Search the Community

About four weeks ago I bought the Zombies, Run! 5K app I had been walking 2-3 miles three days a week and I felt good about it, but I could never motivate myself to run because I was so out of shape. Zombies has been really awesome and has made running fun while pushing me to keep training. I recently reached week three of training (I was out of commission last week due to a cold) and am happy to report that I can run for 60 seconds straight without keeling over dead. However, during week one, as I was still doing the 15-second sprints and trying to get the hang of everything, I noticed that my shins felt tight. It's not bad enough to be called pain, and it didn't make running more difficult, but I could feel that there was some strain in that area of my legs. I could only feel it when I was running, not walking, and there wasn't any soreness after workouts. I was cautious because I didn't want to injure myself, but I also knew that my legs could be feeling like that as they acclimated to this new exercise. I monitored it to see what would happen. After three weeks of running, it's still happening, to pretty much the same degree. Again, it's not painful and it doesn't affect my ability to run, but I'm a little worried that instead of being a sign that my legs are working hard, it's a warning that I need to back off or change something so I don't get injured. I thought it was just a sign of my legs getting used to the new movements at first, but I feel like it should have stopped or improved by now and it's exactly the same as it was when I started. I've read a lot about running form and I'm not the best at it (derp), mostly because I don't have anyone to look at me and tell me if I'm doing something wrong, so I don't know if this is coming from poor form. I'm wearing light sneakers that I've mainly used for Parkour in the past, and I've never had any foot/ankle problems with these shoes. They don't offer a lot of support, but I'm flat-footed and arches actually hurt my feet a lot, and I tend to go for more barefoot running styles. They've been comfortable and I'm happy with them because they give me a good feel for the ground and a good range of movement, but could that be the problem? I noticed it's more likely to happen when running on hard surfaces when when I run in the woods on dirt, so maybe it's just a ground issue? Any advice would be appreciated, but I'm mainly trying to figure out if this is something I shouldn't be worried about or if I should take steps to fix it so it doesn't get worse...

After some deliberation whether to continue around here, I have decided for it, if anything, I've been positively benefited by so many around here, and there is still a long way to go towards my main goal, that I will stay around and continue to give sketchy advice and will keep on logging my progress, to share with all the nice people in this community. Main Goal Ironman Texas 2015 Still aiming for it, there is still a long way a lot to improve to be able to actually finish an Ironman, but the time is there IF I keep on pushing, long and hard. Main Sub-Goal (What?) RAGE Las Vegas Triathlon, Half Distance I will celebrate my 40th birthday in style, racing a Half Ironman distance triathlon. Don't be fooled by the "half" thing, it's a long, LONG race, 1,850m swim, 90k bike and 21k run, (1.2mi Swim / 56mi Bike / 13.1mi Run) in under 8 hours, the race will take place near Las Vegas three days before my birthday, and it will be a nice family vacation, with a week of mickemousing and Californiation after the race. Challenge Goals: 1. PLAN - Set up a training schedule and Actually FOLLOW it. 2. SWIM faster, I swim a lot, and I feel ready to swim the 1850m of the half, but I also swim slowly, so speed is the main focus, while distance will decrease in favor of other sports. I currently swim 400m @ 7:10, by the end of the challenge, I should be able to swim the same distance in under 7:00, sounds like a little, but it's actually hard!, specially considering goals 3 and 4 3. BIKE further. I have taken this lightly, now I have a road bike, and no reason not to ride it regularly, goal is to build up to a 90k ride by the end of the challenge, current longest ride is 70k. 4. RUN, I need to improve on my running distance as well, this is the scariest part of the tri (for me), so I should keep on building on distance, goal is to run continuously for 10k by the end of the challenge, current max is 7k. Life Goal: 5. Research and put together the vacation plan, scout for good deals, coupons and so forth. Bonus:

I am using NerdFitness (and these challenges) to motivate me to "go big" with my goals. It also happens that there's a simple 5k run (simple... as if I'm ready for a 5k to begin with) that gives me a shot at being part of a world record just by finishing the run. It's a multi-venue race and they're going for the largest number of participants, of which I will be one. With luck, I'll get my name in the (long) list of participants that made it happen. However, a world record is really just an awesome bonus. My personal goal is to actually run and complete a 5k run. Motivation: - Build up endurance, be more active. Challenge:- Run 5k without stopping (with the understanding that the race's start will likely involve some jogging / running in place until the pack separates out some) My intermediate goals to help me achieve this are:1) Train by Running increasing distances, building up to: 3.5 miles at 10 min/mi2) Increase my Steps Per Day Goal to 12k. Meet this goal at least five times per week3) Decrease my weight to 234 by race day (11/28) Side Challenge:- Complete three home improvement projects Yes, I know this is a six week challenge and I've set my sights on a main goal that's two weeks away, but I want to take a crack at this race. If something happens, I'll still have four weeks to scramble to find another race or, I suppose, simply running 5k in one go, outside of a formal race. Starting Stats:WED 11/13/2013 [steps: ???][Max Run: 0 mi][245 lbs] - Didn't have my pedometer.

