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I know. Long time no see. *sigh* The tl;dr version is that I've spent the last 1.5 years not working out much aside from tons of walking, gaining weight (not the good kind), and feeling fatigued. Also, the whole family has been in a funk. So, thanks to covid and my husband getting 100% telecommute, we moved across the country 1.5 weeks ago. Our pod full of stuff arrives tomorrow! I'm hoping that a new location means a new start and a new lease on life. I'm also excited about the new Dune movies coming out. I'm a huge fan of the books and loved the Dune and Children of Dune miniseries that came out 20-ish years ago. I also literally moved from the swamp to the desert, so the loose theme seemed fitting. Goals: 1. Earn 14 fitness points for each of strength, cardio, and stretching. Right now, I have a garage that will soon house my weights, rings, a mini climbing wall, and a silks rig (I already have the silks set up!). I also have a 8' deep, maybe 40' long backyard pool. Since I want to keep things light and easy, the requirements won't be huge for this. I get 1 strength point for every 10 minutes of silks, rings, or weights, 1 stretching point for every 10 minutes of yoga, and 1 cardio point for every 1 mile walk or every swimming session. 2 (tied to point 1) "But it's a dry heat..." Most summer days, it reaches 100+ degrees. I can't let that prevent me from working out. So, the plan is to work with the weather rather than against it. I need to make outdoor, non-swimming workouts happen before 9 am or after 5 pm. Or I need to suck it up and deal with the heat. I'm not allowed to laze around in the mornings, decide it's too hot, and then after 5 pm decide that I'm too tired to bother with a workout. +1 point per day of compliance 3. Be mindful of the water - The goal is to take water with me everywhere and make a point of drinking a lot of water. Hydration is going to be trickier here, and drinking enough water will also help with some of the binge eating. +1 point per day of compliance 4. Wear my stillsuit - This one has two parts. (a) Check the UV index and put on sunscreen if I'm going outside and it's over a 3. (b) wear a cloth mask whenever I'm going to be out in public. +1 point per day of compliance. Bonus: Have fun exploring - Yay for this one! The whole family reached a point where we were bored with everything in the area and even within a weekend trip from our old house. Now, we have tons of new places to explore, and we're about a 10 minute drive from a couple different national forests with great hiking trails, a 40 minute drive from a mountain summit that is 20 degrees cooler and has great rock scrambling, and a 2 hour drive from some lakes that actually have good scuba. We're also 15 minutes from a climbing gym. So, there will be tons of exploring to do both now and after covid has died down a bit.

I still need to eat better, snack less, move more, and lose weight. I've almost certainly been going through some levels of depression over the last year, but I'm hoping that the warmer weather and extra sunlight will improve my mood. Either way, it's time to quit whinging and start doing again. I will certainly still talk about parkour and silks, but I'm going to focus on basic exercises for this challenge. Challenge goal: Pay my debts These are the exercises I "owe" each week and must pay off: 1. Pull ups - 20/week 2. Push ups - 50/week 3. V-ups - 60/week 4. Squats - 100/week (but can choose regular, sumo, or side to side squats). 5. intense cardio/HIIT stuff: 10 minutes total/week (burpees, mountain climbers, jumping exercises, etc.) 6. walking - 30 km/week, with at least 1 ruck/week 7. If I miss silks class, then I also owe some silks conditioning work at home. Bonus debts: 8. I need to learn one new crochet technique each week. So far, I just know basic stitches, which is great for scarves and blankets, but not much else. 9. 1 hour of piano each week On the eating front, I'm planning to re-give up soda. I'm also going to try something new with the evening snacking: I will get myself a reasonable portion of food to eat, including some healthy things like carrot sticks or cheese, and then I will not under any circumstances let myself get up for more food. I'm a bit bummed, though. Right when I was going to gather the kids so we could head to the parkour and silks gym, my son came in crying with a scraped up face, cut, and lump on his forehead. So, no parkour tonight.. Maybe parkour on wednesday, though.

2018 was a giant shitshow for me, and I'm hoping that I'm finally ready to get my life back in order. I'm at my heaviest, weakest, and least healthy that I've been since I started on NerdFitness. Bleh. I know my habits have been awful, but I'm also not sure how much of the low energy and other issues is from the Tamoxifen. My main goal for 2019 is to have vastly fewer doctor visits and medical procedures than 2018. But, since I don't have control over that, here are the goals I actually have the power to make happen: -Test for Level II in Aerial Silks -Lose 15 lbs -Regain my dead hang pull up -Get some sort of data science professional certification -Conquer at least one of the piano songs that I've always wanted to be able to play. -Fix my sleep health issues, so I'm properly rested and energized each day. To meet these goals, I'm going to start small and think more like a noob for this challenge. That means, I'm going to focus mostly on movement every day and healthy eating, with the hopes that I'll lose some weight. Goal 1: Yoga or Darebee each day that I don't have silks or parkour. It doesn't need to be really challenging, and it doesn't need to be more than 15 minutes. I just need to get back into the habit of sweating every day. I'm not planning to push myself to pick challenging workouts. One of my problems over the last 6 months has been picking things that I used to be able to do but were currently too hard for me, get frustrated, and then abandon the workout partway through. Instead, I'm going to stick with easier workouts and finish them. Goal 2: 25 km of walking per week. Yeah, it's cold and nasty out. I still need to just suck it up and do my walking. Goal 3: Engage the pressure cooker. I just got an instant pot for x-mas, and I've already tried a few amazing recipes. For this goal, I'm going to try 2 new, healthy recipes each week. I generally end up with a lot of leftovers, so this ensures that I have a lot of healthy food available all of the time. Goal 4: Limit the treats and sweets. I'm only allowed one serving of sweets each day at a single designated time. At all other times, the junk food is off limits. For now, that's it!

Summary for the quick reader: Likes: pull / push / bend Tools: body weight, parallettes, aerial silks, ball Epic quest: complete GMB Parallettes 2 (P2) Elbows and Ham because I will be focusing on P2 moves, which involve a lot of elbow humping bent arm work (elbow levers / spin / high frog / HS lowers), and a fair amount of hamstring extension (HS to L-sit). Brains because I'm planning some (light) study time. Then it occurred to me that a zombie theme might work out quite well. Goals Handstands! Handstands! Handstands! (1) Attend to my usual practice plan, I'm quite good at this, let's keep it that way P2 3x/week and HS 3x/week (deload: 5 mini workouts) Stretching (hips, back) – 2x/week Hanging raises – 6x/week Cirque Physio – 24 drills /week (deload: 12 drills /week) Legs (traditional leg stuff) – 4 drills /week Ball flex (ball held on a flexed foot work) – 4 drills /week Aerial (flow, skills, alignment, conditioning) – 3x/week (usually 1 big session + 2 light ones) Brainzzzzz! (2) Light study > practice Oracle Java certification tests. Those have some idiotic things that are not relevant to day to day programming but I found that practicing makes my code a little bit sharper and cleaner. And it's somewhat more useful brain-stimulation than Android Tomb Raider Relic Runs, right? Let's try at least 5 tests a week for now. That's a small load because I do them in batches of 10-20 questions at most. > re-read the GoF design patterns book. That is a bit too dry to read in a linear way, but I could go over a few patterns that I'm less familiar with / don't use so often. Like one per week. (3) Find your inner aerial zombie Work a bit more on that silks routine that I did some improv on the past month. So 1x/week: - work with zombie music (follow the music tempo not your own pedestrian rhythm) - add zombie movement quality to the skills/flow - publish here a video of a run-through every week, even if I think it looks idiotic / crap / boring, it doesn't matter. It's zombie in progress, it cannot be pretty anyway

