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So as the air turns colder and the days become shorter, I tend to have this urge. The urge to get up in the mountains and hike. Lots of hiking, cooking a hot trail meal, and generally enjoying nature. As a new Ranger, I have been tasked with moving a important package from one mountain town to another for a tribal elder. The distance between towns is approxiamately 60 miles, weight of the package 20 lbs. Goal #1 Ruck 60 miles at 20lbs weight. 4 Rucks in the mountains. Also as a little bonus I have two GORUCK lights during this challenge, Baltimore on 10/31 and Cancun on 12/12. Goal #2 Hit all my workouts. Monday is ride my bike, either mountain bike on trails or use my road bike. Nothing strict on mileage but at least 30 minutes riding. Tuesday is lifting Wednesday is a shorter ruck day, usually as a break at work. Thursday is lifting Friday is for trail running or if the weather is nasty go for a swim, just like the bike no strict mileage but 30 mins at least. Yoga at some point on Friday, find a video on youtube and do it. Saturday is the long ruck day. Hopefully I can get up in the mountains. Sunday is lifting. Each day I will also do stretching. Lifting goals, I am starting out pretty light weight since I have not been lifting lately. I would like to hit these numbers by the end of the challenge. Squat 225lbs Bench 155lbs Press 110lbs Deadlift 315lbs Clean 145lbs Goal #3 Diet, try to stay at 2,200 calories a day. Adjust if necessary. I am attempting to drop below 165lbs during this challenge which would be around 8-10 lbs lost. When I am in Mexico don't eat like a horse, be reasonable. Also I want to see how long of a streak I can have of weeknights that I am not being social where I don't drink alcohol. Goal #4 Rangers gonna DIY. I am working on a deck in my back yard. I want to have all 20 post holes(diggey diggey) done and with posts and concrete in them. Goal #5 Cars. I have a junk Civic I(really my wife) want out of my garage. I just need to put the front suspension together and call a donation service. Brakes on my wifes car, just front pads and rotors. Goal #6 Read some books. I have a short story sci fi book that I started and has been sitting. Phillip K Dick, the last story is what the movie Screamers was based on and I can not wait to get to it. I am also in the middle of the comic Transmetropolitan. I want to finish this as well. Also Joe from the movie was pretty much a Ranger. Goal #7 Ok last one I promise. Do a write up with pictures reviewing my 4 different GORUCK bags and share it on nerd fitness. Seems to be a lot of interest here with rucking and I tend to think I have some knowledge. I wish I was a decent writer and better prepared for a more intriguing story. maybe next challenge.

Author's Note: While I took a lot of influence from WALL-E, this challenge takes place on an Earth of my own creation. You can think of it as a fairly standard post-apocalyptic setting, with renegade machines taking the place of mutants. The Wall-E characters do not exist in this setting. Tonight would be the night I'd been planning for almost a year; the night of my escape. I double-checked my provisions to ensure everything was in order. All was in place. I pressed the button on my chair, calling my robot. It responded quickly, awaiting my commands. "I'm feeling in much better health tonight, my good robot." I said. "I'd like to throw a party! Go fetch John, Luca, Sarah, and Terrence for me. And bring a bucket of fried chicken for us. Family-sized. Actually, bring the bucket first; I'm feeling peckish." The robot looked happy, as much as a robot could, and rushed off to carry out my commands. I wasn't surprised at its happiness. After all, I was wasting away, my appetite dwindling far below what was normal and healthy for a human. Or so everyone thought. After all, when one loses weight and declines seconds on the Axiom, nobody expects it to be a deliberate decision. I'd been losing weight for almost a year now, in preparation. The bucket arrived, and the robot left to collect my friends. Friends who just so happened to live as far away from my cabin as possible, in completely opposite directions. I swiftly dumped the chicken out of the bucket and hopped out of my chair. Reaching under the bed, I grabbed the provisions I had stored, and put as much as I could into the bucket. Pocketing my MiniTablet, I left the room. I ran through nearly deserted back corridors, only the occasional cleaning or service robot noticing me. None of them even glanced, used to serving people in their chairs, rather than people moving swiftly without them. Within a few minutes, I'd reached my destination; the Museum of Ancient Technology. When I first recognised the object I was here for now on my research, I couldn't believe it. It was one of the most valuable items I'd ever seen, the key to my survival on the surface. A bionic enhancement, capable of turning a slow-moving human like myself into a superhuman, capable of travelling dozens of miles in a day. 10 miles per hour or more; an unheard of speed without motorised assistance, and significantly more downhill if the old vids were to be believed. The bionic cyclotron, or bicycle. I removed the velvet rope. There was no going back now; the alarm began sounding as I put my supplies in the attached basket, and hopped on. I promptly fell off with a crash. I'd never ridden a free-standing bicycle before. My only practice was on the old stationary machines in the unused gym, stolen hours in the dead of night. Remembering the vids I'd studied, the people who rode it tended to start pedalling immediately. That must activate the bike's balancing magnets or something. I righted the bike and tried it. I was moving! It was very wobbly, and I felt like I was going to fall off again at any second, but I was moving. As I picked up speed, some unknown mechanism stabilised the cycle, and I began wobbling less. I'd selected a route to the escape pods that was mostly straight, knowing I'd have trouble turning. I pedalled down the main corridor now, choosing speed over stealth, and trusting that the robots wouldn't know what to do when they encountered a person actually riding a bicycle. Certainly the humans in their chairs didn't know how to react, staring at me as though I'd grown a second head as I pedalled by. A couple of very slow turns later, and I had arrived at the pods. I chose a big one, big enough to fit me and the bicycle, and shut the door. Fortunately, the interface was virtually idiot-proof, and I quickly had it set on a course for a place nobody on the Axiom had visited in living memory. The surface. Earth.

