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To quote the great LL Cool J I been here for years now that you've got that ear worm ... onto the main event! Goal 1 - Avenue of Giants Half-Marathon Keeping up the training and running the race! A minimum of 2 midweek runs plus a long run on the weekend Goal 2 - Reduce Booze 5 drinks per week, minimize the each day drink Goal 3 - Finish and Release RPG content I've beenn working on an ICRPG module called A Port in A Space Storm, and I wanna get it released by end of the challenge Goal 4 - Keep Reading I need to keep reading and expanding my knowledge base Just finished David Edding's The Elenium trilogy and moved on to The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany. This is the list of recommendations I have currently - not sure I'll read all of them but definitely worth look into Black Easter by James Blish The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson Star of the Unborn by Franz Werfel The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle Jean le Flambeur trilogy Imperial Radach trilogy Revenger trilogy Book of the New Son Culture novels by I.M. Banks Eisenhorn Omnibus Ravenor omnibus The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester Random Acts Of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack Stand On Zanzibar by John Brunner Startide Rising (David Brin) Heart of the Comet (David Brin and Gregory Benford) Hyperion (Dan Simmons)

I decided not to pigeonhole myself into another theme and want to weasel my way out halfway through. I figured by keeping it neutral I can use what inspiration I want so long as I maintain discipline. A few things are inspiring me right now: Diablo 4, the Death Wolf from Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Remnant 2 archetypes, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Mistborn and Bronze Era Bodybuilders. I realize this is a myriad of different things but collectively it’s keeping me topped off with ample amounts of inspiration. But, anyways, besides allowing this challenge to be more free form, it also allows me to focus on something I’ve wanted to implement since fitness became a part of my life. That is the philosophy of wolflean. If you’re familiar with David Gemmell, one of my favorite authors of all time, he would sometimes describe his warrior characters as being “wolf-lean”. I first discovered this word many, many years ago and the ideal behind it has been burned into my brain ever since. The aesthetic behind the word is apparent but also the mindset and what it takes to become wolflean has always been with me. I’m going to take my inspiration from DCC (Dungeon Crawler Carl) and Remnant 2 archetypes to create a little RPG adventure for myself for the gamifying aspects of this challenge. Let’s start with that: Archetype: Challenger Trait: Strongback Accumulate 500 pull-ups/chin-ups this challenge This equates to 100 pull-ups a week, which is 14.2857143 a day. Let’s round up to 15 Grease-the-groove is the best way to get this done, unless a workout calls for pull-ups or chin-ups. Use 20# weighted vest at least 1x a week Bonus: Complete the Murph WOD with the vest. Damage Perk: Close Quarters 1-2x a week KB complex The whole point is to get in a quality metcon and break a sweat…maybe even second guess my fitness choices. GET. AFTER. IT. Focus on double KB’s This can be done AFTER a workout or on a separate day altogether Team Perk: Intimidating Presence Core Work Daily aka Adamantine Abs I neglect my core more often than I should. Not this challenge. Core must be worked at every workout and on non-training days, I need to spend 3-5min on a core workout. This could be as simple as hollow holds or loaded carries Utility Perk: Powerlifter The focus is SQUATS & BENCH PRESS Back squat, front squat, hack squat – focus on utilizing these 3 Barbell bench press – focus on the getting stronger with bench Wear weight belt, knee sleeves, wrist wraps and “proper shoes” *more on these below* Utility Perk: Face of Danger Clean eating and quality sleep Shoot for veggies at least 1x meal a day Generally this isn’t an issue, but it’s nice to put a little pressure on to make it happen every day The goal is: 200g of protein a day. This would be the only macro I would track. Sleep is a whole other monster in itself- but napping and getting to bed ASAP during the work week does wonders. Nap on training days Try and get to bed by 11pm Su-Th These perks are from the archetype: Challenger from Remnant 2. It’s an upcoming souls-like shooter and a sequel to the smash hit, Remnant: From The Ashes. They just released an IGN special showcasing the Gunslinger archetype and on one of the menu screens it shows the Challenger archetype as well. When I saw the names of these I was instantly inspired. According to my source, the Challenger showcase is set to premier sometime soon - possibly in the next week. Now, let's focus on my gym gear. I’m also adding an RPG twist on this and all these items are directly inspired by DCC. I had a LOT of fun coming up with these Current Gear: Heavyweight Title Belt of the Naga Berserker Type: Legendary Weight Belt Description: The Naga Berserker is renowned for its fighting prowess and insane levels of strength. Out of all the Naga subclasses, the Berserker is legendary for its insane constrictive power and consistent winning streak for the Naga Ultra Body Building contest held each Summer. Able to squeeze the life out of a full-grown elephant with ease, the last thing you want to do is tangle with these guys up close (or go head to head with them in a bodybuilding contest). This title belt is made from the thickly shed skin of the winningest Naga Berserker of all time, Sssamuel Gunther Sssullivan the Third, allowing the wearer to retain some of his residual strength. The belt will fasten down with force so take a deep breath, pose like you mean it and become the Peach Daddy you were born to be. Stats: +5 to STR +2 CON Special Ability: Braced Core With Braced Core, the lifter can typically lift about 2-5% more weight. Placebo effect? Maybe. They always say physicality is 87% mental! Embody the spirit of Sssamual Gunther Sssulivan III and GIT GUD, BRO! Those weights aint lifting themselves! When barbell squatting or deadlifting, there’s a 12% chance to hit a PR +1 to INT Once buckled, the lifter is granted a temporary buff called: Sssmart Lifter Sssmart Lifter activates for the duration of the working set. This seemingly small buff reminds the lifter of all the times they haven’t used a weight belt and the injuries that followed. Way to go, dummy! On the plus side, this buff gives you a 50% boost in confidence immediately thereafter. This increases an additional 15% if you flex on ‘em. Bonus Buff: Berserker Mode If paired with rock music, there is an additional 5% chance to hit a PR. Chance to break out in an air guitar solo equals 100%! Enchanted Azure Knee Sleeves of the Rickety Bone Mage Type: Epic Knee Sleeves Description: Bone Mages, while very powerful and deadly, are one hit away from becoming a pile of dusty bones. Most bone mages wear protective cloaks, light armor and dope up on copious amounts of vitamin D3 to ensure their precious skeletons stay together without tendons and muscle. Well placed knee sleeves while carrying the whole team on their back ensures a couple more seconds in the fight and prevents early onset of Osteoporosis. You’re still a glass cannon but maybe now you’re closer to bullet proof glass! Stats: +2 to CON Special Ability: Ass-to-Grass When you slide these knee sleeves on you have a 33% chance to get ass-to-grass on your barbell squats. Knee popping may be a thing, but nothing says “deep squat” like when your juicy, marshmallow butt hits your calf muscle. Bonus Buff: Lawn Mower If you manage to go ass-to-grass on an entire set then there is a 80% chance your next set mimics the last. All reps on the previous set must be lower than 90 degrees. How loooooow can you go?! Obsidian Wrist Wraps of the Master Assassin Type: Legendary Wrist Wraps Description: Whether striking from the shadows with a well placed knife to the spine or vaulting on rooftops like your Ezio Auditore, master assassins have been stalking their prey for centuries. These wraps don’t just protect your wimpy little wrist joints - they solidify them! Stabbing unsuspecting foes in the back is hard work, ya know?! Also, they just look cool as hell. Throw up your cloak hood and sharpen your hidden daggers cuz shit’s about to get messy. Stats: +4 to DEX +2 to STR Special Ability: Gym Reaper Once these wraps are synched tight you all of a sudden feel like the baddest motherfucker on the planet. Nothing can stop you. Especially exercises that require the use of wrist wraps, like: the bench press. You gain a 90% boost on your arm durability and stability for the duration of your workout. You also increase your likelihood of not needing a spotter by 6%. But, who are we kidding - you should use one anyways! Situational Buff: Commander Taggart Special When performing reps of 5 or lower, you have a 55% chance to bare your teeth and dig yourself out of the hole when things get heavy and difficult. Never give up, never surrender! However, if you bounce the barbell off your chest to get the rep then that % drops to 5%. Bonus Buff: It’s a Wrap! Every time you re-tighten these wraps there’s a 20% chance that your recovery time receives a boost. It starts at 1% and works its way up to 5% for a total of 5 stacks. If you manage to get to 5 stacks, then lactic acid has no effect on you….at least until the next day. I never said this would cure DOMS! T-800 Terminator Hi-Tops Type: Unique Item Note: You can only have 1x unique item equipped at a time. Description: Come with me if you want to live. Introduced in 1985 (and just a year after The Terminator hit theaters), the Nike Terminator’s were the first signature shoes introduced to a specific college basketball team: the Georgetown Hoyas. These unique hi-top sneakers offer a myriad of benefits, including saving John Connor and sometimes trying to hunt him down depending on what timeline. Either way, Skynet has a back-up plan and showing up naked through a time portal is priority #1! Like well built killing machines, these sneakers give you the ability that seemingly reinforces all the bones in your body, making you nearly indestructible. When paired with lifts like squats and deadlifts, The T-800’s are absolute tanks and offer a unique skill unlike any other sneaker out there. So, flip-trick your sawed off shotgun like the badass you are and let Cyberdyne Systems know who’s boss: Hasta la vista, baby! Stats: +2 Vertical Jump +1 Speed +1 Agility +1 Ankle support +2 Squats Special Ability: I’ll be Back! When active, you gain a 5% strength bonus when performing Back Squats and a 2% strength bonus to ALL back exercises. If you go 3+ or more sets of Back Squats, there’s a 20% chance to activate a buff called: WD40. This buff essentially loosens up your joints, specifically your hips so you can get lower with each rep and hit a squat groove that would make Shakira jealous. As you know, these hips don’t lie. Unique Skill: Weed Wacker When wearing these shoes and squatting, your chance to activate the special ability Ass-to-Grass is increased by 25%. If you are already wearing an item that has this skill then the overall chance of activation is an additional 30%. You might as well start up your own lawn service after this! Unique Skill: Neural Net Processor CPU With this unique skill, you are able to learn, assess and reassess your form with different ways to tweak your lifts to your benefit and advantage. This ability to “learn” and prevent bad habits is huge as a seasoned lifter. This is a passive ability and is always active so long as you are wearing these shoes. This automatically garners a: +1 Squat +1 Bench +1 Deadlift +1 Olympic Lifts +1 Overhead Press Battle Armor of the Fallen War Hero Type: Celestial Weight Vest Description: The WOD known as “Murph” is legendary in its own right. Named after the fallen war hero, Michael Murphy, “Murph” was the epitome of courage and selflessness. You only WISH you could be as badass as him. In honor of this brave soldier, anyone wearing a 5.11 Weighted Vest has a 5% for the piece of gear to be legendary status or higher. Those bastards lucky enough to get a celestial type are in the 1% of the population. However, the celestial perks on this chest rig only works when performing the “Murph” WOD. But, if the “Murph” WOD is done with this vest, it unlocks a vast amount of abilities for 29 hours after the workout is completed. Outside of that, the perks are standard and downright basic. #EmbraceTheSuck #ThankYouMichaelMurphy Stats: +1 Pull-ups +1 to Rucking +1 Grip Strength When “The Murph” ability is active. *Note: these perks, skills and abilities only activate on the completion of the “Murph” WOD using this vest. These advantages only last for 29 hours.* +2 STR +2 END +3 to Push-ups +3 to Pull-ups +3 to Squats 50% boost to confidence 50% boost to sleep recovery 100% boost to “sense of accomplishment” Special Ability: Honor thy Fallen When completing the “Murph” WOD, you gain a sense of pride and integrity that wasn’t there before. If you think this workout was hard then try to remember those that have fought bravely for your nation and sacrificed themselves so you could remain free. Do NOT take this lightly. The DOMS you feel are only a small reminder but upon completion of this workout, there’s a 14% chance you recover 14% faster than you normally would. Special Ability: One in the Tank After completing this workout, there’s a 5% chance the next time you do this workout that you’ll gain a fraction of the perks that are only active when the WOD is already completed. This could easily garner a better overall time each time you decide to do the “Murph” WOD if you’re smart about it and keep up the consistency. Special Bonus Buff: Inspire the Masses No one should go in alone and when completing the Murph, or upon full completion, there is a 60% chance that your hard work inspires others to join you. It’s much easier to have a teammate encourage you to keep going than the negative self-talk sabotage that happens when you're flying solo. BRCC Black Multicam Snapback/Warrior Poet Black Multicam Snapback Type: Rare Description: Nothing super special about these hats. They do what they are supposed to do: keep the sun out of your eyes and the hair out of your face. If you’re one of those guys who can pull-off a backwards hat, then kudos to you. Women find it sexy! But my guess is…you’re not one of those lucky few. Sorry, Charlie! Stats: +4 to “Keeping Hair out of Face” +2 to “Keeping Sun of of Eyes” Bonus Buff: Flip it in Reverse If you look good wearing a cap backwards then you are rewarded with a 35% chance to activate the Billy Badass buff. This ability gives you a +1 STR when performing sets of 3 or more on any exercise. All this to say, guys and gals: I'm letting my creative freak flag fly. For the most part, the perks, numbers and % don't really mean a whole lot. I will try and incorporate all the gear stats into my workout write-ups just to satiate my creativity and keep me engaged, though. Thanks for reading through everything if you made it this far! Time to kick ass on another 5-weeks! *BONUS CONTENT* Half way through this challenge, I will implement what's called: A Challenge Respec. This allows me to re-allocate my skills and goals in a way that I see fit and/or benefits me in the long run. Chances are, I will activate my "Mistborn Themed Challenge". This isn't necessarily here to make @Elastigirl happy, but I'm sure she'll appreciate it either way . Wolf

