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So I know it has been a while since I have posted. There has been some stuff going on but mostly working out at work during lunch with my co-workers. So the level of accountability has been pretty good. However, I felt that I needed to reconnect with this community because of all the great ideas and encouragement that everyone provides! So let's see if I remember how to do this: Fitness Update: Currently I am training for 2 things in September. The first of which will coincide with the end of this challenge! September 9th I am running a Spartan Super race. It will be my second Spartan race and 4th obstacle race. I am really looking forward to it since 2015 was the last Spartan race I have done and I loved it. I am doing it in Michigan so if any of my fellow assassins or rebels in general are going to be there, let me know! The second thing I am training for is a half marathon. I did the race last year with my coworker and we are signed up to do it again this year. The nice part is our work is paying for the entry so all we have to do is train for it. I am feeling like I have run more in preparation than I did last year so that is a positive. How am I going to achieve these goals you ask? 1. Master Class 2.0 For those of you that have done the You Are Your Own Gym program before you will be familiar with the program hopefully. I have actually done this one 2x before (once in 2015 and once this past spring). However, I am stepping it up a little this time through the program. I have condensed the program a bit so there are less rest days in between so that I will finish it a week before the Spartan race. So currently I am on Week 6 Day 1 today and I will complete Week 7 Day 2 on Saturday this week. Sundays I have been taking off. So far I have not noticed any side effects from doing things this way. Most weeks I end up combining 2 of the workouts in the same day so I end up getting 2 days off (usually abs and pull happen together). So the goal for this challenge will be to complete the remaining 24 workouts (starting today). Complete: 0/24 2. Run for Fun! I know some of you will say that run and fun do not belong in the same sentence but I have been enjoying running recently. I think there are 2 things that have helped me. First, I have recruited my wife! She is part of the Hogwarts Running Club and has been following them for a while. Last year I got her to do a color run with me. We didn't train as much for that one so we ended up doing a run/walk for the 5K but made it through. This year, we are doing a little more of a stretch goal and aiming for a 10K. Last week she was able to complete a 5K without walking! The race is at the end of September so we have a little bit to go before the race but I think we will make it. Right now the goal is to run 3x per week with her. Complete: 0/15 (Including this week) 3. Yoga Time I have been trying to incorporate more yoga into my routine mostly for the stretching aspect. So in the mornings I am trying to get up before work and do some yoga. Last week, I was aiming for more consistent sleep so I skipped out on the yoga (except for Saturday), but I would like to make it more consistent than that. So my goal is to complete 5 yoga session per week. For those of you wondering, yes it will be using the NerdFitness Yoga videos! Complete: 0/25 4. Eat all the (right) things! I have been doing a better job recently of cleaning up my diet. It is not super clean but it is getting there. The next big hurdle for me is eliminating late night snacking. I have a tendency to eat really well at lunch (I pack my own for work). Dinner is usually also decent, but then comes the 9 o'clock munchies... Usually it happens while we are watching a movie, Netflix, or TV show. It wouldn't be bad if I have a greek yogurt or something healthy but at that time of night, we all know what kind of things are consumed. So my goal for this challenge will be to only eat healthy snacks, if any at all, past 8PM. Complete: 0/28

