['BoutThatActionBoss]

Hey all! I'm a bit late to the game but I'm trying to stay on the path with my goals. I started off the year really well, but this week I have strayed from my diet and I need to get back on track. The issue for me with nutrition is that when I fall off, I fall way off. So I need to stop the nonsense and get back on track starting today. With that in mind, let's dig in to the goals for the next few weeks, which are quite similar to the goals I had in the last challenge: 

 

1) Finish the C25K program and run my race in mid March, then start training for my half marathon in May

2) Track my calories every day until the end of the challenge in MyFitnessPal to lose three pounds 

3) Stay away from ice cream and fried foods until the end of the challenge. 

4) Sleep 7 hours a night on work days

5) Join a beginner hockey league

 

Non-fitness goals: 
 

1) Read Hamlet by the end of the challenge

2) Work on my side hustle for four hours total

 

The new one I am most excited about is the hockey league. I always wanted to play hockey growing up, but my parents never let me. This was probably for the best since I am a smaller dude and would have had some head injuries, but I would like to play one season in a beginner league. I just bought skates and a helmet and signed up for a league that is supposed to start in February sometime. They said they need more players before they run it, but I am chomping at the bit to go! 

 

Otherwise I want to get back on track with nutrition, sleep more, and keep preparing for my running races coming up. 

 

Let's go!

[Defining]

Love the goals! A few things  I noticed:

1) 'until end of challenge', and 'when I fall off, I fall way off'. A thought for you: what if you gave yourself 5 freebies per challenge? That way you can have the occasional treat within limits, rather than saying 'I'll be able to go back to this after the challenge'. What I have to do, personally, is just cut stuff out altogether - no deadlines, no 'untils', because I am terrible at moderation and for myself it's easier to just say 'no'. I'm not sure that's as helpful for you, but either might be worth considering.

 

2) tracking to lose weight - while it's a great option to get a better handle on where your calories are coming from, and yes weight loss comes from burning more calories than you consume... and setting weight loss goals can be great! But you can't control how quickly you lose weight - that's an outcome. What you CAN control are your actions. What if you set your goals by what you want to see in your tracking, rather than by gauging progress by weight loss? eg. 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, and 4-6 veggie servings a day.

 

 

['BoutThatActionBoss]

On 2/17/2022 at 10:47 PM, Defining said:

1) 'until end of challenge', and 'when I fall off, I fall way off'. A thought for you: what if you gave yourself 5 freebies per challenge? That way you can have the occasional treat within limits, rather than saying 'I'll be able to go back to this after the challenge'. What I have to do, personally, is just cut stuff out altogether - no deadlines, no 'untils', because I am terrible at moderation and for myself it's easier to just say 'no'. I'm not sure that's as helpful for you, but either might be worth considering.

Hey thank you for your reply and your kind words! This point you're making here is fantastic and it is what I have been struggling with for years. What I am trying to do this time is to not make my nutrition this temporary thing where I go back to 'normal' after the challenge. I want long-term, sustainable changes I can live the rest of my life with. And part of that is trying to figure out how to work in the 'freebies.' For most of the last challenge, I was allowing one day a week where I would have some cookies or sweets but staying on point the rest of the week. And I wouldn't overdo it on those days. If I could do that as my new normal, I think it would be fantastic and what I would like to work toward. 

 

I'm interested in your point though, do you totally stay away from things? And have you done it for awhile? I sometimes wonder if that will be ultimately what I have to do. 

On 2/17/2022 at 10:47 PM, Defining said:

2) tracking to lose weight - while it's a great option to get a better handle on where your calories are coming from, and yes weight loss comes from burning more calories than you consume... and setting weight loss goals can be great! But you can't control how quickly you lose weight - that's an outcome. What you CAN control are your actions. What if you set your goals by what you want to see in your tracking, rather than by gauging progress by weight loss? eg. 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, and 4-6 veggie servings a day.

This is a great point actually! And in the last challenge I didn't even set a target weight. 2021 was bad for me, so I was just trying to create new habits and wasn't as concerned with the scale. I think you're right -- the process is the most important thing, especially at the beginning. I think the tracking is more valuable if you have been stuck for awhile and you know maybe to lessen portions or make different choices, but right now, building up good habits is most critical for me.

