Bravery. Humility. Living in reality.

[Emissary2Ornj]

Quick update

Work

Beginning to settle in, maybe? Still have a big awareness of being the newbie, though. Almost everybody I work with has been there for years.

Seriously considering buying some light- or medium-tinted glasses for indoor use. The bright lights are - gah, unnaturally bright.

Sleep schedule is wonky - shift is much earlier than is comfortable/ideal for my body system. Not just mine; husband is basically forced to take on my schedule, too. I hope to explore options more in line with my natural rhythm soon.

Workouts

Happen when I feel like it. I'm getting in 1 most weeks. Usually just picking a random 30 minute Elements session. It works best to shorten Practice and Play times by half, and only do 1 circuit. This feels like work but not overdoing it. I tend to feel rushed if I choose the 15 minute sessions, and don't get as much out of the movements.

Still thinking of making a custom workout plan based on Elements moves. Just haven't got it all together yet. It's going to need to be simple.

[Chesire]

9 hours ago, Emissary2Ornj said:

Still have a big awareness of being the newbie, though. Almost everybody I work with has been there for years.

I'm sure you've seen the meme that I'm not going to go search for but essentially:  Being the new person at work is like being a new character on season 5 of a show.

 

Nice to see you adjust the GMB stuff exactly like I do when I need it.  15 isn't enough so 30 gets chopped as I see fit. 

 

How is staying in the SE going for you two?  Is your internal calendar wonky? 

 

[Emissary2Ornj]

  

On 7/17/2024 at 6:00 AM, Chesire said:

How is staying in the SE going for you two?

It's been a big adjustment. Husband especially has had some times of intensely missing our summer region and struggling to be here, now.

I tend to be rather more "Wherever I go, there I am," (likely thanks to all those years spent staying at 3 different homes per week).

When I remember to think about it, I feel a nostalgia/awe - that we got to actually live that kind of life immersed in that kind of beauty, and pangs at the memories I have of walks and sky and mountains, and at all our funny adventures.
But we're growing things!!! I have herbs drying in our storage building. That has never happened before.
We both think our current living conditions are pretty cushy compared to many places we've camped/parked. We're definitely both enjoying that. Some things haven't been difficult to adjust to, at all.
 

On 7/17/2024 at 6:00 AM, Chesire said:

Is your internal calendar wonky?

Hmm, good reflection question....

Yes, because we're (re)learning different seasonal weather/nature markers.

Also yes, because at work the current marketing push is always driven by the next big holiday or yearly event. That's very prominent here where it wasn't at my seasonal grocery store job. The rhythm there was marked more by local events, both natural and social. We knew when certain roads might be clear of snow, when to hunt for mushrooms, when to look for certain flowers, whether the moose might be around or not, which weekends the trail riders might be especially busy, when to begin watching for leaves to turn.... too much to list here, now I think of it.

 

It would probably be good to spend some time each week just remembering and being thankful. Those were some mighty precious days.

[Emissary2Ornj]

It's been a bit....

I restarted Elements, choosing accelerated track this time.

I've managed 1 or 2 sessions most weeks since my last post.

Finally got to a place where choosing 15-minute sessions makes sense to me. (Humans - so changeful! )

Finally settled on a movement schedule for the next three weeks:

First	Second	Third	Midweek	prePrep	Prep	Sabbath
aE Crab & Frogger +2m Practice shrimp squats last +Push band deadlift	GENTLE Mobility w/Focus	Crow hands Calves & Back Walk bonus	GENTLE Mobility w/Focus	aE Bear↔Monkey +2m Practice shrimp squats first +Push band deadlift	GENTLE Mobility w/Focus Assess: schedule working?	Rest! \o/
aE Frogger→Crab & Crab→Tabletop +2m Practice shrimp squats in the middle +Push band deadlift	GENTLE Mobility w/Focus	Crow hands Calves & Back Walk bonus	GENTLE Mobility w/Focus	aE Assessment & Transitions	GENTLE Mobility w/Focus Assess: like/didn’t like? worked/didn’t work?	Rest! \o/
aE Twisting Bear & Monkey +2m Practice shrimp squats first +Push band deadlift instead of Monkey	GENTLE Mobility w/Focus	Crow hands Calves & Back Walk bonus	GENTLE Mobility w/Focus	aE FTT Frog & Crab R/L +2m Practice shrimp squats in the middle +Push band deadlift	Reassess Mobility Focal Joint	Rest! \o/

 

Broadest goal: 15 minutes of movement or stretching every day.

