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Let's get this challenge started!! MAIN QUEST: To be most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe, basically. Last challenge was all about getting back on the horse and reestablishing some basics. I learned some valuable things in the process, and I got a bit of excellent news in the acting department (I will be in the ensemble of a production of Evita this summer!), all of which is leading me towards this, my building blocks challenge. And what better building blocks exist than Legos? QUEST ONE: THE ENDGAME [+2 STR] When you buy a Lego kit, you typically have the endgame: build what's on the box of the kit you just bought. Like a Lego Millennium Falcon. For me, I have a few fitness goals before I turn 30 at the beginning of next year, and so it's time to really focus in on working towards these things. And so, at least twice a week, I will work on: Lifting Pull-up Progression Pistol Squat Progression Leg Raises Progression Handstands A = 100% complete | B = between 50-100% complete | C = 50% complete | D = for effort Since ideally I want to be lifting 3x/week and therefore working on all of these things at least three times a week, if I pull off that third session for any of the above, I will reward myself with $5 per item towards Poe Dameron's Lego X-Wing. Because REASONS GUYS. If my Lego X-Wing didn't give me Lego!Wedge (I got Lego!Porkins instead WTF, Lego) I WILL GET LEGO!POE. (Because I sort of have a big crush on Poe...) QUEST TWO: THE SPECIAL [+3 DEX] To be most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe, one must also be able to fling the kit out the window and exercise their creative mind. That requires flexibility. And so, I'll be spending at least 10 minutes a day, 5x/week, working on exactly that. I'm going to have to up the ante on this if I hope to get even close to center splits by my 30th birthday! (Because fuck you, conventional wisdom, nearly 30 year olds can learn to do the splits too.) A = 5x/week | B = 4x/week | C = 3x/week | D = 1-2x/week QUEST THREE: PREPARE FOR PLAYTIME [+2 DEX] Building without all your necessary tools is difficult at best, impossible more realistically, and makes you look unreliable at worst. You should have all the pieces of whatever it is you want to build before you build it, after all! As mentioned, I was cast in Evita, and those who have followed me in the past know that I lament that my Latin-based dancing is atrocious. I refuse to show up to the first dance rehearsal with two left feet and awkward hip shakes, so at least once a week, I will work on tango, salsa, samba, etc. This can be through my World Tour Zumba game, classes, following along with online videos, anything, as long as the focus is on learning how to dance like I'm in a musical set in Buenos Aires. Pass = Danced | Fail = Nope Like Quest 1, ideally, I'll be doing this twice a week, so every week I manage to work on Latin-based dancing twice, I will earn myself $10 towards Poe Dameron's Lego X-Wing. LIFE QUEST: LET'S GET ORGANIZED [+1 WIS, +1 CHA] Okay, so my life has become somewhat of a disorganized mess, and I need it to be significantly less so. This is due to both my ADHD (forgetfulness + easily distracted + hyper-focus) and my eternal procrastination. So, every day, I will create a to-do list and I will make sure I eliminate at least five things from said to-do list no matter how long that list gets (and if the to-do list is somehow less than 5 items long, I must complete 100% of that list). No excuses. I will be productive and get shit done. A = 7x/week | B = 5-6x/week | C = 3-4x/week | D = 1-2x/week SIDE QUEST: PICK UP THE DAMN BLOCKS [+1 CHA] You know what's really painful? Stepping on a Lego piece. Just ow. So, it's good to pick up after yourself. For me, I have, metaphorically speaking, too many Lego pieces, which causes a mess, and really, I need to get rid of a few. So here is my decluttering quest. There are two pieces to this: Over the course of a week, I need to spend at least 60 cumulative minutes on the task of decluttering. By the end of the challenge, I need to have taken at least twenty items (average 5 items/week) either to Trade Smart, Goodwill, or another charity in addition to what's already in my donation pile. Weekly Grade: A = 60+ minutes | B = 45 minutes | C = 30 minutes | D = 15 minutes Challenge Grade: A = 20+ items donated | B = 15-19 items donated | C = 10-14 items donated | D = 5-9 items donated Time to get down to business!!!

Welcome everyone If you followed my previous challenges, this is going to be familiar, but for everyone else here's a brief introduction: I'm 25 from the UK, and I specialize in gymnastics, weightlifting and bodyweight skills of various styles (video: summer training sampler). I'm also a software engineer, mental calculation competitor and amateur composer. I put way too much chili sauce on everything. Mmm Because my topic titles are clearly now just calendar-related puns, here's an infographic depicting a variation of the March of Progress that I do not want in my life, and I'll get right on with my challenge: Goal #1: the list: yep, I'm having another list of goals and workouts, because this format seems to work well for me . I'm hoping the weather will soon improve so I can so more outside as I was slacking during February. +0.25 for each, maximum of +6.00: weightlifting (double points!) bodyweight (10 exercises) jumping training (6 exercises) <-- something I need to focus on for gymnastics bouldering 1-arm push-up, handstand or bar muscle-up training session <-- summer 2016 goals! gymnastics class And bonus items - mostly stolen from my previous challenges - are: cartwheels: learn decent cartwheels on each side round-off: learn this gymnastics move front handspring: do this consistently on floor front flip: land this safely on floor front flip: bonus points for landing it on floor handstand walk: do a full 360-degree rotation in a handstand without immediately falling over handstand: 10 second static handstand bar muscle-up: I'm working towards it! back squat: 105kg (PR) change phone contract: I should be able to move to a cheaper one and I've procrastinated this for 2 months... create piano cover: of the death metal piece "Lost Reality" by Mercenary. It's the heaviest song that I actually like, even though it starts with some aggressive vocals. In fact, that's one of my reasons for wanting to make this piano cover - I wanted to find a way to provide an equivalent effect with a piano (whilst hopefully making it pleasant to listen to). I've finished working out roughly how to play this on the piano, but I need to tidy a lot of details and create the sheet music. create piano cover: bonus point for making a piano recording of this. Done - here's the video new sport: try some new activity - yep, did roller-blading new sport: try another new activity No goals this time for mental calculation since I'm taking a short break from that - last challenge I got to where I wanted to be for now Goal #2: pull-ups: I've neglected these over recent months, and while last Summer I could do them weighted with 30kg, now I find sets of 5 bodyweight ones a struggle... So for this challenge, I want to do 3 sessions of pull-ups each week. Minimum is: 20 pull-ups each set must be 5 or more reps These can be parts of workouts I'm already doing - just extra motivation to get out and train +0.25 STR per week Goal #3: rest properly: Laptop off by 01:00 every day. I did this last 2 challenges, and I had much more energy and was happier and more successful as a result. It means I'll get about 8 hours of sleep but won't have rush around brush teeth etc. just before sleeping! Scoring: for each week: 7 days with laptop off by 0100: +0.25 CON two "cheat" days are allowed anytime during the 4 weeks I'll start this at 2015-02-29 01:00:00 for 28 nights. Goal #4: eat clean: recently I've been eating like a moron, and now my body expects 50g of sugar during the afternoon Furthermore, lots of my energy is coming from poor-quality sources like chocolate bars. It's not good for my body... I get sugar dips now and my face feels fatter because that's where I carry extra fat, and my skin quality has deteriorated. Anyway, in March I shall have a cleaner diet and I'll get back to how I've been for most of the past 3 years I shall use the following rules: no soda or chocolate bars from the vending machine at work at most one dessert or pastry per day (usually I have 2-3) drink before eating if dehydrated Every week I get the following points: broke rules 2 times or fewer: +0.50 CON broke rules 4 times or fewer: +0.25 CON Good luck everyone!

Challenge #11 MAIN GOAL: THE FORCE SHALL FREE ME (from Bodyfat) QUEST 1 - THROUGH VICTORY MY CHAINS ARE BROKEN [Nutrition: Intermittent Fasting] Second try to reintroduce 24h IF. QUEST 2 - THROUGH POWER I GAIN VICTORY [Nutrition: Snacking/Tea] Those two goals worked pretty good last challenge, therefore I'm combining them for this one to solidify the habbit. QUEST 3 - THROUGH STRENGTH I GAIN POWER [simple & Sinister III of XII] Continuing the daily Swinging and TGUing. QUEST 4 - THROUGH PASSION I GAIN STRENGTH I'm doing the Armstrong Pull-Up Programm again, this time on Rings (gymnastic ones, not like in the picture ). That means 5 consecutive days a week push-ups in the morning and a pull-up workout at night. QUEST 5 - PEACE IS A LIE THERE IS ONLY PASSION [strength Endurance] Pushing and Pulling is covered by quest 4, but I don't intend to forget my hinge, core and leg work. At least twice a week.

