RaginCajun's Daily Log

[SlimmerMe]

i will try and get some new pics taken soon. well since i have joined this site, i have had more discipline when it comes to things like sweets. i use to have a big cup of ice cream almost every night, now, i would much rather have the protein shakes that i have been making. i will have to look at it as more of a reward for hard work. damn, its like being a child all over again!

YEP! slowly wins the race....same here.

and....i will whisper this one to you: yesterday I was on my way to a milk shake and thought...hey! I can go have a protein whey shake instead....CAME REAL CLOSE..... and I almost justified the milk shake thinking yesterday was a day to take advantage of my debauchery before returning to GOODNESS!

[RaginCajun]

well, i made it thru easter weekend without too much damage. i slept in this morning to let my body rest. over the weekend, i did the crescent city classic 10k in nola, and it was awesome! i did it in a time that i was looking for, 63 minutes. it was the largest crowd in over 15 years. there were over 25000 participants that registered! i even ran into some old college friends and they can tell that i am transforming. that made me feel good about the work that i have been doing. i was also able to go fishin yesterday morning and i now i have fresh fish for the week! training will be hard this week, i have another wedding in nola this weekend, rehearsal dinner is thursday. i only have two swims planned this week, so i am going to make them count.

[SlimmerMe]

well, i made it thru easter weekend without too much damage. i slept in this morning to let my body rest. over the weekend, i did the crescent city classic 10k in nola, and it was awesome! i did it in a time that i was looking for, 63 minutes. it was the largest crowd in over 15 years. there were over 25000 participants that registered! i even ran into some old college friends and they can tell that i am transforming. that made me feel good about the work that i have been doing. i was also able to go fishin yesterday morning and i now i have fresh fish for the week! training will be hard this week, i have another wedding in nola this weekend, rehearsal dinner is thursday. i only have two swims planned this week, so i am going to make them count.

Must have been music to your ears....botttom line? It's working!

[RaginCajun]

Must have been music to your ears....botttom line? It's working!

yes it is!!! but, in hind sight, i still have a long journey ahead of me! and thanks

[RaginCajun]

pissed off! its raining and lightening outside, which means, pool is closed! i guess i will be putting in overtime in the pool tomorrow. i weighed 183 lbs this morning and diet was spot on yesterday. i went for a 10.5 mile yesterday evening to stretch my legs out, they were still tight. they feel ok today, so i am going do some speed training on the treadmill, basically HIIT. i think i will just go until i can't go any more. i have such a busy week, standing in weddings can be a pain in the arse, but the bright side is that this wedding is going to be wild! i will be bringing my bike with me to my hometown to go get some riding in on friday and might try to squeeze one in on saturday morning before our brunch. on a positive note, i was looking back in my 2009 calender and saw that i was 205 lbs. i was a hell of a lot stronger then, had more mass than i do now but i was not conditioned like i am today.

[tbody66]

You are making progress and one of those signs is that it really hacks you off when you don't get to train like you desire to train. I am proud of you and what you have already accomplished but looking forward to even better things to come.

[SlimmerMe]

]You are making progress and one of those signs is that it really hacks you off when you don't get to train like you desire to train.[/B] I am proud of you and what you have already accomplished but looking forward to even better things to come.

THIS IS TRUE!

and.....weddings sure can be fun!

[tbody66]

I am super blessed to not be a drinker and not too big a fan of most sweets, but I love to eat protein! If there's meat, watch out! I like pork/beef/bison/fish/seafood, and for desert...whatever meat was the best of what I already ate, usually a plate full of shrimp. On easter sunday I ate a family meal and then had an extra slice of ham for desert, then my wife forced me to eat some of the cheesecake she made!

[SlimmerMe]

i am super blessed to not be a drinker and not too big a fan of most sweets, but i love to eat protein! If there's meat, watch out! I like pork/beef/bison/fish/seafood, and for desert...whatever meat was the best of what i already ate, usually a plate full of shrimp. On easter sunday i ate a family meal and then had an extra slice of ham for desert, then my wife forced me to eat some of the cheesecake she made!

now that is what i call a lucky duck!

