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For the ones that already know me - OHAI! For the ones that don't - Yay, glad you're here! I'm a dabbler in all the shiny assassiny things like circus and pole and climbing. Some say I get easily distracted -SQUIRREL! Oh uhmm... yeah they're probably right. But that won't stop me from DOING ALL THE THINGS (badly). I'll add some more goal type thingies when I feel like it, but for now I want to take off the challenge pressure and just hang out here in this battle log. Hope you're cool with that.

Main Quest: Foundation Building This one has turned into pretty much a short-term Epic Quest. I'm still working on shelter. I figured out a [constantly-evolving] weekly chore list in the previous challenge, which I will keep adding to. I am thinking timelines and scheduling should be the main focus this time to ensure that they get done. Chore List: Laundry - Wednesday and Saturday morning Dishes - Wednesday and Saturday morning Sweep and dust once a week Grocery and cooking once a week Taking out the dogs once a day Trash once a week Junk mail/email once a week Bathroom cleaning once a week Eliminate tabs on browser Misc: Daily Instagram and Facebook post Bi-weekly Coaching updates Big Tasks: Living Room - boxes of papers, books, old magazines, etc. Closet - sort clothes, throw away other clothes Weekly Schedule - install whiteboard, figure out priorities Side Quest: Order of the Mage Slayers Knowing that the Order might be itself corrupted if exposed to magic, the Vizjerei deemed that the Assassins would have to possess the purest, most focused minds, that they should draw their power from within, not without. I will be embracing the guild's roots in minimalist training to avoid distractions as much as possible. (1) Training in my garage will always be timed and limited to 60 minutes; as I always end up spending too much time playing hee-haw with the fuck-around gang. (2) I will also be focusing on the ever-elusive Handstand, until I can eventually hold it for 60 seconds. Daily 5 minutes of Handstand work followed by 10 minutes of meditation. Ya makasi. ======================================================================== WEEK 1 TASKS ✘ Draft Facebook Posts (5/7) ✔ Update Trainerize ✘ Bathroom ✘ Sweep and Dust ✔ Grocery ✔ Cook ✔ Junk Mail ✔ Trash ✔ Laundry 1 ✔ Laundry 2 ✔ Dishes 1 (delegated) ✔ Dishes 2 ✔ Dogs Sun ✘ Dogs Mon ✔ Dogs Tue (delegated) ✔ Dogs Wed (delegated) ✘ Dogs Thu ✘ Dogs Fri ✔ Dogs Sat Tab count: 31 Handstand / Headspace Sun: Partial Wall 5x6s; Motivation 6 Mon: miss / miss Tue: Partial Wall / miss Wed: Partial Wall / miss Thu: Partial Wall / miss Fri: Partial Wall / miss Sat: Partial Wall / miss

I'm looking to stay the course for this challenge. I've been putting off handstanding long enough, and I want to stick to these 28 days with at least some form of HS training, whether it be wrist prep, PPT, shoulder flexion, alignment, or just a short inversion. @Grandkai_NL@Ash Raine@zenLara (and anyone else I might have missed) we all appear to have a daily Handstand practice goal. What say you?

Ohai. I don't know what I want to prioritise. I just wanna do all the things. The only thing I know for sure is that I want to start learning Finnish again! So for now I'm going to leave this challenge as a place holder for random gifs and chit chat and we'll see what happens. EDIT: I haz challenge! And with that I mean @sylph posted her challenge and I stole the whole thing hahaha. (Thank you Sylph ) But it's all good because we're in this together! Structured Circus – Class at least once per week (pole) +5 points per class Stretchiness – At least 2 out-of-class stretching sessions (at least 10 mins each) per week. One of these can be body-maintenance type stuff (foam rolling, etc.) if desired. +5 points per session (additional sessions per week can count for additional points) Abs – Video Challenge at least once per week (alternating who chooses each week or we each choose one each week for both of us to do). +5 points per video completed (each video can count more than once if done in the week it is the Video Challenge) Life goal – Start learning Finnish again. Ideally a little bit every day. Unscored Bonus – Photo or video progress on butterfly (pole), forearm stand or flying pigeon. Haven't decided on which one. Maybe I'll just do all 3. Unscored Extra Double Bonus – Stock up freezer with 5 meals.

I'm back for my fourth challenge. I disappeared for a while there in between challenges, not for any particular reason except life got busy! I have been working out and running, reading, and occasionally dropping by to read about how everyone else has been getting on. As the next challenge starts tomorrow, I thought I'd better get my goals sorted out. Many are similar to my previous goals, though I'm ditching the food diary this time, and shifting sketching to the bonus section, otherwise it feels forced and stifles my desire to do it! I'm also swapping out appreciation for meditation this time, as I want to get back in the habit of meditating on a regular basis. The appreciation (of my colleagues and team) has been going well, and I think I can manage to do this without it being part of my challenge goals - but time will tell! Quest: Get strong & be healthy 1. Mindful eating - eat only when hungry, keep portion size under control, eat pulses/legumes/lentils on a daily basis 2. Strength Workout - 3x per week, including strength exercises from NF Rings & Handstands pack (straight arm support, walk walks, crow pose, etc.) 3. Running - 3x per week 4. Ninja moves - minimum 5 mins per day - core, hip flexor, and wrist/hand strengthening exercises from NF Rings & Handstands packs. And kick-ups. I’ve decided that if I’m going to be able to do a handstand anytime soon, I need to change the NF Handstands plan to match me… I’ll keep working on the strength aspects, but I need to feel like I’m making more progress as the strength stuff is taking time. Quest: Be a better me 5. At least 5 minutes Hindi practice on Memrise on weekdays 6. Read (a book) at least once a week 7. Meditation - minimum 5 mins per day Bonuses: Sketch - bonus point awarded for any sketching done in a day 10000+ steps - bonus point awarded for any day I walk more than 10000 steps (might hit this more than twice this month, as I'm taking part in the How Far Can You Go? PVP, where I've taken my June baseline of 2.4 miles a day as my baseline, so any daily distance over this will count for the challenge) Miserable yoga poses - As the Miserable Yoga PVP is continuing, I'll give myself 1 point extra for each Miserable yoga pose I complete in the month Weekly scores: Mindful eating (0/28) Strength Workout (0/12) Running (0/12) Ninja moves (0/28) Hindi (0/20) Read (0/4) Meditation (0/28) Possible total = 132 Bonuses: Sketch (0 days) 10000+ steps (0 days) Miserable Yoga (0 poses)

