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First post is copy and pasted from last challenge thread to define the main quest that I am. Goals for this challenge can be found a bit down the page. Quest for Spartan Strength I have always identified with being a runner. I grew up a runner. I got away from running and allowed life to consume me. I became soft. I put on weight. I got reeeal slow. For the majority of 2013, I have been focused on reclaiming my body and my athleticism. I set the goal to become a member of the 2013 Spartan Trifecta Tribe. And, I completed that goal last challenge period. As we close out 2013, I'm starting to prepare my performance goals for 2014. And, as I put them together, one thing becomes clear. I want and need to be stronger. When people think about runners, they don't think "strong." They think of the skinny/lean marathon type. Well, I want to be a strong runner. I want to lift more than I am currently able to. I want to hit obstacles at Spartans and complete them faster because I am stronger. When my legs tire on a run, I want to be able to focus on my arms and know that they have the strength to continue to propel me forward. This doesn't mean that I am looking to change my body type. I am not focused on any vain reasons for getting stronger. I need to get stronger to perform better. Since, I am a Spartan Ranger, I believe a great measuring tool of my strength-level can be the Spartan 300 Workout. 25 Pull-ups 50 Deadlift at 135 lbs. 50 Push-ups 50 24" Box Jumps 50 Floor Wipers at 135 lbs. 50 Kettlebell Clean and press with 36 lbs KB (25 each arm) 25 Pull-ups Main Quest Goal: Complete the Spartan 300 Workout in under 30 mins

This is my first challenge and I plan to crush it( always easy to say the first day lol)! Background: I have always been active and competed at some level in sports but after high school I had more trouble staying fit because I didn't have any competitions I could really compete in now that I'm an adult(see the thread running quandary for why). On top of that I was diagnosed with a neurological problem that essentially means anything my body regulates on is own has the potential to be out of whack(for me it's been blood pressure, and heart rate along with other things) . My symptoms have become much better recently and that has allowed me to start exercising more regularly. Also, a little over two months ago my husband and I were blessed with a beautiful little boy who keeps me on my toes. I don't want having a baby be an excuse to not be fit so here I am ready to be the exception to the rule. Let's do this, Leeeeerrooooy Jennkins!!! Challenge: To start training for a spartan race in April by doing high intensity body weight and weight training( when I can get to the gym) for a minimum of 30 minutes three times a week and running once a week. GOALS: Run three miles with a minimum of six miles an hour 90 second plank 5 pull ups and chin ups unassisted Life hack: Create a budget using a cash system

Rebuilding the Mileage I am still on my current quest towards Spartan Strength. So, some might look at this mini-challenge goal of rebuilding the mileage as a diversion from that quest. I, however, do not. I will be continuing my quest. But, I am not a warrior, nor do I ever intend to be one. I am a ranger. And, as such, I need to be strong, as well as to be able to cover long distances quickly. Since running the Spartan at Fenway earlier this month, I have slacked on my running. This was mostly due to a MCL issue which needed to heal up. Thankfully, it has. Time to get the legs moving again. For this mini challenge, I will be focusing on getting my mileage up. I'd like to be in the vicinity of 20 miles per week for the next couple of weeks. I have a 5k that I am scheduled to run on Jan 4th. I'm not planning on setting any world records there. But, I would like to go in positive that I can run it hard. So, 10 runs during the challenge with a mileage goal 20 miles/week (+/- a few miles). I would like two of those runs to involve a track workout for time. (Unfortunately, this is a bit weather dependent. I can physically run on a snow-covered track, as I have proven. However, the "for time" part gets wiped out if it is snow-covered.) Here we go! Arrroooooo!

This challenge is going to be different from my other ones, because I've noticed that I have focused so much on physical goals that I neglected mental and spiritual. As a result I'm at a plateau with my workouts due to my mind putting up a wall I don't want to cross. It's my own personal goal to become the first female Marine sniper, and it won't happen if I make it a habit of giving in to all the negative voices in my head. Achieving the Focus and Iron Will of Batman Goal 1: CrossFit, H.I.I.T., or Weight Lifting 4x a week: As much as I am focusing on losing weight I cannot afford to neglect my strength. (Str. +3) A+: 100% Completed with no misses. A: 95% One or two missed. B: 85% Only one workout a week. F: 80% I need a good ass kicker pronto! Goal 2: Meditate three times a day everyday: Meditating or praying will help me to train my mind to focus. Which I really need in order to get over the "wall". (Wis. +3, Char. +2) A+: Not a meditation missed. A: One or two missed. B: A whole day and not a single OHM F: I suck at this. Goal 3: Study for the ASVAB every other day: I am not where I want to be in Math or the other subjects, I refuse to go into the Marines as a dunce! (Con. +3) A+: Significantly increase my former ASVAB score from 53. A: Only a slight increase. B: No change whatsoever. F: Anyone got a DUNCE cap? Goal 4: Run and/or sprint everyday: This won't be ironclad, if I need to rest I'll take a day off so I won't risk getting shin splints. (Sta. +3) A+: No excuses, no problems, just running! A: Miss one day. B: Two days missed in a row F: It had better have been raining all 6 weeks! Life Goal: Decrease down to a size 12: This is achievable, all I have to do is get rid of my butt gut, that's the only thing preventing me from fitting in smaller jeans. (Char. +2) A+: I'm built like a diva, and I wear a size 12! A: Can button and zip up. B: Well I can get them on at least... F: Wanna see me attempt the 23 clowns in a small car trick with these pants? I'm hoping to finish this challenge with all my goals at A+. Then I would be two steps closer to being the correct weight to sign up for the Marines, plus fitting into smaller stuff will give me a good excuse to get some new clothes! As far as my diet, I am actually doing very well, my sister has been helping me and keeping me accountable about what I eat. Plus, my stomach has now shrunk to the point where two pieces of pizza is to much. And I now hate the feeling of being to heavy after a meal, making most of what I eat at this moment light and healthy. All of this is not just for the Marines right now, I have a Super Spartan race to prepare for! Semper Fi

