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<\/p>\nHoly hole in a donut hole, batman, this last month went QUICK.\u00a0 Let’s get to it.<\/p>\n
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1. Let\u2019s try again to get to the low 170s.\u00a0 Right now, 176-178 is the norm.\u00a0 I\u2019m hoping that it\u2019s more like 172-174 at the end of the month.\u00a0 I will do this by pre-tracking and logging DQ score all this month.\u00a0 1500 on lighter training days, 2000 on heavier days, about 1700-1800 average.<\/p>\n
Ugh… yeah, no.\u00a0 I have high hopes for August.\u00a0 I may need some more heavy handed goals on the QUALITY of food during peak training rather than the quantity.<\/em><\/p>\n 2. I\u2019ve made a training program through Kerrville.\u00a0 Give it a second look for sanity to make sure it\u2019s not too ambitious and incorporates in enough recovery, and vet it through the triathlete\u2019s training bible and make sure it has the right dose of speed and force workouts later in the game.\u00a0 Then, pen it in, strap in, and get ready for some weeks of swim\/bike\/run\/weights (yes, these come back this month!).<\/p>\n Check, check, check.\u00a0 Now it’s time to turn those boxes green (workout completed as scheduled) and build that fitness and speed.<\/em><\/p>\n 3. Couples, the goal is to #1 keep my head positive and in the game the entire time #2 get up Carnage without clipping out and walking (should be no problem after last weekend) and #3 run the whole 5k, even that dumb long hill on the back end.\u00a0 This will probably result in an auto PR, but that is not the primary goal this time, mostly to redeem a really mentally bad race from last year.<\/p>\n Total check – PR, rocked the hill, rocked my headspace, and this was the first race where I felt I was starting to make a real “comeback”, not limping along on minimal training.<\/em><\/p>\n 4. Be social!\u00a0 I am intentionally easing up on July\u2019s training a bit so we can do that.\u00a0 We\u2019re planning on going out, to like, a bar, with friends, twice.\u00a0 One game night (at least, maybe two).\u00a0 However, don\u2019t be so social that it gets stressful and we want everyone to go away.\u00a0 Strike the balance.<\/p>\n Check to all this!\u00a0 Finally hit that “I’m ready to hole up and not party for a while” just this week, so it’s good timing.<\/em><\/p>\n 5. Minimize spending as much as possible.\u00a0 I\u2019m finally able to start putting money into savings again, let\u2019s continue that trend.<\/p>\n It was a financially brutal month until things just turned around YESTERDAY and things weren’t as bad as expected.\u00a0 Still doing well with the “not spending a lot of money on crap” thing though.<\/em><\/p>\n 6. Buy cabinet and finish workout room.\u00a0 This month, it\u2019s gotta be the kitchen.\u00a0 Clean out the pantry, the fridge, and go through the drawers and do one more pass to see what should go away (we did some for the garage sale, but it was very quick).<\/p>\n Nope.\u00a0 This one-room-a-month thing is great until race season hits.\u00a0 The last thing I want to be doing after a long day of weekend training is cleaning shit out.\u00a0 However, this is a good next goal, so I’ll carry it over until it gets done.<\/em><\/p>\n 7. I have been eating a lot more desert than I should, I think it\u2019s part of what held back my weight loss this month.\u00a0 So, starting July 8th, I will be doing ONE, 100-200-ish serving of sweets PER WEEK outside of these things: running\/bike fuel, arctic zero, frozen greek yogurt + fruit in food processor, muscle milk + fruit.\u00a0 Also, perhaps try one of those sunbutter+protein powder cookie recipes floating around the internet.\u00a0 The idea is to not cut out desert, but move it to healthy, contributing to my DQ score things that taste good too.<\/p>\n I did BETTER at this but I still am having trouble cutting out the bites and “Zliten brought me a few M and Ms” or “I found this random pastry in the fridge and had a few bites” or “someone ordered a cobbler and got lots of spoons to share”.\u00a0 These things add up.<\/em><\/p>\n 8.\u00a0 Back to batch cooking (easy stuff for July 8th week since I\u2019ll be getting a late start, then July 15th on).\u00a0 Out 3 times a week, max (and 1-2 is preferred).<\/p>\n Check and check.\u00a0 Been a little less than creative on food lately, but it’s been all good.<\/em><\/p>\n 9.\u00a0 Having a sewing project evening\/day.\u00a0 On the docket: mend the stuff that has holes (also iron on the patches for my poor holey pants), make one size small guys shirt into a girl shirt (shorten the waist and the sleeves), make one of the dresses I bought into a skirt, and start the second set of pillowcases.\u00a0 Not all of this needs to get done, but I need to at least do *something*.<\/p>\n Ugh… no, not at all.\u00a0 The day I had to do nothing all day at home, I just played video games, which was awesome, but I did not sew.\u00a0 Maybe next month.<\/em><\/p>\n 10. Back to body maintenance, since I\u2019ve been really bad about it this week.\u00a0 At least 3 times a week: foam roll, shockies, stretch my whole body, stretches for my knee.\u00a0 At least 2x day \u2013 ice my knee\/butt (until my butt pain goes away).\u00a0 Heat on knee before morning workouts if needed.<\/p>\n I have been much better about this, and oddly enough, my body is feeling better!