Crooked's Simplicity Challenge

[Crooked]

Today was a good strength day!

 

Back squat

45x5
95x3
115x3
135x3
145x3
155x3
160x3
165x3
170x3
175x2
180x1
185xfail

Cleans
45x5
75x3
85x3
95x3
105x3
115x3
120x3
125x1
130x1

1 pull-up
1 pull-up
1 pull-up
1 pull-up
 

Also did a cookup — chicken curry with veggies and another batch of salsa chicken.

[Crooked]

This weekend I was very unproductive. I know I am reaching burnout, but I really don't have time right now to let things slide. This morning I read this: http://waitbutwhy.com/2013/11/how-to-beat-procrastination.html and it was like someone had just climbed into my brain and described what he saw. So I'm working on that this week (and forever). Have another tough scheduling week, per usual. So I'm just going to push through and do my best.

 

Today's workout

 

Bench
45x6
65x6
85x6
85x6
85x6
85x6
85x6
85x6
85x6
85x6

Strict press
45x5
65x5
75x3
75x3
75x3
75x3
75x3
75x3
80x1
85x1
90x1
95xfail

3 chin-ups
3 chin-ups
3 chin-ups
2 chin-ups
2 chin-ups
 

[Crooked]

I tried bulletproof coffee this morning — YUM. Trying to cut back on carbs and particularly sweet carbs (fruits in particular) a bit and ramp up the fat. We'll see how that goes. Currently eating some perfectly scrambled eggs with salsa and I'm extremely content. Also cleaned out my fridge, a few days overdue.

 

Recent workouts:

 

February 5
3 chin-ups
3 chin-ups

Bench
45x5
65x5
85x3
95x3
105x2+fail
105
105
105
105
105

Back squat
45x5
105x5
135x5
145x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5

February 6
Bench
45x5
65x3
85x3
95x3
100x3
100x3
100x3
100x3
100x3
100x3
100x2
100x2
100x2

Seated db OHP
30x5
30x5
30x5
30x5
30x5

Bicep curls
25x5
25x5
25x5
25x5
25x5

1 pull-up
1 pull-up

Kbs at 30#
30 unbroken

Plank
1 minute
1 minute

February 7
Deadlift
45x5
135x3
155x3
185x3
205x3
215x3
225x3
225x3
225x3
225x3
225x3

Narrow-grip bench
45x5
55x5
60x5
65x5
70x5
70x5
70x5
70x5

February 8
Back squat
45x5
95x5
135x5
155x5
160x5
160x5
160x5
160x5
160x5
160x5

I was experiencing this really cool energy on the fifth rep of the last few sets on these. For whatever reason I could just feel myself driving relentlessly toward the top of the lift — even though it got really tough, I knew I was going to get there. Can't explain it better than that, but it was pretty cool.

Strict press
45x5
65x5
80x3
80x3
80x3
80x3
80x3
85
90

INCREDIBLY slow on the last one.

Biceps
22.5x8
22.5x8
22.5x8

Easy recumbent bike for about half an hour

 

------

 

Still don't have a workout or diet plan (beyond "lift things" and "eat mostly paleo"), so I'm trying to think about becoming more programmed.
 

[Crooked]

Workout today:

Back squat
45x5
105x3
135x3
155x3
170x3
170x3
170x3
170x3
170x3

170x3

 

I don't know if I've ever squatted this much ever. Once I can do 175x5x5 I will test for my max.

Bench
45x5
65x5
75x5
85x5
95x5
95x5
95x5
95x5
95x5
95x5

Recumbent bike easy for one hour five minutes while reading for class

Shoulder a little tweaky -- not sure why
 

[Crooked]

P.S. Slow cooker salsa chicken continues to be the best thing ever. I prepared it overnight last night (10 p.m. to 6 a.m., when I woke up), and it is MAGICAL. I've been eating it with sweet potato and bacon — it's the most decadent-feeling meal in the world.

[CourtnieMarie]

i have missed so many great workouts and food! glad you were able to move past the cookies. 

 

I am all out of salsa and have a sad now. although the SO made this amazing chicken chili with chicken thighs and pumpkin and spinach. I seriously could have eaten all 8 servings in one sitting.i forget sometimes how amazing chicken thighs are in comparison to the breasts.

[Crooked]

i have missed so many great workouts and food! glad you were able to move past the cookies. 

 

I am all out of salsa and have a sad now. although the SO made this amazing chicken chili with chicken thighs and pumpkin and spinach. I seriously could have eaten all 8 servings in one sitting.i forget sometimes how amazing chicken thighs are in comparison to the breasts.

Sounds SO yummy. I never cook with thighs because I'm scared of them. That'll be this weekend.

[cline]

Don't be scared of chicken thighs!!! Roast em up in a pan.  eat them all.  Enjoy!

 

and keep on keeping on!

