My version of sports psychology as someone with dystonia...

Dear basal ganglia, 

Look, I know we haven't always seen eye to eye.  I get that sometimes you like to do your own thing.  And some days that means looking like zombie mime performing "I'm a little tea pot".  I just chalk that up to your need for unique and creative expression.  Yes, you are indeed a special snowflake. 

But you need to understand something.  And that is that there will be hell to pay if you don't knock it off by Friday.  Because we are doing the Bridge City Beat Down and, trust, you do not want to be messing around dystonia-styles when we're dangling off a damn pair of gymnastic rings.  So, have your fun.  But on Friday, those voluntary muscles are mine, bitch.

Merle!

This has nothing to do with anything but... MERLE!!!!



The prison arc is coming in October.  I'm so happy, I'm doing jumpy claps.

July 10 - Gluten Free Bagel Induced 3rd Trimester Food Baby

Sleep - 12:00 until 8:00 a.m. - Woke up feeling human.  Huzzah!  1 point

Water - 6+ sigg bottles of it - 1 point

WOD - snatches to 95lbs (sigh), yesterday's metcon of 800m row, 800m run, 200 DUs in 11:48, mobility - 1 point

Food - 3 points
chicken breast on shredded cabbage, carrots and cukes, vinagrette
2 servings pastured pork with jalapenos, peppers, onions, salsa and half an avocado
chicken breast on shredded cabbage, carrots and cukes, vinagrette
toasted gluten free bagel with almond butter (3rd trimester food baby ensued... dammit!)
fish oil, magnesium

Total: 6 points

Paleo Challenge. No sarcasm or wit. Too tired.

The gym started the paleo challenge at the beginning of the month.  I'm, uh, kind of starting a week late.  Which, well, I'm late for everything so, fitting!  I actually did start on the 2nd but in a haze of paint, moving (again) and whatnot (complaining about painting and moving and whatnot), I didn't actually write anything down and don't remember anything I ate except for a spectacular treat-y splurge at Kneaded on Saturday.  So good.  Like carrot cupcake with cream cheese  icing all over my face washed down with an americano with whipping cream followed by the rest of the day snacking on a load of cinnamon raisin bread coated liberally in almond-hazelnut butter.  That, I will remember for a good long time.  *sigh*  Okay, so, the gist is that I'm starting to write things down.  But just don't expect awesome.

Sleep - Shite.  0 points.  2:00 a.m. until 6:30.  Could not fall asleep.  Could not stay asleep.  Woke up thanks to early text message.  Yes, yes I do believe those bricks from the back patio will look fine repurposed as the front walk.  Dear sweet hell, I'm tired. Although not as I write this at 10:30 at night.  No, now I'm overtired and wide awake (see below for coffee consumption and revel at the amount of caffeine coursing through my veins).  Really, they should deduct points for this.

Food - 4 points for kinds of food, but I should have eaten something sooner, brought more food to work and not had as much coffee.
Water - 1 point. 
7:00 a.m. - Coffee, 1thingy water, fish oil, stared fixedly at wall, attempted not to drool too much
10:15 a.m - Pastured ground pork mixed with sauteed onion, bell peppers, jalapeno and salsa with half an avocado mixed in, 1 thingy water
2:30 p.m. - Coffee, 1thingy water, the other half of the avocado with some salt and pepper sprinkled on
4:00 - Looked at candies.  Wanted candies.  Did not eat candies.  Should have brought another meal.  FML. 
6:30 - Massive salad with grated cabbage, carrots, cukes and shredded chicken breast topped liberally with a vinaigrette, 1 thingy water
8:00 - 1/4 cup of almond butter on a spoon while scrubbing paint blechies off of the floor of the house.
10:00 - Another big salad of the same variety as I cook more of the spicy taco pork thing from this morning.  Variation: no. Magnesium.  More water.  Hyponatraemia imminent.

WOD - Rest Day, no points.  Still awesome.

Total: 5 points.

Today in uselessness

Four shirtless Ukrainian men performing a cover of Rammstein's Du Hast.  Of course.



