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Greetings weary travelers. The Inn may be Cluttered, but we're working on that in to the mini challenge. By the end of the challenge, The Cluttered Tavern will be The Tavern, but don't worry about that. Whether you are participating in the mini challenge or not, you are welcome here. Knock a box of papers off a seat of your choice (rest assured, we have the kind you like) order a drink (I promise we have what you want) and set near the fire, that is as warm or as cool as you need it to be. If you desire privacy, there's plenty thanks to all the boxes and stuff everywhere. We can clear out around you last. First round's on the Chaplain

An old man, seemingly both ageless beyond time but oddly spry for his venerable grade, occupies a corner booth within Ye New & Fancy Ranger Guildhall. From his build and robe, he doesn't seem like a member of the Rangers, but something about his stature suggests he's more than a mere passerby. You feel like you've seen him around before but certainly haven't exchanged words. Now that you think of it, it seems like no one ever approaches the mysterious old man, almost as if he were a fixture of the Guildhall as much as any table or rafter. The faintly glowing bowl of a long-stemmed clay pipe illuminates his face upon every puff of the rich cherrywood scent, shrouding his features as much as the dim lighting. A stack of parchment texts and a roll of scrolls are arrayed about his table in the haphazardly organized manner of a antiquities scholar. As you walk past with a mug of your favorite imbibement, the Old Stranger takes a final puff on his pipe and tucks the implement away before beckoning toward you. "Stay a while, and listen..." Mini-Challenge tracking sheet Each week will feature one of five separate Feats that cue in with that week's story line. You will select a corresponding goal that aligns with the week's Feat and complete it on your own time. These will be fairly similar to our past mini-challenge formats so don't fret. I hope to see a lot of new and old faces joining the mini-challenge and really starting 2019 off with a bang! Week 0: As you sit and hear what the Old Stranger has to say, let your worries and troubles melt away in his oddly comforting presence. Going into the first challenge of 2019 we want you to forget about the baggage you carry from last year and come into the new one with clarity, determination, and your experiences carried lightly at your hip like a familiar tome containing all the spells you've mastered through the years. Choose your Relax Feat and complete it through Zero Week as you prepare to start your challenge. Tell us about what is driving your first challenge of the New Year and what you are doing to right your mindset. Week 1: You listen to a tale of a lost relic from a far off Eastern province, across the desert. If the Old Stranger is sincere, it holds the key to unimaginable power, and he claims someone has smuggled it back to the local municipality though he cannot be sure. One thing is for certain, he must find out. The security of the Realm could be at stake. The Old Stranger pleads that you journey to nearby Garen's Gate to ascertain these claims. Listen for rumors. Feel out the lay of the land and see if there has been any significant amassing of mercenaries, sherpa porters, or even an Eastern caravan. Journey to Garen's Gate (select a Distance Feat). Scout the settlement and keep an ear open for any information on the mysterious relic from the East (a Social Feat) but lay low! We can't afford to attract any more attention to the matter at hand than necessary. Go now! Week 2: Arriving in Garen’s Gate was a simple matter. The weather was cooperative, no bandits troubled your journey, and the town guard was a familiar face who greeted you warmly despite the unease some townsfolk occasionally feel around the mysterious comings and goings of Rangers. Dusk has fallen and the moon arisen. You spy a lamplighter igniting street lamps and pay the boy no mind, for your mind is attuned to the need of the quest at hand. The Old Stranger required that you must keep an ear open and eye peeled for any information about the artifact form the East. Knowing Garen’s Gate as you do, you make first for the dock, expecting the Port Authority or fishermen gossiping might know of something. Alas, the hour is late and only sleepy security and cabin boys occupy the harbor. Next you journey the cobblestone streets to the Garen’s Final Rest Inn where there’s sure to be some townsfolk enjoy a late libation and bawdy tune or two. Once inside you’re immediately greeted by the door man, but not the usual face you would expect. Gone is your friend, replaced by a mountain of a foreigner keeping security. Now that you notice, there are plenty of new faces you don’t recognize. While Garen’s Gate is a travel hub, it remains a simple settlement that doesn’t see many out-of-towners for any length of time. A bard entertains the colorful audience with a mandola, spinning a tale of a damsel who wasn’t in distress at all, but slew the dragon and rescued her fair prince, only to change her mind after all and leave the poor bastard stranded to begin a life of adventure. Smiling, you couldn’t agree more with the bard, what a refreshing turn of circumstances. At the end of the song the singer seems to be taking a break and eagerly accepts a beverage from the tavernkeeper. Giselda, one of the few familiar faces in the inn, brings you a mug of your favorite