 

And I need to add more vegetables, there's absolutely no doubt about that. I think in the next challenge I will have a more overt vegetable goal. Maybe at least a serving of vegetables a day? I wish I liked how the taste but I generally do not ha.  

 

Thank you again for your feedback! 

[sarakingdom]

11 hours ago, 'BoutThatActionBoss said:

I'm interested in your point though, do you totally stay away from things? And have you done it for awhile? I sometimes wonder if that will be ultimately what I have to do. 

 

Before I was diagnosed with celiac, I thought I had a mild wheat intolerance and tried to limit my consumption per day. It was honestly much easier to have a "no wheat" rule post-diagnosis than to eat a moderate, limited amount. But that did have the psychological assistance of an actual diagnosis behind it. (It can work this way without one, like foods cut out to follow a paleo diet simply not being in the diet anymore, etc, but it's more prone to falling apart when life gets unusually hectic or a pandemic happens.)

 

For things that are just on your "unhealthy" list, sometimes it helps to have rules about when you will have them, so it's not a constant "will I today or not" debate. Maybe ice cream is okay on the kids' birthdays and the fourth of July. Maybe fried food is okay on superbowl Sunday and four other days. I think everyone's psychology on this is different. Some people do much better with scheduled cheats than cold turkey, others the reverse.

 

But I'm not sure either of those are ways to solve the problem of how to manage a temporary fall off the plan and keep it short. I've always had a lot of respect for the paleo diet's 80/20 rule, because in a lot of people, extended falls off the wagon tend to be driven by perfectionism - the mindset that since they've fallen short, they might as well keep doing the thing, because it's too late and all ruined. Most diets use this as their excuse for why people don't get results, so there's a whole culture of language blaming people for the total failure of their diet because they ate a cupcake once or something, so clearly they lacked discipline. There's a certain realism and confidence in a diet that says 80% is fine. And also a certain psychological benefit to knowing that using that 20% occasionally, or even every week, is not going off the plan, but part of the plan.

[Sylvaa]

On 2/19/2022 at 11:17 AM, 'BoutThatActionBoss said:

I'm interested in your point though, do you totally stay away from things? And have you done it for awhile? I sometimes wonder if that will be ultimately what I have to do. 

 

I personally do a combination. There are certain things that I have completely removed from my diet, there are some things that I'll allow myself at certain time as treats, and there are other things that I'll "cycle eat" (have a food in my diet, then feel like I'm eating too much of it and remove it). My food decisions are mainly determined based on stomach issues I have (similar to SK above - just not diagnosed, but the overall thought process is fairly similar). 

 

The thing about food specifically, is that everyone has different social and economic factors that go into how hard or easy it is to change up their diet. If you live alone and buy all your own food, it would potentially be easier for you to make drastic changes to what you eat than if you rely on family to purchase your food or have other people living with you that might not accept your food decisions. Even the amount of time you have to make food versus eating out. 

 

The other thing to remember is to give yourself grace. It's hard to completely overhaul your diet and be successful without any lapses. And it's only two months into the year! 

[Defining]

On 2/19/2022 at 9:17 AM, 'BoutThatActionBoss said:

I'm interested in your point though, do you totally stay away from things? And have you done it for awhile? I sometimes wonder if that will be ultimately what I have to do. 

So, for example, for some people it's easier to simply not buy the treat when they're grocery shopping, rather than trying to regulate their consumption on a daily basis with the availability of it at home. When there's a medical/comfort reason to avoid something, it's often easier to cross something off the list entirely (eg. dairy, gluten, etc.).

 

If you've managed to stick with 'one day a week you can have a bit' though, that sounds like a good strategy!

 

Something else you could try: when you eat something that's a 'treat', hold it in your mouth for longer. Chew it a bit more. You might be surprised how much less appetising some of those foods are once you have it in your mouth long enough to taste everything, rather than only registering the sweet/salt/fat/carb initial impression.

['BoutThatActionBoss]

On 2/19/2022 at 11:31 PM, sarakingdom said:

Before I was diagnosed with celiac, I thought I had a mild wheat intolerance and tried to limit my consumption per day. It was honestly much easier to have a "no wheat" rule post-diagnosis than to eat a moderate, limited amount. But that did have the psychological assistance of an actual diagnosis behind it. (It can work this way without one, like foods cut out to follow a paleo diet simply not being in the diet anymore, etc, but it's more prone to falling apart when life gets unusually hectic or a pandemic happens.)