Summary for the quick reader: Likes: pull / push / bend Tools: body weight, parallettes, aerial silks, ball Epic quest: complete GMB Parallettes 2 (P2) Somewhat low key challenge as life is crazy-busy these days BUT that's exactly when I should be careful about keeping up with practice and other sanity-related goals! I will move back to text-based reporting and use cowsay, a very old Linux command line utility (showing my age probably), to generate extremely fancy reports. Here is a preview: [mu@safran nf10]$ echo "Hello and welcome!" | cowsay -y ____________________ < Hello and welcome! > -------------------- \ ^__^ \ (..)\_______ (__)\ )\/\ ||----w | || || Yeah I know Just wait for it, it has many crazy ASCII options (not all SFW). GMB Parallettes 2 recap: Prep phase: 4 weeks + deload week /done Phase 1 cycle 1: 3 weeks + deload week /done Phase 1 cycle 2: 3 weeks + deload week /done Phase 1 cycle 3: 3 weeks + deload week /done Phase 2 cycle 1: 4 weeks + deload week / done Phase 2 cycle 2: 3 weeks + deload week /on-going Bah more than 6 months of P2 already! Crazy! The original programme is supposed to be 6 months... but I definitely need more time (how do people get the lever spin in 4 weeks??). Here is my full training log so far with ref videos for whoever is interested in GMB P2 / Parallettes progressions. This challenge will look like this: NF break week = Deload – lenient reporting / test week Week 1 + 2 + 3 = P2 Phase 2 Cycle 3 Week 4 = Deload Goals: (1) Epic quest: P2 & HS training P2 3x/week and make sure HS training is happening 3x/week (P2 workouts include some). OR deload week 5x/week (shorter and lower intensity, including HS and no evaluation/scoring) (2) Next is all my usual training stuff. Besides aerial and stretching, there is a list of drills that I need to include here and there in my workouts. The deload format also takes it down a notch in intensity (easier variation, fewer reps) Stretching (hips, back) – 2x/week Hanging raises – 6x/week Cirque Physio – 24 drills /week (deload: 12 drills /week) Legs (traditional leg stuff) – 4 drills /week Ball flex (ball held on a flexed foot work) – 4 drills /week Aerial (flow, skills, alignment, conditioning) – 3x/week (usually 1 big session + 2 light ones) I'm not going to report on those as extensively as I used to (with reps and all), it just needs to happen. I have been consistent enough so far. If I see some dwindling, I might revert to stricter reporting (Log.SEVERE). (3) Stop using a screen by 10PM. Coding / gaming / watching a movie / social media - all count. I'm allowed 1 joker per week. I will keep track of the good days and count overtime as penalty score. (4) Track my coffee consumption. Just track for now. NB1: My week starts on Saturday NB2: Monday is rest day (edit: except on deload weeks oddly enough maybe) Have a good challenge everyone!

Elementary as in, you know, fundamental stuff, but not exactly the effortless type. And with hopefully a more balanced programme as I want to keep up with the Mini's leg work! Summary for the quick reader: Likes: pull / push / bend Tools: body weight, parallettes, aerial silks, ball Epic quest: complete GMB Parallettes 2 (P2) GMB Parallettes 2 recap: Prep phase: 4 weeks + deload week /done Phase 1 cycle 1: 3 weeks + deload week /done Phase 1 cycle 2: 3 weeks + deload week /done Phase 1 cycle 3: 3 weeks + deload week /done Phase 2 cycle 1: 4 weeks + deload week /on-going This challenge will look like this: NF break week = P2 Phase 2 Cycle 1 [holiday] Week 1 = Deload [holiday] Week 2 + 3 + 4 = P2 Phase 2 Cycle 2 I'm currently on holiday, I'm not going to bother much with strict goals and evaluation. My only requirement is to complete my current P2 cycle. The MASTER PLAN will start again on Week 2 when we get back home. I will follow the same structure I have been using for months. I have been very consistent with it so far, so I thought I could be a bit more lenient about tracking everything here (unless things start going wrong for whatever reason). I will simplify the reporting and highlight items that I find a bit more challenging / I'd like to do. Parallettes - Earth GMB Parallettes 2 – 3x/week Ensure HS training is happening at least 3x/week (P2 has HS training but I will add some more). I will have 2 consistency training sessions and 1 endurance session with other drills (e.g. alignment, shapes, transitions etc). Epic quest - I will fully report on it! Pull & Silks - Wind Greasing the groove – hanging raises – 6x/week Aerial conditioning/alignment – 3x/week Aerial skills and flow – 2x/week Since I will be coming back from a big break without aerial training, I will first gradually get back to my usual load without too much hurt hopefully. Nothing more required. Stretch & Bend - Water Stretching – 2x/week Hall of shame entry if I don't stretch after a strength session Post-workout stretching - 3x/week include at least one bridge and straddle stretches. Cirque Physio & Legs - Fire Keeping the impulse started by the Assassin Summer Mini! At least 32 drills per week: > Roll a selection of drills from Cirque Physio programmes - at least 24 drills > Include traditional leg work - at least 4 drills (Cirque Physio will include some leg work already) > Include foot flex ball work – at least 4 drills I can spread those throughout the week during warm-up / cool down and the evening for soft tissue / nerve work. I want to keep it flexible. I have prepared a weekly progress card!

Self-indulgent whining.... Goals are going to be super simple: 1. Go to parkour and silks classes according to schedule, even when I don't want to go. I'm currently doing 2 classes on each of Saturday and Monday, and I can't let the blahs stop me from going. Yesterday was a perfect example: I didn't want to go, but went anyway, and after the fact, was glad that I did. Part of the grade will simply be showing up. The other part will be attitude when I'm there. This means that when I'm doing parkour open gym, I need to focus on rebuilding my skill base rather than getting frustrated about things I can no longer do. 2. Do a big workout on either Wednesday or Thursday each week. This means pull ups, push ups, core, and grip. I'm going to set a goal and then if I can't complete it, drop down to an easier version of the exercise rather than abandon ship altogether. 3. Splits stretching at least 2 times per week (not including silks classes). It should only take 5 or so minutes, so there's no reason for me to skip this stuff. 4. At least one meal per day needs to be salad or something healthy and home-cooked, even when I don't feel like it. 5. Soda at most once/week. I drank soda for many years. I gave it up shortly after starting nerd fitness. But, in the last 6 months, I've resumed the habit.