This is the direct continuation of my previous challenge: same quests, same tracker. I had a hard time writing here in the past weeks. All boils down to choosing between doing things or writing about them. I tired to post from my phone when on a break, but I really don't like to write there. I am not sure it will change much, but I'll show up at least once per week Walking is my strongest point by far. Getting a step counter was really a good choice to keep me motivated. If I think about it is is weird to get pleasure from seeing a bar on a display getting filled, but as long as it work... at least is healthier than other pleasurable things... well not all of them, of course... The push/pull+karate routines need some adjustment: after two hours of capoeira I don't really manage to add another 20-30 minutes of exercises. So, I give myself 2 days off. The handstand and the stretches stay as daily practice. Food is on track but I still have the feeling (well, my stomach&intestines have) that some adjustment is needed. The big change of the past 2 weeks have been capoeira. It is the perfect mix for a monk assassin like me, and something completely different from what I have done so far. The unexpected (but not unwelcome) side of the training is that learn to sing solo and to speak Portuguese is integral part of the training. The casual sentence while fighting is something I am used to, but carry a tune in a language I don't speak while dodging kicks is a completely different story Long story short: I have plenty of inspiration for next challenge but for now I need to stay on my previous quests and strengthen those habits

This post will be rather like my challenge: simple, focused and slightly wacky. So... Let's Get Down To Business (can't say that without adding: to defeat...the HUNS) First order of business: March starts the Whole30! So it'll be 3-4 meals a day (depending on if I workout) of meat, veggies, fruit and nuts/seeds. For me it will end up being a whole60 as I'm doing it next month also so I've got to really get into a good routine that can last me 2 months. I'll be posting a pic showing my 3 meals that day as well. My motivation for the whole30 will be it helping me drop my extra bf from winter as all my training is easier with less fluff. Also it's a huge part of what keeps me in remission -this helps me know my true current strength and endurance limits so I can train accordingly. Second order of business: Obstacle Training - Crush PR's in 6 categories (each of these will be areas I'll be tested on in May) 1) Core -Toe Touches and Planche - just trying to see what my max on these is 2) Pull - Jumping and Half Pull-ups + Chin-ups working toward Full- Pull-ups 3)Push - Uneven Push-ups and Pike/Decline Push-ups working toward handstand push-ups -Also I hate military style push-ups but I am gonna try to make myself do them since I think I might hate them cause the muscle it works is just a little different from the above variations and it means I probably need to strengthen it. 4)Squat - Intermediate Shrimp Squat working toward Advanced Shrimp Squat - Also 20"-24" Box Jumps 5)Push-Up- Burpees (Spartan Prep Work) - See how many I can do in a set amount of time and work to increase that number, 6) RUN!!!! I'll be focusing on hills and mountains more than flat areas cause Mud and Obstacle Runs do involve, ya know, running. So yeah, that's gotta happen I guess. Plus, as I've previously mentioned, escape preparedness is never a bad thing, -be it from invading aliens, nefarious villains or just an overly friendly avalanche attempting to give you a hug... Also for the competition I'll need to remember to get photographic evidence of all my training accomplishments. In view of the fact that the Whole30 will take a lot of cook time and planning I'm gonna leave it at these two things since I want to give these my all and I need this month to be April and May's foundation. I'm going to again use climbing and ice skating as rewards for this challenge, it worked really well last time so there we go. My penalty is already in place -if I don't stick with the Whole30 and hit at least some of my goals this month then there's no way I can win in May. I will give myself bonus points if I get my studying done each night since I've got TONS of continuing ed for work this year in addition to my already full study schedule. Bonus points will be explained in the next post.

Main Quest: My main quest for this four weeks is to solidify my daily habits/routines. A couple of things have thrown them off and it's making it difficult to get everything done. I've been keeping up with my challenge quests, but a lot of the typical household stuff isn't getting done. Or if it does get done, I end the day feeling cranky and exhausted. I spent the last week of the last challenge really concentrating on the routines and things were a lot better. I want to get everything back into being a habit and then I'll work on adding/increasing/changing my exercise or diet goals. Quest 1: I'm going to continue doing S&S 5 times a week for this challenge. I will also continue to work on progressing with my TGU's and swings. Measurement: A = 18-19 workouts, B = 15-17 workouts, C = 12-14 workouts, F = 11 or less workouts Quest 2: I'm also going to continue to work on push-ups, pull-ups or planks for 5 minutes, 6 days a week. The only difference here is that I want to keep up with exactly what I accomplish in those 5 minutes so that I can better see my progress. Again as much of the 5 minutes can be rest time as I need. Measurement: A = 22-23 times, B = 19-21 times, C = 16-18 times, D = 13-15 times Quest 3: I really liked the 10,000 step weekly average. It keeps me moving a good bit, while still giving me flexibility in when I get the steps. I'm going to continue this as well. Measurement: A = Average 10,000 steps all 4 weeks, B = Avg 10,000 for 3 weeks, D = Avg 10,000 for 2 weeks Life Quest: Since I'm working on routines, I'm going to change this quest and use it to focus on my morning routine. That is the most important of my routines, so making sure I complete it will do the most good. I'm not going to list what I do in the morning routine because it changes depending on the day and is boring anyway. I can miss twice during the challenge, but no more than that since I'm working on making this a habit. Measurement: A = 24-26 times, F = 23 times or less I'm also keeping the money jar going this month. It's a good way of helping me avoid junk food without causing my inner two-year old to rebel. Again I'll be putting $1 in for every kettlebell workout and 5 minute push-up, pull-up or plank session and $7 for every week I average 10,000 steps. I'll take money out (and put in a different jar for savings) for eating junk food.

This 6 Week Challenge will basically be a continuation of the last one. Gaining skillz, strength, and Assassin Badassery. Main Quest for 2015: Do a pull up all the way to my transplant scar. Main Quest for This Six Week Challenge: I've had the goal of doing a pull up all the way to my scar on my list for months now, yet I still have not achieved even a simple pull up. That has to change. I have 6 weeks to get it done, and I will have a pull up completed by the end of this challenge. SMART Quests: 1. Pull my own Weight: This one is easy, pass or fail. I will do at least one, Tactical Hollow Body Pull Up. (+1 Str, +1 Con) Grading my success by the end of the six weeks. A = Complete at least one Tactical Hollow Body Pull Up. F = Not going to happen. 2. Keep Calm and Carry On: An Assassin must be able to control his thoughts and breath. Continue working on box breathing, working up to 10 second boxes to improve breathing and focus. Incorporate other forms of meditation into the program at least once/week. This can be an Aikido Guided Meditation vid or a guided meditation app. (+1 Sta, +1 Wis) Grading my success by the end of the six weeks. A = Perform breathing and meditation exercises an average of 5 times/week. B = Perform breathing and meditation exercises an average of 4 times/week. C = Perform breathing and meditation exercises an average of 3 times/week. F= Anything less. 3. Learn a New Skill: I would like to continue practicing rock climbing. I really enjoyed starting this quest during the last challenge. I will visit the local Indoor Climbing Center at least three times during this Challenge. (+1 Sta, +1 Wis) A = 3 visits to the climbing center. B= 2 visits to the climbing center. C= 1 visit to the climbing center. F= 0 visits to the climbing center. 4. A Barbarian’s Got to do What a Barbarian’s Got to do: I will continue to perform the Simple and Sinister workout 5 times a week I need to continue to progress towards owning the Simple portion of the program.. This includes at least one set of the warm up exercises, 10 sets of 10 one hand kettlebell swings with a 24 kg kettlebell and 5 sets of 1 (per arm) Turkish Get Ups with a 20 kg kettlebell, and the final stretching exercises. (+1 Str, +1 Dex, +1 Sta, +1 Cha) Grading my success by the end of the six weeks. A = Performing 10 sets of 10 one hand kettlebell swings with a 24 kg kettlebell and 5 sets of 1 (per arm) Turkish Get Ups with a 20 kg kettlebell. B = Performing less than 10 sets of 10 one hand kettlebell swings with a 24 kg kettlebell and 5 sets of 1 (per arm) Turkish Get Ups with a 20 kg kettlebell. C = 90% participation with 100% effort (100% participation = once every 5 days). F= less than 90% participation. Note: StrongFirst may be performing a KB Swing research project. If I participate in this project, the project will take priority over these goals. I will post new goals at that time that will be inline with the project. 5. Mini Quests: For me, the weekly Assassin Mini Quests are an important part of these 6 Week Challenges. I will continue to support the team to the very best of my ability during this one Reward for Successful Completion of This Challenge: I have not yet decided on this challenge's reward. I'll update when I do . Motivation: On January 1st, 2015 I received a life saving double lung transplant. I have to honor the family that gave me the gift of these lungs. On what is most likely the worst day of their lives they made the decision to help others. Words cannot express just how much my family and I appreciate this gift. They gave us a future. I need to take care of these lungs and this body to the very best of my ability. Here's to an awesome Challenge my Rebel friends!

