Keladris stays the course

[Keladris]

A light breeze caught Keladris'  cloak, her long ears twitching for each new sound that greeted her along her path. All journeys, even the very longest, can only be completed one step at a time. So she kept stepping forward, trusting the ground beneath her feet.
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I've been feeling a little down/lost this last week, because I haven't made any HUGE, SUPER EXCITING or NEW changes lately. But I think this is a real lesson in the need to stay the course. If we started new journeys all the time, we'd never get anywhere!

So, nothing super new this month. I'll be carrying on with some of my goals from the last challenge, tweaking a few things here and there.

That said, my routine is about to change quite dramatically because I'm going to be taking French classes full time for the next 12 weeks, and will have to wake up early! So the challenge will be to maintain my progress alongside this new schedule. I don't have a fancy tracking system like previous challenges, but will try to check in here at least once a week.

⭐ The goals ⭐

1. Maintain dance schedule, including new class!
This Saturday I'm starting an intro to contemporary class. This will mean I'm now dancing 3 days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday.

2. Complete Crossfit package and decide what to do next
I think I'm 4/10 sessions in at this point. I've been trying to go twice a week but it isn't always happening. Ideally I will go every Tuesday and Friday, although I'm not sure if this will be overload with the extra dance class. At the very least I will do Fridays.

3. Prioritse food again
After some chats in the Discord, I've realised that maybe one of the reasons I'm not always making it to all my Crossfit sessions is that I am not fuelling myself well enough and feeling off as a result. So I'm going to go back to calorie counting, because that helps me be more aware of what I am eating. I've spent the last few months maintaining after reaching my weight goal, but ideally I would like to lose another 3-4kg.  Calorie counting over the next few weeks will help me decide on my targets while making sure I am fuelling my exercise properly.

4. Keep reading
Last challenge I increased my reading loads. My current reading list is:
- L'étranger, Albert Camus. I'm enjoying learning new French words while reading
- Spear of the Emperor, Aaron Demski-Boden, I'm about halfway there!
- Something else... I have plenty of books waiting for me, just need to decide which one to pick up next.

5. Ride a horse
I've got my kit, I just need to book the lesson! So far have messaged several places but not received a response. August is the month I WILL get back on the horse.

6. Keep acting

Really enjoying my new acting groups. I have a video submission this month, as well as a monologue to do in class this weekend! 

7. Socalise
I'm doubly vaxxed, and I really need to see some friends again. I've become so used to being a hermit, I think I'm a bit stuck in my own head.

 

Haha, reading all this makes me EXCITED afterall! Taking care of the shineys can be just as much fun as chasing after new ones.

 

[Keladris]

Status report!

1. I came down with a migraine on Saturday so missed my first contemporary class 😢 but I'm all set for ballet tomorrow
2. I, uh... Also skipped Crossfit on Friday... Was out having a lovely time walking around the city and the park with my partner and it was a beautiful day. Ended up going to a bar and having a few cocktails... But that was good quality time with my partner so I'm owning that decision. To compensate, I did a home workout today and was pleased to find out that my fitness has improved since the last time I did one.
3. This reminds me I need to track for today! 
4. This reminds me I should read a chapter before sleep!
5. Put out some extra feelers today on Facebook, so far none of the stables I have contacted have replied to my emails! I also wore my new boots and chaps around the house while cleaning to soften them up haha.
6. Acting seems to be the thing I am most motivated (well, obsessed with) at the moment! I've been watching lots of plays this weekend, went to class yesterday, and actually have two 1-1 calls planned for this week too. 
7. Socialising with my partner counts, right?! Time to message some friends I haven't seen for a long long while.

[milythael]

Peek-a-boo.  How are you?  How is your challenge going?

[Keladris]

Hey!

Dropping back in for a status report

1. Contemporary this weekend was amaaaazing. She got us doing really ridiculous dance moves and just letting go.
2. Oops, another week without Crossfit. To be fair, my hip has been giving me some trouble, so it was mostly a conscious decision. I did do a home workout on Friday, so there's that. That was thanks to Puck over in the discord, who inspired me with her gif... Just had to make my own!