Summary for the quick reader: Likes: pull / push / bend Tools: body weight, parallettes, aerial silks, ball Epic quest: complete GMB Parallettes 2 (P2) Side quest: Nerdwarts Mini – Hufflepuff house GMB Parallettes 2 recap: Prep phase: 4 weeks + deload week /done Phase 1 cycle 1: 3 weeks + deload week /done Phase 1 cycle 2: 3 weeks + deload week /done Phase 1 cycle 3: /on-going This challenge will look like this: NF break week = P2 Phase 1 Cycle 3 Week 1 = Deload Week 2 + 3 + 4 = P2 Phase 2 Cycle 1 Total = 5 weeks I will be on holiday towards the end of the challenge. I should still be able to do parallettes but I might not be able to hang as much. I will do what I can and focus a bit more on stretching and physio instead. The structure is still BSG-inspired and pretty much the same (if it ain't broken, don't fix it ): ~ Toaster battles ~ Battlefield > GMB Parallettes 2 – 3x/week + lower intensity 5x/week on deload week Skirmish > add 1 or 2 extra parallettes HS practice every week to P2 as needed to ensure HS training is happening 3x/week ~ G-Force training ~ Reporting to the CAG > Aerial conditioning – 2x/week > Greasing the groove – bar leg raises and side butt inverts 6x/week Party on the deck > Aerial skills and flow – 2x/week Holiday alternative plan: rings/rope/pull-up bar work if possible alternative: extra study of the Sacred Scrolls (below) and/or extra parallettes practice (but light) ~ Study of the Sacred Scrolls ~ Alignment > Silks inverts drills – 3x/week | holiday: if possible > HS drills – 1x/week Stretching > Hips and shoulders stretching – 1x/week > Back bending session – 1x/week > Hall of shame entry if I don't stretch after a strength session Cirque Physio > 1x/week the evening before back-bending + leg drills 3x/week (Mini Chasing) ~ Hufflepuff homework ~ Log training time for Herbology, Flying and Astronomy classes (parallettes/silks/backbends). Chasing (leg work) basically 5-10mn every day or so. That's it! Have a good challenge everyone!

I'm continuing my studies at Hogwarts, with many of the same themes. Hopefully, this time I don't pull a 3rd year Hermione and bite off more than I can chew. New Classes: Herbology: Goal is one new cooking recipe each week. Also, evening snack must include a veggie. I'm hoping to reduce and make my snacking healthier, and add a little bit more excitement to my diet. Arithmancy: Goal: Complete the entire 3rd problem set 8 problems selected from the 3rd problem set on cryptopals.com or from projecteuler.net (difficulty rating must be 40% or higher). Complete at least 3 more chapters in my crypto book, along with the corresponding problem sets. History of Magic: This is where I'm putting my sleep goal. Sleep has been terrible lately, so I'm going to revisit some tried and true methods of improving my sleep. Drink tea and stop eating at 9:00. Reading only after 10:00. And, here's the meat of my challenge: I'm joining the Quidditch team, and I'm determined to win the Quidditch cup. Quidditch is largely going to represent my (flying) goals of parkour and now silks classes. I'm also going to gain points for any supplemental activities that support parkour or silks. Gryffindor (courage): + 10 points for every new flow or new thing attempted at parkour. +10 points for doing anything at the parkour gym that scares me. + 10 points for doing anything at a greater height than I normally would. Ravenclaw (intelligence): + 10 points for drilling down into techniques at parkour or silks class. + 20 points for any home reviews of technique. Hufflepuff (kindness (to my body)): + 20 points for any yoga or mobility work. I'm not flexible, and it's hurting my performance at the parkour gym. Slytherin (nastiness): + 20 points for strength workouts. The goal is to net 200 points in each, and see which house wins the cup!

My hype meter has been at an all time low, and it's time to fix that. I also have been trapped in that cycle where I'm sitting at a computer too much, mindlessly eating and drinking like an asshole while there, and moving a whole lot less (in part from minor but recurring injuries). As a result, I've put on 10 lbs (and not the good kind ) over the last year. I've also been in a huge Harry Potter groove, since the family just returned from a trip to Harry Potter land in Orlando (which was awesome!!!), and we're currently introducing the kids to D&D with a Hogwarts setting. So, it's time to add more discipline and structure to my life by returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 1. Transfiguration: I will learn spells to transform my unhealthy meals and snacks into healthy ones. I generally need to eat more veggies, more salad, more eggs, and more homemade stews. For tracking/goal purposes, I will limit myself to one small sugary snack per day, and I will eat at least one substantial serving of veggies with each meal. 2. Potions: I will drink only 3 calorie bearing drinks per week..... which means I will need to drink a lot more water. The goal for this is to find ways to make water more appealing. I will experiment at least once every week with making infused water. I will also try at least 4 new tea flavors, to see what might be appealing. 3. Defense Against the Dark Arts: I've been getting too wrapped up with regular life to set aside time to workout each day. That needs to change. So, I'm going to defend against the dark art of laziness with some constant vigilance. Every day, I need to do at least 30 minutes of exercise. It could just be yoga or even putting on the weight vest and walking laps inside my house. 4. Charms: Cast "Wingardium Leviosa" by lifting myself up in the air. I need something new and shiny in my workout routine. Right after my parkour class, I had been doing open gym, which largely has turned into teaching and directing traffic for all of the kids doing open gym. Instead, there's an adult aerial silks class happening at the same time. So, I'm going to re-take the silks intro (since I've already forgotten everything), and then start taking silks classes. The most convenient time to do the intro will be January 20, since there's already an instructor event at the parkour gym. The goal is to do that intro, and then after that, take silks rather than doing parkour open gym. 5. Stick to the Schedule: A large part of the problem is that I've been getting too wrapped up with life things to set aside time for working out, cooking, and all of the other things I need to be healthy. This will likely be even worse over the next few months, since my husband and I are studying for the OSCP exam. My goal is to set a fairly rigid schedule, just to make sure everything gets done. And that's it. Hopefully, I can get back on track and regain my hype.

Keeping with my goals for improving circus, losing those last few pounds, and increasing my flexibility, all while not losing strength, maintaining my energy levels and eating well, I have put together an overly complex google docs tracking system for what is essentially a very boring challenge. But hey, spreadsheets are pretty, right? 1. Diet Stay below target calories each day. Assess target vs. energy levels vs. weight to continually maintain appropriate caloric goal. 2. Circus Open gym 1x/week Class 1x/week Choreography. Due to various life things, I probably will not be participating in the next student showcase at my studio. The official yea/nay day is 9/23, so I must decide by then. Regardless, I'd still like to choreograph something. Likely to this song. 3. Flexibility Warm up prior to any circus or muggle workout. Stretch out after any circus workout. 4. Meal prep Food goes easier through the week when I think ahead. Make at least two "for the future" (or lots of leftovers) dishes throughout the challenge. Now I have 5 days to gear up for this.

Hi, I'm new and exited, it's nice to meet all of you. For years I have been passionate about learning aerial acrobatics, and I want to finally persue learning. Unfortunately, I am not in the financial position to pay for clases. Seeing as it is dangerous, and I don't have an apparatus, I'm not sure how to start. Is there anything I can do on my own? Or anything I can do to build skills and condition myself for when I have the opportunity to take classes? I have a background in yoga, pilates, ballet, gymnastics(not since I was little) and a little bit of modern dance, and while I can't take classes in those either right now, I could maybe practice some of those easier? Or are there any other skills that are cheaper/easier to learn independently that would transfer well?

