Search the Community

☐ ☑ It is time. My birthday is coming up, a day of family and cake, and another of potluck and boardgames with friends and then I am officially a year older. Who would have thought? (What's with the English speaking side of the world continuing to pretend I were 29? What kinda BS is that? I LIVED those years. I EARNED those exp. Who dares try take that from me? -sometimes cultural differences are so hard.) Anyway Wednesday week 1 I am turning 33 and I love it. I am happy and proud to have run my very first Mud Run this past challenge. It was fun, and it was awesome, and if I'd done it alone, I would have been in trouble because lifting myself over things: still not awesome, but I wasn't and we had fun and it was good. Also, I jogged the whole thing. This challenge I am going to be playing with my head a bit. I will be cutting calories for a while there. I am planning for three weeks, but we'll see how it goes. It all depends on me writing down my fricking intake, obviously, and apart from the hunger grabbing me and me going after all kinds of edibles, I imagine, the logging is the thing that limits how long I can do this. The idea is to get used to cutting. For a limited time. So my mind learns: Yes it sucks, but it's not forever, and I'll be okay. Well here we go: week 1 don't eat like a dickhead but do enjoy your birthday. Log food. S☑ M☑ T☑ W☑ T☑ F☐ S☐ (total: ☑ ) week 2-4 log workouts and food calory deficite. S☐M☐T☐W☐T☐F☐S☐ S☐M☐T☐W☐T☐F☐S☐ S☐M☐T☐W☐T☐F☐S☐ (total: ☐☐☐) Go to fitness classes twice a week, only excuse: real sickness. ☑ ☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ (total: ☐☐☐☐) Go to dance class (☐ if no babysitter) ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ (total: ☐☐☐☐) to do list - pending ☑ sign up for trainer licence classes ☐ get rid of the frikkin laundry ☑ get BabyMagneto through school visit ☑ get BabyMagneto to enjoy pool day in kindy logging but not graded: eat something good for you every day (aka the fruit and veggie thing): (total: ☐☐☐☐) ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☐☐☐ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ continue water intake: (one ☑ per bottle (700ml) drunk, total: ☐☐☐☐) S☑☑☐ M☑☐☐ T☑☑☐ W☑☐☐ T☐☐☐ F☐☐☐ S☐☐☐ S☐☐☐ M☐☐☐ T☐☐☐ W☐☐☐ T☐☐☐ F☐☐☐ S☐☐☐ S☐☐☐ M☐☐☐ T☐☐☐ W☐☐☐ T☐☐☐ F☐☐☐ S☐☐☐ S☐☐☐ M☐☐☐ T☐☐☐ W☐☐☐ T☐☐☐ F☐☐☐ S☐☐☐ get enough sleep: (total: ☑ ☐☐☐) start: median 8h10m/night over the lat 14 days, goal: stay above 7h30=☑) ☑ ☑ ☑ ☐☐☐☑ ☐☑ ☑ ☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ So this is it. time to get moving again. Yes, I stole those boxes from you, @Rurik Harrgath, I can't imagine you mind, dear sir. On other fronts school restarts tomorrow, I need to mind my sleeping and get enough me-time, so mandatory reading time will be a thing... Love you folks. Katrin aka Morag

UNDER CONSTRUCTION! Yikes a Ranger amongst the Warrior! Now i've been snooping here and there, so i know there are and have been quite a few Rangers among you. My plan for the upcoming months might explain my presence here. My fitness subscription ends at the end of the year. Starting next year i am gonna give CrossFit a try. Now the last couple of years i was more endurance than strength and in order to prep the best way i know for going CrossFit is to work on my weakness. Getting stronger! Over the last 2 years i have been (on and off) doing some lifting on my own, but since my goal has always been to "look-good-naked" i neglected the eating part that comes with getting stronger. So i have become a bit stronger but not like one would expect in roughly 1,5 years time. Last challenges at the rangers i tried to focus more on lifting and eventually got myself to give up on the strict eating i had done for years (which was quite scary as i didn't want to look like fat-bastard after that challenge) and just eat some more. Which seems like to work in terms of being able to lift heavier. Here and there i had some questions which i think could be easily answered by the common knowledge in this guild, this made me decide to join you fine guys (and galls) for a double challenge. I really don't like the 4 week format, so i decided i'm just gonna merge 2 challenges together, hence my Pt.1. In terms of things i want to work on these 2 challenges: Lifting (using Starting Strength as a base) Clean Eating (Healthy stuff with lots of protein) NoBeer (which needs to be a goal, to be able to pull this off, apparently) SMART goals (to be able to track stuff and see what I've accomplished) A LifeQuest (cause i'm a procrastination machine on some stuff) During this 0 week i will try to shape up this challenge in the best way possible to kick off right next week. So i will write out my goals, and put a scoring system on it to be able to (sMart) measure progress. Lifting Been following Starting Strength for the last 6 weeks. Broke my 5RM PR's but got a bit over enthusiastic and twitched a muscle on my left lower back in week 4. Been trying some deloaded weights with SQ and DL but it kept aggravating my lower back. So last week i completely stopped SQ and DL. Will introduce them at 60% next week when the challenge starts. Next to that i haven't starting the PowerCleans as i don't feel comfortable in doing them and seeing i will be doing CrossFit starting next year i think i can better wait it out a bit and get someone to teach me how to do it properly. With the BP and OHP i have been upping it with 2.5 kg each workout. I know i can't keep on doing that, so today is the first day i went from 67.5 to 68.5 and got a 5/5/4. Retry next workout and i think all will be good, if not i will deload. Clean Eating I'm keeping a fooddiary here in my daily checkins and logging it to MFP for some numbers. KCAL RANGE: Most positive: 2586 - 2821 Least positive: 2479 - 2704 Setting KCAL range to: 2500 - 2750 PROTEIN RANGE: Setting range to: 130g - 160g NoBeer This could be very simple. Just.Don't.Drink.(Alcohol)! I'm gonna give myself some leeway here. Reserving one day a week for some social-beering. And i have got some holiday related events where i can really enjoy some fine quality beer. So for this double challenge i will give myself 9 days of allowed moderate drinking (a couple is 1-3). And i know the weekend i will be out with the boys there will be some more drinking, just gonna try to keep it to a minimum and not overindulge... LifeQuest Yeah, will come to this (eventually). Input is very much appreciated as i like to be as efficient as possible!

