Kagetsukai, make it so!

[Kagetsukai]

 

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

 

YES! I am finally going with a science-fiction theme! It’s fitting because I will be doing things I don’t normally do: take care of myself I get incredibly high-strung on daily basis, I work out like a beast, and I rarely take the time to stretch and relax. This challenge, I am looking to change that.

 

 

Meditation (+25XP)

 

 

 

I don’t ever do this, yet I know how good it would be for me. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy; just sit down alone in a room and breathe for at least 15 minutes. Music is optional, but it usually helps me unwind so I will try my best to have it. Brownie points if I do this right before bed (I hear it helps with sleep).

 

Challenge: Meditate for a minimum of 15 minutes every day, a minimum of 5 days per week

 

Score:

5-7 days - +25XP

3-4 days - +20XP

1-2 days - +10XP

 

 

Get rid of knotted muscles (+25XP)

 

 

 

Another thing I am horrible about? Rolling out my sore muscles. As I’ve said many times before, I work hard and I play hard, which usually results in some epic knotting (usually at the right hip joint). I am not going back to kickboxing until mid February, so I want to take this time off and fix my body to where I can kickbox again and not feel like an old person

 

Focus areas:

• two tennis balls along the spine
• foam roll along the IT band
• LAX ball along both hands, esp. the right at the wrist and forearm

Challenge: Roll out with a foam roller for a minimum 30 minutes 3 times per week

 

Score:

3 times - +25XP

2 times - +20XP

1 time   - +10XP

 

 

Stretching (+25XP)

 

Thank goodness I don't wear this stuff. Aerialists on the other hand...

 

 

As a martial artist, it is important that I have good mobility in my joints. There are a multitude of different exercises I could do, but I will stick to the most basic ones, the ones I already know will help me improve in the long run.

 

Challenge: Stretch every other day for the duration of the challenge (13 days)

 

 

Exercises:

• Cheechoe stretching routines
• pigeon stretches (both legs)
• front splits
• side splits

I will measure the height of my splits at the start and end, so I can track my progress

 

[side splits height]

[left split]

[right split]

 

Score:

11-13 days  +25XP

8-10 days  +20XP

5-7 days  +15XP

 

Any less and I’m not even trying, clearly

 

 

Don’t eat like an asshole (+15XP)

 

Is gagh Paleo?

 

 

Proper and balanced diet is a constant struggle for me. I have a huge sweet tooth (milk chocolate covered almonds are the bane of my BF%) and any time I don’t have diet on my challenge, I lapse horribly and I gain back a whole lot of fat. Considering we are right after the holidays, I figured this would be an appropriate time to get back to my beloved Paleo. Just to be clear, I do modified Paleo where I still eat/drink dairy (mostly milk and sour cream) and an occasional potato.

 

Challenge: Keep Paleo 85% of the week.

 

Score:

5 cheat days or less - +15XP

7 cheat days or less - +10XP

 

Get enough sleep (+10XP)

 

I love Q. He's one of my fave a-holes

 

 

It’s January, this should be easy!

 

As I’ve mentioned during my previous challenge, it takes me a lot longer than 6 weeks to form a habit so I’m putting this here to make sure I continue forming a good habit. I hate being a zombie at work so let’s get to it.

 

Challenge: Get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night

 

Score:

6-7 nights - +10XP

4-5 nights - +5XP

 

Extra brownie points if I get to bed before 10:30pm.

 

 

Go the extra mile

 

I am one of those weirdos that loves to bake. A friend at work linked an article with a cheesecake bonanza so I chose to challenge myself to a cheesecake a week. I figured making them on a Sunday and taking them to work the next day would be the best course of action. It also means I am starting off my challenge with a cheesecake. Darn

 

Here are the first 4 recipes:

 

S’more Cheesecake

 

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake

 

Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake

 

Oreo Cheesecake

 

This is not a part of the challenge and I’m not assigning it any points. This is just for funsies I will do my best to post pictures and maybe a link to my food blog. I already know I'll be making adjustments to the recipes. I'm a baker after all!

 

Note: Cheesecake is not, never was, and never will be considered Paleo In case anybody was wondering.

 

Rewards:

• Starbucks Carmel Macchiato - My usual reward
• Massage - I already booked the thing since my massage girl is really good and super busy. She specializes in sports injuries and I’m hoping she will do something about my right hip flexors. I figure that after a month and a half of stretching and rolling, her job should be easier.

[Kagetsukai]

Reserved for numbers and keeping things in one place

[Kagetsukai]

And here's something fun to set us off to a good start!

 

[Starstuff]

Following for Trek and cheesecake.

[fitnessgurl]

And here's something fun to set us off to a good start!

 

This is great! Lollollolol!