I'm back!! Following a hiatus where I was mostly on the Eat To Perform Facebook page, I missed my NF community, so here I am again, the prodigal daughter! =p Because I'm a week late and sort of just trying to catch up, there's currently no new fancy bullet journal layout...I'm just using the Year Long Workout Tracker I made at the start of the year and have actually been consistent in filling out! Woo! I'm also using the Calendar layout on my macbook spreadsheet program to help me get a training schedule figured out. Though, looking at my goals, I will probably work up a layout to keep track of All The Things. =) So, what's up with me this time around: I'm on Eat to Perform and I'm at the lowest weight I've been since I was 18 (currently at 144.8, that's 20 lbs down from where I started last July)! I'm on Performance macros, so I'm expecting my weight to stay right around the 145 mark for the next couple of months while I train for my Spartan Trifecta (I haven't figured out where I'm doing the Beast yet...but man, I am SO leaning towards Italy or England, because why the hell not? =p), as well as for a metric century bike ride in May (that's 62 miles, I believe). It's mostly flat, but endurance activities are my weakest area (because of my brain, not my body), so it'll be a good test of mental strength. I almost signed up for a Ragnar race with some coworkers, but the team filled up, so I'm on the alternate list in case someone drops out and not sure if I'm disappointed or relieved... OH! And, I just got a pair of zero drop Altra Intuition 4's, which are the fanciest pair of shoes I've ever owned, and they don't squish my toes at all, and also there are no holes in the mesh (my ASICS are about 5 years old and my toes were starting to stick out the sides...they're now garden shoes lol). I love them. I haven't run in them yet, but my old shoe had an 11 mm drop, so i'm going to ease into running with these ones. Food has been pretty successful these days. I'm not always green on my macros, but I'd say I am more often than not, the scale is doing what I want it to (not moving very much in either direction, that is), and I'm eating SO MUCH! Gone are the days of 1100 to 1400 calories a day (what in hell was I thinking?? That's not enough food to fuel a toddler!) I'm eating an average of 2100 a day, and I feel a lot better and my training is definitely benefiting from it! With all that in mind, let's get to the Goals! Goals In Order To Be Successful At All The Fitness Things (AKA: Missions Required To Become More Like Lara Croft) H2O: 100 oz every day, can count tea and Fresca In bed with lights off by 9:15 pm the night before the gym Running Mileage: 3 Runs/week, 6 miles total, and maybe increase it each week if I seem to be adapting well. 1 of each: 1 mi, 2 mi, 3 mi to start off with, I think, because I want to increase the frequency that I run, but I also want to work up my mileage slowly to avoid injury, especially as I'm getting used to my new shoes, and to overcome the "I hate this so much, I'm not going to do it" attitude I've had most of my life about running...I don't really know what I'm doing, do any smarter running people have a better idea? Strength and Conditioning: 3 days total: 2 strength days (1 arms, 1 legs), 1 personal training day most of my lifting is built into a HIIT circuit, which I love and is great for Spartan training, but I'd also like to make sure that I'm spending some more time on straight lifting to work on increasing my muscle mass/power as well as my muscular endurance. When I'm doing a hard circuit, sometimes I go lighter on the weight because it's more about endurance, so I want to ensure I'm focusing on increasing my overall weight capacity, as well. Cycle: 3 cycle days a week: 1 intense cycle session, either a longer ride(25+ miles) or a higher intensity ride (hills, sprints, something like that), and 2 just for fun rides because I love it and it's finally getting warmer. Non-Fitness Goals (AKA: Missions That Would Improve My Quality of Life And/Or Adulting That Needs To Be Done) Write 60 minutes a week (in whatever combination of time suits me, on whatever tickles my fancy) Read a book before the end of the challenge (My friend lent me a book, I think it's called Station Eleven (or Station Twelve?? Can't remember...), so I should start that!) Pay off credit card this month (My tax return came in and I get paid 3 times this month. It hurts, but I think I can pay off an entire credit card if I bite the bullet and just do it, which would leave me with 1 interest-accruing card left, and my student loans, and significantly decrease the burden of debt payments for the Big Move...I gotta talk to the Mister about finances and stuff, but I think it can be done without putting us in a bind) If finances then permit: Order bridesmaid dress for friend's wedding in July (either this month or next to ensure I'm not cutting it close for shipping times) Book a room for Payette, Idaho for Spartan Sprint in June (sooner rather than later, probably) Tentative Training Schedule(with macro rhythm) Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Low High Med Med Low Super Med Run(1) Cycle(1) Lift: Legs Lift: Arms Cycle(2) Cycle: Long(3) Lift: Spartan (HIIT or whatever we end up doing) Run(2) Run(3) I think I'd probably do the 2 or 3 mile run on Friday in conjunction with my long bike ride, because I get ALL THE