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So, I failed so hard at the last challenge, that I am pre-emptively failing at this one now too, starting so late as I am. So since I am starting a week and half in, and I I really struggled to just hit the basics from last time, I am just going to revisit the same goals, as follows: 1) Hydrate!! 2) Walk and Stretch every day!! >>>> Literally how I look when stretching, only less cheerful 3) Log Everything!! Win conditions and loot: Make an effort at all three items each day (doesn't have to be perfect, it's about effort and habit building), and complete at least 2 side-quests to make up for missed challenge days and I will win myself that long coveted sticker for my water bottle. Side-quests (pick two): - Tailor in the bodice on my Landsknecht gown in time for Oktoberfest - Finish cleaning out the garage to make room for the swing set kit being delivered and to make a work out space - take the kids on at least 2 more solo adventures - clean off desk in library - finish writing the fanfic chapter I have been sitting on for 2+ years - finish my embroidery project and applique it to my sleeve - pick a new first day of preschool outfit for the Red Panda Things I need to remember: - I am a battering ram when I want to be! They may be my least favorite siege weapon but the analogy is apt. Cumbersome, unwieldy, but once you get them moving that wall is going to come down. - One day at a time. Before I can even GET to "never miss two in a row", I need to focus on the step in front of me - This isn't just for me it's for my kids. I mean, it's also for me, as my kids really don't care about how I look or feel in a pair of jeans (for now). But I want better for them in their lives so I need to model the habits I want them to have. Just doing it for my own vanity or comfort is never going to be enough impetus. But them . . .they are -If it's worth doing, it's worth doing poorly. Even if I can't do it perfectly, something is better then nothing. - Spite is a perfectly acceptable motivation if it gets me moving

Hi All! I did up a brief (re)introduction to myself a few weeks ago over at respawn point a few weeks ago, but always feel weird about starting a challenge late, so didn't do much else, but I'm still in time for the new challenge, so here I am doing the things . . . A very wise (video game) woman once complained about people that "stand in a fire and complain that it is hot". And that is what I have been doing. I complain about how I look. I complain about how I feel. I complain about not being able to keep up with my little hoodlum children. And yet at the end of the day, what do I do but plonk myself down on the inferno of my couch, and add the lighter fluid of ice cream to make the flames just that little bit hotter. So these are my first steps to get out of the damned fire. They may be small, but at least they are something. So, without further exposition .. . my challenges; Goal is to drink at least one of my big bottles of water every day. I know, I know! minimum should be two. But one is better then none, and honestly, once I start drinking water, I always end up drinking more, so better to set my goal to "some" and exceed then to set my goal to "correct" and balk and fail at doing it. Doesn't matter when I do it - I can chug the whole dang thing at 11:59 pm and it will still count. Loot: sticker for my sad, un-adorned water bottle. Why do I want to achieve this goal: hydrate or diedrate, amirite? Feel better, feel less hungry, less headaches, more bathroom breaks, and set a good example for the hoodlums Obstacles in my way: water is gross, tea is delicious Actions needed to achieve my goal; become "that" person and carry water bottle everywhere. Make sure to fill the bottle at the start of the day with tap water from home, which is slightly less awful tasting then water from tap at work. Goal is to stretch and walk at least once every day. I sit too much and everything hurts. I'd love to commit to regular multiple work outs a week. I am not there yet. I want to be, but it took me months to work up to that before. I think I keep failing at my attempts to respawn cause I am trying to jump in whole hog. So lets work on the incremental change. Walks can be any time, anywhere - I lose momentum when I try to "schedule" it for early in the morning, then feel bad about not being able to get out of bed. Bonus points if I take the kids or the dog with me. Streching can be morning or night, or even at desk during the day. Loot: fake hair scrunchie (not at all related to the challenge, but really want one, so yah motivation!!) Why do I want to achieve this goal: More movement, less ouchie. More calories out. Get body ready to eventually start work outs again. Set a good example Obstacles in my way: Sleeping in, refusing to get up from my desk at work, stretches that don't suit my needs, Actions needed to achieve this goal: keep experimenting with stretches till I find some that I really like, remember I've got the world's cutest dog who deserves walkies, set alarms on my phone to remind me to take my breaks Goal is to track all the things. It may seem low-tech and harder to do then keeping it in an app, but for now, track it in my paper planner, just so it's all in one place. If I need to, I can log it in various apps in my phone and then mark it off in my planner. But I should be at least trying to log it all in once a day. This includes tracking meals (which will be put into an app, but then checkmarked off in the paper planner) Loot: order my new planner early (my year resets in September) and include some "splurge" features in it. Why do I want to acheive this goal: There is no point drinking water and stretching/walking if I don't see that I am doing it. If I forget to log it a day, I eventually spiral into not doing it. And if I physically see how much I have eaten, it's easier for me to make the decision to not eat more. I can't argue with cold hard data. Obstacles in my way: taking time to put everything in the planner, data spread across too many apps. Actions needed to achieve this goal: keep planner on hand at all times. swap out current watch that I love but that I don't like the app, with one of my old fitbits I will try to post here regularly-ish with updates. Expect Gifs, anecdotes of the offspring, and maybe even pictures of the dog for she is cute and needs a bigger fan club

Hi Friends. I disappeared last challenge. Honestly I disappeared from most of social media. If it did not involve blanket nesting on the couch..... I probably had to force myself to do it the past couple of weeks. I honestly can't say I am ready to emerge back into being social and doing good things. But I have to at least make the attempt.

I've been clicking around since mid-January debating respawning under a new pseudonym, but the 10 year anniversary talk inspired me to look back at my old challenge threads. Figured at the very least I can reappear under a name some will recognize. Also, if I go way, way back and count up the challenges I have at least created a thread for this will be #42. Which helped immensely not overthinking the thread's name. 🙄 And it is also a heck of a lot more challenges than I expected. Have not come anywhere close to re-reading them but there are common themes and goals from past to present challenges. AKA - A lot of data for what has/has not worked that I can use to better organize my future. 2020 Themes: doggedness - persistent determination. positivity - the practice of being or tendency to be positive or optimistic in attitude. Challenge Links & Summary Year # Challenges Ranger Druid Assassin Rebel Scout 2012 4 4 0 0 0 0 2013 5 0 2 3 0 0 2014 3 0 0 3 0 0 2015 0 0 0 0 0 0 2016 7 0 0 1 0 0 2017 11 5 0 0 4 2 2018 6 6 0 0 0 0 2019 5 5 0 0 0 0 Total 41 20 2 7 4 2

