Lifting & Eating. At the same time...

Quick entry tonight - I want my 8 hours!

Loads of sleep last night as I had a day of and didn't get up til 10:30am. Hahahaha! Never meant to sleep in this late, but there ya go.

11:00, Breakfast (?brunch): 3 egg omlette with 1/2 a red onion, a pepper and 4 or 5 chestnut mushrooms.

Mantra. Mmaaantraaa!

Throughout the day I've been grazing. Not too bad though, I hope.

12:30 - 5:00pm, snacks: 2 apples, a plum, a nectarine, 1/4 of a cantaloupe melon, a thick slice of beef (from a joint), half a chicken breast and (out of sheer boredom and wanting to taste something different) a protein shake (Chocolate flavour. Mmmm).

Training.
As I wanted to do the weightlifting Barbell Club class at 8pm, I went to the 7pm CrossFit class, which was the busiest class I've ever seen!
Back squat 4 x 8 (60, 80, 90, 80kg). I only really intended for the 60kg to be a warm up, but with 5 of us rotating on one bar, we ran out of time. I pulled back from 90kg to correct my form.
Then we did Helen. 3 rounds of [400m, 21Kb swings, 12 pull-ups] for time. I used the Rx 24Kg Kb but can't do pull ups so scaled to a green band. I've been using a purple band recently for pull-ups when doing sets of 5 - 8. I can't do any more unbroken with a purple band. I don't know if there are some new green bands with a bit more spring in them, or if I've got much better at pull-ups since I last used a green band, but there was too much assistance to the point where I felt I was bouncing around, did some chest to bars for fun, etc. Time was 10m 25s.
I genuinely think there are some new, more resistant green bands!!

Weightlifting class was snatch practice.

Evening food:  I took along a lunchbox to the box which contained 1/2 a large sweet potato, a thick slice of beef, a third of a chicken breast and one of my breakfast muffins from yesterday. My intention was to stuff my face between classes, or at least get the sweet potato down.  Well, that didn't happen!! Managed (forced down) a piece of SP (I had cut it into 4). Couldn't get the rest down straight away. I kept my luchbox with me and got through the sweet potato and the beef by the time the Barbell class had finished and ate the rest in the car. Not ideal, but didn't want to be eating at 9:30/10:00pm.

At home I had some mixed nuts (6 almonds, 3 walnut halves, 3 cashews and 2 brazils).

I've been drinking carbonated water a lot. I do anyway - I like a bit of fizz!! Is this ok?

Right, off to bed...

Sprints, Muffins & Rice!!

Just about scraped my 8 hours last night before the alarm went of for hill sprints this morning... 8:40am, Pre-training: 1 Plum, 1 fig. Espresso.

9:00am, Training: Hill Sprints.

Always easier to get out of bed when rays of sunshine are bursting through the bedroom curtains!! Great session at Roundhay today. Loved it !! Got muddy, too...

10:30am, post-training: 1 banana, 1 fig.

12.30pm, brunch: Donna's egg, bacon and mushroom muffins* x 2, tomatoes (baked).

The muffins are made by lining around a muffin tin with bacon, pushing a mushroom to the bottom in the middle, today we had a slice of tomato in there. Then crack an egg into the remainder of the hole. Then bake!                                                           

Double Yokers!!

Astonishingly, 5 of the 6 eggs we used for the 'muffins' were double yokers. Get in!!

This afternoon I've done a few jobs around the house that the trouble has been keen for me to do. Watched most of West Brom v. Arsenal match. We've also been watching Homeland series 1 and have got a couple of episodes in today.

3:00pm, Snack: 1 plum, 1 apple

4:30pm, Snack: Another brunch muffin!

7:00pm, Dinner: A Barnsley chop, leftover slow cooked beef (from a couple of days ago) and lots of cauliflower rice**.

Another Homeland or two before bed, I think. And a day off tomorrow!

*not actually muffins!

** not actually rice!!

Cider Day!!

First things first - I've had a great day today. Felt pretty awesome all day. Bagged over 8 hours of sleep last night, maybe nearer 9, and it's made a big difference. Today could potentially have been really tough... And if the title of today's blog has got you thinking I've been drinking... well, we'll get to that!

I decided yesterday (before I knew today's WOD was Filthy Fifty!) that today was a rest day for me.

I got up just after 9am and headed off to Russell's Farm to pick up eggs. Lots of eggs! I was just hoping they'd have enough, but there were plenty. After a bit of banter with the proprietor, I'd payed for 270 eggs and was happy that they were securely in the car and I drove carefully to to the box to drop most of them off for people that wanted them.

