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The Rangers and people from other guilds, that have been around for a while (at least 2 years i just checked) could know that, in my past, i have dedicated a few challenges in a row to prepping for my first StrongViking Beast obstacle run in the start of 2016. Those were pretty successful challenges, so now i'm summoning the strength of that format again. Because, frankly, things need to be done. You can also say i'm slowly starting to get frightened a bit by the endeavor i have set upon. For the people that don't know, a few facts: *** * T-minus: ~ 23 weeks / 154 days *** * Rat Race Dirty Weekend 2018 *** * UK obstacle run *** * 20 miles *** * 200 obstacles *** * Meeting all the Epic Nerds IRL for the first time!!! There are a couple of things i want to accomplish before that time, and one way or the other i tried to put it all into a spreadsheet which i will upkeep daily. (WIP) A little explanation about all the things: Weeks / Days: Countdowntimers to keep me focused on the time left KCAL/d: I want to be just under 2000 KCAL a day, this is just under maintenance, which will allow me to lose some fat, and keep up with working out. I need to lose some weight to be able to handle all the bodyweight related exercises better, like hanging pulling jumping etc. etc. Protein/d: I don't want to lose the muscle i have built the last couple of years, so protein will be the most important nutrient that i will keep my eye on. Doing 160+ a day is just a little under 2gr/lbs of bodyweight. Drinking/d: I know this is not going to be much of a problem (especially compared to 2 years ago), but i know that if i don't mention this here a few days will be lost due to excessive drinking. Now i rate this on a scale of no / mindful / less than mindful. This gives me some leeway to enjoy the occasional beer. Cause a challenge has to be hard, but you don't need to set yourself up for failure, especially when the drawback (of a single beer) is that low. This untraining of my beer-habit also makes me a bit afraid of the race itself, i owe it to some people to thoroughly enjoy several beers on friday and saturday that i really am getting a bit scared of having to do the 20 miles and 200 obstacles while having a major beer-induced headache. Eat healthy/d: B/L/D a.k.a. Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner. These are the only moments i will eat. The only exception here will be stuff around workout like PWO, recovery drinks and protein shakes. Again this will be scored for doing the best i can. "Best option" means that there was no way i could have eaten healthier given the circumstance at that moment. "Mindfully" means that there might have been a better option which i didn't take but i made a conscious choice not to have that, but also chose not to take the worst option. This is a choice i frequently have to make. I'm not one for meal prepping (yet). And i also don't want to give my kids a bad example by doing some extreme dieting and in their presence i will eat normally but try to do so as healthy as possible. No CC: No Candy no Cooky, no inbetween snacking. This means i just eat at B/L/D and nothing else. This should bring a halt to several of my weaknesses. Especially the one that hit's me after snoozing on the couch, somehow i always wake up with such a sweettooth and stuff my face with cookies or candy just before i go to bed. It will also help in not accumulating those small extra KCALs throughout the day. Lift / Run / Crossfit: These are the workouts i'm gonna do, and my goal is to give them equal attention. I always leaned on lifting more than running, and combining running with lifting was pretty doable. Now that i have CF in the mix it's hard to give running the proper attention. That's why i decided i'm gonna lay down a bit on the lifting and sacrifice one lifting workout for one extra running workout. Even the lifting workout will be geared towards the Rat Race. I'm gonna keep on doing the juggernaut program, and i will do a workout of DL/BP and SQ/OHP + 2 accessory exercises. This program will be written out coming weekend. This also goes for the running workout. I'm gonna go look for a plan that get's me to run about 10 miles within my ~20 weeks i've got. Extra Reps: I just like the idea of doing extra. So this is the excuse to do extra reps, and i'm going to categorize them as hard medium and easy. Hard ones are things i can only do a few of, like pullups. Medium are things like pushups, i can push those out a lot more. And easy ones are the things that i feel i could do all day (and actually have done so), like jumping jacks and mountain climbers. Scoring points are as follows, per rep: Hard 10 points / medium 5 points / easy 1 point. Weight / BF%: These will be here to record how my overall weight and BF% will transition throughout my prep. OSM: OSM a.k.a. Awesome. An awesome day, where i have been completely focused or something else significant happened, will be noted here. I'm hoping a lot of x'es in this column. Comments on missed goals and OSM days: Part of the pressure of accountability, if i fuck up, i have to come clean. Tell how and why i fucked up a goal. On the other hand, this is the place to gloat about awesome days too! So if you want to be part of this success please add some accountability. Nag my ass over things i haven't done or when i tell you i don't feel up to working out. Challenge me (that won't work i can assure you) or find some other way to get under my skin. I'm hoping with the help of you all this will be another good (set of) challenge(s) and i will get my butt in gear to kick ass on the Rat Race. May the lord have mercy on my body So...

