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New month and I'm late in starting (and in finishing), but here goes. This month I'm approaching this as a Jedi undergoing temple training. I have a lot to work on in order for my body and mind to make it through and to get the most of this process, so I'm setting it up here. Jedi training: Martial arts is going well - Wing Tsun has been structured enough that I've been able to stick to it without trying. This month will be about digging in without getting burnt out. Goal: Continue going. Continue practicing. Working towards completion of the intro level, towards my gray shirt. Sorta like a yellow belt. Walking the temple grounds: Morning practice: I'm restructuring a little, going to see if I can replace a little social media time with some actual self care. Setting a tiny goal of 5 minutes of something. Martial arts, yoga, something I can do for a short period of time. This morning I did a little mini yoga session this morning, timed it for 5 minutes. Thinking that if it's short like that, I may be able to do more regularly. Restore: Sleep: I got behind in this last month and I could feel the difference. Everything started to drag. My current goal will be at least 7 hours of sleep 5 days a week. Jedi study: Read: do a short amount of reading every day (okay, 6 out of 7 days) that doesn't involve random social media from an electronic device. How easy or hard it is for me to keep focused while reading can often be a good energy/restedness guage. Jedi mind: Last but not least, mindfulness / meditation. Need to work back up to a daily practice which I've lapsed with. Restarted today. Will aim for 5 out of 7 days.

To succeed in this challenge, I will need the peace and serenity of a Jedi, learning to control my emotions and passions and become one with the force. To set the scene, I have an exciting announcement! Mrs. Pimpernel and I just had our second baby! This means a sharp decrease in sleep and increase in stress, which is a recipe for diet disaster. However, last challenge I realized that I really need to focus on my diet, and I'm sticking to that. So my big goal for this challenge is: Peace/Serenity - No food with added sugar for the full 5 weeks I've come to realize I really do have a sugar addiction that I need to break, and I think the best way to do that is going cold turkey. I also want to use this as a chance to develop discipline by controlling my cravings and hunger. There are a few clarifications to the rules: I'm going to go ahead and assume all fast food has added sugar, so will also be avoiding that this challenge. This past few days I did have some out of necessity due to hospital/baby time, but I didn't have any overtly sweet things. Meals that are made by my wife or others that are bringing us dinners for a couple days are fair game so long as they are not overtly sweet, and no desserts. Meals that I make will have no sugar added to them, but I'm not going to make a separate meal at this point just because of some brown sugar in the pineapple sauce or something. I'm allowing a little bit of honey for homemade sauces/dressings as needed. This will be used rarely, except for the occasional salad dressing or maybe stir-fry sauce. I justify this because I know it'll be a lot less sugar than any commercially available sauces/dressings. I will also be continuing 2 goals from my last challenge: Knowledge - Complete at least one NFA mindset challenge per week As part of my respawn, I'm going through all the modules again, a little more slowly and seriously Harmony - Track Actions Per Day (APD), and beat last month's average of 5.66 Tracking APD has really helped me make more healthy choices. It overlaps a bit with my other goals, but just provides a little extra encouragement You might note there is no specific activity goal this challenge. That is because I think the no sugar diet will take a lot of mental energy to do right, and that is where I need to focus, and also because I really want to focus on activity that I enjoy, rather than exercising because I feel like I have to. For this challenge, my mainstay will be doing activities for the mini-challenge, and doing some extra to increase my APD score. I hope even with all the craziness of a new baby, I can be disciplined, control my stress/emotions, and find peace like a Jedi. May the force be with you!

Welcome back to a Galaxy Far, Far Away. While this is a new challenge cycle, the goals are pretty much the same, because consistency builds habits, which leads to progress, which leads to success. Consistency will take focus, and this man told this annoying kid something really important about that: And, unlike much of what was scripted for his little green Master, he's not patently wrong. Main Goal I'm going to Blue Mountain, Ontario, in October for the 2017 OCR World Championships. Anyone who finishes three or more qualifying races in a single year can register to race as a Journeyman. I could register right now. I want to qualify as an Age Group competitor instead, meaning I have to earn my spot through competition. Sweet Baby Jesus, look at those things. I hope they are just as awesome again this year. I have my sights set on two possible qualifying races this year: Savage Race Chicago, July 30 Conquer the Gauntlet Des Moines, August 5 Every road race I am signed up for leading up to these events is a training run and I will be disappointed if I don't set a PR every time out. I don't have any timed road races during this cycle. I do have my first two Spartan Races of the year: I did this venue last year and it was awesome. It was also just as hot and cactus-y as it looks in this picture and yes, cactus spines are a pain in the wherever. Last year, when I earned a 5x Spartan Trifecta, I had my sights set on three mountain races that kicked my butt, and I considered all the other races training runs for those three. Not this year. In 2017, every Obstacle Course Race I am signed up for leading up to Savage and Conquer are going to be run at red-line. That means I am running back-to-back days in potential 85 degree heat as hard as I can and taking as few breathers as possible. We'll see how that works out. In my favor is the fact that the course is hilly but not mountainous, but that also works in the favor of actual runners, so there's that. Whether I wind up qualifying or not, this will be a good early indication of whether anything I've been doing - accumulating miles, weight training, obstacle training at Obstacle Academy - have helped at all, and it will help identify existing weaknesses. I'm more than just fairly obstacle-proficient; at any given race, I expect to complete nearly every obstacle. But right now, at my best, I am a middle-of-the-pack runner. This year I am focusing on Becoming Faster while Staying Strong and Improving My Endurance. And I am doing this by continuing What I Know Works. Goal: Road Training The plan for this challenge: Week 1: 3 miles Tuesday, 4 miles Wednesday, 3 miles Thursday, 8 miles weekend. Week 2: 3 miles Tuesday, 4 miles Wednesday, 3 miles Thursday. Weekend run will be replaced by Spartan Race. Week 3: 3 miles Tuesday, 5 miles Wednesday, 3 miles Thursday, 9 miles weekend. Week 4: 3 miles Tuesday, 5 miles Wednesday, 3 miles Thursday, 10 miles weekend. This is the schedule. Period. If I think I will have issues sticking to the schedule, I should probably find a way to get ahead of the schedule on any given week. Goal: Strength Training Part 1: Week 1: Boot camp Monday, Lift Day Tuesday, Lift Day Thursday, HIIT Friday, Obstacle Academy Saturday Week 2: Boot Camp Monday, Lift Day Tuesday, Light Body Weight Workout Friday, Spartan Race Saturday/Sunday Week 3: Boot Camp Monday, Lift Day Tuesday, Lift Day Thursday, HIIT Friday, Boot Camp Saturday Week 4: Boot Camp Monday, Lift Day Tuesday, Lift Day Thursday, HIIT Friday, Boot Camp Saturday Part 2: I will be working on my pull-up proficiency to get back what I had two years ago (and surpass it). I have a pull-up bar at home. Every time I pass through the door, I need to do a couple. Not to failure, I'm stealing the Grease the Groove training method from @Big_Show. I'll be recording the total number of pull-ups completed every day, not just full dead-hang strict pull-ups. This should be a double-digit number daily or I'm not trying. Goal: Plate Training More of What I Know Works, but I'm refining this, because I work with smart people. This will take more discipline but account for variation in my activity levels. This means I'm going to have to do full, weekly meal planning and pre-preparation. This is a ramp-up of what I've been doing. I know it works. And I know that given the proper amount of focus, I can achieve my goals. Pictured: goals.

