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Hello all. Welcome to my challenge. 49th! Last challenge was 'ok' but not great. Having lower back issues which is debilitating at worst, and uncomfortable at best. I need to work on stretching more, and more movement. Even though it seems i CANT move much, I have been told it will help. Nothing major but small walks to loosen things etc It gets much better, then reverts back to pain. Hmmmm I Have bought a wall calendar (advice from @Maggie-Miau) and got some coloured stickers. My thoughts are to have a colour associated with a certain task/exercise...and i can mark the calendar days when i do things...the visual stuff i hope will help. Blue - weights workout Orange - walk (at least 20 mins) Green - stretching I also need to submit my first essay for the masters course, during this challenge eeeek. Keeping it low key again. Peace x

Campaign 2022 Adventure: Dreamwalker Ok, let's try this again. Your resident bladesinger is still alive! My last few challenges have been wonderfully epic "failures"..."failures" in the sense that I failed to keep up with goals (if I made them in the first place), and definitely failed at tracking or posting any updates when I actually did complete them, BUT they were set aside to make room for other priorities...so, I don't think it is so much of a failure as it was a trade off. Anyway, the first part of this year has just been crazy. There were deaths, hardships, health issues, and injuries on the one hand, and house-buying, moving, completing a certification for work, and getting accepted to an MBA program on the other...so, a rollercoaster of all kinds of things. But, the house-hunting, and painting, and moving, and unpacking are finally over. Things are finally settling down into a routine. I am loving my new job (been there about seven months now) and we are my team is starting to find its groove with our new intern and new boss (both started about two or three months ago). I am working on wrapping up one certification in July so it is out of the way for when my MBA courses start in earnest in the fall. The area that has suffered the most lately is my fitness routine and sleep. With all the craziness of moving, there were lots of late nights, lots of eating out, and though we were getting lots of physical activity in with painting and hauling boxes and furniture, there was no time to any structured exercise. Which was fine...until all that slowed down. One of the great things about moving is the opportunity to build new habits and leave old habits behind...but it also means some extra struggles to maintain and/or rebuild the habits you actually wanted to keep. But, Aries and I have decided we want to start kickboxing and maybe some MMA at a local MMA gym in mid July. So, I have two months to whip my butt into shape so I don't die or break myself, lol. You would think that would mean my goals for this challenge would focus around fitness - you would think wrong, I am doing that next challenge. This challenge I am going even more foundational - the primary focal point of the rest of this challenge (better late than never, right?) is sleep schedule. Though I have been getting ENOUGH sleep again these past couple weeks, I need to start restructuring my sleep schedule to better accommodate the MMA courses. Right now I go into work around 9am, but my goal is to start going in close to 7-7:30am, so I can wrap up my day close to 4-4:30 instead of closer to 5:30-6pm. I am making that my only goal for this challenge because that is going to be a huge challenge for me. I am NOT a morning person by any stretch of the meaning. So getting up two hours earlier is going to be a challenging and probably painful process. Don't get me wrong, I still do plan to work on getting in more exercise and whatnot, it just doesn't get to be center stage until next challenge. So, the Strategy: Focus the rest of this week on getting up by 7:40am Next week: 7:20am Third week: 7:00am My goal is to eventually get up closer to probably 6:15-6:30, but I am going to take this slow. My body and brain have been through enough stress and changes lately. And on top of that, as someone with bipolar disorder, adding stress or making sudden or drastic changes to sleep patterns is...well, not advisable.

Deffy Fixes Her Ponytail Oh wow, the last 18 months. Definitely not my best but I feel I’m getting my shit together again and it’s exciting. Quick recap – bad back injury followed by really bad back injury that compounded both the injuries and I spent a really long time needing full time care for a good few months. I’ve been back at work for 8 months now and I am training again albeit carefully because I am still having major mobility issues sometimes but whatever, these are my cards. This challenge is about getting back to the Deffy that was and getting my mojo back. The Peng Ting I am going to start working on my Peng Ting again which is my arse. It’s not yet a Peng Ting but I am hopeful one day it will be. Or it will be less terrible. I’ll take what I can get. This won’t be easy given I feel something bang in my back when I lift my left leg up which doesn’t seem right, and it’s so loud TH could hear it across the room on Sunday but again, cards, and again, WORKING AROUND THEM. Injury aside (it’s kind of hard to put something that’s dominated my life for 18 months completely aside but ok) things are going alright. TH is getting better after some health issues at the end of last year and I have a new job, if they ever contact me again so I can actually give my notice and ya know... leave my current role. Social events are returning and I am super happy about this. Until I actually have to do them of course because introvert problems and all that. You know what I like more than going out? GETTING READY TO GO OUT. So I want to: 1. Make sure I have three outfits to go out in that I feel like a peng ting in. 2. Find a suitable primer to go under my stupid water based foundation 3. Trial a different foundation so I don’t have to stress so much about finding a water based primer. 4. Try to perfect three different make up lewks. They are the below: Purple Smoky Copper smoky Green smoky (I only do smoky, you may have noticed) I will track these on Insta or on here since I dunno if putting pictures of my eyes will make me identifiable. 5. I really want my beautiful black and red balayage hair: but I think it will be shit with a fringe so I keep trying to grow out my fringe and then I chicken out. By the end of the challenge I want to have made a decision on the fringe and either get the amazing balayage anyway, or have grown the fringe out in preparation. My boom or bust goals remain the same as the last challenge because they’re working and I don’t fix unbroken things. I don’t need 100% on these goals but my overall average score on these determine how much of £100 I can spend on myself per week. 1. 3 minutes of stretching per day 2. 5 portions of freggie portions per day 3. 8 glasses of water per day 4. Don’t buy any junk food 5. Eat below 1801 calories 6. Eat nothing before 12 7. Take vitamins, brother. Included in all this will be some good getting ready music. Which will be girlbandy, female empowerment pop. Because who doesn’t love female empowerment? (If it’s you, get the heck outta my thread) New challenge, gooooooooooooooo!