Quick intro! I'm karinajean, 38, live in NY state, commute to NJ about an hour each way (so lots of time in the car). I practice tae kwon do several times a week, take weapons and boxing classes in addition, and am trying super hard to do really good form push- and pull-ups this year. I have a crazy mean (yet super sweet) cat and live with my husband full time and my stepdudes 1/2 time. I motorcycle, knit and spin, and am endlessly ignoring how messy the house is. I'm an assassin because I like doing all the things, and because I want to be able to do push-ups and pull-ups -- if I can do those and run and do martial arts I will feel totally strong and fit and capable. challenge back story A year and a challenge ago, I was a sad panda, and I decided I would get ready for hibernation. The next challenge I realized that I couldn't let the panda's win, and that I needed to celebrate my own awesomeness! This year, ironically? kind of horribly? I realized that I'm crazy over-committed, and my husband is crazy over-committed, and I'm doing too much and I need to figure out how to do it all and still have a rewarding relationship with my sweetheart and also pursue my goals and be a brilliant adulting fun person. So this challenge, I need to Be the HiberNOT! I don't need no stinkin' hibernation. [[HYPERnation, maybe. (and all the assassins say AMEN)]] ERGO HYBERNOTS. this challenge, I will HYBERNOT. I want to swing into winter, well, swinging. I want to fight off the doldrums, I want to make it through this super challenging semester that my husband is doing while doing my own things too, and not living in squalor. NOT A BIG DEAL, RIGHT? I got this, RIGHT? Goal 1: Swing in Swinging I want to do a pull-up in 2015. I've been saying that all year! 2015 is the year of the -UPs! And.... I haven't been very diligent about this. I made really good progress with the push-ups during the challenge-before-last. I need to work on those too though! my super slow push-ups could be faster and better. SURELY they could. This one! I will do pull-up practice and push-up practice 3x a week. write it down, check it off. DOOOO EEEET. Goal 2: Run away! Run away! Fight Fight Fight! I'm going to sign up for a turkey trot 10k on thanksgiving. so, practice for this. and this also means do my tkd exercises ala cross-training, because that's the way I roll. and AOP when I need cross-training, because that's just fun. write it down, check it off. DOOOO EEEEET. Goal 3: Keep working the food, bro. I just renewed my LoseIt premium subscription for year 3. this tool works for me, so I'm going to keep working it. And in addition! turns out that actually the alcohol during the week is probably not the best for me. Husband suggested for his own sake that we don't keep lots of beer in the house approaching the holidays, because those extra calories are just ridiculous. I agree! so: no weekday beers or wine, only occasional cocktails. because, well. I like a gin and tonic now and then. And my food evaluation from last challenge! the better breakfasts experiment was a big success, I need to continue that. This is all geared towards MAINTENANCE. I'm sure I'll get there sometime. I don't feel super restricted now, but I want to make sure I'm really understanding how I can tweak my regular diet for the most success, and still some wiggle room for cocktails and pizza and beer and cake. Life Goal. Well, I have a lot of life goals. I want my home to be peaceful and clean (maybe that doesn't mean neat, but not dirty).I want my partner to partner with me on the things we have to do for the family, with enough time for us each to follow our passions, and also be passionate together.I want to make things. I want to cook and knit and spin. I want to make sure I'm doing those things regularly.and reading! I want to read!being here on the forums! I heart my friends and I want to see you all here more frequently!So this challenge, I'm going to do my best, and make a point to remark on the things that are working, and the things that are not working, so that I can remind myself how much I am capable of and how well my husband and I work together to do things and to permit each other to do things separately. I know, this is so super boring. I do it every couple of challenges. for reals I think I do this all every couple of challenges.

Welcome everyone old and new ~~~ INTRODUCTION ~~~ I'm 25 years old, male and from the UK and was never good at physical things except for high jump and sprinting, which I stopped at age 18. At age 23 I got interested in sports once again and now do: gymnastics / flips / handstandsbodyweight exercisesweightliftingclimbing / boulderinggymnastics ringsThis August I compiled a training video of my favourite things I'd been working on - it's here if you'd like to see: ~~~ NEW CHALLENGE ~~~ Last challenge, I dropped off the wagon in many places, so this challenge is designed to ensure I jump back on again if/when that happens. Rules: for everything in the list below, there's +0.25 stat points available bodyweight training:pull-ups: 15pull-ups: 17pull-ups: 20weighted pull-ups @+15kg x6weighted pull-ups @+20kg x5weighted pull-ups @+25kg x4weighted pull-ups @+30kg x3weighted pull-ups @+32.5 x1weighted pull-ups @+35kg x1ring dips: 15ring dips: 17ring dips: 20weighted ring dips @+10kg x8weighted ring dips @+20kg x5weighted ring dips @+30kg x3support hold for 90 secondssupport hold for 120 secondspistol squats on RHS: 20pistol squats on LHS: 20diamond push-ups: 23diamond push-ups: 30ring push-ups: 301-armed straddle push-up (LHS)1-armed straddle push-up (RHS)1-armed push-up (LHS)1-armed push-up (RHS)gymnastics skills: ring forward roll on my ringsstraight cartwheel on both sidesconsistent round-offfront handspring on floor (no crashmats)front handspring on floor (no crashmats) bonus celebration point!frontflip on floor (no crashmats)frontflip on floor (no crashmats) bonus celebration point!backflip without spotters, not in foam pitbackflip without spotters on proper floorhandstand walk in a circlehandstand walk in a figure-of-8upstartupstart: bonus celebration point!weightlifting goals: overhead press 1RM: 50.0kgoverhead press 1RM: 52.5kgoverhead press 1RM: 55.0kgoverhead press 1RM: 57.5kg = 75% bodyweight!overhead press 3RM: 45.0kgoverhead press 3RM: 47.5kgoverhead press 3RM: 50.0kgbench 1RM: 70.0kgbench 1RM: 72.5kgbench 1RM: 75.0kg = 100% bodyweight!deadlift 1RM: 140.0kg = old PRdeadlift 1RM: 145.0kgdeadlift 1RM: 150.0kg = 200% bodyweightback squat 1RM: 100.0kgback squat 1RM: 102.5kg = old PRback squat 1RM: 105.0kgback squat 1RM: 107.5kgback squat 1RM: 110.0kgback squat 1RM: 112.5kg = 150% bodyweight!back squat 3RM: 100.0kgother achievements: 5 km run for fast time 1 mile run for fast time 800m run for fast time (02:55) 400m run for fast time (01:06) study form for bench press study form for back squatworkouts: As well as these, I will also count any workouts (up to a maximum of 35) for a point in the challenge. The workouts have to be the following: a solid weightlifting session (counts double!)10 minute-long decent-intensity exercisesRunning total of workout points: 12 (08 Dec) Recently I've tried choosing 6 exercises, and repeatedly rolling a 6-sided die to determine what I should do next. I'll probably do this for lots of the workouts this challenge. ~~~ SUMMARY ~~~ Okay, that's 100 potential points in total, and I have 15 stat points to collect, so a perfect challenge would be to complete 60 of these. A good challenge would be to complete about 45, and an acceptable challenge would be to complete about 30. Hopefully this time I can have a solid challenge, and I look forward to watching everyone else doing well too

Ok, so we're about to run out for lunch, so maybe this isn't the best time to be posting my thread, but I'll just leave as a placeholder here. Quick note about the name change - being a mom is a really important part of who I am and while I am a huge Star Wars fan (hence original name of JK_Mom), I think Aquamom will fit me better as I rehab my two bad feet. My left ankle was sprained earlier this month and has not been healing well, while my right foot may have a stress fracture (I'll find out 11/2) or some more tendinitis. At any rate, this challenge period, I want to focus on mindfulness and upper-body strength. More to come later!

