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Hello friends and thank you for being here. It’s the start of a brand new Calendar Turn, and whilst I do set Year Goals, I am determined to be part of the minority, those brave and incredible souls, who actually achieve them. Past years have been… well, not good. Still not written a novel, as 20 year old me was certain we would have by now. BUT I am super close to getting my Masters, so I am many steps closer to the academic dream than I was before I had that goal. Hold on to your hats, it's a long one! SO, I sat and thought about that for a bit. New Year’s Resolutions or goals are ‘failed’ so often it’s the object of humour. It’s a meme – crowded gym in January, empty gym in February. And I think I know why I am close to completing this goal and have failed on many others. I made it this far – to get a Masters in History – and not the novel (or losing weight, learning to cook better etc.) for one simple reason – I had to! Well, okay, I could have dropped out of the programme and lost the money I’d paid I suppose. But once enrolled, I had deadlines to meet and supervisors who expected me to meet them. It was something that could be gently laid aside when events demanded it – For which I am forever grateful to my supervisors for being so supportive in the event of my mental health crisis – but ultimately it had to be picked up. It was – and still is for another month or so – part of my life. It wasn’t quite easier to do it than NOT do it, but there would have been real world consequences for not doing it. I’d have failed the course or had to pay a lot of money to get an extension for another year. I would have let down two people I have come to greatly respect. So I had deadlines in my calendar, I set time aside to work on it regularly, I had regularly scheduled meetings with my supervisors to talk, get advice, to correct my course. In contrast, writing a novel was a dream – one that no one would be on my case about when I didn’t write for a day, a week, a year. There were no stakes. And it didn't get written. So, I want to apply that wisdom going forward. I know what works for me: Accountability. Deadlines. Real world consequences for not doing it. Making it part of my routine and daily life. Having a Strong Why. I love History, and I love research. I know I want to follow this path, career-wise. Even when it was frustrating and hard and I didn’t have a damn clue what to write, I loved it. I never wanted to quit, even if I doubted my ability. I have Strong Whys for the Goals I want to hit in 2024 too. How I am going to make sure it happens is with my BUJO. A book I will post pages of here and please do call me out when I don’t. I am going to carry this book around with me everywhere – home, work, outings. Holidays. This book is going to my accountability. Well, hopefully these forums will to. That is step one. Step two is phone alarms and calendar notifications. The plan is to integrate my new habits so well into my life that when I look back in December 2024, I need the early pages to remind myself what my life was like before this year. Still reading? I appreciate you! Here – as promised – are my Bujo pages I am working with. Things like the bookshelf will get filled whenever I finish a book, new or old. The year of workouts gets filled daily. Ideally, at the end of each month I will set up the monthly and weekly pages for the coming month. Weekly/daily pages get filled in on a weekly and daily basis. My 2024 Goals: I started with my biggest flaws, the things I most want to work on and went from there to build goals that feel both important to me and specific. I know what I looked like at 75kg, and how much healthier that is for me. It's also realistic - under 10kg for the whole year. Similarly, a PhD is a dream goal of mine, but it won't be easy. Having this goal keeps me on track - what are the steps I need to take? Proposals, planning and applications come first. Hence, that's what I make my goal. The Spartan and 10km? To force myself not to neglect my training with something I enjoy - but enjoy a heck of a lot more when I am fitter. Reading - obvious! I am a reader, but tend to be drawn to familiar favorites instead of branching out. Then my Fitness Goals have their pages: By requiring monthly and daily check-ins, I keep the goals fresh in my mind. They become part of my daily existence: My Future Log for remembering stuff long term: (sized smaller because less interesting) My January Set up: The monthly log and it's month-specific goals: And my weekly spreads that I will update and refer to daily: Oh, and Challenge Specific Goals? Just One – Be here. Weekly a minimum, more than that if I can. Updates can be long or short, but they must be done. It will prompt me to be accountable, if only to myself.

Ranger related discussions! *Note: You can participate in guild discussions regardless of your chosen guild. A jack-of-all-trades, Rangers are well-equipped for any situation. You're good at strength training and pretty good at covering distances when required, but neither is a specialty. * Fictional example: Jon Snow (Game of Thrones), Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games), Aragorn (Lord of the Rings) * Real-world example: Mat Fraser, multi-times CrossFIt Games champion; Sara Sigmundsdottir, CrossFit competitor. * Typical Activities: CrossFit, High Intensity Interval Training, general mixed training (running and lifting, for example)

This challenge, I really have one, overarching goal: to build consistency, especially with going to CrossFit group workouts. I've been catching myself making excuses for not going to CrossFit, which is really counter-productive. CrossFit (like karate 2 decades ago) supports not only my physical but mental and emotional health as well. When I get there, I have a great time, especially with the morning class at 9:00 ... and really even better when my favorite coaches are leading the workout. But, while waking up and drinking coffee, I often talk myself out of going because of sniffles or stiffness .... which will clear up with a hot shower, usually. So, I put classes on my calendar and I will show up 3 times per week for the first week ... and then 4 times per week. I can cancel if I have a fever or am sneezing and/or coughing too much to be acceptable. Also, if there is some sort of family emergency ... but usually I would be able to attend class later in the day. Other things I will work on and measure this challenge are: Cardio. At a minimum, I will get a walk in the woods. On days when I'm feeling up for more (and didn't HIIT it in CrossFit), I'll rely upon the intensity dashboard (see below) Social. Using the color dashboard, I will challenge myself to see people and participate in activities. Nutrition. I do want to lose fat and increase muscle as well as fight off the invading hordes of viruses. I think the MIND diet is one of my best tools for nutritious eating that doesn't become overwhelming and frustrating. And it should help me keep my blood pressure within limits. So, I'll be logging with the spreadsheet again and aim to get to the coveted 12.5 points each week. But I'll be happy with 10.5. For the holiday challenge, I experimented with using color-coding to give myself feedback on how well the day/week is going. I found it useful as a gentle way of tracking, and it allows for doing something toward goals, even if it is not the top, desired level of performance. The schema is: Stellar At Standard Good Developing Minimum Frequency Notes Strength CrossFit partners CrossFit indiv effort Gym routine Basement routine Exercise snacks Daily Rest days are white Cardio OCR/5K training Run 2+ miles Cardio 30 min Cardio 20 min Walk in the woods Daily Social Friends Group Activity Drop in Casual encounters Immediate family Daily MINDful Eating >= 12.5 >= 10.5 >= 8.5 >= 7 >= 5 Weekly And the tracking spreadsheet looks like this: Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 S M T W Th F S S M T W Th F S S M T W Th F S Strength Cardio Social MINDful Eating I'll admit that I want to lose a pound per month, but that should be feasible if I watch portions (and avoid empty calories) while working out consistently.