I've been in this really annoying cycle for the past few years. The cycle goes like this: 1 Getting a wake up call about how far my fitness has fallen, 2. Diving into workouts that are too intense for my current level of fitness, 3. Getting hurt, 4. Having to rest for several weeks, to heal 5. Getting comfortable with laziness, and ceasing healthy behaviors. And repeat. Let's just try it again. The goal right now, is just to workout ..... at all. I don't care the schedule, frequency, style, program. Just to workout at some point in the week and to let that build.

I'm still working on most details for this challenge. The basics: Eating a slight deficit .... not so much that I'm hangry .... but not having snacks frequently. I hate to say it, but WW has been working for me. The possible alternative is My Fitness Pal, which gives me a better handle on macros. Or maybe the LoseIt app and site. But the emphasis on protein, veg, and fruit has been working. Cardio 6 out of 7 days. Using the MTG Forgotten Realms land cards so that I can mix up the types of cardio I'm doing. Strength train 2 or 3 days per week. I'll be able to get to CrossFit more regularly once classes are done May 13th D & D solo campaigns for fun, flavor, and some creative expression I was going to be learning Swedish, but hubby decided to book next summer's trip ..... to Iceland.

Kettle Bells have been helpful to me. Last challenge I switched from a 15 pound bell to a 20 pound bell and I'm feeling the difference. If I stick with doing regular workouts, I'll get stronger. My goal is 3 times a week with the NF Beginner KB workout. I have the services of a Dietician provided for me for free from my insurance. We are taking the One-Small-Step at a time approach. Last meeting we tweaked breakfast a little Bit. My next meeting is on Tuesday of Zero Week. My goal is to maintain the breakfast tweak and get whatever new adjustment that gets proposed on Tuesday to stick. That's it. Let's not overcomplicate the goals. Those two things are important, and will yield results.

For those who are new or behind, my main goal is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good naked, and fit in clothes I used to. I love 5Ks and kettlebells, I'm struggling with this goal because it doesn't get easier when you get older. I work from home, (3 jobs) as an accountant, so making sure I have enough movement in my day as well as not eating "all the unhealthy things" is important. It's very easy to lose track of how much time I've been sitting trying to solve an issue. Not having "all the unhealthy things" in the house also helps. Checking in to hold myself accountable is key to this being successful, I don't want to have to post bad news here. I struggle to get enough sleep so that shall remain on the list until it's no longer a struggle. I've been a workaholic as long as I can remember, mostly because of past experience and not wanting to have to count on anyone for things I need. D (my wife for those new here) and I have had many conversations about this. She understands my feelings because she's the same way, but we also know the importance to our relationship for us to be able to depend and count on each other. This is a very long winded way of saying that we need to remember to step away from work and have some fun, riding our motorcycles are a huge part of this for us, and for right now our every 4 week trips to FL also count towards this. The Plan...making a few changes that I feel are needed Cardio - Treadmill 3x a week, and one kettlebell/strength workout a week - I'm going to start getting up at 5am and working out again, bonus this time is I don't have to drive to the gym Update - Post in thread three times a week. - self explanatory Track - Sleep (7 hours a night) and Food (Just track) - sleep is important, you would think going to bed at 9:30 that 7 hours would be easy! Tracking food is a pain, I dread entering it in MFP, so if I do I do, but I will continue to put it on my spreadsheet Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and life events go here - because fun makes life worth living Done - Not Done - Upcoming Events 4/10 - Spring Sprint 5k Unfortunately skipped this one, D wasn't feeling it 5/21 - Terrain Race 6/5 - Atlanta Pride Run 6/12 - Summer Sizzler 5k 9/25 - Fall Finish 5k 12/10 - Mud Girl Run