Welcome back for another episode of The Exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge. Upon my return, I have decided to revisit some of my challenge themes to turn them into lessons as I had been doing more recently. I feel it is a good way to reflect on my own learning and progress to write about and share these lessons, but I also have another objective. I am cataloging these lessons in a document which is now up to 185 pages. The plan is to use this document as a reference for my personal Jedi training and to pass on for my Padawan training. It isn't just my Nerd Fitness challenges. It includes every Jedi-related writing I have done, training I have worked through, and documents I have collected (which are not protected but have sources noted). Challenge Lesson: From Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back: Luke: There's something not right here... I feel cold. Death. Yoda: [points to a cave opening beneath a large tree] That place... is strong with the dark side of the Force. A domain of evil it is. In you must go. Luke: What's in there? Yoda: Only what you take with you. Luke enters the cave with his lightsaber as he is afraid that he may need to defend himself. He encounters Darth Vader. Igniting their lightsabers, they duel. Luke ends the confrontation quickly by beheading Darth Vader. The mask on the head explodes revealing Luke's face under the helmet. There are several lessons inside the cave for Luke to learn. The most obvious is that his fear and anger will lead him directly to the same fate as his father, Anakin Skywalker, who fell to the dark side and became Darth Vader. Of course, Luke can only figure out the "fear and anger can lead to the dark side" part at the time. He'd later learn the other parts from Vader himself. Another lesson within the cave is that Luke showed courage to enter the cave, but hid behind a crutch (the lightsaber). Would Vader have appeared with lightsaber drawn if Luke entered without his lightsaber? We'll never know, but Luke was certainly fearful of the dark side when he entered with his lightsaber. He learned this lesson well following the concluding events of Empire Strike Back. In Return of the Jedi, Luke is clearly embracing his fears of losing the Rebellion and his life by confronting Darth Vader and the Emperor as their prisoner. On two occasions, he removes his crutch from the equation showing real courage, when he surrenders to Vader on Endor and when he defeats Vader in their duel, then turns to confront the Emperor, he throws his lightsaber aside and says he'll never join the dark side and that the Emperor has lost. There is a line in the novelization, "Fear is a great cloud. It makes the cold colder and the dark darker, but let it rise and it will dissolve." For my fear of public speaking, I had to embrace it. Preparing, practicing, and executing public speaking on repeat for 4 years was the only way to beat that fear into submission. I found when I acted confident and comfortable, I eventually felt confident and comfortable. It's the "fake it, until you make it" mentality. I used to be a little afraid of roller coasters. The thrilling rides just weren't my thing when I was 8-11... until I went on a real thrilling water slide called Geronimo, where you basically free fall for a second down this completely vertical slide. After that ride, I decided to give roller coasters a try and haven't looked back. Heights were a problem, too. Everyone has these life preserving fears. Everyone has fears of embarrassment. Confront it with confidence, survive, get more comfortable with it, repeat. Eventually, you confront it without any crutches and conquer it never looking back. A third lesson is in what Yoda says, "Only what you take with you." We humans carry fear, anger, and hate around just as a Jedi would a lightsaber, but it is a lot more difficult to leave these emotions behind. Courage, forgiveness, and knowledge are the ways to leave fear, anger, and hate in the past where they cannot effect the future. Identify fears and find the courage to conquer them. Quell anger with forgiveness. Alleviate hate and ignorance by acquiring knowledge of the situation and circumstances. Check your suitcase. What are you carrying with you? Do you have heavy burdens? Are you collecting and bottling emotions? Do you have fears? Do you know how to unpack the suitcase and lighten your load? Think about what you are taking with you into the unknown. My Main Quest and Mission: My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow. World 2 Level 10 Challenge: This challenge I am confronting as a Boss Fight. I have some huge milestones and life changes coming to a head this month. When it is over, I will have slain a large beast, gained valuable experience, and uncovered new tools and artillery for future challenges. First, my job is in transition to a new work with my current contract expiring on the 12th. My company plans to move me internally, but I've been there before. I'm on the hunt for new work. I've already interviewed with one company and awaiting client and prime contracting company approval for an offer. I have another lead which could materialize quickly. And I have a few other opportunities which I have yet to pursue. I really wanted to stay where I was though. It is really hard to find a supervisor who truly appreciates and trusts you. It is really hard find work where you are part of a team that is working together with no internal fighting or bickering. It is really hard to find a job which is rewarding in that you can see the difference you are making in the lives of others. I have all that here. I hope to find it again, but I'll really miss what I have here. Second, it is Toastmasters contest season and I am planning to compete hard with my new speech. I have a message which I want to give to the world and make it better. I want a first place trophy outside the club this time. Third, August is coming soon and the Wizard Laser Tag project needs to make some significant progress this month to stay on track for a successful prototype test in March. We have a major design flaw to figure out. I've got ideas, but it is time to work through them. Fourth, I am working towards earning my Yellow belt in Karate class. I have two stripes left, but before the test at the end of February, I want to get my form and balance fine tuned. There is a level of execution expected at Yellow and I want to be the model student. Fifth, with my job transition, my gym time will be effected since I will lose access. I'll need new solutions starting next week. I've been thinking about heading to the YMCA in the mornings, but it'll add a lot of time to my commute, but my hours will be different, so it may not make a difference. Working out at home is an option, but I need to be careful about noise not to wake the wife and kids. I could move workouts to the evening and try to sleep in (good joke there). I am going to keep tracking the same for consistency. The focus is on the life goals so I moved some points around and added some bonus incentives. FITNESS: Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 500 min total, 120 weekly. DEX +1, STA +1 Exercise: Stretch and Strengthen - 500 min total, 120 weekly. STR +1 Karate: Training and Practice - 500 min total, 120 weekly STR +1, DEX +1, STA +1 DIET: Weight Control - Lose 2 lbs by end of challenge. Never weigh more than 158.0 lbs. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 4. Watch portions and make healthy choices for 24 of 28 days. CON +3 LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete (or dedicate at least one hour to) 90 Tasks or Projects, with at least 20 week, from any of the following areas (minimum for challenge): Toastmasters Communication Practice (2), Toastmasters Leadership Practice (6), Webmaster Work (4), Mentoring (4), Charity Work (2), Jedi Training (4), Self Preservation (2), Reading (16), Church Work (4), Job Work (8), Business Projects (4), Household Chores (20), Yard Work (4), Animal Care (8), Home Renovation (4), Auto Maintenance (4), Family Activities (4), Adventuring (2). WIS +3, CHA +3 Added two new categories. Reading for entertainment is something I have been neglecting. Business Projects includes a few ventures I am working on with the Wizard Laser Tag, a Jedi Training Website, and a Life Coaching Website. Each could result in extra cash if they reach they maximum potential, but personally, that is not the overall goal for any of them. INCENTIVES! REWARD: For each week I complete 20 or more tasks, I will put aside $5 to spend how I see fit ($200 carried over). CONSEQUENCE: For any week where I complete less than 20 tasks, I will give up $10 of saved cash. BONUSES: $5 for each Business Project hour. $5 for each advancement in the Speech Contests. Another $5 for first place finishes. $10 for fasting on Saturday nights. It is the unhealthiest night of the week. Time to change that. Fruits and veggies only after 4pm.

My last challenge of 2016 really fizzled out. I got sick, I got overwhelmed with the holidays, and I feel like I am starting over from scratch. That's not true, though. I have actual metrics from where I was, and where I am now, and progress is undeniable. But I'm not where I want to be. Main Goal I'm going to Blue Mountain, Ontario, in October for the 2017 OCR World Championships. Anyone who does three or more races in a single year qualifies to race Journeyman. I could register right now. I want to qualify as an Age Group competitor instead, meaning I have to earn my spot through competition. Sweet Baby Jesus, look at those things. I hope they are just as awesome again this year. I have my sights set on three possible qualifying races this year: Savage Race Chicago, July 30 Conquer the Gauntlet Des Moines, August 5 Every road race I am signed up for leading up to these are training runs. This year, I aim to take that training seriously. My first race of the year has been switched due to being over-committed. I didn't run on New Years Day, instead I'm running a 10k on Jan 28, so that will be my first event of the year. My goal is to shave 2 minutes off my finish from the Moustache Run at the end of November. Last year, when I earned a 5x Spartan Trifecta, I had my sights set on three mountain races that kicked my butt, and I considered all the other races training runs for those three. Not this year. In 2017, every Obstacle Course Race I am signed up for leading up to Savage and Conquer are going to be run at red-line. It would be great to qualify for OCRWC early and be able to build some confidence going into October. We'll see how that works out. I'm more than just fairly obstacle-proficient; at any given race, I expect to complete nearly every obstacle. But right now, at my best, I am a middle-of-the-pack runner. Now I have to Get Faster and Stay Strong. And in order to do these things, I have to Stick With What I Know Works. If you've ever followed me before, you know what's coming. Goal: Run Blah Blah Blah I believe the actual quote turned out to be "That's not how the Force works!" Not my favorite thing. I have a plan, however, and it was actually going well for the last half of November and, well, I feel like I'm back to Square One. Yeah, I know I'm not. But it feels that way. My plan says to run on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and once during the weekend, with my longer runs coming on Wednesday and the weekend. I have a training plan and enough races on the schedule to keep me moving forward. Game on. Word up, Frink. Goal: A Jedi's Strength Flows Blah Blah Blah Luke Skywalker, elder abuser. I will bitch and moan about how little weight I can lift right up until I don't anymore. It's on me to make that happen. My lifting classes are every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, now that my XFit class has been removed from the schedule (sad man, sigh). That makes my weekly schedule look like this: Tuesday: Lift day Thursday: Lift day Friday: HIIT Saturday: Boot Camp You will see lots and lots of photos of whiteboards in the coming months. Goal: How Grow You So Big Blah Blah Blah Pictured: Me, the morning after Christmas, lounging next to a chick in Slave Leia garb and some dude in brown Every. Damn. Challenge. It is amazing how fast my body wants to revert to its previous state of not awesomeness. I'm back to tracking daily. Macros: 1750-2250 calories per day125-150 grams protein35+ grams fiber<2800 grams sodium 2017: The year I stopped calling myself "Old, Fat and Out Of Shape" and took myself seriously. You're going to get tired of seeing me post these things.

