WildColonialGrrl

Err... Ummm... Hi? Lost my way. Hoping to get my self back together starting today. No, I will get myself together starting now!

It was hard to drag my butt to TKD tonight but felt better for doing it. PT was moved to tomorrow due to trainers illness (I was a bit seedy after the night before so wasn't complaining, even though it probably would have made me feel better). It wasn't a formal class tonight but it was good to get going again. In the rearrangement post BBQ have put my bike on the trainer in the lounge room so I can pop on a DVD to try to get more time in the saddle and harden my bum again (then I can work harder at it and increase my cardio fitness). Problem I'm finding with the couple of spin classes I've done pre and post christmas is that my wrist doesn't like holding on much... This means that I need to strengthen my core so it holds my torso up rather than putting all the weight through my hands. It's a theory... Or my wrists will keep strengthening and maybe keep pace with my bum? Who knows! But I'll have to actually do it to find out!

Ok... So one of my mates from TKD came to my BBQ/housewarming type low key thing this arvo... So I might have said I'd be at training tomorrow no matter how low key holidays it is! I won't be there wed coz I'm going to an Asian cup soccer match. So, PT better eating and TKD tomorrow. Great start to a new week!

Cheers Kishi. I appreciate the support!

Awwwww crap! This week has been interesting... A combo of Pre Shark week and self inflicted mental stress about unpacking from house move resulted in me taking a half arsed day off then a complete day off life. It was good, I finished a book, read comics, napped, lay on the couch and watched Dr. who. Then shark week arrives and it's nasty and I have no routine at the moment (still on summer holidays) to keep me going in a straight line. Turns out the pizza shop closest to my new house isn't very good compared to my last home which is probably a good thing as I won't want to eat from there in the future! Yesterday after dragging my sorry arse out of the house I went to an engagement party and then a 'back in the country' type BBQ and made all the unnecessary choices. Today I am having a housewarmingish type BBQ with a few friends coming over to my new place. That will allow lots of good choices and start me off for week two... Or alcohol. Am hoping as it is Sunday there won't be too much drinking... Am finding the balance between feeling like I have to deal with all my 'stuff' from moving now I have started and actually enjoying my new habitat is really missing. Mostly, it's in my head (but then I think most things are). Next week I will do the week 1 mini challenge and turn up every day (and go see what everyone else is up to as well).

Erm... Hey! Sorry. Not dead but definitely haven't shown up this week, not even to myself. ...and I bring no gif. *hangs head in shame*

Now that you mention Avenue Q... do these boards ever remind you of the song that goes "is there anybody here it doesn't suck to be? It sucks to be me!" (Yeah, I have that t-shirt)

Ummm... today kind of sucked. I think I'll start again in your time zone! Can't go wrong starting with sleep eh?

Just scraping in to start on time (for my time zone at least!) after returning from a relaxing and refreshing low tech holiday that involved lots of riding down a river on inflatable objects! Much fun! This challenge will be tri-phase... 3 weeks left of summer vacation, a half week of work/transition week, then back at work proper for 2. So, I have to lay foundations now for the year ahead. The ground is prepared: in the last challenge I moved house, explored the area a bit, started being really tidy and clean in my new place and started getting rid of my excess stuff to the tune of over 300 items! Now, I need to lay the slab/dig the foundations/cement in the stumps (does anyone even build on stumps anymore?)... How? I have decided that I really need to focus on what is important... I can do the exercise bit and enjoy it, what needs work (still) is what I eat. I have messed around and tried different things for over a year now and noticed some really ingrained bad habits that have derailed many attempts (and emotional eating set me way back with my wrecked wrist in the second half of last year). So, I have a session booked for mid week 2 to have a chat with the psychologist I see irregularly for my anxiety/depression issues to see what he can come up with. This needs serious looking at if I really want to see change. Also, any minute now I am going to put one of those goal bars along my signature... I had more goals but with my wrist possibly taking a year to fully recover I have to focus on what I really want (other than being strong and fit). One of my goals by 40 was to get to 20% body fat. Project 365 stalled a bit over the first quarter with my injury and despite maintaining a stable weight, I put on fat and lost muscle, making my clothes fit bad never ins the emotional toll. Currently, as of this morning, I am sitting at 34.4%. I am going to find a way to do this, but this challenge will be about foundations. The how, especially when I am back at work. Sheesh! That's a lot of blather! Week 1-3 Training: amongst other things... Get back on the bike! Increase time on stationary bike focussing on using core to hold up body rather that weight on wrist and getting my bum through the readjustment to saddle pain. Ride each day - increase time every day. (This allows for starting at a five minute mark and assessing effects and as I start to push it just increasing by seconds if I hit a plateau.) I don't watch a lot of visual media but bought season 1 of parks and recreation and would like to be able to cycle through a episode by the end of this. Nutrition: this will change... Starting point: Buy only whole foods (or minimum ingredients/processing/sugar)... Not dodging on chocolate and chips and biscuits that are on sale after Xmas. Things already here can be eaten in moderation. Eat well in the Batcave because that is where everything starts. Stay tuned for further developments... Batcave: Continue the unpack and downsize. Occasionally I get a little overwhelmed looking at all the crap I have to go through but a friend who has been decluttering/minimising her life for the last 2 years still feels like she has a lot to go... So I have time. - Keep chaos in the garage. - Aiming for 150 items over the six weeks (this may change if I hit the target early). Head space: new foundation in this house needs to have time for quiet reflection and time for my brain and heart to be still. Last year I was finding lighting a candle helped still things. I have tried meditating using an app for 5 mins a day that worked for a while, but I need a pattern, a habit for the new year. I am thinking deliberate practice over the three weeks morning and night and seeing which comes more naturally by the end or when I get back to work. I will be doing my wrist rehab and see the therapist again in week 4. In monk fashion I will also be working towards my next grading and it seems I am entering a comp in March doing a pairs pattern. I might do an individual one if I can be persuaded as I haven't done the entry form yet. My wrist isn't up to sparring yet, which makes me sad and to be honest I am somewhat ambivalent about the competitive nature of patterns... So it is written! Best be getting on with it then!

