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Welcome Mud Lovers! This is a continuation of the Obstacle Racers, Assemble Group This is an open group for anyone who is interested, curious, or completely obsessed with all things OCR related! Feel free to ask questions, share tips on gear or obstacle technique, or just let us know about a recent or upcoming race. Nothing is off topic and everyone is welcome. In a slight change, we'll be adding trail running to the discussion too. For a lot of us, the obstacle racing season is winding down for the year, and trail running is a great way to train for OCR's in the quiet winter months.

OBSTACLE COURSE RACING (OCR) FANATICS Welcome! This group is for anyone who is training for an OCR, is interested in participating in an OCR in the future, or are just plain obsessed with obstacle racing! This is place for us to all talk incessantly about OCR, share tips on training, ask advice about gear obstacle technique, or even just let everyone know about your latest OCR or Mud Run. Pop your name and current challenge or battle log link on the sheet below so we can cheer each other on in our quest for OCR glory. Accountability Sheet

http://www.dragonocr.com/race-.html Date: Saturday May 20, 2017 Distance & Obstacles: 3 miles & 20+ Obstacles Location: Sanford, NC Trying to see if anyone is interested in doing this OCR with me, I just got my ticket today and am pretty excited about this. It's a brand new race and the guy in charge looks like he is trying to come up with a lot of non-standard obstacles it says " 1/3 of the obstacles will be fun, 1/3 of them challenging, and 1/3 of them will be very difficult. If your interested I created a Team called "Riders of Brohan" and will be running at the 9:30am run time. Plus, if you use the discount code "mudrunguide10" you can get a discount too! Let me know if you're interested and we can try and meet up!

When last I wrote, I had been struck down by the influenza virus, that curse of our Midwestern dwelling. For days my running schedule was despaired of, and when at last I came to myself and became convalescent, I was so whingy and restless that a board of my peers determined that not a day should be lost in sending me back to training. I was dispatched, accordingly, with team Altair in the walk for Multiple Sclerosis and a day later was in possession of a plan, with my miles irretrievably ruined, but with permission from a motherly figure, to spend the next 5 months recovering them. I had neither kith nor kin in the running community, and was therefore as free as air—or as free as an income of a post-grad with student loans will permit a runner to be. Under such circumstances, I naturally gravitated to OCRs, that great cesspool into which all the rangers and scouts of the Rebellion are irresistibly drained. It is here that I am now, writing my current challenge. I have penned a mud run and an inflatable obstacle course run into my diary which will test both endurance and mental fortitude. But I am up for the challenge. Apparently, it will take a while to adjust to the running life, and "writing a blog about everything that happens to you will honestly help", which is where you come in. You see, you are here to follow my adventures, and the game, my friends, is on.

Kicking off my 2016 trifecta with a little run through some Georgia red clay. Can't wait for March!

