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Good catch! I'll revise that. Must've been from copying it over from one of the lines above. All the typing is killing me. Maybe that's why my advisor makes me edit so often! Blurgh. I'm currently finishing up some weekly announcements for my students in my online course and revising quiz and exam questions. I don't want to have to do these things during the semester so I can just focus on my schedule, my writing, and my workout goals. Streamline it! Thanks for stopping by, Teriantum!

Hey Scouts! I'm joining up with you all for this challenge because running is in my wheelhouse and, honestly, it's more of a meditation for me when I am committed to it. From everything I've seen and read, I know this is the right group for this challenge! I'm a bit Rangerly with my current goals, but I'm more of a runner at heart. I'm excited to jumping in here and running with this pack.

(This space reserved for final updates)

Week Five Goals Met Switched it up to the Dumbbell Division L2 and did A, B, A; now I'm at 17 of 20/21 workouts. I actually like the dumbbell division a lot more, too. I feel like I'll be sticking with L2 until I can lift, bench, snap 25 pounds for a whole routine (OR do a full set of pull-ups unassisted). I ran twice this week. One 5 miler, and one 3 miler. Those runs felt great, too. That's two more to add to the goal. So, 12 out of my 12 cardio workout goal. (In other words, done with that goal! But, of course, I'm still going to run, swim, or bike next week. I really want to go swimming, so I've gotta get on that.)One chapter basically done (24 pages with maybe 2-4 more to write). One chapter with some moderate revisions to work through (4 pages total to work on). One chapter with 12 pages to revise (out of 34 total). I'm totally going to have these done before I meet with my advisor, and I'm totally going to show him up.Lessons Learned I love running. I do need to mix up my cardio more, though. Swimming is a must for the next week. Writing and revising are part of the same game. When fueled by fury, you may be able to do a lot, but you must still be careful to me clear, which is why I'll be spending the week after the challenge re-reading my chapters to edit one last time before I send them on to my advisor.Repairing a car is a bit of a workout. I replaced the door handle to my car and it was a bit more involved than I thought it would be. Replacing a tire is SO easy compared to a door handle. Who knew? I still need to let go of my anger toward my advisor. I've been journaling and I've talked with friends. I've also, obviously, worked out a ton. I've done meditation too. All of it has helped a little, but the anger still lingers below the surface. So...I am still working on it. Any advice is appreciated.

Week Four Goals Met Did Bodyweight Brigade A and B, and now I'm at 14 of 20/21 workouts. Did yoga once. Also did 30 minutes on the Stair Master. And did 25 minutes on the bike. That's three more to add to the goal. So, 10 out of my 12 cardio workout goal. I'm at about 18 pages as of tonight, but I'll be done with one chapter by the middle of this week. Then it's on to the next one. I'm on fire and I will show my advisor and committee that I mean business.Lessons Learned Learned that rest days are necessary after long runs, so I'll always rest a full day after that. I really should've learned that last week. DON'T OVERDO IT, DAMN IT!But I also learned that sometimes your body is capable of more than you think, so you do have to trust your body and mind to know that you can also do without rest on a day too.Learned that I am a fucking badass because I'm writing, grading, learning coding skills, volunteering, and working out, and I'm not giving a flying fuck about my advisor while I do all of this because I'm doing it for me.Reaffirmed by the belief that I have some fucking amazing friends. And I am excited that I'll be celebrating my 30th with a few of them in March. Also...for extra burn, I'm throwing a kettle bell set in on my "A" days. It's not that intense and I can do 8-10 reps in a set of three without much difficulty with a 10 pound kettle bell. ONWARD!

