About Training Board

My name is Matt Baldwin and in this blog I record my fitness and workout routines, and I discuss diet and weight loss techniques. I also publish reflections or reviews of various fitness and nutrition related topics that interest me.

I am into CrossFit and I work out with the crew at CrossFit Asheville here in Asheville, NC.

If anything I have posted seems useful to you, let me know with a comment.
February 6, 2010

Fasting Again

I have just completed another full day (28+ hours) of fasting, my third full day fast since I added a periodic fast, once every six weeks, to my training routine. Fasting is intended to be a part of my cyclical “rest week” efforts at cleansing, recuperation, and restoration. I am very new at this fasting business. Prior to incorporating the practice into my regular schedule, I had never before deliberately fasted for a full day. Now, having completed three fasts (previously I fasted on Nov. 10-11th and on Dec. 22-23rd, 2009), I am feeling proud of myself and happy with my decision.

Training Cycle: Week 6/6 (Rest Week)
Surgery Recovery Week 1/8
No Alcohol Month 2/5
Diet: Flexible-Paleo-Zone

Rest Day

In finishing up this fast, a number of questions emerged for me, and at present, I am doing some reading trying to get the answers. I’ll report on the subject later, when I think I have my facts straight. In short, my questions are: (1) how much time does it take for your body to digest and use up the energy of your last meal before a fast? (2) what happens to your insulin, ghrelin, leptin, and glucagon levels during the course of fasting, both short and long term? (3) what does your body use for fuel after it finishes metabolizing your last meal? (4) when does the body begin to break down fat tissues? (5) when does the body begin to break down muscle tissues? (6) how long does it take for the body to use up stored glycogen in the liver and muscles? (7) how long does it take for your intestines to clear out your meal? and does fasting for 28 hours allow your intestines to empty out? (8) is there any medical data to support claims that fasting causes the body to break down and use damaged or diseased tissues as fuel? (9) is there any medical data to support claims that fasting leads to “detoxification”? (10) how does fasting affect human growth hormone levels, cortisol, and other hormones? (11) is there any quantifiable positive benefit to giving your body a rest from “oxidative stress” caused by processing food?

A lot of questions in my mind. I was going to do some research and write about it all tonight, but I’ve run out of steam, and I realized quickly that there was a lot of information to assimilate, some of it controversial and argumentative. I’m going to do some more reading on this in the medical literature and write more in the future. In the meantime, if any readers have links to reliable discussions of this topic, I’d love them posted to comments.

February 4, 2010

Reflecting on the May 22nd Program

Rules of “The May 22nd Program”
(abbreviated)

1. Keep Food Journal
2. Maintain More-Strict-Paleo-Food Quality
3. Limit Carbohydrate Intake
4. Allow Two Cheat Days Monthly
5. Cycle Workouts 5 Weeks “On” 1 Week “Off”
6. Commit to R & R
7. Fast 28+ Hours Every Six Weeks
8. No Alcohol until May 22nd

It’s been just over 4 weeks since I began my new program, on my 41st birthday. Gosh, it feels like a longer time to me. At that point I was in the middle of the second week of a six week training cycle, and now I am currently in the last, rest week of that same cycle.

It’s been a difficult time. My new son, J. Z., is just over six weeks old, so the current cycle, and the new plan, stands heavily under the influence of “new infant in the house.” That means: lack of sleep, irregular schedule, increased stress, and the embarrassment (for me) of being constantly confronted by my shortcomings. I am so much less patient than I should be, so much more emotionally volatile than I should be. Really, not a very good parent. Good news is, I gave up alcohol when J.Z. was born, and haven’t been drinking. This would be harder if I was drinking. Or would it? Anyway, it’s difficult both ways.

