SaltyDragon

Oh, so sorry to hear this. This must be so hard, and I know how much you've been through leading up to now. My thoughts and sympathies are with you.

Hard to believe it's been a year. Congratulations on the streak!

Oh wow, that is disappointing news. I don't think I can give you any useful advice, but I'd support whatever you decide. I know it's a tough one, but I think you make good decisions, so here's hoping it goes as well as it can for you. I'm glad you stopped by to let us know what's going on.

Sorry about your camera, man. That's shitty. New gear is expensive, so hopefully you can work with what you have. I hardly ever use anything besides my camera phone anymore (Snapseed is awesome, and I'm addicted to "slo-mo"). Do you have a gym you already like? Some are less intimidating for newcomers, so maybe try out a few if they'll let you. Enjoy your date!

Even when things don't go as hoped, I still consider it a win if learned something that will help me down the road. I'm sure this is true for you. It sounds like you made a really strong effort at the end, too. Congrats on the gig, man! I'll bet that was a lot of fun!

What a great week, and a great way to finish the challenge!! If you like the gym and find it motivating, then I suggest you stick with it a little longer. As you go, though, maybe little by little start picking up some of the things you need to build your home practice. Then, if you decide to leave the gym later, you'll have a smoother transition. And congrats on the reward. I'm not much of a gamer, but I like the civ-type games too – the hard part, of course, is dragging me away once I get started!

Challenge Summary Run 75 miles total, goal of 80. I ran a 5k instead of my weekday 5-miler on Thanksgiving, then I didn't get any more miles in after the 6 mile group run on Saturday, so there's the difference. The positives are that I'm still running fast and strong, and am keeping the injuries away. I've had pretty good success improving my technique, and I really think that's helped. The negatives, three days a week isn't really enough, and I'm feeling a little aimless without any long-term specifics to train for. Pushups 480 total, goal of 480. Probably coming out a little stronger, but three sets of twenty is actually a bit beyond my ability to perform with sufficiently short rest periods, and maintaining good form. A progression probably would have served me much better. Yoga 26 points, goal of 32. The goal was probably a little ambitious, and I was spread a little thin. Weeks two and three were good. One big benefit was that I did a lot of video recording. This helped me improve a few things, but really helped me identify some problem areas where I really need to do some work. Mindful Movements 11 points, goal of 18. Started behind, then only did one day during week four. This one actually disappoints me. I really enjoy the Elements program and I like the results I've felt from it. If I kept up with it better, I might have improved even more. Who knows? Challenge pose Slight improvement. It's not at all comfortable, but there is a noticeable increase in range of motion. Pics hidden below if you want to see. Well I'm off to do some thinking – I have a lot I want to assess and evaluate before starting on another one of these.

I've been a bit of a victim of the holidays, like everyone else, I imagine (at least, those of us stateside). I am still kicking, though. I got a good 5-miler in on Wednesday (Tuesday didn't happen). On thursday, Thanksgiving, I drove to Plymouth (cuz Pilgrims) for a fun 5k in the morning, then joined some work friends at their house for dinner with a nice group of their friends, family, dogs and goats. Quite a few other Texpats in the group, too. It was a good time. Today, I went to explore some more new-to-me local trails for #optoutside. These might have been some of my favorite so far. They aren't great for running – too short and intertwined – but lovely to just get lost in, and even inspired a little spontaneous yoga in the woods. The knee is healing up pretty good, and only requires a single band-aid now, so mobility is pretty much normal. Good thing, too. I'm meeting the group again in the morning for another trail run. Oh, and it's raining, too, so you know what that means... Puddles!! Build bridges. Yep, had to be done.

Way to go! Stay true and finish strong!! As for the holidays, they do tend to throw a wrench in the works (here in the states, they're well underway already ). But that's also when we typically need the motivation and accountability the most. As you point out, you're building good habits already – just be ready for a few extra challenges!

With everything you've been dealing with lately, the know-it-all just sounds like unnecessary aggravation. Presumably she meant well, but her actions sound really inconsiderate (and probably a little selfish). So sorry to hear about that, and I hope you found some moments of happiness to share with your family. Here's hoping for good news on the foot, and keep up with the yoga – you're still an inspiration around here. As for the rigging... you really wear it well!

That's interesting... I'm pretty sure I've seen people using the names interchangeably, even stating they're two names for the same thing. I guess you get what you pay for on the internet, sometimes! Thanks for the feedback (and the language lesson). You squeezed a lot of good stuff in there, and I think it'll give me a lot of good context as I keep working. It's hard without a teacher, so knowledgeable advice is really appreciated. That said – bow pose? Well, can't say I didn't try! But I can say it wasn't pretty, and I didn't get anywhere close. I think we'll save that one for a future challenge pose! -------- So I tried a little yoga exploration today, to see what I could actually do. The knee moves pretty well through most of its range, just not at the extremes. So squatting, and even locked out bearing weight i.e. tree pose, weren't happening. Curiously, lunges and even some kneeling were doable. Child pose, too. Still, I didn't get too far, so only one point. Tomorrow, running in the morning, and it's going to be cold. I don't know if I'm looking forward to that or not.

Great story, and epic adventure, man. I've been caught in one or two of those storms back in Texas. They're no joke. Glad you made it in safe!

Just glad you're back, brah.

Hi Liz!! Studying yoga in India is awesome, and something a lot of people probably only dream of! Your goals sound really good – I hope you find it as motivating as I do to share them here. All the yoga sounds pretty intense, but you're obviously very serious about it, so I'm sure you'll do great!

Changing routines and work schedules has long been a problem for me too. After we came off daylight savings time, I flipped some of my morning and evening workouts, and I've been forgetting things (or just procrastinating ) ever since! It takes discipline, but it can be done. Mornings are hard for a lot of us. Be persistent. You can do it!