Friday, December 30, 2011

December Diet Quality Card

december diet quality card

So this is how it shakes out, I never do well with fruit or essential fat unless I'm having peanut better apples or smoothies and those aren't happening right now. Because ramen is happening now.

I'm doing okay with veggies, and fine with legumes and whole grains. Lately I'm eating a lot of eggs and chicken.

Sigh, I can do better than ramen. I could make brown rice soup with egg and tofu as easy as that. But, but I like ramen... and it's winter...

I did wean myself off Coke! At home, at least. Recipe TK...

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Movement and Muscles at the Trunk
 flexion

biggie flexes her trunk

What movements happen at this joint?

Flexion happens at the trunk when you pull your chest toward your thighs, decreasing the angle between the two parts. Or more simply, when you bend forward at the waist.

What muscles make these movements happen?

trunk flexion, lateral flexion, and rotation

The muscles that flex your trunk are your rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, and transverse abdominis, all anterior muscles that pull the chest forward when they contract.

What's more interesting about these abdominal muscles is how they're crisscrossed to hold in your guts and hold you up from superficial to deep: rectus abdominis is vertical, external oblique is diagonal pointing to your crotch, internal oblique is diagonal pointing to your butt, and transverse abdominis is horizontal. Also they produce different movements depending on how they are engaged, flexion engages them bilaterally so you bend straight forward.

What exercises make these muscles work?

Planks and any variations thereof (including pushups), situps and any variations thereof (including bicycles), pelvic tilts.

Transverse abdominis, the deepest of your abdominal muscles, is the muscle we're trying to get at when we imagine pulling our navels to our spines, if you've heard me say that eight million times. We sit so much in modern life, your brain may have forgotten the way to transverse abdominis. What it's supposed to do is stabilize your spine when you move your arms and legs. When you make your living hunting woolly mammoth, your brain is firing a hundred million signals at transverse abdominis on a daily basis. At your desk job, not so much. Thus this lower back pain, thus this getting knocked over. So start firing those signals again and find that muscle, because home season is coming up and woolly mammoth season is on.

When I was an intern in New York sort of like Sylvia Plath, I lived in a suite with five other girls and we talked about things like how to keep your stomach flat, and one of them said that her mother didn't work out, she just always sucked in her stomach wherever she went, and I thought to myself, That's dumb, that's not really having a flat stomach, that's just looking like you have a flat stomach. And I tell you this because there's times, like when I'm folded over my thighs and the bikram instructor is saying, "Suck in your stomach," and my eyes are perfectly level with my stomach literally hanging out like it hasn't done a day's work in its life, and I want to go back in time and hit myself in the face with a shovel. That could have been twenty-four years of sucking in my stomach i.e., strengthening transverse abdominis, you would be able to rock climb my abs by now.

Oh well the best time to plant an ab is twenty years ago, and the second best time is now. When the instructor says suck in your stomach, I suck up as much of my relaxed low belly as I can and think, of all the possible words from the future you're going with "suck in your stomach," okay then.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Bones of the Trunk

trunk

What bones are at this joint?

The bones at the trunk are basically the spine in particular the lumbar vertebrae. I'm pretty proud of my skeleton because it actually shows, from the back at least, all thirty-three vertebrae in the spine. These are grouped by region: seven cervical (neck), twelve thoracic (chest), five lumbar (belly or lower back), and then the sacrum and the coccyx. By the way I fixed the ischial tuberosities, the sit bones, on my skeleton's pelvis. Much better.

I guess the ribs and pelvis are also involved, in the sense that various abdominal and back muscles are attached to them; but mostly at the trunk, we are talking about movement of the spine.

What type of joint is this?

Vertebral joints are facet joints.

What body part moves and is moved at this joint?

In sixth grade, I had to write a country report on Poland. Horrifyingly I only got a "good" or possibly even a "fair" (as opposed to my sister's "excellent" two years earlier) largely due to my geographical section in which I painstakingly identified the highlands and lowlands of Poland and mentioned not at all the vast plains in between that really largely make up Poland, I think, I honestly don't remember. It's possible that the plains of Poland have grown in my mind inversely proportional to my failure to recognize them.

Anyway, that part in your middle. Moves itself, and is moved by itself. Also transitively moves attached parts like your top and bottom. Actually basically involved in all of your body's major movements. Hard to talk about, like the plains of Poland.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Winter Work Outerwear
 eeeee huntress boots

winter work outerwear

So now I just swap in my old red hat and gloves and so far, so good for winter. I do have two actual winter coats on deck, don't worry!

Do you want to hear a story about this hat and gloves? I bought them in the waning days of Marshall Field's, I was looking for a light crocheted hat that I could wear indoors way back then. Which this isn't, light enough. I like the little pop of red, though. Anyway. New Year's Eve 2007, I was cabbing home and got discombobulated taking off my gloves to pay the cabbie, and when I got inside I realized I was missing a glove, which I supposed was in the back seat of the cab, driving around Chicago forever. Oh well. Two weeks later, my sister was dropping me off after a visit, and I'm getting out of the car in front of my house, and I see this flash of red under some dirty frozen slush, and I excitedly dig in the middle of the street, and it's my run over glove!