Everything has a tendency to feel fresh and new and exciting when a new year dawns, more so when a new decade comes upon us. The temptation to throw every hoarded goal out there for people to see is overwhelming. ...but I picked this year to be very, very quiet. Recovery is first and foremost in my mind, both physical and mental. Admittedly the latter more than the former, but the former does help massively with the latter. the goals [opening tasks] Some things need to be done no matter how much I dislike the idea, and that is to figure out where I am with just about everything. Measurements, photos, and any other data I think I might need. All needs to be collected and put in the battle log during zero week. food I've managed to create a somewhat successful weekly meal prep habit and I am confident that will hold. The next thing to tackle is my depression eating, or rather, depression lack-of-eating. Hot having anything other than a quick snack or even nothing at all isn't a good thing at the best of times, and it's outright damaging when you're working eleven hour shifts six days a week, sometimes more. So to begin with I have two targets to hit daily: 2000 calories 2L water That's it for this round. Observations will be made. Adjustments will happen next time. fitness Having racing out of the picture for the next twelve months means I get to set my own pace and spend a lot more time on building from the ground up. Which I need. I'm sure at one point my body was fairly well put together, but I have broken it a lot since then, and neglected it even more so. So, again, going for very simple things, focusing more on habit building than anything else. Fifteen minutes daily mobility Four yoga sessions weekly Two workouts weekly A single walk weekly That, at least, I know I can fit into my schedule no matter how hectic work gets. wellbeing The goals are, again, very simple, as is the why of it all. I'm not in a good place. Actually, I'm in a fairly awful place, and it's incredibly difficult to keep pulling myself up and out of every awful place I end up in. It's tiring. I want to get back to a place where I can believe life has something to offer other than hurt and misery and isolation. It's going to take time, but I think I'm stubborn enough to stick it out. Nightly meditation to clear my mind Morning meditation to calm any fear or anxiety present Daily positive affirmations (do not need to be unique ones every day) Do something creative daily Talk daily. Even if I feel like I have nothing to say, even if it's only a bare bones account of my day and not much more. Whatever it takes to keep from silence Ten minutes of cleaning/daily household work Very much back to basics, focusing on both what I enjoy doing and what will help me maintain balance in my day to day life. Admittedly this whole thing is somewhat frustrating. Being set back by a major breakdown isn't exactly a new thing, but I usually don't have plans that I'm on the verge of putting into action when it happens. Part of re-working this challenge and actually going ahead with it is to help myself realise that holding onto the guilt and the anger over it is at best useless and at worst self-destructive. Ideally, I'd like to be ready to push on with my original plans at the end of this cycle, but I'm acutely aware that this challenge covers a period of tricky and often turbulent time for me. So I'll settle for holding steady. Really, I'm continuing my festive theme of survival. Got to get a handle on that before I can do anything else. So that's what I'll do.

That's a good question Parody Judge. For most of the summer and the first part of what the calendar assures me is "Fall" fitness has taken a back seat in my life. Buying and moving into a house then becoming a parent within two months of each other can certainly lead to distraction. The thought has occurred to me that I now work for a Fitness Company (Our very own Nerd Fitness, where I am the admin for the forums), and at the heaviest weight I have ever been and have lost some of my strength and a lot of my endurance. Now, please understand, I'm not beating myself up for this, I simply recognize the irony. Having said that, I'm in a place where I want to re-prioritize fitness. Last challenge the baby came, and as I write this during week 5 of the previous challenge (rank hath it's privilege) Little Bit is 5 and a half weeks old. It's a challenge to work out with a baby, but I had been slacking before she got here, so she's no excuse. It's a matter of setting a goal and achieving it. So what are my goals? Cook a bunch and continue with intuitive eating. I haven't lost weight yet with IE, but that's not the point. The point is to heal one's relationship with food and begin to listen to body signals of hunger and fullness. I'm in that stage right now, and have noticed I no longer eat boredom, and am beginning to tell the difference between hunger and thirst. Eventually I will focus on nutrition again. This isn't a SMART goal, but IE is, by it's very name, intuitive, so I'm okay with that. For fitness, I want to work out three times a week. Each workout type will be it's own goal, because I want to do one of each type per week. (Damn it, it's so hard to find KB gifs that aren't of sexualized women) Anyway, I plan to do NF's Beginner Kettlebell Workout once a week. That would be five times for the challenge, six if I get one in during zero week. (Wow, It was a lot easier to find nonsexualized Yoga gifs. It was mostly a bunch of stuff of people actually doing yoga) Nerd Fitness has a Yoga program, and I bought it not long after it came out. It's very helpful. However, with the gain in weight and lack of practice, I'm not able to do as much as when it was a regular practice. Therefore, I plan on doing Yoga once per week. Any of the NF videos are fine, though it will likely be water A. Ruck the baby. Little bit is still to young to face forward as in the gif. I'll be carrying her like this: That's actually the model we got from our registry from one of you fine rebels here ( you know who you are). I plan on going for a walk once a week with the baby strapped on. The stroller counts if I have to use it, but the carrier is preferred.

I still have to close out week 3 and 4 of last challenge. But wanted to get something up since as soon as work week starts back up I will have no time or energy to post. Been working minimum 12 hour days the past few weeks. Which is starting to effect general wellness since I went to urgent care yesterday and have either shingles or a staph infection according to the doctor on duty. I'm in my late 20s and might have shingles (booo). On the plus side I won't drink while taking medication so guaranteed 7 days without alcohol? Challenge is going to be super basic this time around. Life is insanity so I want to reward myself for doing a lot of little good things. This isn't full list, I might add to it as I think of things. Some stuff probably overlaps through multiple categories. When I do the thing, I get a point. Work to be a little better each day... Physical (Exercise) Cardio 10+ Minutes (bike or run) Walk 2+ miles in a day (doesn't have to be a single walk) Nutrition (Food & Drink) Bring Lunch to Work Cook homemade dinner (to get this I must participate in the cooking/prep work) 5 servings of vegetables in a day Avoid the candy jar at work Drink 0 Alcohol in a day Drink 2+ Liters of Water in a day Emotional / General Wellness Take a Shower 10+ mins of Yoga Take a walk during lunch at work (5+ minutes) Spend 5+ minutes cleaning

A little on the late side (I wanted to make this a five week challenge), but present nonetheless! 2018 in brief: Not good, bad headspace, poor race performance, injury, frustration. This will NOT be 2019. I'm putting my foot down right now. I refuse to have yet another year like that. I think I've organised myself into a good starting point for it all. I've broken open a new battle log to keep track of the bulk of my physical and nutritional endeavours, and I'm keeping my challenges specific to skill work, mental health related goals, and trying brand new things. (...I suspect the two logs will blur together from time to time because that's just how life is, really) January has dawned and somehow everything seems a lot bigger and more challenging this side of the barrier. There's a part of me that wants to do the grand resolution thing, and I guess in a way I already have kind of done that in my battle log, but I know that's not how I'm going to bring myself success this year. I have my big goals and then I have my smaller goals, and it's the latter I need to focus on first. Little goals broken down further into bite-sized chunks. Easy to digest, easy to implement change. That's what this challenge is, and that's what my remaining winter challenges will likely be. A return to a tried and tested format. Nothing exciting, hopefully nothing too dramatic, just a few small steps in the right direction. Goal One: Structure I'm keeping my workout schedule of M/W/F strength/bodyweight and T/T running as right now it feels good. This can and probably will change later down the line, but while I'm re-establishing my baseline I don't see any reason to get rid of what is currently working. Added into this is a daily calorie goal of 2000. This is as much to prevent under-eating as anything else, something which I'm prone to of late, and is a reasonably flexible target depending on just how much I'm doing on any given day. For example, any heavy activity days (an eight hour shift plus a run, or a cycle commute, a six hour shift, and a strength workout) are going to require more in the tank. This is also a call for me to log everything so I can get a clearer picture of just what is going on in my diet right now. I'm not going to make any major changes this month, this is going to be an observational period. Aims Workouts to take place before work/early morning whenever possible Daily intake is to be logged and NOT obsessed over Apply the 'never miss two in a row' principle to both food and exercise Goal Two: Pull-ups I for sure won't be able to do one this month, but why should I let that stop me putting the work in? I have a number of sources giving me a wide variety of ways to work up build up exercises, so there's no excuse here. Aims Daily deadhang practice. Bonus goal: find a new max hang time by the end of the challenge Add pull-up skill work to two workouts weekly Goal Three: Positivity I am a master of self-sabotage. Fortunately I am also a master of recognising my own bullshit, if not so great at putting a stop to it. This is a step to do just that which requires only two things. Aims AM meditation, preferably after I've and a coffee otherwise it will be mostly morning snark. Just a short period, under five minutes, with a focus on how I want the day to pan out Daily mantra. Until now my daily mantras have been things like 'today will be crappy' or 'I can't wait for this to be over so I can go back to bed'. That doesn't help anyone. Not me, not the people who have to listen to me whinge and moan. These negative mantras will be replaced with positive ones, and I will say them until I believe them. 'Today will be crappy' could easily turn into 'today I have an opportunity to prove myself at/with/to X' or something along those lines. Bonus task: Positive self talk. Like the mantras, I'm very good at putting myself down and casting a negative light on myself and my performance. That has to stop. It isn't just messing with my mind, it's messing with my training. So, like the above, I will turn all negatives into positives. And, uh, that's it. I'm keeping it as simple as I can because I don't want to overwhelm myself, especially not on the first challenge of the year, especially not during the dead of winter. This time of year is never a good time for me, so it makes perfect sense (to me) to be focusing more on the mental health side of things. I am also making as much of an effort as I can to be more present and not isolate (which I absolutely did over the festive period and that didn't go so well), so am committing myself to daily updates no matter what.

