RedCedar

Yeah.... I was supposed to speak at the last procrastination meeting, but I never got around to putting a presentation together. I just had to get this challenge thread up first, on day 5.

Ok so, I only missed the first 5 days, but your thread is already 5 pages long!!! So I read the first page and skimmed the rest, basically its a whole list of "Why we should be friends"

DOING STUFF!  Dyslexia! Being outside! SCIENCE!!!!! Dancing in the rain, pushups! general badassery, XKCD, Hyperbole and a Half, Star Wars! etc, etc.

We should be friends. 

Glad I could make your day/week/life 

I'll forget to be late to the ADD people unite thing or whatever it was, right after my dyslexics untie meet up! 

I can't decide if it's you or the music that's rocking harder in this thread. Oh wait, it's definitely you! Keep up the badassery. Your progress photos are amazing!

 

I only go to the theaters to see RiffTrax live:

http://www.rifftrax.com/live

 

SHARKNADO in July.  Much Excite!

But the dialouge is already so witty! How could they improve it? "They killed my grandfather, so I really hate sharks."

Ta-Da! Here's the new challenge!

Good thing I had already made those points up like a week ago! I've been earning points all week. 

I'm already at 11 points!  13 points! Maths are hard

One c25k workout out, a pull/chin ups work out (outside), four servings of kale, three servings of broccoli and some cabbage. 

So my ADD has been especially bad this week, and I just can't settle on a theme for this challenge, or even remember to start my thread! So, instead of trying to fight it, I'm going to use my limited attention span to my advantage. 

WELCOME TO THE CHALLENGE OF EPIC RANDOMNESS!!!

In which RedCedar is going to DO STUFF! TRY THINGS! AND HAVE ADVENTURES! 

But wait, what about goals that are specific and measurable? Do you even know where you are going? How will you know if you're getting any better if you're just running around doing a bunch of random things? HOW WILL YOU TRACK YOUR PROGRESS?!?!? 

(Seriously just took a break to make popcorn, now I'm back to finish that thought)

Great questions! Mediocre answers: 

Screw 'em!

Vaguely! 

and......

POINTS! 

I will inevitably loose track of specific programs, and then use the missed workout/off schedule excuse to not continue. If I have multiple options that "count" toward my challenge, I'm much more likely to stay active and engaged. I'm too impatient to wait until the end of the challenge to "earn" things, so with points I can reward myself multiple times a day if I am so inclined for generally being awesome. I can earn points in the following ways:

Workout! Move! Have Adventures! (One bonus point for all workouts done outside)

Tree climbing or other “play†workouts are half of a point each (but probably all will be outside so really 1.5 points)

Pushups, pull-ups, chin ups, squats, flexibility/stretching workouts all worth one point each. 

C25k, hill sprints, hikes over 1 hour or mini challenges are all two-point workouts. (Again, mostly outside so really 3 points)

Insanity is a three-point workout. 

Eat Green Things! 

Specifically cruciferous vegetables like Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage and veggies with a lot of protein like Spinach and Peas. 

One point per serving of these veggies per meal  

Go the F*ck to Sleep!!! 

Since I live most of my life like:

One point for every full night of sleep (8 hours)

Grading!

200+ Points = A+

150-200 points = A

125-150 points = A-

100-125 points = B+

75-100 points = B

50-75 points = C

30-50 points = D

Less than 30 = F

The vague idea of where I'm going is to continue this momentum I'm starting to build. I want being active and healthy to just be a part of my life. I want to enjoy being fit. I had so much fun on my vacation being able to go on any adventure and not have to think twice about "if I could do it" or not. I don't want my body holding me back from any adventures I encounter. I want to scamper up trees, run to the top of mountains, throw canoes across the lake! You know, that sort of thing.  

An actual goal.

A Life Goal: Clean and make my desk a useable workspace so I can actually  

DO HOMEWORK AT MY DESK!

 So that's it I guess. Here we go!

Hey! Hey Guys! Hey Flea and Redeaglespirit, can I join too? 

New challenge thread coming soon!!! I've been playing along all week, but in true assassin form. Invisibly. 

Good music, badass goals, TOOL. What's not to love? 

Puns! Dancing! She-hulking! Looks like another awesome challenge  

HabitRPG sounds like it could be a serious game changer for me, definitely gonna look into that more. 

I think you're really on to something here with the whole Pokemon themed challenges and witty write-ups.... I feel like this could be marketable somehow. In the vain of ZombieRun, you could make a PokeFit app/game. Just a thought.

Soooo I definitely thought this gonna be all about Rugby and I got super excited. I also googled the GoRuck challenge, assuming it was a rugger skills showcase. Holy shit though, that sounds awesome! Good luck to you and your beastly challenge. 

I too, am stalking you again, but I'm so assassin you won't be able to find my thread. 

I did a C25k run today just to try it out, it was pretty fun. Haven't crafted my goals for the challenge quite yet, but I'm thinkin c25k might be in the mix and I will probably end up with goals similar to yours. I like to grade based on how many workouts I completed, rather than how many I "skipped" though. I might even create a points system so I get a little reward each time I put in the effort. 

