(NF) Challenge 2: DragonRider
6 WEEK CHALLENGE - September 24 to November, Rangers, WeyrCat - DragonRider (Challenge 2) [link]
Updates:
September 28th, 2012 - RP. Getting in the swing.
September 30th, 2012 - RP. Cardio and Volunteering!
October 15th, 2012 - Short summary. Busy with school.
October 17th, 2012 - On track and rockin!
October 19th, 2012 - Tired, unmotivated!
October 22nd, 2012 - ITBS Flare up.
October 28th, 2012 - Week in review. Wallet Stolen.
October 30th, 2012 - Homework and slipping a little.
October 31st, 2012 - Food: great. PT: bad. School: GOOD.
November 2nd, 2012 - Day 7 food sobriety, chugging along!
November 6th, 2012 - Looks like A, C, D, F for quests, but chuggin along!
November 9th, 2012 - A, C, C, F for Quests. RP.
Gained: 2.4WIS, 3.2STR, 2.9CON,2.2STA.
September 28th, 2012 10:31 PM
She sat in the glow of the dinner fire and pulled the heavy iron bound book (1) from her pack. The firelight flickered across the milky green stone and the dark iron shone a deep iridescent purple. Leaning against the, now much softer, pack she unlatched the cover and peered at the pages. Most of the spidery script was in a language she couldn't read, but every now and again she saw something that almost seemed like a word she knew. She'd turned the pages almost every night since they'd taken the castle.
Sopping wet and with a new ache in her back she'd emerged from hidden hallway to hear the sound of battle outside the castle. Making her way to the main hall other rangers rushed past her to meet the enemy. She'd done her duty, finding that when she nocked her arrows the shivering always stopped just long enough to aim, breathe out, and release. When the battle was over she tried to find Captain Spezzy to turn in the plunder but Grucheti found her first.
She'd released him a week before to fly home with a message for her family. A silly old habit, she'd send him off every quarter or so and her father would tell her of marriages and births and deaths. She was never far from where she'd released him, and she thought that if he ever couldn't find her, or found her dead, that he'd fly home without a letter and her father would know not to wait for her. Gruchetti came with a scrap of paper in the little leather cylinder. It read "Too much rain. Mom sick again. Healthy son to Dariel, 6 weeks. Rose passed on, 2 weeks. Sorry, Squirrel. Love, Da." She'd forgotten about the book, and as the living drank to their glory she'd stroked Grucheti's little feathered horns and wept.
Rose hadn't been kin, but rather she was her best friend's grandmother. They'd spent countless hours with the woman, boiling root vegetables and listening to stories about the far away land she'd come from when she was a girl. How long had it been since she'd seen her? Too long. She would be cremated, as was the way with her people, and the ashes strewn into wetlands.
She sent Grucheti home again with some coins from this latest conscription and when he returned his pouch was empty but for a small gold ring. A chipped pearl was set into the metal, flanked by two transparent stones of (barely) unequal size. Rose had worn this ring her whole adult life. Her best friend, being male, had probably given it to her father to send to her. Again she'd wept.
Three weeks had passed and the rangers were mobilized again. They made ready the ranks and collected their supply of brot and burr-pies until the sun fell below the horizon. She flipped through the pages of the book.
---------------------------------------------------------
Two days into the challenge for me. Still eating the cheap carby foods we'd bought but picked up extra vegetables and planning future shopping trips and meals to be more vegetable heavy and less rehydrated boxed food.
I did finish the last cup of chip-type snacks, so a strike against me on the first day! :O Bravely passed up an energy soda today in favor of a coffee. No PT either of the days but have been chipping away at the burpee challenge. Up to 135 for the past two days. Off to study!
Earth: 0 1
Stone: 0 0
Fire: 0 0
Air: 1 IP
September 30th, 2012 09:29 AM
The day passed quickly. The air was cooler but still humid, and dew seemed to stick to her as she pulled up thin grassweed and set young trees and seed in the holes. It was usually the job of younger rangers usually pulled up seedlings of foreign plants they couldn't help but transport on their boots and gear. As she watched them turn a wheelbarrow and shovel into a boat she couldn't begrudge them their distraction. The ranger corps continued to forage for burr-pies and had plunged into training in earnest. She was distracted herself and forgot her rations in camp, and over-sweetened bread and cream from the cooktent was good but wouldn't sit well.
When the sun finally set and she began to slowly page through the heavy book, a fatigue stole over her and she stowed it early. The stars seemed overbright as she fell asleep, and gave way to strange dreams...
Cardio 3x Strength 3x Food Study*2=1
20120927 0 0 0 2
20120928 0 0 1 1
20120929 1 0 0 1
Did cardio, but only 10 minutes. I'm satisfied with it since I spent at least half of my 3 hours volunteering in the Elementary garden doing manual labor! No official strength today but logged over a hundred burpees for the guild challenge. Not counting that as strength training because it's an extra challenge! I'm so sore... Food: slipped up a bit. I did eat my veggies, but ignored planned breakfast in favor of grab and go junk and slammed like 6 small cookies at the elementary school. Wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't come home and finished off the ice cream (why Ice Cream, why do you torment me?) Cracked a book, but only long enough to write the short paper due Monday. Did it "earlier" than I normally do, but I still didn't put in the time so awarding 1 for hw, 0 for study. Out of 4 points today I get 2.
1015October 15th, 2012 02:03 PM
I obviously cannot keep up the "post 3x weekly" requirement. I do blame it on full time college, 24 hour a week job, 8 hour a week interning, and wifery. Finding time to get both homework and pt done is a challenge itself. Adding in checking in 3x... I either need to be WAY more simple and brief with my check in next challenge, or something. PHEW.
Here's the summary of weeks 1 and 2. I'm in the middle of my week 3 and not doing too terrible, but the diet soda thing is damaging me, even though I've already given myself one day a week margin of error!
