I feel you so much here. My foster dog is extremely hard word especially when you couple that, as foster carers we are only aloud to do minimal training with him because he will get proper job training at what ever agency he goes to work for. This results in things that I though would be relaxing and improve my mood like going for a walk, are often just a stressful stop and go tug of war battle. Even just allowing him into the house for his 30 mins of inside time a day when we are sitting and relaxing in the evening is turned into constantly trying to stop him biting things and knocking things over. There are still many times where he is great and makes us smile but itās not all roses.
3 Likes
Spot on here. Everytime Kiva is out of the kennel I am wondering what she is doing. I didnāt get a did to stay in the kennel all day, especially when I am home. But, it is a tool we have to use a ton for reasons you described. She is no doubt better than a puppy at staying out of things, but as she gets more comfortable in our house she is pushing boundaries.
2 Likes
Wednesday 9/10
5/3/1 for Bodybuilding, W2D3
DB Romanian Deadlift
50 x5
70 x5
80 x3
90 x3
110 x3
120 x3+ (10)
Hip Thrust
3 x 15 x m+100
Roger Squat
4x12xm+50
Leg Curls
3x15x65
Abductor
3x15x80
Lateral Raise
2x14,16x10
+30 Minutes Elliptical
RDLs felt too easy. Need to start using a rack and barbell for those. With the DBs, itās an effort of farmers carries that wears out my grip by the time the + set comes up.
The rest of the weights are dialed. Last set isnāt failure, but dang close on every movement.
Pretty good day, went into this tired, but not filled with dread.
Coach and I decided to call Oct. 8th my cut end date. Iām looking pretty sharp, but we both want a couple more pounds gone. Up almost 3lbs this week, but itās shark week. The light at the end of the tunnel has come on at least! Ready for gainz.
5 Likes
I have used drag line and leashes in the house or just limited room access. So I know where my pup is kind of. So limited getting in trouble, less stress and yes I had one nut case that lived in limited space because he was a cheeky bugger.
2 Likes
Thursday 9/11
5/3/1 for Bodybuilding, W2D4
T-Bar Row
25 x5
35 x5
40 x3
45 x3
50 x3
60 x3+ (5)
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
3x15x75
Straight Arm Lat Pull Down
5x10x30
Close Grip Bench Press
3x15x70
Machine Tri Pushdown
3x15x35
HIIT, 21 Minutes AMRAP:
1000m Assault Bike
20 Hang Clean and Press
10 Alt DB Snatch
8 Devils Press
10 Lunges
10 Cossack Squats
Made it 3 rounds + 4th bike
+25 Minutes LISS stationary bike
This day goes quick and that is nice at the end of the week. I super set as much as I can.
T-bar row was hard as always, everything else went great. Not easy, definitely getting shaky on the last few reps.
Friday 9/12
Tempo Run
10:00 easy
10:00 @ 8:20/mi
15:00 easy
3.6 miles total
Itās not surprising, but still slightly demoralizing to be huffing and puffing at a tempo pace, only to look down at your dog and realize she is still as at a fast walk.
Getting chilly in the morning, 45F today. Iām not ready. I did order pumpkin spice flavored coffee though, for comfort.
7 Likes
Saturday 9/13
Trail Run
4 miles, 45:12 min
Beautiful day, little smokey, about 50F.
Love these trees. I even brought my own wolf for the forest.
10 Likes
If you think this was enough video, youāre wrong! More, please!
1 Like
Monday 9/22
Easy run
2.5 Miles, 27:25
Shaking things out. Came down with a nasty cold or flu. Sore throat, body aches, congestion, fatigue, you get it. Symptoms are starting to recede, congestion is hanging out.
I did feel good enough to get outside for a run. So glad I did, this felt amazing. The sun and movement helped break some congestion loose too.
Not feeling like lifting just yet, might get a couple days in later this week. TBD. The four days a week is getting old, even after a week off.
I ditched the diet this week too, my body is stressed enough trying to recover, I wasnāt about to add a deficit to that. I ate to hunger, allowed myself to give into cravings and generally didnāt stress about food. Or, feel guilty about it after.
I enjoyed a new taco truck via a heaping pile of fajitas because that was a craving.
I made carrot cake, zucchini and pumpkin pancakes for brinner, because thatās what I wanted. Meaning, three separate times I had pancakes for dinner.
I tried a coffee cake AND a hazelnut, chocolate scone at my favorite coffee shops. Holy crap, they were amazing.
I had yogurt with granola twice because I have been craving granola for weeks.
I had multiple bowls of oatmeal for snacks, see again, craving. I really have a thing for oats apparently.
Guess what? My weight is down 2lbs despite no tracking, not following my meal plan, nothing but 10k steps a day for exercise. I stayed warm despite being sick. I didnāt have to go to sleep with a growling belly. I ate when I started to get nauseous, so I wasnāt having to ignore that for hours. I get less dizzy every time I stand. My veins are so full I looked pumped constantly the last few days.
Mentally, I didnāt feel panicked when my meal was gone. My mood swings evaporated. I wasnāt countdown the minutes until my next feeding. Food noise was near zero.
Iāve decided, getting leaner is not worth the squeeze.
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Iāve decided, getting leaner is not worth the squeeze.
This is the battlecry of a performance athlete.
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Those memes are so perfect. It is a battlecry! A six-pack wonāt help me run up mountains, squat hundreds of pounds or give me energy take on life. Food and muscle will do all those things.