I'm sylph. Given my preferred choice of exercise, naming myself as an air elemental seemed appropriate. Been at this for a few challenges now, and into fitness/working out/health for quite a bit longer than that. Lately I've had the niggling feeling that the challenge format isn't doing me much good; my habits are well-ingrained and I'm generally happy where I am. I wind up creating some manufactured goals just to fit into the expected structure. As an experiment, I'll be backing off from the 6WCs for a bit and keeping everything here in one continuous place instead. As a bit of history for any that don't know me, I've been working out/lifting heavy things on the regular for about 10 years, now. It ebbs and flows, but I know my way around the weight room. Goals change from being super lean to lifting REALLY heavy things to doing awesome bodyweight things to building cardio endurance, but I'm usually getting some kind of workout in at least 3x/week (some times I go crazy with 6x/week but those moments of madness typically pass quickly). About two years ago I discovered aerial silks and love it <3 Upside down and 20 feet in the air? Yes, please. A bit odd for a woman afraid of heights. Since then, I've taken classes/lessons on the regular and performed twice: October 2014 August 2015 I'm at a bit of a crossroads at the moment in my silks work. My schedule doesn't fit for the class level I'm currently working at. I had 'solved' this by taking private lessons with my instructor. Well, she just moved 5+ hours away to go to circus school for the next 9 months (I hope she comes back when she's done!). I haven't quite figured out my plan going forward. I love the silks, but also feel a bit stagnant as to progress (it's not really something you can teach yourself!), so expect a bit of occasional whining/angsting on that topic. So yeah. Welcome aboard.

"And I will work this body, I will burn this flame Oh in the dead of night and in the pouring rain, Yeah, I'm a workaholic and I swear, I swear, Yeah, and one day I will beat you fair and square" BOSS FIGHT (+1 STR, +2 DEX, +2 CHA) I've got an aerial performance coming up at the end of this challenge, and this time, it's going to be different. Let's do this thing. My main quest is literally just to FINISH THIS DAMN SHOW AND EMERGE UNINJURED. That is it. That is all. I will be working towards this by attending open gyms and private lessons, doing runs of the routine at every opportunity, and trying not to die. This is pretty much the center of my world for the next month BUT I have a couple of supporting backup quests to go along with it, partially because I have a week of travel coming up this week and I won't be able to get in the air. But that's okay - I've got a plan! SUPPORTING QUESTS: don't eat like an asshole, redux (+2 CON) Remember, stars, you don't like assholes. So don't eat like one. At least 22 days of not eating like an asshole, please. 6 days of leeway because vacation. flexibility every damn day (+2 DEX) It's not cool but it's necessary. Even if it's 5 minutes or less of back stretches, it doesn't matter. DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING. life quest: party support (+1 WIS) stillskies has asked me to take the reins of her eating, but I'm kind of lax about this sometimes because it takes A LOT of work to balance two people's macros. But she needs my help and I need to offer it. Trying for at least 5 days a week of complete meal plans for stillskies.

Sooooo.. I realise I'm always late to these things. But better late than never, right? So last challenge didn't go great, but also not as bad as it could have. I focused on drinking, eating, working out and meditating. And I'll continue to work on some of those things during this challenge also. So I'll jump right in. Quests: 1. Eat all the protein and nothing of the sugar. Last challenge I wanted to eat at least 80 g of protein each day, which actually isn't as much as I need, but much more than I usually eat. So I think I'll up the game a little and eat at least 90 g of protein. I will really have to work on this, but I believe that it can work. During my first challenge (that I completed) one of my quests were to keep off sugar, and it went really well. But as soon as that challenge ended, I got right back to my old habits. That it not good for me. I have to go back to my first plan again. Pass: Eating >90 g of protein on 75 % of the days and no sugary stuff (with the exception of fruit and pure juice). 2. Drink all the water. Okay, maybe not all the water. But drink at least 1 l a day can't be bad. I need water. I drink way to little, but has finally been able to get more hydrated since the last challenge. I have to keep it up. Pass: Drinking >1 l on 75 % of the days. 3. Look at life from a different angle. Today was the fourth class in a hand stand workshop I've been going to once every week. There are two classes left, and until then I will be able to at least kick into a wall handstand. To do that, I have to work on my hand stands at least 3x/week, doing strengthening exercises, alignment exercises, "wall climb hand stand" and kick ups. Oh, and of course wrist preps prior to all the workouts. My biggest problem with handstands is that I'm scared. I'm not sure of what, but It keeps me from kicking up properly. I really have to learn to trust my body to do this. I know it can! Pass: 12 handstand workouts. 4. Keep your head clear. I will keep on doing daily meditations. It relaxes me and I've already started to implement some of the things I learn about myself there in my daily life. It just can't be bad for me. Pass: meditate for 10 min a day on 75 % of the days.

As I gain momentum in some areas, I'm getting a better idea of what my weaknesses are. They're essentially all mental. For this challenge I'll be working mostly to keep up with my current workout and eating plans, BUT the twist now will be to try to shift the focus to: making my mentality about health a lot more positive. So to find my goals, I've got to know my weaknesses, right? What I want to work on is my wide array of Bad Ideas about health/fitness and body image. I've talked to several trusted friends and I'm finally coming to terms with having a lot of unhealthy ideas about my body and how to treat it. This challenge will be a lot of nebulous, strange goals with the idea to Be Less Problematic About Myself. I'm a fledgling aerialist! And starting my second session of aerial lessons as of the first Sunday of this challenge. So the first goal is: Outer Strength -aerial class 1x/week, bodyweight workout 2x/week -to shake things up here for this challenge, I want to try out one new exercise each week. Most will probably be gathered from the internet and be aerial- or acrobat-specific. Last week I learned a wall variation for practicing v-sits: this week will probably be a new trick on rings! I've discovered vimeo and may share aspects of my workouts for form-checks or just to give a more human voice to this internet persona :> For now, this is my instagram, this is my vimeo. Inner Strength -2 servings fruit/veg a day, no more than 3 outside-bought coffees/week, continue weaning off sugar with no more than 2 sugary things/day Shake It Off -bit of a mix here! I want to get my splits and work on my back bends, to help with my 'shapes' in aerials. I will work on flexibility for at least 10 mins for 3 days/week, OUTSIDE of my warm-up/cool-down mobility stretching. -work on hand balancing at least 3x/week, and my workouts CAN count toward this goal -unfollow people on sites like tumblr/instagram that make me negatively compare myself or perpetuate harmful (to me) ideas about diet/exercise. I'm already well on my way to this and it's helping! -stop focusing on the end-goal and enjoy the journey. I'm going to pick 3-5x/week when I start spiraling with negativity and either meditate or just practice redirecting my thoughts if meditating isn't an option. I'd like for this to be 'every time', but I know that just means I'll feel bad and guilty when I don't do it every time! This goal will probably be on my list for a long, long time to come... I have a LOT of bad reasons I'm as invested as I am in exercise and eating habits, and I want that to change! And mostly I just want to be able to fully enjoy my aerials classes without worrying that I haven't lost weight. I've gained a LOT of self-confidence and coordination and strength since joining up for my first-ever group class on January 10th. Every time I leave class, I can't wait to come back! I've found my Thing, definitely.