INTRODUCTION: My name is Ted and this is my second challenge. I am looking forward to being a part of the assassins during during challenge 44. If you are interested, my first challenge thread can be found here. When I found Nerd Fitness, I joined the academy first. I was searching for how to build intrinsic motivation into a fitness routine and Nerd Fitness came across my path. Thanks to my first challenge, I am getting closer to my goal of intrinsically motivate fitness. My hard work and my look into essentialism has really helped me focus my efforts. I chose the assassins because I enjoy bouldering, calisthenics, and balance work done through yoga. I want to build a learner stronger frame. People I admire and look to as I train would be Kevin Poeung and Simon Park. I am a 33 year old English and History teacher and live in San Francisco, CA with my husband and our orange bob-tail cat named Cha-cha. We have been in the Bay Area for about a year. Before California, my husband and I were living in Japan (I was there for seven years and he was there for his whole life). I am a lover of science fiction and have been a fan of all the Star Gate seasons which is why my topic titles reference the dialing sequence. These challenges are a way I can take back control of my dreams by making my fitness and health a priority in my life. I am excited about doing this for myself and glad I have gained some great support and friends along the way. MAIN QUEST: I will have an active life full of movement and activities I find joy in so I can live a life of peace and adventure with my husband. CHALLENGE GOAL 1: "Be-Four Dawn" GOAL: By 14 December 2015, I will exercise for a least thirty minutes in the morning, at least four days a week, for a total of 24 workout sessions over the course of the challenge. REASONING: During the last challenge, I scheduled a workout everyday of the week. On any given day, I was either practicing yoga or doing the body brigade workout. This left little to no time for recovery. This challenge, I am giving myself three days for potential recovery. I also want to work towards enjoying morning workouts since I can take full advantage of the after-burn over the course of the day and be more energized. I also would like to have my evenings open in order to spend more time with my husband. Up until now, getting up early in the morning and working out has been difficult for me. I am a teacher and wake-up really early already. MEANS OF EVALUATION: I will post on my thread the details of each workout for the previous week by Sunday evening of that week. The details of my workout will include the time started, duration, and what I did to workout. If I have at least 24 workouts recorded by the end of this challenge, I will have met this goal. [Attribute: STAMINA A=+3 B=+2 C=+1] CHALLENGE GOAL 2: "Pull It Together" GOAL: By 14 December 2015, I will work for 10 minutes, at least four days a week, on my training to do a complete, unassisted, pull-up for a total of 24 sessions over the course of this challenge. REASONING: I have enjoyed bouldering and have some pretty solid upper body strength. Unfortunately, I do not have the muscle strength needed to do a complete unassisted pull-up. Systematically working on my pull-ups throughout this challenge will help me build the needed strength in order to get close to doing an unassisted pull-up. MEANS OF EVAULUATION: I will post on my thread the details of each training session for the previous week by Sunday evening of that week. The details of the training session will include what I did to train and the time I started. If I have at least 24 training sessions on my thread by the end of the challenge, I will have met this goal. [Attribute: STRENGTH A=+4 B=+3 C=+2] CHALLENGE GOAL 3: "This End Up" GOAL: By 14 December 2015, I will work for 10 minutes, at least four days a week, on my inverted poses foundation for a total of 24 sessions over the course of this challenge. REASONING: In my practice of yoga, I have always felt inspired by inverted poses. In the beginning, I had a fear of going into an inverted pose. I thought, if I went into an inverted pose, I would drop on my spine and break my neck. Several years back, I trampled that fear by running into a handstand. The momentum of this method got me into a wall-assisted hand-stand. I want to work toward doing an unassisted tripod headstand. To do this I will need to work on building my foundation on a consistent basis. MEANS OF EVALUATION: I will post on my thread the details of each foundation building session for the previous week by Sunday evening of that week. The details of the foundation building session will include what I did toward building the right foundation and the time I started. If I have at least 24 training sessions on my thread by the end of the challenge, I will have met this goal. [Attribute: A=+4 B=+3 C=+2] LIFE CHALLENGE GOAL: "Write On Track" GOAL: By 14 December 2015, I will write over 40,000 words towards a new novel which I will plan with my husband. REASONING: My husband is an illustrator and a graphic designer. We have been playing around with the idea of me writing a novel and him drawing illustrations for the story. We have floated ideas and concepts around but never got anything seriously together. Since November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and this challenge covers the month of November, I thought I would inspire our project to head in the "write" direction and get my husband and I "write" on track towards completing our novel. MEANS OF EVALUATION: I will have met this goal if I have written at least 40,050 words on my novel by the end of this challenge. My word-count progress can be seen on my NaNoWriMo page. I will also give weekly updates on Sunday evening on how I am progressing towards the 40,000 word goal. [Attribute: WISDOM A=+3 B=+2 C=+1] PRE-REFLECTION: Setting new goals fills me with such great energy. I feel geared-up and ready to begin. I feel even better this time around since I have already engaged in one challenge and know my goals are challenging yet attainable. Learning what works well for me and what needs tweaking I believe will help me towards an intrinsically motivated practice. I am proud to be part of the assassins and growing stronger with everyone!

Since October 21, 2015 we’ll have flying cars and hoverboards, I thought a Back to the Future themed challenge would be fun. So, Great Scott my 11th challenge is now on! Main Quest To live a healthy and balanced life by exercising and trying to eat healthy. My motivation I've successfully dropped weight by counting calories so my diet will mostly be staying the same with 1200 calories per day M-F and then blow meals on the weekends. I've managed to put on some muscle in an effort to become stronger by weightlifting and I’ve discovered that I love lifting heavy things! However, since I have neck pain, for this challenge I’m going to go easy on lifting weights. I want to take a bit of a break from the more serious weight lifting I’ve done in the past in an effort to try to help my neck heal. Nothing else has worked, so maybe not lifting as much will? I’m not giving weightlifting up entirely, since I love being the tank, but I do want to not focus on poundage so much as form and function for this challenge. So I’m *gulp* joining the Scouts this time to focus on speed and endurance! Smaller Quests 1. “Run for fun? What the hell kind of fun is that?†-Saloon Old Timer #3, Back to the Future III Marty does a lot of running throughout the trilogy; from Bif and his cronies to the Libyan terrorists. I am not a runner and never aspire to be one. I’m of the mind that I don’t run unless something is chasing me (t-rex, zombies, otters). But in the case of this challenge and in an effort to be a True Hero, I am going to practice this hated exercise and try to at least not die while doing it. Run three times per week working my way up to running for at least 30 minutes by the end of this challenge. I’m starting with running 10 minutes straight during week #1, 15 minutes during week #2, 20 minutes during week #3 & #4, 25 minutes during week #5, and, hopefully, 30 full minutes during week #6. Week 1: 10 minutes Week #2: 15 minutes Week #3 & #4: 20 minutes Week #5: 25 minutes Week #6: 30 minutes Since I’m not a runner by nature, I’m going to strive to simply run the allotted time length and not a set amount of times per week. Scoring: /6 (one for each week’s achieved) Reward: +3 to STA & +3 to DEX 2. “Save the clock tower!†-Back to the Future Without the clock tower to supply the lightning and power, Marty would never have gotten back to his own time. Doc must have climbed a lot of stairs, and quickly, to get up there to fix the wire in the first movie. While I’m not climbing stairs, I am going to continue working on getting my first dead-hang pull-up. I was thrilled when I attempted a pull-up with my arms flexed at about 120 degrees so it gave me hope that one day I will be able to do one from a full dead-hang. I am going to continue working towards my first dead-hang pull-up by lifting weights. a. Rows: 45lbs → 55lbs b. Assisted Pull-ups: 25lbs → 15lbs assist Scoring: /10 days Reward: +2 to STR (+1 for each completed) 3. “Hey, Frisbee. Far out!†-Marty McFly, Back to the Future III Frisbees back in the Old West were a brand name for pies and Marty recognizes it and refers to the toy when he sees a Frisbee pie tin in the old west. I need to go back to limiting my sweet treats during the week since processed sugar is evil. So I’m going back to no sweet treats M-F. Last challenge, I tried eating more veggies but since I’m so picky when it comes to green stuff, I only had carrots and red beets. Focusing on not having junk food during the week has worked before so I’m going back to that for this challenge. However, since I’m at the beach the week of September 12-19, I’m not counting sweet treats then. Because: ICE CREAM!!! Scoring: /25 Reward: +2 to CON & +2 to CHA 4. “When this baby hits 80mph, you’re going to see some serious shit!†-Doc, Back to the Future While not explicitly stated in any of the movies, being fluent in another language is incredibly useful! And I’m sure Doc speaks several. I really enjoyed practicing Spanish a few challenges ago so I’m going back to it. I want to focus on practicing for 30 minutes per day, M-F. Scoring: /25 days Reward: +3 to WIS Let's do this!