I wanted to repost this Gawker find so I have it saved for random, convenient reviewing as needed. Because it brings me a great deal of joy.

RANT, RANT, RANT!!!

I miss Duckman.

I ranted on the interwebs today.  Saving said rant for posterity.

Our culture is messed up when it comes to pretty much everything. Everything from agriculture, public policy, our industrial food system, the disconnect between the biological sciences and nutrition sciences, the industrialized food complex, chain restaurants, the media and how bodies are presented, perceived and written about and consumed. You name it, we are a dysfunctional crew about it. Be thin. Thin is healthy and good. Unless you're too thin. Or don't have big boobs. Then eat a cheeseburger. OMG!!!, you're now a fat cow. And hate the environment. But don't care, you're a real woman with curves unlike all those fake women out there. Or unless you have muscles. Then you are a man and, just, eww. For the love of all that is pink, never use more than 3lb dumbbells. But carry around this heavy purse that weighs 20lbs and costs $600. Let's not make clothes larger than a size 12. Let's just make size 12 bigger. But expect women to be a size 0. Want a fat free yogurt? It's the official food of women! Unless you're vegan. Then, you're a skinny bitch! Buy, buy, buy! Consume, consume, consume! Never be good enough because so long as you're never good enough, you'll spend. So, we've made sure you can NEVER be good enough.


Piss on that.

Feeling the squats and sit ups today

Sleep - 11:30 until 7:30

Eats
 - 8:00 coffee, water, vitamin D, fish oil
 - 10:30 4 ounces roast Moroccan beast and 2/3's cup of bacon brussel sprouts
 - 11:45 10 pieces AlterEco 85 percent dark chocolate
 - 1:30 4 ounces roast Moroccan beast and 2/3's cup of bacon brussel sprouts
 - 4:00 4 ounces roast Moroccan beast and 2/3's cup of bacon brussel sprouts
 - 8:30 2  ounces roast Moroccan beast
 - cals 1839, fat 131g, cho 46g, pro 124g

Forgot my water bottle at home so I was lower on water.  Also low on the protein today.

Training
Rest day, mofos!

Made the Bacon Brussel Sprouts

Not so good as the cabbage.  But bacon does make everything better.

Sleep: 12:00  - 7:45 and okay-ish

Eats
 - 8:00 water, coffee, fish oil, vitamin D
 - 10:30 5.5 ounces sundried tomato chicken with 1 medium sized slice tomato, water
 - 1:00 same
 - 2:30 10 squares of AlterEco 85 percent dark chocolate
 - 4:30 same as the morning
 - 8:15 3/4 cup cherries while driving back from the grocery store after my workout
 - 9:00 the same for the chicken but with 2/3's cup of bacon brussel sprouts, water, magnesium
 - cals 2126, fat 124g, cho 92g, pro 172g

Training
Front squat 5's @ 145, 160, 175lbs (my old PR prior to November for 1 for 5's so woo!)
Pistols 5 unbroken each leg x 2
Kipping HSPUs 5 to 1 abmat, added 10lb plates to either side and did 3, 2 then some slow negatives to 1 plate
Metcon of 2 minutes each of lunges, toes to bar, sit ups, burpees, squats, two minute rest then squats, burpees, sit ups, toes to bar, lunges.  Did 267 and 252.  Easier going up then down.  Toes to bar were right deplorable (strung together the first 10 and then all singles).  What saved me was the squats. 
 -

No sleep! Overcaffinated!

But the caffeine is wearing off.  Boo to that.  So, tossed and turned and could not find comfy spot in what generally is a very comfy bed until 3:00 a.m.  And then I got up at 8:00 so I'm running on no sleep today.  Wired and tired, I do believe Robb Wolf referred to it as.  Except I'm more wired than tired.  Tired is coming, I'm sure.  Or maybe not since I'm also not sleep deprived most days?  We'll see.