Our protagonist: a 24 year-old massage therapist and full-time student. She's never really done something like this before - organized sport? Not since middle school! But she seems to have found a new hobby... The prologue we've finished: she started aerial classes 5 weeks ago with a roommate, and is developing her love for this outlet. This chapter: continuing to gain skills with silks. Continuing to gain strength outside of classes, to progress further during aerial sessions. Fuel the body that's taking her on this journey. Juggle all this with the return of a full semester of classes. The solid goals: a. aerial class 1x/week, full body workout 2x/week, *try out open practice 1x if able I've got 3 more lessons left in this session, and then will need to purchase another! so this month will see me finishing up that, and continuing to develop myself outside of class. Money-willing, I also want to get to the studio to practice specific skills at least once during this challenge! But bodyweight workouts at home are free, so I can definitely do those. c: b. 2 servings of fruit/veg a day. Having one as my goal went well last challenge! Now to increase that consistency. To do so will require a lot of meal planning, as Tuesdays and Thursdays I need to bring lunch AND dinner with me to campus (I commute a far distance). Lots of mini-mini-goals to make this one possible! c. No more than 2 sugary snacks/day! This might sound high for a goal, but trust me, I eat a LOT of junk food right now, even alongside my healthy choices. Increasing fruit & veggies will help push them out, but I'm also going to need to focus on turning aside the bad choices as well! Mini-goal of 'no more than 3 outside-bought coffees/week' as well, which may very well be the hardest part of this challenge for me. As we can see, this is largely the same as my last challenge in the rebel forum! As I join the Assassins Guild, I'm gonna focus on increasing my strengths gradually, and shedding my bad habits just as consistently. Slow and steady! I know too great of a change will just result in me cracking under the added pressure of school and binge-eating junk, and talking myself out of workouts. Honestly, the easiest part of this by far will be the silks classes! They're giving me the motivation to do everything else. I want to get better at silks - everything else will follow.

This is pretty late, but things have been crazy and I wasn't sure I was going to make another challenge anyways. But better late than never: here I am. So I had a good idea last challenge: get the basics solid. Unfortunately, I still tried to do too much, and crashed and burned. I even gained weight... This time, I'm going to focus on just getting into a routine. For anybody interested, my old challenge is here: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/76107-lydiajaybird-goes-back-to-basics/ Main Quest - Get comfortable in a daily routine Up until now, my focus was always losing weight. I'm still interested in losing weight as an overall goal in my life (hey, just found my life quest!), but to do that, I need to get some other aspects of my life in order. So I'm going to switch from making losing weight my main goal each challenge, to making things that will help me lose weight my main goal. So this time, that's having a routine. I know that normally people here are really big on having quantifiable goals, but I think getting routine is more important for me right now than measurable progress. Goals 1. Get up & Go - Get up at 6-6:30am (even on weekends!!). On weekends I can stay in bed with my kitty cat, laptop, or a book once I wake up, but on weekdays, I have to get OUT of bed by 6:30 and make the bed. Once I'm up, it doesnt really matter what I do. If i want to get up at 6 and play WoW until it's time to go to work, thats fine. I woke up and thats what matters for this challenge. (Yeah, thats right. Not putting exercise in here. Generally, I've found I dont have a problem going running in the morning. I have a problem getting out of bed in the morning. So I'm going to focus on getting out of bed for now. If I go running too, cherry on top. I'll probably include that in my Life Quest.) 2. Chefs belong in the Kitchen - Eat at home! No more eating out! Too often, when I was doing the diet goal, if I failed, I'd just say, aw, screw it & order pizza or go eat out! Which is so much worse than just cooking something at home that might be outside of the diet. So for this challenge, I'm going to focus on having everything I eat be something I made at home. If I want to cheat on my diet, I'll have to put it on my grocery list. And I'm much less impulsive in the grocery store than I am with online ordering and drive throughs. 3. Check In - This goal is to stay accountable. (Also, hopefully some of you all will pop in more often to offer support if I'm posting more often about what's going on. Shout out to those of y'all that popped in during my last challenge, I'm very grateful!) I have to weigh myself every morning (yes, I know, I'm not going to lose weight every day, and some days I'll gain. But if I don't weigh every day, I find myself going WEEKS without weighing myself, and thats when weight gain happens), and post my weight and any other updates on whats going on. Life Quest Lose weight! This is where I'll get credit for running, doing my pole and aerial silks, and sticking to my diet. Let's say 1 point of extra credit for every pound lost? Measurements Height: 5'9" Weight: 189.8 *crying sounds* Waist: Hips: Thigh: I will put in all my measurements tomorrow morning. Grading Each goal will be graded weekly & be worth 1/3 of that week's total grade. Life Points are unlimited extra credit that can be added to my final score! My final grade will be the average of all four weeks plus my Life Goal extra credit. I need to make at least a B (80%) to pass the challenge. Since I started late, the first week will be just the points from today on. Get up & Go - 1 point each day for getting up on time. On weekdays, I MUST make my bed after getting up for this to count! (Otherwise, I'll just crawl right back in...) Chefs belong in the Kitchen - 1 point for each meal made at home. So 3/day possible. Check In - 1 point/day for weighing in. Exceptions - I'm doing some out-of-state interviewing at the moment, been to Atlanta twice the past couple weeks and will be flying to Florida next week. So when I'm out of town, just try to eat healthy to earn the Chefs belong in the Kitchen point. Obviously, if I'm away from my scale, I don't have to weigh-in, but try to at least put a sentence or two here on my challenge with why I'm not weighing in. If I get one of these jobs and have to move... Well I'll figure out what that means when it happens. Motivation I don't know what to do for motivation this go around. My most successful motivations have been the materialistic ones, but I'm not in a place financially to do that right now. So I don't know.

I did pretty decent last challenge, but I feel like I was getting pretty shaky on always getting in my runs, on always staying under my carb count, etc. So. For this challenge, I'm reinforcing the basics of my fitness instead of adding lots of new things to try to do. (well, imma add one new thing, but one is easier to do than three!) For anybody interested, my old challenge is here: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/73739-lydiajaybird-shakes-it-off/ Main Quest - Lose 6 Pounds Since the challenges are shorter now, I've decided to cut my weight loss quest in half. Yes, I know, the challenge isn't 50% the length it used to be, but I never hit that 12 pounds during the six week ones, so this might be a more reasonable goal. Goals 1. KCKO - Always stay below 50 carbs a day, but aim for below 25. (I don't want to lose points for having 30 carbs in a day, when you really only need to stay below 50 to keep in ketosis, but I still want to try to be below 25) Always stay below 1645 calories. 2. Get up & Go! - this one will be a combination of my old Rise & Shine and Exercise goals. I noticed that even when I woke up on time - I would just stay in bed. So this time, I need to not only get up (6am during the week, 9am on weekends), but get up and do my workout as well. (Run MWF, Aerial Silks class R, Pole + RLNA TSa) And of course, bedtime will be a part of this goal as well. 10pm weeknights, 1am weekend nights. 3. Get Flexy - I used to be super flexible. I miss that. So I'm going to start doing heavy stretching once a week (with photo documentation! wont see much of a difference during this challenge, but if I keep this up long-term I'll have a nice progression to look at) and stretch on my exercise days as well. Life Quest Soul Health. I'm still job hunting, but given that this is a health/fitness place, I decided to focus on another type of health for my life quest. A type I've been neglecting - soul health! (mental health, but soul health is catchier) I want to start putting more time into playing piano and cross stitching. Every hour I spend on the arts is a point of extra credit. Measurements Height: 5'9" Weight: 185.6 Waist: 30" Hips: 42.5" Thigh: 25.5" I will put in all my measurements Monday morning. Grading Each goal will be graded weekly & be worth 1/3 of that week's total grade. Life Points are unlimited extra credit that can be added to my final score! My final grade will be the average of all four weeks plus my Life Goal extra credit. I need to make at least a B (80%) to pass the challenge. KCKO - 1 point each day for meeting calories and another point for meeting carbs. Total points/Total possible for the weekly grade. Get up & Go - 3 possible points/day. 2 points for a morning workout, 1 point for meeting bedtime. Partial credit available for waking up on time (1/2 point), but not exercising, or making up workouts in the afternoon (1/2 point). On thursdays, since my class is in the evening, I'll substitute stretching for the morning workout. Get Flexy - 1 point/day for stretching, an additional point available on my heavy stretching day for photo documenting. So 8 points/week. Exceptions - If I'm sick or injured (please noooo not again!), then workouts are excused. Pole is excused until I can get my pole installed at the new house, but I still have to do my RLNA workouts on those days. Just no practicing moves. Motivation Last challenge I let myself buy myself something each week that I got an A, which was a HUGE motivation for me, but I dont think I can afford that anymore (just moved, and rent is higher). So I'm going to give myself a budget. I earn $10 for each B, $15 for each A. $20 if I pass, $40 if I pass with an A. I can either spend as I go along, or save up until the end and buy something big.