Last challenge cycle brought 2 OCRs, a 10k, and a 5k. This cycle encompasses the dog days of summer (and it currently looks like we’ll actually get some summer - NYC is s-w-a-m-p-y), so I had planned on taking it a little easier in August (and by a little easier, I mean 1 big GoRuck + an unspecified number of runs for bling). Of course, now I’m having second thoughts about this “easy†business, and am itching to do moar things. I’m also sad that I only have 1 OCR left this season. It’s a biggie (Tough Mudder in November), but still … it’s not right now. I know, I know … doing allthethings gets me in trouble physical-wise, feeds my gnat-like attention span, and makes me a jill of all trades but good at none. But …. Work It Out I want to continue on with yoga, especially around races; I need to continue working on the dreaded running for stamina; and my muscles want in on it all too. Plus: I still haven’t hit my ‘this summer Imma’ do a damn pull-up’ goal. Aaaaaaaaand my focusing power monkeys are jumping. So, shotgun approach it is. I like my 4 day a week scheduled activity + walking as much as possible on the weekends program. For this challenge, let’s reign in the monkeys a bit with some direction so I'm not stuck in vapor lock mode. Model A Monday: Bodyweight circuit in the gym Tuesday: Cardio in the gym Wednesday: Yoga class in the wild (sub yoga in the gym if time doesn't allow) Thursday: Yoga class in the gym Friday: Optional bonus day - take a class or lift some weights Weekend: GoRuck, race or walk as much as the weather permits Model B Monday: Yoga class in the wild Tuesday: Bodyweight circuit in the gym Wednesday: Bolly X class in the wild (sub gym cardio if time doesn't allow for travel) Thursday: Yoga class in the gym Friday: Optional bonus day - take a class or lift some weights Weekend: GoRuck, race or walk as much as the weather permits Races, Etc. August 8 is GoRuck Light In order to stay on track for beating my DH’s number of race medals this year, I need to pick up two 5ks during this challenge. EDIT: I picked up two virtual 5ks. I'll be doing the Phone Home 5k through Moon Joggers sometime this August, and the Jedi Challenge 2015 either later this month or also in August. The Jedi race is open on both dates and distances - depending upon when I pick to do it in relation to GoRuck, I may shoot for overkill and do a 10k. We shall see what happens with the PPTC Speed Series (weeknight 5ks thrown by my DH's running club) for the rest of this summer - if I end up doing more of those, I won't attempt to kill myself with an indoor kid 10k. EDIT EDIT: Goddamn it. I picked up another challenge - this one a total mileage challenge - the Road To Hogwarts 52-mile virtual race. I have until October 1 to travel that distance. What was I thinking? Metrics I haven’t really deviated from this metric plan in over a year, and don’t see any reason to start. For those of you that are new to me, my metrics are based on those outlined in the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. My metrics are as follows: 100 grams or under of carbs, 70 grams or over of protein, 100 grams or under of fat and around 1,500 calories. This plan seems to work for me, and if I stick to it, my weight stays where I want it and my body stays fueled without being sluggish. That said, I have recently begun carb loading for races and eat whatever my body is screaming at me it wants post races (generally a bigass steak and/or a face full of carbs). This seems to be working well, and I’ll be sticking with it. I also shoot for 64 ounces or so of water (2 refills of my water bottle + a coffee), and track my general activity and sleep with a Misfit Flash. I’m on My Fitness Pal and Fitbit. Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire I am still sloooooowly working toward minimalism for my surroundings, and I feel the need to jettison a bunch of stuff all at once. I think I’ll start with the kitchen. Two people who don’t entertain that much don’t really need 6 double cabinets full of crap. Even if one of them cooks a bunch and blogs about food. For this goal, I’m picking at least 1 cabinet a week and purging my little heart out. I also want to continue adjusting my wardrobe to fit my actual needs and not have 9999 things in my closet that don’t fit either my lifestyle or size, while having 3 things I like and wear. I should also get rid of some other shit/work on letting myself let go of things that I keep for no damn reason except habit and/or a sense that I may suddenly wake up with I'm 60 and miss the things. Other Other Shit I want to continue practicing another language using DuoLingo. Last challenge it was French in prep for my trip to Montreal. I think this challenge I should switch to Ukranian in prep for this fall’s trip there. I also need to foam roll, even though I hate it with the passion of 1,000 burning suns. EDIT: I also need to make a conscious effort to work on stretching my feet more. And I'm * * this close to letting peer pressure get the better of me and making this more of a concrete goal, instead of just a weekly feat goal + the vague promise of doing better this time. And I need to continue on with my creative pursuits (currently knitting and card making). Oh, lookie here - another damn EDIT. This time for weekly mini challenge feats: Endurance Feat - GoRuck. Not dying at GoRuck. If this feat does not happen to fall on GoRuck week (or the week prior), double up on 5ks. Strength Feat - Do A Damn Pull-Up (again)Speed Feat - Attempt to crack a 34-minute 5k.Combat Feat - I have to make it out of the building to do Bolly X or something new(ish) other than my favorite yoga class this week. Whining, but no excuses - summon that 20 seconds of courage. Healing Feat - 1 week of foam rolling for at least 5 minutes every work day + working on stretching my feet out.

Hello, I am Atrophos. I hope to join the ranger guild following this challenge. In my quest to finish strong at the Elysian Games, I've discovered some weaknesses that need to be corrected. This event lines up perfectly with this 6 week challenge. In addition to the immediate goal, I have discovered that this is a side mission that will prepare me for a story line series of quests that begin in February. Main Goal - Clean and Jerk 115 pounds for multiple reps The first sub-quest on my journey to Elysium has been posted and it is an escort quest to lead the NPC "Grace" through a series of boulders with a time limit. I have 2 minutes and 30 seconds to clear some 95 pound boulders (30 of them), followed by a break to potion up. This is followed by another 2 minutes and 30 seconds with even heavier boulders at 115 pounds, and then a potion break followed by another series of boulders at 135 pounds. These boulders need to be correctly picked up off the ground and placed on a ledge just above our heads to provide some cover. My primary goal is to be able to complete the 95 pound boulder quest within the time limit and to be able to clear at least 10 of the 115 pound boulders within the time limit. Should I surpass those goals by the end of the challenge, I need to be prepared to lift at least one 135 pound boulder. The current experience is being able to lift 10 of the 115 pound boulders, however I haven't established how long it takes. I will update my thread with progress as I establish capacity for higher weights and determine a time. Adding to the complexity of this quest is a side quest to the region of Kualoa that is very far away from my ranger trainers, so I will be discovering additional ranger trainers. Summary: Finish "Grace" at 95 pounds within 2:30. Bonus with possible quest reward: Finish "Grace" at 115 pounds within 2:30. Side Quest: Kualoa Hero Journey This side quest is located in the region of Kualoa. A gryphon flight must be arranged. Adequate preparation is necessary to have plenty of mana and health potions to use throughout the 2 days of journeying through the region and over obstacles. A protective coating is mandatory against the Immolation DoT. Successful completion of this quest results in the "trifecta" achievement. Summary: Complete Spartan Beast, Super, and Sprint in one weekend while adequately caked with sunscreen and having adequate hydration and fuel. Long Term Goal: Open 2016 This goal has some prerequisite skill tree items to be achieved. There are multiple gymnastic movements as well as much heavier lifts that I need to be able to perform by February. Unlocking this quest begins a story line series with potential for many rewards and new armor.

