karinajean takes better notes

[karinajean]

POP QUIZ: what's the difference between being a truly successful (potentially mad) scientist and just messing around making things explode here and there? THE QUALITY OF YOUR NOTES. 

 

I was here last in June (oh god so embarrassed) and since then I've still been super busy, still been going to cross-fit 5x a week (I KNOW I LACK MODERATION OK), tae kwon do 2-3x a week, and eating not terribly. Over the last couple of months though I've said to myself: SELF, you know what would make you a more effective human being? if you were keeping better notes. 

 

* I don't know how much food I need to keep fueling my body at my current pace (I am moving at a rate of approximately NO MODERATION).

* I don't know really how much stronger I'm getting, every new PR feels like a snapshot totally independent of time and space (but it is totally dependent on gravity, I will have you know)

* I don't know what my body is supposed to weigh. I know I'm on the soft side - and I've been having a cookie bulk over the holidays as is appropriate - but with all the weights I've been lifting I need to find my new normal idea for how heavy I ought to be while living here with planet earth gravity. I'm up from when I started crossfit but also up from when I started the cookie bulk even more. 

 

I need a challenge to get data to support my FUTURE GOALS, which are: show off my new muscles a little big by debulking (post cookie bulk), see if it's possible to fit in some running, and oh also yoga. I'm pretty solid on showing up to my regular workouts but not so solid on the supporting habits that will get me looking the way I want to look and performing the way I want to perform, so this challenge is focused on rebuilding those habits. 

 

Goal 1: Finish this challenge. ok, that sounds preeeety self explanatory but I went back and checked and I started and did not finish 5 challenges in 2018. That's right, every challenge I started, I did not finish. I also didn't finish my last few challenges in 2017. Now, 2017 was a pretty rough year for me personally, and 2018 was hard for me as well (as it was for many of us), but beyond basic chemistry and thermodynamics, being healthy is really about having good habits, and you all are my good habit.

measurable outcome: post here several times a week. write up challenge in my hobobujo and update / track against those goals. TAKE BETTER NOTES PART 1.

 

Goal 2: Find your food balance. Take better notes part 2 - LOG FOOD. I've used the loseit app in the past and am comfortable with it. I'm going to try not to worry about calories, but rather, log everything I'm eating so I can start to pull apart that thermodynamic calculation of how much I need to be eating to power my body. When I first started at crossfit I pretty much ate avocado toast every day and it went pretty well for me, but the cookie bulk in December has for sure fluffed me up. I am also going to try not to eat like an asshole, so I can get a pretty clear understanding of what my natural food budget looks like right now.

measurable outcome: log the things every day.

 

Goal 3. More recovery activity. I've been hitting crossfit hard, and tkd hasn't been the most gentle pursuit either. I need to do more stretching and flexibility work. I would like to work in more walking and yoga into my already ridiculous schedule. I have a subscription to Do Yoga With Me and they have a Flexibility for Busy People course that I should be able to work in. I can walk at lunch, it's not horribly snowy and icy yet this year. And also, I have a few hundred dollars in my flexible spending account that I have to use up by March, so prioritizing chiropractic and getting massages are a big part of this too.

measurable outcome: aim for 5 recovery activities every week.

 

 

backstory. I'm karinajean, 41, live in NY state, commute to NJ about an hour each way where I manage projects and clean up hazardous waste. I joined the NFA in October 2013 and transitioned over to the big scary boards (ahem, these forums) in April 2014. Since I discovered NR, I've lost about 25 lbs, tore my ACL / had it replaced with a cadaver ligament and rehabbed it, ran a bunch of running things, took over instruction for a class at the dojo, started with some weight lifting, and have increased by weight by about 20 lbs (note NOT all clean muscle). CURRENTLY I practice tae kwon do several times a week, take weapons and boxing classes in addition, and have a long-time overarching fitness goal of doing good form push- and pull-ups. I accidentally started doing crossfit in February 2018 and have been attending classes regularly since then. I have a crazy mean (yet super sweet) cat and live with my husband full time and my younger stepdude 1/2 time. the 2nd stepdude is In college out of state. I motorcycle, knit and spin, and am endlessly ignoring how messy the house and yard is. I'm an ASSASSIN because I like doing all the things, and because I want to be able to do push-ups and pull-ups -- these seem like very efficient movements that will exercise my upper body and core, and  if I can do those and run and do martial arts (NINJA) I will feel totally strong and fit and capable. The MERMAID comes in because I saw it in a dream when I was a very young child and I believe it to be true. also kittens. you see how it goes. 

[Mad Hatter]

 

Squueeeee so happy to see you again!  

 

 

[sylph]

First?

 

 

Edit: dang. Hatter beat me to it.

