karinajean SEIZES SUMMER

[karinajean]

Wow, May was... May was a lot. it was a lot of stuff, and I did it all, but I didn't feel awesome while doing it.

 

June is here and I feel like I'm not prepared for summer! So I'm doing a "SUMMER I AM HERE AND I AM LOVING IT BY GEORGE, LOVING IT OR ELSE" challenge, in the sense that I need to have some regular things figured out so that I can be my awesomest all the time.

 

So this challenge I WILL SEIZE SUMMER LIKE I SEIZED THIS TINY FRUIT SNACK FACSIMILE OF RAPHAEL.

 

MONKEY WRENCH

we are going on an Epic Journey with the boys cross country for 10 day right at the end of the challenge.

That's right. Seventeen, Twelve, my husband, and I. it's going to be amazing. and possibly smelly. we are camping and I don't really know how long we will be in the car every day. so, the end of week 3 and all of week 4 will be.... interestingly patchy.

 

OK GOALS

 

GOAL 1:  MORE PROTEIN, MANAGE CALORIES.

MORE PROTEIN went really well last challenge! I averaged in at about 144 g. For this challenge I want to get above 120 g. I ALSO would like to keep eating at about 2000 cal/week, and I have been very flexible in eating back my logged (via fitbit hr) exercise.

 

I'm a little worried about this goal while I travel. We'll see.

 

GOAL 2: MOVE MY BODY

I did slack a little while I was overwhelmed in May, and I want to get back into good form. Good form means getting better at

* YOGA - I did some yoga on friday and MAN it felt good and MAN it pointed out that my leg and hip flexibility actually really is not doing so hot. [bonus I can do this on the road, also]. I would like to do 1-2x a week yoga

* HOOPING - I do want to practice and get better. I got a much smaller and lighter hoop, and I really need to practice to be able to hoop on-body with it. I'm planning to ring a hoop on the road also. yo, though, I'd be happy to get in 30 minutes a week for this.

* RUNNING - my next race is a 5 mile run on 8/7. That means that, until we get back, I need to stay comfortable with 3 miles so I can crank it up to 5 miles during the month of July. 3.5 miles would be better until I leave. I would like to do 2-3 x a week running.

* OF COURSE TKD. of course.

 

To my benefit, I am also participating in a "be fit" challenge at work which tracks active minutes. I am currently in the top 25%. If i keep yoga-ing and running and hooping I will stay good, but I really do need to keep up. The top contenders are exercising at about 1+ hours a day. I'm coming in at about average of 45 minutes a day. This challenge runs for 6/1 to 7/31.

 

also LEAVE ROOM FOR THE MINI.

 

GOAL 3: MORE DISCRETE AND USEFUL MEASUREMENTS

Here's something I didn't do at all,and which I am super disappointed in myself from last challenge.

so, I'm going to do it this time. I will be lenient on this goal while I'm traveling, though. LIKE, I won't be able to weigh myself, because I have a wifi scale and I am NOT going to travel with it. and it would be pretty weird to take underpants photos in rest area bathrooms, for example. but the rest of the time:

* photos every week, and for sure start and finish.

* use my goofy skuplt thingamabobby every week, and for sure start and finish.

* tape measure every week, and for sure start and finish.

 

ok and also backstory!

I'm karinajean, 39, live in NY state, commute to NJ about an hour each way (so lots of time in the car). I joined the NFA in October 2013 and over the last 2 years I've gone from 206 to around 183. I practice tae kwon do several times a week, take weapons and boxing classes in addition, and have an overarching fitness goal of doing good form push- and pull-ups. I have a crazy mean (yet super sweet) cat and live with my husband full time and my stepdudes 1/2 time. I motorcycle, knit and spin, and am endlessly ignoring how messy the house AND YARD is. I'm an ASSASSIN because I like doing all the things, and because I want to be able to do push-ups and pull-ups -- these seem like very efficient movements that will exercise my upper body and core, and  if I can do those and run and do martial arts (NINJA) I will feel totally strong and fit and capable. The MERMAID comes in because I saw it in a dream when I was a very young child and I believe it.

