cepopaladin

Day 9 Update: Alright, this is not good. I've been having some heel pain for some time now and it has reached a very high level. Alas, this has prevented me from doing the interval sprints I had planned on. I fear for my quest. My main goal is to just get better in time for my 10k on Labor Day. So I've spent the last hour or so doing research on Plantar Fasciitis, which appears to fit the bill exactly. Based on a number of seemingly reputable sources I've jury-rigged a little at home treatment plan. Since Plantar Fasciitis is an overuse injury, the key is to let it heal and strengthen/stretch the Plantar Fascia muscle. 1. Get off my feet. I work at home w/ a stand-up desk, so I'll switch to seated work for most of the day. I was also working on bare flooring, so I've ordered a cushy mat to absorb some of the weight. 2. Stretch. I'm going to work on keeping my Achilles tendon, calves and foot muscles loose my stretching a couple times a day. Supposedly stretching first thing in the morning is very important because the fascia tightens as you sleep, so immediate use can cause more damage. 3. Massage. I'm going to give myself an awesome foot massage every night. I'll try to do it with a warm water soak before and ice after. This really sucks. At least I can still work my pull-ups and bodyweight exercises though.

Day 8 Update 2: Just finished a bit of late night GMB Elements. Today it was the bear (like walking in an A-frame) with the arms bent, which puts a lot of weight on the shoulders. Tough stuff, but overall the session took no longer than 10 minutes. Leaving ample time for stretching. Considering how late I'm doing this tonight (verging on too late), I'm going to try to complete my Elements sessions before noon or even after my morning workouts. Tomorrow... is SPRINTING day!

Hi flyinlion! Fellow Brooklyn based fighting human here. I thought I'd help you out with your first goal... so how's the challenge coming? And how long have you been boxing?

Yay for LotR inspiration! This inspires me because I want to be fit enough to enjoy all kinds of adventures. Especially the unexpected.

How are your calves doing? I remember the first time I went 5 minutes my calves were tight for days. I could barely get down the stairs. Also, your bike is pretty. It seems to match your avatar perfectly.

This is a good quest! Glowing screens of internets and tv not only screw up your sleep rhythms, but can (at least for me) be very distracting. Have you found that avoiding screens 1 hour before sleep is helping? Are you sleeping better/longer?

Day 7 Update: Rest day. Healthy food, walking, stretching and much hydration. Day 8 Update 1: Morning routine, complete! I went out for a lovely morning exercise. I live in a Chinatown and I must say, my neighbors are very religious with their morning routines. A large group forms around 6:15am everyday to stretch and get the blood moving and there are numerous smaller groups doing Tai-Chi. There was also a man doing hula-hoop (in an athletic fashion) for the entire duration of my workout. For about 30 minutes I didn't see him lose it once. I commend him! Warm-up jog followed by: 3 sets of: 10 inclined push-ups 10 dips 10 box jumps 20 walking lunges 20 cossack squats 30 sec plank 10 seated leg lifts I'd like to do some pistol squats, but my goodness are they hard. I can do only really tiny sets of them right now. @Tieran Did you enjoy UFC 190?

Day 4 Update 2: After my last update, I went to Krav and it was awesome. Thursdays we do ground work, so we practiced taking the back and holding side mount. Pretty useful stuff. Also, taking the back and laying a person out face first into the ground is some aggressive business. I like it! As a good partner, I struggled my bestest to get out from the mount and my goodness are my hip flexors tight. Lunge stretch ftw. Day 5 Update 1: Friday I was pretty exhausted. My back was all achy-like and my legs we stiff and tired. But I (somewhat) persevered. I woke up early, did my exercise in the park. I like doing bodyweight exercises using park benches, so I did some inclined pushups, dips, lunges, box jumps and kick thrus. All exercises felt pathetic, but I was glad to jump into the day so early. I completed my Elements session later in the afternoon. It's actually a great way to loosen up after hours of standing at my desk. Day 6 Update 1: This is today! I am up to date! Yuss! I had a late night with some friends last night, so I woke up thirsty and late (10am). I had an epic breakfast of tofu scramble breakfast burritos, which maybe verge on healthy. They are damn good though. After I began some pretty awesome bodyweight exercises. I wanted to try a new set, so I found this awesome on the interwebs: Altair Workout. It kick my butt, or more accurately my back, shoulders and core. The effort put into the pull-ups will definitely help get me on my "Defeat a Single Pullup" quest. And now... "It's time!!!" for some UFC action with my Krav buddies. Hopefully this Ronda Rousey bout will last longer than 14 seconds.

Thanks Tierin! We did thankfully have AC. I like training without AC usually because it keeps the muscles really loose, but I was already feeling a bit dehydrated from my epic sweating/walking quest that I didn't want to risk the lightheaded-ness that can frequently come with it. The running has been interesting. It's quite exhausting, but it's really fun to run as fast as possible. Sprinting and box jumps have reminded me of how fun it was when I was a kid to just go all out. Until recently, I felt like I was just in endurance mode, which can be tedious. I'm hoping to get a bit more strength/jumping power and maybe make a small foray into the parkour world. Though the thought of me falling on my face in a public park strikes terror in my heart. Elements is pretty good thus far. I like it because it really only takes about 15-20 per session, so it doesn't interrupt my day too much or limit my other training. I can say that my flexibility and shoulder strength have improved... and my quads are getting pretty beast from the "frogger" and "monkey" movements. As a fellow martial artist, what kind of cross-training do you do?

