Search the Community

Since I last posted an Assassins challenge, I spent a brief stint as a ranger, and also went whole-hog off the paleo diet. That wasn't such a great idea, as my reflux disease has been completely out of control for several months now. I've gained weight (though not a whole lot), and it's mostly of the non-muscle variety. SO, this challenge I want to focus on my diet, as my workouts are still pretty strong, and got stronger over winter break. As is often the case, Garret (from the Thief franchise) will be my inspiration! Goal One: Clean up the diet, and mindful eating. I've gotten heavy! Time to get ghostlike. During week one, I will eat only one serving of sweets. This is going to be a tough one as I've eaten a LOT of sweet baked goods over the break. During the second week, I'll cut out the grains and dairy (at least 90% no dairy or grains), and during the third week, I'll expect to be at least 90% paleo. Assuming I'm eating 21 meals/week, that means I get to "cheat" twice per week during the last two weeks. I'm still going to eat potatoes, but not french fries or chips. Furthermore, most of the time when I'm eating, I'm looking at some kind of screen. As much as it pains me to do so, I need to keep my mind on what I'm eating, and the people I'm eating with (OK, nobody's eating with me at 5:45 AM). So, no screens during breakfast and dinner. Lunch is pretty much required since I eat lunch at my desk during work hours. +3 WIS for keeping off screens while eating breakfast and dinner; +3 CHR for sticking to the meal plan. Goal Two: Pull Ups. Right now, my recent AMRAP record for pull ups is 7. I'd like to get to 10. I'll be doing pull ups at least three times per week. +1 STR, and +1 STR for every additional chin-up I can do beyond my PR, for a possible total of +3 STR. Goal Three: Make a plan, and stick to the plan. Improvise when necessary. It's a real bummer when work gets in the way of my workouts. So, I'm going to make a plan on Monday mornings, put it on the calendar, and stick to the plan. I've got a world-class gym 400 yards from my office and there's no reason I shouldn't take advantage of it. Generally speaking, my weekly plan should include two yoga classes, three weights workouts, three endurance sessions, and one day skiing. I'll post my plan here in the forums too, for accountability's sake. +3 CON for making a plan and sticking to it. Goal Four: Flexibility! I'm the least flexible person I know. All those years of distance running have made my hamstrings the most unhappy hamstrings in Boulder. So, I'm going to stretch them. At least once a day for five minutes. Follow youtube videos, use the foam roller, go to a dance class, or just lie on the floor with a strap and a dog licking my face... every day, I'll stretch. +3 DEX I'll also compare my weight and body fat % from this morning every Monday morning until the challenge ends. Today I was 169.8 pounds and 15.1% BF.

Main Goal: Not go shopping https://youtu.be/2EIFWjLYNWA?t=17s (The two gifs are basically this, I just couldn't find a single gif of this part.) I am getting too squishy to easily wear some summer clothing that was bought a size too small anyway. This is a size, not weight, goal. Goal 1: Routine -To bed on time -Out of bed promptly -Stretch -Push-ups -Wall Handstand This might seem like a big one, but stretch and push-ups are fairly habit-engrained now with going to bed not too hard. It is getting up that has gone to hell and I am starting a new job so getting up at 4am is necessary. The handstands I expect to be as easy to add as the push-ups were, maybe more so. Each item is worth 0.2 points, for one point per day, night being counted the next day. Goal 2: Fit Do something for strength 3x a week. A walk, a core bww (leg lifts, hanging leg raises, crow, hollow hold), squats and negative pull-ups, archery, driveway snowboarding, or just trying something new (push-ups in the wall handstands?) would all work, just get in the habit of moving more. Specifics can be next month, now I need to learn my limits while working full-time for the first time ever. Goal 3: Consumption -1L water per day -1 good food choice (no seconds, skip a snack, fruit instead of junk food, . . .) per day Life: Never grow up Keep learning, even if it is only a quarter hour per day. Judged by days, not time. Piano, maths, anything . . . Motivation: I haven't done well in my last few challenges and with the new job I just want to keep from drowning. I have been reaching with goals too big or too many things, without room for the smallest thing to go wrong attempting to take advantage of not working full-time. That is over, and now I need to concern myself with just not doing nothing while being busy with work. Starting measurements (cm) Upper arms: 25 Chest: 81 Waist: 69 Hips: 89 Thighs: 53

I've got jack and shit for this challenge, and my schedule is going to be all over the place in this next month. So .... continuing on with my goals for the most part, coasting, and thinking about what I want to focus on this year. Last year was the year of bling; this year, since my location is still uncertain, I won't be doing that so much. The List So Far Quit my jobFinish my front end web development classFind a new jobWhile unemployed: Work to better my blog's social mediaRe-vamp the blogRe-do my websiteSpiff up my resumeSpiff up my portfolioPossibly see a career coach to help turn my resume into what it needs to beWork to build dummy sites I can use as portfolio piecesAttempt to build my freelance base at least some!)&*$#$*# network at least a little with humans Master pull-ups/chin-upsWork on yoga balances (specifically I want to do fancy ass crow variations)Run a 30-minute 5k (virtual is fine) - I plan on doing quarterly 5ksCheck into a 'get faster with 5ks' program or do that new Zombies 10k thingMaybe throw in 2 10ksKeep up with ruckingFigure out where I'll be living and go there - or stay hereContinue my minimalism trackContinue my macrosContinue my craftsWork on biohacking when life is more settled For the first half of this challenge, I'll be continuing my workout schedule of Yoga Mondays, class Tuesdays, possible Rucking Wednesdays, class Thursdays, walking Weekends and light additional bodyweight and/or yoga challenges sprinkled throughout my weekdays. Macros will continue on with my standard 1,500 or so calories, 100g or fewer carbs, 100g or fewer fat, 70g or higher protein. I'll be continuing working on the baby blanket I'm knitting, and am starting a new Secret Ranger Cross-Stitch Project today. I will also continue working on digitizing my DVD collection daily. And will pick up mini challenges and PvPs as they present themselves. This challenge, like last challenge, is all about maintenance - I'm not piling on enough craziness to overwhelm myself while I'm working on things for class + trying not to stress out about potential location switches. And it's winter, so my body wants to do absolutely nothing but eat carbs, hibernate, and be injured.

Hi, I am back. After falling of a wagon few months ago I finally made myself to take part in another challenge. So, I moved out of my parents and now have a brand new flat to turn into a my nerd lair/gym/writers corner. Basically building myself a Batcave I will call it the Halls of justice which is way more suitable for a Paladin (Warrior/Monk). I already kicked junk food and sugary drinks out from the premises and made some fitness equip, but its not nearly enough to feel optimal.So my challenge will be: 1) Make one piece of fitness equipment per week So far I have planned - safety rails for bench, sandbag, finishing the bench for benchpress, set of concrete plates, Plyobox, Stand for archery target, A: 4B: 3C: 2F: 1 and less 2) Install three things promoting writing per week Like character bios, various maps, standing book stand, motivational quotes, A: 12B: 9C: 6F: 5 or less 3)Clean, clean, cleanMy new home still doesn't feel right, maybe because I am one-big-mess-making-machine. So cleaning every day at least 10 minutes is a must. A:>27 days of cleaningB:>20C:>15D:>10E:>5F:less than 6 days of cleaning achieved 4) Uphold the codeas a paladin wannabe i still have to uphold my Code · No Alcohol or any other substances influencing judgement · Be kind, even to your enemies · No sex without love · Protect and help the weak and the helpless · No fighting unless protecting someone’s health I will be posting weekly progress reports and some pictures of my clunky DIY fitness equipment. Also pardon my English - not a native speaker. and join the Light side, seriously