Well I guess it is better to be late than not signing up. you can check my intro here http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/71793-doctorake-reporting-in/ Main Quest: Finish IRONMAN Madison on 9/11/2016 Life Quest: Life quest will be to get the posts set up on my deck(back yard). 20 in total. A = posts set, B = some posts but not all, C = all concrete poured, D = some concrete poured, F = nothing, no progress. Side Quest: I am going to try to lose 10 lbs in the next 5 weeks, going from 180 to 170. I feel that is a good start as my main quest. Grading: A = 10+lb, b = 8lb, C= 7 lb etc on the grading scale Side Quest: Hit all my weight training, as well as stretch every single day. A = 35/35 training, B = 34/35, C = 33/35, D 32/35, F 31/35 or less. NO EXCUSES. Side Quest: Record all food intake. I struggle with this sometimes on weekends with take out and alcohol. I want to do the best I can, that mai thai from the local place, yeah I don't know exact but can do a decent job estimating. A = all 35 days, B = 33 Days, C = 30 Days, D = 28 days, F = < 28 days. Side Quest: No more drinking unless I am out or have people over. It is not an issue interferring but the couple of glasses of wine a night here nad there are adding calories and impeding muscele growth. No way to tell based on guests. is an either pass/fail quest.

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

I'm starting this challenge with some very basic goals that will be challenging yet attainable. Nutrition Quest: Oh no, not aGrain! Transition to paleo plus dairy and legumes. (I'm keeping the dairy for health reasons and the legumes because I love them and can't really see any harm in continuing to enjoy them.) Reasoning: I've been working on making the transition to a mostly paleo diet, but I haven't set a concrete expectation for myself as of yet. So far I have noticed that I am less tempted to buy grain products while shopping when I've crossed them off my list of options. Instead of fighting 20 different temptations as I shop, I can go in making one overarching decision at the start. I also feel much less deprived than during any of my many diets through the years, so the effort to make this change will be well worth it. At this point I have eliminated foods with added sugar, and I don't drink anything caloric aside from plain almond milk. My next step is to phase out grains, replacing them with better alternatives. Goal: Weeks 1 and 2: Replace grains with vegetables at one meal per day. Weeks 3 and 4: Replace grains with vegetables at two meals per day. Weeks 4 and 5: Eliminate remaining grains and replace with paleo approved options. A= Meeting my goal an average of at least 5 days per week. B= Meeting my goal at least 4 days per week. C= Meeting my goal 3 days per week. Fitness Quest:Revival of the Fitness: Work toward planned physical activity daily. Reasoning: I enjoy exercise when I do it, but would like to make it more of a priority. Over the 6 week challenge I am hoping that I will be able to make a habit of regular physical activity. Goal: I will walk, bike, row, do yoga, tai chi, or stretch. I will also attempt the recruit workout at least 8 times over these 6 weeks. A= Doing one of these activities for at least 10 minutes per day, missing 1 or no days per week. B= Doing one of these activities for at least 15 minutes per day, missing 1 or no days per week. C= Doing these activities 3 to 5 days per week, for at least 5 minutes. Life Quest: Xena's Warrior Cry: training my dog to come when called. Reasoning: I love my pup. She is incredibly intelligent, so much so that she has learned not to come when I call her because I have unintentionally taught her that this is an antecedent to me leaving the house. I would like to help her unlearn this behavior, shaping a new behavior through positive reinforcement. Goal: Train Xena in 15 minute sessions with an average of 5 sessions per week. A= Training Xena for 15 or more minutes each session, 5 or more times per week. B= Training Xena for less than 15 minutes in most sessions, or for fewer than 5 times per week. C= Training Xena for short sessions, only a few days per week. I will update at least 3 days per week. I'm really looking forward to being a part of a group of great people helping to support each other.

Apparently I posted this in the last challenge, whoops! Episode 2 of The Journey for the Fastest Known Time. Where will it take us? Lets ask Socrates! Goal #1 - "There are no ordinary moments" Socrates has Dan Millman meditate for what is described as hours, than days, searching for something inspiring, something moving. He tries many times and than comes up with "there are no ordinary moments." When I'm running I usually have my phone tracking where I go, and constantly providing noise with background music. The music seems to help, but the tracking doesn't seem to yield a lot of changes. For this challenge runkeeper will be kept in stopwatch mode, and will only track the time passed. Distance will have no meaning. Goal #2 - “The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.†Meditation is the cultivation of the mind, as running has been the cultivation of my body. I've tried meditation before, but what if I approached easing into meditation the same way I approached running? For this challenge meditation will look like this - 2 days - 10 minutes per day 1 day - 30 minutes Goal #3 - Running with Joy Well, not running but biking in this case. The point was for him to practice his breathing and staying in the moment. To help me practice my breathing, Instead of a long run I am going to be doing a long bike ride once per week, as long as my running schedule would include 1 long day. So what does that look like? Week 1 - 2 x 30 minutes running 2 x 10 minutes meditating 1 x 30 minutes meditating Week 2 - 2 x 30 minutes running 1 x 30 minutes climb 2 x 10 minutes meditating 1 x 30 minutes meditating Week 3 - 2 x 45 minutes running 1 x 2 hour biking 3 x convict 2 x 30 minutes climbing 2 x 10 minutes meditating 1 x 30 minutes meditating Week 4 - 2 x 45 minutes running 1 x 2 hour biking 3 x convict 2 x 30 minutes climbing 2 x 10 minutes meditating 1 x 30 minutes meditating Week 5 - 2 x 1 hour running 1 x 2.5 hour biking 3 x convict 2 x 30 minutes climbing 2 x 10 minutes meditating 1 x 30 minutes meditating Week 6 - 2 x 30 minutes running 1 x 45 minutes biking 2 x convict 2 x 10 minutes meditating 1 x 30 minutes meditating

