Jothra Conquers Himself!

[Jothra]

 

     Jothra woke to find a ninja star in his chest. Normally this would have disappointed him greatly, but he hadn't slept well the night before, and it was a good 15 minutes before he finally decided he should be startled.

     "What the nuts?" he shouted. It must not be deep, he realized, since he was substantially alive. He hadn't even realized there were ninja stars in this weird place.

     A strange, ethereal, black-clad shape seemed to materialize in front of him.

 

 

     "It is time," moaned the shape. "The Rebellion believes you are ready for guild assignment. You have been chosen by the Assassins."

     "I thought I would be choosing my own guild."

     The shape, suddenly much closer, yanked the star from Jothra's chest. "We have chosen you. You will need the skills of an assassin to fulfil your destiny. To fail is to die. Do not fail."

     Then, as quickly and mysteriously as it had appeared, the shape was gone. Jothra found himself completely uninjured, though he could see where the strange weapon had torn his shirt. Great, he thought. As if thing weren't complicated enough already.

 

 

Up until the exact day I finished my first challenge, I was positive I was going to be joining the scouts. After all, I've been riding my bike nearly every day for a month and a half, I do recreational bike maintenance (it's healthier than crack, but not always cheaper), and I even have a collection of maybe 30 bicycling-related books in my room.

 

Then, one evening, I suddenly realized I was leaving some things out of the equation. The first is rock climbing. I fell in love with this as a teenager, and the honeymoon still isn't over. There are also hiking (scouty) and scrambling (less scouty). I didn't realize until long after I left my mountainous hometown that what I always referred to as “hiking†was actually light scrambling much of the time. Huh. The more you know.

 

My two favourite active-type activities are easily:

 

a.) Bicycling, which means building muscular and cardiovascular endurance, and

b.) Rock climbing, which means combining muscular endurance and power (strength-to-weight ratio is important here).

 

I want to improve my ability to enjoy both of these things. Obviously, I've been meant for the Assassin's Guild the whole time.

 

When it comes to my baseline, never-working-out strength, I kind of hit the genetic jackpot. I have a strong build. This often means I get lazy about cycling or climbing properly, because I can just laz out and Brute Force it. Instead of spinning faster on my bike and taking advantage of other leg muscle types, I have always been a serious gear masher. Instead of using my legs to support and lift myself when climbing, I have always overused my upper-body strength, which kills me several climbs earlier than I would like (basically every time I've ever climbed, actually). Basically, more strength can only help, but even though relying on brute-forcing all the time is simpler, it's not nearly as effective as doing things properly.

 

1.) Main Quest

My goal is to pursue the all-around fitness I need to perform these very different activities, as well as developing good habits that will make me more efficient at them (because less effort = longer time until exhaustion = more fun!)

 

My three goal-achieving-type-little-goals-that-add-up-to-a-bigger-goal-goals:

 

i.) Do cadence-related bicycle work three days a week (consisting mostly of spinning faster in easier gears on my actual bicycle or my stationary bike). I may well do more biking than this, but three times a week it must involve spinning faster. Keep in mind that for me, that means trying my best to stay over 80 rpm, instead of my usual high 60s. This is more of a habit-building venture, because I always feel so comfortable mashing gears. When finished, always STRETCH, because after years of bicycling I have tight Cyclist Hammies. Easy scoring: __/18. [+3 STA | +2 DEX]

 

ii.) Perform a bodyweight workout three days a week (and not more. Seriously. I'm too tempted to try and do it every day, which is not useful). Even when I was cycling every day and climbing two or three times a week a few years ago, I neglected actual strength training apart from that offered by those activities. It's time to find out just how strong I can become by adding even moderate bodyweight exercises. I am currently working through the Angry Birds Workout, but who knows where it will all lead? When finished, always STRETCH (see above) Easy scoring here, too: __/18 again! [+3 STR | +1 DEX | +1 CHA]

 

iii.) Maintain a minimum activity level, and watch how much I stuff down my food receptacle. I won't be doing any Adjective Dieting, but even so, it turns out if I'm even maintaining baseline activity (10,000 steps a day, measured by my Fitbit), and keeping track of how much I'm eating, this is shockingly easy. It would be just as easy, however, to stop. So don't. A failed day is one in which my calories are more than 50 over goal (I'm at 28-29% body fat, so if I'm under a little, I'm happy, as long as it's not ridiculous), or my activity is under that arbitrary-but-useful 10,000 step number. __/42. [+2 CON | +1 WIS]