[RaginCajun]

I am super blessed to not be a drinker and not too big a fan of most sweets, but I love to eat protein! If there's meat, watch out! I like pork/beef/bison/fish/seafood, and for desert...whatever meat was the best of what I already ate, usually a plate full of shrimp. On easter sunday I ate a family meal and then had an extra slice of ham for desert, then my wife forced me to eat some of the cheesecake she made!

i mainly ate protein on easter sunday. i had ribs, burgers, shrimp, and chicken, plus i did have a salad. but, i committed a sin when it came to eating sweets! i had my taste, now i am back on track. fruits, protein powder, and natural peanut butter are my new friends in the sweets department. i was a big drinker back in my early college days and also partied a lot! i usually only drink on fridays/saturdays and it all depends on what i have going on.

and yes, it pisses me off whenever i cannot get a workout in. i used to be not like this and say, well, i can always do it tomorrow. not anymore!

and thanks tbody and slimmer for the positive compliments! they keep me motivated to do more each time out!

[tbody66]

now that is what i call a lucky duck!

That I had all that food available or that I don't have a natural propensity towards most sweets?

i mainly ate protein on easter sunday. i had ribs, burgers, shrimp, and chicken, plus i did have a salad. but, i committed a sin when it came to eating sweets! i had my taste, now i am back on track. fruits, protein powder, and natural peanut butter are my new friends in the sweets department. i was a big drinker back in my early college days and also partied a lot! i usually only drink on fridays/saturdays and it all depends on what i have going on.

and yes, it pisses me off whenever i cannot get a workout in. i used to be not like this and say, well, i can always do it tomorrow. not anymore!

and thanks tbody and slimmer for the positive compliments! they keep me motivated to do more each time out!

You are welcome, glad you are here and progressing.

[SlimmerMe]

that i had all that food available or that i don't have a natural propensity towards most sweets?



you are welcome, glad you are here and progressing.

sweets!!! ..and I am glad OOcajun is here too~

[RaginCajun]

well, yesterday just was not my day! when i got off of work yesterday, i thought it was a good idea to go get my hair did for the up coming wedding. it usually takes about an hour of so, depending on the amount of people. everyone must have had the same idea as me, it was packed! i didn't have time yesterday to eat my evening snack so i went there hungry. i left there 2.5 hours later starving and pissed! it had been over 7 hours since my last meal! i wound up eating bad afterwards. nuff said, done with yesterday!

off to a way better start today. went swim 1200 yards this morning. took me a while to warm-up but once i got going, it was not too bad. i could have taken a break and did some more so that was a good feeling, but i had to get to work. maybe i needed the rest. going run this afternoon, don't know what distance yet but thinking at least 6 miles, or a quick 4 mile run.

[tbody66]

c'est la vie

[RaginCajun]

c'est la vie

hahaha! you will be happy to know that the jump rope stays on my front seat!

[RaginCajun]

i know i have mentioned this a few times, but i am missing the weights. i feel like my body is overall in way better shape, but not feeling as powerful as i have in the past. after this triathlon is over, i definitely want to incorporate some lifting days into my routine. i still want to keep doing what i am doing, just want to add in lift days, maybe just two. thinking about trying some of the crossfit workouts because they are usually full body workouts that incorporate the three big lifts (squats, deadlifts, and bench). any input is appreciated

[tbody66]

i know i have mentioned this a few times, but i am missing the weights. i feel like my body is overall in way better shape, but not feeling as powerful as i have in the past. after this triathlon is over, i definitely want to incorporate some lifting days into my routine. i still want to keep doing what i am doing, just want to add in lift days, maybe just two. thinking about trying some of the crossfit workouts because they are usually full body workouts that incorporate the three big lifts (squats, deadlifts, and bench). any input is appreciated

You could get away with a full-body tue/fri split, keep it to a total of 45 mins and you'll love it. Did you say you are doing yoga?

