[DarK_RaideR]

Challenge Day 19: Thursday, January 19th

 

Did I do my workout for the day?

Woke up feeling physically drained, perhaps because I only (!) got around 6 hours of sleep after all these long sessions I've been doing. I told myself it'd be better to get a bit of extra sleep (by which I mean cuddling with the cats) and hit the office early. It's a good thing I find a bit of time to update NF while at work, because it was then that I read this:

On 1/18/2023 at 7:52 PM, Heidi said:

Yesterday morning I didn't want to go to the gym. I let that be true for a bit as I made tea -- it was only 5 in the morning, and no decisions had to be made yet. It was still true at 5:30, and my mood was shifting from reluctnat to cranky, not in response to anything in particular. By 6 I was feeling completely belligerent, and realized that if I felt this off, I absolutely needed to go to the gym. I walked a lap, telling myself that if i didn't want to do a second one, that was fine, I could quit and go to the sauna at any time, I had already succeeded by showing up. A couple laps later I started feeling the groove. By the time I got to a mile, I was glad I had showed up.

Shout out to @Heidi for being an inspiration and keeping me on track, even unwillingly indirectly. Anyway, I told myself I'd be doing it in the afternoon after work, take a shower and do the final meetup with our Thursday RPG group before the GM moves out from near me to live with his mom. But then the heating was on and it'd be unbearable again, plus I was running late, maybe do it before bedtime... that's where I harkened back to Heidi's post and called me on my bullshit. There was no way to tell how late I'd be returning, how sleepy, how exhausted, how full of food etc, so I simply opened the balcony door to let the heat out and did my thing.

Spoiler

Warmup: 40" of standing knee to elbow crunches

2 rounds (9.5kg dumbbells)

14 Seated in&outs

16 Dumbbell backward lunge

14 Dumbbell chest fly 

25+25" Dumbbell side boat hold left+right

14 Dumbbell bicep curls

14 Bent over row

14 Dumbbell crunches

14 Dumbbell triceps extension

14 Arnold dumbbell press

35" Alternating renegade row 

Score: 16/18

 

Did I bring home cooked food to work?

Yup yup

Score: 9/11

 

Did I track what I ate on my phone app?

Took a bit of effort, but I was able to stay on point with the tracking.

Score: 19/19

 

Did I do something to feel better today?

As mentioned, I did attend the gathering before our friend moves out. Fun was had.

Score: 18/19

 

Song of the day

 

[Heidi]

59 minutes ago, DarK_RaideR said:

. that's where I harkened back to Heidi's post and called me on my bullshit.

Just another service I provide.  

 

We might go faster alone, but we go farther together.

You're part of my successes, too, so thank you for that.

 

1 hour ago, DarK_RaideR said:

so I simply opened the balcony door to let the heat out and did my thing.

When we do this, the fight is already won.

[DarK_RaideR]

Challenge Day 20: Friday, January 20th

 

Did I do my workout for the day?

I had to rush off for a court hearing in the morning. The plan was to take a break at home after that and get my workout in, but it just didn't happen. Had to get back to the office quick, where I got held up at work with an appointment till 21:30 and then had to attend a friend's birthday celebration.

Score: 16/19

 

Did I bring home cooked food to work?

I didn't get my workout in during the noon break, but at least I got to whip up lunch and eat it, so I'm counting it as a success.

Score: 10/12

 

Did I track what I ate on my phone app?

Indeed

Score: 20/20

 

Did I do something to feel better today?

I'm counting the birthday celebration as such, even if I was way too tired to really let loose.

Score: 19/20

 

Song of the day

 

[DarK_RaideR]

Challenge Day 21: Saturday, January 21st

 

Did I do my workout for the day?

First thing in the morning and boy am I glad I did so. More on that in a moment.

Spoiler

Warmup: 40" of high knees

2 rounds (9.5kg dumbbells)

14 Dumbbell plie squats

14 Dumbbell pullover

14 Dumbbell kickbacks

14 Dumbbell butt bridge

25+25" Dumbbell side boat hold right+left

14 Bent over row

14 Arnold dumbbell press

14 Standing dumbbell calf raise

35" Alternating renegade row

Score: 17/20

 

Did I track what I ate on my phone app?

