Urgan Shows Up, Does the Thing

[shaar]

3 hours ago, Urgan said:

At any rate, I has a gym story: Okay, so when I do my DE DLs, I rest 30 seconds between sets. During the ENTIRE 15 SETS, this guy kept passing in front of me as I was getting set up. I was using foam mats as cushions, and half the length of the mats separated his butt from my face. Got really old, really fast. I even tried staggering my set to try to offset him….#nope

 

I bet if you practiced belching really loud on command, he'd suddenly decide to go be a douchecanoe somewhere else....!

 

People, so weird, all the time.

 

Your cat has a worldly cuisine!!

[Urgan]

5 minutes ago, shaar said:

 

I bet if you practiced belching really loud on command, he'd suddenly decide to go be a douchecanoe somewhere else....!

 

People, so weird, all the time.

 

Your cat has a worldly cuisine!!

 

This may sound weird, but your voice played in my head as I was trying to cope with the guy crossing my path with an ez curl bar (guess what he was doing with it.....) and stopping in front of the fixed bar rack, which was mere inches removed from the edge of my mats. Something something douchecanoe (that is your trademark word, BTW, lol)...

 

He is a special special kitty. Begs for food from Mike every night because he is the Weak Link. 

[shaar]

34 minutes ago, Urgan said:

 

This may sound weird, but your voice played in my head as I was trying to cope with the guy crossing my path with an ez curl bar (guess what he was doing with it.....) and stopping in front of the fixed bar rack, which was mere inches removed from the edge of my mats. Something something douchecanoe (that is your trademark word, BTW, lol)...

 

He is a special special kitty. Begs for food from Mike every night because he is the Weak Link. 

 

I think a side effect of foruming and meeting nerds/watching nerd-made videos is eventually hearing certain snippets in their voices, LOL.  This happened big time after camp.  We're with you FOREVER NOW~~~~~~

[Urgan]

3 minutes ago, shaar said:

 

I think a side effect of foruming and meeting nerds/watching nerd-made videos is eventually hearing certain snippets in their voices, LOL.  This happened big time after camp.  We're with you FOREVER NOW~~~~~~

 

This does not disturb me in the slightest. If we had telepathy, I would use it to send people like you snippets of my day and say, "Would you look at this shit?"

[Urgan]

9-28-2016

I love you, coffee. You understand me

Recovery

Food!

Chicken and Gnocchi Dumplings; blueberry muffin; leftover burmese chicken + rice

 

Mobility!

Morning heat: 24/28

Night cold x2: 22/28

Hips/glutes: 9/12

 

Sleep!

8:30, Out of bed: 13/24

 

Lifting

-

        

Aikido

Standing F./B. Rolls: 3/4

Dojo Days: Y

 

I got up on time!! OMG. Played all kinds of FFXII and I’m now 60% of the way through the game after a looooong layoff earlier in the year.

 

Made foods and eated it.

I decided to give creatine a try, and got a supplement (pill form) that’s a creatine blend (monohydrate, phosphate, and pyruvate), and some aminos. No caffeine, I’ll get that from my coffee when I take the stuff, so if there’s a benefit to taking them together, I’ll still get it. Started off with half the recommended dose just to make sure I can handle that much without side effects. Also, fact: blueberry muffin is a better macro fit than a small smoothie. Massive LOL.

 

All the mobility--heat and cold, was gonna do some more stretching, but #nope.

 

Aikido tonight was all about the Kokyunage (wrists grabbed from behind version). The first version involves ducking under uke and tossing them past you; the second involves nage pivoting, grabbing uke's hands, spinning them out, and dumping them on their back (technical terms). I will find video when I am done with my interview, lol.

 

[ixaera]

I always get a new craving whenever you update your thread XD

Today it is MUFFINS.

 

[Urgan]

48 minutes ago, ixaera said:

I always get a new craving whenever you update your thread XD

Today it is MUFFINS.

 

 

I will be your Decadence Correspondent this morning. You're welcome.

[Urgan]

Also, did I say blueberry muffin? I meant TWO blueberry muffins...I has a bad. And I may have another bad today....just sayin'.

 

Okay, so here's the promised video demonstrating the versions of Kokyunage I worked on yesterday. 

 

 

[Urgan]

I

 

 

HAS

 

 

A

 

JOB.

 

Sure, it's a contract job and a long drive, but I have employment starting in mid-October through January with no immediate hope of direct hire, but people have changed their minds about such before. If you do business with a bank (or order those check book things...), you might be interacting with a form letter printed by the place I'll be working for. 

[Alanna]

Just now, Urgan said:

I

 

 

HAS

 

 

A

 

JOB.

