swaffe: keep moving forward

[swaffe]

My goals feel kinda less druidy this time, but I enjoy the company of everyone here.  So I'm sticking around.  I also will still be keeping up the yoga and adding tai chi, so I didn't totally go away from it, lol.

 

I am happy about the way the last challenge went, though this one is beginning at a point of great stress which has me a little less optimistic about this one, but I must keep moving forward.  If I don't I will fail, and doing horrible is better than straight up failure.

 

 

Workout With a Plan
I have a short attention span and need a plan.

I need a variety of activities that will help me continue to get fit while still providing some different activities.  Also to some degree I am learning some activities just are not possible for my hip on certain days,  and with some new physical symptoms popping up it  leaves me a bit unsure of when I will be able to do what.  So even though I have a “schedule† I will mostly try to stick to the amount of days and substitute days as necessary.

Yoga and walking are awesome but I need to add some variety and plan to follow a well rounded work out plan.  The current plan involves walking, bodyweight exercises, tai  self defense classes and yoga.  I will unfortunately only be able to tai chi every other week so on other weeks I will walk and for the last half of the challenge I will be taking a self defense class two days a week that will replace the bodyweight exercises.

Right now the schedule I’m planning is:
Monday: walking
Tuesday: bodyweight/self defense
Wednesday: walking
Thursday: bodyweight/self defense
Friday: walking/tai chi
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Yoga

Grading:
A 30-33 days of working out
B 26-29 days of working out
C 22-25 days of working out
D 19-21 days of working out
F 18 or less days of working out
*Days of working out do not necessarily need to be done on the scheduled days

+2 STR  +2 STA


Drink More Water (take 2)
I pretty much suck at getting enough water everyday.

Drink 2 or more Liters of water everyday.  I tried this last challenge and didn’t do so well on it.  It wasn’t bad but it could have been better, so I am trying again.

Grading:
A 41-42 days drinking water
B 39-40 days drinking water
C 35-38 days drinking water
D 31-34 days drinking water
F 30 or less days drinking water

+3 CON  +1 STA


Get Some Sleep
My sleeping is erratic at best and that defiantly needs to change.

I have far from normal sleeping hours.  One day I could sleep for 12 hours and the next night for 4.  Some of this is work related, some of it isn’t.  Although I don’t procrastinate on client projects the night has always been my most creative and productive time, and since I set my own schedule as long as I get things done by deadlines, so I’m still going to be a night-owl.  

I just want to be a regularly sleeping night-owl because in the wild owls still sleep just during the day.  So to build this regular schedule I will go to bed at or before 2am, not nap during the day, AND sleeping between 6-8 7-9 hours every night (which puts me up at 8-10am 9-11am).

Grading:
A 39-42 days meeting sleeping goals
B 35-38 days meeting sleeping goals
C 32-34 days meeting sleeping goals
D 28-31 days meeting sleeping goals
F 27 or less days meeting sleeping goals

+3 CON +1 DEX


Speak Some Greek
Δεν ξέÏω πολλά/καλά Ελληνικά  Translation: I don’t know good Greek.

Recent events have made me realize my Greek skills are horrible despite my efforts to learn it for the last six month.  Though I do know and recognize a fair amount of words, being around my OH’s family for an extended amount of time has taught me this isn’t much really.  I have had to have a large amount of the conversations explained to me and I am completely inept at communicating with his mother (she speaks almost no English).  

I’m pretty sure this lack of skills stems from the fact that I have been terrified to actually speak it and that I never really formally learned the grammar.  In retrospect the being terrified to speak it was a bad plan.  I mean my OH is a native speaker and we have only had a conversation in Greek   maybe 4-5 times max, not because he wasn’t willing but because I was too afraid.  So I need to learn to speak up and study up on grammar.  So I plan to study grammar once a week and have a conversation with my OH or a member of his family twice a week.  So Greek practice 3 times a weeks.

Grading:
A Greek practice 17-18 times
B Greek practice 15-16 times
C Greek practice 13-14 times
D Greek practice 11-12 times
F Greek practice 10 or less times

+2 CHA +1 WIS

 

*Sleep goal has been altered slightly.

[emanluke]

That language goal rocks! I have studied French and had the same problem. Reading and understanding, great. Speaking and writing... eh... not so much. Kudos for getting out of your comfort zone to make it happen!

[livingroovy]

Hey swaffe! Great goals! And I think all of those goals sound perfectly druid-y Hydration, rest, and learning... into it! Glad you are hanging out with us this round!!

[swaffe]

That language goal rocks! I have studied French and had the same problem. Reading and understanding, great. Speaking and writing... eh... not so much. Kudos for getting out of your comfort zone to make it happen!

 

I have had some other people say very similar things to me about understanding but not speaking it.  It seems to be way too common of a phenomena.

