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This challenge I am all over the map, so I am going to format it as 5 separate, but related, weekly challenges to accommodate the change in circumstances: Zero Week (Edmonton): The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy Eat less than Zaphod Beeblebrox: For those who don't know, Zaphod Beeblebrox has two heads. And for the past couple weeks I've been eating like I have two heads (and two stomachs), but no more! This week I will eat strictly paleoish, with no variances. Just to prove to myself that I can. Find Ford Prefect: Ford Prefect is a wonderful travelling companion that can get you just about anywhere. I am on the search for a new bicycle that can help me exercise and commute while I'm in Hinton (See week 4) - I want to find one by the end of the week if possible, and ride it once I get it. Until then I will walk/run at least 3 times. Escape the Vogons: Vogons are big ugly aliens that will recite you terrible poetry until your brain explodes. In order to escape them I will need to build my strength. To do this I will do a body weight workout 3x this week. Don't forget your towel: We're going to Hawaii next week! Which is exciting, but is also a lot to get ready. I will complete one thing on my pre-Hawaii list each day this week Week 1 (Hawaii): The Restaurant at the End of the Universe I'm not bringing my computer, so I'll be MIA this week. I'm being a little more lax on my goals, but don't want to let too loose... Eat as healthy as possible at Milliways Milliways is the restaurant at the end of the universe, where you can eat while watching the universe explode around you. I'll be eating out a lot in Hawaii, but while enjoying the delicious food, I'll try to pick healthier options when possible Search for the ruler of the universe with Zarniwoop: In order to find the ruler of the universe, I will roam the beaches and swim the oceans of Hawaii by getting at least a half hour of dedicated exercise each day Week 2 (Hawaii/Edmonton): Life, the Universe and Everything Discover the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything: Get at least 42 minutes of exercise each day in a combination of walking, biking, and body weight workouts Help Slartibartfast prevent the robots from assembling the Wikkit Gate: Prevent the robots from getting the necessary parts by eating full paleoish with no variances while in Edmonton Week 3: So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish Learn to fly with Fenchurch: To learn to fly I will ride my bicycle each day to prepare for using it to commute in Week 4 Join the "Save the Humans Campaign" I will save THIS human by eating paleoish with 4 or less variances. Take Marvin to the mountains to see God's final message to His creation: We'll be living in Hinton Alberta (yay back to the mountains!) for the next four weeks while I'm doing a clinical elective for school. As such I'll have a few things to prepare. So I will do one thing each day to prepare for Hinton Week 4 (Hinton): Mostly Harmless Steal The Guide Mark II In order to steal The Guide I will bike to and from work each weekday Kill Agrajag (again) Agrajag will take the form of my food cravings and I will kill him by eating paleoish with 4 or less variances. I realize that this seems complicated and ridiculous, but I think it's the only way I'll stick to my goals over the next month - by taking it one week at a time. Wish me luck! I should do alright if I do as the guide says and DON'T PANIC!!

Hello all! It's been quite some time since I was last part of the scouts or the NF community. You may remember me from my previous account, username "Sora". I made a post HERE yesterday detailing my absence and change of account. Regardless, I'm back, and that's what's important! Part of the reason I'm starting this challenge a few days late is my account troubles, but I figure better late than never. So Let's Go! This Summer, I'm completing an internship in Japan, near Kyoto. Some of you may remember my challenges from the past that led up to my first trip to Japan, and I'm really happy to be back in this amazing place. However, I have found that I haven't been living a very productive life while I have been here. It's been almost a month, and I'm sick of being unproductive and wasting this amazing opportunity to improve myself. So, for this challenge, I have decided to channel Saitama from One Punch Man and work towards a better me through aggressive repetition. Goal 1: Workout! Rather than taking Saitama's workout directly (100 push ups, 100 sit ups, 100 squats, and 10 k of running everyday for three years), I'll be adapting it so fit my my current fitness level and timetable: Run 5 days a week, and incorporate body weight exercises... week 1: 2 days / week 2: 3 days / week 3: 4 days / week 4: 5 days The idea is to get back into running consistently again, while adding in some other moves to make myself more well rounded. I'm hoping to try out some types of fitness in the next year, so the body weight work (primarily push ups, squats, and sit ups) should help me gain some strength outside of distance running and improve my overall fitness level. There is also a good chance that I'll be climbing Mr. Fuji in July during my trip to Tokyo, so I'll need all the strength I can get! Goal 2: Cook! Cook 1 meal a day at least six days a week. At least one recipe must be new each week. This is my first time living and cooking 100% on my own for an extended period of time, and I've been wasting a lot of money the last few weeks eating out. The food here is AMAZING, but I need to start eating a little healthier and economically. My Goal here is to expand my cooking ability through consistently cooking and trying new recipes. One of my ideas for the next four week challenge is to work towards a paleo diet, but I think the first step towards this goal should be simply cooking in general. Goal 3: Hydrate! Drink 100 Ounces of Water a day, and limit soft drinks to once a day. At home in Michigan, I'm usually much better about staying hydrated. However, since my lifestyle changed significantly when I moved here, I have found myself drinking less. It's also much hotter and humid here than I am used to (yay rainy season!), so it's even more important that I am intentional about my hydration. I also need to try to avoid the many options that the plethora of vending machines here have to offer (Japan has the highest ratio of vending machines to landmass of any nation worldwide). I have downloaded the "iHydrate" app to track my progress. Life Goal: Daily Routine Complete at least three of the following each day, and complete all of them at least: Week 1: 1 time Week 2: 2 times Week 3: 3 times Week 4: 4 times Tasks: Read (20 minutes), Vlog (Film one video OR Edit one video), Study Japanese ( 1.5 hours), Clean (including laundry, dishes, etc. Basically anything in my apartment), Adventure (go somewhere I have never been before), Draw (1 completed sketch of 30 minutes working on full drawing) I have a lot of things I want to accomplish while I'm here, and the only way I'm going to be able to do that is by consistently practicing all of them. I've been doing fine doing them individually, but the problem for me has been giving attention to all of these things at once and finding the proper balance. So, through this goal, I'm hoping to slowly add more on to my plate and adjust to the balance gradually. IN SUMMARY: I'm hoping to slowly add more onto my plate as the challenge progresses. Through repeating everything consistently, I'm hoping to become a hero like Saitama! I'm super excited to be back among the NF community, especially the scouts. I'd love to talk more with you all, and I hope we can all reach our goals together! Let's go!