8:30 - coffee, fish oil, vit d, water
12:30 - 6 ounces of chicken sundried tomato bake (thighs) and a cup of winter braised red cabbage with bacon, water x 2
3:30 - 5.5 ounces of chicken sundried tomato bake (thighs) and a cup of winter braised red cabbage with bacon, more water x 2
 - 8:30 5.5 ounces of chicken sundried tomato bake (thighs) and a cup of winter braised red cabbage with bacon, magnesium, more water
 - 2 squares 85 percent dark chocolate (Lindt)
 - 2166 cals, 158g fat, 41g cho, 143g pro

Really enjoying the chicken and cabbage.  Very nice!

Training
I like the look of the workouts this week.  Going to be a grinder!
 - Power Snatch 3's @ 85, 95, 100 (F only got 2)
 - Metcon of 500m row, 25 55lb kbell swings, 500m row, 25 55lb kbell swings, 500m row, 25 55lb kbell swings, 500m row in 15:04.  Slow on the transitions.
 - Mobility work with the lacrosse ball

Ps.  Taryn, I saw the shout out.  LOL!  Good luck down in Cali!

Stalking my friends on twitter

I'm not actually on twitter because new things scare me and I need to spend at least a few years doing the online version of poking said new thing with a stick until I decide to try it.  Anyways, so yes, I stalk.  And I stalked myself into a new recipe to try this evening thanks to "a" because I'm flirting will full on terminal food boredom (aside from the coconut chicken soup, which still makes me all warm and fuzzy and happy).  I'm going to get this made this afternoon along with leftovers to last at least a day or two.  Taryn's pizza in a bowl was another option but my hippie food store of choice is out of the pastured, gluten free bison sausage I can actually eat without having some sort of unhappy reaction.

Sleep - 2:00 ish until 10:00 ish.  Could not fall asleep.  Could not find comfy spot.  If I found something that felt comfy, within 5 minutes it was ALL WRONG.  Also too much coffee+Walking Dead, super fun dream-y times.  Can't remember the particulars but I remember having to kill zombies again.  Just wait until Spartacus premieres!  I'll be killing Romans, bay-bee!!!!!

Food
 - 10:30, coffee, water, fish oil, vitamin D
 - 12:30, 6 ounces roast beef, 1.25 cup cooked carrots with 2 tsp ghee
 - 1:30 3 squares 85 percent dark chocolate (Lindt)
 - 7:30, 6 ounces cooked chicken thighs with sundried tomato and fresh basil, 1 cup winter braised red cabbage with bacon
 - 9:30 5.5 ounces cooked chicken thighs with sundried tomato and fresh basil, 1 cup winter braised red cabbage with bacon, magnesium
 - 2144 cals, 154g fat, 44g cho, 141g pro

Winter Braised Red Cabbage with Bacon
Cook 500g reduced salt bacon in a very large pan until crispy.
Add 1 head of red cabbage, slivered and cored
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp dried sage
1 tbsp dried thyme
Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

Cook on the stove top, ensuring that you stir the cabbage so it doesn't burn.  Use a fairly high heat.  Cook until the cabbage is soft.  Quite yummy and it makes the house smell really good. All in all, a good experiment  and all because the east end was completely sold out of brussel sprouts, apparently.

Training
 - It's a rest day, yo!

I'm so screwed.

"I'm so screwed."

This is what I shouted midway through my first 21 thrusters today.  I had to break up my 15's.  I have NEVER broken up my thrusters in Fran.  EVER!  Meh.  Not sure if it's left over flu continuing to destroy my cardio or switching over to lower carbs and it'll just sort itself out in a few weeks or needing to eat more.  No juice in the legs.  I'm also down to 140 today from 143 a week ago.  I think it's water, for the most part.

Sleep:  11:30 until 9:10

Eats:
 - 9:30 coffee, water, fish oil, vitamin D
 - 10:00 a.m. 4 ounces of beef roast with some sauteed onion, celery and mushroom, water
 - 1:30 same as 10:00 a.m. with a decaf and a thingie of water (found my water bottle!!!!!)
- 3:00 12 oz Americano with 2 ounces cream (basically, I'm mainlining the java today)
 - 4:30 5 eggs fried in 4 tsp ghee with half an avocado and half a cup of salsa, water
 - 8:30 3 cups of roasted kale in 2 tbsp ghee with 5 ounces of beast mixed with red onion, mushrooms and celery, a thingie of water

