Rhovaniel: Ranger in Training

[Rhovaniel]

I am Rhovaniel. One day, I will earn my place amongst the Dúnedain. For now, I am a Ranger in training, and I have much to learn. 

 

 

I have something of an unsettled challenge ahead of me. I have my holiday in the Lakes, where I hope to do more challenging walks than I have done previously, my driving test, and I’m in the middle of de-cluttering my house. I am also determined to nail my nutrition. So much so, that I am going to try to avoid unhealthy desserts (fruit, yoghurt, home-made stuff made with healthy ingredients don’t count for this) completely, except for one, maximum two days, in the Lakes. One is my birthday, and who doesn’t treat themselves on their birthday, and the other will probably be in the second week of the holiday, maybe. Other than that, I’ll do my best to stay away. Either way, my schedule may change but my busy-ness is far less than it was in previous months, so I’m going to return to narrative for this one!

 

Zero Week Goals:

 

1.     Drink nothing but water, and lots of it.

My aim here is for 2.5 – 3 litres a day, with no other drinks. No juices, definitely no fizzy drinks, etc. (The fizzy includes sparkling water, sadly. This one is more to try and control my IBS than anything else, but the health benefits are a definite bonus!)

 

 

2.     Track everything, and keep it clean

I need to get over my calorie counting aversion, but I also feel that if I rush headlong into it, It’ll fail just like all the other times. So, this week I simply need to log everything I eat, starting today. It also needs to be way healthier than I have been eating. I’m going to batch cook some eggs and roast some sweet potatoes in a bit. My aim is to make each dinner ½ vegetable, ¼ carbs, ¼ protein. Lunch is going to be trickier, but I just need to be sensible. Eat some salads, or smaller portions of leftovers. Breakfasts tend to be a shake (BlendActive is a godsend, so little clean-up makes it super easy), or porridge. Either one is fine.

 

3.     Plan my activities in the Lake District

I go away for the second half of the challenge, and rather than our usual, ‘let’s wake up and see where the day takes us’, I’d like to have at least 5 planned walks so that we don’t end up either having a lazy day or meandering around trying to decide where to go. Martin tends not to want to walk all the time, so one or two of those planned walks will be ones I feel I can manage solo, if he decides he doesn’t want to do much that day. Which also means they have to be places I can access without a car from where we’re staying. Luckily, Keswick is quite central. I got places to choose from  

 

4.     Do not, I repeat, do not miss a workout

The last challenge, at least two weeks went by where I missed one or more of my workouts. BreakPoint is in 6 weeks, and more than that, the Lake District isn’t a beach holiday. I’m going to need a Ranger’s body as well as a Ranger’s mindset (I mean, come on, I’m gonna be walking up fells and mountains and round beautiful lakes and stuff. The place is practically a Ranger’s Paradise). 

 

Rewards and Penalties:

 

I’m adding in some rewards this time around too, so it’ll hurt more if I don’t complete my goals (and give me extra incentive to complete them, of course )

 

 

Penalties:

One Goal missed in a day: 10 burpees.

More than one Goal missed in a day: 20 burpees.

Total Failure of a day/missed goals more than 2 days in a row: 2 sets of 20 burpees and forfeit the second dessert variance. 

 

Rewards:

 

Still working on these. But as I will be away, and thus without access to a gym, for two whole weeks at the end, if I manage a perfect week on all goals, I get to buy either a kettlebell or a set of dumbbells to take with me on holiday so I can still do some strength work. If I get another perfect week, as a bonus I get to buy a foam roller so all that hill walking doesn’t ruin my legs. The rest I have yet to figure out…

[Rhovaniel]

reserved for narrative  

[jonfirestar]

You could (cough) try running in the Lake District fell running it a thing. 

kidding

 

Following, naturally!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following along again, this looks like a great challenge.

[Rhovaniel]

1 hour ago, jonfirestar said:

You could (cough) try running in the Lake District fell running it a thing. 

kidding

 

Following, naturally!

Yeah, that's not gonna happen . It is a thing. It's a thing that my body won't forgive me for if I did it. I mean, ouch! I may see if I can get out for a run at some point in the mornings maybe, but on the flat. No fell running. My legs have spoken  

 

On the subject of legs, I know you run a lot so I'm gonna pick your brain for a minute. Lately, when I've been walking, even short distances like to my gym, I've noticed my lower legs really starting to hurt. Usually it's the calves that seem all tight somehow, but often the pain will spread to all over my lower leg. Sort of feels like my shin bone is being jolted with each step. Has anything like that happened for you? Am I just not stretching enough? (I stretch after a run and before I leave the gym, but I admit I tend not to if all I've done is gone for a long walk)

[ForestGoddess]

Following because you are awesome and I want it to rub off on me!  

