Pull-ups Like I'm 8 Again

[VRGirl]

My name is Valerie and this is my 2nd 6 week challenge, and my first as a scout. 

 

I've been a member of the Nerd Fitness Academy for a little over 2 months, and I'm really enjoying it. I'm getting SO much out of this experience, and I'm feeling amazing about myself and my performance. I am a PhD candidate in my last year of school, and I'm working hard to keep both my mind and body in shape. I was born a runner, but I lost a lot of my fitness abilities when I dove headfirst into school. I want to take that power back and be proud of my strength, my body, and what I can accomplish. 

 

Over the last couple of years, I have moved from barely able to run a mile, to completing 5 1/2 marathons in good time, but I'm still trying to break that 2 hour barrier: PR 2:00:08 (seriously.) In order to accomplish my main goal (below), I must get stronger and faster. My first 6 week challenge was interesting, and you can read it here: Smarter, Stronger, Faster

 

Main Quest: Run my first full marathon in as close to 4 hours as I can in January 2016 at the Arizona Rock n Roll Marathon (my family will be there to cheer me on W00T!)

 

Quest 1: Be able to do a pull up like it's not that big of a deal. As I get stronger, I get faster and I am convinced that this kind of strength will really help with my endurance

Measurement: A = Pull ups are kind of easy B = I can do the pullup, but I sort of want to die C = I am so close to a pullup, I can taste it.  

Reward: A = +5 STR ; B = +4 STR; C = +2STR 

 

Quest 2: Drink Less Alcohol - this is the main source of my bad calories. I am SUPER social, and a social drinker. 

Measurement: # of drinks per week total - A = 7 or less B = 9 or less C = 11 or less

Reward: A = +3 WIS/ +1CON ; B = +2 WIS/ +1 CON ; C = +1 CON

 

Life Quest: In order to become as competitive as possible for the market, which just opened, I MUST get my digital portfolio in order. I have had a pretty beautiful one open for over a year, but it's never been finished. Potential employers will be looking at it as soon as I get my first application submitted. This challenge, I will have my portfolio finished, polished, and market ready.  

Measurement: A = Finished and Polished; B = Finished but not yet polished; C = Almost finished! So close! 

Reward: A = +2 WIS/ +2 CHA ; B = +1 WIS/+1CHA ; C = +1 WIS

 

Motivation: Feeling good about my own accomplishments makes me proud of myself, and the direct result is confidence. I need to be confident and academically in a great place when I start interviewing late fall/winter. The more confidence, the more jobs I'll likely score. It only takes one - but I want the right one. 

[Chelkie]

Ack, getting that close to a sub 2 and not getting it! I can't even imagine. That is definitely one of my running goals as well, but i'm much further off (my last half was 2:28) but good luck!

[theophilus]

I see you joined scouts too! Best of luck on this challenge!

[Terinatum]

More marathoners, yay!

Welcome to the Scouts.

Love your motivation. Seeing those connects is crucial.

Have a great challenge!

See you around the Tavern and minis.

[VRGirl]

Thank you all for your support. I'm really excited to be here. 

 

My first week of the challenge has been... non-existent. My sister got married and I could NOT hold my less drinking challenge portion that week. And I am still waiting on my pull up bar to come in to start working on jump-pull ups. I've sort of let myself go this week, being lazy and not keeping my workouts - mostly because I stopped scheduling them. 

 

But I started dating a guy (full time, I finally picked one to stick with), and he is a competitive deadlifter, and he eats like we do. And he doesn't drink unless he's carb loading (so really rarely), and he has a strict workout schedule... perfect. We have gone out 5 times and we had 1 beer that whole time. And I am teaching him to cook vegetables so he has more skillz than just 'boil everything.' I think this gentleman will help me with my 6 week challenges in a big way. Tonight, he is bringing me some bands to help strengthen my shoulders, which are my weakest part.

 

In the meantime - thank GOODNESS the temperature is dropping! I can run outside again!!!

 

Is ANYONE doing the Savannah 1/2 marathon the weekend of Nov 7-8? We should totally cheer each other on!

[Terinatum]

Ah the man sounds great for you and you for him. Win!

Now get out and run in that wonderful weather.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[VRGirl]

Checking in on the ol' 6 week challenge. 

 

FOR ONCE DRINKING LESS IS NOT THE HARDEST THING ON THIS LIST!! 

 

Life in general is going rather well, a lot in part thanks to the change up in social life I'm having because of new beau. I'm like, I think I'll have a beer or three tonight because trivia and he looks at me and says, "do you really need to have 'or 3' while you're training?" and leaves it at that. 

 

Instead, I've not even attempted 1 pull up. Not even an attempt. Why? Because I live in a 100 year old house and the doorways don't even remotely accommodate a hanging pull up bar. Instead, I have to put hooks in the arch in my hallway and hang it there, which requires electric drill and drywall screws and measuring and squares and tapes, etc. Fortunately, new beau comes with all that stuff. But we have so many social engagements (thanks to yours truly) that we are never home long enough to accomplish this task when other people are in the other apartments around me are not asleep. 

 

ONE day, we set this aside to do. And he was going to work from home (my house) and he brought all the stuff... and forgot his power cable. So we had to go all the way across town to get the cable, got hungry on the way back, got stuck in Atlanta traffic - cable retrieval = 4 hours. And by that time, we had to get ready to go to an event where I had to give a talk. And the bar is STILL not up. 

 

BUT MY WEBSITE IS DONE!! MY WEBSITE IS DONE!! 

 

One day, I will have a pull up bar and I will complete Bodyweight Brigade Workouts 3A & B as they were intended. One. Day. 

[Terinatum]

Can you use your kitchen table for inverted rows until you get your bar up?

[VRGirl]

-- So this challenge sort of got away from me. It's a week after this challenge ended and I've not even updated anything. 

 

The challenge went alright, for the most part. I can't even almost do a pullup yet. But as far as the other things have gone, my website is up and beautiful. And the drinking thing is largely under control. My best friend (and neighbor) had a complete meltdown - twice during this 6 week challenge - and admitted that she doesn't like my boyfriend, and for no reason AT ALL - just because she's jealous. She also is now working 2 jobs, yet somehow still hopelessly broke. The end result being that she no longer shows up to my house wanting to drink all the time. My biggest challenge is letting my friends dictate what I consume, and with this particular friend mostly out of the picture... I'm drinking and eating complete shit at a fraction of the rate that I do when I'm with her. Of course, I feel awful that I'm clearly losing a friend, but she has been food shaming me (into eating junk food) and pressing me to party like we're 22, for far too long. She won't talk to me about anything that's going on with her unless she's completely wasted, and the other night, when I met her for a cocktail, when we got home to our apartments, she passed out in front of her door, in the rain, knocking herself out cold. My boyfriend heard her and so we dragged her inside and lay her on her side so she couldn't choke on her own vomit. This is what it is like being her friend, and I will now be backing off from that relationship. 

 

Today I practice more pullups. And I shall keep going until I can get. it. done. 

 

I'm skipping the next 6 week challenge because I need a break and November is a VERY busy month for my career. So -- I'll see you all in a couple of challenges. 

 

THANKS FOR ALL THE ENCOURAGEMENT!!!