Big Show Chases Consistency

[Big_Show]

Welcome to my new Challenge!

Over the course of my first year on the forums I made good progress at first, but then I fell into the trap of changing my goals too massively from Challenge to Challenge and my progress stalled. I only really twigged that this was probably the cause of my problems until I attended a Camp NF and some of the workshops really drive the realisation home. Admittedly I wasn't helped by a few upheavals last year that got in my way (spending two months with a 5hr commute in one challenge, daily driving lessons in another, everything in the country closing down for Ramadan in another...) but there aren't any of them on the horizon for at least half a year now.

So I've decided to lay out three long-term goals to work towarads continually for the next half year (or until achieve them). While my individual Challenges may change slightly in each six week period, the overall end targets will remain the same and I'll be measuring my success by progress towards them.

Boss Battle 1 - Run the Brighton Marathon

Finish the Brighton Marathon on Sunday 17th April 2016, preferably sub-4:00

Boss Battle 2 - Defeat the Powerstation

Do 10 strict pull-ups and 10 dips in a row without rest between reps.

Boss Battle 3 - Proper Squat

Sit in a full squat without using any support

All fairly self-explanatory targets - here are the specifics of how I aim to achieve these:

1) Follow my marathon training plan - STA +3, DEX +1

I have a rough training plan mapped out depending on how my progress is going. The focus of this first Challenge period is to get the distance of my long runs up to a consistent weekly level, and to start getting weekly speedwork done now the evening temperatures are improving. I aim to keep a steady third run going as well to up my weekly training volume.

2) Do the Bodyweight Brigade workouts in the Academy at least twice per week - STR +3, CON +1

I need to stick to the same training programme for a decent amount of time (i.e. more than one challenge at a time) therefore I will continue with the Bodyweight Brigade workouts, moving up a level when I can do five full sets of each circuits with correct form. I've also added the Startbodyweight.com progressions for Pull-ups and Dips onto the end to work on my specific targets.

3) Daily Yoga - CON +3

As a minimum, each day I shall do the 7min Squat Mobility mini-session. If time permits, then I'll do one of the longer sessions as well.

LQ) Find my tribe - CHA +3, WIS +1

One of the things that I realised when I was at Camp, and during the subequent week in New York with an old friend, is that since I moved out here I've been trying desperately to fit in to the social groups I've been introduced to, rather than finding the group where I fit in just by being myself. When in the company of people with similar interests, or someone I'd known for years, it suddenly wasn't so much damn effort to keep conversations going and feel like I fit in. As a result, I spent a fair bit of last year feeling pretty low & miserable (a fact I only realised and admitted to myself during Amy's Emotional Eating class at Camp NF - seriously, that place was a revelation!)

So during this challenge I'm going to force myself out of my comfort zone and try some of the various Meetup.com groups in the area, try to connect more with people at running club, and see if there is a local collection of nerds around here.

And if I do find myself feeling low, I'll actually talk to someone about it instead of bottling things up - between friends at home and friends on here I'm bound to be able to find someone available for a chat for a bit. I always find it amazing how much that can alter my mood.

I also want to get back into the habit of doing a full summary at the end of each week; I think I've previously convinced myself that my challenges were going great/terribly when they actually weren't thanks to only remembering the good/bad bits respectively.

So that's me for the next six weeks. And pretty much more of the same until April. Time to settle in for the long haul!

[Xena]

This looks fantastic! I think most people would find it pretty isolating to move into such a very different location and culture. It takes me a ton of time to really adapt to a new place. One thing that helps me is to try not to blame myself. It's ok to feel a little lonely sometimes or not to always have the strongest social network. It's completely normal.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Looks like a great challenge. You are wise to stop trying to fit in to groups that don't suit you.

[Rurik Harrgath]

So during this challenge I'm going to force myself out of my comfort zone and try some of the various Meetup.com groups in the area, try to connect more with people at running club, and see if there is a local collection of nerds around here.