[Rhovaniel]

8 minutes ago, ForestGoddess said:

Following because you are awesome and I want it to rub off on me!  

Thanks.  But so are you! In the words of our Ranger Chaplain, 'you are awesome. When you begin to truly believe that, you will be unstoppable.' Good Luck with your challenge!

[Charlie_Quinn]

Ranger in training? You're already a fully fledged, ass-kicking Ranger!

 

Following!

[Rhovaniel]

40 minutes ago, Charlie_Quinn said:

Ranger in training? You're already a fully fledged, ass-kicking Ranger!

Oh, I'm a Ranger all right. The title merely reflects the fact that I've got a long way to go yet before I'm happy with where I'm at  

[jonfirestar]

3 minutes ago, Rhovaniel said:

Yeah, that's not gonna happen . It is a thing. It's a thing that my body won't forgive me for if I did it. I mean, ouch! I may see if I can get out for a run at some point in the mornings maybe, but on the flat. No fell running. My legs have spoken  

 

On the subject of legs, I know you run a lot so I'm gonna pick your brain for a minute. Lately, when I've been walking, even short distances like to my gym, I've noticed my lower legs really starting to hurt. Usually it's the calves that seem all tight somehow, but often the pain will spread to all over my lower leg. Sort of feels like my shin bone is being jolted with each step. Has anything like that happened for you? Am I just not stretching enough? (I stretch after a run and before I leave the gym, but I admit I tend not to if all I've done is gone for a long walk)

 

But you like running on inclines, remember? Maybe I'm just jealous!

 

That used to happen to me a lot but not for a while. I kind of just figured I'd conditioned myself out of it. You might try attacking your calves with a foam roller that might help knead things out a bit. Although I warn you it can get really painful to roll out your calves.

 

 

[Elastigirl]

If you're like me, you'll do just about anything to avoid BURPEES.

[Rhovaniel]

1 hour ago, jonfirestar said:

 

But you like running on inclines, remember? Maybe I'm just jealous!

 

That used to happen to me a lot but not for a while. I kind of just figured I'd conditioned myself out of it. You might try attacking your calves with a foam roller that might help knead things out a bit. Although I warn you it can get really painful to roll out your calves.

 

 

Nice, rock-free inclines where I'm not afraid of twisting an ankle, yes.

 

All the more incentive to nail my goals and get a foam roller, thanks  

[Rhovaniel]

47 minutes ago, Elastigirl said:

If you're like me, you'll do just about anything to avoid BURPEES.

They're definitely not my favourite exercise, that's for sure! I don't hate them, but yeah, I'd rather avoid them.

[Elastigirl]

Just now, Rhovaniel said:

They're definitely not my favourite exercise, that's for sure! I don't hate them, but yeah, I'd rather avoid them.

I don't hate the first few, it's only when the numbers add up that the hating starts.

[Moros]

2 hours ago, Rhovaniel said:

On the subject of legs, I know you run a lot so I'm gonna pick your brain for a minute. Lately, when I've been walking, even short distances like to my gym, I've noticed my lower legs really starting to hurt. Usually it's the calves that seem all tight somehow, but often the pain will spread to all over my lower leg. Sort of feels like my shin bone is being jolted with each step. Has anything like that happened for you? Am I just not stretching enough? (I stretch after a run and before I leave the gym, but I admit I tend not to if all I've done is gone for a long walk)

 

Is the pain on the inside or outside of the shin?  If it is inside, it might be the start of shin splints, which you really want to avoid.  If it's the outside, it might be the stabilizer muscles due to wobbly feet - note, I am not a doctor, and there about 100 NF people who know more about this than I do...

 

 

[Evicious]

[Rhovaniel]

30 minutes ago, Evicious said:

[Rhovaniel]

1 hour ago, Moros said:

 

Is the pain on the inside or outside of the shin?  If it is inside, it might be the start of shin splints, which you really want to avoid.  If it's the outside, it might be the stabilizer muscles due to wobbly feet - note, I am not a doctor, and there about 100 NF people who know more about this than I do...

 

 

Um... I don't really know. It starts off as a pain in my calf muscle at the back of my leg and spreads till it feels like it's in the bone. It goes away pretty quickly once I stop walking though. 

[jonfirestar]

1 hour ago, Rhovaniel said:

Nice, rock-free inclines where I'm not afraid of twisting an ankle, yes.

