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(waves to all the nice people wearing black) Hei! I've been making my way around the Guild halls, and for this challenge I've decided that the Assassins are the place to be. I have a rather odd collection of goals this time around: Main Quest: Body recomposition and weight loss A bit about me: I'm 57 and work in a super-sedentary desk job (I type medical reports all day). Most of my hobbies, including playing clarinet in concert bands and writing novels, also involve an inordinate amount of sitting. Currently I'm at 215 pounds but would much rather weigh 155. For the next 6 weeks, though, the goal is to get my weight down under 210 and keep it there. Subquest #1: Circus arts I found this list of circus skills and want to learn the basics of a few of them: Juggling. I've tried it before but didn't master the 3-ball cascade, so I want to finally get that figured out.Basic acrobatics. In particular I want to be able to get better control of my leg muscles throughout their entire range, both for strengthening and muscular endurance. By the end of the challenge I'd like to be able to do a pistol squat with either leg (at least 1 rep, down and back up, with good form), and be able to slowly lift either leg to waist height and hold it there for a few seconds.Stage magic. I want to be able to manipulate a coin between my fingers, making it appear and disappear smoothly.Balance. I have a wobble board, but I'm waxing nostalgic for the balance beam in my high school gymnastic classes 40 years ago. Somewhere in my workshop I'm sure there's a suitable piece of 2x4 that can be commandeered...Stat points to be awarded for DEX and STR (plus CHR if I manage to put together some good magician's patter along the way). Subquest #2: Diet Time to start keeping a food record so that I have a better idea of what's going in the front end. Stat points for CON and WIS. Side Quest: Circus music Specifically, I want to lock down the fingering and increase the speed on the chromatic runs in Fucik's "Entrance of the Gladiators." Life Quest: Get back to some serious writing, every day I have stories to finish and stories to edit. They aren't going to write themselves. Now, where did I put that -- (grabs a black sweater and pulls it on) -- Ah, that's better!

Welcome to 2015! After two years with the Rebellion, I find it tedious to go back through my threads, so this is a place to keep it all together (and we could all use a little less line noise in our lives!)

Hi guys This challenge for me (my second, just moved up from recruit!) is about losing as much fat as it is possible to lose in a sustainable manner. I weigh 172lb, and according to my estimations, I should weigh no more than 156. I have made a huge impact in my fitness level by taking up jogging, but I'd like to start branching out, as well as generally doing more. I also have huge issues with coordination, posture, flexibility etc, and if these got improved along the way, it would be a great thing. Last challenge I aimed fairly low, as I wanted to really make sure I would stick with it. This challenge I'm aiming higher! Anyway, my challenges are as follows: Main Quest: To weigh no more than 156lb Quest 1: Food I want to follow my complicated food and drink plan, which consists of this: Monday and Tuesday: <1900 calories. No alcohol. Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun: <1900 calories which may include up to two UK units of alcohol. Friday (date night): < 2400 calories which may include up to six units of alcohol. NB if I stick to diet and exercise plans and at week three have lost less than 3lb, I will drop to <1500 and <2000 respectively. Also, not doing paleo as am veggie. Measurement: A= ≥ Stick to this strictly throughout all 6 weeks, B= Up to 6 days where I didn't stick to this overall. C= Up to 12 days where I didn't stick to it overall. Reward: A = +2 CHA, +2 CON, +1 STA Quest 2: Exercise. Follow my complicated routine of: Every week 1x 1.5 mile run 1x 3 mile run 1x 5.6 mile run 1x 20 minutes boxing 1x Yoga 30 mins 1x core bag work out 1x sit ups and stretches (warm up, down, energising and posture stretches) 1x NFBWW 7 x toe touchers 7x (press ups to failure x3) Measurement: A= Do all of these things each week, B = Do at least seven of these things each week, C = do at least six of these things each week. Reward: A = +1 STR, +2 STA, +1 DEX, +1 CHA Quest 3: Balance Stand on one leg (my right) during the time it takes to boil the kettle EVERY TIME. Stand on one leg (my left) after flushing the toilet during the time it takes to stop Measurement: A = Perfect, B = Follow to at least week 4, C = Follow to at least week 3. Reward: A = +2 DEX Life Quest: Code for ten minutes at least five days a week and at least one hour on one day. Measurement: A = Perfect score, B = At least four days of ten minutes and at least 30 on one, C = at least three days at ten minutes and one at twenty. Reward: A = +3 WIS

Sorry that I am joining the party late. The holidays kind of hit me hard, partly because I had so much backed up from having gone on our epic trip to New Zealand. (For those who want to see, I did finally post a summary and some pics at the end of my last challenge thread: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/56318-elsfaire-accompanies-the-hobbit-through-middle-earth/page-5 Just scroll down a bit. ) I have been doing things, but have not been able to post on the NF boards at all fro a few weeks. For this challenge: I have a real issue with maintaining balance. I recently had a breakthrough in dealing with my “baggage,†and want to use the opportunity to really get the hang of emotional balance. When it comes to work and home tasks, I have a tendency to laser-focus on the most important thing, and let everything else get away from me. If there is nothing to laser-focus on, then I kind of meander and I accomplish only a fraction of what needs to get done. Since I work from home, this can be a real problem. For this challenge, I think I will get the best benefit from improving my balance in all areas: emotionally, work/life/relationships, and –of course- physical balance. Yes, this could be a Druid challenge, but I feel at home in the Assassins and want to stay here. So there. :-P For simplicity (and my sanity), all goals will be points-based. They may seem easy, but I am trying to establish a habit of balance instead of see-sawing between goals and tasks. Fitness Goals: Balanced Workouts: Work out at least 6 times per week, hopefully evenly split between aerobic, strength, and flexibility/movement. 1 point for each workout lasting at least 20 minutes. Non-consecutive 20-minute workouts are ok for all but aerobic days. Finding Eternal Steadiness: For this, I will return to balance work. I used to have great balance as a child. I also enjoyed working on handstands last summer, though always doing the same thing gets tedious. So, I will let anything that improves my balance count for this category. Yoga can count for both a workout and balance, if it contains a significant number of balance poses. 1 point for each day that amounts to a cumulative 5 minutes or more of balance work. Emotional Balance: Doing: 1 point for each day/time that I either: journal/self-parent, spend social time with friends/family, or am authentic with someone, or do another activity that supports me emotionally. Thinking: 1 point for each day that I either meditate or spend time on my positive questions. Life/Work Balance: 1 point for each day that I get through my entire day’s to-do list OR have at least 3, 1-hour long sessions of focused work time (as opposed to being scattered for the entire work day). This counts even if I make the to-do list more reasonable in order to accomplish it. 1 point each day that I choose to do something fun OUTSIDE of work hours, ask for help with family chores, decide NOT to do work for my day job in the evening, or kindly hold my children accountable for their tasks. Grading The realistic number of points for the week in each goal category is 14, but I will give bonus points for 2 workouts in a day, etc. In keeping with the grading format that has worked better for me in the past, grading will be as follows for each category: 0-3/need more support; 4-6/A good start; 7-9/Nice –keep it going; 10-13/Great!; 14-18/Wow, Amazing!; 19+/â€I am the Dragon†I will probably not participate in stat points, Most Wanted, and such this challenge since I am so late. I reserve the right to change my mind, though. I can do a week 1 summary tomorrow...

