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Okay so, where to begin. Maybe start with the end of the previous challenge. I did 2 OCR's in a weekend. Due to Covid my 2 planned OCR's for 2020 were rescheduled into the same weekend last weekend. I made sure i kept running, and since May started to mix in some lifting, with a little more emphasize on arm and grip strength towards the end. (Which helped a lot!) The distance was not really a problem (13K on Saturday 19K on Sunday, so a total distance of 32K or 20 miles), even with the aggravated achilles, and a slight sprained ankle we never walked between obstacles, except for when we could already see the next obstacle. Even the dreaded cramps were not present. Which is a big win (cause i had a lot of trouble with that in previous OCRs, and a sign that the prep this time was better). But there were a lot of things that could improve too! So what did i learn this weekend and how does this relate to my challenge(s). The masterplan! Running: My stamina on running is on point. At the OCR running in between the obstacles at a moderate pace made me feel like i was restoring energy. So i just want to maintain that, which allows me to drop a little focus on it. I have been running on and off for a couple of years now, and i have had several times where i needed to rebuilt, which is not pleasant but it takes me little effort to get back to running over half marathon distances with relative ease. And i don't want to completely abandon it, just gonna run maintenance for a few weeks, just to see what it takes keep at my current level. Really hope i can make a better GIF after a couple of these challenges... Strength: Always been a stocky guy. Started out with Powerlifting. After that i really liked Strongman classes at the Crossfit. The most recent development is a "Protege™". It's a young (16 years old) nephew of my wife. He quit soccer (for reasons) and it basically came down to the fact that he wanted me to guide him in getting stronger. We are doing a mix of Powerlifting and random other stuff lately. He really likes to be challenged, so i am working at his weak points (and mine) at the same time. It's fun having someone around to clown around with weights. It comes in real handy i've built a pretty decent homegym, and it's still growing with new equipment. He's back at school now which leaves us with nice windows in the evening to plan workouts. That will be a focus, steering a bit away from dedicated powerlifting to a more upperbody/strongman kind of workouts. Lift weights on do fun stuff in the homegum Body composition: This is where things get ugly. The thing i already know but what really was apparent last weekend at the OCR's. I need to lose bodyfat! I am 1.73m (5'8) and weigh 82KG (180 lbs) my BMI is 27.4. Now i know BMI isn't the best way to measure, but it's pretty apparent that i need to lose fluff. According to my fancy scale i have a bodyfat percentage of 24.3%. That's too much. Losing bodyfat will help me in most of the things i want to get better in. Running, Calisthenics, Summerbody (cause i'm a bit vain). You know just the average, wanna look good naked thing. I just need to lose the excess weight that is not helping me out in any way! Before after If you check last challenge you can see i did quite a lot of running, a fair amount of lifting workouts, and had an average of just over 2 resting days a week. During a time where i also had my summer-break at work. So i can pretty safely say i don't belong to the inactive group. Yet it does not shift my weight. Which means the source of the problem is found somewhere else. I already know where this goes wrong. Next to troubles with portion control, i love the wrong kinds of food (mostly high KCAL). Fastfood, pasta, BBQ and my love for beer. It feels like an impossible task to say no when those things are offered AND it's hard to control my portion size. Now i don't look forward to this, but this HAS to be my main goal! So onto a workable summary for this Challenge: just like Running (weekly): 1 short run (sub 10k) 1 long run (over 10k) Lifting (weekly): 3 workouts with Protege™ Body Composition (weekly): Portion Control (7) No Fastfood (6) No eating in between meals (7) Strict Breakfast (7) Strict Lunch (5) No beer (per exception) (number of times per week for a score on this goal) (Exception will be stuff like my birthday or some other stuff which i feel comfortable exempting for) I want to stay accountable and i'm riding a good wave at the moment. So i will be regularly (almost daily) checking in here. Sometimes posts will be long, sometimes just a quick update. Next to reporting on things i need to nail as a goal i will also be keeping a record of weight and BF% here to see progress. I'm gonna run some calculations where i am now and what i want to get to so i will probably edit that on right here! As for a far away goal i am going to use the Rat Race OCR in May 2022. Which helps cause i just based most of this challenge on previous experiences and realizations i made on the last OCR. Calculations around BF% Weight: 81.6 KG BodyFat% : 23.8% Fat: 19.4 KG Fatfree: 62.2 KG BF 5%: 65,5 KG BF 10%: 69.1 KG BF 15%: 73.2 KG BF 20%: 77.75 KG BF 25%: 82.9 KG I know this is an oversimplified calculation! It's just to get something to work too! I wanted to work to BF15% as the Magical number. Which works out to a loss of about 10% of my bodyweight 8.2 KG in absolute numbers Before May 2022 (RatRace) 8 Monhts or ~1 KG per month average

I've been looking for something more fun. I need fun stuff. I feel stagnant lately. And when I thought about it... I realized I have learned things over the past few challenges. Crime is fun. (Thanks, Leverage!) 1990s feminism was amazing and very stylish, and often had a good soundtrack. (Thanks, Voyager!) I miss traveling. Or even going to some damn art museums. (Thanks, pandemic!) When you add all that together, there's only one thing that needs to be said: Do it, Rockapella! For the hottest G-rated femme fatale crime boss of all time, she never quite got the TV show she deserved, but she definitely got the theme song we all deserved. Well she sneaks around the world From Kiev to Carolina. She's a sticky-fingered filcher From Berlin down to Belize And she'll take you for a ride On a slow boat to China Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? Steal their Seoul in South Korea, Make Antarctica cry "uncle", From the Red Sea to Greenland, They'll be singin' the blues Well, they never Arkan-saw her Steal the Mekong from the jungle Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? She goes from Nashville to Norway Bonaire to Zimbabwe Chicago to Czechoslovakia And back. Well, she'll ransack Pakistan, And run a scam in Scandinavia, Then she'll stick 'em up Down Under And go pick pocket Perth She puts the "Miss" in misdemeanor When she stole the beans from Lima Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? (Oh, tell me where can she be!) Botswana to Thailand Milan via Amsterdam Mali to Bali Ohio Oahu Yeah, she flies around the globe, And she'll flim-flam every nation She's a double-dealing diva With a taste for thievery Her itinerary's loaded up With moving violations Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Basically, I'm tired of Kathryn Janeway not being the most awesome thing ever, so it's time to go back with a rewatch and see if we can change that. This challenge: Captain's Log - Stuff is going on in my life, and I need my brain to work on it, so I will write it all down and create documentation. This is the "pics or it didn't happen" of the thinking process. Starfleet Fitness Training - Does what it says on the tin. Vulcan Meditation - Having Vulcan officers makes this hard to avoid. Ship Routines - Routines are hard, but ships run on them. I will try again. What Would Janeway Do - Take advice from Janeway during my rewatch.

A quick introduction: In my former life I was a massage therapist, but stuff and all... Now I'm playing at being a feral housewife, improving my gardening and preserving skills, and caring for one dog, one cat, and one husband. Last challenge I only earned a passing mark by sticking to my stretching and shoulder strength/mobility work; everything else was great, but didn't earn extra credit. This one continues similarly. The aforementioned shoulder work seems to be a product of pushing into harder work before I had proper base strength (pull-ups before I had good posterior shoulder stabilizing strength), combined with not doing all the beneficial stretching and mobilizing work before or after. Yep, duh. Ok, now that the groundwork is set, on the the real stuff! Getting grounded: play in the dirt and get the garden started. mental grounding by mindfulness and awareness work develop ground/base strength in all ways before moving on. spending grounded in value, not price Finding balance: balance budget by playing in the dirt. Don't need to buy if I can grow garden for balancing effort, cost, and use (easier to grow and what I'll actually use/save) balancing productive vs consumptive energy (somewhere there is an NF image about balancing what you consume with what you produce for mental health. Imagine that here) balance strength and flexibility. Same topics but more fleshed out... Fitness I'll continue the shoulder health work. IF I don't continue with improvements, I WILL be seeking PT after this challenge. There, said it, now I'll have to follow through. Right? I'll return to calisthenics strength work with a focus on control, not pushing forward for exciting goals. Controlled arm balances and scap activation hangs will feature here. Back to running! Woot! I was pleased that I was still able to run a 5K last week, didn't worry about time. Also, trying to be lighter on my feet. Healthy Eating I finished my Walk to Mordor and still have "tracking things" energy to spend. This will go to tracking calories for a bit. Other stuff is focusing on vegetarian breakfasts and lunches while maintaining certain nutrition goals. Garden Use the auto-generated garden planner that I pay for. Look ahead to be sure I have the things I need, like fertilizer. Learn preservation methods, canning etc ahead of time so I'm prepared when the time comes. And have some fun along the way.

