Waldgeist leaves the vicious woods (#6B)

[Waldgeist]

Summer Challenge [ July 27th - September 6th ]

Backstory

"...."

 

Challenger Overall Goal:

Finish an OCR the weekend after this challenge ends (September 12th or 13th) and conquer every obstacle.

Explanation: I've wanted to do one for ages, but there was always something that preventet it. Not this time! Last weekend I found out that there will be two races in September close enough to where I live and I decided that I'm gonna finally do it (either a Tough Mudder in Bavaria or a Spartan Race in Austria). There is enough time to prepare (I'm not starting from scratch!), I've got the financial means and the time to do it and there is nothing else on my mind right now that could distract me.

 

After that decision was made, I sat down today to plan my preparation for it and since it is almost exactly 6 weeks away, it crossed my mind that a NF challenge would be a perfect preparation option if one started right about now.... And thank god, this one actually did. Okay, I'm three days late, but what the heck. I've had good experiences with challenges, although not the last couple of them. But that was probably because my overall goals were to broad; and you can't get much more specific than "finish that race".

 

Since my last challenge try I've been working out more or less consistently. Short recap of the last year: I did standard calisthenics mixed with some crossfit-type bodyweight workouts, finished GMB P1 at the novice level last winter, started kettlebel training a couple of months ago (I actually did a beginner class with my mom, which was pretty awesome for her and me) and I started GMB F1 (also novice) a couple of weeks ago.

 

On to the

SUB-GOALS

1) Continue with GMB F1

also known as my Star Wars Goal: Jedi Training

Stats: DEX 2 I CON 1 I STR 1

Grading: 4 workouts and 2 mobility sessions per week are 100% (=A).

               5 sessions equal a B

               4 sessions equal a C

               3 sessions in total (50%) equal a D

 

2) Calisthenics and kettlebell workouts

also known as my Agents of Shield Goal: Operations Bootcamp

There will be pull-ups, won't there? And push-ups, swings, snatches, running and what not more. To weed those out, who'd better stayed at communications or science. But not me.... There will be a big variety, some short, some medium and some long workouts, But they're all gonna be intensive.

 

Stats: STR 2 I STA 2

Grading: 6 workouts per week are 100% (=A).

               5 workouts equal a B

               4 workouts equal a C

               3 workouts in total (50%) equal a D

 

3) Supported by a good nutrition

also known as my Teen Wolf Goal: Avoiding Mountain Ash

This means a paleo-inspired way of eating, especially nothing with a label that has words like "sugar (no matter what alias)" or "askllksjhgs (also known as words I don't know the meaning of) or can't pronounce". Also no cakes and sweets, even if homemade, because they are my personal mountain ash.

 

Stats: CON 2 I CHA 2

Grading: 6 clean days of eating a week = A

               5 = B

               4 = C

               3 = D

 

Complemented by

LIFE GOAL

4) Study

also known as my Old Kingdom Goal: Learning the Charter

Although I'm working now, I'm still studying for two things: A] psychology, I'm finally gonna get my degree next summer B] languages, because I like learning them, this may include brushing up on my Spanish and Japanese but mostly concentrating on Czech, which I just started.

 

Stats: WIS 3

Grading: 8 hours of studying a week = A

               6 = B

               3 = C

               2 = D

 

Because my challenge goal is a week after this challenge officially ends and because week 1 has already started, the rest of week 1 will be a transition period. Meaning I will do it as good as I can and I will also grade it, but it will not count for the overall grading (Instead week 7 will).

 

Now, lets see if I can overcome those obstacles and finally leave these crazy woods.....

[Elastigirl]

Looks like a fun challenge!

[Swampling]

You had me at "GMB" and "kettlebells"...  

[rathlan]

I'm also doing an OCR as part of my challenge (I am hoping to do another in the month after this challenge ends too). They can be a lot of fun - good luck to you!

