imprimis5 recalibrates

[imprimis5]

I really like new challenges. They let me look at what I've learned about myself and health, and then reapply that. Sometimes these challenges succeed in making me figure out what isn't working and what I don't care about at all. They also serve, currently, to keep myself in shape, despite being a married man now!

 

This month, I'm really going to be focusing in on a couple things that need work from last month: diet and running.

 

Diet is the trickiest thing for me. I've been eating almost entirely paleo for a few months now, and I think it might be time for us to part ways in favour of other options. I don't know that for certain, but maybe. So this month's challenge isn't about making any changes; rather, it's about figuring it what change, if any, I need to make. This is more of a cerebral challenge. Maybe I'll try some new recipes, or maybe I'll just do a lot of reading. But the goal is to come up with what my meal plan will be for next month's challenge. To that end, I'll be making a section entitled "What I've learned since last Tuesday" which will be updated at least once a week, on Tuesdays.

 

Running! I plan to continue running at least once a week, but I've figured out that's not really enough to force me to push myself. I need to have an event in mind. So I'll be signing up for a local 5K race sometime in the next week or so. I have it narrowed down to the Pride race at the end of June or the Craft Beer Week race at the end of July. Maybe both, if I'm feeling up to it.

 

Big Picture Challenges

 

• Figure out diet.
  • What I've learned since last Tuesday:
• Sign up and train for a 5k race.
  • Signed up?
  • Training progress.
• Log meals:
  • Note: Anything in bold is not paleo.
  • Yesterday breakfast: 
    • Calories:
  • Lunch:
    • Calories:
  • Dinner:
    • Calories:
  • Snacks:
    • Calories:

 

Little Picture Challenges

 

• Run 1-4 miles 1x a week.
• Gym 5x a week.
• Fill Activity ring on Apple Watch every day.

[jonfirestar]

Following along yet again!

[imprimis5]

4 minutes ago, jonfirestar said:

Following along yet again!

 

Delightful! I'll be following you again, as well, as soon as you put a new one up!

[Maigs]

1 hour ago, imprimis5 said:

Running! I plan to continue running at least once a week, but I've figured out that's not really enough to force me to push myself. I need to have an event in mind. So I'll be signing up for a local 5K race sometime in the next week or so. I have it narrowed down to the Pride race at the end of June or the Craft Beer Week race at the end of July. Maybe both, if I'm feeling up to it.

I've found that I suck at training even if I have an event scheduled, but I run so much better at the events then I ever do on my own. So both?

[imprimis5]

1 minute ago, Maigahane said:

I've found that I suck at training even if I have an event scheduled, but I run so much better at the events then I ever do on my own. So both?

 

Maybe both. Races aren't free, after all. :-P

[Maigs]

12 minutes ago, imprimis5 said:

 

Maybe both. Races aren't free, after all. :-P

So very, very true. I use a software to track spending and I have a line for hobbies and my part is entirely event entry fees. I'm afraid to look at what that total is....

[Oramac]

I'm in, of course!  

 

Also, if you're ok with it, I think I may have found a few ladies to run the Warrior Dash in September with us. 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following along again!

[Evicious]

[Salinger]

Hey, i will be following along

[Xena]

I like your "what I learned since last Tuesday" idea. It's beautifully straightforward.

[imprimis5]

15 hours ago, Oramac said:

Also, if you're ok with it, I think I may have found a few ladies to run the Warrior Dash in September with us. 

 

Sure! Sounds great! The more, the merrier, right?

 

15 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Following along again!

 

13 hours ago, Salinger said:

Hey, i will be following along

 

Welcome aboard! I'm glad I'm not too boring.

 

7 hours ago, Xena said:

I like your "what I learned since last Tuesday" idea. It's beautifully straightforward.

 

Thanks! It makes sure I update at least once a week while giving me the freedom to feel like I can update whenever.

[imprimis5]

Week 0 Tuesday Update

 

Good morning! It's my first official update of this challenge.

 

Yesterday was wacky and probably not all that healthy. I'm only in town for a couple days this week, so I didn't meal prep on Sunday. Breakfast came from the gas station and lunch came from Jimmy John's. I could have done better, but it was a weird day in general. I came in to work an hour early so that I could leave a couple hours later and take my husband to jury duty. I spent my day wondering when he was going to call me to pick him up. Turns out that time came just as I was starting my session with my trainer. So he got to wait an extra hour for me to finish. Too much driving and lack of routine! I need my routine, seriously.

