tourennatrix

Training Log Wednesday kindof hurt. I managed to score on the Omnoms, partly because it wasn't a potluck day at work and partly because I wasn't there for as many hours. But due to scheduling of the day, all I managed as far as my other quests was a 10 minute WAKE UP quick yoga thing. Which I needed sorely, since I was waking up a full 1-2 hours earlier than normal. Ouch. My wrists have been yelling at me for the last week or two or three since I started doing the yoga regularly, due entirely (I believe) to doing so much downward facing dog. I'm not quite sure what else I can do to help make this less bad since I'm already doing this on a thick mat on soft carpet. I've got some ben wa balls next to my home computer, I think I just need to get in the habit of using them more to counteract the wrist strain. Also, doing an hour of yoga (with a lot of emphasis on standing poses) on the same day as a run... Yowza. I didn't realize how much my legs hurt until mid afternoon when I tried running up a flight of stairs and almost faceplanted (it's okay, they're carpeted!) Wednesdays Scores: Q1: +4 | Q3: +1 **Cumulative scoring** Q1: 9 | Q2: 1 | Q3: 5

Aha, I think I've found her!

Signature has been obtained, and I believe I have joined up with the Level 1 Ranger Training Grounds, and I've found a few people to follow. Definitely looking forward to catching up on everyone's progress when I have a bit more downtime!

Mini #2: Making Friends Signature has been obtained, and I believe I have joined up with the Level 1 Ranger Training Grounds, and I've found a few people to follow. Definitely looking forward to catching up on everyone's progress when I have a bit more downtime!

Hey Rangers and rangers-to-be, can I join in? I'm still trying to find my ranger role model... I do like the idea of Max from Dark Angel though. Really enjoyed that show! My current challenge focuses on running, yoga, and not eating everything in sight, which seems to point more towards scout or druid or something along those lines, but I feel like I aim to be pretty well-rounded in my routines. Once I get back into the swing of things, I intend do be doing varied bodyweight workouts and cardio to round out my regime as it stands. My goals are to max out my Stamina (running the entirety of a 5k), Dexterity (yoga and stretches for increased flexibility), Constitution with a dash of Strength (Abs work, push ups). Plus as life side quests I'm working on my Wisdom (taking control of finances, making sure I keep learning new things) and Charisma (finding self-confidence through therapy).

Training Log Today was a bit of a mixed bag. I excelled in my activity related quests, but I most thoroughly succumbed to cake. But it wasn't all bad! Breakfast was egg on an english muffin. Yes, bread, but also protein! Lunch and Dinner were also good real food. At work, I first tried to stick to baby carrots, then I was enticed by the meatballs... Then there were chips and salsa... Then there was cake. Really good cake. But, my good other meals helped me net a good positive score. Extra bonus: I hardly had any anxiety at all at work today! I even took it upon myself to go say hi to the folks from the other office and it was only a little bit scary. Q1: +3 I also went for a run this morning (oh my goodness this mission was HILARIOUS I almost burst out laughing mid-run!), and followed it up with a nice short stretchy yoga. I also rounded off my evening with a longer yoga session which feels oh so good and I'm looking forward to beddybye soon. Q2: +1 | Q3: +3 Tomorrow will be very different. I have to go into work about 3 hours earlier than normal so that I can leave early. I can definitely see the benefit of queuing up a short good morning yoga for the morning, but getting up early enough to give me those extra 10-15 minutes is going to be rough. Husband and I are going out of town for the afternoon and then I've got a therapy session and a late-ish drive home. Basically, a lot of sitting. I might be able to squeeze in a there-and-back walk around the mall while I'm killing time, but that might end up spiking my anxiety. The future is an enigma, only time will tell how tomorrow will go! **Cumulative scoring** Q1: 5 | Q2: 1 | Q3: 4