Asa clambered up the stairs in response to the severe looking witch's call of "Pond, Asa!". Sitting heavily on the rickety stool facing the Great Hall, she had an idea of what was to come next thanks to the stories her siblings had told her when she was young. It didn't help her nerves much though. Being in the P's, Asa had the opportunity to watch several other students get sorted into their houses before her and she was desperately hoping she wasn't one of the ones that took too long. "Hmmm..." She jumped as the old, ratty hat murmured in her ear. "Ratty old hat am I?" It chortled. "I suppose I am getting a bit up there in years." Asa didn't quite know how to respond. "...I'm sorry?" "No, you're not and that is perfectly fine with me. Now let's see. You might as well get comfortable, this isn't going to be easy, I can already tell you that." Asa groaned internally. Of course it wouldn't be. "Definitely not a Hufflepuff, that much I can say." "Why not?!" Asa had no specific desire to be sorted into Hufflepuff but something in the way the hat made it sound like it was so obvious was unnerving to her. "Well, where I put you depends on where you'll grow the most as a witch and as a person. I can already tell that your loyalty and friendship must be earned and are not freely given, and while you do not hate hard work, it is not your first inclination." Asa responded with a mental shrug. She really couldn't argue with that. "I see intelligence in you and a desire to learn. Perhaps a Ravenclaw? No, not quite. I see your value lies more strongly in areas beyond your pure education. Ahhhh, yes. Ambitious. Very ambitious and willing to bend a few rules, maybe, to get where you want to be?" "Only in the most necessary of circumstances!" Asa thought. "Only when it's really needed." "Mmmm." She wasn't quite sure the hat believed her, but she was pretty sure she believed herself. "What is it you want in life, Ms. Pond? Where do your dreams lead you?" Immediately, towering mountains and clear cold lakes filled her mind. Next came a flash of flying though the air, then dancing in the square of a city among its native citizens. Climbing, jumping, racing, exploring. But there was also the office with the view from the top and the important title outside her door. Her future employees came to her asking for advice and handing in assignments that she had ordered. The two dreams warred in her mind. "I see." Whispered the hat. "Even you are not sure where you belong. A life full of adventure or a life with power. So where to put you? Where indeed." She thought hard, trying to picture what she wanted the most, what scared her the most. "Ah!" Gasped the hat. "So that is what is holding you back. You are afraid, yes? Afraid of where you might be lead if you follow your heart? Then that is what you must discover, Ms. Pond. You must face what scares you. And in order to do that, you must go in GRYFFINDOR!" Of course the last word was yelled out to the room and the expectant sea of faces on her left roared with applause. She hopped off the stool and handed the hat back to Headmistress McGonagall with a quick smile. She didn't feel as confident in the choice as the hat seemed to be, but she would do her best to live up to the sorting.

Challenge is outlined below: status updates at the top! Progress: 5k Time to Beat: 25:25 (8:17, 8:14, 8:08, avg pace 8:12) 5k Final Time: 25:01 (8:13, 8:07, 7.47, avg pace 8:07) Week 0: SAVAGE workout (Wed - 3x30 body weight squats, 3x50 jumping jacks, 2x50 crunches+incomplete set of 14, 2x5 pull-ups, 3x20 lunges, 3x10 burpees, 3x5 pull-ups, 2x20 Russian twists) body weight workout (Mon - 5x10 plyo pushups, 5x20 body weight squats, 5x6 ring pull-ups, 4x60s plank, 3x30s hollow hold, 3x30s side plank) 3+ runs (Tue - 3.4 mi, avg pace 9:33) (Thur - 3.5 mi, avg pace 10:04) Novel submitted 500+ words daily (Mon - 475 words) (Tue - 537 words) (Wed - 570 words) (Thur - 623 words) 3 blog posts (Nice Drivers) Week 1: SAVAGE workout (Thur - 3x10 plyo push-ups, 3x30 body weight squats, 3x30s side planks each side, 3x25yd side shuffled each side, 3x40 jumping jacks, 3x30s plank, 3x30s reverse plank, 3x25yds broad jumps, 3x25yd backwards jog) body weight workout (Tue - 5x12 side-to-side push-ups, 5x20 body weight squats, 3x25yd side shuffles (each side), 3x25yd bear crawls, 10 mins jogged in between sets) 3+ runs (Mon - 3.2 mi, avg pace 8:08[!]) (Wed - 3.1 mi, avg pace 10:03) (Fri - 3.1mi, avg pace 9:38) (Sun - 5.5 mi, avg pace 9:49) Novel submitted Not this week. (But I was never planning for this week. Too much like work when I'm on vacation.) 500+ words daily (Mon - 617 words) (Tue - FAIL!) (Wed - 1019 words) (Thur - Fail!) (Fri - Fail!) (Sat - 1017 words to make up time and get back on track!) 3 blog posts (1) (2) (3) Week 2: SAVAGE workout (Sun - 52 pickup workout! 95 squats, 33 push-ups, 34 burpees, 73 crunches, 82 jumping jacks, 62 mountain climbers, 3 minutes of hollow/arch hold work, 24 pull-ups) body weight workout (Mon - 3x6 ring dips, 3x6 ring pull-ups, 3x20 squats, 3x15s tucked L-sits, 3x10 ring push-ups, 3x10 body weight ring rows) 3+ runs (Tue - 3.1 miles, who cares about pace -- I was pushing the double stroller!) (Wed - 3.1 miles, 9:53 avg pace) (Sat - 5.8 miles, 10:03 avg pace) Novel submitted Twice! 6/21 and 6/22. 500+ words daily (Mon - 719 words) (Tue - 507 words) (Wed - 773 words) (Thur - 848 words) (Fri - took the day off for wife's birthday -- wrote extra earlier to make up for it!) 3 blog posts (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Week 3: SAVAGE workout (Sun - 2 10-minute AMRAP sets: 4x7 assisted shrimp squats each side, 3x12 side-to-side push-ups, 3x25yd bear crawl, 3x30 crunches, 4x25yd side shuffled each side, 7x5 burpees, 4x10 mountain climbers, 3x40 jumping jacks ... +2 more sets of 7 shrimp squats for the mini) body weight workout (Tue - 3x7 ring dips, 3x6+1 ring pull-ups, 3x20 squats, 3x60s hollow/arch hold, 3x10 ring push-ups, 3x10 body weight ring rows) 3+ runs (Mon - 3.4 mi, avg pace 9:46) (Wed - 3.4 mi with the stroller, WHO CARES ABOUT PACE) (Fri - 3.3 mi, avg pace 9:43) Novel submitted NOT THIS WEEK. 500+ words daily (Mon - FAIL!) (Tue - 1217 words) (Wed - FAIL!) (Thur - 623 words) (Fri - 1038 words) 3 blog posts (1) (2) (3) Week 4: SAVAGE workout (Wed - 4x10 decline diamond push-ups, 4x7 assisted shrimp squats, 4x25yd bear crawls, 4x30 crunches, 4x5 ring dips, 4x5 ring pull-ups, 4x40 jump rope, 4x10 mountain climbers) body weight workout (Mon - 5x10 decline diamond push-ups, 5x7 assisted shrimp squats, 3x7 ring dips, 3x6 ring pull-ups, 2x60s plank) 3+ runs (Tue - 3.4mi, 10:03 avg pace) (Wed - 3.3mi, 9.47 avg pace) (Sat - 3.1 mi, 8:07 avg pace) Novel submitted Twice! 7/5 and 7/7. 500+ words daily (Mon - 772) (Tue - 523) (Wed - 630) (Thur - 1128) (Fri - 785) 3 blog posts (1) (2) (3) You guys. YOU GUYS. I am so FIRED UP. Why? Because I'm going to SAVAGE RACE in September. This is a big deal for me. Obstacle races have been one of those things that I watched from afar, thinking "yeah, that's kinda cool, maybe that would be fun to do one day." Then I got into Ninja Warrior and started doing a bunch of body weight exercises and handstands and cartwheels and stuff (check my previous challenges for details on all that), and "fun one day" turned into "when I work up the nerve." Well, just a week ago, my wife got me an early father's day present: an entry to Savage Race here in Georgia. AND IT'S ON. Pav is going SAVAGE. This challenge is about shattering barriers, overcoming obstacles, and pushing my limits. A couple of years ago, I started making some changes in my life. I took up running, and it was good. I started strength exercises, and it was good. I started writing regularly, and that, too, was good. (The act of writing, that is. Whether the writing itself is good is to be determined.) I've formed habits. Good habits. Maybe even enviable habits. But I can be better. To do well at Savage Race, I'm going to have to combine my running and strength work -- something I've never done. Those two worlds have been separate, but the more I experiment in parkour, the more I realize they are ultimately linked. Savage Race will cast those bonds in iron and blood, so I need to train smarter and harder in the coming months. And in my writing, that situation has come to a head. I've talked a little bit about my writing in previous challenges, but there's no more pussyfooting around. I've been working on my novel for a year and a half, I've edited it, gotten feedback from some friends, and re-edited it again. I can piddle in the sandbox until the sun goes cold if I let myself, but somehow, this feels like the time. Maybe it's the fact that I'm signed up for Savage Race. Maybe it's just kismet. But it's time to face the biggest dragon of all: I need to send that work out into the world and see if it can fly. So. Goals. There are only two, but those goals have sub-goals which will probably get overwhelming. 1. Train Savage. I need a minimum of two strength workouts every week, but I'd like to have three. These will be body weight focused, but they might include some agility and hand-balancing as well, as I don't want to neglect that stuff. But I want to shake things up, so I've downloaded the Savage Race training plan and I intend to make use of the exercises found therein at least once a week. That's a different style of workout than I'm used to -- time/AMRAP exercises rather than a fixed number of sets/reps -- so I hope that will test me in terms of stamina as well as strength. Further, I can't neglect my runs, since the course will be 5-7 miles punctuated with obstacles. So I need to stay on the ball there. But: THIS. IS. SAVAGE. I don't want to just maintain, I want to get better. So I want to run a 5k for speed at the beginning of the challenge and another at the end, with an obvious goal of improving that time in the interim. In terms of workouts, I want three runs a week minimum, though I'd like to make that four. In short, that's: 1 SAVAGE workout weekly (timed/AMRAP exercises) at least 1 additional workout weekly 4 weekly runs An improved 5k time BRING IT. 2. Write Savage. I'm a writer -- or I'm trying to be. I've been working on my first novel for about a year and a half, and there's no putting it off any more. The book is ready to go out. Maybe not ready for publication, but ready for a person who isn't me to get eyes on it. And let's face it; if I never put myself out there, I'm never going to get published, so it's time to face down this fear. That means submitting the work. Which means, in turn, researching some agents, tuning up the query letter, and ultimately pressing "send" a few times. The fact is, I have no idea how this part works, so I'm going to set a goal of submitting my novel to four agents over the course of this challenge -- theoretically, one per week, though that's not a hard and fast schedule or anything. Further, our last mini and a number of other factors conspired to get me really psyched about my next novel, and if there's one lesson I've learned about writing, exercising, and life in general, it's that MOMENTUM MATTERS. I've just started work on a new novel, and I want to make sure I'm consistently putting in work on that project while I'm shopping the finished work. For now, I want no less than 500 words a day, five days a week -- which would give me 10,000 words written on this novel by the end of the challenge. That's more than manageable, but it's summertime and I've got big fitness goals ahead, so I'm okay giving myself a little bit of leniency here. Finally, I want to get a little more consistent on writing for my website at Accidentally Inspired. I've been way too sporadic in recent months. As I said before, MOMENTUM MATTERS. So I want to make sure I'm posting a minimum of three times per week. In short: Novel submitted to (at least) 4 agencies over the course of the challenge 500 words/day, 2500 words/week, 10,000 words by the end of the challenge 3 blog posts weekly GET SOME. I could go on. There's so much more I want to be working on, but I think with my two major goals and my seven sub-goals I will have plenty to keep me busy. That, and the coming Assassin mini. So. Game on. Lock and load.