 

Rocks just make it more fun! Kind of serious about that  

 

31 minutes ago, Rhovaniel said:

Um... I don't really know. It starts off as a pain in my calf muscle at the back of my leg and spreads till it feels like it's in the bone. It goes away pretty quickly once I stop walking though. 

 

I am no expert either but that definitely sounds like what I was feeling and I always put it down to simple muscle fatigue because I'd get it when I was walking fast. Wouldn't want you getting shin splints though. 

[Rhovaniel]

10 minutes ago, jonfirestar said:

 

Rocks just make it more fun! Kind of serious about that  

 

 

I am no expert either but that definitely sounds like what I was feeling and I always put it down to simple muscle fatigue because I'd get it when I was walking fast. Wouldn't want you getting shin splints though. 

Rocks are not fun, when I have a physically demanding weekend 46 days away! I cannot afford an injury right now...

 

Speaking of injury, I don't think the pain issue is bad enough to stop running (can't afford to!), but I won't be aiming for any PRs. I'll just go into each run slow and steady, as fast as feels comfortable, and stretch more, and for longer, after each workout. Hopefully, a little care now will prevent anything too drastic later on. I don't want me getting shin splints either! 

 

 

Week Zero, Monday (not counting Sunday because my challenge wasn't up yesterday )

 

Water: Yep. My water bottle holds about 600ml, and I'd drunk two by the time I left the gym this morning. Filled up about 3 times since then, and it's empty, so I'm just about to refill it. 

 

Track everything and keep it clean: Off to a good start! The raisin snack bar could have been healthier, but my stomach was growling and it was that or attack the ice cream in the freezer. Food today was:

Porridge with oat milk and a squeeze of honey

Fresh pasta (90g) with spinach, a handful of cherry tomatoes and a 1/4 tube of tomato puree. It was a weird, use-up-stuff in the fridge lunch, but it worked out.  

Muller Corner yoghurt - the pistachio and almond one

A boiled egg

A raisin snack bar

Asparagus, two small chicken breasts and sweet potato cut into 'chips' and roasted in oil and thai spice seasoning. It was delicious 

An apple.

 

I'm still hungry though. I'm just going to have to tough it out, I think... 

 

Lake District Plans: Found a nice looking walk near Buttermere Lake, a circular walk up to Haystacks. Should be doable for both of us  

 

Do not miss a workout: Got my butt out of bed at 5:30, made it to the gym nice and early. It was actually a really good workout. I managed to squat 50kg for 5 sets. Not sure if I've got that high before or not, but it was heavy and I didn't know if I was going to make that last set. But I did it  OHP, however, continues to be the bane of my existence. Sets of 5/5/2/5/3 at 22.5kg. I'm not sure whether to linger on Stronglifts for a bit longer to get the weight up until I can handle juggernauts with the barbell or dive in next week and just use dumbbells. Deadlifts was 1 x 5 52.5kg. Felt so good I added two more reps afterwards just for the heck of it. 

[jonfirestar]

2 minutes ago, Rhovaniel said:

Rocks are not fun, when I have a physically demanding weekend 46 days away! I cannot afford an injury right now...

 

Rocks are fun  I like running technical terrain but I understand that you don't want to get injured. You just have way more sense than me! 

 

4 minutes ago, Rhovaniel said:

OHP, however, continues to be the bane of my existence. Sets of 5/5/2/5/3 at 22.5kg

I think you'll find that OHP is the bane of a lot of peoples existence. It is hard and lags so far behind everything else. Keep it going though you'll get there! 

[Rhovaniel]

14 minutes ago, jonfirestar said:

You just have way more sense than me! 

Not sure if it's more sense, or I'm just too excited for BreakPoint  

[Mizbrek]

The Lake District is HIGH on my list of vacation spots. I hope we can count on many pictures!

 

Fantastic goals overall. Meal prep is such a huge help. And the water one is great. That's one I only picked up on a month or two ago. I was amazed at the difference it made in how I felt. I thought I was getting enough water but when I started tracking it I realized I wasn't, and upping my intake has just had a huge overall benefit. 

 

Following, of course!

[Fonzico]

Ooh, your vacation sounds like so much fun! 

 

Foam rolling, as unpleasant as it may be, will very likely improve your lower leg situation. 

[jonfirestar]

48 minutes ago, Fonzico said:

Foam rolling, as unpleasant as it may be, will very likely improve your lower leg situation. 

^^ This. It hurts but the results I've seen have made me a total convert.