Got through my PT session this morning... not as well as I would have liked. Did a mix of Napalm & Rave and didn't really get the energy until afterwards and the mental focus wasn't quite there. Me thinks they are best off used separately. I will have a play over the next few weeks.

Feeling a tad tired but at the same time, keen to actually do something else physical. So much so that I am contemplating an early morning circuit instead of the usual rest day. I should probably look at doing it while I can though given that under my new program, rest is going to be a thing of the past. There is a lot of hard work going on there and I will have to work weights back into the mix. I understand the benefits but don't enjoy it as much as I do kettlebells.

Some modifications to the diet too in the form of travelling broccolini, more brussels sprouts, spinach frittata and a good dose of onion and garlic in the mince mix. Theoretically, this should aid recovery and make my not-so-restful program easier on me. I've got a few supplements to grab when I actually manage to pin down the person I'm supposed to be buying them from...

On a complete diversion, positive of the day, one of my best mates from school is coming all the way over from NZ and will be there for the wedding ceremony. I'm totally rapt! We used to have such fun, crazy, random times in school. We just got on like a house on fire. Some memories still have me giggling out loud to this day. :-D

OMG!

Although I was probably due to cut down my rest phase, it was easy. Dead easy. I put my heart rate at 180bpm and I wasn't SOB! Not only that, I barely had to try to drop my heart rate down in between each session. Handy, cause then I can actually do things like... drink water! 20 minutes just zoomed by and I was very much ready to keep going or do something else. Simply awesome! Why can't my body just work this efficiently all the time??? This must be what it is like to be one of those annoyingly naturally gift folks. Wow! I am so in love with all this stuff!

Addict.

Aside from that, I got my car serviced today. Couldn't get a hire car and didn't quite end up at the shopping centre I wanted but at least got couriered around for free. :-) Got to see He's Just Not That In To You. It was pretty good. Not exactly hilariously funny but not bad. The rest of the day was boredom and lacking in productivity other than a bank visit. Oh and I also discovered a cool place to buy candles for the ceremony.

On the not so brilliant side, I've been suffering from inexplicable rage. It looks suspiciously like PMT. I was hoping that wouldn't return. *shrugs* Better than permanently feeling grumpy I suppose. Guess I will know in a few days. Either that or I've discovered the down side to all these performance enhancing tools.

Anyhow, time to run a quick email check before dashing off to get ready for karate. Will try a single Rave for tonight. See what happens and see if I can sleep afterwards....

No such luck.

So, put Rave to the real test this morning. After 13 hours of a sleepless night shift, it was time to pop two and see what happened. The onset was a little different this time. More subtle... no burning chest (think that was just sunlight) and no extreme euphoria just rather happy. :-)

Again, I wonder how this stuff is legal. It is like a mixture between methamphetamine and some kind of anaesthetic agent. (No, never touched illicit drugs but have come to know a lot about them in my job). The feeling is good and the pain goes away. The fatigue still exists but without the pain it is possible to push the body to the point of absolute failure. Although, I wonder if that is always a good thing. There is also a lot less mental resistance to getting on with the job.

Today's session was a combination of things I've done before. By the end there actually was pain and enough for me to know that without this stuff I wouldn't have been able to push through. I worked the body hard and after standing still for a bit was so unaware of the extent of exhaustion that my legs very nearly failed when I tried to walk.

It is addictive feeling good and awesome actually having energy after a night shift to get things done. :-)

I went a little bit nuts and went out and bought Napalm. I think this should be able to effectively replace protein plus straight carb powder on post night shift workouts and pre-cardio sessions. Coupled with the Rave it should make me like a fighter jet made of biceps. :-P

Assuming I don't wake up disabled from soreness tomorrow, I'll give it a try.

On a different note, had a bit of a different night last night. No down time but I've somewhat come to accept that this will be the way it goes until summer breaks in again at the end of the year. We did a three paediatric jobs last night which is a record for me. One was a pretty decent croup and had me considering nebulised adrenaline. It's not until you are presented with a case like that in real life that "life threatening airway compromise" as an indication is not quite as clear cut as it would seem. But I guess the same applied for the use adrenaline in anaphylaxis and learning that anaphylaxis isn't just about swollen throats and tongues. I wonder why there is so much mystery there... Anyway, as it turned out, just when it seemed otherwise, nebulised saline did the trick and a speed recovery was made. :-)

Three more weeks until holidays! Four more weeks until the wedding. And I really must contact the organist....

Having found myself more entwined in the world of health and nutrition I have also came to dabble with sports supplements. This is one area of the life where things actually just work. Why can't everything be so simple???

Reflex Instant Whey - A protein powder that not only can I mix with water, it tastes fantastically natural and I can have it 15 minutes before a work out and it won't sit in my stomach like a gluggy mess making me feel all nauseous. For $150 there is a 4.4kg bag containing approximately 175 servings which also means the value for money factor is ridiculous!

