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Hello all. Old, overweight, super-nerd here. (6' 0", 225 lbs., 58 year old programmer, gamer). I can't believe someone actually created a fitness forum specifically for moi. So starting today I am back at trying to strip off 40 lbs., that I don't honestly need. Though I did spend a lot of effort collecting it. hmmmm..... When motivated I tend to do a good job of moderating the food in-take. I don't "diet" per se, just watch the extra junk food, and eat better. What I need is a better work out routine. I live a long way from a gym. Like a 40 minute round trip to the closest one. I've got a nice Weider free weight system, but am kind of scared to use it without a spotter close. And I don't have a lot of time. My current job has me commuting 4+ hours a day. 9 hour work day, 7-8 hours sleep, 4 hours commute and there just isn't much time left. My normal day starts around 4:30. I typically jump on the keyboard for a couple of hours before getting ready for work. That's the time that's going to get sacrificed. I'll be lucky if i can carve out 30-45 minutes, but that's the goal. I do get a chance to walk a couple of miles around the office park most days as well. I'm leaning toward junking the thing and just going with a body weight work out. (Googling "body weight workouts" is how I stumbled on this great place.) I don't really have much in the way of questions. Just wanted to say hi, and that I could use some help later to stay motivated. Thanks, Steve

Fire Fit in 40 Weeks continues, with essentially the same structure as last challenge. But, I am making it more streamlined and simpler to track by using a spread sheet. What!? I know that doesn't sound so monumental, but I have been "going to do that" for two challenges now. This time it happens. It has to, because I have so much to do that it is the only way I can see to track everything. Boring, stupid, old spreadsheet. However, what would my thread be without the ShadowLion Fire Science Show and Extravaganza? Truck Porn Tuesday will continue, along with some new features to keep me reviewing my fire science and producing more fire-related entertainment for your enjoyment and edification! And, expect to see more on "Fight the Fire," the wildfire strategy and simulation app that came out of the recent Startup Weekend I participated in, and will be continuing to develop with my team. Your feedback last challenge has already had an impact on something that I hope will save lives through educating tens of thousands of people about wildland fires and fire safety in a fun and entertaining way. Not only will I have to keep whipping this 55 year-old body back into shape in order to accomplish my MAIN QUEST of returning to Wildfire Academy in March of 2015 and emerging recertified as a wildland firefighter, I must also become a master of space, time, energy, attention, and money management. This challenge I will focus on Space. I will get my living environment optimized for greater efficiency and effectiveness, to support my main quest. Why? Right now, this is the scene about five miles away from my mom's place and the piece of property I own... This is what I want to be doing next summer... There are just some things you can't explain. Things that go deeper than words, That may appear unrealistic, foolish, even dangerous to others. But if it is your quest, your destiny, you must pursue it. Or forever wonder what might have been... Motivation My motivation is simple: I want to fight fires again. To that end, my current Main Quest encompasses a 40 week program to get me "fire fit" - physically, mentally and spiritually - and ends in my attending the Arizona Wildfire Academy in mid-March of 2015 ready to pass my Work Capacity Test, so that I can re-qualify as a wildland firefighter. I plan to be ready to go for wildfire season 2015 in the southwest U.S on either a Type 2 hand crew or, most likely, a wildland engine crew. Additional details in my Battle Log. The below was finalized July 31, 2014 As Chris-TIen Jinn helpfully pointed out, there is great value in leveraging my vision of where I want to be to help me focus on what I need to be and do now. I can utilize the power in my past knowledge, experience, and associations to overcome my current doubts, fears, and deficits. Thus, I have reworked some of my goals to better reflect the fact that I already know where I want to be, literally and figuratively, in March of 2015 and what it takes to get there. The obstacles I need most to overcome are within my own mind. As in martial arts, where the mind goes, the body follows... Work Out Like a Firefighter STA-3, STR-2 This challenge overlaps Weeks 9 - 14 of my "Forty Weeks to Fire Fit" program, subsequently referred to as "40W2FF." I have backed off of my gradual program of building heat tolerance for exercising outdoors in the high temperatures of a Phoenix, AZ summer, realizing that a higher priority task right now, and crucial to my