And so a reluctant hero is born…… I have a recurring dream. I’m walking along a midway, clouds threaten the sky, just a few drops of rain intermittently hitting the dirty pavement. I look ahead and see the side of an old circular ride. Something that moves rapidly up and down, around and around, two per car. The muffled screams from the ride settle over the humid air. I notice a pale, thin, brunette carefully following me as I saunter through the ring toss games. Suddenly I become aware that I’m running, running, running from that strange brunette. Because this is a dream, it becomes evident that brunette is a vampire, nearly lifting herself off the ground as she chases me. My breath is short, can’t breathe, she keeps gaining on me, I get to the circular ride and look behind me. Heaving, pains in my side –dammit, I should jog more! That freak vampire is going to kill me and I can’t bother to do a stupid push up once in a while. If only I wasn't so, so, so 40 pounds overweight maybe I could outrun a tiny vampire. She’s silently standing and staring me in my face. That's when I awaken to the two green glowing eyes of our cat - Gustavo. Well, if that doesn't get me motivated to get more exercise I don’t know what will. Geez, a vampire chasing me through an ominous amusement park, and all I do is suck wind. Motivation: Paraphrasing a quote I saw the other day, "if you always do the same your results will never change. I've never participated in a random fitness online forum before. So let’s see how it works." - said by a poster somewhere online Epic quest – Lose post college and post honeymoon extra lbs. Main quest - Lose 15 Lbs (baby steps I mean it's only a 6 week challenge) Steps to lose the lbs Focus on pre-planned meals with portion control 20 minutes of cardio 3 times a weak Do squats, push ups, and sits ups once a day Life Quest – Mind level Up 3X · Read Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden (Escobar was boss…so I hear) · Read Interview with a vampire by Anne Rice (got to know the competition to beat them) · Read First Family by Joseph Ellis (John Adams crafted the third president of the US, maybe I can pick up a few tips for my kids) Fitness side quest 1 of 3 - Hike on South mountain (2 mile trail) 3 times Fitness side quest 2 of 3 - Do 50 squats, 50 push ups, and 50 sit ups as the first thing I do every morning Fitness Side quest part 3 of 3 - Get back to running 2 consecutive miles in under 20 minutes Grading scale A = 15 lbs B = 12 C = 8 D = 4 F = 0 Specs - Sorry, I didn't do all the fancy measurements. Weight - 220 Height - 5' 8'' (I know yikes) I'll post more baseline measurements later. Thanks for reading my post.

I saw this and had to make it my primary goal for the current challenge... The Turkey Trot is a multi-venue race on Thanksgiving Day morning. Personally, I'm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but there are other venues in lots of places that are participating. http://www.turkeytrotbr.com/ The coolest part is that you've got a chance to be part in setting a world record... "Runners in Thanksgiving Day races all across the country will be participating, and we need just 116,087 nationwide to break the mark. We are the only participating race in the State of Louisiana and welcome out-of-town registrants to our event, a Baton Rouge community staple. This is your chance to earn a spot in the record books while also serving a great cause!" Not in Louisiana? To find a participating Turkey Trot near you, do a search for "Guinness Gobbler 2013" and look for something nearby.

Hey again! Back for challenge #6 for me. I've changed my motivation to include my hubby. Gotta be healthy to have a long life together! I will post a pic of it pasted to my bathroom mirror if I figure out how to do so. It's a pic of hubby and son with the words: Motivation: To be healthy and strong, so I am a good example for my son, and so I am around to watch him grow. Also for my husband and our life together. Yeah, the grammer sucks. That last bit isn't a real sentence. Main Goals: 1. Work out 6 days/week, at least 30 minutes. Will measure effectiveness with Insanity Fit test every 2 weeks, and 5k times. Weights 2 days per weekPlyo 2 days per weekrun 1 day per week (5k)yoga/stretch 1 day per weekSTR +1, STA +2, DEX +3, CHA +1 2. Follow nutrition plan. 3 cheats/week allowed. 1700 - 2000 cal/day. at least 100g protein/dayveggie/fruit + protein with each meal1500-2000ml H2O each daySTA +1, CON +2 3. Do a pullup by end of challenge. Currently I can do 5 partials (feet flat on the floor, bar about 6" over my head). use 50 Pullups app 3 days/week. STR +1, DEX +1 Life Quest Goal: Call one family member each week (sisters, Mom & Dad). We do communicate, but it's mostly by text, and I'd like to reach out and have a real conversation. Especially with my sister who's half the country away. WIS +1, CHA +1 Side Goal: Do 10 pushups every day with good form. Right now I can do 5-7, then I have to drop to my knees (knees count toward total). Once I get to 10 pushups, I'll make the goal 15... etc. STR +1 I will be tracking the nutrition stuff with MyFitnessPal (link in signature). I have a spreadsheet to track pushups and workouts. I will be posting the workouts in my battle log (link in signature). Water intake tracked on the Fitbit app (link in signature). 95-100% A, 80-95% B, 70-80% C, 60-70% D. Let the Challenge begin!

Hey rebels, I'll hit forty in about 6 months and I want to be in good shape when I do. So I figured I'd list a few meta goals here to remind me what I want to achieve until then. Not so long term & epic but hey, semi. It's very much weight loss oriented but I would also like to increase my running speed. These should go hand in hand beautifully. I'm a bit vain so I'd like to get "good" at running (i.e. hit the "local class" age grading, which is 60%). And I really want to be able to do a single muscle up just for the hell of it. weight loss fit into a US size 0 fit into a US size 2 fit into a US size 4 fit into a US size 6 upper body strength do one muscle-up do 10 pull ups do 5 pull ups do 3 pull ups do 1 pull up do 10 chin ups do 5 chin ups do 3 chin ups speed do 10K in under 52' (60%AG) under 8.20min/mile do 10K in under 54' (57.8%AG) under 8.40min/mile do 10K in under 58' (53.8%AG) under 9.30min/mile do 10K in under 62' (51.2%AG) do 5K in under 25' (60% AG) under 8min/mile do 5K in under 26' (58.6% AG) under 8.20min/mile do 5K in under 27' (56.5% AG) under 8.40min/mile do 5K in under 28' (53.25% AG) under 8.55min/mile do 5K in under 29' (52.6% AG) under 9.15min./mile

