Ruth2301 Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hi all I, like so many others who are introducing themselves, stumbled across this site in search of something else (for me it was HIIT), and I've been lurking for a little bit, trying to get the lay of the land.I'm in the home stretch of my Ph.D. studies (less than 2 months before I am done and actually get to start living like a real person again!!!), and over the last 2 years I have also been working on losing weight and, as I put it to my friends, "getting super fit and healthy and whatnot". It's been a great journey so far, filled with all sorts of highs and lows. In the first 6 months I lost a whopping 70 pounds, then hit a plateau that lasted for about 6 more months. It was awful, but I got through it without throwing (m)any breakable objects at the wall.About a year and a half ago I challenged myself to walk the 2 miles to and from campus at least three times a week. I still remember that first day, when I had to stop half way up a hill to catch my breath a little bit. Incredibly, a month later I was walking everywhere all the time. A month after that I started going to the campus gym three times a week. The first challenge was convincing myself to go: I was *so* far out of my comfort zone! I stuck with the elliptical and worked my way through C25K on that.Fast forward to the present: I have joined a gym off campus that I adore, I am working out a couple times a week with a trainer and doing my own workouts 4 other days during the week, I am now doing C25K on the treadmill (although, frankly, I have discovered that I get bored quickly when running or spinning), I have fallen in love with high intensity interval training, and I feel like I'm entering a new phase of understanding fitness and my body.I still have a long way to go on my journey, but I'm thrilled to have found nerdfitness: it seems like a great community of encouragement and hive-mind knowledge. I'm looking forward to learning from y'all Ruth(but my friends call me PopRocks)|| STR: 8 || DEX: 1 || STA: 5 || CON: 6 || WIS: 9 || CHA: 5 || Current Challenge Thread Link to comment
vengefulpear Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hey there Ruth! Congratulations on getting so far! I'm glad you've found exercises that you enjoy, I know that can be troublesome. Have you tried audiobooks on runs maybe? As a way to keep them interesting? I've tried this to keep myself entertained, but I also realise that some people find music easier with a beat and a bit of motivation. Just a suggestion Congratulations on your PhD and being so close to the end! What are you studying? Alex Assassin Guild Leader Trainee STR: 2 | DEX: 2 | STA: 2 | CON: 3 | WIS: 3 | CHA: 3 Current Challenge: Vengefulpear Revives! Level 1 High Score: Level 7 STR: 14 | DEX: 10 | STA: 1 | CON: 12 | WIS: 6 | CHA: 4 Link to comment
Ruth2301 Posted June 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 That's a good idea: audiobooks or podcasts, maybe. I do like to just let my mind go for a bit, since I spend a lot of time thinking and working throughout the days, but something light might help keep me on track and help keep me from getting bored. Another thing I might do is add some new running mixes to my iPod. I like my current mix a lot, but it would be fun to introduce some new stuff that I wouldn't necessarily listen to otherwise. I'm just about finished with C25K, so I'll definitely need some new things to keep me interested. Ruth(but my friends call me PopRocks)|| STR: 8 || DEX: 1 || STA: 5 || CON: 6 || WIS: 9 || CHA: 5 || Current Challenge Thread Link to comment
maegs Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hi, and congrats on (soon) getting your PhD! I find that running outside, and trail running especially, is a lot more interesting than running on the treadmill, since you're not looking at the same thing the whole time (and on trails you have to pay attention to what's coming up and where your feet are going!). Same goes for biking outside vs. spinning, at least for me. Current Challenge Goodreads|Instagram|Ravelry Link to comment
mist Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 As someone who has been through the rigours of the PhD process (I finished mine in 2008) congrats on being able to do ANYTHING non-thesis related in the final stretch [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Mist, Level 3 Half-orc Adventurer STR: 5 | DEX: 3 | STA: 3.5 | CON: 5 | WIS: 8.75 | CHA: 4 Third time's the charm - My current challenge thread Interested in my progress? - My First Challenge & My Second Challenge Link to comment
Ruth2301 Posted June 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2012 Thanks, mist. Although my advisor did tell me yesterday that I need to work "much much more". I just can't figure out how to put in more than the 12-16 hours a day I am already putting in. Plus, I'm quite confident I am working better than I would if I was to skip/limit my workouts and/or stop trying to eat well.Anyway, this stage of the dissertation really and truly is ridiculous. Here's to getting through it and never ever doing it again! Ruth(but my friends call me PopRocks)|| STR: 8 || DEX: 1 || STA: 5 || CON: 6 || WIS: 9 || CHA: 5 || Current Challenge Thread Link to comment
--- Posted June 15, 2012 Report Share Posted June 15, 2012 As someone who has had friends go through the Ph.D. process (and so has had a first-row seat), I salute you. And welcome! Link to comment
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