Roocifer

Woooo ElJay! Just voted!

Hey, good to have you back for this challenge! I'm curious about the "FOOD!!" goal

Sounds yummy! I rely heavily on homemade popsicles made with Greek yogurt and fruit during the summer, and that's why I'm definitely not ready to cut out dairy! As for getting enough calories, I second the avocado suggestion. I also find that cooking with a generous amount of coconut oil has helped too. And coconut milk - LOVE that in smoothies, mixed into scambled eggs, in Indian paleo dishes, there's pretty much nothing that I won't add coconut milk to. I feel like a Frank's Red Hot commercial - I put that #$(% on everything

Oh man I know, right? Honestly I got bored after I got up to about 2 minutes of plank...I think I could have worked up to longer, but I really don't care to. I'd rather make it harder and hold it for a shorter amount of time. But yeah, these are KILLER!

Week 1, Day 4 Big accomplishment for me today - I successfully ran first thing this morning! I am NOT a morning exerciser, but I didn't really have much choice because of the heat (like I said in my goals post - my failure to plan is not an acceptable excuse for skipping workouts!). So off I went at 6:45 this morning, and it was already 80 degrees. I misread the mini challenge thread and ran 400m intervals instead of 100m, whoops. My pace was not as aggressive as I would have liked (shooting for 7:41/mile, today's average was right around 8:00/mile), but I'm ok with that. With the heat and humidity being so bad, I figured it would be smarter to back off a little bit and not make myself pass out by pushing too hard. I've had three days of great eating, and yesterday I worked on stuff for my Etsy shop. Feeling great - but then again I did during the beginning of the last challenge too, and then lost a lot of my momentum after week 3. I think that'll be crunch time!

This was a tough one, mostly because I need to learn how to read - I ran 400m intervals instead of 100. Ah well, I am still counting it!

Nice work so far! You're making great progress on your volunteering goal - I think that sometimes reaching out and finding out where the volunteering opportunities are/what you need to do to participate is the hardest part! The computer program sounds really cool, and there's definitely a big need for that.

Thanks, engineman! I'm really excited for this challenge! I agree with you 100% - that can be a tough line to walk sometimes, but it's definitely important to keep in mind. I want to be able to enjoy homemade rolls and bbq and all that great stuff when I'm home, and I think I'll be able to enjoy them that much more when I haven't already been eating crap all day by the time I get to dinner. Heaven on earth [ATTACH=CONFIG]4098[/ATTACH] Here's a recipe: Popovers! They're light and fluffy and you slather them with butter when they're hot out of the oven. Mmmmm.

Haha I knew it! My sister-in-law is moving to Pittsburgh in August - we should meet up for a yoga class or a run whenever my husband and I can get down there to visit her!

Bahaha I don't have kids yet but I worry about the same thing when I spend time with my cousins! Yep, yep, sounds exactly like my family gatherings. We are slooooowly working on persuading my grandmother that sending us all into a sugar coma might not be the best way for her to show her love for us. I will definitely be dealing with this during 4th of July week - it's encouraging to see that it can be done! You're off to a strong start - keep it up!

Hey, thanks! I definitely stole, I mean, borrowed from your last challenge thread. I'm excited about the yoga class - I have 8 classes left on a pass I bought much earlier this year, so I have no excuse for not going. The classes are definitely humbling, but I love it. The problem is that I forget how great it makes me feel, and then don't go for...months. Oops.

I've had this for breakfast every day this week and it's my new favorite thing! Pumpkin Porridge The first day I used a teensy bit of honey in place of the stevia, but then after that I didn't put any honey in at all...still tasted delicious. I also sprinkle some cinnamon on top when it's all plated up.

I agree with engineman - I think a day of complete rest with no exercise at all (except if you did some light restorative yoga) is a good idea. With regards to the hills, maybe you could switch it up and run a route with several smaller hills one week, and then a route with one big hill the next (my calves are groaning just thinking about it!). I think that running ANY hills is hugely beneficial, though, so if your preference would be for the smaller hills then I say stick with that!

Nice work! And good call on remembering that feeling for when you are done with your night shift - exercise has such a mood-lifting and energizing effect, but sometimes it's hard to keep that in mind when you're tired.

In light of the ungodly temperatures for the rest of the week (mid 90s, yikes) I need to drag my butt out of bed in the mornings to run. Here's my plan for the rest of the week: Wednesday: rest Thursday: 5 x 400m intervals first thing in the morning Friday: strength training or power yoga podcast Saturday: 2 x 1 mile intervals Sunday: 6m run Yesterday I did 4 miles and had another successful day of primal eating. I haven't worked on anything Etsy-related yet, so I definitely need to get on that! I also made a spreadsheet to track my progress with everything, since most of my goals have a daily or every-other-day component. Feels great to check off my progress every day! Plus it's all color-coded, and color-coded spreadsheets make me ridiculously happy.

Ohhh man the bacon-egg-avocado-tomato salad looks amazing, I might make that this weekend! Awesome recipes, thanks for sharing!

Awesome challenge and mission description! The temps here are supposed to be mid-to-high 90s all week, so I'll probably just have to suck it up and get up early tomorrow for my speedwork.

Only on NF...I love this place.

Sorry, reading comprehension fail on my part. Getting back into fitness after an injury is harrrd - I messed up my hip too a couple of years ago. Yoga, physical therapy, and strength training all helped. We're all rooting for you in your return to running!

Wow, the story behind the Superman Project is super inspiring! Good luck with your fitness and your fundraising!

Congrats on your impending entrepreneurship!! That's really exciting! Not every challenge needs to be full of grand, sweeping goals - sometimes smaller goals or even maintenance is enough when life gets super busy!

You're going to be busy during the next six weeks! Have you done a triathlon before? I like the *idea* of doing a sprint triathlon, but in practice I'd rather just run - I know I'm not ready to commit to training for 3 different sports instead of just one. Anyway, welcome and good luck!!

Welcome! For the 5k goal, have you looked at the Couch to 5k program? It's a 9-week program, but since you can run for 15-20 minutes already, you could probably hop in at one of the later weeks. Also, I'm totally with you about tracking calories - not a fan, but I've found it useful. If you decide that it's something you want to do, I agree with the recommendations for myfitnesspal.com. I've used probably 4 or 5 different trackers over the years and that one is my favorite, hands down.

Ooh, yep, I can relate to that. I'm 27 and just started drinking coffee this year. I only drink one cup a day, but still...it's starting to feel a little bit like a crutch instead of something that I'm drinking purely because I like the taste. I'll definitely be following your progress on this goal with interest! Well, all your goals, but that one in particular caught my eye! Good luck!!

Hmm, that's a pretty big jump - I have no idea if that's possible or not, but I say go for it! You could probably shave a few seconds off just by running in cooler conditions, plus with the speedwork you're going to be doing...you'll definitely be even speedier by the end of the challenge! By the way, love your new avatar. This place totally needs more cats!