Emerald Eagle

Update: Week 1 - Day 5 (Thursday) Challenge A: Today I donated blood. Afterwards I had fruit juice, some plain salted potato chips, and a choc chip cookie. All of these things are recommended by the blood bank after a donation to help your body recover from the blood loss. I'm not worried about it, it's not going to knock me off my course, and I'm also not going to count it as a failure in terms of my goal. Challenge B: Rest day. Challenge C: Even took extra tablets with my snack at the blood bank. + 5XP Challenge D: Got up on time, left on time, got to work on time. Boom! Much better day Notes form today: Slightly less stressful day until the last couple of hours. Seem to cope better on days where I start on the front foot (i.e. start on time!) Another incentive to get my butt out of bed. Had a broken lunch break as I ended up in a middle during the middle of it. That was not so good, I really need a chance for my brain to switch off and think about non-work things. Blood bank after work was super successful. Was there for about an hour in total. It was my first time donating plasma (previously donated whole blood). The process takes a fair bit longer, but you can donate this way more often and the requirements for your iron / haemoglobin levels is not as high. I've previously had a few times where I have not been able to donate because my haemoglobin was borderline (still in the "normal" range but not in the acceptable range for donation). This time my haemoglobin was well above the whole blood requirement! Eating healthier and including more red meat in my diet has done its job. Then headed to Rovers. My rover crew were planning their program for the next six months and I'm really excited about what we have planned. It's definitely going to be a busy first half of the year! It was one of the girls birthdays and we organised cake. There were also snacks (there are always snacks at Rovers!) and I didn't eat any of them. A definite win in my book Hoping that I can finish the week out strong. Tomorrow is going to be a crazy busy day, but if I can stay on track that will be another hurdle overcome.

Also, forgot to mention, with the XP I earn from Wednesday's run I am getting SO CLOSE to Levelling Up! I have been thinking about it and I want to get loot that is significant so that I remember how good levelling up feels and keep pushing to earn more XP. I have coveted a particular pair of Running Bare leggings for a while, so they're currently on sale so when I Level Up I will be ordering them! very excited! http://www.runningbare.com.au/shop/online-boutique/running-bare/pants/full-length-tights/classic-vera-full-length-tight/vera

Update: Wednesday Day was fairly crappy. Don't really need to re-hash it all again, more details are included in my challenge thread if you're interested. Schedule was for a run and a PT session after work, however my PT cancelled. I completed the run on the treadmill at the gym but couldn't convince myself to lift without someone there to push me. The run itself was challenging. I'm concerned that if I struggle to run on the treadmill in optimal conditions that I'm going to really struggle running in the "real world". So next week I'm hoping that I can get at least one run in outdoors, and hopefully two the week after that so that I can continue to build up to the race in early April. Going to really need to focus to stay on track - this next weekend and week are very busy so this will be a good test about keeping my health and fitness a priority. Thursday is a rest day and I need to get a run completed on Friday, hopefully at lunch time. Will keep you posted!

On my run last night I was really not feeling it but I did not want the person that, yet again, starts something and doesn't follow through. In the last minutes of my last run I spent the whole time repeating in my head "You are a Rebel; you are a Ranger; Rangers don't give up; if you want to be like Aragon or Tauriel then you need to keep running." And then suddenly those final 2 minutes were done and I'd completed another day of the C25K App! So thank you for the inspiration; you guys have been a part of a mindset change that is helping me achieve me goals

Don't want to be that guy, but I believe you have a trebuchet there, not a catapult. Which actually increases the "flinging" motion and increases the distance of the throw (provided it is setup right).

Update: Week 1 - Day 4 (Wednesday) Challenge A: Still no sweets. Though the cake sitting on my kitchen bench is calling my name. I will resist. Challenge B: Completed my scheduled run after work but my PT session was cancelled and I could not convince myself to lift on my own after running. I will have to re-schedule my lifting session and fit it in somewhere. Challenge C: Nailed it! 3 meals, and 3 sets of tablets. + 5XP Challenge D: Snoozed my alarm, slept in way past when I should have left for work and was late. Bad habits biting my in the arse! - 5XP To try and combat this I am going to try and get everything organised for tomorrow morning tonight including picking the clothes I'll wear for work. That way I don't have to think when I get up, just get up and go. Fingers crossed it works! Total XP, neutral from challenge, + 5XP from run (see Battle Log for details). Notes from today: The day started badly. We stayed up too late last night and I did not want to get up in the morning. Once I got to work things did not improve. Lots of people are stressed to the max and my inbox was exploding when I finally got to work. In my lunch break I just had to get out of the office so I went for a drive, basically just to get out of the office. After work I went to gym and ran my frustrations away. By force of will (and a lot of pre-planning) tomorrow will be a better day.

I really love living in Melbourne. It's an amazing place full of different cultures and a great city, and where we live is in the suburbs and close to the bush. If I had to pick anywhere else, of the places I have been I would pick Vienna, Austria. A beautiful city with a wonderful combination of history, beautiful buildings, and a wonderful feel.