Quest for Spartan Strength I have always identified with being a runner. I grew up a runner. I got away from running and allowed life to consume me. I became soft. I put on weight. I got reeeal slow. For the majority of 2013, I have been focused on reclaiming my body and my athleticism. I set the goal to become a member of the 2013 Spartan Trifecta Tribe. And, I completed that goal last challenge period. As we close out 2013, I'm starting to prepare my performance goals for 2014. And, as I put them together, one thing becomes clear. I want and need to be stronger. When people think about runners, they don't think "strong." They think of the skinny/lean marathon type. Well, I want to be a strong runner. I want to lift more than I am currently able to. I want to hit obstacles at Spartans and complete them faster because I am stronger. When my legs tire on a run, I want to be able to focus on my arms and know that they have the strength to continue to propel me forward. This doesn't mean that I am looking to change my body type. I am not focused on any vain reasons for getting stronger. I need to get stronger to perform better. Since, I am a Spartan Ranger, I believe a great measuring tool of my strength-level can be the Spartan 300 Workout. 25 Pull-ups 50 Deadlift at 135 lbs. 50 Push-ups 50 24" Box Jumps 50 Floor Wipers at 135 lbs. 50 Kettlebell Clean and press with 36 lbs KB (25 each arm) 25 Pull-ups Main Quest Goal: Complete the Spartan 300 Workout in under 30 mins Challenge Goals: 1. Complete the Fenway Spartan Sprint twice on November 16th (+2 CON) a. Once with the Elite heat. b. Once with the Nerds. Because of this event, and my goals for it, I do not want to start a new training plan the week leading up to it. (Hence the next couple of goals will be based on 5 of the 6 weeks of the challenge.) 2. Circuit work 2x week 5/6 weeks of the challenge. (+2 DEX +2 STA) 3. Heavy Weight work at least 2x week 5/6 weeks of the challenge. (+3 STR +1 CHA) a. I have always done high rep work in the gym. Always. And, I do get stronger. But, it's time to make some strength gains with some low rep work. Still putting my workout routine together. Tips are welcome. 4 Complete 5 weeks of the 20 Chin-ups app - focusing on pull-ups. (+2 STA) Life Goal Did deeper on the Productivity Ninja-front. (+2 WIS +1 CHA) We are screaming into the busy season at work. I need to focus as much as possible on the tasks at hand. I may not be as active on the boards. I may implement some new email rules for myself, ala 4HWW. I'll hit you with the details as they happen. Starting Stats 164 lbs. Neck - 15" Chest - 38.25 Waist - 34" Hips - 35" Thighs - 21" Calves - 14" Arms - 13.75" Forearms - 10.5" BF% - 17.5% these are remarkably close to what they were the last time I took them in September, at the end of a challenge. Some growth in a couple of areas, and the BF ticked up a bit - but that could be calc error. Not concerned. This is just a reference point. But for now.... Arooooooo!

Hiya Rebels! I am really looking forward to being part of this community. I am a new(ish) mom who has worked hard over my maternity leave ( I am Canadian - we get a year to get into the best shape of my life. My next goal is to do the Spartan Sprint - 5k, 15 obstacles this summer. I run, lift weights, do yoga and try and fit in 10 minutes or less of exercise at any one time while looking after my daughter, a few times a day! I am looking for inspiration, practical tips on gaining functional strength, and eventually I would like to be able to do pull-ups! Keep up the good fight!