For months, I have been experiencing a lot of pain in my right leg during workouts, and finally, I made arrangements to have surgery on the leg. Which I did this past Monday. I had the hardware removed from my right tibia: an 18″ titanium nail and two proximal screws that fixed the nail in place. So now, I’m in a lot of pain, and, although I haven’t been doing the alcohol, I am doing the painkillers. (I’ve pledged to myself to do that for only one week. No guilt, then, for a week.) Of course, instead of just being bedridden and letting myself “heal,” by resting, I have been doing most of my usual fatherly duties. And I went back to work yesterday.

The surgery just happened to be timed with a rest week. That was “convenient”! I can tell that my recovery is going to be swift, and I know I should just be patient. But psychologically it’s difficult to lay around this week, and not do my customary two workouts during a rest week. And it’s been difficult to know how to behave with food. I’ve been tempted, and have in several instances varied rather severely from my usual dietary program. I’ve been eating way out of “zone” proportions, and not always in “paleo” qualities. So I feel a bit concerned. Will I lose my way?

Well, that’s what the rules of the program are for. They are guideposts. They are a checklist. I go through them, comment, reflect. Let’s see where I am.

1. Food JournalI have been having some problems with the food journal. Life just gets so hectic. I am frequently burdened, literally, by a little child in my hands. My wife tends to resent it when I am constantly logging into my computer and writing about myself, too. So, sometimes, the detail and dedication isn’t where it could be. And then, I eat too much, or inappropriate quantities. I think now, when I consider it: I know I can do better. The foundation of feeling better about where I’m going, even in this difficult time, is maintaining my discipline of food journalling! So I hereby declare: I’m getting even more serious.

2. Maintain More-Strict-Paleo Food Quality. Ahem. I have fallen off the wagon on this one. Mostly, I remain “Paleo.” But I keep eating small quantities of disallowed items. What have I eaten lately that fails here? Occasional small quantities of chocolate. Oatmeal. Corn Chips. Milk. Cheese. Corn. Legumes. This week, my excuse is that I was in the hospital, and too many of the things they served me weren’t Paleo. But I chose to eat them. The only bright spot here is that I gave up milk and cream in my coffee. Strangely, I don’t miss it. The milk and cheese I’ve eaten lately was either token or trivial amounts (a bite of cheese, for example, just to taste it) or it was some milk I drank while in the hospital (say what you want about it’s non-Paleo qualities, and its detrimental effects on health, in the short term it’s calcium with protein, carbs, and fat, and at the time, I wanted that). Also, overall, I’ve been overreliant on fruit in recent weeks, and not eating enough vegetables. I gotta do better.

3. Limit Carbohydrate Intake. I’ve completely fallen flat on this goal. I was doing better before I articulated the goal. My carbs have been less than my protein, to be sure, and in terms of average Pro/Cho ratio, my carbs are low. Compared to most American diets, my carbs are low. But they aren’t where I want them to be (i.e. sub 150 on most days). I wouldn’t be surprised if (a) I got a cold or flu, and (b) I ended up pushing up my body fat % number. So, if that happens: no expression of shock allowed! This problem with carbs is tied to what I noted above: overreliance on fruit instead of veggies. It’s not like it’s being caused by Corn Chips! Except, for the past two days, it has been caused by that. Also, dried figs and dates have got to go for a week or two.

4. Allow Two Cheat Days Monthly. Surprisingly, I haven’t followed this plan either! I’ve had several “Paleo” cheat days, where food quality was mostly maintained, but calories and macronutrient ratios went out the window, but only one true no-holds-barred cheat day since I began the program. It’s time to get more serious about cheating. The only thing is that, after my last cheat day, I felt so gross about it I didn’t feel like doing another cheat day two weeks later. (What does that tell you?) Let me just say, the rule is “allow two cheat days monthly,” not “take two.” I’m allowed… so what if I don’t do it? First cheat day of February will be Feb. 13. I plan to make an Italian feast. There’ll probably be only one during the month, but maybe more!

