Goal + Action = Reality

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Programmes:
:v: Foundation Day 29

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 4
:v: Daily Pushups Day 4
:v: Easy Core Day 4
:v: Easy Abs Day 4
:v: Calves of Steel Day 4
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 8

:x: XBX Chart 2, Level D+ (Day 2/4) Okay. Honestly, this was an experiment but doing the same exercises every day, varying only in doing one more of each every four days - :zzz: Is this my low boredom threshold making itself shown? I had a good old chat with myself and I don't really think it's boredom (which can really just be a lack of stimulation). Rather, it's lack of exertion. Or challenge. So I'm going to look further afield. Interesting experiement, and I kept it up for about four weeks, but it's not enough for me anymore, knowing the whole wonderful world of exercises. Let's do something fun and challenging, something that makes me grow in some way. For some time now, I have been wanting to do the Hybrid Calisthenics routine, but I didn't think it fit in with my current goals. Other things have changed over the couple of months since I formulated those goals, and I think they may have to change a little. And I think that, just for fun, I might do the HC from the very beginning and progress all the way through, not merely jump to where I am now. Sometimes I wonder if, by doing that, I might miss the opportunity to strengthen or improve something - like skipping a grade in school (which I did and I've always wondered...) I really don't know if I can do 3 sets of 50 wall push-ups (because I haven't done wallies in ages!), though I know that straight leg plough raises are no problem (though I shall begin, as I have said, with the lowest level). I'm looking forward to beginning this.

:v: Taekwondo training. Warm-up with pyramid running - 1 lap up to 5 laps and back down to 1 lap, with laps of lunges (forward and reverse), duckwalk, leg swings. Lots of single leg training, like pistol squat prep (though why?), and stretching. Then the adults worked patterns from Koryo to Taebaek (which I have almost completely forgotten!) :smash:

Last night we had a power failure and since then, I've had limited internet connectivity here at home (I'm having to hotspot through my phone) and we had another brief outage this afternoon - just long enough to make sure I had to reset the clock and thermostat again. Technology is great - when it works and when the people who are supposed to be providing a good service actually do so! :mad:

:v: NaNoWriMo. As I've 'finished' the challenge by getting my 50,000 words written, and then I completed my first draft (of both novels) I'm not sure I can really still call this NaNo, but I will until the end of the month. Did a spot more writing today and it was Good. About 1500 or so words, I think.

@Fremen and @PetiteSheWolf This new Duolingo format certainly discourages anyone who has completed a language and just wants to keep it up by practiing. I get only 5xp per lesson unless I do a new language, and that would certainly make me plummet down through the leagues, if I were just to do my usual 5 lessons (because they are no shorter!) per night (though sometimes I have done more). I used to get 25xp per lesson! I know it may just be a matter of getting used to something new, but big changes disturb people who have been used to something for so long.
 

Louve Rose

Well-known member
from Here and Now(here)
Pronouns: She, her
Posts: 163
"In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can. (Nikos Kazantzakis)"
Honestly, this was an experiment but doing the same exercises every day, varying only in doing one more of each every four days - :zzz:
When I did the XBX program, I was on a merchant ship and this was the only way to do exercises on board. There was no internet in those days and when I saw the little book on the shelves of a bookshop during a short stopover in the US, it was a big Wow! for me. I'm not sure I'd enjoy it as much now with all the choices we have, let alone Darebee, the best. :gots:
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
@Anek I'm going with upside down parsnip, but if you want to be more exact... :LOL:
@CODawn and @NancyTree Thanks.

Programmes:
:v: Foundation Day 30

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 5
:v: Daily Pushups Day 5
:v: Easy Core Day 5
:v: Easy Abs Day 5
:v: Calves of Steel Day 5
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 9

:v: Hike. Started off from a new spot today, took a left instead of a right, and went up the wrong mountain! I'd been up that one before, though not that particular route. And it was a bit of a harder route than I was wanting/expecting! Just over 7km in about 1¾ hours because the downhill was extremely rocky and took almost as long as the uphill parts!
Elevation profile (that second kilometre was tough!):
20221123_211355.jpg
And just to keep things interesting:
20221123_211203.jpg

And the view - though I realise they all look pretty much the same (but I just love the clouds)!:
20221123_211247.jpg
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Thanks @Montserrat @Nanna Io @Louve Rose @NancyTree @BetaCorvi @Froud @Fremen @Anek @mavie @Lady Celerity @CODawn @Silent Wolf I'd actually forgotten to add the badge! Easy enough to do now that they're not right in our faces!