Main Quest: ​Going for the Spartan Trifecta. Complete Spartan Super Race (level 2) before next summer and Beast (level 3) by 9/29/14. ​Did my first Spartan Sprint (level 1) on 9/29/13 at Sun Peaks. After the experience, I have a good idea on what needs work. Three Goals:1. Do exercises needed to build back and arm muscles to complete a pull up. There is a course of exercise levels to complete on the NF site http://www.nerdfitne...5/do-a-pull-up/ I am not sure at what rate you advance through these but I will start with Level 1 and work on it 3 days a week until I am strong enough to get to Level 2, 3, etc. I am currently doing assisted dips and pull ups on a machine at the gym with 1/2 my body weight of assist, but I am not doing them right as I am using more biceps so back to square one. (3 STR) (A for 3 days​, B for 2, Fail for 1 or less) 2. ​Do HIIT exercise class at gym 3 days a week. I have worked with the class instructor before and she is an OCR fanatic so her classes are great training for Spartan (3 ​END, 3 STR) (A for 3 days​, B for 2, Fail for 1 or less)3. ​100% paleo meals​ 5 of 7 days a week. (3 CON) (A for ​5 days, B for 4 days , C for ​3 days, F for anything less) Side (Life) Quest:4. ​Three days of 16+ hour of fasting a week (3 WIS) (A for 3 days, B for 2 days, C for ​1, F for ​less)

http://www.spartanrace.com/malibu-obstacle-racing-spartan-sprint-2013.html So the time is finally here. My Spartan Sprint Race in Malibu happens this challenge! My Main Quest: The true goal is for myself to get healthy. I want to reach that under 200 mark. That will take awhile. I'd like to be as close to 250lb as I can before the race. I won't get there, but as close as I can This challenge My quest is to get ready to finish my first Spartan Sprint Race. Goals this challenge to help me complete my quest: #1 Don't eat the bad things! I am getting back onto strict Whole 30. Technically, I started back up on 11/06/13. I want to make at least one new meal for myself each week. I know I can just get buy on chicken, fish, and frozen veggies. I want to try new things, so I want to have my whole 30 challenge to include finding a new meal to make each week. I will also make sure to not only track this in my battle log, but also post here each day. #2 Get your Run/Walk on! I want to start up my Couch to 5k app again. Plus additional walking on the off days. I hope to hit 10,000 steps a day. If I feel I need to repeat any weeks on the app, that is ok. It will probably be a slower process before I can get up to running a decent distance. Ideally, my goal is to be able to run a 1/2 mile without stopping. If I can get to that, then I can start aiming for a mile, and running 1/2 miles to try to beat my old middle school time Of course I need to make sure I get my stretching done with this extra running #3 Get to bed! Back in my first Nerd Fitness challenge I had a sleep goal. It was great. Since then I have gotten more and more out of going to bed at a good time. Last challenge I started to notice if I am tired, I am less likely to make myself workout or do anything that I need to. So back to the basics here again. In bed by midnight every night. I give myself a 10 minute window. Life Goals: #4 Clean up and start downsizing! The current place we live in is expensive, and the owners don't care about any of the problems here. The place we want to move too is smaller, and will probably work out great. We have lots of extra tubs/boxes that have to be gone through. We have started this already, but it seems to take a back burner a lot of times. I want to make it a priority to get through these boxes! Time to donate or get rid of all the extra clutter we don't need! #5 Get the guts to go to the gym at least once a week! I am going to be really open with this one. I can simply go and walk on a treadmill if need be. If I want the A, I want to try a few things though. I have had a membership since January, and the only time I was there was the first sign up. This challenge isn't so much about the workout. It is more about me getting over my gymitimidation. Since it is planet fitness I don't think they have free weights, but I think even machines would be better then nothing at this point. plus the wife and I were looking at other gyms in the area. One has a pool she can use for exercise since her knees are pretty messed up. If I can go at least once a week to the gym, then I could probably justify the higher cost of a better gym. Motivation: The same thing drives me this time. I want to get to a much lower weight. I want to be able to have that feeling of accomplishment for running this spartan race. I want to get rid of all the medicine I have to take because I got myself in the situation of getting type 2 diabetes. I don't want to be this fat guy any more. I want to live. Not just for me, but for my kids. I want to set the positive role model they deserve to have. This challenge I will be getting all the last minute things I need for my Sprint race The One hitch in this challenge will be when I go to run the Spartan Race. It's about 5-6 hours drive south of here. Since we are going to be in the area, we are also going to Disneyland for a few days. So basically, I am giving myself some leeway during that time frame. I will Travel down on the 6th of December. The Run is on the 7th. Then the 8th, 9th, and 10th we will be in the Disneyland parks and other places around. the 11th is our travel day back. So 6th-11th. I am not letting myself go crazy on corn dogs or whatever. I just don't want to hold myself to having to get in the running etc if I can't. I have been talking with the wife about bringing things that we can have that are healthy options for food already. I am sure I will get in lots of walking, and the hotel has a gym and a heated pool. So I might just take up some swimming activities while we are down there Grading: #1 Don't eat the bad things! A - Whole 30 done, and one new meal made! B - Whole 30 done, but no new meals F - Whole 30 broken, start it over! #2 Get your Run/Walk on! A - Complete C25k and get 10k steps in each day B - Complete C25k, and get some extra walking in, just not 10k steps C - Complete C25k, but got no extra walking in D - No running, but got in lots of walking F - No running or walking #3 Get to bed! A - Got to bed at midnight every night B - Missed a day C - Missed two days D - Missed three days F - Yes, you are in fact a night owl #4 Clean up and start downsizing! A - Going through multiple boxes done at least one day B - Going through only one box, but multiple days C - Going through only one box, one day D - No boxes gone through, but did extra cleaning or arranging F - Did nothing #5 Get the guts to go to the gym at least once a week! A - Sweet, you did it. Time to get another visit in this week! B - Ok, you went there, and just did treadmill F - Ohh didn't get there at least once. Measurements: Weight: 276lbs Left Bicep: 40.6cm Right Bicep: 39cm Left Forearm: 31.5cm Right Forearm: 31.6cm Chest: 122cm Waist at belly button: 130.1cm Neck: 45cm Left Thigh: 68cm Right Thigh: 66.3cm Left Calf: 49cm Right Calf: 46.2cm Weekly Summary: Week 1 Summary C Week 2 Summary C Week 3 Summary Technically a F Week 4 Summary B