First off, thank you for your thoughtful reply, there's a lot to think about and your offer some great perspectives. I would imagine having that diagnosis does make things easier to manage. What's interesting is that I don't have a diagnosis, but my father died young(ish) of a heart attack and was overweight and did not have a healthy lifestyle. I'm now in my early 40s and I really want to get to a healthy weight so I don't have the same heart trouble so young. We'll see if that's enough of a motivation, but it's something I've been thinking about with regard to my health. 

 

On 2/19/2022 at 11:31 PM, sarakingdom said:

For things that are just on your "unhealthy" list, sometimes it helps to have rules about when you will have them, so it's not a constant "will I today or not" debate. Maybe ice cream is okay on the kids' birthdays and the fourth of July. Maybe fried food is okay on superbowl Sunday and four other days. I think everyone's psychology on this is different. Some people do much better with scheduled cheats than cold turkey, others the reverse.

 

But I'm not sure either of those are ways to solve the problem of how to manage a temporary fall off the plan and keep it short. I've always had a lot of respect for the paleo diet's 80/20 rule, because in a lot of people, extended falls off the wagon tend to be driven by perfectionism - the mindset that since they've fallen short, they might as well keep doing the thing, because it's too late and all ruined. Most diets use this as their excuse for why people don't get results, so there's a whole culture of language blaming people for the total failure of their diet because they ate a cupcake once or something, so clearly they lacked discipline. There's a certain realism and confidence in a diet that says 80% is fine. And also a certain psychological benefit to knowing that using that 20% occasionally, or even every week, is not going off the plan, but part of the plan.

These are all interesting points. I would say that when I 'fall off the wagon' I do fall hard. I am happy that last week I had three really bad days, but was able to wrest control back and have had a much better week. And what I am hoping to build is not something temporary, but rather something long-term and sustainable, but I have not been too successful yet. I'm hoping that if I keep trying new ideas and methods something will hit, and I can ride that for as long as I can. I need to avoid the perfectionism, accept the occasional slip up, but then get right back on track. 

 

And I think the idea of rules to try to quelch the debate in my brain are helpful. I do better with a plan, and it's what I've been trying to do since the new year with moderate success. But at this point I will take moderate success and try to build on that. 

 

['BoutThatActionBoss]

On 2/21/2022 at 9:29 AM, Sylvaa said:

 

I personally do a combination. There are certain things that I have completely removed from my diet, there are some things that I'll allow myself at certain time as treats, and there are other things that I'll "cycle eat" (have a food in my diet, then feel like I'm eating too much of it and remove it). My food decisions are mainly determined based on stomach issues I have (similar to SK above - just not diagnosed, but the overall thought process is fairly similar). 

 

The thing about food specifically, is that everyone has different social and economic factors that go into how hard or easy it is to change up their diet. If you live alone and buy all your own food, it would potentially be easier for you to make drastic changes to what you eat than if you rely on family to purchase your food or have other people living with you that might not accept your food decisions. Even the amount of time you have to make food versus eating out. 

 

The other thing to remember is to give yourself grace. It's hard to completely overhaul your diet and be successful without any lapses. And it's only two months into the year! 

So much good advice here! I also have bad stomach issues that have never been diagnosed with anything. I've been hospitalized multiple times due to stomach issues and continue to struggle. I've  had multiple tests and endoscopies but no reason is ever given for what I have going on. I do know that there are certain foods that trigger me, and unfortunately they are often foods I really like. Fried foods are an especially bad culprit. I should probably stay away from fried foods completely, and this year I have been much, much better about it. 

 

To your second point, I am able to control what I eat without much trouble. My partner and I are more-or-less on the same page, and if anything I am the one who indulges too much. So if I want to get more healthy, I will have a lot of support there, which is good. I know other couples where they are far apart in what they want to do with nutrition and I would imagine this can cause friction. 

 

The grace thing is MASSIVE. When I struggle with my food choices, there is definitely an element of self-loathing and I just spiral out of control. This year I have been trying to just accept the slip ups, be easy on myself, but also try to get back on the path. I'm doing better in this way than I have for a couple of years, I just hope I can keep it up. 

 

Thank you for your reply!