INTRODUCTION: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger Just me, myself and I What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone Thanks to you I got a new thing started Thanks to you I'm not the broken-hearted Thanks to you I'm finally thinking about me You know in the end the day you left was just my beginning In the end... -What doesn't kill you (Stronger), Kelly Clarkson This is my 3rd challenge and my second as an assassin! I'm stealing the lyric theme idea from Startsapart because I quoted the above song to someone yesterday and realized it's pretty fitting for where I am. I've made good progress building strong and healthy habits and I want to continue on that path. I also feel like I've got my mental heath pretty well controlled and have mostly recovered from everything that brought me down in 2012-2013. I'm moving forward, setting goals and no longer constantly questioning myself. Since I'm 10-15 lbs away from my theoretical goal weight, I've decided that it's time to focus more on getting strong. What's the point of being a healthy weight if you can't do anything? MAIN QUEST: Decrease body fat to 20-24% and learn to use my body effectively by improving strength, flexibility and whatever else I find lacking. Really its all about building solid habits while having fun . QUEST 1: Stand a little taller (DEX 3, CON 2) Mobility/flexibility/balance continue to be something that I want to improve. I really want to get to the point where various parts of my body stop bothering me (I'm talking to you right knee/hip and shoulder). I'm going to keep working on hanging, lower body stretching and balancing/crow pose. I'll also be adding in wrist mobility exercises since they are also problematic. Complete all items 5 min/day 6 days a weekPractice balancing Work on hanging/shoulder mobilityLower body stretchingWrist mobility drills QUEST 2: Footsteps even lighter (STA 2, CON 1) Last challenge I started working through Zombie Run 5k training and found that I was having fun with it. Based on this discovery I've decided to keep working on running 2-3 times a week. Go for 2-3 runs a week QUEST 3: Stronger (STR 2, STA 1) A long term goal of mine is to be strong enough to do whatever I want which means I need to start training. I'm joining a gym and will be lifting heavy 3x/week most likely using StrongLifts. Lift heavy 3 times a week LIFE QUEST: (WIS 2, CHA 2) I'm terribad at remembering what happens each day. I want to live my life and start keeping a record of the positives that I experience since one bad experience carries a terrible amount of mental weight. I think this will also help me get a better perspective on what I enjoy. Write in DayOne 6 days a week Details for progress will be added on Sunday.... BEFORE PICS: BEFORE MEASUREMENTS: Weight: 164Chest: 36Waist: 29Hips: 39Thighs (L/R): 21.75/22 Calves (L/R): 16/15.75

I did a huge amount of work last year, and just as we left the short, dark days behind us, I felt as though I had truly turned a major corner in my life, heading toward the light personally as well as with the seasons. The accomplishments and insights have been a game-changer personally, and I am ready to begin a new chapter in my life story, and I’m interested to see what this path brings. However much work was already done, work isn’t over and done with; far from it in fact. Instead of doing the same things I had been focused on all last year, and improving with, I will be taking on a new set of tasks and challenges and obstacles this year. While I’m excited, I’m also a little intimidated, since new tasks are easy to fail because of the lack of familiarity and fluency. So, like any good adventuring druid, I’m going to need to check in with the basics as I start out. Mind This challenge will see the last six weeks of my paralegal studies. I have a lot of work in these classes yet to do, and I need to wind it up so I can start something else. Classes every week, with homework and tests and projects and exams along the way. Graduate. WIS +2 I have a new job! This means I will be learning a whole bunch of new stuff on a daily basis. Heaven help me. I’m going to have to focus. I’ll probably end up taking notes. Job 5x/weekWIS +2 Therapy: the family will continue to be in therapy for this challenge (and through to summer). We are getting our legs under us and doing well, but it’s still work and we seem to learn stuff every week, which is good, but takes a lot of reflection and attention. Therapy 4x/week WIS +1 Body: Be good to your Sim every day! Rest: Get to bed on time. Every Day. CON +1 Food: Eat often. I almost always eat well, but the job and routine change will create havoc with my system, so I will need to remember to pack snacks and eat them. Every Day CON +1 Water: The stuff of life. Make sure you get at least 2L since there will be more coffee than ever with the workplace. Every Day CON +1 I like to move it move it! Specifically, I will need to be mindful of walking, since having an office job will definitely put a crimp on my freedom to go hit the greenway. Goal: No less than 6250 steps a day. 7500 would be better. Every Day STA +1 Strive: It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t add in something new. I have contacted some former colleagues to arrange a carpool for going to kung fu three times a week. 3x/week STR +1 Soul Clean up the clutter Every day. STA +2 Find Quiet Time Every day. STA +3 BONUS: Life is expensive, and it has lots of paperworkSet up auto savings Set up direct deposit Make a budget for 2015 File taxes for 2014

i used to have my head in clouds and learned to root my feet in the ground speaking to stars above, nurtured by mother earth all around i learned there is nothing to fear, so why not venture out more turn my world upside down and learn wonder and awe i discovered so much that it's time to decide what first to enjoy, what set for later aside to be with what is now and then let it go for a balance will ensure the most bliss through it all. Main Quest Build and strengthen healthy habits that help me grow stronger, flexible, efficient and balanced, so that ALL areas of my life get their turn in a good way, while leaving plenty of open time for unexpected adventures and ease. This might sound a bit vague and the thing is, I only have an inkling of what I am looking for here. It feels like it's still around the corner, I can't grasp or define it clearly yet, all I notice is, I haven't found my personal balance for that. It's been now about a year that I have started to give more of my time to physical fitness (after many years of doing basically none at all) and that feels fabulous. Switching back to work after sports is difficult for me though and also once I am into my work (which I love tremendously) then it's hard to kick myself into a workout, so I'd love to find a daily routine that gives both enough time, makes the transition easier and leaves me with enough time for my precious family and the necessary householding on top to appreciate these blessings in my life fully as well. My intention is to find my own, personal rhythm that works best for all this. Even though this challenge is strengthening mostly fitness habits here, my intention is for it to affect my work life the same, I'll tell you about progress on this as I go. If I have more clarity on this at the end of the challenge, it'll be a success already. Quest 1: Balancing with my feet in the clouds (+1 STR, +1 DEX, +2 STA) - keep up my pole training with 2x/week (even though or especially as my studio is closed until March and I want to be in great shape for L2 when they open it again) - follow through with the 31 day GB Handstand Challenge (don't have to be able to do a full handstand at the end, just give my best with all exercises throughout the challenge - but hey, it would be so cool and who knows????) Grading: A: all done B: 1 pole workout only C: handstand challenge only Quest 2: Balancing strength and flexibility (+2 STR, +3 DEX) - follow the body by you program with 3 workouts/week - do 15 to 20 min yoga sessions at morning or night 5x/week (can also be replaced by two longer sessions of 75 min in total instead, but the idea is to bring it back into daily life) Grading: A: all done B: 2 bby workouts and at least 60 min yoga C: 1 bby workout and at least 40 min yoga Quest 3: Building a daily balance of sparkle (+2 CON, +1 CHA) - drink at least 2 liters of water/day - be an Email ninja (so quick in and out, I'm a blur) 5x/week, check them only twice a day (morning and afternoon) and answer immediately if possible, at the latest within two days - this part will take a lot of mental weight off me as those unanswered mails accompany me for way longer than it would take to just deal with them Grading: A: all done B: average of 1,75 liters or more, 4x email ninja C: average of 1,5 liters or more, 3x email ninja Life Quest: Balancing the unexpected, be here now (+2 WIS, +1 CHA) - have one day/week without a plan what a challenge, right?! Seriously though, I have noticed a growing tendency to plan out every single day and then measure myself at night by my performance - not fun and not true. That fact that I am alive shows I am precious to this world and everything I do is optional. In order to remember that plus to open the door for fun things unforeseen, I will have one day where I don't set any goals or program for myself at all. If I feel like a workout or some work things, I can do that, if not I won't. - meditate for 10 minutes 5x/week remember that yummy space between the breaths and enjoy the mind being quiet (aaaaah, bliss) Grading: A: 5x/week B: 4x/week C: 3x/week Rewards: As if all the strength and balance I am going to gain through this aren't enough fun as is (plus the awesome yoga and pole poses they will enable, whooooohooooooo!!) this time I will give myself some tangible, material rewards as well. Inspired by starsapart's reward system rewards are stacking, meaning I get the A, B, and C rewards if I get to an A grade, the B and C rewards for B grade, and just the C reward for C grade. Rewards are as follows: For an A overall: a private session with my pole teacher B overall: a groovy yoga outfit with a top looking great on the pole as well C overall: my first sexy pole shorts Before pics: Measurements: Chest: 95cm Waist: 86cm Hips: 92cm Thigh R: 56cm L: 56,5cm Calf R: 38cm L: 38cm Biceps R: 31cm L: 32cm Current weight: 68kg Let's rock this and have some FUN

