Mizbrek Battles a Balrog of Morgoth...Again

[Mizbrek]

Mizbrek’s body slammed against the cavern wall. He slid down, landing against the ground. He rolled over, propping himself up on his staff and standing up.

 

“Okay, you son of a bitch,” he said with a grin, wiping away some blood from his nose and mouth. “Let’s do this.”

 

The Balrog drew power unto itself, the fires from the deep rising up and infusing it. It roared, the cavern shuddering.

 

“Your ass” Miz screamed, "shall not pass!" With that, he launched himself against the beast, roaring. The Balrog's fist came up to swap the Hobbit away...

 

 

My last challenge went pretty well until a cold hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ve ticked up a couple pounds (though I think that was mostly water weight) but I think they’ll drop pretty quickly. Miz tackled the Balrog last time around, and didn’t defeat it. This time, it’s coming back stronger than ever, but Miz is ready!

 

Every task, for every day I complete it, damages the Balrog for 1 HP. Because he’s drawn power to himself, the Balrog will have a total of 125 HP. I’m not worrying about Miz’s health this time around. Let’s just say Miz is attacking with renewed vigour!

 

Limit 4 drinks per weekend day/2 per weekday - I’ve realized my drinking has tended to lead to overeating, not to mention the calories. So I’m adding this restriction in.

2100 calories per day - as before, limiting my calories to 2100 per day. Worked well for me so far and well under my TDEE.

20 mins housework/1hr on weekends - worked well before! Going to keep on this one.

Read one hour each weekend day (outside of bed)/15 minutes each weekday (outside of bed) - noticed I wasn’t reading as much as I’d like last time, so going to try and kick this one up a bit. Need to make sure I’m making an effort outside of bedtime reading as well.

Workout 45 mins 6 days per week - kicking it up a bit here to 45 instead of the standard 30. More time, more calories burned, better strength training!

Out of bed by 5:30am weekdays/8:30am 1 weekend day - noticing I’m sleeping in a fair bit lately, so trying to kick this in the ass a bit. So getting up earlier should help a bit (and is necessary for the previous goal!).

1 long walk with Kali per day - I’ve been a bit difficult with Kali lately, and often tend to gripe a bit when she needs to go outside. So in order to get past that a bit, I’m setting a goal of taking her out on one long walk every day as a way of trying to combat this.

 

1 variance each per week - I’m allowing myself one variance per week on all these goals (outside of the built in ones) as a way of balancing this out as well.

 

The challenge will officially start on the actual challenge start day, but I’ll be counting any points I accumulate towards the total HP of the Balrog!

 

Rewards

Perfect Week - 7 Hearthstone Packs

Perfect Challenge - Pedicure

Zero perfect weeks - Miz tackles the garage for 2h

75% Completion - Homebrew starter kit

 

Balrog HP 125/125

 

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[Rhovaniel]

Yeah! Here to see you kick that fiery ass (you are wearing fire retardant boots, right??)  

 

Good luck on your goals! I love the idea of walking the dog more. Does that count as a cardio workout?? I'm assuming kali is a dog, anyhow...

 

[Terra]

You got this one!  

[Elastigirl]

The Balrog won't know what hit it.

[Mizbrek]

 

10 hours ago, Rhovaniel said:

 

 

Yeah! Here to see you kick that fiery ass (you are wearing fire retardant boots, right??)  

 

Good luck on your goals! I love the idea of walking the dog more. Does that count as a cardio workout?? I'm assuming kali is a dog, anyhow...

 

 

Haha yes Kali is a dog! Let me see if I can upload a picture real quick somewhere...gah can't seem to upload, let me see if I can post and edit it after with an image...

 

 

And for the record I don't count it as a cardio workout, mostly because she's often finicky and usually when I wanna walk far, she doesn't! And vice versa! But I think the attempt is important, and I do tend to get a little grumpy when she suddenly decides she wants to go out. And that's not helpful for me or her.

 

 

42 minutes ago, Terra said:

 

You got this one!  

Thanks! Hopefully this time around!

