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I’m formerly Ann of Vries, often Adventurer and sometimes Ranger. In summary: a 41 year old American emigrated to the UK. Mum of Enting, a 2.5 year old agent of chaos. Kitchen witch, gamer (mostly LARP and TT RPGs), knitter/spinner, writer. On November 17th, my family (finally!) completed an Epic Master Quest—to move from central London to our woodland dream property. Now we’re settling into our new home—dubbed Owlshire—in a beautiful part of the Wye/Dean. The Challenge My goals for the challenge is transitioning from the moving/unpacking phase to settling in to my new environment and the lifestyle changes that come from it. I suppose there’s a milestone in mentioning this is my 1000th post! Seems fitting given change of chapters. WARNING: There will be picspam of Owlshire, surrounding areas, and Enting. Find a daily rhythm for my family We’re in a new home in a new place in a new lifestyle—while still under pandemic Lockdown restrictions. This is not your normal relocation situation, and we need to make the best of it and find our rhythm to live our best lives under our circumstances. Continue local explorations I’ve begun to investigate local footpaths, and I want to continue this. I want to find a footpath route to the farm shop in a neighbouring village and similar route to the shop in our village. As an added difficulty, these routes also need to be toddler-friendly—either with him walking or my being able to carry him. We live on a steep hillside amongst many hills it can get treacherous to manage in places, especially with a toddler along. Some routes are overgrown and unused and—as I’ve been learning—some local routes in use aren’t on the OS maps at all! Build my PAI score I’ve been doing mileage/step goals for a while, but after discovering and discussing PAI with @oromendur, I want to give it a try. (I will still track mileage for my journey to Mordor, it’s just not a specific challenge goal.) My goal for this challenge to build up to a 50 point average. I want to do this primarily by daily activities: the continuing process of salvaging the grown over garden so we can plant in it next year, leaf removal (so many leaves....), errands/local exploration, housework, etc. A returning focus to creative activities 2020 has been preoccupied with trying to make this move happen and a living amid a pandemic. Now we’ve moved and are nearing the end of unpacking, I’d like to use some of that “moving” energy to invest in my neglected practices, such as (but not limited to): Needlework (knitting, spinning and embroidery) - Pick a project, cast on, get on with it. Writing Interactive fiction - 5 min day/ 3x week “Tales of Owlshire” stories 3x a week posted on my thread. (Inspired by @KB Girl‘s storytime.) Homecooking: I love making homecooked meals, baking my own bread, etc. but things moved in a more “convenience” direction given the chaos of the last few weeks. Make at least 1 loaf of bread a week 3x homecooked meals a week (does not include leftovers) So, here is a prelude to what I hope will kickstart a set of challenges in the new year....

I am so excited by what i achieved last challenge! I am starting late but that wont stop me This challenge will be a step up challenge. Each week, depending how I go, I will add a little to my challenge. My aim is to defeat the level 1 boss by the end. So as well as working out twice a week (which is just my normal now!) I'm going to work on diet. I've been a bit down about being a coeliac lately. It take so much time and effort to eat now. I can improve that though. Week One: FRUIT! 2 serves of fruit every day. I need the fiber and the break from processed sugars! Week Two: 1.5 L water every day Week Three: 4 serves of veg every day. ( i know that the recommended is 5 but lets work up to that yeah?) Week Four: Exercise every day ie. find a light cardio to keep me moving in between body weight work outs.

Hi everyone! Many.....MANY years ago I used to do ballroom dancing. Life made this difficult and I haven't danced in a long time. My beautiful 4yo daughter started dancing earlier this year and I am so jealous! I've decided when i reach my goals I'm going to start dancing again. SO goals are all about getting energy and confidence! Keeping it super simple Goal 1: beginners body weight workout every 3 days. Shiftwork and kids means I don't recover as quick as I'd like. every 3 days is manageable without hurting myself or giving up from exhaustion Goal 2: Improve my sleep by not taking my phone to bed and turning off electronics half an hour before bed. Goal 3: Take my lunch/dinner to work with me every day. Pretty simple but pretty necessary! Goal 4: Track all my spending and create a budget by the end of the challenge (next time I'll try and stick to it ha ha) I'm also a bit of a hippie so am attempting plastic free July!