safety, is to lose more weight. Last challenge, I was in danger of falling off my program simply because the heat and humidity that comes with the summer monsoon was stressing my body and my mind. I was finding it extremely difficult to keep a consistent exercise program going without being wiped out for the rest of the day or grumpy and snappish because I was dreading going out in the heat. I reevaluated my main quest. Was this an indication that my overall goal was wrong (I will have plenty of heat to deal with out on a fireline!) or that there was something with my plan that needed fixing? I knew that I could handle the heat before, what was different now? I was carrying an extra 40 pounds, and was out of shape. So, I switched up my endurance program to less outdoor walking and jogging, and more exercise bicycling. The bonus of that approach has been that I have started losing weight again. Odd, but I can have the same metabolic cost walking or biking, but I seem to lose weight more easily with the biking. Go figure - I will go with what works. I will work in activities from the Rangers mini-challenges here and can count them towards my totals, so as to avoid injury or overuse, which has been an issue for me the last couple of challenges. Endurance (STA-3) __/18 For wildland fire suppression, endurance is the primary focus, as opposed to the sheer strength demanded by structural firefighting. Weeks 1 - 6 of Endurance, Phase 2 of 40W2FF coincide with this challenge. 2-4 workouts per week, of varying intensities as per my periodization schedule. Phase 2 Begins - Weeks 1 - 6 of a 16 week program of successively faster and longer intervals. Success at the end of 16 weeks will be having increased to continuous jogging for a distance of 5K, with an average heart rate of 145 or below, and a peak HR under 155. Goal time: < 40 minutes This six week challenge will be a combination of exercise biking, brisk walking/hiking when I am in the high country, swimming, and jump-roping to build my stamina for returning to outdoor workouts of walk/jog intervals during the next challenge. So I can start hiking once the weather cools down a bit... Strength (STR-2) __/18, __/1,000 I completed the Phase 0, a pre-conditioning program and entered the first phase of a two phase body weight strength program last challenge. These are timed to reach my goal of starting the Hotshot Strength program (Phase 3) at Week 29 of my 40 week program. Weeks 5 - 10 of Phase 1 coincides with this challenge. 3x per week. Phase 1 Strength (STR-1) - 12 week assisted exercise program of knee-pushups; assisted pull-ups, grip hangs and rows; modified dips; lunges and variations. Additionally - squats, planks, sit-ups, burpees and variations. This will kick things up a notch and prepare me for an increased focus on strength training in Phase 2. 1,000 Burpees (STR-1) - Just what it says. This should get me past the knee-pushup barrier, with the bonus of enhancing my endurance, as well. If I get bored, or feel I need to supplement/complement my other exercises, I can add in variations to the standard burpees. Eat Like a Firefighter CON-2 I will fuel my body with high-quality, nutrient dense foods with an eye to maintaining endurance and muscle, while trimming off excess weight. Body Composition Mission (CON-2) My 40 week end goal is a bodyweight of ~150#, +/-5# as long as my body fat % is at 20% or less using the U.S. Navy Body Fat Calculator. This tends to be a little under actual, so a DEXA scan would be even better, acceptable BF% < 24%. Goal for this challenge is to drop my BF% by at least 3 percentage points, to 33% or less. This will be from a combination of fat loss (primarily) and lean mass gain. (The following was calculated using US Navy Body Fat Calculator, it is an estimate. I think the calculator is somewhat overestimating my recent fat loss/lean muscle gain, but that it will all even out by the time I reach my goal weight.) Current Body Composition - 07/28/2014 Total Mass: 188 lbs. Lean Mass: 120 lbs. Fat Mass: 68 lbs. BF% = 36% Waist = 36" Hips = 43" Neck = 16" Height: 5'6 3/4" When Joined Nerd Fitness - 05/31/2013 Total Mass: 206 lbs. Lean Mass: 107 lbs. Fat Mass: 99 lbs. BF% = 48% Waist = 42" Hips = 46" Neck = 16" Height: 5'5 3/4" GOAL - 03/08/2015 Total Mass: 150 lbs. Lean Mass: 120 lbs. Fat Mass: 30 lbs. BF% = 20% Waist = 27" Hips = 37" Neck = 14" Height: 5'6 3/4" Non-graded extras Achieve another 42 days of my 365 total on the No Soda PVP. Research nutrition, macros in particular, so I can match my diet better to the phases of my training. I want to experiment with at least one day per week of vegetarian eating and play with various combinations of macros to see how my body responds at different points in my training. Ideally, I will figure out an eating plan that will be useful as the intensity of my endurance and strength training increases. I want to read the "Engine 2 Diet." Recover Like a Firefighter WIS- 2, CHA-1 Recovery or "Rehab" is planned into the