Done=1,1,2,1
C1-Cardio 3x
C2-Strength 3x
C3-Study*2
C4-Food
20120927 0 1 2 Cheese dip
20120928 0 1 1 1
20120929 1 1 1 Blizzard
20120930 0 0 2 1
20121001 0 0 2 1
20121002 0 0 2 1
20121003 0 0 2 1
20121004 0 0 2 1
20121005 0 0 2 1
20121006 0 0 2 1
20121007 0 0 2 1
20121008 0 0 2 IC binge
20121009 0 0 2 IC binge
20121010 0 0 2 Diet Soda
As a consolation prize to my challenge points I earned a 92.5% on my Organic 1 exam and a 76% on my Genetics exam. Yes, I seriously need to bring that Genetics up. It's reeeeediculous!
October 17th, 2012 10:12 AM
Monday 15; did the 25 mins elliptical I promised but not the strength training. Did great on food until late, then I fell into the ice cream. Did good study at school (Genetics) but not as much as I could of. Goofed about 2 hours. Did Quizzes for both GenCh9 (100%) and GenCh10(70% ugh phosphodiester bonds are NOT the backbone, the sugar phosphates are the backbone and the bonds hold them together! He likes tricky questions.) No chem...
Tuesday 16; No PT; did take the stairs for the 3rd floor classroom. Did well on food and studying. Ate the squash for dinner since I had extra ice cream. heh. Study: Low. Can't while observing in the classroom. At home I organized my paperwork for observations, wrote my daily report, and did some Khan review vids for Orgo naming but honestly was half-assing. So hard to dive into schoolwork when it's so late at night!
Wednesday 17: IP. Woke up early to do 20 min elliptical. Eggs and cheese for breakfast but left me feeling empty. Have tomato tuna salad for lunch... couldn't make my veggie wrap since Husband ate ALL the bread and thawed wraps yesterday. And all my grapes. Brought a pear, celery sticks, and 100 cals of port wine cheese for the celery. Dinner will be veggie pumpkin chili over brown rice. Having a diet soda today, and maybe some probably a measured amount of ice cream.
Today's study goals are: Genetics Chapter 11, summary, vocab, slides, and quiz. Organic Chemistry: Finish Chapter 3 read, notecards, questions/examples, and begin Chapter 4 read. More than a little behind in chem and REALLY need to pick it up.
Do you ever get behind, then lament that you're behind to the point where you dread starting again because you're behind, but avoiding it obviously makes you more behind, so you dread starting it up even more? Does that make sense to anyone else? To put it in physical perspective: I want to run, but I know I need to start running and it's going to hurt when I do. I know I should do the Physical Therapy to make it less painful when I run, but the PT is going to hurt a lot when I start it again, so I put it off, but then lament that I can't run. It's like that, only with bookwork.
October 19th, 2012 09:15 PM
On Wednesday catching up in Genetics took longer than I thought it would. I didn't finish 11 and therefore didn't get to move on to Orgo.
On Thursday I interned in an HS Bio class and it was a really fun day. I don't get much school work done those days, and didn't wake up early to work out. I meant to when I got home but instead Hubby and I hung out and were lazy. We were actually lamenting how hard it is to motivate each other lately. On the ball with food though, heh.
Friday I woke up feeling like I hadn't slept at all. I remember waking up several times and each time I hadn't moved. I woke up in the same position I fell asleep in, which generally means I didn't really sleep. I ended up sleeping four hours more. And then of course I did nothing. Well, got ready for work and such but no workout. Good with food though I'm craving soda and ice cream. Studied here at work.
Tomorrow I aim for that workout. I have a lot to do housework-wise. Husband isn't overly helpful if any. Indeed on the docket I have dishes, kitchen, laundromat, (then putting away of course), grocery, trying to keep the dog run and tired, bathroom (catbox sink toilet and floors), cooking for the week, and somewhere in there picking up at least two teacher-appropriate shirts (since mine don't fit) and actually studying.
I'm tired and I haven't even started yet.
October 22nd, 2012 10:51 AM
Saturday I did not get all of it done. I did most of it though. Didn't get the work out in or much studying. Ok any studying.
Sunday I worked my little tail off though. Logged most of the pt into the Fitocracy (I think I'm missing a few sets. I write them on a scrap paper to log later). Knocked out a good 6 or so hours of studying. STILL working on catching up. I got behind this semester and it's just so hard to catch up! I tried to put in 2 miles on the elliptical but MR. ITBS flipped me the bird at 1.88. I actually tried to make 2.0 by skiing with my arms and one good leg. I only made it to 1.93. Absolutely furious. I see all these fun runs going by now that I've discovered them and can't do them.... Mudder, Zombie 5k, Superman run. Just sucks! I know it's because I'm not regular on the physical therapy, and I know it's because I don't make time to do the stretching, but it's so hard to justify playing pretzel for 30 minutes when I'm so behind in everything else!
Husband got back from Drill and offered to help me set up a run walk schedule that I can tuck into morning or something. I don't know where I'm going to find the time, but I can't keep thinking this is going to get better if I just baby it. Of course, the gung-ho action plan always SOUNDS better, but man.
Blah, ending the whine. Today is school school school, a real attempt at physical therapy when I get home (seriously, it's so late in the day though), and putting together lunches for the week. Forgot mine this morning and hate spending money in the cafeteria. Bleh.
On the brighter side, Hubby has endorsed my walking the run I wanted to do this weekend. It's just a little 5k, and I walk those regularly with little issue, but I think they have a medal with the word "boob" as a pair of pink-bra'd boobs. Hooray for cool Breast Cancer medals!
October 28th, 2012
Week in review:
Later that monday (22) my wallet was stolen. Made police report, contacted professor in class it went missing in, emailed whole class offering the cash (19$) in the wallet as a reward if they just returned the plastic. Military spouse cards are a pain in the butt to get replaced around here. About half an hour on the phone with card companies to get them turned off and resent. Dinner was a pity party complete with ice cream and baked mac and cheese.
Tuesday (23): High school observation was a nightmare. They had a sub with zero classroom management skills. I'm not allowed to intervene so I basically just watched three 1.5 hour classes of students walk all over this guy. If nothing else it was a great example of what not to do. Very tired by end of day. Spent 60$ reordering all the essential plastics from my wallet. Studied some, moped most of it. Discover 5k I wanted to at least walk was sold out. BOOOOOOOOOOO.