 

 

 

Hey swaffe! Great goals! And I think all of those goals sound perfectly druid-y Hydration, rest, and learning... into it! Glad you are hanging out with us this round!!

 

Thank you livingroovy, and I guess my goals are more druidy than my first reaction.

[swaffe]

June 10 check in: Day 7

 

Work Out

This week: 6 of 6

Total to date: 6 of 33

Current bodyweight exercise stats: 24 high incline pushups, 13 bodyweight rows, 28 chair squats, 16 planks, and 21 bridges

Thoughts: I substituted the “studio stroll†in the local arts district as one of my cardio days instead of a typical walk.  We were walking around the arts district from 9am-6pm with the only break being an hour to an hour and a half for lunch.  We walked pretty fast between different buildings and climbed several sets of stairs/hills.  So while we were in individual galleries and studios were leisurely and meandering, I think the day was way more physically exerting than a walk.

 

Water

This week: 7 of 7

Total to date: 7 of 42

Thoughts: I did better this week than most of the time during the last challenge which is exciting.  I hope I can keep it up.

 

Sleep

This week: 5 of 7

Total to date: 5 of 42

Thoughts: Most of the problem seems to be the going to bed at 2am or earlier part.  Getting up isn’t hard and I have met the 6 hours every night even on the 2 I went to bed past 2am.  Though on the ones I have went to bed by 2am I got between 7.5-9 each of the other 5 nights, which Is probably where I should be in the long run.  Though even six hours is better than 2.  So not horrible progress but not great either.

 

Greek

This week: 5 of 3

Total to date: 5 of 18

Thoughts: It has been much easier to practice while OH’s parents are here for an extended amount of time.  They have been very very excited to speak to me, especially his mom (its really the only way for me to talk to her beyond the general pleasantries).  Though I really haven’t been able to have a “normal†conversation yet (well the food conversation was normal) and they all seem unnatural and not things people talk about on a regular basis, but it is a start.  I also hope I’m able to keep it up with OH when they leave, though he almost seems as excited as his parents so hopefully it will be easy.  Grammar was boring as I expected, but its a necessary evil and got done this week.

 

 

It is much easier to track the total number of days, than to try and just track week to week, so I think I have finally found a tracking method I like.

[Skirler]

Your studio stroll sounds fabulous!

 

Congrtulations on being guild champion, by the way!  Go YOU

 

I really like your language goal.  I need to find something to push myself out of my comfort zone on these challenges .... you've made me think now.

[livingroovy]

Great work so far on your challenge!! What are your thoughts on nailing the sleep goal this week?

[swaffe]

Your studio stroll sounds fabulous!

 

Congrtulations on being guild champion, by the way!  Go YOU

 

I really like your language goal.  I need to find something to push myself out of my comfort zone on these challenges .... you've made me think now.

 

Thank you very much on the congratulations, and it can be hard to push outside of your comfort zone, but I am glad I've made you think.

 

 

Great work so far on your challenge!! What are your thoughts on nailing the sleep goal this week?

 

My first thought was to set an alarm to got to bed, but that unfortunately has not worked so well.  When the alarm goes off I am typically in the middle of something that I feel the need to finish before sleeping.  So maybe I need to set an alarm an hour earlier to give me time to wrap up before I need to get to bed.

[I am Eve]

Thank you very much on the congratulations, and it can be hard to push outside of your comfort zone, but I am glad I've made you think.

 

 

 

My first thought was to set an alarm to got to bed, but that unfortunately has not worked so well.  When the alarm goes off I am typically in the middle of something that I feel the need to finish before sleeping.  So maybe I need to set an alarm an hour earlier to give me time to wrap up before I need to get to bed.

 

I second that - setting the alarm an hour early to wind down. Have you tried moving your active hours to an earlier time at night? Our bodies need sleep during the night ;-)  

[swaffe]

June 16 check in: Day 14

 

 

Work Out

This week: 6 of 6

Total to date: 12 of 33

Current bodyweight exercise stats: 30 high incline pushups, 14 bodyweight rows, 31 chair squats, 18 planks, and 22 bridges

Thoughts: All of my body weight exercises are at least one higher than last week (one is even six more).  Tai Chi this week.  Substituted walking instead of yoga since there were some unexpected bills and the classes are drop in, I did complete the sun and moon salutations for the mini challenge this week so its not so bad.  Looking foreword to self defense classes next week.  Not much else to say.

 

 

Water

This week: 7 of 7

Total to date: 14 of 42

Thoughts: Another perfect week with the water, so I am defiantly doing better than last time with the water.

 

 

Sleep

This week: 4 of 7

Total to date: 9 of 42

Thoughts: So it turns out me and sleep are not friends, recently the getting in bed by 2am has been happening, but no I can’t stay asleep for anything.  I sleep 4-5 hours and find it absolutely impossible to go back to sleep.  So I’m unsure how to deal with that part of the sleeping equation.