This cycle's challenges are based off of the feats from the mini challenge exercise for this cycle. More info here. Feats Endurance: Complete: Spartan Sprint + Oakley 10k + Savage Race + Rugged Maniac - DONE WEEK 1 Strength: Improve throughout this season's OCRs + Perform A Single Damn Pull Up Speed: Work on furthering my yoga pose skill set (I'm starting with holding crow for longer + headstands) Combat: Complete the Spartan bodyweight program + continue to work yoga in where I can - Edited to include working with the pull-up bar every week day this week on top of my yoga workouts Healing: Foam rolling + Duo Lingo to learn more French + Metrics + knitting/creative pursuits

Okay so I have had this challenge in mind for a while but it's taken me forever to get around to posting it. I've already been working on these so here 'tis: My main quest is still anti-fragility with the additional goal of dropping my BF% down to 20. Sadly, as I haven't been doing much the two weeks between challenges, I feel as though I lost a some ground so it's not starting over but definitely backtracking a bit. This is not good since I've got two mud runs during this challenge. Time to step it up. So in harmony with this I will: 1) Keep record of everything I eat AND post it. I don't have limitations so far as to what it is (I usually eat AIP with the occasional addition of corn tortillas and rice), just that ANYTHING eaten must be written down. I admit I'm a little afraid of this one since I can't stand recording what I view as failure so this will keep my in line, I guarantee it. I will write it all down in a notebook on days I don't have internet access. 2 END 3 CON 2) Run/walk a min of 15-20 miles a week. I would like to run at least 8 miles/week and increase to 15 by the end of the challenge. I have no idea if the last part is realistic but we'll see. The priority is to at least get them in at first and then work on ratio. 3 END 2 STR Last, but certainly not least: 3) Continue my quest for world domination by honing push-up skills (since everyone knows this is key). In practice this means I start with 2 sets of 25 full perfect form push-ups every other day and increase every week (either in number or difficulty) as a part of my strength training for those days. Ultimately I'd like to be doing handstand push-ups but that's probably quite a ways off for now. 4 STR Cause right now, for one hadned push-ups, this is me: Life Quest: Draw something every day with my left hand. Post one of these possible atrocities once a week. 1 CHA

Seems like only yesterday I was saying how I need the long break between challenges...April Fools! I guess the mods changed the schedule. Anywho, anyone who has been following me this year knows I am chasing down seven races of the Grand Prix Series (GPS) in one calendar year (see signature), and that completing the first three (all mud runs) will earn me a special "Trifecta" Medal and t-shirt. I have completed the first two of the series, and race three, the "Mud, Sweat and Tears 5-Mile Mud Run" is on April 25. https://youtu.be/Hi08uGF_0Dg This race is reported to be the muddiest one yet, so it should be lots of fun. For the next three weeks, I will be training hard to knock out this race, and then...I plan to take it a little easy with less formal workouts and running maintenance. My next race is not until July, and I will be starting hardcore HM training in June, so I want to give my body a bit of a break between pushes. My workout schedule looks something like this (although I can swap days or even double up if necessary to fit my schedule/life happens): Monday: natural movement workout* Tuesday: tempo run 45 minutes Wednesday: natural movement workout* OR rest day Thursday: trail run Friday: natural movement workout* Saturday: REST DAY!!!! Sunday: longish run, alternating weeks between 5 and 7 miles *usually a MovNat MOD, but can be a playground workout, swimming, trampoline park, climbing wall, etc Update: Big Boss Battle! The Boss: Swimsuit Season When: May 31, 2015 HP: 11,200 Item Drop: A new Swimsuit Weaknesses: Healthy food choices Strategy: Slowly weaken the Boss with healthy food choices for 8 weeks (1400 pts per week) I spend a lot of time in the water during the summer, and a need a new suit (or two) for this season, but I do NOT want to buy one in my current size. I find calorie counting and restrictive diets really depressing, so I am awarding points for good choices rather than focusing on avoiding bad ones. Points: Eat a serving of vegetables (10) Eat 20g of quality protein (10) Wait for hunger to eat (20) Stop when full (20) Substitute fruit or 1 square of quality dark chocolate for dessert (20) Choose healthy food at a restaurant (30) Skip dessert for a day (50) Combo bonus!!! Combine 4 or more elements in a meal and multiply the score by 1.5!!! Chain bonus!!! Score above 230 points for 3 consecutive days, and add 200 points for the week! If I make my goal of 1400 points per week, I get a new suit. If not, I'm stuck with last year's suit. If I lose more than 10 lbs, I get two new suits!

