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Ella Olga Babygoat Torturekitty Murderclaws is my cat, potentially an ensorcelled fae creature, and a pretty good example for what I need to do this challenge. So I'm going to emulate my witchy familiar beast and get on track! Goal 1: Have a routine. Every morning Ella does the same things. She wakes me up, snuggles in bed, walks me to the bathroom, races me downstairs, questions me loudly on why her favorite treats aren't immediately available, herds me around the kitchen, and then takes a nap in her kitty bed overlooking the yard. If I am out of her routine - like, if I am at home later in the morning than she thinks I should be, she is frustrated at me. it's pretty hilarious! but I need a routine too. so: write down my exercise plans on a calendar and do them. this is how I got started, and it's how I stayed successful for the first year or so I was here. Goal 2: Stay Fit for Jumping Torturekitty is great at jumping. she has to get on and off of beds, dining room tables, the chair we put her food on to keep it away from mice, and also, she needs some extra air so she can bite us above the knees when we piss her off. so to prepare for jumping, I need to focus on some bodyweight things. I also need to minimize the impact on my body from throwing myself against the ground. push-ups and pull-up practice during the week, with daily practice ala the 100 push-ups plan, so I can get better at it. Also, do the yoga because it fixes my extreme lifestyle (and by extreme I mean I'm either throwing myself against the ground or I'm sitting still for 9 hours a day at work). Goal 3: Run from Bad Smells Ella will poop in her litterbox and then sprint around the house. She was kind of feral when we got her, and I wonder sometimes if she is getting away from the bad smell so that larger predators or threats can't find her when they come to check it out. Regardless, I need to do more sprinting around. We are planning to run a 5K on Thanksgiving, so I need to do the running thing. follow a 5K or even a 10K training plan during the weeks up to the run so I am in (more) peak form. OK! let's get to learning! TEACH ME, ELLA! edit for backstory! I'm karinajean, 40, live in NY state, commute to NJ about an hour each way (so lots of time in the car). I joined the NFA in October 2013 and over the last 4 years I've gone from 206 to around 184 with a crazy long plateau and about a year of a slow creep up that I am trying to creep back down on again over the 6 months. I practice tae kwon do several times a week, take weapons and boxing classes in addition, and have an overarching fitness goal of doing good form push- and pull-ups. I have a crazy mean (yet super sweet) cat and live with my husband full time and my younger stepdude 1/2 time. the 2nd stepdude is currently in college out of state. I motorcycle, knit and spin, and am endlessly ignoring how messy the house and yard is. I'm an ASSASSIN because I like doing all the things, and because I want to be able to do push-ups and pull-ups -- these seem like very efficient movements that will exercise my upper body and core, and if I can do those and run and do martial arts (NINJA) I will feel totally strong and fit and capable. The MERMAID comes in because I saw it in a dream when I was a very young child and I believe it to be true. also kittens. you see how it goes.