Aeshnidae Conquers the Bay

[aeshnidae]

Intro: This is my first challenge as a Ranger and second challenge overall. I’m also leveling up in the NF Academy, which has been great! I’m 38 years old and moved back to the DC area last year after 10+ years in Boulder (I also brought my wife and two dogs). It’s so much easier to be active and healthy in Colorado, where it’s basically built into the lifestyle. Fortunately I really like going to gym, so I am there almost every weekday morning before work. (Actually, I do not like going to the gym, but I enjoy being at the gym and I love having gone to the gym!)

 

I’m a named hasher but not a particularly good runner. I trained for and ran the Marine Corp Marathon back in 2001 and thought great, I never need to run another marathon. I really hated everything about running. Then, after hashing for a bit, I discovered Vibrams. I also read Born to Run and learned about barefoot and minimalist running. I put on a pair of Vibrams and ran for 2 miles, the longest I had ever run. (I actually had to stop myself because I knew I would injure myself if I didn’t properly transition from my bulky sneakers to the Vibrams.) Running had never felt so good! I’ve done a few 5Ks since then, including the Bolder Boulder, and a few friends and I signed up the 10K Across the Bay. We’ll be running across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge this November!

 

I’m still not a fast runner, and probably never will be because my heart rate gets very high (it’s a genetic thing, I don’t feel like I’m really making an effort until my HR is in the 140 bpm range and a 12:00 pace will easily put me at 170+ bpm). On a treadmill or elliptical, I can run under an 8 minute mile. IRL, I’ve never done better than 9:47. That’s okay with me.

 

So I’m pretty good with the fitness stuff. It’s the nutrition that is my downfall. I do a decent enough job at eating well (organic food, cook tons of stuff at home, eat veggies and fruits, etc.) but I am an evening snacker. I will mostly snack on real food, like cheese and fruit, but I snack nonetheless. Paying closer attention to my calorie intake and especially my macros is going to be key to this challenge. I am going to follow the Muscles for Life formula (based on the Katch McArdle TDEE calculation). My goal is 1500 – 1700 calories per day (depending on workout), approximately 40% protein, 35% carbs, and 25% healthy fat.

 

Current Stats

Height: 5'3" (heh, totally forgot to list that earlier)

Current weight: 133 lbs

Current BMI: 23.5

Current body fat: 23% (per my electric fat monitor, which seems to range from 22.1% - 23.7% for me)

Bust, 34.5"

Waist, 28"

Upper hips, 34â€

Lower hips/butt, 38.5â€

Thighs at widest part, 23â€

(Current body photos posted at the end.)

 

Main Quest: To complete the 10K Across the Bay in November (we’re running across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge).

 

 

Continuing Side Quest: To decrease my body fat percentage to 20%.

 

Mission 1: Do more cardio. (1) Go on outdoor runs (preferred) or use treadmill at least twice per week for one run of 2 miles and one run of increasing distance (start with 3-4 miles, then slowly add distance week over week). (2) Perform at least 10 minutes of HIIT and 10 minutes of moderate intensity cardio on 3 of 4 lifting days.

 

Measurement.* A = 1 run of 2 miles plus 1 run of 3+ miles per week tracked on Runkeeper plus 3 days per week of 10 min each cardio & HIIT cardio. B = 1 run of 3+ miles per week tracked on Runkeeper plus at least 3 days per week of 10 min each cardio & HIIT cardio. C = Anything less.

 

Mission 2: Continue building strength and balance. (1) Perform 4 heavy lifting sessions per week, lifting in the 4-6 rep range for 3 sets per exercise. (2) Add in balance/stability exercises, such as plank and push-ups balancing on medicine balls, at least one workout per week.

 

Measurement. A = 6 weeks, both goals met. B = 4-5 weeks, both goals met. C = Less than 4 weeks of goals met.

 

Mission 3: Eat properly. (1) Consume appropriate macros and calorie levels at least 6 days per week. Do not overeat but also do not undereat. (2) Consume egg protein as a final, pre-bedtime meal on lifting days.

 

Measurement. A = 6 weeks, calorie & macro goal met (allow for 5% deviation) at least 6 days each week. B = 6 weeks, calorie & macro goal met (allow for 5% deviation) at least 5 days per week. C = Anything less. 

 

*Measurements will be graded weekly and then averaged. 

 

Body Photos: 

My wife is utterly horrified by the state of the room and says I will be known as the girl with the messy house. This is her private dressing room and it's not usually this messy. You'll just have to trust me that I'm a huge neat freak and the rest of our house is pretty spotless. 

