[Shatyr] 0 - The Fool

[Shatyr]

The Fool is the first card in the Tarot deck. It symbolizes new beginnings and adventures. There are unlimited possibilities out there and I'm going to seek them out.

 

A bit of background on me, this is not the first time I've tried to complete a challenge. It's probably the fourth. I do really well for about a week, then disappear into the void that is the internet. That's probably because I was making myself accountable to people I didn't actually know. This time, however, I've gone and made a promise/bet with a very good friend, and I don't feel like losing.

 

Main Quest:
 

COSPLAY! That friend of mine is spending a year in Japan (lucky sod). When she comes back, we're cosplaying characters from Fire Emblem: Awakening. She's going to be Lucina and I, ambitious Fool that I am, am crossplaying as Chrom. I am really hoping to fool people into thinking that I am merely cosplaying as Chrom, but there's (at least) one significant problem: Chrom is significantly leaner than I am now. I'd be better off crossplaying as Stay Puft, but he doesn't exactly make a cameo in FE:A.

 

This means I have little over a year (she hasn't left yet) to go from flab to fit and I'm going to love every minute of it (except the parts where I'm sure I'm going to die and why did I think this was a good idea?). I have to get used to moving and using parts of my body that normally just sit there, wondering what the meaning to life is.

 

Quest One - Upper Body

Goal: 1 standard pushup and 1 standard pullup

Start: 2x5 knee pushups/assisted pullups/10lb shoulder press

 

Quest Two - Lower Body

Goal: 2x20 assisted squats/static lunges

Start: 2x5 assisted squats/static lunges, ankle exercises at work

 

Quest Three - Diet

Goal: Back to Paleo

Start: Eat breakfast!!

 

Life Quest - Environment

Goal: Make my bed daily and unfuck my mornings

I follow a blog called Unfuck Your Habitat, and it's... incredibly inspiring. Almost overwhelming. But it's got some amazing techniques that seem to work really well. Plus more tidy space means more room to work out, right?

[Calm_Batman]

Looks totally doable! Good luck!

[TheStephil]

Yay another cosplayer! 

 

Following!

[Hazard]

Welcome back!  I'm glad to see you're giving it another go. 

 

I’m Hazard, an ambassador for the Assassin Guild.  I see you've listed yourself as an assassin in your signature, and we’d love to help you reach your goals!

 

If you ever have any questions or need help with anything, I'll happily assist you.  An easy way to get my attention is to use the quote button at the bottom right corner of any of my posts.  I have the forum setting turned on to alert me when somebody quotes me using that button, so it's a quick easy way to let me know you're talking to me.   You can also get in touch with me by posting on my own challenge topic or by using the forum private messenger system (the envelope button at the very top of the screen).

 

Here is a link to more information about the Assassin guild.

And here is a link to the Assassin phonebook with a list of various exercises/skills that guild members are working on for this challenge, as well as links to their challenge topics.

 

There are numerous other people in the Assassin’s guild who you can also get help from.  I recommend stopping by the Assassin's Den – a general chat thread in the guild forum – and introducing yourself.  You can always ask questions there too.

 

In any case, I’ll stop by from time to time to check in with you and offer support.  Good luck!

[Shatyr]

Thanks everyone!
 

I made myself breakfast this morning of bacon and scrambled eggs, just to make sure I actually could (I don't cook as often as I should). Soooo delicious. What else have I been missing out on?!

 

Excited for tomorrow!

[Domino427]

Best of luck, Shatyr!  Stick around, even if you slip...we've got your back!  

[Mugen]

Cosplay is always an awesome motivation if you ask me Good luck with the challenge!

[Shatyr]

Thanks guys! Just finished logging my measurements (love you, Fitbit!) and prepping my gear for tomorrow. Does anyone know if dumbells can be used in place of barbells for things like deadlifts and bench presses?

[Hazard]

Thanks guys! Just finished logging my measurements (love you, Fitbit!) and prepping my gear for tomorrow. Does anyone know if dumbells can be used in place of barbells for things like deadlifts and bench presses?