I come and go like the tides when I'm on my challenges, and this time around it's time to suit up as an assassin again. Not that you guys need more assassins, or anything. (I'd comment on how crowded this guild is compared to the others but I actually can't tell how crowded it is because everybody's wearing black.) Still, here I am. My running is stabilizing at 3-4 outings a week with a 5-miler on the weekends. I want to keep that where it is for now -- not push it, not try to improve it, just maintain it -- so I want to focus on more ninja-ey things this time around. In particular, I have had the really awful idea of trying out parkour. Now, I own that I'm a little bit on the older side to be picking up such a habit, but when it comes to bad ideas, I just can't help myself. Besides, a little bit of functional strength and agility can't hurt in the least when the zombies come for us all (and you know they will). So the order of the day is functional strength, precision and control practice, and whenever possible, a bit of natural movement. Strength: at least two workouts per week, especially push-ups, pull-ups and box-jumps. Arbitrarily I'm gonna say I want two hundred push-ups per week, fifty pull-ups per week, and ... man, I dunno... maybe eighty box jumps? Let's see how that goes for a week and maybe I can revisit. Precision and control: The box-jumps count here too, with a focus on a balanced and controlled landing. But here especially I want to make some progress on my handstand -- I've been stagnant there for quite some time. I need to learn a somersault bail so that I can start working on separating myself from the wall. I also want to work on my support hold and my dead-hang. Is all that specific enough? Only four different sub-goals for this one. Movement: I don't know that there are any great parkour spots near me, but there are some railings crying out to be vaulted and some big metal boxes just waiting to be scaled on some of my regular running routes. Hard to say if I can hit them with much regularity, but I'd like to get in some jumping and climbing and swinging and just generally monkeying around once a week. And that's it. I'll be back to add some pictures and maybe figure out how to score all this (though I still haven't scored my last challenge, lol).

On May 20 I have a big exam that covers the first two years of medical school. As such I thought an appropriate theme for this challenge would be to tackle the major body systems that I'm going to be studying anyway! Cardio-pulmonary: Jog/bike for 30 min 2x per week Musculoskeletal: Do a body weight workout 3x per week Gastrointestinal: Eat a paleo(ish) diet with 4 variances allowed (either a meal or a normal sized serving of a treat) Neurological: Study for my test at least 30 min 6 days a week I'm hoping to work in a bit more cardio on my off-days for body weight workout. I'm also hoping the paleo diet with variances will help me change my attitude towards food so I'm not eating well some days and pigging out others.

When last I wrote, I had been struck down by the influenza virus, that curse of our Midwestern dwelling. For days my running schedule was despaired of, and when at last I came to myself and became convalescent, I was so whingy and restless that a board of my peers determined that not a day should be lost in sending me back to training. I was dispatched, accordingly, with team Altair in the walk for Multiple Sclerosis and a day later was in possession of a plan, with my miles irretrievably ruined, but with permission from a motherly figure, to spend the next 5 months recovering them. I had neither kith nor kin in the running community, and was therefore as free as air—or as free as an income of a post-grad with student loans will permit a runner to be. Under such circumstances, I naturally gravitated to OCRs, that great cesspool into which all the rangers and scouts of the Rebellion are irresistibly drained. It is here that I am now, writing my current challenge. I have penned a mud run and an inflatable obstacle course run into my diary which will test both endurance and mental fortitude. But I am up for the challenge. Apparently, it will take a while to adjust to the running life, and "writing a blog about everything that happens to you will honestly help", which is where you come in. You see, you are here to follow my adventures, and the game, my friends, is on.

