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Hey there everyone! Your neighborhood Kishi back at it again. I kind of dropped off at the end of last challenge. I have a reason for this. So, the challenge didn't end badly, but OTOH it didn't go as great as it could have. I gotta go for now, but I'll explain more later, and I wanted to stake my place. Sorry I left y'all in the lurch, and I didn't even thank people for stopping. Sorry for that too. I'll get around to you when I can. It'll be sooner rather than later.

Hi hey howdy ever-body! Hope you're doing all right. I'm sorry I didn't step up sooner, but after last challenge, I didn't really know where to go. I know I wanted to do another challenge, but everything had got so well locked in place at the end that I didn't really know what to do. I wanted to take some time, if not to think, then to observe and consider, and try to figure out what next steps were necessary, if any. It took all week for me to figure out where I wanted to go next. Basically, things didn't stumble into clicking just right until I made a point of scheduling things. I responded well to that - swings every hour actually turned out to be a good way to break up the day and get my other training done. I'm pleased to report that it hasn't caused me to hurt worse. If anything, I'm feeling better. I want to keep that going, and with diet and exercise mostly under control, it's time to turn to sleep and mental stuff. Goal 1: Honor My Bedtime Basically, I want to start getting more sleep. I know I do better when I have a concrete bedtime, but for too long I've been letting it be dictated by my waking time. I want to break that if I can. Bedtime for me is most realistically 01:55 for now. Further edits to be made as needed but for now, let's start with something that'll be easy for me to keep. Goal 2: Wim Hof Method This is a breathing technique by Wim "The Iceman" Hof, a famed figure for feats of inhuman endurance. I've done this before with good results, and I want to get back to it. Goal is to actually take my lunch break (since I'm writing first thing in the morning, still making sure that's locked in) and to go do my practice. It's not exactly lengthy work or anything, but it'll take long enough that doing it in the morning would be prohibitive. Goal 3: Meditate Want to come back to this again. I'm a better me when I do this. So! Goal is to do this at the end of the working day. It fits in well there when I've done it before; the reason I haven't been is because I've been too wrapped up in trying to get other stuff done. Gonna start at 1:00 per day for the first week and add a minute per week. And that should do it, I think. Sci Fi got moved to Tuesday Nights, which in the long run is good for me because when I'm cleared to get back on the mats again, the MMA place will be having strike work on Wednesdays, so it'll be nice to have that time open. That's the way it's gonna be. Today's goals will be something of a wash on account of just really only having crystallized this stuff in the past 20 minutes, but what can you do? BTW, quick shoutouts to @Tanktimus the Encourager, @Rurik Harrgath, @Mistr, @WhiteGhost, @Treva, @Kyellan and anyone else I missed for stopping by last challenge to cheer me on. I appreciate the work as always, although I'm not always good at saying so. Let's get to it.

Man, I disappear for like a month and y'all gotta go and change things. Huh. Neato. Reminds me of the old days. When last I was here, I was working on a novel for National Novel Writing Month and had just gone through the Book of Five Rings, which essentially worked out to being re-skins of the same challenge about 5 times in a row. I didn't plan it that way, and I think it was a little lazy of me looking back, but I took some good from it, and given all the everything around here in the past year, I reckon some consistency was actually rather called-for. And why did I disappear? Well, no particular reason. I just found myself out of things to say, and work got busy for a while and they rolled out some new processes and platforms for us which has taken some getting used to, and... yeah. What's new with me? Well, since the weather turned cold, I've pretty much just been sitting around, and between the lack of activity and all the holiday food, I've officially crossed the 25% body fat line and have become obese. Which I didn't see coming, but TBF I should have. Non Exercise-Activity Thermogenesis is a thing, and I've not been doing it, and between that and Hashimoto's (read: a finicky to dead metabolism), it was really only a matter of time. But that's hardly the only thing that happened. I rediscovered some movement drills from back in the old days of my training and my hips are good and loose and snappy for kicking now. I rediscovered that I like media! I like shows! I like watching them! I like bingeing them! There is content that is worth watching and reading! I refined my planning process for writing novels and the planning for this draft is well underway. I cooked for my family's Christmas Dinner! I did Green Bean Casserole and this time I had the guts to par boil green beans and fry my own onions, which was a major step for me. Despite my metabolism being dead, I've finally got my thyroid working again, so it's not all bad news on that front. Basically, I've spent the last month just kind of coasting and relaxing, and doing so has kind of allowed me some perspective on what I was doing before and how I want to shake things up. So, without further ado, my goals: Get my body fat percentage to sub-25%. Totally feasible over the course of the month. According to my measurements, I'm sitting at 25.8% with a 3% margin of error, give or take. That means reducing calories, but I can't do a real cut like everyone else does; my thyroid does not forgive that kind of thing. Instead, it's better to figure out a lower weight, figure out what maintenance looks like there, and then program my calories as such. Fortunately, I've got very good at calculating my numbers, so the goal is to stick to 2200-2300 calories for the duration of the challenge. I might dip a bit below that, but certainly I don't mean to go below 2100. New Kettlebell Program yeaaaaaaaaah. Long time observers would be shocked if I wasn't back on my bullshit of trying something new. Strongfirst released a program for sedentary people after one of their coaches at a similar experience to me. The article's worth reading, but the basic gist is to do some one arm swings every hour on the hour for 8 hours a day. This program is specifically designed to work alongside everything else as a plug-in for sedentary folk, and while I'm not swinging enough weight to necessarily burn that much fat, I can definitely tell that I get the "Tonic Effect" off the dosage (ie a sense of physical/mental refreshment and a heightened sense of focus). The other useful thing about this is that it gives me something to work my shadowboxing and other practices in with. But this is gonna be a daily goal, along with the others. One Page Of Planning Per Day. Pretty much what it says on the tin. One page of planning per day. This is actually easier now, since I took the time to figure out my Great Swampy Middle, so I basically have a bunch of dots to connect as opposed to having to make up the dots as I go (which was a real problem last go 'round). It goes without saying that I've got a bunch of extra training on tap. I gave up CaliMove's program because it's not designed to be friendly with martial arts, which will be a concern for me in the long run. I did Athlean X again for a while but it made my shoulder feel janky and I didn't like it, and it didn't stop me from getting obese (between training and nutrition protocols), so to hell with it. GMB's Elements program and Simple and Sinister are the two programs that are designed the most to give me the most what I want, so these will be what I do. It doesn't hurt any that they've both revamped pretty hard; S&S did so first with a revised edition and GMB's updated their Elements program for its release on their new training app. My shoulder feels better with their training, and the challenge can be ramped really easy and really well if you engage correctly with it. So... yeah. Anyway, here in the interregnum between challenges, my goal is to get through the holiday food and get some proof of concept going. And oh, hey, in the meantime, we're all together in one place now. That's pretty neat. Reckon I'll make the rounds and try to see to y'all. It's good to be back.