"I am become terror, the unseen predator, a rupture that obliterates without warning. Alone, the hordes of Enoch will fall before me. but together this entire planet will fear us. The Anomaly alters us each in our own ways but we are drawn down the same road into the dark heart of creation. We will find the Source - whatever it holds, whatever it takes." Here are my Mantras for Survival... [Cover is for Cowards]: You're a biological sledgehammer; act like one and chuck yourself into the fray! Go pound sand, dirt, or pavement like an Outrider through daily mileage, whether walking, running, or rucking. [Powers On Tap]: Feel that tingling in your fingertips? Your powers are ready to be unleashed. Don't keep them waiting! Master my Anomaly Power through five workouts, be they Muai Thai or Kettlebell/Dumbell, bodyweight or other. [Kill to Heal]: There's no use sitting back and licking your wounds; want your health back? Go out there and take it. Violence breeds vitality (and the meek never actually inherit the Earth), thus keep to Rurik's Guidelines to Vitality: daily tracking, eat more veg, join the Weight Loss PvP. And finally, a guiding philosophy to add - you have to [Think Aggressively]: Complete some form of daily stretching like yoga. "You waste your gifts, trying to win that meaningless, endless war. You're not like them anymore." "So what, I should play at being a god, like you?" "I... am not playing."

Welcome to my backyard party! I lied last challenge and said spring was here. It wasn't but it's here now and it's time to get back outside and have some fun. There will be food, games, drinks, a nice place to gather, a lovely garden, and some really sick beats. Enjoy! Food It's really the same old goal, fasting, batch cooking, and calorie counting, but it's grilling season so grilling we will do. I'll grill as many meals as I can! Games OK, it won't be that much fun. But games require fitness and fitness can be fun. The goal is 32 days with daily movement, 22 of which should come from workouts. Gardening and yard work count as a workout so as many outdoor workouts the better. It's just more fun. Drinks OK, let's not get crazy. Drink what you want but let's not hurt ourselves. The best way to do that is to drink plenty of water. I never drink enough. So the goal here is to drink more approved drinks than unapproved drinks. The only unapproved drink is diet soda. OK, well maybe alcoholic drinks should be in this category too. Approved drinks include water, tea, or other sugar free flavored drinks. I know they aren't that healthy either but anything that's not diet soda is an improvement. The Gathering Place This is the creativity goal. I've been upgrading my back patio for the last couple summers. It's a great place to gather and relax. This year I have a DIY project for the back patio I want to get done during this challenge. The Garden There are a lot of gardening projects to work on. The butterfly garden needs to be redone, plant some flowers in the pots, add some shrubs, and hopefully upgrade the rain garden. Most of these will count as fitness but all of them will improve my castle and make the backyard that much more enjoyable. The Party Soundtrack This goal is just for fun. What's a party without some music? I've almost exclusively listen to Spotify for my music and mostly stick to the same playlists and never listen to new music. I've been been picking something Spotify suggests about weekly. So I'll share what I'm listening too and take requests. Have something that would be a good addition to my playlist or maybe something new I should give a try? Share it.

Happy May! Last challenge went well and I levelled up – I’m going to be sticking to the ‘simplified’ daily checking rather than complicated weekly buckets. Again, not counting the current embedded exercise stuff I’ve built into my routine already. Things to improve I have been cycling more because of last challenge, but not consistently, and I did 2+ miles walking every day bar one in the last challenge, but definitely feel I need the motivation to keep it up. Food as ever is the worst part – what I found last challenge is if I knew I had the ‘day off’ counting calories, I overate and snacked all day long, which I’d like to avoid. Not looking at my phone before bed has also been good last challenge, but again I feel I need the prompt to stick at it. The Challenge (additions from last one in italics) Food Under 1600 calories = 10 points per day Two days in a row = 5 points Not counting/overeating one meal = 0pts Overeating the whole day for the sake of it = -10pts Total possible points = 520 Sleep No phone before bed = 10 points per day Two days in a row = 5 points Total points = 520 Walking Two miles walking = 10 points per day Two days in a row = 5 points Total points = 520 Cycling Any cycling in a day = 5 points Total possible challenge points = 1735 (I think...) To pass the challenge I need to get at least 1000 points

