[Qnobi]

Greetings, all. Much has changed for me recently. Switched assignments. New assignment is in Japan. Family stayed home in the states (this is a pretty common military thing known as 'geo-bachelor' -- not a dissolution of the family but an extended period of working away from home). Read Body by Science and a bunch of other stuff that convinced me that I really can't avoid strength training any longer. I also decided to ditch the idea of a car altogether and ride to and from work, so I bought a mid-grade hybrid bike and have started that adventure. It's perfect timing for a new challenge!

 

1. Use the F=ma. Strength training using HIT or HIIT principles at least once per week. 

 

I met a training buddy shortly after arriving. He loves HIIT, and I wanted to try HIT after reading about it. We decided to combine our passions for a HIIT workout on Monday, a core-focused HIT session on Wednesday, and a Big 5 HIT session on Friday. We made this plan knowing that a Monday or Friday is inevitably going to drop out on occasion and we wanted to ensure at least a couple of workouts per week. We're also monitoring ourselves for signs of overtraining, and are willing to cut this back as necessary since we're both fift-ish. Thus, once per week is meeting goal. Twice per week is awesome. Thrice per week and I'm drinking a celebratory beverage.

 

2. Ride my bike to work at least three times per week.

 

I made the decision to bike even though the train is extremely cheap and convenient because before coming to Japan I had fallen in hate with my commute. It was 30 to 40 minutes of sitting twice a day, and even though I have to walk ten minutes on either side of the train ride I still want to avoid sitting. I live almost exactly 5k from work, and it's about a 20-minute ride taking traffic into consideration. Doing that at least 3 times weekly will give me 120 minutes of riding, which is decent and allows for the occasional rain and/or recovery day. Four times in a week is awesome. Five times is ideal. If I ride four or five times and also complete a weekend ride, then I'm drinking a celebratory beverage.

 

3. Learn at least three new Japanese phrases and five words per week.

 

I got an apartment off base in a fully Japanese neighborhood where store clerks and restauranteurs don't speak a ton of English. The learning curve is steep and ubiquitous. Want a pizza? Amazon delivery? Ask for directions? Good luck, yank. Learning at least three common phrases and five words that I could swap into those phrases is the goal. If I double it, I'm drinking a celebratory beverage.

 

4. Do something social at least once per week.

 

I've been away from home for almost two months now, and I'm not going to lie -- it gets lonely. In order to keep myself from going stir crazy in my tiny little monk cell of an apartment, I need to do something with other people at least once a week. There's an opportunity to play bass with a little practice group, and there's a weekly dinner hosted by a group off base, and there are friends to ask out to lunch. If I do one thing per week, goal. Besides, I need some company for all these celebratory beverages.

 

Kanpai!

 

[Qnobi]

Okay. Day one:

 

✅ Goal 1 -- Attended HIIT class with my training buddy. 

✅ Goal 2 -- Rode my bike to work and back (note: forgot my lights and rode home at dusk. Unnecessary adrenaline, but I made good time).

? Goal 3 -- Working on 7 phrases (full disclosure...already started working on these, but three are new):

                    - sumimasen (excuse me)

                    - gomen nasai (I'm sorry)

                    - itadakimasu (I receive this [with gratitude])

                    - yoroshiku onegaishimasu (I'm in your debt)

                    - gochisousama deshita ([that was a feast])

                    - arrigato gozaimasu (thank you)

                    - douita shimashite (you're welcome)

               Also working on the words for 4,5, and 6. 

? Goal 4 -- No socials yet. Not going to count HIIT as social because it's not really the spirit of the goal.

 

Welcome to Monday! ☯️

[Qnobi]

Day two:

 

✅? Goal 1 -- Rest day today.

✅✅ Goal 2 -- Rode my bike to work and back (remembered the lights)

?? Goal 3 -- Flash cards are flipping.

?? Goal 4 -- No socials yet.

 

Welcome to Tuesday! ☯️

[Qnobi]

Ok, then. Day three:

 

✅?✅ Goal 1 -- Completed Core FIT with my training buddy. 

✅✅? Goal 2 -- Rode the train...tired legs.

??? Goal 3 -- Flash cards are flipping.

??? Goal 4 -- No socials yet.

 

Happy hump day! ☯️

[Qnobi]

Right. Day four:

 

✅?✅? Goal 1 -- Rest day.

✅✅?✅ Goal 2 -- Biked to work and back; rear light ran out of battery. These lights....

???? Goal 3 -- Beginning to wonder how I'm going to know this is done. I guess if I can nail the flash card in either direction. In that case, 4 down, 3 to go.

???✅ Goal 4 -- Met with some peers for celebratory beverages. Ended up staying for dinner, but went chicken caesar, so not too bad.