I completely forgot to do this, until I posted the previous update late at night (more on why in a moment) which prompted me to add in the data. It's so easy to slip on tracking if I don't have a challenge holding me accountable.

Score: 21/21

 

Did I get my groceries?

Nope. More on why -you guessed it- in a moment.

Score: 2/3

 

Did I do something to feel better today?

So I woke up a bit late, but enjoyed the sleep, no hard feelings. After my workout, I rushed out to check -and eventually purchase- a new bed to replace my 19-year old current one before it falls completely apart. The furniture store was near a mall, where I assumed a supermarket would be, but alas. On the bright side, it had a sports store and I got some weight plates to up the ante on my dumbbell workourts, but because you can't spell "dumbbell" without  "dumb", I only got 2 plates when I actually needed 4.  Good thing is they fit my handles, so I can return to the sports store for further purchases instead of ordering plates online and going through the pain of delivery. Should also consider investing in metal handles now that I'm pushing the weight up, but that's a worry for another day. Either way, after that I visited a friend that had invited me for lunch. Aaaaand that's where the good stuff ends, because I got a call from work: the appointment that held me up until late on Friday? Yeah, the case was assigned to me and the deadline is beyond pressing, so I had to say goodbye, return home, brew a ton of hot coffee and start typing. This went on till 2am so I went straight to bed, but given the circumstances, I was happy I managed to do my workout and some fun stuff before the emergency.

Score: 20/21

 

Song of the day

@WhiteGhost looks like people round your parts have some mad invisible hula hoop skills

 

[WhiteGhost]

4 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

@WhiteGhost looks like people round your parts have some mad invisible hula hoop skills

Technically that is from Central China (more than 1,000kms from here) so "round your parts" is kind of subjective but yeah, that would not look that out of place at the park where I work out

 

[DarK_RaideR]

18 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

that would not look that out of place at the park where I work out

#StayWeird

[DarK_RaideR]

Challenge Day 22: Sunday, January 22nd

 

Did I do my workout for the day?

Hell no. I woke up at 9 to pick up work from where I left off on Saturday. When I was done and got up from the chair, it was midnight.

Score: 17/21

 

Did I track what I ate on my phone app?

Yep, I got to cook some food during a break between phonecalls and tracked all my eating. This also gave me a good chunk of leftovers, ensuring I have home cooked food to bring to work the following day.

Score: 22/22

 

Did I do something to feel better today?

It sounds almost impossible given the work circumstances, but I was somehow able to squeeze in something joyful after midnight. Didn't get enough sleep though, but something had to give.

Score: 21/22

 

Song of the day

 

[Jarric]

23 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

This went on till 2am so I went straight to bed, but given the circumstances, I was happy I managed to do my workout and some fun stuff before the emergency.

 

Good on you for getting stuff done in the morning. I am too often tempted to think 'I'll do it later' only for events to conspire against me and for me to run out of time.

 

Also, just catching up, I'd say shaman is a druid/witch (or druid/warlock) hybrid. Pathfinder disagrees with me, they say oracle/witch: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/shaman/

 

[Rurik Harrgath]

This might be one of the eclectic collections of music gathered in one place I think I've ever seen.

 

12 hours ago, Jarric said:

Also, just catching up, I'd say shaman is a druid/witch (or druid/warlock) hybrid. Pathfinder disagrees with me, they say oracle/witch

 

Feels like Warlock with an Ancients or Fey deity for patron to me.  🤷‍♂️

[KB Girl]

On 1/16/2023 at 10:16 AM, DarK_RaideR said:

 

This is the whole "trust the process" thing, extended into "learn to love the struggle". There's more in the full podcast, which reminds me a lot of the theory behind CrossFit (man I loved those analyses by Glassman before Castro went full Eric Bischoff) about keeping your workouts constantly varied to surprise your body so it doesn't adapt to whatever it is you're doing.

Bit late, catching up- but that was interesting, thanks for sharing! It's actually part of the reason that we chose to homeschool, getting away from grades. When you look at small children it is very obvious that they get some reward from all of their activities like learning to walk or climb stuff or.. anything basically. 

