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So, recently i've gotten this crazy idea in my head that one of the ways to improve my LARP game is to get more in shape. For many, many years I've played Amtgard, a combat larp. I've also played Belegarth and Dagohir, which i like less for reasons i'm about to get into. In all three cases, when magic or ranged weapons are present, i'm deadly at arms length, but never, ever been good up close or if I get chased down since i start huffing and heaving and dying a little bit. Knowing that i need to be able to engage in short sprints (get in/out quickly with spells), extended close melees (and/or wrestling), and general accuracy and reaction time (for dodging). Aside from strength training with freeweights (which i'm very stubborn about believing is helpful to everything) are there any sorts of excersizes that would benefit this particular skill set? Thanks!

Looks like my on-again, off-again relationship with the NerdFitness message boards is back on! Hopefully I will actually keep up with posting on here throughout the challenge. Actually keeping my thread updated is usually the hardest part of the challenge for me, lol. So, long story short, I used to run a lot, finished a marathon back in 2013, then didn't run at all for about 2 years and am now getting back into it. I'm currently on week 8 of the Couch to 5k program, so I'll finish that next week, then I want to work on getting my 5k under 30 minutes before moving on to longer times/distances. I never focused on speed much before, and as a result I was always pretty slow (that marathon took me a little over 6 hours). Which is fine, and didn't bother me then, but this time around I want to be faster. I may try to get my 5k time down lower than 30 minutes before adding more miles, I don't know, I haven't decided yet. I'm also working on my diet, which is and has always been pretty bad. Last month I cut out sodas, and while I still crave a Dr. Pepper Cherry every now and then, I've mostly successfully replaced them with coffee (only in the mornings or while I'm writing), plain water, and sparkling water. This month I'm moving on to my next big vice: french fries. I eat fast food way, way too much. It's not just bad for my health, it's bad for my bank account and right now that needs all the help it can get. I'm hoping no soda and no french fries will mean less McDonald's/Burger King trips overall. My personal life is in kind of a state right now. About 6 months ago, I moved, by myself, from Virginia to Los Angeles. I'm enjoying the city so far, and especially the weather (hello, record-breaking blizzard? So glad I moved in time to miss that), but it's been hard being so far away from my friends and family. Especially right now. My dad was diagnosed with colon cancer a few weeks ago. They caught it super early, he just had a biopsy yesterday and the cancer hasn't spread at all and isn't very deep, so after his surgery this Tuesday he should just need some rest to recover and then be back to normal. No chemo or radiation at all. So, that's good, but it still sucks not being able to be there for him during this (I told him I felt that way and he just sent me a long email about how I shouldn't feel bad, that I have to live my life my way and he misses me but he understands, so I feel better, but still. It sucks). At least he has my mom, and my sister doesn't live in Virginia anymore either, but she's much closer than I am. Anyway, that's about where I am right now. There's a lot more going on, but I don't really want to go into the general career-related stress of a wanna-be television writer right now. That's a whole nother essay on it's own. Long story short, my fitness goals for February are: 1. Continue running 3 days a week. After finishing C25k, move on to speed drills of some sort that I haven't decided on yet. 2. One day of non-running exercise each week. I've been running regularly for the past couple weeks, but this is something new I'm adding on now. I'm not comitting to just one kind of cross-training yet, I'm gonna try out different stuff and see what I like best. I'm guessing it'll end up being hiking, as I've really enjoyed the few hikes I've been on here and am looking forward to exploring some more trails, but considering El Niño is almost here, that'll probably have to be put on hold at some point and I'll do strength training or yoga or whatever instead until the rain stops. 3. No french fries! None! Not oven-baked fries or home made fries or any of that. I'm quitting cold turkey. I have decided that since I think this is going to be a tough one for me, way more than soda, after I've gone all month without any fries, I'll buy myself this unicorn drinking horn. I have wanted it for so long but I'll probably never just buy it, so here's my chance. My life goal: I've been working on adapting a short story I wrote in college into a short screenplay, probably about 10-15 minutes. I want to finish the first draft this month. I still have a little more planning to do before I type FADE IN but I'm almost ready to start, and there's no reason I shouldn't be able to finish in the next couple weeks. I mean, it's a first draft, it doesn't have to be good, it just has to be done. Two of my coworkers started an unofficial six-month weight loss challenge with monthly weigh-ins at work. I work at a Walgreens, and I guess they decided to just buy a scale and leave it in the break room. There are five of us participating last I checked, and we're basically just writing our weight on the side of some boxes in the break room, but it's a good motivator and a good way to keep us accountable with each other. It just started on the 24th, and I weighed in at 194 pounds (for reference, I'm just shy of 5'4". I know just height and weight isn't a great indicator of anything, but I can assure you that not much of that 194 pounds is muscle). Our next weigh-in is February 24th, so hopefully I'll be a little less than that then. I don't want to be too focused on numbers so I haven't set a goal number of pounds to lose, I'm just hoping to see a downward trend. Speaking of work, I need to get ready to go there, so that's it for now! I'm looking forward to joining all of you this challenge! Good luck to everyone!