"Back to the Grind" Prologue: Vacation is over. Horizon is looking calm, except for some wee bumps. Last few weeks were hard on the part of me that wants to get fit(ter) and lean(er). Going on vacation with the bike was just a very bad combination in regards to maintaining strict about a lot of things. Being around a group of bikers that drinks heavily every evening, combine that with a person who loves to have a beer, and you get the picture. Not being able to workout due to a number of things (daily schedule and the heat over there being the most important factors). Back home i was still in vacation mode, not working out much (thank god for the StrongViking and the 12K at work). The wife returned last night from here short trip to Mallorca which closes this chapter of holidays. And i'm ready for the next step. I want to get back to the Challenge! Planning ahead i want to use the end of this year to prep myself for trading in Fitness for Crossfit starting next year. So i'm gonna make lifting my primary goal. Maximizing my strength to be able to handle heavy weights when it comes to the WOD from Crossfit. I've chosen Starting Strength (SS) as a base for this, i want to add some upper body work to this as this is the part i'm lacking... I need to (can) make the most progress in this part, and from the things i understand SS is not specifically meant (optimal) for this part. I'm still on the lookout for an answer to this question. For now i have made a start with a deload and restarting SS. Welcome To "THE GRIND" (sidequest: watch this video at the start of every lifting session, and preferably at the start of every day) The Challenge: This challenge will center around lifting and all goals will work towards maximizing progression.The goals will all be beneficiary to this cause. Except for the lifequest. There are a few things i'm postponing because i'm lacking courage of setting these gears in motion. I need to make a list about this and prioritize it. This will be first weeks goal and subsequent goals will be derived off of this. #1. "The Grind": Lifting 3 times a week. Monday Wednesday Friday. Start with a deload, work my way back up and beyond my PR's atm. No exceptions, make planning accordingly, work out possible schedule problems in advance. Allow for only one missed workout throughout the challenge (allowing for that one catastrophe to hit). Using Starting Strength as a base to get started. Looking for a good upper body plan to mix with SS. #2. "Sensible Fuelling": Eat to grow as a healthy Oak. Do.not.check.the.scale. I will get fatter, i will get heavier, i hopefully also will gain muscles in this process! The "sensible" part means two things. 1. Eat sensible in as healthy as possible. 2. Be sensible in the way that growing bigger will also mean gaining BF and become heavier. Last couple of challenges has shown it's impossible for me to gain strength without gaining weight/BF and keep this up for long time. Looking at the scales will make me give up for sure and go back to cutting, but i needz the muscles. Battleplan is to bulk till the end of the year, and when CrossFit is introduced (next year) revise the plan. #3. "Protein is Whey Cool": Keep up with the protein. Combining meat and whey as the primary sources of protein. Morning shake (combination of 6 types of protein) combined with Creatine at breakfast. Meat-leftovers for lunch A decent amount of meat (and make sure to leave some leftovers for the next day) Post-workout shake (Whey isolate) Protein shake before bedtime (Micellar Casein) #4. "Lose the booze": NO Drinking of beer, i have done this before, i can do this again. Stuff get's out of hand quickly when this is not a specific goal. Reporting back to you guys i have been acing this goal really gets me to stick to it! I allowed for 2 exceptions: one bottle of beer on my birthday-party (next saturday) and my actual birthday (sept. 28). Which makes a total of 2 bottles of beer throughout this 6WC. Next to this i try to drink as clean as possible, drinking mostly tea and water. When i really need a change-up it will probably be a diet-Lipton, but certainly not more than 2 glasses a day and certainly not every day (more like 2 times a week max). #5. "Sleep, i must": Last few weeks i have had seriously too little sleep. Going to bed later and later. Now going back to work (and having the alarm clock going at 06:00 am to drag my ass out of bed by 06:10 am) i have to make sure i get enough sleep. When i have to get to work the next day i need to be in bed before 11:00 p.m. The other days i have to be in bed before 12:00 a.m. Exceptions to these rules, when i'm away for the evening. This usually means being at a party or playing cards at a friends house. This doesn't happen all that much, and i generally don't make it very late, usually home between 01:00 am and 02:00 am. #### LifeQuest ###: There is some stuff that needs to get done which i'm constantly postponing. First week's part of this "lifequest" will be: make a list of 5 things that have to be done that keep getting postponed AND prioritize it. This quest will be changed in the weekend of week 1. DISCLAIMER: There is a small chance another OCR will be planned for somewhere in October, this challenge has to be seriously revised if this happens.

First off, the tactical bit in the titles refer to the Tactical Barbell books not and specific tactical training at this time. I’ve been doing some thinking over the past few weeks and decided that I’m not finished with the military. I finished my contract, deployed twice, and done what I needed to do; but I feel like there is more. I discharged 4 years ago and since that time I have put on around 70-80lbs and lost nearly all my endurance. Since April I’ve been back in the gym consistently doing Wendler’s 5/3/1 and then later a template out of Beyond 5/3/1. These 5 months have helped me build a solid base of strength but haven’t helped my endurance or strength endurance as I rarely did anything more than 10 reps at a go. Starting September 19th, I will have 19 months to reach my goal of being able to reenlist by the time I hit 30. To do so I will lower the intensity of my heavy lifting ( can’t drop this as right now it’s what I love most of training) and will start an 8 week endurance building cycle. The first 5 weeks will be primarily C25K and rucking on days off that the girlfriend works, weeks 6-8 I will work in some HIIT and sprints as well to increase my anaerobic system and some high rep body weight/light barbell work to build up my muscular endurance. I will take my starting height/weight/tape numbers NLT Monday and can use those to break down my overarching goals into smaller more manageable chunks.

October 8th, 2016 All these people are sooooo young and fit and wow.... scary obstacles too.... but I have the ticket hanging on the fridge. I'm going. Fear be damned. So better get the training on track, summer lull is over. It's time to move! Details will follow. love you folks.

“Hither came Rurik Harrgath, wild-bearded and sullen-eyed, axe and bow in hand, a ranger, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the wild places of the world under his booted feet. A paragon of primal fury, his wild rage harnessed and tempered through a far-strider’s wisdom and insight. Keen senses, swift motion, and flawless strikes; to the barbarian ranger, these are the key to survival. He channels the terrible majesty of his great ancestors and finds himself mightier with their ancient blessings upon him.” Starting weight baseline: 199 lbs. CrossFit Skill spreadsheet: CrossFit Metrics NATURAL REMEDIES: Nutrition accountability measured through Health Points. (+1/day). HEART OF THE WILD: Experience meter focusing on two walks per week and other activity. (+1/10% +XP). FAR-STRIDER’S INSTINCT: Day-to-day inspiration & Big 3 tasks for the week. (+3.3 per task complete/10). A brief list of Heart of the Wild (XP) activities... CHALLENGE INSPIRATION: Of late it seems like I need all the help I can get. With that in mind, I turn to the most powerful and majestic of my Ranger-tropes to summon the Barbarian Ranger once more. This Warrior-Poet knows we can’t fight our nature; it’s as unrestrained and wild as the restless roaring river, but maybe we can subtly influence its course. For ages, months and challenges gone by, I’ve tried to shoehorn activities and adventures into my routine to little enough success. The master key then is small efforts to supplement my already formidable training routine, and as I'm spending the summer alone the focus shifts to making sure I am looking after myself and finding reasons to leave the house rather than shutting myself in like a proper hermit. A change of avatar hearkens a reminder of my earliest fitness and creative inspiration in Madawc the barbarian ancient of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. In what should be a triumphant return for this Skald of yesteryear, we recognize the woodsy, earthen scents of cedar wood, birch bark, and smoldering tobacco around a roaring bonfire on the wild steppes, alongside an exotic melange of heady urban musk, notes of amber, bourbon vanilla, and roughly cured leather of a trading town or adventurer's waypoint, and the chaotic elixir of the battlefield, of blood and smoke and sulfur on the winds of war. It just feels good to be home amongst so familiar a trope and I trust its inspiration to see me safely through another 4 Week Challenge! “I am Rurik Harrgath, of the blood of the Old World, and I will take what is mine with Blood & Thunder!”

