ConcreteCavewoman Needs a New Spirit Animal

[concretecavewoman]

In this challenge, I ditch a spirit animal that has never served me well.  You see, when it comes to my general approach to diet, training, hobbies etc, I start a program, everything's going alright and then.....

 

 

Yeah, this doesn't work so well.

 

My gains have been... alright.  Last challenge went fairly well.  I lost 5 lbs, put some weight on my lifts, but it felt fair to middling at best.  And I know I'm hamstringing myself with a lack of focus, and part of that focus is borne of a tendency to OVERTHINK and then OVERPLAN and then get distracted by SHINY.  So instead of a squirrel (or maybe a golden retriever) my quest is to find a new spirit animal.

 

Maybe... THIS

You might recognize her from previous challenges.  She's my bulldog pup, Ripley (Yeah, like Alien Ripley), and she takes after her namesake.  When she has a goal in mind, be it chewing on her blue monster toy or slaying xenomorphs, she Gets.  It.  Done. 

 

 

 

 

Main Quest: My Spirit Animal is Not a Squirrel.  It is a Bulldog.  Bulldogs are simple and straightforward, and they don't say things like "well if I combine 27% Wendler with 13% CFE and a day or two of Rhythmic Gymnastics..."  They do things that are consistent, possibly boring, but more likely to work.

 

Goal 1: Train Regularly.  No fancy plans.  I love LBEB style training, but for numerous reasons it's been challenging to get the workouts in, and I need to do what I know I will do, and that is getting to crossfit.  Reducing barriers to training.  Hit up crossfit 4-5x a week or maybe sub out a day of pure lifting.  Either way, 5 training days.  My gym is currently on a 3 month strength program with less emphasis on gut busting WODs, so that is nicely timed for my goals.

 

Goal 2: Eat cleanly.  No fancy foods.  Paleo.  It works for me.  I cook more regularly nowadays, so this is an easier one.  And I've enlisted the help of my SO to keep me in check.

 

Goal 3: Sleep.  No fancy schedules.  8 hrs.  I've been tracking my sleep for the last month and my nightly average is 7 and change.  With just a few tweaks I'm pretty sure I can get my average to 8.

 

 

Life Quest: Garden.  I've been contemplating how to garden, as an apartment-dweller, for a while now.  For several years I've read books and followed blogs on organic gardening methods and I think I'd like to start the processing of establishing a vegetable garden.  There's a large community garden a few miles from where I live, so my goal is to lay the groundwork for the 2014 growing season.  I'm going to 1) take a permaculture course starting in October, which will help me plan my site and 2) register for a plot.  In college I had a small yard and grew various summer vegetables each year, and it was so wonderful.  It's also the exact opposite of the squirrel mentality, requiring long planning, and above all, patience!

 

 

Motivation.  My motivation and my main quest are one in the same, in a way.  I want to slay the squirrel so I can be a more focused person in my sport-y pursuits.  I think that will make me a better person, because my lack of focus in the gym hinders my potential, and when I'm realizing my potential, I'm happier.  Virtuous circle, yay! 

 

 

 

NO MORE:

 

 

 

INSTEAD:

[This is Seth]

Goal 3: 

 

[montecristo73]

 

Goal 3: 

 

 

LOL!!! This is too good!!!

[Brometheus]

Good luck! DEATH TO SQUIRRELS!

[Erick the Red]

Great goals. Very focused.

[Max Power]

Goal 1:

 

 

 

Good luck on the goals!

[cavejen]

From one cave-person to another... awesome! Good lu- SQUIRREL!

[chairohkey]

Good goals. Subbed.

[concretecavewoman]

Goal 3: 

 

Accurate!

 

Day 1 Review

 

Lift: Check!

Deadlift day! 5x10 at 65%

• Stiff Leg Barbell Good Morning:
  • 45 lb x 10 reps (+27 pts)
• Barbell Squat:
  • 45 lb x 10 reps (+55 pts)
• Barbell Deadlift:
  • 45 lb x 10 reps (+55 pts)
  • 95 lb x 10 reps (+77 pts)
  • 115 lb x 10 reps (+88 pts)
  • 115 lb x 10 reps (+88 pts)
  • 120 lb x 10 reps (+91 pts)
  • 120 lb x 10 reps (+91 pts)
  • 120 lb x 10 reps (+91 pts)

WOD:

800m run.  5 rounds of: 20 situps, 10 burpees.  1k row.  21:30 total time. 

 

Finished the workout with about 30 minutes of Burgener drills.

 

Eat: Check!

Breakfast: 3 slices of bacon, 3 eggs, 1/2 c of sauerkraut, pumpkin puree with 1 scoop of protein, 1 c blueberries, and 1 tbs almond butter

S: coffee

S: 1 sm handful trail mix

D: 6 oz grilled tri tip with 3 tbs romesco sauce, 2 c mixed roasted vegetables

 

Sleep: Check!

9 hrs 23 mins according to my fitbit, yeeeeeeeeah.

[concretecavewoman]

Good luck! DEATH TO SQUIRRELS!

My rallying cry!

 

Great goals. Very focused.

Thanks much

 

Goal 1:

 

 

 

Good luck on the goals!

Thanks! I'm pretty sure that's how I look when I work out...