[RaginCajun]

You could get away with a full-body tue/fri split, keep it to a total of 45 mins and you'll love it. Did you say you are doing yoga?

no, not doing it at the moment but i do want to start incorporating it into my routine. a nurse i work with teaches it at the old gym i was a member at. its been months since i have done it but i liked it when i did it. i am flexible but have bad joints. i am the one in the room who snap, crackle, pop! the yoga helped me build strength and gave my body a well needed stretch. and i do like the tue/fri split. i have a few weeks to play with this and will throw out some ideas. critique and past experiences are welcome and wanted.

[RaginCajun]

had a good day yesterday. i was able to do 5 miles in 55 minutes yesterday evening. my calves were really tired and were starting to cramp so i shut it down. they are very tight today so i will need to get a good stretch in this evening before the festivities begin. i know that they will loosen up some once we finish the rehearsal dinner and go find somewhere to cut a rug! i have my bike loaded up in the truck so i will be riding some. i am hoping that the track back home is dry so i can go get some miles in on an off-road track. i am getting worried about this triathlon. it is my first so i have no idea on what to expect. i love competing so i know i will have fun doing it. i have a busy weekend or as slim puts it a 'debauchery'!!!!

[tbody66]

Get started with the yoga, throw up your proposed whole body plan, or I can post you one here as a guide. Damage control for the time you have to be sociable, stress never helps, it taxes your body and mind so just plan on enjoying the experience and doing your best.

[RaginCajun]

i had a fantastic weekend! i did not get the training in that i wanted to but i am okay with that. i did not know that i would be that busy leading up to the wedding. we had all kinds of things planned so time was a factor. damage control, never been good at this. i really did not eat bad the whole weekend, just drank, a lot! i will be rehydrating all day and planning out my week. i will be going for my first one mile swim this week. i also am planning to go hit the dirt track this week to get some miles in.

[RaginCajun]

tbody, i would like to see what you would recommend as a good 2-day split.

[SlimmerMe]

hey! did I miss something? Are you getting married?

[RaginCajun]

hey! did I miss something? Are you getting married?

no darling, not getting married here. one of my best friend's got hitched over the weekend and i was one who had to help coordinate different events leading up to the wedding. so you still have a shot!

[RaginCajun]

fired up!!! i finally hit 1 mile in the pool! it took me all of 42 minutes to do, but i finally did it! i plan on going run some this evening, whether it be outside (weather permitting) or going to go do speed work on the treadmill. i didn't weigh myself today but i will get one tomorrow.

i do have some questions for the gurus. before my swims, i have only having a slice or two of ezekiel bread , or one oatmeal pancake (usually make two for post), along with 1 scoop of ON-Amino Energy pre-workout (5g free amino acids, beat-alanine, 100mg caffeine from green tea/green coffee, 10 cals, 0 fat/sugar). its hard to hold down a lot of food while swimming. i also drink two more scoops while swimming and finish the rest post workout. my question is, am i burning lean muscle with only having this before my swims?

[tbody66]

tbody, i would like to see what you would recommend as a good 2-day split.

Are you wanting a full body workout to hit twice a week? Or a split routine like push/pull to hit four times a week(push twice a week and pull twice a week)?

no darling, not getting married here. one of my best friend's got hitched over the weekend and i was one who had to help coordinate different events leading up to the wedding. so you still have a shot!

Wow! Welcome to the Yount and the Restless, can't wait to see how this goes, do I see joint cheat days in your futures?????

[RaginCajun]

Tbod, definitely want to do a full body workout twice a week. i feel as if i am losing muscle so after the tri is over, i want to start lifting again. i still want to have two swim days and two long run days. i love doing squats but i am having a hard time fitting them into a routine when i want to bike and run a lot. really want to my endurance to a level that it has never been before. i have never been in this good of condition before but i am not satisfied and know that i still have a lot of improvements to make!