Fithy Fifty was about to kick off  when I arrived. It was fun watching the class and, although I really needed the rest day today, part of me wished I was smashing out the reps with everyone else. It's really fucking addictive, this CrossFit malarkey, innit?!

11:30am, Breakfast: 4 rashers of smoked back bacon, three fried eggs (fried in coconut oil), half a tin of tomatoes. Espresso.
Cider Day...

The big press being loaded with 'cheeses'. I made those!

So a while ago, I was invited to an annual celebration of the apple harvest. I was invited  last year, but couldn't make it, so made sure I was going this time. I'd stripped the apples off the tree in our garden to contribute. These were a drop in the ocean really, as in total there were around 4 tons of apples contributed. It was a real community event, with everyone getting involved in the work. The apples were pressed into nearly 200 gallons of apple juice! The vast majority of this is now fermenting into cider. Can't wait to try some.

The press in action

A smaller, but highly effective press

It was all a lot of fun. I sipped a tiny bit of apple juice (it would have been terrible not to try a sip) but no more than 50ml (fifty) or so. It was delicious (shop bought stuff is far too sweet for me). Last year's cider was being quaffed, but I resisted this temptation, as I did with the apple pie, the almond and apple cake and even the (delicious smelling) curried apple soup, which would have been fine if it weren't for the addition of cream to the recipe! I took my lunch with me...

3:00pm, lunch: Salad with leaves, tomato, spring onion, a small avocado a carrot, 2 rashers of smoked bacon and a chicken breast. Dressed with olive oil and chilli sauce.

Snacks (eaten throughout the afternoon, 12:00 - 6:00pm: A fig, a plum,  2 apples (well, come on!) and a coconut water.

7:30pm, Dinner: A nice big sirloin steak with two eggs (fried in the pan the steak was cooked in, no oil added), loads of broccoli, some tinned tomatoes and a small salad (leaves, tomato, spring onion). I had some mustard. presume that's ok, as it's a seed thing.
Dinner. Was. Splendid!

A splendid dinner

                            

Up & Down Day? ABSolutely!

So I woke up this morning and was able to sit up in bed and walk around with any problems. I wasn't necessarily expecting that after Ferino's Fab Abs last night!

I have felt pretty hungry today, from pretty early on and to the point of distraction at times. It started with that hollow feeling in the stomach that just feels like it needs to be filled, getting worse through the day until it almost felt like more of a pain than a pang... Oh... Hang on... That'll be Ferino's Fab Abs!!

Eggs on the run...

Poor quantity of sleep again last night. 6 hours. That's 17 hours in the last 3 nights and 3 black marks. Hopefully I'll get some catch up this weekend.

8:30am, breakfast: Espresso. 3 eggs, scrambled with 1tsp coconut oil and a third of a sweet potato.


I was a little behind schedule this morning, so threw this in a lunchbox and ate it when I got to work. The egg was still warm! The sweet potato was cooked last night. I forgot my supplements as I was rushing around.

10:30am, snack: A large (organic) carrot. 

1:30pm, lunch: Homemade Broccoli soup and a tin of Brunswick sardines.

3:00pm, snack: A well rounded teaspoon of cashew butter!

5:00pm, snack: 1/4 of a cantaloupe melon. Espresso.

I stopped in Chapel A on the way home to pick up some fruit & veg from the young bloke who has a stall on a Friday. Good local stuff at decent prices. I picked up some bacon from the Neil the butcher, too, but I'll pop back tomorrow for the rest of my meat, once I've had time to think and plan ahead a bit.

Tiredness today was fucking with my decision making centre, particularly regarding training. I wanted to go and do some heavy deadlifts. But they are heavy. And I'm a bit tired. I definitely wanted to do the Pure Strength session.... In the  end I managed to decide to go for the 7pm class and stay for the strength session, but by the struggle made me 10 mins late. I hate being late for a CrossFit class.

6:45pm, pre-training snack: 1/2 baked sweet potato, 1/2 baked (normal) potato. Coconut water (I have Tropical Sun CW - it comes in a can, but is 100% natural, no added anything and is not from concentrate). 

So, deads 2x5 and 1 AMRAP at 70%, or if you managed 10+ reps last time, add a bit to that.
I used 120kg last time and got 13 good reps on the AMRAP, so this time used 125kg and hit 15 good reps. Happy with that.

