The Fight Against Thunder: Vengefulpear VS Thor! (Mjolnir #3)

[vengefulpear]

The Fight Against Thunder

BOSS FIGHT
Vengefulpear VS Thor!

 

 

Welcome back to everyone for another (what I'm sure will be!) great challenge!

 

So as it's the last challenge of the year (well the last whole challenge of the year) I thought that it would be a good idea to wrap up this little storyline thing I've got going to see out the year and start something new and fresh next year.

 

Despite the fact I would have liked to keep the challenge going and see where the story went based on how well I did I might save that for next year, we shall see! I quite like the whole connecting stories and making my way somewhere so maybe some Malazan themed challenges next year!

 

Anyway!

I hear you asking: How does a boss fight work!?

 

Well I'll tell you! Basically I've decided to have specific target goals to reach rather than ones like 'go to the gym 2 times a week' so this time it will be more like 'do 15 pull ups in one go' and each goal will contribute 1/4 of the health of the boss (In this case Thor!)

 

That's my thinking! I'd best get on to the actual goals!

 

Fat Loss: Lose 3% bodyfat +2 DEX +2 CON

 

I feel like 3% was a good number before and I also feel like I've added a tad of weight back on whilst I was at the World Fantasy Convention (damn you hotel pizza and free beer!)

 

So for this I will be eating at about a 1800 calorie deficit about 1800 - 1900 calories per day (as that seemed to get positive results last time I did that) and focusing on eating a minimal amount of carbs (aiming for <50g per day) and I will also be eating as much paleo as I can muster! I hope that TiberiusNightrise will join me once again in a calorie PVP and if anyone else wants to join in it would be awesome to have you along (basically we compare calorie control and the person closest their target wins bragging rights )

 

Starting Stats: 159lbs / 17% BF

 

Strength: Do 15 Pull Ups / Do 100 Push Ups +4 STR

 

I'm not 100% sure if they all have to be in the same set but we shall see, I'm going to investigate properly the http://twentypullups.com/ programme and also the 7 weeks to 100 push ups programme, later on to make sure I'll be fine with those numbers.

 

The reason that I want to do this is because although last time I did do a fair amount of strength training, I don't feel like I was making progress where I wanted. I never felt like I was pumping out any more pull ups really, it always varied quite a lot. So with a programme like this to follow and a number to aim for it should be all good! And obviously I can do those at home so no excuses!

 

Speed: Run 5km in under 20 25 minutes +1 DEX +2 STA

 

This one I may also change up the times slightly when I have more context (read: I've been for a run again) but I'm fairly sure I did 5km in about 27 minutes before.... maybe 20 minutes is too much to ask... Okay, we'll go for 25 minutes for the moment. Hopefully I can just smash that early on and make my way to 20 minutes! But I also don't want to jump too far and get eaten by sharks!

 

Writing: Post 12 blog posts +2 WIS +2 CHA

 

For this one I'm counting both of my blogs my writing post: http://thetemperedpen.blogspot.co.uk/ and now my fitness one: http://dumbbells-and-dragons.blogspot.co.uk/

 

So 12 posts should lead to 1 post in each per week (although I might swing more towards fitness if I can't finish/review books quickly enough) and please give me feedback on both/either blogs if you like/don't like them and what you think I could do better

 

That's it for now guys! I shall leave you with this picture of a battling Thor!

[Angelcakes]

I think I am finding more interesting challenges among the assassins--and getting ideas for future challenges, as well!!  Push up challenge.... I may have to look into that come January... I'll have a better idea of where my ankle is at that point.  Getting up and down off the ground is very awkward, painful, and difficult right now (stupid sprains!), but I'm looking forward to at least doing *something* again!

 

Following this for the awesome in hopes some of that awesome may rub off on me!

[Kishi]

Wow, this looks like it's gonna be an epic challenge. Hope you don't mind if I just hang out here for a little bit.

 

So, that 1800 calorie deficit... that's per week, right?

[vengefulpear]

I think I am finding more interesting challenges among the assassins--and getting ideas for future challenges, as well!!  Push up challenge.... I may have to look into that come January... I'll have a better idea of where my ankle is at that point.  Getting up and down off the ground is very awkward, painful, and difficult right now (stupid sprains!), but I'm looking forward to at least doing *something* again!

 

Following this for the awesome in hopes some of that awesome may rub off on me!

 

Thanks Angelcakes Well I don't mean to sound biased but the assassins are pretty awesome Well I can send you the programme when I find it if you like It's somewhere in the distant depths of my harddrive! 