Wednesday (24): Before class the professor emails me to tell me someone turned in the wallet anonymously, sans cash. Ecstatic. Can't un-reorder my plastics, but it's nice to get the mil id back. Still managed to not workout. Food was on point. Studied, but not enough. Was moping most of the day (wallet returned 1800).
Thursday (25): Woke up for HS interning at 0615 but district closed for Hurricane Sandy. Got housework done, some homework. WEE! Still no PT. LAZY. Food on point.
Friday (26): Today's interning also cancelled. Go to work, mostly quiet due to storm, still managed to get zero hw done. Good job jerk. Food's a little over.
Saturday (27): Husband and I lay down plans for "cutting" again. We really need to do it together or we end up sabotaging each other. Food's on point. I had a 400 cal deficit after running 0.5miles (almost didn't make it, ITBS), and walking another 1.5 miles. Only 1 glass of water; 2 diet sodas. Was itchy after the run (dehydrated).
Sunday (Today, 28): Today I walked 3 miles (felt it the knee around 2, but not bad, just nagging. Limped near end) and have a 600 cal deficit. Six glasses of water today and 1 diet soda. Finished two homework assignments, working on a third. Have an exam in 8 days, then another in 15. Will stretch and ice before bed. Not sure I want to go down the NSAID route again, sigh. Cooked meals for next 4-5 days. Will toss a crockpot chili in to fix rest of week. ON IT DOGGONIT. Plans to do more PT this week.
I'm basically freeforming the rest of this challenge. It's not completely toast, but kinda. Like, that weird dark brown before it's almost charcoal. Still bread. Kinda.
October 30th, 2012 10:54 PM
Today, cross-posted from Spark:
Ok, so today when I was student observing the teacher took us down to a little breakfast meeting and I had half a danish, half a muffin, and 4 oz of OJ. I wasn't wasteful or anything; everything was really cut in half! BUT my total cals for the day have a 0 deficit (I'm actually not over either... it says -28 for deficit, but everything's give or take).
No PT... trying desperately to catch up this homework. Have an exam on Ch 11-16 on Monday, I'm working through Ch12. I really didn't ignore everything. I was working on stuff for the exam in my other class, and then the papers for Edu, and then somehow NOT catching up anything in any of my spare time. What spare time? I don't know. The hour I spent decluttering papers, letters, photos that had taken over my desk and bookcase? The two hours I spend at the laundromat (where the host there won't NOT talk to me)? The couple of hours between class where I complain that it's hard to study so I don't? THOSE. Yes those last ones there.
Anyway. That's where I am. And only 2 glasses of water today too. Boy. Not a totally derailed day, but not sparkling either.
Summary:
Oops: junk-food baked goods = unregulated diet (but not over calories).
No PT! Did take the stairs, that's 4 floors and then 1 floor later.
MUCH studying today. 2 hours at school. 2 hours at home. A little while at "work" at the high school.
Tomorrow I'll be better.
October 31st, 2012 10:53 PM
Honestly today's food was almost perfect. I didn't realize the half-and-half at the coffee shack was 200 cals (according to Sparkpeople). I did have a Milky Way Dark Mini (50 cals) so Happy Halloween! I did wear my dead-pirate gear to school. Bangarang. Ending the day with 600 deficit, which was 100 more than intended (and more than I should) because our dessert hasn't 'set'. Ah so.
No PT... (for shame!) have elliptical slated for tomorrow morning when I can't escape it. No high school tomorrow so I'll spend ALL DAY on Genetics and get caught up, and my goal is to put some time into Chem too. Man I need to. Today I put a lot of time into studying (heh) which I would pat myself on the back for if I wasn't so far behind. Boooooo. I made myself this behind, so I'll catch up. Husband is asking if I'm having Facebook withdrawals since I haven't signed in in three days!
So. Food: great. PT: bad. School: GOOD.
Onwards!
November 2nd, 2012 07:20 PM
Hugs DO help with studying! Must have worked!
20121102 Summary:
- 2 hours Organic Chem, More Genetics slated.
- Food on point even with forgotten lunch and fast food!
- 1mile elliptical, some strength, irritated my ITBS. Pouting.
Today is day 7 of our joint "Food Sobriety". Husband made a fantastic red beans and rice dish that I ate over brown rice with a side of 10 oz of water. Not to help fill me up, it was just spicy!
I worked out this morning for 13:15 on the elliptical and scored 1 mile. I made the mistake of trying to do some strength training on the side. I did 15 body weight squats and I think I had my stance too wide. It felt off. I did 5 pushups and when I stood up my right leg (the ITBS leg) was non-weight bearing. About a quarter of the way down my ITB I felt a pang and the outside-back of my knee hurt. Sigh. I did my bent-over rows carefully since I couldn't put weight on my right leg and scrapped the rest of the work out (lunges, plank, jumping jacks). It's seven hours ago now, just I'm still limping. I hate this injury. I think if I'd just broken it I'd get better faster. mega sigh.
I forgot my lunch when I went to work today! DOH! Coincidentally, today one of my regulars brought me a HUGE McDonald's meal! I looked up the values: Angus Deluxe 760 cals, Large Fries 570 cals, and Large (I think..) soda 400 calories (if it's 32 ozs). Hating to waste food but determined to stick with my food-sobriety I figured that if I cut the burger and fries into fourths I'd get 190 cals for burger and 143 for fries. 333 calories is about perfect for my meals, and with the workout I had this morning I stiil come out at the deficit I want! WEE! The soda simply doesn't fit, and I really don't mind. It's sitting in the fridge so I can try to give it to a coworker later. If he doesn't want it I'm pouring the soda down the drain. I don't like wasting calories but I am not a garbage can!
I now have lunch for three more days. I took a photo of a quarter of the meal because it's just amazing how small 333 calories is when it's fast food!
I attended an online tutoring today (two hours) for Organic Chemistry. It seriously helped a lot. I do need to put a lot more work in for Genetics today, so I'm on that next.