Welcome everybody! I'm a 26-year-old British guy who likes gymnastics, climbing, calisthenics, circus, weightlifting, ... and generally try to do too much. Last August I quit my job as a software engineer to go travelling around the world, volunteering for charities, learning new skills, and generally chasing excitement Brief summary of my journey since starting at Nerd Fitness: Jan 2014: joined the forums and planned to learn backflips outdoors by February. Hahaha that did not happen, but gymnastics and weightlifting did Jul 2014: reached 10 seconds for handstands and recorded my progress [video] Oct 2014: bought gymnastics rings and went through a phase of training lots with these Aug 2015: reached so far my peak in gymnastics and made a compilation [video] in the Summer Aug 2015: moved house and got lazy Challenged with the Warriors and I don't think I even made it to a gym haha Jan 2016: decided that I needed more excitement and that in 2016 I was going to get it Aug 2016: quit my job and backpacked around Slovenia and Eastern Europe Sep 2016: competed in the Mental Calculation World Cup in Germany Oct 2016: studied Spanish in a language school in Valencia Nov 2016: competed at Memoriad in Las Vegas. Flew to Nicaragua to volunteer as a volcano tour guide for 3 months Feb 2017: backpacked around Nicaragua and Guatemala - both really nice destinations May 2017: spent a month in Barcelona learning more Latin dancing and learning to how to create websites - currently working on HyperBirthday Jun 2017: visited Edinburgh and continued working on projects I like colour-coding things This month I'm going to Oxford (UK) to teach an Engineering course to some pre-University students, and should have plenty of time to work on other projects My last sort-of challenge in Edinburgh was overly negative - "do these things otherwise you lose lots of points!" - and I respond better to more positive challenges, so this time I'll just be accumulating points. And using overly-complicated challenge scoring systems Goal #1: be prolific: I'm always impressed and astonished at NF'ers like Raptron who seem to do crazy amounts of stuff every day. Like 2 workouts, 3 social engagements, a full-time job, baked a cake, read everything on NF and caught a plane. With her bare hands. Meanwhile sometimes all I've done is eaten 4 bowls of cereal and refreshed Facebook 30 times. I'm getting better, but I'm not in the same league as Raptron yet, so I'm going to keep working. Also hai Raptron So generally, this challenge I'm going to focus on doing lots of interesting things and not wasting my time. For the first 25 days I'll get points for the following: fitness work: max 3 (e.g. if I do a serious session of something, that would get me 2) social activities: max 3 (course-based fun activities count) sleep early: max 2 (before 0000: 2 points; before 0030: 1 point) eat well: max 2 good tutor: max 2 don't waste time: max 2 get work done: max 6 (1 per full hour) That's 20 points per day, and I think realistically 15+ would be an excellently productive day. Total: 500 points. Goal #2: fitness goals: here's that thing where I make a list of fitness goals and fail to accomplish any of them 10 points per achievement. There will be 20, but some get added later when I see what equipment is available in Oxford. Total: 200 points. Also I'm open to suggestions for goals! 8 ring dips 12 ring dips 12 ring pull-ups 3 clean ring muscle-ups pretty au batido 7-second static handstand 10-second static handstand 20-second walking handstand 25-second walking handstand clockwise circle walk in handstand consecutive opposite circle walks in handstand complete figure-of-8 handstand walk 30 push-ups 40 push-ups go climbing play a new sport ab workout video #1 ab workout video #2 ab workout video #3 sightseeing run Goal #3: productive goals: basically the important items from my to-do list. Total: 300 points. project: fix HyperBirthday on mobile (15 points) project: implement hyperbirthday.com/result/<date> framework (30 points) project: add SEO blog post to HyperBirthday (15 points) project: add another blog post to HyperBirthday [#2] (10 points) project: add another blog post to HyperBirthday [#3] (5 points) project: add another blog post to HyperBirthday [#4] (5 points) project: add full moon counter to HyperBirthday (20 points) project: TimeGhost to HyperBirthday (20 points) mind sports: create reusable presentation (20 points) mind sports: detailed strategy for names & faces event (5 points) mind sports: detailed strategy for ordered pictures event (5 points) mind sports: detailed strategy for arbitrary nouns event (5 points) mind sports: trial MSO calculation paper (15 points) piano: finish composing the intro/verse for Sahara (5 points) piano: compose the instrumental section for Sahara (20 points) piano: write manuscript for Sahara (15 points) dance: create a salsa/bachata routine and use it (20 points) fitness: create two set workouts for this challenge and do both (20 points) travel: some progress towards September plans (week 0) (5 points) travel: some progress towards September plans (week 1) (5 points) travel: some progress towards September plans (week 2) (5 points) travel: some progress towards September plans (week 3) (5 points) travel: have travel/life plans until Sept 30th (10 points) travel: have travel/life plans until Nov 15th (10 points) travel: have travel/life plans until Dec 31st (10 points) So that's 1000 points in total. I think 200 will be very easy and 800 almost impossible, so after 200, every 60 points gives me another stat point. Good luck everyone!

In 5 weeks I will be heading into a new mission phase and it's time to start preparing. My handler sent me the key skills he wants me to brush up on: Hand to hand: Krav Maga (0/6 sessions) Increase Endurance: HIIT Sessions (2/28) Study Up: Finish Pre-law school books and assignments (0/6) Get Flexy and Handstands: Handstand Drills (0/25) Flexibility Sessions (2/25) Nutrition: Calorie Counting (3/25) Internal Peace: Meditation (2/25)

