Kestrel Grey Posted January 5, 2020 Report Share Posted January 5, 2020 I am starting 2020 here at NF with a caveat, and a request. The caveat: challenges will not be written when I am feeling good. They will be written when I am feeling crappy. The request: For all of 2020, if anyone thinks at any time a challenge may be unreasonable, please say so. I can be pretty starry-eyed about what is reasonable when I am feeling great. Last year there were several times I thought I should leave NF because of the miserable mess I ended up after a couple challenges. I would start the goals off easy, and feel pretty good. So I would then set a higher goal next time, until I struggled to try and keep up. Unfortunately a week of trying to keep up ends with me burning out entirely. About half of last year was spent stressed and exhausted for no good reason. Therefore, goals for 2020 will be set for my lowest energy. I can do more on top of that whenever I am feeling great, but I need to make sure there isn't any pressure to perform to an unsustainable level. If only I knew what was unsustainable before I actually cross it... Now that that is out of the way, on to the Challenge! Kestrel Measures That Which She Wants to Improve 1. Report here weekly with any food waste. What was thrown out, and why. Metagoals this supports: 4, 3, 2 2. Enter spending into my spreadsheet (once a week is fine) so I can see exactly how much I am spending and where. Metagoals this supports: 3, 2 3. Fill in my weekly exercise diary. Mention any planned workouts that were missed or modified, and notes about sleep/mood/appointments/etc. Metagoals this supports: 2, 4 See below for a copy/paste of the metagoals I worked out last December. Warning, it is excessively wordy and you won't miss anything if you skip it. Spoiler Kestrel's Goal List for 2020 (in no particular order) 1. Earn glowing recommendations from my peers, supervisors, and most of my subordinates (is that an acceptable term? I haven't been a supervisor for long, not sure that is PC) by the end of my work term April 2020. This would help me to keep my supervisor role when my temporary position ends, or to get the next permanent posting. It is an enriching job with interesting projects and I would feel good about knowing I was doing it well. It also has more hours and better pay so I wouldn't need to stress about finances. Obstacle 1 - Some of my senior peers are temperamental and hard to read, so it would be easy to annoy them. Obstacle 2 - Staying organized under the mountain of information, projects, and emails across multiple sites. Obstacle 3 - Gaining trust from my underlings (even less PC but more fun to say), most of whom have years more experience than I. 2. Finish the Golden Ultra 60K race in September 2020, under the cutoff and grinning. The whole process of getting here will mean wrapping my life in the outdoors, adventure, and getting fitter/faster/stronger. It will show me that I am not doomed to only go downhill from here. And it will be an epic story shared with people who love the same things. Obstacle 1 - Time. For both training and travel, but mostly lots and lots of training. Obstacle 2 - Avoiding injury and burnout. Obstacle 3 - Costs associated with travel, race fees, and gear. Obstacle 4 - Guilt at prioritizing a pursuit that no one I care about is interested in/benefits by. 3. Save enough for an overseas vacation in August 2020. This will show that our current work/life balance is sustainable and relieve stress on both myself and my husband. Going on great vacations together is one of our greatest joys. Obstacle 1 - My current income may not continue. Obstacle 2 - Reducing everyday costs. Obstacle 3 - Unforeseen and costly emergencies happen. 4. Get back to under 25% bodyfat before May 2020. At this weight, running and body weight strength will be noticeably easier. I'll be lighter, faster, and closer to the elusive pull-up. All my jeans would fit me well again so I would have options in the morning. And I'd feel sexier. Obstacle 1 - Eating for weight loss can interfere with training. Obstacle 2 - Time and planning for meal planning, prepping, groceries. Obstacle 3 - Minimizing non-nutrition food such as comfort food or social eating. You got through all that? I'm impressed. Here is a cute hedgehog picture as a reward. 2 1 Quote Current Challenge: The Cliffs of Insanity Previous Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35 Battle Log: Operation Fly-By-Night “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman Link to comment
Kestrel Grey Posted January 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2020 I was going to start tracking food waste on Monday so I would have a chance to clean out the fridge first, but that feels dishonest. Food waste Jan 4th: Most of a cucumber. I used a couple slices in a salad, and the rest of it went squishy in 2 days. 3/4 red bell pepper. It was for garnish in a potluck dish, but I actually don't like bell peppers and didn't eat the rest. 2 pitas. They were moldy, we bought them a week ago and only ate 3 of 5 with a meal. 1 Quote Current Challenge: The Cliffs of Insanity Previous Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35 Battle Log: Operation Fly-By-Night “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman Link to comment
