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I had picked out a bunch of Kermit pictures to appropriately theme my new challenge but I can't seem to attach any files at the moment. So you will have to use your imagination. (Picture Kermit sitting on a log playing his banjo) Last challenge I conquered The Bridge of Death. Having a very specific goal and an event to train for really helped keep me focused and on track. Well... on track in terms of training. Diet. Not so much. Unfortunately, I do not have an event I am training for this challenge. This challenge I will be focusing on some professional goals and getting back to a healthy diet. I will also be including a mileage goal for running. (Picture a platter of cupcakes decorated to look like Muppets) My diet has gone to shit over the past few months. Transitioning back to work has thrown me off. I need to get back to my Paleoish diet. NO MORE SUGAR!!!! I also need to get back in the habit of tracking my food in MFP. Mostly I need to do this because it helps keep me accountable to my diet (I don't like to log foods I shouldn't be eating) and in a healthy calorie range. I have not been weighing myself, mostly out of fear, due to my eating like an asshole. I have to say that 1) I have not notice a huge difference in how my clothes fit me and 2) I do not miss the frustration or anxiety I felt when I was weighing myself. In a nutshell my diet goals are to stop eating like an asshole and start using MFP again. I will weigh myself at some point. (Picture Kermit putting on a running shoe) I ran my first 4 mile race last challenge crossing the Bridge of Death. I loved training for the race and did way way better than I thought I would. This has planted a tiny seed of "can I do a longer race?" I might like to try. So for this challenge I would like to play with increasing my mileage and endurance. I found while training for the BOD that the mental game of running for longer than 3 miles for me is the real challenge. I have not worked out the specific mileage goals yet but I will start at no less than 10/week. I usually do between 6 and 9. When I am getting at least one Spin class in it is usually 6, and I was doing around 9/week last challenge. Exercise goal is to run. Just run…maybe bike a little too. I have not been able to make it to Spin class regularly due to work but I will Spin when I can. (Picture a head shot of Kermit, simple and sweet) Last challenge I attended a 4 day training to become certified as a Green Dot trainer for the university I work at. It is the inspiration for this challenge. Being at the training was a great experience. I was able to build relationships with members of the university staff I didn't know and bond more with some I already knew. Being certified is going to allow me to do some training about a topic I am passionate about (violence prevention). I hope that it will help me feel renewed about my job and avoid some professional burnout. The official training is over but there is work to be done to prepare for the first phase of trainings. My professional goal for this challenge is to work on my Green Dot training prep. A specific list is below for anyone interested. I am happy to share information about Green Dot and what it is. I probably will anyway even if you don't want to know. You can just turn that part out. Goals: Eat Paleo-ish (Stop eating like an asshole) Track food in MFP Run (at least 10 miles/week) Green Dot prep

I’m competing August 22. The goal is to qualify for USAPL raw nationals. Competition #1: 165 SQ 190 DL 80 BP = 435 Current: 205 SQ 200 DL 95 BP = 500 Goals: 533 3-lift total to qualify for Nationals in 63 kg class I think I’m pretty set on the workouts. I’m consistent with them, and have only missed 1 in the past 2 challenges. I also don’t want to have a cardio/conditioning goal, as I’m approaching my competition and I don’t know how that will affect my strength and weight. The things I am struggling with are food and sleep. If I keep just doing the workouts and following the program, the numbers will come. I’m also planning on doing a 10-day fast blast challenge starting Aug. 24, the Monday after my competition. So this challenge will be not so much a 6 week challenge, but more of a 26 day competition prep challenge and a 10 day challenge, with 2 days of pop-tarts, pizza, chicken wings and general fuckery in the middle. 26 day challenge Quest #1: Stop eating like an asshole Things that need to happen for me to be successful here: Stop eating out so much or ordering pizza Don’t drink a ton of alcohol Stick with daily nutrition plan from my coach. Meal prep at least once per week (usually Sundays) I’m going to allow myself a few indulgences here, because I don’t do well with all or nothing apparently. I can have up to 1 piece of dark chocolate per day. Just because I allow myself to have it, doesn’t mean that I HAVE to have it. No alcohol leading up to the competition. Crunch time. I should be able to make it 26 days without wine or beer. If I want to celebrate post competition, that is totally fine and won’t count against me. I plan to have some wine this weekend before cutting it out totally. hehe Once per week I can order food or eat out, as long as it is reasonable and fairly healthy. Try to keep within plan, but if it doesn’t that is ok. Try to stay away from pizza. I think I’m going to do a combination of grading myself like last time on how well I stuck to my daily plan. But also add in a weekly grade on how well I stuck to the above 3 items. A +3 CON B +2 CON C +1 CON F 0 Quest #2: Loose and limber Mobility is crucial now leading up to competition time. I want to make sure I’m loose so that I can get my heavy strength workouts in without still being sore from the previous workout. Do some mobility every day for at least 5 minutes: foam roll, stretch, yoga, massage, whatever. Once I get going I usually end up going for more than 5 minutes anyways. 24+ days = A +3 DEX 20-24 days = B +2 DEX <20 days = F Quest #3: Get a routine I’ve been trying and only partially succeeding the past 2 challenges in getting to bed on time and waking up on time in the morning. Sleep was a big struggle for me during the last challenge. I know I can do better here, I think I just might need more push. I’ve signed up for this free online course on How to be a Morning Person http://littlegreendot.com/morning-person/ It’s a 28 day course, by email. (BTW if anyone else wants to do this with me that would be great!) I want to complete each day’s content on the day it is released and start implementing it that evening or the following morning. There are 3 'classes' a week for 4 weeks, so 12 lessons. 12 days = A +2 WIS 10-11 days = B +1 WIS <10 days = F Quest #4: Ditch the caffeine I’d like to eliminate caffeine from my diet the week leading up to the competition (so beginning August 15) so that it may be more useful to my body on the day of the competition. I typically drink a few cups of tea a day, and I did buy a caffeine free variety to prepare myself so this should be easy. No caffeine 7 days prior to competition = +2 STR 10 day challenge starting August 24 Complete the 10 day fat blast according to plan. I will give you more details on what the diet actually consists of once it gets closer, but if anyone else wants to do this with me, an accountability partner would be awesome. This will be pass/fail based on whether I complete all 10 days (barring any medical issues, which I don’t anticipate, but you never know). Finish all 10 days = +2 STA (mental stamina), +1 CHA Life Quest: Be an adult. Do 1 thing to make my apartment cleaner everyday. 40+ days = A +2 CHA 35-39 days = B +1 CHA <34 days = F

Hi-ho Scouts and welcome to the first mini-challenge of the year! Whether you're a new Scout, a returning Scout, a newbie looking to see if Scouts is a place you might like to come, or a visitor from another Guild I hope you find something to enjoy here. So, let's get started shall we? In case the thread title, tag, and gif weren't a tip off, this mini-challenge is gonna be Muppets themed, complete with musical numbers! In the spirit of Movin' Right Along this first week we're gonna be doing a time trial. So find yourself a mile to run, some laps to swim, or some kilometers to ride (as long as you know how far you're going that will do just fine) and do it fast as you can. Keep a note of that time because our travels may bring us back here someday. (There's a handy spreadsheet if you like) Also this week take some time to reflect on your goals and how you're gonna go about accomplishing them. That way when you come upon a fork in the road you'll know which way to go. And to kick things off right, here's the namesake song for the thread.