I actually recently FINISHED a very successful challenge, and looking to keep that momentum going! Just got back from 9 days of vacation visiting the family, drove a total of 2,000 miles, but it was also planned time off from training/tracking and it went really well. Really happy with the balance I struck of enjoying myself and not worrying about the macro nutrient profile of everything that went in my mouth - but not overdoing it either. This challenge lines up fairly well with my second mesocycle prepping for my next powerlifting meet in July. Some of my goals will be focused on supporting this but trying to keep a holistic approach as well. CHALLENGE GOALS: 1. Steps - at least 7k daily (+1 point each day, +4 points if the week is over 60k) 2. Training - at least 4x per week (+1 point each day completed, +4 points if I surpass reps/weights from the previous mesocycle week) 3. Nutrition - 120g protein daily, (+1 point each day, +4 points if I consistently track the entire week) Total possible points: 165 If I earn at least 130 points I will do something nice for myself, TBD. If anyone is interested this is the template for the PL program I am running: https://rippedbody.com/intermediate-powerlifting-program/ The only wrench in the works is I am still rehabbing my shoulder (I tweaked it playing on the monkey bars about 2 weeks ago), nothing is seriously damaged but I am going to PT to try and get full ROM back. It is limiting OHP quite a bit, and to a lesser extent BP. But I should still be able to proceed with most of my training.

Hey all. I've been feeling really unmotivated and unambitious lately. Considering my problem is usually trying to do EVERYTHING, it's very weird for me to not be interested in doing much of anything. So I've identified a few things that I believe may be contributing to my overall lethargy and this challenge will be all about working to get back to my usual energized self. Restorative Slumber Sleep seems like the logical place to start, but my quantity of sleep is good. I do think I'm overdue for a new mattress, but that isn't in the budget at the moment, so instead I bought a new pillow instead and splurged for what is supposed to be a good one instead of grabbing the cheapest one at Walmart. I've only had it about 3 days, so it's a bit soon to tell, but I do think I'm sleeping better. Rested Vision I'm almost certain that eye strain is contributing to the problem. I have tried to reduce my screen time, but I spend a lot of my work day on the computer, and there's not a lot I can do about that. So I'm also looking into blue light filtering glasses to see if that helps. Restful Space Last challenge was supposed to be all about cleaning my space up, and I made progress, but there is more work to be done. A quiet space=a quiet mind, so I'll keep plugging away at this. Rejuvenated Spirit I have gotten lax with my devotional time. I think I'm going to take this challenge to do a word study on rest in the Bible. Restful Hobbies Some activities leave me feeling much better than others, and I need to get better at making time for the ones that don't leave me feeling depleted. Specifically, I'm prioritizing music, writing, and homesteading. Rejuvenation A lot of nights I skip or truncate my skin care routine, and that needs to stop. It takes less than 5 minutes and I feel so much better when I stay on top of this. Active Recovery I'm not pushing exercise this challenge, because I've noticed the more I try to force myself into it the less likely I am to actually follow through, but I do want to keep moving. So the goal this challenge is to walk or do yoga 5 days/week. It's probably going to be more walking than yoga, that's mostly to act as a backup on rainy days.

“In the corner of the inn the adventurer was drinking his ale. Recovering from the countless attempts to defeat his enemies. He tried, he failed. His Strength did not help him, nor dit his Agility. All his battles backfired.. On the table there was a small parchment laying. He grabbed it with his good arm. It read ‘Magic; balanced training for those who are in need’. The adventurer frowned upon the parchment. Never had he even thought of trying Magic before. But at this point he was desperate. He stuffed the parchment in his pouch and stumbled outside, in search of this so called Magic” Hi fellow traveler. Welcome to my ongoing struggle to get a fitter body and mind. Last challenge did not go so well. Illness really kicked in and every attempt I made to get back into the saddle led to injury. Beat Saber wrecked my wrist (still recovering), bench pressing wrecked my shoulder (still recovering). I try, but every time I push too hard. This time i will get some professional help to stay in balance. Around my home there are two options; the regular gym and a lifestyle gym called - you guessed it! - Magic. The regular gym I have known from the past. Spend a lot of time in it and never really got much joy out of it. So I will try this lifestyle gym instead. They offer a variety of programs such as RPM, bodypump, bodycombat, bodybalance, core, etc. Should be fun! Hopefully I will also meet some new and interesting people this way. Idk

not actually doing a theme because that's too hard and i don't have the braincells for it But. Stuff happening this month. As of today, i have about 71 days left in this JobCorps, after which i'll most likely be going to the one in Kentucky for a further three months of training. I will probably be Trade Complete within two to three weeks. For the first and maybe second week of May, i'll be spending half-days in Math class to boost my TABE score. once i hit Trade Complete, i'll be spending at least most of June in CTR (career transition readiness) to prep for advanced training. I'll also have the opportunity to finish up crosstraining on the forklift. Other than that, tomorrow i get to meet with the WBL Coordinator about getting a job until it's time for me to leave, and i'll be able to work and save up some money until then. I'm a little nervous but actually overall feeling pretty Good this week. I'm calm and chill and feeling like i've got this i almost have a feeling that the hard part, at least at this jobcorps, is over. I think having the finish line in sight and being back on track knowing exactly what i need to do has been really good for me.

