Samunwal's first challenge

[Kuiken]

I'm also developing an appreciation for Turkish soap operas, which are extremely popular here. One in particular that is interesting is called Harimi al-Sultan, or the Sultan's Harem. I'm still figuring it out, but it looks like a sort of Ottoman Game of Thrones set during the 16th century rule of Suleiman the Magnificient and his Ukranian wife Roxalana and the other ladies of the harem. When I get home, I'm going to try to find it on DVD either dubbed into English, or at least sub-titled in English. I lived in Istanbul for a year, so it's really neat to see some places I used to go on TV dubbed into Dari (be curious how much of it I could still follow if I could hear the original Turkish). And now, on with the grading.

I LOVE soaps in other languages-everything is so exaggerated and dramatic, which makes it easier to translate as you go along thanks to all the overacting. I youtubed this one and it looks stunning! The costumes and scenery and all the pretty horses-so cool!

Had a couple of things this week conspire to put me behind. Saturday morning at breakfast, my bacon suddenly crunched like it had a glob of sand in it. Of course, it wasn't sand. It was a patch from a tooth I had broken 4 years ago coming loose and breaking another tooth on the other side when I bit the patch and crushed it.

OUCH! Please tell me this was fixed. I guess the best part is that you got to ride in a helicopter to the dentist (you're probably bored by helicopters by now though, but it's still a pretty cool way of going to the dentist).

And now, a question for the bird nerds- anybody have any idea what the hell this is? My son found the picture on line, and has no info at all on the little guy, but as my son said, you know he thinks he's sexy:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]5915[/ATTACH]

A Northern Royal Flycatcher. Disclaimer-I don't have every bird ever memorized, sorry-I just saw the whisker things on his beak and I knew flycatchers usually have then and googled from there. Apparently they come in yellow too. That bird is PIMP.

Earth apple wasn't me- must've been some other handsome, wittily scintillating language geek.

Nah-it was just me. Afrikaans for potato directly translates to "earth apple". Yesterday I learned that nectarine translates to "bare-ass peach" which was awkward at the time because I couldn't remember the English word for nectarine, so I asked the husband what this fruit that looked like a non-fuzzy peach was and then had to go to the shops to ask if they had any. I'm probably not going back to that shop for a while....at least not without a hat and dark sunglasses.

How's the hip treating you? You're workouts appear to be getting more and more insane-way to keep pushing! I'm both excited and terrified that you may get your wish of a Leonidis jock strap for Christmas.

[Samunwal]

Keep it up sir! Your doin great! Some extra rest would probably do your back good though...and get a massage! You've earned it!

Sadly, massage ain't happenin' any time soon. If I can get to Jalalabad ( I LOVE saying "Jalalabad!!") or Bagram, I can get one, but not here.

Your workouts tire me out just reading them.

Hey, I'm not even on 1 pull up yet, and you're well into double digits.

Ahh how did I get so behind?? Just caught up reading all your updates. Which are awesome. I love reading the life bits! Your workouts scare the crap out of me, which means I just need to keep pushing until I can do that craziness myself.

You're doing great with your goals, keep it up!!

Edit: Any word on that sexy, sexy bird?? I re-read through the posts but couldn't see if anyone or you had commented back about what kind it is...

As a matter of fact, for the pimpin' bird, see Kuiken's post below. She is a Bird GODDESS!!

I LOVE soaps in other languages-everything is so exaggerated and dramatic, which makes it easier to translate as you go along thanks to all the overacting. I youtubed this one and it looks stunning! The costumes and scenery and all the pretty horses-so cool!

OUCH! Please tell me this was fixed. I guess the best part is that you got to ride in a helicopter to the dentist (you're probably bored by helicopters by now though, but it's still a pretty cool way of going to the dentist).

A Northern Royal Flycatcher. Disclaimer-I don't have every bird ever memorized, sorry-I just saw the whisker things on his beak and I knew flycatchers usually have then and googled from there. Apparently they come in yellow too. That bird is PIMP.