[shaar]

Aaahh two tennis balls along the spine... *____*

 

 

Almost as good as CHEESECAKE!!!  Hnngghh my weakness, cheesecake~~  I think Oreo would definitely be my favorite out of that list.  Please post photos so we can all drool happily~ XD

[Kagetsukai]

Aaahh two tennis balls along the spine... *____*

 

 

Almost as good as CHEESECAKE!!!  Hnngghh my weakness, cheesecake~~  I think Oreo would definitely be my favorite out of that list.  Please post photos so we can all drool happily~ XD

 

When it comes to painful rolling out, I'm definitely knowledgeable If you want an even deeper rolling, do two LAX balls along the spine. It's glorious.

 

I might get lynched, but I actually don't care for Oreos so that particular cheesecake holds no special place in my heart There will a triple chocolate cheesecake happening in February, though and THAT ONE holds a special place in my heart There will be pictures, I promise Because making people hungry is my super power

[auntdinosaur]

 

I love this theme so much... 

 

Good luck with your goals! Meditation definitely helps with sleep. I try to do it every night, but morning meditation is part of my challenge.

[Urgan]

Following~

[Lou186000]

awesome post! Nerd long and prosper, and good luck on the challenge!

[Kagetsukai]

 

I love this theme so much... 

 

Good luck with your goals! Meditation definitely helps with sleep. I try to do it every night, but morning meditation is part of my challenge.

 

You are so much better than I am. I am a very loud and obnoxious person so quieting down and finding introspective is a little difficult for me. Also, waking up early to meditate would NEVER happen for me, so kudos to you I can barely form sentences in the morning, let alone focus my brain

 

Following~

 

Hai thar!

[Kagetsukai]

DOUBLE POST!

 

[Kagetsukai]

WTF post button???

 

[auntdinosaur]

You are so much better than I am. I am a very loud and obnoxious person so quieting down and finding introspective is a little difficult for me. Also, waking up early to meditate would NEVER happen for me, so kudos to you I can barely form sentences in the morning, let alone focus my brain

 

 

I am a quiet, introspective person with a loud, obnoxious brain, if that helps at all. 

[Kagetsukai]

I am a quiet, introspective person with a loud, obnoxious brain, if that helps at all. 

 

LOL! I understand

[Urgan]

I am a quiet, introspective person with a loud, obnoxious brain, if that helps at all. 

OMG this.

[Lightning]

I must follow because Picard. He is my old guy crush .

I'm getting back into Paleo too (also with dairy). I whipped some cream cheese, a little coconut oil a bunch of cocoa and stevia together for an amazing fat bomb. I try not to make cheat foods but cheese cake is so special.

[Kagetsukai]

I must follow because Picard. He is my old guy crush .

I'm getting back into Paleo too (also with dairy). I whipped some cream cheese, a little coconut oil a bunch of cocoa and stevia together for an amazing fat bomb. I try not to make cheat foods but cheese cake is so special.

 

Picard is definitely my captain, but I will most likely incorporate the entirety of the meta-universe Because that also means Benedict Cumberbatch

 

You should send me a recipe for that cream cheese fabulousness, it sounds amazing!

[BlackTezca]

 

Love that you're bringing in the new XP points!  I need to add that to my challenge as well.  Awesome goals and fantastic sci fi theme!

[Kagetsukai]

Love that you're bringing in the new XP points!  I need to add that to my challenge as well.  Awesome goals and fantastic sci fi theme!

 

Thanks! I might be doing it wrong, though, so don't copy me just yet I had this challenge written for about a month now, so it still has the old format feel to it. I want to see how the character creation works and if it lines up with what I have written out. One day to go!

[Iceburner]

I love Q. He's one of my fave a-holes

agree!

[starsapart]

 

Thank goodness I don't wear this stuff. Aerialists on the other hand...

 

I make that shit look GOOD.

 

Here for the follow!

[Kagetsukai]

We're kicking off the challenge! Let's make it awesome, even if I kind of feel like the people in this video:

 

[Kagetsukai]

I make that shit look GOOD.

 

You do you, boo

[Kagetsukai]

It's only 8am where I live and my day is already eventful. UGH. First, I didn't get enough sleep because my brain was riled up for some reason (I blame Doctor Who) and I kept waking up during the night, thinking it's time to get ready for work. This will definitely not result in a productive day. I am pondering leaving early, but I know it's just code name for Stay Late >_< I clearly hate myself or something

 

Secondly, I got to run to the train this morning while carrying ~15lbs of food in my cooler bag. Does that count as Odd Object Training? Anyway, between lack of sleep and the impromptu exercise, I'm feeling like crap. Add the fact that I'm Paleo-ing and thus off of coffee for a month, I foresee myself being cranky today. I mean... I'm already whining, right?