Rangers Report! Challenge end!

[nightlight]

Put your end of challenge reports here! 

[TxAg_WxNerd]

Posted this on my thread as well...

 

Goals:

1) Get stronger:

   Meet or exceeded all but my pull up goal which I only got to 5 not 7. Still I would have to give myself a A-, since I definitely feel stronger all around.

 

2) Move More:

   I give myself a B for this because I began to do less and less running. But I did get out and play golf and walked a lot.

 

3) Maintain Diet:

    Not sure if I stay with 80% paleo, though didn't fall off until my family reunion last weekend. Still, I called this pass/fail...Fail! Better start planning ahead better to destroy the next challenge.

 

Life Goal:

    I did get a few new clothes, but haven't cleared out all that is to big for me. I am cheap so guess that means I failed here too. That being said, I did get rid of a few items that I never liked how they looked.

[5C0T]

Copies from my thread:

CHALLENGE TWO WRAP UP: BIG DAMN HERO

FITNESS GOALS

1. We have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty. Work out three times a week.

What I learned. Work out programs are boring. I have an idea to mitigate that challenge next time. Also it's hard to rely on a guy who's job is much more intense than mine, plus has a wife and a family to look after when I'm a free wheeling bachelor dude. Still we managed to get in most of our workouts, and I more than made up for what he and I missed.

I get an A and STR 2; STA 2

2. Here's a funny twist. Muscle is no good if you can't move.

What I learned: I'll admit that some of my morning stretches were perfunctory, but I did them and created a good habit. I added stretches to the work day, enough so my colleagues stopped looking at me funny. And stretched after almost every workout. I can give myself an A here too, and DEX 2; STA 2

3. My food is problematic.

What I learned: I hate counting Calories. I don't trust the information on MyFitnessPal -- how can a restaurant have three different calorie counts for the same meal, none of them matching what their web site provides. I ate empty calories to boost to my "goal." That's a bad thing. And it's freaking hard to cook and eat when it's really hot out. For that reason, I'm not doing a food challenge next time -- at least not one that's calorie based.

Still, I did a pretty good job. I can honestly say I got a C in this program. That's worth STR1; CON 1

LIFE GOAL

I'll be in my bunk -- Get to bed at 9:30 each work night.

What I learned. Getting to bed at 9:30 is easy. Going to sleep that early isn't. It took me time to wind down, but my sleep was deeper and I got up fewer times to pee. For a man in his late forties, that's no small task. Giving me an A here too: CON 2; STA 2

THE BIG LEARNING

I'm not saying Aunt Barb was right; I just have too much stubbornness for that. But, I have to face some realities: I'm an ectomorph* and I'm pushing 50. Unless there's some magic non-cancer causing gamma rays about to enter my life, I'm never going to be huge. That's okay. I don't need to be huge. I need to extend middle-age for as long as possible, and continue my progress getting into great shape. Even if that's a tad thinner than your action hero. I am kind of pleased that my medium sized t-shirts are tight in the right places and I'm upsizing to large where I can.

This isn't meant to be an excuse or discouraging. On the contrary, it helps me clarify my focus on being in good shape rather than having a good shape. Future challenges will reflect this.

Thanks for the support. Looking forward to next time!

[tenaciousglee]

Challenge 9 Wrap-up

Mission 1: Gain 10 pounds in 6 weeks - Starting weight 158.8#, Ending weight 157#.  I gained about 5 pounds along the way, but it all seemed to be gathering around my midsection, so I dropped this goal around week 4 and started trying to get leaner.  No points awarded, but some lessons learned about the best ways for me to put on weight.  And I'm down an inch and a quarter on my belly since I stopped trying to bulk! 

Mission 2: Work on balance/core strengthening 3x/week - I never really got into this one.  Did 5.5 out of planned 18, but I did make an indo board and I continue to use it for push-ups during my warm-up on lifting days.  We'll call that a D. +1 DEX  I'll have to stash this mission away to revisit at a later date.

Mission 3: Complete 5 sets of 10 pull-ups - Complete! +3 STR

Life Quest: Tame the iPhone addiction - I let this one slip a bit, too.  I did pretty well sticking to the structure I set up at work, but not great at home.  Maybe I should focus on one battleground at a time.  I'm starting a new position at work this month and I really won't have the freedom to play on my phone, so it's good I've gotten under control.  I'll keep working on it at home.  I should really just put my phone away when I get home and not check it again until my husband/dad duties are complete. Half points: +1 WIS, +1 CHA

 

Total points: 6 out of 15 possible = 40% = C-.  But it's not failure and I'm ready to level up and rock Challenge 10!

[UH60guy]

Challenge wrap up:

As you’ll see below I started this challenge strong out of the gate, but really lost my stride with all the going out of town and disruptions to my schedule. It’s hard enough to get into a routine, and even harder to keep to a routine once everything else around me was changing.

 

Bears: Run three times per week. Well, this one changed over time. Halfway through the challenge I realized the MCM was unrealistic and I could better spend my energy on the family. Not wanting to completely give up on running, I modified it to just keep up 3 runs a week while still doing a half marathon September 1, and now another one on October 6 to keep me focused. Still, I only made all three runs 5/6 weeks (16/18 runs total). Grade: B. DEX+1.5. STA+1.5

 

Beets: Eat healthy, 1 point for healthy meals, -0.5 for snacks and desserts. This is where I suffered. I saw awesome results in the first half of the challenge, and the weight came off quick. I hit an all time low at 139 too. Unfortunately, I didn’t adapt to change and temptation well, and lost the glide path during my travelling and time away from the house, and I’m back to 147 this morning, which is right where I started. I loved this challenge, and think about 17 points per week was a good goal. Plus, now I know it works if I just stick to it- I will do this again next challenge. Final score: 97.5/126, goal was 100. Grade: B. CON+1.5, CHA+1.5

 

Battlestar Galactica: Go to the gym or workout three times per week. Side goal, get back into flying. I did pretty well on this one, except I missed one workout in week five for a total of 17/18. However, my goal was still “3 per week,†so I only got 5/6 on this one. The side goal was to get back in the cockpit and keep flying. I did that on week two in my BSG tank  I’ll keep it up too, I’m going to try going out again in another two weeks. Grade: A-. STR+2.5, WIS+1

 

Life goal: Do a chore around the house and give a compliment to my wife each day. This got tricky with some long workdays and travelling a lot, so I had some days where I missed chores. Compliments were easier, and it was a nice touch. 36/42 days with compliments, 34/42 with chores. Grade: A for compliments, B for chores. CHA+2, WIS+.5

 

Blargh. I’ll have to try harder next time, and search for some challenging goals that I can still achieve even in the face of adversity. I have a lot of life goals converging at the moment, so this next one should be an interesting one!

[starpuck]

CHALLENGE WRAP UP RESULTS

 

MAIN QUEST: To turn these fledgling habits into instincts.

• Run 3x/Week (STA 2)  - Completed 13 out of 16 possible runs.   +1.5 STA (B Grade)
• Strength 3x/Week (STR 2) - Completed 12 out of 16 possible strength workouts.   +1 STR (C Grade)
• Cook 1 Paleo/Clean Meal/week (CON 3) - Cooked 6 clean meals!!   +3 CON  (A Grade)

Side Fitness Quest:   Increase Pull Ups to 5 in a single set. (+1 Str)  Improve 5k time to <10 min/mile. (+1 Dex)

Max Pull Ups in 1 Set : 5  +1STR!  (With video proof lol!)

