First challenge

[Harness]

Great job on your progress! Ahhhh Mexican food...there are many lesser men that would have fallen in the battle of Sopapilla Hill.

[jimmie65]

Great job on your progress! Ahhhh Mexican food...there are many lesser men that would have fallen in the battle of Sopapilla Hill.

I love sopapillas, but chips are my kryptonite. Luckily for me, they only carry crappy beer at this restaurant so the chips were the only bad thing I consumed.

[jimmie65]

Grading on my goals

1. Ten pull-ups in 1 set +3 Str

A: 10; C: 9; F: 8 or less

2. Run 5k in under 30 minutes - doesn't need to be a race just a timed run +3 Dex

A: <30 mins; B: <32 mins; C: <34 mins; D: <36 mins; F: >36 mins

3. 60 mile bike ride +3 Sta

A: 60 miles or more; B: 51-60 miles; C: 41-50 miles; D: 31-40 miles; F: <31 miles

4. [semi]Paleo diet for the next 6 weeks (indulgences: beer no more than twice a week, dark chocolate no more than twice a week; 1 cheat meal every 2 weeks) +1 Con +1 Cha +1 Wis

A: 96%+ compliance; B: 91-95%; C: 86-90%; D: 81-86%; F: <80%

5. Find at least 3 new places to explore over the next 6 weeks. +1 Cha +1 Wis +1 +1 Sta

A: 3 or more; C: 2; D: 1; F: 0

Too loose? Too hard?

[AoE]

I think you are right on track sir. You seem to leave yourself with very little room to be like ok well I kinda pass. I like it. Good luck, Hang in there. You can knock your challenge right out of the park!

[Artemis Wolf]

Nicely done.

[Jaksavage]

Color me impressed and motivated! You got this. I think the grades are pretty much spot on! I predict a report card with straight A's

[a_klodt]

Solid goals!! Good luck

That bike ride sounds like it will be pretty killer. My longest is a measly 40 km and it took me forever due to an outrageous headwind on the way back.

Keep on kicking ass at those pullups. It's such a hard exercise, but it's so worth the feeling of gratification and self satisfaction!!

Cheers

[jimmie65]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement! Grading is intentionally tough; but I'm not sure how to otherwise on performance goals. Either I do or I don't; there is no try. But I may have given myself too much wiggle room in the diet goal grading.

5 days in and feeling good on the semi-paleo. Not sure what else to call it. We're following a lot of South Beach principles, but reducing grain as much as possible and focusing on staying away from anything processed. I hadn't realized how bad the South Beach diet was about processed foods till I tried to use their diet plan as a starting point. Had to start from scratch, with a couple of paleo websites for reference. I made a shepherd's pie last night with a sweet potato crust that was pretty amazing.

[EmCee]

Maybe more of a "primal" eating plan?

Great job so far. I haven't had sopapillas in forever - since last summer when I visited my family in Texas! SO GOOD. Now I'm drooling...

[jimmie65]

September 28, 2012

Run: 1.83 mi 00:17 09:23 pace

Legs felt great this morning. I could have run more, but felt my pace dropping and was over my plan for the day so stopped.

Muggy as hell this morning (is hell muggy?)

Country playlist this morning. I may be the only person that runs to Johnny Horton.

Burpees: 140 today

Diet:

Miniquiche for breakfast, Luby's lunch: salad, grilled squash, and a turkey meat patty w/ mushrooms, snacked on brisket and sausage (limited choices on a road trip), dinner was shepherd's pie. Indulged in beer and a dark chocolate cake ball.

---

We had planned on a weekend at the coast, but between the weather and a new puppy we changed our plans. Still had to go down to pick up our trailer and bring it home, so long road trip. Blew a tire on the trailer just as we got on the freeway, so our plans to beat the rain and rush hour were shot - 1.5 hours waiting on roadside assistance. A 2.5 hour drive back ballooned into 5 hours with the weather and traffic. Oh, well.

Pretty dang proud that I managed to avoid processed good and carbs on a road trip. A link of sausage and a slice of brisket may not be the best choice but it beats chips and cookies.

Sorry I haven't caught up on everyone's updates today. Will try to tomorrow.

[Samunwal]

Johnny Horton- HAH! In the Army, the Battle of New Orleans is actually a running cadence. Well respected is the Soldier who knows all the verses, especially the one about the alligator cannon, and can keep the choruses straight. Got any Marty Robbins on that play list? If you've got Horton, do I even need to ask about Cash?

Great job so far! Any candidates for the three new places yet?

[Kuiken]

Dude you are getting it done! Shame your weekend trip didn't workout so well, but you'll have better luck next time.

For your isometric "Magnificent 7" workout-please tell me you play Western music in the back ground when you do these. SO COOL.

[cline]

September 28, 2012

Run: 1.83 mi 00:17 09:23 pace

Legs felt great this morning. I could have run more, but felt my pace dropping and was over my plan for the day so stopped.

Muggy as hell this morning (is hell muggy?)

Country playlist this morning. I may be the only person that runs to Johnny Horton.

I run to Miranda Lambert and sometimes the Dixie Chicks but I love running to Stevie Ray Vaughn (not country but unusual).

[jimmie65]

Johnny Horton- HAH! In the Army, the Battle of New Orleans is actually a running cadence. Well respected is the Soldier who knows all the verses, especially the one about the alligator cannon, and can keep the choruses straight. Got any Marty Robbins on that play list? If you've got Horton, do I even need to ask about Cash?

Great job so far! Any candidates for the three new places yet?

No Marty Robbins but lots of Cash - A Boy Named Sue definitely.

Going to try some place in Austin next weekend, not sure which one.