Xena Posted January 5, 2020 Report Share Posted January 5, 2020 Love both the goals (which seem reasonable) and the metagoals (which seem well thought-out and important). I want to copy you and do something similar with metagoals. Really nice framework! 1 Quote Xena, Level 14+ Valkyrie Ranger January 2017 December 2016 Oct/Nov 2016 Link to comment
Jupiter Posted January 6, 2020 Report Share Posted January 6, 2020 Great goals! Following! 1 Quote New Battle Log, Old Battle Log, Current Challenge 2022 Challenges: Challenge 1, Challenge 2, Challenge 3, Challenge 4 2021 Challenges: Challenge 1, Challenge 2, Challenge 3, Challenge 4, Challenge 5, Challenge 6 2020 Challenges: Challenge 1, Challenge 2, Challenge 3, Challenge 4, Challenge 5, Challenge 6, Challenge 7 Link to comment
Baldilocks Posted January 6, 2020 Report Share Posted January 6, 2020 Following. The Goals look awesome. That said, allow yourself to be human. You are among friends. 1 Quote Link to comment
Kestrel Grey Posted January 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 On 1/5/2020 at 11:17 AM, Xena said: Love both the goals (which seem reasonable) and the metagoals (which seem well thought-out and important). I want to copy you and do something similar with metagoals. Really nice framework! Thanks! It seems like a fun way to organize the upcoming challenges. Have you thought about what your metagoals might be? On 1/5/2020 at 5:38 PM, Jupiter said: Great goals! Following! Good to have you. On 1/5/2020 at 5:42 PM, Baldilocks said: Following. The Goals look awesome. That said, allow yourself to be human. You are among friends. Thanks. Though I'm not sure what allowing myself to be human looks like. 1 Quote Current Challenge: The Cliffs of Insanity Previous Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35 Battle Log: Operation Fly-By-Night “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman Link to comment
Kestrel Grey Posted January 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 Saturday Today was supposed to be sunny so I planned to drive out to the Rockies for a hike. But I woke to high winds and those little ice pellets flying around, and had a marvelously lazy day instead. Baking, bubble baths and long naps. Threw out 2 chicken sausages I found in the back of the freezer that had been there for a year. Not a deep freezer so these had been through several de-icing cycles and were scary. Sunday Hiked Ha Ling up to the treeline. The footing wasn't the best, and I stupidly thought my winter running shoes would work just fine. The little studs on the bottom did nothing in the slick snow slopes but I still made good time by relying heavily on the poles. 1:22 to the treeline (felt like 2.5 hours), 41 minutes back down (felt like 15 minutes). It was a good, tiring full-body workout that didn't leave me too sore the next day. Monday Nada. Monday is my rest day even if I took a day off earlier. Quote Current Challenge: The Cliffs of Insanity Previous Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35 Battle Log: Operation Fly-By-Night “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman Link to comment
darna Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 14 minutes ago, Kestrel Grey said: Saturday Threw out 2 chicken sausages I found in the back of the freezer that had been there for a year. Not a deep freezer so these had been through several de-icing cycles and were scary. Same thing here. I reviewed my freezer and threw out some old stuff. Made meatballs from the leftover ground beef and the soup bones are scheduled for the instant pot this weekend for broth. Have to make a peach cobbler from the frozen peaches too. Quote Link to comment
darna Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 20 minutes ago, Kestrel Grey said: Sunday Hiked Ha Ling up to the treeline. The footing wasn't the best, and I stupidly thought my winter running shoes would work just fine. The little studs on the bottom did nothing in the slick snow slopes but I still made good time by relying heavily on the poles. 1:22 to the treeline (felt like 2.5 hours), 41 minutes back down (felt like 15 minutes). It was a good, tiring full-body workout that didn't leave me too sore the next day. I so miss hiking in the winter! We even backpack in the winter. Quote Link to comment
Baldilocks Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 8 hours ago, Kestrel Grey said: Thanks! It seems like a fun way to organize the upcoming challenges. Have you thought about what your metagoals might be? Good to have you. Thanks. Though I'm not sure what allowing myself to be human looks like. Kind of like a cyborg, that malfunctions sometimes. Quote Link to comment
