Woo! Heavy things! -MostlyHarmless' 2nd challenge

[MostlyHarmless]

After some fairly good success with my first challenge, I've decided I'm hooked.  On heavy things.  I want to pick them up and put them down, only to pick them right back up again.  I'm not lifting much weight (yet), but I still feel pretty awesome with a barbell in my hands.

 

 

 

Goal 1:  Lifting!  I braved the scary dark side of the gym, and I love it.  Now, to make it a habit!  Lift 2-3 times each week. (+4 Str)

 

Goal 2:  Run!  The zombies are after me!  Soon after this challenge is over, I'll be running (another) 5k obstacle course, and I need to be ready.  Run at least 6 miles each week. (+4 Sta)

 

Goal 3:  I'm keeping a food log.  I'm not so concerned with the number of calories I'm taking in, I just want to have a better idea of what I'm eating and when.  Track everything.   (+2 Con, +2 Wis)

 

Goal 4:  Register for classes for the fall.  I've been out of school for a few years now, and have been putting off my return.  (+3 Wis)

 

[Yozomiri]

Those are some pretty solid goals! How are the obstacle courses, btw? I've looked at them a bit before, but I've not yet run one.

[MostlyHarmless]

Those are some pretty solid goals! How are the obstacle courses, btw? I've looked at them a bit before, but I've not yet run one.

Thanks, Yozo!  Obstacles are awesome!  I've done 2 so far.  I jumped into the deep end without a life jacket, and did a Tough Mudder last summer.  Since I could barely walk for the next few days, I decided to reign it in a little and do a few shorter ones this summer (just finished a 4-mile one on Sunday).  

 

 

Here's the update so far:

 

Doing great with the food log.  I picked up a small notebook that fits easily into a pocket, so I can always have it with me.  I've been 100% successful there so far.

Lifted once this week, with a plan to go again on Saturday.  I'm ready to increase my bench to 3x5 at 60lbs (eek!), and maybe lower the amount of assistance for chin-ups!

I've been trying to put off a run all day, so I guess I'm off to do that now.  I just need to take the 20 seconds and put my shoes on, and I'll be all set to go.  Hoping to get in 3-4 miles.

[ThunderSnail]

Nice job and hope you got that run in.  You can always build your lifting from set to set to if you're not sure of a full weight leap (i.e. 1st set on the bench at 60 and the next two at 55).  Just to dial back the eek! factor.

[MostlyHarmless]

Nice job and hope you got that run in.  You can always build your lifting from set to set to if you're not sure of a full weight leap (i.e. 1st set on the bench at 60 and the next two at 55).  Just to dial back the eek! factor.

 

The run was great, thanks.  I managed 3.5 miles in 30:08, and hit the 5k mark at 26:47.  As for the benching, we'll see how I do with the first set of 60lbs.  I still feel a bit wimpy just adding a few of the smallest weights to the bar.  They look so puny.

[prefect42]

A fellow HGTTG username?  Hello there!

 

Great goals--looking forward to watching your progress.  What do your lifting days look like?

[orcwarrior]

I'll bite - what's HGTTG?  Curiosity....

 

Great to see you back, Harmless!  And still progressing!  Way to go.  Sounds like you're doing more than just increasing weight and lowering times.  You're doing things like braving the free weight area that you were afraid to do before, keeping track of food (which helped me to be more mindful and has led slowly and gradually to much healthier eating), and doing things which lead to true life change.  Way to go, Rebel! 

[MostlyHarmless]

HGTTG = Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, of course!

 

My lifting routine has been based on the Starting Strength program.  I'm not really comfortable with the overhead press yet, but I'm bringing the boyfriend with me to the gym tomorrow to watch my form.      I've also been throwing in some core stuff, as well as some assisted pull-ups and dips, in the hopes that one day soon (maybe a next challenge goal   ) I'll be able to accomplish my first pull-up!  

 

Also, I've just discovered how strange some of these smiley faces are...              

[prefect42]

That watermelon smiley is clearly the best, with the magic lamp a close second. 

