Jormungand

Week 1 Recap: First week of the challenge went pretty well. For Vel0city, I got 10 miles in, which felt pretty good, plus a hike Saturday afternoon. I went camping over the weekend, and a friend and I hiked some trails and trekked up a fairly steep hill that was literally off the beaten path. I didn't get to run with the ally, but I found out that she went to the fitness center after I did on Friday. I know that I can't make her do anything she doesn't want to do, and if she doesn't want to go on a run with me, I accept that. I just need to keep offering it and understand that she will need to go at her own pace. For Innervate, I'm working on getting my strumming patterns down on the guitar more than anything. I know several basic chords, so I've just been stringing random ones together while drilling. The ally frequently reminds me that, as much as it pains me to admit, I will probably never play guitar for the Misfits or the Ramones, so I can't just play downstrokes all the time. For Ir0n Hand, I've been diligent with my pull-ups. I've not gotten an accurate count of how many I average a day, but every once in a while, I will knock out a set of five or so to see if this groove greasing is helping yet, though I'm fairly certain it's still too early to have much effect. I worked on Crow some more this morning. Hopefully at some point, I won't feel like my core and lungs are ready to explode while I'm holding it. Here is an icy shot of Zer0 to start off your week. Let's get to it, people.

Glad to hear you're heading back with some money in your pocket. Enjoy the time with your family. You've certainly earned it.

Man, that is no way to start a trip. Hopefully things will turn out. Enjoy your time in Colorado, and don't forget about the Voodoo Doughnuts. You won't regret it. (Well, you might, but they are undoubtedly worth it.)

I went into the fitness center this morning around 6:45. There weren't a whole lot of people in, and it'd been a while since I'd been back. I wanted to get a quick run in before I left for the weekend on a camping trip. Not much, but I was able to pound out 2.5 miles, which puts me at 10 for the week. BW: 197

Thanks for the links. I will definitely give those a shot. I am looking for anything that will help as well as any variations that will move me at least one step closer. Appreciate it.

I guess it's time to dust off the old battle log. I went out for a run today. It is unseasonably warm here in Indiana, so I took advantage of the beautiful day by knocking out a 7.5 mile run. My pace has slowed somewhat, but I'm still happy to see that I can still cover that distance in about an hour and half.

I hadn't been doing anything that thorough, but after watching the video you posted, I might give it a try. Mostly I've just been sticking my arm out straight and then pulling my fingers back with my other hand. I've only done one wall handstand so far. I want to keep practicing Crow Pose for the time being before moving on much further. I'm purposely holding myself back from just doing a ton of wall handstands until I get better because I want to ease into this and not overdo it too early (read: hurt myself). And I thought that your first year was coming up, as well. Early congratulations - now on to the next stage!

A few challenges back, I had a very similar challenge goal, and that is honestly the best method I found to curb drinking throughout the week. As simple as it sounds, when it's not in the house, there is zero chance of you drinking any, and the likelihood of you going out to the store just to buy it for that purpose is reduced. Nicely done.

It must be a great feeling to see all those tasks marked off your boss battle for battle prep. Hope your trip goes well.

I also forgot to mention that I started doing pull-ups each time I went into the bedroom. You start to really become aware of how often you walk through a certain doorway in your house when there is a task to do. I've been trying to get one pull-up in each time both when I'm entering and exiting. As a side note, we actually have two doors that go into our bedroom, and I'm trying not to cheat by only going through the one without the pull-up bar. I started mixing it up yesterday by doing them randomly in one of the three grip positions, but I think I'm going to start focusing on only doing pull-ups.

Yesterday marked the one year point since I joined the Nerd Fitness community. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into back then, but I'm certainly glad that I took those first steps. I've appreciated the opportunity to get to know so many of you wild and beautiful people, and I cannot wait to see what we can all accomplish in the time to come. I didn't do a whole lot for Zero Week. No runs, but I did do some work on my handstands. I've been practicing the crow pose for the past several days while stretching my wrists out. Also, yesterday while watching football, I worked on my strumming patterns for a little while on the guitar. I need to keep reminding myself not to expect any major improvements right off the bat - I just need to keep picking away at it. I was less than mindful over the weekend at a couple parties/outings regarding my food choices, but now that the challenge has started, it's time to zero in on what goes into my stomach. I played a whole lot of Borderlands 2 yesterday, both single player and co-op with the ally, and I think I've met my quota for a while. Time to regain some focus and get this challenge started off right. Happy Halloween!

That is truly awesome. Not only is that a kick ass time, but it is doubly rewarding since you beat your own goal. Fantastic job, friend.

How'd the race go?

I'm still working my way up to true handstands, so I did the safety rolls like are described in the video for the Chaos Emerald this week. I really enjoyed doing them, though I feel like I am dropping too hard on my back and if I did these from any reasonable height, I would probably snap myself in half. There was at least one roll where I felt that I did it as described, but I was a little sore afterwards from dropping my back so much. Also, on the last roll, I bruised my ego just slightly by smacking my face into the corner of the couch. I'll just need to practice more.

You're right: walking and drinking water are huge. That is awesome that you already have those base levels down. I think often people overlook just how simple yet critical walking and drinking water can be. What do you typically do as far as evening meals? It's a fine balance to eat enough that it satiates without completely wrecking any diet goals. Overall, a really solid challenge structure.

It definitely sounds like a struggle. Also, as far as your fitness is concerned, it seems that you would be better served just by trying to rest and recuperate as much as possible for the time being. And, I agree - no point in joining a gym for a week just to leave it soon after.