I love Advent season. My family has lots of traditions and we try to make it a special time of year. Some of our traditions this year are not happening, though thankfully some still can. I will hopefully think of other things we can do to make this time of year a special time. I'm going to keep my goals simple. Goal 1 Ignite my Superpowers; My superpowers are the values I have pertaining to food and fitness (and other things too) I use them to help me make decisions. My superpowers are Joy, family, and self control. These are really helpful this time of year. Self control reminds me to use skills such as eating slowly, choosing whole foods to fill me up, delaying a snack to see if I'm hungry. Joy reminds me that I need to enjoy my food. This means to slow down and eat it. It means that the holidays are a wonderful time of year, filled with many sweet treats that remind me how sweet my life is. I need to enjoy those times and treats with my family(no guilt for eating the 'wrong food) I can also use my self control to stop me from being overfull, which does not bring me joy. Goal 2 Christmas Cheer Lots of things going on. I have several plans to make Christmas joyous. I am doing a scrapbook for my inlaws, plans to reserve a spot at driver through Christmas lights, baking. Usually I'm an Amazon gift shopper.This year I'd like to buy more local gifts at our stores. This is going to take more planning, so I need to get on it. Best way to handle this is to make a plan for each week, and follow through Goal 3 Song; I'd like Mr. Incredible and I to sing a Christmas song before dinner each night, so I'm going to try and remember that. Goal 4; Light; Same as last time ; Read my Bible in the morning, turn on Sunlamp, use blueblocker glasses at night Bonus: be the light to others, see how many people I can bring just a bit of cheer to. Edit to add fitness stuff: Doing the kettlebell program on the NF app- 3 days a week also doing Vitamin- this is recovery day, so if I feel the need to move, if I don't have time or don't want to, that's a fine option walking- being outside , even on gray days helps with SAD, so I'm going to try for at least 15 minutes a day , unless the weather is absolutely dreadful) rowing- I'm enjoying the rowing workouts from Dark Horse Rowing, so those will probably happen too. The KB program is my main goal, so these fit in as time and energy allow pistol : I decided I'm still going to work on getting the pistol squat. so I will do that at least 2 x a week

I've decided to do an unchallenged this month. It's summer, it's often warm to here , and I'd rather just go with the flow of summer, take it easy a bit, and not have any written goals. I'll still workout , I like working out, and this month is my final phase of GMB rings 1. I'll mostly eat smart, with a bit of non dairy ice cream and treats thrown in. I have set my computer alarm to go off daily at 9:15 am, which will remind me that I most likely want to get moving on my day. I'm not setting that as a goal though. I'm just going to set the alarm, and then let myself decide what I want to do. We shall see how that works out. I'm also doing a pull up PVP https://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/110229-get-to-da-choppa-pull-up-pvp-aug-13-sept-9/

Honestly, I don't have much of theme. Just sorta doing my thing. Which this time happens to be like this Goal 1 : Morning Routine Read Bible, clear kitchen, eat breakfast What's NOT happening this time; There is no time table, I've been trying to make it a habit to start at a certain time for over a year. Tried bribes, and punishments. I do it for a while, and then I just resent having to do it. I have made a great habit of getting stuff done before I sit down though. So, at lest for this month, I'm going to be happy with that. I'm going to start my day when I start it. I'm hoping that on days I'm busy I will get moving quickly, by allowing myself to take it a bit slower on days I'm less busy. Stat points 4 Stamina Goal 2: Mindful Eating I've been working at this as a soft goal, but I'd like some accountability. Right now what I am working on is to slow down my eating. So during dinner, purposefully placing my fork down between bites. I can do this at other meals times too, but I want to really make it a habit during dinner. Right now I am working on maintaining my weight, and eating slowly helps me be more aware of when I am full. 6 points Wisdom Goal 3: Work on my long term goals; scrapbooking, and home remodeling and post at least weekly in my accountabilibuddy group 4 points CON other stuff: I am doing Rings 1 program from GMB. It's a 3 day a week program.They also have an optional leg program to do on my off days. I'll do those as time and enrgy allows. I'm also following GMB"s Focused Flexibility plan. It's spring, so hopefully that means more outdoor time, and more geocaching. I use MFP. I find it keeps me accountable. But I don't have a goal for it. If I don't feel like doing it one day, or several days, that is fine.

I loved Shuri, Black Panther's Sister. She was smart, creative, hard working, loyal, and funny. My next challenge will be based on her. More information to follow at some future point in time. Shuri manages her time well She works hard in her lab to create technology for Black Panther I will manage my time well, focusing on my mornings Things to get done in the morning Read Bible Kitchen Breakfast Workout- start by 9:15 Workout finish by 11:00 I am going to set up a point system for this one and a reward. Shuri is creative She uses her intelligence and creativity in her lab I will use my creativity and intelligence to continue on my home remodel and scrapbooking. I will track my points and progress on my accountabilibuddy thread. Shuri smiles and enjoys life: This is a soft goal. It is a reminder to seek out the things that bring me joy and make time for them in my life; Bible reading, dancing, friends,prayer, geocaching,church. I will share those on here as I believe they are part of what makes me a healthy person. Other stuff: The first week of the challenge is the last week of my 8 week bodyweight program- Integral Strength. The next week I will probably not do a program, just whatever interests me, and a bit more laid back. The week after that I have jury duty. Which means I call in and only go in if they want me. So it could be something that just takes a day, or all week. If it seems like I will actually be on a jury, I’ll continue just doing whatever. If I don’t serve, I think I will start a mini rings program from GMB. I lost the weight I wanted to, so my plan is to go on maintenance. I’ll probably somewhat track with MFP, but that will be as I feel it is needed. When I do track, I want to be mindful of how I feel as far as fullness. I will pay attention to the signals my body sends me. I want to also keep eating slowly . I will continue to cultivate the habit of putting the fork down between bites, and chewing my food thoroughly. I will aim for eating healthy, with veggies and protein, but not so strict that I end up rebelling against myself.

Everything is quiet in Metropolis. The Incredibles have done a good job of getting rid of villains, and word has spread that villains would be wise to stay far away. Which is great, excewpt for one thing. Elastigirl (that's me) is getting soft and fluffy. And since I know that any time I might need to be strong enough to fight the villain, It is important for me to be at the top of my super hero shape. Here is my plan to ensure that I ready for my super hero duties. Once again, I will be give out attribute points for my character. Quest 1:Start the day right :4 star Morning Stealing the idea from Xena I’ve been working on my morning routine the last month, and this is the routine that works best for me. The idea is to have all these completed by 11:00 a.m. Each item I complete earns a star Bible Read Kitchen tidied ( can be swapped with a morning walk) Breakfast/ protein smoothie finished Workout completed Bed made Bonus star: to do list for the day written WIS:5 Quest 2 :Fit into my Incredible Superhero Costume My spandex costume doesn’t hide anything. I need to be in superhero fighting lean shape. In order to do that: Track MFP 6 days a week (established habit) Write out the meal plan the day before. I can switch it on the day a bit, just keep in the same parameters (new habit) Track weight and measurements once a week (established habit) Con;4 Quest 3: Superhero Training Academy I need to follow my superhero training for strength and to build my elasticity, and to check in with my trainers to see what I need help with. Follow the GMB Integral Strength- post on GMB posse forums, and once a week post videos for the trainers to see Continue with Focused Flexibility and post two videos on that to the GMB forums. STR; 3 DEX 3

I'm on vacation the first of the challenge. Planning to enjoy my time with my family. Deciding it is a good time to step back and relax, and enjoy where I am. I have energy, I love to learn new things, and I enjoy movig my body. No goals this time, Just be thankful for all I have. When I return I will be doing Integral Strength, a bodyweight program from GMB. I bought some PVC Pipe, and am going go make (or enlist Mr, I. to make) paralettes so I can work on my L-sit. Also going to be doing the Focused Flexibility program. And keep working on math.

Nope, this is not a study group. We are learning the elements of moving. This group is for people who are using the program Elements, by GMBhttps://gmb.io/e/. We can encourage one another and keep each other accountable. We can share videos so we can cheer one another on. Everybody is doing the Elements are their own rate and level. Post here and tell us how your workout went for that day, the fun things you did, and maybe what you are struggling with. tagging @annyshay @NeverThatBored @Kestrel Grey@GingerThor@Severine @Toshimi @Katrin the Morag @Dagger

Hello and welcome to a new challenge! To end the summer season, I will try to improve the things that didn’t work these past months. This means that: · meditation, eating freggies in every meal, and daily technique practice are not goals anymore, because after several months, they’re habits now. Yay! · PvP push-up challenge is over, so no more inclined push-ups everyday -and my arms do need that rest- but will be taking part on the dead hang challenge if it finally becomes a thing. Also waiting to see if there is a PvP abs challenge, in which case, I’m in. The remaining goals -plus a new one- are: Exercise I’m finding it difficult to keep a routine this summer, and I’d like to improve this before classes start again. 4 workouts a week, doesn’t matter which one, the ultimate goal being to move everyday. For 1-3 workouts a week I get nothing. For 4 workouts a week I get 4 points, to choose between STA, STR and DEX, depending on the type of exercise I’ve done. If besides this I do some active recovery days (walking, easy floor routine, stretching…) I can go up to 6 points (STA, STR, DEX) + 1 CON point. Icelandic Apparently, saying I’d sit and practice doesn’t work, who’d have guessed? Specific goal: 2-3 articles a week. 1 article a week: nothing. 2 articles a week: 0.5 CHA. 3 articles a week: 1 CHA Wim Hof course This is the big goal for next months. Things I hope I will get from it: improved tolerance to cold, to better enjoy the upcoming winter season; improved blood circulation (goodbye to cold feet!); lower breathing rate, to reduce floating anxiety and fatigue; and finally, having fun being a weirdo. This is a yes or no goal. If I quit, I get no points. I can miss some days if there is a reasonable excuse, and of course I can extend any week of the course if I consider I need it. If I stick to the task until september 10th (but the course won’t be finished, it is 10 weeks long), I get 0.5 STR (the course also involves physical exercise), 0.5 DEX (course involves some yoga/stretching), 0.5 WIS (meditation also present) and 0.5 CON (for cold exposure). That's it. Now let's see how it goes

Nope, this is not a study group. We are learning the elements of moving. This group is for people who are using the program Elements, by GMBhttps://gmb.io/e/. We can encourage one another and keep each other accountable. We can share videos so we can cheer one another on. Everybody is doing the Elements are their own rate and level. Post here and tell us how your workout went for that day, the fun things you did, and maybe what you are struggling with.

Hi everybody! My name is Annyshay. I'm an assassin adventurer from Hyrule. I've been wandering these wilds for quite some time now, but there's always more to practice and learn. I am committed to recovery (anxiety, depression, disordered eating, etc) in order to seek adventure and inspire others to rise up. Feel free to check out my battle log if you'd like more backstory and/or nitty-gritty details. Main Quest: Resilient and Radiant This challenge, I'm going to return to Zelda-dom for further inspiration. If you've managed to miss it somehow, I'm currently completely engrossed by Breath of the Wild. There's five billion ways that I could pattern my challenge on this game, but I'm going to stick to a relatively small part of the awesomeness in an area that I'm addressing IRL. Hopefully this will minimize spoilers. Idea shamelessly borrowed (heck, we're assassins here...) stolen from @Akura. I'll be collecting ingredients (goals) and using them to cook up some excellent meals (weekly summaries). I'll detail goals below, but I totally reserve the right to add bonus ingredients based on other awesome feets of recovery, cooking, or general badassery. Let's get cooking. For the Rebellion!!!

It may not actually be my 1,000 challenge. I just liked the simplicity of counting the challenges (idea shamelessly stolen borrowed from @Salinger) And I like Minions. My challenge: 1) Experiment with Morning Routine: Now that I a nice habitual morning routine, it's time to mess it up. Partly to help dizziness from my ring workout, and also just to experiment a bit, I want to try working out before breakfast. Which will mess up my morning routine a bit. I don't want to make it a goal to workout after breakfast, I want to just experiment, and only do it if I feel like it. My routine has been :Read Bible, drink water, empty dishwasher, tidy kitchen, breakfast, start workout at 9:30. I struggle a bit with the start time, so maybe working out first will help that. The things that won't change ;Read the Bible , then drink water; Things that might change, the kitchen may be after breakfast, if I workout first; Important side rule: The ONLY time I'm allowed to do the kitchen and computer time is if I've either worked out or done the kitchen. 2)10 Pushups a day I read on a blog somewhere that this was a good habit to do, and I thought it would be fun to make a 30 day challenge, so this is what I did. I completed day 2 today 3) Finish by summer's end @LadyShello posted on her challenge how she wanted to accomplish thing during her summer, so I borrowed this idea from her. I may update this more but here are some things I'd like to look at and see I've accomplished over the summer: Finished my scrapbook Paint Front porch Finish GMB 1 Veggie Garden Spent time on Algebra 2 (yes, I know this is vague, I don't want to do a specific goal to track for it) Planned Disneyland trip Kept up with Bible reading

Well, I have been hanging my metaphorical hat for the past few weeks in the Warriors 4-week Challenge area, but this seems a more logical place to maintain my long-term growth tracker. Hi, y'all! My secret identity presents as a perfectly ordinary middle-aged woman, educator, grandma, gardener, pillar of the local church, crocheter, and canner of homemade chicken broth. I'm polite, introverted, bookish, somewhat motherly to the young Marines I work with at the military leadership school, and generally appear harmless. But the *real* me is a Guardian, a powerful force of loosely controlled and readily accessible berserker rage, an impenetrable mass of strength and skill. I'm a hybrid Warrior/Monk, but I'm on indefinite hiatus from martial arts training due to living in a small town with a dearth of convenient Krav Maga instructors. For the present, I am focusing all of my time and energy on re-learning to pick up pieces of iron and set them back down again. I recently returned to myself after a long period of sedentary aimlessness, and found myself considerably weaker than I wish to be. So I found a Starting Strength coach and a black iron gym, and after about a month, this is where I am today: Squat: 45# 3x5 55# 1x4 65# 3x5 45# 1x6 (backoff set to practice form tweaks) Bench: 45# 2x5 65# 1x3 77.5# 3x5 (PR) Deadlift: 95# 1x4 115# 1x2 125# 1x1 135# 1x3, 1x2 (PR) The squat is the main motivator for hiring a coach. I'm super awkward under the bar, a little scared of it, and really struggled to get to depth when trying to do this on my own. Coach has me most of the way straightened out now, but she keeps pushing me to extra volume because I'm not consistent. She says I overthink it. What she actually says is "Quit ANALYZING and freakin' just SQUAT!" So, that's what I'm working with.

Exciting Details on My challenge to be posted here one day. I guess Thursday is the day. I really enjoyed the laid back feel of last challenge. I gave myself one goal, and that was it. I still managed to eat healthy and track food a good portion of the time, did some mobility and stretching, took walks, finish Phase 1 of GMB Rings and even decided to study Algebra 2, even though I didn't have specific goals. I love @NeverThatBored challenge and idea of basking in joy. That's what this month will be about mainly. I will do the things I enjoy and share them with you all. Because I am a Ranger, and want to do all the things, really my most important goal is to get a good start on my day. Goal: Have all other morning routine items completed and start my workout no later than 9:30. 1 point per complete 18 points and I win myself a pair of capri leggings. Adding mini challenge so I can remember later: Cooking: Try a new recipe Strength: Farmer's carry across the yard and back , done 2 x this week Climbing: Complete one hilly ruck Combat: sledgehammer workout

Ah, more Overwatch themed goodness. YUP. This is the second half of a two-parter challenge, so welcome back! (Or, you know, welcome if you're just arriving!) A quick recap from my last quest, is my three overarching goals I'm aiming for this year! I've only got three quests this challenge cycle! (Keepin' it real-) They are mostly continuations in some way shape and form of stuff I did last time. All new characters, OF COURSE!! Soldier: 76 feelin’ spry~ Why is this doof my favorite Overwatch character?! Why am I drawn so strongly to the old, crotchety, war-torn ex-strike commander that has an angsty past with an old best friend and is now just out to GET SOME MOTHERFUGGIN JUSTICE?!!? Sigh, Jack Morrison I just can’t quit you. Continuing on with Elements in the second part of a 2-challenge span here! I’m gonna be as spry as Soldier when his damage output is boosted! As mentioned in the end of my last challenge, I’ve noticed HUGE benefits of this already, most notably - wrist flexibility and lack of aches and pains - lower back pain and tightness that has lingered for YEARS is gone, and I can deadlift again - left shoulder fatigue completely gone. Learning to mobilize my whole body again is a win-win situation. I’ll aim to do this 4 times a week, on top of my regular lifting schedule. A - Elements 4 times weekly B - Elements 3 times weekly F - GET OFF MY LAWN YOU FAILURE Genji a steady blade balances the soul I figured it would be fitting to continue my art quest from Hanzo to Genji - the pair are emotionally turmoiled angst-filled feuding brothers and Genji is a CYBORG NINJA SAY WHAAAAAT. Since I’ve been working on very basic anatomy, this quest will require a weekly drawing practice - one fleshed out skeleton a week! A - One figure per week F - [insert Japanese derogatory terms here] Torbjorn build ‘em up, break ‘em down! We are planning to put our house on the market in the springtime! *insert heavy breathing and anxious sweating* Just thinking about the whole process makes me extremely jangly, so in the interim time I’m going to do as much as I can to take the load off of us during the actual selling timeframe. This means a. pre-packing things we need but don’t really need over the next 3-4 months, and b. getting rid of ALL of the excess crap!!! I’m looking specifically at closets/clothing/wearable items for this quest - if this gets done quickly, awesome!, and I’ll move on to something else, but this is sure a biggie. I’m giving myself 4 weeks to get this big piece in a cohesive order. A - Successfully sort through and donate things I don't need while boxing up things I want to hang onto. F - MOLTEN COOORREEEE *gets annihilated by an angry turret by failing this quest*

IT IS 2017!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOSH I am so excited!!! 2016 was a royal dirtfire for most of us, and I dunno about you, but I’m quite ready to let the door hit it in its face on the way out. For me last year was especially turbulent, exhausting, scary, frustrating, and while it had some good moments it was overall quite a struggle. But adversity? Is GOOD, because it gives us the ability to turn into stronger stuff. Before I get to my actual quests, I feel it’s important to introduce my trifecta of over-arching goals for 2017. These are some things I have rolled around in my head for quite some time now - my Rangerbrain has the tendency to resemble a little hyped-up bird, flitting from thing to thing very quickly - and after prolonged evaluation these things are not just a flight of fancy, but goals that I’m still excited about months after their initial brain-storm. I’m going to do my best to work these long-term goals into each challenge cycle! OKAY! It’s challenge time! I’ve decided to revert back to an older challenge format I used in my first year here at NF. I’ll be taking something nerdy that I love - anime, book, movie, etc. - and theme my challenge after it. This challenge’s theme is O V E R W A T C H because I got the game for Christmas, I tried to hold out and not play that popular cool Blizzard game everyone’s talking about, but I played it and got insta-hooked and am now officially Overwatch trash. Right now Lucio is my favorite character to play because he’s pretty much a superfast BARD on roller skates with a speaker and turntables and his voice emotes are just HELLA FUN, I love switching back and forth between speed and healing and trolling enemies that can't hit me because I'm faaaasto~; I also like McCree but I’m really bad at him ahahaha, D.Va is another favorite choice and she’s ~*~귀엽다~*~ cute and super fun. ANYWAY. LET’SGOOOOOO~ D.Va time to raise my apm! START GMB ELEMENTS!!!!!! I am really really E X C I T E D about this! Elements is GMB’s introductory program that will set the framework for me moving better; it focuses on strength, flexibility, and motor control using varieties on 3 core movement patterns that you “re-teach” your body how to use. It spans for 8 weeks and my aim is to do this 4-5 times weekly - each session is anywhere from 30-45 minutes, depending on if it’s new and I need some time getting used to it, or routine, etc. GMB recommends doing no less than 3 sessions per week, optimally 6, so I’m going to start out with 5 and see how I feel. My weekly schedule then will (hopefully) look like this: M morning lifting T morning elements W morning lifting, evening elements Th morning lifting F morning elements Sa morning elements Su afternoon elements (while weekly meal prep is happening) Hoo boyo that looks intimidating. Ok. D.Va is strong with decent maneuverability, so I am going for the same here! My goal here is to stick to 5 sessions of Elements per week. I’m giving myself a little leeway to move them around if I have to but 5 is the magic number. A - 5 sessions done weekly B - 4 sessions done weekly C - 3 or less sessions done weekly Hanzo the dragon stirs within me Ok here we go on My Path To Draw Things More Gooder! I want to devote a couple of hours to this each week and post my results here. I’m most interested in drawing animals and people! I’ve got a specific sketchbook just for art that I’ll be carrying around with me, and I’ll share my progress here each week. Can I match Hanzo’s skill and fluidity? (Or is that Genji?) (Ehehe~) Sorry if it all SUCKS but we’ve gotta start somewhere, right?? :3 A - Art progress photos weekly B - Art progress photos bi-weekly F - RYU GA WAKA TEKI O KURAU (I deserve to be eaten by my own ultimate dragon-) McCree back in the saddle again McCree’s a deadeye and I need to get more mindful of tracking my nutrition targets too. This one is easy. Track e v e r y t h i n g on MFP for the duration of challenge. No goals or numbers to hit, just log everything and see where I sit. IT’S HIGH NOON FOR BAD FOOD!!!!! A - Logged for full 6 weeks B - Logged for at least 5 weeks C - Logged for less than 5 weeks Lucio break time's over, let's get movin'! It’s time to TAKE OUT THE TRASH. Not that my house is full of trash, but. In September I tasked myself with doing extreme house-cleaning and it worked REALLY well, well enough where I decided I wanted to make it a quarterly thing to keep up with it. Well, it’s that time again! A clean living space does wonders for my mental health, and every little bit of help in the winter months is huge. Rules - Like Lucio, speed is key here! Spend 30 minutes in each room, no more, or else I’ll get bogged down and never finish anything. Set a timer, clean what you can, and in 30 minutes, move on. A - Spent 30 minutes tidying each room F - Nope. Can I complete ALL of this stuff and get my very own Play of the Game?! WE'LL SEE. First challenge of 2017 rebels, let's do thiiisss!!!~ (every. time.)

Hi. I'm back. I haven't really gone anywhere, just took a break. But now I'm having issues remembering and keeping track of the things I want to be changing, so here I am again. For the time being, my mission is to become a morning person. A good deal of my issues stem from my tendency to stay in bed until the very last minute every morning. Well, no longer! It's time I get hard-boiled about my commitment to myself and my health. This challenge will focus on making the most of my mornings. Goal 1: Get up! Alarm is set to 6AM on weekdays and 7AM on weekends (to try to keep my sleep schedule consistent). I will be using the Distant Alarm tactic to make sure I stay up when the alarm goes off. I'd do a gradual time increase for my alarm, but since the Husband's alarm needs to be set for the same time, I think I can Ranger myself through. Goal 2: Eat breakfast! Breakfast is important; therefore, it is the meal that I will focus on this challenge. Breakfast should be composed of animal protein and starchy carbs (for optimal thyroid function). I will aim for about 40-50g of protein, 35-55g of carbs, and 20-30g of fat. I may end up having a protein shake to help get those numbers up, but the bulk of the meal should be food that requires chewing. These are the key ingredients that I'd like to include in a morning routine. Morning people (mostly) have morning routines. I want one. I'm making it a priority. Goal 3: Move! My hips are still suffering from lack of mobility and uneven strength. I will be spending time every day doing a PT routine for my hips, legs, and core that involves some resistance training and stretching. Goal 4: Eliminate! I'm going to continue tossing out 1/4 of refined sugar cravings, to rewire the brain. In the words of the two men that are one detective...

This challenge, I am going to do the dreaded thing...a sleep challenge. The thing is, I sleep OKAY. Most nights I manage 7 hours, sometimes 6 on bad nights. But when I sleep naturally, I sleep 7.5 hours. I read all these things about how important getting your FULL amount of sleep is and how it affects just about everything. I'm often really groggy. I'm alert for maybe 2 hours after waking up, and then I get sleepy. I am a napper who could easily take 3 naps a day if schedules allowed. And I pretty much only have the mental clarity to really talk well with other people when I'm NOT tired. So in theory, if I get enough sleep, my workouts will have more energy, I will have more willpower to resist junk food, and I'll be better at talking to people. That's why I'm taking this on. Here are the goals: Goal 1: Get enough sleep (7.5 hours a night is my natural pattern) I already get up fairly early, so I have to work on inching back bedtime. I struggle with that, so I've avoided doing a sleep challenge up until now. But with constant travel and running around, it just feels like time. So on most nights, I'll aim to... Sign off of my computer at 9ish Meditate, do any chores or reading I feel like for a while to unwind Try to sleep by 10ish but it's ok to stay up doing non-screen things if I can't sleep. On bootcamp days when I wake up at 5 instead of 6, it will be more like 7 hours of sleep vs. the ideal 7.5. I won't worry about that for now...I'll just try to stick to the routine above. Travel's going to fuck me up because my boyfriend is a night owl, so I'm just going to ignore that can of worms for now too. Goal 2: Do whatever the hell exercises I feel like. Do them with love. Do a lot of them. Last week I added in an extra workout (4 vs. my usual 3) and I LOVED IT. I'm generally aiming for the same 3 workouts per week, but I'll try to get in that 4th workout when I can. I'll continue running once a week, with at least an hour of yoga required before I'm allowed to run again. I'll continue working on focused flexibility. If I get through my Aikido test in November without crying, I can buy a sledgehammer and I might start doing some shovelglove. Yadda yadda. I'm not tracking or scoring any of this. I've done 3 workouts per week since January, and I have no intention of breaking my streak now with the end of the year so close. ...And that's IT. "What??" you say, "You usually have like 20 elaborate steps for every goal!" I decided enough was enough for now. I don't need to lay out the workout goals, because I've got those down. As for food, my food vibes have been terrible since July. But last week I just suddenly hit the right buttons and started getting back on track again after watching some meal prep videos on YouTube. I think SEEING healthy food and reminding myself what a healthy diet looks and feels like did more for me that scoring or tracking or any of that nonsense. If there's anything I've learned by experimenting with different kinds of tracking this year, it's that I KNOW when I'm eating healthy and when I'm not. I don't want to keep fighting myself and feeling guilty, so I'm just going to go with the flow while I'm feeling it. If the switch turns back off, I'll go back to scoring food. In the long run, this makes sense. I don't want to track food for the rest of my life. I generally want to eat paleo/primal because that feels best for my body, but I'm going rogue and not setting any goals about it for a while. There are times when variances make sense, and it's hard to capture that in a scoresheet. So I'm just going to keep learning how to eat in a sustainably healthy way. Let's do an icebreaker! Do any of you have any weird sleep habits or sleep experiences? I'm a cuddly sleeper so I have to hug either a stuffed animal or a blanket or a pillow when I sleep

November 2016 Challenge Hello Druids, for those of you who don't know. I'm Waldgeist, a 29 year old German guy. I've been mostly rolling with the Assassins but I feel that for my current situation this is the better place for me. Whats going on right now (the prologue, if you will): I moved to another state/city and enrolled in a university course to pursue a 3-year degree in 'Physical Activity & Health', because I was not happy with were my work life was headed. I had realized that I can't sustainably work an 9 to 5 office job, but I love working with people and teaching them/helping them to get better. Therefore, I decided to not just complain but make an actual change. The journey so far wasn't easy, there were times I thought I wouldn't make it, but I did and my new life officially started last week. Also I am living completely alone again for the first time in three years, which I don't mind but that gives me more options to live healthier. There is a lot to do, like get a part-time job, make new friends, finish moving (most of my stuff is still in my hometown), explore the city/college, not to mention the obvious, study, work out, eat healthy and don't let life get to stressful at the same time. Theme: This will be the Jedi Academy books including I Jedi (though they are no longer canon, they still have a special place in my heart). Main goal: Establish routines in a new environment Quest 1 "Study the the Force by its elements" GMB Elements I've done this programme before and it is a perfect base to establish an active practice routine. Goal is to do at least 3 sessions per week, bonus points if i do the recovering days in between sessions, too. Quest 2 "A Jedi must control his body as well as his mind" Flexibility This kind of overlaps with the first quest, since there is flexibility work in there, too. But I don't want to limit myself to those stretches. Goal is to do at least 4 sessions per week. Quest 3 "Working out with Keiran Halcyon" KB/bodyweight Workout Don't have my equipment right now, so this might be limited to push-ups and squats only for a while. Anyway, twice a week is the Goal here. Quest 4 "To be One with the Force" Relax As I mentioned above there is a lot going on right now, which means I need to remind myself to relax, be thankful, not to worry too much etc. Daily would be perfect, but I know myself so every second day shall be the Goal. Quest 5 "Jedi do not desire a luxurious life" Do IF & Eat clean My budget isn't that large anyway at the moment, so this shouldn't be too hard. After all, healthy cooking is way cheaper than eating unhealty pre-made stuff and not eating for a day (aka IF) is even cheaper, even if you eat a slightly bigger meal at the end of the fast. Goal is daily healthy eating with one or two IF days a week, but a small treat a week or two won't be counted as unhealty.

