Be strong, get strong battle log

[The Most Loathed]

On 9/7/2017 at 1:10 AM, LouCarJo said:

I've read Antifragile by Nicholas Nassim Taleb and Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed, and really enjoyed both of them.  I've also read a fiction page turner that I found in the cottage we're staying at, which was good though left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.  I'm now reading a book about inequality called The Spirit Level, but it's a bit dry and I might abandon it for Sapiens/Homo Deus, which are the other non fiction books I brought with me.

threw these on the ol' Amzon wishlist for future reference. If you have any thoughts on them I'd be interested in hearing. 

[Elastigirl]

Sorry, it's been too long since I dropped by your thread. You are doing great, hoops, pole and weights! A graceful beast!

Late on my opinion, but a coach really needs to know how to talk to women about hormones. It's just part of coaching a woman.

[LouCarJo]

On 08/09/2017 at 1:11 AM, SymphonicDan said:

What do you mean by "calculating with those very large numbers"? That could involve knowing better algorithms, improving your working memory, knowing more answers (e.g. I know that 37^2 = 1369, so for me calculating 537^2 = 500^2 + 2 * 500 * 37 + 37^2 = 250000 + 37000 + 1369 = 288369 is easy, but without that fact it would be 500^2 + 2 * 500 * 30 + (30 * 30 + 2 * 500 * 7) + 2 * 30 * 7 + 7^2 = a headache 288369) or applying memory techniques to store a long number mentally while you complete the calculation.

 

The software that's used in the Memoriad competition is here: Memoriad Simulator. It looks like this:

 

 

This is addition. Other modes include multiplication, calendar dates, square roots, memorizing cards, memorizing numbers, etc. Note that it is for training, but doesn't independently teach you anything.

 

To learn more calculation techniques, e.g. 81 * 74 = (80 + 1) * (80 - 6) = 80^2 + (1 - 6) * 80 + 1 * -6 = 6400 - 400 - 6 = 5994, try Dead Reckoning by Ronald Doerfler. I learned a lot of new tricks from it, like the division-by-11 trick you mentioned.

 

Random bonus trick: to divide by 37? E.g. 11/37? Just multiply by 27, and the answer recurs... so 11*27 = 297, so 11/37 = 0.297297297297297....

 

This is because 37 * 27 = 999, and 0.001001001001001001... * 999 = 0.99999999999999999.... = 1 (that's exactly 1)

That Dead Reckoning book sounds just what I need - to *learn* calculation techniques.  I downloaded a sample of it and it look like exactly the kind of book I'll enjoy.  Plus my FIL needs an idea of something cheap to buy me, so I'm going to suggest this.  So, thank you!

[LouCarJo]

On 08/09/2017 at 5:07 PM, The Most Loathed said:

threw these on the ol' Amzon wishlist for future reference. If you have any thoughts on them I'd be interested in hearing. 

Ok, once I'm home and have thoughts on them for myself, I'll pass them on.

[LouCarJo]

16 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Sorry, it's been too long since I dropped by your thread. You are doing great, hoops, pole and weights! A graceful beast!

Late on my opinion, but a coach really needs to know how to talk to women about hormones. It's just part of coaching a woman.

Not very graceful!  I keep asking for pole stuff that requires strength rather than grace!  But I like doing lots of different things so I'm enjoying it.

 

Next week should be a happy hormone week so I'm excited to test whether that and coming off a holiday break will mean I am super strong!

[LouCarJo]

Back from holiday.  The return to work is weird - feeling very rusty after the long break.  

 

Aim for the following month is to do the following each day:

- read at least 20 pages and/or spend at least 30 minutes making notes on a book I've read

- spend another 30 minutes on something else productive, such as sewing, going through lightroom tutorials (I've used it to make some of my holiday photos pretty, but need to get more adept)

- exercise: the dog walks just happen, as do the personal training sessions and aerial classes.  I will need will power to do the additional strength session I want to do on my own on Fridays.  Plus yoga at home whenever I can i.e. If I'd otherwise surf the internet or waste time, I can do this instead (this also goes for the other stuff above)

- maintain my finances spreadsheet.  I've now kept a record of everything I've earned and spent for five months.  Got to keep it up and keep mindful - I should then have a small surplus at the end of the year that I can decide what to do with (probably most spent on the house, with a small amount on something frivolous for me)

- record what I eat in My Fitness Pal.  I'm on day 3 now.  It wanted me to eat 1,400kcal a day!  And reckons I'll put on 4kg in a few weeks if I keep going as I am, when I know I'm pretty much maintaining. So I'll be taking that with a pinch of salt.  I do however want a better idea of what I am eating.  Also the book Sapiens that I've just finished really reminded me again how cruel the food industry is to animals so I'm going to try to eat more plant-based meals.  I want to be able to go all in but I feel crappy really quickly.  So it's going to be a bit of a compromise, but should be a step in a more ethical direction

[The Most Loathed]

man, those are good bullets.

[Elastigirl]

Great list. Good plan on using what you know about your body and applying some common sense. Do you have any where you can get grass fed meat?  We still don't do all grass fed, but at least opting out of the commercial farming methods some of the time seems to help a bit.

