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Challenge #3 for me! And you know what that means: Some of my introductory text can be cribbed from challenge #2! Hi. I'm ytterbium, or Greg if you prefer. My main quest: I've got plenty, but for purposes of this challenge (and probably the next couple), let's go with this: I've signed up for a Warrior Dash on June 14. I'd like to rock it. Unfortunately, I don't have any kind of a gauge for that time-wise. But at least, I'd like to do the race capably -- i.e., successfully running the full thing at a steady but challenging pace and successfully completing all of the obstacles. My motivation: My nephew was born last year. I don't particularly want him to know fat Uncle Greg. More generally, I'd like him to look at me and my life as an example to follow. (Or at least learn from. I mean, I sure wouldn't wish the journalism major on him.) I know I'm calling this the brachiation challenge of DEATH!, but the brachiation is really only a side quest. Still, "brachiate" is a lovely and horribly under-used word--in my mind, second in under-use to the perfectly vulgar (and Finnish) "pilkunnussija" (which means "pedant," but as someone who has worked in publishing my whole adult life, it means "pedant" better than any other word could.) So that won't come until the end. My goals (which are subject to rethinking over this week; feedback welcome): 1. Lose weight. I know, I know, weight isn't the only or even the best measure of health and fitness. But for me, and right now, it tracks very closely with how I'm doing overall. Moreover, the past two challenges have been based more on diet, which kind of backfired: when I took a cheat day, I tended to *really* take a cheat day. It was also kind of frustrating to have a negative goal -- i.e. a goal of avoiding something (like eating wrong). I'm hoping that a more positive goal (i.e. I will achieve X) will work better; those have tended to be more successful ones for me. Specifically, I think the goal will be to lose 9 pounds, based on a 7-day average weight. (There's a lot of daily variation in my weight, which the 7-day average will smooth out.) 2. Cook more. Specifically, I will try 6 new-to-me recipes over the challenge period. 3. I'm honestly not sure. Brachiation may get promoted here. (I'm really teasing the crap out of that one, aren't I?) Side quests Life: Significant progress on writing a book. This is a repeat of last challenge's. I've got a work in progress, Uncle Greg's Guide to Uncling, which I added about 15K words to last challenge. I'm planning to do the same this challenge, which will get me over 50,000 and at or close to a finished first draft. Fitness: Brachiation. My gym has a brand-new, lengthy set of monkey bars that I'd like to be able to complete. Well, twice, really; there's a 'there and back club' on the wall for anyone who can get down and back without touching the ground. It's 25 rungs long, and I can currently get around 15 rungs down. Getting down and back is probably overly ambitious for this challenge period, so I think my goal will be to finish the whole set, execute the turn, and get 10 rungs back. I'll set grading standards and stat points at stake at a later date.