As the video and title might suggest, this challenge is all about the spreadies!* Just as my last challenge I'll continue to do a bunch of circusy things like handstands and pole, but this time the challenge will be points based, and somewhat more focused. On the surface that is, mainly I just wanted to use the word spready a lot. My overall aim is to collect 200 points over the course of the challenge, which might be a tad ambitious. I’m feeling pretty good right now as I'm on a good streak, but we’ll see. I’ll use zero week to experiment, keeping in mind that my main focus has to be on my performance on Saturday! To even things out a little I’ll give myself 5 points per performance practice this week. *If you haven't watched the video yet, go watch it. I'll wait. #1 Spreadies to the gods My handstands are slowly coming back and I’ve started to get enough control to move around in them a little bit, yay! My kick ups are still far from consistent, but it’s fun to play around with different positions. 5 points for freestanding straddle/splits handstand work 3 points for work in headstand or wall drills #2 Ground dwelling spreadies I know I’ve complained about this about a million times, but miss feeling bendy! My middle splits are surprisingly good after a decent warmup, but my front splits are oh so sad, especially on the right. I’ve just been so scared of re-injury that I’ve simply neglected to stretch them. But now that I’m back in the air I can’t pretend it’s not a problem anymore. 5 points for active flex or deep passive stretching 2 points for extra post workout stretching 1 point for foam rolling or mobilising #3 Spreadies in space I really struggle with keeping my legs straight when inverting, and it’s not a micro bend either, it’s just fugly. I don’t think it’s so much a strength issue, but a control and maybe a flexibility issue as I’m quite tight behind the knees. Also it drives me crazy that I can’t always get into an outside leg hang cleanly. But it all starts from the invert. 5 points for each practice on the pole or other apparatus. 3 points for relevant conditioning exercises. #4 Orbiting spreadies Honestly I’m just adding this goal so I could write orbiting spreadies. But I would like to get more comfortable on spinny pole. At the moment it just feels like I’m going to get flung off the pole and die. 2 points for playing on spinny pole, even if it’s only for a few minutes. BONUS GOAL Tentacle spreadies I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS TITLE MEANS, except that this goal is reserved as a food goal. I just know that I really need to normalise my eating, but I'm not sure how yet. Ideas are welcome. If they fit the title even better.

Last month I failed miserably, but this month... More to come soon

After a very stressful (AND SUCCESSFUL - HELL YEAH THIS ASSASSIN IS GOING TO LAW SCHOOL) last challenge, I'm going to try to keep this one simple and relatively easy to follow. Here it goes: 8 sessions of Krav Maga (2/8) 10 Cardio Sessions (11/10) 8 Body Weight/Weight Lifting Sessions (7/8) 25 Handstand Sessions (4/25) 25 Meals made at home (22/25) 30 Meditation Sessions (15/30) 25 Flexibility Sessions (6/25) Go through closet and donate clothes (0/1) Start packing to move (0/1)

This challenge is going to be a bit of a regrouping challenge. I spent last challenge with the druids - developing good sleep habits and learning some yoga by doing 30-60min of yoga videos every day. It went really well, and so now I feel like I can stop focusing on sleep for a while (finally!) and I will wind back the yoga so I'm doing a more sustainable amount (short sessions 5x a week). It is surprising how much extra flexibility I have already! I also know my strong points and weak points now. So my yoga for this challenge will be targeted - my shoulders are really bad it turns out (previous job + powerlifting would have caused this), so I will focus on those muscles and do some rolling with a cricket ball too. Quests for this challenge: Complete all planned fitness activities Improve food prep skills *Bonus for fun* Work on epic quest / lifestyle design Quick overview, I will flesh out the details a bit more for each quest in my next post ps. I am a bit of a lurker on other people's challenges - if you are working on something similar let me know, I will come have a look

Agent Pond has become desperately bored in her current position and has recently decided to move up her self-determined deadline of requesting a mission transfer. With this comes a very intense deadline with multiple parts and the need to maintain a realistic physical routine. Notable Future Dates: Mission Transfer Request Due: April 30th Agent's Birthday: May 8th Side Missions: Agent Kat's pending move (find a new house, pack up and sell old house, move) Agent Dec's pending move (Weekend trip to help move things) Agent Pond's Pending move? (only applies if mission transfer is approved) Mission Parameters: Mission Transfer Request is number 1 priority and will be put ahead of all other tasks until complete (End date: April 30th) Parts: 1) Personal Essay 2) CV 3) Request References (First Email) Send Reference Link (2/2) Confirm Letter Receipt 4) Addenda 5) Request Transcripts 6) Pray for transfer approval and full funding of mission Bunk Overhaul (Have complete Bunk overhaul achieved by end of challenge) Krav Maga (2/12) Flexibility (4/20) Handstand Play (2/15) Running or Cycling (7/10) Body Weight Workout (8/10) (THIS IS MY COVERALL APOLOGY FOR MORE KINGSMAN STUFF. #NONEWCONTENT)

