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Winter is passing at last. There might be still some cold days and frost coated windscreens ahead, but there are hints that spring is ready. There are small patches of snowdrops appearing, and they are making my heart happy. Winter has worn me down. I don’t know if it’s the prolonged cold, the grey, bleak days, the stress of my Dad’s declining health, the stress over my Masters degree or a combination of those and all the other commitments I somehow acquired, but I have been yearning for Spring more so than I remember doing any other year. I want to wander green forest trails, take long walks over green fields. Sit and read a book with my back against a tree. I want to go outside and feel warmth. I also finally had to concede that I am burning out fast. The TD;LR is that the emotional stress of my Dad’s Illness, trying to plan his 60th on a very limited budget and time constraints, some gastric issues entirely my own fault, keeping up with D&D now 3 times a week, one of which I DM, and trying to focus on my Masters amid this stress has not gone well. The full version if anyone is interested is spoilered below: Edit: It appears I did not, in fact, spoiler the above on my first posting! So, I had to make some changes. For one thing, some hobby goals have had to be put to one side for now. It was ambitious to try and pick up new skills when I already had so much on my plate. Ah, hindsight. You beautiful, frustrating thing. My revised Winter Goals, running from the Winter Solstice to the Spring Equinox, are: Winter Goals: Read by candlelight 10 times (7/10) – Keeping this goal, it is comforting and cozy and a good way to mentally unwind. Read The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1 and Book 2 Had to reluctantly say I’m unlikely to have time for this. But next set of challenge goals, perhaps. Re-read The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King – Finished reading the Fellowship, am currently on the Two Towers. Keeping this goal as it is very much a relaxing goal. Watch all 3 Hobbit films (1/3) – Unsure if I will get to these. Watch all 3 LOTR films (1/3) – This is how I knew I was burned out. I couldn’t bring myself to watch the second film even when I had time the other day. I ended up watching the Repair Shop instead… See doc about leg pain – Calling it complete. I still have odd bouts of the cramping pain and I still need to do some work to strengthen the calf, but that’s a long term thing. I have the solution now and I’m hoping to run again soon. See doc about sinuses – Nope, one thing at a time. Still a goal, though. Be able to run 1 mile without pain – soooon. I hope. Finish knitting cardigan, repair jeans, plan and sew one project to completion: All of these goals have been reluctantly put to one side. I just do not have it in me to do them all at the moment. Finish Masters chapter 2: I got a extension for this, so the pressure is off somewhat, but I still want to make good progress for this. Read stock book: Haven’t even touched the book, but I want to. Goal stays. Plan Spring/Summer Adventures 2023: I really need to get booking! Priorities include finding accommodation in the Netherlands ( @Jarric we should probably get on this!), flights to Scotland for one adventure I have planned in the beginning of May and I also need to think about the second half of the year at some point… Start writing again: Ambitious. But no. Not yet. Reach at least 77kg by March 20 – um, we’ll see. The goal stays, but I can’t make it a priority just yet. Feels like an awful lot of compromise and paring back. But looking back, that was a long list, and rather ambitious. I know I get overwhelmed by many things happening at once, and I know it is best to only focus on a few things. I also underestimated the emotional impact of my Dad’s diagnosis. Together, these have left me with the following (slightly smarter) goals for this challenge: 1. Consume as little dairy as possible. A weekend of indulgence when I met up with my D&D group led to two days of pain and bloating. Cutting lactose will help me feel better physically. And no chocolate is worth that acute gut pain. I know, not a smart goal. But essentially, whilst I won't be reading every single packet to see if it contains milk, I will avoid milky coffees, tea with regular milk, milkshakes and hot chocolate (nooooo!) and stuff like yoghurt, cheese (again, whhhhhyyy!) and other things I know will cause symptoms. 2. Get up with my alarm. It goes off at 5.30am. There is a back-up at 5.40am for those times the cat decides he needs a cuddle. But the catch is that I now place it where I must physically get out of bed to turn it off. I get up on time, the day is likely to go better. I get to the gym, I manage to prep lunch, or simply handle a chore or two. Or I could go to the sofa and read if I’m really feeling low or run down. Either way, the alarm is the linchpin to those good habits that will get my goals got. This has been a gloomy intro. I apologise. Let's go!

Hi, I'm J3NN. I'm recovering from covid and have a vacation planned this challenge so I'm probably going to be quiet and slow this time. But I want to keep on keeping on, so I have set up a challenge and tried to dial it back, or make the recovery and fun more of a focus. So here's what I came up with this time... Bring elements of adventure into life in big ways and small Gish scavenger hunt 1 shared experience per wk of Craft Lunch, Book Club, SF, etc. Complete a monthly travel multi-day adventure - Alaskan Cruise Become a creator of shared, adventurous experiences of craftiness, creativity, learning, and community Newsletter Hobby Hunter series activity Become a person who practices self-care daily Molding Mobility 3x/wk Daily steps (avg 4000) Add 1 self-care practice to my journal per week Read in Kindle Become a person who believes in the vision of my future and makes my story come true 1 item from list to in my home office Complete Will and share For the above, this is what my actually commitments will look like. Bring elements of adventure into life in big ways and small GISH - 7 days Participate in a shared experience - 6 Complete a monthly travel multi-day adventure - 8 Become a creator of shared, adventurous experiences of craftiness, creativity, learning, and community Send Newsletter - 6 Complete Hobby Hunter series activity - 5 Become a person who believes in the vision of my future and makes my story come true Complete item from the list to clean home office - 1 Complete Will and share - 2 Become a person who practices self-care daily Molding Mobility 3x/wk - 18 Daily steps (avg 4000) - 4,000 Add self-care practice to my journal - 6 Read in Kindle daily - 42

