Miitomo No Go

Miitomo is the first smart device application from Nintendo.  After years of investors calling for the venerable video game company to enter the Android/iOS market, Nintendo answered by announcing Miitomo, a virtual sim app featuring Mii avatars (first introduced when the Wii gaming console came out) and asking questions to learn more about the people around you.  The app has been out in Japan for a few weeks, but it was released in North America and parts of Europe today.  Miitomo also ties into Nintendo's revamped consumer loyalty program: My Nintendo.

My device is an RCA Viking Pro 10.1 tablet.  While Miitomo seemed a better fit for smartphones, I read reports that the app worked on iPad and iPod touch, devices independent of a cellular connection.  This made me excited at the prospect of being able to try Nintendo's first forray into the smart device market.

I turned on my tablet this morning and read the news that the app was indeed available.  I quickly rushed to the Google Play Store and typed Miitomo, clicked on the app's icon that was officially embellished with the name "Nintendo Co., Ltd", and then...

Denied...

"Your device isn't compatible with this version."  My tablet cannot run Miitomo.  Well...that sucks.  When the announcement was made, I was ecstatic at being able to have Nintendo officially on my tablet (Pokemon Shuffle, notwithstanding), but it looks like I'll have to wait for either an update to the app which allows it to run on my RCA or spring for a smartphone when I get some extra money (planned on doing that within the next year anyway as my LG 840g is getting long in the tooth and slowing down).  As varied as Android devices are as far as their hardware and abilities, it makes sense that a few brands and models would be incompatible.  I just wasn't expecting mine to be included in that list, being a 2015 model.  All the same, I put Miitomo on my wishlist and closed the store, waiting to see what happens next.  Hopefully I'll have better luck with the upcoming Pokemon Go.

5BX Chart 2 Begin (with some thoughts on each exercise)

Today was my first day on Chart 2 of the 5BX program.  I've been looking forward to this one for a couple of weeks now.  I saw this as the first true test of what I've accomplished in Chart 1.  No more knee push-ups!  We're doing the full-body push-ups.  I'm also swapping crunches for full sit-ups and the half-mile run for the full-mile.  The game has bee stepped up a notch.

As expected, none of my scores were as good as my ending scores from Chart 1.  However, all of today's scores passed for their level.  Three of them even would have passed at the A+ level (so now I know where I need to focus)!  Also, when comparing Day One scores for both Chart 1 and Chart 2 (running notwithstanding), I did better on the latter chart.

Just a few thoughts on each of the exercises...

-Stretching

In chart one, it was a simple toe-touch followed by a backwards stretch.  This time, when touching down, I need to force a stretch toward the ground (I'm forcing light because I know what a pulled muscle can do to a physically demanding job).  This one brought back memories of the sit-and-reach exercise Americas did as elementary school students during the President's Physical Fitness test.  All the same, I like seeing exactly how flexible I am and think of the improvement I might make.

-Sit-Ups

This one bugged me a little.  During my first few reps, I felt some pressure on the outside of my right calf, the exact spot I had sciatica when I had my herniated disc.  After a few seconds (and a few words to myself to take it slow and low), the pressure was gone.  I'm going to keep an eye on this exercise.  I didn't make the A+ score on this one, but I was only one away.  The intention of these exercises is to make myself stronger, not to get hurt.  Again, I'm going to go easy on this one.  Progress should sort itself out over the next 41 days.

-Back Exercises

This one confused me.  For chart one, you lie on your belly and lift your shoulders while lifting one leg at a time, alternating legs (lifting both legs counted as one rep).  This time, the participant lifts both legs at a time along with the shoulders.  I didn't think I was doing it right until I felt my back tense up (not in a bad way).  This is another I'm going to keep an eye on because of where it tensed up and where I had my surgery, though I felt no pain during the exercise.

-Push-Ups

Whoo-boy!  Believe it or not, I actually made the A+ score on this one!  When I could do Wii Fit, I could squeeze out maybe ten reps.  Now I can do twice that many (not bad for having done knee push-pus for the past seven weeks).  However, consistency is key.  We'll know tomorrow and over the next few days after if today's performance was a fluke or the real deal.  Though by the end of Chart 2, it won't look like a fluke.

