A Challenger Appears: moreyarnplz!

[moreyarnplz]

Prologue: After lurking around for at least a year and joining the Academy shortly after my son was born five months ago, I'm done planning to start. I saw a new 6 week challenge is coming up, so I'm jumping in immediately before I make excuses and talk myself out of it. Although I am overweight and losing body fat is a goal of mine, I'm intentionally not making any weight-related goals yet. I've had disordered eating and was addicted to prescription appetite suppressants in the past, so it's not what I need to focus on right now. Luckily I do have something I want to focus on! That said...

 

Main Quest: Run the 2015 Walt Disney World half marathon

I'm already signed up for several runDisney races, but January will mark my first at the half marathon distance. It wasn't too long ago when just walking up and down the stairs in my house left me winded. I had to be convinced to do my first 5k because I knew there was no way I'd make it. I have lupus and arthritis that like to flare up when I'm exercise, when it's hot, when I get in the sun...you know, all things that happen during races. I also have asthma that likes to hassle me when I'm exercising and/or outdoors. All that to say, 13.1 is a bit scary to me, but I want it. I do Galloway-style run/walk intervals and am still slower than molasses in Antarctica, but that's okay. I'll work on time after I've gotten the distance down. I just want to start and finish, and I know some things I can do to get there.

 

 

Quest #1: Run at least 3 times per week 

Two shorter runs during the week and a long run on the weekend. This includes the 2014 Tower of Terror 10 Miler on October 4. I'll push myself a little bit on time during the week, but on my long runs I will slow down enough to make the distance without feeling like death. If that means I have to walk some or all of it, so be it. I'm over being embarrassed over being a slow poke.

 

 

Quest #2: Drink at least 2 liters of water every. single. day.

Dehydration is a big problem for me. It's especially bad when I'm going out and sweating like crazy in this Florida heat. I thought just cutting back on sodas would help, but I didn't replace them with water. I'm changing that now. I'll be buying a two liter container, filling it with water every day, and so help me, I will finish it.

 

 

Quest #3: Cook at home at least 4 days per week

My husband and I are good about getting dinner on the table for our five year old. We're not so great about doing it for ourselves. I homeschool our daughter and have my son all day, then I do college coursework in the evenings. My husband usually works 50-70 hours per week and is in grad school. We're wasting a lot of money eating crap, and it's showing on both of us. We've both been happy on a primal diet in the past, so I will be making a meal plan and freaking sticking to it. And no, cooking at home doesn't mean fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy,  fried okra, and sweet tea all the time - even if that's how I was raised. (I'm a Southern girl through and through.)

 

 

Life Quest: Get at least a B in all of my classes this semester

I finally convinced myself to go back to college this semester. I have a tendency to quit the moment something proves difficult for me. Well, I'm not doing that now. Gimme that GPA awesomeness!

 

 

Motivation: I deserve to feel good about myself

 

It's taken me way too long to realize that I really do deserve to be happy. I'm not a crappy person. I'm not a burden. I'm not doomed to turn into my mother. The only reason I'm miserable is because I haven't taken the steps to correct it. Everything I've listed, big and small, are things I never thought I'd be able to accomplish. Not only will I be bowled over and proud as all hell when I do accomplish them, but my daughter (and later my son when he stops only paying attention to bottles, flashing lights, and his feet) will see me accomplish my goals as well. That's a HUGE deal for me. I want my kids to think their mom is a kickass role model, and the only way to do that is to actually be a kickass role model.

[alienjenn]

do you have a program for your runs?

 

I use this one

 

 

we have a saying  in my family "be happy not crappy"

 

 

it came with a cool pic but I can't find it now

[Blaidd]

are you running like a Disney princess?

 

You might notice that i've added a Scouts' tag to your thread.  This isn't to pigeonhole you into particular guild, but rather to bring one of their ambassadors here to offer you encouragement, support or advice.  Your goals this challenge fit well with the overall spirit of their guild and you are more than welcome to pop into their Tavern and introduce yourself to them.  You are also more than welcome to pop me a message anytime. 

 

Good Luck

AB xx

[lishvicious]

Good luck with your goals. I don't know about a marathon - but I would love to go to Disney World, boo for living in Australia

[Ornata]

As a fellow ex-lurker, I think it's really brave that you finally joined a 6-Week Challenge! How have you liked the Academy so far? I've been thinking about joining for a while and wasn't sure if it was worth it.

 

I also love you quests -- perfectly attainable, yet really beneficial too. I can tell you're going to make them a high priority so I bet you're gonna do great. Good luck!

[blkhole24601]

Best of luck to you on the half marathon distance! I echo the love for the Zombies, Run! game alienjenn mentioned, and if you want something more structured with mileage increases to get to the half marathon distance, if you don't have one already, I highly recommend Hal Higdon's plans.

