Search the Community

For those I haven't met yet, I used to work at sea, exploring weird places. Now I don't, though I still do marine sciency things for a living. It's been a big change for me. I'm trying to cope. This challenge finds me reaching for a new plane in my training*. I'm running in a half-marathon during week zero, and I logged a lot of miles during the last two challenges to prepare. After the race, I want to keep up with the running enough to keep building endurance, but I also want to scale it back a bit so I can focus more on other things – namely improving flexibility and strength. To do that, I'll be mostly continuing where I left off last time, just shuffling the focus a bit. Now, on to the goals!! Run 80 miles. I'd like to hit this running only three days a week. The general idea is to do two short weekday runs of 5 miles each, and one long weekend run around 10 miles. If I can keep the injuries at bay, I'll try to do the long runs on trails, because the woods are awesome. I've mentioned the desire to add some speed training, but as yet I don't have a plan for that. I may work it in at some point, so look out. Push-ups 480 total, 3x20 sets, 2/week. I've done pushups to death in previous challenges, to the point I was losing interest. The spark has returned a little lately, so I'm gonna keep this one around, with some changes. I've wondered what the differences would be doing lower numbers over many days versus high numbers only a few days. So instead of doing 20 push-ups 6 days a week, I'll try doing 60 push-ups two days a week. Think of it as an experiment. Yay science. Yoga 32 points, 2pts/session, 1 pt if it's half ass. This is an increase over last time, as I should have more time to commit to it. I will hopefully expand and diversify my regular – admittedly brief – usual routine. Bonus - Last time, I was unexpectedly challenged by an online friend with a pose I was totally incapable of -- Crow pose. I pushed myself to work on it, and totally surprised myself by actually doing it. This really excited and motivated me, so I'm going to work another difficult-to-me "challenge pose" into the mix, unscored. This time will be Camel pose. Unlike Crow, I've worked on this one a bit already, but I can't quite do the full pose yet, and I've been wanting to work on back bends anyway. Perfect excuse, right? Mindful Movements Weeks 4, 5 and 6 of the program. This is the Elements program from GMB, which I started last time. It didn't get the attention it deserves, so with the race training over, I really want to spend a lot more time with this. The program aims to develop strength, flexibility and motor control, but I've gotta put more into it to get more out of it. Plus, I think it's really cool what I'm learning to do. That's it, this time. My free time is still really limited, but I want to try to make a few new friends along the way, so I hope to see you out there! *Speakin' of new planes, enjoy a little ditty on me. No charge. Steam Powered Aereoplane, Robert Earl Keen, Happy Prisoner, 2015

Goal #1: Elements practice 6x / week I finished the current round of the Movement Multivitamin, but before I get back to Floor 1 practice, I'd like to work on the basics some more. Enter the Elements program, where I'll be working on three movement patterns: Bear, monkey and frogger. While I have no big problems with the range of motion in any of the basic variations of these, I'm sadly lacking in strength and stamina - especially my legs start complaining after about a minute or so of froggering about. This could definitely need more work, so that's what I will do. The program will take me 7 weeks to work through, starting week 1 today. In addition to Eements, I'm still taking yoga classes and kettlebell classes. Goal #2: Keep the (Emo) Sugar Monster at bay (2 - 3 Sugar Monsters / week) Same thing we do every challenge, Pinky... try to take over the world keep the sweets in check, aim for 2 - 3 Sugar Monsters per week, and be extra careful around the Emotional variety. Goal #3: Keep a health journal 7/7 days a week I'm still working on some health issues (namely trying to get that pesky Raynaud's in check). Among other things, I'll probably have to start taking meds to improve the bloodflow . Data geek that I am, I'm kind of curious how the things I do will affect my (well-)being in general and some symptoms in particular. Ergo: collect ALL the data. Okay, maybe not all of it, but at least some markers that seem relevant to me now.

It's me again! The people who have been following me last challenge know I didn't complete it. In fact I disappeared, going into full blown hiding. Which I am really good at! And although I am quite proud of that assassin skill, it is important not to hide from fellow assassins! So that's why I'm coming out of hiding again, and making sure I will stay out of hiding for the duration of this challenge! Uhhh... Nope still hiding... Wait I know how to unhide... I can do this! Close enough? I suppose so... So right, yeah, goals! Not too many this time, I wanted to do a bazillion things. Because I'm great at planning intricately busy things. And then the 'doing it' part comes along and I feel like meh.... So! Not too many goals this time. Just two. WOOOOO JUMP RIGHT INTO THE GOALS Goal 1: GMB Focused Flexibility (and any extra work I want to do ) DAILY Goal 2: Wrist Warmup + Frogger (at least 3 times a week) Video link for the wrist warmup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=235&v=mSZWSQSSEjE Page link for GMB frogger practice: http://gmb.io/frogger-handstand/ During the challenge I will still be doing Stronglifts, which I definitely still am in love with! So you might get updates of that. I will also keep doing hiking training, because I just need to. And and and I will also do some hooping! But the good thing is, I don't have to update on those, and I don't have to do them. But I can! Things are more fun when you don't have to do them right? HIGH FIVE! LETS DO THIS! Pssst and a little bit of motivation for everyone!