I can't remember what my old bike was (Trek something) - this time, although it was nowhere near the 10 month search you had, I knew the person at the shop -- I actually am the one who "hired" him to be our intern at my regular job this past spring, and he's a major avid almost-elite cyclist. So, I went to the shop he works at (which is also the shop we usually end up at anyway as it is HUGE and "the" place for bikes around here) and he worked with us. He got quite technical and I just went "huh?" for much of it, but...
Rode my new bike today and LOVED it - so much more comfy for me - better ergonomics and my seat didn't hurt! Slight deraileur (sp?) prob in 3rd-4th gear but took it right back and they said it's fixed. Poor DD - every time she went from 2nd to 3rd on the front gears of her new bike the chain fell off! They fixed that too!
I was (slight off-topic here) SO happy that she wanted the bike and went with us on the trail. She's at that age (16) where she doesn't really groove on family time, especially with her annoying (ADHD) little brother along. This is both healthy and helps instill fitness-as-fun habits for her, AND she was willing to spend some family time with us, so I don't even begrudge her the $ we paid for the bike...
If you don't mind me sharing my bicycle with you.. I've had a custom-made randonneuring bicycle since 1997 and must have covered nearly 50 000 miles on it. Yet, since 2004 .. barely anything. Zilch, nada, because of a bacterial infection I got in my lower spine and the psoas muscle. Result was : I no longer fitted on that 'perfectly fitting' bicycle and would cramp up.
Heck it was so bad I'd not even be able to get out of bed normally and had to roll side ways. I still can't do a normal crunch even if it'd save my life, but flexibility has returned. I'm most fortunate to have very looooooong hamstrings as I can still touch the floor easily with my finger tips. Used to be able to put my palms on the floor even as far back as the heels.
The bicycle is by now in a truly sorry state.. especially since I moved late 2004 to a damp house with an even damper bicycle shed. It'd been kept in a tiny but very dry student apartment for 8 years and then, in just 4 damp years turned to rust. I've been thinking to get it patched up for years, but now I'm having a car (used to cover everything by bicycle), I'm dreading the costs. I'm sure it might cost close to 1000 USD to get it all back to a mint condition.
Your story made me all feel stupid for not having it done 2 years before, as really flexiblity shouldn't be an issue anymore. No thrilling mountains here, but still enough reasons to have it patched up.
Espi, all this bike talk makes me determined to get mine out of our shed and take it for a spin. The kids are probably old enough to make a short ride enjoyable. I have no idea what kind it is - got it at a bike shop many moons ago.
Thanks everyone. I did get sort of ript in this challenge. It was fun and there is much more to come still. I won't be down to a low bf for a few more months still since I am losing very slowly. And yes Tom I am dealing very well with those deamons and starting to listen to my body. It is the best thing ever.
Today I had a nice early AM walk of about 45 min. Then in the PM I had a quad, lower back, calf workout. I struggled to do the work again. The more I get skinny the harder it is to throw weights in the gym. I just don't feel strong enough to do it and want to just go run or do some other cardio. Cardio is easier....
Warmup Superset 3 times
Back extensions (+25)
alt toe touches (20 each leg)
Superset 2
db push press
2x15 (15)e
1x15 (20)e
1 legged romanian dead db
2x10 (30)e
1x10 (40)e
seated calf raises
3x15 (150lb)
Rack Pulls
1x15 (135lb)
2x10 (185lb)
swiss ham curls
1x15
2x12
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
This week's stats.... did not lose as much as normal 'cause I did a nice calorie increase last week. That said I saw the scale read in the 123lb range and the bf read in the 14% range so I know it is trending correctly still for me.
Interesting aside is that this weekend I did not plan food but allowed myself to freely eat. I ended up taking in about 30% fats and got right around 2K calories in. I am thinking that it might be time to increase the fats a tiny bit...
