It's dangerous to go alone! Take this!

[catspaw]

We're on week 4 of the challenge and I just wanted to make sure that no one is falling behind in terms of support/love or getting lost in the noise of everyone else's achievements.

So this is a thread for you: How is it going, challengers? Are you feeling confident? Discouraged? Victorious? Lonely?

Be sure to include a link to your challenge thread so that people who take an interest in you can start tracking your progress there for the next couple of weeks!

[Dio]

Good call! I'm considering my challenge failed. I've kept up on other training and have been doing well, but haven't been hitting my original goals. I think I'm at a point of fitness discovery that it's difficult to plan six weeks out!

[Timmy M]

mines going ok, 2 1/2 books left to read, power clean goal seems feasible (12.5kg to go) but deadlift is way off, might be able to get to 160kg (goal is 180kg, but my hips injured anyway so it was always in doubt that one, still i gained 15kg on it in 4 weeks (150 now)), being more paleo is going ok, probably 90% on average and i've not been tabataing as much as i should of but i'm doing ok with it

[Natalie]

My challenge has been a total fail so far.

[Siha]

I am doing great except for the primary focus of my challenge, running. Its a complete mental block, and I need to get up and get over it. I'd like to challenge myself to make up my 4 missed runs in the next two weeks, but I think I will just start with the 4 left and go from there.

So discouraged, but hopeful.

[catspaw]

Good call! I'm considering my challenge failed. I've kept up on other training and have been doing well, but haven't been hitting my original goals. I think I'm at a point of fitness discovery that it's difficult to plan six weeks out!

I wouldn't consider this a "failure" as much as a total success on a challenge you just hadn't spelled out for yourself in advance. Fitness discovery is super-important. Can you plan 2 weeks out?

It doesn't make sense to pursue goals that are no longer relevant to you. It's not too late to come up with 2 week goals that you think you could hit, that are more relevant to what you're doing now!

[catspaw]

mines going ok, 2 1/2 books left to read, power clean goal seems feasible (12.5kg to go) but deadlift is way off, might be able to get to 160kg (goal is 180kg, but my hips injured anyway so it was always in doubt that one, still i gained 15kg on it in 4 weeks (150 now)), being more paleo is going ok, probably 90% on average and i've not been tabataing as much as i should of but i'm doing ok with it

Sounds like you're making great progress. Keep it up and let us know if you need any help.

[catspaw]

My challenge has been a total fail so far.

Last I heard from you: "I've decided to change my goals a little bit because it's taking me longer to recover than I thought." What are the new goals? Also, good job changing it up as life deals you unexpected cards.

[catspaw]

I am doing great except for the primary focus of my challenge, running. Its a complete mental block, and I need to get up and get over it. I'd like to challenge myself to make up my 4 missed runs in the next two weeks, but I think I will just start with the 4 left and go from there.

So discouraged, but hopeful.

How about instead of "making up the 4 missed runs", you do the 4 left to go plus one bonus "I met my goals these last two weeks!!!" victory lap? Like at the end of the 4th run, sprint around for a few minutes in congratulations to yourself. For bonus points, take a photo right afterwards.

Does that sound reasonable?

[Sanjh]

Ehh, weight lifting has been reasonable, I've missed lifting once this challenge. I'll miss once more, but I can't do too much about that. I've been terrible with soda, I've completely ditched guitar and realized that hours spent doing research is not a valuable metric (I've been getting stuff done at a reasonable rate, but I'm maybe at 45-ish out of 120 hours). Meh, could be worse I guess.

[bigm141414]

Couldn't resist

But back to the topic, things are going swimmingly for ol' BigM

[Shortkaik]

My challenge has been going pretty well - my goals were mostly a bit vague, and I've had the most trouble with trying to get a protein-rich breakfast in every morning. Just doesn't seem to fit well with my morning routines. I've gotten back to tracking my intake, which has helped me become more accountable to myself, at least.

Fitness-wise, once I completed my 5k (yay!) I stopped running almost completely. The weather is just getting too nasty up here, and I really hate the treadmill. At the moment, I'm trying to find replacement activities to fill those two workout days.

I didn't set any really 'measurable' goals (weight, speed, etc) and I think I'm pretty glad about that - I haven't taken any measurements since the start of the challenge, but I don't think I've lost any weight or size. But we'll see in a couple weeks what the final numbers are...

