crowings

Huh, I'll have to look that up, see if it helps. I'm just taking the courses online. It's cheaper - to some degree - and I get to work on my own schedule, which is something I don't think I'll have again when I'm done with it all, so I'm happy to cherish every moment of it.

I've had some mobility pains in the past, but I used to always forget about stretching before and after the runs. Trust me, I don't plan on making that mistake again.

This challenge I want to work specifically on conditioning myself! I usually find it a bit difficult, not because I can't do it or it's too physically taxing, I just... don't like it. I hate running for the sake of running. I've tried to enjoy it, to clear my mind and use it as a way to relax, and I just can't do it. For the sake of other sports it's great! Soccer? Easy! Hiking? Not even a deal. Parkour? Arguably much more difficult than the other two, but still super fun! I try to run on a road for more than a a couple miles, and I get bored. NEVERTHELESS, I see this challenge as a way to find my motivation to keep going, and to work on my weakest point: cardio. Main Goals: -Lower my resting heart rate to between 60-70 (this is more like a life goal, I don't really expect my heart rate to drop so much in 6 weeks). Thanks to my dad, I have a fairly high natural resting heart rate, I think between 70-80 last time I checked. I want to work this down. I know chances are it'll take longer than 6 weeks, but why start later? -Increase my max weight lift by 10% in Bench, Squat, and Deadlift. Thanks to SpecialSundae, I wanted to take a slight Warrior approach to this challenge. I want to develop the muscles in my legs for better endurance and strength, since lately I've been wanting to do some longer hikes and whatnot, and I figure it'd be good to be able to stand at the end of 'em. Breakin' It Down: I'll be taking this in strides, so I want to start out around 10-15 miles of running per week. That's more or less 2 miles a day, which is a good starting place for me this challenge. By the end of the challenge I'm hoping to go >20 miles per week, but I'll see what happens when I get there. I also want to get in some sprints throughout the week, for the practical application of sprinting. For the weights I'll just add a little per week. I usually work out about 3-5 times per week depending on the week, so I don't see it being too hard. Side Goals: Apart from exercise of the body, I also want to balance that out with some exercise of the mind. I'll be honest, I've been having a hard time emotionally remembering things simply because I would rather not remember them, but I can't exactly do that. I talked to my councilor parents, who suggested that I work on letting things go and forgiving, so I am gonna do that. I also want to do well in the philosophy and religion courses I'm taking. To sum it all up, I've made a nice little score chart to keep track of it all! Running A - x>90 miles ran by the end of the challenge (+2STA) B - x>80 miles C - x>70 miles D - x>60 miles F - x<60 miles Sprints A - 21 Sprint sessions by the end of the challenge (+1.5DEX) B - 18 sessions C - 15 sessions D - 12 sessions F - 9 sessions Weight Training A - Increase the weights of the Big Three (Bench, squats, DL) by 10% (+2STR) B - Increase by 8% C - Increase by 5% D - Increase by 2% F - No increase or decrease Ace Courses A=A (+2WIS) B=B etc. Forgive the Past Pass/Fail (When pass, +1WIS, +2CHA)

If you ever go by way of philosophy or mythology, I'm always happy to talk anybody to sleep, though I very much hope it doesn't end up like Argus and Hermes.

12/9 1-2s and Skip Rope - 8:00 Squats (40kg) - 5x20 Lunges (40kg) - 1x15 per leg, 4x10 per leg Calf Raises (40kg) - 5x40 Dead Lift - 3x3 (90kg), 2x2 (120kg)

10/9 Jump Rope - 4:00 Bench Press - 3x10 (70kg), 2x5 (90kg) Bicep Curl (20kg) - 5x10 per arm Shrugs (40kg) - 5x30 Tricep Curls (10kg) - 5x10 per arm Bent Over Curls (20kg) - 5x15 per arm

Ah, no, fortunately I got to work more with my trainer than I initially thought.

All right, so it's the end of the challenge. I wish I wrote on here more, though I think I still need to work on how I do it. So! Scoring myself, I guess I'll lay out my stats for this challenge. Working The Bag - A (+1STR, +1STA) If there was 1 consistent thing I did, this was it. I feel like I've progressed in the coordination and speed of my hits since I started this challenge. Work the Form - A- (+1DEX) I think I've improved a good bit, but not as much as I would have liked. I still get thrown off balance every once in a while and forget about my feet from time to time, but it's something I'll keep working on over the next challenge. Work the Friend - B (+1WIS) Unfortunately I'm not as good at judging my opponent's actions as I'd like to be. I'm okaaay at blocking, but I need to work on moving around more instead of planting myself in one spot. Become a Good Shot - A (+1/2DEX) Running - B+ (+1DEX, +1STA) I wish I could have gotten out more to run in the end, but it got so rainy and I use excuses. The first 4 weeks were good, though, and I got to about 5 miles in 40-45 min for distance, and around 7:20 for a mile, though I know I can still work those numbers down. Anyway, I have loved it here in the monks and I think I may stick around for another challenge, try to post more.

~2 hour soccer game with some friends. Aw man it's fun.

6/9 Jumping Jacks - 2:30 1-2s - 3:00 Bench Press (80kg) - 5x5 Bicep Curls (18kg) - 5x10 per arm Tricep Curls (10kg) - 5x10 per arm Shrugs (40kg) - 5x40 Bent over Curls (40kg) - 5x5 per arm

4/9 Jump Rope - 3:00 Squats (40kg) - 4x15 Lunges (40kg) - 4x10 per leg Calf Raises (40kg) - 4x40 Dead Lift (100kg) - 4x3 Raised Leg Sit ups - 4x20

I swear, it's getting harder and harder to psych myself up for a workout with the weather being as it is. It's been grey skies almost constantly for 2 weeks now.

2/9 Jumping Jacks: 2 min. Bench Press: 2x8 (90kg), 3x8 (80kg) Bicep Curls (18kg) - 5x20 per arm Tricep Curls (20kg) - 3x20 Flies (10kg) - 3x15 Shrugs (20kg) - 3x30

LEG DAAAAAAAY! 28/8 Jumping Jacks - 2x100 Squats (35kg) - 4x12 Lunges (35kg) - 4x10 per leg Calf Raises (35kg) - 2x40, 2x50 Waist-Height Jumps - 3x10

23/8 Jump Rope - 3:00 Bench Press (90kg) - 4x8 Bicep Curls (17.5kg) - 4x9 per arm Shrugs (38 kg) - 4x30 Flys (10kg) - 4x10 Tricep Curls (20kg) - 4x20