" you're picture perfect blue sunbathing on the moonstars shining as your bones illuminatefirst kiss just like a drugunder your influenceyou take me over you're the magic in my veinsthis must be love...Boom! Clap!the sound of my heartthe beat goes on and on and on and on and..." AKTE I Welcome to another round of Chasing Shiny Objects with Stars, where every topic is on the table, All the Things get done at once, and themes range from mainstream films to obscure, heartbreaking anime about magical ballet dancing ducks. One guess which way I went this time..... In this final challenge of 2015, I'm trying to focus in a little, a process which is aided by the fact that this is coming: My first aerial performance. Time to get my ducks in a row (ha, hahaha, I crack myself up) and get this show off the ground, literally. Let's do this. quest 1: rise to the occasion (ahiru) - +1 STR, +1 DEX Ahiru goes from the awkward kid at the bottom of the class to performing (literally) for her life. The stakes in my case aren't quite so high, but I'll be taking inspiration from Ahiru's "can do" attitude in preparing for and executing my solo silks routine for the showcase. I've got my music. I've started my choreography. All I need to do is take it to the finish line. There are no specific weekly check-ins for this goal, but trust that preparation is top of mind for me. You're likely to see a lot of flailing and probably a video or three along the way. This goal will be completed in week 5 when I perform my routine for an audience. Yes, I'll share a video of the final result - either from the performance itself if I can get one or from dress rehearsal, whatever ends up working! PASS: Did the thing, posted the video, FAIL: What the hell is your problem, stars? quest 2: practice begets perfection (rue) - +1 DEX, +1 STA Best dancer in Princess Tutu? It's no contest. Rue's a textbook example of what hard work and dedication will net you. Lately, I've gotten back into ballet, but my class attendance consistency is crap (partly due to factors outside my control) and my form needs some serious attention. Thus, this goal is twofold: 1. Take at least 3 technique classes in the 6 week period. I have 3 left on my punch card, so this doesn't add financial obligation (a worry this time of year) and this allows for some flexibility for travel and other issues. 2. Work on technique on my own time at least 3 times. Things that particularly need attention: turnout (STOP FORCING STARS), tendu speed and precision, pirouettes (doubles, landing in fifth), jump form, particularly at higher speeds. I have a wood floor at home AND a big group exercise room WITH A BARRE at the gym, so no excuses. A: 3 of each, B: 3 of one, 2 of the other, C: 2 of each quest 3: what's right is rarely what's easy (fakir) - +2 DEX Let's talk about fighting one's fate, shall we? The same way Fakir has to force himself into all sorts of horrible situations (MY POOR BABY), I apparently SERIOUSLY HAVE TO FORCE MYSELF TO DO BACKBENDS. Or I just won't do them. I've seen this again and again. I'm not great at them, so in stretch sessions, I default to splits. NO MORE. I need this for aerial. Suck it up, stars. I'm getting a routine together (thanks, Finisterre!) and I will work on backbends 3 times a week. PERIOD. And I will post a picture weekly to see if progress is happening. Period. A: 3 sessions + photo, B: 2 sessions + photo or 3 sessions without photo, C: 1 session + photo or 2 sessions without photo life quest: scattered shards (mytho) + 2 WIS Mytho's got a lot of missing pieces. And I've got.... a lot of unplanned and unpurchased holiday gifts. I usually try to do this earlier, but with everything going on this year, I've barely scratched the surface. I DO NOT WANT to be the crazy person paying for overnight shipping the day before a family gathering. Can we say UGH? Therefore, my goal is to make a nice, tidy list in Google sheets and to acquire (make, buy, whatever) all gifts for all individuals on said list by the end of the challenge, giving me some breathing room and, you know, time to wrap. Grading based on the % of gifts acquired per the forthcoming spreadsheet AKTE II In Akte I of our drama, our heroine was grievously wounded. In Akte II, much like Ahiru, she will strive to pick up the pieces. quest 1: when all else fails (ahiru) - +1 STR, +1 DEX, +1 STA Ahiru never ever ever ever ever ever gives up, regardless of the odds stacked against her. I'm like that, too. Can't aerial? Okay. Can't walk? So what. I'm going to get around it. This quest is amorphous until I can get in to the physical therapist in week 4 and figure out what I need to do to rehab my leg. After that, it's all about following instructions like a good girl. I AM GOING TO BE BETTER THAN EVER. Just watch. PASS: Did the thing, FAIL: What the hell is your problem, stars? quest 2: growing wings (rue) - +2 STR I can't walk and I certainly can't dance, but you know what I can do? Pull-ups. This one's simple - while I'm hurt, pull-ups/chin-ups daily. Every. Single. Day. I'm going to get even stronger while my leg is out of commission. A: 7 days, B: 6 days, C: 5 days quest 3: glory for those who defy their fate (fakir) - +1 WIS, +1 STR Backbends are out. Did you know they slightly recruit your hamstrings? I DIDN'T UNTIL I TRIED TO DO SOME. So, instead, time to give fate the finger. This quest is twofold: in week 4, while laid up at home, figure out a go-forward training plan, despite the fact that most injured people just give up on fitness (but we all know that's not me). In weeks 5-6, follow said plan for a minimum of 3 days at the gym weekly, (aside from the daily pull-ups - those don't count as gym days). A: 3 days, B: 2 days, C: 1 days life quest: scattered shards (mytho) + 2 WIS THIS QUEST REMAINS UNCHANGED. Mytho's got a lot of missing pieces. And I've got.... a lot of unplanned and unpurchased holiday gifts. I usually try to do this earlier, but with everything going on this year, I've barely scratched the surface. I DO NOT WANT to be the crazy person paying for overnight shipping the day before a family gathering. Can we say UGH? Therefore, my goal is to make a nice, tidy list in Google sheets and to acquire (make, buy, whatever) all gifts for all individuals on said list by the end of the challenge, giving me some breathing room and, you know, time to wrap. Grading based on the % of gifts acquired per the forthcoming spreadsheet Also coming this challenge: a trip to Disneyland for the Avengers Half Marathon (stillskies is running - I am holding a sign)! A trip to Las Vegas! Lots of deadlifts! LOTS of eating! Lots and lots and lots of weird aerial terminology! And mini challenge goodness! Doing All the Things! Shall we dance?