5. Cycle Workouts 5 Weeks on 1 Week Off. This continues to work for me. As noted, this is a rest week, the 6th week of a cycle. A new Cycle begins on Monday. I have done 3-5 workouts per week during work weeks every week during this cycle. I have really maintained my dedication here… IN SPITE OF DISRUPTED SLEEP. So, pat on the old back. I have to trust that this program is working. Now, will I go back to the gym on this coming Monday, at the beginning of week 1/6, in spite of my leg? You bet I will. I don’t know what I’ll do, but it’ll be good.

6. Commit to R & R. Somehow, this idea seems ludicrous to me at the moment. The problem with it is that I can’t control how much sleep I get right now. But where I fail to take it seriously is in disciplining myself to go to sleep early when I have the option. Also, the “recovery” portion sometimes receives short shrift: stretching, ice baths, self-massage, etc. Where is it? I can and must do better, now, with this leg. I’ll be writing more about “recovery” in the weeks ahead.

7. Fast 28+ Hours At Least Every 6 Weeks. My surgery coincided with my usual fast time; actually, it came the day before. It didn’t seem wise to try to fast in the early days of recovery from this surgery… although maybe it would be wise? I don’t know. So, I didn’t fast this week. But this week I do plan to fast: from tomorrow AM, Friday, at 9:00 am, to Saturday at 1:00 pm. That’s a 28 hour fast. I think it will be a good cleanse. I will report on it.

8. No Alcohol until May 22nd. Total compliance. 100%. No problem.

When I go through my list, I see strengths and weaknesses. But I think the larger pattern here is: in the face of life’s demands, it is a struggle to maintain your AWARENESS and your PRESENCE. But awareness, a conscious way of living, presence in your life, is the most important thing, when it comes to achieving your goals. It is my awareness that has flagged when I slack off on Paleo, or on food journalling, or on limiting carb intake. And although it’s not strictly speaking required by the May 22nd program, it’s a lack of awareness that pushes me far from Zone dietary principles. It’s a lack of awareness and focus that takes me away from R&R. Perhaps my cleanse/fast, starting tomorrow, will wake up my awareness a bit more and help me hang on to it, in the coming days.

February 3, 2010

Road to Recovery?

Ow. Had leg surgery Monday. Tired now, and wigged out from painkillers. Two months.

Training Cycle: Week 6/6 (Rest Week)
Surgery Recovery Week 1/8
No Alcohol Month 2/5
Diet: Flexible-Paleo-Zone

Full Rest Week — No WODs this Week

There’s a lot more to say but I really lack the focus and energy at the moment. I could blog about the horrible food at the hospital. About the glories of Demerol, Dilaudid, Morphine, and Oxycodone. Lol. I could blog about my worries about eating too much, or not right, or about losing ground from resting and not working out. Or about my fears about whether I will recover all my range of motion and strength in my leg, etc.

Well, but, aw… screw that. I am just going to enjoy this Oxycodone at the moment and watch TV. If, during the next week, I can find a little time to check in and discuss my overall program, to assess the status of my current diet, my body composition, and my training progress (or lack thereof), I will do so.

January 30, 2010

Cycle’s End

The last WOD of the latest cycle, and it was a doozy. Weighted ring dips. And a Tabata protocol Mash-Up of Wall Ball shots (12 lbs) with box step-ups (20″), rest 3 min, then Kettlebell Swings (1.5 pood / 53 lbs) and Burpees. My whole being is exhausted today. Which is good timing, considering what’s coming up. It’s a rest week for me. AND, this week I’m getting surgery on my leg (removal of tibia hardware on my right lower leg). And of course I’ll do a fast. Most likely Friday to Saturday, next weekend. Later this week I’ll do a bit of writing about my program and progress, looking back at the latest cycle, at life training with the new baby in the house, at the status of my current plan (the “May 22nd Program”), and at the training outlook going forward while recovering from surgery.

Training Cycle: Week 5/6 (Work Week)
Running Hiatus Week 8/8
No Alcohol Month 2/5
Diet: More-Strict-Paleo-Zone
(Blocks: 20-22 pro, 50-58 fat, 16-19 cho)
Fourth WOD of this Week

Warm-Up

This week’s warm up again, including footwork on the mat, stretching, and calisthenics such as push-ups, cross chops, pull-ups, and overhead squats.

