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The dawn will take you all Spring is upon us here in Australia and I'm beginning to feel my funk lift, but I'm not out of the woods yet so I'm staying in the temple for another challenge, very grateful for the encouragement the monks have provided. Goals 1. Positives. At least once a week list out some positive things that happened that week. 2. Rehab/Mobility. 2 hours of rehab/mobility per week. This I'm planning as 10 mins per day of exercises for my recovering back and 2 x 30 min mobility sessions of some sort (yoga/swimming/stretching etc.) 3. Calorie Counting. This is one of my least favourite things but it's very effective and I need to do it to shed my 'winter coat' Starting weight: TBA on Monday... Calorie goal per day 4. Learning Python. 3 hours per week of coding Python. I bought a raspberry pi recently to learn Python with, largely as a distraction from playing addictive video games and because I enjoy it so this should be a fun goal. Things to look forward to: - I'm going to Europe for 2.5 weeks in November - I've booked 2 nights in a pub in the Peak District (An area of natural beauty in the UK) and will be spending the weekend with only my brother. We've never done this before and I don't really know him that well so this is a chance for us to hang out and get to know each other better. - I will get to see my good friends in London and Berlin - I get to spend 4 days intensively learning some cool new technology

I've broken this year down to 3 big chunks of long challenges leading up to major fitness events. Chapter 1 was about preparing for the Crossfit Open 2017, Chapter 2 was about preparing to run a Tough Mudder in Ireland next to @Jarric and now Chapter 3 is about getting ready to run the Spartan Super in Sparta on November 5th. I've also kept up a wrestling narrative, where I’m playing Total Extreme Wrestling 2016 and doing the Road to Glory challenge, essentially creating a newbie 18 year old alter ego in some backyard wrestling promotion as I try to headline the Main Event of a big promotion’s Pay Per View event. Technical details and rules can be found here. I am using the game’s database of characters, but set in 1997. Considering the first TEW was set in 2005, it's pretty early in that universe and if played well, I should have the chance to rise together with the game's most famous characters. While so far I've used my Guild Leader powers to move the same thread across challenge forums until each chapter was complete, I've realized it makes it hard for people to keep up with the narrative if they've missed the start. Also, since I will be tweaking my goals for every challenge cycle anyway, I decided I might as well set up a new thread to continue where the old one left off and help people get back in track with where me and my storytelling is. Now I'm not sure how much of my personal stuff I've been sharing here lately, but on top of my recently discussed paycheck issues I've had a lot of things going wrong and it's got me in a real bad mood. The latest thing came a couple of days back, when I got the confirmation mail for my Spartan ticket. You see, my Crossfit box is sponsored by Reebok, who also happens to be into the whole Spartan thing, so they offered us 60 spots on the race and of course I applied for the Spartan Super. The confirmation mail said Spartan Sprint and it turns out the arrangement is to run the latter as a team. To quote the late Macho Man, that put me Misunderstandings and financial pressure be damned, I wanted to do the Super and that's exactly what I'm gonna do. Since there's no option to cancel the Sprint ticket now (plus the peer pressure of running the thing as a team) I went ahead and signed for the Super on top of it all. "Why not both" is the Ranger mantra after all. If @EricMN can travel around and do Spartan weekends, I can do more than just look up to him;I can be inspired enough to run a Super and then a Sprint on the same day. Considering I've already run a Super and needed to push myself further, this feels like the right thing to do. It also feels like madness, but let us not dwell on what happened to the last person who spoke of madness in Sparta. Instead, given the wrestling narrative of my challenge, I'm sticking with Macho Man Randy Savage. Think in cases like that it's mandatory to also tag Macho Man @Teros Savage as well. Wheels:How you get there matters As spectacular as it would be to get to the Spartan in a shiny silver robe next to the SRLF on a throne that's carried by man-slaves, I'm going for something a bit less grandiose. It's been too long since I got my motorcycle license, too long since I've meant to get one but for various reasons never did. This year I made it part of my roadmap for a reason and I'll be damned if I don't ride my own to Sparta (unless the SRLF tags along, in which case we'll probably go by car, but regardless). Despite my financial troubles, I'm expecting a good one-off pay by the end of September, which coupled with the late paycheck from work and the next one hopefully coming in faster, should create a hefty lump of cash I should quickly invest in a motorbike before reality settles in and I start spending it to plug holes in my budget. Life happens once (a.k.a. YOLO). Nutrition: Quantity control It worked, so I'm sticking with it. My diet's pretty solid all around in terms of quality, what I really need to keep in check is the quantity. Bullet Journal: Seeing is easier than remembering Bullet Journalling will continue. I've notived I tend