Challenge number... 14 I believe it is for me. If I'm not mistaken, that is. I have had a decent number of good-ish challenges. These usually start out quite well, I make huge improvements. But usually around mid-week 3 I start to... "fall of the wagon" sounds like a big event, when it is more like a lull in the momentum. A dwindling of enthusiasm. I have become stronger and gained endurance as well. This time around I am going to go for a more sedate improvement. Week 1 FlyLady - my apartment will thank me Do something nice for yourself. Second half week 1 Daily exercise - picking up "darebee ab challenge" at day 30 (70 sit ups, lots of flutter kicks and some planks) and continuing on into level II. Potentially some form of pushup challenge - no specific plans yet. Next week is the last week of normal training before Summer Break. - So train while you can. Week 2 Daily dare challenge - if there is such a thing, I have to look, will aim for silver again, eventually I will get there. And some more foruming - as in mini challenge and socializing on here. Second half week 2 And lastly nutrition - logging food EVERY SINGLE DAY. Slowly getting back to paleo-ness, and eating carbs as a reward for exercise. This is a lot, and I feel overwhelmed just by looking at the list. So I will build up my task list slowly. With week 3 and 4 just for maintaining. Kindest Regards Katrin Continued gratitude practice. I am thankful for Netflix. So many shows I could never afford owning... I am appreciative about pure cashmere yarn. Such a wonderful luxury. And lastly I am thankful for kids being in daycare most of the day, they are chewing on the bit as is... I would never be able to keep up, were they not powered out during the mornings and early afternoons....

A little background first. Was formerly here as Doc Viking, I opted to come back with a new name since I've moved and am changing up some of my training. I am formerly an Army Medic who left the military and stopped training due to turmoil/death in my family and general laziness coupled with drinking too much beer and steadily moved up to 345-350lbs, now down to 330lbs. Last couple challenges I've done were mostly lifting via Strong lifts, and some rucking. Since April I have been hitting the gym 4x/week and making good progress with Wendler 5/3/1, but now that I'm finally in my new residence I'm going to start adding some new training to keep things fresh. I obtained a massive tire and a sledgehammer, rescued a furry Ranger companion, have space for my heavy bag and broke my bicycle out of storage. I may have been a little overenthusiastic about my choice of tire as it's nearly as tall as I am and maybe 2 feet wide, it certainly outweighs me and even though I have built my lifts up quite a bit recently I'm not certain I can flip it too many times without risking injuring myself, hence the sledgehammer. Goals for this challenge are simple Continue to lift 4x/week use my tire (i.e. hammer swings, jump/step ups, and eventually set up a rig to drag/pull it) ride my bike or take my furry companion for walks 5x/week and hopefully build up to short jogs with him. I have a coworker that lives near me that is trying to lose some weight to help manage some health issues and to improve his job as a volunteer firefighter, While I haven't pushed him to joining me at the gym he has expressed interest in joining me for my second and third goal and has been waiting patiently these last 3 months while my house was being repaired from a flood to move to town. Also my younger sister lives close and has been bugging me hurry up and get moved so she can join me on bike rides. I welcome suggestions for other uses with my sledgehammer beyond the usual two-handed diagonal swings, overhead swings, and one-handed swings.

This Challenge--- I have no idea yet. Rambling brainstorm coming in - music at the bottom: I want to get "Them" to give me a confirmation for a spot in the licence class I wish to take in September (I got the sponsoring settled, but "they" (=not them) took their bloody time.) I will be in Vienna, Austria July 6th through 10th. I have already organised and tentatively looked up knitting meets that fall withing the time frame (I have wool shopping plans) and am hoping the trip will be as awesome as I think it'll be. Mum booked the whole trip (bus: shudder - and hotel: 4 stars) as a package thing, including sight seeing tour of the city on day one there (which because of the bus ride through all of Germany to Vienna via Prague taking 16 hours or thereabouts is actually day two of the trip). I am much excited, I don't think you can read it in my words here, I am actually, truly, utterly psyched. I haven't traveled since I went to sweden with friends the year I graduated AND was pregnant with my now 12 YO son. Mind Blown. I will take as much of that trip in as I can, take some pictures (but more looking and experiencing than watching it through a camera) and I will take some wool with me, something that'll keep reminding me for months to come, while I knit, and years (hopefully) to come while I wear, whatever it'll become.... I'm a tactile person like that, this really speaks to me. I need to cook better. Log more. And that is not negotiable. I need to get my legs to work properly. PT and all that. And I need to start really training for the Mudrun in early October. Sustainably. That is my first braindump of a thought for next challenge. I will run my challenge June 13th 'till July 10th, making my vacation the long straight before the finish line... I should look up fitness options in Vienna... maybe they have indoor playgrounds there... *research mode engage* Speak soon Katrin

Going for the gainz TL'DR Lot's of backstory, passionate about healthy exercise, avoid overtraining, or bad form, path to lvl 25, and therefore towards lvl50... Will teach class 17th, start PT 20th, get started on license courses Sept, run OCR in Oct, wanna come with? My plan for this challenge is a bit different. The usual would be something along the lines of "caloric goal, exercise minimum, sleep minimum" While all of those are good, and I will probably get back to them next challenge (especially if this challenge busts out) I feel them not enough and at the same time too complex. So I'm going to go with this instead: Act like a grown up (eat well and with restraint, sleep more than you think you need, go to class, exercise at home) aka don't be a moron Make your weaknesses into strengths (shoulder PT taught me that abs and upper and lower back muscle are where I need to grow stronger) PVP the heck out of it I also noticed I have a competitive streak a mile wide. If I see someone do something I can almost do, I can rarely let go and not push myself to get there. When I know there's something I can't do yet (even if I only compete against my younger self) it's really hard to stay within my limits, and I failed a lot in the past, which bites me in my backside with my tender shins currently (case of too much too soon again) but I will find ways to use this competitiveness: The daily minimum activity that I have tried to implement has not taken hold since I had to stop my wall planks when I hurt my shoulder. So I will enjoy some PVP time with all of you fine rebels out there and see where I can land. And maybe I even can find someone to do some other darebee challenge with/against me throughout this challenge, I am currently at ab challenge day 9, and did my 1:20 plank in one go (never done this long a plank), trick: switching from forearm on the ground to on the hand when it was almost too much, and back down, but no disengaging the legs/abs! And I am considering their Age of Pandora Programm. That is my plan anyway, we'll see how far it survives past first contact with the enemy....