Week Three Goals Met Did Bodyweight Brigade A and B, and now I'm at 11 of 21 workouts. (Though, slight modification on this as I go into the fourth week. See the most recent post.)Ran intervals once. Did a 10k run. Also did 30 minutes on the Stair Master. That's three more to add to the goal. So, 7 out of my 12 cardio workout goal. I'm at about 13 pages. I'm behind task because friends were in town this weekend and I didn't do any writing. I did do some editing one evening, but that was about it. Trust me, I'm going to have two chapters done before the end of this challenge. Fueled partially by fury, but also by the knowledge that I am better than the conception my advisor has of me.Lessons Learned Learned that sometimes it is best to just go with the flow and enjoy the time you have with friends. Learned that I am capable of moving forward and getting work done, even when distracted. I'm not at my most productive, but I still got work done.Learned that I need to be stand up for myself more and have a stronger sense of self and not be afraid of offending others or upsetting them by what I say or do. I am not responsible for how others feel or what they think. At the end of the day, I gotta do me. Measurements (Before and After, Top to Bottom) Neck14.8"Chest39.8"Bicep12.7" (I know! .2 BIG DEAL! Hahaha! ( >_< ) )WaistFrom 35.4 (Not a big drop here.)Hip​38.6" (Minor change)Thigh24.3" (Minor change) Minor improvements physically, but they are noticeable. Really, though, the most noticeable changes I see are in my calf muscles and thighs. I see the muscle and I feel my pants and jeans fitting with more room, which I love. Now...if I could just get those damn abs everyone is raving about all the time. Guess those will come with effort, dedication, and time. The only things I feel like I need help with are getting better form for push-ups (Any advice, seriously! I think I'm getting better, but I'm like a T-Rex with these arms.) and learning to let go of anger (because working out and meditation aren't quite cutting it in the ways they usually do).

Week Two Wrap-Up Goals Met Did Bodyweight Brigade A and B three times. That's 3+4, or 7 out of my 21 workout goal!Ran intervals once on days in between Bodyweight Brigade workouts and did focused yoga on other days. That's two more, for four out of my 12 workout goal!I've got about 10 pages, so I'm a little behind in my writing still. Some of this is due to my lovely communications with my advisor, and some of it is due to my uncertain with writing. I'm done with both of those now, though. I will have three chapters to my advisor before I visit him later in mid to late February. Lessons Learned Learned that I am eating enough each week, so far, for the progress I want to make. I read up on optimal protein intake and optimal food intake for muscle building, and I'm in the right range most days.Learned that I need to own my dissertation project more and that there are times when I need to ignore what my advisor says and do what I want to do as long as I can justify it. If he doesn't like it, he will get over it.Learned that I have great support from committee members, mentors, friends and family. Honestly, if it wasn't for them, I would've already quit this mental clusterfuck known as a PhD.Overall I can tell that I am making great progress. I'm not really keeping track of my weight, but I can tell that I am losing pounds. My pants are fitting looser. Old pairs actually fit great around my thighs (which is my most troublesome area, typically). My shirts are fitting just a little more loose. I feel the muscles in my abs and legs slowly growing. None of it is really painful either. It's that good soreness--that good burn--that you feel when you are making progress and doing it right. So, here's to 10 hour days for writing. Here's to working out almost everyday. Here's to proving my advisor that I'm stronger than he thinks I am. He's to moving on with my life, because I'm done with old bullshit.

Week One Goals Met Did Bodyweight Brigade A and B twice. That's 4 out of my 21 workout goal!Ran intervals twice on days in between Bodyweight Brigade workouts. That's two out of my 12 workout goal!Wrote about 8.5 pages. This is a little behind task, but(!) I'm not in a bad place considering that most of the writing has resulted in revisions that make it sound better than what I started off with. It's a process, and that's really all there is to it. Lessons Learned Learned not to overdo it with cardio. It's a bad habit I have because I totally get runner's high when I do cardio. I am going to commit to not overdoing it on in-between days. Interval run days are for interval runs only. Weekend fun days, though, can be for a big run, like a 5k or, if I'm feeling crazier, a 10k.Learned I need to eat more to gain muscle. I've been reading Steve's advice on Nerd Fitness Academy about this. I keep good track of all my food and calories with Lose It, but I'm realizing that perhaps I'm not eating enough. I'm going to gradually increase my intake without going overboard with it, too.Measurements (Before and After, Top to Bottom) (Old measurements are from December 20th.) Neck14.8" (It's the same)ChestFrom 40" to 39.8"Bicep12.5" (It's also the same)WaistFrom 35.8" to 35.6"Hip​From 40.2" to 38.8"ThighFrom 24.8" to 24.6"Overall, not too bad. Some marginal changes, which are good! I'm going to measure again at the end of week three. There's no need to do it each week. I'm getting there. Slowly. Hahaha!

