Raxie Slays A Challenge: Once More, With Feeling

[Raxie]

So last challenge I tried to go hard.  And I hurt my back (freaking walking on a treadmill of all things! wtf).  The recovery has been quite a few weeks in the making and it's really disheartening, but I'm feeling 95% better.  I'll need the rest of this week to really get all the way there, and I'll have to deload when I start up again, but I'm ready to tackle what I tried to tackle last challenge.  Just gotta be more careful with my incline work.  I'm pretty sad as I can already feel how much strength I've lost and I am feeling kinda slouchy and blah.  I can't wait to get back into this stuff and give my body the boost it wants. 

 

So yeah, I'm literally just copying and pasting the last challenge because Buffy gifs never get old even if they're the same.  The only thing I'm changing is I'm going to run once a week and do hiking conditioning once a week, instead of running 2x/week AND doing the hiking conditioning.  Maybe that was a bit too much for me. I'm also removing the sleep goal because I have a hard time tracking it with how weird my schedule's been lately.  I'll add it back in if I start feeling wonky though. Basically I'm moving this challenge to just focus on the physical stuffs for now.

 

Also CAMP THIS CHALLENGE AHHHHHH!!!!!!!! So excited.  As a side quest for myself I've gotta go introduce myself on the facebook page.  I don't get FB at work and hate going on my computer at home so I've been seriously slacking on it.  I do occasionally "like" random posts but I've got to go introduce myself before it's too late!

 

So without further ado, a non gratuitous straight up copy and paste of the last challenge.  DEAL WITH IT. 

 

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I've been rewatching through Buffy lately. With my little sister, who has never seen it. She doesn't know *any* of the major plot points and it's really awesome to kind of be watching one of my favourite shows of all time through new eyes. I've always loved the show for the Joss Whedon geniusness. The character development, the campiness, the witty dialogue. But I forgot how much the female characters are all just so strong. Not just Buffy, but her mom, Willow, the women vampires, Glory, Anya. Just so much awesome. And since I'm newly inspired by the show, I figure I'll just use the inspiration to get me going!

 

Mission One. Strength.

 

 

So I thought about not including this and doing something else here, since I have been consistent with Stronglifts even when it's not an actual goal. But since I'm upping my training this challenge, I don't want to not put this here and have me slack on it. I also am expecting to slow down with the newbie gains soon, and I don't want that to let that affect my motivation.

 

So here it is. Stronglifts, 3x/week. 5x5. Do itttt.

 

 

Mission Two. Speed & Endurance.

 

 

Here's where I'm really upping my game. All the other stuff I've been more or less doing anyway. So I want to run 1x/week and then once a week either go on a hike or do incline treadmill work.

 

 

Mission Three. Flexibility

 

 

Need to be limber for all those high kicks! And also IRL to get up those big scrambles! Yoga 5x/week. I do this most mornings anyway.

 

Life Quest. Focus.

 

I've been slacking on the meditation. I think I didn't like the exact technique I was doing. Back to focusing on the breath... how I fell in love with it in the first place. Meditate 5x/week.

 

 

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So this all might seem like a lot, but I've really been doing most of it most of the time already, before I injured my back. I'm just putting it all together here and making it a priority.Time to focus and go kick major butttt

 

[Raxie]

Mini Challenge Feats:

• Endurance Feat - Hollow body hold as long as possible

• Strength Feat - Go for a 1RM on OHP

• Speed Feat - Up the speed on my hiking training incline work for ONE interval at the highest incline

• Combat Feat - Go for a 1RM on squats

• Healing Feat - Spa day. Face mask, deep conditioning, bath soak

[Raxie]

whoops yeah I forgot to update this reserved for progress post along the way... *facepalm*

[QuietRiotGrrrl]

You can rock this!  And I love your theme.

 

[raptron]

TAKE TWO: BUFFY BUGALOO

[shaar]

YESSSSSS stick with the plan, I love it!

 

Back issues are SERIOUSLY THE WORST.  I had to hella deload my squat for the sake of being careful and not killing myself before camp and it's just uggghhhh.  Loss of strength, I feels it. ;_;

 

But I guess it's worth being careful for CAMP!!! ^_^

[spooky]

MOAR BUFFY OH YESSSSSS <3 <3 <3

 

Here for all of the Raxie-awesome

[ladylydia]

You know what, don't feel bad about hurting your back on a treadmill.  Last night I pulled my shoulder while I was SLEEPING.   Bodies are weird. 

[Shello]

Yay!  A Do-over challenge.  

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following, good luck

[Moros]

Once again, with feeling?

 

Good luck on your challenge.  Injuries are no fun...

[honeybadger]

You can rock this!  And I love your theme.

 

 

Ditto!!!

