BrigidForged
Well-known member
I second mavie on making your own biscuits. Self-made biscuits are 
Sorry to hear about the chapter. That is annooyiiiinngggg.
Sorry to hear about the chapter. That is annooyiiiinngggg.
Goal + Action = Reality
- Thread starter TopNotch
- Start date
TopNotch
Well-known member
@mavie Absolutely nothing, and I do often bake - but then I scoff even more! My problem is that I snack on them instead of eating more of 'proper' food. When I remember (and I'm getting better at that) I have breakfast - atm it's a couple of eggs scrambled with some baby spinach, served on a slice of wholemeal sourdough toast. Lunch I often forget. Somewhere during the day, there's a protein powder milkshake after my exercise. Dinner is variable (generally it's out of my control) and normally I don't have much. It's just that darned app that's got me all stressing out!
OJJJEM
Well-known member
Mother of Dragons
Posts: 632
My favorite egg dish comes with spinach... I cook quinoa in a small non-stick skillet, then I pour scrambled eggs onto the quinoa, and steam it for a little bit, sprinkle some chiffonade spinach and grated parmesan over top, roll it into an omelette, turn off the stove, and let sit covered for a few more minutes before serving. As for the biscuits... Frankly, I don't see anything wrong with snacking on good, wholesome homemade biscuits. Everyone deserves a "vice"... or two... or three... 
I guess the app has to go.
The idea of making your own biscuits is basically to make snacks that count as proper food. Something like cereal bars for example. You seem to love your daily tea and if eating on a regular basis isn't easy it's probably a good thing to combine some good food with an already existing habit. Anyway, good luck with keeping the stress away from enjoying biscuits or anything else.
TopNotch
Well-known member
Pigged out on cashews instead.
TopNotch
Well-known member
Programmes:
Foundation Day 18
Total Abs Day 23
Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 23
Glutes of Steel Day 23
Power Punch Day 11
XBX Chart 2 Level D- (Day 4/4)
Busy day. I was a taxi driver just after noon today, and after I had dopped off my 'fare', I decided, as I was out, to see if I could get myself a pair of trail shoes. It took a bit of doing but:
No white, no funky anything, just a dark blue/purple, with orangey-red stripes - called midnight/cherry tomato. Hopefully no more black toenails! Well, once these ones have grown out... I discovered that a very dangerous shop has just opened up - it's a jigsaw puzzle shop!
Only good quality ones, too, so loads of Ravensburger (including those Krypt ones...) and - ooh, they even had 9,000 piece puzzles! But I think I'd have to move the furniture out of the lounge room to do one that big. I generally stick to 1000-piece puzzles. I can get one of those finished in 1-3 days, depending on how I'm feeling. I was strong though - I didn't buy one. I needed the shoes. I think I'll make me a Christmas list and perhaps I'll actually get something I want this year (that I haven't bought for myself!)
NaNoWriMo. Another chapter done, another 4218 words written. I like to keep my chapters between 3500 and 5000 words. Not so exhausting for me action-wise today, but I did find out that if your brachial artery gets severed, you've got 2-5 minutes before you bleed out. There. Now you've learnt something too. 
Foundation Day 18 Total Abs Day 23Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 23 Glutes of Steel Day 23 Power Punch Day 11 XBX Chart 2 Level D- (Day 4/4)Busy day. I was a taxi driver just after noon today, and after I had dopped off my 'fare', I decided, as I was out, to see if I could get myself a pair of trail shoes. It took a bit of doing but:
No white, no funky anything, just a dark blue/purple, with orangey-red stripes - called midnight/cherry tomato. Hopefully no more black toenails! Well, once these ones have grown out... I discovered that a very dangerous shop has just opened up - it's a jigsaw puzzle shop!
Only good quality ones, too, so loads of Ravensburger (including those Krypt ones...) and - ooh, they even had 9,000 piece puzzles! But I think I'd have to move the furniture out of the lounge room to do one that big.
I generally stick to 1000-piece puzzles. I can get one of those finished in 1-3 days, depending on how I'm feeling. I was strong though - I didn't buy one. I needed the shoes. I think I'll make me a Christmas list and perhaps I'll actually get something I want this year (that I haven't bought for myself!) NaNoWriMo. Another chapter done, another 4218 words written. I like to keep my chapters between 3500 and 5000 words. Not so exhausting for me action-wise today, but I did find out that if your brachial artery gets severed, you've got 2-5 minutes before you bleed out. There. Now you've learnt something too. 
TopNotch
Well-known member
Programmes:
Foundation Day 19
Total Abs Day 24 - I really don't like Superman stretches.
Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 24
Glutes of Steel Day 24
Power Punch Day 12
XBX Chart 2 Level D- (Day 5/4) Oops! I forgot to cross off that level yesterday so, without using my brain today, I just did it again! This time, though, at least I did it a bit differently. I did the push-ups as finger-tip push-ups. I'm not a superhero so I did it on my knees! Ow, I think I've got to work on finger positioning for that. Bit of different fun, though.
Tricep push-downs. 3 x 10. Well, the first set was actually 15 because the Lad started talking to me and I forgot to stop! 
A bit later, I did 10-15 single-arm pushdowns with just my right. It's weaker than my left. I think this is an old imbalance that I've just never really thought about correcting before. Some years ago, I had to use a cane for a while. I used it in my left hand and as a result, I noticed that tricep get appreciably bigger. I think it's just stayed that way and I've not yet tried to get the right to match it. Might do something about that.
