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Hello guys, I'm Rebe from Spain. I've been reading the blog for months and I just decided I'm going full with this, as exams are coming (worse than winter) and I tend to eat garbage and stay in my chair all day I decided this time it's gonna be different. So here I am. I'm 21 (nearly 22), bit overweighted (not more than 10kg), studying telecommunication engineering in Madrid, and I'm from Canary Islands. I've been boxing for a month now and I really enjoy it, so I guess I'm going for a Monk profile from a hobbit one (I'm really short, don't you think I have a lot of hair on my feet ). Started today with paleo also, gonna give it a good try. So, see you guys around here!

So...confession time: I didn't do so well on my last challenge (see link in signature). Or at the very least, as well as I hoped: Positives: This was the first challenge that I completed after many tries! I worked out consistently in martial arts throughout the challenge, moving on to another belt. I decided to "reward" myself with the challenge of performing in a tournament at the end of this month. I also got over my fears and I have started sparring again regularly. I also built some awareness about my eating habits (which were a little common sense, honestly) and I've started carrying a water bottle everywhere. Negatives: Was definitely not consistent with my water intake or my food journaling, and because of that my diet suffered. I realized I have very little willpower. To improve on this, I plan on having fixed times to trigger when I drink water: one bottle right when I wake up, one when I go to bed, one at karate class, and one during lunch and/or when I'm commuting in the car (I don't drive every day). Reflection time over: Today is a new day! Main Quest: Lose 20 pounds by July 4, 2015. My little sister is getting married in July, so I'd like to look my best for her special day and start forming good habits for the rest of my life. I joined the rebellion because I would really like to change my lifestyle and be (what I think) would be an ideal weight for me, which at 5'1" is 120 pounds. I will make accurate measurements tomorrow. Quest 1: Track all of my meals using a food journal. This is a redo of a goal from my old challenge, combining both food journaling and my water intake goal (2 liters). This time I will focus on tracking my water intake, writing everything down (good and bad - no judgement), and pre-planning out my breakfasts with a goal of eating 20-30 grams of protein at breakfast. Any recipes and suggestions would be appreciated! However, my challenge is to come up with a new recipe every week (at the end of my usual week summary) and share it with you guys! Food journaling will be done using the 2nd half of my Fitbook. Measurement: A = 42-38 entries B = 37-33 entries C = 32-28 entries Quest 2: Body weight workouts 3 times a week. While the karate classes are great for my cardio fitness, I want to improve my strength outside of classes. In the group fitness classes it's a little difficult to do and I usually end up injuring myself because they encourage speed over good form. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays will be my BW workout days, because they are my easiest days at the dojo (as well as the days that I don't have to get up super early). The workout I will be doing is the Academy bodyweight workout. Measurement: A = 16-18 workouts B = 12-15 workouts C = 9-11 workouts Quest 3: Get my dental hygiene routine straightened out. (Maybe TMI) After a really rough scolding from my dental hygienist for not going to the dentist for several years and having poor brushing/flossing habits, I've decided to make a commitment to change the habit. I have a calendar that I posted in my bathroom, and I will be doing the "hard hat" method to make it stick! For me this means: brushing, flossing, using mouthwash, and tongue-scrapping twice a day. Measurement: A = 42-38 days completed B = 37-33 days completed C = 32-28 days completed Life Quest: Weekly Spanish journal entry on lang-8. As a future grad student in Spanish linguistics, I think I need to improve my Spanish abilities. For me, the best way to increase my vocabulary and get feedback is to write entries for native speakers to review on lang-8. Measurement: A = 6 entries, B = 5 entries, C = 4 entries Motivation: I not only want to look good at my sister's wedding (sibling rivalry makes me want to say "look better than her," but I'd be happy if we both looked awesome). I also want to live a long, healthy life where my body isn't limited and is full of energy. More importantly, I want to finally prove to myself that I can finish something I've started. Reward: $35 worth of things from my wishlist on Amazon.