 

2) LIFE SIDE QUEST

Play my guitar every single day. I was thinking of a cartooning-related side quest, but my guitar is beautiful, and it wants to be played. Besides, it helps build finger strength, and is really relaxing. In a super pinch, if travelling, cart along a tin whistle or that daffy ukulele or something. __/42. [+1 WIS | +1 CHA]

 

I'm going to determine scores based on percentage ranges, more or less like on my childhood report cards:

 

A = 86-100% | B = 73-85% | C = 66-72% | D = 51-65% | F = 0-50%

 

3) MOTIVATION

 

This is the note I stuck to my door last challenge, and it's already made me way more badass.

 

I've basically already started all of these things, and will continue them until the actual start of the challenge, but the grading will -- of course -- start on the 9th.

 

Good luck, everyone!

[Jothra]

Oh, yeah, and I guess I have to figure out pull ups. I'm not too worried. They'll come.

[The.Introverted.Goddess]

Nice challenge. I like your motivation sign. I may have to make one for myself!

[Jothra]

The motivation sign took years of training and days of back-breaking labour to complete. Assuming you count years of using pens as years of training, and days of trying to remember where the post-its are as days of back-breaking labour.

[Lara]

Loved your intro!

And I'm new to assassins too.

That note on the door, did it really help that much? I must think of something like that.

Best luck for your challenge, I'll be following

[Jothra]

It got me out the door more times than I can remember. Sometimes knowing it was there was enough to get me moving when I was out of town. I was surprised at how effective it was.

[Lara]

It got me out the door more times than I can remember. Sometimes knowing it was there was enough to get me moving when I was out of town. I was surprised at how effective it was.

 

Maybe I'll place one of those on my bedroom mirror, so I see it the first thing when I get up and beat that sloth I'm having lately to go outside in the morning. Thanks!

[Lilith]

Yessss, the assassins choose you there's no personal opinion involved! Either way I think you will be at home here. I love climbing too, which was also one of the main reasons I chose this guild. I also do bodyweight workouts but I try to train race bicycling at least once a week. I don't do cadence training or anything of the sort because I'm still a noob. So basically just going out and doing it makes me improve fast without needing schedules Either way it's fun to know an assassin that bikes too.  

[Hazard]

In like Flynn.

[iatetheyeti]

Biking, climbing, and general assassin-like capering? This is looking so very good

 

Following along!

[The.Introverted.Goddess]

The motivation sign took years of training and days of back-breaking labour to complete. Assuming you count years of using pens as years of training, and days of trying to remember where the post-its are as days of back-breaking labour.

 

Hahaha...I think with a little motivation I may be able to manage it! 

[Nymeria]

Yay!  More climbers in the guild!  Good luck with all of your goals.  I'll have to live vicariously through your climbing, since I'm currently sidelined with an injury. 

[Jothra]

Have you tried NOT being injured?

I kid, I kid!

 

Unfortunately, climbing is a sometimes food, because I live in a small town on the bald prairie. At least I can ready myself for when I find a rock face to throw myself against.

 

 

[Jothra]

     Jothra wanted to get on with his quest to defeat the evil Ogrod, but the Assassins had other plans. He kept finding tattered, blood-stained notes pinned to his door with daggers, ninja stars, and, on one memorable occasion, a live African porcupine.

     Each note contained a list of exercises and drills meat to help Jothra develop his oft-neglected strength. They were difficult, though he suspected this might be a Jothra problem, and not an Assassin's Guild problem.

 

 

     After a few days of this training, coupled with a bad Roast Echidna from the Fire Village (where did they find all these weird animals?), Jothra's body felt like Jell-O. He collapsed unceremoniously into his bed, and into the blissful slumber of...well...of sleep.

 

I met my calorie goal on Tuesday, but I didn't get any exercise to speak of at all. In fact, I fell asleep at about 4 p.m., woke up in time to cram some food into me, then failed to get properly back to sleep until some terrifyingly early hour. I just felt blah. This particularly bothered me because I haven't had a day like that in the entire month and a half I've been on NF.

