An Unexpected Journey by UH60guy

[UH60guy]

My first challenge! Here I'm making the transition from scout and trying to bring balance and variety into my life by picking up more strength training along the way. Haven't done much of any strength training, so I've got nowhere to go but up on the weights.

 

Pre-challenge stats:

Level 1 Dwarf, STR 2, DEX 4, STA 5, CON 2, WIS 1, CHA 1.

Got the endurance running down pat, have some srength, but could stand to lose more gut (CON) and I have little willpower on the food front (WIS). You know, roaring fires, ripe meat off the bone, malt beer!

 

Current stats:

5k running pace: Recent runs have me averaging 7:30/mile, my best 5k was 7:22/mile.

Bench: 6 reps x 95 lbs

Squat: 8 reps x 40 pound dumbells (80 pounds total)

Pull ups: 1, sometimes 2 in a workout session. (only counting unassisted here)

Deadlift: 5 reps x 115 lbs.

 

1) Nobody tosses a dwarf. CHA:2, CON: 2

Not at this weight anyhow. My weight has been slowly increasing since finishing my marathon training in March. Break the trend, start some momentum downwards again, and lose 5 pounds. Since strength training is involved I may not lose total weight, so I figure the target of 5/150 lbs is equivalent to about 3% body fat as an alternate means to victory.

 

2) Legolas! Two already! (“I’m on seventeen!â€) STR: 5

Catch up to that crafty elf in our competition. Improve from one (sometimes two) pull ups to 5 pull ups in a single workout session. One point per pull up.

 

3) I'm wasted on cross-country! We Dwarves are natural sprinters, very dangerous over short distances. DEX: 2, STA: 1.

Now that I’ve run my marathon and the next one isn’t until October, time to beat the summer heat, keep it short, and work on speed. Improve my 5k pace from a 7:30 per mile pace to 7:10 per mile.  The last day of the challenge I will run a 5k and score as follows: DEX+1 for breaking 7:20 average, DEX+2 for better than 7:10 average. Get the STA+1 only if all three mile splits are below 7:10, not just the average.

 

4) Sleep! I feel the need of it. Yet my axe is restless in my hand. Give me a row of orc-necks and room to swing and all weariness will fall from me! WIS: 2, CON: 1.

Resist the urge to sleep in or skip the workouts. Get back into a gym workout schedule in addition to the running. Each week I will make a minimum of three trips to the gym and run four times.  Scored at 1/2 point per week I meet this- no “makeups†the following week can count towards missed workouts. Note- June 22-29 I’m going to volunteer as a summer camp staff member, and my duties of supervision make the gym unavailable and the running commitment hard. For that week only, a total of five NF travel or body weight workouts will meet the requirement.

 

How will I do this?

I have my running plan added to my calendar- 3 mile runs Mondays, interval training Tuesdays, tempo runs Thursdays, 4-5 miles fast on Saturdays, and time-based distance runs a little slower than target pace increas 70-90 minutes on Sundays.

 

The gym workouts include the big 3: squats, deadlifts, and bench during the week. Also included are planks and assisted pullups, where I hope to lower the weight each week. I'll try them unassisted too in order to keep track of progress.

 

I've gotten off the Smith machine for squats and deadlifts in the week leading up to this- though for squats the rack avaialble is almost always in use so I've had to make due with dumbells. Still some weight, no real pressure on the base of my neck, but I'll see if I can get under the bar sometime during the challenge.

[Eilyd]

Subbed for awesome application of quotes. I can't wait to see how you do!

[Brunehild]

Love your post, good luck on your challenge !

[Nicca]

Subscribed! Love the quotes and the goals!

[JessOfAllTrades]

Love the write-up/theme. Best of luck on your goals!

[UH60guy]

PROLOGUE: AN UNEXPECTED PARTY

 

Where would I be without my origin story? Long before I set out on my first challenge... OK, really over this weekend... I really earned my single point in WIS and CHA. Went away for a weekend for training and at the last minute, got word that we would have to bring our own food as none would be provided. Now, I have no cooler or other means to keep things cool, and this was really last mintute, so I caved and grabbed what I could find. Junk food.

