BitterOyster Ventures into Viridian Forest

[BitterOyster]

Challenge under construction!

 

This is my town, Pokemon-ified. For backstory visit my Battle Log.

 

 

I'm currently suffering from Rangerbrain, busy-ness and low energy. So, this challenge I will try to find a sort of balance.

 

Things I need (ok just really want) to do

3x Stronglifts (mostly just maintenance as I build my squats back up)

2x Gym visits

1x kickboxing

1x Bushwalking (rucking?)

4+ hours of Lynda lessons

? Hatch 10km of Pokemon eggs each week

Knee strengthening (tbd by physio)

 

My possible week:

Monday - ugh Monday

Tuesday - lift

Wednesday - gym by bike, housework

Thursday - morning Aqua fit by car, evening kickboxing

Friday - lift, work from home

Saturday - bushwalking, possibly gym by car

Sunday - lift, mourn the weekend passing

 

Or, Mon-Wed-Fri lifting.

 

[BitterOyster]

I'm starting this on Week 1; trying out kickboxing was my week 0 adventure. I was also supposed to get to the physiotherapist, so I'd better do that ASAP next week.

[Jarric]

Found it! Following along again.

[Wild Wolf]

Hi birthday buddy  Following for Pokemon awesomeness 

 

13 hours ago, BitterOyster said:

Knee strengthening (tbd by physio)

 

I'm glad to see that you're knee is getting back to where you can do things now! 

 

W0lf

[BitterOyster]

11 hours ago, Wild Wolf said:

Hi birthday buddy  Following for Pokemon awesomeness 

 

 

I'm glad to see that you're knee is getting back to where you can do things now! 

 

W0lf

I'm slowly building my squats again, it feels normal and I'm sure it's healed, but the kick part of kickboxing needs some mad knee stability and I'm sure I've got some posture issues, so I'd like to sort that out.

[Raxie]

Your week looks like mine.  I want to MWF lift every week, but UGH MONDAY always happens.

[BitterOyster]

On 23/08/2016 at 4:07 AM, Raxie said:

Your week looks like mine.  I want to MWF lift every week, but UGH MONDAY always happens.

Yeah, and it seems like a really bad idea to lift on Thursday in between Aqua and kickboxing. It's getting difficult to preserve enough rest for strength training while doing all the stuff I want to do, which I guess is the eternal Ranger struggle.

 

Oops, it's already Wednesday and I haven't turned this challenge into an actual challenge. I guess it is more of an exploratory period though. Hope that's not too boring if I keep posting my thoughts here. I'm envisioning my character wandering deep into Viridian Forest to meditate and seek wisdom.

 

 

With my work schedule now the start of the week feels like when you get thrown about by a big wave and come out not knowing which way is up. I realised I've been trying to overcome it through willpower but that is not a good idea when you're tired. Rather I need to be smart and plan around it.

 

I thought fresh air and nature would be a good contrast to being indoors all day, but I seem to crave time at home now after longer work days, so rather than fight that I can lift at home. You know when you're mentally tired and you forget how much you actually enjoy working out? That's happening to me lately, but all I need is a little push to get started. Maybe a nicer workspace, or music. I'll think about it.

 

I'm wondering if the reason I've lost some of my fire lately is that I'm not doing things that get me emotionally amped up and exercising to the beat of high-energy music. The two exercises that really did that for me were Pump and Zombies, Run!, neither of which I've done since February. Both of those things had me walking tall and feeling like a hero afterwards. I didn't think much of it because I can get strength and cardio from other sources, but maybe this is a real consideration? @Rurik Harrgath for some reason I feel like you will know about this.

[Raxie]

The importance of having something that motivates you and makes you feel good cannot be overstated! Maybe checking out doing some of those things again could get you back in the groove

sent from the depths of the Ionian Nebula

[Jarric]

Motivation is a really hard thing. Rearranging your workout space can be good, or trying something that excites you (whether it's something from the past or some new) as Raxie suggested. Another thing might be committing to an event or something in the future (a hike? a kickboxing event?), so you can have a mid-term goal hanging in front of you like a carrot to aim for.

 

5 hours ago, BitterOyster said:

I'm envisioning my character wandering deep into Viridian Forest to meditate and seek wisdom.