Exercise bike. I wasn't really feeling it today, so I did only 20 minutes (a little more than 10km) at resist 7 then a 'cool down' of about 5 minutes at resist 5. Anything less now and I really just feel like I'm spinning the wheel. My speed was variable because it's difficult to maintain speed when you're writing in a notebook!
NaNoWriMo. Some days are best not talked about, except that I learnt something about myself today. Last night, I suddenly became concerned that I didn't have enough left to write about on my story, so I actually wrote down a few lines for the next (and final) 6 chapters. I discovered that doing this, for me, was almost the same as actually writing the chapters. It was as though I had actually written them, and now I didn't need to do anything more - it was all over. So today's chapter was so like pulling teeth. After more than 2 hours, I had only just over 800 words written. I'd roamed around the house, done some laundry (hey, it needed doing!), come back, played a game, made some tea, wrote five words, drank some tea - you get the picture. Finally, at about four o'clock, I told myself to forget all about what I had written down last night. Hey, perhaps I needed to combine both the chapter I was working on AND the next chapter! And suddenly, things were on track again! I didn't combine the two chapters, and this one is my shortest chapter so far by a couple of hundred words, but it's not a bad chapter. So, another 3,263 words written. Moral of the story - and I mean this story, not my novel! - is for me not to plan my stories!
Foundation Day 19 Total Abs Day 24 - I really don't like Superman stretches.Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 24 Glutes of Steel Day 24 Power Punch Day 12 XBX Chart 2 Level D- (Day 5/4) Oops! I forgot to cross off that level yesterday so, without using my brain today, I just did it again! This time, though, at least I did it a bit differently. I did the push-ups as finger-tip push-ups. I'm not a superhero so I did it on my knees! Ow, I think I've got to work on finger positioning for that. Bit of different fun, though. Tricep push-downs. 3 x 10. Well, the first set was actually 15 because the Lad started talking to me and I forgot to stop! A bit later, I did 10-15 single-arm pushdowns with just my right. It's weaker than my left. I think this is an old imbalance that I've just never really thought about correcting before. Some years ago, I had to use a cane for a while. I used it in my left hand and as a result, I noticed that tricep get appreciably bigger. I think it's just stayed that way and I've not yet tried to get the right to match it. Might do something about that. Exercise bike. I wasn't really feeling it today, so I did only 20 minutes (a little more than 10km) at resist 7 then a 'cool down' of about 5 minutes at resist 5. Anything less now and I really just feel like I'm spinning the wheel. My speed was variable because it's difficult to maintain speed when you're writing in a notebook! NaNoWriMo. Some days are best not talked about, except that I learnt something about myself today. Last night, I suddenly became concerned that I didn't have enough left to write about on my story, so I actually wrote down a few lines for the next (and final) 6 chapters. I discovered that doing this, for me, was almost the same as actually writing the chapters. It was as though I had actually written them, and now I didn't need to do anything more - it was all over. So today's chapter was so like pulling teeth. After more than 2 hours, I had only just over 800 words written. I'd roamed around the house, done some laundry (hey, it needed doing!), come back, played a game, made some tea, wrote five words, drank some tea - you get the picture. Finally, at about four o'clock, I told myself to forget all about what I had written down last night. Hey, perhaps I needed to combine both the chapter I was working on AND the next chapter! And suddenly, things were on track again! I didn't combine the two chapters, and this one is my shortest chapter so far by a couple of hundred words, but it's not a bad chapter. So, another 3,263 words written. Moral of the story - and I mean this story, not my novel! - is for me not to plan my stories!
TopNotch
Well-known member
Programmes:
Foundation Day 20
Total Abs Day 25
Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 25
Glutes of Steel Day 25
Power Punch Day 13 Must confess that this one just isn't really doing anything for me so I'm going to be dropping it.
30 Days of Running Day 1 Wow! This came as a surprise. I always keep programmes. etc open on my tablet and just mark days off as I go, but this one said, print it off, so I thought, why not? I'd stick it up in front of the treadmill and tick off as I go. But - wow! Those sneaky little Darebee people! You won't understand what I'm talking about until you actually download this challenge. And I pulled out some little pirate-theme stickers to mark my way. I have decided that, as I want to do the ZR 5k training again, and it's 8 weeks, I'll start it at the beginning of December so that it's finished before term starts again next year. But I wanted to get a bit of running done, as a kind of pre-training training. Hence this choice. So long as I do 5 minutes every day, even if that 5 minutes is broken up, depending on whether I'm out or at home, that's good enough. So today I did 5min walk, 5min run x 2, then about 3 min walk to finish. The calf is still feeling good, but I don't want to push it too much just yet - hence holding off on the 5k training. I think being very gentle with it this past week has been a Good Thing. I just have to maintain that for a bit longer to make sure things have healed properly.
Workout:
Troll hunter Since I'm doing so much typing this month, I'd better keep the shoulders and arms moving.
XBX Chart 2 Level D (Day 1/4)
NaNoWriMo. Not a bad day. Another chapter down - 3671 words. Total so far for month is 40114. Three more chapters, possibly four, and the first draft is done.