November 6th, 2012 01:02 AM
ok! So mine doesn't end but for 2 days from now to make sure I do the full amount of days, but here's where I sit percentage-wise (because I'm an Excel freak):
In Cardio 3x weekly: 67%
In Strength 3x weekly: 39%
In Studying 2 hours a day: 74%
In Sticking to my diet, eating less processed crap, and not binging: 92%.
Assuming these numbers stay as is for the next two days I get to level up as such:
4.5 +0 + 2.9 = 7.4 STR
9.7 +0 + 2.2 = 12.0 WIS
7.5 +0 + 2.8 = 10.2 CON
6.0 +0 + 0.0 = 6.0 CHA
4.0 +0 + 0.0 = 4.0 DEX
8.2 +0 + 2.0 = 10.2 STA
I don't know if there were mini challenge points awarded for the Fall Frenzy, but I was only able to participate in the Burpees one anyway (500 BAM!)
Last few days were on point, except for no strength training (lower) because I'm still limping and no strength training upper because I have an excuse. Not a reason, an excuse. :P
November 9th, 2012 10:02 AM
Ok! I finished my quest on Wednesday (but that's one of the days I don't get to post due to my 9-7 school school schedule heh).
This quest I completed:
Cardio 3x: 0.72%
Strength 3x: 0.44% (ew)
Study 2 hours per day: 0.79%
Stick to my food reform: 0.97%!!!
Stats Gained:
Starting +Rewards =Ending
4.5 +3.2 =7.7 STR
9.7 +2.4 =12.1 WIS
7.5 +2.9 =10.4 CON
6.0 +0.0 =6.0 CHA
4.0 +0.0 =4.0 DEX
8.2 +2.2 =10.4 STA
Bummer: Professor STILL hadn't posted the grades! he says he only got them Wednesday night and they should be up Friday night. Well I'm done brewing on it and am focusing on my next projects/exam.
Already worked out my next challenge (now that I know it starts again so fast.)
BONUS BONUS BONUS
Thursday I also finished my WALK TO RIVENDELL! 397 miles of travel by pedometer, biking, or pilates (bonus miles awarded for going to the hour long class. I can barely get out of bed the next day, it's serious.)
I started this walk Aug24, so it's taken me significantly longer than I wanted it to, but I'm very proud of myself for finished. I'm swooping right in to the next challenge (which I see as part 2 of the walk), 570 miles to Erebor (the Lonely Mountain). This was really the inspiration for my Dragonquest. (yes, I really thought I could make 967 miles total from Aug24 to Dec13. Can't say I'm not ambitious).
In light of my poor performance in strength-training (44% is definitely an F), C- performance in Cardio, C+ in Studying I'm going to call this Dragonquest a "miss". Hey, no one stays on a horse the first time, who expects to stay on a DRAGON the first time? I've been studying though (at an A!) and know that next time I meet that dragon, it's mine.
Kathryn gazed through the stone window at blue-white moon as it shone it's eerie light over the dark canopy. An old man in the last village had shown her how to decipher some of the symbols in the heavy greenstone book, but it was still not enough to really read it. It seemed both log, notes, and diary of some kind.
Through the night she thought she could see the tip of the mountain, flanked by its six ugly ridges. She imagined the dragon wheeling about, laughing at her. The storm has caused much havoc in the villages and there was just too much to do. The battalion of rangers had ended their campaign mucking out the stone churches that seemed to be the only refuge for some of the flooded towns and made little headway towards the murky woods where the battle lay. She'd heard that the battle beyond was on hold as even the opposing armies were dealing with the unusually wet weather.
Tearing her eyes from the empty night she focused on the book again. "
Soon, Dragon... soon."
Citations:
Spyro Image: "Super Smash Brothers 4 Part 47: Everybody Else" Accessed 2012 Sep 27. [http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/agentj/super-smash-brothers-4-part-47-everybody-else/30-26671/]
Updates:
September 28th, 2012 - RP. Getting in the swing.
September 30th, 2012 - RP. Cardio and Volunteering!
October 15th, 2012 - Short summary. Busy with school.
October 17th, 2012 - On track and rockin!
October 19th, 2012 - Tired, unmotivated!
October 22nd, 2012 - ITBS Flare up.
October 28th, 2012 - Week in review. Wallet Stolen.
October 30th, 2012 - Homework and slipping a little.
October 31st, 2012 - Food: great. PT: bad. School: GOOD.
November 2nd, 2012 - Day 7 food sobriety, chugging along!
November 6th, 2012 - Looks like A, C, D, F for quests, but chuggin along!
November 9th, 2012 - A, C, C, F for Quests. RP.
Gained: 2.4WIS, 3.2STR, 2.9CON,2.2STA.
I've always been a weyrcat. A cat that lives with dragons. What I've never had the courage to do... is ride one.
I'm a helper. I do as others need. I'm a shoulder, a hand, the tablecloth setter, the drink pourer, the "oh could you get me this while you're over there." I judge myself by how useful I am to others. I've set a lot of wants to the side for it, because being helpful, and useful, makes me happy. Now I'm near the middle of my useful span of years and I've still not caught my dragon. I watch it, soaring almost out of sight, like a star you only see out of the corner of your eye. The things I want, set aside.
Last challenge I needed a reboot. I'd injured myself (being awesome, but still, injured) and needed to get back on my feet figuratively and literally. I faltered in the end when someone dear to me flew between and didn't return. I still mourn her, but I look at her life and I see all the things she did with it. The battles she fought, she always won. She may have been the more battle-scarred of the two, and she may have sacrificed more, but somehow it seems like she always won. Even when she lost the thing that seemed to mean the most to her, somehow that stubborn woman always won.
I can catch that dragon.
On the side I'm currently on the way to Erebor, on a Hobbit Walk. I take a spinning class IRL and the trainer puts a mountain in front of us to climb. My mountain is always Erebor, and at the top is Smaug. Only in my Hobbit Walk I don't slay him. I ride him. I conquer his mountain and I gain wings.
So what if I can't run right now? So what if I have sooo much to study? I can still get fit, and I LIKE to study! Why am I letting this depression make some stupid pact with "taking care of everyone else" and completely leave me out? Well it won't. Not any more. I will be strong. I will be vital. I will be quick. And I will throw off the false comforts of slow poisons for the fuel to get me where I want to go.