Ahhhhh 'twas the night before challenge and all through the house not a Tankgrrl was stirring..... I've been so busy working that this challenge has totally snuck up on me [slightly better draft goals] Diet goal: 80% primal I am definitely failing to outrun my fork at the moment, so this is my number 1 goal this time.A lighter Tankgrrl is a leaner, meaner, more ar$ekicking Tankgrrl.I'm going to keep up the everyday tracking that I did so well with last challenge.This time the goal is to count the primal days, 34 out of 42 days primal will be an A grade. Strength goal: Barbell routine 1 per week All running and no lifting makes Tankgrrl a very bored grrlI ventured into the free weights section of the gym for the first time last week and did some DB rows and lunges.I want to do a quick and heavy workout once a week, so I'm going to copy a routine that a PT gave me back a couple of years ago when I first went to my uni gym. It uses a barbell, I'll start with a 10kg and if I can finish 5 sets then I'll step up to 15kg and so on. Let's see how heavy I can go in 6 weeks.All 6 sessions done. No excuses. Grade A Endurance goal: MOAR running I want to make Park Run 5km a regular Saturday habitBy the end of the challenge I want to finish it non stop (even the hill of death! O_o )If I can't make it at 8am on Saturday then I will go down the park and run the course on my own another time.If I beat my previous time then woo hoo but that's not my goalRun tracking will be posted here. Side quests: Accountability FTW. Last challenge I tried to post every day, but I wasn't particular successful with that commitment. This time I am going to make sure I do a full weekly round up each week with a MFP report, stats from my weight session and a reflection on all my feelings (ooo feelings) Procrastination is not a word in my vocabulary. I've been doing far to much pseudo work recently. Spending hours in front of the computer or in a text book and not getting much done. I want to be more productive with the little time I have and so I'm turning to the power of goal setting. I'm not going to sit down to work without having a goal for the next hour. Write it on a post it note and stick it to my monitor. I'm not sure how to measure this as a goal but I'll certainly report back each week on its effectiveness. Alright, back to work. Time to put my superhero cape on and go and beat some bad guys. p.s Anyone on My Fitness Pal want to add me as a buddy? I'm 'Murgsy9'

Hi all, here is my first challenge. Alright here is my main quest: run 5k by October 27. (Those gobelins wont outrun me forever) Goals: 1: Follow my training plan on endomondo http://www.endomondo...profile/2095206 (here is the link) 2: go to bed 15 minutes earlyer every week (starting at 12h00PM) 3: Eat at least 3 fruits or vegetable every day Sidequest: Have a board game evening with my older son every week Finish challenge: A: Catch the goblin king: Completing all goal and sidequest and finish the 5k under 30 minutes B: Catch a goblin: Completing all Goals and finish the 5k under 30 minutes C: Catch the lame goblin : completing all goals and finisg the 5k in 30 or more minutes D: Catch a gnome : miss one goal and/or the sidequest Complete the 5k E: Catch a rat : Miss up to two goal and/or the side quest, Complete the 5k F: Catch a cold: miss up to the three goals and the sidequest ans don't complete the 5k

Croman Red 15 Sept 2013 Goal 1: Run. I can go long, but now I gotta build my speed back up over shorter distances. Shooting for a 7 minute mile average over 5 miles. Not sure the machine is up to it with all of the accumulated damage. Currently doing an 8 minute average. Goal 2: Push ups, sit ups, pull ups. As many continuously as possible. Currently good for 80 push ups and 80 sit ups continuous. Would be happy with a 10% improvement, but shooting for 20+%. Goal 3: Joint rotations, stretching, jumping drills. Gotta protect the machine. Limber and bouncy. This really needs to be a daily thing, like first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Rotations and stretching, the bouncing is still kind of sketchy. Level life: Organization and consistency. Healthy eating choices, reasonable amounts, drink only on Fridays and Saturdays (but maybe Thursday and Sunday too...depends on the waste-line:). Organization; improving efficiency over the current "good enough" systems in place. Not something worth sharing the details as it would get really tedious really quickly, and, let's face it, even I have little interest in the details of my move from Europe back to the States. Oh, and regular weights, because heavy is a good thing. This is pretty much the same as last time. The overall intent is to keep hammering away at the same stuff to up the levels. As always, the goal is to make the young-uns live in fear

('The hot gates' is the meaning of place where was the battle of Thermopylae, in which Leonidas I said the sentence I used to name my challenge). I have failed my last two challenges, so I am here again. But this time I feel more confident (I think I got experience of my failures) and I want to stay here the next 6 weeks without giving up. MAIN QUEST: Be fit and a learned person before the end of the next 12 months. Reward: If I achieve the fitness part of the quest before next summer I will buy a 6" jeans shorts and I will cut my hair on an ivy league hairstyle or in a short back and sides one. Motivation: Feel enough self-confident to do not care about other's opinion of my body and lifestyle. 1st GOAL Run to Mordor 4x/week | +3 STA I want to run at least 60 miles during the challenge. 1 day running: 1 p. 4 days a week during six weeks: 24 p. 2nd GOAL Strength 4x/week | +3 STR Same method: 24 p. 3rd GOAL Eat with DISCIPLINE | +3 CON +1 CHA Whole foods. No sugar or sugar-added foods. If I eat out, only meat/fish/salad. No sodas. Count calories during the first 3 weeks and log every meal. Weight on Wednesdays. After 3 weeks, if my weight is under 60 kg eat a bit more, if it is over 65 kg do the opposite. I need to adjust my calorie intake, so I think this is the best way to do it without being obsessive and anxious. 1 day succesfully tracked: 3 p. 42 days: 126 p. Goal: 100/126 p. (80%) G / 5 (weeks): 20-25 p. SIDE QUEST Finish the Ancient Greek course that I started a few days ago | +2 WIS +1 CHA 1 week: 5 p. 5 weeks: 25 p. Total: 93-98 p. So: Mini quests (1 p. each one) Finish a 30 day challenge (30 days without alcohol coffee) | +1 ?? (HELP!) Stretching after ALL my workouts (both running and strength training) | +1 DEX Score: p./10 A: 10 B: 9 C: 8 D: 7.5 E: 7 F: less than 7 Do you think this is achievable?

