NicTheRugger

Better late than never! Seems to be my theme this challenge Short Rest: Active recovery! Attack: Plank challenge! Try to hold a plank for at least 2 minutes. Move: Take the stairs at least once a day! Going slow b/c of the knee is okay!! Magic: Try out a new recipe! Dodge: In additional Heal: self-care session! I'll be doing Move in addition to whatever other challenge we face this week!

Hello all! Sliding into the challenge a week late, again. A lot has happened in the past 3 weeks: between going to a wedding, packing up, moving, buying and building furniture, work, and all sorts of stuff, I didn't really plan out a challenge until like... yesterday. The good: I am about 95% moved into my new apartment! There are some small things that I need to get from my parents' house still, kitchen stuff, mostly. (My roommate and I don't have a microwave, so I'm bringing my old university one back with me!) I'm keeping up with my mobility training as well as my Polish practice. The bad: My knee is still painful at times and because running and even walking for extended periods of time still hurts, I haven't been able to run anymore. I still need to get to the doctor's-- I just need to fill out the paperwork. Work has also been stressing me out lately, because I have so much to do and almost no time to do it! Because I'm the "pretrial and arraignments" attorney, I'm in court basically from 9-4:00. Not counting the hour lunch where I get some much-needed socialization with my coworkers (and even then, there are days where I do work at lunch), I get maybe an hour of desk time a day. I've actually started taking work home with me so I can do legal stuff in comfy sweats on my couch or at the kitchen counter. I actually wrote an 17.5 page motion and memorandum over the weekend. 7 pages Friday night, 7 pages Saturday morning, and another 4 over the course of Sunday evening and Monday evening. I need to figure out how to find the time to get things done so I'm not at work from 7:30 a.m. until at least 5:30 each night! It probably won't happen, but it's stressing me out that I have so much to do and no time to do it all. And that brings us to this challenge. Despite my knee being injured, there's still plenty of things I can do! Perhaps this challenge would have been better off in the Rebels' territory, rather than here in Ranger land, but I like y'all too much to want to leave! My overall focus is "recovery." Hence the title of the challenge! I need to do recovery work-- not just my knee, but also in other aspects of my life! I want to recover my workout habits that have basically dropped out of existence over the past month, and I want to do some emotional/mental/spiritual recovery as well. I'm trying to split this into 3 parts: Mind, Body, Soul. We'll see how it goes! Mind: - Keep practicing Polish every day-- either Duolingo or Rosetta Stone Mini Task: redeem that Rosetta Stone groupon I got for my birthday! - Read at least one book this challenge. I just started reading Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda, so that's going to be my book to finish this challenge Body Just because I can't run right now doesn't mean I can't do things! I can still do upper body stuff. I let depression and a bad mindset set me back with push-ups and pull-ups, and while I can't do pull-ups right now (a hex bolt for my pull-up bar got lost in the move! And I don't want to use it until it's 100% secured because I don't want to risk it, and me, falling), there are other things I can do! - Do push-ups training 3 x a week. My goal is to get back to 5 sets of 15-20 knee push-ups by the end of the challenge. Today's sets were 7-10-10 - Do handstand training at least 2x a week. Didn't do any today or yesterday, but I will try to do some tonight! - Keep up mobility training every day. I'm hoping to make mobility training a more regular thing in my life. I like doing it in the morning as a good start to my day! - Mini task: Fill out the new patient paperwork and drop it off at the doctor's office so I can go get examined and get a referral to get my knee looked at! Soul Work has been getting overwhelming and stressful, so we're going to do some self-care work this challenge! - Journal: yes, I keep saying it, but it's actually helpful when I actually do it. The goal: journal 2x a week - Knit: it's something relaxing to do that's not work, and I can sit and watch TV while I do it. That totally counts as me time, right? - Cleaning: a clean home is a happy home! Spend 5-10 minutes a day tidying up somewhere in the house. - Find a place: I'm hoping to start regularly attending services at my local Universalist Unitarian Church! I was raised Catholic, but somewhere along the way, I realized Catholicism just... isn't a good fit for me. Because of that, I've really struggled to find a home for my spiritual practice, and I think it's been leaving a hole in my life. Praying at home is one thing, but... having a place of worship with other people is something that I did love about Catholicism. I just don't feel at home in the church anymore, though, so that's why I want to find a new space! And after doing some research, I think UU might be a good fit-- I agree with their basic tenets and principles, and I like the mindset that some aspect of truth can be found in every religion. Unfortunately, can't go this weekend because I'll be going home to visit my family (where I will inevitably be dragged to Catholic church for Sunday, or maybe Saturday, services despite the fact that I do NOT want to go!!). But hopefully starting soon I can make this a regular habit and join in the community there. Okay, that's all for now, folks! I'll check in soon.

