rix

Hey, good luck with your challenge! I'm with Dillpedo on the concrete goals, being able to measure something just helps a lot. Following that spirit, you might want to look if you could make your procrastination goal more measurable. I don't know what things you procrastinate exactly, but maybe you could put it in terms of "x minutes/hours of studying per day/week", or "Finish -list-of-things- until every Sunday"

I love Awesome August and I absolutely LOVE your username!

Wow, this is amazingly insane. So, you are going to do 1k pushups daily, in a timeframe of 2h? Well, that's 500 p/h (pushups per hour, don't you know). Let's say, for the sake of argument, you are doing your pushups rather quick and make 50 per minute. I can do around 10 pushups in 15 seconds, but I'm not too good. Let's say you are doing sets of 100 pushups (hey, insane goals, insane measures). You'd need only ten of those sets, and they would take you 2 minutes each. Which would mean you could rest ~11 minutes after each set. All this is assuming you can do 50 pushups per minute ... So, even after doing the nerd thing and calculating everything, it still sounds insane to me ... GO FOR IT!!

Wow, you totally destroyed those goals! I loved reading your thread and I'm so looking forward to the next challenge! You're staying with us Assassins, right?

Thanks and aw, I missed everyone, too! Thanks a lot! Couldn't leave LotR, could I? I'll take both the English and the German version of LotR and The Hobbit, and about two Pratchett books. That's it for emergencies. I'll see Rondradan roughly every other weekend, so I can get by everything else pretty easily. Thanks, and it's been difficult for me, too. I guess, short morning workouts just became a habit. Plus, I really want to be able to do splits, and I have to work out before I can stretch. As for the new storyline, I'm not sure yet if and how I'm going to implement my personal story with the challenge - it would involve translating my narratives ... I'm already thinking that those aren't very good (think Mary Sue character fanfiction) and I can't imagine that translating to a foreign language I don't speak very well is going to help the matter. Thanks a lot! As I said above, I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to continue with a storyline. I love my new small motivational stories, but I can't imagine that anyone else will. It's like "Then there was this brilliant girl. She wanted to become an Assassin. She became a super-Novice. Then she trained for the next three years" - that's what would be in the challenges - "with dedication and the help of the wise, but strict Master until she was truly badass. The End." Well, maybe a little bit better and a whole lot longer, but there isn't much more to it. I jsut got a backstory and some nice intros for my quests.

Wow. This challenge might not be waht you hoped for, but you were great nonetheless. 1.5 chinups are a huge giant scary lot (okay, maybe only to me). I'm with you on low STA, btw. I think I'll attack that one with C25K in the next challenge.