I will be posting primarily in My Battle Log, so if you guys and gals want to follow my challenge, then click the link and follow away. If not, don't worry. I will post weekly updates here every Monday!

Oops! Reposted topic in current challenges.

Quest for the Spartan Trifecta and Beyond! For the last year, becoming a member of the 2013 Spartan Trifecta Tribe has been the goal. Having completed two Sprints, and the Super, I am 2/3 of the way there. And, the Beast looms on the horizon. On Saturday, September 21, I will be attacking the 13 mile Beast at the Spartan World Championships in Killington, VT. And, upon crossing the finish line - that quest will conclude, and I will begin a new quest. That new quest will to be Spartan Up and get harder and stronger. So, I'm going to have to lift heavy things with endurance. I figure a good way to gauge that is by completing the 300 Workout. But, not just completing it. I want to complete it in under 30 minutes. More than likely, this quest will take longer than this 6 week challenge to complete. As of now, 50 pullups will take quite a bit of time for me to complete. And floor wipers kind of scare me since I have never completed one of them. In this post, Steve says that his fastest time for the workout was 46 minutes. I'm not sure if he's blown that out of the water since then, but because of that, I think 30 minutes is an aggressive goal. We shall see. The Goals for the Quest(s) will go hand in hand, however, and are similar to the structure of my last challenge. Main Quest Goals 1. Run at least 4 times per week. (+2 STA, +2 CON) 2. Lift/workoutTrain at least 4 times per week. (+2 STR, +2 CON) 3. Complete the World Championship Spartan Beast on 9/21 (+3 DEX) 4. Complete the 300 Workout to get a baseline time. (+1 STR, +1 CHA) Life Side Quest(s) 1. Apply what I learned in "Four Hour Work Week" into at least one project. (+2 WIS) <<---I'll post more details about this later. I've created another Goal Tracking Spreadsheet. And, here's The Motivation. Let's do this!

