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I'm feeling the urge to get back into running and I wasn't very happy with my last pair of Sauconys, so I'm in full shoe research mode. So far I'm leaning towards the Brooks Revel 5. Does anyone have any experience with them?

Hey, Ive had a drastic change in my life and have left my political work. in the next 3 weeks I want to use this mini challenge to heal mentally and do things that make me feel good. Since Ive signed up for a 5k run in September its time to see if there is a way for me to get back into running after dozens of injuries, I will use the 3 weeks until the end of the challenge to see whether thats possible. goals: jog/walk intervals for 30-40 minutes 3 times a week in addition to hikes and dog walks on non "running" days - do weight training( bodyweight and kettlebells) or stretch/foam roll/yoga. Sunday is rest day keep eating keto and have healthy food, even though my kitchen is still not finished and I cant use it do one fun thing every day ( like today I will put my citrus plants into new, bigger pots) I might also be able to reduce my "drugs" during this challenge: have a break from alcohol, reduce smoking and reduce sleep medication. Ive really overdone it lately and this needs to be adressed. Today I woke up happy and content, had yoghurt with berries and coffee, got invited to hike at the river at 1pm and in the afternoon I will put my citrus plants in their new, bigger pots. Im looking forward to the day and have slept well so I feel rested. All is well.

credit: Old Door by Stefano Aneto CHAPTER 3: AThousandWords Alights (Chapter 1, Chapter 2) I used to think that Doors were rare and mischievous. After all, finding an ephemeral passage between monotonous reality and the tingling prospect of adventure isn't something that happens everyday, right? A lifetime could pass by before the opportunity presents itself again. I was wrong. It turns out that Doors — like cars with one darkened headlight or a word you swear you've never read before — appear far more often after you've noticed them once. As if acknowledging their existence brings them bubbling to the surface. Once upon a time I saw a Door at a train station and walked away, fearing I would never see one again. Instead, the persistent openings pop up in the corner of my eye at every turn. A broad-slatted blue Door out of place in a stone wall; a fairy Door tucked away in the roots of an oak tree; an inconspicuous louvered Door when I stop at a red light. "I liked that one," my son says idly one night, marching a chicken nugget through a trailing doorway of ketchup on his plate. "The green one we saw at the playground. I bet it had dinosaurs on the other side." Across the table my daughter shrieks in delight and chomps down on her fork with a loud roar. I smile at her but my eyes dart to where my husband sits with a raised eyebrow. I shrug in return. It's a conversation that's been played out after bedtimes and in passing a hundred times with no real answer. We've been putting it off, but it feels insistent, inevitable. And if I'm honest, exciting. "A dinosaur Door? Wouldn't you rather open a Spider-Man Door?" my husband teases and I start the lists in my head. What to pack - snacks? Probably. Diapers, for sure... And I wonder what the next door we find will be. Spring is sprouting! And while currently we're still in grey chilly days (and I have a seasonal, non-covid head cold to go with it), I'm starting to look ahead to sunnier and more exciting days. Last challenge, I had a long weekend break with my husband, celebrated my 36th birthday, and ran my first ever half marathon! What started out as a longing for change manifested in a lot of adventure coming my way. In 2 weeks we're hosting my son's first real birthday party, then two days later driving to North Carolina to see my sister's new home, and during week 5 of the challenge I'm flying to Georgia to meet my coworkers for the first time at a developer's retreat. I'm anxious and excited and ready for something new. So this challenge will be flexible (there's a lot of travel days in there!) and hopefully fun. I'm looking forward to not spending my Saturdays doing long runs every week, but I still want to do something active. My next running goal is a sub-30 5k, so I'll be doing more interval runs. And I need to take a closer look at my diet because my cholesterol is up and honestly I've been letting a lot of unhealthy habits slip in because I was running enough to not care what I was eating. In particular, I need to cut out the afternoon snacking because I've gotten reeaal comfortable eating cheetos and girl scout cookies at my desk... Habit 1: Run 3x a week for at least 30 min Follow training plan for improving 5k times Ideally running Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday -- but can move around days if needed due to travel, daycare schedules, etc Habit 2: Endurance Activity on weekends Options include: 5mi+ run, 10mi+ bike ride, 2 hour hike, or similar level of activity Include the family as much as possible! Habit 3: Stop the Snack Follow IF 16/8 (usually 12pm - 8pm) for 6/7 days a week Coffee + creamer or water allowed outside this window (I can't give up my morning coffee!) No after-lunch snacking (eat enough to be sated at lunch) Habit 4: Follow Meal Plan (Weeks 1,2,4*) Meal Plan for the week every Tuesday Cook from the meal plan 6/7 days a week * Weeks 3 and 5 are exempt for this goal, but make every attempt to meal plan and cook on the days I'm home Bonus Points: Eat Well No more than 1 red meat dinner per week Eat 4+ servings of vegetables a day Drink 8 cups of water a day