OOC: Whoa, guys. First: Thank you, everyone, for your support. This goes especially to Nuala, Tom, Dillpedo and Elastigirl. Second: I haven't updated the last time, because I was incredibly busy with being frightened of the future ... well, there were other things, too, like finding a room in a city 600 km away and getting used to living in a long distance relationship and ... well, kind of everything. Good news is that I might not have updated here, but I still went on with the challenge - YAY me! There's other stuff, but let's do the recap first: Steeling my Body do Convict Conditioning every day* (2 STR, 1 STA [new!]): All Points, BAM! I really did it close to no rest day the week. I even started doing a warm-up and stretches (those, admittedly, because I want to do splits and I can't) [*]Steeling my Mind shower cold for at least 5 minutes every day* (1 CON, +1 wildcard point if I don’t shower warm at all): Still, yay me. As I said before, I dropped the five-minute mark, but I showered cold every day and cold only over the whole six weeks. go outside for at least 20 min every day* (1 CON, 1 DEX): I kind of forgot about this one, but I was outside nearly every day to do stuff (and today I went outside to run!), full points here! [*]Living like a normal, sane person do 30 minutes of household chores every day* (1 STA): Nopey-nope. I did keep the house clean the second part of the challenge, but I didn't do any chores regularly. No points here. Eating: (1 CON): Full marks. eat two meals every day: This has become slightly worse during the second half, but I think I'll let it go; I did eat normally nearly every day, even with travelling around. drink at least 1.5 l of water: done and cook once a week: Yep. It was a close one in the first half of the challenge, but in the second half I really didn't have much of a choice due to living alone now. [*]Gather no more than 10 Bitch Points (3 CHA and better don’t ask ...): Nope. There goes the CHA. [*]Learning: (3 WIS): I will award 1 point here. 2 was close, but I really didn't do enough for that one. :\ during the first three weeks, learn 2 hours with a 30 min break every day* afterwards, learn 4 hours with a 30 min break every day* So, including the three points I gathered during the mini-challenges, my new stats are: STR 7 | DEX 6 | CON 7 | STA 5 | WIS 7 | CHA 4 | LVL 3 Sa-weet and well-rounded, I'd say. STA will get better in the next challenge, when I'll include C25K. I tried it today and I could do the third week - yay me, I didn't think I could run three minutes straight. My wildcard point went to CHA, because it was much too low and because I did make an effort and because cold showers help me to be a better person. So, a total of 9/15 points, which is not bad at all. So, for further updates: I got a room in Stuttgart and I'll move there in September. YAY. Now I've got to pack. A small portion of my stuff for me and everything else to go to Rondradan's flat. I really don't want too much stuff or distraction around me, so I'll only take clothes (plus towels and stuff), my PC, up to 20 books (some for studying and LotR, essentially), a mattress and a cupboard. I also, out of pure inspiration, started writing the story of the Assassin Rix. Sadly, it doesn't match with the IC story I made up for the challenge, and I think I will switch to the newer version. It isn't well-written, but I like it. Essentially, at the moment, I'm writing an intro. I should be done by the end of this week. Then I'll write quests with loads of sub-quests (each with a nice intro, of course). I can gather XP (at the moment I'm at ~30, first level up is 100) and the quests will include fitness as well as studying, both by myself and in uni. I really think and hope, that this will help me a lot. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to translate parts of my story for the next challenge or if I'll keep the next challenge log purely OOC. We'll see. So, this was my story. I hope this has been entertaining for you and I'd like to thank you for reading.

I just thought about it and found that the mental filter thing is true for me, too. Don't think of a pink elephant? Oh, well, I'll think of something else, then. Legolas killing the Oliphant (not pink), e.g. A question to that awful lot of invisible people (leadchipmunk, Rivanariko, RaeVynn etc) - how do you do this? I can do it sometimes, and sometimes I can't, and I don't know why. In what situation do you turn invisible? Can you do it voluntarily? How so (what do you think/feel/imagine etc.)?

I hear ya on the growing up. There were some uses, but e.g. I never learned how to think before I talk (really. Never.), because my gut was doing all thinking, strategic and otherwise, for me. Reliably, unconscious, always there for me. This worked until ... real relationship with real fears of loss etc. That is the point when having your unconscious on auto-pilot is really nasty. 'Specially when combined with twisted logic and being able to win every argument. I'm nearly in full control by now; which means I'll still do whatever my gut tells me to, UNLESS I'm in a situation I know that I mustn't listen to my fears.

Huge progress W00t! Also props on your language studies - that's a huge chunk of work and it is very impressive. (My offer of helping with your German studies stands as always, of course) Keep it up - seeing your loads of exercise + all of the other stuff you do would be enough to motivate me, like, forever!

This is so amazing - I wish I had hills/mountains that high or that steep around here. We got exactly none. But I love hiking, too, and by October I'm moving to the mountainous south of Germany. Way to go with your hiking!

Wow, that is amazing!