 

Almost there! ☯️

[Qnobi]

Welp. Day five:

 

✅?✅?✅ Goal 1 -- Big 5 HIT.

✅✅?✅? Goal 2 -- Knowing it was Big 5 day, I took the train. 

????? Goal 3 — 5 down, 2 to go.

???✅? Goal 4 -- Celebratory beverages on my own.
 

Happy Friday! ☯️

[Qnobi]

Six:

 

✅?✅?✅? Goal 1 -- Rest day.

✅✅?✅?? Goal 2 -- Train to town.

?????? Goal 3 — 6 down, 1 to go.

???✅?? Goal 4 -- Walked around on my own. 

 

[Qnobi]

Week One:

 

☯️ - ✅?✅?✅?? Goal 1 -- Rest day.

☯️ - ✅✅?✅??? Goal 2 -- Train to town.

☯️ - ??????✅ Goal 3 — Still just 6 phrases, but all three words. Going to call it good.

☯️ - ???✅??✅ Goal 4 -- Lunch with a friend

 

Reflection: 
 

Made all the markers this week, but there are learnings:

1. I still need to curate my habit pattern in this new existence. Too much randomness. Too much unintentional downtime. ,

2. Summer heat here is brutal, but I can hydrate and get more bike time.

[Qnobi]

Week two. Day one:

 

✅ Goal 1 -- Attended HIIT class with my training buddy. 

✅ Goal 2 -- Rode my bike to work and back -- realllllly sucked after the HIIT workout, so I coasted a lot.

? Goal 3 -- Discovered last week that I really need a phrase for "I don't know how to talk good," so here's this week, with carryovers from last week in blue because I wasn't satisfied with my recall today:

                    - yoroshiku onegaishimasu (I'm in your debt)

                    - gochisousama deshita ([that was a feast])

                    - douita shimashite (you're welcome)

                    - watashi wa Nihon-go o amari hanasemasen (I don't speak much Japanese)

                    - wakarimasen (I don't understand)

                    - Menyu in eigo wa arimasu ka?  (Do you have a menu in English?)

               Also working on the words for 7,8,9, and 10.

? Goal 4 -- No socials yet. 

 

Welcome to Monday! ?

[Qnobi]

Day two:

 

✅? Goal 1 -- No HIIT -- we're actually resting the rest of this week because we have an assessment next week, so this will be a wash.

✅✅ Goal 2 -- Rode my bike to work and back.

?? Goal 3 -- Made zero progress -- I haven't made the flash cards and really need to...

?✅ Goal 4 -- A friend is in town, so we met for dinner and a whiskey. Good fellowship.

 

Happy Tuesday! ?

[Qnobi]

Day three:

 

✅?? Goal 1 -- No HIIT -- resting for next week's assessment.

✅✅✅ Goal 2 -- Rode my bike to work and back.

??? Goal 3 -- Made the flash cards, and I think I've got a small handle on four of the seven.

?✅? Goal 4 -- No socials today.

 

Happy Hump Day! ?

[Chesire]

On 9/8/2024 at 2:13 AM, Qnobi said:

We're also monitoring ourselves for signs of overtraining, and are willing to cut this back as necessary since we're both fift-ish

I feel seen.  And I don't like it

 

On 9/8/2024 at 2:13 AM, Qnobi said:

then I'm drinking a celebratory beverage.

 

On 9/8/2024 at 2:13 AM, Qnobi said:

I need some company for all these celebratory beverages.

With all of the celebratory beverages you may need the company to help balance your bike

 

following

[Qnobi]

 

8 hours ago, Chesire said:

With all of the celebratory beverages you may need the company to help balance your bike

 

I admit...I have to combine the celebratory beverages. They will no kidding give you a DUI here for drunken cycling!

 

Day four:

 

✅??? Goal 1 -- No HIIT -- resting for next week's assessment.

✅✅✅? Goal 2 -- Took the train today -- too much luggage for the bike. Fortunate, too, because it rained in the afternoon.

???? Goal 3 -- Slow progress...I was able to actually use "no spraken de Japanese" today, and they understood me. 

?✅?✅ Goal 4 -- Lunch with my pro cohort today. 

 

Happy Thursday! ?

[Qnobi]

Day five:

 

✅???? Goal 1 -- No HIIT -- resting for next week's assessment.

✅✅✅?✅ Goal 2 -- Cycled to work and back, and to the grocery to buy non-alcoholic celebratory beverages.

????? Goal 3 -- We'll see how this ends up...it's been a busy (read: not studying) week.

?✅?✅✅ Goal 4 -- Visited a coworker in the hospital today. I think that counts a little. 