Nice job! Looks like you've started with some great momentum I like your declutter challenge a lot, something I definitely need more of in my life! Do you read the Girls Gone Strong blog as well?

Great insight and self-reflection. Definitely an insight I think I could use in my own life. Keep smashing it

I cannot articulate just how much I agree with this statement.

Hope you're feeling better! Being sick sucks. Rest easy.

Update Week 1 - Day 3 (Tuesday) Challenge A: No sweets. Was tempted at lunch time but ate some fruit and that satisfied the cravings. Challenge B: Went to gym, completed an upper body lifting session. Was tired and really didn't feel 100% but I did it. Challenge C: Didn't take my tablets at lunch time, I forgot. Trying to work out a way of reminding myself. Challenge D: Left home on time, got stuck in traffic again. Thinking I might have to plan to leave the house even earlier to make it to work on time. ] Notes from today: Valentine's day! A day of love which was much needed. Work was stressful again, my boss went on an email rampage from the other side of the world and I spent my day dealing with them all. On the way home I stopped at a local park to do some Pokemon hunting and walk in the sunshine. It was lovely, helped me calm down and feel better, and I caught whole lot of Pokemon as well! Came home to a clean living room thanks to my amazing husband. Maybe he is a ranger at heart, and a domestic one at that! We then had delicious steak dinner. Yes, it did include some sparkling wine; yes, I know that's not part of the plan; yes, every mouthful was delicious. Details of valentine's day present below, it might be TMI so I have hidden the content.

Physically, I have a thing for men's hands. Preferable strong working hands, but also well kept. I am also a complete sucker for jokes, the cornier the better (seriously, my husband tells the most amazingly tragic puns and Dad jokes and we're not even parents yet!)

Oh how I know those feelings! I actively avoid our break room at the moment because there is so much junk around and I'll know I'll be tempted. Luckily it's summer here so I can go for a walk outside instead

Following along. Your journey makes me think of a quote from a very wise hobbit once said. You've taken the first step and that's super exciting

Update Week 1 - Day 2 (Monday) Challenge A: No sweets today. Didn't even eat any dessert for himself's birthday. Challenge B: Ran Week 4, Day 1 of the C25K App. Went for a run in my lunch break, and it went really well! Challenge C: Took fish tablets at 2/3 meals. Forgot while we were out at dinner tonight, I did have them in my handbag just forgot to take them. Challenge D: Left home at 7.20am (5 minutes behind schedule), stopped for petrol and still made it to work by 8.10am. Not perfect but not a bad start to the week. Notes from today: Run went surprisingly well! Full details are in my battle log for those who are interested. Breakfast and Lunch were flawless, had an afternoon snack of veggie sticks. Ate everything that was meal prepped and nothing extra. Dinner was at the Brewery; I had the pork belly as planned and we ordered the salad. We also had a 4 cheese pizza for starters which was not in the plan. It was delicious and I enjoyed every mouthful. I also had a beer, one pot of my favourite brew. It was also worth every mouthful. Finished the evening with NCIS on the DVD player and cuddles on the couch. All in all a good day.

Up at 6am, you're my new hero. I struggle with 6.45. Great job on smashing day 1

Update: Monday (about Sat - Mon) What a weekend! It seriously felt like I spent the whole weekend in the kitchen. Today (Monday) is himself's birthday and on Saturday we had a big party for about 60 friends and family. I put on roast meat and salads for everyone, and made a very cute birthday cake as well. In between all the cooking I did manage to fit in a PT session workout. We did shoulders and boy were they sore afterwards. I'm really not sure I enjoy isolation workouts that are *all* shoulders or *all* back etc. but I'm not really sure how to talk to PT about it. Something to work on. Sunday was a rest day workout wise. I did go grocery shopping and meal prep. We had enough leftover roast meat to feed himself and me for lunches this week, a definite bonus! I cooked up some veggies to go with it and make more zucchini slice for breakfast. Yummo! Earned my bonus for the week and got my loot bluetooth headphones are on the way from Amazon to me! + 10XP (bonus - 3 runs and 2 workouts in one week.) Today I finally tackled Week 4, and it actually went ok. I thought it was going to be hard and it definitely wasn't easy but I survived! Only had to slow right down for about 15 seconds in the last interval of running. Will be interested to see my progress at the end of the week. + 5XP for run. This was the first run I have done in my lunch break and it went pretty well. It took me basically the whole hour to drive the 10 minutes to the gym, get changed, run, cool down, shower, and drive back to work. I thought today's run was going to be a disaster when I got to the gym and realised I had left my headphones at home! I do have a spare set at my desk at work, but I was not going to have time to go back to work and still get my run in. I decided that I would run without them, and have my phone sitting on the treadmill with the C25K App open so that I could see the time that was left for the particular interval. I did also have the sound on my phone but I was worried it would annoy someone else using the gym and they'd report me to the office so I picked a treadmill right in the corner of the gym out of the way and kept the sound pretty low. This feels like a big Woot! to me. Two weeks ago running for 3 minutes straight for an achievement and now I've made it to 5 minutes non-stop! This interval running thing really works for my brain. If I'd just been "trying to run as far as I can" I would have stopped ages earlier but setting the goal of just 5 minutes or only 90 seconds left makes me really push through. Bring on the rest of this week!

