300lbninjawarrior

Heyo, rangers! Looking forward to this next challenge to kick off the year! My goals for 2018: Get below 250lbs. (Right now, I'm at 263. I'm engaging a kickass nutrition coach at my Crossfit gym and we're going to kill these pounds.) Rapid debt repayment (I've got a three sources of debt [ and possibly a car soon.] I'd like to know out as much debt as I can this year!) Run a marathon (I'm laying the foundation for a heck of a year of running. If I get injured tomorrow, it's still be amazing to even think about this as a possibility for myself.) I will continue to do karate, crossfit and practice yoga to help balance out my running schedule. Less selfies on my Instagram (@250lbninjawarrior) to give a little bit more variety to my friends and family. Alright, 2018... let's do this! L

Heyo, Rangers! Back from Brazil and getting back to posting. After two weeks of vacation eating (but plenty of walking and working out), I need to refocus on my goals. For the rest of this challenge (less than a week!), I am going to concentrate on getting back to eating nutritiously and enhancing my quality of sleep. A few things that I am going to try to boost my sleep: Limit caffeine. Screens out at 10pm. Take time to walk around in the daylight. Go hard on all workouts. Keep the room about 65°. Focus on relaxing not forcing sleep. Leave worrying and brainstorming for tomorrow. Any tips to get great sleep? Luke

Update! Totals for January 15-21: Sunday | Crossfit Monday | Crossfit, 3 Mile Walk/Run Tuesday | Rest Wednesday | Sculpt Yoga Thursday | 2 Mile Run, Karate Friday | Rest Saturday | 'Marched' 7 Miles Totals for January 22-28: Sunday | 3.5 Mile Run, Yin Yoga Monday | Crossfit, 2.5 Walk/Run, Yin Yoga Tuesday | Karate Wednesday | 2 Mile Run Thursday | 1 Mile Walk, Karate Friday | Yin Yoga Saturday | Crossfit (planned) Body I'm following the Hal Higdon's #5k to #10k plan like a shark. I've been attending Crossfit regularly. Papa like! Alternating running and Crossfit with karate and yoga is helping me get flexy. I love it's healing benefits of having a good balance. Mind Challenge: I gotta finish prepping for a business marketing class that I'm teaching in the spring. Starts in less than two weeks! Challenge: I met with my retirement rep and everything looks good. I'd like to start looking at different ways to save and invest using app. "Make $$, Save $$." Soul In order to slow the hell down, I put a pause on social media. I'm restricting myself to 8-10pm on work days. No recreational scrolling otherwise. I've slowly started laying out a "Kilt-y Pleasures" trip to Scotland. Challenge: To keep working to stay in the moment. Challenge: To keep reaching out to conservative friends. Not going to lie, Trump and Pence have destroyed my respect for the party. Okay, that's it! Hope you all doing well! Luke

Heeeeeeey, Rangers! I've been focusing on slowing the eff down a bit this week. It's been tough, but I think it's working. Breathing deep, stayin' in the moment. Totals for January 8-14: Sunday | 1 Hour Meditation, Yin Yoga Monday | Sculpt Yoga, 2.5 Walk/Run Tuesday | Crossfit Fundamentals Wednesday | Sculpt Yoga, 2 Mile Run Thursday | Crossfit Fundamentals Friday | Rest (dinner with friends & a movie) Saturday | Vinyasa Yoga, 3.2 Mile Run A few of interesting wins: I checked out all of my credit scores at the three credits bureaus and they aren't half bad! They are actually quite decent! I haven't checked my score in awhile and have been kinda burying my head about my finances. The bear has turned. I am sick of holding a good job but still feeling like I'm living check to check. I finished up Crossfit Fundamentals which is a series of four classes that teaches you what you need to start in the actual classes. I can now jump in the big tank! During Crossfit this week, I actually made progress on my jump rope skills. Going from not having jumped rope since middle school, to doing a few 'bunny hopes' to actually doing one jump rotations five-times-in-a-row. I was grinning from ear-to-ear. Another win the same day... I did ten high knee raises in a row while hanging from the tall bar. Another moment to fist pump. :> New glasses have been prescribed and I've got my home try-on offer from Warby Parker coming. Eye health is important, ya'll! Lastly, my first week of Hal Higdon's #5k to #10k plan is in the can. I did a little extra to finish out 3.2 miles. Pretty awesome that we can progress to a place where #5k runs are now a part of workouts instead of the pinnacle of effort. Still the slowest buffalo, but I'll get there. Upcoming challenges: Sad trombone. I gotta knock out a few things at work, so I'm probably going in on Monday. Pain today staves off greater pain later. Still hurts, tho. I can also use this time to start gathering my thoughts on the business class I am teaching next semester. It's only a month away! Formulating my long term goals to sketch in some landscapes. Okay, I'm spent. More next week, rebels (and @tonbaldin!) Luke

Love the topic title! Good luck!!

