Monday, March 31, 2014

531 2d Squat - Mar 31

Rx: 3x whatever @ 125/155/185
10x 135/10x 155/10x 185
8 mins.

Nice to deload and just feel the muscle instead of working for the movement.

BBB, in .30 on 1.13
4 rounds
Squat 8x 185 (155=Rx, dunno, it just feels wrong to go so light, on the other hand, I wasn't getting 10 reps in 30 secs. Probably a bad call not to drop to 50% but things felt good)
Standing calf x11 @ 300
10 mins.

Cash out
3x7 Hamstring curl @ 110
2x12 Extensions @ 180

5 mins.

Upper insertion of the right hammy is killin' - a strain from sprinting Saturday, I'll warrant.

7 hours - 2245/0600. 24 minutes total. PE: 8. 24 hours. 222/13.
P327g/C158/F169 : 38/18/44%, 3490 total cal, 3234 net

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Bonus Day - Mar 30

Whatever week continues with more goofing. Rain kept me from kicking the bag, and deterred me from doing any kb swings, but tha's just as well. Climbed some stairs today and felt that familiar hollowness in the legs. I'm overreached a bit.

Squat day tomorrow, the irony.

4 rounds, HT timer no count
Press @ 115
Ring Dips
Inside/Outside curl
16 mins.

9 + 1 hours - 2130/0630. 16 minutes total. PE: 7. 24 hours.
P254g/C56/F66 : 55/12/33%, 2639 total cal, 2454 net
- win

A win for the week on the average:
P269g/C97/F143 : 39/14/47%
Had a few stoopid days early in the week, but buckled down when I remembered who I was.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Brighthouse Brick n Box - Mar 29

Today, the trailer pull felt slower than usual, and shore 'nuff, it was. A little over-reached after C week, waiting on the rebound this upcoming deload week to feel stronger. Today was a joy, but not a rainbow-sheeny joy. Just a joy.

18.4 miles, 12.2 mph/app had it at 11.7. At times, the gearing felt easy, and I was pushing a bigger gear than I thought I was. Then, I'd just feel flat and would have to gear down and spin. Kept everything at 70% effort throughout.
34 mins to the Brighthouse hill, (11.8 mph), 31 to the box, 28 home (which, today, was a little further to Farmer's Market).
94 mins total.

Sprints felt good. Dang that pocked surface at Brighthouse - did a good amount of tripping and skipping. First 4 from 60%/70/80/90 up to 10 reps, where that 10th felt like my form was coming apart. Had in mind to do 12, but. Ten was enough today.
16 mins.

8.5 hours - 2200/0630. 94 + 16 minutes, 110 total, PE: 7 + 9. 24 hours.
P363g/C87/F227 : 38/9/53%, 4137 total cal, 2356 net - win

Friday, March 28, 2014

Ca - Play Day - Mar 28

Buy in
Landmine iso row
4x10 @ 50//60//
7 mins.

Where were you all my life, oh newly beloved landmine?

Bench Press
4x8 @ 245, 1x8 @ 225
...moving grip
10 mins. 

Ca on the HT timer, in .30 on 1.13
5 rounds - Cable iso row @ 135/150//// x12
5 - Cable narrow chin @ 150 x8
4 - Incline bench @ 155 x10-8
17 mins.

So you have a free day and you end up on the bench? Cleans yesterday, and steady state and sprints tomorrow - anything squat related can wait until Monday. I'm done with C week work, except for the metcon this week, but the timing is such that I'd rather just sprint hard tomorrow and save some for bag work on Sunday.
I needed an easy day... no better way to take it easy than laying flat on your back.

8.5 hours - 2200/0630. 35 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours. 225/13.
P253g/C29/F182 : 37/4/59%, 2769 total cal, 2451 net - win

Thursday, March 27, 2014

531 2c Clean - Mar 27

All the bars were taken up today, so juggled a bit. Started off feeling really cold and tight. Man, I'm anticipating deload week.

3 rounds, 45 sec RI
Hamstring curl x6-7  @125
Extensions x10 @180/195/210
5 mins. 

Standing Calf
4x10 @300
6 mins.

Clean
Rx: 531 @ 135/155/175
5x95/5x145/3x155/2x175
10 mins.
BBB, in .30 on 1.13
5's @ 165/155/145///
6 mins.