Dude you are getting it done! Shame your weekend trip didn't workout so well, but you'll have better luck next time.

For your isometric "Magnificent 7" workout-please tell me you play Western music in the back ground when you do these. SO COOL.

Haven't yet. Queensryche this morning.

I run to Miranda Lambert and sometimes the Dixie Chicks but I love running to Stevie Ray Vaughn (not country but unusual).

All sorts of Miranda and Stevie Ray on my list.

---

Seemed busy today but really wasn't. Rain and gloom just made me slow, I guess.

AM: Woke up with isometrics and burpees. Pull-ups (9! the first set, then 5 on the 2nd and 3rd).

Played around with the weights and medicine ball, then biked to the YMCA to meet my wife. Trying to get her to do some weights, so I took a Body Pump class with her. It was OK.

We're on a 3-day pass at the Y. I'm considering joining the Y because I need some heavier weights and don't really have room for them, as well as wanting the wife to get into some weight work. So when we were done with BodyPump, I was ready to go hit some weights. Somehow, after 13 years of marriage, I still haven't figured out this works... She was sore and "we needed" to run some errands. So threw my bike in the back of the truck and headed home.

At least I got more burpees done. 140 today total.

[Lefeux]

Are you from this area? I grew up in San Antonio, live in Schertz, and work in New Braunfels.

Sorry for the delay in responding. Originally from north of Houston. My wife and I live in south Houston. I have been to NB a couple of times. Loved Schlitterbahn. Of course now there is one in Galveston which is like 30 min from me.....

Also you might check out the c25k plan for your run. I am on week 4 of the treadmill plan http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

[jimmie65]

Goal #2 - 5k in 30 minutes = DONE!!!!

3.19 miles, 30:13 time.

[Fenone]

Goal #2 - 5k in 30 minutes = DONE!!!!

3.19 miles, 30:13 time.

Nice job! One week in and you've finished goal #2 and almost #1. What will you do the last couple of weeks if you continue like this.

Your grading looks good, thanks for reminding me to make one for my own goals.

[jimmie65]

Nice job! One week in and you've finished goal #2 and almost #1. What will you do the last couple of weeks if you continue like this.

Your grading looks good, thanks for reminding me to make one for my own goals.

Yeah, I probably went a little low on the pull-ups. 10 pull-ups is a goal I've been aiming for a couple of months now. Once I hit 10, then I'll aim for 15, which may be do-able in the 6 weeks.

The 5k was also a carry-over goal, but not going to aim for a faster speed now. I'm going to focus on sprints for a while.

Found a new, nearby park for Goal #5 - less than 5 minutes away, with great outdoor play equipment for bodyweight work (rings, monkey bars, pull-up bar, etc.) a few miles of trails, and a slide big enough for me . Taking the dogs there this weekend.

[AoE]

Goal #2 - 5k in 30 minutes = DONE!!!!

3.19 miles, 30:13 time.

Wow dude, good job. You are really getting it done!

[Samunwal]

Goal #2 - 5k in 30 minutes = DONE!!!!

3.19 miles, 30:13 time.

Hooah! And that on top of a truly burptastic weekend! Good start for week 2.

[Alexandretta]

If you're still looking for a more natural bar to take along for rides, I tried the Thunderbird Energetica bars at the Whole Foods headquarters store yesterday, and they were pretty good. The only grain they have in them is quinoa, but otherwise they are soy/dairy/gluten/added sugar free. They had a better consistency than the intense stickiness you usually get in fruit/nut bars that don't have a lot of funky things holding them together. They're a relatively new Austin company, according to the gal I talked to at WF, so you might be able to get them down in New Braunfels, or you can make a weekend trip to try/stock up on them. Looks like they also sell them online.

http://thunderbirdenergetica.com/

You joining in the fun for the Warrior Dash meet-up in Cedar Creek on Nov. 10?

[jimmie65]

Wow dude, good job. You are really getting it done!

Thank you.

Hooah! And that on top of a truly burptastic weekend! Good start for week 2.

Let's just say "sore" is an understatement right now.

If you're still looking for a more natural bar to take along for rides, I tried the Thunderbird Energetica bars at the Whole Foods headquarters store yesterday, and they were pretty good. The only grain they have in them is quinoa, but otherwise they are soy/dairy/gluten/added sugar free. They had a better consistency than the intense stickiness you usually get in fruit/nut bars that don't have a lot of funky things holding them together. They're a relatively new Austin company, according to the gal I talked to at WF, so you might be able to get them down in New Braunfels, or you can make a weekend trip to try/stock up on them. Looks like they also sell them online.

http://thunderbirdenergetica.com/

You joining in the fun for the Warrior Dash meet-up in Cedar Creek on Nov. 10?

I checked out their website; a local store carries these, so I will pick some up. Thanks.

I am considering the Warrior Dash but budget is the biggest consideration. Well, that and I hear that these runs have become so popular and crowded that you have to wait at obstacles. I'm not a good waiting person.

[Alexandretta]

I am considering the Warrior Dash but budget is the biggest consideration. Well, that and I hear that these runs have become so popular and crowded that you have to wait at obstacles. I'm not a good waiting person.

Yeah, they are a bit pricey. Fordzaphod and I have been meaning to try one of these out for a while, but we didn't want to do the one that makes you walk through electricity. That just knocks it out of the realm of fun physical challenge into something resembling masochism. I have a feeling I'll be so slow going over the rope climbing obstacles, I won't have to wait for anybody, although the people in the following wave will probably have to wait for me. :-P

[Lan]

Nice job on getting your 5k goal!

[cline]

Goal #2 - 5k in 30 minutes = DONE!!!!

3.19 miles, 30:13 time.

Saaaweet! Is a huge milestone.