The Less Challenge

[aj_rock]

Hey! Sorry your game got cancelled (I didn't even know until I showed up for ours).Seems like we keep missing each other by a couple days :/

 

Relevant note about your dad: If he's anything like my parents, I'd suggest not having him come to watch games. Parent always seem to freak out when they see the contact

 

I think 3x per week lifting is pretty ambitious, considering you're already practice + game for 3 days of the week. 

 

Re: the passing. Get the motion of the pop pass down before you start worrying about the spin pass. Considering that you probably won't have to pass further than 5-7 meters most time, that'll get you up to par without worrying about the niceties of spinning it out.

[sumdawgtwigg]

Thanks for your support! Glad to see you're still doing good on your challenge! 

[maegs]

Hey! Sorry your game got cancelled (I didn't even know until I showed up for ours).Seems like we keep missing each other by a couple days :/

 

Relevant note about your dad: If he's anything like my parents, I'd suggest not having him come to watch games. Parent always seem to freak out when they see the contact

 

I think 3x per week lifting is pretty ambitious, considering you're already practice + game for 3 days of the week. 

 

Re: the passing. Get the motion of the pop pass down before you start worrying about the spin pass. Considering that you probably won't have to pass further than 5-7 meters most time, that'll get you up to par without worrying about the niceties of spinning it out.

Our game this weekend got cancelled too, but I was going to have to work anyways, so I'm ok with that. I think my mom more than my dad will be the one to keep away - she would definitely prefer this version (which does look fun!):

Right now we don't have a game until May 25, so I think I can do the 3 workouts - I have a couple light weight/bodyweight workouts that I can use if I'm sore/tired. I'll see how it goes, I'm totally up for adjusting if I have to. We're apparently going to be doing a lot of fitness practices in the next bit, and I find with those that at the time it just feels like cardio, but the next day something random might be sore. But ya, I gotta get my left side coordinated. I'm very right-dominant, and the more active/involved in sports I get the more it shows lol. 

 

Thanks for your support! Glad to see you're still doing good on your challenge! 

Thanks, you too!

[maegs]

Yesterday I spent most of the day dealing with the fact that the postal service has lost all kinds of important documents of mine. I was sending in a UK passport application, so with the application itself, which asks for a lot of information, there was my current passport, my mom's old UK passport, and both our birth certificates.  All original copies, of course. And it turns out, when you start an inquiry into a lost package, all they do is allow extra delivery time. So for a package that was supposed to take 5-7 days to deliver, they're going to wait until about 5 months after it was sent (60-90 days from when the inquiry was started) to do anything else. So I've had to cancel my passport and report it, went to the MP's office to complain about Canada Post, figure out what I'll have to do to get a new passport (gotta do a totally new application, not just a renewal, so I need yet another copy of my birth certificate...). </rant>

 

Then I did a bunch of pro-and-con stuff to decide which school to go to, and accidentally fell asleep on the couch instead of going to the gym. 

 

Today was less aggravating. I had to go back to the police station, cause I left my driver's license there when I was reporting my passport lost. Then I went to work, and from there to rugby, and met up with friends for a birthday get-together. I was out of the house from about 11am-1145pm, but I was able to get some e-mailing and whatnot done before work since I was there about 45 minutes early. I also got a bit more done on my break, and since it was really slow at work I was able to think more about schools and basically decide where I should go.

 

Here's what today's practice looked like:

1. cones set out in a square, about 30ish feet per side?  - walk 1 side, jog the next, go a bit faster, sprint the last side - 10 minutes
2. circuit time! five minutes at each station
   1. plank for 20s, run from the tree to the cone and back
   2. run an empty keg up a (small) hill, across the top, down to the bottom (3 sides of a square), give it to the next person
   3. with a partner, flip a tire twice, run from the flag around the scrum machine and back
   4. take 2 'packages' of 2 bricks each (so 4 bricks total), run to the fence and back, hand it off to your partner
3. tabatas! To do this, we have cones set up. Sprint from one to the other, your partner counts 10s, sprint back, partner counts. Keep going for 4 minutes. Since I went first I got a bit of a break before suicides
4. suicides! with pushups! OK, it was just one suicide, but it was a long one! Maybe about 15-20 feet between cones, and about 6 or 7 cones.