Welcome back for another episode of The Exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge. Upon my return, I have decided to revisit some of my challenge themes to turn them into lessons as I had been doing more recently. I feel it is a good way to reflect on my own learning and progress to write about and share these lessons, but I also have another objective. I am cataloging these lessons in a document which is now up to 142 pages. The plan is to use this document as a reference for my personal Jedi training and to pass on for my Padawan training. It isn't just my Nerd Fitness challenges. It includes every Jedi-related writing I have done, training I have worked through, and documents I have collected (which are not protected but have sources noted). Challenge Lesson: "Ohhhh... Great warrior... Wars not make one great" -- Yoda, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Luke comes to the swamp world of Dagobah looking for the Jedi Master, Yoda. He meets an odd alien hermit after crash landing in the swamp. Their exchanges are quite comical as Luke's frustrations with the swamp and his search set in and are exasperated by the odd alien hermit. Finally, Luke tells the odd alien hermit he is looking for someone, a great warrior. The hermit replies with the above quote, "Wars not make one great." I agree with the odd alien hermit for three reasons. First, because he is Yoda! You can't disagree with the Grand Master of the Jedi! Second, it is not victory in war which brings about greatness, but all the work to get there. War is something that has been glorified through stories of drama and action to recount history or to entertain through all eras of humanity. Today, it is through film, television, and books that war and the heroes of war are glorified. The heroes are the main characters who could always be described as "great warriors" at the end. A great warrior is the successful victor in battle. The focus is on their accomplishments and achievements, not on the path which led them there. Not every great warrior starts out great. They have training, struggles, defeats, learning, practicing to go through before they can find success and claim victory over their opponents. War is conquest and conflict where there are winners (the great warriors) and losers (not yet great warriors). The loser of war or conflict has an opportunity to learn from failure. After they learn from failure, they can then achieve greatness and be a great warrior, but the war is not what makes them great. It is the training, struggles, defeats, learning, practicing which makes them great. But for my third reason, you have to take the quote in context. Yoda is indicating a slightly different lesson. A Jedi's purpose is to serve others, respect all life, and protect all life from those who wish it harm for personal gain. A Jedi accomplishes these things by being one with the Force to see the "right" path forward to find solutions and results that benefit everyone involved and do not have harmful effects in the future. Luke refers to the Jedi Master as a Great Warrior, but Yoda undercuts the compliment by implying the Jedi do not seek greatness through being a warrior. Jedi fight as a last resort. Jedi use the Force for defense, never for attack. Instead, a Jedi achieves greatness through their servitude of the light side of the Force. My Main Quest and Mission: My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow. World 2 Level 9 Challenge: FITNESS: Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 500 min total, 120 weekly. DEX +1, STA +2 Exercise: Stretch and Strengthen - 500 min total, 120 weekly. STR +2, DEX +1 Karate: Training and Practice - 500 min total, 120 weekly STR +1, DEX +1, STA +1 DIET: Weight Control - Lose 2 lbs by end of challenge. Never weigh more than 159.0 lbs. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 4. Watch portions and make healthy choices for 24 of 28 days. CON +2 LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete (or dedicate at least one hour to) 75 Tasks or Projects, with at least 15 a week, from any of the following areas (minimum for challenge): Toastmasters Communication Practice (2), Toastmasters Leadership Practice (6), Webmaster Work (4), Mentoring (4), Charity Work (2), Jedi Training (4), Self Preservation (2), Reading (8)Church Work (4), Job Work (4), Business Projects (4), Household Chores (16), Yard Work (4), Animal Care (8), Home Renovation (4), Auto Maintenance (3), Family Activities (4), Adventuring (2). WIS +2, CHA +2 Added two new categories. Reading for entertainment is something I have been neglecting. Business Projects includes a few ventures I am working on with the Wizard Laser Tag, a Jedi Training Website, and a Life Coaching Website. Each could result in extra cash if they reach they maximum potential, but personally, that is not the overall goal for any of them. INCENTIVES! REWARD: For each week I complete 15 or more tasks, I will put aside $5 to spend how I see fit ($215 total saved so far). CONSEQUENCE: For any week where I complete less than 15 tasks, I will give up $10 of saved cash. BONUS: $5 for each Business Project hour.

Motivation was found in November and hasn't waned. Had to sit out the December challenge after illness, but I'm back in the game. Count this shieldmaiden in. This week I'll be determining what my goals will be for the rest of the month. To be continued...

Hey Friends, I knocked off a large item on my EQ! I finished 75 books this year! And, since I still have a few weeks to go, I'm going to make a push to hit 100!! Here's my list if you want to see it. https://www.librarything.com/topic/210984#5823330

Welcome back for another episode of the exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge. Upon my return, I have decided to revisit some of my challenge themes to turn them into lessons as I had been doing more recently. I feel it is a good way to reflect on my own learning and progress to write about and share these lessons, but I also have another objective. I am cataloging these lessons in a document which is now up to 142 pages. The plan is to use this document as a reference for my personal Jedi training and to pass on for my Padawan training. It isn't just my Nerd Fitness challenges. It includes every Jedi-related writing I have done, training I have worked through, and documents I have collected (which are not protected but have sources noted). Challenge Lesson: "Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future." -- Yoda, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Yoda is very powerful and knowledgeable in the Force. Typically, he has the ability to see events well into the future, but it can be clouded by the dark side or the tipping of scales of large decisions. In this quote, Yoda was specifically referring to the fates of Han, Chewie, and Leia in the hands of Darth Vader on Bespin since Luke's choice to stay or go and his potential to fall to the dark side factored heavily into the events outcome, but Yoda's words carry more weight to it. Predicting the future is always reliant on current conditions and knowledge. As things happen and new things come to light, those predictions become more or less likely. The predictions could drastically change due to new information or occurrences. There are too many unforeseen variables at times. Being aware of how our decisions can influence the future is important to achieving the future we desire. Being aware of outside influences and the potential for unpredictable occurrences can help prepare for detours and breakdowns. My Main Quest and Mission: My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow. World 2 Level 7 Challenge: FITNESS: Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 500 min total, 120 weekly. DEX +1, STA +2 The weekly plan is a minimum of two tabata runs with Pokémon Go. These runs are to include at least 5 sprints of ~50 meters for increased intensity. It's getting cold outside, so I may move to a treadmill for a few of the runs. We'll see how it goes. I'll also have 60 minutes of racquetball on Fridays. I'd like to do some field or gym training for rugby, soccer, and football footwork and ball work, as well. Exercise: Stretch and Strengthen - 500 min total, 120 weekly. STR +2, DEX +1 The weekly plan includes 10 minutes of regular stretching each day, two 20 minute sessions of physical therapy exercises and 20 minutes of other strength training each week. The minimum leaves 40 minutes to make up by the end of the challenge. Karate: Training and Practice - 500 min total, 120 weekly STR +1, DEX +1, STA +1 Better to count Karate by itself. It is too difficult to predict or categorize the classes as Cardio or Strengthening. Plan is 2 classes a week for 45 min each. Add a third class or a individual practice for the last 30 min. DIET: Weight Control - Lose 2 lbs by end of challenge. Never weigh more than 159.5 lbs. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 4. Watch portions and make healthy choices for 24 of 28 days. CON +2 Going to eat salad and veggies as much as possible with apples and dark chocolate as my sugary snacks. Avoid soda, ice cream, and potato chips. Minimize cheese and nuts. Most importantly, I have to continue to watch my portions. I cannot ever have two "large" meals in one day. Aiming for one small meal and one medium meal a day, keeping breakfast as small as possible. LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete 60 Tasks or Projects, with at least 12 a week, from any of the following areas (max for challenge, no more than 3 each per week): Toastmasters Communication Practice (2), Toastmasters Leadership Practice (4), Webmaster Work (6), Mentoring (8), Charity Work (8), Jedi Training (4), Self Preservation (2), Church Work (4), Job Work (8), Household Chores (8), Yard Work (8), Animal Care (8), Home Renovation (8), Auto Maintenance (8), Family Activities (8), Adventuring (6). WIS +2, CHA +2 No longer worried about diversity. I want to continue to get the important weekly things done while looking for the neglected areas. I NEED to revisit my IJRS Jedi Training this challenge. It has been too long. Auto Maintenance will be important to get to before the weather gets too cold and icy. Same with any Home Renovation and Yard Work. Incorporating a reward and consequence has been really helpful, so I'll keep doing that. REWARD: For each week I complete 12 or more tasks, I will put $10 aside for buying something just for me. CONSEQUENCE: For any week where I complete less than 12 tasks, I will give up $10 of saved cash. BONUS: $5 for each IJRS Lesson completed. Major Dates: Disney World Dec 1st-5th, Christmas Weekend Dec 23rd-26th. Each of these periods will need to be planned carefully to meet my goals.

Okay, so I wanted to say something about Rogue One, but, who needs to do that? I'm going on opening day. Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Instead, because my challenge goals are revisiting and continuing What Works, I'm going back to something awesome. Work it. Main Goal I'm going to Blue Mountain, Ontario, for the 2017 OCR World Championships. Anyone who does three or more races in a single year qualifies to race Journeyman. I could register right now. I want to qualify as an Age Group competitor, meaning I want to earn my spot in competition. Good Lord, the medal porn. I hope these things continue to look this awesome. To this end, I have to Get Faster and Stay Strong. And in order to do these things, I have to Stick With What I Know Works. Goal: Macros Never be Porkins. 1750-2250 calories per day 125-150 grams protein 35+ grams fiber <2800 grams sodium Ideally, it's going to be lightest on rest days and heaviest on days where I lift. This is a work in progress. As long as my averages are within my goal range, this is a success for this challenge. Everything gets tracked and reported here. Goal: Strength Training Dash Rendar, the double-breasted turkey of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Weekly Schedule: Crossfit-style class Monday Heavy lifting Tuesday, Thursday HIIT Friday Boot camp Saturday During Week 1 of this challenge because I'll be racing in Florida, and will be dropping my Thursday, Friday and Saturday sessions. Otherwise, everything gets tracked and reported here. Goal: Run, Dammit I wonder if having a puppet master would make me run more consistently. I have a half-marathon training plan that I paid for, and a running coach who has agreed to track my progress and keep me moving forward. Use these resources. Follow the plan. I am schedule to run four days per week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and one day per weekend. The Plan says Saturday but also says I can run Sunday instead. My GF and I have agreed to run every Sunday after I finish teaching class at the gym. We're going to keep each other accountable and start working toward our goals. My measurable goal: 10k in under an hour. Far more achievable than doing the Kessel Run in under 12 Parsecs. As I mentioned, I will be guiding my GF through the swamp in Florida at the end of Week 1 to complete the Jacksonville Spartan Super, which will complete my Fifth Spartan Trifecta for 2016. I don't want to downplay this as "no big thing", because if it weren't a "big thing" people like me wouldn't train for them and judge their fitness by them. It is a big deal. One Spartan Race is a Big Deal. One Trifecta is a huge deal. Five Trifectas is a huge deal. I'm proud of what I've done this year, and I understand what I need to do to get where I want to go. Specifically, standing in this picture. Finally, I will continue to preach Peace, Love and Understanding, until I feel that this world no longer needs it. I stay far too silent on far too many things in the name of not rocking boats. I won't speak politics or whatnot here in the Jedi Temple, but I will continue my mantra, because this world is an awesome place, and it gets better every time we remember to make it that way. Peace, Love and Understanding, friends.

