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Stay on Target This is mostly going to be a riposte re-post of a thread I created super late last challenge. One - Sorry for ghosting! Had to go focus on myself and all that stuff. Work still sucks, but it's getting better. Or at least I'm working on getting it better (communication ftw). But hey, I'm back and ready to do things! Two - I signed myself up for a half marathon (November 3rd). These goals are probably more at home in the scouts forum, but honestly just like the rangerly aesthetic so yeah. Anyways, the goals... 1) Stick to the Plan Tues / Thurs Runs - Moderately hard effort, focus on running without walk breaks. Distance less of a concern versus going out and getting a weekday run in, but prefer to run for at least 20 mins Weekend Runs - Saturday or Sunday (depending on weekend obligations). Easy effort, focus on getting the distance in. Preference = Under 14 min/mile since that's the race cut-off pace. Cross Training - Walking, Yoga, Stationary Bike, Strength, some combo of those 2) Regular Check-Ins NF Coaching - Daily check-in Forums - Updates (this thread) 5 out of 7 days & interact with others as often as possible (super introverted over here, I'll do what I can without ghosting again. but I've been having good days lately so should be alright) 3) Hydrate Track Water Consumption Aim for at least 2.1 L daily

So I am running my second half in October. I didn't train for my first one and about all I can say for it is I finished. Picked out a training program for this time around but it peaks at 11 miles two weeks before race day. I know that's really common for half and full training programs but I still feel like I should do 13 before the race. Someone convince me to trust the program please!

Keeping the momentum going while staying clear of the dog park and fighting off the librarians to earn my Eternal Scout badge. Keep a steady decrease in weight and mile time going, pushing for 5 more pounds and 30 more seconds off. The race happens during this challenge… so PRing the half marathon is also a major goal, here. Important work post race will be focusing on three recovery weeks where I want to complete some recuperative yoga and shorter runs. 1. A Look at the Traffic... Last few weeks pre-race and the goal here needs to be leg muscle stretching -- hip flexors, piriformis, achilles, calves, glutes, hammies… Morning and night. 2. The Community Calendar... Run 3x a week OR 10 miles. Planning for one interval run, one speed day, and one distance run, post race will be tempo runs and speed training 3. But First, The Weather... POST RACE - Complete all 21 days of Wanderlust.tv “21-DAY YOGA CHALLENGE: VINYASA FOR LIFE” 4. A Word From Our Sponsors... Stick to macros (which means more tracking again…) of 35% fat (69g), 35% protein (136g), 30% carbs (97g) 5. The Children’s Fun Fact Science Corner… Journal daily - try out morning pages. 3 pages or 15 minutes every morning. Goodnight, Night Vale. Goodnight.

I skipped the last challenge, but things have still been happening over here in my little corner -- wedding planning, family trip to Spain (holy drama llamas guys), work getting really busy, and the normal episodes of the sads. When we saw this movie fiance was like THAT'S YOU. Unfortunately true. So the year is shaping up like this: February bachelorette in San Diego May 6 Flying Pig Half Marathon June 3 Spartan Sprint Ohio July 1 WEDDING!!!!! September Honeymoon in Portugal I'm such a lucky duck. Goal 1 - Dial in Nutrition (for real this time) So...fiance and I are doing another Whole 30. It's going pretty smoothly, I'm not even having bad cravings (though fiance is...he's dreaming of pizza lol). My post-W30 is always the struggle. This year I have my bachelorette in San Diego right after, and I tend to enjoy non-paleo food and wine. But once I come home I will be shopping Complete the Whole 30 Enjoy my bachelorette party. Eat intentionally and consciously. Go back to mostly Whole 30 eating (~90%) Goal 2 - Training, duh As a Christmas gift my mom signed me up for the Flying Pig half. Training starts this week, eek! The goal components: Complete all half marathon training runs Yoga/barre/pilates 2x/week Complete the Nargles 9k Goal 3 - Be Happy Meditate every day (this is my 2018 resolution and I've been successful so far) Go to bed by 9:30 Wake up at 5am - this is to facilitate either getting in early to get on top of my work, or having a quiet moment alone before heading into the office. Last Saturday I watched a sad movie (Only the Brave), and I don't follow a lot of news so the tragic end hit me really hard. Over the next hours I went into a depressive tailspin that ended with me sobbing on the floor trying to explain to fiance that I was sad for no reason. This is on a day that I took an awesome barre class and then played tennis. Eating Whole 30, working out...it's frustrating to feel like I"m doing everything right and still get the doldrums. All I can do is work on the little things. ETA: Rereading this it sounds really depressing but I wanted to note that these episodes are occasional. And after I cry I feel better. The Whole 30 is just sort of exposing this stuff because I can't stress or emotional eat, so I end up just kind of wallowing in it.

