Suzaqu vs the dreaded M's

[Suzaqu]

Hello All, I'm back!

 

In trying to come up with a theme, I was brainstorming goals, and I realized that several of them started with M, so with a bit of stretching on some of them, ta-da, challenge theme!

 

I'm trying to be more flexible this time, so I'll have fewer of my standard x days a week goals.  The grading will be wonky, but I'll do at least a weekly check-in on all the goals, and daily ones where I list what I worked on.

 

Last challenge, my last week was awful, but I'm back now, and ready to go! I'm running my week Monday-Sunday as usual for me.

 

My quests/goals are:

To Move more: I need to get back on teh S&S train, goal is 5 days a week. I'm traveling at the end of this week, so I'm starting truly tracking this goal next week

To find my Motivation: I want to figure out my planner plans for next year. I'm no longer feeling my current planner, so I want to try something new. Each week I'll try out a new planning style and see how it goes. (This week again, doesn't really count, or I guess it's my control week of my no-planning, planning style that I have been using lately).

Work on my Moderation: No more than 2 pieces of halloween candy a day! 

Do some Mindfulness: I bought a Mindfulness class on tape, and I will listen to it all this challenge!

Master being an adult: Each week I need to tackle one of my dreaded adulting goals. This week: negotiate with internet company - Done!

Discover my Mobility: I want to do some reading on mobility and develop some goals/routines this challenge

Maintain my good habits: I need to get back on the budgeting and calorie tracking wagon! I'll log purchases as I make them and log my calories every day, and return to sticking to my goal! Thankfully the stress of the last few weeks didn't get me off track weight-wise.

 

More M's may be coming as I feel inspired, but I think this is good for now. I think this is the most goals I've had in a challenge, so bring it on!

 

To get off on the right foot, one more "M" goal: Make a break for it: My husband and I are going on a long weekend away, that has been a long time coming. So yay, one goal down!

 

 

[Elastigirl]

Marvelous Challenge!

[Mad Hatter]

5 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Marvelous Challenge!

 

with the Mighty Suzaqu!

[ixaera]

and meticulous memes!

[Suzaqu]

This challenge is brought to you by the letter M!

 

 

Thank you for following me here, despite my lameness last challenge

 

Last night I did indeed do my S&S, for the first time in about 2 weeks. The weights felt heavier, and my calluses felt less calluse-y, but I did it! I did 60 one handed swings, 40 two handed (alternating sets of 20), primarily because my calluses were unhappy. The TGUs went well, though were definitely more tiring than usual. I even still feel alright today, yay for not losing everything!

 

Other challenge stuff: I attempted to download my mindfulness audiobook, but my phone was full. I also started progress on next weeks adult goal, sign a final lease with our landlord. We're currently negotiating terms.  

[Suzaqu]

I'm back from my weekend trip and it was awesome! We explored the Adirondacks, had great food, and drank delicious things! I had an amazing apple cider margarita! And we visited the Ommegang brewery on the way home and that was good food and drinks as well!

 

For my week 1 summary, I made progress on the moderation (halloween candy success!) and the habit maintaining. Next week I need to kick it into high gear on everything else, especially the fitness elements, given that this is Nerd Fitness and all

 

I also managed to delete all the old challenge info out of my signature, so I'm slowly going back through my old challenges and relinking.

 

 

[Elastigirl]

Sounds like a very nice get-away. Glad you had a good time. Great job on week 1!

[Mad Hatter]

Any trip that involves tasty food and drink wins in my books.  

 

I also really need to kick the fitness up a notch, so let's do this!!

[Suzaqu]

On 11/6/2016 at 10:09 PM, Elastigirl said:

Sounds like a very nice get-away. Glad you had a good time. Great job on week 1!

Thanks! It was a great mental reset

On 11/7/2016 at 2:47 AM, Mad Hatter said:

Any trip that involves tasty food and drink wins in my books.  

 

I also really need to kick the fitness up a notch, so let's do this!!

Those are indeed two of my favorite things, along with books  Let's do this! I hope your shoulder is magically better and we can kick some ass!

[Suzaqu]

Week 2 Days 1 and 2

 

A mindfullness victory happened yesterday! (I needed some sort of victory after yesterday, grrrrrrrr.) I was getting a headache every afternoon at work, and just kept taking advil for it and assuming it was stress. So I finally sat down and thought about what I was feeling and realized that it was actually a neck ache and was because my monitor was way too low (I'm 5'11", so standard work setups aren't really the right size for me). I propped my monitor and keyboard up on some reams of paper and instantly felt better! It's amazing what happens when you actually examine how you are feeling

 

The story continues with me remembering the convertible stand-up desk I had at my last job. I pulled it up and decided I might buy it for myself if the paper piles keep working. But I had enough people ask about the paper and agree that they too weren't comfortable at their desk, that I asked my boss if we could buy stand-up desks. Turns out she really wants one too, and so we brought it to the big boss, and he also really wants one and is happy to invest in his staff! So we're buying me one today and everyone in the office can try mine out and get one if they want. 

 

Maybe not totally fitness related, but certainly wellness

[Grayspeed]

7 minutes ago, Suzaqu said:

The story continues with me remembering the convertible stand-up desk I had at my last job. I pulled it up and decided I might buy it for myself if the paper piles keep working. But I had enough people ask about the paper and agree that they too weren't comfortable at their desk, that I asked my boss if we could buy stand-up desks. Turns out she really wants one too, and so we brought it to the big boss, and he also really wants one and is happy to invest in his staff! So we're buying me one today and everyone in the office can try mine out and get one if they want. 

 

Wow! Sounds like a great company. It makes me happy to see how popular standing desks are getting. 