 

 

[lishvicious]

Well aren't you looking buff! Especially in the arms - some nice muscle definition. 

 

You seemed to have it all planned out very well - and judging with how well you went with your last challenge, I think it is fair to say that you are going to nail it!

 

[aeshnidae]

Thanks, lish! My biggest issue, as always, is the nutrition part. I'm great during the day. I'm even good at dinner, since I usually cook. It's the after dinner snacking that gets me. Laura can eat whatever she wants and still remain skinny so I really need to focus on my willpower! One of the meds I take for my fibromyalgia causes intense sweet cravings, which is just awful (I've never been much of a sweets person so this is a new challenge for me). 

[OrangeJorwell]

I've never heard of hashing before, but it sounds awesome. I have something new to train for.  Good luck on the bridge run! I'm planning on getting to that kind of distance by November, as well.

[aeshnidae]

Thanks, Zebarah! Hashing is great fun. I used to do it every week but I haven't been able to make it fit into my schedule since I moved. There are about 8 different kennels in the DC area, though, so I really will get back into it sometime soon! (Maybe that'll be part of my next challenge.)

[Ryoko]

Hi! This is my first challenge as a Ranger and my second overall challenge, too. And we're neighbors! I'm in the DC area myself. ^.^

 

Pleased to meet you! Good luck this challenge.

[aeshnidae]

Hi! This is my first challenge as a Ranger and my second overall challenge, too. And we're neighbors! I'm in the DC area myself. ^.^

 

Pleased to meet you! Good luck this challenge.

 

Hi, neighbor!   I subbed your current challenge. Do you think you'll do any of the NF DC-area meet-ups? 

[Ryoko]

Hi, neighbor!   I subbed your current challenge. Do you think you'll do any of the NF DC-area meet-ups? 

 

I would love to get to a meet if possible...my schedule does not have a lot of flexibility at the moment, but if I can make it happen, I totally will!

 

Hopefully you'll be making it if possible as well?

[aeshnidae]

I would love to get to a meet if possible...my schedule does not have a lot of flexibility at the moment, but if I can make it happen, I totally will!

 

Hopefully you'll be making it if possible as well?

 

I hope to at some point! =) There was talk of a Renaissance Festival but nothing firm yet (which is okay with me because my schedule is also packed right now). 

[lishvicious]

Well I wish you the best of luck with the sweet cravings - I know the feeling and it is hard. I have found that the longer I abstain from sweets though that the easier it is to turn them down. So we just need to keep soldiering on!

[Bonsai]

Hashing sounds awesome! How was your first day, fellow skull crusher?

[aeshnidae]

1st day of the challenge rocked! I had a great workout, did my best pace ever on the elliptical, and stuck very close to my nutrition goals (not quite as much protein as I'd like, but close, and not quite as many calories as I should have consumed - which is NOT normally an issue for me - but close). Thanks for asking! 2nd day of the challenge is off to a good start, since I did a good workout and plan to stop by the local organic market to pick up some lunch fixins (the leafy greens that I keep in my office fridge now look sad, so they need to be replenished) and some Baby Bella mushrooms to make some mushroom paprikas this evening. We're going to Budapest to see my family in October and I need to get Laura's stomach used to eating Hungarian food on a regular basis! 

[Chelkie]

This hashing sounds like great fun! It combines all the things Alaskans love, drinking, outdoors and being quirky. I haven't even looked yet but I can imagine there are quite a few here that I could join. 

[aeshnidae]

This hashing sounds like great fun! It combines all the things Alaskans love, drinking, outdoors and being quirky. I haven't even looked yet but I can imagine there are quite a few here that I could join. 

 

You can find a local kennel here. Looks like Anchorage, Ketchikan, Juneau, and Kodiak are listed. Denali H3 isn't listed but they've got a website. =)

[Chelkie]

You can find a local kennel here. Looks like Anchorage, Ketchikan, Juneau, and Kodiak are listed. Denali H3 isn't listed but they've got a website. =)

 

Hash House Harriers of Anchorage it is! I'd better get in on this quickly, I don't have ice cleats for running outside, so my time is limited. Thanks for the link!

[Ryoko]

Congrats on an awesome first day! ^.^

 

Mushroom paprikas sound great! Mmm.