I will climb my mountain.
I will ride my dragon.
I am a weyrcat.
Stone: Strength train 3x weekly. (Failed my pull up goal because my 20 minutes of fitness was always walking, no strength!)
Fire: Cardio 3x weekly. (I REALLY mean it! Pacing back and forth is NO longer adequate. GET SWEATY!
Earth: If the Earth didn't grow it that way, I probably shouldn't eat it that way. Except Ice cream. Sometimes. Chemicals are for medicines, not breakfast. PS: No alcohol for the duration.
Air. One hour of study time was too easy last challenge. Let's make it 2, and I need to report my progress publicly. "Oh, I read the textbook". FALSE. I learn by practice. Must do practice problems. They're THERE, I just need to DO THEM.
Quest Rewards:
Stone: 4 Strength.
Fire: 3 STA. 2 STR.
Earth: 3 CON.
Air: 3 Wis.
93% Completeness (A+): I'll think of a good one. Give me a day or so.
Starting + 15 to Distribute for Leveling, yes?
STR 2.5 + 2 = 4.5
WIS 5.7 + 4 = 9.7
CON 5.5 + 2 = 7.5
CHA 3.0 + 3 = 6.0
DEX 2.0 + 2 = 4.0
STA 6.2 + 2 = 8.2
Also; because I didn't realize these things went off so close together (I was wondering when the next would be) I didn't know this started officially on the 24th. For me, it's midnight 26. I'm starting Sep27, and instead of going until Nov05, 6 weeks for me is Nov 07. That still gives me time to post my results in before the "First Friday" after closing. I might not win the overall prize, but I'm going to try.
I also familiarized myself with the rules a little better this time. I need to post thrice weekly. Noted. That will DEFINITELY help with seeing the mini-challenges sooner rather than later.
How I'm grading my hard one: The food.
It seems to be my weaker point. Last challenge I was about "not binging". Being restrictive seems to have been damaging, and too ridiculous to actually grade. Binging on ice cream only lost me one point for one day, but it sabotaged the entire WEEK sometimes. So, I've been toying with Paleo and Vegetarianism but I just want to wean myself off crap and into a healthier place. I'm using a step-down process. All steps include the steps before it, obviously.
Week1: No more sodas, chips, and I will plan simple healthy meals to replace the hamburger helper (No points, just do it). (eep).
Week2: By now I'm packing all my lunches and have simple grab-and-go breakfasts if I don't have time for breakfast.
Week3: By now I'm up to 4 servings of veggies and fruits a day. (V>F).
Week4: Two days a week vegetarian. IF I have processed carbs cut them down to 2 days a week (noodles, ets). Hmm, what about oats? (Promises to look it up).
Week5: See about adding another vegetarian day, or cutting processed carbs down to 1.
Week6: Steady now....
Since restriction was a problem before, I know this looks restricting, but this setup should be really easy since I was eating this way before and have just gotten seriously off track. Hamburger helper is just lazy (and tastes like gym socks) when I was eating this awesome quinoa bean casserole every night and never got tired of it. I just got tired in general. Failure is not stealing a nacho from a friend. Failure is buying/eating even a snack sized bag of cheetos (mmm processed cheese flavored powder...).
September 28th, 2012 10:31 PM
She sat in the glow of the dinner fire and pulled the heavy iron bound book (1) from her pack. The firelight flickered across the milky green stone and the dark iron shone a deep iridescent purple. Leaning against the, now much softer, pack she unlatched the cover and peered at the pages. Most of the spidery script was in a language she couldn't read, but every now and again she saw something that almost seemed like a word she knew. She'd turned the pages almost every night since they'd taken the castle.
Sopping wet and with a new ache in her back she'd emerged from hidden hallway to hear the sound of battle outside the castle. Making her way to the main hall other rangers rushed past her to meet the enemy. She'd done her duty, finding that when she nocked her arrows the shivering always stopped just long enough to aim, breathe out, and release. When the battle was over she tried to find Captain Spezzy to turn in the plunder but Grucheti found her first.
She'd released him a week before to fly home with a message for her family. A silly old habit, she'd send him off every quarter or so and her father would tell her of marriages and births and deaths. She was never far from where she'd released him, and she thought that if he ever couldn't find her, or found her dead, that he'd fly home without a letter and her father would know not to wait for her. Gruchetti came with a scrap of paper in the little leather cylinder. It read "Too much rain. Mom sick again. Healthy son to Dariel, 6 weeks. Rose passed on, 2 weeks. Sorry, Squirrel. Love, Da." She'd forgotten about the book, and as the living drank to their glory she'd stroked Grucheti's little feathered horns and wept.
Rose hadn't been kin, but rather she was her best friend's grandmother. They'd spent countless hours with the woman, boiling root vegetables and listening to stories about the far away land she'd come from when she was a girl. How long had it been since she'd seen her? Too long. She would be cremated, as was the way with her people, and the ashes strewn into wetlands.
She sent Grucheti home again with some coins from this latest conscription and when he returned his pouch was empty but for a small gold ring. A chipped pearl was set into the metal, flanked by two transparent stones of (barely) unequal size. Rose had worn this ring her whole adult life. Her best friend, being male, had probably given it to her father to send to her. Again she'd wept.
Three weeks had passed and the rangers were mobilized again. They made ready the ranks and collected their supply of brot and burr-pies until the sun fell below the horizon. She flipped through the pages of the book.
---------------------------------------------------------
Two days into the challenge for me. Still eating the cheap carby foods we'd bought but picked up extra vegetables and planning future shopping trips and meals to be more vegetable heavy and less rehydrated boxed food.
I did finish the last cup of chip-type snacks, so a strike against me on the first day! :O Bravely passed up an energy soda today in favor of a coffee. No PT either of the days but have been chipping away at the burpee challenge. Up to 135 for the past two days. Off to study!