Programme:
:v: Hard Reset - Strength Day 1. I'll be playing around with this a bit. Been doing a fair bit of reading and thinking about slow eccentrics, and did some today. Had to swap out the bicep curls for hammer curls as that elbow is still giving me a bit of gip but a change of grip makes all the difference.

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 6
:v: Daily Pushups Day 6
:v: Easy Core Day 6
:v: Easy Abs Day 6
:v: Calves of Steel Day 6
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 10

:v: Taekwondo training. Warmup, then some strength work - sit-ups, knee-to-elbows, push-ups, squats, calf raises, squat jumps (but I'm still not jumping so I just did more squats). Then a few laps of kicking up the line, starting with instep kick. The coach who took us today is usually at the other centre, and he said that here, the adults kick better than the kids, while at the other centre, the adults don't kick very high at all. Yay us! Then a few laps of turning kick, some with a focus on reach, then a focus on height. We did pattern 1 about five times, then coach took the kids for patterns and we adults did our own, working through Keumgang a few times and on to Taebaek. Partnered up for self defences and that was fun, even if my partner added a little extra 'contact' all of her own and smacked me on the bum (which, as I have just finished Glutes of Steel, should teach her!).
Found out that there is no poomsae anymore. :( The coach had to focus on other things, and our champion, whom I thought would be taking over, has gone on to something quite different. This means that I shall have to think about my goals again. There is little point in working on something with a specific poomsae focus if the only poomsae I'll be able to do will be whatever I do at home. So I'll have a think over the next few days, look over what I had so carefully considered, and re-consider. How lovely to be able to do that!
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Programme:
:v: Hard Reset - Strength Day 2

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 7
:v: Daily Pushups Day 7
:v: Easy Core Day 7
:v: Easy Abs Day 7
:v: Calves of Steel Day 7
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 11

:v: Hike. Just a gentle one today - looking for one to take my mum on. She walks a bit but mostly on the flat. Says she's all right with hills but has to take them slowly because of her knees. I don't think she'd be up to my sort of hills! So this one would be fine - unless she wanted to go up to the summit, which was a bit up (as you might expect!). Anyway, 6.4k and it's time to apply sunscreen!
What a splendid day!
20221125_223708.jpg

Top hole in the fence for humans, bottom hole for dogs!
20221125_223620.jpg

The Trig.
20221125_223429.jpg
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Programme:
:v: Hard Reset - Strength Day 3

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 8
:v: Daily Pushups Day 8
:v: Easy Core Day 8
:v: Easy Abs Day 8
:v: Calves of Steel Day 8
:x: 30 Days of Running Day 12

An easy day today. Had to buy a laptop (Microsoft Surface because I'm SO used to using a touch screen) because I want to use a programme that requires a PC rather than a tablet. The salesman thought it was hilarious when I told him my last laptop had lost its N key. I didn't think it so funny... Do you know how hard it is to write without an N key?! So then I spent some of the afternoon setting the new beastie up, and then working my way through the interactive tutorial of the programme.
 

SlothEnergy

Well-known member
Posts: 217
The pics from your hikes are just beautiful! :heart:
I would love to be able to hike so often in such landscapes. But I live in the middle of a city, that lives in the middle of a plane :LOL:
Still, there is a park nearby that's pretty nice, but also crowded. However, it will have to do.
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
@SlothEnergy I too live in the middle of a city! But this city (of about 500,000 people) boasts 39 nature reserves in and around it, and claims that most people live within walking distance of one! How lucky is that?!