[lishvicious]

1st day of the challenge rocked! I had a great workout, did my best pace ever on the elliptical, and stuck very close to my nutrition goals (not quite as much protein as I'd like, but close, and not quite as many calories as I should have consumed - which is NOT normally an issue for me - but close). Thanks for asking! 2nd day of the challenge is off to a good start, since I did a good workout and plan to stop by the local organic market to pick up some lunch fixins (the leafy greens that I keep in my office fridge now look sad, so they need to be replenished) and some Baby Bella mushrooms to make some mushroom paprikas this evening. We're going to Budapest to see my family in October and I need to get Laura's stomach used to eating Hungarian food on a regular basis! 

 

Yay you totally smashed your first day and it sounds like day two is going to be awesome too. 

 

Now mmmmm hungarian food - sounds delicious!

[aeshnidae]

Our organic market was completely out of mushrooms.  I didn't even realize that would be possible, but I guess there was a crazed run on mushrooms yesterday? The spouse was also PMSy and upset by some shenanigans that took place in Final Fantasy XIV and requested Spice 6, which is basically the Chipotle of Indian food, so I picked that up instead. But success - I got chickpeas instead of rice and I split a naan with her and hit all of my macros (actually I could have had more carbs but my order of importance is (1) hitting my calorie goal, (2) hitting my protein goal, (3) not exceeding my carb goal, and (4) coming in close enough to my fat goal). 

 

I called the market just now and they are restocked, so mushroom paprikas is back on the menu for tonight. I'm also going to try to leave work early to get in my jog. Today is my short run day; I had intended to knock it out first thing in the morning but I got a call from the office at 6:30 am so that threw me off. Thankfully it's not a gym day or I'd have been really grumpy.

 

Bonus: I mapped out the perfect 5K through my neighborhood streets and bike paths. I've been doing 2 laps of my neighborhood streets to hit a 5K or I've been jogging a 7K along the bike trail that runs along the river. Now I can do the 5K along the river, which is much prettier. 

[lishvicious]

Out of mushrooms - what the?? I'm glad your contingency planned worked and that you hit your nutrition goals - high five!

[Ryoko]

Oooo intrigued...Spice 6? I haven't heard of that before - it's downtown?

 

w00t for mapping out an awesome 5k! Congrats.

[MegaShe-Ra]

Oh my gosh, I remember hearing about hashing in passing but never took the time research it before.

It sounds AMAZING. I'm already a really good drinker so maybe if I learn to run I can give it a try!

Sounds like your first few days have been going really well, keep it up!

[aeshnidae]

Oh my gosh, I remember hearing about hashing in passing but never took the time research it before.

It sounds AMAZING. I'm already a really good drinker so maybe if I learn to run I can give it a try!

Sounds like your first few days have been going really well, keep it up!

 

You can suck at running (and/or drinking) and still hash! It's actually what made me become a not-terrible runner. I'll never be a fast runner, due to my weirdly high heart rate, but I can jog 4-5 miles without a problem now.

 

Ryoko - Spice 6 is awesome, but I think their only location is Hyattsville (south of College Park, north of NE DC, on Rt. 1/Baltimore Ave/Rhode Island Ave). If you're ever up this way, let me know and I will totally meet you there! Their naan wraps are my favorite, but lately I've been getting the rice bowls (with chickpeas instead of rice) to cut back on refined carbs. Their tamarind chutney and spicy green chutney....sooooo good. 

 

 

The first 4 days of the challenge have been really good, even though I have been feeling crappy (turns out I have bronchitis, so now I also have antibiotics). I've been hitting all my workouts and, thanks to my open food diary on MFP, have stayed away from excessive evening snacking. At some point I am going to have to eat a pumpkin cupcake, because my wife makes them for me and it hurts her feelings if I don't eat them (usually not an issue, since I love them). This afternoon I'm at home on doctor's orders and wanted to snack, so I sauteed some broccoli in a bit of chili sesame oil with red pepper flakes and some soy sauce. Crunchy, savory, yum! 

[IceGiant355]

Sorry to hear about the bronchitis, but glad you got it figured out and are on the road to recovery!!

Side note: all this talk of Spice 6 is making me jealous. I would almost literally kill for something like that here in St. Louis.

[lishvicious]

mmm broccoli goodness - I'm super glad to hear that your challenge is going well. Now get better quickly so you can keep on fighting the good fight

[KayDubEff]

Is there anything more satisfying than finding the absolutely perfect running route? I submit that there is not! (well, maybe)

 

Keep going! You're doing great! Success dance!