Sleep Tracking - Days 1 thru 5

Here's the data from the first 5 nights of sleep tracking.  Hopefully  by the end of this challenge i'll have a better understanding of my sleeping habits and patterns.

Night of	Bedtime	Wake	Sleep Time	Naps?	Wake During Night?	Caffeine?	ZMA?	What did i do before bed?	Wellbeing (1 - 5)
10/1/2014	1.5	10.25	8.75	No	Many times	2p and 5p	No	Beer, book, tv	3
10/2/2014	2.25	11	8.75	No	Many times	2p and 5p	No	Beer and tv	2
10/3/2014	0	10	10	No	Few	12, 430 and 10p	No	tv	3
10/4/2014	11.5	7.5	8	No	3 times	?	No	movie	3
10/5/2014	11	10	11	No	Once	830a and 4p	No	beer and ps4	3

Further info:

• In the bed and wake sections, 1.5 means 1:30, etc.  I work afternoon turns during the week so I typically stay up until at least 1 in the morning.  It's great not having to wake up to an alarm.
• ZMA is a supplement that is said to help achieve deeper levels of REM sleep.  I have a couple of bottles but I haven't been using them for the challenge yet.
• Wellbeing is on a scale of 1 - 5 where 1 is feeling terrible and 5 is feeling fantastic.  3 is normal.

Sleep Tracking - Introduction

For the next 21 days i will be tracking the amount of sleep i get each night.  Assuming that we sleep 8 hours a night, we'll spend 1/3 of our lives asleep!  That stat alone is reason enough to examine my sleeping habits.

After checking out this handy pdf from the National Institutes of Health, i put together a simple spreadsheet in Google Docs.  I will be tracking the approximate time of falling asleep and waking up, whether or not i woke during the night,  how many caffeine drinks i had during the day, and whether or not i supplemented with ZMA.  I'll also take a note of how i felt during the day.

I'll post at least twice per week with updates.

100 Pushups & Lunges - Days 19 - 21 & Conclusion

Sorry for the delay but I've been moving into a new home over the Memorial Day weekend and haven't had the time to blog or workout.  On the bright side, the move gave me plenty of opportunities to burn calories.

I did NOT do pushups and lunges on Days 20 and 21 (Saturday and Sunday) because I was full-throttle on the moving aspect.

Here are my sets and reps from the 19th day:
10:05 - 1 set of 35 pushups and 35 walking lunges
12:45 - 1 x 25
13:20 - 1 x 20
23:55 - 1 x 20

Although i stopped two days short, 1900 pushups and 1900 lunges is no joke.  Since I can't find my scale at the moment I'll have to pass on the body stats but it seems as though my chest is tighter and i have a greater capacity to do work.

I am not planning a 21-day challenge for the month of June as the g/f, puppy, and i need time to settle into our new space.

On the bright side, i already have a challenge lined up for July.   

100 Pushups & Lunges - Days 16 - 18

18 days in, still going strong.  1,800 pushups and 1,800 lunges are behind me.  When i started, my form started to break down after 10 reps.  Now, i can easily do sets of 20.  It's not a feat but it's a measurable improvement.  Here are my sets and reps over the past 3 days:

Day 16
08:30 - 1 set of 20 pushups followed by 20 walking lunges
11:35 - 1 x 20
13:40 - 1 x 15
15:15 - 1 x 25
16:40 - 1 x 20

Day 17
08:45 - 1 x 20
12:15 - 1 x 20
14:00 - 1 x 20
15:25 - 1 x 20
16:05 - 1 x 20

Day 18
08:30 - 1 x 20
13:45 - 1 x 20
14:55 - 1 x 20
15:40 - 1 x 20
16:40 - 1 x 20

Just 300 more to go!

