In Which Rowan Caldecott Has the Best Birthday Ever

[Rowan Caldecott]

I am excited for my third challenge, my first with the assassins! Since I just celebrated my 51^st birthday during the off week, this challenge will be an assortment of birthday gifts for me.

 

 

Main Quest: What I want for my birthday is to be a strong, agile, well-fed, financially secure assassin!

 

Quest 1: Strength, endurance, flexibility – important assassin qualities. This means getting my sweat on!

Recruit workout 3x/week

Walk 3x/week for 36 minutes

Yoga 3x/week

 

A = 5 weeks successfully completed (+3 STR, +3 STA, +3 DEX)

B = 4 weeks successfully completed (+2 STR, +2 STA, +2 DEX)

C = 3 or fewer weeks successfully completed (No stats)

 

 

Quest 2: To be at peak performance, an assassin needs to be well-nourished. Cooking meals at home really slipped for me during my previous challenge because I was often just too tired. Having backed off a bit on the amount I’m exercising, I hope to have more energy to devote to planning and cooking meals. It’s better for my physical and financial health.

 

A = Cook dinner at least 3x/week for 5 weeks (+3 CON)

B = Cook dinner at least 2x/week for 4 weeks (+2 CON)

C= Cook dinner less than 2x/week for 3 weeks (No stats)

 

 

Quest 3: Successful assassins have good awareness of their environment and the resources available to them at any given time. Keeping track of my income and expenses is something I struggle with, but clarity about my finances is important to achieving financial stability. I plan to devote at least 5 minutes daily to entering my income and expenses into Quicken so that I always know where my money is.

 

A = At least 5 minutes/day, 6x/week for 5 weeks (+2 WIS)

B = At least 5 minutes/day, 5x/week for 4 weeks (+2 WIS)

C = Less than 4x/week for 3 weeks (No stats)

 

 

Life Quest: Assassins like to explore their surroundings. I have been cocooning at home for the past few months, a necessary, if temporary, state. But now it’s time to start getting out into the world again and making the most of the rest of my year in Texas. I want to get out and interact with places in Austin I haven’t yet been since we moved here last fall, at least 4 times during the challenge.

 

Pass/Fail, (+1 CHA for being adventurous and possibly meeting new people)

 

 

Motivation: My life has been small and safe for the past few months and I really needed that time for healing and integration of what went before. But now it’s time to start participating more fully in life again and doing more of the things that make life fun. Being more physically and financially fit will help me have more fun.

 

 

 

[Elastigirl]

Happy belated birthday! Your challenge looks like a great way to celebrate.

[Rowan Caldecott]

Happy belated birthday! Your challenge looks like a great way to celebrate.

 

Thanks! The idea of giving myself things that make my life richer makes me happy.

[blkhole24601]

WOOOO! Birthday-themed challenge, awesome! Happy birthday!!!!!!!!

 

[Rowan Caldecott]

WOOOO! Birthday-themed challenge, awesome! Happy birthday!!!!!!!!

 

 

Thanks!

[Granny Nogg]

Hey, happy birthday!!

I really like your theme of emergence for this challenge.

Sent from my Samsung S4 using Tapatalk.

[Priscillia]

Happy belated Birthday!

 

By the way... guess where you got mentioned

[Raxie]

Found you! Happy belated birthday and congrats on being a celebrity!

[Rowan Caldecott]

Hey, happy birthday!!

I really like your theme of emergence for this challenge.

Sent from my Samsung S4 using Tapatalk.

 

Thanks! I hadn't thought of it in terms of the theme of emergence, but you nailed it. That's absolutely what it's about.

 

Happy belated Birthday!

 

By the way... guess where you got mentioned

 

Holy shit! And thanks

 

Found you! Happy belated birthday and congrats on being a celebrity!

 

See above comment. Happy to have you here.

[Rowan Caldecott]

DAY 1

 

In both my previous challenges, I gave myself a one-week grace period so as to avoid the perfectionism I often battle with. In the case of this challenge, I will likely need that grace week for this first week. We have friends visiting from out of town, so my schedule is unpredictable and very full this week. Rather than be stressed about how much of my planned workouts I can get done this week, I am just declaring that anything I get done this week is a bonus. Yesterday, we went for a long drive to look at the bluebonnets. There was a bit of hiking and walking each time we got out of the car for pictures, plus walking around in Fredericksburg. All added up, I'm sure it was at least 36 minutes of walking, probably closer to an hour. So that was yesterday's exercise.

 

My check-ins may also be spotty this week, but I will check in as often as I can.

[Raxie]

Have fun this week! After your mega ass kicking last challenge a grace period week is totally deserved.

[Priscillia]

Have fun and no worries   Just update when you can (and maybe pics of the pretty hikes?)

[Rowan Caldecott]

DAYS 2 & 3

 

Tuesday - rest day

Wednesday -

Quest 1: Walked for about 2 hours at the botanical gardens

Quest 2: Not today

Quest 3: Spent 5 minutes working in Quicken

Life Quest: Went to Zilker Botanical Gardens and took a river cruise to watch the bats emerge at dusk (so cool!)

 

An active day strolling through the beautiful botanical gardens, followed by an evening on the river. It was a great day!

[Rowan Caldecott]

Have fun this week! After your mega ass kicking last challenge a grace period week is totally deserved.