Greetings RANGERS! I almost made myself a ranger when I first signed up for Nerd Fitness, but I was doing a LOT of aerial work at the time and so I assigned myself to the Assassins. Now, I'm not saying that I've learned everything I can from the Assassins, but for this challenge I want to focus more on the basics of fitness: Endurance, Strength, and Flexibility, and not worry so much about how well I work the trapeze. Plus, I skipped the last six-week challenge because I was on a long road trip and I just didn't know how often I'd be able to log, check in, and report. So, here I am now. In the next six weeks I want to rehab my hamstring/glute/piriformis injury so I can run stronger, and increase my weekly mileage. Secondly, I need to hit the gym more. I've got not one but TWO gym memberships and my weekly attendance for the past month (since I re-joined the gym across the plaza from my office) has been limited to going to yoga classes and one, count em, ONE bench press session. Thirdly, I adopted a new companion animal, and she likes to run. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings, I need to get her out for exercise early in the morning, which I've been doing, but I've had a hard time getting out for a RUN that early during the week (Weekends are no problem). So, once a week, before work, I will take her on a run, even though it's dark and cold. Here are the goals: Repair the damage: Follow the PT regimen at least once a day, five days a week. This includes heat, figure 4 stretch, and hamstring stretch. So as not to contribute to the current imbalance, I'll be doing both sides. 5 sessions, 6 weeks, 30 total. Scoring: 27-30+=4.0 A; 23-26=3.0 B; 19-22=2.0 C; 15-18=1.0 D; <18=0 F 4 CON Run with the wolf: 3-4 mile pre-work run. 1 session, 6 weeks, 6 total. Scoring: 6=4.0 A; 5=3.0 B; 4=2.0 C; 3=1.0 D; <3=0 F 3 WIS Go the distance: Weekly running tallies will increase. Right now I'm able to go about 12 miles a week. I want to get to 20. I'm pretty sure I can do that, I just need to devote the time. Unfortunately, going home at lunch to let the dog out 3x/week has really cut into my workout time. So here's the plan: Since I'm running with her on Sat/Sun and hopefully one other morning (TWR, see above plan), that should be 12 miles every week. If I make 15 miles in a week, great, that gives me 5 points. 20 miles is 10 points. 25 miles is 15, etc. At the end of the six weeks, I'll have to make some kind of overall assessment of distance gained over time, and how well rehab is going, and work on rewards for this challenge at this time. 4 STA Lift heavy things: Hit the gym 2x/week. Yoga class doesn't count (duh). 2 sessions, 6 weeks, 12 total. Scoring: 11-12=4.0 A; 9-10=3.0 B; 7-8=2.0 C; 5-6=1.0 D; <5=0 F 4 STR Oh, and Archery too. But that doesn't need any goals....

"Sov, I think I am going about this all wrong. I have researched all I could and thought myself in spirals, but nothing is happening." She stood shifting from foot to foot, staring down at the table covered in crooked stacks of foolscap, dusty books, pinned scrolls, and spell paraphernalia. "I need to be *doing* things. I have come farthest with this curse when circumstances have pushed me into adventures." She smiled remembering olden days when circumstances were often named Sovellis. "Huh, I suppose that makes sense," he agreed, picking his head up off the table and rubbing his face. "So what do we do? Become sell swords and take a job or something? Or I suppose I could go insult a king and you could try to rescue me again, but that didn't work out so well last time." His lips twisted into a tired smirk. "Sweet gods, please no royalty! I was thinking more about taking a journey up into the fey wilds and seeing what we can find. Its possible some of the lines of the riddle are referring to places after all." His brows arched sharply at her words. "The fey wilds? Wait wait wait, so royalty is out, but fey are a-okay? Have you lost your mind? Besides, there's no good taverns in the fey wilds." He had managed to finish the wine he had brought back to the hut rather more quickly than he planned, and the thought of not being able to replenish his stock was unpleasant to say the least. "I can hardly go to a tavern as I am anyhow." She cocked an eyebrow and motioned to her giant proportions. "besides, you can easily do without wine- you can prestidigitate your water if you miss it. Wine and trails do not mix unless you are a construct like Flotsam. No one needs to walk for hours with a hangover." "Prestidigitation only flavors the water," he grumbled, but she had a point. "As to the rest..." She crossed the cabin to the wall where the words of her curse were etched. "I don't know how to master fey magic. The only way I know to break through this is to go to a place where the fey are and ask them. Besides, you never know what we might find up in those mountains!" She grinned at him, the light of avarice shining in her eyes. "Heh, yeah, or what might try to eat us." Despite arguing, he smiled, happy to see that spark in his friend's eye. "So you plan to find a fey something, walk up to it, and just ask it? I'll admit that approach has worked for us before, but not with fey." "Well there was that Eagle that time, but no, I was thinking more that we would search for some of the things mentioned in the riddle Halfling's pride, Balefire, the rooftop Feydance, all of these seem to refer to acts I have to do or people I have to best. "Rooftop feydance sounds fun. Baelfire not so much." The thought it over for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright, I would still prefer to have access to taverns, but might do me some good. When do you want to take off?" "I want to be in the highlands by the end of the ride. As you can see, we are mostly provisioned already." She motioned to shelves in the cooking alcove now filled with the trail bars and jerkey made from all Noor's hunting. "You've been busy, that's for sure," he nodded, looking at the shelves full of trail foods. "And we have the supplies I brought, what's left of them anyway, so we have healing potions and things, and my quiver is full. I guess we should get packed." <------<<< Time for the next chapter in the Sovellis Saga! This challenge my goals are very similar to the last. 1. Do something school related every day, even if it's just a tiny thing. 2. Do something physical fitness related every day, even if it's just a tiny thing. 3. Do something adultish every day, be it chores, bills, making a phone call, whatever. 4. Do something related to spirituality every day. But this time around, all of these are going to play second fiddle to this last point: 5. No alcohol. None. For 6 weeks. I've done this sort of thing before, if not for this length of time, and I think it's time to do it again. Complete sobriety is not my ultimate goal, but going dry periodically seems to help me keep better control over my drinking habits, which have been slipping as of late. Not looking forward to the ups and downs I know are coming, but it'll be alright. I'll be alright. Between this and it finally starting to cool off, maybe I'll finally be able to make it back to the range or go slack lining again!

