chris_de_maas stays on the saddle

[chris_de_maas]

This challenge will be, once again, messy regarding living conditions. Mr De_maas and I will be living in 3, possibly 4 different places during the next 6 weeks. Not exactly ideal but no matter what, these 6 weeks will have me become better, faster, stronger and happier.

Goal 1: Stronger (+3 STR, +2CON)
This assassin wants to get some serious strength workouts in and has decided to make the free weights section of the gym her new home (one does need a little bit of stability!).
For this challenge, I will be following Steve's Dumbbell Division (Rank 1) program 4 times a week which is really exciting as I haven't lifted weights in longer than I care to admit.
That being said, I also want to keep some bodyweight workouts in my routine so I will complete the full Tough Mudder Bootcamp (all 5 circuits) every Wednesday. You know, just to make sure I'm ready in case the Tough Mudder team suddenly decides to show up in Copenhagen and challenge me!

Goal 2: Faster (+ 2 STA, +1 DEX)
Raw strength isn't enough for assassins, we have to be masters of all trades which is why I'm introducing running back in my life.
For 7 years I was unable to run. I'm not talking about running a marathon. Or a 5K. I couldn't run 10 meters to catch a bus. The pain would be so terrible it felt like somebody was ripping my legs off. Last summer, I tried to run again and realised that I finally can. So I might as well do.
For this challenge, I will be running twice a week, on Mondays and Saturdays. I know this means a double workout day on Mondays but I don't think it'll be a problem. I will readjust if I feel it isn't working for me though.
The final goal is to run a 5K in less than 20 minutes without stopping.

Goal 3: Better (+1.5 STR, + 1.5 DEX)
I perfected my core last challenge, and well, I want to keep that going!
I won't RPoD this time around but I will be working on the GMB sliding plank aka the Plank Toe Pull. My goal is to be able to bring my feet off the ground and hold for 3 seconds. I will be working on this for a minimum of 5minutes a day, 6 days a week. So a total of 180 minutes.
Completion of this goal depends on both criteria: amount of achieved practice time and ability to pick my feet up.

Goal 4: Happier (+2 WIS, +2 CHA)
During the last challenge, I started creating a board game and decided to open my own design studio. These are both pretty huge and scary things but they make me very happy. I need to make sure I keep doing these things and don't get overwhelmed and start procrastinating. Therefore, as a life goal, I will need to:

- get my studio up and running
I haven't been able to open the studio yet as I'm still waiting on some administrative stuff allowing me to be registered here. The moment I receive that one piece of paper it can officially happen. I know this isn't dependent on me but I need to do everything it takes for it to actually happen and for me not get discouraged.

I also need to work on the identity of the studio. I have the name, I have the domain name for the website but this is as far as it gets for now. Even if I am still waiting on the administrative side, by the end of the challenge, I need to have designed my logo + business card + have started working on the website.
- get a prototype of my game
The game is progressing steadily. I have the rules nailed down (for now) as well as about 25% of the cards written. By the end of the challenge, I want to have all the cards ready as well as the board and rules and get a super crude, 0 artwork prototype printed and play tested.

[sammiejune29]

I'm so excited for this next challenge! I can't wait to see how you progress with opening your studio and working on your game. There is something so empowering about working for yourself. And that sliding plank looks intense!!

[Nuala]

I love the sliding plank! And was wondering where the link was, so, thanks to you, I won't have to look for it I will follow your challenge closely!

[chris_de_maas]

I'm so excited for this next challenge! I can't wait to see how you progress with opening your studio and working on your game. There is something so empowering about working for yourself. And that sliding plank looks intense!!

Thanks Sam!

I've been working freelance ever since I graduated and even some before that so I know exactly what you mean! But, for some reason, I find opening a studio to be different and scarier than just being a freelancer. Guess it feels like a more grown up thing to do!

Sliding planks are intense, I did them in one of my TM circuits, but boy they are so much fun!!

 

 

I love the sliding plank! And was wondering where the link was, so, thanks to you, I won't have to look for it I will follow your challenge closely!