Placeholder for this next cycle. I have impending vacation/fml it's monday brain and can't think of much else right now. TBC. Probable goals: 1. my usual fitness + focusing more on specific skills. I think I need to re-evaluate the skills toolbox I wanted to build a few challenges ago and work on some of those specifics. Plus work on lowering my 5k time, and get ready for /compete in this season's mud runs. And I should probably address my damn hip flexor that keeps getting super-pissed after 5ks. 2. Metrics per usual - nothing is changing here. 3. Probably a continuation of my catchall 'get shit done' goal - creative projects/minimalism/digitization 4. I should really keep my 'get out of my comfort zone' goal -- and I should look at upping the pushes.

I'm going to be down in the lone star republic for the Easter weekend, and I want to try my first mud run. Anybody going to this? I'd be happy to have some NF running (I'll be honest, there's gonna be some walking, maybe a lot) buddies. Maybe we can even get some sort of coordinated theme thing going on? Could be fun, or it might kill me, who knows!

I’ve been enjoying the amount of graphic designs I have made lately for my blog and want to continue on in that vein. To that end, the “theme†of this challenge is playing with texture and font by making my own versions of those uber popular Instagram and Pinterest click bait quote images. As for challenge, I’m keeping things on the simpler side this go round. Last challenge I got really lackadaisical and really didn’t post much. I continued on (mostly, minus some completely off the rails time), but really didn’t feel like posting. NF seemed like a ghost town - most everyone on my friends list either bailed on the last challenge (last *few* challenges) or didn’t really update. I *know* these things shouldn’t deter me, but dammit, NF had been slacking for 3 challenges in a row and it’s hard to keep going when you feel like you’re screaming into the void. /rant I know myself and without the support of this community, I totally wouldn't be where I am today - and wouldn't have the stamina to shoot for my big goals this year. This year, my goals continue on from last year - I want to continue to improve my body; I have a bunch of OCRs & quick moving for bling things going on; and I still feel like I need to minimize the crap I have lying around. I also still have that GD SCARF to finish. I’m tired of that damn scarf. Oh, and to make things more interesting, I’ll be doing a Whole30 this January. So, there’s that. Goal 1: Fitness I think I want to go back to bodyweight workouts. I like barbells in theory, but I really miss my jumping all around and working on the fundamentals workouts when I'm not doing them. I plan on either grabbing a Neila Rey program or trying the January program from PopSugar's new app - and I'm starting late (on the 5th) because I'm battling some hefty thigh DOMs from last week. Goal 2: Metrics Metrics make me happy and they work for me, so I'm sticking with them. As a refresher, my metrics are: 100 grams or under of carbs, 70 grams or over of protein, under 100 grams of fat and around 1500 calories. Water is the recommended by FitBit 64 ounces, and on the weekends I like my step count to be over FitBit’s recommended 10,000. I track food with My Fitness Pal and exercise, sleep and water with the FitBit app. Last month, my FitBit Flex fell off my wrist sometime between here and the grocery store and I have yet to decide what I want to replace it with (ok, so I'm waiting to see if I want the Apple watch - shocker). Weight and BF are tracked with my FitBit Aria scale. I also use a combo of FitBit + Zombies, Run! To track my quickly moving through space workouts if they're in the wide world. Goal 3: Get My Shit Digitized I bought a Groupon waaaaayyyy back last winter to get another chunk of my mother’s pictures digitized, and just purchased another to get some of the other things scanned/duped as well. Maybe those VHSs of my tiny little blonde self singing in the church choir as a kid (BWAHAHA) won’t disintegrate after all. Goal 4: Get Out Of My Comfort Zone I’ve been doing really well at getting out of my comfort zone over the past few months, but I want to do more. I plan on going to exercise classes outside my bubble, socializing with new people, and creating new things. I’m not putting a time crunch on myself so I don’t burn my little introverted brain out, but I will continually look for new and different things to do. So far, I have at least 1 yoga class and 1 dance(!) class that I may go to in my building’s new gym + 1 yoga class out in the wild at of all places - Urban Outfitter’s flagship store. I did this class last month, and it was fantastic. And I didn’t die of exposure. Win.

