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What's around the river bend? This is my second challenge, and my first as a Swing-Dance-Ninja-Assassin. For those who don’t know me, I’m a 25 year old with a desk job and a passion for lindy hop and all other swing dances. My Level 50 is:To wear a size 4 in pants (currently a size 8)To be able to dance all night long and never have to turn someone down because I’m too tiredTo be a recreational whitewater paddler For my first challenge, I focused on maintaining a healthy sleep schedule, exercising 3-4 times a week, and eating mostly paleo but always with a caloric deficit. I feel like I stayed on target really well despite some stressful days and a business trip near the end, so I’m excited to step it up a bit! But before I jump into that, I want to recap some lessons learned: My digestive system does not thrive on paleo dieting. I wish there was a simple solution to figuring out the perfect diet for me, but as far as I can tell, my system likes to function with at least a little bit of dairy and bread. I’m going to be experimenting with other diet habits this time around. Sleep schedules are awesome, and I feel really comfortable that my mind and body recognize the importance of keeping a 10:30 bedtime and 6:30 rise time. I don’t think this is enough of a challenge any more to warrant a mission. Goal accomplished! My weight on a scale means nothing. During the last challenge I gained 2 lbs but lost an inch off my hips. The only measurements I’ll be focusing on are the ones I get from the tape measure and the calipers. I love routine! I love the feeling of getting up in the morning and working out before work! I love the feeling of jogging after a good ab workout – so tight! Yeah, happy things! I also venture into whitewater rafting and kayaking in the summer months. For this challenge, I'm letting the river guide me! The week after this challenge ends I’ll be taking a combined dancing/whitewater vacation (WOOT!). It will be my first time on a river in a hard boat (I've just done single-person rafts in the past), so I want to use this challenge to get me mentally and physically prepared for that! Mission 1:Exercise 4x per week - I'll be continuing my mix of walk/jog intervals in my neighborhood, pilates for dancers exercises, and aerobics with light weights. I'll be focusing a lot on core strength to help with dancing and also rolling my kayak Mission 2:Diet - eat a caloric deficit daily, and drink lots of water! I use a fitbit one to record my calorie burn and sync it with MyFitnessPal to record my calorie intake. The water is a major challenge for me, so I'm going to start with a goal of 2 - 24oz bottles for weeks 1 and 2, and by week 3 I want to be drinking 3 - 24oz bottles of water a day. Mission 3:Devotion - have 30 minutes of devotion time 7 days a week. My spiritual health is just as important as my physical health! I've promised myself for years that I would create a habit of spending time with God as soon as I got a handle on my physical habits. It's time. Side quest:Take kayaking courses. Guys. This is so intimidating. As a child, I HATED getting my face wet, and growing up I would never go underwater without goggles. I hate the idea of being upside down, underwater, with a boat on top of me. You might be wondering, "so why the heck do you want to be a kayaker?!" Well, I love the river, I love the mountains, I love the thrill of navigating the rapids - it's exhilarating and relaxing and beautiful. I just have to get over my fear of being underwater in frigid rushing water. So, I'll be taking a roll clinic so I can learn how to roll myself out of the water. I signed up today. It happens in 11 days. I'm not terrified, but it's going to be tough. I'll keep you updated. So here we go: a new challenge, a new journey! Let's do this thing! (For the record, the kayaker in the picture is not me - but it's exactly the sort of thing I want to do! But that is me in the brown skirt in the dancing picture!)

Copied over from my challenge thread, in which I'm training for my first kayak trip down a river: GUYS GUYS GUYS! I did it!! First day in my kayak, and I successfully performed my first combat roll! (meaning, I was underwater in the current, and I flipped myself over and out of the water) I spent the whole day at the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC. First off, this place is SO COOL. If you're ever around Charlotte and have an interest in whitewater, climbing, biking, hiking, adventure courses, or zipline, check it out. I took two classes; in the morning I had a kayak sampler, in which I discovered that I am excellent at ending up upside down. I learned how to wet exit, do some ferrying, catch an eddy, and overall gained confidence working with the boat. In the afternoon I took my roll clinic, and I actually rolled! In calmer water, my instructor said my roll was beautiful. I have a tendency to freak out in rougher currents, and I did have a moment of panic, but I got back in my boat and rolled again...and again...and again. And bonus woot: I was able to load my kayak on top of my car, strap it down, and successfully transport it by myself, which, as a very independent female, I'm super proud of. Happy Day

Hey there Nerd Fitness! Like a lot of people, I'm a 20-something with a desk job and not a lot of free time. Or at least, that's what I tell myself. Last spring and summer, I had a gym membership and made tons of progress improving myself, working out at least 3 times a week and eating responsibly. Then I started traveling for work, and my discipline flew out the window. 3 months passed without a foot stepped inside the gym, so I cancelled my membership. Although my weight hasn't changed much in that time, my body mass definitely has, and I'm ready to do something about it. My motivation: swing dance and kayaking. Lindy hop is my earthly obsession. I love swing dance, swing music, swing nerds...it's kind of the most awesome thing ever. When I'm feeling brave (which is most of the time), I even compete! I know getting in shape makes me a better dancer, and I want to dance harder, longer, and be able to do more awesome stuff (like this!). I've been rafting every summer for about 10 years now, and I recently got my first hard boat. I'm terrified that I will have to roll my kayak when I flip, but I know that if I'm going to level up my whitewater skills, I have to learn to roll, and building up core strength will make rolling easier. Plus I just want to be the best me I can be. So here I am, struggling to get back into a healthy routine and hoping that by joining you all on your own journeys to improve yourself, we can all make this a little more fun. What is your favorite benefit of getting fit? Are there any other dancers or whitewater fanatics out there?