I am a scout more than an assassin, I run, bike, swim, more than I flip, however I must be able to fly up the rigging and climb over obstacles undetected to reach my goals/treasure. As for zombies I prefer to stay in the shadows and sniping them off one by one, or leading them into ambushes to take them out in great number. Goals: Way of the dark: get up every morning and run 5 days week and swim 1; in order to become one with the darkness I have to train in it, so that means laying my stuff out at night and getting up at 4:45 am and go running and one morning a week get up and go swimming; (serious note, it's fall time, which means it stays darker later and gets darker earlier, so be smart out there, wear your bright colors and reflective gear and if you don't feel safe going down a certain part of road or neighborhood don't) Way of the shadow: it's impossible to hide in the shadows if you cast shadows yourself. The food choices at work are horrendous and the healthy options are $$$. So in order to build my treasure like a true pirate I'm going to bring my breakfast and lunch to work with me, which will save a few grand a year and also help me keep my calories in check which will help keep the weight off. In order to do this goal I have to work with my wife in setting up a weekly menu and stick to it. Way of Devotion: In order to do the things I want to do, I must do the things I need to do. I must devote a few hours a day doing the things I need to do to make life easier for the rest of us. Be it getting dinner ready the night before so I can throw it in the crock pot after I get back from running, or making sure clothes are out so life isn't so hectic in the morning when my daughter doesn't want to wear the clothes we picked out for her and have to scramble to find a new outfit. those are my three main goals. Other: Bike/Core, body weight work outs during my lunch at work, if I don't get up from my desk and physically leave the building they think I'm still on the clock and will try to make me work. So I'll be hitting the gym at lunch time Costumes for halloween; the plan is to push my daughters threw a halloween 5k, and my oldest came up with the idea to be superheroes so we are going to be working on our costumes for the race which is the last day of the challenge Upcoming challenges, Arsenal City 5k (17th year in a row w00t); YMCA Monsterdash, Troy Turkey Trot 10k, Hangover Half marathon

This is my 8th Challenge, I have gone a long way on my journey to the best version of myself, and have achieve things I thought would take a whole lot longer, but still, there is work to do, kilometers to be swam, ridden and ran, to get to my long term (fitness) goal: IRONMAN Texas 2015 (3900m swim, 180k bike 42k run), that's a huge goal and I know I have a lot to do. Currently I have swam 3700m in one session (pool), ridden 50km and ran 7k, so there is room for improvement. Last challenge I intended to improve on all three, and as much as my swim got longer (and better), my run/bike suffered a bit, and as much as I think it was great progress, I need to improve on all three sports to be an Ironman, so here it goes: Main Goal Ironman Texas 2015 Challenge Goals: 1. Just keep swimming: I've successfully joined the "master's team" (read old fart swimmers), and plan to keep on training with them, at LEAST three times a week, to maintain current swimming level. 2. Back to the road: Resume my running, run at LEAST two times a week, to be able, at the end of the challenge to comfortably run 10k on a regular basis. 3. Hey! There is a bike somewhere as well!: get back on the bike, no specific goal, just avoid neglecting it, so ride at LEAST four times diring the 6 week challenge (focus on the bike for the next challenge). Life Goal: 4. Biking with the little monkeys: Both of my kids know how to ride a bike, but barely, so motivate (and maybe push) them to actually use their bikes, specially little monkey #2. Bonus: 1. I will get a free month membership at a local gym (October), so give it a try, maybe some classes and stuff, or at least lift some heavy useless things, just for the sake of it. 2. Run a sprint triathlon in Manzanillo, September 22nd, already signed up, goal is to improve my previous time (1:52, in Puerto Vallarta). 3. Some sort of additional training, maybe hiking.

Hello. I'm SkullHands, and I am a shape-shifter. A noob shape-shifter... A level zero. So far I've been able to change my appearance... but only for a short time before I shift back to my level zero form again. Main Quest Find my Ultimate Form! I want to be comfortable in my skin. This means that I will have lost weight, increased my fitness and be a happier and more confident person. I'm not going to transition from my current gelatinous, blob-like form to my Ultimate Form in one morph. I have tried and failed enough to know this. But what I will do is make small manageable changes in my life that will allow me to find it. I don’t even know what my Ultimate Form looks like, but I know what I need to do to get there... change. I've already made some changes that have got me on the path to my Ultimate Form. I decided to get involved in the forums about a week after the last challenge started. I'm too anal to start a challenge a week in – “I MUST do the whole thing! Or else it doesn't count!†I told myself. And for a week I told myself that I would spend time planning until this challenge started.Then I realised I was just collecting more underpants! So I set myself some goals to get myself started on the road to a healthier life – rather than waiting until this challenge. I did the following: · Go ‘cold turkey’ on the soda (I used to drink a lot) and chocolate/junk food (I used to eat a lot) · Start using my FitBit again and ensure I hit my 10,000 steps per day · Stopped buying my lunch and made it at home instead and started to reduce my portions in all meals By making these small changes I have lost 7kg (15.43lbs) in 36 days. Something I am really proud of. These are small changes. I know from past failures that I will quit if I try to change too much at any one time. So, on my quest for my Ultimate Form I'm taking it slow. Lots of little manageable changes. And you’ll see the same when you look at my missions for this challenge... they are not earth-shattering, but they are challenging and I am going to kick their ass! Mission One: Run three times a week following the Zombies, Run! 5K Trainer. On the first day of this challenge I will be up to W2D1. This means that by the end of the challenge I should have completed W7D3. Week eight can be my ‘victory lap’. If I have to repeat a day as I could not complete it first time that doesn't affect my grades as my goal is running 3 times a week. A repeated day is still a running day (plus... failures are opportunities to learn and improve!) Grading: A: 18 runs completed B: 14-17 runs completed C: 10-14 runs completed D: 7-9 runs completed E: 4-6 runs completed F: 3 or less runs completed Mission Two: Do the Angry Birds Workout Plan 3 times a week. This will be completely new to me, and is going to be a tough challenge. In the past my attempts at losing weight and getting fitter have only involved diet changes and cardio. I am really looking forward to doing this workout plan though. I have no set level that I wish to get to for each exercise by the end of the challenge, but I will track my progression in my challenge thread for all to see. Grading: A: 18 workouts completed B: 14-17 workouts completed C: 10-14 workouts completed D: 7-9 workouts completed E: 4-6 workouts completed F: 3 or less workouts completed Mission Three: Measure myself! I weigh myself a couple of times a week. But I know that the quick weight that I have lost with my small changes so far is going to slow down or plateau. I also know that it’s not necessarily all about the weight loss if you are building muscle mass. As such I want to track my measurements and take progress pictures... both of these I have never done before. These will be another measure of success and motivation for me besides just relying on a number on the scale. I really wish that I had started doing this earlier as I would have loved to see the change over the last 5 weeks or so... I will take my pictures and measurements on each Sunday of the challenge and post them in this thread (well the measurements anyway... not sure yet about posting the pics). I’ll post my starting measurements tomorrow. Grading: Pass/Fail. I either do this EVERY Sunday or I don’t . Life Quest OK... this is a tough one. I have about a million and one things that I need to work on. The biggie for me at the moment though is my work. At the start of this year I began a new role at my work that involved me dealing with a lot of stakeholders throughout the business. I suffer from crippling low self esteem and am a huge introvert. I have found the role very challenging due to this and other factors. What has been happening lately is that I have been letting all my projects slip and not working as well as I could as I have not wanted to ask for help or are too afraid (if that’s the right word) to approach the people I need to. This needs to stop. I will get on top of my work. I will be more organised. I will take chances. I will ask for help. I will stop procrastinating. I will accept that nothing I create will ever be ‘perfect’. I guess my Life Quest can be summed up as Work Better, Work Harder! Grading; This is a tough one to quantify success for. I think what I’ll do is reflect each day/week on how things have been going, what I’ve achieved and what problems I’ve had. Then I’ll grade myself on a “are things better or the same?â€, “how much better?†type of scale. This is much longer than I intended! Good luck to everyone starting the new challenge. Look forward to sharing the journey with you all