I've decided it was time I started trying to work on an important skill of all Tayledras scouts*: tree-walking. Tayledras all learn to climb trees and use the massive branches of the Pelagir forests as secondary path. This leaves no trail, and allows them unseen vantage points to attack from. It also scares the crap out of people, which can be handy when you're hoping for a non-violent encounter with intruders. Violence is a waste, better for them to leave voluntarily. *Worldbuilding by Mercedes Lackey, particularly in the Mage Winds trilogy and The Owl Mage Trilogy. Main Quest: Run a 5k and master bodyweight exercises Quest 1: Run/Dance 3 times a weekFocus on speeding up my 5k time by running more of it, as well as improving my form by trying to run more quietly. Silence is an important part of tree-walking. Measurement: A = 3 times a week, B = 2 times a week, C = 1 time a weekReward: A = +3 DEX, +2 STA, B = +2 DEX, +1 STA, C = +1 DEX Quest 2: Bodyweight + Dumbell Circuits 2 times a weekWalking the trees needs leg strength and core strength to stay balanced. Focus on adding balance exercises and overall exercises like the sled. Measurement: A = 3 times a week, B = 2 time a week, C = 1 time a weekReward: A = +3 STR, + 2 STA, B = +2 STR, + 1 STA, C = +1 STR Quest 3: Pull-upsI need to be able climb the tree, and pull myself up to more conveniently oriented branches. Focus on reducing the offset on the assisted pull-up machine. Currently I'm at Level 15, and I'd like to increase to 13. I'm really not sure how much of a reach this is, so I'll adjust if needed. Measurement: A = 3 times a week, B = 2 time a week, C = 1 time a weekReward: A = +3 STR, B = +2 STR, C = +1 STR Life QuestPaying my taxes is about to drain my savings account down to the dregs. So I'm going to keep track of my food spending, and hopefully reduce it and put the balance in my savings account. If nothing else I'll be more mindful about food spending, and hopefully not go in the opposite direction and spend more (which has happened in past attempts. I'm only rebellious against myself). Cook at home 10 times a week: 0/10Reward: +2 WIS Images from Assassins Creed 3 found on the internet. If you click on them they get embiggened.