Just wanted to have a place to start writing things down again. I've been away from NF for about five weeks. Spent most of the month of September either ramping up the school year where I work (CU Boulder), or on vacation in the Pacific Northwest (North WET!), or on a business trip to the greater DC area for work. Mind you I wasn't a couch potato during any of that, though the days with the 12-14 hour drives were pretty rough, non-moving-wise. But since there's a 6-week challenge currently underway, I thought I'd start posting what I've been up to here at least as a form of self-accountability. So, starting with today! 3.2 mile run in 28 min. Followed by a one hour yoga class. Breakfast was cereal and almond milk, morning snack was a banana and a tiny "nestle crunch" bar, and lunch was a half of a burger, leftover from our anniversary lunch on Saturday. Followed by an apple. This afternoon, I'm heading to the physical therapist so she can help me develop a plan to rehab my right leg (hamstring, peroneal tendon, achilles tendon) so I can safely and painlessly (OK, that's a relative concept) run longer distances than six miles. I'm assuming she's going to beat on my legs and stab them with needles, because that's her MO, but it usually works wonders. Also, I did five pull ups at the gym on my way to yoga class today. Which is kind of sad because two months ago I could do ten without a problem. And then a set of six, and another set of six. So I need to get back to work on that. And, I signed up for Trap 3/4 at the aerial gym, starting tomorrow night. And, I scheduled a Lasik evaluation in Denver tomorrow morning, because I'd like to have 20/20 vision for at least part of my life, and it's time to buy another pair of prescription sunglasses, since on our 3600 mile road trip, my glasses broke. I've glued them back together twice now, but when you live in Colorado at 5400' and need to wear glasses, you must have functioning sunglasses. Because UV and all that. So that's all that's fit to report. Oh, and I need guidance: Should I switch over to the Ranger camp? I always felt like a ranger, what with the archery and the distance running, but then there's the circus work. Which I might not want to do much of forever since I'm feeling like I'm old and not very flexible anymore, and being flexible is a BIG BIG DEAL in aerial work. Meanwhile, I'm still an assassin...

Every assassination is about three phases: Planning, Execution, and Extraction. This challenge is all about refining what I've already got: a good Assassin fitness program, and strong archery skills. I want to improve each of my phases: For the Planning phase, I want to focus on my home, family, and sanity. For the Execution phase, I would like to get more accurate with my bow, preferably out to 30 yards. I'm a pretty good shot at 20 right now, but it's harder and harder to be accurate at greater distances. Lastly, for Extraction, I'm pretty well rehabbed from my chronic ankle injuries, and now I want to increase my distance running. In order to keep it up, I want to maintain my flexibility to prevent injuries, and this means stretching. 1. Planning: I will cook a healthy meal at home three nights a week for my family, record my food and exercise in MFP, and plan one family activity per week. I will also meditate for 5-10 min six days a week. Cooking: 3 Sessions, 6 weeks, 18 sessions total. 17-18 = A, 14-16 = B, 11-13 = C, 8-10 = D, <8 = F. +2 CHA MFP: 6 days, 6 weeks, 36 completed entries total. >33 = A, 28-33 = B, 23-27 = C, 18-22 = D, <18 = F +2 CHA Meditation: 6 sessions, 6 weeks, 36 sessions total. >33 = A, 28-33 = B, 23-27 = C, 18-22 = D, <18 = F +2 WIS 2. Execution: I will practice archery at least once a week, with three volleys (3-5 arrows) at 30 yards in the sighting in range before hitting the 3D target range. The first shot is the only shot that counts, though, so I'll record that first shot with a photo every time I go to practice. Archery: 6 sessions total, 6 = A, 5 = B, 4 = C, 3 = D <3 = F. +3 DEX 3. Extraction: Right now, I'm running about 15 miles a week over three sessions, give or take a mile or two. I want to keep that up, and make sure that I stay healthy. This means running ten or fifteen minutes, and then stopping to stretch for a few, and then stretching afterwards, within three hours. I'd also like to increase my once-per-week long run. There won't be a schedule but I'd like to make an eight mile run before the six weeks is out. Running: 3 sessions, 6 weeks, 18 sessions total. It doesn't count if there isn't any stretching. 17-18 = A, 14-16 = B, 11-13 = C, 8-10 = D, <8 = F. +2 STA, +2 CON Bonus: 8 mile run completed: +1 STA, +1 CON This schedule doesn't take into consideration any cross training, lifting, cycling, hiking, hunting, scouting, backpacking, etc that I might be doing in the mean time. All that will still go on, I'm just not counting it.

Sovellis woke with a splitting headache. He felt woozy and disoriented. Looking around, he saw he was back in Noor's stone shack. How had he gotten there? Wasn't he just at the ruins of that tower? Despite feeling awful, at least he could feel that the fae beast's hold on him had been broken. Noor calmly chopped vegetables, layering them over chunks of rabbit meat to start a stew. She ached all over and her mind felt crisped, but it was over for now. The tower was free of beasts and she could finish her research and collapse it's haunted hall. Sovellis was freed for now. "What the hell happened...?" he croaked, his voice hoarse from disuse. How long had he been out? "You were almost taken by a faebeast in that blasted tower. Do you remember anything? Did you accidentally talk to it?" Noor crossed to him and handed him one ofher heavy mugs filled with strong smelling tea Taking the mug, he tried to remember. "Ishu, I talked to Ishu." He shook his head. "But that makes no sense, Ishu couldn't be there. I had to get out, but I couldn't." His memories were a confusing mess, and didn't seem to flit together cohesively. "AH. it stole an image from your mind and tricked you into speaking to it. There was too much magic in that place to be safe." She shuddered, glad that the creature was gone. He stared down into the steaming mug, slumping. "I'm sorry, I should have been stronger. I'm not being any help at all. Just putting both of us in greater danger." She placed one large gnarled hand on his shoulder. "Stop. You know how dangerous fae can be. That's why I waited fro there to be two of us to go back. Had it been just me, it could have taken me I would still be there in its clutches. He looked up at his old friend with a sad smile. "Thanks for saving my life. Again. Heh, my family should have paid you double." She laughed long and hard remembering. "Your family pays plenty well. You should send them a letter after this. Speaking with Ishu for real might do you well." Nodding and fiddling with his signet ring, he sniffed the tea, then took a cautious sip. It was surprisingly good, if rather pungent and strong. "Were you able to find out anything helpful at least?" "Well, I came close to sorting through all the magics and traced the curse to the fae's room. Now that its gone and made a bond to not return, I can go back and finish my work. One thing I do know is that this curse can not be dispelled and has to be survived or bested." "A curse that can't be dispelled? I didn't know such a thing could be done. Damned fae. Sounds like you are doing a pretty good job besting it so far!" He still felt a little ashamed for being tricked and captured by the fae, but he tried instead to focus on his friend's success. "So, back to the tower again?" "Yes, soon. First though we need to make you well again. You didn't eat properly for several days, or meditate." That explained why he felt so horrible. "I'll be fine, I should just need a day or so. I don't want to slow you down." "And I could use a day to research and rest before heading back to work. We shall have stew and relax tonight, spend tomorrow regrouping. Then we can see how well you have recovered and if the fae keeps its word." At the mention of stew, his stomach growled. Nodding, his smile grew as a spark of hope returned to him. "Good plan, especially the stew part!" "I had good hunting today. A brace of rabbits, a small deer. Hunting w iht a cat is so difernt than with a dog." SHe beamed at the large sleeping cat napping inthe sunlight "Heheh, I bet, a predator that large that can also sneak up on things? Terrifying!" He stretched his stiff limbs, trying to feel closer to normal. This quest had not been kind to him so far, but he had to find a way to move forward. <-------<<< Woo! Another challenge! Last one did not go so well for me. My poor elf succumbed to the pressures he faced, but luckily he had his friend Noor there to defeat the fae beast and drag him to safety. This challenge I am back with the rangers, and will look very different for me, because school stuff is ramping up again. I am going to focus on balance. In therapy I realized there were 5 basic areas that I need to succeed in to be a happy, healthy person. Academia, spirituality, physical fitness, chores (basic adulting), and reducing my drinking. I have shown many times over that I can rock any one of these at a time. The problem is that I need to make them all work at the same time. For this challenge, I must do something productive in each category to be counted successful. Four of five categories accomplished is a successful day. This feels uncomfortable for me, because it will place less emphasis on several things I've been doing awesome at and more emphasis on things I've been avoiding. I am also trying to practice greater patience and empathy for myself, but most of the time I still want to kick myself in the face. We will see how this goes, hopefully it works better than the last challenge! Woooo! *dives in* Also, I am starting my challenge tomorrow and counting two days past the official end of the challenge because I mixed up what day of the week it was. Oops.