-Mile Run

This is the one I've been looking forward to the most.  Even better, I used Google Maps to measure out my block and found that four times around makes roughly one mile!  Now I can finish all of my exercises in the morning instead of splitting the workout up where it's calisthenics in the morning and cardio in the afternoon (though I lose the benefit of having the mile measured out at the track and a chocolate milk waiting for me).  This was another one I was worried about, mainly because my sciatica and herniated disc started on a treadmill.  The difference this time is I can set my own pace where I'm comfortable instead of forcing myself to run at a machine's pace (I know I could have turned the dial down, but the competitive part of me back then would have no such thing).  Don't get me wrong, I'll push myself to do better, but I will not go overboard.  In Chart 1, I had my good days (breaking four minutes for the half mile) and bad days (around four and a half minutes), so I imagine Chart 2 will be the same thing.  Going in to today, I knew I wasn't going to make the A+ score, but I'm happy to say today's run would have passed at the B+ level.  I was comfortable for about two and a half laps around the block, but the last lap and a half felt like an endurance test.  Again, the key is consistency.  The more I run, the better I'll do (I just have to make sure I'm doing it safely).

All in all, today was a good start to Chart 2 on 5BX.  I didn't think I'd want to carry on after Lent was over.  I imagined me going back to doing my half-hour of calisthenics and yoga on Wii Fit U.  However, as fun as they can be, I realized fitness need not be dependent on a video game (though fitness as a side-effect of playing can be nice.  Example: DDR, Wii Sports, or Just Dance).  I'll probably turn on Wii Fit U once in a while to see how I've progressed, maybe weigh myself and sync my pedometer (which needs new batteries).  But I digress, I think I've found my main form of exercise for the time being, requiring only 11 minutes a day...well, 14 minutes if you add extra running time, but I'll work on that.  Onwards and upwards!  :)

5BX inconspicuous Exercise

Sorry for the lapse in communication, but my girlfriend and I just got back from a vacation in Tillamook, OR with a quick stop in Vancouver, WA.  Her grandparents own a house in this Oregon coastal town.  We spent a good bit of our time going to the beaches to look for rocks and fossils.

Greetings from Oceanside, OR!

During my time on vacation, I still worked on my 5BX regimen.  Eleven minutes a day is easy when one is on vacation, though having five weeks to get into the habit beforehand definitely helped.  I even pulled up Google Maps on my tablet and measured out half a mile for my run (with varying degrees of accuracy, I must add).  While Tillamook did have a high school with a track, I opted for the more local route, getting back to the house quicker.

I have to admit something: I'm self-conscious when I exercise.  I can work out in front of strangers without much of a problem (hence why I can go to the track and do my laps), but doing so in front of people I know makes me uneasy, like I'm being judged on what I can and cannot do.  I can exercise in front of my girlfriend, because she's been supporting me ever since I've started the program.  Still, I found myself feeling self-conscious when I did my exercises in front of her cousin in the living room (Vancouver) and a little bit when I worked out in Tillamook.

It got better though.  During our visit, my girlfriend's grandmother saw me doing my stretches and asked, "You're doing your exercises?" with her warm demeanor.  One day during the trip, my girlfriend's aunt and cousin (a different one from the previous paragraph) came and visited.  I went out for my run.  When I returned, the aunt was impressed that I'd went out and ran.  Knowing I had this support all along made me feel a bit silly being self-conscious around these people.

Having support is great, but I'd like to be in a place where I don't feel self-conscious in front of people.  I'd like to feel confident enough that I don't have to rely on the support (or the feeling of permission) from friends and family in order to feel secure in exercising.  Sure, I'm not the best in push-ups, but that shouldn't matter.  What SHOULD matter are the improvements and achievements I've attained since I've started and how those make me feel.  I'm more flexible, my arms and abs are tighter, and I can run half a mile in around four minutes without dying (really curious to see how the mile will look on Monday).  While it's not on par with an athlete, it's better than where I was about five and a half weeks ago...and that's not a bad thing.

Yesterday marked my first day in the A+ levels of Chart 1 and now it's a straight shot to starting Chart 2 on Monday.  If all goes well (consistently hitting my targets), July 14th, 2016 would be my first day at the C- Level on Chart 4, the level the program recommends I achieve to be considered "fit" for my age group.  Onwards and upwards!

5BX Chart One Three-Quarter Checkpoint

Today, I am three quarters of the way through Chart 1 of 5BX having started Level A-.  I am quite excited and proud of myself for sticking with the program and making it to the final letter grades.  Doing my math, my last day of Chart 1 will be Easter Sunday, appropriate considering I started this program in response to giving up video gaming for Lent (and no, ending on Lent was not planned).  With all the push-ups, half miles, and whatnot so far, there are a few things on my mind as Chart 1 closes.