Starting as I don't mean to go on yesterday - Mrs 18ck and I had our twentieth anniversary so we wandered about on the North Downs Way with our beloved offspring to give our old bones a challenge and then ate a lot of cake and drank some sparkling wine from the vineyard where we'd stopped for lunch. But that's it for cake and wine now, at least until my birthday. OK, I've been struggling a bit to stay motivated and work is not helping: I'm super-busy at the moment and likely to remains super-busy at least till the end of the month, so I think my best chance of success is to keep it simple and manageable but not so easy it's boring: I'll go for an indoor lockdown-style workout once a day, in the morning, 10-30 minutes, probably either yoga or a Joe Wicks session, and see anything on top of that as a bonus. I'm aware that I need to run a a bit and also to start working on my cycling endurance (because months ago I signed up for this shit and the day of judgement approachetheth) but I don't want to make those into goals because I don't think I'll stick to them. I'll just concentrate on cranking out small wins and see each extra as an added bonus. I am not a lost cause yet but it definitely feels like with a little inattention I could just slip into bad habits and end up giving up, so giving myself some wins is essential. I'm less worried about the cycling anyway. I've been riding so long I'm practically a bike centaur by now so my only real worry is whether I'll be able to stay up past my bedtime. I'd quite like to sign up for an organised 10k run to motivate myself for running too but money is tight and it feels like an indulgence so I might need to motivate myself the old fashioned way, through the power of prayer. Ó Rosa Mota, nossa senhora da maratona, dá-me força... Food-wise, I need to do better. Nothing sweet other than fruit, count calories every day and stay under target. And... Actually, that's it. Two goals. Exercise once a day, food under limits. I might review in early April but for now, two seems to be a realistic maintenance level. Me & my homeys out training for our 10k

Greeting Nerd Fitness Well the theme of marathon is wrapping up and well I finish the Oakland Marathon on Sunday. It was not the fastest I've run one but was not my worse either. Official time was 5hr55min53sec - yes my wife gave me grief about those 2 seconds! So a new theme must be brought to the forefront as we leave the theme of marathon behind - or perhaps we continue it... I'm not sure yet, but I know what I'm gonna do for this challenge - so let's get to that! QUEST 1 - Keep Moving Marathon is over but that doesn't mean we stop running. Taking a few days to recover and should be running again soon. My wife is seriously considering the San Francisco full in July so we'll look into training and such We'll likely keep with 3-midweek run and 1-weekend long run QUEST 2 - Fruits and Veggies Food game has gotten kind of junky as we burn so many calories during marathon training - so time to focus up on more greens and fruits! QUEST 3 - Read More! Hope to finish Grave Peril and move into Summer Knight by the end of this challenge QUEST 4 - Monster Hunting My RPG group has started Monster of the Week with me being the Keeper (aka GM/DM) so I'm gonna focus efforts on that. Hopefully with mystery prep and after action reports posted here

Some may say I need to be committed, I say if it includes my own padded room that doesn't sound so bad! I have reached challenge number 70...not all of these challenges went the way I planned, not all of these challenges resulted in me leveling up, All of those challenges have resulted in learning something, even if it's what doesn't work for me. I'm a pretty typical type A, I prefer to do things myself, have a difficult time asking for help and sharing my feelings...the older I get the more I realize this is not always healthy. I work from home, so making sure I have enough movement in my day as well as not eating "all the unhealthy things" is important. Checking in to hold myself accountable is key to this being successful, I don't want to have to post bad news here. I struggle to get enough sleep so that shall remain on the list until it's no longer a struggle. I've been a workaholic as long as I can remember, mostly because of past experience and not wanting to have to count on anyone for things I need. D (my wife for those new here) and I have had many conversations about this. She understands my feelings because she's the same way, but we also know the importance to our relationship for us to be able to depend and count on each other. This is a very long winded way of saying that we need to remember to step away from work and have some fun, riding our motorcycles are a huge part of this for us for right now our every 4 week trips to FL also count towards this. The Plan... Cardio - 8,000 steps a day (includes 30 min on treadmill), and one kettlebell workout a week Update - Post in thread three times a week. Track - Sleep (7 hours a night) and Food (deficit per tracker) Extra - Rides, 5k's, events, and life events go here Done - 🌈 Not Done - ❄️ I have a Terrain Race planned in May that I do not want to embarrass myself at, I'd also like to get rid of the 35 lbs. that I put on since the last race I did in Feb 2020.

Happy (almost) New Year Friends! So things have got a little slack around here for the last few weeks. Weird work stuff and vacation stuff have had me doing not a great job of keeping up with my fitness routines. So this challenge is about getting back into the foundational stuff. Here are the goals: Run 3x/week I am continuing with my 5%/week increase plan. It has worked so far and I expect it will continue to do so. Lift 3x/week I might do as many as 6x/week, but 3 will be my minimum. Track Calories and stay on target I'm using MFP. My target is 1800/day, plus 100 on a day I run, and 100 on a day I lift. Since I often run and lift on the same day, this will mean often I will alternate between 1800 days and 2000 days. I'm watching to see how my weight responds. I'm up about 5 lbs from a month ago, but for the last month I've done a crap job with tracking and food choices. So I'm expecting over the course of this challenge to drop back down at least that 5. We shall see. I think that's it. I'm going to give myself a point for each run/lift/day tracked and on target, against the 13 possible points each week. I'm starting with zero week, and I'm starting on a Monday because that's today and so far I've tracked everything and this will be a very good day for a start. Happy Challenge!