 

 

Greek

This week: 6 of 3

Total to date: 11 of 18

Thoughts: This week was still pretty easy with 3 Greek speakers around, and OH’s dad has finally been medically cleared for travel, so they will be going back to Greece on Thursday, so I will have to make sure to keep it up when they leave.  I also did the grammar this week and its becoming more painless, I am actually learning more grammar from speaking than I really anticipated  I also feel like I might need to up this goal since I already have over half of the goal done and its only the end of week 2, but I don’t know how much to do.

 

Yellow Brick Road Competition
Miles to date: 25
Thoughts: It turns out I walk more most days than I thought.  I had never really tried calculating before.
 

Dorothy & Toto Mini Challenge
Sun Salutations: 5 of 4
Moon Salutations: 4 of 4
Thoughts: I had to slightly modify both for my hip, on the sun salutations I had to replace luges with a one knee lunge and on the moon salutations I had to skip the warrior 2.  It was also my first time doing any yoga at home so it was kinda cool.

 

 

[swaffe]

I second that - setting the alarm an hour early to wind down. Have you tried moving your active hours to an earlier time at night? Our bodies need sleep during the night ;-)  

 

I may eventually move the bed time to earlier, but right now even 2am is a big change for me.  Before I was going to bed at 5-6 am.  There are some things in my past that make going to sleep when it is dark nerve wracking for me, and even where 2am is pushing my comfort zone.  I also find my creative peak from 9pm-midnight so the two reasons put together makes sleeping earlier difficult for the time being.

[I am Eve]

I see, tricky equation...

I know a few things from the fatigue syndrome perspective. The aim should be btw 7 and 9 hours of sleep. "We prepare for a good sleep during the day". 16 awake hours, without naps, and wind down before bed prepares for good sleep. Try to get outside and get some sun at least 30 minutes per day.

Great work on the challenge goals, and modifying the yoga poses!

[swaffe]

I'm thinking I should maybe alter my sleep goal a bit.  I don't know why I thought 6-8 was the best, but maybe 7-9 would be better.  I had never really thought about naps affecting sleep at night, although now It makes a lot of sense.  I am meeting the sun goal, because I am getting outside everyday except when it rains when I wouldn't get any sun any way.

[livingroovy]

Great update! I wish I had more sleeping advice for you, or some magic trick that would make it all work. Keep experimenting- something will work eventually!!

[swaffe]

June 23 check in (a little late): Day 21

 

 

Work Out

This week: 7 of 6

Total to date: 19 of 33

Thoughts: So I started self defense classes this week and they were great I actually like them much more than I thought I would, they are a great workout.  I have come back both times pretty sore but feeling great.  I'm also really glad the instructor is great about showing me moves to compensate for my bad hip!  This has been a very active week.  Though I did have a pretty major incident in my yoga class and started to feel really sick and almost passed out, and it left me feeling bad for the rest of today and this morning some too.  I have a doctors appointment tomorrow before the self defense class, so I will see how it plays out with the docs advise, but I really feel like it was nothing major.

 

Water

This week: 7 of 7

Total to date: 21 of 42

Thoughts: Three perfect weeks with water, maybe I finally have the water thing down

 

 

Sleep

This week: 6 of 7

Total to date: 15 of 42

Thoughts: So this weeks sleeping was better and I've been getting just at 7 hours to 8.5 a night.  There were several things that could have influenced this because there has been more than one change on that front. First of all I started meditating at night after I have put away work so about 15-30 mins before bed, though it has been really short spans at 3-8 mins (I started with the scarecrow mini challenge).  I also started drinking some mint and lavendar tea before bed and started using a "sounds of the sea" CD to drown out noisy neighbors, both of which were suggestions from friends.  So not I have the challenge of issolating with one(s) helped.

 

 

Greek

This week: 4 of 3

Total to date: 15 of 18

Thoughts: It was much easier than I thought it would be to keep up the Greek after my OH's parents have left.  It has become way less intimidating and have led to some hilarious moments.  There are also some short phrases that have worked their way into our normal conversations which is exciting!  The grammar study however seems to be less beneficial than I originally anticipated.  I didn't really realize how much of the grammar I would learn just through speaking it, but it is helping some so I am still doing it for now.

 

Yellow Brick Road Competition

Miles this week: 33

Miles to date: 58
Thoughts: None really, but I'm really excited about how much I have walked.
 

Scarecrow Mini Challenge
Meditation Minutes: 49
Thoughts: I had forgotten how difficult it is to start in traditional meditation, but how amazing it feels once you do.  I have been using some guided meditation for a while but it really does not compare.  It makes me sad that I stopped in the first place and I need to get back to it.

[Sunmage]

Hey,

I really like your well reflected updates!

And I'm looking forward for the June 30 one...

 

Great progress so far!