Well you are more than welcome Robot Mistress of Pain

And thank you for wanting to follow *big grin*

[Elastigirl]

It is not in my official goal list, but I am planning on doing more of the slide plank too. I know you will inspire to work harder.

 

Can't wait to hear about the progress on your studio and gym

[chris_de_maas]

It is not in my official goal list, but I am planning on doing more of the slide plank too. I know you will inspire to work harder.

 

Can't wait to hear about the progress on your studio and gym

Aww!! Thank you so much for saying that Elastigirl. I don't think I deserve it but thank you so very much *big blushing hug*

 

And thanks also for the constant support. I don't know what I'd do without you

[Wild Wolf]

Holy cow! These are great goals! Especially your Happier goal. That's absolutely incredible!!! I wanna open up my own gym one day so anybody doing what they love is always the best thing. I'm sooo excited and happy for you Chris I can't wait to see this game come to life! LOOK OUT MONOPOLY... Chris De Maas is takin over!

 

WOLF

[rybo]

Some really great goals. A sub 20 5k is damn impressive, hope you reach it!

[alienjenn]

you are an awesome cowboy

 

 

(and now for obligatory cute cowboy pic )

 

 

 

 

[chris_de_maas]

Holy cow! These are great goals! Especially your Happier goal. That's absolutely incredible!!! I wanna open up my own gym one day so anybody doing what they love is always the best thing. I'm sooo excited and happy for you Chris I can't wait to see this game come to life! LOOK OUT MONOPOLY... Chris De Maas is takin over!

 

WOLF

Haha! Thanks Wolf!!! You just put the biggest grin on my face

And brilliant on the opening the gym bit, it's a really cool project! Is it just a dream or are the gears in motion already?

 

 

Some really great goals. A sub 20 5k is damn impressive, hope you reach it!

Thanks Rybo! Will do my best

 

 

you are an awesome cowboy

 

 

(and now for obligatory cute cowboy pic )

 

 

 

 

Hahaha! Thanks Jenn!! *hug*

[Siferiax]

Goal 3: Better (+1.5 STR, + 1.5 DEX)

I perfected my core last challenge, and well, I want to keep that going!

I won't RPoD this time around but I will be working on the GMB sliding plank aka the Plank Toe Pull. My goal is to be able to bring my feet off the ground and hold for 3 seconds. I will be working on this for a minimum of 5minutes a day, 6 days a week. So a total of 180 minutes.

Completion of this goal depends on both criteria: amount of achieved practice time and ability to pick my feet up.

I love this!! The plank toe pull is such a nice exercise!! I should work on it too. Maybe I can add it to my list of exercises, which is very small right now for my challenge.

Also I love your 4th goal!!! That is so cool and awesome!! Great going!!

[milythael]

All the hugs belong to you, Chris. I'm really looking forward to your progress on your goals this time. Feet off the ground is just awesome. You will be working on the planche in no time at this rate. Your example remind me just how much the best of us can achieve, and pushes me to be better every day.

[chris_de_maas]

I love this!! The plank toe pull is such a nice exercise!! I should work on it too. Maybe I can add it to my list of exercises, which is very small right now for my challenge.

Also I love your 4th goal!!! That is so cool and awesome!! Great going!!

Thanks Kibcy!

Saw that you added the plank toe pull to your routine, really cool Which ones are you going for? The regular or the feet-up ones?

 

 

All the hugs belong to you, Chris. I'm really looking forward to your progress on your goals this time. Feet off the ground is just awesome. You will be working on the planche in no time at this rate. Your example remind me just how much the best of us can achieve, and pushes me to be better every day.

Awww Mily!! You always find the perfect words *big hug*

You are one of those "best of us" people you just mentioned, you really, truly are. In so many ways.

Thanks for your unfaltering support, I feel so incredibly privileged to have you cheer me on.

[Aeryn]

Love the goals, I'll be following you! And really interested to see how the plank toe pull goes - I should incorporate that into my workouts again, it's awesome. Good luck!

[chris_de_maas]

Love the goals, I'll be following you! And really interested to see how the plank toe pull goes - I should incorporate that into my workouts again, it's awesome. Good luck!

Thanks Aeryn

I look forward to reading all about your challenge and how you kick its ass!