[Waldgeist]

W1 Monday/Tuesday

Nothing on my goals obviously since I only made them today, but tuesday I went to a high ropes garden, which had some obstacle similar to the OCR i expect. I made it through all courses even the black one, the most difficult.one. Not without having too rely on the safequard, but at least I didn't needed to be rescued by the garden rangers. Which actually happened to a woman just as we started, which did make the course a little scary.....  Especially for someone like me who's afraid of heights. I improved a lot in that regard, especially in the last year or so, but still. Anyway it was a great time!

 

W1 Wednesday

1) F1

                                       0/4

2) Bootcamp

                                       1/4

A short kettlebell session before bed, working on implementing my new 24kg into my routines.

100 KBW Swings in 6 rounds     w/ 16kg           w/ 24kg

                                                      10

                                                      20

                                                                              10

                                                      30

                                                                              10

                                                      20

3) Nutrition

                                       0/5

Used up the last of my unhealthy supplies, which is why there is no point for today. BUT I prepared my meals for tomorrow: some scrambled banana eggs for my breakfast (which I eat at work) and some (really hot) chil con carne for lunch and dinner. I had some of that for diner with cottage cheese.

[Waldgeist]

@Swampling: Get better quickly and kick some Elements ass!

 

@rathlan: They sure look like fun, can't wait to actually try it.

[Swampling]

Thank you, Waldgeist - I'm working on it (first on the former, then on the latter... )

 

Are you doing one-armed swings or two-armed? Or alternate? 

 

And congrats on the new 24 kg!

I got some really funny looks when I was asked what the FC gave me for Christmas, and I said "14 kg of metal" (while grinning from ear to ear, because NEW BELL!)...

 

Scrambled banana egg? That sounds good! I like to make a tin of egg "muffins" on Sunday, so I'm all set for breakfast for a couple of days. 

[Waldgeist]

Regular swings for me are two-handed. I do one-armed ones, too, but for now only with my 16kg KB.

 

When my 24kg got delivered, the guy bringing it couldn't even get it into the house..... Even though it's gonny be quit some time before I'll get an even bigger one, I'm already feeling sorry for the potential delivery guy......

[Elastigirl]

Regular swings for me are two-handed. I do one-armed ones, too, but for now only with my 16kg KB.

 

When my 24kg got delivered, the guy bringing it couldn't even get it into the house..... Even though it's gonny be quit some time before I'll get an even bigger one, I'm already feeling sorry for the potential delivery guy......

That is awesome! Woot for the 24kg.

[Swampling]

Regular swings for me are two-handed. I do one-armed ones, too, but for now only with my 16kg KB.

 

When my 24kg got delivered, the guy bringing it couldn't even get it into the house..... Even though it's gonny be quit some time before I'll get an even bigger one, I'm already feeling sorry for the potential delivery guy......

 

We got some REALLY dirty looks when the FC got some of his barbell stuff delivered... And those were small plates, too.

I don't think we ever got a KB delivered, usually the FC picks them up and brings them home. Good thing, otherwise our delivery guys would probably shun our house by now...

 

24 kg are "heavy" swings for me (two-handed). I'm slowly working up towards 16 kg one-handed (16 being my two-handed "working" weight ATM).

[Waldgeist]

W1 Thursday

1) F1

                                       1/4

I did the warm-up and a mobility session concentrating on two great weaknesses of mine, forward fold and pancake.

2) Bootcamp

                                       2/4

I did two things today.

First I practiced jumping rope, which I haven't done in at least two years and I certainly was never taught how to do it correctly or watched my technique, therefore I sucked at it, therefore I hated it. So I spend some time working on that technique and my best effort was actually an unbroken set of 50! I know some people to hundreds of those, but for me it was amazing, yay!

Also because my ceiling is too low, I had to do them at the terrace, which I share with two neighbours and which can be also watched from the ground. I don't like working out at places, where people can see (and judge) me, but outdoors is fun on the other hand. So, I'm happy, that this practice session made me push my anxiety away.

 

Second was a 100 KB swings for time, two-handed with my 16kg. I did sets of twenty to work on my grip and the resulting time was 5 minutes 46 seconds. Which is good, but since I want to crack the 5 minute mark, there is still room for improvement.