Average 5k Pace (Indoor tracks) : <10min/mi  +1 DEX

 

LIFE QUEST: Put $75/week into savings account (WIS 3)

$450 were put into savings during this challenge!   +3 WIS

 

Side Life Quest:  Face your destiny – stop putting off the dentist and eye doctor. (+2 Cha)   -Both Teeth & Eyes got their check up!  +2 CHA!

Bonus quest: Redo Starpuck photo shoot pictures! Smile at results! (+1 Cha)  - Chickened out on this due to struggling with clean eating/feeling bloaty.

 

 

Summary:    I do not feel so great about this challenge.   It's good that we track things, because had I not written down what I /DID/ accomplish over the past 6 weeks I'd probably be telling everyone and myself that this challenge was a total failure.   I think I can just tell that I didn't put in 100%.   I was too easily convinced into taking the easy way on occasions, giving in to street food, and going with what felt good for the moment, rather than good for the long haul.  I also had a very busy 6 weeks - hockey camp, (and the introduction of PHLABE), the Bad Ass Dash, hiking trips, outings and parties, ending with my dad's visit which is still in progress.    Steve's article about September hit VERY close to home.   The last 4 years, I have gained 20-30lbs between Sept and March, and lost it between May and August.   This year ... I AM NOT GAINING THIS WEIGHT BACK!    I am going to get a few runs in this week when I can, a few strength workouts, and next week I plan on getting back into the routines I am trying to turn into lifestyle.

 

Also ... ending the challenge on day 1 of Shark Week is kinda totally bogus.    My weight is up.  (142.0)  UGH!  (Shark week, plus dad visit plus fair food/restaurant food.)   But that's cool... because it pads the numbers for a great loss NEXT challenge. (Silver lining?)

[Librarian of Doom]

Quote

 

Mission #1: MOAR SQUATS!

 

Squatting is a very good position for laboring, anatomically speaking, and squatting is good preparation for childbirth. Ina May Gaskin has been quoted as saying â€œSquat 300 times a day, you’re going to give birth quickly.†I'm going to start off somewhat slowly and shoot for a slightly lower number: 100 squats a day OR 10 minutes accumulated in the bottom of my squat. Squats may be of any kind; air, back, front, overhead, etc.

 

Grading: 38+ days of squats = A; 33-37 days = B, 32 or fewer days = C; 0 days = F

 

Results: I managed 35 days of squats for a solid B. I'm going to bump it to a B+ because even on days when I didn't get my 100, I almost always got some squats, and there were several days when I had more than 100.

 

Quote

 

Mission #2: MOAR YOGA!

 

Due to general unfitness and adhesions from the c-sections, I have had trouble with my hip flexibility in the past. I don't want this to become an issue in labor, although I have gotten much better, so I need to work my mobility when I can. Goal is to do yoga with hip-opening poses at least 3x per week. Must be at least 10 minutes of yoga to count

 

Grading: 16+ yoga sessions = A; 14-15 sessions = B; 13 or fewer sessions = C; 0 sessions = F

 

Results: I got 18 yoga sessions in!!! A

 

Quote

 

Mission #3: MOAR CROSSFIT!

 

I've been very pleased with how I've been able to continue doing CrossFit with only a few modifications, and even those were only added recently. I plan to continue attending for as long as I'm physically able. Starting back to school will make this a bit difficult, but I'm shooting for 3x per week.

 

Grading: 16+ days of CF = A; 14-15 days= B; 13 or fewer days = C; 0 days = F

 

Results: 17 days! Even though I missed an entire week due to a child being sick/general life stuff!!! A

 

Quote

 

Life Side Quest:

MOAR POSITIVITY!

 

I've been struggling with negative feelings recently. I'm feeling really negative about my job, which I have ranted about in the past, and getting ready to start back at school has been bringing those feelings back to the surface. I'm questioning whether or not the lifestyle changes I have put in place will be enough for me to be able to VBAC or if I will end up with another c-section. Money is tight right now because of the school closing out the financial year in June (so July's paycheck was received in June) and the decision to move August's pay day to the last working day of the month, and we had to replace 3 of the 4 tires on our main car this summer (one of them twice), plus some other stuff. Which ties back into my job, because if I wasn't working in K12 education in a state that cuts education funding whenever possible, my income might be a bit more capable of covering our expenses.

 

The point is, there's a lot going on right now, and it's easy for me to slip into negative thoughts, which pregnancy hormones do not help with. But I'd like to keep my blood pressure in the good place where it has been; I want to save all of my maternity leave for AFTER Baby A makes his appearance. So my goal will be to focus on the positive; specifically, to find AT LEAST one positive thing in each day. Positive thoughts can be repeated and will be logged in this thread.

 

Grading: 38+ positive thoughts = A; 33-37 positive thoughts = B; 32 or fewer thoughts = C; 0 thoughts = F

 

Results: 42 days of positive thoughts! I'm really pleased with how this goal required me to actually look for the positive; there is a lot of positive going on in my life. A!!!

 

Total Challenge Grade: B+ 

 

Not perfect, but pretty darn close. Not bad for the beginning of the school year 

[lilbichy]

Challenge Wrap up:

Goal #1 Workouts - 2 days a week cardio days with 10 min cardio video at home, 2 days a week body weight/weight workouts, 1 new class a week, and 1 day focus stretching. 

I completed all but 1 class so I earned an A for this.  +2 STR, +2 DEX, +2 STA Awarded

Goal # 2 Food -  Follow a Paleo eating plan.

I ate paleo about 82% of the time earning a B for this.  Better than last challenge but still not where I would like it to be.  +3 CON Awarded

Goal # 3 Tracking - Track food and workouts daily.  Also track 5 positive thoughts a week.

I missed only 3 days of tracking food earning an A for this goal.  +3 WIS Awarded

Goal #4 Life - Fix up office for kids, Finish Cosplay, Read self help workbook weekly.

Everything was completed for this earning an A as well.  +2 CHA Awarded

 

I pushed myself extremely hard on my workouts resulting in awesome changes. I lost a few lbs, lost 1.5 inches from my waist and hips.  I finally went out and bought new pants that actually fit.  Hopefully I can hit the gym just as hard next challenge!

[Fonzico]

GOAL ONE: EMBRACE MY INNER YOGI (+2DEX, +2END, +1WIS)

Attend a minimum of two yoga classes per week

(B- ) I attended (or practised at home) 8 times during the course of the challenge. Having the classes run out for the last two weeks definitely didn't help - I really struggled with doing it on my own. I don't understand what it is - I like doing yoga, and while I prefer a class setting, once I get into it at home, I still enjoy it - for some reason, I just have trouble getting started. While I intend to examine this perplexing trend in the future, I think for now I'm going to give yoga a rest, and focus my efforts elsewhere. That being said, I definitely benefited from the yoga I DID do, and discovered I really love Kundalini yoga, so that's a win

 

GOAL TWO: EAT MY VEGGIES! (+3CON, +1WIS)

Eat every single item in our CSA box each week.

(B ) Overall I did pretty well with this, although I did have to throw some stuff away: About one bag of lettuce, total, a handful of baby carrots, the tail end of a bag of arugula, and a couple beets. I think that was it. And I tried everything that was new to me! Not that that was much, just some interesting Chinese greens, heirloom beans, some still-unidentified green that kind of looked like spinach, but was more bitter, and rainbow chard. We still have another month or so of boxes coming though, which is great - lots of root veggies and onions and garlic now, which suits me just fine I did learn that I can definitely be eating more locally - the selection of things we can grow here is still impressive, I think bell peppers would be the thing I would miss the most! (I still did buy some stuff from the grocery store, but mostly it was onions when we weren't getting enough, and the occasional avocado or cucumber (You can totally grow cukes here, I'm not sure why they didn't). I'm going to try even harder next year to survive the summer on local food - I learned a lot with our first garden this year, and I'm already stoked to start planning for next! So, overall, this goal was a success.