I openly admit I got my title from a YT group whose Bible teachings I'm currently watching. Changed it a little bit, so as not to infringe on their name/title/rights... but this is what my challenge currently in real life comes down to: the good, the nice, the fun. Also... Rocco (my youngest son) is stuck on silly alliteration rhymes (eg. Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers...) and I guess it rubbed off FOR FAITH, FAMILY & FIREARMS Life threw us all kinds of loops this last two weeks, so I have to change my exercise schedule a bit. Still going to do my strength from last challenge, still going to try to walk (now with the boys), and still going to try to make time to play with Zuzu (better idea to get him to loose weight). Exercise: Strength - Wednesdays: Warmup: Jumping Jacks 30x Squat-Up-KneeXElbow touch 10x each side Walkout2HighPlank 3x Superset 1: do at least 2 sets, try for 3 Deadlift 10x30kg Dumbbell rows 10x5.25kg (both sides together) Jumping jacks 20x Superset 2: do at least 2 sets, try for 3 Bridge form - chest press 10x20kg Bicycle crunch 20x Finish off - Cool down: One legged deadlift 10x 5.25kg each leg Stretches Walking around the block - Mondays / Tuesdays / Fridays: Literally take the boys to walk around the block in between school work - once a day. Hopefully we'll get more than one day a week in, but aiming to start with at least once a week. Fun: Play with Zuzu - any day for at least 15min.: Zuzu is our sterilised Sausage X Big dog (vet thinks a Labrador), who is very muscular, but also overweight. I've been struggling to get him to loose weight via food changes, hoping that him playing with the other dogs, and the boys, would help, but alas... I'm also going to use this to get myself outside a bit more. He used to walk on a leash, but got such a fright when we took him walking shortly after adoption (two years ago), that I never tried again. Now he hates the leash. Spoke to the vet and she said to rather get him playing more in the garden with the other dogs and/or the boys, for now. Faith & Family: Bible study - listen every weekday morning (and some weekend days) to Bible lessons on YT. Washing/Laundry - wash and hang clothes to dry (dryer packed up) - iron if necessary. Finances - still getting into the routine of doing finances on new spreadsheets every Friday. Seems to be working, as I'm actually looking forward to it (I know! GASP! SHOCKING!) PERSONAL UPDATE: That's my intro to this challenge, hope to chat again soon. Have a good week.

This is the Way - Building Habits for Wellness My Kaizen technique of making gradual changes over time seemed to work well for my first challenge of 2021, so I'm trying it in Part II. There are three areas I want to focus on. 5 points per week that I'm successful in each goal, plus opportunities to earn additional points each week with 'bonus' wellness tasks. Sleep I need to get back to an earlier bedtime, so I get a decent amount of sleep each night. Adequate rest is essential for health, wellness, and weight loss. Over the next 5 weeks I will gradually increase the number of days per week that I need to hit my goal of being in bed, lights out, and no devices, by 11:00 pm. Week 1 - 2 nights Week 2 - 3 nights Week 3 - 4 nights Week 4 - 5 nights Week 5 - 6 nights Strength I've been trying to find a program to gradually increase intensity, or create my own program - too complicated. To keep it simple I found a series of DVDs I had received as part of an old weight loss program I had joined through work. The DVDs are good though. They have 5 DVDs covering 5 levels of strength. I don't intend to do one each week, but I hope to make progress at least through the first two, and then we'll see how I've progressed by Week 5. Week 1 - #1 x 2 days Week 2 - #2 x 3 days Week 3 - #2 x 2 days Week 4- #2 x 3 days Week 5 - #2 or #3 x 3 days Sustenance I'm still figuring out exactly WHAT my diet should look like, but I do know that tracking will be important if I want to get moving in the right direction with my weight. So this one is all about tracking everything I eat. Week 1 - Track 2 days Week 2 - Track 3 days Week 3 - Track 4 days Week 4 - Track 5 days Week 5 - Track 6 days BONUS This time it's all about self-care - Sleep and eating better and exercise are already in the plan.. Along with these, I can earn bonus points for journaling, reading, decluttering, taking a bath. I may even attempt meditation.

Yay new challenge time! After my respawn I'm super excited for challenge no. 2. These things are very motivating, aren't they? One day I'll write some nice flavour text about my epic journey to badassery, but I'm a little brain dead this evening So, here's my three goals: Maintain the respawn! Do some flexibility training/stretching every single day Eat 2 of every food colour each day And some specifics on these... 1. My last challenge was to do 3 workouts a week (a mixture of bodyweight circuits and dancing), to walk twice a week and to stop eating seconds for dinner. I didn't quite manage the walks, so for this challenge I'm just going to switch it up to 'get outside at least once a week'. I'm all for meeting easy goals first and making them habit before ramping it up. I've actually signed up for an intro to jazz dance course on top of the weekly ballet classes. For circuit training, I'm super excited to have aced the NF beginner bodyweight program, I'm now aiming for the more advanced one (although not quite there yet!). Keeping off the seconds seems pretty easy at this point, so that's straightforward. 2. Being a good dancer means being flexible! I've been low-key working on this during the last challenge, but now I'm making it official. I'm going to base it on this: https://www.blogilates.com/30-days-30-stretches-to-splits-journeytosplits/ But I'll also be incorporating some other routines I've picked up from ballet. The more intense flexi training days will come after my workouts, but I'm going to do some degree of training in front of the TV in the evenings on rest days. 3. Although I've cut down my portions, I think I'm not necessarily getting too much vegetable variety in my meals. So I'm going to be using this: I know it says it is for kids, but who doesn't love a star chart?! I think for this one, rather than write a comment for every day, I'm just going to do a tick chart for each goal. Then I'll do reflections at the end of the week

AIM: To be strong enough for adventuring as soon as it's safe. And by adventuring I mean leaving this 5 mile stretch of coast and visiting friends & a museum or art gallery or something. GOALS: Core strength for travel, walking, & carrying luggage. (with partially healed chronic back problem.) Specifically: - can sit for 3 hours without spasming - can walk for an hour on easy terrain - can carry rucksack & kit in that time Mood Boosting: I'd like my magic back please. I've given myself permission to play with fun things without guilt this year, with the tag #diaryofanadventuress on twitter so I can share about it... I want to build a character for this. Just for fun: let's publish a novella. Why not? Then I can do a livingroom book tour for it. ACTION PLAN: Sooo... 1. Back to a basic bodyweight training. 2. Daily walking (min: a mile/20mins) 3. Research herbs for mood to add to soup. Then a soup recipe. Then make soup. 4. Find podcasts to listen to while I walk/train. For research! And to encourage walking. 5. Rename my mp3 player "Nevyn"? Gandalf? Another guru type name? Phryne. So I can learn from an adventuress. 6. Play with the Adventuress character and a backstory for her... Oh! And... 7. Make a plan for my trip, whenever it might come. Maps, itineraries, packing list... Finding all my travel gear again... Can't have an adventure without kit. Maybe if I make it a "performance artwork" and document it I'll keep at it? DAILY CHECKLIST [] Bodyweight training (exercise) [] Walk (time) [] Herbal activity (research/test/use) [] Adventuress Prep (podcast/backstory/trip planning)

