Thister

Day Thirty-Eight Woke up early to go biking today. I biked for 40 minutes and burned about 653 calories. It was a glorious day to bike too! We've had some nice, albeit slightly cool, weather lately. I also walked 20~ minutes. Totally refreshing.I've noticed I've developed a slight tinge of tennis elbow, however, so I'm going to spend tonight stretching out for a good half hour or more. I don't want to stop doing free weights because of this, so I'm hoping that the moderate stretching routine I've found online will help me out. Everything else has been going so well! I feel better and I am noticing that clothes fit more loosely. My arms are developing greater strength, and though I doubt my measurements will have changed much, I'm looking forward to taking them to see what progress has occurred. I know, at least, that I've been losing around my thighs and hips, so I'll take whatever I can get. (It's not a six pack and sculpted arms, but I know that's going to happen in time.) Getting back on to writing today, along with some meditation and free writing. Still rockin' this challenge, and the cool thing is that I'll pretty much do the same sort of thing next time around, but I want to throw some mini-boss battles into the mix. I was thinking things like "Slay the Pull-Up Monster by doing one legit pull-up!" and "Outrun the WindWanker (heh heh heh) by completing an 8 minute mile." I'm just playing around with these for now. I've got plans for the next challenge.

Sending good vibes all day today.

Finally got around to responding to you! Haha! I'm sorry it took me so long. I hope you are doing well! Thanks for all the encouragement, too. It means a lot.

Day Thirty-Six Rest day. I was considering doing DDL2 B, but I felt like my knee needed the downtime after running last week. Smart move. Played Lords of Waterdeep and Out There on my iphone for half the day because I needed a mental break too. So much fun! Day Thirty-Seven Did Dumbbell Division L2 B. Surprising a little winded today and I'm not sure why, but at least I managed to complete the routine. I'm still not doing pull-ups because I'm not quite there, but I am enjoying the routine. Everything else is going relatively well. I've been channeling some of my mixed emotions into semi-fictional free-writing, which has been helpful. It's not a cure-all, but at least it has been a positive outlet. In random news, I scheduled my first tattoo appointment. I've wanted one for a long time and I finally figured out what I want and I'm completely ready for it. Of course, I was mostly worried how it would affect my workouts, but I'm feeling fairly confident that my placing won't keep me out of the workout game too long during the next challenge or the challenge after that. (The appointment is on April 1st, and no it is not an April Fool's joke. Hahaha!) Until then, good people, have a rockin' day. I've got writing and grading to do. BLERGH.

Echoing the thoughts of others here: I'll be sending good vibes and meditations your way. I hope everything goes routine for you. Hang in there!

Also! IT'S BACK!!!!

Day Thirty-Three Did a 5 mile run in 45 minutes. Walked for 25 minutes (warm-up and cool down time). Also did a "hike" on the treadmill at maximum incline for 10 minutes at a 3.6 mph pace. CARDIO BURN!Day Thirty-Four Did Dumbbell Division L2 A with an added set of 20 x 3 kettle bell swings. I upped the weight to 15 pounds for the entire routine and all went well. I like how much more control I feel I have gained over weight in the past five weeks. It's crazy, but I'm not struggling to lift, bench, or snap this weight. My weak arms grow stronger!Day Thirty-Five Did 3.3 miles in 30 minutes. Walked 25 minutes (warm-up and cool down time). I also did another "hike" on the treadmill at maximum incline for 10 minutes at a 3.6 mph pace. Moderate burn.Not a bad end to week five with workouts. I've also almost got a whole chapter done, so that means I'll mainly be working on revisions for my third chapter this week. I will have three chapters for my advisor before his due date and I will have two more chapters than he asked for so he can see how serious I am. Bring it on, week six! I've ROCKED this challenge, and I'm gonna kill it this last week. (Updating the frontpage for week five.)

Terinatum, you made my day! Yes, it's nice. It's not much yet, but just seeing that little bit of growth and feeling it in my arms by lifting progressively heavier weight has been a great feeling. I seriously couldn't lift much before now, but that little bit of progress is making a big difference. I look forward to the day when I can lift more! Makes you feel like a little bit of a rockstar.

Day Thirty-One Not the best day, mood wise. Lots of stuff did not go well, but it was mostly a bunch of small things stacked on top of one another. So...I didn't go running. I did a short 15 minute walk, though, for whatever that is worth.Day Thirty-Two Did Dumbbell Division L2 B. Good routine, not too strenuous. Not quite up to doing hanging knee tucks, so I did reverse crunches. As Steve says, this is going to be a long term journey, so I've got to stick with it and see where I am each month. Doing a short 20 minute walk this afternoon.Doing some writing tonight.Wash, rinse, repeat.