Arrowan’s Sixth Challenge: Whistles and Bells Mistakes are the portals to discovery Name: Arrowan Race: Human Class: Adventurer Level: 5 Starting Attributes: STR 9/DEX 6/STA 15/CON 8/WIS 16/CHA 7 Starting metrics: 5'6", 163 lbs Introduction: I’m back at home base after having done my last challenge (January) with the Monks. They are a great group and if you have any interest in martial arts I highly recommend going to these folks for advice—they are extremely knowledgeable and supportive. I made friends there and still check in on them. Still, in my heart I feel like I am an Adventurer, so here I am for my sixth NF challenge. It’s an odd transition period in my life and I have a TON of goals I’d like to achieve, but in the interest of being smart and realistic, I’ve narrowed it down to four for this challenge. Challenge Goals: 1. Physical training: Running 3x/week, workout routine 3x/week 2. Track all caloric intake, every day 3. Herp ID and frog calls: learn to ID all state herps by sight and all anurans by sound 4. Continue the job search: submit at least 2 applications/week Side Quest: Create 1 power point lesson per week on any topic, 5-10 min talk Strategies: 1. Physical Training: Running makes me happy. Well, first it makes me tired and out of breath, but then it makes me happy. For me, running is as important to mental health as it is to physical health, if not more so. Maybe diet is 80% of the battle, but without the bolster of confidence and satisfaction I get from running, I have no will power to maintain a healthy relationship with food. So. Running 3x a week. I’ll do 1-3 miles at a time, logging time and distance for each run on a chart on my wall. No goals for speed or distance, but I’ll report my bests for the month at the end of the challenge. In between running, I’ll do a workout routine based on body-weight exercises and martial arts movements. It’s a routine I’ve used before, though I haven’t done it in full in a while. I’ll increase difficulty as the challenge goes on. 2. Overeating and poor food choices are big issues for me. I need to make a lot of changes but for now my goal is to track every morsel with MyFitnessPal. I’ve used the program before with some success. The consistent tracking will make me accountable for my caloric intake, even though I’m not setting specific food restrictions. For further accountability, I will even post how far off I am from my daily calorie goals. I know quality of food is at least as important as quality, but for now my focus is on tracking. 3. I’m trying to get back into wildlife research after taking some time away for personal reasons. To brush up on my skills, my goal is to be able to ID all Maine herp species (reptiles and amphibians) by sight by the end of the month. Also, I will memorize the calls for all the frog and toad species in the state. At the end of the month I’ll devise a test. I’ll focus on a subset of species each week, spending at least 15 minutes a day reviewing. It doesn’t sound like much, but it will add up. 4. I’m searching for a new job—something related to what I studied in school. Or at least closer to it than what I’m doing now. I’ll check the job boards every day and get out at least 2 applications each week. I already have a call back for one job, so in the event I get it, this goal will morph into preparation for that job, which will involve studying up on the target species and related topics. Side Quest: Knowledge, discovery, and curiosity are my themes for this challenge. The true test of knowledge is the ability to teach it to someone else. I got a lot out of making presentations in graduate school in order to teach undergrads and give information to the public. This goal involves picking a topic—anything at all that catches my fancy—and creating a short PowerPoint presentation that I could give to an interested audience. I’ll give myself a week to make each presentation, and when it’s done I have to practice it through at least twice for it to count. I may not have an audience at the moment, but the process itself will be very informative for me, and I can file away the knowledge and the presentation in case I get the opportunity to deliver them later. Grading: A=100% B=75% C=50% D=25% F=0% 1. Physical training: A=24 out of 24 days; B=18-23; C=12-17; D=6-11; F≤5 2. Calorie tracking: A=28 out of 28 days; B=21-27; C=14-20; D=7-13; F≤6 3. Herp ID and anuran call test: A=100% B=75-99% C=50-74% D=25-49% F<25% 4. Job search: A=8 out of 8 applications submitted; B=6-7; C=4-5; D=2-3; F=0-1 Reward for all A’s/B’sà Get my bike tuned up

Why is the Rum Gone? Step One- alcohol limited to wine events ONLY. Step Two- Track what I am eating. Set reminders to track food consistently. Booty- If I succeed at this during weekdays, every week for a challenge, my reward is going to update my phone (time for a new one mine is cracked and glitch-tastic) Swab the Deck Matey Schedule chores and do them before gaming. Monday-Kitchen. Tuesday- vacuum. Wednesday-Bathroom. Thursday-cat litter and garbage. Friday-Saturday- chore free. Sunday- cat litter and laundry. Booty- If I succeed at following this plan for the entire challenge, my reward is taking a weekend off and going to see my best friend (to be scheduled) Short Drop and a Sudden Stop Do the steps challenge for myself daily to get my cardio level elevated. Occasional days missed to rest/ life allowed, but MUST do at least 5 days a week. Booty- If I succeed, my reward will be beating some of my demons back into their playpen. Hoist the Sails Workouts- Teaching Mondays and Fridays, if class is cancelled, do hammer and chisel total body workout anyways. Tuesdays and Thursdays are spin classes, if cannot make it, do treadmill cross country work. Wednesdays are groupfit class. If cancelled or cannot make it, do Les Mills Combat 60 min workout. Saturday is flexibility work and outside time if possible. If not possible, do Les Mills Combat 45 min. Sundays are rest with light flexibility work. Booty- Getting sexy back. A Pirate’s Life for Me Take care of myself. Honestly take care of head as well as body. When the demons come out to play I am allowed to call for back up. I do not have to fight alone.

*opens the shed doors* *watches the dust motes spin up into the air* *coughs and goes for a leaf blower* Man, it's been a minute since I poked my head in here. I guess it's no great surprise. I should have seen it coming. When soccer season rolls around, my eight-hour days turn into twelve- or even fifteen-hour days, which really saps my resolve to run and work out, let alone to nerd around on a forum talking about my running and working out (or rather, my lack of running and working out). But soccer season is just about over, and it's time to get back on the scooter. Or horse. Or wagon. Or something. Workouts have gotten away from me. Regular runs have gotten away from me. Diet has gotten away from me. It's time to do something to rein in all this slipping and sliding all over the place. So this re-initiation challenge is about doing something, anything, to re-establish positive momentum and get moving in the right direction instead of just sliding in whatever direction I happen to be going. So the goals are simple. 1. Run. I'd like to get back in the habit of going 4x weekly, but I will settle for three this time, with the caveat that I need to be running at least ten miles weekly. Maybe start the challenge at 3x and move up to 4x by the end. Soccer season is over in just a couple weeks. That should be doable. (Can you tell I'm making this up off the top of my head?) 2. Strength. I've really slacked here, and I'm not happy about it. I'm going to stay focused on just simple stuff for now -- that means completing the beginner's body weight workout 2x a week. I can easily do more than that, or modify the routine as needed, but I want those strength workouts. Push-ups, pull-ups, and squats at a bare minimum at each workout. 3. Batch Prep. I've recently learned about the joys of batch-prepping meals that don't suck, which is really a must when you're a teacher. So: 1 batch prep meal for every week of the challenge, to the tune of at least 4 meals spread out during the week. The catch? I can't make the same thing over and over. I have to modify at least one component every week. That should keep me from boring myself to death. Simple goals as stepping stones to get fancier next month. Yeah. Time to get to work.

asa pond, a.k.a. Iron Widow, became the greatest goal- changer known to man. she then joined the avengers. this is what she does when she's not being an avenger. last issue: asa realized that she overestimates her ability to accomplish goals and set out to determine a new list of missions to complete. also, she's been captured by ninjas. it's all been very stressful.