Welcome lurkers, old and new For those of you who don't know, I do gymnastics and bodyweight skills, and supplement that training with weightlifting and climbing. Last challenge I worked extensively on squats, deadlifts, flips and muscle-ups. I also broke the British record for calendar calculations, wrote a new piano composition, and started practising speaking in Spanish. I also realised that I'm missing some strength in some key areas... so that's what I want to work on now. I tend to work out with very high weights and low reps, which got me strong fast, but I'm now at a plateau where I feel I should change this somewhat... and need the motivation to do so... Challenge #1: the checklist! The aim this challenge is to complete as many items as possible from this checklist. Each one carries +0.25 of some stat point. I'm expecting to complete about 25 of the items. There are 8 stat points available, and therefore if I do particularly well and get more than 32 then I get to choose which of the stat points to claim If illness, injury, war or famine prevent me from working on these, I can claim +0.25 CON per day as long as I'm super good about recovery/rehabilitation that day. Fingers crossed that this doesn't need to happen! STA:(X) pull-ups: 12 [started at 10]( ) pull-ups: 15( ) pull-ups: 18( ) pull-ups: 20(X) ring push-ups: 20 [started at ~16](X) ring push-ups: 25( ) ring push-ups: 30(X) ring dips: 12 [started at 8]( ) ring dips: 15( ) ring dips: 18( ) ring dips: 20( ) overhead press @45kg x3 [started at 0]( ) overhead press @40kg x8 [started at 5] STR:( ) weighted pull-up with 10kg x 10 [started at 6]( ) weighted pull-up with 15kg x 6 [started at 4]( ) weighted pull-up with 20kg x 4 [started at 2]( ) weighted pull-up with 25kg x 3 [started at 1]( ) weighted pull-up with 30kg x 3( ) squat @105kg [started at 100kg]( ) squat @107.5kg( ) squat @110kg(X) squat x3 @92.5kg [started at 85kg x3](X) deadlift @130kg [started at 125kg](X) deadlift @137.5kg( ) deadlift @145kg( ) deadlift @150kg(X) deadlift x3 @112.5kg [started at 100kg x3](X) deadlift x3 @127.5kg DEX:( ) consistent low frontflips on crashmat [started with inconsistent flips]( ) regular high frontflips on crashmat( ) consistent frontflips on ground( ) consistent frontflips on ground - bonus point( ) upstart / glide kip [started completely unable]( ) upstart / glide kip: bonus point( ) upstart / glide kip: bonus point(X) archer ring rows: 5 [started at 3]( ) archer ring rows: 8(X) bar false grip pull-ups x3 [started at 1](X) bar false grip pull-ups x5( ) straight-leg straight-arm toes-to-bar with no swing [started able only with bent arms/legs CHA:(X) ring muscle-ups: 2 [started at 1 without negative](X) ring muscle-ups: 3(X) ring muscle-ups: 4(X) ring muscle-ups: 5( ) bar muscle-up [started completely unable]( ) bar muscle-up: bonus point( ) bar muscle-up: bonus point( ) cartwheels that look like cartwheels [started looking like a spider in a hurricane]( ) cartwheels that look like cartwheels: bonus point( ) backflip alone again on tumble track [haven't done this since the summer]( ) backflip alone on tumble track without spotters to warm up [never done]( ) backflip on tumble track, consistently landed I'm so looking forward to start crossing items off this list Challenge #2: core strengthening: lots of the advanced gymnastics skills on which I'd like to work involve being stronger in the core. In particular, in the summer I'd like to work on:frontflips (more!)backflips (more!)handstandsleversother bar/ring gymnastic workTherefore for the next 6-7 weeks I'm going to really work my core. I'm grading this subjectively based on intensity, regularity and quality, but a grade B would involve doing a serious core workout 3+ times per week. +3 CON is available for this challenge. Challenge #3: understanding Spanish: I've been learning Spanish on-and-off for the last 3-4 years and recently have been speaking weekly with Talvi. I want to take it more seriously this challenge, and I'm splitting it into three components, worth +1 WIS each: work: 2 hours of Spanish, including 1 hour of speaking (doesn't matter who with), roughly every weekstudy: create and maintain a notebook with useful phrases etc.train: be able to understand Spanish radio - judged by listening to EuroNews Radio (Spanish) and understanding most of itThe work component will be graded by counting how many times in the next 7 weeks I fail to meet the 2 hours target or the 1 hour speaking target: grade A: 0 or 1 failsgrade B: 2 or 3 failsgrade C: 4 or 5 failsgrade D: 6 - 8 failsgrade F: 9 - 14 failsThe study component will be graded subjectively. The train component will be graded by the proportion I can consistently understand: grade A: 85%+grade B: 75%+grade C: 65%+grade D: 55%+ Challenge #4: no pathetic days: sometimes on the weekend when I've got nothing planned, I don't leave the house and have a super lazy day.... while this sounds good, especially as my lifestyle is very active, it means I end up feeling anxious and lethargic by the evening, and the day afterwards... therefore I should do something vaguely active every weekend day (unless I'm ill or injured) even if it's just a few miles' cycling so my body can recover properly rather than grinding to a halt. +1 CHA is available for this... I lose +0.25 CHA for each pathetic weekend day. Okay, that's all! My challenge starts immediately. Good luck for your challenges, and I'll be hopefully reading some of your challenges in the next few days

Level 6: Let's Race! To run a 10K race Possible challenge reward: +4 STA & +2 CON I would very much like to be able to run 10K this year. I started running during the summer, and eventually ran a 5K race in Germany. Since January, I've been working on my 5K (PR: 27.00 minutes) and beginning to practice for longer distances. And then, I got a little excited yesterday and registered in a 10K race that is in one months time in Paris (Soli'run in Bois de Boulogne). Today, I'm still pretty excited about it, but I'm beginning to get butterflies in my stomach about the amount of work I need to do to prepare. So I've transferred out of the assassins to give scouting a proper go. If I ran 2.5 times per week then I'll get in 10 runs before the race. I can start at around 5km and increment by at least 0.5km for each run. Sounds terrifying and good. So I'm aiming for 2-3 runs per week. To improve my Spanish Possible challenge reward: +4 WIS & +2 CHA I'm been studying Spanish on and off for a while now since my boyfriend's family don't speak any English. In my last challenge, I took a new approach by focusing entirely on speaking and listening, and I have really improved and have really enjoyed doing it. My overarching goal for this year is to be able to chat with my boyfriend's lovely mother next time I see her (Summer/Christmas), but I'm so happy about my recent progress that I might be able to achieve a B2 level (CEFR system) of fluency in Spanish if I keep up the good work. I'm currently at A2+ level. I've been practicing and learning in various ways: reading Benny Lewis's book on language learning (FI3M), speaking for an hour at least once a week with my fantastic fellow NF rebel - SymphonicDan, listening to my Harry Potter audiobook, watching nostalgic cartoons (Jackie Chan Adventures & Pokémon) and using the Anki flashcard app to learn vocab. In this challenge, I want to supplement these things with: actually studying how to use some basic past and future tenses and hopefully working through some of the Edx course "Trasplante de organos - desafios éticos y juridicos", plus any other cool resources or ideas I have along the way. I will be using a points system, where I need to get at least 8 points per week. 1 point each for: 30 minutes of speaking 2 x Anki flashcard sessions 30 minutes of listening to an audiobook 1 hour of TV 1 hour of study 30 minutes of the Edx course? To do all the things Possible challenge reward: +3 in a mix of STR, DEX, STA, CON, WIS or CHA depending on weekend activities I wanted to have another goal to work towards, but in truth I just want to focus most of my efforts in running and Spanishing. So my third goal will be simple. I have a few ongoing projects and fun things such as bouldering, progressing towards a pull-up, learning to draw and doing Edx courses. For this goal, all I have to do is to make a list of fun things to do and things I have to do each weekend and to work through it as best I can. The idea is to be productive and not to waste time on things that don't matter to me. Here my mindset will count more than just ticking things of the list. Woop woop! Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys around the forum!