3 skills and 3 for improvement of self and non-procrastination (Archery falling in both) Archery 2 hours a week (~20min a day average, if one day is missed per week) That is a total of 12 hours for the challenge It may not arrive until the second week, but I plan to make that up with initial excitement. Push-ups Average 20 a day Which is 140 a week and 840 total Sewing I plan to level up this skill so that I can forge high charisma points. I have 3 started but not finished projects, and mending for a total of 4. -all mending by end of challenge, including new articles -finish making a jumper -fix an old dress project -corset After those I have some easy-ish ideas for further skill leveling before I start with the awesome attire ideas. Studying I was at 88% last challenge, so I won't up the amounts. Average 2 hours per day that is 14 hours a week and 84 total Maths, physics, certifications, languages, vocabulary, music, whatever Read/Write/Draw I had this as two separate goals in the last challenge. I did well at doing some of both each day but I want to work toward finishing stuff. 40 total books read, chapters written, or pictures drawn finishing a previously started one counts books can include small or large (there is a mix for my pile for deciding to give away or keep) pictures do not need to be digital nor coloured, just in a state of completion (shading, backgrounds, . . the full idea)

Welcome to my Challenge Log! 27th July - 6th September For those of you who don't read the intros (I'm sure there's a few). I'm a 32yo, Aussie mum of 3. I live in New South Wales in a small country town about an hour and a half west of Canberra. I'm a newbie gamer (playing LotRO - main is a lvl100 Runekeeper named Vilarya on Crickhollow server and I just bought Skyrim to try something I've never tried before and I love it, can't wait until VI comes out hopefully sooner rather than later!), I also bake, read sci-fi, fantasy and historical fiction and dress in vintage/vintage style (less now than ever because of my weight *sad face*). My Quest for these first 6 weeks is as follows.... Main Quest – Lose 5kg in 6 weeks SW: 111.4kg (as of 23/7) GW6wks: 108.9kg Goals Stick to a healthy eating plan (includes more vegetables and fruits, more protein and healthy fats and less refined carbs and gluten - trying to get my PCOS under control, 1900 calories a day) Aim to drink 2L + water every day and carry a water bottle with me everywhere NF Body Weight Circuit Mon/Wed/Fri Join the local Gym and start improving my lifting form Life Side Quest – Practice my archery and actually start hitting the target consistently (work on the basics/technique), before this year I never once picked up a bow and I want to be deadly accurate (working with recurve and longbows - no interest in compound bows). I plan to practice 30mins a day Tue/Thu/Sat. I'll get some walking in because right now the flights keep coming off arrows and I only have 5 that I can use right now. Motivation – Wanting to be able to fit in a vintage style tea dress I bought and have hardly worn The Dress Please feel free to pop in here and my Battle Log from time to time to see how I'm going. I do have before pictures I need to post, but I might save those until after the first challenge. It's just far too raw and confronting for me to post them right now.

Challenge #3 - Summer Assassin Training in the Druid Lands This challenge will be mostly completed on the road, therefore it needs to incorporate a lot of bodyweight exercises or other basic moves. I will be doing a lot of camping, hiking, and practical work as well, which is why I'm incorporating the druid/assassin themes for this challenge. 1. Exercise 6x/week & stretch daily (+2 DEX, +2 STR, +1 STA and +1 CON) Shouldn't be a problem. 2. Eat <1400 calories & at least 50 g protein (+2 CON, +2 CHA per kg lost) Preferably some fresh caught 3. Take extra skin care steps (+2 CON) morning and evening routine of wash, moisturize, medicate. My acne's been awful. Side Quest: (+3 WIS) read 3 books per week from my list. 2-3x/week (odds): | | Australian pull-ups (4x5), neg x225 lb [11 kg] shoulder press (4x4) >> Pike push ups?50 lb [23 kg] leg curls (5x4) >> sprints*20 lb [9 kg] hammer curls (5x4 ) >> archery25 lb overhead pullovers (5x4) >> tree/rope climbing *1 min. max speed, 2 min. jog, 1 min. rest (x5); 5 min. warm up+striders, 5 min. cool down2-3x/week (evens): | | 65 s bicycle crunchespush-ups, knuckle/decline (12/18) 65 s plank, side/front 76 lb [35 kg] bench press/incline (3x5) >> chest dips (x)45+ min. hiking/walking

Sovellis groaned as he woke up on the hard stone floor of Noor's mountain hut. This wouldn't do. "First thing we need to work on is making a better bed. Stone is not kind to my poor spine," he grumbled, "and I'm guessing we're going to be out here for a while." Stretching the stiffness from his limbs, he got up and looked around. The giant cat was laying on top of Noor, and the dog, Dael, was laying on top of the cat. The sight made him smile. He tried prodding his friend, who appeared to still be asleep. No reaction. So strange, her skin really felt like stone. Sighing, he got dressed and headed out into the cool sunny day. If she was still asleep, he may as well explore a bit and get the lay of the land. <------<<< Okay, so finally getting this post up. I had some family stuff that needed to be taken care of, but now that's out of the way. Still kinda processing stuff, but I think I can finally move forward with the challenge. I've moved over to the assassins because I want to work more on dex based stuff like slacklining. I'm trying to keep going on the habits I've been building in previous challenges, re-trying a failed goal, and adding in some new goals. This challenge will be done partly in conjunction with my friend Noor (her challenge post can be found here: Breaking Stoneshape ) Anyways, here's my goals for this challenge! 1. No Taverns in the Wild Redeux (CON): A = 1 day or less of drinking a week B = 2 days of drinking a week C = 3 days of drinking a week F = more than 3 days 2. Nimble Hunter (DEX): A = 5 days or more a week doing slacklining or archery B = 4 days a week C = 3 days a week 3. Warrior Poet (CHA/INT): Write a limerick a day! A = 38 days B = 32 C = 28 4. Make Ishu Proud (STR/STA): Keep up the strength and cardio training! A = 38 days B = 32 C = 28

Hi everyone My name is Alathel. I have been postponing this post for almost two years. I am writer (fantasy, sci-fi), martial artist (Boxing, Ninjutsu and Jeet Kune Do) and an archer (English longbow, Warbow) also poking in blacksmithing (why work with steel if not to make weapons :-). I work in IT and sedentary job is taking a toll on my health and fitness. I have always been a huge nerd, but also always wanted to learn the skills my heroes have. In my school days I used to be in competition level martial arts, but when I left for university I gave up on martial arts and after graduation I almost stopped training at all. Being also diagnosed with thyroid gland hypotrophy I felt just terrible, tired all the time. Since January I started working on my fitness again, but basically stopped caring about everything else. So my Main Quest is: Get back into shape without sacrificing my other endeavors - mainly writing a fantasy novel, but also archery training and blacksmithing. My race: Troll/elf - I am huge (6’4†260lbs), but gentle in the heart and don’t really fit anywhere. I am Paladin – a warrior/monk living by a strict CODE. My first 6-week challenge: 1) Go to gym 2-3 times a week (1 hour cardio, 1,5h strength, heavy bag until tired, is my routine) A = all 6 weeks, B = 5 weeks, C= 4 weeks. 2) Shoot a bow at least every 4 days (that’s supposed to be the time muscle memory lasts if you want to improve) A= no breaks in chain B = up to 2 breaks C = up to 4 breaks 3) Write 6 times a week at least 100 words A=max 6 days no writing, B=max 10 no writing C= max 15 no wriritng 4) Follow the CODE - THIS ONE will be in every one of my future Challenges A= followed, D= did not My paladin’s code is self-imposed and definitely not for religious reasons. I have been following it my whole life and this is it: · No Alcohol or any other substances influencing judgement · Be kind, even to your enemies · No sex without love · Protect and help the weak and the helpless · No fighting unless protecting someone’s health I will be posting daily/weekly progress reports. Also pardon my English - not a native speaker.

