RuthixCube's Real Life RPG

[RuthixCube]

I’ve debated over and over how to start this log, and, to be completely honest, I still don’t know how. Introductions have never been my specialty, but I suppose I could start by telling you a little bit about myself.

I started my Nerd Fitness journey in October of 2014. I had just moved into my first apartment with my boyfriend and was ready to get myself on track. Or so I thought. I wasn’t happy with how I looked, my recent-ish weight gain, lack of strength, and incredibly sedentary lifestyle. During a google search, I came across an article of Steve’s - I don’t remember which one for the life of me. It was the name of the site that drew me in first (‘Nerd Fitness? I’m a nerd...I should do this!’), and then I wanted to absorb as much info as possible. All of it made sense to me, it was just a matter of applying it. A week later, I signed up for an Academy membership and started going through the modules located therein. Since that time I’ve had fleeting encounters with Paleo, Whole30, and various fitness plans. In early 2015, I discovered, joined, and started following the NFWA facebook page (which has since exploded to enormous proportions after the closing of the NFA forums). After some time I decided to give the forums a try (again), but waited until the latter half of summer to join a 6 week challenge. I’ve started 3, but have since withdrawn from my third.

The Rangers have become my home, and I have made more friends in the last few months than I have in the last few years. I’ve been influenced, supported, and motivated by them more than anything else, for which I am thankful

In here you will find:

-My Crossfit journey

-Workouts

-Food porn

-Goals

-Random thoughts/life occurrences

-Geekery

-All the gifs

-Much, much more

 

 

 

Now,

 

[RuthixCube]

I'll admit, I've never been one to write down or keep track of goals. Frankly, that's probably why I haven't had much success at reaching them - because they didn't really exist in the first place. From this point forward I want to write them down (or type, whatever) and make them real. I can't say I have many, or that any of these even seem feasible to me right this moment, but at least I'm getting them down.
 
 
Goals
 
Fitness:
- One measly little pull up. One.
 
- DL .5x my bodyweight.
I don't know my 1RM, or how quickly I will improve, so I will adjust if necessary.
 
- Perform 10 real push ups.
I can get about 1/2 way down in full push up form right now.
 
- Decrease Body fat%.
I'm not sure where I'm at right now (maybe somewhere around 30), but I'd like to be around 20-24%. 
 
 
Other:
- Camp NF
Rangers gonna Ranger
 
- Pumpkin Beer week in TEXAS w/ Wolfie and Tank, and others
 
- Get a new Job
 
- Start putting money aside for a house/condo/piece of land/whathaveyou.
Even if it's not a lot, I want to at least start.
 
- Fur Child
 
-Declutter my apartment, and keep it that way.
I'm awful with cleaning, it's something I know I need to work on

- Read 12 books in 2016.
No list yet, but there will be one. (posted about here)

- Make it Forward gift giving challange
Create one handmade gift per month for anyone who would like one (message me if interested) or for whomever I choose. Details here

[RuthixCube]

I've decided I'm going to use this section for goals/quests/challenges that stretch beyond my 2016 goals.
 

- Personalized Kettlebell
I'm going to make this happen, I want my own kettlebell. (background info here)
 
- Podcasts!
I've been invited to work on 2 podcasts with friends, with possibly more projects in the future. (posted here as well)

[RuthixCube]

How the Rangers Saved Christmas:Winter Break 2015 Mini-Challenge
Found Here
 

My Mini-Challenge is based aroud a cartoon, one I watched a lot as a kid. I'm not entirely sure how popular it was, but I hope someone else remembers Street Sharks. Long story short, four brothers in search of their father get transformed by the evil Dr. Paradigm and his "Gene-Slammer" into shark/human hybrids. It's about as 90's cheesy as it gets with lots of 'bro'-ing and aquatic wildlife puns.

 

(L to R: Slammu, Streex, Jab, Ripster)

 

Goal One: You’ll likely be traveling to and from friends and family around Christmastime, creating stress and limiting your ability to stick to your fitness routines. What are your healthy activity and/or fitness plans for the holidays?