Ideally: make progress in accelerated Elements (aE) and target a few weak/tight spots I've noticed (Back, knees, feet/ankles, posture).

For fun: learn, practice, and play with the Crow balance.

It would be amazing if: I get to take a walk every midweek off day!

Familiar philosophies: NO PRESSURE, stay flexible, assess weekly.

 

Work is still extremely physical. Protein and my vitamin powder (Better Body Foods Fruit & Antioxidant blend) seem to be necessary to keep energy levels up and for recovery. I'm switching from Orgain plant-based protein to NOW Sports whey this week. It's unflavored... that will be different. A few weeks ago I worked out after work, had a bad sleeping night, and spent the rest of the week (week and a half?) feeling draggy, groggy, like I could fall asleep standing up. Exhausted. I think perhaps this was my first experience with overtraining.

That's why I'm finally okay with 15-minute sessions, not feeling pressured in them. Whatever progress I can make in that time is still progress.

And why the sessions have to be pretty simple. I need low-hanging fruit right now.

Anyway - we'll see.

 

[Emissary2Ornj]

Day 1

Had a hard, physical day at work. Could have opted for a Low Intensity Elements session but I decided to do tomorrow's Mobility sesssion today. 14.5 minutes. Session is based on GMB's 23-minute mobility routine, tweaked to my foot/ankle needs.

Went well; good intensity level.

Hopefully tomorrow I can get that Elements session in.

Shrimp squat practice and resistance-band deadlifts are added to the regular Elements sessions. DLs will be a Push/Circuit movement; shrimp squats will be a Practice exercise.

[Emissary2Ornj]

22 hours ago, Emissary2Ornj said:

Hopefully tomorrow I can get that Elements session in.

Once during my shift today, feeling how sore my body was already, I thought, "I need to just take the Low Intensity option and not push it today. The last thing I need is to over do it." Later (feeling less sore) I thought, "Okay, it's just 15 more minutes of work. Surely that isn't too much. I'll see how I feel."

Went for it, and currently am glad I did.

 

22 hours ago, Emissary2Ornj said:

DLs will be a Push/Circuit movement; shrimp squats will be a Practice exercise.

Soooo, I need more than a minute to re-familiarize myself with resistance band deadlifts, duh. I'll move them to Practice for a few sessions until I'm comfortable with the motion and get the band setup dialed in.

My Shrimp Squat progression level is currently at Step-back Lunge.

One big goal I have is to lessen the strength/control imbalance between right and left knees/legs. I'm right-leg dominant. I don't have any glaring issues with this imbalance; it's just something I notice and am curious to see if I can close the gap any. I'm going to work them at equal volume for the time being. I don't even feel stable lunging all the way to knee-down on that side. I went about half way today. Looking forward to seeing what I learn about my body here.

[Chesire]

The overtraining beast came for you too, huh?  I see you are respectful of it and allowing for the necessary healing.  I did the same sort of path turning to protein supplements and vitamins to help me through it, and, for what its worth, I found creatine to be helpful too. 

[Emissary2Ornj]

Day 1: Mobility

Day 2: Elements

Day 3; Mobility
Day 4: I totally forgot to workout! ? Midweek off days have been relatively full lately.

Day 5: Skill/Strength

Day 6: Mobility

 

Plans:

Move Skill/Strength day to Sunday. Try to stay on schedule of alternating workout days with mobility days (but no pressure if it doesn't work out again). (<-- This puts a nice, low-pressure mobility session on my off-day.)

Will practice deadlift motion this coming week.

Looking forward to more exploration (Play) with left knee/leg in step-back lunge. Experimented with changing where my weight is in my loaded left foot, and noticed how that changed how stable the knee felt. Going slow and paying attention.

