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Continuing off the Dragon Age theme from last challenge... Last time we were in Ostagar, going through the trials and tribulations of exploring the Korcari Wilds, the Grey Warden induction ceremony, and finally the battle against the Darkspawn. Despite craziness of life (mostly work...) we made it through the first challenge in relatively one piece. That craziness has not backed off at all. The town of Lothering in Dragon Age Origins is very much a "goal setting" place. I always think of it as a stopping point - some time to stop and think about next steps. Coming off of that thought is the question - what do I want from 2019? What is my main goal? Well, I've been talking off and on about running a half marathon the past year or more. It's still something I am very much interested in doing. Enough so that I'm going to do my best to fight ranger brain and say that this challenge, and following challenges, will be set with the half marathon goal in mind. For the sake of simplicity, I'm only going to have the one goal this challenge: Step 1: Commit Time to Getting More Distance Measurement: Garmin Watch (track all walks, runs, and bike workouts). Tracking: Walk to Mordor (Runs & Walks count full distance. Bike, divide distance in half) - I've started tracking a few times in the past, but starting from 0 for this challenge and planning to track through 2019. (Need to set up spreadsheet) Goal: 40 miles by end of challenge (Avg = 10 miles per week)

Happy New Year everyone! Hope everyone had a great holiday season. Mine was quite crazy with traveling to see extended family, on top of normal family. Good crazy, but still enough to make it tough to get back into my normal routine.... whatever normal is Trying something new this year... my idea is to have a few challenges with Dragon Age as the theme. We'll see how long that lasts with ranger-brain. This is inspired by the huge hype for DA4 teasers launching me into a replay of Dragon Age: Origins. My goals for the challenge are still in progress but will involve: 1) Food Tracking & Meal Planning Something involving more water and vegetables, less sweets and alcohol. Weekend prep work to guard against busy week laziness. 2) Weekly Workouts At least 3 bodyweight workouts per week (NF Coaching). Bonuses - yoga and cardio, weekend family adventures (braving the winter weather) 3) Cleaning Focus on the the kitchen cleanliness Also tracking! Been losing steam on filling out my bullet journal. I made a spread for December... then completely ignored it. BUT my awesome BF got me a really kick ass habit building planner for Christmas. There is so much stuff in it, the planner is actually a bit intimidating. Seriously look at the pics, there's daily routine stuff, daily pages, weekly review pages, etc. (so much stuff) https://www.amazon.com/Full-Focus-Planner-Michael-Hyatt-x/dp/B0797FKZ7M Figure I'll give it a shot and see how it inspires my bullet journal. Official Challenge Goals Update:

Howdy Nerds! New to Nerd Fitness. At a pretty low mental and physical point in my life. Been here before, but finding it hard to get energy, motivation, commit to change. You all know the drill. So I've got the usual goals and drives (lose weight, gain strength, gain flexibility, blah blah)... but I'm giving myself a very specific 'vanity' goal - I wanna be able to dress up in the costume of Flemeth as she appears in Dragon Age III. So badass. I'm seeing this as a more realistic goal than to turn into a dragon. Anyway, hello and howdy and I hope to get some help getting started and find some buddies to help with accountability. If you like larping, video games, roleplaying, Dragon Age, The Witcher, and Baldur's Gate, then we'll get on swell. Drop me a line. It'd be nice to have some buddies to keep me coming back to this site and help me keep the habit.

Possible DAO spoilers I recently picked my specialization and I really want to do all the cool things assassins do. That is, without stabbing myself in some body part that inevitably will get in the way. I've longed to start a new adventure, put my skills to use, learn new ones and I have a plan! Well sort of... I have a great family, don't get me wrong but sometimes you just need to get out. So after following Duncan (he's this super cool Grey Warden that's been hanging around) and asking if I could tag along with him, he finally relented! His only condition is that I have to join the Grey Wardens. I'm pretty sure that's what he said! Of course I jumped at the chance. I mean it's the Grey freaking Wardens! I’ll get to travel with them, better my assassin skills, and stab stabby stab darkspawn, why would I say no? Our adventure starts in Ostagar, where we will join the King’s army in fighting back the darkspawn and stopping the Blight. Before I join the fight, I need to take care of a few things, like getting ready for battle, actually doing the joining and stuff like that. Easy Peasy. Ostagar - Warden beginnings Ostagar is my first stop to becoming a legendary Grey Warden. Who knows where we will go after we stop the darkspawn!!! So freaking excited! Creating my Warden : First, every Thursday I will weigh myself, as well as take measurements on the first and last day of the challenge. I’m hoping to start gaining some awesome muscles and I’d like to see how my body changes. Second I will make sure I take care of my needs. Living on the road is a dirty place and I need to remember to wash the blood and grime off my face every night. An assassin can’t stink or it would give me away, although mud would help me blend in….no no no I’ve lived a sheltered life and I’ll not give up this one comfort! At least not yet. Life Quest : Weigh-In/Measurements Thursday Wash Face every morning and night Grading Overall - How many days : A 26, B 23-25, C 19-22, D 18, F 0 Complete the Joining : In order to tag along with Duncan, the super cool Grey Warden I mentioned before, I have to complete the joining. He is sending myself, Alistair (another Grey Warden who is totally cute but sort of a half-wit), and the other recruits out to collect enough darkspawn blood for all the recruits in order to complete the joining. We also need to see about finding some Grey Warden Treaties that are somewhere in the wild. Food Quest : Drink 4 cups or more of water M-F. I will collect 1 Darkspawn Blood for each completed week (weeks 1-3). After drinking the required amount for week 4 (20 cups : 4x5), I will get the last ingredient, Lyrium, for the joining. Then I’ll be required to use Darkspawn Blood & Lyrium for whatever Duncan needs us to use it for. I maybe a little naive but this isn’t looking that good... Grading Overall - A: 3 Darkspawn Blood & Bottle of Lyrium Or F: Not getting required amount Ready for Battle : Like I mentioned earlier, I’m sort of new at this assassin thing but I have a lot of natural talent, Duncan says so. While we are preparing for the upcoming battle, I might as well get some training in. I’m going to have to work on my endurance in order to not hold back the rest of the Grey Wardens while we travel. While I’m training I should also work on leaning out and building some muscles. Exercise Quest : 1 Elliptical HIIT & 1 Yoga a week Bodyweight Workout 2x a week Grading Overall- A: 4 training sessions Or F: 3 > training sessions