Xena Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 11 hours ago, Kestrel Grey said: Thanks! It seems like a fun way to organize the upcoming challenges. Have you thought about what your metagoals might be? Yes and no. I wrote out some goals for the year (don't have them with me), but didn't really break them down the same way you did. I might do some more thinking about it over the weekend. 11 hours ago, Kestrel Grey said: Hiked Ha Ling up to the treeline. The footing wasn't the best, and I stupidly thought my winter running shoes would work just fine. The little studs on the bottom did nothing in the slick snow slopes but I still made good time by relying heavily on the poles. 1:22 to the treeline (felt like 2.5 hours), 41 minutes back down (felt like 15 minutes). It was a good, tiring full-body workout that didn't leave me too sore the next day. I'm impressed! This sounds pretty epic. Quote Xena, Level 14+ Valkyrie Ranger January 2017 December 2016 Oct/Nov 2016 Link to comment
Defining Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 21 hours ago, Kestrel Grey said: Hiked Ha Ling up to the treeline. The footing wasn't the best, and I stupidly thought my winter running shoes would work just fine. The little studs on the bottom did nothing in the slick snow slopes but I still made good time by relying heavily on the poles. 1:22 to the treeline (felt like 2.5 hours), 41 minutes back down (felt like 15 minutes). It was a good, tiring full-body workout that didn't leave me too sore the next day. Aren't you glad that you did this last weekend though? Considering how cold it's about to get... Quote ...but I'm adorable! Ask anyone who doesn't know me... Link to comment
Kestrel Grey Posted January 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2020 50 minutes ago, Defining said: Aren't you glad that you did this last weekend though? Considering how cold it's about to get... Mwahaha, I'll be in Vegas this weekend. Enjoy the cold snap. Quote Current Challenge: The Cliffs of Insanity Previous Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35 Battle Log: Operation Fly-By-Night “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman Link to comment
Kestrel Grey Posted January 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2020 22 hours ago, darna said: Same thing here. I reviewed my freezer and threw out some old stuff. Made meatballs from the leftover ground beef and the soup bones are scheduled for the instant pot this weekend for broth. Have to make a peach cobbler from the frozen peaches too. Peach cobbler is one of my all time favorites. It is hard to get good peaches on this side of the Rockies. But for some reason I hadn't thought of using frozen peaches! Quote Current Challenge: The Cliffs of Insanity Previous Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35 Battle Log: Operation Fly-By-Night “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman Link to comment
Defining Posted January 8, 2020 Report Share Posted January 8, 2020 Just now, Kestrel Grey said: Mwahaha, I'll be in Vegas this weekend. Enjoy the cold snap. ……. 1 2 Quote ...but I'm adorable! Ask anyone who doesn't know me... Link to comment
Kestrel Grey Posted January 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2020 21 hours ago, darna said: I so miss hiking in the winter! We even backpack in the winter. It's almost always pretty in winter, so hiking is worth the extra layers. I tried winter camping once only; it was on my bucket adventure list. It wasn't bad but I couldn't imagine it would be fun without a fully stocked woodpile waiting for you. You are tough if you do backpacking in winter! 11 hours ago, Xena said: I'm impressed! This sounds pretty epic. Not really, it is a well-traveled hike and one of the shorter ones locally. Though objectively every hike is epic. 1 Quote Current Challenge: The Cliffs of Insanity Previous Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35 Battle Log: Operation Fly-By-Night “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman Link to comment
Kestrel Grey Posted January 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2020 5 minutes ago, Defining said: They must have done character research in Calgary to get that expression. People further north have colder days, true, but they get used to it. We get lulled into summer softness with each chinook and then suffer horribly when winter inevitably returns. 1 Quote Current Challenge: The Cliffs of Insanity Previous Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35 Battle Log: Operation Fly-By-Night “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman Link to comment
Kestrel Grey Posted January 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2020 Food waste update: Threw out one serving of curried chickpeas and one cup of rice. My husband had planned on having it for second dinner, but decided he wanted something lighter. I did not feel like unpacking my lunch to take it instead, so it was tossed (already leftover and getting on in days...) Exercise update: Yesterday I had planned a morning run but my softness overruled and I slept in. It is unlikely I will want to spend time exercising this weekend. I only have two days in Vegas and I don't want to waste any of it! 1 Quote Current Challenge: The Cliffs of Insanity Previous Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35 Battle Log: Operation Fly-By-Night “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman Link to comment