Working on a show, as usual, has taken its toll on my family life. It was a busy six week rehearsal process, and we have two weekends of shows left. I’m planning on taking Hoop 3/4 at the aerial studio, but I want to use this challenge to focus my energies on playing with my son and taking care of our house, rather than on feats of strength and endurance. Not, of course, that I won’t continue to work out, and eat right, but that I’ll be doing those things while focusing on my own family life and home. 1. Man of Steel Six days a week, mixing it up. I’ll run, ride, lift, dance, do aerial and yoga, and generally try to have fun. Long runs pushing the trailer (or rides pulling the trailer) with Superboy (previously known as “the apprenticeâ€) and Supergirl (aka, Mrs. Mediaguy) are encouraged. Just for fun, I’m going to track my pull ups. Right now I'm doing 5 sets of 5 in a workout. I’ll see how far I can take that by adding one to one or two sets a week. +3 STR, +3 STA, +2 DEX 2. Kryptonite The only time I’ve ever tried to track my calories I lost a lot of weight. Now, I’m not really interested in losing any weight as I’m hovering between 160-165 lbs, which is a great weight to be at for a 43 year old dude. So, I’m going to see about getting my protein up, my carbs down, and being consistent about tracking my foods. Starting in week one, I’ll track the food by estimate using MFP, while I research what macros should look like for an endurance/strength based athlete. In week two, I’ll start cooking and eating for those macros. I’ll also order one of those nifty kitchen scales. Desserts etc are fine, but only if they fit the macros. So no bingeing, and no days where I'm over my caloric goals (for maintenance, not weight loss)--those are kryptonite to me! +3 CHA 3. Fortress of Solitude Stay in at least three nights a week. No rehearsal, no classes, no meetings, no gaming. Just working on the house (cleaning, repairs, whatnot), cooking, and generally making it better, plus being available and present for the family. +2 WIS 4. Superfamily. Make dinner, go on a date, go on a hike, go on a bike ride, or simply do something fun with my lovely wife, Supergirl. Watching TV doesn’t cut it, even if Game of Thrones just started back up again. Of course, she’ll be out of town for ten days during this time, so those days won’t count. Same goes for Superboy. Read to him, bathe, play, whatever. We haven’t been playing together a lot lately and it’s had an effect on our relationship. So, put him to bed three nights a week will be the goal for that. Hikes with all three of us? Pure awesomeness. +2 WIS

Main Quest Week long back country Elk hunt (September 2015) Followed by a warrior dash in October Motivation 2 kids and a wife that needs me long term. An Elk hunt with my father before he is unable. Fleet of foot Last challenge, I was walking about one hour 3 times per week and I started to transition to Jogging. I’m going to continue with this goal and by the end of the challenge I will be doing 5 min walking/5 min jogging splits. My goal is to jog 30 min total within one hour. Points as follows: >30 min = 3 stam, 1 con >22.5 min = 1 stam, 1 con >15 min = 1 stam Push the earth: Instead of a boring goal like work out x times per week, I’m going to shoot for something I can be proud of. I’m going to gun for 100 pushups in one set. This will be a tough one. But I think I can pull it off. I’ll use one of the 100 push up challenges as a guide. If you have one that you have been success full with let me know. My last set of push-ups was 30/20/15. Points will be +4 str. All or nothing Let the arrows fly: In order to achieve my goal, I must start practicing now. So my goal will be to start sending shafts of wood (or aluminum) down range at a high rate of speed. I plan on practicing at least twice a week for the duration of this challenge and compete in a field tourney by the end of the challenge. Points as follows: 12 + practices = 2 dex 6 + practices = 1 dex Compete in tourney = 2 dex Writing I’m going to start a blog. I’ve wanted to do this for a while. So I’m going to commit to it. The blog is started, but it needs some polishing. My goal is to get it polished, hopefully before the challenge starts and consistently write. Points as follows 6 post over challenge = + wis/+1 Chr 3 post over challenge = +1 wis Some one subscribes = +1 Chr This is my draft and I may edit before we start. If you have suggestions please let me know. Edited to get to 15 stat points.

It's another new challenge! This time around I want to work on my flexibility, because it will help me with my aerial work, and I want to work on accuracy with my bow, because I really like hitting things with arrows. I've got a solid workout schedule in place, which is good, but I need to tweak it a bit to make it work for me. Finally, I'd like to continue my progress with meditation, because it helps me handle work, life, family, and the balancing act that is all those things. Last time around I realized I don't do well with extended periods of massive dietary restrictions, nor do I love keeping track of a million things. I'm totally addicted to working out, both in the gym, on the road (bike), or on the trails (running and mountain biking). I'm also up in the air all the time with my aerial work, so I really don't need to track that stuff. So here are my goals: 1. Strength training: because I spend so much time doing aerial trapeze, fabric, and rope, I'm going to lay off doing any upper body except for my rotator cuff exercises. However, I really need to keep working my legs and trunk, because those things don't get worked so much in aerial work, and with all the cardio I do they tend to atrophy rather than get stronger. So, I will make sure I work out my legs two days during the week, and one day on weekends. A day of telemark skiing counts, since it's basically squats at G+: Strength: Lift legs/lower body 2/3 days MWFHit gym for full body weights workout either Sat or Sun (If it's a ski day, then add upper body work i.e. pullups, push ups, in the evening)2. Stretching: All that cardio takes a toll on the hamstrings! I spend plenty of time warming up for aerial work, but hardly any time stretching after a run, ride, or just because. Stretching: Hamstring stretches 3x/day, 5x/weekLower back stretches 1x/day, 5x/week3. Archery: I am a pretty good shot! But I could be better. I hear the pros have a "checklist" that they go through for every shot. I'm going to get one, and practice with it: Archery: Figure out “the checklistâ€â€”a mental checklist before taking the shotGo shoot five times in six weeks.4. Snacks: I'd say my downfall is eating crappy food as a reward. I love my chocolate chip cookies, and I love snacks in general. I'm in much better shape when I lay off the snacks, so I'm going to try and limit my snack food intake. Snacks: Snack food two times per week. NOT EVERY DAY.Snack food means popcorn and tortilla chips too.Really, if I'm going to "snack" it should be good stuff! No plain old junk food for me, these delicacies should be delicious! So just say no to stuff that comes in a prepackaged bag or is run of the mill. Make it count. Grading scheme: Strength: 18 total ≥17 = A +3 STR 14-16 = B +2.5 STR 10-13 = C +2 STR 6-10 = D +1 STR 0-5 = F Hamstring Stretches: 15 per week (90 total) ≥85 = A +3 CON 76-84 = B +2.5 CON 65-74 = C +2 CON 55-64 = D +1 CON 0-54 = F Lower Back Stretches: 5 per week (30 total) ≥28 = A +2 STA 24-27 = B +1.5 STA 20-23 = C +1 STA 16-19 = D +.5 STA 0-15 = F Archery: 5 total sessions, and the checklist = +1 bump to DEX 5 = A +3 DEX 4 = B +2.5 DEX 3 = C +2 DEX 2 = D +1 DEX 1 = F Snacks: No more than twice weekly. ≤12 = A +3 CHA 13-18 = B +2.5 CHA 19-24 = C +2 CHA 25-30 = D +1 CHA 31-36 = F Rewards: TBD