I posted a challenge last challenge, thinking I was on the other end of some health stuff, and it turns out the worst was just beginning. It was a tough month, but after a ton of appointments and a quick surgery, I should be back up and running and back to "normal" by next week, just in time for this next challenge to start. So I'm taking my last challenge and almost duplicating it, only simplifying it a bit Spezzy is a Korok If we look back at the periods of time when I've been the happiest and healthiest, they're times when I'm spending significant time outside. Even in my years that I spent hours every day in the gym - I was either doing additional training outside or in open air gyms in Texas. The periods of my life where I haven't had the gym and I was the happiest, I've spent the majority of my time outside Now that I'm back in the darkness of new england, I've been finding myself skipping workouts and other things just to optimize the amount of time I am able to just be outside during the day - and why would I want to be in the gym if I can be doing projects outside? This will be me attempting to build out this new life embracing the fact that I am not a magical humanoid race (Hylian) like I have wanted all along, but am, in fact, a child of the forest (Korok). (Now of course, this doesn't mean I can't do things Hylians can do - Koroks are very versatile little creatures. But it means that I need to prioritize the things that make me the happiest, and for me, that's being outside and interacting with nature/animals/plants/etc. ) It's going to also focus on re-solidifying some older habits that have stopped (like a daily walk or regularly strength training). With recovery, I'll have to focus on doing better each week so may not hit everything the first week, but I'll get there. I'm not concerned about nutrition all around, so no goals around that. Just focusing on reintegrating movement and a solid schedule that includes lots of time outdoors. GOALS: Exercise: Daily Walk - non negotiable. Bonus: a second walk, even if it is on the property. Strength 3x/week Unfortunately, this will have to be inside most days, but bonus points if I can figure out wintertime outside strength work! Rowing or yoga at night - the rower is in the house now. I do best at sleeping if I exercise lightly before bed, so 10 minutes of either yoga or rowing every night. Spellbooks/Schedule: I now have complete freedom of schedule in my new role at work, and since I don't have kids or anything else with a specific schedule, I can really do whatever I want. The problem is, I'm not sure what the BEST schedule is, so part of this is figuring out what that is. I'm also focusing on getting up earlier and earlier, to optimize sunlight since it gets dark very early here. Get up when I wake up or by the last call alarm time (if I wake up before alarm, just get up) Nightly spellbooks review + prep everything for next day (as a part of this challenge, make checklist of things that need to be prepped for next day) Follow schedule plan with work blocks (shifting schedule to do a large portion of work when it is dark out). notes: work when I'm supposed to be working, even though I have my own schedule. Use ADHD coping mechanisms - headphones, timers, do it up. Outdoor Farm Life / Mindset - these specific things will be built into my schedule A few minutes each day either focusing on breathing/meditation. If I do yoga, this can be included at the end there, but I'd prefer to do it outside. Sitting out by the river in the morning sounds like it could be a good thing. Take a break from work and spend at least 20 minutes with the animals during the day - this could be training huckleberry, sitting with the chickens, or hanging with the goats. Doesn't matter, but spend time with the animals. This makes a huge difference in overall mood. Get outside for at least 30 minutes before sundown in the afternoon. And that's it!

So, it's been a rough few years & it's time to get back to Rangerly things. This will be ongoing: spreading over several challenges as I'm trying to ease back into a regular routine. Goals: Run a 5k, eat healthier & learn to crochet

What happened to 2023? It went by so quickly and I can't believe 2024 is here already. 2023 brought some significant change in my life. I got remarried to the actual love of my life and moved my youngest out of the house to college. That's right; we're empty nesting newlyweds and loving it. It did make for a hectic year. All the while I had my goals - to build a healthier lifestyle for the purpose of losing weight. I made great progress on the lifestyle, but didn't really achieve the weight loss I was looking for. So this year is all about shifting focus to all the other non scale victories from choosing and building a better lifestyle. Here is my 2024 roadmap. This challenge is about just getting back to the goals hoping to see some difference in the non scale victories. Bring on 2024! The Daily Do all of these every single day, almost every single day. The goal is every single day but life happens. 95% is acceptable. The calorie goal on Lose It allows for some high calorie days. I'll adjust each week based on what's going on. If nothing is going on my usual high calorie days are over the weekend. Fast 15 hours Start the day with Water Eat at least 1 freggy Log food on Lose it and stay under target The Fitnessing Do these every week. We are expecting to be busy doing projects on the weekends (see below) so this is the mini version of the weekly fitness goals. Some of those projects might count as fitnessing anyway 1 cardio session a week 1 Strength gym session a week 2 stretching sessions a week - either combined with other workouts or separate. Do some kegels every day. The Other Stuff We are planning to move to a new house this year so we need to get busy doing some of the things to get this house ready for the market. This challenge that goal is to finish the basement. Finish painting walls Install some flooring Install trim

Welcome to the 2024 challenge...on Jan 2nd it will be 10 years since I joined the forums... My main goal was then and still is weight loss, for health reasons as well as I want to look good (to me) naked. I’ve learned this doesn't get easier when you get older. I don’t want this to be a focus for the rest of my life, I want to build some habits/routines so it becomes second nature and I don’t have to think about it. I also want to be around to watch my grandkids grow up and be able to do things with them, as well as continue to do things I enjoy well into the future! In 2023 it was all about the struggle. This year, I’m going to be set, I’m simplifying things for consistency and I need less clutter in my life, also working on my mindset. I don’t have to track “all the things”. The three most important things for me regarding weight loss are sleep, exercise (though that’s debatable) and what you fuel your body with (tracking). Exercise is debatable because you can lose weight without it, but I feel better when I do it. I know not everyone needs to track what they eat, and I no longer use an app to do this because it got to the point it was too much, but I do put it on my spreadsheet to keep myself accountable, and it also helps with meal planning and creating my grocery list. All SET ( S )leep - ( E )xercise ( T )rack - And because it wouldn’t be an RES challenge without some 5k’s Upcoming Items 12/16 - Reindeer Run 5k - Done, 54 Minutes 12/17 - Candy Cane Course 5k - skipped 01/27 - Java Jog 5k 02/11 - Couple Shuffle 5k 03/09 - Time to Paddy 5k 06/22 - Hometown Half 10k 07/07 - Firecracker 4mi 08/10 - Summer Sizzler 15k 09/28 - Donot Stop 10k 10/20 - Spooky Sprint 10k 11/10 - Turkey Trails 10k