Has it been ... 3 years? It has been a while, but I have missed how supportive the community can be! And I'm a week late for this challenge (more like 4 years late), but I want to start! Time for a respawn. Over the past 4 years, I almost gave up completely on ever being a fit person. My excuses have been work, family, travel, etc. It has been over 20 years since my peak fitness days, gone due to a stack of bad choices and daily routines of unhealthy habits. Until recently, I felt trapped in a very unhealthy body. A paradigm shift began in April last year (2020 - that year... lol). My younger brother challenged me to just be consistent. I decided to forget "intensity" and "pushing myself to the brink" as so many of the fitness web-celebs push. I decided to just lift 3x/week, starting with an empty barbell and slowly adding weight each week. Now, 9 months later, I'm lifting more than I knew I could - just by coming back weekly and pushing myself a little harder than the last time. So, I'd like to continue breaking out of my mental limitations and take care of my fitness overall. My focus will be primarily body fat, endurance and overall healthier living (sleep, nutrition, etc). My outcome-goal would be to lose fat while keeping as much strength as possible (maybe gaining strength? not sure) My habit-goals that I'd like to track - expanding my consistency... 1) Get time on the bike daily - indoor stationary bike to boost energy and calorie burn - continue my current habit of lifting 3x per week 2) Nutrition/Calories: Keep at or below 2,000 and shoot for >150g protein - I definitely use food as therapy 3) Sleep - shoot for 11pm-6am - this is the most challenging one to me - seems farthest from what I'm currently doing but might make the biggest difference for me in work and fitness Good to be back - and hope to make some new friends and maybe find old friends.

Rhovaniel stood at the window, arms folded across her chest, staring outside but seeing nothing. Thick fog had gradually enveloped the small town, and not even the cobbled roadway, nor the sturdy row of shops and houses opposite, could be seen. In the room behind her, the fire crackled and hissed as someone stirred the embers, coaxing more life and cheer from it, and the hubbub of voices and the clinking of glasses and earthenware mugs was a heady sirens call. She could wait another hour, another night. Eat another meal with these fine folks, these brave souls on their own adventures, hear tales from all corners of the world. How different it all was – how different she was – from the last calendar turn. Would she recognise herself from a twelve-month ago? So much, and so little, had happened. She sighed, turning away from the gloomy prospects outside and reaching for her cloak and large pack, both ready for her on the coat stand. No, it would not do to delay any further. No more last minute scrambles, no more risking her body and sanity as she struggled to overcome poor training. It was time to feel strong again. Shouldering her pack, she was about to reach for the door when a deep voice called her back. She turned to see the barkeep hurrying towards her, a small parcel wrapped in brown paper and hairy string in his hands. “For the journey. Not provisions, mind. Well, there might be a little something in there. More of a ‘pick me up’, you see. Least, that’s what he tells me.” “He?” “Him who gave it ter me to give ter you. Not saying who, mind. He was quite particular about that. Now, I’ve got a big brunch order just come in, so you’ll excuse me. Fair travels” He was gone again, always surprising her with how fast he could move when he chose. Rhovaniel looked down at the parcel in her hand. There was no note, just her name written neatly in black ink at the corner. The hand was unfamiliar to her, and for a moment, she had the urge to sit back down and appease her curiosity. But something told her that this was not the right time, and besides, she had a lot of ground to cover. Sliding the parcel into the top of her pack, she adjusted her cloak, settled the pack once more on her shoulders and drew the hood over her head, half concealing her face, though the purpose was to ward off the persistent cold. Finally, she took hold of the doorknob, twisted it and stepped outside before she could convince herself otherwise. The contrast in temperature was relentless, but as she slowly left the town behind and began to cross into the wilderness, she began to relax, and as her breath rose in frozen clouds in front of her, a smile tugged at her lips. Adventure lay ahead. So, it is once again a new year – or it will be soon. I’ve had my goals thought about and pinned down for a while now, but I suppose as they are goals for the year ahead, they count as New Year Goals. This is not an exhaustive list of goals, some are private and some I’m having second thoughts on, but I’ll add these to my signature line to remind me always of where I’m going, even when the fog is thick and it’s too cold to think straight: Goals for the Next Twelve Months (so long as that jerk coronavirus behaves itself and lets me play) 1. Run 3 full laps of Oblivion (Nuclear Races). I ran 2 laps last year - well, a couple months ago because it was moved to October – and I think that with a little more training, and having a wonderful ranger pit crewing for me, I can get three laps this time. I want to be as trained for this as possible, and I don’t want to keep having to walk long stretches, or worse fail/skip obstacles because of my lack of strength. Each lap is 12km, so I need to be able to run 36km by May. 2. Run and Complete Man vs Lakes. This is a hilly trail race in the Lake District, of up to 30 miles and no less than a marathon distance (it varies because we have to cross Morecambe Bay and the exact route depends on the tide and weather). I feel like I have such a history with this race, even though I have yet to actually run it. And this year is my last shot because I think there’s rumours of it being the last year. The year I signed up to do it, I had to postpone due to injury/lack of preparation and marshalled it instead. Then, I was meant to run it last year but COVID postponed it, so I’ve been waiting a fair while to do this! 3. Achieve a full, unassisted pull-up and achieve 10 or more unbroken push-ups. I’m putting these two together because of their similarities, and the fact that both are bodyweight ‘benchmarks’ I want to reach. 4. Write at least 90,000 words of a novel. Yikes, there’s the big one. There’s the one I almost didn’t put down on this list and relegated to private. But honestly, it’s not and I need the accountability. I have wanted to put pen to paper and create stories that captivate, transport and enchant people for years and years and I just haven’t. I feel – I fear – that I’ve lost the ability to write, if I ever had it. I loved writing, and now I don’t know where to begin. But I will attempt to find my way, find my voice, and fulfill a dream. Which leads nicely onto number 5… 5. Read at least 20 different books (re-reads are encouraged but don’t count twice). If I want to write, I must read. I must become the avid reader I once was, though without losing sleep and gaining a sore butt from sitting on the bathroom floor at night because that was where it was least suspicious for there to be a light on… Fun fact, my first read through of Lord of the Rings was on that floor. I wasn’t supposed to be reading it because it was ‘too old for me’. See, the thing is that I am actually not that strong, and not that fit, at all. Not nearly as much I want to be, not nearly enough to do the events I want to do, have the lifestyle I want to have, and while in many ways I feel like I’m back at square one, in reality, I have so much more experience and understanding of my own pitfalls and areas of weakness – in a much more objective way – than me simply saying ‘oh, I’m unfit’. I know what I can and can’t do, and I know it’s a lot less than what I want it to be. This year, I aim to change this. So, that’s the 2021 Goals. Now for the 5 Week Challenge. I’m using each one as a handy ‘training block’, where I can evaluate – hopefully with a bit of external insight – what is working, and what is not. My first race should fall within the 4th challenge, so there is time to train and tweak. Vol I: Origin - Get to a ‘writing’ stage of a novel. This gives me 5 weeks to research, plan, tweak, despair and grit my teeth enough to have some semblance of a plot to work with. It doesn’t have to be good, it just has to be something I can use to teach myself this craft once more. - 3- 4 x runs per week. Honestly, this one will be more than I usually do, and I need to take it slow. No mileage goals, I just need to listen to my body, and get it used to this new normal. I will aim for an easy run of at least 5km per week though. I usually work and think in miles. I like miles. Miles make sense to me in a way kilometres tend not to… but Oblivion is tracked in kilometres, and I’m not sure about MvL, so I’m trialing switching to kilometres. We’ll see. I may go out of my mind. - Daily yoga and use massage gun after runs. This is my main injury prevention method for now. I am cautious of my hip, and when I ran more, I had a tendency to develop excruciatingly tight calves. I am hoping the increased mobility work as well as the massage gun (think foam roller but slightly less torturous) will ward off any mishaps there. - 3 x Strength/CF sessions per week. This is mostly subject to Tier restrictions, but I have a set of dumbbells and a pull up bar I can make use of, if the sessions planned on zoom don’t align with my schedule. - Read at least 2 books. Simples.