Heyo, Rangers! Sorry for joining late to the party! Between Instagram, My Fitness Pal, What's App, Twitter and 3,000 new posts on the NF Rising Heroes Facebook...there's just been too many damn things to track. Here's a few goals this Jan. 8 - Feb. 4 challenge: Body To train for my first 10k on March 4th. To finish up a Cross Fit Fundamentals course so I can get in the big kids fish tank. (After this course, I can start putting together a good weekly schedule and get back to Karate. I'll need to strike a balance between xfit, yoga, Karate and running.) To listen to my body while I do things and not get hurt. Mind To start prepping for a business marketing class that I'm teaching in the spring. To slowly start on my Rising Heroes primary specialization "make $$, save $$." Soul To meditate over the next month to slow the hell down. To slowly start laying out a trip to Scotland. To stay in the moment. I did have an interesting epiphany over the challenge break... I had such a time getting it together for my first run of the new year. (The cavalcade of roadblocks: I had a surprise (!) meet-up friends at the cafe where I was going to have a 'quick' dinner, the running track was covered in ice, the campus gym was closed early so I had to go to another gym on a free trial basis, I couldn't get comfortable on the treadmill, the was an incessant clicking sound on the machine, etc.) I ended up doing a 2.75 walk/run white-knuckling my willpower. Later, I realized that running has become the only exercise activity I do alone now. Everything else I can get swept up in the group dynamic. Oddly, that understanding helps me prepare mentally for the next time. I will try not to go ten rounds with myself over my running performance. I just gotta run! Hope everyone is doing well out of the gate! Luke PS -- A rebel posted this Altered Beast comic yesterday. Naturally, I had to watch the full game play. Ahh, childhood.

Wrapping up the challenge after a kickass Crossfit "everything but the sink" workout! Since I'm a newbie, they scaled it. Stoked for the future when I can do a proper burpee and crush a non-scaled workout! Things that I did/learned this challenge period: I've been very happy with my workouts this challenge and I'm pleasantly surprised that I was able to navigate the holidays as well as I did. While far from perfect, I reveled on the appropriate days and didn't make it a season of overeating. It was tough, tho. The amount of times that I wanted to swan dive into a display of holiday baked goods... I nailed my brown belt test! Feels so good! I still need to work on my kicks so that will be a focus for 2017. I co-hosted a Christmas party at work for 600 and had to MC for two hours in front of the room! I am grateful for my amazing co-host who brought the funny and was down for my 'fun' ideas. So glad that's ovvvverrrr! The confidence gained in finishing the Jingle Bell 5k no sweat has got me shooting for a 10k in March. I'll be bringing friends. I ended up purchasing the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus for running. Thank you for the help, @Xena! If I'm tempted by Vibrams in the future, I'll definitely factor in a long adjustment period. A foot massage place set-up by my yoga studio. I've been twice already and it's been amazing. #treatyourfeet I visited a Japanese Buddhist Temple and a Korean-tradition Zan Buddhist group. I deeply appreciate their hospitality. Finished Staci's #NerdFitnessYoga #YogaEveryday 30-day challenge! Loved it!! I have re-committed to learning more affective ways about communicating my values. I've learned a couple of lessons on why not get into social media fights with white supremacists/"alt-right"/"alt-left" trolls. Instead of wasting time, I'll engage with conservatives, independents and liberals alike. As this podcast says it, "no insults, no shouting and plenty of nuance." Question for the Rangers! I'm going to be using Hal Higdon's 10K training program. I did it because you train with distance versus time. What's you favorite run tracker that plays well with MyFitnessPal? Thanks for following the tread! Have a very happy NYE!! Luke

Yesss! The FB communities are kinda the best part. It's pretty dang motivational (and it's get twice as good if you go to Camp Nerd Fitness and actually meet the folks!)

Heyo, Mahalak! NFA really helped me refocus last summer. I put some $$ where my mouth was and spent a couple afternoons learning additional lessons about nutrition and wellness. (I needed to level up to a better diet [one without cheese.]) The workouts helped me get back into a directed lifting routine. I spent a lot of time watching Jim and Staci's vids on correct form. The quick vids were awesome when I needed a reminder at the gym. There are quests that are pretty interesting to tick off as you complete them. I've gone back into the lists to check off a few at a times. I haven't coordinated the effort to systemically go through them, but it's a nice reflection tool. All and all, it's like a great fitness encyclopedia to keep in your backpack as you do the work. Hope this helps, M! Good luck! Luke Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Awesome! Very glad that it is working for you! I had a good time today and didn't die. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

High recommendation! How many times do you go a week?

Heeey, Rangers! Well, it's been a pretty great holiday season. I've kept my workouts, hosted a Christmas luncheon for 600 people, earned a brown belt in karate, did a Jingle Bell 5k and have eaten well. This all means that I'm pretty much a wash for weight loss (but I feel stronger!) I've got my next gym dates lined up! The Iron Bar is a Crossfit gym about 7 miles from my house. I'll try that out 2-3 times this week instead of a conventional gym. I think it's a good time to experiment as I have some time off work and my lower back is somewhat feeling cooperative. Let's hope this 280lb ninja warrior can avoid injury. Hope you got some rest and are now crushing your first day back! Luke PS- I just signed up for a 10k on March 4th. Let's doooooo this.

@Xena Thanks for the additional insight! I'm interested in learning more about the 1-10. The lower the number, the closer to barefoot. Is being barefoot/close to barefoot it in the long run.

Congratulations, man! An amazing level up!

Fantastic goals! Love how you are attacking this challenge holistically!