 

['BoutThatActionBoss]

16 hours ago, Defining said:

So, for example, for some people it's easier to simply not buy the treat when they're grocery shopping, rather than trying to regulate their consumption on a daily basis with the availability of it at home. When there's a medical/comfort reason to avoid something, it's often easier to cross something off the list entirely (eg. dairy, gluten, etc.).

 

If you've managed to stick with 'one day a week you can have a bit' though, that sounds like a good strategy!

 

Something else you could try: when you eat something that's a 'treat', hold it in your mouth for longer. Chew it a bit more. You might be surprised how much less appetising some of those foods are once you have it in your mouth long enough to taste everything, rather than only registering the sweet/salt/fat/carb initial impression.

Lots of good strategies here. I try not to have anything in the house that will be too tempting. So no cookies or ice cream, etc. Last night I was craving chocolate/sweets really badly, but instead I had a Greek yogurt and a mandarin orange and it passed. That felt like an effective way to deal with the cravings and I will try to use that going forward -- substituting something more healthy for when the cravings are really bad. 

 

The one day a week thing is almost always not at home, it's at a friend or family member's house. I am trying not to overdo it when I do have the treats and have been decently successful. I don't want to go way overboard and give back some of the progress I have made, so I am trying to keep that in mind. 

And I absolutely need to eat more slowly. Something that helps as well is if I finish a meal or a dessert, I will wait 30 minutes to see if I am still hungry or not. If I am still hungry, I will allow myself another portion, but almost always I feel sated if I just wait a bit. 

 

I think the hard part of this is that there is no one perfect way that works for everyone. Instead we have to take pieces of things and form them in a way that works for us. It's a process, but as long as we keep working at it we should find some combination that will help us get to our goals. Thanks for your insights! 

[Sylvaa]

37 minutes ago, 'BoutThatActionBoss said:

Fried foods are an especially bad culprit. I should probably stay away from fried foods completely, and this year I have been much, much better about it. 

 

Did we talk about an air fryer before? If we didn't, I highly recommend looking into getting one (and using it). It's not 100% the same, but it's definitely better in terms of texture than trying to bake things. As an added bonus, there are a lot of veggies that turn out amazing in the air fryer. 

['BoutThatActionBoss]

3 hours ago, Sylvaa said:

Did we talk about an air fryer before? If we didn't, I highly recommend looking into getting one (and using it). It's not 100% the same, but it's definitely better in terms of texture than trying to bake things. As an added bonus, there are a lot of veggies that turn out amazing in the air fryer. 

I believe so, yes! My place is really small so I don't think I have room but I think we'll be moving by the end of the year so I am hoping we have more space then. Seems like a nifty little device that can make some good food. And if it can make a potato product that approximates a good french fry...I'm all in haha. 

[sarakingdom]

7 hours ago, 'BoutThatActionBoss said:

I believe so, yes! My place is really small so I don't think I have room but I think we'll be moving by the end of the year so I am hoping we have more space then.

 

If you have an instant pot, they have an air fryer lid.

['BoutThatActionBoss]

Not a great week for me. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great. I weighed the exact same I did last week, which was not surprising. I did not do great with my portions, and I did indulge in a few too many high calorie foods. So it wasn't a great week, but it wasn't a total loss either. Let's do a quick goal update: 

 

1) Finish the C25K program and run my race in mid March, then start training for my half marathon in May

I finished the program yesterday! I have a 5 mile race in March and am slowly building up toward it. So I am feeling good regarding my exercise. I've also been able to continue with a bodyweight/kettlebell routine so I feel good in that way. 

 

2) Track my calories every day until the end of the challenge in MyFitnessPal to lose three pounds 

The calorie tracking was good, but I feel like I missed a few things and I wasn't as assiduous as usual. Still, I've been trying to track since January so I can say I am in the habit at the very least, and that counts for something. 

 

3) Stay away from ice cream and fried foods until the end of the challenge. 

At the beginning of this current challenge, I was a bit off the rails with these foods but I've been able to wrest control the last 10 days so I am on a good streak now. It's almost Lent, and during Lent I usually only drink water and completely stay away from sweets and fried foods so I usually lose weight by Easter. I hope that can happen again. 

 

4) Sleep 7 hours a night on work days

I've been getting a decent amount of sleep. Although the other night when the Russia invasion happened, I stayed up late watching CNN (those poor people!). But otherwise the sleep has been decent. 