Welcome to 2015, everyone! This year is going to be a big year for me as I face the Grand Prix, a series of seven races designed by Marines for Marines, and sometimes attempted by the rest of us. I have officially registered for the first race: the Xtreme Endurance Challenge, a 6-mile obstacle course race taking place on February 7. That means I have 5 weeks left to prepare. I have never attempted an obstacle race before, so I'm a bit nervous, but I think it will be okay. Some theme music before I elaborate on my goals: http://youtu.be/LBr7kECsjcQ Goal 1: I, I, I, I work out! Same goals as last challenge: 3 runs and 3 upper body workouts per week. Workouts are actually the easier part of the challenge for me, at least willpower-wise, so I'm combining this into one goal. 34-36 workouts - A 30-33 workouts - B < 30 workouts - F Goal 2: I don't eat what my food eats. I am going back to what worked best for me in the past. I am going wheat free, but allowing other grains (which I don't eat all that often, anyway). I am allowing that life happens (progress not perfection), but I don't want to make weekly allowances since I tend to be the type of person that "if you give me an inch, I'll take a mile". I downloaded a habit tracker to make it extremely simple to see how I am doing (It has shiny graphs and everything). I like seeing streaks and high numbers, so I'm hopeful this will keep me on track. 90-100% wheat free - A 80-89% wheat free - B <80% wheat free - F Goal 3: I Stay on Target I recognize that a big part of the diet battle is mental, so I need to take action to stay focused and not implode. This will be a two-part goal: a) Spend at least 5 minutes a day meditating on what I want from myself, or reading/listening/watching to motivational material During certain times, I need more carbs to keep my sanity. I will alternate each two weeks either easing off carbs or buffing my carbs (with an extra 1-2 servings of fruit or starchy vegetables) according to the, um, moon. I will eat at least 26g of protein in the morning within one hour of getting out of bed. This will help me balance my blood sugar and serotonin levels for the day. Oorah!

Introduction: I am new to the Ranger's Guild, but not new to NF. This is my...12th...challenge, I think? Anywho, I just completed my long-term goal of running a Half-Marathon and am moving on to the next item on my dream goal list. Current Goal: I have set my sights on completing the Grand Prix in 2015. It's a series of 7 races over 12 months designed by Marines to test your skills on a variety of levels. The first three (comprising the "Trifecta") are mud runs, 5-6 miles each, one beach run, and three road runs from 5K-Half Marathon. I am accustomed to running, but need A LOT of work on the upperbody strength and skill it will take to survive a mud run with the G.I. Josephs. I have until February 7 to train for the first of these races, the Xtreme Challenge 10K. 1. Assorted running (3/week) I will choose a "run" from the following: Trail run/hikeSpeed run (intervals, sprints, Tabata, etc)Long run (for the purpose of this challenge, 3.5-5 miles)2. Assorted bodyweight lifting (3/week) I will choose a bodyweight workout from the following: MovNat Movement of the Day (MOD)Playground workoutGMB Parallettes for Beginners3. Unassorted losing of weight without losing my Muchness (or my mind) I will eat Primal for two meals a day and track eating in "Lose It" app. The running stuff is mostly for maintenance. I really need to focus on the bodyweight training and bodyweight reducing. Getting over obstacles is much easier when there is less of you to get over. Oops! Almost forgot. Side quest: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) - write a 50,000 word novel between Nov 1-30.

new to the forums, but was wondering if anyone else is racing So Cal Spartin in Janurary? I'll be doing the Beast on on Jan 17, the super on jan 24th, and the sprint on jan 25th! Same location in temecula as tough mudder normally is. Had lots of fun at the sprint last year, would love to meet up with others after the race. Also would be interested in creating a team for the super/sprint if anyone wanted to join!

This challenge is Batman themed, in honor of Batty's 75th. Overarching Goal: Building A Better Bat My continuing and overarching goal for this entire NF journey has been to build a better/more healthy/more fit/whathaveyou version of me. What does that look like? I don't know. There's the image in my head and then there's the more modest and realistic goal - and I'm guessing reality is going to lie somewhere in-between. (vaguely - 15% body fat & guns ala Linda Hamilton in T2) To achieve this goal, I've leveled up my food (mostly and some cycles better than others), I've participated in a couple of muddy obstacle courses (and plan to do more), "run" a "real" 5k (also plan to do more), followed a few fitness-oriented programs, and have made working out a priority 4-5 times a week. I still have a ways to go, but I think I'm on the right track - I just need to keep this trajectory going + add some more specific challenges into the mix. Goal 1: Fitness - aka be capable enough to escape the Joker whenever Always fitness. I like my 4-5 days a week workout schedule, so I'm sticking to that. The Spartan WODs seem to be working well for me so far, so I think I'll continue down that path with yoga worked in on the days I don't want to do the WOD/can't because it's raining or something. This is dangerously close to one of those pick your own adventure plans that I suck so horribly at, but since I've been able to keep it up for a week, maybe I can keep it going? I would also, ideally, like to work in one of my other side goals here - like being able to do an unassisted pull-up - but we will see how drained this kinda intense workout plan makes me. Goal 2: Metrics - aka Sciiiience! Like Poison Ivy? (go with it) Metrics make me happy and they work for me, so I'm sticking with them. As a refresher, my metrics are: 100 grams or under of carbs, 70 grams or over of protein, under 100 grams of fat and around 1500 calories. Water is the recommended by FitBit 64 ounces, and on the weekends I like my step count to be over FitBit’s recommended 10,000. I track food with My Fitness Pal and exercise, sleep and water with the FitBit Flex. Weight and BF are tracked with my FitBit Aria scale. Although I don't eat cow dairy any more, this was too great not to share Moving on. Goal 3: Socials - Like With Superfriends & Shit Ok, so I'm not really talking about social media here, but stick with me I feel the need to force myself to be more social. Mostly because my comfort zone is warm and snuggly … also because I realize that snuggling in my comfort zone doesn't really get me what I want in life. I'm not 100% sure what that is, mind you, but it most likely involves someone paying me for doing something I find more fulfilling than what I'm currently doing. So I should probably speak to humans. In meatspace. Life Side Goal - Get My Wardrobe Dialed-in Like Harley Quinn Wardrobe restructure. I've been really into building a minimalist wardrobe lately and think I might be ready to make the jump. Sites like this and Pinterest are fueling this current obsession. My need to purge crap from my house is also driving this desire. Diet Side Goal - NaNa NaNa NaNa NaNa I'm pretty dialed in here. More 'Batman Does Not Eat' shenanigans here. More Bats And More Bats Starting Measurements Neck: 11.5 inches Under Bust: 29.5 inches Waist: 26.5 inches Hips: 38.5 inches Arm (left): 9.5 inches Thigh (left): 19 inches Body fat (calipers): 19.6% Weight (at wake up): 119.3 lbs