 

 

Wow, this looks like it's gonna be an epic challenge. Hope you don't mind if I just hang out here for a little bit.

 

So, that 1800 calorie deficit... that's per week, right?

 

Of course I always like to have more Rebels to hang out with Gah! That's poor wording on my part, I meant 'eat at a calorie deficit' and limit myself to 1800-1900 calories per day, so hopefully the weekly deficit will be around ... 4500-5000 per week. I shall edit that post haste! I imagine an 1800 deficit a day would not work out well at all!

[Kishi]

I didn't think so either. I caught a look at you on your fitness blogs, and you don't have that much to lose. An 1800 calorie deficit would not be helpful, bro.

[vengefulpear]

Indeed! But thanks for checking it out It is just a last push to try and do as well as I can in the final days of 2013, the only new years resolution I remember having was to get to 10% bodyfat! I got to about 15% or so a challenge back but that's down from about 24% from the worst point in the year so I'm not doing terribly but one last push is what I need! 

 

 

One a side note, as I think I mentioned it in my thread but didn't give a link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmtRMwoMwJORdG9zYkU1TVAtSkduTXhMUHZkaFdZYXc&usp=sharing

 

That's the spreadsheet for the calorie PVP (I hope TiberiusNightrise doesn't mind being on it already!) but if anyone else wants to test their caloric ways along with us please feel free to add yourselves in

[TiberiusNightrise]

Dude, you KNOW I will totally calorie PVP it up with you again! I love the mutual motivation it brings to each one of us, but especially me. And it keeps me honest with myself. So bring it!

 

Love your goals. Looking forward to following along again, hopefully with being able to offer more encouragement this time around, since I'm between productions. Can't wait to see you bring Thor down from his high horse.  

[vengefulpear]

Dude, you KNOW I will totally calorie PVP it up with you again! I love the mutual motivation it brings to each one of us, but especially me. And it keeps me honest with myself. So bring it!

 

Love your goals. Looking forward to following along again, hopefully with being able to offer more encouragement this time around, since I'm between productions. Can't wait to see you bring Thor down from his high horse.

 

Awesome! and thanks! Well this time I'm determined to beat you! (Not that I wasn't before ) But I can't let you have the final PVP of the year! I look forward to testing myself out on you AND thor  

[TiberiusNightrise]

Hahah, you better watch out. I'm hoping to go from "Double Kill!" to "He's on fire!"

[vengefulpear]

Ha, no way! I'm being the killjoy this time around and taking the streak from you!

[vengefulpear]

In other news, I've made another blog post in my fitness blog "Dumbbells and Dragons" http://dumbbells-and-dragons.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/making-battle-plan-god-damn-it-leeroy.html

 

Just about what I'm planning to do, and my calories and things. So that's half of one of the goals sorted for the week!

 

And I've been fiddling about with a leangains calorie calculator and I took a screenshot of the plan: http://imgur.com/l76UhVn

 

So hopefully by January if I am really good with all this and stick with it I can be 12% bodyfat (that's not going to happen) but I know its unlikely so I'll be very happy with 14-15% by the end of the challenge if I can get there. Obviously Christmas and New Years will be an interesting time and I'm going to be spending a lot of time with the lady-love over that time too (she's off work so she's coming to visit for a while and vice versa) so that might be another blip but I'm going to stick to salads and water when we're out to make sure I get the best results possible

[Kishi]

Well, life has to be lived. You stick like glue to your nutritional plan so that when life comes knocking, you're able to live it without shame or remorse. Cool stuff.

 

Good luck with leangains! I've had a lot of fun with intermittent fasting, but not so much with their stuff. But then, I've never done the barbell work they prescribe, either.

[vengefulpear]

Thank you Kishi, very  true! I'm not sure how well I'll stick with the actual leangains approach (especially as I'll not be doing a lot of weights really, just bodyweight and running) but I do eat with intermittent fasting and I think it's a great way to cut down calories but still feel like you're eating lots.

 

I thought that that calculator was a good and fairly easy one to get a good calories/weight loss prediction

[vengefulpear]

Exercise report:

 

On Sunday I went for (actually just over) a 5k run, just to see how fast I was and I think I got to about 27 minutes at the 5km mark. So hopefully 25 minutes won't be too bad, although I think that cutting 7 minutes off in 6 weeks might be a bit much.

 

Last night I did my first thing to work up to 15 pull ups and 100 push ups following the programme but also throwing in some other exercises to make it a full body workout; things like squats and dips . So that was a bit of a test, and what I'll do from now on is 3 sets of the extra but progress those as I would normally (so moving up to the next progression when I can do 3 sets of 10)

 

So I think a good start!

