the (other) fall classic

Whew… sorry to keep writing these posts, I know I’m going to start sounding whiney but just the beginning of the most killer couple of weeks right now. More term papers being assigned, parts of them already coming due this week and next - my final project for a graduate-level class (intimidating enough) is 100% of my grade, and due next week already! Yeesh! (Actually, I’ve been keeping up with that, so it’ll be okay.) Observations and stuff to keep in mind for me this week:

•  New phase of HGM (3 - advanced); this means I’m doing heavy weights and strength focus - DEFINITELY my weak point in training, so I’m excited to work on it and turn weakness into (lots and lots and lots of functional) strength! However, this does mean I’ll also be switching up my schedule; strength training takes time, and college students only have so many hours the gym is open and we’re out of class, unfortunately.
• Hoping/praying my work gets done and done well this week - gonna take a lot of effort, but that’s all right.
• The Game - our big football contest with you-know-who - is in 2 weeks. I’m in charge of the tailgate chili cookoff (of course) so I’m super-excited to get this one going…
• I’ve got to dial back/dial in my diet. I’ve only been eating clean and was intending to put on some weight, but the fluctuation has been 10 pounds over the course of the 52DC, which seems like A LOT of weight to have put on, although I do feel strong. I think it might be overdoing the reload days, so I’m thinking I might finish up the 52DC on plan B, just to minimize the fat gain and hopefully lean out a bit while still building strength around my workout.

… in the books. The good news is I keep plugging through ‘em, and things are actually going really well. School’s going all right. (Ironically, you transfer your sophomore year to supposedly the toughest school there is, and classes get more manageable that you’re able to substantially up your courseload? I’m not willing to ascribe it to anything other than work - I’m not classically “bright” but I don’t have a problem with the workload. But let me just say the better scores are extremely gratifying, especially when you’re lonely without your girlfriend and trying to distract yourself with work.)

As for the 52DC, I’m doing pretty well I think - I think the missing piece in my puzzle, at least before, has been intensity. As you can see by my numbers and my little schpiel about school above, I’m the “steady” sorta guy. Slow and methodical discipline is my speciality - I can tamp down the right foods on a diet like none other, and I feel pretty much no “cheating” temptation. (The one thing I have to watch might be portioning - thank God for TNT’s flexibility on that.) But when it comes to pushing myself to where I’m uncomfortable, well, I’m uncomfortable with that. But for these 52 days, I promised myself I would push for overload when I was lifting, I would get myself to bed on time, etc. And I think it’s paying off.

  

All the best for you guys today - sorry I know I haven’t been around much for support, but hopefully as things calm down a bit soon I’ll be able to give more encouragement! 

Had a good rest; now I’m back for 3 weeks ’til Thanksgiving to get some serious work done, in the 52DC and especially on some term papers, etc. Let’s get to it!