Hi All! I'm gonna try and get things rolling again...because I've been out of it for a while it seems. I haven't been working out consistently. I haven't been eating clean or drinking enough water. And I've just been struck with a general cloud of laziness with a mixture of undisciplined motivation. But, that's just on the fitness side of my life. Other than that, I've been really busy. I mentioned briefly before about my involvement with a discord community called Your Anthem. It's ran by a good buddy of mine, William, and since discovering his YouTube channel covering content for Anthem over the summer, I've been heavily involved with the growth of the community. So much so, that I became the servers first moderator. It's a great community that reminds me a lot of NF, just more chat room structured than forum. Work has been busy too. I now have MORE responsibility because I took over another process on top of my other daily tasks and we recently moved back to the building I used to be in, so, I have the esteemed pleasure of walking 6 flights of stairs multiple times a day! I really missed the stairs when we moved the last time-it's a great little form of cardio. Aaannnnnddd...Heather is 9-weeks pregnant!! Yep, you read that right! The only downside is that she is severely nauseous. This puts a bigger strain on me because she's basically bed ridden most of the day and the cooking/cleaning also falls on my shoulders. We are keeping the pregnancy "hush hush" for the time being. We've made a lot of announcements the last year and don't want to make any more sad ones if we don't have too. We're just going to take this new pregnancy one day at a time. So, in a nut shell, that's whats been going on with me. Busy but still needing accountability from my NF fam. I'm going themeless for this challenge except for anything Anthem related. I'm SOOOOOO excited about the release of this game. I've never been obsessed with a game like I am with Anthem. If you were around for Watch Dogs 2 and thought that was bad, then you haven't seen NOTHIN' yet, lol. Goal 1: Consistency Get back to strength training 3x a week: 1 lower body, 1 upper body and 1 full body day. Nothing fancy just good ole fashion strength basics. Possible Points: +4 STR Goal 2: Hot Sauce Metcons are like hot sauce-a little goes a long way! Perform 2x metcons a week. Preferably after your workout. This can range from a kettlebell complex to sprints. Spend 10-20 min spiking the heart rate and activating the sweat glands. Possible Points: +2 DEX, +2 END Goal 3: The Fat Freelancer Fact #1: A fat Freelancer pilot can't fly. Whereas I've never been fat...I am losing my leanness and getting into more "dad bod" shape than "wolflean" shape. I'm up over 200# now and my abs are almost non existent. Time to focus on my diet and getting in plenty of H20. Possible Points: +4 CON Goal 4: Spead the Grabbit Love What is a grabbit? This "little" creature is a grabbit. Our Anthem discord started a community wide event that involves two warring factions: The PETG aka People for the Ethical Treatment of Grabbits lead my none other than muah. And the TRA aka The Tarsis Rifle Association. The PETG are out to defend the grabbits from extermination and the TRA is out to destroy them. It started out as an inside joke within the community and then William decided to turn it into a full-blown community wide event involving all the Anthem content creators out there and take to Twitter for a mud-slinging good time. I got tasked to run the PETG twitter handle with a good buddy of mine and so far, it's been a funtastic time! We even have Anthem's devs and designers involved in on the fun! It's cool because I'm getting to use all the skills I've learned from my years on NF, and that's knowing a good gif game goes a LOOOONG way :D. The goal is to see who has the most followers by the end of the month long challenge as well as who talked the best trash. Winner gets some professional artwork drawn for them. Like I've said, I'm having a blast with this! If you guys would like to support my side of the war (and ALL grabbits alike), then please go to @AnthemPetg on Twitter and follow me :). Like and retweet posts if you're feeling froggy ;). Possible Points: +3 CHA OK, so, there you have it folks. Short. Sweet. And too the point. I apologize for not being around as much and I'll do my best to keep up with other threads moving forward. I've missed you all! P.S. And @Raxie and @darkfoxx I'm sorry about our scheduled call the other day. I was having major phone issues. I hope we can try that again soon?! Wolf

