Please Standby...

Currently experiencing digestive issues... who'da thunk it? My doc has put me on a liquid diet, minus alcohol and caffeine, while the digestive plumbing resolves itself of the issues.

Boo doctor's orders, hooray beer. Nah, I'm gonna stick to his diet, but with the exception of water, it has taken all the joy out of ingesting things.

60 Chicken McNuggets

Man, I had been tossing around this idea for a while to go out there and try my luck at the 60 chicken mcnuggets. It didn't seem to be that outlandish of a goal, and quantity-wise should be quite doable. Plus the internet was alive with videos and stories of super-chumps who had conquered this task... I don't have many pictures of this, but I do have my time-lapsed thought process - I was writing a paper at the same time.

3 min - 10 down, lets kick it
8 min - 20 down, and I'm writing a paper
13 min - 30 gone, feeling a little grossed out
18 min - how can nuggets taste bad...?
22 min - 40 down. this is nauseating. heart's pounding fast, i had the sweats, this was a terrible idea.
32 min - 45 done. I dont think i can finish. i should get a drink. re-energize it up.
35-37 min - took a break to order a diet coke
42 min - 50!! soda is helping, but nausea is mounting. "i thought that guy who did it on wall street in 20 min was a pansy." mad props, dude.
47 min - stalling at 53 nuggets... seems like a towel is imminent


53 min - reached the one nug/min line. towel is in.

And, what remains:


Challenges:
Overall: 7-10
Quantity: 4-10

Spike's Challenge!

It has been some time since I've taken on a challenge. Not to say that I haven't been eating inordinate amounts of food, but nothing formal. So while in Boston for my fraternity's Initiation Banquet, I decided to take on the Spike's Hot Dog Challenge. The challenge is to eat 6 hot dogs in under an hour and a half. Sounds easy, but these are some pretty large hot dogs. I'd failed this once during my undergrad, but I knew I was better prepared. I decided to up the stakes a little by going in massively hungover and already nauseous.


I decided to get 3 buffalo hot dogs, 2 sauerkrauted up dogs, and one insanely effing spicy dog. Attacking just the hot dogs first, and leaving the buns for last, I clipped along at a pretty good pace. The spicy dog halted me in my tracks for a few minutes (VERY spicy), but I kept chugging along. 20 minutes in, I had finished the hot dogs and moved on to the buns.


47 minutes in, I finished it up. Feeling like crap, but I blame that on the spice and the hangover. Count it!

Challenges:
Overall: 7-9
Quantity: 4-9

Lindy's Take 2

I was down in Tucson for some of my winter break. Went to Lindy's with my sister, Emmi, and John to take on the 3 lb OMFG Burger again. My first try,six months ago, ended in defeat, as I was only able to get down 7.5 of the 9 patties. I wasn't expecting to do much better this time, as I was well out of eating-monster shape. In fact, if I came close, I think I'd consider it a success.

So there it went, the first 12 minutes seeing me take down 5 patties with little problem. Then in the next 5 or so minutes, I put away another two. I put the remaining three in the buns and tried to eat it like a normal burger. But in the next 15 minutes, I managed only 3 or 4 bites in, and ended up about the same as my last try. I think I could have physically eaten more, but the taste of grease and meat was just so nauseating, I couldn't get around it.

I'll get it one day. Next up: redo of the Pho Challenge or the Sushi roll up in the SF Bay Area. Maybe I'll take a pass at some buffet in LA before that.

Challenges:
Overall: 6-9
Quantity: 3-9

School's out!

... for winter! But man it's been a while since i've even really thought about food challenges. I think i neglected to mention back in early september that Bobby Shariat and I took down some fairly easy challenge (1 lb hamburger) at Famous Burgers in the LA area.



Now that I'm back in Tucson, I've been trying to devote my time almost exclusively to sleeping. But in the few hours that I've been conscious and not watching entire seasons of The Wire, I have been trying to get my legs in gear to start running. With this increased emphasis on working out, I've also decided that I should place some attention back on the eating challenges. With that in mind, I fully intend to go on a hike tomorrow and then finish it off with my second attempt at Lindy's 3-lb burger. I don't expect to finish it, but would like to gauge where I'm at, as in my upcoming bay area trip I fancy that I will be able to kill that gigantic bowl of pho that, until now, has completely and utterly had my number.

Challenges:
Overall: 6-8
Quantity: 3-8 (includes two losses at Taco Tuesday's at OB's)

To: Katie Foss

Dear Katie,

While it is true that I have been eating, I have not been attacking many challenges lately. Or even training heavily. My uncertain schedule makes it difficult to try planning events.

However, i sometimes randomly take down a lot of food. Two chipotle burritos for lunch last Saturday is just one example of this. As I start an exercise routine tomorrow, I perhaps will be able to set my schedule a little better. This should help me tackle challenges in the LA area.

Best,

Shashank the Tank

And...?

OK, OK. I had to take some time off. But after a feverish (literally) run through the end of MBA hell-week, the partial temporary loss of hearing in my left ear, and a gravity-obeying 360-deg full-spin center-lane-to-guardrail and back crash my car and I went through (but only one survived)... after all of that.... I am back.

This Sunday, I'm thinking about going for a two-fer. Re-visit the XXXL Fatburger Challenge at a different restaurant in the AM, and then follow it up with a 1-lb burger with fries and coleslaw in the PM at Famous Hamburger in Bell, CA.

Mix it up a little. Livin' it up a little.