 

Quote

Also reminds me of my thought process back when I was trying to cut down on snacks I'd buy while out on the road: just because I can doesn't mean I should. All it takes is a bit of pacing, patience and variation.

Feel like elaborating on this? I'm curious.

[DarK_RaideR]

On 1/23/2023 at 12:37 PM, Jarric said:

Good on you for getting stuff done in the morning. I am too often tempted to think 'I'll do it later' only for events to conspire against me and for me to run out of time.

Main reason why I want to get the workout done first thing in the morning.

 

On 1/24/2023 at 1:11 AM, Rurik Harrgath said:

This might be one of the eclectic collections of music gathered in one place I think I've ever seen.

I consider this high praise indeed, thank you

 

19 hours ago, KB Girl said:

Bit late, catching up- but that was interesting, thanks for sharing!

I'm excited for anyone who watched it, let alone took something away from it!

 

19 hours ago, KB Girl said:

Feel like elaborating on this? I'm curious.

Basically I'd grab a snack and/or coffee on a whim, for the slightest of cravings, as long as I wasn't bloated and could afford it. Or sometimes just because I was passing by a store known for making delicious X so it was an opportunity to get one, shame to let it go to waste. It was a split second decision, treating myself to stuff as if it were a spoiled child. So I figured I don't even pause to check if I'm really hungry or really want something. Just because I want something (without even pausing to think if said "want" is really valid) doesn't mean I should immediately give it to myself.

Essentially:

 

 

Had one hell of a weekend and I dropped off, but I'm back now. Details coming soon.

[DarK_RaideR]

Challenge Day 23: Monday, January 23rd

 

Did I do my workout for the day?

Nope. Had to rush to work and pick up from where I left off during the weekend.

Score: 17/22

 

Did I bring home cooked food to work?

I don't remember doing it. I haven't checked the box on my spreadsheet. And I didn't track anything on this day on my app, so it's pretty safe to assume I did not.

Score: 10/13

 

Did I track what I ate on my phone app?

As mentioned, nope. And it's not like I just forgot to do it on this day, I forgot to do it retrospectively the day after, so by this point I've completely forgotten what I ate. The streak ends here.

Score: 22/23

 

Did I do something to feel better today?

Ugh, no. I was so spent from the last few days, I just went to bed as soon as I was able. Also I decided to take one of the remaining days of the week off just to set myself straight again after this experience.

Score: 21/23

 

Song of the day

 

[DarK_RaideR]

Challenge Day 24: Tuesday, January 24th

 

Did I do my workout for the day?

Fully intended to, but I woke up by the phone ringing to find out a sudden change of plans; I had to be to a somewhat distant (half hour drive) courthouse for a case that was about to be discussed in like... an hour and a half later? So no time to work out and shower. Pushed it in my mind to noon, after the trial and before returning to the office. But then of course I got burdened with stuff to do after the trial. And had to leave work early to not be late for arranged post-work shenanigans, so I couldn't also be late in returning to the office.

Score: 17/23

 

Did I bring home cooked food to work?

Naaaaaah.... Much like working out, the idea was to stop home after the trial and then head off to the office, but that never happened.

Score: 10/14

 

Did I track what I ate on my phone app?

I think I remembered to do it before going to bed. Or maybe once I woke up the day after. Point is, the data is in the app. Wasn't that hard to remember either, just had a chicken sandwich all day, plus whatever I ate for dinner.

Score: 23/24

 

Did I do something to feel better today?

After work, I headed out to meet the Mage RPG group. I'd penned down a few basic details about my character with the GM a day before (between calls for work, which is why I didn't put it in as something I did to feel better on that day) but honestly, I'd be happy to attend even if it was just to hang out. Started making choices and putting stuff on the character sheet while the others were playing, but that was left unfinished because the GM introduced me to the story halfway through the session. T'was a fun night and I realized once it was over, we met at the house of the friend I'd visited for lunch on Saturday after buying my new bed. That's where I got the call from work and everything went to hell, so ending that case and finding myself at that house again on the first chance to chill, it felt like I was picking up from where I'd left off.