I apparently cannot make up my mind this time around on what goals. I think I've settled on the below. The focus of this challenge is the coming of spring, or the arrival of the greenery. Not only with the garden (which I already have 12 plants: 4 red lettuce, 4 green lettuce, and 4 cilantro with spinach pending once I get my new planter this weekend), but with my life. The coming of spring is an awakening of the world again after the dormant period. It will continue to be dormant through this challenge, but small changes now will allow life to bloom in the coming months, just as Mother Nature does during this same time. I want my finances to bloom and to prune away debt and worry. I want my health to bloom with positive choices in both nutrition and exercise. I want my spiritual practice to bloom and create a place for me to work on my mental health in a productive manner. Finally, I want to grow a regular practice of relaxation and self-care by doing something I truly love: reading. My garden was set up last year too late to begin planting. I want to start early this year with my planning so I may utilize it before the Man gets frustrated. His frustration is valid, we did a lot of work to set up the area for me to garden and I haven't done anything with it. Granted, I would've only been able to use it for fall crops at most since we finished setting it up too late in spring to plant before it got too hot for plant survival (plants not established before being subjected to torture). I will be doing more this year, I swear it! Pay off Debt Pay off my Samsung Credit (<$210) before March to avoid deferred interest back charges Pay off my HEB/Imprint credit card (<$100) because it’s a small amount that needs to go bye-bye Pay off my Capital One credit card (<$230) to pay off New Mexico Thanksgiving trip. Once paid off, use this payment amount to go towards building an emergency savings (goal is at least $1,000) Once all above paid off, focus on one of the remaining 3 debts (in no particular order - assess based on circumstances of the time) Health Continue to carb cycle with the Man Focus on adding vegetables to every meal, even if it is just a side salad Portion meals - chew thoroughly, pause between bites, wait before getting seconds Finish current app’s promo and switch to Just Run app for 10k training for April’s race Give the rented Peloton a good college try to determine if it is worth keeping (once it arrives on or around 11 January) Spiritual/Nature Rituals Continue stirring in daily intentions Establish skin care ritual so it becomes a daily part of routine Greet the morning outside every day Do a ritual for Imbolc on or around the 1st day of February Blow cinnamon into the front door every 1st of the month for wealth, abundance, and good luck Read Finish book club (January and February books) and do not join again - switch focus to personal books already owned that need to be read. Read every night before bed (within reason - if out late or excessively tired, can skip. Goal is to read rather than play on phone or watch TV before bed). Use Kindle to avoid artificial backlight) Gardening Start planning this year’s garden: what to plant, where to plant (greenhouse, indoors, in the ground, etc), and how much to plant Save up/budget and make small purchases over time to build the necessary items to have a successful garden. See about building a small greenhouse or buying a cheap one to reinforce once built.

