Segansational's Motivation Log

[Hyde]

Just gorgeous. Sounds like you guys had a great family experience together!

 

[Rockslide]

Making me want to get back to the mountains. I’m going to have to start a different log for my Alaska hunt when I eventually get around to getting one set up and go up and down 6000-10000 feet for a week with 65 lbs of gear on my back.

I would beg my wife to move to northern Wyoming if she could work there. Unfortunately though it wouldn’t work for her job. I’m about as rural as she can be right now , that part of the country is a different type of rural though and can’t just commute 90 miles when it’s snowing 2 inches an hour for a week.

 

[akboom87]

Making me want to get back to the mountains. I’m going to have to start a different log for my Alaska hunt when I eventually get around to getting one set up and go up and down 6000-10000 feet for a week with 65 lbs of gear on my back.

I would beg my wife to move to northern Wyoming if she could work there. Unfortunately though it wouldn’t work for her job. I’m about as rural as she can be right now , that part of the country is a different type of rural though and can’t just commute 90 miles when it’s snowing 2 inches an hour for a week.

What kinda hunt you planning sheep?

Did a moose hunt back in 2019 up there was a blast. But kinda cheating I grew up there so my buddies still live there so I just go out with them.

 

[Segansational]

Brother I gotta hear more. did you guys see old Faithful? Where did you go in at and how many days in the actual park? did you circle the whole thing? I have such faint memories from going when I was 11 or 12 back in '94. How crowded was it? what was your favorite animal or part?

I think you would really love Mt Rainier, and the Olympics. but they're a totally different experience.

We flew into Bozeman and drove to West Yellowstone to start. From there we made essentially 3 stops in the park, starting with Old Faithful, Grand Primsatic, and the lower loop, then on to Lake Yellowstone, then through Hayden Valley up to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone / Canyon Lodge, then on to Norris Geyser Basin and the upper loop on the way to Mammoth Hot Springs and finally on back to Bozeman. So basically went from the West entrance and headed our way out the North entrance. We went over a period of 5 days total.

Not crowded at all! We went literally at the end of the season (as in Canyon Lodge services was closing the day after we departed), but also got lucky the weather was perfect - it had snowed the week before - but we didn't see any trace of it.

If I had to pick one thing, seeing the Grand Prismatic Spring from the Overlook was the most unique and completely stunning view. But a close second for me was Norris Geyser Basin with all of the different geothermal features - seeing the steam rising off the ground and being treated to an unexpected geyser erupting for a good 5-7 mins and actually getting "rained" on from it, was absolutely surreal. There's just nothing else like the landscapes anywhere out east. Coming from a city and even green, flat farmland in PA, seeing mountains, rivers, and everything else is truly a sight to see.

The best animal experience was seeing the bison. On the first day we drove into the park cars were backed up on the entrance road, and a minute or so later we found out why. This guy was just casually walking down the road on the opposite side and walked right by our car window!

We did see just a handful or elk, one in the distance with antlers, but not nearly as many as we expected to see. Was hoping to see more as we heard it was elk rut season, but honestly didn't see very many out and about at all.

Making me want to get back to the mountains. I’m going to have to start a different log for my Alaska hunt when I eventually get around to getting one set up and go up and down 6000-10000 feet for a week with 65 lbs of gear on my back.

I would beg my wife to move to northern Wyoming if she could work there. Unfortunately though it wouldn’t work for her job. I’m about as rural as she can be right now , that part of the country is a different type of rural though and can’t just commute 90 miles when it’s snowing 2 inches an hour for a week.

So, that thought definitely dawned on us as we were driving on the one road back to town. The snow plow markers on the road were several feet high - at least two to 3 times what I'm used to seeing back east. So that's a good indication of what they're in for during the winter!!

 

[Segansational]

Bench - 5/3/1 Day

Wamr up routine.
Rotator cuff exercises, resistance bands.

Bench Press:
Warm ups,
45x10
95x8

Working sets,
135x5
150x3
165x2 - 1+ rx'd

175x1 - hit 1 easy rep, estimating this to be at about 85% capacity.

Was shooting for that last set to be about 90%, but was a hair easier than expected. Would put me right about 205# as my top set 1RM for my last attempt assuming my estimate of 85% capacity is right. So, I will likely take 165# as my opener for confidence, and then jump to about 180-185# for attempt 2, and then make a call from there whether I can go 195-205.

Hypertrophy work:

Machine Chest Press:
6 plates x 10
7 plates x 10,10

This basically felt like speed work this AM.

1 hr 3 mins, 179 cals.

Pre: 3/4 Notorious Rage, 1g Choline Citrate, 1g Vit C, 10g Collagen, 2 pumps L-carnitine gel, 3 soft gels NuligoXT.
Intra: Same as usual.

Notes
Debated trying to go a little higher today to handle 185+ this AM, but ultimately opted not to at this point, as coming in unfatigued and uninjured is still goal #1. Fairly confident with how 175 moved that 185 is there. I won't be hitting anything heavy on bench from here on out, with one more "peak" tomorrow for DLs due to my schedule - and then a deload week / light touches with 2.5 weeks left.

But counter my approach if others think differently!

 

[slimsaw00]

Wow, that is a great picture. Would love to get out that way at some point.