I'm carrying over my goals from the previous challenge round in an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of way. However, that could double as a reason to get complacent. It's called challenge for a reason and there's always a way to push further. So I'm tweaking those goals to take me a step further, without getting overly ambitious and setting myself up for disappointment. MOAR DUMBBELL Ironically enough, I do have a fever as I'm typing this and it's kept me from my workouts for a few days. Can't wait to get back into lifting. In the meantime, I got myself some proper metallic handles, which means I can further up the weight on my dumbbells. On the flipside, this means a jump from my 250gr plastic grips to 2kg ones and with the plates I have available, I was forced to drop from 10 to 9kg for now. I'm telling myself this is actually good, as it's forcing me to drop a bit and ease back into it once I'm over the plague, but there's no doubt I'll be investing in more plates real soon. In the meantime, the goal for this challenge is to stick to doing a workout every day. FUEL DA FIRE Last challenge I was content to just punch in the data of whatever I ate in my app. This time I'm taking it a step further and going back to my meal planning, hopefully also those grand macro sniping days even. From simply tracking and being mindful to intentionally making an effort to improve. This is going to be a goal that involves several steps, so here's the breakdown: Weigh myself every Monday morning and re-calculate my macros based on my updated weight. Make sure each night I have home cooked food to bring to work for lunch. And, you know, actually bring and eat it. Estimate my expected daily eating from the night before and add it on my tracking app in advance. Adjust accordingly to fit macros. Hopefully stick to it, then do a reality check and adjust data by the end of the day according to what was actually consumed. Weigh as much of my food as possible and accurately track it on my nutrition app. Adjust eating to fit daily macros. YAY CREATIVITY! I don't think I need to have a "do something fun every day" goal from last challenge any more, as I'm doing pretty well on the fun and self care department alright. I do however want to use this bit to hold me accountable for two things. First, the Gygax 75 challenge that @Jarric was kind enough to run with once I mentioned it a while back. I kinda feel morally obliged to participate as the instigator, but I've also tried to do it once in the past and dropped it halfway because I had no one hyped to actually play it, so I'm hoping the accountability and creative exchange on that thread will see me to the end this time. Second, I somehow got a group all hyped up to have me run 3e Shadowrun for them! Thing is, the Eurowars caught their attention and they all made characters from Kosovo, of all places, so I can't exactly rely on most of the published stuff that's set in Seattle and the northern US. To start with, I need to brush up the rules, maybe even write a short digest for me and them, because last time we played an introductory fight and in retrospect I realized I was running a mix of those, 5e SR rules I remembered and rules I pulled out of my butt on the fly (in case you didn't know, SR is a notoriously rules-heavy, crunchy system). After that, I need to consistently do some reading and prep work for their adventures. As a GM, I tend to do a lot of improv, on the fly. This isn't gonna carry me far in this case, so I'm making it a goal to hold me accountable and make sure I consistently put in the work needed. BAD HABITS DIE HARD Late last year, I started a new job after 4+ years of effective unemployment and got out of an 8 year relationship. One of the things that happened in the aftermath was me picking up a smoking habit again and I wanna drop it before it sets in for good. It helps that smoking isn't allowed at work, so I only have a couple later in the day, especially if I go out with friends. I'm practically halfway there, so I need to kick the habit for good. MAKE RASSLIN' CONSISTENTLY AGAIN Another thing that took a hit due to the work and relationship changes late last year was my nu-NGW rasslin' narrative. I'm aware most people don't quite get it, can't keep up or don't bother (besides maybe @Tanktimus the Encourager and @EricMN when he's around) but it's a fun process for me and I want to bring it back. Or maybe not let it die a silent death again. Challenge tracking spreadsheet on my signature has been updated with a new sheet for this challenge. Gonna do a rasslin' recap next. Welcome one, welcome all, let's have a good one this go!

THE CHALLENGE!!! STARPUCK FIGHTS THE BEAST I've fought this beast before. He's often goes by the title Gloom Monster, but we're referring to him as The Beast on this challenge. He gets more powerful as summer ends and autumn gives way to winter. He's a little stronger this time around, because our heroine has been fighting a side of apathy lately. One of my greatest weapons against that is momentum. But to get momentum, you have to get a first step underfoot and follow it up with a second, and third and so on. Bio: ON TO THE CHALLENGE Doing much of the same old same old! In fact, I found a google sheet tracker I made in May 2021 and just changed a few of the things I plan on tracking. I really need to get my food consistency back in place. I do fine at work and during the early part of the week. Going into the Thursday gaming night and weekend tends to unravel full tilt. Exercise is not a problem ever, but I'd like to be more focused in what I am choosing to do. Art is back on the table, on top of me trying to practice three instruments at once. (I did mention Ranger, right?) Goals: Track food daily. If unable to track on a weekend meal, eat sensibly, guesstimate cals. Exercise 5x a week. Art some times a week. Music - try to get 3-4 practices on each instrument, length of time not important. (** Might switch this to amount of time on each per week. Some days I get on a roll, and might jam out for a good amount of time on just one instrument.) Track Spending. I gotta get this under control too. As a side note, I am 8 sessions into our latest TTRPG game; Vampire the Masquerade. I am SO into this game right now, so lots of art for it has been kicked out. It's also where I have borrowed the idea of fighting against the beast within. For vampires, that beast is their monstrous side. For me, it's apathy and inconsistency as we hit the S.A.D heavy days. I'll try and catch up on sharing some art (and a quick backdrop as to what it means.) Vampire Art Taking Zero Week to get slowly back into a better groove after this last hurrah, lol. See ya Rebels tomorrow!