Awesome start! (I thought I'd come and see what you were up to before I put virtual pen to virtual paper for myself ) Ah Spamalot! I found a promotional hand fan for it when I was moving which has been good in the heat. I saw the premier in Melbourne and Eric Idle walked through the crowd at intermission having watched half of it from the punter's point of view. I still hum Finland to myself occasionally!

Ok.... Ummm... Well.... The decluttering is going well. Over 300 items! Really noticing the lack of regular routine and missing my 30 min walk five times a week. Am moving and exercising (yoga, PT, gym) but not getting the small stuff in. Went to the gym by myself this week, a good step. Yesterday went for a long walk with a mate who lives locally and explored a close-ish park. TKD Grading was successful (suspect hangover helped settle nerves...) and after starting learning for the third time this year, got my Blue belt (6th gup). One more grading and I will be as far as I got as an 11/12 year old... A very long time ago! It has been a bit of a rough year for me and my TKD family has been a great support to me. Must be something about beating each other up in a controlled manner that makes people closer. (I noticed this kind of thing in my 20s where the friends from the university mountaineering club were like family... I decided it was because we had to trust each other with our lives on a regular basis during rock climbing, caving, kayaking etc. Trust makes non blood family methinks.) Food... Faaark! Like Joedog said... Am waiting for Xmas/new year to be over so I can get this sorted. I really need to hit the reset button, both mentally and physically. I am going away for a week over new year to hang out by a river which always helps me get my head together. I am not giving up on this fitness project... It's just a tricky spot right now. Off to get ready for big family Xmas party now... Will try to go for a stroll to settle the over eating and drinking this evening. ...and will do a proper wrap up early next week.

I was going to tell you how I'd shifted my plans this week but got really busy at work at the front end of the week and new house busy at the other end... And now it's another week almost gone! Walked 5 mornings this week but my sleep has been more interrupted than usual trying to get used to all the new noises in my new environment. TKD twice this week and a PT session but no yoga due to attendance at a work event. No parkrun as I was out late the night before having dinner with girls I studied Botany with at uni many years ago. I'm pretty sure I'm doing well on this bit of my challenge. Rehab is going ok. A couple of instances make me think I am going to have some arthritis pain in this joint on certain movements forever now... But it's not so bad that I'd choose surgery. I have another hand therapy appointment tomorrow so I'll see what they have to say about my progress. ...and then decide how well I am progressing in this most challenging part of the challenge. Well being - setting up the Batcave has given me more opportunities to think about my well being. Am finding a small breathing exercise or lighting a candle (when at home) is helping keep me grounded. On the food front, crap food leads to crap outcomes... Literally! Batcave wise, I have vacuumed and swept today and am keeping the house tidy and dishes done. In the moving part of the challenge... So far, 173 items out of my life, most in reasonable condition and off to charitable donation boxes. I am doing the easy stuff first and will have to get hard headed help over summer to clear the real crap. I have over achieved in this part of the challenge and will up it to 300 and see if I can get there! I found an interesting way of eating whilst stalking Twilight's thread... The No S Diet (I'd link it but the iPad sucks at that) which says no sweets, no snacking, no seconds except on S days - Saturday, Sunday and special days. I looked at my calendar and realised I had a lot of special days coming up... So have allocated two S days per week to fit to these. I really like having rules and this has been pretty good to follow this week. I get hungry between meals but instead of eating, I have been observing it. Sometimes a drink will do, sometimes distraction is all that is needed to forget about it. I am not really super hungry; I am bored, thirsty, bored, tired, stressed, stuck in a habit, or bored. It's something to do... I am not starving. Really, I'm not. That feeling just goes away because my brain is playing tricks and I will eat later. It's been interesting. I have a catered day in the city for work this week and then our end of year lunch and evening celebrations. Those will be my two S days for this week. I won't be drinking much on the Friday as I have my TKD grading early sat arvo and I will be nervous enough as it is. This is the third time this year I've started learning for this.

Oi! You! Yeah, you Tanks! What's happening? Tell us what's going on in your world this week?

Hey Big K! So glad to hear things are on the up. Would love a link to your writing. I don't know what it is like from the writers side but the kids at school have got me reading unpublished (and unedited) work on WattPad. Some have great stories that are desperately in need of an editor, some have craptastic fan fiction that the teen girls love, and a lucky few get picked up by publishers. Maybe worth a look? If just for bigger audience and feedback.

Clearing clutter scares the crap out of me too. Whilst moving I got overwhelmed one day just looking at all the boxes in the garage and not knowing how to start. Little by little seems to be the key because each bit, even if tiny, is progress!