citabean

Awww, I missed you. I'm glad you're back here and taking care of you.

Name: Citabean or Cita or Bean or Trisha... whatever floats your boat Race: Ogre Class: Scout Starting Stats: STR 5 * DEX 5.5 * STA 12.5 * CON 7.75 * WIS 7.75 * CHA 3 Back to the Basics The kids are gearing up to go back to school. Me? I’m gearing up to get back to the basics. There are three simple things that we all need to be healthy adults: sleep (aka Daily Zs), eat right (aka Noms), exercise/activity (aka Move My Ass). That covers health and fitness, what about life you ask? Well… I'm an adult and the only one in my house, which means, I get to do the majority of the chores (aka Cinderella Duties)… So…these are my goals. My Health/Fitness Goals: Daily Zs: Through the summer I did something called Summer Hours at work. This consisted of me getting up at 3am for work, 4 days a week and working 10 hour days. Not bad… except I couldn’t get myself to go to bed before 10pm. Yeah, 5 hours of sleep a night is NOT good. Non-work nights I’d get 7-9. That does not make up for it. So my goal this challenge is to consistently get 7-9 hours of sleep EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. Award:+1 WIS, +1 CON, +2 CHA The next two goals are based on the fact that I am going to follow Vic Magary’s 40 day fit program for the duration of the challenge. Noms: 2-3 meals a day, snacks if necessary, following the format: Meal = Meat + Veg + Fat. Snack = Veg or Fruit + Fat. I actually have six weeks of menus planned out. I plan on using them. All eating will be tracked in My Fitness Pal. Award: +2 CON, +2 WIS Move My Ass: I’ll be following the beginner BW program. Via this, I will be doing BW workouts 3x a week. In addition, 3x a week will be for interval/sprint type training. I’m going to mix up running, jump roping, box jumps and kettlebell swings. Once a week will be a rest day. No planned workouts. Am I going to consider bike rides with my son as a workout? No. Am I going to consider any bike rides I do alone a workout? Only if I do a shorter, interval type of ride. Any long rides or runs will simply be additional fun added to the program. I have planned out the entire six weeks of fitness including location, time and date of each workout. Award: +3 STR, +2 DEX My Life Goal: Cinderella Duties: Seeing that I am going to be cooking more, I will also be making a mess of the kitchen. As such, I must clean the kitchen and do the dishes EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. No exceptions. No whining. Just get it done, wench! Award: +2 CON That’s it. Basics: Nom, Daily Zs, Move My Ass, Cinderella Duties and be merry.

Good luck on those goals you have there! You can do it!

Great goals! What kind of tattoo are you looking to get?

Oh it feels SO nice when that credit card debt is gone. Great goals!

You'll do awesome!! I look forward to hearing about your journey on that ride!

Some days just suck... and I too hate hearing that line. Usually from single guys.

Copied from my thread... I gave myself a C.

Way to be awesome Nightlight!

I believe we start at Level 1... so you should be Level 2!

Awesome job on the challenge and the Run! I actually went to pick up my packet on Saturday and told them I couldn't run. I was planning on coming out on Sunday, but my lungs had other ideas. Congrats on a job well done!

Challenge Report Starting Stats: STR 5 * DEX 2 * STA 8 * CON 7 * WIS 6.75 * CHA 3 Zee Goals: Fitness/Eating Goals: Eat Primally, Track 6 Days a Week in MFP (CON +1): Grade: B +.75 CON awarded Other than the week I was on vacation and after I got sick (or admitted I was) I actually tracked 7 days a week. For me, that is excellent and I gave myself a B. Bootcamp! - Twice per week (STR +2): Grade: D +.5 STA awarded While I didn't fail at this goal, I did very poorly past week 3. Therefore I'm giving myself a D. Bike Ride - once per week, at least 30 minutes (STA +2): Grade: C +1 STA awarded I got the bike rides in for the first 4 weeks. Therefore I'm giving myself a C. Train for 5k - Run Faster than Last One! (DEX +3 STA +2): Grade: C +1.5 DEX +1 STA awarded I'm giving myself a C because I met this goal through week 4. Week 5 I took an incomplete due to vacation and week 6 I got one run in. I wasn't able to do the 5k either due to health. Life Goals: Study for the following First MS SQL 2012 Exams (WIS +2 CHA +3): Grade: F No points awarded I had good intentions for this, but without realizing that there would be no study materials published until week 4 of the challenge, there was no way I could study for this during vacation and take it the week I got back. Squad Challenge Rewards: Week 1: +1 DEX Week 2: +1 STA Week 3: +1 DEX Week 4: +1 WIS Week 5: none Week 6: none Ending Stats: STR 5 * DEX 5.5 * STA 12.5 * CON 7.75 * WIS 7.75 * CHA 3 Overall Thoughts: I don't feel I did well this challenge, but looking back through this, I realized I did well for the first month... up until my vacation. The vacation week is understandable. While I didn't meet my goals, I didn't sit around either. I was active every day. So I'm okay with that. The last week, yeah... pneumonia sucks. I'm actually curious as to when I started down that road, which is something I'm going to ask my doctor about. It could explain a lot of how I've felt this challenge. My overall grade is a C. Not bad, but not great either. Until next time...

My success with this week's challenge did not occur. Much to my dismay... finding out I had pneumonia kind of killed any thought of me doing anything that caused my lungs to work. My will was there, my body, however, had other ideas.

Awesome job Seabright! <3

I was there, being the silent type, watching... you're amazing Loren. Great job! You inspire so many, including me.