Howdy friends? I've been a busy lad these days and haven't taken the time to formerly launch this challenge, even though I'm informally kind of doing it already. Life is its usual hectic broth and it's time for me to learn to create boundaries and make them stand. Crafting a bowl for the broth, if you will. I have two weeks of holidays ahead of me, so this is the perfect time for this though, as I am still a baby padawan in the subtle art of not giving a fuck, I've foolishly scheduled a few work meetings that should help make projects that weigh on me move forward. The important thing here, I think, is to acknowledge that I am untrained in the art of setting boundaries and that I am on a path to learning. Learning can only occur if I take things seriously and put real dedication to getting better at saying no. On a parallel track, I've collected good ideas in your challenges and am finally giving in to making this kind of more of a game. It seems to be working so far but this is also a work in progress. Objectives There are things I can't accept as being tolerable anymore: prioritize sleep. Get to bed before 10 pm, sleep with the windows open. eat! Two meals a day, carbs, meat, veggies, at a minimum. Breakfast is a bonus (looking forward to some Englishlike breakfasts these coming days). replace coffee with herbal tea. 2 mugs of coffee a day are ok. And there are the things I reall need to put forward for once: learn German through Duolingo (courtesy of all of you who spoke about it in your challenges, know that you have helped this chap. ^^ ). Not being fluent in German is being a burden on my career path, time to change that. practice regular exercise via Darebee's Hero's Journey (idea courtesy of @Scaly Freak, we'll see how this goes). Updates will be mainly my framing of the hero's journey, starting now: I have never been someone for training. I was more of the chosen of the gods kind, the one they would both laugh at and support, to keep him humble. I'm not used to making decisions, I am mostly a tool with a purpose. A good tool, good at its purpose, handled by proficient if sometimes joking hands. I bear a curse: the one that everything that can go wrong in my life without breaking me will go wrong. I also bear a boon, the one that everything that absolutely must work out always does and, somehow, I always find the resources, will and skills in myself to move forward and succeed. This time was no different. I was not ready but I was prepared. Somehow, my life had lead me to this, got me barely prepared, just enough to succeed if I stuck to it, not enough for anything on the way to look easy. I was level I, no one but a commonner. And the wilderness is calling. I grab my backpack, only a few things in it. The ones I need. A frozen wind comes whipping on my face. I look up, open my arms and laugh: this time as well, I am not alone. I nod to acknowledge the presence who watches me, laughing. Once again, I will be her comedian and we will work together to make the play worth watching. From now on, I know. I am a handful of hay tossed around, but a fun one to watch. My domain is the unexpected, the turnabout, bad or good, that comes when one isn't ready for it, and the unbelievable strenght of the one who rises through it. I am a paladin with dirt and the unforeseen as my armor. A Paladin of the Impromptu.

DISCLAIMER: This challenge has nothing to do with the show Supernatural. Sorry if the title is misleading. Late to the game, but blessed to be able to join this challenge. After some serious (but not severe) life challenges... ... I've found myself lost amid the chaos again. Bad eating habits and not staying active have taken a toll on my health lately. I used to be the guy who hardly gets sick, but now in the course of two months I've had a respiratory infection and a stomach virus, and my stress levels have been higher than typical. So, I return to something that used to both bring me joy and help me stay consistent with my workouts: lifting heavy objects Upon visiting their site this morning, I came across a new-to-me RPG style workout program called Pathfinder. After a closer look, I've decided it's a perfect way to get back into caring for myself with some physical training. And, as has become part of my true nature, there will also be plenty of poetry to accompany this adventure. PHYSICAL GOAL: Lift heavy objects as often as possible. I've had to modify my goals since the first time I posted this, but I'm beginning to realize that I need to return to simple and practical. I'm finding opportunities to run but struggling to find time to follow a prescribed workout routine, so I've decided to start lifting heavy things again. This includes cinderblocks, logs, stones, kettlebells, weights, and my own body whenever the opportunity presents itself. They key is to lift mindfully, focusing on specific muscles/muscle groups and specific movements. NUTRITIONAL GOALS: I will eat mindfully, selecting foods that nourish my body and don't leave me feeling blah after eating them. From the Harvard School of Public Health: "Eating mindfully means that you are using all of your physical and emotional senses to experience and enjoy the food choices you make. This helps to increase gratitude for food, which can improve the overall eating experience. Mindful eating encourages one to make choices that will be satisfying and nourishing to the body. However, it discourages “judging” one’s eating behaviors as there are different types of eating experiences. As we become more aware of our eating habits, we may take steps towards behavior changes that will benefit ourselves and our environment." Seven practices of mindful eating From SAVOR: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life Honor the food. Acknowledge where the food was grown and who prepared the meal. Eat without distractions to help deepen the eating experience. Engage all senses. Notice the sounds, colors, smells, tastes, and textures of the food and how you feel when eating. Pause periodically to engage these senses. Serve in modest portions. This can help avoid overeating and food waste. Use a dinner plate no larger than 9 inches across and fill it only once. Savor small bites, and chew thoroughly. These practices can help slow down the meal and fully experience the food’s flavors. Eat slowly to avoid overeating. If you eat slowly, you are more likely to recognize when you are feeling satisfied, or when you are about 80% full, and can stop eating. Don’t skip meals. Going too long without eating increases the risk of strong hunger, which may lead to the quickest and easiest food choice, not always a healthful one. Setting meals at around the same time each day, as well as planning for enough time to enjoy a meal or snack reduces these risks. Eat a plant-based diet, for your health and for the planet. Consider the long-term effects of eating certain foods. Processed meat and saturated fat are associated with an increased risk of colon cancer and heart disease. Production of animal-based foods like meat and dairy takes a heavier toll on our environment than plant-based foods. I do not plan to switch to a plant-based diet, but I do plan to increase the amount of vegetables and fruits that I consume and reduce processed meats. MENTAL/SPIRITUAL GOALS: I will re-instate my morning practice. I will read and post one poem a day, as well as write a poem of my own every day. MORNING PRACTICE: 0415 wakeup prayer/contemplative meditation scripture reading breath work cold shower BONUS CHALLENGE: Read Becoming Supernatural and complete the recommended mindfulness exercises. And that is my challenge. As always, I am grateful to those of you who have faithfully encouraged me and followed me on this journey, even while I was away from the forums. I look forward to continuing with this new adventure.

RPGs (mostly pen&paper, but not exclusively) have been a massive part of my life for two decades. I mean I did marry my Shadowrun GM just over 18 years ago and we are raising children together. Sure we broke up a little while back, but thats just us coping with each of us changing. He's not a bad person. He really isn't. So. I'm to pick up the mantle of GM this week. I am working through Easter Weekend and after that I have most of the month of April off work, because I am lucky and blessed. Vacation-time for the win. The garden is calling me, or is that me jonsing after some green-therapy, either way, that'll happen. Plus some posture practice to get my back issues under control... lots of good pt happening.

Haha, finally after a couple of months of working (and years of talking). I finally starting a challenge with some goals! Stopping at a door in a dark hallway, and old building at the corner of Sol Luna Verde Academy of the Practical Arts, shadows long from the nearby magically ran glass lamps on the wall that weren't maintained well. A new area of school I discovered today, where I can finally start my new adventure. I breathed a sigh of relief when I confirmed the numbers over the large oak door open and seeing the flickering of candles shadows. It was late for the night starting a short holiday, peering through the door I noticed a dark haired man sitting at a desk facing away from the door. I gave a strong sturdy knock onto the large oak door that seemed to echo through the old stone halls. "Come in," the professor spoke with a welcoming low voice. I walked in noticing he hadn't moved from his position, but was steadily writing something in large book with a large white quill. My feet barely made a noise as I walked across the aged stone floor, feeling the heightened amount of energy in the room. The candles around the room, high on their wicks told me he was busy with something beyond my own controlled magical abilities. Feeling an eeriness of the silence besides the room's crackling fireplace and the professor etching away with his work. He looked over at me and gave me a nod with a stone face, he gestured the nearby soft chair for me to sit down. I smiled and had taken a seat. "How can I help you," the man asked still with a warm voice, but was still paying full attention on what he was writing. "I've come here to apply for the alternative study program," I said with a clear but shaky voice. The professor's quill stopped moving and the eeriness of power I felt changed, as the candles softened a little, replaced with a gentleness of welcoming warmth. "So you have found me..." He turned to me now with a warm smile, setting his quill aside. "Did you bring the needed papers?" "Yes," I said nervously, quickly opening my knapsack to pull out the small grouping of scrolls for the important papers I was told I would need to apply to the program. Papers that had shown the variety of classes I had taken over the last few years. Some from other schools and the new classes that I had been doing at this academy since I transferred last winter. Along with an essay to share my future goals, and how they may relate to a program that was going to help me get into an adventure. "Thank you," he said when I passed unopened scrolls to him, where he opened and quickly scanned over them. I couldn't help but notice that perhaps his smile was growing as he was looking over the papers. However knowing myself, that could easily be my own hope to get into the adventure's program. "Looks like you are able to meet the requirements for your classwork, everything looks good here." I noticed how he only quickly looked over the essay that had taken me too many painful writing hours. "I can see your passion to enter my program. I more than understand the hope of having a bit more than just being stuck with your nose in the book. I'm taking it you already discussed with your advisor on lengthening your years here. " I nodded and shrugged, feeling a little bit more relaxed after he brought up some of my requirements were met "I wasn't really planning on the fast track anyway." I barely had a clue where I was going, except I knew my joy of studying in the concrete walls was far from a personal joy. "My only worry is knowing how some students try to get into my program who may think this is the easier way through the academy." He was now sitting back in his desk chair turned to me, with his legs crossed toward me. "I hope you have your journal on you?" "Journal?" I felt a little faint. What did I forget, I never heard anything about a journal to have for requirements. "The journal, the academy requires you to have to be a magical user," he stated slowly not seeming worried by my response. "While also hoping you use it as part of the foundation of your magical skills." "Oh yeah..." I gave an apologized look, as I quickly pulled out the hot pink leather journal that I owned for the last last ten months. I gave a small thank you to wherever in the universe that I started a small habit sometime in the last two weeks when I handed it to him. I had good intentions with the journal, my difficulty was more of making a habit out of it. "Looks like you've gotten some work out of it." he noted as he held it in his right hand. Where I then noticed some black tattoos that covered the back of his hand, he closed his eyes for a moment. Not even moving to open the pages. "Hmm, yes a good strength of power in you. But not quite where I can accept you in the program fully... yet." He paused top open his eyes, and hand me back my journal. "Your magic, and use of tools isn't quite balanced." He caught my quick look of confusion, and gave me a look of reassurance. "I mean I would prefer a better habit with the journal. When you enter the program, you will be surprised by how much is in our world that can go unseen easily by everyone. Our world is interesting, and I need to be able to trust that you can survive the tasks I give you throughout your studies. Can't have any dead bodies in this class, the academy tends to frown on that." He gave a soft chuckle to his own joke. I nodded to him, "So what should I do instead Professor...." "Glen, Professor Ore Glen." He offered his hand to me for a handshake, "Nice to finally meet you Bouncer the Resilient. You'll see the last requirements you need to be able to take my class." He pointed to the journal I was working on getting back in my class. "Just a small quest, but enough to see if you can handle entering my program by the time the new year starts." He gave a nod, and a voice of optimism. "If you happen to fail them within the next five weeks. I know we can still work on getting you into the program. However, I have high hopes for you being able to enter soon enough. Plan on coming to see me in four weeks, and we'll see where you are at." He stood up to help walk me out, "Thank you Professor Glen," I said with a smile as I walked out into the slightly brighter hallway. "Remember the quests are in the front of the journal, easy to find and easy to go to. anything you can figure out to help you grow will also help." I nodded, confused what he meant being in my journal. Since I didn't see him open it. But I didn't feel it was the right time to ask question. ---------------------------------------- The walk to my dorm seemed to take forever, but knowing I better wait to check the goals until I could plan it out. When I lit the lamps and candles in the rooms to make it easier to read. Opening it, I found his hand writing on the first page with the black in. To my relief the goals were easy enough, however a tad boring then I had hoped. I already had been doing most of these goals. Taking a breath, I realized that the end of the term for studying was going to be long. But hopefully I was going to figure out how to do something a bit more interesting, soon enough. Copied from last challenge/slightly edited: 5 main goals: Write a "Daily To Do List" daily (technically I have a page for homework and another page for everything else, but if I write anything down on one page I'm more likely to use the other. Getting words on the page to start reserving energy on actively working on my to do list). Write 444 words a day It's NaNoWriMo... I'm embracing the writing, with a tracker within the fun game (so I don't have to remember to actually track it). Walk to work on Sundays the one days the buses don't go in my new town, over 3 miles one way (few hills) this will be nothing but a good training to my dream park job that I found out is 6 miles one way (with many large hills) (or another day of the week to make it up, when my mom talks me into driving her borrowed truck). Apply to a New Job opening or Go to Interview once a Week I need a new second job/I want out of my janitor job... I always get a job if I actively look for one (easy enough goal to work on before winter break, and still have a ways to go on settling in my new home) Study 15 mins a day in both classes until Exams If I do 100% of studying daily, I'm giving myself $200 for free spending money (I can't believe I'm giving it to myself, but this is a habit I've been avoiding. And need some habit before I walk into upper level classes next semester). (Also changed my award from electronics, towards other things toward my goals but still more fun then I like spending). (Note exams are during Week Zero). I'm looking into adding a few goals, along with changes to happen after the first week of this challenge my Fall Semester will be ending (and Spring Semester will be starting probably around the time the next challenge starts). So far I've been 100% for awhile with writing this week (slowly working on catching up). Missed one journal day yesterday. My mom used her witty ways that I ended up driving to work (which was for the better that day in the end). Thinking of walking on Thanksgiving or Friday to the wooded area I haven't been to in over a month. Other goals, I need to write up my present future goals that I want to add. But knowing I need to take it slow. However, I do know sometime this challenge I'm adding an exercise routine, since I realized a dream job right now involves being very active outside.