Xena Posted January 11, 2020 Report Share Posted January 11, 2020 oooh hope you have a great time in Vegas! So curious if you are doing nearby hiking things or seeing some shows or or or... 1 Quote Xena, Level 14+ Valkyrie Ranger January 2017 December 2016 Oct/Nov 2016 Link to comment
Kestrel Grey Posted January 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2020 On 1/10/2020 at 7:18 PM, Xena said: oooh hope you have a great time in Vegas! So curious if you are doing nearby hiking things or seeing some shows or or or... I really wanted to do some hiking, the red rock area looked amazing! And apparently there is a series of hotsprings by the river that you have to hike into... Sadly I was only there for two nights/one full day, and that day had a wedding in the middle of it. Escaping to the hills was not possible. I did tour all of the casinos and shops (and indoor canals and cities and ...) and went to O (cirque) on the first evening. My feet were wrecked by day two! I will post fabulous wedding photos later. It was hilarious, though the poor minister (chewbacka) had the wrong paper and called the groom "Chad" a couple times. His name was not Chad. The bride just went with it and afterwards went around introducing her new husband as Chad. Now back to reality and -30 weather. 3 Quote Current Challenge: The Cliffs of Insanity Previous Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35 Battle Log: Operation Fly-By-Night “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman Link to comment
Xena Posted January 14, 2020 Report Share Posted January 14, 2020 40 minutes ago, Kestrel Grey said: the poor minister (chewbacka) had the wrong paper and called the groom "Chad" a couple times. His name was not Chad. Seems totally appropriate for a Vegas wedding. A good friend got married in Vegas in a "drive-thru wedding". They celebrated their 10th anniversary a few years ago. Another time for the Vegas-region hiking for sure. I saw O this summer when I was out there for a race. It completely exceeded my expectations. Really glad you had a good trip. 1 Quote Xena, Level 14+ Valkyrie Ranger January 2017 December 2016 Oct/Nov 2016 Link to comment
Maigs Posted January 14, 2020 Report Share Posted January 14, 2020 13 hours ago, Kestrel Grey said: It was hilarious, though the poor minister (chewbacka) had the wrong paper and called the groom "Chad" a couple times. His name was not Chad. The bride just went with it and afterwards went around introducing her new husband as Chad. Lol, this actually happened to me. We had our wedding in my parents backyard and the guy who officiated doesn't do it regularly and read off an old sheet and didn't get all the names crossed out. So I'm married to Hubs, some guy name Nathan, and some guy with Hub's middle name 1 1 Quote Maigs Resurrects From the Dead Link to comment
Kestrel Grey Posted January 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2020 Yesterday my regular massage therapist was away, and I opted to try out her counterpart who does osteopathy. It was fascinating (and much less painful). My feet always turn inwards at rest almost to the point of my toes touching the mattress. After a 45 minute session to fix where the connective tissue holds my tibia and the thingy that wraps around my ankle to the top of my arch, they were dead straight at complete rest. It was odd. I spent half an hour last night in bed just staring at my feet in wonder. 😆 It didn't last completely and my feet are drooping inwards a little today but I think it is worth seeing her on a regular basis if she can work such miracles. 1 1 Quote Current Challenge: The Cliffs of Insanity Previous Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35 Battle Log: Operation Fly-By-Night “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman Link to comment
Xena Posted January 17, 2020 Report Share Posted January 17, 2020 That's REALLY interesting!!! Quote Xena, Level 14+ Valkyrie Ranger January 2017 December 2016 Oct/Nov 2016 Link to comment
Kestrel Grey Posted January 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2020 Feeling a little rough this week. Work is work, still fun most of the time, but new stresses get dumped on us daily and it is starting to wear me down. And the cold is not helping. I want to go outside for longer than 30 seconds! Sunday is supposed to jump about 30 degrees so we will hit freezing - if it is true I can go hiking. (I have my doubts... they keep pushing back the date it is supposed to warm back up as we get near it.) And I stepped on a scale and am fat again. My nice jeans will never fit. I haven't made a salad in two weeks. And I threw out my lunch today because I did not feel like eating it then and didn't have it in a fridge, and it is meat so I did not want to risk it. Feeling like a failure, but I think I am just tired. 1 Quote Current Challenge: The Cliffs of Insanity Previous Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35 Battle Log: Operation Fly-By-Night “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman Link to comment
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