A MONK LEAVES THE TEMPLE And so it comes to pass, Machete is exiled from the temple and must now live amongst the the people. He knows little about the outside world; he hears it is a very unforgiving place. Armed with the anachronistic skills he acquired over the years, he must find his way to properly assimilate. This may or may not be his greatest challenge yet. THE QUEST Communicate (+2 WIS, +2 CHA) The hermit's life creates a disconnect with society. The skill of language decreases this gap. Gain 10XP every day in Duolingo Spanish. Remember Your Training (+4 STR) The life of a civilian is not an excuse to let oneself go. Perform 2 progressive pullup sessions a week. Attunement (+4 WIS) Cultivate the understanding of one's greatest weapon and the enemy's--the human body. Pass NSCA CSCS exam. SIDE QUEST The Way of the Dragon (+3 WIS) Finish reading The Tao of Jeet Kune Do. THE MOTIVATION P.S. Sorry I'm late, by the way.

Level 5: Re-fawned! My fifth challenge now? Some successful and some less so - all have been good motivation to get things done, and so I’d like to continue with them. I most definitely have a “Let’s do ALL the things NOW†mentality, even though I know it isn’t the best way to get things done well. So I was happy to let all that crazy loose by making an “ALL the things†epic quest list for 2015. I have had a long sit down and thought about what I would like to achieve this year and who I want to be at the end of it. Not going to lie, I love that list. I stare at it lovingly quite a bit. And I will love it even more when I cross things off it! So today I’m going to start. And Talvi looked upon the simplicity of the NF challenge, the elegance of the quests and the beauty of the goals, and she thought “lol jk nope, let’s make this more complicatedâ€. Now my two most successful challenges had two completely different setups; one was simply three quests + progress log, and the other had a flexible points system earned by doing stuff. I present to you my mutant setup! Three goals + a flexible point system for each so that if I can’t do a lot at once, I can do a lot of little instead. I can pass each week by getting 6 Strength, 6 Agility and 6 Intelligence points. STRENGTH Get closer to that mythical pull-up Possible challenge reward: +3 STR, +1 DEX, +1 STA 3 points = BBWW + Negatives 2 points = Warm-up + rows/planks/hangs/negatives/curls 1 point = 10 minutes play 1 point = Bouldering AGILITY Beat my 5K PR (28.44 minutes) Possible challenge reward: +4 STA & +1 CON 3 points = Running session (10+ laps) 3 points = Run to the adult playground, play and run back (total 6km) 1 point = Post-bouldering mini jog of 1 - 4 laps INTELLIGENCE Learn to speak Spanish (Benny Hill style) Possible challenge reward: +3 WIS & +2 CHA 1 point: 30 minutes speaking 0.5 points: 20 minutes listening to Spanish One session of Anki Spanish flashcards I bought the book and I’m going to try the learning to speak rather than read whatever which way it says. I haven’t read anything more than on the website yet, so I’m not sure what I’ll be doing yet and so the following points criteria is subject to change. Image by Karzahnii (DeviantArt)

OK im a bit late to the challenge party (I have issues with tardiness and general completion of challenges) I live on a small boat in mexico and have been sailing to a new temporary location so have been away from the googlewebs. But we have set up camp (for the next few weeks at least) so lets get down to business while I can! Im a scout at heart but am currently in my third trimester of pregnancy (31 weeks! Due mid Jan 2015) and scoutly activities have long fallen away from me and I have come over to the lovely sanctuary of the druids to wrap up my pregnancy. I am going to do the following 5 things 5 times a week for 5 weeks! SpanishNeed to complete either a spanish class, duolingo, que honda or pimsleur lesson. I live in mexico and my spanish is embarrassing thus needs practice. Yoga stretch or yoga session - my hips are super tight (living in a confined space doesn't help!) and plus yoga makes me feel awesome, which is always a good thing. Hypnobirthing or mediationDo an audio session of either hypnobirthing, sleep prep, breathing exercises etc. Get my inner zen on! NestingI need to achieve some sort of cleaning, baby preparation (equipment, organization, birth plan etc) or boat prep work. Some form of exerciseWalking, bodyweight exercises, heck even line dancing. I just need to keep moving! Obstacles I will need to overcome: A last min trip up to usa for a few days, which will throw off my routine. One final move to a new location before setting up a longer term camp where baby will be born, this will consume a few days fully plus a lack of internet.