\u00a0 I need to remember HOW much better when I forget to take the 15-20 mins to get a good stretch in and 5-10 mins to get a good foam rolling.\u00a0 (Full disclosure – I have been icing twice a day, and foam rolling\/stretching\/leg stretches 2-3x per week.\u00a0 I have not heated before workouts or used shockies regularly because I haven’t needed to with the other stuff)<\/em><\/p>\n 11.\u00a0 Yet again, finish book.\u00a0 Start next one.<\/p>\n So close!\u00a0 I’m pretty far through my book but I haven’t had a chance to completely finish it.<\/em><\/p>\n 12. Change up my shoes at least a few times a week.\u00a0 The sandals I\u2019ve been wearing constantly for the last two months are starting to have an odor.<\/p>\n Check.\u00a0 Now that my knee is feeling better, I’ve explored wearing a few different shoes.\u00a0 I keep looking at my higher heeled wedges and chickening out though.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n 13. Quarterly beauty maintenance \u2013 pluck brows, do nails, do toenails a different color than turquoise.<\/p>\n Mostly check.\u00a0 Didn’t polish my nails, but they don’t look unkempt.\u00a0 Toes are purple and done, and brows are no longer caterpillars.<\/p>\n Let’s move onto August!\u00a0 Basically, this is the month of hunkering down and going to work.\u00a0 Race this weekend and then FOUR WEEKS until the next one (so a nice long training block), no trips planned, no real plans, just time to settle in and get ‘er done.<\/p>\n 1. Jack’s Generic Triathlon – August 4th.\u00a0 This one, I really want to push into the pain zone.\u00a0 I want to break 18mph on an Olympic.\u00a0 I want to break an hour on the run.\u00a0 I want to sub-3.\u00a0 I know I have this in my legs (as long as the right legs show up) if my brain will just shut up and let go.\u00a0 Yeah, it’s going to be hot as balls and I’ll have to triathlon my ass off to get there, but I really want to push myself.<\/p>\n 2. All boxes green, or good reasons why.\u00a0 I’ve got a great training plan with some pretty epic weeks with some more feats of strength to tackle this month.\u00a0 This being said, monitor the body for utter and complete burnout and stay attentive as August will be three weeks of peak training unlike what I’ve done yet this year.<\/p>\n 3. Obviously, I need to eat.\u00a0 I need to eat more, and I need to eat clean.\u00a0\u00a0 The goal this month is a) 100% bite tracking – two m and ms get tracked as 2 m and ms, and count for -2 DQ as a sweet, and b) adhering to the 90\/10 rule.\u00a0 I should have less than 10% of my calories or DQ score as negative foods (booze, sweets, white bread, etc).\u00a0 This will be calculated by week, so if I want to save it all up and fuck up on Saturday, I have to be an angel all week (my guess is that the total negative per week can be 17-20).<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0 Let’s see if this can nip that no-progress-0n-the-scale thing in the bud.\u00a0 If I truly keep my food choices good, my calories will naturally be lower with more filling-ness, satiety, nutrients, etc.\u00a0 Since 176-178 is still the norm, let’s keep 172-174 as my goal for end of August.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0 Minimize spending as much as possible.\u00a0 We still have some loose ends to tie up with all the crap that went sideways in July, and I haven’t really missed buying somewhat useless crap that I don’t really need.\u00a0 I do have 75$ in amazon gift cards I saved from my birthday and Christmas to buy myself something over the summer, buy something for myself this month instead of letting them collect dust.<\/p>\n 6. Now that we’ve got into our goal marathon in Dec by the skin of our teeth (thank you kind race director), we need to book that trip and get that all arranged.\u00a0 I’m sooooo excited for this one and so is Zliten.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0 Figure out general plan for next year.\u00a0 How long is offseason, what is our first race of 2014, what are our goals in 2014, etc.<\/p>\n 8.\u00a0 Buy cabinet.\u00a0 Finish workout room.\u00a0 Clean out and organize kitchen.\u00a0 This one is not going to go away until we do it.<\/p>\n 9.\u00a0 Do some sewing OR gaming OR necklace making.\u00a0 Up to me, but something hobby-ish or craft-ish must happen this month.\u00a0 Gold star for 2 things.\u00a0 Super gold star for all 3.<\/p>\n 10. Finish book.\u00a0 Start next one.\u00a0 Gold star for finishing the next one.<\/p>\n 11.\u00a0 This is the maintenance shout out.\u00a0 Continue stretching, icing, foam rolling.\u00a0 Continue batch cooking.\u00a0 Don’t wear the same shoes every day even if they are the most comfy.<\/p>\n 12.\u00a0 Work stuff: log at least 5 hours of my game per week, and at least 2 hours of forum reading per week.\u00a0 Now that (knock on wood) things seem to be settling into the normal crazy instead of crazy crazy, I want to try to get back into this habit.<\/p>\n 13.\u00a0 Have one desert that is something that is my choice, that I pick out, and I pick when I want to eat it, not just because someone else ordered it or is offering me bites.<\/p>\n Let’s see how many of these I can hit!\u00a0 Wish me luck!\u00a0 What’s your goal for August?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.folkingmetal.com\/pickors\/go-do-it-wolf.jpg\")
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