After a massive string of losses, my previous challenge was a huge success. The difference that I had between my last challenge and the past 12 or so was pretty simple: I gave myself an ultimatum. Either I beat this challenge with no fuckups, or I quit NF forever. It worked and it made me have a mental shift with being on NF in general. My entire life I've been morbidly obese. When I was 8 years old, I remember being yelled at by the gym teach to do pushups. I could do 3 knee-pushus while all of my other classmates were doing the 20 they were supposed to do. People would lap me: we had to run 3 laps around the gym afterwards and I barely got 1 lap done. I still remember sitting against the gym wall, counting off by 3s or 4s and being stuck do some shitty activity. It never got any better, being bullied by a teacher and multiple bullies over the years. I ballooned up to 360 pounds before I found NF. The motivation for finally changing? My pants were a size 58 and they looked like clown pants. I remember tearing up when I said to myself, 'I weigh as much as an xbox'. And I also did some research and once people get to 400 or so pounds, their metabolism shits the bed. I didn't want to be dead by 30. In other words: I had to feel like things were a matter of life and death before I finally pulled my head out of my ass. While on NF and the past 38 challenges, I started off with wall push-ups and swinging a sledgehammer around. I love hammers. Always have. Never been a 'sword' person. The thought of crushing things into dust versus stabbing things appeals to me in a very primal way. As I began losing weight, I started distancing myself from my emotionally abusive toxic enmeshed relationship that I had been in for 12 years. Eventually, a rift started; as supportive people from NF were cheering me on, my (soon-to-be) ex was actively sabotaging my efforts. Also during this time, I started developing feelings for a mutual friend, as well as falling in love with a woman on NF. In a clusterfuck of emotions, it all came to a head a couple years ago at a Spartan Race. I tried to beat a Spartan Race when I was 300ish pounds and after 4 grueling hours, I was only able to get 1/2 - 3/4 through it. I hated myself because of this. But people on NF supported me and cheered me on. Then, I decided I would attempt to run another one in a couple months. People from NF and across the country were in my corner and made the trip to Boston, Massachusetts to run the race with me. In about 2.5 hours; we had done it. We beat it as a team. And the lady 'situations' finally exploded. I ended my 12 year relationship, applied to get my master's degree; and crashed mentally. It was hell dealing with my now-ex for 9 months as she looked for a place to move. Finally, in August of 2014; she was finally moved out. I needed to purge all of the toxic shit in my life. Toxic people. Toxic things. I took 95% of everything I owned and burned it all in a massive funeral pyre. The old mike was dead. There was only the person that I wanted to be left: Teros. Then I cleaned, painted, built a kitchen table, built a home gym, built a bookshelf, put down carpet. I got my first tattoo. My first piercing. I cut my hair after 3 years of growth. I got dreadlocks. I got accepted into school. I started MMA classes. I went to camp NF (first time traveling and first time on a plane). I reinvented everything about myself. Rather that letting other dictate who I was and how I should act; I gave the world the middle finger and carved out who *I* was and who deep down *I* wanted to be. I also took a year off from dealing with any women, because I knew that I was a wreck emotionally. I made my own world. As time wore on, I started falling *hard* for a woman that I wanted to be with. She is exactly what I wanted. I got close to a couple other rare women that I developed feeling for as well but I didn't know what to *do* with these emotions. I started to become complacent. I was still losing weight, having lost a grand total of 120 pounds; but I still wasn't at my goal. Work and school were draining me, and then I started an internship which pushed myself from passionate into apathy. I felt myself falling, slowly, and I didn't know what to do. I drifted away from NF more and more, as I felt like there was nothing to say, I beat myself up more, I started getting suicidally depressed, and after a year, I decided that I just needed someone to talk to. I needed friends irl. So I signed up on a dating website with no intention of being with anyone. The woman that I had fallen in love with had her own demons to deal with and drifted further and further away. There was nothing I could do to convince her that I want to be with her, through thick and thin, that I want to grow old with her, that I want to start a family with her, spend the rest of my life with her. She just....wasn't there. I haven't given up on her yet. I just can't. When going on the dating website, I had shitshow after shitshow. Tons of attention from lots of broken women. Women that, when I look back on it now, where not WORTH my attention. I didn't want any of them... I wanted *her*, and as I learned more about these broken women, I realized just how much loss I felt. The following year, (bringing me to this past October) made me have very little faith in people. My best friend of 26 years took money from me and disappeared; and I have no idea what happened. If the love of my life and my best friend can both vanish; what does that say about other people? I was an island, isolating myself more, and eating junk. My depression came back, full force, and I felt worthless. I needed something to put a stop to this. That came in the form of my last challenge. What worked and finally had me pull my head out of my ass to start losing weight was a 'do or die' mentality. I either was going to get to my goal weight and get things done, or I was going to die. In my brain, I didn't have a choice to back out. Just like with the Spartan Races: once I was there....I was going to face it. Last challenge, I set up the stipulation that I don't deserve to call myself 'Teros' anymore if I'm just going to be a mopey fuck and let inferior and shitty relationships bog me down. No more albatross around my neck. I needed a reboot and to feel like I was an animal caught in a corner and needed to claw my way out. And once I got back into that 'do or die' mentality, everything clicked. And what that mentality did, was have me beat a Spartan Race, on my own, in roughly an hour: I realized that this is the only way I'm going to finish this quest. I've lost 120 pounds. I have another 40 or so to go. I have a TON of future plans that I haven't told anyone about. If I don't embrace my full potential, I'll be an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone. I refuse that. Starting from now on: if I do not pass any of my goals that I set out to do, then I fail, and I quit NF forever. The plan is simple, I'm either going to get to my fucking goal within the next few months or I'm gone. Do or Die. My theme this challenge is taken from one of my favorite games: Diablo. In Diablo, you had the option of creating a character and selecting [HardCore Mode]. In [HardCore Mode] or [HC], if your character died once, you lost all of your gear and levels. One life. So I've made a Hardcore Character that I will be 'playing' as, in this challenge. I choose the Crusader because he uses a hammer and a shield. As a friend of mine told me, 'Teros' means 'shield' in Greek. When I had this nickname back when I was playing videogames at age 7 or 8, I had no idea about this, but it's fitting. Also another reason I'm choosing [Crusader] is because of the purge-heavy theme. I made my banner as well: A Crusader shield with flames underneath. My [Hardcore Crusader] Challenge: 1) Purge the Body - I'm starting a whole30+. I'm eating whole 30, with Thanksgiving/Krampus being the ONLY flexible days for me. Everything else is 100%. 2) Purge the Mind - I'm purging things that distract me. a.) I'm purging Facebook and not going on at all. b.) I'm purging Youtube and not going on unless I need a link for goal #6. 3) TomeWork - A Crusader has trusty tomes of knowledge. This is multiple parts to complete: a.) (School) - Do my assessment paper b.) (School) - Do my first process recording c.) (School) - Do my second process recording d.) (Intern) - Do my client trainings e.) (Intern) - Organize paperwork f.) (Intern) - Built resource list g.) (Intern) - Start policy drafts h.) (Personal) - Finish anatomy picture book 4) Temptations of the Flesh - Purging physical temptations. a.) Purging any porn sites. b.) Only 3 evenings per week with 'ladyfriends'. 5) My Hammer - My workouts. I'm doing at least one of each: a.) Sledgehammer b.) Interval Jog c.) MMA class 6) My Shield - I'm doing something creative at least once per week (besides this whole challenge idea). This includes any of these (and what I would maybe need Youtube for): a.) Bellmyst Campaign b.) Painting c.) Claywork d.) Papermache e.) Anything else creative that might come up I have also signed up for another Spartan Race. All Paladin, Crusader, Hammer, and Shield pictures welcome as motivation.