Hello fellow Rangers! BeaconLight here starting my second 6-week challenge and excited to join the Rangers guild. My last challenge I was basically getting back into workout habits, nutrition, and getting enough sleep. Basically getting the basics down. I thought I did pretty good (gave myself a B on that challenge) and look forward to stepping up my game and going to the next level. With that here is my details for this 6-week challenge: Main Quest: This quest I really want to work on my body composition. I'm currently 208 pounds at about 26.3% in body fat. I'm not too concern about about the weight because the lowest weight I have ever been was 185 pounds but this was when I was in my early 20s (I'm now 33). About 4 years ago I was doing heavy cross-training and lowest weight I got was 209 pounds with 15% body fat and this was the fittest I have ever been. I'm working towards getting back to the 15% body fat. I think the lowest percent of body fat I'm willing to go is 12%. I know I cannot get to 12-15% body fat in 6 weeks, but I would like to see it drop 3-5% for this challenge. Missions for the Main Quest: Mission #1 - Sign up and participate in semi-private or group training classes 2-3 times a week. Mission #2 - Make home cooked meals for a minimum of 4 days each week. (Batch cooking works well for this, BTW!) Mission #3 - Go on a 15-20 mile bike ride once a week. The above missions are to help me with my body composition and to start my training for the Reach the Beach bike ride that takes place on May 16, 2015. For those that don't know what Reach the Beach is, it is a 100 mile bike ride from Portland, Oregon to Pacific City, Oregon to raise support for the American Lung Association. Here is my personal page for Reach the Beach if you want more information. I have 4-1/2 months to train for this event and I figured I would incorporate it as part of my next 3 challenges. Life Quest: I just launched my new business - Living for Adventures. This business focuses on my passions for essential oils through Young Living, fitness, nutrition, faith, and adventure. Most of the website (www.livingforadventures.com) focuses my business in distributing Young Living Essential Oils, but I also have a blog on this website that focuses on all of my passions. My Life Quest for this challenge is two fold: (1) I must have 6 blog posts that are posted to my website by the end of the challenge (basically 1 blog post each week); and (2) get my first two wholesale members signed up to receive their starter kit. I enjoyed my first 6-week challenge and I'm looking forward to seeing how I have leveled up in 6 weeks! This is going to be a great time of adventure, challenges, and trying new things. I also looking forward to interacting with my fellow Rangers and seeing what mini-quest I might be able to do. Let the adventure begin!

My Fifth NF Challenge GOAL ONE: RUNNING. WEEK 1: HALF MARATHON. I'm running in the Lansing Half Marathon (my first) on Sunday, April 21, 2013. My first challenge goal is to have a solid final week of preparation and to run a great race. Things to do in Week 1: · Complete 3 easy training runs plus stretching · Get at least 6.5 hours of sleep each night · Drink at least 48 ounces of water each day · Eat more healthy carbohydrates and minimize junk food · Complete 3 or more self-massage sessions · Get a haircut and trim beard and nails · Charge my GPS watch · Prepare a race day checklist · Study and visit the race course · Pick up race materials at the expo on Saturday. WEEKS 2–6 Week 2 will be primarily rest and recovery from the half marathon, with 2 easy runs at most. For the remainder of the challenge, I will maintain a weekly base of 10–15 miles in 3 or 4 runs. I will also look into upcoming races and develop a plan for my next running event. GOAL TWO: STRENGTH (WEEKS 2–6) After the half marathon I will switch gears and focus on strength for the remainder of the challenge. My goal is to get in at least 3 solid workouts each week (sufficient length and intensity to get good and sweaty). I will also increase my overall calorie intake and be sure to eat plenty of protein. GOAL THREE: CROSS-TRAINING (WEEKS 2–6) I'm going to get my bike ready to ride, complete with a seat for the one-year-old. My goal is to ride at least once in each of the last five weeks, including riding to and from work at least once during the challenge. I will also do at least three sessions of jumping rope during the challenge. GOAL FOUR: GROOMING Inspired by Shukar's last challenge, I will trim my beard at least once every week. BONUS ITEMS · Keep my cell phone charged, with no low-battery warnings for the whole six weeks · Attend health support group meetings at work and contribute · Go swimming and try laps · Hike a nature trail