beverage. You inquire about the unusual clientele about her establishment and she mentions that the source of so many new faces in the town is due to an unusual ship in the harbor – all black, with yellow sails, and no manifest. At least no manifest that was shared with Port Authority and for some reason no one seemed to question that. As Giselda speaks, you also notice the bard briefly meet with the tall door man, exchange something beneath his cloak, and hurry out in the dark street. Unusual, it catches your attention and you pursue, catching the doorman’s sinister expression as you bolt past him into the night. Your suddenly barging through the inn door startles the fleeing performer, who dashes to your right and toward the pen stabling horses. He rides north for the gate. But to the south lies the harbor, where your friend Giselda mentioned the mysterious obsidian schooner. Choose your own adventure! Do you pursue the Bard? Complete a Speed Feat this week to give chase. Do you ignore the singer and make for the harbor to investigate the ship? Select an Agility Feat to get yourself aboard and poke around for details of its origins. The choice is yours! Week 3: If you chose to follow the Bard: Though the Bard is some years advanced in age, his determination and fervor to escape with whatever knowledge or secrets allows him to cover much ground. He vaults the horse pen enclosure’s gate and attempts to leap onto a particularly proud stallion. Having none of the stranger’s feeble efforts to mount him, the tall horse shakes the man aside and he plummets into the mucky mire at their feet. Vaulting the gate with even greater ease, you land near the struggling singer and tackle him. A brief exchanges of curses and interrogation nets some information: the bard has been spreading details of Duke Kragen’s plot to seize the kingdom’s throne from the child Princess Claire in a violent coup d’etat that would install him as the unquestioned Mage Lord of all the land, and to do so he seeks an artifact of vast potential power. As a matter of fact, the Bard informs you, that very relic arrived just hours before on a foreign schooner and Duke Kragen’s most loyal lieutenants race for Garen’s Gate to intercept it and return that artifact to their lord as you speak. The sound of hoofbeats shake the ground beneath you as dark men arrive on dark steeds, a dire turn of events that speaks to dire consequences if you don’t interrupt their intentions… Courage Feat time! Gather up your 20 seconds of courage, steel your nerves this week to do what must be done and stop Kragen’s men from retrieving the relic. Stand up to that workplace bully, accomplish something you’ve been putting off, do that thing! Instead you investigated the mysterious ship in the harbor: Removing your cloak and hanging it on a low peg in an open doorway, you wade through the shallows at the dock and slowly swim your way to the obsidian schooner moored in the harbor. The air is still, the night dark and deep and haunting, as you near all seems unusually silent. Even the ship’s lumbers don’t seem to creek and the sails don’t flap. You shimmy and scramble up the anchor chain like a silent specter and drop onto the deck without a sound to alert your presence to… an empty deck. There is no one around. No soul guards the deck, no guard or security or deckhand. The nagging feeling of being in the wrong place at the right time raises the hairs on the back of your neck, but you press on and scour the ship. A horse’s whinny alerts you. Hooves pound wood as a cadre of dark men on horseback stampede onto the dock. Without another option, you steel your nerves and leap from the ship into the water to avoid immediate detection… Courage Feat too! Now, both: complete a Strength Feat to challenge yourself this week. We’re all going to need to unite our skills against this coming storm. Week 4: Climbing from the waters below or racing down the cobblestone thoroughfare, it’s too late. Dark-clad and swaddled in cloaks you witness the riders swarm the docks and hear the clamor of victory. Shouts ring out and swords and spears are thrust toward the sky. Hoof beats strike the dock lumber as the horses react to the obvious mirth of their masters. One man among all others, a hulking behemoth of a man who nearly looks comical atop his mount, holds an eerily glowing object over his head. As you stare at it you detect an otherworldly presence piercing your mind and a shiver spreads across even your clothed flesh. Whatever that ancient relic is, it is not meant for men such as this and cannot be allowed to reach Duke Kragen. And yet you cannot face the cadre of riders alone. Whether you dove into the dark waters or raced through Garen’s Gate to intercept the Duke’s horsemen, I regret to inform you that we have failed… some prophecies are meandering, twisted things, but I say Fate is a construct of our own making and the Ranger Corps has not endured millennia just to lay down to play dead at the slightest misfortune. Nor shall we fail at the twilight before gloom’s fall. Return now to the Leaky Tankard and inform the Old Stranger of what has come to pass. Steel your nerves against despair and bolster your Constitution for this final Feat of the January Challenge. Recover your health, your stamina, and eat hearty – for we Rangers shall amass our Great Company and march for the Capital, hoping against tidings most dire that we can shield Princess Claire against Kragen’s machinations and prevent a coup d’etat that will rock the land.