 

So, I'm also super stressed about the next couple of weeks. I'm going to be on the road a lot. Tomorrow morning, I leave for Madison, WI to go to a trade show for a few days. I'll come home for around 24 hours this weekend, then fly out to London for a couple of days. From there, it's on to Birmingham for a convention. All told, I'm going to be gone for just a hair under two weeks, with a one-day break in the middle. That's gross and super stressful to me. It mostly comes back to what I was saying about routine; I won't have one. I've at least made arrangements with a coworker to go running together, so that'll help.

 

Anyway, enough complaining. Let's get down to business, shall we? (To defeat... the Huns)

 

Big Picture Challenges

• Figure out diet.
  • What I've learned since last Tuesday:
    • I've done some cursory research into Soylent and its copycats. It may actually be worth trying, since it would work well for when I travel.
• Sign up and train for a 5k race.
  • Signed up?
    • Still deciding which. It looks like I have a few people who might join me for the Pride 5k, at least.
  • Training progress.
• Log meals:
  • Note: Anything in bold is not paleo.
  • Yesterday breakfast: Breakfast burrito
    • Calories: 350
  • Lunch: Jimmy John's Bootlegger Club Unwich, pickle
    • Calories: 359
  • Dinner: Turkey meatloaf, celery
    • Calories: 205
  • Snacks: Almonds
    • Calories: 60

 

Little Picture Challenges

• Run 1-4 miles 1x a week.
• Gym 5x a week.
  • Trainer session. Quads and upper back.
• Fill Activity ring on Apple Watch every day.
  • Check.

[imprimis5]

I just signed up for a race! I'll be running in the St. Louis Pride 5k!

 

 

[Oramac]

2 hours ago, imprimis5 said:

Sure! Sounds great! The more, the merrier, right?

 

Woot!

 

1 hour ago, imprimis5 said:

So, I'm also super stressed about the next couple of weeks. I'm going to be on the road a lot. Tomorrow morning, I leave for Madison, WI to go to a trade show for a few days. I'll come home for around 24 hours this weekend, then fly out to London for a couple of days. From there, it's on to Birmingham for a convention. All told, I'm going to be gone for just a hair under two weeks, with a one-day break in the middle. That's gross and super stressful to me. It mostly comes back to what I was saying about routine; I won't have one. I've at least made arrangements with a coworker to go running together, so that'll help.

 

That sounds like a lot of fun, but also a lot of stress for sure!  Is there not at least an itinerary you can fall back on for the planning needs?  Maybe use that to plan your workouts and such?  It's not quite a routine, but it's at least better than winging it. 

[imprimis5]

3 minutes ago, Oramac said:

Is there not at least an itinerary you can fall back on for the planning needs?

 

Not really, for the Madison trip. And the time in the UK is guaranteed to have me so exhausted with people that I'll be unlikely to have the energy.

[Oramac]

43 minutes ago, imprimis5 said:

Not really, for the Madison trip. And the time in the UK is guaranteed to have me so exhausted with people that I'll be unlikely to have the energy.

 

Well that is unfortunate.  Maybe there's a way to set aside time in the mornings or something for meditation at least? 

[imprimis5]

1 minute ago, Oramac said:

 

Well that is unfortunate.  Maybe there's a way to set aside time in the mornings or something for meditation at least? 

 

Yeah, that's my hope. Normally, my mornings at conventions involve walking to a coffee shop for a cuppa and some sort of quick breakfast that I can walk with. Not having been to this show before, I don't know how feasible that'll be with our accommodations and the surroundings. I'm hoping so.

[Broba Fett]

9 hours ago, imprimis5 said:

So, I'm also super stressed about the next couple of weeks. I'm going to be on the road a lot. Tomorrow morning, I leave for Madison, WI to go to a trade show for a few days. I'll come home for around 24 hours this weekend, then fly out to London for a couple of days. From there, it's on to Birmingham for a convention. All told, I'm going to be gone for just a hair under two weeks, with a one-day break in the middle. That's gross and super stressful to me. It mostly comes back to what I was saying about routine; I won't have one. I've at least made arrangements with a coworker to go running together, so that'll help.

 

Holy shit you've got a lot going on.  

 

Maybe do the beginner bodyweight workout every morning?  It's super quick and I believe the only thing you need is some kind of weight for DB rows. I've used whatever is handy. 

[Xena]

This does sound stressful. Great that you lined up a friend to run with! Any chance your hotel has a gym?

 

No idea if this would be at all helpful to you, but I've started traveling with an exercise band (easier than a weight!). It's not my favorite, but at least it's something to add a bit of resistance.

 

I also find it helpful just to accept that a lot of things will be out of my control (I like routine too) and that I won't be able to do all the exercise I would want to do. Jetlag occasionally oddly helps (more helpful when flying west), but often makes it impossible to squeeze exercise into the little bits of time you might have if you weren't exhausted.