Over the past few years I've seen my life slide further and further into a horrific trash fire and with the ongoing nonsense that is Covid-19 I'm finally hitting my limit for what I can and can't handle. I can handle being pretty much broke all of the time, being a little bit tired all of the time, doing the work of two people, and being two inches away from screaming at two specific co-workers all the time. What I can't handle is the lack of mobility in my right hip when doing basic tasks, overheating and getting out of breath when climbing stairs at the train station, my chronically painful feet, the deep feeling of just wanting to give up and die that I deal with on a daily basis, and the disgusting disaster my home has become over the past year as isolation, demotivation and depression have settled into my family. So I'm going to do something about it, or you know, give up and feel like dying for a few weeks or so. I have a deep love of Star Wars but "Do or do not, there is no try" is bullshit most of the time. Things I need to do: See a doctor about my feet, and about issue #2, which I'm not going to talk about just yet Get a pair of cheap winter boots to last me until the end of March (mine died a sad horrible unfixable death yesterday afternoon and the place that makes new ones are sold out of my size in all colours until further notice) Drag my yoga matt out of my closet and use it at least one a week, ideally three times a week Do some research into low impact cardio that I don't totally hate that I can also do in my very limited floor space at home Clean my apartment. Just because I'm a trash can doesn't mean I need to live in one too Steal a little bit of Teros' Whole30 plans and make more meals that are real and less that are not Things I want to do: Learn how to make decent waffles Make something cool for a friend's birthday Get a little more involved in my WoW guild, because it's an easy way for me to be social and happy at the same time Plans and Expectations: Attempt one thing per week from the needs list starting with boots Attempt to deep clean one personal or common area of my home each week Attempt all three of wants list items by the end of the Challenge Accept that getting checking off one of the items from the needs list is a frankly huge accomplishment based on past experience Accept that I will not accomplish all three of the wants by the end of the Challenge Accept that I will continue to want to give up and/or scream at my family because they are not willing and/or able to do any of this with me an that I do not have at home support for anything Also this feels fairly on point for how I've been doing lately.

I am currently challenged with working out on a daily basis. I have a long drive to work, so waking up to early can limit my sleep and effect my health. I want to work out when I get home, but I always end up just sitting on the couch. Even worse, some days I can get so tired from work, I pick up food instead of making a healthy meal for my family. My challenge is to work out 6 out of the 7 days of the week and limit eating out to once a week. From looking at other posts, I have decided that logging my journey is the best way to be accountable. Today's goal 1/11 Walk the dog a mile Run for 30 minutes on the tread mill ( Did 1 hour of Zumba instead) Cook a healthy meal for the family. Time to begin..... 1/12 Walk the dog a mile Yoga Healthy meal I ran into a hiccup today, binged on unhealthy snacks on the way home. Tomorrow, try to take water with lime in the car to enjoy on the ride.

Aye, me bonny lasses, when we last left off our story we were a-huntin' a fine little brigantine. Perhaps we shall catch her yet... Join us on our hunt fer fortune n' adventure aboard the Queen O' Swords, where we ply the waves in search of our true treasures - freedom n' friendship! We are the Pirate Queens... Fierce in our commitment to our goals and determined to pursue our destinies wherever our dreams may take us. We raise our standard and set sail!

I've started two challenges and am yet to finish one. This time around, I'm going for the smallest of baby steps to keep me on track to getting fitter and eating healthier. Step one: walk to mordor! Walk one kilometre every day. That's it. One measly km. every day. I'm tracking this on runkeeper, where I have a goal set up with 2,846 km—the distance to Mordor and back, from the Shire. ATTRIBUTE POINTS: STA 3 CON 1 Step two: yoga every damn day I want to get as flexible as I was when I was younger. Well, not quite. I want to be better than I was then. I want to be able to do a proper handstand. I want to do the things I see on my Instagram feed. (I follow a lot of yogis). So my goal is to do yoga every day for at least ten minutes. ATTRIBUTE POINTS: DEX 3 STR 1 Step three: paleo central I was a vegetarian for eight and a half years. I recently got back to eating meat (a personal choice) but I want to do it the healthy way. I want to eat real food. I'm allowing dairy for this challenge because I'm fairly sure my digestive system is okay with that and also because it's my way of easing myself into the new way of eating. I'm giving myself a score out of ten for every day, depending on how well I eat and how I feel physically and mentally about it. ATTRIBUTE POINTS: CON 3 Extra motivation My life quest is to be a better person. I know this isn't a quantifiable goal so I'm using the medium of SuperBetter to express it—I want to get more resilient. SuperBetter is a game designed to help you level up in life. You can power up at any time, fight bad guys, complete quests and make allies to improve your resilience and get happier. My resilience started at 280 and, based on the max points you can gain in a day, my goal is to get 470 points, so up to 750 at the end of this challenge. Some of the power ups and quests will be a part of the goals I've already outlined, and some will be extra credit. ATTRIBUTE POINTS: CHA 2 WIS 2

