Merlinmar

I'm going to have to try that standing on one foot while brushing my teeth thing Whenever I tak my dog roaming through the woods I try to spend some time on a fallen log or climbing over rocks. I think as it gets closer I need to find somewhere with a bunch of fallen logs and practice while wearing a full backpack. Randomly enough this week I'm taking my husband to a log rolling class as part of his birthday, so that should help

Thanks for the post, awesomesue! If you ever get a chance to do a multi- Thanks for the post! If you ever get the chance to do a multi-day hike, it's a lot of fun. It can also be a lot of sore muscles. The day my husband and I returned from our first 3 day, 32-mile hike we stopped for lunch on the way home and could barely step over the curb! But it's totally worth it. I love having to go mission-style, planning our supplies and route, and enjoying the change of scenery. Probably one of the biggest benefits is how much you appreciate everything when you get back; I never noticed how awesome the seats in a car are until after I started hiking! I do have a hike that I'm working up to for next year - The West Coast Trail in Canada. http://besthike.com/n-america/pacific-n-w/west-coast-trail/ It's one of the top hikes in the world, but it's also super challenging. So not only do I need to get my endurance back up to where it used to be, I need to improve my arm strength because there's up to 50 ladders you have to climb while carrying about 30lbs on your back. Also (and I have no idea how to work on this, so I would appreciate any suggestions!) I need to improve my balance. There are a bunch of log and boulder crossings, and while my husband is part cat, I am most definitely not. ...And I am really glad you asked about this because I definitely need to rework my main quest to include all that. We're aiming for September of next year and I need to get cracking if I want to be ready! Thank you!

Thanks for all the feedback and support! I haven't worked out consistently in awhile, so that's why I want to work out 5x a week. Right now I'm just planning on going with whatever intensity I feel like that day, since the goal is to make working out a habit. I have a general plan: jogging Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday with my dog; swimming one or two nights a week; and alternating yoga and climbing on Saturday mornings (thanks, Groupon!). I don't want to make this schedule too firm of a commitment since I'm a throw-the-baby-out-with-the-bathwater type of person. If I have to get to work early or something I don't want to just give up. Anyway... grading each week: A=5 workouts, B=4, &C=3 Skill points: 2 stamina, 2 dexterity Food-wise I just don't think I should eat something I wouldn't be ok killing, so that's why no meat (some fish is ok). I just feel better when I don't eat dairy. And I really need to stop my awful soda/caffeine habit because I'm sick of waking up exhausted, chugging a liter of diet coke throughout the day, and ending up jittery and anxious at night. For the next challenge I may go paleo, but that's not realistic with all of the birthday & family events coming up in August. grading each week: A=0 of these, B=1 or 2 servings, C=3 servings skill points: 2 will power The hiking thing is because I love multi-day hikes but I haven't gone in 2 years, the first year because I had a CRAZY busy job, and the second because I had adopted terrible habits to cope with said crazy job and became lazy and neglectful. So I just want to commit to doing something I love again! grading: A= 1 overnight hiking (or kayaking) trip; B= 1 full day trip, C= a half day trip skill points= 1 strength ...I'm still not sure I'm doing the skill points thing right. Can anyone point me to a breakdown of the skill points you can get during your first challenge? Also, where/how do I add them? Do I just keep a tally myself, or does this site level me up? I couldn't figure it out. Thanks again for all the support! I look forward to checking in with everybody!

Main goal: Over the next year, I'm going to lose 50lbs, be able to run a 5k in 30 minutes, and greatly increase my flexibility and strength. And I want to be able to do a pull up. Oh and I want to get good with a longbow, but I won't own one til probably Christmas. I have some experience through an archery class but I want to increase my speed and accuracy. Challenge goals: workout 5 days a week (swimming, running, climbing, yoga and/or zumba class); cut out meat, dairy, and soda; go on at least 1 hiking trip. Life goals: help clean the house, dedicate time to taking care of myself mentally. I'm not sure how the point assignation works, but I think I'd start out at the 10 points and remove a point every time I miss one of my challenge goals. Can I give myself bonus points? If so, right now I can only run 2 miles but if I can either run 3 or shave 8 minutes off of my two Mike run time I want to give myself bonus points. Did I miss anything in this initial post? I'm working my way up to being an assassin but I'm definitely not there yet.