Programme:
:x: Hard Reset - Strength Day 4

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 9
:v: Daily Pushups Day 9
:v: Easy Core Day 9
:v: Easy Abs Day 9
:v: Calves of Steel Day 9
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 12

:v: Hike. 7.66km in 1hr36m. The sun came out and made it a bit hot, and then it popped in again and made it comfortable. And then it came out again. Was feeling a bit tired today, so nothing too energetic. See -
20221127_221539.jpg

Didn't have the best sort of night so was feeling a bit weary when I got up. Then had to attend second child's piano recital. Listening to other people's children playing the piano, especially when it was simple because they're just beginners, is not something I have much patience for. But the Lad was playing solitaire on my phone so I had to. The last few were quite good. They had been playing for some time and doing exams so the event (which took about an hour) at least ended well. We had been first to the venue and met the piano teacher who inveilled me into carrying her piano stool for her, so when it was over, I took the stool and left it by her car. My Good Deed for the day. :angel: But oh, when it was over, I was SO tired! My legs ached with having sat still for over an hour and all I wanted to do was sleep. Or walk. Or sleep-walk...? But even the walk today didn't energise me as much as I had hoped, though I did have some good creative thoughts. I realised that I would just be going through the motions with Hard Reset, and I didn't want to do that - the other things were easy, but I always want to be more intentional with programmes. So that's why it's held over until tomorrow.
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Programme:
:v: Hard Reset - Strength Day 4 Was so enjoying the splits hold that I did about 3 minutes. Getting out of that pose is always interesting...

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 10
:v: Daily Pushups Day 10
:v: Easy Core Day 10
:v: Easy Abs Day 10
:v: Calves of Steel Day 10
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 13

:v: ZR 5k training. W1D1. Yes, I have started this again. Third time? Fourth time? Whatever. The distance my Fitbit said I ran (based on step length because I was on the treadmill) and the distance the treadmill said I did was a bit different - 2.76km to 3.1km. Next time, I'll take the treadmill's figure. So - the free-form run. 10 minutes, and I haven't run 10 minutes at a stretch for a while, so I thought -
"I'll do 3 minutes then walk. ... Oh, I can keep on to 4 minutes, then I'll re-evaluate. ... At 5 minutes, I'll walk for a minute. ... No, I can make 6 minutes, then I'll walk. ... Okay, 7 minutes, then I'll walk. ... Well, now there are only 3 minutes left, surely I can do just 3 minutes!. ... Phew, just count every time my right foot hits the ground, that'll be about a second, so thirty steps is thirty seconds... Wow, and that's 10 minutes!" :LOL: All just tricking the mind. I took it carefully slowly and the calf isn't feeling anything bad so I think having been gentle with it for the last few weeks has really been a Good Thing.
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Programme:
:v: Hard Reset - Strength Day 5

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 11
:v: Daily Pushups Day 11
:v: Easy Core Day 11
:v: Easy Abs Day 11
:v: Calves of Steel Day 11
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 14

:x: Taekwondo training. I'm having to x this one out today, but not because I didn't go. My usual partner has gone on an overseas holiday, my second-usual partner was too busy at work (coming up to the Christmas period), and the other three adults just didn't show. And some of the teens didn't come. So there was the coach, one adult (me) and 7 teens. The coach said that she was going to do patterns today, but as the teens don't do the senior patterns, I'd be on my own. Doing them by myself. She said it was up to me whether or not I stayed. I agreed with that, put my shoes back on and went home. :( Now, sure, I could have stayed there and done my patterns by myself, but I chose not to be distracting. I am getting a mite cranky. The GM had better start doing some aggressive advertising or this club is going to fold. I don't want to quit, but I really feel that I'm not getting what I'm paying for.
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Programmes:
:v: Hard Reset - Strength Day 7
:v: Fit December Day 1

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 13
:v: Daily Pushups Day 13
:v: Easy Core Day 13
:v: Easy Abs Day 13
:v: Calves of Steel Day 13
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 16
:v: Step-Up Day 1

:v: Taekwondo training. Last night I messaged asking who was going to training tonight, and I was told that training was at the other centre. Good thing I asked, because I didn't get the text. Why?
Sad Without Me GIF by Travis
Anyway, I got there, and the other three adults from my centre were there too, and even colour belts!! So when we lined up, I wasn't at the end. Some running, some jump squats and lunges to warm up. Some punches, then we moved on to patterns. Did 1-6, then partnered up and did alternate instep kick (face-to-face), 3 sets of 10 each leg. Then a set of 5 but faster. Then turning kick, but I'm still minding out that right calf so I kicked only with the right leg. It wouldn't have been so bad except that these were to be done quickly, and that's a sure way to bugger things again, just when it all looks good. Then some self-defence with the partner. Finished off with some more punches, and that was it for the year. Except for colour belt grading next week, but I'm not going to that. Now I can go back to being a recluse. :cool: Oh, and get ready for the snowballs...
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Programmes:
:v: Hard Reset - Strength Day 8
:v: Fit December Day 2

