Chelkie the Ranger. Think, the Female Version of Aragorn…but Cleaner.

[Chelkie]

Haha there was actually a girl about my age in there yesterday, who was giving me about the same look I expect you were getting from that guy while you did your squats. It's nice to know someone would have been there to drag the bar off my unconscious body.

 

Aw man, but a broken nose really would have completed the whole look i'm going for! 

[Erick the Red]

Aw man, but a broken nose really would have completed the whole look i'm going for! 

 

And that is which look exactly?

[Chelkie]

And that is which look exactly?

 

I was thinking a nice mix between Owen Wilson and Rudolph.

[Chelkie]

So ever ADD me was perusing other peoples threads and I saw someone who had one of their goals be working on a larger more overarching goal. It was to row/run from one city to another (not really, just the distance it would take, though that would be cool in itself!) and they set it up to work on it for multiple challenges. I kind of liked the idea for another way to help motivate me to get back into running for the spring. I was thinking maybe the distance from here to the Arctic Circle. It's 556 miles total, and having made the drive once, I know its a beautiful trip. Not that i'd actually run it, but it's fun to imagine. Anyone else have any cool run ideas? Maybe not as long as 556 miles, though that's still doable, just lengthy. 

[GoodDoug]

You can always run/walk to Mordor

[DirtyLittleSecrets]

So ever ADD me was perusing other peoples threads and I saw someone who had one of their goals be working on a larger more overarching goal. It was to row/run from one city to another (not really, just the distance it would take, though that would be cool in itself!) and they set it up to work on it for multiple challenges. I kind of liked the idea for another way to help motivate me to get back into running for the spring. I was thinking maybe the distance from here to the Arctic Circle. It's 556 miles total, and having made the drive once, I know its a beautiful trip. Not that i'd actually run it, but it's fun to imagine. Anyone else have any cool run ideas? Maybe not as long as 556 miles, though that's still doable, just lengthy. 

 

That sounds super fun! I'm looking at where I would want to return to now . Also glad you found a less busy time to go to the gym. It's starting to quiet down at our gym so it won't be too crowded for long.

[Erick the Red]

So ever ADD me was perusing other peoples threads and I saw someone who had one of their goals be working on a larger more overarching goal. It was to row/run from one city to another (not really, just the distance it would take, though that would be cool in itself!) and they set it up to work on it for multiple challenges. I kind of liked the idea for another way to help motivate me to get back into running for the spring. I was thinking maybe the distance from here to the Arctic Circle. It's 556 miles total, and having made the drive once, I know its a beautiful trip. Not that i'd actually run it, but it's fun to imagine. Anyone else have any cool run ideas? Maybe not as long as 556 miles, though that's still doable, just lengthy. 

 

I stalk MetalNinja who is "sailing" to Iceland. 

 

I did a run/walk/crawl from Bag End to the Lonely Mountain around the time the first Hobbit movie came out.  Tracked it on a sheet that had dozens of rows of ten boxes each, and a space for the date that I completed each row.  Filled them in three or four miles at a time (with the occasional miss of course, being human).

[Chelkie]

I stalk MetalNinja who is "sailing" to Iceland.

 

I did a run/walk/crawl from Bag End to the Lonely Mountain around the time the first Hobbit movie came out.  Tracked it on a sheet that had dozens of rows of ten boxes each, and a space for the date that I completed each row.  Filled them in three or four miles at a time (with the occasional miss of course, being human).

 

Ah yes! That was the one I also stalked for the idea. 

 

Haha that is a most excellent idea. Though how exactly did you come up with the distance from Bag End to Lonely Mountain?

[Chelkie]

So i've been looking around to purchase my Anchorage to Tokyo tickets, and I realize I have no idea what airline is the best. When I went to Australia I flew Qantas which was amazing, but they don't do flights to Japan, at least not from the states. I don't want to choose one and then find out they don't have a personal entertainment center or have seats where your knees are jammed up to your chin. I haven't been able to find one, but it would be really nice if there was a site where they reviewed each airline and showed pictures of the amenities and such. 

 

Has anyone been to Japan/know of any good international carriers that go there?

[Machete]

I've flown ANA to Narita International (where people are so polite, they say "arigato" at the security checkpoint), though I can't remember if I came from ANC or SEATAC. It was very nice. Awesome food. Delta has always been a good choice, and I'm not advertising; I already sold all my Delta stocks.

In related news, I do remember China Air from Anchorage to Taipei a few years ago. That was garbage. Seats were cramped, and entertainment was nonexistent.

[Erick the Red]

Though how exactly did you come up with the distance from Bag End to Lonely Mountain?

 

http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Walk/walk.html

 

I took her word for it.  I split it into two sheets, first from Bag End in Hobbiton through Arnor to Rivendell and then on the second sheet from Rivendell through Wilderland to the Lonely Mountain.

[Chelkie]

I've flown ANA to Narita International (where people are so polite, they say "arigato" at the security checkpoint), though I can't remember if I came from ANC or SEATAC. It was very nice. Awesome food. Delta has always been a good choice, and I'm not advertising; I already sold all my Delta stocks.