"we all got our stories but please tell me what there is to complain about when you're happy like a foollet it take you overwhen everything is outyou gotta take it in oh this has gotta be the good life...." MAIN QUEST: Win the House Cup! And don't forget - it's all a game, so have fun with it! I'm certainly guilty of taking myself too seriously sometimes, but lately I've been working on lightening up and living in the moment. Guys, bumps in the road aside, my life is so good, seriously. And so, since my fitness regimen is chugging along like the Hogwarts Express, I decided that this challenge is the perfect time to play a little game with myself. I have a long list of little things I could or should do so... why not all of them? At once? Yeah, maybe it's crazy, but I'm a crazy flying assassin, and anyway, trust me to come up with something that requires a complex spreadsheet. I'm excited, because this way I get to fly, lift, sing, cook, spend time with my wife, laugh with my friends, enjoy the beautiful fall weather, and not worry so much about keeping my goals up while I live it up at CAMP NERD FITNESS in week 3. How It Works: Each Hogwarts House has been assigned a focus area and a list of 10 goals. Most accomplishments earn me 5 House Points. A few (marked bonus) earn 10 points, and a few (marked negative) subtract 5 points (STUDENTS OUT OF BED! 5 POINTS FROM RAVENCLAW!). Bonuses are balanced by negatives to give each house a roughly equivalent chance at winning. At the end of the challenge, all houses have to have earned a minimum of 200 points (an average of 40 tasks complete, aka ~1 per day) in order for the challenge to be considered a success. In the end, this is all about balancing my life priorities. Every week, the trailing house will be given an extra bonus challenge (worth 20 points!) to encourage me to give attention to the part of my life I've been neglecting. There are no limits to the number of times per day/week/challenge I can cash in on the same accomplishment. If I get 3 PRs in one day, for example, that's super! Stat points will be awarded based on which House wins the Cup! Ambition (and Fitness) - STR, DEX, STA Slytherin is all about ambition, and I don't lack that... I want to be better, stronger, and more graceful than the me of yesterday. Slytherin can earn points in the following ways: Doing straight leg straddle drills Backbend practice Splits practice Achieving a barbell PR Doing a set of pull-ups or chin-ups at home Taking a dance class Doing some yoga Taking a bike ride Going for a walk outside Trying a new workout Loyalty (and Self-Care... and FOOD) - CON, CHA Hufflepuffs are kind and diligent, and I need to be kinder to myself and more diligent about caring for myself instead of always pushing for the next accomplishment. Also, Hufflepuff common room is right by the kitchen, and let's be honest.... every other House is jealous. Hufflepuff can earn points in the following ways: Trying a new recipe Eating >100g of protein in a given day Getting to bed by 10:30pm Giving myself a facial Giving myself a pedicure (or treating myself to one at the nail salon) Having a quiet night in Getting up a wee bit earlier and taking a bit of time in the morning for tea and reflection Anything that keeps the romance alive in my marriage BONUS: Batch cooking for more than two meals NEGATIVE: Getting to bed after 11:30pm (Camp and non-work weekends exempt) Wisdom (and Adulting) - WIS, CHA If ever there was a House that exemplified rational thought and adulting, it would certainly be Ravenclaw. In case you weren't aware, this is my favorite House - and I am told by my friends that I am a boss at adulting. Still, there are a few things I could benefit from improving. Ravenclaw can earn points in the following ways: Buying a holiday gift in advance Dressing up for work Doing something with my hair that isn't a ponytail or bun Warming up before rehearsal/performance or working on my music in general BONUS: Spending <$150 on weekly groceries BONUS: Doing some yard work BONUS: Putting $50 into savings NEGATIVE: Buying >2 snack items when food shopping NEGATIVE: Buying clothes or shoes NEGATIVE: Going out to eat (work-related outings and travel days exempt) Adventure (and Fun) - CHA No one parties like a Gryffindor, and I could probably do with being a bit more like the Lions in this. Having fun is important, too! Gryffindor can earn points in the following ways: Spending face-to-face time with a friend Skyping with a friend or relative Hosting an event at home Doing anything that furthers my plans for AWESOME HALLOWEEN DECOR this year (crafting, decorating, etc) Going on an outing with stillskies that ISN'T just shopping for necessities Engaging in some collab gaming (video or board or card - it all goes!) Reading a book for >1 hour Reading in Russian or French (non-book media are fine) Working on a puzzle Posting a picture or video to my thread Which House will emerge triumphant at the end of term? Taking bets now~! (I'm thinking Slytherin has an unfair advantage, here, but who knows?) Measurements: Neck: 12.8" Waist: 26" Hips: 36" Shoulders: 40.5" Thigh: R: 20.7" L: 20" Calf: R: 14.7" L: 14.4" Bicep: R: 10.7" L: 10.5" Weight: 133.8 BF%: 19.47% Dress/pants size: 0/2

"'She's got lions in her heart, A fire in her soul; He's a got a beast in his belly That's so hard to control, 'Cause they've taken too much hits Taking blow by blow, Now light a match, stand back, watch them explode. When you've been fighting for it all your life, You've been working every day and night, That's a how a superhero learns to fly..." MAIN QUEST: Become the Queen of Heroes! Or, in layman’s terms, keep moving toward my long-term goal of being the best acrobat I can be! Not every quest directly ties back to this, but almost everything leads back to it in my mind, sooner or later. That’s called being obsessed, I think. Or maybe dedicated. I’ll be lifting, flying, and dancing my way through my days as always, but there are a few things in my life that I need to polish, and this first summer challenge is the perfect time to do exactly that! These things may not seem all that extravagant or super, but honestly? I think a hero is made up of many little things. So, here’s to the little things. Also, to the only time in my life I've found Comic Sans to be the appropriate font for... well... anything. As for the pass/fail grading…. well, I thought I’d give it a go since a hero doesn’t do half measures! Anyway, let’s get started! QUEST 1: Sky High! And again, Sky High! - (+2 STR, +2 DEX, +1 CHA) I got so much benefit out of this goal, that just like Sky High, I am repeating myself! Because I’ll find reasons not to do it, otherwise, I am setting myself a goal to work on one thing I really hate/suck at for at least 15 minutes in every open gym. This can include things like helicopter (ughhhh), single knee climbs, and anything else that I suck at. The only way to suck less is to DO IT: A: I did the thing! THERE IS NO TRY, SO THERE IS NO B OR C. QUEST 2: Chill out with Blue Rose - (+3 DEX, +1 WIS) So, I miss yoga, mostly for the mental and emotional benefits I always derived from it. And I keep making noises about doing some at home, since I am effectively unable to go back to classes. And then I keep putting it off. Well, no more! At least once a week, I will do an at home yoga video. It doesn’t matter if it’s short (though I will try for something at least moderately challenging), but I have to do it weekly. Full stop. This should also flow nicely into the stretches for the PVP I’m doing! A: I did the thing! THERE IS NO TRY, SO THERE IS NO B OR C. QUEST 3: Shrimp fried rice with Wild Tiger - (+3 CON, +1 WIS) Just like Kotetsu, I have my mainstay recipes. But while Wild Tiger may be just fine eating shrimp fried rice (with mayo… naturally) seven days a week, I’m getting a bit bored with my tried-and-true mainstays. Time to freshen up my recipe catalogue! Especially now that I have my BIG, NEW, BEAUTIFUL KITCHEN. And it’s summer. And I have that lovely fruit CSA starting next week. So, once a week at minimum, I will try a new SIMPLE AND HEALTHFUL recipe with the intention of adding it into the rotation if it suits me. A: I did the thing! THERE IS NO TRY, SO THERE IS NO B OR C. LIFE QUEST: Family time with Kaede - (+2 WIS) Kaede may actually be better at adulting than her father, which is simultaneously hilarious and sad. Thankfully, her grandmother takes care of things like teaching her to be a civilized member of society. And this includes eating meals at the table like a grown-up….. which both Kotetsu and I are TERRIBLE at doing. Whoops. This is really something that needs to be corrected before we have a bitty in the house. Thus, over the course of the challenge, I will attempt to wrangle stillskies a minimum of 4 times a week into proper meals at the table. NOT on the sectional. With plates and silverware and no Hulu. ADULTING, WE CAN DO THIS. A: 4 times, B: 3 times, C: 2 times As always, I have my handy-dandy spreadsheet which you can view to see my progress! The points thus come out like this, assuming I mathed correctly: STR: 2 DEX: 5 STA: 0 CON: 3 WIS: 4 CHA: 1 REWARDS: My head is reeling from all of the money we've spent in the last month (yay being new homeowners.... only not; I am tearing my hair out), so once again, no big, expensive rewards. But, if I ace this challenge, I will treat myself to tea at the teahouse with a friend... whoever wants to come with me, really. Before pictures: Measurements: Neck: 12.8" Waist: 26" Hips: 36" Shoulders: 41.3" Thigh: R: 21" L: 20.3" Calf: R: 14.8" L: 14.5" Bicep: R: 10.6" L: 10.6" Weight: 132.0 BF%: 20.1% Dress/pants size: 2

