x Valkyrie x

On July 10, 2016 at 7:29 PM, Kage said:

I had a really great moment yesterday. It was the final two days of our master's degree, so to celebrate, the program gives us two days of physical education/adventure camp in the woods-- kind of an educational reward for everything we've done over the past year and a half. Anyway, my husband came to pick me up, and the professor asked that he stay for a few hours to help us play a particular sport with which he has a lot of experience. The thing is, I was so scared to tell my classmates that he was my husband! I had no idea what to say. I mean, we wear identical rings and enough people in the program know we're gay that probably everyone knows, but it was bizarre. I honestly didn't think I had any internalized fear/shame until that moment.

 

One of the women in the program had brought her husband and young kids for the weekend. When her 4 year old asked who the new person was, my husband went over, kneeled down, shook her hand, and said, "Hi there! My name is ____, and I'm ____'s friend. It's very nice to meet you!"

 

The mom leaned over and said to her daughter, "Sweetheart, no. This is not his friend, it's his husband. And they're two of the happiest, most loving people you will ever meet. You're very lucky to know them."

 

My heart melted. I was so scared-- I had no idea what to do-- and then she just obliterated it with an outpouring of love and acceptance and-- Ugh! YES!!!

 

Wow that is so lovely! It made me smile, too!!

This is my first official 4 week challenge! I started my goals back on the 3rd, when I first joined NF, so I've had a bit of a warm up for this challenge. Now I'm ready to embark on this path, and arrive someplace new! 

I've always been a pretty healthy weight, though I fluctuate between healthy and slightly overweight, and right now I'm on the slightly overweight spectrum. My goal isn't to be skinnier. Maybe it's kind of sad, but I don't think I could ever be "skinny" enough to feel skinny enough, if that makes sense. I have my Grandma's Italian figure; a flat stomach is probably not in the cards because that's just not my body shape. I'm trying to learn to be okay with that. 

 So my goal is to feel STRONG, to be ABLE to do stuff, and to have lots of ENERGY! I figure if I clean up my diet and increase my exercise, I can't help but look and feel better.

My Objectives: 

1. Bike Tune- Up (Ok...this one is going to be done like the day the challenge starts, because I took my bike in today...but I'm counting it anyway!)

2. Drink 100 oz (5x20oz cup) H2O daily 

3. Exercise 5x >20 mins weekly 

4. Bullet Journal daily

5. Calorie intake: 1250-1450 daily (I count calories a bit loosely, the main thing is to track my food to make me aware of my choices, and to try to make smart choices to keep me within a reasonable caloric range) 

My Enemies:

Sloth: Laziness is my #1 foe. I am a naturally lazy person, especially when it comes to tidiness and fitness. 

Complacency: I pride myself on being someone who decides they want something to change, and then does something about it - except when it comes to my fitness level. Somehow, it's always been ok to just stay the same. No more. 

Doubt:  I give up when I could keep going because I give in to the voice in my head that says I can't do it. I don't try team sports or new activities in public because of social anxiety. Negative self talk and lack of mental toughness when it comes to exercise are challenges for me.

My Weapons: 

Bullet Journal Quest Log: 

   - Here I will track my exercise, water intake, and bullet journaling. When I made it, I hadn't added the calorie counting goal, so I think I will just add a symbol to put on top of one of the categories to symbolize if I met my goal or not each day.  

   - I've incorporated a 3 Life system, so that if I mess up, if I slack off, if life happens, I'm not immediately out my XP. Cause it's all about that XP! 

Meal Planner: 

   - First of all, my mom made this for me. Because she's a genius, and I have no patience for drawing lines with a ruler, but I wanted it to be cute. 

   - This is a REUSABLE weekly planner (thank you, Pinterest!), you just throw in a sticky note and there you go! It gives me a place to know, at a glance, what I need to get out for dinner, what I should make ahead of time, and helps me remember what groceries/left overs I have in the fridge, so less food goes wasted and less take out pizza gets ordered. No excuses for take out when a meal has been shopped for and scheduled! 

Strava and Google Fitness:

   - I will track my calories with the Google fitness widget to help keep me honest about my caloric intake. 

   - Strava is my favorite for tracking running and cycling, both of which are going to be incorporated into my fitness regimen. 

I'm ready for whatever this path throws at me!