This mini-challenge is inspired by the SuperBetter program designed by Jane McGonigal. All challenge ideas come from the SuperBetter website. This challenge is broken into three parts: Power-Ups (daily activities), Quests (weekly activities) and Bad Guys (optional challenges). Just choose from each list and have fun. If you really want to enhance your experience, download the SuperBetter app or pick up a copy of Jane's book. Power-Ups -- quick daily activities that give you a boost: Drink a full glass of water Got a block? Walk around it. Hug yourself. Run some sprints. Take a 5 minute cold shower. Do 10 burpees. Meditate for at least 5 minutes. Take your shoes off and spend at least 5 minutes with your bare feet on the ground. Spend at least 5 minutes near a natural body of water or a fountain. Make your bed. Watch a brief motivational video. Quests -- more challenging weekly activities: Run or walk a 5k--share your time. Have a conversation with a stranger--share your experience. Read a touchy-feely relationship, new-agey self-help, organisational/motivational book. Do something creative. Make some jewelry, or color a picture, or do some embroidery, or do some creative writing - anything that allows you use your creativity and passion for aesthetics. Do as many pushups as possible in 2 minutes--share your results. Write to someone you haven't talked to in quite a while. Meditate for at least 20 minutes either on your own or using a guided meditation. Find a new recipe and cook it. Make a list of at least 3 people you admire as "heroes." Share what qualities you most admire about them. Bad Guys -- bad habits and anything else that makes it harder for you to get SuperBetter: Turn off the TV for one day. Take a sabbatical from social media for at least one day. Choose water instead of sugary sodas, juices, or energy drinks. Take movement breaks every thirty minutes during your work day. Do something you have been putting off for too long. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park farther from the entrance of your office/school/etc.

I was working in the lab late one night When my eyes beheld an eerie sight For my monster from his slab began to rise And suddenly to my surprise - The monster began posing! Welcome to the warriors costume party where we get our flex on in our Halloween costumes! Every week we’ll vote on the best flexing in costume picture posted, even zero week, with the impartial voting method of reacting to the photo with the thanks (the purple trophy) button. For the more Halloween challenged, a progress pic with digital edits (looking at you, poop emoji) is perfectly acceptable. For those of you that own pets, children, or service rhinos; flexing pictures of your charges in costume are appreciated. They did the mash They did the monster mash The monster mash It was a graveyard smash They did the mash It caught on in a flash They did the mash They did the monster mash

Welcome to SPRING! As we stretch out of the darker season, let’s join together in gratitude. Science has shown that being actively grateful can have tremendous positive effects on our health and well being, and the more we study gratitude, the more benefits we find. The basic takeaway is very simple: Be thankful to be happy. “People who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they're thankful for experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and even have stronger immune systems.” Being thankful, genuinely grateful for what we have, has an immediate and profound impact on our sense of well being. It even helps increase our financial balances, by making us less inclined to spend. “Grateful people report themselves as being less materialist and less envious. In particular, grateful people report being more willing to part with their possessions, more generous with them, less envious of the material wealth of others, less committed to the idea that material wealth brings happiness. Apparently, material success is not a very important factor in the happiness of highly grateful people.” Robert Emmons, author of Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, shows that simply keeping a gratitude journal—regularly writing brief reflections on moments for which we’re thankful—can significantly increase well-being and life satisfaction. Let’s focus on gratitude this spring, and find balance at the equinox. Want to join in the fun? Post something you are grateful for and why it matters to you. Start today, and post at least one thing. Aim for one thing a day, but don’t let a missed day stop you from coming back and posting. Keep track of how many posts you made by number each successive post. We’re going to do this for the coming three weeks, so add the suffix “/21” to each number, so that we can keep it in context. I’ll post prompts along the way, but listen to your inner voice. People report that the continuity of gratitude and the depth of emotion are the real key to success here. So post away! At the end of the mini-challenge, we’ll talk about what you noticed, and what these insights have led to, if anything. !