Training Log Monday was a little difficult. I had a less than optimal (but oh so delicious) breakfast, and ended up 'snacking' at work because a friend brought coffee cake and I needed more food in my tummy so I could take ibuprofen for a splitting headache. The headache never really went away, which was a fairly horrible experience, but I think if I had toughed it out and waited until lunch it would have become unbearable. Lunch and dinner were pretty awesome, though, so no complaints there Q1: +2 I also couldn't drag myself out of bed, and timing was a little awkward throughout the day, so the only real activity I got was a 10 minute pre-bedtime yoga. Q3: +1 Today is our monthly celebration of birthdays at work, which means lots and lots of food, plus we've got some people coming in from the corporate office (we're told they're pretty awesome folk) so today should be pretty... interesting. Hopefully I'll be able to keep my willpower strong- only pick up the less-bad-for-you foods, and if possible hold on to them until actual lunch time!

I wake up one lazy Sunday morning to find a note pinned to my door. I check to see if anyone's around, but the messenger is long gone. I take the note back inside and open it as I pour my morning cocoa. You are destined for greater things. Go forth, and find your destiny! I flip the note over, then read it again. I Shrug. Eh, why not? . . . After my cocoa though... *~*EPIC QUEST*~* lvl 1 + 40% **Financial Goals** A truly free little halfling is not held bound by debts. Pay off all personal loansPay off credit cardPay off all school loans **Travel Goals** This halfling wants to see the world. Renew PassportGo back to FranceBring Husband to MontpellierChill in BretagneGo to JapanGo to AustraliaGo to Costa Rica (Zipline, yoga retreat perhaps)Hike in the SierrasHike in the Appalachians **Fitness Goals** Halflings do not have to be portly! 5 minute plankScale a rock climbing wallRun! - Flee from the undead or from giant birds!Jog 3x/wk for first 6 Week ChallengeJog for 30 minutes without stoppingJog for 45 minutes without stoppingParticipate in my 2nd 5K5K obstacle courseTrain to parkour! **Become Yogini** Strong in body, mind, and spirit Move betterDownward Facing Dog- proper form (straight legs, heels touching the floor) **Home Goals** Home is where the food is... Paint the freaking bathroomMake the guest room look like a guest room (not a storage room)Make the studio look like a studio (not a storage room)Establish a space open enough for year-round indoor workoutsBonus if it's big enough for both of us to exercise at the same time **Cheat Codes** Websites, services, and other thingimajigs that are helping this little halfling on her journey You Need A Budget - A budgeting program and philosophy that frankly just make sense. I can be found over on their forums (as tourennatrix of course). This is a referral link. My Yoga Works - The least expensive online yoga studio I found during my one evening of searching, and I'm in love with it. At the time of this writing, I've just gotten past the 2 week trial period and I'm really digging it. Hoping to stick with it in the long run! This is also a referral link. Do Yoga With Me - Free online yoga videos, really high quality. I started checking this out when my focus shifted and I was no longer doing yoga often enough to justify the cost of My Yoga Works (I still recommend MYW for people who do yoga more often though, it's a great resource!) Zombies, Run! - An app for iphone and android, plays out like a semi-interactive audio book-slash-radio show. As you run, it unfolds a story as you are living it in the zombie apocalypse, with characters giving you heads up when there are hordes of undead just around the next blind corner. They've also got a 5k training app that is in the same spirit as the Couch to 5k program, which I used and got to run my first 5k on the last episode. Bullet Journal - A journal/day planner method that I'm trying out and hope to stick with. Seems pretty slick for keeping track of my 6 week challenges! Neila Rey/Darebee - These are some pretty kick-butt workouts, generally themed around geeky awesomeness, and generally designed to be equipment free. Daily workouts, month(s)-long programs, awesome challenges, plus guides, motivation, and recipes. Pretty slick! UnF*ck Your Habitat - Motivation and tips on getting (and keeping) your living space, well, UnF*cked. Home of the 20/10 method of cleaning all the things without getting burnt out in the first half hour. Also has a free android/iphone app with challenges, inspirations, and a timer to keep you on track.