2024 Road map For the past couple of years, I've been writing my road map at the top of all of my challenges, so that I remember it and refer back to it when I'm setting my goals for the month. At the end of the year I then do a big wrap-up to see how I've progressed, and you can see 2023's wrap up here. I don't really have a big why or a master plan, and I don't have any big overarching goals that I want to complete in 2024. I do have a few areas of my life that I would always like to improve though, and I can handily map those on the D&D stats. After last year's challenges, those stats look like this: Level 20 Wood Elf Ranger STR: 15 - CON: 21 - CHA: 8 - SAN: 16 - INT: 17 Alongside each stat I'll have some specific benchmarks, and I might add more as the year goes on. These aren't goals as such, but they are things that I would like to hit and that I can measure progress against. Strength - Exercise I don't separate STR and DEX as different stats, because it doesn't feel like a useful definition for the kind of stuff I do. STR includes going to my local crossfit-style gym, running, bouldering, taking part in OCRs and any other competitions that I get myself into, and also anything else that might take my fancy during the year like swimming, hiking, who knows? Why am I focusing on this? Because I like being able to do cool stuff, and to me that means lifting heavy, doing gymnastics tricks, or completing the kinds of races that make other people think I'm mad. I also think you can never be too strong, and I want to be mobile and pain-free for a long time to come. Specific benchmarks: Man vs Coast - a 25-mile coastal adventure race in the UK I'd like to do some kind of strongman competition, if I can find a good one I'm looking at Tribal Clash, which seems to be a cool fitness event if I can get a team together Climb a font 7A Climb a font 6A outside Get reliable pistol squats with both legs Be able to string together multiple muscle ups (ring and bar) Handwalk 12ft (2 mats in my gym) Squatmas: 50 reps at 75% bodyweight, unbroken Deadliftmas: 50 reps at 100% bodyweight, unbroken Squat 1.5 x bodyweight for 5 reps Deadlift 2 x bodyweight for 5 reps Row 100m in under 16.9 seconds (#oddlyspecific I know - I hit 16.9 in October 2019, and I've equalled it a dozen times but never beaten it) Constitution - Nutrition This is about the things I put in my body - food, alcohol, and cigarettes being the main ones. I've decided recently that I'm not that fussed about caffeine right now, and whilst I don't want to smoke I'm at a level where I do so rarely and can go months between cigarettes. Why am I focusing on this? Because it's the foundation that everything else is based on. When I eat better and drink less I feel better, I lift stronger, I'm less out of breath, and I'm more alert. Also, I look better - it's vain but I won't apologise for that. I have a more complicated relationship with alcohol, but like food it's all about sensible moderation without needs for excessive restriction. Specific benchmarks: Get to <12% body fat (per my home scales), just to see what it's like. Charisma - Creativity This will probably be primarily focused on drawing, but also on writing D&D content, maybe even picking up my guitar again as I haven't in a while. Why am I focusing on this? Because I think being creative is really good for me mentally, and because I think creativity is really worthwhile. In my mind there is something intrinsically valuable in the act of creation, even if it's not something you share or make money from. And because I enjoy it, I feel good seeing some of the stuff I've drawn over the years, or when I pick up the guitar just for fun. Specific benchmarks: Draw a whole D&D party for any group I run/am in Publish some of my own D&D content online Complete Inktober this year I have Wednesdays off work, so do something creative every Wednesday at least Learn a handful of songs that I could play at an open mic night Sanity - self-care This is about keeping my head screwed on straight, and doing the things that keep me level. That includes small things like brushing my teeth and keeping the house tidy, but might be specific self-care habits like journaling, social things like seeing friends, or big projects on the house. It's recently occurred to me that reading more for pleasure could also be on this list, or on my INT list, and I'll consider that among my potential future goals. Why am I focusing on this? Because it's been a tough couple of years - including losing a couple of friends and my dad being diagnosed with dementia - and I don't like feeling bad. These are things that I can do to feel better in myself, and feeling good is it's own reward. It also allows me to better support my family, and to face challenges as they come. Specific benchmarks: Go away with friends Sort out my office - paint, re-wire, and new carpet Sort out the outhouse with a new roof and door, and run power down there Get a price to replace the porch Intelligence - learning This includes studying for work, any side-project academic study that I feel like, learning languages, maybe even skill learning if it doesn't fit under STR. Why am I focusing on this? I like to learn new things, I find it interesting and rewarding, and it makes me a better person. It also might help my future employment prospects/earning potential, which isn't a big driver for me but it can't hurt. Specific benchmarks: Make good progress on my last big professional accreditation Continue learning Dutch and French on Duolingo - I should be on an 800+ day streak by the end of 2024 Converse in French when I go to France for the Olympics this year Learn a little bit of coding Edit - I keep forgetting how to score this, so the percentage required to gain a stat point, based on the number of stat points a goal is worth, is: 1 stat point: 75% 2 stat points: 50%, 83.3% 3 stat points: 37.5%, 62.5%, 87.5% 4 stat points: 30%, 50%, 70%, 90% 5 stat points: 25%, 41.7%, 58.3%, 75%, 91.7% * * * The party returns My goals this month really build on what I've been doing for the last year, and of course on the road map above. Some goals have a different condition for week 1, as I'm writing this on day 2 (Tuesday) of week 1. Let's meet our party. The decisionist Track food daily [+1 CON] Extra credit: Less than 18,000 kcal per week [+1CON] Week 1: extra credit is 15,750 kcal or less in 6 days I'm still on the weight loss train, having lost 4lbs from the end of October to mid-December, and then put them back on in the two weeks over Christmas . To be fair, I'm still 5.5lbs lighter than I was in June. I'm also not too worried about the number on the scale, I'm just looking to lean out a bit before I think about bulking again. 18,000 kcal per week is a pretty tough target, but will definitely see some fairly solid weight loss over this challenge if I can achieve it. Even if I miss, I should lose some weight by getting close. I may need to fundamentally change some of my regular meals in order to do this. The muscle Foam roll my neck and shoulders every day [+2 STR] I've had really tight shoulders for a couple of months. I've also been having quite a bit of wrist pain, which I think might be related. I want to make a good attempt at dealing with my shoulders first, but if that doesn't work I will book in to see a physio about my wrists at the end of this challenge. Please hold me accountable to this. The face Brush my teeth, twice daily [+1 SAN] Extra credit: Stand on one leg whilst brushing [+1 STR] When I'm stressed, or depressed, I stop brushing my teeth. I don't forget, I simply stop doing it. I think it's probably a control thing - when life feels out of control I make choices which are self-destructive because they give me some agency that I don't have over other areas of my life. It's a bit like staying up late at night in revenge for work taking over your day (something that I also do). That's the working theory anyway, it might be a load of nonsense. Anyway, I don't know if I can make myself feel better by deliberately brushing my teeth, but I can at least help my teeth remain affixed to my skull for a little longer, and that's a good thing in its own right. The cartographer Draw 4 times per week [+2 CHA] Extra credit: draw 5+ times per week [+1 CHA] There's no good reason why I can't spend a bit of time doodling most evenings when I'm in. I'm out playing Pathfinder/other RPGs Tuesday nights, I play Baulder's Gate online with friends Thursday night, and sometimes I'll be out on Friday nights. That leaves 4 sensible days to draw, with a possibility of more for the extra credit. The hoardsperson [+ SAN] Spend no money [+2 SAN] I'm broke after a December of eating out during the working week and going out for drinks in the weekends, followed by buying a bunch of Christmas presents, not to mention a new fridge freezer, a new washer dryer, and some components for my computer, and booking travel and accommodation for Paris next year. So my goal here is to not spend any money during this 5 week challenge. This doesn't include groceries (but groceries don't include pre-made lunches, fizzy drinks, or alcohol), and doesn't include petrol or regular bills. There should be some good side effects to this goal: I'll have to take lunch to work as I can't buy it out, resulting in potentially healthier lunches I won't be drinking fizzy drinks every day I'll slowly whittle down the amount of junk food in the house, without buying more I don't actually expect I'll hit every single day with this goal, but I intend to get as close as possible. Other stuff These won't be recorded goals, but so that I remember: I'll be subbing squats for front squats this challenge, as I try to train myself out of my current squatmorning habit. I'll also be working on ab work, which should help with stability in the squats and improve my pistol squats (and probably, to be fair, be good for everything else too) By the end of this challenge (maybe the end of week 1) I want to have written out all of the races I'm considering for this year and narrowed down ones that are actually likely Well, I think that's everything, time for the adventure to begin. * * * The group sat around the campfire in silence. Not an anxious silence, nor a pregnant one. Perhaps, contemplative? Each was engrossed in their own preparations, readying themselves for the journey that lay ahead. The only sound that could be heard in the clearing, aside from the occasional hoot of an owl or the rustle of a small animal in the bushes, was the rhythmic scrape of the goliath's whetstone against his axe. Shiiing. Shiiing. Shiiing. The others paid no mind to the noise, not the sparks spraying from the huge blade. The dragonborn was engrossed in polishing a set of plate armour, the surface perfectly reflecting the copper sheen of his own scales. Meanwhile the blue-skinned elf and the halfling leant back-to-back, each with pen and paper in hand. The elf's marks were precise, as they entered detailed notes into a ledger, a pile of coins and assorted valuables stacked neatly in front of them. By contrast the halfling's strokes were large and expressive , as the topography of a wondrous landscape took shape below her ink-stained fingertips. And finally there was the gnome. Lying on his back he stared into the stars, a look of pure, sure, comfortable relaxation upon his face. Despite the task ahead, he looked all for all the world like there was no place he would rather be, and that he might lay here for weeks if the mood so took him.