So, I'm about to set out on my mission ... quest ... thing. My very first NF Challenge to become a stronger, smarter, more badass me! I'm both excited and torn. Why am I torn? Well, there are so many things I want to do and accomplish. So many areas I want to be badass in. And my current fitness challenge seems to be conflicting with my alter ego, as it were. In RPGs, I almost always play a Night Elf ranger, or something close to it. But my first goal in real life seems to be to get stronger, which is more of a warrior thing. Not that it's a bad thing, but I almost never play as a warrior in games. I am never a tank ... more of a DPS. I'm sure it doesn't matter that my RL character (i.e. me) is different from my in-game character, but you know, I always kinda imagined that if I could bring my RPG character to life and be that character, I would be some kind of live-off-the-land, totally kickass-in-the-wild rangery person. Except IRL, I hate running, only doing it to supplement my other fitness goals, just so I don't run out of breath after a few punches or kicks. I love muay Thai and am discovering an attraction to lifting heavy things. In games, I also almost never play a monk, either. Haha. Kinda weird how my RL character is nothing like my RPG character. Nevermind. I know I can always change paths. I guess that's why there's the Recruit Guild ... for people like me, just starting out and not really having a clear direction. So, here goes. Here's my first 6-week challenge, although mine's gonna be more of a 5-week challenge, since in the final week of the SWC, I'll be at a friend's wedding in Scotland and there's no way I'm gonna be able to do my challenge, at least not all of it. So, I'm gonna grade myself based mostly on a 5-week timescale. General main fitness quest: Be stronger and more cardio fit. I love being strong, but I hate running so I tend to become out of breath and get tired easily. Like when doing muay Thai, I tend to punch and kick hard in the beginning and then lose my power quite early on on account of being exhausted. Main fitness quest: Do one pull-up by the end of the year (2015). I have always always wanted to be able to do pull-ups but haven't really tried for it. This time, the pull-up will be mine! So, here are my SWC quests: Quest 1: Strength train 3x per week (for 5 weeks). This will be based on what my PT gets me to do at the beginning of the week, and repeated over the course of the week, with some additions specific to chin-up and pull-up goals. Measurement: A = trained 15/15 days, B = 10/15 C = 5/15 Attribute: 2 STR Quest 2: Run non-stop for 30 min once a week (for 5 weeks). Measurement: A = 30 min 5 times, B = 30 min 4 times or 20 min 5 times, C = 30 3 times or 20 min 4 times Attribute: 2 STA 1 STA Quest 3: Be able to do 50 toe press-ups in 1 go (with no more than 5s pause in between). Measurement: A = 45-50 toe press-ups, B = 40-44 toe press-ups, C = 35-39 toe press-ups Attribute: 2 STR Quest 4.1: Be able to do 1 chin-up. I will try chin-ups every time I'm at the gym (negatives, pulling as far as I can go, assisted, etc.) until I get that first chin-up. Quest 4.2: Do 10 min of chin-up tries 4x a week (for 5 weeks). Measurement 1: Not really sure how to grade this one. Pass/fail. Measurement 2: A = 18-20 days, B = 16-17, C = 14-15 Attribute: 1 STR The quest to eat better: NutriQuest 1: Eat 5 portions of fruit/veg a day. Measurement: A = 5 portions, 35 days; B = 5 portions, 30 days; C = 5 portions, 25 days Attribute: 1 CON NutriQuest 2: Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Measurement: A = 8 glasses, 35 days; B = 8 glasses, 30 days; C = 8 glasses, 25 days Attribute: 1 CON Main Life Quest: Get academic promotion - to Assistant Professor Life Quest 1: Finish off current research project Measurement: A = 90-100% finished; B = 80-89% finished; C = 70-79% finished Attribute: 1 WIS 2 WIS (Edited at end of week 3) Life Quest 2: Write-up lecture documents - 4 chapters in 5 weeks (on holiday during week 6). Measurement: A = 4 chapters; B = 3 chapters; C = 2 chapters Attribute: 1 WIS (cut this one out at end of week 3) Well, that's it. Hopefully it's a reasonable first challenge. Would be very grateful for any advice, especially on how to measure the chin-up quest. Also, should I be assigning attribute points now, or should I wait 'til after week 3?

So, I hear some people are interested in participating in the TWENTY PULL-UPS TRAINING CHALLENGE: http://twentypullups.com/the-training-program/ How about some friendly trash-talking slash encouragement slash pull-up progress reports in the form of this PVP? It will run a full 8 weeks from Sept. 14th through Nov. 9th, as if you are starting like me, with between 0-2 pull-ups, there is Week -2 and Week -1 to run before you graduate to the Big Guns program. If you do not make the required reps for your prescribed workout, go back to the previous workout and repeat that before attempting the workout whose reps you could not complete. You do not have to follow this program if you have another program you'd like to follow. You may work on chin-ups instead of pull-ups if you like. Bar pull-ups, rings pull-ups, towel grip pull-ups, finger hang pull-ups are all acceptable options. Strict is preferred, but if you are really interested in increasing your kipping pull-up reps and want to use this group as a way to help you do so, please feel free. I just ask that everyone be consistent in the type of UP you are reporting -- ie if you start with strict bar pull-ups, please continue to report back on your max reps of strict bar pull-ups. You are obviously not limited in working on other kinds of UPs and they may even have carry-over to your goal max reps, but for the sake of reporting, let's just keep it to whatever type you started with. Maybe, through the magic of following a program and keeping each other accountable, we can see some rep increases on this always enjoyable, never-ever frustrating exercise. Participants (Starting rep max / Final rep max): Raptron (2 / ???)Starsapart (1 / ???)Blkhole24601 (0 / ???)Sam Ashen (11 / ???)Artemis12 (0 / ???)KB Girl (4 / ???)Annyshay (0 / ???)Anim77034 (16 / ???)DarK_RaideR (5 / ???)Waldgeist (6 / ???)Elvenengineer (0 / ???)Dancezwithkittehz (0 / ???)Miss_marissa (1 / ???)Br0din (10 / ???)Nedwin (1 / ???)Karinajean ( 0 / ???)Nightshadow (5 / ???)Shaggy (12 / ???)[YOUR NAME HERE?]

I am just in a Redwall kind of mood, folks. The associations are loose at best, but let's just go with it. As for introduction, I'm Raptron -- I do gymnastics 2-3x per week and try to get into the gym 2-3x per week for lifting but have been dealing with some lower back issues that I intend to get checked out soon. In this challenge, I'll be taking on some weak points for myself: pull-up strength, jump power, and static handstand holds. I had good success last challenge when I used an incentivizing points system to help clean my house, so I will take that from last challenge and apply it here. The disincentivizing side was not as effective, so I am dropping it for now to see how it goes. GOAL ONE: BADGER STRONG *Pull-up work 3x per week, following the twenty pull-ups program I've dropped down to 2 pull-ups from 3, so that says it's time to do some work again. I've got a pull-up bar at home, so there is literally no reason not to get these in 3x per week. In my experience previously, I do not progress as prescribed and will likely have to repeat weeks, but that is OK! GOAL TWO: JUMP LIKE A HARE *Explosive jump work in at least 5 sets, 2x per week, including a mix of vertical and distance in each workout My vertical jump and horizontal jumps could always be better and there is significant carry-over into my gymnastics performance, especially vertical jumping. GOAL THREE: SQUIRREL TREETOP BALANCE *Static handstand practice for 10 minutes, 3x per week OUTSIDE of gymnastics practice. I can handstand walk for days and days and days but my static holds are shockingly bad most of the time and ya know, that's probably because I rarely train them. GOAL FOUR: TAKING CARE OF THE HOME FRONT *Clean abbey, clean mind: Cleaning things gives 1 point *Self guard duty: Some kind of self-care gives 1 point *Nursemice: Making doctor or PT appointments for myself gives 1 point *Don't raid the larders: Mindful eating day gives 1 point SCORING -- Anything higher than 180 is going to be an excellent score. Between 160-180, good. Between 140-160, okay. Below 140, blah. I like shiny positive reinforcement points, so I am going to track these on the fridge again. My kitchen was in way better shape last challenge than pretty much ever before, so this should help keep that going!

