Sammiejune29 Tames the Dragon

[sammiejune29]

Challenge #5 - Taming the Dragon

 

Last challenge things just got CRAZY for me in life. I still haven't figured out my goals (at all really), but this challenge is all about focus.

 

Main Goal

- Find my zen & rebuild my habits to have consistency & balance between work, school, life and working out

 

Goal #1 - Strength workouts (mostly BW) 2-3x's per week

- I will be trying a different routine, 1 day full body, 1 day upper body, 1 day lower body

- I think this might work better with my crazy schedule

- Sometimes I need to work out two days in a row to fit in 3 workouts in a week

- I want to do my jumping routine at least once per week, probably on my lower body day

- 1 of the DEX points will be entirely based off of whether I keep up with jumping (have to do jumping at least 6 times, fairly spread out)

Possible Points: 3 STR, 2 DEX

Grading: A = 15+ / B = 12-14 / C = 9 - 11 / D = 6 - 8 / F = 5 or less

 

 

Goal #2 - Biking, hiking, yoga or running (maybe even horseback riding) at least once per week

- These are all activities that I love (well biking and hiking are definitely) and ones I haven't been making time for or tried yet

- They help me to relax and find my center

- I need to make time for them to happen so that I can stay balanced

- Biking tends to be the best form of meditation for me

- The charisma point rides entirely on attending at least 1 yoga class

Possible Points: 2 STA, 2 WIS, 1 CHA
Grading: A = 9+ / B = 6 - 8 / C = 4 - 5 / D = 2 - 3 / F = 1 or none

 

Goal #3 - Cook at least one meal per week from fresh ingredients
- This does not include the egg, green pepper & ham that I cook myself for breakfast/brunch/lunch most days

- This does not include opening a can of soup and sticking it in the microwave

- It would include an awesome dessert (even if thats not a meal)

- These do not have to be new recipes, though they can be

- And 1 per week might seem too easy, but with my crazy hectic life, its a lot

Possible Points: 4 CON
Grading: A = 7+ / B = 5 - 6 / C = 3 - 4 / D = 2 / F = 0 - 1

 

 

Health/Fitness Side Goal - Buy minimalist footwear

- I thought I didn't like running, what I really didn't like was running with shoes on

- I hate hate hate heel striking

- While running barefoot is fine in my apartment I want to be able to run outdoors

- I know I will keep putting this off if I don't make it a goal

Possible Points: 1 WIS
Grading: A or F

 

 

Starting Stats:

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 159lbs

[Aeryn]

Following! Can't wait to see what you'll be focusing on!

[chris_de_maas]

I'm intrigued! Can't wait to see what you come up with

[Nymeria]

I hope things in your life have calmed down a bit, and I can't wait to see your goals. 

[sammiejune29]

Updated some of my goals. Still trying to figure out the third.

 

Other updates:

My neck was super out of alignment for a little over a week which caused my lower back to get inflamed and be very very painful. I went to the chiropractor yesterday and he fixed me I love my chiropractor! But my lower back is still a little sore. So I'm going to hold off on working out till tomorrow. The really sucky thing is that I haven't done a proper bodyweight workout since Weds, Sept 4th I just gotta get back into my habit.

 

One of the reasons I wasn't working out was because my goat having friends were out of town last week so I was feeding their goats, chickens, dogs, cats & their tortoise all week. And of course the goat had to escape at least one week. So its not like I didn't get any physical activity in. Lol

 

Also, I broke up with my Doctor Who nerd. It wasn't easy for me but it was definitely the right decision. While he is a great guy (who I fully intend to stay friends with) we didn't work. Our personalities just didn't mesh terribly well. I'm okay, a little sad, but okay. I know it was the right decision.

[rybo]

Sorry about the breakup, but knowing its the right thing to do makes it easier.

 

I've found an upper/lower/full routine to work EXTREMELY well for me when I am super busy. I hope you find it works for you also.

 

Fall is the best time to make time to get outside for biking and hiking!

 

Definitely go for the minimalist footwear. Even if you dont run in them that much (go way easy transitioning) they are just so nice to wear around and even to hike in. Almost all my non dress up shoes are minimalist these days.