[chris_de_maas]

Day 1

 

Woot! Today is finally Day 1 of the new challenge. I missed coming to the forum, reading people's threads and feeling the community's support this past week. Today didn't come a second too early.

 

For this challenge, Mondays will be known as Session A of the Dumbbell Division (rank 1) workout as well as Running Day. So this morning, I got my happy self to the gym and faced a bunch of gawking meat heads. I was, of course, the only girl in the room. I did my very best not to care or feel out of place but it was intimidating at first. The fact that I didn't have any music didn't help either. Bloody dead headphones. Once I got started it was ok though.

 

Anyway, this is what I did:

 

Session A of the Dumbbell Division

Push Press - 5 reps for 5 sets - 10kg/10kg/10kg/10kg/10kg (each hand)

Body Weight Inverted Row - max reps for 3 sets - 5/6/5

One leg pushups - max reps for 3 sets - 15/13/11

Side Planks - 2 sets each side - 70s/80s/80s/71s

 

The workout felt good but also somehow frustrating:

For the Push Presses, 10kg didn't feel challenging enough but 12kg was too hard so I kept it at 10kg/hand. Next time, I don't care how hard it is, how long it takes or how many stares I get, I will use 12kg.

I didn't feel comfortable trying pullups as I can't do any yet and felt too shy to do negative pullups in front of people whom, I could feel, were waiting for me to fail.

Also, people kept walking incredibly close behind me when I did the pushups which messed up my concentration.

 

Run (treadmill)

I ran 2.5km in 17mins 45secs with one 30secs break.

 

It isn't particularly good. I actually need to cut my time in half to achieve my goal but I'm still happy with what I did. I hadn't ran in about 10 months and I wasn't a heaving mess. On the contrary, my breathing was really good (yay Tough Mudder Bootcamp power!!). My legs, on the other hand, were the ones that held me back but I'll work on that. Also, legs (as in quads + calves) not knees: I am thrilled!

Also, I didn't want to make the typical rookie mistake and start too fast and only to be dead after 2 minutes so I started real slow (7.2km/hr) and upped the speed progressively up to 9.8km/hr.

[sammiejune29]

Day 1

 

Woot! Today is finally Day 1 of the new challenge. I missed coming to the forum, reading people's threads and feeling the community's support this past week. Today didn't come a second too early.

 

For this challenge, Mondays will be known as Session A of the Dumbbell Division (rank 1) workout as well as Running Day. So this morning, I got my happy self to the gym and faced a bunch of gawking meat heads. I was, of course, the only girl in the room. I did my very best not to care or feel out of place but it was intimidating at first. The fact that I didn't have any music didn't help either. Bloody dead headphones. Once I got started it was ok though.

 

 Yay for going to the gym even if you were the only girl in the room. Thats awesome! We gotta show the guys how its done   

 

My problem going to the gym has always been that half the time I end up exercising at odd times of the day because of my crazy schedule. Meetings and stuff get scheduled when everyone has time which half the time ends up being during my exercise time. The gym being closed just became another excuse not to exercise. Though I imagine if I went now, the free weights room would be pretty intimidating, though not as much as it used to be. Lol

 

Run (treadmill)

I ran 2.5km in 17mins 45secs with one 30secs break.

 

It isn't particularly good. I actually need to cut my time in half to achieve my goal but I'm still happy with what I did. I hadn't ran in about 10 months and I wasn't a heaving mess. On the contrary, my breathing was really good (yay Tough Mudder Bootcamp power!!). My legs, on the other hand, were the ones that held me back but I'll work on that. Also, legs (as in quads + calves) not knees: I am thrilled!

Also, I didn't want to make the typical rookie mistake and start too fast and only to be dead after 2 minutes so I started real slow (7.2km/hr) and upped the speed progressively up to 9.8km/hr.

Do you have knee problems? My roommate has knee problems and he can't run because of them  But I'm so so so happy that your legs and not your knees were what was holding you back! That's wonderful news!

[Siferiax]

Thanks Kibcy!

Saw that you added the plank toe pull to your routine, really cool Which ones are you going for? The regular or the feet-up ones?