On a quest for your first pull-up? Looking to increase your max? Join the Great Pull-up Quest of 2015! This Accountabilibuddy Group is open to all rebels in all classes (including recruits) who are training for their first pull-up or fighting to raise their numbers. Encouragement, advice, accountability, and all things pull-up are all welcome here. Popular Pull-up Programs: Armstrong Pull-up ProgramNerd Fitness Pull-up ArticleThe Pull-up SolutionStart Bodyweight (not a program, but a list of good pull-up progressions)The Twenty Pull-ups Challenge

TALVI's NINTH CHALLENGE: On the wild track! Time for a shiny new challenge and a shiny new game! Ark survival is a game that has just been released for early access. To be honest, I don't know much about the game yet. But I do know that the idea is to survive and thrive on an island covered in dinosaurs. Particularly excited about taming velociraptors and riding enormous alligators around, and the game may have infiltrated my challenge theme. I should probably introduce myself: I'm Talvi and and these challenges have really helped me enjoy fitness particularly with my first push-up, starting and improving in climbing, my first 5km, my first 10km and recently my first chin-up and pull-up. I've also used these challenges to improve my Spanish and to learn some programming. At the moment, I'm playing Ark survival and whilst I am a long-time DOTA player, I'm trying some LoL and HotS on the side. So let's get down to business. I want to develop six skills which will coincidentally help me to survive on a dinosaur-filled island of doom: 1) Dinosaur! Argh, just keep running... Whilst I'm not convinced I can outrun many dinosaurs, running will certainly be more useful than standing still. Unless there is a T-Rex… But we'll cross that bridge should I ever come to it. To train myself, I want to try running twice a week (approx. 4 runs) in preparation for a 15km race in the gardens of Versaille on the 21st June. It is only two weeks away, so I just need to practice being comfortable running that distance again. Not too bothered about running for the duration of the challenge, but it would be nice to run a couple of times in the last 4 weeks. Also I need to get a certificate from a doctor before hand - I must remember to do that! 2) This isn't working, try escaping vertically... Should the running not shake off any velociraptors, my plan B is to climb to safety. I could escape by trees, boulders or mountains! But I will train mainly on boulders. I want to practice bouldering once or twice a week with the goal of playing with blue routes (the next level up) each session until I can actually do one. 3) Flight isn't working, so what about fight? To be honest, I'm not sure how I'd approach fighting a dinosaur. So far in Ark Survival, I have punched a pterodactyl and it killed me. I'm going to assume that in this survival scenario, that strength will be pretty important. I did my first chin-up a couple of days ago (I was so very surprised) and literally just did my first pull-up an hour ago! 5 pull-ups in a row is on my epic quest list for 2015, so I am going to work towards that by trying different bodyweight workouts, tailored exercises or pull-up bar play. Whatever takes my fancy on the day as long as some practice gets done each week. 4) It's a UNIX system, I know this! I don't know about you, but I'm not going to be eaten just because I didn't know my way around a computer. Plus, there is definitely some tech in Ark Survival since there are some mysterious towers in the distance. I'm made some progress in past challenges in learning Python, but this time my overarching goal is to finish the Edx MIT course 6.00.1x "Introduction to Computer Science and Programming using Python". 5) Cuidado, hay un dinosaurio! In this game, you can get teammates by joining tribes and then working together to survive longer and make more epic things. Makes sense. Expect that the boyfriend's tribe are all Spanish. The plan here to use my HP audiobooks, Anki apps, online grammar practice, Spanish book lessons and speaking practice to improve. 6) Dear reader, if you have found this diary then... Now this is the MOST IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE of the challenge: to write down what I have done towards this challenge EVERYDAY (+/- 2 days). There is nothing really new in this challenge, so I know that I can do these quests if I give them the time they deserve. Writing down what I do everyday has been really helpful in past challenges: it makes me more accountable and makes me review each day in the context of my goals. Overall challenge set-up: To level up in the challenge, I will only have to complete my 6th quest aka. post everyday about the challenge. STAT points will be allocated depending on the successes in the other 5 goals. Ideal allocation: 1. Running 5+ times: + 3 STA 2. Climbing: 11+ times: + 2 DEX & + 1 STR 3. 5 x pull-ups: + 2 STR & +1 DEX 4. Completed the first 6 weeks of programming course: + 3 WIS 5. Acceptable progress in Spanish: + 3 CHA Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys on the forums. Good luck with your challenge!

Boss Battle: Tequatl the Sunless It's time for Achaedia to pack up and leave the oasis and continue on her journey. Resigned, she makes her way up the hill and over the first rise, when there, in the valley below, blocking her path, there it is: The fearsome Tequatl, minion of the undead dragon Zhaitan! Tequatl has hardened scales that can create a massive defense if someone doesn't work hard to keep them down. Achaedia takes her place at one of the turrets, hoping that she can blast them enough times to wear through their defenses and allow the fighters close to the dragon to take him down... The Battle: Weekly Benchmarks & Bonuses: Week One: 500 Points (+1 STR) Bonus: Cleaned Every Day (+1 CHA) Week Two: 500 Points (+1 STA) Bonus: Classroom Prepared (+1 WIS) Week Three: 400 Points (+1 STA) Bonus: Lesson Plans Prepared (+1 WIS) Week Four: 400 Points (+2 STR) Bonus: Worked Out Three Times (+1 STR) Week Five: 300 Points (+2 DEX) Bonus: Ate Breakfast Every Weekday (+1 CHA) Week Six: 300 Points (+2 STA) Bonus: Attended 3 Gymnastics Classes (+1 DEX) Standing Bonus (From My First Challenge): 1 unassisted chin-up or muscle-up = +5 STR Max Stat Totals: +4 STR, +3 DEX, +4 STA, +0 CON, +2 WIS, +2 CHA

Challenge 04: Achaedia Does the Bare Minimum inspired by this. Achaedia crested the hill and looked out at the vista that lay before her. Glittering white sand, soft palm trees waving gently in the breeze, and beyond that: a brilliant aquamarine ocean. This would be a good place to rest, and not a moment too soon. The past months of mastering wind and water, enduring trial after trial, all had taken their toll. A measure of recovery was in order. She looked at the sky. The shadow of the dragon was faint, but there. It never entirely left. Still, surely a few weeks of rest wouldn't be remiss... 01. Achaedia moves to the beat. For this challenge, I will move every day. Whether I am using my rainy day flowchart, hitting the gym for some stronglifts, or going to gymnastics class, I will do at least something every day. A (+2 STR, +2 STA) - Something done 6+ Days/week B (+2 STR, +1 STA) - Something done 5+ days a week C (+2 STR) - Something done 4+ days/week D (+1 STR) - Something done 3+ days a week 02. Achaedia eats all the things. The first 4 weeks of this challenge, I will still be working. My plan is to pack lunch on the days I am working, both so that I will stay at work after the kids leave and get things, done, and so that I am eating well for at least that one meal (although frankly, breakfast is easy for me, so then it's just dinner that's full of danger). Weeks 1-4: 4+ packed lunches, eaten at work Weeks 5-6 are my weeks off! So because there will be no going to work, I am going to simply require that I track what I eat, and that I make thoughtful choices. For this one I will just give myself a score from 1-10 at the end of each day. A (+2 CON, +1 WIS) - All 4 weeks 1-4 passed; self-assessment score of 8+ B (+2 CON) - 3+ weeks 1-4 passed; self-assessment score of 7+ C (+1 CON) - 2+ weeks 1-4 passed; self-assessment score of 6+ 03. Achaedia gets some R&R. Two things I could do to make myself healthier would be to drink water, and to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Because it's about to be summer, I don't think sleep is the more immediate need. So I am going to focus on the hydration part, with a couple of bonus tasks. Bonus Task 1: Put up blackout curtains. +1 WIS. My bedroom has an east-facing window. This is going to become a bad thing very shortly. Enough said. Bonus Task 2: Iron Lady. +2 STR. Every time I go to the doctor, my blood iron levels are lower. So if I take my multivitamin 80% of days, I will be awarded these stat points. Main task: Hydration. +3 CON. I really don't drink a lot of water now (I have a weird aversion to water in a lot of situations :/) so this task will be graduated thusly. Week 1 - 20 oz/day Week 2 - 30 oz/day Week 3 - 40 oz/day Week 4 - 50 oz/day Week 5 - 60 oz/day Week 6 - 60 oz/day A week will be considered "passed" if I make my water goal at least 5 days. A (+3 CON) - 5 or 6 weeks passed B (+2 CON) - 4 weeks passed C (+1 CON) - 3 weeks passed 04. Achaedia combs the beach. I know that this is very important to me, but I don't know how to do it in a way that will help me build a habit while at the same time not setting me up for failure. So this time I am going to try to clean at least something every day. Throwing things away counts. Cleaning pee off the carpet counts. Doing a load of laundry counts. Surely I can do at least something every day, right? A (+2 CHA) - Something cleaned 80% of days or more C (+1 CHA) - Something cleaned 60-80% of days Pull-Up Challenge! If I manage to pull up my own body weight without assistance at some point during this challenge, I will be awarded an extra +4 STR, taken from my very first challenge! It's going to happen at some point! Maybe it will be during this challenge! Measurements & Photos: starting weight | 160.2 lbs dress size | 10 pants size | 12 shirt size | L chest | 39.5" waist | 33" hips | 43.5" arms L | 11" R | 11.5" thighs L | 23.5" R | 23.5" calves L | 12.75" R | 12.5" before photos Challenge tracking: There are a lot of things to track this time, so I will be using this form to record my progress