I am at a the entrance of the Forest. Everything looks calm, inviting. But this is a lie. I know that the second I will cross the threshold of the forest, the beautifully green vegetation will try and absorb my energy, and touching any of them to rest will lead to a faster energy loss. The key is to keep on moving, to continue, during the cold nights and the sweltering days, to not let myself get distracted by the mesmerizing beauty of the forest, by the intelligence of the wild animals around me. I will encounter help on my road, and I prepared well for this journey. But it won't be easy, it will be a challenge... Nutrition Goal: To sustain my body and my mind enough to have the physical and mental strength to continue hacking my way through the forest, but to be weary of the many chocolate trees on the way Energy Goal: To sleep enough and rest myself regularly and not exhaust my reserves Survival Goal: To keep on going, to never give up. This is hard, this is supposed to be. But I was chosen to cross the Forest. I can do it. This will require all of my physical strength, but also mental discipline, to push forward even when my body is complaining. Life Goal: Cross the Forest, make it to the other side and be in better shape, my mind strengthened by this perilous exercise, my body toned and lean(er). In SMART terms: Nutrition: - Physical: Continue WW and mostly Paleo. Target being below 26 points but also higher than 15. EAT WELL AND ENOUGH. Daily measure: A = [15;26], B = [<15] U [26; 33], C = [>33] +3 CHA - Mental: Continue meditating and working on letting go. Weekly measure: A = [>6], B = [4;5], C = [<4] +1 WIS Energy: Sleep at least 45 hours per week. Likely during the week I will sleep less than 6 hours per night, but it can be compensated on weekends and through napping. Weekly measure: A = [<45], B = [40;45], C = [<45] +6 CON (Definitely need to strengthen my constitution!!) Resting my body through massages is also encouraged: each massage hour counts as half an hour of sleep. No weekly goal. Survival: Continue going to dance class. Challenge measure: A = [9;10], B = [7;8], C = [<7] +3 STA Life goal: Successfully lead the project, without letting others or pressure put me down or make me lose confidence. (Not very smart ) Have regular heart-to-hearts with my loved ones.

There have been rumors that Chancellor Palpatine is plotting to overthrow the current rule of law and become a dictator. Don't try to ask me where I got my intel, or who hired me - like a good Assassin, I won't tell you. But, I have been hired to go investigate this rumor, and if it's true, try to do something about it. Those jedi can be rather pesky, though, so I'll have to be quite sneaky...I think I'll need a disguise. Goal One: Get to Coruscant! It's rather far away, so I'll need to make sure I travel a lot every day, to make good time. 13000 steps (and/or other activity translated into steps) per day. This number is driven by the exercise challenge my office is having, so it will actually start a week early, on June first. Pass/fail. Either I make it, or I don't. As long as I average that number, I'll be ok, so if I have a more-sedentary day, I can make up for it on other days and still pass. Bonus reward: if I can meet this goal for 8 weeks, I get a $100 gift card! The plan: get up from my desk and walk around more, ride my bike to/from the bus stop on work days, and keep up the kettlebell and yoga workouts I've been doing. Goal Two: Arrive healthy The food on spaceships isn't the greatest, so I'll have to bring my own supplies, to make sure I get there in decent shape to be able to do my job! The plan: We've been eating out way too much, so that needs to be fixed. Week One will start with making, or providing supplies for Husband to make, dinner at home twice. Bonus points if it uses the crockpot for easy prep and/or produces lots of leftovers to be eaten for another meal later. Each week thereafter will add another meal prepared at home. I'm not sure yet if I'll count grabbing leftovers as a "prepared at home" meal. I will adjust after I've had a bit of a chance to see how it goes. I'm going to attempt to keep up the gluten free/reduced sugar diet from the last challenge, but the focus for now is going to be on making food at home more often. Goal Three: Travel Light It's hard to do this job if you've got a bunch of stuff everywhere that needs to be kept track of and/or packed and moved with you! And there's not a lot of space of stuff on a spaceship, so what I've got needs to be kept in order! This is my "keep the house clean" goal. The plan: Load the dishwasher every night. Run it when it's full. Pick up toys/loose items every night. Clean the house (vacuum/dust/mop as needed) once a week. Put the laundry away when it's finished. Pass/fail grading criteria. Goal Four: I'll Need a Disguise (life goal) If I want to infiltrate the Senate, I'll need to fit in. Research indicates Senator Amidala is often away and thus would be a good candidate to imitate. More research is required to make sure the disguise is good. The plan: Husband and I are huge nerds (shocking revelation, I know ), and costuming is one of my hobbies. We've been toying with the idea of joining The Rebel Legion for quite some time, and have finally decided to do it, before the new movies come out. After a lot of debate, I've settled on making Padme's arena battle outfit (non-ripped version...my abs are not ready to be shown to the world). This is a rather long-term project, especially with how busy I am. The goal for this challenge will be to collect all the reference images I need beyond the ones I took at the costume exhibit, and determine what patterns to use. If I can start sourcing fabric and other supplies for the accessories, that'll be a bonus.

As the echoes of the ringing of the hammer died away, the tinkerer looked up from his anvil. Alas, the long days betrayed him; he had worked past dinnertime again. With no small degree of pride, he surveyed the completed stack of tools he'd created. This was by far the biggest order he'd ever taken and the task filled him with fulfillment. With slight hesitation he considered the work remaining - it added up to several month of solid work. The rays of the setting sun caught his eye as they fell on Firle Peak in the distance and the tinkerer sighed aloud. This was a hard life for an elf. He longed for the forest and the mountains yet the forge and anvil called his name every morning. Come summer, the tinkerer vowed to lay down the hammer for a fortnight and venture to Firle. He'd never climbed her summit and the bard in the tavern had told amazing stories of the climb and the tavern in the foothills. Indeed, much work remained. But he had an apprentice now. In the growing twilight, he took down a mold not used in a long time. A plan was beginning to form in his mind. This month is a crazy one at work. Many things are due on June 20th, a major construction project is starting up, and our operating permit requires new and difficult tasks. However, my crew is fantastic and motivated and I just hired a Project Manager for the construction project. I feel like all my work objectives can be met if I can anchor my life and focus on the important things. In climbing, a piton is a metal spike (usually steel) that is driven into a crack or seam in the rock with a hammer, and which acts as an anchor to protect the climber against the consequences of a fall, or to assist progress in aid climbing. -wikipedia (links included for wikipedia addicts like me) My plan is to anchor my busy work schedule around a pleasant and productive, but not crazy, home life. Fitness and being active really play into this as those are the elements which refresh me after 8 or 9 hours of keyboard pounding and phone wrangling. However, I don't want to be overly busy outside of work as rushing to have fun can be just as stressful as rushing to a meeting. Goal Number 1: Hamstring Rehab While my hamstring is improving after a minor tear last winter, things are still not normal. To work on this I have three options: Standard PT Workout - About 20 minutes of resistance bands and isolation exercises with stretching afterward.Bike and Stretch - Ride my bike at least 10 miles and stretch afterward.Run and Stretch - Run at least a mile and/or until leg is uncomfortable. Then stretch afterward. For all of these, stretching is required or it doesn't count. Goal Number 2: Strength Training This is an area where I have not tried very hard lately. In the past, I set a goal of 30% average improvement in bodyweight exercises over the challenge. This time I'm shooting for 15% improvement in all of the categories. My first two sessions I'll go for maximums and use the average of the two as a starting point. At some point in the last week I'll have my proving session. Categories include: -Pullups-Dips-Hanging Leg Raises on Hang Board (must raise feet to eye level)-L-Sits on Rings for time-Inverted rows on rings Goal Number 3: Social Running, Bike Transportation While I'm recovering my ability to run, it's a great opportunity to run with my wife and/or the dog. Usually neither of them will run as far or fast as I do but the tides have turned. Also, the City I work for is sponsoring a bike challenge event. The best way for my to accumulate miles is to bike to work. Over the challenge I want to accumulate 12 runs with either or both of my companions and 6 commutes. Accomplishing these tasks is OK for double dipping with Goal Number 1. I will add my goals here as I round them out. They will probably include biking, running, rock climbing, house projects, hamstring rehab, elevation training and/or bodyweight strength training. Goal Number 4: Climb Mt.Rainier (sort of) In August my wife and I are headed to Colorado to backpack with friends. (YAY). To thoroughly enjoy this we want to practice hiking uphill. We'll go hiking each week gaining a total of 14,409' of elevation. I'll bring along a GPS to keep track of the gain. Goal Number 5: Something Fun Stealing from Kyliewyotie here, I have lots of fun hobbies that I need to enjoy more regularly. Each week I will spend at least one evening or half of a weekend day enjoying an activity I love from the categories below. Overlapping with other goals is OK except the hiking goal. Yes, photo proof will be posted. -Backpacking-Rock Climbing-Kayaking-Mountaineering-Motorcycle Riding

