I want to start by giving a shoutout to anyone who has followed along as I’ve completed this year’s NaBloPoMo project. It’s been really nice to see this old blog get some views and the occasional post like. I’ve been writing here for almost 16 years and am only about 90 posts away from hitting 1,000!

There’s a part of me that wanted to let the blog turn 16, then say goodbye to it. Then I decided to keep it going until I finished the Oppdrag: Norge series … but now I want to see if I can get it to post 1,000. In 16 years, this space has yet to gain any meaningful traction or regular readership. Part of me feels like I’ve been screaming into the void long enough for someone to be of legal driving age.

But I also realize that’s not – and never was – the point. I think we get so caught up in making things profitable that we forget what it means to do something for the sake of doing it. I like to think I’m immune from this, but alas, I am not.

ANYWAY, let’s talk about Oppdrag: Norge.

In my last programming update – whenever that was – I was in a cut phase and it was going surprisingly well. I dropped a few pounds and was losing body fat, blood pressure was going down, etc. My goal was to cut until Thanksgiving and use my holiday dinner to represent the start of a proper winter bulking phase.

But then around Halloween, I spent a couple weeks sticking to a pretty steady diet of cake, pie, peanut M&Ms, and fun-size packs of gummy bears. Katie and I celebrated our five-years-together anniversary in October, then our three-year wedding anniversary at the first of November, both of which came with a lot of heavy eating in the name of celebration. I also decided to start drinking a lot more frequently thanks to me trying really hard to distance myself from the old trainer version of myself, which is admittedly very stupid.

After about two weeks of this poor behavior, I decided that if I was going to be eating like I was on a dirty bulk, I’d may as well go ahead and start training like it, too. 

And this is how the winter bulk started three weeks early.

Nutritionally, it may seem like I’m dirty bulking and that’s because I haven’t been caring. This has to change. I have my 41st birthday coming up and I need to look as tight and juicy as possible when that day rolls around for my own sanity (and, full transparency, for the envy of many of my friends my age). 

With that said, I’m still going to eat for the bulk, but I’m going to try my best to keep it as clean as possible: lean meats, infinite fruits and vegetables, and eating my bodyweight in both potatoes and sourdough bread every day. Our pizza nights will be going back to the homemade variety and I’ll be making better choices at restaurants on the off chance we go out.

Current macros goal: 3,744 calories, 234g Protein, 351g Carbs, 156g Fat.

Also: Alcohol has to virtually disappear. It has no place in your life if you’re trying to lose weight, get healthy, or change literally anything about your life in a positive way. I love mead and wine, of course, and don’t get me started on my extremely slutty relationship with rum … but they’re all sabotage and not worth your while. Avoid them if you’re serious about work.

Training has shifted away from the Pump Club app that I had been using for fat loss (though I do intend to go back to it for my spring cut). In lieu of this, I’m using a program that was largely designed by someone over at Muscle & Strength, with a few adjustments I’ve made myself. I’ll also still be running, which isn’t on many bulk programs. I want to stay lean while gaining quality mass, want to continue improving my 5K time and want to prioritize heart health over anything else. 

Also: if someone tells you that cardio kills your gains, immediately stop lending credence to their opinions. They have been misled and are trying desperately to infect you.

I’ve switched from the Nike program I had been following and am now following a thrice-weekly 5K improvement program I picked up from the Running Channel. One day is a steady run that includes a three-to-five-mile run with occasional sprint intervals, one day is strictly a speed-training day, and there’s one weekend slow “long run” that at my current pace seems to be around four miles.

Full program is as follows:

Oppdrag Norge: Winter Bulk Phase

Monday: Strength Training (Chest-and-Triceps Focus) and Mobility

Barbell Bench Press: 4×10,8,8,6
Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3×8,8,6
Decline Barbell Bench Press: 3×8,8,6
Chest Fly (Dumbbell): 2×10
Pullover (Dumbbell): 2×8
Single-Arm Tricep Extension (Dumbbell): 4×10,8,8,6
Triceps Dip: 3xFailure
Bench Dip: 3×8

Tuesday: Strength Training (Back-and-Biceps Focus), Cardio and Mobility

Barbell Deadlift: 5×10,8,8,6,4
Lat Pulldowns: 2×8
Dumbbell Row: 3×8
Seated Cable Row: 2×8
Close-Grip Lat Pulldowns: 3×10,10,8
Bicep Curl (Dumbbell): 3×8,8,6
Preacher Curl (Barbell): 3×8,8,6
Seated Incline Curl: 2×12
Concentration Curl: 2×10

Medium, Steady Run

Wednesday: Rest and Mobility

Thursday: Strength Training (Shoulders-and-Forearms Focus), Cardio and Mobility

Seated Machine Shoulder Press: 3×10
Rear Delt Fly (Dumbbell): 3×10
Overhead Press: (Dumbbell): 4×10
Lateral Raise (Dumbbell): 2×10
Shrug (Dumbbell): 2×10
Upright Row (Dumbbell): 2×10
Seated, Palms-Up Wrist Curl: 4×10
Behind-the-Back Wrist Curl: 4×10

Speed Intervals Run

Friday: Strength Training (Legs-and-Abs Focus) and Mobility

Barbell Back Squat: 5×10,8,8,6,4
Leg Extension: 3×12
Leg Curls: 3×12
Hip Abduction: 3×12
Hip Adduction: 3×12
Standing Calf Raise: 4×12
Leg Press Machine Seated Calf Raise: 2×12
Core Circuit:

• Lying Leg Raise 3x30s
• Crunch 3x30s
• Bodyweight Russian Twist 3x30s
• Rotating Mountain Climbers 3x30s
• Plank 3x30s

Saturday: Cardio and Mobility

Long Run

Sunday: Rest and Mobility

The training has been awesome so far. The strength training change has already got me feeling juicy as shit and the runs have been challenging me a lot more than the Nike ones while simultaneously being lower volume (by the day, at least). As it is right now, I’m averaging about 9-10 miles per week.

Mileage in this phase will be limited to those thrice-weekly runs since the strength training sessions are very long, leaving me no time for a quick bike ride or walk afterward, which is fine. I’m not in a rush.

Still, 10 miles per week is pretty good progress on this ol’ road trip. I’m currently on my way to Geiranger, which is the sixth destination. There are only 11 stops, so I won’t be out there much longer and I’ll have to think of something else to do. That stresses me out and I’d rather not think of it right now, so I won’t.

Here’s the current tracker to Geiranger:

Road Trip Tracker
Road Trip Mileage	Total Mileage	Percentage Complete
1,284.37	662.5973	51.59%
Miles to Geiranger	Leg Mileage	Percentage Complete
67.1081	37.8907	56.46%
Date	Type	Distance (Miles)
n/a	Carryover	2.9107
10/28	3	Easy Run
10/29	1	Post-WO Walk
10/30	2	Speed Interval Run
10/31	1	Post-WO Walk
11/1	4.02	Weekend Long Run
11/3	1	Post-WO Walk
11/4	3.36	Easy Run
11/11	3	Easy Run
11/13	3	Speed Interval Run
11/22	4	Weekend Long Run
11/25	3.1	Easy Run
11/27	2	Speed Interval Run
11/29	4.5	Weekend Long Run

XX miles to Geiranger!

Alltid Videre!

-JTF

This is post 30 of 30 in my most recent attempt at tackling NaBloPoMo. Funsies and such.