Strength: Weighted Ring Dips

I surprised myself when I was able to perform weighted ring dips!

Result: 3 x bw / 3 x +2 / 3 x +5 / 3 x +8 / 3 x +10 / 3 x +8 / 1 x +5 = 19 reps and total additional volume of 104 lbs.

WOD: Tabata Mashup

What a brutal little workout this one is! Whew.

Tabata Mash-ups
Wall Ball / Box Jumps

3 minutes rest

Tabata Mash-up
Kettlebell swings / Burpees

Post total reps to comments.

I used a 12 lb medicine ball for the wall ball shots, a 20″ box for the box-step ups (I subbed step-ups on account of my leg), a 53 lbs (1.5 pood) kettlebell for the kettlebell swings, and I just used my body for the burpees, which always feel like THE MOST INSANELY DIFFICULT thing that I do.

I won’t bother to explain “Tabata” protocol here… this isn’t an instructional site for workout techniques.

Suffice it to say, in total this workout consisted of 32 rounds of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off, and I completed 257 reps (166 reps of the first mash-up, and 91 reps of the second).

Aftermath

In the aftermath of today’s workout, I am tired. The workout tired me out! And, I should think, I am tired as well from the 4-5 workouts per week during the past five weeks, in a season of chronic sleep deprivation. I have been testing my endurance, and seeing myself get stronger during this time. But now it’s time for rest and reflection.

January 29, 2010

Heavy Daze, Again

We last did this WOD on Aug. 31st, 2009. I repeated it today, with the same weights, and finished faster by 26 seconds, a 9% increase in power output over a 5 month period. Not bad, I think, considering all the variables in my life (like a gimpy leg, surgery being scheduled for this Monday, and a new baby in the house with all the attendant sleepless nights, like last night).

Training Cycle: Week 5/6 (Work Week)
Running Hiatus Week 8/8
No Alcohol Month 2/5
Diet: More-Strict-Paleo-Zone
(Blocks: 20-22 pro, 50-58 fat, 16-19 cho)
Third WOD of this Week

Warm-Up

Standard mat work, followed by dislocates, stretching, and some light calisthenics (I didn’t push it, and only did a few reps of everything).

Strength: Power Clean

Result: 3 x 95 / 3 x 115 / 3 x 135 / 3 x 145 (PR) / 2 x 155 (fail on 3) / 1 x 155 (fail on 2) (1 rep PR) / 3 x 135 / 3 x 135 / 3 x 135

Volume: 3,150. Volume was pumped up by the 3 work sets at the end. 135 was my previous 3 rep PR, and 145 was my previous 1 rep, both set in September. This session made previous sessions look lame.

WOD: Heavy Daze

Fast, powerful WOD. What I learned from it is that (a) you can do tuck jumps fast without hurting yourself, and (b) you had better do them fast, because, if you don’t, you’ll be unnecessarily slow.

15 deadlifts / 30 tuck jumps / 15 push-ups
12 deadlifts / 24 tuck jumps / 12 push-ups
9 deadlifts / 18 tuck jumps / 9 push-ups
For time.

I used the same weight as in August (175 lbs).

Result: 4:49. 26 seconds faster than last time. The last round of tuck jumps was at least 3x faster than the first two (rep for rep). I wish I had figured out the tuck jump earlier in the process.

January 27, 2010

Fall of Troy (Get Up, Turkey)

A fun little partner WOD this morning. Frank and I competed together as “The Trojans.”

Training Cycle: Week 5/6 (Work Week)
Running Hiatus Week 8/8
No Alcohol Month 2/5
Diet: More-Strict-Paleo-Zone
(Blocks: 20-22 pro, 50-58 fat, 16-19 cho)
Second WOD of this Week

No time for detailed notes here. We did a standard warm-up, then worked just a bit on TGUs. Then, the WOD: AMRAP in 20 minutes, Turkish Get Ups, one partner works at a time.