Hey, y'all! Hi. I think (knocks frantically on wood) that we are, for the moment, kind of over it with the destructive weather events and significant life stressors. Post-lightning-strike, post-Florence, post-Michael situation: We have considerable damage to the house, more than we realized at first, but it is livable and fixable and our homeowner's insurance company helped us as much as they could as quickly as possible. With everyone else in the region so devastated, many much more than us, and then Florida needing even more critical help just a few weeks later, I have absolutely zero complaints about how well we were treated. The claim is now resolved, and repairs start next week. On top of the home repair sitch, we are implementing a new curriculum in one of the schools I manage, which effectively triples my workload. And the hubs and I had to move out of the master bedroom - so we are living in the guest room, most of my clothes are in the Hobbit Hole, but all my shower/skincare/makeup stuff is still in the Master Bath ... my routines are a bit disrupted. NaNoWriMo is less than two weeks away and I'm a Municipal Liaison again this year. I have not been to the gym in ... I don't exactly remember how long. I went once since Florence. Couple weeks ago. And my digestion isn't working right. Common stress response for me, but it means that my foodz consumption has been, kind of, a lot of chicken broth, saltine crackers, and "now I'm feeling sorry for myself so I'll deal with the bloated discomfort" junk food. So - for this challenge, I'm gonna need to lean back into the basics. Eat decent food, pick up some iron, manage my stress, learn how to sleep. Food Track The Foods. I did that thing where you get your nutrition completely dialed in and it's all working great and you think "yay, now I don't have to worry about that anymore" ... has that ever worked for anyone? Not me! The wheels have completely fallen off. And I don't know if it is stress, or an actual medical thing, or what (I have a doctor's appointment next month) but lately I have been feeling very bloated and sometimes mildly nauseated after eating. So tracking should 1) help me be more conscious of what I am putting in my face and whether it is nourishing me or just temp-fixing a boredom or self-pity problem, and 2) help me pinpoint if I feel worse after particular foods or food types Input Power Challenge Goal: Track every bite through challenge period. I use MFP. Accountability post here at least 3x/week. Input Power Victory Threshold: Complete tracking at least 24 of the 28 challenge days. Input Power Loot: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil Workout I started off Hurricane Florence with a resolve to at least keep up with 3x/weekly home workouts (suspension trainer/bodyweight work). That lasted through the first week. The stress, the fatigue, the week without power (sleeping without no air conditioning when you are not acclimated is no joke, y'all), the constant vigilance against looters - frankly fitness was a low priority. I did do a fair bit of physical labor - fence repairs, tree cutting, and debris hauling mostly - but it was sporadic. And now that I'm back to my mostly sedentary desk job, I have to pretty much start from scratch to re-establish the habit. I am not quite dumb enough to just jump back into my previous programming. Y'know, lest I die. Also, new curriculum implementation = seriously limited gym time. I'm starting back close where I was five years ago as a complete beginner, with Nia Shanks' "Minimalist 3x3" program. It's a ten-week program, all large compound movements, 3 exercises per workout (basically a Push/Pull/Legs scheme.) Focus - get in the gym and out of the gym in under an hour while building up basic strength in the main lifts. Increase Hard Drive Capacity Challenge Goal: Actually go to the gym and do the thing three days a week for all four weeks. Post here for accountability. HD Capacity Victory Threshold: Complete 10 of 12 scheduled workouts. HD Capacity Loot: Rings , so I can transition back into the NF Rings program that I had just begun to play with before le hurricane. Sleep I am a lifelong insomniac, but there are things that help. If I do them. Hubs and I are setting up our regular mattress in the Hobbit Hole so I have a place to retreat to on my sleepless nights. Whether he is snoring, or I just can't shut down the brain, it helps if I can move to another room. Headspace just added a huge pile of "Sleepcasts" - basically guided imagery sleep meditations - that have helped a lot. My big problem now, new since the hurricane, is just not putting myself in bed and turning out the lights when I should. Being a NaNo ML has compounded the problem. I get caught up in reading - or sending - "just one more" e-mail or forum post or ... well, y'all know how that goes. Power Conservation Mode Challenge Goal: In bed with lights out by nine every night. Power Conservation Mode Victory Threshold: 23 of the 28 challenge days Power Conservation Mode Loot: A new shade of fountain pen ink OGSiP (Other Goals Still in Progress) Having power and internet out for so long broke my streaks on Duolingo, YouVersion Bible, Headspace, and 4theWords. Insane situations with unexpected home repair expenses and travel have thrown our EveryDollar budget tracking and meal planning habits into chaos. Sad Gemma is sad. But we are rebuilding. Current status: YouVersion: 3 Duolingo: 30 Headspace: 30 4tW: 29 EveryDollar budget and meal planning: having a (belated) midmonth budget and meal planning meeting with the hubs tonight to try to limit October's damage so we can be back on point for November. Peripherals Challenge Goal: Just keep all that going. I'm not setting a victory threshold or loot for this, because I'm so attached to watching streak numbers go up I don't need an external reward. But the last day of this challenge coincides with my birthday (52 is the new 25, if you hadn't heard). Happy birthday to me = once we move back into our bedroom I am making the trip to Ikea to buy my Hobbit Hole bookcases!

2018 - Kestrel Builds A Temple - Part 1 (Foundations) My temple may be built in the clouds, but it is getting a solid foundation anyway 1. Prepare the ground for building Continue to plan my meals with MFP. Continue the ban on sugar/junk/processed foods. After week three I can have two items a week as long as I am between 1450-1600 calories and at least 100g protein per day. If I have lost less than 0.2% bodyfat for two weeks in a row, I add burpee tabatas 4x/week. 2. Build a strong (running) base Stick with easy runs + strides. 9 miles a week, adding one mile every week. Okay to scale back any time my foot aches for longer than that day. 3. Use my building materials (time and energy) wisely Daily mundane tasks are to be completed within an hour of waking, so I am not wasting valuable high-energy time on them (start laundry, shower, teeth and skincare, make my tea and enter the day's meals into MFP). Exercise daily at noon whenever possible to prevent the afternoon energy slump. Bird training, my most attention-demanding task, will be done immediately after exercising. Spend 5 minutes after dinner on whichever important task I have been avoiding the most. Minutiae These are the items that didn't make the cut for Challenge Goals, but are still things I plan on accomplishing: Daily walks outdoors Take my vitamins, especially Vitamin D Strength training 2-3x/week Daily stretching, mobility work, and physiotherapy exercises Spanish language practise

I have no motivation. I have eaten… horrifically in the last couple of weeks. I have not worked on any writing, taken no active steps towards my Big Goal – though I have thought and fretted and freaked out about it no end – and I feel like I have unconsciously let my ankle become an excuse, not to exercise as much as I know I can probably do. I am metaphorically on the floor. And there is only one thing left to do. Get up. I don’t have a story segment written like I wanted, and I may not at all this time around. That’s not important right now. What is important is that I get the basics back under control. So that’s what this last challenge of the year is all about. Getting back to the grind, and keeping at it when the easy route beckons and the temptations of Christmas start to attack. Goals: Food: - 1600 -1700 calories daily. This is non-negotiable. Log it all. Even if I slip and it ends up being 3000+ calories. This will be hard for me. I hate tracking, and I have had freak outs about the number on the screen in the past. But I also know that if I can do this, I have a much better chance of winning my war with food. - All snacking of unplanned unhealthy crap to be replaced by fruit, a handful of nuts, etc. Planned things, like eating out and knowing I’ll want desert, is fine. So long as that doesn’t happen every week Workouts: - Bodyweight workout 3 x week. - Cardio to consist of walking only, 2 x week. One to be a 5k walk. One to be a long walk. Starting at 5.5km and adding a little each week, listening to my ankle and not pushing it past discomfort. - Daily Dares to at least be attempted each day I will make the effort to post every. single. day. It's the only way I know I'll hold myself accountable through the long days of grind...

I fell clear off the planet during the last challenge, but it looks like I made it back just in time! Key learning points from the last challenge: Sign up for a Mini or PVP to stay motivated (otherwise too easy to quit) Don't try to increase running miles or intensity too quickly (it hurts) Avoid 'outside' food that can give you nasty stomach infections (I don't think any clarification is required here!) So for this challenge, I'm going to keep it simple and do the following: Complete 'Zombies, Run!' 5K workouts 3 times a week Complete rings/bodyweight workouts 2 times a week Daily self-care (any one of yoga, stretching, reading, meditation, sketching etc…) Practice Hindi on weekdays Now I'm off to hunt down a suitable Mini (or three) to keep me motivated!