[161803398874989]

Shortkaik, I go on running when it's raining, snowing, hailing. I don't give a shit, because I'm awesome like that.

Be awesome, run no matter what the circumstances.

[Shortkaik]

Shortkaik, I go on running when it's raining, snowing, hailing. I don't give a shit, because I'm awesome like that.

Be awesome, run no matter what the circumstances.

I'm sure I could go running in the freezing cold, but the point is that I want to be spending my days doing things I enjoy, not just to be awesome. I enjoy running, but don't feel safe running in the winter because it's too dark and too slippery!

[kahn265]

Challenge is going "OK".

Main Quests

• Calorie Counting - fail - Thinking of reworking how I do this.
• Crossfit Mon-Thu - 100%
• Iaijutsu every Thu - 100%
• Stick to my Budget - 50% - however, I have a bonus "Quest" that I've started that will make this easier!

Bonus Quests (added after challenge started)

• Work on Blog - I've been very uninspired to create
• Bike to Work - Started on Monday. Doing Well so far! I think I can make this work, unless I need to play chauffer (I will Tomorrow and Friday). I've been saving cash by not putting it into my V8!
• Transition to Paleo - In Progress. I'm in the process of MacGyvering a solution. Doing fairly well and figuring plans.

[Siha]

How about instead of "making up the 4 missed runs", you do the 4 left to go plus one bonus "I met my goals these last two weeks!!!" victory lap? Like at the end of the 4th run, sprint around for a few minutes in congratulations to yourself. For bonus points, take a photo right afterwards.

Does that sound reasonable?

Sounds very reasonable.

[Denny]

I've been making progress but I have not been following my specific goals. I'm starting to think there's no point in making goals, I'm going to aim for progress all the time instead and post results when I meet milestones. This way I will be happy for every little progress I make.

[shinigamiPUNCH]

I neglected to remember that about this time of the year, I get really busy and also really unenergetic. So I'm barely hanging on to my goals, fighting sugar/carb cravings again... right now I'm in the middle of the afternoon lulls (zZz) at work trying to hang on.

I'm reading a book - "The Mood Cure" and about to start trialing some supplements to see if they help.

Next challenge I think I will aim for doing less.

...Zzz... zZz...

[shinigamiPUNCH]

I'm sure I could go running in the freezing cold, but the point is that I want to be spending my days doing things I enjoy, not just to be awesome. I enjoy running, but don't feel safe running in the winter because it's too dark and too slippery!

lol I was imagining running in the winter here in ND. I know people do it - I don't think I could be that hardcore. Often they give up plowing the sidewalks... do you have a back up plan for the winter?

[SigridEllis]

shinigamiPUNCH --- Hiya! I'm in Minnesota, I know what you mean about the time of year. And it's just going to get darker and darker. I fight it with green tea or white tea in the afternoon, and a snack of apples and almond butter. The nice thing about October is, the honeycrisp apples are back!

(And, er, I wasn't doing the six-week challenge.)

[kahn265]

The nice thing about October is, the honeycrisp apples are back!

Hallelujah and Amen!

[shinigamiPUNCH]

I fight it with green tea or white tea in the afternoon, and a snack of apples and almond butter

I will have to give that a try. My coworker has a tree full of apples - I'm working on sweet talking her into bringing me some.

[Shortkaik]

lol I was imagining running in the winter here in ND. I know people do it - I don't think I could be that hardcore. Often they give up plowing the sidewalks... do you have a back up plan for the winter?

Yeah, it's about the same around here. I think North Dakota is at about an equal latitude to Ottawa, so probably similar ridiculous winters! As my backup, I've signed up for the office indoor soccer team, which goes Tuesday and Thursday throughout the winter. That should be a good alternative to running (well, there will be running there, too!)

[macnip78]

I centered my goals around gaining strength while I am in the process of losing weight. Needless to say, they have been challenging. That being said, I think I am going to hit them. Which would be great for my first challenge. My life goal has been excellent! Very happy about that

[shinigamiPUNCH]

Yeah, it's about the same around here. I think North Dakota is at about an equal latitude to Ottawa, so probably similar ridiculous winters! As my backup, I've signed up for the office indoor soccer team, which goes Tuesday and Thursday throughout the winter. That should be a good alternative to running (well, there will be running there, too!)

Oh that sounds like an awesome back up!