 

Sure, it's a contract job and a long drive, but I have employment starting in mid-October through January with no immediate hope of direct hire, but people have changed their minds about such before. If you do business with a bank (or order those check book things...), you might be interacting with a form letter printed by the place I'll be working for. 

 

YAY

 

I'll keep my fingers crossed that it turns into something long term!

 

 

[ixaera]

 

 

YASSSS

[miss_marissa]

8 minutes ago, Urgan said:

I

 

 

HAS

 

 

A

 

JOB.

 

Sure, it's a contract job and a long drive, but I have employment starting in mid-October through January with no immediate hope of direct hire, but people have changed their minds about such before. If you do business with a bank (or order those check book things...), you might be interacting with a form letter printed by the place I'll be working for. 

WAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

 

_{Sidenote: can I has the foods from yesterday?}

[Urgan]

6 minutes ago, Alanna said:

 

YAY

 

I'll keep my fingers crossed that it turns into something long term!

 

 

 

1 minute ago, ixaera said:

 

 

YASSSS

 

Soon, SOON we can afford things again! 

[Urgan]

3 minutes ago, miss_marissa said:

WAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

 

_{Sidenote: can I has the foods from yesterday?}

 

So now I shall transform my life. No more (for a while, at least) shall I complain about looking for work and interviewing! No, next month I will complain about having work and my chair and such~

 

If I could email food, I would do it. Good thing is, this recipe couldn't be simpler--I shortcut it with a bag of frozen peas and carrots and happened to have a bunch of leftover broth from making the beer cheese soup this past Sunday. Leftover rotisserie chicken carcass + water + pressure cooker = lazy person's broth. 

[Sam Ashen]

23 minutes ago, Urgan said:

I

 

 

HAS

 

 

A

 

JOB.

 

Sure, it's a contract job and a long drive, but I have employment starting in mid-October through January with no immediate hope of direct hire, but people have changed their minds about such before. If you do business with a bank (or order those check book things...), you might be interacting with a form letter printed by the place I'll be working for. 

 

How did I miss this announcement?

 

Well gratz!

 

Just now, Urgan said:

So now I shall transform my life. No more (for a while, at least) shall I complain about looking for work and interviewing! No, next month I will complain about having work and my chair and such~

 

Any good gyms between home and work?

[Urgan]

1 minute ago, Sam Ashen said:

How did I miss this announcement?

 

Well gratz!

 

You didn't~ I just got the offer around 3.

 

2 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

Any good gyms between home and work?

 

Hmm, other than the one I've been going to (that might still work, if I can get my hours worked out), it depends what you mean by good. There's one ten minutes from work, I've never been to it, so not sure if it'll be viable or not. 20 minutes commute + changing time + 1-1.5 hours in the gym is kinda sketchy, you know? I'm not a fan of rushing through training...I'd almost rather get to work early, leave early, and do my training afterward like I did before. Not eliminating any options yet. 

[Sam Ashen]

2 minutes ago, Urgan said:

20 minutes commute + changing time + 1-1.5 hours in the gym is kinda sketchy, you know?

 

Don't ask what my weeknight evenings look like.  Just.  Don't.  Ask.

 

I've been pretty consistent about being home before 9pm.

[Urgan]

 

9-29-2016

Dey see me rollin'...dey hirin'

Recovery

Food!

Leftover chicken and gnocchi; bacon double burger + fries because F it I need 60g protein

 

Mobility!

Morning heat: 25/28

Night cold x2: 23/28

Hips/glutes: 10/12

 

Sleep!

8:30, Out of bed: 14/24

 

Lifting

-

        

Aikido

Standing F./B. Rolls: 3/4

Dojo Days: N

 

I always say, nothing gets you out of bed like a job interview. Nothing puts you down like a job interview. As a result, I did not go to the gym because I did not get anything of substance in my stomach until 3:45PM. I'm apparently trying out alternative gym days in the event the job forces me to change my schedule around * coughs *

 

Not sure if there's much to say about the gig, or at least not with what I know thus far. It's all about that form, 'bout that form, no defects. A bank wants to change the layout of their documents, it's written up and sent to programming, programmed, and sent to someone like me to verify it is everything the bank wants and nothing it doesn't. Lots of going line by column to check the modified area of the data file, the equivalent sections of the actual document. That sort of thing. I've already gotten a look at the material due to taking a test at the interview. I finished it "fast" according to someone who does the job for her living, which probably had a lot to do with my getting hired, I guess. Her kid goes to the same college I went to, he wants to do sports medicine. I think we'll get along.

 

Other than getting a job, pretty mellow day. Didn't do much but camp the couch and all the mobility, so at least there's that, lol. Today I play catch-up and close this month out strong. Thank God I got hired before designing the next month's quests, just sayin'.....