Hey guys, we are the superpower squat! I'm with Ryan on twisted logic and relating random stuff to other random stuff - it can be quite useful, but I feel guilty when I use twisted logic, so I don't, most of the time. I'm also pretty empathic. If someone hides an emotion, it kind of jumps over to me. It took me some time to figure that one out; it involves random attacks of joy, anger, fear, etc. It also involves something I would describe as 'knowing how people think' - I know what people want to hear, how they are going to react, and sometimes what they are not telling me. I had this even when I was a kid. It's mostly subconscious and therefore while I talk to people I mostly don't 'actively' think, but I rather just talk and everything works out great. This stuff runs in the family, though we don't talk about it. My mother has it, and my grandfather and my great-grandmother, too. For the Pratchett fans among us: I'm Tiffany, or a young Granny Wheatherwax (which is about the same), but I'm not as nasty. Yet. I think. EDIT: Like Ryan, the knot thing for massages, too. I always guessed that this was a side effect of being empathic, as everything listed above. But OTOH, I also think most of my 'intellgence' is due to being empathic (no matter how bad the teacher, I always knew what they meant. I also picked up reading and writing just by myself and by watching the grown-ups), so I really don't know.

So, Rondradan's back to work after a weekend we both enjoyed a lot (though he had to work every free minute). Meanwhile I have written down a short warm-up routine and some stretches for building splits. Up until now I mostly just exercised without warm-up or stretching, and this has changed today! RAWR!

Well, I have finished the first of three video sections I have to study. I also have summarized my notes already. Now (until Monday I think) I will go through the first of the two study books and gather every fact that wasn't in the videos. Then I'll do the same with the second video section (~14 hours, another week) and the second book (~4 days). Then I'll watch the last videos (~1 week) and spend another week reviewing everything. That means, two or three weeks into the next challenge I should get my CCNA. YAY! I don't think there will be updates during the weekend - Rondradan is coming tonight and I will spend every of his scarce free minutes with him. I will also spend most of the day preparing - cleaning up and cooking a nice chicken soup. Isn't that great? Outside it's cold and rainy and weather's behaving as if it was March, but we'll sit inside, read, study, cuddle and eat hot chicken soup. Love it!

Oh, I do! Still got it today, 'specially in the shoulders. Lesson learned: Do not underetimate crabs and bears. Nope, totally not. I might seem a bit too enthusiastic about this, but this is truly the first time of my life that I work for something just because I want it. (Consciously, that is) It is like finding again all passion and fun I had in my childhood. Thank you! I just don't like to dwell on the negative side of things (yeah, DOMS isn't the greatest thing ever). I rather like to focus on the things I enjoy (and I enjoy childhood-like workouts in the forest a lot!).

She had met the Gallifreyan when she went towards Arcadea to gather intel. Apparently he had been to the small place near the river earlier on (she had seen small signs he had left for other members of the Guild marking the spot as a good position to rest and wait). She basically stumbled upon him while looking for a good hiding place - he must have heard her minutes earlier. Inside her mind she cursed and vowed to be more careful - being just a Novice was no excuse for sloppy work. He told her very calmly (not patronizing, she told herself) to sit down and went on to tell her about the new order. Wait for reenforcements. Keep calm. Great. He also gave her some pointers on guild signals and messages in the wilderness, how to recognize and understand them. Very carefully she asked him if waiting for reenforcements prevented them from gathering intel - apparently it didn't, but she had to listen to an endless speech about how careful, silent, unheard, unseen, unnoticed and generally NOT THERE she should be. Along with some tips for clearing one's mind before setting out to explore enemy territory. She returned to the nice spot near the river. She chose a place between a few bushes and started to clear her whole mind. Hopefully this wasn't just the Gallifreyan's way of keeping a novice away from dangerous places - that was the last thought she had before she was fully engrossed in her own mind. OOC: Ha, I'll try the full lotus pose for this one. I really love meditating (though I know SHINY just too well). Every evening as a child I used to create worlds in my head that I really could walk around in and interact with. I still can do this and enjoy it a lot. That isn't the same thing as meditating, but it can help a lot. For those interested: I'll be building a mind/memory palace (possible during the ext challenge) - here are two tutorials on how to do so - I think it will be both really fun and rewarding. Plus, I can pretend I'm Sherlock. Oh, btw, Rondradan's reaction: "Ha. Meditating. Great! I'll meditate everyone under the table!" *g*

^ THIS! Save the villages - and welcome aboard! I wish you (and the villagers) success with both getting rid of the chocolate addiction and with getting stronger!