I re-ran my Frost Archer challenge, so why not re-run my Grace Helbig challenge? She is still me but much richer and much more pretty and famous… so this will be Grace’s Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-Up (for me). The goal is to get back to being a well-rounded adult who can train for a half marathon AND do some nice things for self care like journal and drink an appropriate amount of non-alcoholic liquid known as water. Main Goal: Decrease Mile Time by 30 sec or more 1. If I Go Outside, I’ll Die! a. Run/Walk At Least 1 Mile Per day 7x per week b. 7 points per week – 42 points total c. 35 points unlocks Dexterity 2. Leave a Trail of French Fries a. Use 28 Day Reset and Perfect 10 by Cassey Ho to plan meals at least 5 days a week. b. 5 points per week - 30 points total c. Planning for 2 consecutive weeks unlocks Constitution 3. Necesito a. 2 non-running workouts per week b. 2 points per week - 12 points total c. 6 points unlocks Strength 4. Drink til You Forget a. 64oz of water b. 7 point per week – 42 points total c. 23 days of this unlocks Charisma 5. A Case of the Feels a. Journal 3x a week b. 3 points per week – 18 points total c. 3 weeks of consistency unlocks Willpower TOTAL POINTS 15 points per week - 90 points total Well Rounded Adult = ALL UNLOCKED AND 85% success rate (76 points) Beginning Mile Time: 14:32 min/mile DEXTERITY - Locked! CONSTITUTION- Locked! STRENGTH - Locked! CHARISMA - Locked! WILLPOWER - Locked! READY??

Hi all! I need some help finding a lifting plan that works with my half marathon (and soon marathon) training. Running is my sport and my primary focus. But I know strength training is crucial for injury prevention and just general health. I want to start doing big lifts because frankly, I don't want to waste hours at the gym when I can get a workout done in a few moves. But I can't find a lifting program that won't get in the way of my training. And everything online is long lists of exercises I don't know how to put into a workout. A couple notes. I'm in between training cycles right now. Next one picks up December 16th. So I'm just doing maintenance running, which seems like the perfect opportunity to start adding lifts. My run schedule once training starts is Tuesday (Speed work), Thursday (Easy Run), Saturday (Long Run). I would like to do two days of lifting. Should I just bite the bullet and hire a trainer? -M PS. Robin Wright as Antiope is my body goals!

PREVIOUSLY ON AS THE FRELJORD TURNS… A harsh winter has once again settled upon the Freljord. Ashe, leader of the Avarosan tribe, must set out to battle to protect her people from the dangers that lurk in the frostbitten valleys. With the ancient queen Avarosa’s enchanted bow made of crystalline ice, Ashe sets out to protect her people and unite the Freljord, once and for all. In this challenge, Ashe’s in-game abilities will be unlocked as achievements are met. Ashe must also battle her way through the enemy turrets, which are stronger as she edges closer to the opposing base. At the end of the challenge, if all moves are unlocked and all turrets are defeated, Ashe will be fully equipped and ready to do battle with the Nexus within the enemy base. Will victory be forged, or will defeat come to the Frost Archer?... 1. Faster than my arrow? I think not. a. Half Marathon Training b. 5 points per week – 20 points total c. Enchanted Crystal Arrow – Achieved by two consecutive weeks of all 5 half marathon training workouts 2. No, really, put that apple on your head... a. Log Daily and HONESTLY on MyFitnessPal b. 7 points per week - 28 points total c. Unlocks Ranger’s Focus – Achieved by logging two consecutive weeks of food on MyFitnessPal 3. Avarosa guide me. a. 6,000 steps a day b. 7 points per week - 28 points total c. Unlocks Volley – unlocked by achieving 15 total days of meeting 6,000 steps 4. For the Freljord! a. Use standing desk for 1 hour a day b. 5 point per week – 25 points total c. Unlocks Hawkshot – Achieved by completing 10 days of standing 5. No One Escapes My Aim a. Clean something. Literally anything in the house. Just... do something already. b. 1 points per week – 5 points total c. Unlocks Frost Shot – Achieved by cleaning for three weeks in a row.