"I'm Coming For Ya, BEAST!" QUEST 1 Maintain deficit: This KCAL range is proving to be a struggle, so i'm gonna keep it here and hopefully find somebody who will do a form of PvP with me for the added accountability. My weight is stabilizing while i think i need to lower it and lose some extra BF. For added accountability i'm gonna do a written report of what i ate the day(s) before. ***** QUEST 2 Keep up protein: Of course i will try to do my best to keep as much muscle as possible. I'm still doing lots of stuff to enhance my body and it needs the right kind of fuel, so protein is gonna be a big part of my diet. ***** QUEST 3 Minimize beer input: I thought about removing this quest since i'm doing quite nice, except, seasons are changing. And well, next two seasons it's gonna be: "'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la la. Fill the meadcup, drain the barrel," So just to keep grinding-in this habit i'm gonna stick with it at least for the upcoming challenge(s). And this grinding definitely needs work, as weather is turning up and the occasions i would normally indulge on beer are lining up! Though i will have my occasional reward because it's just too damn good! ***** QUEST 4 MIndfully choose a meal: Just to keep as clean as possible i'm forcing myself to think (in advance) about every meal i eat. Easier to keep in line with the KCAL and better to fuel my body with the "best" option available. I'm gonna update it with a plan a (couple of) day(s) ahead, to keep up with the good eating and according KCAL deficit. ***** QUEST 5 Act like a MadCow: Lifting, it's my main thing at this moment, i love doing it, it's good for me, so i'm not planning on not doing it. It's here to stay in the foreseeable future. Maybe i'm gonna put a little more emphasize on doing more number of reps NEXT TO the heavy reps i'm doing now (just add some sort of cooldown sets after every workset, pyramid style workouts. If somebody has some ideas, please shoot! ***** QUEST 6 Find my Inner-Ape: I will be focusing on upperbody-bodyweight-exercises. Probably a lot of chin ups (no pull ups yet because of sore tendon on the outside of my elbow). Pushups and burpees will also be part of the program. (I'm slowly dreaming about doing the 300 workout). Next to this i'm focussing on deadhanging, but i'm gonna throw around the workout a little because it was getting a grind and i wasn't looking forward to it anymore. ***** QUEST 7 Stamina: Running is totally back in the game. After the run i did at work i just feel rejuvenated. If schedule allows i will be aiming for 2 runs a week, next to one workout at the gym. The workout at the gym really shakes up my workouts with stuff i normally don't train. ***** QUEST 8 Accountability: I need all of you beautiful people to keep me in line. I'm growing discipline by the day but it's a slow process. Every extra nudge is very welcome. This is the main reason for the existence of this thread, my sheet and all other aids i use. This quest is about the M in sMart, and the (first) S in kiSs (i've already got the the second S covered ). The Final Chapter

I am sorry to report that again I have not had time to sit at the PC and write things out. Which is kinda annoying even for me. Cutting to 1200-1400 cal / day - log every day 1.5L water every day at least Fitness Conditioning and Play class (FKS) 2x a week when possible homeworkout when not weightroom at the gym as soon as spring break is over 2x per week Continue working towards OCR in early October and Trainer Licence starting in September. sleep 7 1/2 h per nite. Sorry for the cliffnotes version, I just need to put them out there so I can't procrastinate, more detailed write out soon. PS Oh, and pool day 1x per week, plus figure out when to do the second one now that Tuesdays don't workout anymore.

QUEST 1 Maintain deficit: Adjusted a bit, removed an extra 100 KCAL/day. I gained a little weight during my vacation, and with summer season coming i'm preferring getting rid of the excess fat even it means i will lose some muscle in the progress. I want to get to that baseline! Plus i think it will benefit me greatly on the OCR, lowering my BW to maximize my efficiency on all those BW-exercises i will encounter there. QUEST 2 Keep up protein: Of course i will try to do my best to keep as much muscle as possible. I'm still doing lots of stuff to enhance my body and it needs the right kind of fuel, so protein is gonna be a big part of my diet. QUEST 3 Minimize beer input: I thought about removing this quest since i'm doing quite nice, except, seasons are changing. And well, next two seasons it's gonna be: "'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la la. Fill the meadcup, drain the barrel," So just to keep grinding-in this habit i'm gonna stick with it at least for the upcoming challenge(s). QUEST 4 MIndfully choose a meal: Just to keep as clean as possible i'm forcing myself to think (in advance) about every meal i eat. Easier to keep in line with the KCAL and better to fuel my body with the "best" option available. QUEST 5 Act like a MadCow: Lifting, it's my main thing at this moment, i love doing it, it's good for me, so i'm not planning on not doing it. It's here to stay in the foreseeable future. QUEST 6 Find my Inner-Ape: I will be focusing on upperbody-bodyweight-exercises. Probably a lot of chin ups (no pull ups yet because of sore tendon on the outside of my elbow). Pushups and burpees will also be part of the program. (I'm slowly dreaming about doing the 300 workout) QUEST 7 Stamina: Running has lost it's interest. Though i have entered myself in a run within this challenge (2,5 weeks). I entered the 12K (7.5 miles) on April 20th. I need the stamina, because the OCR has a distance of 19K (12 miles). So besides all the obstacles we also got a shitload of ground to cover. I need my stamina back! DST has kicked in, evenings are getting longer, weather is getting better, less excuses not to run. I'm even gonna go to my gym, and tune my subscription down from unlimited to once a week. This is better for my wallet, it's easier on my schedule, and it gives me more room to go running. QUEST 8 Accountability: I need all of you beautiful people to keep me in line. I'm growing discipline by the day but it's a slow process. Every extra nudge is very welcome. This is the main reason for the existence of this thread, my sheet and all other aids i use. This quest is about the M in sMart, and the (first) S in kiSs (i've already got the the second S covered ). ... Vacation hit in the 0-week, this was very welcome. I needed a break. Even without admitting it, i really needed it. Vacation was an excuse to let go. I didn't run (though i brought my apparel and clothing), i didn't lift (though i brought my dumbbell and about 50 lbs worth of small plates). Rest week, vacation, that's what it was. I ate everything i wanted, i drank everything i wanted. I did the thing i wanted to do, and more important, i didn't do the things i didn't felt like. 3 consecutive challenges worth of creating habits, i needed to let go. Vacation and 0 week merging into one week of "Frozen" (let it go!). Funny thing now, when looking back. What did i do during my 0 week / vacation. Drink some beer, but also no KCAL drinks beside that. Eat what everybody was eating, but always choosing the best option. Still no desserts / pastrie etc.The only thing i would have should have could have done better was refrain from chips and salty nuts, but that was hell-a-hard when you are playing cards and your drinking a few beers, and someones places a few dishes of those under your nose. Even though i was nowhere near as good as i have been on the last challenge i was also doing a decent job on a "let-it-go-type of week". I haven't weighed myself the first day when i came back, and was a bit off. Probably the start of a cold, but i deployed Plague Protocols at the first hint of it. No lifting, no running, just, rest. Last day of the vacation, the one where we drove home in the morning, i wasn't feeling all that great. (I think one of the more chilly/windy hikes has gotten to me) So when we got back home we had some things we had to check off. My nephews birthday, seeing my mom to tell about vacation and eating with the inlaws, to officially close the vacation and tell my BIL how the vacation was. After that it was lights out. Couch time for about 36 hours straight, with only two 8-hour breaks for sleeping in my bed. No eating, just drinking. Friday after dinner till sundaymorning was very passive. Sunday was a slow day, with it's highlight being a nice family party and a small tour on my bike (which is gonna be an added lifequest probably). So now my willpower-porgressbar has been overcharged by a fantastic 0-week/Vacation. Ready to kick some butt this challenge!

