[Ryoko] Ryoko's First Quest: In Honor of a Fallen Comrade

[Ryoko]

My site introduction thread can be found here; it has a little more background information on me. I don't quite understand the point system yet, so I'm going to keep things simple for now. I look forward to making new friends on here, and giving and getting support in return. Pleased to meet all of you.

 

Main Quest: COMPLETE MY FIRST TRIATHLON SPRINT. It's on August 24th and I haven't really started training for it yet (training officially starts tomorrow), so I have my work cut out for me. Sprint distances are 400 meter swim, 12 mile bike, 5k run. I don't care if I have to walk the entire thing, I just want to finish it and kick start my health back into gear. I've gotten weak and I'm ready for a change.

 

Quest 1: TRAIN FOR MY TRI. Train in each discipline twice per week, alternating days, with one rest day. I'll be keeping track of my training goals and time on this Google doc. It's a rather accelerated plan (much more aggressive than I would normally do) but I don't have much choice as it's in four weeks. I'll be updating it daily. +2 STA

 

Quest 2: QUIT SUGAR. I have already cut out processed foods, coffee, sodas, cigarettes, and alcohol, but darn it all if I can't give up sugar. I munch on cookies and cupcakes daily and I KNOW it's contributing to my lethargy. And it's not just one cookie or one cupcake...noooooo...I pile 3-4 cupcakes in at one time. Or 4-6 cookies. It's been getting worse recently, over the past 3-4 months. Other than this I don't eat junk. I want to quit sugar once and for all!! I'll be tracking my meals on a battle log. Here! +1 CON

 

Quest 3: YOGA 3 DAYS/WEEK. I have been slacking on my yoga practice as of late due to some personal problems. I need to learn not to let personal issues affect my health regimen. I want to PRIORITIZE my health. Keeping my flexibility up will help me with my training. ETA: Measurable goal is 5 days a week for 30 minutes a day, home-based practice. Studio practice does not count. ETA 2: Quest has been been modified to yoga 3 days a week. Measurable goal is 45 minutes of home-based practice each time. I'll be tracking my yoga on a battle log. Here! +1 DEX

 

Life Quest: CREATE A WEBSITE FOR MY SIDE BUSINESS. I have been procrastinating on this for wayyy too long now. I have clients already but no website yet?! It's time to get this thing moving. +1 WIS

 

Motivation: I chose to participate in this triathlon in honor of my dear friend Michelle. She was in the process of training for her first triathlon this summer when she was brutally murdered a few months ago. Although she was training for a full tri, there's no way I can do that (at least not in four weeks), so I am doing this tri sprint instead. RIP Michelle - this tri is for you! xoxo 

[SugarRay]

Dear me, Triathlon? The very mention of that beast brings chills down my spine.

Running's okay, cycling's great.. but I'm just not a water person. =/

I have immense respect for people who finish those races, though. 

 

Regardless, good luck! I hope you finish that triathlon race, you'll destroy it with enough hard work!

 

Much respect for dedicating this to your friend.

R.I.P, Michelle.

[RogueWelkin]

Hey Ryoko, I’m RogueWelkin Ambassador for the Adventurer’s.

 

Definitely looks like a great challenge, sorry to hear about you friend that's a horrible thing to happen, but you are definitely doing a noble thing by dedicating this to her and trying to get through it. If nothing else that should definitely give you an edge that you might need if you start to think about quitting. I know exactly where you're coming from with the Sugar, I'm trying to cut out added sugar this challenge. It's definitely been one of the things holding me back, nothing like a fairly addictive unhealthy substance that is in virtually everything!

 

If you’re interested in finding more tips, stories, and motivation from Adventurers that have similar goals to yours head on over to the Adventurer’s Tavern where you’ll find people always willing to chat. If you’d like to talk to me you can either check out my current challenge or pm me on the board. If you have any questions on how to use the forums, check out this tutorial. I’ll be following your topic here as well so you’ll probably see me again anyway. I’ve also created an accountabilibuddy group just for Level 1’s called Rogue Squadron Recruits. Feel free to check it out if you want to get and provide support with other Level 1’s.

 

Good Luck!

[Ryoko]

Dear me, Triathlon? The very mention of that beast brings chills down my spine.

Running's okay, cycling's great.. but I'm just not a water person. =/

I have immense respect for people who finish those races, though. 

 

Regardless, good luck! I hope you finish that triathlon race, you'll destroy it with enough hard work!

 

Much respect for dedicating this to your friend.