January 5th: day 1 of the first challenge of the new year, and also my first full day in my new home! When I made this account and chose a username, I was in the land of dry grass and oak trees but dreaming of my favorite part of California. Now I return there, to the redwoods and fog . A change of scene provides the opportunity to more easily intercept some old habits/routines and replace them with new ones, and what better place to start than the start of the day? I love the morning. Seriously. I love being inside and cozy watching the sun rise, or outside breathing in the fresh air. I love watching people do morning things. I love the quality of light. I love the way my mind feels- alert, crisp, and clear. Unfortunately, for the past several months, I have sunk into a very negative morning routine where I feel very disconnected from all of this. I get up, take pup out, make coffee, and sit in front of the computer for at least an hour, sometimes two. It makes me feel low, sluggish, and sort of discouraged about life. My main quest for this challenge is to connect with the mornings and lay a mindful foundation for the rest of the day! Main Quest: Build A Nurturing, Active Morning Routine Goals #1: Yoga My favorite Youtube yogi is offering 30 days of yoga videos in January! The videos range from 15-30 minutes, and I will do 5 videos each week. 5 points possible/week #2: Walk Pup Deceptively simple. I have been working on loose leash walking with my pup who wants nothing more than to pull like a sled-dog. An essential part of the training is that him pulling = me stopping. This can lead to a very stop and go walk, and requires a certain amount of patience. But a walk is such an essential part of a good morning routine for both of us that I am ready to put the time and training in! To meet this goal, all I have to do is get outside with pup, leash, and the treat bag and do some walking/training, even if it's 10 minutes. I'm hoping that by the end of the challenge we will be walking in harmony! 7 points possible/week #3: A Healthy Breakfast sans Internet Healthy is subjective, but for my purposes it means basically anything other than sugar-laden pastries/muffins/other sweets or white flour toast. (I am a toast fiend.) Will try to increase fruit and veggie consumption with breakfast as well. The other component here is to stay off the computer while I fix and eat breakfast. 7 points possible/week Side Quest: Spanish! I've taken 3 semesters of Spanish in school and love learning the language. I've decided not to take any more official courses, but want to continue learning the language. Duolingo seems like a super cool, fun way to practice skills. My somewhat modest goal here is to spend 20 minutes 3x a week on Duolingo. 3 points possible/ week. (More to come.. I'm packing like a madwoman at the moment!)

KiwiChick’s Hatchling Challenge Part 3: The Little Mermaid Challenge Life Goal: Give birth to a healthy baby (aka the hatchling) in January 2015 Challenge Goal: Become the little mermaid and be able to swim 2km nonstop Sub goals: OK only one is exercise related but walking and gym are in bonus goals. Main focus is swimming and some life improvements. 1: Swim like a mermaid Swim 3 times a week – aiming to be able to swim 2km nonstop in week 5. A=3 times a week, B=2, C=1, F=0 2: Find my voice I reeeeeeally need to improve my Spanish in preparation for both my Mexican adventures/general life here, and hatchlings arrival (since he/she is going to be Mexican!) I will do either 30 mins duolingo, pimslur or converse in Spanish A=5 times a week, B=4, C=3, etc. 3: Banish the evil Ursula (aka my inner sugar demons) I will not purchase any sugary treats, as if I don't buy them I wont eat them. A=zero treats purchased, B=1 C=2 etc. 4: Clean up my artefacts cave Uggh my human junk cave (aka the boat) is in a right state. So. Shameful. I will spend quality time (eg no Downton Abbey on in background) organising. Living in a small space is full of challenges and it is impossible to live in if unorganised. A=5 hours/week, B=4, C=3 etc. Inspired by Eirlys awesome organizing last challenge. Bonus Adventures Find my legs – Walk. Everyday. Even if just a little. Gym/yoga 2-3 times a weekContinue my 3L water intakeIn week 6 Mamabird (my mum) is coming to visit from NZ so I will have to work extra hard to finish my challenge in fine form.I’m taking two MOOC courses! One is chemistry and the other physiology (the science of happiness). On Oct 23rd it will be my second year nerdiversary! Celebrations will be in order, there may even be mermaid dress ups. Gosh NF I <3 u.

"uhhhnnn..." "Sire! He's awake!" "Hmm? Well then, it appears Rosa's efforts aren't in vain, after all." "Who dat? Who's dere?..." "Easy, friend, you're among comrades." Red sits up to see who's talking, "Comrades?... GASP! My brothers! Where are they?!" Red looks around frantically. "Your brothers? I'm sorry, but we just found you, no one else... But there was a smashed teleporter." Red mutters to himself, "I hope they got away in time... Hey, who are you guys?" The guard steps forward "How DARE you speak to the King that way!?" "Heh heh, that's enough Biggs, he is a stranger to these parts, we can't blame him for not knowing who I am." Biggs clears his throat "You are in the Presence of the Lunarian King, Cecil Harvey, Lord of the Kingdom of Baron, Savior of the Blue Planet, Paladin King, Commander of the Baron Army, former Commander of the Red Wings." Red jests "That's a mouthful." "WHAT?!" The soldier exclaimed. "Ha ha ha! Yes, it is sometimes! You should hear the title of my friend, the King of Fabul, He's got belts in nearly every martial art! One time, he--" Another soldier runs in, "My Lord, we're under attack!" "Then we must go! To Victory!" He shouts as he leaves the tent, The soldiers rally behind him, "TO VICTORY!" they all yell, as they follow their King. "You stay here, Stranger!" Biggs shouts as he leaves. "Stay here? Yeah right!" Red says to himself as he jumps out of the bed In the Fog of war, Red sees the soldiers fighting against an army of monsters, his eyes spot King Cecil surrounded by monsters, and they're closing in fast. "I've gotta do something!" Red leaps in the middle of the battle! "What the--?" Cecil exclaims. "You're kidding me right? A Knight who uses a White sword? How can I not help you?" "Alright then, I must admit, your resolve is inspiring. Here, take this!" Red receives Echo Grass! "If you're going to fight with us, you're going to need to communicate with our scouts, just speak into it and they'll hear you." "Huh, thanks! Now, let's do this!" BATTLE!! "Are you alright? You're slower than you look." "Heh, Life has been interesting to me lately, but I'll be fine, I just need time for my body to remember how strong it used to be." "I see, well then, how about I help you? Using your Past, Present, and Future." "Remember your Past, the routine you used to follow!" I am going to workout three times a week, every week! I will be doing the Advanced Bodyweight workout given to us by Steve Kamb. 1 point per workout, 18 total; Points given: Str +2 & Sta +2 "Now face the Present at hand!" I am going to increase my shoulder strength. I am going to lift heavy things over my head in sets, Using my old textbooks and nearby objects, I'll be doing something like a Shoulder Press but holding for a set amount of time. Goal Time: 3 Minutes Weight: TBD Points given: Str +1 & Sta +3 "Get ready for the Futur--" "..lo? Hello?" "AHHHH!!! WHO SAID THAT?!" "... ahh... my ears... *ahem* Hello, This is Baron Scout, Cami. I've been informed to help you help our King." "Oh, right, The Echoy Grass thing!." "...*Ahem* Well, there are many obstacles and heavy objects ahead of you, you'll need to push them out of the way." "How many would you say there are?" "...43... 75... About 100 obstacles here that would require you to use upper body strength. Yep, you're going to have to attempt 100 Push(up)s." ​​Following this program: http://www.hundredpushups.com/ Currently at 30 Pushups Points given: Str +3 & Sta +1 "Hey! Focus! The enemies that we'll be facing are a difficult bunch! Each of them requires different means to defeat them! - This monster feeds off of the dirt and mold around us, to defeat it, we'll need to cleanse the area! (At least one cleaning activity a day.) Wis +1 & Con +1 - This foe feeds off of your mind, If you keep your wits about you, you'll be able to stave off his attacks! (Read a Chapter every Tuesday and Thurs; Book: To Kill a Mockingbird) Wis +2 - This creature uses a foreign language to cast spells upon the soldiers, if you can learn it's language you can interrupt the casting! (Study Spanish using Duolingo, a section every Monday, Wednesday, Friday) Wis +2 & Cha +1 "Huh, there's that music again..." "You can hear that? That song can decrease the strength of the Spirit beasts if you can find a way to amplify it, even if it's only a part." - (Play Moonlight Sonata part 2) Wis +2 Alright, So with this challenge, it's going to be interesting because of lots of Life things. My summer course is ending this week (thurs is my last day), my nieces start their school soon (Aug 11th and Aug 13th), Still looking for a job, Planning on going to University in the fall, and I still have visiting relatives that'll be here for about 2-3 weeks.