It's time for a change, a major change. I thought I knew who I was when I signed up for the academy, but after some time here, I realized that I was trying to be the wrong class, or at least, I was looking at it incorrectly. You see, I chose the path of the assassin, because I enjoy bodyweight exercises, as well as a Parkour. I wanted a body that wasn't just strong, but also functional. I wanted to run, climb, jump, roll, repeat. But after walking the path of an assassin, I didn't feel like an assassin. Assassins are tactful and subtle, they know where to strike at their opponents to do the most damage, and they know when to keep their mouth shut. Meanwhile, the volume knob in my brain that controls my mouth is a little finicky (not to mention the filter between the two is quite dirty), I prefer strangling and smashing my opponents into a fine paste, and I'm as subtle as a man with Tourette's Syndrome wielding a rusty chainsaw. Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Bob, and I am a Barbarian. Now I know a lot of us here on NF like to think of ourselves as assassins, vikings, cavemen, and so forth, but I knew that if I was really going to "invent" a whole new path, then I was going to have to not only talk the talk, but walk the walk. I do like the concept of a barbarian; a big dude with long hair, and a mighty ax. And after all, barbarians gave us the 3rd most metal intro to a cartoon ever: (the first two being this one and this one). But rather than being just a big, shirtless guy, with an ax and an anger problem, I wanted to find what else barbarians have in common. What separates them from other paths? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that this wasn't just a path to better health, but a better way of living different aspects of my life. A barbarian is who I am, inside and outside of the academy, and though it's only been a week since I've started my quests, my life has drastically turned around for the better. I found 5 traits that I think define a barbarian, and have come up with quests for each of these traits. As I progress further on my path, more quests will be added for each one. Still with me? Excellent, let us begin. #1. A Barbarian is Strong A barbarian is strong. Whenever you see an image of a typical barbarian (i.e. Arnold), he's usually wielding a large weapon. Large enough that it almost looks impossible to be wielded by any normal human. And yet, he carries a large ax/sword/tree trunk wherever he goes, and you know it's more than just for show. Let the puny weaklings wield their rapiers, daggers, and staves. Your ax is all you need. But beyond that, a barbarian is strong in a functional sense as well. A barbarian climbs, jumps, runs, and swims just as well as any assassin. When a barbarian seeks out a target, nothing stands in his way from getting to it. Quest #1: Bodyweight strength training at least 2/week I will be training my body in the same way as an assassin: For functionality. I will be doing bodyweight exercises at least 2/week, and hopefully some basic Parkour training as well. Side quests: Perform 10 steps vaults (each side), and 10 rolls painlessly (each side) #2. A Barbarian is Tough I've found that whenever I've played Pathfinder or D&D, it's the barbarian class that's usually left standing when the fight is over. Wizards & sorcerers cast spells, paladins and clerics provide healing, and rangers, warriors, and rogues deal out plenty of damage. But the class that's left standing, the class that's always there to pull your ass out of the fire, is the barbarian. And why not? Barbarians aren't trained or forged, they're born out of harsh environments, from the hottest deserts, the darkest swamps, and the coldest mountain tops. A barbarian is designed to take pain, take discomfort, and keep right on pushing, and if you're going toe-to-toe with one, you'd better make sure you're weapons are sharp (and that you brought a few friends). Quest #2: Walk barefoot at least 60 minutes/week In order to toughen myself up, I will be walking barefoot to work, as well as taking public transit barefoot, 60 minutes/week. Yes the sidewalks will be cold, wet, and covered in small rocks. People will stare, maybe laugh, but I don't care. I'm not here to please anyone. I'm here to toughen myself, and no one is going to stop me. Side quest: Complete one bodyweight workout routine completely barefoot Side quest: No complaining about anything for 1 month (either fix the problem, or shut my mouth) #3. A Barbarian Controls his Fear It's pretty difficult to scare a barbarian. Their methods may be primal (i.e. smashing thing until thing stops moving), but in a barbarians world, it's kill or be killed. With a strong body, and a vigilant constitution, a barbarian is near ready for anything that comes his way. And even if his target is stronger, faster, or scarier than he is, a barbarian controls his fear, rather than letting his fear control him. Fighting is the first option in the barbarians choices for conflict. Running, should be the last. Which is why if you ever see a barbarian, running in a random direction, you run with that barbarian. Because there is something scary coming the other way. Quest #3: Shower in cold water 1/day for 1 month It's time to get out of my comfort zone, real far out. I'll be showering in cold water, every day, in April. While I don't necessarily fear cold water, I know that it makes me (and probably most other people) uncomfortable. If I can conquer this, then I'm on the first step to conquering other major hurdles that scare me. Side quest: Approach 10 random strangers, and have a conversation with them, if only brief #4. A Barbarian Embraces his Emotions When most people think of barbarians, they probably think of terms like "Rage", or "Anger", or "F#%$ing pissed the f$#% off you f@#$ing f%&*". It's pretty standard for a lot of a barbarian's power to come from his anger. Meditation, and subtle contemplation on the meaning of life, aren't usually part of a barbarian's schedule. He's far more interested in finding the guy that accidentally bumped into him at the pub, chopping off his head, hollowing out his skull into a soup bowl, and adding it to his collection. But rather than focus on just pure anger, I dug a little deeper, and noticed that a barbarian embraces their other emotions as well. When he's happy, he smiles and laughs. When he's sad, he cries. When he's angry, he makes soup bowls. This is something that we could all strive for. I remember when I was in college, my family would occasionally call me up, and ask me how I was doing. I'd usually reply with "I'm fine", when in reality my brain would be screaming "DUDE! NO, YOU ARE NOT FINE!!! YOU ARE TIRED, YOU ARE BROKE, YOU ARE LONELY, AND ALL YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS TO FALL INTO A COMA FOR 3 MONTHS!!! YOU ARE ANYTHING BUT F#%&ING FINE!!!!!" I still use the "fine" excuse to this day. Well no more. Quest #4: "I'm fine" and "I don't know" are no longer part of my vocabulary I will express how I'm feeling, in any way I can. Whether I'm happy, sad, or just apathetic, "I'm fine" and "I don't know" are no longer a proper response. This one is going to be hard, but I know I can do it. Side quest: Call my family up 1/week, and ask how they are doing for a change #5. A Barbarian Embraces Nature Most often you'll find barbarians in a pub, mingling with the other socialites. After a spot of tea, they'll then wisp themselves down to the local clothing shop, and find a pretty pink dress to wear to her majesty's ball that night. Oh wait... No you don't! You're more likely to find a barbarian in the woods, killing something, and then probably eating it. A barbarian is at home in the woods, where he was born and raised. Like the barbarian, nature is wild, unpredictable, brutal, and yet beautiful. While I enjoy hiking and camping, I know that I should be embracing the natural side of things more. I need to be real. Be authentic. Be natural. As much as I can. Embrace the outdoors as much as I can. Quest #5: All workouts will be done outdoors at a park, rain or shine Mother Nature will be my personal trainer. The rain will only force me to work harder. I will shun the comforts and luxuries of a traditional gym, and make myself stronger wherever I am, regardless of the weather. Side quest: Eat cleaner: At least 2 servings of vegetables/day I know it seems a little odd, coming up with your own path. But I've never been as certain about anything in my life, as I am about this. I am a barbarian, and the stronger, tougher, and braver I become, the more good it'll do for me, and those I care about. LET THE QUESTS BEGIN!!!