[Urgan]

18 hours ago, Sam Ashen said:

 

Don't ask what my weeknight evenings look like.  Just.  Don't.  Ask.

 

I've been pretty consistent about being home before 9pm.

 

Work gets so in the way of doing what we want, doesn't it? Doing the best we can anyhow.

[Mistr]

Congratulations on the job!

 

I am sure you will figure out schedule adaptions to fit in lifting and aikido. Now you can take a couple days to actually relax and not worry about job hunting!

[shaar]

URGAAAAANNN!!!

 

ZOMGJOOOOOOB!!!! 

 

And right over the holidays too, that sounds perfect! Hopefully it will turn into something more too, but for now, HEK YEAH!!

 

Your good fortune has brightened my day ^______^ NERDS RULE!! ♡

[Urgan]

1 hour ago, Mistr said:

Congratulations on the job!

 

I am sure you will figure out schedule adaptions to fit in lifting and aikido. Now you can take a couple days to actually relax and not worry about job hunting!

 

Thanks~ Ironically, aikido--even though it is across town from both home and work--isn't really a problem to make, although it does make sticking to my current schedule kinda tricky. Job hunting when you don't have one to go to every day is so the worst. 

 

6 minutes ago, shaar said:

URGAAAAANNN!!!

 

ZOMGJOOOOOOB!!!! 

 

And right over the holidays too, that sounds perfect! Hopefully it will turn into something more too, but for now, HEK YEAH!!

 

Your good fortune has brightened my day ^______^ NERDS RULE!! ♡

 

No lie, that was my first thought when I was offered the job--we can afford Christmas now. Not the biggest Christmas ever, but it'll work. I'm glad it helped you, hopefully your turdball day has turned around? 

[Urgan]

9-30-2016 + WEEK 4 DEBRIEF

...and there was much rejoicing

Recovery

Food!

 

Week 4 Average:

           Cals   /   Carbs   /   Fats    /  Protein   /   Sugar   / Sodium

AVG    2262        213          107          113            44          2,414

TGT    2400        237          102          120           100         3,000

DLTA   -138         -24              5             -7            -56           -586

 

So, as you can see, due to saying F It and wrapping this month up on its true final day instead of Sunday means a lot of big calorie days aren’t included here. But I’m here doing this wrap-up because my priorities have shifted radically since September 1st, so none of this (except the lifting and Aikido!) matter to me in the same way. I got a job! I have to remember how to Job and Lift...I never really got a chance to incorporate Aikido into a working lifestyle, so….yeah. There’s plenty to do, and little of it matches with what I’m doing here, thus my quests need to be made to conform to what’s actually going on.

 

In the case of food, this means I really don’t care about sodium. I think I’ve made my point and trying to keep my water weight down by tracking sodium really cramps what you can eat. Making the rest of my macros is quite tough enough, plzkthx.

 

September Average:

           Cals   /   Carbs   /   Fats    /  Protein   /   Sugar   / Sodium

AVG    2401        219          114          125            38          3,121

TGT    2400        237          102          120           100         3,000

DLTA        1         -18            12              5            -62             121

 

My month average looks pretty darn good, by comparison, don’t you think? Biased in all the ways I’d prefer, but still close to target. So I leave you with a final Weight vs Sodium chart post:

 

(highlight is the day after I started creatine, for the lulz)

 

 

The goal in MFP was 2000, BTW. I couldn’t be fussed to move it.

 

...oh yeah, I’m supposed to supply measurement comparisons, wasn’t I? I’ll get right on that tomorrow morning and add it in. Should be fascinating.

 

Edit: Here they are, in all their confusing glory:

 

8/28/16                                   10/2/16

Weight: 114.2 lbs                   Weight: 114.8 lbs (+.6lbs)

Waist: 24.0"                           Waist: 24.4" (+.4")

Hips: 32.0"                             Hips: 32.1"  (+.1")

Biceps(L/R): 10.3"/10.4"        Biceps(L/R): 10.1"/10.3" (-.2",-.1")

Forearm(L/R): 9.3"/9.4"         Forearm(L/R): 9.1"/9.0" (-.2",-.4")

Thighs(L/R): 20.5"/20.7"        Thighs(L/R): 18.8"/18.8" (-.7",-.9")

Calves(L/R): 12.3"/12.1"        Calves(L/R): 12.0"/12.0" (-.3",-.1")

 

What bizarre results. I am not sure what to make of it, except I was really, really good at getting rid of excess water this month? Taking into account the fact that I'd been measuring my thighs wrong this whole time--measuring the old position on my leg gives me 20.75, 20.6 respectively--I'm on average down 2" across the board. Shark Week had its say in my midsection's measurements, because of course it did. Nevermind throwing creatine into the mix, although it doesn't look like it's had much effect yet.