Hey, Liz! I'm with you in the Autumn gang. I am here and ready for autumnal bliss! I love that you're finding ways to work out even when you can't make it to the gym-- helping your friend move I'm sure was a great workout! And, walking is a lovely way to exercise, and I can't imagine that London would be a bad place to go for a walk lot's to see in the city, after all! I hope you're not sick. Keep up the good work! You're doing great

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry to hear about your eye! I'm glad you're recovering quickly, Jason. I'll keep sending good thoughts your way for a continued and whole recovery!

Wow, I haven't checked in on your challenge in quite some time. You're doing great though! As always, I love the story aspect of your challenges. I love hearing about your character handling the Rebellion!world equivalents of the challenges that you're meeting in your everyday life. And I completely relate on the over-crowded mornings! I often find myself having so much to do in the morning, because I want to get it done while I'm actually awake, and then I feel like my whole day is off-kilter because my whole morning was so jam-packed! I believe in you though-- you're awesome and a big inspiration to this humble ranger

Last week of the challenge! When I started this challenge, I didn't know how apt that name would be. This really has been a challenge of rolling with the punches. The good: I found an apartment! I haven't signed the lease yet because my future landlord's printer wasn't working, apparently, but I have a move-in date of the 15th! (Looking to make it the 14th though, because who wants to move on a Sunday? Not me!) Another good: I found a doctor! She has pretty decent reviews, and she's board certified, which is a personal requirement for me, in looking for a primary care physician. I've never had a DO before as a PCP, but I've read into the differences between MDs and DOs, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the difference in philosophy/training takes effect irl. I'm enjoying doing morning stretching a lot. I think it's a really great way for me to start my day. The bad: Moving is a right pain in the rear, and with this wedding that I'm going to this weekend, I have even less time to get organized and packed than I would like. Bad number 2: while I have found a doctor, I will likely be unable to be seen by her or her NP until after I move, because of paperwork that I need to fill out, and that's going to my parents' house rather than my own current residence. This means any fix to my knee will likely not happen until at least the end of September, if not October. I don't want to go to the ER for something that isn't truly life threatening, but this is inconvenient. The ugly: I will likely need surgery to fix my knee. The pain, while greatly reduced, is still there and it's impacting my daily life. I can't go for leisurely walks anymore. Heck, I can't even walk around a warehouse store without pain, which... well, it sucks, friends. I hate being so inactive. I did a push-up workout today (4 sets of 20 incline pushups), and it was... boring. I miss being able to run and feel my blood pumping. I miss slowly working towards a new PR in squats and deadlifts. And I can't do any of these things that I love doing until my knee is fully recovered. Assuming I get surgery to fix it, I will also likely undergo a few months of physical therapy before I am well enough to do that. And it makes me sad, because I've worked so hard to get in as good as shape as I was just a month ago, and now all of that progress is going to be lost. I hate to end on a depressing note, but at this point, I'm sort of resigned to it. Hopefully I'll get into the doctor sooner than the end of the month, and I'll be able to get help sooner. That's all for now, folks. Bye!

Hey Liz! How was the drive? Not too much rain, I hope! And, I hope you have a lovely trip

Hey! Sorry to hear that you're going through a rough time. I hope things get better. I'm a big fan of West Wing. What season are you watching right now?