Grinding; Small Stones (Stones: a few KCAL a day / that extra microplate or rep / ingraining solid habits) Longterm goals / Main-quest / The Mountain What: Drop in BF% Why: Walk around comfortably without clothes What: Get “bodyweight-fit” Why: Be OCR-ready / Satisfy RangerBrain™ What: Drop below 74 kg (163 lbs) Why: Be ready for PL-beginners-meet Remember the past: track to be able to see progress. Plan for the future: Think up and work out solid long term and short term goals Live for today: Have fun, to keep going Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come: : (What will tomorrow-you say about this?) Challenge goals: DIET: (If i have to decide whether i should eat/drink it, than i shouldn't) Primary objectives Daily KCAL limit: 2000 made up of: 30% Carb / 35% Fat / 35% Prot Clean eating, which means, No: deepfried / candy / cookies / dessert Clean drinking, which means, No: beer / soda / diet soda But to “live for today” if the occasion requires it, adapt, but make it a conscious decision Secondary Objectives Tracking, by doing daily weigh-ins and plan with MFP before major meals For accountability, keep the spreadsheet and your challenge updated (If choice is needed think about the long-term-goal) EXERCISE: (Growth = Pain + Recovery) Primary objectives Juggernaut based training: 3 times a week according to *schedule Running: 3 times a week according to the *rules Secondary Objectives Tracking, on paper during workout and/or digital on the challenge For accountability, keep the spreadsheet and your challenge updated Organize all the previous lifting data in a new spreadsheet *Schedule Juggernaut Days Mo We Sa Mo We Sa Deadlifts/Lower Back LB DL LB DL LB DL Squats/Pull- or Chinups PU SQ SQ PU SQ SQ Benchpress/Overheadpress OHP BP BP OHP BP BP *Rules for Running Before DST (March 26) Run every Tuesday / Friday / Sunday Add ½ KM every week After DST (March 26) Run every Sunday / Thursday Add 1 KM every week Add bodyweight specific workout on Friday I know this means i will be running for the whole of this challenge, just putting it here for future reference, but as always will adjust as needed. (every (even small) step(s) gets you closer to your goal) I have laser-focus at the moment. So i’m taking this opportunity to engrave it in stone. All the quotes mentioned are something i need to be reminded of every once in a while to keep focus. The last week of the previous challenge and 0-week have been a beta, for this concept, and have gone extremely well. This major “fix RangerBrain™” has also awakened my “join Crossift-box feeling”. But the boxes are all far out, and i cannot prioritize to the extra money at this time. But i aim for a WOD on friday when i adhere to my running rules and go from 3 to 2 sessions a week after DST. Next to all this i have this creeping feeling, that doing the juggernaut workout and running 3 times a week just isn’t enough, i mean doing only 0.5-1 hour (running) or 1-1.5 hour (lifting) for a total of 6 days a week feels a bit like trying to become an olympic athlete without doing the work. Anyone relate? I know this is basically like asking if any of you Rangers has RangerBrain™. Still i’m curious if someone has the same issue. Everybody have a kickass challenge!!! !!! SHOWTIME !!!