 

Mobility!

Morning heat: 26/28

Night cold x2: 23/28

Hips/glutes: 10/12

 

I did pretty well here, and I do feel okay. I mean, heat and ice won’t hurt you, so that’s to be expected, right? I did a good bit of mobility, but the quest is confining and frankly I don’t feel the benefit from doing what I’ve been doing--just the fact that complying is a chore. I need to make better use of my time.

 

Sleep!

8:30, Out of bed: 14/24

 

...lol. I did such a terrible job. Good thing I’m going to have a hard wake-up time soon-ish, yeah?

 

Lifting

BP -    45 1x5

          55 1x3

          68 3x5

OHP - 45 1x5

          50 1x3

          57.5 3x3

 

This session was short and sweet, felt pretty good. I have a video to show for it, too:

 

Squat - 187.7 > 200

BP -    85 > 86

OHP - 65.5

DL -    207.5 > 225

 

Obviously, this has been the month where the rest of the year’s training paid off over and above my expectations, to be perfectly honest. I am very proud of these lifts. I joined Instagram so I could show video evidence of them, solved a problem with two of my lifts that will directly translate to getting them unstuck: lose the eccentric on the deadlift and vertical bar path on bench. Changed to a 4-Day TM format. Ditched PCs for DE DL work. Tried accessories and abandoned them when a headache popped up after every lifting session.

 

Lots happened, basically.

        

Aikido

Standing F./B. Rolls: 3/4

Dojo Days: N

 

I may not have gotten all these done, but I am beginning to solidify the standing forward roll. I want to protect my right shoulder from being rolled over (it can be a little tight after an intense lifting session), and that produces Flat Tire Ukemi. Still a Work In Progress, a mobility issue for sure I’ll have to deal with sooner or later.

 

Edit: can't forget that I got my orange belt!

Overall, I did okay given my priorities shifted radically throughout the challenge. I hated to modify my quests to reflect it, because frankly I didn’t have anything to replace it with! It’s all good now, though. So let’s all ring in October with a clean slate and foresight of the changes to come! Fall...employment...and hair?!

[Urgan]

October 2016 Goals!

aka

The Werewolf Challenge!!

 

Where August failed me, September delivered at the very last minute, I must say. 200lb squat two years and a month after I started lifting, a job, an orange belt, new confidence with bokken suburi, the works. The first hints of Fall are in the air. It's October now, which means we're looking down the barrel at Halloween. And what better theme for a shapeshifter in October getting a new lifestyle than Werewolves, eh? Buckle up, things are about to get Hairy!

 

 

For the first two weeks, my goals will be:

Recovery

Weekly macro averaging, weight + measurements at the end of the challenge, instagramming all the things. Simple enough, but very important to keep up.

 

Calories - 2400

Protein - 115g

Sugar - 100g (lol)

 

Not worried about sleep, I'm going to enjoy these last two weeks.

 

Lifting

I'll be alternating accessories to try to figure out which ones do (not) trigger headaches; otherwise, keep working on 4-Day TM, where I'll be timing my sessions to figure out roughly how much time I'm actually spending the gym. Important later...

 

Aikido

Keep on training orange belt techniques! Also, I have some things to practice:

Forward Rolls: Kneeling (4 times per side); Standing (2 times per side) - 1/week

Bokken: Kamae; Munetsuki Suburi; Happo Giri Kata - 2/week

Dojo Days - every dojo session stretch before class

 

 

 

 

But then, after the first two weeks, primal scorceries will force me to transition to a different style of goals:

 

Eat

Keep up with my macros just the same as the first part--this doesn't stop mattering, ever! The trick will be planning cooking around my post-work activities. 

 

Sleep

While my waking time will be fixed, my bedtime needs to align with a reasonable amount of sleep. The lights need to be off at 10PM sharp. I am not a nocturnal creature here. A non-issue on weekends, of course.

 

In Order to Get Up With the Chickens - 5/week

 

Do the Thing

Sadly, one of the consequences of working is I have to figure out how to get all the things done that need to be done. The mission here is to maintain consistency, so:

 

Show up to the gym - 4/week

Show up to the dojo - 2/week

Figure out how do get chiro, massage, and other appointments to fit into the time restrictions

 

No fancy practice, no accessories, nothing. Just the basics for these two weeks and when an appointment is necessary, Deal With It. That's it, hopefully this will get me through the first month as an employed non-loser. 

 

 

Week Debriefs:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

[ixaera]

My weight has been extremely stable post-creatine (no drop or raise). It's higher than I'd like, but it was that way before the creatine lol

 

Man biceps get jacked, though, don't they!