Hello fellow challengers! I'm a 30-y-o translator spending long hours at a desk turning English documents and caffeine into French documents. I also fell in the habit of eating lunch at the foodcourt next to the office. I ran a couple of of time a week last summer, but haven't done much over the past long canadian winter. So I wanna get back into shape for this summer. Life goal Run a 5K in under 30 mins. Main goals: 1. Run 2 times a week. 2. Do 2 HIIT workouts a week. 3. Bring a healthy lunch to work 4 times a week. 4. Walk 30 mins every lunchtime (5x/week) There we are. Am I missing anything? lemme know if I did

This Viking explorer goes beserk on the bad habits and gets further in shape. This time there are no excuses. This time it's full-blown war. Will rape and plunder... or... something. The overall goal is still to participate in an adventure race before September 1st, which will be an incredible adventure but also requires a lot in regards to both physical and mental strength. Goal 1: Move An explorer needs to be fast and he needs to find the way through treacherous waters, deep forests and muddy roads. This goal is all about moving the war-machine; by low-intensity means like biking, inline skating, swimming, mountain biking and kayaking and by high-intensity means like running, orienteering and dancing. Weekly goals: Biking: 75 km (incl. transportation) Running: 15 km Low-intensity moving: 5 hours/week High-intensity moving: 3 hours/week Stat-points: DEX +2 STA +2 Goal 2: Attack The warrior also need to be strong to carry heavy armor and weapons across the wast lands. This goal is mainly about physical strength. For this challenge focus will be on core and upper-body, but also with room for general body-weight and flexibility training. Weekly goals: 3 hours of strength training Participate in mini-challenges 1 hour adventurous challenge (it could be the above or just something I haven't tried before) Stat-points: STR +2 CON +2 Goal 3: Feast A great viking is well fed. This is really going to be the hardest challenge this time around breaking bad eating habits. Will determination and mental strength is needed to say no to all the bad foods. Some weaning is needed so the first weeks won't be perfect but hopefully mid-way through the challenge the weekly goals can be fulfilled. Weekly goals: No soda No sugary snacks, candy, cakes and the like 80 % paleo Stat points: CON +2 WIS +2 (couldn't find a Viking scientist and even though I don't do research on mice this picture was just plain fun) Life-goal: Will be work related again this time and not all that Viking: Finish scientific paper, outline next paper. Read a paper everyday. Be good at work. Stat points: WIS +2 Diet side-quest: Lose 2.5 kg during this challenge. Stat points: CHA +1 Exploring the world by a little of everything and the secret weapon of... my fellow assassins. Lets rock this challenge guys!

Prelude: I'm 18 but with warnings of spinal fusion on my mind, this dragonborn has got some work to do. I'm going to become the travelling hero who lets nothing stand in my way. I don't want to look back on life with regrets because I was too cautious to do something. This is why I'm starting my epic journey now. I want this adventure to not only better my physical health, but my mental health as well. Main Quest: Being badass while dealing with mild/severe double scoliosis TravelKick assTry new thingsCareful but not too cautious Break up with perfectionism and anxiety Quest #1: Spine support- Strengthen core, back, and hips Beginner bodyweight workout once every week Go to conditioning class once every week Keep track of exercise progressQuest #2: Brain Power Drink more water to stop headachesTry a different vegetableQuest #3: Get some zzz Sleep before midnightLife Quest: Study. Study. Study. At least 1 hour of productive work (Limit distractions which lead to procrastination and major anxiety) Finish senior year strong academically, and socially (balance work, fun, and family)Pick university from my top 2 choices Advice is much appreciated. Also, if anyone here has scoliosis or know someone who has it would be nice to talk to them.

We are the Pirate Queens... Fierce in our commitment to our goals and determined to pursue our destinies wherever our dreams may take us. We raise our standard and set sail!