R.I.P, Michelle.

 

Thank you, SugarRay! Haha I'm actually not much of a runner or swimmer myself, and it's been many years since I've done much biking. So I've got some spinal chills myself.   

 

I appreciate your support! 

 

Hey Ryoko, I’m RogueWelkin Ambassador for the Adventurer’s.

 

Definitely looks like a great challenge, sorry to hear about you friend that's a horrible thing to happen, but you are definitely doing a noble thing by dedicating this to her and trying to get through it. If nothing else that should definitely give you an edge that you might need if you start to think about quitting. I know exactly where you're coming from with the Sugar, I'm trying to cut out added sugar this challenge. It's definitely been one of the things holding me back, nothing like a fairly addictive unhealthy substance that is in virtually everything!

 

If you’re interested in finding more tips, stories, and motivation from Adventurers that have similar goals to yours head on over to the Adventurer’s Tavern where you’ll find people always willing to chat. If you’d like to talk to me you can either check out my current challenge or pm me on the board. If you have any questions on how to use the forums, check out this tutorial. I’ll be following your topic here as well so you’ll probably see me again anyway. I’ve also created an accountabilibuddy group just for Level 1’s called Rogue Squadron Recruits. Feel free to check it out if you want to get and provide support with other Level 1’s.

 

Good Luck!

 

Hi RogueWelkin ~ Thanks for the welcome! I appreciate all the tips. I look forward to chatting more! 

[starsapart]

Pinging this.

 

I'm very sorry to hear about your friend, but it's great of you to dedicate this challenge to her.  I'm sure you're going to do great. 

[Ryoko]

Pinging this.

 

I'm very sorry to hear about your friend, but it's great of you to dedicate this challenge to her.  I'm sure you're going to do great. 

 

Thank you again. ((()))

 

I really appreciate your support! 

[RxLady]

My condolences for your friend - what a terrible tragedy.  What a great way you have chosen to remember her. 

 

I am a big fan of yoga myself and would like to make it more of a priority of my own in the future.  I have never dabbled into the meditation side of things, so it would be interesting to hear if you spend any extra time with that along with your yoga and how you feel it affects your overall progress. (You mentioned it in your background post). 

 

Very ambitious to be ready in a month for your challenge, so best of luck and I'm cheering for you! 

[Ivan]

Ambitious. I like it.

 

Although you are not lifting, you are looking to get stronger, so don't forget to eat enough protein. 1g protein per 1 lb body weight is a good guide. As a vegetarian for many years, I know how easy it is to miss out on protein if you are not paying attention.

 

This also ties into quitting sugar. Protein makes most people feel more satiated, and less likely to snack, so if you replace your sugary treats with protein rich food, you are likely to support your self in several ways with one change.

 

Good luck, and keep us updated.

[Balthazar]

 

My site introduction thread can be found here; it has a little more background information on me. I don't quite understand the point system yet, 

 

 

Hi Ryoko, thought I'd swing in and try and clarify things up, because it confused me to.

 

Basically if you fully complete all of your challenges at the end of the six weeks you will have gained 15 attribute points that you spend across your attributes. 

 

Strength - being strong, Constitution - toughening your body and shaking off disease, Stamina - being able to go longer (important for triathlons), Wisdom - Knowledge and experiences you have gained, Dexterity - your speed, balance and agility and lastly Charisma - friends you've made, communities you've joined things that benefit your relationships (is how i view it anyways)

 

So each split those 15 attribute point across your four challenges could give you a 4, 4, 4, 3 split.

 

So you may decide that if you fully complete your life quest you will gain +1 Wisdom (because you will have th experience of having built your own websites) and +3 Charisma (because you will be connecting with your clients)

[GingaNinja]

Good luck at getting everything done and looking forward to having you on the Potentials Team, your goals look really good. Really like the website goal!

[cartwheelskeleton]

That's incredible of you to do that in honor of your friend. Best of luck on your journey!

[Blaidd]

Ryoko, you are awesome!!  One of my biggest goals in life is to be able to complete a triathlon. You're a hero.

 

You might notice that i've added an Scouts tag to your thread.  This isn't to pigeonhole you into any particular guild but rather to  bring you to the attention to one of their ambassadors.  You have quests (particularly your main quest) that are in line with what they focus on and they'd be able to offer you support, motivation and advice during your challenge.  You're welcome to pop into their Tavern to introduce yourself or ask any questions.  You're also welcome to drop me a line any time.