 

Wednesday was, by comparison, very active. Maybe too active? Also, I think my dinner (I admit, it was a very rare tangle with Chinese food) disagreed with me somehow (abnormal!), so I was feeling pretty blerchy during Angry Birds. I did it anyway, though my planks went back a step, and my squats burned by the end. I'm not discouraged, though, because my mother told me there'd be days like these!

 

I feel beat up, but I promise it's in a good way.

 

Fitbit Numbers (Tuesday):
I cannot wait to get my Fitbit back this weekend. I was, according to MFP's calorie counter, exactly on-goal.

 

Fitbit Numbers (Wednesday):
73 calories under. I will now stress how much I'm looking forward to having my Fitbit back. It does such a nice job of laying out my information for me!

 

Activities (for Wednesday)

Bicycling: 00:12:12 | AVS: 23.34 km/h | MXS: 34.96 km/h | Av. Cadence: 68 (I sure hit 68 a lot. That must be my default.)

Bicycling: 00:24:58 | AVS: 20.23 km/h | MXS: 28.78 km/h | Av. Cadence: 71 (not bad, for me working against a headwind.)

Bicycling: 00:15:37 | AVS: 31.46 km/h | MXS: 40.37 km/h | Av. Cadence: 81 (this is basically what I strive for at this point.)

The first trip was just to the convenience store and back. The second was down Highway 534, and directly into Mosquito Rock City. The third was the way back. Groovy.

 

Angry Birds Workout, Day 5:

Squats: Goal: 100 reps | set1: 50 reps; set2: 50 reps | Level 4: ***!
Push Ups: Goal: 50 reps | set1: 25 reps; set2: 20 reps; set3: 10 reps | Level 3: **

Negative Pull Ups: Goal: 10 reps | set1: 8 rep; set2: 2 reps | Level 2: *

Planks: Goal: 180 seconds | set1: 60 seconds; set2: 60 seconds; set2: 60 seconds | Level 3: **

 

Tuesday would have looked even worse at actual challenge time, so it's a good thing Wednesday was fun.

[CandiRose]

so excited to be following you again Jothra

It's awesome you have thought outside the box and are reaching into new areas and goals.

Good Luck!!!

[The.Introverted.Goddess]

Sometimes you just have blah days!! At least you didn't let it stop you!

[Zee_]

Woohoo!! I'm looking forward to reading how you go on this!

 

You always have to listen to your mumma Everyone has those days, and I sure did in my first challenge!

 

Let me know how your fitbit goes! I am thinking of getting one but I'm not 100% sure yet.

[Jothra]

Let me know how your fitbit goes! I am thinking of getting one but I'm not 100% sure yet.

 

It's like having an Infocom status bar on you all the time. I like it a lot.

[Zee_]

Does it record your workouts accurately?

[Jothra]

It records steps very accurately. It will also record activity, in step form, while you do other things. To properly record other workouts (i.e. bicycling), you can add them manually from the exercise database (again, I use MFP for this part, but Fitbit also has its own database). All I ever have to remember and enter later is my speed, the duration of the activity, and the start time.

 

Example: if I'm cycling and the Fitbit registers activity (steps), it will assume they were ordinary walking steps. But as soon as I manually enter, say, a 30 minute ride that started at 7:30, the Fitbit knows to only count the calories burned by the entered activity from 7:30-8:30. This way there is no double-dipping.

[Zee_]

Ahhh yep! That makes sense I have trouble with my current app as it's on my phone and for some reason  can never record it very accurately. I.e - I go for a walk in my lunch break and I do about 1.5kms in 20minutes, it will record it on the GPS & say that I'm walking at like 6km/ph and count my steps but then I go for a run/jog and it tells me I'm running slower like 4km/ph even though I've done 6ks in an hour. Think I need a more reliable tracker haaha

[Jothra]

If you take the time to measure your average stride length, the Fitbit will estimate your distance based on your number of steps and the speed you're moving. I basically just focus on the step number, but that's just because I don't have to think too much (I do enough math at work).

[Jothra]

If you take the time to measure your average stride length, the Fitbit will estimate your distance based on your number of steps and the speed you're moving. I basically just focus on the step number, but that's just because I don't have to think too much (I do enough math at work).

[Jothra]

MOAR POSTS ARE MOAR BETTER!!!1!11!eleven!!!

[Zee_]

Ahh I see. That is a good idea! I need to get a fitbit lol.

 

Bahaha don't you love triple posts! They're always so much better than double posts ;P