Tenth Challenge is a go! Due to my work schedule being extremely unpredictable the later in June it gets, I don't know how much gym-time I will actually be able to have, so I am joining the Druid Guild again and focusing on meditation, wisdom and balance. Inspired by Polgara19's SG1-themed challenge, and because Murphy of the Dresden Files doesn't particularly fit as a Druid, my challenge theme this time is Farscape! While Aeryn Sun will always be my favorite character, I've always liked Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan as well for her calm demeanor, intelligence, kindness and quiet stillness. And since I'm in the Druid Guild this challenge, a Delvian Pa'u is the perfect choice for me to try to mimic. Main Quest To live a healthy and balanced life by exercising and trying to eat healthy. My motivation I've successfully dropped weight by counting calories so my diet will mostly be staying the same with 1200 calories per day M-F and then blow meals on the weekends. I've managed to put on some muscle in an effort to become stronger by weightlifting and so when I am able, that will continue this challenge along with my smaller quests. But due to my work schedule, I will be focusing on the more peaceful side of health this time. Smaller Quests 1. Through the Looking Glass Continue practicing Spanish Monday-Friday for at least 20-30 minutes. I really enjoyed this in my last challenge so I want to continue with it for my 10th challenge. As the diplomat for the group on Moya, Zhaan likely studied and understood many other cultures. Although due to the translator microbes, she probably didn't actually speak any other languages, she still appreciates other races and enjoys learning about them. Scoring: /30 days Reward: +4 to WIS 2. Rhapsody in Blue I really enjoyed in past challenges when I focused on mediation, yoga poses and doing Animal Flow movements so I want this to be part of my challenge too. Zhaan is the most spiritual member of Moya's crew, in-tune with her Goddess as a 9th, and then 10th level, Pa'u Priest. Finding inner peace was a major point of her character's journey and I think we could all benefit from being more spiritual too. a. Practice yoga poses or Animal Flow movements twice a week. Scoring: x/12 Reward: +2 to STA b. Practice meditation once a week. Scoring: x/6 weeks Reward: +4 to DEX 3. Crackers Don't Matter I have a sweet tooth and I find that when I eat less processed junk food, I feel better overall. However, curbing the craving for sugar is hard so I will continue to work towards it this challenge. I know less processed sugar is good for me health-wise, even if I still crave chocolate junk food. As a sentient plant, Zhaan's dietary habits are never explored in depth. However, in one episode she does eat meat so it appears that she has a mostly balanced diet. I need a more balanced diet too, but more importantly, I need less sugary sweets. Cut down on processed junk food by only having sugary snacks on the weekends with my blow means. Scoring: /30 days Reward: +2 to CHA & +2 to CON 4. Unrealized Reality Continue working towards that elusive first pull-up. I will be striving to use the assisted pull-up machine, along with doing other pull-up exercises like rows, 2-3 times per week, during my normal weight lifting exercises. Zhaan always exudes a sense of gentleness many characters mistake for weakness. However, she does possess a wild, beastial and physically strong side as well. While finding inner peace is very important, not forgetting to work on my physical body to stay strong is important too. Scoring: /12 days Reward: +1 to STR

I've decided it was time I started trying to work on an important skill of all Tayledras scouts*: tree-walking. Tayledras all learn to climb trees and use the massive branches of the Pelagir forests as secondary path. This leaves no trail, and allows them unseen vantage points to attack from. It also scares the crap out of people, which can be handy when you're hoping for a non-violent encounter with intruders. Violence is a waste, better for them to leave voluntarily. *Worldbuilding by Mercedes Lackey, particularly in the Mage Winds trilogy and The Owl Mage Trilogy. Main Quest: Run a 5k and master bodyweight exercises Quest 1: Run/Dance 3 times a weekFocus on speeding up my 5k time by running more of it, as well as improving my form by trying to run more quietly. Silence is an important part of tree-walking. Measurement: A = 3 times a week, B = 2 times a week, C = 1 time a weekReward: A = +3 DEX, +2 STA, B = +2 DEX, +1 STA, C = +1 DEX Quest 2: Bodyweight + Dumbell Circuits 2 times a weekWalking the trees needs leg strength and core strength to stay balanced. Focus on adding balance exercises and overall exercises like the sled. Measurement: A = 3 times a week, B = 2 time a week, C = 1 time a weekReward: A = +3 STR, + 2 STA, B = +2 STR, + 1 STA, C = +1 STR Quest 3: Pull-upsI need to be able climb the tree, and pull myself up to more conveniently oriented branches. Focus on reducing the offset on the assisted pull-up machine. Currently I'm at Level 15, and I'd like to increase to 13. I'm really not sure how much of a reach this is, so I'll adjust if needed. Measurement: A = 3 times a week, B = 2 time a week, C = 1 time a weekReward: A = +3 STR, B = +2 STR, C = +1 STR Life QuestPaying my taxes is about to drain my savings account down to the dregs. So I'm going to keep track of my food spending, and hopefully reduce it and put the balance in my savings account. If nothing else I'll be more mindful about food spending, and hopefully not go in the opposite direction and spend more (which has happened in past attempts. I'm only rebellious against myself). Cook at home 10 times a week: 0/10Reward: +2 WIS Images from Assassins Creed 3 found on the internet. If you click on them they get embiggened.

challenge 03: achaedia masters the elements book 2: water 01. Achaedia gets back up (+2 STR, +3 STA) A less than stellar challenge won't get me down. For this challenge, I am going to go back to basics: Lift weights at least 2x/week. These workouts will not pre-empt regular gymnastics or aerial workouts, but I want to be sure that I am supplementing my regular training with some good, old-fashioned lifting heavy things. A: 12 weight-lifting sessions (2x/week) (STR, 3 STA) B: 9-11 weight-lifting sessions (2 STR, 1 STA) C: 6-8 weight-lifting sessions (2 STR) F: less than 6 weight-lifting sessions (nada) 02. Achaedia takes the plunge (+2 CHA, +2 DEX) Starting on the 14th of this month, I will be taking aerial silks once a week. Trying new things is scary D: but if anything will help my pull-up challenge, it's lifting my body weight by pulling on a piece of cloth suspended from the ceiling... Also I am going to continue practicing pull-ups at home (on days when I have not done aerial or shoulder prehab). A: 5 aerial sessions attended & 90 pull-ups done (+2 CHA, +2 DEX) B: 4 aerial sessions attended & 75-89 pull-ups done (+1 CHA, +2 DEX) C: 3 aerial sessions attended and 60-74 pull-ups done (+1 DEX) F: Less than 3 aerial sessions attended; 59 or fewer pull-ups done (nada) Bonus: If an unassisted pull-up is accomplished during this challenge, a balance of +4 STR (taken from my previous challenge) will be awarded. Achaedia packs it in (+3 CON) This is going to be a graduated challenge. Week 1: Pack lunch 2 times. Week 2: Pack lunch 2 times. Week 3: Pack lunch 3 times. Week 4: Pack lunch 3 times. Week 5: Pack lunch 4 times. Week 6: Pack lunch 5 times. Meals from a box don't count. All lunches need to be nutritious and contain a minimum of processed food. A: Pass 6 weeks (+3 CON) B: Pass 4 or 5 weeks (+2 CON) C: Pass 3 weeks (+ CON) F: Pass less than 3 weeks. 04. Life quest: Achaedia cleans house (+1 CHA, +2 WIS) Cleaning is not one of my strong suits. For this challenge, I am going to keep it simple: take out the trash. That's it. Recycling counts. Bathroom trash counts. Anything that I remove from my house that causes my house to be a cleaner place simply with its absence will count toward this goal. A: Trash taken out 5+ days a week/avg (+1 CHA, +2 WIS) B: Trash taken out 4+ days a week/avg (+1 CHA, +1 WIS) C: Trash taken out 3+ days a week/avg (+1 WIS) F: Trash taken out fewer than 3 days a week (ew) Starting Measurements: Weight | 161.7 lbs