What! It's new challenge time? HECK YEAH!! So the last few challenges have been very successful. I've gone from just doing bodyweight workouts and strict Paleo to lifting and eating 2200 calories and 200g of carb/protein. Since joining NF, I believe I've lost around 17 lbs, but more importantly a 9% drop in BF. And that's with very little gym/workout time and no "extreme" dieting. My body composition is changing which is what I want. My main goal is health and aesthetics. I want to look good with my shirt off. Ryan Reynolds good. So good that when I take my shirt off, women think in their heads.... And my wife to think... Is it a vain goal? Sure, but I've never been even close to that type of body. I'm at the lowest weight ever in my adult life. I wear a smaller jean than I did in high school (when I could lift more). So yeah, I want low body fat and cut abs. With that, I've been building good habits and have great support from my wife. I love to lift (following a semi-starting strength program) and will continue to do this. I got the nutrition down, I know how to change and modify things, so that's not really a challenge. I know that I need sleep to recover and build strength. These aren't challenges anymore. So I need your help. There is a poll, with some things that I could challenge myself with. I'm willing to try new things, personally I want them to be fitness related. I don't have much time for any sports to play. Please vote and leave a comment. At the end of the week, let's say Feb 28th (unless there are clear winners) I'll pick the top three and carry them through the rest of the challenge. Thanks for the help! EDIT: Currently I lift 3 times a week with alternating programs. Day 1 = Bench, BB Row, RDL, Good Mornings, Dips, DB Curl and DB Hammer Curl Day 2 = Squats, OHP, DL, Leg Press, Calf Press, and Pullups EDIT 3/3/14: CHALLENGE GOALS 1) Pushups!! (+5 STR) I will get a baseline number of pushups performed in one set. I will then try to improve that by 25% by the end of the challenge. If I exceed that before the end of the 5 weeks, I will then at 10% per week. 2) Planks!! (+5 CON) Same with the pushups. I'll try to improve plank time by 25%. Exceeding that value before hand will add 10% per week. 3) Sprints!! (+3 DEX, +2 STA) I will shoot for 8 runs. I will either do it after the gym or while the gym. Never done sprints on a treadmill, but I will try. I like keeping my workouts concentrated since I don't have much time to workout as it is.

Hello fellow adventurers! This is my second challenge and I am raring to go after Christmas and New year. Main quest: Reduce body fat percentage to 15 or lower. As 15% is generally considered the optimal training body fat for men; this is my target. I will post my starting statistics tomorrow morning once the challenge has officially started. I will also post my statistics at the end of every week. Goals: Workout a minimum of 5 days every week. (3 STA, 1 STR and 1 DEX) I will be doing the beginner bodyweight workout and interval running on alternating days as well as the occasional Dodgeball session. Grading: A- 5+. B- 4+. C- 3+. 2+ . F- Less than 2 days. Eat Paleo. (3 CON and 2 WIS) Good goal if I want to lose fat. Also, nutrition was my weakest point on the last challenge so I'll be gunning for an A grade this time. Grading: A- 80%. B- 70%. C- 60%. D- 50%. F- Lower than 50% Join a health/fitness related club that I have no previous experience in. (2 CHA) I want to try something new and be adventurous! As this goal will involve more exercise, it will aid me in my main quest. Grading: A- Joined a club. B- Tried a new club but no commitment made. C- Found out about a good club in my area. D- Did a little research on clubs in my area. F- Did nothing. Life quest: Dedicate a minimum of 15 hours a week to finding work. (2 WIS and 1 CHA) The contract at my last job ended two weeks ago. I'm unemployed and I don't like it. I have gotten lazy in the past while looking for work and I was very lucky to get my last job. I will earn it this time. Grading: A- 15+. B- 12.5+. C- 10+. D- 7.5+. F- Less than 7.5. I look forward to taking this quest on with my new (first ever) guild-mates. Adventure!

Call to Arms Sitting alone in your small village's meadow, daydreaming of days gone by, you are jolted awake by a loud THWAP on the tree behind you. As you look over your shoulder you see a scroll pinned under an arrow. You jump up and look around, but there is nothing to see- your peaceful field is eerily silent... You turn back to the tree, remove the scroll, and begin to read... Dear traveler: This letter is a final desperate plea for help and assistance- if it should reach you, fate has desired to bring us together. For many months the people of our land have been tormented, by what we aren't certain. Something comes in the veil of the night- it haunts our children, steals our livestock, and murders our citizens. No one in our land is safe. We have taken every defensive precaution we can imagine, to no avail. It would appear that offence is our only choice, yet our fighters are few. We are a small farming community, and it would take months or years to raise up a regimen of soldiers- by then we will all be dead. We are begging for your help; we need strong men and women to venture into the lands just beyond our village, find the horrible creature (whatever it is), and help bring peace to our land. In exchange for your help we are able to offer supplies and food- we just need to you get here. Fast. If you will consider standing in the gap for us, we are organizing a party to head into the hills in a weeks’ time (Sunday at sun down.) We will meet at Althriam’s Mead Hall- where you can sign your name and pledge your allegiance. Please, if you will, get your affairs in order and make the journey to our peaceful village. There isn't much time! In desperation, The People of Truaant Rangers: With the start of another 6 week challenge, we are taking a dive into the world of RPG for the next few weeks to complete some mini challenges. These are designed to be a fun accompaniment to your regular goals. If what the mini is asking would put you in conflict with yourself (cause that's always fun), feel free to modify in a way that makes it practical for you to participate. This Week’s Tasks: Sign your name on This Roster indicating that you intend to participate in the challenge. This will help us to gauge and scale goals in the following weeks. Get your affairs in order. We are now in the second week of the 6 week challenge. Go through your goals and make sure you are clear on what you expect from yourself over the remaining 5 weeks, so that when mini challenges arise, you will know if they are something you can roll in to your existing plan. Have fun. These goals are design to be fun and engaging. Feel free to role play in this thread to get your character going. ((Role playing is not a requirement- you are more than welcome to sign the roster and simply participate!)) If the challenges are not in your realm of physical capabilities, modify them so that they suit your level of fitness.Fun for all Huzzah!