Hi friends, Sorry for disappearing for so long! I'll admit, I'm not doing the best right now. I've been walking with a knee brace every day and my knee still isn't feeling better. I'm trying to find a doctor, but finding a new doctor is hard! I can't even walk for further than a mile without my knee hurting, and lifting? Forget about it! I moved my nightstand from my parents house to my current place for easier moving once I get an apartment and my knee was miserable afterwards. Just from carrying a relatively light nightstand (no more than 40 pounds-- a weight that I can and have carried for even longer distances than down a flight of stairs). Not being able to exercise in the way I've gotten used to doing is... difficult. It's taking a real toll on my mental health, and I feel restless and grumpy because I have no physical outlet available to me. Not being able to work out is also killing my motivation in other areas of my life. I'm hoping to find a doctor soon, so I can get my knee checked out and treated so I can go back to working out! I'm hoping to join a gym or maybe even pick up crossfit again! But I can't do that until I can do a basic body-weight squat or go for a walk without pain. The apartment search was going really well. I found a place I really like, and in theory I'm meeting with the landlord this weekend. Buuut, I haven't heard anything yet from potential roommate about when we'd all be meeting, which is concerning? The paranoid part of me wonders if this was a scam in some way. I'm usually not paranoid about this kind of stuff but, you'd think that a landlord would want to fill an empty room in an apartment, right? Or maybe I'm just used to people moving at a more... expedient pace. Fingers crossed, I guess. With regard to morning stretching, while I've missed a couple of days here and there, it's probably the most consistent thing about this challenge so far. I actually quite enjoy the morning stretching. It's something physical I can do without undue strain on my knee, and it's a lovely way to start my day! I'm considering doing longer stretching sessions to get even more "exercise, but I've never been a fan of yoga-esque workouts. Right now, the best thing going for me is my job. I really enjoy it. Sure, the hours are long and the pay isn't that great considering the hours I work, but it's otherwise fantastic. I'm learning a lot, and I work with pretty awesome people. I also see some interesting stuff every day! Oh the stories I could tell... I'm starting to get a handle on my day-to-day stuff. I still have a lot to learn, obviously. My boss has been working for the office for 8 years and she's still running into stuff that she doesn't know how to do! But when it comes to pre-trial stuff, I'm feeling more and more comfortable. I'm actually writing up an intro manual for new ADAs! I'm hoping once it gets a bit more in-depth, I can share it with my boss/team and get their input to add to it and maybe make it an official thing for our little corner of the DA's office, and if that's successful, compile a more formal version for the office as a whole. It's a labor of love, and it's slow going, but I'm hoping to have a very basic "manual" by the end of September. That might be a goal for my next challenge... That's all for now, folks! I'll try to check in a couple more times this week!

Hey friends! Quick update: My knee has been giving me trouble lately-- it's the same one I sprained (or thought I sprained) last year, and ended up being a key factor in my decision to not go forward with my Marines application again (because I was considering it, up until my knee started acting up again). Running and even cycling are a bit much for me right now. I've taken to wearing a supportive knee brace. The good news is that I can still use the elliptical! So that's probably what I'm going to have to do for the rest of the challenge. The bad news: my healthcare situation is confusing, but I'm looking for a doctor who can take me on or around 1 September, as that's when my new healthcare plan kicks in. Unfortunately, that means I have to wait until almost the very end of the challenge to get medical assistance because the US healthcare system is a bloody nightmare. That means I have to do a reorganization of my goals. Cardio sessions are going to have to be either walks or elliptical sessions, since I don't want to do anything to my knee to make it worse-- especially since I have to wait until early September for an appointment. Unfortunately, this also means that my favorite lifts (deadlifts and squats) are straight out until the knee is properly diagnosed and treated. Looks like it's back to the pull-ups and push-ups for upper body training because my lower body is on recovery/easy stuff! I'm really liking my morning stretch routine. Only journalled once last week (whoops) but will be sure to hit at least 2 this week. In other news... my lack of exercise is giving me a bit of squish! I need to figure out portion sizes again now that I'm not in military training mode and don't need as many calories.... Until next time!

This is Siano! Arguably some of the best vodka I've ever had in my life. It's made from hay!

What a great workout! Keep up the good work, Liz! You're doing wonderfully I believe in you!

Following along! You've got this.