The scouts of Nerd Fitness have set up a rough camp on outskirts of the savage lands. This area is filled now with demons, devils, orcs, goblins, mystical beasts, and other creatures after the outbreak late in the year last. You've just come from the more hospitable land to the North. Camp is not quiet as people seem to be coming and going quickly. A few fellow scouts you know wave to you, before you are stopped by a lean elf who looks you over, "I believe you should go see the scout leader, he said to send you his way as soon as you came into camp." Not one to leave the scout leader waiting you head over to the largest tent in the camp. You are let in by the guards there, and inside ... An older half-ork stands near the rear of the tent talking with a dragon like creature, both are speaking in hushed tones. As you enter he looks up and waves the dragon which slips out of the back flap of the tent. The guild leader moves with a sense of haste to you and greets you, "May the gods of the land find you well." He motions you over to a map sitting at a nearby table. "We've gotten word from a few scouts that the Black Legion Orcs are on the move. They were part of the group that aided the demon assault the Ranger Hall last season. Unfortunate the reports are spotty and we need better intelligence than that before we can send in the Rangers to mop up." He points an area you'd guess is several days travel from the encampment. "I believe based on what we know that the orcs are here, it is through the Eglast Forest, once an elf held land but with the events of last winter I'm not sure any elves are left. I need you to be my eyes and locate the Black Legion."

Kuros, through passed down stories that have become nothing more than legend, is known to most as the "Knight Warrior of the Books of Excalibur," but few would know it upon meeting this unassuming hero. Less bulky warrior and more agile ranger, with a mind sharper than any blade (except Brightsword, of course), Kuros is a servant of light, far more humble than the picture this old keeper of lore will paint for you. Always cloaked and seldom seen, it would be easy to mistake him for an assassin (a poor one at that if he is indeed seen), or a scout. Alas, this is not the case. Jack of all trades, but a master of none, except maybe stillness of mind. The sum total of his attributes is what makes him a force to be reckoned with. Any obstacle or any foe can be conquered, and the only limiting factor is his force of will. With the proper application of blade and bow, mind and manners, Kuros can equally well disarm both the hound of Hades or the daughter of Zeus. Ironically though, given his tremendous capability and power to sway the forces of evil, Kuros has not been seen for many years, and as we approach our darkest hour, the world needs all the heroes she can get. Whispers on the wind have become widespread rumor, and these tell of a broken husk of a man that was once humankind’s staunchest advocate. It is said that he has withdrawn from the world, grieving for a loved one who has passed from this life. If Kuros happens to be reading this right now, know this. This world is merely a doorway to the next life. You will see your beloved again, but not yet… not yet. Take heart. There are many more beautiful lives to preserve and the darkness is ever encroaching. The bell has been rung and the hour is now. The time to reforge ourselves into something new, something stronger, is here. I call upon all the hesitant and all the eager heroes of the world. Our world is at your mercy. Will you not answer her call? Hello everyone and sorry for the over the top RPGing. I had serious fun with that. I'm really looking forward to this experience. Such a cool site and idea. Anyways, my real name is Mike, I'm 27 years old and I'm looking to get fitter than ever. How fit? Like Gimli and Legolas had a baby and that kid grew up in the wild raised by wolves and surrounded by orcs level of fit. I like to do a little bit of everything to be honest with you. Traditional strength routines, cross-fit style circuits, sprint workouts, distance running, and climbing. If anyone's in the Idaho Falls area (just about to move out there from Virginia), let me know if you're looking for a workout partner. Also, that list is by no means exhaustive. I also like to snowboard, play ultimate frisbee and competitive online video gaming. My xbox live gamertag is Terra Unu if anyone wants to add me. Right now I play Overwatch and Left 4 Dead 2 (yes I know it's old) mainly, but I also occasionally get on Battlefield 4, Halo 5, Destiny, Diablo III, Titanfall 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops III. My favorite games of all time are Rygar, Wizards and Warriors, Donkey Kong 64, Goldeneye, Nightfire, Halo, Left 4 Dead, Jak and Daxter, Champions of Norrath, Fusion Frenzy, World of Warcraft, Counter Strike and the original Star Wars Battlefront games. This last part I'll end up posting in a more appropriate section of the forums, but I thought since I'm introducing myself, I might as well introduce another idea that I think would be great for the site (or terrible, not sure yet). What do you guys and gals think about all our character profiles and quests being accessible via a facebook-like network? I personally think it would be cool to check out and gain inspiration from other people's profiles and keep in touch with one another via a facebook-like interface, but in the style and format of this site with this specific community. Or should I just shut up and go use facebook? Ha, anyways thanks for reading and rebel on. Mike (AKA, Kuros) https://www.nerdfitness.com/character/191847

Ryuu1011 plays D&D 400/400hp Inventory: 0 Healing Potions (+50hp), 0g 0s Gold and Silver (Dollars and Cents), 0 Mana This challenge will be a direct continuation of my last challenge in both layout and for most of my goals. I have big obstacle course race coming up at the very end of this challenge on May 20, 2017 and since its called the Dragon OCR I figured there isn't a better time to do a D&D themed challenge. Goal 1: Train my Body for Adventure Continuing to use my Gymnastic Bodies Foundations classes as I continue to build strength, flexibility, balance, and movement. Using the money that I earned durring my last challenge I purchased GB's movement series and will be incorporating it into my weekly workout not too. Since my writs and elbows were getting a little sore by the end of the last challenge I've decided to scale down my handstand work for this challenge and have decided to double up on the movement classes to replace it. GB Foundations (UB, LB, C) x3 per Week ___/ 3 = ___/12 Stretch Series (FS, MS, TB) x3 per Week ___/3 = ___/12 Handstand Series x1 per Week ___/1 = ___/4 Movement Series x2 per Week ___/2 = ___/8 Workout Schedule- Mon- Walk, Upper body Tues- Movement, Middle Split Wed- Lower Body, Front Split Th- Thoracic Bridge, Handstand Fri- Movement, Core Sat-Rest, Play, or Run/Walk Sun-Rest, Play, or Run/Walk Training Mishap: -10hp, Failed to do a set workout on the set day, that was not pre-planned Battle Wounds: -25hp, any workouts left uncompleted at the end of the week Goal 2: Craft Health Potions to Survive Since I've been dieting for so long for the rest week and the 1st week of the challenge I will be eating at "maintenance" for 160lbs ~2300 calories then for the last three weeks I will start back on my deficit of ~1700 calories to ideally be at about 158 by the end of the challenge. Record my Nutrition in MFP x 7 per week ____/7 = ___/28 Be within +/- 200 cal of 1700 (+ exercise cals) x6 per week ___/6 = ___/24 Starting Metrics (4/13/2017): 159.8lbs, 14.7%bf Waist: 31.75" Hips: 32.75" Craft Healing Potion: +50hp 6 days at +/- 200 cals of my goal Cure Light Wounds Spell: +10hp Chose the healthy option Scratched by a Goblin: -10hp Bad Choice Gashed by a Skeleton: -25hp Bad Meal Smacked by a Troll: -100hp Bad Day Goal 3: Mend my Wounds This goal is all about rehab and prehab to help with my long term health and wellness, especially for my feet and my sleep. The last time I made a sleep goal it was really tough on my relationship with my GF so hopefully it willn't be as bad this time around. Walk 2x per week ~30 min 1+ mile __/2 = ___/8 Ice Roll my feet 2x per week __/2 = ___/8 Get into bed by 10:30 5x per week ___/5 = ___/ 20 Attacked by Bandits: -25hp per any walks or ice rolls left uncompleted at the end of the week Fatigue: -10hp per day over 2 stayed up past 10:30 Fancy Room at the Inn: +5hp per day going to bed by 10:00pm Goal 4: Record my Adventures & Help others on their Quests I account this goal for one of the reasons that I did so well in the last challenge so I would be silly of me to not include it again in this challenge. Check in here 5x per Week ___/5 = ___/20 Touch base on at least 1 other person’s thread 5x per week ____/5 = ___/20 Consumed by Battle: -10hp per day missed on my log or others. Detailed Notes: +10hp per day over 5 Monsters to Kill To weaken the dragon before the fight I must first take down some of his massive evil army. These are some other daily habits and tasks that I would like to continue to do over the course of the challenge, as I complete them I will earn gold and silver (dollars and cents) towards fun fitness related purchases, and mana towards video game time.