Veteran Rebels Mini-Challenge Hi everyone and welcome to the first ever Veteran Rebel Mini-Challenge! While traditionally the Rebel mini has been a step-by-step guide of how to challenge (yes), as things have changed and the Rebel Guild has become an all-Level encompassing place, we found that that started to become repetitive. Therefore, for veteran rebels that have braved the forums for some time, and who wish to add flavour (literally) to their challenges, we have decided to whisk together a simple but fun Mini-Challenge for you. Newcomers are of course welcome as well, but if it’s your first time using the NF Forums, we recommend you go through the challenge Tutorial [LINK] first as well as the Fruit Toss [LINK] mini challenge first to get a taste of the format. For everyone else, the Rules of the Game are Simple: This mini-challenge will run from 12/02 until 11/03 and is open to anyone who wishes to participate. Just add your name to the sign-up sheet and join in, you may sign up at any time. Every Friday (to give you time to plan your weekend shopping), we will be announcing one vegetable of the week. Your challenge is to use that vegetable in as many dishes as possible. For each meal/dish/recipe you use that vegetable in (keyword is use, just coming up with the recipe doesn’t count) you get one point. The Rebel with the most points at the end of the week wins! You are welcome to post pictures. Let us know if you are participating and don’t hesitate to ask any questions! A Note on Mini-Challenges: Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate. Don't let mini-challenges hinder your own goals. If you're not sure how to register something, post it here. If you get stuck, Rebels @IAmInfinite, @fleaball and myself (@Miw_Sher) will be happy to help you forward.

@sozzielou @Jormungand @Elastigirl @skinNbones @Nymeria @Odinson_Rising First week is a walk, run, or ruck! Shove off, me mateys!

Thread for the crew of the Aeronaught's Bane, part of the Ranger mini-challenge.

Welcome aboard the thread of the Dowager Doom Crew! I'm not able to check in on everyone's threads so I hope we can stay up to date on here and meet each other this way! @Rurik Harrgath@NeverThatBored @Evicious @Artemis12 @shaarawy @sarahschmoe

Thread for the Belligerent Crew Crew of the Belligerence.

@Tanktimus the Encourager, @T2sarahconnor, @Sylvaa, @Reluctant Amazon, @darkfoxx, @Leesa An Airship named Silken Harbinger, a crew of highly motivated and well-trained pirates. The fun was only just beginning when the Dowanger Doom lifted off and the fleet fell in behind her the Silken Harbinger amoung them. If you need help or motivation, or a place to vent or rant... this is it.

@Charlotte S @Raxie @Endor @sfowler10 @Blonde-E @Zirakzigil, let us sail this beauty into Valhalla, shiny and chrome!

Hello team, @MiaulinTheCat @LadyShello @Charlie_Quinn @Wild Wolf Based on @IslandGirl_Becks excellent suggestion, here is our ship-specific thread for our Ranger challenge. Maybe we should start with brief intros? I'll go first! I'm 24, from Southern California, and work as a civil engineering officer in the military. I love all things nerdy but my absolute favorite would be Lord of the Rings Trilogy (plus the Hobbit), Doctor Who, and all things Super! I joined Nerd Fitness to see how strong and disciplined I could become. My journey isn't necessarily about losing weight but is more focused on becoming an overall better athlete. I want to be an inspiration to other young woman and show that strength is beautiful. It's a pleasure to meet all of you and I look forward to kicking butt alongside y'all on this challenge!