I'm doing the ones where you just move 1 foot? I'm not at the regular level yet

Also sounds like you had a great day 1!!! Good job on facing down the gym and doing awesome things there!

As for running, you run way fast! haha good job! (I don't run, so I may have a skewed view)

[chris_de_maas]

 

 Yay for going to the gym even if you were the only girl in the room. Thats awesome! We gotta show the guys how its done   

 

My problem going to the gym has always been that half the time I end up exercising at odd times of the day because of my crazy schedule. Meetings and stuff get scheduled when everyone has time which half the time ends up being during my exercise time. The gym being closed just became another excuse not to exercise. Though I imagine if I went now, the free weights room would be pretty intimidating, though not as much as it used to be. Lol

Thanks!!

I stopped working out at insane hours for the last challenge as there was a certain amount of jumping around involved and didn't want to annoy the downstairs neighbours. I work out mid-morning now, the joys of working for yourself! I actually thought I'd get an empty gym because of that but nope! I guess I'm not the only one out there with a super flexi schedule!

Would you like to join a gym or are you happy with working out from home?

 

 

 Do you have knee problems? My roommate has knee problems and he can't run because of them  But I'm so so so happy that your legs and not your knees were what was holding you back! That's wonderful news!

I've had knee problems for the past 13 years. Very bad knee problems (as in pain 24/7 and being unable to walk bad). I've actually had surgery 3 times (you can see the scars on the pictures); twice on the left one (2008/2009), once on the right one (2010). It's better now but it will never be perfect. But you know what? I can run now! Woot!!

 

Sorry to hear about your roommate. That really sucks. I hope he knows what he has (I had to see 24 doctors before I got a proper diagnosis) and that he isn't in too much pain.

 

 

I'm doing the ones where you just move 1 foot? I'm not at the regular level yet

Also sounds like you had a great day 1!!! Good job on facing down the gym and doing awesome things there!

As for running, you run way fast! haha good job! (I don't run, so I may have a skewed view)

Cool! Enjoying it? You'll totally reach the "regular" level by the end of the challenge, you're badass that way

 

And thanks I feel a bit frustrated about not doing as awesome as I would have liked to but it certainly was a good day

Don't think I run very fast to be honest, we'll see what the next 6 weeks bring! haha!

[Siferiax]

Cool! Enjoying it? You'll totally reach the "regular" level by the end of the challenge, you're badass that way

 

And thanks I feel a bit frustrated about not doing as awesome as I would have liked to but it certainly was a good day

Don't think I run very fast to be honest, we'll see what the next 6 weeks bring! haha!

Yes! I've planned it... for week 3, because I'm optimistic like that End of week 3 that is.

When I did "run" it was at like 5.5km/h?! Haha, so there.

I guess I'm more of a sprinter, but I haven't really been sprinting yet. Maybe now that the weather is getting nicer.

[Sdanthony]

I'm sure youll rock this challenge just like the last one, great goals. I too plan on running a 5k or three during this challenge. Sub 20min is pretty quick, but its my ambition as well!

[KB Girl]

Would love to follow your thread, the description of your first day put a smile on my face But mostly, I want a shot at being a beta-tester for your boardgame. If it was at all possible to play boardgames every single day I would absolutely do so.

[sammiejune29]

Thanks!!

I stopped working out at insane hours for the last challenge as there was a certain amount of jumping around involved and didn't want to annoy the downstairs neighbours. I work out mid-morning now, the joys of working for yourself! I actually thought I'd get an empty gym because of that but nope! I guess I'm not the only one out there with a super flexi schedule!

Would you like to join a gym or are you happy with working out from home?

 

 Well, since I'm still a student, gym membership is part of what I pay the university for. The apartment complex I live in also has a gym (albeit a small one). And I've had access to both for the past 4 years and would hardly use them. So for now I'm very very happy working out at home. The one thing I'd really love is a BOSU ball. I used one a lot when doing physical therapy and I loved it. It may get put on my birthday or Christmas wish list this year.

