AshPS-Once Again

[AshPS]

About 2 yrs ago this is what brought brought me to the NF forums. Well, that and reading Steve's articles. I had once been adamant about lifting. But, after the sixth and all the busyness of life, I had fallen away from it. Connor inspired me.....to be strong.....agile.....able to handle whatever life threw at you.

Once here I was......motivated.....and in awe at the support I received and the friends I made.

Then I wanted this again......

I did eight challenges and was becoming very happy with where I was. Challenges number 8 I had a fall and severely injured my knee. Frustrated with the fact it wasn't healing right other life stresses and I mostly left NF for a time.

A couple of weeks back I came in and was inspired again (you know who you are). The support, the energy.....everything that had brought me here the first time I felt again.

And right now I need that again. Life is tough.

I was originally talking myself out of doing another challenge and just posting to my battle log. But, a friend convinced me that I should do some fear facing and make time for myself. So, I am back. And I have decided to join the Rangers!

I know that I love lifting....and I have recently taken up running, which I am surprisingly enjoying. (Sorry swampling, lol......) So, I feel like the Rangers are a good place for me.

Ok, on to my goals for this round:

Mission 1:

Knee is still not healed right so I am making a debut back into my lifting with mostly body weight for lower body and running. As it holds up I will eventually add weights into the lower body workouts. We will see how this goes, it's a work in progress.

And.....I have decided to become a runner. Really was not my forte in the past, but....being a huge parkour fan....and generally needed to both assassins and rangers I figured it was time. And, I think I would love to run a 5k eventually.

So, I am doing the C25k program. I am aiming at two rounds. Once through doing it two days a week. This hopefully will give the knee time to adjust as I strengthen it. Then I plan to do it a second round on all the days required. (Goal for future challenge)

Here is the current setup:

WORKOUTS: (sets x reps)

Monday (Chest & Arms)

28 Day Squat Challenge

5 min. Mobility & Stretch

10 min. Cardio

Bench Press: 4x6; 2x15-20 (1/2 1st sets)

Incline Press: 3x4-8; 2x15-20 (1/2 1st sets)

Curls: 3x6; 2x12-16 (1/2 1st sets)

Lying Tri Ext: 4x6; 1x15 (1/2 1st sets)

Wednesday (Legs)

28 Day Squat Challenge- Rest Day

5 min. Mobility & Stretch

10 min. Cardio

Body weight lower body workout

Friday (Back & Shoulders)

28 Day Squat Challenge

5 min. Mobility & Stretch

10 min. Cardio

Lat Raises: 4x8-12; 1x15 (1/2 1st sets)

Bent over Row: 4x8-12; 1x15 (1/2 1st sets)

Seated Press: 4x6; 1x12-16 (1/2 1st sets)

Rear Lat Raise: 3x15

Tue. & Thurs.

28 Day Squat Challenge

5 min. Mobility & Stretch

ab work

C25k

Saturday (Cardio)

28 Day Squat Challenge

5 min. Mobility & Stretch

ab work

Cardio: Zumba, Bellydance, Tabata, Yoga, Pilates........whatever I decide on

Sunday: OFF

Grades: A- all workouts completed, B-5 days completed, C-4 days, Fail otherwise

Mission 2:

Hydrate.....Hydrate....Hydrate!!!!

This is an ongoing mission through all of my challenges. I could go all day without drinking anything but coffee. Black.....very strong coffee.

That's not a desire.....well.....maybe......

More a fact.

Must get that water in and that is a minimum of 64 oz.

Grades: A-64 or more, B-40 or more, Fail otherwise

Mission 3:

Logging what I eat. I journal what I eat on a daily basis.

This does two things for me. Keeps me accountable and gives me something to go on to monitor the physical progress. Especially when I am not adhering to EXACT macros, but a more general idea.

I have been slacking on it recently and really need to keep on it.

Grades: A-7 days, B-6 days, C-4 to 5 days, Fail otherwise

Life Goal-Purge:

I desperately need to get rid of some junk.

