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Not good on the challenge front I'm afraid LostOne. I have had some situations in my health that I'm currently dealing with which have prevented me from participating in this challenge. I have some tests that are still to be completed, but I should know by the end of the week what I'm dealing with and how long it will be until I am back in fighting shape. Sorry for the long silence, my hard drive got messed up and I just got it fixed last night.

I have to be able to do 3 before I can go to basic, but hopefully I will get to 46 (to max out) before this fall when I actually plan on going. Yep, I'm good to go! I do almost everything barefoot, it's just that my joints are very loose and my foot muscles are not accustomed to the pounding by serious running. No permanent damage, just sore joints. I'm most worried about building up the proper bone strength in my legs to avoid overuse injuries that I am prone to (due to my BEASTMODE mentality when it comes to running ). Starting gradual has always been rough.

Hi All! I joined the previous challenge midway through and although I didn't do as well as I hoped, I have learned a great deal about myself. I have been racking my brain trying to set realistic goals for myself this time around. Let's go! Goal 1: Go out and run at least 3x/week. (STA 3) (CON 2) Last challenge I made a goal to run a mile in under 9 min, which I did. However, it wasn't a smart move and I ended up with leg pain (and worse foot pain) for several weeks. Serves me right for getting up from the couch I've been sitting on the last 6 years and running that fast for my current condition. I want to do barefoot running, but since I am in such poor shape, I think I will need to go get my gait analyzed to get the proper support for my feet so I can actually build a foundation. I can always transition after I get some miles under my belt and my bones get used to running again. I have some incentive for this goal - I will be 'participating' in The Color Run on May 4th and would like to not be completely ridiculous. Goal 2: Be able to do 5 army push-ups (STR 3) Last challenge I made my goal to do 1 army push-up (which I failed to accomplish). I have started working with a personal trainer to learn proper technique in order to build up my non-existent back/chest/arm/core muscles. I need to be a little better at working on this goal, starting with a ton of knee push-ups and planks. I should be able to eek out 5 army push-ups after 6 weeks if I work on it consistently. Goal 3: Clean up my diet (WIS 2) (CON 2) Last challenge I took on the HUMONGOUS goal of drinking 8 cups of water daily. Epic fail on that front. Since I could probably go days without getting a cup to drink (I literally take a few sips from the water fountain at work throughout the day and that is it - really bad, I know) thinking I could just start doing it seems ridiculous in retrospect. I am going to start with drinking 4 cups while at work and hopefully that will grow to be closer to that elusive 8. I am also going to make a conscious effort to limit my intake of processed foods/refined grains. I have a huge sweet tooth so I am going to limit myself on the baked goods and dairy products. I will focus on eating whole grains, lean meats, fruits, plant oils, and vegetables (definitely need to up the veggies!) Life Goal: Be more organized in life and home (WIS 2) (CHA 1) I am looking to make a career change this fall, which will change the course and pace of my life dramatically (going from a job in academia to the army / ) . For this goal, I am focusing on removing clutter from my apartment (at least weekly). I also I have to meet with a recruiter and discuss the business of enlisting to get a general idea of time-frame and opportunities for my specific skill set. So there you go! I am going to make a more concerted effort to update my progress at least weekly as that was a major problem last challenge. I will also try to get on here daily if possible (so I don't miss any more mini-challenges!). I believe this will increase my success.

Here we go! Not bad for the first challenge I guess, but I definitely need to make more specific, realistic goals. Even though I started the challenge halfway through, I feel like I could have taken it a bit more serious. Next challenge I will try to get on the forums more. 1. Bench the bar 10x in a row (no rest between) [sTR-3] [sTA-2] 100%! Got up to 3 sets of 10 reps 2. Complete 1 army push-up [sTR - 3] 0%.Still can't eek this one out. Grr... 3. Run 1 mile with no stops (under 9 min) [sTA - 2] 100%! I went out and did it first try. I should have maybe started a little slower since my foot gave me grief for about 2 weeks. Next challenge will focus on a slower build. 4. Be regularly drinking 8 cups of water daily [Con - 5] 15%. No points awarded. I only made it a week

Alright pwallace, I'll try that. LETS GO!

