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“If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.” — Grandpa's Letter Welcome to RL Stardew Valley! We're now moving into spring and as usual I'm behind on getting the garden beds ready, sowing my seeds, and all that jazz. Briefly, an Origin Story: I'm a 44 year old American woman living on a 10 acre woodland property in rural England I call Owlshire with my partner, son, bouncy golden retriever, and a flock of plucky rescue hens. I work fulltime in games development, and as a family we enjoy nature and playing games. During this challenge we will be on holiday (part staycation, part travel) during half of Week 0, all of Week 1, and the beginning of Week 2. More on that in the challenge updates. Health/Energy / Less is More Last challenge I cut snacks, and it did not result in loss, but it did result in my weight stopping its slow upwards creep. That's something! For this challenge I'm going to begin a slow and gradual reduction in portion sizes at meal time. I don't calorie count or measure because I find it too tedious to maintain, so this is going to be a hard one to track, but basically it comes down to asking "could I take a little less?" at meal times and trying to find the right balance. Exploration Lately we've gotten into geocaching, and of course the dog needs her daily stomp 'round the woods (and for that matter, so do I!) Last challenge I was aiming for four miles a day total clocked into my Fitbit. This challenge I'm changing it to 30 miles a week (slightly over four miles a day on average). This gives me a little bit of flexibility, because, hey--life happens and some days I clock seven miles, and some days I only manage three. Stardew Living Last challenge I kept an informal log of my "Stardew Moments," and while I may not do that every day on this challenge, I want to focus on the things that make me feel like I'm living Stardew Valley dream, rather than the things that make me pulled away from it. The Farm It's spring! I need to get the seedlings going, have a plan, get early seeds in the ground, prepare the beds... hm, maybe not in that order. [ ] Revise Plan [ ] Prepare beds [ ] Get early seeds in [ ] Get Feb/March/April seedlings going We're also researching a green house, but I don't know if that will result in an actual greenhouse by the end of this challenge as this is mostly the Mr's initiative. Mend and Make Do I have a huge pile of mending, and a desire to try visible mending on some of my items, but have I touched any of it in the last mumble-mumble-years? Uh, no. Mend at least five items of clothing from the Pile of Doom. Festival TBD At the end of each season in Stardew Valley there is a festival--I'm using this as my challenge celebration. I haven't decided what it is yet, and that's okay.

Yes, I'm changing the theme! Hey, it's only Week One. I had this thought a few days ago that took fire that I should really do a Stardew Valley-themed challenge, and it caught fire in my mind and I decided I didn't want to wait 5 weeks. This theme change is a bit of work in progress--but I'm hoping by the next challenge I'll have it more developed. You can see the new challenge starting here. Previous challenge below cut:

Welcome! I’m the married parent of 4 kids aged 0-7. I’m ultimately an adventurer at heart, though I train similar to a lot of Rangers (and I’m something of a Druid Paladin which is also something of an equivalent to a Ranger). I love hiking, exploring, traveling, and other fun things with the family. Since shortly before joining Nerdfitness, my physical training is typically built around injury rehabilitation (which happens a bit more often due to autoimmune arthritis) and training to be able to travel, explore, and play with my family. I have a pretty effective Disney World training system, and try to ensure that at any point I’m strong enough to carry my whole family somewhere. That has become more difficult as the years go on but I can still do it for the most part. I am also an enthusiastic suburban homesteader bent on establishing an orchard and vegetable garden, so things can get pretty out-doorsy depending on my goals. My needs mean I do a variety of types of training, and my earliest two physical training goals were “run fast” and “be able to competitively play any sport I come across.” I prefer to avoid gyms and do a lot of body weight training. We recently welcomed baby 4 into the family, my cat was recently diagnosed with feline dementia, and I am still on parental leave. We discovered some nearby bakeries for sale, a way to give a physical location to our small cottage bakery, and are intensely investigating those. I am off work for this whole challenge. I am also halfway through an intensive therapy round that seems to be helping quite a lot, as well as possibly having been egregiously misdiagnosed for most of my life. This challenge, we are going forward with business/kitchen buying due diligence, we move back into full planting mode at the suburban homestead, and we are continuing with eating a ketosis diet that has been quite helpful for us. I am working back into my calisthenics routine and may or may not start back with running. I am also continuing to work through the house, organizing and cleaning Goals: 1. Sleep. As best as possible. I’m a nonfunctional mess without sleep and can sacrifice it for a few days ok but then I have to make it a super high priority to regain it. With le bébé here and being off work, this is a lot easier than it was. 2. My basic calisthenics routine with Woody and Rex and Bo Peep. As well as spending some individual time with each kid exploring the neighborhood area, Just Dance sessions, and running or walking stairs or carrying sandbags up and down them. We started geocaching at the local park as well as fishing, thought the Mickey Mouse rod requires repair. 3. Take one concrete step forward per day. This had a great effect on my mental health last challenge and also helped me to do at least one tangible, visible thing to make life better. This ranged from things as small as “dig out the replacement toaster” to as big as “reorganize the playroom.” I don’t have to complete the bigger ones as long as I make progress. 4. Take one concrete step forward per day career-wise. I need my job but I’m not satisfied in it and otherwise need a change. I need to hone/adapt skills and look for other opportunities. -> Currently, this involves working towards dramatically expanding a part-time business into a full-time business, which would have Jessie running that business full-time and likely have me also working it full time within the next few years. 5. It’s planting time. I have a raised vegetable bed to dig in, another to level, drainage to install, and permanent cinderblock sides to install. I have anti-deer fences to put in around my fruit trees as well, and I’d like to start a bunch of seeds. Also, some of my experimental seed fruit trees may have actually survived and those I need to get into the ground at the back of the yard. It’s too early now, but I also have my grandma’s Japanese yellow rose to place somewhere too and a second decorative pot to put in with paver stones in the front. I also want to finish off the fencing (connecting neighbor fences to our house and installing a gate) so I can let the dogs out/delegate that job to someone else. 6. Therapy. I have a lot of goals for the therapy. I won’t accomplish all of them in the three remaining intensive weeks BUT I’ve already come a long way and I believe I can get the framework I need to live a happier, healthier, and more interpersonally effective life. It’s actually fun and rewarding, particularly in light of my personal discoveries and the fact that I was able to get my sister away from a doctor who was awful and caused a bad situation for her over and into my doctor on short notice. My little sister is one of my favorite people and she deserves quality care from a doctor who validates her. For tomorrow, we have a meeting re: the bakery to sign paperwork and gain additional due diligence paperwork. I want to take care of the shoe problem or what is necessary for the raised bed as well. It’ll be a busy day. In any case, that’s going to require sleep so I bid y’all adieu.

Ok, ok, we're not going to be quite up to his level of shenanigans out in the wild, but we'll hopefully be exploring some unfamiliar terrain. We'll be trying out this geocaching-thing. The "we" are again, the boys and I, as I try to up their activity level this challenge round. Due to my choice to take over the gardening the last month and a bit, I haven't had time to really get out there walking or playing or just get out with them that much. With geocaching, we'll be looking for that cache or "treasure" which should be fun, or at least adventurous. HEALTH : DAILY Water/Tea Food (the boys and I) Sleep Bible Study The boys don't have a problem drinking a lot of water. I need to drink at least 1x bottle of water, preferably some rooibos during the day as well. I'll be tracking our food. Mine is more serious, to establish a maintenance level where I can function normally while still doing gardening, some strength, walking, etc. Sleep is usually a struggle. R5 for me, and R2 each for the boys for each night we manage to go to bed on time! Me: 22h00 - Boys: 21h00 WORK : WEEKLY The Must Do's Every Week Gardening: Mowing OR pruning OR weeding OR planting (1-2x/week) My Strength Circuit (1x/week) Geocaching (1x/week) Dry Fire Drills (1x/week) Rocco does Playball, and may join the jnr soccer team. We'll see. Adam walks with me while Rocco does Playball. I need to get them a bit more active, since we've all gotten a bit lax since I took over the garden work. That is why I decided to introduce geocaching to them. (All thanks goes to @Elastigirl for all the ups and downs we might encounter ) Seriously, it sounds like the right kind of thing for us: not too much wild, some adventure and looking for "treasure"! If the boys help me in the garden, I'll pay them R10 each/day. When we all go on a geocache (successful or not), we each earn R10. If they do any of the active XBox Kinect games, or play by themselves/together outside for 30min. and more, I'll pay them R5 each. TO DO LIST: The Must Do's During the Challenge Finances: Update spreadsheet - March - April Proof Reading: +- 1hr = 1x session (not the whole book at once, which is 400+ pages) Update telephone and birthdays books Sewing: block out filter covers - slippers - fix Serenity's seat Other things that pop up - they usually do I'll give myself R10 for every month of finances I update. Yeah, I suck at keeping up to date on finances. Wanna Do's During the Challenge Camp in the garden with the boys, even for half a night's sleep under the stars (ok, tent or shelter will be preferable) Chop some fire wood Climb high up on the ladder to pick some avo's (mil would be very happy) EDIT: Added Learn some rope knots Look at the stars (search for known constellations) I'll give myself R10 for everything I manage to do on this list.

I was born Jacob, but I keep writing Golana on character sheets. I have characters other than my ranger, but I don't let them guide my real life actions. I'm a 30 year old professional motorist. I live in Green Bay, but work in Chicago. I have a shamanic world view, that is to say that I believe everything has a spirit and all humans have a varying ability to interface. I bring a kettle bell to work, that seems to alarm most people. The fat bike is a little too bulky, I save that as a weekend treat. It's exceedingly rare that my bike rides don't result in at least a little blood loss. I started meditating when I was 6. My imaginary friend taught me; just putting that out there. None my of my friends share my commitment to fitness, which brings me here.

In the past year, Elastigirl and Mr Incredible have destroyed 4 Omnidroids, saved the city from certain destruction 5 times, captured 4 villains, all while still maintaining their normal jobs. They have earned a rest, and have decided to take a vacation. Are you wondering what superheroes do for vacation? They go exploring for treasure! Several years ago, the Incredibles had found a treasure map, but had been to busy saving the world to follow it.For now, the world seems safe from Omnidroids, so the Incredible couple are going treasure hunting. The map leads them to an exotic volcanic island. While searching for treasure, they will have to be careful to avoid the lava flow. But, hey, they are super heroes, so a little lava won't stop them from their quest. This challenge my husband and I will be celebrating our 30th anniversary by going to Hawaii. Part of our trip will be hiking at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This is part of my Epic Quest, and we have been saving money for this, and am super excited about it. Beside the Volcano National park, I hope to also get some time in hiking, geocaching, snorkeling, reading, eating, drinking, and generally having a good time. Since I'm gone for half the challenge, I'm separating it into two parts, one for when I'm home, the other for while I'm away. Part 1 :Treasure Hunting Being a super hero I will boldly explore the island in search of treasure, and like any good explorer does, will document my findings Goal 1: Treasure: Unlock some of my adventure quests from my Epic Quest : ideas include kayaking, snorkeling, paddle-boarding Goal 2: Be Bold: Superheroes and treasure hunters are bold. Do something on the trip that takes me out of my comfort zone. Goal 3: Journal Take pictures and share them here Part 2:Adventure preparing Whether she needs to take care of her family, save the world, or search for buried treasure, a superhero needs to be strong. While at home, I will Goal : 1 Log food on Myfitnesspal (note this may not happen the day I return, but soon after) Goal 2: Continue Focused Flexibility and kettlebell workouts ( not putting how many days here, giving some leeway for getting back into the swing of it after the trip)