The BALANCING ACT Do you find yourself wanting more balance? We are all about moving from one place to the next. That's what Scouts do. How can we do that with more finesse and dexterity? Do you want to be able to do something that you haven't yet accomplished? Improve something that has been just out of reach? YES! I'd be so excited if I could... ... run trails with awesome turns and sudden drops. ... do slacklining. ... pull the same amount with both arms while doing the freestyle part of my swim program. ... maneuver through traffic more confidently on my bike. ... walk on icy sidewalks. We all could use more balance in our lives, physically and otherwise. So this mini is going to work our balance skills and help us progress to the next level. Where do you want to be in 6 weeks? I personally want to be able to do the Frog Stand. This is so cool to me! Not sure I'd do it with black socks on, but...I also want to be able to do a proper lunge. Hum? Which comes first: the frog or the lunge? What's on your wish list? rock climbing handstands surfing or maybe pistol squats No matter what you chose, you need to know where you are now. So testing your balance is week one. Let's test our on one foot abilities first. Progress through these steps as far as you are able to comfortably. No injuries allowed. Tell us how it goes. 1. Single Leg Balance: this involves you standing on one leg, for example on your right leg whilst lifting your left leg up and forward slightly in front of the body. Ensure the right knee is very slightly bent, the hips are square/even, your spine is straight and your core is engaged at 50% of your maximum contraction. Find a focal point out in front of you and keep your eyes on it.Hold for 60 seconds, repeat on left leg. 2. Single leg balance tossing tennis ball: same as above except now toss a tennis ball up and across your body from hand to hand whilst maintaining your focal point.Repeat tossing for 60 seconds 3. Single Leg Balance standing on pillow: fold a standard pillow in half (or single layered if you prefer) and stand on it to increase instability under your foot.Hold for 60 seconds for each leg. 4. Single Leg Balance with eyes shut: please start by standing near a wall or chair so you can touch or hold it to prevent falling.Hold for 60 seconds for each leg. 5. Single Leg Balance with eyes shut standing on pillow.Hold for 60 seconds for each leg. Now try this:*remember to keep your core tight and don't go too quickly* Okay that's it for week one. Scout balance, ftw!

Being late seems to become a second nature for me . I'm not sure that I like this... Anyway, here are my targets. Actually I have started at the right time last monday, but no online free-time until now. Earth, the place where the foundations should be. Earth is solid, is stable, it does not change and it it at the base of every thing else. For me earth is my "long life" routine: meditate 15-30 minuteskarate outdoor (30 minutes) or walk (2 hours)sleep 50 hours per week (7 hours/day, but I use the average per week to give me some room)eat daily according to plan (2 meals per week are free)CON +2, STA +2, WIS +1 Fire is the destroyer, the bringer of emptiness and new order. Decluttering is the key word decluttering 15 minutes every dayCHA +3 Water is always moving, always changing, always adapting. It is something that takes always new forms. I need the agility to move like water follow GMB F1 progressionDEX +2. STR +2 Air is freedom, it is growing and expanding. As should my knowledge as a martial artist have at least 3 sessions with my Sensei or a more experience studentWIS +2, DEX+1 Edit: the mighty tracker