Foundation Day 20 Total Abs Day 25Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 25 Glutes of Steel Day 25 Power Punch Day 13 Must confess that this one just isn't really doing anything for me so I'm going to be dropping it. 30 Days of Running Day 1 Wow! This came as a surprise. I always keep programmes. etc open on my tablet and just mark days off as I go, but this one said, print it off, so I thought, why not? I'd stick it up in front of the treadmill and tick off as I go. But - wow! Those sneaky little Darebee people! You won't understand what I'm talking about until you actually download this challenge. And I pulled out some little pirate-theme stickers to mark my way. I have decided that, as I want to do the ZR 5k training again, and it's 8 weeks, I'll start it at the beginning of December so that it's finished before term starts again next year. But I wanted to get a bit of running done, as a kind of pre-training training. Hence this choice. So long as I do 5 minutes every day, even if that 5 minutes is broken up, depending on whether I'm out or at home, that's good enough. So today I did 5min walk, 5min run x 2, then about 3 min walk to finish. The calf is still feeling good, but I don't want to push it too much just yet - hence holding off on the 5k training. I think being very gentle with it this past week has been a Good Thing. I just have to maintain that for a bit longer to make sure things have healed properly.Workout:
Troll hunter Since I'm doing so much typing this month, I'd better keep the shoulders and arms moving. XBX Chart 2 Level D (Day 1/4) NaNoWriMo. Not a bad day. Another chapter down - 3671 words. Total so far for month is 40114. Three more chapters, possibly four, and the first draft is done.
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facuzayas
Well-known member
Gladiator
from
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Posts: 140
from
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Posts: 140
"“Go straight to the seat of intelligence–your own, the world's, your neighbors.”"
Hi my friend!
Congrats and hugs from Argentina!
Hi my friend! Such a long workout day!Programmes:
Challenge:
I'm not so focussed really on getting my splits atm, so I'm not going to be doing frequent split stretching routines, but once (possibly twice?) a week could be a good thing, just to maintain the flexibility.
I'll be good tomorrow. Promise.
Congrats and hugs from Argentina!
TopNotch
Well-known member
TopNotch
Well-known member
Programmes:
Foundation Day 21
Total Abs Day 26
Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 26
Glutes of Steel Day 26
30 Days of Running Day 2. I thought I had only 14 minutes of a ZR mission to go but apparently it was 15½. Anyway, I walked for 3 minutes then started a slow run. The calf twinged a little so I only did one minute then one minute walking. Then I did two minutes and that felt okay, and another one minute walking. Then I went for three minutes, still okay, one minute of walking. Here's where I thought I only had fourteen minutes so I did just one more minute of running and then walked. For a little longer than expected but it's good to have a cool-down. The calf feels okay now, but I'll watch carefully tomorrow, the third day in a row.
Walk. I wanted to get a walk in because I'm supposed to be doing a 50km challenge again this month (and a 60 mile! challenge, but I didn't realise that 60 miles is almost 100km, so let's not talk about that one) but I don't want to spend too much time away from my writing just in case I have a sudden flash of inspiration. I had to go out to the shops today, though, so I parked about 1km away from where I needed to go and managed to clock up at 2.9km walk.
NaNoWriMo. Another hard chapter because I couldn't think how to rescue the prisoners without its being too easy, so I threw in a booby-trap and a few explosions, just for fun. 3,462 words and the end is in sight.
I've been feeling like a bit of a slacker recently. I haven't actually been challenging myself, have I now? Being quite honest, I've been kicking back and taking it rather easy! Oh, I know I've been having to let that plantaris heal, but so many things can be done around that! I need to do something that doesn't just make me sweat but that really makes me work. I know I can do way more than I've been doing, and my body knows it too and wants it (except for bicep curls because this elbow isn't quite right yet!). I've got to get more strength work in. Perhaps I'll look at one of the strength programmes once I've finished Foundation. I know XPress Tone is an Add-On, but I can't see it as that because I think it worked me as hard as any other programme PLUS it took ages! All that going to fatigue! Right now, for the rest of this month, I really need a programme because I haven't the brain power to spare to figure out which workout would be best for me. I've a few days left before I can start another one so I've got time to choose. Too much slacking off, TN!
Foundation Day 21 Total Abs Day 26Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 26 Glutes of Steel Day 26 30 Days of Running Day 2. I thought I had only 14 minutes of a ZR mission to go but apparently it was 15½. Anyway, I walked for 3 minutes then started a slow run. The calf twinged a little so I only did one minute then one minute walking. Then I did two minutes and that felt okay, and another one minute walking. Then I went for three minutes, still okay, one minute of walking. Here's where I thought I only had fourteen minutes so I did just one more minute of running and then walked. For a little longer than expected but it's good to have a cool-down. The calf feels okay now, but I'll watch carefully tomorrow, the third day in a row. Walk. I wanted to get a walk in because I'm supposed to be doing a 50km challenge again this month (and a 60 mile! challenge, but I didn't realise that 60 miles is almost 100km, so let's not talk about that one) but I don't want to spend too much time away from my writing just in case I have a sudden flash of inspiration. I had to go out to the shops today, though, so I parked about 1km away from where I needed to go and managed to clock up at 2.9km walk. NaNoWriMo. Another hard chapter because I couldn't think how to rescue the prisoners without its being too easy, so I threw in a booby-trap and a few explosions, just for fun. 3,462 words and the end is in sight.I've been feeling like a bit of a slacker recently. I haven't actually been challenging myself, have I now? Being quite honest, I've been kicking back and taking it rather easy! Oh, I know I've been having to let that plantaris heal, but so many things can be done around that! I need to do something that doesn't just make me sweat but that really makes me work. I know I can do way more than I've been doing, and my body knows it too and wants it (except for bicep curls because this elbow isn't quite right yet!). I've got to get more strength work in. Perhaps I'll look at one of the strength programmes once I've finished Foundation. I know XPress Tone is an Add-On, but I can't see it as that because I think it worked me as hard as any other programme PLUS it took ages! All that going to fatigue! Right now, for the rest of this month, I really need a programme because I haven't the brain power to spare to figure out which workout would be best for me. I've a few days left before I can start another one so I've got time to choose. Too much slacking off, TN!