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 14
:v: Daily Pushups Day 14
:v: Easy Core Day 14
:v: Easy Abs Day 14
:v: Calves of Steel Day 14
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 17
:v: Step-Up Day 2

This evening, Family Games and Awards Evening for Brigades. The Lad didn't want to play with anyone - or they didn't want to play with him. He wanted to play with me, though. We put on vests and threw soft balls at each other which stuck to the velcro. I won :LOL: but he cheated. Then we played with narrow scoops and a plastic ball with holes in it which we were supposed to catch in the scoop. We were just starting to get good at that when it was time for the awards. The Junior boys were all given a little Lego kit and a Bible for Minecrafters - who'd have thought?! Can I be a recluse now??
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."

Montserrat

Well-known member
Rogue from The Netherlands
Posts: 848
Keep hoping that today is the day that I suddenly become an amazing runner!
Yes, but seriously, I have that. Progress is often so slow or even not there at all. But still I always hope for some kind of breakthrough where things will suddenly feel much easier, and some sort of adaptation of the body will make me get stronger or faster or more flexible... I've been waiting for a while though!

:ss:
 

BrigidForged

Well-known member
Shieldmaiden from France
Pronouns: She/They
Posts: 515
Yes, but seriously, I have that. Progress is often so slow or even not there at all. But still I always hope for some kind of breakthrough where things will suddenly feel much easier, and some sort of adaptation of the body will make me get stronger or faster or more flexible... I've been waiting for a while though!

:ss:
Same here. Instead, what I get is the occasional day where everything goes wrong because this is body weight training and you had a pizza the day before and your body feels it. :LOL: I am still learning to live with those .
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Programmes:
:v: Hard Reset - Strength Day 11
:v: Fit December Day 5

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 17
:v: Daily Pushups Day 17
:v: Easy Core Day 17
:v: Easy Abs Day 17
:v: Calves of Steel Day 17
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 20
:v: Step-Up Day 5

:v: ZR 5K training. W2D1. Did the 30-sec runs at a faster pace (5m/8k) but ran the 10-min at my usual slower pace of 4.2m/6.7k. Had a bit of a break but still felt energised so:
:v: Marathon Handbook Couch to 5K Day 1, which was 1min run, 1½min walk for a total of 20 minutes. I did those runs also at 8k. Felt good.

:v: Hybrid Calisthenics 2.0 I said I'd start this but I kept forgetting. Remembered it this morning. :LOL:

I bought myself a post-Nano reward. Started it on the first and finished it last night. 1050 pieces because it's square. Excellent quality, good matt finish and solid fit. That new shop I found is very dangerous...
20221205_215843.jpg


The children have left their shoes out for Sinterklaas.
 

Montserrat

Well-known member
Rogue from The Netherlands
Posts: 848
Wow! You did a lot today, nice! That puzzle sure makes me dizzy... ;)

Is it common to celebrate Sinterklaas in Australia? I have such fond memories of it from my childhood years! It's not the same now, because I don't have children. I miss celebrating Sinterklaas sometimes. Thought it was mostly a Dutch/Belgian thing though?

Anyways, have fun!

d6xrsnf-712f2414-7637-467b-b343-eaffcc1af408.png
 
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Froud

Well-known member
Warrior Monk from Brussels
Posts: 905
Wow! You did a lot today, nice! That puzzle sure makes me dizzy... ;)

Is it common to celebrate Sinterklaas in Australia? I have such fond memories of it from my childhood years! It's not the same now, because I don't have children. I miss celebrating Sinterklaas sometimes. Thought it was mostly a Dutch/Belgian thing though?

Anyways, have fun!