Cobaltsword's Journey: The Battle Log I need a break from the challenges for a while, maybe i'll just sit this one out. I need some rest. But i'll continue on my quest to becoming a true assassin. My training regimen so far after two years with Nerd Fitness (woot!) Monday: Spartacus workout + mace training + bo staff trianing Tuesday: Parkour + running Wednesday: Spartacus Workout + mace training + bo staf training Thursday: rest Friday: Parkour + running Saturday: Spartacus Workout + mace Training + bo staff training Sunday: Parkour + running So just a small head's up: yesterday i finally achieved a speed vault and what i dubbed a side kong vault. The true kong vault is within reach but not just yet. I need the mental strength to attempt it. But i also improved my stride jumps, my cat walk, and climbed a new building a few days ago (abandonned train station) i did not go al the way up for my grip strength is not quite there yet. But it's encouraging to see how far i've come anyway, a big woot to me for now

Meet Ed. Ed was affectionately named by me while under the influence of pain meds (legally prescribed by my doctor). Ed and I were excellent friends about 18 months ago on the last leg of my recovery from my ACL being rebuilt. Then, when I got the all clear, I put him in the closet with much relief that I wouldn't have to wear him ever again. About a month ago, I wondered what I was going to do with the brace. It cost us a nice chunk of change because it is a semi-custom get up. I thought about bronzing him, but the sleek black carbon parts look impressive. I thought about throwing Ed in my cabinet with other braces (yes, I'm sorry to say but I've been injured enough to have many different ankle braces, knee apparati and crutches - wood and metal.). Instead, I left him in my closet and figured I'd decide later. Then when I started my daily yoga challenge, I started to really notice that my left leg isn't as stable as I thought it should be. I called the nurse to see if ACL could stretch over time. She didn't like my description of what it felt like and told me I needed to come see the doctor. I didn't like her response, but was too polite to tell her so over the phone. She was supposed to tell me that ACL cadaver's can stretch and it's totally normal. I meet with my doctor Wednesday to find out if I need my ACL rebuilt. Recently, I learned when you are under 40 (as I was and am) a cadaver has a 25% failure rate. I don't think I would've chosen different when I originally had the surgery because of the longer recovery period with the other options, but it's a bummer to find out. Whether or not I need surgery, I have to learn to accept the fact that I need to wear Ed when I'm active. My family members told me that pretty much that means anytime I leave the house because I'm usually off to do something outside. I struggle to stay in one spot for long. If I need surgery, I actually get an in between brace that extends the entire length of my leg and then Ed will be useful four months (give or take) into rehabilitation. Yeah? Last time around, whenever I was in public and Ed was visible, I would get comments about being the bionic woman. I hated the comments but I think it was because I had to admit that I wasn't normal. Why that's a problem, I'm not sure because I've never been normal, but I digress. This month, I think I need to embrace my new normal. Things could be worse. I may have to work on some nifty come back for all the bionic leg comments that I'll receive. My goals for this month: Keep my yoga streak going. Today is day 56. My daughter and I started doing yoga together just to see how many days in a row we could do. Our first celebration was at 50 days. Our next celebration is at day 104. If I need surgery, I've found a few options to keep the streak going - chair yoga and 30 minutes of meditation (the meditation is probably all I can do the day of surgery - the pain can be a bit intense). Body weight workouts two times a week. I got things arranged so my son can do his workout without me or can join me if he wants to, but I won't be as dependent on our schedules matching up. Not eat junk with the mindset of "this will make me feel better." This month has the potential for a few very big stressors coming. When I listed them out yesterday I burst into tears as I wrote because I'm extremely worried about what may come. I felt broken, but figured I can only take one step at a time and remind myself that there are lots of unknowns with all the family members involved. In the past, when I got overwhelmed with emotions, I'd eat lots of sweets to the point I'd get sores in my mouth from the sugar and belly aches from the flour (it's not official, but I think I'm sensitive to wheat). My goal is to eat with intention and not buy sweets when I feel out of control. Right now my kitchen is "safe" and doesn't have any of my comfort food triggers in it. My measurement for this goal will be a simple success or fail at the end of each week. Painting weekly. I was inspired by SnowOwl's idea of doing an art quest that involves learning to paint. I learned how to paint during my rehabilitation for my knee but after watching the first video, I thought it might be good for me to dig out my brushes and develop my painting "voice." The quest started in January, but I think if I do one video a week and complete the assignment I'm good to go. I also have a pen portrait I'm working on, so if I have time, I'd like to finish that this month as well. That's the plan. All subject to modifications as needed.

It’s times like these when I realize what a superhero I am. - Iron Man The truth is a matter of circumstances, it's not all things to all people all the time. And neither am I. - Black Widow The strength and brilliance of Iron Man, the courage and ability of Black Widow - together they are unstoppable. My ultimate life goal is to become the equivalent of the love child of Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff. They are literally the best of both worlds, brilliant, devious, cunning, and willing to do what it takes to achieve their goals. Natasha has the grace and ability to pull off deadly assassinations and complicated missions, Tony has the strength to crush his enemies and the intelligence to get out of tough situations. Put them together and there is literally nothing they couldn't do. Ultimate Goal: Become the Iron Widow Challenge Goal: Step One - Climb Grace, strength, flexibility. All are important to the Black Widow. Develop all the skills necessary to scale a building in 20 seconds flat (or a climbing wall in at least 2 hours) by climbing twice a week. Step two - fight Attend Kickboxing every week and start up with Krav Maga again (attend 2 classes each week after joining gym). Step Three: Strength and endurance Two body weight, barbell, or running workouts a week to keep up strength. Life Goal: Get to work before 8:45 4 out of 5 days per week. Asa Out

