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This should probably be a Warriors challenge, but after seeing only one four week challenge last go-round I figured I'd stay home or this one. I'm doing some highland games training since my weight room is under construction at the Y. I think I'll be looking for a games to compete in in June/July so this will be a great way to get familiar with the ways of the Highlander. 1 – Learn the ways of the Highlander. I need to learn the heavy athletic throws. This means I need to work on the weight for distance, the weight for height, the hammer throw, the stone put, the sheaf toss, and the mighty caber toss. I’m going to practice one per day 5 days a week as part of my strength training. 2 – Stay strong to fight off your challengers. My gym is being renovated and invaded by New Year’s Resolutioners so I’m headed outside into the cold. It’s fine. I’m immortal. In addition to my one throw per day I need to work on I’m going to maintain my strength training using the throwing implements. I’ll shuffle what I’m doing with which throw I’m training for to keep my whole body shaped up. It’s on my spreadsheet here:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15BFIglpwcEFL8w-nXh2c900uZ9ub2CAxDxtSo-KBYDw/edit?usp=sharing 3 – CHARGE! I’m running a marathon in May and I need to start looking ahead now. I have a schedule in place that starts with rigid requirements starting the same day as the challenge. I have 4 runs per week (days subject to change) and I plan on running home from work on weekdays (about 3k) and then heading on to the rest of the run (minimum 5k total). Saturdays are my long runs starting at 22k. I have a spreadsheet here:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eu4HT1hH7EYHRwhq3GhIJqT-cJAWubGGFY4V7ZeuW4o/edit?usp=sharing 4 – Shameless cash grab. I spend most of my money on food (thanks, celiac’s disease) and we need to tighten our belts because the credit card got out of control the past several months. We have a move to plan for (our lease is up April 1st), a mode of transport to buy (car, truck, or motorcycle), a honeymoon to go on in August (Ireland), and I am being required to learn to ride a horse (see honeymoon). We’ve got a lot of debt repayment and saving to do and not a lot of time to do it in. I’m going to have to find the cheapest ways to hit my nutrition goals and that means a lot of careful planning, meal prep, and most likely butchery. My wife and I also have to come up with a monthly budget from now until August (and probably beyond) that we can stick to. I'm keeping these spreadsheets private. I don't have any more goals I just found that and why WOULDN'T I put that in this thread?

Ok, so I have a terrible idea: I'm going to do my lifting workouts in January outside. I live in a small apartment with neighbors that sleep late and I don't want to be lifting in the house at 5 am moving furniture and otherwise making a rukus. I don't mind being outside in the winter and last January didn't prevent me from getting my runs done outside. To make matters worse my gym is under construction so the weight room is smaller than usual and everyone is using the boys' locker room which is half the size of the men's. That's going to suck with the new years resolutioners start coming in. I CAN do this I just don't know exactly WHAT I'm doing. That's where you guys come in. Any ideas for how to get weightlifting done in the cold outside? I figure if I follow some simple rules I'll be fine: Nothing under 10* F (same as when I run) Warm up indoors (same as when I run) Nothing that requires taking gloves off or fine motor skills (no changing weights on my dumbells for example) I have access to: Dumbbells (adjustable up to 50 lb single dumbbell) Several parks one has an outdoor circuit training, but I'll have to look if it's safe for winter one has a 1/4 mile track and a heavy athletics throwing area one is a few feet away from my apartment but it's basically just a small lawn with a path. Several field areas that probably aren't being cleared if it snows. A rucksack (my Xmas gift to myself) A hardware store and basic hand tools. I'm thinking something in the vein of the Scotland highland games might be a good idea. Maybe make some weights/kettlebells out of concrete and see if I can press or throw them? Load things into my rucksack and press that? Any ideas or thoughts would be welcome.

Ok so it has been quite a long time since I did abchallenge,. But I figure giving it another try can't hurt. At the end of August, I will be competing in the Highland games at Green Hill (Roanoke, VA). I did surprisingly well at my first comp this year, setting 4 PRs after not training or really lifting at art this pat winter. Now that I am back in the gym I am hoping I can do even better! (Edit) Here are the basics for my goals 1: Lift using the Stronglifts app 2 or 3 days a week. (On 2 day weeks I'll take the spinning class at the gym) 2: Cut back on my snacking at work and drinking less soda. The plan is to only allow myself 1 soda a week at work. In addition I plan to limit my beef consumption at home to one a night during the week. 3: Start walking the dog every other day. Both Sprocket and I need to do this again. Life Goal: Be consistent it's reading my devotional through the app I have. Might add add more detail later

