Respawn of the Jedi [Chris-Tien Jinn]

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Adding running 5K < 30 minutes, which I haven't done in years ......

Milestone Spreadsheet

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

I'm working on refining the RPG/D&D gamification of workouts.  

 

First off, I have to say that I am making great progress.  I weighed in at 154.9 pounds today!!!  Five pounds to goal weight, but I am still making gains in strength training.  So, something is working!!!

 

Tracking is a great way to gather data and maintain discipline, but I don't really want to track for the rest of my life.  Well, at least not food.  I'm ok with tracking strength training.  I would actually like to stop tracking cardio in addition to nutrition.  I want to develop habits so that I can focus mental energy on other things.  

 

So, looking at what offline (and not smart phone based either), system would be a sufficient nudge while being at least a little fun.  I am finding that the MTG Forgotten Realms card series has land cards!!  I think I'm going to get a set for next challenge and start working out a system for fantasy card-based fitness, taking inspiration from  ArtemisPrime ....

What do I need??

• Average of 6 cardio workouts per week

• Average of 2 strength workouts per week (3 would be better)

• Earn a major piece of equipment each challenge

• Do something fun or self-care focused 7 times per week

• Encourage social activity 6 times per week (?)

• Encourage cooking healthy meals

• Recovery essentials

  • Drink 32+ oz of water per day

  • Sleep 7+ hours per night

  • Protein at 80 to 136 grams per day

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

NEW QUEST!!!

 

To Be a Badass Jedi Elder (aka Cool Grandma)

 

My daughter is pregnant (expecting a boy in February, if all goes well), and I feel a stronger sense of urgency to get "FIT" and be ready to keep up with grandchildren and be a good role model.  I figure that I have between 2 and 18 years to achieve that status.  I am giving myself nearly two decades to fulfill this quest.  Why??  Because my daughter happened to go to school in the same town where my mother lived ... and one day she completely surprised me by saying that "Grandma is COOL!!" ... and almost asked her who she meant, because she couldn't mean my mother!!!  

 

This is an exciting quest but also a bit scary.  Just looking around the house and thinking of the challenge of baby-proofing the place ... oy!!  So, there will be plenty of material for upcoming challenges.

 

First challenge of the quest is mostly mental and involves retraining.  

 

 

1) What IS a cool grandmother??   Neither my grandmother (on my mom's side ... my dad's mother died young) nor my mother were in good shape.  So, my mental image of a grandmother is NOT the Jedi Elder portrayed above.  One of the tasks for this challenge is to collect images of strong, healthy, elders ... particularly female ... and add them to a vision board (digital).  As part of that mental retraining, I also am going to think about what characteristics and activities belong to that vision.  

 

2) Identify what scares me about having a little one around again ... and address the lack of knowledge and skills.  The first book is Today's Grandmother .....   I know that won't cure all of the trepidation, but it's a start.  

 

3) Commit to self-care.  I've been coasting this past year on nutrition, telling myself that it's OK because I'm working out and building muscle.  Sorta correct, but also kidding myself.  Time to knuckle down and improve nutrition for the long-haul.  

 

 

[Elastigirl]

Love the quest and the pic!

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

I'm sitting here in our sunny breakfast nook, pondering what to do for the next challenge.   At first, I was considering a "Run the Gauntlet ..." type of challenge, making holiday sweets the monster to outrun.  But the challenge that @Heidi posted (love the title!) has me reconsidering.

 

By the end of November, I want to weigh 152 pounds (which is a 1.6 pound reduction) and be healthy.    I've been doing great, although I have also been wrestling with various illnesses that come from exposure to college students.  Some of the "fat" loss may have been more muscle loss since I had not been strength training for weeks, but the scale numbers are encouraging.  

 

The first week of the next challenge is the week that students return from Fall Break with all of the crud they can pick up from home and airports.  So, I need to be flexible about specific actions to undertake.  Ready with the pressure gauge level adjustments is a must.  

 

I have been noticing that I am spending too much time online with social media and news sources, and it is definitely stressing me out.  In addition, some nasty graffiti has been appearing on campus.  This wouldn't stress me out, but the campus reaction and blame-game is definitely pushing me over the edge.  Especially since, there is little to nothing that I can do about any of it.  

 

My first sensei, may he rest in peace, always told me that I should remain relaxed until an opponent came into the "red-zone" --- the point at which they could strike me.  To be calm and relaxed in the center of the my circle was the goal then.  And I think it needs to be the major goal for the next challenge.  