Challenge #2 - Dawn of the Dhampir I must shed this mortal skin, revealing the beast within! The dhampir is strong, but slim; powerful, yet graceful...like Beyonce. I grew significant muscle during my challenge #1, maintaining my weight. Now I'll go for slower strength gains with dieting. Goals: 1. Stretch daily (+2 CON, +1 DEX) No excuses - it improves circulation, hence speeding muscle recovery - science! 2. Lose 1 lb/week [starting@129] (+1 DEX/+1 STA, +2 CHA) First 2 don't count. 3. Work out as per below schedule (+2 STR, +2 STA, +1 DEX) Max 2 rest days/week to pass. Odd days... Australian pull-ups (x)25 lb [11 kg] squats (12x3)20/25 lb Arnold shoulder press (8x2/4x2) 15/18 lb [8 kg] hammer curls (8x2/4x2) 15/25 lb overhead pullovers (8x2/4x2)Sprints: 1 min. max speed, 2 min. jog, 1 min. rest (x5); 20 min. bike to/from track (warm up/cool down cardio)Even days... 8 lb [3.5 kg] reverse lateral raises (10x3)push-ups/decline (15/10)45-60 min. walking/hiking or biking 1 min. plank, sides & front45 sec bicycle crunches50 lb [23 kg] incline bench press (x4)Side Quest (+1 WIS, +2 CHA): Buy my first* car!! *Technically my second, but this will be the first where I actually do the business transaction aspect; I was 17 last time. In the twilight of my fitness journey, will I persevere to bask in house of the rising sun, or slip back into the dark?

Ba BAYUM. While I've always "wanted" to be healthier, physical fitness and clean eating always drops in lue of "the other thing." But today, rather than chasing this abstract goal, I've created a plan. I am going to do an Iron Man triathlon in Kona, and I am going to train my butt off to get there. I'll start with running and biking. I'm beginning on my mom's bike from Germany, meaning it's 20+ years old. On Tuesday I'm running with a local club to practice running with a crowd. So that's a 5k every Tuesday night. If I feel I'm ready, on October 18th I'll enter a duathlon. Once I've paid off my student loans in a few months, I'll do one of two things: buy a proper road bike (for competitions and practical travel) or buy a membership at the Y for ~$50 month to use a pool. One thing that always threw me off schedule is my constant back-and-forth between my house and my best friend's house. *Not a problem any more! When I sleep at my house, I'll go for a bike ride. When I sleep at his, I'll run. It'll be a pretty even distribution. I might just get a new pair of shoes so I have one at each place. Bonus: SInce I've been considering the Iron Man, it's been so much easier to turn down the crap food. Yay! I like feeling healthy. So, time to start making my Battle Logs.