[WhiteGhost]

Following!!!

[karinajean]

39 minutes ago, sylph said:

First?

 

 

Edit: dang. Hatter beat me to it.

 

it's hard to get the jump on a Mad Hatter.

[karinajean]

46 minutes ago, Mad Hatter said:

 

Squueeeee so happy to see you again!  

 

 

 

I seriously seriously have missed you all so much. I'm glad you're all still here.

[Mad Hatter]

[RogueLibrarian]

EFF YEAH KARINAJEAN IS BACK

 

So happy to see you on the forums!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

5 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

 

This image was what I wanted to post.

[raptron]

5 hours ago, karinajean said:

I was here last in June (oh god so embarrassed) and since then I've still been super busy, still been going to cross-fit 5x a week (I KNOW I LACK MODERATION OK), tae kwon do 2-3x a week, and eating not terribly. 

The dreaded M word. 

 

5 hours ago, karinajean said:

* I don't know what my body is supposed to weigh. I know I'm on the soft side - and I've been having a cookie bulk over the holidays as is appropriate - but with all the weights I've been lifting I need to find my new normal idea for how heavy I ought to be while living here with planet earth gravity. I'm up from when I started crossfit but also up from when I started the cookie bulk even more. 

I'm not sure there IS a how much you should weigh -- for you and more generally. I know what you're going for here, but maybe other metrics are possibilities? My scale weight as a lifter is like a good 15 lbs heavier than my scale weight as a non-lifter and it took some time to BE COOL with that. Waist size check-ins have been a bit helpful for me at least on that front? 

 

5 hours ago, karinajean said:

see if it's possible to fit in some running, and oh also yoga

"Hi, look at my crazy schedule. I want to do more, of course!" Love you. 

 

5 hours ago, karinajean said:

but beyond basic chemistry and thermodynamics, being healthy is really about having good habits, and you all are my good habit.

STICK WITH US, KJ, AND YOU'LL GO FAR.

 

5 hours ago, karinajean said:

Goal 3. More recovery activity. I've been hitting crossfit hard, and tkd hasn't been the most gentle pursuit either. I need to do more stretching and flexibility work. I would like to work in more walking and yoga into my already ridiculous schedule. I have a subscription to Do Yoga With Me and they have a Flexibility for Busy People course that I should be able to work in. I can walk at lunch, it's not horribly snowy and icy yet this year. And also, I have a few hundred dollars in my flexible spending account that I have to use up by March, so prioritizing chiropractic and getting massages are a big part of this too.

measurable outcome: aim for 5 recovery activities every week.

5 is a lot. But I like where your head is at. I'd say you can include not particularly active recovery activities in that mix too -- maybe just a quick couch stretch situation here and there?

 

5 hours ago, karinajean said:

 The MERMAID comes in because I saw it in a dream when I was a very young child and I believe it to be true. also kittens. you see how it goes. 

<3

[Nymeria]

With all of the crossfit, tkd, working, and everything else you do, it's hardly a surprise that you're not finding as much time for challenges!   

[Mad Hatter]

16 minutes ago, raptron said:

I'm not sure there IS a how much you should weigh -- for you and more generally.

This! How much you weigh is only a rough reflection of your actions, how much you move and how much you eat. If you eat so that you have energy and feel good and keep getting stronger then you most likely weigh the right amount for your activity level.

[karinajean]

EFF YEAH KARINAJEAN IS BACK

 

So happy to see you on the forums!

ALLLL MOST as good as seeing you in person!

This image was what I wanted to post.

True story but I such a poor assassin, my gif game is TERRIBLE.

 

With all of the crossfit, tkd, working, and everything else you do, it's hardly a surprise that you're not finding as much time for challenges! [emoji6]  

I know, we are a particularly self-demanding group of people, aren't we?

[RogueLibrarian]

33 minutes ago, karinajean said:

ALLLL MOST as good as seeing you in person!

 

Yeah, I got to see KJ in person a couple times last year you guys, don't be jealous, it's not attractive

 

 

[annyshay]

21 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

 

YOU ARE BACK!

 

21 hours ago, karinajean said:

Do Yoga With Me

I have this too. Let's talk yoga sometime.

 

21 hours ago, karinajean said:

The MERMAID comes in because I saw it in a dream when I was a very young child and I believe it to be true. also kittens. you see how it goes. 

I love you. 

[Mad Hatter]

11 hours ago, RogueLibrarian said:

Yeah, I got to see KJ in person a couple times last year you guys, don't be jealous, it's not attractive

It's also not attractive to gloat.

[RogueLibrarian]

1 hour ago, Mad Hatter said:

It's also not attractive to gloat.