Activate Interlocks! Dynotherms connected! Infra-cells up! Mega Thrusters are go! Let's go Voltron force! Main Quest: Continuing adventures of training for my Spartan Race. Last time I slayed the sugar dragon. Now I need to form Voltron to help slay the Burpee robeast. In general, I need to lose more weight and get stronger. My next goal weight is to reach 275lbs. Exercise will help me form Feet and Legs. Then Arms and body. I'll form the head with Tracking and reading. 1) Track Exercise and food intake It's hard for Pidge to work on Voltron if he doesn't know everything that is going on. Nothing extravagant here. I just want to make it a habit to track in my daily battle log what I eat, and what exercises I am doing. I have tried tracking calories or carbs, but that doesn't really work well for me. 2) Workout Everyday Created a google spreadsheet for my workouts here Sunday will be my "rest day" but I will still get walking in that day. (Week 2 add on) Must have at least 3 miles a day in fitbit.(week 3 adjustment. Workout 4 times, walking everyday. 3 miles at least on workout days, 5 miles on non workout days) It's hard working swinging that Blazing Sword. After seeing BlamedCat’s work with the kettlebell, I ordered one. So I will be doing kettlebell, bodyweight and cardio workouts. Still working out exact details for each workout. 3 workouts plus walking/Sprints. Workouts will be gear towards getting burpees done. I can’t do a proper pushup yet, so proper burpees are not there. But I am going to work on as many aspects at I can. Squat thrusts, frog jump, jump squats like in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZQA08SlJnM&feature=youtu.be 3) Intermittent fasting Going to give this a go. I want to start with a 16 hour fast, and 8 hour eating window. After I give this a try I might start moving it to a 18/6. Still eating clean as close to Whole 30/Paleo/Primal type eating. I am going to allow myself one meal that goes outside of this. A “cheat†meal I guess. I don’t have to do the meal, but I can if the situation is needed. I hope this helps me with my weight loss, and helps me get a understanding of my real hunger cycles. Side Quests! 4) Read a book! Time to back away from the internet and help broaden my imagination. So I have the first 4 books of the Game of Thrones. Time to start reading. First challenge I made myself go to bed early. The second challenge I have been staying up again much later then I want to. So this goal will help to correct that again. I don’t want to say i will read x number of pages or a certain number of books. It’s been forever since I let myself get wrapped up in a book. So I think it is time. The plan is to shut off everything by 11:30pm. This means no late workouts to go into this time. I don’t have to be in bed to read, I just have to be off the computer and all other distractions are off. 30 minutes at least every night. If I get into the books and want to read longer, that is fine. I just want to make sure I get 30 minutes in at least. Then hopefully, it will be a easy transition to getting to bed. I'll even say it is a win if I stay up till 2am reading. If I am into the books that much it will be awesome. I'll just have to know to start earlier next time 5) Build towards doing a real good form push up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiFdfDBY77g&feature=youtu.be I want to work on this every day. Basically going to try to work on getting my planks up to a minute. Last I checked I maxed out at 45 seconds. Also going to try to get a minute of Arm extended planks. I’ll also work in knee pushups, and try to to extend part way down pushups with holding in place for as long as possible. If I plan on doing good burpees, I am going to need to get good pushups done, Motivation: I made this in photoshop today to hang up by my computer. I might alter it a bit more to add more things in it, but for now it is good. I want to be a healthy Dad. Eventually to lead them both into a better way of living so they don’t have to spend 30 years or more overweight like I did. I finally hit that below 300 mark. Now the bar goes down to 275. I will hit that. unlikely to happen this challenge, but it will happen soon. Measurements: Starting weight 295lbs Left Bicep - 42.3cm Right Bicep - 41.2 Left Forearm - 32.5 Right Forearm - 32.7 Chest - 127.8 Waist at belly button - 134.5 Neck - 47.2 Left Thigh - 70.5 Right Thigh - 69.5 Left Calf - 50.2 Right Calf - 47.3 Grading: 1) Track Exercise and food intake A - Tracked it all, nice work! B - Missed part of a day C - Missed a whole day D - More then a day missed F - Zero tracking! 2) Workout Everyday A - Got it all in, nice! B - Had to have a rest day, but did great the others Missed a day of workout/walking C - Two rest days, not good! Missed more then one day of walking/workout D - Seems like someone needs to channel beast mode again! F - No workouts 3) Intermittent fasting A - Complete IF every day B - One day messed up C - Two-Three days messed up D - Only one day IF completed F - No days done in IF 4) Read a book! A - At least 30 minutes done per day B - Missed one day C - Missed two days D - hey, and least you opened the book for a bit F - No reading 5) Build towards doing a real good form push up. A - Working hard everyday towards this goal! B - Missed 1 or 2 days C - Missed 3 to 4 days D - Missed 5 or 6 days F - No work done Each Week Summary: Week 1 Summary A Week 2 Summary B Week 3 Summary C Week 4 Summary D Week 5 Summary C Week 6 Summary D Challenge Wrap up!

Hey guys happy to be apart of the NF community, I'll make this short and sweet since I'll be updating it everyday. I've always been overweight and want to change that...today. Here are my upcoming goals: Make it to my first Spartan Race 70lbs. lighter - April 24th 2014 Do at least 25 clean non-flailing pull-ups Run 2 miles without needing to call the emergency room Future goals: Complete a Spartan Trifecta - ultimate goal Successful pistol squat Any of the cool pull-up bar stuff on barstarrz Join my local basketball league Buy a shirt other than a 2XL 10% bodyfat or lower How I'm going to accomplish those goals: Focus on bodyweight training for at least 8-12 months so I learn how to move my own weight efficiently...then add Olympic lifting Intermittent fasting - with an 8 hour eating window 8+ hours of sleep Walk every morning 3-4 miles Paleo-framework for nutrition My stats: Dude 6'1 300lbs. 30-40% body fat So I plan on updating this everyday and need you guys to keep me on it! I'm also doing a Youtube channel to chart my journey with video, so I'll add them as weekly updates here where I'll talk about measurements, how the week went as a whole, etc. Nervous about putting this online haha but that nervousness just means that I'm being held accountable. So this is my first step to my road to Sparta, can't wait to see what happens.