Earth: 0 1
Stone: 0 0
Fire: 0 0
Air: 1 IP
September 30th, 2012 09:29 AM
The day passed quickly. The air was cooler but still humid, and dew seemed to stick to her as she pulled up thin grassweed and set young trees and seed in the holes. It was usually the job of younger rangers usually pulled up seedlings of foreign plants they couldn't help but transport on their boots and gear. As she watched them turn a wheelbarrow and shovel into a boat she couldn't begrudge them their distraction. The ranger corps continued to forage for burr-pies and had plunged into training in earnest. She was distracted herself and forgot her rations in camp, and over-sweetened bread and cream from the cooktent was good but wouldn't sit well.
When the sun finally set and she began to slowly page through the heavy book, a fatigue stole over her and she stowed it early. The stars seemed overbright as she fell asleep, and gave way to strange dreams...
Cardio 3x Strength 3x Food Study*2=1
20120927 0 0 0 2
20120928 0 0 1 1
20120929 1 0 0 1
Did cardio, but only 10 minutes. I'm satisfied with it since I spent at least half of my 3 hours volunteering in the Elementary garden doing manual labor! No official strength today but logged over a hundred burpees for the guild challenge. Not counting that as strength training because it's an extra challenge! I'm so sore... Food: slipped up a bit. I did eat my veggies, but ignored planned breakfast in favor of grab and go junk and slammed like 6 small cookies at the elementary school. Wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't come home and finished off the ice cream (why Ice Cream, why do you torment me?) Cracked a book, but only long enough to write the short paper due Monday. Did it "earlier" than I normally do, but I still didn't put in the time so awarding 1 for hw, 0 for study. Out of 4 points today I get 2.
1015October 15th, 2012 02:03 PM
I obviously cannot keep up the "post 3x weekly" requirement. I do blame it on full time college, 24 hour a week job, 8 hour a week interning, and wifery. Finding time to get both homework and pt done is a challenge itself. Adding in checking in 3x... I either need to be WAY more simple and brief with my check in next challenge, or something. PHEW.
Here's the summary of weeks 1 and 2. I'm in the middle of my week 3 and not doing too terrible, but the diet soda thing is damaging me, even though I've already given myself one day a week margin of error!
Done=1,1,2,1
C1-Cardio 3x
C2-Strength 3x
C3-Study*2
C4-Food
20120927 0 1 2 Cheese dip
20120928 0 1 1 1
20120929 1 1 1 Blizzard
20120930 0 0 2 1
20121001 0 0 2 1
20121002 0 0 2 1
20121003 0 0 2 1
20121004 0 0 2 1
20121005 0 0 2 1
20121006 0 0 2 1
20121007 0 0 2 1
20121008 0 0 2 IC binge
20121009 0 0 2 IC binge
20121010 0 0 2 Diet Soda
As a consolation prize to my challenge points I earned a 92.5% on my Organic 1 exam and a 76% on my Genetics exam. Yes, I seriously need to bring that Genetics up. It's reeeeediculous!
October 17th, 2012 10:12 AM
Monday 15; did the 25 mins elliptical I promised but not the strength training. Did great on food until late, then I fell into the ice cream. Did good study at school (Genetics) but not as much as I could of. Goofed about 2 hours. Did Quizzes for both GenCh9 (100%) and GenCh10(70% ugh phosphodiester bonds are NOT the backbone, the sugar phosphates are the backbone and the bonds hold them together! He likes tricky questions.) No chem...
Tuesday 16; No PT; did take the stairs for the 3rd floor classroom. Did well on food and studying. Ate the squash for dinner since I had extra ice cream. heh. Study: Low. Can't while observing in the classroom. At home I organized my paperwork for observations, wrote my daily report, and did some Khan review vids for Orgo naming but honestly was half-assing. So hard to dive into schoolwork when it's so late at night!
Wednesday 17: IP. Woke up early to do 20 min elliptical. Eggs and cheese for breakfast but left me feeling empty. Have tomato tuna salad for lunch... couldn't make my veggie wrap since Husband ate ALL the bread and thawed wraps yesterday. And all my grapes. Brought a pear, celery sticks, and 100 cals of port wine cheese for the celery. Dinner will be veggie pumpkin chili over brown rice. Having a diet soda today, and maybe some probably a measured amount of ice cream.
Today's study goals are: Genetics Chapter 11, summary, vocab, slides, and quiz. Organic Chemistry: Finish Chapter 3 read, notecards, questions/examples, and begin Chapter 4 read. More than a little behind in chem and REALLY need to pick it up.
Do you ever get behind, then lament that you're behind to the point where you dread starting again because you're behind, but avoiding it obviously makes you more behind, so you dread starting it up even more? Does that make sense to anyone else? To put it in physical perspective: I want to run, but I know I need to start running and it's going to hurt when I do. I know I should do the Physical Therapy to make it less painful when I run, but the PT is going to hurt a lot when I start it again, so I put it off, but then lament that I can't run. It's like that, only with bookwork.
October 19th, 2012 09:15 PM
On Wednesday catching up in Genetics took longer than I thought it would. I didn't finish 11 and therefore didn't get to move on to Orgo.
On Thursday I interned in an HS Bio class and it was a really fun day. I don't get much school work done those days, and didn't wake up early to work out. I meant to when I got home but instead Hubby and I hung out and were lazy. We were actually lamenting how hard it is to motivate each other lately. On the ball with food though, heh.
Friday I woke up feeling like I hadn't slept at all. I remember waking up several times and each time I hadn't moved. I woke up in the same position I fell asleep in, which generally means I didn't really sleep. I ended up sleeping four hours more. And then of course I did nothing. Well, got ready for work and such but no workout. Good with food though I'm craving soda and ice cream. Studied here at work.
Tomorrow I aim for that workout. I have a lot to do housework-wise. Husband isn't overly helpful if any. Indeed on the docket I have dishes, kitchen, laundromat, (then putting away of course), grocery, trying to keep the dog run and tired, bathroom (catbox sink toilet and floors), cooking for the week, and somewhere in there picking up at least two teacher-appropriate shirts (since mine don't fit) and actually studying.
I'm tired and I haven't even started yet.
