NightWatcher13 : keeping up with Sherlock

[NightWatcher13]

NightWatcher has finally met the man who's supposed to help her solve the riddle and protect her people - and he's an arrogant pain in the tail! And super energetic once he has a mystery to solve, so she'll need to make sure she can keep up with this tireless scenthound called Sherlock Holmes.

Main Quest - slaying the anxiety dragon part 2 - poking the health problems

SQ 1 - Running. Zombie Run Couch to 5K will be my coach on this, running 3x a week (4 runs week 1, since I'm off by one day after my trip home Easter) which should finish up as this challenge does, with me starting week 3 of 8 this week.

SQ 2 - Food. I need to start planning my meals at least 1 day in advance, then sticking to them. This will take a bit of adjustment on my part, not only in planning and prep time but in allowing extra calories on the days I'm going to need them so I don't over restrict my caloric intake after runs, or protein after strength. Which brings me to

SQ 3 - Strength. 2x/week this challenge because I'm not sure my body can take 3 right now. This was probably the thing I did worst on last challenge, so I'll need to focus extra on it this challenge. Each strength day will have a core/balance component (yoga/Pilate's) and a bodyweight component that I need to set in stone by sometime tomorrow, and will put on here once that's done.

Life challenge - Meditation and devotions. These are sharing one aspect of this challenge because the went well last challenge, but I still need them both so they remain in the challenge.

I'm also brewing my first batch of alcohol this challenge since homebrewing is legal in Ohio. Making mead for my first go (no, I'm not a skyrim or viking nerd, i don't know why anyone would think that...), so wish me lots of happy fungi and an awesome first brew

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4tNj-Rg94BWWXRzTFVlZzlkUms/edit?usp=docslist_api

Also, woot! Challenge number 7, let's do this!

[Waanie]

Great goals . I agree that 5 workouts a week are already a lot, 6 might be too many. Have fun with keeping up!

[SjardisDead]

 

on epic challenge! Your goals are great but did I missed something or why aren't your story parts green anymore?

 

On another note this time I give my best to contribute something more usefull than just one sentence with an GIF or picture. (But don't expect too much)

[NightWatcher13]

Waanie - thanks yea, 6 sounded like a lot, plus adding an e exercise I haven't really done ever

Sjard - nope, you didn't miss anything, I just need to get on a computer and fix it; I don't know how to make them green on my phone yet. And I'm always pleased to see you on the thread, gifs and all. Then again, I do love my gifs...

Week 1 day 1

SQ1 - escaped the zombies!

SQ2 - stayed within all of my macros, was about 300 short on my calories once the run was counted in if everything on MFP is accurate :/

SQ3 - x

Life - meditation yes, devotions no

[NightWatcher13]

Took a minor flying lesson today (bare back riding), which I think scared my horse more than it hurt me - he's never lost me before so he kinda looked at me like WTF JUST HAPPENED! Not spooked exactly, but certainly befuddled.

Anyways, I promised a solid starting workout today, and for that I needed specific goals:

Explosive leg-strength for jumping and landing in park our later

Arm and chest strength for climbing and carrying heavier loads

Core and back strength for posture and more fluid motion and balance

OK, straightforward enough for me. How do I take the next step to getting there?

Starting out, I'm going to go with a fairly basic and standard setup. (If go happen to think of any improvements, please be awesome and put it on here)

15-20 min yoga or Pilates

3 sets each:

Squats

Lunges

Pushups

Quadrupedal movement

V-ups (if not in y/p)

1 set each:

Plank to exh

Inv pull ups (until shoulders get stronger)

[Waanie]

Looks like a good program, although you could maybe add some more pulling exercises. If 3 sets of inv pull ups are too heavy, can you maybe add leg assisted pull ups or dumbbell rows? I would also mix up the order so that you don't have two exercises for the same muscles in a row, but I don't know what the best order is.

Just quote me for seeing how to make green text on mobile .

[NightWatcher13]

Looks like a good program, although you could maybe add some more pulling exercises. If 3 sets of inv pull ups are too heavy, can you maybe add leg assisted pull ups or dumbbell rows? I would also mix up the order so that you don't have two exercises for the same muscles in a row, but I don't know what the best order is.

Just quote me for seeing how to make green text on mobile .

Definitely agreed, I was just mentally going through each segment of the body

Oh, thanks! Why didn't I think of that earlier? Ah well, many thanks. I may try leg-assists on my invs, I haven't used those much yet. That might make it a lot easier on the shoulders until they catch up

[NightWatcher13]

Alright, on the food challenge I looked up the past month or so's expenses and took account of the eating out portion, and it was over $150!!!! And what's killing me isn't sit-down restaurants or the occasional coffee treat, it's impatient NW hitting the drivethrough. I meant to make this part of the challenge anyways and forgot, but I'm limiting myself to 2 eat-outs per month for a while. 

[SjardisDead]

Hooray the green is back.

 

For your not "eating out" goal you could prepare some meals, to take with you, the night before. Or you can do this new wonderful workout designed for food lovers around the world. Just carry your fridge with you, wherever you go.

 

[Twilight]

MEAD! Mmm.