Result: Frank: 51 reps; Matt 52 reps. I used 35 lbs. Frank used 18 lbs. Total volume: 2738. We didn’t do that well, comparatively; looks like we came in 6th overall, but that was before the final results were in.

For some reason, perhaps because I am so exhausted, I was famished today. I was so hungry when I got home from work that I ate almost 2000 calories between 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm. All Paleo! It was a paleo cheat day. I ate about 3300 calories; way too many of these were carbs (213g+) and WAY WAY too many were protein (233g+). How do you know when you have overeaten? Heartburn. Yikes.

January 25, 2010

Our Lady (Po Mo Fran Again)

A night of crappy sleep preceded this first workout of the week. I went to bed late, after 11:20 pm, and was still trying to get to sleep, to get past the limits imposed by my own caffeine addled body, and by the periodically crying baby in our bed; at nearly 3:00 am, still sleepless in Asheville, I went downstairs to the basement and slept on the couch. It still wasn’t for nearly 40 more minutes before I was asleep. My alarm went off at 4:45 am. Yay! One hour of sleep. This will kill me yet. But not today.

Training Cycle: Week 5/6 (Work Week)
Running Hiatus Week 8/8
No Alcohol Month 2/5
Diet: More-Strict-Paleo-Zone
(Blocks: 20-22 pro, 50-58 fat, 16-19 cho)
First WOD of this Week

Warm-Up

Footwork, stretching, calisthenics.

Skill/Strength: Snatch Balance

Rx’d: 3-3-3-3-3

Result: PVC x multiple; 2 x 3 x 45; 3 x 65 ; 4 x 3 x 75.

Our Lady

Using your Fran weight:
90 seconds max reps Thrusters
60 sec rest /90 sec max rep Pull-Ups
60 sec rest /60 sec m.r. Thrusters
60 sec rest /60 sec m.r. Pull-Ups
60 sec rest /30 sec m.r. Thrusters
60 sec rest /30 sec m.r. Pull-Ups

I used 95 lbs (Rx’d!) on the Thrusters and did unassisted Pull-Ups.

Result: 13 & 22 / 10 & 15 / 9 & 10 = 32 Thrusters / 47 Pull-Ups = 79 reps.

Analysis: Mixed results. Comparatively, this is not too bad, and it probably shows some progress overall. We did this WOD as “our lady Micah” back in August. Unfortunately, for that WOD I didn’t record weight, or assistance bands, although I think I used the purple band on the pull-ups. I probably used 65 or 75 lbs on the Thrusters. At that time I got 88 reps, but my power was definitely lower. On the other hand we last did Fran on Nov. 2nd; on that day I finished in 9:50 using 85 lbs, unassisted pull-ups meaning that my power output was definitely higher than today. (I did it 1 minute and 10 seconds faster, with only 2 fewer pull ups, and a Thruster volume of 3,825 vs. today’s 3,040). But, this was my first time using Rx’d weights for Fran in a Thruster WOD, so my per rep load was higher on the Thrusters. Also, I clearly was holding back on the first round, and on the second too. If only I’d done … at least a few more reps. D’oh. So there! (It still would have been slower.) I keep pressing on. Did I mention that I did this on only one hour of sleep, after five weeks of 3-5 hours of sleep per night? Well?

January 23, 2010

The “Paleo” Cheat Day (Coco-Cocoa-Banana Pudding Recipe)

I didn’t set out to do it, but today became my first ever “Paleo-Cheat-Day,” that is, a clear “cheat day” that was composed of completely “Paleo” foods. What I did set out to do, however, was satisfy a craving I had for a special treat. I devised a paleo version of one of my favorite desserts, the Italian Chocolate Pudding Mold I learned to make from the outstanding cookbook The Silver Spoon. (A must have for every kitchen, by the way.)