Welcome, welcome!!!!! Draw up a chair and sit here by the fire while the assembled company prepares its boasts and plans for the coming month!!! I have no doubt that many brave deeds are being contemplated right now. At month's end, many a glorious tale will be told. And more than a few heroes will find themselves back here to nurse wounds and plan anew. I myself am taking a month's leisure to strum a merry tune of an evening and prepare for a long journey, waiting only for the easing of the winter cold before I am bound for the East, to see new lands and seek treasures I've only known of in tales. No one knows for sure what we will encounter on the way; so I need to prepare quite a number of things: 1) Healing Potions and Bandages I seem to catch minor illnesses with some frequency, which interferes with strenuous activity and training. There is a great deal of opinions about what remedies and preparations will prevent one from becoming ill ... or in speeding recovery. I plan to spend time each day reading at the great library and consulting with the local alchemists about the most effective items to take now and to bring with me on the adventure to come. I am a bit frustrated with my frequency of catching the "crud" and plan to do some research into effective ways to improve immunity, adopting tactics that have support of research. Some are obvious ... like getting good sleep and drinking plenty of water. But even a quick look at Harvard Health shows me that there are some stones I've left unturned. If I'm not feeling good, I often don't workout .... or I take it easy ..... so it takes longer to reach goals. I'm going to find ways to stay on task and working hard longer. 2) Food Well, food. A traveler may find places to eat along the road, but the quality of the victuals is often ...... questionable. And one might be better served by eating an apple and greens rather than fried porridge. I am preparing foods to bring with me so that I do not need to rely upon fast food served by the MacDonalds or other similar families. Their pubs may look inviting, but I've heard tales about their chicken nuggets that would curl your toes. I've had two interviews for a job in the Twin Cities at the University. Yea, that doesn't mean that I'll get it, but I started thinking about logistics and remembering that LUNCHES are often a real challenge. And that dinner can also mean that we go out because we're both tired and not interested in cooking. So, I'm going to get back into the habit of cooking ahead and preparing Bento Box lunches for each week day. Even if I'm working on projects on my own time table, this is not a bad thing to do, and it's more interesting than popping a frozen burrito in the microwave to be swilled down with warmed up coffee. 3) Gear I've been gathering up traveling clothes for a few weeks. I've garnered a nice, warm cloak and sturdy hiking boots, suitable for the cold. But I still need a few changes of shirts and trousers. And my time-keeping device has entirely lost the band that keeps it on my wrist. I need to dig through my packs and figure out what I will need for the trip, but I am sure many of my adventuring supplies are worn out or missing. I've been too long sitting by my fire, strumming a tune on this guitar. It is time for an adventure!!! I let my winter gear wear out and not be replaced. I got a few things for Christmas (parka and boots), but I still need more base layer items and a replacement for my FitBit, especially since for goal #5, I need to be prepared for what February in Minnesota can dish out. It can be damn cold (-30F) or very snowy, depending upon the year. 4) Spells No bard would take to the road .... nor no ranger either ..... without having essential spells memorized. It's a dangerous world out there, and one never knows if charm or a wolf will be needed to smooth the way. I am going to finish my personal trainer certification book by the end of February. I won't be able to take the test until April, which will let me work on memorization, but I want to learn the material and put it to work in my own life. 5) .... and I shall spend fair days in scouting the way ahead, as much as the snows permit, of course. It's best to know the lay of the land .... and start to get toughened up for the long walk. I'll gradually go out further each day to stretch my legs and get used to traveling in the cold again. One thing that helps keep me healthy is getting outside to exercise DAILY. Even if it is just a 30 minute walk, the fresh air really does seem to help. This can be a challenge!!!! And the gear for a February afternoon stroll can weigh more than 10 pounds .... so I'll get a leg up on prepping for a Go Ruck or OCR.

Recently a new app came out called "Land Sliders." As you slide around in Land Sliders, occasionally you'll come across a strange stone block with three lines of text on it and a tiny red symbol. The tiny symbol is the same one that can also found on the ground in much larger form, and it seems the coordinates and this larger version of the symbol may be related somehow. The lines of text on the block include a hint on top (or sometimes a series of question marks), followed by two coordinates. A few players have stumbled across various set of coordinates in the game that lead to actual places irl. A group has been kind enough to input the found coordinates here. So far only two have been found, one of them posting some lovely pictures of their cache on some forums. the little symbol on the coordinate blocks in the game also has a large version, which when stood on brings up a keypad-type window that says "Restricted" with 9 symbol keys on it. It seems like the "Restricted" puzzle and the coordinates have to be linked somehow, but what's it all about? What does it all MEAN? What other weird secrets are waiting for us in Land Sliders? If you're interested in helping the cause, check out the coordinates linked above to see if there are any near you or a fellow rebel so we can hunt down these caches, and let's crack this nut together!

