Raxie's Challenge of Stuff & Things

[Raxie]

Hokay, so...

 

 

I'm a few days late getting this challenge up.  I had a real struggle with trying to figure out exactly what to do here.  I had such a success last challenge, and want to continue to do everything that I accomplished... but I don't want to make every little thing a part of something I grade.  I've kind of hit that wall with challenges that I've seen many people hit where I've pseudo succeeded and I'm kind of like... where do I go from here?

 

SO.  I decided to have my goals be related to things I am already doing, but not the actual things I have already accomplished habit wise.

 

That sounds way more confusing than it is.  Here's an example:  Last challenge I made it a solid habit to do Stronglifts 3x/week.  I know I will continue this, and I'm not worried about grading myself on it.  So on this challenge, I will have a mission to foam roll before every stronglifts session.

 

I also have gotten into the habit of cooking dinner.  This challenge I will tackle the hurdle of lunch.

 

I'm also going to throw in a bonus goal for each mission to keep things interesting.

 

Anyway, on to the missions... because I've waited long enough

 

MISSION 1: Foam Roll

 

 

As I said above, I will foam roll every time I do SL.  This will be 3x/week most likely, since that's how often I usually do SL.  However, since I am not grading my actual SL performance this mission will be graded on the percentage of many foam rolling sessions I do (or don't do) out of lifting sessions.

 

+2 STA

 

BONUS: Roll out my IT band for at least 3 minutes per side 50% or more of the foam rolling sessions. So painful. +1 STA

 

MISSION 2: Be Mindful Every Day

 

 

I have been finding real benefit in Meditation (via Headspace) and yoga.  So I'm going to step up my game... instead of doing this just every morning when I wake up to go to work, I am gonig to try to do both of these things every damn day. Even if it's a 3 minute mindfulness exercise, and this 5 minute essential morning yoga poses flow. I have this problem where I do stuff when I have other things to do... like go to work.  But the second my schedule is not that.. ie I am teleworking or it's the weekend... I do NOTHING.  And it's awful.  This will at least force me to get a little self love in no matter how lazy I am feeling.

 

+2 WIS

 

BONUS: Complete the 30 Day Yoga Challenge with Adriene by the end of this challenge.  +1 DEX.

 

MISSION 3: Take Control of my Beverages

(this is a 3-parter)

 

 

Last challenge I more or less gave up beer. I only had 4 beers for the entire challenge! Which for me is huge, as I like to pretend I'm a beer connoisseur, and I absolutely love my IPAs. But I did it.  This challenge I am going to allow myself 1 beer a week, 3 more than I allowed myself last challenge.  However, now I can only drink alcoholic beverages one night a week too.  All other beverages aside from the single beer (and ONLY if it's a delicious beer.  None of this miller high life crap the boyfriend likes to bring home) must be wine or whiskey.

 

+1 CON (percentage of weeks with only 1 beer and only 1 night drinking)

 

My water consumption may also be lacking. I feel like I drink enough, but I wake up every morning with horrible dry mouth and sometimes I get so thirsty it wakes me up in the night.  So, for the first three weeks of this challenge, I will log my water intake every day.

 

+1 CON (percentage of days logged)

 

Then I will set a goal for myself based on this data, and try to meet it every day.

 

+1 CON (percentage of days met)

 

FOOD SIDE QUEST: Eat Salads!

 

 

Eat a salad for lunch 3x/week.

 

Pretty self explanatory.  +2 CON

 

BONUS: Try 2 fancy salads that aren't just leaves + tomato + protein. +1 CON

 

LIFE SIDE QUEST:  Accountability

 

I usually bail out on my challenges towards the end... even if I'm doing well I forget to post and then I forget what I've even done and then I don't feel as awesome being able to say I hit all my goals, or I find it easier to make excuses for not.  So, I will post to NF with updates 4x/week at least.  Even if it's just a small "did yoga this morning" from Tapatalk.