 

looking forward:

I have a bunch of 10Ks lined up for the fall, which I'm excited by.

we are, as is our tradition, going to the beach in August.

I'd kind of like to spend July in some kind of a cut, maybe not eating back my exercise calories (that's worked really well for me in the past).

if I'm going to keep eating this much protein I would like it to be more fun, too.

[karinajean]

wow so zero week.

 

we had such a nice time in the adirondacks, I don't think I mentioned? We went for a gentle hike (about 5 miles all in all) and I hooped a lot to make minutes for the mini and we also had a lot to drink! after the hike! and ate a lot of brats!
 

I think I am maybe most proud of carrying a ~25L cube filled with water for, like, almost 1/2 of a mile by my self. I hoisted it to my shoulder and carried it 1/2 way and then switched shoulders. It was hecka heavy, when we did the rough calcs it was maybe 50 lbs of water. SO HEAVY. my  husband was bringing our bags and sleeping bags up to the car (the cabins were tucked away in the woods, and they had wheelbarrows that you would use to bring things in with) and intended to get back with the wheelbarrow to help me, but I just GOT IT DONE. this is why my family thinks I'm a huge jock. (maybe I am.)

 

then last week -

Monday I met starsapart! for dinner! I showed her the hudson river! it was awesome!

Tuesday - I had tkd and brought twelve

Wednesday I forced myself to get up and go for a run. It was totally worth it. 2.5 miles in 24:37

Thursday was HECKA BUSY. I left work so late for tkd, and just went home instead.

Friday I meant to get up and run but was so tired! so I laid in bed and then said self: just go do some yoga. so I did, and it was kind of eye-opening. I have been having problems with my legs being super tight and also the soles of my feet not feeling amazing - like, near cramp pretty often (you know that feeling, it's only less worse than an actual foot cramp). so, I did a 20 minute yoga routine from doyogawithme.com and it was really really good, and I felt the insides of my body in a way that I hadn't in a long time. like, all of my ribs felt like there was more room between them, afterwards. my underbutt muscles were sore in a good way, like, a "hello, you have been missing us lately!" way. and my FEET. they felt so much better. <-- this is why yoga is one of my goals for this challenge.

Today! I got up early for dojo sat., but when I got there the instructor for weapons and boxing wasn't. so I came home and the wisteria my husband cut down in the spring caught my eye - it was GROWING AGAIN, so I spent 30 minutes of full contact gardening pulling the bits out and pulling up the runners and just generally flailing around. my husband watched from the porch and after told me that I looked like I was fighting a space monster with tentacles, like something out of an old dr who ep. I'm going to go hoop for a few minutes on the back porch, after I write this, and before the mosquitos get bad.

 

[sylph]

"full contact gardening"

 

Love it.

 

 

 

Oh, and following, ofc.

[Mad Hatter]

9 hours ago, karinajean said:

my husband watched from the porch and after told me that I looked like I was fighting a space monster with tentacles, like something out of an old dr who ep.

 

That's some great imagery!

 

Also I love the premise of this challenge. This summer WILL be amazing.

[RogueLibrarian]

I am of course on Team KJ!

 

 

[annyshay]

I love reading about your shenanigans.  Here's to a lovely June!

 

Also, where in the Adirondacks?!!?@$#  My family had a cabin up on Seventh Lake near Old Forge and Inlet... and I can't go every year any more, and it is my favorite place.  Details please?

[karinajean]

WELL DAY 1, you did not go quite as planned.

 

I did get up and did some yoga, but did not have time for a run. I was totally fatigued and besides being at kind of a deficit, also I have lady pow this week, which is always a little exhausting the first couple of days. I'm thankful that's my main discomfort. but! my parents came over for breakfast and then we went to see Twelve in his dance recital - they did "The Wiz," which was just really fabulous. we stopped for lunch at a hamburger shack with my parents and got home almost at 3pm. I had bought a flat of strawberries that needed prepping for future jam, so I spent some time slicing and mashing to freeze. I got dinner in the crockpot, but about 2 hours late, so it's going to be Monday dinner. I did get a book read, mostly because I had to sit out after doing some cooking because I burnt my open gardening wounds by slicing too many onions to make into a quick pickle for sandwiches. I made the amazing avocado salad that @roguelibrarian posted and it was AMAZING. all that said, by the end of the day with the running around and family breakfast (despite adding eggs to my pancakes and bacon) and smaller dinner (kielbasa is NOT a solid source of protein for the record) I was super short on protein, only at 70g for the day.