See page 1024 for the recipe for a traditional Italian “Chocolate Mold,” i.e. Budino al Cioccolato

My Accidental Paleo-Cheat Day

One thing that makes the “Paleo-Diet” so beloved by its proponents is the fact that it is sometimes called an “unregulated” or an “unrestricted” diet, meaning, so long as your food quality lines up with “Paleolithic” principles, you can eat as much as you like.

Paleo-theorists apply a lot of science to thinking about the types of food that Paleolithic humans did or didn’t eat. And it’s true that you will live a healthier life if you confine yourself to “Paleo-quality” foods. That’s fine, as far as it goes. But it simply doesn’t go far enough.

The more responsible Paleo-theorists will also think about when, why, and how much Paleolithic humans ate. The answer to this is, of course: they ate whenever food became available, they ate as much as was available, and they ate not only to stave off hunger, but to store energy for times when food would not be available.

Modern Americans who are living above the poverty level basically have access to any food they could want, whenever they want it. But Paleolithic humans weren’t Americans. They had the opportunity to hunt or gather food only periodically. Edible plants are available only in certain seasons and in certain areas. Animals live year round, but they too have life cycles and their migratory patterns are such that, in paleolithic times, they would be moving in and out of areas settled or ranged by humans. Weather patterns sometimes bring rain, sometimes drought. The food yield of the earth, in a state of nature, is in constant flux.

Thank God for evolution. Our human ancestors inherited two traits, one metabolic and the other behavioral, that allowed them to thrive in this potentially difficult environmental context. These traits evolved in mammals a long time before they were inherited by human beings, and while they were useful to Paleolithic human beings, they now happen to be some of the most frustrating aspects of our bodies. I am speaking, of course, of (a) our capacity to store excess calories as fat, and (b) our capacity to overeat in the presence of surplus food supply. These related abilities allow mammals to prepare for lean times (such as winter) by carrying with them at all times a non-perishable energy supply that doubles as a nice layer of insulation! The two capacities work together and support each other. Only our ability to eat in excess of the limits set by the hormonally triggered feelings of “hunger” and “satiety” allows us to create that surplus of available energy which our body can store as fat.

Paleolithic humans didn’t have to worry about their genetic heritage. It simply worked for them. There wasn’t any media or cultural pressure for them to have six-pack abs or be “fit,” so if they got a little bit chubby in a good year, it wasn’t a big deal to them. In any case, they were likely all pretty “fit” by our standards and they would almost certainly burn off any excess fat their bodies were lucky enough to store during lean seasons.

We, on the other hand, have to think carefully about what evolution has bequeathed to us. The ready availability of food in our society, especially when combined with a broken food culture that regularly “supersizes” portions in order to maximize industry profits, means that we are constantly offered the opportunity to overeat. And we are genetically predisposed to do so. Studies show that human perceptions of “hunger” and satiety, and our willingness to eat, are in part relative to the amount of food that is placed before us. Increasing portion sizes increases food intake. (See here, here, and here). To make it more complex, it turns out our food intake is also relative to the food choices and body type of the people we eat with. (That’s called “social contagion”).

I can hear the objections of the Paleo-theorists already! It is simply not possible, they say, to overeat if you limit yourself to high-quality, “Paleo” foods. Not true. A large number of acceptable (or nearly acceptable) “paleo” and whole foods are nutrient and calorie dense enough that they can be easily overeaten: coconut oil, coconut milk, dates, bananas, sweet potatoes, eggs, high-fat cuts of meat, dried fruits of all kinds, and nuts.

Furthermore, people who want to eat “paleo” are out there, all over the web, posting “recipes” for “paleo”-versions of your favorite dessert, breakfast treat, or what have you. These baked and fried treats use supposedly-paleo substitutes for flour like coconut flour and almond flour, and so-called-paleo substitutes for sugar like honey or “agave nectar” (an industrially processed product I prefer to call “high fructose cactus syrup”).

The recipe:

So, this brings me to my recipe and my unintentional cheat day.

All day long I ate normally, in a “Zone-balanced” and “Paleo” fashion. But by 9:00 pm I had eaten only about 2200 calories, and I knew that meant I could safely do some additional snacking. But what to eat?