Date
lbs
bf%
weekly avg cals
weekly avg protein in g
weekly avg carbs in g
weekly avg fat in g
weekly avg macro % (P, C, F)
4-May-08
133.8
19.5%
2656
263
266
69.4
38,39,23
27-May-08
130.2
17.4%
1696
193
163
37.1
44,37,19
3-Jun-08
129.6
18.4%
1784
190
182
41.2
41,39,20
10-Jun-08
128.2
17.8%
1648
192
166
38.8
43,37,20
18-Jun-08
125.6
16.6%
1538
167
165
37.2
40,40,20
24-Jun-08
124.6
16.8%
1587
165
151
44
40,36,24
30-Jun-08
124.2
15.6%
1721
188
165
43.2
42,37,22
30-Jun-08
124
15.2%
1798
183
184
43.5
39,40,21
Day
Exercise
Duration in hours
Avg HR if cardio
Total lbs
Total bf
Tues
lift w/David = Bi, Shoulders, tris
1
NA
9.8
4.3%
Wed
Run
1
140
Thrs
lift w/David guns
1 hour run
1
140
This week
This week
Fri
Walk
1
NA
0.2
0.4%
Sat
Bike ride
1
?
Sun
REST
NA
NA
Mon
Walk AM
Hams, lower back PM
1.5
NA
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
Cable pec flyes
3x15 (2 plates) Worked a lot on form here
Dips
3x15 (bw) I got a good full ROM on these. It was kick-ass
1/4 push ups
1x5 (f) (bw)
1x2 (f) (bw) He declared me finished at this point. LOL!
today was another really tough day for me in the gym. It is getting very hard for me to be motivated to lift. He called me "grumpy" most of the time. I just could not get into it. I could not get into it last night either. So we did some talking about being on the cut and what things I am doing. I believe my food is in good order. He believes I do not rest enough meaning take any serious down time with my body. This weekend I was on my feet both days for 10 or more hours doing remodeling of the house. I did take a break to go on the bike ride but that did not count as rest. LOL! He suggested that I hire people to take care of the farm gardens over the next months and that I make sure that I just sit and do nothing physical for at least some period of time during each day. He also suggested that I find more time to sleep. I have only been averaging 6 or so hours the last many nights. Now where the hell am I supposed to fit in all this doing of nothing? Cripes.... He called me a livewire several times and suggested that I meditate on our coversation sometime tonight in a quiet place on my ranch. Probably not a bad idea.....
In addition to this he said that it is probably down to the wire time for us as well. He said that we will likely now switch our focus from building muscle to just maintaining it. Higher reps and lower weights will come into play as we head into the lower bf%.
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
I think he may be right. You can't train like you are doing, be on your feet for 10 hours and ride your bike like that. Most people I know who are cutting rest more at this stage of the game because they just don't have the energy. Hell I would have trouble being on my feet for 10 hours alone.
I remember you mentioned something a few days back about your marine corp mentality. I agree with him that you've got this mentality to push past the point of being healthy - You HAD to do that in the Marine Corp - You don't have to do that now.
__________________ It all starts with the mind, but the thoughts, the intention aren't enough. Action needs to come next. Dream it, believe it, plan it, execute it, celebrate it. - Wendy
Paula he and you are absolutely right. I almost never slow down when my eyes are open. I have been hitting the cafeine lately too and that makes it even much worse for me. I can be very lazy and slug-like but I have to tell myself to do that and get into that mode. Otherwise it is GO, GO, GO and never be still. The other day I tried to lay out in the sun and I did push ups the whole while I was on my belly. I will make sure to do some thinking on this and figure out a good balance over the next weeks.
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
Hey Karla, have you ever used those "guided relaxation" tapes? I know it sounds corny, but they really help you unwind. I have a very high-stress job that has me going 24/7 and I use these types of tapes to wind down at the end of the day.
LilJ, I haven't used these. Can you direct me to a link to learn more?
Lisa, I think Yoga is not a stress reliever for me still. I have to get ready to go, and then drive to the place and then I am not really liking it while I am there.
He infered today that I need to learn to do NOTHING and just be chill for awhile. Maybe I should go out and buy a TV.
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
LilJ, I haven't used these. Can you direct me to a link to learn more?
Lisa, I think Yoga is not a stress reliever for me still. I have to get ready to go, and then drive to the place and then I am not really liking it while I am there.
He infered today that I need to learn to do NOTHING and just be chill for awhile. Maybe I should go out and buy a TV.
I'll send you a PM. There are tons out there. They are super hippy drippy munchy crunchy, but my doctor recommended them to me cuz I'm a stress case and tend to push myself too hard. I tried them and was just amazed at how relaxed I felt afterwards. I have them on my iPod and use them when I'm on the road too.
oh - I guess in my head I was thinking home yoga rather than a class that one has to go to. Like a DVD or MP3 that just triggers you to progress through the positions as a destressor with movement.