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Tuesday 9/23
Interval Run
10:00 Easy Jog
2 x 400m - 1:39, 1:39
(400m jog rec)
5:00 easy jog
2.25 mi total, 22:49
Way better interval times that I would have given myself credit for this week. Feels good to move at under a 7:00/mi. Okay, Iām breathing like a freight train and it hurts, but it hurts in a good way.
Sickness is still lingering a bit. Hubby is also a couple days behind me and not feeling as good as I am. Gym might be later this week, neither one of us are really feeling it yet. Yes, I am being a baby and running is way more fun than lifting at the moment.
7 Likes
Wednesday 9/24
Quick Lunch Session
4 Rounds:
25m Farmerās Carry, 35lb KB
25m Walking Lunges
25 KBS
25 Goblet Squats
Barely enough to log. I am slightly sore today, so maybe not. I can tell I havenāt picked up anything heavy in two weeks!
5 Likes
I disagree. I think we log in part to see patterns over the long term. I feel silly logging a 37 minute dog walk, but on the other hand, it plays into the whole and may be interesting to me later. Probably not, but eh, who cares.
4 Likes
Friday 9/26
Hilly Fartlek Run
4.1 miles, 42:49
Fartleks are speed workouts, not a bodily function. Though the name has always been funny to me because I am a child.
Did this during my lunch break. Iām loving the idea of RUNch breaks a couple days a week. Beautiful, 65F, sunny day.
Because we felt like it:
SM Incline Bench Press (m+weight for all)
30x5
40x5
45x3
55x5
65x3
70x1+ (6)
Seated OH Press
4x12xm+65
Lateral Raise
3x15x10
Incline DB Curl
3x15x15
Preacher Curl
2x10x40
Lat Pulldown
15, 12, 8 x 85
Mostly push day from 531, which is the day my hubby and I elected to randomly do.
We went to my end of summer work party before this. Met some people, ate a lot of free prime rib, then left. It was a casino night theme and even with fake chips, Iām just not interested in gambling.
We didnāt feel like going home and sitting in the couch, so we ended up at the gym. Solid Friday night.
10 Likes
I donāt like it either. Even with fake chips, I find it stressful rather than pleasurable. My husband and I went to Vegas a couple of years ago because it was essentially free (work travel perks) and won $200 on the first and only slot machine we played. I lost $90 of it trying roulette and that was it. We enjoyed all the wackiness of the place and and the food and drinks and had a fantastic time, but gambling, no. Years and years ago I had pretty much the same experience playing with fake chips. I donāt like losing. I do like control. 
2 Likes
I feel the control part for sure. I do enough gambling in life, I donāt need the simulation. Plus, I grew up 90 minutes from Vegas and lived there for a year. Iāve spent so much time in casinos they arenāt cool anymore. That whole place is just a cesspool with neon lights.
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As someone who grew up in arcades, thatās pretty much how I approach gambling. Iām not playing to win money: Iām spending money to play a game until I run out of that money. When I was a kid, I took $5 to the arcade and played games until I ran out of quarters. At a casino, I set aside how much cash Iām going to spend to play games, and when the cash is gone, Iām done playing games.
3 Likes
Saturday 9/27
Trail run
4 miles, 44:02
Enjoyed every minute of this. Starting to feel the bite of fall in the air, so I know my trail days are numbered. Itās hard to keep the mileage low right now, but I didnāt want to do too much too soon.
Sunday 9/28
5/3/1 for Bodybuilding, W3D1
Leg Press
90 x5
115 x5
135 x3
170 x5
190 x3
215 x3+ (8)
Hack Squat
4x12xm+30
Leg Curls
2x10x70
Leg Extensions
4x12x95
Hip Adductor
3x15x80
Rear Delt Cable Fly
3x15x10
Felt great to be back in the gym. I was recovered and able to send it. Weird what two weeks off will do!
I was happy I was able to keep the weights, I wasnāt sure how jumping right back into week 3 would go, I almost restarted at week one. Seems like it was fine, weāll see how the rest of the week goes.
Cardio later in the day:
6 mile hike, 1400ā elevation gain
Finally snagged a permit for this hike after months of trying. Absolutely stunning, with the wait.
10 Likes
Monday 9/29
5/3/1 for Bodybuilding, W3D2
SM Incline Bench Press (m+weight for all)
30x5
40x5
45x3
55x5
65x3
70x1+ (7)
Cable Flyes
3x15x10
Seated OH Press
4x12xm+65
Lateral Raise
3x15x10
Bilaysian Cable Curl
3x15x15
Preacher Curl
2x10x35
Conditioning, Run Intervals:
10:00 Jog
3 x 400m w/ 400m Rec
1:45, 1:46, 1:45
5:00 easy jog
3 miles total
Everything except the cable flyes felt light. Flyes just kick me right in the behind, every time.
Run was good, bit slower than last week. Ran home from the gym this time though, which is more incline than the nice flat route I did last week.
Tuesday 9/30
Easy run
3 miles, 30:29
Little rain, Little wind, still fun. Like that this was pretty quick for an easy run.
Thinking about getting a personal training certification and working part time in a gym, and starting coaching, etc. I didnāt know a lot, but I feel like I know more than the average person. Iām always up for learning more about this industry and Iām very open to dipping my toes into a new career path.
I canāt seem to get my brain out of the mental slump itās in at my job. Every day is a game of, okay, just work on this task for 10 minutes. You got this. Keep going.
Spewing some thoughts.
9 Likes
No idea what this is but it sounds exotic 
2 Likes