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 was hiding in my cave while the others were enjoying the fire and dancing, laughing. Suddenly, someone dressed all in black comes towards me and hands me an enveloppe. "Wanna join?" says in curved letters the paper contained inside. When I raised my head to look at the man a second time, he was already gone. The paper was all blank except for these two words. Whether or not I wanted to join was moot, since I couldn't join based on these two words alone. Or could I? I needed to solve this mystery. Following an idea, I get closer to the fire. Some people laughed at me, a snort of sort, which gave me goosebumps. I usually stayed away from these people, but for a little while, I needed the fire. I placed the white piece of paper closer to the flame. A woman, beautiful, dressed in an elegant gown, looked at me and harshly starts: "What do you think you're doing?" Her contempt was visible. I shiver inside, but I know I am right. I focused on the task at hand, trying to ignore her as I get the paper closer to the heat, almost getting burnt in the process. After a few seconds, more words appeared on the paper, written in invisible ink. "You have the answer. See you in three months. Signed: The Assasins' Guild". Slowly, I left the fire to go back to my cave. I needed to think. I was one step closer to join the Guild, but still had no concrete steps to follow. The beautiful woman started talking to me again, but I didn't hear her anymore, lost in thoughts. Joining the Assassins. It was all I could think about. The Assassins were an old legend in our community, and no one had really met a one before. Until that day. But if I really wanted to become an Assasin, I only had three months ahead of me. I had to start planning... Period: 13 weeks (double challenge, to align better with work schedule, which is based on 3-month periods) Ultimate goal: Become an Assassin, a well-balanced, self-confident woman, happy about herself and impervious to what others may say. This will translate into: - reaching the weight goal doctors assigned for me (60kg) and on the way lowering my BMI below 25 - be happier about being me, despite the pressure around and the criticisms and be more relaxed about life in general - regarding food, be more confident about eating and less stressed about restricting myself, make nutrition fun, not a chore Method: Leverage learnings from my first 6-week challenge and be more relaxed about it. This is why over the course of the next 13 weeks, I'll have 5 jokers. A joker is a day when there is an unforeseen even, preventing me from reaching the goals, while still maintaining full grades (cannot be used to compensate). Jokers cannot be used more than once a week or on consecutive days. TL:DR - Lose another 10kg by focusing on weight training and healthy nutrition (mostly Paleo and S-diet), be more happy and relaxed Fitness goal (+1 STR, +1 CON, +1 DEX): Continue strength training, but add more cardio, since I missed it so much last challenge. Also make time for more dance practice. Finally, focus on upper body strength training, especially handstands. Goal is to be able to stay 30 seconds in a handstand without a wall. Method: - Monday: 4 body weight training circuits (2 beginners workout, 2 hip program) - Tuesday: dance practice and cardio, then upper body focus - Wednesday: 4 body weight training circuits (2 beginners workout, 2 hip program) - Thursday: dance practice and cardio, then upper body focus - Friday: 2 body weight training circuits (2 beginners workout, 2 hip program) Exercises: Hip program: lunges x10, plank 30 secs, side kick x10 each side, leg raise x10 each side, hip raise x10 each side, squats x20 Upper body focus: 20 pushups at the level where I will be, then 3 attempts on the floor, then handstand practice for 10 minutes Grading: 1 point for each day where I follow the exercise program, 0 if I don't, 0.5 for cardio instead of strength training, 0.25 for additional circuit training (to compensate). 5 points per week for A, 4.5 for B, 4 points for C. TL:DR - M-W-F: Strength training, T-T: cardio and handstand training Diet goal (+2 STA, +2 CHA): I managed to stick to the no carbs diet last challenge, so I will continue. But the weight loss slowed in the second half of the challenge due to heavy snacking. So goal is to continue the no carbs rule but to limit the snacking. Method: Follow the almost-Paleo rule, with no carbs except in fruits and vegetables but allowing dairy fully this time (life without milk is too unhappy for me), but adding the S-diet to limits sweets, snacks and second servings. I will allow snacks in the form of fruits (as much as I want) and nuts (only one pack, I ate so many last challenge...). Protein shakes for the days when I have dance class in the evening will serve as pre-workout and dinner (will switch to casein for slower absorption). Grading: 1 point for each day with no carbs during the day Monday through Friday and only fruits or nuts for snacks, lower depending on the "infraction", on S-days 1 points for no carbs during meals and only 2 snacks with sweets / carbs. Compensation: no snacks at all on normal days or fruity snacks on S-days, for a maximum of 1.5 point per day. Total 6 points per week for A, 5.5 for B and 5 for C. TL:DR - Mostly Paleo with S-diet to prevent snacking Study goal (+3 WIS): I am taking the Topik level 4 in late March, so I need to STUDY hard. I need to focus on vocabulary mostly, but also do mock papers and take lessons to check practice exams and deepen grammar practice. Method: - Monday to Friday 30-minutes of vocabulary study, - 2-hour lessons on Saturday mornings, - 2 hours during the week (Monday morning and lunch Wednesday) - Monday and Wednesday: 90 minutes of study - Sunday: 2h of self study Total: 2h30 of vocabulary, 4h of class and 5h of self study. Goal is to do at least one practice exam every other week Grading: for vocabulary: 1 point for each day where I study vocabulary, 0 if I don't, 0.5 for study shorter than 30 minutes. Compensation at another time during the week but for half the points. 5 points per week for A, 4.5 for B, 4 points for C. For the rest: 1 point per hour of self-study (goal 5) and 1 point per 2 hours of class (goal 2). Compensation and anticipation only yield half the points. Total 7 points per week for A, 6.5 for B and 6 for C. TL:DR - Mix of self-study (practice paper), one-on-one classes and vocabulary to prepare my Korean exam Life balance goal (+1 CON, +2 WIS): I want to be more happy and relaxed. Meditation helped last challenge, but I need more positive reinforcement, especially building self-confidence in the face of critics at work. I also need to sleep more, since I tend to go overboard and sleep less than 5 hours when I am stressed. Also read more (anything). Method: - Go to bed by 11:30pm Sunday through Thursday (Fridays and Saturdays are optional since I can sleep in in the mornings) - Keep a gratitude journal: everyday, write at least one thing I am happy about being me, one accomplishment I should be proud of or something cool I do. I will keep 2 journals, one in the office and one at home so I can never say I forgot. - Read at least one book a month Grading: for going to bed: 1 point for each day where I go to bed before 11:30pm, 0 if I don't. Compensation for doing it another day during the week. 5 points per week for A, 4.5 for B, 4 points for C. For the gratitude journal, 1 point for each day when I do it, 0 if I don't. Compensation two positive thoughts but only half the points. Total 7 points per week for A, 6.5 for B and 6 for C. No grading for the reading, just positive karma and happy time well spent. TL:DR - Bedtime 11:30pm S-T, with Fri and Sat optional, keep a gratitude journal, read This will be a hard path, the path of the Assassins. But I was ready. I had a plan. The next three months would be tough but I would hold on. I would start again when I would fall and dry my tears when I would cry. I would do my best and be proud of myself. And at the end of these three months, I would be proud, wherever I would be, whether I would have been successful or not. I would stand tall and shout to the world that I tried. I took a deep breath, ready to engage in this new challenge, starting a new era of my life. I looked around me and strengthened my resolve. This was starting now.

Some busy weeks have passed, I didn't keep up what I achieved during my last challenge and I am not feeling awesome. Remember that life quest in my last challenge, to find a job, and that I found it? Well, two days ago they told me I had to be let go. I just wasn't what they were looking for, I wasn't thinking commercially enough, I was too insecure, I wasn't learning fast enough, and oh yeah, they had to make the team smaller anyway because Christmas was over and they are going to have some super quiet few months. I didn't get fired because they disliked me. From what I understood it was terrible for them to do so because they thought of me as a wonderful and sweet person. The manager that told me the news said that I should look for a job in a restaurant or maybe a hotel because she thought I would make a great host. I'm going to use that advice and look at jobs like that, or I might just do something completely different where I don't have to engage in social interactions since that exhausts me (yes, I am super introverted). From this experience I also concluded that I should never want to work at a store where they sell computer things again, I find that way too complicated to learn quickly. Apart from that, I hate to breathe in people's necks and try to sell them something while they clearly told me they just want to look around. Like I said, I am not feeling awesome. This job took so much of my time that I barely studied for my tests (the upside of being fired is that I now have all the time in the world to study, which I am genuinely happy about), I didn't get to eat enough, I didn't get to drink enough and above all, I was anxious about it during my time off. Anxiety is one of my specialties. Today my 2-week holiday is officially over. I've had exactly three days of nothing during my holiday and I feel like I've been occupied for months. I miss working out, I didn't keep up my meditation practices, I feel dehydrated all the time. The upside of all this is that I feel super excited to get back to my studies (weird, huh) and I am super motivated to get my life in order and to start taking good care of myself again. I think I'll get back into everything easily if I take good care of my body, but to find a balance that suits me is quite a challenge. Main quest Get healthy, fit, energized and balanced. Quests 1. Pick up daily meditation once again. Amount of time doesn't matter, just do it. 2. Juggle and/or do poi once a week. Preferably with my housemate, he wants to start practicing both again as well. Double motivation! 3. Workout of choice three times a week at least. Life quests - Clear out my mailbox. I'll explain this one. I made my e-mail address nearly 10 years ago and still use it. It's filled with unsorted e-mails, old e-mails, newsletters I don't read, updates from people/instances I follow... It's a mess. And it's been piling up for 10 years. By the time I write this, I have 1064 unread e-mails and a total of 5577 e-mails in my inbox and some more e-mails that are sorted. Yes, I want to clear it out completely (archive what's important, toss what isn't). I'll use Mailstrom for clearing out and a progress bar to keep track of my progress on here. - Find a new job. Except for the mail quest, I will be keeping track of my progress in this post. Otherwise I will write some updates in responses on here. It's not all that specific yet but I feel this is enough for me. Babysteps, again. Week 1 Q1. 6/7 Q2. 0/1 Q3. 2/3 Job status: hunting Week 2 Q1. 6/7 Q2. 1/1 Q3. 3/3 Job status: hunting Week 3 Q1. 5/7 Q2. 0/1 Q3. 4/3 Job status: hunting Week 4 Q1. 3/7 Q2. 0/1 Q3. 1/3 Job status: hunting