 

I've had knee problems for the past 13 years. Very bad knee problems (as in pain 24/7 and being unable to walk bad). I've actually had surgery 3 times (you can see the scars on the pictures); twice on the left one (2008/2009), once on the right one (2010). It's better now but it will never be perfect. But you know what? I can run now! Woot!!

 

Sorry to hear about your roommate. That really sucks. I hope he knows what he has (I had to see 24 doctors before I got a proper diagnosis) and that he isn't in too much pain.

 

So happy that you are doing so much better. Its incredible that you were able to run without pain. Sometimes modern medicine amazes me! 24 doctors sounds awful though. I had to go through quite a few before they found the herniation in my back, but no where near that many. Very nightmarish.

 

My roommate's problems stem from his hypermobility. Unfortunately not a ton of people suffer from that and its hard to find someone with a lot of expertise (especially in the middle of nowhere Ohio). When he works out more, his joints hurt less (unless he overdoes it). Its such a delicate balance. But today he said he was going to start working out with me more. I think I inspired him and that makes me happy

[chris_de_maas]

Yes! I've planned it... for week 3, because I'm optimistic like that End of week 3 that is.

When I did "run" it was at like 5.5km/h?! Haha, so there.

I guess I'm more of a sprinter, but I haven't really been sprinting yet. Maybe now that the weather is getting nicer.

Oh!! Brilliant!!!

And sprints sound like so much fun, insanely tiring but super fun!

 

 

I'm sure youll rock this challenge just like the last one, great goals. I too plan on running a 5k or three during this challenge. Sub 20min is pretty quick, but its my ambition as well!

Aww!! Thanks so much Anthony!!

I know 20min is really quick but I'm very good at setting the bar high... We'll see if I fall short or not, but I'll certainly give it a shot

Are you planning on running 5K races or is it just for yourself?

 

 

Would love to follow your thread, the description of your first day put a smile on my face But mostly, I want a shot at being a beta-tester for your boardgame. If it was at all possible to play boardgames every single day I would absolutely do so.

Thanks KB Girl and glad I made you smile

Thanks also for wanting to give it a shot, it should be a fun game, we'll see

 

 

 

 Well, since I'm still a student, gym membership is part of what I pay the university for. The apartment complex I live in also has a gym (albeit a small one). And I've had access to both for the past 4 years and would hardly use them. So for now I'm very very happy working out at home. The one thing I'd really love is a BOSU ball. I used one a lot when doing physical therapy and I loved it. It may get put on my birthday or Christmas wish list this year.

That's really cool! At least it's there if you ever feel like it

I had a gym in one of the buildings I lived in London too but, just as yours, it was tiny and kind of creepy. I never went there.

Before a few days ago, I hadn't set foot in a gym in over 2 years. I really like working out from home but I also really wanted to include some dumbbell (and later on barbell) training so I there we go! Back to the gym! haha!

And you're totally right, BOSU balls are great, used one a lot when I was at the recovery center after my knee surgeries too.

 

So happy that you are doing so much better. Its incredible that you were able to run without pain. Sometimes modern medicine amazes me! 24 doctors sounds awful though. I had to go through quite a few before they found the herniation in my back, but no where near that many. Very nightmarish.

 

My roommate's problems stem from his hypermobility. Unfortunately not a ton of people suffer from that and its hard to find someone with a lot of expertise (especially in the middle of nowhere Ohio). When he works out more, his joints hurt less (unless he overdoes it). Its such a delicate balance. But today he said he was going to start working out with me more. I think I inspired him and that makes me happy

It was a real battle getting to where I'm at right now. There were times, especially after my first surgery (the guy butchered my knees and made the problem worse) when I couldn't walk. I had to crawl out of bed when I needed to go to the bathroom. These were really miserable times.

 

Sorry to hear they struggled to find out about the herniation in your back. How is it now?

 

And super kudos on inspiring your roommate to workout more! That's freaking awesome!! And yes, there is a direct link between working out and pain in the joints/knees. There is something to do with strengthening the muscles around, etc etc

[Jakob Kopfeld]

Hello chris

Some awesome goals you have there! I especially like the take charge of your professional life one. Taking matters into your own hands is always a bit scary but I'm sure it'll pay off in time. Also I'm intrigued about this game of yours. What's it about?