 

GOAL THREE: EAT SLOW FOOD (+2 CON, +2 CHA)

Refrain from eating any fast food for the next 6 weeks.

(B+) I am really impressed with myself here - I talked myself down from many a poor meal. I did have 5 guys once (Bleh!) and I had a few bites of a hot dog on a golf course, and I got a salad from Quiznos once. While I tend to go through phases of being good about bringing lunch to work, I think I've made some good progress in breaking the mental pathway that points to fast food lunches. Mostly, if I forgot lunch, I did exactly what I said I would in my original post - I got salads or sushi from the grocery store.

 

LIFE GOAL: CREATE! (+2WIS)

Spend a minimum of 90 minutes each week, working on something creative

(B- ) 417 minutes accomplished (of 540m goal). I started out really well with this, and kind of petered off towards the end. But I know from experience that having this goal pushed me to do much more than I would have otherwise, so I still think it was a success. I almost exclusively worked on my drawing skills - it was too short of a time frame to really see any improvement, but I know that any practice is good. I know I want to continue on in this vein for my next life goal, but with a little more structure, in order to really build on what I've started here.

 

 

Okay, so a solid "B" challenge! Obviously, I would have liked to see an "A" or four, but I still think that I achieved more follow-through on this challenge than I have yet, and I'm more than ready to build on these successes. I still need to find that balance between flexibility and structure - I think I got closer with this one, and am going to continue to fine-tune it.

 

Stat level up:

Strength: 8.5 | Dexterity: 8 (+1.5)| Stamina: 6.5 (+1.5)| Constitution: 12 (+3.5) | Wisdom: 10.5 (+3) | Charisma: 7.5 (+1.5)

[darkfoxx]

Cycle 5 Big Wrapup

 

 

Main Quest

 

My main quest for the next few months is to chip away at building the fitness I need to participate in a big challenge event like Tough Mudder or Mudderella. I am most likely looking at sometime late summer/early fall 2014 for Tough Mudder and spring 2014 for Mudderella.  

 

 

Support Goal 1: Yada Yada Fitness Related

 

Track #1 - If I can swing it and my schedule doesn't get completely jacked up, complete the Warrior 90 Challenge from HasFit. 5-6 days of working out per week will get me an A and on my way toward my goal. 

 

 

I continued on with the Warrior 90 Challenge from HasFit and finished my weeks 2-7 strong. This cycle I have worked out a total of 599 minutes or 9.98 hours. This number doesn't include the walking I did during the weekends - just the straight time devoted to "working out". 

 

Week 1 - A

Week 2 - A

Week 3 - A

Week 4 - A

Week 5 - A 

Week 6 - A

 

For the challenge: A+. With results like these, I'll be kicking ass at a Mudder in no time. 

 

 

 

Support Goal 2: Something Food Related

 

This challenge I really made a concerted effort to keep up with the metrics I've been building toward for the past few challenges - (under 100g of fat, 100g or less of carbs, 70g or over of protein, and 60oz. or over of water. I also did a Whole30 challenge this cycle. 

 

Week 1 - A - I hit my protein and carb goals each day and started Whole30

Week 2 - A- - I hit my protein all by 2 days and hit carbs every day with 1 of the crap protein days being way under

Week 3 - A - A couple of hiccups, but really good on metrics for most of the week

Week 4 - A - Rocked it out this week

Week 5 - A - Did good this week, despite Saturday's low protein 

Week 6 - A - Did great on metrics for most of the week, and my overages were only by a single point. I had 1 day with low protein, but it wasn't for lack of trying. 

 

For the challenge: A. I'm surprised at how well I did this challenge and how much I actually liked doing Whole30. More on my Whole30 experience here. 

 

 

Support Goal 3: Cut The Stress

 

Looming unemployment, the possibility of not having a job to do, and the searching for a new job/rejection that goes along with it + the stress of actually starting at a new place are all going to take their toll on my mind and my body during this challenge cycle and I need to combat that.

 

I had planned on this cycle seeing a major shakeup to my schedule with unemployment. That didn't happen (though is still looming over my head like an axe). I think I've been taking it all in stride this six week period, and have been really trying not to let life's uncertainties stress me out too badly.  

 

Week 1 - A

Week 2 - A

Week 3 - A-

Week 4 - A

Week 5 - A

Week 6 - A

 

For the challenge: This one was easy, once I put my mind to it. I had my moments of attempted stress all challenge, but reminded myself that this was nothing I could control and nothing I needed to be stressing out about. A.

 

 

Life Quest - Find a damn job. Or start a damn job. Possibly learn how to interact with people again. 

 

This goal will be either accomplished or not - I'll be plugging away with the resume sending and (hopefully) interviewing in the meantime. 

 

This cycle sucked on the job front. Tumbleweeds on the job boards for the most part, but I applied where I could. I did not, however, find another job. Failed this one, but since I'm still employed for now I'm not too broken up about it. 

 

Challenge Grade: F. It's a side quest, so I'm not stressing (or I'd risk not passing a main quest goal!) 

 

 

Diet/Fitness Side Quest - Metrics on Steroids

 

My big overarching goal is diet and fitness related, but I want to throw something extra into the mix: I want to learn more about Dave Asprey's ideas on biohacking and to see if any of that can apply to my life. I'm not big on supplements (and he's a supplement junkie), but I'd still like to carve out the research.

 

I started out really sucking for this side quest but ended up watching 12 hours of free seminar and got some solid things I can try moving forward. And I've already implemented some things. This will feature next cycle. 

 

Challenge Grade: Pass! I have some solid framework from which to move forward. 

 

 

Challenge Start Measurements

 

Neck at narrowest: 11 3/4" 

Bust under breast: 30.5" 

Waist at narrowest: 28"

Hip at widest: 41"

Thigh at thickest: 19"

Arm at widest: 11" 

Weight at wakeup: 131.3 

Height: 5ft. 2 3/4 inches (5'2" for measuring purposes) 

 

According to my FitBit scale, my BMI is:  24.03% (mid-normal). 

According to the Navy's metrics, my BMI is: 34% (obese).

According to a random simple online BMI tracker, my BMI is 24.0% (upper end of normal).

 

 

Challenge End Measurements

 

Neck at narrowest: 11 3/4" 

Bust under breast: 31" 

Waist at narrowest: 28"

Hip at widest: 40"

Thigh at thickest: 19 3/4"

Arm at widest: 10 3/4" 

Weight at wakeup: 129.4 

Height: 5ft. 2 3/4 inches (5'2" for measuring purposes) 

 

According to my FitBit scale, my BMI is:  23.68% (mid-normal). 

According to the Navy's metrics, my BMI is: 31.97% (average).

According to a random simple online BMI tracker, my BMI is 23.7% (normal).

 

 

Challenge Reflection: I did good this challenge. Having a set framework for working out really helped me get it together, I think. And deciding that I was going to stick to the metrics I've set out - combined with a strict eating framework for much of the challenge - really helped whip that goal in shape as well. Whoo hoo! 

[darkfoxx]

Damn, Fonzico, beat me posting by seconds! ;p 

[Fonzico]

Damn, Fonzico, beat me posting by seconds! ;p 

Bahahaha! Can you tell we were just waiting for this thread to be posted? Do I get a prize now?