And I see today that my excel grid is hinky, which is why cleans day always felt so oppressively heavy. 70% isn't 165, it's only 130 based on the 531 90%, or 145 absolute.

8.5 hours - 2130/0600. 28 minutes total, PE: 7. 48 hours. 224/13.
P290g/C107/F146 : 40/15/45%, 2922 total cal, 2655 net 

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

The Beer Pyramid and Incremental Training

Had a couple of beers (that is to say, mondo/bomber Dogfishhead 90 minute IPAs at Goose Loonies) Monday night - knew they were coming and accounted for them - although they were the first beers in a long time. Tuesday night, ended up back at the Goose and had three beers, gyro, some pizza. Call that the refeed day for the week. Last night, four beers at Loonies and some garbage bin appetizers. More beer in the last three days than in the last three months.
Not sure I like where this is trending.

Everyone at work is looking to lose weight/get into shape. I'll grant you, everyone there needs to lose weight/get into shape, so their willingness to make an effort is a good thing. What's remarkable is their methodology.

One guy has gone vegetarian, walking daily. Two guys are juicing - one of those two is eating only juice. One other is jogging, with no real dietary changes. One last guy is mostly talking about getting ready to get ready to get serious about getting fit. 
Everyone but the last guy has shown at least some improvement in the last month or two - scaling down from zeppelins to mere blimps; talking about 25 lbs lost here and there. 
No methodology to the science behind it though - no telling how many pounds of muscle lost, or how big the weight gain on the rebound is going to be when they eventually give up and put it all back on (with interest). Bah, none of those guys listens to me.

When one's completely untrained with lifestyle habits in the Chronically Pathetic range, any positive change can show immediate, short term improvement. From a standstill, it's easy to show movement. Anyone can do it.

Then there's me, the Perpetually Intermediate-bordering-on-Advanced, doing some few things right year after year. Regular strength training. Good flexibility. Low to no refined sugar in the diet. 
I promised myself at New Year's that I was going to step up my fitness game this year. When one already has some momentum, it's hard to see a speed increase. But, I too have seen some improvement over the last few months, not because I've knuckled down and done more of the same, or the same with more grit and intensity (although those things are fractionally true as I've had some higher frequency in my training, and have added weight - read: added intensity - to my regularly scheduled lifts), but because I've focused on a few additional aspects of fitness that I'd played down over the years, mostly nutritionally:

- I'm paying attention to my macros and keeping my protein intake high enough to ensure continued strength gains while keeping carbs low enough to slowly shed fat. Not doing this optimally, mind you, but doing it well enough and consistently enough. I'm tracking calories only as a general guideline to keep from gaining too much, too fast.

- Ignoring the grain beverages. I know, the hypocrisy of eschewing donuts and ice cream and pie and pasta and pizza and breads, but hammering ales. What can I say? I lived through the Clinton presidency. This is a small hypocrisy. But I don't really ever even want a beer now, and this nuance not only makes my carb macro numbers easier to meet, but removing that gluten from my diet makes me feel better, and look and feel less ... puffy.

- I'm doing IF. This doesn't even require effort, but I'm attributing a lot of my fat loss since January to it. I'll measure in a couple of days, and I anticipate seeing no loss of muscle but continued fat loss since the last check.

- I don't think my ability to recover has improved much, but I'm recovering more easily from daily sessions because I'm finally doing all the things I need to do in order to recover. I'm drinking a lot more water than I had been. No alcohol to dehydrate me. No evening drink of wine or beer for thirst or habit. Evening seltzer water is more relaxing.
I'm sleeping on a schedule - 9ish to 6:30. If I'm late, 10 to 6:30 is still 8.5 hours.
Taking the vitamins and BCAAs and Whey protein.

Some of this seems fundamental. And it is. Just like the way I look at the inadequacies in my co-workers' fitness plans, if I had some coaching/someone to shake my shoulder and ask me why dafuq, I probably would have instituted these aspects of training years ago. But I didn't, and in my ignorance (IF, say) or inertia (Beer and overeating, say) nothing inched up incrementally.