It was about an hour long. Except for the cardio, it didn't feel to bad. Carrying the keg, planking, all that, I didn't have any problems with. But we'll see if I feel the same way tomorrow!

[maegs]

I was thinking more last night, and I think that the reason I'm so "DO ALL THE THINGS!" is because I have never been this healthy and fit, and I do feel like I can do everything! I still have to figure out what I can actually do and what my limitations are.

And that's my random thought for today.

[sumdawgtwigg]

I was thinking more last night, and I think that the reason I'm so "DO ALL THE THINGS!" is because I have never been this healthy and fit, and I do feel like I can do everything! I still have to figure out what I can actually do and what my limitations are.

And that's my random thought for today.

 

I think that sort of thinking is a bit like what got me injured last night. I can see myself getting healthier and I'm just dying put that stuff to use and maybe push a bit to hard to fast. 

[Jakob Kopfeld]

I was thinking more last night, and I think that the reason I'm so "DO ALL THE THINGS!" is because I have never been this healthy and fit, and I do feel like I can do everything! I still have to figure out what I can actually do and what my limitations are.

And that's my random thought for today.

It's a good feeling though, no? After a day of working out, going on a hike, and maybe getting some work done, still having energy left over always makes me feel good about myself.

[maegs]

...aaaaand I got sick. I've had a bad-ish cold since last Wednesday/Thursday. Did light weights on Wednesday, was sore on Thursday and then had rugby, and was still sore and more sick on Friday. Saturday I worked then larped, and Sunday I worked then was lazy. Today I just worked. I haven't been getting as much done on my to-do list as I should have, since I've been out of the house a lot over the last few days, although I've mostly been getting enough sleep. Tonight I think I'll go to bed early, then get up early so I can get some stuff done before work, since I'm not sure how much I'll be able to do between work and rugby. I've also realized that I need to focus more on muscle endurance as well as strength, so I'm thinking that I should maybe change my goals a bit and do 1 heavy weight/low rep and 1 light weight/high rep workout each week. My coach said that for the next few weeks we'll be doing a lot of 'fitness' at rugby, which generally means lots of bodyweight stuff, so it'll add up to 3 or 4 workout sessions/week.

[sumdawgtwigg]

Hope you're feeling better! It really stinks when you're getting momentum going and then BOOM sick! 

[maegs]

I got over the worst of my cold pretty quickly, but the runny nose is still lingering, especially when I run. Last week I did 2/3 runs/rugby practice  and 2/2 lifting sessions. I've had a couple nights where I didn't get enough sleep. One was when I worked late, and then had to get up early to drive my mom to work super early, and the other was last night - I managed to get to bed at about 11:30pm, which is really early for me, but I had to get up at 6. On both of those nights, of course, I also had trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep, of course. I've done pretty well food-wise, and with getting stuff done on my to-do list. I do want to start taking food to work more often, rather than buying food - even the 'best' foods at work are higher in calories than I'd really like, thanks to having cheese and nuts on all the salads and such. There's also so much sodium in everything, it's kinda scary. Also, I went over a couple articles about losing fat, and I've already got doing sprints and strength training covered. I think the next thing to add in is eating <100g of carbs/day, which is going to require more thought being put into what I'm eating (and eating less fruit ).

[aj_rock]

Careful with that. Even with only moderate effort, two hours of rugby practice will burn 500+ calories, and preferentially all or most of them will be from carbs. Fat just can't be oxidized fast enough for intense anaerobic activity, and you'll find yourself bonking midway through practice with insufficient carbs.

 

Maybe keep carb count low on off-days, but you definitely need a slice or two of bread or fruit on practice/game days.

[maegs]

Good point. I usually eat a banana with some peanut butter or yogurt or something before practice, so I did that today. I just feel like I need to do something more since I've stalled a bit with fat/weight loss in the last bit, which is frustrating because I'm thisclose to where I want to be. I want to buy new clothes that actually fit right, but I don't want to spend a whole pile of money if those clothes aren't going to fit in a few months! 