Christmas and New Year's have come and gone. I've been more lax about working out and eating this past month. But now the festivities have passed, and the damage that was done needs to be reversed. I was originally going to start this as of next week, but I'm having a bout of motivation right now, so let's start already. The plan is to start slow and build up to my previous routine. Week 1 (Tuesday 02/01 - Sunday 07/01): - Sugar detox - DailyDare Week 2 (Monday 08/01 - Sunday 14/01): - Start logging again (just logging, results less important) - Walk more Week 3 and after (Monday 15/01 - Sunday 04/02): - Aim for all yellow and green in the log again The logging will be the same colour-coded stuff that I used to do. I'm not even changing anything from the last time. No need to fix what's not broken. Bad Poor Ok Good Excellent Frequency Notes Intermittent fasting < 14 hours ≥ 14 hours ≥ 16 hours ≥ 17 hours ≥ 20 hours Daily Calorie intake > 4000 cal > 3000 cal ≤ 3000 cal ≤ 2400 cal ≤ 2000 cal Daily Ballpark figures are good enough Calories spent < 2750 cal ≥ 2750 cal ≥ 3000 cal ≥ 3500 cal ≥ 4000 cal Daily Fitbit numbers Calories in/out deficit < 500 cal < 0 cal ≥ 0 cal ≥ 500 cal ≥ 1000 cal Daily Curfew ≥ 1.30 am ≥ 1.00 am < 1.00 am < 0.30 am < 0.00 am Daily Add 2 hours before non-working days Sleep < 5h 30m < 6 hours ≥ 6 hours ≥ 6h 30m ≥ 7 hours Daily Fitbit numbers - naps count for half Avg. sleep < 6 hours ≥ 6 hours ≥ 6h 15m ≥ 6h 30m ≥ 6h 45m Weekly Fitbit numbers - naps count for half Steps < 6.000 ≥ 6.000 ≥ 8.000 ≥ 10.000 ≥ 12.000 Daily Fitbit numbers Avg. steps < 9.000 ≥ 9.000 ≥ 10.000 ≥ 11.000 ≥ 12.000 Weekly Fitbit numbers Distance < 15 km ≥ 15 km ≥ 20 km ≥ 25 km ≥ 30 km Weekly Walk to Mordor distance Workouts ≤ 1 > 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 Weekly Mini-workouts: 1/10 per exercise Days with (mini)-workouts ≤ 3 4 5 6 7 Weekly

Had a good Christmas holiday, but both hubby and I were fighting colds. And then we went to see his college football team play in the Semi finals. Which was super fun, but amazingly, time change, cold weather, and little sleep did not help our colds. So, I'm coming in to this challenge a bit under the weather. I'd planned to really get back into routine, and hit the ground running. But maybe I'll just hit the ground.😀 I may add to my challenge later, but for now, let's keep it simple 1) Get dressed in my workout clothes right away Put workout clothes out on bed ( if I'm not feeling good enough for a full workout, I can still do stretches and a light workout, or walk) 2) Read Bible before screens

My goal for 2024 is a smaller waistline. The scale is relevant only as it relates to either that metric or to how it affects the load on my knees. To start small is to start smart. My goals Stength: Strength workout of some kind twice a week. All I have to do is start. Stretch: Stretch my beck and do a forward fold and a squat hold every day. Stroll: Get more steps in by going for walks. At minimum check the mail six days a week (community mailbox around the corner). Other good stuff, cook and avoid sugar. Incidentally, when I do cook, if I describe it, don't be hungry when you read about it.

A recent re-boot of my interest in Stoicism inspired me to create a Roman Empire challenge. With the help of AI and some personal interests, I think this is going to be a lot of fun! First, my goals. These are long-term goals and may extend beyond the allotted challenge time period. I used the SMART Goals format: STRENGTH GOAL: I will increase my strength by 10% in 7 different kettlebell exercises (swings, goblet squats, kb push-ups, racked squats, deadlifts, rows, snatches, and overhead press) by training four times a week for 12 weeks with a 35 lb (16 kg) kettlebell. I will measure my strength by the number of repetitions I can perform with good form for each exercise and record my progress in a journal or an app starting January1st and follow up with weekly strength tests. I will follow a periodized kettlebell workout routine that also includes warm-up, cool-down, and recovery sessions. I will also eat a balanced diet, drink enough water, and get enough sleep to support my training. Achieving this goal will improve my overall health, performance, and physique. SPEED GOAL: I will run 5k in less than 30 minutes by following an 8 week training plan beginning January 1st that includes interval training, tempo runs, long runs, and recovery runs. I will measure my progress my timing my 5k runs and tracking my pace and distance with the Nike Run Club app. I will also do some cross-training and strength training (see above) to prevent injuries and improve my overall fitness. Achieving this goal will challenge me and boost my confidence, as well as help me prepare for longer races and improve my health and well-being. MEDITATION GOAL: I will meditate for 20 minutes every day using a guided meditation app. I will track my meditation sessions and duration on the app and on a calendar. I will start January 1st by adding 5 minutes to my current 10 minute meditation practice every week until I reach 20 minutes. I want to meditate more because it helps me reduce stress, improve focus, and feel happier. I will achieve my goal of meditating for 20 minutes daily by the end of next month. JOURNALING GOAL: I will write in my journal every day for at least 10 minutes, using prompts or free writing to express my thoughts and feelings. I will track my journaling habit on a calendar or an app and aim for a 100% completion rate each month. I will schedule a time for journaling that works for me and make it a priority in my daily routine. I will also prepare a comfortable and quiet space for journaling and have a notebook and pen ready. I will write in my journal to improve my mental health, creativity, and self-awareness. I will also use journaling as a way to reflect on my goals and progress and celebrate my achievements. I will write in my journal every day for the next six months starting January 1st and then evaluate the benefits and challenges of my journaling habit. READING/LEARNING GOAL: I want to read at least one book per month and learn one new skill or topic every week. I will track my reading time and progress using a reading app. I will also document what I learned each week in my journal. I will set aside 20 minutes every day to read a book of my choice (list to be shared later). I will also dedicate at least one our every week to learn something new, such as a language, a hobby, or a subject. Reading and learning will help me improve my vocabulary, knowledge, creativity, and curiosity. They will also enrich my personal and professional life. I will start this goal January 1st and review it every month to see if I need to adjust it. Accomplishing this goal will make me a more well-read and well-rounded person.