CARBS on Friday, and it's my day off, so I have time and inclination for those kinds of shenanigans. I could be doing any of the 3 mileage options on Sunday, because I'm running with my friend so it just depends on where she's at, running-wise, so I'll probably use that day to decide the rest of my running week. I'll give this a shot, and see if it feels like overtraining...I want the Monday and Thursday bike rides to be rest day intensity, just super chill and about as strenuous as a nice brisk walk, so hopefully that'll be enough rest on Mondays and Thursdays to make up for everything else I want to do, while still getting me some miles on the bike. (I rode my bike yesterday for the first time this year! An easy 10 miles that would not have been so easy to me a year ago, woohoo, but boy was I kind of saddle sore today!) Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Hello Rangers! This will be my first challenge not as a Warrior. Last challenge, I completed my first Powerlifting competition with a 1045lb total and then decided I wanted to pull a complete 180 and changed my training to focus on building endurance capabilities and functional strength. End goal is to cut weight, improve endurance ability, and prepare to run my first Spartan Race and/or GoRuck event within the next year. About me for those I don't know, I recently moved to the city(Boston) from the suburbs and loving it(besides having a longer commute to work). This past year and a half or so, I ran many different powerlifting templates(SL 5x5, 5/3/1) and focused on competing in that sport, which I did successfully, and managed to drop my weight from 362lbs down to 315lbs as of this morning. I am now close to the gym my powerlifting coach owned and that my friend from high school teaches classes at. They support any and all goals that involve moving heavy things or lasting through the longest of endurance events. The gym is sponsored by GoRuck and Spartan Race so a great deal of their classes focus on prepping for events like that and it feels assuring to me that the coaches have run through some of the longer endurance events out there(GoRuck HCLs, Winter Death Race, Spartan Summer and Winter Agoge, etc). Last challenge I started working out before work on Wednesday and Friday mornings and then once or twice on the weekends. The Warriors noted that the workouts sounded an awful lot like Crossfit and I resisted the fact that they were similar. But, now I suppose I am drinking the Kool-aid even though it isn't officially a Crossfit gym. I am really liking the change from strict powerlifting to a variation of lifting and conditioning work. With all that being said, this brings me over here to the Rangers!! Challenge Goals - All centered around focusing and settling into a better rhythm Goal 1 - Gym time - Workout 3 days a week minimum I really like the Wednesday and Friday schedule in the mornings and Saturday for a weekend workout. Would like to add in a class on Monday mornings as well but the coach is different and honestly scares me a bit more. My coach teaches classes on Wed and Fri and they are more strength based conditioning while Monday classes Ive been told have much more running style conditioning. Likely going to stick with the WF schedule for now and look at adding in Mondays once the next cycle of classes rolls around somewhere in the middle of the challenge. Saturday classes are called Spartan RX and they are specific to training for spartan races. Lots of varied work and we have all sorts of mock spartan obstacles at the gym that can be used. Goal 2 - Reign in the diet - No more than 3 cheat meals a week Purchased the Renaissance Periodization diet templates last challenge. Now two weeks into a cut where I have dropped from 320 to 316. Been having some issue keeping to the template so need to refocus so I get the maximum benefit from them. I purchased these and currently feel like I am wasting my money...I know its in my best health interest...its only a few months for a much longer period of better health...templates end just before holidays aka holiday cookie bulk! Goal 3 - Bring back the swole and flexy - ROMWOD 4 days a week I was doing ROMWOD for the longest time pretty regularly to help improve flexibility and range of motion. Its only 20min a day and I keep making crappy excuses for not doing it. I started seeing improvement with it but then started falling off to only once or twice per week and I can tell those improved spots are starting to return to previous issues. Zero Week Goal - Remain blissfully ignorant to the fact that a lot of people are going to Camp this week and I am not. I'm certainly not jealous or anything like that....nope not even a little bit.