Life on Jund is a never ending struggle of survival of the fittest… And I will survive. This is a harsh land. From the ecosystems created by the volcanoes and lava and hot, dry weather to the hardened creatures shaped by the landscape, forged into vicious survivors. As a training ground for a battle mage, well… It’s perfect. I took a long, hard look at my goals for this year and decided that the battlemage class from the Elder Scrolls games fitted quite aptly (and luckily for me, there’s such a card from the Shards of Alara expansion, and it’s a Jund one). Every battlemage has to start somewhere, and my beginnings will be modest, but the learning curve will be steep. I have a vast amount of uncertainty to survive and adapt to, I have a solid understanding of my quests and how to progress. All I need to do is adapt, and this is where my adaption begins. THE MISSIONS Carving out a home: Quest line: Move > Prepping the flat to be ready for a move whenever it may come. The packrat beast needs to be banished once and for all, which means I need to be ruthless. Stage One: Living Room Tidy Clean Organised Decorated All relatively self-explanatory. As for the decoration segment of the goal… Well, I’m not allowed painting the walls, and the creamy kind of beige colour gets so incredibly boring. It doesn’t matter how much time I have left here, I want to liven it up a little. > Must be worked on daily > Burpee penalties for inactive days. How many burpees depends on the date, for example if I miss a day on the tenth, I do ten burpees. If I miss a day on the twentieth, twenty burpees. > Photo or video confirmation (whether the goal is passed or failed) at the end of the challenge as an extra bit of motivation to succeed. Becoming battle ready: Quest line: Spartan > Becoming the most physically fit and healthy version of myself in an effort to conquer the Spartan Sprint Stage One: Mobility Wrist Stretching Toe touch Making use of NF Yoga and the mobility drills it includes to try, first and foremost, to undo the damage done to my wrists. The right one in particular only bends back to a roughly forty five degree angle, and that makes all manner of things difficult, including some yoga poses and push ups done with my hands flat on the floor. Distance Walk two short/one long weekly I’ve become a distinct homebody, leaving only to go to work or to do essential shopping trips. Time for that to end. A short walk will be classed as under half an hour, and a long walk is classed as over half an hour. Weather is not a valid excuse to stay in considering I walk to work in truly horrific conditions and come out unscathed. > Again, for both goals burpee penalties will be assigned for inactive days. The date determines the number of burpees done. If I miss both goals on one day, the number of burpees is the date doubled. > Photos from walks are encouraged. Honing the mind: Quest line: Rock Solid Mental Health > Becoming an actual person again, one who can adapt to anything Stage One: Routine Night before work prep Laptop off/read one hour before bed In addition to the self-care checklists I’m tracking in my battle log, I’m going to try and instill two habits I know have worked for me in the past. In the beginning there won’t be any penalties, but if I find it too difficult to stick to without the thought of multiple burpees awaiting failure then in come those burpees. There will be mandatory daily check-ins as the majority of these things are daily tasks. Weekly summaries also mandatory. As none of this is too far above and beyond what I was trying to do with my dailies, I think it makes a good starting point and a good foundation for introducing more ambitious goals next time around. I’m using Zero Week as a warmup of sorts, so I can get used to juggling a battle log and a challenge and working everything in around my job. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, the challenge officially starts during my January holidays, and I’ll be travelling to the other side of the country and back for the mandatory once-a-year family visit. I can’t think of a better way to start, given this challenge is all about adapting in the face of uncertainty and surprising conditions!

Okay, a lot of things happend that lead to this....RE-RE-RESPAWN and I will make it quite short... Real world kinda swallowed me whole for the last 1 an 1/2 month. Working on some big events was fun but lead to bad food choices and gaining back 5kilo and pretty much crushed everything achieved except the running. The marathon I am training for is in 4weeks and the longest distance I managed to do regular is 24km, The plan was to do the 30km at least 3 times but because of bad weather and some regeneration problems that didn't happen...so the marathon is going to be an adventure...lets hope I see the finish line... The next month will be all for the running goal BUT after that it's back to Nerd Fitness Basics...annd this Respawn is the early start of that

Lucky fire dragon has no plan After many ambitious challenges, some successful, some not so much, I am at a point where I don't have any plan and don't even feel like one - very unusual, but let's bear with it and see where the tides might take me, I'm confident it'll be a good place as long as I keep my head up For those who don't know me yet, I'm a 40 year old mother of three, working part time as healing practitioner and spiritual coach. I love pole dancing and have worked myself up to Level 2+ (which is still beginners but posh enough to look impressive to non-polers ), have dabbled a bit in aerial hoop and very basic gymnastic rings exercises, love singing and travelling, which I'm going to get to do in the second half of this challenge, travel that is, with my dear family to our lovely family in beautiful South Africa. Pole dance has hit a summer low in my motivation right now, which I decided is okay, but being lazy while munching all the yummies on our holiday won't be okay, so I'll have to do something, even it's not totally structured through and aiming for specific things. So here is my no-plan-plan for the coming 4 weeks 1. Get some clue I'm pulling myself towards myself and will actually count my calorie intake for the two weeks that I am still here in all detail with my fitbit app. I have no clue right now how much I take in, so how will I know what I need to burn in order for it to be balanced? Right, gotta get a clue Will report total of each day here for accountability. So far I won't judge or aim for a maximum, just tracking to know my present habits. 2. Burn some, no matter how I'll start with setting my goal at burning 2000 kcal / day and might have to adapt in the coming weeks, depending what point 1 will show... It doesn't matter how I do it as long as by midnight 2000 kcal are burned up. It's like the shopaholic girl wondering about money - either she has to spend less or make more, spending less doesn't work for her, so she opts for making more. I don't feel like limiting myself too much during holiday and family fun times, so I'll just have to burn some more let's hope I'm better at it than she is at making money Ideas to draw from for all the burns: - walking - hooping - running - rope skipping - yoga - pole dance - pilates - darebee or other workouts -... (to be extended) 3. Get clearer This is threefold: I want to keep my meditations going in the mornings which will be easy during the first two weeks as I am doing them together with some clients of mine via webinar (isn't technology awesome ) but I'd like to keep it going afterwards on my own as well. Writing diary to my Larger Self counts as well as that gets me into a happy, constructive and calm state just the same. The other parts are physical: I want to pick up some eye training again. Had a book on it a while ago, but it had too few real exercises for my taste so I got myself this great book on the Bates method by Nathan Oxenfeld "Give up your glasses for good" and since then it is lying there and simply doesn't move into my knowledge by osmosis, I might have to actually read it I don't even wear glasses, but do have a slight short sightedness that worsens when I stare at screens too long, read too much or get tired. So I'd like to catch it before I really need glasses, plus I think life would be a lot brighter with clear focus... AND I want to spot all the pretty birds and antelopes in South Africa So I'll read 15 min / day in this book and/or do exercises from it And last but not least: hydration! So helpful and yet when I don't track it I don't do it. 2 Liters of water will do for most days, sometimes I could do with more, but if I do those 2 every day I'll call it a yay For easy tracking meditation 0/28 eye training 0/28 2liters of water 0/28 Oh, and it would be awesome to take part in the mini again, of course Oh, oh, AND I will keep my improved work habits up and tackle the tougher things early on with the Monkey Tamers United again. To be absolutely recommended!! So let the games begin... Best of success everyone, let's have some FUN