 

Also, LOVE your motivation. You're awesome and deserve all the good things you want~

[GingaNinja]

Really awesome goals, all the best in your future disney runs, looking forward to doing some more running myself in the future.

WATER GOALS, they are the best goals you can have in my humble opinion, people underestimate the power of drinking enough water!

Anyway, good luck and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me!

[Nolondil]

Good luck with the running! And on going back to college, that sounds pretty daunting! I bet you'll smash it

[moreyarnplz]

do you have a program for your runs?

 

I use this one

 

 

we have a saying  in my family "be happy not crappy"

 

 

it came with a cool pic but I can't find it now

I used the Zombies 5k app when I first started running. I can't standing running with headphones anymore, so I just set up my intervals on my Garmin and end up talking to myself a lot.

[moreyarnplz]

are you running like a Disney princess?

 

I'm more of a villains girl. Though I'm running with the WDW running team for the half, so I'm opting for that shirt instead of a more costume-y thing. 

[Chromaggia]

Best of luck with the running, sounds awesome! I hear you on the lupus/arthritis flares

[KayDubEff]

Fact I already know: You're not crappy. This is already a fantastic challenge!  I'm along with you on some of these goals, though at a lower level (I'm working towards not passing out doing a 5K!).  Also, best of luck with your academics! What are you working toward?

[moreyarnplz]

Fact I already know: You're not crappy. This is already a fantastic challenge!  I'm along with you on some of these goals, though at a lower level (I'm working towards not passing out doing a 5K!).  Also, best of luck with your academics! What are you working toward?

My very first goal was to walk a 5k. Once I finished that, I figured, what the hell? May as well keep going!

I'm working towards a degree in computer science. My husband is already a developer extraordinaire (no really, he's like mad scientist genius level stuff) and is planning on starting a little side business. He asked if I wanted to do web development and started teaching me. I probably don't technically need a degree for it, but it certainly won't hurt.

[moreyarnplz]

Best of luck with the running, sounds awesome! I hear you on the lupus/arthritis flares

As much as I like coming across other people who know how crappy it is, I also hate that other people have to know how crappy it is.

[LiserFrenche]

Good luck on your Half Marathon! I look forward to hearing about how you are doing on your quests.  Keep us posted.

[Magess]

Web developer skills are awesome. Good luck with your classes!

 

Would it be easier to do the home cooked meals if you did one big cook-up day on the weekend and froze everything?

[manelsen]

Hello, accountabillibuddy!

 

Awesome goals. Congratulations. Objective, doable... SMART.

 

Can you run a 5k already? If you can, there's a high class program outlined in the "Ultraendurance" chapters of Tim Ferriss' "Four Hour Body". It's based on specific stretchings, skills and 400m dashes, instead of high volume low intensity training. It should keep your knees healthy for the Great Day.

 

On cooking at home, I've always hated it - until finding out that microwaved food won't kill me. Then I bought books on "microwave cuisine" and, all of a sudden, I cook at home.

 

Cheers!

[keannis]

Hi accountabilibuddy! I love your goals - I'm jealous, I miss Disney. I grew up in Melbourne so we used to go all of the time and I worked at Epcot in my younger years. I'm looking forward to watching your progress!! 

[GingaNinja]

A friend of my boyfriend has Lupus I don't know much about it apart from people say that on House it is used a lot if they are not sure what it is, this made her laugh actually.

 

I am sorry about the flare ups though, how did your first week go?

[moreyarnplz]

So, first week down, and it was...okay. My impeccable sense of timing meant that I got a fairly large tattoo on the back of my leg the day before the challenge started. I had to walk instead of run, but considering that happens anyway, I wasn't too disappointed. I did very well with my water intake. The first day I didn't even get half of my jug emptied. I just never sit around and sip water, so I would suddenly realize that I was behind and try gulping it. Yeah, that doesn't work so great, either. Still, we were out house hunting several days, and I took my jug and a Nalgene bottle along with me. I'd estimate this is more than twice the amount of water I'm used to drinking daily.

The food thing wasn't as great. Since we've been out looking at houses once my husband is off work, we've been eating at restaurants. I compensated as much as I could by not gorging on burgers or anything, but it's still where I'm going to need the most work. An impending move isn't helping the situation. However, breakfast and lunch have been made at home every day, so that's something. My fridge is stocked up, and I have a big pork roast in the slow cooker right now. We'll have some for dinner, then use the leftovers for breakfast and lunch for a couple of days. 

I would've liked to stick to my goals 100% this week, but I'm not overly disappointed. I'm still better off this week than I was the week before, and that's what matters.