 

38 minutes ago, Elastigirl said:

 

 

The Balrog won't know what hit it.

 

You're damn right it won't!

 

 

Just as a quick update, I'm going to be updating for full days. Last time around I was doing bits and pieces - some of it from the day before, some of it from today. For ease I'll be covering each full day the day after - so tomorrow I'll cover today! For now, I'll take some time to go through and follow some posts! Going to try and do a bit better at keeping up with everyone's challenges this time around.

 

Happy Week Zero all!

[jonfirestar]

This time that Balrog is going down! 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Reciprocal follow.

[Rhovaniel]

That is one cute dog. Those eyes! There's a dog that know things...

[Sloth the Enduring]

Cute dog. We're fostering an old girl that looks a lot like Kali.

[Mizbrek]

23 hours ago, jonfirestar said:

This time that Balrog is going down! 

Damn right! If only because I set the points a bit lower...hahahaha

 

23 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Reciprocal follow.

Great to see you!

 

20 hours ago, Rhovaniel said:

That is one cute dog. Those eyes! There's a dog that know things...

Hahaha, those eyes mostly know that if you stare at us long enough like that she'll get a treat..

 

18 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

Cute dog. We're fostering an old girl that looks a lot like Kali.

Thanks! Shih Tzus are great dogs. My wife's family have had a couple and she's just a lovely companion. Very low maintenance.

 

Well we're onto day 1! Sort of. Day 0? Day -4 or so? Overall doing pretty well I think! Let's go through the play by play from yesterday.

 

Limit 4 drinks per weekend day/2 per weekday - 2 yesterday! The second was perhaps a bit bigger, but still good. -1HP from the Balrog.

2100 calories per day - Maybe a touch over this yesterday but within range! Hard to estimate sometimes, but I do my best with scales and whatnot and try to be overly generous with my calories. -1HP from the Balrog.

20 mins housework/1hr on weekends - Did this yesterday! Some laundry and just general puttering around the house. -1HP from the Balrog.

Read one hour each weekend day (outside of bed)/15 minutes each weekday (outside of bed) - Read a book on the train. -1HP from the Balrog.

Workout 45 mins 6 days per week - Done yesterday! A lighter workout but felt good to get back to it after a couple days off. -1HP from the Balrog.

Out of bed by 5:30am weekdays/8:30am 1 weekend day - Having trouble getting there by exactly 5:30, but usually out by 5:35 or so, which I think is within allowance. -1HP from the Balrog.

1 long walk with Kali per day - Tried to take her for a longer walk but she didn't want to go! Still, I tried and that's all we can do. -1HP from the Balrog.

 

 

Balrog HP 118/125 -7

 

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[Sloth the Enduring]

[Mizbrek]

20 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

Bahahahaha. No lie, we have a little PuppyBjorn for Kali, but have yet to try it! May have to at some point! She's not really heavy enough for it to count as rucking but still!

 

Pretty solid day yesterday. Weight has been ticking steadily down since my high over the weekend. HappyScale tells me I should hit Onederland sometime within the next couple weeks, just need to stay on track. I indulged a bit last night - likely had more dinner than I needed, and couldn't resist some fresh baked chocolate chip banana bread! But hopefully my longer workouts and still healthy breakfasts and lunches should help counteract any possible gains.

 

Limit 4 drinks per weekend day/2 per weekday - 3 yesterday, so failing this one. It is still week zero, but I don't really have a good excuse besides the fact that I've discovered that Manhattans are delicious!

2100 calories per day - I'm gonna call this a fail yesterday, even though MFP says I was within calorie limits. I was trying to estimate homemade banana bread as well as some beans and rice done with a great sauce and some arborio rice. SUPER tasty and still pretty healthy but my gut tells me that my drinks and banana bread put me over.

20 mins housework/1hr on weekends - Did some yesterday, enough for Ms. Miz to call it a win. -1HP from the Balrog.