Lightning Bites the Bullet After completely bailing during the last challenge I have a new perspective on what I am trying to accomplish. While I have absolutely leveled up my strength and general fitness there are so many other ways to "level up" my life. This time around I'm going to focus on trying new things, facing fears and getting used to being uncomfortable. One of the 'new things' I'm going to try is using a Bullet Journal to keep track of my daily tasks and weekly goals. To-Do lists help with my anxiety and the bullet journal is a fun and creative way to record things. Anytime I get to use markers and stickers I'm a happy Lightning. Main Goal Be strong in body and mind! Body Goal Exercise 5x a week. Anything counts but must change things up by trying some new routines, taking a class, etc. I'm going to try GMB's free Rings workouts and try their bodyweight workout. Also going to try another Spin class. Body & Mind Goal No Grains. No desserts/sweets. Grains and sugar mess with my digestion and my anxiety. No grains or sweets needs to become my normal day-to-day (monday-friday) diet. Special occasions are just that...special. I'll handle those as best I can. Mind Goal Stop procrastinating. Every week I will do something that I have been avoiding. Life Goal Face my biggest fear...flying. Going to Ireland in a few weeks which is on the VERY top of my bucket list. Super excited but also dealing with almost daily anxiety about the flight.

This challenge is going to be focused on climbing and strength, because I'm feeling weak as a kitten and I don't like it and nothing makes me feel as strong as bouldering hard. Plus, I have a GMB workshop coming up, as well as a trip to Finland which will certainly involve climbing and I don't want to embarrass myself toooo much. Basically I want to go from this to this or, you know, as much as I can manage in a few weeks. Here's the plan: Goal 1: Boulder more Climb 2-3x/week and climb hard (whenever my body is up for it). That means trying hard moves more than once before giving up, and not avoiding problems that look difficult. I've been quite paranoid because of my finger but now it's finally ok to push harder, just need to overcome the mental barrier. Goal 2: Core Dragon flag progressions and/or general conditioning at least 2-3x/week. Goal 3: Rings Play on the rings 1-2x/week, not a priority but I want to get used to rings again before the workshop. Also pull-ups. Goal 4: Balance Balancy yoga 1-2x/week (any videos are welcome here!) Goal 5: Funky squats Leg day at least 1x/week where I mess about with weird squats. Goal 6: Maintenance Rice bucket and/or wrist stretches at least 4x/week. The plan has a lot of pitfalls, especially since I'm going to Boston on Friday, but I'll do my best!

All she knew, was that she had been summoned. Shaar walked slowly into the small town of Cedarwood, casting a curious glance upwards among the trees and buildings as she did so. She had passed through these city gates many times, but this instance held a particular brand of unexplainable heaviness. Lips thinned in thought, and she shifted her travel satchels lightly about her waist, heading up the small hill to the inn. Come here. I will wait. That’s all the delivered missive had said, but the handwriting was familiar and unmistakable. And as Shaar shouldered the door to the inn gently, her gaze immediately landed upon the sender as she was greeted warmly. Shaar had been friends with Yre’na for... well, as long as she could remember, really. The Miquo’te was a drifter at heart, and would often disappear for years at a time with no word, but when she reappeared to cross Shaar’s path again it was always like no time had passed. Shaar found herself holding her breath as she approached Yre’na’s table. That’s odd. Before she could open her mouth to speak the Miquo’te’s trademark cat-like eyes flicked up to her, and a warmth crinkled the edges. “Aha, there you are.” Teeth and fangs followed through with a smile, widening, a dichotomous mix of welcoming yet predatory at the same time. Shaar found herself returning the smile tentatively, one hand coming to rest on the back of the table’s empty chair. Yre’na had always been a little.... Odd. Intense. Different. Mysterious. And sometimes a little dangerous. She and Shaar were two very different people but they always seemed to have no trouble getting along flawlessly. Like puzzle pieces that snapped together without a second thought. But this time, there was something different. Shaar made a mental note of the tiny yet vague alarm ringing in the back of her mind at this encounter, and pulled out the chair to sit, widening her smile and gesturing joyfully to her friend as Yre'na laughed joyfully, seemingly happy to be reunited. “Yeah, here I am. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long! It’s been... what, five months now? Six? I hope everything’s been okay with you.” Yre’na leaned forward, her smile softening, intense golden eyes locking onto her friend’s face. “Yes, I am very well, thank you. I actually did not call you here for me. We have a mission for you.” The exotic lilt of her voice held a mix of playfulness and curiosity, each word enunciated clearly, and the Miquo’te tilted her head gently to one side as she spoke. “Oh?” Shaar quirked an eyebrow slowly and leaned forward in her chair, interested. We. Yre’na had a history of doing side jobs for the Kraken’s Arms, a local pirate gang that was a little less ‘gang’ and more like a rebellious Robin Hood group. Their band consisted of a wide variety of... well, ‘contractors’, and briefly she found it odd that they would need someone of her service. To her credit, she was versed in multiple disciplines, so.... “Yeah? Yeah, okay. What’s up?” “You’re familiar with the Dread Gods, yes?” Shaar paused, brows furrowed before she answered softly, “Yes”. The Dread Gods were fiction turned wive’s tale, old stories you used to get your children to come home before dark and spook your friends with during All Saint’s Wake. Members of an ancient looter’s group that turned traitor, brutalized by their comrades, now three vengeful spirits left to roam the continent of La Noscea, hungry for revenge and any wayward human that crossed their path. A superstition, misfortune relegated to the history books. Yet something about the way Yre’na was watching her made the hair on the back of Shaar’s neck stand up. Without thinking, she spoke: “Vylkis, Tranicos...” “And Myrtille.” Yre’na slid in and finished the sentence with a glint in her eye. “Yes, you remember. I knew you would.” She shifted in her seat, serpentine, curling slim fingers of both hands around the arms of her chair as she continued. “These are not just tales, Shaar. The Dread Gods are real. They have roamed this land since before our ancestors settled here, eternally confined to the world of their traitorous deeds. They have been here for too long. Overstayed their welcome. And now, it is time for them to go home.” Shaar leaned back in her seat gently, almost instinctively, as Yre’na leaned forward in hers - a perfect mirror of motion. “Kill them. Your mission is to kill them. Send them home.” The Miquo’te’s tone was lilted, intense, as she locked her piercing gaze onto her friend’s bewildered face. She was still smiling with those pointed teeth. “I... wait, what? You want me to kill some wraiths? Really?” Skeptical, Shaar frowned, working to wrap her mind around all of this. Kill ghosts? Can you even? And why me? Yre’na chuckled lowly, that softening warmth returning to her eyes. “This task is for you, Shaar, because you can do this. Do you trust me?” Without hesitation, “Yes”. “Good. I then, will trust in you, and that you will know what to do when the time comes.” The Miquo’te rose slowly from her chair, declining her chin to keep her gaze settled on her friend. “Each of the Dread Gods is rumored to carry a different totem. Return them to me, and we will know the deed has been done. You will be compensated thusly, and handsomely. Remember, you are strong, and you are wise, and very, very capable.” The two regarded each other silently for a few moments, respectfully, before Yre’na nodded once, turned, and left the inn in one sleek motion. --- Shaar remained nestled in the inn for some hours later, silently observing the patrons, nursing a mug of strong ale, and rolling the days events over in her head. Kill some Gods, yeah, ok. No big. I’m your gal. Her memory wandered back to sepia-toned youth, where she recalled tales of the corsair Vylkis often being sighted in Western La Noscea, around Skull Valley and the Tidegates. So, destination set. But... Shaar let out a slow sigh, and reached for the well-worn pouch kept closely at her side. Barely bigger than her hand, she released the complex maze of securing strings and delved her fingers inside, jostling around a multitude of talismans. Different colors, shapes, no two the same. It would be important to get the right one. Just the right one for a really important job. She gave herself a few moments before her fingers closed around one. Do I even have to look? Retrieving her hand from the pouch, she glanced down, uncurling her fingers to reveal the crystal she had palmed; Soul of the Dragoon. A knowing, almost rueful smile, and she tucked this soul safely away in her belt, away from the others. Yet still that odd feeling remained, and it was likely the ale that nudged her to tuck that away for the time being - one final draught to drain her mug, and it was time to go. --- Nerds, friends, rebels, and ancient pirate wraiths! Welcome to part 1 of my new mini-narrative for the next few NF challenges!! I've got a small story I'd like to spin alongside my goals for a bit, along with some ~*~custom-made gifs and screencaps~*~ because I'm a giant nerd. (SHOCKER RIGHT?!) Anyways. [soul of the dragon: 50/50] I will start out with a full 50 point health bar. This bar will stay full as long as I complete the weekly goals I’ve set for myself here. If I slip up and fail a week, my health will go down by a certain number of points determined by the quest in question. My goal to pass this challenge and advance the story is to come out of the 4 weeks with a 50/50 health bar. In the event of me missing a weekly goal, I’ve included some bonus quests at the end of my main duties that will help me regain points and stay in the game! Main Quests 01 activity, lift x 3 days [blood of the dragon] Get back into a consistent 3-day lifting schedule. Easy peasy, right? Missing a day will drop me -5HP. 02 mobility, gmb unbreakable wrists & ankles x 3 days [sharper fang & claw] I’m very interested in mobility but all I’ve done so far is mostly collect underpants. Around the end of last year I doodled around with some basic primal work, but it never really stuck. At this point I want to develop a consistent mobility practice to keep me moving good and feeling good, especially sitting in a desk chair 8 hours a day! I’ll be starting with these two GMB flow tutorials for wrists and ankles. I really dig GMB, their mobility work is really dynamic and full-body and looks FUN to do, and having fun is really important for me to make my goals stick. Missing a day will drop me -3HP. 03 meal prep, all lunches + addition of meal prepped breakfasts [battle litany] I’ve been wanting to expand my meal prep to breakfasts and snacks for a while now, so I’ll take this step by step and just focus on adding weekday breakfasts to my current weekday lunch schedule. Most importantly I’m looking to focus on a post-workout recovery meal for days I hit the gym, something pre-made (by me!) that I can grab and bring with me to keep in the car until afterwards. Missing a week of breakfast prep will cost me -5HP. Recovery Quests These are some extra options for me to regain health if I donk up my main goals! Extra GMB session - +2HP 30 minute outdoor walk - +3HP Dynamic yoga session (not recovery/restorative) - +3HP P90X cardio workout - +5HP 30 minute outdoor jog - +5HP I'm also going to be heading up a mental health/wellness accountability group here if anyone is interested in helping keep their brains a little less stressed and jangly as we go. <3 <3 I'm looking forward to it as the holidays settle in and the days get colder and shorter... Anyways, off to hunt some pirate wraiths! ^_- I hope you'll come along for the ride!

