Chloe's Departure from Bag End

[Slayer]

Hi, all! I've been lurking on the site and the Academy for a while, but this is my first official 6-week challenge! Time to leave Bag End without looking back and start on my next grand adventure.

 

About me:

I just graduated college in Pittsburgh, PA. Hurray! I'll be heading back home in Denver, CO to spend a gap year before taking on law school in the fall of 2016. What better time to really solidify healthy habits? I want to head to law school with a solid foundation so that I don't let my health fall apart under the pressure. As for me: I love books, writing, coffee shops, theater, music, political science, absurd amounts of notebooks, and compulsive list-making.

 

My main quest:

I've always been the unathletic, slow, uncoordinated kid. I finally managed to break through that image last summer when I ran a (very slow) half marathon with my mom, proving to myself that my body is capable of a lot more than I thought. But taking a tough hike into the Grand Canyon this spring and slowing everybody else down reminded me that I have an adventurous spirit, and I want a body that can handle that! My main quest is to get stronger and faster for all my adventures--some weight loss would be a great side effect.

 

Three specific goals:

1. Move my body a bit every morning. I'm beginning the bodyweight brigade workouts from the Academy as well as some running to get back into the game, but it's okay if some days, it's just a five-minute walk or five minutes of yoga.
2. Wake up around the same time every morning. This will help me accomplish the above and be more productive in general. This goal is a huge struggle right now. I want to get up around 7am, but no later than 8am, every morning.
3. Eat one fruit and one vegetable at least five days a week. This is a challenge because I'm still in a college apartment situation, and fresh produce is a struggle on my budget.

Life side quest:

I'm a writer, so I will work on a writing project every day, even if it's only for five minutes. This will usually be my novel, but could also be a blog post, a poem, a short story, or another project.

 

If I can come out the other side of this challenge with some success, it will be more consistency than I've really ever had in my health goals, because even when I was training for the half marathon, I didn't train as often as I wanted to or should have.

 

In other words... One more step, and it will be the farthest away from home I've ever been.

[Zeira]

Hey, congrats on the half marathon! That is awesome.

 

I wish you success on your goals of getting up and exercising in the morning, making that resolution takes commitment!

 

You can do it!.

[Xena]

Your challenge looks great. The goals are specific and measurable, and you are building on a good exercise habit already. Wish you lots of luck in your journey!

[Jangles]

Run Hobbit, run!  You can do this!  I have total faith in you and your abilities to smash this!  I'll be following you on this epic journey to Mordor, err, law school!

[Slayer]

Thanks for your encouragement, friends!

 

Day 1, June 8: I got up very late (10:30 or so), but I did manage to do my Academy workout. We have a giant vat of pasta sauce with very intense vegetable content, so I managed a vegetable, though no fruits. I made a list of potential blog post topics, which, though not impressive writing gains, is definitely better than nothing.

 

Day 2, June 9: Didn't quite hit my wake-up goal, but I'm getting closer. I got up at 8:30 after my alarm went off at 7:45. I did a 2.5 mile run and went blues dancing in the evening, which might almost have been a better workout. More veggies in the pasta sauce, but we don't currently have any fruit in the house. No writing. Side note, though--got asked on a coffee date by one of the guys I danced with! Unintentional side quest win.

 

Day 3, June 10: Up at 8:49 this morning, which isn't too bad considering it was almost 1 when I went to bed last night. Another Academy workout done. I got a good bit of writing done, mostly making sure names and characters were consistent so I can send some pages out to my alpha readers (because I'm not really at beta reader stage). I ate some strawberries with dinner, which were my fruit for the day, but I didn't get any vegetables. I also started a "bullet journal," which is an easier way for me to keep track of what I'm doing/accomplishing.

 

Today, I started a "stickK" commitment, which basically takes what I committed to and puts money on the line--if I fail, money goes to an organization I hate. Good incentive! I started one "contract" for getting up on time and one for writing every day, because these are my biggest struggles. If you want to check out my contracts, the site, or to sign on as my supporter, go here.

[Slayer]

Forgot to write an update about finishing out my first week! Things weren't perfect, but overall, they went pretty well!