[LouCarJo]

I've been a bit (aka very) down this week so haven't posted.  I've done everything off my list each day, though, even though some days it's been the bare minimum and I've eaten more sugar than ideal (though I have tracked it, and in terms of calorie total I'm ok, just too much sugar).  Quick update:

 

MONDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER

Personal training session.  Trainer was all set on me hitting PBs having had two weeks off, but my body doesn't tend to respond like that - it needs some time to get back into a routine.  So we did deadlifts, working up to 2 x 4 reps at 70kg, really focusing on good form.  Then some isometric holds on the eccentric portion of the pull up.  I get stuck on the way up just after the scapular pull bit - so I can go from an active hang to scapular pull but then I'm stuck.  So we're working on holding that position.  I showed him video I'm made of me doing a pull up on Saturday - I can do a full one if I just first bend my knees, so not even a jump, just a bit of momentum.  He said he's never seen someone be so close yet not be able to do a full one.  So, yay?!  We finished off doing some very slow goblet squats with 2 x 8kg KB and prone cobras.

 

TUESDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER

First aerial hoop class for three weeks and it was a conditioning class rather than skills-based.  Basically lots and lots and lots of pull and abs work.  I didn't mind it too much.  Lots of the others moaned about it but for me it levelled the playing field as whilst I can't do a lot of the skills yet, my pulling strength definitely holds up and my ab strength is a lot better than it's ever been before.  It took me 40 minutes to drive the 9 miles there, though, which was a bit of a pain.  I hope it's because I went a bit later (I couldn't get into the earlier class I usually go to as well) so was bang in rush hour, but there's also some roadworks (going on until next March!).  I'll have to see how it goes.  Even the usual 25 minutes it takes is somewhat ridiculous for the distance, but 40 really was too much.  I was quite proud of my driving though - going to this studio has really made it come on.

 

WEDNESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER

In the office for the first time in seven weeks!!!  I managed to protect my reputation - an email had gone round to everyone basically listing delays on projects, the 2nd and 3rd on the list being mine.  I'd in fact competed them, three months ago in one case.  I made sure my boss was aware, and suggested he might like to make those above him aware too, which he said he'd do (and I think he will actually do, as it reflects badly on him too).  He also told me that the supposedly performance-related bonus that's been dangled before us as a carrot will be paid whatever, so I have a little bit of a bonus to look forward to in March.  Otherwise it was a bit of a downer - people tend to slag other people off behind their backs, and it brings me down to hear that.  I wonder what's said about me.  It's stupid, as telling someone to their face might actually lead them to change, whereas bitching isn't going to help.  But then again there's also a colleague who is super direct and doesn't get ambiguity at all, and she drives me mad too, so I'm probably just grumpy and better off doing most of my working from home!

 

Plan for today is to get on with work until 4pm then head off to aerial hoop followed by aerial yoga.  I'll get there early to avoid the traffic, but will take a book with me to read whilst waiting.  'll have to get a dog walk in at lunchtime, maybe going via a coffee place as a little pick-me-up.  Then some productive me time when I get back (I'll have peace as my husband has a work do tonight). 

[The Most Loathed]

being so close to a pull up and doing all that hoop conditioning, you'll be hitting your first one very soon.

 

I've been on those "stale project" lists before and had it done already. On one hand it's nice to have that showy moment of "oh, you mean this project" but I always was kind of annoyed that it had to ever come up. 

[LouCarJo]

On 19/09/2017 at 1:31 AM, Elastigirl said:

Great list. Good plan on using what you know about your body and applying some common sense. Do you have any where you can get grass fed meat?  We still don't do all grass fed, but at least opting out of the commercial farming methods some of the time seems to help a bit.

I do avoid factory farmed meat, but the issue is is that that's still not sustainable for the planet, at least not with the population size now.  At the moment I'm trying to keep up with that on the meat front, have more vegan meals, and trying not to feel too guilty about it!

[LouCarJo]

3 hours ago, The Most Loathed said:

I've been on those "stale project" lists before and had it done already. On one hand it's nice to have that showy moment of "oh, you mean this project" but I always was kind of annoyed that it had to ever come up. 

The problem was that they weren't stale, and should have been pushed through to a final stage, but the gatekeeper person (who sent the email) messed up.  I don't get to track where what I've done goes after I've told him I'm finished with it.  It could have been solved by him raising a question with me sooner than three months later!  

[LouCarJo]

I've recorded my food for a week now and just weighed myself again. Exactly the same weight as last Saturday morning.  So I added up my daily calories and divided by 7.  And: 2,486 kcal a day on average.  So the TDEE calculator was bang on: it says my TDEE is 2,485.  I couldn't have hit this had I tried.  As it's so high, it kind of makes sense why I get hungry (and then tend to fill up with less sensible options) when I try to restrict meals to more normally recognised "good diet" limits.  Food for thought!

[LouCarJo]

THURSDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER

For the first day I didn't do other productive stuff.  The day kind of ran away with me, what with the dog walk at lunchtime and then both aerial hoop and aerial yoga in the evening.  I got my reading done just before bed, as the journey to the studio took ages again.