This is a story about Schaengel, who went out of his comfort zone to find adventure and capture his dreams. It will be a long story. A story with setbacks and triumphs. So if you like a (hopefully) interesting story, follow allong... This is Schaengel our main-character. Even though not really out of shape (anymore) he is still working hard to become better everyday to achieve his two life goals ,living a happy life and leaving the world a little better place. I know what you might be saying, "what a dreamer". But like Son Goku the result justifies the means. And if the means are being a dreamer than that's okay. Like Son Goku Schaengel will go on a big adventure and you can follow him the next 8 weeks (or two challenges on this adventure)(Of course this is stretching the normal 4-week-chalenge but like the wise monk lu-tze once said: “Look, that's why there's rules, understand? So that you think before you break 'em.†) (Week) 1.Preparing for the travel: Like Goku, our hero will need some equipment and preparation before he can go on such an big adventure so week 1 will be dedicated to prepare for the travel. Goal one: Getting the Dragon Ball Radar Son Goku (or more precisely Bulma) got a Dragon Ball Radar to keep him on track. Guiding him and showing him directions and what to do. That's what our adventurer will need To do's: - Finish the travel itinerary for the China & Japan trip (China is provided by the university, Japan needs to be done) - Finish the two week plan (Tokyo & Kyoto) - Find the best way to use phone in Japan (and by that having a navigation-system) Order - Book ticket's that can be booked from Europe - Book bus and hotel - Buy the last travel things (padlock, SD-Card, new jacket) Goal two: Finding the first Dragon Ball The first Dragon Ball might be nearer than our hero thinks. So leaving home should be done the best way, and that way is with the dragon ball. For that our hero will have to look everywhere he normally goes without thinking... To dos: - briefing the university project team (so that the team can work without the dearly missed hero) - write 6 articles for the football club (1 nearly done 5 to go, every missed article will lead to a blank page in the stadium-magazine) Moved to week 3 - leave the house in a presentable way - look for a body weight workout that can be done in hotel/hostel while traveling - pack everything (This Quest will be completed when 4/5 tasks are done, the university goal is mandatory) Goal three: Finding two star Dragon Ball the second Dragon Ball will bring our hero to the far away city of Beijing. To stay positive and relaxed our hero will have to do the following things to rule weeks three and four to get his second Dragon Ball. - write 2 articles for the football magazine on the flight - Meditate daily (even though your traveling and the rest of the university traveling party probably won't understand) - 3 Workouts (body-weight, since running in Beijing won't be a good idea (smog)) - Take lots of pictures (and post instagram pics for friends at home) - Write a travel log every evening (Goal is achieved when meditation and travel log are done and workouts need to be at least tried twice) Goal four: 3 Stars Our hero needs to do things that will scare him or seem strange to him to become more powerful. Since our hero often has a problem with eating food he isn't used to (unlike Son Goku who will eat everything everywhere) his challenge will be to try one new thing to eat per day while away... (Goal achieved when tried 20 new things (that way travel-days where I might be to grumpy to try something new)) ...to be continued. Our hero will Continue his quest in march, when he will travel to Japan to find the remaining Dragon Balls and use his wish to start in an awesome new semester at his university training session with Muten Roshi. Finding Shenlong: To find Shenlong and get his wish granted our hero will have to find all seven Dragon Balls (measurements for the goals will be added later today). If he does he will get his wish (a chalk set for bouldering) granted (even though the travel is a wish coming trough already)

First off a little about me for any newbies to my challenges. I am a 34 year old clinical psychologist from Chicago who used to be a very athletic and very flexible rock climber, dancer, and fencer. Now, I am extremely sedentary and working on losing a significant amount of weight while exploring flexibility and movement as a fat person. I have really struggled to finish challenges and to make changes in my life because of a very stressful job and the pressures of managing both my own mental illness and my wife's. I can't seem to stop trying though, and I find this community tremendously welcoming and supportive. Come along with me while I write about shapeshifters and try to change my life! --,--'--@ Main Quest: reduce my body size by 4% a loss of 15.46 lbs. Goal 1: Whole30. My eating needs a re set in the worst way. In order to get back to eating in a healthy primal manner I will begin by completing a strict whole 30, tracking all the food I eat, and using Melissa Joulwan's amazing meal planning and cook up system, I adore her paleo cookbooks and her general way of handling food. Goal 2: Continue to improve flexibility and strength by integrating in at least one more yoga video from my list of beginner videos that make me nervous. I would like to work up to the Goal 3: In addition to my daily yoga for my back pain, I want to add walking to my program. I am so ridiculously sedentary, and I want to improve my cardiovascular health so that I can do more things. I am starting this off by taking a 10 minute walk every day. I would prefer this to be outside, but it can also be on the elliptical if its bad weather. Lifestyle Goal: I want to be more creative by writing more. I used to love writing and I still do love to imagine things. I just need to let go of the critical voices in my head. I plan to do 4 big story updates and at least 8 smaller updates over the course of the challenge. In addition, I will journal daily about my food journey, and once weekly using ACT.

With Blackfathom Deeps cleansed behind her, Shatyr set off for her next adventure. Word had reached her that Huntress Jalin at Stardust Spire needed help dealing with some Horde in Stonetalon Mountains. Compared to Ashenvale, the view was a little more... beige. ~~~/|\~~~ My goals haven't changed really. I need to be stronger, more focused, and build a better Batcave. Assassin's den. Apartment. Whichever. Primary Goals: 1. Grow stronger Workout three times a week: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Starting numbers: Knee Push Up 3x6 Assisted Pull Up 3x6 Wall Squat 3x6 Static Lunge 3x6 Knee Plank 30 sec 2. Discipline the mind Evening meditation, 24 nights Meditate 5 minutes each night before bed 3. Empty the packs Remove 1 box worth of Stuff, either to trash or to charity. Secondary Professions: Cooking: 2 new recipes Honey Glazed Salmon Stuffed Mushrooms Bonus: Scalloped potatoes Enchanting (cello): Practice 30 minutes, three days a week (Wednesday, Friday, Sunday) 11 sessions total (since these things end on Fridays now) Bonus: The Irish Cello book Tailoring: Complete Birth Announcement #1 Organize design process Bonus: The Last Tapestry design phase one ~~~/|\~~~ I didn't reach most of my goals last challenge, but I did get closer to where I want to be. The entire point is to reach the end goal, so any improvement is a win.

OH YES! I am running a Doctor Who theme for this first challenge of the new year, with the new forms. An Awful lot of Running to do Workouts -Workout 5-6 days a week [i am doing The Master’s Hammer and Chisel program, as well as spin classes and bodyweight classes at work so we shall see how exhausted I get] Sub Goal> build chin up, pistol squat, and hand stand ability, work on flexibility (one day a week for each progression at least) STR+2 STA +2 DEX +3 Bananas are Good Food -Eat healthfully, following the food plan from Master and Chisel (CONTROL ALCOHOL INTAKE) Sub Goal>Do Meal Prep CON +2 WIS +2 The Oncoming Storm Adult like Do housework or adult tasks daily WIS +2 Sub Goal> Once a week try to do something FUN CHA +2 A Thing Happened Progress Track measurements and take pictures at beginning and end of Challenges Sub Goal> STAY OFF THE SCALE WIS +1

Back Story: Goals Over-arching goals: 1. 150 sweets challenge. I will eat less than 150 sweets in 2016. Drinks count. 2. 366 days of greens challenge. I will eat greens every single day this year. 3. 36600 push ups challenge. 100 Push ups a day. Bonus: Glad if I can do. I wouldn't beat myself over it. 1. Ending 2016 with an NF post. I missed it last time, and I plan to carry it through the year this time! 2. Ending 2016 with at least 40 consecutive weeks of creative writing. This Challenge: Food I think the main problem with food for me last time is still sweets, and my plan is to return slowly. So here are my food goals. 1. Greens everyday. I'm talking about leaves too. Fruits (squashes, eggplants, okra, etc. don't count.) 2. 3 sweets a week only. Liquid calories, such as juices, count as sweets. Exercises I still exercise regularly, but I have been doing the minimal work while eating like crazy, so here is my new exercise goals. 1. 100 push ups, everyday. At the airport, at the hotel. Doesn't matter. 100 push ups. Every. Single. Day. 2. 40 min of walk/ jog/swim everyday. 3. Weight training/ body weight training, 3 days a week. 4. Wild card once a week-- this includes any fun physical activity such as dancing, soccer, basketball, ice skating, water-tag, badminton, etc. Life I haven't been slacking on academic writing, but creative writing is another story. I want that back in my life. 1. 30 min of creative writing. 6 days a week. 2. 30 min of academic writing. 6 days a week. I will redeem myself in battle. Just you wait!!!

