4 Hour Body Experience: Week 7 Summary

Week 7:  2/20 - 2/26/12

Data (Based on Morning Weight, not pre-workout):

Weight:  166.5 (without gi)

BMI:  26.08

PBF (old):  4.9

PBF (New - corrected):  6.6

Blood Pressure:  142 / 75

Heart Rate: 72

Neck:  16

Chest:  41

Waist:  30

Hip:  31

Training Schedule:

Monday - 2 hours BJJ

Tuesday - 1 hour BJJ

Wednesday - Rest / Recovery

Thursday - 1 hour BJJ

Friday - Rest

Saturday - 30 min Meditation

Sunday - Competition Simulation (See Below)

Total Training Hours:  5.5

Cold Shower Procedure:

Monday - Hot Bath

Tuesday - Friday:  1 min hot, 7 min cold

Saturday - Hot Bath with Epsom Salt

Sunday - 1 min hot, 7 min cold

Strength and Conditioning:

None - due to injury

90 Second Exercises:

2/20/2012	15/15 sec lever push up
	30 sec air squat
	30 sec windmills
2/21/2012	30 sec jumping jacks
	30 sec windmills
	30 sec push up
2/22/2012	30 sec push up to plank
	30 sec spider-man push up
	30 sec air squat
2/23/2012	90 sec jumping jacks
2/24/2012	30 sec chair dips
	30 sec windmills
	30 sec lunge
2/25/2012	30 sec push up to plank
	30 sec mountain climbers
	30 sec windmills

90 Second Exercises (Cheat Day):

*Cheat Meal on Sunday after Competition Simulation (See Below)

2-Day Cut Diet (Practice):

 

Practice Cut Diet (Low Sodium, Low Carb) - 2 days out from competition
Daily Intake (1200 Cal)
Meal / Time	Cal	Protein (g)	Fat (g)	Carb (g)	Sodium (mg)	Descrip.
1 / 8 am	150	25	2	7	150	Whey
2 / 10 am	178	17	10	5	50	Tofu
3 / 1:30 pm	184	22	0	24	80	Yogurt + Fruit
4 / 3 pm	174	6	14	6	190	Nuts
5 / 5 pm	135	23	3	4	90	Vegetable + Chicken
6 / 7 pm	149	22	5	4	90	Vegetable + Turkey
7 / 9 pm	114	22	2	4	90	Vegetable + Fish
8 / 10:30 pm	174	6	14	6	190	Nuts
Total	1258	143	50	60	930
		45.50%	35.80%	19.10%
Cut Progression:
2 Days Out		Carb and Sodium Restriction; Normal Water Intake
Night Before		Hot Bath with Epsom Salt
12 Hours Before		Stop Water Intake
Morning Of		If Over Weight - Breakfast = protein cake (eggs + whey)
		If On Weight - Breakfast = Vegetables, WG Pasta, Protein Cake
After On-Site weight check		Kashi GoLean, Venison, Fruit, 5 hour energy exta
Every Hour		One Power Bar, Water as weight allows
1 Hour Before Official Weigh In		Two MetRx Big 100s, Water as weight allows
After Official Weigh In		Water
Daily Supplements:
Whey Protein	1 scoop	Muscle Pharm Combat Powder
Multivitamin	1 tablet	Equate Men's One Daily
Green Tea / Yerba Mate	4 tablets	NOW Slimula
Joint Supplement	1 pack	Universal Animal Flex
Other Notes:
Dieuretic Spices	Cayenne Pepper
*In any combination	Lemon Juice
**One serving of ea/day	Ginger
	Parseley Flakes
	Garlic
	Apple Cider Vinegar
	Cumin

Sodium Consumption/Restriction: 

 