 

Not completely junk food mind you, like no candy or anything, but a preservative-laded footlong Italian sub that I figured could last for two meals in a pinch. Also grabbed an MRE as a backup plan, hoping to avoid using it. Completely got away from the previous good progress I had made on food willpower before this weekend. Ended up eating the whole sandwich for one lunch, people made a pizza run for dinner, and had cereal for the two breakfasts (for the first time in at least 9 months or so). On the way out of town, the only stop in the dinky little town was the same pizza shop- I had a cheesesteak. For the kick in the face afterwards, I found the wrapper for the original sub and noticed net weight was 18 oz. Ugh!

 

So, for the start of the challenge I'm at 153.3 pounds- I'm sure some of it is water weight from the fact I was chugging water like a champ (it was hot outside all weekend!) coupled with the sodium in the crap I ate. I was 150.8 before the weekend started. So, since there was some fluctuation, I'll see how this plays out over the next few days to determine what number is a good starting point for the challenge- I weigh myself at the same time every morning. I don't sweat the usual fluctuations like this, but I do track the trend. I don't want to defeat the purpose of the challenge by putting on weight right before I started, but I also don't want to make the weight loss goal unrealistic.

 

For clarification, here is the weight trend I'm trying to reverse (see if you can spot when my marathon training ended):

[thebowser]

May your axe be steady, My friend.

[UH60guy]

CHAPTER 1: A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY

 

“It’s a dangerous business, going out your door,†the Dwarf thought to himself as he departed the comfort of home. Hoping that the dreary and rainy weather is not a sign of failure and disappointment to come, he set about preparing for the adventure to come. “You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to,†the thought continued.

 

He headed across the small mountain town to the blacksmith shop (the gym) to put in a final day’s work before his planned departure tomorrow. Being a rainy day, the shop was crowded with others seeking shelter and absentmindedly browsing the wares, and it was difficult to get any work done. Borgo set about putting the finishing touches on the axe he planned to take along for the adventure.

 

He set the fires (plank) and worked the bellows (assisted pull ups) until he could work the metal. Nearly forgetting to refill the water bath, he quickly ran to the well and brought back full buckets slung across his back (squats). He spent quite a while putting finishing touches the axe, and while waiting for the shop to clear out, added intricate details (wrote up log) and sharpened the blades. His task finally complete and people out of the way, he picked up (deadlift) and put his tools back on the shelf (bench press).

 

After returning home and packing his wagon, his bracelet of punctuality +1 alerted him to the fact the going away party was supposed to start any minute, and he would be late if he didn’t leave right away. A Dwarf never passes up the opportunity to sit by the fire and tell stories of his greatness, so he ran the three miles (ran 3 miles) and made it to the party on time. The evening passed much as you would expect, or at least the Dwarf assumed it did, as he would remember nothing upon waking the next morning except the heat of the fire and the clank-splash of the countless tankards of ale.

 

Day 1 status:

Goal: Lose 5 lbs. Weight: 153.3 (first day)

Body Fat: Unchecked- forgot to buy calipers or a tape. On to-do list.

Goal: Do 5 unassisted pull ups. Did 3, though the last two I didn’t go all the way down.

Goal: Don’t skip weekly workouts. Status: Gym (1/3 complete), Run (1/4 complete)

Reference weights:

Goal: Run a 5k at a pace under 7:10/mile. Today's 3 mile run wasn't for speed, but I did it in 23:02 (7:41/mile pace)

Assisted pull-ups (weight assist listed) 5 reps x 50 lbs, 5 x 65 lbs, 5 x 65 lbs, 6 x 80 lbs.

Bench press: 4 sets of 6 reps at 95 pounds.

Deadlift: 4 sets of 8 reps at 115 pounds.

Squat: 8 reps of 65 lbs, 8 reps of 85 lbs, 8 reps of 95 lbs, 8 reps of 115 lbs

This was my first time doing barbell squats! Until now, I only had used the Smith machine or dumbbells. Thank you “20-second beast mode berserker challenge†article!

 

[Eilyd]

+1 for Bracelet of punctuality.

[UH60guy]

CHAPTER 2: THE SHADOW OF THE PAST

 

Borgo was tempted to put off leaving for his adventure that day, as he had much to accomplish before leaving town. He was worried he would soon fall into his lethargic habits of old if he didn’t concentrate on the challenge ahead!