Kind of new to the app and really wanted some running buddies. I mostly do trail running with a once a week street run.

The good news: my next assignment will involve jumping out of high performance aircraft, while in flight. I've been here before. I was out of control. A heart warming success story. The bad news: That was 20 years ago. Now I'm domesticated (marriage, kids, mortgages, and a ridiculous number of pets). The Quest: Rise to the occasion. I have 6 months to get into "Airborne" shape. Lots of running, lots of calisthenics, lots of lifting, and lots of stretching. Basically more of everything. The goal is to bounce, not break, when I hit the ground. Goal 1: Run. I can go long, but now I gotta build my speed back up to acceptable levels over shorter distances. Exception, week 6, I'll be hiking the highlands of Scotland. Goal 2: Push ups, sit ups, pull ups. As many continuously as possible. Airborne is just a different way of saying "stupidly high reps", I dunno why. Its important to be able to do more than the young-uns though, their piteous cries for mercy as I break their will to live warms my soul. Goal 3: Joint rotations, stretching, jumping drills. Gotta protect the machine. Limber and bouncy. Level life: Moderation, organization (say it aint so!) and consistency. Healthy eating choices, reasonable amounts, drink only on Fridays and Saturdays (Scottish Distilleries are the exception, but moderation still applies). Soft living lately. Gotta harden up. Time to get serious again. Organize the admin side of the house to OCD levels. 18 hours from anywhere doesn't leave much room for slack. 6 months is enough time to get ready, more than I've ever had before, but it goes fast. Easily squandered. Oh, and I'd like to do one day a week of high volume weights just because. Sorry, no stripping down to sexy pink/glittery spandex while pole dancing. Too much fur and flab, just looks wrong. Like a bear in a pink tu-tu. My motivation? Ready or not, here it comes!

My best effort (so far) to try and comply with the new rules of the rebellion: DA RULES Main Quest. Ironman Texas 2015 triathlon, that's 2.4 miles swimming, 112 mile bike and 26.2 miles running, all done someday in May, 2015, in under 17 hours. Specific (6 week goals) For the duration of this challenge I will: 1. Complete Xterra triathlon Tapalpa in under 2:30hrs, (MTB/trail sprint distance), august 4th. 2. Keep on training, increase my mileage to 15k continuous run, 60km bike, and swim 2000m in under 50 minutes. 3. Complete AT LEAST three brick workouts (either bike-run or swim-rum). Side Quest Get my tax situation fixed, I've been off the grid for a while and now my new job is, well, serious, I need to do a lot of things to get that done, but I should be able to issue receipts by the end of the challenge. Motivation Be the best version of myself I can be, to set up an example for the little monkeys, and to feel happier overall. Thread err, done? Team Not really a functional team, but "team quite good" is still as working just as good as it has ever been! Starting Stats: german, level 6 monkey scout Weight: 87 kg Longest run: 7.5k Fastest run: 5k in 30ish minutes Longest bike: 50k (road) 40k (MTB) Longest swim: 2000m, in 52 minutes Disclaimer: As opposed to 18ck, I am not ready yet to settle down a proper, structured set of goals, so please consider this a rough draft while I give it a little more thought.

Story: So it was a simple love story of a girl stealing a guy’s heart. The conflict of the story is the girl sending the guy pictures of her with another guy as a break-up txt. The rising action is guy turning all that rage built up and transforming it as motivation to get a sexy body for vengeance Background: I was an athlete in high school and have been letting myself go ever since. No one would call me fat, but I know how I look in front of a mirror. I have a garbage disposal for a stomach, meaning I constantly have cravings. I might just be getting old, but injuries seem to be a common excuse for missing a workout. Diet Plan: I’m not worried about counting calories, I’m just trying to get into healthier eating habits at this point. I have replaced soda with water and juices. I'm also going to the 6 meals a day routine until I can control my cravings again. Workout Plan: I'm a natural runner, so I plan on going back to running as my basic workout routine. I plan on running everyday, the week being divided with 4 days of light endurance runs and 3 days of sprint circuits. If I'm too exhausted to run, I will change a light endurance run to a light endurance bike ride. I don't enjoy circuit lifting, but I'm sure to slowly introduce lifting into a daily routine. I'm also bringing back a sit-up routine I did every night before getting into bed. Goal: Vengeance! I want the amazing abs, the v line, the ability to walk out on a beach and get the head turns. Summary:Go from: To: Because:

Main 3 Goals Increase runningCross trainIntermittent fastingLife quest Increased RunningThis is about my passion. In my early years of being active - a long time ago - running was something I thought was probably a boring activity and wondered why any one would do it - let alone actually enjoy it. So fast forward to my the past three or four years of my life and I have a passion for running. So much so that I did zero cross training. I just ran - run Forest run. I didn't think I needed to cross train. If you have read some of my other posts you found that I need to cross train. I started getting the typical runner's injuries. I am now on the mend and can enjoy my running again. This was a short pause in my running while I trained in other activities to recover. So this goal of Increased running comes with cross training. Without it, my time in running will come to an end. Cross TrainingAhhhh. To cross train. Similar to running I wondered why anyone would like to do it. While I don't have the same passion for cross training, I do have the passion to do cross training so I can run. It's all about the running for me. My challenge her is to get better at a more methodical approach. I have some good cross training activities like swimming, cycling, and strength training. I particularly need to get more regimented in the strength portion. Intermittent FastingThis goal is to help me lose weight for..... you guessed it... so I can run more. I want to run a marathon in May of 2014 (will be at least a 1/2 but want the full). I have run the half marathon in Cincinnatij known as the "Flying Pig." My current weight at the beginning of this challenges was about 198 pounds. I had started the fasting before the challenge and had already lost 2 pounds. I want to get down to the low 180's for the marathon. Life quest - Follow 10 Scouts This is pretty simple. I want to follow 10 scouts and post every week on all 10 providing encouraging comments. Hope to get like feedback. ============= Schedule============= Schedule for increased running and cross training Week 1 10 miles (include intervals 1/2 x5) Dropped intervals because calf muscles tight from a fast 5K last Saturday. Cross train - upper body Week 2 12 miles Cross train - Abs Week 3 run 15 miles Week 4 run 10 mile (Include intervals 1/2 x5) Cross train upper body Week 5 run 15 miles Cross train abs Week 6 bike 60 miles run set of intervals 1/1.5 x5 Intermittent fasting to continue weight loss 8 by 16 hours 7:00 pm to 11:00 AM Edit for a couple of changes:1) fix title to include my name2) Didn't change any distances yet, but calves are super tight after a 5K on 7/27. May not be able to do the running. Will mix in walking if needed and may have to lower the distances until my calves recover. BUT hoping recovery is going to be fast. 7/30 EDITS. Changed formatting after reading some other posts and realized mine was pretty bland. Also embellished some to on why I am doing what I am doing. I am doing grading a spreadsheet.

Main Quest - Run a 5k in under 34 minutes. I walk/run at just under a 11 minute mile for one mile right now, and afterward I'm completely smoked. I want to be able to keep at least that pace over a 3.1 mile course. Goal 1: Run/Walk 120 minutes a week. Right now I'm running about two times a week for an intense 10 minute run after my weight lifting routine. It's the 10 minute cardio that's supposed to follow the Level 1 Rookie workout. It's easy to do those because I'm already at the gym and in the mindframe of working out. I don't enjoy running as much as lifting, but once the pump is primed with the weights, I don't mind a few times 'round the track. It's the days where all I have to do is 30 minutes of cardio where I decide I need to do laundry, clean the house, mow the grass, watch several episodes in a row of Batman Beyond or Doctor Who on Netflix... So these are the grades I'll give myself at the end of each week. It's gonna be hard, because I already blew today watching cartoons so that means every day this week has to count to get an "A". And I have a wedding and an luncheon with old high school friends on Saturday (which means get up early and DO IT, dammit). And then a week's vacation in Florida (the resort has a gym, so I'll be visiting that every day.) 108-120 minutes (3x30 + 3x10) = A 96-107 minutes (3x30 + 1x10) = B 84-95 minutes (3x30 or 2x30 + 2x10) = C 72-83 minutes (2x30 + 2x10) = D <72 minutes = F Goal 2: Strength Train 3x a week. I'll continue to use the Rookie workout, increasing weight (and reps on body weight movements) as I progress. I've been doing this workout sporadically over the last two months--now its time to get serious. 3 times a week = A 2 times a week = D 0-1 time a week = F This shouldn't be that hard...I like lifting. This is more an exercise of not being lazy. Goal 3: Eat well 5 days a week. "Well" is not measurable. So the goal is to eat primal/paleo at least 60% of my calories (2,300) at least 5 days a week. It only counts if I get 60% of my calories from unprocessed fruits, vegetables, or protein. My three biggest enemies are popcorn (into which I dump M&M's), doughnuts (vanilla long johns, specifically), and soda (Dr. Pepper is the bestest). My best bet is to just stay the hell away from these things. I need to recruit friends and family to keep me accountable and to not lead me into temptation. This is my most difficult goal, so I'm going nice on my grading as to not beat myself up too much. 0-1 day = F 2 days = D 3 days = C 4 days = B 5 days = A 6 days = A+ 7 days = you might want to kill me as I've been replaced by pod people. Life Quest I'm a bi-vocational pastory-guy...thing. I sell cars during the week to support my family, but my true calling is to facilitate Christian community, which I do for free. I left paid pastoral ministry two years ago and have since started a house church. I'm the proestos, which in Greek means, roughly, "the stander-in-front," even though we sit in a circle in my living room. Anyway, my Life Quest is to be more disciplined in my spiritual life...reading scripture daily and sharing with others what I read. It's really easy to let that one hour of the week be the only time to seek holiness. The goal is to read a passage of scripture daily, and post one or two verses a day through social media. Really simple, but you gotta start somewhere. Motivation When I was a United Methodist Pastor in East Texas, I often heard the phrase, "used to could." As in, "I used to could run a 21 minute 5k." Now I cain't can't. I hate that phrase (because its awful grammar and I didn't really like living in Texas), but more because...there's too many things that I used to could do that I cain't do no more. I don't want to be that guy who tells stories about how awesome he used to be. Instead, I want to be at least kinda neat right now (my knees aren't big fans of being awesome nowadays). Relatedly, the Life Quest harkens to St. Paul's encouragement to "run well the race" of faith. I also suffer with depression. I feel better when I'm physically active and when I'm more intentional about my relationship with God. Stats: 36 years old Height 68.5 inches Weight 247 pounds I have no idea my measurements because the-boy the young-man-who-lives-with-us took my measuring tape on a mission trip to New Orleans last month and I haven't seen it since. I do know I wear a 52 inch jacket, a 18 inch shirt collar, and 40 inch slacks/38 inch jeans.