[goodbye_farewell]

For the full summary of my challenge, click here.

 

TL;DR? See below...

 

Goal 1: 1026/1620 Pushups completed (D) but I did weight training and got stronger.

Goal 2: 1175/540 minutes of cardio completed (A++). Killed it. Lost almost 15 lbs.

Goal 3: 37/42 days of food logging ( B ). I'll take it.

Goal 4: Sub 75 second Rubik's cube avg solve was achieved (A). Benchmark score was 69.56 seconds.

[Eirlys]

Original Challenge: On Becoming a Bard

Challenge Migration: Making Time For Life

 

(Changed at the end of week 2 but only 2 goals swapped)

 

Challenge Scores

 

1. Sort out my working hours (replacement for Music) - STA +2 CON +2

Grade: A

 

I did everything I could, and I'm now coming home much earlier and have free time at lunch.  Hooray!

 

2. Charisma - CHA +2

Grade: C

 

Could do better - I don't feel I put much effort into this one.  However, I did notice good results when I applied it.

 

3. Minimalism - (replacement for Zing) - WIS +4

Grade: A

 

Pwned this one    I'm so happy with the progress I have made!  Okay, so there's books all over the floor in the lounge which I'm processing before selling them to Amazon, but the flat is looking soooo much better (am especially pleased with the bookcase), and I have more time to spend doing what I want!!  Yip yip!!

 

4. Life Quest - Daily Routine - WIS +2 STA +1

Grade: B

 

Am making great progress with this one.  Am processing mail when I walk through the door, and have recently started getting ready for bed around 9ish.  I didn't get onto floor exercises because of the medical treatment I'm undergoing, but that's why it's a B not an A.

 

5.  Diet/Fitness Quest - Nourishment - CON +1 STA +1

Grade: F

 

Total fail.  Have put on several kg and was upto my heaviest weight in a year (almost 60kg, ouch!)  Currently back at 58.5kg.  My 'excuse' was the medical stuff and stress at work I have been going through, and limited opportunity to exercise in the last week & a half.  But this is something I need to get a grip on for the next challenge!

 

 

Totals:

STA +2.75, CON +2, CHA +1, WIS +5.5

 

 

Overall Challenge Grade: B

 

Am really happy with what I have achieved this challenge.  Plus, I'm working on some things which are not even listed here but are good life-enhanced things, so the 'making space for life' really did work!!

 

My last challenge for now as a Ranger - am heading over the the Druids as my upcoming challenges seem to fit more with their ethos.

[DirtyLittleSecrets]

Review Time:

 

Diet and Fitness Goals:

 

1. Strength and speed STR: 2 | DEX: 1 | STA: 1

 

Switched up how to track my workouts a couple times and used my Zombies 5k and Nike + to track my runs and overall got better. I'm very happy with this but feel that my workouts could have been more consistent.

 

75%- Awarding myself STR 1 l DEX: 1 l STA: 1.

 

Taking away one stat point since my body weight training wasn't as consistent as I wanted it to be. Changed this from 90% since I want to be a bit harder on myself, it was good but there's no way I'm letting myself get that good of a mark and being that inconsistent in the next challenge. Truth, I only missed two workout days and for decent reasons but I can't in good faith say it was the best I could do.

 

2. Train hard, rest hard: STA: 1 | CON: 2 | WIS: 1

 

Did much better giving myself days off and not pushing myself as much! Fruit and veggie intake increased as well as my proteins so my meals were more balanced. Very happy!

 

100%- STA: 1 l CON: 2 l WIS: 1

 

3. Complete a 5k without walking DEX: 1 | STA: 3

 

I did it! I ended up trying to check if I made it 5k and accidentally deleted my workout on my Zombie 5k app. Not happy about that at all but since I was using my Nike+ I know I did it.

 

100%- DEX: 1 l STA: 3

 

Life Sidequest:  WIS: 2 | CHA: 1

 

Visit the library-

 

I read a bunch of new books before school started! I'm really happy with this and found a few more authors I enjoy. It's going to be easier to find books now that I'm back at school but it was good to get out of my comfort zone and explore my city.

 

100%- WIS: 2 l CHA: 1

 

Level 1

STR: 4  | DEX: 4  |  STA: 1  | CON: 3  | WIS: 3  | CHA: 6

 

 

Level increase!

 

 + STR: 1 l DEX: 2 l STA: 5 l CON: 2 l WIS: 3 l CHA: 1

[idealistinfire]

End of Challenge Results:

 

Main Quest:  Kick The Saboteur's Ass

Overall, I think we drew a draw for our first round of fighting,the Saboteur and I.  I found a few successful strategies in defeating his lies, but I wasn't always successful.  But the fact that he didn't straight out win this round makes good progress for me, and I shall take strength from the knowledge that this challenge wasn't a complete or even half-way failure. 

 

Grand Total Gains: .5 DEX, .75 DEX, 1.25 STR, 2 CON, 2 CHA, 2 WIS

 

 

Details

1) Play the Game: Escape the Cave, continued....  (worth 1.5 Dex, 1 STA, 1.5 STR, 1 CON - 80% for maintenance, 20% for enhancing)

Maintenance: Workout Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday (Monday as option if hiking/extra time-consuming workout planned).

Enhancing: Walk 1-2 miles on non-workout days to get further along in The Cave and help pup's mental stability. 

Every 8 miles (including workouts) = 1 purchased coffee

Results: .5 DEX, .75 STA, 1.25 STR, .5 CON  - Based on a roughly 80% success rate.  I got 2 workouts a week except for 2 when I got all 3. but I also increased my walking a lot this challenge.

 

2) Lighten Up: no complaining out loud.  Complaints may only be written and kept to self, not shared with others.  Legitimate concerns/challenges are okay, complaining/whining/etc is not. Each complaint will cost me 20 push-ups. (worth 3 CHA, 2 WIS)

Results: 2 CHA, 2 WIS - based no the fact that I cut a lot of my complaints out, but chose not to do the required pushups on 3 occasions. 

 

3) Eat Real Foods, continued... (Worth 3 CON - 80% for Maintenance, 20% for Enhance)

Maintenace: Limit hfcs to 4x per week or less 

Enhance: Limit non-homemade snacks and dessert to 4x or less per week (includes soda, syrupy coffee drinks, baked goods, ice cream snack items, etc.) 

For each week I successfully meet "enhanced" criteria, 1 "free" loot earned (non food related)

Results: 1.5 CON - based on not technically meeting either goal for any week, but the items I broke them with were significantly healthier than previous challenges.  So progress made.

 

Side Quest: Where is Here? track all money spent.  By end of challenge, create a graph with totals listed.  (Worth 2 WIS)

Results: 0 WIS - the results are tracked but I haven't looked at them yet - not officially.  The quick scan I did gave me a little bit of a heart attack and I haven't had the courage to face the numbers yet.  But I will make that chart before the next challenge starts.

[TerraNik]

Challenge Summary

 

Main Goals 

1. Develop Strength Under the Bar

 a) Hatch squat program (back squats & front squats 2 sessions/week)

 b  ) Oly lifting sessions (minimum 2 sessions/week) 

 

End of challenge goals: 

    i) Snatch >= 45kg (+3kg)

    ii) C&J >= 65kg (+5kg)

    iii) Bench press >= 50kg (+5kg) - testing with my coach this week

 

 

I'm really happy with how my bar work has gone this challenge. I have continued to improve and have reached 2/3 goals (bench will be tested later this week). I am still shocked I managed a 65kg C&J!! Can't complain about that! The Hatch program is getting really difficult, but I've stuck with it and I am definitely seeing results. 

