Redimagination - The Adventure Begins (again)

[redimagination]

Prologue

I have spent most of my life either being active or inactive. I've had periods of exercising 5 times a week and periods of prefering time spent in my bed. I've enjoyed everything from swimming, running, yoga and strength training. I like to keep things mixed and my main motivation for exercise is ability. I want to feel badass and able to do anything.

 

The first challenge I tried was unsuccesful. There were influences outside of my control that I let control me, what I was doing and what I was eating.

 

My second challenge I went back to basics and worked on being more consistent and not letting my emotions influence what I eat. This was more successful and felt better for it. I was mostly successful on every aspect.

 

Now for my third challenge.

 

It is the first challenge I have not been in Level 1. I can now call myself an Adventurer! *waves*. Ultimately, I would like to become a Ranger but I don't feel like I am there yet. Plus I want to spend more time trying new things. I am also doing this alongside NaNoWriMo because one challenge in a month is not enough!

 

 

 

Main Quest: Road to Badass - Master the Pull Up

While I think many things result in a person being able to label themselves/ others as badass but to me, I couldn't feel like that unless I am able to do a pull up. While I have no expectation of being able to do a pull up by the end of the challenge I want to be closer to it. I used to be able to do chin ups but I stopped doing it and now unable to do them again.

 

I will do this by:

 

Mission 1. Increase weight + reps of dumbbell rows. Currently I am able to do 20kg at 4 reps (though usually 3reps). At 17.5kg I am doing 5 reps (5 to 6 sets) but could increase on this.

 

I will work towards doing:

17.5kg 8 reps 3 sets

20kg 8 reps 3 sets

 

I will aim to get to the gym 2-3 times a week (I have issues getting to the gym due to having an off-peak membership so it depends on my work shifts).

 

 

Mission 2. Bodyweight rows

I can currently do 5 reps but only 2 sets.

 

So I will work up to doing (Weeks at end are guidelines but not considered a fail if I don't manage):

3 sets of 5 Reps (Week 1)

4 sets of 5 Reps (Week 2)

5 sets of 5 Reps (Week 3)

6 sets of 5 Reps (Week 4)

7 sets of 5 Reps (Week 5)

8 sets of 5 Reps (Week 6)

 

Total: 165

 

Mission 3. Negatives

This comes in at about Week 4.

 

I will increase this by 1 a week. The aim is just to attempt it and not fall/ hurt myself.

 

Side Quest:

I enjoy yoga and I enjoy the awareness and improvement on what my body is able to do. It increases my balance and flexibility and tests my strength. I encourage my body to do things it wasn't able to do. I love the positive effect it has on me. I need to get this back.

 

I will aim to complete at least one yoga session per week.

 

Life Quest: Write My Tales

As stated, I am participating in NaNoWriMo during this challenge. Therefore it makes sense to make my life quest about my writing. It is something that I enjoy but I don't put enough time in to. I have noticed it during this NaNo already and how my writing is deteriorating because of this.

 

During NaNoWriMo:

To write 50,000 words by 30th November at midnight. I will do this by writing the 'words per day to finish on time' guide on the NaNo website. I will update here what my target count was and what I managed.

 

After NaNoWriMo:

Write something every day or work towards improving my writing (e.g. editing current work, or planning something new). This can be fiction or non-fiction as I'd like to work on both of them.

 

Motivation

To feel better about myself and become the person that I want to be. To be able to do things. I want to be able to lift heavy things. I want to be feel able to tackle any challenge that comes my way (e.g. zombie apocalypse). Those are my motivations. The writing comes from pure joy of writing but not making enough time for it. NaNoWriMo helps but doesn't help for the rest of the year. I want to get back into it and improve myself. And if the zombie apocalypse does happen well someone has to record it. Just in case it is found by a surviving human or another intelligent life form.

 

Grading

 

Main Quest: Pull Up

I won't grade this specifically as I don't intend to be able to do a pull up by the end.

However:

 

Dumbbell Rows:

20kg 3 sets of 8 reps - A

20kg 3 sets of 5-7 reps - B

17.5kg 3 sets of 8 reps - C

17.5kg 3 sets of 5-7 - D

20kg 3 sets of 4/ 17kg 3 sets of 4 - F (fail as in no improvement)

 

In all honesty, anything from D up is an improvement so the actual grade is just more a measurement of how I have done rather than how I feel I will have done if I have acheived them. If I get a D I won't be disappointed.

 

Bodyweight Rows:

I'm going to grade this as a total number of reps. The plan above contains 165 reps.

 

Again. Anything from D up is an improvement. I am realistic about what I can achieve but won't limit myself!

 

A = 165

B = 125 - 164

C = 85 - 124

D = 45 - 84

E = 30 - 45

F = 30 (Fail as in no improvement)

 

Yoga:

I aim to do at least one yoga work out per week.

 

A = 6

B = 5

C = 4

D = 3

E = 1 or 2

F = 0

 

Life Quest

A= Finish NaNoWriMo and write every day from 1st-21st December (minus days I can't due to work)

B = Finish NaNoWriMo and write every other day from 1st - 21st December

C = Finish NaNoWriMo or write every day from 1st-21st December

D = Write every other day from 1st-21st December

F = Less than above.