 

I'll take my chances

[Mad Hatter]

11 minutes ago, RogueLibrarian said:

I'll take my chances

I mean we'll still like you and all, but you know, a little less. But I forgive you because KJ is back!  

[RogueLibrarian]

1 hour ago, Mad Hatter said:

I mean we'll still like you and all, but you know, a little less. But I forgive you because KJ is back!  

 

Don't be a hater, Hatter.

[Mad Hatter]

Never.  

[Asa Pond]

KJ IS BACK. Yay!!

 

 

[karinajean]

 

22 hours ago, raptron said:

 

"Hi, look at my crazy schedule. I want to do more, of course!" Love you. 

 

5 is a lot. But I like where your head is at. I'd say you can include not particularly active recovery activities in that mix too -- maybe just a quick couch stretch situation here and there?

 

 

LOVE YOU TOO, because we are essentially TWINS.

 

yeah, I was really struggling with the # to hit. 3 sounded like not enough. 5 does sound like a lot, but when I consider a little walk as a recovery (I know, I know. moderation problems) it seemed more doable. I guess we will see!

 

22 hours ago, raptron said:

 

I'm not sure there IS a how much you should weigh -- for you and more generally. I know what you're going for here, but maybe other metrics are possibilities? My scale weight as a lifter is like a good 15 lbs heavier than my scale weight as a non-lifter and it took some time to BE COOL with that. Waist size check-ins have been a bit helpful for me at least on that front? 

 

22 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

This! How much you weigh is only a rough reflection of your actions, how much you move and how much you eat. If you eat so that you have energy and feel good and keep getting stronger then you most likely weigh the right amount for your activity level.

 

I mean, yeah! totally. I think I am expressing it poorly, but basically - I know I will weigh more than I used to, because I am a TOTAL beefcake now. and I am SO hungry all the time, so I know I need to eat more and better for that energy component. also though I know that if I truly want to show off my muscles (esp around my middle parts) there's some fluff there that I'll need to manage, but it's not super stressing me out. maybe it's totally off-base but regardless of what the number is, I'm just accustomed to having a general numerical idea of my body's relationship with the earth's gravity and when I deviate too much from that (up or down) it's a heads up for me to pay a little more attention to what is going on so I can either take more advantage of what is happening or stop what I'm doing and do it differently. 

 

6 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

It's also not attractive to gloat.

 

5 hours ago, RogueLibrarian said:

 

I'll take my chances

 

I also don't want to rub it in, but having met RL in person, he could probably stand to be a little less attractive. Thanks, RL, for trying to fit in a little better with the rest of us norms.

[karinajean]

2 hours ago, Asa Pond said:

KJ IS BACK. Yay!!

 

 

 

I feel the same way!

[karinajean]

7 hours ago, annyshay said:

I have this too. Let's talk yoga sometime.

 

I love you. 

 

oooh, yes lets. do you use it often? I am very patchy about regularity but when I do use it, I love it a lot.

 

also <3 <3 <3

[karinajean]

Challenge-5 (Wednesday)

Finish - well, the challenge hasn't started yet but so far I'm super on-track for this goal!  

Food -  logged all my food. I have been REALLY hungry lately, and actually feeling like I was going to fall asleep on my drive to work - I'm not sure if this is a sleep deprivation issue or a bonking issue because I'm sooooo hungry and have been getting up at 430 AM and working out intensely for ~45 min. every day on an empty stomach. So, I decided this week I'm going to have a protein shake every morning when I get home from exercise party (at 6AM) and then have 2nd breakfast - usually yogurt - when I"m in the office by 8 or 830.

Recovery - I had a chiropractic appt last night, and made an appointment for acupuncture in 2 weeks. When I got home I drank lots of ginger tea instead of a beer. 

 

Exercise party was deadlifts and we did 6x3, and I did mine at 195 and it was pretty great, because I felt like I could lift a bunch more (this was supposed to be 85% of max, and I'm currently at 225) and I had the room to check in with my form and body while I was picking up the weight. Like, 1/2way through I caught my knees starting to collapse in, and was like HEY KNEES, don't do that!

 

C-4 (Thursday)

Went to exercise party this morning. there was a fast workout with power snatches and box jump overs but I had dropped a big heavy cast iron dutch oven lid on my foot on NYE, so he told me to just do step-ups. Which was AWESOME, because jumping is not my favorite, but I still felt a tiny bit bummed out to not do it RX because I'm a big nerd. probably the best tho'. The chiropractor adjusted my foot last night and said it was in pretty good shape "all things considered" by which she MOSTLY means my level of activity, not the incredibly heavy pot lid I threw at it.

 

Tonight is TKD (I am still teaching on thursdays). 

Finish - STILL HERE!

Food - logging caught up, will continue.

Recover - um, nothing yet.