 

+3 CHA

[Raxie]

Week 1: A+

 

Foam Roll: 2/2

IT band 3 minutes/side: 0/2

 

Meditate: 7/7

Yoga: 7/7

30 Day Challenge Progress: 4/30

 

Beers: 1

Nights Drinking: 2/7

Days Water Logged: 4/4

 

Salad: 3/3

Fancy Salads Tried Progress: 0/2

 

NF Posts: 4/4

 

Week 2: A+

 

Foam Roll: 3/3

IT band 3 minutes/side: 2/3

 

Meditate: 7/7

Yoga: 7/7

30 Day Challenge Progress: 11/30

 

Beers: 1

Nights Drinking: 1/1

Days Water Logged: 7/7

 

Salad: 3/3

Fancy Salads Tried Progress: 0/2

 

NF Posts: 7/4

 

Week 3: A+

 

Foam Roll: 3/3

IT band 3 minutes/side (Goal: 50%): 2/3

 

Meditate: 7/7

Yoga: 7/7

30 Day Challenge Progress: 19/30

 

Beers: 0

Nights Drinking: 1/1

Days Water Logged: 7/7

 

Salad: 3/3

Fancy Salads Tried Progress: 0/2

 

NF Posts: 5/4

 

Week 4: A

 

Foam Roll: 2/3

IT band 3 minutes/side (Goal: 50%): 1/3

 

Meditate: 7/7

Yoga: 7/7

30 Day Challenge Progress: 24/30

 

Beers: 1

Nights Drinking: 1/1

Days Water Goal Met: 6/7

 

Salad: 4/3

Fancy Salads Tried Progress: 1/2

 

NF Posts: 5/4

 

Week 5: C

 

Foam Roll: 0/1

IT band 3 minutes/side (Goal: 50%): 0/0

 

Meditate: 5/7

Yoga: 7/7

30 Day Challenge Progress: 28/30

 

Beers: 2

Nights Drinking: 3/1

Days Water Goal Met: 5/7

 

Salad: 2/3

Fancy Salads Tried Progress: 1/2 (For the challenge)

 

NF Posts: 3/4

 

 

Week 6: A-

 

Foam Roll: 1/2

IT band 3 minutes/side (Goal: 50%): 0/1

 

Meditate: 7/7

Yoga: 7/7

30 Day Challenge Progress: 30/30

 

Beers: 5

Nights Drinking: 1/1

Days Water Goal Met: 7/7

 

Salad: 2/3

Fancy Salads Tried Progress: 1/2 (For the challenge)

 

NF Posts: 4/4

[Raxie]

Total Challenge Progress

 

Foam Roll: 11/14

IT band: 5/11

 

Meditate: 40/42

Yoga: 42/42

30 Day Challenge Progress: 30/30

 

Beers: 10/7

Nights Drinking: 9/7

Water Tracking: 18/18

Water Goal Met: 19/21

 

Salad: 16/18

Fancy Salads Tried Progress: 1/2

 

NF Posts: 23/24

[Jittersthe.Clown]

[Mad Hatter]

Excellent goals, I think you found a good balance there. Happy challenge!

[raptron]

Oh hiiiii. Glad to see this up and running.

[Priscillia]

Your fancy salad comment made me laugh since I do the same thing heh.

 

Challenge goals are looking good

[starpuck]

Salads?  Saaaaallaaads?

 

But go you!

 

I like how you are building on past successes, to turn the new habits, into bigger bolder habits.

I think that's exactly what we are supposed to do!

[Raxie]

 

 

Excellent goals, I think you found a good balance there. Happy challenge!

 

Thanks! I hope it pans out as I envision...

 

Oh hiiiii. Glad to see this up and running.

 

Thank you! It was the hardest set of goals for me to put together yet.  Weird considering last challenge was my most successful yet...

 

Your fancy salad comment made me laugh since I do the same thing heh.

 

Challenge goals are looking good

 

Hahah yes, I want to try something citrus-y or maybe with beans involved or...something?

 

Salads?  Saaaaallaaads?

 

But go you!

 

I like how you are building on past successes, to turn the new habits, into bigger bolder habits.

I think that's exactly what we are supposed to do!

 

I loveeee salad! They're just annoying to make in the AM for lunch, hence it being a challenge. 

[Raxie]

So far this week I have meditated and yoga'd every day.  As a side note, I've also been continuing with the 5 minute journal every day which is really mentally grounding.  