*In a land far away and long ago a great peril fell upon the world, rendering the beloved king unable to protect his people from monsters. As a captive he was held frozen in stone, unable to move or escape, but still to hear and see all that transpired in his kingdom. A mighty power lay dormant while the king remained locked in stone. A great and evil sorcerer had sought this power, and sent monsters forth to distract the kingdom's lesser guardians while it pursued the king. But the sorcerer could not figure out how to steal the king's power, there was a missing piece to the puzzle. So the sorcerer locked the king in stone and sent his minions far and wide to search for the key. Danger crept into the land and much did the people suffer. But in one village, yet untouched by the stain of evil, did live a people who could change shape at will. When monsters began to encroach upon their land, life would go from peaceful to discord...* *Syren awoke that morning groggy and disoriented. Someone was shouting for her to wake up, and hurry. She wiped the sleep from her eyes, then stood to stretch when she caught a whiff of fire. Immediately she was awake and stumbling from the house. It was not her domicile that was ablaze, but one down the street. People had already started a bucket line, sending water to put out the conflagration. Syren stood out of the way for a moment. She looked around for something to do that would help, when she heard a large FWOOOSH! She turned to look and a giant fireball ignited her house! A great wave of heat knocked her down, but not before she caught sight of a giant beast lumbering off behind the village. Villagers scattered here and there trying to put out the new fire that was much larger and could move throughout the town. Syren however moved to follow the beast. It trampled through the woods and came to rest next to another monster. This one looked very different, instead of impossibly huge and porcine like the fire shooter, this one stood tall on goat legs with twisting bull horns above its eyes and the blackest skin rippled with muscles and odd tattoos. The tattoos, like the creature's eyes glimmered with a silver sheen as light touched them through the trees. The monster seemed to be carrying a bundle of rags. Syren gasped when the bundle was tossed about to reveal the young prince who had been visiting their hamlet. The boy was unconscious and a dribble of blood dripped from a slash across his forehead. She ran forward, but tripped on roots and over her own feet. The monsters did not even turn to look back at her as they crashed through the trees. She stood up, and began to go after them again, but her ankle would not support her weight. Against a tree, Syren slumped. She should go back to the village and tell someone what had happened so that a party could be formed and the princeling saved! But she would be so slow, that the prince might be dead before she even got to the village. Still, she would not have been much help to the little prince, she had no defense against those monsters. She put her hand on a knot on the tree, resolved to get some help, when a burst of blue light came shooting from a knothole in the tree. Syren was briefly startled by the creature, but soon determined that it was merely some odd species of insect. But the little creature was insistent and fluttered about her head shouting in a language that she could not understand. She swatted at the fairy, for that is what it turned out to be. It was shouting "Oye! Escucha!" incessantly. Syren shouted back at it for a moment, but that did no good. She grew tired of the bright blue orb on wings, and began to hobble back to the village. She padded through some grass and kicked what felt like a bottle. She picked it up and found that it held some money, not a large quantity, but enough to put away in savings. She wondered if it were the princling's. She pocketed the jar for now, and limped on. When she finally came upon the village, no one was about, and houses stood in covered in soot, or not at all. She called out to the town: "HELLOOOO!" No one responded. She moved to intact doors and knocked, but their were no answers. Slowly she made her way to the village center where the elders would gather. She entered the greathouse and found the townspeople seething within. They were angry, and when she entered, that wrath seemed to turn to her. But the eldest of the elders stemmed the tide of anger by coming up behind Syren and asking if she had seen anything in the woods. She told them of what had transpired, but she was the only one that could spy the fairy. She had given up on it, and hoped that it would scream itself hoarse in the shortest amount of time possible. Another elder brought her a drought that helped to relieve the pain in her ankle, yet another brought her a box, and another a tiny trident. She looked at these puzzled. The eldest elder smiled at her and said, "You must be our village's champion. Go, find our prince and bring justice down upon the monsters that did this to us." A frown grew upon Syren's face and a short stammer of disbelief came from her, but the town's people began ushering her back out the door. She soon stood upon the stoop of the greathouse with the box and trident. She looked at the tools dubiously. "Our village apparently has no sword." Sighing deeply, she set out at a limp back into the forest and after her quarry.* Travel the world in whatever form is required: Run like the wolf, swim like the dolphin, and bike, like a... well, like EPONA! Tri training dayz! But it is dangerous to go alone! Outfit yourself with the tools of lunch box and grill fork for they will come in very handy for long days of travel! Primal/Paleo type choices, about 60% - 70% (mostly cutting alcohol, for while tasty and occasionally mind numbing, it does not help with the belly fat and over weighted issues.) Keep up your strength! Be strong, like bear: get back into the strength training thing, it might only take 10 minutes, do it. ¡Oye! ¡Escucha! Learn how to speak to this fairy so that it stops repeating itself: Spanish learning, because it might be useful one day. Smile Keep those canines bright, shiny, and pointy: by flossing every day. Spreadsheet of Progress!

