Raidne

I've managed to go for at least a 20 minute walk since my doctor prescribed it. I've limited myself to bodyweight workouts. I've ordered a new BP cuff to start monitoring BP at home again. I've splurged on the new handstands and rings course (and ordered some rings) Tonight it Yoga Nidra. I'm kinda excited. I've got to get better about updating here. I've been slacking.

(deep sigh) Saw a Physical Therapist. Hypermobility in my L3 vertebrae. Causing me to hinge JUST in that one vertebrae on most lower body workouts. Extremely weak transverse abdominis (in comparison to the amount of weight I can push/pull/thrown.) Right glute is not firing at all. Got some therapy exercises. I'll be doing those twice a day for the foreseeable future. (another deep sigh) Went to primary care physician today. I'm borderline hypertensive. One more high BP test and I have to go on meds. I have to go by next Thursday morning for a check. Until we've diagnosed yes or no (and if yes, then until we have BP under control), I'm sidelined from heavy lifting and high intensity cardio. I'm allowed to walk. I don't want to be on meds. I don't to be "sick." Thyroid is "probably going to give me issues at some point." I have some 'slight enlargement' in the thyroid. My thyroid levels are 3.9. She wants to wait until the labs come back to see if my hormones are out of whack before further testing the thyroid. I'm scheduled for follow up labs before Thanksgiving. There is some "slight" swelling in the thryoid.

Today's Weight: (2.2#) Today's Workout: Academy BW 1-B + 30 minute walk @ 3.0 mph In my theme of moving away from the status quo, I signed up for an Intro to Aerials class (10/22) and an Intro to Pole (11/3) class this morning. It was a two-class pass for a good deal. I want to spend some time trying new things and finding things I think I would enjoy long-term. My Big Why: Every day, I am ashamed of the person that stares back at me in the mirror. Physically, I am obese and out-of-shape. I believe that I am physically repulsive. Mentally, I am depleted with feelings of unhappiness and being overwhelmed Emotionally, I am either a complete wretch or you get the "fake me." I am so disappointed in myself for failing to take care of myself -- for allowing myself to get this way. I don't want to be this way anymore. I want to be attractive, fascinating, engaged. To use the cliché, I want to be 'THAT girl.' Hell, I want to be effing hawt.

What is it that you love? What is it that you love to do? Get away from the "have-to" and find what you love. For work, I am seeing an industrial psychologist. This topic came up in my last session. Dr. F is concerned that I've bogged myself down in the things that I "have-to" do. I have to workout today. I have to go to the grocery store. I have to cook dinner. I have to work an extra hour. I have to lift weights. I have to go to bed on time. So, she asked me what I love to do. And, honestly, I couldn't come up with a single thing in this world that I love to do. Of course, she didn't take that as an acceptable answer, so we kept digging for the answer. What is it about weight lifting that you love? I like being the strongest girl in the weight room. But, I'm not really that anymore because I don't train consistently. No, what is it about actual weight lifting that you love? What's the one moment of bliss you get from weight lifting? There's a moment, when you're sitting in the hole (the bottom of an ass-to-grass squat) and you really think "I cannot stand up. I cannot do this," but then there is this surge of power and you just stand up. That moment -- going from the uncertainty to the certainty -- that is what I love. Good, let's build on that.

It's been quite a while since I posted on the forums. I spend a log of time on social media and lost in my own thoughts, but I need a space to work through the cluster quark that is my life. I have a lot of stuff going on - personally, professionally, emotionally, physically. My plan is for most of the entries here to have some structure, but some may turn into just a stream of consciousness. I plan to update at least twice a week, probably never on weekends. At first, the posts maybe more, possibly multiple a day. This morning, I hit a 'new' all time high on the scale. I knew it was coming, but it's still devastating, at least emotionally. Hence, the respawn. I'm starting at the beginning. Approaching this as if it's the first time I've turned on a new game and must work through the tutorial. I see a new character. I see a new class. I need something different because status quo is status done. Name: Raidne Current Race: Dwarf Current Profession: Rebel Goal Profession: Assassin I've been sitting on the Ranger team for a while. However, I've made not progress or real changes. Time to try a different approach.