They had been gathering for weeks now, making their homes at various corners and crevices of the cities. Individuals of all races dressed in bright reds and purples. Honestly, it was a bit garish at first sight. Large banners hung around their necks declaring the end of days, death to the world, and visions of green fire. It didn’t phase the adventurer. She had heard these declarations before, taken up arms, and defeated the looming threat. The victories weren’t always celebratory. Many had been solemn, but relieving. If there was something lurking, she had little doubt that it could be handled. * * * ”You are weak. The darkness will consume you. You are nothing.” She knew that smell; the smell of bitter sulfur. The corruption of fel. It was not the words that jostled her awake, but that smell. All was still in the alcove she called home in the Inn. A few snores, a goblin chattering about money, and the aroma of dying embers were all that surrounded her. Were they getting to her? Had she read too many of those ridiculous pamphlets? “Go back to sleep.” A timid command to herself, as though she was pushing herself to do so. Everything would be fine. Everything was fine. Until it wasn’t. * * * News of the tragedy and loss at the Broken Shores spread quickly. One would say faster than a warlock’s affliction. She felt for them. All of them. Had they witnessed what she had seen and done, she wasn’t sure if they would meet her own level of composure. On the outside, all was calm. On the inside, she was...a mess. A jumbled mess of mixed emotions; sadness, anger, rage, guilt, fear, confusion. The questions just kept coming from within, asking if she did enough, could she have done more, why didn’t they stay, and could they truly win this war that was now upon them? She was pulled from her muddled and darkening mind at the sound of a scream. The scream ripped through her filled with a level of terror she had never heard in her lifetime. Another followed, this time in a different direction. Then another, and another. The faint smell of sulfur filled her nose and the too familiar sticky warmth of green fire nearly burned her skin. There was no time to react and no time to get the innocent to safety. Not before she brandished her weapon and, without a second thought, rushed into the fray. * * * The healers and priests hadn’t slept for days. Parts of the city had been blocked by groups of worried soldiers. It was clear what had been causing the sudden outbreaks of insanity and demons. They were trying to turn everyone against each other. In the midst of the chaos, people killed their friends and allies without a second thought. It was only after the madness ended anyone realized what had happened. It had put the city on edge, which was a danger unto itself. “This is the fifth time this week, old man. I’m going to start charging extra,” she said in a joking tone as she dropped the still sparking lizard tails next to the fisherman. He, like many of the older orcs, gave a gruff laugh as she did. Handing her a bag that smelled all too ripe of fish guts and sea water, she bade him farewell with wave of her hand. ”Give in to the darkness. Drink in the power. Let the energy consume you…” She turned quickly, looking to either side of her as well, confused and alarmed. Someone had been talking - no, whispering - to her. They had been right there, hadn’t they? Had she been under the water too long earlier? Too many tiny shocks during her gathering? ”Consume you…” Her eyesight grew blurred, and the air around her was thick and stale. The people of the city, faces she knew, seemed...different. Dark, twisted, and paranoid. Her head felt heavy, as though her mind was filled with countless weights. The weight worsened with each step she took, and soon everything seemed to swallow itself. A dark void colored the sky with green fire streaking throughout. Later she would not be able to recall the details of how and why it happened, but perhaps it was for the best. She had no control over each swing of a strange weapon in her hands, no pull on the dangerous magics seeping from her. All she knew was that the relief that came over her when she fell to the ground unconscious was welcomed. She never wished to feel that way again. When the adventurer came to and heard of her actions, it stung. The pain was worse than any she had felt in the past. This could not continue. She could not allow them to tear her world - her very being - apart. This time her battle would not only be to bring salvation to all, but to redeem herself as well. The Legion forces threaten not only the world, but those who live within it. With both body and mind susceptible to their attacks, it is imperative to remain in good health. Perhaps you have relied too heavily on them in the past, but potions and spells are not always the answer. Balanced meals, movement and activity, along with being well-rested. Though they are simple and foundational steps, everyone seasoned adventurer needs a reminder. SANITY METER: 70/100 Quest 1: Eat a nutritional breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Rylaks Claws and Miner’s Coffee aren’t going to cut it! Be sure to add an element of protein to give you a needed boost of energy to your meals. Find ways to “hide” vegetables if the siblings are in house for dinner. Make the effort to add more salads to meals. Look for easy-to-prep options for all meals! Also, take the time to make yourself said meals. You have it, so use it wisely. Make the Bronze Dragonflight proud! TANK ALERT: Skipping meals is a big no-no! If you know you won’t be able to make it to an Inn in time, break a snack along for the ride or give yourself enough time to eat a bigger meal at another time. Too many meals skipped, costs you some of your sanity. (-5 sanity per skipped meal) Quest 2: Move around. You have a choice. You can choose to sit, or you can choose to move. Sitting doesn’t always accomplish anything. Moving accomplishes more. Do something to keep everything circulating, stretched, and ready for anything. Make it count. Heading from one room to another? Don’t just walk! Jog, dance, lunge, or skip. Check the mail! You never know when an auction will sell for a good bit of gold. DPS ALERT: Going from the computer to the couch is NOT moving around. You’re just going from sitting to sitting. Sorry, but your DPS is not going to help fight the good fight! If you haven’t done ANY activity that counts, your sanity is going to dwindle. (-10 sanity for a lack of meaningful movement on any day) Quest 3: Form a concrete sleep schedule & Be Good To Yourself! You know that, once it’s dark outside, no one wants to roam Azshara, Tanaan, or any of those wooded areas. Especially Tirisfal. You won’t miss anything, so when you’re tired, go to sleep. Stop making yourself stay up for whatever reason. Most likely that reason will still be there in the morning. Besides, the early bird catches the worm, and I hear that’s what a few of the undead citizens like in their morning meals. Be sure to keep personal hygiene in check! You feel good when you do! Why neglect yourself of that feeling. HEALER ALERT: Small, 20-minute power naps are okay! Maybe you’re just feeling groggy for whatever reason. These days and times happen. Falling into hour or more long naps? Not okay! You’re not paying attention to your body’s signals for when you’re tired and you need sleep! Keeping yourself clean also plays a huge part in this! Not only is sleep good for you, but also feeling fresh and clean wakes you up and helps you take on the world! (-5 sanity any time a nap lasts longer than 20 minutes if taken or personal hygiene lacks) Bonus Quest: Get others involved! Your life is not like group and raid finder. You have a solid party that you can gather together to help you through this. Announce when you’re going for a walk. Suggest better meal ideas. Ask for prep help. Work together and you will be victorious! (+5 sanity for any time you get a family member involved in your journey)

