Just Don't Do Too Much Damage

An extended break while going a day too long was exactly what I needed and yes I'll give myself a pass mark in the damage department. Only an afternoon of DVDs and a bag of chocolate was the real damagers of the period. I am feeling refreshed and raring to get stuck into another extended period of work.

I am looking to build on last weeks work. This means refining my diet and improving on my gym attendance. I need to plan more specifically my exercise routine, particularly which days become rest days, which days focus on strength and which to cardio. Upon this I need to plan my study and week overall. Also I plan to prepare my food and backpacks for the week as early as possible to improve my diet and streamline my study. Let's do it, Alpha and Out!

Pain, Pain Don't Go Away

Arrgghh! Knee's pumping, arms tensed holding onto the handles, calves about to burst, hamstrings about to burst, a crick in the neck inhibiting my attempts to checkout what was behind me. Last night on my ride to work and then the return run I felt the side effects of overtraining. My legs particularly the calves and the ligaments around the knee's were all strained and sore. My cycling was significantly slower particularly on hills where I needed to get out of the saddle a lot earlier than normal to pump up even a slight incline. While frustrated, sore and tired from a early morning rise to get to the gym my discipline surrounding my diet waned and strained. Luckily thanks to the growing power of my resolve the diet didn't suffer too much junk, just some extra biscuits, some leftover chicken stir fry for lunch and perhaps less water then I should be consuming.

All these reasons and more push me to question the unplanned, spontaneous nature of my exercise and workout schedules. I think I really need to plan it out better particularly considering my body is my engine of choice for transport to work, Uni, Oztag wherever. I simply cannot risk injury and repeated need for rest days. I think I need to figure out a way to split my exercise routine into segments focusing on performance for the eventual triathlon comeback as well as fat loss and injury prevention.

And of course I need to take at least one day off to rest a week, a libation I am currently enjoying today despite having to wake up slightly earlier to compensate or time on the bus. I have also relaxed the diet a bit today more to the fact of piss poor planning than anything which I will improve on in time but today I am ok with it. I'm just giving myself a parents pass, "....just don't do too much damage," Enjoy today, plan for tomorrow and live for the pleasure, Alpha and Out.

Operation: Straight 7's

"Your mission, whether you choose to accept it, You will find yourself at University staring down 4 subjects in your Final Semester. You will do everything in your power to achieve a top grading of 7 in each subject. Good Luck Soldier, this posting will self destruct in three seconds.....3.....2....1...."

Well maybe not self destruct but it definitely needs to be etched into my mind, become my sole predominant focus. However this will not compromise my fitness time and goals as I believe that working out is the best way to relax between hard core study as well as keep the mind sharp and flowing. Couple this with an appropriate diet and the brain and my physiology will run even smoother. I spent the majority of my holidays attempting to establish or at least start some productive habits to help guide and protect me to complete my mission. And while some habits haven't yet stuck like getting up consistently early, some essential ones like going to the gym most certainly have and I enjoyed a couple of weeks of hard, flat out sessions and am beginning to see some results.

Lets Go Get it, Lock in, Focus, Letssssss Do It!! (Cue Mission Impossible theme music)

Straight Up The Hill

Riding up Highgate Hill (a long and fairly steep ascent) after work I reflected about the strength of my ascent to Alphadom. A mere month ago I would not be on that journey to the gym after work. I would be tired on the bike home for a massive feed and sleep.

The comeback is quite well on the way and I'll be taking my stats after 3 weeks of holiday exercise. The first section of my return to hard core training during this holidays has really gained momentum and been a powerful motivator. Looking forward to taking my stats tomorrow.

As I write this post the australian anthem is being sung for the wallabies v boks test rugby match. A tough one for us, Go the Wallabies!

Rolling On A Straight Line

Both Thursday and Friday have chugged along nicely following the circle early in the week. Sleep ins, lunch with mates then gym sessions and good sized dinners. Had an especially massive gym session on Thursday afternoon. I really cranked out a massive 30 minutes on treadmill doing intervals with high speed rest level, then smashed out another 15min on the rower followed by a solid arm weights session. Absolutely wrecked myself.

On the up and up I made another step forward tonight by going to the gym on a Friday night after dinner. This previously would've been impossible for me. While I only churned out 45 minutes of solid cardio when you add the two 20 minute bike rides to and fro it all adds to a nice session for a Friday night. On a straight line, Alpha and Out!

Takin' It Full Circle

As usual the waves of troughs and peaks have rolled around me. Monday, the first day of Perfection was top notch. Early gym, perfect diet and no lounging in bed. I think the key to that day was exercising basically upon waking as well as waking early.