 

Score: A  (STR 3  |  STA 0.5)

 

 

 

2. Improve bodyweight movements 

 a) Extra skills/strength sessions weekly focusing on the below movements (minimum 4 extra sessions per week) 

 

End of challenge goals:

   i) Handstand push-up (Goal: 5kg plate + ab mat) 

   ii) Strict pull-up (Goal: unassisted) 

   iii) Pistol squat (Goal: orange band assisted) 

   iv) Flexed arm hang (Goal: >30 seconds)

   v) Double unders (Goal: >50) 

 

I was super lazy with this goal towards the end of the challenge. When I got sick, I managed to continue with my barbell work, but just ditched any accessory work. I initially had set some goals (HSPU 10kg plate, DU >40) and met them in the first week, but I haven't been able to make the updated goals. I think this goal deserves a big fat F, or maybe an L for lazy! 

 

Score: F 

 

 

 

 

3. Get rid of the dead weight!  

a) Reduced calorie intake (aiming 1500 cal/day)

b ) Log all food daily 

c) Paleo + occasional dairy (once per day max)

d) Alcohol once maximum during challenge 

e) Fish minimum once per week

f) Repeat DEXA scan once at 78kg (not necessarily in this challenge)

 

End of challenge goal: 

i) Weight <80kg 

 

 

Ha!! Yeah, right. Man this challenge really sucked, didn't it?! I didn't shrink at all this challenge, in fact I think I gained 2kg. But I know where I went wrong and the last week of the challenge I really changed things up. This is a major work in progress. 

 

Score: C  (CON 1) 

 

 

Side Quest  

Compete in first CrossFit competition 

 

I competed in not one, but TWO CrossFit competitions during the challenge! I'm really pleased with myself and have signed up for my 3rd, which will be in November. 

 

Score :A  (STR 1  |  STA 1)

 

Life Quests

1. Back to the books!  

I don't find time to read as much as I would like, so I am going to set myself a little challenge of reading every day. It doesn't have to be much, even just one chapter! 

a) Read one chapter of Game of Thrones book 1 per day

b ) Read one chapter of my Sports Medicine text book per week. Make notes. Revise relevant anatomy as appropriate. 

 

End of challenge goals: 

 i) 36 chapters read of GOT

 ii) 6 chapters read of Sports Medicine textbook

 

I definitely met my GoT goal! Love that series! Unfortunately my Sports Medicine study plans were overtaken by work-related study in Anaesthetics, so I haven't scored myself too poorly because I still did career-related reading. 

 

Score: B (WIS 1  |  CHA 1)

 

 

 

2. Level Up the Dogs!   (WIS 0.5  |  CHA 0.5)

It has been almost 6 months since I competed with my dogs and I miss it a lot (and so do they!) So this is an 'extra' life goal for the puppies. 

a) Attend a minimum of 4 Obedience/Rally-O trials and compete with all 3 dogs. 

 

 

End of challenge goals:

 i) Jedi's Goal: Rally Excellent title 

 ii) Ahsoka's Goal: Rally Advanced title 

 iii) Revan's Goal: Rally Advanced title + another Novice Obedience pass 

 

 

All 3 dogs met their Rally goals, however I didn't end up putting Revan in his Obedience trial. We'll do it later. 

 

Score: A (WIS 0.5  |  CHA 0.5)

 

 

Summary of PRs 

1RM snatch 45kg 

2RM hang snatch 40kg

3RM hang snatch 35kg

3RM high hang snatch 35kg 

1RM power snatch 42kg 

3RM hang power snatch 42.5kg

2RM high hang power snatch 40kg 

 

1RM C&J 65kg

3RM clean 55kg

3RM split jerk 55kg

1RM hang C&J 60kg

2RM hang C&J 55kg

1RM hang power clean 60kg 

3RM hang power clean 57.5kg 

2RM high hang power clean 52.5kg

3RM high hang power clean 50kg

 

1RM push press 55kg

1RM push jerk 55kg

 

Double unders: 42 unbroken

HSPU: 10kg plate under head 

 

 

 

Summary

Overall, I guess looking at it I didn't do too badly, however losing some weight off my frame was really important to me and I guess in my mind not completing that goal brings the whole challenge down. On a more positive note though, I am really happy with everything else despite neglecting my body weight movement goal. I took on quite a bit as usual for this challenge, but I was unwell for at least 2 weeks and also became quite a bit burned out with changes to my work schedule and other things going on. The important thing is that I continued despite the things thrown in my way and I managed to improve in other areas regardless. 

 

Overall score: B- 

[Raine]

Final Report

 

Here's what I posted in my challenge thread...

 

Exercise - bench press 100 lbs (at least 3x5) - DONE! By the final week I was able to get to 100 lbs and do the reps I wanted.

Exercise - increase cardio by adding jumping rope to the routine (at least 10 minutes twice a week) - PARTIAL. I increased cardio with more time on the heavy back instead of adding a jumping rope routine. (I also increased core exercising with an added ab routine.)
Food - stick to Paleo for the full six weeks - DONE! And still going strong. I would say I'm 85% Paleo and that works for me.

Life Goal - clear out my closet and donate unwanted clothes - PARTIAL. I didn't clear out the entire closet, but I did manage to get through some of my clothes. I'm continuing to do this one since I'm going down in size and need to toss the old stuff anyway. I've got two bags for donation so far.

 

Main Quest: Lose weight, gain muscle (& strength) and fit into a size 16. - ON MY WAY! I seldom step on the scale but each time I do the number is lower. And I'm noticing muscle definition where I didn't have any before. 

 

Overall, I give myself a B on this challenge. I may not have completely met all goals, but I got pretty far and incorporated things I didn't even intend. Things are looking good.

[Paisley]

My Little Pony's Challenge Wrap up

 

goal 1 - Exercise STR +3  STA +3

do an exercise regime 4 times a week .

I actually managed to ace this goal with 25.5. workouts over the 6 weeks giving me the full points. STA +3 STR+3

A - 4 times a week - 24+ workouts
B - 3 times a week - 18-23 workouts
C - 2 times a week - 12-17 workouts
D - 1 time a week - 6-11 workouts
F - <6 workouts

goal 2 - Build Muscle.

2a - Do a pull up finally  STR +2

Finished with 175 attempts which technically is a B grade, but I'm taking the full +2 STR because I finally did it.  I did a full pull up.  I still can't get it every time but I know now that I can do it.

A - 5 a day -  > 210 attempts
B - 4 a day -  168 - 210 attempts
C - 3 a day -  126 - 167 attempts
D - 2 a day -  84 - 125 attempts
F - 1 a day -  < 84 attempts

 

2b - Core Exercises DEX +2

Do a plank circuit at least once every day trying to work up to a 5 minute plank.