[imprimis5]

16 hours ago, Broba Fett said:

Maybe do the beginner bodyweight workout every morning?  It's super quick and I believe the only thing you need is some kind of weight for DB rows. I've used whatever is handy. 

 

Not a bad idea. With any luck, the hotel(s) may even have a fitness room. Thanks!

 

10 hours ago, Xena said:

Any chance your hotel has a gym?

 

Sadly, I won't really know until I get there.

 

10 hours ago, Xena said:

No idea if this would be at all helpful to you, but I've started traveling with an exercise band (easier than a weight!). It's not my favorite, but at least it's something to add a bit of resistance.

 

That's not an awful idea. I have a travel suspension training system, but I've found that it's a little obnoxious to set up, especially when I'm sharing a hotel room with a coworker. Bands might travel a little better.

 

10 hours ago, Xena said:

Jetlag occasionally oddly helps (more helpful when flying west), but often makes it impossible to squeeze exercise into the little bits of time you might have if you weren't exhausted.

 

If my last experience flying to the UK is any indicator, I'm going to feel like sh*t for the first 24 hours as is. Hopefully running will help me get through that.

[imprimis5]

Week 0 Wednesday Update

 

It's our one week anniversary! That's a thing, right? No?

 

Anyway, today's the beginning of my wild couple weeks. In about three hours, I'm going to hop into a van for a 6-ish hour drive to Madison, WI. I hate people, so my headphones are charging, my iPad is loaded up with the Star Wars OT and Season 6 of Community, and I even have two books to read. I know how to prepare for trips.

 

Wow, y'all. My back is hurting something fierce. It started on Sunday, got better on Monday, and then flared up again yesterday through now. It's especially in the lower left. Last night, the only thing helping was Ben-Gay and a heating pad. Still not really sure what I did to aggravate it. Maybe running on Sunday morning? Maybe I slept on it wrong? Who knows.

 

You'll notice I don't remember a lot of my meals yesterday. This is a bad sign. It means that I'm not eating mindfully, and that's a dangerous position for me to be in. I need to get that mindset back.

 

Big Picture Challenges

• Figure out diet.
  • What I've learned since last Tuesday:
    • Not much of anything.
• Sign up and train for a 5k race.
  • Signed up?
    • I signed up for the St. Louis Pride 5k! I'm way excited for this. If for no other reason, I've been feeling a little disconnected from the queer community lately, and I'd kind of like to participate actively again. I used to volunteer or at least attend Pride every year, then that kind of dropped off. Now I'm in a situation where pretty much most of my IRL friends are straight, and I feel out of the loop. Maybe I'll make some friends!
  • Training progress.
• Log meals:
  • Note: Anything in bold is not paleo.
  • Yesterday breakfast: Don't remember.
    • Calories: 
  • Lunch: Don't remember.
    • Calories: 
  • Dinner: Chicken and couscous salad with sweet basil dressing from Trader Joe's
    • Calories: 310
  • Snacks: Almonds, other stuff?
    • Calories: 60+?

 

Little Picture Challenges

• Run 1-4 miles 1x a week.
• Gym 5x a week.
  • Jacob's Ladder, squats, OHP, DL, Holy crap. I had a great workout yesterday. I can't remember the last time I pushed myself that hard without someone standing over my shoulder.
• Fill Activity ring on Apple Watch every day.
  • Check.

[Broba Fett]

Good job getting that workout in man.

 

Do you find the apple watch activity tracker is pretty accurate to your caloric burn goals? I've found the Samsung health pedometer in my phone puts me at about 3mi per day in steps.

 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

 

[imprimis5]

5 minutes ago, Broba Fett said:

Do you find the apple watch activity tracker is pretty accurate to your caloric burn goals? I've found the Samsung health pedometer in my phone puts me at about 3mi per day in steps.

 

I don't know about accuracy, but it at least does a pretty good job letting me know if my activity level is too low, since it distinguishes between casual calorie burn and active calorie burn.

 

I normally get about 4-5 miles walked and 600-ish active calories burned, which seems about right.

[Oramac]

1 hour ago, imprimis5 said:

Jacob's Ladder, squats, OHP, DL, Holy crap. I had a great workout yesterday. I can't remember the last time I pushed myself that hard without someone standing over my shoulder.

 

Whoa!  That's a great workout! 

 

17 minutes ago, imprimis5 said:

I don't know about accuracy, but it at least does a pretty good job letting me know if my activity level is too low, since it distinguishes between casual calorie burn and active calorie burn.

 

I normally get about 4-5 miles walked and 600-ish active calories burned, which seems about right.

 

If nothing else, it's good for measuring against itself.  That can give a solid idea of long-term progression.