Could've killed and eaten a mammoth today

WOD: 7 min AMRAP 
7 Goblet squats
7 Burpees
25 DU's
Couldn't string my DU's together tonight and refused to do singles, so 3 rnds + 12 DU's. Pretty bad.

Strength session: Started with pull ups 3 x 5-10 reps. I still use the thick blue/purple band for these.
Then guess what? The focus of the strength session was on the core!! Joy!! Thought I was probably going to die, but in the end it was ok. Weighted plank holds super-setted with face pulls, then a Dmitry Klokov inspired combo.

I felt great afterwards - best I've felt all day, in fact!! 

Protein shake in the car on the way home, then smashed straight into the slow-cooked beef from yesterday with half a baked potato. Well, I think I'd earned it!!

Will remember to have night time supplements straight after posting this. Then sleeeeeeep!!!

Mmmm.... Autumn

It's definitely Autumn today. The murk has descended, everything's wet and there are leaves all over the lawn. It's Donna's favourite season. For me, it's a constant reminder that summer is over and it's a bloody long time til the next one. I can appreciate the colours of Autumn, of course. Donna likes digging out the hats and scarves and the coats. I just wish it was 10 degrees warmer.

But colours aside, there's something special I do like about Autumn... The FOOD!!

I got the slow cooker out this morning and threw in a pound and a half piece of beef (topside rump, without the block of fat) a punnet of mini portobello mushrooms*, half a dozen beetroot (quartered), a couple of sticks of celery (fine sliced), a red onion (sliced), 3 cloves of smoked garlic (smashed) and two tins of tomatoes. I had a large round courgette from Donna's school gardening project, so that got roughly diced and thrown in, along with half a dozen chillis what we grew. Seasoned, then added the (hopefully) killer ingredient, smoked paprika. Left it on while I'm at work today... Can't wait to open the door and smell it later!
*mushrooms are High GI?! Who knew!? Well, not me until it was a little too late...

Beetroot fingers - a great way to start the day.

7:30am, Breakfast: 3 eggs, scrambled with 1tsp coconut oil and a bit of chilli sauce. Espresso.  Morning supplements (as yesterday).

11:00am, snack: Apple (an autumnal gift from the garden)

12:30pm, lunch: Salad with leaves, a small orange pepper, two tomatoes, half a medium avocado and a piece of grilled chicken breast the size of my hand (fairly big!). Dressed with olive oil, balsamic and chilli sauce.

Hippy tea. Rank.

I had a cup of organic jasmine tea with my lunch. I'm a coffee person. The tea smelled like hippies. I've never tasted a hippy, but imagine that if you boiled up a hippy's jumper and drank the juice, it would taste no worse than this. Tea sucks. Coffee rocks!

I was hungry this afternoon. I turned down biscuits and snack-a-jacks that were offered to me, choosing to tell colleagues that I "can't" eat these and telling them about the challenge and what it means and why I'm doing it. Ramping up the accountability. They've decided to call me Captain Caveman.

Instead I had the following:

3:00pm: Apple
4:00pm: 2 celery sticks with 2tsps cashew butter
5:00pm: Nectarine
5:30pm: 6 Almonds and an espresso with 1 tsp coconut oil

Workout (active rest?)
5:50pm: Rolling my knackered legs and some couch stretches
6:15pm FERINO'S FAB ABS!!

This was my first time at Fab Abs. I was kinda looking forward to it, but also kinda thinking it might just be a whole new world of pain. It was fun... and a bit painful!!

7:40pm: Came home and got tucked straight into* the slow cooked beef and veg. Had a bowlful. And it was good!

*due to the high GI mushrooms, obvs!

Crap photo, good food.

My one criticism of this concoction is that it was a bit 'thin'. Ordinarily, I might have used the cornflour thickening trick, or opted to throw in some lentils to the recipe. Any ideas on how to thicken would be appreciated!!

I've not supplemented with protein powder today. The only other thing I intend to have is another coffee with coconut oil and my evening supplements (as yesterday).

Things to work on: shortening my blog entries...!!

[smileyface]

Day One!

So, here's day one,as it happened....

Sleep: 5 and a half hours. Oops.

8:00am, Breakfast: 4 eggs, scrambled with 1tsp coconut oil.
Supplements: 2000mg Omega 3 fish oil; 2000mg CLA
2 glasses (600 ml) water. Espresso.