credit: MorJer on DeviantArt CHAPTER 1: AThousandWords finds a Door At the top of the hill. At the back of the wardrobe. At the end of the trail. There is always a Door. Today it is hidden in yellow siding, tucked away at the back of an unused train station, metres away from a bustling pedestrian highway. Hundreds of cyclists and joggers and families passing by daily, none the wiser. Finely painted, with a trompe-l'œil handle that you think you could reach out and turn. An ornate window made of clouded glass, just far enough out of reach that you'd have to get on tip-toes to see through. If there were anything to see. I must have run past it a hundred times myself - surely it's always been there? Tucked away by creeping vines and tall brown grass. I hesitate, torn between wanting to reach out and feel if the doorknob is real and warm from the sun, yet unwilling to let the illusion dissipate. Happy New Year! I'm going to indulge myself this year in a long-running, immersive fantasy. For me, 2022 is a work in peeling back layers of old habits and forging new ones that support the identity I want to embody. I'm unlearning some negative traits (particularly around diet and weight loss) and opening a door to more consistency, simplicity, and joy. My framework for this challenge is based on Atomic Habits: establishing micro-building blocks that feed into the habits I want to establish. It looks a little different from my previous challenges, but I'm giving it a whirl! Habit 1: Schedule and Start 2 hours of Deep Work every weekday Use reclaim.ai to schedule 2 hours of focused work time on work days When the notification goes off, I will actually get started with work - even if it's just 2 minutes Habit 2: Fill up water cup every morning Every morning while I make coffee, I will fill up my big 24oz water cup Habit 3: Spend 15 minutes every weekday adding recipes to Plan to Eat Use reclaim.ai to schedule 15 minutes of time every weekday Add at least one recipe that I'm actually willing to cook/eat to Plan to Eat during this time Habit 4: Practice yoga for 30 min a week I will complete a 30 min yoga class from the Peloton app for 30 min on Tuesdays, after daycare dropoff If, for some reason, I can't do Tuesday, Friday or Sunday are my back up days Behind the scenes, there are lots of other things I'm working on: I'm still training for a half-marathon and running 3-4x a week. I'm trying to read more (that's a work in progress that will probably be its own challenge item down the road). I never finished those dollhouses, so that's definitely going to be happening this month. I'm also still parenting two small kids during a pandemic, with all the associated stress and joy that brings. 🤷‍♀️ But these four things feel like a good starting point toward establishing healthy habits this year, and casting a strong vote toward the person I want to be at the end of 2022.

Last year, Man Uncivilized founder Traver Boehm shared that instead of the typical New Year's Resolutions that many people make (and often fail), he names his year. For me, 2021 was the year of Purpose and Power. In spite of the year's challenges, I did indeed tap into my purpose and power as a father, as a husband, as a leader, as as educator, and (most importantly) as a man. After some meditating and deep contemplation, I have chosen to name 2022 The Year of Connection: connection to my self (my truest self), to my body, to my loved ones, and to the universe. This challenge is step one of that connection: Elevation. (side note: I also binge-watched the Jack Ryan series, so if that influence trickles into this challenge, don't be surprised; and of course, expect some poetry along the way). Elevate Your Body: 40 push-ups upon waking two-a-day workouts: one cardio (running, brisk walking, hiking, elliptical, stairs, etc.) and one strength (weights, machines, bodyweight, kettlebells, cinderblocks, etc.); aim for 30-60 minutes each, but don't stress if this is not possible fast intermittently when practical and eat whole foods when possible cold shower daily drink at least 93 ounces of water daily Elevate Your Brain: at least 15 minutes daily using Duolingo at least 15 minutes daily using Elevate read at least 10 pages daily of any book (I am participating in the Read Harder Challenge for 2022) stay informed via NPR One app & podcasts (with one caveat: do not exceed 15 minutes of news consumption) limit social media Elevate Your Mind/Soul: 0415 wakeup daily meditation/prayer daily scripture/devotional reading daily breath exercises daily spend focused and present distraction-free time with wife and kids evening reflective journaling

In 61 days time I'll be running in a 5k event for a Children's Cancer charity. It's booked and paid for, I'm running it with a friend who has also paid and is locked in. Right now I can't run very far, maybe 500m to 1k so I'm going to be following a couch to 5k program. It's supposed to be 12 weeks, I'll do it in 9 as I'm too close to the date. I'm the heaviest I've ever been at 104.7kg. That is way beyond anything I've ever weighed in at before, my diet is totally out of control and at times I'm unhappy. It's getting harder to do simple stuff like put shoes on. I really need to make a change and get back to an active life. Goals: - Record here every day, even if it's to say nothing happened. - Track calories - Run 3 times a week to the Couch to 5K program I would like to be eating sensibly and doing some walking as well, however experience being at this kind of low tells me to keep my goals simple and achievable while I build some momentum. Here we go!

"Quiet friend who has come so far, feel how your breathing makes more space around you. Let this darkness be a bell tower and you the bell. As you ring, what batters you becomes your strength. Move back and forth into the change. What is it like, such intensity of pain? If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine. In this uncontainable night, be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses, the meaning discovered there. And if the world has ceased to hear you, say to the silent earth: I flow. To the rushing water, speak: I am. Sonnets to Orpheus II, 29 Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower by Rainer Maria Rilke Greetings and Happy Holidays fellow Rebels. As some of you know, life has been wild crazy busy for me lately but for good reasons. While this is always a difficult time of year for me personally, I am determined to rise above dwelling on past traumas and instead focus on upgrading my mind and body as I turn this new page in my life. My challenge will be similar to my last one with a few minor changes. Since winter is approaching and cold weather is already upon us, I am returning to my Wim Hof training. I'll be squeezing it in with my morning meditation practice. I am also intermittent fasting again but not in the same way as before: I will eat if I feel hungry (as in stomach actually growling), but if not then I will hold off until I am hungry. So here are my challenge goals: PHYSICAL GOAL: Lift heavy objects as often as possible and move in ways that bring me joy. This includes cinderblocks, logs, stones, kettlebells, weights, and my own body whenever the opportunity presents itself (yoga, Darebee workouts, etc.). The key is to have fun moving again and 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." This will also include eating only when I feel hungry and not because I'm bored or because I think I'm hungry. This requires me to listen to my body and be mindful of my hunger. MENTAL/SPIRITUAL GOALS: I will re-instate my morning practice which will now include Wim Hof practices. I will meditate twice daily (morning contemplative meditation and evening gratitude meditation). I will read and post one poem a day, as well as write a poem of my own every day. I will read at least ten pages of a spiritual development book daily. I dropped the ball on the "poem a day" goal last time, but I struggled because life was so busy. Now that I'm finished with my Master's degree work, I should have the time to read and compose some poems. MORNING PRACTICE: 0400 wakeup prayer/contemplative meditation scripture reading breath work (Wim Hof) cold shower