Sodium Intake (high days)
Sample Date			2/22/2012
Food Item	mg / serv.	Qty.	Intake
Whey Protein	150 / 38g	1	150 mg
Kashi Cereal	42.5 / 26g	1	42.5 mg
Lean Beef	75 / 4oz	3	225 mg
Canned Beans	185 / 0.5 serv	1	185 mg
Canned Tuna	180 / 2oz	2	360 mg
Sauer Kraut	180 / 30g	4	720 mg
Cottage Cheese	470 / 114g	1	470 mg
Ketchup	190 / 2 TB	1	190 mg
Liquid Eggs	15 / 60g	4	60 mg
Sunflower Kernels	190 / 28g	1	190 mg
Frozen Vegetables	15 / 75g	2	30 mg
Worcheschier Sauce	65 / 1 TB	1	65 mg
Diet Soda	15 / 8oz	1	15 mg
Total			2702.5 mg
RDI			2300 mg
Sodium Intake (low days)
Sample Date	2/24/2012
Meal Items	mg / meal
Whey Protein (38g)	150
Tofu (2.5 serv)	50
Greek Yogurt (1/2 serv)	40
Nuts (2 serv)	380
Sugar Free Jello (1.5 serv)	60
Mustard	50
Vegetables + Chicken	90
Vegetables + Turkey	90
Vegetables + Frozen Fish	90
Total	1000
RDI	2300

Competition Simulation:

     This Consisted of a mock official weigh in (wearing Gi and Belt) the competing approximately 20 minutes later.  I simulated this by weighing at home (167.0) and after making the 167.5 division, drove to the gym (about 20 minutes) before beginning to rehydrate.  Then I had a training partner come in and push me fairly hard for 5 or 6 rounds (the approximate number I will be facing in the competition) with a minute rest between each round (in the competition there will be AT LEAST this much rest time between bouts).

Weekly Notes:

Monday:

• Data - Measurements and corresponding cheat meal took place yesterday (Sunday, February 19th) to celebrate gaining some great insight from Professor Jack McVicker at his seminar which I attended.  Measurements were taken prior to the seminar.  Cheat meal took place after the seminar.

Wednesday:

• Reduction of Water Retention - At the end of this week replicated the procedures I will use for my "final cut" that will occur in the days leading up to my competition.  The idea is to mimic as closely as possible competition conditions in order to observe the effects of my planned procedure and resulting performance.  Everything will be documented and changes made if needed.  Ideally I will not have to cut more than 3 lbs (the weight of my competition gi) of water weight.  I know that my body in particular carries an abnormally large amount water, so I would be fairly comfortable stretching the cut to 6 lbs of water.  By cut, I mean mild dehydrating.  What I am attempting to do is NOT reduce the amount of water consumed, but reduce my body's retention of that water.  This will be done by drastically reducing sodium and carbohydrate consumption.  In effect I can still drink as much as I please as long as the water is not coming from a water softener (which removes minerals from  "hard" well water with the help of salt).
• Further Explanation of Water Retention - As mentioned above I will reduce my body's ability to retain water by reducing my intake of sodium and carbohydrates.  Above is described my cutting procedure as well as charts detailing my dietary intake.  Balance should be taken into consideration here.  I achieved low sodium days by a counterbalance of high sodium days prior.  There were not any special methods here other than I selected (from groceries I had in stock and consume on a regular basis) foods that have a higher sodium content for high sodium days and reserved their lower sodium alternatives (my diet is set up to have several meal options) for low sodium days.  Thus, you will note my high sodium days to be around 2700 mg/day (well over the RDA of 2300 mg) while on low sodium days it drops to 1000 mg/day.  Taking an average of these days (since there are two of each during the depletion procedure) will give an close estimate to what a my typical sodium intake is.  2702.5 + 1000 = 3702.5 / 2 = 1852.6 mg/day.  This figure is pretty close to the recommended 2300 mg/day for a 2000 calorie diet scaled down to my 1500 calorie diet (1725 mg/day).  Given my activity level and sweat/sodium lost therein, a surplus of ~125 mg/day of sodium is within what I would consider a reasonable margin.  Carbohydrate intake dropped from 111g to 60g and corresponding calories also decreased.  The main effort of this cut was not to deplete calories, but rather the mechanisms that can cause water retention.
• Injury - Monday (2/20/12) I strained my left MCL (outside knee ligament).  It was not causing pain in the following days, but moderate to sever stiffness if I remained seated for seemingly any period of time.  My strength and conditioning test will NOT be conducted this week as a result of the injury.  Rather, the test will be conducted in the week following the competition.  I do not want to conduct a max out session while injured or in the week leading up to a competition.  The final week should be reserved for fine tuning techniques rather than learning new ones, recovering rather than annihilating, recovery and meditation rather than conditioning, and making fine adjustments to the diet to attain goal weight.
• Begin High Sodium Diet - weight was recorded prior to the "cut phase"

Thursday:

•  Unplanned Cheat Meal - A disappointing lapse in discipline lead to a cheat meal before bed tonight.  It spanned about 30 minutes.
• Errors in Body Fat Calculation - I recently discovered that I was taking pinch test measurements for the New Method (Jackson-Polluck 3) from one wrong location.  Unfortunately this voids any data collected via this method up to this point.  Please disregard any measurements obtained using this method in previous posts.
• High Sodium Diet continues

Friday:

• Begin Sodium and Carb Restricted Diet - As mentioned earlier I am attempting to simulate my "final cut" with conditions as closely resembling those of the competition as possible.  This consists of two high sodium days and two low sodium/low carb days as well as the addition of foods and herbs that contain diuretic properties.  See the "Weight Cut Procedure" above for details about these foods. Wednesday and Thursday of this week were high sodium days while Friday and Saturday are sodium and carb restricted days.  The actual competition cut with start with high sodium days next Tuesday and Wednesday, sodium and carb restricted days on Thursday and Friday, and the competition will take place on Saturday.  While the days are different, the time frame is still scaled identically.
• Diuretic Food Source Information - http://www.3fatchicks.com/36-diuretic-foods/ and http://www.livestrong.com/article/485320-the-adverse-side-effects-of-cumin-sage-oregano/

Saturday:

• Hot Bath with Epsom's Salt - this is to draw moisture, sweat, and oil through the skin and out of the body

Sunday:

• Sodium / Carb Depletion - This did not work as well as I had planned.  There was no noticeable shift in weight.  I suspect that the vast majority of weight loss was not from the hot bath or decreased water retention, but the result of my urine excretion and cessation of water intake the night before. This plan will be readjusted and thoroughly evaluated before being implemented next week.  The same is true of the "diuretic" herbs I was consuming.  I consume most of these things on a regular basis which is why I suspect that my bowel movement frequency was not altered.  I am considering other options to empty the bowels.  The contents therein are in fact waste, unusable to the body, and "dead" weight; the trick is to remove this waste without risking vitamin deficiency (particularly calcium and potassium) and severe (I am intentionally inducing mild) dehydration.
•  I felt good during the competition simulation.  The time frame of the procedure did not as directly mimic the competition setting as I would have liked, but it was a decent gauge none the less.  My game felt good and smooth and I felt reasonably strong.  I did feel a bit light headed and weary from the cut though.  The adaptations I will make for the real cut are as follows.  Rather than have two high sodium days followed by two low carb / low sodium days I will have a "regular" day between the two sets with average sodium consumption.  I will also be taking a mild laxative to help empty my bowels during the depletion days.  I have not completely warmed up to the idea of this, so it may not be put into fruition.  You will have to read next week's summary to find out.  The other major change from the practice cut is that I will stop my water intake sooner, about 16 hours before the competition to be more exact.  The reason for this is so that rather than still cutting a few pounds on the drive up to the tournament, I can begin (all be it VERY slowly) rehyrdating my body from the time I wake up the day of instead of only after the official weigh in mere minutes before I compete.

Links:

 MetRx Meal Replacement Bar

Power Bar Performance

5 Hour Energy Extra Strength

*Disclaimer:  As always, I am not a doctor and you should consult one before beginning any diet, supplement, drug, or exercise routines.  I am not sponsored by, promoting, or otherwise receiving benefit or endorsement from any of the supplementary, dietary, or informational links provided other than being a member of Jack McVicker's Jiu Jitsu Academy through the Peoria Athletic Club.

4 Hour Body Experience: Week 6 Summary

Week 6:  2/13 – 2/19/2012

Data:

Weight - 170

BMI - 26.63

PBF (Old) - 4.6

PBF (New) - 5.5

Heart Rate -60

Blood Pressure -137 / 87

Neck - 16.125 in

Chest - 41.125 in

Waist - 30 in

Hips - 31 in

Training Schedule:

Monday - Rest (sick)

Tuesday - Rest (sick)

Wednesday - Rest (still a bit sick)

Thursday - BJJ - 1 hour

Friday - Strength and Conditioning

Saturday - Rest (really tough S&C session)

Sunday - BJJ Seminar - 2 hours

Cold Shower Procedure:

Hot Baths - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

For Rest of Week - 1 min hot/cold/hot ea; 7 min cold

Strength and Conditioning:

2/17/2012

10 min easy row

167w, 146 cal, 2359m

Then

2 x 30 Lunge (15 forward, 15 backward)