What is the OODA Loop? The OODA loop is the cycle observe–orient–decide–act, developed by military strategist and United States Air Force Colonel John Boyd. Boyd applied the concept to the combat operations process, often at the operational level during military campaigns. It is now also often applied to understand commercial operations and learning processes. The approach explains how agility can overcome raw power in dealing with human opponents. Hi. I'm Ryan or Wolfie to the OG's here on NF. I've been apart of the Rangers since 2014 and apart of NF since 2012. I've been consistent. I've been inconsistent. I've been encouraging. I've been a discouraging. I've risen and fallen with the best of them. Now, I'm back after a "short" hiatus and ready to kick things into gear. I realize that I'm jumping back in the last week of this particular challenge, but I didn't want to wait till next week to get things started, which, funny enough, the old me would of done. I'm also one of those people that tends to start things on Monday and not the middle of the week because I feel like I've lost a lot of time with the missed days. What can ya do? I'm also one for trying to make each and every challenge I do as EPICALLY AWESOME as possible. Sometimes, I put so much thought into a challenge that it stresses me out. Why you ask? I'm not 100% sure. I do know this, though. I go all out when I do something. It's literally a gift and a curse because I'm always dabbling in new ideas and new endeavors. Some that stick and I continue to hone that specific skill. Some I completely discard in my "filed away for a rainy day" pile that sometimes never see the light of day every again. My wife says it's because I'm very "passionate" lol. Well this time, I'm gonna stick to some basics. I'm going to have goals. I'm going to update as often as possible. I'm going to support my fellow nerds. And I'm going to do this all with a smile on my face. Quick Update: I've been keeping up with my workout regimen for the last month or so. I've seen quality results in not only strength, but size as well. I just completed the first phase of a 4-phase workout program which consists of 3-weeks per each phase. In this phase, we add two days a week of lower body work which falls on Monday and Fridays. Other than that, there's a Pull focused day, a Push focused day and then another day consisting of the other auxiliary muscles like forearms and delts. My eating has been on point... mostly. I would say my diet has been about 85% clean. I've also been sleeping WAY more than I used to. I was probably averaging close to 6 hours a night before COVID. Now, I'm averaging almost 8. which has done wonders for my mind and my overall mood. Life has been very good recently. It's also been busy. For anyone that knows me, knows I do a lot, and none of that has really changed all that much. I still work 2 jobs. But, I'm still working from home from my day job that seems to be more of a permanent thing...which is amazing. I love working from home! Because we already home school our children, working from home has allowed me to be apart of the teaching process and I love that! The Wolfpack is still healthy and thriving and Orin just turned 6 years old last week! It's pretty nutty, lol. I've also been listening to a LOT of audible books too. This isn't really something new, but it has been WAY more consistent the last month in a half. Not much else to report, so, let's get to the goals. Goal #1: Reading/Listening to Audible books Right now I'm listening to Leadership and Training for the Fight by MSG Paul R. Howe, U.S. Army Retired. This is where I first heard the concept of OODA aka Observe-Orient-Decide-Act. It's a really neat concept approach to not just war, but business and life itself. I honestly just started this book and looking forward to learning more about the OODA loop and how I can apply it to my own life. I'm also listening to Washington: A Life by Rob Chernow. The book is a deep dive look into the life of our nations first president, George Washington. I'm about 4 1/2 into that book and really enjoying this as I love history. And, for fun, I'm also listening to Meg: Hell's Aquarium by Steve Alten. This is the 4th book in the Meg series based off the discovery of the megaladon shark. I had previously listened to books 1-3 a couple years ago. My goal is to finish Leadership and Training for the Fight by the end of the challenge...or next challenge since I'm starting so late, as well as Hell's Aquarium. This shouldn't be all that difficult considering both books are a combined 21 hours give or take of audible book. The Washington book is a 44 hour total book and I'm only down to 37 hours and some change right now, lol. Goal #2: Help with Home School I have this prime opportunity to help Heather teach the kids since I'm working from home and I don't want to waste it. My main objective is to get them reading more. This will consist of me reading fun stories with them and having them read stuff to me out loud. I want them to be excited about reading and learning new things. I also want to do DIY projects with them and stuff like that. If you have any suggestions, I'm open to whatever honestly. I'm just excited about helping with home school . Goal #3: Finish Phase 2 of the new Workout Program Phase 1 was solid. I didn't miss a single day going 4x a week. Phase 2 adds another workout day for a total of 5, so, it'll be a little more challenging, but I'm pretty disciplined right now when it comes to lifting. I just don't want to lose steam and get lazy. I've done this way to many time in my life already. I also need to be tracking my workouts better and writing down sets and weights as well as taking pics after each phase so I can see the subtle changes in my body. And there you have it folks. A super "not sexy" version of my challenge that should prove to be a good one when it's all said and done. I just need to stick with it! Wolf

I have been fascinated by the sheer size and strength of bigfoot, i want to emulate that to the limit of what's humanely possible. Does anyone know how we could train to be big and strong like bigfoot, as close to humanely possible?

Hi All, First time posting here. So I have found myself in a bit of a dilemma. I am almost 23 years old, currently weigh 86.1KG or 190LB for some of you and I am around 178CM or 5'10'' probably at 18 - 20% Body fat now. My relationship with the gym has been very complicated I have been on and off with it since I was 17, I would stop going to gym when I was happy with how I looked in the mirror and this has been going on for the last 5 - 6 years. So, I kind of know my ins and outs with it. I have had a good physique before around 10-12% bodyfat, but I recently let myself go for over 9 months now. I am looking for a quick fix to get my old physique back of which I had lost most of my strength and gained subsiquent amount of fat around my torso and legs. I just recently took up playing football/soccer 2 - 3 times a week and just got a gym membership again. What is the most efficient way to lose fat and build muscle simultaneously, I have done it plenty of times where I let myself go and I have this thing called beginners luck or what some people may refer it to as muscles memory. What sort of program should I follow, as in strength (3 - 6 reps) or hypertrophy (6 - 12 reps) or (endurance 12 - 15 reps), I used to just mix them up or have phases where I implement hypertrophy for the first 6 weeks and then do a lower rep hypertrophy around 6 reps to maintain my strength or muscle. Please kindly recommend what you think would be the most efficient way to reach my goals which is to get back down to 80KG and be around 10% Bodyfat. On a side note, I am a hard gainer for my chest it seems to grow really slow in comparision to other body parts of mine what would you recommend for this case. Also, would it be okay if I skip some leg days considering I play football 2 - 3 times a week and would like to have lean legs. PS - My body type is 63% Endomorph and 37% Mesomorph, so I tend to gain muscle easier than losing fat. Thank you and have a nice day. Many Thanks, Curiousconner