Nic walks into the guildhall, trusty ruck over her shoulder and bo staff in hand. Spotting the round of shots that @deftona bought, she walked up and picked up a glass. "Cheers, darling," Nic toasted before tossing the shot back. "Barkeep, next round on me. And I'll have my usual, thanks!" With his usual gentle smile, the barkeep poured Nic a tall glass of mead and also gave her a bottle of Siano. "A thousand thanks," Nic tossed a gold coin to him in gratitude. Turning to the guild as a whole, "Next round's on me, friends!" With that, Nic walked over to her usual booth and slid in. While she wanted to join in the bar fight, her knee felt stiff and she thought it best to stay out of it this time. Maybe it was time to see the healers... Hey friends! I'm back for another round. Knee's a bit troublesome this time, and I've hit some setbacks in my overall journey, but I'm back and ready to rumble. And... that celery graphic...

Stay strong, love. Any way you can get out of the house for a bit to be around people? That might help with the bad feelings.

Following along for excellent goals! What are you reading right now?

Tell your paranoia to hush! I like you And following! I'm so sorry to hear about your dad and that things have been rough for you lately. You're doing excellently, and you're awesome. I believe in you! And about the bed... My friends' bedframe broke while they were sleeping because it was the kind of slats-- honestly, I think that the slats are just silly and don't work! Pretty sure the bed is just a bad bed. Sending you lots of love!

Hey Jason! A little late to the game, but I've found your challenge and will be cheering you along! I'm glad you weren't more seriously injured in your fall! Re. the running shoes: I'm a big fan of supporting the smaller running stores, even if they tend to be pricier. The one I went to to get my running shoes actually let me take a quick jog around the parking lot in a few pairs to see which one felt better on my feet. I'm sorry that the one you went to didn't give you a good experience! For shoes, I haven't had Brooks before, but my first pair of trail running shoes were Saucony and they were excellent. I have since gotten rid of them because they were wrecked after a couple of years worth of trail runs and Spartans, but they were good while I had them! I actually have Reebok for trail runners now, but for my "everyday" running shoe, I have 361 degree. They were pricey, but so worth it. Can't wait to see what you're up to!

I love everything about your challenge-- and especially about your Murph!! I've done the Murph once and... wow. What a workout. I had to do it modified and I was still sore for days. I'm wholeheartedly cheering you on!

Hello hello, my friends. An update! Thursday: Did 3.5 miles on the eliptical, and checked out an apartment. I quite liked it! The room itself was small, but the shared areas are very spacious, and I don't like spending time in my room unless it's for sleeping, so that's okay. My concern is whether my furniture will fit in once my bed is there... but on the plus side, there's a walk-in closet! And my potential roommate seems like an absolutely lovely person. We have a decent amount in common, too! She's studying history, and I'm a history nerd, she crochets while I knit, we're big readers and love Harry Potter, and both drink more tea than we probably should! I like her a lot, and even if I don't end up living with her, I think I've made a friend Friday: No apartment hunting, but did go on a nice 3.67 mile walk in the evening. Today: Visited 2 apartments. One would be me by myself and one would be with an older woman (60s) as a roommate. Both apartments were lovely in different ways, but I think I'd rather live with someone closer to my own age and with some shared interests, you know? I'm essentially living by myself now (landlady and I don't really speak much), and... it's a little lonely, at times. Especially as I have so few connections in the community outside of work. It'd be nice to have someone to talk to in the evenings, or even just hang out with and watch tv with. So I've reached out to Potential Roommate with a couple more questions (namely, is she planning on leaving any time soon, because I don't want to move in with a great roommate only to find out that she's leaving 6 months later, you know?). Depending on how that goes, it's likely I'll be moving in mid September! I'm really liking morning stretching more than evening stretching. I think it starts the day better. I'm also working on building a more reliable morning routine, other than "get up, make bed, exercise, shower, make lunch, go to work." While I do like workout out in the morning, I also like having quiet time in the morning to think, enjoy the silence, have a cup of tea, and then start the day, and with this job, it's really good to be able to work out the stress of the day at the gym at the end of the day rather than at the beginning! That's all for now, folks. Have a great weekend!