Training
Worked up to a 135lb clean and jerk.
See above for my Fran experience.  Faaaaack.  Anyways, it was Fran on an 8 minute clock with the remaining time to find a 1RM clean and jerk.  Score was every second over 3 minutes for Fran minus your heaviest lift.  Finished Fran in 5:06, almost a full minute slower than just a month ago (see video) with broken up thrusters (bah!).  Did a 65lb clean and jerk to get on the board.  Slapped on a pair of 25's and got 115.  Threw on some 5's but then failed the jerk twice.  Score was -11.  Then I rolled around on a lacrosse ball nursing my wounded ego.  Got my hair did after so at least I look pretty.

Here's a picture of  my cat, The Sneak, doing obscene things in my dining room.  May it bring you joy.

Trying out Cool Springs Ranch

Ordered a sampling of meat and eggs from Cool Springs Ranch.  Arrives on the 14th.  Shall see how we like it.

Sleep - 11:30 until 7:30 but not of super high quality

Eats, etc
 - 8:00 a.m.Coffee, water and 5g fish oil, 5,000 i.u. vit D\
 - 10:00 a.m. Small Americano with a dash of cream, and a lovely visit
 - 11:00 a.m. 4 ounces of beast (groc store blade roast so not ideal choice) with mushroom, celery and red onion reduction, OMFG ROASTED KALE (om nom nom nom)!!!!!!!
 - 12:45 a.m. same as at 11:00 a.m.
 - 2:30 p.m. same as again
 - 8:00 p.m. same as again with some magnesium
 - Cals 1914, fat 133g, cho 51, pro 135
 - Was really peckish last night after eating.  Wanted more meat.  Then I wanted dark chocolate.  Then I wanted more meat again.  

Training
Good night in the gym.

Power Clean 2′s @ 135, 145, 155 (PR)
Power Clean 1′s @ 160 (PR)
Squat Clean 1′s @ 165 (Fx3 but soooo close, got under it all three times but I was too far forward to get my elbows up to stand up with it… looked like my butt was coming up in the first pull)
2011 Open WOD #4 of 10 minute amrap of 60 bar facing burpees, 30 90lb OHS and 10 MU: 91 reps (same as last year including a fail on the first MU - got to them at around the 8:15 mark so plenty of time to get 3-4 if gravity and I were better friends)

I need kale. Lots and lots of kale.

I don't know what it is about kale but I can't go very long without an almost insatiable desire to eat all of the kale everywhere.  Picking some up after the gym tonight.  I know this sounds like nutritionalism-style bragging right up there with those bitches who are all "omg but I just crave wheat grass shots like so much" and you know they are just saying that to feel food-choice superior.

This isn't about that.

If you've ever roasted up yourself some kale with some fat and some salt and pepper - you know what I'm talking 'bout.  It's some delicious shit.  Crave-worthy, for sure.  That or you'll hate it with the burning fury of a 1,000 raging suns.  There is no middle-ground with kale.  This dark leafy green is a polarizing SOB. 

Kale - It instills passion.

Sleep - 10:45 until 7:30 and reasonable quality.

Eats, etc
 - 8:00 a.m. 2 cups coffee, 5g fish oil 5,000 iu vitamin D
 - 10:00 a.m. a serving of coconut chicken soup
 - 1:00 p.m. another serving of coconut chicken soup
 - 4:00 p.m. another serving of coconut chicken soup
 - 8:15 p.m. two squares lindt 85 percent dark chocolate while I cook kale
 - a whole head of kale, toasted up with 1/4 cup butter, 4 ounces of Moroccan beast and magnesium
 - can't do math because FitDay is down.  I'm guessing I'm somewhere around 2100 cals and 145g pro?  Carbs will be under 50g.  Fat will be high.  Hmm, maybe this is why I'm not lean?  I could honestly eat a whole other head of kale and an extra serving of meat at this point and not bat an eye.  Or eggs with avocado and salsa.  Mmmmm...
 - Fitday is up.  Holy snot! 2530cals, 192g of fat, 84g carb, 136g pro.  I am really bad at estimating!  Also, I remember when I used to eat 1300 cals a day.  Mwahahahahaha.