WOOO! Survived the last challenge! But onwards to better and brighter things! Diet: While continuing meal plans for dinners I want to increase the amount of plants I eat. The goal is to switch out snacks for fruit. 2 serves of fruit a day. Exercise: Continue with body weight x3 a week and yoga x3 a week. I strugggled to keep up last time but am hopeful I'll do better with the aim of finishing the 3 sets! Life: ugh, where do i start? I'm thinking sleep. So no taking my phone to bed. No screens. Plug my phone in with my alarm on the other side of the room. BONUS: I'm going to do a christmas advent with my kids (mostly the 4yo) showing Jesus love every day for 24 days. Big things like buying toys for other children to just writting nice letters to missionaries. Hoping I can fit it in! Again baby steps but important foundations. It's hard with 2 kids and shift work but then I signed up for this life. My husband was very supportive last time which made such a difference.

Hello! I am joining the assassins for the next challenge as I am focusing on body weight work. Now let me start off by saying i am a beginner. In fact, I am lower than a beginner. I had a rough pregnancy that i couldn't exercise at all during. Everything (especially my core!) has suffered. However after being diagnosed with coeliacs I am determined not to get osteoporosis so time to stress those bones and muscles! STATS Mother of 2, wife of 1 Shift working nurse 5 elevated pushups 10 lunges (5 each leg) 20 dumbell rows with 3kg 20 squats (about the only exercise i get with my kids ha ha) 10 sec plank PLAN Meal Plan: Every week have a plan and have shopped for it by the beginning of the week Beginners Body Weight Routine: 3 times a week Yoga 3 times a week Do something I enjoy every day (gardening, sewing, knitting, play piano) Simple but effective! I found a place in my town that does aerial hoop and silks classes I wanna try out so maybe as a treat if I do well this challenge?

She knows. She knows it's time for change. Not a new change but an old change, a change to what she was so many years ago. It's true that she cannot be that person again, too much has happened for that, but she can take the joys and triumphs from the past and forge a future that is as bright as she hopes. Not just for her but for the ones she loves. The story so far: Tiffany has been a nurse for 8 years. Although she has always been a bigger person, Tiffany used to move her body quite a lot. However after having children and experiencing a great amount of loss she has become very disconnected from her body. It became secondary to getting through the days. Tiffany has been trying to lose weight and get fitter but it always ended in something going horribly wrong. However recently she had a revelation. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her body. She is fat. But she is also medium height, blonde and has hazel eyes. None of that can dictate how she feels or what she is capable of. Her body is worthy of love and respect just as it is. This also lead her to really think about what her body enjoys doing and surprisingly the last time she felt really happy moving her body was when she was running (this was before her eldest was conceived!). So it's time to run again! Where we are at right now:Tiffany is a 27 yo nurse who is happily married (well as happy as one can be :P) with a strong willed 3 year old and a chilled out 6 month old. Also Barry the lazy and lovable older dog. They all live in a sweet home in the western side of Melbourne (Australia). Working a 9-5 for the next 3 months. Two kids to feed. One husband to not kill. Base fitness ZERO. Studying ministry and theology. The plan: Become a scout! (no one is more surprised about this than me!) Goal One: Get physically prepared Do the first 4 weeks of C25K app (3 runs a week) Yoga another 3 times a week. YWA has a few runners yoga videos! Goal Two: Nourish my body Meal plan every week Drink more tea Goal Three: Live my life Get assignments done on time Read to the kids every day Feeling prepared like never before the looks towards the future. Not far, a mere few weeks, but there is change. Small change, slow change, change that is rock solid in foundation. She can do this. Not only can she do this but she wants to. Freedom from doubt and fear are in her future, she just has to grasp it. Post script: I am only measuring the actions not the results with very good reason. If I do this and lose no weight I will be happy. Losing weight will not make me happy but caring for myself will. If I focus on a scale or a waist measurement or BMI than I am looking for a way to tell myself I'm not good enough or I am not worthwhile. If I focus on the things I am doing (running, saving money, spending time with my kids) than I am looking at how awesome I am which leads me to be a healthier person physically and mentally.

Main Quest: To get ready to train for competing in my first powerlifting competition in 2017 My name is Rachael, I'm 28 and I have three children. I started weightlifting heavy about 3 months before I got pregnant with my second child. What a difference in that pregnancy! We then decided to have a third child right away and so with just a bit of kettlebell training I went through a third pregnancy 9 months after the last - I definitely noticed that hitting me harder than any. My youngest is over 1 year old now and I don't plan on having any more so I'm ready to get serious about training for powerlifting. I'm a long way off but my first goal is to get back to the 75kg 1RM deadlift I hit right before my second pregnancy. I am also interested in just being active each day so on my non-lifting days I am doing things I enjoy like swimming and running (30 min max) while staying in my aerobic zone to help with heart health without burning too many calories as I get skinny really fast if I'm not careful. I am currently 50kg, with a weird loose belly, but I used to be around 47-49kg. I do not have a weight aim as I'm naturally a very slim person so I'm ok where I am. I think I should be able to add on about 5kg per week to my deadlift at the moment, starting at 30kg x 8. If I can get up to 60kg x 8 that should equate to a 75kg 1RM and then I'll give it a go. For my squat, I'm currently working on form and doing goblet squats with just 8kg. I have a 12kg and 16kg kettlebell at home so I hope to be at a set of 12 x 16kg by the end of this challenge. It's not much but I don't have access to a squat rack or spotter right now. Bench press: I need to work on my core a lot after these last two pregnancies as I still have some muscle separation going on. My goal right now is to work on my push ups and graduate up from knee pushups. After that I'll try and work on floor press while finding a solution to my lack of a spotter at the gym/rack at home. Fitness: 1. Deadlift 3x6 34kg 2. Squat 12 x 12kg 3. 3x3 regular (non-knees) pushups Level up your life: 1. Go to sleep before 11:30 each day Looking forward to doing this with you all!

Background: Okay, as explained in my challenge thread (linked in my sig), I'm a newbie, aspiring monk. I'm also a mum of a toddler and a 3 month old baby. My toddler is in daycare, but my baby is with me, and has taken a dislike to the cot, giving me very little time to exercise. I've also started krav maga classes, and since my husband and I can't both have the time to practice at home, I'd love workouts I can do on the bag. We have a heavy punching bag (not a full body one) in our garage that I can use. I used to do bench presses and barbell squats before I got pregnant with my toddler, but haven't done any heavy exercise since then. Since my baby was born, I've been doing basic bodyweight exercises - lunges, tricep dips, squats, dumbbell curls (3kg) - really light stuff. But I'd like to increase my strength and power, along with speed, for krav. Looking for: I basically just want a few basic things I can practice on the bag that are going to be useful for my krav training, that will help increase my strength. I don't have gloves or wraps for my hands or anything - thus far I've been doing wimpy elbow strikes (using the back of my upper arm more than my elbow due to the pain factor), kneeing the bottom of the bag (which is about my waist level), and sort of side striking the bag with the back side of my forearm. I am sure these are probably all pretty crappy or useless exercises, so I'd love to get suggestions as to what I can do instead. I think three or maybe four different exercises would be good. Additionally, if there are any bodyweight workouts that would strengthen me for krav (I'm guessing mainly core?), please feel free to suggest them to me! I'm happy to google for instructions for different things, I just don't know where to start. Thanks in advance!

Did my fourth weights session today, 1st of the second week. Upped the weight a little and managed to complete all reps and sets. Feeling good. Paleo now for 14 days, feeling good, strong and happy. I've lost 7lbs. Awesome.