In preparation for my day, I have with me a small apple (from the garden!) a nectarine (from Italy?) and a banana (which is in no way local), as well as some protein powder. I'm hoping to get a workout in at lunchtime. I got a squash match again tonight at 8:15, so need to think about when I'm going to eat, as I don't want it to be at 10pm again.

11:30am: Protein shake ( MyProtein Impact Diet Whey ) with some carb content

12:00pm: Workout

Strength - Push Press 4x3; Pull Ups 4x5.
Did sets at 50, 60, 70 (PB) and 75kg (PB!). Used a thick purple band for the pull ups and struggled with the last rep on sets 3 & 4.

The partner WOD was a beauty. 15 min AMRAP
5 Thrusters 50kg
7 V-sits
9 Box jumps 24"
Me and Heat smashed out 16 rounds and 1 V-sit. Rx'd, too, which was nice.
My legs are ruined after this, though, so squash tonight could be interesting!!

Ate a banana and a nectarine in the car after leaving the box. Didn't get to eat lunch until 2:45pm. Had the following
Salad with leaves, spinach, a tomato, a small red pepper, ¼ of a red onion, ½ a med avocado, 6 green olives. Then added about 10 anchovies (which were preserved in olive oil) and a tin of tuna.

This was all dressed with the oil that came from the anchovies, a splash of balsamic and some hot chilli sauce.

I also had 2 ladles of broccoli soup which Donna makes. It's dee-flippin'-lish!! I would have saved this for mid-afternoon if I'd had an earlier lunch, but it was a tough WOD and I was hungry, so I smashed the lot down in one sitting!!

I had an hour in between getting home and needing to get out for squash, so shot out to Waitrose to stock up. The plan was to shop fast, but the self check system was down and only 2 checkouts were open. Then I spent a while going along the aisles, realising there weren't many that held anything for me! Tie was running out so I ended up with some salad, some carrots, some beef and lamb some cashew butter!! I need to ave a think before I go to another supermarket! I probably need to avoid supermarkets...

7:45pm (before squash): I had a small baked salmon fillet (Donna cooked this while I was (not) shopping), followed by a banana and a teaspoon of almond butter.
9:45 (after squash) I had a few nuts and pumpkin seeds and a protein shake (without carbs - Sci-MX Pro-VX ).

10:30: Also had night-time supplements -  2000mg Omega 3 fish oil; 2000mg CLA; 1500mg ZMA.

I lost my squash match. It was an hour long battle and I lost 3-2. I had lazy feet, particularly in the last game, not moving well enough to get on the ball properly, resulting in poor shots. My legs have loosened off though, so it was worth playing!

Finally, Donna took some start of challenge pictures. I'm not comfortable with this shit, but in for a penny and all that...

Weights and Measures

So, here we go on a little paleo voyage of discovery. Or should it be a forage?!

I've toyed with the paleo thing, or at least toyed with the idea, for a couple of months and have been eating fairly clean for a couple of weeks, so the 30 day challenge popping up like this is good timing for me. I'll be starting my 30 days tomorrow and my last day will be Hallowe'en.

Today, once I'd stopped sweating after the WOD, Mike was good enough to get his calipers on me. Oh yeah. It went like this:

Bicep 9mm
Tricep 12mm
Hip 26mm
Back 20mm
Total 67mm
Body Fat: 29%
Weight: 105.6kg

105.6kg. I think about that every time I'm hanging from that pull-up bar! And every time I'm hauling it all up for another burpee!! My initial target is simple - just get to double figures. Body fat wise, I have no idea. I've never had my body fat %age measured before, so it'll be interesting to see where this goes. I don't even know what's good, what's ok and what's bad. I'm assuming 29% isn't great, though - it doesn't feel that fantastic! And that hip (spare tyre) measurement is definitely not a good indicator...

So it starts tomorrow. With a main goal of weight loss, but at a time when I am trying to get stronger, so maintaining strength is important over the 30 days. Am I prepared? Probably not, but I've finished my Green and Black 85% and the Cornish Yarg that were hanging around and I've taken some chicken and some salmon out of the freezer. Donna made broccoli soup today and we've got eggs, so tomorrow's not looking too bad.

Had a team squash match tonight. As usual, there was food after, so my last meal was chilli and white rice. Not great at 10pm! I'll be giving them a miss for four weeks at least, and the same with the post-squash beer. Made my last one a good one, though - stopped off at Further North for a bottle of Brooklyn East India Pale. I'll miss my craft beers...