to drop the habit after a couple of off days, so I need to keep it as a goal to make sure I update the agenda. Morning routine: Cup of coffee in the big time Domestic Rangering worked last round so to take this goal to 11, I'm going back to my army days, where every morning began with a standard routine of getting dressed, making the bed, eating breakfast, shaving and cleaning up the barracks. The civilian version I'm going for is a routine of breakfast, personal hygiene (teeth brushing, shower etc), feline care (food and water bowl check plus emptying the litter bin) and housework (laundry, trash, dishes, sweeping the floor etc). Obviously, the getting dressed part is optional and can go between any of the above. Life decisions: Way into the twilight zone So my new job is better than the previous one, but I'm still not thrilled and it's not just me being disappointed because of all the payment issues. The subject isn't what gets me going, the money is way too little for my qualifications (no arrogance here, I'm getting marginally more than the lady who cleans the worplace thrice a week) and from the looks of it, this initial setup phase of the institution I'm working for seems like it'll go on for much more than originally expected, meaning my work will be a lot more administrative than I'd like. On the other hand, this collaboration with my professor doesn't look like it can bear much fruit in terms of employment, at least in the short run and I'm not too fond of living on my parents' cash for a few years before work picks up. I'm keeping in touch because I love the subject and I could get involved in a few research projects (plus the prospect of a potential PhD down the line) but that's about it. I gotta find another way and I gotta do it fast before I'm stuck where I currently am. Goal here is to think some things through, shoot out some CVs and actively work towards a career shift. P.S. This challenge cycle is supposed to go until October 14, but I'm stretching it all the way to my Spartan weekend on November 5th because this is my challenge and I do what I want with it!

I'm excited to be back after a taking some time off. I am happy to report I am settled into my new apartment complete with internet!! Still adjusting to my new routine and living alone (with the furry beastie of course). I recently went back to work after the having the summer off so I really am feeling my life changes...not in a bad way...but not always easy...to be expected. Seems like perfect timing for a new challenge (even some of the goals will seem very familiar). This challenge is all about consistency and routine with diet and exercise. And some running. Because running! I have finally reached my feel good about myself weight. I admit that this is partly because of my breakup and not having an appetite. Mostly it is because of Crossfit, running and hard work. SO my first goal is to maintain my weight. There are a few challenges other than my love of all things sweet and lack of willpower. First is going back to work. Going back to work is tricky because I have a very rigid schedule that makes eating when hungry difficult. I get lunch at noon, hungry or not. There is also ALWAYS candy available, often times snacks, and the dining hall. I am used to this and it is just a matter of getting back into the swing of things. A new challenge I am facing now that I am single for the first time in a very long time is that I have been eating out and drinking more than I'm used to. This usually happens in conjunction with socializing so it's good for me in some respects. My maintenance plan is diet and exercise...and a few general life goals. DIET 1. Log all food and drink into MFP. Try to stay within the calorie limits, not going to beat myself up for going over if it involves being social and going out with friends. If I am going over because I decide to eat a bag of chips for dinner, self flagellation totally acceptable. 2. Don't eat candy unless at the movies. It is acceptable for me to eat candy when watching a DVD only 2x this challenge (because I don't go to the movies a lot). 3. Plan and prep meals including lunch. EXERCISE 1. Make it to 3 crossfit classes a week. It is expensive, but I love it. I can only justify spending the money if I go 3x/week. My schedule will make this challenging but there are 2 classes during the week I can easily make and 2 on the weekends. The challenge will be to not get stuck at home after taking care of the dog. I get home at 6ish and class is at 7:30. 2. Run at least once a week, preferably a long run (4+) miles but any miles will do. I struggle with making time for both gym and running. I have 2 5ks coming up in October so I need to keep running. I am also considering running in costume (both are Halloween races) but I need some good ideas for running friendly costumes. LIFE 1. Domestic rangering...do it. Keep to my daily and weekly goals (won't bore you with the specifics unless you really want to know) 2. Don't isolate. It will be much easier for me to isolate now that I am working and have limited time. I need to stay connected to people. 3. Work on Epic Quest for Closure (that sounds super self-help-ish but I can't think of a better name right now). Basically I have a list of things I would like to do now that I am single like...reconnect with interests, try new things, do some things that I have always wanted to do...etc. That's it for now. Happy to be back and in much better space than I was for my last few challenges. I am going to try to get following my Rangers today...