Why the title? Well tomorrow is my 29th birthday. Which is very close to 30. And while I don't have a problem with getting old as such, I always feel like I've accomplished too little and that I still have the same issues as when I was 20, especially relating to body image. I think it's really about time I'll squash those issues so that my 30's can be even more awesome than my 20’s. I don't want to feel weak. I want to keep a consistent level of basic fitness that allows me to try anything I want without being hindered by or worry about lacking fitness. I don't want to feel fat. My eating habits keep roller coasting from really good to really bad and while some natural weight fluctuations are ok, I don’t want the really bad in my life. I want to feel accomplished and I’ve decided on a big epic quest to tackle - to reach contortionist level of bendiness. Why? Besides the obvious that I love circus and contortion, if I ever reach this goal it will be purely because I put in hours and hours of hard work and honestly that’s not something I often do. Things either come to me easily or I give up straight away. It's time to change this and what better way than an utterly ridiculous quest? Goal #1: Contortion Practice contortion 5x/week. This can be either backbends or handstands. Since my hamstring is cranky I'm going to do an experiment where I won't do any freestanding handstands but instead focus on body line drills, wall work and core strength and see what happens after six weeks. Goal #2: Rehab my hamstring Doesn't need further explanation, I just have to do whatever my physio, every day. Goal #3a: Basic fitness 3a) Pull-ups Last challenge I managed to get back to 1 crappy neutral grip pull-up (for the second time). I'd like to up the number to 5 pretty ones. I'm thinking of using a combination of the twentypullups program and Ido Portal's hanging challenge, unless someone has a better program for me? 3b) Run 5 km I know, I know. Running. The thing is that even though I hate running, I still think that every able-bodied person should be able to run 5 km without it being a big deal. And my stamina is terrible, which I'm sure also affects my other activities to some degree. I'm going to aim to run 2-3x/week, but I'm not going to follow a program because I hate it when they tell me when to run. Life quest: Level up my cooking As a birthday present to myself I have binge ordered a whole pile of cookbooks in order to level up my cooking skills. Two recipe books, one technique book for savoury dishes, one for pastry and one inspirational book. Umm, shipping per book was cheaper this way? Cook 25 savoury recipes from the recipe books Cook no more than one sweet thing per week Tackle something technical once a week Make everything from scratch Side quest from last challenge: Add more everyday movement I also ordered Katy Bowman's book Move your DNA and I'm sure I'll get more inspiration from that. For now I just want to keep up with some habits that I started: Walk (or run) 250 km Avoid sitting for more than 50% of the work day Loo push-ups at work 2x/week Loo pistols at work 2x/week So yeah, before you say anything I did try to restrain myself when writing this challenge. The first two goals are the most important though, so I'll focus on those and hope I'll be able to do everything else as well. Here's to a fresh challenge!

It's said I run like a stubborn tide, Unstoppable, untamed and wild, But a brave face isn't brave I've learned, And as I searched for wisdom I remembered your words, You told me "sing for the wind my love, fear not for tomorrow, Cos love's the journey of a lifetime, and where you finish isn't where you start" So tomorrow doesn't worry me, And though the path be untravelled at least I'm free, To be great not just to be, That's what your wise old words taught me. You told me "sing for the wind my love, fear not for tomorrow, Cos love's the journey of a lifetime, and where you finish isn't where you start" Last time on the Rebellion... I spent my last challenge challenging my fears. The darkness within loves to taunt me with my worst fears. Fear of not being good enough, being enough for those I love. Fear of the unknown. Fear of losing those I cherish the most. Not being able to start a family. Fear of attempting things that stretch my comfort zone. And I kicked that fear to the curb. I am feeling better than I have in a long time. The difference between where I am emotionally and mentally is night and day compared to when I started with the Rebellion. You guys are awesome, thank you so much for all your support! I have proved to myself and the darkness within that I am a strong woman. Strong in body, spirit, mind and soul. Let's go be unstoppable, untamed and wild! Time for an update in my motivation.... Motivation I will face each day with an open heart, be adventurous in all the ways that piqued my curiosity, have specific long-term goals, and practice kindness and compassion towards myself. I will meet myself where I am with love, compassion, and without judgement. I will celebrate the smallest of successes and be gentle with myself if I fail, focusing instead on learning what works for me. I am a unstoppable, untamed and wild force of nature when I go through life with all of my mind, body and soul. Main Quest Building strength, calm, harmony, and restoration of my heart, body, soul, and mind. - Time for a main quest update. For now, I am going to let this stand until I finish thinking about an update. Challenge Quests I'm focusing on getting lean this challenge. I have lost a fair bit of body fat (36% to high 20's) since September according to the Navy method. I would really like to lean down some more to be able to do some of the awesome bodyweight moves I'm working on easier. All my challenge goals will support this overall goal. I choose 25% as a metric for this challenge, because I think its doable and I like numbers.However, I'm awarding stat points based on effort not total loss. If I'm doing the things I've set out to do, the rest will come. Challenge Aims Physical: Decrease my BF to 25% and lose 190 lbs http://www.precisionnutrition.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/pn-calorie-control-women-771x1024.png Quest One: Unstoppable I've done some work cleaning up my diet over the last couple months that have had awesome results. This challenge, I'm going to focus on portion control and eating only when I am hungry. This is my way of loving my body and being mindful that food is fuel. The method below is a guide, which I can adapt as needed to respect where my body is at on a daily basis. Week 1 - Record the number of times I stop eating when I am no longer hungry. Week 2 - Quest 2: Untamed I have been terrible at tracking things and keeping up with how things are going towards the end of my challenge. Time to add a tracking goal! I know some people have lovely spreadsheets but I tend to go ooooo shiny then forget about the spreadsheet part way. Going to complete a daily log on paper to build a tracking habit. Weekly items to track: - Weight - Waist measurement - Hip measurement - Neck measurement - Photo - Weekly update posted Daily tracking - Physio done? - Pain levels - Workouts - Sleep quality - Food intake - Other? Acquisition: >20 days tracked Consolidation: 20-30 days tracked Refinement: >30-40 days tracked Bonus quest: If I post a weekly update for every 6 weeks, I will buy myself a treasure item!! (TBD) Quest 3: Wild My mental health has drastically improved from my last challenge. My physical health is being challenged currently by a fibro flare up and some ongoing chronic pain issues. I would really like to have more time to myself in the morning, building towards a better morning routine. My keystone habit is going to be to wake up >60 minutes before I have to be out the door in the morning. This will create space for other habits I want to add later (fasted cardio, yoga, meditation) but I need to create the habit of leaving time for this first. Once I'm up, I can't go back to bed!! (I'm bad for this). Acquisition: >20 days awake 60 minutes before leaving time Consolidation: 20-30 days awake 60 minutes before leaving time Refinement: >30-40 days awake 60 minutes before leaving time

I sucessfully completed my first challenge and discovered my race... A monkey! However half-way into my second challenge, I completely lost track and didn't finish the challenge. This is my respawn at a second challenge again. Not awarding myself any points from the last challenge (except for a life quest I completed..Yay) Without further ado, here is my second challenge: MAIN QUEST To kick it up a notch from the previous challenge. Incorporate more dexterity-building exercises. Compensate and make up for failures from previous challenge. QUEST 1: Continue with Strenth Training in gym/Convict Conditioning on alternate days: Three times a week each STR 3, STA 1, DEX 1, [A: >15, B=12-15, C=9-11] QUEST 2: Include atleast one dexterity based activity per week: Examples: Yoga, Other bodyweight training, DEX 1, STA 1 [A: 5-6, B:4, C=3] QUEST 3: Atleast one stamina based activity per week or climb stairs upto 10th floor atleast 4 times per week: Tabata, HIIT, Zumba, Aerobics at the gym DEX 1, STA 2, CON 2 [A: 5-6, B=4, C=3] LIFE QUEST 1: Get research papers written and ready for publication. WIS 1 OPTIONAL LIFE QUEST : Since I didn't complete my life quest of jounalling last challenge, scaling it down for this challenge. Journalling atleast once a week WIS 1, [A:>5, B=4-5, C=3] RATS TO SLAY -- Sleeping late at night and waking up late in the morning -- Lack of privacy for journalling -- I hate writing papers Here's to another hopefully great challenge! :onthego: