Cheechoe

SHOGUN YOU SO AWESOME!!!!! THANKS!!

Come randori meeeee!!!!

Hullo! *hugs* I really like that you give yourself progressions. Like being at work by 9:15 for a while then going to 9:00. That's really smart. I think of progressions for exercise, but little for everyday activities. I have to go rethink my life nao! p.s. female training camp sounds fun! I vote pro!

A month long menu??? I'm impressed! You may be busy, but this is the way to keep your shit together! So much excitement coming your way! You had me at wine tasting. I think the sleep challenge you tacked on the end is super smart. If there is one way to keep your momentum during all you have going on, it's to get a healthy amount of sleep. But yes! Only 4 weeks! You got this!

Heck yes small goals create momentum! Sounds like a good challenge! The boring stuff will go away with the small goals. You'll get to doing the fun stuff soon!

Damn. That song in mah head nao. Jasmine grows on trees..../snicker you! *hugs*

Hulllo!!! *hugs* When is your nidan test?

Oh, Hey There. Sorry this is so short! I usually fill my thread up with crazy gifs and extravagant challenges. This time I have 1 focus: My testing. I test for 5th Dan the second weekend of April! EEEEPPPP!!! Things I need to do to get myself ready: 1. For the love of all that is holy, Eat right. Loosing some poundage always helps my kicks be faster and look better. I literally need to get light on my feet. Eat at slight deficit. Need to maintain caloric intake for exertion, but also loose some poundage. Eating slightly below maintenance and upping exertionTRACK calories on MFP. I get in and out of this habit, but I ALWAYS do better when I track.ONE re-feed per week. NOT a cheat day. Though I won't be AS strict. Just more good calories. 2. Train, Train, Train...Train a Foooool. 5x week. This may seem like a lot with work and classes, but I often times have 2 workouts on my days off: 1 personal one, and then the advanced class at night. So 5 a week is still not going overboard.Focus on Patterns, Kick drills, HIIT drills, slow kicksFiure out specialty break routine by mid March 3. Puppeh Run One 2 mile Puppeh run/weekMy poor puppeh has been neglected. I stopped long distance running last month because I decided the tightness of my IT band, hamstrings, and calves were from this long distance running and were hindering my kicks. Yes, my legs were tired after long runs, but I have a theory it is the cause of some loss in leg strength. So I decided to stop running for a while to see what kind of impact that would make on my kicks and leg control. Now my poor puppeh doesn't go on near as many runs! (She is spoiled and likes walks, but would really rather run) So I decided that a 2 mile run once a week would still make puppeh happy, but not impede too much on what I am trying to accomplish with my kicks. 4. Cheat Jar $1-5 for bad food depending on severity$5 for days I do not track on MFP Money will be used for something on my testing day. Maybe a cupcake! So that is all nerds. Boring but I'm here and trying.

Dude! You are KILLING it!!! I just caught up. *Whew* Your BJJ discriptions sound so FUN! It sucks having a poor partner, though. Don't feel bad, there are plenty of people that are awesome as a person but bad as a partner. They don't even have to be bad at the art....just different work ethic or body sizes can make for terrible training combination. Sometimes you just don't have a choice and that sucks. But yay for reminding them about the Intermediate! Also that run-fall was AWESOME!...Break-falls for the win. IMO, you were trying hard enough if you kept you balance the ENTIRE way And I didn't know you were trying to get preggo! (That is what is happening, right? I might have missed something since I've been out a couple of challenges >.>) That's awesome! It's a weird concept for me: My entire life has been OMG DONT GET PREGNANT!!! Now I have a ton of friend that are TRYING, but can't. So weird. Bodies are weird. (Spoken by a true medical professional). But yay, I'm rooting for you! Miss your face!

^This. Something Something the journey is the best part something something. Also, dropping to 3-4 classes instead of 5-7 isn't too bad: as long as what you replace them with makes you equally happy. If learning photography and/or blacksmithing is something that is going to have you walk away feeling more enlightened and accomplished, I'd say that's worth missing a class or 2 a week. I think you worry about cutting classes more for your frame of mind than for your fitness/blackbelt goals. Training 3-4 days a week is still good for ambitions of black belt. Maybe it will take a teensy weensy bit longer, but not much. I think your worry is more the fact that you get your daily happiness from Aikido; especially now that your job sucks so awfully. But who's so say this potential sense of enlightenment and accomplishment you gain from these new classes wouldn't get you the same thing? Especially if it's something you've wanted to do for a while. Consider the extra money an investment in your happiness. (Not in a selfish way that's an excuse anyone could use to buy whatever they want, but in the practical sense of just keeping your sanity by having something in your life to look forward to.) Just a thought. Maybe look at potential fees, times, locations of these things you want to do to sort out the practicality of it first? You never know, you may find some good networking in there while you're at it.

*drools at chocolate cake with french buttercream frosting* mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm................................ I'm so glad the steroid shots have helped with the pain so far! I hope it lasts a long while! And I must say, Elf sounds like an awesome house mate! I wouldn't mind getting myself an Elf! Also, it's weird for me to see shoveling as a daily/weekly chore. That's something I never even think of. And something I've only done ONCE ever in my life and it was to make a labyrinth in the BF's backyard. Ahhhhhh....that was a fun day

Also, 7Foot, I DO want to hold a bag for you! I want to hold a bag for you somewhere where there is padding on the walls behind me! Then I can see how far you can launch me!!!!!

Not going to lie. It's hard on vacation, but I'm determined to NOT owe myself $15 in my cheat jar like last week. >.<

Dorkface. I wasn't saying NO power in lead leg. Just like in boxing, you can knock someone out with a lead jab. But I don't LEAD with the rear. When fighting side or half facing, you have a rear leg and unless I'm doing a switch or a kick transfer, I'm not going to lead with the back leg. Unless I KNOW I have time.

LATE UPDATE!!!!! (Sorry, nerds. Been on vacation!) Sunday was work again and more eating crap. Fail. So lat week was 4 days awesome and 3 days crap. I see a trend of work days being crap and what Mistr pointed out about sleep and starting too hard. This week: Monday: Gym workout: Working on straight cardio with muscle confusion: 10 min run treadmill 10 min footwork (shuffle skips) on treadmill 10 min row on rowing machine (set to 10 resistance) 15 min stair climber while mixing levels 10 min footwork drills on treadmill stretch Went to TKD for personal workout in middle of day: 3 sets of: 25 slow side facing kick combos, 20 slow front facing kick combos, 25 knee push ups 3 sets of 2 min jumprope, 1 min weighted punches, 1 min 180 degree side kicks, 30 sec knees rt, 30 sec knees lt (some breaks in between, but I tried to keep going because I need to HIIT more Rested mid day and did adulting TKD at night: advanced class. We worked on speed kicking drills and pattern drills Tuesday: Gym Workout: 4 sets of: 25 curtsy squats 1 min jump rope 25 knee push ups 25 bicycle sit ups Then 4 sets of: 20 weighted squats (10# DB) 20 weighted knees strikes rt (1 10# db in hand) 20 weighted knee strikes lt 20 weighted rows rt (20# db) 20 weighted rows lt OMG SORE This was light weight but I haven't done a circuit like this in a while so OW. Then I packed and got on a plane for VACATION!!!! I did really well eating for both of these days. The adulting was good, I finished my laundry early which made packing really fast. My adulting list in fairly small this week because a) I got so much done last week, and b ) I'm on vacation until next Wednesday! Wednesday: REST DAY I did absolutely nothing. YOU HEAR THAT MISTR???? NOTHING!!!! okokok. So it wasn't of my own volition. >.> I found this kickboxing gym RIGHT DOWN THE STREET from where I am staying in Boston. I called them and they had a Groupon deal to get 5 workouts and boxing gloves for $30!!! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR!!!!!! And it's so close!!! I wish I had found it sooner with how often I'm up here! So I called them and signed up, but the dude on the phone (His name was Ninja. I shit you not.) told me the class times and I told him I'd be there at 630pm for that night's class. YAY KICKY PUNCHY THINGS!!!!! Soooo.... I looked forward to it ALLLLLLL day, and when I got there at 6:15 to sign up and stretch a bit, there was already a class going on. Whhhaaaaa? So the instructor FINALLY came over to acknowledge me and he said "oh sorry, this class started a 6pm. Would you like me to give you a call after class and set you up for tomorrow?" WHAT????? WHAAAAATTTT????? I was so pissed. Not at him really. Just pissed because I was looking forward to it all day to be rejected at the door. I went home in my workout clothes and sulked for about 3 hours Yeah. I'm a stubborn baby when I have my mind set on something. It wasn't pretty. But it turns out, "Ninja" wasn't the guy who teaches those classes, so I couldn't be mad at the instructor. Ninja (the owner) just didn't know his times very well. They are slightly different everyday so I was an honest mistake. Also, if I were teaching, I wouldn't stop a whole class of paying customers to sign up a newb who may or may not have experience with anything. As much as I'd hate to ignore them, I have an hour to get people crying sweating and it's not fair to them to wait because someone came in 15 min late. Also, I would need for them to sigh a waiver beforehand so it's not like I could have just let someone come do high intensity stuff and risk them blowing a knee or something trying to push too hard. Nahhh, as pissed as I was, once I put myself in his shoes, I probably would have done the same thing. Just maybe explained it a bit before walking off. So I decided to just come back Thursday instead. So....Rest Day. BAM!! (heeheee) Thursday (so far) I took the kickboxing class this morning and it was everything I though it would be! :D There was a little more bodyweight stuff than punching/kicking, but I was ok with it because it was intense. The class started with warm ups including high knees, walking lunges, and jogging around the mat. At one point we were told to sprint and if you tapped the person in front of you, they had to do 10 burpees. Then this bitch behind me with fucking ENTISH legs caught me on 2 bounds. But I was happy to do burpees because workout that's not running! We did a bunch of kick/punch combos that he timed for about a minute each. It was a little weird because there was a lot of rear leg kicking and I dont tend to do those as much. Kicking is a lot like punching: you want to have your lead leg be your fast jab, then follow up with your rear for power. He did a lot of punch-punch-rear kick stuff. In an actual sparring match I would see you back leg coming a mile away. Its like leading with you rear arm in a boxing match - you're never going to hit them once they see your shoulder move. The jab sets you up for the rear. Same for legs. After that, there was a lot of multiple punches, some squat kicks (love those!), and some burpee kicks (liked those a lot!). There were short water breaks, but not long enough for the heart rate to come down too much. All in all I was super stoked to have ANYTHING puchykicky, so I was very happy with it. The only problem is the $30 dollar deal is a one time thing, so this visit will be AWESOME, but it's too expensive to do again. I would have to pay a monthly fee, buy bulk classes for a hefty fee, or a $25 drop in per class fee and that's steep. So this vacation is taken care of with my 5 classes. Next time, not so sure. :/ WHY IS EVERYTHING SO EXPENNNSSIIIIVVVVEEEEE????? Sigh. Oh well. I can be happy for the now time. Yay kickboxing!!! (Sorry for the long post. This is what i get for not updating for 4 days >.<) I did really well tracking

Wise Mistr is wise. I think the top 3 bullets is what does it for me. I was getting sleep, and even took a nap on one day, but naps do not replace UNBROKEN sleep. My problem is definitely at night. Maybe I should add "Going to bed by x hour" to my adulting tasks at least a couple of days a week. I KNOW I haven't been hydrating enough. I may do a water challenge again next challenge. I got out of the habit and realized I hardly drink anything while I'm eating and the bits I do drink throughout the days don't add up to enough. I currently have by bf yelling at me to drink water. I can tell I haven't been drinking enough because I'm not sweating enough when i exercise and my pee is colored. I'm sure you needed to know that. Maybe one day I'll post a pic The eating had been good, but once I allowed that cheat day it always snow balls down from there. I've been doing better about GORGING myself on cheat days, but recently my body actually RESPONDS to poor eating. It's like my tank is on empty even though I've had waaay more calories. So that sets me up for failure the next day (and sometimes into the day after....like this time >.<) I ate horrible last Fri Sat Sun and finally got back on track this Monday. My bf pointed out to me that I tend to wait until the end of the week to reset myself. I think he's right. It's like I wait for a good starting place. I need to get into the frame of mind that I start over at THE NEXT MEAL. Or even THE NEXT DAY would be better. I'm not sure why I got in that habit, but I think it has something to do with my work schedules being different every week. So I mentally start over every week. I need to break that habit. And yes, right again with the vacation time. I tend to go on runs when I'm away because that's the easiest to do, but I find I'm getting bored with that. Or not really bored, but 4-6 miles isn't something I want or can do every day. Even every other day is fine, but I like to get my heart rate up everyday with at least something for 30 min to an hour. As for the batch cooking, I like your style. I've done the nap thing before when baking my weekly sweet potatoes. Work smarter, not harder, amirite??? Ooooooooooo. work gym you say?? I have to option of going down to Tinny's gym too, but I normally run there. It's almost exactly 2 miles away so I normally don't. I have to commit to running there for 2 miles which is a good warm up and I like to do, but then AFTER my workout I have to run back. And that thought it always exhausting. I could walk, but it'll take way longer. I've done it before and it was an awesome workout, but I don't like my 1-1.5 hour workout turning into a 3 hour ordeal. The buses that go there take like 21 minutes because it's not a direct route so I feel stoopid taking the bus. I don't know. Maybe I'm just not committed enough. But this is why i usually just go for a run. :/ Hahahahaha. I feel like I need a middle ground. I'm either SO AWESOME or lame as fuck. I NEED BALANCE TO MY LIIIIFE!!!! BUT I WANT TO DO ALL THE THINGS!!!!! We are surely twinkie twins. <3 I know exactly what you mean when you say you get exhausted just KEEPING UP with all the things you want to do. :/ And I somehow get disappointed when I can't. So dumb. But it always happens. That's why these challenges are good for me. They help me focus on just one thing for a while then I get to switch it up for something ELSE I wanted to do. But I always have my base of TKD just like you have your hockey. (Which is still something i want to try! )