After dusting off the cobwebs from my workout gear for the last challenge and taking some necessary downtime during the holidays, I'm ready to get back into the swing of things this year because I've got goals, baby! Lots of goals! Even though I am a budding scholar, I need to be SMART with my goals (and short(er) with my posts), so I'm going to break it down real simple with reference to my previous challenge thread: Main Quest is still the same as the last challenge in terms of body and mind: Body, with the added motivation to be ready for a debate team reunion I have in late April; mind, with the hope that I'll be close to finishing up this damn dissertation already. Quest One: Do Bodyweight Brigade Level 2 (A and B, 3 to 4 times a week as cycled) or 21 workouts total. A = +3 STR, +2 CHA; B = +2 STR, +1 CHA; C = +1 STR, +.5 CHA Quest Two: Interval run (following Steve's recommendations, of course) at least twice a week or at least 12 times total. A = +3 DEX, +2 STA; B = +2 DEX, +1 STA; C = +1 DEX, +.5 STA Quest Three: Write a page and a half for my dissertation at least six days of the week—regardless of how good it is—and edit it the next day. Approximately 54-63 pages total (or roughly two dissertation chapters). A = +5 WIS; B = +4 WIS; C = +3 WIS I'm not doing any life quests this time around, but I will participate in any side quests that are running/biking/cardio related with the Scouts. I am (or was, more so) an avid runner, so I think I'll fit in nicely with the Scouts for this challenge. I'm excited to be more involved here and to connect with many of you! Now...time to wear the tread down on these running shoes so I can justify buying a new pair for the new year! Let's kick it off right! I'm hyped!!

Hey SL! Just checking in on you to see how the challenge went. I know it's a busy time of the year for everyone, but it looks like you held strong. I'm with you about trying to figure out my guild for the next challenge. I think Maaya is right, you have to do what works for you. There's a bunch of options. Scouts might be easier, though, because they will likely have running challenges that relate to your main challenges for the next 6-week challenge. I think I may go Ranger next time, but I don't know. Scout is so natural for me, but maybe it'd be a good fit for the next challenge. I'm still figuring it all out too. :-)

Hey CA! I am just dropping by to see how you are doing and to cheer you on. I hope your new program is treating you well and that you are finding yourself happier and healthier for it. You seem really busy, so I'll just keep it short. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing your updates, whenever they happen. Happy Holidays, too! Thanks for being such an inspiration and cheery figure. You are a truly wonderful person!

Wow, tundralily! I'm proud of you for recognizing your limits and for taking necessary action to maintain your emotional and mental wellbeing. That is so incredibly important. I hope your final two weeks of challenges worked out well. Even if they didn't, though, be proud of what you did accomplish in the four weeks time. You've grown so much stronger and it shows in how you present yourself and how you understand your commitments. That's what matters. Cheers to you!

Hey spockgrrl! I wanted to see how you rounded out the challenge? It sounds like you've kept up with the meditation, which is awesome. It also looks like you got the full benefits from it, which is even better! I hear you about motivation to workout, especially when it is cold out. Man, it's the last thing I want to do on some of those cold days, even when I'm just going to the gym! Then I remind myself how silly I am by not going. I am also reminded of what Steve Kamb says about making something a priority or not. On the days I don't make it a priority, I tell myself that and then look at my big goals (beyond just the challenge) and realize that I'm not helping myself. So, on days when I struggle, I still go to the gym and do a lighter workout OR do something different and lighter, like Yoga or Swimming. Variety helps me, but I don't know what will work for you. That aside, I hope everything else is going well. I know you've been awfully busy, but I hope things have simmered down a little for you. You deserve some downtime.

Dang! Way to go! Despite everything you've been through, you've stuck with it and rocked it. That's awesome, Brekketechie! You're more advanced than I in workouts, but it sounds like your interim goal is doable and doesn't put too much pressure on you during the holidays. Given how consistent your performance was here, I know you'll kill it. If you need a running/walking accountabilibuddy for the next two weeks, count me in!

Updating those stats now!