Nah-it was just me. Afrikaans for potato directly translates to "earth apple". Yesterday I learned that nectarine translates to "bare-ass peach" which was awkward at the time because I couldn't remember the English word for nectarine, so I asked the husband what this fruit that looked like a non-fuzzy peach was and then had to go to the shops to ask if they had any. I'm probably not going back to that shop for a while....at least not without a hat and dark sunglasses.

How's the hip treating you? You're workouts appear to be getting more and more insane-way to keep pushing! I'm both excited and terrified that you may get your wish of a Leonidis jock strap for Christmas.

Harem- wife say's there a novel of the same name. May have to check it out. Helo- I still get a charge out of them, but it'd more fun without the 50 pounds of body armor, weapon and ammo. Teeth are good again. Nectarine- "bare-ass peach?!?!" I may have to name my next challenge that! Hip- ran on it again today, longer and faster. Seems to be holding up okay. Leonidas Leather Jock Strap- Embyr told me today that I'm a mean person for suggesting a particular motivational technique (and she's right), but even I am not so cruel as to subject any of y'all to photos of me in a LLJS. And last, the Northern Royal Flycatcher- you are my new Bird Idol, the Ornithological Queen of the Universe, deserving of your own Big Year (good flick with Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black, if you haven't seen it). My kid, who found the photo, will be about as tickled as I am!!

Annnnd, I just thought of the name for my next challenge thread. Saving it for two weeks. Hehehehehe!

[Samunwal]

27 Oct 12, Day 34

Workout:

FAM-D: 50 jumping jacks, 30 clamshells, 24 leg raises, 30 fire hydrants, 15 pelvic raises, 50 leg circles

Treadmill: 4 min @ 6.5mph / 9:14 pace - 8 min (split into 4min @ 6.5, 4min @ 6.6mph/9:05pace) - 6 min at 6.7 mph / 8:57 pace. Again added 2 minutes of running from last time, bringing my total time running to 18 minutes, which is how long I have to run if I do 2 miles at a 9:00 minute pace. I increased my overall pace, and again ran the last 6 at the pace I'll need to keep for 2 miles to make my challenge goal. Hip felt fine throughout, so there may be hope for me yet. I have a plan laid out to get me there by next Sunday, but have to see how it goes.

Cool down: 10 minutes of yoga and stretching- cramped for time today.

Dari: Hour and a half of studying, and 5 verbs. Practice was a couple of hours of Eid al Qurban chai and nibblies. Deficit is down to an hour of study and 4 verbs.

[Seabright]

Sammie! Go get 'em, you zombie lawn-gnome, you!

Very glad to hear the hip is holding up, and crazy impressed that you will be reaching your running goal next week. Yay! Keep chipping away at your language deficit - I bet you'll be able to nail that one, too!

[Samunwal]

Sammie! Go get 'em, you zombie lawn-gnome, you!

Very glad to hear the hip is holding up, and crazy impressed that you will be reaching your running goal next week. Yay! Keep chipping away at your language deficit - I bet you'll be able to nail that one, too!

Thanks- verb deficit goes away with this update, and the time deficit is right behind it. Now to just keep the hip working ....

28 Oct 12, Day 35

Workout: Circuit training

Warm-up: 50 jumping jacks, bear walk with band (5 rooms), 30 clamshells, 24 leg raises, 15 pelvic raises, 30 fire hydrants, 60 leg circles, 30 mule kicks

Upper body: [14 dips, 5 x 5 sec flexed arm hangs, 30 elevated pushups, Cable tower pull down X 10 reps per arm w/42.5#, 10 burpees]

Core: [10 body twists, 40 Russian twists w/15# kettlebell, 25 incline situps, 60 oblique crunches]

Step-ups: 10 w/ 20# of weight

Upper body: [12 dips, 5 x 5 sec flexed arm hangs, 30 pushups, 10 inverted body rows, 7 diamond pushups]

Core: [80 second plank, 40 second side planks, 25 atomic sit ups, 40 floor wipers]

Lunges: 10 w/ 20# of weight

Cool down: 15 minutes of yoga / stretching

Dari: 1 hour of study after dinner, 9 verbs, 1 1/2 hours of practice. Study deficit is still 1 hour, caught up on verbs.