 

Shortly after awakening, the townspeople commissioned an oil painting of him, and he had to visit many others to say his goodbyes and retrieve a few last-minute supplies (argh, paperwork!). He thought he looked rather dashing, but had no idea what he would do with the portrait they made him sit for, so he hung it over his mantle and left the house.

 

It was hot outside. Damn hot. Hotter than Sauron’s taint, and nearly half as humid. He saddled up and rode his trusty horse out of town with his gear in tow. Unfortunately there was a riot in the street, and it took him quite a while to leave (2 hours stuck in stopped traffic!). Borgo was sore from the previous day at the blacksmith, hot, tired from the slow ride, and ready to sleep. The specter of his past laziness threatened to consume him.

 

However, before he could give up and turn home, his horse burst into flames from the heat. Borgo had never seen a horse burst into flames, but when you see a horse on fire, you had better put it out. He quickly dismounted and ran back to a nearby stream to fetch water. After a few trips (interval sprints) the crisis was averted, and the horse was extinguished. He rode into the sunset tired, but glad he was able to save the beast.

 

Day 2 status:

Weight: 149.3. That’s 4 pounds down from the same time yesterday, confirming my suspicions that it was all water weight. I’ll use 150 (150.8 two days prior) as the baseline for my 5 pound weight loss goal.

 

Goal: 5k under 7:10/mile pace. Today’s exercise: 6 x 400 meter intervals. Paces for intervals: 7:07, 6:29, 6:21, 6:30, 6:21, 6:18. Not yet sustainable for the 5k distance (boy was I smoked), but a good starting point!

[Archbishop]

Way to beast mode!

Be ready to bring it on Thursday!

[Eilyd]

Great job! "My horse is on fire" is not one you hear every day.

[UH60guy]

Not sure I can keep up the "quality" (debatable) of writing over 42 days! Then again this isn't exactly the Great American Novel...

[Eilyd]

Ahh, but if you do, just think of the creative development that it would be for you as a writer!

[UH60guy]

CHAPTER 3: THREE IS COMPANY

 

Borgo rode his slightly singed horse along a trail bordered by some trees until he came upon a steep rocky hill beside the path. Wanting to get a better view of his surroundings and the terrain ahead, he tied the horse to a tree and set about climbing the hill (mountain climbers). He noticed the path curved around the hill and was somewhat surprised to see a group of elves headed his way, to pass into the Undying Lands in the West.

 

Wanting to impress them, he ran back down the hill and did a few stretches (body weight lunges) before they came into view. As soon as they rounded the bend in the path, he dropped and started doing pushups (regular pushups) to show his prowess. “218, 219, 220…†he loudly counted his repetitions as the first elves passed. Seeing the male scouts leading the group were not impressed, and the fair ladies were not far behind, he switched tactics. He made rude gestures that I will not discuss here (hip thrusts) in a doomed attempt to woo the females, but they too soon passed by him without so much as a glance. Once all were gone, he set about pulling up the ropes holding his horse in the tree (one arm dumbbell rows), but was having a tough time with the knots.

 

It was then he encountered a fellow ranger on his own journey. Archbishop offered to partner up for a little while, and Borgo was thrilled for the company of more than just his horse. He figured he’d give up on the knots and let the horse rest in the makeshift harness in the tree overnight before continuing the journey. So, the adventurers set up camp on the spot and discussed the plans for the next day. Borgo wouldn’t admit it aloud, but he was about to learn a lot more about just what “tie up†your horse really meant.

 

Day 3 Status:

Goal: Lose 5 pounds. I'll switch to reporting every week instead of every day to stop tracking every fluctuation. I only watched it these few days because over the weekend I ate a lot of junk food and drank a lot of water, and created some wild fluctuations right when I was trying to determine a starting point. Now that that's over with and it's stabilized, I got a good baseline number to work from.

Goal: Stick to my weekly gym and running plan. 2/3 gym visits complete, 2/4 runs complete.

Today was a light weight/body weight and high rep day. Looking forward to trying a new workout with a partner on the mini challenge tomorrow! Glad my light day led into this since I'll be trying some new stuff out.

 

Today's workout:

Mountain climbers: 4 sets of 15 (four count reps: left-right-left-ONE).

Body Weight Lunges: 4 sets of 15 (1 rep counts each leg).

Pushups: 4 sets- 30, 30, 20, 20.