Hi Rebels, Restarting after a few years off forums, I've changed my username etc for a true respawn. A bit late to the party thanks to the bushfires. The smoke haze that has settled over my town has brought home how much I need and appreciate exercise for my health and wellbeing. There really is nothing like being able to do nothing fitness related to make you appreciate it. The gym has been closed and it is too hazardous outside. The gym finally reopened and I have been getting back into my fitness routine but I thought some accountability after about a month off (and being basically sedentary during that time, and breathing a lot of smoke!) would be a great way to respawn. My endocrinologist encourages me to try to exercise for an hour a day (I'm a type 1 diabetic) and I'm keen to get back to it! Goal 1: 30 minutes of yoga every day - Post run OR - Pre strength OR - Sunday on it's own - I'm doing YWA's latest new year 30 day challenge. I also meditate with Sam Harris' Waking Up app. Goal 2: 30+ minutes of jogging 3 times a week - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday - Currently doing this on the treadmill because of the air quality - I can't stand treadmills without a distraction so I am using Zombies, Run! - I can comfortably run 5-10 km but have decided to go back to basics to prevent injury and am doing their 5k program. The 10 minute free run at the end makes for a good balance between drills and a jog. Goal 3: Barbell training 3 times a week - I've been lifting for about 6 months after a break of a few years - I've recently changed from Stronglifts to Wendler's Beginner Prep School from the book Forever 5/3/1 - I've deloaded by 10 kg. Possibly unnecessary but I am treating this as though I'm recovering from injury. Life Goal: Prepare my mind and body to tackle my last year of grad school head on I have between 12-15 months left before I submit my thesis. This year is going to be awesome and difficult. I'm keen to stay on top of my health which can quickly go haywire when I'm stressed. This week, my laboratory was still closed because of the smoke in the building, I am taking advantage of that time to prepare for the year ahead and will continue to do so this challenge. There are a couple of fellowships I want to apply for, some papers to draft out and experiments to plan. One thing I want to be strict about this year is my waking and sleeping times. So I'm planning to experiment a bit with timing of things, and alarm placement to improve my chances of this. Let's do this!!!

Elize, Elvin Broom Ryder Elize and her trusty fox left the Misty Mountain training lodge for their first assignment: Stop Evil C.Roach from getting the three factions (Antzies, Dusti-Mites, and Fleashies) to work together, to overpower and eventually rule The World. She wasn't sure exactly how this would work, as she would have to venture into the world of the Minimoys. They were a minuscule, African tribe, barely 3mm tall, whereas she was a normal human of 1.74m! During this assignment she would also be responsible for two Minimoys Warriors in Training, called Adamus, and Roccodemus. Elize sighed and looked over the dry, dusty winter landscape. The path she was shown to take out of Misty Mountain Training Lodge, was into new territory. She had only a short distance to travel with Foxy, before she (once again) had to leave him behind, set forth into the mini-world, and start saving the world, one step into the dirty underworld, at a time. --------------00-------------- Elize couldn't believe she was twirling around a wet mop as weapon. The emperor of the Minimoys had quickly found out that the Magic Dust that covered the critters, protected them against normal metal weapons. Made their hides impenetrable. It was however susceptible to water. That was why she was carrying a mop, and other protectors following in the tunnels, were carrying all kinds of cleaning equipment, from feather dusters, to brooms, and wet cloths. Unfortunately the Magic Dust also gave the wearer the power to multiply exponentially as soon as they stepped foot above ground. They had to stop and wash off every single particle of dust from each critter. "The other warriors have the rebels surrounded in Evil C. Roach's hide out!" Adamus whispered urgently to Elize. "He is giving them the "We shall conquer and overcome!" speech," added Roccodemus in just as quiet a voice, jogging next to her, trying to keep up. Elize nodded in acknowledgement of the information and gave quiet hand signals to her brothers in arms behind her. Although the critters were still small, they each had their own natural defenses that had to be faced. Dusti-Mites had a bite that left you with red, itchy welts all over your body. The Red-Antzies were an off shoot of fire ants and therefore a pinch with their mandibles didn't just remove your body part, but also made it feel as if hot coals were burning into your skin, wherever they touched you. Fleashies? They could jump, and kick worse than an ostrich. One kick hitting you square on a bone could easily break it in half! No, it wasn't going to be an easy fight at all. From left to right: Roccodemus, Adamus, and Elize (in Minimoy-form) The protectors crept quietly into the hideout, but stayed hidden in deep shadows on the outer rim. This hideout, although aired via small ducts, were still dank, not much better than the tunnels they had come through, but the dampness was in their favour. It made the magic dust less effective. On Elize's signal the protectors stepped forward as one, drawing the attention of Evil C and every rebel in that hole. A cacophony of shouts erupted that nearly burst her eardrums, but the only outward sign she gave was to start twirling her mop round and round in her hand. The protectors to her sides stepped clear, making space, and planted their feet securely. Minimoy warriors stepped back and lit candles in cornices, then fell in beside the protectors they were assigned to, wet cloths at the ready. The plan: the protectors catch and hold the critters, the warriors wipe the magic dust off the outside shell, without anyone being bitten or injured, if at all possible. The great white beasts would refill water buckets as well as the plant gel water that numb limbs. With a high pitched screech a Dusti-Mite stormed Elize. It was about knee height, with an almost translucent body, which helped it to blend in with its surroundings if it stood still. Dim light reflected off its body to blind her momentarily. Elize cocked her head picking up sounds, hearing the footfalls, focusing on the movement around her, the way it created a swirl of motion in the air. She twirled her mop like she did her favourite bo staff. The Dusti-Mite's head was sunken into its body, with just its two mandibles sticking out in front, ready to pinch a piece of skin. The business end of the mop hit it squire in the beak between the mandibles, and forced the critter to a grinding stop. It tried to pull the mop hair out of its mouth, disgusted by the taste, but couldn't get any grip. Instead its mandibles got stuck in the filaments and it became ever more anxious. An icy cold sticky drop of gel water dripped on its back, slowly sliding down the body, down each leg, effectively immobilising the dust mite, as it numbed the limbs. More water splotched onto him as the warriors hurriedly wiped the critter down with soggy rags. The mop was pulled from its face but just as quickly brought down on the top of its body, forcing its underside down into the drop of water that had pooled underneath. Two great beasts slowly dawdled closer, grabbed the Dusti-Mite and carried it out. "Eek! You'll pay for this, Elf!" it screeched loudly while trying to spit the last of the disgusting woolly filaments out of its mouth. Elize's one eyebrow raised a little bit before she turned to meet the next critter full on. The first one forgotten already. Again her mop twirled around, again, and again, another critter immobilised, more magic dust washed off. Big pack beasts carried the immobilised creatures out of the hall, straight to holding cells, giving the protectors and their respective warriors more space to fight and clean up any magic dust they could find. Hurtling over ants, sliding underneath mites, kicking the legs of a Fleashie out from underneath itself. On and on Elize fought, side by side with her protector colleagues. As she slowly stretched herself to her full height, she faced off with Evil C.Roach himself. He was the last critter standing in the hideout, grinning like the Joker from ear to ear. What ace did he have up his sleeve, she wondered before slowly starting to circle him. She had a long thin rag in her one hand. The mop long since been bitten in half by another critter. The rag looked very similar to a lasso, except there was more material, and it was sopping wet. With slow careful movements she started twirling it in small circles above her head. Drops glinted in the firelight, flying every which way. Faster she spun it still, until she reached her ideal pace, all the while also circling Evil C. He on the other hand, was monologue-ing! Telling them all just how ingenious his plan really was, and that they would never find his hidden stash of magic dust. Evil C. Roach Quietly the other protectors started moving in, closing the circle like a noose around his neck. Then in a blindingly fast move Elize let go of the lasso-rag. It almost whistled as it flew through the air, and settled high around Evil C's shoulders. His one useless shell of an arm hang limply by his side, but his other hand had cruel, sharp claws, which he had no trouble using to try and cut the rag, or scratch and infect protectors. With a sharp whistle as signal to the protectors, Elize advanced with a second lasso, and as Evil C angrily high stepped to take a jumping start in her direction, she threw the next lasso and it caught his legs, bringing him down like a rock. One protector secured the first lasso around Evil C's arms, while another used the lasso and trailing material to immobolise his legs. Some Minimoy warriors stood closer but preferred to use long handled mops to wash him clean of magic dust. No one wanted to be a victim to those poisonous claws. A huge sigh of relief filled the hideout from almost every soul in there. Then excited babbling and slaps of congratulations filled the air. The danger had been averted, although they still had to find the hidden stash of magic dust. But that was a job for another day. --------------00--------------