management of every incident. You can't expect human beings to work hard under trying conditions without providing for adequate rest and recovery time. As it was last challenge, this may well be the hardest part of my challenge. I need to change my habit of staying up late to work or research or write or whatever until the wee hours of the morning and then turnaround and be up at 6:30 or 7 am. I regularly get by on just 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night during the week, then crash on the weekends. I did well the first four weeks of the last challenge on rest, but have struggled with it since, particularly with sleep. Yes, I need to change this. I also know the changes that are coming in mine and my partner's work schedules. I don't think I can enforce the kind of program I had last challenge, so I am going to try a softer approach. For this challenge I will track, observe, and experiment as part of an ungraded sleep goal. I will focus my recovery efforts on stress reduction, resiliency, and better time management, in preparation for sleep to be a bigger focus next time. Rest, Recovery and Resilience (WIS-2, CHA-1) Adequate rest and recovery are critical to my success, as are providing for good time management, stress control and resiliency. Rest/Recovery (WIS-1) Two cheat meals and one indulgent treat per week are not only allowed, they are encouraged. I am required to take at least one full day off of exercise per week, two if showing signs of undue fatigue or of developing any injury. (Situational Awareness applies to one's body, too!) Ungraded Extra as preparation/trial run for next challenge Curfew/Bedtime/Lights Out - These are not synonymous. Curfew means I must "be in the house." Screens connected to the outside world must be turned off. Bedtime means actually in bed, but I may read, journal, meditate, or pray until lights out. Lights out - Dark, quiet, eyes shut, and brain powered down. Curfew is one hour before Lights Out. Bedtime can be any time between Curfew and Lights Out. Curfew - Midnight Bedtime - 0030. Lights Out - 0100 Wake Up Time - 8 am Naps are fine, if needed Resilience (WIS-1, CHA-1) (Attitude and Stress Management/Personal Space Rehabilitation) To stay positive and not succumb to my depressive tendencies, or my doubts or fears about what I am attempting, I must cultivate inner strength and resilience. To stay peaceful and calm in the midst of great change and effort, I will manage my schedule and environment for enhanced productivity and streamlined maintenance. I will utilize the fantastic support network that is Nerd Fitness by actively participating in my guild, my accountabilibuddy groups and my PVPs. (Linked in my signature.) At least 15 minutes per day of meditation and/or journaling/sketchnoting/mandala or other drawing/visual journaling method (WIS-1) At least one half-hour per day (on average) of decluttering and improving my personal space. This beyond my daily 15 minute clutter patrol and regular household tasks. I am losing precious time dealing with clutter and maintaining things I don't need or no longer use. I know better than to carry unneeded gear in my pack or on my truck. It wastes time and energy. I need to treat my living space the same way. Have less, to do less, to be more. Space, the final frontier... (Thank you, AnnieP!) Play Like a Firefighter DEX- 1, CHA-3 Firefighters work hard and play hard. You learn to take the fragility of life seriously, yet in stride. You learn what is important, and that tomorrows are not a given. Those dreams that you carry around in your head, they need to happen sooner, rather than later. Lately, I have been telling a lot of other people that they need to have more fun in their life. I need to take my own good advice... Make working out more fun... Make eating more fun... Make rest and recovering more fun and my daily life more fun... Create more, relax more, Tai Chi and Other Fun Physical Activities (DEX-1) At least once per week. Tai Chi Saber, belly dance, whatever, as long as it is fun! Create Something (CHA-1) At least once per week. With the Renaissance Rebels! Continue Creating the "Fight the Fire App" (CHA-2) Ultimate Nerd Cred. Take the iOS programming course...once per week. Document Like a Firefighter - Stupid Simple Spreadsheet WIS- 1 DONE 7/31/2014 If it isn't documented, it didn't happen! That is a common saying in fire and EMS. I need streamline my documentation and I have been procrastinating. No more! The Stupid Simple Spreadsheet MUST be done by Midnight, July 31, 2014 = 1 Point WIS. Spreadsheet Done, Posted, Shared @ 2358 MST, July 31, 2014 Yay! I got my Stat Point! (Just barely!) All of my activities for this challenge are quite simple to determine on a day-to-day basis: "Was X scheduled for today? Did I do X today?" Yes or no. I will log my progress in my challenge spreadsheet. Each goal will be graded with the standard A, B, C, D, or F system using the usual percentages, and points awarded accordingly.

