Mudbound's Quest to the World's Toughest Mudder

[mudbound]

After completing the Seattle Tough Mudder 2012, I've been out of the gym for nearly two months. The majority of that time has been dwindled away gazing at a computer screen while hoping I don't fail my next test. Currently, I'm slaving away in my last semester as a biology major undergraduate. My lung capacity, muscles, and over all health are at the lowest point they've been in nearly five years. I'm now at the same weight as when I first started trying to build strength and put on muscle.


Working out seems like such a pain in the ass and a worry compared to just spending a few more minutes looking at the screen, stuffing a little more information into my memory in hopes of a good grade when everything is said and done. But I know that the price I'm really paying with my body isn't worth it and I also realize that I'm letting my life slip by.


As of yesterday, I decided that I'll be applying to a PhD program that begins next fall. The deadline is this upcoming January first and I haven't taken the GRE. In addition, I'm facing finals in about three weeks here. This is the worst time to begin working out, but if I can manage to fit it in, just a little bit now, I think the benefit in the long term will be huge.


So I'm starting this blog and becoming a part of this community to remind myself to care and that there are many others who are doing it all. Training starts tomorrow.

[BalhamBeast]

Hey, 'sup? Glad you made it over here and good luck! Of course, now you have to get your 50 posts so that you can start posting pictures. I'll be following along regardless.

[mudbound]

Hey you! I'll work on those 50 posts, but right now I have some *very crappy looking* progress pics up on my bodyspace. Where is your log on here?

[mudbound]

I was trying to post a link to this awesome video about happiness, but bodybuilding wont let me.

To summarize, the guy explains that most people in our current day and age associate happiness with their next success. However, success merely raises the bar for happiness, creating a never ending cycle of dissatisfaction. In addition, studies show that raising your happiness in the moment tends to make you more successful at whatever you are doing in life. The speaker recommends doing all five of these things every day for 21 days to form a habit of daily happiness:

1. 3 gratitudes per day
2. journaling
3. exercise
4. meditation
5. random acts of kindness

This workout log can help me accomplish at least three of those things per day. So, to start, today I'm thankful that I have a loving boyfriend and cozy house, that I have a state-of-the-art gym that I can go to for the next month and a half that has everything you could dream of, and that I've been able to make friends with a bunch of new people this semester. This semester has been the best so far in terms of "collecting" friends.

WORKOUT
Today I ran a mile, did four sets of 12 rep tricep presses (70lbs), and five sets of 12 rep lat pulldowns, working up to two sets of 70 lbsx 12 reps. I felt weak as ****, but was happy to get back at it and feel my muscles for the first time in months when I walked out the door. After the sets, I did another mile, sprinting the last 200m because the girl in front of me was winning (she did not win for long)

JOURNAL
Today has been boring for the most part- just studying. I'm headed to a friend's birthday party at a sushi restaurant in a second here and then going over to my friend's place to borrow her computer, as my own doesn't have the specs to do my homework on :/

I've also spent a lot of time thinking about a special someone today (I'm in an open relationship) and trying to figure out how to get his attention. It's hard because he's a little different and the normal stuff, like looking nice and being friendly, is a complete flop.

[mudbound]

Yesterday I did this, which sounds easy. Either I'm super out of shape, or this is a "creeper" workout:

All I did was 5 minutes of biking at medium intensity followed by 15 kettlebell swings supersetted with 15 mountain climbers (per leg). I did five rounds for a total of just over 25 minutes and today my ass hurts in that good way.

I'm pretty sure I scared the **** out of some young college kids while swinging the kettlebell. The stationary bikes are arranged on the second floor right over the balcony, and me being me, I had horrible thoughts of my grip slipping and the kettlebell killing someone below. So I turned around, and swung it in the opposite direction, which was at the glass-encased racketball courts. I figured that broken glass is better than death.