100 Pushups & Lunges - Days 13 - 15

The days are going by and the "workouts" are getting easier.  1500 pushups and 1500 lunges have been completed over the past 15 days.  Here are my sets and reps:

Day 13
10:20 - 1 x 25
22:00 - 1 x 25
22:30 - 1 x 25
23:30 - 1 x 25

Day 14
11:00 - 1 x 20
18:05 - 1 x 20
21:00 - 1 x 25
21:20 - 1 x 20
21:45 - 1 x 15

Day 15
08:30 - 1 x 20
10:00 - 1 x 20
11:50 - 1 x 20
13:10 - 1 x 20
15:20 - 1 x 20

100 Pushups & Lunges - Days 9 - 12

The challenge has continued without incident.  Still going strong.  Here are updates from the past four days:

Day 9
08:40 - 1 set of 10 pushups and walking lunges
09:55 - 1 x 10
10:45 - 1 x 10
11:50 - 1 x 10
13:00 - 1 x 10
13:15 - 1 x 10
16:15 - 1 x 10
18:25 - 1 x 10
18:45 - 1 x 10
19:00 - 1 x 10

Day 10
08:35 - 1 x 10
09:35 - 1 x 10
10:30 - 1 x 10
12:00 - 1 x 10
13:05 - 1 x 10
13:20 - 1 x 10
15:30 - 1 x 10
16:30 - 1 x 10
16:45 - 1 x 10
18:35 - 1 x 10

Day 11
08:40 - 1 x 10
10:05 - 1 x 10
10:20 - 1 x 10
14:05 - 1 x 10
15:00 - 1 x 10
16:05 - 1 x 10
18:30 - 1 x 10
18:55 - 1 x 10
20:05 - 1 x 10
21:45 - 1 x 10

Day 12
08:30 - 1 x 10
09:00 - 1 x 10
09:45 - 1 x 10
10:35 - 1 x 10
12:25 - 1 x 10
13:15 - 1 x 10
15:00 - 1 x 10
15:20 - 1 x 10
15:40 - 1 x 10
16:05 - 1 x 10

Although i don't know whether or not this is more beneficial than doing everything in one chunk, it's nice to see the reps rack up throughout the day.  After all, i've done 1,200 pushups and 1,200 lunges in the past 12 days.  Can't say that i've ever done that before.

100 Pushups & Lunges - Days 5 - 8

The challenge is still alive and well, i just got away from the daily updates for a little bit.  Here are my efforts over the past four days.  Still going strong and not experiencing much soreness.  

Day 5 

08:30 - 1 set of 10 pushups followed by 10 walking lunges

11:00 - 1 x 10

11:30 - 1 x 10

12:10 - 1 x 10

13:55 - 1 x 10

14:10 - 1 x 10

16:00 - 1 x 10

16:30 - 1 x 10

17:00 - 1 x 10

20:00 - 1 x 10

Day 6

11:30 - 1 x 10

21:05 - 1 x 25

21:35 - 1 x 25

22:05 - 1 x 20

22:50 - 1 x 20

Day 7

14:50 - 1 x 20

15:15 - 1 x 20

15:30 - 1 x 20

21:10 - 1 x 20

21:55 - 1 x 20

Day 8

08:40 - 1 x 10

13:25 - 1 x 10

14:10 - 1 x 10

14:45 - 1 x 10

16:10 - 1 x 10

16:35 - 1 x 10

17:00 - 1 x 10

18:15 - 1 x 20

18:35 - 1 x 20 (did an extra 10 on accident)

Today was day 9 but i left my index card (what i use to track sets) at work.  I'll try and post that one tomorrow.  

100 Pushups & Lunges - Day 4

Still haven't experienced much soreness, but my elbows are starting to hurt.  It's most likely due to poor form.  Something i'll have to work on.  Anyways, here's when i knocked out the 100 today:

07:35 - 1 set of 10 pushups followed by 10 walking lunges
08:30 - 1 x 10
09:50 - 1 x 10
11:05 - 1 x 10
11:40 - 1 x 10
12:10 - 1 x 10
12:40 - 1 x 10
13:30 - 1 x 10
14:10 - 1 x 10
16:00 - 1 x 10

100 Pushups & Lunges - Day 3

I don't want to speak too quickly, but this challenge has been much easier than anticipated.  It's only day 3, but i find myself completing the sets even before i leave work for the day.  Whether or not it's effective remains to be seen but i'd much rather work out in tiny bursts throughout the day as opposed to dedicating a longer chunk of time and working out just once.