Welcome back for another episode of the exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge. Upon my return, I have decided to revisit some of my challenge themes to turn them into lessons as I had been doing more recently. I feel it is a good way to reflect on my own learning and progress to write about and share these lessons, but I also have another objective. I am cataloging these lessons in a document which is now up to 136 pages. The plan is to use this document as a reference for my personal Jedi training and to pass on for my Padawan training. It isn't just my Nerd Fitness challenges. It includes every Jedi-related writing I have done, training I have worked through, and documents I have collected (which are not protected but have sources noted). Challenge Lesson: "Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship." -- Yoda, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back What my experience at Nerd Fitness has taught me is that there is always time, it is just a matter of priority. There is no to-do list too daunting, there is no bar too high, and there is no skill that cannot be learned. It takes prioritization, motivation, and determination. There will be failures along the rode, but those are learning opportunities. There will be obstacles in your way, but those are problem solving opportunities. There will be risks and consequences to the journey, but those are just costs for the reward. Size is just a measurement from a perspective. Find what aspect of you perspective the size is relevant to and change it. The size will change with it. Think of yourself as an ant. Everything human is huge or irrelevant to your life. Think of yourself as the moon. Everything on Earth is tiny and irrelevant to your life. Now, relate that to your goal. What are the things that make the goal appear impossible? How can you turn those things into something possible? Let's say you overweight and would like to be able to run a mile. You are 30, the last time you ran a mile was high school, and even then it was a chore. That goal looks enormous. Well, you can't do anything about your age, but you can do something about the weight. You can do something about your puny muscles and weak lungs. Pretend those obstacles are solved. Does the mile still look difficult? Now, take aim at the sub-goals you have: lose weight, gain muscles, build stamina. Find the aspects that make the task difficult. Of course, Yoda is speaking specifically of the Force and how it knows no bounds. Just as the Force has no bounds, neither should one's belief in it. Belief, creativity, passion, empathy, faith, ambition are just a few concepts which know no bounds. Artificial bounds in these concepts stunts growth and understanding. If you want to be enlightened, then find a path across any artificial bounds in these areas. Sometimes it is another matter of changing perspective. My Main Quest and Mission: My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow. World 2 Level 7 Challenge: FITNESS: Work Up a Sweat - 600 minutes of conditioning training for the entire challenge. DEX +2, STA +3 The weekly plan is a minimum of two 60 minute tabata runs with Pokémon Go. These runs are to include at least 5 sprints of ~50 meters for increased intensity. It's getting cold outside, so I may move to a treadmill for a few of the runs. We'll see how it goes. I'll also have 60 minutes of racquetball on Fridays. I'd like to do some field or gym training for rugby, soccer, and football footwork and ball work, as well. Stretch and Strengthen - 600 minutes of exercises and stretches for the entire challenge. STR +2, DEX +1 The weekly plan includes 10 minutes of regular stretching each day, two 20 minute sessions of physical therapy exercises and 30 minutes of other strength training each week. The minimum leaves 40 minutes to make up by the end of the challenge. DIET: Weight Control - Lose 2 lbs by end of challenge. Never weigh more than 161 lbs. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 4. I tend to over eat at gatherings on the weekend. I plan to eat as little as possible at the next gatherings, Thanksgiving included. CON +3 Going to eat salad and veggies as much as possible with apples and dark chocolate as my sugary snacks. Avoid soda, ice cream, and potato chips. Minimize cheese and nuts. Most importantly, I have to continue to watch my portions. I cannot ever have two "large" meals in one day. LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete 28 Tasks or Projects from any of the following areas: Toastmasters Communication Practice, Toastmasters Leadership Practice, Webmaster Work, Jedi Training, Job Work, Charity Work, House Work, Yard Work, Animal Care, Home Renovation, Auto Maintenance, Family Activities, Adventuring (to keep it diverse, no more than 4 from any one category) WIS +2, CHA +2 I need to revisit my IJRS Jedi Training this challenge. It has been too long. Auto Maintenance will be important to get to before week 4 as we have a long drive for Thanksgiving. Same with any Home Renovation and Yard Work. Incorporating a reward and consequence has been really helpful, so I'll keep doing that. REWARD: For each week I complete 7 or more tasks, I will put $10 aside for buying something just for me. CONSEQUENCE: For any week where I complete less than 7 tasks, I will give up $10 of saved cash. Major Dates: Nov 5th Extra Life Game Day, Nov 19th My Birthday, November 22nd-26th Thanksgiving Travel. Each of these weeks will need to be planned carefully to meet my goals.

So. October has been a complete washout for me. I've been sick (ugh), over-scheduled (not new) and generally behind on everything. I've been skipping workouts and except for this past weekend haven't run since September (sort of intentionally since I want my ankles to finally heal, but not really). Mostly I've just been isolating myself, which is a bad sign generally and in my case is like Step 1 to reverting to Old Eric, who exists, but only in flashbacks. Some of those flashbacks are kind of awesome, but mostly they just involve the not-so-mysterious whereabouts of entire bags of Tostitos. I don't want Current Eric, who has moments of badassery, to pull a Hermit Luke Skywalker and just up and disappear. Until last week I even needed a haircut just about this badly. One of us is not going to just sit around, boo-hooing, and fade into legend. It's taken me a couple (several) weeks to realize that this is where I am, and do something about it, but I've managed to realize it and begin to do something about it before someone had to create a clumsy plot device to find me. Pictured. Now what? Now we get back to what works. Also pictured. Back to Basics I've been trying to pinpoint when I felt like my best self, because THAT is who I want to be. I've been there twice recently: first, right before my first Spartan Super in Vegas in April of 2015, and again at the Spartan Super in Burnet, TX in April of 2016. Both times, I was rigorous in tracking my calories and my food macros, I was making nearly every workout, and I was running regularly. It's not a secret formula. It works. I am my best self when I am following my plan and setting myself up for success. My gym has changed, significantly, since then, but that doesn't mean that I can make excuses. Goal: Macros Here's the deal for the foreseeable future: 1850-2250 calories per day 125-150 grams protein 35+ grams fiber <2500 grams sodium Everything gets tracked and reported here. Goal: Strength Training Here's the deal for the next Crossfit-style class Monday Heavy lifting Tuesday, Thursday HIIT Friday Boot camp Saturday I can deviate on Saturday if I have a race or if the North Star Spartans are sponsoring a workout, but that's it. Everything gets tracked and reported here. Goal: Run, Dammit Here's the deal for November: Run Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday. I have a half-marathon training plan that I paid for. Use it. Follow it. Each week's plan gets posted here for public viewing and public accountability on Sunday. Every day gets tracked and reported here. Oh, and I'm doing back-to-back days of the Spartan Beast in South Carolina this weekend (Day -1 and Day 0 of this challenge) to put me within one finish of my 5x trifecta for 2016. Yeah, I know, one Spartan Race at a time has frequently been my entire challenge goal in the past, and this weekend I'm doing two Beast races, but I've managed to evolve over the past couple years into something that Old Me wouldn't recognize, and this neither one of the toughest nor longest courses on Spartan's circuit. Also, due to my current level of training, it'll be more like a fun run on Saturday and then a nice long hike on Sunday when I guide my GF through the course to earn her first Spartan Beast finisher and Piece #2 of her first Trifecta. I'm back, Rebels.

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.

Okay, so in addition to having a thing for dragons I'm a fan of Star Wars and the Jedi. With my first two challenges I earned my name as a padawan and began to remember the path I was starting to follow years ago that began to lead to health and increased ability. Now, it is time to get serious. It is time to become a master of the force. The teachings of the force masters have left us three codes to follow: Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force. Flowing through all, there is balance There is no peace without a passion to create There is no passion without peace to guide Knowledge stagnates without the strength to act Power blinds without the serenity to see There is freedom in life There is purpose in death The Force is all things and I am the Force In the book The Jedi PATH it is written that there are three pillars of training: The Force Knowledge Self-discipline Therefore, the structure of this challenge is going be around these pillars of training. Now, to the substance of this challenge. This is about passion, rediscovering what truly drives and empowers me. This is the first lesson of the Sith: We are not emotionless beings. Our passions are an intrinsic part of our identities. Therefore, I need to get in better touch with my own passions. The aspects of my life and practice that drive me to do do the things I do. For Week 0 the only thing I will be focusing on is reconnecting with those passions. So this is a time for meditation, reflection, and thought. Starting with week 1 the tasks shall be as follows: The Force Task 1: Continue with the Black Ribbon (not scored) Task 2: Meditation, min 10 minutes daily Knowledge Read a verse from the Tao Te Ching daily and reflect on how to apply the teaching to my life. Self-Discipline Task 1: The Diet -- M-F Breakfast is a protein shake with an optional freggie. Lunch is a protein bar with an optional freggie. Dinner is a regular meal NO ALCOHOL!!! Up to two snacks can be allowed as long as they are freggie or lean meat. -- Sat, Sun Eat normally but try to keep alcohol and sugar to minimum Task 2: Training Like a Jedi Tai Chi twice a day, morning and evening Yoga prior to bed (the custom routine that was written for me last challenge) Office Yoga whenever possible When time allows practice this routine: http://darebee.com/workouts/ronin-workout.html modified for single handed saber. Grading will be as previous challenges. 20 points each day 1 point for task or subtask M-F for each of the 3 pillars of the Jedi converted to a percentage of total possible points. Mon 31 Oct is not going to be counted as part of the challenge as it's both a personal and religious holiday for me. Grading Scale 100-92% = A 91-84% = B 83-76% = C 75-70% = D Below 70% = F So I didn't bother to score week 0 and yesterday was not counted (Holiday, Wedding Anniversary, Religious Holiday) therefore no weekly summary quite yet.

