Cheerful Dame: Keeps on Keeping On

[Cheerful Dame]

Cheerful Dame is wandering alone in the woods when she begins to hear strange sounds. As she moves closer, she notices light  emanating from a clearing. She steps into the clearing to investigate and finds a group of Rangers gathered around their campfire. She listens for awhile, and then steps into the light to say "hi".

 

My last challenge was in April with the Adventurers. Since then, I have been continuing to work out on my own and have been making very slow but steady progress. I tend to do a challenge, and then go it alone for awhile before starting another challenge. I like to do a mix of activities, so thought it might be nice to wander with the Rangers for this challenge, if there's room at the campfire.

 

Main Quest: Increase Strength, Flexibility, and Endurance using whatever means I find interesting. I don't forsee this quest ever ending.

 

Side Quest: Another sewing side quest - Make a Route 66 lap quilt for the car using scraps. This side quest has two purposes: increase my sewing abilities since I have never made any kind of quilt on my own, and to keep me warm! Winter is coming and it is important to be prepared.

 

Methods for Achieving Main Quest:

1. Increase Strength - Continue to progress with the workouts on Startbodyweight.com by completing workouts at least 3X per week.

I will know my strength has increased if I have added reps or unlocked new skill levels within the program.

Current Status: Bulgarian Split Squats (5,5,4), Pull Up Negatives (2,2,1), Pike Push Up (5,4,4), Forearm Knee Leg Raises (8,8,7), Box Push Ups (6,6,6), Straight Leg Bench Dip (5,4,4), Inverted Rows Bent Legs (5,5,5), Side Plank (25 seconds)

2. Increase Flexibility - Complete 30 Day Yoga Challenge from doyouyoga.com. This is a daily challenge. However, I know that I may occasionally have reasons to skip a day. I should easily complete all 30 workouts before the end of this NF challenge.

I have already completed the first two days of the challenge, and have realized that my flexibility is worse than I thought. Increased flexibility will be obvious as I go about my daily life, and as I continue to level up with my bodyweight workouts.

3. Increase Endurance - Run, Walk, or bike at least 2X per week. This is probably the most flexible part of my challenge. I have been going through the C25K workout at my own pace. Last run: Week 4 #1. If I do not run, then walking will count as well, but only if I hike 3 or more miles in a given day or reach 10,000 steps on my pedometer for the day. A bike ride will also count toward meeting this goal.

 

Obstacles I Need to Overcome:

Myself - I tend to start strong, but struggle to finish. Hoping that with practice and the right cues I will get better with consistency on these challenges. These challenges help to increase my mental endurance.

My family - Sometimes family members want to join me on walks/runs, and I end up waiting around to do things with them that don't end up happening and I am derailed, or sometimes the distance they are willing to go is less than I need to go to meet my goals. Also, if I go for a walk with one family member, then another will have hurt feelings that I didn't wait and go with them, but if I do that the first feels left out. Their schedules rarely converge, and I don't like to deal with the resulting friction. I have quit walking more than once due to frustration with this. I say that they are the obstacle, but in the end, isn't it really me? I'm still the one who needs to find a way to balance my desire to workout vs. pleasing others. I have decided to be less flexible and do my walks/runs alone, which I actually prefer anyway. Also, I probably won't bring up the fact that I have started walking again.

Pull-Ups - I would love to be able to do a pull up, but seem to be stuck with my pull up progressions. I am experimenting with working my way up to 3 sets of 12 negatives so I can progress. But any advice would be wonderful and most appreciated!

Planks - My side plank times have been decreasing for the past two workouts. Not sure what's going on with that. If I don't see improvements next time, I will need to figure out how to address this.

 

Scoring:

Bodyweight Workouts:    17-18 =A | 15-16=B | 13-14=C |  11-12=D | 10 or fewer=F

Yoga Challenge:              27-30=A | 24-26=B | 21-23 =C | 18-20=D | 17 or fewer=F

Walking/Running/Biking:  11-12=A |   9-10=B |     7- 8=C |    5- 6=D |   4 or fewer=F

 

Looking forward to Monday!

 

[Rurik Harrgath]

Welcome to the Rangers, Dame!

 

That is a solidly-built challenge and some reasonable SMART goals.  I am looking forward to seeing what you can do with what you've laid out!

[ellis_e]

I'm also new to the Rangers, so butting in with you by the campfire.

 

Am also working towards being able to do pullups, but haven't gotten further than sort of hanging listlessly from the bars for as long as my arms can hold on. Apart from that, I'm just trying to improve arm and back strength with inverted rows and other exercises, and hope that one day I'll be able to go from hanging to slowly pulling, one centimetre at a time .... This to say that I don't really have any good advice to offer, but am following along to see how you tackle this.

[Marauder]

We share ALL the obstacles, haha!  I managed to deal with the "myself" for the last challenge and I think this format really works well for me in that respect.  Family is a blessing and a curse.  I'm grateful they want to walk with me some days, but some days I need the empty head space it allows.  Good luck on the challenge!  I'm new to the Rangers as well.  It's a great tribe!

[Cheerful Dame]

So far this week, I have completed one bodyweight workout - two more to go.

 

I walked/sprinted a short distance on Monday (mostly walking), and took a walk that lasted a little over an hour on Tuesday. Part of Tuesday's time involved taking pictures at a local park, because fog is so pretty. Not enough running or steps to count either day toward my goal, but worth doing nonetheless. Will step up the cardio before the end of the week. Intend to get a run in sometime today.

 

I have made it through day 5 of the yoga challenge, and will do Day 6 today. The past couple were abs/core focused and were pretty difficult for me. I am already thinking that at some point I will need to retake this challenge because I should be so much better by the end than I am now.

[Cheerful Dame]

Competed my first run (that counts) of the week yesterday, 40 minutes on the treadmill at a very moderate pace.

Yoga Day 6 finished yesterday, and Day 7 (crow pose) completed today. I was not actually able to do a crow pose, but see that it would be possible with practice. I plan to start working on this pose once I have completed 3 sets of 8 pike pushups. I last completed 5,5,4 so have a ways to go yet, but it was nice to get a preview of one of the abilities I will be working on in the future.

 

Plan for the rest of the day is to complete a bodyweight workout. I hope to work in a walk, but am not sure that will happen. I have some chores I need to complete today, and I am not sure if I will be able to work it in or not.

[Marauder]

Are you doing a specific yoga challenge?

[honeybadger]

How are things going?

[Xena]

You got off to a very solid start and have some great goals. Hope you've had a good couple of weeks.