Jon Firestar Runs a Lot, and Preps for Sparta I don’t really have a theme for this one, nor an original title but here we go: This is going to be a 2 part challenge although both are going to focus on my two race goals. On September 3 I run my first half marathon race! On September 30 I go and run my first Spartan Beast! Very little is changing in my overall plan. It is, however where everything starts to come together and I get to see exactly how much strength, speed and mettle I’ve forged into my body over the last year! My training is going to be focused on the lead up and taper towards these two goals. Luckily they are both the same distance so my running training is very applicable to both. The half marathon is going to be the harder run by a long way but having the miles under my legs is going to help for the Spartan too! Running! Miles: 100 - stretch goal 120 A simple milage goal of 120 miles over the next 5 weeks. I have a plan and if I hit that plan dead on I’ll run 120 miles. I’ll be happy if I break 100 though. Week 0: 30 miles Week 1: 30 miles Week 2: 20 miles Week 3: 20 miles Week 4: 20 miles (I'm going to play this one by ear. It really depends on how much recovery is needed) Training: The training plan is identical to what it has been leading to this point. Things will look different weeks 2 and 3 because of the taper. I’m also going to shuffle things around week 2 give myself a good quality tempo workout on Saturday. My intention is to go to Parkrun and set a new 5k PR (my long run will happen Tuesday that week and will be around 7 - 8 miles) 5 runs per week. Monday: Easy Run Tuesday: Threshold (20 minutes at T Pace or 6x5 minute cruise intervals) Wednesday: Easy Run Thursday: Speed intervals/hill repeats Saturday: Long Run Taper: 2 weeks prior to the half marathon. Speed Goals: These are goals that I’d like to achieve this cycle. They are very much just aspirations and I’m not defining success or failure based on them but I’m going to put them out there to show what I’m aiming for. 5k PR sub 28 minutes. Half Marathon: 2:08 This is Sparta! So here is where things are actually going to change. I’ve been putting a lot of thought into how I’m going to handle my strength training over the next couple of months. Here is the deal. I’ve been running the Juggernaut Program since the new year. It has been going great and I’ve been making serious and steady progress the entire time. The problem is that I am just not going to be able to put together a full training block until probably after November 11. My next 4 ( maybe 5) races are so tightly packed together. I really don’t want to be at all sore for when I go into an event even if the Spartan and Half Marathon are the only ones I really care about being well rested for. My plan, is simple. I will finish out my current wave of Juggernaut next week, deload and then start some focused Spartan specific training. These will most likely be circuit based with a lot of emphasis on body weight work, grip and heavy carries. I’m going to be taking inspiration from @EricMN's wow workouts but shaping them up as I come to them. So my workouts are going to be much more WOD like and a little more adhoc but expect plenty of burpees! I want to try and keep plugging away at the big lifts but probably not at the same volume as I am currently doing. When I finally get back to a more traditional lifting program (which might be November) I’ll test my 1RM and, with any luck, set new PRs to play with. Then I’ll go ahead and start back on Juggernaut. At least through the Winter until next race season! The challenge is to make sure I hit all 3 strength and conditioning workouts per week and spend time each weekend to set out exactly what I’m doing in the coming week. So I’ll post my workouts for the coming week on my Sunday update for a little bit of accountability. Food! 2600-2700 calories per day. Just because weight loss is still a thing! A modest deficit maintained by eating below 2700 calories per day. On the week leading to my half marathon I will increase that to 3000 calories, which is just above maintenance, and will probably introduce the extra calories in the form of carbs.

