Back After an Itchy Situation

Sorry I've been MIA the past few days. I got a complaint that I fell off the mountain on the way down cause I hadn't been posting... which is obviously not true because then I wouldn't have made my last post :p

I could say that I've been super busy but that would be a lie, though I haven't really done a whole lot truthfully. The day after I went on my mountain hike (my previous post) I woke up with an INSANE amount of mosquito bites all over my legs. I counted 20+... I stopped counting after that cause it just made me sad. Oh, by the way, that's 20+ on my left leg. Sad face :(

But let me tell you, there is something devilish about the mosquito's here in Hong Kong because I've had bites before and probably even in that amount but I have never felt an itch like this in my life. I didn't itch it, I found that taking a shower and washing off the affected areas made the itch go away. But I went for a run the other day and afterwards I cannot describe to you how it felt, I must have looked like a crack addict walking home. I started to run because I wanted to get there sooner and wash myself off.

Anyways...

Obvious lesson would be to bring bug pray next time. A friend recommended "Off" which I've heard of before but they also mentioned that I should buy the cream as the spray doesn't work as well.

Today was a busy day, had my normal breakfast but unfortunately I didn't plan well enough and ended up eating fast food for lunch. I have to say that the metro in HK is fantastic though, you can get from one place to the other so quickly. I had four interviews today and I ended up being early to all of them because I was able to move about the city so quickly.

Got home around 7pm (the downstairs gym closes at 8pm), didn't have any food in the fridge so I went across the street to the market to pick up some fish, meat and bok choy. Came back home and threw it all in the freezer then hit the gym for a quick workout < 10 mins. I knew I wanted to do some snatches with a dumbell but I didn't know what else I should put with it so I took a look at www.crossfit.com and saw that their workout yesterday was run, snatch, run. I had just run 2 miles a couple days ago with a friend so I wanted to do something slightly different.

This is what I did:
25x Burpees
30x Single Arm Snatches w/ 50lb Dumbell (15 reps each arm)
25x Burpees

Nice and quick, get some of that explosiveness mixed in. And I had to fit it in 20 mins (8:32, actual time) cause the last time I tried to workout past 8pm the security guard got sassy with me.

A little tidbit about snatches ('slightly' crude, just warning)
http://www.crossfitcrux.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/snatch.jpg


Went back upstairs and made myself some dinner. I had thought to cook the meat I just bought but I already had some thawed and I figured I'd save the new meat for tupperware tomorrow.

So cooked up about 3oz. of unknown meat w/ 3 over medium fried eggs on top. It was delicious. I was going to make some bok choy with it as well but decided since I had fast food for lunch that I had enough sugar to top my system off for the day*. Got my 5 liter jug of water and I was set. Drink lots of water peoples! I'm super seriousness :)

Free video on hydration:
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_AgainFaster_Hydration.mov

A little about the speaker:
Career at a glance
In 1987, he became the 2nd youngest person to ever circumnavigate Manhattan Island.  This 28.5 mile counter clockwise journey beginning and ending at the Statue of Liberty showed the 17 year old that such efforts were possible with the proper training and fitness.  This 7 hour and 48 minute effort was also good enough to place Max as the 2nd American, 2nd male and 5th overall finisher in a world class field of over 50 participants. 

• 3-time USA Triathlon All-America selection (2006, 2007, 2008)
• 3-Time Ironman finisher
• 49th place at the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI 35-39 AG (2007)
• 2nd place finish at Ford Ironman Coeur d’Alene 35-39 AG (2008)
• 4th place finish at Ford Ironman Lake Placid 35-39 AG (2007)
• Ended 2008 as #2 nationally ranked Ironman distance male in the 35-39 age group
• Certified CrossFit Level I Certfication
• CrossFit Endurance Head Coach 

Reference:
http://www.gotrimax.com/TriMaxAboutUs.htm

He probably knows a little bit about hydration :)

I'm working tomorrow from 9am-6pm so for sure I won't be getting a workout in but I'll do my best to write something up regardless. I'm thinking either something on linear strength progression or grains and anti-nutrients (I get a lot of questions from people on this when I talk about nutrition with them).



*The body stores sugar in two places, your liver and your muscles. Your brain can only run on sugar while other parts of your body can run on fat (ketosis). Your brain can only access sugar from your liver and your liver can only store approx. 2,000 calories. (Reference "Enter the Zone" by Barry Sears)


Thanks for reading :)

Mountain Adventure

Today started off late, got plenty of sleep last night though I can't say that it was great sleep because I went to bed quite late (shame on me). And my room is quite bright in the morning so I spent most of the morning trying to find positions to hide the most light from my eyes.

Once I did finally get up though I had a delicious breakfast of three fried eggs. Like I said in my previous blog I'm trying out a cyclic low carb paleo diet out for a while (1-3 months depending on how it goes).

