Primeval Runs Wild

[The Borg Queen]

I’m new to the scouts. I did my first challenge with the adventurers and it was awesome. I’ve decided to join the scouts while I train for a ½ Marathon. 

 

Last challenge was a wicked, juicy experiment, but this time I have goals. Big goals. In the near-ish future, I would like to train for and run a full marathon! As a second fitness goal, I’m training to do 100 pushups—in one set.

 

Here are some starting stats:

Weight: 149 lbs (Goal: 135 lbs)

BF: 29.5%   (Goal: 22%)

Running: Fast and long in the hot, hot sun

Pictures: Exist. I just took a couple.

 

Goal 1: Train, Train, Train… Pain!

This lovely message was scrawled on a post-it and hung on the wall at my former workplace... as a reminder that training can be a pain, I guess. But hopefully, training for a ½-marathon will not be a pain!

 

The date of the race is September 21^st. It’s my first one, and I’m super excited about it. I’ve chosen Shape Magazine’s half marathon training sequence, in part because it looks simple and features 3 running days and 2 cross-train days a week. That’s very doable for me. This is a link to the schedule: http://www.shape.com/fitness/training-plans/your-step-step-half-marathon-training-schedule?page=3

 

Grading:

          A: Completed 3 Runs/week, as planned

B: Completed 2 Runs/week, including the long run

C: A long run happened, at least!

F: Epic failure. I probably have a good excuse

 

+4 STA

 

BONUS: On running days, the priority of course is to get’er done, but I would like to make a point of including 10-20 minutes of stretching on these days. I will be able to earn a “+†grade if I add the stretching to all the running days for the week. 

 

+1 DEX

 

Goal 2: Bodyweight as the Weight

During the last challenge, I did some research and invented an interesting strength routine, featuring incremental weights, which I did twice a week. I gained a little muscle mass, visibly! However, in the interim period betwixt the challenges, I have become fascinated with bodyweight exercises. Specifically, I’ve been having fun with the Angry Birds workout. I love the stars, I love the sequence, it doesn’t take a long time, and you can literally do it anywhere. I foresee this helping me with my larger goal of doing 100 pushups in one set. FOR THIS CHALLENGE: ANGRY BIRDS, 2x/week!

 

         A:  Performed Angry Birds 2 x a Week

         B:  Performed Angry Birds 1 x a Week, and did a different type of bodyweight exercise a different day

         C:  Did bodyweight exercises, but not Angry Birds

         F:  Did not practice bodyweight exercise at all this week

 

+4 STR +1 STA

 

Goal 3: Food Tracker

I’m eating strictly paleo, and it’s great. I find that when I track my food, I make better food choices and am less likely to binge eat. Tracking also has the added benefit of helping me make smarter choices when I’m burning tons of calories. This goal will involve using MFP to track food consumed.

 

I have a couple of “guidelines,†rather than strict rules, on how I plan to eat:

• Keep carbohydrate consumption under 100 g/day
• Observe the NET calorie limit  (key word: observe)

That being said, I’m not going to obsess if my calories are over or under, or if I decide to eat a big pile of fruit one day. I’m trying to be healthy about watching what I eat and NOT obsess. 

 

A: Tracked every day of the week

B: Tracked at least 5 days out of the week

C: Tracked 1 day during the week

F: Fatal Error

 

+2 CON +1 WIS

 

Goal 4: Meditation

I’ve been incorporating meditation into my life. The goal is to increase frequency, rather than volume. I want to make it a goal to meditate 10 minutes every day.

 

The time goal of 10 minutes sounds modest, but according to the book I’m following, Tobin Blake’s Everyday Meditation, it’s more about quality than quantity.

 

My idea is to turn running into a more mindful activity. I’ve already weaned myself off of running with headphones, and I think having a separate, regular meditation practice will strengthen my ability to run mindfully.

 

A: Meditated at least 10 minutes, every day of the week

B: Meditated 10 minutes, at least 5 days out of the week OR 50 minutes all together

C: Meditated 10 minutes, 1 day during the week

F: Kept falling asleep instead of meditating, OR didn’t meditate at all.