Hello Assassins! I'm Claire, and I finished up my very first challenge last session. I'm excited to join a guild this time around. I've been thinking quite a bit since then about what goals I want to set, and where I want to aim for. I've ended up deciding that I want to feel stronger, more resilient, more capable and happier, and I've chosen goals that I hope will help me get there. I also want to make sure that I cover both the physical and emotional/mental side of things. I've had a rough couple of years health-wise, but things are looking pretty good at the moment. Main Quest I want to feel stronger and more capable in myself, both physically and mentally. Quest 1: To Dance Again! (2 DEX, 2 CHA) A couple of years ago, I was dancing pretty frequently. I like partner dancing, and I've dabbled in various different ballroom and latin styles. Then a combination of dodgy knees and depression stopped me, and now I haven't been dancing for... 18 months? probably longer. So, my goal for this challenge is 1 Dancey-type activity per week Hopefully these will involve getting out of the house and interacting with other people, but if I need to do something at home that will count as well Quest 2 Stand on one leg (2 DEX, 1 STA, 1 STR) My ankles have always been my weak point - they get sore when I run, they get sore when I walk too long, they get sore if I hold them in a funny position.... so this challenge, I want to strengthen them, so that I don't have to constantly make excuses for them. My plan for this is Part A: ankle exercises every day Part B: Single leg balances 5 days a week Quest 3 Control the Snacks (4 CON) Overall my diet isn't bad, and I don't want to absolutely give up any foods, because then I get cross and unhappy. But I do have issues with eating way too much of some foods, and then feeling sick and guilty afterwards. So this challenge, I am aiming for: Maximum of 1 indulgence food a day Life Quest: Mental Homework (3 WIS) I want to look after my mental health, and I tend to keep putting it off as something that's not important and can wait till later. Well, later is now. This challenge I want to: Part A: Do mindfulness 3 days a week Part B: Write in a journal 2 days a week Grading I've never understood letter grades - I didn't use them growing up - so I'm just going with percentages here. I have finally allocated stat points! Measurements Height: 180 cm Weight: 95.9 kg Arms: 32 cm Chest: 115 cm Waist: 91 cm Hips: 112 cm Thighs: 68 cm Calves: R 45cm L 44cm Before Photos (Please forgive my dreadful picture taking skills)

Challenge 10 - Playing it cool My main goal is to keep up my good habits through the challenge. There will be at least one and probably two road trips to visit relatives. I have a history of getting stressed out around the winter holidays. This year I want to take a hard look at all the social options and obligations and make better choices. Exercise 1) Shoulder rehab My left shoulder has been giving me grief ever since I made a bad ergonomic change at work last summer. I think my desk set up is okay now but my shoulder had not gotten better. I have lost significant range of motion and the muscles in my upper arm hurt with some activities. I met with my trainer last week and she encouraged me to go to the chiropractor/sports medicine doc at our on-site clinic. Say what?!? We have a sports medicine person on site? No referral required, just a copay. I saw him yesterday. He did exactly what I expect a physical therapist to do: he moved my arm around, tested muscle strength and what movements cause pain. Then he did deep tissue work to break up adhesions and gave me a starter exercise for the first week. The lovely thing about going to the clinic at work is that he coordinates with the trainer. I don't have to have a follow up appointment (with copay) just to learn what exercises to do next. I can meet with the trainer (free) for that. It also saves a lot of time since I don't have to drive across town. My arm is bruised and sore today from the treatment but it still feels better than it has in months. I am sitting closer to my computer so that I don't reach forward with my left arm. That is probably what overextended the muscle and caused the problem. Habits. Gotta watch them like a hawk. + 4 DEX for strict adherence to rehab exercises 2) Endurance and aerobic capacity I've been concentrating on strength and aikido for the last several months. My aerobic capacity has dropped with neglect. I will do two sessions a week, either HIIT or long walks. +2 END for 12 sessions 3) Keeping moving I've found I am happiest when I have flexibility in my exercise plan. I have a good routine of leg & core exercises to keep my knees functional. I have a basic set of upper body exercises broken into a free weights day and a body weight day. I am practicing aikido two or three times a week. I would practice more if I didn't have to cook and keep things going at home. My overall plan is to do something active every day. Some days will have more than one thing. One rest day a week is allowed. Food I'm very pleased with where I'm at on losing weight and eating healthy. I have about 5 pounds more to go to be at my ideal weight. My goal for this challenge is to maintain rather than gain over the holiday party season. Fascinating observation - Most of the time I am good about not snacking at work. I let that go over Halloween. Monday and Tuesday I ate all the leftover candy I wanted. That left me feeling kinda jumpy and headachy. The really interesting effect was in my motivation. I got home after work and struggled to get anything done. Just like I used to do all the time before I cleaned up my eating habits. Yesterday I ate only homemade food (including sweets) and felt much more on top of things. The first week of the challenge I will avoid processed sugar/flour. Whole grains are allowed in moderation, as is fresh fruit. This will be a reset from the excesses of Halloween. The following 5 weeks I will be picky about treats. Homemade pie at Thanksgiving is a special treat. Store-bought baked goods are not. I will cook food with protein and veggies so that there is always something healthy to eat in the fridge. + 2 WIS +2 CON Pass/fail grading by week. Balance This is the tricky one. I struggle with making good choices so that I get things done and take enough relaxation time to not get stressed out. On the positive side, I took a look at my benefits at work (because it is health care renewal time). I have been here long enough that I can take a day off every three weeks. I have more than five weeks of vacation time banked up. I need to take time off or I will max out and lose it. Those of you who were thinking that I need a vacation can feel smug now. I will take off at least two days during the challenge to work on projects at home. I'll continue my previous challenge goals of balancing sleep, housework, projects, relaxing and exercise. +3 WIS +2 CON