But it's inching now. Three consecutive nights having beers, and I don't feel like myself. Incrementally, I'm unveiling a new self.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

531 2c Weighted Chin - Mar 25

Buy in 
4 sets Y-pulls - go 'til it burns (15-12's)
5 mins.

Chins
Rx: 531 @ 20/20/22.5
5x20/4x20/4x22.5
If you told me a couple of months ago that my chinning would be stronger than my pulling, I'd not have believed you. 
6 mins.

BBB, using the HT timer
Chins @ 17.5 x3's, mostly
Incline DB's @ 75 x8 (lost the bench when I walked away) Incline BB @ 185 x8/7//
11 mins.

Cable Iso pull downs
1 min RI, @ 105/100/95/90
7 mins.
Freaky shooting pains in my right bicep. That arm had better figure out that it's not going to get slack for whining, sooner rather than later.

9 - 2.5 hours - 2130/0630. 31 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours. 226.
Abs are sore today from doing lots of planking with L last night.
P272g/C186/F183 : 31/21/47%, 3852 total cal, 3585 net 

Monday, March 24, 2014

531 4x5 Front Squat - Mar 24

Buy in
4 rounds, no timer
Hamstring curl x6-7 @ 125
FtB x7
Hyperextensions w/45# x12
9 mins.

Didn't feel like my energy well was full doing these, but the ensuing squats felt good, lots of power coming out of the hole.

Front Squat
...shooting for work sets of 5 @ 205 (200=70%)
135x8/185x5/205x5
7 mins.
BBB, HT timer in .30 on 1.13
4x Standing Calf x10 @300
3x Front Squat x5 @205
9 mins.

8.5 hours - 2200/0630. 27 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours. 225/12.
P214g/C111/F125 : 35/18/46%, 2663 total cal, 2405 net

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Bonus Day Bag Work - Mar 23

Futzing around under compulsion. If I take a day off, I might implode.

4 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
Kb Swings @ #70, no count
Press @ 115, 10-6
Ring row, x10s
15 mins.

Punching with Kon, then Tabata count combinations and stop kicks.
15 mins.

8 hours - 2230/0630. 30 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours.
P218g/C109/F171 : 31/15/54%, 2900 total cal, 2593 net

Average for the week:
P271g/C124/F143 : 38/17/45% - same story as last week; a touch high on carbs, but making progress, and not turning into a wet noodle during C week. As long as I have a long steady state day, it's going to be hard to stay under a 100 gram average. I'll take that real world tradeoff instead of the arbitrary number.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Brighthouse n' Box, the Usual - Mar 22

A little slower than previous weeks on the bike today, but sprints were sharp with snappy turnover. Dive and drive felt powerful. Just a beautiful morning to be out and active.

32 mins to the hill (12.6 mph), 31 to the AHO box, 25 home - 17.7 mi, 11.9 ave speed on the app, 12.6 on the site.

10 hill repeats on the usual timer, on 1.40. I'm less concerned about bringing down the RI than I am about having full-tilt efforts and smooth form. Everything was clicking today.

8.5 hours - 2230/0700. 89 + 16 minutes total, PE: 9. 18 hours.
P351g/C119/F135 : 35/14/51%, 3094 total cal, 1389 net - such a deficit from the steady state, that even though I ate a ton, I was still hollow and hungry all day.

Friday, March 21, 2014

531 2c Weighted Pull - Mar 21

Buy in 
Landmine Iso Row x10 @ 25/35/45//
6 mins. 

Weighted Pull
Rx: 5/3/1+ @ 20/20/22.5
5/3/3
6 mins.
No right arm pain today. If it weren't for Taxes, Obama, Child molesters and Satan, I'd say all's right with the world.

BBB
4 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
Pulls x3's @ 17.5# (70%)
DB Recline press x11///9 @ 70's
12 mins.

8 hours - 2145/0615. 25 minutes total, PE: 6. 24 hours. 225/12.
P215g/C274/F99 : 30/39/31%, 3082 total cal, 2824 net
 

Thursday, March 20, 2014

531 2c Dead - Mar 20

I fear this day each round.

Buy in
4 rounds, no timer
FtB x7ish
Hyperextensions w/ 45# x10ish
6 mins.