Valkyrie lay in the woods, comfortable in the familiarity of her surroundings. The leaves she lay on were soft as a feather down mattress, and she lay there for as long as she could remember. Now and then, she attempted to get up, but her limbs felt heavy, her head was muddled, and every time she settled again into her comfortable bed of leaves, unaware of the vines and roots of the darker things in the forest that had begun to wrap themselves around her body as she rested, utterly deaf to the sounds of the creatures which lay in wait for her. These creatures were Sloth, Complacency and Doubt.

Suddenly, she opened her heavy eyelids and saw the snare for what it was, the creatures threatening only in their insidiousness. With a cry of alarm, she ripped her arms and legs free of the unkind foliage and staggered to her feet, weakened by her prolonged immobility. The creatures stood at bay, watching her with hungry eyes, but unwilling to advance upon her while she faced them. Determined, Valkyrie sized them up, then observed her surroundings with new eyes.  Her previous bed of leaves was a moldy patch of mulch, where nothing could grow. To her left was the path she had wandered down to end up in this place, that she realized now was the creatures' den, a path that went in endless circles. The ground on this path was dappled with sunshine, clear of obstacles and debris - but full of deadly pitfalls, which led her every time back to this place, and a smell of decay permeated the air. To her right was a path that led...where? Surely away from this place! The ground was gnarled with roots, the sunlight strained to break through the old growth, but the air smelled fresher in that direction, somehow. As though, perhaps, a fresh water spring might be just beyond the thicket. Valkyrie knew one thing: she could not continue the way she had if she wanted to arrive someplace different. Valkyrie embarked upon a path unknown, a path less traveled, and that would make all the difference. 

I'll be following you, also! Good luck on your cycling training (and all the rest, of course)! 

On 7/11/2016 at 0:22 PM, Wild Wolf said:

 

Hey Scott, just go to the main thread of the Rangers and at the top right, you'll see "Start New Topic" and click that. From there you can title your challenge, add some descriptive words in the line below and in the body, unleash Ranger hell  

 

We look forward to seeing whacha got cookin, sir!

 

I'm glad to be back...first time I've posted day 1 of zero week in almost 3 challenges. Shoulder is feeling the best it's felt since the injury and I'm working back into playing Gaelic football and lifting again (mainly kettlebells) but nonetheless, WORKOUTS! Life is good and I love my Rangers.

 

(This may be my 2nd favorite gif you've posted @Rurik Harrgath)

 

 

Wolf

Ooh Gaelic is awesome! I'm not really a team sports person(major fear of failure), but I've wanted to try Gaelic since I saw it on TV in Ireland! It looks like an intense workout and a little bit scary!

Oh, and hi everyone! I'm reporting for duty for my first challenge with NF and the Rangers, though I sorta kinda started my current goals back on July 3rd when I joined NF. But they're difficult enough goals for me that I'm happy to continue on with them for 4 weeks! Looking forward to joining the min-challenges, too!

Today I :

Took my bike in to get a tune up, and also learned that the cycle shop has Wednesday bike rides with a no-drop group! It's just down the street from my new job, so I know what I'm doing on Wednesdays now!

I ate really well today. I'm super proud of myself for cutting down on my snacking and making healthier choices today.

I also made a healthy meal plan for the week, complete with healthy homemade popsicles, because it's 93 degrees here and I want ice cream all day. 

And, with my Mom's assitance, we made a reusable meal planner in my bullet journal, which is awesome!

Edit:

Oh my gosh!  I just found out I passed my exam!!! I'm so relieved and thrilled!!

Congrats on your progress, it's gotta feel great to see that measurable improvement!

Thank you! My license should come through in about 3 weeks, so long as I passed my exam, which I'll get the results for on Friday or Saturday. 

I had 20 seconds of courage yesterday! I made a counter offer for my pay even though it gave me a lot of anxiety to do it, and It worked!!! They accepted my counter offer this morning, and I can start as soon as my license is issued!! I feel so proud of myself for asking for what my time is worth, even though it made me so uncomfortable. 

Also, I ran/walked 2.2 miles this morning and caught 12 Pokemon! Thanks, Pokemon Go! =p (I will take motivation anyway I can get it!) 

Off the fitness topic: I gave a counter offer on the salary my new job offered, and I'm anxiously waiting for them to reply via email...apparently my first counter was, like, unreasonably high (misinformation from a fellow PTA led me astray...) so I've proposed a modified counter offer, while the non-confrontational people-pleaser in me is screaming, "just shut up and take what they offered!" But I refuse to be a woman paid less because I was too uncomfortable to negotiate. The worst they can do is say "no, this is what we're offering," at which point I say, "that's fine! when do I start?" 