 

First week of whey protein instead of Orgain chocolate flavored plant-based. I get way less of an energy punch - no chia seeds in the whey. But also no stevia or erythritol. Trying to get away from the sweeteners. (Just personal preference.) So.... we'll see if that evens out.

 

Edited to add missing word.

[Chesire]

On 9/15/2024 at 6:44 PM, Emissary2Ornj said:

I'm switching from Orgain plant-based protein to NOW Sports whey this week. It's unflavored... that will be different.

Let me know how you like and use your unflavored protein, please.  I have to stick with plant based, wish I could do whey, so I accept there will be differences.  I think I just need someone to be venturesome with

[Emissary2Ornj]

Week 2: Xes and excuses

Day 1: X; hard work day (deep cleaning day, more short-staffed than usual on our busiest day), sore & tired

Day 2: Elements

Day 3: X; monthly inventory at work, tired

Day 4: X, day off, tired, trying to recuperate

Day 5: X, stress at work, busier than usual, tired

Day 6: X, easier day (no freight), work & home stress, tired

 

Worries like a rocking chair - all that motion, traveling nowhere.

1. Did I make a mistake switching from plant-based protein to whey? (seems like less energy now)
2. Orgain had chia seeds. Do I need to buy chia seeds now?
3. Did I overtrain aGAIN?! (maybe that's why I have less energy; but I had less energy before my workouts)
4. Am I not eating enough? Am I eating too much? Do I need more protein?
5. Can I increase my stamina for life?

 

Answers settle out, nonetheless

1. Probably not; stay with it, give it more time.
2. Maybe? The vitamin powder has chia seeds, too. You're still getting some chia seeds. Wait and see.
3. Turn the question inside out: what if my recovery input quality (nutrition, sleep) isn't supporting my volume of work? Switch some focus to the building blocks.
4. Sounds like it's time for a calorie and protein audit. C'mere, MyFitnessPal food diary.
5. That is a very thought-provoking nerd question. I like.
   • Not talking about increasing my cardio (capacity for short-term work). Although that might help?
   • I'm talking about raising my capacity to spend hours and hours working (walking, lifting, pushing, stocking, standing), then come home and clean, do projects, meal prep, go on walks, enjoy life.
   • I expect the answer is boring and basic and has to do with the foundation. See (2) above  ☝️

 I think next weeks' movement threshold looks like:

Mobility/stretching 4 days

Elements 1

Crow skill work 1 day

 

Brainstorming:

What if I did mobility on my lunch break at work? But I am not doing Frog Stretch in the break room. Just, no. ?

Really want to figure out a way to meal prep (time/energy, again).
Want to audit those calories/protein, and my eating schedule.

Gotta be gentle here. Work is stressful, and there's home stress, too (finances, reality of life stuff).

 

On 9/20/2024 at 9:42 AM, Chesire said:

for what its worth, I found creatine to be helpful too. 

Thanks for this. It looks like a promising possibility. (I found this NIH article especially helpful.)

 

On 9/23/2024 at 11:41 AM, Chesire said:

Let me know how you like and use your unflavored protein, please.  I have to stick with plant based, wish I could do whey, so I accept there will be differences.  I think I just need someone to be venturesome with

Venturesome protein pals, woohoo!

My protein shakes have been bare minimum ingredients, lately (all I have time/energy for). Whey concentrate, the vitamin powder, and water. Occasionally a few heaping spoonfuls of oat flour. The vitamin powder is the strongest flavor (turmeric, of all things), not neutral at all. I drink it anyway, and glug the lumps. ? (TMI?)

My favorite blended shake additives are kale and blueberries. It's just not happening right now.

[Chesire]

19 hours ago, Emissary2Ornj said:

On 9/20/2024 at 9:42 AM, Chesire said:

for what its worth, I found creatine to be helpful too. 

Thanks for this. It looks like a promising possibility. (I found this NIH article especially helpful.)