Introduction: Hi I’m Yasha and this is my first challenge (third try, but this time I have a plan and I’m serious about following it). I’ve been a NF rebel subscriber for around 4years now, watching, waiting, biding my time (also chuckling at Steve's wit, and squee'ing over the sucess stories). Well, now is the time. I’ve been working in an office job for 9 months and in that time I’ve packed on more than 10kg, enough is enough. One of my officemates asked this week if I am pregnant. I’m not, but that question combined with the fact that my swimmers don’t fit has been the tipping point for me, and I’ve decided to commit to completing a whole 6 week challenge, with the intent to make some real change to my health and fitness. Nerdy interests: Roleplaying (D&D, Traveler and Dragon Age currently), Lord of the Rings, Disney, Starwars, Superheros, any Lego video game, Don’t Starve, Firefly and cosplay (when I have the $$). Main Quest: Be a desirable teammate in the event of the Zombie Apocalypse (Fit, Fast, Fine, Fighter). At the moment I wouldn’t be my own first choice, and I want to be. Quest 1: Water, water everywhere… Drink more water! Between 3-4bottles/day, and extra if it’s really hot or if I exert myself. (A= 7 days/week of water, B= 6 days of water, C = 5 days of water F= >5days of water -You’re dehydrated!) Quest 2: Walk it off sunshine! Walk for half an hour every weekday (in lunch, to work, up and down the street after work or laps of the library if it’s raining, don’t matter how, just do it). Due to back injury no impact sport/exercise, so for now I walk. (A = 5/5, B= 4/5, C=3/5 F= >3 – these boots were made for walking, not waddling!) Bonus points for any weekend walking (+1 for half hour weekend walk). Quest 3: What am I even eating? Track food/drink consumed, update logging what was eaten throughout the day. If I’m embarrassed to write it down, maybe it’s crap and I shouldn’t be eating it? Some slightly devious drinks (milk based) counted as half-crap as I try to break my horrendous lemonade addiction (worst week I recall was 3 2L bottles in 3 days). (A=0 crap/day, B=1 crap, C=2 crap, F= >2 craps). Life Quest: Archery! …I choose; archery. One lesson per week at the archery range at the PCYC. I am always and without fail crazy jealous of any character who uses a bow effectively (Merida, Hawkeye, Robin Hood, new Lara Croft, Katniss Everdeen), so why not become one of them? (A= 6/6, B=5/6, C=4/6) Life Quest 2: Money money money. Put aside $50/week into the house fund. One day we shall move from our ‘meh’ rental, into a house where I can get a dog, but until we save a deposit – it’s just not going to happen… (A=$300, B=$200, C=$100) Motivation: If I’m not in my prime at the prime of my life, when will I ever be? I want to be able to go for walks without hesitation, wear swimmers without modesty shirts, not be asked if I’m pregnant. Kick ass and take names! The time is now!

"Fall seven times, stand eight." - Miyasaki Main Quest - Become something more Mission 1 - Beginner Body Weight Workout 2 to 3 times a week Mission 2 - Walk/run for 2 miles once a week Mission 3 - Stop eating junk food. Life Quest - Start practicing Archery.

Who is the most bad-assed, strong, fearless, "normal" superhero out there? That's right. It's Daredevil. Does he have super-powers? Sure, but they're not physical. He's got his strength, his iron will, and his enhanced senses. Despite the fact that he is blind, he senses are honed to the point where he perceives his environment better than sighted people do. He's the ultimate acrobat, aerialist, and an expert marksman. In short, despite the fact that he is a hero and doesn't generally kill, he is the ultimate assassin. THE MAIN QUEST: To be come a bad-assed aerial assassin like Daredevil. I want to grow my abilities on aerial apparatus (hoop, trap, static trap, and maybe rope) and with any luck, perform at the aerial dance festival this coming summer. 1. CARVE THE BODY During the last two challenges, I focused on making sure I did so many bodyweight workouts, so many cardio workouts, only ate so many non-paleo meals, etc. This left me with six goals I needed to fulfill every week, and feeling like I was constantly checking off boxes. Well, no more. I know how to work out now, and I have built the habit of doing so. Instead, I'm just going to say that: I'm going to sweat at least six days per week, for at least an hour each day. I will engage in as much HIIT as I can stand while working out at the gym or out on the roads or trails. I will continue to do weights, and I will do them BEFORE doing cardio. I will also stretch after every workout. I got myself a fat-measuring scale, and while I don't believe it's totally accurate, it does give me a number for body fat percentage, and today that number is 14%13.6%. I want it to go down. Every quarter of a percent change in body fat percentage over the next six weeks equals a letter grade. I will measure and report progress weekly. +2 STR, +2 STA (note on the edit: checked tonight, and after just one day of not eating junk food and drinking plenty of water I'm down .4%, so I'm setting that as my new starting position). 2. CLEAN UP HELL'S KITCHEN Over the holidays I wreaked havoc on my diet, but Daredevil can't easily swing from fire escapes and perform all kinds of crazy body-weight acrobatics when he's carrying extra weight. I will eat paleo all week, except the weekends (6 NPT/week) I won't look at screens while I'm eating breakfast or dinner Eating paleolithically works really well for me, and I like it too. I really let myself go over the holidays and it shows. So I'll eat paleo all week, with no snacking, and eat non-paleo on the weekends and avoid snacking wherever possible. If some special occasion requires it, I can swap a weekend meal for an NPT (Non-Paleo Token). I will track calories on MFP on non-paleo days. I will need to up the amount of lean protein that I eat because I'm hoping to train even harder and build some more muscle this challenge. As always, game nights will be hard and I will need to bring veggies, fruit, jerky, and nuts because I KNOW I will be nibbly. I will also engage in mindful eating for every breakfast and dinner, and lunches on the weekends. During the week, because I work out over lunch, I have to eat at my desk and do work. Score for paleo for the session will be based off the number 36 (six weeks, two non-paleo days per week, three meals per day, +3 CON), and mindful eating will simply be a tally of the times I fail to avoid screens during meals, +2 CHA. 3. HONE THE SENSES Daredevil's amazing powers stem from the fact that he is acutely aware of his surroundings: He can hear the sound of a heart beat; he can feel the ink printed on a page; he can smell the difference between identical twins at twenty feet. I want to hone my senses, and to do so I'm going to further my practice of archery and meditation. To this end, for the next six weeks: I will practice archery any free Monday and Friday evenings I will meditate five to ten minutes a day. Practicing archery will help still my mind--it's so very zen. Not looking at the phone or laptop while I'm eating is going to be hard, and impossible at work, since I'm expected to work while I'm eating (my lunch hour is at the gym). So, archery practice will be based off of the number four, like last time, +1 DEX, and meditation will be based off of seven, +1 WIS. 4. BECOME THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR I'm signed up for a six-week static trapeze class. I'm also going to audition for the aerial class taught here at the university: eighteen slots, and I'm a continuing ed grad student, so I don't know if I'll get in. Either way, I will focus on working on my drops, ankle hangs, ankle beats, and working up in the ropes or high on the fabric. I will go to every class and try every piece of vocabulary Even when the move looks scary, I will do it at least once. I will remember that I am strong and can take it. Daredevil really isn't the man "without" fear--he's the man who constantly faces down his fear. And that's what I'm after. +4 DEX So, now that I'm at the end of this post, I realize that I'm going to be tracking six things again, every week. But it's only four goals, so I feel alright about that. I'll update this at some point with points and letter grades, and also write another post for rewards. Here are the "before" pictures. Honestly, they don't look a lot different from the previous "before" pics which is a little bit disheartening...