 

 

 

[redimagination]

Today has gone well.

 

Went to the gym this morning and completed 3 sets of 8 reps of dumbbell rows at 17.5kg and a set of 4 reps at 20kg.

 

I have also written 2019 words for NaNoWriMo bringing my word count up to 12,027.

 

My day was made at the gym today. I see this woman at the gym quite often. We've never spoken to each other before today and we happened to be working beside each other. She told me that she had never managed to lift something that heavy before so I congratulated her. She then told me that she has been impressed with how much I lift. Great feeling!

[redimagination]

Right, due to lack of interest in the thread I am going to abandon it for now. I will be working towards the challenge but not posting.

[Gobnait]

Hi, I just found you.  Don't be discouraged, during my last challenge I didn't have many visitors.  Sometimes it just takes a while, and your thread hasn't existed during a Saturday yet.

 

Noticing how your writing suffers because you haven't been doing it sucks.  I don't do NaNo because the way my energy is during the fall, but randomly the muse bites me.

 

Keep working regardless, though it would be nice to hear about your progress.

[redimagination]

That is true. It was just a bit discouraging when everyone else (that I've seen) has at least one comment from someone else and I've always had that before.

 

I'm using it as motivation to keep going though, after this month, and hopefully get back to where I was before.

 

Thank you. I haven't been able to do as much this week as I would have liked. I had intended to go to the gym on Wednesday as I had an hour and a half between shifts. I hadn't been to this gym before and it doesn't exist where my phone thinks it is so I missed out. Did get a lot of walking done though so I guess that counts towards something. But I am now on annual leave so I can do more towards my challenge for the next two weeks.

 

I will post a proper summary on Sunday

[stealthstitcher]

Glad you're back! Been meaning to get over here and leave a comment, since you left an encouraging one for me. Pullups are one of my goals on the distant horizon - I'll be fascinated and intrigued to see how your journey to them goes.

Any chance the gym was there but invisible to mere human eyes? Or it only materializes in the light of a full moon or something?

I thought I'd do Nano again this year and have written exactly, um, yes, no words whatsoever. I'm telling myself that, like missing a workout or eating half a pizza or whatever, that was today. I can always write something tomorrow, even if I don't end up making my goal wordcount.

And one question - you say you are neither and assassin nor Batman ... but would you admit it if you were?

[redimagination]

Thanks! Pull ups are something I've always wanted to achieve but not being putting in the effort to try. Most of my challenges have focused on getting the habit of exercise built in but I was excited to actually set a goal of physically achieving something. If I get a little closer I will be happy!

 

I'd like that to be true and not because I'm just silly and can't find a gym! I'm sure it is around there somewhere and the map is just wrong.

 

Well there are still two weeks to get something down! All that matters is getting something written down. If you don't meet an arbitrary word count set by someone else it isn't really failure. If you want the challenge of the 50,000 words in 30 days you can do your own Personal Novel Writing Month as I have toyed with before. It isn't as exciting as doing it with others though. 

 

Hmm, well if I was an assassin or Batman would I tell you whether I would tell you or not?

[redimagination]

Week 1

Right, so this week possibly hasn't been the best week to start. But I started my progress on to pull ups. I began doing the 17.5kg dumbbell rows. Unfortunately I didn't make a second time though this wasn't through lack of trying as mentioned previously. I'm off for the next two weeks so should be able to do more to try. I wasn't able to do any bodweight rows due to everyone stealing the smith machine (very rare occurrence I must add).

 

No yoga either. But will definitely fit in next week and work more towards fitting in at least once a week.

 

Writing hasn't gone too badly. This weekend hasn't been good but I have enough time to catch up.

 

Also, I had an awesome moment at the gym. It is the first time anyone has complimented what I'm doing. There is this woman I see a lot and today she was impressed at reaching a new weight so I congratulated her. She then began talking about me and she was impressed with what I lift (which admittedly isn't a lot). This made my week!

[Gobnait]

Sometimes things go slowly.  Don't get bummed about it.  Hope things get better soon.

[redimagination]

I'm not too worried. Things will be a lot easier these next two weeks as I'm on annual leave and don't have any other plans!

[redimagination]

The start of this week has gone not too badly.

 

Yesterday I went to the gym. No advancement on my dumbbell rows but not too concerned about that. I'm going to work on that on Friday when I go (taking a break tomorrow). I did hit a PR on my squat though - although nothing to do with my challenge I'm happy about it.

 

Today I have done 35mins of yoga. I definitely needed that. Not sure if it is from the gym before or my body is getting stiffer from not stretching it enough. More likely a combination of both. So I definitely need to keep this up.

 

I didn't do much writing yesterday but today so far I have managed to get over 3,000 words written. Tomorrow is going to be a shorter writing day (But reaching my minimum to write each day to finish on time which stands at about 2,500) but I plan on a longer session on Thursday.