 

Also, from the games I can't imagine a less relaxing place than Viridian forest; so many damn Caterpie

[BitterOyster]

14 hours ago, Raxie said:

The importance of having something that motivates you and makes you feel good cannot be overstated! Maybe checking out doing some of those things again could get you back in the groove

sent from the depths of the Ionian Nebula

I'm hoping kickboxing will do that for me! My schedule no longer allows Pump with my favourite instructor, but I could start going to a different one, though not quite yet. Running is an option, I'm thinking of going to a park and running barefoot so I don't have to worry about shoes for the time being.

 

12 hours ago, Jarric said:

Another thing might be committing to an event or something in the future (a hike? a kickboxing event?), so you can have a mid-term goal hanging in front of you like a carrot to aim for.

That's a good idea, I have a longer term goal of being fitter before I travel next year but something closer at hand would be easier to focus on. Until now my goal has been to rehab my knee and get back to a place where I feel like I'm pushing myself overall, which I think I achieved last challenge. So preparing to re-start Pump classes would be a good goal.

 

12 hours ago, Jarric said:

Also, from the games I can't imagine a less relaxing place than Viridian forest; so many damn Caterpie

True, but I guess my challenge isn't very relaxing either

[BitterOyster]

I really liked the points system in my last challenge, but this time I'm just going to grade each week overall with how I felt about it rather than an actual score, and think of some ideas to improve.

[Rurik Harrgath]

18 hours ago, BitterOyster said:

I'm wondering if the reason I've lost some of my fire lately is that I'm not doing things that get me emotionally amped up and exercising to the beat of high-energy music. The two exercises that really did that for me were Pump and Zombies, Run!, neither of which I've done since February. Both of those things had me walking tall and feeling like a hero afterwards. I didn't think much of it because I can get strength and cardio from other sources, but maybe this is a real consideration? @Rurik Harrgath for some reason I feel like you will know about this.

 

I've been awake for far, far too many hours so hopefully I can form a coherent idea through all of this, but... I think everyone needs at least one activity in their life that makes them feel like an absolutely unstoppable, unmitigated bad-ass of heroic dimensions, something that keeps your inner fire kindled all the time and has you excited for the next activity like 24/7.  My workouts are my happy place and I'm jacked up for the next one only moments after finishing the current one.  If Pump and/or Zombies, Run! give you that same feeling, my only question for you is why aren't you doing one of them now? 

[BitterOyster]

Just now, Rurik Harrgath said:

 

I've been awake for far, far too many hours so hopefully I can form a coherent idea through all of this, but... I think everyone needs at least one activity in their life that makes them feel like an absolutely unstoppable, unmitigated bad-ass of heroic dimensions, something that keeps your inner fire kindled all the time and has you excited for the next activity like 24/7.  My workouts are my happy place and I'm jacked up for the next one only moments after finishing the current one.  If Pump and/or Zombies, Run! give you that same feeling, my only question for you is why aren't you doing one of them now? 

Logistics basically But those problems can be solved!

 

So I guess there are 4 macronutrients, carbs, fat, protein and metal music.

[Jarric]

3 hours ago, BitterOyster said:

So I guess there are 4 macronutrients, carbs, fat, protein and metal music.

^I love this.

[BitterOyster]

Aqua aerobics and kickboxing in the same day - not easy, but possible. Now let's see how well I can walk tomorrow.

 

I like pushing myself though. I'm so grateful that my knees, ankles and shoulder held up (it was doing something weird this week, I think I slept on it wrong, but it didn't get worse). I talk a lot about my problems here but I want to take some time to appreciate my body for the things it which I wouldn't have dreamed of 2 years ago. I'm really lucky to have so much health.

 

Kickboxing isn't going to give me that bad-ass feeling unfortunately, but so far it is inspiring me to work my fitness on other areas. Maybe I need to listen to my running playlist while lifting.

[BitterOyster]

11 hours ago, BitterOyster said:

Aqua aerobics and kickboxing in the same day - not easy, but possible. Now let's see how well I can walk tomorrow.

Not great, as it happens. Maybe a bit of walking with Pokemon Go will help.

[Jarric]

On ‎25‎/‎08‎/‎2016 at 0:30 PM, BitterOyster said:

Aqua aerobics and kickboxing in the same day - not easy, but possible. Now let's see how well I can walk tomorrow.