 

I have not done strong lifts yet so I haven't done foam rolling either. I will be doing that tonight. Haven't had a chance yet because I got a new dresser and had to transfer all my clothes, and are also working on repurposing the old dresser... which has been taking up most of my time.  It's gonna be awesome when we're done though!

 

No beers! No beverages at all so far, but the weekend is approaching, and work has been shit.

 

I have to measure exactly how much water my refillable bottle holds and I'll be able to figure out how much water I drank today.

 

2 boring regular salads for lunch (Tuesday and Today) so far.

 

This is 1/4 updates for the week.

[Rowan Caldecott]

Ugh, double post. I wasn't ready to hit "post" yet!

[Rowan Caldecott]

Yay, you're here!

 

 

I just discovered the wonder that is foam rollers and have started adding that in to my daily routine.

[Priscillia]

Hahah yes, I want to try something citrus-y or maybe with beans involved or...something?

I don't do beans due to crohn's, and these aren't completely citrus-y buuuuut there's mango slaw, clementine & spinach (I had something similar to this with julienned pears, delish!) and mango avocado salad (or you can try regular avocado salad ) for a different vibe

[Mad Hatter]

Sorry work has been shit. But it's Friyaaaaay!!!

[Balthazar]

here you are

[Raxie]

I don't do beans due to crohn's, and these aren't completely citrus-y buuuuut there's mango slaw, clementine & spinach (I had something similar to this with julienned pears, delish!) and mango avocado salad (or you can try regular avocado salad [emoji14]) for a different vibe

Those all sound amazing! Thanks!

Sent by TARDIS delivery service. Apologies for typos caused by interactions with the time vortex.

[Raxie]

Didnt get to strong lifts last night. This repurposing furniture thing is eating more of my life than I intended. I just need to look at how much a new dresser will cost to remind me it's worth it though haha

So today I did day 2 of the 30 day yoga challenge and meditated. I had a spinach salad with scrambled eggs for lunch. I've got some cleaning to do then I'm off to foam roll/SL. I haven't had a chance to measure that water bottle yet but so I don't forget when I do measure them I had 2.5 of them yesterday.

Sent by TARDIS delivery service. Apologies for typos caused by interactions with the time vortex.

[shaar]

YAY YAY YAY there you are!

 

I... love... salads...

 

I kinda eat a different one for work every week.  Nom.  NOM!!!  (Seriously though, if you ever need salad ideas, let me know!)

[raptron]

Salaaads~This is one of my favorites of all time: http://notwithoutsalt.com/white-bean-salad-with-peas-and-mint/

 

And here are some more, not leaf-dependent salads. I'd probably throw some grilled chicken or salmon on the side because they are decidedly protein light for the most part.

http://eatdrinkbemighty.com/beet-grapefruit-salad/

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/04/avocado-cup-salads-two-ways/#more-11772

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/09/09/warm-lentil-salad-sweet-potato-olives/

http://www.treatsandeatsblog.com/farro-with-chickpeas/

[Raxie]

Strong lifts and foam rolling done. Tried to do my IT bands but couldn't get passed 1 minute per side IT HURTS SO BAD AHHH. Hopefully I'll get there.

Sent by TARDIS delivery service. Apologies for typos caused by interactions with the time vortex.

[Raxie]

Before I forget... I had 2 of my clear things of water yesterday plus 2 glasses plus 1 bottle plus 2 wine glasses (of water).

Last night was my drinking night so I am liable to forget. I'll calculate the ounces later

Sent by TARDIS delivery service. Apologies for typos caused by interactions with the time vortex.

[chickie.monkey]

I'm so glad to see you've achieved your goals and now you get to build on them! I will have to go back and check out the challenges I missed.

[Raxie]

Got in yoga (Day 3 of the 30 days of yoga) and meditating. Even though I'm at my moms for the weekend. Had to put my hardhat on for that one but I'm feeling good.

Sent by TARDIS delivery service. Apologies for typos caused by interactions with the time vortex.

[ladylydia]

Sometimes one minute is a very long time.

[starpuck]

Oh dem IT bands are brutal.  My PT had me on that regime hard core with the MCL rehab.   I DID get to a point eventually, where it didn't hurt!    (Then I stopped doing it!)   Must get back into this... thank you for reminding me.

 

Keep up the awesome my dear Raxie!