Read one hour each weekend day (outside of bed)/15 minutes each weekday (outside of bed) - Did some meditation instead of that yesterday on the train home. May still again today - the guided meditation has been really helpful for my anxiety, so may stick with that for a bit.

Workout 45 mins 6 days per week - This I did yesterday. Heavier workout involving ring rows, faux deadlifts with some dumbbells and a few other things. Arms are feeling it today. -1HP from the Balrog.

Out of bed by 5:30am weekdays/8:30am 1 weekend day - Managed this yesterday again! Feels good to be up and going a bit earlier, though I worry I'll pay for this later. -1HP from the Balrog.

1 long walk with Kali per day - Done and done yesterday. The weather wasn't great so we didn't go super far, but enough! -1HP from the Balrog.

 

 

Balrog HP 114/125 -4

 

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[Mizbrek]

Better day yesterday overall. Still missed a couple things, but it was a bit of an odd one. Needed to be at work very early today for a meeting. But, no excuses! It was also a stressful day today so I've overeaten. Tomorrow is not gonna be pretty on that front. But, I did hit a good weight today - not a new low but the lowest I've been in about 10 days. So something! Hopefully today hasn't thrown it off entirely. Basically there were some donuts at work and...I was weak. Happens!

 

Limit 4 drinks per weekend day/2 per weekday - Two glasses of wine only yesterday, so good on this. -1HP from the Balrog.

2100 calories per day - Hit about 2000 yesterday. -1HP from the Balrog.

20 mins housework/1hr on weekends - Ran some errands yesterday, which counted! -1HP from the Balrog.

Read one hour each weekend day (outside of bed)/15 minutes each weekday (outside of bed) - Made an effort but definitely didn't get the full 15 mins in. Ah well.

Workout 45 mins 6 days per week - Did again, bit of an all around workout to give my arms a rest. Was fun! Lots of pushups and squats. -1HP from the Balrog.

Out of bed by 5:30am weekdays/8:30am 1 weekend day - Made this one yesterday. -1HP from the Balrog.

1 long walk with Kali per day - We tried! The weather wasn't great again so she didn't wanna go far, but I was responsive to her needs which helps. -1HP from the Balrog.

 

 

Balrog HP 108/125 -6

 

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[Rhovaniel]

3 hours ago, Mizbrek said:

Basically there were some donuts at work and...I was weak. Happens!

It definitely happens! The other half and I took advantage of the glorious sunshine (we're in England, if we see sun, we damn well make the most of it, because you never know...) and had a picnic lunch at the Lakes. 3 hours, 2 doughnuts (Krispy Kreme, will I ever learn?) later, I definitely over-ate. But the important thing is I didn't let it derail me, just like I know it's not gonna derail you. 

 

Congrats on the new weight low!  

[Mizbrek]

On 5/26/2017 at 4:09 PM, Rhovaniel said:

It definitely happens! The other half and I took advantage of the glorious sunshine (we're in England, if we see sun, we damn well make the most of it, because you never know...) and had a picnic lunch at the Lakes. 3 hours, 2 doughnuts (Krispy Kreme, will I ever learn?) later, I definitely over-ate. But the important thing is I didn't let it derail me, just like I know it's not gonna derail you. 

 

Congrats on the new weight low!  

 

Thanks! Good advice all around on that!

 

Well I've been absent for a couple days. Took the weekend slightly off, but still did my best to eat closer to maintenance than go too overboard. So I'm just ignoring those days and starting fresh with Monday! 

 

Limit 4 drinks per weekend day/2 per weekday - 1 extra yesterday, but due to extenuating circumstances I'm calling it a win. -1HP from the Balrog.

2100 calories per day - A little bit over this last night, but still close enough. -1HP from the Balrog.

20 mins housework/1hr on weekends - Laundry and tidying up in general! -1HP from the Balrog.

Read one hour each weekend day (outside of bed)/15 minutes each weekday (outside of bed) - More than 15 yesterday! Had a bit of time off in the afternoon. -1HP from the Balrog.

Workout 45 mins 6 days per week - Did a Rising Heroes workout focused mostly on arms and stuff like that. Felt good. -1HP from the Balrog.