ROSHAN BOSS LEVEL The next month or so is going to be pretty hellish and intense due to deadline after deadline. I can already feel the paralysing stress creeping into my brain, and I don't like it. I'm going to do the best I can for my work, but I won't be able to function like a reasonably sane nerd if I am focussed on work every second of the day. But I don't want to waste my free time staring blankly at Buzzfeed and the like. Hence, BOSS LEVEL! I don't just want to survive this challenge, I want to come out the other side even better than before. So I'm going to try a couple of new fitness goals (that hopefully won’t be too time consuming) and maintain my current level of Spanish. *Putting on my warpaint* STRENGTH Daily handstand practice Possible challenge reward: +3 DEX & +3 STR Inspired by Elastigirl's work, I'm going to give it a shot. 5 minutes a day isn't very much, and I'm curious to see where it can take me. AGILITY Run my first 5K and be quick about it Possible challenge reward: +4 STA Going to get me some endurance points if I can succeed in running 2 or 3 times per week. I have never really liked running before, but I'm on a roll with these challenges and I want to find out what I'm capable of. Plus I'm excited to keep track of all the numbers! INTELLIGENCE Read 100 pages of Harry Potter y la Camara secreta Possible challenge reward: +3 WIS I'm going to be very focused on work, but it is important to me that I don't lose all the Spanish wisdom that I gained in the previous challenges. *** Captain's log: Week zero : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cff21H66DzBNwdAgoh2gfq-qEeO2MBAIvJ449hkkL4A/edit?usp=sharing Week one : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cff21H66DzBNwdAgoh2gfq-qEeO2MBAIvJ449hkkL4A/edit#gid=2134899523 Week two : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cff21H66DzBNwdAgoh2gfq-qEeO2MBAIvJ449hkkL4A/edit#gid=2034992269 Week three : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cff21H66DzBNwdAgoh2gfq-qEeO2MBAIvJ449hkkL4A/edit#gid=953446945 Week four : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cff21H66DzBNwdAgoh2gfq-qEeO2MBAIvJ449hkkL4A/edit#gid=1831483484 Week five : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cff21H66DzBNwdAgoh2gfq-qEeO2MBAIvJ449hkkL4A/edit#gid=2092761640 Week six : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cff21H66DzBNwdAgoh2gfq-qEeO2MBAIvJ449hkkL4A/edit#gid=1543963910

My last challenge was centered around an irresponsibly enthusiastic list of feats of skill and strength that I wanted to achieve. I did actually make good progress, but it hardly scratched the surface of what I intended. Now I've learnt to set more realistic targets, my next challenge is going to be more process-based than success-based. Challenge #1: PRIORITISE SLEEP I demand quite a lot from my body and myself - so the least I can do is to keep it the healthiest state possible at all times. At the moment, the weakest link is sleep. I feel so much better when consistently getting 8+ hours than when I'm getting 7 or 7.5 hours. Therefore, for the next 6 weeks I will go to bed at 00:30 at the latest, giving me at least 8 hours and 20 minutes to rest before my morning alarm. A: 36 times in 42 days (+2 CON) B: 34 times in 42 days C: 30 times in 42 days D: 24 times in 42 days 09-JUN: ++++++_ (6) 16-JUN: ++_++_+ (5) 23-JUN: +++__++ (5) 30-JUN: +++_+_+ (5) 07-JUL: ++++_+_ (5) 14-JUL: ++++___ (4) (grade C) [Note: entry for each day refers to the sleep from the previous night] Challenge #2: TRAINING Two things that have been noticeably beneficial already this year are consistently doing core exercises, and consistently doing pull-up/muscle-up exercises. Other parts of my fitness are currently not limiting factors for anything I'm working on, so I'll concentrate on these for a while and see how that goes. What counts as core exercises? - 3 sets to failure of V-sit sit-ups or leg raises of some description - a gymnastics session involving lots of flipping What counts as muscle-up exercises? - a climbing/bouldering session - 3 sets to failure of appropriate dips - 3 sets to failure of an advanced pull-up variation - 3 sets to failure of pull-down machine I want to be doing one of these 5-6 times per week, so I'll have a slightly silly scoring system for this: - 1 point for doing some mixture of core and muscle-up exercises - 2 points for doing one or the other - 3 points for doing a full amount for core and full amount for muscle-ups A: 70 points in 42 days (+2 STR, +2 STA) B: 66 points in 42 days C: 58 points in 42 days D: 46 points in 42 days 09-JUN: 3 2 2 2 _ _ _ (9) 16-JUN: 3 2 _ 2 _ 3 2 (12) 23-JUN: 2 2 3 2 2 _ _ (11) 30-JUN: _ _ 3 3 3 3 _ (12) 07-JUL: _ _ 3 3 3 2 2 (13) 14-JUL: 3 _ 3 3 _ 3 2 (14) (grade A) Challenge #3: HANDSTAND EVOLUTION VIDEO I've been working on my handstands quite a bit this year, and at the moment my best handbalances are 5-6 seconds and look super unstable. I've been recording some handstand examples when I'm practising, for feedback so that I can learn. My intention is to compile a selection of these examples into an "evolution" video, annotated with training notes. For example, things I'm trying differently and other training I've done, and whether these are helping me balance. Hopefully it will be useful to some people learning handstands, but also it will just be cool to see the evolution. However I need to actually finish getting good at the handbalances first! +1 DEX for staying on my hands for 10 seconds +1 DEX for improving my form irrespective of how long I can hold the handstand +2 CHA for posting a useful video including footage of me doing good handstands (grade A) - see video here Challenge #4: SPANISH I've been learning Spanish on-and-off recently, and it's time now to restart, after a 9-week break. Previously, I was practising 4 times per week (process-based goal) so now I'm going to mix things up and aim to be able to understand spoken Spanish (currently my weak point). I'll assess how much of general conversation I can listen to and grade based on that. A: understand 85% (+3 WIS) B: understand 75% C: understand 65% D: understand 55% (grade F - totally ignored this!) Challenge #5: FEARLESS One major thing that I find is holding me back - especially in gymnastics - is being too risk-shy. For example, freaking out of trying scary moves even when its exactly what I need to be working on. Plus in general life I sometimes find myself avoiding opportunities that are obviously worthwhile risks. So I have an entirely subjective challenge, to be graded subjectively, to break past as many fear barriers as is sensible (Don't worry, I'm not planning to do anything ridiculous). +1 DEX, +1 CHA is the maximum score (for an 'A' grade) (grade C) As usual, I'll update reasonably regularly whenever I have news