Six Week Wrap Up Wow! It's hard to believe it is almost Christmas and even harder to believe that I did well with this six-week challenge during what is probably the hardest time of the year. All these goodies, fatty foods, and porter beers have been calling my name, and I somehow managed to resist them for the most part. Here's how my six weeks went, including my grades and stat boosts: Quest One: CrossFit (Or How I Learned to Just Do My Own Thing and Kill It with Cardio) I am happy to report that I completed all 18 workouts. (You can check my LoseIt profile for verification. I just barely did it, but I pulled it out by today!) I started out doing CF at my gym, but after my preliminary foray into that crazy world, I left. I did six workouts with the CFers, and while I enjoyed the workouts, I did not like the people in the CF club at my gym. To make up for this loss, I decided to do cardio circuits and yoga. On the days I did cardio circuits, I burned about 1300 kcals each time riding my bike, interval running, and using the stair master. When I did yoga, I used the Pocket Yoga App, and did 45 minute sessions where I burned about 300 kcals. All in all, I learned that I need padded shorts when biking (which I now I own); that I need to drink plenty of water on heavy cardio days, before, during, and after my workouts; and that I need to make sure I'm taking in enough protein powder on heavy cardio days so I don't end up like a white emo version of Skeletor. Hahaha! Grade: A Stats: +3 STA, +2 DEX Future Quest: Do BBW or the recommended workout from NF Academy 3x a week. Quest Two: A Digest of the Dissertation (Or How I Completed One Chapter of My Dissertation) After a lot of psychological turmoil, I was able to complete a whole chapter of my dissertation. Meeting with my advisor and a mentor while away at the national conference was a real boost to my confidence, and I managed to write a whole chapter two weeks after those meetings. I also learned that writing consistently is key to successfully completing the dissertation within the next year. All in all, I'm most proud of this progress. Grade: A Stats: +3 WIS Future Quest: I think keeping a specific writing goal is wise. Plus, with the support I've had on NF and with my friends and family, I think I can go even further with my goal. Next time, I'll set the page limits higher. Quest Three: Mastering Mindfulness (Or How I Exercised My Mind as I Exercised My Body) Meditation was essential to my writing process, but it also helped me feel more in touch with what I needed to do. When I meditated, I found myself more relaxed, focused, and less stressed. Beyond my writing process, meditation helped me fall asleep more easily, as I cleared my mind before I went to bed doing a body scan meditation on some nights. I did not meditate 18 times total over the challenge. I did, however, meditate for 30 minute sessions the last five times I meditated. Still, since I set 18 as my goal, I'm going to stick with that. Grade: B+ (88.9%) (16/18) (+4 CON for A, +3 CON for B, +2 CON for C) Stats: +3 CON Future Quest: I enjoy meditation and I may or may not include it with my next challenge, but I also feel like I need to push myself to do other things, like ab workouts or creative writing or coding. So, I may do something different for the next challenge. Life Quest: Sleepyhead Slowly Waking Up to the Real World (Or How I *sort of* Managed to Wake with the Sun) I think it's fair to say that I LOVE sleeping in and that my life as a graduate student makes it so incredibly easy to sleep in almost everyday if I want. This will continue to be a challenge for me, but I want to continue to commit to it because I know it is important to have a consistent schedule. Plus, it would obviously help with writing and working out. Over the last 42 days, I managed to wake up before 8 and complete half of my agenda about 32 days. That's not too bad, but it is average. I want to beat average! (see: http://youtu.be/Rgo4yBeQSOE) Guess I gotta keep working on it. (Graduate students are the worst.) Grade: 32/42 = 76.1% (+3 CON for A, +2 CON for, + 1 CON for C) Stats: +1 CON Future Challenge: Life Goals are constantly changing. I do need to wake up more consistently, but we will see what I do next go round. I'm at least happy I fought my lazy urge to sleep in ALL OF THE DAYS. Still, I could do better next time around. For now, I'm still combating my sleepyhead. Considerations I'm still not sure which guild I belong in, though I enjoy the Assassin community. I admit that didn't participate much with it because I didn't feel I could take on the side quests offered while I was struggling with my dissertation. I hope I'll be more up for it next time. I may, however, check in with the Rangers. We will see. Wrap It Up Already! Overall, I'm proud of my progress and thankful for all the support. I know I wasn't as present the last two weeks, but I assure you that I did my workouts and kept up with my tasks. Next time, I'm going to do mini-updates mid-week. I think that'll keep everyone on the up and up from me. I just need to get a simple TL;DR format down because I have a tendency to be a bit more verbose. How is everyone else out there? I hope you all met your goals as best as you could. I enjoyed this challenge a lot. I cannot wait for the next challenge, and I'm already staying on task with my workouts. I am committed to carrying the fire on into the next year, and I hope you all are too.