 

Good luck

AB xx

[Ryoko]

My condolences for your friend - what a terrible tragedy.  What a great way you have chosen to remember her. 

 

I am a big fan of yoga myself and would like to make it more of a priority of my own in the future.  I have never dabbled into the meditation side of things, so it would be interesting to hear if you spend any extra time with that along with your yoga and how you feel it affects your overall progress. (You mentioned it in your background post). 

 

Very ambitious to be ready in a month for your challenge, so best of luck and I'm cheering for you! 

 

Thank you so much for your support! I always spend more time meditating with yoga. I've been doing it off and on my entire life, so I've always had more of a spiritual relationship with it rather than just a physical.

 

Ambitious. I like it.

 

Although you are not lifting, you are looking to get stronger, so don't forget to eat enough protein. 1g protein per 1 lb body weight is a good guide. As a vegetarian for many years, I know how easy it is to miss out on protein if you are not paying attention.

 

This also ties into quitting sugar. Protein makes most people feel more satiated, and less likely to snack, so if you replace your sugary treats with protein rich food, you are likely to support your self in several ways with one change.

 

Good luck, and keep us updated.

 

Yes! Thank you. I will definitely be looking to fill myself with healthy, protein rich foods as I kick this habit.

 

Hi Ryoko, thought I'd swing in and try and clarify things up, because it confused me to.

 

Basically if you fully complete all of your challenges at the end of the six weeks you will have gained 15 attribute points that you spend across your attributes. 

 

Strength - being strong, Constitution - toughening your body and shaking off disease, Stamina - being able to go longer (important for triathlons), Wisdom - Knowledge and experiences you have gained, Dexterity - your speed, balance and agility and lastly Charisma - friends you've made, communities you've joined things that benefit your relationships (is how i view it anyways)

 

So each split those 15 attribute point across your four challenges could give you a 4, 4, 4, 3 split.

 

So you may decide that if you fully complete your life quest you will gain +1 Wisdom (because you will have th experience of having built your own websites) and +3 Charisma (because you will be connecting with your clients)

 

Hi, thank you so much for the clarification on the points! That really helped - it makes sense to me now. I appreciate your input!

 

Good luck at getting everything done and looking forward to having you on the Potentials Team, your goals look really good. Really like the website goal!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by! I look forward to working with you on the challenges!

 

That's incredible of you to do that in honor of your friend. Best of luck on your journey!

 

Thank you, JaimeLiz!

[Ryoko]

Ryoko, you are awesome!!  One of my biggest goals in life is to be able to complete a triathlon. You're a hero.

 

You might notice that i've added an Scouts tag to your thread.  This isn't to pigeonhole you into any particular guild but rather to  bring you to the attention to one of their ambassadors.  You have quests (particularly your main quest) that are in line with what they focus on and they'd be able to offer you support, motivation and advice during your challenge.  You're welcome to pop into their Tavern to introduce yourself or ask any questions.  You're also welcome to drop me a line any time.

 

Good luck

AB xx

 

 

Thank you so much!

 

I appreciate your support. ((()))

[Ciara]

Hey Ryoko,

 

I'm sorry to hear what happened. That's terrible. It's bad enough to lose a friend, but it's worse to have them taken from you. I can't imagine how horrible it must have been for you. -hugs-

 

I'm thrilled to hear you're a yoga person. I recently started yoga as well and I absolutely love it. I definitely feel myself getting stronger and more flexible with every class. Good for you!

 

I'm with you on the sugar bit. Although it's not a specific challenge for me this time, it is something I struggle with immensely and I'm here to support you 100% of the way. I'm trying to cut back on the amount of processed sugar I eat as well. I know how hard it is.

 

Good luck over the next 6 weeks! We've all got your back

[Kitsu]

Hi, 

 

I like your goals and you are doing this for a really awesome reason, I'm sure your friend would be really happy that you chose to honor her in this way doing something that was important to her.

 

I've subbed to your thread so i'll be rooting for you!

 

I must ask as i'm curious, what is your side business? 

[mtriguy]

Regarding your first tri here are what I consider to be the most important things to remember:

 

1- The swim : If this is an open water swim, you need to do at least one training session in open water prior to the race.  Can't stress this enough. It's completely different from swimming in a pool.  Start off much slower than you think you should. Your going to be full of adrenalin and a bunch of fast, experienced people are going to take off right from the start. Don't try to keep up with them.  Just go slow and steady.

 

2- Practice your bike to run transition a few times. Race day is not the time to do something for the first time.