[Terinatum]

Yeah, I wouldn't be disappointed with that week either.!The water intake alone is a good victory! The meals? I wish I had a clue, but I'm struggling with it as well. The only thing that seems to help right now is having pre-made foods from my store's deli and eat some cooked chicken with dressing when I'm on the go. Maybe try picnics when you hunt or when you move? Can you keep a hot plate and cooler in your car when you move?

I hope there's a way that will feel right for you. Ah? What kind of ink did you get?

[moreyarnplz]

Yeah, I wouldn't be disappointed with that week either.!The water intake alone is a good victory! The meals? I wish I had a clue, but I'm struggling with it as well. The only thing that seems to help right now is having pre-made foods from my store's deli and eat some cooked chicken with dressing when I'm on the go. Maybe try picnics when you hunt or when you move? Can you keep a hot plate and cooler in your car when you move?

I hope there's a way that will feel right for you. Ah? What kind of ink did you get?

Once I start cooking at home, it's not a problem. The only problem is starting. But I'm getting there. I'm definitely going to start having pre-made stuffs around, whether it's healthy food I buy or little bento boxes that I make myself and store in the fridge. 

I got a man's ruin piece, but instead of liquor and such, it has a Playstation controller, D12s, Magic cards, etc. It's still a bit cloudy looking since I'm sloughing off skin (OMG ITCHY ITCHY ITCHY), but I'll post a picture of it soon!

[moreyarnplz]

I had to go to the doctor for yet another sinus infection yesterday. I'm getting several of these a year, and it's very frustrating. I've been asking if there's a way to find out whether I'm getting sick so much because my immune system isn't the best or because there's an actual issue with my sinuses. No one seems to know, and no one can decide exactly who should write an order for a CT scan of my sinuses that my insurance will accept. For the time being I'm on a round of amoxicillan and prednisone. Those both make me feel like hell. I spent last night barely sleeping, but it gave me time to think, and I realized something that kind of bothers me.

My husband is awesome, provides for the family, is the best, etc., but he's totally enabling me to slide in the food department. I've told him I want to stop going to restaurants and picking up fast food so much, but he gets grumpy when I tell him he needs to stop offering that stuff to me. Now, obviously it's not completely his fault. I'm the one who eventually agrees, and it's on me to be responsible for that. But it would be so much easier to not have it brought up. So I think today I need to sit him and down and really tell him that I need him to be more supportive. It won't just be good for me. He and our kid will benefit as well. Still, though, I feel like a massive jerk. Who wants to tell their significant other to do more for them, you know?

[Terinatum]

Oh, wow. I had to do that a time or two.

 

My ex (not the reason she's an ex!) wants to help, but often her emotions in the moment would override her helping. I had to ask her to 'edit' her talking of junk food and fast food when she was trying to help me decide what to eat. I said something to the this effect:

"You can complain and want those things. I respect that. But when you say you're here for me right now, then please do just that. This is hard, but extremely important to me. Please, I have to do this."

 

There will be defenses that he'll put up so don't leave after the first round. It's like a boxing match (w/out the violence! lol). Takes time to get in the groove of a conversation that hits on your true desires and their idea of being there for you and protecting themselves. Good Luck.

[alienjenn]

I had to go to the doctor for yet another sinus infection yesterday. I'm getting several of these a year, and it's very frustrating. I've been asking if there's a way to find out whether I'm getting sick so much because my immune system isn't the best or because there's an actual issue with my sinuses. No one seems to know, and no one can decide exactly who should write an order for a CT scan of my sinuses that my insurance will accept. For the time being I'm on a round of amoxicillan and prednisone. Those both make me feel like hell. I spent last night barely sleeping, but it gave me time to think, and I realized something that kind of bothers me.

My husband is awesome, provides for the family, is the best, etc., but he's totally enabling me to slide in the food department. I've told him I want to stop going to restaurants and picking up fast food so much, but he gets grumpy when I tell him he needs to stop offering that stuff to me. Now, obviously it's not completely his fault. I'm the one who eventually agrees, and it's on me to be responsible for that. But it would be so much easier to not have it brought up. So I think today I need to sit him and down and really tell him that I need him to be more supportive. It won't just be good for me. He and our kid will benefit as well. Still, though, I feel like a massive jerk. Who wants to tell their significant other to do more for them, you know?

 

 

the thing is... food is such an interesting dynamic...

 

it's a part of the relationship... one thing that I find is I tell my kids (no hubs around... just kids) "I really don't want to have X do you mind if we walk instead?" or "I know you want to have cinnamon rolls how about I drink a big cuppa tea while you have yours and we can chat?" or "I am glad you brought me M&M's, how about we work on our burpees for 5 minutes then we can have a couple" 

 

I try to be positive about it and let them know that I still love them and I want to interact with them... just not with junk food... or in a way that I EARN my junk food... so that way they know that you aren't changing the relationship itself... you just want to change the dynamics of it