Jason Bourne

As night fell, Josef along with Friderick, crouched down and carefully approached the large farmhouse. Through the windows, they could make out a packed group of people, a teeming crowd that was growing louder and more violent with every second. "This is where it will begin," Friderick whispered to Josef. He pointed to the two leaders who were exciting the crowd. "Some of those here are from other towns, but many are residents here." He pointed to two men who were in front of the group. "The one on the left is Drogo of Nesle, and the one on the right is the reason I called you here; William the Carpenter. He is a Templar leader who seeks to wipe out those who seek to express any convictions other than his. He has been spreading anti-Semitism over the past few weeks, and my intel says that tonight he will finally strike." "I will deal with him myself," Josef said, flicking open his Hidden Blade. "No, you are not strong enough to fight him yet," Friderick said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "William the Carpenter is a legend in battle. There are none who can stand beneath a blow from his sword. We will do as we talked about earlier; protect the Jews who are the target of this hateful mob. These men are beyond the point of rational thinking and will kill without hesitation. Be on your guard. Get into position and wait for my signal." Josef sheathed his blade and gruffly retreated back into the shadows, moving swiftly to the other side of the town. In the moonless night, he watched the castle he was guarding, the palace of a bishop where a group of Jews and their leader, Kalonymus Ben Meshullam, the chief rabbi of the Jewish community in Mainz, were hiding. Friderick had emphasized how crucial Meshullam was in the village, and Josef had agreed to defend him. Josef's Mentor in the Jerusalem had spoken highly of Friderick, and Josef could now see why. The man he had known as a boy had become a battle-hardened warrior, a brilliant strategist and a master Parkour traceur. While Josef was only a rank 6 assassin, Friderick Cossack was an Assassin, Second Rank, a full 6 ranks higher than him. Suddenly, Josef saw a quick flash of light in the dark. Recognizing it as Friderick's signal, he readied himself for the coming onslaught. He could feel their anger being poured out through the earth, and responded by calming his own mind with determined focus and concentration. Out of the farmhouse the group exploded, scattering throughout the city. They screamed and cheered as they ran, holding torches, swords, shields, axes, farm equipment, and other crude weapons. As a contingent of the mob came running towards the house of the Rabbi, Josef rushed out from the shadows, extending his Hidden Blade and driving through one the assailants. It was then that battle began in earnest, with swarms of fighters attacking Josef on every side. He relied on the many hours of brutal training to defend him, but he could feel his strength ebbing away with every soldier that fell. Making a hasty decision, Josef retreated back into the Rabbi's house, quickly slamming the door closed behind him. "What are you doing?" a voice said behind him. Josef turned and saw a man in rich robes and tassels standing a few yards away. Around him were many others, their faces dull and grave in the flickering torchlight. "I'm saving your life," Josef responded, grabbing a piece of wood to bar the door closed. "There is no hope left now," the Rabbi responded. "Nothing can be done to stop the onslaught." Just then, the door burst open and dozens of Crusaders ran in, raising a vicious battle cry. Josef drew two of his long knives and waited in a ready stance. I must protect these people he thought. As the first ranks of soldiers fell on him, a voice behind him called out in a loud voice. "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" As Josef turned, he watched in horror as the Rabbi and all the Jews plunged daggers and knives into their own hearts. Still in shock, Josef was bludgeoned in the face by a blunt object and knocked to the ground. As he recovered, he looked up to see the massive figure of William the Carpenter standing over him, wielding a massive battle axe, the blunt end of which was stained with Josef's blood. "Is this the best that the Assassins will send after me?" he laughed. "Since your pathetic Jewish friends haven't given me something kill, I suppose you will do nicely." He gestured to the crowd with him. "Continue the search. Leave none of the infidels alive!" With a battle cry, they ran out of the palace, leaving William behind. He raised his axe high in the air. "Such a pity," he said. "If you had joined the Templars then you would share in this glorious day. But you have chosen the wrong side, and I will hasten you to your end." Josef could only watch in horror as the axe swung down towards him.

Looking forward to hearing your progress! I can totally relate to needing balance in my life. It can be challenging, but just like anything else, making little changes over time will help. Keep us updated, warrior assassin!