 

Happy Friday! ?

[Qnobi]

Skipped yesterday, so here's the Week 2 summary:

 

❌ - ✅?????? Goal 1 -- Made good on the intention to rest for the week. Monday kicks us off again. Failure, but planned failure. 

☯️ - ✅✅✅?✅?? Goal 2 -- Four total days biking -- used the train all weekend, but made goal.

 ❌ - ??????? Goal 3 -- Not good enough. I've learned a few phrases, but did not put in my 10 minutes of daily study and fell short.

☯️ - ?✅?✅✅?? Goal 4 -- Considering the goal is once, I'd say this was a big success.

 

Reflection: 

1. Ten minutes of daily study has to go into my habit stack. I can't rely on seeing the cards and being motivated -- too haphazard.

2. Second week in a row that weekends have been pretty empty. On the one hand, rest is good. On the other, room to improve. 

3. I need a meal plan.

[Qnobi]

Week three (already). Day one:

 

✅ Goal 1 -- Today I completed my assessment, so that was the workout.

? Goal 2 -- Rain day, so no bike.

? Goal 3 -- Repeating last week:

                    - yoroshiku onegaishimasu (I'm in your debt)

                    - gochisousama deshita ([that was a feast])

                    - douita shimashite (you're welcome)

                    - watashi wa Nihon-go o amari hanasemasen (I don't speak much Japanese)

                    - wakarimasen (I don't understand)

                    - Menyu in eigo wa arimasu ka?  (Do you have a menu in English?)

               Also working on the words for 7,8,9, and 10.

? Goal 4 -- No socials yet. 

 

Slow start. Welcome to Monday, and Happy Equinox! ☀️

[Chesire]

Is 'I'm in your debt" akin to "thank you" or is it more heavily weighted as we tend to use it in English?

[Qnobi]

Yeah, the former. It’s like, ‘omigod thank you SO much-ah!’ With your mouth open at the end.

[Qnobi]

Day two:

 

✅? Goal 1 -- Planned rest day.

?✅ Goal 2 -- Rode my bike to work and back.

?? Goal 3 -- I did my ten minutes yesterday...working on it.

?✅ Goal 4 -- Dinner with a buddy tonight. 

 

Happy Tuesday! 

[Qnobi]

Skipped a day…

 

Day four:

 

✅??? Goal 1 -- one rain day and one lazy day.

?✅✅✅ Goal 2 -- Rode my bike to work and back.

???? Goal 3 -- I’ve let my structure get out of hand as I’ve just tried to learn what I need in the moment. I’ll have to revisit this.

?✅?? Goal 4 -- No additional socials.

 

Happy Thursday! 

[Qnobi]

Day five:

 

✅???✅ Goal 1 -- HIT Big 5 with training buddy

?✅✅✅? Goal 2 -- Rained -- train to work.

????? Goal 3 -- ::Sigh::

?✅??? Goal 4 -- Not only no socials, but watching FOTR in my cave alone. Take that.

 

Happy Friday! 

[Qnobi]

Day six:

 

✅???✅? Goal 1 -- Intentional rest

?✅✅✅?? Goal 2 -- No commute

?????? Goal 3 -- ::Sigh::

?✅???? Goal 4 -- Nope

ok…not much to Saturday. Hope you have a good one!

[Qnobi]

Week three recap:

 

✅???✅?? Goal 1 -- Intentional rest, but made the weekly minimum.

?✅✅✅??? Goal 2 -- No commute, but made the weekly goal.

??????? Goal 3 -- I learned some stuff. Just not what I listed at the beginning of the week. Rethinking this tomorrow.

?✅????? Goal 4 -- Solo Sunday was actually pretty nice. Still made the weekly goal.

So there's a lot of gray there, but made 3 out of 4 at least to minimum level. 

Hope you have a good week 4!

[Qnobi]

Week 4, Day 1:

 

✅ Goal 1 -- HIIT with a buddy. Squats mostly, followed by riding my bike. Considering renaming the challlenge ‘QNobi dies to death.’

✅ Goal 2 -- made the commute.

? Goal 3 -- I don’t have a solution yet. Thinking.

? Goal 4 -- No socials yet. 

 

Happy Monday!

[Qnobi]

Day 2:

 

✅? Goal 1 -- Planned rest day

✅✅ Goal 2 -- made the commute...and it started raining 5 minutes in. Luckily, it's only a 25-minute commute on average.

?? Goal 3 -- Still no solution, but I did use a phrase or two today. I'm still doing Duolingo and looking up what I need, so it's not like I'm doing *nothing,* but the goal as stated lies dormant.

?? Goal 4 -- No socials yet. 

 

Welcome to Tuesday!