Day Twenty-Nine Truly relaxed today and worked on dissertation stuff. Got four(!) pages written up that were solid work, so I'm proud of that.I took a 35 minute walk on some hills too. Nothing strenuous, but it was so nice to see the mountains and feel at peace amongst them, away from my computer for a short while.Day Thirty Did Dumbbell Division L2 A with 10 and 15 pound weights and added in 3 sets of 20 Kettle Bell Swings.This was actually a lot of fun! The only thing that I found a bit strenuous, really, was the step-ups because of the timing in the workout and all the weight that has been used prior to that point. It's not too much, and I didn't feel I overdid anything, but that third set was just a little bit exhausting.The Kettle Bell Swings went smoothly, but I was only using a 10 pound bell. I'm upgrading to a 15 pound bell for the next DDL2A workout to see what happens.Planks went really well, too! I was able to hold for 40 seconds without much struggle. Got one page of dissertation work done. Keeping it on the up and up! Overall, not a bad start to the week, if I do say so myself. Now, I just need to finish strong. Hopefully there will be some gainz, but I know it's a long-term process that I've gotta trust and remain committed. Tomorrow is a cardio day with interval running, stair-climbing, and walking. You know, the usual. I'm gonna mix things up on Friday, though, and do 30-40 minutes of lap swimming. It's been a while, but I feel like a good swim is gonna push me to go with the flow of everything in my life, and I like that idea.

Alright! BRING IT ON, WEEK FIVE! I will OWN you.

Day Twenty-Seven I lied. Today was a workout day because I'm crazy. I biked for 25 minutes, hiked for 10 on the treadmill at level 15, and then walked for 20 minutes. Day Twenty-Eight BBL2B, all the way. Extra reps. The works. I feel like I'm getting it down well, and I'm looking at Dumbbell Division stuff. Maybe I'll shift into it this week. We will see. Tomorrow is going to be a rest day, FOR REAL. I've got writing to do and I know my body can use the downtime. On the plus side, though, I'm starting to see my arm muscle more. I've been seeing it in my legs, which is normal because I usually do when I get on a good running routine, but I've never really seen arm muscles. I'm seriously like a T-Rex, but I'm getting stronger, better, and healthier each day. One day at a time. But, seriously, check me by April. I'm not giving up on my health or my body or my mind. I will honor each and I will not give up on myself or give in to doubt because of some dumbass d-bags in my life. Also updating week four.

Damn, thank you for your words Chris-Tien! It's nice to hear that and it's refreshing to know that it's not necessarily an insular experience. Blasted PhD.

Love your spirit, Brekke! Damn...I don't even know what to say. As scary as surgery is, it sounds like you've got a good team of doctors looking out for you, and I hope that they are doing their best to get it squared away quickly and as painlessly as possible for you. Fucking hell, though, a mass that big is gonna take some time to recover from no matter what, so go at the pace that works for you and know that you can get back on to all this in the future. We are gonna support you through and through because you are a trooper! And, Brekke, I'm just amazed you even went on a walk. The fact that you are still doing things like that is impressive. So what if you can't do everything you originally planned. That's life. Plan change. Things pop up. Shit happens. But you learn to revise and push forward, and you clearly are doing that with such mental fortitude. That attitude right there is gonna carry you through. And if that's not enough, here are some fun things to smile and laugh at: Keep your head up, keep your heart strong.

Day Twenty-Four Did BBL2B and Balance Practice (the first/old mini). Still on the up and up on this. Day Twenty-Five 30 minutes of star-stepping cardio and 25 minutes of walking.Day Twenty-Six Did BBL2A and Balance practice. Doing good with these workouts. I can tell I'm getting stronger!Tomorrow is going to be a rest day. I feel good, but I really want to focus on letting my body recover and I want to give myself some downtime to let my body process the recovery fully. Everything else is going well, mostly. Writing is coming along, but it's still a struggle some days. At least I'm not so angry about my advisor. I've been reflecting on everything that's gone on, and I'm coming to the conclusion that I don't want to give him that power over me. I also don't want to unleash my anger toward him because it is probably what he expects (or wants, who knows with these academics). Instead, I want to release the anger and go into my future meeting with him without emotion. I will be clear about my project, the direction of my dissertation, and my plans. If he doesn't like it, then we can either work through it as I see my project working, or I'll get a new advisor and a new committee member. It's simple. I'm an adult, and I'm not going to be treated like a child about some document that, for most intents and purposes, isn't going to matter to most people. I mean, really, you'd think that we were curing cancer in my PhD program with the way everyone acts. Totally silly. >_< See! Progress physically and mentally. Cheers to that, and onward!

Glad to hear you got the surgery scheduled. I'm with Terinatum on this. At this point, all that your community can do is cheer you on, hope for the best, send prayers and/or meditations, and support you through the process. The impressive thing, though, is that you still did the challenge this far while trying to make revisions that would work along the way. Screw honorary point distribution, I say! It should count! ;-) Let us know what you decide. Really hoping for the best for you.

