BitterOyster Seeks the Seafoam Islands

[BitterOyster]

I'm on a Pokemon journey seeking true power in the wild and mysterious corners of Kanto (superimposed on my town).

For the story so far see my battle log.

 

 

 

 

I sure love my points systems, averages, targets and grading. I want to set a goal, laser focus and smash it. But right now that's not the most effective approach. I have a well-established fitness routine and it's more important to try to balance my mental and physical effort to avoid burnout than to tick off a checklist. So I will be grading each week on effort rather than points.

 

My routine:

M - lift

T - /

W - lift, shopping

T - gym/aqua, kickboxing

F - nature walk, lift

S - gym/aqua

S - /

 

The first week of the challenge I'll be returning from travel on Tuesday and having to work extra time to catch up, so my only goal will be to bounce back from that. I made and froze 2 meals and the ingredients for another batch to give myself a head start.

 

My workout buddy has a weekly general workout program for the gym now, so we can go any time rather than being constrained by class times, though I'm still hoping to get to some aqua classes. I'd like to do some more pull exercises on the machines to balance out the amount of pushing and sitting at a desk I do. Also a bit of mobility work on my feet is becoming a necessity, and I've got an itch to go rucking. And the garden needs attention. Should be a fun/crazy time!

[BitterOyster]

OMG, there's an event here where you do a 5k run with shelter dogs!

[Jarric]

Following along again

 

On ‎22‎/‎09‎/‎2016 at 10:31 AM, BitterOyster said:

OMG, there's an event here where you do a 5k run with shelter dogs!

 

Awesome! So are you going to run it?

[Balsquith]

I like your idea of changing things up to avoid burnout, so was interested in how you are going to measure effort? Won't this require some underlying points system? Or are you going by feel?

[BitterOyster]

I'm back! It was an exhausting trip with some personal stuff but also a lot of fun times, so it's going to take a while to recover emotionally and physically, but I want to get back into the swing of things. I'm really glad to have you guys around for support while I do!

 

I had a great idea, I'm going to buy some bags of sand from the hardware shop and move them to different places in the yard for a workout. I talked to my friend who is setting up a family daycare centre next year and she will need sand for the sandpit, so I'll donate them to her when the time comes. Apparently for health reasons it needs to be washed sand sold for that purpose, but it's actually slightly cheaper than builder's sand when bought by the bag, so it will work out great. Either 20kg (44lb) or 10kg (22lb) or a mix of both.

 

On 26/09/2016 at 7:52 AM, Jarric said:

Awesome! So are you going to run it?

I'm way not up to that, but maybe they'll let me walk it.

 

1 hour ago, Balsquith said:

I like your idea of changing things up to avoid burnout, so was interested in how you are going to measure effort? Won't this require some underlying points system? Or are you going by feel?

Last time I went by feel and rated with A-B-C-D, with A being when I feel pretty much satisfied with the week, A+ for an exceptional week. It's contrary to my own inclinations and the NerdFitness recommendations, but it's working for now.

 

I'm going to try to lift when I get home from work tomorrow so I can get back on the M/W/F schedule. Or, go to kickboxing if I'm feeling up to it.

[darkfoxx]

Points! Pokemon! Targets! And 5ks with Dogs! This sounds awesome. 

 

*grabs popcorn and settles in*

[BitterOyster]

Ok, I didn't do either, but I did buy the sand bags!

[BitterOyster]

Me to my workout buddy this morning:

♩♪♫ Do you wanna lift a barbell?

Maybe we could go get swole ♩♪♫

[Jarric]

7 hours ago, BitterOyster said:

Me to my workout buddy this morning:

♩♪♫ Do you wanna lift a barbell?

Maybe we could go get swole ♩♪♫

 

Bahahaha, that took me a minute but I genuinely laughed out loud at that!

[BitterOyster]

I tried suspended rows today and I'm keen to keep doing them! It's the thing where you hold onto handles at the end of straps, lean back and pull yourself upright. I noticed how much more control and body awareness it takes compared to machines and even free weights.

[BitterOyster]

It's a long weekend here and I used it pretty well. Saturday I cooked, went to the gym and then crashed, but Sunday I got some work done and started cleaning up the house, today more work, more cleaning and unpacking, Stronglifts, and made Paleo stew with foraged greens. And I did all that despite period cramps! This month is going to be a bit crazy with freelance work and an extra shift this coming week, possibly another later on. I just hope I can keep this momentum up and not burn out.

 

eta: Giving Week 1 an A for bouncing back after travel and sleep deprivation! Onwards to productivity!

[Jarric]

Well done on week 1! Sounds like a really busy weekend!