Streex & Big Slammu - Streex (part Tiger shark) is known for his roller blading skills and rarely seen without them on while the youngest brother, Slammu (part Bull/Whale shark mix), attacks with his 'Seismic Slam' and is the strongest of the group. When combined, they make up my fitness goal for the break - Crossfit. 12/9 was my intro class for the place that I'm joining, and 12/14 will be my first foundations class. After those are complete, I am going to use the break to get into a 3x/wk schedule.

Thankfully, I don't have to do much traveling, at least not more than I do on a daily basis for my work commute. I don't anticipate that any of the holidays will mess with my schedule all that much, I only have Christmas and New Years off with short days on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.


Goal Two: Christmas and winter often bring with them the opportunity for gorging oneself on comfort food and all of those delicious seasonal favorites. What is your strategy for dealing with the influx of unhealthy food over the winter break?


Ripster - The eldest and most responsible, Ripster (part Great White) is known for his intelligence and thirst for knowledge. I will be using his 'take charge' attitude to keep my eating choices in check over the break. The only day I may give myself some leeway is Christmas Eve when my Grandmother cooks her traditional "Feast of the Seven Fishes" meal. I will be keeping a food log and working on cutting down my sugar intake.


Goal Three: The holidays are all about spending time with family and enjoying yourself. Base this goal around how you intend to most enjoy the break (perhaps featuring a new activity like Holiday Light rucking), and include your preferred way of battling holiday stress!

Jab - As Michelangelo is to TMNT, Jab is to Street Sharks. Lazy, goofy, and a bit clumsy, he (part Hammerhead) is the most laid back of the four. To keep the fun going and alleviate some stress through the holidays, I have a few activities I'd like to complete:

-Walk/Ruck/Hike in Wompatuck State Park. I've been wanting to do this for over a year and never got around to it. It's cold now, but as long as I'm bundled up that shouldn't be a problem. My original reason for going here was that this used to be the Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot Annex (what a mouthful). I learned last summer (2014) that there were a bunch of old abandoned Naval buildings there, along with over 100 naval bunkers ( still around, but most are filled with concrete). The UrbExer in me was excited by this, but alas, I'm too late now. A few days ago I did a bit of digging and found that all the buildings have since been torn down There might still be one or two remaining, and there's always the possibility that there are others on the land that no one really knows about, but I'm not ready to hike through brush and chance getting caught on rogue 60+yr old razor wire. The park is now filled will all kinds of hiking, walking, and biking paths.

-Paint Nite. I'd love to get another night out with my sister, or even just schedule one if there aren't any canvases we like in the time that she is home.

-Moar Knitting/Crochet, because it never gets old and I want to hone my skills.

-Game time. I have so much more Fallout 4 to play, but haven't had the time to get to it much. I want to set aside 1 night per week to really get some playing in.


I may or may not add to this list as I come up with other ideas. Tracking will be done here in my BL.

[QuietRiotGrrrl]

 

Awesome!  I need to stalk support this right now.

 

I'm excited to see how crossfit works out for you!  It looks pretty fun and interesting.

[RuthixCube]

Awesome! I need to stalk support this right now.

I'm excited to see how crossfit works out for you! It looks pretty fun and interesting.

Yay, you made it!

Sent from my Nexus 6P

[Wild Wolf]

I know you expected me sooner, but I'm here Ruth! Love this. I have no idea where my old battle log might be, and I'm feeling inspired to do one myself...even if it's just to keep my writing going. This is gonna be fun to follow!

 

Wolf

[RuthixCube]

I know you expected me sooner, but I'm here Ruth! Love this. I have no idea where my old battle log might be, and I'm feeling inspired to do one myself...even if it's just to keep my writing going. This is gonna be fun to follow!