Intro and Long-Term Goals I’m Presea, and this is my second 6WC. I am a 25 y/o 5’ 7’’ female, currently weighing 183.6 pounds (4/7/15). My over-arching quest is to lose weight, with an initial goal of 160 pounds, at which point I’ll reassess. For this 6WC, my goal is to lose 5 pounds. I live in the Midwest region of the US, and I have a desk job (actuarial work). I enjoy many types of exercise and feel better when I work at least some activity into every day. Edit: Starting weight morning of 4/13 was 182.5, so my goal for the end of the 6 weeks will be 177.5. Need to take measurements, as I haven't done so since the start of the last challenge (oops). Subquests (SMART goals that will help me complete my overall quest): Subquest #1: Control food intake. Last challenge, my focus was breaking my binge eating cycle, so I had a calorie limit of 2500. Although I went over that a few times, it was never a full-on binge (no secret trips to the grocery store to buy donuts or ice cream to later eat alone in hiding in my car). I believe I succeeded in breaking my binge eating cycle, however, I was not eating at enough of a deficit to actually lose any weight. I track food using MyFitnessPal and activity using a FitBit Zip. Over the course of the entire previous challenge, I ate 98,370 calories and burned 99,495 calories, meaning my total deficit was only around 1,000 calories for the whole 6 weeks. No wonder I hardly lost any weight. This time around, my quest each week will be to have a cumulative deficit of 1,750 calories = a total deficit of 10,500 for the whole challenge. Possible points: +3 CON +4 CON Subquest #1b: I believe protein and fat are keys to satiety. While I tracked my macronutrients during the prior challenge, I didn’t really have any goals for them. My averages per day were 180g carbs, 125g fat, and 143g protein. I’m going to aim for some small improvements this time around: >=150 grams protein/day, <=150 grams carbohydrate/day, fill in the rest with fat. Possible points: +1 CON I decided to remove my macro goals, because I'm honestly not sure I know what works best for me yet. I'm going to keep reporting them, but I'm only going to score myself on the calorie deficit since that's what counts in the long run. I'm going to try to include notes on energy levels to see if that reveals what the optimal macro balance is for me and my lifestyle. Subquest #2a: I’ve been tracking my daily step counts from my FitBit, and I feel that I have small habits like taking the stairs and parking further away down pat. However, I want to push myself to dedicate more time to go on walks. I’m a huge Tolkien nerd, so I’ll be tracking my walks against Frodo’s journey with the Eowyn Challenge. My goal is to make it to Crickhollow (73 miles – counting dedicated walks only, not other daily activity) by the end of the challenge. Possible points: +1 STA, +1 DEX Subquest #2b: The past two summers, I have ridden my 15 year old mountain bike to work (14.2 miles each way). Even though I take mostly trails to get there, they are all paved, so I feel riding a mountain bike is really slowing me down (I think my average time was around 1hr 30mins). Therefore, I am in the market for buying a road bike soon. I’m such a Tolkien nerd, in fact, that I’m going to have a second save file in my Eowyn Challenge game in which I will be trying to ride to Weathertop by the end of the challenge (241 miles). Possible points: +1 STA, +1 STR Subquest #3: I often have a hard time getting up in the morning, and I seem to be getting to work later and later. I used to get there around 7, but that has slowly crept up over the past 6 months to the point where now I’m getting there around 8:30. I have flexible work hours, so it’s not a big deal, just means I need to stay later – but I don’t like it. I think bettering my sleep habits will help, but I haven’t really been tracking my sleep. My quest is to track my sleep every day, so that I can set some good goals for next challenge. Possible points: +1 WIS Subquest #4: I got an A+ on my goal of playing tennis an average of 2x/week. I’m going to up my goal this challenge to an average of 3x/week. Possible points: +1 STR, +1 DEX Life Quest #1 – I have recently completed all my requirements for my ASA, so now I’m on to the FSA requirements. My goal is to complete one FSA module during this 6WC. Possible points: +2 WIS Life Quest #2 – Last challenge I completed the Pimsleur series for Japanese around week 4. Since then, I’ve studied zero Japanese and I’m not proud of it. My goal for this challenge is consistent practice – 30 minutes a day, every day. Possible points: +2 CHA I will attach an image of my grading spreadsheet later.

Introduction: Hey, I'm Josh, and this is my third challenge! I like road bikes, but I live in the city and I own a mountain bike, so it's really more of a mountain bike on a road. I also love bodyweight exercises, but I have a really hard time getting out of bed and consistently doing it. I workout in the morning because, hey, it wakes me up and then I don't have to shower twice. I live an active lifestyle and my career demands physical fitness and energy (I work in theatre, so actually, my name is currently The Rightful King of France). I joined the rebellion because I really want a community that pushes me to stay fit and to improve my body. I want to be able to dance and spend an entire day working (for example, at a Renaissance Festival, or with a Children's Theatre) without being utterly exhausted by the end. I want to feel good about my body and to feel confident in my skin. Main Quest: Be able to do a 15-second freestanding handstand by August 22nd (the end of my summer contract) Quest 1: Handstands Practice for 5 Minutes, 6 days a week. Measurement: 36 workouts, 30 workouts, 24 workouts Reward: +3 DEX +2 STR, +2 DEX +1 STR, +1 DEX Quest 2: TMNT or Star Wars Workout 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week. Measurement: 18 workouts, 12 workouts, 6 workouts Reward: +3 STR +2 STA, +2 STA + 1 STR, +1 STR Quest 3: Eat Well Keep track of food, 5 Green Meals per week (GMs are salads, wraps, sandwiches, etc. that are balanced in the food pyramid) Measurement: 30 Green Meals, 24 Green Meals, 18 Green Meals Reward: +3 CON +2 WIS, +2 CON + 1 WIS, +1 CON Life Quest: Wake-up RIGHT after alarm. Measurement: 42 days, 30 days, 21 days. Reward: +2 CHA, +2 WIS; +1 CHA, +1 WIS; +0.5 CHA, +0.5 WIS Motivation: I want to be fit and healthy for my job so I'm not always exhausted. I want to have more energy for the day and to do all sorts of fun things without being too tired. I want to look good for my girlfriend and be able to carry her easily. I want to feel good about my body and how I'm taking care of it. I want to feel confident.

Goals for this challenge, building on the foundation from the last couple challenges. Keep up the exercise! Aiming for at least 5 days a week. Plan includes kettlebells, pilates, biking, and whatever else I feel like throwing in there. Just signed up for AcaciaTV because I got a discount through another site I belong to, so lots of exercise videos available whenever I want. We'll see if I keep it past the 10-day free trial, but it seems like it could be a cool resource. (Edit: I've decided it's worth it.) Bonus points for meeting my daily step goal (8000/day). If I can meet the goal every day for a week, I will improve my score for that week by a full letter grade. Grading: 5 days - A; 4 days - B; 3 days - C; 2 days - D; 1 day or less - F Eat better! Working on improving my diet, and I really want to give paleo another go. Will be following the "plan" in Real Life Paleo (awesome...I hope...cookbook I just bought), so will starting as paleo-ish and hopefully improving from there. Grading: Since the plan for this is going to vary by week, as I work on the transition and adjust the plan based on how things are going, I think I'm just going to have a pass/fail option for this one. The goal for week 1 is 3 meals from the cookbook and avoiding gluten containing foods, aside from using up the stuff we already have. Clean the house! My family has been sick for way too long, so I think the house needs a thorough deep-clean. I will hopefully get most of that part done before the challenge officially starts (yeah right...but I'm gonna try!), and then I want to transition into doing a little bit of cleaning every day to keep the house picked up and nice. That's really my biggest failing right now...no regular routine to keep everything cleaned once I get it there. I think number one priority will be to load the dishwasher every evening before bed. And number 2 will be getting clean laundry folded and put away within 2 days of the dryer finishing or before the next load goes in there, whichever is sooner. Grading: If I can have the house completely cleaned by the end of the second week of the challenge, without letting the rooms already done go backwards, I will give myself an A to be factored into the final score. If that does not happen, I'll see how close to that goal I am and assign a grade that seems appropriate. For keeping the house cleaned up (weeks 3-6), scoring will work like this: start with an A for the week. Each day the dishwasher does not get loaded before bed and/or the laundry sits for longer than stated above will subtract half a letter grade from that week's score. (Edit: updated with grading)