I was aiming for the latter, but it seems it is hard to find such an opportunity. I shouldn't have a challenge dependent on opportunities that don't prevent themselves. But I do want to get into the habit of LOOKING for those as well. Hmmmmmmm. Maybe I shouldn't limit this to work, but change it to 3 days a week since I normally work 3 days a week. >.>

So end of week update: Having a hard time, nerds. I've been doing really well so far but yesterday and today have been really shite with the eating. I was ok eating more yesterday because I have really kept up with my physical activities and I need more calories. However, it is hard for me to get back to more appropriate portions after I let myself have a liberal day. So today was supposed to be back to the same calorie limit, and that went out the window pretty damn soon. I haven't overdone it too much with the sweets, but definitely with the calorie counting and fat/crappy carbs. I went ahead and guessed the count and logged for both days, but they are not really accurate because I kept shoving stuff in my face then attempting to log it hours later. I was allotting myself a cheat log day, but I'm disappointed in myself for having 2 in the first week. I am also disappointed in myself because I had the opportunity to go to the 2 hour open floor workout for higher ranks today (It is on every other Saturday and I wasn't working today) and I decided to sleep instead. Sleep is good, but I think I put it off because I had already gotten in 3 days of TKD this week, which was my goal. I stayed at the minimum and made that my excuse instead of using an opportunity to train more than I had hoped to be able to int he week. In reality, I should be training for my 5th Dan testing. I should be taking every opportunity I can. Shame on me for being lazy. I'm hoping to put all this behind me and have a better week. This coming week I travel so really this TKD goal will be void. I can't TKD when I travel unless I find a place that isn't icy outside or an indoor place to train. So far I havent done this so I may supplement with running or find a gym I can pay per visit. Who knows? But I'm not going to be disappointed at myself if I can't find that. I just need to supplement with something else. We'll see what I can come up with. Feeling bleehhhhhh. I need to get my motivation back for weeks 2

Best Mal! Haha. I DO use a lot of Caps and exclamation marks on NF, but I often wonder if that comes across as more annoying than portraying my personality. I do exclaim a lot.... Yes. I really liked this as a challenge, but the more I think about it, the more I feel like it's harder than it sounds. There are often times I think about how I can help someone at work and if it would count as my challenge, but then I just decide that I was just going out of my way for my job. I mean, a lot of the help I do is help a nurse when they are drowning in orders and sometimes it is out of my way if I have my own list of procedures to do, but sometimes I just go where I'm needed because that's what I'm paid for. At the end of the day, wasn't I just doing my job? I'm having a hard time deciphering this.