NaNoWriMore sounds very intriguing. I haven't written a short story in awhile, so the possibility of writing again kind of interests me.
50 km of non stop walking sounds impossible to me. Is it something you work up to?
Oh, and hope your calf feels better.
50 km of non stop walking sounds impossible to me. Is it something you work up to?
Oh, and hope your calf feels better.
TopNotch
Well-known member
@GentleOx Good lord, not 50km non-stop! Phew! Nah, just that distance over the month. I think the longest I've done non-stop was 30km and that included going up quite a rough hill. Wouldn't do that again!
NaNoWriMo isn't really for short stories as it's 50,000 words - way longer than a short story. It was originally designed for writing a first draft of a novel, though some people use it for editing now too. The word limit and time frame puts on a bit of pressure to Get Stuff Done. There's CampNaNo in April (I think). You might look into it, get writing again.
I think the longest I've done non-stop was 30km and that included going up quite a rough hill. Wouldn't do that again!NaNoWriMo isn't really for short stories as it's 50,000 words - way longer than a short story. It was originally designed for writing a first draft of a novel, though some people use it for editing now too. The word limit and time frame puts on a bit of pressure to Get Stuff Done. There's CampNaNo in April (I think). You might look into it, get writing again.
Nevetharine
Well-known member
Yeah IDK... Just wanted to say Hi and ended up being a weirdo
TopNotch
Well-known member
@Nevetharine That's a remarkably unslothful sloth. (Er, it is a sloth, right?) Hi!
OJJJEM
Well-known member
Mother of Dragons
Posts: 632
You are capable, clever, and creative. I know that you can come up with something to keep your upper body motivated while your lower body is healing. <3 ...and not to take the "there's an oil for that" route, but I'm gonna mock it and say, "There's a Darebee workout for that."
Nevetharine
Well-known member
The sloth is my spirit animal
TopNotch
Well-known member
Programmes:
Foundation Day 22 - almost a re-run of yesterday's Total Abs!
Total Abs Day 27
Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 27
Glutes of Steel Day 27 I am going to miss these frog pumps when this challenge is over. But they always make me giggle as I think to myself, "Don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact"! Of course, the only ones I could make eye contact with them I'm doing them are the cats, and if I'm still for long enough (approximately 1.5 seconds!) one of them will come and lie on my chest. Happened last time I was lying on the bench doing my upside down push-ups. Made things a little awkward.
30 Days of Running Day 3 Calf was complaining this morning, so I count the running I did during training tonight as today's running.
Workout:
Get Back Up - 'cause why not? I'd wanted to do more but I got stuck into my writing first thing this morning and only came up for air shortly before the children came home from school, so I only just managed to squeeze in pretty much the usual.
And yep, @OJJJEM there's loads of workouts that have my name on them! Now if only I could print out a master list and cross them off once I've done them...
Taekwondo training. I wasn't in the mood again tonight. Neither was my usual partner, but we slapped on our smiles and entered the fray. Did some running as warmups, a lap of lunges, then duckwalk. Then in groups of 3 or 4, we did single exercises, one person after the other. I did some of them, but avoided the jumpy ones, and unfortunately, they soon were all jumpy! After warmup, drills, and again, these were mostly sparring sorts of drills which would put too much stress on the calf so I had to stand out. There were some drills which involved starting in relaxed stance, then moving into long stance at the same time as upper block and punch. A few variations on these, and I find this sort of thing quite fun, but then they became jumpy again so I could just stand aside and watch the other adults show that they had about the same amount of co-ordination as I do! Occasionally there was another lap of duckwalk which I did, or a lap of running - which I did slowly, because this morning when I got up, my calf was a bit naggy. It's a bit more naggy now but I'm hoping that's just because it's tired. I might have to delay tomorrow's running. Have a walk instead. We'll see tomorrow.
NaNoWriMo. And there goes chapter 12 with 3,873 words. There's really only the last exciting concluding chapter to go. I had to start it when I got home from training tonight, even though I really ought to get to bed at a decent time instead. And then when I was doing my Duolingo, I had an idea (which made focussing on a foreign language a little challenging!) - and that uses a Chekhov's gun that I'd forgotten about. It's strange how, when I was writing (and I write without a plan), I put in things that I later find I need to progress the story. When I didn't even know how the story was going to go! Funny how my mind knew but didn't think it important to let me know!