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

YEA!!!

[Samunwal]

YEA!!!

29 Oct 12, Day 36

Workout:Warm-up: 50 jumping jacks, 30 clamshells, 24 leg raises, 15 pelvic raises, 30 fire hydrants, 60 leg circles, 30 mule kicks

Elliptical- took it easy today to rest up for the final push to a sub-18 minute 2 miles. 30 minutes at Lvl 8, 3.5 miles.

Cool down: 15 minutes of yoga / stretching

Dari: 1 1/2 hours of study split before and after dinner, 11 verbs, 2 hours of practice sitting in a briefing, a meeting, and teaching a class. Study deficit is still 1/2 hour.

30 Oct 12, Day 37

Workout:Warm-up: 50 jumping jacks, 30 clamshells, 24 leg raises, 15 pelvic raises, 20 fire hydrants, 40 leg circles, 20 mule kicks

Run- Planned two sets of 9 minutes run a 6.6 mph, or a 9:06 pace. But, a couple of minutes into it, I thought to myself "Self, this doesn't feel bad. Let's try going faster." So, I went up to 6.7 mph / 8:57 pace and kept that up for a few minutes at which point I again thought to myself "Self, the hip feels no worse than it did a couple of days ago at a 6.5 mph pace; I bet we can make it go faster." So I did. I also decided to run past the 9 minute point, skipping my planned 2 minute walking break, as I increased my pace to 6.8 mph, or an 8:49 mile. So, long story lengthened out just a little more, I did 2 miles in 17:52. In other words, under 18 minutes. This means, BOO-YAH GLUTEUS MEDIUS BEE-YATCH! Goal #2, run 2 staight miles in less than 18 minutes, just bit the big wazz. My pimpin little fly-catcher friend from the last page just crapped all over that goal, with that bitchin' crest flyin' high. I am doing the Samunwal Dance of Joy as I type (warning: not suitable for small children, pregnant women, patients with pacemakers, or people with tree nut allergies). In short, yea!

Cool down: 15 minutes of yoga / stretching

Dari: 1 1/2 hours of study over lunch, 9 verbs, 2 hours of practice sitting in a briefing, a meeting, and teaching a class. Study deficit is now, wait for it....... gone! Just have to be careful to stay on top of it for the next 6 days as I am rapidly losing any wiggle room for missing a day.

[Seabright]

Oh. My. Freakin'. Gawd.

You are killing it! You just killed it! Everyone, don't even bother trying to resuscitate it, 'cause Sammie just killed it DEAD!

[Samunwal]

Oh. My. Freakin'. Gawd.

You are killing it! You just killed it! Everyone, don't even bother trying to resuscitate it, 'cause Sammie just killed it DEAD!

And cut it's head off and stuck it on a pike as warning to the other goals...

31 Oct 12, Day 38

Workout: Circuit training

Warm-up: 50 jumping jacks, Bear walk w/band (6 rooms), 20 banded clamshells, 26 leg lifts, 30 fire hydrants, 60 leg circles, 30 mule kicks, 15 pelvic raises, 10 marching bridges

Upper body: [15 dips, 5 flexed arm hangs/ negative pull ups, 35 elevated pushups, 5 assisted pull ups, 10 burpees]

Step ups: 10 w/ 30#

Core: [11 body twists, 30 atomic sit ups, 40 Russian twists w/15# kettle bell, 25 incline sit ups]

Step-ups: 10 w/ 20# of weight

Upper body: [12 dips, 5 flexed arm hangs / negative pull ups, 10 pushups w/1 armed row-15# dumbbell, 5 assisted pull ups, 10 diamond pushups]

Lunges: 10 with 30#

Core: [60 sec plank, 60 sec side planks, 60 oblique crunches, 20 supine bicycles]

Cool down: 15 minutes of yoga / stretching

Dari: 1 hour of study over lunch, 4 verbs, 2 hours of practice at a briefing and teaching class.