All right rebels, in honor of the first ever challenge for many and the first of the year for others, here is my first ever mini-challenge. I want you to tell us one thing you're excited about doing this year that your goals will help you accomplish. It could be a dozen more steps away, or your success might be imminent, but being excited about something will help keep you motivated for the less fun parts of fitness. I know I lose sight of my goals when there are fresh baked cookies in the office kitchen. If you have a big goal you are working towards, but haven't really thought of what it will mean for you, think about it! Introspection is an important part of changing ourselves. I'm excited about a Tough Mudder in the fall. It's a lot of things I can't currently do. Some things I couldn't do last year, but I can do now. Some thing I once thought I'd never do. Thinking about it now, I know I can get there if I stay focused and that's really exhilarating. __________________________________________________________________ MINI CHALLENGE #2 Now that everyone has had a chance to settle into their challenge - let's take a look at our goals! Are there things you didn't expect or account for? Are any of your goals harder or easier than you expected? Have you learned anything so far that will change how you approach your goals for the next challenge? For this mini, I want you to think of something that could derail your intentions for 2 of your goals. (Not permanently, but for a given day/workout/week.) Then tell us what you could do to get the goal back on track and accomplish it anyway. Even if it never happens, having a plan for how you will deal with complications helps keep you moving forward and working towards your goals.

So according to my notes, the last time I lurked on NF was during July 2015. Yikes! Time to change that. I don't sleep well or enough. And judging by the threads here (“The Sleeping Quarters”? Really?) I'm not alone. I figure it's the best place to start re-improving my life: it should solidify my timetable, which would solidify my mealtimes, which would solidify my work timetable, which will then be more amenable to structured exercise sessions… and not this haphazard mix of is-it-work-or-is-it-distraction and let's-do-a-few-pushups-here-and-a-squat-there-and-whatever-next-comes-to-mind. Since it's the middle of a running challenge, I will call this one a “mini-challenge” with only one… Goal: In bed by 11pm, ready to sleep. Up to ½h additional reading while in bed is permitted. “Structure. Use more of it.” I see NF has new forum software (relatively speaking). I already don't like it too much: it's more of a hassle for me to type into here than with the old one. I'll get used to it sooner or later, but I do wish to apologize in advance for the lower typographical quality of my posts. Good night. -- M

The new year is traditionally about reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the next, and that's exactly what this first mini-challenge is going to be about. As lifters of heavy things, our training is arduous and our gains slow over time. It's not uncommon for it to take months to increase a lift by just a single increment, especially after you've been lifting for a while. On the other end of the spectrum, when first beginning, the lifts may increase quickly at first, but then you stall out, have to reset and decrease the weight, and take weeks to work back up to where you were before. Same deal with finding you have a form fault where the weight has to drop so you can drill it while you work back up. Strength training is a long bumpy road with lots of ups and downs, and takes much dedication, perseverance, reflection, and planning to be successful at. Over the next 2 weeks, I'd like everyone to discuss in this thread their experiences from the last year (or less if you're newer) when it comes to strength training, what they learned, and how you each plan to improve over this next coming year. Take this information, both that gained from self-reflection and from the trials of others, and come up with a goal for the year and a plan on how you're going to achieve it. What did you do wrong last year? What can you do to improve upon it? What habits can you work on developing that will help you? That brings us to the Letter of Intent. All of the above should culminate with you posting a Letter of Intent in this thread. It doesn't have to be for a competition like in the link (though I agree completely with all the points in that post and competing will be part of my own letter), but it should include some hard date to do SOMETHING related to strength training by (but can include other things as well), preferably in front of a bunch of people, even if it's just virtually here in one of our virtual lifting competitions. This is about accountability, and about building a long term strength training and overall fitness plan and goals, that you can then use to set up incremental training goals and plans (sounds like a way to plan your 6 week challenges better, huh?).

LAST TIME ON ASSASSIN MINI-CHALLENGE: The assassins mellowed out after the initial attack on the city with some meditation. Master Splinter is still under the control of Rat King. Tons of rats are still infesting the city! What to do? “Let’s eat!” That doesn't sound very productive. Listen, Assassin dudes. I can help. You just need to fill my belly with delicious and nutritious pizza! Then I’ll be fueled to help fight for the city… and hopefully find my brothers. COWABUNGA! The Challenge: So the idea behind this challenge is to make some healthy pizza style recipes and sharing them on the thread. Could be paleo or non-paleo. Could just be a pizza flavored recipe, like pizza omelette. Let your tummy guide you to what you want to cook. +1 CON to assassins who share their recipes and photos of the finished product. Other rules: - Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate. Don't let mini-challenge hinder your own goals. - If you're not sure how to register something, post it here. - Keep it simple! - Don't hurt yourself! Assassins, remember to be safe and have fun!