Hi, I'm Sheik and it's been six months since my last challenge. (Cue All: Hi, Sheik.) The timing of this challenge works out well for me. I've been slacking ~3ish months and have been eating pretty poorly and only working out 1-2x a week while I focused on other area. Not great, but I only gained ~3 lbs, so it's not all bad... HOWEVER, I looked at the calendar and realized that the Primal training course I signed up for last fall starts in February and I've grown soft and weak... CUE FREAKOUT. Anyway, to prepare for the class that starts in 32 days (but who's counting?) this challenge will focus on three areas: Nutrition (2 points a day): I'll aim to eat less than 1750 calories each day (<120g carb). Because I struggle with demotivation if I "go over," I will get two points a day for every day I eat less than 1750, and 1 point if I eat between 1750-2000. Strength and Cardio (1-2 points a day): to get ready for Primal, I'm planning to do the following, each worth 1 point a day: Bodyweight strength training 3x a week HIIT 1-2x a week Walking as often as possible (1 point for every hour) Mental Health (1-2.5 points a day): finally, to balance the physical with the mental (something I've struggled with in the past), I will also: Do yoga (1 point for every time I actually go to the studio I'm paying for anyway) The 30 Days of Yoga challenge with Adriene (.5 points for every time I do it) Identify a daily gratitude and write it on a post-it note on my wall. SCORING: I'll be tracking all of this in a spreadsheet separately. Each day, I'll have a total of 6.5 points possible, but realistically I'll probably only get ~4-4.5 a day unless I'm feeling especially awesome. Daily Scoring: A: >4 points, B: 4 points, C: 3 points, D: 2 points, F: <2 points My overall weekly scoring will be a bit more steep so I'll have a challenge without the daily threat of demotivation of "not making it today." Weekly Scoring: A: 28+ points, B: 25 - 28 points, C: 21- 25 points, D: 17 - 21 points, F: <17 points Let's do this!

Quest 1: Bodyweight Training - 2 days per week Measurement- A: 10-12 days, B: 7-9 days, C: 5-6 days, D: 2-4 days Reward: A: STR+2 DEX+ 2 STA+ 2; B: STR+1.5 DEX+ 1.5 STA+ 1.5; C: STR+1 DEX+ 1 STA+ 1; D: STR+0.5 DEX+ 0.5 STA+ 0.5 Quest 2: Flexibility Training (yoga/pilates) - 2 days per week Measurement- A: 10-12 days, B: 7-9 days, C: 5-6 days, D: 2-4 days Reward: A: STR+2 CON+2 STA+1; B: STR+1.5 CON+1.5 STA+0.5; C: STR+1 CON+1; D: STR+0.5 CON+0.5 Quest 3: Drink no soda or sweetened beverages; water or black coffee/tea only Measurement- A: 34-42 days, B: 27-33, C: 20-26, D: 15-20 Reward- A: CON+ 2, B: CON+ 1.5 , C: CON+ 1, D: CON+ 0.5 Life Quest: Practice American Sign Language with partner once a week Measurement- A: 5-6 days, B: 4 days, C: 3 days, D: 1-2 days Reward- A: WIS+ 2, B: WIS+ 1.5, C: WIS +1, D: WIS+ 0.5

So I just finished my initial noob challenge here on Nerd Fitness and after slowly getting into the flow of it and how things go I'm ready to jump head first into my next challenge. (And pray no rocks suddenly step in front of me as I jump with my head first. Because you know....rocks fall everyone dies.) I've been planning to go Ranger from the start as the Ranger lifestyle and ethos appeals to me the most. And whenever I make characters in my geek and nerd pursuits it's always a Ranger/Hunter. (All my friends I play Destiny with make fun of me for picking Hunter first since everyone there is ranged and shoots stuff. I can't convince them it's the lifestyle of Hunters...that and Cayde-6 as a mentor means I can indulge in my love for Nathan Fillion even after the soul crushing despair of no more Firefly.) I'm rambling I know but it's kind of like weird forum nerves instead of public speaking nerves. Once I start I just can't stop and my fingers keep going...anyways. Here is my plan for the next 6 weeks. Main Quest: To run and complete a Spartan Sprint race in 2016. I picked this as my main quest for many reasons. But it mostly boils down to....I have a PhD in History and love anything to do with History. Halo will always, always, always hold a place in my heart as best video game in the world. And 300 cause despite my inner historian cringing at the inaccuracies riddle throughout the movie it's still a good, mindless, enjoyable action where the underdog kicks the big guys ass and doesnt end happily ever after like a lot of Hollywood crap. My primary goal in all of this is life change to become more healthy and to become the me I used to be. When I was a teenager and in my early twenties I lived in England while working on my BA. I traveled through Europe and did a lot of hiking and exploring. I was in shape from working out, got to explore places I'd always wanted to and see more of life than I thought possible. And then I moved back to the States and this thing called Grad school and working towards my PhD got in the way. I started spending all my time studying, reading and working. (Which means I sat on my ass. Constantly.) My only source of entertainment was video games which just encouraged me to sit on my ass more. Thus the amazingly fit and healthy me said bye bye. That's going to change. I have plans to see more of the world and travel again. I have countries and places to see I've never seen. Mountains and ancient Incan cities to hike to. Wild Canadian bears to wrestle as I camp and to hang with wolves in Alaska. Or maybe that's just a dream Im confusing with reality but it works damn it. So ultimately this Spartan Sprint is training to get back into the me I once was. So thus it is my current Main Quest. I have 3 options I'm considering at the moment. March 5th in Atlanta near me and with a friend. April 9th in Charlotte even closer to me but by myself. And June 11th in Chicago again with a friend but I may be leaving for France the following week so that's kind of iffy. Challenge 1: To make and eat one Paleo/Primal meal every day for the duration of this challenge. As the focus of my challenges is not just to lose the weight I put on getting my Masters and PhD along with other life events but to become healthy this is my first step nutritionally towards that. I cook and make most of my meals already, I'm not much of a convenience food or fast food gal. But making and devouring meatloaf drowned in gravy with mashed potatoes and corn and biscuits and....Ahem. Pardon the drool. I intend to become more mindful of the food I put into my body and to try and eat healthy and be healthy. I suffer from anemia and already am run down a lot from that. Stuffing my face with caloric bombs of death just makes me feel worse. While there's nothing wrong with eating like tis, in moderation, I need to up my game and eat better. For myself and my future. So one meal a day every day for six weeks will be wholesome, healthy and not loaded with sugar and crap. I hope to develop a bank of recipes that grows and allows this to become more than just one meal a day. Grade A= 42 or more Paleo/Primal meals during the challenge. +3 Con Grade B= 36 or less Paleo/Primal meals during the challenge. +2 Con Grade C= 30 or less Paleo/Primal meals during the challenge +1 Con Grade D= 24 or less Paleo/Primal meals during the challenge +0.5 Con Grade F= 18 or less Paleo/Primal meals during the challenge 0 con Challenge 2: I will hike every weekday for a minimum of 2 miles a day Doing the Spartan and working on my health isnt just about running and being fast. I need to build up endurance and strength for the obstacles and to get my body used to more than just moving across pavement or the treadmill if I'm going to succeed. Especially as eventually I plan to be in good enough shape to hike the Andes mountains so this is part of that. I like to use my weekends for other activities and spontaneous events with buddies, and I still intend to play video games with friends because I can't just stop doing what I enjoy, so I think managing a hike every Monday through Friday and allowing my body to rest on weekends is a solid plan. The state park near me has a number of trails and one of them is an in and out trail thats a little over two miles. So I can do it all and come back or do half and come back and I should be good. The more the better but I can build up every week. Grade A= 30 hikes or more of a minimum of two miles. +2 Dex, +2 Con Grade B= 25 hikes or less of a minimum of two miles. +1 Dex, +2 Con Grade C= 20 hikes or less of a minimum of two miles. +1 Dex, +1 Con Grade D= 15 hikes or less of a minimum of two miles. +0 Dex, +1 Con Grade F= 10 hikes or less of a minimum of two miles. + 0 Dex, +0 Con Challenge 3: I will do body weight workouts a minimum of three times a week. I used to lift. I used to be a badass at Crossfit and could squat like I was trying to crab walk under a limbo pole. And then life....I haven't truly touched weights or did Cross Fit in a few years. This needs to change. I love how fit I felt when I lifted and did Cross Fit. I loved how I looked, not ashamed to admit some vanity there, but more than anything I love how strong I felt. Alot has happened in my life to make me feel as though I'm not strong. I want to change that. I WILL change that. But I can just go back to throwing some weights on a bar and dropping low. I'm going to start with bodyweight exercises from the Nerd Fitness web site. I'm hoping that at the end of the challenge I'll be back to where I'm comfortable enough to head down to my local box and sign my big ass right back up into Cross Fit. I'd find a gym where I could lift but I live in college and doctor land. Planet Fitness reigns supreme. Sigh. But this will be a start and will help with the Spartan when it comes to being able to throw my body over walls or around things. Grade A= 18 workouts or more during the next six weeks. +3 Str Grade B= 15 workouts or less during the next six weeks. +2 Str Grade C= 12 workouts or less during the next six weeks. +1 Str Grade D= 9 workouts or less during the next six weeks. +0.5 Str Grade F= 6 workouts or less during the next six weeks. +0 Str Life Challenge: I'm not sure what to put here. For my noob challenge it was to write every week a minimum of three hours. I burned myself out writing my doctoral dissertation. As in I hadn't typed a thing or picked up a pen outside of work. And I had all these ideas in my head so I needed to get them out. But thats a habit I made last challenge. I want to try and expand my horizons. For right now this is blank. I'll think of something over the weekend after some time reflecting and brainstorming. I will add it. Until then this is just my ramblings. Okay so updating this on Saturday night after much thought. I've decided my life/personal challenge for all of this will be to....sleep. Yes, that's right. Sleep. I'm one of those get by on three hours and coffee kind of people. I'm lucky to grab more than a few hours between four and seven am every day. It makes me unpleasant to be around until 10am and makes concentrating after lunch hard. I can't maximize my health and welfare and expect to do well hiking and working out unless I'm well rested. So I resolve that for this challenge I increase the amount I sleep by half an hour every week. This will add 3 hours to my sleep every night by the end of the challenge. While six hours still isn't the best amount for what all I plan to do and do do (never did like sentences like do do and to to etc etc) it's better than the three I manage. So to that end...I will sleep. I will go to bed half an hour earlier every week for six weeks and hopefully be in bed by 1am instead of 4am by the time this is all done. While sleep is it's own reward if I manage this then I plan to give myself a nice treat of a massage at my favorite therapist. I thought of grading this like my other challenges but think this is just an overall goal I'll aim for and not one to grade myself on. If I manage this I will also grant myself a one time +2 to my CON. So there's the life goal this time around. One more healthy habit to build upon. I've seen alot of you with awesome themes. I love seeing all of the different ways Rangers express themselves. I hope to transition into that. Unfortunately I'm a major nerdgeekdork so anytime I try to think of a theme or way to streamline this process for my brain and anyone reading all I get is Yeah. Thats just the way my brain works. Sigh. Until then...it's been great reading through all your posts and challenges and I look forward to watching and seeing the progress all you awesome Rangers make. I can't wait to see all the stuff you guys do.