UNDER CONSTRUCTION! Yikes a Ranger amongst the Warrior! Now i've been snooping here and there, so i know there are and have been quite a few Rangers among you. My plan for the upcoming months might explain my presence here. My fitness subscription ends at the end of the year. Starting next year i am gonna give CrossFit a try. Now the last couple of years i was more endurance than strength and in order to prep the best way i know for going CrossFit is to work on my weakness. Getting stronger! Over the last 2 years i have been (on and off) doing some lifting on my own, but since my goal has always been to "look-good-naked" i neglected the eating part that comes with getting stronger. So i have become a bit stronger but not like one would expect in roughly 1,5 years time. Last challenges at the rangers i tried to focus more on lifting and eventually got myself to give up on the strict eating i had done for years (which was quite scary as i didn't want to look like fat-bastard after that challenge) and just eat some more. Which seems like to work in terms of being able to lift heavier. Here and there i had some questions which i think could be easily answered by the common knowledge in this guild, this made me decide to join you fine guys (and galls) for a double challenge. I really don't like the 4 week format, so i decided i'm just gonna merge 2 challenges together, hence my Pt.1. In terms of things i want to work on these 2 challenges: Lifting (using Starting Strength as a base) Clean Eating (Healthy stuff with lots of protein) NoBeer (which needs to be a goal, to be able to pull this off, apparently) SMART goals (to be able to track stuff and see what I've accomplished) A LifeQuest (cause i'm a procrastination machine on some stuff) During this 0 week i will try to shape up this challenge in the best way possible to kick off right next week. So i will write out my goals, and put a scoring system on it to be able to (sMart) measure progress. Lifting Been following Starting Strength for the last 6 weeks. Broke my 5RM PR's but got a bit over enthusiastic and twitched a muscle on my left lower back in week 4. Been trying some deloaded weights with SQ and DL but it kept aggravating my lower back. So last week i completely stopped SQ and DL. Will introduce them at 60% next week when the challenge starts. Next to that i haven't starting the PowerCleans as i don't feel comfortable in doing them and seeing i will be doing CrossFit starting next year i think i can better wait it out a bit and get someone to teach me how to do it properly. With the BP and OHP i have been upping it with 2.5 kg each workout. I know i can't keep on doing that, so today is the first day i went from 67.5 to 68.5 and got a 5/5/4. Retry next workout and i think all will be good, if not i will deload. Clean Eating I'm keeping a fooddiary here in my daily checkins and logging it to MFP for some numbers. KCAL RANGE: Most positive: 2586 - 2821 Least positive: 2479 - 2704 Setting KCAL range to: 2500 - 2750 PROTEIN RANGE: Setting range to: 130g - 160g NoBeer This could be very simple. Just.Don't.Drink.(Alcohol)! I'm gonna give myself some leeway here. Reserving one day a week for some social-beering. And i have got some holiday related events where i can really enjoy some fine quality beer. So for this double challenge i will give myself 9 days of allowed moderate drinking (a couple is 1-3). And i know the weekend i will be out with the boys there will be some more drinking, just gonna try to keep it to a minimum and not overindulge... LifeQuest Yeah, will come to this (eventually). Input is very much appreciated as i like to be as efficient as possible!

"Back to the Grind" Prologue: Vacation is over. Horizon is looking calm, except for some wee bumps. Last few weeks were hard on the part of me that wants to get fit(ter) and lean(er). Going on vacation with the bike was just a very bad combination in regards to maintaining strict about a lot of things. Being around a group of bikers that drinks heavily every evening, combine that with a person who loves to have a beer, and you get the picture. Not being able to workout due to a number of things (daily schedule and the heat over there being the most important factors). Back home i was still in vacation mode, not working out much (thank god for the StrongViking and the 12K at work). The wife returned last night from here short trip to Mallorca which closes this chapter of holidays. And i'm ready for the next step. I want to get back to the Challenge! Planning ahead i want to use the end of this year to prep myself for trading in Fitness for Crossfit starting next year. So i'm gonna make lifting my primary goal. Maximizing my strength to be able to handle heavy weights when it comes to the WOD from Crossfit. I've chosen Starting Strength (SS) as a base for this, i want to add some upper body work to this as this is the part i'm lacking... I need to (can) make the most progress in this part, and from the things i understand SS is not specifically meant (optimal) for this part. I'm still on the lookout for an answer to this question. For now i have made a start with a deload and restarting SS. Welcome To "THE GRIND" (sidequest: watch this video at the start of every lifting session, and preferably at the start of every day) The Challenge: This challenge will center around lifting and all goals will work towards maximizing progression.The goals will all be beneficiary to this cause. Except for the lifequest. There are a few things i'm postponing because i'm lacking courage of setting these gears in motion. I need to make a list about this and prioritize it. This will be first weeks goal and subsequent goals will be derived off of this. #1. "The Grind": Lifting 3 times a week. Monday Wednesday Friday. Start with a deload, work my way back up and beyond my PR's atm. No exceptions, make planning accordingly, work out possible schedule problems in advance. Allow for only one missed workout throughout the challenge (allowing for that one catastrophe to hit). Using Starting Strength as a base to get started. Looking for a good upper body plan to mix with SS. #2. "Sensible Fuelling": Eat to grow as a healthy Oak. Do.not.check.the.scale. I will get fatter, i will get heavier, i hopefully also will gain muscles in this process! The "sensible" part means two things. 1. Eat sensible in as healthy as possible. 2. Be sensible in the way that growing bigger will also mean gaining BF and become heavier. Last couple of challenges has shown it's impossible for me to gain strength without gaining weight/BF and keep this up for long time. Looking at the scales will make me give up for sure and go back to cutting, but i needz the muscles. Battleplan is to bulk till the end of the year, and when CrossFit is introduced (next year) revise the plan. #3. "Protein is Whey Cool": Keep up with the protein. Combining meat and whey as the primary sources of protein. Morning shake (combination of 6 types of protein) combined with Creatine at breakfast. Meat-leftovers for lunch A decent amount of meat (and make sure to leave some leftovers for the next day) Post-workout shake (Whey isolate) Protein shake before bedtime (Micellar Casein) #4. "Lose the booze": NO Drinking of beer, i have done this before, i can do this again. Stuff get's out of hand quickly when this is not a specific goal. Reporting back to you guys i have been acing this goal really gets me to stick to it! I allowed for 2 exceptions: one bottle of beer on my birthday-party (next saturday) and my actual birthday (sept. 28). Which makes a total of 2 bottles of beer throughout this 6WC. Next to this i try to drink as clean as possible, drinking mostly tea and water. When i really need a change-up it will probably be a diet-Lipton, but certainly not more than 2 glasses a day and certainly not every day (more like 2 times a week max). #5. "Sleep, i must": Last few weeks i have had seriously too little sleep. Going to bed later and later. Now going back to work (and having the alarm clock going at 06:00 am to drag my ass out of bed by 06:10 am) i have to make sure i get enough sleep. When i have to get to work the next day i need to be in bed before 11:00 p.m. The other days i have to be in bed before 12:00 a.m. Exceptions to these rules, when i'm away for the evening. This usually means being at a party or playing cards at a friends house. This doesn't happen all that much, and i generally don't make it very late, usually home between 01:00 am and 02:00 am. #### LifeQuest ###: There is some stuff that needs to get done which i'm constantly postponing. First week's part of this "lifequest" will be: make a list of 5 things that have to be done that keep getting postponed AND prioritize it. This quest will be changed in the weekend of week 1. DISCLAIMER: There is a small chance another OCR will be planned for somewhere in October, this challenge has to be seriously revised if this happens.