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I AM OPTIMUS PRIME After a so-so second challenge, it is time to devise a plan that will - hopefully - keep me motivated. Third time is a charm they say. Some of you know already know where I come from, but it doesn't hurt to sum up the story: I went from pre-diabetic and obese (for about four years) just 16 months ago, to moderately healthy and relatively thin now. The goal now is to keep the efforts up so I can get rid of my anti-diabetic medication (close to it), and build myself the functional body I was robbed of by PCOS and my own ignorance. So I thought, what's more fitting than giant robots, Evas and Transformers for a challenge that will focus on maximizing my power and efficacy? I've been obsessed by anything mechanical and powerful since I've been a little girl. It's time to make use of that! I'll also try to keep posting the workout music of the day, metal (especially grind) just goes great with a giant robot theme. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUEST 1 - DESTROY EVERYTHING The idea is simple. Stay active, and enough to keep losing the little of body fat that make my progress on some movements difficult. I am currently around 24% bodyfat, provided I maintain lean mass, I need to lose about 2.5 kgs to drop 1%. So this quest has a dual goal: 1 - DESTROY FAT - lose 2.5 kilos (starting at 57.7 kg on Monday, July the 20th) A = 2.5 kg or more = 1.5 CON + 1 CHA B = 2 kg - 2.4 kg = 1.5 CON + 0.5 CHA C = 1.5 kg - 1.9 kg = 1.5 CON D = 1 kg - 1.4 kg = 1 CON E = 0.5 - 0.9 kg = 0.5 CON 2 - DESTROY METAL - keep a routine of at least 2 strength training sessions per week + 1 HIIT session per week - I learned my lesson, last challenge 3 strength sessions + 1 HIIT was too much I am counting the bye week. So that's 2x7 + 1x7 A = 14/14 + 7/7 or more = 2.5 STR + 0.5 DEX B = 12/14 + 6/7 = 2 STR + 0.5 DEX C = 10/14 + 5/7 = 1.5 STR + 0.5 DEX D = 8/14 + 4/7 = 1 STR Any less = F ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUEST 2 - KEEP GOING KEEP RUNNING - I have always neglected endurance running because I was bad at it for a gazillion of reasons. Too heavy, too hard on my feet that had suffered from several stress fractures, painful shin splints. Now that everything is better, and that I am fitter, I find running at a lower pace for a longer time less painful than before, and I run for longer periods of time (without pause) for my warm ups. For now I just suck at it so hard I'm ashamed of saying that the longest I can run for is 11 mins. I want to train endurance just enough, just so I can't be ashamed of my performance. The plan is simple, start from a place of comfort (= 7.5 mins at a slow pace = the amount of time I can run for without feeling like I'm going to die) and add +30 sec to it whenever I feel I can do it. At the end, I want to run those 11 mins comfortably at least, and will award myself more points if I went further than that. Bonus = run more than 11 mins comfortably = +1 STA A = 11 mins = 3.5 STA + 0.5 DEX B = 10 mins = 3 STA C = 9 mins = 2.5 STA D = 8 mins = 1.5 STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUEST 3 - UNLOCK FULL POTENTIAL Unlock full upper body and back potential, that is. I'm really eager to be able to do a pull-up. So I looked up things and gathered millions of underpants to help me build a routine that's going to help me achieve pull-ups. The specific movements will be performed on one (at least) of the two strength sessions I do per week. If I happen to be lifting a third time during that week, I'll train for the pull-ups again. 1 - UNLOCK MOTIVATION - It is hard to come up with a point system that measure performance for this goal. I will first reward myself for the number of times I actually stuck to the program, because it's going to be hard, and I know the DOMS will be crippling as well: Bonus if more than 7/7 = + 0.5 STA A = 7/7 pull-up trainings = 0.5 CHA + 0.5 STA B = 6/7 pull-up trainings = 0.5 CHA C = 5/7 pull-up trainings = 0.25 CHA 2 - UNLOCK POWER - I know I won't be able to get to the pull-up after just seven weeks. It'll take months. So I'll post compare my first performance on those movements with the one at the end of the challenge. If I feel as if I performed well enough, I'll add +3 to STR and +0.5 to DEX. On Thursday, July the 23rd: - Australian pull-up on pull-up bar at waist height: 4x3 - BO dumbbell rows: 6x3 at 14.1 kg - Max bar hang: counted until 31 - Bat wings: 6x3 at 8.1 kg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LIFE QUEST I have a ton of things to take care of this summer that are piling up on top of work. I'll make a list of them, and count how many I managed to complete at the end of the challenge. For each task completed, I'll get a point. If I managed to clear more than 20, I'll award myself +2 WIS: - Post an update for each challenge day (multiple updates posted at once are okay): week 1 - week 2 - week 3 - week 4 - week 5 - week 6 - week 7 - Post in challenge threads by people I haven't interacted with yet 3/week : week 1 - week 2 - week 3 - week 4 - week 5 - week 6 - week 7 - Encourage fellow Rangers by posting on their threads, at least 5/week : week 1 - week 2 - week 3 - week 4 - week 5 - week 6 - week 7 - Get an appointment at the dermatologist - completed 31/07 - Go to the dermatologist - completed 04/08 - Make a to-do-list on the whiteboard - completed 05/08 - Sort, go through, and try on all my winter clothes - completed 03/08 - Sort, go through, and try on all my summer clothes - completed 02/09 - Do the alterations on the clothes that are too big for me now but still want to wear - Get an appointment at the dentist - Go to the dentist - Get an appointment at the vet - completed 08/08 - Go to the vet - completed 08/08 - Get an appointment at the ophthalmologist - completed 02/09 - Go to the ophthalmologist - completed 02/09 - Renew my glasses - completed 02/09 - Get an appointment at the gynaecologist - completed 05/08 - Go to the gynaecologist - completed 06/08 - Go get my blood work done - completed 07/08 ​- Go back to the gynaecologist with the blood work completed 12/08 - Go give the insurance company that paper they asked for - completed 06/08 - Work on Max's project - completed 08/08 - Go back to the insurance company - completed 26/08 - Get the templates I need to finish Max's project - Catch up with e-mails: Sarah - Mahdi - Max - Trevor - Write the review for the new Nile - completed 24/08 - Write the review for the new Enabler - Write the review for the new Krisiun - Write the review for the new All Out War - Write the review for the new Harm's Way - Write the review for the new Implore - Write one mini-review #1 - completed 21/07 - Write one mini-review #2 - completed 21/07 - Write one mini-review #3 - Write one mini-review #4 - Write one mini-review #5 - Write one mini-review #6 - Tighten the screws to my treadmill - Glue my two favourite mugs that have been broken for years - completed 28/08 - Complete the matrix for my updated portfolio - Work three hours/week on the actual portfolio: week 1 - week 2 - week 3 - week 4 - week 5 - week 6 - week 7 - Gather information on immigration process - completed 31/07 - Gather information on accommodation in Toronto - completed 19/08 - Get my printer to work - completed 21/08 - Book accommodation - completed 24/08 - Gather information on transports in Toronto and learn the map - completed 19/08 - Gather information on what to see in Toronto - Get plane tickets - completed on 04/08 - Get new workout clothes (the store is far, otherwise I wouldn't put it in the list) - completed 26/07