Ryuu1011 plays D&D 400/400hp Inventory: 0 Healing Potions (+50hp), 0g 0s Gold and Silver (Dollars and Cents), 0 Mana This challenge will be a direct continuation of my last challenge in both layout and for most of my goals. I have big obstacle course race coming up at the very end of this challenge on May 20, 2017 and since its called the Dragon OCR I figured there isn't a better time to do a D&D themed challenge. Goal 1: Train my Body for Adventure Continuing to use my Gymnastic Bodies Foundations classes as I continue to build strength, flexibility, balance, and movement. Using the money that I earned durring my last challenge I purchased GB's movement series and will be incorporating it into my weekly workout not too. Since my writs and elbows were getting a little sore by the end of the last challenge I've decided to scale down my handstand work for this challenge and have decided to double up on the movement classes to replace it. GB Foundations (UB, LB, C) x3 per Week ___/ 3 = ___/12 Stretch Series (FS, MS, TB) x3 per Week ___/3 = ___/12 Handstand Series x1 per Week ___/1 = ___/4 Movement Series x2 per Week ___/2 = ___/8 Workout Schedule- Mon- Walk, Upper body Tues- Movement, Middle Split Wed- Lower Body, Front Split Th- Thoracic Bridge, Handstand Fri- Movement, Core Sat-Rest, Play, or Run/Walk Sun-Rest, Play, or Run/Walk Training Mishap: -10hp, Failed to do a set workout on the set day, that was not pre-planned Battle Wounds: -25hp, any workouts left uncompleted at the end of the week Goal 2: Craft Health Potions to Survive Since I've been dieting for so long for the rest week and the 1st week of the challenge I will be eating at "maintenance" for 160lbs ~2300 calories then for the last three weeks I will start back on my deficit of ~1700 calories to ideally be at about 158 by the end of the challenge. Record my Nutrition in MFP x 7 per week ____/7 = ___/28 Be within +/- 200 cal of 1700 (+ exercise cals) x6 per week ___/6 = ___/24 Starting Metrics (4/13/2017): 159.8lbs, 14.7%bf Waist: 31.75" Hips: 32.75" Craft Healing Potion: +50hp 6 days at +/- 200 cals of my goal Cure Light Wounds Spell: +10hp Chose the healthy option Scratched by a Goblin: -10hp Bad Choice Gashed by a Skeleton: -25hp Bad Meal Smacked by a Troll: -100hp Bad Day Goal 3: Mend my Wounds This goal is all about rehab and prehab to help with my long term health and wellness, especially for my feet and my sleep. The last time I made a sleep goal it was really tough on my relationship with my GF so hopefully it willn't be as bad this time around. Walk 2x per week ~30 min 1+ mile __/2 = ___/8 Ice Roll my feet 2x per week __/2 = ___/8 Get into bed by 10:30 5x per week ___/5 = ___/ 20 Attacked by Bandits: -25hp per any walks or ice rolls left uncompleted at the end of the week Fatigue: -10hp per day over 2 stayed up past 10:30 Fancy Room at the Inn: +5hp per day going to bed by 10:00pm Goal 4: Record my Adventures & Help others on their Quests I account this goal for one of the reasons that I did so well in the last challenge so I would be silly of me to not include it again in this challenge. Check in here 5x per Week ___/5 = ___/20 Touch base on at least 1 other person’s thread 5x per week ____/5 = ___/20 Consumed by Battle: -10hp per day missed on my log or others. Detailed Notes: +10hp per day over 5 Monsters to Kill To weaken the dragon before the fight I must first take down some of his massive evil army. These are some other daily habits and tasks that I would like to continue to do over the course of the challenge, as I complete them I will earn gold and silver (dollars and cents) towards fun fitness related purchases, and mana towards video game time.

Ok maybe I'll expand a little. Truth is I'm a little lost and directionless, fitness and otherwise. So until inspiration strikes, and because I'm me, I'm simply going to do all the things and play around with whatever floats my boat, as long as it's vaguely circusy. Also climbing, but that's a given. The main goal is to do something circusy every day. And if I cannot manage every day then at least no break two days in a row. Ideally, I'd like to include pole 1-2x per week, climbing 1-2x/week, active flex training 3x/week and handstands as often as possible but at least 2x/week. But the more important thing is to show up, do something most days and have fun while doing it. Since my last challenges have been a ) failures and b ) embarrassingly devoid of fitness (considering this is a fitness forum) I want to keep this challenge really, really simple and fun. But I do have one little mini challenge and that is to learn the words for different body parts and other pole related vocab in Finnish so I can begin the process of understanding what the teacher is saying in class. (And to restart my Finnish learning which I've completely neglected since I moved here...) In summary, let's do weird things.

OH HI. Some of you (probably not a lot) already know me but I'll introduce myself anyway: I'm Virago! I've been a Nerd Fitness reader for a loooong time, I went to CNF 2015, and I even used to post here sometimes - but I'm horrible at forums Anyway, since I'm also the Rebel Support Leader at Nerd Fitness, and since I'm going to be helping Spezzy out with the forums now that she's COACHING FULL TIME FOR NF (AAAAAAHHHH HOW COOL IS THAT!!!!?!), I'm going to take another crack at a battle log. I've always wanted one here, and just been too scared/overwhelmed to do it. Well guess what: it's respawn time!!! More introductions (and, you know, battle-logging) to come, but for now I'm going to hit publish before I chicken out. LET'S DO THIS, NERDS!

Challenges: 21: Mar '17 - Handstands, languages, work pants #1 22: Apr '17 - Breathe, stat daily to do list 23: May '17 - Grey Jedi Code, maintain 24: Aug '17 - End of parkour and master's degree, bad nutrition advice 25: Sept '17 - Respawn, fix food intake, Kenpo 26: Oct '17 - Joined a gym, work pants #1, Halloween outfit 27: Nov '17 - Thor bracer, work skirt, Kenpo 28: Dec '17 - Mjolnir, Japanese, work pants #2 29: Feb '18 - Kenpo, languages, work pants #3 30: Mar '18 - Mjolnir, Thor bracer, Kenpo knife, gardening I'm not sure what iteration of myself I'm on at this point, but it's time for a new one. My gentleman and I are getting back into things we did before I started the masters degree, my body is definitely not in the same place it was back then (for the better), and neither are my hobbies. Since spring is almost here, I figure this is a good time to mark a next iteration, of sorts. Not a start over, but a new "this is my starting point" to gauge progress from, mentally and physically. Goals: Handstands: If I'm serious about my life goal, I need to get on this. Adding 5 minutes of handstand work on cardio days. Languages: After 10 weeks of focusing on the thesis, the languages and my area knowledge took a hit. I'll stick with the Japanese during lunch, but the 5 minutes of French/Russian in the evening needs to start with Duolingo, then progress to either online courses, history, or catching up on regional news. Sewing: As much as I love the results of sewing, I really don't enjoy actually doing it. But I need to. I will finish 1 pair of work pants this challenge. (I hope). My usual exercise and food regimes will continue, and hopefully I'll be able to add in gardening this month. We're supposed to have a rather large snowstorm starting tonight; I'm hoping it's winter's last hurrah and then real spring will come. Let's see how it goes, shall we?