 

I like pushing myself though. I'm so grateful that my knees, ankles and shoulder held up (it was doing something weird this week, I think I slept on it wrong, but it didn't get worse). I talk a lot about my problems here but I want to take some time to appreciate my body for the things it which I wouldn't have dreamed of 2 years ago. I'm really lucky to have so much health.

 

Kickboxing isn't going to give me that bad-ass feeling unfortunately, but so far it is inspiring me to work my fitness on other areas. Maybe I need to listen to my running playlist while lifting.

 

Sounds like a really intense day! It's great to recognise how far you've come, sometimes when you feel worn it out you definitely have to look back so you realise how much you are achieving.

 

Did the Pokémon GO! help? How was the weekend?

[BitterOyster]

18 hours ago, Jarric said:

 

Sounds like a really intense day! It's great to recognise how far you've come, sometimes when you feel worn it out you definitely have to look back so you realise how much you are achieving.

 

Did the Pokémon GO! help? How was the weekend?

Workout buddy suggested going to the pool instead of Pokemon GO and we just paddled around and chatted and stretched, it was perfect for the DOMS. It's the gym pool so it's still using my gym membership.

 

On Sunday I finally went for a walk in Viridian Forest, but I rolled my ankle and hurt my foot  - not too badly, I could still walk but it was painful at first and it's healing slowly so I might have to miss kickboxing.

 

I give that week a B+ anyway, even though I only lifted once and didn't ride my bike, I did as much as I could. I need to work on doing more at the start of the week.

 

[BitterOyster]

I lifted today, I feel good. I've missed so many sessions my Stronglifts app wanted me to deload... whoops. Part of that was the injured foot, but not all of it, since I can push through my heels just fine.

[BitterOyster]

Week 2:

M/T/W -

Thurs - lifted, did so much spring cleaning

Fri - Pokemon Go

Sat - lifted, Aqua aerobics

Sun - actually needed a rest

 

 

Gotta try to do half an hour of study on each of M/T/W nights, because it adds up.

 

I had a bush walk scheduled today and I could have spent the rest of the day catching up what I missed this week, but I realised it's one of those moments I really do need to give myself a break, so I've been in bed snacking and surviving shark week cramps today. I feel like I'm not doing enough but I am trying hard, so I just need to be patient and I'll get back to a higher level of activity. Plus I'm so much busier with work, so I'm actually getting more done overall.

[Jarric]

Good on you for realising when you need a break. It can be pretty hard to allow yourself to rest when you want to do all the things, but it's so important.

 

Ready to stomp on week 3?

[BitterOyster]

Actually, yeah! I really didn't want to lift yesterday but I did it anyway and felt way better for it. Turns out resting on Sunday let me start the week off better, and hopefully avoid the impossible weekend scramble.

[BitterOyster]

M - lifted

T - adulting

W - lifted, housework

T - nature walk, kickboxing

F - nature walk, stretches + yoga at the gym

 

I've been going hard this week! I'm proud of myself for fitting all of this in. I might even get a third nature walk in this week because there's a guided tour of a local reserve and I'm keen to ID some species, and having someone point at stuff is a loooooot quicker than going through books.

 

I was kinda nervous about kickboxing after having missed a week. We had a different instructor and the class was WAY harder, and most of the students are intermediate level whereas I'm a very raw beginner, plus being very overweight has its own challenges. There was a lot of stuff I couldn't do and I felt like garbage at the start of the lesson but I was so proud of myself for making it all the way through. I felt this deep sense of calm on the way home.

 

I hate to miss a week but the workout buddy and I have both agreed we need a total rest day rather than trying to cram in the aqua aerobics class. But in future we are going to try to go there and use the machines more often in addition to the aqua aerobics.

 

eta: Viridian Forest WAS actually relaxing this time. I respected my limits for once and only did half of the easiest track.

[BitterOyster]

Oops, I let time get away from me! I give week 3 and 4 both an A. I didn't quite fit everything I wanted but I've been trying really hard and challenging myself physically so I'm happy with how this challenge went.

[Jarric]

Wow, yeah, that did go fast. Well done on a successful challenge! Looking forward to your continued adventures through Kanto