I managed to get up to a 6 min straight plank by the end of the challenge so again I'm going with an A grade and +2 DEX for this.  even though I didn't manage the full 40 workouts (only did 36)
 A - >40 workouts
B - 30-40 workouts
c - 20-30 workouts
D - 10-20 workouts
F - <10 workouts

 

Goal 3 - Stop Snacking

3a - stop evening snacking +2 CON

I finished with a total of 39 evening snacks which gives me a final grade of B. and +1.5 CON

A - <=5 points per week,  <= 30 points total
B - 6-12 point per week,  31 - 72 points total
C - 13 - 18 points per week,  73 - 108 total

D - 19-24 points per week, 109 - 144 total
F - >=25 points per week,  >= 145 points total

 

3b - control snacking throughout the day +2 CON

Finished with a total of 57.5 snacks again a B grade and +1.5 CON

A -  <=8 snacks a week, <=48 total
B -  9 - 12 snacks a week, 49 - 72 total
C - 13 - 16 snacks a week, 73 - 96 total
D - 17 - 21 snacks a week, 97 - 126 total
F - >= 22 snacks per week >= 127 total

 

Life Quest +1 WIS

Add 1 item a week to my etsy store.  6 items total. This will be a win or fail goal

Only manage to add 2 items to my store over the 6 week challenge so this is technically a F

A - 6 new items added or sold

F - less than 6 items added or sold.

 

So overall I'm pretty happy with the results of this challenge.  I've had visitors staying with us for 5 of the 6 week challenge and I usually find that when we have visitors everything goes out the window.  This time, whilst I did indulge in some good food I managed to contain it to reasonable limits and I still managed to get just about all my workouts in (though there was a lot less lifting than I had hoped for).  In the end all my measurements, weight etc stayed the same over the challenge but just the fact that they didn't go up is a win in my book....also I now know that the visitors don't need to mean an end to all that is good for me!

 

And finally the tally for my points is

 

STR 10 |DEX 5 |STA 6 |CON 7 |WIS 5.5 |CHA 2

[thekatisalie]

TARDIS Data Core: Goals

 

MAIN QUEST:
Lose 10 lbs. Part one of two, this goal is getting me from 160 to 150.

 

I did not lose ten pounds. I actually gained two. I am consistently at 162 now, and the fact that I am not fluctuating so dramatically tells me I have started to convert fat to muscle. I will be okay with the weight gain. I have to retrain myself to recognize that this is okay. Conversion and body redistribution are still signs of progress toward my overall life goal of being fit and strong.

 

SUB-QUESTS:

Secrets of the Ood
Goal #1: Attend Vinyasa yoga class once a week _[CON]⁴

Allons-y!

Goal #2: Run one mile without stopping. _[sTA]⁴ [Achieved!]

Staal, the Undefeated

Goal #4: Lift weights three times a week at the gym or at home. _[sTR]⁴

 

LIFE SIDE QUEST:

 

For 3 [CHA]: Pay off that damned credit card.

Well, I made two whole payments, but put almost double that back on my card. My life side quest is failed. Something has to give here. I am working on a budget as we speak so that I can hopefully fix this trend before it becomes too difficult to deal with.

 

TARDIS Data Core: Scoring

One Run = 10pts (30pts per week)
One Yoga Class = 10pts (10pts per week)
One Weight Session = 10pts (30pts per week)

TOTAL POINTS PER WEEK: 70
TOTAL POINTS OVERALL: 420

Grading:
A – 60pts-70pts

B – 40pts-59pts

C –20pts-39pts

D – 10pts-19pts

F – 0-9pts

 

 

TARDIS Data Core: Results

Weekly Grades:

Week 1 :: 60/70pts - A missed one run

Week 2 :: 50/70pts - B missed one weight session and one run

Week 3 :: 50/70pts - B missed one weight session and one run

Week 4 :: 50/70pts - B missed one weight session and one run

Week 5 :: 40/70pts - C missed two weight sessions and one run

Week 6 :: 50/70pts - B missed one weight session and one yoga class

FINAL GRADE (points based): C+

 

I feel a little angry at this C+. Made that so little took me down and that so little more could have gotten me the B I really wanted (or ideally the A). I struggle on weeks when I have may social/life obligations. I struggle feeling tired. I struggle with my introversion and my need to just BE HOME sometimes. I need to learn how to do more at home on these nights when I can't stomach another night away from the homestead.

 

Starting Measurements:

Hips: 41in
Waist: 32in
Thighs: 23in

Arms: 12in

Weight: 160lbs
 

Ending Measurements:

Hips: 38in (-3)
Waist: 31.5in (-.5)
Thighs: 23in

Arms: 12in

Weight: 162lbs (+2)

 

While I gained weight this challenge, I can see my body re-working itself as I begin to focus more on lifting and weights. While nothing feels better than seeing the scale go down, the fact that I can actually see BICEP MUSCLES and that I can life more than my body weight with leg presses and squats... this tells me I am on the right track, overall.

 

TARDIS Data Core: Final Thoughts

 

Challenge accepted. This was my second challenge, and I actually made it to the end. I pushed myself through week five and six to maintain some kind of regimen and came out on the other side much stronger. I no longer believe I am too weak to lift anything more than 15 pounds. I have proven to myself over and over that I am stronger and more bad ass than I thought I was, and I am still growing.

While I gained weight this challenge, I have gotten a few comments on my “gun show†and my defined calf muscles. I did not have the failure of my first challenge, which was my ankle injury and not treating it properly. I am more aware of how to care for my body during injury and how to still work out while being slightly laid up.

I believe my biggest success this challenge was being able to complete one mile without stopping during my runs. I have never in my life been able to do this. The girl who finished gym class with a 21 minute mile is now running a consistent 13.5 minute mile. I can’t explain how good this feels to me. I am my own worst critic, but I can’t deny the level of success, here. Yes, I am still at the back of my 5k races. But I did a 10k this year, and the feeling was amazing. Knowing I can is half the battle. I am loving how this achievement has made me feel.
 

While I can see and acknowledge what held me back, I am more focused on what to do differently from here out. I have my goals ready for the next challenge, and I am able to more accurately judge my performance. This challenge was important to me and my self-development as an newly active adult. I have proved I can accomplish more and that I can balance a life and work out schedule. You get what you give. I gave it a lot this challenge, but next challenge I will give it my all.

[direrael]

Final Challenge Report:

 

I think I pretty much failed the overall goal of this challenge, honestly. I was good with all of my goals except for the food, and that one is big.

 

Ending stats:

 

Weight: 150 pounds +3.5

Height: 5'7" 

Waist: 33.5 in. +.5

Hips: 37 in +.5

Neck: 15 in. no change

 

According to the US Naval Calculator:

 

Bodyfat: 28% +1%

Fat Mass: 42 lbs

Lean Mass: 108 lbs

 

Sooo.....yeah. The second week in I had a family vacation where I did not watch what I ate at all, and then the last two weeks I just could not stay motivated. Partly this was also because of a couple of short weekend trips. I've discovered that traveling is my kryptonite. Definitely gonna have to work on that.

 

Goal 1:

"No, I'll ruin your body too!"

"Three decades of the munchies beat you to it."

 

This is the one that got me in trouble. Diet really is the biggest thing - no getting away from it! I had a lot of slip ups, so I failed this part hard.

 

Final grade: F

 

Goal 2: 

 

"You take that back, sir! She does NOT look good for a truck stop chick!"

 

Make decent gains in the weight room.

 

Ending stats:

 

Bench: 5x3 @ 90lbs --> + 10lbs, not quite at 5x5 but almost, so I'm happy

Squat: 90lbs --> +10lbs, didn't increase much, but I had gone down and made major changes to my form, which has helped tremendously. Definitely feel great about these.

Deadlift: 5x3@ 125 lbs --> +30 lbs

OHP: 55lbs --> +20 lbs

Bent-Over BB Row: 65lbs --> no change, again because of working on form

Bent-Over Dumbbell Row: 45lbs --> +5 lbs

Pushups: 4 sets of 10 @ below knee level --> -2 slots on the squat rack

Lat Pulldowns: 80lbs --> +10 lbs

 

Didn't make all the gains I originally set out to do, but aside from missing the one week when the vacation happened, I got in there pretty consistently and made some great gains nonetheless.