[TiberiusNightrise]

Very good start! I think getting your 5k down to 25 minutes will be very doable, but you're probably right on trying to shave 7 minutes off in 6 weeks probably would be a bit much. Cutting off 2 minutes seems like a great starting point, and who knows if you'll progress a little further (which would be really cool)? Also, love seeing already some progress on your pull up/pushup goals. Keep it up! You're doing awesome!

[vengefulpear]

Thanks!

 

Yeah I'll be very chuffed if I can get it down further than 25 minutes but I'm going to stick with the aim of under-25min

 

I went for a run last night and I think that it was 28 minutes at the 5km mark, but I'm not sure (it's difficult to tell when my GPS tracker keeps telling me I've done 5 MILES and did 1km in 1 minute 26....) so I think I might try every so often during the challenge do to a 5km run on a treadmill, then I'll definitely know

 

And as I neglected to mention it in the previous post about my workout, I am actually doing diamond push ups for the programme, I'm not going to change the goal to getting to 100 diamond push ups but I will keep doing the diamond push ups anyway. And that should help me with my pull up goal too as diamond push ups work your triceps more than normal push ups.

[vengefulpear]

And I have done the second half of my life goal this week! Blog post number 2!

 

http://thetemperedpen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/this-book-aint-no-sandwich-on-subject.html

[Lindsey_M]

Sounds like you're off to a flying start

[vengefulpear]

Thanks Lindsey Now I just need to keep it going! 

How are you doing with your stuff? Are you joining us for this challenge?

[vengefulpear]

Well time for an update! I know I've been a bit quiet this past week, that's down to my lady-love visiting me and we've been gallivanting around and having ourselves some adventures.

 

I was a bit surprised when I clocked in all my calories for the week that I was around my target for the week, if perhaps a few over (but I think less than 100 over). It wasn't paleo by any stretch of the imagination but I am pleased that the calorie count is about where I want it to be. (yay!)

 

I did do my push up programme as well but didn't do as much running as I wanted last week, but that's okay because it's an end goal so I'll just have to adjust what I'm doing to try and push that little bit harder to get under 25 minutes.

 

I saw Thor 2 over the weekend as well! (I took monday off so it felt like the weekend ) So that's got me all pumped up again for my battle against the God of Thunder! Although the only thing I was disappointed with (as I work in London) was the incorrect Tube directions! But not only has it got me all rearing to go (I shall best you Hemsworth!) it's also given me some ideas for my fitness blog so extra win!

 

Anyway, I think that's about it for now, I shall post back later with some fitness updates, keep it up everyone!

 

(wow I can't believe it's only the second week, for some reason it's just flown by and I thought it was the third!)

[TiberiusNightrise]

Mate, way to nail week 1 in the calorie PVP! Your calorie totals are impressive, and are motivation for me to do better this week. And doing so well on this front with the lady visiting, too, is a victory, as I know that's been a struggle in the past. Way to go!

 

I likewise enjoyed Thor 2, and look forward to your battle against the man himself!

[vengefulpear]

Okay, as promised (!) a quick update for my workout last night

 

...

 

It wasn't that great, basically I didn't really do a proper work out but I just did the push ups from the programme. And it was hard! The last set is supposed to be a minimum and then as many else as you can muster (In my case yesterday it was 12+) but I could just manage the 12.

 

But then I have just done some calculations and ..brrzzzt click. ... even still I did do 50 diamond push ups in total yesterday (5 sets which were 9/9/11/9/12)... that surprised me! So I guess I'm allowed to feel like they're tough!

 

As I say it wasn't a proper workout so I didn't warm up properly or cool down/stretch afterwards so I've been feeling some unwelcome tension in my right shoulder this morning. But I'll see how it feels this evening as to whether I do my pull up programme too. I was thinking of jumping down to regular push ups but I think doing a proper warm up should at least solve some of the problem when I go to do the next day!

[TiberiusNightrise]

Sometimes your body needs time to adjust, even on workout days, so it's good to make space for that. 50 diamond pushups is still a really good accomplishment, and halfway to your 100 pushup challenge. Have you thought about working regular pushups into your warmup? That could help as well.

[vengefulpear]

I hadn't actually thought of that so I think i might do a warm up set of push ups next time, thank you very much 

[vengefulpear]

Bosh! Another half of the blog post goal achieved for the week!

I present to you, fine lords and ladies of the Rebellion, my review for Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

 

http://thetemperedpen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/a-red-review-of-red-seas-under-red.html