Hallo hallo nerds! Last challenge kind of fell flat after I got COVID - thankfully, a super mild case, but my fatigue has been really hard. I crushed all of my non-exercise goals, though, (and kept up my daily walking goal) so I'm really thrilled with that. These next 2 challenges are going to be two of the crazier ones of my life, so along with being in COVID recovery, I'm going to make this challenge as simple as possible. For this challenge, the first two weeks I'll be traveling - first for a week for Camp Nerd Fitness, and then on my way home I'm stopping in Massachusetts and spending a week with my Mom, preparing.... because: When I get back to Canada, @Rurik Harrgath and I will then be spending the remainder of the challenge working on selling the house here and fixing up our new camper, which we picked up this last week and is our new home for a bit And then second or third week of the next challenge we're headed back to the states for a bit in the camper! We'll taking over my Mom's place and helping her with some renovations and repairs that are a just a bit much for her to handle and will be living out of here full time while we make the transition into her place, and then we'll have it as an office for me, a guest house for when people come visit, the world's most expensive catio, and then of course we'll use it for travel and camping too So - the simpler I can keep this, the better. Still keeping up my general magus/xp theme - 1) Spell Combat: Train Daily for at least 20 minutes accumulated, in some way, shape, or form 2) Agile Maiden (Spell) Nightly stretching or yoga. If I miss Spell Combat, I can do a full 20 minutes here and have it count for both. If I do spell combat, I need to do at least 5 minutes here. 3) Terrain Mastery: Daily walk, first thing, every day. This is something that's normally routine, but I'll be thrown super out of my routine so will be work to keep up 4) Arcane Pool: A Gallon of water and a veggie every day 5) Spellbooks: Review and plan schedule for each day the night before, with a loose weekly planning schedule at the end/beginning of each week And that's it, y'all! Once we get settled in MA there's a nice gym down the street that I can go to, so I'm pumped about that. But in the meantime, daily movement, water, and veggies FTW

Wrap up from last challenge: Anatomy of an Orc So I'm coming into this challenge with some kind of injury on my knee, which is a bit of a bugger as I have a 20 mile race in less than a week (running Rat Race Dirty Weekend with @Mr_Willes). Then at the end of the week 1 I have a 12km race (Nuclear Rush). Oh, and a sprint triathlon at the end of week 5 On the other hand, I feel like there's a possibility that work might calm down over the course of this challenge (wishful thinking maybe) and I'll be able to keep up here a bit better. The injury is also no reason to stop me doing things I want to do, and particularly things I feel motivated to do right now. I've just started a new journal too, and I'm a little bit hyped about that coinciding with the start of a challenge. I continue to be inspired by my orcish muscle wizard, Guglug, so I've very loosely themed my goals around orcs. (I'm not good at themes - feel free to make my goals fit better and then tell me how!) Physio Rx - +3 STR An orc needs to be strong. On Wednesday of week 0 I have an appointment with a physiotherapist, to try and find out what's going on with my knee. I presume that that will lead to some kind of exercises I'll have to do regularly, so my first goal this challenge is to do whatever the physio tells me for 6 weeks. Life drawing - +2 CHA, +1 SAN An orc needs to understand anatomy, to know their own body and their enemy's weak points. I found a cool series of life drawing lessons on YouTube the other day, and I've got WW on board to do them with me, so I'm going to use them to help me pick my art back up. The goal is to complete a minimum of one video each week (they're a couple of hours each). The art of war - +2 INT An orc must study to compete with their peers and defeat their enemies. I've got to write another 6, 3,500 word essays for my professional qualification. The first one is due in June, but really I want it out of the way much quicker than that so I can get ahead on the others. The goal is 4 hours of essay writing per week. I get 2 hours study time at work, so providing I do that I only need to do 2 hours on evenings and weekends. Tusks - +1 SAN An orc should take pride in their tusks. I'm pretty good at brushing my teeth in the morning, and pretty poor at doing so before bed. I got on top of this for a while, and I want to get back there. Goal is to brush my teeth twice per day, including interdental sticks in the evening. Ale - +2 CON An orc should enjoy an ale, but not allow it to make them slow and fat. I have been habitually drinking a little more than I would like of late, so I want to put a limit on that. I have also gone from smoking when I'm drunk to smoking when I drink, which I'm not a fan of. I don't have the energy to address the smoking right now, but the less often I drink the less often I will smoke, and that's good. Goal is no more than 10 pints of beer per week (or equivalent alcoholic content).

