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Hey, it's my 13th challenge! It is scary how fast they go by. There are many goals and desires that I am mentally juggling this month. For my sanity, it is becoming important to keep most of them in the "I want to do this" category and not the "I have to do this" category, so I pared this challenge cycle down to just two things. 1. Lose 1% body fat 2. Keep the habit of exercise My first goal is based on my desire to eventually get to 20% body fat (hopefully sometime next spring?) This is a "must" category not just for vanity, but to make me a better athlete and to help me sort out some digestion problems along the way. I have a food plan written up for the next five weeks and I will stick to it. My second goal is a "must" as well. By keeping the habit of exercise, I mean that I will do either my GMB Elements workout or my physio+bodyweight workout six mornings a week, as soon as I have had my morning tea. I set this as my priority because of an article written by Jacob on his blog. It talks about what four things are required for someone to make a change, and though he is talking about changing from a consumer lifestyle it applies just as well to changing to a fit lifestyle. My main barrier to becoming a fit athlete is the perceived cost. I think it will be hard. I don't like being uncomfortable. I hate feeling foolish or weak. All things that exercise makes me feel from time to time. By making simple at-home workouts a habit, I attack this barrier from two directions. First, I lower the level of discomfort by reducing any mental strain of deciding when and whether to exercise, and make sure that it gets done when I have energy. And second, I raise my ability to withstand discomfort through repeated low levels of exposure. In other words, I only now realised that the more I do something the easier it gets. There are a couple events that will make this challenge a little more exciting. First, I'll be going to Halifax in a week to visit an old friend. I have already updated her on my exercise commitment and she is willing to encourage me (read: not let me have breakfast until I am done). Second, the hot weather and frequent heavy smoke is playing havoc with my headaches/asthma/energy so I am excited to have it clear out soon (I hope). I have an early birthday hike planned for October 5th and I am praying it won't be cancelled due to forest fires. That's it! I'll post my starting BF% tomorrow, and I'll check in every couple days, even if only for a few quick words.

What a difference a couple key changes in my life is making! I'm still having tough days or moments emotionally, but regular sleep, exercise, the new work schedule, and cutting out alcohol are all working together to put me in a better state to handle those difficult times. I'm feeling good about this next challenge. Need to do some thinking about how I'll structure it, but my overall focus for September and the start of October is cutting weight as I train for this Spartan Sprint at the start of November. I think fitting into a pair of size 8 jeans I've had tucked away in my drawer is a good metric for my progress (with the added reward of having a new pair of pants going into the fall). I can currently squeeze myself into them, but the goal is for them to fit comfortably. Pictures would probably be a good way to document progress. I'll take a start picture going into the challenge, maybe a midway one(?), and then one at the end. *fingers crossed* This will give me a little extra push when my motivation is waning.