Way to keep up with the meditation! I hope you are finding it relaxing and therapeutic in preparation for your big scary test. Hah! Good luck with all the caretaking! This challenge is almost over. YOU CAN DO THIS!

Quick Update: I've been killing it cardio at the gym this week. I've got three workouts in, and I'll need to do one more to catch up and be on mark with my goals. I bought some padded shorts for riding the bike and they seem to help a little. I did a one hour ride at the gym and, aside from feeling like a had a diaper on, it wasn't as painful when I was done. (I also burned 1500 calories (950 from riding, 400 from the stair master, the rest from walking and stretching.) I'll need to get into a routine where I balance all the cardio out with strength, but I'm going to build that into my next challenge. For now, I'm proud of my progress with each workout. Writing has been going well. I've been drafting outlines for my advisor, and I plan to send them to him early next week after he returns back to the states. We're also in the process of revising the chapter I previously sent it. Hey hey! It feels SO good to be making progress and feel like I'm finally moving ahead. Other than that, I've been doing great with sleep and waking up almost every morning. There always seems to be one day I just sleep in, but what can you expect? When it's cold, too, the last thing I want to do is get out of bed. I'm getting better at just getting up and moving on, though. Can't believe week five is almost done!

Man, I feel you here. Validation is important to strengthening the self, but sometimes I think we rely on it too much to feel secure in ourselves. At work, we want to know we are doing well. We want some reward or comment or something to reflect that we know what we are doing and, even, that others can see the good we are doing. With our bodies, then, it is no surprise we feel the same. I think, on some level, you have to realize that you are doing your best and that you are on your own journey to your happiness, which you accomplish everyday. Every time you kill it on a workout. Every time you refrain from eating potato chips or drinking that raging fatass latte when you know you want to have something sweet. Every time you can smile at yourself in the mirror and be proud of your progress. You are making the best of yourself for you and no one else. Others can validate you, and they will. But remember, too, that others can be fickle in their support. I'm not saying that they won't support you, but that sometimes others will only support you as they notice your progress. That's why I think getting inside your head and reminding yourself everyday of your accomplishments is far more important than anything else. I mean, look at you?! You've clearly come so far in your goals and you've been doing this for only a short while. You see this and you know this. Now remind yourself of it everyday in all the actions you take. You are the sole proprietor of your happiness, and from what I can see, you are rockin' it! Keep it up. P.S. The Mehs hit me last week, but why don't we commit to hittin' up the gym this week. We can do that, right? The challenge is almost over, after all. I don't know about you, but I want to at least say I made a dent in those numbers.

SL! I LOVE Adventure Time. Thanks for sharing that. So, what I've learned with biking is that you definitely need padded underwear or shorts. Yowza! Otherwise, you will have one hella sore bum, and it can 'effin hurt. (In fact, it reminds me of the times I've gone snowboarding and fallen on my ass. I mean, shit, I almost needed a donut pillow! Hahaha!) Aside from that, what I've learned is that you have to have the right setup with the bike, whether you are using a machine or your own bike. When riding, your seat needs to be high enough that you can have one leg extended fully while the other is bent. Also, your back should form a natural forward arch with your back toward your handle bars. All of these things allow you to have the proper form, so you can do your best for a ride. As far as riding goes, I think what has helped me the most is to start short, like 10-20 minute rides, and then gradually build up to 30 minute to hour long rides. It took me about a month to get up to the hour long ride, and even then, there were times when I know I was pushing it a bit too hard to finish it up. There is no need to rush it, though. Do you have a gym membership? I think that's the best place to start.