 

Thanks. I have to remind myself frequently that a week off doesn't mean I've failed, or given up. It's nice to see that others believe in me even when I have trouble believing in myself.

 

Have fun and no worries   Just update when you can (and maybe pics of the pretty hikes?)

 

I don't have any pics yet. I let my friend take all the photos because she is an amazing photographer. As soon as she gives me the photos she took, I will post some. We've seen many pretty things in the last few days.

[Granny Nogg]

Thanks. I have to remind myself frequently that a week off doesn't mean I've failed, or given up. It's nice to see that others believe in me even when I have trouble believing in myself.

 

We DO believe in you!!!

 

[Rowan Caldecott]

DAY 4

 

Quest 1: Recruit workout -

Upgraded TMNT Mobility warm-up

Knee push-ups - 3x5

Incline push-ups - 3x5

Squats - 3x5

Inverted rows - 3x10

Assisted split-squats - 3x5

Plank - 3x15s

Modified Staci's cool-down

Quest 2: Did not cook dinner, because we all went out for Brazilian BBQ to celebrate my birthday, but I did fix myself lunch, which I consider a win because we've been eating out so much with our friends here

Quest 3: Spent 5 minutes working in Quicken

 

It felt really good to get my workout in yesterday morning! I cut back a lot on the squats and split-squats, because of last week's DOMS from those. I did get a bit of soreness last night and my leg muscles definitely feel it today, but I don't have pain. I will probably try a few more next time and see how that goes.

 

Brazilian BBQ was awesomely yummy and I'm so glad I only get to eat there once a year! Usually we do it at the end of GenCon, but this time I wanted to do it for my birthday, while our friends are here visiting.

[Elastigirl]

Brazillain BBQ is soooo good. And so much food! Ours is that kind where they keep bringing meat out to you. We ate their with my son, who is 22, and he kept saying yes, so then I kept trying more meat. I was so stuffed by the end of the night. 

[Granny Nogg]

GenCon!  I have not done this but I've wanted to.  I almost went last year.  

[Rowan Caldecott]

Brazillain BBQ is soooo good. And so much food! Ours is that kind where they keep bringing meat out to you. We ate their with my son, who is 22, and he kept saying yes, so then I kept trying more meat. I was so stuffed by the end of the night. 

 

Yes, that's how it was at the place we went. We always have meat-coma afterward. But it's so yummy!

 

GenCon!  I have not done this but I've wanted to.  I almost went last year.  

 

GenCon is an amazing experience! It's like 6 months of therapy packed into 4 days. I highly recommend it.

[Rowan Caldecott]

DAY 5

 

Quest 1: Walked for 36 minutes

Quest 2: Did not cook today, went out for incredible Texas barbecue

Quest 3: Worked on Quicken for 5 minutes

 

Again today, it felt really good to get my walk in, especially after all that food last night. It's amazing to me how much I miss exercise when I don't do it consistently now. It's like a whole different me. I like it.

[Granny Nogg]

DAY 5

It's amazing to me how much I miss exercise when I don't do it consistently now. It's like a whole different me. I like it.

Isn't it, though?! Good for you, keep up that walking! A while different you is emergent.

Sent from my Samsung S4 using Tapatalk.

[Priscillia]

You'll start feeling the difference too when you stop exercising soon!  It's such a nice little reminder to get back on track

[Rowan Caldecott]

DAYS 6 & 7

 

No exercise over the weekend, just lots of relaxing with friends. My friends left this morning, so I am sad about that, but happy to be back to my routine. I plan to enjoy lots of quiet introvert time this week.

[Rowan Caldecott]

WEEK 1 SUMMARY

 

Week 1 ended up being a week off, mostly, because of friends coming to visit. I did get in one Recruit workout, plus quite a bit of walking. I cooked dinner once last week and worked on my finances 3 days. I also had new experiences at two new places, which were lots of fun and I'm really glad I did them.

 

So a pass for week 1, no grade, but lots of good memories. Plus my life quest was advanced.

 

Things I Learned and Random Thoughts

 

• I miss my workouts when I don't do them; in fact, I get antsy and feel off. That's new!
• Taking time off occasionally to enjoy other adventures doesn't mean I'm a failure or that I will just give up and never go back to my fitness program.
• I am definitely ready to get out and interact with the world much more than I was when we moved here several months ago. And yup, I also still need some introvert recovery time afterward.
• I'm excited to get back to my routine in week 2!

[Rowan Caldecott]

DAY 8

 

Quest 1: Recruit workout today!

Push-ups: Set 1 - 1 full push-up, 9 knee push-ups

                 Set 2 - 1 full push-up, 7 knee push-ups, 2 incline push-ups

                 Set 3 - 5 knee push-ups, 5 incline push-ups

Squats: 3x10

Inverted rows: 3x10

Assisted split squats: 3x7

Planks: 3x16s

Also did the full TMNT Mobility warm-up, plus a couple of yoga stretches, and the full Staci's cool-down.

Quest 2: Ate leftovers today, so no cooking, but I did make a meal plan and grocery list for the week.

Quest 3: Worked on finances for 5 minutes

 

Of course my workout felt a bit more challenging because I haven't done it regularly for a couple of weeks, but I still managed to get it all done. I even managed 2 full push-ups, all the inverted rows, and upped my reps of squats and lunges. We'll see how my quads feel tomorrow!

 

Still, I did it, and it felt great! I felt like body, mind, and soul just sighed in relief afterward.