 

5) Join a beginner hockey league

I bought skates and a helmet and was stoked to play for a league, but it turns out the league doesn't have enough beginners to run so that is disappointing. But I signed up for skating lessons and found a nearby pickup league for beginners so I will do that as soon as I finish gathering up the necessary equipment. 

 

Non-fitness goals: 
 

1) Read Hamlet by the end of the challenge

Still working on it! I mean, I have read one page of it. I just need to sit down and bang it out in the next week or so. 

 

2) Work on my side hustle for four hours total

Haven't done that yet! I work two jobs and would love to replace one of them which is lower paying, with a higher paying side hustle. I need to make moves here. 

 

I hope everyone else is having a great week! 

 

[Elastigirl]

I see lots of wins and good habits being built, way to go!

['BoutThatActionBoss]

On 2/26/2022 at 2:12 AM, Elastigirl said:

I see lots of wins and good habits being built, way to go!

 

Thank you! Trying to get the Ws where I can and not to overwhelm myself with goals either. It's a constant exercise of discernment, if that makes sense. 

[Elastigirl]

47 minutes ago, 'BoutThatActionBoss said:

Trying to get the Ws where I can and not to overwhelm myself with goals either. It's a constant exercise of discernment, if that makes sense

Yes, that makes sense. I think there is a sweet spot to goals. Too small a goal isn't challenge but too hard a goal or too many goals just leads to frustration. One of the reasons  I enjoy doing challenges is that it really helps with training myself in proper goal setting

[Defining]

I was listening to a podcast about goal setting, and one of the strategies he suggested was to pick 6, and do them for 2 months; and then carry on, see which actually stick. Was an interesting thought.

['BoutThatActionBoss]

On 3/1/2022 at 2:58 PM, Elastigirl said:

Yes, that makes sense. I think there is a sweet spot to goals. Too small a goal isn't challenge but too hard a goal or too many goals just leads to frustration. One of the reasons  I enjoy doing challenges is that it really helps with training myself in proper goal setting

Yes definitely! I had done a few challenges a number of years ago but fell away. It's good to be back, and having these things to work toward helps give me some focus in life since I have a tendency to drift in life! And although the goals change over time for various reasons (aging, time, money, etc), it's still great to have them. 

 

On 3/2/2022 at 4:47 PM, Defining said:

I was listening to a podcast about goal setting, and one of the strategies he suggested was to pick 6, and do them for 2 months; and then carry on, see which actually stick. Was an interesting thought.

Yeah that is sound advice. I think the thing to be is persistent. Not in the sense of doing the same thing over and over again if it isn't working, but rather trying to go through different strategies to find one that works. For instance, I struggle with nutrition and one major goal is to get down to a healthier BMI, and I need to be persistent in it. And I also need to realize that if one nutritional strategy doesn't work, I should move on to another instead of throwing up my hands and saying "screw it, pizza forever" or something like that!

['BoutThatActionBoss]

Time for my weekly check in:

 

1) Finish the C25K program and run my race in mid March, then start training for my half marathon in May

My running has probably been my biggest 'win' since the beginning of the year. Today I ran five miles with two one minute walk breaks, so I feel pretty confident for the race, which is on Sunday. I will then jump into the half marathon training. I may take most of next week off to rest a bit, or maybe I will just scale back my miles a bit. But I  have had good progress and am happy with that. 

 

2) Track my calories every day until the end of the challenge in MyFitnessPal to lose three pounds 

I have been tracking every day, but I am not sure how accurate I am being. I am the same weight for the third week in a row, but truthfully I do frequently go over my calorie limit. I have a feeling I will do better this upcoming week as I have had a good last few days and feel like I am finally starting to build momentum. 

 

3) Stay away from ice cream and fried foods until the end of the challenge. 

The last week or so has been good. Last night I could have gotten Chinese food, which always destroys my stomach, but instead I opted for a ham and cheese sandwich with chips and then a Greek yogurt for dessert. 

 

4) Sleep 7 hours a night on work days

I've been better about sleep the last few weeks and I am getting 7 hours a night, on average. This is very good for me! 