In 2015 I went from a novice Obstacle Course racer to falling just short of earning three Spartan Race Trifectas when I came up sick on the morning of my final race in November. Eight months of work, all scuttled by a rogue stomach bug. Doing nine Spartan races in one year is not a failure, but I failed to reach a goal I set earlier in the year, and I finished out the year injured - recovering from a Grade 3 ankle sprain and chronic shoulder tendinitis - and feeling defeated. I could have used a stick to better express my bummed-outedness. During the last weekend of the last challenge, I completed my third Boss Battle of 2016 by outlasting the Killington Spartan Beast, arguably the hardest course in the circuit at more than 16 miles and 10,000 feet of elevation change, and I brought home that third Trifecta medal that had eluded me for ten months. A newfound understanding of my ability to endure hours of physical activity - made me set my sights higher this year, and in January I resolved not to earn three Spartan Trifectas this year, but to earn five. I've got two Beasts and one Super remaining on my calendar. I still have work to do. I am by no means an elite athlete. I am slow, I don't have a ton of upper-body strength, and I'm getting up there in years - in May I will graduate from the 45-49 age group to the 50 and over set. I'm also currently dealing with elbow tendinitis and the effects of two sprained ankles - one old and one recent. But none of that means I am not going to keep working to get better. I need to work smart, not just hard. And I need to get back to what made me successful. I need to rebuild the temple. My goals won't rehash the things I'll be doing daily - my established workouts or my planned running, which was actually going well last time around before I sprained my ankle, but I am healed to the point that I can do those consistently as long as I wear my ankle sleeves. Everything is Permissible, but Not Everything is Beneficial I've been pretty lax about my eating habits for the past couple months, and as a result, I'm softer around the middle and less-happy about it. It's time to get back to what I know works: meat, vegetables, specific healthy snacks, and tracking. Goal: Track my food daily and stick to my established metrics Physician, Heal Thyself In the last year I have sprained both ankles, the left, significantly, leading to time in a boot, and strained my left elbow to the point that carrying things can be occasionally painful. This is troublesome since running involves ankles, trail running involves running over uneven ground and requires ankles to work to provide stability. Carrying things or pulling my body weight up and over things is a major part of OCR. I need to heal, while still maintaining strength, and I need to be smart about it. This means intentional stretching, foam-rolling, lacrosse-ball rolling and yoga when I can get it. Goal: Strech or myofacial release, including feet, ankles, calves, traps and arms. 15 minutes total every day. Peace, Be Still It's a constant struggle for me. I am always either in front of a screen, sweating with a bandanna on my head, or doing... something. I am continuing my meditation and prayer goal from last challenge. I won't grade it, but I will try to be intentional, because being intentional helped reduce the sheer magnitude of all my stuff when I did. Goal: 30 minutes of prayer and meditation daily. My only scheduled race during this challenge is the Hammer Race on October 8, which I am wavering on depending on how my ankle is healing, but that I really want to be able to attend. May the Force be with us.

Welcome back for another episode of the exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge. Upon my return, I have decided to revisit some of my challenge themes to turn them into lessons as I had been doing more recently. I feel it is a good way to reflect on my own learning and progress to write about and share these lessons, but I also have another objective. I am cataloging these lessons in a document which is now up to 136 pages. The plan is to use this document as a reference for my personal Jedi training and to pass on for my Padawan training. It isn't just my Nerd Fitness challenges. It includes every Jedi-related writing I have done, training I have worked through, and documents I have collected (which are not protected but have sources noted). Challenge Lesson: "You must unlearn what you have learned." - Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back Chinese Scholar Tokusan, who was full of knowledge and opinions about the dharma, came to Chinese Zen Master Ryutan and asked about Zen. At one point Ryutan re-filled his guest's teacup, but did not stop pouring when the cup was full. Tea spilled out and ran over the table. "Stop! The cup is full!" said Tokusan. "Exactly," said Master Ryutan. "You are like this cup; you are full of ideas. You come and ask for teaching, but your cup is full; I can't put anything in. Before I can teach you, you'll have to empty your cup." In Jedi training, it is important to let go of lessons learned in the past to learn to see the world in a new way. During my Jedi Training at the IJRS in 2012, I took a course on the Force with lessons analyzing my use of intuition. I found that I typically ignore my intuition when I shouldn't. I rely on logic, which is fine as long as you have all the facts. When my intuition and logic do not align, it is because I do not have all the critical information to make a decision. To rely more on my intuition requires that I take a leap of faith, which I am not in the habit of doing. Listening to the wise words of Yoda, I am relying on my intuition more and more. Since 2012, I have discovered my intuition can be remarkably accurate in pushing me in a positive direction before I "know" the desired information to make an informed decision. In my Toastmasters training, I have found that my initial practice and preparation techniques for speaking in front of others was all wrong for my confidence and self esteem. I used to write out the entire speech and choreograph the entire speech. I'd rehearse until I could do it by heart. It worked great... for practice. As soon as I was in front of an audience, I had to be perfect. If I goofed anything, it made me sweat and it threw the entire speech off track. I take a much more casual approach to speech writing now. I jot down some notes about what I want to talk about, maybe work out a line or two which will be the take away for the speech, then I just speak the speech over and over. I get to know the points I want to make and discover how I naturally say them and look for better ways to say them just working on my natural abilities. This allows me to be more comfortable in front of the audience, since there is no strict scripture. I just have to know my material forward and back which allows me to think on my feet better and focus on connecting with the audience. My goal for public speaking is to make an impact on the audience, give them something to walk away with, and influence lives. When I started Toastmasters, my goal was just to not be horrible and fearful of public speaking. I am beyond that and actually enjoy public speaking. It has given me leadership opportunities which I thought would always be out of reach, because I was a chicken. Well, this chicken crossed the road and became a confident rooster. For my fitness training, I always believed that running for the sake of running is boring. I had a hard time finding ways to make running interesting or a priority. After the Zombie, Run! app didn't work, I thought I'd give up on distance and focus on sprinting, since I enjoy being fast. Unfortunately, unless someone is chasing me like in playing football and rugby or there is a team I am competing with, I don't really enjoy sprinting enough to push myself to new heights. I discovered this summer that I just needed the right motivation. I now run with Pokémon Go. The longer I run, the further I go, the more Pokémon I catch and the more I progress in the game. The gyms are always just difficult enough to present a challenge and push me to keep improving. I fear that once I dominate gyms with my superior Pokémon, that I might not enjoy the game as much. I've noticed that some players have created a second account to help them hold down gyms, getting them to level 2 or 3. I kind of think of that as cheating, since the game really wants you to team up with other players. If the game starts to get boring, then I have these two options to make it more interesting. Starting from scratch with a second account or finding players to team up with on my morning runs, gym battles, etc. Those morning runs will always be important in progressing to the next level in the game, so I don't really see that part getting boring. I might just need to change the setting for my runs to discover different Pokémon. There are lots of areas where we fill up our minds with knowledge and opinions, but to truly grow you need to look past what you already know or think, see things from different perspectives, try different approaches, and experience new things. To continue to do things the same way, you will only get the same results. Change is growth. Empty the cup. Unlearn what you have unlearned to properly prepare yourself to be enlightened. My Main Quest and Mission: My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow. World 2 Level 5 Challenge: FITNESS: Work Up a Sweat - 600 minutes of conditioning training for the entire challenge. DEX +2, STA +3 The weekly plan is a minimum of three 45 minute tabata runs with Pokémon Go, plus plenty of walking, hiking, or other activities. I crushed my goal last challenge, but my family tends to throw a wrench in all plans I make for evenings and weekends. The minimum won't get me to my goal. I have to go above the minimum for at least 60 minutes. Stretch and Strengthen - 600 minutes of exercises and stretches for the entire challenge. STR +2, DEX +1 The weekly plan includes 10 minutes of regular stretching each day, two 20 minute sessions of physical therapy exercises and 30 minutes of other strength training each week. The minimum leaves 40 minutes to make up by the end of the challenge. DIET: Weight Control - Lose 2 lbs by end of challenge. Never weigh more than 163 lbs. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 4. The last part of this challenge is that I want to minimize how many times I have the thought, "I ate too much". I will count and report on each time I have that thought to identify how I can avoid the pitfall in the future. CON +3 Going to eat salad and veggies as much as possible with apples and dark chocolate as my sugary snacks. Avoid soda, ice cream, and potato chips. Minimize cheese and nuts. Most importantly, I have to watch my portions. I cannot ever have two "large" meals in one day. LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete 28 Tasks or Projects from any of the following areas: Toastmasters Communication Practice, Toastmasters Leadership Practice, Webmaster Work, Jedi Training, Job Work, Charity Work, House Work, Yard Work, Home Renovation, Auto Maintenance, Family Activities (to keep it diverse, no more than 4 from any one category) WIS +2, CHA +2 I'm still procrastinating, deciding to do the fun stuff first and delay the less fun stuff. Jedi Training is definitely something that is not getting any focus. I added more areas to the list to track (I don't want to not do something just because it doesn't make the list) and increased to 28 total (7 a week, or 1 a day). Incorporating a reward and consequence has been really helpful, so I'll keep doing that. My wife identified that we may be playing too much in our free time together and not getting to the bigger projects. She works weekends, so we have very little time where we can tackle a project together. The focus has been on smaller projects where single parenting is easier. When we are together, we usually have plans for something fun. I am having trouble motivating the kids to be useful with weekly chores, as well. I think I have a viable solution. REWARD: For each week I don't procrastinate undesirable tasks (where I think "I'll do it later") where I overcome procrastination and do it or at least work on it, I'll reward myself with one game of Madden Saturday morning. CONSEQUENCE: If I procrastinated at all, then I have to give up my morning to working on something I procrastinated. This plan won't influence my goal grade, but it will give me incentive to do all the things, instead of just the fun ones. Some might look at my reward scheme and think, "why not have a reward and consequence for the other goals", and my response is that I do. A healthier, muscular, sexy body is all the reward I need. ;-)