[NightWatcher13]

Oi, Razzy and Sjard - I found the most perfect workout EVER! https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10153122664068641&id=26468623640&_rdr

Yesterday - day off, food almost exactly on target.

Today - 1 of my eat- outs used up (grabbed a chicken pan pizza and four loco at a gas station walking home after dropping my car at the mechanic's to be fixed tomorrow), other than that food was on target, escaped more zombies AND leveled up a week... Ow that kinda hurt! Meditation and devotions check.Capped off the day with an epic bonfire

Mead seems to be doing well; no airlock activity but a lot of forums I read said it probably just isn't 100,% sealed and should still be fine; smells awesome and fermenty the krausen seems to have gone away now

[NightWatcher13]

MEAD! Mmm.

Mmhmm

You have no idea how many times I've hummed this to myself

[NightWatcher13]

Yesterday sucked no idea what I did, but my shoulder and back were screaming at me all day! Add to that car repairs being a lot higher than expected and other stuff going on... *faceplant*

So the strength workout I had planned for yesterday did not happen I was also an extra few hundred cals under my goal, not sure if mental stress or pain was the thing poking holes in my appetite. No devos or meditation either...

Hopefully I get time to throw a workout in today

[Tkdgirl]

Rough day - time to dust yourself off and kick ass tomorrow?!

[Elastigirl]

Blergh, sorry for the rough day. Hope today is better!

[NightWatcher13]

Week 1 summary (sorry about late post, life ate my time and mental motivation)

Super frustrated on the strength workouts since it seems to CONSTANTLY be one thing or another is broken or angry, and yes I should have at least done Pilate's or yoga if I couldn't do the whole thing, but I have a thing where I HATE doing 1 piece of a workout when it involves changing my clothes, rolling out the mat, putting in the DVD/finding the YouTube video, and needing to shower afterwords to be socially acceptable... Not that all of that is much, or even takes much time, but it's a mental barrier I have that I should just knock down (or learn to climb over)

That being said, the weekend was much better than Friday, and we had several trail rides on Saturday and me being the only lead available, I got almost 3 hours in the saddle Sunday was nice and relaxed, and I even got some Skyrim in, which is the first time I've really gotten to game in a month or more.

SQ 1 - only got 2 runs in, which puts me 1 more behind than I already was :/ will catch that up as my body let's me.

SQ 2 - fantastic, if I do say so myself

Meals were planned and portioned ahead of time, pint mason jars are currently my favorite thing in existence. 1 eat out used up, and other than weekend days* I had my food well documented, and it's all close to goal except for Friday, which was way low.

SQ 3 - this is the one I'm mad about, no strength workout this week at all.

Life - for going well last challenge, I totally let this fall through this week - maybe did each 3 times.

Plenty went well, more has room for improvement. Pain and stress aside, not a terrible week 1.

*some general rules about my weekends : they are very hard to track food on; Saturdays are probably the day I eat the best in the whole week, between a farm lunch and dinner at small group where most of the group is both nerdy and health-nutty, so while they're undocumented they're generally healthy. Sundays, on the other hand, are my fat day - Church has coffee and creamer, and leftovers from our bread giveaways on Thursday with plenty of pastries usually, lunch is usually something lazy and quick, and dinner is usually a semi-healthy snack type food.

[NightWatcher13]

Week 2 day 1

SQ 1 - check

SQ 2 - pretty good, low on protein. I still have 300 cals to work with so I may pack some in after work.

SQ 3 - x

Life - will aim for both of these after work

[Tkdgirl]

Sounds like a positive start to the week. When are you planning a strength workout?

[NightWatcher13]

Today and Thursday, with Sunday as a backup day if I can't make one of those

[Waanie]

What do you usually put into your mason jars? I have a few of them as well, and would like them to bring lunch, but I never know what to put in it! If I make some kind of salad, it's usually not big enough for a whole meal, and I don't know what else to put in it... Do you have any ideas/recipes?

Looks like a good start of week two, even though week 1 was also not bad at all .

[NightWatcher13]

I typically bring 2, I've used them for salads, rice&beans, pot roast and stir fry so far, and pack a banana & pb to boot. I've seen a lot of other recipes and ideas I'd like to try though, may post a few on here

So far so good on week 2, but some dragon came by yesterday and ate my time so my strength got pushed back... Now I'm debating doubling up today, or waiting till tomorrow and Sunday, which would probably be wiser than running and strength the same day, but I have tiiiiime today... Grrr. I'll at least have my run today.

[NightWatcher13]

Like these... I need the sushi one now http://greatist.com/eat/mason-jar-recipes

[Waanie]

Like these... I need the sushi one now http://greatist.com/eat/mason-jar-recipes

Thanks for the link! The recipes seem delicious, I should try one of them soon!

[SjardisDead]

I saw this and had to think of you

 

Yeah yeah I know pretty random, so take this as well

 

[Phayze]

Not a bad start! How's week 2 been? Slay any dragons recently?

I have struggled with the "all or nothing" workout mentality too. I bypassed it by designing minimalist workouts that require as little setup as humanly possible, that way I could just jump in, get it done, and move on.

HabitRPG helps too, because I hate seeing my HP drop. ^^