Alrighty. The Fuckits are absent, time to take advantage of that fact and get some real work done. Focused Study Man in Black: [intrigued] You've done nothing but study swordplay? Inigo Montoya: More pursue than study lately. You see, I cannot find him... it's been twenty years now and I'm starting to lose confidence. I just work for Vizzini to pay the bills. There's not a lot of money in revenge. [after a moments' silence, the Man in Black stands up and prepares to battle] Man in Black: Well I certainly hope you find him someday. Inigo Montoya: You are ready then? Man in Black: Whether I am or not, you've been more than fair. Inigo Montoya: [drawing his sword] You seem a decent fellow... I hate to kill you. Man in Black: You seem a decent fellow... I hate to die. Inigo Montoya: [confidently] Begin. I'm working on a silks routine. Like, REALLY working. As in, this is the routine and I'm not going to change the main skill set/order of skills for two months. Work the routine every week at open gym. Playing with movement and adjusting transitions is allowed required. Assess Progress Vizzini: A word, my lady. We are but poor, lost circus performers. Is there a village nearby? Buttercup: There is nothing nearby... Not for miles. Vizzini: Then there will be no one to hear you scream. Video. At least three over the course of the challenge to show myself how things have progressed. I'll compare these to my last "sequence" video for assessment purposes. I may or may not post them along the way, depending on how I feel progress is going. Hopefully, I'll feel good enough about them to at least post the final one. Straddle Man in Black: Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something. Yep. Still working on these. Trying to get that middle split. Still. Flexy work each week at open gym and at least one other session/week. Careful on the Beverages Man in Black: Really? In that case, I challenge you to a battle of wits. Vizzini: For the princess? [The Man in Black nods] To the death? [He nods] I accept. Man in Black: Good. Then pour the wine. [Vizzini pours the wine, and the Man in Black pulls out a small packet] Inhale this, but do not touch. Vizzini: [sniffs] I smell nothing. Man in Black: What you do not smell is called iocane powder. It is odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in liquid, and is among the more deadlier poisons known to man. [He puts the goblets behind his back and, presumably, adds the poison to one of them, then sets them down in front of him] Man in Black: All right. Where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right... and who is dead. I have to toss this one in here once in awhile when I start to slide. Alcohol only when it's not a school night.

Everyone loves a good booty, do they not? A booty is important. It helps keep your pants from falling down. It provides a comfortable place to sit. It provides POWER to lower body athletic movements. And (let's be honest) it feels pretty good to have a nice rear view. Mine is trying to leave me. I dropped a bit of fat for vacation last month and found I was unhappy with the resulting shape. Thus, the Booty Preservation Society was born. I've done Bret Contreras' "Strong Curves" program in the past with good success; thus I will return to that which previously brought me good results. Save the Booty! Strong Curves. I've modified this into something I like, swapping out movements, lengthening the "phases" so I can actually see progress on exercises before having to move on to the next segment and only lifting 2x/week. I've been doing 5-6 x/week workouts for a pretty long time now and I'm looking for a bit more balance. Expect: lots of slightly pornographic exercises as I hip thrust and glute bridge my way to a better butt. Mondays and Saturdays You Gotta Fly to be Fly Aerial open gym once/week. At said open gym, I will work on scissor climb (ugh). Expect: lots of flailing. Frustration at the lack of friction. Wednesdays. It's a Stretch Goal... Still working toward the middle split. Continue to stretch toward that goal and strengthen the appropriate muscles. 3x/week, minimum. This happens somewhat by default due to the Strong Curves warm up, but I want to be sure to focus on it during open gym sessions as well and ensure that I'm working toward the splits, not just stretching in general. Expect: whining when I feel like I'm making no progress. Triumphant bragging if I manage to actually get the middle split this challenge. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays Mind your Mouth This one seems simple: eat when I'm hungry, don't eat when I'm not. Except not so simple. This is way outside my comfort zone of calorie counting and tracking. I'll be monitoring weight fluctuations and try to consciously eat less if weight skyrockets or clothes start fitting poorly. (Of course, I expect all my pants to get tighter as my butt work pays off) Expect: possible over-analysis of weight fluctuations and strong temptations to break open MFP "just to check." Note: I was sorely tempted to do an un-challenge this time around. As I mentioned at the end of last challenge, I have a severe case of The Fuckits, at the moment. Moving from 5-6 workouts/week to ~3 will do me a world of good, I think. If I want to throw in a day or two of extra cardio or yoga or whatever, I can, but it'll feel like less of a burden, I hope.

New challenge! After the last couple of challenges, which I failed to complete because of crazy work schedules (work life balance?? What's that??). But now I'm back! LOTR THEME!!!!!!! OMG WTF LETS DO THIS So one of my goals relates to step counting. By my calculations, by the end of this challenge I should have done nearly enough steps to have traveled from the Shire to Bree. Actually, I think we will end up in Barrow-Downs, but close enough. And being in New Zealand, what could be more appropriate than a LOTR theme?? So what're we doing?? Well, I really want to get into the fitness side of things, and get the right fuel in the tank. I have a tendency to try and leap into things, run hard for an hour every day, then of course crash and give up. So I'm trying to be a bit more gentle. I also want to do some conditioning for silks, I need to build up my strength, fitness and flexibility. For my life goal, I need to keep being organised, now that I am sort of self-employed, otherwise it's all going to fall apart. My overarching goal is still also weight loss, so hopefully I will see some progress on that too. I set up a reward schedule for that at the beginning of the year, and I am keen to get some of those rewards finally! Main Goals: 1. 10,000 steps per day, 5 days per week Grading: A: 270,000+ steps B: 225,000-269,999 steps C: 180,000-224,999 steps 2. Get to the gym/silks/some kind of sweaty exercise 5 days/week Grading: A: 27+ days B: 22-26 days C:18-21 days 3. Eat 1200-1500 cal/day Grading: A: 37+ days B: 31-36 days C: 25-30 days Life Goal: Organise work and home: I need to set up a good spreadsheet for my work, to make invoicing and tracking easier and less time consuming I also need to tidy up the house- 8 rooms total Grading: A: 8+ tasks done B: 6-7 tasks done C: 4-5 tasks done Let's do it!