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I'm back for a quick challenge! I'm inspired this month to really up my game in a few areas of my life, and I've found Nerd Fitness to be a great source of support and accountability. So, here goes. The Avengers are a team; one where every member really needs to work together to be effective. So I'm going to tap into the various aspects of my fitness life to build a team that will support me in reaching my goals over the coming months. Here's the goals: 1. Figure out if I can run with a sports hernia. That is, figure out if I can manage the pain associated with it, and still be a solid runner. (Before you get all worried, this is with my thorassic surgeon's blessing.) 2. If so, make an 81 min or better time in the upcoming Hot Chocolate 15K 3. Figure out where the big game is going to be in September so I can have a successful archery hunt for elk and/or mule deer. Since running fitness contributes to all three goals, that's going to be the first part of my challenge's triumvirate: 1. Run like Quicksilver! Ok, so technically he isn't one of the Avengers anymore (since he died in Ultron, but technically lives on in the X-Men franchise...), but I'm still going to count him here. The goal is to run three times a week, with at least one "long" run. Those long runs are at 4.25 miles right now, and need to build to 9 in September. I'd also like to run faster, so one of those runs is going to have to incorporate speed work! That's either a "tempo" run or an interval run, once a week. Having a sports hernia might put a damper on things. But, I've been assured by the docs that I can continue to run and lift without any concern for it getting worse. The only question is, can I handle the discomfort? Because that's basically the only symptom, and it only happens when I'm running. 2. Shoot like Hawkeye! Yep, that's right, I want to get a solid 50 yard shot. So I'm going to go up to the range and practice, practice, practice. Or at least practice enough to be super accurate at 40 yards. The goal is to hit the range at least twice a week, shooting at 40 and 50 yard targets. 3. Gather intel like... Black Widow? OK, yeah, not my role model, but the world's greatest spy probably knows where her enemies are going to be. In my case, this means I'm going to put the hours and miles in to figure out where the deer and elk are. What this means in real life is that I'm going to hit the backcountry to scout for elk and deer sign at least twice during this four-week challenge. II'll be working on dropping about 10 pounds in the next two months, to get back down to race weight. So I'll be monitoring my calories, but probably not reporting that here. I'll likely try to revert back to full-on paleo living, though having my in-laws around makes that VERY hard, and they're here for another two weeks.