I had been saving two bananas to let them get very ripe. These bananas were being saved in order to serve as the sugar substitute for a dish I’d been thinking up in my mind: a Paleo pudding-mold. (In very ripe bananas, the starches break down into glucose and fructose, giving them a much sweeter, and softer consistency.) Looking up at the shriveled, almost black bananas, I decided it was time to use them. My idea for the pudding was simple: use bananas instead of sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder in the place of sweetened dark chocolate, and coconut flour in the place of wheat flour. In the place of milk, I would use a combination of coconut milk and almond milk. By golly, I’m here to report, this plan worked!


Matt’s Paleo Coco-Cocoa-Banana-Pudding
aka Boudino al Paleolithico


4 eggs, separated
4 tbsp. virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut flour
6 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 very ripe bananas
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
pinch of salt

First, preheat oven to 350. Grease a mold with coconut oil and lightly dust it with coconut flour. Set aside. Prepare hot water and pour it a deep oven-safe vessel that is large enough that the mold can be set into it and surrounded with hot water half-way up the mold. Put the vessel in the oven to get ready for the mold.

Take the egg yolks, coconut oil, and bananas and cream them together thoroughly in a bowl. In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk, almond milk, salt and chocolate powder, until it reaches a scalding temperature. Gradually, a few tablespoons at a time, add the milk to the yolk, oil, banana mixture and blend thoroughly. Add the coconut flour and blend, then return to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, five minutes, until the mixture is thick. Remove from heat and let it cool. In a separate, grease free bowl, whip up the egg whites until they are very stiff and frothy (they will grow in volume about fourfold). Fold the whipped egg whites into the cooled chocolate-banana-milk mixture, and then pour the resulting foamy slurry into the prepared mold. Set the mold in the hot water bath in the oven, and bake for 30-45 minutes until the pudding sets. Remove from oven, let cool 30-45 minutes, then gently turn the pudding out onto a plate. Serves 6. Or, it serves Matt and 1/2 of another person.

This was a truly awesome “paleo” treat. The trouble was, I made it at night, and everybody else in the house was asleep. And I was hungry when I approached it. On the plate, it looked like a single serving to me. I hadn’t yet done the nutritional information calculations on it, so all I was thinking was: “it’s Paleo,” and “it’s kinda high in fat, but it has eggs, coconut, and bananas, with no added sugar!” That is, it’s like a second breakfast! So, I couldn’t stop eating my beautiful Coco-Cocoa-Banana Pudding! I ate 2/3 of the thing myself before saving the rest for my wife (who did eat it for breakfast, by the way). It was surprisingly delicious, though not as delicate or creamy smooth as its sugared, dairy based, cousin, the Budino al Cioccolato (the fiber in the banana and the coconut flour give it a more curdled texture).

When I was done eating for the day, I realized what had happened because my stomach felt the usual “cheat day” symptoms: bloating and distension, and an unpleasant feeling of being over-full. It wasn’t until later that I calculated the actual damage.

Download (in .pdf) a copy of the Nutritional Information for Matt’s Paleo Cocoa-Coconut-Banana Pudding Mold

According to Fit-Day, this beautiful creation has over 1,805 calories, with a whopping 145 g of fat, 103 g of carbs, and 45 g of protein. Not quite “Zone balanced,” but reasonable. If it were used to serve 6, this would be a quite sensible low calorie, “Paleo” dessert: 300 calories per serving, each with 25g of fat, 18g of cho, and 8g of protein. But, in the presence of this caveman, a pudding like this is more like, serves 1 and a half. Because it was so light, fluffy, warm and chocolatey, I was easily able to eat 1200 calories of eggs, coconut fat, and bananas in one sitting, which, along with the 2 oz. of nuts, the date, and the dried fig I had snacked on while making my treat, brought my total calories for the day to about 4000. Which is about 1100 calories more than I need or want in a given day.

Ta da! A Paleo cheat day.