It's said I run like a stubborn tide, Unstoppable, untamed and wild, But a brave face isn't brave I've learned, And as I searched for wisdom I remembered your words, You told me "sing for the wind my love, fear not for tomorrow, Cos love's the journey of a lifetime, and where you finish isn't where you start" So tomorrow doesn't worry me, And though the path be untravelled at least I'm free, To be great not just to be, That's what your wise old words taught me. You told me "sing for the wind my love, fear not for tomorrow, Cos love's the journey of a lifetime, and where you finish isn't where you start" Last time on the Rebellion... I spent my last challenge challenging my fears. The darkness within loves to taunt me with my worst fears. Fear of not being good enough, being enough for those I love. Fear of the unknown. Fear of losing those I cherish the most. Not being able to start a family. Fear of attempting things that stretch my comfort zone. And I kicked that fear to the curb. I am feeling better than I have in a long time. The difference between where I am emotionally and mentally is night and day compared to when I started with the Rebellion. You guys are awesome, thank you so much for all your support! I have proved to myself and the darkness within that I am a strong woman. Strong in body, spirit, mind and soul. Let's go be unstoppable, untamed and wild! Time for an update in my motivation.... Motivation I will face each day with an open heart, be adventurous in all the ways that piqued my curiosity, have specific long-term goals, and practice kindness and compassion towards myself. I will meet myself where I am with love, compassion, and without judgement. I will celebrate the smallest of successes and be gentle with myself if I fail, focusing instead on learning what works for me. I am a unstoppable, untamed and wild force of nature when I go through life with all of my mind, body and soul. Main Quest Building strength, calm, harmony, and restoration of my heart, body, soul, and mind. - Time for a main quest update. For now, I am going to let this stand until I finish thinking about an update. Challenge Quests I'm focusing on getting lean this challenge. I have lost a fair bit of body fat (36% to high 20's) since September according to the Navy method. I would really like to lean down some more to be able to do some of the awesome bodyweight moves I'm working on easier. All my challenge goals will support this overall goal. I choose 25% as a metric for this challenge, because I think its doable and I like numbers.However, I'm awarding stat points based on effort not total loss. If I'm doing the things I've set out to do, the rest will come. Challenge Aims Physical: Decrease my BF to 25% and lose 190 lbs http://www.precisionnutrition.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/pn-calorie-control-women-771x1024.png Quest One: Unstoppable I've done some work cleaning up my diet over the last couple months that have had awesome results. This challenge, I'm going to focus on portion control and eating only when I am hungry. This is my way of loving my body and being mindful that food is fuel. The method below is a guide, which I can adapt as needed to respect where my body is at on a daily basis. Week 1 - Record the number of times I stop eating when I am no longer hungry. Week 2 - Quest 2: Untamed I have been terrible at tracking things and keeping up with how things are going towards the end of my challenge. Time to add a tracking goal! I know some people have lovely spreadsheets but I tend to go ooooo shiny then forget about the spreadsheet part way. Going to complete a daily log on paper to build a tracking habit. Weekly items to track: - Weight - Waist measurement - Hip measurement - Neck measurement - Photo - Weekly update posted Daily tracking - Physio done? - Pain levels - Workouts - Sleep quality - Food intake - Other? Acquisition: >20 days tracked Consolidation: 20-30 days tracked Refinement: >30-40 days tracked Bonus quest: If I post a weekly update for every 6 weeks, I will buy myself a treasure item!! (TBD) Quest 3: Wild My mental health has drastically improved from my last challenge. My physical health is being challenged currently by a fibro flare up and some ongoing chronic pain issues. I would really like to have more time to myself in the morning, building towards a better morning routine. My keystone habit is going to be to wake up >60 minutes before I have to be out the door in the morning. This will create space for other habits I want to add later (fasted cardio, yoga, meditation) but I need to create the habit of leaving time for this first. Once I'm up, I can't go back to bed!! (I'm bad for this). Acquisition: >20 days awake 60 minutes before leaving time Consolidation: 20-30 days awake 60 minutes before leaving time Refinement: >30-40 days awake 60 minutes before leaving time

Hey, anyone here do any geocaching? I started dabbling in it in 2013, but it turned into full-blown obsession 10 months ago. I'm curious to know if any fellow Rebels are also cachers.

The big goal this challenge is to decrease the amount of sugar that hubby and I consume. He is non-insulin-dependent diabetic but needs to improve his blood sugar levels STAT. So, this guy is public enemy number one at our house: I don't think that he is ready to go cold turkey; so I've devised a transition plan - based in part on the NF Academy nutrition guidelines. I've already dropped my sugar consumption about 25% - compared to last month. Gotta love data!!! I'm using LoseIt to track what I eat, and have the premium plan so that I can drill down on my macros to see what I'm actually eating. So Quest #1 is to transition to a Whole30 (which will be next challenge's goal). Each week, I'll add another improvement to our diet, and I'm going to be tracking it using HabitRPG. At stake: 2 CON, 2 WIS - with grading by percentage of days that I manage to stick to our improvement plan. During the break, I've convinced hubby to eat a high protein breakfast ... and he's already feeling better. That was no big deal for me, but next week ... I need to substitute a vegetable in for a starch at lunch and dinner. I'm not a big veggie eater ...... (0/42) The other big thing I am working on is to be able to complete an obstacle course race. I've been a bit discouraged at how long it takes me to improve my upper body strength, but I'm going to keep at it while working on my running and my general agility. So, Quest #2 is to do strength training 3 times per week. I mix it up and do a routine at the gym (including assisted pull ups), kettle bells at home, and sandbag training at home. At stake: 3 STR, and grading is also a percentage of goal. (0/18) Quest #3 is to get through C25K again. This should be pretty darned easy since I'm on week 4 already and am an experienced runner. But I'll (hopefully) be transitioning to outdoor running by early April. Yes?? 2 STA awarded for getting through it; 1 STA if I get to week 6. Quest #4 is to work on agility weekly (at least). I have my FitDeck agility cards. Or I can go climbing or take a related class - such as yoga, zumba, pole dancing, martial arts class, etc. I'm allowing myself to play with this and have some fun .... and be flexible with how I work on improving my agility for 2 DEX, based on percentage completion. (0/6) Quest #5 is to work on my dead drop assassin skills - using geocaching and Ingress. I'm going to pull a number out of the air and say that I'll do this 20 times during the challenge for a possible 2 WIS and 2 DEX. Geocaching in the harsh winter can get to be a bit problematic ... so the augmented reality game, Ingress, is a good substitute to get me out of the house. Scoring is also by a percentage. (0/20). PLUS - Assassin's Guild minis:Week1 - Pullups and Mountain Climbers (+STR)Week 2 - RUN!!! (+STA)Week 3 -Week 4 -Week 5 -Week 6 - AND, I'm competing in an exercise consistency challenge that Bekah put together on FB. AND WAIT - that's not all!! I'm putting together a simple Fitness RPG. It has a long way to go, but I'm playing it while designing it. So, I'm really hoping to have fun and improve my body composition this challenge!!!