2 x 15/20#

2 x 30 Overhead Lunge (15f, 15b)

2 x 45/60#

2 x 15 Overhead Lunge

2 x 40/40#

2 x 15 Lunge (farmer carry grip)

2 x 60/60#

Then

3 x 5 zercher squat

45/105/105

3 x 5 front squat

135/155/185

Then

Off Box 1-Leg Squat x 3/3

5 x High Pull @ 115#

5 rounds @ 30 sec rest

90 Second Exercises:

2/16/2012	30 sec jumping jacks
	30 sec squat
	30 sec windmills
2/17/2012	30 sec chair dip
	30 sec squat
	30 sec vertical pull
2/18/2012	30 sec push up
	30 sec jumping jacks
	30 sec latteral squat

 90 Second Exercises (Cheat Day):

2/19/2012	Session 1
	30 sec push up
	30 sec air squat
	30 sec bent over fly
	Session 2
	60 sec push up
	30 sec good mornings

Weekly Notes:

Monday:

• SICK (cold) - Came down with a full fledged cold today after some symptoms showed up yesterday.  I did not train, do my morning exercises, take a cold shower, or stick to my diet as I wanted to get well as soon as possible and did not want to contaminate my teammates.  Took a Vitamin C supplement (2 tablets) in the morning as well as Advil Congestion (every 4 hours) in addition to regular supplements.

Tuesday:

• Still Sick - Did not train, take a cold shower, or do morning exercises.  Did try to get back on my diet, but failed as the day went on.  Supplementation and Medication remained the same as Monday.

Wednesday:

• Felt better, symptoms still persistent - Did not train, do morning exercises or take a cold shower.  I did, however, get back on my diet and stuck to it throughout the day.  Took one Vitamin C tablet in the morning, and Advil Congestion as needed (lesser frequency than in previous days).

Thursday:

• Back on regular training, exercise, and shower schedule.  Still took one Vitamin C tablet in the morning for good measure.

Saturday:

• Some Notes on the Macronutrient Change - Last week I prescribed myself a major diet change, and you can read the details in the Week 5 Summary under the Weekly Notes section.   I did not notice a significant change in energy levels during training sessions as I thought might happen.  However, I did perceive a noticeable increase in satiety and reduction in binge urges as I predicted would also happen.  The reduction of binge urges could be due to my days of illness in which I abandoned my planned diet in order to prompt a quick recovery and get back to training.  I do not think that this was the primary cause of my increased satiety though.  With the prior rations (apx. 50/30/20; p/f/c) I was consuming I could manage about three days before I began "romanticizing" about the beloved cheat day.  If you have ever been on a strict diet you know exactly what I am talking about here.  With the recent adjustment I did not notice such pangs until day four.  That is, my last blown-diet-day this week was Tuesday I felt fully satiated throughout the day for all days up until late Saturday night.

4 Hour Body Experience: Week 5 Summary

Week 5:  2/6 - 2/12/2012

Data:

Weight - (Scale still does not have battery - on order)

BMI -(See above)

PBF (Old) - (See above)

PBF (New) - 5.02

Heart Rate - n/a

Blood Pressure - n/a

Neck - 16.125 in

Chest - 41 in

Waist - 30 in

Hips - 31 in

Training Schedule:

Monday - BJJ 2 hours (1 hour technique, 1 hour sparring)

Tuesday AM - BJJ - 1 hour (sparring)

Tuesday PM - Boxing (2 hours)

Wednesday - Strength and Conditioning

Thursday - BJJ - 1 hour

Friday - Yoga - 1 hour

Saturday - Strength and Conditioning - *See Weekly Notes

Sunday - Full Rest - *See Weekly Notes

Cold Showers:

Procedure - 1 min hot, 7 min cold

Tuesday - Hot Bath Day

Strength and Conditioning:

2/8/2012

Warm Up

2 x 5 wall squat

2 x 10 squat @ 45

2 x 5 goblet squat @ 25

Workout

2 x 30/30 sec push press @ 2 x 20#

2 x 30/30 sec squat @ 2 x 20#

two rounds @ 2 min rest

Round 1 - 25/20/11/22 reps

Round 2 - 25/20/8/21 reps

Then

2 x 5 shoulder dislocate (45/45)

2 x 5 narrow grip OHS (45/55)