 

 

Definitely resisting Crossfit a bit, but I'm going to book in for tomorrow. (I wasn't going to until I came here to check on my goals!)

3. I tracked 4/7 days last week. Time to get back on that wagon again. My weight was coming down the days I tracked, and then I had a drinking session on Saturday and lots of carbs Sunday for the hangover so it's come back up a wee bit again...
4. Made some progress with L'etranger, and been reading plays for acting class. Actually about to read a screenplay in a second.
5. Found another option for stables which I will contact. We're having a bit of a cash flow issue at the moment, so may have to wait until next week.
6. Again, acting is my obsession at the moment! I got up and performed this Saturday, here is a hilarious GIF to prove it...

 

I got a bunch of requests from people after to work on scenes together, so that is super exciting  

7. We went to a picnic with a GROUP of people. And I met NEW people too. I don't think I have done that in at least 2 years. Was really pleased that I didn't get too anxious and just had a lovely time (and a few too many beers...)
 

[Keladris]

I come with a confession... I didn't go to Crossfit today. Life got in the way (went to have my biometrics taken for immigration, got lost, ended up walking a lot). But I also didn't go because I didn't really want to and didn't prioritise it.

Guess I'm writing this down in the hope it might move something in me, or I can maybe figure out why I am not motivated to go. Nothing coming to me immediately, but watch this space!

[Keladris]

Another update to say I am not staying the course quite in the way I would have liked. On days I don't eat well, I find I stop calorie counting, which is a bit of a downward spiral.

The early starts this week have also really throw me off, I just don't have the energy at all for something as intense as Crossfit.

I did manage double dance yesterday and LOVED it, but was completely exhausted by the end of the day. I actually think I want to work towards taking more dance classes, and maybe will exchange the Crossfit for a once a week home workout instead (or maybe join a gym to lift some barbells). Dance might not be so fitness focused, but I love it and it gets me moving, and hell, you gotta be strong to be good. And life is too short to do things you don't LOVE, right?

[milythael]

19 minutes ago, Keladris said:

I did manage double dance yesterday and LOVED it, but was completely exhausted by the end of the day. I actually think I want to work towards taking more dance classes, and maybe will exchange the Crossfit for a once a week home workout instead (or maybe join a gym to lift some barbells). Dance might not be so fitness focused, but I love it and it gets me moving, and hell, you gotta be strong to be good. And life is too short to do things you don't LOVE, right?

I like this for you.  Doing things you love makes sense to me.

[Keladris]

Status Report

 

1. Dance is go! I love it and can't get enough! Week after next, there's tap classes starting which I am absolutely signing up for.

2. Have completely fallen off the Crossfit wagon. New early starts and all-day French is making it very hard to get there. I also just don't really want to go... I know that when I go, I feel good afterwards, but I also just feel a bit sad being one of the weaker people in class. And I think I do better with workouts where I can more clearly track my progress. I stll have some pre-paid classes, but I'm not sure if I'll get to use them.

3. I don't think I was ever really on the calorie tracking wagon. Again, it is something that just doesn't feel that important to me right now. I am weighing myself and managing to lose some weight without tracking, so it just seems like a bit of extra faff. 

4. This week I haven't read quite so much, but I finished that screenplay and have done a vocab review from L'etranger.

5. Why are none of these riding stables getting back to me?? Maybe it is time I started calling instead of messaging...

6. Acting is going great, had some extra challenges from one of the groups I belong too. I have also started working on a scene from Romeo and Juliet with somebody from the Saturday classes.

 

A week of challenge left, and honestly, my goal of staying the course this month has made me re-evaluate the course direction! I think I will try to get to Crossfit at least once this week, before deciding if I want to keep going with that or not.

 

I don't feel the need to calorie count anymore, I think I am just going to gradually up my exercise to try and meet my weight goal.

 

It's clear that dancing and acting are the things bringing me joy. So I'm going to keep following those. I've also been chatting with folks in the Discord about handstands today and I could see that being a great 30 day challenge for next month. I've realised I find it easier to just focus on one thing at a time for these challenges, rather than a whole list.