New Jersey Nerd Fitness Meet-Up on August 9th, 2014!! August 9th, at Duke's Farm in Hillsborough. We'll be geocaching! Check out the details here: https://www.facebook...33859819957774/

Hi, I'm Adam but I'll be going by Grawlix on here, I'm twenty six and from the UK, currently working as a prep chef and after two year unemployed I'm taking advantage of the boost in confidence and energy to get myself into fight shape. I've already jumped in on the latest challenge, so here's hoping I get a good start! As for what I'm into, I do enjoy gaming, both on PC and of the tabletop variety; I have at least one regular "analogue" gaming group that meets every week but often two (and perhaps a third on the horizon), between work and this my time on PC has been greatly limited but I'm proud to say I'm okay with that - though I do miss the fast paced play. I tend to get my fill of action through my two newest hobbies, Viking re-enactment and Airsoft, to both of which I am a total newb (I'm told I am picking it up fast). The Reenactment group I am part of is heavily focused on combat and my involvement currently consists on attending their weekly fight night; I come away tired, aching and covered in bruises but its great fun and as you would imagine, swinging a big shield and a sword or axe around for a few hours while others armed like wise try to hit you - Its a bloody good work out. Airsoft similarly has me running around in the woods all day! I come from a family of walkers, my dad in particular has quite a respectable level of fitness when it comes to hiking having managed 71/100 mile challenge before damaging his ankle when I was younger, recently though he's started walking more seriously again and I hope my work ours permit that I can join him on a few in the future. For me though its only been recently when I have learned to enjoy walking for its own sake and as part of that I took up geocaching early in the year. As I said previously in recent years I have probably spent most time in front of a computer or in my bed, and while for the longest time I was comfortable with being what I considered "average" fitness, I realised I was slowly gaining weight and when I did try to run or do anything active - like play football with my younger step brother I quickly tired. When I was in school I briefly tried joining the cross country team but failed miserably - more recently my doctor has said allergies I have may give me asthma like symptoms at times and taking that into account has been helpful and encouraging. So here I am six months into my new job with my hours finally stabilizing and by body growing accustomed to being on my feet 6-12 hours a day, better yet I have energy to spare and in the past month have taken effort to walk to and from town rather than taking the bus whenever possible (Occasionally I am running late for work but its increasingly rare), its not much I know but compared to what I was doing its been a very encouraging start and saves me over £70 a month! I've even started working a couple of short sprints into my morning commute. And that's where I am now as I sign up for this new adventure. My goals here at NF? After reading a number of articles on the site the NF philosophy feels like something I could really get along with. I am looking initially to build myself up to a healthy level of "practical fitness", as well as using fight night as a work out I'd love to improve to a point where I can compete competitively and that will require me being in much better shape, the same goes for airsoft. Parkour is something that has interested me for years ever since I learned of it but due to my poor level of fitness always remained out of reach; the flips and flashy stunts don't interest me nearly as much as the fluid ease traceurs traverse their surroundings, I want me some of that too! Also as a geek I am a huge fantasy fan, this has lead me to try geocaching and urban exploration so I'm hoping to find some great challenges there to really test me, I'd also love to build up to my own journey inspired by the Hobbit, which was one of the first books I read as a child and to this day I've wanted to go on a great journey through different landscapes like the journeys in The Hobbit and LotRs - to that end I am testing friends to see if anyone would be interested in wild camping out near Snowdon or up in Scotland and I'm looking into learning more outdoorsman skills. Finally me and my girlfriend would love a dog but I'd want to be living a lifestyle that would be healthy for a dog ie. daily walks and plenty of outdoor activities and such. I like to think of it as "earning my Animal Companion"! Wow, I really did ramble on there, for those of you who read it all thank you, heck thank you to anyone who even skimmed it! I don't know what I'm looking for in the way of feedback at the moment, I feel The Rangers might be my calling though without rambling on any more I would like to start meditating and such so maybe I might try the Druids too. I would love to hear from anyone who does competitive Viking re-enactment or perhaps even HMB (Historical Medieval Battles) and see how they view it as a form of fitness and maybe some tips?