 

3- On race day, don't be afraid to tell people it's your first race and ask questions. You may get a random jerk but most triathletes are really happy to help a first-timer.

 

4- Don't use everything up on the bike.  Go easier than you think you should.  Same thing on the first 2 miles of the run. The last mile of the run is the time to let it all out.

 

5- Have fun, but go for the best time you can. If you cross the finish line and think "that was easy!", you did it wrong. 

 

6- Thank every volunteer you see. They're giving up their time for free so you can race.

[rmd]

Good luck Ryoko!

Interested in hearing about your side business as well!

[Ryoko]

Hey Ryoko,

 

I'm sorry to hear what happened. That's terrible. It's bad enough to lose a friend, but it's worse to have them taken from you. I can't imagine how horrible it must have been for you. -hugs-

 

I'm thrilled to hear you're a yoga person. I recently started yoga as well and I absolutely love it. I definitely feel myself getting stronger and more flexible with every class. Good for you!

 

I'm with you on the sugar bit. Although it's not a specific challenge for me this time, it is something I struggle with immensely and I'm here to support you 100% of the way. I'm trying to cut back on the amount of processed sugar I eat as well. I know how hard it is.

 

Good luck over the next 6 weeks! We've all got your back

 

Hi Ciara, thanks so much for your support. ((()))

 

Yay, that's awesome that yoga's working so well for you too! What style of yoga do you do?

 

And ditto on having your back! 

 

 

Hi, 

 

I like your goals and you are doing this for a really awesome reason, I'm sure your friend would be really happy that you chose to honor her in this way doing something that was important to her.

 

I've subbed to your thread so i'll be rooting for you!

 

I must ask as i'm curious, what is your side business? 

 

 

Hi Kitsu, thanks so much for your support! I'm rooting for you as well.

 

My side business is resume writing and interview coaching. 

 

Regarding your first tri here are what I consider to be the most important things to remember:

 

1- The swim : If this is an open water swim, you need to do at least one training session in open water prior to the race.  Can't stress this enough. It's completely different from swimming in a pool.  Start off much slower than you think you should. Your going to be full of adrenalin and a bunch of fast, experienced people are going to take off right from the start. Don't try to keep up with them.  Just go slow and steady.

 

2- Practice your bike to run transition a few times. Race day is not the time to do something for the first time.

 

3- On race day, don't be afraid to tell people it's your first race and ask questions. You may get a random jerk but most triathletes are really happy to help a first-timer.

 

4- Don't use everything up on the bike.  Go easier than you think you should.  Same thing on the first 2 miles of the run. The last mile of the run is the time to let it all out.

 

5- Have fun, but go for the best time you can. If you cross the finish line and think "that was easy!", you did it wrong. 

 

6- Thank every volunteer you see. They're giving up their time for free so you can race.

 

These are great tips, thank you so much for taking the time to provide advice!

 

It's a pool swim, not a lake swim (thank goodness) but the only thing is that no one can pass athletes while in the pool, so I have to go to a swim trial. I'm a bit nervous about it - I don't want to be stuck behind someone who's basically walking the pool (I've heard that people do that in this tri) and I don't want to hold anyone up either. I'm putting it off until I get some practice in. I'm going to start brick training in two weeks.

 

Thanks again! I really appreciate your thoughts. 

[Ryoko]

Good luck Ryoko!

Interested in hearing about your side business as well!

 

Thank you, rmd!

 

Side business is mentioned above.

[spockgrrl]

Fantastic goals, Ryoko, and a noble cause. You show a lot of self awareness in your goal setting, which is admirable. Great work!

It is wonderful that you have dedicated your physical practice to the memory of your friend, and I am so sorry for your loss. 

Sending you my best, and I look forward to tracking your progress!

[Ryoko]

Fantastic goals, Ryoko, and a noble cause. You show a lot of self awareness in your goal setting, which is admirable. Great work!

It is wonderful that you have dedicated your physical practice to the memory of your friend, and I am so sorry for your loss. 

Sending you my best, and I look forward to tracking your progress!

 

Thank you, spockgrrl! I appreciate your support and am very pleased to meet you!

[jdkc4d]

 

Quest 2: QUIT SUGAR. I have already cut out processed foods, coffee, sodas, cigarettes, and alcohol, but darn it all if I can't give up sugar. I munch on cookies and cupcakes daily and I KNOW it's contributing to my lethargy. And it's not just one cookie or one cupcake...noooooo...I pile 3-4 cupcakes in at one time. Or 4-6 cookies. It's been getting worse recently, over the past 3-4 months. Other than this I don't eat junk. I want to quit sugar once and for all!! I'll be tracking my meals on a battle log.