The early night of winter had settled softly but firmly over our little home on the outskirts of the city, and the daytime sounds of trade and travel outside had given way to the nighttime sounds of raucous celebrations and the smells of food being prepared. My husband Eamon and I had already eaten, cleaned up and put our simple wooden dishes away, and Eamon was settled by the fire, his healing body wrapped in a warm blanket and his mind wrapped up in a book he'd waited weeks to read. I took a deep breath of contentment and let my gaze linger on the small, bright little room we called home: The one big window, the hand-smoothed walls and low ceilings, the little bedroom with our big soft bed squashed inside, the cozy kitchen and eating area connected to the rest of the house by a narrow door. It was a little cramped, yes; but I loved all the touches that we'd added to make it uniquely ours. I settled myself across from Eamon in the wooden chair he'd carved and the padded cushions I'd sewn and stuffed myself. The weather was mild and rainy, and I pulled a light blanket over my knees as I picked up my new, blank journal. With my favorite ink pen, I carefully wrote inside the cover: Sky Elvenword Nobleheart Ranger Field Journal Even though I called it that, though, I knew this journal would be different than past journals I'd kept. There wasn't as much time for hunting and exploration as there used to be, and fewer enemies to fight. Many of the pages would be filled with mundane things like recipes, or tracking my archery practice and weekend hikes. But still, it felt good to be writing again, to be tracking my progress as I learned new things. I sketched out a few ideas for topic headings: Dragon riding. Lessons twice a week, practice twice a week. Cooking. Use veggies from cellar? New grain recipes for winter? Herbs? Creativity / fun! Movement. Hiking, archery, meditation, foraging, sightseeing in the city, etc. Silver Bow practice. Keep those skills sharp! Management. House stuff, money, wife stuff. Being an adult. I doodled a few leaves and vines in the margins before setting the pen down and yawning luxuriously. It was the festival of the new year and Eamon and I got to rest for three days before going back to work. I wanted to start planning some blankets for friends' new babies, dream about a garden, and venture out for a hike in the rain. Closing the soft leather cover, I ran my fingers affectionately over its wrinkles and leaned back to doze. I couldn't wait to see what adventures would fill this journal's pages.

So it has been a while since I have posted to one of the challenges here. I joined Prime last fall but have been around the rebellion for a while now (checked my profile and it says I have been around since 2013!). A couple weeks ago was deadlifting and hurt my back. Many chiropractor visits, lots of pain, lots of stretching, and taking it easy for a few weeks have helped. However, I am still not 100%. On top of being out of commission, Spartan (the obstacle course peeps) decided to post the location and date of a race near me, so of course I signed up. I could barely walk upright when I signed up but hey, motivation right?!?! I posted on Discord but will put it here as well. I don't care how long you have been lifting, have someone check your form every once in a while. It could have saved me a lot of pain and hopefully it will save you some too. Goals for this challenge: 1. Back bends - Well more generally stretching/getting back to normal range of motion. Goal is to get 2 yoga sessions and 3 days of foam rolling/Lacrosse ball/tissue work in per week. 2. Back to running - I would like to get back to 3-4 days a week of running. I started testing out running last week since the back was feeling better. I can, but lungs weren't that happy and hips were really tight. 3. Back to 190lbs - I am not an unhealthy weight right now but I would like to lose a little weight. I also have historically high cholesterol so I am tracking food like mad right now to see what sources of junk might be present. My dad has high cholesterol as well so genetics has some to do with it but I am guessing there is a large part that is what I eat as well. So working with a coach through work to help get me on track there. Since I have started on this already and seen some weight loss from cutting out pop mostly (I am guessing) I expect more weight loss to come but that is not necessarily the focus. I look forward to chatting with all the Rebels I have met in the past and meeting some new ones on this journey as well!