 

5) Join a beginner hockey league

I bought skates and got all the equipment and have my first game Wednesday night! I have never played hockey before so I am stoked. I wanted a new activity and it's a sport that always looked fun so I figured why not. There's no contact, which is key as I am old and don't want to get hurt haha. 

 

Non-fitness goals: 
 

1) Read Hamlet by the end of the challenge

Nothing done on this yet! I want to read Shakespeare but I always get sidetracked by something else I am reading. Right now it is East of Eden by Steinbeck and it's pretty incredible. 

 

2) Work on my side hustle for four hours total

I've done zero hours so far. Blech. 

[Elastigirl]

Way to go on the race training! My guess with weight loss is that you are tracking fine, you just need to stick to the goal. That's something I struggle with too. I'm experimenting to see what works best for me. Right now what I'm doing is less calories during the week, and a bit more on the weekends. Weekends is where I tend to go over. So I'm trying to just plan for it.

 

I enjoyed East of Eden. It's been a long time since I read it.  I may re-read it.

['BoutThatActionBoss]

On 3/7/2022 at 3:58 PM, Elastigirl said:

Way to go on the race training! My guess with weight loss is that you are tracking fine, you just need to stick to the goal. That's something I struggle with too. I'm experimenting to see what works best for me. Right now what I'm doing is less calories during the week, and a bit more on the weekends. Weekends is where I tend to go over. So I'm trying to just plan for it.

 

I enjoyed East of Eden. It's been a long time since I read it.  I may re-read it.

Yeah the tracking is going well. But I am always over and you're right, I need to stick to the goal. This week is the fourth week in a row where I am the exact same weight. The tracking is good, but now I need to stay within my limits. Lately I've been able to control most of the foods that I tend to overeat, but I'm still overdoing it with other foods. I'm hoping this will be the week I finally see progress, especially if I stay within the caloric limit. 

 

Still haven't finished East of Eden but I am very, very close. It's a wonderful book, Steinbeck was an amazing writer. 

['BoutThatActionBoss]

Weekly goal check-in time: 

 

1) Finish the C25K program and run my race in mid March, then start training for my half marathon in May

I finished the app and started the 10K app. My race is on Sunday and I am ready! Trying to run at a 9:30 pace, so 47:30 or better is the goal. We will see but I'm feeling good. 

 

2) Track my calories every day until the end of the challenge in MyFitnessPal to lose three pounds 

The tracking has been great! But for the fourth week in a row, I am the exact same weight, down to the tenth of a pound. It's pretty incredible honestly. I will work to get under my calorie goal at least four days this week, so I hope some progress can be made that way. 

 

3) Stay away from ice cream and fried foods until the end of the challenge. 

So far, so good here!

 

4) Sleep 7 hours a night on work days

Sleep has been good! I'm on one of the better runs of sleep I have had in a couple of years, so that is good. My body the last couple of nights has been craving sleep and I've been able to almost always get 7 hours. I probably will need more when I really start to put the miles in for my half marathon in the coming weeks, but I'm in a good spot. 

 

5) Join a beginner hockey league

Got this one done this week and I am so stoked! I never played hockey before but I was able to cobble together all the equipment and play in am organized pickup game on Wednesday. Everyone was really nice and patient with me even though I was by far the worst player. I signed up for another game next week and can't wait to play. 

 

Non-fitness goals: 
 

1) Read Hamlet by the end of the challenge

Not yet, still trying to finish East of Eden. It's only been two months 😢

 

2) Work on my side hustle for four hours total

Not yet! I really could use the extra money though! 

 

A solid week overall, but I really would like to drop some weight. Like almost 40 pounds so I can get down to a normal BMI but I will take the victories where I can get them!

 

 

[Sylvaa]

31 minutes ago, 'BoutThatActionBoss said:

I finished the app and started the 10K app. My race is on Sunday and I am ready! Trying to run at a 9:30 pace, so 47:30 or better is the goal. We will see but I'm feeling good. 

 

Fingers crossed on your race! I know races in my area are being postponed due to the weather already!

['BoutThatActionBoss]

On 3/11/2022 at 3:57 PM, Sylvaa said:

 

Fingers crossed on your race! I know races in my area are being postponed due to the weather already!

Thank you! The race went well! I exceeded my goal so that was nice! I am very sore and tweaked a muscle in my leg, but nothing too bad. It was freezing last Sunday up here in the northeast but once you get running, it isn't too bad!