Foundation Day 22 - almost a re-run of yesterday's Total Abs! Total Abs Day 27Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 27 Glutes of Steel Day 27 I am going to miss these frog pumps when this challenge is over. But they always make me giggle as I think to myself, "Don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact"! Of course, the only ones I could make eye contact with them I'm doing them are the cats, and if I'm still for long enough (approximately 1.5 seconds!) one of them will come and lie on my chest. Happened last time I was lying on the bench doing my upside down push-ups. Made things a little awkward. 30 Days of Running Day 3 Calf was complaining this morning, so I count the running I did during training tonight as today's running. Workout:
Get Back Up - 'cause why not? I'd wanted to do more but I got stuck into my writing first thing this morning and only came up for air shortly before the children came home from school, so I only just managed to squeeze in pretty much the usual.And yep, @OJJJEM there's loads of workouts that have my name on them! Now if only I could print out a master list and cross them off once I've done them...
Taekwondo training. I wasn't in the mood again tonight. Neither was my usual partner, but we slapped on our smiles and entered the fray. Did some running as warmups, a lap of lunges, then duckwalk. Then in groups of 3 or 4, we did single exercises, one person after the other. I did some of them, but avoided the jumpy ones, and unfortunately, they soon were all jumpy! After warmup, drills, and again, these were mostly sparring sorts of drills which would put too much stress on the calf so I had to stand out. There were some drills which involved starting in relaxed stance, then moving into long stance at the same time as upper block and punch. A few variations on these, and I find this sort of thing quite fun, but then they became jumpy again so I could just stand aside and watch the other adults show that they had about the same amount of co-ordination as I do! Occasionally there was another lap of duckwalk which I did, or a lap of running - which I did slowly, because this morning when I got up, my calf was a bit naggy. It's a bit more naggy now but I'm hoping that's just because it's tired. I might have to delay tomorrow's running. Have a walk instead. We'll see tomorrow. NaNoWriMo. And there goes chapter 12 with 3,873 words. There's really only the last exciting concluding chapter to go. I had to start it when I got home from training tonight, even though I really ought to get to bed at a decent time instead. And then when I was doing my Duolingo, I had an idea (which made focussing on a foreign language a little challenging!) - and that uses a Chekhov's gun that I'd forgotten about. It's strange how, when I was writing (and I write without a plan), I put in things that I later find I need to progress the story. When I didn't even know how the story was going to go! Funny how my mind knew but didn't think it important to let me know!
TopNotch
Well-known member
Programmes:
Foundation Day 23
Total Abs Day 28
Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 28
Glutes of Steel Day 28
30 Days of Running Day 4 Okay, today was a bit of a cheat. My leg was not feeling at all happy today, so I went for a walk instead of a run, but while I was out, I did do a brief little run, so I'm counting the day!
Hike. Wanted to go out, test my new shoes. Kind of didn't turn where I probably ought to have because I was too busy thinking about my story, and suddenly found myself with a view of a major road, thinking, hmm, that's quite far from home. So, 2hrs 42 minutes, and 12.22km later, I got home - just as my earbuds ran out of power! Lucky. It was mostly grey, quite a brisk wind, with some raindrops thrown around so my jacket got damp. Despite that, I really enjoyed the hike.
Well, the shoes worked!
I was deep in thought and almost walked into this mob that were just mooching on the track. Looked up and there they were, watching me suspiciously.
And just for fun, here is the elevation profile - it was about 400m.
NaNoWriMo. The goal is to write 50,000 words of a new novel in November. I wrote my penultimate chapter today (after the brief walk!) of 4004 words, for a total so far of 51,453. That's over the 50,000 aimed for which makes me a NaNoWriMo 'winner'. Now I just have to finish the novel, and then go back and finish the novel that I had been working on just before November.
Foundation Day 23 Total Abs Day 28Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 28 Glutes of Steel Day 28 30 Days of Running Day 4 Okay, today was a bit of a cheat. My leg was not feeling at all happy today, so I went for a walk instead of a run, but while I was out, I did do a brief little run, so I'm counting the day! Hike. Wanted to go out, test my new shoes. Kind of didn't turn where I probably ought to have because I was too busy thinking about my story, and suddenly found myself with a view of a major road, thinking, hmm, that's quite far from home. So, 2hrs 42 minutes, and 12.22km later, I got home - just as my earbuds ran out of power! Lucky. It was mostly grey, quite a brisk wind, with some raindrops thrown around so my jacket got damp. Despite that, I really enjoyed the hike.Well, the shoes worked!
I was deep in thought and almost walked into this mob that were just mooching on the track. Looked up and there they were, watching me suspiciously.
And just for fun, here is the elevation profile - it was about 400m.
NaNoWriMo. The goal is to write 50,000 words of a new novel in November. I wrote my penultimate chapter today (after the brief walk!) of 4004 words, for a total so far of 51,453. That's over the 50,000 aimed for which makes me a NaNoWriMo 'winner'. Now I just have to finish the novel, and then go back and finish the novel that I had been working on just before November.
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Montserrat
Well-known member
Yay! Well done!
PetiteSheWolf
Well-known member
Wow, finishing your nano in half a month!!! That's very impressive! Bravo to you!
Anek
Well-known member
Sorceress
from
Bavaria, Germany
Pronouns: She/her
Posts: 2,908
from
Bavaria, Germany
Pronouns: She/her
Posts: 2,908
"If the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember Cedric Diggory."