Main Quest: To complete the Spartan Beast, December 14th/15th. 1) Running - The Spartan Beast is a 10-12 mile obstacle course. I enjoy running (when it's not hot as blazes outside) and can currently run about 4-5 miles slowly (~13 min mile) without much trouble. This step is to utilize RunKeeper to train for a half marathon. Starting Tuesday, Sept 17, I'll be running 13 miles by the time of the Beast. So, I'll need to keep up with the schedule in the app, running 4x a week. By the end of the challenge, I will be running 6 miles at race pace (average 10 min mile). 2) Strength Training - Addressing the obstacles...This is tentative to change, as I plan on joining the women's Nerd Fitness Academy once it opens up, but mean while I've got the Rebel Strength Training guide and a set of dumbbells collecting dust...I would like to work through the Rookie Workout...by the end of the challenge I will be ready to graduate to Level 2 Recruit. 3) Eating to Fuel the Body - I know eating better will improve my energy levels and how much I'll be getting out of my workouts. Right now I try to eat my veggies, but I often succumb to fast food when work is really stressful or I'm pulling overtime, and my department almost always has some kind of yummy processed baked treats to boost morale. So for this step, I'm going to start by choosing 1 day out the week (pre-determined, not randomly when I feel like it), where I will only eat what I bring from home. This means eliminating that trip to Starbucks/Chick-fil-a and ignoring the donuts on the center table. Every week, I'll add one more day to the "only food from home" list, and by the end of the challenge I will be in my second week of strictly enjoying my home-cooked numnums. Life Quest Find Time to Read - It's so easy to find myself in front of the boob tube after a day of work, but I feel guilty about it, like I'm wasting time...I feel like watching TV is even more wasteful than playing World of Warcraft (no offense to those who play! I'm a recovering addict trying to find reasons to abstain)...Anyway, one of my bucket list goals is to read all the books of The Well-Educated Mind. So I'm going to read for at least 1 hour a week. This could be broken up in 3x20 minute time period, or all at once, but I just need to activate my imagination and exercise my intellect in ways outside of work. The book I'm choosing for this challenge is Mrs. Dalloway.

The Quest for the Spartan Trifecta The post with the goals lined out is a bit down the thread. Starting Stats The Motivation __________________________________________________________________ Alright. I think I like the changes to the challenges. I'm working on what my Main Quest should be. I'll alter the title to reflect the appropriate description when it is time. My thinking is this - my Main Quest has been to become a member of the 2013 Spartan Trifecta Tribe. By 9/8, I will be 2/3 of the way there - having completed in my second Sprint of the year, and my first ever Super. The Beast will be completed two weeks later. What is my next quest going to be? I'm not entirely sure yet. So, should I think up my next Main Quest (which I'm sure will have some sort of harmony with my current quest - in terms of what I need to do training-wise), or do I stay with my current Trifecta quest. And, publish a new Main Quest at the completion of that? I'm thinking I need to create a new one... but, what. shall. it. be?

This is my second NF Challenge, and my first as a Ranger. Whether it's Jim Phelps and the original gang, or my generation's Ethan Hunt and crew, everybody digs the IMF. There's just something so badass about a group of people who tackle odds so steep, even their own organization's name assumes they can't win. Yet somehow, time and again, they get the job done. I really like the idea of achieving the impossible on a regular basis. See, I'm a big guy. Have been for a long time, but I've also been working for a long while at being less big. At 6 foot and 278lbs, I'm about 32 pounds lighter than my heaviest weight. In the last NF challenge, I lost 8 pounds and added some awesome gains to my lifting regimen. I assumed I'd be doing more of the same for this challenge, until I talked to a buddy a little while ago. He told me about a race he'd done back in May, 5 miles. Not just running, but facing obstacles, lifting heavy objects, getting muddy and cold, facing fire and electricity. Another buddy, ex-military, commented, "sounds like basic training all over again!" Another close friend, somebody I hugely respect and one of my fitness heroes, told me he'd already signed up for next year. And that's how I committed to a Spartan Race for next May, and that's why I'm in the Ranger subforum. This is a six-week challenge, but I'm playing a pretty long game here. I've got 75 pounds to lose, in 9 months. I can keep up a run for a couple minutes, but not much more than that. I've never run regularly in my life, beyond playing when I was a kid. I can't do a pull-up. From here, the mission is looking pretty impossible. The Mission: Kick ass at the Spartan Race next year. (aka: lose weight, get fast, get stronger) The Impossible Mission Force didn't stop the bad guy and save the day just by having a long-term objective. They set specific short-term goals, and executed them one step at a time. You gotta scale the Burj Dubai before you can get the nuclear launch codes from the sexy assassin! So the long-term goals of weighing under 200lbs, being able to run for miles and miles, and being able to do pull-ups, backflips, handstands and all that fun stuff, comes via the specific goals listed below. The Six-week Goals: Eat right, run regularly, lift myself and other things Eat right: I've gotten in the habit of logging everything I eat these days, and I've seen some great progress just from staying in the 1900-2100 calorie neighborhood. I'm gonna tighten things up for this challenge, setting a goal of 1700-1800 calories each day, logging every bite, and sticking to a mostly-paleo diet. Lots of veggie omelettes, bacon, chicken breasts, protein smoothies and steamed veggies coming up, which is awesome. I'll have the occasional slice of bread, but I'll be avoiding anything processed or loaded with sugar. I've also found having cheat days to be an immense help with sticking to a plan like this, so I'm gonna designate Saturdays as my day to ignore the restrictions and eat whatever I want. I'll post my calorie totals for each day in this thread. Run regularly: I'm going to start with the classic Couch To 5K running program. I put in the first workout of that today. It's a little tough to log that one on Fitocracy, but I'll give it a shot. It's a 9-week program so I won't be complete by the end of this challenge but I'll be well on the way. I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions to ask and info to gather, as running is by far the weakest area of my fitness knowledge. Lift myself and other things: By the end of last challenge I had a pretty good habit going of lifting at the gym. I'm gonna try and stick with a lifting routine for this challenge, secondary to the running goal. I'll continue building toward pull-ups by doing bodyweight Smith rows and lat pulldowns, and add push-ups to the routine. I've got some research to do before I fully define the routine so I might tweak this section later this week. I've got a life quest left over from the previous challenge, since I bailed so hard on it last time. Draw 1 page per week of the comic book I'm working on For real, I only drew two pages last challenge. I work as an illustrator in my day job, and I've been back-burnering this book for a year(!). If I don't finish it soon I never will. Here goes!