[RaginCajun]

Are you wanting a full body workout to hit twice a week? Or a split routine like push/pull to hit four times a week(push twice a week and pull twice a week)?



Wow! Welcome to the Yount and the Restless, can't wait to see how this goes, do I see joint cheat days in your futures?????

hahahahaha! maybe so................

[SlimmerMe]

no darling, not getting married here. One of my best friend's got hitched over the weekend and i was one who had to help coordinate different events leading up to the wedding. So you still have a shot!

whew!

[RaginCajun]

well, i think i over did it yesterday. i can't tell what i did to my groin muscle, but it is tight and hurts a little. i did some hill work on the treadmill and stretched after. is it possible that i could have 'over' stretch/elongated the muscle to a point where it would strain it? i iced it last night for about an hour (15 on/15 off). i think the combo of doing breaststroke and running hills yesterday, i over did it. nothing popped or snapped, so i know i didn't tear it. today is definitely a rest day (sucks!). i did however have a great workout on the treadmill. i warmed up, then ran on mile at around a 9 min mile, then, bumped it up to a 6:40 min mile for 2 minutes. i went back and forth like that for about 10 minutes, then raised the treadmill up to 15^ and jogged with it on 4.4 mph for 3 min, then walked until i felt ready to run again. my overall workout was 2.9 miles. after that, i hit a light upper body workout with some dumbbells. my whole body is sore today. my weight is 181.9 lbs today, and i haven't seen a number like that in quite some time. it only motivates me to do more!

[SlimmerMe]

^^^ sounding good to me! Love seeing those "new numbers...."

[RaginCajun]

took it real easy yesterday. groin muscles are still tight today so i plan on getting a good stretch in this evening, may even do some yoga. i will be going ride (18+miles) some trails on saturday morning so i have that part of my training set in stone. tomorrow's plan as of now is to swim in the AM and go for a long slow run in the evening. my diet has been good this week minus a few brownies from the other night (wholefoods brownie, one bite size, i had two). the brownies were a reward for swimming the mile, and they weren't big at all. i know i said this before but i am working on getting up some new pics.

[RaginCajun]

TGIF! my plans changed from the above post. i am still going hit the trails tomorrow but no long run today. just a short 2 mile jog to loosen up my legs some more. i had a good stretch yesterday and went bike for 8 miles. i just couldn't sit inside when it was a nice day out. same applies to today. my groin muscles are still tight and sore. i must have really pushed myself too much on tuesday. my tri is next week so my nutrition will be changing some and i know my weight may go up some. i am alright with that because i know i will need to be well nourished for this tri. i do not want to cramp up or anything to that nature.

[RaginCajun]

weekend recap. i had a good weekend training wise, but ate bad! i didn't eat fast food are anything to that nature just ate a lot of brownies and sweets over the two days, mainly sunday. i know that that has got to stop so i will be trying to convince myself that it is lent all over again. like i said, i did have a good training weekend. on saturday morning, i went hit the trails up and rode 13+ miles. the track is similar to the one i will be riding this weekend so i was glad to go get some miles in. i had to cut the ride short with 13+ because i had to go meet up with the fam for lunch. i felt good after the ride and could have ran afterwards. on sunday, i did a 4 mile with ease. my legs got a lil tired at the end but i could have slowed up and did more. my legs are tight today so i may just stretch them this evening. i plan on resting my legs thursday until race day on sunday.

on another note, i have been following GB's log and the log on intermittent fasting. i am definitely interested in this type of dieting. i get frustrated now when i have to skip a meal or don't have time to get it in. i do not know if the type of training i am doing now will allow me to fast for that long without getting some type of nutrition in for energy. i know i would have trouble with the fasting at first as i love to eat, but eating a lot in the evening would be a bonus! i want to do some more research on it before giving it a try. i am worried that i would be breaking the fast too early in the mornings sometimes on training days. some bike workouts could go over 2 hours and really taxing on the body so would taking some gel packs be breaking the fast?