Wolf

No problem! I knew you'd get here eventually, and there is still much updating to do. I should be able to spend some time typing stuff up in the car ride to/from Jersey this weekend for the incomplete sections.

I also made one way back, but decided instead of drudging it up from the depths, I'd just make a new one. This one is way better anyway

[RuthixCube]

As mentioned on my last challenge thread, I was in NJ over the weekend (though briefly). Drive was a lot shorter than I was expecting - about 2.5-3hrs each way - but I also wasn't sure which area of the state we were heading. Ended up feeling kind of sick part of Saturday, and most of Sunday and Monday. Not sure if I was actually sick or if it had to do with my stomach issues, but I'm mostly back to normal so far this morning (I'm leaning more towards stomach issues). I actually stayed home yesterday because of it, but I still went to my first foundation class at CF. It was mostly a good idea, but I could feel it wearing on me towards the end.  
 
 
I worked with a different coach this time (I'm awful with names and cant remember what his was...), but it was still as great as last week. Started with a warm up (300m row, lunges, squats, push ups, burpees) then moved over to a rack to work on some bar stuff. It was all lower body work, whereas next time will be focused more on upper body (presses and such).
 
Let's see if I can remember all of the names of the moves, but I'll describe them as best as I can if not. For equipment we used a PVC pipe to practice form, and then I did the exercises with a 15lb bar.
 
 
Back squat : This was comfortable, definitely better with the bar than the PVC pipe.
 
Front squat : Found this to be a bit awkward, what with having my elbows so high. Kept correcting myself because they would lower unconsciously. I'm not a fan of how close to my neck the bar gets, but that's a personal thing - same reason why I really dislike crew neck shirts, I just don't like things against my neck.  
 
Overhead squat : Wow, there are so many upper body muscles working in this one. It takes me a minute to get the form set up, but once I have it, it's not too bad. I still had to focus a lot on making sure my lats and shoulders were engaged, and I'll have to work on not being wobbly with the bar when squatting, but I'm sure that will all come with time and strength anyway.  
 
Deadlifts : he added either 10lbs in plates or two 10lb plates for this (I wasn't paying close enough attention to that part) so I had the bar at the proper height. Honestly, the form for this was more difficult than I anticipated. I really struggle with keeping my shins straight up and down while also getting low enough. My hammies are definitely going to need some work - stretching and strength wise.
 
Sumo deadlift - slightly easier, but I still struggle with getting low enough and keeping my knees in place. I also found that when I'm focusing so much on getting my lower body in order, I completely lose track of my upper body. Need to remember to keep my head and chest up.
 
Lastly, we worked on the sumo deadlift high pull (or so Google tells me) : Same struggles as the deadlifts, but the fluidity of the motion itself is hard for me to get down. I tend to pause at the top of the pull before dropping back down. Again, something that will come with time and practice. I got the last 2 reps down pretty well, though.
 
To end it all I did a minute or two of jump rope.
 
 
Prior to going through everything, he first showed me how to lift the bar off the rack depending on which exercise we were doing. My legs were pretty knackered half way through learning these exercises, and I was struggling to complete even a few reps by the end of the deadlifts (my quads!). I also needed to put on a wrist wrap for my left wrist during the front squats; my ganglion cyst was acting up due to the bar position. Note to self: when I set up my gym bag, make sure my wraps are in there. Thankfully, they have a bunch on hand in case I forget.
 
I really enjoyed the session, and I can't wait to learn and do more at my next foundation on Thursday.
 
 
It's also the start of the Ranger Holiday Mini!!

 

Goal 1: I have two more foundation classes to go before I can join everyone else in the regular classes. #2 is on Thursday, so I am guessing that #3 will either be this weekend or early next week. Once those are complete, I will start up my 3x/wk class attendance.