[CourtnieMarie]

Sounds SO yummy. I never cook with thighs because I'm scared of them. That'll be this weekend.

 

 

Don't be scared of chicken thighs!!! Roast em up in a pan.  eat them all.  Enjoy!

 

and keep on keeping on!

 

yes! chicken thighs are so tasty! I used the boneless skinless variety this time around because they were on sale and are much easier to handle when you're crockpotting. But if you get the bone-in/skin on type then I would definitely roast! I've used this recipe before for wings and loved it - http://eatlivepaleo.com/2013/02/09/crispy-spicy-oven-baked-chicken-wings/ I'm sure it'll work just as well for any baked chicken pieces

[weirdquark]

I pan fry chicken thighs in their own fat a la Catspaw's cast iron pan method. Heat pan on just below high until water dripped on it sizzles, cook ~6min per side. (Her chicken breast method is the same except you cook them for 8 minutes per side and also take them off the heat and cover the pan for an additional 8 minutes, but the thighs don't generally need that last step.) If you don't trim the fat before cooking they can get pretty crispy; if you do, they still get nicely brown and you don't need to grease the pan at all.

[Crooked]

So much chicken thigh support. I'm inspired — this weekend I'll go with thigh instead of breast!

[Crooked]

Updates:

-Been drinking bulletproof-ish coffee (not the special organic toxin-free ultra-expensive kind of beans; coconut oil rather than MCT oil; kerrygold butter; and protein powder) every morning, and I've been (1) LOVING it — it's the most delicious and decadent thing in the world and (2) feeling really full and energized despite getting not enough sleep.

-Made an appointment to talk with mental health services. One more example of this school being shitty: They didn't have any availability FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES until Friday, and the first appointment/evaluation is a 20-minute phone call. Nothing to worry about — just having a really high level of anxiety pretty much all the time because I'm completely overcommitted.

 

February 11

Strict press
45x5
75x5
75x5
75x5
75x5
75x5
45x10
45x10
45x10

1 hour of v. slow easy biking

February 12
rest day

February 13

Back squat
45x5
115x5
145x5
165x5
165x5
165x5
165x5
165x5
165x5

 

SO excited about my squats these days.

Bench
45x5
85x3
95x3
105x3
105x3
100x3
100x3
100x3
100x3

Deadlift
45x5
135x5
185x3
215x3
225x3
235x3
 

[CourtnieMarie]

ugh. sorry about the appointment nightmare. that is really strange. BUT back squats?! hell yeah!!

[Crooked]

ugh. sorry about the appointment nightmare. that is really strange. BUT back squats?! hell yeah!!

 

Isn't that absurd? One would think MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES on a COLLEGE CAMPUS would be marginally less terrible.

 

THANK YOU! So excited about them.

[Crooked]

Setting up a call with the mental health people was a good decision. I just got an e-mail from a friend saying that we should pick a date to get tickets to a thing we discussed getting tickets to, and I panicked thinking about trying to fit another thing into my schedule.

[weirdquark]

Isn't that absurd? One would think MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES on a COLLEGE CAMPUS would be marginally less terrible.

 

What, other people didn't call their college health service location the Death Center?

 

Fun story I heard involves a woman who went in for something unrelated to her reproductive health, was asked whether or not she could be pregnant, and she said no.

 

"Are you sexually active?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Do you use birth control?"

 

"No."

 

"Could you be pregnant?"

 

"No."

 

Repeat this for a while until the woman finally says, "okay, but if I am pregnant I hope it's [my girlfriend's!]"

 

Really, this could have been shorter if the woman had said her preferred birth control method was being a lesbian, but apparently she didn't think that counted.

[CourtnieMarie]

Setting up a call with the mental health people was a good decision. I just got an e-mail from a friend saying that we should pick a date to get tickets to a thing we discussed getting tickets to, and I panicked thinking about trying to fit another thing into my schedule.

I'm glad you did. There are hopefully some good people in there who you can talk to  

 

What, other people didn't call their college health service location the Death Center?

 

Fun story I heard involves a woman who went in for something unrelated to her reproductive health, was asked whether or not she could be pregnant, and she said no.

 

"Are you sexually active?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Do you use birth control?"

 

"No."

 

"Could you be pregnant?"

 

"No."

 

Repeat this for a while until the woman finally says, "okay, but if I am pregnant I hope it's [my girlfriend's!]"

 

Really, this could have been shorter if the woman had said her preferred birth control method was being a lesbian, but apparently she didn't think that counted.

ha! I remember these conversations. even at just the regular health center - their answer for everything was that I was pregnant. 

[Crooked]

In college I once came in with pain in my throat and was asked if I could be pregnant. Then they told me it was probably strep and tried to send me home. When I insisted on going to the hospital for a second opinion, they figured out that a bit of my lung had collapsed.