One entry per ranger, a poll will go up Monday Morning!!! We need to see a full recipe (no links, please) and a picture of the dish!

Hello Rangers!!! Welcome to you if this is your first round with our fabulous badass guild. If This is not your first rodeo, welcome back! Keeping it simple for this 6 weeks. Each week will focus on an area of our guild/workout model, taking hints from many of your challenges. Stick with us for all 6, get an extra stat point and a self-imposed pat on the back Onward! Week 1: Dynamic Warm ups! Your phone rings and for a second all you hear on the other end is breathing (not creepy breathing, out of breath breathing). Someone on the other end says, "We need you. They're coming." All at once you hear a gasp then nothing. You look down at your comfy PJs, thinking about whether or not you reeeeally want to get involved in more shenanigans and decide 'Sure. Why not?' It's been a while since you went into combat (and let's face it, almost getting shot in the head with an arrow and then turning blue weren't exactly fun) so you need to prepare before you would be good to anyone. You run out to your front lawn and start a little warm up regimen and realize that there are other rangers up and down the block doing the same. It's good to not be alone. You wave hello, and a few of them wave back, nervously. Warming up is key to the success of any workout. Here is a great article from the Nerd Fitness Blog that addresses warming up and why it's so important. Week 1 goal: Incorporate a dynamic warm up into at least 3 of your workouts this week (if you work out less than 3 times, warm up for each) Week 1 sub-goal: We have a TON of new rangers (squee!) so swing by and choose one or two to pick on, I mean follow, through the challenge. Bonus bacon for greeting some future rangers in the Level 1 guild!!!

Assassins Guild's Tutorials - Creative Mini-Challenge It's time to get creative again! We got some great tutorials from you guys last challenge. And we want MOAR! Last challenge we learned about handbalancing, crow pose and its variations, push up variations and vertical push up progressions. You can find the videos and information about last challenge's Creative Mini-Challenge right here. Before we can move on to the next stage of our creative challenges, we want to know what else you can do and wish to share with the world! This can be anything you do in your workout - be it handstand progression, climbing or different variations of squats. How do I make a tutorial for this challenge? There are no limits to your creativity! You can make a video, take pictures that show different stages/variations or make an illustration. You have other ideas for a tutorial? Show us! If you're unsure about it, you can always ask. Do I need to have it ready by the end of this week? Nope! You've got time until the challenge is over. That's more than 5 weeks for you to make up your mind, get creative and share your knowledge with us! I'm not an assassin, but I want to participate. Can I? Of course you can! We're happy to use your brain for our means. I'd like to make more than one tutorial, is that okay? Yes, that's perfectly fine! You can make a series with progressions and variations or tutorials for completely opposite exercises. We're happy about every tutorial! What happens with my entry - what happened with the entries for the previous creative mini-challenges? Unfortunately we're still in need of someone with editing skills. It's not common knowledge, but neither robots nor fruit salad are talented in that area of expertise. If you are skilled with editing videos and, especially, have photoshop skills (or similar programs) and can help us with the assassin alphabet and the assassin ads, we'd very much appreciate it. Please contact one of the guild leaders! But - don't worry, none of the entries are lost. We've got them all on file and are constantly working in the background on putting them together for your use. So what do I get if I make a tutorial for you? Admiration, lots of oooohs and aaaaahs and +1 CHA! Who should I ask if I have another question about this mini-challenge? If you prepare a sacrifice to the assassin-gods, you may ask your question right here.