 

Goal 2: As for food, I stopped at the grocery store after CF last night and picked up a bunch of stuff: premade salad mixes, some dressing, fresh and frozen veggies, a little fruit, dried cranberries (for salads), and a dark chocolate bar. I have plenty of meat at home, I tend to buy in bulk when on sale and then freeze whatever I'm not using right away. Plan for the week is to have the pre-mix salads for lunch (with a protein, probably chicken or eggs) with a little dressing, then steamed veggies and fish/meat/chicken for dinner. Breakfast will be whatever I have available (eggs, leftovers, banana, etc). I bought a spaghetti squash to make with avocado 'cream' sauce and some chicken, which I'm pretty excited for. Shaun won't eat the avocado sauce, so he'll just get pasta sauce.

 

Goal 3: Right now I'm working on a bunch of knitting/crochet projects for Christmas, which although necessary is still enjoyable. I think I'm going to take tonight to get some gaming in while I have laundry going on in the background. I need to plan a day to go to Wompatuck (possibly after xmas, as I asked for a gift card for REI/EMS to use towards hiking boots).

[QuietRiotGrrrl]

CF sounds interesting!  Form help is always good.

 

And I like your food plan.  Pretty similar to a lot of my eating.   I've been thinking about trying spaghetti squash but hadn't gotten to it yet.  Maybe during this time off I can explore!  Exciting.

 

New hiking boots!  Awesome.  I asked for this for Christmas as well.  Hiking shoes, actually.  I want to get to more rucking and good shoes will be handy I think.  

 

Also, I started your project finally!  

 

Good luck and have fun on your break challenge!  You kick ass.

[RuthixCube]

CF sounds interesting!  Form help is always good.

 

And I like your food plan.  Pretty similar to a lot of my eating.   I've been thinking about trying spaghetti squash but hadn't gotten to it yet.  Maybe during this time off I can explore!  Exciting.

 

New hiking boots!  Awesome.  I asked for this for Christmas as well.  Hiking shoes, actually.  I want to get to more rucking and good shoes will be handy I think.  

 

Also, I started your project finally!  

 

Good luck and have fun on your break challenge!  You kick ass.

Form help was definitely great to have! I'm sure I'll need it for a while, but at least I have an idea.

Yeah, I realized that I had regressed pretty badly the last few weeks. Time to get everything back in order!! The easier things are, the more likely I'll do them. I tried one of the salad mixes last week and it was really good, so I'm sticking with those.

That's basically what I want them for, so I can get rucking. Though I'm sure regular work out shoes will suffice for now, I'd like something a little more appropriate - especially in wintertime. I'm also planning on getting a bag.

 

Me too!! Yarn came in yesterday and I got it started.

 

 

Thanks

[Rurik Harrgath]

My legs were pretty knackered half way through learning these exercises, and I was struggling to complete even a few reps by the end of the deadlifts (my quads!).

 

Get used to this.  The running joke is every day is leg day when you're a Crossfitter!

 

Great to see that you're still enjoying yourself.  Hope you drink the Kool Ade. 

[RuthixCube]

Get used to this. The running joke is every day is leg day when you're a Crossfitter!

Great to see that you're still enjoying yourself. Hope you drink the Kool Ade.

I kinda figured that's how it would be. I'm both excited and anxious for my first official class, but the fact that everything is so scalable is comforting.

Yup! Tomorrow is foundations 2! I'm not looking forward to this one as much, but that's more because I have weak little arms and struggle with all upper body stuff.

Sent from my Nexus 6P

[RuthixCube]

Still feeling pretty icky, which has been affecting my mood. It was especially bad yesterday, and I allowed it to take over (hello, sugar). Other than that, I've been really good at keeping away from the Sugar Beast and keeping with veggies and proteins. I made sure that today would be a different ball game - banana, salad, water, etc, and it's been a much better day so far. I did forget my water bottle at home (I slept through my alarm), but ran out at lunch and bought an inexpensive new one to keep at my desk so this mistake doesn't happen again.