[Crooked]

So this challenge definitely could have gone better and I get a big fail for most of my goals, but the most important thing is that I stuck it out until the end! Have not done that on a challenge for a while.

 

1. Fitness: Did actually work out 4x/week. Yay! Huge progress given that I worked out sporadically at best all first semester.

2. Ate like a big girl most of the time. Didn't default to eggs anywhere near as often and did start cooking through some of my backlog. Also used my crockpot more extensively and I'm in love.

3. Really totally almost 100% dropped the ball on my foot rehab.

4. Really totally almost 100% dropped the ball on spending 10 minutes on myself per day. That is kind of tragic. Don't think I did it once.

5. Did a really great job of writing down expenditures and spending less.

 

Onto the next.

[Crooked]

[i guess though that there's normally a gap between challenges so I'll keep posting here until the next one is up]

[cline]

ACK I'm so late with my pregnancy/health center story.

 

Went on a fraternity camping trip in college.  We were all jumping into and swimming in a lime quarry.  Yeah... okay. whatever.  Anyhow, getting out proved a bit tricky.  I slipped and if you know lime stone quarries at all, rocks are very sharp.  Cut my leg pretty good.

 

Well, if you know frat boys, you KNOW they didn't bring a first aid kit.  So washed with soap and water a few times, but what could I do?  Spent the weekend festering. 

 

By the time I was back at school, it was nasty nasty infected.  So, off to health center.  

 

Me:  "I need to have this cleaned well and treated"

Health Center:  "could you be pregnant?"

Me:  "Ummm it's an external cleaning and most likely topical treatment so.... just clean me up and treat me"

Health Center:  "we need to know if you are pregnant"

Me:  "Pretty sure you don't"

Health Center:  "you have an attitude.  We need a pregnancy test before we treat you"

Me:  "Do you ask men if they make women pregnant?  Cause I'm pretty sure a topical ointment would affect men the same way"

Health Center:  "would you like to come back when you are more agreeable?"

Me:  "No.  Would you like to treat me or would you like me to go to the Board of Trustees and explain why I have gang green?  because I'm the student rep on the Board and they'll wonder why my leg smells".

Health Center:  "fine.  Next time you are in you'll get a pregnancy test"

Me:  "nope.  probably not".

 

I never did have one there.  LOL.  the hate for those people. 

[weirdquark]

I also had a friend who went to the hospital (not the student health center) and after a few go-rounds of them continuing to ask if she was sure, finally exploded and told them that unless the angel Gabriel came down and declared, "lo, and a virgin shall give birth," she wasn't pregnant.

[Crooked]

ACK I'm so late with my pregnancy/health center story.

 

Went on a fraternity camping trip in college.  We were all jumping into and swimming in a lime quarry.  Yeah... okay. whatever.  Anyhow, getting out proved a bit tricky.  I slipped and if you know lime stone quarries at all, rocks are very sharp.  Cut my leg pretty good.

 

Well, if you know frat boys, you KNOW they didn't bring a first aid kit.  So washed with soap and water a few times, but what could I do?  Spent the weekend festering. 

 

By the time I was back at school, it was nasty nasty infected.  So, off to health center.  

 

Me:  "I need to have this cleaned well and treated"

Health Center:  "could you be pregnant?"

Me:  "Ummm it's an external cleaning and most likely topical treatment so.... just clean me up and treat me"

Health Center:  "we need to know if you are pregnant"

Me:  "Pretty sure you don't"

Health Center:  "you have an attitude.  We need a pregnancy test before we treat you"

Me:  "Do you ask men if they make women pregnant?  Cause I'm pretty sure a topical ointment would affect men the same way"

Health Center:  "would you like to come back when you are more agreeable?"

Me:  "No.  Would you like to treat me or would you like me to go to the Board of Trustees and explain why I have gang green?  because I'm the student rep on the Board and they'll wonder why my leg smells".

Health Center:  "fine.  Next time you are in you'll get a pregnancy test"

Me:  "nope.  probably not".

 

I never did have one there.  LOL.  the hate for those people. 

 

 

I also had a friend who went to the hospital (not the student health center) and after a few go-rounds of them continuing to ask if she was sure, finally exploded and told them that unless the angel Gabriel came down and declared, "lo, and a virgin shall give birth," she wasn't pregnant.

 

 

Hahahahahaha these are amazing.

[Crooked]

These week feels like it will be physically impossible to get through, so it's nice that it is the gap week between challenges. BUT yesterday I back squatted 170x5x5 and I think that's a personal best, even before I was injured. Woo!

[CourtnieMarie]

That's awesome! I think you did much better on your challenge than you gave yourself credit for. Working out 4x/week, taking care of money, discovered new cooking methods, AND kept up with your ridiculous school schedule?! yeah, you're awesome. you should celebrate with more salsa chicken or something