Ryuu1011 Trains with the Bat Family Challenge 9 (2017 Challenge #2) Feb 12 - March 11, 2017 Continuing many of my goals from last challenge, with a few modifications. These lists correspond to my own goal setting philosophy which I came up with for my 2017 Battle Plan consisting of Auto Goals (goals on the back burner/ habits), In Progress Goals (long term goals that are works in progress) and Strike Goals (goals which are within striking distance of completion). Auto Goals (My Challenge Checklist): [X] Pay off $150 extra on my Student Loans [ ] 1 Date night with GF (Set! We're going to Medieval Times on Feb 26th!) [ ] 1 NC NF Meet Up (Set! We're having a dance meetup on Feb 18th!) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Play with my throwing knives and bow In Progress Goals: 1. Train with Nightwing and The Robin's: Master my own Body- Continue GB Foundations (Upper Body, Lower Body, and Core) x1 each per week , Stretch (Front and Middle Split, and Thoracic Bridge) x1 per week and Handstand Series x3 per week. (___/12, ___/12, ___/12) Nightwing and Red Robin are both body weight training Masters, Nightwing was an acrobat and Red Robin was a Gymnasts. Robin (Damian Wayne) is a highly trained assassin from birth, so I'll be doing similar training to hopefully one day reach their levels. This goal shouldn't be too hard so long as I'm able to keep up my consistency. The GB foundation workouts are not too hard yet until they get to level 9 (their mastery level) which normally involves 5 sets of 15 reps or 5 sets of 60 second holds... uhhh they are rough. 2. Train with Alfred: Master my Health- Loose 3lbs, 1%BF, and ~ 1/2" off of my waist by recording my nutrition in MFP (___/28) everyday and prepping ~9meal per week (5 lunches (___/20), 4 dinners (___/16)) I'm sure Alfred knows a thing or two about nutrition and meal prepping since he has to keep the entire bat fam healthy and fed to fuel their late night escapades so I'll be studding under him to try and get my nutrition in check and thus my waist line. I'll be primarily using my waist and weight along with my body composition spreadsheet to guesstimate may Body Fat %. Starting Measurement were taken on 2/9/17 Starting Weight= 163.0lbs Starting BF% = 16.2% Starting Measurements: Waist: 32.5" Arms: 12/ 13.5" Calf: 14" Chest: 40.5" Hips: 33.5" Thighs: 21.5" Butt: 39" Neck: 14" 3. Train with Bat Girl: Master my Cardio- Run or Walk 3x per week, ~25-30min, ~5k/ 3m (___/12) I don't even want to guess just how much cardio the bat family gets in a week but by training with bat girl hopefully I'll be able to keep up with them soon. This goal might be a little bit more difficult, and might get changed depending on how my foot is feeling/ how much I think I can take. My feet have been having some problems which is going to definitely slow my cardio progress but I'd rather be safe than push myself past my limits again and hurt my feet for a second time. 4. Train with The Bat: Master my Training- Research Personal Training Certifications, Go to 3 gyms and ask what types of Certifications they require, Select a certification and start saving for it. ( [ ] Research, [ ] Champions, [ ] Snap Fitness, [ ] Life Time Fitness, [ ] Savings Started) There is no better master of personal training than Batman himself. He has trained many partners and continues to be train and improve himself mastering his own body. (I mean look at that picture that suit is practically painted on!) I am thinking about becoming a personal trainer, perhaps as a complete profession swap or just part time, I'm not sure right now, but for this challenge I just want to do my research and figure out the best path to start down on. Challenge Strike Goals: 5. Work on my Batcave: [X] Remove my old bed from the workout room [ ] Clean up and Organize the Workout Room I couldn't train with the entire bat family with out without working on my batcave too! By the end of this challenge I am hoping to get our spare room organized and start turning it into an actual full workout/ art studio for my GF and myself so we can workout from home and do art stuff too, though I'm setting the goal at just cleaning and organizing for right now.

The 12 Labors of Ryuu1011 Part 2 Challenge #8.5: Jan 2- Feb 4th, 2017 Towards the end of the last challenge I lost sight of my goals because of the holidays and although I kind of expected it, I'm not happy about it. Therefore I'll be making another attempt at the 12 Labors of Hercules for this challenge. I've edited my goals slightly because of some recent purchases and additions to my Bat Cave (i.e my fitness arsenal). Ultimate Challenge Goals (5 weeks of goals) 1. Exercise Every Weekday in Someway 2. Continue my Handstand Training 3. Record my Nutrition in MFP and Track my Food Intake (to loose weight) 4. Meal Prep for the following and current week The 12 Labors 1. Slay the Nemean Lion: An lion who's fur can't be damaged by weapons, I'll need to use strength to beat it To Slay: [0/15] Complete 15 Foundation (Upper-body, Lower-body, or Core) Training Sessions 2. Slay the Lernaean Hydra: A toxic multi-headed serpent who's heads multiply when cut off, I'll need mobility and flexibility to avoid its poison breath and fangs To Slay: [0/12] Complete 12 Yoga/ Stretch (Middle/ Front Split, Thoracic Bridge) Sessions 3. Capture the Ceryneia Hind: A golden Deer who runs faster than an arrow in flight, I'll need to be exceeding fast to capture this beast To Capture: [0/8] Complete 8 30min+ Cardio Workouts (60min + Walking or getting 10,000 FB Steps will count 1/4 credit) 4. Capture the Erymathian Boar: A fearsome giant boar of unknown whereabouts, I'll need to an excellent tracker to find and capture it To Capture: [0/32] Complete 32 diary entries for my MFP 5. Clean out the Augean Stables: A gross stable filled with divine, immortal cows that made a shitload of dung, I'll need to clean up my diet to purify it To Clean: [0/4] Loose 4lbs 6. Slay the Stymphalian Birds: Man-eating, bronze beaked birds that can launch their metal feathers, I'll have to shoot them out of the air To Slay: [0/4] Complete 4 30min+ Target Archery or Throwing Knife Sessions 7. Capture the Cretan Bull: A slightly angrier than normal bull, I'll need to prepare diligently to capture it To Capture: [0/25] Pre-Prepare 25 Lunches (5 per week) 8. Capture the Mares of Diomedes: Mad, man-eating horses that breath fire, I'll need to prepare and strategizes to capture them To Capture: [0/20] Pre-Prepare 20 Dinners (4 per week) 9. Obtain the Belt of Hippolyta: A magical belt worn by the queen of the Amazons, I'll need to impress her if I want to get it To Obtain: [0/15s] 15 second strict handstand hold (w/ video) 10. Obtain the Cattle of Geryon: A huge herd of magnificent red cattle guarded by a multi-headed giant, I'll need to perceiver to get all of them back To Obtain: [0/20] + [0/4] 20 GB Handstand workouts + 4 long hold skill tests 11. Steal the Apples of the Hesperides: Golden apples that granted immortality, guarded by a dragon and Atlas, holder of the world, I'll need to prepare to trick Atlas To Steal: [0/3] Prepare 3 weeks worth of snacks (1 per 2 weeks) 12. Capture Cerberus: The 3 headed dog and guardian of the underworld, I'll need some fat to entice him to come with me To Capture: [0/1.25%] Loose 1.25% BF Starting Measurements Weight = Incoming Soon FB% = Incoming Soon Abs/Waist: Arms (unflex/flex): Calf: Chest: Hip: Thigh (R/L): Butt: Neck:

The 12 Labors of Ryuu1011 Challenge #8: December 4- 31, 2016 Inspired by the greatest trials by the most legendary hero in ancient Greek myth this challenge will mirror the 12 Labors of Hercules. For this challenge I am going to try and accomplish all 12 labors of Hercules (which took him 12 years) in just the 12th month of the year, by using my four main goals for this challenge, and then to breaking them down into manageable Mini-Boss Battles. Unlike the original Labors I will be working on all 12 labors at the same time and my labors will still count ever if I get some help Hopefully I will be able to accomplish all 12 labors by the end of this challenge but because of the craziness of the winter holidays I'm ok with this being a two part challenge considering the original took 12 years, 8 weeks seems pretty good. Ultimate Challenge Goals 1. Exercise Everyday in Someway 2. Continue my Handstand Training 3. Record my Nutrition in MFP and Track my Food Intake (to loose weight) 4. Meal Prep for the following and current week The 12 Labors 1. Slay the Nemean Lion: An lion who's fur can't be damaged by weapons, I'll need to use pure strength to beat it To Slay: [0/12] Complete 12 1h Strength Training Sessions 2. Slay the Lernaean Hydra: A toxic multi-headed serpent who's heads multiply when cut off, I'll need to be flexible to avoid its poison breath and fangs To Slay: [0/9] Complete 9 1h Yoga Sessions (two 30min session, and four 15min sessions will count as 1) 3. Capture the Ceryneia Hind: A golden Deer who runs faster than an arrow in flight, I'll need to be exceeding fast to capture this beast To Capture: [0/8] Complete 8 30min+ Cardio Workouts (30min + Walking or getting 10,000 FB Steps will count 1/4 credit) 4. Capture the Erymathian Boar: A fearsome giant boar of unknown whereabouts, I'll need to an excellent tracker to find and capture it To Capture: [0/26] Complete 26 diary entries for my MFP 5. Clean out the Augean Stables: A gross stable filled with divine, immortal cows that made a shitload of dung, I'll need to clean up my diet to purify it To Clean: [0/4] Loose 4lbs 6. Slay the Stymphalian Birds: Man-eating, bronze beaked birds that can launch their metal feathers, I'll have to shoot them out of the air To Slay: [0/4] Complete 4 30min+ Target Archery Sessions 7. Capture the Cretan Bull: A slightly angrier than normal bull, I'll need to prepare diligently to capture it To Capture: [0/16] Pre-Prepare 16 Lunches 8. Capture the Mares of Diomedes: Mad, man-eating horses that breath fire, I'll need to prepare and strategizes to capture them To Capture: [0/16] + [0/4] Pre-Prepare 16 Dinners and 4 New Meal Prep Recipes tried 9. Obtain the Belt of Hippolyta: A magical belt worn by the queen of the Amazons, I'll need to impress her if I want to get it To Obtain: [0/15s] 15 second strict handstand hold (w/ video) 10. Obtain the Cattle of Geryon: A huge herd of magnificent red cattle guarded by a multi-headed giant, I'll need to perceiver to get all of them back To Obtain: [0/16] + [0/4] 16 GB Handstand workouts + 4 long hold skill tests 11. Steal the Apples of the Hesperides: Golden apples that granted immortality, guarded by a dragon and Atlas, holder of the world, I'll need to prepare to trick Atlas To Steal: [0/4] Prepare 4 weeks worth of snacks (1 per week) 12. Capture Cerberus: The 3 headed dog and guardian of the underworld, I'll need some fat to entice him to come with me To Capture: [0/1.25%] Loose 1.25% BF Starting Measurements Weight = 164.2lbs FB% = 17.3%* according to spread sheet 14.8* Abs/Waist: 33 Arms (unflex/flex): 12.5/13.5 Calf:13.5 Chest: 39.5 Hip: 34 Thigh (R/L): 22/22.5 Butt: 39 Neck: 14

Goal 1. Chains are the best accessories Do your accessory work! Do not skip the accessory work! Should be at least 11 lifting workouts to accessorize with. Goal 2. Defy the laws of man and nature Continue participating in the yoga PVP with 2 sessions per week Goal 3. Krampus Rumpus Dance 30 minutes per week Goal 4. Eat Children Don't actually do this I am realizing that this would be a perfect challenge for ruck training -- carrying around all the bad children! But that time passed us.

Okay, I'll be out of town, living it up in NYC for Halloween on October 30, so I should line up my 4 Week Challenge now. It's pretty straight forward. I am starting Week 3 of the Zombie Run 5K program, and my goal is to continue that 3 workouts a week. I am also starting the Handstand course from Nerd Fitness, I've not had time to look it over but I intend to do Handstand work on my non-running days. Also I am headed to Japan in EXACTLY 2 MONTHS! So I am not reading any more books, or listening to anymore podcasts. Only my Japanese lessons so Ican get back to functional speaking (I took it in college, I was alright speaking, but never learned much kanji). I have little Japanese learning games I play on my phone rather than Facebook, etc. I can look at Facebook too, but I'd prefer after a round of Japanese quizzes. On top of this I want to keep meal prepping, and pill prepping (I feel SO OLD). I have new medications for anemia and asthma, I might lay off the iron pills a bit because they made me feel ick last night, and just iron-up my food (hello lentils, kale, etc), but I am now the little organized lady with an am/pm pill box with my meds and vitamins all laid out... and it's wonderfully convenient! I prep wonderful looking meals, but often when it's time to eat them I have no appetite... I need to figure out why this is, and what I can do about it. So working on light, clean food for lunches. I also started something I've been sharing with people from Camp nerdFitness, but should throw out to everyone! I've made up a game called "#WednesdayBridgeClub, which is just posting pictures of ourselves in backbends on social media. On Wednesdays. For fun! Everyone's invited to join. Okay, Oct 30, bring it.