[Mad Hatter]

Those are great mindfulness wins.  

 

And thanks for the reminder, I should really start standing more again...

[Elastigirl]

That is awesome! 

[Minna]

On 11/6/2016 at 8:21 PM, Suzaqu said:

I'm back from my weekend trip and it was awesome! We explored the Adirondacks, had great food, and drank delicious things!

 

Ooh, a local! (I'm in Vermont.)

[Suzaqu]

On 11/9/2016 at 8:57 AM, Grayspeed said:

Wow! Sounds like a great company. It makes me happy to see how popular standing desks are getting. 

Yes! I was really impressed with them for agreeing so quickly. I'm glad I got up the courage to ask about it!

 

On 11/9/2016 at 10:12 AM, Mad Hatter said:

Those are great mindfulness wins.  

 

And thanks for the reminder, I should really start standing more again...

Me too! Desk jobs are painful! I can't wait until my desk is delivered!

 

On 11/9/2016 at 11:17 AM, Elastigirl said:

That is awesome! 

Thanks! It's a small win, but I'm calling it a win!

 

On 11/9/2016 at 4:06 PM, Minna said:

 

Ooh, a local! (I'm in Vermont.)

I'm actually in centeral Jersey, we were up north of Albany visiting my husband's coworker. We really wanted to get over to Vermont to go to The Alchemist brewery, but it was too far out of the way

[Suzaqu]

Week 1 Day 3 and 4

 

Another adult thing done, we got the lease for next year signed, so I'm ahead on my "Master" goal. I also am back to doing all 100 swings one handed for S&S, so "Moving" is going well. 

 

I've also decided to start building my "Mobility" habits with my head and neck. I'm doing some reading on Kate G's website (taken from @ixaera's camp rave) and I'm trying to incorporate spine circles and neck slides, circles, etc into my evening routine.

 

 

[ixaera]

Kate G is super awesome pants, I just did some of her wrist drills for part of tonight's mobility work

[Suzaqu]

22 hours ago, ixaera said:

Kate G is super awesome pants, I just did some of her wrist drills for part of tonight's mobility work

I'm in love! There's so much on the website it takes a while to read!

[Suzaqu]

Week 2 Day 5

 

More swings etc happened, and my mobility is going well! And by going well I mean that I did it 2 days in a row so far

 

Most exciting part of the day is my standing desk arrived!

 

Before:

 

After!

 

Best part is I had a 3 hour dance party while editing manuscripts. Slightly sore after that, but I think that's the point of the standing desk

[Elastigirl]

Yay for standing desks and dance parties!

[FlyingJen]

Hooray for standing desks! I have one of those too. I was really messing up my shoulder with how I was sitting at my desk, and the standing desk has helped SO much! I ended up buying one of those foam pads for standing on because my feet were hurting. Before I bought the varidesk I had a DIY version I made out of cardboard boxes and plywood just to make sure I liked it. It is nice to be able to easily lower everything in case I do want to sit once in a while. 

[Suzaqu]

13 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Yay for standing desks and dance parties!

Dance parties definitely make Friday afternoons much better

 

12 hours ago, FlyingJen said:

Hooray for standing desks! I have one of those too. I was really messing up my shoulder with how I was sitting at my desk, and the standing desk has helped SO much! I ended up buying one of those foam pads for standing on because my feet were hurting. Before I bought the varidesk I had a DIY version I made out of cardboard boxes and plywood just to make sure I liked it. It is nice to be able to easily lower everything in case I do want to sit once in a while. 

I love mine so far! My neck is so much happier now. I have one of the varidesk mats as well. I had one at my last job and the mat really helped, so I'm glad I was able to persuade my boss to get it as well. I find that when I'm on the foam, I prefer to not wear shoes, it makes me feel more stable (also I don't like shoes).  Your DIY version sounds fancier than mine was!

 

Lowering is definitely nice, I find that some tasks are easier when standing, and some are easier when sitting. I also find that I like to move around when standing, lots of time spent on one foot, and doing releves and plies and foot rolling.  

[Mad Hatter]

I've been wondering about those mats. I always walk around without shoes, but think it could be nice to have some different surfaces to stand on.

 

I find that I need to sit down whenever I have to think hard. Clearly standing and thinking is too much multitasking for my brain.  

[Suzaqu]

12 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

I've been wondering about those mats. I always walk around without shoes, but think it could be nice to have some different surfaces to stand on.

 

I find that I need to sit down whenever I have to think hard. Clearly standing and thinking is too much multitasking for my brain.  

I really like the mat, but I'm sure there's a cheaper alternative not from the company. $50 for essentially a piece of foam seems expensive.  I find it helps keep my hips and knees happy, probably because it forces me to engage my posture a bit more to stay stable. The real problem is I probably should be wearing shoes (and my orthotics) more when standing instead of less, because I have flexible flat feet, so my feet lose their arch when I stand on them. Hence why I have bunions and arthritis at 26. But they do make great arches for dancing. 

 

Me too on the sitting when thinking hard, when I was doing data work at my last job, sitting was needed. But I love it for composing emails and editing. It keeps me distracted enough that I don't obsess over every detail and actually just get stuff done.

[Mad Hatter]

What I would like the most is one of those pebbly mats, but those are even more expensive, at least here. Potential DIY project?  

 

Since you mentioned flat feet and I'm a total Katy Bowman fangirl, here's a video on alignment which you might want to take a look at since you'll be standing more. The point is basically that tightness and misalignment => flat feet. I'm also of the school that unless you're in acute pain you should skip the orthotics and work on strengthening the feet instead, but that's me.