I'm back, b*tches! ...and very excited to be amongst you again. First off, I want to celebrate. As of last Wednesday, I AM OFFICIALLY DONE WITH ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL. So please, y'all, let's have a little happy dance!! The last four years (which revolved mainly around getting through school and working towards that damn degree) have been quite a rough ride. So being able to put a checkmark behind that, getting some closure and finally opening up a new chapter feels like big stuff. And I'm thrilled move forward and dive into the next adventure! Okay. What will I being doing for this challenge? There have been some bigger breaks and interruptions in my fitness journey during the last few months, so I'll be going back to basics. So without further ado, let me present to you my starting point in my quest for awesomeness. Part 1: Nutrition. I love to eat and I love good food. But... I seriously dislike cooking. Hacking some basic cooking skills and acquiring a set go-to recipes will be a major theme throughout the next couple of challenges. But for now, I'll start with two super simple quests in the nutrition department. quest a): Cook one healthy (paleoish) meal a week. quest b): Cut out sodas and drink a minimum of 1,5 liters of water, daily. I'll allow myself two beers per week. Part 2: Exercise. I signed up to the NF Academy last fall and for this challenge, I'm going back to the academy to determine an appropriate bodyweight workout for me. And then I'm going to roll with that. quest c): bodyweight workout, 3x / week. That's about it. As I head into this challenge, there will be some mini quests along the way. For example: I'll be going over some basic content concerning both nutrition and exercise in the academy, to refresh my memory. Or: Later today (when the Mister is home and can help me measure) I'll take stock of both body measurements and flexibilty, so that I have a better idea of what I'm working with. But my focus really is on the established quests. I view these mini quests as bonus material. They are logical steps that accompany the process, but if they don't happen or I don't track them with the same diligence that I apply to the quests, that's fine too. Part 3: Life. I'm not articulating an ongoing quest for this challenge, but there will be a lot going on in the life department, nonetheless. The next BIG mid-range goal is a bike trip. A friend and I are going to bike across the U.S. (West to East) next summer. In order for that to happen, I need to update some of my equipment. And I need a plane ticket. And I need money for ongoing travel expenses. So. As of now, I'll be putting together portfolios, polishing my resumé... And then begins the job hunt. I'm looking for a 1-year position as an intern in an architecture firm in Southern Germany (where I'm based). This might also mean I'm moving to a new city; something I would not mind at all. The whole process is super exciting. I can feel myself growing as a person with each step along this journey. And each step also brings me a little closer to that dream of an epic bike trip, which is why I'll be documenting progress here, even if it's not part of a formal quest. Generally, I think I'll use this thread to celebrate or elaborate on special events. But daily tracking of progress on the quests will happen here. Aight, nuff said. Let's go!

I do I do! Working on getting some basic stuff back on track this challenge, so this'll be pretty simple this time around. Things I'm good at: sticking to lifting schedule Things I'm okay at: finding protein when I try Things I'm bad at: cookies, any kind of adulty habit, life stuff all the time! Things I care about this challenge: Tracking lifts and doing the usual, learning as I go (but I'm on a short cut this challenge, so not expecting unicorns and rainbows) Why bother grading something you can't stop me from doing? lol Getting enough protein while on said short cut. The goal is bodyweight in grams, to ensure I'm more than hitting the appropriate target. Weekly average is fine. Basic mobility stuff. Rolling and stretching. Stretching will be 15 min of whatever. Rolling will be targeted at whatever I've hit that day. 3 of each per week. Glute work. 3 sets of stuff to get my booty activating. A squatter's best sidekick. Continuing to study for MS 70-461. Since I'm almost done with the read-through of my training kit, the challenge will focus on practice tests, internet research on the test, scheduling, and possibly taking the test depending on that last bit. This is just a P/F at the end, because I'm not really sure how to track it yet. Maybe once I gather underpants and see what's out there for practice on the web, something will come to me. But the truth is I'll just schedule that test when I'm just about ready to take it. Bare minimum adulting. A 2-3 item to-do list 5 days a week with some house chores so something happens at least. Apply to one job per week. Don't get complacent! Writing practice and brainstorming sessions. Anything goes. Just do something every day, even if it's a short brainstorm and wiki update. Get exactly one massage. Putting this in here so I do it, because believe it or not, this is difficult because it involves money. Things I don't care about this challenge: I said I'm on a cut. I'm not tracking this here, and it's not basic enough to go into the challenge, so if it needs to go to preserve the rest, it goes. This is just for context. When I'm not hitting PRs this challenge, this be why, probably. Diet soda habits, sugar habits, whole/good food habits. I care, but these are pretty secondary to everything above. Cardio. I'm doing it, because it makes cuts easier for me, but I'm not tracking it or caring if I miss a planned session. Anything else, really Phew, this was longer than you might expect for a simple challenge, isn't it?? I haven't decided if I want to use ending stats from last challenge as starting stats (they are IMPRESSIVELY bloated, so my cut would look really successful lol), or if I want to wait for the end of zero week and remeasure for the "real" start, because I'm not tracking anything for zero week, besides the lifts that I'll do anyway. Those will go here, though.

This month I am going back to basics... since I completely tanked on my 2nd month challenge, I feel like keeping things simple. This month is all about QiGong and Chillin' with Back to Basics. QiGong - do QiGong as much and as often as I feel called to it. - add T'ai Chi routine, again, as I feel called to it, adding more to my form as I re-learn the 24 forms. Physical - Chillin' with Back to Basics - I'm re-energized to get on the trampoline (small rebounder) so I will aim for 2-4 x per week. - small hand weights, generally every time I do the trampoline. Diet - It's summer and therefore smoothie season! Revisiting to good old green smoothies and loving it. Well Being - some time in the sun as often as possible. - draw, work on my books, be in my personal space/studio as much as I can. - play with the dogs daily. NFAcademy - re-visit the Mindset Modules So yes, I am not putting any specific times or requirements on my time this month. I feel I need to let things happen and be in the flow so to speak. It's a bit back to basics because that's what really worked for me in the beginning and I need to reconnect with that energy and excitement I was experiencing then. I am taking part in the Assassin's mini this month because of their most awesome theme (Firefly) and having fun with being part of a group. In some ways, that is more motivating tome than doing something by myself - or at least at the moment. Cheers-

So here we are again. Ever since deciding to get back on track, I just haven't been able to get it going. Time after time, I stop. I get myself into a bad mental state. With this in mind, I started to go back to my first every challenge at Nerd Fitness. Reading all the comments, and kind of reliving those moments. It made me feel good. I was getting great support from people, and I was also supporting others. Something that I am going to try to do a lot more of this challenge. So with all the success I had in the beginning, I thought I would bring some of those goals here. Get a fresh start. I'm heavier now then I was in that first challenge. So time to get back to that point. So here we go. Goal 1: Work out at least 3 times a week I'm going to start with the Level 1 Rebel Fitness guide. 3 times a week. My first challenge, I tried C25k on the off days. I would like to do that again, but I don't think I am ready. Instead, I want to walk. My first challenge, I only focused on the workouts for my challenge goal. That is my primary, but I want to add the walking in this goal. Sunday will be my resting day. So 6 points for walking, and 3 for workouts. 9 points on the week. Goal 2: Food Prep! My first ever challenge had a goal to just eat Veggies. I am past that So this goal is for me to do some food prep for the week. I was inspired enough by the NF blog posts recently. I've wanted to do this for awhile, and so now I will make it a goal. So, Sunday is my meal prep day. First week I will start off slow, and just do meal prep for my lunches all week. Second week, I am meal prepping for Lunches and Dinner. I want to cover 6 days. 1 day being my off day. Grading is 7 points total. 1 point for the meal prep, and then each day I get a point for eating my prepared Meal(s) Goal 3: Stop the after dinner snacking Pretty simple goal, but I need to make sure I am on top of this again. Basically, no snacking after I eat dinner. I was going to say no snacking at all, but I wanted to leave it open a bit during the day. This will be a every day goal. 7 points per week. Goal 4: Get some Sleep! Once again, sleep makes an appearance in my challenge threads. Honestly, I struggle with this all the time. Even if I get use to a midnight bedtime, I slip back to 2am bed times. So I need to be in bed by midnight. Every day goal, 7 points on the week. So there we go. I thought of adding a clutter cleanup goal, but I just need to do that anyway Measurements: (in inches and pounds) Neck - 20.51 / Chest - 57.55 / Waist - 63.22 / (L) Bicep - 18.58 / (R) Bicep - 18.07 / (L) Forearm - 14.29 / (R) Forearm - 14.29 / (L) Thigh - 31.53 / (R) Thigh - 31.53 / Weight - 375.2 / Grading: Week 1: 23/30 points 76% Week 2: 23/30 points 76% Week 3: 24/24 points 100% Week 4: 21/24 points 87% Total: 91/108 points 84% overall for the challenge

Does anybody have any good advice/resources for conditioning your feet to run barefoot? I live in the city, and I'm mostly surrounded by concrete sidewalks. However, a few weird looks would be worth strengthening my feet, to be able to walk/run/play without having to worry about stepping on small rocks. Thanks!