[maegs]

Cross posting from the Woot Room 

 

 

This time last year I was in a bad way. I had just finished my bachelor's degree, and during the 4 years at school I had gained a lot of weight, barely worked out, and ate horribly. The last year in particular was bad - I was at school at least from 8:30ish until about 5 at night, and despite bringing food every day I often ended up buying snacks as well. I had a heavy workload from school, and was also working part time, and, because of this and my tendencies to procrastinate and be a night owl, it got to the point where 5 hours of sleep was a good night. I'm 5'3", and was pushing 170lb. I was a size 14, had a 33.5" waist, 39.5" belly, and 42.5" hips. I wasn't happy with how I looked or how I felt, so I decided that things had to change.

 

I started doing the Starting Strength program. I could squat 70lb, bench 45lb, deadlift 75lb, and press and clean 55lb. A 2 mile run on the treadmill took me 37:13 the first time I tried it. I started working out regularly, running less-than-regularly, and eating roughly Paleo/Primal (I love cheese & Greek yogurt!). Now it's a year later, and I'm healthier and fitter than I've ever been before. Last time I weighed myself I was 144lb, had a 28.5" waist, 32.75" belly, and 38" hips. The pants I'm wearing right now are a size 5, and I just bought a dress that's a small. I squat 150lb, bench 90lb, deadlift 200lb, press 55lb (I just can't seem to get this one up!) and clean 95lb. I can do unassisted dips, and only use a 20lb assist for pull-ups, down from using a 115lb assist for both. I've started playing rugby, which I haven't played since high school (6 or 7 years ago), and the last run I did outside of practice was 2 miles in 24:40.   At practice we do loads of running, including tabatas and other sorts of intervals, and I've never had to walk during it. I'm also not the slowest person! I've also made it a goal to get enough sleep, and it really has made a big difference for me. 

 

People I haven't seen for a while have been commenting on how "thin" or "slim" I look, and the other day at my new(ish) job, when we had some extra cake slices left over, one of the other girls said "Here, you take one, you're so tiny you can afford it!" (but my willpower was stronger than my desire for cheesecake  ). When I go to grad school in the fall I'm planning on trying out for the women's rugby team. I'm also looking forward to reaching my goal body shape (I'm currently thisclose but not quite there), at which point my mom and I are going shopping! 

 

 

So basically, this is how I feel about myself these days:

 

Instead of:

[maegs]

Still chugging along with my goals. Eating under 100g of carbs has been hard, mostly because I love fruit. A lot. Yesterday I didn't eat well, and ate too much, but I also had rugby practice so hopefully that balanced out my eating a little. Been working on my to-do list, but I keep getting in my 45ish minutes and then doing nothing for the rest of the day. Usually I end up spending way too much time online doing nothing remotely productive. Gotta find a way to stop doing that and get stuff done - including the stuff that I do want to do, like my sewing and knitting projects. 

[sumdawgtwigg]

Glad you are feeling better!

[aj_rock]

Oi! Make sure you come over and say hi!

[maegs]

When will you be around?/I'm the one with dreads, I'm easy to find

[Jakob Kopfeld]

Still chugging along with my goals. Eating under 100g of carbs has been hard, mostly because I love fruit. A lot. Yesterday I didn't eat well, and ate too much, but I also had rugby practice so hopefully that balanced out my eating a little. Been working on my to-do list, but I keep getting in my 45ish minutes and then doing nothing for the rest of the day. Usually I end up spending way too much time online doing nothing remotely productive. Gotta find a way to stop doing that and get stuff done - including the stuff that I do want to do, like my sewing and knitting projects. 

There's this site that lets you restrict your connection to only a few research relevant websites and blocks all social media etc. I believe you could certainly benefit from that. Now if only I could remember the name of that. helpmestudy.com or makemeproductive.org or something like that. 