 

Final Grade: B  +4 strength

 

Goal 3:

 

"The pie is ready. You guys like swarms of things, right?"

 

Make one new paleo recipe a week.

 

Final Grade: A

 

This one was good! I missed one week, but made up for it by making two new recipes the following week. Pretty satisfied with this one. +3 Con, +2 Wis

 

Overall, not terribly happy with myself - just ended up going backward on my overall goal, which is to get to around 20% bodyfat. I have some ideas for blackmailing myself that I've already started, though, so I'm ready for the next challenge!

[Thunderneath]

Here's my report card, cross-posted from my challenge thread.

 

Goal 1: Eat Right.

 

I missed about 7 days of logging during this challenge, and overstepped my cheat days by about the same margin. That's 29 out of 36 days where I ate clean, tracked my food and hit on or near my calorie goals. I'm gonna call that a solid B.

 

Goal 2: Run

I started the Couch to 5K program expecting to have to repeat weeks or flake out entirely. I'm prod to say that I stuck with it week-by week, and finished the Week 6 workout last Friday with a solid 25-minute run, which is the longest run I've ever done as far as I can recall. There were a few weeks where I did two out of the three workouts in the program so I can't give myself a perfect grade. Still, this is an accomplishment I'm really proud of. A-

 

Goal 3: Lift

I wasn't very consistent with the lifting workouts this time around, though I did see solid progress in my lifting numbers and when I lifted, I went all-out. I upped numbers in my deadlift and squat, broke through a plateau on bench press, and leveled up on the bodyweight row/lat pulldown sets that I'm doing to build up to a pull-up. In terms of sheer weight progress it's a good grade, but the irregular schedule brings it down. C+

 

Life Goal: Draw Pages

Fail! Didn't draw a single page. F.

 

I also weighed myself, and measured, for the first time in a while. Since the beginning of the challenge I've gone down a couple pounds (about 6, though I have a hard time trusting my scale). More definitive are the measurements- I'm smaller everywhere, losing an inch off my chest, and more than an inch off my waist. Also fitting into a pair of pants I'd outgrown. It feels like some very concrete progress, and I'm eager to maintain it during the gap between challenges. If all goes well, I'll be wrapping up the last week of C25K as the next challenge starts, and I'll see you all then!

[tracknut]

Challenge Follow-up:Goal #1 - Chest Strength:  12 Reps of Bench Press of my Current body weight.  I fluctuate between 155 and 160 so I am aiming for the higher at this point.I have really been working on my upper body strength and I can do pushups till the cows come home but I am still struggling with the BP.  So I will continue with my program until I can hit this goal.  This morning I BP 5X3 @ 130 lbs so this is in the realm of possibility as long as I keep up with my training.  +2 STR.

 

A - 12 reps @ 160

B - 9 reps @ 160

C - 6 reps @ 160

D - 3 reps @ 160

F - < 3 reps @ 160

 

Results:  Big Fat F!  At about week 4 or 5 I started having some elbow/shoulder issues and was unable to even push 90 pounds up.  I did get to 135 which is good for me, but I think my form is all jacked up.  I took off from BP and focused on working with dumbbells, Dips and other chest exercises.  While I am disappointed with this it does give me a goal to strive for for the next challenge. 

 

Goal #2 - Back Strength:  12 reps strict  pull- ups.  Another area I am struggling with but I have been seeing progress. I even bought a pull-up bar for home so there are no excuses!  I did 3 sets of 4 reps on Monday, but the last set was a huge struggle.  This one is going to be tough. +2 STR.

 

A - 12 reps

B - 10 reps

C - 8 reps

D - 6 reps

F- <4 reps 

 

I have also decided to put in my lifting log and exercise log.  The lifting log is just continuing from what I previously had and the exercise log is new for this challenge.  Now the pressure is really on.  

 

Results:

This one went much better with 10 reps earning me a B!  I was really happy with this especially considering I am going all they way down to elbow lockout (surprisingly, this doesn't bother the elbows at all).  I probably could have gotten in all 12 but, because of family schedules I am relegated to going to the weight room at 8:00 PM instead of first thing in the morning.  I feel rundown before I even get to the weights so this could be part of it.  I am going to continue to work on this but I probably won't add it to my next challenge.

 

Goal # 3 - Brave the open water!  Register and compete in some type of open swim event.  I have upped my swimming game a bit, but open water is a whole new beast.  I need to find an event and at least register for it and continue my training for the event. +1 DEX/+2 STA/+1STR

 

A - Register and Compete in the event

F- Sit on my ass and do nothing about it.

 

Results:

I registered for the Baltimore Open Water Swim on September 22.  I have been busting my butt to get in the pool and swim hard 3-4 days a week.  It is much more difficult now that school is in session because of scheduling conflicts but I feel like I am physically prepared for this swim.  I am a bit nervous that I am going to get trampled but my overriding goal is to finish.  So I am giving myself an A on this one even though I am competing outside of the challenge.

 

Goal #4 - Flexibility - This is a huge one since this is key for me to continue to live an athletic life or undergo major surgery.  I need to keep seeing my PT and, more importantly, setting aside time to stretch or do yoga 4 days a week. +1 STR/+2 DEX/+2 CON/+1 WIS

 

A - Yoga/Stretch for 30 minutes 4 days a week - focus on hips!

B - Yoga/Stretch for 30 minutes 3 days a week - focus on hips!

C - Yoga/Stretch for 30 minutes 2 days a week - focus on hips!

D - Yoga/Stretch for 30 minutes 1 day a week - focus on hips!

F - Might as well go get the surgery now, dumbass!

 

Results:

This was the hardest in some ways but I got an A because I really focused on this.  My last PT session I was actually normal in several categories.  Now that I am doing some intermittent running things are getting tight again but I am really working hard on the stretching and strengthening of my hips, quads, glutes, hammy and the rest of my upper leg and torso.  This is something that I will be keeping up indefinitely.

 

Overall Observation:  While I loved the squad challenge (it was a great motivator) I did think that it became a bit too much for me.  While I loved the competition I felt like I was reduced to a number on a spreadsheet and my accomplishments were diminished compared to others.  This was especially true with the weightlifting because I was putting up such minuscule numbers.  I really think a 2 or 3 week challenge would have been ideal for me and where I am at.  I also finding that I am still searching for the new athlete in me and the challenges tend to put me in a box.  I was so focused on the weights that I skipped swims to get them in.  Especially tough when the fall started and my schedule go completely jacked.    I did learn quite a bit this challenge:

1. I am a lot stronger than I thought.  I may not be able to push great loads but I own my own body weight.
   
2. I am need to blend in some cardio.  I hate doing non-running cardio but I feel SO much better when I get a few sessions in each week.
   
3. DIet is still key.  Been dipping in the candy jar a bit too much and I need to devise a better system for "rewards"
   
4. I thought not running in the summer sucked, but the fall weather we have had has made it 10 times worse.  Hopefully RAGNAR will get this out of my system
   
5. I hate swimming!  It is WAY too boring for me.  Not sure if I want to continue to try and do open water swims.  Just not my cup of tea.
   

I probably learned a lot more but I am too old to remember it all.  I do want to thank everyone that came over to my thread and wished me luck or just touched base.  It is always good to know you have people in your corner.  Hope to see you all around next challenge!