Happy New Year, all! This year has been… well it’s been. Overall I’ve made huge strides in improving my mental health, which is incredible if I do say so myself. But my physical health has continued to be a struggle. And now my Baby Jedi is over a year and while she’s not walking yet - she’s doing LOTS of climbing and overall activity. I’d really like to be able to keep up with her and I’d really like to just be in better physical health overall. To that end, starting January 1, I’ll be doing the 75 soft challenge.The rules for that are: Eat Well Only Drink Socially Drink 3L of water a day 45 mins of exercise (walking included) per day Read 10 pages of a book every day The intent is for this to help me build some solid habits for good health. I’m doing some tracking with this, and we’ll see how it goes. In leu of a formal challenge, I’m going to tie my first couple of challenges this year to the 75 soft. The first 42 days will be tracked in this challenge. One thing that’s important to me is that if I mess up a goal, I just tack an additional day on the end. I’m not going to track things until the end of the day so I have more days on the off chance that something happens. My goal for 2024 is to lose 50lbs. Primarily through lifestyle changes. It seemed like a solid number, has me sitting at less than a pound a week. As far as exercise, I’m combining a few things. 1) I’m going to start rowing. Like on the machine. Seems like a solid full body workout. 2) I’m going to do the 10k Stairs Challenge from ACOSF. 3) I’ll be throwing in walking on a treadmill and yoga as needed. Realistically, I’ll be doing whatever - it’s about the habit not about the program. I can focus on the program once I actually have the habit of working out engrained in my system. As long as I’m not injuring myself, anything is helpful. Once I’m in slightly better shape I can think about goals and what I want to do. I’ve been working on getting the 3L of water a day in, but I’m considering lowering that number a little bit based on how much water seems to work for me. I don’t know, it just seems unrealistic for me in particular. I do need to make a concentrated effort to be in bed at a reasonable time, particularly if I’m going to be getting up early to go to the gym (which may or may not be what happens, haven’t decided yet). Wish me so much luck as I spend the next 75 days reinforcing my decision that I’m a person who takes care of their body! Plus Ultra to all! 75 Soft Days: 0/75

I’m Ranger Hal. I hike, snowshoe, scramble, climb, and do search and rescue. And over the last couple of weeks, I came to the realization that I'm a little screwed up and probably have been to one degree or another for like 15 years. Spoiler for stuff I guess I knew for a while that I wasn't doing really well, but it really hit home when I was taking a Mental Health and SAR required video training and had to take a break partway through because I was crying and I'm obviously not okay. The video had some suggestions to help (some of which kind of don't apply because the main issue isn't SAR related mental trauma, but some of them are pretty general). So, here's my challenge: 1. Light a candle for morning prayers 2. Walk - regular walk (1.3 mi) if I'm not feeling rushed to leave for work, short walk (0.4 or 0.6 mi) if I am feeling rushed Bonus 1. Do some exercises in the evening. I'd like to attempt pull-ups again. The best I ever got to was about half of one, but that was a while back and I'm nowhere close to that right now. I'm starting with bodyweight rows. I can also explore the stairs in my new office building. It's a 20+ story building, so that's lots of stairs (although I don't think I can get back to my floor without going to the bottom and taking the elevator back up. Stupid fire safety stairs). Bonus 2. Do something bigger (like hike) on the weekends.

For 10+ years my workout routine was: Weekdays 5:00 a.m. at the gym for a 45 minute workout before starting work Yoga class every Monday night Mix of different classes at the gym or riding my bike 2-4 nights/week Outdoorsy stuff (hiking, biking, camping, kayaking, paddleboarding) on weekends I lost all of this about five years ago, for many different reasons. I am going to restart this routine (oh, how I have missed it) by going back to the gym in the early morning every weekday. The gym was open a little late this morning but I was there.

Starting a challenge on New Year's, it is tempting to write down lofty goals an resolutions. But I'm tired. And I have learned: there is no shortcut and there is no straight line to anything. As a very goal driven person, and as someone who grew up with a lot expected of me, this is a tough one. I am learning to attach less to expectations, but that tends to fall flat with what I expect of myself. And I expect I expect too much. (see what I did there?) So what will 2024 be? I will be the year my oldest starts kindergarten and my youngest learns to walk. It will be the year MFH goes back to school and leaves the orthopedic nightmare that being a veteran and a mechanic has been for him (we hope). It will be the year I turn 40. Turning 40 seems like a big deal. It seems like something I want to arrive to, not a line I drag myself over. But we're very draggy over here right now. Caught in the pinball machine of work, sick kids, too little sleep, and never quite feeling like you're taking enough time for yourself and not knowing where you could take it from anyway. Work this year should be mellow enough for me to carve out some me-time. That's something. Not all me-time is a workout, but most of it is. I'd like to learn guitar and I'd like to draw more, but my big multi-year goals are huge bike rides and doing another bigwall with MFH, so there's a lot of fitness groundwork to lay. (resolution: I should drink more water.) Workout-wise for this challenge I have a little bit of a conundrum: lifting weights is huge foundation for me. It helps my climbing in spite of the whole power:weight ratio part of climbing, and it makes me feel good. But I actively miss riding my bike, both commuting and recreationally. I have lost SO much cardio endurance, and then nagging aches and pains I have mean I need to spend a lot more time getting re-habituated to being on a bike for long stretches. But given the time I have, riding as much as I would like AND lifting/climbing as much as I would like is unlikely to be possible. This is where I need to let go of expectations. I can't go to the gym 3x a week, but twice is pretty good. And if only one of those days is super heavy, maybe that ok? Sure, I won't progress as fast as a "real lifter," but that's not the goal here. The goal: To be ready for my favorite outside activities. To carry my kids on my shoulders whenever they need it (I can do this now and it makes me so happy!). To get stronger with age as long as that is possible. To be a more durable human. The baseline: Current weight 149. Goal weight 140. Height 5'7" Bench 90 lbs for 3 reps Deadlift 205 for 3 reps Squat 150 for 3 reps OHP terrible. lol. 55? haven't tested maxes recently. 50 for 7 reps. Climbing: making myself try 5.11- in the gym. Goal: Climb in Eldo again this year. (always my nemesis). Have my crack climbing nice and strong for the desert in May at least. (more on this later). Riding: barely commuting once a week right now (17 mi/day) Goal: Put down the 50 mi loop nearby with no sweat. Get at least one ride up to the mountains this summer. For my 40th, MFH is giving me some time for a solo trip. The more expensive but more attainable of these is a crack climbing trip in Indian Creek in September. The alternative is a dirt 100+ miler. On my list for the next couple years is the fabled WRIAD (White Rim In A Day), but I can't get there from here this year. I am trying to accept that I really will do these things, but the schedule may not be well known right now. Other things I'd love to do in the next 10 years with kids: Backpack Grand Canyon Some bike camping trips at a leisurely pace on dirt roads Mountain bike NM, AZ, Bend Go back to Joshua Tree soon! Things I want to do on my own: A whole slew of long "light and fast" bikepack-ish routes And then MFH and I would like to climb another wall in Zion, childcare allowing. (Our last one, and my peak climbing year, was 2018) So on one hand, I feel like I have a long way to go before I can bop out the door feeling like myself. On the other hand, it sure looks like I have the motivation to find that stronger more durable version of myself in my 40s. (resolution: keep cooking the food I like) More to come.