If anyone could get fat on a Paleo-diet, I could. Your comments are welcome.

January 23, 2010

Vitality (“Running Elbell”)

Training Cycle: Week 4/6 (Work Week)
Running Hiatus Week 7/8
No Alcohol Month 2/5
Diet: More-Strict-Paleo-Zone
(Blocks: 20-22 pro, 50-58 fat, 16-19 cho)
Fourth WOD of this Week

I did an exhausting Saturday WOD today at the 9:00 am CFA Class. Exhausting, but the intensity left me feeling ALIVE. Working out so hard delivers an intense feeling of vitality.

Warm-Up

A little running, and the fast feet drill. Stretching, dislocates, etc. Overhead Squats, Clapping Push-Ups, Sit-Ups, a couple of Pull-Ups.

Skill: Skin the Cats

What I love about learning new skills is the feeling of the novelty. What I don’t like is not knowing whether I’ve made measurable progress. I didn’t keep proper track of reps, rounds, or even my method for these difficult and fun moves. But I did a bunch; at least 10? It’s all very new to me.

WOD: “Running Elbell”

5 rounds of:
200m run
30 kettlebell swings (1.5/1 pood)
15 knees-to-elbows
For time.

I did this with a 45# Kettlebell, and I subbed rowing 200 meters for the run.

Result: 22:55 (approx).

The rowing was INTENSE. I managed to keep it below 40 seconds for 3/5 of the rounds. I kept my splits between about 1:35 (at the lowest) and 1:45 (at about the highest, not including the ramp up). I noticed that it usually took me 5 strokes to get up to speed. On my best effort, it took only 4 strokes. Most 200 meter sprints could be done in 21-22 strokes. They ALL left me out of breath, with that “I’m gonna puke” feeling in my saliva ducts and mucous membranes of the throat. Transitioning to the KB swings was tough. The whole thing was tough. Wow. I’m always impressed at the torture. 150 KB swings is a lot.

January 22, 2010

Foiled by a Sleepless Night

Training Cycle: Week 4/6 (Work Week)
Running Hiatus Week 7/8
No Alcohol Month 2/5
Diet: More-Strict-Paleo-Zone
(Blocks: 20-22 pro, 50-58 fat, 16-19 cho)
Forced Rest Day

I had work to do, so, last night, after putting Lena down, and then helping get James down, it was finally 9:30 pm, and I graded some homework assignments for my REL 111 class. By 11:00 I was ready for bed. But I had put in a long day, drank too much coffee, done too much, thought too much. Wired I was. So I did not sleep right away. A book helped me feel sleepy. I turned out the light. A few minutes later, James began stirring. He was up for the next four hours. About 2 hours later I tried to help put him down, but ran into trouble when I discovered my dog had again shat all over the floor. Yelling, cleaning, bright lights ensued. I gave James back to his mom, angry at myself and frustrated with life, at about 1:45 am. But she had no more luck than I. James’ crying kept me up too. That and the sheer exhausting stress of it all. About 3:30 in the morning I was starting to wonder what I’d do. James was still fussing. I usually get up at 4:40, but this night I hadn’t slept a wink, and, best case scenario I was looking at something less than a full sleep cycle (90 to 110 minutes). Oh shit. That meant trouble for my planned day. I got up, took James again, swaddled and slung him. I sent an email to coach Shanna, telling her I was not coming. I waited for James to quiet down and sleep. He finally got to sleep just after four am. I went to bed, and managed to fall asleep by 4:30.

I got up with Lena at 6:30. Taught a full day on two hours of sleep. I did surprisingly well! But I never did find any time for any kind of workout.

What to do when training gets derailed? Roll with it baby. Don’t panic, don’t overeat, don’t beat yourself up. Tomorrow, the very next day, that’s where you begin again. And yeah, I’m wondering, but not overly worried, about whether I’ll get my sleep tonight.

What did I miss? On the one hand, nothing. On the other, push-presses, thrusters, push-ups. I’ll live. All things pass.

hi mom!