1 Nov 12, Day 39

No time to write anything else today, or at least right now. Have to go move to a new room (not a quick or easy process- brought enough stuff to hold me over for a year, then the Army gave me about another 250 pounds of crap) and get that all sorted out and set up. Skipping work out just to let the bod have a little extra rest. Will pick back up on workout Saturday.

Dari: This, of course, still happened. 1 hour of study over lunch, 4 verbs, 2 hours of practice at a briefing and teaching class (looks a lot like yesterday, don't it?).

[jimmie65]

And cut it's head off and stuck it on a pike as warning to the other goals...

LOL.

Damn good work. Your workouts are very well-rounded.

[Seabright]

I'm so impressed with your consistency, Sammie! And now, on top of all of this awesomeness, you are slammin' out a novel!

Day-yam.

[Jaksavage]

Super impressed!! You are a beast!! Keep on killing it! Finish strong!!

[Samunwal]

Thanks y'all- your encouragement through this really helped!

Last update for this challenge:

2 Nov 12, Day 40: Bubkus. As in zip, zilch, nada. Got stuck doing some work I wasn't expecting.

3 Nov 12, Day 41: Got in my circuit workout with warm-up and cool down, and added the third sets of upper body and core exericises back in. Ended up with t-rex arms for the next couple of days. Dari- 1 1/2 hours of study, 8 verbs, 2 hours of practice (1/2 hour study deficit)

4 Nov 12, Day 42: Elliptical day- got in a good 30 minutes, plus warm up and cool down. Dari- studied for 1 1/2 hours, learned 4 new verbs, practiced 2 hours. 1/2 hour study deficit eliminated.

Challenge wrap up:

Goals:

1. Improve pull-ups to 3 sets of 1; currently able to do 0.

2. Run 2 miles at a 9 minute/mile pace, or 6.7 mph; currently doing elliptical training and running 4 minutes at an 8:45 pace 3 times on a treadmill (I hate machines too, but it's what I'm stuck with right now).

3. Lose 7 pounds for an ending weight of 179 or lower; currently 186.

4. Three part life goal: Study Dari (Afghan dialect of Persian) one hour per day, learn at least four new verbs each day, practice with my Afghan colleagues at least one hour every day (TV or reading count on days not with my colleagues).

Grading:

1. Pull ups: Did not manage to do a single one, but not counting this as a fail. I worked hard and consistently to make this goal, and I definitely built some strength, but I obviously underestimated how much work it's going to take to get these muscles back in shape. Giving myself a D / 65% for not achieving it, but working hard at it and making visible progress. This one goes on the next challenge.

4 points = STR 3, STA 1; 65% = 1.95 STR, .65 STA

2. Run: Nailed this one last week by running 2 miles in 17:52, so A / 100%

4 points = STR 1, STA 2, DEX 1

3. Weight: Thought this was a lock, but only got down to 180, so that's 85%, or a B. I didn't really do anything to lose any weight besides eating mostly paleo by dropping almost all carbs, and I'm pretty sure all the upper body and core work put some muscle on. I know I have to wear my belt about an inch tighter than I did 6 weeks ago.

3 points = CON 2, CH 1; at 85% = CON 1.7, CH .85

4. Dari: Nailed this one, so A / 100%

4 points = WIS 2, CH 2

Overall: 88%, or a B. I'll take it for a first challenge. Already thinking about next week and challenge number 2.....

[Jaksavage]

Damn great work!! Congratz on those results! You frickin killed this one! And I'm sure you'll destroy the next challenge too!!

[BeastMistres]

Awesome! I'm excited for the next challenge as well.

[Absidey]

Is there a Dari equivalent for uber? 'Cuz that's you! Of all the threads I tried to watch, yours was the most consistantly kicking butt everyday, and you gave us all incredible support. That's a B for BOOM, I think.

[Seabright]

3. Weight: Thought this was a lock, but only got down to 180, so that's 85%, or a B. I didn't really do anything to lose any weight besides eating mostly paleo by dropping almost all carbs, and I'm pretty sure all the upper body and core work put some muscle on. I know I have to wear my belt about an inch tighter than I did 6 weeks ago.