Respawn Time August 2023 - 363 lbs. at 6'3 January 1st 2024 - 306 lbs. at 6'3 I made nutritional changes with no other adjustments. Now is the time for the full respawn, hitting it from all angles, Nutrition, Physical, and Mindset. Nutrition Goals: 100% compliance to my current eating regime unless I going out with my family for dinner. No meals at home that don't meet my goals. This will allow me to still enjoy social, and family meals without guilt. Physical Goals: Lift heavy things twice per week. Strength training plan is 2 days of BP, OHP, DL, SQ. One day a week of Cardio (Heart Health is important. I'm not getting any younger) Mindset Goals: 30 minutes 3 times per week engaging the mind. This could be a podcast, reading a book, listening to an audio book. Something that isn't just mindless scrolling. Accountability Goal: Log it all! I have created a OneNote and I am logging - my weight my activity did I remember my meds and supplements? what did I eat? how much water did I drink (goal is 120oz a day) did I complete all my tasks on the NF Journey app? did I log my miles in my Walk to Mordor? I am not counting calories or anything that detailed but tracking keeps me accountable. Too long have I sat on the back burner of my own life and health. No More!

Rise from thy slumber, ancient thunderer... awake now and remember ye Ancient Vigil. Ancient Thunderer, suffer not their profaning of our world; Though ye but one, ye the might of many. Thy Ancestors bid ye rise from thy slumber; answer true their call. Suffer not ye indolence, but bolster thy might and means, thy grim purpose known, That ancient hands remember well the strength of earth-stone and thy Spirit recall its memory in the mists. Wield storm as hammer, ancient stone your shield, And thine, too, shall be the fury of molten flame once more. Rage against the night and dark villains therein, Wrest from thy languor like a meteor expelled into the deep abyss of long night, And smite their remains upon the mountainside. Let none who oppose thy Ancient Vigil survive. Here lay the Tenets of my Ancient Vigil: [Suffer not their profaning our ancient lands]: Daily walk. [Wield storm as hammer, ancient stone thy shield, and molten flame thy fury]: Complete 2 strength workouts weekly. [Wrest from thy languor like a meteor]: Check-in on the Forums 3 times per week. [Thy Spirit recall its memory in the mists]: Eat 3 sources each of protein and veggies per day.

I enjoy this time of year. I love all the lights, and singing Christmas carols, and parties, and gifts. But it is busier, so I'm keeping it simple. Goal 1: Get dressed first thing in the morning before I head out to the kitchen Goal 2: Read my Bible at least a bit before I look at other screens Also: I'm not super happy with my fluff right now, as I have too much. But, right now is not the time to cut. I'm just going to focus on my eating skills and being mindful. The thing I'm going to super focus on this holiday season: 1) After I finish eating a treat just sit a few moments and think about how I feel ( usually that I want MORE) 2) Finding a fun distraction for a few moments, most likely a word game on my phone 3) Going and doing the next thing and waiting at least 15 minutes before getting seconds I'm working on this skill, but I don't know how much I will write about it here. Keeping the list of things I'm require myself to post helps me not put off posting. I'll probably say something about it sporadically though. My Christmas happy: My husband put up Christmas lights downstairs. And we have a tree downstairs, so it is a lovely spot to workout in.