I had it in my head for the nine months that I would get Hunter boots to be my winter boots, because I had heard they were roomy. But then I looked up the actual shaft measurement and it was 14-1/2 inches, I felt like Crocodile Dundee when he says "That's not a knife" and then out whips my 16-inch daikon. But then Elke Hollic gave me the high sign about Huntress boots, eh? Sixteen and a half inch shaft, and let me tell you they just fit. They form, like, a seal around my calf to keep the cold out, and there's plenty of room in the foot and ankle for fuzzy socks for warmth.

Please be waterproof for real. Be my forever boot.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Eight Presents
 2011

1 instax film 2 pomodoro 3 huntress boots 4 ramekins5 i'm made of meat t-shirt 6 milkshakes and glory tattoo7 black gel eyeliner 8 fur vest

  1. Instax film - The best present because it's frivolous, and therefore problematic. I am actually old enough to have been in my late twenties when this wild talk about "digital" cameras got started, there's so much that could be said about how our relationship to images has changed since then. Probably has been said. Making images with this film is different, I have to think it over...
  2. Pomodoro timer - I got two of these actually, one for work and one for home. I may not know what to do with fun instant film, but I can use the bejesus out of a timer. I could have just used a free online timer, like Timerrr. I wanted cute tomato timers, though! I have been practicing The Pomodoro Technique, it's going good. Because I'm me, I've added workouts to my pomodoros—stay tuned!
  3. Huntress boots - EEEEE!
  4. Ramekins - For my baked eggs, recipes TK.
  5. I'm Made of Meat t-shirt - I almost never buy t-shirts new, so expensive! But I love my Feelings Are Boring t-shirt dress, I wanted to have another Dinosaur Comics dress. And I am! Made of meat! Surgery TK!
  6. Tattoo - I roughly get some tattoo or piercing during league break. Not to front like I'm a painted lady, I'm only talking about three tattoos (poppy, zelda hearts, milkshakes and glory in elvish) and one piercing (navel) so far.
  7. Black gel eyeliner - I had this eyeliner before, but then I gave it away because I couldn't figure out how to put it on. But then this amazing tutorial happened and also I just rewatched Star Trek TOS, I'm addicted to cat eyes now.
  8. Fur vest - I'm so beside myself about this, I've been waiting for Old Navy to have these again since Helly got hers last year and I missed out, we're going to wear these to afterparties and be twinwifeys...

I want lots more things, sigh. I don't make lookbooks and the like because I can't even keep up with the things that I actually want or even need. I need the clutter of cultivating desire for desire's sake like I need a hole in my head. I probably could use a hole in my head to let some desire out. I need a yoga bag to carry my mat and towel and water to bikram, I want a thirty-pound kettlebell, I just got a tip about a pair of really cute boots on sale that could be my fall boots, but I think I need a new pair of short winter boots to wear with my snowsuit, I definitely need new leggings to skate in that actually cover my butt now that I've grown, not to mention new work skirts that cover my butt, you know, at work, and I need some kind of bout pants now that we have these longer uniform tops...

12/21/12
Eight Presents 2011: Where Are They Now?

  1. Ahhh, I gave my instax camera to my niece. Who will probably take a box's worth of instant photos and then it will fall by the wayside.
  2. I still use this every day but for, you know, cooking. I use my timetracker to keep myself on task.
  3. Love.
  4. Love.
  5. Sigh, I cut this just slightly too small in the chest. I still wear it, but I don't love it. I think now and again about getting another one to try again; but if I'm going to do that, I better do it soon because this design is being discontinued.
  6. Love.
  7. Love, though I don't dress up with makeup very much.
  8. Love, I've even worn this to work!
I still have the pieces of a yoga bag in my craft dresser, I only ever went to bikram over 2011 league break. I do get a lot of use out of my 30# kettlebell and the 40# that I got after that. I got those snowtrekker boots, love them, and all new leggings, and new work skirts, and new bout pants and an ASSETS bodyshaper to wear under them...


Friday, December 23, 2011

Winter Food Plan

Basic guideline for eating around workouts:

BEFORE
complex carbs &
light protein

IMMEDIATELY BEFORE
simple carbs
 
WORKOUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER
simple carbs &
light protein
AFTER
complex carbs &
heavy protein
BETWEEN
complex carbs &
heavy protein

Immediately before/after means within 45 minutes, before/after means within 1-3 hours, and between means more than 3 hours before or after workouts.

Right now it's looking like this:

  • Dinner - complex carbs with light protein - slow chicken with rice
  • Workout Drink - simple carbs - CocoOJ2O
  • Post-Workout Snack - complex carbs with light protein - ramen nom nom
  • Breakfast - complex carbs and heavy protein - baked eggs in curried veg nests
  • Lunch - complex carbs and heavy protein - back to curried veg stew and quinoa with root vegetables but with rotisserie chicken for extra protein

Trying to only eat starches before and after practice, it would be ideal if quinoa could be dinner before practice and then I could have slow chicken with steamed vegetables instead of rice and get more vegetables in. But quinoa for dinner, nnnn. Sometimes I just don't want certain things at certain times, and that's just the way it is.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Winter Fitness Plan

Pre-Peak: Speed, Agility, Blocking, Scrimmage

So anyway yayyy, no more Sunday Fury practices. We're back to weeknight team practices, though for us that's switched from Wednesday to Monday night.