Thanks, Liz! <3 Gosh, it sure does!! Very true! Motivating myself is the true challenge I have a handful of coloring books that I can use!

Found ya! Following along for awesome hiking goals

Boy howdy, an update! And thank you so much for all of the encouragement and well wishes, friends. Truly, having this community is such a blessing and one I am genuinely grateful for. Your encouragement and support makes it easier for me to work to accomplish my challenges! Forgot to stretch yesterday morning, but had a really good morning stretch today! I did the blogilates morning routine and wow, did I feel it. I think I'm going to stick to this stretching routine because I felt really energized after it. Haven't done much on terms of exercise, but that's because I've been feeling rather low energy lately. I'm hoping to kick it into gear tomorrow though with a morning stretch and then a trip to the gym to use the elliptical for a few miles. Work has been crazy lately (someone got let go on Friday so we're extra busy now), so between work and apartment hunting (I've visited 3 places in the past 2 days), it's been a hectic time. I'm checking out another place tomorrow. I have a good feeling about this one, so we'll see what happens! I'm actually looking forward to going to the gym tomorrow-- I haven't been in a few weeks! I still need to email my OSO and let her know that I won't be going forward in the application process... I'm dreading writing that email. I'm probably going to draft it up on Friday and send it over the weekend, mostly because I don't have much time this week. Seriously, so much going on. I'm typing this as I get ready for bed. Between work, the online class I'm doing, and apartment hunting, free time feels like a distant dream lol. This is all I have time for tonight-- I'll try to check in on y'all tomorrow!

Hello all, it's a bit late in the challenge, but better late than never, right? Hitting a lot of setbacks with this challenge: Got rejected from the Marines again. Didn't get to exercise much on vacation, despite best attempts to I've been asked to find a new place to live by the family I'm renting from-- apparently it has nothing to do with me. I suspect they want to sell the house. They've been nice enough to give me until the end of September. I'm in a rough place mentally, right now. I feel really disappointed and like everything is going wrong at once. I know, rationally, that it's just my silly brain doing dumb depression things, but it's still really overwhelming and I'm really sad and frustrated. I think it's time for me to move on from the Marines. I tried my best, I really did, but it just isn't working out, and I'm... 27 (or almost). I'm getting to a point where it isn't practical for me to hold off on settling down because I'm trying for something that isn't guaranteed. But now I feel like I'm at a bit of a loss at what to do for fitness goals, because for so long (over a year), I've been using the Marines PFT as the standard for my training plan, and while it was exhausting at times, both physically and mentally, if I officially give up, I don't have much of a plan. To be honest, I'm not even sure what I should do for this challenge. Area 1: Mental Health Considering that I can tell I'm in a depressive episode right now, I should probably do something to get my brain back where it should be, right? The challenges here: Pick up that journal again! I stopped journaling, and I think that that was a mistake. I will try to journal twice a week. Do something relaxing: Either knit or color once a week. Area 2: Fitness Keep up the cardio. I've actually come to somewhat enjoy running. And the cardio is good for me. It lets me get away with doing things like eating popcorn for dinner which I totally didn't do tonight as a depression meal, nope. Start weightlifting again? If I truly am giving up on the Marines, then I can focus less on bodyweight (while still doing it because it's awesome and fun), and start adding back in weightlifting to my workout routines again! The stretching. I'm not sure if I liked stretching at night all that much. Let's try morning stretching instead and see how that goes! Daily stretching in the morning. Area 3: Everything else Find a new place to live by the end of September! The problem is that everything in my area is very expensive and for the most part, out of my budget. Government salary doesn't really lend itself to finding a place of my own. I'm going to try to look for an apartment complex with a gym that way I can cut down on costs of having to pay for a gym. Decide if I'm actually done with my Marines adventure and let my recruiter know if I am. Start packing up again... of course, once I'm done unpacking it's time for me to start packing again. Because that's just how my life works. That's all I have energy for tonight, folks. I'll try to check in tomorrow.

Hey, Liz! How are you doing? How'd your challenge round out? Hope you're staying safe and cool in the heatwave over there. <3