Ryuu1011 Battles the Machines 400/400hp Inventory: 1 Health Potion (+50hp) Last challenge was not my best effort and I've been thinking about a fun way to keep me focused and on target to my goals, with flexibility for the days that I know I'm going to fail, but also with a system to let me mentally say "ok that's fine, its ok to fail sometimes, but don't let that one thing de-rail your day or week, get back up and try again". To that end I give my my Horizon Zero Dawn Challenge RPG. I will start with 400hp and 1 health potion, I will gain and loose health as I train and work towards my goal. Then I will use my goals and habits to try and take down the machines in my own world. Goal 1: Strength to kill the Machines This challenge I will continue to use my Gymnastic Bodies Foundations classes as I continue to build strength, flexibility, and balance. GB Foundations (UB, LB, C) x3 per Week ___/ 3 = ___/12 Stretch Series (FS, MS, TB) x3 per Week ___/3 = ___/12 Handstand Series x3 per Week ___/3 = ___/12 Workout Schedule- Mon- Handstand, Upper body Tues- Run/Walk, Front Split, Handstand Wed-Lower Body, Middle Split Th- Run/Walk, Thoracic Bridge, Handstand Fri- Walk/Run, Core Sat-Rest or Run/Walk Sun-Rest or Run/Walk Training Mishap: -10hp, Failed to do a set workout on the set day, that was not pre-planned Battle Wounds: -25hp, any workouts left uncompleted at the end of the week Goal 2: Craft Health Potions to Survive the Battle Working on my nutrition is one of the hardest aspects of health and fitness trying to make sure that I stay on track and keeping sweets away is tricky, but hopefully this system will help me stay within my goal. Record my Nutrition in MFP x 7 per week ____/7 = ___/28 Be within +/- 200 cal of 1700 (+ exercise cals) x6 per week ___/6 = ___/24 Starting Metrics (3/16/2017): 163lbs, 16.2%bf Waist: 32.5" Hips: 33.5" Craft Health Potion: +50hp 6 days at +/- 200 cals of my goal Handful of Berries: +10hp Chose the healthy option Scratch: -10hp Bad Choice Gash: -25hp Bad Meal Gorge: -100hp Bad Day Goal 3: Explore and Find new Machines I know that Running club will help me with my running goals, and hopefully since the days are becoming longer now I'll be able to go on more walks with my GF to accomplish my walking goal. Run 2x per week ~ 30 min ~ 5k/3m __/2 = ___/8 Walk 2x per week ~30 min 1+ mile __/2 = ___/8 Caught by Surprise: -25hp per any run/walks left uncompleted at the end of the week Soothing Campfire: +5hp per day going to bed by 11:00pm Goal 4: Record my Adventures & Help others on their Quests Last challenge I really started struggling when I started slacking off on posting on here and instead spent that time on my PS4. So to help with that this challenge I'm making one of my goals to check in with everyone on my own thread, and to catch up with my fellow nerds on their threads and help motivate them and keep them going too. Check in here 5x per Week ___/5 = ___/20 Touch base on at least 1 other person’s thread 5x per week ____/5 = ___/20 Consumed by Battle: -10hp per day missed on my log or others. Detailed Notes: +10hp per day over 5

This challenge theme is a nod to the fact that I FINALLY broke the plateau and started to lose weight again. So, I'm continuing the success strategies from last challenge but adding in some fun randomness based on the board and iPad game Galaxy Trucker. I'm also continuing (and pledge to do a better job of writing consistently) my RPG Jedi story. Given the amount of time I spend on the bus most days, I should be able to craft the day's activity and challenges into a tale worth telling. Goal #1 - Stick to my Smart PointsTM budget for each day and week This has generally been pretty easy, although some days, I am really freakin' hungry and there's nothing worthy of eating for a snack. The new Weight Watchers points system really rewards similar food choices to the NF or Primal diets .... but I like the clear budget numbers and the fact that nothing is off limits .... you just pay for indulgences. Sounds like life. Goal #2 - Finish C25K training program (again) I'm into week 4 in preparation for a fun run in July. Goal #3 - Round 2 of Dirt in your Skirt training program It's my adaptation of Margaret Schlachter's suggested program. It takes 28 days .... seems like kizmet. I'm increasing the number of reps for each body weight exercise. And I have made cards for each of the usual obstacles in a Warrior Dash. Between the 28-day program and my random daily draw, I'm be working up to facing the "gateway" OCR next year. My biggest challenge is - honestly - a nasty fear of heights. Goal #4 - Celebrate Summer Daily This is a quality of life goal and is a bit vague. Depends upon the day, what will speak to me of those long, lazy days of summer?? Reading on the porch, swinging in the hammock, getting on my bike, going for a swim?? I don't know, but I'll report and .... hopefully ..... remember pictures. Goal #5 - Keep on Truckin' MOAR RANDOM exercises tied into the RPG story. I am boarding a new fangled freighter, bound for adventure to assist on a nice, quiet blue milk run out among the stars. Week Zero (which we are in) involves repairing the ship and preparing to lift off. Then, the fun begins.

It's May, and unfortunately, I'm still up on that damn plateau. 164 pounds. Yes, my jeans are getting loose. (Go me!!!) Yes, I'm finding that I can trot up the stairs (with a pack on) instead of crawl up them (really, I never crawled .... just wanted to). Yes, I am attacking days with more energy and resolve than I have in oh, about 10 years. (And I warn people in my office that I AM A SHARK. They think I'm cute and energetic.....what do they know???) But sooner or later, that scale IS going to reflect the new reality. Or else!!! So, I need to exert discipline - train harder and sacrifice things that are holding me back. (Yes, I'm looking at you, wine and pizza. Don't think I didn't notice that you account for the majority of my calories each week.) I really need a big, solid goal to work toward that puts me back into the "training for" mindset: Warrior Dash 2017!!!! Soon enough to be serious, but far enough away to be feasible. I'm taking Margaret Schlachter (from Dirt in Your Skirt) as my Jedi Master. Her book is an easy introduction that is getting me started. There's probably better, more in-depth books out there, but I don't want to become an underpants gnome. I've got enough to get started and a year to work on upper body strength and agility. And mental toughness. Getting off the plateau (Get down to 162 lbs or less) It can be difficult to find your way down if you've lost the trail. Trust me, I get lost fairly often on hikes, and I know this to be true from experience. So, what's the plan????? 1) Use your body!!! 28 days of OCR fitness training, based on Schlacter's example workout .... which is mostly bodyweight training. That schedule includes rest days, and I've already planned out how to gradually increase the challenge over the coming year. Plus, it also involves preparing to run 5K, which will keep me in training to do fun runs, like the Color Run and a Zombie Run. 2) Embrace the obstacles in front (or below) you. Do obstacle-specific training. Every non-rest day. I'd randomize them, but I'll have to allow for passing on exercises that require equipment that isn't readily available on that day ... like the bouldering wall at the campus gym. 3) Keep moving!!! It's one of my favorite ways to tackle a dungeon. It's not efficient, but it eventually you will get out. Or die, which is another way of finding the way out on the corpse run. In this case, increase step count to 11K per day. And don't die. 4) Travel light. (That's what I'm trying to do here .... Didn't you see the goal above? Oh yea, I did see that. But do you realize that you're talking to yourself???? Must be the heat and dehydration. You better get off this plateau. Yea, like I'm not trying .....) Keep net calories at 1375 per day BUT distribute over 5 or 6 smaller meals each day. 5) Live off the land!! (Cuz there ain't much cake and ice cream up on that there plateau.) Increase protein. It's at 75 grams average right now, which is low for trying to build muscle. Aiming for 82 grams. I think protein powder is going to be my new friend. And low sugar jerky. And salad greens and carrot sticks. Cut out the wine, eat less pizza even on Friday, and fill up on fruits and veggies.

Hey all! This is a group for accountability for Critical Role fans! There are a bunch of us on twitter and tumblr who are just starting to explore getting fit and tackling goals, so it's important to have folks who can hold us accountable. Feel free to share links to your 4-week challenge, any blog posts, or anything else you think would be useful! Thanks! Morgan

Hi all I'm Noor, the Halfling Assassin and wielder of arcane forces. If you have followed me for a while you may have read about my various exploits working to remove a curse where I spent time as a stone giant, along with my friend Sovellis. I have a tendency to add fiction into my challenges because it makes it more fun, but life has been so busy lately that I decided to take a break and to reground with some Druids I know. Now, I'm back and I am working to get healthy so I can return to sports I love like climbing and dancing. ACTing Assassin Quest: Main quest: reduce my body size by 4% a loss of 15.12 lbs Goal 1: Log all food using myfitnesspal, remaining under total calorie goal Goal 2: Eat primal consistently, whole 30 style (basically this is a whole 30 with dairy added in) Goal 3: In addition to my daily yoga for my back pain, I will work out on the elliptical machine daily, adding more time each week. I am going really really slow on this because I am so sedentary and my back is so painful if I am not careful, I want to give my muscles enough time to adjust and catch up. This is the planned schedule, which I can slow down by repeating a week if things go awry. 05 minutes - week 1 10 minutes - week 2 15 minutes - week 3 20 minutes - week 4 Lifestyle Goal: Complete the first 4 weeks of ACT bootcamp from The Weight Escape. ACT is the school of therapy that I use in my work as a psychologist. It is really more of a lifestyle and worldview than a series of techniques and I find that the more I focus on my values and on living in the now ( the two main tenets of ACT) the more I ma able to find joy and meaning in my life. The boot camp allows me to mindfully check in with my values and this particular series of exercises are tailored towards those of us who struggle with weight management, so it is ideal for me right now. I am not bothering with grading this time around, since NF is in the middle of implementing the new leveling system and I am not sure what that will look like yet. Expect intermittent fiction and hopefully daily status updates though! --'--,--@