Hello! I'm late to this challenge so it's 4 week challenge for me. I hope I'm doing this right. I'm a US size 10 and I'd like to go back to what I was 3 years ago - a size 6 by the end of November, 2015. I miss my old clothes! I enjoy doing yoga a lot and biking when the weather allows it. I like taking group fitness classes at my local YMCA because I don't like working out alone.I work at a computer from 9-5 and don't move around much during that time. I LOVE food. I love tasting new flavours and experimenting with my cooking. I would like to be to get strong and flexible and be able to do a handstand someday. Main Quest: Fit into a US size 6 Quest 1: Do four 1 hour group classes a week. I'm currently doing 2 yoga classes and 1 barre class a week. Measurement: A = 4 classes/week, B = 3 classes/week , C = 2 classes/week, D = 1 classes/week, F = 0 classes/week Quest 2: Keep my calorie intake below 1270/day. I do this 3-4 days a week now. Just need to get consistent. Measurement: A = 7 days/week, B = 5 days/week, C = 4 days/week, D = 2 days/week Quest 3: Bike to work everyday. For this I need to suck it up and wear a raincoat on rainy days- it's like a 10 minute ride to work. Measurement: A = 5 days/week; B = 4 days/week, C = 3 days/week, D = 2 days/week, F = 1 days/week Life Quest: I want to start my own business selling screen printed posters and tea towels. My illustration / visual design skills have gone rusty from lack of use. I need to practice to get better again. I'm going to create 2 screen printable designs a week. Measurement: A = 8 illustrations in 4 weeks, B = 6 illustrations in 4 weeks, C = 4 illustrations in 4 weeks, D = 2 illustrations in 4 weeks, F = 0 illustrations in 4 weeks Motivation: 1. I have a suitcase full of clothes I don't fit into anymore. I'd like to wear them now. 2. To have my own business. 3. Show off my hand stand!

Main Quest: Be able to get a 300 on an Army PT Test SMART Quests: Do the Beginners Body Weight workout 3 Days a Week Run 2 Days a Week Stats: STR: CON: DEX: INT: WIS: CHA: (Will set points when I have a better idea of where I want them to go.) Greetings.

Hello Scouts! I'm Scarlet Legend the Hobbit Assassin. I have come to join you all on this challenge because I find that I am having a hard time keeping up with dwarves and Wizards and the like during my journey. I will be focusing on learning to ride and getting used to life on the road where there are no handkerchiefs. Main Quest: To live life to the fullest and be healthy. My practical goal is to get to a size 8-10 pants size or lose 30 lbs. So for real... I'm training for a triathlon in March and I'm not exactly sure how to do that. I'm going to be honest and say that I can't ride a bike or haven't for about 15 years, so I want to focus on just riding it and getting better at it. Quest 1 Just ride the Bike 2 times a week or a total of 12 rides. This may be difficult the first few weeks because I can't say that I can actually ride it and I don't have a helmet yet so this first week is going to be easy going. A= +3 Dex, +2 Sta; B= +2 Dex, +1 Sta; C= +1 Dex, +.5 Sta The next big thing on the list is that I'm going to be applying to PhD programs next year so right now I'm studying the GRE (general test for graduate school). I need a really good score in order to get into my top 3 schools so I'm going to study like crazy. Quest 2 My GRE workout includes: 30 min reading Magoosh General Guide, 30min Reading the Drill Book, 15 min of Verbal flashcards, 15 min of Math Formulas, then 30+min for reviewing the flashcards and other content. I will do this 4-5 times a week or at minimum 24 mental workouts. A= +3 Wis; B= +2 Wis; C= +1 Wis I should in general continue actual workouts so... Quest 3 Do the Basic Body Weight workout 3 times a week or 21 workouts. (I might substitute some of these for cardio workout videos, just to mix things up) A= +3 Str, +2 Dex; B= +2 Str, +1 Dex; C= +1 Str, +.5 Dex Life: I'm going to keep the same life quest to work on my budget. A= +3 Wis, B= +2 Wis, C= +1 Wis I'm not sure what else I should do. If you have any suggestions on how to train for a triathlon or have experience with the GRE feel free to let me know. I would love any encouragement or extra help. I'm hoping this hobbit isn't over her head.

After dusting off the cobwebs from my workout gear for the last challenge and taking some necessary downtime during the holidays, I'm ready to get back into the swing of things this year because I've got goals, baby! Lots of goals! Even though I am a budding scholar, I need to be SMART with my goals (and short(er) with my posts), so I'm going to break it down real simple with reference to my previous challenge thread: Main Quest is still the same as the last challenge in terms of body and mind: Body, with the added motivation to be ready for a debate team reunion I have in late April; mind, with the hope that I'll be close to finishing up this damn dissertation already. Quest One: Do Bodyweight Brigade Level 2 (A and B, 3 to 4 times a week as cycled) or 21 workouts total. A = +3 STR, +2 CHA; B = +2 STR, +1 CHA; C = +1 STR, +.5 CHA Quest Two: Interval run (following Steve's recommendations, of course) at least twice a week or at least 12 times total. A = +3 DEX, +2 STA; B = +2 DEX, +1 STA; C = +1 DEX, +.5 STA Quest Three: Write a page and a half for my dissertation at least six days of the week—regardless of how good it is—and edit it the next day. Approximately 54-63 pages total (or roughly two dissertation chapters). A = +5 WIS; B = +4 WIS; C = +3 WIS I'm not doing any life quests this time around, but I will participate in any side quests that are running/biking/cardio related with the Scouts. I am (or was, more so) an avid runner, so I think I'll fit in nicely with the Scouts for this challenge. I'm excited to be more involved here and to connect with many of you! Now...time to wear the tread down on these running shoes so I can justify buying a new pair for the new year! Let's kick it off right! I'm hyped!!