Y'all - hold my hand. I'm doing something a little scary this challenge. I'm going off-roading. I've spent the last couple days rereading my old NF challenges (which was a fun trip down memory lane) and realized that while I've done some kick ass challenges over the last 8 years, I consistently fail once I fall off the boards. And while I love the NF boards, I don't want to spend my whole life always replaying the same game: doing weight-loss challenge after weight-loss challenge. I want to win the damn game and do new things. Once upon a time, I thought that meant 1. Get to my goal weight, 2. Profit?? but I'm realizing that the challenges I do here on NF are challenging... but unsustainable for long term. I need to build organic habits and set up systems that don't come crashing down the minute I take a break. Instead of starting anything particularly new this challenge, I'm going to set myself up for success by focusing on the big things that really help: meal planning and intentionality. For possibly the first time ever, I'm not doing a paleo/primal/grain-free challenge. Instead, I'm building up my recipe book with healthy recipes (and ok yes, those tend to be paleo/primal/grain-free for me personally) and let meal planning guide my diet. That's the scary part. I worry that I'm going to binge eat and go to donut town the minute the restraints are loosened. But letting go of the diet mindset is probably the only way I'll ever really get long term success. I am going to keep myself accountable by posting more often here on NF (plus I'm kind of an awesome cook, and I want to share what I make!). Meal Plan and Share - Meal plan 6 healthy recipes per week - Add 5 recipes per week to Plan To Eat - Log meals on NF challenge thread 5x per week – ideally with pictures! I'm also going to keep running – but that's it. Rule 6 of the Rebellion is: We Don’t HAVE to exercise, we GET to exercise. And I realize I've been putting myself in a box trying out video workouts from home and ST exercises that I don't really enjoy. I'm never going to want to do that long term. For 2022 I have a goal to find some kind of active hobby I enjoy (in addition to running) in order to cross train and working more activity, but for now – when it's cold and dark and I just want to hygge and hibernate? – I'm going to take a step back and focus on what's sustainable. Run - 1 long run (Starting at 45 minutes and adding 5 minutes each week) - Run 5k 2x per week I'm going to take the habits that work and keep doing them – no point quitting something that works! This is a compilation of little habits I've been fairly consistent at over the last 3 challenges. My goal is to track here, rather than Habitica, since I'm going to be posting meals anyway (right?). Continue Healthy Habits - IF 16/8 5-6 a week - Drink 8 glasses of water daily - Floss daily - Limit alcohol to 2x a week Finally, one of my big goals for the upcoming year is to read more. I want to keep up with my monthly Book Club, I want to finish the books I've started, and I want to knock some books off my to-read list. For this challenge I'm reading Atomic Habits, which is something I think will help a lot in the year going forward, as I make healthy living more of a habit instead of a diet. Read - Read November Book Club pick, Talking to Strangers - Finish The Starless Sea - Finish Deep Work - Read Atomic Habits

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.