Training
Same refrain.  Green goo in my lungs makes my cardio something something.
Shoulder Press 5's @ 70, 75 and 80lbs
Metcon with 45 PLU then 21-15-9 power snatch, row for cals in 11:00 on the dot.  Had to wait for 30 seconds for a rower to be freed up but I'm still pissed with this.  It's only 7 seconds faster than just after getting back from the Games in 2010.  I had juice to go but I was panting like a dog and could not stay on top of my breathing.  At least I'm having this now as opposed to at FrostFit or during the open.  The kale is making me feel better.
Then I did a bunch of mobility as I coughed up gunk.

Resty McRestersons

I rested like a mofo today.

Sleep - 10:45 until 7:30.  Good one, too.

Snacks were three servings of coconut chicken soup and then, when I got home from the gym, I had 5 ounces of Moroccan slow cooked beast with coconut milk and a sliced tomato.  I'm going to have another 2.5 ounces of beast.  Still hungry.

Stats
Cals - 1776 cals, 117g fat, 41g carb, 148g pro.

Now this is stuck in my head...

Got this song stuck in my head.  It's a far better choice than others.



Sleep - 10:30 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. Woke up feeling almost completely human. This flu, it is going down!

Morning - Two cups dark roast, a thingie of water, 5g fish oil 5,000iu vitamin D.

Breakfast - 5 ounces grocery store eye of round slow cooked in coconut milk and Moroccan spice mix, a tomato with sea salt and cracked pepper, a thingie of water

Lunch and second lunch will be the same thing.

Training was okay tonight.  More cardio, less picking up heavy things and my cardio is hurting a bit post flu.  Sadness.

5x30 double unders (dun!)
2,4,6, etc burpees on the minute - did 16burpees+17 (so friggen close... to doing more burpees)
skill work:  walk span shuffles, shoulder touches and toe touches (made it a foot for the wall span shuffles, could not touch shoulders and made it about half way down controlled with the toe touches)
Then I stretched.  And coughed up something green.  Yay!

Came home and ate 2.5 ounces of my beef.  Yes, that sounds like a very precise measurement doesn't it. Oh, and another thing of water.

Now I'm making coconut chicken soup, of which I'll chow down a delicious bowl.

Check it out!  And here's the recipe.  Delicious.

And here's a shout out to two products in said soup.  First off, Arroy-D Coconut Milk from Walmart.  You are cheap and you contain no crap, unlike most of your coconut milk bretheren.  Your coconut-ness is next to awesomeness.  You are delicious. 

Next up is Kitchen Basics.  This stuff is just vegetables.  JUST VEGETABLES.  For reals!  No anything else other than vegetables.  Sobey's carries it.

And here is a picture of me eating a bowl, drinking a thingie of water and blogging about eating a bowl and drinking a thingie of water.  How meta.  *yawn*  Had this with a magnesium pill.

And then I had another half serving.  Still hungry!

Numbers for Mike.  Cals 1888, Fat 112g, Carbs 35g, Protein 188 g

Aaaand we're back

Less of a snot factory but still not back to 100 percent.  Don't feel feverish anymore, though.  Woo.

Sleep - 1:00 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.  Last day of holidays.

No photos of my food but, shoot, I will start that back up.  Might as well.  So, I'll just list it out and start the photos tomorrow again.  Attempting greater accuracy with food journaling juuuuuuust in case Mike has a spot open to take me on as a client.  Whatever I've been doing isn't quite working.  My recovery seems pretty decent and I feel like I'm seeing some gains (flu notwithstanding) but I'm not leaning out like I should be.

Brekkie
2 cups coffee, a thingie of water, 4 omega eggs, sauteed in 1 tbsp of butter with 2/3 cup mushrooms, 1/2 cup red onion with 1/3 cup avocado and 5g fish oil

Ps - size of "thingie" of water

Training:
Front squat 2′s @ 165, 175, 185lbs

Metcon
Leighanne with on the minute rounds of 2 125lb clean and jerks, 6 55lb kettlebell swings
- did 4 minutes, took a minute break, did three minutes, took a minute break, did one minute
 - first time doing this weight for jerks in a metcon.  Still a HUGE goat but getting to be a less huge goat these days.