It had been 30 days. How I have survived is something to behold in and of itself, but luck alone cannot last forever and I fear my days are numbered somewhere in the negatives- perhaps I'm already dead and cursed to peruse this boundless arid Hell. The celestial fire beast in the sky keeps an ever vigilant watch over me. It saps my moisture and my will with its gaze. Its breath is burning, yet I'm chilled to the bone, which can be seen right through my emaciated flesh. Judge me now and cast your sentence on an innocent man. I lie down and imagine the sand is a pillow of down with sheets of silk to hide my visage from the world. I start to sink in and drift off. A sudden stab in the back jolts me awake. A metal object protruding from the sand. I can only hope that it is a sword to cast myself upon and end this immortal day. It's not but a lamp. More torture for my lack of sin as I prayed for a drink. If only it were a cask of ale, but no, it is a stupid old lamp, though perhaps there is some sesame oil residue left at the bottom. I tip it and only more sand comes out. I let out a tear that drops onto the lamp... a tear? where did that come from? I wipe it from the side of the lamp and realize it was no tear, it was rain. The clouds seem to be emanating from inside the vessel itself and they're coming out of it. The grayish blue fog comes toward me and takes the form of a man-like creature with no eyelids, or lips. "Tell me what three things you most wish, for I am a djinn and am bound to serve as master, he who's touch has freed me from my bastille." I must be dead and hallucinating, but if such pleasantness is where my mind is going, I'll play along. Anything is better than the nothingness that preceded this and for the possibility that I might once again be able to dream of the revenge I desired against those who robbed me and left me to my death. "Alright, Mr. Djinn, here are my wishes"... 1: Strength/Power I want to be able to move heavy objects and hurl them at my enemies. (throwing 3x per week) will include plyo on 2 of those days. 2: Speed We've but two modes of transport, feet and steed. Steeds are unreliable, but our own feet are slow. I desire the ability to move at mount speed with my own two feet. walking with intermittent sprints 2x a week.) 3: Humor No amount of speed will make me quick witted and no amount of strength can crack a joke and it would be nice, so my third wish is to have the power of humor. With it, I shall be adored by all and if I not, at least I shall leave them laughing(at me). (get on stage at first open mic). 4: The Dream But it was all a day dream, the wishes. Most of the story had been factual. He was robbed and left for dead and he had wandered the desert and in fact, he had found a lamp, but it contained only sand. The good news is that a djini did exist. When he found the lamp, it cursed him to live sleeplessly inside and wander it's desert sands eternally. His only salvation is that someone came to free him, for which he'd be so grateful, he'd grant them three wishes. For himself, he wished only to sleep again and dream of the life he'd never a chance to live, with strength, speed and the ability to laugh. Would that he could, give up the sand for the Sandman. (Get to bed by 1 am and get at least 7 hours.)

Ever go looking through a stack of your video games and find a dusty one? When you pop it in the console and it opens up to your last save you slowly start to remember how the game works and eventually get settled back in, right? So that's where I am at. I stopped posting in here a while back and kinda sorta did some training (but mostly just looked at my weights at home). Tried to get out to the field and throw once a week (sometimes made it twice!). All that being said I stopped, both lifting and training, all winter. Then earlier this year went out and did a couple weeks of training throws. Focused hard on the basics of technique and how to get through injury free. In April, I went and competed at Tartan Day South 2016. Never thought that with so much downtime I would set 4 new PRs including finally getting on the books with a score for Weight over Bar and turning a caber at a perfect 12:00. (Forthose of you scratching your head right now going "WTF is a caber and why do you turn it?" I compete in the heavy athletics at Highland Games events. It's like the Scottish version of a strongman competition. We wear kilts and throw heavy stuff.) To complete the summary here, I fell off the wagon by having my own home gym. I had no motivation to work out and train. So when I moved into my new apartment and my fiancée said the weights/platform had to go due to space, off they got sold. We got a gym membership and now I'm in there 3x a week. Right now it's two days lifting one day spin class. I'm hoping to get back in the wagon with being on the forums again too. I am liking the idea of dusting off this old game and remembering how to play

Hey all my warrior buddies! I am excited about this new 4 week business. In the long term, I am training for several strength sports now. I am excited about competing in a large Strongman competition in June at the Naturally Fit games. I am training to do an olympic weightlifting meet in April, and I am planning to do at least a few Highland Games for fun this year as well. Like any good earthbender worth her salt, I need to focus on building strength, lots of nutritious food, and maintaining a focused mind. Earthbenders are most powerful when they are literally well grounded. 1. MUSCLES! My current regimen is basic strength training 3x week, olympic lifting 2x week, and playing with strongman implements on Saturdays. Goal is to continue attendance and slowly improving (5RM, 3 RM, 1 RM, technique and form). 2. OM NOMS! I go back and forth with how much My Fitness Pal helps or hurts my nutrition goals... I think for the next 4 weeks I'm going to focus on recording what I eat daily, but only for the protein numbers. Goal is to eat ~100g a day, at least 700g total per week. 3. SANITY! I love training, but I am also a wife, a daughter, a friend, and a student. I don't want to spend so much time playing with weights that I neglect my other responsibilities. Goal is to continue getting my homework done and completing all my pharmacy school responsibilities. If this starts to slip I need to be willing to scale back gym time. Good luck everyone this February!

Highland Games I go to this every year and often can be found studying the form of the people doing the caber toss. Next year I'd like to compete in the toss, so I'm very attentive to this! The rest of the time is hanging out and having a good time. Anyone else up for attending? I'll be at the Ceilidh (fun bit of a party) on the 1st and the games on the 2nd. The whiskey tasting is also always fun.... The full event schedule is on the website linked above. Friday, August 1, 2014 Ceilidh Greenmead Historical Park, Livonia, MI 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, August 2, 2014 165th Annual Highland Games Greenmead Historical Park, Livonia, MI 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Join us for our Pipedown after closing ceremonies! Pipedown 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Unwind at the end of the games with live entertainment in the Ceilidh Tent