One problem I find I am having lately is motivation.  There are some mornings I wake up and the temptation to skip a day is present, that I've done this so much up to this point that one day of not exercising wouldn't hurt.  I think part of it is also I am coming to the end of Chart 1 and my mind is trying to get me to rest on the laurels of my progress so far.  It's like part of my brain is saying, "You've been at this for over a month.  You're stronger, flexible, and have better cardio endurance.  Congratulations!  Now get some rest."  Still, knowing there is progress to be made gives me that bit of "umph" to do my exercises for the day.  While I have passed my plateau for push-ups, my running has stagnated a bit (I'm confident I can do the mile run in a satisfactory time at the start of Chart 2, I'm pretty sure I couldn't do it at an A+ level...yet).  Having my timer and Google Sheets (how I keep track of my progress) on my tablet's home screen is a good daily reminder to exercise as well.

Google Sheets: Tracking progess while also fostering a sense of accomplistment.  The lone red cell is when I did the stationary run instead of my regular half-mile.

Today is my last day working at Madison Middle School before Spring Break.  After my work shift, I go out to the track and run my half mile (I did get permission from the principal first).  However, because I won't be at the school again until March 28th, I won't have the convenience of my regular track.  On weekends, I go to other tracks around Eugene to run.  However, not having my regular daily access to Madison won't exactly help the motivation factor.  But I digress, THESE are the A levels.  This is my test to see how truly committed I am to this program.  I guess if I'm really out of a place to do the half-mile, I could substitute it with the stationary run.

I am in the home stretch for Chart 1, but I know this is the start of a long journey for me.  I'm still curious to see how well I do in Wii Fit U when Lent is over, but I also realize that my health and fitness should not be contingent on a video game.  This isn't about a score on a video game, but about how I can improve myself.  I plan to give these last twelve days my best and be ready for Chart 2.

Spanish Practice

I have an "on-again and off-again" relationship with the Spanish language.  I've taken courses in college, worked at a Mexican restaurant in Virginia, and have been to Ecuador for a study abroad program.  While I am nowhere near fluent, I like to think I have a general grasp of basic vocabulary and grammar.  Still, from time to time, I try and do a supplemental activity to improve (from listening to Spanish music to using software for the Nintendo DS).  A year ago, I made it a resolution to get better at Spanish via Duolingo.  Duolingo is a website where participants can learn a foreign language for free.  I did great for a few months and then, like most resolutions, I dropped the habit.  Recently, I tried it again.

I logged in and looked at the depressive home page.  All my word strength bars were down to nearly nothing due to neglect.  To be fair, I've logged in a few times earlier this year, but I could not stick to the habit.  I think one reason I got burned out of it was the need to do a lot in one session, so I went into settings and switched my Daily XP from 50 points a day to 10.  My 5BX regimen takes only 11 minutes a day, so maybe dialing the daily requirements down is what I needed.  I did the activity for the day, going back to strengthen basic vocabulary, and was greeted with the usual fanfare I was accustomed to back when I was regularly participating.  Afterward, it told me I was 27% fluent in Spanish.  However, seeing my other strength gauges so low negated any idea of fluency.

I am going to give this a try and see if I can stick with it this time.  I think going too fast and too hard is what made me lose interest the first few times.  I would love to get better at Spanish.  Learning a new language opens up the world culturally, strengthens work prospects, and has great mental benefits.  If I can stick with 5BX for as long as I have, I think I can stick with Duolingo, even if in a limited sense.  For those interested, here is the website: www.duolingo.com

BONUS: Another great way to test language vocabulary is through the Free Rice program.  The participant answers questions pertaining to math, vocabulary, art, et cetera.  Every correct answer sees 10 grains of rice donated to the World Food Programme.  The difficulty of the test of adaptive, so the more answers players get correct, the harder the subsequent questions become.  Getting a question wrong just bumps you down to an easier question.  Ten grains of rice may not seem like a lot, but they add up, especially when playing for a few minutes.  One of the subjects is Spanish language, so players can improve their fluency while feeding people.  Clicktivism at its finest, I think.  Here is the website: www.freerice.com