So, this is the start of my fourth challenge, I can hardly believe I have come this far, if my math is correct, I am six months into this journey to be the best version of myself I can be, not so long ago, a doctor told me to lose some weight "If you want to meet your grandchildren" (my daughter is 10 now), but it was not until I decided to take responsibility for my own health (and shape) that things began to move. So, here I am six months later, 15kg lighter and with a plan to run (and bike and swim), my first sprint distance triathlon, the "x-terra Las Lomas", an off-road event with 750m of lake swimming, 20km of Mountain bike and 5km of trail running, on May 26th. This challenge covers the first six weeks of my Awesome Training Plan, I was going to name it "quite good", but last time it did not work, Right 18ck?. Anyway this is the plan: Week 1. Super sprint week. I have signed up for a triathlon next week (march 2nd), it's about half the dstance of the one I am training for, so it should work just fine, this week will be tapering/recovery (I have a duathlon on Sunday), distances and frequency below my current schedule. Weeks 2-6. Training weeks, starting with some easy distances, and building progressively from there, I do not aim to win the sprint tri, but I would like to be able to finish comfortably without worrying about cutoff time (2hr.). I will swim two days a week, run/walk tho days, bike one day and rest one day (mondays), the distances laid on the program are approximate, but it's a good way to know which route to run/bike on any given day. Running willl be using C210K (currently on week 12 of 14, but the next week will be ignored in favor of ligher training for my races), once I finish C210k, I'll run by distance according to the plan. So, Goals: 1. Compete on my first, super-sprint triathlon on March 2nd, and finish close to one hour. +1 con +2 cha ( I hear triathletes are quite charismatic, and I could use some of that!) 2. Follow my Awesome Training Plan, deviations such as events are allowed (like running a 10k or something), and those should be equivalent or better than planned ones, day changes within the week are allowed and one weekend training can be moved to the next monday (rest day), no rolling after that, grading is percentage of training sessions complete. +1STR +3STA +2WIS +1CHA 3. Keep paleo, I have been around five months into this lifestyle, and really like it, I'll allow myself two meals of non-compliance, provided that are minor "faults", and family or big social events. +1WIS +1CON 4. Life Goal, Move, from last challenge I've been house-hunting, now i must finish that process and MOVE+2 WIS +3CHA Current Stats: STR 8.25 DEX 3 STA 13.5 CON 11 WIS 10 CHA .5 Weight: 92k

After completing my first challenge, and finally successfully running a distance of 5k, I'm ready to step up my running training to the next level. Here are my goals for my second challenge. Goal #1: Run a Half-Marathon Starting Point: Ran 5-miles on 2/22 (~47:30 at an easy pace) How to get to 13.1 Do all of the following once a week: 1. Intervals - I love them! 2. Middle-distance runs 3 - 6 miles at a quick pace (this will be my weak point) 3. Long runs - 6 - 12 miles at an easy pace My stretch goal will be 1:37:36 (I want to beat GreenMatt's time on the Scout's Leaderboard) A sub-goal is to run a 5k in less than 20 minutes. GreenMatt is on the board at 19:44, so I'll try and beat that. Attribute Points: 5 STA Goal #2: Cross-Train Twice a Week Starting point: Occasionally use a stationary bike What kind of cross-training I'll be doing I'll be sticking to the stationary bike, and plan to do intervals of 30 seconds of sprinting and 4 minutes of easy pedaling 4x-7x This is also used to build stamina for the half-marathon goal Attribute Points: 3 STA Goal #3: Power-Lift Twice a Week Starting point: No experience with barbells Starting Strength Just started reading Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe, and it comes highly recommended by my brother as a great program for building functional strength. I'll do two workouts per week, likely on the same day as my cross-training. Attribute Points: 3 STR Goal #4: Write 15 Finance Articles a Week Starting point: I've written about 75 articles for the Motley Fool since the beginning of November. My work ethic has fallen off a cliff in the last couple months. When I first started, I was writing 3 articles per day. They recently gave me a raise, so now I have no excuse not to write as much as possible. I can earn a really great living writing 15 articles a week, setting my own schedule, and working from home, a coffee shop, a friends house, a foreign country, or anywhere! It's a really great opportunity, and I've been wasting it. Not any longer! I plan to write 15 articles per week, and will appreciate an accountability partner on this to make sure I get my work done. (Preferably someone with an interest in finance, who would actually want to read my articles.) So I turn to you, NF community, to make me do my work. Attribute Points: Not sure yet, please help me decide! I'll be posting a list of toys I plan to buy myself for keeping up with my goals soon.