And if I do find myself feeling low, I'll actually talk to someone about it instead of bottling things up - between friends at home and friends on here I'm bound to be able to find someone available for a chat for a bit. I always find it amazing how much that can alter my mood.

 

I know it's only the Internet, but if you ever find yourself feeling low, I'm rarely too far away that I can't swing by with an eccentric conversation about the meaning of bananas!

 

Seriously though, I'm always available for my fellow Rangers.  Glad to follow along again, Show!

[skinNbones]

Hi Big Show, I'm following along this time.

Really good positive goals to 'get out there'. As an adult it does seem so much harder to make new connections .

Speak softly and carry a beagle.

[shaar]

Camp was such a big social revelation for me, too.  I usually don't have problems socially but I do tend to "chameleon" myself very easily to fit in with whatever type of group I find myself in out in the wilds of society.  I didn't have to do that at camp - hell, by Wednesday night it was so effortless to hang out and chat and laugh with you guys.  WHOA.  Big eye opener!  I've stopped chameleoning and have decided I'm going to be unabashedly me, weird or not.

 

MOBILITY, PULLUPS, YESSSSS!  Are you able to do any pulls yet or are you starting blank?  I can do a whole "one" before my arms give out. ^^;

[Big_Show]

Camp was such a big social revelation for me, too.  I usually don't have problems socially but I do tend to "chameleon" myself very easily to fit in with whatever type of group I find myself in out in the wilds of society.  I didn't have to do that at camp - hell, by Wednesday night it was so effortless to hang out and chat and laugh with you guys.  WHOA.  Big eye opener!  I've stopped chameleoning and have decided I'm going to be unabashedly me, weird or not.

 

MOBILITY, PULLUPS, YESSSSS!  Are you able to do any pulls yet or are you starting blank?  I can do a whole "one" before my arms give out. ^^;

 

Not at the moment - I'm back to only being able to do negative-reps at the moment.  Last workout was 3x4, so I'm just aiming to add 1 rep each workout and move up gradually.  I'll get there eventually, and with the running volume stepping up the weight will come off again, which will hopefully make the bodyweight exercises easier...

 

*crosses fingers*

 

*crosses everything else too just in case*

[goodbye_farewell]

I'm here to watch the awesome...

 

[Charlie_Quinn]

Woohoo, Brighton Marathon! A friend of mine has done it a few times and says it's a fantastic event! I've been to watch a few times and there are so many spectators cheering you on. 

 

Good luck with your challenge! 

[Big Adam]

Looks like a great set of goals and a great plan to get to where you want to be.  I'm interested to hear how the Squat Mobility Yoga affects you.  I've been working on getting a more mobile squat for a while and it's slow going.  Hopefully the yoga is just what you need!

 

Camp was such a big social revelation for me, too.  I usually don't have problems socially but I do tend to "chameleon" myself very easily to fit in with whatever type of group I find myself in out in the wilds of society.  I didn't have to do that at camp - hell, by Wednesday night it was so effortless to hang out and chat and laugh with you guys.  WHOA.  Big eye opener!  I've stopped chameleoning and have decided I'm going to be unabashedly me, weird or not.

This, This, 100 times this.

 

 

LQ) Find my tribe - CHA +3, WIS +1
One of the things that I realised when I was at Camp, and during the subequent week in New York with an old friend, is that since I moved out here I've been trying desperately to fit in to the social groups I've been introduced to, rather than finding the group where I fit in just by being myself. When in the company of people with similar interests, or someone I'd known for years, it suddenly wasn't so much damn effort to keep conversations going and feel like I fit in. As a result, I spent a fair bit of last year feeling pretty low & miserable (a fact I only realised and admitted to myself during Amy's Emotional Eating class at Camp NF - seriously, that place was a revelation!)
So during this challenge I'm going to force myself out of my comfort zone and try some of the various Meetup.com groups in the area, try to connect more with people at running club, and see if there is a local collection of nerds around here.
And if I do find myself feeling low, I'll actually talk to someone about it instead of bottling things up - between friends at home and friends on here I'm bound to be able to find someone available for a chat for a bit. I always find it amazing how much that can alter my mood.