I'm with you! I didn't see this until today I'm still going to try to do it, but I know for a fact this one is going to be tough for me since I sill struggle to do real push-ups

Thanks LostOne! I will keep you in mind if I need some recipes, mostly its because I am really lazy. Next challenge will probably include at least one goal dealing with it. Also, I benched the bar for the first time yesterday, and it wasn't even that hard! I did a weak excuse of a push-up yesterday but I'm not counting it as a success because my form was pretty shaky. It's the final push this week though and I'm hoping to finish strong!

One of my roomates has a gym membership and is working out with her fiancé, trying to slim down for the wedding. My other roomate doesn't work out at all. They also love eating convenience foods. It is hard sometimes because all they have to do is pop something in the microwave or on the pizza pizzaz for a few minutes, grab a soda (usually diet) and it's dinner time. I have to thaw something from the freezer to bake/broil/grill or pan fry, cut and wash veggies and drink my boring plain water. I'm not complaining about the quality of food, but it sure takes longer! I'm just glad I'm starting to get sick of 'bad' food. I feel so much better when I don't eat the processed stuff. I just have to work on my lazinesswhen it comes to food. If I'm too tired to cook dinner I sometimes just grab a piece of cheese and call that dinner. (Which is probably why I'm always so weak and tired) It doesn't all happen at once unfortunately

Thanks for all that info LostOne! I'm pretty bad when it comes to sugar binges. Your list sounds a lot like me except I probably would have finished off everything -- can't stop at half a bag I have serious control issues when it comes to breads and sweets - eating a whole loaf of fresh bread is not uncommon for me. I'm lucky with respect to weight though since I don't easily gain. However, this also is a major hurdle for me because it also makes me incredibly pathetic strength-wise. Thanks for all those tips for the strength training and push-ups! I'm going to try doing some of them when I get home tonight. I totally know what you mean about those TV shows! I tend to watch seasons at a time and lose whole weekends (probably related to that blasted control issues mentioned previously). Since I can't limit myself to one episode, I try not to watch at all - which is hard when you have 2 roomates that love to watch TV too! It was so much easier when I didn't have a TV. Be careful about running on that toe! Avoid it if at all possible, but if you must run pay attention to it and stop if it start hurting/gets worse/ isn't getting better. Also tape the toe to the toe next to it to help it heal or prevent further injury (disclaimer - I'm not an expert). There are alternatives that can help with cardiovascular training that won't stress your toe, like riding a stationary bike and swimming. Biking makes my pace quicker, but I've found personally that only running can make me better at actually running.

Thanks for asking! I've been sick the last week and a half (self-inflicted sugar binge, shame on me) so I haven't done too much towards me goal. I also did something to my foot about a week ago which has caused me to keep the runs a little lighter. I'm starting to feel better so hopefully I can still reach my goals. Today I ran my 1 mile in 8:57 so that goal is met. (yippee!) I didn't realize how out of shape I've become since high school, which I could definitely feel during todays run as I pushed myself to finish the mile and got the all-to-familiar catch in the throat. Hopefully now that the snow is pretty much gone, I can take my runs outside -- gym air is a little too dry for my throat. I can't believe how hard it is for me to do a push-up! I can do several on my knees, but as soon as I try the full version, I can't push back up. I don't think the knee push-ups are going to get me there. So, I've decide to do those elevated ones. I can do them if they are at counter height, which seems pathetic because they are still rather hard. I'm also a little worried about pressing the bar, since I haven't even got past the 40lb practice bar. We shall see next week at the gym! As for the water, I think I'm about halfway there. I have been drinking about 4 cups/day which is a big step up. I heard about your toe, sad day! How is everything else going?

Congratulations LostOne1775! Keep us updated!