Congrats!
Mianevem
Well-known member
Congrats on NaNo!
TopNotch
Well-known member
Thanks, @BetaCorvi @Montserrat @PetiteSheWolf @Haleth @Anek @mavie @Mianevem @Fremen @Zenchan 
Programmes:
Foundation Day 24
Total Abs Day 29
Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 29
Glutes of Steel Day 29 - aawww, my last day of frog pumps. 
30 Days of Running Day 5
Taekwondo training. Run two laps. Okay, now run three laps. All done? Right, run fifteen laps! Phew. Time was, I couldn't do even ten laps, especially not after having already done 5 laps. And I thought, okay, I'll do what I can. So I did, and by the time I finished the 15th lap (and I wasn't the last! 
), I felt that I could have kept going for a bit. They were to be done at a gentle speed, and that I can do. Two laps of lunges, two of duckwalk, run another two laps. Stretching, including partner stretching against the wall. Another two laps of running. On to kicking. Ten each leg of instep, turning and side. I did 20 turning kicks with just the right leg, but when it came to doing the side kicks, my right leg was saying it was tired, so I let it rest while everyone kicked their left legs (as I'm still not rotating the right leg as support yet) and joined in with the 10 kicks with the right. Brief pause, then on to push, down and axe kicks, which, as my support leg didn't need to rotate, I could do on each leg. Finally hook, outer crescent, inner crescent. With hook and inner crescent, the support leg has to rotate, so again, I waited the first 10 kicks out. The coach let us adults do free training while he took the teens to practice patterns. I am two others worked through Taebaek - my goodness! it certainly showed that I haven't done this in some time, thanks to not going to poomsae classes any more! After a couple of runs, my partner decided she wanted to practice the three-steps (no, not a dance!) so I gallantly volunteered to punch her. So she could block the punch and then proceed to beat me up, of course. When we adults were leaving, they started talking about getting together for a meal or drinks before Christmas, and all I could think was, NOOOOOO!!!! I mean, I like these people, sure, but we only have Taekwondo in common. Socialising. 
NaNoWriMo. I spent this morning doing everything BUT opening my last chapter. Then I fell down the YouTube rabbit hole when watching videos on how I should have done my first draft (I like to see that sort of thing after I have successfully done something. If I've screwed something up, I berate myself for not learning how to do it first!) and other stuff on writing because I ought to study up on the craft. But not before you finish your two current novels, TN!! Procrastinator! Anyway, I managed to squeeze out 1480 words on that last chapter, and about 700 words on the penultimate (I think) chapter of the first novel.
Oh, and here's a picture from yesterday's hike. I suppose it's of the first mobile phone (booth)!
Programmes:
Foundation Day 24 Total Abs Day 29Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 29 Glutes of Steel Day 29 - aawww, my last day of frog pumps. 30 Days of Running Day 5 Taekwondo training. Run two laps. Okay, now run three laps. All done? Right, run fifteen laps! Phew. Time was, I couldn't do even ten laps, especially not after having already done 5 laps. And I thought, okay, I'll do what I can. So I did, and by the time I finished the 15th lap (and I wasn't the last! ), I felt that I could have kept going for a bit. They were to be done at a gentle speed, and that I can do. Two laps of lunges, two of duckwalk, run another two laps. Stretching, including partner stretching against the wall. Another two laps of running. On to kicking. Ten each leg of instep, turning and side. I did 20 turning kicks with just the right leg, but when it came to doing the side kicks, my right leg was saying it was tired, so I let it rest while everyone kicked their left legs (as I'm still not rotating the right leg as support yet) and joined in with the 10 kicks with the right. Brief pause, then on to push, down and axe kicks, which, as my support leg didn't need to rotate, I could do on each leg. Finally hook, outer crescent, inner crescent. With hook and inner crescent, the support leg has to rotate, so again, I waited the first 10 kicks out. The coach let us adults do free training while he took the teens to practice patterns. I am two others worked through Taebaek - my goodness! it certainly showed that I haven't done this in some time, thanks to not going to poomsae classes any more! After a couple of runs, my partner decided she wanted to practice the three-steps (no, not a dance!) so I gallantly volunteered to punch her. So she could block the punch and then proceed to beat me up, of course. When we adults were leaving, they started talking about getting together for a meal or drinks before Christmas, and all I could think was, NOOOOOO!!!! I mean, I like these people, sure, but we only have Taekwondo in common. Socialising. NaNoWriMo. I spent this morning doing everything BUT opening my last chapter. Then I fell down the YouTube rabbit hole when watching videos on how I should have done my first draft (I like to see that sort of thing after I have successfully done something. If I've screwed something up, I berate myself for not learning how to do it first!) and other stuff on writing because I ought to study up on the craft. But not before you finish your two current novels, TN!! Procrastinator! Anyway, I managed to squeeze out 1480 words on that last chapter, and about 700 words on the penultimate (I think) chapter of the first novel.Oh, and here's a picture from yesterday's hike. I suppose it's of the first mobile phone (booth)!
It's actually a water board utility box.
TopNotch
Well-known member
Programmes:
Foundation Day 25
Total Abs Day 30
Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 30
Glutes of Steel Day 30
30 Days of Running Day 6 - Yeah, I was lazy today and went on the bike instead for a quick 6 minutes/3km ride to finish things off this afternoon.