 

Hoop was again quite a lot of conditioning stuff.  Yoga was arm strength day.  I've now got DOMS in my deltoids, which is a first.

 

FRIDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER

Again no productive stuff, this time because my boss was an arse again.  I'd done a piece of work I was pleased with and I just got an email from him in response saying having had a quick look he was "concerned".  What generally happens is that he gives me a knee jerk reaction along these kind of lines and then a day or so later calms down and decides either it's an easy fix to address the tiny point he's spotted or I did what I did for a reason and now he's thought about it, he agrees with me.  But we seem to have to go through the first stage in order to get there.  It doesn't do much for my motivation or enjoyment levels.  I've also been feeling really lonely this week, and that didn't help with that.

 

So the result was I blitz cleaned the house for three hours in the late afternoon.  So not all bad but I had crappy TV on whilst I did that, which is the sort of junk I'm trying to avoid spacing out on.

[Mad Hatter]

Sorry you've been feeling down and work is meh. Apparently that's a thing in September. Unfortunately I can't offer more than sympathy and hugs though.

 

I'm glad you're having fun doing all the cool stuff.  That pull up is SOOO CLOOOOSE now! 

[LouCarJo]

21 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

Sorry you've been feeling down and work is meh. Apparently that's a thing in September. Unfortunately I can't offer more than sympathy and hugs though.

 

I'm glad you're having fun doing all the cool stuff.  That pull up is SOOO CLOOOOSE now! 

Still a bit grumpy but got a gym session this morning so maybe I'll channel that into the weights?!

[LouCarJo]

SATURDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER

1 hour pole - quite good as I had a partner who was both better than me and friendly, so basically a second teacher.  Can't remember most of what we did.  Tried to do forward folds but my issue of not being able to grip with my thighs came up again so didn't get it.  Then Buddhas, which I've done before but struggled with as I was tight.  Attempts at brace climbs.  Some spiny things.  Practice with jamilla mounts at the end.

45 minutes stretchy class - box splits focus (nope, nowhere near)

 

SUNDAY, 24 SEPTMBER

Just a dog walk then some light gardening

[LouCarJo]

Oh I forgot to say I worked loads on maths over the weekend.  I didn't get the book @SymphonicDan recommended (because people didn't listen when I said it looked to be out of stock but the kindle version would be fine) but got an American one published in 1965 instead, and have worked through 100 pages of that already.  I get it all, just need loads of practice now to get faster and more accurate.

[SymphonicDan]

Haha, I'm sure the intermediate mental calculation techniques haven't advanced much since 1965, especially now we're relying on calculators and computers so much more  The main advances have come in cognitive psychology at the elite level.

 

And lots of this is about practice (and recognizing patterns) - if you have some way of measuring your progress/accuracy/speed etc. that can be quite motivating too.

[LouCarJo]

2 hours ago, SymphonicDan said:

Haha, I'm sure the intermediate mental calculation techniques haven't advanced much since 1965, especially now we're relying on calculators and computers so much more  The main advances have come in cognitive psychology at the elite level.

 

And lots of this is about practice (and recognizing patterns) - if you have some way of measuring your progress/accuracy/speed etc. that can be quite motivating too.

No, I'm sure.  It was when it starting to the English currency system as using base 12 that I had to flick to the inside cover and see what was going on!  Other than that, and various references to slide rules, it seems fine for my purposes!  

 

I'm going to do what I did for maths at school and make myself some master question sheets and some answer sheets (to those questions).  I can then grab scrap to practise the same problems over and over.  It worked in the past.  I might even use different coloured pens and pretend I'm a teenager again!

[LouCarJo]

MONDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER

Personal training session and I felt strong!  (All that hormone cycle theory playing out.)

 

Back squats

Wave: 5,3,1,5,3,1 reps with 47.5,52.5,55,52.5,55,62.5kg

My second ever single with 62.5kg (still my 1RM).  It wasn't perfect but better than last time.  The first two with 55kg on the penultimate set were perfect, with the last one in that set dropping off ever so slightly.

Then we raised the supports and I did five slow eccentrics with the 62.5kg on my back (seeing as the mental thing of having the heavy weight on my back gets me more than not having the strength).

 

Then three sets of eight slow Romanian deadlifts with 50kg, three sets of 25 second plank holds with feet raised and elbows on a Swiss ball, and one set of 10 back extensions.

[The Most Loathed]

So which book did you end up with?

[Mad Hatter]

On 9/25/2017 at 4:38 PM, LouCarJo said:

I might even use different coloured pens and pretend I'm a teenager again!

Whenever I tried the coloured pens thing I ended up spending more time colour coordinating than studying.  

[LouCarJo]

12 hours ago, The Most Loathed said:

So which book did you end up with?

Speed Mathematics Simplified by Edward Stoddard.  All was going well and then I hit division...

[LouCarJo]

11 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

Whenever I tried the coloured pens thing I ended up spending more time colour coordinating than studying.  

I'd have a question sheet all in blue, an answer sheet all in red, and I then worked in green.  This was the only thing that got me through maths!