[BitterOyster]

Last week we had a heatwave. Although the summer is long here, this is unusual, it's the equivalent of April in the Northern Hemisphere. I don't deal well with heat but I was REALLY struggling with kickboxing, I had to stop several times, when normally I can make it through a whole lesson. It didn't feel too hot as it's an evening class, but I guess it was just a big shock to my system to have such hot weather so suddenly, and in fact I had just gotten back from visiting a colder climate. I hope I adapt better this summer.

 

Unexpectedly I was asked to change shifts at work. I don't like change but I couldn't think of a good reason to say no - better me than someone who has childcare and/or study to schedule around. This means I might have to change my kickboxing class, but I could potentially do Pump again, though it's in the middle of the day, so maybe not in summer.

[BitterOyster]

I'm planning for my Epic Adventure (traveling for a year on a small budget). I've seriously considered going carry-on only, I've read a lot of articles about it and I think it's do-able for my trip, but I'm not planning to fly all that often and I'd rather give myself the extra space and possibilities. I'm determined not to have a huge expedition-style pack though. I'm not likely to need camping gear or a sleeping bag, and if I do I'll get it cheaply, strap it to the outside of my pack and get rid of it afterwards.

 

Part of my trip will involve Australian domestic flights which often start at 15kg (30lb) for checked baggage, so I'm going to aim for less than that.  Even when overseas, I shouldn't really need more than that, plus a maximum size carry on. So I could actually start rucking with 10-15kg (20-30lb) now to get used to it I love it when I can see the real-world results of my training.

 

ETA: I give myself a B for Week 2. I did need some extra rest but I could have used my time better. I think I'll do better with a bit more structure in my next challenge.

[Jarric]

Rucking to train for backpacking sounds ideal, where are you thinking of traveling to?

[BitterOyster]

22 hours ago, Jarric said:

Rucking to train for backpacking sounds ideal, where are you thinking of traveling to?

Mostly Germany and some other places in Europe and the UK. Also Tasmania, but since I live in Australia already it's a bit easier. I'm planning to do WWOOF (volunteer on farms in exchange for bed and board) to keep costs down and gain new skills. Right now I'd rather go to fewer places and get to know them better than hop around lots of different countries or go to all the touristy capitals in Europe.

[Jarric]

2 hours ago, BitterOyster said:

Mostly Germany and some other places in Europe and the UK. Also Tasmania, but since I live in Australia already it's a bit easier. I'm planning to do WWOOF (volunteer on farms in exchange for bed and board) to keep costs down and gain new skills. Right now I'd rather go to fewer places and get to know them better than hop around lots of different countries or go to all the touristy capitals in Europe.

 

That sounds great! I agree it's definitely better to really see a country than just the tourist spots. In my (limited) experience European capitals rarely represent the country that they're in with any accuracy.

[Raxie]

A year is definitely not the same as a month, but I did a month backpacking around the UK on only a carryon.  It is definitely doable! A good trick is to make sure everything you pack matches, so if one thing gets dirty early you can just wear what you were wearing with it with something else and you don't have to worry about outfits or anything.

[BitterOyster]

On 18/10/2016 at 1:43 AM, Raxie said:

A year is definitely not the same as a month, but I did a month backpacking around the UK on only a carryon.  It is definitely doable! A good trick is to make sure everything you pack matches, so if one thing gets dirty early you can just wear what you were wearing with it with something else and you don't have to worry about outfits or anything.

If it's doable with carry on then it should be extra cosy with a moderate sized check-in bag too. Probably the best use of the extra space would be having additional sturdier work pants/jeans and an extra pair of shoes, which would otherwise be the first thing to go if I was really traveling light.

 

That's good advice to make everything match. I prefer minimalism and practicality anyway when it comes to clothes. I might even enjoy the simplicity

 

It's a C for Week 3. I keep letting opportunities for exercise slip by. My workload isn't helping, though it's partly mental. I feel like I can't take time out of my work-at-home mornings since I have so much to get done, but the afternoons are increasingly hot/mosquito ridden or I'm just exhausted by then. If I get on top of the work a bit that might help, but busy is probably just going to be my reality heading into this time of year. Waking up earlier and getting in some exercise or a solid few hours of work is the best option so I don't feel like I'm always playing catch-up at the end of the day.

[Jarric]

9 hours ago, BitterOyster said:

Waking up earlier and getting in some exercise or a solid few hours of work is the best option so I don't feel like I'm always playing catch-up at the end of the day.

 

Sounds like a solid plan. Do you have to work in the mornings, or do you have the option of working out first and then working a little later?

[BitterOyster]

19 hours ago, Jarric said:

 

Sounds like a solid plan. Do you have to work in the mornings, or do you have the option of working out first and then working a little later?

I work really early in the morning 3 days a week and I'm finding that I can't convince myself to go somewhere to exercise afterwards, but at home is ok, so I'm going to rearrange my schedule to have 2 lifting days on work days.