Out of bed by 5:30am weekdays/8:30am 1 weekend day - I'm calling 5:35 a win! -1HP from the Balrog.

1 long walk with Kali per day - Yup, all the way around the big block. I got a little annoyed with her because we went out then she immediately decided she needed to go out again about 5 minutes later, but trying to remember she doesn't get these things. -1HP from the Balrog.

 

 

Balrog HP 101/125 -7

 

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Little side note for those who've been following along for a bit. Yesterday Ms. Miz and I both had Doctor's appointments. I was a bit nervous about Ms. Miz's (everything was good in the end) so indulged in a beer at a nearby pub, which pushed me over my 2 drink limit. I was also going in to talk to the Doctor myself about my anxiety. So maybe the beer was more for me! In the end she put me on a low dose daily med, and gave me a referral to a mental health clinic. So we'll be trying a two pronged approach to managing this. I already feel worlds better (though of course that's just the placebo effect, but still) and am glad to have a plan of action on this!

 

[Rhovaniel]

16 minutes ago, Mizbrek said:

Little side note for those who've been following along for a bit. Yesterday Ms. Miz and I both had Doctor's appointments. I was a bit nervous about Ms. Miz's (everything was good in the end) so indulged in a beer at a nearby pub, which pushed me over my 2 drink limit. I was also going in to talk to the Doctor myself about my anxiety. So maybe the beer was more for me! In the end she put me on a low dose daily med, and gave me a referral to a mental health clinic. So we'll be trying a two pronged approach to managing this. I already feel worlds better (though of course that's just the placebo effect, but still) and am glad to have a plan of action on this!

That's great news that 1. everything is good with Mrs Miz and 2. You're getting help from the doctor about the anxiety.  

[Mizbrek]

3 minutes ago, Rhovaniel said:

That's great news that 1. everything is good with Mrs Miz and 2. You're getting help from the doctor about the anxiety.  

 

Thanks! It'll apparently be about a month or so before the meds really kick in, but I feel really good that I have a plan of action and I'm trying things other than just think the anxiety away.

[Mizbrek]

Okay! Days are definitely getting a bit more under control. Yesterday, though a bit stressful at work, was very solid overall.

 

Limit 4 drinks per weekend day/2 per weekday - 2 glasses of wine only. Rising Heroes has a flash mission of going 48h without one of your favourite food indulgences, so I chose beer, so sticking to wine or whiskey yesterday and today. -1HP from the Balrog.

2100 calories per day - Was under by about 200 yesterday! Wondering if my estimates were a bit off but I tried to aim high. -1HP from the Balrog.

20 mins housework/1hr on weekends - Laundry and some dishes! -1HP from the Balrog.

Read one hour each weekend day (outside of bed)/15 minutes each weekday (outside of bed) - Did my 15 on the train. I got a library ebook, which is helping to motivate me to finish it before it expires in a week and a half! -1HP from the Balrog.

Workout 45 mins 6 days per week - You know I can't remember exactly what I did yesterday. 45 minutes of something from Rising Heroes though! -1HP from the Balrog.

Out of bed by 5:30am weekdays/8:30am 1 weekend day - 5 minutes later again, but up and going in good time! -1HP from the Balrog.

1 long walk with Kali per day - Done and done yesterday! -1HP from the Balrog.

 

 

Balrog HP 94/125 -7

 

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[Yasha92]

Nice work

 

I need to visit the library again when I find some free time, I forget what cool things they have there.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rhovaniel]

5 hours ago, Mizbrek said:

Did my 15 on the train. I got a library ebook, which is helping to motivate me to finish it before it expires in a week and a half! -1HP from the Balrog.

Deadlines certainly provide good motivation I find!

[Mizbrek]

19 hours ago, Yasha92 said:

Nice work

 

I need to visit the library again when I find some free time, I forget what cool things they have there.

Thanks! Most books I can't finish in time but this one is pretty easy going, A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab. And having it as an ebook means I can read it pretty much anytime, anywhere!