I am jazzed to be starting my 4th challenge. I love being here with all of the support I get. On this go around I will once again attempt to quit smoking. I made a pretty good go of it on my last challenge and plan to continue this endeavor until I am a non smoker I found in my last attempt that I did not want to leave my house. This led to a huge lack of exercise and a feeling of depression. I gained about 10 pounds and I find myself seeking out people who smoke so I can bum one from them. I have not relapsed into full on smoking again but I am really battling this. What a head game it has been but I have a plan, and it is as follows Main quest: Quit smoking Quest 1: Get out of the house to avoid depression and constant eating. A - I purchased a 1 month gym membership and I must go Monday-Saturday. This membership is almost like having a personal trainer. The 6 am session is just my best friend and I. B - I will ride my bike to the gym as often as is possible. It is only 4 miles round trip so when time allows I will go for a longer ride after my workout. C - I will volunteer at the food bank Tues. Wed. and Thurs. Quest 2: Not eat everything within reach. A - I will have things to do with my hands. Such as floss my teeth and start a new craft project. B - Complete 1 item from my long TO DO list each day. C - Do deep breathing exercises when I feel that anxious feeling. Maybe walk outside to get the fresh air. Quest 3: Reward myself A - For each day I go with out a cigarette, I will give myself $3 in a "buy something cool fund"

Wow! I just did my first ride of 2015 and it felt so great! I have asthma and during the cold, I do to gyms and do stationary cycling. It sucks. but we've had a warm, sunny streak where I live and today I was able to get out on the rode. I felt so alive. I could just feel my muscles waking up and it felt so good and so familiar to be back on my bike. An added bonus: no asthma attacks either! What a wonderful day! Can't wait to make the commute home. : )

As I sit here trying to figure out just how I want to word this challenge, I realize I have no idea just how to put it all in words As my title states, I have things that need to get done. House work, work outs, menu planning, making dinners, and really just keeping my life in order instead of chaos. I have lived the last 20 some years with a house full of kids, chaos being the norm everyday. There were always tasks that had to be done but usually minor kid emergencies that kept me hopping. I was usually able to accomplish all necessary tasks and juggle the things that were not planned. Now I have only 1 kid left at home and I find myself unable to accomplish anything. My house is quiet and there is no chaos so I seem to create it myself. In this challenge I want to DO WHAT NEEDS DONE, and NOT DO THE THINGS THAT KEEP ME FROM MY DUTIES. I am certain that if I get all things in order, I would lose weight(because I would have a good food plan), I would get strong(because I would do all my work outs) and my Felix Unger Husband would be very happy(because the house would sparkle and his tummy would be full) The following is how I see the next 6 weeks........ Each day of the week having specific tasks. Main Quest: Lose weight and get strong all while getting myself and house in order 1. I have to get dressed as soon as I get out of bed. 2. No computer stuff until my chores are done. 3. Make a weekly and daily plan for the house cleaning.(ie. everyday tasks and extra tasks that only need done once in a while) 4. No skipping work outs!!!!! 5. Make a weekly menu, plan left overs so that I have good lunches. Here is what my workout schedule will look like. Monday: Taiso/gym work out. GTG core/ab exercises and squats Tuesday: Food Bank in the morning. GTG pull up exercises and squats Wednesday: Food Bank in the morning. GTG handstand exercises and squats Thursday: Morning bike ride. Food Bank in the afternoon. Friday: Food Bank or a work out, depending on if I need time for extra chores and stuff. GTG core/ab exercises and squats Saturday: Biking Day Sunday: Rest Day/Yoga

Injury adds to the insult as I'm unable to attempt my sub-two hour half this race season. I'm not forgetting about this goal only shifting it the back burner as I work on other goals. Now it is time to take the time to get into better overall shape so I can knock my half-marathon goal out come spring. Quest 1 - Upgrade the body I need to increase my strength! To do so I'm going to go to TRX at least twice a week throughout the challenge, for a total of 12 classes. A = 12-10 Classes (+3 Str +1 Con) B = 9-7 Classes (+2 Str +1 Con) C = 6-4 Classes (+1 Str +1 Con) F = 3-0 Classes Quest 2 - Upgrade the speed I need to increase speed! While I can't run like Steve Austin I can bike so I'll do a bike ride of 3+ miles each week, for a total of 6 ride. A = 6 Rides (+2 Dex, +2 Sta) B = 5 Rides (+1 Dex, +2 Sta) C = 4 Rides (+1 Dex, +1 Sta) F = 3-0 Riders Quest 3 - Maintain the body Need to adjust the diet to build muscles and keep myself going! Need to figure out how to quantify this one! Skipping the 3rd quest for this challenge Life Quest - Upgrade the vision Steve Austin could see with a 20.2:1 zoom lens, me I've got a Canon 7d collecting dust. I want to do 3 photo shoots over the course of the challenge A = 3 shoots (+4 Wis) B = 2 shoots (+3 Wis) C = 1 shoot (+1 Wis) F = 0 shoots

Hi all, So, this is my first post. I've been trying to lose weight my whole life, and finally in the last year I figured it out. Almost. September 2013 I weighed 126kg (278lb) as of this morning I am 111kg (244lb). I was down to 108kg (238lb), but have jumped 3kgs, which has lead me to this post. I'll be logging achievements, activitives, recipies and I will be announcing any down falls. These will be related to bad eating choices. Goals; Weigh under 100kg Run 5k Bench 100kg Dead lift 130kg

Oh, the many reasons excuses I have for falling off the solar sailer. But alas, those no longer matter. Time to get back on it! It is ski season here and I need to get my legs going. Here is my plan for this week! Dawn patrol at least once this week (This means get up at an ungodly hour and hike up a mountain to ski down before going into work). My excuse is my backcountry buddy is currently unemployed and don't want to bother her to wake up so early...BUT seriously, she's stoked to go ski as I would be so this is happening!30+ minutes on bike trainer to keep cardio up for touring and leg endurance going for endless pow turns all winter. [i did this last night ]1 day at climbing gym to keep strength through the winter. (BONUS: Good stability work as well)Out of 7 days in a week, I REALLY should be able to easily do all of these things each week. One week at a time...