[IKE]

Good work, Maegs! I have the same problem with spending too much time online as well. I'm working on it, though!

[aj_rock]

I thought my distinctive jersey would have made me obvious as it is I think I recall seeing dreads last practice...

[maegs]

There's this site that lets you restrict your connection to only a few research relevant websites and blocks all social media etc. I believe you could certainly benefit from that. Now if only I could remember the name of that. helpmestudy.com or makemeproductive.org or something like that. 

 

That's not something I would want to rely on, but will be good for particularly bad days. I'll have to look it up.. online..

 

Good work, Maegs! I have the same problem with spending too much time online as well. I'm working on it, though!

 

There's just so much to do on the internet! lol

 

I thought my distinctive jersey would have made me obvious as it is I think I recall seeing dreads last practice...

 

I couldn't make it yesterday (work ) but I'll be there Tuesday - are you wearing the same jersey as in your pic?

[aj_rock]

Usually, yeah. I know most of the girls so chances are I'll be around for a chat one way or another.

[maegs]

I had a busy weekend! I worked 8 hours each Saturday/Sunday/Monday, but did manage to go out on Sunday night to see a local band and do something on the long weekend besides working. I didn't really get much done over the last few days - since I either had late shifts or went out after I went to sleep quite late each night, I slept in late and then just didn't do anything in the time between waking up and work. I did get a decent amount of sleep, except last night/this morning thanks to the construction crew down the street. Today I'm going to make up a to-do list/work out & work schedule, maybe go play tennis, and go to rugby practice

[maegs]

aj, I'm pretty sure I saw you at practice, but by the time we were finished you'd disappeared!

 

 

Today I slept in really late, then went to get bloodwork done (nothing serious, just checking to see if I have a vitamin deficiency that runs in my family), only to find out that the lab closes at 1pm on Wednesdays! So I went back home, and ate all the things! because I hadn't eaten for 14+ hours. I'm not someone who's good at fasting, I tend to get really grumpy when I haven't eaten even if I don't necessarily feel hungry. The going theory in my family is that I'm sensitive to my blood sugar levels. So I'll go tomorrow morning before work, which means going to bed earlier than I really want to (finished work at midnight, now it's 2am and I've gotta go to bed soon!) so that I can still get in my 8 hours and have time before work for this, since I have an earlier shift tomorrow. Normally if I work until midnight I stay up until anywhere between 2 and 4, since I tend to have weird dreams about work if I go to sleep too soon afterwards.

 

My plan for the rest of the week is kinda vague right now. I'm going to go to the gym tomorrow after work, and depending how I feel Friday I might do a short run before work. Got a rugby game Saturday, and then work again Sunday. So I might do something Sunday after work depending how I feel. What I do need to do is get more work done on my to-do list, I've been slacking on it this week. I've also gotta clean up my eating a bit, I'm mostly eating 'good foods' but too much of them, and I've also been less successful than I wanted to be at limiting carbs, mostly because of my tendency to eat something, then track it and go "It has how many carbs?!?!". I've kinda been in a funk, and I feel like I might be self-sabotaging a bit, since I'm currently at the weight I was at all through high school (although I'm thinner now, go muscles!), and my weight loss has slowed down a lot from what it was a few months ago. I tried to lose weight then, but wasn't consistent or anything about it. So I didn't lose weight, and felt like this was the weight I was supposed to be, or whatever. I was thinking about it earlier, and I think I might subconsciously be back in the same kind of mindset where I feel like I won't lose weight no matter what I try, despite knowing a lot more now regarding how to go about it, and knowing that back then I wasn't really putting in the effort required. So I think I've got a chicken-and-egg thing happening: I've gotta get out of this funk, which will help me with eating better, and eating better and seeing results will put me in a better mindset. Hopefully over the rest of this week and the between-challenges week I can do that, and start the next challenge refreshed and reset.

[aj_rock]

aj, I'm pretty sure I saw you at practice, but by the time we were finished you'd disappeared!

 

haha nooo I was there until around 9:30. I thiiiiink I saw you but you were talking to one of the senior girls and I didn't want to interrupt