Tuesday dropped into a trough. Another mess to clean up at no fault of my own. I decided to rant about it thinking that would help resolve it however it still resulted in chocolate, marshmallows and movies in bed. Taking something positive from that day I think giving any thought to the matters of the dark days has got to be sent straight to the proverbial punching bag in my mind to not allow it to dwell. Got Chernobyl that shit, encase it in concrete and dedicate a no go zone.

Wednesday completed the full circle taking it back to raging positivity and success. Again upon waking I exercised and managed to set a new PB for the local running loop I do. From there everything just kept rolling on smoothly. I took control of the Carpark by myself last night and executed an albeit quiet night without a hitch, great for confidence.

And now despite a sleep in (I probably needed it) I recovered and jumped straight back upon the horse they call Positively Powerful, Alpha and Out!

Time Ripe For Perfection

Leaping and Bounding towards setting good gym and exercise routines is the name of the game and so far I am winning this game. The last two weeks since picking up supplements a pre-workout called Jack3d and a simple low cal protein powder I have been absolutely smashing out sets in the gym. This holiday although it has had its shocks concerning my results has been exactly what I needed. Time to recover, settle my finances and begin to establish healthy routines.

That said it is time to take it up again to the next level. The time is ripe for perfection. It is time for me to practice having an intense focus on everything attributing towards my goals so that I can tell myself that I can do this when my focus wanes when studying this upcoming semester. This means perfection in the following areas;

-Perfect Diet
-Perfect Exercise Routines
-Perfect Recovery (to avoid injuries)
-Perfect Productivity
-Perfect Uni Preparation
-Perfect Relaxation Habits (No Daytime or commercial TV)
- Keeping out of Bed between 8am and 7pm (to avoid snoozing and disrupting sleep patterns)

Ah yes, long-term readers might say that I have set these goals before and usually lasted less than a day. Quite right, however I am now in an extremely strong mental state and I believe I can take it and run. As a further precaution I have outlined Saturday as my RRR Day, Rest-Recover-Reward Day. This means that any cravings I get, any loss of focus, any urges I can tell myself that can all happen on Saturday. However it will only be an RRR day if I can maintain perfection throughout the week without a single set-up. Stayed Tuned, this is going to be a great week, Alpha and Out!

Big Week, Big Recovery

180km on the bike, 5 big gym sessions and 6days of work. This equals one big tiring week. Today and yesterday have been devoted to some hardcore recovery. No not physio's, ice or Eastern medicine, not even stretching but again falling into the TV and snoozing behavior. However this relaxation method has not been as counter productive as previously with the exception of not doing my diet any favors. I needed the rest and some recovery food couldn't do too much damage.

I am focusing on the positives at the moment in behavior changing. Meaning that I am focusing on establishing a strong exercise regime and hoping that diet will eventually jump on the momentum train. I feel like going back to Uni will help that as it will keep me away from temptation but closer to the gym. I also believe my focus for high marks will encourage me to keep my physiology firing strong not wanting to be tied down by carb binges but rather churning and burning through regular doses of protein. Let's enjoy the rest of the rest day and back full pelt tomorrow, Alpha and Out!

Indestructible

I got my exam results back this morning. 4, I expected that......4, ok that was touch and go.....and finally....4, what the? These results are far from what I expected and pretty much rule out the chance of Med school next year.

Now previously such news would cause the initial stomach implosion followed by a dip in positivity and then depression, loss of confidence it would all unwind. But now you now the first thought to my head upon receiving the news...F~#*k Em', I'll prove em wrong. Instead of lighting a destructive fuse, the results ignited my passion and fire to finish my degree with a bang. I put it aside, rose from my warm bed and went the gym at 500am this morning. The transformation is nearing completion, I am becoming indestructible!

Now for the bold prediction! Such was the fire that burned this morning I believe I am going for straight 7s for my last semester of Science, completing the transformation and bringing Med back into the equation. That is 7,7,7,7 and it's gonna be mine, m#*%^#r f*^ker!

Speaking of the gym I have now made it 3 days in a row, all massive sessions. I feel with each session that I am reclaiming part of my physique, my jaw becomes sharper and my muscles bigger. But more importantly each session I reclaim my insane self-discipline, work ethic and confidence. Indestructible Baby!! Alpha and Out

Time To Elevate

I've had my rest week, gotten sleep, TV, bad eating and almost complete inactivity out of the way. It is now time to start to lay the concrete foundations on the large space of positivity I've been in recently. That positivity I have already channeled well into most of my exams now it is to be channeled into creating a lifestyle, the Alpha Lifestyle.

One of the keys to the Alpha lifestyle is a powerful, functional and ripped physique. I think that without study responsibility at the moment this should be the inlet upon which I concrete to set down habits and pour the same intensity into this pursuit that I did my exams. Luckily, habits that will be laid down as part of such a pursuit will also help when study returns and I believe the next couple of weeks are time to lay down good eating and exercising habits. Let's Gooo! Alpha and Out.