At the end of week 1, my job will be moving up to London, and I've decided to follow my job which is going to be a big change in my life. I'll be going from a short drive to work to over an hour on the train each way, I'll be working in a new office with new people I don't know, the work itself will likely be changing (although I've got no idea on the plan or timescales for that). It's going to be a busy month, but I want to keep a challenge running to keep me from going off the rails, and also to give me more excuse to keep up with you wonderful people. Going to try and keep it simple and just keep checking in. Forewarning that this may not be the most upbeat or cheerful thread this challenge, so if you don't like listening to people whine it may be one to avoid. Keep Lifting - Lift 12+ times this challenge - 15XP This one shouldn't be too hard, I really enjoy my lifting program so I should be able to keep up with it. I will need to cancel my gym membership and join a new gym in London, because the current place doesn't open early enough for me to go there before I would have to get on the train. So gym shopping in week 2 could be fun! Don't drink like a dickhead- 15XP Since I found out my job was effectively being sold, I've been depressed, stressed and so very very angry. Unfortunately I do have a tendency to drink my feelings when things aren't going well. Add into that that insurance, and particularly the London market, is an area where heavy drinking is actively encouraged as part of building professional relationships. Then add in working with new people and needing to get to know them which will undoubtedly lead to office drinks. All in all the best outcome if I drink like a dickhead is that I make myself ill, and sad, and fat. Worst case I do that plus I do or say something so stupid I live to regret it. I have a vague mental list of things that count as drinking like a dickhead, including drinking at home (either before or after a night out), drinking beer that I'm not enjoying. If I have more than 5 pints I may well be drinking like a dickhead. If I have more than 6 I almost certainly am. If I find myself getting morose or getting angry I am to stop drinking and take myself the fuck home. Skill Work - 12+ times this challenge - 15XP I've been kind of inspired by the handstand stuff going on with NF at the moment. I haven't bought the programs, but I do want to work on wall walks and crow pose this month as progression towards a handstand. I've also been looking for a chance to work on L-sits for a few months now, so that will count too. Please send me any resources you have on these things. I will definitely be referring to these two: https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2016/10/17/a-beginners-guide-to-handstands/#more-1342745 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUZJoSP66HI (floor l-sit progression) Bullet Journaling - Daily - 10XP I really like the idea of this, it looks to be a simple way to keep track of life (and of challenge goals!), to keep a to-do list running, and hopefully make me a more productive human. I played with it last challenge before everything fell apart a bit, so I thought I would make it a goal this time to see if I can stick with it. That's all folks, wish me luck!

Ryuu1011 Travels Across Hyrule My Flexibility and Travel Adventures (Now with an added Boss Battle!) Challenge #7- October 30th - November 26th I made a lot of great progress towards my goals during the last challenge and my hope is that I can continue the momentum during this challenge during some tough Boss Battles coming up in a couple of weeks. This challenge is going to be crazy busy for me because of all the traveling that I'm going to be doing plus all of the things I have to do for my job before Thanksgiving.Therefore I've tried to make these goals possible no matter where I am which should allow me to prevail during this challenge. Goal One: Improve my Flexibility = Complete 3 1h+ Yoga sessions per week ____/12 And Gymnastic Bodies Fundamentals 6 days per week ____/24 Link has to be very flexible to accomplish all his tasks and save Hyrule both mental and physically, so I'm going to be primarily focusing on that for this challenge. I've been getting better about stretching and my flexibility over that past challenge but for this one I'm really focusing on it and trying to become significantly more flexible. I also began doing a quick 20min yoga session in the morning and at night that have been very beneficial. If you're curious I currently use the Yoga Studio App on my phone and it was probably one of the best purchases I've ever made. I'd love to add some more metrics to the goal, but I'm not entirely sure on how to measure my flexibility by myself but some of my pose goals for this are: Heels on the Flood during Downward Dog- I'm about 1, 1 1/2 inches off right now Elbow and forearm on the ground in Lizard- I'm super close to this and can tap it to the ground currently, but would like to get to a comfortable hold. Improve distance down the wall in full Standing Back-bend- I need to get a baseline for this measurement Full head to knees compression in Seated and Standing Pike- I can already tap my head to my kness but I'd like to be able to hold it there comfortably Lower chest closer to floor in Pancake/ Seated Straddle Split- Probably one of my worst, I just can't seem to get my torso lower on my own without having someone push. [Place Holder for more] Goal Two: Gain a Heart Container = Loose about 4lbs and 1.25%BF Since he is running around and fighting constantly I'm betting Link is ripped, but also has super functional muscles, just like my ideal body. Start: 164.6lbs Goal: 160lbs Start: 17.3% BF Goal: >16% I made great headway on getting back into the body (and clothes) that I wanted and I want to continue towards that this challenge. I'm going to continue to use my Scale as well as the body composition sheet to get a closer to accurate picture of my body fat. As well as body measurements and pre/post pictures. It is going to be exceptionally challenging because of all the travel that I am going to do but I am committed to making healthy choices and continuing to track my nutrition on MFP (as much as possible) while I'm away from home. Starting Measurements Abs/Waist: 32Arms (unflex/flex): 12.5/13.5 Calf:14Chest: 40.5Hip: 33Shoulders: 46.5Thigh (R/L): 21.5/ 21.5 Butt: 39.25Neck: 14 Goal Three: Improve my Handstand= Practice my Hand balancing* 5x per Week ____/20 Ultimate goal= Solid 10 sec (not moving) Handstand w/ Video Proof ____/10 Link seems to be the perfect master of his own body and what better way that to show that off than with a handstand. (I'm sure he could do one if he tried ;P ) I've been trying to get a solid handstand for most of the time that I've been on the forums and I think I'm now in a position to finally make this goal. The last time I specifically worked towards my handstand goals I'm pretty sure I over worked my wrists by trying to practice everyday, while I did make significant progress during that time it also made me take a long break from hand balancing while my wrist recovered. So to alleviate something like that happening again I'm going to only try to train for 5 days and also allow for specific wrist training days to count too. I've also created a Hand Balancing playlist on my Yoga app and would like to try and complete that at least 1-3 x a week to "cross" train other hand balances for my handstand. And because I really need to get over and start posting progress videos this is only going to count if I post the progress video here (yay for you guys ;D ) Goal Four: Sleep like Link= Raise my average sleep time per week by about 15min per week _____/60 Link has got this one down to an Art. I'm pretty sure he starts every game sleeping or napping. My Fitbit tracks my sleep time pretty well and I figure it about time that I start using that bank of data to improve the amount of sleep I get each week. I definitely want to try and improve by about one hour over the course of the challenge but I know it will be especially hard because of all of the travel time and jet lag. Current Weekly Sleep Time Average ~ 6h 30min Goal: ~ 7h 30min Current Bed Time ~ 11:00-11:30pm Goal: 9:30-10:00pm Mini Goals: Cardio (walk, jog, sprints, or bike) 2x per week ____/ 8 Plan (possibly purchase) my next strength training program, [NF, GMB, or GB?] _____/ 1 Research what it takes to become a personal trainer, compile questions and ask 2 of the Personal trainers at my gym for feedback ____/2 Boss Battle: Friday Nov. 4th - Sunday Nov. 13th Levart Twin Fang, Dragon of the Sky 150HP (135/150HP) I will be traveling a lot during this challenge and to see if I can over come I decided to make this into a Boss Battle. I will be headed to Denver, Colorado For 2 days and 2 nights on Nov. 4th for a Professional Development Conference and then after being home for only two days (Nov. 7th and 8th) heading to Madrid, Spain for 3 days and 3 nights on the 9th of November though Sunday Nov. 13th. Don't get me wrong I'm super excited But I know that working towards my goals while I'm traveling will be super tricky. Levart has the power to derail and confuse all but the most prepared of adventures and will be a hard foe to vanquish. To aid me in my quest I have devised a list of task to accomplish before and during my travels to give me the best chance of fighting him. Battle Prep- Tell my bank I'm going to be traveling (-5hp) Try and try get Euro's ahead of time from bank (-5hp) Prep Snacks to avoid unhealthy in flight snacks (-5hp) Prepare my travel journal (-5hp) Purchase a comfy travel neck pillow (-5hp) Purchase ear plugs and an eye mask (-5hp) [GF already had ear plugs so I just got an eye mask] Purchase a travel yoga mat (-10hp) [Purchased a pack capable of carrying my normal yoga mat instead] During the Fight- Do yoga in Denver Co. (-10hp) [ ][ ] Go on a jog in Denver, Co (-10hp) [ ][ ] Attend a class at the Awaken Gym in Denver Co. (-20hp) [ ][ ] Choose the healthy option/ Eat 1/2 portion (-10) [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] Go on a jog in Madrid, Spain (-10hp) [ ][ ] Do yoga in Madrid, Spain (-10hp) [ ][ ][ ] Get 10,000 Steps (-10hp) [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] Go Salsa Dancing/take a Salsa Class in Madrid, Spain (-20hp) [ ] Boss Loot I'm not sure I'll have the extra $$ to get some loot specifically for beating the boss but rather I'll use my loot to help me beat him classes and such while out traveling, choosing a healthy meal option (which was more expensive) ex...