Grades: A-5 days, B-4 days, C-3 day, Fail otherwise

I have been posting workouts in my battle log up to now (in Sig.). Since this is Friday and I am a week in, grading will begin on Monday.

Okay, time to Ranger up!

[honeybadger]

Welcome back! The challenge looks great. I love that you are facing your fear and doing it!

[Wild Wolf]

This is going to be a great comeback tour!! I'll definitely be here to support the journey of you becoming badrangerass!

That pic is sweet at the end- very deadly and ranger-y

I'm glad you decided to make a challenge Ash!

Wolf

"Let the Boomstick do the talking."

[AshPS]

Welcome back! The challenge looks great. I love that you are facing your fear and doing it!

 

Thank you honeybadger!  

 

Nice being back.

[AshPS]

This is going to be a great comeback tour!! I'll definitely be here to support the journey of you becoming badrangerass!

That pic is sweet at the end- very deadly and ranger-y

I'm glad you decided to make a challenge Ash!

Wolf

"Let the Boomstick do the talking."

 

Awe....thank you Wolf.  

 

badrangerass.......lol.....now there is a new one, but it sounds awesome so I definitely plan to make that a goal.

 

So glad to have your here, now the butt kicking can begin!

[Swampling]

Rangers, huh? I hear they are an awesome, badass, bunch!

 

But... running??? SERIOUSLY???

 

 

(Do prehistoric unicorns count? ) 

 

Welcome back, dear friend, looking forward to seeing you badrangerass this challenge!

     

[Vilkacis]

Best ranger ever? In this humble fan boys opinion? Drizzt Do'Urden. Hahaha Always my fave. On an unrelated note, you're awesome, an your challenge looks an sounds amazing, and if anyone can do it, I know this amazingly tough woman can most 100% definitely do it!!! You go girl!!!

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

[AshPS]

 

Awwwweeee............SEE?! That is EXACTLY why I needed to do this challenge.......all my favorite peoples are coming out of the hither and yon to be here for me. 

 

Man, I love you guys!!! :love_heart:

[AshPS]

Rangers, huh? I hear they are an awesome, badass, bunch!

 

But... running??? SERIOUSLY???

 

 

(Do prehistoric unicorns count? ) 

 

Welcome back, dear friend, looking forward to seeing you badrangerass this challenge!

  (sorry...had to remove some in order to respond back per forum rules.....did we not get that petition up?!)

 

Yes, I hear they are.

 

Oh seriously that made me laugh.

Afraid so. But I promise not to leave you behind in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

 

And yes indeed they are, lol,  ALL unicorns count here!

 

Awe, thank you bestie.

 

Happy dances!!! :triumphant:

[AshPS]

Best ranger ever? In this humble fan boys opinion? Drizzt Do'Urden. Hahaha Always my fave. On an unrelated note, you're awesome, an your challenge looks an sounds amazing, and if anyone can do it, I know this amazingly tough woman can most 100% definitely do it!!! You go girl!!!

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

 

 

He's Here!!!       

 

Whoooo hoooooo!!!!!! :triumphant:

 

awe......it is so nice to see you here oh buddy of mine. And many thank yous.

 

I have never had the opportunity to play Dungeons and dragons, but he does look pretty badass indeed.

 

Does this mean you might consider putting a challenge thread up???.......ahem......

 

Hugs!!!

[AshPS]

Okie dokie

Today's Workout:

5 min. mobility and stretch

ab work

Cardio: today that was 45 min. of Zumba

Anyone that know me knows I like to dance. So, fun fun fun.

Onward and upward!

[Swampling]

Glad to hear you can keep up the dancing!  

 

How's the knee holding up with all that running + dancing? Mostly harmless, I hope?  

[AshPS]

Glad to hear you can keep up the dancing!

 

How's the knee holding up with all that running + dancing? Mostly harmless, I hope?

 

 

It burns quite a bit right after a workout, but it's tolerable and eventually subsides for the most part, so I'll take it.