When I quit my job at the end of last challenge, I kinda threw myself into a frenzy of keeping busy. I took on a bunch of projects so that I wouldn't be sitting around without people contact or achievements to earn, and I was determined not to sit at my computer all day. Hence my absence from Nerd Fitness ..... Mr. Wizard and I joined the Society for Creative Anachronism, and I threw myself into getting ready for our first event. It was something I had always dreamed of doing .... now seemed like a good time to join up. I made outfits and wooden camp chairs (yes, I'll post pics ....), and we both took up archery ..... and went to the local archery practice sessions organized by the Baron. Since our local group was co-hosting, I even jumped in to help get the site ready and cook for the feast. Turned out that preparation was more fun than the event. For one thing, it rained off and on, which put a damper on the archery and fighting events. I did see one rapier instruction session, which looked pretty cool. But the heavy fighters looked like they were just swinging wildly, and the archery targets were drawn images on cardboard - which didn't look impressive. Mostly, people ended up sitting around under canopies and mostly ...... drank. While people were in costume, they were not really "in character" at all, and no one was paying attention to the competitions even when the weather cleared off for a while. They were not even careful to hide plastic and labeled bottles. (The event stewards were pretty frustrated.) When we got home, Mr. Wizard and I just kinda felt ..... Frankly, the Ren Fest would have been more fun, especially in costume. While we could go to another event next weekend, I'm considering going up to the Ren Fest to enjoy the food and music instead. Since tomorrow is my birthday (!), I'm relaxing and enjoying a whole BIRTHDAY WEEK!!! Meanwhile ...... back at the 4-week challenge ....... I am focusing on activities and less on a lot of measurable goals. I have more than a touch of ennui, but at least I'm still trying!!! BIKING Yea ... do it. I am getting out for at least an hour each day when it isn't raining. And I am aiming to bike to do local errands, unless I'd have to carry more than my panniers can hold. 5K Races - September 11th and 18th The 11th is a local run associated with the Defeat of Jesse James Days, and the 18th is my rescheduled Color Run up in Duluth!! I'm going up for the whole weekend for the Color Run. SO ...... I'm doing training runs every other day. ARCHERY Mr. Wizard and I practice at least weekly, and I aim to get in another 1 or 2 sessions at the local archery range on my own. I really need the extra sessions to build up my upper body strength!!! MINDFUL EATING I am still with the Weight Watchers program, in part because of the local group leader is so inspiring and fun. I've hit another plateau ..... after losing 20 pounds ..... but measurements show that my body composition has improved a lot. FIND A PURPOSE I'm chipping away at some house projects, but after the SCA event hit the "RESET" button on unrealistic expectations, I'm casting about for something that inspires me.

A path will be placed before you. The choice is yours alone. Do what you think you cannot do. It will be a hard life but you will find out who you are - Qui-Gon Jinn Picking up a theme I haven't done in a few challenges. Excited what it's going to bring. Quest #1 Practice Daily Practice 6 days a week, 7 would be preferred, but allowing myself a little leeway. This would mean 3-4 days outside of class. Going to class counts as practice Crunches or Planks every day practice is done. 1 set of Vitamins 5 times each of either a long form or a set of animals. Crunch Set: 10 crunches in each of the following positions Feet flat on the floor, knees touch, toes touch, heels apart bottom of feet touch knees apart on the floor knees bent in the air, knees touch, toes touch, heels apart bottom of feet touch knees apart in the air Legs straight up legs in a V Right leg out, left leg bent, both off the floor 6" Left leg out, Right leg bent, both off the floor 6" Both knees to the right Both knees to the left Kung Fu Vitamins set 1: all in horse stance, (2) 10 counts Shoulder height knife hands low knife hands Shoulder/low knife hands Falling backfist Rising back fist Front punches angle punches Kung Fu Vitamins set 2: Alternate legs 10 count slow front kicks x5 on each leg 2 part front kick x5 on each leg continuous front kick (20) 10 count slow side kicks x5 on each leg 2 part slow kicks x5 on each leg continuous side kick (20) Kung Fu Vitamins set 3: Wall kicks- Front/front angle Front/side low/mid round house Hook/flick kick Front/back kick Quest #2 Adulting Adulting sucks a lot, and I've noticed I havent really been doing as much as I should on a day to day basis the goal is to get ___ points a week (to be determined by the official start of challenge) Each item worth 5 points: Empty Dishwasher Load & Start Dishwasher Load of laundry (includes washing, drying, folding, and putting away) Vacuum carpets Vacuum Tile Swifter kitchen clean a bathroom Budgeting/YNABing Clean off desk Hang at least 2 pieces of art (its all put where it goes, have the hangers, just needs to go on the wall) Quest #3: Get working on your costume For awhile now, I've been talking about making a costume for the Rebel Legion. Every year our local baseball team has a Star Wars night, so this year while we were there I told my husband by next year I want to have my costume approved so I can troop at the event. At first I had thought either a B-wing or an X-wing. Because of what is needed, and what I am able to make on my own verses what I would have to purchase, lately I've been more focusing on doing a Generic Jedi. I have most of my reference material done. A lot of tutorials bookmarked. Now I just need to get started. not sure how much of these I will get done, but here are some of the steps needed. Make a WIP (work in progress) thread on Rebel Legion Forum in the Jedi Costuming threads Make dress form Buy muslin to do test Jedi costume Choose fabrics for costume Create patterns based on tutorials Sew test run in muslin Purchase materials for and create lightsaber

During this challenge I'll be continuing on my 2016 mission to earn five Spartan Trifectas. Each Trifecta comes from completing one of each of the three Spartan Race distances - Sprint, Super, Beast. I completed my first Trifecta back in May when I survived the Montana Spartan Beast. I've been nursing some minor injuries, training, and doing a few shorter or less-brutal races since that race in preparation for my two biggest challenges of this year: The Breckenridge Spartan Beast on 27 August The Killington Spartan Beast on 17 September There's a strong chance these are the two most brutal courses on the entire Spartan calendar: Breckenridge due to the altitude, and Killington due to the fact that last year, there were complaints that the course was not hard enough. I'm more than a little terrified of both. Being terrified isn't going to help me complete either event. Training will. I'll continue with my usual regimen at my gym, which is heavy weights on Tuesday and Thursday, except on race weeks, when I'll skip lifting on Thursday but do a body weight set instead. I'm consistent enough with this that it doesn't need to be a goal, it's just a thing that I do. Goal: Ascend the Spire This is Minnesota and there is no "Up" here, not like there is in Colorado and Vermont. We have a couple hills - and by "a couple" I mean, like, ten - but no mountains. I've been running hills all summer, and emphasizing significant change in climb when I've run trail, while being smart about this ankle problem I've had since I limped down the mountain in Montana. I tweaked it again in Illinois at the end of July when I ran the Chicago Savage Race (also a blast, btw), but it's healing and caused me less issues than my right last weekend at the MN Terrain Race. As long as I continue to wear my brace, I should be fine. Goal: Run 3x per week, 2x with significant elevation change. Goal: Hold Fast This thing will be back on the course at Killington. Holy crap. DO YOU SEE THIS? LOOK AT IT. This looks horrible. Beyond the fact that there's a swim in a lake in Vermont in September, I struggle with rope grips like this. If only there were somewhere that I could do grip-specific training... Oh yeah. They opened a gym five minutes from my office. Goal: 1x/week training session at Ninjas United Goal: Strength Flows from the Force I'm stressed out. All. The. Time. I have a senior-level software development job that has taken more time in the last year than it did in the first three, and that doesn't appear to be changing any time soon. I have a second job as a personal trainer that takes time. I am a single parent of five kids, including two in middle school, which starts back up in three weeks. I am a volunteer leader with my church youth group. This year I accepted a nomination to the church board because literally nobody else would do it. I've adjusted my race schedule for the remainder of the year to compensate, but I'm flat-out tired all the time. It's time to make sure I can feel the flow. And I suck at this part. Goal: Spend 30 minutes per day in meditation and prayer. I'm going to do my best to keep this thread current and active. Keep me accountable, Rangers.

After pouring over the codex he discovered a month ago Myrik decides to delve deeper into the ruins the ancient vault was found in. As Myrik enters the lower floor he feels a strong overbearing evil weighing down on him. Using some of the methods he discovered in the Grey Codex he was able to fend off the evil but not before it left its mark on him. Against his gut Myrik push on into the room. Upon entering the room he activates a few more glow sticks and studies the ancient reliefs that show what appears to be the “Jedi” that where mentioned in the Grey Codex. As Myrik looks closer at the Reliefs he catches his reflection in the shiny unknown material and notices the veins in and around his left eye have become black, a sign of the corruption left on him by the evil that assaulted him when he entered this room. While studying his eye he catches a slight white glow coming from a top an altar at the back of the room. Myrik approached the altar carefully not wanting another attack from his unknown assailant. Once he arrived at the altar he discovered a small pouch with six small finely polished stones with small runes etched on each one. The runes correspond to the runes in the Grey Codex for Power, Strength, Passion, Knowledge, Serenity and Harmony. Myrik remembers reading about these focus stone in the Codex and remembers they were used to help the “Jedi” focus their thoughts while training. Myrik feels the encroaching evil again and decides I would be best to leave this ancient place until he is better trained to counter the Evil that stalks the halls. Goal I: Meditation I feel so good when I do this I need to start doing I more, still only shooting for twice a week for now. Going to try a few different apps that where recommended to me and see if they help. Goal II Power Stick with the NFA L4 workout and add more Plyometric exercises. Once I have my "battle rope" do that once a week. I can feel my strength increasing but as any good assassin knows strength without speed makes us vulnerable, Goal III Body Working towards a lower body fat % I fell off the tracking last month but will jump back on it this week. Weight and measure every morning, I will post a link to the sheet when I get home to help keep me accountable. Bonus: Continue attacking those boxes I have yet to unpack. Plan for trip to see family, ensure I have all my workout stuff I need to take with me for 20 days. Get free "battle rope" from fire station.