Quickie LG 840g Blog Sandwich

I was digging through the settings at Blogger and found that there was
a way to upload blogs via email.  I imagine this option is for folks
who want to write but don't have ready access to the Blogger website
or app.  Being is how my iPod Touch is to old to run the website (let
alone the app) and my phone is not a smartphone but can still access
Gmail, I fit this audience.  I really like having the convenience of
not needing to be at my computer or tablet to write!  There have been
times where I've had an idea, but couldn't write it up and I'd lose
the idea or interest later.  The downsides to this style of blogging
for me are hardware related.  For one, HOW MUCH you can write depends
on your device (my phone will let me compose a bit, but nothing too
heavy).  Second, available editing capabilities depend on your
device's software.  I am writing directly into Gmail's mobile page on
my LG 840g's stock browser.  With that, there are no space breaks nor
spell checkers.  Composing the blog on here is limited to the numeric
keypad instead of a QWERTY layout (ie: lots of button pressing this
way).  I know that the Opera browser is available for my phone and I
could also use my iPod Touch's email client (both with QWERTY, no
less), but I have my phone all the time and I wanted to test this out.
My phone does have its own email client, but Gmail stopped working on
that a long time ago (citing an unknown certificate).  There is an
option on Blogger to send the email as a draft instead of a post for
later edits, so maybe I'll try that out later and see what I prefer.
For now, I am doing direct uploads.  While the blog may look like an
unrefined block of words, having the option to post anywhere is nice.
Maybe I'll do more blogs in this style (ie: rapid reaction, et
cetera).  The thought is exciting, but we will see how much I actually
use this.

5BX Chart One Midway Checkpoint

It's been 24 days since I've started 5BX, the Canadian exercise program where participants perform five old-school, zero equipment exercises for eleven minutes a day.  I started the program in response to not being able to play Wii Fit U for my Lenten promise of not playing video games.  As I am halfway through the first level of the program, I figured now would be a good time to update everyone with how the program is going.

First, I am proud to say that I've managed to stick with the program thus far.  Everyday I've done exercises, including the half-mile run.  I've only missed running one day because I was sick, however I did the alternate cardio exercise.  Despite having been on the program for only a little over three weeks, I am noticing positive results.  My flexibility is doing much better and my abs and core are getting stronger (the flexibility and core are very important as that's what my physical therapist told me to keep an eye on after I had my back surgery in 2013).  My upper-body strength is getting better, albeit slowly.  Lastly, when I started running, I would be out of breath right after the first lap around the track.  Now I can go the full two laps without much issue.  Like it says in the book, the trick is to keep at the program every single day.  I'm also happy to say I am still scoring as well as I'd need to pass at the A+ level of my current chart! 

As successful as this seems, there are a few other things on my mind regarding my health and fitness.  For one, I've hit a plateau on a few of the exercises, mainly the push-ups and the half-mile run (I've actually started dipping on the latter).  However, I know the best way to beat a plateau is to keep at it and do your best.  Second, I've gained a bit of weight since I've started the program, but I know that mostly comes from working at a school cafeteria and a lack of sensible portion control (I don't think muscle mass builds THAT quickly, you know?).  The best way to deal with that is...sensible portion control and healthy habits (Mashed potato and turkey gravy Thursdays have become a weakness of mine in the past few months).  Third, there are days when I overdo it.  Sometimes I'll do my stretching past where my body is comfortable and I'll have a backache for a day or so (I'm excited that I can touch the floor again, let alone my toes, but I know have to take care of myself first and foremost).  The same goes with the running.  Admittedly, I think running was what caused my herniated disc in 2012 which lead to my surgery (leastways, I was running on a treadmill when the sciatica started), so I'm conscientiously trying to pay better attention to my body during my runs.

That being said, I am starting to look at the 5BX as less of a workout regime and more like a daily routine, akin to brushing your teeth or something similar.  Do I feel like a Spartan for doing 5BX everyday?  No (then again I'm still only halfway through Chart One, far and away from my "goal" of Level C+ on Chart Four).  Do I feel better overall for doing the program?  Yes, but I think I'd like to supplement this with another activity (eg: hiking ... mainly hiking).  I feel like 5BX is a program which gives you the energy to go out and comfortably be active (it does make mention of this in the book).  It hasn't been the 11-minute daily panacea for fitness, but it could be a stepping stone for other goals.

I'll write about this again at the end of Lent (two weeks from now) and let you know how it goes.  I will almost be completely out of Chart 1 by then and getting ready to start Chart 2 where the exercises get a little harder (eg: from a basic crunch to a full sit-up; knee push-ups to full push-ups; and running a full mile instead of the half-mile; et cetera).  Otherwise, be well and take care.