2 x 5 SOT + OHS @ 2 x 10#

Then

2 x 5 wall squat (20/40)

2 x 10 squat (135/225)

2 x 5 goblet squat (80/100)

2 x 5 shoulder dislocate (65/45)

Then

OHS x 10 @ 60/50/40/30/20

Cool Down

Grip - Deadlift hang @ 165

3 x 1 min @ 30 sec rest

 

2/11/2012

Warm Up

2 x 10/10 Around The World @ 20

2 x 10 walking lunge

2 x 10 backward lunge

2 x 10 big arm circles @ 2 x 5

Light Row x 3 min

121 watts, 658m, 37 cal

Workout

1 hand DB snatch x 10/10 @ 40

1 hand DB jerk x 10/10 @ 40

3 min Row

2 rounds, 3 min rest between

R1:  183 watts, 752m, 48 cal

R2:  185 watts, 752m, 47 cal

Then

Burpee x 10

Air Squat x 10

Push Up x 20

3 min Row

*See Weekly Note

90 Second Exercises:

7-Feb	90 sec jumping jacks
2/8/2012	30/30 sec lever push up
	30 sec wrestler's bridge

2/11/2012	15/15 sec lever push up
	30 sec squat triplet
	30 sec chair dip
2/12/2012	15/15 sec lever push up
	30 sec bent over fly
	30 sec air squat

90 Second Exercises (Cheat Days):

2/6/2012	Session 1
	30 sec 1 push up per sec
	30 sec good mornings
	30 sec air squat
	Session 2
	90 sec air squat
	Session 3
	30/30 sec lever push up
	30 sec short bridge

2/9/2012	Session 1
	30 sec chair dips
	30 sec jumping jacks
	30 sec squats
	Session 2
	90 big arm circles

Weekly Notes:

 Monday:

•  Cheat Day Change - I am still having three cheat meals per week.  One is a "junk" meal on Monday morning as a reward, or "comfort", meal Monday morning after weight / data check.  One is Monday night as a "good" carb load consisting of mostly starches and whole grains and minimal junk.  The third replaces the last meal of the day on Thursday night.

Thursday:

• Weight check, scale had a dead battery on Monday, is 170 lbs.  There is no change between this week and the prior which means that  BMI also has no change this week.
• New Diet and Macronutrient Ratios - This week's weight measurement signaled that my progress had reached a plateau.  After an honest examination of my cheat meals I realized that they were not meals, but more closely resembling the 4 - 6 hour binges that I had initially planned.  The trend here is that these binges, true to the definition of the word, were a difficult to control and call a stop to, hence the planned meal stretches to a couple hours of binge eating, and a planned 4 - 6 hour binge draws out to an entire cheat day.  Given this information there needs to be a procedural change.  This observation teaches me, and those of you reading, several things:  A)  I was grossly underestimating the number of calories being consumed at each cheat meal due to their extended time frame, B)  that error was overriding a great deal of the hard work I was putting in each week, C)  the cheat meals, rather than the daily calorie intake is more likely the cause of the progress plateau, D)  rather than cut my daily calories any lower, a more effective and sustainable solution will be to reduce the number of cheat meals per week in combination with a readjustment of macronutrient ratios within the day's intake.  Ferriss himself stated that the moderate plan that you can stick to will result in better results than the perfect plan that you can not sustain.  Given the volume of training I partake in in a given week, I have opted for a higher percentage of carbohydrates in my daily diet.  Initially I waned a lower, but not super low, carb intake, but this adjustment serves two primary functions.  It will allow me to have more energy during grueling training sessions as per the function of carbohydrates.  It should also reduce the frequency and intensity of the urge to binge on sugary and high carb foods if the daily intake of carbohydrates is increased.  To break the plateau, the best solution I can think of is to consider weekly calorie consumption rather than the daily.  The explanation from this is earlier in this section.  I am dropping to one cheat meal per week, on Monday morning and overhauling my macronutrient ratios to better suit my training practices.  The cheat meal is still allowed to span a maximum of two hours, 90 seconds of exercise are required prior to and after the cheat meal, the meal following the cheat is to have a high capsicum content, and grapefruit juice is still consumed with the cheat meal.  The content of the cheat meal will include both simple and complex carbs.  The new plan will be implemented on Monday, February 13th.