View attachment 666
Ha Sinterklaas! I am still celebrating him :)
Is er spekulaas and een paar mandarijnen vandaag voor jouw? In some companies in Belgium, he is still celebrated as patron of office employees :°)
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
@Froud I scoffed the taai-taai a couple of days ago with my eldest because she went to camp yesterday and would otherwise miss out. I, of course, forced myself to keep her company in the eating. Though I stilll have a speculaas pop for me. :LOL: No mandarins this time of year - it's almost summer! The Lad put out one of my shoes next to his last night, and this morning said that Sinterklaas apparently didn't come to adults.:(


Programmes:
:v: Hard Reset - Strength Day 12
:v: Fit December Day 6

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 18
:v: Daily Pushups Day 18
:v: Easy Core Day 18
:v: Easy Abs Day 18
:v: Calves of Steel Day 18
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 21
:v: Step-Up Day 6

:v: Hybrid Calisthenics 2.0

Wanted to start another puzzle but now none of the ones I have seem challenging enough... :sad: Good thing I've got loads of other things to do instead!
 
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TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Programmes:
:v: Hard Reset - Strength Day 13
:v: Fit December Day 7

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 19
:v: Daily Pushups Day 19
:v: Easy Core Day 19
:v: Easy Abs Day 19
:v: Calves of Steel Day 19
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 22
:v: Step-Up Day 7

:v: ZR 5K training. W2D2. Seemed a bit harder today because I'd had a disturbed night, and my Fitbit claimed my HR went up to 207!! Even so, I did the 10-min run at 4.3m/6.9k rather than 4.2m/6.7k. Such a huge difference! ;) Still, every little bit...
:v: Marathon Handbook Couch to 5K W1D2, which was 1min run, 1½min walk for a total of 20 minutes. It is actually day 3 on the chart because every other day is cross training or rest (Sundays), but I'll just count the running days (so that's 3 per week) and I'll do them in conjunction with ZR so I get my required rest days. For the runs, I did them at 5m/8k except for the last minute which I did at 6m/9.6k.
 
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TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Programmes:
:v: Hard Reset - Strength Day 14
:v: Fit December Day 8

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 20
:v: Daily Pushups Day 20
:v: Easy Core Day 20
:v: Easy Abs Day 20
:v: Calves of Steel Day 20
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 23
:v: Step-Up Day 8

The Lad barrelled in this morning, demanding to know what day it was. Sleepily, I said I thought it was Thursday. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Pretty sure," I answered. "Check!" he said. Fortunately my Fitbit shows the day so I checked and confirmed that yes, today was indeed Thursday. "So why am I in my P.E. uniform?!" he wailed. Oops, I'd laid out the wrong school clothes last night. Don't know where my head was! :smash: It's all because Taekwondo has finished for the year. That was my compass. If I was going to Taekwondo, it was either Tuesday or Thursday. If I wasn't going to Taekwondo but I had gone yesterday, it was either Wednesday or Friday. Easy, see? And if the children were all at home during the day, it must be the weekend. :LOL:
 

TopNotch

Well-known member
Ranger from Australia
Posts: 1,610
"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Programmes:
:v: Hard Reset - Strength Day 16
:v: Fit December Day 10

Challenges:
:v: First Thing Water Day 22
:v: Daily Pushups Day 22
:v: Easy Core Day 22
:v: Easy Abs Day 22
:v: Calves of Steel Day 22
:v: 30 Days of Running Day 25
:v: Step-Up Day 10

:v: ZR 5K Training. W2D3. Decided to mix it up a little with the drills, which were 30sec run, 1min walk x 5. The first run I did at 6m/9.66k, then I alternated between 5m/8k and 5.5m/8.8k for the rest. I'm really not concerned about my speed (or lack thereof!), what's more important is just to keep running. Which I did. And the 10min free-form run was run at 4.4m/7k.
:v: Marathon Handbook Couch to 5K W1D3. In this 20min walk/run routine, there are 8 runs and I think I did them all at 5.5m/8.8k. I think, though, that I probably won't go faster than that, at least not for a while. It was fun though. :)
Running is still hard, and my speed - well, quite frankly, it isn't! But I read this from time to time both to comfort and to encourage me. In fact, I have been wondering if it would be of any benefit to me to extend this 8-week training programme a bit, maybe redo a couple of weeks, really to work on building up that endurance. I dunno, just thinking... :puurke:
 
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