PURE PICTURE AWESOME! When I scrolled down my thread I thought 'Well, who is this guy that commented in your thread?' - and then I saw and had to get over here to tell you: AWESOME! Man, look at yourself. Looks kickass.

Novice Rix' Log The journey to Arcadea was a difficult one. I had to take everything with me on short notice (which most assassins are used to, but I found it rather difficult do determine what wasn't important enough to take with me) and I had to take care that Rondradan got the messages, found his way, knew what he should expect etc. Loads of work, and then the journey itself. After I had mastered everything and had arrived at our new guild camp, I was really proud. I spent the whole next day (yesterday) gathering intel. I would do so today, too, but when I woke up early in the morning, I felt sore. This has to be a consequence of the journey. But, hey, I mastered it like a real assassin! I keep feeling motivated, even despite how tired I am after the journey to Arcadea. It is amazing how great I feel after accomplishing something I wanted to do instead of something I knew was right and I had to push myself to do. Rondradan seems to do nice, too. He notified me that he's going to Arcadea, too, although his journey will take some time. Should I continue this way, I really think the Guild Masters will accept me as a real assassin and send me on an important mission. I feel great and super-confident. OOC: DOMS is a bitch. Delayed, my ... ok, I'll try it with less swearing. But delayed by more than one whole day? I was so sure that I had gotten away without it! Darn guild challenge! *g* Really, I loved the Guild challenge, I enjoyed it and I don't even want to complain about DOMS. It makes me feel alive and shows that the challenge wasn't too easy for me. At the moment, everything's fine. I'm still studying for my CCNA, and still feeling motivated about it. I didn't clean up a lot (which I'll do today or tomorrow), but I'll write some messages about finding a flat sharing in Stuttgart today, which has been bugging me quite some time. I'll do groceries today, too (which is necessare because I've been great and have been eating enough every day!). Yesterday I was hungup at reddit for some time after looking for flats, because I was exhausted, but I managed to get out of there on my own and do awesome again. I love it. I'm addicted to awesome.

I LOVE this family workout. Especially the bar work in the end! Family time is so important (and fun) - my mother hates sports and any physical activity that doesn't have a goal like going by bike to do groceries because we didn't have a car. I never had any physical activities with my family and I always envied the kids that did. So, keep going and keep up the great work!

Your desert sounds yummy! I can offer loads of sympathy for the DOMS - mine was delayed by more than one day (at that point I of course thought I had gotten away without it), and 80 years old is the least of the feeling. Mine is mostly from the 50 meters; lunges were evil and the rest should be crab & bear, especially on my shoulders. Keep rocking this challenge, Lady of the Sledgehammer!

Nope, I'm not very creative. I thought I'd let the fun folk (or those with English as first language; I'm not always sure how something I make up sounds for native speakers) think of a name and then I'd run around and brag about my Squad.

Since I was Rondradan's contact person during his absence, I had notified him about the Guild's journey to Arcadea. The distance between him and Arcadea is notably larger than for most of us. He directly started his journey, though and is in constant contact with me via the Guild messenger birds. It seems he is well on his way. I, on the other hand, since I had arrived two days ago, had already had the time to move around and gather some intel. Well, one would think so. I did so yesterday, but today the long journey caught up with my body - I think I will rest today while the remaining assassins arrive. I await the new orders. Translation: Rondradan hasn't much time at the moment, but he has completed the challenge, too. He did all 50-meter-stuff on one day except for the jumping, which he did yesterday. Since he is basically on the road (completely new town, completely new job, completely apartment he is only living in this month, looking for a flat ... well, he hasn't found a pull-up bar, but his other stats are: Push-up: 40 Squat: 50 I, on the other hand, did the complete challenge the day before yesterday (as logged above), and yesterday I felt great. But, DOMS started today in the morning, more than a day afterwards - shoulders, back, legs, gluteus maximus, it's everywhere. I feel great! W000! I like that! And, WOW drsloomis! Intense family workout!

Wow, congrats on ... being awesome! The manly haircut sounds great - can't wait for the pics! Son/daughter-in-law bonus points are great, aren't they? Well, at least if you remember re-filling your account from time to time!