He's baaaaaaaaaack! Yes, the Psycho Madness will continue for another challenge!!! Muahahaha (And yes I started working on this on Halloween night ) So, The awesome Lupus came up with a great idea for his challenge (Shameless Plug - Follow his adventures here: <Link>) using a custom hex gaming map. So I made my own for Krieg to follow on a new adventure. Which begins with this.... When we last left our.... "hero," he had made it to Sanctuary and of course, Moxxi's. Several rough mornings later Krieg began to realize that staying in this city was not a viable option for long. It would provide rest and resupply for sure, but he wasn't like the others around. Not only did everyone give him funny looks, he just wasn't happy being cooped up in a flying city... Looking down off the edge one day he decided to get his few belongings and go back out to explore. There were parts of Pandora he had never made it to, and wanted to see. Not to mention there were talks going around town that there were other vaults on other planets. Maybe he would make it to one of them one day. No, he was determined to make it to one, he would become a Vault Hunter like the other eight.... the ones that everyone talked about. But first he had to learn exploration. Well the best way to do that would be picking a starting place and going wherever his adventure took him. So the next morning Krieg packed up and went to the Fast-Travel depot. He closed his eyes and pressed a random destination on the list. The lights flashed and in a blink he was standing on the edge of sand dunes, looking at... Wait. that can't be right. Badlands don't exist on Pandora... At least none that look like this. Turning around Krieg saw two run down looking vending machines and a broken Fast-Travel. "This is gonna be interesting." Okay. So I'm not sorry at all for the long intro, I think this time I'm going to make an effort to write the story of Krieg's adventure. So taking Lupus' idea of the map, here is my map so you can follow along with Kreig! (Check out Lupus' thread! http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/38973-lupus-challenge-mkiii-the-spice-of-life/#entry758930) And now for the goals: Main Goal: Get back on the fitness wagon after my hiatus. My last challenge was a break from the stats, a break from working out with structure, and a chance to settle in to my new town and life. Goal 1: "Ready Already?!" - EMOM workouts 2x a week (EMOM = Every Minute On the Minute) I'm going to start with 10 minute workouts my first week, then bump up to 15 mins, and then 20 mins by the third week. I plan on staying at the 20 minute mark, unless I get the crazy idea in week 4 to go on to 25 minutes. But that will be played by ear. Exercises to be use will include situps, V-ups, tricep pushups, wide stance pushups, diamond pushups, leg-high pushups, air squats, and more! Successful completion will be 2 EMOM's a week every week. I'm keeping it low key for now because I need to get back into working out and my schedule at work is constantly up in the air. I know that I can do 2 a week for now. I may bump the requirement up to 3 later in the challenge. We'll see Goal 2: "Revive" - Actually do the Physical Therapy workouts to make my knees less pained... In addition to working out, I really need to do my physical therapy workouts to help with my knee pain. It came back with a vengeance this past weekend at work. Like bad enough that I had to grab some scrap pipe laying around the construction site and roll out my muscles for it to be tolerable. So I'm changing up what I was going to do for this goal in favor of PT and getting rid of my knee pain Success for this will be doing my PT workout 3x a week, including icing my knees after the workout. Goal 3: "Like the Wind" - Start doing Tai Chi again I took Tai Chi in college and loved it. Felt better every day that I practiced. So I think I'm going to pick it up again. I am going to have to learn it again though... So I found youtube videos of the form set I learned. It's the Beijing Short Form: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGge5fUihjI Successful completion of this goal will be re-learning the form and practicing 3x a week until I have it down pat, then I want to continue doing it at least 3x a week. Shouldn't be too difficult as the whole form takes only about 10 minutes and is WORTH it. Life Goal: "Prize Fighter" - Stop spending nonessential money After moving, and still trying to settle into my new lifestyle, money is kinda tight. I'm having to break old spending habits to accommodate new bills, etc. And after reading http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/38965-the-great-wholetexalypse-of-2014/'>LorenWade's WholeTexalypse goals, I decided to borrow one of them, and set up a check method with several of my friends. Essential spending obviously needs no checking. This includes food, gas, bills, hygiene stuff. Non essential spending must be approved by two friends, and I have to justify my purchase. Now I'll throw a catch on to this. Sometimes I can entirely afford something and want it but then I'll get to the store and realize that I shouldn't spend the money on said item and then I don't buy it. If I end up doing this I'm going to see about shuffling the money I would have spent into my savings account. I'm saving up to buy a Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll Trainer sometime soon Success on this goal is hard to define, moreover I'm hoping to change my spending habits and save up in the bank! Unable to turn back, Krieg hiked up his pack, pulled out his buzz axe and set off trudging down the dunes towards the badlands. "Wish I had a bicycle..."