 

From one cave-person to another... awesome! Good lu- SQUIRREL!

Thank Yo- SQUIRREL!

 

Good goals. Subbed.

Many thanks

[This is Seth]

I found your spirit animal... the lil one, obviously.

 

 

and yes, just gonna keep putting bull dog gifs in here. 

[concretecavewoman]

I found your spirit animal... the lil one, obviously.

 

 

and yes, just gonna keep putting bull dog gifs in here. 

Moar bulldog gifs!

[concretecavewoman]

Day 2 Review

 

Lift: Rest!

Had two on days, taking an off day

 

Eat: Nope

Lost my daily check mark to a latte in a moment of headache-induced weakness

B: 3 slices of bacon, 3 eggs, 1/2 c sauerkraut

S: 1 c pumpkin with 1.5 scoops protein, 1 c blueberries and 1 oz almonds

S: small latte

D: Lost my appetite courtesy of headache.  1/2 c plain yogurt and a peach

 

Sleep: Nope

6hr 20m and very low quality.  For whatever reason I woke up 4-5 times, which is unusual for me.  To remedy this, meditation + magnesium before bed this evening.

 

Life: Progress!

I got confirmed for a two week applied Permaculture course in Vermont next summer.  They tend to sell out rather quickly, so I was pretty pleased about that.  Also, did some research about small plants I could get for the house, and I have the perfect spot for a couple dwarf citrus trees.

 

Also, roasted up a big batch of bacon-stuffed porkchops for dinners this week.  I consider this a win.

[Max Power]

I've been looking into getting a plant for my office, I need something that could easily last a week or so without water since I get sent out of town pretty regularly, and I'm kind of forgetful when it comes to that sort of thing.  

 

Bacon stuffed porkchops sound delicious. I made something similar in a crock-pot once, it didn't end well.  I think roasting them would be a much better plan.  

[concretecavewoman]

Posted a motivational reminder on my monitor:

[Hermione Gainser]

Nothing fancy here, just a bad ass challenge.

 

I like it.

[CourtnieMarie]

I'm sucked in! (if not just for the awesome bulldog gifs...)

 

Good luck

[concretecavewoman]

Day 3 Review

Ended up being an accidental rest day as I stayed late at the office.

 

Lift: Nope :/

 

Food: Check!

B: 2 slices of bacon, 3 eggs, 1/2 c sauerkraut, a peach, coffee w/2 tbs heavy cream

Late L: 8 oz pork chop stuffed with onions, apple, and 1 slice bacon.  3 cups of roasted vegetables and 1 c of spinach

S: 1 handful of trail mix

 

Sleep: Check!

8h15m yay!

[concretecavewoman]

Day 4 Review

good day

 

Lift: Check!

Strength -

6x10 bench press @ 55% (60lbs)

pistols between each round (in my case, progressions)

WOD -

5 min AMRAP

10 push press

10 front rack lunges @55lbs

2 min rest

5 min AMRAP

5 hang power snatch @35lb

15 double unders (i actually did the double unders not scaled, yay!  it was ugly but got it done)

 

Burgener drills

 

Snatch grip deadlift

35/5

95/3

95/3

95/5

 

Food: Check!

B: 8oz pork chop stuffed with apple, onion, and bacon.  2 c mixed vegetables

S: handful of trail mix, coffee w/2 tbs heavy cream

D: 7 oz of chicken satay, another 2 c of mixed roasted vegetables that I also sauteed with a couple cups of spinach.

S: peach

 

Sleep: Nope

7h 22m

 

Breakfast:

 

Dinner:

[concretecavewoman]

I've been looking into getting a plant for my office, I need something that could easily last a week or so without water since I get sent out of town pretty regularly, and I'm kind of forgetful when it comes to that sort of thing.  

 

Bacon stuffed porkchops sound delicious. I made something similar in a crock-pot once, it didn't end well.  I think roasting them would be a much better plan.  

I bet there are hardy succulents or something that could be office tolerant, perhaps in a terrarium.

 

I used this recipe for the porkchops, but added thyme instead of sage and caramelized the stuffing for much longer than recommended.

 

Nothing fancy here, just a bad ass challenge.

 

I like it.

 

I'm sucked in! (if not just for the awesome bulldog gifs...)

 

Good luck

When are bulldog gifs NOT an improvement really?

[chairohkey]

Finally found a place for this.

 

[girljen]

Good dawg!!

 

You will have up days and down days...just remember that every day is another chance to do well.

[concretecavewoman]

Finally found a place for this.

 

Totally relevant.

 

Good dawg!!

 

You will have up days and down days...just remember that every day is another chance to do well.

Thanks! That's always a great reminder

[concretecavewoman]

A midday update, also titled, "Reasons I love this city."  Just got back from the farmer's market and finished washing a ton of produce.  The haul included:

Pastured eggs

Grass-fed beef tongue (lettuce-wrapped tacos!)

Grass-fed beef short ribs

Pastured bacon

Tallow

A few kinds of lettuces

Pasilla peppers from the other side of the cascades

Berries, so many berries.

 

And, a treat for myself, a giant jar of raw milk. Om nom nom. (Saving most of this for after lifting today)

[Brometheus]

Oooooh raw milk! Cool!