Last challenge was accomplished though my tracking and reporting was lacking. Because of that I'm going to include "getting you that TPS report" in my goals this time around. I don't get back from our trip to Colombia until the 11th, and then I dive right into rehearsals for Pippin, directing the one-act showcase for the local theatre (that's easy, just three rehearsals and one performance), and work hitting the busiest time of year (start of the semester). I'm focused on getting pre-PA classes taken care of so I'll be taking one class (though that could be counseling instead), and I'm going to try and fit some kind of workouts (cardio, strength, and flexibility) in even if it's just PT for my rotator cuff. I blamed it on skiing at the doc's office but I wonder how much trapeze did too... Anyway specifics are forthcoming but in a general sense: 1. Hike, bike, or run, three times per week. 2. PT four days per week, bonus points for an actual lifting session that includes the PT exercises 3. One stretching session per week. 4. Sign up for either Human Anatomy, Chemistry 1 w/lab, or an appropriate upper-level biology class and do all the assignments, or sign up for one COUN class at the Denver campus and do all THOSE assignments. 5. Report into NF at least weekly. Oh, and I'll make time to go see that movie I earned last challenge with Mrs. MG.... not sure when or how, but it will happen. Hopefully before the in-laws leave so we don't have to find a sitter too!!!

So my last challenge was this.... I have to say so far this is working really well for me. My February 5 lbs went into March a little bit (as of this morning I was 5 more down, for a total of 10 ) So this challenge several things are going to be staying the same... The Plan.... 1. Three interval runs, and one strength training a week. Start looking for someplace to make one of these runs outside. 2. Continue making the 24 hour plan, eat on plan when hungry, stop when full. 3. Three times a week (at least) take time for me, this can be journaling, crocheting, or time to read. Baseball season will start 10 days before the end of this challenge, this is the time of year that is crazy, incredible, and busy as hell for me. I wouldn't change it for anything! The only thing I want to change is I don't want to fall off the face of the earth this season, this is my third year in this position, it's my assistants second year, I have a good feeling it will be easier to keep up with it and NF this season.

“Let’s start from the beginning, one last time...” Have you guys seen Into the Spider-Verse? Cos if you haven’t, how dare you. It’s the best animated movie I’ve seen in a hot minute. And so, it’s the theme of this challenge! I was on a bit of a Spider-Man kick before, but then I saw the movie and, well. Here we are. I’ll do my best to post movie references and inspirational quotes without accidentally spoiling anything. And I’ll post other Spider-Man stuff too, not just from ItSV. Spider-Man (plus a dose of Assassin’s Creed) has hardcore reignited my desire to be strong and nimble and do parkour and stuff. So, to try and work toward this strong, nimble future-self, I will do 3 workouts per week. That’s only twelve times! I can do twelve times. Since I wanna focus on strength, control, and flexibility, I’m thinking body weight circuits or a tough yoga practice (like NF Fire A or something) or balance practice; but I’m not gonna tie myself to any specific activity lest I get bored of it. I found a few Neila Rey workouts that are along the lines of what I want (including some Spider-Man themed ones!) that I’ll post below. I’ll have to modify a few of the movements to make sure they’re quiet, since I have downstairs neighbors, but I think they look pretty good. ADDITIONALLY: my uni’s rec center has a climbing wall. And I live, like, a less than five minute walk away. So during this challenge, I have to go try the climbing wall at least once. What could be more perfect for Spider-Man training than a climbing wall?? If I can manage 10/12 workouts, then I will buy myself this Nifty Spider-Shirt as a reward! “I never thought I’d be able to do any of this stuff. But I can. Anyone can wear the mask. You can wear the mask. If you didn’t know that before, I hope you do now.” Love, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man <3

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Programming to Bring You ... Something completely different from anything you have ever seen in a Starpuck thread. Guys... my friends introduced me to Bee & Puppycat, and The Bravest Warriors. I am so hooked it's not even funny; and so, I will use this challenge to proselytize further, these wonderfully bizarre and absurd shows, which I normally don't care for, but somehow got addicted to! Starpuck is... the bravest warrior! Why? Because we are full into the middle of winter, and she has NOT gained weight! She has in fact, held the line over the holidays, EVEN while increasing her caloric intake, and is doing all the things! YES! She must simply continue to maintain this epic show of determination and keep at it. So let's keep focused, shall we? GOAL #1 - Keep up the exercise habit! Move with intent 5x a week, get at least 2 lifts in per week. This is a doable number for me. Often times, I might get a 6th day in, but it's not mandatory. Sometimes my 6th day is just me running around, cleaning, organizing, cooking, etc, and that earns me a pretty good amount of steps, so that's cool too. I'd like to keep some focus on the strength training, because I get frustrated having to re-earn past gains, so that's why 2 a week is a must. I'd love 3 a week, but I notice better workouts when I get more rest days too. Still tweaking the approach! EXERCISE 5X/ WEEK GOAL #2 - Keep up the homecooking! ~~Don't stop, home coooking, hold on to that ... cookbooking?~ This slacked a bit over the holiday weeks because scheduling + parties and outings got so crazy. What that in turn accomplished though, was absolutely solidifying that I prefer home cooked food now. Like. All the time. 3/5 meals out made me super sick, and that is unfun. Along with this goal is to maintain the tracking, which has still been, absolutely no stress for me. It's really weird guys. Gonna keep rolling with it. TRACK DAILY 7X/WEEK HOMECOOKED 2X/WEEK (At friends.) GOAL #3 - Night time routine! Recovery happens during rest, muscles grow during recovery, therefore, I should get on with this proper rest thing! I already brush my teeth every morning and night, but I'd like to get into a solid and long lasting relationship with floss. It's very hot and cold for me, one minute we're in a great place in our relationship, the next, it's been weeks since we talked. (I know, gross...) I realize that flossing every night might be a big jump for me, so I am going to say 4-5x a MUST, but aim for nightly. I'd also like to take care of my face skin! So 4x a week, wash up and put on some nice nourishing night cream or something. Then! Bed time! Lights out 20 minutes before I want to be asleep. The goal is 8 hours of total in bed time, but on nights of D&D or what not, that becomes harder... so all OTHER nights, let's get it right. FLOSS 5X/WEEK WASH FACE 4X/WEEK BED TIME 11:20 3X/WEEK -- WITHIN 15m OF GETTING HOME ALL OTHER DAYS (Non gaming days, in bed lights off at 11pm, gaming days, in bed/asleep as soon as humanly possible after teething... NO SCREEN TIME after getting home!) GOAL #4 - Creative Outlets need Nurturing! I've been contemplating a hefty project, and one thing I know for sure is that I need to keep expanding those comfort zones artwise. That means, drawing things I suck at, and ending up with sucky drawings, that over time will improve - instead of just doing the things I have gotten better at already. Same old routine here. SKETCH DAILY WORK ON THE TABLET 4X/WEEK * ART LESSON 1X/WEEK D&D PREP AS NEEDED Other things on the list, but not tracked. 1. Keep up with the Scripture Memorization (We getting that rolling again guys?) 2. Keep up with the budgeting and house money savings. 3. Learn how to use my 3D printer and start printing awesome things.

