I have not been completely up-to-date with my followers or random readers. This series of posts should alleviate that.
So, as many of you know, I have been doing the sit-up and push-up challenges. They were going fantastically until we got that heat wave. Because I do not have air conditioning in my house (or a way to properly ventilate the heat out), I was stuck not really being able to do the challenge.
Where does that leave me?
Firstly, it doesn’t leave me as a failure. As far as I’m concerned, I succeeded because I did something I wasn’t able to do before. To be honest, in the first place I was just doing this as a joke. If I do call this the “end” of the challenges, I can happily say that I have done well.
This morning I recorded 50 pushups (5 times more than I could do 5 weeks ago), 70 sit-ups (2 times more than I could do 5 weeks ago), and 130 jumping jacks (just because).
I’m proud of myself and I feel I have done more than I ever thought possible, even if I didn’t make the 100 pushups or 200 sit-ups.
Secondly, it doesn’t mean I’m done. I’ll still be doing the challenge for the most part. The only difference is I will be taking it slower and I will not be updating on it as regularly. I would still love to do the 100 pushups and 200 sit-ups, I just won’t be as hard-pressed to do them.
Finally, I’m awesome (I couldn’t think of anything there, so I’ll just go tooting my own horn).
~Jared~
I waited an extra day to start this workout because of work. Now I don’t want to do it because today is really REALLY hot. Oh boy.
~Jared~
Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 50/50 - 190
SU: 60/60 - 195
It’s far too hot. This weather makes me a sad panda. Thatisall. ~Jared~ Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 45/45 - 175
SU: 67/67 - 261
I really enjoied today’s challenges. It changed, and will stay changed, to 7 or more sets instead of the 5 from before. This allows me more rest time and less reps in each set. I found it almost too difficult before when it was 5 sets of over 40, now it’s 7 sets of 20 and 1 set of 40 instead.
I don’t recall giving any sort of update on how the challenges are making me look, so I shall get into that now. Awesome. I look awesome. Yes, I still have a little flab on the sides and in the front; yes, I have a long way to go but my back and front have become much more defined. Margaret has commented about my back being much more muscle-y (and I have to believe her because I have no idea how different it actually is).
I have surely noticed that my front side has flattened more. I’m very pleased with the shape I’m taking. It has gotten to the point where I am finally comfortable for the first time in my life to wear a tight tank-top (wife-beater, w/e) in public (or wear one period). I hope the flattening continues and I hope that when I’m done with the challenges I can start losing weight because being stuck at 220 sucks.
——
On the job front, the interview I had was okay. I wasn’t too impressed by the place but I gave it my all because I really would like to have a writing position. He asked for me to send a sample tech piece and my transcript (please reply and tell me if you have ever heard of that, I never have).
I finally got the chance to send them in today and within 5 minutes I got a reply that he would not be extending me a job at this point in time. Why he had to string me like that? I don’t know. I’m not too hurt by it because it literally took me 10 minutes to get set up.
Could it have been the fact that when I explained my transcript in the email it turned him off? It honestly shouldn’t matter. I did TECHNICALLY have a 3.4 in major when I graduated. Just because my transcript says 2.5, doesn’t mean anything. That is from failed attempts at other majors and just shows how hard I try to find what’s good for me. It proves that I’m persistant and will look for the right thing when I really want to.
Well, their loss. :-D
~Jared~
Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 40/40 - 160
SU: 60/60 - 240
PS : There. A quality post. That made me feel fantastic.
Well, I have an interview today. I’m nervous.
I’m not making a long post because of the nerves, you know how it goes.
~Jared~
Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 35/35 - 145
SU: 52/52 - 217
So I figured that I should go ahead and do my stress tests today for my challenges. From now until the end of the challenges (2 more weeks), I will be working out on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Good news - I did 42 push-ups and 55 sit-ups.
Bad news - I need to do 100 push-ups and 200 push-ups by the end of another two weeks.
I can see the improvement and I can see the possibility, but I can also see that I may need to repeat week 6 a couple of times before I can make either of the final goals possible.
~Jared~
So many jobs. Eugh.
~Jared~
Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 34/33 - 131
SU: 53/50 - 200
I broke down yesterday. I broke down BAD. I had a full day (14 hours w/o break) but when I got into work, I just couldn’t move. It was as if the walls were tightening around me. I began to feel anxious, claustrophobic. A thought rushed through my mind: I’m never going to leave this place. I tried my hardest to work yesterday, but most of the time I couldn’t do anything.
About halfway through the day I went out to get some air and ended up just sitting in my car for 45 minutes on the phone with my mother.
Do I feel better after that? Physically, yes. My mind is still not happy with what I need to go through until I can find a job/career I’m proud of. I just feel like such a failure when I walk into the job. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that people who choose to work there are failures, but I just know I can do so much more. I love that people can do retail and love it, but I am not one of those people.
I have an interview on Wednesday next week for a PR position at a computer repair company in Syracuse. I hope it goes well.
——
In other news : I have to do some work today. Last week I bought a nice leather -expandable folder - portfolio and I hope to fill it with writing samples. I will be preparing some of my documents for printing, and some will be pieces I wrote on this blog. Now I wish to pose a question:
Other than the few samples I have posted (“Blue,” “If Only,” and “Warped”), what should I include from this blog in my portfolio?
If you don’t remember things I have posted, don’t worry about going back and re-reading everything. I would just like to know what really stood out as a post that captured my sense of style, voice, and intelligence.
~Jared~
Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 30/28 - 115
SU: 45/42 - 173
Yeah, I got nothing. Everything is boring. I need a new job still.
Also, I swear : Good update soon.
~Jared~
Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 26/25 - 98
SU: 43/38 - 151
I got work off today so I went to the mall with Margaret. We also scoped out a place we both have an interview at. That’s it for today. I need to go out and buy some resume paper and some portfolio stuff.
~Jared~ Done/Minimum - Total
PU: 21/21 - 88
SU: 32/32 - 134
