Deux

I felt muuuch better from an energy standpoint on Tuesday morning than I did on Monday; I'm not sure if it's because of or in spite of the two workouts. Either way, filling the tank with clean fuel definitely played a role. I sipped on about 20g BCAAs throughout the morning, and broke an 18 hour fast around 2:30PM.

2:30PM - 1 sweet potato with cinnamon and a pat of coconut oil (fantastic combo); spring mix with tomatoes, carrots, a can of tuna (no salt added), and balsamic vinegar

Right before my workout, I had 10g BCAAs and a cup of coffee. I have not mentioned that often have a shot of the magic stuff before workouts - almost always, actually. I made a point to note it here because I was feeling uncharacteristically sleepy. I'm not used to mid-afternoon meals during the week so perhaps that had something to do with it. May have to adjust accordingly.

4:30 PM - Gymmin' it part II.

• Dynamic warmup
• Jerk - 3 x 135, 3 x 185, 1 x 205, 1 x 225, 1 x 245, 1 x 255, Failed at 265
• Weighted dip to failure (BW + 105) - 7, 6, 5
• Metcon - EMOM 5 (every minute, on the minute, for 5 rounds)
• **I failed to complete to 4th round in the given minute. I got pissed and stopped the timer before finishing the final 2 rounds for form. It probably ended up taking me around 7:00.
• 3 bar muscle ups
• 5 handstand pushups
• 7 toes-to-bar

My sleepiness faded quickly and this was a pretty solid workout overall. My PR in the jerk is 265 (set 2 months ago) and I was really close to hitting it today. Next time (two weeks from now) it should be a breeze. Dips went well especially considering the 10 or so extra pounds of body weight. In addition to the added weight, I only rested a few minutes after my last set of dips and previously fatigued some important muscles, so I was not very surprised to hit the "anabolic threshold" before completing the metcon. I did leave feeling like I might want to give that one another shot down the road, though. I've been toying with the idea of repeating all the first half metcons during the second half of the program anyway, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Post-workout is no time for evaluation; it is time for sustenance:

6:40PM - Paleo shake! 6 egg whites; ~1/4c. full-fat coconut milk (forgot to put that in the picture); a handful each of butternut squash, mixed berries, and spinach. It looks nasty (digestion barely changed it), but it tasted pretty good. I'd make it again.

That was just enough to hold me over while I took a shower and got to work on this stomach 'spandah. None of my plates could contain it, hence the first appearance of the Christmas cookie tray. My apologies for the poor quality; I actually had to zoom out to catch the whole thing.

8:00PM - 2 seasoned chicken breasts, sweet potato fries (2 potatoes - sliced, brushed with olive oil and spices, and baked), and a shit-load of steamed broccoli and cauliflower all covered in tomato puree.

I also took my vitamins and had a bowl of berries for dessert. Side-splitting but oh! so satisfying. The Christmas ornaments were fully exposed in 10-12 minutes. Note to self: try chewing. Today I'll fast until I get home, and since it is a rest day I'll be eating way more dietary fat in place of carbs. Whatchu know 'bout steak and eggs (with my precious yolks in tact!) and avocado salsa? I'm pretty excited. May have to start the whole chewing thing tomorrow.

Sleep has been great the last two nights. In the past I have sometimes slipped into a "tired and wired" trap; exhausted while watching TV on the couch but when I finally get to bed my mind races. But this week I've been out with the lights. Before electricity, our caveman ancestors had nothing to do but sleep when it got dark, and we are genetically programmed to do the same. Sleep like you've got senioritis, kids.

However, while there's still daylight and you're trying to kill time at work, watch some videos of cute things falling asleep and think about how happy these creatures are when they're awake. No stress! Kurty, out.