Hey there monks! I met a couple of you during my first challenge, and now here I am! For those who don't know me, I'm Kyellan. I'm an IT analyst by day, a writer by... well, afternoon, and a sci-fi/fantasy/video-game nerd. A little under six months ago, I finally discovered the source of a problem which drastically limited my exercise and energy, and solved it. I had been living in chronic pain for years which worsened anytime I tried to increase my activity level, and since the change my average daily pain level has dropped from a seven to a three. I'm not exactly living pain-free, but I'm definitely living pain-lite, and it's freakin' awesome! During my first Rebel Challenge, I worked myself up from exhausted after a single round of Steve's Beginner Bodyweight Workout into doing three and pushing four, built my dexterity up by practicing with melee weapons, and increased my discipline through fasting. When I started I couldn't do five pushups in a row--now I can do 25 without stopping, and I'm nearing 30. Next, I plan to broaden my goals to get myself into the thing I've wanted to do for ten years... martial arts, which is why I'm here! The problem is... well, I'm not really sure what kind of martial art I want to get into. I did karate when I was a kid, but not past yellow belt (maybe a year or so). I really enjoyed it, but it unfortunately became too much of a financial and time burden on our family, so I wasn't able to continue. I've done tai chi sporadically throughout the years (something I would really like to add into my daily routine--more on that to come) and occasionally looked into something more, but was always stopped by the aforementioned pain problem. My primary interest in martial arts has always been western--even before it was really a thing, I think. I grew up on fantasy and always had a fascination with the nuts and bolts of European sword fighting. The fact that HEMA has become a bigger thing these days is really cool... but it's not big enough to have reached me yet. The closest HEMA clubs to me are well over a 50-mile one-way drive, and while I might be able to manage that once a month, that's really not going to help me. I've done some HEMA practice on my own, but even finding a sparring partner has proven to be a difficult search. In that light, there have always been three eastern arts that intrigue me: Baguazhang, Kung Fu, and Kendo. Judo also looks pretty cool, as I've done some research on it recently, and I think that Shaolin Kenpo could be interesting as well. There are Kung Fu, Judo and Kenpo clubs within a relatively close distance, and others farther out. So, over the next six weeks, my goals are to continue my body conditioning, and start investigating the martial arts schools closest to me to see where my first path will begin. It's all about little steps right now, but by the end of this six-week challenge, I want to have taken my first paid class. So, onto the goals! ------------------------------ Strength [Li] (STR +2, STA +2): Continuing straight on from my previous challenge, I want to keep increasing my strength. My overall strength goal is to be able to do a pull-up, but I've got a ways to go before I get there. For now I'm going to continue having a goal of 3 strength workouts per week, whether that's free weights, BBWW, 7-minute workout, or whatever else my brain can devise to work my upper and lower body to build overall strength. A: 3 workouts/wk; B: 2 workouts/wk; C: 1 workout/wk Balance [Pingheng] (DEX +3): For balance, I have begun learning the Chen Old Frame Tai Chi routine. It's just a video, unfortunately, and nothing like learning from a Sifu in person, but at least it's something. So far I have completed three of the lessons, and there are 20 total. By the end of the six weeks, my goal is to go through and learn all of the lessons and be done with the entire video. A: 17 lessons completed; B: 14 lessons completed; C: 11 lessons completed Discipline [Yueshu] (CON +1, WIS +1): I need a strong daily food tracking habit, because I have a habit of letting little things sneak up on me and pretending they don't matter, when they really do. I've proven that I can fast regularly, now I need to keep myself accountable for what I eat and when I eat it, because the awareness is sometimes all it takes to make a big difference. I will also try to record something of my thoughts and impressions if there is something strong attached to the intake in order to be more fully aware. A: 90%+ of days tracked; B: 80%+ of days tracked, C: 70%+ of days tracked Finding the Path [Dao] (+1 CHA): By the end of six weeks, I want to take my first paid martial arts class in the style and at the dojo of my choice. My first stop will be the Kung Fu studio about 20 minutes north of me. If, for whatever reason, it doesn't work or doesn't sit well, I will branch out and try the next most interesting option. ------------------- Onward toward the end of 2014! =)

In 2013, i got strong. In 2014 i have to train for endurance and long distance cycling. When i joined NF almost 2 years ago i promised my cousin that i would cycle the Cape Argus Cycle Tour on his 18th birthday. He turns 17 this year, which means i have a little over 1 year to get fit enough to complete the 109km cycle on a relatively hot day (from experience it's usually a scorcher). I have done it before (5 times) but the last one i did was almost 15 years ago - it will be when i cycle next year. My fastest time was a sub 3 (2h54m, to be exact). I'm not aiming for time, i just want to complete before cutoff (which i think is 7 or 8 hours). The route has 4 really big hills that a lot of people struggle with and that is why i'm calling this the year my "1000 hill challenge", but by the end of 2014 i want to have completed the following (total for each over a challenge): 1000 pushups (challenge 2)1000 squats1000 seconds of planks1000 lunges1000 box jumps1000 minutes of spinning Other things happening this year would include: Another W30 challenge or twosaving up for a December trip to the US with JV - will post once we've finalised our itinerary, although that would probably be more towards the end of the year - i love cold weather, to a point Signing up for my pole dance classeslosing some weight - i can't put a number on this, but i do have a goal of between 15 - 20kgs. More would be great, but i'm not going to be upset if it's less. Most of what i do this year will be focused around the Argus cycle tour in March 2015. Measurement Progress: Weight: 126kg | 65kg | 127.20kg | +1.20kg Bust: 132cm | 96cm | 128cm | -4cm Waist: 114cm | 73cm | 106.20cm | -7.80cm Hip: 144cm | 99cm | 146.20cm | +2.2cm Thigh: 74cm | 56cm | 72.90cm | -1.10cm Goal ultimate loss: 61kg & 140cm Loss so far: +1.20kg & -10.70cm Challenges for 2014: v2: Blaidd's 1000 Hill Challenge v2014.02: Pushups v3: Blaidd's 1000 Hill Challenge v2014.3: Squats v4: Blaidd's 1000 Hill Challenge v2014.4: Planks v5: Blaidd's 1000 Hill Challenge v2014.5: Lunges v6: Blaidd's 1000 Hill Challenge c2014.6: Starting on the back foot v7: Blaidd's 1000 Hill CHallenge v2014.7: Up Holiday Hill 2015 battle log

I've been knocked back with a cold the last few days so getting this up later than planned, but better late than never. I've found over my last 2 challenges that I started off really well and then had a wobble which knocked me back, causing me to miss out on completing some of my goals. So as well as my 3 quests and life goal, I'm going to aim to change this pattern. Main Quest This is still the same: to gain enough strength and stamina to complete Tough Mudder next year. Quest 1 Strength training 3 times a week 2 sessions of chin up training. (3 STR, 1 STA)I did well on this last challenge, and was going to drop it from my challenge altogether, as it's not been a challenge to get myself to the gym as I love it so much! But having a cold over the last week has meant I've missed a few gym sessions and I've realised how easy it is to fall out of a habit when something gets in your way.With that in mind, I need to keep this as part of my 6 week challenge. Quest 2 Handstand Training every other day (2 DEX) I've been trying out handstand training over the 2 week break and have been enjoying it. My sense of balance has always been atrocious. I'm one of those people that can fall over while standing still, so this may be quite a challenge, but one I think I'll enjoy. Quest 3 Eat a balanced diet (2 CON) I discovered last challenge that cutting out certain foods like white potatoes stopped me having suffering digestive issues and made me feel a lot healthier, so I'm building clean(ish) eating into this challenge. Plan and pre-prepare meals to prevent eating junk I'm pretty good at planning my evening meals, but really bad when it comes to lunch so I need to make sure I spend time on a Sunday preparing my lunches for the week.Treats are allowed, but must be homemade. I'm hoping this will reduce the amount of treats consumed. If I fancy cake, I can have cake, but I have to make the cake from scratch. The amount of time that takes will probably put me off the wanting the cake! Life Quest Improve my job prospects! (2 WIS) I really dislike me job. I work for a very small company as a support manager. Which is actually a ridiculous job title as I only manage 1 person, and in 4 weeks, they are leaving anyway. There is no way to move up as there are only 5, soon to be 4 people in it, and the only person above me it the Company Owner. The main problem is, although it's essentially an IT job, it's very niche and not many of the skills I've learnt here are transferable to another role. I've always been fascinated with programming, so I've been trying out the Python course by Code Academy. I'm hoping I can grasp this, and then Java, and then I'll have some skills that are worth putting on my CV. Do at least 6 hours of programming course each week I think this should be enough to start with. I don't have a lot of time in the evenings, so I'm going to break this 6 hours down into bite size chunks (lunchtimes, weekends etc).