This is my first challenge on my journey to become the best ranger (larper) of them all (in my area). I hope you enjoy reading. Leitmotif: Falling leafs I have started to declutter my home, but also my routines and habits. Everything that does not serve a purpose, makes me happy or helps me grow, everything that holds me back, I will let go of. A look out of my window shows, that there can be beauty in it, too. When you have a generalist approach to fitness, I think it's easy to fall in to the trap of trying to practice everything at once. At some points this summer, I lost focus and track of progress, sometimes, things fell off the wagon, because I was tired at the end of training. I need a clearer separation between my training focus (+3x per week) and the maintenance work (occasionally at my own leisure once every week or two). “...you have been chosen, and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have.” lotr Body Running After a failed first attempt and some form and posture correction training afterwords, I started CT5K again last winter and build up to a fourth day of weekly running in spring. In August, I turned one of these into a long run by increasing the time gradually to an hour and above. That quite revealed my weak spots: It's not the aerobic endurance that is lacking behind but my legs, knees, and hip flexors especially. I think, I need to strengthen them before pushing for longer runs again. I will skip the long run until further notice and introduce some strength exercises instead. I started to add strides (now 4×100m, 1min recovery) to my easy runs twice a week, as a non-taxing way to work on speed. The forest runs are where the fun starts. I run alongside, across or through a small creek in a nearby forest, jumping from stone to stone, vaulting over fallen logs, balancing and crawling. It's not so much about speed yet, but about the integration of techniques into a run as well as the adaptability and fluidity of movement. I will continue those as long as the weather allows and before winter is coming. Easy Run: 3x per week, 35 min each, split between a soft track (dt:„Finnenbahn“ fin: „Pururata“) and a forest trail. Pulse < 130 bpm Leg strength: 2x per week, on the evenings after the ERs Forest Run: 1x per week, 30 min My final goal is to be able to run the 5km in 24min on the trail if I need to, without hurting myself. (That's one of the benchmarks in my epic quest log. But this is still far of.) Climbing When a ranger is not stalking, crouching or running away from something (s)he is hiding in a tree munching apples and watching the surrounding countryside. But You need to get up there first. After learning swing ups, tuck pop-ups and different traversing techniques, it's time to master … well to manage the muscle up. At the moment, I can get to one kick muscle up, but only on a bar from standing. Mayor weaknesses being the height and explosiveness of the pull as well as the transition. Goal: Get to a couple of muscle up reps on a branch, starting from a jump, then reduce kicking gradually. Muscle up with kick: 3x per week, starting on a bar For height: seated L-sit pull-ups, get from sternum height to the halfway point between it and the naval. Supportive strength training: My strength routine so far was quite cluttered with exercises and I saw not much improvement in the last couple of months. For the next five weeks, I want to go minimalist here as well and reduce the volume to something more manageable. Performed after the muscle ups. Inclined one-handed push-ups, one-handed pull up progression, dragon flag progression Three exercises, in a rep range of 3-5, three sets each. (For those interested, I'm using the operator template from the book „Tactical Barbell“, as far as that is possible with body weight only.) strength training: 3x per week Heart „How much higher, then, is the pluck of the single scout who goes on some risky enterprise alone, on his own account, taking his life in his hand, when it is quite possible for him to go back without anybody being the wiser (...)“ Aids to Scouting Without getting into too much detail, the psychological aspect is probably my greatest weakness. (Among other things, I'm a chronic ruminator.) I am quite good at researching different models (e.g.: CBT) and exercises, less so at implementing them. In what is left of week zero, I will go through my old notes and decide on two or three practices to implement, then make an update to this section. (WIP Otherwise, I would postpone this post even longer. ) Note to myself: Can not be replaced with more pull-ups. Goal: Finally get a habit going 3x a week Wits Meditation Reflecting on my sessions in the past months, they were infrequent, long and of low quality. Let's see, if doing the opposite will help my practice. Anapanasati: 5x per week, in the morning, for a minimum of 10 min, expandable to 20min. Woodcraft Well I wanted to practice my bow drilling skills again and guess who just got volunteered to teach a few people at my community how to start a fire. The date is not set yet, but will be somewhere in November. This means, I need to collect quite a bit of material (tinder, kindling, wood) make some bows, boards and spindels, maybe get a tarp in case of rain. Goal: every one of my pupils gets a fire going Preparing the event 1x per week Practicing bow drill 1x per week Wish me luck!

Here I am for another comeback! One of these has to stick eventually... I have no idea how I left things in my last challenge, or even how long ago that was, and I'm way too lazy to check, so some updates which may or may not be known: I got a new job with a Real Adult Paycheque™. This has allowed me to get a shiny new computer, which makes these forums much less of an onerous task (my 13 year old Mac would get me there eventually, but it left me lots of time for idle contemplation and getting distracted). It has also allowed me to indulge just a bit in my Ranger Brain and join a HEMA class. Between work, holidays, and events being held by, or attended by, the class organizers, it's been a while since I've gone, so this might take a bit to really settle in, but I've enjoyed what I've done and plan to keep with it if I can. It has also allowed me to try a new program for weight management, so hopefully I can shed a few. Alas, the Real Adult Paycheque™ has not yet allowed me to move out of my parents' basement, but hopefully that'll come some day... Along with the new job and the new-found financial security (ish), my mood has taken a definite upswing. Though the job is more stressful than my previous one, mainly because I care about it and want to do the best job I can do, rather than that I find it overly stressful in and of itself, so my sleep (already not great) has suffered a bit. I still have my down days and struggle to get my arse off the couch, but I'm feeling like I'm in a place where I can move forward, albeit slowly. So, my goals: Goal 1 ~ The Dude Abides By the macro goals, that is. The group I joined is called the Focused Adipose Reduction Team (yes, that spells FART, and yes, that was on purpose, apparently), and among other things, the person running things gives you macro goals to abide by. This is nothing new to me, but it's the same goal every day, unlike previous programs I've tried, which is nice and simple. It also requires periodic check-ins, daily weigh-ins, and participation in a dedicated Facebook group (not usually my thing), so this goal is mainly about the macros but also about Doing the Other Things Too. Goal 2 ~ Run, Forest, Run! So apparently my goals have a movie theme going on...? I used to run regularly, and hated every second of it. I do, however, feel much better just in general when my cardiovascular health is better, and running is the least of all evils when it comes to cardio. Also, while gyms are open again, there's nothing stopping The Unvaccinated Masses from spewing their germs everywhere while Dancing to the Oldies, or whatever, so I'm not real cool about going, so running outdoors is about all I've got (home workouts will not work, I've given up trying and just accepted that's how it is). My physio suggested trail running, since trails are rugged and require more focus than sidewalks, and are also softer on the ol' joints, and I didn't hate the idea. I've been working through an injury that was aggravated by running, so it's been a while, and I need to take it slow. So the goal is to go for some kind of run 3x/week. I went today on a trail that I've walked my dogs on many times and am familiar with, and it wasn't horrible, so this will be my starter trail (plus ample doggos means ample excuses for a short break, cuz you can't not say hi to the good bois and girls). I'd like to be able to do the whole trail without stopping by the end of the challenge (breaks for pats notwithstanding). I'd also like to walk on my off days. I've never preferred to run 2 days in a row, and usually the other days would be gym days. I'm not gymming at the moment, though, so walking will get me a bit of activity without being overly taxing. In a perfect world I'll run Monday, Wednesday, Friday, then walk Tuesday and Thursday with swords on Saturday and rest on Sunday. On the weekend where I have to work, I won't make it to swords so I'll do an extra walk that week. Goal 3 ~ Goodnight, Sweet Prince I'm sure Kenneth Branagh has made a movie of Hamlet at some point in time, if nothing else... Stick to my bedtimes. This has long been a contentious issue for me, and one I struggle with constantly. Right now, in a sort of ideal world, my bedtime is 10:30pm on work nights and 11pm on non-work nights. I rarely meet this, but I'mma try again to be diligent about it. Goal 4 ~ Moving 'Boxes' I'm sure there's a movie quote somewhere using a box as a metaphor, but I've not seen that movie, so just imagine your own reference here. My boxes are metaphorical (though there are a few actual boxes kicking around), and are related to a clean room. My room is habitually a disaster (I hate putting things away and I don't know why!), and actually I'm ok with it. What I'm not ok with is being ok with it (this has been a lifelong internal conflict), so I really need to clean (I've been ignoring this directive for some time now and reading Kishi's goals made my brain go ping, so I'm adding this goal). I'm going to try to 'move' one 'box' per week. My boxes consist of the following: The Floordrobe, The Office Corner, The Carpet, and The Other Random Detritus. I'm only listing 4 despite it being a 5 week challenge (it is a 5 week challenge, right?) because The Office Corner in particular, but also possibly The Other Random Detritus, might actually end up being a box consisting of 2 or more sub-boxes that must be split between weeks, because all work and no play makes obax a cranky human (this is a surprisingly recent realization, believe it or not). And that's it! Some other things I'd like to work on is reading more and vegging in front of the tv/my phone less, and picking away at the writing course I signed up for (it's free, and has no set due dates, which is good because I can work at it whenever, but also bad, because I can procrastinate forever with no consequences...). No formal goals for those, though, just some things for me to keep in mind.

