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Aghhh, hi friends! Sorry I've been out for the last couple of weeks. Things have been hectic, which I know isn't a real reason not to be here because things are usually hectic in Raptronland, but I have done a bad job of making the time to be here. And I cannot miss the 10th Anniversary Challenge, agh! So here, I am, with some brief updates and a new challenge! I'm still your friendly neighborhood flipperdoo, who spends most of her time doing gymnastics, lifting, going out with friends, or actively trying to recover from one or all of the three. I finally snagged a job offer around the start of the year after many months of actively searching and started at the beginning of February, the day after I got back from a spur of the moment trip out to London to visit a very good friend of mine from college. I picked up a life-sapping lower respiratory infection that made me sleep a lot and sound like death, but I'm mostly over it despite some residual lung residue. What am I doing this challenge? Well it's gymnastics season (oh yes, I compete in gymnastics as a fully grown adult, mostly against college kids), so let's pick all-gymn related goals. Go over the vault - Vault 1x per week, attempt half-on/half-offs at least 3x over the course of the challenge Free the hips - Free hip circles and/or hip circle drills on uneven bars 2x per week, attempt free hip + kip + toe-on connections 2x per week Connect the series - Work on any acro series on beam 2x per week, front walkover ab training 1x per week Condition the body - Conditioning 1x per week. JUST DO SOMETHING. Where did I come from? Oh boy, my NF history. My very first challenge, back in the summer of 2013 (oh my god) was about GYMNASTICS TOO. I had just found a cool gymnastics gym that catered mostly to adults and was excited about jumping back into the swing of things. I've been firmly on board this adult gymnastics train since then, honestly. I took a couple of breaks from competition, but it has been a fixture in my life. I also wanted to start lifting back then and it ALSO became part of my regular schedule. Even with injuries, I don't think I've taken more than a consecutive week off since I started and it's because I love it? I have had you guys along with me the whole way. I used to spend a LOT of time in the old IRC channel with a whole NF crew, most of whom don't spend a ton of time on the forums anymore, but some of whom became my lifelong friends. My real life hangs with NF people have included in-house powerlifting meets in Texas, obstacle course races across New England, GORUCK events in Boston, bar visits with folks across the country (and internationally), and introducing me to amazing, local folks I love to spend time with whenever I can like @RisenPhoenix, @CourtnieMarie, @The Tin Man, and even @Knightwatch when we invade his lands. NF helped me rediscover that it is okay to TRY, it is okay to fall, and it is even okay to fail. I, like many folks on here, suffered a lot from perfectionism and fear of not being great at something as soon as I tried it. This community helped remind me that you can't learn anything if you up and quit at the first signs of struggle, that failure is where growth comes from, that it isn't so bad to fall if you have people to help you get back up. I've learned so very much about myself and what works for me. What were my very first goals here, though? Let's see. 😂While legitimate goals that I made great strides toward, I've found that the mindset and mentality gains I've built in my years here have been far greater than any physical ones. I think they will be longer lasting and overall more beneficial to my health than my new booty. And I have you guys to thank for them.