Last challenge was awesome. I did get stuff done and felt amazing. And I need another challenge to finish what I started: kitchen joy: Last challenge I took out all the furniture and got a new kitchen floor. K. my lovely neighbor, started building the cabinets too and bought the countertops. Now Im waiting for him to finish. Its still a lot of work but Im sure it will be finished by the end of this challenge. He is doing this unpaid, just as a kind neighborly move and has lots of work over at his house. So Im just gonna chill and be patient. Once he is done building in the furniture I have to put back in all the stuff and sell some old furniture I dont need. keto comeback: Once I can cook in my home again I will happily go back to my old keto ways. I took a break and have managed not to gain a shit ton of weight. But last challenge I didnt manage to lose like in the other challenges since December. Im not stressing about it, but this challenge I want to kill blubber again and fit into my professional pantsuit in June. kettelbell swings: I decided to pause this goal last challenge because I just didnt have the time and mental space for it. The situation is different now and I commit to doing 5 minutes of home workouts of my choice every weekday in week zero. After that I will see how that went and build up to longer workouts. Goal: Find home workouts you like doing and do them regularly. I have kettlebells, yoga equipment and lots of online resources for bodyweight stuff and stretching, yoga for beginners .. it would be cool if these home workouts became a habit for me. Im not counting my hiking and dog walks here. they are a routine Im used to and I want to add something to that. My weakest points are strength and flexibility at the moment. career kickoff: Disclaimer! I am an active member of a democratic political party. I write about it here because I have to organize my political career with my chronic illness. I sometimes post pictures showing the logo of the party knowing that some of you support opposing views. I would love to keep friends with you even if you dont agree with my political view ( which Im hardly ever talking about) its more about being a women in communal politics and how I prepare my 2023 campaign for city council. please, can we still be friends? after lots of good stuff happened in my political work last challenge, Ive been campaigning and working towards next Sunday ( state elections) for weeks. We will meet with party friends on Sunday evening to watch the results and celebrate. After that I have planned to get active in my new won seat on my towns social politics board. I need to read a lot and become familiar with the history of certain political decisions and motions. I will have to regularly put out press statements and motions and will visit institutions in town to get information about how they work and what they need. ( plus refugees coming from the Ukraine need help!) This is a new experience as I was never before in such an important seat. Its kinda scary! The second job I will have to do is create a one day training session for social workers about schizophrenia. I just landed this job and want to create something exiting. During the challenge I will get to know when I have to do the training. No date just yet. I need to be super prepared as it might be soon. On new years eve I wrote down my goals and wishes for 2022 and Ive recently checked: most of the things I wanted to do, Im doing and there is only meditation and morning ritual to be reintroduced into my days. Apart from that I live like I want to live. That feels so good! Last challenge was one of the happiest times Ive seen. Once my body/mind regained balance after having to deal with all sorts of apocalyptical events at once ( war, pandemic, climate change etc.) it serves me well with not dwelling on things I cant change which makes me able to actually get up and do shit I can change. I feel glad and thankful!

... to follow their training schedule. In other news, I've been on a Star Wars kick for the past... month or two? And probably spending a bit too much time in front of my computer playing Star Wars: The Old Republic (Star Wars MMO). Work is crazy busy, so just going to keep it simple this round. Just the two goals, but they're big ones. 1) Build Running / Exercise Routine Training plan selected: Hal Higdon Novice 1 (12 week program) The race is ~30 weeks away so I have time to build a baseline habit & fitness. Step 1 - build the habit by working up to the below weekly run schedule over next two months: Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Rest 1.5 mi run 30 min run 1.5 mi run Rest 30 min walk 30 min run Backup Plan of options to swap in for busy days: 30 mins yoga 30 mins bike ride NF Bodyweight Workout Walking , Hiking 1.1) Warm up + 30 min dog walk every morning On super early work days, this can be swapped with afternoon walk and/or yoga. 2) Track Food / Meal Plan Need to further define this. But want to work on minimizing food waste, eating more produce, and generally paying more attention to whether I am eating well or not.

I missed the last challenge... I needed the break and I am recovering from all that happened the last two months. To summarize: Spring break, semi-new management position at work, shoulder surgery and continued recover, two illnesses of my own, eldest spawn's medical journey continues and now we have a large forest fire that is ~5 miles from where i sit at work and just 10 miles from my house. My asthma is angry these days with the smoke. https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8075/ (actual picture from the fire FB page) So much on my plate and oddly I am calm, patient and happy. This challenge will be a KISS -- keep it simple stupid -- challenge! My goals are simple: Do my PT and any other exercise that sounds like fun to me, when I am able to breathe. Accept that I can't do all the things, all of the time and be OK with me as I am in the moment. Eat smaller portion sizes Be prepared to evacuate and when the call comes (because I think it will with the wind and warm temps predicted) pack up the important things and head out of town with a sense of peace and understanding. The 3+ hour drive to my parents place can be a lovely drive with all the family and critters! Keep doing the things that are necessary to be a leader at work, not just a manager. That is it nothing special or fancy. Simple and easy. I'll check in here when I can and I won't stress when I can't or I forget.

And I'm back! Decided to go with a Naruto theme since I'm reading the manga, again, and trying an approximation of Naruto's genin training! Starting Stats Age: 32 Height:5'4" Weight:214# Diet Eat at least 100g protein a day! I'm in a state of just not eating enough right now so I'm going to work on increasing my protein intake! I know this will come with calories so hopefully it'll bring me high enough. 7 days- A 6 days - B 5 days - C 4 days - D 3 or less - F Fitness Training! I'm on a working out 6 days a week. Alternating walking and calisthenics with biking or skateboarding on the weekend! 0 strikes - A+ 1 strike - B 2 strikes - C 3 strikes - F Side Quest Sleep Better! My sleep schedule is very up and down. I go to bed around 9 or 10 and end up just laying in bed or tossing and turning until midnight. Sometimes even til 2am which just doesn't work with my waking time at 7am. So during this time I'm going to try different methods to fall asleep faster. Scoring will be based on how many hours a night I get, averaged for the week. 8 hours- A 7 hours - B 6 hours - C 5 hours- D 4 hours - F