Ah, I'm glad I shared those links then! Zombies, Run! Has been super awesome in motivating me to run. Their version of the couch to 5k was pretty smooth, and a couple times I would do one of the previous week's runs to catch a friend up and I could see the difference immediately. The story is compelling and oneonce I'm back up to snuff I'll reactivate the zombie chase feature and really get my blood pumping! Neila Rey's workouts have been inspirung to me. Last year I was doing pretty good at picking out 3 a week or getting most of the way through a challenge, but ultimately I would fall right back out of the habit. Hopefully I will have much better luck of sticking with my current quests for the next 5 weeks and beyond!

AND mini#1 is done. Aw Yeah.

Mini #1: Let's get SMART Is your overall quest achievable (over a short or long period of time)? Is it reasonable? Most Definitely Do your 3 quests all build towards your main quest in little ways, or are you taking on too much? Do your quests have sub-quests or is it just one thing to focus on? Each quest acts as a compliment to the others and should make the overall challenge easier to set into a long lasting lifestyle change. Are your main goals realistic? Can you scale them to smaller steps to fit your life better, even if it will make it take a little longer to achieve them? I believe they are realistic, even if it means I have to wake up a little earlier in the morning. Are your goals able to be measured and tracked? What will you use to track them? Absolutely! I'll be tracking it daily on my analog journal and posting updates on the forum when I can. How are you grading your goals? Are they pass/fail (“every dayâ€, “not even once over the six weeksâ€)? Is there a reward for the effort, or are you only grading yourself on whether or not you “lose the weight†or “run the distanceâ€? I am grading them on a scale, rather than pass/fail. For now, the reward is how great I should feel at the end of the challenge. I haven't decided on any outside rewards yet. What is your plan for continuing/altering/grading those goals if you become ill or injured? The scale system and timeframe for the quests are somewhat lenient, though if I am out of commission for more than 2 or 3 days in a row then I may need to reevaluate whatever quest is being affected. Did you take into consideration any special occasions (Labour Day, Independence Day, birthdays, anniversaries, etc) that may occur during the challenge? What modifications do you need to build into your goals for those? See above. It shouldn't be a problem since I don't have a very strict schedule. Do any of your main goals conflict with each other? Will one goal make it hard to do another? Nope! They should all work pretty harmoniously. Do you already have the time in your schedule to actually complete the goals you’ve set? If not, what are you planning to do to make time for them? Everything should fit nicely. The trick will be getting the motivation to go for a run early enough before work, but I've done it before, I can do it again! Are you trying to build multiple habits, or is all your energy focused on your main quest? Yes and yes? My 3 quests are building habits which will make my main quest much more attainable!