Commitment has been a hurdle for some time now. Always eager to begin, reluctant to continue. "A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one, a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away to the future, the horizon. Never his mind on where he was . Hmm? What he was doing." - Yoda to Luke, EP IV My hurdle has always been looking to the past. What I used to be able to do, what I have previously accomplished, where I was before this or that happened. It's self defeating and takes away from the accomplishments I earn in the present. I am largely going to be repeating my last challenge, albeit with more side quests. I faded away there during and after my vacation (as I had feared might happen) and we're going into fall and winter. I normally gain weight at this time of the year --- this year it's more dangerous because I did not LOSE weight over the summer like I typically do. I've taken a nice long break from tracking food and calories, and even lost almost 2lbs while on vacation. (Since gained back... damn Oreo addiction.) I want to try and do the impossible. I want to lose weight over the winter this year! There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no Ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is only the Force. GOAL #1 - There is no emotion, there is peace. This is not to rid myself of all emotion, emotions are good. But the focus will be to counter the negative emotions! Like, stress, anxiety, frustration, lack of patience, etc. My form of meditation will be prayer. Because I'm really bad at this. Really really really bad. This will be a perfect chance to work on developing a new habit. So as not to overwhelm, and to keep things attainable, we're starting off with a very small goal, and allowing some other things to count toward this. Prayer, Meditation, Yoga: 3x/week GOAL #2 - There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. It is time once again to focus on knowledge. The Dark Side would see us fail by ignoring what information we have access to! I will return to tracking calories in and out for the duration of this challenge. At that point, I will see what results were had, and adjust from there. Four weeks is not that long - and this is not new to me. It will go by fast, and I will have regained some baseline data. Track Food and Exercise with MFP: 7x/week Minimum to consume 1500, maximum based on exercise. **Exceptions allowed during vacation to Isle Royale. Track as best as I can, but no stress over it. GOAL #3 - There is no passion, there is serenity Newsflash. When Starpuck gets into something "new", she tips the scales at a fast and hard 150% involved point. I love a lot of things. I need to become a better steward of my hobbies and passions. I've just added a new thing I want to get into. It's impossible to just keep adding plates, and things to plates. I must learn to balance them. Creative Outlets: 3x / week Includes: art (sketching and digital), website/RPG projects, and the newcomer to the mix... sewing! (Attempting to learn to sew for costuming reasons.) Step out of Routine, explore your world: 1x / week Examples: A more significant hike, a bike ride in a new area, meeting with friends instead of playing online, doing things that others like even if it's not your favorite thing, try new things, pull out an old hobby, etc. GOAL #4 - There is no chaos, there is harmony. Total freedom on the exercise front seems to not go so well. Setting goals, on the other hand, seems to work well. It allows me to better fit in the various types of training I want to accomplish -aka, harmony between my activities. Force Lift: 2x/week engage in strength training. Force Push: 2x/week engage in movement, pushing myself to run, bike, etc. Force Balance will include yoga, and may be performed any number of times per week, but count toward my meditation goal. GOAL #5 - There is no death, debt, there is only the Force. An adulting goal. Primarily, this will consist of writing out and sticking to a budget. I realized that I am in a great place to save some money, if I just manage it better. My vacations are over and paid for. My weekend at the con will happen the day before this challenge starts. There will be no reason for impulse spending or random purchases. Step 1: Write Budget Step 2: Follow Budget Step 3: Put $300 into savings by end of challenge. Side Missions for this Challenge Find the Jedi, and potentially, a master to train under. - Join one of the small groups at my church, and/or get more involved in serving. Join the Rebel Alliance - Push past my comfort zone and get involved/accepted to the Rebel Legion Fight in the Battle of Endor - Potential goal here, not yet decided. Do a forest photo shoot while in the U.P of Michigan. Force powers; ForeSEE - Stop procrastinating on finding a new eye doctor, and get in for an appt!

Welcome back for another episode of the exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge. Upon my return, I have decided to revisit some of my challenge themes to turn them into lessons as I had been doing more recently. I feel it is a good way to reflect on my own learning and progress to write about and share these lessons, but I also have another objective. I am cataloging these lessons in a document which is now up to 136 pages. The plan is to use this document as a reference for my personal Jedi training and to pass on for my Padawan training. It isn't just my Nerd Fitness challenges. It includes every Jedi-related writing I have done, training I have worked through, and documents I have collected (which are not protected but have sources noted). So what is my story? As I said, I've been here before. I kicked a lot of butt progressing through 22 challenges since 2012, until middle of 2015. After struggling to maintain a presence here through the first half of 2015, I struck out on my own as I had conquered many obstacles here, learned many lessons, and felt I was ready to implement a new accountability strategy for I had developed a strong supporting cast in real life to keep me accountable. Alas, a back injury and a "layoff" crumbled all my plans. I am recovered from both now, more or less. In October, I started a new job only three weeks after my old one ended. The growing pains are over and now I feel entrenched in my new world. In October and November, I took a lot of time off from fitness to allow my back to heal. In December, I started physical therapy to strengthen my back. I have occasional flare ups, but for the most part, I have my body functioning like its old self. Well, an out-of-shape and over-weight old self. Today, I am wrapping up my last physical therapy session. It is like I am back at square one, or Level 1 for my character here. But it is not like my character died and I have a new one. My knowledge and experience is retained. Instead of hitting the reset button, I'll jump to World 2 complete with new challenges and obstacles. Old foes may come back, but they will require new techniques to defeat them. I am still a Jedi in training, learning from the old masters, unlearning what I have learned, practicing the new techniques, and improving daily. Challenge Lesson: "Ready are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained. A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless." - Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back [emphasis mine] Last challenge, I discussed commitment a bit analyzing the "Do or do not" quote from Yoda eliminating "Try" from my vocabulary. This challenge, I take another look at commitment in regards to seriousness for Jedi training and applying it to real life. Yoda says specifically, "A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind." (bold above) There is no joking or tomfoolery when it comes to Jedi. Being a Jedi is serious business with serious consequences for not taking it seriously. In Star Wars, it is a matter of life or death for the whole rebellion if Luke Skywalker was not paying enough attention during his failure in the cave. For a Jedi in Star Wars, commitment to training and Jedi ideals comes before all else, even a Jedi's friends. Yoda demands that Luke stay at Dagobah and complete his training instead of rushing off to save his friends from Darth Vader. "If you honor what they fight for" Yoda says. By going off to save his friends, Luke endangered everything the Rebellion had accomplished and would accomplish in the future, because he was their last hope of defeating the Emperor. Only with Luke fully trained as a Jedi could the Rebellion destroy the Emperor and put an end to his tyranny. Luke is not well prepared for facing off with Darth Vader, but his fortitude in the light side of the Force (through the love for his friends) is better than Yoda and Obi-Wan realized. Luke survives and returns to complete his training keeping his promise to Yoda and Obi-Wan, keeping his commitment to the Rebellion, the Jedi, and the Light side of the Force. It is tricky to analyze and understand peoples motives for keeping committed to something. For me, my commitment to Toastmasters is three-fold. I have a deep desire to continue to improve and discover myself. Toastmasters gives me that opportunity in a variety of ways. I have a deep desire to impact the lives of others in a positive way, influencing them to improve themselves and reach their highest potential. Toastmasters gives me the opportunity to coach and mentor people in a variety of ways while watching them grow as individuals. Lastly, I developed the worst fear of public speaking through many traumatic embarrassing experiences, where Toastmasters helped me get over it and will continue to ensure I am never that scared person again. For other Toastmasters, I am still searching for their why to help hook them in and keep their commitment. I have decided that each Toastmaster can use the stage to find their why for other things. By writing and giving speeches, a Toastmasters will have to look at themselves and their genuine feelings on subjects. Sure, presenting facts is easy, but defending your personal opinion or belief in front of a crowd calls for a deep commitment to those opinions or beliefs. If you don't feel strongly for something, then it will be difficult to be confident in your stance and persuasive in your speech. However, if you have passion for something, a deep commitment, a most serious mind, then you will speak with enthusiasm and excitement. That enthusiasm and excitement is contagious. It will infect the audience, grab their attention, and influence them towards your opinions or beliefs, facts be damned. By finding these passions, beliefs, and opinions which one is most committed and excited for, the individual will discover who they are underneath the frightened and embarrassed outer shell sheltering us from the potential thoughts and actions of others. Find your voice, find your confidence. The deepest commitment is something where tomfoolery is unacceptable. It is where passion and enthusiasm reside. With a deep commitment, mountains can be moved. My Main Quest and Mission: My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow. World 2 Level 5 Challenge: FITNESS: Work Up a Sweat - 500 minutes of conditioning training for the entire challenge. DEX +2, STA +3 The weekly plan is a minimum of three 30 minute tabata runs with Pokémon Go, plus plenty of walking, hiking, or other activities. I crushed my goal last challenge, but my family has returned home. They throw a wrench in all plans I make for evenings and weekends. Stretch and Strengthen - 520 minutes of exercises and stretches for the entire challenge. STR +2, DEX +1 The weekly plan includes 10 minutes of regular stretching each day, two 20 minute sessions of physical therapy exercises and 20 minutes of other strength training each week. DIET: Weight Control - Lose 4 lbs by end of challenge. Never weigh more than 167 lbs. CON +3 I'm starting at 163.2 lbs as of August 22nd. LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete 16 Tasks or Projects from any of the following areas: Toastmasters, Webmaster, Jedi Training, Work, House Work, Home Renovation, Auto Maintenance, Family Activities (to keep it diverse, no more than 3 from any one category) WIS +2, CHA +2 I'm still procrastinating, deciding to do the fun stuff first and delay the less fun stuff. I need a rewards system for getting the hard stuff done. For each week I don't procrastinate undesirable tasks (where I think "I'll do it later") where I overcome procrastination and do it or at least work on it, I'll reward myself with one game of Madden Saturday morning. If I procrastinated at all, then I have to give up my morning to working on something I procrastinated. This plan won't influence my goal grade, but it will give me incentive to do all the things, instead of just the fun ones.