INTRODUCTION: Oh look, it's my first challenge as an assassin . YAY me!! In my last challenge, I focused on building some healthy habits around eating well, building strength and improving flexibility. I want to build on the flexibility work so I will be continuing that and starting balancing training by way of crow pose. MAIN QUEST: Decrease body fat to 20-24% and learn to use my body effectively by improving strength, flexibility and whatever else I find lacking. Really its all about building solid habits while having fun . QUEST 1: DO OR DO NOT. THERE IS NO TRY. (DEX & WIS & STA) I want to improve my balance and eventually work up to handstands. I need to start with somewhere. Practice crow pose 5 minutes a day 6 days a week. A - 6 days complete, B - 5 days, C - 4 daysQUEST 2: TRAIN YOURSELF TO LET GO (DEX & STA) Flexibility and mobility require letting go. Complete 5 minutes each of static hangs and lower body stretching 6 days a week. A - 6 days complete, B - 5 days, C - 4 daysQUEST 3: FEEL THE FORCE (STR & STA) I want to be strong and able to easily move my body. Continue strength training with YAYOG 4-5 days a week depending on where I'm at in the program. Weekly pass/failLIFE QUEST: ALWAYS IN MOTION THE FUTURE IS (CHA & WIS) My current job is as a contractor and the contract ends in March. There is potential for the job to turn into a permanent position but I won't know until early next year. I need to be prepared to make the right choice of either staying with the job or finding something new. I need to review my finances so I know what type of offer I can accept. Work weekly to improve my understanding of what I enjoy doing with an eyes towards making money. Money - pass/failPassion - A - 6 weeks, B - 5 weeks, C - 4 weeksREWARDS: TBD BEFORE PICS: BEFORE MEASUREMENTS: Weight - 174.8Waist - 30.75Belly - 33.0Hips - 40.0

I've been looking around and can't seem to find any sort of program for an assassin aspiring to perform yoga. I can't figure out how to build a routine that's fluid, or even that makes sense? Please help me here, I'm begging.

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.†I almost forgot to even sign up. NaNoWriMo is happening right now so I've been writing all weekend like a crazy person. Finishing a 50,000 word novel in a month is something that I've always set out to accomplish, and I've always succeeded in accomplishing, because I committed to doing it and I hate having to admit defeat, even though nobody really knows the results but me. So I'm gonna give this some serious thought tomorrow and figure out how I can take that drive I have to write and channel some of that over to ambitious yet achievable goals for this 6 week challenge. The post with goals and whatnot will come later, along with the official signing up. For now, I really need to get to bed.

Hi to all! I am signing up for my first NF Challenge! i'm pretty excited about this as i think it may help me over the next months, and maybe my whole life. I am a big LoTR fan and i love the concept of going on a Life Quest with you guys! I am a student in the last year of my bachelor's degree (Landscape Architecture) and well, it's tough, on the mind, on the body, and i find myself slipping, even as i can see the end of the tunnel... I have a busy schedule (like many of us, i know) but as a student i have to work on the side to earn "survival" money and i bring loads of work home with me in the evenings and week ends. Time off and vacation are something i have very little of in general. I am lucky enough to be a reasonably healthy person but i find i am not able to focus properly on my daily tasks. I procrastinate quite a bit when i should be working on an assignment. My mind keeps wandering to "unimportant" things... I struggle to keep up with everything... So you may say : this is a FITNESS challenge, not a motivational course... this is not the right place... adding extra work is not going to help... I thought so too, but i find that keeping in physical shape helps the mind focus, keeps the brain more efficient, and makes me keep a tighter schedule. If i don't have some form of physical activity, i just go insane... but i need DISCIPLINE So, i signed up recently for martial arts at Fight Move Academy near where i live. I really wanted to do MMA - the toughest thing there is. (i have done Nin jutsu and Kung fu, and rugby too) I tested a course and had to admit i don't have enough experience and chose to do Muay Thai to start with. I've been training for a few weeks now and i just - love -it! It's keeping me fit, and full of energy - i feel i can actually DO more stuff, even if i have less time! So now that you have some background, here are the objectives: MAIN QUEST: Forge overall discipline QUEST 1 : keep up the daily/weekly rituals i have already set up : morning workout and meditation. Muai Thai training twice a week minimum. QUEST 2 : spend minimum 2 serious hours each day on my course work. With NO procrastination. QUEST 3: minimum 6 hours sleep every night LIFE QUEST : Short term : Get my degree - Get good enough to train in MMA Long term : forge self discipline MOTIVATION : my motivation for this challenge is to discipline myself into keeping a healthy balance between my physical, mental and financial health. I need to get stuff done but i don't want to ruin myself doing it. Better discipline will help me optimize time and energy. I hope this challenge will help me get better! So cheers to all who are signing up for the challenge i hope we all get better at living a healthy and fulfilling life! V

Main Quest: Ready myself for the races. Run twice a week. I have four races coming up this year. I am actually doing well, all things considered. I haven’t run since January, and since October before that, and I was able to kill a mile in 13:41. My best yet. The goal is to keep training. I want to see a 13 minute mile, straight by the end of the season! (2 points per run) T25 6 days a week. A huge factor in my motivation lately has been the progress I’ve seen with Focus T25. I’m down in inches, I’m down in weight, and I’m feeling pretty stellar. The goal here is to keep that motivation and run with it. It’s a great cardio workout as well as muscular workout, so this will be my gym for the next 6 weeks (and then some). (1 point per workout) Shakeology DAILY. I have been a morning shake drinker for years, and now I’ve got Shakeo. I’m frankly loving the stuff, and I can tell when I’m not having it. This is my diet side. I need that nutrition, daily. The nutrients keep me running and jumping and skipping and smiling and they motivate me to stay away from the other crap. Plus, this stuff has killed my cravings for junk, so I don’t crave that McDonald’s or Cheeto reward anymore… Gotta keep that up for sure. (1 point per day) Side Quests: Life – Get organized I am sick of thinking I’ll get that craft room organized tomorrow. It’s always tomorrow. No – it’s going to be today. I am going to get those boxes sorted and ready for good will. I am going to set up my old computer to make an office/yoga space. I will post weekly progress shots. (0 points for nothing. 5 points for part way. 25 points for completion) Fitness – Get back into yoga I love my aquafit class, but I miss yoga. With T25, I have seen increased flexibility in my legs, but my hips are still a HUGE issue. This goal will be focused around my HIPS specifically. I need to do yoga 3 days a week, but I will be happy with one. A class at my gym – my friend’s class – online videos… It needs to happen. I will post a starting shot of my hip flexibility and we will measure progress by the end of the six weeks! My goal is to work on three specific positions: Frog, Pigeon, and King Pigeon. (1 point per yoga work out, 3 points max per week) And last but not least… My motivation is… My progress. I am finally seeing some, so I’ll be damned if I let it slide!

