x Valkyrie x

Good morning!!!! It's a new day, it's a weekend, and it's another sunny, hot Utah day! I went to bed late last night, so Operation: Get Up Early was not as successful, but I still woke up at 7 on a Saturday and worked out, so, winning! Repeated the body weight workout from Monday. It was more challenging today in some ways, my legs feel torched from everything I've done this week, but my static holds improved! Repeat 3x 5 pushups (wall pushups focusing on elbows in...my triceps are like bedraggled kittens) 15 squats (subbed 1 set for plie squats) 30 sec plank (able to maintain for full 30!!) 5 lunges B 5 side lunges B (YouTube helped my form, tight hip adductors loosened after 1st set!!) 30 sec bear crawl hold (able to maintain full 30!!) Cool down: Warrior 1 3x30 sec Triangle pose: 3x 15 sec Wall pushups x7 (Day 4of22 done!) Laying in sweaty heap on floor x10 minutes

Hey Elastigirl! I'm in the same boat as mmead (though I'm 5'7 and 157 lbs, moderately active 5 days a week), I'm looking to lose fat, gain muscle. I'm new to thos whole thing - how can you have strength gains without an increase in muscle? Is that just because in the beginning we're training what muscle we do have to be more efficient?

Hi, new to your thread! Awesome mileage! But...what is this? I'm supposed to keep my elbows in when attempting pushups?? (I do counter and stair pushups, or wall pushups if I'm tired....) But elbows in is haaaaard!

Gosh Tank, make me cry why don't you! Thank you. I havent figured out how to engage with him without getting sucked into trying to fix him. I struggle with not wanting him to feel like he can do the things he does and im just ok with it, you know? So my default is to just ignore him and dismiss him, to avoid feeling bad (it doesn't work, especially now that im home again). I think it will take practice to be kind and figure out a new dynamic that will allow me to feel ok and do no harm. I'm going to do a reboot and try to get back into Positivity Mode, I like it better there. Thanks Tank, your kindness means a lot.

I actually laughed out loud!

And also, Billy goats will ram you in the back of your knees when you aren't looking, or if you get too close to the hay truck!

My honey and I just started season 3 and so far so good. We whipped through season 2 so fast I don't think we had time to be frustrated... (this was during the Time of Bingeing which lead me to try NF in the first place lol)

Well, to not give too much away, I'll just say it's about a woman who sees her doppelganger kill herself and assumes the dead lady's life, only to discover it's a lot more than she bargained for. There's sci-if elements, mystery, action, suspense. It's really good.

Ugh. I suck. I can't seem to tell Dad to wake the hell up without coming across as a total bitch. Like, I know he's got shit luck, but it's his choice whether he's going to do things to feel better or just be a victim to circumstance, and I can't seem to say that without being mean about it. So now we're back where we always are - he feels physically ill (both by his own choices and through no fault of his own), I've chewed him out for the part he's responsible for, and he silently takes it, probably doesn't hear a word and will make no changes. I know I'm being whiny, I'm gonna stop talking about it, sorry. It's just so frustrating, and I can't talk to my mom because I'm preaching to the choir and it just makes her sad and mad, and I can't talk to my boyfriend because he's alseep. I can't talk to dad because I can't be calm and it's like kicking a self-destructice puppy. I'm gonna go do pushups till I calm down or hit 22, whichever comes first. Later that same day: day 3 of 22 is done. I still feel like a jerk. Dad is pretending nothing ever happened.

I'm late to this party, but my, what a party! P.S. Way to go on diagnosing the root of your feelings about not wanting to lift and taking action to remedy it!

Completed 1st sandbag workout today...not sure I did the deadlifts correctly as my lower back is a little bit sore now...I may need to YouTube proper form to make sure I'm not doing it wrong! But I felt overall good after, though my legs are kind of sore and tired. This is the conundrum of exercise: they say, "exercise to feel better and have more energy," but I'm sore and tired from my exercise...hmm. I do feel great in my head space after I exercise, though, so that's a benefit! I got to hang with my honey for like, 4 hours today! We literally just talked over Skype for 4 hours...There's a reason I'm gonna marry this man! I hope my work schedule works out to having Friday and Saturday off, as he's not usually busy on Fridays. He said he's so proud of me for playing soccer (he's Irish, he's played "football" since he could walk), he gave me some drills to practice on my own, and I invited him to come play with me when he comes for his September visit. Speaking of! if I keep this working-out-eating-right business up, I'm gonna knock his socks off when he sees me! (Aka: no more bailey's this week, because moderation.) Not going to the rodeo as we'd planned, as Dad is not well and mom is sad, so I'm just sitting next to her at Starbucks, keeping her company. I still need to do my 22 pushups, but I'll probably do that right before bed. Maybe I'll see if the bestie wants to go on a hike in a few hours when it cools down enough to venture back into the wild. Day 3/22 is done! 2x11 counter pushups. I should probably do a video soon, according to the website's directions...but I'm not sure I want a video record of me struggling to defy gravity in a more-vertical-than-horizontal position lol!