So I'm fresh into the Assassins' Guild having just finished the Level 1 challenge Current stats: - Male, 23 years, UK - always been overly thin, only recently gained some more muscle density: 6'1" (1m85) and 70kg (155lb) - used to do quite a bit of athletics (jumping and sprinting) - main interests now are gymnastics/tricking (only recently picked this up) - also strength train (my upper body was pretty weak until recently) an play football (soccer) You know how sometimes there's something you really want to do, and you always assume that one day it will, despite putting in zero effort to make it more likely? Maybe it's going travelling, or perhaps it's getting a job you love? Well since the age of 15 I thought that backflips were awesome and that clearly one day I would be able to do them. Well, last summer - 7 years on - I still couldn't. Simply because I'd never really gotten a concrete plan for learning. You can't just waltz out into a park and throw a backflip for the first time expecting things to end well if care at all about your safety... So last summer, I started going to a gymnastics club, where I could learn all sorts of cool stuff, including backflips. I've made some progress, but it turns out that my co-ordination is really poor, so it's been taking longer than expected. So this challenge is the one where I want to fully own this move! It will represent: an improvement in co-ordinationincreased core strengtha gateway to more advanced gymnastic movesa pretty damned cool trick to throw Challenge #1: Perform a safe unassisted backflip (+2 DEX, +1 CHA) At the moment, I can do it onto crashmats with two spotters and land it most of the time. To qualify this, everything needs to be done safely A: backflip on solid ground, without practising on crashmats or with spotters earlier in that session B: backflip on solid ground, only after practising on crashmats or with spotters earlier in that session C: backflip on solid ground with spotters D: backflip on a padded surface without spotters This is coloured green, to match the grass on which I hope to be throwing some of these when the British summer arrives Another thing I've been working on for far too long, and need some focused effort in order to properly master the skill, is: Challenge #2a: Become proficient at hand-balancing (+1 DEX, +1 STA, +1 STR) Currently I usually lose my balance immediately as I'm not sufficiently vertical. My best attempts are where I manage to fight against falling one way, before immediately falling the other way... Also, I cannot walk on my hands at all... which is something else I'd like to learn! I might make a video of my progress (or lack of progress) if I get enough decent footage... A: handstand for 10 seconds (twice, so it's not a fluke) B: handstand for 6 seconds (twice, so it's not a fluke) C: consistent and serious training (more than just doing handstands a couple times each week) D: some training (more than just doing handstands a couple times each week) Challenge #2b: Learn to walk on my hands (+1 STR) Did I say I'd never learnt to take even a single step on my hands? Taking a hand off the floor scares me. A: 10 steps B: 7 steps C: 4 steps D: 2 steps This is all coloured purple, to match my face if I ever manage to hold myself upside-down for this long... Challenge #3: Consistently strength train (+2 STR, +1 STA) I'm currently training 1-2 times per week, doing full-body high-intensity low-volume workouts to help with various sports that need more upper body strength. I should continue this, along with good resting and nutrition, and start making clear notes on progress. The following only count if I make clear notes on the sets/reps/weights: A: 13 sessions between now and end of challenge B: 12 sessions C: 10 sessions D: 7 sessions This is coloured crimson, because it's an intense colour and i like it Challenge #4: Look after my shoulder (+1 CON) In January I injured my right shoulder while setting up the bench press. Some activities aggravate it (some shoulder stretches, some weights exercises) so I need to go sufficiently easy on those. This challenge exists to dissuade me from doing anything silly... A: shoulder recovers completely as far as I can tell C: shoulder stays at least as okay as it is now This is coloured grey as it's boring but necessary Challenge #5a: 30 minutes Spanish practice 4 times per week (+2 WIS) This is a continuation from last challenge A: 4 times each week B: 22 times in 6 weeks C: 18 times in 6 weeks D: 12 times in 6 weeks Challenge #5b: 15 minutes Spanish speaking practice 3 times per week (+2 CHA) Last challenge I kept saying I would do more of this, and never did. So now I'll commit to it A: 3 times each week B: 16 times in 6 weeks C: 13 times in 6 weeks D: 7 times in 6 weeks This is coloured yellow, to reflect the sunshine that falls on most Spanish-speaking countries So the challenge may as well start now, although I won't be counting the 5th/Spanish challenge until Monday. So if I suddenly find myself handstanding tomorrow, that's cool and that counts for the challenge Good luck to everyone starting their challenges! Play safe and play hard!