October 22nd, 2012 10:51 AM
Saturday I did not get all of it done. I did most of it though. Didn't get the work out in or much studying. Ok any studying.
Sunday I worked my little tail off though. Logged most of the pt into the Fitocracy (I think I'm missing a few sets. I write them on a scrap paper to log later). Knocked out a good 6 or so hours of studying. STILL working on catching up. I got behind this semester and it's just so hard to catch up! I tried to put in 2 miles on the elliptical but MR. ITBS flipped me the bird at 1.88. I actually tried to make 2.0 by skiing with my arms and one good leg. I only made it to 1.93. Absolutely furious. I see all these fun runs going by now that I've discovered them and can't do them.... Mudder, Zombie 5k, Superman run. Just sucks! I know it's because I'm not regular on the physical therapy, and I know it's because I don't make time to do the stretching, but it's so hard to justify playing pretzel for 30 minutes when I'm so behind in everything else!
Husband got back from Drill and offered to help me set up a run walk schedule that I can tuck into morning or something. I don't know where I'm going to find the time, but I can't keep thinking this is going to get better if I just baby it. Of course, the gung-ho action plan always SOUNDS better, but man.
Blah, ending the whine. Today is school school school, a real attempt at physical therapy when I get home (seriously, it's so late in the day though), and putting together lunches for the week. Forgot mine this morning and hate spending money in the cafeteria. Bleh.
On the brighter side, Hubby has endorsed my walking the run I wanted to do this weekend. It's just a little 5k, and I walk those regularly with little issue, but I think they have a medal with the word "boob" as a pair of pink-bra'd boobs. Hooray for cool Breast Cancer medals!
October 28th, 2012
Week in review:
Later that monday (22) my wallet was stolen. Made police report, contacted professor in class it went missing in, emailed whole class offering the cash (19$) in the wallet as a reward if they just returned the plastic. Military spouse cards are a pain in the butt to get replaced around here. About half an hour on the phone with card companies to get them turned off and resent. Dinner was a pity party complete with ice cream and baked mac and cheese.
Tuesday (23): High school observation was a nightmare. They had a sub with zero classroom management skills. I'm not allowed to intervene so I basically just watched three 1.5 hour classes of students walk all over this guy. If nothing else it was a great example of what not to do. Very tired by end of day. Spent 60$ reordering all the essential plastics from my wallet. Studied some, moped most of it. Discover 5k I wanted to at least walk was sold out. BOOOOOOOOOOO.
Wednesday (24): Before class the professor emails me to tell me someone turned in the wallet anonymously, sans cash. Ecstatic. Can't un-reorder my plastics, but it's nice to get the mil id back. Still managed to not workout. Food was on point. Studied, but not enough. Was moping most of the day (wallet returned 1800).
Thursday (25): Woke up for HS interning at 0615 but district closed for Hurricane Sandy. Got housework done, some homework. WEE! Still no PT. LAZY. Food on point.
Friday (26): Today's interning also cancelled. Go to work, mostly quiet due to storm, still managed to get zero hw done. Good job jerk. Food's a little over.
Saturday (27): Husband and I lay down plans for "cutting" again. We really need to do it together or we end up sabotaging each other. Food's on point. I had a 400 cal deficit after running 0.5miles (almost didn't make it, ITBS), and walking another 1.5 miles. Only 1 glass of water; 2 diet sodas. Was itchy after the run (dehydrated).
Sunday (Today, 28): Today I walked 3 miles (felt it the knee around 2, but not bad, just nagging. Limped near end) and have a 600 cal deficit. Six glasses of water today and 1 diet soda. Finished two homework assignments, working on a third. Have an exam in 8 days, then another in 15. Will stretch and ice before bed. Not sure I want to go down the NSAID route again, sigh. Cooked meals for next 4-5 days. Will toss a crockpot chili in to fix rest of week. ON IT DOGGONIT. Plans to do more PT this week.
I'm basically freeforming the rest of this challenge. It's not completely toast, but kinda. Like, that weird dark brown before it's almost charcoal. Still bread. Kinda.
October 30th, 2012 10:54 PM
Today, cross-posted from Spark:
Ok, so today when I was student observing the teacher took us down to a little breakfast meeting and I had half a danish, half a muffin, and 4 oz of OJ. I wasn't wasteful or anything; everything was really cut in half! BUT my total cals for the day have a 0 deficit (I'm actually not over either... it says -28 for deficit, but everything's give or take).
No PT... trying desperately to catch up this homework. Have an exam on Ch 11-16 on Monday, I'm working through Ch12. I really didn't ignore everything. I was working on stuff for the exam in my other class, and then the papers for Edu, and then somehow NOT catching up anything in any of my spare time. What spare time? I don't know. The hour I spent decluttering papers, letters, photos that had taken over my desk and bookcase? The two hours I spend at the laundromat (where the host there won't NOT talk to me)? The couple of hours between class where I complain that it's hard to study so I don't? THOSE. Yes those last ones there.
Anyway. That's where I am. And only 2 glasses of water today too. Boy. Not a totally derailed day, but not sparkling either.
Summary:
Oops: junk-food baked goods = unregulated diet (but not over calories).
No PT! Did take the stairs, that's 4 floors and then 1 floor later.
MUCH studying today. 2 hours at school. 2 hours at home. A little while at "work" at the high school.
Tomorrow I'll be better.
October 31st, 2012 10:53 PM
Honestly today's food was almost perfect. I didn't realize the half-and-half at the coffee shack was 200 cals (according to Sparkpeople). I did have a Milky Way Dark Mini (50 cals) so Happy Halloween! I did wear my dead-pirate gear to school. Bangarang. Ending the day with 600 deficit, which was 100 more than intended (and more than I should) because our dessert hasn't 'set'. Ah so.
No PT... (for shame!) have elliptical slated for tomorrow morning when I can't escape it. No high school tomorrow so I'll spend ALL DAY on Genetics and get caught up, and my goal is to put some time into Chem too. Man I need to. Today I put a lot of time into studying (heh) which I would pat myself on the back for if I wasn't so far behind. Boooooo. I made myself this behind, so I'll catch up. Husband is asking if I'm having Facebook withdrawals since I haven't signed in in three days!
