ChloeHawker Crosses the Threshold

[Slayer]

Here goes my second six-week challenge, which I actually intend to finish this time! I've returned from Camp NF a new hobbit, ready to finally confront my threshold guardians and enter the New World. I'm leaving behind unhealthy habits I learned in undergrad and embracing the post-college, pre-law-school me. 

 

About me:

I just graduated college in Pittsburgh, PA. Hurray! I'm back home in Denver, CO to spend a gap year before taking on law school in the fall of 2016. I'm adjusting to a new work schedule, new social circle, and new projects. What better time to really solidify healthy habits? I want to head to law school with a solid foundation so that I don't let my health fall apart under the pressure. As for me: I love books, writing, coffee shops, theater, music, political science, absurd amounts of notebooks, and compulsive list-making.

 

My main quest:

I've always been the unathletic, slow, uncoordinated kid. I finally managed to break through that image last summer when I ran a (very slow) half marathon with my mom, proving to myself that my body is capable of a lot more than I thought. But taking a tough hike into the Grand Canyon this spring and slowing everybody else down reminded me that I have an adventurous spirit, and I want a body that can handle that! My main quest is to get stronger and faster for all my adventures, and lose the extra weight that's holding me back.

 

Three specific goals:

1. Get down to 133 pounds. This isn't my goal weight, for I am a short Hobbit, but I'm doing a DietBet right now, and my weigh-in near December 14th is around that time. 2 STA, 2 CON, 1 CHA
2. Run a total of 50 miles during the course of the challenge. I'm already planning on running the Gobble Wobble 5K on Thanksgiving, but this will help me to keep running after I'm done training for that race. I found out my office building (at my NEW JOB) has a gym with treadmills no one ever uses. Woot! 2 DEX, 2 STA
3. Tame the sugar beast: I was doing really well with this, but then Halloween happened and I fell off the wagon. I want to avoid processed sugar five days a week. 2 CON, 1 STA

Life side quest:

This is really ambitious, but I really want to finish the rewrite of my novel by the end of the calendar year. So, by the time this challenge is over, I want to finish my subplot rewrites. (I've finished one, and have three more to go.) 3 WIS

 

I'm joining the challenge a bit over a week late, but better late than never! Here we go!

[Nolondil]

Good luck! Any race called 'Wobble Gobble' has to be fun.

[Slayer]

It's been a bit since I've posted! Some quick updates on my progress the last week and a half or so:

 

1. My weight loss is frustratingly slow. My last weigh-in (done on Wednesday) had me at 139.2, so I'm not losing at the pace I want to be, or on pace to catch up for this round of my DietBet. But I'm still down! And I'm still working on it. Not giving up yet!
2. Weather has made this one a challenge. I'm going to fudge just a tiny bit and include elliptical miles, because there have been some days where it's been too cold/icy to go out, and I haven't had access to my office gym yet, so I've gotten on my parents' elliptical. It's something, at least! And I ran 3 miles today without dying, so that was good! 5k on Thursday!
3. I've been doing decently keeping away from sugar. I missed a few days the first week, but I was pretty good this past week (though this weekend I've indulged a little).
4. Life side quest: this has been really tough. I've hardly done any work on this at all for most of the challenge, but today I wrote like 2700 words! This coming week, I'm doing an internet blackout (with a few small exceptions, including this thread), which should really help me focus on writing before I start my new job. It worked for me today!

[Slayer]

I weighed myself today, and I'm down to 138.4--not as low as I'd hoped, but still traveling in the right direction. I ran two miles yesterday, and have my 5K at 8:30 tomorrow morning--it's supposed to snow all night and be absurdly cold, so that will be an adventure!

 

The sugar thing has been hit or miss because my mom keeps making my favorite cookies! But I didn't eat sugar yesterday, though I likely will tomorrow.

 

The writing goes on, though more slowly than I'd like. I'm at a rough patch in my second subplot (of four), but I'm hoping to get through that soon.

[Slayer]

Hi, friends! Time for another update. The food thing has been up and down this weekend, as it has been for most people, I'd suspect. Here's hoping I'm still losing this week, though the rest after my 5k has made me feel like a bit of a bum.

 

On that note: I PRed MY 5K ON THURSDAY! I was so excited. I averaged 11:40/mile, which is way fast for me, and ran mile 3 at 10:40, which is *way* faster than I've ever run a mile before. Unfortunately, I also discovered afterward that I do, in fact, seem to have exercise-induced asthma, but I was so pumped from my time that it made up for it!

 

Writing has been on and off, too, but I also just started a new social justice site that I'm super pumped about called "The Ordinary Activist." If you want to come over and give my neophyte blog some love, you can find it here. Thanks!

[Slayer]

Time for a post-mortem on the challenge. Here we go:

 

Where I stood the last time I posted was basically where I ended up. I didn't lose any more weight (frustrating) and didn't do any more running because I haven't gotten to my doctor yet about my EIA (very frustrating). I did have some other days that I went without sugar, though not many. I got very close to finishing the second subplot, but all of it was taking a lot more energy than I was expecting.

 

My final scores:

 

Lose 8 Pounds:

32.5%

32.5%

Run 50 cumulative miles:

59.02%

59.02%

Tame the sugar beast: 

34.66%

34.66%

Rewrite subplots: 

48%

48%

 

For losing weight, I lost 32.5% of what I wanted to lose, so I'll give myself 1 STA and 1 CON.

For running 50 miles, I ran 59% of what I wanted, so I'll give myself 1 DEX and 1 STA.

For taming the sugar beast, I made it about 35%, so I'll give myself 1 CON.

For writing the subplots, I was almost halfway there, so I'll give myself 1 WIS.

 

Here's looking for a brighter 2016!