Aye, 'tis important to surround yer self with the right bunch of mateys. A bad crew'll sink a ship faster than a harpoon to the rudder, but a good one will have it running better than you ever dreamed.

[Big_Show]

Woohoo, Brighton Marathon! A friend of mine has done it a few times and says it's a fantastic event! I've been to watch a few times and there are so many spectators cheering you on. 

 

Good luck with your challenge! 

 

I've heard good things about it - a mate of mine did it last year, and he's persuaded me to give it a go next year as well.  I get a two week holiday afterwards as well, so it's a great target to aim for!

[Big_Show]

Week -1, Day -6

This has been a great day, finding everyone's new challenge threads and a few new ones to along with them. There's lots of energy around after amany people ended last challenge on a bit of a Meh, so I'm looking forward to seeing excellent things from you all

My day at work went fine - there was one moment where I thought about getting some chocolate, but identified the boredom once again, so went and spoke to a friend for 5 minutes until it passed and then got back to work. It's a really rewarding feeling, knowing that I've left work having only eaten my breakfast and lunch (with a bit more chewing gum in the morning too) since my alarm went off 10 hours before.

Bit of food prep tonight, so as soon as I got in I set some eggs boiling on the hob. Funnily enough, that left me pretty much exactly the time I needed to do the Squat Mobility mini-session, so I got that out of the way nice and early instead of just playing with my phone until the buzzer went. One to remember for future!

This evening's workout was the Bodyweight Brigade Level 1A:

- w/u:

- - 30s high knees

- - 25 jumping jacks

- - 10 squats

- - 30s arm swings (both directions)

- - 10 incline press-ups

- - 10 fence steppers

- - 10 front leg swings/leg

- - 10 side leg swings/leg

- - 10 lunges/leg

- 3x:

- - 10 press-ups - first time I've managed these all full press-ups in ages!

- - 15 squats

- - 15s plank

- - 30 jumping jacks

- - 1min rec.

- 5x 30s squat thrusts + 30s rec.

- negative-rep pull-ups: 4,4,4 - progress to 5,4,4 next time

- straight-leg bench dips: 6,5,5 - progress to 6,6,5 next time

- c/d

I'm really pleased with that workout; that's the first time in ages I've managed three full sets of 10 press-ups without having to go down to my knees for the last ones. The last set ended up very slow and I had to pause in the plank position a couple of times, so I'll stick with 3 sets for now until I do it all in one full go.

I was tempted to go out for a run round the block straight after that as well (just over 2 miles) but then my better judgement kicked in (for a change) - last night was my first attempt at speedwork in a while, and tomorrow night's a longer run, and I know from past experience that if I run on consecutive days too much I get injured very easily. No point tempting fate this early on in a challenge!

And to round it all off, I've just got a batch of what I like to call Scotch-ish Eggs out of the oven (so-called because I have to use beef rather than pork out here due to legal reasons). That should do me for breakfasts for the next few days, and they're going to be better for me than the Alpen pots I've been taking in to work. Works out a damn sight cheaper, too...

RIght, I've got loads of threads to catch up on and even more to hunt out, so I'll stop rambling on now!

[Wild Wolf]

I subbed last night, but just now read everything. Good looking challenge you got already, Big Show.

 

 

 

And if I do find myself feeling low, I'll actually talk to someone about it instead of bottling things up - between friends at home and friends on here I'm bound to be able to find someone available for a chat for a bit. I always find it amazing how much that can alter my mood.