Hip Thrusts: 4 sets of 15. I did this from a mat, not a bench. Didn't get much out of it, will have to try something different next time.

One Arm Dumbell Rows: 4 sets of 15 at 25 lbs (1 set is 15 reps for each arm).

[Eilyd]

Your narratives are a blast!  I hope you do keep them up.  Good job sticking to your plan so far!

[UH60guy]

CHAPTER 4: A SHORT CUT TO MUSHROOMS

 

Borgo awoke after a full night’s sleep and set about with his new partner to lower his horse from the tree. Archbishop loosened the ropes, and the Dwarf eased the horse onto his shoulders and gently lowered him to the ground (squats). Unfortunately while the horse spent the night squirming in the tree, most of the contents of his saddlebags were strewn across the ground nearby. They searched the area, picked up the supplies (dead lifts) and repacked. Archbishop showed the dwarf a technique (kettlebell clean and press) that a short person could use to stack his supplies even higher on the wagon, and he was grateful for the assistance.

 

He tightened down the straps (pull ups) and was ready to part ways when he saw the mushrooms. A storm was brewing (Tropical Storm Andrea) and it looked to rain any moment. An opportunity to stock up on food could not be wasted, so he darted from tree to tree (interval sprints) gathering as much as he could before the rain started.

 

The Dwarf ate a few during the process, and began to wonder if they were indeed the safe to eat variety he thought they were. He thought he might be hallucinating when he saw a rider cloaked all in black, mounted on a black steed, though he could make out no face beneath the hood. Almost indistinguishable from an exhaled breath, Borgo heard two words: “Shire. Baggins.â€

 

 â€œI know of Master Baggins,†Borgo exclaimed. “My uncle met Bilbo at Erebor quite a few years back. He lives in the Shire over that way.†Borgo said, pointing to the west. “Nice fellow, though a bit…†The rider swiftly departed before he could finish his sentence. Borgo briefly watched the rider shrinking into the distance then went back to preparing his horse, trying to figure out if the exchange actually happened or if it was merely a byproduct of the mushrooms.

 

Day 4 Status:

Goal: Don’t skip workouts. 3/3 weekly gym visits complete, 3/4 runs complete.

Goal: Lose five pounds. Slipped up tonight, ate a hamburger with mushrooms and French fries and had a beer. Will try to do better tomorrow!

 

Today’s workout:

Tried out a joint workout as part of the mini challenge, and really enjoyed it. I’ll have to look for more kettlebell workouts in the future. Could have gone with more weight on the kettlebells, but even though the gym has 50 kettlebells- half are 10 lb, the other half 15. No heavier ones available for some reason.

Squats: 5x45 lb, 5x115, 3x135, 3x155, 3x155 (first 1x body weight squat! Plan was for one, felt motivated to do 3 and even added another set of 3)

Dead lifts: 5x45, 5x115, 3x135, 3x155 (first 1x body weight dead lift! Felt so motivated again I did 3 instead of 1 on the last set)

Kettlebell clean and press: 4x10 reps at 15 lbs.

Pull ups: 4 unassisted (still not going all the way down but I can taste my goal of 5), 4x50 lb assist, 5x65 lb assist, 5x65 lb assist

Sprints: 8 all-out sprints of 30 seconds with 1 minute jog in between. Averaged about 5:40 pace, about a tenth of a mile per 30 second interval.

[Eilyd]

Congratulations on the body weight deadlifts and squats!  That benchmark is so exciting!

[Archbishop]

Great job on the benchmarks!
Body weight on squats and deadlifts is a good show, Very nicely done.

[UH60guy]

CHAPTER 5: FOG ON THE BARROW DOWNS

 

It was hot, humid, and foggy on the trail as an intense storm passed over the course of the day (Tropical Storm Andrea). Borgo rode his horse through the gray mist, and he had difficulty tracking the hour of the day. It was nightfall before he realized he had been riding the entire day. Not sure how many miles he had put behind him, the Dwarf set up camp and slept overnight alongside one of the many small hills on the expansive plains.

 

Day 5 Status:

Didn't do anything towards my goals today, and definitely splurged on the food front. I got promoted to Major in the Army today, and most of the day was spent with friends and family celebrating the occasion. Well worth the skipped workouts to get to be around those important to me.