For weeks, Achaedia has traveled alone through the winter forest. She has grown used to the solitude, to the chittering of the birds overhead and the shuffle of rats underfoot. At the same time, she cannot shake the feeling that she is merely waiting for something to happen. Finally, something does. Crouched at a spring where she dips a hand into the water and drinks, she hears voices. She stands, shaking the water from her hand, and begins to make her way toward the sound. Before long, she comes to what appears to be a camp in a wide clearing. Tents are set up, banners and flags wave in the breeze, and people of all shapes and sizes engage in what Achaedia presumes could only be training. She stops someone walking by with a hand on her arm. "What is this place?" she asks, her voice husky from underuse. The other looks somewhat amused. "This is The Rebellion." "The Rebellion," Achaedia repeats, and takes another glance around the camp. "What are we rebelling against?" Suddenly, overhead, a great winged beast soars over the trees. It beats its great wings once and lashes its tail. Achaedia's gaze lifts to follow its course across the sky. She isn't the only one whose does. "A dragon," her companion remarks in reverent tones. Meeting Achaedia's expression, her mouth quirks in a wry smile. "Elder dragons are the source of all the corruption in the land." "And that was an elder dragon?" Achaedia asks. "No." Her companion glances into the sky. "That was only a minion." Appearing to shake herself off, she smiles over at Achaedia once again. "You, of course, aren't ready to face even a minion, if that's what you wish to do. You must train; become strong, both mentally and physically." If this isn't precisely what Achaedia has been waiting for, it is something. Meeting the eyes of her companion, Achaedia nods once. "Okay," she says. "I am ready to begin." *** Challenge 1: Become The Warrior I basically just want to become stronger, more flexible, more badass, and more fit in general. So to that end, here are my quests for this challenge: Quest 1: Consistent Training (+3 STA) It's easy to prioritize workouts when I'm off work, but I struggle with fitting it into my schedule when I work. So I am going to work out at least 5x a week, but preferably at least SOMETHING every day. Ideally, I will do weights 3x a week, cardio 2-3x a week, "rest" (yoga or archery) 1-2x a week. A: 5+ days/week B: 4 days/week C: 3 days/week F: <3 days/week Quest 2: Choose A Specialization (WIS 1, CHA 1) My friends who have successfully gotten more fit & have lost weight have found an activity that they love to do. I like to lift weights, but I can't do that every day, and I sort of hate cardio, so I need something else that I want to do, to motivate me to be active on days when I am not lifting weights. So for this quest, I am going to try kickboxing, parkour, and whatever else I come across in the next 6 weeks. I have already gotten groupons for both parkour and kickboxing, and I have had my first kickboxing class. A: 6 classes attended B: 4-5 classes attended C: 2-3 classes attended F: 0-1 classes attended Quest 3: Improved Balance & Flexibility (+2 DEX) If I want to be a martial artist or assassin or whatever, I need better flexibility, and my balance is horrible. For this quest, I am going to do balance/flexibility work (most likely in the form of yoga) every day after each workout, or (on rest days) just yoga. A: 7x/week average B: 6x/week average C: 5x/week average F: <5x/week average Life Quest: Masters Mastery (+2 WIS) There are a lot of things I need to work on in my life, but right now, I feel like my masters degree program has to be my main priority. I am a little less than halfway done, and I need to make my coursework more of a focus so that it isn't such a source of stress for me and so that I don't feel like I am constantly on the brink of failing (Note: I have a 3.5 GPA but I suck at school so it always feels tenuous). There's nothing standing in my way at this point. I have disability accommodations. I have Adderall and citalopram. I am at a point where I just need to do it and get it done. For this quest, I am going to pledge at least 1/2 hour on Thursdays and 1 hour on Sundays to my coursework, with additional time as needed to answer discussion post replies, complete assignments and get them in on time (aka within a day of their due date, which is per my accommodations). A: Assignments are, on average, 0-1 days late. B: Assignments are, on average, 2-4 days late C: Assignments are, on average, 5-7 days late F: Assignments are, on average, 8+ days late Assuming I do everything awesomely, at the end of this challenge, I will have: STR: 3 | DEX: 2 | STA: 3 | CON: 3 | WIS: 2 | CHA: 1 Before Photos & Measurements: Neck | 13.5" Shoulders | 41" Chest | 39" Bicep | 11.5" Waist | 34.5" Hip | 45" Thigh | 24.5" Calf | 13" Weight | 172.7 Pant Size | 14 Now back to your regularly scheduled music video from the year I was born. It has dance fighting!!!

I posted my weekly recap in my challenge thread. In writing it, I realized that I don't need to work on physical fitness or body weight, but that I have some very important changes I need to make around mindfulness and eating. I've got reflux disease and find that when I don't eat healthfully, I give myself reflux. Truth be told, I can even eat pretty healthfully, but if I eat too many grains, or too many fats, I get reflux. Reflux leads to esophageal cancer, and I don't want that, so I'm going to make that my priority and let the other stuff be, because I do it anyway. So my old goals are listed at the top, and my new goals are revised and at the bottom of this post. I'm posting here because I need to reframe my goals this challenge, and cut away the chaff (and some of the wheat too!!!) from what is a really cluttered challenge for me. Week 2 recap: Exercise 7/7 = A Non-Paleo Mealas 10/6 = C Meditation 3/7 = D No Screen Time (while eating) 14/14 = A Archery Practice = A Fearlessness = A (did all the things on trapeze) But, it's time to revise my challenge and focus on the things that are important. While I only have four goals up there, they each have one or two sub goals, and I'm overwhelming myself with details again. There need to be fewer goals. Archery, working out, and "doing all the things" in aerial class is really what I do anyway, and I'm not going to focus so hard on them because the goal of these goals (!!!) is to make new habits, right? And those are already ingrained. The habits I want to grow are meditation/mindfulness, especially around eating, and eating healthy for my guts. Typically this means eating paleolithically, though exceptions for small amounts of corn, oats, wheat can be made if made in MODERATION because I find that if I restrict myself, then I binge on "cheat days" and that's what causes my reflux. And any day I deem a "cheat" day or use those "NPT's" I just let it all hang out since I've already "screwed up". The new measurement will be: Do I need to take TUMS? If so, it's not a good thing because I'm giving myself esophageal cancer. I don't really care how much I weigh, but I'll still shoot for dropping BF%'s. I don't need abs, I don't need to lose any weight, but I'd like to up my musculature and shed a little more fat. But, I don't need to be ripped and I'm not into bodybuilding competition, so even though I'm still interested for myself, the BF% goal is going away. (Besides I'm practically there anyway) The newer simplified method probably looks like this: Meditate 5-10 min/day (6/7 days, one day off per week is tolerated) No screen time whilst eating breakfast or dinner (12/14 meals) No GERD/Tums (7/7 days) Everything else is just what I do. I feel good about these changes and feel less overwhelmed and obsessive about things. We'll see how it goes.