THE AMAZING ASSASSIN ALPHABET 6-WEEK-LONG CHALLENGE OF AWESOMENESS Greetings Assassins! We have an additional (totally optional but highly encouraged) bonus challenge for you this round. Thanks to a suggestion by Anim07734 we've come up what we think will be a pretty epic (and fun!) adventure for us all! WHAT IS IT? The Amazing Assassin Alphabet will be a collection of photos of all of you performing exercises/holds/poses that represent/mimic/form the letters of the alphabet. HOW DOES IT WORK? Go check out the spreadsheet and sign-up for a letter. as many letters as you want - UPPERCASE and lowercase letters are considered separate letters - Up to two Assassins per letter - If you're sharing a letter with someone, write down the exercise/pose/hold you plan on doing (so there are no duplicate poses)... If you're not sharing a letter, feel free to keep your move a secret until the end. - At first, only sign up for one letter; if there are open spots after one week feel free to sign up for more Set up your camera and take a picture of yourself performing an exercise/pose/hold that forms the shape of your chosen letter. - Unique locations and outfits are encouraged but not necessary - Exercise/pose/holds can be as easy or as challenging as you want - You can include props and other people to form your letter - Have fun Post your photo in this thread. WHAT'S THE DEADLINE? You have until the last day of the challenge to submit your photo to this thread. If you don't make the deadline, I'm sorry, but you will be punished severely. Possible consequences include (but are not limited to): absolutely nothing, pictures of Chunk doing the Truffle Shuffle spamming your thread, and Nuala using you to test her new whip. THEN WHAT? I'll be collecting, saving, and editing the photos together into one big alphabet poster. Then... I dunno... sushi anyone?

Mini-Challenge #1: The Operative The Operative is sinister. The Operative is smart. The Operative is a Ranger. Your challenge, Rangers, is to be the Operative. Take two of your goals, and approach them as if you have already completed them. Your plan is so perfect, that you've accounted for everything. Don't let yourself slack. If you don't have a plan, make one. This week, you attack your goals. You track them down, sniff out their weaknesses and eat them for breakfast. Once the week is up, you will have started to instill two good habits. Don't break the chain... because next week... you may... misbehave... Call out your two goals here, and write in with progress. This challenge will run from today (9/17) to 11:59pm (your local time) on Sunday 9/22.

Mini-Challenge #2 - River River! We love River. But look at this ^^. How much strength and flexibility is necessary for this type of movement. What do we need to do to be like River? We need flexibility and core strength. Your challenge: Part 1) 10 minutes of mobility or stretching per day. Today - Sunday. Part 2) Accumulate X minutes of planks: Beginners, or those new to planks, aim to accumulate 2 minute per day. Intermediates, try to accumulate 3 minutes per day. Advanced Rangers, try to accumulate 5 minutes per day. ** You decide what level you're at. If you want to go even further, try to accumulate your time without breaking the time up throughout the day.

Mini challenge #2: The Flight from Tooth and Claw The assassin’s took a few breaths to steady themselves after they had reached the mountain’s lofty summit. Some assassin’s were still scrambling up the side of the mountain but their final stretch was made much easier by the helping hands of their fellow guild members. A few minutes passed and everyone’s breathing returned to normal and they could properly appreciate the world they found themselves in. It was a very different place. The trees below them swayed gently in what felt like a summer breeze, illuminated by the bright rising sun it almost looked as though the forest was aflame. The line of the colossal trees was broken occasionally by gigantic bobbing reptilian heads snacking on leaves. A gaping swathe in the trees hinted at a river running through the middle of the forest and far off into the east the sun was another mountain, trailing a thin cloudy line. A volcano. Q shouted with joy, much to the other assassin’s surprise. “Haha! A volcano! If we can get its heartstone I can use that to power us back to our own time!” And with a grin beaming across his face, Q all but jumped straight off the mountain. There was a general groan from the group of assassins gathered on the mountain and a few of them slumped on the ground with generally rude gestures thrown in Q’s direction. But eventually all the assassins began to wind their way down the mountain, grumbling about the foot trail that they discovered about half way down. When they reached the bottom the trees towered about them, they certainly looked much taller than they did when they were at the top of the mountain. But Q was still dashing off eastward towards the mountain so the other assassins followed suit in a stunned silence appreciating the environment around them. Trees with trunks as wide as four or five assassins surrounded them, with thick ferns and shrubs surrounding their bases. As the day wore on the assassins caught up with Q, his stamina finally catching up to his excitement. The ferns swayed in the breeze and the undergrowth twitched under the sun. There were a few content minutes in which the assassins just enjoyed the alien scenery and the gigantic reptilian beasts stomping in the distance. The wind stilled and the gentle sounds of the giant beasts slowly died away, leaving only the trudging sounds of the assassins boots. It wasn’t long before the assassins realised that even though the wind was still, the bushes were still twitching. The assassins stopped moving forwards and looked at the bushes. They stopped twitching. There was only the sound of a cautious few assassins drawing blades and stringing bows. A few more moments of taught silence. All of a sudden ravenous hungry jaws burst from the undergrowth. The feathered hides of the Utahraptors had provided the perfect cover in the bushes moments before, but now their monstrous teeth and tearing claws were flying forwards in attack. The cautious assassins with their weapons drawn gave a cry and leapt forward to give their brothers and sisters time to flee. But within moments there were eight, ten then twenty pairs of snapping jaws as the Utahraptors exploded from their hiding places. Each raptor was about the size of a grizzly bear and each of their feet had a vicious nine inch claw tearing at the assassins. This was a battle they could not win, their only hope was to the flee to the volcano! Translation: The world of the dinosaurs is a dangerous one! Q has directed the assassins towards a volcano in the distance to rebuild the time machine, but we’ve been ambushed! On our way through the woods a pack of Utahraptors has burst from the trees and has attacked us! There is no way we can fight these huge ravenous beasts so we must flee to the volcano! Suggested Exercises: Running (outside or treadmill), sprint, endurance, intervals. Whatever suit your fancy. Biking (idem) Rowing (idem) Swimming Other rules: - Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate. Don't let mini-challenge hinder your own goals. - If you have a similar exercise included in your workout already, you can count them for the mini-challenge - I will only use the total done during the mini challenge to determine the winner, you're free to decide the number of days/sets done. - If you're not sure how to register a workout, post it here. - Keep it simple! - Don't hurt yourself! Spreadsheet of "Don't turn back, they're behind you!" : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AotE3VGxMb_VdDhyT3QwUjl5a3RJaEUxRDhGRXlmemc#gid=2 This mini-challenge will be over next Monday, 10am GMT.