Recap of my Adventure: I'm Teros the satyr. I've been here for almost 3 years. Growing up, I was treated like shit and bullied. Got into a relationship as a teenager which started of ok but after about a year, there were issues that gradually got worse and worse. Stayed with her for 12 solid years and it became an enmeshed toxic relationship. I always felt alone my entire life. Extremely socially awkward, had no confidence, and a therapist said that I was probably high-functioning autistic. I was terrified to do ANYTHING outside of my very limited comfort zone. I binged on junk food and played videogames my whole life; wishing that I could be someone else. That 'else' became my gamertag - Teros. It was my ideal. Teros would do this. Teros wouldn't let that stop him. If I could just be like Teros and do ____. I ballooned up to 360 pounds, when my doctor said I should be 220. It got worse with my ex, as she was an enabler and sabotaged me. I lived a depressed and angry life for over 25 years. Then I found NF. Once I did a couple of challenges, I found my groove and found my people. I started working out with a sledgehammer and I identified with it. I started doing pushups as well wall-ups because I was too overweight to do regular pushups. I got more traction and built a homegym: My issue was always a mental one. I could be strong and I could work out. I wasn't afraid of pain and pushing myself. I kept trying and failing though - misdirection in media paired with lack of confidence and dealing with massive waves of anxiety and depression - I became desperate. Once people on here started believing in me, everything changed. I'm a visual person, so I decided to print out a ton of encouraging comments and created my wall of positivity: I also made an RPG character (which NF is about 2 years late to start implementing...) I was losing weight and it was in spite of my g/f at the time. I did a few whole 30s and kept dropping lbs. I was getting stronger. I upgraded my 10lb sledgehammer into a 20lb 'Warhammer', built the above homegym, progressed to incline pushups and then regular pushups. Then I tried a Spartan. The write up of it: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/51002-teros-x-spartan/?p=1166122 I gave it .....everything. After that, there was a swell of support for the next one in a few months later. I was terrified and didn't want to do it but I signed up anyway. http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/55919-teros-xii-redemption/?p=1287162 (I'm the one that looks like Hagrid crossed with grumpy cat with glasses on the far left) That experience at Fenway made me realize something that had been eating away at me for years - I wasn't happy. What made me happy was when I was here. Unless I was with You. All of You. My relationship with my g/f was horrible. I never felt cared about or loved. Never felt like I mattered. Never felt like I was a priority. I had to make progress by fighting her most of the time. Being around people that made me feel like I felt that weekend.... I can't explain it. Words don't describe it. Everyone's lives took a drastic turn because of that experience. I was at a tipping point - for almost 2 years, I had been slowly becoming that person that I looked up to. The person that I wished I could be. I felt completely divided. 50% Mike and 50% Teros. That spartan race and being with people that made me feel alive and loved... it pushed me past the 50% mark. I knew what I had to do: I ended my 12 year toxic relationship. The following 9 months were a fucking disaster. She lived with me and it was a nightmare waiting for her to move out. So many emotions were churning. Everything was raw and painful to talk about and deal with. I pushed her out and made her stop making excuses. I helped her get a car, tried to help her learn how to drive (at 30...), gave her supplies she needed, etc. While this is happening (as in, while broken up), I start falling for a girl that I was friends with. I was scared about what I'm supposed to do about any of this. In the end, she 'agonizes' over the decision and cuts ties while still flip-flopping about things. I truly felt she was someone special. However, I think she was emotionally walled off and didn't give me a real chance, opting the 'safe' choice. After my g/f-now-ex has finally moved out, we had a few more fights. We had said that once things settle down, we were going to stay friends and try again; and we weren't going to go dating anyone. Give each other an 'adult chance'. Despite, in all honesty, me not thinking there was a goddamn thing that I did wrong in the relationship (Oh wow, love yourself and do something besides hate everyone and watch tv, and maybe snuggle with me - what a demanding slave driver I am...) I figured if she grew up, we could try again as 'new' people.... Then she goes onto a dating website and dates a guy while simultaneously fucking a manager at her new store she works at. It was like the entire relationship with her was a fat sack of shit where I felt like I was nothing to her. Her running off within DAYS of moving out was like the cherry on top of a raw shit sundae. Nail in the coffin - she obviously doesn't give a single fuck about me or the concept of 'us'. By August 2015, with my ex mostly out of the picture, and the girl that I admitted that I loved shooting me down; I had to do something that was eating away at me since the spartan race back in November. I had to purge. I wrote my entire life story and purged emotionally. Then I purged physically. 17 empty containers out of 19 which held my entire life... ...gone. This was the start of Project Phoenix and it is what I continue with today. I rebuilt the 'southeast corner' of my Satyr cave: Before: VS After: + Project Phoenix is a 3-6+ long challenge setup to kill off what remains of my old self. I hate my old self. Weak. Scared. Self-pitying. Anxious. Angry. Frustrated. Treated like shit. Made to feel worthless. Unloved. I started it with Satyr Begins. Then The Dark Satyr. Now, The Dark Satyr Rises. I Deserve Better. I Will Make Better. Because I Am Better. There are a ridiculous amount of parallels between myself and the Batman archetype. As I thought what I wanted to do over the next year, I realized that this Project was my future waiting for me. I need to be strong enough to take it - to build it. Last challenge, the Project started: Satyr Begins. The Project in it's entirety: Step #1) Purge: -Purge all negative emotions by telling my story. -Purge all possessions by razing 30 year's worth of memories to the ground. (Burn Wayne Manor) Step #2) Satyr-Cave: -Clean the entire cave (Southeast corner) -Prime/Paint Satyr-cave -Get new flooring -Building Project #1 Bookshelf -Building Project #2 Kitchen table -Building Project #3 ****** -Building Project #4 ****** Step #3) New Look: (Become a symbol) -Face fear of cut hair/beard after 3 years/9 months -Face fear of getting piercing -Face fear of getting tattoo -Face fear of getting hair procedure done -Replace the old NF Symbol -New wardrobe Step #4) Schedule: (The will to Act) -Create a week schedule for the following: -Master's Program homework -Master's Program classes -Socializing -Exercise -Work -Decide on secret Batman lessons Step #5) Train (Ongoing): -Whole 30 -Daily walks(or)bleachers / body-weights -Sledgehammer workouts -****Unlocked after Building Project #3 -****Unlocked after Building Project #4 & -Batman Lessons Step #6) Become the Dark Satyr (cryptic on purpose): -Satyr Suit Defense -Satyr Suit Offense -'Wayne' Lessons -Siren's Call -Facing the Past that never was -Defining who I am Forever This challenge I will be working on completing Step #2, Step #3, and continuing step #5. Whole 30 started. Went for a 2+ mile walk the past couple of days. I'll be doing some sledgehammer workout tomorrow after work most likely. Once the other 2 options are ....'unlocked', I will reevaluate. For now, it is daily walks and 3x for some bodyweights, total gym reps, and sledgehammering. This entire time in my life has been Dark Souls difficulty. In the past two years I have lost 80 pounds, beat a spartan race, went from never being able to do wall push-ups, to being able to do 50 wide-grip regular push-ups, went from swinging a 10 lb sledgehammer for a couple minutes and being a sweating mess - to instead wielding a 20 pound sledgehammer for hundreds of reps (and 20lb is too heavy to even sell in hardware stores.), I built an entire homegym - consisting of kettelbells, sandbags, 250lb tractor tire, and some custom 50lb dumbbells, I wrote two years worth of story for an accountability RPG-based group, and I am here with people that I would consider my family, I've broken out of my shell and can talk to people instead of being an Asperger stuttering mess, became a guild leader, have traveled outside of my comfort zone (trains, first time on a plane, went to different states, and even drove to different states - I used to travel within a 5 mile RADIUS), tried new foods, met people from all walks of life, I've shared with people inner secrets, I ended a 12-year toxic enmeshed relationship, took a gamble on love and was crushed but bounced back, got accepted into the Master's program for social work, burned everything that I owned to the ground in a massive bonfire, and have been rebuilding my satyr-cave from scratch. I created this symbol a while back to represent the Dark Satyr. Horns for a satyr and the chin braid bottom point at the bottom. Red background to represent the flames from burning everything. The Dark Satyr Rises

Many heroes have a history or family legacy that they must overcome. The Skywalker family seems destined to flirt with the Dark Side. Spiderman had to live with the guilt he felt after his uncle died. Natasha Romanov was taken from her family and raised to be an assassin. Few heroes seem born from easy circumstances. They all - we all - have things we need to overcome before we can be the heroes we dream of being. Me??? At my daughter's wedding, I was reminded of my family's destiny. As my last living aunt looked at the unfortunately overweight bride, she commented that every woman in our family ends up being fat. With a knowing look and resigned sigh, she looked at me and said, "Just wait." And I shook my head and replied, "Not happening." But it is a fact that my family of origin had terrible health habits, and I sometimes slide into them. This year's goal really is to continue with the progress I've made so far here at Nerd Fitness and accelerate it .... hitting some milestones and enjoying a lighter, stronger body by doing some of those fun runs and obstacle races. Frankly, committing to doing a race where I have to climb over things is scary. I hate heights. I am not very strong in my upper body. And I'm not very graceful. This is going to take some work over a year or two. Goals for THIS CHALLENGE 1) Tame the Sweet Tooth I generally know how to eat well, but I have a hard time stopping once I start eating refined sugars, refined carbs, or wine. For this challenge, I will be intentional and enjoy (in moderation) one evening when I can have dessert and a glass of wine or two. But 6 days out of 7 will be focused on whole grains, proteins, vegetables, some fruit, and avoiding sugar in all kinds of things (like so-called energy bars). 2) Get Over That Wall I'm still working on regaining the ability to do a pull-up. At the moment, I'm doing lat pull-downs and want to get strong enough to do 10x70, 10x75, 10x70 by the end of the challenge. I can currently do 65 pounds for most of three sets, but I'll need to work on my hand strength as well as arms and shoulders. How to get there .... by strength training 3 times each week and trying to increase weights each week. 3) Find Balance Last year, I was literally dreaming of doing a crow pose. Why? No clue. But I also want to be able to do a handstand. So, I'll be working on these two progressions through the year. For now - I need to work on wrist flexibility!!! How? Working it daily with the GMB folks. 4) Keep Moving Finish Season 2 of Zombies Run 5) Push Boundaries In college, I very much wanted to go to Greece during a January interim. But I didn't have the money. 34 years later, I have saved up enough to go on an alumni trip (organized by the same professor!!) - probably in January or June 2017. But I like to be able to understand the local language and read road signs. So .... my goal this year is to learn modern Greek!!! I had studied ancient Greek in college; so the alphabet isn't completely foreign, but I have a lot of learning to do. I got a book and audio set for Christmas and will do a lesson per week for each challenge. At 46 lessons, that should work out about right with the challenge schedule. Theme??? I'm kinda waiting to find out more about the new epic quests and such. I'm tempted to go back to a Star Wars theme. That's where I stared with Nerd Fitness, and I have a lot of history in Star Wars RPGs as Chris-Tien Jinn, the Jedi Master. Stay tuned.