Reached one of my goals this morning! 25 dips! Here's some more story. Everything will become clear in a little bit. Mainz, Germany - May, 1096 A.D. The call has gone out, loud and clear. Men have taken up the cry of the Crusades and have sworn to rid the world of those who claim another faith contrary to their own. I fear for the people of Jerusalem, but the Order has called me here, to attempt to stem the violence before it breaks loose and spills down from Europe like a broken cask of wine. Although I am far from home, this is where my skills are needed, and after a long journey, I have arrived. But what can be done against the force that threatens us? Josef sat perched on the corner of a rooftop, watching the hazy day pass by. Several stories beneath him ran the wide streets of the city. Out of the crowd he spotted his target, a man known as William the Carpenter, dressed in simple clothes, bearing a large sword and devoid of armor. Walking along the rooftops, Josef climbed a chimney and then vaulted onto the next house, landing softly on the adjacent rooftop. This continued for some time, with Josef carefully making his way above the street, having no trouble picking out his target from the crowd. Finally, William stopped, entering the basement of a large house that abutted an old alleyway. Josef carefully made his way down from his perch, blending into the crowd. Throughout most of the day, Josef made use of what little German he had learned from an Assassin who had visited the haven in Jerusalem, questioning the locals. Although the traveler that had taught him had only stayed a few weeks, Josef was young enough to remember nearly everything that he had learned. After he left, he established a haven only a few miles from Mainz. Although there numbers were few, there had been enough of them to fight any injustice that had arisen. But the call had come from that very Assassin to assist this haven, and Josef had been called here, along with a few other Assassins, for blow of the hammer was to fall hardest here. Pulling the beaked hood of his outfit lower, Josef rounded a corner and saw a quick flash of color in his peripheral vision. Alerting his senses, he scanned the nearby streets and rooftops, but did not see anyone. Moving on, he spotted the flash again. This time, he could make out the silhouette of a man before the figure darted out of sight. Sprinting after him, Josef vaulted over an overturned cart, scrambled through a bale of hay, and then lifted himself up onto a low-hanging rafter and onto the roof. Sprinting through a treacherous tangle of changing skylines and scenery, Josef pursued the figure, gaining on him. Once they had reached the outskirts of town, the figure ahead suddenly stopped. "Your skills has improved since we last met," the figure said, turning around. "You are quite the assassin, Josef Tha'labah Al-Aziz." "As are you, Friderick Cossack," Josef replied, embracing his friend. "It has been far too long since we have laid eyes on one another." "Indeed," the older man laughed. "I would love to recollect on our time missed, but I am afraid that this is neither the time, nor the place. Summon your compatriots, and then will meet at the Lion's Tavern this evening." "I will," Josef replied, nodding. He turned to leave. "Josef," Friderick called out. Josef turned back towards him. "Yes, my friend, what is it?" "I cannot shake the feeling that there will be blood shed this night. Arm yourself with your full arsenal, and with courage. Tonight, will fight a war."

Thanks! I appreciate it. Here's another little story block on the eve of the challenge: "He's coming back out." "Check his vitals and keep him monitored." Bourne opened his eyes, his vision blurry. He could barely make out the outline of a face, which slowly became more clear. "You were in there longer than expected," Conklin said. "It was only supposed to be a few minutes." "Well, sorry to keep you waiting," Bourne said sarcastically, groaning as he sat up. He looked at his watch: 3:18. "We had you monitored the whole time," Conklin continued. "What did it feel like?" After a moment, Bourne responded. "It felt like that was who I was supposed to be," Bourne said. "Someone highly equipped in controlling their own body, and having a clear, determined goal set out before you. That focus was an incredible feeling." "That's one of the many benefits we're hoping you get out of this training," Conklin responded, nodding his head. "We'll head back in tomorrow night. For right now, try to get some sleep." Bourne slowly got up from the Animus, walking towards the door. Heading back to his room, he knew that fitting this extra training in with everything else he had to do would be difficult, but it would give him a greater perspective and skill in his other training pursuits. For the first time since he had entered the program, Bourne smiled.

There's been a little bit of chatter on here already about them, but I was not aware of a new one that had come out. Is it much different from the older version?