I found that one helpful too ?  Anecdotal information for you from myself and my very fitness knowledgeable friend.  Since it does increase water retention in the muscles it can drastically increase water weight and at the same time it can make your digestive system back up a bit.  So be very aware to drink more than enough water.  Or she and I discussed that we are not elite athletes and don't need that much.  She is doing 1/2 amount daily, where I decided 4 days per week.  And I put in my coffee because it blends best in warm liquid.

 

19 hours ago, Emissary2Ornj said:

I drink it anyway, and glug the lumps. ? (TMI?)

hahah. Nope, I'll just not try to think it too deeply ?

My plan is to try it my morning oatmeal.  I already do savory oats with an egg in it, so I'm hoping it won't be too bad.  After I finish the shakes I have currently

 

I hope the upcoming week is a decent one for you

[Emissary2Ornj]

On 9/29/2024 at 7:44 AM, Chesire said:

So be very aware to drink more than enough water.

Noted. (yikes)

Free water intake decreased since I started work. Once I realized it I started getting more in, but I think I am still not back to usual. Might work on that before I seriously consider creatine.

So did you and your friend do an initial loading dose?

 

On 9/29/2024 at 7:44 AM, Chesire said:

My plan is to try it my morning oatmeal.  I already do savory oats with an egg in it, so I'm hoping it won't be too bad.

I like to use some combination of ginger, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, or nutmeg in my morning bowls. The warming spices are pleasing to my taste.

Hmm, now I'll have to think whether I want to experiment mixing whey and vitamin powder into the bowls instead of drinking it as a shake....

 

 

I really noticed a big energy drop around the time I started the whey. I can think of several possible factors, but I don't know which one is the main culprit.

I'm still brainstorming this: add a bit of caffeine daily? Add chia seeds?

I do the best I can with sleep. I aim to be in bed by 5pm so I can be drowsy or asleep by 6. I've been waking up once or twice through the night, around 10 or 11pm and again at about 12:30am. Alarm is set for 2:30am, but I'm usually awake around 1:30. Usually I'm just getting sleepy again by 2am but it's too late to fall back asleep before the alarm. I think this is mostly a weird sleeping hours issue. Just trying to stay consistent.

My sleep hygiene could be cleaner - I often turn on a podcast or my audio Bible, plus nature sounds to last the night. Probably I would sleep better without all the stimulus, but I'm definitely into avoiding thinking at night right now.

[Emissary2Ornj]

On 10/12/2024 at 9:06 AM, Emissary2Ornj said:

add a bit of caffeine daily?

Happily, black tea bags showed up in the break room this week, making this an easy experiment.

I got typical-for-caffeinated-me results: more overall alertness.

This does mean an energy boost (win), but it also means I tend to be less.... calm. More vigilant, more easily agitated/anxious.

Don't need none o' that.

Prior self-knowledge was confirmed: I prefer a mostly decaf existence.

 

On 10/12/2024 at 9:06 AM, Emissary2Ornj said:

Add chia seeds?

I think this has promise.

Especially after reading this article, which contains this bit:

Quote

Two studies have found that ground chia seeds had a strong effect on increasing both ALA and EPA levels in the body.  And one of those studies found that whole chia seeds, in contrast, had no effect on these levels.  Essentially, the levels were found to increase much more when consuming ground chia seeds, with no effect found from eating whole chia seeds.

There's also later mention of ground (versus whole) chia seeds increasing macro- and micro-nutrient uptake.

 

The three studies referenced are here, here, and waaaay over there. The first 2 are kind of small... 

I'm not declaring the studies as fact, but their findings fit my experience: since the Orgain contained ground chia, it's possible the rest of my nutrients were more effective, with bonus omega-3 ALA available to me, plus the normal chia-seed energy boost.

Looking forward to experimenting, here.

 

Still figuring out the eating schedule. 3:45am breakfasts feel awkward and forced, even if I'm hungry. I think focusing on a quality, filling supper the "night" before (afternoon, really) might be the next tweak.

 

What a weird schedule.

This whole situation is providing lots of ways to practice discipline and self-mastery, I'm finding. I'm not into martial arts, but I'm reminded of them. The personal growth potential is exciting.