3) Nutrition

                                       1/5

Totally win today with the food I prepared yesterday. For tomorrow I just made some chicken breast, gonna mix those with some canned vegetables for lunch. Also I made some experimental pulp (right word?), from coconout and chicken pea flour mixed with some tomatoes. It was supposed to become some sort of pancakes, usually I also use eggs for that, but I was out. But since there are no eggs its not necessary to cook it completely, which I don't want to do because I'm already sleepy..... And sleepy cooks burn the house down..... Anyway the pulp doesn't even taste bad, I quite like it, but then again people tell me I have a strange taste sometimes.....

[Waldgeist]

W1 Friday / Saturday aka total shit days

 

Fair warning, the following is just  a shit-load of ranting:

Stress, headaches and feelings of heartbreak all in one nice package...... Stress came from work twice. First yesterday in my usual department I had to prepare an funding application, which I finished on Tuesday and handed it over to my superior. He told me Friday twenty minutes before I usually would have left the office, that we had redo a few parts of the application, then get our CEO's signature and send it away. And it had to be done that day, because our CEO would go on vacation next week. The redoing wasn't hard per se, but my superior is not very organized so it still took some time. Then I went to the CEO, who complained about the name of the project, so we (read I) had to change that again (I don't even want to start about how many sheets of paper we wasted that afternoon) and then he almost made me do it a third time because there a minor spelling mistake, which was still grammatically correct, just didn't look as good as it could've been. Since at least that point I had a major headache.

And I knew the next day wouldn't be a breeze either. Working in the morning at the reception as a stand-in and then all day there was a co-workers wedding going on, and the wedding party was (actually still is, as I type this) at our company's building.
First of all, I'm happy for those two, but weddings or happy couples in general have a tendency to make depressed (at least when I'm single myself, which is 99% of the time). Work at the reception ist not what I usually do, so normally I'm there to support an experienced member of staff. Today I was the experienced one, since the woman also working with me, had her second day. She tried her best, but mostly was more of a hassle than help. On a normal day that would've been okay, but today there was chaos everywhere and just shit raining down on us, to give you a mental image you won't forget so soon. So added stress and additional heaches, yay....

Also, for the added bonus of emotional turmoil, I had this crush on a guy, who was a co-worker. He stopped working at our company a couple of weeks ago (and I foolishly thought I could get over him now without problems), but before that I flirted my ass off with him, ultimately to no prevail but most of the time it was more like counting a daisy's petals, with sometimes positive and sometimes negative responses.
But of course he came for the wedding, because he's a good friend of the groom. It was like.... I know he's not into me (or guys in general, for that matter), but my brain and my heart are not good communicators, so that thougt actually made me more feel like "no one will ever love me". Which is stupid, I turn people down as much as I'm turned down, but once that feeling is there, I can't really take it back. It just has to run it's destructive course for some time. So, add heartache to the headache and the stress.

I didn't go to the wedding party after I finished work, because that would've put me over the edge probably. I just wanted to lie down and awaken a hundred years later. That obviously didn't happen, I binged the last couple of hours through youtube videos with titles like "Americans try German Food" or "English native speaker speak German"; there are a lot of those and they're mostly quite amusing and a good way to distract myself.

Sorry for the rant, these last two days were just one of those, where everything comes together to destroy me. Hopefully tomorrow will be a fresh start and will be another year or so until something like this happens again.

 
1) F1
                                       1/4
Couldn't motivate me for the life of me to do anything F1 related.
 
2) Bootcamp
                                       3/4
I actually got enough motivation this morning before going to work to do 100 KB swings. I had a little time left and said to myself: "I know I can do them in about 5-6 minutes, so just do it, don't think about it..." So I did 30-30-30-10 16 kg swings in 6:15 and 10 additional with the 24kg. If I count Friday as my rest day and manage to do something tomorrow, I will still have aced (well, not aced, but done more than okay) this subgoal this week despite the circumstances.
 