It’s the start of a brand new year, and a chance to respawn and start driving things in the direction that I want them to go in. Therefore, new battle log! Except we’re going a day early, because 2019 starts on a Tuesday and I do not like that. [spoilered is a long, non-essential reading background] The 2019 battle plan… For this year the bulk of my training will live in here rather than being first and foremost in my challenges. The challenges themselves will likely focus more on things like nutrition, mental health, and general lifestyle things (or if I decide to do something new and crazy). The exception will be any year-long challenges I decide to implement. As of right now, there are three: Routine Builder: Routine has proven a useful tool in helping me manage both my mental health and my life in general, and it’s something I have little of, even on workdays. Step One: Laptop off and phone away an hour before bed. Read or knit for an hour. Why? Because I get very easily distracted. It’s easy to say I’ll go to bed at, say, 10pm, and still be browsing mindlessly come 10:30pm. Removing the internet from the equation means less distraction. Add that to the fact that I find both reading and knitting to be highly relaxing things, and that both can be done in bed so there are minimal obstacles to me going to sleep, and I believe this will begin to help me fix my sleep issues. Once I’ve been doing this for four weeks without missing a day then I can add another piece to the routine. Burpees, burpees, burpees: I have a Spartan heavy year ahead so my burpees need to be on point. I’m starting at thirty burpees per day. After two weeks with no missed days I’ll move up to thirty five burpees per day and so on, and so on. They can be done all at once or in sets or one by one, just so long as thirty are done. Project 52: An easy way to get myself reading on a regular basis again, I think. One year, fifty two books. Any books. Fiction or not, old favourites or brand new. And, of course, alongside these year-long projects there are more skill specific goals and routes of progression that I’m trying very hard to tailor to my specific needs, whether they are pre-existing weaknesses that need correcting or the next steps that I have delayed in taking. My training will be structured around these paths Alchemy is perhaps the single most important skill to master. Without learning the art of fueling oneself, progress will be hampered and limited. Throughout the course of this year I aim to learn the art of alchemy with the following goals: Stop over- and under-eating. Figure out a calorie guideline to ensure that I am properly fuelled for active days and not gorging myself needlessly on rest days Macros. Just the basics, protein, carbs, and fats. Once the calorie guidelines have been found, implemented, and adjusted to then it will be time to begin tailoring my diet to further benefit me. This will all change over time, but unlike with the other goals, I can’t see or calculate what might be next for me, nutrition-wise. Not without having a solid base to stand on. Elemental mastery is crucial, particularly if one aspires to be an elemental battlemage. First and foremost, the Path of Fire. Mastery of one’s own body is undoubtedly an important part of fitness, and there are many feats of bodyweight strength that I either want to attain, or have achieved before and wish to reach again. This year I mean to achieve the following: One full pull-up Five pistol squats on each leg These are subject to change, of course. Should I achieve either goal before the end of the year, I will add another. The Path of Earth is that of pure strength, the ability to move mountains and stand against storms. Or, in more mundane terms, to lift heavy things. This year I mean to achieve the following: 100kg deadlift. My current PR is 80kg (achieved 2016). Bodyweight back squat. According to my SL5x5 app, my current PR is 47.5kg for three reps (achieved 2016). 60kg bench press. Doubling my current 30kg for five reps. I don’t think I’ve ever tried for a bench PR before. 40kg OHP. I vaguely recall doing 32.5kg for one rep at some point in the past couple of years. If by some chance I achieve and surpass any of these goals before the year is out, I will adjust accordingly. The Path of Water is the means to move from point A to point B with the swiftness of a flowing river using self-powered methods. Running, cycling, even swimming if I figure out how to not be scared of it (which is a shame, because I used to love swimming). This year I mean to achieve: A half hour 5km. I think my current PR there is somewhere around 40-45 minutes. An hour 10km time. I don’t have a PR for this, and I don’t know if my aim is reasonable, but I’m aiming for it anyway. Cycling goals are under construction pending the following discoveries: average and best times cycling to/from work, 10km speed run time, 25km time, 50km time, and just what grade of downhill trail am I currently capable of riding? Last time I actually did anything, I was solidly in the red and edging into the black (hardest grade, highly technical). I need a trail centre trip to figure the last out, unfortunately. Right now it’s a goal to add swimming goals. It requires a gym membership, which requires the funds for it. Watch this space. Bonus Path of Water goal: Full Mucker Domination: I can’t explain how badly my RRDW experience messed with me last year, or how soul crushing it was that the words ‘half mucker’ escaped my lips at the end when I was asked which, full muker or half, I’d just completed. This year is my last chance to do it and do it well as I will not be making a 2020 effort, though I can’t speak for my plans in the years after. The Path of Air promotes control of self, mastery of movement. Unlike the aggressive, strength-based Path of Fire, Air focuses places more emphasis on skill application and injury prevention. All things yoga, mobility, and flexibility, basically. This year I will achieve: A thirty second pendant pose hold. I’ve been after this for years. A thirty second L-sit hold. Downward dog with my heels on the ground. Currently impossible and painful to try. As with all other paths, goals are subject to change should anything be achieved or deemed too ambitious. The Path of Steel focuses on weapons skills. Or, in mundane terms, obstacles. The meat and bones of OCRs, after all, and something full of new challenges from race to race. It is from this path that the creative and wildcard elements of my training will be drawn. This year I will achieve: A complete monkey bar/rig crossing. Current PR is two rings as of September 2018… Solo eight foot wall scaling. I can and have scaled six foot walls solo, although currently that is far from a consistent performance. Goals subject to change. While I can practice components of these things outside of a race environment, the only opportunity I have to do these things in full is at a race. Which is why rope climbing, while still a goal of mine, is not included in this year’s list. I don’t have any way to begin training for that. My week will be run with M/W/F being strength based (weights or bodyweight), T/T being running based, and S/S being active rest. This structure is helping me formulate routine (and helping me keep track of just what day it actually is) though remains flexible as life is an unpredictable beast. All going well, I should update every evening, giving me an unofficial year long accountability goal as well.

Turning back time is a nice thought...I turned 20 the year this song was released, Cher, on the other hand, was 43, I remember thinking then and several times since that I would love to look half as good as she did when I was XX years old... Yeah, that didn't happen...course I also don't make the money she does to be able to afford chefs, trainers, and surgeons to keep her looking like that, so I guess it balances out But I digress, this year is the year I turn 50, I'm not going to say these years have all been a walk in the park, RA, nerve damage and spinal stenosis as the result of a car accident, and not exactly taking the best care of myself for 44 of them didn't help. Wednesday will mark five (5! ) years since I found NF...yes I was one of those "New Year, New You" people but I stuck around, learned some things that worked, and a whole lot of things that DON'T! I've been rather lacking in my goals lately, it shows in my health and the way my clothes are fitting...so without further ado, I give you my first challenge of the new year For those that follow my battle log you know my big goal this year is to lose 50 lbs by the time I turn 50 in 10 months, which is 5 lbs a month (and Saturday the 12th is my first 5k of the year ) Steps to get to this goal are not changing much from prior challenges, I just need to make sure and improve consistency! 1. Get to the gym three times a week, with flexibility for work/extenuating circumstances. In those cases I will go as many times as possible. Either taking walking breaks or walking on the treadmill to get to at least 8,000 steps a day, every day, with running intervals every other day will be part of this and separate from gym time, that time will be used for weights and stuff I'm unable to do at home. 2. Continue to listen to my hunger, not my appetite! Eat real food, plan menus ahead of time to make life easier. Continue to prep breakfast/lunch/snacks for the week and during season 3. Live life, don't stress over it. Continue working towards the three year plan. 4. Drink water, get sleep, reduce cortisol production (I stress a LOT over bullshit I can't control) Just as important but not an actual 'goal' is making sure I check in here Hardcore? Maybe, but half ass-ing it is not working...time to full ass it!