 

Day 4, June 11: Woke up at 7:45am (and no snooze button! yay!). I went swing dancing and hashed out some blog ideas. I ate some veggies, too.

 

Day 5, June 12: Woke up at 10:32 because I felt sick--we had an air quality warning the day before, so I think my throat and lungs were just unhappy with the world. I did manage to do a bodyweight workout, though. On my (admittedly terrible) date, I fit in some veggies from a Greek salad. I also added some ideas to my blog list and finally aggregated them.

 

Day 6, June 13: I woke up at 7:55 (impressive for how late I stayed up). I didn't really move at all--I was counting on going dancing that night, which we didn't end up doing. I did get some veggies at dinner, though, and I fixed a scene that was from an old version of the plot.

 

Day 7, June 14: I woke up at 7:55 and walked to church and back for my workout. I also got in a bodyweight workout later, which I had been unsure I'd be able to, and wrote an entirely new scene for the first time in forever. Got some fruits and veggies in and finally sent pages out to my alphas!

 

Day 8, June 15: I woke up at 9:30 due to alarm problems. Basically no nutrition at all in my life, and I didn't work out, either. I did work on my new scene some more, though. 

 

Day 9, June 16: Up at 8 and a bodyweight workout in the morning. No fruits or vegetables. I got to go to a ceili that night, which is an Irish folk dance, so that was a super fun way to be active! Social dancing is basically my favorite. I also finished my new scene and went back through part of the manuscript trying to remember that a character's nose is broken--yay consistency!

 

Today is still young--be back with more updates later!

[Slayer]

Time for another update! This week was fairly successful:

 

Day 10, June 17: Up at 8, 2.5 mile run, veggies in at dinner. I added to my blog list (this is a little bit of a cop out, but it at least keeps me thinking of ideas).

 

Day 11, June 18: Up at 8, bodyweight workout, and wrote an actual new shiny blog post! Veggies on my chicken tacos for dinner.

 

Day 12, June 19: Up at 8, but missed my workout. Fruit with dinner. I finished my new blog post and scheduled it for the next week.

 

Day 13, June 20: Up at 8, bodyweight workout. I know I wrote something, but I fell behind on keeping track. No fruits and veggies.

 

Day 14, June 21: Up at 8, missed my run. That's been tough with the heat. Started writing a new blog post and had some veggies with lunch. 

 

Moderate success this week! Didn't get a ton of writing done, but finally wrote a blog (which you can check out here, if you're so inclined). Got in all my strength workouts. Waking up at 8 has been fine, but getting up any earlier (my initial goal was 7) has been a real challenge, particularly because I'm getting all my motivation from my stickK contract, which only forces me to get up at 8. I'm looking forward to getting my new Jawbone Up2--lately, my alarm has been waking me up in the middle of a REM cycle, which makes it so much harder to get up. The smart alarm on my last Up was really good about waking me up when I'm in a light phase of sleep. I'm going to have to wait a little longer on getting that money-wise, though.

[Slayer]

Mini challenge 3:

 

 

So your challenge for this week has 3 parts:

1. Pinpoint the quest in your journey that is giving you the most uphill (or one that you're struggling to achieve)

2. Search through NF (forums or articles) to find one that is able to offer some assistance

3. Apply it to your challenge (no collecting underpants here).

 

1. I've been doing a really good job with writing, working out, and waking up, but nutrition has been my stumbling block. I'm on a really tight budget right now (working part-time and saving up for a lot of things), so I haven't really made any effort to get fruits and veggies in the house or in my diet except, ironically, when I'm eating out. Nutrition in general is a challenge, but in my quest, I'm focusing on adding produce.
2. I'm on the Academy, so there are some really good recipes for incorporating fruits and veggies easily. Here is an NF blog post on eating healthy without breaking the bank. 
3. Okay, touche. The article makes a point of saying that eating healthy needs to be a priority, which is something I really haven't been doing. Other helpful tips:
   1. Buy whatever fruits and veggies are on sale. For whatever reason, this just hadn't occurred to me.
   2. Buy frozen steamfresh veggies.
   3. Eat everything you buy--this is a challenge for me because I tend to forget about it when I do grocery shop and stuff goes bad in the fridge.