Hi. I'm 0gravity. I am learning to Fly. The Demon of Gravity follows me wherever I go. He casts spells to create Illusions to trick me, to get me to bend to his will. My quest is to learn to break free from this Demon and his Illusions, so that I can Fly. His illusions come in three flavors, which I have learned to recognize. The Illusion of Slothfulness Often this Illusion manifests as the feeling that I cannot possibly motivate to exercise, I am too tired. Usually this occurs when I arrive home at work, and I find myself lying on the couch staring at the ceiling when I had every intention of exercising. Granted, my work is stressful. I am an RN by trade, Emergency and Critical Care by specialty. My hours are long. I start work at 0300 and get off at 1530. Nonetheless, my exhaustion is an illusion. This has been my experience. If I can just motivate to get off of my ass and get started, usually I have a great workout. So this is my goal: Practice flight every day I know a lot of people will insist that rest days are desirable or necessary for progress, but for me I find that I feel the best when I exercise every day. I do not do the same thing every day, and I do not go to maximum intensity every day, but that is my goal, to perform some amount of some exercise every single day. The Illusion of Endless Hunger I like to eat all of the things. I admit it. My hunger is endless. If not for my work defeating the first of the three illusions, the second would have certainly made me morbidly obese and hopelessly captive to gravity by now. Nonetheless, I see that I only feed the demon by devouring cinnamon rolls, cookies, pies, cheesecakes, ice cream, and candy. I can easily pound 5,000 KCal of sugar in a day. My weight fluctuates wildly: When I clean up my diet I drop to 188 pounds in a matter of days, a few days of gorging later and I hit 200, and the cycle repeats. Some foods are fuel for flight, and some only increase the hold which gravity has over us. So comes my second goal Eat enough to fuel flight, and no more For me this is quantifiable. For much of my adult life I was ~185 pounds. In the last few years I have become stronger, but also heavier. Today I am 195. My goal specifically is to eat cutting macros to get back to 185 and then reassess. I am a strong proponent of the leangains system. When I have stuck to the plan, the results have been dramatic. I modify slightly as I don't train with weights and I like to train every day instead of three days per week. So for me it goes like this: Fast 16 hours, eat resting macros around 1100, train in the afternoon, and eat post-workout macros by 1900. Log everything here. For now resting macros are protein:100g fat:30g carbs<20g. PWO macros protein:100g, carbs:190g, fat<20g So really the goal has three parts -Eat only between 11am and 7 pm -Eat a meal ~1100 with ~100gP,~30gF, <20gC -Eat a meal ~1830 with ~100gP, ~190gC, <20gF The Illusion that Poison is the Cure This one is the kicker for me. For the last ten years, I have been a smoker. This is the worst but not the only vice which goes along with this illusion. When I am stressed, I reach for tobacco. The illusion is queer because I know that it isn't true and I fall for it anyway. The illusion is that the cigarette relieves stress, when I know the reality is that the need to feed the addiction is CAUSING the stress. The illusion is that life will not be as good without a cigarette, when I know that it will actually be BETTER once I don't need the cigarette to make it feel complete. Tobacco weakens my bones and muscles and saps my energy. I know that in order to fly, I must let it go. Alcohol is another vice of mine. Some nights I don't drink at all, some nights I have three or four without even realizing it. I know it is making me heavier. I know it is sapping my energy. I know I need to let it go. Caffeine is yet another vice. Waking up at 0230 is really hard. It is way too easy to pound energy drinks and coffee in order to make up for lost sleep. But then I find myself awake later on when I should be asleep, frustrated and agitated when I should be peacefully snoozing. I turn to OTC or prescription sleeping pills or alcohol or all three in order to counteract the effects of the caffeine. Then I am groggy and lethargic the next morning and reach for the coffee and energy drinks and the cycle repeats. So here is my goal Let go of All of the Poisons It is easliy quantifiable. Either I refrain from the poison, or I imbibe them. How to grade myself on this goal though I am not sure. This is a thought which is still in progress. That is enough for now. I do not suffer from the illusion that this will be easy.

Still under construction! Katastrophenkatzchen stood in front of the wooden cottage and waited for her turn. Once the guard called her in, she took a deep breath and slowly walked in. With a deep, respectfull bow she greeted Vol'jin who asked her to come nearer. „I've heard of you from several trolls even over in Pandaria“, he started. „It's said that you want to be part of the soldiers of the horde, but you are still young and – please excuse the offence saying- not very skilled. What are you saying to those remarks?“ „Sir, I started training and yes, I didn't come very far since starting but I'm clearly progressing! I just haven't found the right training for myself.“, she imidiatly repeated. This didn't sound good, if she leaved the expression of not being fit to do some tasks she would be left behind. „Well, this is indead a problem... don't worry, most of the young soldiers happen to have this problem so we encourage them to pick a class. Have you thought about what class you want to be?“ Katastrophenkatzchen was happy... this was a question she could answer clearly: „Yes sir! I'm a kitten!“, she said proudly. „A kitten? What class is that?“, he asked confused. She turned red. „ A druid sir.“- „Ahhh a druid. I like having druids in my army, they are so versatile. So tell me, little kitten, why am I saying druids are versatile?“ She chewed her lip while thinking. „Because they can learn multiple forms?“-“Indeed! Now tell my the forms and what they stand for.“, he encouraged her. She sit up straight and counted them on her fingers. „Well first there is the cat form. It's fierce and it gets less damage from falling because it's so flexible. Second, there is the travel form... nice to have if you don't have a mount. Ehhh, there is the bear form too“, she said, while Vol'jin was nooding satisfied, „It's strong and protects others. The balance druids are often called the owls, so one could say it's the owl form, right? They bring balance to night and day. And the last one... ehh... the tree form! Restauration druids can turn into trees, right? They are great, they can heal!“, she said dreamy. „Exactly, well done. So, you declare yourself a druid, but are just training one aspect of yourself. Maybe that's the problem. You need variety and mental health but don't try to do everything at once. Pick small quests to train different aspects of yourself and you will be fine“, he smiled. „I think I could have use for a soldier like you, especially since you are a trailor. We always need trailors in war. If I can see serious progress in your training in 6 weeks, I take you with me on my next adventure with the horde.“, he promised. „Thank you sir. I won't disappoint you!“ He smiled again. „Now go and think about your training. I'll see you in 6 weeks in Orgrimmar.“ Main Quest - Go with Vol'jin. ... ehh I mean loose 20 pounds by September 7th (catch-up-net: October, 26th) To fit in a Sewaholic size 8 (FYI: Right now I'm a size 12 in their meassurements.) As I'm a seamstress I still take meassurements via tape meassurement. Current: (meassured on sunday, 27th) Chest - 99 cm/ 39" (meassured with dressy bra... last challenge I meassured w/ sports bra) Waist - 81,3 cm/ 32" Hips - 109.8 cm/ 43" Goal: Chest – 88cm /34.5 inch Waist – 72 cm / 28.5 inch Hips - 103 cm / 40.5 inch Weights will be posted weekly in the 20 Pounds PVP. Although mini challenges are not good for me, I have good experiences w/PVP. Generally I want to be fitter but that's too generic for a goal, so I stay with meassurements at the moment. Quests are considered as passed with 60%. Quest 1- Bear Form (Strength) Points Possible: 18 Do BBWW at least 3 times a week. See progress in completing a set, than do multiple sets in one workout Quest 2 – Cat Form (Flexibility) Points Possible: 18 Do Yoga 3 times a week at least 15 min long. See progress in downward dog distance of feet to ground and being able to hold crow. Quest 3 – Tree Form (Restauration) Points possible: 2x5x6= 60 At least 5 days a week: -Track meals on PaleoTrack.com (eating Paleo is not my goal) -Achieve 100% in Iron (I think eating low on iron is the reason for mid-afternoon tiredness) and -at least 60 g of protein Life Quest – Owl Form (Balance) Points Possible: 2x 3x 6=36 I need to balance fitness, studies, sewing, recreation ( like mangas/Animes/gaming) and quality time with friends and partner. Plus there are nessecarities like sleep, hygiene, food preparation, eating etc. First try of setting this goal under the spoiler This challenge I focus on studying and internet time. -30 min of studying/ reading research paper/ writing essays 3 times a week -less than 3 h of non-study- internet a day 3 times a week Lookout: I know my current goals aren't pretty druidy but I feel best being a druid and after weight loss there are sooo many mind things to tackle like gratitude, mindfullness, quick temper, life balance etc.

"Walking is simply controlled falling." -Miyasaki "Sitting in back alleys and begging for change isn't how I wanted to live. I wanted something better, I just had to stand up and take what's mine." Main Quest - Start walking... Mission 1 - Body weight workouts, 4 days a week. Mission 2 - Balance training or Yoga, 3 days a week. Mission 3 - Do 1 pull-up. Life Quest - Procure a set of lock picks.