Mission: Mother Nature with Muscles​ ​Requires mastery of biology and ecology. Requires strength, stamina, and agility. ​Execution: Obj "Ostrich": Run 3x weekly. Note: In the case of tropical storms, may accommodate runs with a 2:4 two-week set. Obj "Holy Anole": Pushups 3x weekly. Require no less than 30. Size of set discretionary. Obj "Armadillo": Core workout 3x weekly. Secondary Obj "Seeds of Knowledge": Pass Biology 6-12 FL Teaching Certification Exam. Note: Pass/Fail. Also, in the case that certificate grades does not come back by end of challenge, P/F will be evaluated by completing the XAM workbook and pretest. Tertiary Objective "Root in Ever Flowing Waters": 64 oz fluid per day, excluding diuretics. Harvest: 2 Str, 2 Sta, 1 Dex. 2 Str. 1 Str. 3 Wis. 1 Sta, 2 Con. Total: 14 Motivation: Integrate nature into the daily lifestream of myself and others (learning and teaching). Be an exemplary human mentally and physically.

Well, here I am back for challenge number 6. I want to write a super cool one but I am in a hurry right now, and I am going camping with the kids this weekend, so I will come back and fix it. I have decided to run Ironman Texas in 2015, so I am almost two years away, but most of my training and goals will be somehow directed to this major goal. At the moment I have run two sprint triathlons, (and a super sprint), so there is a long way to go. Also, the camping this weekend is with my triathlon coach (we call him Yoda), so I may or may not change my goals depending on his opinion and plans for me. Goals 1. Train. make a training plan and follow it, I need to start increasing my mileage, add some intensity / speed work, and in general train more. (+2STA +1CON) 2. Lift. For real, this time, I have been avoiding strength training almost since challenge #1, and now it's REALLY important to change that. Plan to follow. (+5 STR) 3. Push Limits. So far, I've run 7.5k at most, and my longest race has been a 5k, or 5ks at triathlon, but Ironman is 42km, so, the bar must be raised ASAP, during this challenge I shall run 10k, preferably an organized race, and in less than 90 minutes. (+3STA +1DEX) 4. Life. I have to promote the firm I am currently an Associate of, so I must reorganize the dossier, and contact a lot of prospects, goal is to dedicate at least 4 hours a week, for the 6 weeks. (+4WIS) Starting Numbers: STR 12 DEX 3 STA 20 CON 13.8 WIS 15.6 CHA 7.8 Weight: 87k Edit: Added points and starting numbers.

DING! WeyrCat is now Level 6. Gains: 3Str, 2 Dex, 2 Sta, 2.9 Con, 2.6 Wis, 2.2 Cha. (=14.7 points spent). Last month my husband challenge me to start running again. I spent a long time "off" due to a combination of injury, the malaise that comes from thinking you might never better, and then re-injury from overdoing it. SO. I started really slow, at really short distances, but I'm running three times a week now! My challenge is largely centered around maintaining that. Run 3x, any distance, 2Sta/3Str. I put on some weight thanks to not running and getting close to the end of my bachelors. So, I'm also working on that. Calorie Deficit (weekly*500*7), 2Con/2Cha. I am, again, attempting this water goal. I do alright when I'm not at the computer, oddly. Unfortunately I spend a lot of time at the computer. Water 8x8 (daily), [Tea counts, coffee doesn't,] 2Con/1Sta/1Dex. These are what I'm really focused on. I probably won't add more quests for points, but am constantly trying to tweak little things too. I don't post as often as I should or want to, so I'm working on that. I'm a married Labrador-mommy, in college Full time+, and for the next couple weeks am a one-woman-show. Not sure if that will make things easier or harder (heh, less to clean but have to do ALL the dog-time). SO. On with the show! ---------------------------------------------------------- Updates: Goal Development Week: (May28-Jun02): IP: Run 3/3, H2O 4/4, Deficit 4/4. SCORE: 100 A *This week is 4 days long because I did not solidify the goals on the first day of Preweek. Week1 (Jun 03-09): Run 3/3 Deficit -6000/-3500 Water 7/7 100% A. Week2 (Jun 10-16): Run 3/3 Deficit -5500/-3500 Water 7/7 100% A. Week3 (Jun 17-23): Run 3/3 Deficit -3700/-3500 Water 7/7 100% A. Week4 (Jun 24-Jul 01): Run 3/3 Deficit -3550/-3500 Water 7/7 100% A-. Week5 (Jul 02-08): Week6 (Jul 09-15):

After a lack luster attitude last challenge, I've decided a major revamp of my goals was needed to make things more exciting. No more habit building (all though that will probably happen any way). I'm going to make this challenge harder. Because sometimes that's what I need to kick my butt into gear. Goal 1 - Food Whole30 June 1 - June 30 No grains, no dairy, no sugar, no legumes. I failed the last time I tried to reduce my sugar intake to normal levels so maybe giving it up all together is a better approach. Even if that makes a horrible person to be around for a couple days. I'll be reporting my food here instead of MFP because they said no calorie tracking. There will be a small goodbye party for ice cream tomorrow and I already had a send off for bacon this morning. (2 CON 2 CHA) Self control July 1 - July 7 I'll be on vacation, in the middle of nowhere, not in-control of most of my meals. One point if I make healthy choices when available and don't go overboard. (1 CON) Paleo July 8 - July 14 Because a Whole 30 is 30 days but the challenge is 6 weeks, had to give a goal for the last week. Plus it will make sure I don't go crazy on anything I craved. A chance to stick with what I learned in the prior month. (1 WIS) Goal 2 - Strength Leg swings to open up the hips every morning. Calf raises too. (1 CON) Body weight workouts on Monday and Friday. (2 STR) Yoga on Tuesdays. (1 DEX) Goal 3 - Run It would feel weird not having running as a goal but it only gets one point this challenge. (1 STA) Goal 4 - Clean, technically it's an apartment not a house but the title sounded better with house Vacuum and dust the whole place 3 times during the challenge (1 WIS) Spring clean the bathroom and kitchen (1 STR) Clean out my closet (1 CHA) Put laundry away as soon as it's dry and put away shoes, purse, backpack, lunchbox when I get home (1 STA) Find some where to put and organize all my bike stuff And to make sure I really give the challenge all the effort I'm capable of. $10 per point earned to get new clothes, otherwise it goes into savings.