 

+2 CON

 

Looking ahead, I think Goal 4 is going to be the hardest. As Regina Spektor might say about this, “Taking steps is easy, standing still is hard...â€

[Everstorm]

Another Half-er!  Seems to be a lot of us this challenge.  We seem to have a lot of similar goals.  Good luck!

[bgvanbur]

Welcome to the scouts.

 

You asked about paleo running on my thread yet you are paleo runner...  *scratches head*

 

Your goals look great.

[The Borg Queen]

Hey, thanks!

 

@bg, im not running as far as you... yet. How do you use carbs?

[bgvanbur]

Well I get carbs from fruits and veggies and hope that the dietary fat (and hopefully some body fat) are used too

[The Borg Queen]

Yeah, it's great when you actually burn some fat. Heh, heh.

 

Day -3 update!

 

I was working plank position today when my 2 year old personal trainer came over and decided to climb on my back. It was quite a challenge! I held for 90 s before I couldn't take it anymore. That's 26 lbs extra weight. Wew!

 

The short run went well yesterday. Then, I rode my bike to a remote suburb. The distance? I have no idea, but it was enough to really tucker me out. I have to remember to bring enough food and drink with me, or risk becoming a deflated-primeval balloon, just wafting around.

[TankGrrl]

I absolutely love your meditation goal and the whole meditate whilst running thing. I imagine you serenely gliding along.

I'm not sure I could manage that what with all the sweating and panting and stuff lol

[BeautifulBeast]

My first half is exactly a week after yours!! Yay for first time halfers  

I did a meditation goal my last challenge and it pretty well changed my life. Meditating is awesome! But I agree, that will probably be the hardest goal! 

[CakeBanisher]

Nice goals, Prime!  After what you accomplished last time around, I have absolutely no doubt you are totally capable of meeting (and exceeding) all of them!  And good for you, managing to continue your plank with 26 pounds of help  The most challenge I've had unexpectedly added to a plank is my cat nibbling on my fingers...which, while distracting, is nothing like having a kid on my back.  So nice work!  

 

Also, please don't turn into a deflated-Primeval balloon

[18ck]

Hood heavens! Another halfer!

[The Borg Queen]

I absolutely love your meditation goal and the whole meditate whilst running thing. I imagine you serenely gliding along.

I'm not sure I could manage that what with all the sweating and panting and stuff lol

Thank you! Yeah, it's tricky. Honestly, I don't even know if it's possible for me... just an idea, so far

 

 

My first half is exactly a week after yours!! Yay for first time halfers  

I did a meditation goal my last challenge and it pretty well changed my life. Meditating is awesome! But I agree, that will probably be the hardest goal! 

Meditating is so hard. I kind of hate it, and kind of love it....

 

 

Also, please don't turn into a deflated-Primeval balloon

Thanks for coming over to my thread! Yeah, I will try not to deflate. I really need to watch out for bonking, tho...

 

 

Hood heavens! Another halfer!

It's the "in" thing to do, I think

[The Borg Queen]

Day -1 update:

 

Yesterday was a rest day and also a day off of work, so I walked to the park with my dog. I had him off leash during a 20 minute meditation. He was a good century when my eyes were closed, cause he made little noises when others were approaching. It was fun.

 

Speaking of my dog, we have been going on short, 3- or 4- mile runs together. He is a great running partner! I wish I could take him on the longer runs, but I outrun him on distances over 4 miles.

 

Today, my long run was 7 miles. FURTHER!!!

 

I've been eating A LOT. I'm not attempting to limit calories, but do see the numbers and I'm kind of wowed by how much I've been eating. The past couple of days, I have been 3-800 calories over the "net" limit on MFP. But I'm hungry, man.

[Grizzy]

But I'm hungry, man.

 

I read this as "I'm a hungry man" and did a double take between the sentence and your profile pic.

 

I'm hoping that I'll get to the point where I can just kind of zen-out on my runs. At the moment though, I still need something to distract me from my body whining through three miles.

[The Borg Queen]

I read this as "I'm a hungry man" and did a double take between the sentence and your profile pic.