Yes, I know. I have the complete edition, and I'm going to go through that book ninja style. Yes. I've read this one before, but it's been a while. Savage. Great word. YES! I spent three hours trying to figure out the Final Problem but gave up. That's a fantastic show.

I've got the entire story in my head, but I'll have it reflect whatever it is I'm working on. You'll see. As far as the goals are concerned, I'm going to do all of them during the 6 week period. I hoping that everyday I'm sore, hungry and exhausted, because I'm tired of having little goals and not having to work that hard to achieve them. I'm going all out this time.

Thanks for all the help everyone! I definitely have a lot of research and opinions to go off of now that will help me make an informed decision when I time comes. If you have any more thoughts, advice or experiences feel free to share!

Here are my goals for this challenge: In the spirit of the Assassin's, I will do only bodyweight exercises for this challenge. As such my first goal is to reach these reps: 100 push-ups 100 overhead squats 22 pull-ups 3 minute plank 100 sit-ups 25 dips Swim 1/2 a mile or more AND, what I consider to be the pinnacle of bodyweight exercises: Do 1 one-muscle up This going to be the hardest thing I've ever done, but I know I can do it if I work hard. (These are mostly taken from a NerdFitness article: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/03/24/assassins-creed/) Right now, I weigh about 25-30 more than I really need. I'm at about 19% body fat, and I'd like to lower that down to around 10%. 10% body fat 170 lbs Since I'm going to do that, my next goal is to change my diet. I am already eating mostly Paleo anyway, I really just need to cut back on my intake and portions. Eat completely Paleo. And finally, an assassin must also build up his mind right? For that, my goal is to read the following books during the challenge: Les Miserables The Call of the Wild White Fang A Study in Scarlet The Hounds of the Baskervilles Also, I'll also be doing lots of Parkour training and possibly some archery and swordsmanship practice when I can fit it in. I know these are ambitious goals, and I might have set my standards too high, but I also know that you'll never succeed unless you dream big. I hope you guys like the story! Much more to come in the next few weeks.

Jerusalem - 1095 A.D. The sun sets over the city, casting its final rays of heat out into the streets and alleyways, but I do not stop and look. I feel the city giving up its breath as the light fades; the clamor and chaos have ceased, the shops have closed, and the gaze of every creature in this city looks for its home. For every man, woman and beast has a place to belong to, a safe haven to call their own. Not I. I am the product of two different worlds; a mother who pledged allegiance to Christendom, and a father who bowed the knee to Islam. In my very essence, there is no place for me to belong. Here in this Muslim stronghold, I am the enemy, but in Constantinople, I am an infidel. When my parents died, there was no one who would accept me, not a soul who would dare take in the son of an unholy union. I was left with nothing, save for my desire for one thing; freedom, freedom that can rescue men from the bondage of their birth, the chains of their circumstances and the prison of the tyrant. With the failing light cloaking my presence, I can feel the subtle change that is rumbling in the heart of the city. There will be great change in Jerusalem for all who live here. Even now the news of the Council of Clermont and has reached the ears of the city, and the next wind that comes from the north will bring about the ringing of swords and the twanging of bow strings. The Templars are at work. I can sense their presence growing stronger in the city. If they attempt to use the growing unrest to control the people, then I will not stay my blade until the land is free of their tyranny. I am Josef Tha'labah Al-Aziz, and I am an Assassin.

Okay, will do! Though I don't expect on winning any prizes...