3) Nutrition
                                       1/5
Totally fail. Emotional eating to the max. Might continue tomorrow, still have some junk left.

[Waldgeist]

W1 Sunday

 

Today was not a great day by usual comparison, but compared to yesterday and the day before it was pretty good.

I had some real food after I used up the last bits of the junk I lived on the last 32 hours. I even practiced some jump roping. The rest of the day was spent on the internetz and reading an autobiography, that caught my eyes a couple of days ago about a female pastor and her congregation of outcastes.

 

1) F1
                                       1/4
Nothing on this front today.
 
2) Bootcamp
                                       4/4

As I wrote, I practiced my jump roping again. Upped the longest unbroken set up to 79 (from 50 last time). So, technically I aced this subgoal this week, even though today and yesterday were just the bare minimum.

 
3) Nutrition
                                       1/5
Today was technically win, but I had some leftover chocolate for breakfast, so not officaly a win.

[Swampling]

Sorry to hear that you had a couple of rough days.  

Hope things are getting back to "normal" soon! Sounds like you are on a good way to bouncing (or rope skipping) back! 

 

(And chocolate for breakfast may not quite fit into your challenge parameters, but it can't be all bad... ) 

[rathlan]

Wow, sounds like a really crappy end of the week. [emoji35] Glad you are getting your focus back! Good idea to do some jump roping, and quite impressive to increase the set length. That's over a 50% increase which is awesome.

I hope this week starts out better, I will try keep you in my thoughts when I can. Good luck, keep kicking ass [emoji6]

[Waldgeist]

W2 Monday  Today I will do what other's won't.....

 

1) Jedi Gymnastics

             F1 Mobility Session 1/2 I  F1 Strength Session 0/4

Forward Fold and Pancake before going to bed.

 

2) SHIELD Bootcamp

             Workout Sessions 1/6

Yesterday I had an idea to channel negative feelings into a positiv outcome. I created a card of decks with a short (no more than about 5 minutes) basic exercise on the back of each card. The plan is to draw a card every time I'm down and do the workout as a distraction. Obviously at work I can't do them, but I opted to count them and do them after work. I'm curious how that works out, maybe I have to set an upper limit.

Today there were three cards:

               Push-Ups Max reps in 5 minutes : 43

               Farmers Walk (24kg left+16kg right) for 60 seconds

               KB Snatches 16kg Max set left : 10

                                             Max set right : 11

Additionally I remembered, that I hadn't done any pull-ups last week; high time for that!

               Pull-Ups 3 sets, 6 reps each

 

3) Werewolf Nutrition

           Healthy Days 0.5/6

Went grocery shopping today, so I'm stocked for a healthy week, but breakfast at work wasn't. Couldn't resist the nutella..... EDIT: I'm gonna loosen up a bit, a binary win/fail isn't helping me. So obviously if all meals in one day are healthy I get 1 point, but if not and 2 out of 3 are still healthy I get 0.5!

 

4) Charter Studying

           Hours 0.5/8

I decided that I won't just count the actual studying but also admnistrative stuff etc. which I need to do.

And that I did today, as well as buying some books (it is the beginning of the month ) to read.

[Waldgeist]

W2 Tuesday  ....so tomorrow I can do what others can't!

 

1) Jedi Gymnastics

             F1 Mobility Session 1/2 I  F1 Strength Session 0/4

2) SHIELD Bootcamp

             Workout Sessions 2/6

Today I drew one card:

                   Sit-Ups, 100 reps for time : 9:50

Plus:

                   Push-Ups on Parallettes : 3 x 8

3) Werewolf Nutrition

           Healthy Days 1/6

Breakfast and lunch were perfectly fine, but for dinner I ate out with some co-workers from my old department for the annual end of the volunteers year italian dinner. Pasta's definitely not paleo, but I declined the dessert, which was offered to me (even though I was treated the whole meal). Therefore it was a half successful day, I'd say!