 

Well, you're not very far off. I've been eating like a hungry man, or specifically like a big lumberjack, but I'm a little lady, not a lumberjack and paleo.

[Shukar]

There's a bumper sticker I see at race expos from time to time that talks about how "I'm only half crazy", but if so many of us are half crazy I think that adds up to quite a nice little asylum we've got going on here. Good luck on the goals, and eating like a lumberjack. Your discussion of meditative running reminded me, strangely, of Born to Run. Good book which I highly recommend if you haven't read it yet. Relax and let the running come and it's amazing what you can do.

[L'irlandaise]

You decided! I'll be following you with interest, Prime, even if I can't keep up with you!!

[The Borg Queen]

@ Shukar: I like that, "the asylum." I'll check out that book, it sounds right up my alley.

 

@ L'irlandaise: Thanks for finding me! I missed your comments and fun banter during the interim time

 

Challenge Day 1 Update

 

I am so excited that the new challenge has finally started! It's like the first day of school, or something

 

I updated the "starting stats" in my first post, because I've lost a little weight and bf% in the two weeks since I wrote out my goals. Wooot!

 

I ran 4 miles this morning, and it was great. The schedule this week tells me to run 3 x 4 miles, so I think it's supposed to be a recovery week. However, I'm thinking about rebelling and increasing my mileage to 8 miles on the long run day. What do you think? Any harm there?

 

I've taken up a couple of myofascial release exercises with the foam roller, and I think I've seen a difference. It seems like I'm always at war with these angry little clumps of fascia, so I'll try anything that helps. Also, it's nice NOT to be in pain.

[sicil]

You go. So impressed by your meditation challenge! I hear the foam roller is super painful - true?

[L'irlandaise]

AHA! Another foam roller buddy. And it's you!!!!!! How cool is that? I'm on week two of using mine - sicil : it's delicious on hamstrings, glutes and quads but argh I find it horrible on lats (where I have no muscle to speak of) and, more worryingly, on my upper back  and shoulders.

 

Congrats on the positive trends - you're starting in style!!!

[The Borg Queen]

You go. So impressed by your meditation challenge! I hear the foam roller is super painful - true?

 

It's not the most comfortable thing, but it probably isn't anything compared with the physio you were up to last challenge... I'd give it 2/10 pain. And you can of course adjust by how much you hold back/give into it

 

@ L'irlandaise, yay for making positive changes! I have upper back stuff going on, too. for me, the biggest hurting happens when I roll my IT band.

[CakeBanisher]

Foam rollers can be very helpful, even if they do hurt a bit while you're doing them.  Like pushing on a muscle spasm.  It hurts, but it hurts good...if that makes any sense...

 

Also I totally understand being so excited for the first day of the challenge  And you have me very impressed with your 7 mile run!  Congrats!

[sicil]

Mostly for legs or would it be of any use to stretching out upper back?

[L'irlandaise]

Mostly for legs or would it be of any use to stretching out upper back?

Hi sicil. Here's a link to a video on how to use it for the upper back. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4rXpUDfY_A

 

 

There are loads of instructional videos on youtube for it, mainly for people like me who need guidance after fighting with one. A yoga student recommended "miracle balls" to me  which I might look into for neck  and shoulder tissue massage - at the moment, I feel like I could iron shirts on my upper back and neck.

[sicil]

Oooh, totally bookedmarked. Thanks L'irlandaise! I can only get the kinks worked out when I go to massage. This seems like a good in-between alternative.

[The Borg Queen]

I'm glad you guys like the foam roller idea. I think I bought mine for $10, it was a good purchase...

 

I'm giving myself a MINI CHALLENGE.

 

I've been trying to finish Gary Taube's Why We Get Fat for a little over a month now, and I'm struggling to get through it. It's causing a traffic jam in my reading, with multi-book pile ups, etc. I'm about half way through it, and I just have to finish reading it.

 

The goal: to finish it by Saturday at 5 pm. I'll award myself +0.25 WIS if I get it done. Otherwise, I'm just going to put it down and move on.