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Becks ascends Mt Doom


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In keeping with my LOTR theme, I am heading over the Pass of Cirith Ungol, across the Plateau of Gorgoroth, and up the slopes of Mt Doom. The "journey" theme appeals to me, as I will once again spend a third of this challenge on the road. 

 

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In real life, I'm conquering the schiznit of muscle tightness+patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner's knee... although from what my foam roller tells me it might be my IT band), 2 weeks travelling for work, 1 week trip to Peru. To  get through it,  I'm stripping away the excess and travelling light for this trip. My goals are minimalist:

  • write one sentence in French every day
  • do one yoga pose every day
  • reach my FitBit climb goal (25 floors) every day (hey, Frodo and Sam climbed a lot of stairs!)

The idea here is to lower the barrier to entry. Starting is the hardest part. Rather than saying I'm going to  spend 30 minutes on mobility daily, I'm going to start with one yoga pose. 

 

My success will be judged by a couple of threshold activities

  • write an entire work  email in French
  • run 5 mi (If I don't MWod/Yoga/PT, this won't be possible)
  • Under #134 and feeling strong (I'll have to measure before Peru)

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. -Aristotle

Arian, arian, zehetzen da burnia. -Basque proverb

Frisian Shieldmaiden level 12 (STR:16) (DEX:16) (STA:23) (CON:22) (WIS:17) (CHA:15)

 Challenges: 11/12.14 - 1/2.15 - 2/3.15 - 15.4/5 - 15.6/7 - 15.7/9 - 16.1 - 16.3 - 16.4 - 16.5 - 16.10 - 16.11 - 16.12 - 17.1 - 17.2

 2017 Goals: Maintain BW BS, 100kg DL - Muscle Up - 1/2 Marathon Condition - Abs

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Following up from the starting point of my last challenge, I got in the dunk tank again this morning. Here are my results:

 

End of May: 18.1% body fat (#117 lean mass),  #142.8

This morning: 15.7% body fat (#118.25 lean mass), #140.2

 

Net change in 8 weeks: -4lbs  fat, + 1.2lb muscle

 

What I get from this is that the high-protein push I've been on is really having an effect on my body comp. The other constant in the past 8 weeks has been a conscious effort to walk lots, which I know helps me burn fuel at peak efficiency and avoid blood sugar spikes. Seriously, try a walk after dinner and  watch your life change! 

 

So, that puts my target "weight" (I hate using a scale for a target, but a snapshot  is better than nothing) at roughly 13% body fat, which is pretty lean and mean...

  ... scheiß I just googled body fat percentages and saw what the pictures are for 13%. Seriously, my body looks more like the 20% pictures than the 15%! I'm nowhere near cut, and really don't desire to be that lean. Hoping that looking  like 20% while at 16% means that  I'll look like 17% when I hit 13%! 

 

1388647284-bfp-o.jpg

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. -Aristotle

Arian, arian, zehetzen da burnia. -Basque proverb

Frisian Shieldmaiden level 12 (STR:16) (DEX:16) (STA:23) (CON:22) (WIS:17) (CHA:15)

 Challenges: 11/12.14 - 1/2.15 - 2/3.15 - 15.4/5 - 15.6/7 - 15.7/9 - 16.1 - 16.3 - 16.4 - 16.5 - 16.10 - 16.11 - 16.12 - 17.1 - 17.2

 2017 Goals: Maintain BW BS, 100kg DL - Muscle Up - 1/2 Marathon Condition - Abs

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Loving the minimalist goals!

 

I'm impressed with your body comp progress!

 

haha, don't be too impressed. I've managed to undo them in the past week!  To the point that my face is breaking out, everything is  puffy like I've been hiking all day without water while pms'ing, and I'm on the verge of developing a yeast infection... in any case, I've eaten my quota  in ice cream and am ready to feel healthy and strong again. 

 

question: what does the dog do when it catches the car? I feel like I sabotage myself whenever I get close to my goal... like i can't see beyond the glass ceiling.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. -Aristotle

Arian, arian, zehetzen da burnia. -Basque proverb

Frisian Shieldmaiden level 12 (STR:16) (DEX:16) (STA:23) (CON:22) (WIS:17) (CHA:15)

 Challenges: 11/12.14 - 1/2.15 - 2/3.15 - 15.4/5 - 15.6/7 - 15.7/9 - 16.1 - 16.3 - 16.4 - 16.5 - 16.10 - 16.11 - 16.12 - 17.1 - 17.2

 2017 Goals: Maintain BW BS, 100kg DL - Muscle Up - 1/2 Marathon Condition - Abs

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tumblr_nny4icTKe71sxqyhyo1_400.gif

  • Like 1

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. -Aristotle

Arian, arian, zehetzen da burnia. -Basque proverb

Frisian Shieldmaiden level 12 (STR:16) (DEX:16) (STA:23) (CON:22) (WIS:17) (CHA:15)

 Challenges: 11/12.14 - 1/2.15 - 2/3.15 - 15.4/5 - 15.6/7 - 15.7/9 - 16.1 - 16.3 - 16.4 - 16.5 - 16.10 - 16.11 - 16.12 - 17.1 - 17.2

 2017 Goals: Maintain BW BS, 100kg DL - Muscle Up - 1/2 Marathon Condition - Abs

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Well, after falling off the wagon hard core for a week, followed by another week travelling, I'm back on the horse. 5:30 trip to the gym for some mobility work, CF in a few minutes. 

 

New running shoes, I finally found something that fits my toes... and proof that regular shoes are not cool:

 

your-feet-in-wide-vs-narrow-shoes-great-

 

 

I'm still figuring out what to do with the glass  ceiling, how to deal with success once I get there. Any  ideas?

I also need some help picking out a new work backpack!

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. -Aristotle

Arian, arian, zehetzen da burnia. -Basque proverb

Frisian Shieldmaiden level 12 (STR:16) (DEX:16) (STA:23) (CON:22) (WIS:17) (CHA:15)

 Challenges: 11/12.14 - 1/2.15 - 2/3.15 - 15.4/5 - 15.6/7 - 15.7/9 - 16.1 - 16.3 - 16.4 - 16.5 - 16.10 - 16.11 - 16.12 - 17.1 - 17.2

 2017 Goals: Maintain BW BS, 100kg DL - Muscle Up - 1/2 Marathon Condition - Abs

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For school I just had a regular old Swiss Gear backpack from Costco that did the trick nicely. Padded laptop compartment, another that you could put a tablet or whatever in, a big main pocket and some smaller ones. 

 

I've always liked those, my issue is finding one that's big enough for my massive (17.4") work laptop. I've ordered a GoRuck GR1 (gulp) and hope that it's big enough... especially since it might let me transition to a single bag while travelling for work. 

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. -Aristotle

Arian, arian, zehetzen da burnia. -Basque proverb

Frisian Shieldmaiden level 12 (STR:16) (DEX:16) (STA:23) (CON:22) (WIS:17) (CHA:15)

 Challenges: 11/12.14 - 1/2.15 - 2/3.15 - 15.4/5 - 15.6/7 - 15.7/9 - 16.1 - 16.3 - 16.4 - 16.5 - 16.10 - 16.11 - 16.12 - 17.1 - 17.2

 2017 Goals: Maintain BW BS, 100kg DL - Muscle Up - 1/2 Marathon Condition - Abs

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