 

I second what Rurik said. I used to be the dude that bottled stuff up..and it would literally eat me alive some days. Just a simple convo to blow off steam and maybe get another perspective has always been a safe, healthy route for me to go. So, if you ever need to chat or bullshit, feel free to reach out dude. I'm on the boards quite a bit, so PM or whatever you want, we'll hash it out

 

The BW Brigade sounds fun! I'm a huge fan of BW and pull-ups. I did pull-ups last challenge and managed to pump out 1020 during the course of the challenge. The pull-up...tied with HSPU right now are my favorite BW exercises. 

 

What is "Scotch-ish Eggs". Looks like you're about to cook up some yummy meatballs

 

Wolf

[Big_Show]

I subbed last night, but just now read everything. Good looking challenge you got already, Big Show.

I second what Rurik said. I used to be the dude that bottled stuff up..and it would literally eat me alive some days. Just a simple convo to blow off steam and maybe get another perspective has always been a safe, healthy route for me to go. So, if you ever need to chat or bullshit, feel free to reach out dude. I'm on the boards quite a bit, so PM or whatever you want, we'll hash it out

The BW Brigade sounds fun! I'm a huge fan of BW and pull-ups. I did pull-ups last challenge and managed to pump out 1020 during the course of the challenge. The pull-up...tied with HSPU right now are my favorite BW exercises.

What is "Scotch-ish Eggs". Looks like you're about to cook up some yummy meatballs

Wolf

Cheers dude, much appreciated!

Scotch-ish Eggs are basically hardboiled eggs wrapped in beef mince (should really be sausagemeat), coated in breadcrumbs, and baked in the oven. The recipe's on my previous challenge thread. I find they're pretty nice & filling for breakfast!

[skinNbones]

Beef scotch eggs, what a great idea !

Speak softly and carry a beagle.

[rowan]

I AM A FAN OF ALL OF THIS.  

 

Also, hallo!  I am here to whap you with a rolled-up newspaper in case of motivation emergencies, and also to drool over pictures of your food oh my god I just had lunch but I am still HUNGRY...

[Rurik Harrgath]

Now I'm missing all of those Scottish eggs I eagerly devoured while over in the UK back in September...

[EricMN]

I appear to be gravitating heavily to following challenges that boil down to "consistency" this time around. Seems like quite a few of us who are currently at "I know what I need to do, but I need to be consistent about it" spots.

 

Following, as always.

[Raxie]

Oh goodness more scotch egg talk *drool* I'll be giving your recipe a try this weekend.

 

Your challenge is awesome, I mentioned it your old thread but it bears repeating, I think it's really cool how you're treating this as one big challenge over the course of a few months, and using the six week ones to adjust and gauge how you're getting there as you go on.  Brilliant.

 

I also think it's really great you're going to put yourself out there and try to find a group that you feel comfortable with.  That is so important.  I'm *still* buzzing from CNF just because of how wonderful surrounded with amazing like minded people I felt... imagine how we might feel if we had that all the time?! I really think this is goal is going to be great

 

I know it's only the Internet, but if you ever find yourself feeling low, I'm rarely too far away that I can't swing by with an eccentric conversation about the meaning of bananas!

 

Same here! Except instead of banana talk, I'll provide the internet gin... somehow.

[goodbye_farewell]

I need to try this Scotch egg sometime. I assume the recipe is...

 

 

      + =     

[Big_Show]

I need to try this Scotch egg sometime. I assume the recipe is...

+ =

OH GOD I WANT TO TRY THIS NOW

[Big_Show]

Same here! Except instead of banana talk, I'll provide the internet gin... somehow.

Internet gin isn't as painful the next day...

[Big Adam]

I'll take an Internet Appletini, Raxie!

 

[Raxie]

I need to try this Scotch egg sometime. I assume the recipe is...

+ =

I was going to use scotch for the beer yoga PVP, now I'm going to have to eat some eggs with dinner too and see how my taste buds feel about it.

Sent by TARDIS delivery service. Apologies for typos caused by interactions with the time vortex.

[shaar]

I need to try this Scotch egg sometime. I assume the recipe is...

 

 

      + =     

 

I'll take one scotch egg please, and hold the egg! ^______^