karinajean puts the puzzle pieces back together

[karinajean]

After my grouchy self-satisfied brilliant surgeon signed off on my ACL replacement surgery last month, I was left feeling kind of flat. What's next? what is my fitness lifestyle going to look like? how do I focus the hard work I'd been putting towards recovery over the last 6 months towards other fitness goals, and what ARE those fitness goals?

 

My first challenge here at NF was an ambitious and well planned undertaking: I was focused on endurance (faster 5Ks - below 30 min), strength (pull-ups and push-ups!) and skill (mastering all of the forms and techniques I needed to test for my 3rd degree black belt). and it was AWESOME. I was running a lot, following a 5K faster program, I was doing tkd 3x a week with dedication, and working on it outside of class, and I was following the academy body weight brigade and practicing handstands. AND THEN DISASTER, I tore my ACL right at the beginning of week 4, and I've been working to get back to whole ever since.

 

which is not a bad thing, the last 4 challenges have been really great, have kept me super duper on track, and I'm proud of what I've accomplished. and I'm really happy to have spent them with y'all here on the boards, because without all of you, your support, and your advice, I am certain that even though I'd be good, I wouldn't be as amazing as I am today. 

 

but now I've got a lot of GOOD THINGS to worry about!

 

PRACTICALLY PERFECT NEW KNEE!

A MILLION THINGS I WANT TO DO!

AMAZING PROGRESS SO FAR!

 

these are some great puzzle pieces to work with!

 

what the puzzle is going to look like, though - that's the problem to solve this challenge. I need to figure out how to fit together a reasonable exercise regimen that meshes with my other time commitments and lifestyle.

 

I'm gonna come back and add specific goals, but right now my challenge is going to look something like this:

* couch to 5K

* weights for arms (gotta get to the pull-up!) and legs (keep recovery moving from ACL)

* food (I know I have to start to dial this in a little to hit my next "the way I look" level up)

* long term goal - to get the push-up and pull-up. my plan is to quit going to the gym and working again on bodyweight stuff, but I want to use the gym to get me to the pull-up first.

 

I'm trying to match my fitness goals to my workout time in a way that will bring only success and the accolades of my peers (THAT'S YOU), so I'll edit with new goals in a bit.

 

GOAL TIME, PEEPS.

 

Goal 1:  HIT THE GYM. calendar is going to be key. I hav a bunch of stuff to do, and I need to fit it all in. I've done this before and I'm really good at this kind of routine, so here are my components:

* Couch to 5K. Run 3x a week. I've done C25K before several times - basically whenever I want to get back into running form. this is a 9 week program but I will fit it into the 6 week challenge by starting at Week 4. Right now I'm warming up for 3 minutes, and then running 3 minutes/walking 1 minutes for 4 reps., followed by a 3 min. cool down. Week 4 launches in with intervals of running up to 5 minutes long. I should be able to do it.
* all the weights. 2x a week, all of them, all of them. I want to keep working on my leg strength for PT reasons, and I want to keep working on arm/shoulders/back strength so I can keep moving towards a pull-up. I have been doing weights at 10x3 reps, but I am going to switch to 8x3 and push for increases on weight faster than I have been.

Goal 2: MOVE MY BODY. I'm really good at routine, but not great at working in new things. These are movements that long-term, I want to be pro at: push-ups
* l-sits
* handstands
* planks
* hooping
* tae kwon do forms
* bar hangs/grip and knee raises

* nunchucks (don't hit self in back of head)
I'll award myself points for practice on these. 3 points/week is good. 5 is great. 7 is I am a superhero and stupendous. if I make over 30 points over the period of the challenge, I think I should get something awesome. I'm not sure what that thing is.

practice counts as:
2 minutes total for planking (actual time in a plank) or bar hangs (all time, including grip time, going up and getting down time, and shaking out hands time).
3 minutes for l-sits/handstands (including my rest time).
3 sets of 5 reps for incline push-ups or bar hangs (knee raises).
5 minutes for hooping session or for 'chucks.
A full TKD form done at least 2 times (or 2 different forms).