This has a lot of story to it, but this challenge is going to be EPIC so I thought it needed a little more background than previous ones. Enjoy! Jason Bourne walked silently down the hallways of the training facility, the place that had been his home for several months now. In that time, he had learned many things and had trained his body to go beyond its limits, but he was far from ready. Bourne checked his wristwatch: 2:42 am. In this place time was irrelevant and sleep was hard to come by. He heard footsteps from the next hallway. Calculating their sound and distance apart, he knew that it was a man about his height, about 180lbs and walking in dress shoes. "Conklin," Bourne called out, his voice echoing down the hall. From around the corner, Alex Conklin coughed and walked into Bourne's field of vision. The older man seemed neither pleased nor angry at Bourne's deduction, but instead typed in the keycode to one of the many doors on the hallway, a door that Bourne had never entered before. Conklin gestured for Bourne to enter after him, and Bourne followed obediently, but cautiously. He had learned that even in training, there were no givens and there was never a moment that you were guaranteed anything except uncertainty. The room he walked into was relatively nondescript, but rather spacious, occupied only by a simple, Spartan bed surrounded by multiple computers, displays and diodes. As they walked into the room, Bourne took in everything in an instant, noticing the multiple security cameras, the lack of any other exits, and the spacious nature of the room. He also noticed two assistants who sat behind computers, their gaze focused and unmoving from the screens in front of them. "Have a seat, Bourne," Conklin commanded, gesturing towards the bed. Bourne tentatively walked over and sat down, eyeing the machinery cautiously. With a steady gait, Conklin walked towards him, his face stern and serious. "So far, your training has taken place here, working on your trade craft. While your body is still not in prime condition, your mind has grown and your perception has increased. The next phase of your training will put you through an entirely new test of your mind and body." "As you may know, we are not the first group that has trained men in the art of assassination. You are going to relive one of their lives through their memories, and in the process become stronger." "How is this possible?" Bourne asked. "We have been experimenting with DNA and have found that the memories of your ancestors have been passed down through generations inside a person's DNA. We have learned how to access these memories through this machine, called Animus 3. You will be sent back to experience the memories of an ancestor from your past. His name is Josef Tha'labah Al-Aziz, an assassin who lived during the time of the Crusades. His mother was Christian and his father was Muslim, so there was great conflict throughout his life." "Don't worry though. You will research that period of history soon. But right now, we're just going to put you in and run a few tests so you get used to how the Animus works. Lay down and the techs will take care of everything else." Bourne laid down on the cold metal bed, placing his head on a specially designed rest. He knew that Conklin had never steered him wrong before, and although he did not know what to expect, he knew that whatever he went through would make him stronger. As the techs attached various diodes and sensors to his body, he felt himself slowly being pulled away. He felt the sensation of falling, his vision growing dark and his mind being drawn away, until everything went dark and he heard and saw no more.

Thank you for the websites! I'll be sure to check those out. I think that's a really good idea Katariana. I've heard people say that they really need to start thinking in the language for them to be really immersed in it, and writing alot in that language will really help. I've had mixed experiences with Rosetta Stone and I've heard lots of different reviews about it, so I'm very hesitant to go buy it. Did you find that the Russian RS was able to help you significantly? Would you recommend it? I haven't been managing my time very well recently, but I'm going to start carving out a time every day for me to listen to and practice Russian. This is going to be one of my goals for the next challenge.

It's good to have a focused area of training, but make sure you don't neglect all the other aspects of fitness. Don't forget to go running, parkouring, biking, swimming and things like that when you start doing strength training. Have a concentrated goal and a target area, but keep it in balance.

Haha I guess the cold, ice and snow doesn't bother me, because I didn't even consider that as a factor. I run outside and did pull-ups and chin-ups in bare feet all the time. As far as practicing inside, the parkour gym will be great. Also, right now, working on your triceps, core, abdominal and leg muscles will be the best preparation for doing parkour. Pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups and any kind of bodyweight exercise you can think of will all go a long way to getting you ready. Keep us updated.

I took a look at ZEM gear, but I think I still want more of a traditional shoe with a little more support. ZEM's and Vibrams both are kind of an extreme change from where I'm at right now, and I'm not a big fan of how either one of them look on the foot. Also, I won't be able to wear barefoot shoes all of the time, so I want to have something that won't destroy my foot if I have to switch back to, say a dressier shoe for formal evenings and occasions or a dressy work shoe for fancier outfits. I haven't written ZEMS and Vibrams off the list, but they're definitely not my first option. I did some gymnastics training recently, and all of that was barefoot, and I really liked how my feet felt after that. The barefoot transition can't happen soon enough for me.

Sounds like you're in good shape for some other movements in Parkour, but you don't have any where to try them. Some great places that I like to train at are behind stores, monuments, wheelchair ramps, fire escapes, playgrounds, downtown, parks, and in gymnastics gyms. You want to make sure you can go to a particular place several times to nail your technique, but then find other places to practice it so that you can master it. Mats aren't the best surface for rolling, unless you're trying a new technique and want to save yourself from crashing and burning. If you're in a gym, they should have varying surfaces for you to practice on, or you can go to a playground that has that spongy-type of material. But the best surface for learning is still grass in my opinion. Do you still have questions about the roll? Or is it now just a matter of getting it?

