Sakag

10-14% grade is nothing to sneeze at. That kind of slope should require a sign similar to the ones for trucks at 6% or above, except feature a lone runner, going uphill, with sweat droplets streaming behind. You will soon be in better running fit than most, with that kind of training ground. Go you! If you're reading this now (now being in the window of time between when this posts and 4 hours from then) GO TO BED!

Yes, flexibility. And some sort of stress relief or detoxification of chakras or quieting of the mind or something. But mostly flexibility and balance. As for the journey: Today I skipped dinner because of a scheduling conflict. I barely got a workout in this evening. Then I got stuck trying to change out of my workout clothes and staggered around the bedroom for a while doing my best impersonation of a T-rex with her head stuck in a t-shirt. I'm so graceful.

Workout complete. Yoga today, which I am entirely meh about. My brain wanders. But since there are so many different kinds of yoga, I keep trying it. Off to forage for breakfast...

I've only "won" NaNo a couple of times, but the loomingness of a daily word count is both exhilarating and horrific. At the very least, it makes you think about what you're writing, and how to get it written. At most, you actually finish some 50,000 plus words that are a rough first draft. Sweet potatoes are awesome! I sub them for lots of things that require regular potatoes, like breakfast skillets. Plain, they are underwhelming, but cubed and sauteed with stuff-- like bacon, or mixed bell peppers, or just garlic, salt, and pepper, they're so very tasty. I also love brussels sprouts (one of my favorites is this one-- http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/pan-roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-bacon-recipe/index.html -- leave out the butter), though, so YMMV.

Running! Way to go! I came up with a bonus if nobody else we know joins: complete and utter destruction when we literally run rings around them all. Barring that, they get eaten by zombies, because they're slow and full of Doritos.

Super late at the office; got home and just finished a tomato salad and some strawberries. I seem to be out of protein. I really need to go to the grocery.

Morning workout complete. 2 and a half (halved the reps) circuits for ABWW. I did have to skip the dips, I don't have 2 pieces of furniture that lend them to that. Will have to figure out something for them. Hooray, ahead of the game, but now I have to scurry if I'm to get to work on time; that took longer than I thought it would.

I'm so frazzled, I forgot to thank everyone for the encouragement. I'm so rude! Svlad, bam, Turpin, you guys all rock and I look forward to making great strides towards success with you all!

Nice goals, ShadowSilk! On mini-goal #3, have you thought about making it a master chef challenge? Perhaps approach a new veggie or cuisine that you haven't tried to cook before, like Ethiopian or Uruguayan (which is a lot about steak and chimichurri, yum!) or dandelion greens or rhubarb. It could be a lot of fun, and you might discover a new food you love! On the writing front, do you NaNoWriMo?

HH*, Archbishop of Righteous Wordsmithery, Smiting, and All-Around-Pretty-Keenness-- Your goals are super-- I love that you might get time to do PCT soon! I see Ranger Turpin already. Will you be bento-ing as well? . (Now we just need to get everybody else we know in disparate states (in all senses) to join the rebellion!) *His Highhattedness, on those occasions where a striking chapeau is appropriate.

So. I ate well today and last night for dinner. Lentil curry or sushi tonite, haven't decided yet, since I just walked in the door. Exercise today... I walked to lunch, which only sort of counts. This is why I have to work out before work, so when the super secret oh my gosh so and so scheduled a big fancy presentation of your stuff in 2 days and didn't tell anybody (freak out!), quick make it pretty long hours turn up, I'm already ahead of the game instead of behind the eight ball. I am so ordering a hula hoop. Because I can, and it will make me happy. Assassins do not slack. This is my new get up at oh-dark-hundred move my butt mantra. ASSASSINS DO NOT SLACK! I can totally do this.

@ShadowSilk, re: primal eating-- that's pretty much where I'm headed. However, I've discovered that my brain does not like labelled types of eating; if I'm trying to follow something that says I can't have chocolate cake, for instance, I will crave chocolate cake like it's air and I'm faced with drowning. But I will not crave chocolate cake if there's no reason I can't have it, or if it's not on a proscribed foods list of sorts. I'll actually forget chocolate cake exists. So I try to do less labelling for my own sanity and reward center wiring. Instead of "I can't have that," when I grocery shop I think, "don't need it, don't want it," and then challenge myself to find something I do want and need to eat, like a new vegetable recipe. It's weird, but it seems to work better for me.

I have a yo-yo relationship with fitness. It's either full bore, Insanity/P90X addict, or couch potato. The first generally leads to burnout or injury, which leads to the second, which tends to linger until my pants are too tight, which then sends me back to to the first. Rinse and repeat. My ultimate (for now) goal is to build consistency of habit without the extremes; a sane, geek-based approach that keeps me motivated. For me, that means visualizing myself as a kick ass assassin/swashbuckler/ranger who climbs the walls of the castle in the dark of night, subdues the guard and opens the gates to awesomeness. I'm not sure what actual exercise routine that translates into yet. Mission 1: Exercise 5x wk. It does not have to be Insanity or p90X, or an hour long slog-fest. A walk-run, hike, or yoga counts, too! (This may be obvious to some of you, but I have some sort of block about it.) Mission 2: Reduce wheat, sugar, and dairy in my diet. Add more fruit/veggies at every meal. Less meat for meat's sake. No boxed freezer meals. Mission 3: No slamming myself for mistakes/ skipped days. Get back on the horse and keep going. Mission 4: Try a new kind of exercise class; parkour or rock climbing or barre or hot yoga or... at least 2x during the challenge. 1x a week would be bonus points. Life Goal: Schedule, study for, take, and pass the next exam in my licensure series.