New Challenge I want to do all the things. All the time. But my plate is constantly too full. The plan for March is to make doing-less-but-doing-it-right a thing. This is the last full challenge before I'm here for a full year. I have a lvl 50 25 dream, getting there will require training, training that requires some organisation. Furthermore it encompasses a moderate fluency in at least 2 languages I'm not fluent in yet. Grinding those skills up will have a place too. I'm in the weight room twice a week (if the kids are in daycare or hubby is home), at FKS class twice a week (except late shift week), and at the pool at least once oftentimes twice a week. All of these exercises are fun. It's when I have something come up and I feel a workout at home should happen that the plan is not followed by action. Yoga and walking are not a thing yet either, against multiple challenges to try to implement them. Food was slipping at the end of February. Need to work that over. And while we're at it, I agreed to write a commission for a friend's business. It's obvious I can't post work-in-progress stuff here of things that will be sold as exclusive stuff lateron. But I have a history of being too afraid to write because I know someone is waiting for my words. It's actually my favourite way to block myself. So I said yes, before I could find arguments against it and will have to find a way to be accountable here, without actually giving you any of my writing. Sorry. How is any of this minimalistic? you might ask. That's a good question. I don't know either, but I feel like slowing down is the right next step. We will have a mini, there's stuff that's not going to need 4 weeks of constant effort. Those will be my mini challenge goals. signing up for classes (including all the behind the scenes organisation) will be oneresearch of one fun topic or other will be another. (mead brewing? traveling?)increasing number of lunges and planks every day will be number 3.and 4... I don't know yet.Everything else will be sorted in one of my favourite things: A Spreadsheet. thank you, @Briniel, for the inspiration (yes, I stole heavily from you, but all the formulae are my own doing). Good behaviour on this month's challenge will get me a day in the SPA with a dear friend of mine. Workout, sauna, the whole shebang... (no massage though, that I need to save up more for.) I think it's time for a cut. TL'DR Do less. But do it well. Anyone feel like explaining how to embed this stuff to me? EDIT Picture and music. PS There is a weekend event at a small lifestock zoo not too far from here. Stoneage / Equinox Celebration. We'll be there, the whole family: my mom, the kids, hubby and me. It'll be fun, I'll give you pictures.

“Hither came Rurik Harrgath, wild-bearded and sullen-eyed, weapon in hand, a ranger, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the wild places of the earth under his booted feet...” Starting weight baseline : 190 lbs. Maximum pullups: 12 strict. Next goal: 15. Double-unders Combo: 24. * * * BUFF THE HEALTH POOL: Also known as Barbarian Alchemy & Eat To Perform. Health meter starting at 100% and losing 20% for every calorie overage. Reward: +2 WIS, +2 CHA, +1 STA, +1 CON. MINE IS THE FURY: Activity meter. Gains 10-30% per activity above and beyond WODs. Reward: +1 STR, +1 DEX, +1 STA, +1 CON. GOLD FROM IRON: Journey to financial freedom. Pay off 60 gold sovereigns in debt and accrue no further financial burden. Reward: +2 WIS, + 3 CHA. * * * CHALLENGE INSPIRATION: I said it better last challenge than I could ever hope to again... Pairing the woodsy, earthen scents of cedar wood, birch bark, and smoldering tobacco from the highlands of World of Warcraft aside an exotic mélange of heady urban musk, notes of amber, bourbon vanilla, and roughly cured leather from Conan the Barbarian, you’ll have a unrestrained, fierce palate prepared for any quest. With just a hint of Diablo 3 upon the finish, all chaos and brimstone, this challenge will leave you with a profound feeling of satisfaction and a driving thirst for adventure! And now the Golden Age of the Barbarian continues, so strap on your armor and raise your banner. Grab your weapons, those finely-wrought tools of war, and step toward the wayward path. Adventure looms, and we’d best not keep it waiting!

QUEST1: Get that Viking moving! On 5 days of the week one or more of the following: LiftingA combination of:RopeskippingSledgehammerBodyweight exercisesEllipticalRunningGrouplesson KickfunGrouplesson Circuit training QUEST2: Grow a big healthy Viking! Mindful: Eat as healthy as possible, no snacking Moderation: Do not binge on food or alcohol Slight deficit: Try to keep a slight deficit so i won't be gaining, but will (hopefully) lose some BF. QUEST3: A rested viking is a healthy Viking! Sunday to Wednesday, go to bed no later than 23:00 (sleep till 06:00) 7 hours of sleep A total of 50 hours sleep per week 1 resting day during the week, 1 resting day during the weekend. Sidenote: A resting day CAN be exchanged for a workout day, if the following is met: I can go to bed early that eveningNo outstanding "Domestic Rangering"TM tasksThere has been (or will be) enough Family-Time that week LIFEQUEST: Educate the Viking Weighttracking / MFP Tracking Spreadsheet building and tracking 1 spreadsheet per week which will help me out in my quests in one way or the other

2016 has been consistently kicking my ass since day 1. If you need any more proof, look no further than this thread. My uncanny ability to keep up with everything on these boards (known in Crossfit lingo as "ThreadCon™") is gone and I haven't posted my challenge thread already a day into the challenge. Things aren't looking pretty up ahead, so let's get to the point. Upcoming Events: 11km Trail Race on Feb. 7th Crossfit Open, kicking off on Feb. 25th for the following 5 weeks Masters' Exams on March. 8th and 15th.Simply put, I need to get back in line both physically and mentally Goals: 1. Nutrition: After checking with the SRLF™ I'm allowing myself the following Sugar: 1 day meal per week, to be used wisely while having a good time out and not stupidly stuffing things in my mouth at homeCheese: Allowed 2 days meals per weekComplex Carbs: Allowed only on workout days, from breakfast to 1 hour after the workout2. Workouts: 3 per week, preferrably straightforward Crossfit WODs instead of Oly Lifting, Gymnastics or other specialised classes 3. Study: I need to be ready for my exams. So far I've managed to lose interest in the lessons and not study any of the book or notes. This needs to change, drastically. 4. Animal Companion: A few days back, I picked up a stray cat. This goal is twofold. One, take care of it, take it to the vet, buy the necessary equipment and make the adjustments required to this new situation. Two is defend my decision against the family who is bound to go bananas once they hear of it. I am not giving way. The cat stays. 5. Peace of Mind: Special thanks to zenLara for inspiring this one. As mentioned, my ThreadCon™ has become terrible and instead of trying to fight it, I must come to terms with it. I can't keep up with everything and it's no use trying to do it or feeling bad for not being able to. 6. Daily Quests: This worked wonders during my previous challenge so I'm keeping it up for this one as well.