Here's when i completed my sets today:

07:20 - 1 set of 10 reps of pushups followed by (supersetted with) walking lunges
07:35 - 1 x 10
08:40 - 1 x 10
09:20 - 1 x 10
10:50 - 1 x 10
11:45 - 1 x 10
12:15 - 1 x 10
13:10 - 1 x 10
14:25 - 1 x 10
15:10 - 1 x 10

100 Pushups & Lunges - Day 2

Day two of the challenge and i didn't wake up nearly as sore as i thought i would've.  Just a week ago, i did 20 pushups and i was sore for two days.  I'm not going to celebrate until i wake up tomorrow.  Here's how the 100 broke down today:

06:50 - 1 set of 10 pushups and walking lunges
07:10 - 1 x 10
08:30 - 1 x 10
11:10 - 1 x 10
11:40 - 1 x 10
12:35 - 1 x 10
13:15 - 1 x 10
14:45 - 1 x 10
15:30 - 1 x 10
16:15 - 1 x 10

Eventually, i'd like to cut down on the number of sets by increasing reps.  When i'm confident, i'll up the ante.  I encourage you to join me.  If you can't do 10, start where you're comfortable and just do as many sets as it takes to get to 100.  

100 Pushups & Lunges - Day 1

Today is the first day of the 100 pushups and walking lunges challenge.  I'm happy to report that i completed 100 of each before i even left work for the evening.  I broke it down into 10 sets of 10. Here's when i completed each set:

06:30 - 10 reps of each
06:50 - 10
07:15 - 10
07:35 - 10
09:55 - 10
11:35 - 10
12:40 - 10
14:05 - 10
14:55 - 10
16:10 - 10

I was a little bit surprised that i was able to complete the sets so easily.  I thought that maybe i'd wear down over the day and fail to complete the 100.  I won't speak too soon, though, as i may wake up tomorrow and be sore as hell.

100 Pushups & Lunges - Introduction

For the next 21 days, i will attempt to do 100 push ups and 100 walking lunges each day.

Quick background.  I moved back to Ohio from Asheville, NC in November.  I'm staying at my parents' house until the g/f and I move into a home that we've recently purchased. The fridge is constantly full of "less-than-healthy" food and drink choices.  Needless to say, I haven't been making the best decisions.  When faced with having to cook versus grabbing what's convenient, i'll choose the path of least resistance.  

In my own home, i'll simply not purchase the bad food and remove the temptation entirely.  That's not really a choice here and my body has paid the price.   

tl;dr I'm fat.

Despite undertaking the Mile Run challenge, i've still managed to put on upwards of 20 pounds.  I'm hoping that this challenge will kick-start some fat loss and get me ready for the Electric Run 5k in June.

Here are my measurements as of May 4th, 2014:

Weight - 198 lbs
Neck - 16"
L Arm - 12.25"
R Arm - 12.5"
Chest - 42"
Naval - 40"
Waist - 38"
L Thigh - 23"
R Thigh - 23.5"
L Calf - 15.25"
R Calf - 15"

And here are some unflattering pictures that most would be hesitant to post on the web:

My weight and fitness levels are a constant roller coaster ride.  I'm hoping that undertaking this challenge, in addition to moving into my own home, will allow everything to stabilize and make health a permanent habit in my life.

The challenge starts tomorrow, May 5th, 2014.

Routine - Conclusion

This challenge morphed from "keeping a routine" to "time-tracking".   Lack of preparation played a role.  I was also over-optimistic about how enthusiastic i would be at keeping such a routine.

However, it was still a valuable exercise.  The challenge has opened my eyes as to how much time we actually have each day.  By tracking my time, i was able to see where it was being wasted and where i could become more productive.  

I also made a better attempt at doing things like meditating and walking my dog.  I noticed how little time it takes and how much better i am for having done so.

I asked myself questions like, "is this the best use of my time?" and "could i be doing something else right now?"  This is something that will stick with me for the rest of my life and guide me toward making better decisions.  After all, our time is finite and i seek to get the most out of it.

I am now more conscious of how i spend my time and that alone was worth the experiment.