That's so awesome! I'm glad that the challenge is helping you stick to your goals. Though it's only been a week, I think about the quests I made and how confident I was when I posted my challenge thread. Hopefully we can both keep our motivation. Good luck with the rest of the week(s)! You have another follower.

Day 4 Update 2: Epic errand walking tour complete! 3.5 miles walked and tasty foodstuffs acquired. It was so muggy and hot today I sweated buckets, then it rained and all was washed away. I've gained a mighty headache which may have been acquired through dehydration or the lack of coffee I had this morning (yes, I'm an addict). Just enough time to complete my GMB Elements daily before I go get beat up at Krav Maga. I really hope the air conditioner is working today.

Day 4 Update 1: Did my first session of interval running today. I'm still not sure what a good plan for interval training is, but here's my first go: 10:00 warm-up jog 4 sets of: 0:30 sprint 4:30 jog for a total of 30 minutes running. I was actually quite pleased that my overall pace stayed about the same as when I do my long route because not only was I doing sprints (which feel so good) but also has a 10% grade for most of it. This is a series of loops I do around my neighborhood park, which is situated on a big sloping hill. It does give me a great view of the city though. I've got a lot left to do today and I'm still not quite recovered from lack of sleep 2 nights ago, but I'm gonna tough this one out.

I totally agree. Modified pushups are a really great way to get started and start developing the core muscles for the real thing. You can also play around with different styles (wide grip, diamond, military, etc.) to work different muscles. Also, Arrow is so cool. I just started and I'm really digging the fight scenes. Very good choreography!

Nice job on week zero! Those bodyweight exercises seem like really good cross training. As a pseudo-runner I've always felt my best when I'm physically strong from other activities. There was a spell last year when I was only doing low tempo running and I just slowly wilted away. Keep up the good work and stay strong!

Good job sticking by your plan despite your hunger! Having a non-standard diet can be hard to start, but you'll learn what fills you up and keeps you going in no time. How's the hydration going?

Doggy dash sounds really fun. I'd love to do something like that (I love dogs, but my cheap apartment forbids them). Good luck with the challenge!

I wouldn't fret too much about making grand achievements at this stage, but work on building that momentum and confidence to take on bigger challenges in the future. I'm coming from a very similar place (I fail hard at large, rapid changes), so I'm just working on building routine and staying focused. You have some really good goals that may seem trivial now, but I bet when you successfully finish the challenge you'll feel really good and have much more confidence moving forward.

Mini-Quest 1 Complete! Details can be found here. I've also updated my challenge and would love some feedback. Thanks for this challenge Blaidd! It's really helped me unify my goals and set a clear grading rubric. All is greatly improved.

Mini-Quest 1 Response Is your overall quest achievable (over a short or long period of time)? Is it reasonable? Yes, I think my quest is achievable and reasonable, but since I've posted my initial quests I've realized that "Decimate a 10k Run" may run contrary to my longterm goals. My longterm goal is to become a lean, mean, plant-powered fighting machine with good cardio, agility and burst power. Since my intial quest post I've read that steady state cardio training does not simulate a fight scenario acurately (these are aerobic events with bursts of anaerobic activity). That being said, I'm still doing a 10k run (already booked: NYC Labor Day 10k), but pace is not what I'd like to focus on- though I expect it will probably improve. I would like to work on interval training running w/ short burst sprints (~30 secs each) thrown in to really improve my cardio vascular system. Sprints will not only help with lung capacity (since my childhood asthma this has always been a weakness) and improve burst power. That being said, I'm changing up this goal a bit. I no longer need to "Decimate" the 10k run, but simply need to complete it and begin a running regimine that incorporates interval training. Any input/recommendations from folks about where to start for the interval training would be most appreciated. As of now, I'm just going to add 30 sec sprints at 5 minute intervals to my current ~4 mile run with the hope of decreasing the interval length or increasing the sprint duration later. 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? Yes, with the modifications made all quests are geared towards a stronger foundation that can be maintained and improved by practiced routine. 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? They are realistic and perfectly achievable. The main challenge for me is to keep at it and remember how important this is to me (it's so easy to let life get in the way. Are your goals able to be measured and tracked? What will you use to track them? Updated my post with grading rubric and link to spreadsheet to track progress. I will also start posting progress in this feed (was using Battle Logs previously). 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€? All goals are pass/fail. My reward for completing the challenge successfully (passing all quests) will be another GMB program (either Floor 1 or Bars) What is your plan for continuing/altering/grading those goals if you become ill or injured? This depends on the nature of the injury, but I would certainly try to complete any quests that I'm still physically able to. If I were to become injured such that I could not complete them, they will be moved into my next 6WC. If I am temporarily injured I will maintain what I can and attempt to resume after healing. 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? I've got a 10k on Labor Day! Do any of your main goals conflict with each other? Will one goal make it hard to do another? The 10k run quest was in conflict with my longterm goals, but has been amended. 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? Yep! I always have time in the morning and can complete the GMB Elements during my lunch hour. Are you trying to build multiple habits, or is all your energy focused on your main quest? The challenge theme is creating sustainable habits and a strong foundation. All of my quests are complementary to one another and are equally important to me.