[chris_de_maas]

Updated some of my goals. Still trying to figure out the third.

 

Other updates:

My neck was super out of alignment for a little over a week which caused my lower back to get inflamed and be very very painful. I went to the chiropractor yesterday and he fixed me I love my chiropractor! But my lower back is still a little sore. So I'm going to hold off on working out till tomorrow. The really sucky thing is that I haven't done a proper bodyweight workout since Weds, Sept 4th I just gotta get back into my habit.

 

One of the reasons I wasn't working out was because my goat having friends were out of town last week so I was feeding their goats, chickens, dogs, cats & their tortoise all week. And of course the goat had to escape at least one week. So its not like I didn't get any physical activity in. Lol

 

Also, I broke up with my Doctor Who nerd. It wasn't easy for me but it was definitely the right decision. While he is a great guy (who I fully intend to stay friends with) we didn't work. Our personalities just didn't mesh terribly well. I'm okay, a little sad, but okay. I know it was the right decision.

*biggest hugs*

 

I'm glad your appointment helped with your neck and back, how's the pain now?

 

I really like your goals, finding your centre is essential to feel good about yourself and you need to make time for yourself, even with such a crazy schedule, or you'll go nuts and lose yourself.

 

Good call on the minimalist footwear. Do you have any idea which ones you'll be going for?

[sammiejune29]

Back and neck pain is a lot better. But I think my neck still needs one more adjustment. When it goes out like this (which it does every 5-6 months) it usually takes 2-3 adjustments before it sticks. My back is mostly just still irritated and inflamed from everything being SOOO far out of alignment, but its getting better.

 

So yesterday I managed to fall down the stairs on my way to class. I was holding a mug of coffee in one hand and my phone in the other. Somehow I managed not to spill my coffee or drop my phone. However, my shins are bruised to hell. I don't really understand how my shins got bruised falling DOWN a set of stairs, but they did. I am finally beginning to feel like a real assassin though. My reflexes are so much better than they used to be. If I had fallen the same way a year ago I would have definitely been covered in coffee and more than likely have sprained or broken something. But because of my new found dexterity, I managed to come out of it mostly unscathed.

 

As far as the minimalist shoes go, I'm not sure which ones I want to try. My plan is to go shoe shopping and try on a bunch and see what I like. I've done enough reading/research that the next step is definitely to go shopping for some.

 

Also, Doctor Who nerd and I are successfully being friends thus far. He is on our trivia team and we hung out for quite a few hours last night doing trivia. I even gave him a ride home and things weren't tense or awkward. In fact in some ways they were more relaxed than they had been in months. I think we just make better friends than more than that.

 

Still gotta figure out that last goal... (also added Yoga to second goal)

[Urzie]

I'm so glad you didn't hurt yourself when falling down the stairs! And yay for dexterity!  

 

I recently acquired a pair of vibrams, and I love them! I'm getting used to them, but I wear them at the gym when I do my strength routine. Good luck on finding minimalist shoes you like!

 

I'm sorry about your breakup, but it's great that you can be friends and that it's not awkward. 

[chris_de_maas]

Holy crap! I'm so glad you ok!!! How are your chins? And your back? The fall can't have been good for it... Well done on not spilling any coffee or dropping your phone though, that's quite a feat!

 

Good to hear Dr Who nerd and you work so well as friends, that's really nice

[sammiejune29]

Following! Can't wait to see what you'll be focusing on!

 

Thanks Aeryn! I can't wait to figure it out too Lol

 

I hope things in your life have calmed down a bit, and I can't wait to see your goals. 

 

Being sick and unable to do anything certainly makes things calmer... though not in the way I would have preferred. Lol

 

Sorry about the breakup, but knowing its the right thing to do makes it easier.

 

I've found an upper/lower/full routine to work EXTREMELY well for me when I am super busy. I hope you find it works for you also.

 

Fall is the best time to make time to get outside for biking and hiking!

 

Definitely go for the minimalist footwear. Even if you dont run in them that much (go way easy transitioning) they are just so nice to wear around and even to hike in. Almost all my non dress up shoes are minimalist these days.

 

It does make it easier. Its actually one of the most amicable breakups I've ever had. We even successfully hung out and did trivia for a few hours the day after the break up.