It's definitely diaphragmatic breathing time...the anxiety of being a bit pushy is making it hard to go to bed.

Ok, so today...I watched 8 hours of gilmore girls and ate cake...

I also weighed myself for the first time in, like, 4 months, since I left for Ireland...I have gained something like 14 lbs. Oh man. I have to get my diet under control. I know once I start working (hopefully soon ) that a lot of it will fall off, cuz I won't have all this time to graze. But I also got to start saying "no" again. I've gotten out of practice.I used to be so good at saying "no."

"No thanks, I don't need a huge piece of cake."

"No, I'm not actually hungry, I'm thirsty."

"No, I'm not hungry, I'm bored." 

But this is a new week, I've officially been home a week, birthday celebrations are over. Time to start eating like I used to, no excuses. 

Thank you! I'm so excited to start my career!!

Thanks, seven! I've been offered the job, now I just need to negotiate my salary a little, so that's exciting!! 

And today I got my exercise kayaking on the lake, where we had an awesome bbq birthday party/going away party for my brother and sister in law who are moving to Minnesota next week. It was so fun! We made this incredible sangria and grilled polish sausages. So fun, and my arms are worn out from battling the unfaltering wind we had today! 

Next week, my goal is cleaning up my diet. But this week of homecoming celebration was so worth every calorie and indulgence. 

I was run/walking 5Ks at sea level a couple of times a week, with my average mile about 13 minutes give or take, and my legs got tired before my lungs/heart did. I'm back in Utah and I'm pretty sure it's the elevation that's killing me, because I'm gasping for breath and my heart is pounding within distances that were easy at sea level...any tips on training at altitude??

I was hired today as a full time physical therapist assistant at a really great nursing facility!! I just graduated this summer,  I took my licensure exam on Wednesday, and had my interview and was offered the job today!! I'm so excited to start my first full time job, my first job with benefits, and I'm so excited that I'll be working at such a great facility, with the patient population that I love!! Squeee!!

So, WOOT!!

Here's my Quest Tracker! I added a 3 lives system, so that when life happens I'm not automatically out my XP, but I'm also accountable and don't have unlimited free passes. If I do use up a life, I'll color the heart in with whichever color for what I missed. (So if I miss doing my bullet journal, that's an orange heart, if I miss an exercise day, it's green, etc.) 

In other news, I did an UE work out using a gallon of water for my weight, and 20 minutes later my arms are rubbery. I really hate arm workouts, which is why I historically never do them...

Bent over rows: 3x15 each

Single arm overhead press (I'm guessing that's what it's called...?): 2x10 each

Scaption (straight arm raise at 45 angle): R: x6, L x5 (this was really hard for me, I couldn't really do it with that heavy of a weight, especially on the L)

Wall pushups: 2x20

Wall Angels: 2x20  

Also, I have an interview at 12:15 for a nursing home that I REALLY want to work for!!! 

My age old enemy is coming back, as it seems to every time I start to get somewhere! Asthma + Allergies = Bronchitis. I know when my chest starts to feel raw and I start coughing that it'll most likely turn into bronchitis in a few days, but maybe by staying on the move my lungs will clear up on their own and I can dodge the bullet. So I went geocaching with my dad this morning in my neighborhood! We walked 2.4 miles, and found 1 of 2 caches, so that was good! 

Summer is my worst time of the year for being sick, especially when I'm in Utah because the air quality is often so bad, and there's a seriously high pollen count. But even if I do get sick, I'm not going to give up on my goals this time, even if it means I'm just gonna go on some non-strenuous walks every day. It's better than nothing! 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go look for a dwarven Elder Scroll reading device in Skyrim. 

I love your log!! Skyrim has been my secret (ok, not so secret) obsession for years, literally years. What a game...and also Dragon Age (mostly the first one)...I loved Alistair too! 

Nice job on the planks! When side planks get easier, you could try side plank dips(where you dip your hip to the ground then bring yourself straight again), it adds a little dynamic stabilization, and really works the obliques and QL! 

Way to stay on track through the holiday! It looks like our approach to exercise is similar - try to do a bit everyday, and switching it up! It's super impressive that you've done it 5 days straight, I know consistency is the hardest part for me! 