Score: 22/24

 

Song of the day

 

[KB Girl]

4 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

On 1/24/2023 at 1:09 PM, KB Girl said:

 

Basically I'd grab a snack and/or coffee on a whim, for the slightest of cravings, as long as I wasn't bloated and could afford it. Or sometimes just because I was passing by a store known for making delicious X so it was an opportunity to get one, shame to let it go to waste. It was a split second decision, treating myself to stuff as if it were a spoiled child. So I figured I don't even pause to check if I'm really hungry or really want something. Just because I want something (without even pausing to think if said "want" is really valid) doesn't mean I should immediately give it to myself.

Building in this pause to think if you should does seem like it’s easier said than done!

[RES]

18 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

That's a lot...to ask  

Happy for you regarding the RPG news  

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

12 minutes ago, RES said:

That's a lot...to ask

If you can't do it I'm sure suitable volunteers can be arranged.

[DarK_RaideR]

Challenge Day 25: Wednesday, January 25th

 

Did I do my workout for the day?

At long last, yes! Last on I did was the final on the 30 day program, intermediate level (which might have provided me with a psychological excuse to not jump into something new these past few days) but given the +1kg on each dumbbell thanks to my new plates and the brief absence, I decide to try out the beginner program. Felt a bit too short and easy, but at least I got the workout done and it gave me a sense of where to go next.

Spoiler

Warmup: 30" of jumping jacks

2 rounds (10.5kg dumbbells)

12 Dumbbell Russian twists

12 Dumbbell pullover

12 Dumbbell backward lunge

10 Dumbbell triceps extension

10 Bent over row

10 Standing dumbbell calf raise

20" plank

Score: 18/24

 

Did I bring home cooked food to work?

Leftovers from several days back, but still home cooked stuff.

Score: 11/15

 

Did I track what I ate on my phone app?

Yep, though I had to fill in dinner the day after. But it's still logged.

Score: 24/25

 

Did I do something to feel better today?

Was chatting with some friends and it turned out they were having an online RPG session that evening. I'd spectated one of their games many months back (perhaps over a year ago?) and it's a simple system, so I hopped on board for the night. Wasn't spectacular, but it was fun and we ended it with a bang: after we ran into a bunch of huge scorpions clustered in a room with a chest behind them, wetried various approaches until eventually one of the spellcasters pulled the trigger and cast that sole fireball they had for the day. Scorps were fried and one of the rogues found a lightning trap on the chest's lock. He failed to disable it and got hit (mind you, him and me both were playing level 1 rogueish types, while the more experienced characters ranged from 4-7 level) but somehow survived. The chest contained a magical armor the party decided to sell back in town, and a pair of magical boots we decided to give to that guy for taking the trap and toughing it out. They ended up being boots of springing and striding, greatly improving his move and jump range. So down the next corridor, we found some long planks laid over a dug up, bumpy ground, as if someone had placed them there to haul some wheeled contraption across. So of course, the boots-powered dude did a jump straight to the other edge in order to avoid stepping on the planks... and landed full force on a tile trapped with explosives. It was a cartoonish moment, and what made it even funnier was the fact that minutes before, one of the mages had cast invisibility on him so he could scout ahead. So after the initial round of laughs we had as players witnessing this, there was a second round when we realized that our characters only heard a few sounds, a blast and their former comrade's bits splattered all over the walls. Like I said, ended it with a bang. 

Score: 23/25

 

Song of the day

 

[Jarric]

On 1/26/2023 at 9:10 AM, DarK_RaideR said:

Like I said, ended it with a bang. 

 

That sounds amazing - I love a stupid cinematic moment

 

[DarK_RaideR]

Challenge Day 26: Thursday, January 26th

 

Did I do my workout for the day?

First thing in the morning. Since the beginner workout turned out to be too easy, I tried the advanced one. And boy was it advanced!

Spoiler

Warmup: 30" of jumping jacks

2 rounds (10.5kg dumbbells)

14 Dumbbell triceps extension

16 Dumbbell backward lunge

14 Dumbbell pullover

14 Bent over row

12+12 Dumbbell hip bridge & leg lift (left, right)

12+12 Dumbbell concentration curl (left, right)

14 Dumbbell seated in&outs

16 Dumbbell standing calf raise

40" dumbbell plank rotation (dumbbell was too heavy to lift all the way up, so I did is as high as I could. Which was shoulder height. Kinda like a slightly improved renegade row)

Score: 19/25

 

Did I bring home cooked food to work?