531 Dead
Rx: 5/3/1 @ 240/270/300
5x225/5x245/3x275/2x300 - second was easier than the first.
11 mins.

BBB
HT timer
4x10-12 Standing calf @ 300#
3x10/7/10 Dead @ 225
Mixed grip throughout today.
9 mins. 

Cash out
3 rounds, no timer
Extensions x12 @ 190
RDL x6-7 @ 175#
7 mins.

9 - 3 hours - 2130/0630. 35 minutes total, PE: 8. 12 hours. 225.
P262g/C101/F170 : 35/14/51%, 2973 total cal, 2660 net - close enough for jazz

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

The Chief n' the Zipper - Mar 19

As Rx'ed
4/4/4+Cleans/4+Pushups/4+Cleans
Got off to a slow start, with the goal of doing 4 cycles per round and a determination not to flag near the end. Didn't spend nearly as much time looking down at the bar as usual - but the squats were the hardest today.
Still need a better way to count rounds on this. Maybe just video the whole thing and sort it out afterward when I can see straight.

PM
Such a beautiful evening, had to get out to the zipper and do a little speed hiking. Three reps all at 5 and a halfish mins down, same up; no running, just breathing and striding - and trying not to fall to my death.
34 mins.

8.5 hours - 2130/0600. 54 minutes total, PE: 10. 24 hours. 225/13.
P348g/C61/F146 : 47/8/45%, 3019 total cal, 2324 net - win

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

531 2c (unim)Press - Mar 18

Buy in
4x max reps (12's-ish) Y-pulls
5 mins.

531
Rx: 5/3/1 @ 145/165/185
7x135/5x145/3x165/0x185
9 mins.

BBB
current HT timer, in .30 on 1.13 
4x10-6 Neutral grip pulls
3x7-6 Press @ 135 (70%)
8 mins.

Funny, in a disappointingly unfunny way, how if I'm going to red light on a lift, it seems like this is the one, when I truly enjoy this one so much. I need to bear down if I'm going to see a BW press somewhere in my future.

9 hours - 2130/0630. 24 minutes total, PE: 6. 24 hours. 226/11.
P266g/C87/F148 : 39/13/49%, 2732 total cal, 2473 net

Monday, March 17, 2014

531 2c Squat - Mar 17

Everything's so easy on paper.

Looked at today's numbers and was surprised to see 290 as the max today - expecting over 300 - as I'd reviewed this double at 295 from December today, and thought that a single at 290 would be easy cheesy. Although I did consider swapping tomorrow's overhead presses to today, to allow for another day of recovery from Friday's squatting. But then I realized that a thought like that one could only be coming from someone else, meant to be heard by someone else. I don't like those someone elses. They're pussies who can't man up and just do what's on the schedule.

Rx: 5/3/1 @ 230/260/290
8x135/8x185/5x230/3x260/3x290
Even though I got 3, stepping in after a very-heavy-feeling 260, I was just hoping to avoid dumping in the open rack. Focused on pushing the diaphragm out into the belt for a more solid core. 
I'll be here all week. Pack a lunch, squats.
12 mins.

BBB
3 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
Squat 6/6/5 @ 225 (215=70%, but I won't stomach doing anything less than BW ever again)
A-frame Singles @ 3
8 mins.

3 rounds
RDL x8 @ 175 
A-frame singles @ 3
7 mins.

8.5 - 1 hours - 2200/0630. 28 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours. 224/13.
P242g/C123/F134 : 36/18/45%, 2990 total cal, 2723 net

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Bonus Day Bag Work - Mar 16

Amazed watching last night's UFC how few professional fighters are able to switch stance fluidly. Even when cut, they can't turn that eye away from the incoming shelling that opened it in the first place. I don't get it. How did they ever spend their gym time?

Vowed to take it easy today and did, just a lot of movement and it all felt great.

4 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
KB swings @ 70# x12
Pull ups x7-5
10 mins.

Loose punching drills, switching off with Kon
9 mins.

Tabata kicking and combos
11 mins.

7 + 1 hours - 2330/0630. 30 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours. 
P288g/C82/F173 : 38/11/51%, 3059 total cal, 2545 net - win

This week:
P298g/C120/F119 : 43/18/39% - getting enough protein, just a touch high on carbs, but I'm not going to stress about it since some of that is bounceback from steady state days. Slow progress on this front is good, and less important than continued progress on my lifts - and, I'm resting assured that I don't flame out from inadequate fuel.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Brighthouse Sprints Boxrun - Mar 15

A little longer today, out to Brighthouse Hill and around to pick up the AHO box on the MTB/trailer combo. 