Mini-challenge #1: A mysterious trap Summary of the situation. A vile sorcerer cast a spell on the whole Assassin guild sending us in a parallel universe! After learning how to fly and look good in spandex, we managed to find the sorcerer again and a way to counter the spell but something went wrong and found ourselves leaping from fairies tale to fairies tales. After helping a witch cleaning her diet, she accepts to cast a spell on us, trying to send us back to our own world, but the counter-spell was not strong enough and after fairies tales, we are sent in some video-games where we have to compete against each other to unlock the next world. After a jumping frenzy, the leap takes us... Translation To make the spell-book our own tool, we need to know our alphabet perfectly. For that, what's better to make some specific exercises? Know your alphabet Workout #1: Upper body: Letters I, Z, U, X, A, E 1. Inverted Row 2. Zottman Curl 3. Upright Row 4. X Push-up 5. Alligator Push-up 6. Elbow Lever (any progression) The exercises are sorted by difficulty. From easiest to hardest. Rules The main rule is The chosen exercise(s) must be at your level! If it's too easy for you (like you're able to do 500 situps without breaking a sweat), don't count them! Other rules: - Mini-challenges are not mandatory, feel free to ignore this one if you don't want to participate - If you had exercises included in your workout already, you can count them for the mini-challenge - If you want to pick an exercise not in the list, it has to be upper-body focused and start with one of the following letter I, Z, U, X, A, E - I will only use the total done during the mini challenge to determine the winner, you're free to decide the number of days/sets done. - If you're not sure how to register a workout, post it here. I will deal with it - Keep it simple! - Don't hurt yourself! - Don't let mini-challenge hinder your own goals This mini-challenge will be over next Monday, 10am GMT. See the countdown at the bottom of this post. Resources Spreadsheet Countdown: http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?iso=20130812T10&p0=195&msg=Mini-challenge+%231 See all the previous chapters: If you wish to read the whole story: Learning to fly like super heroes! Chapter 1: Raid to the sorcerer tower Chapter 2: Consequences of a spell Chapter 3: Let's team up! Chapter 4: Clues! Chapter 5: Sneaky... Chapter 6: Finding our way home The fairies tells no tales Chapter #1: Three little pigs Chapter #2: The little teenage mermaid Chapter #3: The frog prince Chapter #4: Pinocchio Chapter #5: Rapunzel Chapter #6: Hansel and Gretel It's a trap! I can tell by the pixel and having fallen in a few traps before Chapter #1: A difficult choice Chapter #2: Where is my Pac? Maaan... Chapter #3: Round 3: Fight! Chapter #4: What are we? Some cleaning wizards? Chapter #5: Your guild leaders were in another castle