Good luck!

Sorry/Not sorry for the delayed challenge recap. I got back from Kauai this weekend and was very reluctant to turn on my computer. 

So here's the results:

Goal 1. Finish 100 pushups program!

I’ve started this program several times, but have yet to finish the full 6 weeks. Last challenge I completed the first two weeks, an improvement of one workout and an exhaustion test more than the previous attempt. I love pushups because they make me feel like a badass and it is easy to see improvement. Just one more rep to be better than last time.

Grading:

All six weeks completed = A

5 weeks complete = A-

4 weeks complete = B+

3 weeks complete = B-

2 weeks complete = C

1 week complete = D

Pushups: 3/4 2/3 1/3 2/4 1/3 1/3 | 9/20 

B, completed enough workouts to finish three weeks of the program if I had started from week one, but my initial test had me starting at week 3. I ended up one workout away from completing week 5, so I completed week 4 of the program. Scoring was set as a B- for three weeks, and a B+ for 4 weeks, so there you go. A solid B.

Goal 2. Use the Forest Gym!

I found a lovely spot in the National Park that I live in a few weeks ago. A 5-10 minute jog from my house, there are several hills of varying steepness and length that would be perfect for hill sprints. They are just up the trail from a young Western Hemlock with the only suitable branch I can find for practicing chin-ups and pull-ups anywhere near me. (This is a surprisingly difficult task in a thick, coniferous, PNW forest.) Weather permitting; I want to use this “gym†twice a week on average. If conditions are too dangerous, Insanity workouts are an acceptable substitute.

Grading:

12 total forest gym and/or Insanity workouts= A

9 total forest gym and/or Insanity workouts = B

6 total forest gym and/or Insanity workouts = C

3 total forest gym and/or Insanity workouts = D

Forest!:   1/2 3/2 0/2 3/2 0/2 1/2  | 8/12

B-. Pretty simple grading here, 9 would have been a B, 6 a C.

Goal 3. Resist Dinning Hall temptation, stay true to the Paleo!

The return of Mountain School means a return to eating in the dinning hall twice a day, a constant source for desserts, and a culture of constant stress-eating. I tend to make good choices around dinner, but the dessert temptation is strong. I do not want to give in! My plan:

• Make protein shakes or eggs and bacon breakfasts at home to avoid the French toast and pancakes of the dinning hall.
• A salad shall accompany all dinners in the dinning hall, and that salad will not include cheese.
• Desserts will be limited to two per week. Seconds count as two desserts. I must choose wisely.

Grading:

12 desserts or less (2/week) = A

12-18 Desserts (3/week) = B

18-24 Desserts (4/week) = C

24-30 Desserts (5/week) = D

More than 30 desserts is a fail!

Desserts: Gave up counting after week 5 got off to a bad start.

I should have looked back at my scoring rubric before I stopped counting; I wasn’t doing nearly as bad as I thought. Last count the dessert total was 20.5, both dinning hall and other desserts combined. That was the end of week 4. I’m gonna guess I had more than 3 and less than 9 desserts in that last two weeks, which would mean not a total fail! This goal gets a D.

Life Goal: Clean my room once per week!

This busy month especially, my constant disorganization has gotten out of hand. I have grown so accustomed to stepping over and around piles of paper and clothes on the floor that I consider myself “clutter blindâ€. But when I am feeling low energy or overwhelmed, I look around my trashed room and it brings me down even more. This challenge I want to start to break that cycle. Plus, If I don’t keep enough floor space clear, I wont be able to do my pushups!

Grading:

Tidy up 6 times = A

Tidy up 5 times = A-

Tidy up 4 times = B+

Tidy up 3 times = B-

Tidy up 2 times = C

Tidy up once = D

Clean:     1/1 0/1 1/1 0/1 0/1 2/1 | 4/6

B+ Pretty simple grading here as well, 4 times was on my rubric as a B+. 

The main aim of this challenge was to feel good about myself and feel confident taking pictures on my Hawaiian vacation. That part of the challenge was a huge success. My girlfriend and I hiked every day and only went out to eat once (well, twice if you count the wedding reception). We made great food choices and stayed active. I even did a 100 pushups program workout one morning. I felt damn good the whole time. Sure the sunshine, beautiful beaches and general island vibe had a lot to do with it, but I got a good view of how much eating better and moving more are just a part of who I am and what I do. Not out of feelings of guilt or "I should", but because it generally makes me happy to be healthier. That kind of success can't be graded. 

Sorry/Not sorry for the delayed challenge recap. I got back from Kauai this weekend and was very reluctant to turn on my computer. 

So here's the results:

Pushups: 3/4 2/3 1/3 2/4 1/3 1/3 | 9/20 

B, completed enough workouts to finish three weeks of the program if I had started from week one, but my initial test had me starting at week 3. I ended up one workout away from completing week 5, so I completed week 4 of the program. Scoring was set as a B- for three weeks, and a B+ for 4 weeks, so there you go. A solid B.