Don't do it! Watching the tube just gets me more aggravated and stressed. Nothing but bad news, idiotic sit-coms and stupid girls gone wild. I got rid of my cable service, but I still have the TV. The local PBS station is OK sometimes. Al least I haven't thrown a shoe through the screen yet.
No I have my computer and I also have a very nice home theater setup with a screen that pulls down from the ceiling and a very nice high def projector. I can do yoga with a giant instructor high above my head. It might be funny.
Don't worry I won't go buying a TV. That is a way to just veg-out though. I used to do it all the time before I gave the thing away.... Of course that was back when I was about 50 lbs heavier.... Hmmmmm.... I wonder if there is a link here somewhere....
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
I'm just popping in to tell you that your journey over the last 6 months has proved amazing results. I know you aren't finished with this challenge and I'll continue to watch you progress.
Now.......as for yoga DVDs???? From reading your last entries and you having to just relax, you'll need some restorative type practices. I have a few ideas (being the exercise vidiot that I am ) that I could recommend if you decide to buy some. Send me a PM if you want some recommendations.
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"Become better than you used to be, not better than someone else." ~ Leigh Peele
TV - now there's something I don't need. What a time sink. Definitely works against lowering my blood pressure. On the other hand, a good book and a comfy chair on the deck, birdsong and a slight breeze all make for a great hour of doing nothing special - not that I actually succeed at doing that often.
TV - now there's something I don't need. What a time sink. Definitely works against lowering my blood pressure. On the other hand, a good book and a comfy chair on the deck, birdsong and a slight breeze all make for a great hour of doing nothing special - not that I actually succeed at doing that often.
I second the good book on the deck idea. In fact, I might just do that tonight (except change deck for front stoop, comfy chair for hard bench, and birdsongs to the muttering drunks going between the two liquor stores a few block on either side of my house--I love my neighborhood)!
Brent I don't think you are a good example of REST for me. You move just as much as I do and maybe even more since you have a "Honey Do" list that you work from much of the time. LOL!! and BeachPlums OMG you make me glad to live on the farm.
I managed to get 8 hours of sleep last night which was all the "rest" I had time to do. I had to practice my guitar and start my presentation for Saturday and prepare food for the next day all after getting home from work. I did not lift or do cardio and today I feel world's better. I think it is just a lack of sleep that is getting me down right now.
Today's workout at noon with my trainer was a bit different than what we have been doing lately. He said he was going to start to switch things up a bit and get the metabolism cooking harder and I am pretty sure he did that today. I only did two supersets but I nearly barfed several times doing these.
SuperSet 1 (3 times)
Using an ab wheel inch along the floor in push up position using only toes and ankles (back and forth = @40 feet)
Sit on Bosu and lean back as far as possible and do sissors with legs (1 min)
Mountain Climbers with hands in wide stance on Swiss Ball (1 min)
SuperSet2 (3 times)
db Bench Step Ups (+15lb)e 15 each leg
Donkey kicks (+35lb) 15 each leg
We really worked on technique on the step ups. No pushing off with bottom foot and no rest at top. The concept is for this to be 1 continuous movement. I don't normally do them that way. I cheat and take rests here and there. I was pretty whipped after this workout and he laughed at me when I could hardly walk after the last set.
Tonight I am likely going to do a little run. I feel strong again. The sleep was a big deal but also important was the talk I had with Bruce (our local Bbing hero) I went into his store and chatted with him and he confirmed for me that everything David is doing with me is exactly as it should be and everything I am feeling is exactly as it should be. He said that it is partly ego that has me not enjoying the workouts as well as rest. If you go into the gym day after day and kick your ass and the result is that you are getting smaller and lifting less there is seemingly no real reward. It feels like all the muscle that you once had is gone away. He assured me that everyone feels that way in the cut and that my need is to continue to lift hard and lose at 1lb a week or less. Even though it is the same thing that David told me it felt good to have it validated and it makes me feel better that everyone goes through the same thing. I guess misery loves company. LOL!
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
) that I could recommend if you decide to buy some. Send me a PM if you want some recommendations.
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