Background I started really working towards being more fit at the end of last summer when I discovered that running didn't have to be a horrible experience. I participated in my first 5k in October, but when the weather turned cold and my schedule exploded for the holidays, all notion of staying active went out the window. In January I started going to therapy to help dig myself out of a years-long cycle of not really truly feeling comfortable in my own skin, and now that the weather has finally turned, I'm ready to start tackling this whole fitness thing again. I'm currently a Level 0 Hobbit, I've got a bit of a sweet tooth and tend to munch on things when I really ought not to. That's about where it ends though, I yearn to be a Ranger and Assassin- functionality, adaptability, agility, and stamina are all traits that greatly appeal to me. I would love to take up some Parkour, but I find myself in a not-very-urban shire, which makes things tricksy. I've also got a predisposition for druid-like tendencies, though I tend to think of my yoga practice as more of a mind practice than body training. Main Quest Feel better in my own skin. Drop 20 pounds over the summer, keep it off through the winter. Take advantage of good weather, but don't let the bad days throw me off. Yeah, it's a little enigmatic, but the hero never knows their true quest right as they're leaving the starting village. Quest #1: Combat the Omnoms Cut out snacking at work entirely. If I miss breakfast, just count it as a fasting period. Lunch and Dinner should be veggie and protein heavy. Avoid the pastas and breads. Any snacks and desserts should be fruit or HQ chocolate. (I've got a sweet tooth that needs to be satiated somehow!) Scoring Good Meal: 2pts (2x/day) Bad Meal: 1pt (2x/day) Good Snack: 1pt (2x/day - breakfast, dessert, and snack all count as snack) Bad Snack: -2pt (1x/day) Final scoring 210+ pts: A+ 175+ pts: A 140+ pts: B 105+ pts: C 70+ pts: D 69- pts: F If I can complete the remaining 4 weeks (4/28 thru 5/25) without scoring any -2 on my Combat the Omnoms quest, I will treat myself to something, $10 or less (likely a book). What this means: Regardless of the quality of my regular meals (+1 or +2), I cannot have any negative scores during the day. Absolutely NO candy or snack crackers*. Not for "dessert," Not for "Oh I forgot breakfast," Not for "stay awake car food." The one caveat I will allow is emergency snacking to prevent a legitimate hardcore headache as explained above. Other treats may be allowed as long as they are pre-planned/not impulsive (such as a small bowl of HQ ice cream after a +2 dinner) but must of course be kept within reason. Quest #2: Get moving I ran (well, ran, jogged, walked, and hobbled) a 5k last October. Yesterday I had a hard time going 2 blocks (at a time, I tend to do walk/jog intervals) Run 30 minutes/day, 3x/week Scoring: 1pt per run Final Scoring: 15+ pts: A+ 14+ pts: A 12+ pts: B 10+ pts: C 8+ pts: D 7- pts: F Bonuses may be awarded for the following: Neila Rey workouts thrown in for bodyweight training. Yard work done (because who needs to run a marathon when you've got crazy overgrown grass to mow amirite?) Quest #3: Train your Body-Mind In my therapy, I've been reminded of how much I loved doing yoga, and how much it helped me feel better about myself and about life in general. Getting into the habit of doing it regularly is proving tricky however. Since I do this in my own home, I don't have the accountability of going to a gym, but I also don't have to do a huge time commitment either, so I can do super short morning and bedtime routines if I don't have time for a full well-rounded session. Yoga 10-60 minutes/day, 5x/week As of 5/9 this has been expanded to include bodyweight exercises, in the interest of staying interested and not injuring myself. Scoring: 10+ min: 1pt 30+ min: 2pts 60+ min: 3pts Final Scoring: 75+ pts: A+ 65+ pts: A 55+ pts: B 45+ pts: C 25+ pts: D 24- pts: F Life Quest: Follow through! I'm pretty bad about not following things through. The next 6 (well, 5) weeks will be a test to this. - Keep a planner, not because I'm ultra busy, but just to keep it, use it, learn how it can be used to make keeping track of life simpler. (Currently I'm trying out the "Bullet Journal" method, and once these quests are posted, they will be transcribed into my notebook for permanent tracking) - Stick to the 6 week challenge, and check in at least once per week (daily in aforementioned planner) Motivation Get into the habit of building habits, then anything is possible. Make this practice transformative, if not in the body, then in the mind. **Cheat Codes** Links to things that I may or may not have mentioned, which I find helpful or at least interesting enough to include. I'm sure quite a few of you know about some/all of these, but it never hurts to share! Zombies, Run! - The app (ipone and android) that got me to realize that running didn't have to be the most horrible thing on the planet. They also have a 5k training app, which I started with, and which was awesomesauce. My Yoga Works - The online yoga studio I started up a couple weeks ago. Please note, this is a referral link! I'm just at the end of the trial period and I'm really enjoying it. There's so many different types of classes, I'm having a hard time narrowing it down to just a few to cycle through! Neila Rey - Awesome nerdy inspired bodyweight, cardio, and HIIT workouts that require little-to-no equipment. Bullet Journal - A method of combining a journal and a dayplanner, helps keep track of to-do lists and goals. Just starting this out, hopefully it'll stick and I'll be better for it! If not, well, then I've got a really cute notebook to do whatever with!