In related news, I do remember China Air from Anchorage to Taipei a few years ago. That was garbage. Seats were cramped, and entertainment was nonexistent.

 

I also heard ANA was a good choice from another person, but it turns out they aren't an Alaska Airlines partner. Thankfully, Delta is, and I think i'll be able to buy my entire business class round-trip ticket with miles. It's about two arms and a leg for cash, so i'm pretty ecstatic. Wait, what would you have been doing going through ANC? If it's a hopping point to Japan i'm going to be sad because it didn't show up as any of my options. 

 

I'll remember that, China Air, no go!

[Chelkie]

http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Walk/walk.html

 

I took her word for it.  I split it into two sheets, first from Bag End in Hobbiton through Arnor to Rivendell and then on the second sheet from Rivendell through Wilderland to the Lonely Mountain.

 

That's awesome!

 

Poor Frodo though, that was a long long long walk to Mordor for someone with legs so short, even without a bunch of people trying to murder him.

[Xena]

You could "walk" the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail.

[Chelkie]

Alright another Monday/Tuesday Update:

 

Last week went pretty well, managed to actually get to the gym three times and even increased my weight pretty steadily. It's not surprisingly easier to lift more when your consistent. I stretched 6 out of the 7 days, and was pleased with my progress. Now that i'm starting to see movement i'm getting impatient to just get down into the full splits. Have to keep reminding myself it's taken 3 weeks to get where I am now, so its going to probably take an equal amount of time to get to the bottom. Now that we've hit halfway, i'll make my boyfriend take another progress shot so you can all see. 

 

Dietary wise i've stayed pretty on track, getting my protein in and brought my three meals to work last week. I still feel like I should be cooking more, but life has been getting in the way. And by life I mean work. Getting pretty tired of working 60hr weeks.

 

Overall I would say my challenge is progressing though. Haven't hit it spot on any week, but i've kept up on a lot of it. Onward and upward I guess.

[Erick the Red]

Good update.  Onward and upward is right -- it sounds like you are doing really well.

[GoodDoug]

Onward and upward!

When you feel like you are not hitting your challenge 100%, remember that if it were easy, we wouldn't call it a challenge!

 

Keep going strong to the end!

[Xena]

\

\.\Onward and upward I guess.

 

Onward and upward is right -- it sounds like you are doing really well.

 

Onward and upward!

 

But it's a SPLITS challenge...onward and DOWNWARD!!

[Chelkie]

But it's a SPLITS challenge...onward and DOWNWARD!!

 

Hahaha this is true. Toward the floor we go!

[Chelkie]

So I tried switching from one armed rows to bent over rows yesterday at the gym. I feel I must have been doing them wrong, even though I watched a youtube video, because it worked my lower back like no ones business, along with my shoulders. I had made the unfortunately decision to do my deadlifts right before it too, so my back was pretty much done for the day afterwards. What do you guys suppose I'm doing wrong, too much bend forward, not enough bend forward?

[Mikroftt]

Glad to hear your challenge is going well.  I know for me in past challenges, this is the week where things fall apart and my motivation derails.  Doing good so far this challenge with that.  Keep up the good work!

[QuirkyDM]

Are you keeping your back tight and arched? Keep your knees slightly bent? That's what I focus on when I'm doing rows. A rounded back will work your back more than you want.

 

In other comments, the challenge looks like it's going awesome. i saw your Quinoa salad contribution on the mini challenge and that looks great. I'll have to try it soon. I would complain about no stretch picture, but I haven't done that either ...

[Erick the Red]

When I started doing bent-over barbell rows I felt the same way.  But I got better.  I agree that your back was probably tired from deadlifts.  There are some good videos describing "Pendlay rows" that you might be interested in checking out with a Google/Youtube search.

[Chelkie]

Are you keeping your back tight and arched? Keep your knees slightly bent? That's what I focus on when I'm doing rows. A rounded back will work your back more than you want.

 

In other comments, the challenge looks like it's going awesome. i saw your Quinoa salad contribution on the mini challenge and that looks great. I'll have to try it soon. I would complain about no stretch picture, but I haven't done that either ...

 

I'll have to make sure to focus on that today in the gym, it's entirely possible I was rounding my back as the spot I was doing my lifts in didn't have mirrors. 

 

You should definitely try it, I found it delicious, though I am slightly obsessed with quinoa. It's like rice but tastes better and is better for you. Haha yeah, i'm sorry to let you down on the stretch picture, my boyfriend has been too busy studying at night this week to take it. I'm not quite sure of the logistics of trying to take a selfie while in the splits either.

[Chelkie]

When I started doing bent-over barbell rows I felt the same way.  But I got better.  I agree that your back was probably tired from deadlifts.  There are some good videos describing "Pendlay rows" that you might be interested in checking out with a Google/Youtube search.

 

I'm glad i'm not the only one, the thought of messing up my back is one of my biggest workout fears. They are just bent over rows but you set the weight on the ground in between each lift right? Looks like the stance is a bit more like the start of a deadlift too. Do you feel they work your lower back less than the regular ones?