XBX Chart 2, Level D (day 3/4). I realised today that I had dropped this off my thread. I'm pretty sure today is 3 of 4, but as I hadn't recorded it, not 100%. Not that it really matters, hey?
NaNoWriMo. About 2,000 words all up today. I've kind of finished the last chapter of the first book (turned out I only needed one chapter there, not two), and am about halfway through the last chapter of this current story. I've started doing some of the research I need to do to fill in the gaps, and fired another Chekhov's gun today, much to my great pleasure. This 'gun' was shown in the first half of the first story, and only 'fired' in the last chapter of the second story!
Been busy choosing what's up next for tomorrow.
Foundation Day 25 Total Abs Day 30Challenges:
Touch Your Toes Day 30 Glutes of Steel Day 30 30 Days of Running Day 6 - Yeah, I was lazy today and went on the bike instead for a quick 6 minutes/3km ride to finish things off this afternoon. XBX Chart 2, Level D (day 3/4). I realised today that I had dropped this off my thread. I'm pretty sure today is 3 of 4, but as I hadn't recorded it, not 100%. Not that it really matters, hey? NaNoWriMo. About 2,000 words all up today. I've kind of finished the last chapter of the first book (turned out I only needed one chapter there, not two), and am about halfway through the last chapter of this current story. I've started doing some of the research I need to do to fill in the gaps, and fired another Chekhov's gun today, much to my great pleasure. This 'gun' was shown in the first half of the first story, and only 'fired' in the last chapter of the second story!Been busy choosing what's up next for tomorrow.
Montserrat
Well-known member
You're getting those badges back quickly! Grats on Total Abs!
Edit: Oh, yes... challenges too of course!
Edit: Oh, yes... challenges too of course!
Last edited:
Anek
Well-known member
Sorceress
from
Bavaria, Germany
Pronouns: She/her
Posts: 2,908
from
Bavaria, Germany
Pronouns: She/her
Posts: 2,908
"If the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember Cedric Diggory."
Congrats on the challenges!
Louve Rose
Well-known member
from
Here and Now(here)
Pronouns: She, her
Posts: 167
"In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can. (Nikos Kazantzakis)"
Congratulations !
Silent Wolf
Well-known member
Congrats!
️
️
TopNotch
Well-known member
@Montserrat @HellYeah @Anek @Haleth @Fremen @Louve Rose @Silent Wolf @CODawn @Nebulus 
Programmes:
Foundation Day 26
Challenges:
First Thing Water Day 1 - As opposed to my usual First Thing Tea.
Daily Pushups Day 1
Easy Core Day 1 - I was considering also doing Posture, but too many side bends in one day so I'll redo that one another time, when I feel I need more sidebends!
Easy Abs Day 1 - Core and Abs together - it's almost like doing another Add-On programme!
Calves of Steel Day 1 - to go with the glutes!
30 Days of Running Day 6 - Such a slacker. Missed it again today. It was one of Those Days when I couldn't spend much time at one go doing stuff.
XBX Chart 2, Level D (day 4/4).
NaNoWriMo. Wonderful day. The last part of the final chapter of this month's novel just flowed beautifully, and it's over now, that first draft of 56,090 words. Now it can sit in a drawer and grow mould for a bit, while I go back to the first book and do a truckload of research! I can hardly wait - I've always loved research. 
Programmes:
Foundation Day 26Challenges:
First Thing Water Day 1 - As opposed to my usual First Thing Tea. Daily Pushups Day 1 Easy Core Day 1 - I was considering also doing Posture, but too many side bends in one day so I'll redo that one another time, when I feel I need more sidebends! Easy Abs Day 1 - Core and Abs together - it's almost like doing another Add-On programme! Calves of Steel Day 1 - to go with the glutes! 30 Days of Running Day 6 - Such a slacker. Missed it again today. It was one of Those Days when I couldn't spend much time at one go doing stuff. XBX Chart 2, Level D (day 4/4). NaNoWriMo. Wonderful day. The last part of the final chapter of this month's novel just flowed beautifully, and it's over now, that first draft of 56,090 words. Now it can sit in a drawer and grow mould for a bit, while I go back to the first book and do a truckload of research! I can hardly wait - I've always loved research. 
SlothEnergy
Well-known member
Posts: 246
TopNotch
Well-known member
@SlothEnergy Action/Adventure.
Total fun.
But I've got to do research on things like the brain, primarily synaptic activity and neuroplasticity (which is totally fascinating!); and grinding (implanting technology in the body - which is just gross).
Total fun. But I've got to do research on things like the brain, primarily synaptic activity and neuroplasticity (which is totally fascinating!); and grinding (implanting technology in the body - which is just gross).
SlothEnergy
Well-known member
Posts: 246
Oh, nice . Action/adventure is one of my favourite genres for both books and movies.
And I agree with you about neuroplasticity. Really fascinating! And encouraging too
.
. Action/adventure is one of my favourite genres for both books and movies.And I agree with you about neuroplasticity. Really fascinating! And encouraging too
.
TopNotch
Well-known member
Programmes:
Foundation Day 27
Challenges:
First Thing Water Day 2
Daily Pushups Day 2
Easy Core Day 2
Easy Abs Day 2
Calves of Steel Day 2
30 Days of Running Day 6 Done in short burst when possible while out on today's hike. There was a flat bit but had to watch my footing - easy to turn an ankle on that sort of track! This is a wide path but similar to the narrow foot-width path I ran along.