• February 13, 2012 Diet
  Daily Intake (1500 Cal)
  Protein	42.70%	640 cal	160g	1g / lb
  Fat	27.60%	414 cal	46g	0.29g / lb
  Carbs	29.60%	444 cal	111g	0.69g / lb
  		1498 cal
  Meal / Time	Cal	Protein (g)	Fat (g)	Carb (g)	Descrip.
  1 / 8 am	276	30	4	30	Kashi + Whey
  2 / 10 am	265	25	5	30	Pasta/Beans + Eggs/Tofu
  3 / 2 pm	225	25	5	20	Fruit + Cottage Cheese/Yogurt
  4 / 4:30 pm	212	25	8	10	Vegetable + Beef/Pork
  5 / 7 pm	185	25	5	10	Vegetable + Chicken/Turkey/Fish
  6 / 9:30 pm	165	25	5	5	Vegetable + Chicken/Turkey/Fish
  Snack / 11 pm	174	6	4	6	Nuts
  	1502	161	46	111
  Notes:					Cheat Meal:
  Meal 1	Breakfast, whey w/ coffee				Monday morning
  Meal 2	Pre-Workout				90 seconds of exercise before
  Meal 3	Post-Workout				90 seconds of exercise after
  Snack	Apx 1 hour before bed				Grapefruit juice with meal
  Sleep	Bed @ midnight, wake @ 7 am				Simple and Complex carbs
  Wake Up	Drink at least 500ml ice water				Following meal is SPICY
  Bed	30 min of ice on body prior
  Coffee	add saigon cininamon
  Juice	Grapefruit, see Cheat Meal
  Garlic	with one meal daily
  Lemon/Lime	With one meal ever other day
  Capsicum	With one meal ever other day
  Sugar Free Jello	Mix one packet at start of ea. Week
  Supplements:
  Whey Protein	Muscle Pharm Combat Powder - one scoop daily
  Joint Guard	Universal Animal Flex - one pack daily
  Tea Supp.	NOW Slimaluma Plus - two capsules daily
  Multivitamin	Equate Men's One Daily - one per day

• I want to take a minute to closely examine some of the finer points of this proscription.  Firstly, notice that my protein intake is still at one gram / pound of (goal) bodyweight.  This is fairly common recommendation by many sources on the web.  Secondly, notice that carbohydrate intake is still around 100g which is what some sources (sorry, no link) suggest to keep the body out of ketosis.  That is not a primary concern of mine, however, it should be noted, thirdly, that fat intake is still close to 30% which is considered fairly high by most dietary standards.  There are also some noteworthy points about when I am eating what.  Notice that the carbohydrate dense meals are early in the day, reminiscent of a Target Ketogenic Diet.  The reason for this is that the body needs more energy early in the day and less as physical activity winds down.  Most of my training sessions are during the noon hour, and thus I am loading my body with energy nutrients (carbs) prior to training.  Note that in relation to this theory, calories consumed per meal also generally decreases throughout the day for the same reason.  Also along those lines, protein consumption remains fairly constant throughout the day and fat intake per meal peaks in the middle of the day before decreasing in later meals.  Most meals are within 2 - 3 hours of each other with one exception occurring around my training session in which I want to have energy for, but do not want to feel too full going into it. A final note on fat, the last meal of the day is a healthy fatty snack to promote sleep (suggested by Ferriss).

Saturday:

• Overtraining - Fortunately I have been intelligently involved in the fitness game to recognize the difference in reasons why I do not have the "will to train."  That is, I can usually recognize whether I need to "suck it up" and get to the gym or if I am actually symptomatic of over training.  On Saturday I really did not want to go in for my strength and conditioning workout, but I sucked it up and drove to the gym.  I warmed up, got through the first three rounds and was dead.  I thought to myself that they should have been hard, they should have down right sucked, but they should NOT have been nearly as draining as they were.  I was not sore, my muscles did not ache, but I WAS mentally drained and extremely physically lethargic.  On the very rare occasion I had absolutely no will to continue.  I opted out of the majority of the workout and took an contrast shower consisting of 1, 2, 3, 2, 1 minute intervals of hot water followed by cold before moving to the next duration.  To make the case for my overtraining, I had a bit of a runny nose and sore throat on Sunday and did not pay much attention to it other than popping a few vitamin C tablets and one Advil Congestion Relief just to fend things off.  Monday morning I had a full blown cold, note that I rarely get sick.  Further documentation of this will be included in next week's (Week 6) notes.