Goal 3: DIAL IN THE FUEL. Keep on tracking all that foods! And for this challenge, for real stay within calorie budgets. I did good on this last challenge (all holidays considered), and I need to continue to do well. I am planning to really dial in my fuel sources next challenge (i.e., stop squeezing beers and cookies into my caloric budget, focus on good clean proteins, etc) but this challenge will be a struggle enough to fit in the gym time I need, so I'm kind of maintaining, kind of prepping for next time with this goal.

LIFE GOAL:

 

As much as I'm telling everyone that 2015 is the YEAR OF THE PULL-UP. pull-up practice is included in the GYM TIME goal.

 

What I really need to do is make my home nice. There are so many things I want to do that I can't right now because we have disaster rooms. We still haven't gotten the closet installed in our bedroom. I can't get out my sewing machine and make new work skirts (which I am on the verge of badly needing) because the craft room is disaster cakes. So the life goal: get the closet up. That's first. If I accomplish that, I'll get another goal in that has to do with cleaning out the blue room or the craft room.  And I need to focus on this NOW, because my husband is off for winter break from his part-time school this month.

[captncid]

I look forward to the goals!

Sent by Captain's orders via raven

[Lara]

Running, and lifting, and eating. Perfect!

Will follow with attention

[0gravity]

Best of luck in your journey! You can, in fact, get back to where you were - and beyond! And I believe you will!

[karinajean]

OK measurements update -- from about when I first joined the NF academy. 

what I REALLY love is how my weight is essentially the same between September and January, but I've lost inches in almost every place. that is so freaking cool.

Body, thank you for working so well. 

 

          11/2/13  1/21/14  4/2/14  4/19/14  9/16/14  1/4/15
Left Arm     13      12.5    13.5    13.25    13.75   13
Right Arm    13      12.5    13      13       13.75   13
Bust         45      45      44      45       44      44.5
Chest        41      39      38.5    38       39      39
Waist        38.25   38.5    38      37.5     37      36.25
belly button 40.5    41      41      41       39.75   38
Hips         44      43.5    43.5    43       42.5    42.5
Left Thigh   23.75   23.5    25.25   25.5     23.75   23
Right Thigh  24      23.5        26      25.5     24      23.75 

Weight*      202.7   197.4   196.1   196.5    190.2   191.5

 

* trended weight from trendweight.com.

[AnnieP (respawned)]

Subbing for the awesome.

[PettyMort]

Subbing for victory!

[Elastigirl]

Very impressive measurements, even made more impressive since a bunch of that time you've  been hampered by your injury. Interested to see your progress on the pullups and pushups!

[Priscillia]

Subbing for the awesome

[starsapart]

Love it!  Subbing!

[starpuck]

Can't be on NF without following my awesome Karinajean.    

 

Gonna be cheering you on for the pull ups!   I too am going to work on pull ups!     We can share tips and woes!

[RedPandaOne]

As always, subbed and lurking your thread, making comments here and mostly there

[WonderNatarella]

 

looking forward to see the puzzle ;-)

[Nymeria]

Hooray!  Another awesome challenge!  Your measurements always perplex me at first glance, since you look so much smaller than that in your pictures.  But then I remember that you're like 6' tall.    

 

I think getting out of the gym and back to bodyweight sounds great!  For pull-ups, I think as soon as you have some really slow, controlled negatives, you shouldn't need the assisted pull-up machine.  The body mechanics for that machine are a bit off, so after a point, it's more useful to just do negatives with proper mechanics and no assistance. If you aren't doing scapular retractions, you should add those, too.  A lot of women struggle to activate the lats, and this would be a way to work on that so you won't get stuck at the bottom position of the pull-up.  Either way, I think it's a good idea to stick with the gym for at least another few months, since it's probably still too early to abandon the knee PT stuff.   (If anything, I think one of the mistakes I made was letting myself "graduate" from the elliptical/bike/jogging thing and the leg weight machines a little too soon).