 

How??  Working on it ..... but here are a few ideas:

1. A social media and online news fast.  Other than Nerd Fitness forums.  
2. Hang with my peeps: Pound class, pottery class, CrossFit sessions, etc.  Be with people off-campus.
3. Improve 5K time.  My last attempt was 48 minutes.  I can beat that if I just keep working on it gradually.  I like the Zombies, Run! app.
4. Lat pulldown max of 100 pounds.  

I already dropped a bunch of Discord server memberships.  Not that I am on Discord very often .... Facebook is more of a problem.  

 

I am also trying to wean myself from tracking calories/points.  Our appearance-obsessed culture is toxic.  I would like that my grandson does not see me buying into it.  

 

Thoughts??

[Heidi]

I love the "comfortable and relaxed until" advice and goal, and I really like how you've identified social media and general attitude-climate as disruptors. 

 

Especially as we head towards the holidays, social media can be so destructive to our well being.

 

I believe in you!

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

I'm sitting here at mid-summer and considering how to re-group after last challenge, which was successful NOT successful in meeting the goals I had set:

• Weigh <= 150 pounds (again)  
  • I actually gained weight rather than losing it
  • I had trouble finding low-point (WW) alternatives to fun, summery foods and didn't balance low-point days with fun times
• Have the boxes unpacked or tucked into organized sections of the basement (bonus objective ... have the workout space set up)
  • This sorta was a success in that most boxes are on shelves and off the floor in the basement
  • Workout space IS set up 
• Have had FUN .... ok, hard to quantify, but there ya go 
  • Ok, well, I did have fun, but it is mostly associated with foods that are not health-enhancing  
  • I played around with D & D themes and randomization (with the option of re-rolling or making a choice that I would actually DO), and I did a lot of exercising.  Variety is good, and being flexible is good.  I am sorta getting tired of the D & D theme, however.  

 

Going into the next challenge, I have a few questions to research:

1. What is the intersection between WW and the MIND diets?  I did really well following the MIND diet.  I had hit a plateau and thought that WW would be a good way to break that .... but I'm having trouble sticking to WW.
2. Will logging both MIND and WW be too onerous to maintain?
3. Is the weight gain fat or muscle??  How can the weight gain be interpreted?
4. How to keep exercising fun but not overwhelming?  I need achievements, but I also need to have a safe way to go on side quests or take detours along the way.    I saw Strong Viking (app or OCR) mentioned in a signature.  The app sounds fun and hard.  It might be a good fit??  
5. Can I find a rewarding, part-time opportunity to teach???
6. How can I enjoy the company of my grandson without the  ???

 

 

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Also, a good question is .... what is SWOLE?  What am I aiming at, physically??  

 

I'm working toward these points and want to achieve them before Memorial Day 2024:

• Weigh 135 pounds
• Body fat % < 31.3%
• Do at least one unassisted pull-up
• Participate in the CrossFit Open 2024.  
• Run a 5K under 40:24

 

[Snarkyfishguts]

On 7/25/2023 at 8:45 PM, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

Also, a good question is .... what is SWOLE?  What am I aiming at, physically??  

My nephew informs me this means having big ol' muscles that make your head seem tiny in comparison  

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Week 5 of the current challenge is just about done ..... and I'm thinking about the next challenge.  

 

This one was interrupted by COVID-19 for three weeks.  My strength training didn't suffer much, but I haven't done much running for nearly a month.  And the end of the next challenge will happen at about Thanksgiving, if I'm counting correctly.  Which is when the Turkey Trot will happen.  I'd been hoping to run the 5K in under 40 minutes, and I had been creeping up on a good pace before we all got sick (all three generations had it ..... fun times).  

 

So, I think the top priority is to get back on the road and run, run, run.  I have the Zombies, Run! app with a training plan for "experienced" runners who want to improve their 5K.  So, I think that's the first goal .... to keep up with that training plan.  (+1 STR)

 

I did lose a pound in the last challenge.  I did quite well tracking food using the MIND diet, but I completely gave up on logging in WW.  I'll need to ease back into tracking with staged, weekly goals.  (+1 CON) One of the main things I want to revive is cooking!!  We eat out way too frequently, and I used to enjoy cooking .... before schedules got crazy with after-school activities and travelling sports events.  I'm thinking ....

1. Cook something every day
2. Log at least one meal in WW daily
3. Log all foods in WW every day
4. Stay in weekly buffer during the week
5. Blue dot days 5 days each week

And I think I want to push myself to socialize at least 5 days each week. (+1 CHA).  

 

Those are the big three.  I can work on the other attributes as well:

• INT: the NYT mini-crossword puzzle, brain training app, or study Swift
• DEX: knit daily
• WIS: meditate daily

That's more than enough for the next challenge .... and it has the advantage of involving a lot less tracking.