18ck's Superhero Slamdown

[18ck]

The Scout Forum will be rocked for the next 6 weeks by a series of titanic struggles taking place in the skies overhead:

Fitness #1: (pu)S(h)uperman Vs Flex Luthor:
I'll be continuing with strength work from the last challenge, applying lessons from last time to my regular workouts to achieve better progress. I'll also be bringing in some flexibility work: At least 3 sessions per week, following other workouts, of stretches for scullers, mainly aimed at things I'm not so great at: neck rotation, and hamstrings, plus back mobility work to keep that bendy. Points available will be +6 divided between STR and DEX, depending on which side "wins" (i.e. shows most improvement)

Fitness #2: The Crow vs Captain Australia
Balance work. Bit of a new area for me, but inspired by the assassins's challenge in November/December I am going to dip a toe in and get so that I can do either the crow pose or a headstand for... let's say 30 sec. I have only the vaguest notion about whether this will require strength, stamina or dexterity or what, so will award 3 x points to myself capriciously depending on what I think when it's all over.

Fitness #3: Pant Man Vs Wolverine
As pant man, I will work on ramping up my distance running to half marathon distance in time to run in the Woky Half on (i think) the last day of the challenge. I will also be trying to grow a set of adamantium claws. I suspect the second of these will prove tricky, but I can dream. 3 points for either stamina or badassness depending who wins.

Level up #1: Ben Zen vs SwearDevil
Try to deal with trivial irritations in a way that doesn't involve grumpiness, sarcasm and casual swearing. Basically, I lose 1% for each incident over the course of the challenge and will get points accordingly. Points available: +3 WIS. In the event of total fail on day 1, a bonus +1 CHA will be awarded for swearing stylishly and in Portuguese.

-1 for poor format options in tapatalk but I couldn't wait to start, so...

 

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Added X Men challenge goal [13/1/13]

I have had some items on my Astrid task list for months now and I can't seem to motivate myself to do them. So to give myself motivation, I hereby resolve to put an X next to each of the following by challenge end:

• Make an appointment with the solicitor for me and Mrs 18ck to make our wills. (nice cheery one, that... I don't know why I'd want to avoid it!)
• Give my company website a spring clean
• Make a monthly spend chart
• Get an inspection hatch fitted to the boiler flue.  Finish the next chapter in Lathrop and Dias
• Fix the gears on The Beloved Pashley
• Update my books-to-look-out-for-in-charity-shops lists in Evernote (not as easy as it sounds. I want to work out which of PG Wodehouse's books I don't already own but he wrote over a hundred, some of which had more than one title (US and UK) some were published in anthologies, so this could be a couple of hours with a big stack of books and a long list downloaded from a website)

Penalty for failure:

50 burpees per item missed

Reward for success: +1 WIS for getting all 6

 

Update 15/2/13 - The flue one has been squeezed out, mainly because we can't afford to do it right now, so it's gone back in the calendar for the end of March. Instead, and so as not to be underchallenged, I will get to the end of the next chapter in Lathrop and Dias (my Portuguese Textbook) with all the written and spoken exercises. That's a tall order for 2 days... 

[18ck]

COPY / PASTE / TWEAK

...in fact, it's already underway.

I've written it all up waiting for the forum to appear and made myself a little spreadsheet thingy. I've been out yesterday morning running, stretching and stopping occasionally to do BW exercises. I was noticably slower than before but it felt good to be pushing myself and refraining from absorbing sloe gin, peanuts and pannetone.

This morning, I did a load of pushups, plus crow pose. Fell forward, crumpled my beak.

My starting stats are:

Weight 12 st 8 (which is what? 176 lb or 80kg, right?) - down about 18lb since starting my first challenge

Distance - 12km or so, but I managed 15 the other day

Pullups - zero

Pushups - about 40 without excessive pain but more if testing myself to destruction - up from about 10-15 7 weeks ago

Swearing - approx 60Hz

Bendability - dry twig.

Invertedness/resemblance to corvid birds - nil

Claws - basically, fingernails

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[Relic]

Pushuperman, Flex Luthor, Zen Ten!!!!?!!

epicawesomesupersause!!!!

[18ck]

Pushuperman, Flex Luthor, Zen Ten!!!!?!!

epicawesomesupersause!!!!

;^) let's hope so!

I'm really enjoying this Crow Pose thing. I know I'm going to be going around with a bruised forehead and a swollen nose for 6 weeks, but it's great! So glad I went into that Assassin challenge thing now - what an eye-opener!

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[Relic]

ahhh! don't forget there's nothing wrong with doing a crow pose with a pillow in front of you...

[18ck]

ahhh! don't forget there's nothing wrong with doing a crow pose with a pillow in front of you...

There is much in what you say, but I quite like the battle-scarred look!

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[shortstuff]

Good luck with your goals!

[Shukar]

Superheros and battle scars? I'll be watching this one for sure. Good luck!

[Bard]

I love your goals, particularly your life goal, good luck!

 

Also, if a crow pose with a pillow in front of you isn't enough of a challenge, what about trying it with a cream pie in front of you - but do PLEASE remember to always have the video camera recording

 

 

Regards

 

Quentin.

[cracked_belle]

Fitness #2: The Crow vs Captain Australia

Balance work. Bit of a new area for me, but inspired by the assassins's challenge in November/December I am going to dip a toe in and get so that I can do either the crow pose or a headstand for... let's say 30 sec. I have only the vaguest notion about whether this will require strength, stamina or dexterity or what, so will award 3 x points to myself capriciously depending on what I think when it's all over.