Time for another challenge! I'm on vacation for week 1 and another vacation in October. Decided this would be a good challenge to just keep on working on the habits I've acquired. During vacation: The only eating skill I will focus on is to eat slowly, and to really enjoy the food and the moment Mr.Incredible has the week off. Part of the week we are in San Diego, and part we are at home. So , maybe I will get workouts in. Or maybe not. Whichever is fine The rest of the time Fitness Continue with the running app on NF. Pick a arm workout to do and do it Food: Practice the eating skills Especially focusing on delaying before unplanning snacks, plating a well balanced meal, and eating slow. It might be nice to track , but I seem to be horrible at that, so we shall see Life: Continue making weekly and daily plans. Continue Bible reading fall yard work I'd really like to spend more time doing creative stuff: weaving , scrapbooking. I'm pondering how to actually make this a habit Edit to add @Nymeria reminded me that rings were a good arm workout.Which reminded me that I had been working on L-sit, but paused when the pressing got intense. So, I think I will resume that. And then maybe do handstand work too. Doing skill work sounds like a good break, and something that works well with me being gone part of each month.

With two successful challenges under my belt so far in 2021, I’m back and ready for another! ...Well. Actually. No. Not quite. Technically, I’m at the beach for the next two weeks. So… if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance I’m sitting in the sand with a piña colada in my Yeti right now. Sorry. 😬 But I’m not going to let all that good momentum go to waste! I’m definitely going to enjoy the hell out of this vacation, but I am committing to sticking to some of my goals, and hitting the ground running when I get back. This will (mostly) be a challenge in two parts: 🏖 Weeks 0-1 🏖 and 🏃 Weeks 2-5🏃 with three main focuses: Diet, Exercise, and Habits. DIET 🏖 Weeks 0-1 🏖 My goal for these first two weeks is just to eat mindfully and try not to binge eat just because I can. At this point, Intermittent Fasting 16/8 is almost second nature, but I know I’m going to struggle with not eating after 8pm if we’re doing something fun like drinks by the pool or a special dessert. Paleo/Primal will also be a challenge because we’re doing group meals and it can be hard to eat grain-free when someone is making, say, baked spaghetti. So I’m just going to do my best. And to make the game more interesting, being mindful of my goals during the beach weeks will have a direct impact on how much I have to buckle down during the second half of the challenge. IF 16/8 at least 4x a week Each Primal meal I eat earns me an extra “non-primal” meal in weeks 2-5 🏃 Weeks 2-5 🏃 Time to recommit! I’ve been having really good success with a “primal-ish” diet - basically no grains, no high fructose corn syrup, no legumes. But I’m comfortable with limited amounts of dairy, exceptions for condiments, and starchy veg like white potatoes. IF 16/8 at least 6x a week Eat Primal-ish most of the time: 1 non-primal meal per week + any extra meals I “earn” during weeks 0-1 EXERCISE 🏖 Weeks 0-1 🏖 I know that exercising in the southern heat, on vacation, is going to be a challenge, so I’m cutting myself a good degree of slack here. This is mostly for the sake of “keep it up, don’t lose that momentum.” Run at least 20 min, 5 times Bodyweight workout, 3 times 🏃 Weeks 2-5 🏃 Last challenge, I finished the C25k and consistently did the NF Beginner Bodyweight Workout. Now I’m working toward my ultimate goal of a sub-30min 5k and supplementing with some strength training. I’d like to find an ST workout that I really love, but I'm not sure if that’s going to happen with this challenge, so keeping up the BBW is fine too! 1x long run per week - starting at 30min and adding 5 min each week 2x 30 min runs per week - focused on speed 3x ST workouts per week HABITS Here’s where I break from the Phase 1/Phase 2 approach because the habits are critical - all challenge long. So they just need to get done. I’ll be tracking these in Habitica and there had better be a 35 day streak at the end of this challenge. Drink 8 cups of water Floss and Brush teeth No nail biting And that’s it! Usually I like to include a creative goal – bullet journaling, organizing, self-care – but honestly, I feel like this is enough for now. I may come back in and add something when I get back from the beach, if I feel like I need more of a challenge. But I’m pretty sure that coming down from the vacation high is going to be challenging enough.