âWe can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them.âž William Arthur Ward MAIN QUEST Lose 70lbs.Starting weight (Jan. 15th): 208.6lbs Current weight (May 12th): 190.1lbs Total Lost: 18.5lbs (27% of goal) I started the paleo lifestyle on January 15th. I will continue on eating right and nourishing my body. THREE GOALS Practice yoga or meditation at least 3x per week / +2 STA, +1 STR, +1 WIS, +1 DEX Consume 72oz of water each day (tracked by app "waterlogged") / +3 CON Continue with my exercises (bodyweight squats, overhead press, deadlifts, bench press) and gym visits / +2 STR, +2 CHALIFE QUEST(S) Spend a lot more time outside: now that it's getting warmer I wish to spend more time outside. It can be hiking, geocaching, doing yoga, or just relaxing outside enjoying the sunshine / +1 WIS, +1 CONSave as much as I can: from now until the end of May I am only scheduled to work 3 shifts (that can change, but I doubt it) as I have applied to Master's programs that start mid-May. I need to save as much as I can for the summer, and spend what I have wisely / +1 WISMY MOTIVATION / THE 'WHY?' Stop throwing stones and start building with them: For the last two years I feel I have really grown as a person. Two years ago I was stuck in a loveless relationship and as horrible as it was, the real tragedy was how much I actually gradually began hating myself for sticking with it. I was my own worst enemy, and I was throwing stones at myself and my dreams instead of breaking out of the harmful relationship. My confidence fell, and I didn't apply myself in anything: my job, school applications, studying to succeed at the MCAT, and so on and so forth. I began building back my self confidence after the relationship ended, but it was a hard and rocky road back to self-love. When I finally loved myself again, I allowed myself to find love. Now I am in a very supportive, nurturing, and loving relationship and looking to "build" upon my confidence even further. I have been setting positive goals for myself - like getting healthier, treading lighter, and finding new hobbies. Slow and steady wins the race, and I am determined to focus on, and spread, positivity along the way. I will try to post daily updates here (food I am eating, my water consumption, yoga sessions, etc). I will also have a "daily challenge" that I will post, because every single day something can be completed or worked on, and I need to start holding myself accountable!