 

And I can't wait to try the upper/lower/full split, as soon as I get rid of this flu!

 

I'm also very excited about the minimalist footwear. I will definitely go easy at first, but I already spend a lot of time barefoot so hopefully the transition won't be too bad.

 

I'm so glad you didn't hurt yourself when falling down the stairs! And yay for dexterity!

 

I recently acquired a pair of vibrams, and I love them! I'm getting used to them, but I wear them at the gym when I do my strength routine. Good luck on finding minimalist shoes you like!

 

I'm sorry about your breakup, but it's great that you can be friends and that it's not awkward. 

 

Thanks! I'm glad I did get seriously hurt! I've definitely had enough of that already. Lol

 

How long have you had your vibrams? I'm still not sure which kind I want to get but I'm excited to go shopping!

[sammiejune29]

I'm intrigued! Can't wait to see what you come up with

 

Thanks! I definitely need some focus, that's for sure!

 

*biggest hugs*

 

I'm glad your appointment helped with your neck and back, how's the pain now?

 

I really like your goals, finding your centre is essential to feel good about yourself and you need to make time for yourself, even with such a crazy schedule, or you'll go nuts and lose yourself.

 

Good call on the minimalist footwear. Do you have any idea which ones you'll be going for?

 

I've definitely realized this over the last few weeks. And NF has become part of my center. I'm so glad to be back around the message boards

 

Holy crap! I'm so glad you ok!!! How are your chins? And your back? The fall can't have been good for it... Well done on not spilling any coffee or dropping your phone though, that's quite a feat!

 

Good to hear Dr Who nerd and you work so well as friends, that's really nice

 

My shins look like I was playing some serious soccer without shin guards. Lol. And my back/neck seem to be doing okay. Went to the chiropractor again yesterday but it usually takes a couple adjustments before it wants to stay so I'm not too worried. Now I'm just fighting what I think is the flu

[sammiejune29]

Update time:

 

So far this challenge had not started off terribly well. Lol

 

I spent the first half of the week in agony because pretty much my whole neck/back was out of alignment. After a couple visits to my wonderful chiropractor its feeling much better. However, now I'm sick. I think its the flu cause its hard to breathe and I keep sneezing and I'm achy all over. Not fun at all and definitely not conducive to working out. :-/

 

Its been about two weeks since I've done a BW workout and I miss it sooooo much! As soon as I feel better I'm going to have so much fun

 

 

Third Goal:

I still can't really decide what I want to do with my third goal. I want it to be something food/diet related (I think). I stopped tracking all my calories a few weeks ago. Pretty much when school started. It doesn't really take that much time but when your to-do list is always so much longer than what you actually have time to do, sometimes it seems like a lot of time. If I'm just eating the same thing everyday (which I was for a while) its not so bad. Its when I eat differently (ie: my birthday) that it gets trickier to enter things. So I could make a goal around counting my calories again but I'm not sure if that's what I really want right now. I have so much on my plate at the moment that I'm afraid I don't have enough will power to do that. And I've been doing a good job at maintaining my weight, even if I haven't been losing, which I'm okay with for the moment. I'm not where I want to be but there is no rush to get there. So I think I just talked myself out of making that a goal. Thanks guys for the help. Lol

 

I could just have a goal to cook meals at home so many times per week. But the problem with that is when I end up having lunch meetings (which I have had pretty much all week this week). I'm so busy that if I didn't make these meetings lunch meetings, they probably wouldn't happen. Also, when I cook myself eggs, green peppers and ham (which is what I eat for breakfast/lunch/brunch - whatever you want to call it - most day) I don't really feel like that counts. So maybe the goal is to cook something other than that at least once per week. And cooking means fresh ingredients. Opening a can of soup and sticking it in the microwave is not cooking. Well I think I have my answer. Thanks again for listening

[Urzie]

 

How long have you had your vibrams? I'm still not sure which kind I want to get but I'm excited to go shopping!

I haven't had them too long. I've maybe had them for two-four weeks? I have no idea really.. (wow..) the last two months has been kind of a blur. Not for very long at least. I'm comfortable running small distances with them now without having serious leg pain the next day. I went for the KSOs. 