O_O  better you than me.  I'm lucky if I dont fall just while walking.  XDDDD

but I think your point allocation plan is great.

[Eirlys]

Nice goals 18ck.  I particularly like the last one over trivial irritations.  Good luck with your challenge

[Nuala]

Good luck with the crow pose! I really can't do it without a pillow in front of me, I'm not sure enough of my skills ^^' Have fun during this challenge

[KillerGriller]

Great write up, Good luck on the challenge

[18ck]

Also, if a crow pose with a pillow in front of you isn't enough of a challenge, what about trying it with a cream pie in front of you - but do PLEASE remember to always have the video camera recording

I'll try that - it sounds like excellent fitness advice!

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[18ck]

...and thanks everyone else for your support!

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[german]

That's an awesome set of goals, you are totally going to smash them all (and your face, but that's besides the point), good luck.

[18ck]

Well, I don't have any facial bruises yet but I've got a bit of a headache from trying to stand on my head yesterday. Is there some sort of upper limit, I wonder, on the amount of weight a head can support? Because I feel like I'm over that limit...

[shortstuff]

Well, I don't have any facial bruises yet but I've got a bit of a headache from trying to stand on my head yesterday. Is there some sort of upper limit, I wonder, on the amount of weight a head can support? Because I feel like I'm over that limit...

 

Maybe, or maybe your head just isn't use of it yet

[18ck]

Look! Up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the Saturday Round-up

 

Fitness #1: (pu)S(h)uperman Vs Flex Luthor:

Pushuperman has spent the week exerting his massive powers of program-followage in his efforts to win the battle. Three days of programming working up in the second-tier path, doing a few more each time in spite of all the mince-pie shaped blocks of kryptonite he ate over the Christmas period. His arch-nemesis has fought back strongly with some solid post-pushup stretches and a great bit of all-round hamstring, hip, neck, and everything-else stretches this morning. All in all, the two are evenly matched, giving all they've got but it's early days yet!

 

Fitness #2: The Crow vs Captain Australia 

Captain Australia has shown himself to be a total dead loss so far, with little to show for his efforts but a sore noggin and some slightly concerned looks from Mrs 18ck. The Crow, on the other hand, feels ready to fling himself from the nest and fly and doesn't seem to mind too much if he faceplants in the leaf-litter below. The Cap is on the ropes, taking peck after peck. Is it all over for the antipodean avenger or will he pluck his rival in the final round?

Fitness #3: Pant Man Vs Wolverine

Pant Man has had a quiet week. Travel and a new job have kept him off the trail but he did a huge, rambling run off the track through the bushes and mud for a glorious 18K, running rings around his enemies and putting the fear into the city's crime lords.

No sign of any claws yet. Very disappointed.

Level up #1: Ben Zen vs SwearDevil

SwearDevil had Ben Zen in a hammerlock most of the week, letting loose furious bursts of self-reproach and the occasional colourful description of a car driver whose respect for the forces of truth and justice were found to be lacking, but fortunately sparing actual decent people. As the week wore on though, Ben began to get the upper hand as each new outburst was logged and consciousness grew. It's still looking desperate for the plucky hero, but the frightened citizenry has not despaired yet.

 

Running: 18k today - 2k over target but dammit it was just so nice out and there were so many tempting trails to follow

Pushups: about 270 done, I think. (without going off to check in the other room...)

Pullups: Still getting it to about mouth level and just can't break that last couple of inches!

Grumpyarseness: Points total down to 92%

Flexibility: Some good work done. I'm not sure how to measure it. I'm still stiff after running which is probably not great, but I certainly spent a lot of time doing a lot of the right thing. Increasing by such a huge distance probably wasn't such a great idea so maybe to be expected...

Balance work: Crow Pose feels doable. Headstand less so.

Weight: Down by a pound to 12/7, but since this is in the week of New Year's Eve, plus 2 nights away in a hotel eating greasy food and limited exercise opportunities, that's not too bad.

Bonus Rounds: I've been hitting the Portuguese books hard, and done lots of swimming plus all the general getting-around stuff like walking and cycling as you do. Plenty of ad-hoc workouts - a plank here, a few squats there, some BW rows and skipping outside in the dark, just to keep things going. Basically, opportunistic working out - it is the nerd way!

[Sundae]

Woah... that's awesome... yep.

[Eirlys]

18k run, wooo!  Is it any coincidence that that's _nearly_ your username, hmm?  Hmm?  

 

Okay, I accept it is

 

Congrats on your new job!  

 

And I'd been wondering who had uploaded the fancy cartoon graphics in the gallery images section of the forums.  I likey!

[shortstuff]

 

Fitness #3: Pant Man Vs Wolverine

Pant Man has had a quiet week. Travel and a new job have kept him off the trail but he did a huge, rambling run off the track through the bushes and mud for a glorious 18K, running rings around his enemies and putting the fear into the city's crime lords.

No sign of any claws yet. Very disappointed.

 

 

Well done on the new job

[18ck]

Woah... that's awesome... yep.

*proudface*

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[18ck]

 

Well done on the new job

Thanks! It's quite exciting!

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[18ck]

18k run, wooo!  Is it any coincidence that that's _nearly_ your username, hmm?  Hmm?  

It is a bit like it, eh? I should've used the #lostconsonants tag from Twitter.

 

Congrats on your new job!  

 

Thanks!

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