[UH60guy]

CHAPTER 6: A KNIFE IN THE DARK

 

Borgo continued south, and near sunset on the sixth day, he came upon a small town at a crossroads. Exhausted, he found a local inn and requested a room for the night. Ignoring the commotion in the tavern where some little person was singing on top of a table, he went upstairs and quickly fell asleep.

 

In the middle of the night, the Dwarf was awoken a loud racket in a nearby room. It sounded like fighting, and he grabbed his axe from near the window. Stealing a glance outside, he saw the stables were empty and the last of the horses , were fleeing out of the town. Concerned for his beast, he ran down the stairs and out of the building.

 

In the distance, he recognized his horse by the singed mane and ran after it in pursuit (ran 5 miles). He was well outside of town by the time he caught up and calmed down the horse. He decided to camp outside on the spot and get what sleep he could, and vowed to return to the town of Bree in the morning to reclaim his wagon and supplies.

 

Day 6 Status:

Goal: Lose 5 pounds. Running into trouble on this one. Party yesterday for promotion, party tonight for birthday. Willpower is lacking, I usually try to avoid putting myself in these situations because I can’t always stop myself from absentmindedly snacking on anything around.

Goal: Keep up weekly workouts: 3/3 gym visits, 4/4 runs complete. Finished my last run for the week, though instead of a fast 5 mile run, I used the “Zombies, Run!†app and forgot to turn of Zombie chases- so when I was sprinting to avoid zombies in the game, it made me more tired and the rest of the run was at a pace about a minute slower than I meant to do. In the future I'll be sure to read this goal as do the workout I intended to do, not just do any workout.

[UH60guy]

CHAPTER 7: FLIGHT TO THE FORD

 

Borgo reclaimed his supplies, loaded the wagon, and set off on his horse. The sky looked gray and threatened to rain as he left Bree, and the Dwarf resolved to cover as much distance as possible before the weather turned.

 

 

Surprisingly, the rain held off and he was able to travel several days (3 hour drive home from in-laws house) and was making excellent headway on his journey. He barely stopped for nights or even meals, and the trek was beginning to take its toll. His saddle chafed, his legs were restless, and the friction from riding began to bother him. Borgo noticed his legs felt hotter than usual, and saw the faint wisps of smoke coming from under the saddle as the horse threatened to catch fire once more. As luck would have it, he spotted a river ahead, and made for it as fast as he could. The horse did ignite, but was quickly extinguished as he began across the ford.

 

Suddenly, another rider bolted across the river just a little upstream from him, pursued by several others in dark robes on black horses. Before he could curse them and remind them of proper etiquette of the road, there was a bright flash of light and the river rose rapidly. Borgo’s horse was swept out from under him, the wagon splintered and scattered its contents, and he was tossed about amongst the other riders and horses. Thankfully, he made it to the far shore relatively quickly, and spotted his horse being carried downstream in the current.

 

Borgo adjusted his axe on his back, now his only possession, and ran along the bank (ran 70 minutes) to follow the horse. It took quite a while, but eventually the river deposited the soaked beast on the bank, and Borgo helped it the rest of the way out. Not much was left of his supplies- mostly just fruits and vegetables in his pack- but he would camp in place that night and take stock in the morning. At least he was on the right side of the river and a little closer to his goal of single handedly reclaiming the lost city of Khazad-dûm.

 

Day 7 Status:

My 5k improvement plan was a 70 minute run today, and I managed 7.99 miles in that time. All in all, I think it was a great first week. I had some difficulties succumbing to food temptations during the two parties, but I held to my exercise goals and feel like I’m progressing. I’ll weigh myself tomorrow morning and see exactly how far I made it on the weight loss goal. I’ll also close out next week with a diagnostic 5k to see how that time is improving.

[Eilyd]

How do you run for 70 minutes?  That's amazing to me. Great job!

[UH60guy]

It took me a while to get up to it- I had trained for a marathon since November, and ran it in March, so I had to build the stamina slowly over time. Until summer 2012 I'd never even ran farther than 4 miles in my life. It took a while then too, but what I did was every other week I would add a mile to my weekend run until I was doing 8, 9, or even 10 miles without too much trouble. Not doing it fast mind you, but just doing it and keeping a jogging gait at the minimum.

[Brunehild]

I'm really enjoying your narratives, and you're doing great on your goals.

Also, I'm late to the party but congrats on your promotion :-)