18 hours ago, Rhovaniel said:

Deadlines certainly provide good motivation I find!

I'm finding that too!

 

So a solid day yesterday. Well under calories, good workout, all that! And allllmost a new weight low today! Checked in at 201, old weight low was 200.8! Almost to Onederland!

 

Limit 4 drinks per weekend day/2 per weekday - 2 cocktails at home last night! -1HP from the Balrog.

2100 calories per day - Checked in at about 1800 last night, which was lovely. I was actually a little worried - with dinner and drinks originally I was clocking in at closer to 1200! But dinner ended up being a bit heavier once it all got put together, which was perfect. -1HP from the Balrog.

20 mins housework/1hr on weekends - Laundry! Pretty much exclusively, but needs to be done! -1HP from the Balrog.

Read one hour each weekend day (outside of bed)/15 minutes each weekday (outside of bed) - 15 on the train again and a bit in bed. -1HP from the Balrog.

Workout 45 mins 6 days per week - Tried the Recommended Routine from the bodyweightfitness subreddit yesterday. Was a bit slower learning some new moves, but felt wonderfully sore yesterday! -1HP from the Balrog.

Out of bed by 5:30am weekdays/8:30am 1 weekend day - I find it hard to make 5:30 exactly, but close enough! Within 5 minutes or so counts for me. -1HP from the Balrog.

1 long walk with Kali per day - She didn't wanna go too too far yesterday, but that's fine! -1HP from the Balrog.

 

 

Balrog HP 87/125 -7

 

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[Rhovaniel]

58 minutes ago, Mizbrek said:

A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab

Oooh, I had to read that for my creative writing module this year. It's a great book!

[Elastigirl]

Courage point for talking to our Dr. about your anxiety. Great that you know have a solid plan to deal with it. Looks like that Balrog will be defeated this time.

[Mizbrek]

23 hours ago, Rhovaniel said:

Oooh, I had to read that for my creative writing module this year. It's a great book!

Yeah I like it so far! I've been trying a bunch of non fiction so this is a nice change of pace!

 

14 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Courage point for talking to our Dr. about your anxiety. Great that you know have a solid plan to deal with it. Looks like that Balrog will be defeated this time.

Thanks! And yup, that reminds me, need to book my follow up appointment. 

 

Had a work event last night which threw things off a little bit, but I tried to make good choices where I could, and eat at worst towards maintenance! I still was about 600 under maintenance I believe, so that wasn't too bad. Weight had ticked up a bit today but not nearly as much as I thought it would, about 0.6, so that's great.

 

Limit 4 drinks per weekend day/2 per weekday - Using a variance on this one, so no points off the Balrog, but it doesn't count against a possible perfect week. And I only had 3 drinks, so not too bad.

2100 calories per day - Variance on this as well. I did my best to, while still enjoying the food and drink, not go overboard, so I feel kinda proud of that. I had a light appetizer, just a couple of the passed apps, and I didn't eat my full entree. Ended up at around 24-2500. 

20 mins housework/1hr on weekends - Counting some of my efforts to take care of the animals and take out the garbage last night! -1HP from the Balrog.

Read one hour each weekend day (outside of bed)/15 minutes each weekday (outside of bed) - 15 on the train home. -1HP from the Balrog.

Workout 45 mins 6 days per week - Back to an NF workout, though can't remember exactly what yesterday, but felt good! -1HP from the Balrog.

Out of bed by 5:30am weekdays/8:30am 1 weekend day - Done and done. -1HP from the Balrog.

1 long walk with Kali per day - Went as far as she would, and got out of bed in the middle of the night to walk her! -1HP from the Balrog.

 

 

Balrog HP 82/125 -5

 

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[Rhovaniel]

32 minutes ago, Mizbrek said:

1 long walk with Kali per day - Went as far as she would, and got out of bed in the middle of the night to walk her! -1HP from the Balrog.

Now that's dedication! 

 

Great job of enjoying the work event and keeping an eye on healthy. Sounds like you struck a good balance