Just making a place holder for now. This challenge is going to be based off of a book series as opposed to my last few that have been movie based. The book series is The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind. hope you enjoy following me

I've signed up for my first Spartan Race (5k Sprint) in under 5 weeks time, and I need to make sure that I have the gear that isn't going to cause me problems. I've had a dig around various websites that detail what I should and shouldn't get, but was wondering what the smart, sexy and knowledgable people here recommend. So far, I figure I need the following: Shoes - The big one. Inov8 are coming up big time here, finding them in my size (UK 12.5-13) is tough though Socks - Ones that won't soak up and retain water. Some recommendations here would be good Shorts - I'm thinking short running shorts over compression shorts are the order of the day Top - I don't quite have the body to go topless yet, so I'm debating between a UA compression vest or short sleeved compression top. If anyone has any recommendations, I'd be very grateful to hear from all your experiences. Thanks, -J

Are there any other Nerds taking part in the Spartan Race at Nutley in August? This is going to be my first obstacle race, so finishing without dying is my main goal this time, so if anyone else is thinking about it or unsure, come along and we can be newbies together! Link: http://www.spartanrace.com/london-obstacle-racing-spartan-sprint-2013.html

Hi all, Looking to set up a team for folks training for a Spartan Race, Tough Mudder, or other obstacle course race during the 6 week challenge. Also posted it in the Google Docs. Mileage + weights, what could be better? Here's the link to the team sign up: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnL943o3CTUvdEJDT3Vvdkc5Rzk4VUdRbXFWcHNvQXc#gid=1

Try to decide how into the role playing aspect of this I really want to get... Do I want to do a whole backstory, or just keep it simple and post my goals? Let's just say my country and my family are counting on me. There's a good chance they may be dropping me deep behind enemy lines once I finish my training in Sept. My trek (Spartan Beast in VT) could be 14 miles in mountainous territory with only the food and water I bring with me. I may be under fire at all times, forced to low crawl through mud while the bullets fly overhead. There may be booby traps, and I will have to climb obstacles to get around them. I have 200 minutes to complete the mission. If I fail to make it to the landing zone in the required time, my team mates may be ambushed by the enemy. I have intelligence they need to hear. If the helicopter leaves without me, then I will stranded in hostil territory and who knows if I will ever make it home. Goals 1. Complete the remaining 4 weeks of my preliminary training. 1a. Complete all workouts - Pass/Fail worth 100 points 1b. Improve by: 25% - 100 points 20% - 90 15% - 80 10% - 70 5% - 60 0% - 0 points Currently I am at 5 pull-ups - not timed 48 sit-ups in 2 minutes 37 push-ups in 2 minutes 1.5 mile run in 11:20 500m swim in 12:25 For the grade I will take the average of the 5 scores 2. Cut out / reduce processed sugar from my diet. This is hard for me - really hard! - so I want to be realistic. I will take the average of my weekly score based on the following scale. 7 days no sugar - 100 6 days no sugar - 90 5 days no sugar - 80 4 days no sugar - 70 3 days no sugar - 60 2 - 50 1 - 25 0 - 0 points I will use the average of my weekly score for the final grade. 3. Complete 1 Adirondack 46er with my kids first week of challenge and 1 by the last week of the challenge. Each one is a pass fail worth 100 points. I will use the average , so it's 0, 50, or 100 points. 4. Learn a new language using Rosetta Stone. (Going with Stats Class on Udacity) I already have a copy of German, but I might try a different language. I might also decide to do a statistics class on Udacity.com In any case, I will measure success based on weekly investment of time, and I will average the weekly results. 2 hours - 100 1.5 - 75 1 - 75 1/2 - 50 Less - 0 To make things really fun, I am going to use my final grade to come up with a reward. If I get a 100, then I get to give myself $100 of free spending money to use toward whatever luxury I want to treat myself too... Bike? Airline ticket? iPad? Sound good? Hoorah! And maybe next year will be an iron man. Added a tracking spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AiXh0094YokldDU3eHpiUHBHLXhWN1FQbDZMWExjbUE&usp=sharing