 

A couple of years ago I gave this a go. It was hard.  Really hard. I ended up having to give up fruit for a while cause its just so sweet, it reminded me of other sweet/sugary things.

 

I think its something you have to give up entirely.  You can't go half way cause any little piece of sugar will have you right back to eating it....is so addictive. 

 

...Speaking of. Someone brought in a giant cookie to work this morning.  Like I have any willpower when it comes to a big chocolate chip cookie that everyone in the office is eating. 

[Ryoko]

Here are some questions to put your goals to the test:

1. Is your overall quest achievable (over a short or long period of time)?  Is it reasonable? Yes, it is achievable. My main quest is a sprint triathlon in four weeks. Not the most reasonable quest I could come up with in terms of time, but it was the best I could do under the circumstances. It's considered a "beginner's" tri so it's certainly doable. The tag line is that the triathlon "focuses on completion rather than competition". Perfect for me!

2. Do your 3 quests all build towards your main quest in little ways, or are you taking on too much? Do your quests have sub-quests or is it just one thing to focus on? My three quests all build towards successful completion of my first tri: training (I need to train for my race); dietary improvements (I need to fuel myself properly in order to complete this race); and flexibility (I need a calm mind and a flexible body to help get me safely through this race). My 3 quests do not have subquests at this time.

3. Are your main goals realistic? Can you scale them to smaller steps to fit your life better, even if it will make it take a little longer to achieve them? Yes, they are realistic (although it's pushing it for me, based on my motivation I'm going to power through it). Yes! I can scale my first quest into a smaller step, and I have! See my training log here.

4. Are your goals able to be measured and tracked?  What will you use to track them? See above for quest one.   Quests 2 and 3 will have a battle log. 

5. How are you grading your goals?  Are they pass/fail (“every dayâ€, “not even once over the six weeksâ€)?  Is there a reward for the effort, or are you only grading yourself on whether or not you “lose the weight†or “run the distanceâ€? I don't really have a "grading" system set up. Come to think of it, I didn't set up any reward system either! I guess my goals are pretty black and white. I'm either going to do them, or I'm not. (I am. )

6. What is your plan for continuing/altering/grading those goals if you become ill or injured? Main quest - walk the tri if I have to. 1st quest - continue any low impact training I can do, whether upper or lower body. 2nd quest - Will continue regardless of injury/illness. 3rd quest - can easily modify.

7. Did you take into consideration any special occasions (Labour Day, Independence Day, birthdays, anniversaries, etc) that may occur during the challenge?  What modifications do you need to build into your goals for those? Holidays and birthdays will not affect my quests in any way. The one thing that will affect my quest is the upcoming loss of yet another comrade, which may or may not happen before I can complete my tri. I am still trying to brainstorm some ideas for how I can cope when it happens. 

8. Do any of your main goals conflict with each other? Will one goal make it hard to do another? No, none of my goals conflict with each other.

9. Do you already have the time in your schedule to actually complete the goals you’ve set?  If not, what are you planning to do to make time for them? Yes, I have the time!

10. Are you trying to build multiple habits, or is all your energy focused on your main quest? Both! I am focusing all of my energy on my main quest, but at the same time would like to make my three quests permanent habits.

Your mini quest: Make sure your goals are definitely SMART.

 

For completing this mini quest you will receive an additional +1WIS at the end of the 6 weeks.

[Ryoko]

A couple of years ago I gave this a go. It was hard.  Really hard. I ended up having to give up fruit for a while cause its just so sweet, it reminded me of other sweet/sugary things.

 

I think its something you have to give up entirely.  You can't go half way cause any little piece of sugar will have you right back to eating it....is so addictive. 

 

...Speaking of. Someone brought in a giant cookie to work this morning.  Like I have any willpower when it comes to a big chocolate chip cookie that everyone in the office is eating. 

 

 

Yes, you totally get it!!! I am going through the worst sugar withdraws right now...I just had 1.5 cups of fresh watermelon, and that didn't even come close to cutting it. So I am getting ready to go on a walk instead. Yep, I agree - my aim is to give up sugar 100%. SO addictive.

 

Wow, did you have any of the cookie? My co-workers will sometimes bring in sweets too, but I usually don't have to worry about that temptation because the sweets aren't vegan.