Oh yes. FIREFLY BABY! So my theme for the next few weeks is definitely going to be Firefly, and the Assassin's mini challenge is MarioWorld. PERFECT. So here are my goals and the intended break down of STATS should this challenge turn out the way I want it to: WORKOUTS I Aim to Misbehave -Workout 6 days a week Shiny, Let’s be Bad Guys Sub Goal> build chin up, pistol squat, and hand stand ability -->Will score on a weekly basis, if I consider it an A+ by the end of the challenge I'll be giving myself STR STA DEX stats, depending on which ones improve: Reserving 5 points total for this section FOODAGE I’m a Leaf on the Wind -Eat healthfully with one day to eat relaxed every 2 weeks We’ve done the impossible and that makes us Mighty Sub Goal>Do Meal Prep during the Week --> Will score each day for quality of food, and each week for prep work. If I consider my foodage OVERALL an A+, I'll be giving myself CON WIS points depending on what parts I excel at: Reserving 4.5 points total for this section WORDS No Power in the Verse can Stop me -Work on writing daily You Can’t take the Sky from Me. Sub Goal> Post NaNoWriMo progress -->All of November is National Novel Writing Month. I participate yearly. This year I am inflicting it on you all. 50K words in a month or less. I usually aim for more words in less time. I will be posting here. PASS/FAIL on getting it all done, and some days I won't post simply because life happens. I pass= CHA gets 4 points ADULT LIKE Everything’s Shiny Cap’n -Do a little work around the house daily to get it squared away Also, I can kill you with my brain. Sub Goal> Once a week try to do something FUN --> Work around the house is definitely something I NEED TO FOCUS ON. It'll be getting 1 WIS point because I need to learn adult habits. If I manage to have fun during the week too, I'll give myself a 0.5 CON because laughter is good for the soul. And as they say in the 'Verse: Yi Lu Shwen Fohn.

So I saw several others doing this and realized some personal accountability will be handy for me. I'll keep up to date in my challenge post of course but I will use this for all other things plus the challenge activities I participate in. This will be sort of a centralized spot for myself to follow my thoughts and progress and critique my own progress or lack thereof. For today it's just this initial post as my Sunday is being spent planning my food for the next week, my exercise schedule and getting prepared for the next week ahead as this all kicks off. Plus still need to keep the holidays in mind as I making Turkey Day dinner for myself and my friends who are coming to my place since they have nowhere else to go. Still, here we go. My 2nd challenge and my first log. Do it to it and all the things!

Got a question for you guys. Can you think of anything else I can add to these different sections? Just a heads up, I am a rock climber, so I don't really want to bulk up, but at the same time, I want to do a Spartan race next year, so I need to be in shape for that. Here is the schedule I am planning on doing this challenge. Any input is welcome. Monday: Chest/Arms/Back -100 pushups -50 pullups Tuesday: -Stretch and Climb Wednesday: Core -200 bicycle points -50 situps -50 swim kicks Thursday: -Stretch and Climb Friday: Legs -150 Lunge Walks -50 Jumping squats Saturday: Rest Sunday: -Stretch and Climb I have done workouts before, but nothing this intense. Since none of these require a machine or bench (except pullups), I am free to do them throughout the day. I will go to the gym in the morning for an hour and see what I can get done then, and finish up the rest throughout the day. Thanks for the help