Cosmo

A knee brace is a very good idea. Mental scaffolding. I also get No 1. But I am lacking flexibility and my hip flexors are really tight. I am even considering trying yoga to get some flex in. Widening my stance has helped massively so give that a try too.

I'm going to get that book (unless someone has a date for the release of the Nerdfitness ladies guide? ) And I hope you're all pleased to know that I bought some barefoot trainers (because the gym floor is MINGING) and it's definitely easier to squat. Yay. Now all I need to do is start Stronglifts again.

I love that last shot, its really emotive.

Hi! I'm here. Total geek. I prefer film and use either a FED2 (1960's Russian replica of a Leica camera) or a Nikon F80 which does some nice pics. I'm mainly experimenting with cross-processing slide film at the moment - which mucks around with colours a lot! These are from the F80 [ATTACH=CONFIG]2611[/ATTACH] and this is from the FED2 - it's got a light leak on it and it's really irritating me now. I am going to tape it up everywhere soon [ATTACH=CONFIG]2609[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]2610[/ATTACH] Plus I use my fiancee's Holga sometimes (but he's better with it) I also use a Nikon D200 for digital stuff and am seriously considering upgrading to the D300S for video but I am not sure if there will be a new, better model out soon. Decisions decisions. I use lightroom for everything and don't really do much at all to any pics - white balance, straightening up horizons (I think I am wonky!) and colours sometimes. This is from the D200. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2612[/ATTACH] http://www.flickr.com/photos/funkabubble/

I'm joining the west country crew - am in Bristol. I did used to work in Cardiff tho and it's a great city.

I really hate skipping

Bribery. Just bribe yourself to do stuff. I usually use the lure of new shoes, new clothes, spa days for bigger goals and smaller bribes for other bits.

I have failed on actually finding my skipping rope (I fear that it has migrated into the cupboard of Doom and will never be seen again) but I am still 90% sticking to all my goals. Woo.

There's loads of good books out there but I'm afraid I don't have the concentration for them. Do you do software or hardware stuff? If you're on software, read some blogs - Joel on Software is very good. The 99% Percent is also quite good for general motivation stuff. I think that it's very difficult at the beginning because you haven't been doing it long enough to know where to set your boundaries. It's also very difficult because everyone involved in the project - from the stakeholders to the team - all have different opinions on what they expect from you and you have to manage everyone's egos. In fact, I think that managing egos is quite often the biggest part of the project. But because you have all these expectations of you, then you have to be strong in what kind of project manager you want to be and what kind of image you portray. I am fairly relaxed and tend towards the calm. I don't see the point in getting angry or upset about work and consider that nothing that we do is life-saving or life-threatening so I would rather absorb bad news, re-plan and do it all without panicking. But sometimes, you do have to tell other people that they are not doing their jobs properly and that you are disappointed in them. And I know it always feels like you are going to your boss with bad news but really, just do it as a status list - X = late, Y = ontime, Z = late due to someone not doing their job. Etc. It will feel less personal that way.

What do you need to make your job better? Like you mention not knowing the lingo - would some training on the technical areas help? Your boss is rude - can you get anyone to have a word with him? I am an IT project manager, and I also have regular sunday night dread. My current boss is a volatile, half-crazed man with "creative" tendencies and while I understand the lingo, I don't understand why this company work this way. It's shit. But, I've been doing this a long time and I have worked for worse shitheads and some strategies to deal with it are: - REPEAT TO SELF, REGULARLY > if this doesn't get sorted out, will someone die? No. Good. Take 5 minutes and make a decently thought out plan - Status calls. As long as you write everything down in the RISK log (status log with all actions on it) and you send it to everyone mentioned, you don't need to understand it. -If someone else does not do something on time or indeed properly, IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT. Your role is a facilitator, you don't do the work, you make decisions about timing and budgets. Someone else's ineptitude or slackness just results in an update to the plan, it doesn't mean you're not doing your job properly. (This was the hardest thing to learn) - Be utterly dispassionate about the project, it's not your personal project, it's just a job to be done. Whether it goes well or not, is not a reflection on your status as a human being. You're still awesome if it's late. See point above about not being the people who do the actual work. As long as your plan made sense at the beginning and everyone else agreed to it at the beginning, you are not the point of failure. er. I'm going to cycle home now, but keep your pecker up and don't let the bastards run you down.

You're 'avin a giraffe mate!

This is great advice dudes and I am definitely going to try wearing my Cons when I next hit the gym for some power lifting.

Okay, this is all good. You guys are great. I'm doing it with my PT as he's an ex-powerlifter and he's going to be checking my form. I already do squats in a squat rack and he's pretty comfortable with my form (even tho I don't get low enough apparently) and he says my deadlift form is excellent. We're going to to start off pretty light before getting into it fully. I am lame at overhead presses tho. I usually wear running trainers to the gym (as I run down there for warming up) I assume these are okay?

er, yeah. I'm starting Monday. What did you wish you knew in the beginning? Any tips, advice(helpful or otherwise) accepted. Thank you!

Absolutely no idea what I did. Woke up at 1:30am in agony and unable to move. Doc said to give it a week. I've got a training session booked on thursday night and I definitely want to be better. I am definitely getting better thank god. I might have to try the oesteo or the chiropractor soon. I think it's my desk at work. However, diet is strangely going well. No snacking today at all. Yay.