Deadhang Pull up 3′s @ 5, 10, 15lbs (x2)

Post Training:
Coffee.  Yeah, this sucks for PWO.

Lunch at La Bodega with Sarah.  Had the pecan chicken salad with extra chicken (about 6 ounces total of roasted, shredded real bird - La Bodega serves real food - and the salad was about 3 cups mixed baby greens, some red onion, candied pecans and some baby tomatoes with a citrus-y dressing - didn't ask what kind of oil it used but it was for sure all gluten free) with a mint tea and water.

Had a couple thingies of water whilst futzing about not really accomplishing much this evening.  Then I ran to the store with a massive craving for ketchup.  Don't ask.  I don't get it, either.  That shit is disgusting but I love it so much.  Anyways, picked up some Herdez brand salsa (best salsa if you're too lazy to make your own ingredient-wise), an avocado and a couple of clam shells of blueberries. 

5 omega eggs fried in 1.5 tbsp butter topped with half an avocado (about 1/3 cup) and half a cup of salsa + 170g of blueberries.  And another thingie of water.

I'll likely eat the other thing of blueberries, as well.  Then, I'm thinking an early bed time.

Edited to add - yep, ate the other 170g of berries and had a few more thingies of water. And I did math.  Don't like doing math.  2100 cals, 150g fat, 87g carbs, 118g protein.  Too low on the protein.

So I qualified for Nationals...

Yay!  No PRs for any of my lifts and because I came in at 66 kilos, even though I increased my meet total by 15lbs, my Wilks score was lower than last year.  In my defense, I was not 37 degrees and felt like kaka still.  It was a good day and I liked having the chance to visit with Shantelle and lift with Christian and Angdesj. 

Last Chance Meet
Squats: 231lbs, 253lbs, 264lbs (F - dammit, I have this in me, I KNOW)
Bench Press: 110lbs, 115lbs, 121lbs (Telle said I had more in me)
Deadlift: 264lbs, 275lbs, 286lbs (F - dammit, this is there, too)

Singlets... Just, no.  No, no, no.  Even chucks, funky socks and our innate awesomeness can not overcome the horror that is a shiny spandex onesie.

For nationals in April, I want to be in the 63 kilo class.  I know I can beat both current records for the squat and deadlift (classic division, not equipped because I am WEAK SAUCE and these are new records).  But in the 63 kilo class NOT 72.

Sort of more human

No more fever.  Yay!  Still a raging snot factory.  Ugh.

Sleep:  11:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.

Time to get back to the business of kicking ass, taking names - you know,  that sort of thing.   Verses the being sick thing, which mostly has involved laying on the couch, playing Skyrim and wondering how to get my housecarl, Lydia, back now that she's disappeared after I became a werewolf.

Have you seen my housecarl?

^See what the flu does to me?  Scary!

Edited to add:
May have been a little quick to announce the end of the fever.  My core temperature, it is not normal.

Still sick as a dog

I'm still sick.  No training, just a lot of sleeping.  That and eating carbs (paleo carbs, but still).  So, I'm not making weight, either and I'm cool with that.  Unlike weightlifting, powerlifting doesn't have a 69 kilo class so I'm in the 72 kilo class.  I took a look at the qualifying totals and I think, if I'm reading the chart right, I can still qualify for nationals if I only hit my first attempt for each of the lifts.  I'll be lifting unequipped.

Here's my plan.  I went conservative with my numbers  based on the fact that I've had a raging fever for the last week and walking up a flight of stairs makes my quads burn (WTF?):

Squat: 111kg, 118kg, 122kg

Bench Press:   50kg, 53kg, 55kg

Deadlift: 120kg, 125kg, 130kg

Bench press is not a PR at all.  The final lifts for squat and DL are PRs but not huge increases (10lbs for both lifts).  

Supine and feverish

Merry Christmas!

I'm going to go lie down again.