**UPDATE** Wednesday Worked 12 hours, so didn't get much done for challenge. I failed to "go out of my way" to do something for someone that day. I guess I was just tired and I totally forgot to make that effort. I was kind of upset with myself because it was one of my coworker's last days (she got a different job) so I told myself I was going to bring cupcakes to celebrate, but I completely forgot until I was already at work and saw her. So I had a perfect way to pass my challenge and I forgot. I'm The Worst. As for eating, I did well because I already did my batch cooking. Yay for yummy and healthy foods! I did have a half a slice of tres leches cake someone brought...because tres leches. But I was proud that I only let myself have half of a slice with a bigASS cup of coffee and was quite content with that. So win there! I tracked everything of MFP and got another thing done on my adult list that included turning a job down that I was offered. (I put it on my list because I really didn't want that uncomfortable conversation (and potential bridge burning) that early in the morning, but I got it done.... even though I whined about it.) >.< THURSDAY Another 5 mile run in the morning!! So, BONUS for this week! I kind of putzed around all day so I decided to go train in the late afternoon. (I have keys to my Dojang). Turns out, my instructor was there and we jammed to Duran Duran (BECAUSE THEY ARE AWESOME AND IM GOING TO SEE THEM IN CONCERT THIS APRIL!!!!) and we trained together. It was an awesome time. I ended up staying and teaching for all 3 classes. I taught the 1st Dans in the 1st class and gave a private lesson to a 3rd Dan who is going to compete in the World Championships for the 2nd class. My instructor ended up passing the entire 3rd class to me (Like I just told Mistr he does sometimes) and we did full power back to back patterns followed by a bunch of jumping drills. It was a good 4.5 hours of TKD (mostly teaching though) and it was awesome. <3 So my week so far looks like this: 1. Do the Awesome Things TKD 3x/week [X] [X] [X] Gym 1x/ week [X] 1 longish run 1x/ week ( 4-6miles) [X] BONUS RUN 2. Feed the Awesome Batch cook 1x/week [X] Track on MFP everyday w/ one day cheat M [X] T[X] W [X] R[X] F [ ] S[ ] N[ ] 3. Don't Forget To Be Awesome Weekly Adulting ToDo list [X] Awesome Aunt Playtime 1x/week [ X ] Go out of my way every work day to do something helpful for someone [X] [ ] [ ] (I added a check to the doing something helpful because my first day of my work wekk was Sunday before the challenge started and I spent quality time with a coworker giving advice about her life situation. I'm counting it because I only work 3 days a week so that counted as one of my work days) Positive Me Thought: I have been called "bubbly" on many occasions and I like to think that it's true. Don't get me wrong; when I am down, I am down and life is hard for me. But when I can, I tend to be that lighthearted person that always has something nice to say and a smile on her face. It's not even like I try - I feel like that is the "real me" when I'm not bombarded by depression. (If you've known me long enough you know that there are PLENTY of times I am not this bubbly person because of this) But whenever I hear someone say that, or something similar to that, it makes me happy inside that people CAN see the real me. (I was called "bubbly" tonight by the 3rd Dan I was teaching). It reminds me that even though I may have this internal struggle sometimes, people see happiness in me somewhere and that observation from that third party makes it a reality for me. It was good to hear and lifted my spirits. Sorry for the long post! Oh! Cheat Jar: $0 (Still tracking)

Oooooo! That's a good idea! The only teensy problem I see with that is I (we) would have to take MOAR time off of work. I might be able to get however many days off, but because I am hourly, I might loose out of pay if I can't supplement with PTO for whatever reason. But I LOOOOVVVEEEEE road trips and I LOOOOOVVVEEEEE you, so this is a very tempting offer!!! I wonder if we can coordinate it.... EXCITE!!! YES!!!! OMG I can't imagine all the AWESOME things you can do at a trampoline park! Maybe you could actually teach me some flippy thingies!!! I love to learn crazy gymnastics stuffs from you!!!!! I like how you're attempting to persuade us to come to you when that's been our topic of conversation. Dorkface. *runs away* Yes, it certainly is! And I believe him because I can tell by the fact that he lends the class to me so often. He doesn't really do that for many of the higher ranks. In fact, maybe like one other person. But not when I'm there. There is even a 5th degree who is always in the advanced class that he never passes the class to. He is kind of a goober when it comes to leading people so, that's why he has to follow my lead so often when he out ranks me. (He has always been ok with it since he knows he is not understood, so it's not really awkward or anything) But I like that I am given that honor and I love to do it so I thought it was a wonderful positive thought to share. And Daaaaawwwww... Thank you for the kind words! I have NEVER thought of myself as gorgeous. Maybe "cute". You know.... on a good day. >.> I'm not just saying that from my inability to accept compliments either, although that is indeed hard for me. It's just weird to hear that adjective to describe me. Unfortunately I guess I just I think of "gorgeous" people as how the media portrays them: long legged, slender and well dressed with a beautiful face. And that doesn't really describe me. But I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so thank you for your compliment. It did make me smile and blush a bit. Thanks for the upper, Mistr. *hugs* And as far as you cat goes, I think you can say that for all kittehs, AMIRITE?? BAHAHAHHAHAHAAA! I don't feel I'm photogenic either. But I think a lot of women feel that way. It's an insecurity. But you are! Also, I have no idea what your age is, so as far as I can tell you're acting fine

I love you for this <3 Ooooooo. I like. Ooooooo! We can request???? Can you say "Perturbed" next?? That's MY favourite word!!!!!

Yay Sioux tribute nose breaks! Sounds like a fun class! And you're adorkable when you get so excited about it. And data. Money data. Weirdo.

Daaaaawww! Thanks, Nightlight! That means a lot coming from another instructor. I like the way you instruct, too! I remember taking your snatch tutorial (heh heh) at Biggum's house and you helped me out a lot! You have a good grasp of body mechanics and I recognized that right away. I still think about the tips you gave me Sounds good. I have a mindful logging decision jar. You also reminded me I need to order Steve's book! Comes out Jan 12th!!!!! EXCITE!!!