So I am back and have been working out fairly regularly. I have been eating horribly and drinking too many IPAs so this is going to be a challenge to complete. I have always wanted to finish one and tried a few times but never made it far, mostly due to a lack of support. I think posting it on NF is going to provide me with the support system I need to complete, and keep me accountable. Workouts will be a lot of rucking in the early mornings and every otherish day lifting. Other things I may fill in with are biking, ice hockey, paddle boarding and sometimes when sore walking. I would like to run but am unsure on my knees and if I am really capable while doing two a days. Drinking a gallon of water a day is a walk in the park for me. This is supposed to be plain water, not zero sugar gatorade or flavored water. I will however continue to use a nuun once daily since I am doing this in Florida and the heat is coming. Also after my gallon I will likely have a La Croix or some other tasty beverage. The reading 10 pages a day will usually be first thing in the morning. I have a ton of self improvement books I am looking forward to getting into. The biggest thing is audiobooks do not count. Daily selfie should be pretty easy but I heard it is the one a lot of people fail one. I just have to remember to do it in the morning. I am going to follow Derek's diet advice here. a meat, a carb and a veggie. I'll likely have 2 snacks(fruit, nuts) a day and will adjust accordingly. For carbs I have some flavored rice sides, white rice, whole wheat pasta, and whole grains. No mac n cheese, or crappy sources. That's it. I want to post here daily but some days I get crazy busy and the things above will be my priority.

Perfectly timed you say? Timed?!? Perhaps, because someone has defected to the rhythm section friends! I, along with some other wonderful nerds, decided to "#BackToMusic2022" and folks, I really have done a smashing job of this. I've been playing piano consistently for the whole year! About 6 weeks ago, I also picked up acoustic guitar and started slowing learning that. (It's wrecking my finger tips yo! LOL - And the D chord is impossible for me to play nicely even still.) And, so, what else does one do in that case but decide .oO( Clearly, I am not learning enough instruments, I should buy a bass! It will help my fingers get used to strings, but more gently!) So I bought a bass last week and it's now in my possession. As far as everything else goes... I have major regrets that one thing after another this year has become an excuse for why I am not on track to be slimmed down and back to strong and healthy for the summer. Part of that is, well, health. In January I started dealing with some weird, non-critical but annoying symptoms that lead to several trips to docs and diagnosed theories on what is to blame. About 2 weeks ago, the last of the weird little symptoms were gone and I was anxious for not only a return to feeling myself, but also a much anticipated vacation in early May. And then I got Covid. In fact, I still have 3 more days before I can leave the 10 day 'quarantine and/or mask up' schtick and return to normal routine. I had it mildly, but, as someone who has not even had so much as a two day sniffle in like 4 years, being sick is still being sick. I am not quite fully back on my feet yet, but I have high hopes that at the 2 week proper mark I should be pretty much okay. It did cause my sis and I to also have to cancel our trip. Soooo, yeah, long and short of it is that 2022 hasn't been the easiest year thus far. But, post recovery here, plus the turning of the seasons, plus a brand new bass in my possession are all great reasons to get back to the right tempo! I also am really inspired to clean up my eating habits again after this whole Dances with Germs thing. A well fueled, well nourished body just does things better, usually. I've also been watching more anime again lately, so my interest in getting my art going again is kind flooning. So we've got, piano, guitar, bass, art, strength training, cardio health routines, and my usual D&D nights and friends hang outs, lol. I know that tracking food works best for me to shed a few pounds, so I need to get into the mindset to do that. If I do more cooking with the boyfriend, (who also just had covid, but we didn't catch it from each other actually) that will help with tracking on the weekends, and reining in the spending that's gotten out of hand with me. Woops. So, some goals. Track Food Daily - if a meal out can't be actively tracked, then rely on sensible eating for that meal. Strength Train - 2x a week is my sweet spot. Cardio-Ish - 3x a week. Piano - 4x a week Bass - 4x a week /or 20 minutes daily (lets see how it goes) Guitar - 15m daily has been working, but with other instruments, I won't keep this as a MUST do daily. Art - 2-3x a week, let's see how it fits in Connect - Do that connect with people thing that I talked about last challenge. Follow on the forums, dangit, Starpuck, DO THIS!

This channel has been compromised. Encryption protocols have failed, so I must revert to pre-digital era smoke and mirrors. Those who know will still be able to read through the lines. My hope is those who shouldn't, won't. Things have been set in motion. Not much can be done now, other than let it play out. Sometimes sitting tight and doing nothing is the hardest. My mind needs to be occupied so it doesn't race where it shouldn't. Record, assess, prepare. Above all, stay vigilant. They are everywhere. They are watching.