::Zahana looks up at the wise one ready to begin his transformation:: Wise One - There are many paths of the Rebel. To discover yourself, I shall give you 3 quest to begin your journey. 1st - you will experience the way of the Warrior. To build your muscles for this role you shall wieght train a minimum of 3 days a week. 2nd - you will experience the way of the Druid. To find your center for this role you shall attend a minimum of 1 yoga class a week. 3rd - you will experience the way of the Ranger. To to increase your endurance you shall burn at least 2,000 calories doing cardio. you have until the weekend prior to the day of the dead to complete these 3 quest ::Zahana silently bows and exits to begin his quest::

I've been lurking around the corner of Nerdfitness like a ninja for a few challenge cycles now. However, my lurking days are behind me. I want to get fully involved this time! So here's the background. I'm a relatively healthy young lady who got into paleo to as moral support for an overweight friend. I had a gym membership, I felt great, and dropped a few vanity pounds. Life was peachy. But now I've moved to school, where the cafeteria is full of carbs, I'm reading 600 + pages a week, and am generally inactive. I've always loved the idea of ninjas and spies: Black Widow is my favorite member of S.H.I.E.L.D ever, and it's not just because of her fabulous shoes. Because my current superpower is clutziness, I want to level up and gain new skills. It's embarassing to be that girl you flirt with and then have to help up after she accidentally trips over that invisible sidewalk. I can, no, will overcome my natural ungracefulness to become the most attactive and dangerous assassin I can be. Which leads me to my Main Goal: Lose 10-15 pounds to the forces of awesome. To be more specific, I don't simply want to lose the weight I've gained back since moving away from my friend. I want to lose this weight because I am becoming a bad-ass ninja. And I want to lose this weight training for a 5k Mud Run that will happen in November. My Evil Plan to Save the World: Part 1: I'm the Doctor. Run! Be able to run jog powerwalk at least a mile. This part will be difficult because I have congenital foot problems that repetitive stress to my feet will inflame. The goal here is to go at something faster than a crawl for a mile without sending me back to the doctor. I want to learn how to travel quickly and safely, avoiding injuries as I go. I will earn extra credit for every mile gone without an invisible object getting in the way. Part 2: High-stakes Laser Limbo I will stretch. Everyday. No matter if I have a 2,000 word paper due in four hours. I WILL STRETCH. To further aid in my flexibility, I will start practicing handstands and, by the end of the challenge, relearn the ability to do a bridge from a standing position. This will help me when I break into multi-million dollar corporations to rescue the prince and save the kingdom. Part 3: The Graceful Exit On days I do not train for speedily chewing up a 5k, I will begin following the basic parkour training routine. My end goal is to be able to do three unassisted pullups. Life Quest: Get on top of my homework so I actually have time to do things outside of reading and assignments.

Let's see ..... I'm not sure if I've missed one or two challenges now. I hit rough patch and dropped out of Nerd Fitness during the dead of winter and a fit of depression. I've been continuing to run and strength train a little --- because I want to do a Zombie adventure run this summer and Cline gave me great ideas of how to train for it. (Thanks again, Cline!) I tried doing Weight Watchers with hubby --- did not work out too well. I end up eating a lot of packaged foods trying to stick to the points allotment and feel like I'm going to glow in the dark and BECOME a zombie instead of run from them. Not good. But, I'm back. Back to hanging out with fun nerds who are also into fitness. Because you generally DO inspire me to do better and meet my goals. Go us! Goals this challenge are very basic: Fitness Goals - run a 5K (+3 STA, +1 STR) - lose 6 pounds (+3 CON, +1 WIS) - workout 30 minutes per day (+1 STA, +1 CON, +1 WIS) Life Goal - draft at least one article for journal publication (+4 WIS) How to achieve these goals? Well, I'm running. Each week, I will run 3 to 4 times: alternating trail runs, 5K runs, 5K training interval runs (from https://www.zombiesrungame.com/ --- I love these game developers), and speed work outs. I have new running shoes and am pulling together the rest of my running gear. I'm also using my Bowflex to get ready for obstacles if I get into an adventure run. Losing weight might be a bit ambitious, but I've been cycling up and down 4 pounds since last fall. I'm going to crush the floor and get down a couple more pounds this time. I know what to eat - I used to be at my ideal weight when I ate protein, fruits, and veggies. So, I'll weigh myself each morning and if I'm not at my goal for the week, I'll be extra vigilant to avoid empty carbs, including wine. *quiet sob* Workout 30 minutes per day should not be hard. Even if I take a walk around campus to clear my head for 30 minutes, that will be good enough. If I make it a priority, I'll do it. Writing 1 to 2 articles. I was very surprised to learn - last week - that the article I thought was pulled from a journal (and part of the reason I was so depressed .....) actually was accepted!! Now, I have to flesh out the proposal and get it finished. I have until December, but I don't want to procrastinate. Because I have more that need to be written. So, at least that one will be done by the end of May. Basics. Boring. Just gotta do 'em. 'Cuz I know they work.