Hiya, I'm currently laying on my couch with a hot laptop spread out over my stomach. Five years ago, I may have been able to see above the screen while horizontal - but now there is a lovely rise in elevation due to the girth I have bestowed upon myself. I've done this before. This whole lose weight thing. It was easy. Now I am 35 and it's a feat of resolve and dedication. Effort beyond books and nerdistry was not something I likened to, but now... now I must. Luckily I have caught myself in the act of gaining weight early(ish). I have 35 pounds that I might like to donate to the ether, but then again - reading what NF has given us - I am less concerned with the weight in as much the way I feel, or the way my clothes choose to not commit mutiny against my ever expanding skin. I am unhappy, tired, puffy, and feel older than I should. I have never been active. I've been accustomed to frequent viewings of bad movies, Kids in the Hall, MST3k, and numerous books. Sitting has grown my imagination and decayed my bones. However, my life - what I have in front of me - governs that I should be much more. I am becoming my own boot camp. I will need cheering on from you, my fellow NF folk. I feel weak and downtrodden, but there is a spark - I can feel it burn (and I don't believe it's indigestion). Rally with me? Let me cheer you on? Scream along with me? Help me take whatever it is we want back? Are you pickin' up what I am puttin' down? Good then. Let's go.

Last challenge, I decided that I was going to add an appearance goal to my next quest. Because, hey, every gal wants to look good when she's got a big night out... Whether it's a smokin' date... with a hot guy... Or just an excuse to go out with the girls To check out the latest in fashionable footwear. Let's face it. A power suit conveys authority. But there are those times when you just want to get down and dirty... And cruise through town driving a screaming red truck with the biggest engine you can find. Even if no one understands what you really do... The celebrities you admire... Why you go to places everyone else is leaving They don't understand what's important to you: "They're just some old trees," they say. "What's one deer worth?" "There are so many other ways to make friends and serve your community..." There are just some things you can't explain. Things that go deeper than words, That may appear unrealistic, foolish, even dangerous to others. But if it is your quest, your destiny, you must pursue it. Or forever wonder what might have been... Motivation My motivation is simple: I want to fight fires again. To that end, my current Main Quest encompasses a 40 week program to get me "fire fit" - physically, mentally and spiritually - and ends in my attending the Arizona Wildfire Academy in mid-March of 2015 ready to pass my Work Capacity Test, so that I can re-qualify as a wildland firefighter. I plan to be ready to go for wildfire season 2015 in the southwest U.S on either a Type 2 hand crew or a wildland engine crew. Additional details in my Battle Log. (Many additional details - you have been warned.) Firefighters Train Hard to Work Hard STA-3, STR-2 This challenge overlaps Weeks 2 - 7 of my "Forty Weeks to Fire Fit" program, subsequently referred to as "40W2FF." Included in my program is a gradual ramp up in order to build the necessary heat tolerance for exercising outdoors in the high temperatures of a Phoenix, AZ summer and altitude tolerance for the 4 - 6 days per month that I will be at 7,000 ft. above sea level in Flagstaff, AZ. I will provide details of my use of a breathing trainer, heart rate monitor, and all the other geeky stat stuff of my program. (Oh, ye Gods and Goddesses! The Nomograms!) If you have a particular question, just ask. Many moons ago I used to be the training officer in my department and I love to pontificate... Endurance Just Might Save Your Life (STA-3) For wildland fire suppression, endurance is the primary focus, as opposed to the sheer strength demanded by structural firefighting. Weeks 2 - 7 of Phase 1 coincide with this challenge. Phase 1 - 8 week program of walking transitioning to walk/jog intervals. Success will be being able to walk/jog in intervals for a distance of 5K, with an average heart rate of 145 or below, and a peak HR under 155. Goal time: < 45 minutes Strength Could Well Save Someone Else's (STR-2) A pre-conditioning program and two additional phases of a body weight strength program timed to reach the goal of starting the Hotshot Strength program (Phase 3) at Week 29 of my 40 week program. Weeks 2 - 4 of Phase 0, and Weeks 1 - 3 of Phase 1 coincide with this challenge. Phase 0 - 4 weeks of continued injury recovery and pre-conditioning program utilizing exercises from “Durability†section below. Focus on getting elbows to withstand pushups and pull-ups by dropping back and then gradually progressing from