Hey you x As someone who has felt pretty similarly in the past, I just wanna say you aren't alone, and that you aren't bad or selfish or whiny for feeling how you feel. And also that you're very brave and strong and wise for sharing what you're thinking and feeling. If you have any resources to maybe talk to someone, it may help you to speak to an unbiased person who can help you make sense of what's going on. I can say from personal experience that at the time in my life when I thought I could never be happy or ok again, talking to someone saved me.

Do it! Upset convention!

I'm late to the party, but I have to agree with Mrs. Sloth, because goats are evil and must be destroyed!

Hello! Thank you - sorry if it sounds like I'm whining...Just a frustrating day, but it'll be better tomorrow! Wow, you're welcome!! hehe I'm so glad!! Here's the link to where you can get the Couch to Sprint training plan that I'm doing, if you're interested. http://www.spartan.com/en/training/how-to-train/spartan-sprint-training-plan I'm finding I REALLY like having this plan to follow - I wimp out a lot less when I'm not the one who made up the routine! (otherwise it's like, "oh well, I don't really have to do three sets, that's just something I made up...") There's also an obstacle course training guide! I think I'm going to finish the Couch to Sprint and then do the obstacle course guide after!

Man, it's hard to seek out my dad's company, or be anything but dismissive of him (or angry) when I feel like he just repeatedly lets my mom down and acts more like another of her children than like a partner. Another quiet day where dad is hiding from his responsibilities and mom is sad, and I'm unable to do anything about either situation.

If you're seeking a new show to be hooked on, Orphan Black is amazing!!

You play hacky sack, wolf?! I LOVE hacking, I spent every day one summer playing at my coffee shop. We had great fun!!

I don't want to speak for Wolf, but if you YouTube gaelic football, you'll see! It's a mixture of soccer and football and even basketball, and it's so fun to watch! Hurling is an Irish sport that uses a long stick with a flattish end (called a hurl) to catch a ball about the size of a baseball, and camogie is just female hurling. People tend to "accidentally" get whacked with the hurl, and it's pretty intense!

Highly Specific Task Lists are my favorite! I've never used essential oils...I admit to being a skeptic...but I will try nearly anything to help with my DOMS...I'm failing the Alliance! But fortunately we have you, the Lunging Queen!

How are your legs today?

I got up at 6:40 this morning as part of my "make a habit ofof getting up early to exercise before work" scheme in preparation for starting my job. I looked at my phone a bit long - gotta work on waking up and getting out of bed immediately. That being said, I did get up and workout this morning! Spartan Sandbag Workout : Warmup with brisk 10 minute walk Jog 2 minutes, walk 1 minute: 3x 3x with 15 lb sandbag: 50 yard carry (added 1x10 press-ups w/sandbag) 10 squats 10 deadlifts Cooldown: Hamstring stretch Glute/hip mobility Lumbar extension Spiderman stretch Wall slides Frog stretch Lunges x15 (for the Alliance...my legs are tired and 15 was a struggle...more to come later today hopefully!) I feel really good about that workout, I sweated a lot and my legs were a bit dead at the end. My right ankle was tender while I ran, and it was sore during lunges because of the increased angle, but I'll ice it and it'll be grand. I still need to do my 22 pushups, but I have a date with my honey now, so I'll do them later! Might be going to the rodeo tonight with my mom and dad, (inviting him was part of Operation: Be Nicer To Dad) yeehaw!

I figure, we haven't had much of a relationship for the last 10 years, it's not going to be fixed over night, but I can stop widening the gap, at least. Uh, yes, it was so good!! Young Mel Gibson is so gorgeous! Uh, i mean, the plot was...so good*. *Mel Gibson doesn't wear a shirt for a lot of it.

Made a 15 lb sandbag with Dad for lifts and Spartan stuff, and picked up my bike. Completed day 2 of 22for22 (11 wall pushups and 11 on the 4th stair...the insertion point of my pecs is sore!) My ankle is a bit sore and swollen from kicking with my foot pointed down, but it's just a tiny dorsiflexor strain I think. I've been icing and NSAID'ing today, so it'll be grand. Now I'm going to drink some bailey's and eat some popcorn, cause it's my mom's Friday and we're having a girls night at home! Oh @Traxex, I froze some watermelon and made those margaritas! Ohemgee so good!!

Conpleted day 2 of 22, besides that, today didn't quite turn out how I'd planned exercise-wise. I'm not getting my workout in because my mama needs some company tonight and I'd rather hang with her. But that's ok, this will be my 2nd scheduled day off and I'll just do the next 2 days in a row in the mornings. This is further proof that I must exercise in the morning or it doesn't happen. It may be a good thing anyway, though, the ankle of my kicking foot is swollen and sore (I've been icing throughout the day), rest was probably wise! The nice thing about eating well most of the time and being pretty active is I don't feel one bit bad about my glass of bailey's over ice. (I'm also going to eat some popcorn, but maybe if I'm moderate I won't get sick...) *settles in to watch Lethal Weapon* Edit: Lethal Weapon was awesome, how have I lived 24 years not watching that movie?? Ended up about 3 or 400 calories over my usual goal, but I've been under all week... The main thing is I tracked everything, even though I'd rather pretend I didn't just consume a meal's worth of Bailey's....