Have husband, and Band of Brothers and Sisters Will Exercise and Get on with Life I had such a weird dream last night, and that is where I got the challenge theme and name from. So I'm tackling this challenge knowing I have someone who is cheering me on, and others supporting, helping, and protecting me along the way. Let's see how the race pans out. I've been very tired (physically and emotionally) these last couple of months, specifically November after the bout of flu the boys and I struggled to get over. Our home school year is luckily coming to an end (about week 3 of the challenge), and we are off to Sabie (10hrs drive one way) this coming weekend, where I hope to be able to meet (possibly for the last time) with a friend who has terminal cancer. I also have a couple months of finances that I need to update this challenge, and I hate doing finance work. I've also been struggling with a mom-issue (who has BPD and I'm trying not to have contact with as advised by psychologist and the nursing sisters at the old age home she is in), and her birthday is tomorrow. I'm expecting something to happen that side too. I'm not feeling particularly happy about my body, about the muscles I've built over the year (I'm happy about the strength and the muscles themselves, but they are making me a lot bigger, and I'm not small), not to mention the fat I've picked up along the way. I feel like this geared up soldier...just a lot bigger built. So I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed, but I'm also actually feeling a whole lot stronger, hopeful, and somewhat ready to face whatever I have to. Life is good, maybe a tad scary and unpredictable; we are doing well as family; it is summer with frequent summer wind- and thunder storms, but things are actually going well and working out in general. So... I'm trying to stay positive, build up energy and enjoy life. What I really want to feel like... I'm trying to get back into my routine of morning exercises, which seems to be falling into place by itself (judging by Monday and Tuesday this week), but I'm starting off slowly doing one set of 12 reps of four or five exercises every morning. Here's the schedule and what I'm trying to get to after I get back from Sabie next week Tuesday. This week I'll do what I can, when I can. 1. Focus on: Health Strength: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays Walking: Tuesdays, Wednesdays Food: Only when I'm hungry <= 800g per day Water: At least 1 bottle (1Lt) per day, preferably more 2. Finances August (week 2) September (week 3) October (week 4) 3. Other crucial to life Bible study (at least 3x/week) Dry fire practice/Concealed carry/Awareness EXERCISES: Mondays and Fridays: building up to 3x12 Calf raises and a goblet squat: up on toes, go down into squat, then heels down below step level, then up to level again, while holding a 10kg dumbbell. Pushups: trying for full, but not able to go down all the way yet. Bicep curl into tricep extension: bicep curl, turn arms up and over, do tricep extension above my head. Arms down and in bicep curl position, then down to my sides. Using 2x2.5kg dumbbells. Ab-wheel: self explanatory. Wednesdays: building up to 3x12 Flys: front and lateral in one rep with 2x 2.5kg dumbbells. X-over lunges: because I prefer them to normal lunges, and they target thighs and adductor muscles better. Dumbbell shoulder press: Self explanatory using 2x5kg dumbbells. Inverted rows: using broom stick through security gate, pulling myself up from incline lying position. Plank2 Pushups: self explanatory. Walking: Tuesdays over lunch time with hubby. He is still sick (head cold), but the boys and I will try to walk still (3-5km) Wednesdays: I walk +-5km while the boys do Lego course, also over lunch time. The Lego finishes this week, so I'll have to find another place to walk in the following weeks.

12 Week Hypertrophy Quest Quest Goals: 1) Increase Muscle Mass 2) Decrease BF% 3) Increase Strength In All Lifts Overview/Details Each working set should be performed to near failure with 12 being the most reps you should perform and 6 being the lowest. This workout utilizes supersets.Take a 1 minute break between each superset. Supersets are grouped by letter before them. See Quest Objectives for context. Increase weight on each set by at least 5lbs. Increase weight from week to week as well. By the end of the 12 weeks, you should be 10lbs+ stronger in many lifts. This program can be repeated with endless variation. If you begin to plateau, seek ways of making the workouts harder. An example could be adding some dropsets. SPLIT CHEST/BACK SHOULDERS/ARMS LEGS Quest Objectives: Day 1: Chest/Back | Warm-up 5 minutes of cardio A1) Bench Press 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working A2) DB Row 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working 1 - 2 minute rest B1) Hammerstrength incline Chest Press 3x12 working B2) Hammerstrength lat pulldown 3x12 working 1 - 2 minute rest C1) Cable Crossovers 5-7x12 working C2) Reverse Flye 5-7x12 working Day 2: Active Rest | Start with 5 minutes of cardio if you normally don't do cardio, and add 5 minutes to your average time of the cardio you do regularly. Increase total time by 5 minutes every other week. By Week 12 you should be doing 30 extra minutes of cardio. For the sake of this program, cardio is considered 150bpm+ for the whole session. Day 3: Shoulders/Arms | Warm-up 5 minutes of cardio A1) DB Shoulder Press 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working A2) Standing DB Curl 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working 1 - 2 minute rest B1) DB Front Raise 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working B2) Tricep Extension 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working 1 - 2 minute rest C1) Reverse Flye Machine 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working C2) Barbell Curl 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working 1 minute rest D) Skull Crusher 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working Day 4: Active Rest | Do the same amount of cardio as you did on your first active rest day this week. Day 5: Legs | Warm-up 5 minutes of cardio A1) Squat 2x6 warm-up, 3x12 working A2) Leg Curl 1x6 warmup , 3x12 working 2 - 3 minute rest between A and B B1) Leg Extensions 3x12 working B2) Standing Calf Raises 3x12 working 2 - 3 minute rest between B and C C1) Weighted Walking Lunge 3x12 working C2) Lower Back Extensions 3x12 failure Day 6: REST Day 7: REST Let me know what you think below!

Hello there! So I literally took a huge break for the past year as my mental health severely declined and I have been fighting to stabilize. (Yay! I have!) Now I am ready to rumble. What I am looking for: - Accountability -Information Sharing -Encouragement Goals: - Goal weight 125-135 -CW: 192 - Learn to eat veggies - Jog/run 1 miles -Bike 5 miles -Beginners Yoga - Just *feel* good and more able to be active I am currently using habatica as my habit forming and tracking app and I love it! Currently trying intermittent fasting but struggling filling my "feasting" time with healthy foods as I loathe veggies. I do fencing once a week, swing dancing once a week, and am trying to get into the habit of cardio and strength training on alternate days respectively.

Spring has Sprung! Dis heerlike lente, die winter is verby weer vrolik die velde, vir jou en vir my. (It's wonderful spring time, winter has gone) (happy the fields, for you and for me) loosely translated Die Ystervark I realised that some of the funny in the name is lost because of translation, but hubby (Brandt) called this weight plate storage stand he built, "Die Ystervark". Direct translation is "Iron Pig", and we found it appropriate because it is not just made of iron, but holds our iron weight plates and training paraphernalia. There is also a saying in Afrikaans "gooi die ysters rond" (throw around the irons - directly translated) for someone training with weights. And of course the normal comparison with a porcupine - little squat body with all those quills sticking out. Just going on with the normal routine that I've been trying to establish since... for ever. This is the first year where I did manage to train relatively frequently throughout winter. Other years I stopped my morning training for two, three challenges at a time. Bible study: every weekday morning; Strength training: 2x a week (Monday and Thursday mornings); Joint circles (warm up) Jumping jacks 20x (warm up) Plank2Pullups 10x Abs roll out 10x Front lunges 10kg 10x Deadlifts 30kg 10x Flys: front, lateral, bent over lateral (back shoulders) 10x each Bridge & Pinch 20sec Sit-twist stretch 1x Shoulder and Chest stretches 1x each Walking: 2-3x a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons); Tue: with Brandt and the boys +-3-3.5km (up and downhill) Wed: alone +-5km (flat farm road) Fri: with boys +-3-5km (nat.reserve or neighbourhood) Dry fire: 1x a week (Wednesday morning), and 1x a month at club; Food: focusing on what I'm eating: loosing weight by cutting down on carbs/starches; drink 1x bottle water a day; BUT if I really crave something, then I allow myself to eat that as long as I don't overdo it. This goes hand in hand with a lot of brain things going on upstairs about WHY; measurements beginning and end of challenge. Sleep: be in bed by 21h30 every week night. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We had a hiking/rucking weekend planned for 22-24 Sept. which might not happen because all accommodation in the area are fully booked because of the long weekend, private school holidays, and some trail races planned for that long weekend. So we'll have to play that one by ear. In the meantime we are trying to spend more time together as a family.