So here's the plan. I will reshuffle my budget a bit to allow for some groceries. Today, I will go to the grocery store (if I can get the car. If not, I'll go tomorrow). I will buy at least one fruit and one vegetable as cheaply as I can without getting something I won't eat. If I can in a cost-effective way, I'll also pick up a form of protein. Time to get back on track!

[Slayer]

Update from yesterday: I did, in fact, make it to Aldi (despite a terrible traffic jam) and have no excuse ever again to not have fruits/vegetables in my house. I bought a bunch of bananas, a bag full of pears, a bag of spinach, and a package of bacon for a total of 8 dollars. It would've been way more expensive at the normal grocery store I go to, but now I know.

 

Day 15, June 22: Up at 8 and did my bodyweight workout. I also worked on a new blog draft. No fruits or veggies.

 

Day 16, June 23: Got up at 8 and did about five minutes of pilates. Not much, but it's keeping my habit going. I didn't have any fruits or veggies, but I wrote several new scenes.

 

Day 17, June 24: Got up at 8 and did my bodyweight workout. I ate a peach with lunch and did some minor writing on my novel.

[Slayer]

End of week 3:

 

Day 18, June 25: Woke up at 8 and took a pole dancing fitness class with my friends. So much fun! I neglected to write down what I wrote (ironically), but I know I did. I ate a banana with breakfast.

 

Day 19, June 26: Woke up at 8 and ate a banana with breakfast. Wrote something. I went out dancing with some friends, which I'll count for my movement of the day.

 

Day 20, June 27: Woke up at 8 but fell back asleep. Not sure how I'll count that... I had bananas with breakfast and a pear and spinach salad with dinner. I didn't work out. I believe I wrote something.

 

Day 21, June 28: Woke up at 8 and had a banana with breakfast. I walked home from church for my sort-of workout. I wrote some new scenes in my book.

 

Day 22, June 29: I got up at 8. I ate a pear with lunch and wrote a new scene or two. I didn't work out.

[determination]

I would love to hike the grand canyon, I was there for my first time in December with my parents (not my hiking crew), the hike was my plan B for my honeymoon but we manage to raise money for the plan A but I know I will hike it in the next 2 years. congrats

[Slayer]

Mini Challenge 4! 

 

1. Goal allocation:

Q1: Move every day = 2 STR 1 DEX

Q2: Get up by 8 = 2 STA 1 CON

Q3: Eat a fruit and vegetable 5x/week = 2 CON

LQ: Write every day = 2 WIS

 

2. Mid-challenge summary: 

Q1: 76%

Q2: 73%

Q3: 60%

Q4: 95%

 

3. Challenge allocation:

Q1: 1.5 STR, .8 DEX

Q2: 1.5 STA, .7 CON

Q3: 1.2 CON

Q4: 1.9 WIS

 

4. Signature:

STR 1.5 | STA 1.5 | DEX .8 | CON 1.9 | WIS 1.9 | CHA 0

[Slayer]

Mini Challenge 4! 

 

1. Goal allocation:

Q1: Move every day = 2 STR 1 DEX

Q2: Get up by 8 = 2 STA 1 CON

Q3: Eat a fruit and vegetable 5x/week = 2 CON

LQ: Write every day = 2 WIS

 

2. Mid-challenge summary: 

Q1: 76%

Q2: 73%

Q3: 60%

Q4: 95%

 

3. Challenge allocation:

Q1: 1.5 STR, .8 DEX

Q2: 1.5 STA, .7 CON

Q3: 1.2 CON

Q4: 1.9 WIS

 

4. Signature:

STR 1.5 | STA 1.5 | DEX .8 | CON 1.9 | WIS 1.9 | CHA 0

[Slayer]

I would love to hike the grand canyon, I was there for my first time in December with my parents (not my hiking crew), the hike was my plan B for my honeymoon but we manage to raise money for the plan A but I know I will hike it in the next 2 years. congrats

It's so gorgeous! You can either hike the rim or hike down into the canyon and back up, which is what we did. The trail we took was the Bright Angel Trail. Tough hike, but I definitely recommend it. The views are beautiful.