[redimagination]

So, week 2 is continuing well. I went to the gym yesterday and worked on bodyweight rows. I done 5 sets of 5 so technically ahead of the weeks. I done a couple of sets of dumbbell rows but that was mostly while waiting for my knee not to hurt to do some more dumbbell lunges. I scaled back the weight of the rows and done more reps.

 

Rest day today but hoping to do more focusing on my writing. Aiming for at least 3,000 words today.

[stealthstitcher]

Yoga is great! I'm terrible at it, but I find it absolutely necessary if I'm going to avoid pulling muscles. I guess plenty of long stretches would do much the same thing, but yoga's more interesting. Totally impressed with your wordcounts.

[redimagination]

I love yoga and I really need to keep it up. At one point I was doing yoga five times a week and the difference in a month was amazing.

 

Thank you. Actually achieved 6,000 words yesterday. Not sure I'm quite going to get the same today but will give it a go. Also gym day, yay!

[redimagination]

Gym day yesterday went well.

 

I don't tend to use the assistance machines for helping me to achieve pull ups or chin ups but I like to use them to gauge where I am and can see an improvement. I am managing 5 reps at 25kg and I was using my muscles to do it rather than rely on the machine to lift me up and down. At one point I only had one leg on the leg bit.

 

Also, reached 30k on my NaNo last night!

[redimagination]

It is the end of week 2. So far I am happy with my progress. I am doing 5x5 bodyweight rows. Though I haven't moved from 3 sets of 8 reps of dumbbell rows at 17.5kg I have worked on that this week to hopefully make some progress. If I can do more than 5 reps of 20kg then I will be happy. Next week will be focusing on doing this, improving on my bodyweight rows and possibly some negatives. Though I wish I never lost my pull up bar down the back of the wardrobe of my old flat (I took it apart once to get something from behind, once was enough). Due to being small doing negatives at the gym isn't the easiest but will give it my best shot.

 

Today I should actually catch up on NaNoWriMo. I'm only 3,946 words behind and I have a spreadsheet set up with what I need to do to catch up. I give myself a set amount of time to write so many words and if I make it I get free time. If I don't I alternate between something exercise related (10 push ups, 30 second plank) or house related (put 5 pieces of clothes away). I can do this!

 

Also, thanks to my dream last night in which I discovered that I was a robot I have inspiration for another novel.

[stealthstitcher]

Yeah, dreams with plots! My favorite. 

You're lifting about twice what I'm at on dumbbell rows (if I'm converting kg to lb correctly ... it's been a few years since math class) - great to hear that your goals are going well, both strength and writing. 

[redimagination]

I was really confused when I first went to my gym as I was so used to working in lbs but they use kg for everything. But thank you! Quite glad with how I'm managing. My partner commented on the difference in my arm muscles yesterday so I must be doing something right.

 

Yesterday I managed to add an extra rep on the 20kg. I done 17.5kg at 8 reps for three sets and then 20kg, two sets of 4 reps then a final set of 5. New PR!

 

My plan was some yoga this morning but taking a little bit of a rest day. I'm focusing on job hunting and applying and everything related to that (also some housework that needs doing). I may do some yoga later though.

 

I have also caught up with NaNo! Here is my graph to show (though it doesn't show yesterdays writing)

 

[redimagination]

Quick update: I finished NaNoWriMo! Just reached 50,000 words tonight. My 50,000th word: can. Which, while not the most exciting, is quite appropriate. Because I can do it. And whatever goal I set for myself (within reason).

[redimagination]

Okay, round up of the previous week.

Exercise wise I was doing well. I missed my yoga session though. I was just lacking energy same with only getting to the gym twice. But did hit PRs in nearly everything so at least when I was there I was doing my best. Last time I went to the gym I done four sets of 4-5 reps of Dumbell rows at 20kg. I went to do Negatives at the gym... Realised I was too small and didn't fancy trying to jump it in front of everyone. Will work on this part of the challenge.

[stealthstitcher]

Congrats on completing NaNoWriMo! That is an accomplishment indeed. And congrats on your PRs, as well!

[redimagination]

Thank you! I'm amazed at how much stronger I feel just through this challenge.

 

This week hasn't been two bad. Two gym visits made (which considering I started work this week is an achievement in itself, can't remember the last time I achieved that). No yoga. I'm failing at that part of the challenge.

 

Writing hasn't been too bad. Since NaNo I did write a little piece on tumblr about my thoughts on NaNo. I have also bought scrivener for writing on and started my new project (also created some of my own templates). I will definitely do more on writing next week.

[redimagination]

Just realised I have not updated in a while. Still powering through with the challenge. Though mastering a pull up has become my main focus and the rest has sort of slipped my mind. Work has been a bit crazy and today is my first day off since the beginning of last week so I am enjoying the break. Not much has happened with my writing. I have an idea in my head and I am working around it but so far not so many words on the screen.

 

I have only been to the gym once this week but more PR's. Will be aiming to go twice next week!

[Gobnait]

Keep working at it.

[redimagination]

Skipped gym today (which was the right decision according to the accidental nap I took) but pushing a wheelchair uphill totally counts as a full body exercise!