Preach. I'm trying to do the same. I fell off a bit last challenge without holding myself accountable in some places, so I am looking to tighten things up this time around (Also, I'm not sure if bears have goals because they are already badass enough to be a bear. Where do you go from there?)

This is an awesome challenge theme. I never noticed it until you mentioned it, but Link does seem to sleep a lot. There's even a game called Link's Awakening. How did I miss this until now? Legend of Zelda conspiracies aside, these are some really solid goals. I struggled with my own quests last challenge due to traveling for a couple weeks. My advice would just be to focus on all of the factors that you can control and you should come out just fine. It looks like you're already got some solid plans laid out for your boss battle. I was in Denver last spring for a conference myself, and it is a beautiful city to run through. If you get a chance, I would highly recommend stopping at Voodoo Doughnut on Colfax Avenue for some awesome travel food. They have a huge selection of doughnuts and each one I tried was delicious.

Sometimes the best accountabilibuddies have four legs.

For my second challenge with the Assassins, I want to base my quests this turn on one of my favorite assassins - Zer0 from Borderlands 2. I've been playing this game a lot recently, and it's tough to find better inspiration than this badass. Each separate quest will be drawn from one skill per each of his skill trees. I'm placing a lot of emphasis on running and bodyweight training to keep me working towards my OCR goals for next year: a couple Tough Mudders and a Spartan Trifecta. So, let's get to it. First Quest: Vel0city - With autumn moving into winter, I need to keep my running up. However, I want to try to balance it with working with my wife (the ally) while still keeping my own mileage high. I want to push for at least 40 miles, which I know is lower than the last challenge, but I want to put some focus on working with her, as well. She can't quite yet run as far as I can on a single session, and I want to do something so that she doesn't feel completely excluded. So, I will run with her at least once per week. Second Quest: Innervate - This quest is a little different than normal, and longtime listeners will recognize the throwback. I used to play in a band quite frequently, but we dissolved about a year ago. However, the opportunity has arisen that I could be playing in a throw-together group for a fundraiser that is taking place on the last day of the challenge. I play the bass guitar fairly competently, but, for the event, I might also need to fill in on rhythm guitar, which I do fairly incompetently. My goal will be to passably play better by the event, so I will practice every day in some form to get better at the guitar. Third Quest: Ir0n Hand - I want to be doing more with bodyweight training this challenge, so I will keep it simple. I will do at least 500 push-ups in the next four weeks. Also, I want to start greasing the groove with my pull-ups, so I will do at least one rep each time I walk under my pull-up bar that is in the door to my bedroom. Finally, they've been pushing the handstands a lot on NF, and I'd like to do their progressions so that I can perform a decent one by the end of the challenge. I've enjoyed my time here with the Assassins, and I look forward to continuing my progression. I will leave you with a haiku that Zer0 gives during the game: The true world revealed / Weaknesses now known to me / Time to go to work.

Admirable goals, as always. I can't wait to hear how your half marathon goes. It's good to see that you have running scheduled in after your race, though make sure you take plenty of rest afterwards. I know I needed it. As much as you're running, though, you'll probably bounce right back. Looking forward to seeing how the rest of your challenge goes.

That is a mantra we can all get behind. Everything you've put together for this challenge is practical and applicable in daily life. You have a lot to build off of, so let's get to it.

The fact that you keep getting back up is enough inspiration to go around. Well done. And, despite everything you've been through, you still manage to knock out a chin-up? That is no small feat and definitely something to be proud of. I've found that as these challenges progress (and @SaltyDragonhas mentioned this, as well) the simpler things are, the better. As you recall, a couple challenges back, I was doing the sledgehammer and medicine ball sessions, which, while fun, sort of derailed by the end of the challenge. They didn't allow a lot of room for error or fluctuation. You will find that the daily grind, the simple matter of putting in the work, day in and day out, is what is to be valued. I know I have. Can't wait to see what you do this next time around.

Four Week Challenge Recap Lots of traveling this challenge, and I didn't get to post as much as I would've liked. Moving forward, I want to continue to put the emphasis of my training on running and bodyweight exercises, so I will be sticking around the Assassin Guild for a while. I will make a better effort of reaching out to fellow Assassins in the next challenge. First Quest: MovNat Well, I nailed 75% of this. I did all four days worth of exercises during the first three weeks, but then completely fell off on the last week. I don't know if it was just challenge fatigue, schedule changes, or what, but I just never made an effort for that last week's moves. However, the three weeks that I did do were pretty solid, and I definitely felt myself progressing and getting better with the moves as I went through. I'm not sure if I will stick with the MovNat stuff for the next challenge, but I do like the system as a whole. Second Quest: 80/20 I generally think this went pretty well. I don't think I ever got to the 80%, but I know that there were several instances where I passed up on a lot of sugary desserts that I previously would've pounced on. Again, I don't want to keep using the traveling as an excuse, because I know that I am the master of my own fate with what I consume. Although, there was more than one experience where the ally and I traveled to a couple restaurants that definitely fell in the 20% portion of this quest (pulled pork on a cheeseburger, anyone?). I want to keep working at this now that I'm back on home soil for a while, because I know that the idea is sound. I just need to do a better job of eating well in the moments where I can. Third Quest: 50 Miles While a slow start, I added on some extra mileage on the fourth week, and I hit my 50th mile on Saturday morning. As the weather continues to crisp up, I need to continue to push myself during these autumn days. Thanks to everyone who stopped in with any words of wisdom, advice, or otherwise. I will make a better effort to keep up with you all on the upcoming challenge. Here's to the next round.

Here for the viking inspiration. And for #MomoaMonday. By the way, happy #MomoaMonday.