Thanks! The morning routine is really key to starting the day off right. Happily, I'm doing very well with this quest with the exception of today (work project until 2am last night- consulting can do this). The biggest change for me is starting with exercise. Firstly, it's a great way to wake up and is the only time of day in the NYC summer when the air doesn't smell like garbage. Previously I was being a slave to my belly and eating first thing, which then only further delayed my morning exercise and depending on what or how much I ate would lead to stomach cramps if I went to hard. Here's what I'm doing right now: Morning Routine 5:45am - Wake, dress, relearn how to open my eyes 6:00am - Exercise outdoors (run or bodyweight exercises in the park) 6:45am - Back home for some stretching & hydration (Nuun tabs are great for this) 7:00am - Shower, dress (I've got the beauty regime down at this point, it's all about simplification) 7:15am - Breakfast + Coffee + whatever book I'm reading (and maybe some NF) 8:00am - Start work or do a little supplementary learning (I've got a degree in computational math and though I don't use the math part for work, I still want to stay sharp) A few tips I've got so far: Put your alarm in another room (running to turn it off so it doesn't wake up my dear boyfriend always gets my adrenaline pumping) Start aggressively (don't begin your day with something unproductive) Build in a reward system (reading with my breakfast is pure reward, but I look forward to it and know that if I screw up the schedule I won't have enough time) I'm going to integrate this schedule into my challenge definition today.

2015-07-27 Another morning park workout. This time a friendly, eager Chinese man started doing box jumps with me. My shyness prohibited me from trying some of my Chinese on him as his English was limited. Nice interaction though. If I see him tomorrow I'll give it a whirl. Body-weight: 4 rounds of: 10 inclined push-ups 10 dips 20 lunges 10 box jumps 10 kick thrus + Bonus round of 100 mason twists GMB Elements: Week 2: Day 1 I'm getting crazy shin splints from the frogger movement. I emailed GMB... hopefully they can help out.

Another ethical vegan here. I became a vegetarian at 15 and recently made the switch to vegan about 2 years ago. I'm a vegan because I support the humane treatment of animals. That being said, I don't have any problem with meat eaters. My decision to become a vegan was personal, as is any persons diet decisions. I really liked what Gmork and Ocelot had to say and agree with most of their commentary. However, I'd like to address a few points from the article. Firstly, everyone switching to vegetarianism just wouldn't just happen now. Global vegetarianism is not something I could ever imagine with our current socio-economic landscape, but more of a Star Trek United Earth kind of planet. "So, what does a hungry human do? Our teeth and digestive system are adapted for omnivory." - This just silly. We are the most awesome animals ever and have clearly trumped evolution. Society's greatest progress was made when we settled down and grew crops, giving us more leisure time to grow our brains and organize for the next giant leap. "At least 100 mice are killed per hectare per year (500/4 × 0.8) to grow grain. Average yields are about 1.4 tonnes of wheat/hectare; 13% of the wheat is useable protein. Therefore, at least 55 sentient animals die to produce 100kg of useable plant protein: 25 times more than for the same amount of rangelands beef." - Yes, only 13% protein, but what will we do with the rest? Maybe we could eat it. Anyways, wheat is not the only form of plant protein (beans, tofu, nuts, etc.). This also presumes that global vegetarianism would not include any new technologies or measures to protect existing ecosystems. Many vegetarians/vegans already try to consume ethically sourced plants (yes, it exists). I do like that the article takes into account the "accidental" or "necessary" killing of wild animals that interfere in crop cultivation which (I think) is equivalent to the slaughter of a cow. We should also remember that ranchers also kill pests such as wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, dingoes?, etc., which the article fails to mention. Obviously any global food infrastructure we put into place would not be perfect, but its something to strive for. Here's an interesting article I read a while back that discusses global veganism in a more socio-economic scope.

Not quite a monk yet (still on my first challenge), but I am plant powered. That looks so good. May I ask what restaurant you found this awesomeness at?

Nice job quitting smokeing and yay for veggies! Make sure you get enough protein though. I was a carb-veggiesaur for many years and felt really tired the whole time, especially after working out- it was like my body was never really healing. Once I added enough protein back into my diet I started feeling much better and now have much more energy. Have fun getting back in shape!

Not sure how the Asian stores are in Germany, but the stores near me have tofu skin noodles, which might sound a little strange, but are quite delicious and composed of planty protein! If that's not available Spaghetti Squash work quite handily. Good luck with the challenge!