Without an end, there can be no peace. It gets no easier. Your struggles have only just begun. ~ Flemeth For over a year I have worked toward some undefined goal and sought a path that demanded flawless execution. I've met many obstacles on this journey; sometimes overcoming them and sometimes falling victim to their assaults. Still my eyes never left that path. But now? Now my stamina is flagging and I look far beyond to see what prize lies at the end of this path ... and I see nothing. This cannot be! What is it then? What is my end and where will I find my peace? We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment - and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap. It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly. ~ Flemeth 1) FIND MY DESTINY & EMBRACE IT There are men who struggle against destiny and yet only achieve an early grave. There are men who flee destiny only to have it swallow them whole. And there are men who embrace destiny and do not show their fear… these are the ones that change the world forever. My destiny did not come with an easy path to success. It will always require work - that will not change. What I can change is my attitude toward that work. If I am to truly succeed with this so that it becomes simply 'the way it is', then I must stop the "I can't - it's not fair" mentality. I must embrace my destiny and show it no fear. Tracking isn't fun- but it works. Despite my admirable level of activity and fitness, if I do not track, I hover at a weight that is above ideal for my size, age and shape. I have to always watch for the numbers, just as the Grey Wardens must always watch for the Darkspawn. TASK: Track food in / exercise out 7x/week. [i'm on a 52 day streak at the time of writing this, clearly it can be done.] 2) TRAIN FOR THE TASK You will resist. You will always resist. It matters not. I will not suffer even an unknowing rival. I enjoy activity and love being strong and capable, so getting exercise in is rarely a problem. *Except when dragons throw fireballs at me. I am still recovering from a Grade II MCL sprain and have not been approved for running or hockey, and still suffer pain from the injury that struck me 6 weeks ago. I've done well, thus far, in maintaining an exercise regime that works around this- but, without a plan or set goals, I can easily be deterred by sloth demons to 'give it a rest'. Sometimes I must do what I do not feel like doing. This is a part of life. TASK: Train the Three Essentials; a Champion must be well prepared. [My time spent with my physical therapist has pointed out my weaknesses and imbalances. I have several areas that MUST have improvement if I want to maintain an active, injury free lifestyle that includes sports] Strength - 3X a week *1 Endurance - 3X a week *2 Mobility - 5X a week *3 *1 - Strength can be either PT session or lifting/strength session while PT is still in session. *2 - Endurance; until running/hockey is cleared, can be earning 10k steps in a day. *3 - Mobility is either 10minutes of stretching or foam rolling. 3) DEFEND THE MIND It’s time we start believing in this one. I fall easy victim to fear and doubts. It has always been in my nature and I strongly dislike that about myself. It's also dangerous - I am going to be capable of doing ten pull ups as a 50 year old woman, run a 5k in 30m, play hockey -- and yet have a heart attack from my inability to cope well with stress. The whispers of the enemy can plant themselves in my head almost at first word- and I must draw the line. They cannot be allowed to get a foothold within me. This is perhaps the most important change I must start working on. And I am not entirely sure how to do it just yet. TASK: Build mental and spiritual resistance/fortitude. Maintain the Sunday Church HabitStep out of comfort zone; join a small group, get to know someone at church.Practice, engage in, and post examples of positivity in the face of doubt/fear.Join something new, all on my own, without a wingman.Return to an activity I was previously good at and must relearn.Look for a photography class.**This list will be added to and maintained throughout the challenge.