 

If you want to start playing with toys again, I can whip up some 'chucks tutorials for you.  You're going to have such a great challenge!

[Mad Hatter]

Great challenge, and great progress! Looking forward to see what's next!

[karinajean]

got my calendar worked out for week 1 - I'm going to see how long things take me with the running program before I commit to next week's schedule - and I hit the gym for a run this morning.

guys, it was super empty, I was so worried it would be slammed from new-resolutioners. I'm not upset about all the people who want to be more fit (I hope there are a lot of them and they all make it happen!), I am just a little nervous about shower timing with a crowd of people. turns out I didn't have to worry about it!

today was C25K week 4 day 1: total of 26 1/2 min. of running/walking (2.64 miles). I ran most of the intervals at 6.5 or 6.6, but the last five minutes I was at 6.4. it felt really good, but I need to remember to keep it slower as I increase distance through this program.

I also got in some stretching (pigeon, downward dog, dolphin, colbra) and jumped up and tried to do some knee raises off of one of the high bars. HOWEVER my hands were too too too sweaty, and I guess I need to actually do these first before running, or find some kind of hand-sweat-solution.

my knee was a little stiff walking up the steps to the office when I got here, and that was a good reminder that the weights/other stuff is still really important. I think the running will be very helpful too in rebuilding all that leg strength.

My UGH MY HOUSE IS A DISASTER moment came early when I tried to find my new pair of sneakers to wear to the gym. um. because we haven't installed the new closet yet, they are in a bag of other shoes and likely near the bottom. I need to fish them out. we were supposed to have a closet by now. with SHOE DRAWERS. sigh. I wanted to do some replastering in the bedroom this weekend but instead I read a hundred books. OK NOT REALLY. but maybe 4.

One of the books, though, was the Raising The Bar - The Definitive Guide to Pull-Up Bar Calisthenics. I had downloaded this a while ago when it was free, and it was a good quick read, though nothing I didn't already know. Worth the reinforcement and it backs up our Smart @Nymeria on the "stop using the assist as soon as you can" concept.

[karinajean]

I look forward to the goals!

Sent by Captain's orders via raven

 

THE GOALS ARE IN! THE GOALS ARE IN!

 

Running, and lifting, and eating. Perfect!

Will follow with attention

 

heh, creepy kitty is creepy. BUT SO CUTE.

 

Best of luck in your journey! You can, in fact, get back to where you were - and beyond! And I believe you will!

 

Thank you!

 

Subbing for the awesome

Subbing for the awesome.

 

awesome is as awesome as the company we keep!

 

Subbing for victory!

 

and victorious is as victorious as the company we keep!

 

Love it!  Subbing!

 

hey you are another bad influence on me, btw, what with your "do all the things and do them all successfully attitude.

 

As always, subbed and lurking your thread, making comments here and mostly there

 

as always, super happy to be internet buds with you

 

 

looking forward to see the puzzle ;-)

Great challenge, and great progress! Looking forward to see what's next!

 

I'll be honest, friends, on this one, I am also really excited and looking forward to see how it goes. this is a big fresh start!

[karinajean]

Hooray!  Another awesome challenge!  Your measurements always perplex me at first glance, since you look so much smaller than that in your pictures.  But then I remember that you're like 6' tall.  

 

I think getting out of the gym and back to bodyweight sounds great!  For pull-ups, I think as soon as you have some really slow, controlled negatives, you shouldn't need the assisted pull-up machine.  The body mechanics for that machine are a bit off, so after a point, it's more useful to just do negatives with proper mechanics and no assistance. If you aren't doing scapular retractions, you should add those, too.  A lot of women struggle to activate the lats, and this would be a way to work on that so you won't get stuck at the bottom position of the pull-up.  Either way, I think it's a good idea to stick with the gym for at least another few months, since it's probably still too early to abandon the knee PT stuff.   (If anything, I think one of the mistakes I made was letting myself "graduate" from the elliptical/bike/jogging thing and the leg weight machines a little too soon).