I'm determined to start on the official start date!! This may be a little spare to start but details will be added... Turning Upside Down 1. Handstands - daily practice. using NF handstand program! decided to purchase the superpack (NF handstand/rings) on Friday so I'm just jumping in and putting handstand practice as one of my goals. I'm feeling like the mobility moves are going to be part of my warm up on my xfit and yoga days and then on the other days a real solid effort on the skills. +1xp per practice 2. Yoga - 1x weekly think this is going to complement the handstand goal because stretching is a good thing when it comes to balance work. +4xp per class 3. Spanish - 15 minutes daily practice turning my routine upside down here by adding in a daily study goal instead of a couple days a week which is how its been going currently. +1xp per practice 4. Pokemon Go - walk with buddy daily I'm thinking a minimum of a 2k walk daily or walk until my buddy finds a candy. depends on the day. +1xp per walk

WOW GUYS. I somehow missed that last challenge was my THIRD FREAKIN’ NERDVERSARY!!!! I can’t believe what a wild ride it’s been, particularly the last year and a half. Obligatory pre-challenge Raxie brainings & a bit of background under the spoiler. AND NOW THE MOST EXCITING THING!!! I also have decided to integrate D&D concepts into this whole character thing a bit more. Big Show finding his true hybrid class really inspired me to find mine, and I realized I have already been secretly telling myself what it is via my D&D game! I’ve been after the Dragon Disciple prestige class for a while now, and am finally pretty close to attaining it in the game. And it is pretty much how I see my level 50 self translated into real life. Essentially, this class has magical powers and can cast arcane spells (WIS based – aka completing my PhD) but studies dragons so intensely that they also grow dragon scales, can fly short distances and have claws, so can also tank (power lifting/mobility) and melee (body weight work) pretty darn well. Essentially my D&D goal is to cast buffing auras to my friends (meditation/yoga) while fighting and using my claws to touch spell debuff the enemy (boxing). I can’t believe I never noticed how much this aligns with what I want to be in real life!!! This gives me so much excite I can’t even put it into words. Here's what a dragon disciple looks like in their fully leveled up glory (I can't find any women versions UGH so you will have to use your imagination): For those who don't know, Prestige Classes in D&D are basically secondary classes that have extraordinary abilities associated with them that can only be leveled upon once you have met certain requirements in a basic class. I think I have met my basic requirements in my NF journey to start leveling up on a new path that builds upon my old one, but will get me to new places. It’s time. TL;DR This challenge will be focused on my foray into Rings and Headstands, thanks to a well-timed NF course release, while maintaining my focus on competing sometime next year (to be more solidified after the new year) in PL, and keep on cardioing for funsies and heart health. I have also realized I am a Dragon Disciple. While this definitely is not a respawn, it is certainly a new start. I am going after my prestige class, so I am starting at level 1 Dragon Disciple – but I am already at a high level of my base class (Timelady Siren) and will maintain that level, but it is where I want it and it’s time to move on to bigger better things. I will be tracking this path over the course of many challenges, so things I earn here will continue to carry over to future challenges! The rules below will show the things I'll be working towards. Also, as I say nearly every challenge cycle but it bears repeating, you guys seriously rock my socks <3