EAT eat well, I know how that goes, now I just gotta keep doing it. If it goes well slowly start reducing cheese and non-paleo snacks again. Don't stress too much if it doesn't go that well. Accountibility: post cal total per day and median macros for the week, log water too. MOVE The original plan was workout 3x yoga 5x walk 3x I'm not sure how that will hold up under pressure as I seem to forget yoga, when stressed, which is really sad, because that is the time I could really use it. Also I tried out the Crossfit Class and LOVED IT, have had the corresponding DOMs to prove it. AND I didn't connect DOMs with do yoga, I thought I had that connected, but I guess not. MON a.m. Gym (machines, but hey better than nuthin') TUE a.m. possible pool day alone - p.m. Crossfit WED possible pool day with mum THU a.m. Gym - p.m. Crossfit FRI a.m. PT - p.m. Tabata SUN pool day with mum (more social than exercise) Need to figure out how to fit in going for walks and do yoga again, because Strength/Allround Workouts are so awesome atm. EVERYTHING ELSE Breething & Meditation & Dream Journeys Keeping up with threads here Keeping up with my lessons: Hogwarts-Mini Drinking a cup of tea Doing some domestic rangering every day sleep more every day (goal 8h) - almost forgot

...but still with plenty of badassery to go with it. We'll call it brutal enlightenment. In past challenges, I have taken on rucking (metal!), skiing (metal!), sledgehammering (metal!), and most recently a little bit of slinging (metal!). All of it very metal. I've also taken on meditation. Yeah, not so metal, at least on the surface. But when one realizes the practice of mindfulness can instill razor sharp focus, or as I like to think of it, primal awareness, yes...it is very metal. In this challenge, I'm still doing all the metal stuff, but maybe with a little more focus on the softer side of badassery. How is this accomplished? By keeping the commitment to the meditation routine, and adding a little yoga to the mix. And then rucking and slinging like a mother-rucker. And slinger. Yeah. Goal 1 - Brutal Mobility: Rucking returns yet again, in its most extreme form. Monday through Friday, early morning rucking, as I did in the last challenge starting at week 2. That's rucking 5x per week. In the early AM. Before I go to work. In the cold and dark. Brutal. +5 to Sta Goal 2 - Primal Awareness: Daily meditation is back. I've now made this a morning routine. This is the first thing I do when I wake up, immediately after crawling out of bed and immediately before my morning ruck. Except on weekends (my only non-rucking days), where I am more lenient about when I do the meditation. Just so long as it gets done. 12 minutes of meditation, daily. +5 to Wis Goal 3 - Art of the Sling: My latest interest, that most ancient of projectile weapons, capable of felling giants and mad Roman statesmen. My goal is to practice slinging at least 3x per week (should be easy enough, considering that I often bring the sling along on rucks). Also, I intend to craft at least one new sling during the course of this challenge. Even if I don't need one, I intend to make a sling anyway, if for no other reason than to continue to develop my sling crafting skills. I am very much enjoying the acquisition of proficiency with a weapon I craft with my own hands. +3 to Dex Goal 4 - Predatory Suppleness: Taking a nod from some of nature's ultimate ambush predators, large cats, I aim to gain the flexibility and grace I once had when I was an avid practitioner of karate (without actually returning to karate). I will do this by completing a home yoga workout at least 2x per week. Quite simply, my body needs it. I ruck a lot, and I drive a desk for a day job (most of the time), and a need a little something to keep me limber. Yoga was something I once regularly did, but I have gotten out of the practice. Time to get back into it, one little bit at a time. My back will thank me for it. +2 to Dex And there we have it, brutality and enlightenment, in one efficient package!

The MAIN QUEST: I've established the foundation for a life nearly worthy of being called a [barbarian Ranger], but the road is a long and winding one, with many adventures yet to partake of. Queue the added dramatic flair and inspiration of the Warrior Skald. In Dungeons & Dragons, the Skald is what happens when you marry the Barbarian to the Bard while blasting heavy metal music over the mountaintops. Reciting epic verses, chanting magnificent lines, and howling the battle cries of legendary warriors, the Skald is what the Barbarian would be if he carried a banner, electric guitar, and a battle axe as well. He is a Lord of War, and his game is the inspiring of himself and others, such as mine is. Starting weight baseline: 185 lbs. Maximum pull-ups: 12 strict. Next goal: 15. Double-unders Combo: 22 consecutive. * * * TRAIN IN THE GLADIATOR’S SANCTUM (+2 DEX, +2 STA) “I never saw a man fight as Conan fought. He put his back to the courtyard wall, and before they overpowered him the dead men were strewn in heaps thigh-deep about him. But at last they dragged him down, a hundred against one.” – A Witch Shall Be Born, 1934. Goal: Mess with the best, die like the rest. Attend one martial arts class per week; Krav Maga, MMA or other.Bonus Adventure: Hone those Barbarian combat skills through a Darebee martial arts/weaponry workout. UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE SPIRIT LODGE (+2 DEX, +2 STR) “In so narrow a cleft, his foes could come at him only one or two at a time – provided they did not scale the cliff to attack him from above, or to get behind him, and provided they had no bows and arrows. Conan was wearing no armor, and he knew that not even his panther-like agility would enable him to dodge arrows loosed at close range.” – Conan and the Spider God, 1980. Goal: Train that panther-like agility and loosen up my overworked bulk by completing one Yoga session per week, plus additional Barbarian Ranger accessory work (double-unders, ring dips, muscle-ups, pull-ups)Bonus Adventure: Despite the winter chill, get some fresh air while enjoying a session of Ranger Yoga in the wilds. VISIT ‘THE FILTHY ANIMAL’ (+1 CON, +1 WIS, +1 CHA) “He was concerned only with the naked fundamentals of life. The warm intimacies of small, kindly things, the sentiments and delicious trivialities that make up so much of civilized men's lives were meaningless to him. A wolf was no less a wolf because a whim of chance caused him to run with the watch-dogs. Bloodshed and violence and savagery were the natural elements of the life Conan knew; he could not, and would never, understand the little things that are so dear to civilized men and women.” – Beyond The Black River, 1935. Goal: It's time to eat like a Barbarian. I will track and report Eat To Perform macros and calories for accountability. Attempt one new exotic recipe per week.Bonus Adventure: Warm-up that Wilderness Lore trait to conduct a wilderness survival scenario. AT DAY’S END :: THE DAILY QUESTS (+2 WIS, + 2 CHA) “Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content. Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content." - Queen of the Black Coast, 1934. Goal: After a long day of harrowing adventure, I share the exploits of my daily activities, including any Domestic Rangering, and track my Daily Quests / To Do List. * * * CHALLENGE INSPIRATION: This long-ranging Barbarian now stalks the wilds of Azeroth. Pairing the woodsy, earthen scents of cedar wood, birch bark, and smoldering tobacco from the highlands of World of Warcraft aside an exotic mélange of heady urban musk, notes of amber, bourbon vanilla, and roughly cured leather from Conan the Barbarian, you’ll have a unrestrained, fierce palate prepared for any quest. With just a hint of Spartacus upon the finish, this challenge will leave you with a profound feeling of satisfaction and a driving thirst for adventure! In keeping with the Golden Age of the Barbarian, my overarching theme for 2016, we’ll be keeping the momentum rolling with another savage challenge. I will overcome the bleak midwinter doldrums with BLOOD & THUNDER! Inspiration is everything, and I aim to become a BAMF the likes of which the world has never seen before. Let's do this.

Last month didn't go so well, I let timer get away from me and ended up doing very little to further my goals. Near the end of last challenge I decided to treat my challenge like a 12 round fight, me versus my shadow. Last round went to my shadow, but it was just a warm up. Time to embrace my inner Rocky and turn this fight around. I'm prepping to move, even though I'm not sure when, so my heavy bag has been taken down and my gym membership is canceled. Train Like Thor Time to train like Rocky in Russia. I'm going to do a strength training workout 4-6 days a week. Most of it will be bodyweight work. Depending on the weather (they're calling for more snow and ice this week) I will try to get outside and use my jump rope and do some sand bag work. Eat like an Einherjar Last challenge I did well maybe 70% of the time on my nutrition. This challenge I am aiming to up that to 90-95% of the time. I won't eat anything I haven't prepared at least 6/7 times a week and will choose the healthiest option the times I deviate from preparing my own food. Knowledge of Mimir Some of the Doodlies are working on the Khan academy course "Crash Course: World History" I will continue with this course but as it is short and covers a lot of history in small videos I will spend at least an hour a day either on this course, checking out other courses, or reading books/articles that in some way improve my knowledge Monday through Friday, on weekends I will either strive to learn more knowledge or I will try to learn/re-learn physical skills that I have let grow rusty as I got caught up in life.