@Tanktimus the Encourager that was one of the most entertaining things I have listened to in a long time! Very nice job.

Not sure how I'll go balancing this and my first challenge but I'm intrigued and willing to give it a try. Strength Feat: 1x10 push ups each day. As many on the floor as I can manage (generally 1-3) and then the rest of the set elevated on a step. Ranger Feat: Knit a teddy bear for my nephew who is due to arrive in 6 weeks. Distance Feat: Climb the 1000 steps in the local national park. Recovery Feat: Spend a few hours this week caring for myself; ideally with a long hot bath. As for my character, to be honest I'm still feeling it out. The closest I can come up with at this stage is "Woodsman". Eagle is working towards being completely independent and able to survive and thrive in the middle of nowhere. I like the idea of being able to live without being connected to the grid (though I would definitely miss the internet and all my NF friends).

Definitely stay with friends. I think it comes from growing up in the Scout movement. I made friends from all around the state and country and got very used to crashing on people's couches, lounge room floors etc. It's quite normal in our friendship circle to go to a house party, pack your swag and sleep overnight on the floor or in their backyard.

WEEK ONE: PLAN Keeping my eyes on the prize. Workout Dinner Notes Sunday Rest Day Chicken Parma Monday Lunchtime: C25K Run 1 Pork Belly Himself Birthday Dinner at Coldstream Brewery Tuesday After Work: Lift Day 1 Steak and 5 Veg Valentine’s Day Wednesday After Work: C25K Run 2 + Lift Day 2 Freezer Meal PT Session Thursday Rest Day Spag Bol Blood Donation Friday Lunch OR After Work: C25K Run 3 Freezer Meal Youth Group Leading after work Saturday - Roast Away at Working Bee So here is the plan for the rest of week 1. I am hoping that by publishing it I will stay on track with the plan. A few notes about the week ahead for those interested. Monday is my husband's birthday. We are going out to one of our favourites eateries for dinner. There will almost definitely be beer or cider involved. I have already agonised over the menu and chosen the pork belly for a few reasons: it comes with green vegetables, it does not come with any form of potatoes. I wanted to pick one of their salads but none of them come with any form of protein. Depending on how the night goes we might order the salad to share as well as dinner each. Also on Monday I am going to try going for a run in my lunch break. If this works it means I have another opportunity to fit exercise in to my day, which is particularly important when my evenings can get busy. It might also have a nice side affect of making the afternoons at work better as I ride on the high of the endorphins from my workout (a girl can dream!) On Thursday afternoon I am donating blood after work. I am not going to work out on that day and planning to have a big dinner full of veggies and protein afterwards. This dinner is the only one I've planned to have "carbs" at, and knowing my body and the way it reacts to donating blood I'm going to need it. Over the weekend we will be away with some of our Scouting friends at a campsite working bee. This means I won't be completely in control of what I'm eating and won't have time for a formal "workout", however working bees are full on active weekends. At this time of year we'll probably be clearing dropped branches, splitting and stacking fire wood, building fences, digging trenches and who knows what else! A chance to get in some functional fitness, and enjoy some time in the great outdoors - something this eagle always loves.

Update: Week 1 - Day 1 (Sunday) Challenge A: An Eagle eats nutritious food So far today I have eaten stir fry from an Asian takeaway place for lunch, and snacked on veggies while I cooked this afternoon. The takeaway was not perfect, included noodles and a sweet sauce, but it was the best choice available while I was out and after dealing with a hungover himself I'll cut myself some slack. Challenge B: An Eagle follows through on a plan Today was a rest day, so tick! Challenge C: An Eagle experiments I did not take fish oil tablets with lunch. I do now have a zip lock bag of them in my handbag so that I don't have any excuses to miss them at dinner. Challenge D: An Eagle is on time Not a work day, so not applicable. Domestic Rangering: An Eagle is prepared Meal prep done Posting this quickly now before we head off to church; I will post my full plan for this week including the menu when I get home tonight.

Update: Friday Made average food choices for breakfast and lunch, felt full and like I didn't need dinner so only ate some leftover pork and cherry tomatoes. Did complete my run for the day, after work and before youth group at church. During the day my knee had been feeling weird, I can't really explain what it felt like it but it was definitely not 100% so I decided to re-run the Week 3 run from my C25K App. Really I just wanted to get the run done, score my 3/3 for the week and get back on track. I might tackle the first Week 4 run on Sunday if I'm feeling good, otherwise I'll leave Sunday as a rest day and start on Monday. Despite my worries about my legs the run did feel ok, I'm both excited and apprehensive about starting Week 4. From my readings online this is the week a lot of people drop out. I'm really trying to make sure that doesn't happen for me!