Well I'm back ... not sure if I ever really left, just sort of stopped being as active here as I used to be. New Forum messed with me some, folks I talked with left, so on and so forth. But hey I'm here. GOAL Complete Hal Higdon Training for my fall half No time goal this time around Feel like I'm starting from zero basically so don't want to stress about time. I'm a bit heavier so much slower than last time I ran a half. Keeping it simple.

Quest 1 - RUN Plotting to do a half in the fall and now I need to get that to happen! A - 12 runs B - 11-9 runs F - less than 9 runs Quest 2 - POWER THROUGH! Just finished my first month of doing Strong Lifts ... I'm gonna keep pushing it! A - 12 SL workouts B - 11-9 SL Workouts F - less than 9 Life Quest - SUIT UP I've been putting off getting clothes that fit my flabbier form ... time to dress well rather than Buy 2 pieces of new clothing!

Hi all! I'm throwing myself back into this with a vengeance. My challenge for this month is pretty simple : get back up to half marathon distance on my long runs. 23rd 10km 30th 15km 7th 17km 14th 15km (race) 21st 21km (I know this is after the deadline, but Sunday is runday, not Saturday hah) obviously this one ain't for beginners but for runners who have simply got a bit lazy about their longer runs lol. Anyone with me?

I'm baaaaaaack..... So so I found my fitness stride again, so here I am! I am going to give this next challenge a go with some new vigor. Also I'm going to see Panic! tonight so theme. Goal one: Keep On Going complete round two of PIIT28 This is a six day a week plan where I replace the cardio day with a run. So... 5 points a week. Goal two: IF YOU LOVE ME, LET ME GO (running) run twice a week. One short run, one long run (at least until the half marathon, then a break is acceptable). 2 points a week. Goal three: No Imposter (foods) Six small balanced meals a day. Eating this way has helped me not mindlessly eat, so five to six small meals, negative points for processed foods more than twice a week. One point per day. Goal Four: Finish Scythe for Anime Detour That's all. Get crafty. Finish Melaka Fray's prop. Do it. LET'S DO THIS SHIT Goal One: 2/20 Goal Two: 0/8 Goal Three: 4/28 Goal Four: 0/1 TOTAL POINTS: 0/56

I ran a half marathon on Sunday and finished the bugger without giving myself any major knee pains. I not only feel accomplished I actually feel like I did the week before the race instead of limping around in pain. I even went for a short run this morning. Here's me in the home stretch (in the shades):

This is me right now. I might post later but knows - sort of gotten pretty disillusioned of late ... maybe that's just me.

OK, time to speed it up. I'm training for a half marathon in November and I have no doubt I'll get the distance in, but I want to tick my speed up a little. From a bit of research it seems the two things that will kick up my speed a notch are sprint training (which trains short twitch muscle fibers giving me anaerobic speed over short distances) and fartlek (teehee) training which raises VO2 Max (the oxygen efficiency in your muscles for distance). To sum up research in a few sentences and grossly simplifying things: Sprinting will improve my over all pace slightly, my "gear switch" to a fartlek, and the final sprint at the end of the race. Farklet training will increase my VO2 max allowing me to run faster overall AND get me used to speeding up the pace for a while then recovering at a slower pace. This results in an overall faster average pace. So I'm going to do a little of both for the four week challenge. Sprints: I'm going to train sprints on Mondays during my short run (7-8km). I'll be doing a ~2k warmup run and then hitting the track at a nearby school. For whatever reason they have 110 meters marked off clearly so I'll do that. 3 sprints at about 70% of effort and jogging around to the line again, then 2 sprints at maximum effort and walking to recover. Then I'll have about 3k left to run as a cool down. Fartlek: I'm going to train fartleks on Wednesday with my medium runs (9-11km) and include a 1 minute fartlek every 3 km. On top of this I need to keep to up my lifting (I got injured doing marathon training as soon as I dropped the weights - I'm convinced that's no coincidence) and get my distance increased to 22 km (over 13.1 miles). I've got spreadsheets because I'm me here. I'm not using the lift schedule on there. I haven't set up my October schedule yet (which will be easier), but here is September.