Had some pasta bolognese leftovers which I took with me to the office.

Score: 12/16

 

Did I track what I ate on my phone app?

It's all there

Score: 25/26

 

Did I do something to feel better today?

I got held up with work stuff, but I did meet with friends who were hyped enough to give 3rd edition Shadowrun a try. To no one's surprise, we spent the evening for character creation and not much else. As a bonus, we had a puppy around.

Score: 24/26

 

Song of the day

 

[Heidi]

It's been a chaotic week for certain .

I'm proud of you.

[DarK_RaideR]

Challenge Day 27: Friday, January 27th

 

Did I do my workout for the day?

Soon as I got up from bed, because I had to drive out of town for work,

Spoiler

Warmup: 30" of standing knee to elbow crunches

2 rounds (10.5kg dumbbells)

14 Bent over row

14 Dumbbell squat clean & press

12+12 Dumbbell left+right arm triceps kickbacks

14 Dumbbell close grip bench press

14 Reverse flys (still need work to reach a full extension)

14 Dumbbell bicep curl & press (the press part was surprisingly hard, unlike the squats where I had some momentum going up)

14 Dumbbell seated in&outs

14 Arnold dumbbell press

40" Dumbbell plank rotation (again, more of a renegade row, still can't lift the dumbbell above my head)

Score: 20/26

 

Did I bring home cooked food to work?

I was out of town till late in the evening, so not counting this for the day.

 

Did I track what I ate on my phone app?

Aye

Score: 26/27

 

Did I do something to feel better today?

Yes, but I also forgot to mention I played Max Payne 3 on Thursday, so another game off my unplayed list and I get the criticism this one received. It was made by Rockstar (unlike the first two in the series, which were made by Remedy) and they sure are milking the GTA cow here. Certainly a game of its time, with a ton of cutscenes (which make the protagonist's noir-esque monologue feel forced) and the occasional short bursts of action in between. Can't say I was thrilled. Next up on the list is Vampyr.

Score: 25/27

 

Song of the day

 

[DarK_RaideR]

Challenge Day 28: Saturday, January 28th

 

Did I do my workout for the day?

Woke up around midday, chose to do some stuff instead of my workout. Which means it was moved to the evening, with the heating on but I just didn't care, I got it done regardless.

Spoiler

Warmup: 30" of high knees

2 rounds (10.5kg dumbbells)

16 Dumbbell backward lunges

16 Dumbbell paddle boats (think russian twists with a crunch halfway through)

14 Dumbbell pullover

12+12 Dumbbell single leg deadlift

12+12 Dumbbell concentration curl

14 Arnold dumbbell press

12+12 Dumbbell single leg calf raise

40" Dumbbell plank rotation (I finally figured these out, an explosive pull will only get me so far, I need to really commit to the torso rotation. Was so glad I managed to do it at the end of the first set, it gave me such a rush the second set went by like a breeze)

Score: 21/27

 

Did I track what I ate on my phone app?

I did, though I did eat very little and wasn't hungry. To give you an idea, the app says I still had 1.048 calories for the day

Score: 27/28

 

Did I get my groceries?

Surprisingly enough, yes. Due to my late wakeup, I wasn't able to get to the supermaket before the hordes of parents could, so I opted for a delivery instead. Only after I'd placed it, I realized it was due for delivery on Monday, during office hours no less. Had to cancel it and physically head out to the supermarket, but at least I waited for the evening in hopes of it being less crowded. It wasn't, but I still got my stuff, minus the meat. Gonna have to sort this out and visit the butcher in the following days.

Score: 3/4

 

Did I do something to feel better today?