This isn’t going to be long or fancy. I’m a sword fighter – not a belly dancer… Main Quest: Achieve 20% Body Fat - Goal 1: Substitute healthy foods for sugar cravings (I have an addiction) - Goal 2: Consume sugar only once every seven days (still too much, I know) - Goal 3: Eliminate all grains except some rice (basically paleo) Life Quest: Have a violin or Spanish lesson daily. I guess I’m not allowed to have side quests yet. Motivation: I have discovered TRUTH about food/fitness/weight management and want to LIVE by it – not just know it – so when I tell others about this life-changing truth, I’ll be living it, not just preaching it. I want to eventually get to the point where I'm certified to help people change their eating habits for scientifically proven health benefits, and I can't start unless I live it. Peace and Courage be with you all.

I missed the last challenge because I couldn’t think of a Great Quest. As a result I haven’t exercised for 8 weeks and my legs are soft as jelly, so let’s not overthink this. From a fitness standpoint I don’t want to be as skinny as I was at university and an ultimate body does not feel achievable so I’m going for 200lb @ 20% body fat, which is quite lean for a 6 foot 3 guy. You may think 20% BF is not much of an ultimate quest but I have been striving for this for 10 years without success so it seems a Mighty Quest for me. So that’s that out of the way, let’s get on with the plan for this challenge: Starting Stats Weight 16s 4 lb (228lb, 103kg) - Weds 11th Sept 13 Measurements done Tues 17th Sept because forgot last Weds!! Neck: 16.5†Waist at belly button 41†Hips at widest part 43.5†Upper Right Thigh 24†With these stats the US Army body fat calculator says I am 24.8% body fat, which means I have about 14 lbs of fat to lose to hit my long term target of 20%. For this challenge weight loss is not a primary goal, the focus is on fitness and good food. No outcome goals for this challenge, only process goals. Goals Morning Bodyweight workouts using Mark’s Daily Apple exercises of Squat, Push Up, Pull Up and Plank, with the squat modified by Matt Furey (Hindu), the plank by Craig Ballantine (Hip Extensions) and the pull up by Steve Kamb (Inverted Row). The plan is not to bust a gut, just get some exercise done, which has got to be better than nothing. Mon & Wed - 1 set to Max Tues & Thurs – 3 sets of 50% of Monday done circuit style with no rest Fri – 2 sets circuit style, first 80% of Monday, second to failure. This determines when it is time to move on to a more difficult version of the exercise Contingency – 1 set of 80% of Monday on Racketball days Lunchtime Walks. This is 3 quests in one: First walking is good for you; second, I have to get to bed in time so I’m not too tired the next day and opt for a meditation in my car instead of walking and thirdly, need the discipline to drag myself away from the desk to do the walk. Moderate Weekends. I live like a paleo monk from Monday to Friday teatime and then over imbibe at the weekend. Hangovers cause you to crave stodge and my good work mid-week is often undone at the weekend. The aim is to be a more moderate and maybe even have the odd dry weekend. Life Goal Improve my Spanish. I am going to Spain at the end of this challenge and have about 100 Spanish podcasts on my iPod so will listen to 2 per day whilst walking. So that’s the outline, let’s get on with it.

Posted by accident, see other topic with same title. Cheers Dean

This is my fourth challenge and I’m excited to officially make the transition from Adventurer to Ranger. Let’s get right to the meat of things… Fitness Goals 1. Run at least three miles, three times per week In my last challenge, I exceeded my goal and set a new PR (personal record) for the 5k with a time of 26:42. My 2013 goal is to run a 5k in under 25:00 so I need to keep my progress moving along. However, in this challenge, I want to run for the enjoyment of running. I’ll run three times per week without being too concerned with speed. DEX: 3 2. Do P90’s Sculpt three times per week I’ve always struggled with strength training since my body type is more geared towards aerobic exercise than weights. However, I’m committed to a more balanced regimen and for this challenge my strength training will come in the form of the Power 90 (P90) Sculpt exercises. To be clear, this is P90, not P90X. I did P90X a few years ago and my body is not prepared for something that intense yet. The idea is to get my cardio from running (instead of P90’s Sweat exercises) and my strength training from P90’s Sculpt exercises. STR: 4 | CON: 2 3. Run at least 7 miles at pace of 10:00/mile or faster One of my other goals for 2013 is to run a 10k race in 60 minutes or less. I really think I can do better than that. I can run 5 miles now at a 9:20/9:30 pace but I don’t like running distance. I want to use this challenge to get me up to 7 miles at a decent pace. I can then work on improving my speed. With my next challenge, I may try to do my 10k in 50:00 or less. This is a first step in that direction. STA: 3 Life Goal 4. Study Spanish 4x per week, have a brief conversation in Spanish at least twice per week, and read at least two children’s books en Español We’re taking a family trip to Peru and I want to be able to speak Spanish as much as possible during our time there. I believe this is a good way to start preparing. WIS: 3 Bonus Goals (but no points...) 5. Play guitar 5x per week I love my guitars and I love playing them. Unfortunately, my time to play gets set aside if I'm stressed (and just want to veg in front of a TV) or if I'm busy. I'm going to recommit to playing on a regular basis with this goal. 6. Meditate for 24 minutes at least 4x per week I’m pretty good about meeting this goal already but I want to keep it on my list so I’m accountable for staying active. Thanks for taking the time to read through these and I hope to have your support and encouragement along the way!

I am not sure about the opinion of other rebels out in the world, but I think it would be awesome to have NF in spanish too! I am certain that many in the latin american world would benefit from the Rebellion and all it's knowledge. What do you guys think?

Sidelined by the flu and a pretty nasty bug, I've dropped my efforts on this challenge. I'll be joining again on the next round. Adam