A tribute to the women in Lord of the Rings: Galadriel: Elf queen, co-ruler of Lothlorien. She is both beautiful and wise. As the ruler of an elven kingdom, she knows the value of spending her time wisely, To be like Galadriel I will follow my morning routine. Morning routine done ; day started by 9:30; same deal as before for every minute late I owe 1 burpee. 2 points per day Eowyn: Slayer of the Witch King Nazgul; She was prepared and ready to fight the Witch King when the time was right. To be like Eowyn,I need to be prepared for whatever comes my way. I’ve read the book Deskbound by Kelly Starrett and am trying to implement its strategies for become more mobile. There is a 14 day mobility challenge, with each mobility drill taking about 10 minutes. I will finish all 14 days by challenge end. 30 days upon completion. No points if I don’t finish.It’s a 14 day challenge, so I can miss several days and still finish. Arwen; The elf lady who gave up family and immortality, staying behind when the other elves left, to aid in the fight against Sauran and save Middle Earth. She had courage and took risks when they were needed, not afraid to do what might have frightened others. To be like Arwen I have created an adventure list. Some things can be done multiple times. All things worth 2 points unless otherwise noted. Go swimming in a lake Go hiking in a new place Go for a run Try a new food Finish a biography (10 points) Start the barbecue Go for a speed ruck Walk 6 miles (not hiking) just around town Run on a trail Scrapbook 2 pages Buy furniture (20 points) Skin the cat without feet touching ground (10 points) 90 second farmer’s walk with 44 lb. kb Be able to do highest weight on grip trainer (10 points) Both feet off ground in assisted tuck (20 points) Buy hiking book Look up trails and take notes listen to my Psalm playlist (1 pt) declutter for 15 minutes (1 pt) Buy safety gear for hiking (10 points) buy small backpack Finish memorize Philippians 1 (20 points) I can randomly add stuff to this list as I get the inspiration Every 75 points earned gets a prize: Captain Crush Grip Trainer Simple and Sinister Book (I have the kindle) Cookbook Mini challenge goals: trength: bottoms up KB press across the yard combat: practice the crow to headstand to crow 3 x during week distance: ruck 3 miles or hike 7 miles recovery:do 4 mobility stretch from Deskbound 4 days of the week