I used to hate the idea of fried eggs, but that was before I thought of turning them over and making a sort of over medium fried egg... which I now love :)

Anyways, I digress.

Today was a rest day for me as far as working out but on rest days I like to do outside activities. Sounds like something you'd say to a 10 year old but it's true. I don't always get the motivation to get up and go do something but that's the goal and today was fun.

There is a large mountain near my apt...

Yes that is the mountain.

So I decided it would be a good idea to try and find the top. Now it needs to be said that there was no planning involved, no looking at detailed maps as to find hiking trails nothing at all except that my roommate told me it was just up the street. So I went just up the street... and this is what I found :)

Stairway to heaven? No. Stairway to the top of the mountain? No. Stairway towards the top of the mountain? Sort of...

The peak in the background is where I'm heading, theoretically.

Pretty neat umm... side of the mountain thing... along the way.

"Two Roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."

Poem by Robert Frost

Excuse me, sir, where is your authorisation pass?

I left it at the top of the mountain, let me got get it for you, brb.

Sorry for the camera man's poor knowledge of making videos, IE. don't turn the camera sideways when you're making videos :/ Note taken for next time :p

Left to mark the path from those who never made it back.

So yeah, didn't quite make it to the top this time. Goes to show that planning is a useful thing. But sometimes just going can be so much more fun. Really enjoyed trying to find my way alone and I'm glad that I decided to do it because I would have never had the experience I did if I had taken a normal hiking path. So next time I'll find a more normal way to the top and take some pictures again so you guys can see the beautiful view.

Like I said in the beginning I didn't consult a map before I went and likewise I didn't bring a map with me so I played a fun little game called "Find Your Way Home". Kidding, really wasn't hard, I just went back the way I came, though I debated taking a different route I figured I'd leave that for a day where it wasn't starting to get dark. After I  found my way home I realized I didn't have anything to eat in the fridge and I thought after all the good healthy fun I should definitely eat something good for me. So I went to the local meat market, just down the street, and saw two fish fillets for 10.90HKD (approx. 1.42USD) and I was like HECK YES SON... so I went home and cooked it up with some broccoli.

I was quite satisfied.

My recommendation for the day: Go outside and have some fun!

Thanks for reading!

My first post

My first post, I feel like this needs to be profound. Nah.

So I am currently living in Hong Kong, I am scheduled to be here till September first. The food here for me has been interesting so far. A lot of eating things that I'm not sure what they are, they taste great but no idea where it came from.

I've recently started phasing myself into a cyclic low carb paleo diet. This is essentially a hi fat, moderate protein, low carb diet cutting out all grains, legumes and dairy. I've been inspired to give it a shot after reading Robb Wolf's new book called "The Paleolithic Solution" and also listening to his podcast via iTunes, though it can also be found on his webpage www.robbwolf.com

I haven't fully taken on the meal prescriptions for every meal everyday but I am working on it. I started off with one paleo meal a day and now I'm up to two a day with just dinner to tackle next. I'm tracking my progress with pictures, I'm not sure that I'll put them up or not yet, still yet to be decided (perhaps I'll make a single post out of it later on).

I am lucky enough that there is gym in my apartment building here so I am able to exercise whenever I want between the hours of 8am - 8pm. Now some might think that's amazing and I should work out all day long as much as I can. And I think 5 years ago I would have agreed with you and been all about it but after a bit of research I've come to understand that excessive exercise can actually cause you to either gain weight or slow down the shedding of those last few pounds. I'm too lazy to read though research for a reference on this but if you just google "over training" and "cortisol" and I'm sure you'll find something about it.

So as a solution I've been sticking with some of the old school crossfit wod's (Workout of the Day). Or I've recently taken some of the mainsite (www.crossfit.com) wod's and scaled them back so they are 2 - 12 minute efforts.


Today on the mainsite was Deadlift 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Unfortunately at my gym there is no barbell so I decided to try my hand at some weighted pistols. Now pistols done properly are quite a challenge and require a fair amount of flexibility, hip mobility, balance and just plain strength. I'd never done pistols before in a workout so I used a bench as a stopping point for my buns, stretching between rounds as my flexability could also use some help. To make the pistols heavier I held a single dumbell with both hands at my chest level just under my chin.

My weight progression looked like this:
30, 20, 15, 15, no-weight

Obviously pistols are a weak point for me, something to work on :)

Here's a pistol for those who don't know what it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3zbtsZ1zbw

I recently discovered MovNat and am pretty excited to try it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m61t3ObnSP0&feature=related

Here's an article about the 5 day... experience... they offer.
http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/strength-and-power-training/The-Workout-that-Time-Forgot.html?page=1

There is a very large mountain not too far from my apartment, sounds like a fun adventure to me. I'll be sure to take some pictures!

Thanks for reading.