Okay. What did I say six weeks ago? What did I say? I know you remember, don't make me come over there.

Yeah, that's right, I said don't have a goal that's just a pure weight-loss number goal. Or words to that effect, I don't remember exactly, but I know you do. I believe fitting into your sexy tight jeans was involved.

For that reason, I am going to call bullshit on your B for this goal. That should be an A, brother. A freakin' INCH off your waist?? And, kick-ass upper body and core? That's a WIN!

Okay. Whew. I'm going to go have some bacon now and calm down.

[jimmie65]

Excellent work on all your goals!

The good thing about the pull-ups is that once you can hit one, then you can progress a lot faster. Keep at it.

[Artemis Wolf]

I say HOOAH!

Great job on your challenge.

[KeXioLi]

Congrats on finishing your first challenge. I know you had a few distractions. (Can you call indirect fire a distraction?) Glad your body is just plain feeling better. You've worked hard to get there.

[Samunwal]

Damn great work!! Congratz on those results! You frickin killed this one! And I'm sure you'll destroy the next challenge too!!

Awesome! I'm excited for the next challenge as well.

Is there a Dari equivalent for uber? 'Cuz that's you! Of all the threads I tried to watch, yours was the most consistantly kicking butt everyday, and you gave us all incredible support. That's a B for BOOM, I think.

Excellent work on all your goals!

The good thing about the pull-ups is that once you can hit one, then you can progress a lot faster. Keep at it.

I say HOOAH!

Great job on your challenge.

Thank you, thank you, thank you- and couldn't (or at least probably wouldn't) have done it without your support. Knowing your eyes were on my thread helped keep me honest and focused.

Uber- ziyadter? Gotta check on that one....

[Samunwal]

Congrats on finishing your first challenge. I know you had a few distractions. (Can you call indirect fire a distraction?) Glad your body is just plain feeling better. You've worked hard to get there.

Indirect fire a distractor? Nah- it's a motivator, because nothing motivates people like a good explosion!

[Samunwal]

Okay. What did I say six weeks ago? What did I say? I know you remember, don't make me come over there.

Yeah, that's right, I said don't have a goal that's just a pure weight-loss number goal. Or words to that effect, I don't remember exactly, but I know you do. I believe fitting into your sexy tight jeans was involved.

For that reason, I am going to call bullshit on your B for this goal. That should be an A, brother. A freakin' INCH off your waist?? And, kick-ass upper body and core? That's a WIN!

Okay. Whew. I'm going to go have some bacon now and calm down.

(mumble, grumble, grumble mumble) Yes, you were right. But but but, I don't HAVE any jeans, skinny or sexy, over here. My fatigues are too baggy to be a good indicator, and, believe it or not, I don't have a tape measure to be able to take measurements (and I can't just run out to Target)(maybe before/after pics?). I'll stick with the better diet and a good work regime and we'll see what happens over the next challenge. Imma keep the B if for no other reason than to remind myself to do a better job setting the goals next time and listening to my fellow Nerds, otherwise I'm not holding myself accountable.

[Kuiken]

Annnnd, I just thought of the name for my next challenge thread. Saving it for two weeks. Hehehehehe!

Good thing about catching up late on threads-don't have to wait for the name of the next challenge thread! Bad part is missing the Samunwal Dance of Joy and "I put the goal's head on a spike as a warning to other goals"-LOL!

I have yet to see the Big Year-it's on my "to watch" list-might get bumped up a few notches now. Birds are an extension of my love of chickens and usually get renamed as such (owls-night chickens, waterfowl-water chickens, cranes-NBA chickens, etc...); fortunately for you my renaming of all species hasn't gotten as far as fly catchers or I might have been googling "crazy whisker chickens"-while the results would have been entertaining, but probably not very educational. (edit: I tried-the results were extremely boring-fail Google, fail).

Congrats on finishing the challenge so strong! Shame about the pull up, but you'll be bitch slapping it like you slapped those 2 miles next challenge! BOO-YAH!