[SlimmerMe]

Lent all over again? LOL! I know exactly where you are coming from OOcajun!

[RaginCajun]

yes slim, i need to have more discipline in my diet. this is why i have not progressed further than i have. i need someone like you with a whip and a bat, daring me to eat sweets! i know i sound like a broken record but i am trying to come up with a feasible workout plan to where i can do all of my endurance training. in the beginning, i was doing weights with running, then came the swimming and the biking. i guess the problem i had with weight training, i was sore going into a swim or run, and was not getting the effort i wanted to out of the workout. i also have previous injuries that plague me when lifting. i have horrible joints and tore up my right shoulder wrestling a few years ago. i do what my body lets me do and always try to push it to the limit each time. its hard coming up with a sound schedule when i am waiting to see how my body will recover. this is what i have in mind.

Monday- AM- (crossfit or full body workout) PM- Bike (either trails, road, gym machine)
Tuesday- AM- Swim PM- Run
Wednesday- AM- rest PM- Bike
Thursday- AM- Swim PM- Run
Friday- AM- (crossfit or full body workout) PM- rest
Saturday- either rest/ long bike/ long run
Sunday- either rest/ long bike/ long run

this is what i have come up with so far. in the past, i would have never scheduled a workout on the weekend because i was out all night on friday. i can tell that i want it more now than i did in the past so maybe i just needed some growing up! i hold myself accountable for everything!

[SlimmerMe]

Well this is a good place to be held accountable! That's for sure~ And I understand the sweet tooth. Trust me. I have to go cold turkey. There is no middle ground for me....not one iota.

[RaginCajun]

you are so right slim!

had a good day yesterday. i wouldn't say that my diet was perfect, but i did not eat anything bad at all. not perfect because of some of the timing of meals. i did make it to the gym yesterday, which was not on my agenda but i couldn't sit still. i did 1 mile on the stair climber, 3 miles on bike, stretched, and then did a circuit with pushups and situps. overall, the workout took me an hour to do, and i felt great afterwards.

today, i went for a 1/2 mile swim. i didn't 'feel' it this morning and it felt like it took forever to get my workout in. the swim only took me 20 minutes to do, plus i didn't want to overdo anything. i plan on going do a small run this evening, prob 2 miles. i am getting pumped up about this triathlon since it will be my first. one bad thing is it looks like it is going to rain the friday before my race which sucks because it is a dirt track. i am hoping that it misses the area where will be racing because i have no clue if they will let us race on a messed up track. it will also be my first competitive swim in open water before. i grew up swimming in the bayou so not worried about anything in the water so to say. i am trying to narrow down my nutrition for the race itself. i want to be well hydrated and nourished so that i don't cramp up on the run. and my goal is to not be LAST! i will give it my all and leave nothing in the bag at the end!!!

[SlimmerMe]

Giving it your all is what ya got so......That is a great plan!

[RaginCajun]

i weighed in at 183 this morning so no real change in weight. i was expecting it to be up a tad since i have been taking in more carbs. i need to get back to having my meals planned and prepared, because that is when i was really getting the results. i am happy with what i am doing now but i know with just a little more effort and emphasis on diet, i will reach my goal sooner. i am pretty much at a personal best for weight and fitness at the moment and i know i still have a long ways to go to get where i want to be. and even then, i still prob won't be satisfied.

i trained ok yesterday. i am trying not to injure myself before this race and nothing i do this week is going to help out any on sunday. after work i did a very small brick workout, did 4 miles on the bike and ran 1 mile after. today, i brought my bike to work and am going hit the trails up whenever i get off. my how i have changed where i am bringing my bike to work and can't wait to get off to go ride!