The camp is under siege: A band of five hundred mountain trolls have come down from the hills, driven by poor weather and lack of food, looking for flesh to devour - human, elf, hobbit, centaur or even ent (vegan trolls - who knew?). Luckily, our lookouts spotted them and we were able to move the supplies - and the children - to a cave complex with narrow entrances the trolls can't get into. It was a frantic hour, with brave fighters holding the creatures back long enough to cover the escape. The pack animals, too big to follow us into the caves, were driven off, but a couple of the slower ones were caught and torn apart. Now the trolls are waiting near the caves, brandishing their clubs and picking their noses. As dark approaches, the temperature falls, and morale falls with it. Food is low, we're outnumbered and there isn't a safe escape route. Gathered around the campfire, voices are raised and tempers fray as members of the band discuss the options. A full-frontal assault? No, the warrior way won't work here - there are too many. Sneak up on the trolls and slit their throats as they sleep? It's a nice idea, assassins, but trolls don't sleep. Finally, one voice rises above the others. It is calm but firm, and the whole band ceases argument out of respect for its authority. It is a tribal elder, a former scout of great renown. The hard calluses on his feet speak of a lifetime spent pursuing the limits of endurance. "There is", he says, "a way. To the north of our current position there is a village. It is home to a powerful wizard. He it was who ended the goblin incursions that blighted the land before any of you were born." "But the land between here and there us crawling with trolls", says a frightened monk. "We'd never make it alive." Murmurs begin again but the old Scout quells the noise with a gesture. "I said there is a way, and I meant it. There is a narrow gap at the back of this cavern, leading down to the river. A small group of brave ones could make their way through, ford the waters and push on to the north through the mountains." There was silence as people thought about the feats of strength and endurance that would be involved. Most turned pale, some whimpered, but a few smiled quietly to themselves. One by one, the scouts stood up. Spreadsheet Week 1 - The Passage Week 2 - Crossing the River Week 3 - The Grey Mountains Week 4 - In the Village Week 5 - The Journey Home Week 6 - The Battle (images used in this post were licensed by http://www.123rf.com/ Please don't reuse them)

My second Adventurer challenge! I have eked out a living amongst my prehistoric neighbours, but now it's time to move on! With this challenge my time-travelling adventures will try and move on from the prehistoric as I fix my time machine and move to a new era! I tried to get my time machine to work but it malfunctioned and we were sent reeling in two different directions. It appears to be stuck on top of a nearby mountain and I will need to improve myself and my skills to be able to reach it and repair it. Apart from the constant terror of being the tasty treat of a tyrannosaur this era is a beautiful place. I will be pleased to go, but will miss the creatures and landscape dearly. Goals: 1: Get Leaner and Faster (Lose 5% Bodyfat) (+2 CON +2 DEX) If I'm going to spend much longer in this harsh environment I need to get stronger and faster and make sure I can survive. This is part of my New Years Resolution, which is to get my bodyfat down to ~10%, but I'm not sure what number to put down as a goal for my 6 week challenge. I've put 5% at the moment but I might change it depending on how realistic that is. I'm currently at about 20-21% ( up to 25% by the NAVY bodyfat calculator) so I'm not sure if 1/4 of that is realistic. Also the bodyfat numbers at the moment was done with a tape measure rather than with my calipers as I seem to have misplaced them. But I shall try and make another better calculation soon. But I'm planning on sticking to 1800 calories a day and do some high intensity weights/circuits as well as some sports a few times a week, and possibly some running. I will probably eat a little more on the days when I've done an intensive work out but we'll see about that when we come to it. As a point of reference I have taken a picture, which can be seen here: (Warning: Topless Time Travelling Man) http://imgur.com/zffJa 2: Lift a Triceratops (Lift 12 metric tons/26,000 lbs) (+4 STR) The Tyrannosaurus has been moved from the cave and now Based on my success with lifting a T Rex in my last challenge, this time I'm going for a Triceratops! Slightly more weight and as my workout plan will put me in the gym at about 3 times a week I think. I'm going for a new programme at my gym which will help me to get this off the floor quickly. Although for a week or so I'll just be doing bodyweight circuits as I've got to go away for an exam. But when I get back to the gym whatever weights I move for however many sets/reps will all add together to see how quickly I can get to a Triceratops. 3: Make Your Way Up the Mountain (Do A Pull Up) (+3 STR) After the time machine crashed it was left on top of a mountain near where I have made my home, I need to get to it to make my way back through time. RIght, I've had this one for a while and has been on a challenge before. But with my new gym programme and my bodyweight circuits I should be able to do this for this challenge. I've been feeling myself get stronger as every now and again I try and do a pull up. So this time with a new programme, a new challenge and a new diet I am positive that I'll be able to do it! 4: Fix The Time Machine (Spend two hours a day working on a skill) (+4 WIS) The Time Machine is now broken, and I cannot fix it straight away. I need to relearn my skills and sharpen new ones so that I can fix it. This can be anything from working on my writing, a new language, my guitar playing or something new. Once my exam is out of the way from next week I'll have a lot more free time whilst looking for work so as long as I'm looking for work I want to make sure that I don't just procrastinate and aimlessly look on the internet. So apart from looking for jobs and work experience I will be working on my skills new and old! I know this sort of thing is hard to measure so I've decided to take it as how much I do per day. I look forward to another challenge and look forward to helping my fellow rebels!