DB Bench Press has been done by people for ages. Deadlift.... might be difficult to imitate with dumbbells.

[Elryos]

 

Thanks guys! Just finished logging my measurements (love you, Fitbit!) and prepping my gear for tomorrow. Does anyone know if dumbells can be used in place of barbells for things like deadlifts and bench presses?

Well, with some research online, both exercises seem to be doable with dumbbells, so I would say yes. In my case, it's what I do for bench press since I only own dumbbells and workout at home. 

 

Anyways, good luck for the challenge tomorrow, you have my support!

[Shatyr]

I guess, in a way, my challenge starts tonight. Can't really prepare for the morning if it's already morning, right?

 

• Wash the dishes in the sink - Check
• Get the outfit for tomorrow together, including accessories - Check
• Set up breakfast - Check
• Make lunch - Check
• Put keys somewhere obvious - Check
• Wash face and brush teeth - Right after I post
• Charge electronics - Check
• Pour a little cleaner in the toilet bowl - Check
• Set alarm - Check
• Go to bed at a reasonable hour - Second step after posting.

Starting off strong!

[ShadowLion]

Looks like a great challenge plan and you've certainly got some motivation!

 

You've got the Renaissance Rebels to help keep you from disappearing this time, too.

 

Let's rock this challenge!

[lilbichy]

Nice set of goals!  Hooray for cosplaying!  I will be doing a couple of cosplays in September, which I will include on my next challenge I am sure =)  I am totally going to look in to that blog you mention!  Maybe it can help with my messy house. 

[Arya Sapphire]

Yay, another cosplayer! 

 

I can't wait to see your progress and I see that you're already rocking day one. We're here to support you so if you ever need to talk to someone, I'm here for you.

[Shatyr]

Looks like a great challenge plan and you've certainly got some motivation!

 

You've got the Renaissance Rebels to help keep you from disappearing this time, too.

 

Let's rock this challenge!

 

Woot for the Renaissance Rebels! Now if only I could take you all to work with me...

 

Nice set of goals!  Hooray for cosplaying!  I will be doing a couple of cosplays in September, which I will include on my next challenge I am sure =)  I am totally going to look in to that blog you mention!  Maybe it can help with my messy house. 

 

The UFYH blog is AMAZING. The author(ess) writes like you'd expect your best friend to write: caring, but definitely not sugar-coated.

 

Day One:

 

Got up, after a bit of a "nice warm bed" struggle. Did the workout! Woo! Ate breakfast! Double woo! Must've done something right (wrong?), because standing up at work was hard. I might have to stretch a bit more in the morning, because I stand for about 8.5 hours 4 days a week and constant unhappy lower back muscles is just not an option.

 

I ate some donuts, which I'm not proud of, but found myself veering towards during the painful morning. I'm pretty sure it was an emotional thing, trying to compensate for the lower back pain. I've packed some grapes for tomorrow, so I can have a Paleo sweet ready to go if it happens again.

 

Lunges and squats tomorrow, and the night's list is... well, it's a little early to complete it all, but I can get started!

 

• Wash the dishes in the sink - Next
• Get the outfit for tomorrow together, including accessories - Next
• Set up breakfast - Next
• Make lunch - Check
• Put keys somewhere obvious - Check
• Wash face and brush teeth - Later tonight
• Charge electronics - Check
• Pour a little cleaner in the toilet bowl - Check
• Set alarm - Check
• Go to bed at a reasonable hour - Later tonight

[TheStephil]

Great setup for day one and fantastic start to your day! =)

[Spark]

Love the challenge and the motivations. Following from the Renaissance thread!

[Carsomyr]

Following here. Looks like an interesesting link from your "life" goal that I can use, and looking forward to see how you do with the fintess goals

[Shatyr]

Day Two:

 

Slept awful last night and got up too late to work out. Did eat breakfast, so there's that. I got my lunges and squats in during my mid-morning break at work and spent the rest of the day with that hurts-so-good feeling in my glutes and hamstrings.