Forest!:   1/2 3/2 0/2 3/2 0/2 1/2  | 8/12

B-. Pretty simple grading here, 9 would have been a B, 6 a C.

Desserts: I don't wanna talk about it

I should have looked back at my scoring rubric before I stopped counting; I wasn’t doing nearly as bad as I thought. Last count the dessert total was 20.5, both dinning hall and other desserts combined. That was the end of week 4. I’m gonna guess I had more than 3 and less than 9 desserts in that last two weeks, which would mean not a total fail! This goal gets a D.

Clean:     1/1 0/1 1/1 0/1 0/1 2/1 | 4/6

B+ Pretty simple grading here as well, 4 times was on my rubric as a B+. 

The main aim of this challenge was to feel good about myself and feel confident taking pictures on my Hawaiian vacation. That part of the challenge was a huge success. My girlfriend and I hiked every day and only went out to eat once (well, twice if you count the wedding reception). We made great food choices and stayed active. I even did a 100 pushups program workout one morning. I felt damn good the whole time. Sure the sunshine, beautiful beaches and general island vibe had a lot to do with it, but I got a good view of how much eating better and moving more are just a part of who I am and what I do. Not out of feelings of guilt or "I should", but because it generally makes me happy to be healthier. That kind of success can't be graded. 

Finally, the stars have aligned. Weather, time, energy and daylight combined to allow me to actually use my forest gym!!!

Ran a few sets of hill sprints and even managed to eek out a very sloppy pull up! My first since high school, feeling like a major badass. I had to do a double take to make sure my hands were actually facing away from me. Beyond stoked for the next challenge, which will DEFINITELY include pull ups, and working towards a "real" one. 

Pushups: 3/4 2/3 1/3 2/4 1/3 0/3 | 8/20

Forest!:   1/2 3/2 0/2 3/2 0/2 1/2  | 6/12

Desserts: I don't wanna talk about it

Clean:     1/1 0/1 1/1 0/1 0/1 1/1 | 3/6

Woops! Sorry!

A female friend of mine has 'Cedar' as a username, and my brain seems to automatically think everyone with Cedar in their name is female! I'll change that right away

No worries! Almost no one gets my pronouns right, hence the hard-to-read avatar that says "ask me about my pronoun preference."

I use they/their/them  

Wow, thanks so much! Stoked and honored to be on the list with all these other badasses!

*Side note: I'm not a "her"

In general I'm with ya Prairie, but for me to slip into that mindset at this point of my adventure would be to continue familiar and ultimately unhealthy patterns I'd rather change. 

Took another exhaustion test for the 100 pushups program tonight, managed 31 good form reps. I felt pretty damn good about getting over 30, and improving from my last test, but the program has me starting week five down to a level 1. Feels a little harsh, but I guess realistically I'm not two weeks away from 100 pushups in a single set, so I guess this makes sense. My ego still doesn't like it tho. 

Another dessert with dinner and now I'm off to go drink with some nearly-graudated grad school friends.

Pushups: 3/4 2/3 1/3 2/4 0/3 0/3 | 8/20

Forest!:   1/2 3/2 0/2 3/2 0/2 0/2  | 5/12

Desserts:

D-Hall:     2/2 2/2 3/2 3/2 0/2 0/2 | 10/12

All Other:  0   8.5   0    2    0    0    | 10.5

Clean:     1/1 0/1 1/1 0/1 0/1 0/1 | 2/6

Whew! another early morning Insanity session in the bank. The snow is mostly gone, but the rain hasn't stopped for a week. One day I'll get to workout in the woods. 

It's only Tuesday Wednesday, but I'm already over my dessert goal for the dinning hall. It's graduation week up here in the mountains, and everything is a big celebration. I'm eating too much and diving right in to dessert, but I don't feel too bad about it. Staying on track with working out, and after this week-long party is over, I'll have a week and a half before Hawaii. I've already made so much progress since the last trip I took, I know I will feel better about these pictures. It's not settling into an "eh, good enough, bring on the ice cream" attitude, but more of trying to recognize and credit myself for the work I've done so far and letting go of guilt (both things I struggle with a lot). 

Pushups: 3/4 2/3 1/3 1/4 0/3 0/3 | 7/20

Forest!:   1/2 3/2 0/2 3/2 0/2 0/2  | 5/12

Desserts:

D-Hall:     2/2 2/2 3/2 2/2 0/2 0/2 | 9/12

All Other:  0   8.5   0    2    0    0    | 10.5

Clean:     1/1 0/1 1/1 0/1 0/1 0/1 | 2/6

Wow, it's been too long since I've dropped by! Even as a kid I couldn't do a cartwheel. My attempts usually result in me awkwardly hurling myself at the ground for more of a lopsided barrel roll than a graceful fun cartwheel. Good for laughs, but not much else. 

Keep on dancin'! You're doing great!

Lazy Flea is lazy about updating, wow. So, progress! 

 

I too, am lazy about updating some weeks. I've noticed my goals are more present IRL when I'm more engaged in the community here, but sometimes this part becomes a distraction. Use it as much as it's helpful for you, just don't go dipping out on us again  

Yay progress!!!!