Hi all, I noticed several people are training for Spartan Races or other obstacle course races, so I thought I'd try putting a team together in the accountabilibuddies section. If you'd like to sign up, here's the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnL943o3CTUvdEJDT3Vvdkc5Rzk4VUdRbXFWcHNvQXc#gid=1

I just completed my first Spartan Race. Wow. I have some hill sprints to do. But I am here about the walls....who better to help me find instruction on getting over walls? Now the issues I had were with 8' and 10' walls. The 8' walls were more about being fatigued at the time....but there has to be a technique to get over walls that allows me to do so when already tired. The 10' walls, other than weight loss and increased upper body strength, I have no idea. I have to believe that there are several techniques to get over a 10' wall. Any links, hints, descriptions, videos....etc are greatly appreciated.

Another six week challenge is upon me. I almost decided to sit this one out. I have so very much draining my brain and time that I was considering just keeping up workouts and diet and doing the next one. Obviously you know how this story turns out, but I want to tell you why I am here this time. Right now, in the midst of all that I have going on, I need to be accountable for what I am doing for my health. What do I have going on? I have, as most know, bought a house and I am in a MAJOR push to get it ready so that I can move into it. This will become critical as heating two houses in Ohio as well as water and power will drain my monetary resources. I have two weeks of training outside of my home area so I will be on the road another two weeks during this challenge. (that is 1/3 of the challenge). My longer term goal is to be moved into the house in April..... Ahhh April. April is my Spartan Sprint. I am a little nervous. This is what pushed me over the edge as to participating in the challenge. What I do in the next six weeks will have a huge impact on how well that goes. My goal in that is to finish the race. That is all, just complete it. I am doing the one in Indiana April 27th. (Feel free to come join me.) My girlfriend is scheduled to run it with me, but has a serious foot injury (stress fracture) and will probably be unable to run it with me. I honestly want to just say, "Oh well, maybe next year." But I cannot. You see, specifically Goodwince, but a good number of you have at least as many reasons and excuses as I do, but you complete the challenge anyway, even if you fall short. So because of all the NF people that are so generous with comments and support, here I am on the challenge. It humbles me to know you are there fighting your fight and finding time to cheer me on. The goals: 1. Log Everything I eat every day. I have been using MFP (MyFitnessPal.com) and logging most days. But not every day. Sundays seem to suffer the most. This does two important things. It makes sure I am aware of what I am eating. Obvious, but necessary. Second, it will help me reach my second goal. 2. Correct Macro Nutrients My calories are usually close to where I need them to be even on days I don't log. Although I need to step on a scale to make sure my caloric intake is still correct for my goals. However, I have noticed when I am not logging as I should, my carbs creep up. Things like fruit can cause a carb imbalance. I am going for 5 days a week of Protein 35% Fat 35% Carbs 30%. Fat and Protein can flux up to 5% but 30% max on carbs. 2 days a week of P30/F30/C40. Max Carb on those days of 45%. Tracking on MFP helps a lot. 3. Spartan Workouts I have been working out, but not specifically for the Spartan Sprint. I have started a C25K program and used it to get me used to the running part. I still don't like distance running, but I am getting better at the running. So here is the plan: Workout 1: Burpee intensive workout. In a Spartan Race when you fail at an obstacle, you do burpees as the penalty. So I figure with 10 obstacles and 50 burpees per fail, I need to be able to do 500 burpees in the course of the race. I don't think I will fail every obstacle, but it is better to be prepared. Workout 2: Running intensive Obviously I need to be able to run. Workout 3 and 4: strength and endurance These two workouts will be used to make up for my weakness in any specific area but I will use body weight, sandbags, and even weights to train. I may use a local gym to get on some equipment I don't have, like giant ropes and tires for part of my training. The two weeks I am gone for training I will be in Cleveland, OH and I know a CrossFit Gym owner that will allow me to workout there. 4. House goals (life lvl up) Simple enough. Get the rest of my house wired in the next six weeks, and replace the glass I need to replace. Three windows. I have the wiring plan done (from last challenge) and I have finished the first floor of the house. Now I just need to get the second floor wired along with a work room in the basement, and my studio in the attic. The studio and the work room really are not complex, the upstairs hallway will be the challenge. With that done I will be able to move on to patching the walls (running new electric in a house built in 1917 leaves holes in the walls and ceiling) and allow for a move in in April. That is it, lets see how this goes.

Has anyone completed a Spartan race or anything similar? I've got a Spartan Sprint coming up in a week and I'm getting pretty pumped! This is immediately after an ankle sprain so I'm also pretty nervous because I haven't been able to train as intensively as I would have liked... Any recommendations on: What to wear? Running vs. crosstrainers? Loose vs. Baggy? Less vs. more? What to expect? Am I legitimately going to get destroyed? Did you love it? Hate it?! What to eat? I've never competed in anything so intense for such a long duration. What should I eat beforehand if my race is at 10am?