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
HOBBY
 
HOBBY
 
WORK
 
HOBBY
 
WORK
 
HOBBY
 
PLAY
League
HOBBY
 
HOBBY
 
WORK
 
HOBBY
 
WORK
 
HOBBY
 
HOBBY
 
PLAY
Leag/Ref
PLAY
Fury
PASTIME
 
PLAY
Hot Yoga
PLAY
Scrimmage
PASTIME
 
HOBBY
 
PASTIME
 
PASTIME
 
PASTIME
 
PASTIME
 
HOBBY
 
PASTIME
 
PASTIME
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 

So no more doubling up Fury and referee practices on Sunday, Sunday can go back to being my recovery practice day with beloved referees. Right before refs there is league practice if I want to do back to back practices, I think I will try that. I am solid with Fury practice Sunday, scrimmage Thursday, and league practice Saturday which for the next few weeks will be the return of skatefit! So the reason I am thinking about that Sunday league practice is to still get in a technique practice.

What I am super excited about is bikram yoga with ma femme Helly, who has been going for a few months now. I have serious fears about a) barfing and b) fainting, so hot yoga is practically a counterphobic exercise for me. I am looking forward to doing something different, and I think this is important—being a beginner again.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Winterval Chart
 with Winter Chart

The Story of Winterval >>

This year's Schedule of Winterval is as follows:

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
18
 
19
20
EREV WINTERVAL
21
WINTER SOLSTICE
22
 
23
 
24
XMAS EVE
25
XMAS DAY
26
 
27
 
28
 
29
 
30
 
31
NY EVE
1
NY DAY
2
WINTERVAL EPIPHANY
3
 
4
 
5
 
6
 
7
 

Okay first, 1) the day after Thanksgiving starts Winterval Advent and HATS ON, which means that I photoshop Santa hats on my various profile pics, which now just means on Facebook. During livejournal days, it was a lot more pics. Also during Winterval Advent, I get to buy myself eight things. I just thought of that this year, isn't it brilliant? I will show you what I got later.

So then, b) starting with last night:

  • Erev Winterval - LIGHTS ON, potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream

I start lighting candles, tealights in jelly jars, on Erev Winterval. Every evening I add a candle until Winterval Epiphany.

I can never decide if I should put up my Xmas tree for Winter Solstice. I have my family's three foot Xmas tree, the one we started putting up in 1974, stuffed in back of one of my shoe shelves like a kidnap victim that you never got any money for and now you don't know what to do with.

[ETA: I did it, I put up the tree and I put the eight presents underneath. Or four of the presents, one of the presents is in the sink and one hasn't shipped yet and one I haven't bought yet and I'm trying to decide if the one that doesn't fit under the tree counts and if it doesn't count if that means I can get a 30# kettlebell as my eighth present.]

  • Xmas Eve - Chinese takeout
  • Xmas Day - leftover Chinese takeout

I keep meaning to do something like make waffles for Xmas Day, but this tends not to happen. Like I decided against making an activity advent calendar because twenty four boxes filled with little things to do is fucking bullshit. Is how I think about the holidays. A small present is required from the sweetie man. Last year he got me a monkey bookmark that shrieked when it was squeezed. I am not required to get him a present, because from each according to their means and to each according to their needs.

Between Xmas Day and NY Eve is boxing week i.e., winter cleaning and throwing stuff out, five days for five rooms: bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, front room, and den. I'm supposedly going to be able to get this done because I will be taking league break this year, instead of skating through it like the nutjob I was last year.

  • NY Eve - I have just decided that NY Eve will be catch as catch can, last year the upholdskis had a twelve hour LOTR marathon and this year I am invited to a fancy party with smoked meats...
  • NY Day - hoppin' john with collard greens and cornbread, LIGHTS OFF
Winterval Epiphany is HATS OFF whenever the first Monday of the new year is, which is the day after New Year's Day this year when this schedule will be resumed:

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
HOBBY
 
HOBBY
 
WORK
 
HOBBY
 
WORK
 
HOBBY
 
PLAY
League
HOBBY
 
HOBBY
 
WORK
 
HOBBY
 
WORK
 
HOBBY
 
HOBBY
 
PLAY
Leag/Ref
PLAY
Fury
PASTIME
 
PLAY
Hot Yoga
PLAY
Scrimmage
PASTIME
 
PASTIME
 
PASTIME
 
PASTIME
 
PASTIME
 
PASTIME
 
PASTIME
 
PASTIME
 
PASTIME
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 
SLEEP
 

Huge sigh of relief not having Sunday morning practices. Seems like my whole life story is losing and finding Sunday like it's not always there right at the beginning of the week.