I am going to set up a point system for this challenge. Just not today. The highlights of my status: Current Weight: 152 and holding stead for the past 3-4 months. Goal Weight: 140 Last challenge: I made it through 7/8 of my stronglifts 5x5 before getting struck with (1) plateauing (2) sleep deprivation and sinus infection and (3) Thanksgiving. I'm taking this 0 week off to try to get better. The tiny one is now 6 months old and (1) JUST started sleeping more this week after not sleeping for more than 4 hrs straight for 2 months and (2) still wants nothing to do with breastfeeding after ramifications of the patterns in our house following MFH's wrist surgery at the beginning of September. This week, after a long haul, I'm breaking up with the breast pump too. The tiny is doing excellently even as my milk supply really just isn't. It's not what I wanted, but it's where we are, and rationally it is ok. (emotionally is a whole other thing.) One positive of ending pumping is that when I'm hanging out in the house before and after work it will be easier to hold the tiny one or cuddle the small one on the couch after breakfast (as was the case this morning). The small one is still getting used to having to share my attention, so more time with him is really special for both of us. The plan, roughly: Following plateauing a bit with 5x5 I am going to: Continue to lift 2-3x a week - realistically 2x in the face of work schedule. Back off on back squat and OHP volume Work in kettlebell presses, front squats, split squats, and other variations Keep deadlifts, bench press, and barbell rows Work on joint stability and core mobility and strength **If I want to ride my bike more I am going to climb less. The weightlifting lets be find my weaknesses and target them, where too often a climbing body can adapt to weaknesses and hide them. I need to be outside more and with the end of breastfeeding/pumping I am going to reclaim my bike commute - ice and snow allowing. There's only so much time in the day though, so IF I ride to the gym I won't climb. If I drive to the gym I will climb. But there may be days that riding beats out everything else too. I went down to 2 meals/day part way through the last challenge, and it really suits me. I used to do this pre-pregnancy with my oldest, and a bit in between kids. If I am biking more, I'm going to have to make sure I take enough food to work, and don't let the desire to lose 10 lbs put me in a calorie hole at 3 pm on my way home to pick up kids. I will drink water. Promise.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? After stumbling on Week 4, I finished last challenge strong so I'm just going to keep on rolling through the holidays and into 2024. What's new for Level 3: Combat I am switching to Stronger by Science's General Beginner workout, which is 3x a week. Exploration After a good 5k last week, I'm high on that cardio life. Probably won't get a lot of running in due to weather and darkness, but I'm actually enjoying my bike trainer more than I had been previously, so looking to keep that going, aiming for 2 sessions/week. Social Holiday festivities plus usual socializing Cantrips I thought this was the level I got a 4th cantrip, but it's not, so no change here Spells I now have 4 1st level spell slots and 2 2nd level spell slots. As in the game, I can cast 1st level spells with 2nd level slots, but I only get 1st level points unless I do something extra to level it up. Channel Divinity - I'm going to tweak Turn Undead to getting rid of things, not just cleaning out the fridge. Roll 1d8 and pitch or donate that number of items. New Spells: My second level spells are as follows - Aid - go to an appointment Borrowed Knowledge - Trinity classes Calm Emotions - meditation Continual Flame - campfire Gentle Repose - no screens after 9 Lesser Restoration - baking Locate Object - cleaning Prayer of Healing - attend monthly healing service I start the challenge at 932 points out of 2,700. I don't expect to level up this challenge, but if I have a successful challenge, I get a sticker for my workout binder! I'm up to 25 hit points when fully healthy, and have 3 hit dice. I will be fighting Shadows: In addition to taking attacks if I miss a workout, I'll also be targeting phone use. Last holiday challenge, I had a lot of success limiting wasted phone time. So this challenge, I'm making a rule that I cannot play games on my phone at home. When I'm out and about and need a distraction, fine, but at home I can find plenty of other things to do. Every time I break this rule, I take 1d6 lightning damage. I kind of feel like I'm forgetting something, but that's enough to be getting started. Happy Holidays, nerds!

I don't really have the energy for challenge goals this time around, so I'm thinking of just showing up, checking in here occasionally, and trying to cheer everyone else on. One thing I'll definitely be checking in for is Squatmas. If you're not familiar, here's an explanation much better than I could put together: Although Willy's no longer with us, I think that this is a great tradition that should live on. I encourage everyone to do some lifting at Christmas, take a video if you're able, and come here to talk about it. If you can't do it on the day, do another day nearby, and if 50/50 isn't a good fit for you, pick reps and weights that sound good. It's all about being together for a last big lift of the year.

Alright, a week late but I was skipping "week zero" anyway. Here's the final challenge for the year! I'll keep it *very* simple: just try to get through the holiday period with as little weight damage as possible. Not that that's going to be easy. There are several food extravaganza days planned, with back-to-back days on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and again on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Plus it's "Sinterklaas" - the original Santa Claus - here this week, which means there are massive amounts of chocolate, cookies and candy in the house, and I can only stay out of that when we don't have any around... 😅 There are going to be enough red days for me not to bother with logging anything this challenge. It's a bad month for the diet. December and early January are ALWAYS bad that way. I don't need a log to remind me that, yes, it was bad. I also didn't meet my steps goals last month because going on walks is not as fun when it's constantly raining. While December should be better, I'm not going to pin myself to any numbers. Workouts are only *slowly* starting up again as of this week. Haven't done any exercising in the past weeks because of a shoulder injury, so I'll just take it easy at first and see how my shoulder handles things. Basically, this month will boil down to "I'm just checking in occasionally"... 😁 I'm not intentionally ghosting the forums, but it may seem so at times... Thus... Here's Kristin Hersh (feat. Michael Stipe) with "Your Ghost". 😅 I've always loved this song. Hence why it was #122 when I made my top 300 back in 2016. It might help that this was released back when R.E.M. was one of my favourite bands of the moment, so Michael Stipe's involvement definitely raised the profile for me. Although I'm pretty sure that, even though Stipe's voice adds to the song, the song is more than strong enough on its own. Too bad Kristin Hersh never replicated its success. That I know of, at least. Kristin Hersh - Your Ghost Is it me, or does Kristin Hersh resemble Zooey Deschanel a little in this video? 😍

Like many other nerds, I have a weight goal I'm aiming at for the end of the year. I'd really like to be in the 250's by the end of the year. As of right now, that's just over 5 pounds. Under normal circumstances, I think I could certainly buckle down and get there. But these are holiday conditions. Peach comes home from college in just under 3 weeks and then a week after that we head back up north for our family Christmas celebration. I don't want to let the holidays interfere with my goals but I also plan to enjoy the holiday and allow myself some grace. My plan is to lose as much as I can before the family get together. Once I get back I'll hopefully have just enough time to get back down to the pre-travel weight by the end of the year. 5 pounds seems like a stretch but I'll take what I can get. So here's the plan Lose It streak of 30 I lost my streak logging food over Thanksgiving so I'm currently on day 5. Logging every day until Christmas Eve I can get to 30. No Excuses Meal Plan Just keep doing what I've been doing. I still eat chocolate or cookies or whatever but it has to fit into my calorie budget. It just requires smart choices if we go out to eat and not letting those frequent 'exceptions' derail me Modified Holiday Fitness Plan This is where the grace comes in. I've been taking a break from the gym after I hurt my back but it's time to get back there. But I'm also busy and I'm tired of getting home after dark. I don't want to stress over it but don't want to skip the gym entirely. Plus workouts while traveling aren't really a possibility. Part I - pre-travel 1 walk per week 1 gym strength workout per week prescribed back stretches 3 times per week Part II - Travel portion Christmas Vacation Fitness Bingo! While traveling I'll try to accomplish as many squares from the fitness bingo card as possible. See below how to play along or help award prizes Bonus goal - Daisy Squares I'm attempting to make a blanket for Peach made from crocheted daisy squares. I need somewhere from 70-130 depending on the size of the blanket. I currently only have 22. I need to crochet as many as possible hoping to finish this by Christmas.