I have been cutting for far too long, it's time to regain my size and strength. So what better theme than the Mightiest of the Avengers, the Strength of Asgard, the Odinson: Thor! The Strength of Thor: Lift thrice weekly: On the Moon's day, Tyr's day and Thor's Day Feasting with the Frost Giants: Consume calories of the count of Three Thousand Four Hundred daily. Say nay to grains and sweet cakes when possible. The Chariot of Thor: Threaten the dwarves into forging a helm worthy of the Son of Odin. Then ride mine chariot to and from Midgard twice weekly: on Odin's day and Frigg's day. Odin's Teachings: While in Midgard, endeavor to learn the ways of magic and do works that please Odin. Onward! For the Glory of Asgard! ((I decided midway through writing this post to attempt to stay in character for the remainder of the challenge, we'll see how that works out))

“Ugh” For some reason, the first thing I could feel was the inside of my mouth. My tongue felt like it was made of sawdust and tar. My throat was equally dry and coarse, then a stinging pain across my spine made every nerve explode, flooding me with a sudden rush of adrenaline as the rest of my senses returned to me. The pain retreated, much like a quick stab, letting the sensory information fall into place slowly. Everything about my back told me I was lying on cold hard rock. “Cursed Pandemonium, I was washed down the tunnels again, wasn’t I?” I said to no one in particular. “This isn’t Pandemonium. And you are no longer who you thought you were” no one in particular answered back. A female voice, soft with the sound of age-old wisdom. “Externally, at least”. I tried to jump up and face whoever was talking to me, but my body felt way heavier than I remembered. Probably from the shock, I thought. It’s ok, I’ll make it less spectacular. Rolling over and hopping up was so instinctive, it happened faster than my brain could process what was going on. At first I wondered if my shoulders were wider than I thought, then I caught sight of my two hands planted on the ground. Meaty and dark skinned, they propelled me to a standing position albeit not as gracefully as I had hoped. I could literally feel time expand on my upward flight as I was stunned in amazement. Taking a moment to inspect my form before facing the origin of that voice, I found myself wide and muscular. “Not that I’m complaining for the upgrade, but what exactly is going on here?” “There is no way to easy way to explain this” the voice began. I looked around. I was in some sort of cave, lit by some otherworldly source that balanced perfectly between eerie and indifferent. A woman in a long white dress stood nearby, her silver hair held in two long pigtails hanging behind her head. She would have looked girlish, if not for the elongated canines on her lower jaw. Plus, she was partly transparent. “No, you’re not dead” she answered the obvious question that was beginning to form on the back of my mind. “What do you remember about yourself?” I scratched the back of my head, remarking how both my finger and skull felt thicker. “I am a Planeswalker, a githzerai. My name feels old and unpronounceable now, but I remember it meant something about a wanderer or a raider. Uhm, I used to wield a flaming bastard sword. And the last place I visited was the Howling Madness of Pandemonium. It’s all black from there”. The ghostly figure listened with genuine care and perhaps a hint of surprise. “That is… way more than most usually remember. You are a strong soul indeed. I do not know those things you speak of, but I know that somehow you have passed into our world, reborn. Reincarnation, us shamans call it, although yours is a unique case. Plus, you came out as a mag’har, the Uncorrupted of our race. This is how we originally were. I cannot say the same for this place. Alas, once beautiful Draenor is now the shattered dimension of the Outlands.” “Draenor?” I exclaimed. “I’ve read about this place. Well, us Planeswalkers are about going to places and learning from experience, but it never hurts to go somewhere prepared. Right. Draenor. Uhm, used to be full of Orcs and Draenei, until the former slew the latter and invaded human lands through some portal, right?” The woman gave me a sad smile. “That’s part of it, yes. We used to exist together until sometime after my death under the hooves of a clefthoof. I was a shaman and leader of the Frostwolf clan, then my apprentice Drek’Thar took over. He was tricked by some demon impersonating me into joining the Draenei purge, but when the demon and its lackeys asked him to abandon shamanism for the ways of the demon-worshipping warlock, he wisely refused. Our clan was exiled while the others drank the blood of demons and became their enraged slaves, invading the human lands twice as their vanguard. By the time of the Third War, Warchief Thrall sought our clan once more as he tried to bring our race back to its shamanistic roots. Thanks to that and the heroic sacrifice of Grom Hellscream, the orcs were freed from their demonic chains and fought back the demonic invasion alongside their former enemies. Most settled in their new home of Durotan, but our clan retreated elsewhere.” “I see…” were my only words as I tried to take in all the information and sort it out. “Well, of all the places I could exist as an Orc, looks like I landed in the best” I said sarcastically, receiving a raised eyebrow from the spectral woman. Clearly she had no idea that in most worlds I knew existed, Orcs are savage brutes at best. “So what now?” “Patience, young one” the woman said and held out a hand. “There is still much to learn. I will tell you most of it in time and some of it you’ll find out yourself. What’s important right now is strengthening that soul of yours first. It made it through its journey with remarkable resilience. You should cherish and protect it, lest you forget who you really are. Once that is done, you need to get around and learn about your new home. From experience, just the way you like it". The tone of her voice told the story of how she enjoyed the jest, playfully devoid of any irony. "That, and a wolf. No orc can call himself a Raider until he’s got a dire wolf to ride. We call the local variety Frostwolf Howlers.” “What a charming name” I snapped with pure irony instead. “We should also work on your attitude” the woman struck back without batting an eyelid. “The proper ork response would be ‘Lok'tar Ogar!’ That’s ‘For Victory or Death” in our language. That’s our battlecry.” Apparently, the comments about eating and snoring like an Orc were turned into inspiration for my new RPG NF alter ego since I thought "why not also train, fight and face challenges like an Orc?". Warcraft was an easy pick with it's epic take on the noble savagery of Orcs, plus there's plenty of inspiring lore I intend to integrate into the story along with a few surprises. This is not a respawn but rather a reincarnation, hence the link to my githzerai character from my first few NF challenges. Now, onto the TL;DR version good stuff! Soul Power: A Link to the Past Never forget what you've been through, because it made you who you are. In less fancy wording, stick with what's worked so far. Don't eat like a dickhead and do at least 3 crossfit workouts every week. Anything beyond that is a bonus. Frostwolf Howler No Orc can call itself a Raider until it has a Dire Wolf upon which to ride. I used to be in the junior leagues with a 125cc motorcycle license and a scooter to go with it. 2+ years later, the scooter is sold and the license ready to be upgraded. My quest is to acquire information on the necessary process, do what has to be done, upgrade said license and buy a motorcycle of at least 400cc. Also, get a full-face helmet. For the Horde! Keeping goals simple, this is a catch-all quest in which to keep track of guild mini progress, PvPs and any other weird stuff you folks get me dragged into...