Hi nerds I haven't really sorted out in my head how this challenge is going to work. For a start, my next race is in 3 days time, before the challenge starts, so I am just trying to keep calm and crosstrain between now and then, and for the next 5 weeks, I guess I'll just do whatever the husband is doing in this book I'm reading. How come Steve never tells us about this good stuff? Probably subscriber-only content I suppose. No wait, there has to be a better plan than that. Um... So between now and Saturday, rest legs, do arm and core related exercise instead (I've been doing this the last few days since I got back from my epic bike ride anyway). To include at least one river row, because the weather is right for it, read Gaelic children's books, generally tie up loose ends of Gaelic learning. Saturday: Kew Gardens 10k run. Beat one hour or die trying (I am actually feeling pretty good about my chances of at least one of these outcomes) Sunday: rest, weigh myself, drink beer in the allotment, fall asleep in the greenhouse, wake up lightly grilled. Monday onwards, challenge proper: 6 days moving per week to include one long run, two short Dont eat like a dickhead Revamp my morning routine and start building a daily Portuguese session (I've planned this out separately here so I won't go into detail but it'll be quite time consuming so will crowd out a lot of other things from previous challenges like Gaelic, meditation, dancing etc. I still have some poetry though because learning Portuguese poetry is part of the plan. I was so surprised at how well my memory coped with learning that way that it seemed like something I should incorporate into my study. OK, mark it on my map and let's do this

I had a good run and still am feeling mentally and physically well. But there's things I want to build up better again: get back into running after 6 months of injury. have a 12 week running plan I want to follow. Its pretty daring to start in October when the wheather gets real shitty, but it would be nice for my mental and physical health as well as the dog-childs happiness. Have looked at lots of plans and will only run twice a week plus a third day with a short bodyweight program. my budget has been so small that I asked friends for help often. its slightly better now with my project friendship point income but still!! I want to learn to live within my budget even if that means I cant eat keto! Last month I spent 40Euro on vitamins alone and even if I felt awesome thats just not acceptable. Either I can dial down my keto costs or I have to try other forms of healthy eating after all. experiments are needed. This time I will try the 4 envelope strategy of putting my weekly money in 4 envelopes and only using the money that is in there. maybe I can set apart a "fun fund" of 50 euro to do spontaneous stuff. also my goal is to save 30 euros in October to build a emergency fund. prep food on weekends. I dont feel like cooking healthy meals every day. next possibility to prep is on Tuesday when I get paid. do sober October. I have had drinks again and am fine with that but would love to try a whole month sober. If thats too hard I will aim for maximal dry days. I started a great online meditation course and didnt have time to follow it really. ist a 21 day course Want to use the next 3 weeks to build in meditation and the audio listening into my morning routine. seems like a tall order for me to get this done. Its 3 weeks only and I can try out what sticks. There will be no self punishing! Only honest effort and self love! I missed you! ❤️

So for the next 2 weeks(9/11 - 9/25) I will be leaving sunny wonderful Florida to spend time at my cabins in Wisconsin. Highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s. It is going to be quite the change. Goals for the challenge Workout of some sort daily 10k steps daily Eat whole foods(mostly paleo with limited dairy and maybe one whole grain serving daily). Two travel days are cheatish days(morning food and some beer). Also some freeze dried camping food reviews for content. I may choose to have whiskey once while up at the cabins but other than that strict. Daily hobby 50XP of Duolingo daily Read 10ish pages Post a picture of dinner Examples of WODs Ruck Run Circuit training Weight lifting Hobbies Minis Content creation(youtube videos and launch channel) Fishing Model rockets Building things(fish tank stand) Board games Currently also running a PvP warm up for Rucktober. I need to market Rucktober and get some sign ups. The PvP for the warm up is here if anyone is interested.

Greetings program! . . . wait Alright let's get to it! Goal 1 - RUNNING! Just signed up for the Oakland 2022 Marathon!!!! Got to figure out a training plan but first we have to keep the running habit happening We are looking to run 3 days a week with distances of 3 to 5 miles during the week and 5+ on the weekends. We are also signed up for a 5K on Sept 12th which should be a good test Goal 2 STRETCH To keep from having trouble running - we're going to try to do 3 days of yoga between the runs. This will likely be very low impact and boring yoga but still Goal 3 Training Plan To go with all this we need a plan, I'll be looking into what's out there and try to find what will work for us. Goal 4 Savings With our recent home purchase we are running low in our savings - so we'll be rebuilding that emergency fund while trying to figure out what's next.