wall pushups and lightly weighted rows; establishing base of low set and rep numbers on the other exercises. This is early stage stuff while I establish my top priority right now, the base aerobic levels of my endurance program. Phase 1 - 12 week assisted exercise program of knee-pushups; assisted pull-ups, grip hangs and rows; modified dips; lunges and variations. Additionally - squats, planks, sit-ups, burpees and variations. This will kick things up a notch and prepare me for an increased focus on strength training in Phase 2. Firefighters Take Good Care of Their Rigs CON-5 Care of your vehicle is mission critical. Fueling it right, maintaining all of its systems, having every piece of equipment anchored, in the right place, and in good working order is of the highest priority. I will fuel my vehicle with high-quality, nutrient dense foods with an eye to maintaining endurance and muscle, while trimming off excess weight. I will learn to tailor my macros to the phases of my training. Keep the Crud Out of the Tank! (CON-1) No Soda PVP Achieve another 42 days of my 365 total on the No Soda PVP. This is a reduced point number from last challenge (CON-5) because it is so much easier now! Change the Oil and Lube the Chassis Regularly, Check All Fluids and Maintain Recommended Levels (CON-2) Durability (CON-1) Comprehensive set of warmups, mobility/stability, and “prehab†exercises for an older female athlete. Bone-builders (including jumping exercises); spine/shoulder//hip/knee exercises to maintain joint health; dynamic stretching to increase ROM and overall flexibility; specific exercises for identified weak areas including head/neck/spine alignment and bi-lateral muscle balance, ankles, wrists/hand/grip, pelvic floor, and elbows. I MUST warm up before every exercise session. Fluids (CON-1) Optimize H2O intake. Consume between 80 and 96 oz. of water on "normal" days; up to 128 oz. or more on high activity days in hot, dry conditions. Keep in mind that, if I were a vehicle manufactured in 1958, I would be considered an antique. Humpf... There are those that would consider me irreparable, over-the-hill, not worth restoring... Or only fit for a parade... I aim to prove them wrong! Body Composition Mission (CON-2) My 40 week end goal is a bodyweight of ~150#, +/-5# as long as my body fat % is at 20% or less using the U.S. Navy Body Fat Calculator. This tends to be a little under actual, so a DEXA scan would be even better, acceptable BF% < 24%. Goal for this challenge is to drop my BF% by at least 3 percentage points, to 36% or less. This will be from a combination of fat loss (primarily) and lean mass gain. (The following was calculated using US Navy Body Fat Calculator, it is an estimate. I think the calculator is somewhat overestimating my recent fat loss/lean muscle gain, but that it will all even out by the time I reach my goal weight.) Body Composition - Current Total Mass: 190 lbs. Lean Mass: 116 lbs. Fat Mass: 74 lbs. BF% = 39% Waist = 37" Hips = 43" Neck = 15" Height: 5'6 1/2" One Year Ago Total Mass: 206 lbs. Lean Mass: 107 lbs. Fat Mass: 99 lbs. BF% = 48% Waist = 42" Hips = 46" Neck = 16" Height: 5'5 3/4" 2004 (Fire Academy) Total Mass: 152 lbs. Lean Mass: 117 lbs. Fat Mass: 35 lbs. BF% = 23% Waist = 28" Hips = 37" Neck = 13" Height: 5'6 3/4" GOAL Total Mass: 150 lbs. Lean Mass: 120 lbs. Fat Mass: 30 lbs. BF% = 20% Waist = 27" Hips = 37" Neck = 14" Height: 5'6 3/4" Non-graded extras I want to experiment with at least one day per week of vegetarian eating and play with various combinations of macros to see how my body responds at different points in my training. Ideally, I will figure out an eating plan that will be useful as the intensity of my endurance and strength training increases. Firefighters Always Keep A Reserve of Water in Their Tank; They Top Off Their Tank at Every Opportunity DEX-1, WIS-2, CHA-2 You never run your water tank or other water source completely dry. Never. Otherwise you risk not having enough water for your own protection if things suddenly go south. You always keep that 100 gallon reserve available and you top off your tank at every opportunity. This may well be the hardest part of my challenge. I tend to go all out and to burn the candle at both ends. I will not succeed in my quest if I continue to do that. If I do, I will get injured or sick and will not be able to keep the pace I need to keep. I need to change my habit of staying up late to work or research or write or whatever until the wee hours of the morning and then turnaround and be up at 6:30 or 7 am. I regularly get by on just 4 or 5 hours of sleep during the week, then crash on the weekends. Rest, Recovery & Relaxation (WIS-2, CHA-1) Adequate rest and recovery will be critical to my success, as will providing for regular relaxation and recreation. Rest (WIS-1) Curfew/Bedtime/Lights Out - These are not synonymous. Curfew means