 

If you want to start playing with toys again, I can whip up some 'chucks tutorials for you.  You're going to have such a great challenge!

 

ha, yeah, I'm 5'11", and a reasonably well proportioned person. This is one of the reasons it's so easy for me to scoff at what society thinks I SHOULD weigh, and also, kind of one of the reasons I love telling people how much I weigh. Even though it's still more than I'd like, I don't think anyone expects me to be around 200 lbs.

 

Totally with you on the "stick with the gym." But I will be honest, I am super looking forward to not having to go to the gym at all. I think that once I have a pull-up down, and can do real push-ups, and am running again (and my leg is awesome through all of that) I will be able to focus on at-home BW workouts. I prefer those mostly because I'm lazy and I don't have to build the extra time to pack a bag and drive to the gym into my life.

 

I would LOVE 'chucks tutorials. you are SO FAST, it is amazing. I'm still working on not hitting myself on the back of my head. A good skill to learn early in practice - but not super glamorous.

 

Very impressive measurements, even made more impressive since a bunch of that time you've  been hampered by your injury. Interested to see your progress on the pullups and pushups!

 

I was really surprised to see such big movement between September and now... surprised, and super excited. I think I lost a tiny bit of ground over the holidays but NO BIG DEAL I will get it back.

 

Can't be on NF without following my awesome Karinajean.    

 

Gonna be cheering you on for the pull ups!   I too am going to work on pull ups!     We can share tips and woes!

 

yes! we can do the pull-ups! gonna go check again and see what your plan is. what is your plan?

[starsapart]

hey you are another bad influence on me, btw, what with your "do all the things and do them all successfully attitude.

 

I'll take that as a compliment.

 

Go out and kick week one's butt!

[joedog]

Disaster rooms...we have those too. Perfectly named.

 

I'm around 5'10" so I know what you mean about being heavier than people expect. When I tell people my goal weight is somewhere around 190 they are blown away. 

[karinajean]

Disaster rooms...we have those too. Perfectly named.

 

I'm around 5'10" so I know what you mean about being heavier than people expect. When I tell people my goal weight is somewhere around 190 they are blown away. 

 

ha, yes! and you know, I used to think that my goal weight was closer to 175 or something (my 'healthy' BMI is 179 or less, you know?), but as I keep working out and exercising I'm really not sure how much lower than 190 I'll ever get. I love being strong and muscley, and I have to suspend all belief or disbelief in what that number looks like on the scale.

[Nymeria]

The BMI is a really poor measurement for people who are very tall or very short.   Plus, if you're active and have a lot of muscle mass, there's a good chance you'll be in the overweight range, even with a low body fat percentage.  Since you're so tall, you should worry more about what the mirror says and less about BMI.  

[RedPandaOne]

I'm on the shorter side at 5'3", and my BMI says I should be down around 120 pounds. I can tell you for a fact I will never reach that. My body started rebelling in the 150s (which I didn't realize until I started gaining the weight back). I'd rather be overweight and have muscle/just be fit than be considered "normal" and be tired/dizzy all the time.

[joedog]

The BMI is a really poor measurement for people who are very tall or very short.   Plus, if you're active and have a lot of muscle mass, there's a good chance you'll be in the overweight range, even with a low body fat percentage.  Since you're so tall, you should worry more about what the mirror says and less about BMI.  

 

My nephew is having a hard time getting his Commercial Driver's License because of his BMI. He could stand to lose a few pounds but mostly he's just a stocky strong kid. I really hate the way BMI has become a measurement that people use individually. 

[raptron]

Love the skills you're working on (no surprise there). Unleash the beast.