 

4) Charter Studying

           Hours 0.5/8

[Waldgeist]

Sorry to hear that you had a couple of rough days.

Hope things are getting back to "normal" soon! Sounds like you are on a good way to bouncing (or rope skipping) back! 

 

(And chocolate for breakfast may not quite fit into your challenge parameters, but it can't be all bad... ) 

Wow, sounds like a really crappy end of the week. [emoji35] Glad you are getting your focus back! Good idea to do some jump roping, and quite impressive to increase the set length. That's over a 50% increase which is awesome.

I hope this week starts out better, I will try keep you in my thoughts when I can. Good luck, keep kicking ass [emoji6]

 

Thanks, guys! It really got normal again, maybe even good, lets see how the rest of this week plays out.

[Waldgeist]

W2 Wednesday  The only bad workout is the one that didn't happen!

 

1) Jedi Gymnastics

             F1 Mobility Session 1/2 I  F1 Strength Session 1/4

Finally got around doing that, yay!

                     Crow Holds, three practice sessions, longest hold was 5 seconds (and not just once but several times, big improvement since last time )

                     Front Scale Holds, 3x 25 seconds

                     Face-In Wall Handstand, 3x12 seconds

                     Seated Leg Raises, 6x4

2) SHIELD Bootcamp

             Workout Sessions 3/6

No cards today. Buuuuut:

                     Pull-Ups! 2x6 (was supposed to do a third set, but I hadn't enough time before going to work)

                     Negative TGUs with 16kg : 7 left / 6 right

                     KB 1H rows with 24 kg : 3x6 (each side)

An then to finish off, some KB sings: 10 (16kg) - 10 (24kg) - 20 (16) - 10 (24) - 20 (16) - 10 (24)

 

3) Werewolf Nutrition

           Healthy Days 1.5/6

If I hadn't needed to eat as part of working, it would've been a perfect day. I had to act in place of my boss in the dining hall as representative of our company and of course that includes eating there..... Ah, well kept the non-paleo to a minimum....

 

4) Charter Studying

           Hours 0.5

[Waldgeist]

W2 Thursday Go hard or go home!

 

1) Jedi Gymnastics

             F1 Mobility Session 1/2 I  F1 Strength Session 2/4

And another one:

                       Inverted Press, 4x9

                       Jumps 3x10

                       Supersets Hollow Body Holds immediately follwod by superman holds 3x 25+25 seconds hold

2) SHIELD Bootcamp

             Workout Sessions 4/6

                         Snatches 16kg per side 3x8

3) Werewolf Nutrition

           Healthy Days 2/6

Good, besides dinner....

4) Charter Studying

           Hours 1.5

Got my new books and started reading, yay!

[tigertubagirl]

Hooray for new books! 

 

What's a werewolf nutrition? 

 

Und bist du Deutschsprachiger? (Waldgeist...)

[Waldgeist]

Hooray for new books! 

 

What's a werewolf nutrition? 

 

Und bist du Deutschsprachiger? (Waldgeist...)

 

I'm not sure what a real werewolf nutrition would entail (better not think about that too much...), but I use it as an inspirational name for my dietary subgoal, it's a reference to TeenWolf. Like my other subgoals have names that refer to Star Wars, Marvel and Garth Nix' Old Kingdom books respectively.

 

Ja, das bin ich in der Tat!

[tigertubagirl]

Got it, cool. And yes, I don't think I'd like to know what actual werewolf nutrition entails, either!

 

Wo in Deutschland wohnst du? Ich war 6 Jahre bei einer Bayrischen Firma die in Vilsbiburg (in der Nähe von Landshut) ist. Deswegen habe ich Deutsch gelernt, aber seit langem habe ich kein Deutsch gesprochen. 

[Waldgeist]

Ich lebe in Württemberg, genau in der Mitte zwischen Stuttgart und der Grenze zu Bayern.

Wenn du ein bisschen Motivation brauchst, um dein Deutsch wieder aufzupolieren, stehe ich gerne zur Verfügung.

[Swampling]

Bin auch dabei!