I must "be in the house." Screens connected to the outside world must be turned off. Bedtime means actually in bed, but I may read, journal, meditate, or pray until lights out. Lights out - Dark, quiet, eyes shut, and brain powered down. Curfew is one hour before Lights Out. Bedtime can be any time between Curfew and Lights Out. Lights Out for Week One is 1:30 am, Week Two - 1:00 am, Week Three - 12:30 am, Week Four - midnight. At the end of Week Four, I will determine if I want or need to go any earlier for Lights Out. Going to bed much earlier messes with my wind down from work. (Often don't get home until 9:30 or so at night.) Wake Up Time is 7 am for Week One, 6:45 am for Week Two, 6:30 for Weeks Three through Six. Naps are fine, if needed. And, I reserve the right to adjust these times as I go along, as long as it is to increase my total sleep time overall. Recovery (WIS-1) Two cheat meals and one indulgent treat per week are not only allowed, they are encouraged. I am required to take at least one full day off of exercise per week, two if showing signs of undue fatigue or of developing any injury. (Situational Awareness applies to one's body, too!) Recreation (CHA-1) I must take a daily half-hour of recreation time and at least half a day per week of complete restorative down time, preferably much of that fully present with my partner. This is the time for all/any of those fun, relaxing, entertaining and/or creative things that get shoved aside by extra work, low priority household projects, ruminating, obsessing, surfing the net, mindlessly playing games or watching TV that one or the other or both of us don't even enjoy all that much. It's just habit. No more. No multi-tasking, no computer. No business activities, no studying, no housework or little nagging projects, or vegging out in front of the tube. No exceptions, no excuses. This time is my 100 gallon reserve. Attitude and Stress Management (DEX-1, CHA-1) To stay positive and not succumb to my depressive tendencies, or my doubts or fears about what I am attempting, I must cultivate inner strength and resilience. To stay peaceful and calm in the midst of great change and effort, I will manage my schedule and environment for enhanced productivity and streamlined maintenance. I will utilize the fantastic support network that is Nerd Fitness by actively participating in my guild, my accountabilibuddy groups and my PVPs. (Linked in my signature.) Daily Routines (CHA-1) Keep to a set of morning and evening routines that encapsulate recurring chores and desired actions into a simple, easy to follow checklist format. Besides carrying forward my kanban board, clutter patrol, and other good habits I have built in the last year, these routines also include a choice of tools for mental resilience and stress reduction - meditation, journaling, breathing exercises, inspirational reading, etc - of which I will do at least one once per day for a minimum of 10 minutes. These are mix and match, in any combination to reach the 10 minutes, for now. I hope that experimentation this challenge will give me clues as to which ones to focus on in more depth in future challenges. And I have set the bar low. I can always do more if time allows or I need the boost. Tai Chi (DEX-1) I considered including this under "Durability", but decided that it deserved a point of it's own. It is moving meditation, stress reduction, and a workout that can range from light recovery to challenging dynamic strength and flexibility, all in one. At least twice per week. This challenge is far more complex than I originally intended, and that is after I cut out a lot of stuff! I had great success last challenge with simpler, more focused goals, but I believe the quest I have chosen requires all of the above, and probably quite a bit more. For now, it is enough. The studying that I need to do, the drills, all of the other things can wait a little while so that I can get the central component firmly in place, my physical training. Everything else must serve and support the establishment of that. Once I am sure that is complete, then I can add in other things. Oh, and that appearance goal is going to be an un-graded mini-quest with the Renaissance Rebels. All of my activities for this challenge are quite simple to determine on a day-to-day basis: "Was X scheduled for today? Did I do X today?" Yes or no. I will log my progress in my challenge spreadsheet (currently under construction and to be finished prior to the challenge start). Each goal will be graded with the standard A, B, C, D, or F system using the usual percentages, and points awarded accordingly. And just because this is Nerd Fitness: (Cue Star Wars Theme...) Heh, heh. After three challenges of trying, I'm putting some of that Digital Storytellers learnin' to use. I've finally got myself a themed quest... And, oh, the truck porn that awaits!