I like your style Seven! Keep up the good work! also, does it actually get cold during Australian winter? Like, I want to know what temperature is cold for you!  In Ireland, I reckon our summer is your winter...

Yesterday was my birthday (best day ever!! But no exercise, unless you count shopping! Fashion +15!), and today was my licensure exam (4 hours of mental acrobatics...). So that's my 2 days out of 7 off, I need to do the next 4 days to stay on track. I may implement a Lives thing into my goals. Like, I get one extra life per challenge so I can flub once and not be out XP...cuz it's all about the XP. (But really, it's all about small changes and flexibility, but "lives" sounds cooler.)

But seriously, all day with my mama, cute work shirts for when i get a job (very soon!), teal converse and Smash box lipstick, plus that cursed test out of the way (hoping all my mental exercise over the past months paid off)...I'm a happy, spoiled 24 year old Ranger.

My fitness adventure has been an on again off again relationship, with spurts of consistent effort mixed with spans of total inactivity. So, here I am again, but over the last year, my spurts of activity have been a lot more frequent than my hiatuses, and the set up of NF inspires me, because I want to click that button and get my XP!! My goals are for functional fitness so that I can do cool stuff, not get hurt at work, and have energy for life at the end of the work day. 

I spent the last 1.5 years just outside of Seattle, where I cycled occasionally, and then I spent 3 months in Ireland where I ran/walked 5ks a couple times a week up until this last month, where I gave up again.

Now, I'm back in my hometown, Utah, and I've learned something: I'm a lot fitter at sea level. 

I ran a mile mixed with some intervals of skipping, in about 15 minutes, with another 10 minutes of walking scattered throughout, and I was knackered! I was gasping and panting, my heart was racing and my lungs were burning. You'd think I had never run in my life. I know part of it is deconditioning from lack of exercise the past month (where I lazed and ate junk food with my boyfriend for our last few weeks together...it's very easy to be on a constant holiday when visiting your LDR significant other! I put on 10 pounds in those 3 months...), but I know from the ease with which I started run/walking my 5ks in Ireland after months of inactivity, that this time something is different and I gotta think it's the elevation! 

But! 

That's okay. It's gonna take consistent effort to get back to where I was a month ago. I'm ready!

I know the 4 week challenge technically starts on the 17th, but I don't want to wait to get started on my goals! So, to help me track my adherence to my goals and track my leveling progress, I'm using my Bullet Journal as a Quest Log, integrating my Daily Log (where I track my daily tasks/events etc. and now also track the specifics of my daily exercise) with a monthly tracker so that I really see my progress, both in overview and in detail! Lists combined with what I'm basically seeing as "Achievement Points", are really ticking my nerdy boxes, and inspiring me to stay on track and make changes that last! 

Goals for 4 week challenge (I'm just gonna start it now and continue through the actual 4 week challenge starting on the 17th):

Exercise >20 mins 5/7 days 

Bike Tune-up

Drink 5x20 oz water daily

Bullet Journal daily 

Hi there! I'm Val, and based on my perusal of the Guilds, I fit smack dab in the Ranger guild! I ride bikes, and horses (when I can fit it in my budget!), run slowly, I enjoy all kinds of adventures, like kayaking, hiking, Geocaching and my goal is to increase my focus on body weight exercise.

I want to be able to complete a real push up, to run a mile without stopping, increase my range of motion to improve my horse riding (tight hips mess with good riding posture!), and if I can tone up a bit while I do these things, excellent! 

The main thing for me is functionality. I'm a physical therapist assistant and I want to be strong so that I don't get hurt at work, and so that I have the energy and endurance to enjoy my life when I clock out! As an avid gamer and all-around nerd, I LOVE the idea of a real life RPG, and I'm excited to dive in and start leveling up! 

Also, this is giving me the opportunity to combine nerdy things: I'm working out so I can click the "completed" quest button and get the XP, and so  that I can record it in my bullet journal quest tracker, because lists feed my soul. =p Looking forward to getting to know everyone here and becoming a part of this nerdy fit community! 

-Val

P.S. Can someone tell me how to put on a signature? Thanks!

Hi all! I'm a new Ranger, and I'm stoked to get involved in the quests and level up! But I'm really confused about what exactly the 4 week quests are? Is there a set quest, or do I make up my own quest? And then I saw the mini-quests, how do I get involved in those? 

Thanks!

-Val