Time to Battle at 110%

[Actively_Funny]

Ever since I can remember, I've been told that I could amount to anything and that I would make all my dreams a reality. For many years I believed all that to be true - that I would be everything by just being myself. I set goals, I got excited, I made actions to go after them, then the year passed by. A new year began and I repeated that cycle: set the same goals, get excited, made actions, and time pass by.

2012 was ending and there I was again: goals - excitements - ready to act...then it struck me: I have done nothing. All these years and the goals never change. I keep on giving up half way through. Why?

Turns out I’ve been afraid of personal success. I was comfortable in the mediocre zone. I never gave it my all. I gave a 70%. 70% is average – it’s normal. It wasn’t great but it wasn’t horrible, it was enough. Looking back at my life, I gave everything 70%: exercise, relationships, school, hobbies, and, yes, even those goals. I made myself, and others, believe that 70% was my 110.
 

As 2012 began to wrap up, I decided that I was done being afraid of my true potential. So I began to read a year’s worth of emails from a site that was recommended by a fellow CrossFitter: Nerd Fitness. I made the goal to read all those emails – clean out my inbox – by my birthday (Jan. 30). As I read, I was not only accomplishing my task but I was about to start a new life.

2013 began and it was enlightening. I put in the work and I got some goals done. Sure, here and there, I slacked off but I was better. I was giving 85-90%. Life was looking up. Then late July hit, my dog (the best dog that could ever exist for me) got ill. He was just 7 – he was strong, fit, and I was doing better with him (more play, more walks, and started swimming). He got very ill and extremely weak. Surgery was performed and, just like that, I lost my furriest best friend. I was mad and devastated – I imagined him being there right next to me as I accomplished these goals: graduating, getting out of debt, traveling, stepping into a new home, etc. I was in a momentum, I was expecting at least 5 more years out of him. What happened?
 

I had a window of opportunity to go back and give 70% at everything – use sorrow as an excuse to get me back to my comfort zone.

But I just stepped back, I focused, I breathed…and I realized that my dog taught me more that I thought. He was sick but always greeted me with a wag of his nub – he was happy every day. At that moment I found my 110%. I am focusing on my dog’s overall awesomeness as a motivator to do the same.

Since August 2013, I’ve been on a hunt to accomplish all my goals in memory of my best 4-legged friend. I will admit that I rather have him here but I know I can’t. So I push through and the feeling is quite kick ass.

I will not have my dog next to me as I do all this, but I will have him to thank for me getting though these goals. As of last week (mid November 2013), I was officially debt free (one of my main goals). Now it is time to get this transformation and I will log it here along the way.

=)

[Actively_Funny]

OK, so a week has passed and I am doing quite well with my workouts. I am shocked that it only took a few CrossFit classes to get my energy and endurance back up to a less shittier state (cosidering how I was when I got back to it). I have been waking up early and have gone to my other gym for my heavy lifts - waking up is more than half the battle for me.

The one thing that I need to work on is my nutrition. I know what I need to do, but I need to go and buy it - which is tougher than it sounds.

Paying off my debts/loans early has also left me with being financially diabled for a few weeks. It is just a matter of time to really be able to invest in my food. So, for the time being, I am working out. Man o' man, I am sure craving my home-cooked meals now.

 

[Actively_Funny]

I'm wrapping up week 2 since returning to my morning lifting routine and CrossFit in the evenings. In terms of my strength - I am still building that back up but my endurance is coming back. It is a happy moment because I am not walking in the gyms with personal doubt.

Nutrition was my issues last week - I ate a lot of crap and my body began to draw the line. So last night I got myself cooking. I didn't have a solid plan for my meals but I knew that I had to stop eating out. All in all, I am very pleased with what I created. I might have over-done-it with the amount of food I brought to work, but at least it is giving me areas to fix for tomorrow.

The bad thing about cooking for several days out is the time it requires. I started late and I ended late, so my priority for today is to get enough sleep for tomorrow.

Ok, that's all.

[Actively_Funny]

So this week is looking positive. I have successfully kept up with the Wendler program, now I am entering onto week 4 which is deloading; a needed break from the heavy stuff in week 3. My perfromance in CrossFit is slowly progressing and that is a good thing.

Today, I started my meal plan. 6 meals throughout my day; I must admit that my meals came out delicious. I have to get through this last week of Wendler to take my 4 week measurements and pictures. I do hope I see just a tiiiiiiiiny bit of change. My pants are started to get a little tight around my thighs and calves and the same goes for my shirts and my torso.

In either case, I am only 3 weeks into this so I won't be counting on any chicks yet.

Happy note: my social life is back on track and I hope to get a clear balance between my friends, my family, my "me time", and meeting new people.

While I was out on a first date, I did end up learning a lesson and I MUST start reading again. A very cleaver 8year old boy schooled me this past Sunday when he brought his book to the show I took my date to; he wanted to read between intermission. Well done kid!

As for school....well, I am questioning if I should follow my passion (and end up broke and piled with debt) or go for a financially promising career???? Questions...questions. I read two seperate articles/posts having strong arguments for both sides. Oh well, I will make sure to figure all this out.

[Actively_Funny]

Happy Holidays!!! Christmas has passed. Although not the biggest Christmas fan, this holiday flew fairly smoothly and I do like having some extra days off. Happy times.

One thing that I should have thought of was the day that these holidays fell on - Tuesday and Wednesday. My shopping and cooking were affected this week with my last minute holiday shopping. I plan to make better choices for the upcoming New Years week so I don't end up eating out. Nutrition has been positive with the Zone, so all I need to do is go shop! Christmas meal was perfectly delicious and nutritious; kuddos to my family.

Exercise speaking, I completed the first cycle of Wendler and I am already 1/2 way into the first week of cycle 2. I've been proud for my general performance in CrossFit; YESS I got on the leader board with Cindy (20min AMRAP of 5 pull ups; 10 push ups; 15 squats)!!! 2nd place with 20rounds + 5 + 10 + 6. Also, my measurements are going the rigth direction (they will be highlighted in one of my photo albums - link below).

Today I will work on my bench press and Sunday I'll focus on my back squat. I am excited to continue the second cycle since I have made two modifications to help it become a tougher workout - true to its strength purpose; it has been working!

When I began the Wendler program 5 weeks ago, I found out where my 1RM were with the 4 main movements (back squat, military press, bench, and deadlift). After almost 2 months of nothing but work, my numbers fell short. Because I didn't want to get injured, I used these lower numbers to program Wendler. All this caused for cycle 1 to be easier than it should have been. So I made some research, made some serious decisions, and I have made the following changes.

Wendler is basically set up with 3 warm up lifts, 2 heavier lifts to prepare my body for the main and final lift, followed by the assisted work of Boring But Big (same movement, lower weight, 5sets of 10). In cycle 1, the transitions felt more of warm-ups. So I set up my app to go heavier on these 2 sets. It has worked very well and I felt much more confident with the final set. Boring But Big was set at 45% of the 1RM number, but that seemed too light. So I followed Wendler's advice and went up to 60% which is definitely making a difference. I am very-very-VERY pleased with these changes and I hope it works for the best.

Lastly, my roommates found a lost cat. So we are on the hunt to find his owners. Complicated story, so let's hope we find them sooner than later.

That's all!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!