Sunday, April 7, 2013

*Challenge* and study update

I'm afraid that my last 'challenge' didn't take off as I had *hoped*.  After 3 or so weeks of no intense training, (just active day to day living stuff), coupled with slack eating habits, (I hate to say bingeing),....the desire to 'front up for a run and/or resistance workout to discover how much fitness I'd lost just wasn't there!  Not last Monday on 1 April or Easter Monday as it was!

As well as just 'being slack' another factor contributing to my workout 'slackness' and 'feeling of stress' was my self imposed study!  I am studying an online course in 'Sports Training and Development'.  I am enjoying the course, am loving the subject content but get impatient with my 'inability to learn fast enough' for my liking.  I feel I sit down at my study, reading, rehashing etc etc, to actually retain so little, - yet it takes hours!  Getting an assignment completed and submitted is something I find stressful!  All answers/essays need to be correct to pass, and I'm only allowed 2 re-sits over the year, (I don't know how strict the tutors actually are with that however that is what my course paperwork says!).  The great news is I have passed the 5 from 5 things I've submitted so far, haven't used any re-sits yet.  I was really concerned about my assessment from last weekend, I had to write essays on topics with the inclusions of lots of words I'd never heard of before and answer questions which I battled to make sense of, - chemistry and physics related as well!  When I googled such topics and tried typing simplified questions with the words/equations outlined I got heaps of info, (such as 10 pages with words/equations that didn't make sense to me).  So it was a bit of a guessing game for me trying to work out the main points, hoping they were correct/in order in my essays!  Being an Easter holiday, I couldn't contact the tutors for help!  Luckily all my answers were correct, but that assessment took all my Easter energy and I regret that I didn't have any day long mountain bike rides or big runs done, - things I was looking forward to after Easter!  The assignment was submitted just after 7.30pm on the last day of the Easter break!

However that wasn't an excuse for me not to train, I did still have lots of study breaks bummed around generally at times, - however was always thinking of study!  I have always associated sit down work/study or work where ya need to 'think' with eating whatever I possibly mentally desired in that moment in time, but not eating according to hunger!  (Listening to that self sabotaging part of the brain is what it's caused!)

As I've said before, when I'm on 'track' with training and lifestyle goals, I genuinely don't have a desire to eat say sweet or cheesy or greasy food or too much protein or too large portions.  What I consider lifestyle friendly foods in reasonable portions are what I genuinely enjoy.  Oh yeah, - the least nutritious *extras* I most enjoy when on track are indeed well made skinny flat whites, beer and wine!

But if I feel to be 'off track' after the nutritious foods, that self sabotaging part of the brain pipes up about such things like beer battered fish, oysters, seasoned wedges, pizza, cheese, various chocolate and caramel stuff, icecream, all things similar and the like.  Excuses I know, and listening to familiar behavioural patterns of mine.  I've let my belt out 2 notches after recently pulling it in 2. Recently when getting back to 79kg from heaviest recent 85kg odd, (at New Year) and with attaining some new fitness and momentum, I got some expensive new icebreaker clothes and opted for Womens L, rather than XL.  At that point probably XL looked a bit better as the L's gripped back rolls a bit more.  But I felt on form, unstoppable and strong so bought the L thinking they would look better over the cooler months with a few more kg shed!  But I've gained about 4-5kg the other way.  However IF I got the XL, I probably would have stayed on track and the XL's would be getting baggy, therefore would be staying on the rack as I'd prefer to wear more fitted clothes!

Enough written for today!  More details up tomorrow about THIS specific challenge which kicks off tomorrow, 8 April so, will be back then!  x









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