Whew. It has been a hell of a summer. And today marks the official end of my summer break. If you followed my last two challenges and you were let down that I kind of dropped off, I apologize. A lot has happened in life the past few months (good things, mostly, but still a lot). I'm keeping this challenge simple and familiar, while also blending a routine I tried to stay consistent with during my last two challenges: daily poetry. But I also need to get back to routine now that I am returning to work. So, I am focusing on my morning goals: 0415 wakeup drink a full glass of water prayer/meditation/scripture reading breath exercise (WHM, box breathing, etc.) strength workout (at least 15 minutes) cold shower Some bonus goals: read a poem/write a poem every day walk at least 12,000 steps every day seek adventure and beauty every day And that's it. As I said, keeping it simple, trying to rediscover some neglected pieces of myself before I dive into anything crazy. Oh, speaking of crazy, I am planning to participate in a 15 mile group run on trails this Sunday in the New River Gorge, which recently became the first (and only) national park in West Virginia. Wish me luck.

Oh god, is there a new challenge already? OK: Still trying to learn the dance from last time Choose a poem and learn it by heart Bike adventure - ride my new bike from here to Cambridge and back. Done! 10k run on the 23rd - be prepared! Then revert to one long, two short per week Eat sensibly - paleoish and use some sort of portion control That'll do.

Well here we are again, hoping this is not another case of insanity, doing the same things over again, and expecting a different result. I feel like I always start these challenges with the best of intentions to update regularly and keep with it, but it always fails for one reason or another. Usually it's the simple fact of trying to do too much all at once. So we're going to try things a little differently. We're going to give myself grace, and wiggle room, and we're going to keep it simple stupid 💋. I always feel guilty, because I want to cheer others on and check out their pages and keep updated with what's going on with everyone else, but I feel like thats where everything starts to spiral out of control; that guilt when I fall behind. So this challenge, I will be focusing on myself for the most part. If I have the energy to respond to comments, or follow other people's challenges, awesome! I'll do that! but, if I don't, that's perfectly fine, I really need to work on myself, and that's not selfish... that's just reality (I'm typing this just to remind myself. If you write it out, it becomes truth, right?) So my focuses this challenge will be as follows Fitness: I am working on c25k program, and am aiming for 3x's a week, but with how easily I've been getting overwhelmed lately, I am going to be content with as few as 1 run per week. 2nd Fitness: I will also be getting back to work on some bodyweight/flexibility work. I haven't decided if I will go back to doing core play again (since that's supposed to be a 6x's a week program, and that's just too much for me right now, and I don't know how scaling it back to 1-3x's a week will affect the effects of the program) or just work on the beyond flexibility, which will still work my muscles, just not quite as rigorously, and is a program designed for 3-5x's a week, so it is easily scaled back to a doable amount of times for me. So I'll probably be doing the BF, but it's still up in the air and I still have a few days to officially decide. I'll let you know when I make a decision, probably lol. Nutrition: I have started using an app called Eat This Much, which helps you plan meals based on your caloric needs and macros without me having to do all that math myself. The nice thing about this app is also that the meals are actually foods I regularly have on hand, and find delicious, and am not too scared to attempt cooking, and also the ingredients don't cost me an arm and a leg to get. So my plan for this challenge is to eat at LEAST one meal from the plan each day, but aim for 80% on target meals. I also have been using the Ate app to track my meals, although very sporadically, so part of this goal is also to log all my meals on the app. So what is all of this going to help me accomplish? Why would I put myself through all of this? (You may not be asking this, but I sure do some days... especially on run interval 7 of 8💀) The fast and loose explanation is, I would like to lose 100 lbs. The more nuanced explanation is: There are several things I really really want to do, but often times my body, and lack of stamina hold me back from doing them, like gymnastics, dancing, and running (which a newfound torture that I love ). There are also things that I want to do that my heavier body make more expensive and therefore unattainable, such as clothes shopping, or making my own clothes. Lastly, I really want to set a good example for my son of eating well, exercising regularly, taking care of myself, both physically and mentally, and just generally being a happy healthy adult. I want to show him how fun this lifestyle can be, and all the things you can do with a functional body. Alright, here goes!

Salutations and good health! I am pleased to have found the Rebellion after mourning the decay of Fitocracy for many years. I have been doing some kind of fitness activity for the past 15 years, but as an overweight office worker it is easy for me to fall out of shape quickly. Recently, the romantic siren call of the Triathalon has caught my ears and I am toying with preparing for one. I've never done a Tri before, and the last time I buckled down and did a training plan (6 years ago) I ended up getting freaked out after getting kicked in the head at a lap swim and yelled at -- if I can't be brave in the pool, how would I withstand Lake Michigan!? But I am a mom now and have taught my daughter that being scared is part of being brave, and so I am ready to try this again. Only ... I don't have a swim suit. Or a bike. And I haven't run a mile all year. Last summer I ran with a friend, but we did slow-paced intervals and I want to be a 30 minute 5K gal. So I'm basically re-spawning. My challenges three are for each aspect of the Triathalon.... 1) Run a 13 minute mile (I know I need a 9:30 for my speed goal, but I can do speed work later) 2) Buy a swimsuit (anyone have a recommendation for large bellies and long torsos?) 3) Save $50/week ($250 total) toward a new bike Here's a picture of my secret possum scarf -- a very expensive silk vestment I purchased to enchant my work day. It is like a cloak of invisibility for anxiety. On the outside I look competent, but secretly I am a shrieking anxious possum. I'm ready to possum-shriek my way through a triathlon! Or at least through the first baby steps of training! My name is Aubrey, but y'all can call me Aubrazilla