 

In order to keep up with all of my daily tasks and goals I've started using Habitica and MFP again. I've used them both at various points in time, but never kept up with either of them. I have this renewed energy (or so it feels like I do), and using these - especially Habitica - has been a real help in keeping me on track. Plus, it's somewhat similar to what we do here (character creation and leveling up), and you can also create parties and go on quests where you acquire items (pets, mostly). It's handy, at least for me. It makes me excited to see what NF is going to become in a month or so

 

Foundations 2 tonight! Still sore from Monday, but that's something I feel that I'll have to get used to.

 

Got two xmas gifts completed yesterday - finally finished that blanket and made an arm-knit scarf. There's still a LOT to complete in the next week, and I'm honestly not sure if I'll be able to get them all done. I'll do what I can and will have to gift the rest at a later date.

[RuthixCube]

Foundation 2: complete!

This time I don't remember the names of all the moves, but we worked on 4 or 5 different presses (one Oly), wallballs, and box jumps. I was able to do all but the Oly press without much of a problem. It's the flow of that one that screws me up - best way I can describe it is that you start with a deadlift, then jerk it up and squat down to get it into a front squat hold. Then stand. I'm going to do one more foundation tomorrow so that I can work on it a little more.

Wallballs weren't too bad, it just takes me about 5-7 throws to get into a proper rhythm. As far as box jumps, I can do the 20" box, but only about 7-8 times before it feels like I'm not going to make it. Maybe I'll scale down a few inches in the beginning to strengthen those jumps a bit.

After tomorrow I'll be all set to join regular classes. I'm going to have to pick up a new set of wrist wraps - I can't find them for the life of me [emoji20]

Sent from my Nexus 6P

[Lita]

Those Oly presses sound weird! That seems like a really intense class, and I'm glad you're getting through it so well. Once you get those movements down pat, you'll be able to do anything!

[RuthixCube]

Those Oly presses sound weird! That seems like a really intense class, and I'm glad you're getting through it so well. Once you get those movements down pat, you'll be able to do anything! [emoji14]layful:

It was pretty weird, which is why I think I'm having trouble getting it down.

Haha this is the 'easy' part (if you can even call it that), I'm just learning movements right now. The actual class itself is going to be a lot tougher. I'm excited, though. I'm looking forward to seeing what kinds of gains I make in both strength and endurance.

Thanks [emoji4] I sure hope so, it's just a matter of time before I'm getting the movements down properly.

Sent from my Nexus 6P

[RuthixCube]

Okay, friends, prepare for a long delve-into-the-brain-of-Ruthix entry today


I had my final foundation class at CFK on Friday after work; we worked on a few Oly lifts and that was that. Axel (I believe that's his name) and another member were telling me how on Saturday they were going to glitter their beards and complete x00 burpees or something (maybe it was 100...I think I had calculated it to 20 burpees per min and they wanted to complete it in 5min).

Stopped at the dollar store afterwards and then made my way home. I don't know what happened when I got home, I just had a mental crash I guess. I got cleaned up and then did a whole lot of nothing - curled up on the couch with some blankets and just....existed. For like 2 or 3 hours. I had planned on getting more crafting done for gifts, but I just felt so apathetic and uninterested. Shaun kept asking what was up/wrong and all I could say was 'I don't know'. Honestly, I really didn't. I've had this kind of thing happen before, usually without a reason. Sometimes I wake up that way, sometimes it develops throughout the day. I've had it last hours, days, even a week or two a handful of times. It's very sporadic. Shaun ended up coming over to try and talk to me, and I just broke down.

Admittedly, I'm shit at expressing how I feel or talking about stuff floating around in my head. I have a bad habit of keeping things to myself and letting them sit - oftentimes unknowingly. I stress myself out a lot for no reason. It's something I'm working on, but still have a long way to go. I can't say whether this particular episode was brought on by Holiday stress and all the crap I still have to do, or just stuff built up over time. I found it incredibly difficult to say what I was thinking - I kept trying to will myself to talk but couldn't get anything out of my mouth. Eventually, I got out what I could and managed to relax a bit. We talked for a little while, or at least long enough for Shaun to grasp a better understanding of why I was feeling these things. Unfortunately, he went to make a joke and ended up using one of my trigger words (well, phrase. kind of, it’s complicated) and it set off my PTSD. He didn't intend for it to sound the way I took it, but it (figuratively) smacked me in the face and I had an almost instant reaction. Shaun helped me calm down a bit and then got the idea to throw on some cat videos (because, really, who doesn't like cat videos). It helped, though I ended up falling asleep after a few of them. It was about an hour later when I woke up and got ready for bed.

I don't think I've talked much about it or even mentioned it on here, the PTSD, but it's not exactly something I really enjoy talking about. There is a lot of stereotyping and stigma surrounding it that I just don’t fit into. I often explain my reactions by way of anxiety or fear because it's simpler (or it feels that way). When people hear PTSD, they almost always think Military Combat and Veterans. Not here. Another big one is sexual assault, which thankfully is not the cause of mine either. I only ever bring it up if it's necessary, which in this case it is - my NF journey is as much about my mental health and well being as it is my fitness and nutrition. My cause is of a medical nature - I can't pinpoint it to a specific event, but it was probably a series of events from when I had my spinal fusion in 2004, and was worsened when I had my second (related) surgery in 2006. That’s when it was at it’s worst. My symptoms have changed in severity over time, with the better points being after my brief attempt at therapy which is where I was actually diagnosed (around 2011). I stopped because of a job and never went back, but as of late I've been seriously considering starting up again. I'm better that I used to be in some ways, but getting worse in others. I’ve also thought about getting an ESA (emotional support animal) since I found out they existed for people with mental health problems a few years ago. ESAs are more individualized than Therapy animals (those you see in hospitals visiting patients), but less specifically trained than a Service Animal. You get the same protections with ESAs, but it’s limited to housing and airplanes as far as I can tell. This isn’t something that will happen right now, or even in the next few months, but I do think it would help me long term.

Anyway, Saturday started off in the same mood, but it got better as the day went on and I was a lot more productive. Sunday was better too. I got a good amount of crochet and knitting in over the weekend, but because of the level of detail I haven’t been able to completed the last few projects yet. I also started on some of the glass etching by testing two of the designs I have. They came out pretty well, so now I just have to cut out the other stencils and let them sit with the etching cream. At this point, I know I’m not going to complete everything by the time I need them, but there’s not a whole lot I can do about it. Hell, I’m going to end up wrapping stuff the day of *sigh*. I still have a Yankee Swap gift to put together for Friday - I’m making a ‘snow day survival kit’ (or so I’m calling it) with 2 mugs, choco chip cookie mix, cocoa mix, mocha mix, tea bags, two chocolate bars, and some hand warmers (because shoveling haha). I just need the basket/box for all of it to go into and then I can put it together. I was also asked to bring dessert to Shaun’s family get together on Friday. I WANTED to make my mini Bailey’s cheesecakes, but there just isn’t time unless I don’t sleep so I bought cupcakes instead. I feel bad, but I just can’t do any more than I already have on my plate. I’ll make them another time.



After my foundation on Friday, I had planned on making yesterday my first class as a Crossfit offical member. Seeing as I only got 3.5 hours of sleep sunday night, that didn’t end up happening. No idea what was going on, but I was not feeling too good yesterday because of it. Instead, today will be my first official CF class.


Today’s WOD is “Bad Santaâ€
3 Rounds:

200m Run/250m Row
20 Pull-ups
200m Run/250m Row
30 Push-ups
200m Run/250m Row
40 Sit-ups
200m Run/250m Row
50 Squats

Level 2: 10-20-30-40
Level 1: 100m Run/200m Row, 10-15-20-25
ADV: 20 C2B Pull-ups, 20 Handstand Push-ups, 20 GHD Sit-ups, 20 Overhead Squats (95,65)


I’m either going to be doing level 1 or level 2, not sure yet. I might start with level 2 and scale down to level 1 if I have to. Instead of pull ups, I’ll be doing ring rows, but what I’m really dreading is the push ups. That’s going to be my weakest point what with my wrists (ganglion cyst) and lack of upper body strength. They’ll be modified for sure. Depending on how I’m feeling after tonight, my next class will either be tomorrow or Saturday morning. I’ll try and post a little update after class tonight on how it went. If I’m not dying
 

Just an FYI, I know I’ve been kind of AWOL this last week, and I’ll probably be dark for most of the time between now and the weekend, but I’ll check in when I can. I have 3 Christmas celebrations to attend - My Dad’s family on xmas eve, Shaun’s family on xmas, and my Mom on Saturday - so it’s going to be a little crazy. I have been doing well with the challenge - I’m keeping up with my food on MFP and my goals on Habitica (I really love these RPG-type things, they keep me interested).

In case I can’t pop back in, I hope that everyone who celebrates has a wonderful Christmas weekend

[QuietRiotGrrrl]

Sounds like youre SO is patient and caring.  That's always helpful, even if his foot spent some time in his mouth.  Crafting should be relaxing, not stressful.  If it feels stressful, do something else.  And definitely try to enjoy your nothing time.  Recharging is important.  Don't beat yourself up for it.

 

Good luck in your first official class!  Have a good week/end!!

[RuthixCube]

Sounds like youre SO is patient and caring.  That's always helpful, even if his foot spent some time in his mouth.  Crafting should be relaxing, not stressful.  If it feels stressful, do something else.  And definitely try to enjoy your nothing time.  Recharging is important.  Don't beat yourself up for it.

 

Good luck in your first official class!  Have a good week/end!!

He is, I'm lucky for that. Not even all of my direct family are as understanding of it.

The crafting itself I do enjoy, and I'm pretty relaxed while doing it. I usually watch TV while I'm working on them. What I think is stressing me out more is that I didn't manage my time properly in order to get it all done by the Holiday. In turn, that makes me feel like an awful person because things are going to be late (and I really, really hate being late). Thanks, Type A personality. I decided to just do what I can, stop freaking out, and give out what I have completed.

I'm actually really excited because we are going to go see Tarantino's new movie, The Hateful Eight, in one of the Boston theaters that is playing it on 70mm film! Only 100 theaters are going to have access to the film, and 70mm hasn't been used since the 60's. There's going to be an opening, intermission, and a closing (like they used to do back in the day). I'm so excited! I think we might go on Christmas Eve to the 10pm showing, but it's not 100% decided yet.

So, crossfit last night was tough, but I finished! There was a 35min cap, and I completed it in 31:50 - first round at level 2, the last 2 rounds at level 1. My arms were so dead by mid 2nd round from all the rowing. I probably could have switched off between running and rowing, but I didn't. I can feel it today, but those are really the only parts of me that are sore (chest, shoulders, lats). I'll be going again on Saturday, and supposedly it's going to be a 'fun' one...

Food has been good, I've been staying around my calorie 'limit' and eating healthy things. Sweets have been kept at a minimum, even with all the little gifts and such we have received from vendors.

 

[RuthixCube]

Quick little posty-post (I'll have a longer one tomorrow):

I did really well over the Holiday. I knew that'd I'd be eating big meals with dessert Thu-Sat, so I only did some light snacking the rest of the day (if I ate at all). I've actually lost 3lbs in the last week and a half, but I'm not expecting that sort of loss to continue.

The Holiday as a whole was great, I got lots of stuff - way more than I expected. Mostly little things (socks, lotions, candles, gloves, etc), but some really cool stuff too. I'll write more about it tomorrow.

I also have some really exciting (brand new) projects coming up!! I can't say much about them right now, but I will once everything is confirmed and organized

Sent from my Nexus 6P

[goodbye_farewell]

Good stuff here. I appreciate your openness and honesty. Looking forward to big things in 2017

[RuthixCube]

Good stuff here. I appreciate your openness and honesty. Looking forward to big things in 2017

Thanks! Oh man, are we planning for 2017 already?! I barely have '16 figured out  (though I'm assuming this is just a typo)

[RuthixCube]

Well, didn't get around to posting yesterday, whoops!

As mentioned above, I got some awesome stuff for Xmas. The only thing I asked for was one or two stainless steel pans to replace what I have, but my mom ended up buying me a whole set! I'm incredibly excited to use these, though I'll have to season them properly before tossing the old ones. She also gave me a Santoku knife and a replacement for my flimsy bread knife.

My other favourite gift is the one Shaun got for me: a limited edition version of Halo 5:Guardians (which comes with a metal Guardian model I need to put together) and a metal Master Chief Poster. What's even better is that he custom ordered a roll of paper in Master Chief Green (aka Olive Drab) to wrap it in. Needless to say, the Halo Fangirl in me was freaking out This series is what really got me into video games, so it holds a special place in my heart. Brings me back to the days where I would come home from school and immediately hop on Halo 2 (on the original Xbox) and play on Live until I absolutely had to go to bed. I did that for months, and I've played almost every Halo game since then, except for Reach and ODST. By Halo 4, I was getting a little bored of the story and really only played online. This game, though, is a whole other ball game. Yeah, you sometimes play as Chief, but you're playing with NPCs and switching back and forth between the two fireteams (Chief's team and Locke's team). I've been absolutely blown away by it so far.

On Sunday, I was contacted by my friend from high school, Nick, and our mutual acquaintance, Jimmy, to see if I'd be interested in working on 2 separate projects (one with each of them). I'm not sure how much I can say about it right now, but both are pretty exciting ideas. They are of the same format and both cater to my interests, but are very different topics. We will be working on them this weekend, so hopefully I can let you guys know a little more after that - especially because I might factor them into my challenge.

All right, now for exercise stuff.

Last night's WOD: "On Fleek"

Strength:

Overhead Squat

2-2-2-1-1-1

WOD:

-12 Minute AMRAP-

6 Shoulder to Overhead (135,95)

8 Toes to Bar

10 Pistols

Level 2 (115,75)

Level 1 (95,65)

This was scaled quite a bit for me, which was fine. During the strength portion, I used a 15lb bar and focused on my form. Apparently, my ankles are super flexible, to the point where the coach suggested that I widen my stance slightly so that I don't get a little bit of a wiggle when 'in the hole'. That really helped, and it allowed me to put more effort into making sure I was keeping my back straight instead of leaning forward. It was looking really good when we finished up.

I continued with the 15lb bar for the S2OH, scaled down to toes to pole, and held onto rings for assisted pistols during the WOD. I completed 7 rounds plus all the over heads and T2P for the 8th round. To be honest, I could have added weight to the bar for the S2OHs, but I stayed safe since this was my first time doing a WOD with the bar. Now I know for next time.

Prior to the start of the class last night, they informed us of an announcement: Starting January 1st, anyone who makes it to CF 15x/mo for 12 consecutive months will receive a custom kettle bell engraved with the Box's logo, the members name, and the date they receive it to either take home or keep at the gym for personal use. They will be tracking everyone's sign ins via a new check in system they're installing, and you can use it to see where you're at as well. Not even going to lie, I want that Kettle bell haha. I don't think it's something I can do with the membership I have now (3x/wk), but if I upgrade down line that will be my goal. Silly, maybe, but it's motivation enough for me.

I'm trying to decide whether or not to go again tonight. Tomorrow I'm meeting with my friend after work, and I'm not sure what my NYE plans are yet (though it's not looking like much). If I don't go tonight or tomorrow, I'm left with Thursday, Fri, and Sat morning to get 2 more in.

[goodbye_farewell]

Ugh, yes 2017 was a typo. Probably because I have been in FY16 since October at work, so "next year" to me is FY17. Sigh...