 

Today! Day 2! I am super sleepy again. Maybe it's because I didn't get as much protein as I normally do, maybe it's from not getting enough sleep, maybe it's from lady pow. eh. suffice it to say I did NOT get up and go running. I didn't do yoga. I barely made it out the door sorta on time but a little late and then.... my car didn't start. Darn it car! darn it ME, for leaving the lights on! happily I have a very flexible workplace and I am working from home today. I'll get the charger onto the battery and it should be ok. but, I am so clean, and coiffed, and it was such a struggle to get to this point today, and now I'm just sitting at home with no one to gaze upon me but my fluffy cat who is sound asleep.

 

now that I'm at home I'm more seriously considering going for a run at lunch or something like that. also, maybe I can get an appt at the chiropractor.

 

This was my anticipated plan, you can see that I am already way off with the running! argh.

[RogueLibrarian]

Mentioning again that your calendar pictures inspired me to get my workout schedules organized a couple of months ago. Hey! Glad you liked the avocado salad. You can thank Ms Rogue, who is an avocado fiend and requested that I come up with something like that. We've started putting them in salads on the reg lately.

 

Do a short run? You can count it toward the mini.

[raptron]

KJ <3

[karinajean]

"full contact gardening"

 

Love it. [emoji4]

 

 

 

Oh, and following, ofc.

So this is the real issue w full contact gardening. I manage to damage myself. I don't have a lot of "stop" in my vocabulary, I guess! But here is my pile of runners and roots. We are letting it dry out a bit so it doesn't come back to life in the compost pile.

[karinajean]

On 6/12/2016 at 5:25 AM, Mad Hatter said:

 

That's some great imagery!

 

Also I love the premise of this challenge. This summer WILL be amazing.

see photo above for deflated mean space octopus. I think wisteria is even worse than poison ivy. and the roots off of the runners appear to grow straight down, obviously into HELL, so it is clearly evil and must be stopped.

 

On 6/12/2016 at 11:18 AM, annyshay said:

I love reading about your shenanigans.  Here's to a lovely June!

 

Also, where in the Adirondacks?!!?@$#  My family had a cabin up on Seventh Lake near Old Forge and Inlet... and I can't go every year any more, and it is my favorite place.  Details please?

 

we were at a camp called Dippikill (owned by SUNY Albany, and accessible to all alumni and students apparently!) near Warrensburg. It was LOVELY. dude, I am about 2 miles south of the ADK so if you do go there again soon, let me know?

 

2 hours ago, RogueLibrarian said:

Mentioning again that your calendar pictures inspired me to get my workout schedules organized a couple of months ago. Hey! Glad you liked the avocado salad. You can thank Ms Rogue, who is an avocado fiend and requested that I come up with something like that. We've started putting them in salads on the reg lately.

 

Do a short run? You can count it toward the mini.

 

THANK YOU MS ROGUE, it's amazing!

 

yes! short run. I'm going to work through lunch, and go at around 430ish. FOR SURE.

1 hour ago, raptron said:

KJ <3

 

raptron <3!

AND I just realized that my hand injuries are kinda like rips, zomg, they are the worst, and how do you do any cooking afterwards when you get them?

[starpuck]

I totally looked for you in week zero and couldn't find you!  BUT HERE YOU ARE MY TWIN!

<3

 

SEIZE THE SUMMER!

 

[annyshay]

8 hours ago, karinajean said:

we were at a camp called Dippikill (owned by SUNY Albany, and accessible to all alumni and students apparently!) near Warrensburg. It was LOVELY. dude, I am about 2 miles south of the ADK so if you do go there again soon, let me know?