I thought this was one of the best articles I've ever read on Nerd Fitness. It summed up my problems with self-discipline with three words that have already begun to change my life: "Do It Now."

I've been working on lateral jumps, doing reps on staircases, and jumping on/over/through just about everything that I can find. Even though I don't look overweight, mentally I still feel fat, and I know that I can lose that stubborn bit of body fat that I'm still carrying around. If I can do all the things that I'm doing with an extra 15 lbs, imagine what I can do once I've lost that? I'm thinking about going to an open gymnastics gym and trying to learn a few tricks to incorporate, but I want to make sure that my Parkour is true and pure, and that I use it for efficiency and lateral motion without getting to fancy. I think a good goal would be to learn either a backflip or a frontflip, because both of those can actually be used. Haha okay gotcha. I'm going to try to fast lunch today but no overeat on dinner. It's so true what you said about it being a mental thing. My body doesn't really need fuel, unless I go on some crazy marathon/climbing Everest/Parkouring the eiffel tower thing. (which would be AWESOME btw) And I definitely eat when I'm bored. I've started banning myself from the kitchen in between meals because I can always find something to eat, even though I know I'm not hungry. I'm going to work on becoming a productivity ninja and managing my time wisely.

Is the so called "Afterburn" effect real? I've heard from a couple NF stories that short bursts of intense exercise actually burn calories better than long runs or walks. Is this true and why?

I'm a little confused about a few things you said. You mentioned "liquid grains," which I have no clue about, and a "7 day fast" that was "over in a few hours." I've decided to stick with my elimination plan, and will try to cut way back on the amount of milk that I'm drinking, as well as not eating a piece of bread (whole wheat tortillas only for sandwiches/wraps etc.) Fasting might be a good idea. The only problem that I've had with that is that I usually have too much for my next meal to compensate for my lack of the previous meal. I haven't found a way around this, so until I do I'm going to have to be very careful if I go on a one meal, one day or even a 7 day fast. Two words you said are my achilles heel: PORTION REDUCTION. I think if I did this then most of my problems would be solved. Ugh.

I might try adding some nuts and fruit to my granola tomorrow morning. I'm just getting into almond milk a little bit, and I'm liking it so far! Thanks for the tip.

The main shoes I'm looking at for VIVO are the Evo II, ($130, exactly what I want) Breatho Trail, ($90, cheaper but not great for asphalt running) and Neo Trail ($115, closer but still not ideal). For Vibrams (which I'm not quite sure about yet), I'm looking at the KSO, ($85, good for everything except trail running) and the Treksport ($100, essentially the same, only more expensive). For Merrell shoes I'm looking at the Barefoot Run Vapor Glove ($80, meets all my criteria but seems too much like the pair I already own to be worth it.) Another practical question: Did you buy yours online or was there a store in the area? Because I'd REALLY like to try a pair on before I spend that much money, but I don't think these type of companies have a lot of stores. Also, (this sounds really stupid and shallow so forgive me) but I need a pair that I feel good about, that I like the look of and enjoy wearing, and right now the Evo II, despite it's price tag, is what I'm leaning towards. A part of me can't imagine what I'd look like wearing Vibrams. I just don't know if I can do it.

Funny you should mention Merrell. I looked them up right after I posted this topic. The trail glove looked good, and I noticed that it had the Vibram sole, which is a big plus. They were also fairly affordable too. I need to research them some more. Also, I found this article that helped me find some other options I didn't even know existed: http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-choose-barefoot-minimalist-running-shoes.html I plan on using my barefoot shoes to run, both on pavement and cross-country, but mainly for Parkour, wherever and whenever I can. I've been realizing that Parkour training is really my passion, and it will help me get into really good shape. I've looked at a few so-called "Parkour shoes," but I think minimalist/barefoot is where I need to go. Right now, I'm really liking VivoBarefoot, even though they're more expensive. But I'm still looking.