I feel em! Thanks Seabright! Yeah, there will be. What's funny about the whole thing to me is I don't actually feel sick. I just feel like I got a cough that bugs me every so often. I find it odd to find out that I'm actually sick n stuff. Yesterday after the doctor, I was tired all day... like my mind was telling me "Hey, you're sick. You should be napping." Even tho, I still didn't feel sick. Funny how our bodies and minds work.

Pity I didn't know! Oh well, next time. Yeaaah... about that 5k. I'm not allowed to run it as of this morning. Why you ask? Lemme tell ya! Most of this challenge I've had this lingering, nasty cough. Yesterday, my boss told me he was sick of listening to me cough and to go to the doctor. So this morning I did. Turns out, I actually have pneumonia. Fun eh? Doc says I can't do the running. I may still go and cheer on ellisd012. This may have put a stumbling block in my way, but I am NOT letting it knock me down. Nope, no way...

Search my soul you say? For the ONE thing holding me back? Oh how I wish it were just one... that one could be summed up as myself. I hold myself back. I have pondered this before... but am I truly fearful of actually losing the weight? No. Circumstance and a crappy hand made me gain some of what I lost back, not because I gave up. Currently, my biggest obstacle is the disheartening I feel at the pace I run. To the point, I can maintain a faster walk than I can a run... and I ponder, is this really worth it? What does running slowly give me over walking fastly? I keep pushing on though. I KNOW I can run faster, I've done it in short 60s bursts in the past. But, based on recent suggestion, I've been re-reading No Need for Speed by John Bingham. It's reminded me... It's not about speed, it's about getting out there and doing it. Not for finishing the race before other people... but finishing it for me. Running for me, for my health. So what am I going to do this week to conqure this demon that has been riding on my back? I'm going to run. I'm going to be happy with finishing my 5k this Sunday.

Great luck on week 6! You will do fantabulously! How was the book Mindless Eating? Title alone makes me interested in it...

Thanks everyone! Week 5... I was on vacation. I enjoyed said vacation. I didn't do any "workouts" but we did stay active every day. Food wasn't ideal, but I did eat well. I ended up gaining 3 pounds, I'm okay with that. Week 5 Status Wrap-up: N/A for the week. After my week 4 wrap up, I decided to just enjoy myself. Week 5 Highlights: I forced my child on a roller coaster, he was PETRIFIED. But y'know what? He LOVED it. I didn't want to hang myself after spending 3 days at a mall. Driving through Iowa on the way home as a change of scenery from Wisconsin ending up being a boring, longer drive, but I'm glad we did it. Jonas and I had an awesome week bonding with each other. It was a much needed mommy & son vacation. Heh, my kid now is in love with Magic: The Gathering and I own a bunch of cards. Nerd. I bought a food dehydrator and made kal Looking ahead at Week 6: I did a run last night at the local rec center. They have an 1/8 mile track. I did 2 laps running, 1 lap walking for a total of 3.375 miles. It felt really good to get out there and run again. The nice thing about this track is it goes around 4 basketball courts, so you can watch what's going on and not get bored. Last night 1 court was set up for a bunch of ping pong tables, which was funny to watch. Then there were 2 set up for volleyball. My 5k is on Sunday. My plan is to do two shorter runs and a bit of just being active.

Week 4 wasn't ideal... but it's over now... Week 4 Status Wrap-up Fitness/Eating Goals: Eat Primally, Track 6 Days a Week in MFP (A -- I did do it for 6 days) Bootcamp! - Twice per week (C -- While I didn't do bootcamp workouts, I did do strength training work once last week) Bike Ride - once per week, at least 30 minutes (F -- Totally didn't even look at my bike...) Train for 5k - Run Faster than Last One! (B -- 2 runs for the week, 1 hike) Life Goals: Study for, take and pass the following First MS SQL 2012 Exams (Changing this to the 2nd test - the administration one, because there are no study materials for the first yet!, no movement on this as of yet...) Week 5 Trials: I'm on vacation. I've not been tracking food. I've not been running, but we're staying active by walking. During the 8 hour drive we ended up walking at least a half mile each stop, totaling about 2 miles total. After that, I relaxed by swimming laps in the pool, doing some resistance work for my arms, legs and core. And a lot of stretching. Yesterday at the Mall of America, I calculate we walked for 7 of the 10 hours we were there. Yes... 10 hours. No, we did not ride rides yesterday... yesterday was spent visiting stores, playing arcade games and we did see Ice Age 3. Today is rides! I don't think we'll be at the mall as long today. I may make use of the hotel fitness area, pool and sauna tonight. Eating has been harder than I thought. I'm doing fairly well, just not perfect. My resolve is down just a bit...

You're awesome! GREAT WORK so far! Keep kickin ass and takin names!

July 29th!

You're doing great! Heh, don't get too thrown into a world of number crunching. Remember to relax and have fun too. (This is for me too!) I'm impressed by your non-soda drinking. I do think it's likely due to the heat. I know sometimes, especially when it's hotter out, that is when I want one. I try to stick with water, lately I've been adding some lemon or other fruits to flavor it up a bit. Sleep... ugh. My schedule sucks. I have found, if I'm good about keeping my room dark, turning off electronics etc... I sleep better... so even though I'm only getting 6ish hours, they're 6 better hours than they used to be...

I found this video for running warm-ups, some of these look fun. Specifically the iron cross and groiners. I may try this warm-up before my run tonight! http://strengthrunning.com/2011/07/the-standard-warm-up-video-demonstration/