 

Good luck with your new goal! I like it!

[chris_de_maas]

I've definitely realized this over the last few weeks. And NF has become part of my center. I'm so glad to be back around the message boards

 

My shins look like I was playing some serious soccer without shin guards. Lol. And my back/neck seem to be doing okay. Went to the chiropractor again yesterday but it usually takes a couple adjustments before it wants to stay so I'm not too worried. Now I'm just fighting what I think is the flu

I totally feel on you this. NF has also become a very important part of my life and I seriously miss it and feel ill at ease when I'm not on the boards.

 

Talk about bad luck... How are you feeling now? Hopefully a good night's sleep will help. Fingers crossed. (and hugs just because!)

 

Update time:

 

So far this challenge had not started off terribly well. Lol

 

I spent the first half of the week in agony because pretty much my whole neck/back was out of alignment. After a couple visits to my wonderful chiropractor its feeling much better. However, now I'm sick. I think its the flu cause its hard to breathe and I keep sneezing and I'm achy all over. Not fun at all and definitely not conducive to working out. :-/

 

Its been about two weeks since I've done a BW workout and I miss it sooooo much! As soon as I feel better I'm going to have so much fun

Don't force a workout if you're not feeling 100% (or very close to), I know it sucks to wait but do wait until you're fully healed up otherwise you really risk injury. And that sucks even more than waiting a few days...

 

Third Goal:

I still can't really decide what I want to do with my third goal. I want it to be something food/diet related (I think). I stopped tracking all my calories a few weeks ago. Pretty much when school started. It doesn't really take that much time but when your to-do list is always so much longer than what you actually have time to do, sometimes it seems like a lot of time. If I'm just eating the same thing everyday (which I was for a while) its not so bad. Its when I eat differently (ie: my birthday) that it gets trickier to enter things. So I could make a goal around counting my calories again but I'm not sure if that's what I really want right now. I have so much on my plate at the moment that I'm afraid I don't have enough will power to do that. And I've been doing a good job at maintaining my weight, even if I haven't been losing, which I'm okay with for the moment. I'm not where I want to be but there is no rush to get there. So I think I just talked myself out of making that a goal. Thanks guys for the help. Lol

 

I could just have a goal to cook meals at home so many times per week. But the problem with that is when I end up having lunch meetings (which I have had pretty much all week this week). I'm so busy that if I didn't make these meetings lunch meetings, they probably wouldn't happen. Also, when I cook myself eggs, green peppers and ham (which is what I eat for breakfast/lunch/brunch - whatever you want to call it - most day) I don't really feel like that counts. So maybe the goal is to cook something other than that at least once per week. And cooking means fresh ingredients. Opening a can of soup and sticking it in the microwave is not cooking. Well I think I have my answer. Thanks again for listening

You know how and what to eat to maintain your weight so I think counting calories would just put extra pressure on you at the moment. You don't exactly need that, do you?! So I'm glad you dropped the idea for this challenge. You can maybe pick it up again the challenge or the one after that if you want to start losing fat again.

 

How often do you have dinner at home? Is it something you do regularly over the weekend or do you usually go out? You could always decide to try a new recipe every week, that way you can have new staples to your diet. Mr De_maas and I used to eat the same meal over and over again, just switching up the protein until I decided to try a few new recipes which have now become regulars at our table. One of them is egg fried cauliflower, it's amazing!

[rybo]

I have 2 pairs of Vibrams and a pair of merril "gloves". I wouldnt think you could go wrong with either one. The Vibrams if you like the toe separation (which I do) or the gloves for a more traditional look. Also when trying on the vibrams decide if you are going to wear the socks. One pair I have socks make them too tight. the other pair I can wear with or without socks, but for running I need the socks in those or I get blisters, as there's just a little too much room. Plus model to model varies in how they fit for the same size. So keep that in mind if you try some one, but may want to order a different model. It might not fit/feel the same.

 

Don't stress too much over new food/recipe goals if you are short on time. I did that and although you can find yummy new dishes that way, if you are ok eating what you like & already cook, there is something to be said for consistency especially when maintaining while not counting cals. You have a good base of what you know works. Good luck

[Aeryn]

Plus one on the Merrell "gloves" - they look pretty much like normal tennis shoes (or sneakers, or trainers, whatever you call them in your region), and they're super comfortable - I wear mine all the time (other than when I have to wear dressier shoes). I can't deal with having my toes separated - even flip-flops make me uncomfortable, so the Merrrells are great because they have the Vibrams sole without the toe separation.