Routine - Day 21

Here's how i spent the final day of the challenge:

9:10 - 9:20 - wake, protein shake, pee
9:20 - 9:30 - laid back in bed
9:30 - 9:50 - breakfast
9:50 - 12:00 - laundry, reviewed money situation, garage
12:00 - 12:10 - blog
12:10 - 12:25 - packed an overnight bag, cleaned up
12:25 - 12:50 - took dog for a walk
12:50 - 1:45 - garage, watched Indians, drank beer
1:45 - 1:50 - snack
1:50 - 3:30 - garage, picked up dog shit
3:30 - 6:15 - Easter dinner with family
6:15 - 7:00 - drove (listened to the Joe Rogan Experience podcast)
7:00 - 10:15 - kicked it at a friend's house
10:15 - lights out

Routine - Day 20

Here's how i spent Saturday.  My weekend's have definitely been more productive than had i not been tracking my time.

7:20 - 7:35 - wake, protein shake, bathroom break
7:35 - 8:00 - shower, shave, brush teeth, get dressed
8:00 - 8:50 - drive with g/f to meet mortgage lender
8:50 - 10:05 - meet with mortgage lender
10:05 - 11:05 - drive back home from meeting with mortgage lender
11:05 - 11:15 - went through mail, decluttered
11:15 - 11:45 - phone call
11:45 - 12:30 - blog
12:30 - 12:50 - donations for No Strings Attached
12:50 - 1:05 - meal
1:05 - 3:00 - garage (watched the Indians, looked up home stuff)
3:00 - 3:30 - haircut and shower
3:30 - 3:50 - watched the rest of the Indians game
3:50 - 4:30 - sent a package to a family member, phone call, cleaned up, made a grocery list
4:30 - 5:05 - got ready for dinner and waited on the g/f
5:05 - 7:00 - anniversary dinner at the Chophouse
7:00 - 7:35 - walked the dog, drank a beer, watched tv
7:35 - 8:35 - researched checking and homeowners insurance accounts
8:35 - 8:45 - meal
8:45 - 8:55 - bed prep and took dog out
8:55 - 9:30 - read
9:30 - 10:15 - watched tv
10:15 - lights out

Routine - Day 19

Here's how Friday went down:

6:45 - 6:50 - wake and protein shake
6:50 - 7:20 - shit, shower, get dressed
7:20 - 7:35 - work prep (brush teeth, gather belongings, etc)
7:35 - 8:25 - commute (listened to the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast)
8:25 - 4:00 - work
4:00 - 4:50 - commute (JRE)
4:50 - 5:40 - unwind, phone call
5:40 - 5:55 - walked the dog
5:55 - 7:00 - hung out with sister, ordered food
7:00 - 7:25 - dinner
7:25 - 8:00 - hung out with family
8:00 - 9:15 - prepared documents for the mortgage lender, filed papers, decluttered 
9:15 - 9:40 - blog and fix a back-end issue
9:40 - 9:50 - bed prep, take dog out
9:50 - 10:15 - read
10:15 - 10:25 - eat
10:25 - 11:00 - watched 20/20
11:00 - lights out

Routine - Day 18

Woke up late and was unable to blog this morning.  Here's how i spent Thursday:

6:35 - 6:40 - wake, protein shake, pee
6:40 - 6:55 - blog
6:55 - 7:20 - shit, shower, shave, get dressed, brush teeth
7:20 - 7:35 - work prep
7:35 - 8:35 - gas station + commute (listened to the JRE podcast)
8:35 - 5:00 - work
5:00 - 5:50 - commute (JRE)
5:50 - 6:30 - unwind (change clothes, drank a beer, watched Modern Family)
6:30 - 6:50 - walked the dog, helped mom unload groceries from the car
6:50 - 7:30 - dinner
7:30 - 8:30 - hung out with g/f, did some mobility work with a lacrosse ball
8:30 - 8:35 - bed prep (pee + brush teeth), took dog out
8:35 - 9:35 - read (currently reading The Way of the SEAL by Mark Divine)
9:35 - 10:00 - watched mindless tv
10:00 - lights out

Routine - Day 17

I've been out of town to attend a funeral the last couple days so tracking my time wasn't a priority.  I'm back now and here's how i spent Wednesday.