Day Twenty-One Did Bodyweight Brigade L2, A. Kinda hard after all the running around with friends, but it was done, albeit a bit rushed. Lots of walking!And some bad eating. XD But Thai food is SO GOOD! Day Twenty-Two Day of rest. HALLELUJAH! I don't think I've ever looked so forward to a full day of rest before. It was nice to not do a single thing. No major walking. No running. No lifting. Nothing. Being lazy. Finishing up "Unbroken". Working on some coding. Finishing grading. Doing a little writing. Super fun, mostly.Day Twenty-Three Decided to do an hour of yoga today instead of BBL2B. I think my muscles need more stretching than anything else, so I'm slightly modifying my goals because I've been consistent with my bodyweight workouts, but I think the 10k may have been a bit much for not running lengthy runs in a while. Tomorrow it's back to BBL2B and a shit ton of writing, son! I've got much to do before I return to visit with my advisor and I want to have it all done so I can stand strong knowing that I did more than what was expected. I'm going to update the week three spot on the first page. Not too many changes in measurements, but I'm sharing for comparison from the start to the middle (and then to the end) of the challenge.

Glad to see you are keeping up as best as you can with your crazy business work! I'm rooting for you. Also, expect a PM soon. I've been busy, but I'll fill you in about some of the fun things in the PM!

Oh man! Sounds like you're going through the ringer a little bit over there. Keep your head up and stay positive, as you are. Medical diagnoses take a lot of time, I've learned. They also often require way too many examinations, which sucks, but at least they are ruling out things along the way. Hopefully answers are on the horizon. Way to keep on keeping on! I'm rooting for you.

Day Twenty Did stair climbing for 30 minutes at the mid-level because my calf muscles were a little tight from walking around and hiking yesterday. My legs feel less tense now, but I think a full day of rest on Monday will help the best. And yes, I dragged my friends to the gym today! Little did I know it was free friends' week. So, I saved money. SCORE! We're off to do more walking around and hiking today. And probably more unhealthy eating and drinking. XD It's great, though. I haven't seen my good friends in a while, and I don't really have friends where I currently live partially because I live with my parents and partially because I'm a bit of a homebody. The only thing I'm having a hard time with currently is the late nights these past two nights. My friends like to stay up late and then some can wake early, but I cannot. I need my 7-9 hours. Hope y'all are doing well! I'm really looking forward to my rest day, but I will complete the circuit tomorrow and I will do measurements too.

So glad to hear you are doing well! It's good to hear that you are able to eat more. Gah! That must be tough to balance along with a hellish work week. I hope your GI doc delivers answers and good news for you. I read up a bit on the Da Vinci machine. Turns out one of my committee members does research on medical robotics. Sounds like a nifty and efficient device, assuming everything works smoothly. Keep us posted, as you feel comfortable of course. In the meantime, keep on keepin' on. No worries about the workouts. You are rocking it in your own way!

Day Nineteen Did Bodyweight Brigade L2, B! Another smooth go with 5-7 added extra reps on select sets. I'm learning that I need to improve my push-up form just a bit. It's not bad, but it's not quite on all the time either. Any suggestions aside from re-watching Steven in the Academy? Maybe I need to do a search.I'm going to do a ton of walking today. Probably 2-4 hours worth because my friends are in town and we are all headed to some parks to do some hiking. I imagine I'll have a pretty healthy appetite later today too. I'm limiting myself to two beers MAX. Tomorrow is going to be an interval run day. After a 10k, I think it's wise not to run much more than 2 miles and my interval run caps out right around there. I'm so committed to working out, I'm dragging my friends to the gym and paying for their day passes. Like WUT! Hope y'all are doing well. Happy Friday! Can you believe we are almost halfway through this challenge?

Day Eighteen Went running today. What a blast! Ran a 10k in 56:23 and felt great the whole time. I finished out the run by doing a 10 min treadmill hike and 25 minutes of warm-up and cool down walking. Will update with a little bit more detail later. Just a quick note here. My friend is visiting so my posts are going to be a little shorter this weekend. BUT! I'm still doing my workouts.

Day Sixteen Day of rest. It was also my dad's birthday, so I didn't eat too well in the evening. We had Chinese food; one of my Dad's favorite restaurants here. And I had my first beer since New Years. So...it wasn't too bad, but I could tell that the sodium from the food and beer made me bloated.Day Seventeen I've had an odd headache. ALL. DAY. But, I DID Bodyweight Brigade L2 A. Thanks for cheering me on! Tomorrow is gonna be a 4-5 miler day. I just need a good run, and an interval run won't be enough for me.