 

Sounds like a good mix of stuff.  I used Stronglifts when I first started lifting, and I believe that and Starting Strength are pretty similar.  The OHP is my personal weakness--great that you can have a second pair of eyes on your form.

 

Congratulations on making the move to the free weights area, though.  One step at a time!

[ThunderSnail]

Haha, the 2.5 lb plates are my favorites.  Sometimes I feel a bit silly and puny with them, but I'm sure I'd feel a lot more ridiculous dropping a barbell on my face.  I've known too many people that have let their ego get the best of them and ending up with preventable injuries.

 

My vote for best smiley is torn between these two: , though I do love the dinosaur.

[MostlyHarmless]

Thanks to the boy, I managed the overhead press this morning (what a keeper!).  3 sets of 5 with the bar only, so nothing too impressive there yet.  My deadlift is hanging out at around 145, hopefully I'll be able to up that soon.  And squatting 3 sets of 5 at 105.  I know the puny weights have merit, and they will soon be less puny!  And I don't want to have to ask for help getting a barbell off my face.  

 

I went for a quick run this evening, and managed 1 mile.  That leaves me 1.5 to do tomorrow if I want to meet my weekly goal (I technically did two half mile warm-up runs at the gym, but those don't really count).

 

Now I'm off to a friend's party, where there will be plenty of DDR, bonfires, alcohol, and unhealthy snacks to add to my food log.  Hopefully nobody sets the house on fire!

 

[Eboncat]

Obstacle runs are the best!

Sounds like you're doing great with the weights. And I really like your goals.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[MostlyHarmless]

Obstacle runs are the best! Sounds like you're doing great with the weights. And I really like your goals. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Thanks!  I'm liking my goals so far, too.  There are before & after pictures and measurements being taken (forgot to measure last weekend, but got those in today) to really help me see progress.  I'm not sure I'm ready to share those yet though :-D

 

Finished out this week's running goal this morning with a 1.5 mile run for time (11:48).  And goofing around on the monkey bars in the park, I managed to do one real body weight pull-up! 

[ThunderSnail]

Congrats on the pull up!  Glad the boy showed you the overhead press, though that is one of the self-serving labors of love

[orcwarrior]

Way to be persistent!  I like how you're targeting and going after your goals.  Sounds like you've got good motivation and mission-mindedness.  I'm also encouraging you not to be ashamed of your lower-weight efforts - keep on keeping on, and those weights will get bigger.  When I started my first challenge in April, I could only do a few pushups at the start of the Beginner Bodyweight cycle before collapsing with lots of undignified huffing and puffing.   But persistence pays - now I'm working on 35 pushups in multiple sets.  You will keep improving - just encourage yourself and keep going!

 

Edit - missed your comment about your first pullup. Way to go! That's tremendous!

[Eboncat]

A full pullup - that's awesome! 

 

Don't worry about the weights you're using.  Everybody starts somewhere, so don't compare yourself to other people.  The important thing is compete with yourself and get stronger.  You are doing great!

 

As for the pics - you don't have to share anything you aren't comfortable sharing.  But I bet you'd be suprised how much support you'll get if you do!

[nemo]

I love your goals! And your whole gym routine sounds awesome too. Well done on braving the scary weights room, I'm too chicken to do that just yet but I'm hoping someday I'll get there. It sounds like you're really on top of things and making great progress.

 

I've just started reading HGTTG, and I'm loving it so far! Can't wait to get a few more chapters in tonight actually...

 

What are you hoping to study after the summer's over?

[orcwarrior]

Harmless!  We need a pullup update! 

[MostlyHarmless]

Harmless!  We need a pullup update! 

You need an update in general!  I've been neglectful of this thread [insert due groveling here].

 

So updates!  I haven't tried any more unassisted pullups yet, but I'm improving the number of reps with the assisted pullups.  I'll make another attempt at unassisted soon.  

 

I've been managing to keep up with my running goals (although it seems as though Sunday rolls around, and I say "DARN, I still need to run x miles), and have been rocking the lifting.  The weight is slowly increasing.  I'm deadlifting 150, squatting 115, and benching 65.  The overhead press remains my kryptonite.  I can manage 3 sets with the bar, but not much more than that.  