 

I avoided all the crap snacks in the bank but found myself with no appetite for my afternoon veggie snack. Not sure if I should eat them anyway or leave them for the next day. I went with 'leave them', but now I'm a little worried doing that won't give me enough fuel/nutrients. Well, it's a balancing act.

 

• Wash the dishes in the sink - Next
• Get the outfit for tomorrow together, including accessories - Check
• Set up breakfast - Next
• Make lunch - Check
• Put keys somewhere obvious - Check
• Wash face and brush teeth - Later tonight
• Charge electronics - Check
• Pour a little cleaner in the toilet bowl - Check
• Set alarm - Check
• Go to bed at a reasonable hour - Later tonight

Time to hit the sack. Hopefully I'll sleep well enough to not struggle with getting up for push/pulls tomorrow. Yay more muscle burn?

[AnnieP (respawned)]

Subbing because Assassins, and Renaissance Rebels, and Tarot. You are so going to rock this challenge. XD

[Spark]

Muscle burn is the best burn. You got this!

[Shatyr]

Day 3:

 

Woke up several times last night. No idea what's going on, but it is not helping. If I wake up in the middle of the night again tonight, I think I'll get up and do some squats or something. Teach the body that interrupted sleep means extra work. Speaking of squats, my legs still hurt from yesterday, but it's the good hurt, so I'm actually quite thrilled. My arms don't have the same ache, so it might be time to increase reps, even though I wasn't planning on doing that for another week. I'm stronger than I thought I was!

• Wash the dishes in the sink - Next
• Get the outfit for tomorrow together, including accessories - Check
• Set up breakfast - Next
• Make lunch - Check
• Put keys somewhere obvious - Check
• Wash face and brush teeth - Later tonight
• Charge electronics - Check
• Pour a little cleaner in the toilet bowl - Check
• Set alarm - Check
• Go to bed at a reasonable hour - Later tonight

I've got some extra free time tomorrow, so I'll be looking up some good post-workout stretches. What little I recall from gym classes just isn't cutting it.

[TheStephil]

Sorry you didn't sleep well.

 

Soreness is not always an indication of a good workout. Your arms may have gotten a fantastic workout but just don't feel sore. Regardless, soreness is cool but don't get bummed if you aren't sore after every workout. I hardly ever get sore anymore but my workouts are working and im increasing working weight.

[Shatyr]

Day 4:

 

I think I may have found the sleeping issue. When I woke last night, instead of trying to go back to sleep, I got up to find out what had bothered me. It wasn't hard to find. There was a group of 5+ teenagers gathered in a stairwell for the apartments across from me. They sounded like they were having a fabulous time... at 2 in the morning. >.< If they show up again tonight, I'm definitely calling the leasing office. We have a 10pm quiet time for a reason.

 

In other news, I did my squats and lunges at work again. The interrupted sleep thing is making morning exercise a challenge, but the isolated break room is a great place to get in a short workout. The squats went off without a hitch. The lunges... not as much. My knees, especially the left, don't seem to be cooperating. I've felt a pop in the left one at least once. No pain, which is good, but it still concerns me. I'm not sure if my form is off or my knees just aren't used to the strain. I might look into easier versions, or use a chair for support until my knees are stronger.

 

That's good to know, Stephil, thanks! I'd actually prefer not to be sore after every workout, but I'll enjoy it for now. It's a nice reminder that I'm doing something to help myself, instead of status quo'ing for the rest of my life.

[TheStephil]

Loud "neighbors" are the worst! We have to leave our window open or melt due to the heat and our neighbor works random hours and has a loud truck. He makes so much noise leaving and coming home at random hours at night. Definitely call the leasing office, that's BS!

 

I hate lunges, my body does the same thing. I can't even do body weight lunges because it just feels weird in the knees, especially my left one. I don't think its a form issue for me but its something. if you figure out what's causing it, please share. Maybe it can help me too.