 

Once again, with feeling?

 

 

One of the best episodes ever!

[Raxie]

Super good news all around.

 

1. I woke up Friday for the first time in WEEKS without severe back pain! It's usually really bad in the AM and goes away as the day goes on (because I can't stop rolling onto my side in the night no matter what I do... arg) and today I almost forgot there was ever a problem.  Just one little twinge when I cat-cowed.  Wohoo!!

 

2. I got engaged last week!   I'm not really a big romantic person so this is kinda weird for me but I'm still mega excitedddd.

 

3. Challenge starts tomorrow and I'm so ready!

[Moros]

 

2. I got engaged last week!   I'm not really a big romantic person so this is kinda weird for me but I'm still mega excitedddd.

 

 

Congratulations! 

[shaar]

Super good news all around.

1. I woke up Friday for the first time in WEEKS without severe back pain! It's usually really bad in the AM and goes away as the day goes on (because I can't stop rolling onto my side in the night no matter what I do... arg) and today I almost forgot there was ever a problem. Just one little twinge when I cat-cowed. Wohoo!!

2. I got engaged last week! I'm not really a big romantic person so this is kinda weird for me but I'm still mega excitedddd.

3. Challenge starts tomorrow and I'm so ready!

RAXIE!! All of this is SO AWESOME and I am so happy for you!!! Sounds like you had a great zero week ya?!?! [emoji3] [emoji176] [emoji259]

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[ladylydia]

Super good news all around.

 

1. I woke up Friday for the first time in WEEKS without severe back pain! It's usually really bad in the AM and goes away as the day goes on (because I can't stop rolling onto my side in the night no matter what I do... arg) and today I almost forgot there was ever a problem.  Just one little twinge when I cat-cowed.  Wohoo!!

 

2. I got engaged last week!   I'm not really a big romantic person so this is kinda weird for me but I'm still mega excitedddd.

 

3. Challenge starts tomorrow and I'm so ready!

 

1. Hooray!

 

2. CONGRATS!!

 

3. You're gonna crush it.

[QuietRiotGrrrl]

Congrats on all accounts!  Sounds like this month is already awesome for you.  

[spooky]

Super good news all around.

 

1. I woke up Friday for the first time in WEEKS without severe back pain! It's usually really bad in the AM and goes away as the day goes on (because I can't stop rolling onto my side in the night no matter what I do... arg) and today I almost forgot there was ever a problem.  Just one little twinge when I cat-cowed.  Wohoo!!

 

2. I got engaged last week!   I'm not really a big romantic person so this is kinda weird for me but I'm still mega excitedddd.

 

3. Challenge starts tomorrow and I'm so ready!

 

1. YASSS no back pain= all of the good. Scooby Snacks for all!

2. CONGRATULATIONS :D !!!!!!!!!!!! So happy you are happy !

3. BRING IT ON CHALLENGE, YOU AINT GOT NOTHING ON RAXIE!!!! *Battle cry*

[Raxie]

Week 1 - Tuesday

 

 

:D Thanks everyone!! 

 

So yesterday I woke up with still a tinnnnyyyy bit of tightness in my back and decided to put off my crazy challenge of craziness until today.  Glad I did, because today I woke up feeling GREAT!  I also was supposed to go on travel for work this week and it got cancelled which makes everything so much easier, too.  Having a great start to this challenge so far.

 

The only issue is that after not really doing much more than stretchy yoga and a big of core-focused yoga and a rare hollow body hold here and there, I have done literally nothing for over a month.  And my eating hasn't been too stellar either, lack of workout motivation really kills my eating motivation.  And I feel like DOOKIE.  I can also tell I've gained some weight back.  Clothes are fitting differently in the not-good way.  Wahhhh.  And I'm mostly upset because I feel like I'm not going to be where I wanted to be for camp, and might not be able to keep up with some of the stuff I was super stoked about doing.  I might end up going to a bunch of sessions of things that I've never done before, that I would be behind on anway, so I can learn something new and not feel the sadness of my losses due to recovery.  Hmmm... lots of thoughts to be had.

 

I'm a little nervous about getting back into working out for real to be honest.  I will be deloading almost all the way back down to just the bare barbell, and I'll NOT be pushing myself in my incline treadmill mountain climbing training like I did when I hurt my back, slow and steady there, and I'm not scared of the pain if I hurt myself again, I'm scared of having to take even more time off.  If that craziness makes any sense.  My brain is telling me to not start working out again for fear it will make me not be able to work out.  Go home brain, you make no sense.

