Filling in for @Dr_Tigerchik.
Did you meet your goals for last week?
What are your goals for this week?
I can start the thread next week!
I don’t really want to talk about last week… it was not a good week. I think I did journal every day.
My goal for this week are
- All seven days without a particular unhealthy coping skill
- Journal daily
Last week was not my brightest, shiniest week either. I did drag myself to the pool once, and to the gym twice, and we made beef stew instead of our traditional Junksgiving on Thursday. (There was an olive oil bottle full of dead mice in the cupboard that did put a momentary damper on proceedings, but they did not make it into the stew.)
This week:
- 19 selling days until the new year, so a bunch of paperwork that my boss’ boss is having a cow about. I can’t make it to President’s Club 2026 anyway, since I’ll be in Texas trying to qualify for Team USA again
- Minimum two swims, one each bike and run.
- Two gyms, which will mean I have to go for an uncoached session (which frankly intimidates the hell out of me)
- Two PT plus a home session of having my husband throw things at me while I stand on an upside down Bosu
- Wrap some some presents and get them under the tree.
HOWWWWW?
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…at least the mice were dead. (We had some living ones a few weeks back.)
(I don’t know why I get the feeling that RandMart will be posting something related to mice soon.)
Pretty good last 2 weeks. Successfully completed 6 diet days out of the 14, and only went in excess of maintenance calories once, with my birthday and Thanksgiving going on during the span.
Lots of studying done, reduced wasted time, a number of obligations in relations to my kids performed, PT at home being done more regularly, my shoulder is getting better (but a long way to go). So violin is still out. And there’s still work to do.
Going forwards:
Continue diet plan (including walking), PT at home (including neck bridges); start back extensions, sit-ups, and biking.
Get back to organizing my office.
Continue efforts to avoid wasted time. Make sure good progress daily in academics including finishing 2 classes that are currently on the calendar within 2 weeks. Adjust academic plans for the kids based on current levels and make sure they’re sticking to them. Get to the financial stuff that I’ve been putting off. Maybe deal with the last car issue. And get back to teaching my 23-year-old to drive.
Yay that Alison can start the thread next week! (I have imposter (I’m poster?) syndrome. 
Best guess is that they came in via the range hood vent opening. They chewed their way in through the top of the olive oil bottle (plastic cap - it wasn’t the fancy shit 
) and somehow squeezed through the half-inch opening. Once they got in, I’m not sure if they drowned, gorged themselves to death on olive oil, or even starved, but they obviously couldn’t get back out and promptly perished.
My husband said that it smelled like nothing on earth, and because he is a Very Good Man, he just took care of it so that I didn’t have to. I was absolutely repulsed by the sight of half-preserved dead mouse butt, so I was extremely grateful for his kindness.
I don’t know if I’m more grossed out or more intrigued now that I have more information lol
My big milestone last week was that I have built back up to being able to run 5k continuously. Through November I generally managed 3each x swim/strength/run every week. The second half of this month will be iffy for consistency as we will be travelling over the holidays but I am already scoping out hotel gyms, local parkruns, and sweet-talking my s-i-l into taking us to her swanky private leisure centre so we can use the pool.
I was happy with last week. I managed to run, bike, run, bike, kayak, run, bike and also 4 days of my very low key strength work. Particularly happy with an hour bike on Sunday as we did 5 hrs driving and 4 hrs intensive grandkidding.
This week has started well with a good hilly hour of trail running yesterday. Today I did an hour of hilly hiking in the am and a mid arvo hour on the mountain bike. This was a pleasing ride as I finally felt smooth. I have been a bit rusty after not riding in October. Today it was just happening naturally and I was averaging a couple of kph faster than last week.
Plan is to keep it simple another hour run tomorrow. I may have babysitting duties all day Friday so will have to factor that into my plans.
My wife has been talking about marinating meat before eating it, and it sounds like they were ready to fry, but I have a suspicion your scenario was not what she had in mind.
I was very poor on my goals yesterday, only progressing in PT and a tiny bit of academics. A lot of wasted time.
Today is a diet day, so I hope I have better control.
yesterday was not my brightest shiniest day but it was a better day.
