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A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... Episode II ESCAPE FROM JAKKU Learning basic survival skills was a good start, but Starstuff knows there's more to this galaxy than she can find scavenging on Jakku. With the help of her new friends, the mysterious ASSASSINS, Starstuff plans her escape... Main Quest: Build fundamental fitness habits My partner in crime and I have recently gotten serious about having kids, so I want to build healthy habits that will be beneficial to me when I get pregnant and that I can pass on to our kids. That means cleaning up my diet (working toward NFA Diet Level 6), establishing regular workout habits, and making sure I have fun doing it! Quest 1: Fend off your enemies Whether it's thugs trying to abduct your friend or more insidious villains like poor muscle tone, klutziness, and generally feeling unfit and crummy, it takes strength and agility to defeat your enemies. And, of course, competence with your weapons (or flow tools) of choice. To complete this goal, I must complete 2 Academy workouts and 1 Darebee staff workout every week. I'm only allowed to count workouts if I warm up before and cool down after. 11/12 92%92% Quest 2: Run like hell Sometimes you're outgunned, and when that happens, running is your best course of action. I'm usually pretty good about running regularly when I'm training for a race, but when I'm not actively prepping for a race, and even more so when I've just completed one (like, say, right now), I start to let other things get in the way of my running schedule. Not only does this slow my progress toward my running goals, but it makes everyday life much harder, since running is one of the most effective ways I've found to deal with my anxiety. Not this time. To complete this goal, I must run 5 days a week. I have a base-building schedule I plan to keep to, but I'm more concerned with just making sure I get my sessions in, since getting my butt out the door is always my biggest stumbling block. 16/18 89%89% Quest 3: Prime the fuel pump If you don't prime your ship's fuel pump, you're not going anywhere. Human bodies are thankfully a little more resilient than a jury-rigged Corellian freighter, but they still work best if you start out your day with a good fuel source, so to complete this goal, I need to eat a healthy breakfast every day. For the purposes of this challenge, I'm defining a healthy breakfast as one that contains a good source of protein and at least one serving of fruits or veggies. Six days a week, it also needs to be grain-free, but I want to be sure to include some complex carbs on long run day, which can (but do not have to) be grain-based. 25/26 96%96% Life Quest: Stretch those musical muscles Last challenge, I got back into practicing my flute regularly. Now that my fingers and chops have built up some endurance, it's time to get in a little more practice. To complete this goal, I must practice my flute for at least 45 minutes, 6 days a week. 16/22 73%73%

Heads up: In case the title wasn't a tip-off, this challenge is The Force Awakened themed. I'll put any major spoilers behind spoiler tags, but I'm not going to bother hiding non-spoilery stills from the film or minor world spoilers, so if you're avoiding even minor spoilers, best to avoid this thread until you've seen the movie. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... Starstuff has been running for a long time. Running from rakghouls. Running toward the next adventure. But now she finds herself facing a new challenge. One she can't run away from. Stranded on the remote desert planet of JAKKU, Starstuff must develop the skills to survive in this harsh new environment... I've been away from Nerd Fitness for a while (if you want the long story, you can take a look at my respawn post), and it's time for me to get back into the game. Because this challenge is all about getting back to the basics, I'm spending it with the Rebels. I'll still be running (I'm actually running the Disney Star Wars Half Marathon halfway through this challenge), and I'm sure I'll be poking my head into the Scout forum from time to time, but that's not my main focus this time around. Main Quest: Build fundamental fitness habits My partner in crime and I have recently gotten serious about having kids, so I want to build healthy habits that will be beneficial to me when I get pregnant and that I can pass on to our kids. Specifically, I want to make the following things ingrained habits. Eat at NFA diet Level 6 90% of the time. This was pretty much where my eating habits were before everything went off the rails last year, and hopefully it will be easier getting there the second time around.Run ~25 miles a week. This was what my running base was for nearly a year before I started slacking, and I know it's a comfortable amount for me.Academy bodyweight workouts 3 times a week. In addition to just being all around good for me, it turns out that a consistent strength routine that focuses on functional and core strength can make labor easier.Yoga or other balance-focused fitness 3 times a week. I have both dyspraxia and loose ligaments, which means that my balance sucks and I'm at a higher risk of randomly spraining or dislocating joints out of nowhere. During pregnancy, the body releases a hormone that makes joints even softer (which is important for being able to give birth, but not so great if your joints are already over-soft), which means I'll be at an even higher risk of falling over at a time when falling over could be really dangerous. So, I want to get some serious balance and stabilizing muscle work in beforehand in the hopes of mitigating that risk. Quest 1: Balance practice You've got to have a good sense of balance if you're going to scavenge any of the good stuff! To complete this quest, I need to do three yoga sessions every week for the duration of the challenge (except for the second week, when I will only do two sessions due to traveling and running a half marathon). 10/10 100%100% Quest 2: Do the boring-but-necessary stuff Sometimes, you've got to do the boring stuff before you can get to the good stuff, like cleaning your haul before you can get paid for it. In the past, I've been a terrible slacker when it comes to warming up and cooling down, which probably contributed to not sticking with my strength training programs. So, before I jump back into strength training proper, I'm going to focus just on warming up and cooling down for a few weeks. To complete this quest, I need do my NFA warm up and cool down three times a week (except for the second week of the challenge, when I will do only two sessions due to traveling and running a half marathon). 11/11 100%100% Quest 3: Eat less Overeating isn't an option when you're working with less than one half portion a day. I've spent the last week tracking my food intake, and it's no wonder I've put on some weight recently. To complete this quest, I need to keep my caloric intake within the budget set by Fitbit an average of six days a week. 25/23 109%109% Life Quest: Spend some time rockin' it at the cantina I've really been wanting to get back into playing my flute, and it's time to work on making regular practice a habit. I even bought myself a book of Star Wars sheet music to encourage myself. To complete this quest, I need to practice my flute for at least 30 minutes, five times a week (except for the second week of the challenge, when I will only practice three times due to traveling and running a half marathon). 15/16 94%94%