I'm new to Nerd Fitness but not new to dieting. I want to take matters into my own hands, stop trying to follow other people's diets that never quiet work, and start creating my own best eating habits. Everybody is unique. I know what I want to eat, and I know what I ought to eat. I'm gonna try to balance that out to keep me both happy about my meals AND my waistline. I'm an Adventurer and I think that sounds very cool. Maybe someday I'll be able to advance on to Assassin or something. But Adventurer is exactly right for me right now because I'm undertaking a pretty big adventure this year, getting fit and healthy and having fun doing it for a change! I'm not a gamer, but I think I've figured out how this is all supposed to work. Diet Goal Eat at least 3 fruits and veggies every day. [CON] 3 I can be pretty lax about this so I need to make a conscious effort and start building the habit of putting fruits and veggies on the table, or grabbing them for a snack instead of other options. 0-4 days missed = A, 5-8=B, 9-12=C, 13-16=D, 17+=F Exercise Goal [sTR] 2, [DEX] 2 Two days of Angry Birds and three days of Zombies, Run! every week. I like Angry Birds because I'm at different levels for different skills and I like the idea of getting stars and leveling up. Zombies, Run is a fun running app that's been motivational for me, and it gets me moving on my mini-trampoline to evade the zombie hoards chasing me. 6 weeks without fail = A, 5=B, 4=C, 3=D, 2=F Adventure Goal [sTA] 4 Reach the top of four separate walls in one climbing session. Today I went climbing for the first time, and I'm gonna have blisters I think. But I did make it to the top of one wall, and I really like the view from up there. So I went ahead and purchased a pass for five more visits. By my fifth visit, I hope to make it up four different walls, all the way to the top. They might be beginner level, but I'm a raw beginner and I gotta start somewhere. 4 walls = A, 3=B, 2=C, 1=D, 0=F Life Goal Clean for 5 minutes every day. [WIS] 2, [CHA] 2 This is a good tip I picked up from Nerd Fitness. I can say I don't have time to clean, but five minutes is so very doable, and a lot can be done in that time. It's just the act of getting started that can hopefully keep me going for longer than those five minutes, and maybe I can bring some order to the chaos that is my home. I'm assigning Wisdom and Charisma on this one because it's wise to be tidy and to simplify, plus I'll be making my home more attractive and maybe myself in the process. 0-4 days missed = A, 5-8=B, 9-12=C, 13-16=D, 17+=F

We're on an adventure! This is my first challenge-so obviously I have no idea what I'm doing, But I do like setting goals-its the adhering to said goals that I have problems with! I've discovered a long time ago that I enjoy working out-I feel great when I do, crappy when I don't. I also know that I feel better when I eat healthy, and -shocker- crappy when I don't- this was just reinforced over the holidays with my steady diet of cookies and eggnog! Back on track with the diet thing and feeling oh so much better- so here is my starting point: weight: 168.2 Hips: 44.5 Waist: 34 chest: 38.5 BMI 26.3 per the standard calculator-I haven't had anyone measure the fat at the gym or anything My ultimate weight loss goal is 148-even if just for a day so I can say I lost 100 pounds. One of my fitness goals is to complete Tough Mudder with little difficulty (I sighed up for the Boston event on Sunday May 12th if anyone is interested- we could use more Sexy Mudder Foockers!) But for the purposes of this challenge my goals are as follows: Weight loss: 10 pounds- or in the alternative fit into a size 8 (regular fit not relaxed fit) pair of jeans -through proper diet and exercise and maintaining my M-F weight loss through the weekend, and adding an outdoor running session on the weekend Diet:Shop the perimeter of the grocery store- start transitioning into a paleo diet-which seems to be a common theme from what I've read Fitness: Hold a plank for 90 seconds-2 minutes (I get typically squirmy around 45 seconds in-though I have eeked out a minute on a couple of occasions), and perform 10 full military style push-ups with proper form Life Improvement-Spend more time in my "reading room" reading and writing- I will accomplish this by first cleaning out said room, which was starting to look like a hoarder took over! so what's next? do I post my updates to this same thread? I haven't posted in public forums before I saw the spread sheet with the accountability groups, it seems like I just toss my name on a list-Is this a requirement? whats a side challenge? did i even tag this thing right? (welcome to my dork side)