 

I'm going to miss you!!!!

[AshPS]

Day 13 of the 28 Day Squat Challenge

 

50 prisoner box squats in! 

 

 

 

That is the highest number of squats I have gotten in since the knee injury! :triumphant:

 

And I am hitting at least parallel if not a bit lower!

 

Happy happy......seriously happy DOMS tomorrow.

 

Knee burning quite a bit, but I think everything is still good. Progress!

[Stronkey Kong]

I'm in the Rangers this time too as you know. I'm still quite suspicious of this bunch.

[Nymeria]

You have 6 kids?!     How do you manage not to go stark raving mad?  I am in awe of your parenting mojo.  

 

Sorry about the knee.  What's wrong with it?  I've recently been through an ACL reconstruction as well as a bout of IT band syndrome, so I can fully sympathize with frustrations from non-working knees.  If nothing else, it's just an excuse to do a lot of upper body strength work.  Good luck with your challenge!  

[AshPS]

I'm in the Rangers this time too as you know. I'm still quite suspicious of this bunch.

 

Lol.... I don't know......they seem pretty harmless so far.

[AshPS]

You have 6 kids?!     How do you manage not to go stark raving mad?  I am in awe of your parenting mojo.  

 

Sorry about the knee.  What's wrong with it?  I've recently been through an ACL reconstruction as well as a bout of IT band syndrome, so I can fully sympathize with frustrations from non-working knees.  If nothing else, it's just an excuse to do a lot of upper body strength work.  Good luck with your challenge!  

 

Lol....yep. Three girls, three boys. And that would depend on which day you happen to catch me.

 

Awe, thank you Nymeria. 

 

Pretty impressed myself at what I read on your profile, awesome stuff there! How many kiddos do you have?

 

Lol, good point.

 

Well, I can't explain in medical terms because I never had it seen about. Couldn't afford to. 

 

I'd have to go back and look at how long it's been, several months I'm sure. Took a fall on some concrete steps and came down on the right knee. Pain was so intense I couldn't move for a bit. Thought it would be okay and limped around on it a few days. Was only slightly swollen right at the kneecap. Then, I was standing in the kitchen and it began to do this intense spasming sort of thing.....like a muscle twitch, but worse. Was really uncomfortable and took an hour or so to stop. When it did it went all cold......like wet cold. Shortly after a purple spot formed in the middle top area of the kneecap. By the next morning the whole thing was purplish black  and a lump slightly larger than a golf ball was sticking out on the right side of the kneecap and I couldn't put my weight on it at all. 

 

Over that week the  black area (I am sure it was bleeding) spread all across the kneecap and down almost to my ankle. Took a week or so before I could put any weight on it and several more before I could fully put weight on it.

 

For a few months I couldn't squat or do lunges at all. Squats cause it to burn, lunges front lunges still cause pain, as does being directly on it. The wet cold feeling comes on randomly as does bouts of intense aching, and swelling on that right side. Mostly if I am on it all day or sit very long with it bent .

 

And that's about all I know. I do wish I had it looked at. But it is what it is and my hope is to strengthen it enough, and my legs in general to make it the least bothersome.

 

Any advice you have is most certainly welcome as I don't really know anyone who has dealt with a knee injury.

 

Many thank yous and the same to you! 

[Waldgeist]

Challenge on!

[AshPS]

Challenge on!

 

You found me! YAY!

[Nymeria]

Awe, thank you Nymeria. 

 

Pretty impressed myself at what I read on your profile, awesome stuff there! How many kiddos do you have?

 

 

Only 2 kids - a 7 year old girl and a 5 year old boy.  I think that's about all I can handle.  

 

And that's about all I know. I do wish I had it looked at. But it is what it is and my hope is to strengthen it enough, and my legs in general to make it the least bothersome.

 

Any advice you have is most certainly welcome as I don't really know anyone who has dealt with a knee injury.