Hey Nerds, I'm running Tough Mudder in Lake Tahoe on 8/16/14. I'm wondering if any other nerds are running it as well. I'm running with group of friends (Team Name: Tutu Pirates), but it seems like none of them are taking it seriously, i.e., they haven't really been training and they're not really cognizant of what they're getting themselves into (distance, elevation, intensity of obstacles, etc). I'm pretty certain it's going to be slow going with them, but I've come to terms with it. I'm just going to go out and have fun with it. I'd love to meet up with other nerds if any are going. Tough Mudder Tahoe -roninspirit

That's right, the Conquer The Fort Mud Run is July 12 which happens to be the end of week 5 of this challenge. I've completed 4 obstacle races in the last 3 years and I have slowly been getting better at it. I rarely have issues with the obstacles but the running is the part that really slows me down, especially the 1st-ish kilometer until I get in my zone. I like trail running but have never made running a real priority. Now I can't just focus on running this challenge. I have to make sure I keep working on getting stronger in order to master any obstacle that is set in front of me. Also, in order to run and get stronger I have to eat properly to make sure I have the fire power to keep going. I also need to read books...because books are COOL! Soooo..........for this, my second challenge (1st with the Rangers) here are my goals. Goal 1. (STA:3 DEX:1) Increase my stamina. Run 3x per week It doesn't matter what kind of running as long as I get out there and do it! I am thinking hill sprints, a long trail run, and a 2-3km speed session (intervals?) of some kind. I am thinking Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday mornings. I was going to do evenings but it's "Sunny and 75" most evenings now and I don't want to run at all then....just barbecue. Goal 2. (STR:2) Get my barbell exercises under control. Lift 3x per week I have simplified my gym workouts over the past two weeks so I can focus on my bench press, deadlifts, OHPs, and Squats. I've been doing barbell workouts for about 2 months now and I've been doing most of them with improper form. I love weightlifting and want to get really good at it so I can lift really heavy things, so I need to really work on form. Goal 3. (CON:2 CHA:1) Eat groceries first 6/7 days per week. I go grocery shopping and do my food prep for the week every Sunday. I need to work on not buying latte's and junk food snacks. I need to work on saying "no" to going out for lunch or finding the newest food truck (that does all things barbecued). I am going to write down everything I eat in my journal everyday. I am not worrying about calories or weights, I just want to be a little more conscious of what I am eating. Ok so re-writing this goal....sort of...it just feels to broad or open ended or something for me. I am going to grocery shop 1 day each week (Saturday or Sunday) and I won't buy ANY food/snacks for the remainder of the week, allowing, for example, pizza Saturdays or wine and cheese Fridays. Does that make sense? Only 1 big grocery purchase per week and 1 extra food purchase per weekend. 6 days must be "extra food purchase" free. Goal 4. (WIS:1) Finish Total Recall and get started on The 4-Hour Work Week. Read 3 hours per week. I got these books for Christmas, along with others that I need to finish reading before I move to New Zealand. I've started reading Total Recall and am enjoying it. I need to read first and play games later. I am excited to work through this challenge with you all! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So I am going to use the space below to keep track of my goals and post weekly updates and things. Week 1 Completed Goal 1 Running: 2/3 Goal 2 Weight Training: 3/3 Goal 3 No buying extra food: 5/6 Goal 4 Reading: 3/3 WEEK 1 UPDATE! Week one went really well, learned, changed, and realized many things. Goal 1 Running: I got 2 out of 3 runs in. It was a full week and I did some form of intense activity Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday morning. I needed Thursday to rest from my three days in a row and I needed Sunday to recoup from my long run. In order to get my three runs in I am going to do one in the evening once a week. I will aim for Wednesday night so that I still have 2 full rest days per week. Goal 2 Weight Training: 3 out of 3 easy peasy because it's my favorite thing! Week 2 will see me adding some more weight to each exercise. Goal 3 No buying extra food: 5 out of 6. Since I have one day I am "allowed off" that would have been Friday. I lost a day because I bought Subway for lunch on the trip home this weekend. I forgot the watermelon in my fridge and was super hungry. This week I don't plan on buying any foods during the work week, I may plan to do something for Saturday or Sunday but as of right now I am NOT planning to. I think I get more upset with myself when I have "unplanned" food purchases. If I plan to buy lunch one day I am ok with it, but if I plan to NOT buy lunch then end up doing just that I feel like I fail. So I need to plan a little more in order to be prepared! Goal 4 Reading: 3 out of 3. Got all my reading hours in and am really enjoying the book so far. It will be easy to get another three hours in this week. At the end of week 1 and the beginning of week 2 I am feeling good about my goals and progress. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 2 Completed Goal 1 Running: 3/3 Goal 2 Weight Training: 3/3 Goal 3 No buying extra food: 4/6 Goal 4 Reading: 3.05/3 WEEK 2 UPDATE! So week to went really well in most areas, except my food. I got all three runs, and gym sessions in as well as my "required" reading. I am most happy with getting all my runs in because this is the fitness area I need to work on most. Food, it's such a pain in the ass! Well my lack of willpower is anyways and it's really not even that. After work lunch on Friday, I got pizza on Saturday and drank some beers with a friend from out of town and my cousin. So -2 for goal #3. I am going to really work on goal 3 during week 3 because I want to build better habits! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 3 Completed Goal 1 Running: 3/3 Goal 2 Weight Training: 3/3 Goal 3 No buying extra food: 5/6 Goal 4 Reading: 1.5/3 So week 3 was fairly successful. I docked myself a day for goal #3 because even though I was still eating homemade foods, I didn't buy or make them. and there was still pancakes and a few other non-healthy things. I am not upset about it, I enjoyed the food and had a good weekend but it didn't correspond with my goal so I am docking myself points. Reading....I just didn't make it a priority. I had my book with me all weekend but I made visiting and socializing a priority over reading. I would have liked to get more reading time in but I am not going to stress about it. Overall I am really happy I got all my runs in, that was a major achievement for me. Weight training is always a given, as long as I have access to a gym I will lift weights. I really have to work on my healthy eating and my reading over the next couple weeks. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 4 Completed Goal 1 Running: 2/3 Goal 2 Weight Training: 2/3 Goal 3 No buying extra food: 2/6 Goal 4 Reading: 0/3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 5 Completed Goal 1 Running: 3/3 Goal 2 Weight Training: 3/3 Goal 3 No buying extra food: 2/6 Goal 4 Reading: 0/3 Wow week 5 was almost as bad as week 4. My food sucked for most of the week....because I was lazy. I did get my runs in and my weight training sessions. No reading though.....because I was lazy again! I did have some epic wins regarding other things I did like my mud run! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 6 Complete Goal 1 Running: 2/3 Goal 2 Weight Training: 3/3 Goal 3 No buying extra food: 4/6 Goal 4 Reading: 1.5/3 It's done and over. Week 6 was tough, I was lazy, procrastinated, and allowed things like my birthday to lead me off track. Yes I know it was my birthday and blah, blah, blah, what ever. I didn't need the ice cream and doughnuts. Just ice cream would have been fine. It's a work in progress. Running was good. I missed my #3 run because I took Monday and Tuesday because I was lazy and made excuses. And I didn't read because of the same reasons. I've just had a lazy excuse filled week. Although I did have some great moments at the end with all the burpees and pull ups and running and stuff. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Challenge 1 Completed Goal 1 Running: 15/18 (83%) (STA:3 DEX:1) (STA:2.5 DEX:1) Goal 2 Weight Training: 14/18 (78%) (STR:2) (STR:1.5) Goal 3 No buying extra food: 22/36 (61%) (CON:2 CHA:1) (CON:1) Goal 4 Reading: 9.5/18 (53%) (WIS:1) (WIS:0.5) Ranger Mini Challenge: (STR:1) So it's done and over. This challenge wasn't too bad, but it didn't end up how I wanted it to. The same thing happened this challenge as last challenge, the first three weeks were great then I lost my mojo and started not caring as much as I should. I want to be hard on myself and to complain to the world about what went wrong and why. But it doesn't really matter now. The root of the problem is that I am lazy and don't have a lot of willpower. The solution? Just keep trying. You learn little things as you go, and even though I don't really have my "where and why" yet I want to (and will) get there eventually because......just because.

A friend and I are doing the Tough Mudder in November. We'll be going on Sunday and I wanted to know if any of you lot would care to join us. It'll be my first mud run, and I believe hers as well.