Welcome back for another episode of the exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge. Upon my return, I have decided to revisit some of my challenge themes to turn them into lessons as I had been doing more recently. I feel it is a good way to reflect on my own learning and progress to write about and share these lessons, but I also have another objective. I am cataloging these lessons in a document which is now up to 136 pages. The plan is to use this document as a reference for my personal Jedi training and to pass on for my Padawan training. It isn't just my Nerd Fitness challenges. It includes every Jedi-related writing I have done, training I have worked through, and documents I have collected (which are not protected but have sources noted). So what is my story? As I said, I've been here before. I kicked a lot of butt progressing through 22 challenges since 2012, until middle of 2015. After struggling to maintain a presence here through the first half of 2015, I struck out on my own as I had conquered many obstacles here, learned many lessons, and felt I was ready to implement a new accountability strategy for I had developed a strong supporting cast in real life to keep me accountable. Alas, a back injury and a "layoff" crumbled all my plans. I am recovered from both now, more or less. In October, I started a new job only three weeks after my old one ended. The growing pains are over and now I feel entrenched in my new world. In October and November, I took a lot of time off from fitness to allow my back to heal. In December, I started physical therapy to strengthen my back. I have occasional flare ups, but for the most part, I have my body functioning like its old self. Well, an out-of-shape and over-weight old self. Today, I am wrapping up my last physical therapy session. It is like I am back at square one, or Level 1 for my character here. But it is not like my character died and I have a new one. My knowledge and experience is retained. Instead of hitting the reset button, I'll jump to World 2 complete with new challenges and obstacles. Old foes may come back, but they will require new techniques to defeat them. I am still a Jedi in training, learning from the old masters, unlearning what I have learned, practicing the new techniques, and improving daily. Challenge Lesson: "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back One of the most quoted (or misquoted) lines from Star Wars, it seems that everyone knows this line and what Yoda is saying. Training can not be tried. It is not an odd looking potato salad which your friend brought to your cook out. "I've never seen raisins in a potato salad, but I'll give it a try!" If you are training like that right now, you are likely also wondering why you fail to reach your goals. Training is something you DO. You've probably heard the phrase "Commitment is the road to success". Doing something with the mentality that you will succeed is a step towards committing to it. Trying something with the mentality that you may or may not succeed is a great way to miss your mark. Yoda tells us if trying is our mentality, then you might as well pack it in and go find something else to do. If you've seen the 1984 film "The Karate Kid", then you may be familiar with Mr. Miyagi saying these lines: “Man walk on road. Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk down middle, sooner or later, get squished just like grape. Here, Karate same thing. You karate do "yes," or karate do "no." You karate do "guess so," just like grape.” Miyagi teaches the same lesson to Daniel Russo with a great analogy towards Karate training. It is as if I grew up with this lesson beaten into my skull, as Nike athletic shoe brand's marketing slogan was "Just Do It." Whether you prefer Yoda, Miyagi, or Nike, I think we can all agree that doing will beat trying every day of the week. There are other interpretations of Yoda's famous lesson, where some discuss duality and others discuss causality, but for today I'll stick with just the training metaphor as it applies to where I am in my training. I find myself, as a Jedi Ranger, sampling all the trades and skills, overburdening myself to be a Jack-of-all-trades, but not being able to fully commit to any one thing. As a Jedi Ranger, my personal philosophy is to be a "Master-of-all-Trades" through balance and diversity. Below is a writing I did back in 2012, which I cleaned up a bit today. Diversity and balance go hand in hand. A Jedi seeks balance. To acquire balance a Jedi must be diverse. The Aptitude Maxim of my personal Jedi trainging says a Jedi needs to be highly proficient in many skills mentally and physically. Balance and diversity. A Jedi must taste all the flavors of the Jedi path in order to achieve balance within their own unique path. Being skilled in combat does not make a Jedi. Being sensitive and knowledgeable in the Force does not make a Jedi. Knowing the Philosophy, Maxims/Truisms, and the Code does not make a Jedi. Only being a student of all walks of the Jedi path can someone find balance and be a Jedi. If one is a student of all walks of the Jedi path, then does that not make their overall goal to be a "Master-of-all-Trades"? Master of one trade or "Jack of all Trades" are just not enough to prepare a Jedi properly. This is what the Aptitude Maxim is about. Of course, "Master-of-all-Trades" in a lifetime is impossible. A lifetime is hardly enough time to truly master any one skill, never mind all (even something as simple as walking and talking). But that does not mean it still should not be a Jedi's goal. With "Master-of-all-Trades" as my personal goal, when I come across something new, even if I'm not particularly interested in it, I pick it up, try it out. If it sparks more interest, then I continue with it as daily or weekly study until I master it (I DO it), then opt for monthly practice or study for maintenance. If my interest is not piqued at the time, then I decide to come back to it at another time storing up the information and my experience. It is not useful to force study on yourself towards a subject which does not interest you. Deciding to master the trades we are good at or the ones which interest us first does not negate the "Master-of-all-Trades" goal. Interest in other areas will grow with time in which case we can return to a subject we have stored. Of course, everyone has a specialty, but that only comes with where you begin to learn. At the age of 24, I had solidified my specialty in Electrical Engineering and Electromagnetics in Microstrip Patch Array Antenna Design. With many years ahead of me, I made it a professional goal to become proficient in other antenna types to make myself a bigger asset to my company and our customers. Three years later my extracurricular studies paid off allowing me the ability to transfer to another division within the company when business dwindled and cuts needed to be made. Specialties aren't just professional. We have hobbies and other interests which can become specialties. We follow our interests early in life to find these specialties. If a Jedi is diverse, then their interests will delve into other areas as life goes on. It is this "Master-of-all-Trades" goal which lead me to the online Jedi community to branch out my Jedi training and it is what lead me to NerdFitness, as well. It will continue to lead me to new and unusual places, like Pokémon Go catching them all. Like I said, "Master-of-all-Trades" is a goal, but not necessarily an achievable one. Realistically, you can’t learn everything, because life has its limitations, but you can damn well do everything in your power to get as close as you can. It is the mentality which is important. Strive for the unreachable and what you do reach will be outstanding. Aim for the sky and you will soar, but aim for the farthest star and who knows how much further you can go. When applying this goal, it is important not to stretch yourself too thin as to never master anything. Know your limitations and use proper time management to schedule your studies to optimize your time and energy. Diversify yourself and balance all aspects of life. You only get one shot at life so get the most out of it. My Main Quest and Mission: My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow. World 2 Level 4 Challenge: FITNESS: Work Up a Sweat - 320 minutes of conditioning training for the entire challenge. DEX +2, STA +2 The weekly plan is 60 minutes of racquetball on Friday and two 10 minute fast walks or runs. Fast walks can be replaced by jogging, swimming, biking, or rowing (haven't done since my injury, but may be ready to test) depending on what I feel like doing. Stretch and Strengthen - 440 minutes of exercises and stretches for the entire challenge. STR +2, DEX +1 The weekly plan includes 10 minutes of regular stretching each day, two 20 minute sessions of physical therapy exercises (therapist or gym) and 20 minutes of other strength training each week. DIET: Weight Control - Lose 4 lbs by end of challenge. Never weigh more than 170 lbs. Get measurements to compare to last year. CON +3 I'm starting at 165 lbs as of today. LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete 12 Tasks or Projects from any of the following areas: Toastmasters, Webmaster, Jedi Training, Work, House Work, Home Renovation, Auto Maintenance, Family Activities (to keep it diverse, no more than 3 from any one category) WIS +3, CHA +2 I seem to always have a lot on my plate these days with a bunch of started-but-not-finished projects and tasks, then other stuff lingering for me to crack open, but I keep putting off because of what I already have. I need to get some check-completes and build momentum for other projects. Less procrastinating and more doing.

While investigating a ancient vault Myrik happened upon a old codex depicting a way of life, that could lead to Harmony and Victory. While he doesn't know what this mystic "Force" is he decided to attempt the way of life. Goal I: Strength: Continue my NFA level 4 bodyweight work outs, 3x a week Bonus points for 4x week Goal II: Power: Work on more explosive exercises, Plyometrics will become a staple in my exercises. Goal III: Knowledge: I have an upcoming qualification board for my job that I need to study for. Study 15 minutes a day 4 days a week. Goal IV: Serenity: I need to start meditating again. Shooting for 2x a week. Bonus points: Find a way to mount my 2 other monitors above my main monitor buy and set up LED strip lighting on desk. Pick out swing set for my little ones and submit drawings and request to HOA Submit Workout area design to HOA Finish up last of the boxes that need to be unpacked ( 1 point per 2 boxes)

Last challenge went really well for the first three weeks, and then some stuff at work really got under my skin. Some bouts of emotional eating combined with the long 4th of July weekend bumped up my weight by about a pound. I really need to take measurements because my clothes continue to get looser as I bike and run and walk. Mid-summer, like mid-winter, just doesn’t have a lot of events to look forward to enjoying. There are a lot of things happening near the end of August, but these upcoming weeks have the potential to really drag in the proverbial “dog days of summer”. And when I get bored, I tend to eat more than I should. When it’s hot and muggy, it’s tempting to stay inside and avoid any sort of workout. But not this summer!!! My main goal for the next challenge is to stay in control of my eating and keep in balance with my activity. 1) Plan meals, including fun foods and treats 2) Stay in points budget 3) Get 83 points worth of exercise each week (how many points does swinging a sword for a 1/2 hour get me??) Have some fun 4) Start archery (target) and practice on rest days 5) OCR training (Dirt in the Skirt round 2 redux) Summer ...... bring it, bitches!!!