I'm tossing this in here to get started. Never fear, I will expand upon the concept throughout the thread. LAST CHALLENGE of the year - how did that happen?? It was rollercoaster for me. At the beginning of the year, I had some definite plans. And some indefinite ideas that I thought I would be able to work through during the year as the Hunt for the Mojo. It didn't exactly play out as envisioned. I didn't lose weight -- but I didn't gain weight either. Body composition is about the same. I did one fun run. My online coding job ended up being such a disaster that I quit and ended up working retail. Self-loathing .... and yet another move .... derailed plans to cook nutritious foods. And ultimately, I did not find my mojo. I suspect it is like Dorothy finding her way home. I have the power within me .... I just have to realize it. So, it is time to save what I can of the year and adjust my mental orientation. If it is going to happen .... weight loss, new job, fitness, social life .... it is up to me to make it so. This thread seems to be developing a shoe fetish. So ... goals ...... +3 CON: eat a rainbow daily +3 STA: finish C25K again and do a fun run +3 STR: Chinups @ 115 lbs of assistance (24 reps) +3 DEX: Yoga or mobility work 3 times per week +3 CHA: See someone (other than my husband) every day Some are progress goals and some are endpoint goals. I think the mix helps keep me focused. I'll be running 3 times per week, doing strength training 3 times per week, and doing yoga class three times per week. Since I'm not currently working or taking care of my mom, that's reasonable - the yoga will help with stretching and mobility. Tracking will be done publicly on ...... Tracking spreadsheet of badassdom AND, I am hoping to really participate in the guild mini-challenge this time. I know nearly nothing about Mario (shocking considering my research field), but it looks fun.

Hi Guys We are in the process of making a fantasy inspired running RPG app called Fit for Battle. In a nutshell you listen to an audio adventure which influences your real life running performance. We are looking for some feedback on our proof of concept demo which is a 15 minute audio version of the app that you can go for a run with. If you are keen to try it out please check out the following page http://bit.ly/F4BWEBPOST If you have any questions please post below! Thank you! The Fit for Battle team

A little bit about me, courtesy of Mini #1: I'm Yvonne, I'm 29 years old and live in the outskirts of Washington DC known as Northern Virginia. I'm married to an amazing nerdy guy who likes to push me to go biking and work out even when I don't wanna, and who and eats all my hippy paleo food without complaint. We have two twin ginger cats - Fred and George - and are thinking about adding a small human to our family within the next year or two, which is part of my motivation to get healthy. I went to a small college out in Illinois called Knox College where I majored in Computer Science, and now I work at a small company as a front end website developer. I love doing community theater; I'm currently in show for young audiences (Puss in Boots) and a charity performance parody of the X-Files, and I perform in and direct an improv troupe. 2 Truths and 1 Lie (feel free to guess in the comments!): I still have one of my baby teethI met my husband during a road trip from Chicago to New YorkI am terrified of chickens and will freak out if I'm anywhere near one It’s September and that means school is back in session at Hogwarts! Main Quest: Lose weight, be a smoking hot Wizard. Motivation: This is my last full challenge before I leave for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in November. I’ll be spending a week between there and Disneyworld and I want to dress up, DisneyBound, take tons of pictures, and enjoy these memories without having negative body image holding me down. My goal is be at 150lbs by the time we leave. As of now, I have 8 weeks and about 9lbs to lose, so the pressure is on! In order to achieve my main quest, I’m enrolling in four classes this term at Hogwarts: Potions: 100% Primal Diet (CON 3, WIS 1) Recipe for a perfect potion: No grains, legumes, or added sugarNo more than 3 servings of dairy a weekNo more than 2 compliant alcoholic beverages per weekNo more than 1 starchy vegetable per dayThis is a Pass/Fail only class! Flying: Bike 100 miles (STA 3, DEX 1) Proper flying technique can only be achieved through practice! Throughout the term, students will log 100 miles on thier broom bicycle. Outstanding: 100 miles! Exceeds Expectations: 75+ miles Acceptable: 60+ miles Dreadful: 40+ miles Troll: Less than 40 miles Transfiguration: Follow the Stronglifts 5x5 Program (STR 3, STA 1) The art of turning something into something else – in this case, fat into muscle! Follow the Stronglifts 5x5 regimen to increase muscle and burn fat. This class should be attended 3 times a week. Outstanding: 18 sessions Exceeds Expectations: 15 sessions Acceptable: 12 sessions Dreadful: 6 sessions Troll: Less than 6 sessions Charms: Downsize 25% of clothing (CHA 2) This class will be focused on Banishing and Mending charms: over the course of the term, students should successfully banish 25% of their wardrobe and practice mending charms when needed. For a passing OWL, every item of clothing must be evaluated, 25% of clothing will be donated, and no items requiring mending will remain. A revision schedule of clothing areas to work on has been provided below the cut: Outstanding: All 5 areas cleared Exceeds Expectations: 4 areas cleared Acceptable: 3 areas cleared Dreadful: 2 areas cleared Troll: 0 - 1 areas cleared Charms Extra Credit: Put together one Disney/Hogwarts Bounding outfit per week - take a photo and share with the class! (CHA 1)

Just hit level 7 and I think it is time to incorporate some Titansgrave and Critical Role into a challenge so let's do this! Titansgrave is Wil Wheaton's RPG show on Geek & Sundry, and Critical Role is a D&D game run and played by voice actors (also on Geek &Sundry). I enjoy them both as they tell cool stories and entertain me ... plus make me want to play/run more games! Quest 1 - Umm ... I just rolled a 1. Seems I've still got some hip/knee issues going on ... to fight this I'm going to incorporate more stretching into my daily activities. So 3 time a week I'm going to spend 15+ minutes stretching 3 / week = A 2 / week = B 1 / week = C 0 / week = F Quest 2 - I am the storm's fury! This is all about speed work. Once a week I'm going to do do a fartlek - aka speed work. A sample of a fartlek is something like this sprint all out from one light pole to the next, jog to the corner, give a medium effort for a couple blocks, jog between four light poles and sprint to a stop sign, and so on, for a set total time or distance. For me I'll try to add these sort of variables into a 4-5 mile run on Monday I'm looking to do 6 (aka 1 per week) so scoring is easy enough 6 = A 5 = B 4 = C 3-0 = F Quest 3 - I Encourage Violence No literally! Geez guys! Feels like I'm losing some of my muscle gains so I'm going to incorporate a work day workout. Whenever I go to the bathroom I'll do 1 set of 10 of a body weight exercise. Exercises will rotate between bathroom visits so muscles not to get overly fatigued and allow for variety. Thinking Pushup / Squat / Dips / 30 second plank Life Quest - Five Gold and a party I've been itching to write a RPG adventure so I'm going to use this challenge to do just that! Not sure what the setting or system will be but that'll be part of the process and what I have to figure out! This is all or nothing ... so yeah good times! I'll be doing this in a google doc which I'll link once I've started and occasionally post snippets here for those who don't want to look at the doc.

Once more with Gusto! Tried this a while back -- it was not pretty. Gained weight, cut back on water consumption, mangled tendons in both elbows, do I need to keep going with this? Hubby just got blood pressure warning from the doctor... is there ANYTHING at Wal-Mart that isn't loaded with salt?? I had first bloodwork done in prolly 40 years.. Doc said it all looked good EXCEPT the cholesterol levels... BAH! He said I had 6 months to loose a few pounds and pack in the omega 3's and if it didn't go down then, he'd medicate me. (I love this man!!) So I wander back here to make it real. (Y'all are REAL real in this place) Long term goal -- he said 5 or 6 pounds, I'm goin' for the full 32. No time set, really. If I do that then I'll freak out and mess it up. so -- cut the junk and think happy thoughts (and keep hitting the health kiosk @ Wal-Mart to monitor weight and blood pressure.) 6 week goals -- S.M.A.R.T tends to mess me up. I don't need to measure this, if I do it I do it, if not, oh well. 1) keep up with RPG Fanatics story. watch them and work the goals. That group is better than imaginary friends, and I picture everybody just like their thumbnail! If I don't chicken out, Holle will wander in and help out if she can. Sticking with human persona, mostly imbued with "mom skills". My sarcastic son will be at my side, as well. (loosely based on real boy.) 2) do minis here. not sure what that will entail, but it sounds good (and do-able). The guild will be my motivational push. ("Oh look, everybody is walking/doing push-ups/ cutting back on their sugar intake. Maybe I'll try that too.") 3) DIET: Marylu Henner's B.E.S.T., blood pressure D.A.S.H., cut back on cholesterol. Throw in a few Macrobiotic concepts and call it "macaroni." Goal here: lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol for test in 6 months, loose weight. ... learn how to cook again. 4) Do warm-up routine 5 days a week -- at work. Continue with stretches in the morning. Save cardio until test results get back. ("fat chick don't run...") 5) Go to bed by 3:00 a.m. (It has to start somewhere.) so, did I get everything? food, sleep, physical activity, social interaction, Looks good for a start! close enough for starters. Holle Hanksdottir is ready to level up! (I sound like a Power Ranger, or something!)

Welcome to another Roleplaying-by-Post thread! I'm DarK_RaideR and I will be your Gamemaster for this long, hard journey into the grim world of Warhammer Fantasy How to join A fair amount of knowledge of the Warhammer Fantasy world is required, if you are to join. The story will not rely heavily on the players’ familiarity with the setting and clues/explanations will be provided, but you are expected to know at least some of the basic stuff There are 5 career (class) categories available: Academic, Commoner, Criminal, Outdoorsman and Warrior. Each player must make a post and pick a category and a race (dwarf, elf, halfling or human). The category then becomes unavailable for others, so the party has to consist of 5 players maximum. Once you’ve picked your category and race, dice will be rolled and you shall be informed of the two careers available for you to pick. No other stats, character sheets or dice will be involved, the game is meant to be mainly narrative. After each story post, you can write your RP using whatever format you like (bold, italics, colour etc) to differentiate it from out-of-character stuff. Once all 5 players have posted some RP, the story will resume so the pacing is mainly up to you. To make up for the lack of rolls, certain mini-challenges will occur in some circumstances, mainly combat. These challenges may be optional or mandatory, something that will be clarified each time on the challenge description Please note that in a world full of poverty, famine, disease, violence and mutation, there are nasty things around every corner. By joining, you understand that character... alterations and death are a real possibility, whether because of story or poor challenge performance. If you are not happy with your character though (or if faced with death) you can always switch to a new one.