[smurray]

Goal 1: weight- Drop weight to 234 lbs. Weight has always been a challenge for me and I was successful with a 10lb drop on the last 6WC. This will be a constant on the quest until I achieve a proper weight under 190 lbs.

PASS or FAIL (1 CHA, 1 STA, 1 DEX)

 

PASS!!! I ended up on 229 for the 6WC with a loss of 15 pounds. I really got into the groove this time around and I was able to fight off most of the temptations. I did have more events towards the end that had food involved and it really started getting harder, and the weight loss slowed down, but I held on.

 

Goal 2: diet- Growing up in the South if it didn't have fat, sugar, and salt, it wasn't real cookin'. Also if you didn't clean your plate and did not take seconds, you were disrespectful to the cook and let those poor children in whatever third world country starve. Not only do I need to work on "what" I eat, but "how much" I eat. The last challenge I increased my fruit and veggie intake, this challenge I am reducing my portions and logging my meals. With me logging my meals, it will force me to look at my portions.

All days logged 100%- A, 90%- B, 70%- C 60%- D, below 60% - F (3 CON, 1 WIS)

 

A: I logged on my smart phone to the point now that my wife has begun logging her food as well. It was a challenge at first, but now it is second nature and really gives me a little boost when I can change my progress on the myfitnesspal program.

 

Goal 3: exercise- I have been thinking about 1/2 marathon training again, but I need to concentrate on strength training for this 6WC. This challenge, I will do the Angry Bird Workout 3x a week and achieve level 3 on 3 out of the 4 exercises. Also I will increase my standard running workout from 5k to 8k.

PASS or FAIL (2 STR, 1 STA, 1 DEX)

 

PASS. Not only did I level up on all four parts of angry birds, but I got all four to level 4! I also increased my running to where I have at least one long run a week. It is an improvement on my run schedule that will still fit within my schedule.

 

Life goal: Build the fort I promised my girls. I have to clear out a shed, remove the shed, acquire reclaimed materials and then construct. I also will have the girls help out in various stages of this project. I will post weekly pictures of our progress.

PASS or FAIL (3 WIS, 1 CHA)

PASS! (Because of different reasons) This project got modified when I got dad involved. It became more exciting, fun, and COMPLEX! We have gotten a huge part of the project completed, but I see this rolling over into the next 6WC for the completion. I will be sure to make it one of the challenges and keep posting pictures for you guys. The best thing we have gotten from this project, is quality time hanging with dad. He made the comment this past weekend on how much fun he was having working on the project. It has been laid back and stress free and that has really made the difference. Also the girls have been able to hop in there ever so often and help. so they have been able to feel a since of ownership with this project as well.

 

Motivation will be setting a good example for my kids and showing them how to live every day to the fullest.

Hopefully I can take the momentum from this 6WC and use it to keep moving forward with my goals. looking forward to seeing everyone during the next 6WC.

[fluffyrin42]

Alright folks!  Summary time.  Be prepared to be disappointed... this wasn't a great one for me.

 

Mission 1: Be a Strong Role Model

I have been working the last two challenges to build up my fitness base and I want to continue building as long as I can.  Hopefully this will translate into a green light once I start baby growing to continue working out and being active.  My goal this challenge is to be physically active 5 times a week (anything that gets my muscles working).

I started off pretty strong and just fell apart on this one.  Honestly, this is the area I want to improve the most and yet is the area that I struggle with completely.  :-/  I do well for about 2 months and then just crash and burn...  That's pretty much what happened here.  Total for the challenge, 15/30 for an F.

5 Points to be divided amongst STR, DEX, and STA depending on what I feel improved most.

A: >90%

B: 80-89%

C: 70-79%

D: 60-69%

F: <59%

 

Mission 2: Be a Healthy Role Model

I noticed last challenge that my eating habits are relatively good, but I'm pretty sure that my workouts were being negatively affected by insufficient fueling.  I eat mostly healthy foods, but I want to really focus this challenge on making sure I'm getting enough of the right foods to get stronger and, you know, eventually grow a human.  My goal is to track all of my foods to ensure I'm getting what I need each day.  Will update with calories and rough macro targets before the challenge starts, but emphasis is on complete tracking for now.

While this one is technically a fail (I know, I know), I'm actually pretty happy with how it went.  I got 22/42 of the days tracked and found that I'm generally right on track for calories, just off on my macro distribution (heavy on carbs, light on protein/fats).  I've been working a little bit where I can to bring those back into balance, but I think that in general I addressed the main concern I had (which was not getting sufficient calories).  The other benefit of this challenge was that it drove me to really focus on getting in a good breakfast each day.  I've felt so much better since I started doing that.

+2 WIS, +2 CON

A: >90%

B: 80-89%

C: 70-79%

D: 60-69%

F: <59%

 

Mission 3: Model Good Behavior

I am the first to admit that I lack many of the "good habit" characteristics that I would hope to one day pass onto a kid.  So now is the time to start building those habits.  In this challenge I want to maintain a morning and bedtime routine.

 

AM: Brush teeth, floss, wash face, sunscreen

PM: Brush teeth, floss, wash face, take vitamins, actually clean contacts

 

Each routine will be counted separately (so if I miss my morning routine, I'll still get credit for a PM routine).

This one was probably my strongest outcome.  Admittedly, I've been really bad about tracking it the last two weeks, but I know that I've not missed a vitamin this entire challenge (which is huge for pre-mama prep - I was notoriously bad about taking any sort of pill with regularity) and I've gotten significantly better about the other routines.  I did notice my skin was MUCH better when I was strictly adhering to the bedtime routine, so I'm going to likely revisit this one in some capacity for the next challenge.  Since I haven't tracked, I'm going to go a little subjective on this and give me a C for +1 CON, +1 CHA.

+2 CON, +2 CHA (everybody likes a fresh smile better, right?)

A: >90%

B: 80-89%

C: 70-79%

D: 60-69%

F: <59%

 

 

Supplemental Mission:

With another mouth to feed comes extra expenses.  My goal this challenge is to re-baseline our household monthly budget with Mr. Rin and get back on track towards building our savings.  For now, I'll plan on grading this somewhat subjectively.

We have gotten SO much better about this since we revisited the budget.  Aside from our week of splurging when company was in town, we've really cracked down on our expenses and managed to stick only to already saved funds for al the housing projects that came up.  We've set ourselves some pretty aggressive savings/debt paying goals from now until December that I hope to incorporate into the next challenge.  I'm giving this one full points!

+2 WIS

 

Totals for the challenge, +1 CON, +1 CHA, and +2 WIS.  I'll go ahead and say that a level up is undeserved, so I'll stick at Level 2 for another go-round.  Like I said... not a great challenge overall, but I learned a few things:

1. Once things go downhill, I'm really bad about letting them continue to roll.  I need to come up with ways to arrest my falls before they get out of hand.  Or better yet, prevent them from occurring in the first place...
   
2. I do SO much better on a goal when it's a common goal with my husband.  Since he knows the vitamins are important for growing a healthy baby, he was often there for me providing gentle reminders and keeping me on track.  Same with the budget.  But on the flip side, he's also really good at convincing me that just sitting down for another TV show after work is a perfectly valid use of time.      I need to figure out a better way to get him on board with better nutrition and physical activity goals.
   
3. When we get a concrete goal in mind, we're ruthless.  I really need to learn how to better direct that energy.
   

So push come to shove, not great. But I have a few ideas in mind for the next challenge and I'm determined to do better (I mean, I can't really do much worse...  ).  Bring it on!