I played a bit of Vampyr, it's an ambitious one but the controls make it feel like a rushed console port, especially the camera. There's a good chunk of cutscenes, but it's not as bad as Max Payne 3. I appreciate the mechanic where draining NPCs to death gives you a ton of XP, they've coupled this with good character work on every NPC, so they don't feel like generic blood vessels but actual people you can relate to, thus making the decision feel emotionally and morally important (on top of potential implications further down the road if a specific NPC isn't alive). I'd also arranged to go out with a colleague from work and grumble about it over drinks (also I'd learn some inside info, since they've been there longer than me). That didn't happen unfortunately, as they fell asleep with no alarm and the phone on silent, so I simply had a beer on my own and left. Maybe some other time, for now I played a little more Vampyr and went to bed.

Score: 26/28

 

Song(s) of the day

(Bunch of them actually, so spoilered for size)

Spoiler

The metal ones

 

The crossover connection

 

 

The rap stuff

 

 

 

 

[DarK_RaideR]

Challenge Day 29: Saturday, January 29th

 

Did I do my workout for the day?

Yus, in the morning as I knew it would be a full day.

Spoiler

Warmup: 30" of jumping jacks

2 rounds (10.5kg dumbbells)

14 Dumbbell triceps extension

16 Dumbbell backward lunge

14 Dumbbell pullover

14 Bent over row

14 Reverse flyes (still not able to do full Range of Motion on these)

14 Dumbbell fly to close grip press

14 Dumbbell bicep curl to press

14 Dumbbell seated in&outs

12+12 Dumbbell single leg calf raise

40" Dumbbell plank rotation

Score: 22/28

 

Did I track what I ate on my phone app?

Not really. I met a friendly acquaintance who I've helped a couple of times in the past with legal issues. Wrapping up the latest one was cause enough to meet over lunch. We had all sorts of plates with mixed ingredients and it'd be a pain in the butt to track everything in detail so I prefer to take the L here. On the bright side, it kept me so full I completely skipped dinner.

Score: 27/29

 

Did I do something to feel better today?

Meeting said friendly acquaintance was one, then I finally managed to hang out with my bestie after a week of him being in town and us trying to make it work. We had a beer and he passed me one of his old laptops (he's a programmer, so he's got a bunch of 'em just lying around). Was nice to see him and I'm hoping to be able to see him again tonight, or at least before he leaves town on Thursday.

Score: 27/29

 

Song of the day

 

[DarK_RaideR]

Challenge Day 30: Monday, January 30th

 

Did I do my workout for the day?

Nope. Had to go to court in the morning, meant to do it in the evening, heating be damned. I was however feeling drained of all energy before I even left the office, so I made an executive decision to give myself a rest day, even if it meant taking the L.

Score: 22/29

 

Did I bring home cooked food to work?

Took a pit stop after the whole courthouse thing, so I had lunch at home. Healthy stuff, no carrying containers around.

Score: 13/17

 

Did I track what I ate on my phone app?

Yes I did. Could have messed things up with after dark snacks, but it's all there.

Score: 28/30

 

Did I do something to feel better today?

I got a sudden invite to join some friends for a bad movie night. I'd also like to point out this came after I'd decided to not work out; it wasn't a factor or excuse for me not working out, is what I'm saying. Either way, I went there, didn't have any beer, just snacked on a bit of chocolate, tracked everything on my app. We watched Cyborg with Jean Claude Van Damme, which made for a chill experience, even if it wasn't overly exciting or ridiculous.

Score: 28/30

 

Song of the day

 

[DarK_RaideR]

Challenge Day 31: Tuesday, January 31st

 

Did I do my workout for the day?

Yes, early on in the morning. I am back on track.

Spoiler

Warmup: 30" of standing knee to elbow cruches

2 rounds (10.5kg dumbbells)

14 Dumbbell triceps extension

16 Dumbbell backward lunge

16 Dumbbell paddle boats

12+12 Dumbbell single arm triceps kickback

14 Dumbbell close grip bench press

12+12 Dumbbell concentration curls

12+12 Dumbbell donkey kicks

14 Arnold dumbbell press

40" Dumbbell plank rotation

Score: 23/30

 

Did I bring home cooked food to work?

Absolutely did. Got myself a new glass container too and it's just the tool for the job.

Score: 14/18

 

Did I track what I ate on my phone app?

Yes.

Score: 29/31

 

Did I do something to feel better today?

Met some friends after work to hang out and watch the Royal Rumble.

Score: 29/31

 

Song of the day