 

That sounds awful!  If it's still bothering you a lot, you should definitely get it checked out by a doctor or physical therapist.  If it's only occasionally bothering you, then just be sure to listen to your body when it starts acting up.  I'm in a similar situation with my knee.  It's 99% better, but when I push things too hard and get some twinges from the knee, I really have to listen to my body and pull back a bit.  But I'm sure you already knew to do that.  

 

One of the things that helped me get through my knee rehab process was to always have an alternate workout plan which didn't require much leg work.  So, even if I planned on jogging, doing squats, lunges, and other leg stuff, I would be able to abandon that plan and instead swim, do pull ups, do bench, and do core work.  It really helped me feel less frustrated with those days where my knee was just not being very cooperative.  

 

It also seemed like every time I needed to do physical therapy for my knees, a lot of the same exercises kept cropping up.  So it might be worth trying them if they don't irritate your knee.  These were: wall sits while squeezing a ball between your thighs close to your knees;  the sideways walks where you have a band stretched around your ankles and then step to the side while keeping tension on the band; and glute bridges.  

[AshPS]

Only 2 kids - a 7 year old girl and a 5 year old boy.  I think that's about all I can handle.  

 

Awwwweeee.....my youngest are 5 and 4. Both girls who act like boys, lol.

My original intention had been to only have three.

 

 

 

 

That sounds awful!  If it's still bothering you a lot, you should definitely get it checked out by a doctor or physical therapist.  If it's only occasionally bothering you, then just be sure to listen to your body when it starts acting up.  I'm in a similar situation with my knee.  It's 99% better, but when I push things too hard and get some twinges from the knee, I really have to listen to my body and pull back a bit.  But I'm sure you already knew to do that.  

 

One of the things that helped me get through my knee rehab process was to always have an alternate workout plan which didn't require much leg work.  So, even if I planned on jogging, doing squats, lunges, and other leg stuff, I would be able to abandon that plan and instead swim, do pull ups, do bench, and do core work.  It really helped me feel less frustrated with those days where my knee was just not being very cooperative.  

 

It also seemed like every time I needed to do physical therapy for my knees, a lot of the same exercises kept cropping up.  So it might be worth trying them if they don't irritate your knee.  These were: wall sits while squeezing a ball between your thighs close to your knees;  the sideways walks where you have a band stretched around your ankles and then step to the side while keeping tension on the band; and glute bridges.  

 

Unfortunately the doctor thing isn't doable currently. So I have had to research some rehab stuff online. And I would say it's probably a 60/ 40 thing on the whole. It always burns or aches mildly. But most of the time I don't pay it much attention unless I'm thinking about it. Sometimes it's very bothersome and I'm limping around. And as you wisely suggested, that's when I have to tone things down.

Yes! Awesome advice and what I hoped to accomplish with this challenge. To focus on what I could do.   I have been letting it, on top of other life stresses, really get to me lately.

 

Oh, that's awesome! Thank you. I will write those down. The glute bridges are part of the mobility & stretch I do in the mornings to get things warmed up.

 

Do you have a general sets/rep range?

 

Have an awesome Monday Nymeria!

[AshPS]

My daughter bought me this today.

 

Very fitting for my new challenge.

 

[AshPS]

MONDAY (Chest & Arms)

5 min. mobility & stretch

10 min. Cardio

28 Day Squat Challenge: Day 15 (20 counter balance air squats)

 

Bench Press: 4 x 6; 2 x 20   (total 20 lbs; 15 lbs)

Incline Press: 3 x 8; 2 x 20   (total 20 lbs; 15 lbs)

Bicep Curls: 3 x 6; 2 x 16   (total 20 lbs; 15 lbs)

Lying Tri Ext: 4 x 6; 1 x 15   (total 20 lbs; 15 lbs)

 

 

Moved from box squats to air squats this week. Bit tougher as I have to pay attention how far I am coming down. 

Weights can be raised again.  Working on that water!

 

No......I did not put any coffee in it either. 

 

Have an great day!

[AshPS]

Today's purge done. Misc paper, crafts stuff, etc.

 

Done and done.