31 mins to the hill (12.9 mph, 70% pe), where I ran nine tight, crisp and strong repeats. Run up, walk down in 1.40; including .20 leftovers at the bottom before starting the next. Focused on dorsiflexion and a quick turnover. Feeling powerful. All week felt like I was overreaching a bit, so I'm either developing better recovery, or I'm gonna pop like gas-filled roadkill during c week. Find out on Monday.
15 mins. 

30 mins to get the box, 24 home. 12.3 mph overall, 17.8 mi.

8.5 + .75 hours - 2200/0630. 86 + 15 minutes total, PE: 9. 14 hours.
P391g/C148/F211 : 39/15/39%, 4143total cal, 2439 net

Friday, March 14, 2014

WL Squat Redemption - Mar 14

PM
Cl circuit
4 rounds, 45 sec RI
Hamstring curl x11 @ 110
Extensions x12 @ 195/210/225/240
Seated calf x13 @ 70
10 mins.

Squat like you mean it
Bar x10/135 x10/185 x10
Start the timer: in .35 on 2.40
205x8/225x8/7/6/6
21 mins.
Came away from this feeling like I'd done something rock solid. Mind off the poundage, focused on good, deep form. Stopped each set when form degraded, and/or when I hit the .35 mark.

A-frame 3x12+ @ 6.35
5 mins.

9 hours - 2130/0630. 36 minutes total, PE: 9. 24 hours. 223/14.
P346g/C199/F55 : 52/30/19%, 2551 total cal, 2241 net - 3 lbs. of ham for lunch, 1500 cal/225 pro/100 c - one ball of meat to hit my marks for the day.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

531 2c Bench n' Pulls - Mar 13

Buy in
Bent over row @ 135 4x10-8 
4 mins.

Bench
Rx: 5/3/1 @ 240/270/300
1x8 @225/5x245/3x275/2x302
9 mins.
Easy double - would have been a third, but no spotter, and I'm older and wiser than any former me.

BBB
4 rounds, on the HT timer
Ring rows, feet up x10's
Bench @ 227.5 (offset left) x8's
10 mins.

Cash out
Cable iso H-rows @ 165/180//165
6 mins.

PM
Walked over to Beach Park for
8x max reps mixed grip pulls, on the HT timer
10 mins.

8 hours - 2230/0630. 40 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours. 223/14.
P275g/C112/F113 : 43/17/40%, 2607 total cal, 2089 net

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Fran - Mar 12

Fran, as Rx'ed - 7.31
7.31 precisely ties a previous best from '09. Thrusters felt downright stoopid light at 95#. My problem is breathing during the pullups. If I deepen the conditioning reservoir, I can do much better here. Butterfly pullups would help the time on this too, but fuck those. Broke the pullups down into 3's there, which goes to show that doing 3's during training will show up as 3's on game day.

8.5 - 2 hours - 2200/0630. 8 minutes total, PE: 10. 24 hours.
P266g/C137/F97 : 43/22/35%, 2511 total cal, 2346 net

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

531 2b Clean - Mar 11

Don't feel like it today? Just show up anyway.

Buy in
4x FtB 
6 mins.

BBB Cleans
4 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
Power Clean 5-6 @ 135# 
RDL @ 155# x10
11 mins.

531 
Rx: 3x3 @ 130/145/165
5x135/3x145/4x165
5 mins.

Cash out
4x10 Standing Calf @ 270
4x7-6 Hamstring curl @ 125
7 mins.

8.5 hours - 2200/0630. 31 minutes total, PE: 6. 24 hours. 223/12.
P287g/C52/F114 : 48/9/43%, 2442 total cal, 2132 net - here's a win

Monday, March 10, 2014

531 2b Weighted Chin - Mar 10

Buy in
4x Y-pulls 12-18, whatever
5 mins.

531 Chin
Rx: 3x3 @ 17.5/20/22.5
Got 3/4/4.
5 mins.

BBB
HT timer, 4 rounds
Ring Dip x9 
Chin x3-4 @ 15#
10 mins.