Oooh, shiny.  TOTALLY DONE.  Adironadack hannnngs.

[Kishi]

Kielbasa is not a good protein source, but it's salty and savory, and that makes many people happy. Myself included.

 

Anyway, found you! Sounds like you're going to have some real fun this challenge. Following!

[Teirin]

Cool challenge!  All of your workouts can come with you to some extent or another.  Now getting the time to do them is another matter :-) 

 

Ouch, your poor hands.  That looks painful. Wear you be able to wear some gloves while cooking to keep them clean?

[Mad Hatter]

Well I don't know how you yanks have bastardised kielbasa.  But in Poland is a solid source of protein, pretty much only meat and some fat.

[raptron]

22 hours ago, karinajean said:

raptron <3!

AND I just realized that my hand injuries are kinda like rips, zomg, they are the worst, and how do you do any cooking afterwards when you get them?

You forget you have them and then squeeze some lemons and spend 5 minutes with your hands in running water sobbing, obviously.

 

[Mad Hatter]

Or cut chilli. And then spend 5 minutes with your hands in running water, sobbing. Bonus if you then put it in your eye as well.

[Jonesy]

Following along, great challenge!

[karinajean]

4 hours ago, raptron said:

You forget you have them and then squeeze some lemons and spend 5 minutes with your hands in running water sobbing, obviously.

 

 

4 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

Or cut chilli. And then spend 5 minutes with your hands in running water, sobbing. Bonus if you then put it in your eye as well.

 

and then you realize the running water is WAY TOO HOT and you cry harder, obviously.

[karinajean]

22 hours ago, Starpuck said:

I totally looked for you in week zero and couldn't find you!  BUT HERE YOU ARE MY TWIN!

<3

 

SEIZE THE SUMMER!

 

 

SEIZE IT!

 

17 hours ago, Kishi said:

Kielbasa is not a good protein source, but it's salty and savory, and that makes many people happy. Myself included.

 

Anyway, found you! Sounds like you're going to have some real fun this challenge. Following!

yay!

 

4 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

Well I don't know how you yanks have bastardised kielbasa.  But in Poland is a solid source of protein, pretty much only meat and some fat.

 

so the kielbasa we have is so delicious here, just like Kishi says! but it's like, 3 oz has only 10 g protein and nearly 300 calories and about 25 g fat. so it's delicious, but I could eat a pork chop and get 2x as much protein for less calories and way less fat.

 

15 hours ago, Teirin said:

Cool challenge!  All of your workouts can come with you to some extent or another.  Now getting the time to do them is another matter :-) 

 

Ouch, your poor hands.  That looks painful. Wear you be able to wear some gloves while cooking to keep them clean?

 

yeah and.... I have NOT had any time to get them done so far.

my husband did restock the drawer with nitrile gloves for cooking in but I was already so damaged at that point that I didn't put them on. stupid! I wouldn't, like, continue to cut off toes after cutting off the first one just because I was already cutting toes off!

 

59 minutes ago, Jonesy said:

Following along, great challenge!

 

yaaas!

[MasterOfCows]

Can't believe I haven't been here until now!  SEIZE SUMMER!

[Jayniana Jones]

Following. Which direction are you heading for your mysterious July trip?

 

[Elleica]

On 6/13/2016 at 9:03 PM, RogueLibrarian said:

Glad you liked the avocado salad. You can thank Ms Rogue, who is an avocado fiend and requested that I come up with something like that. We've started putting them in salads on the reg lately.

 

Avocado salad recipe?? Where can I get some? I tried my hand at making guacamole yesterday and well... let's just say I don't want to spoil anything so I am still eating it.. My taste buds are shouting I eat it with nachos but not so sure if that is a good idea. 

[Alexandrite]

Following along!

We also come from the land of avocado (CA) and just recently moved to the land of no avocado (eastern OR) so I am missing my avocado in just about everything I eat. When you live in a place where it drops from trees everywhere you tend to use it in a lot of recipes. Salads for sure, but also have made puddings, cakes, dips, and other random things with it.

Sent by my Navi-powered device!