So. Food: great. PT: bad. School: GOOD.
Onwards!
November 2nd, 2012 07:20 PM
Hugs DO help with studying! Must have worked!
20121102 Summary:
- 2 hours Organic Chem, More Genetics slated.
- Food on point even with forgotten lunch and fast food!
- 1mile elliptical, some strength, irritated my ITBS. Pouting.
Today is day 7 of our joint "Food Sobriety". Husband made a fantastic red beans and rice dish that I ate over brown rice with a side of 10 oz of water. Not to help fill me up, it was just spicy!
I worked out this morning for 13:15 on the elliptical and scored 1 mile. I made the mistake of trying to do some strength training on the side. I did 15 body weight squats and I think I had my stance too wide. It felt off. I did 5 pushups and when I stood up my right leg (the ITBS leg) was non-weight bearing. About a quarter of the way down my ITB I felt a pang and the outside-back of my knee hurt. Sigh. I did my bent-over rows carefully since I couldn't put weight on my right leg and scrapped the rest of the work out (lunges, plank, jumping jacks). It's seven hours ago now, just I'm still limping. I hate this injury. I think if I'd just broken it I'd get better faster. mega sigh.
I forgot my lunch when I went to work today! DOH! Coincidentally, today one of my regulars brought me a HUGE McDonald's meal! I looked up the values: Angus Deluxe 760 cals, Large Fries 570 cals, and Large (I think..) soda 400 calories (if it's 32 ozs). Hating to waste food but determined to stick with my food-sobriety I figured that if I cut the burger and fries into fourths I'd get 190 cals for burger and 143 for fries. 333 calories is about perfect for my meals, and with the workout I had this morning I stiil come out at the deficit I want! WEE! The soda simply doesn't fit, and I really don't mind. It's sitting in the fridge so I can try to give it to a coworker later. If he doesn't want it I'm pouring the soda down the drain. I don't like wasting calories but I am not a garbage can!
I now have lunch for three more days. I took a photo of a quarter of the meal because it's just amazing how small 333 calories is when it's fast food!I attended an online tutoring today (two hours) for Organic Chemistry. It seriously helped a lot. I do need to put a lot more work in for Genetics today, so I'm on that next.
November 6th, 2012 01:02 AM
ok! So mine doesn't end but for 2 days from now to make sure I do the full amount of days, but here's where I sit percentage-wise (because I'm an Excel freak):
In Cardio 3x weekly: 67%
In Strength 3x weekly: 39%
In Studying 2 hours a day: 74%
In Sticking to my diet, eating less processed crap, and not binging: 92%.
Assuming these numbers stay as is for the next two days I get to level up as such:
4.5 +0 + 2.9 = 7.4 STR
9.7 +0 + 2.2 = 12.0 WIS
7.5 +0 + 2.8 = 10.2 CON
6.0 +0 + 0.0 = 6.0 CHA
4.0 +0 + 0.0 = 4.0 DEX
8.2 +0 + 2.0 = 10.2 STA
I don't know if there were mini challenge points awarded for the Fall Frenzy, but I was only able to participate in the Burpees one anyway (500 BAM!)
Last few days were on point, except for no strength training (lower) because I'm still limping and no strength training upper because I have an excuse. Not a reason, an excuse. :P
November 9th, 2012 10:02 AM
Ok! I finished my quest on Wednesday (but that's one of the days I don't get to post due to my 9-7 school school schedule heh).
This quest I completed:
Cardio 3x: 0.72%
Strength 3x: 0.44% (ew)
Study 2 hours per day: 0.79%
Stick to my food reform: 0.97%!!!
Stats Gained:
Starting +Rewards =Ending
4.5 +3.2 =7.7 STR
9.7 +2.4 =12.1 WIS
7.5 +2.9 =10.4 CON
6.0 +0.0 =6.0 CHA
4.0 +0.0 =4.0 DEX
8.2 +2.2 =10.4 STA
Bummer: Professor STILL hadn't posted the grades! he says he only got them Wednesday night and they should be up Friday night. Well I'm done brewing on it and am focusing on my next projects/exam.
Already worked out my next challenge (now that I know it starts again so fast.)
BONUS BONUS BONUS
Thursday I also finished my WALK TO RIVENDELL! 397 miles of travel by pedometer, biking, or pilates (bonus miles awarded for going to the hour long class. I can barely get out of bed the next day, it's serious.)
I started this walk Aug24, so it's taken me significantly longer than I wanted it to, but I'm very proud of myself for finished. I'm swooping right in to the next challenge (which I see as part 2 of the walk), 570 miles to Erebor (the Lonely Mountain). This was really the inspiration for my Dragonquest. (yes, I really thought I could make 967 miles total from Aug24 to Dec13. Can't say I'm not ambitious).
In light of my poor performance in strength-training (44% is definitely an F), C- performance in Cardio, C+ in Studying I'm going to call this Dragonquest a "miss". Hey, no one stays on a horse the first time, who expects to stay on a DRAGON the first time? I've been studying though (at an A!) and know that next time I meet that dragon, it's mine.
Kathryn gazed through the stone window at blue-white moon as it shone it's eerie light over the dark canopy. An old man in the last village had shown her how to decipher some of the symbols in the heavy greenstone book, but it was still not enough to really read it. It seemed both log, notes, and diary of some kind.
Through the night she thought she could see the tip of the mountain, flanked by its six ugly ridges. She imagined the dragon wheeling about, laughing at her. The storm has caused much havoc in the villages and there was just too much to do. The battalion of rangers had ended their campaign mucking out the stone churches that seemed to be the only refuge for some of the flooded towns and made little headway towards the murky woods where the battle lay. She'd heard that the battle beyond was on hold as even the opposing armies were dealing with the unusually wet weather.
Tearing her eyes from the empty night she focused on the book again. "
Soon, Dragon... soon."
Citations:
Spyro Image: "Super Smash Brothers 4 Part 47: Everybody Else" Accessed 2012 Sep 27. [http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/agentj/super-smash-brothers-4-part-47-everybody-else/30-26671/]
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