Hello! I’ve been over at the NF Women’s Academy since October (Yay beta group!) and have decided to come over here and complete a challenge. It will be a challenge in itself keeping up with my battle log over there and the challenge over here but I know it will be worth it. I have started most of these goals at the beginning of March so it will just be a matter of becoming more disciplined with completing them. I am going to have three main quests over the next 5 ½ months. · Conquer the Fort Mud Run (July 12) · CAMP NERD FITNESS!!!!!!! (Sept 18) · Super Spartan Race (Sept 26) · Move to New Zealand (Oct 1) YES!!! For this challenge (and next challenge) I will be focusing on the Conquer the Fort Mud Run. Preparing for this race will tie in to preparing for the Super Spartan. As for the third quest, I will be working on it in the background for this challenge and slowly bringing it to the forefront as the months pass. So back to Preparing To Conquer The Fort! Mission 1: Get Stronger. · Weight train 4x per week · Finish Academy Barbell Battalion levels 1&2 and start level 3 · M/W/F/Sa · Each workout completed has a $1 reward! I have a super duper workout/life journal that I created and it has basically every day planned for the next 5 ½ months. I workout in the mornings, M/W/F at 6am and on Saturdays at 8am. I am really loving the barbell workouts they are so much fun and different from the dumbbell workouts I was doing from October to March. Mission 2: Get Faster. · Run 4x per week · Progress from run/walk intervals to a steady 6km run · M/W/F & Sa or Su · Each run completed has a $1 reward! I have been going to the gym after work and doing about 5km of run/walk intervals. I am up to walking 2 minutes and running 7 minutes. I am hoping that in the next week or so most of the snow around here melts, so I can move from the treadmill to trail running. Once I can trail run I can also bring my dog with me! Mission 3: Get Better. · Handstand practice 4x per week at least 10 minutes each session. · Progress from no handstands to tripod/headstands and eventually somewhere down the line handstands · Tu/Thu/Sa/Su · Each practice session has a $1 reward! Handstands are just plain cool. They also help with core strength and balance which is also cool. I haven’t started my handstand practice yet so I am completely new to this one. I chose Tuesdays and Thursdays because I do not have a lot to do on those days but any day of the week is ok really as long as I get 4 sessions in. Mission 4: Get Cleaner….? · Mid-week clean 1x per week · This includes dishes, sweeping the floor, and at least 1 load of laundry on Wednesday or Thursday · Each week complete has a $1 reward! I do a good house clean on the weekend but during the week my house becomes quite the mess. Now that it is spring and things are wet and muddy it transfers to me and my dog. My dog sheds year round so there is always tons of hair….I shed year round too. I do loads of food prep Sundays and if I don’t do dishes during the week there is a GIANT pile to do at the end of the week. In order to be able to have clean workout clothes for Saturdays and nice clothes for the weekend I need to do some laundry during the week also. If I do not I am in old raggedy clothes to do my groceries and I am trying to get away from that habit. I have chosen to give myself $1 rewards for each successful goal I achieve. I have a total of $78 in rewards that I can get over the course of this challenge. At the end, I get to spend it on super fun stuff! Probably more workout clothes. If I do not complete something, I am giving the money to my sister. This won’t be happening though, no way! So that’s it for now I think. Super excited to finally be back here to complete a challenge. I cannot wait to get to know some of you too!

MAIN QUEST: Complete all obstacles and make it to then end in the Tough Mudder Mid-Atlantic on Sunday, October 20, 2013. Main Quest Missions/Goals: Lose 10 lbs by eating clean and working out. Complete each of the following weekly: Trail Run (at least one preferably 2) Long Cardio Workout Hills/Stairs Cardio Training 3 Strength Training Days Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night. LIFE QUEST: Bein plan to pay off debt. Life Quest Missions/Goals: Stop using Credit Cards. Use $100/paycheck to pay off debt. Cut expenses by packing lunch daily STARTING STATS: Height: 5' 7" Weignt: 146 Body Fat %: 22-23% (estimated from pictures) Any training suggestions and tips for Tough Mudder are greatly appreciated! Laura

Hey y'all, Tough Mudder is coming to Houston this year~!! And Living Social has a deal for the Sunday Registration- only $99! Who's in?!?!?! Hubs is "SUGGESTING" I run this- even though I have another mud run in October AND the Spartan Beast in December. I think he's either trying to kill me OR he's trying to tell me he thinks I'm a badass!

Hello everybody. As it turns out, I've been doing what I'm supposed to be doing here in my 6 week challenge thread. So naturally, I'm moving it. The link to my challenge is in my signature. So this week I've decided to do week 5 of the "Rugged Regimen." Its a bit different than what I have been doing (again see my challenge thread) but I've decided it'll be nice for a change of pace. So today, I ran for 4 minutes, then stopped and did ten reps of one of the following exercise Squats Push-ups Mountain climbers Lunges Plank to push-up Repeat until every exercise has been done. It was fun, and I did it bearfoot but the heat made it very difficult. If you want to see the full rugged regimen click here

Hey, Living Social is running a deal for tickets to the Down and Dirty Run on July 14th in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia! There are 2 races, a 10k and a 5k and two different prices. I signed up for the 10k and it was $57. You can see the deal here (and well, if 3 of you buy then I get mine free )