 

As for the food log...  I had to play catch-up for a day or two when I left the notebook at home, and this weekend was a bit of a wash.  Saturday's dinner was simply noted as "wedding food,"  and I ate out twice yesterday (celebrated fathers day for both my boyfriend's dad and my own, as well as my step-mother's birthday).  I find restaurant and buffet food very difficult to track.  In any case, back to normal as of today!

 

 

I love your goals! And your whole gym routine sounds awesome too. Well done on braving the scary weights room, I'm too chicken to do that just yet but I'm hoping someday I'll get there. It sounds like you're really on top of things and making great progress.

 

I've just started reading HGTTG, and I'm loving it so far! Can't wait to get a few more chapters in tonight actually...

 

What are you hoping to study after the summer's over?

I left school a few years into a music performance degree, and I'm not sure yet what I want to change that to.  I'm going to take a few math and science courses to get back in the swing of things, and hopefully find something that I want to study (I've always loved chemistry and physics, so maybe something there).  As for the scary weight room... I found it really helpful to recruit a friend to help me with technique and the general use of the equipment.

 

A full pullup - that's awesome! 

 

Don't worry about the weights you're using.  Everybody starts somewhere, so don't compare yourself to other people.  The important thing is compete with yourself and get stronger.  You are doing great!

 

As for the pics - you don't have to share anything you aren't comfortable sharing.  But I bet you'd be suprised how much support you'll get if you do!

 

Thanks!  I may post pics at some point soon, we'll see.

[prefect42]

Congrats on the pullup!  That's an exciting achievement, and you're making steady progress with the other lifts.  My "barbell day" is usually Friday, but you are making me consider shuffling it around to tomorrow morning...

 

Way to bounce back on track after the weekend.  How do you usually handle restaurant food, etc?  It can be exhausting to try to break every dish out into its requisite components, but sometimes it seems like there's no other way.  I guess it's impossible to know every ingredient in the dish, so we just have to accept that the totals are all estimates.

[MostlyHarmless]

So I managed a nice quick run last night.  Not any serious distance, but I ran 1 mile in 7:30.  But I completely bombed today's workout.  I managed to fail on my 2nd sets of both the squats and the deadlifts, and at lower weights than I'd lifted in about a week and a half.  I left feeling rather beaten down and weak.  Now I know I didn't get enough sleep last night, but that isn't so unusual.  I regularly get around 6 hours on week nights.  The only thing I can think of was that I had to do things a little out of order, since the gym was busier than it normally is. 

[ThunderSnail]

Sorry to hear that you had a rough workout, hope you get back under the bar soon though! Did you give yourself enough rest time between sets?  Just thinking you might have rushed things a bit since the place was busy.

[orcwarrior]

Hey, keep in mind.... You showed up.  You worked hard.  You didn't make excuses, and you didn't wimp out.  You did not fail.  What happened is your body didn't perform as expected for inexplicable reasons.  It happens.  So.... scratch your head, try to figure it out and address it if you can.  Otherwise stay focused on the fact you were faithful, and shake it off and keep going.  Don't let it discourage you!  HooRah!!!!

[MostlyHarmless]

Woot!  Thanks for the encouragement.  I dropped the weight back a bit on Saturday to focus on form, and was back in full swing this morning.  I think I might need to adjust my diet a little bit, too.  After falling off the wagon last week with both the food log (forgot to keep up for a day or two, and had to try and remember everything) and a few disappointing runs (we're having a nice heat wave come through with increased humidity to match, so I didn't make it as far as I was hoping yesterday), I'm starting off this week strong.  Beast mode!

 

I ALMOST managed 2 full pull-ups this weekend.  Maybe next time   .  And according to yesterday's measurements, I am almost 2 lbs heavier, and down 2% body fat!  If I keep this up, I might actually be able to do a double red blood donation (they want girls to be at least 150 lbs, which I always thought was crazy and I'd never weigh that much without looking seriously overweight)!!!

[nemo]

Beast mode buddy!! You're doing really well, and down 2% body fat already! Great work on the pull-ups too, I couldn't even attempt one yet but someday I will. Keep it up and remember that nothing beats the beast...