Name: Hammlin Race: Wood Elf Class: Scout Attributes: Strength (STR): 15 Dexterity (DEX): 16.75 Stamina (STA): 17.5 Constitution (CON): 15 Wisdom (WIS): 18.5 Charisma (CHA): 16.75 Total: 99.5 Level 9 Goals (June 3 to July 14): Fitness/Diet Quests: 1. Hike all the things. For this challenge I am getting in shape to hike Long’s Peak with some friends at the end of summer. The only way that I can make this possible is by getting out and hiking some practice trails. I will try to vary which ones I do by mixing up duration, difficulty, elevation, etc. I have got to keep practicing if I am going to make Long’s a reality. 6 hikes= A 5 hikes= B 4 hikes= C 3 hikes= D 2 hikes= F Reward: (+2 STA +2 STR) 2. Speed Demon. I was selected to be a blog ambassador for the Esprit de She series of events. In exchange for writing about my training I was given a free entry to the Esprit de She 10k in Cherry Creek. Up to this point my PR for a 10k is 59:09. I am going to spend the next 5 weeks trying to best that. I will also be writing about my training. My scoring will be in relation to my write ups of my training. A PR of 58:50 or less will be equal to 2 Blogs. 6 Blogs= A 5 Blogs= B 4 Blogs= C 3 Blogs= D 2 Blogs= F Reward: (+2 CON, +2 STA) 3. Back on the Bike. I haven't ridden my bike but one time since I moved to Colorado, and that was an epic fail (I blacked out in an intersection- very embarrassing…) So, I aim to get back on my bike! Maybe someday I'll even have a go at a duathlon??? Who knows? 6 rides = A 5 rides = B 4 rides = C 3 rides = D 2 rides = F Reward: (+2 STR, +1 DEX) Life Quest: 4. Step it Up. For my life goal I am going to work through a step study to help address my food addiction. In my job we encourage people to use the 12 steps to address all sorts of hurts, habits, and hang-ups, and I think it’s time I work on this one for myself. I will do the whole study over the course of the 6 weeks, using the book “Power of Brokenness”. The hardest part of any step study is inventory, so that will carry the most weight. Steps 1-3 (Admission/Submission) = 15% Steps 4-5 (Inventory) = 50% Steps 6-9 (Amends) = 25% Steps 10-12 (Maintenance) = 10% Reward: (+2 WIS, +2 CON) TRACKING My Story (challenge history): 1. Wandering across the mountain ranges of the west, I came upon another wood elf, who was running through the tree lined forest. I tried to keep up, because I knew he was waiting for me, but nothing I did would keep me at pace with him. Eventually I slowed, to catch my breath and I lost him. Dejected and worn out, I decided to dedicate my life to keeping up with this other elf... 2. Sneaking through the woods I can feel my senses getting sharper and I begin to wonder if the elf that I'm following, is actually following me... 3. Catching my breath I slow my run as I approach a clearing. Did I get lost? I don't know where I am and the elf I had been following has picked up the pace. My mind... it's jumbled up... my thoughts are foggy... I need to focus. I'll stay here for a while, find my center, and then continue on... 4. After pausing in the clearing to refocus, I see what looks like a beaten down path off to my right. Have I been here before? Walking up to the path, it looks familiar, but overgrown. I take out my sword and slowly start hacking away the brush that seems to have grown in over the years. Yes. THIS is my path. 5. Following the path for what seems like a lifetime I suddenly find myself at the tree lined edge of a beautiful meadow. The sun in the sky that is glaring down on me makes me realize something glorious- I have made it through the woods! Over the hill I see the elf that I have been tracking this whole time. He is napping… This is my chance!!! 6. Running up to the elf that I have been following for what seems like forever, I find myself out of breath. As I slow down and approach him, I see him slow down and turn to me. I don't know if he knows that I have been following him, but I can tell by the look in his eye that he's ok with this. As we start to wander the forest together we notice that things aren't quite as bright and cheery as they were months ago... something is wrong... 7. As we continue to approach the edge of the forest we can feel something bearing down on us. Picking up the pace we stay laser focused on getting out of here. The night has grown darker and the forest is eerily quiet. The wood elf and I look at each other and begin to run. I can tell that the time where we have to battle is near and we really need to stay focused... 8. Standing on the front line, victorious, I wonder "Now what?" I ponder with wise words of a foreigner who taught my people to stay motivated when they feel like they have arrived. The skills I have learned in the past keep me pushing forward. I move confidently north, to find new lands. And that other pesky elf can come with me… 9. On the north side of the valley I see something far away that I can’t take my eyes off of. It almost looks like the mountain side is glistening and the sun is dancing with the peaks. I fall into a trance, staring off into the distance, as if I'm under a spell. A few minutes later I am able to snap out of it, but the lingering desire to see who, or what, had a hold on me begins to push me forward. Is some powerful mage up in the hills, drawing people to him? Or is someone sending out a distress signal, begging for help. All I know is the allure of finding out what is in those hills is forcing me onward. We have mountains like these back home, but I am far from that place, and out of practice. It will take some time to traverse these mighty giants, but I have no choice but to start…