 

Glad your fall didn't have too many negative effects - and that your back is getting better aligned! Good luck with the flu - lots of fluids, lots of rest, and go the doc if it doesn't get better within a week!

[Wild Wolf]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh SNAP! Hi gorgeous, how are ya?? Good to see ya back! I think this will be a great challenge for you and that this DRAGON will be tamed in no time! I'm sorry to hear about you getting sick..I feel like we got the same thing...mine was HORRIBLE allergies cuz of the weather change down here... I was coughing...sneezing, stopped up, eyes watery..all that crappy stuff!

 

I'm digging the minimalist footware deal...you thought about Topo Athletics? They are basically ninja shoes

 

A-Man

[Wild Wolf]

[sammiejune29]

I haven't had them too long. I've maybe had them for two-four weeks? I have no idea really.. (wow..) the last two months has been kind of a blur. Not for very long at least. I'm comfortable running small distances with them now without having serious leg pain the next day. I went for the KSOs. 

 

Good luck with your new goal! I like it!

 

My life has been kind of a blur lately too. Lol. I can't believe its more than halfway through September already. Those are definitely sweet looking

 

And thanks!! I'm excited for my goals. Now if I can just get rid of this sickness 

 

I have 2 pairs of Vibrams and a pair of merril "gloves". I wouldnt think you could go wrong with either one. The Vibrams if you like the toe separation (which I do) or the gloves for a more traditional look. Also when trying on the vibrams decide if you are going to wear the socks. One pair I have socks make them too tight. the other pair I can wear with or without socks, but for running I need the socks in those or I get blisters, as there's just a little too much room. Plus model to model varies in how they fit for the same size. So keep that in mind if you try some one, but may want to order a different model. It might not fit/feel the same.

 

Don't stress too much over new food/recipe goals if you are short on time. I did that and although you can find yummy new dishes that way, if you are ok eating what you like & already cook, there is something to be said for consistency especially when maintaining while not counting cals. You have a good base of what you know works. Good luck

 

Thanks for all the advice! Hearing stuff from people I know (well kinda, lol) and who have actual experience with them is so much more valuable than random things gleaned from the internet. Lol

 

Yeah, I'm definitely looking at this goal as a way for me to perfect some of the recipes I gathered/made last challenge. Cause the more times you cook a particular recipe, the easier it becomes. I want to have at least a handful of delicious recipes that I can cook without thinking. My problem has been the fact that there aren't a lot of things that I really cook for myself (still getting used to this whole being an adult thing I guess, lol) For a while "cooking" was boiling pasta and pouring some sauce on it. That's not really in the picture anymore. Lol

 

Plus one on the Merrell "gloves" - they look pretty much like normal tennis shoes (or sneakers, or trainers, whatever you call them in your region), and they're super comfortable - I wear mine all the time (other than when I have to wear dressier shoes). I can't deal with having my toes separated - even flip-flops make me uncomfortable, so the Merrrells are great because they have the Vibrams sole without the toe separation.

 

Glad your fall didn't have too many negative effects - and that your back is getting better aligned! Good luck with the flu - lots of fluids, lots of rest, and go the doc if it doesn't get better within a week!

 

Definitely been getting lots of rest and lots of fluids!! Unfortunately not getting a lot of work done but that happens when you are sick.

 

Thanks for all the shoe advice!! Its awesome to know all the options that are out there I'm excited to go buy some, hopefully this week *fingers crossed*

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh SNAP! Hi gorgeous, how are ya?? Good to see ya back! I think this will be a great challenge for you and that this DRAGON will be tamed in no time! I'm sorry to hear about you getting sick..I feel like we got the same thing...mine was HORRIBLE allergies cuz of the weather change down here... I was coughing...sneezing, stopped up, eyes watery..all that crappy stuff!

