whether she wants to admit it or not.  

 

[Asa Pond]

On 4/26/2018 at 10:11 AM, RogueLibrarian said:

Whoa -- you're going to workout classes 4x/week and teaching/assisting 3/week? You're a boss. I don't know how you do it.

 

[karinajean]

woooooow I ghosted hard core. but, I'm coming back. like, RIGHT NOW.

[Lara]

SHE'S BACK!

[RogueLibrarian]

HI BUDDY