Cash out
4x 6-8 Bent over reverse row @ 135# 
1 min RI
7 mins.

8.5 - 2 hours - 2200/0630. 28 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours. 224/13.
P234g/C115/F70 : 46/23/31%, 2056 total cal, 1797 net - Still hungry at bedtime, the numbers tell me why. 

Sunday, March 09, 2014

Middle Manager - Luke 19

While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.

So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’

But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’

When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’

The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’ And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’

Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’

Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 

And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already.’

‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.’”

Luke 19:11-27

So we know some background from historic context. The disciples (and most everyone else) thought Jesus was going to do something immediate and revolutionary when He got to Jerusalem. That wasn’t in the cards, and JC was giving a hint here that the disciples were going to have to take care of business for a while.
There’s a jab at Herod’s son Archelaeus, who had to travel to Rome to receive the puppet-kingship of Judah from Ceasar, and who was opposed by a delegation who didn’t want him appointed – and who he later killed.

Mostly, though, we have these three slaves who are entrusted with the master’s stuff and expected to show some increase. I like the NASB version of this story’s use of talent in Matthew, instead of mina, mostly because of the secondary non-monetary meaning of the term.
The first and last slaves, we feel you. We all know that guy who can start with one talent and show off eleven at the end of the day – everything he’s touching turning to gold. We can see the spineless third slave too; locked up with apprehension of failure and loss, he doesn’t use or lose his talent. No increase, no profit, no interest, no nothing.

I’ll digress here. This story is about service – taking what the master’s given you and using it to further the master’s interests. The story is also about trust – if you’re afraid of the master, you aren’t really free to hang it all out there and serve him with no fear of falling. Maybe. But there’s always that stick instead of the carrot here. If the master really is an exacting man, then there’s some dreadful impetus to get off your ass and out of your hanky and get about some business.
You hear those people who say, “Well, if God is a God who would throw people in hell, that’s a mean God. I don’t want to serve a God like that.” Which, really, only begs the question – Is that God really God? Because who gives a crappe what you think he should be like, if he can and will throw your ass in hell if you’re not his servant, you’d best be about the business of serving him as he sees fit. If you can’t trust God because he’s your kind of kindly, be sure you can not trust him to be your kind of unkindly … at your peril.

Anyway, Mr. Five-times-talented Sandwich there in the middle of the story. If I have anything new to add here, I wish, instead of being only half the success of the first slave, this guy might have been a true foil for both numbers 1 and 3. Maybe he could have a story like, “Your mina, master, has made a restaurant in Bakersfield, where, for 6 months, people lined up and waited 2 hours for a table every night, and we made bank for you. But then this dork (thumbs toward Mr. Ten-times) opened another kitschy place, and all those customers fell over each other to eat there. And your mina was lost with the mortgage.”

Tried and succeeded tenfold.
Tried and failed and lost the mina entrusted to him.
Refused to try, but hankerchief’ed away the master’s original stuff.
Who would have been worse off? Would #2 have gotten a pat on the head and a “Good job, you tried,” or condemnation for having nothing to show for his efforts?
If you’re really about the master’s business, is there always a five or 10-fold return on your kingdom investment? Or, the question comes to mind, if these are characteristic talents, once bestowed, can they be lost? And if not lost, then are they at a loss only if squandered by neglect and disuse?

Bonus Day - Mar 9

Been meaning to have one of these sessions for a while now. Out of town, allergens waiting to pounce in the backyard, shite happening. Today's the day.

4 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
Pull ups - 7's-ish
Kb swings x10ish @ 70#
Overhead squat @ 95# ... 7ish
15 mins.

2 mins rest, then

Tabata bag work
Straight kicking felt good today.
13 mins.

8.5 hours - 2200/0630. 28 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours.
P267g/C71/F130 : 42/11/46%, 3282 total cal, 2975 net - win to end the week

Last week's average:
P257g/C202/F133 : 34/27/39% 
Right where I hoped to be for a refeed week - double the carbs (right at lean bw). And I felt the way I envisioned I'd feel - a little bloated and blobby all carb'ed to the gills. Up a pound, down a percent this week.
Finishing up cycle 2b weeks this week, going to move like a strong and svelte supple leopard. 
< fingers crossed >