 

I'm digging the minimalist footware deal...you thought about Topo Athletics? They are basically ninja shoes

 

A-Man

 

Hey I'm hanging in there. Lol. Still hacking and coughing. Voice is all gravelly. Lol. Not sure what caused mine, but mine was more the "every muscle in my body aches and my chest is full of gunk"

 

I can dig the ninja shoes

[sammiejune29]

I totally feel on you this. NF has also become a very important part of my life and I seriously miss it and feel ill at ease when I'm not on the boards.

Yeah, sometimes all the relaxation I need after a long day is 20 min on the forums. I forgot how good that is for me when I'm stressed.

 

Talk about bad luck... How are you feeling now? Hopefully a good night's sleep will help. Fingers crossed. (and hugs just because!)

Doing a bit better. My fever broke at least and I'm not quite as achy. My chest is still full of gunk It probably going to be at least one more week before I can actually work out.

 

You know how and what to eat to maintain your weight so I think counting calories would just put extra pressure on you at the moment. You don't exactly need that, do you?! So I'm glad you dropped the idea for this challenge. You can maybe pick it up again the challenge or the one after that if you want to start losing fat again.

Exactly! I want to start again at some point, but my will power is getting stretched a little too thin at the moment and I have to pick and choose my battles. Lol. And besides, this is a weight that I'm very very comfortable at, even if I can still see improvement to be made. I look gorgeous in all my clothing and I'm more than okay with staying here for now

 

How often do you have dinner at home? Is it something you do regularly over the weekend or do you usually go out? You could always decide to try a new recipe every week, that way you can have new staples to your diet. Mr De_maas and I used to eat the same meal over and over again, just switching up the protein until I decided to try a few new recipes which have now become regulars at our table. One of them is egg fried cauliflower, it's amazing!

I don't have dinner at home as much as I wish I did. I'm so busy its hard to find time to cook (I know there is always time). Also, when I was dating the Doctor Who nerd, he would take me out to eat sometimes. Add to that the fact that Daniel eats with his boy most of the time. Its definitely not as fun cooking a big elaborate meal just for yourself. So last challenge my goal was new recipes. This challenge its more about just cooking at home and getting better at some of those recipes so that they are so easy that it doesn't take a lot of mental energy to cook them when I come home and I'm mentally exhausted.

[chris_de_maas]

Yeah, sometimes all the relaxation I need after a long day is 20 min on the forums. I forgot how good that is for me when I'm stressed.

It really does help.  How are your stress levels at the moment? Manageable?

 

Doing a bit better. My fever broke at least and I'm not quite as achy. My chest is still full of gunk It probably going to be at least one more week before I can actually work out.

I'm glad your fever broke and you're feeling somewhat better. Hopefully your chest will declutter itself soon. Don't workout before you are ready for it, your body really needs the rest

 

Exactly! I want to start again at some point, but my will power is getting stretched a little too thin at the moment and I have to pick and choose my battles. Lol. And besides, this is a weight that I'm very very comfortable at, even if I can still see improvement to be made. I look gorgeous in all my clothing and I'm more than okay with staying here for now

How I love hearing that you find yourself gorgeous! Music to my ears, that it

But yes, you're completely right, focus on what's most important right now and counting calories seems like an unecessary extra dose of stress you really, really don't need!

 

I don't have dinner at home as much as I wish I did. I'm so busy its hard to find time to cook (I know there is always time). Also, when I was dating the Doctor Who nerd, he would take me out to eat sometimes. Add to that the fact that Daniel eats with his boy most of the time. Its definitely not as fun cooking a big elaborate meal just for yourself. So last challenge my goal was new recipes. This challenge its more about just cooking at home and getting better at some of those recipes so that they are so easy that it doesn't take a lot of mental energy to cook them when I come home and I'm mentally exhausted.

Where/What do you usually eat when you don't have dinner at home? You do take the time to eat, right? RIGHT????

Totally get the not wanting to cook for yourself, when Mr De_maas isn't home, I can't be bothered to make any food, I find it boring to cook just for myself. When I lived alone in Paris, my fridge was completely empty, I would never have dinner, I'd just nibble on cereal. Clever girl I was back then *face palm*

What recipes are your staples right now?