6:35 - 6:40 - wake, protein shake, pee
6:40 - 6:45 - meditate
6:45 - 7:15 - shit, shower, get dressed
7:15 - 7:35 - work prep (brush teeth, gather belongings, watch morning news)
7:35 - 8:40 - commute (some silence, some Joe Rogan Experience Podcast)
8:40 - 4:30 - work
4:30 - 4:50 - drive
4:50 - 5:35 - home inspection
5:35 - 6:40 - commute (JRE)
6:40 - 7:00 - unwind
7:00 - 7:10 - short exercise (kettlebell swings and pushups)
7:10 - 7:30 - dinner
7:30 - 8:05 - hung out with the g/f and the dog
8:05 - 8:20 - cleaned up
8:20 - 9:00 - watched a documentary on PBS
9:00 - 9:05 - bed prep (pee and brush teeth)
9:05 - 9:35 - read
9:35 - 10:00 - watched more PBS
10:00 - lights out

Routine - Day 14

Here's how i spent my Sunday:

8:30 - 8:50 - wake, shake, bathroom, took dog out
8:50 - 9:30 - coffee + blog
9:30 - 9:50 - wrote for 24 Hours Better
9:50 - 10:00 - breakfast
10:00 - 10:20 - 24 Hours Better
10:20 - 10:30 - grocery list & cash for mom
10:30 - 10:40 - plan day
10:40 - 12:30 - "garage" time, unload groceries, gardening resources
12:30 - 12:40 - dinner prep
12:40 - 1:30 - garage, looked up info on the city we're [hopefully] moving to
1:30 - 2:00 - dinner prep
2:00 - 2:15 - meal
2:15 - 2:55 - garage, internet, fixed dad's mp3 player
2:55 - 3:40 - yardwork
3:40 - 6:45 - watched Indians, garage, fixed dad's mp3 player, consumer reports
6:45 - 7:15 - dinner + pack lunches
7:15 - 7:30 - watched the end of the Indians game
7:30 - 7:50 - packed for trip out of town
7:50 - 8:15 - took dog out, bed prep, misc
8:15 - 9:00 - meditate
9:00 - 10:00 - watched baseball
10:00 - lights out

I'll be out of town for a couple days so i'm not going to be able to upload the next couple days.  Look for the next update on Wednesday or Thursday.

Routine - Day 13

I realize that this challenge has become more of a "time-tracking" exercise than it has been a routine, but i've been more productive than had i not been tracking my time.  Here's how i spent my Saturday:

7:30 - 7:35 - Wake, social media
7:35 - 7:45 - protein shake, bathroom break
7:45 - 8:05 - mobility + cleaned up dog puke..
8:05 - 8:15 - bathroom
8:15 - 8:25 - blog
8:25 - 8:40 - social media
8:40 - 9:25 - wrote a blog post for 24 Hours Better
9:25 - 10:05 - random internet stuff (email, social media, fitness, finances)
10:05 - 10:20 - laundry
10:20 - 10:35 - cleaned out vehicle (gets messy when you commute 10 hours a week)
10:35 - 10:45 - took dog for a walk
10:45 - 12:00 - gave dog meds, "garage" time, laundry
12:00 - 12:10 - lunch
12:10 - 4:00 - more garage time, laundry, Indians game, house planning, scheduled home inspection, looked up gardening resources
4:00 - 5:00 - dropped of my mom at my aunt's so she could go out drinking and not drive
5:00 - 5:15 - meal
5:15 - 6:00 - watched the end of the Indians game, neighbor's dog got loose so i helped
6:00 - 6:25 - meal planning/grocery list
6:25 - 7:25 - gardening/homesteading resources
7:25 - 8:00 - cook
8:00 - 8:30 - dinner & clean up kitchen
8:30 - 8:40 - take dog out and feed him
8:40 - 8:45 - bed prep (pee and brush teeth)
8:45 - 11:00 - laid around and watched tv 
11:00 - lights out