Syn-Tec Zinadrol - Also known as ZMA... this was the start of my Syn-Tec junkie behaviours. Actually, Carbo-Plex was really the start. (I spent $50 on a 4kg bucket of carbs to throw into a protein shake pre-work out and it has lasted me forever.) The simple nature of the product means it doesn't quite get a mention of its own. Anyhow, Zinadrol made of Zinc, Magnesium and B6 has provided me with the ultimate cute for all those nasty little muscle spasms and twitches that I used to get after a work out. Again $55 for 180 caps lasts me an eternity!

Ultimate Nutrition GABA - I've had problems with sleep for quite a few years and this would have to be the miracle cure. No prescribed medication can compare to the sleep that I get from this stuff. I still don't sleep through the night but the depth and quality are greatly improved and awaken far few times. Coupled with Zinadrol at night, I am never letting this one go!

Syn-Tec Rave Remix - This would probably make my mother shriek. I've been looking for something to provide a bit of a boost for training after night shifts. I don't like having to do it but that's the nature of shift work and I want to be able to perform well rather than dread the experience. After consultation with the folks at The Supplement Den I thought I'd give this puppy a shot and my first trial was this morning.

At 4 am I stumble out the kitchen and swallow two as directed. The instructions say 60-90 minutes before the workout and I figure I won't have the benefit during my kettlebell circuit but will hopefully be awake for work afterwards. I have to admit to being a skeptic when it comes to a lot of herbal things as I've only ever received limited benefits from past experience. I also know that coffee is generally an awesome diuretic and poor stimulant for me. I was surprised...

A few minutes later I've hopped on my treadmill and getting the legs warmed up when I start to feel a warm burning sensation from the pit of my stomach spread across my chest. I finish up on the treadmill and I am struck by what I can only describe as EUPHORIA! I am SOOO happy to be up at 4am and swinging kettlebells around! Mind altering stuff.... literally. My body fatigues at the same points but on a psychological level it doesn't bother me at all. After each 30 second rest I dive straight into the next exercise. I don't feel tired or discouraged. I feel great!!! The first set was a bit longer because I was mucking around with the radio to find a channel but otherwise I would have packed in five full sets in the time it usually takes me to just squeeze in four sets in half an hour.

I wonder if I have convinced myself that the thing is working but I still feel AWESOME! What I also have is the feeling like everything is running at a million miles an hour. It is like being stuck on fast forward. Not only that... the feeling persisted for about five or six hours afterwards before I was slowly returned a more level state. But there also comes a price... diuresis, exacerbation of postural hypotension and a splitting headache when the pace slowed down. After a few panadol the rest of my day was good. I'd not had quite enough sleep but I was in a good mood for the rest of the day and by 7pm I still felt good to be at work for a few more hours.

I can understand why people get addicted to drugs. I won't be using this at any time other than after night shift. I think that will allow me to get my workout done, stay awake for the rest of the day and be productive. Once a week for six weeks can't be too damaging. But of course, I'll need to keep an eye on it. But high fives for another product that works! Yeah... I am kicking mother nature with my power legs!!

The numbers weren't huge and it was very well dominated by black belts. It has been a while since I've trained quite like that and having done public classes for the last year I'd forgotten what it was like to jump straight in and skip all the staged work. I didn't have too much problem though as it felt just like interval training and was able to recovery quickly. After a few combos we skipped on to kata and it was time to get assessed. I think I spent most of the night feeling nervous. Sometimes it helps me perform and sometimes it hinders. I don't like feeling that excited that I have so much energy but a lack of fine control over my limbs as a result. Fortunately, I cooled it just enough for my grade katas.

I felt I performed well. I'd chosen to limit my morning activities to cardio so that I would have something to give that night. It was a decision that I didn't regret and it was actually good to get an idea of what I am capable of when not tired! The feedback is very positive and was told that I actually had a good shot. Coming with no expectations, this was great to hear. I don't mind if it doesn't happen until the end of the year but it will give me something new to focus on in training. So... I am excited and motivated. I learned a few new things and worked hard. It will be great year for karate for me.

In celebration... well actually it just had to be done... I went and bought myself a new set of shin pads after my 8.5 year old ones got stepped on during kumite resulting in me being unable to move backwards, then having the pad slip right off my leg as I fell on my back rather dramatically. It was highly amusing! :-D I still get a rush buying new martial arts gear! I'll have to invest in a new gi soon but will need to go to Queensland Martial Arts Supplies seeing as RMR is only selling the RMR brand now. Yes, I am still a Warrior junkie but I may look at trying out a Tokaido... Decision, decisions!

Otherwise, I have to admit I am feeling a bit on the lonely side lately. The people that I like to hang with are too busy with other things, are shift workers with conflicting times or just too darned far away. I'd really like to get out for a bit of leisure time and reconnect with the world. I've spent a few too many weeks feeling stressed and my dreams are all crazy as ever. Suppose it is time to take stock of the positives and soldier on...

Today, I choose to bathe in the good feelings from last night and look forward to getting my new gene based program tomorrow. :-)

April 2008, brandishing a knife, flabby arms, flabby stomach and a mean double chin...  This was actually the rebound from a few months dieting...improperly.  I shaved my way down to 67kg without making any real lifestyle changes.  Frozen veggies and crumbed fish just doesn't work in the long term...  Who was I kidding??  Back to 75kg in the blink of an eye...