Who am I? It might be that some day soon I'll get the proper answer to that question. It might be that day is years away. I can't say I'm in much of a rush to get there. Pseudo-philosophical babble aside... At the time of writing this, I'm a twenty two year old student with a bit of a spare tyre and lungs that only seem to work at a fraction of what they should be working at. On this site I've adopted the name Yeti, though I'm not unusually tall nor overly hirsute. And I do not thrive in the cold. Hypothermia and I have become close acquaintances over the years. If anything, I'm more a dwarf, short, compact, and with a love of shiny things. At the moment I'm a student in my third year of an adventure tourism management BA, and through university I have learned, and become, so much more. Not an over-dramatic observation either. Rewind back a few years and you'll find a near-silent, greasy haired, chubby teenager with zero self-esteem or confidence, wrapped in the midst of clinical depression, crippling social and general anxiety, paranoia, anger issues, and a few other unsavoury things. Everything came to a climax during 2010, and in the last few months of that year began, ever so slowly, to get better. I spent a little over five months volunteering in a country park before moving on to a six month contract at a museum, yet in the September of 2011 I entered my first year of uni almost mute, scared all over again. Didn't speak more than three words in a row to my housemate for all of a month. Kept my hat on and my head down in lectures. Didn't really venture out along unless it was at night. And then I moved out of my little room and into a smaller room a few roads down with a guy and the girl who would become one of my closest friends. That was the catalyst. Since then I've gained enough confidence to first join the uni clubs (mountaineering, paddling, biking), then progress to being on the committee of the mountaineering club. From there I became a class rep, spent a short and disastrous term as student vice president, and now hold the role of secretary in the newly establish student association. I have a fairly active social life, I've almost completely beaten my general anxiety into the ground and the social one is almost there, I have far more confidence even if I still don't think highly of myself, and though I still have bad patches, I'm now able to manage my depression well enough to begin to build the life I want to have. The result is this: What do I do? Not doing something to fill the hours, but doing something to feel alive. I have a deep love of adventure sports, one of the reasons I picked that particular version of the video up there. Mountain biking, both cross country and downhill, is something I thrive on. There's something about taking your bike through the wilds and back country of an XC run or going all out and just shredding it on some of the crazy technical features on a DH track that just does it for me. Adrenaline junkie? Probably, but just look... I also climb, which will be the focus of a lot of my workouts. At the moment I'm climbing at around a UK 5b grade, though apparently my local climbing wall sets routes that are actually harder than advertised, so that's only a rough guess. Couldn't say what bouldering grade I'm at, though it isn't overly high. Not that I mind, I'm relatively new as far as these things go, and my climbing experience on actual rock is limited to maybe a couple of weeks' worth of days down the local glen and a week in France on some lovely limestone. Spread that over the three years I've actually been climbing... It's been mostly indoors for me. One of my favourite views, one of my most difficult first attempts completed first time around... Then there's paddling. Admittedly, I'm more a flat water paddler than anything else right now. I love the white water stuff, but I'm not much good at staying upright or facing downriver in anything beyond grade two water. While I may not be much good in the cold considering my tendency to become hypothermic easily no matter what I wear, I've enjoyed skiing since I was something like eight or nine, give or take, and I enjoy snowboarding when I actually get the chance to do it. The more sedate activities I enjoy are hiking, power kiting (and kite-boarding), and slack lining. Why? Why do this? Why change? Why go to so much effort? Well hey, why not use some of this shiny university training to actually make some sense of why I feel the need to change. Of why I need to change now. According to Maslow, if not all of the lower four sets of needs are met then it will cause psychological unrest within a person. I can testify that this is indeed the case. Going by this, not even all of my biological and physical needs are being met. Sure, I'm breathing, I'm eating and drinking as best I can, and I have a roof over my head. But my sleeping pattern is shot to hell, and we're not even going into the subject of sex... Therein lies my first and most basic of intrinsic motivations: Get my life in order to sort out my sleep pattern (and honestly, wouldn't rule out the other one either). Shifting on up to the next level, I know my need for stability isn't being met on either a physical or mental level. Again, the motivation here is intrinsic. And then we move on to the level that is, perhaps, one I will never be able to salvage. My relationship with my family is strained at best with the exception of my brother and gran. I've only ever held down one quite turbulent and short relationship and can honestly say I have no idea how to even approach the idea of another. If we switch work group for uni group, well, it does get a little better. I have some amazingly solid friendships inside and outside of that group. That makes this motivation both intrinsic and extrinsic, I'd like to sort my life out in order to feel better about myself, but I'd also like to be able to feel more secure in my current relationships and begin new ones, the latter of which isn't so much for my own good, but something I want. I can just take the whole other two levels and work them into tens of motivations. Those, while being some of the most desirable things to achieve, will almost certainly be in the long term. The thing is, I want not only to climb harder, paddle further, bike bigger, and hike longer, but I want to look better, feel better. I want to look at myself in the mirror without having a bombardment of negative thoughts. I want to be everything I know I can become. And there's nothing wrong with that. It took a while to convince myself of it, but it's ok to go after what I want. And I'm going to do what about it? ​Work my ass off, and while we're doing the cliché bit, I'm gonna have fun doing it. Stress is definitely of the bad here, and something I need to work on reducing in a major way. So I'm going to take some NF advice and construct myself some levels, do the RPG thing. I'm estimating that, all in all, I'm shooting for level three, and this will be the battlelog that takes me to that level. So what is my level three? Graduate from university with a BA Hons. degreeHave £100 in a dedicated savings accountHave a full time jobBe able to swim five lengths without stoppingBe able to do a pull-upClimb consistently at a 6a levelHave ridden the Fort William downhill track from start to end without crashingHave a photograph publishedBe able to do five full pistol squats on each legVisited one European country that I haven't been to beforeClimb Ben NevisBecome proficient with one film editing softwareStart my plant-life sleeveMeditate regularlyBe able to cook at least five authentic Chinese recipes properly It might not look like much, and it might look like a lot. Either way, I don't have a set time to do it, it just happens to be what I'm working towards just now. When I can check off everything on that list, I reach my level three, and I finally upgrade my bronze dagger and leathers for a pair of short swords and some chain mail, and who knows, there may even be some extra swag involved. This battlelog will keep a record of workouts, yes, and it will serve as somewhere I can vent and plan and get plans out and wax philosophical about motivation and deeper meanings... Anything. Life goes here.