 

I have noticed I work best when I have a schedule.  And try as I might using to do list aps or posting a schedule on my Google Calendar with pop up reminders, or even posting my schedule here just doesn't do it for me.  I think I really need an old fashioned appointment book.  So I got one!  I got really picky about it, I wanted it to have really particular types of spaces on each day so I could organize my morning/evening but not have pre determined times because I wake up so damn early and most of them start at like 7am, which would annoy me.  Unfortunately the only one I could find that suited all my needs was on back order and I won't be getting it for a few weeks but I'm stoked about getting it and I really think it's going to help.  So for now I'll just put my schedule here:

 

Monday:

Day off for back protection

 

Tuesday:

AM: Yoga (1), Meditation (1)

PM: Grocery Shopping, Put Laundry Away, Stronglifts (1), Foam Roll

 

Wednesday:

AM: Yoga (2), Meditation (2)

PM: Mountain Climbing Treadmill Training, Laundry

 

Thursday:

AM: Yoga (3), Meditation (3)

PM: Stronglifts (2), Clean Room, Foam Roll

 

Friday:

AM: Yoga (4), Meditation (4)

PM: Zombies, Run! (1), Class

 

Saturday:

AM: Stronglifts (3), Foam Roll

 

Sunday:

AM: Yoga (5) Meditation (5), Grocery Shopping

PM: Batch cook

 

Gotta start thinking about my mini challenge feats. I'm going to try to make them not too hard, because I want to go hard this challenge but I want to not go nuts.

 

ONWARD.

[raptron]

ONWARD.

[shaar]

 

I'm a little nervous about getting back into working out for real to be honest.  I will be deloading almost all the way back down to just the bare barbell, and I'll NOT be pushing myself in my incline treadmill mountain climbing training like I did when I hurt my back, slow and steady there, and I'm not scared of the pain if I hurt myself again, I'm scared of having to take even more time off.  If that craziness makes any sense.  My brain is telling me to not start working out again for fear it will make me not be able to work out.  Go home brain, you make no sense.

 

I have noticed I work best when I have a schedule.  And try as I might using to do list aps or posting a schedule on my Google Calendar with pop up reminders, or even posting my schedule here just doesn't do it for me.  I think I really need an old fashioned appointment book.  So I got one!  I got really picky about it, I wanted it to have really particular types of spaces on each day so I could organize my morning/evening but not have pre determined times because I wake up so damn early and most of them start at like 7am, which would annoy me.  Unfortunately the only one I could find that suited all my needs was on back order and I won't be getting it for a few weeks but I'm stoked about getting it and I really think it's going to help.  So for now I'll just put my schedule here:

 

 

Bolded the part that IS TRUE and makes complete sense.  While my back is better I haven't deadlifted since, mostly because I want to be extra careful NOT to re-injure myself before camp.... but also because I'm kinda scared too.  I don't want to take more time off and have to not practice other things because of it!!  It's a cyclical brain-argument but it makes TOTAL sense and is valid to me, too....

 

I will say massage therapy has helped me LOADS.

 

I'm trying to get on a mini-schedule this challenge too... sometimes it's easier for me to do thing when I lay them out, instead of "eh I'll get to that tomorrow!"

[Raxie]

Bolded the part that IS TRUE and makes complete sense.  While my back is better I haven't deadlifted since, mostly because I want to be extra careful NOT to re-injure myself before camp.... but also because I'm kinda scared too.  I don't want to take more time off and have to not practice other things because of it!!  It's a cyclical brain-argument but it makes TOTAL sense and is valid to me, too....

 

I will say massage therapy has helped me LOADS.

 

I'm trying to get on a mini-schedule this challenge too... sometimes it's easier for me to do thing when I lay them out, instead of "eh I'll get to that tomorrow!"

 

I've been seriously debating going to get a deep tissue massage.  I think I might just suck it up a do it.  I put it off because of the sticker shock on how much those things cost, but I know how helpful they can be and there's only so much foam rolling can do. 

 

And yeah, I want to get to the point where I'm like "oh it's Friday.  That means it's time to do laundry" not "oh god I have no clothes and now I have to find time to do laundry"

[Wild Wolf]

Oiw! Back pain...how I hate thee. I'm so happy you're feeling better and back to rock another challenge! Subbing for Buffy Awesomeness!

Wolf

[honeybadger]

I am a big fan of an old school pen and paper calendar/schedule. Nothing seems to work as well for me...besides then I get to use cute stickers to mark my workout days!

[Raxie]

I got a tuna salad sandwich for lunch today.  Not a tuna melt, but just tuna salad with tomato on a whole wheat wrap (yay no cheese, so hard for me still), and it came with fries (don't ask me why, the cafeteria here is so weird, sandwiches used to come with fruit and now because of "market conditions" sandwiches come with fries. yes that's what the sign actually says. arg.).  So at first I took them, and then I sat down to eat them and ate one and offered the rest up and threw the rest away.  Victory for the day, so far.