I completely understand. Bear (my GSD) is very similar in temperament - and my being bitten by another GSD last summer doesn't help my own apprehension that he's going to act out in public. Running helps keep him moving so he doesn't have time to think about being possessive or that fearful aggressive. Have you looked into scent training (or competing)? Our trainer has recommended that as part of the walks and it's on our "hopefully this spring" list right now. Supposedly, the mental focus on finding the scent will exhaust your dog mentally, so they will look to you to be the leader because they are too tired to make any decisions. Good luck

I run with my German Shepherd, so let me offer a bit of my own insight: 1. Not sure how old Madi is, but my vet recommended no "running" (exercise running not "playful" running) until the puppy was 18 months old. 2. The pup should run in a "heel" command position. On your left, and top of head even or slightly behind your knee. A dog in front of you will start to identify itself as the leader and begins to walk/run you instead. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi, everyone, I've decided to delve back into challenges. I've been floundering for the past few months and need to get back on track. I contemplated a full respawn (and going back to Level 0/1 for this challenge,) but then thought "Nah." I' still working on getting my main quest updated and getting my goals SMART and ready to go. I recently read the book Stop Saying You're Fine. My big takeaway from the book was to stop setting goals that were just a version of you settling for what you actually want. I feel like my old Main Quest was just me settling for "good enough." In hopes I don't fail epically in this challenge, I am disclosing the following: I'm moving (finally) on June 14. The next couple of weeks (including the first week or so of the challenge) will be very challenging (pun intended.) I have no gym membership left in my current city (or at least as of May 31.) I have no gym membership yet in the new city. I still have a lot of packing/minimizing to do in the next 19 days. I have a good bit of family events in the next 19 days. I still have to work at my current job throughout the move (I'm not leaving my current job. I work remotely.) Hopefully, setting the reminder to check in here (and in my quest thread) will keep me focused on staying the course!

I'm just going to jump in here with my return to the challenges...I'll be posting my own challenge thread in the next day or so -- I'm still working on tweaking goals and cleaning up some back story. This is a sorta-respawn for me (first challenge after a big break) but I'm not resetting to zero and spending another 6 weeks in Level 0/1... Fresh off The Farm, Initiate Ren Starks (Codename: Raidne) has joined Contego, Inc., one of several clandestine service firms tasked with maintaining order throughout the world and tracking expedition teams. The Director, a veteran ranger who survived the tear over sixty years ago, has assigned her first mission - a series of objectives (internally called "feats") in an effort to help her establish rapport with her new colleagues. PFI (Pentamerous Feat Initiation) is a tradition within Contego. A rite of passage. A hazing. Some will succeed. Some will fail. Some will cry for their mothers. Dossier: Name: Ren Starks Codename: Raidne Race: Human Class: Clandestine Service Initiate Clearance Level: 2 PFI Detail: Endurance Feat: Run consecutive Five Miles outside. Strength Feat: Establish 1RM in Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, and Overhead Press Speed Feat: Reduce two mile time by 2 minutes or more. Combat Feat: Meditate for at least 20 minutes every day. Healing Feat: Eat out zero times

I just sent you a PM on here! Thanks!

Hi, everyone! I was just coming to post a thread about finding someone to converse with and wouldn't you know -- there's already a thread for that! Duolingo: https://www.duolingo.com/RenStarks I do well with duolingo in spurts. Then I fall off and end up resetting everything. Native: English, Sarcasm, Southern Proficiency Ratings: Spanish - 32%, French - 23%, German - 17% (I'm using this site for proficiency ratings: http://www.transparent.com/language-resources/tests.html) I took Spanish in high school and French in college and have used neither since. (Hence, low proficiency scores.) I'm currently working on German through Duolingo (LV 7.) I'd like to find someone to email/text/social media with (at least at first) in ANY of the languages that I gave proficiency ratings. Thanks!

Thanks! Minimalist Move: Day 1. $105 DONATION TO GOODWILL: 5 shirts, 1 sweater, 12 t-shirts, 4 tanks, 1 vest, 4 casual pants, 5 shorts, 3 skirts, 1 jeans, 3 dresses (casual/everyday), 1 evening, 1 2-piece suit, 1 sweatshirt, 1 pajama, 2 swimwear, 2 belts.

Thanks Yep. They know. They were all apologetic that they didn't even notice what I ordered.

Great goals. I LOVE DA:O & DA2. I'm worried what DA:I will do to my productivity next week. I can't really decide if Bioware's failure to get us a XBoxOne release of the prior 2 games is a good thing or a bad thing. I know we'll have the 'plug-in' game to click off our decisions from the prior 2 games, but I'd still rather relive my time as The Warden and Hawke!

I'm here! I'm here! I was a Level 0 Newb last challenge (after my own NF "Delete" and "New Game".) I did Zombie 5K last challenge (and hoped to finish up in the two week break, but that didn't happen. I still have Week 8 to get through and then on to the main app. Finishing Season 1 is my goal for this challenge. NF Challenge Thread Zombies, Run! (Please note, I had some sync issues with using multiple version of app, a phone that died without syncing, a long wait on a replacement phone, and a crappy loaner phone, so some of my days look like I did 4 runs on one day. That's inaccurate!) Name: Lauren S. From: Atlanta, Georgia Favorite Character: 5K App: Rajit, Becca, Jody Favorite Aspect: Immersion! Personal Running Goals: Continue to rebuild capacity, Maybe run a 15K in January. Maybe. Running Advice: Be consistent. Embrace the runs that suck (you get benefit from those too)