This challenge, I'm switching to the Assassin's Guild after having been a Ranger for nearly two years. Being in NF and a member of the Ranger's Guild kept me more or less sane during some rough years. I didn't lose a lot of weight, but I never gave up. And once I started getting serious about bodyweight training, I've started making some major improvements! Some reading and soul-searching has prompted me to switch guilds. I'd initially started with bodyweight training with the idea that I'd start to lift free weights or dumbbells once I got a solid base in squats, pushups, and lunges. Then, looking over new free weight programs, I realized that I wanted to keep going with more challenging body weight routines!! I totally salute people who do CrossFit, but I don't want to join them right now. It looks like work and not fun. I need fun. When I accidentally found the old article on parkour (http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/08/12/the-definitive-guide-to-parkour-for-beginners/), I felt like I'd come home. As a kid, we used to pretend that the ground was lava, and you had to find a way to cross from one point to another without touching it. We did the same game with my daughter while she was small. Wow!! I'd been associating parkour with the flashy moves that you see in YouTube videos. To find out that there is much more to the sport - and the philosophy - was eye-opening. To this day, I practice flowing and efficiency. I'll walk through a crowd going the "wrong" way to see if I can do it without bumping anyone (and I usually can). I am constantly surprising people who don't see or hear me come into a room. Instead of viewing that as a problem with my lack of charisma and "presence" --- let's turn it into an example of why I really am good at going where ever I need or want to go - and why I often don't follow the beaten path - both literally and figuratively. So, here I am. My goal for the YEAR is to reduce body fat percentage down to the "normal" or "acceptable" range of 31%. I'd like to get it lower in subsequent years. But one step at a time .... I'm calling this the Quest for the Mal Ravenne. The golden lioness is the ideal me, something to be uncovered through dedication and search. For this challenge, my goals lead me further to this ultimate goal. This challenge is Equipping for the Journey. Fitness Goals 1) Deaddrop Drills (+1 STA, +1 DEX, +1 WIS) Spies often leave things for contacts ... or have to find drops from compatriots. I'm going to geocache! I introduced my brother and nephews to geocaching, and we had a gentle competition going to be the first to find 100 geocaches. My brother died before either one of us claimed the prize - so I'm going to finish it in his honor. That's only 13 caches left to find - so a couple per week is feasible. (My geocaching handle is grinningcollie if anyone wants to friend me.) 2) 35% Body Fat (+1 STA, +1 CON, +2 STR, +1 DEX) That's a drop of 1% this challenge, which should be very reasonable. To do it, I'm continuing with body weight workouts M, W, F and cleaning up my diet. I'm doing the Academy body weight workout 4 starting Sunday. That's challenging enough that, following progressions, I'll be hard pressed to do exercises well. And I'm using the assisted pull up and dips machine. My goal is to keep reducing the amount of assistance weight by 10 pounds per week. I'm currently at 95 pounds. By the end of the challenge, that would be down to 35 pounds!! I'm following the NF diet and am at stage 3: substituting freggies (fruits/vegetables) for processed carbs. I'd rather focus less on what I'm "giving up" and more on what I'm adding. So, I will increase daily freggie intake by one each week of the challenge. Currently, I do a very poor job in this and eat 1 freggie per day. So week 1 = 2 freggies, week 2 = 3 freggies, etc. 3) Be Perceptive (+2 WIS, +1 DEX) Rangers are never off their guard - neither are assassins. The two guilds are much alike in many ways. I will increase inner and outer perception by: wearing my contact lenses (increasing time 1 hour per week from starting point of 2 hours per day) so I have better peripheral vision and hence dexteritymeditating (increasing from 7 up to 20 minutes per day)Life Quest (+2 CHA) Hubby and I are - again - both job hunting. My goal is to get - or make - a job this challenge. If necessary, I will start a company again, taking a page from Arrow. The best way to avoid chair checking managers is to be the CEO. Fitness Side Quest (+2 DEX) Take a fitness class. I am thinking yoga or martial arts, depending upon the results of job searching. At the moment, there are NO martial arts studios closer than 40 minutes away - that's feasible in the summer but not the winter (small town - bad roads to everywhere). But there is a new yoga studio in town. If their class schedule works for me, I'd like to get in there and redevelop some body awareness. Assassins Mini-challenge - Pistol Squats Flexibility: +1 DEXBalance: +1 WISStrength: +1 STRPassed on week 4Practice: +1 CON

"Mal Ravenne" is Elvish for Golden Lioness ..... It seemed to embody the story arc for this coming year's quest to turn around my life, get brave, and return to pursuing my dreams. When I went to St. Olaf College (the crest is a golden lion ... mane-less, btw ......) I had certainly not intended to live a small life as an administrator. As I recall, I wanted to go into the Peace Corps and then study archeology. So, this is a ROUGH plan for improving in 4 areas of my life this coming year. Fitness, nutrition, regaining self-confidence, and taking responsibility for my habits and environment. The NEXT post will include the EPIC things I want to do or accomplish ..... Challenge 1 - Escape the Maze of IllusionsFinish C25K training Eliminate alcohol (& other liquid calories) and high protein breakfast: Levels 1 & 2 NF Diet Listen to the Self-Esteem CDs (Jack Canfield) Cook one healthy meal dailyChallenge 2 - Recover in the House of Healing (<= 36.62% BF)Finish NF BWW 3 Cut out chips, fries, and chocolate (other than very good, very dark chocolate) Apprentice in HOORAY Groom dog (life side quest) Reduce body fat to 36%Challenge 3 - Equip for the Journey (BF 35%)Body weight workouts (NFA BWW 4) Level 3 NF Diet - replace processed carbs with vegetables at lunch and dinner Wear contacts again Find or create a job Finish 100 geocaches foundSummer A - Shanghaied!! Aboard the Northern Girl (BF 34%)We interrupt this previously scheduled program with an adventure on the high seas!! (Part A)10K steps per day Sturgeon Tank FitDeck Nutrition points Summer Activities Practice web programmingSummer B - Not my idea of a Caribbean Cruise! (BF 33%)Following the clues up the river to the Burned CityDiet - stick to <= 1550 net calories (add for exercise) and protein >= 66 grams Do a chin up or pullup with <= 30 pounds of assistance Deadlift 80 pounds Walk/run 10K Decipher the clues (i.e. move)Post-Summer Reorientation Challenge 6 - Not Waiting to be Rescued