Welcome to my next six week challenge! This time around, I am starting off feeling pretty good about my body. I weigh a pretty consistent 155-160 lbs, and don't have a lot of fat left to burn. Of course the last time I checked I had a 16.8% body fat measurement, and that seemed alright by me. BUT, I'd like to reduce it, while building up some muscle. I also know that the weakest part of my aerial work is my flexibility, so that is going to be the focus of this challenge, all while building and maintaining habits to keep me healthy and strong. Since I'm an assassin, I intend to become more deadly. With that in mind I want to become deadly accurate with my bow. The following goals will help me with these things, and become a better embodiment of my assassin hero, Garrett (from the Thief quadrilogy of games), an assassin so stealthy that he could come and go without a trace, easily blending into the wind. Goal 1: Increase flexibility For the first two weeks, I want to start and or my day with 10 min of stretching, focusing on the legs and back. Week three, I'd like to up that to four days a week, and for weeks five and six, I want to up that to five days a week. I'll log days I stretch in this topic, as part of the daily updates. Also I will attend two yoga classes per week. Week 1-2: Stretch 10 min/day, 3x/week, + 2 yoga classes Week 3-4: Stretch 10 min/day, 4x/week, + 2 yoga classes Week 5-6: Stretch 10 min/day, 5x/week, + 2 yoga classes Goal 2: Wear more black. Enough said. Goal 3: Maintain and build strength I'm going to continue to work out in the gym and build my endurance. I'd like to have one day for lower body, one day for upper body, and one day for full-body. I'll continue to log my progress both on Evernote and here in the forum. Also, I'm going to continue to endurance train. Most likely this will mean running, as the days are getting cold and bike rides are hard to get in. Three days a week, minimum. Finally I want to bust out pull-ups in a major way. I want to work up to 15 pull ups in a row. In summary: Weights workout: 3x/week Endurance: 3x/week Pull ups: 15 in a row by challenge end. 20 equals a bonus. Goal 4: Fuel the progress Getting the right kind of fuel into the system. Eating Paleo has been a godsend for me. I almost never need to eat Tums to turn off my acid stomach. So, I'm going to continue with this plan, and up my goals so that I'm truly 80/20. With that in mind, instead of simply practicing weekends off, I will allow myself one breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner "off" paleo every weekend, and one free meal. If all other goals have been met, I can also have one dessert on Saturday or Sunday to celebrate the previous week. Weeks begin on Sunday and end on Saturday. Also, I need to start drinking more water. I will drink two liters of water per day, and consume .5 additional liters for every hour of workout. Paleo meals: 17 out of 21 meals per week. One free dessert if all physical goals met. Water: 2 liters a day + .5/hour of workout. Decaf coffee counts. Goal 5: On target Make time to practice with my bow. Sometime during the first three weeks of the challenge, I will go to an indoor archery range and sight in my bow again, for 10 and 20 yards. During the challenge I will get to the archery range to practice at least four times total. Target practice: 4x in six weeks Life Challenge: Train the apprentice I have a three year old son (who will turn four in a matter of weeks). It is time to begin his training in the art of assassination. I will read to him three nights a week, minimum. My wife usually handles the nighttime routine, but I think I can convince her that I can do it three nights a week. I will cook with him three nights a week, minimum. He loves to stand on a chair and watch me make dinner, so now it's time to get him involved. I'll try to get him to measure out, pour in, mix, and stir whenever it's safe (that is, not over the frying bacon, not over the pot of boiling water, but definitely stirring the sauteed veggies and possibly helping to flip the chicken on the grill). Reading 3x/week Cooking 3x/week

Hey, Newbie here. I recently broke my leg (full spiral fracture of the tibia, comminuted fracture of the fibula), and ended up losing some weight as a surprising silver lining. I would like to lose a couple more pounds, which should be fine to do, just to get my waist all svelte again as of old. But I definitely lost muscle in my right leg, and the bone hasn't healed yet, so exercising will have to be carefully planned and gingerly done. I"ll start physical therapy soon, so I expect to get exercises to return to general functionality, but: My goal is to be more fit than I was before to return to these activities at a higher level: archery, horseback riding (mostly dressage), figure skating (that's how I broke my dang leg, just started learning backward crossovers), and hiking mountains with my canine companion. What profession suits me best, do you think? I'm female and want decent stamina and strength, balance, agility, but three of my four activities involve motor skills with other objects, so ... i think sensitivity/awareness is also required. That's more of a mental thing, perhaps, but it's a critical component; both my bow and my horse and my skate edge respond dramatically to a fraction of a difference in degree of touch or angle. On the upside, because of the surgery, my right leg now has epic gear built in: a titanium rod and 3 screws. I just need to upgrade the leg accordingly to its full potential, plus the rest of my body to work as a cohesive unit. Thanks tons, and really enthused to meet y'all! Ashy P.S. I dunno what race I'd be in here, but in RL I'm kinda squinty eyed.

Good evening scout camp! I've decided to become this mythical creature I've heard of.....the runner....capable of feats of endurance, putting down miles in all conditions, indifferent the heat of mid-summer and the cold, freezing depths of winter. The goal for my first challenge as a scout is simply to begin this undertaking of becoming a runner. PART 1, ROUTINE: Run at least 3 times per week. At least one run will be a morning group run with the local running group I have joined. The rest will be solo runs, which I usually do on weekdays in the early morning, before I go to work. PART 2, PROGRESS: When I do my solo runs, I am generally running no more than 1.5 miles (keep in mind I am new at this, and I don't want to hurt myself or end up hating running). By the end of this challenge, I would like to increase that distance to 2.5 miles. PART 3, CROSS-TRAINING: While focusing mainly on my running, I also want to build up some upper body strength. For this I would like to continue doing a body weight routine of some form or another, 3 times per week (the exercises I currently do primarily come from a book called Archery Strong....a book of strength training techniques specific to the sport of archery). ***On PART 3, I may on occasion substitute some other form of physical activity for the usual body weight exercises.....sometimes I take my daughter swimming or go to a yoga class with my wife....these will count too.*** LIFE GOAL: Since I am doing so much that is rather new to me, I'd like to go back to something old as well, something I used to do on a regular basis for fun. Something perhaps related to fitness, but not necessarily the primary focus of my fitness training. Perhaps a martial art like aikido, judo, or karate. Or perhaps....archery! I first got into archery about 6 years ago and have gone through periods of regular practice and no practice at all. I think it's been a year now since I last picked up a bow. I still have all my old gear, so the cost will be minimal (just range fees and any maintenance my bow might need). Of all the options, archery is my leading choice right now. It was my interest in getting back into archery that has led me to the strength exercises I'll be doing for PART 3 (above), so in a way it is pushing my to become more fit. But overall, the purpose of the life goal is to do something active and enjoyable (just for fun) that isn't necessarily a fitness goal.