[obax]

I second the recommendation for Vibram FiveFingers, though I will say that if you plan to run in them, you might want to try an intermediate step that has a small rise/bit of cushioning but not at much as a typical running shoe. It's pretty easy to do too much too soon and hurt yourself when transitioning to minimalist running. I run in Nike Frees, I forget the model name but they've got a 2mm rise and some cushioning, but are way more minimal than a typical running shoe.

 

I own VFFs and love them, but I did hurt myself running in them. I'm to the point now where I can run short distances on soft grass with them, but I'm no where near being able to run on cement with them. They're great for just everyday wear, and I really like to do workouts in them. I noticed a huge improvement in my balance and the stability of my feet when I started wearing them for strength stuff. If you're thinking about these, definitely try them on, and try on different sizes, don't just go with what the foot measuring thing says. I found my feet cramped up a bit at first, since they weren't used to having the toes all spread out like that, but after a while your feet will stretch out and adapt and you'll be able to wear them all day long.

 

If you're not into the toe separation, there are also New Balance Minimus (I think that's how it's spelled). They've got a fairly wide toe bed, so you can spread your toes out without actually wearing toe shoes (they're also great if you have wider feet, my mom and sister both have wide feet and love them). Though I have narrow feet, I found the Merrell Gloves to be too narrow for me, my toes felt all squished up, and if I were to add a minimalist shoe to my collection, it'd be the Minimus (the only reason I haven't yet is lack of funds).

 

Also, I like the rest of you challenge! Seems like you've got a good plan to try to deal with the craziness. Sucks that you're sick right at the start, though, it's always a bummer to be all geared up and ready to go, then get knocked down by Mother Nature. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery!!

[sammiejune29]

Challege #5

 

Week 1 Summary

 

Main Goal - Find my zen & rebuild my habits to have consistency & balance between work, school, life and working out

- Last week severely tested my zen. Tested my habits and consistency too because nothing about last week was normal. My neck and back were so out of alignment I spent all of Monday in pain and went to the chiropractor twice. Started feeling sick and feverish Wednesday night. Broke up with my Doctor Who nerd on Monday. Fell down the stairs on Tuesday. I was severely low on will power by the end of the week.

- I took the weekend to recover and reboot. Hung out with my ex-business partner on Saturday. It was really nice. We went out to lunch and then back to my place to work for a couple hours. It was nice both of us sitting on our computers, being productive and listening to music. I hope this happens more often.

- Saturday night I spent watching Fellowship of the Ring while catching up on the forums. (which was my plan for Friday night, but the forums were down )

- Sunday I spend the whole day reading an incredibly good book. I really think that Brandon Sanderson is one of the best Fantasy writers out there. His systems of magic are so interesting and unique. I highly recommend Warbreaker, Elantris and his Mistborn Series.

 

 

Goal #1 - Strength workouts (mostly BW) 2-3x's per week (0/2)

- No workouts but I'm not docking myself points because I was sick

- I will consider this when grading at the end of the challenge

- My goal for this week (since I'm still sick) is to go through the upper/lower/body split routine that I got from Waldo and modify it to my skill level

 

 

Goal #2 - Biking, hiking, yoga or running (maybe even horseback riding) at least once per week (0/1)

- Nothing last week as much as I really, really, really NEEDED to do one of those activities for my mental health (but didn't because every muscle aches and I can't really breathe)

- I'm debating going to Yoga tonight. Seeing as I've never done yoga before, I don't really know how much it will affect my sickness

 

Goal #3 - Cook at least one meal per week from fresh ingredients (1/1)
- Baked the Paleo/gluten free pumpkin coffee cake that I baked last challenge again

- Turned out better this time (modified the recipe slightly)

- Still not sure I love this recipe (though I ate enough of it yesterday)

 

 

Health/Fitness Side Goal - Buy minimalist footwear

- Haven't bought any yet - going to try some on this week *fingers-crossed*

[formymonkey]

Thought I would pop in and say hi and good luck with your dragon taming.  I have a pair of merrels that I love,  I can't run but love to wear them biking.  I really hope you feel better and can get at least a walk in to help your mental health    I definately need my excersize time to center myself and get ready for the day.  I am glad your recipe was better this time, success always makes continueing a little easier.

 

Get well soon and keep taking care of yourself