Placeholder for Princess Heather's Challenge, involving getting into a routine after hubby returns to work and I become full time mom. In the meantime, enjoy this muppets gif depicting how I am coping with motherhood so far : Goal #1 Rehab and Build Strength Due to the swelling (which I now know was preeclampsia) I was carrying a lot of water weight in the last months of pregnancy, which bothered my knees and made staying active beyond walking difficult. I want to get back to weightlifting but I need to take things SLOW. I'm only 3 weeks post partum, so I'm focusing on increasing my walking (while carrying little man in a carrier for added weight bearing). Goal is 15 minutes of dedicated stretching amd 30 minutes of walking. Goal #2 Eating Well I have chosen to exclusively breastfeed, which means that my nutrient stores will continue to be focused on nourishing the little dude. So I will be focusing on simply remembering to eat three meals a day of real food (which can be hard when focused on keeping baby happy). Not worrying too much about calories as long as I'm eating enough. Goal #3 Develop My Routine With me being at home, I need to do what I can to help keep our budget in check. So I need to develop routines that let me cook dinner most nights, and that'll be helped by me keeping our kitchen clean. We're also cloth diapering, so that's loads of laundry that definitely HAVE to get done every few days. When I was working full time, hubby and I would leave house work until the last minute even though that makes me crazy. So I'm following the flylady morning and evening routines to form new habits and tackle cleaning and such.

Hello rangers! I am back after being gone/with the Adventurers for the last 2 years. Background I am a former Marine who has always been a bit on the larger side of the scale. When I got out of the corps I stopped running because I could and I hated it anyway. I went to Afghanistan for two years and did nothing but lift and circuit training. This is where I found NF in 2012. Other than not being able to run I was in the best shape since boot camp and was actually comfortable in my own skin (which was a first). So there I was getting ready to leave Afghanistan and stopped working out as I shipped everything home a few weeks before I left. I got back to the states and everything fell apart. I ate all the things!!! I also drank all the beer which I had very little of over the past two years. I also had a job that traveled across the country and world quite frequently while living out of hotels and working up to 18 hours a day (for 3 week spans). Add everything up and I gained close to 80 pounds in a year. 2015 was a new job and really no change in anything I had moments where things were going well, but then would go right back to the habits I developed in 2014. 2016 is the year of change and this first challenge is all about getting back to basics and setting a foundation. Starting off with the life quest as this is the most important part of this challenge at this time and is taken directly from my epic quest of 2016. Goal 1 Rebuild my wagon - I never fully got on the wagon in 2015, there were times were I was driving along nicely, but those were short and inconsistent. Finalize living situation AKA buy the damned house. This is starting to move and would like the majority of the process completed by JAN 19 AKA the day I become unemployed Get a job. woe is me I've lost my job. Time to grab my straw and suck it the fuck up and fix the situation.Goal 2 30 MINS of work everyday. this can be walking, running, rucking, lifting, mace work, or yoga. Doodlie yoga doesn't count towards this This is to build both a habit and basic foundation of exercising everyday. Goal 3 Meal planning/batch cooking. This is to stop wasting food mainly veggies. I need to figure out what to eat and when vice just eating whatever whenever. I will only buy things that I have a plan for and eat the food I buy for that week. This will also cut out all the eating out I've been doing in the past month or so. Goal 4 Mindful eating. this is a 3 part goal. 1. be aware of what eating and track food 80% of the time. 21/26 days 2. No alcohol (will allow the splitting of a bottle of wine with the wife when we move into the house) 3. stick to IF/IIFYM 90% of the time. 24/26 days Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 totals Edit: It was mentioned in chat last night that bribing myself could be a great motivation to stay on track. So here is my bribing list for this challenge. 90-100% of goals 2, 3, and 4. I can get one of these. shirt 1 shirt 2 80-89% of goals 2, 3, and 4. I get to get these two items for my rucksack. Item 1 Item 2 71-75% of goals 2, 3, and 4. A 6 pack of my choosing for weekend 0. 70% or less of goals 2, 3, and 4. must do two word workouts during weekend 0 as punishment for being a failure. each word must be between 4 and 8 letters long and the doodlies get to choose the words. PAIN RETAINS

We've had some bumps and bruises recently in some challenges so with the last challenge of the year upon us, it's time to take a look at the past and find out what worked and use it to attack the holiday chaos. So, with that, we are unleashing our theme: Back to the Future!!! Now, why I didn't use this theme last month (especially with Back to the Future Day and all) I will not stop kicking myself over that. Back to the Future was the first movie I saw in an actual movie theatre back in 85 with my family. It is one of those trilogies that I could sit down and watch any time. This should make for a great and useful challenge!! Besides going back to habits that worked or I feel would be beneficial, I'm subdividing them into three facets of myself which, I'm going to amp up by using the three times Marty and Doc traveled to (1885, 1955, and 2015). Without further ado, he we go: 1885 - Focus on the Body I've really got to start making my exercise automatic! Something that I don't have to think about, just something that I do. My 40th year is encroaching here soon (another year and change) so I need to get myself really into a more defined shape for my health and comfort. Plus, then I could look good in 1880s garb: With this goal, just going simple: Exercise every other day for a minimum of 20 minutes. I've started looking at some of the workouts on Darebee and I've right now picked out 6 of them. I'm going to go through the movements of them all this weekend to see if there is anything I need to vary but they will be my workouts I will use this challenge (to be posted here later). Then, with an added gamer twist, I'm going to pick the workout of the day with a simple d6 roll. So, get into workout clothes, roll die, turn on music and get to work! 1955 - Focus on the Spirit There was a particular feel and spirit to the movies, especially when they were back in '55 (considering that seems to be the focal point to everything). With my spirit, I need to be more mindful of my emotions and feelings plus how I present myself to others. With that, I'm going to work on my spirit. This goal: Meditation for 20 minutes on my off exercise days. 2015 - Focus on the Mind Or, more specifically, being mindful. This will have two parts because I saw two really good mindful goals and that, along with the exercise, should help me out greatly. One is recent, one is from the first challenge I ever did and it's time to use them together. Part one of the goal will be a repeat of Empty Night from last challenge (and I thank you Emerald for giving me the thought to use this again). As a reminder, this is a goal of eating nothing after 8:30pm except on gaming night Saturday. I'm going to add the extra hurdle of no drinks either except for water. Part two of this goal will be a blast from the past, my first goal of mindful pop (or soda) drinking. Recently I haven't been as good as I was before on my drinking so I need to wrestle that back down to something manageable. So, we will be limiting myself to 40 ounces or less of soda daily. Now yes, I realize that amount of pop is about the same as 500 calories (depending on brand) but I HAVE A SICKNESS!!! I like my pop and I need to work on weaning myself off of it but that's a long time goal. So, slow and steady on this one. I know my last few challenges have been poor but that just means this challenge will be GREAT!!! Let's get traveling!