1/1 journal
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Last week we were on vacation and while there was a lot of hiking, there was no run training. Sunday was a training run that went badly and last night was an easy run.
I’ve got a couple of days left until my race and conference isn’t real high. Oh and it might be snowing pretty much between now and then. I’ll get the last couple work outs in and see how it goes.
Sometimes good races follow wonky prep … so keep the faith! Don’t ask me why this happens (suspect something to do with reducing unhelpful pressure or similar factors). Good luck for the race - be happy and have fun! And hope you get the performance you’re looking for 
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I just got back from the endocrinologist and my HbA1c is back down half a percent to 5.3, which should be great news. I mean, it is great news. My GLP-1 continues to be effective for its primary purpose, which is keeping my T2 diabetes in check.
I am also stuck at a weight plateau that’s 30lb higher than I was last year, despite being on the highest dose of Mounjaro and eating an average of just under 1500 calories a day. Like, WTF.
But, A1c is good. That’s the actual, healthful part. Yay.
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day w/o the uneahlthy coping mechanism yesterday!!!
2/2 journal
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Had a fairly effective day yesterday, although I began it with “productive stuff” that wasn’t very productive.
But as a (7th) diet day it was very good. About 500 cals (with 90g protein), 16 miles on the treadmill, 6x10 back extensions (getting started again on the Roman chair), 10x35s neck bridges, PT exercises, and about 500 repeats on the Thigh Master (suggestion from the PT guy) to improve inner thigh strength (which has always been a weakness of mine.)
First hour of the treadmill I was reading a number theory book before my eyes gave out on me.
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Patrick the last week of training isn’t usually the defining part of race preparation (unless you overdo it).
I am still giggling about the mice.
Yesterday’s hour trail run was a bit of a struggle throughout. Middle of the day and cloudless 31 deg C so it might’ve been the heat. I wanted to stride out the 2.5 km downhill and charge up the following 400m steep uphill. Seemed to be more grinding it out down the hill and I barely held form to the top of the hill. Never mind it is still kms in the bank. I was a bit naughty diet and booze wise last night. I had a ticket to an event in town celebrating the end of AFL great Luke “Punky” Breust’s playing career. A good night but I put away a chicken burger and fries and 2 x 4.5% bevos and a coke.
I have today off my 5yo grandson’s school uber duties so can head off for my kayak session at my leisure. I will also do some hiking and maybe add in a few 100 to 150 metre striders. I have childcare duties all day (until 4.30 or so) tomorrow.
Yep that’s the hope, but a week of hard hikes, eating too little, drinking to much, jet lag and not sleeping much isn’t ideal training material.
I’ve made progress getting the food back in check, and tonight’s run went pretty well. The die’s cast at this point, so now rest and waiting.
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I love number theory. Google the “locker problem” - that’s a cool one. “circle packing” is neat too; I like the version done along a 180 degree angle but not the one where you put smaller circles in a larger circle.
Yesterday wasn’t perfect and wasn’t what I was going for - I used the unhealthy coping skill a little bit - but it was progress compared to all the days in Nov that I used the UCS.
I’m both frustrated and glad I’m making progress.
I took steps to get today started on a good path that predicts the sort of day I’m going for. may check in throughout the day.
3/3 journal
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It was Hardy&Wright, 6th ed. (finally getting to it). I can only find the circle version of the circle packing. (I know about the locker problem.) (You may get me to look back at “Intro to Geometry” by Coxeter.)
Yesterday was 8th diet day. Got about 550 cals, but only 7+ miles in. Too many family members needing attention (and one being a total jerk), so I got behind schedule and was too emotionally spent at the end of the day to have the strength to do the other half of the miles. So it’ll take a little more time to lose the weight. Weight seems to be coming down quite a bit, but must make sure it’s not from dehydration.
Today: 1700-1900 cals, 5 miles walking (or caloric equivalent of other exercise), a little viola&cello (concert in 2 days), home PT, continue academics, at least one errand. (Going into detail to force me to get it done today knowing otherwise I’ll have to face the “public” “humiliation” here tomorrow.)
successful day yesterday, didn’t use the unhealthy coping mechanism!
4/4 journal
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