Hike. It was windy today, but not a cold wintry wind nor a dessicating summer's wind. A good strong wind, bracing. I love that sort of weather. I hadn't been up to the summit for ages, not since I'd done a hamstring back in 2020! So today I went up the route I normally come down, and continued up the Hill. Turned out to be about 6.86km in 1½ hours. Just now I discovered that I had my camera on the highest resolution setting and the pictures are HUGE! Really had to scale them down.
That patch of green over on the right is the golf course I often walk around.
And just for fun, the elevation profile. See, there was a flat bit! I went up the hill, pretty sharply down the hill on the other side, around the hill, straight up again, and then down and home.
XBX Chart 2, Level D+ (Day 1/4)
Foundation Day 27Challenges:
First Thing Water Day 2 Daily Pushups Day 2 Easy Core Day 2 Easy Abs Day 2 Calves of Steel Day 2 30 Days of Running Day 6 Done in short burst when possible while out on today's hike. There was a flat bit but had to watch my footing - easy to turn an ankle on that sort of track! This is a wide path but similar to the narrow foot-width path I ran along. Hike. It was windy today, but not a cold wintry wind nor a dessicating summer's wind. A good strong wind, bracing. I love that sort of weather. I hadn't been up to the summit for ages, not since I'd done a hamstring back in 2020! So today I went up the route I normally come down, and continued up the Hill. Turned out to be about 6.86km in 1½ hours. Just now I discovered that I had my camera on the highest resolution setting and the pictures are HUGE! Really had to scale them down.That patch of green over on the right is the golf course I often walk around.
And just for fun, the elevation profile. See, there was a flat bit! I went up the hill, pretty sharply down the hill on the other side, around the hill, straight up again, and then down and home.
XBX Chart 2, Level D+ (Day 1/4)
TopNotch
Well-known member
Power outage last night and curiously limited internet access - YouTube and a couple of other sites and Duolingo (I hate this new format!) but no Darebee! 
Programmes:
Foundation Day 28
Challenges:
First Thing Water Day 3
Daily Pushups Day 3
Easy Core Day 3
Easy Abs Day 3
Calves of Steel Day 3
30 Days of Running Day 7
XBX Chart 2, Level D+ (Day 2/4)
Hike. Telling myself that a hike doesn't have to be really long or really challenging because I seem to be getting in a bad habit. So I went to the Arboretum and followed one of their paths. Okay, so it was supposed to be a longer path of just over 6k but it turned out not hard, slight incline only and no rocks. The weather was windy, and cloudy. And then, at about the 4th kilometre, rain started to be thrown at me by a sharp wind. It was so cold on my hands I wondered if it were hail (it wasn't). When I got home, I found that the temp had dropped from 10° to just under 7° but the rain and the wind brought the real-feel temp down to -1°! In late November!! Even so, I was having a wonderful time! It felt just so elemental! But somehow I got turned around, missed the path, found it again, and the result was that I missed the beginning of one section of path and, as a consequence, this sign (which I did finally find about 4k in at which point I wasn't going to turn around and go back the way I had come, so my shoes got rather muddy!):
Why does this happen to me?
Did come across this tree that looks rather like an upside down parsnip!
When I reached the end of the path and I was on the road again, way down there I could see my car. So I started running down the road. And then I sprinted down the road. I was really belting for the last couple of hundred metres - and so was the rain! It felt marvellous, and I didn't even think about my calf. Fortunately, it didn't seem to mind, so all good.
Programmes:
Foundation Day 28Challenges:
First Thing Water Day 3 Daily Pushups Day 3 Easy Core Day 3 Easy Abs Day 3 Calves of Steel Day 3 30 Days of Running Day 7 XBX Chart 2, Level D+ (Day 2/4) Hike. Telling myself that a hike doesn't have to be really long or really challenging because I seem to be getting in a bad habit. So I went to the Arboretum and followed one of their paths. Okay, so it was supposed to be a longer path of just over 6k but it turned out not hard, slight incline only and no rocks. The weather was windy, and cloudy. And then, at about the 4th kilometre, rain started to be thrown at me by a sharp wind. It was so cold on my hands I wondered if it were hail (it wasn't). When I got home, I found that the temp had dropped from 10° to just under 7° but the rain and the wind brought the real-feel temp down to -1°! In late November!! Even so, I was having a wonderful time! It felt just so elemental! But somehow I got turned around, missed the path, found it again, and the result was that I missed the beginning of one section of path and, as a consequence, this sign (which I did finally find about 4k in at which point I wasn't going to turn around and go back the way I had come, so my shoes got rather muddy!):Why does this happen to me?
Did come across this tree that looks rather like an upside down parsnip!
When I reached the end of the path and I was on the road again, way down there I could see my car. So I started running down the road. And then I sprinted down the road. I was really belting for the last couple of hundred metres - and so was the rain! It felt marvellous, and I didn't even think about my calf. Fortunately, it didn't seem to mind, so all good.
PetiteSheWolf
Well-known member
Pretty pics, but yeah, warning for ankles!
And yeah, the new Duolinguo set up... Not quite sure what to make of it.
And yeah, the new Duolinguo set up... Not quite sure what to make of it.