My goals this challenge won't be much different from previous and I'm keeping them quite simple. So I'm picking a silly theme to keep it interesting. I got the idea from the person I do most of my obstacle and mud runs with. She nicknamed me "The Machine" a while back and whenever I complete a tough obstacle at a race she always shouts "You're a machine" at me. Possibly just to embarrass me. Race season is nearly over now and I want to make sure that next year I come back even stronger. Next May I have my first ever 20 mile OCR, and I've never even run close to 20 miles before! Remind me again why I'm doing this? So I've got to start increasing my mileage and getting myself prepared for whatever 20 miles of an obstacle course race looks like. Like this, apparently: Goal 1: Endurance Racer (running) Run a minimum 3 times a week. Must do 1 long run a week. Goal 2: Mini Submarine (swimming) Swim at minimum of once a week Goal 3: Tank (strength) Strength Train a minimum of twice a week. Do chin ups whenever possible. Go climbing when possible This challenge I'm going to try and do a better job of keeping track of each goal each week, as I tend to start off with a good plan for my goals, but it all gets ignored by about week 2! I'll aim to do proper write ups each week with analysis of each goal. For the Rebellion! Chaaarge! Weekly Trackers: Week 0 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

So a long long time ago in a galaxy far away........ or in reality last march from my couch I signed up for a half marathon, and because I hate running in hot humid weather I did very few long runs over the summer; which in fact does not make for good half marathon training. I am going to attempt a 10 miler this weekend 10/2 and totally wing the half on 10/9; if I can finish in under 2hrs I will be extremely happy Running, continue to get up before the sun and run, need to buy a new safety reflective vest so I can run the farm land safely, but getting up and running before everything gets crazy is meditative plus I get to come back to a quiet house and have a cup of coffee in peace Drink more water; attempt the gallon of water a day challenge for at least a week; that is way more than I need but it helps me not drink anything else and it makes sure that I am hydrated Meditate and Mindfulness, I have a few things that I need to change in my life so I am going to use meditation and mindfulness to help make those changes; basically Zenning the Fuck Out Goal is to use this half marathon as a long run for the Hangover Half Marathon on New Years; my only excuse for missing it is if they cancel it (lots of snow or below -30f wind chills both happen around here)

This is Harry Hart (aka: Galahad): He's a member of the not so secret service called the Kingsman and he's recruited me to join their ranks. But first - I have to make it through training. This is where we will be training: The rest of my group are pompous arses so we won't talk about them. There are multiple parts to becoming a spy: etiquette, work ethic, intelligence gathering, and physical ability. Manners Maketh Man: Luckily, I was actually required to take etiquette classes when I was young, so I don't need much in the way of this. Take the Initiative: Some missions will require work that is... unsavory and comes with lots of paperwork. Paperwork is dull but necessary. Just because it isn't fun and glamorous doesn't mean you don't have to do it. Focus on getting work accomplished, even if it isn't enjoyable. Moving forward can only happen if you have the right skills to back it up. Intelligence Gathering: Study up. Physical Ability: Hand to hand, running from explosions, keeping your head when in pain. All three (and more) are skills needed to become a Kingsman agent. These can be learned through proper training and focus, but all require a level of physical ability beyond the norm. Build the body and the skills will develop. Let the training commence.

Ok, so I have been slacking hard in the accountability sector, so this is my inner June fighting off my inner Chloe. Who will win? The points will tell. 64 points or more, and the light side wins (to team June!). 63 points or less and it’s the dark side, Team Chloe, taking over. But I mean, Chloe isn’t all that bad is she?... Goal One: Half Marathon Training, B! (0/20) This includes three runs, one weight day, and one cross training day. I get a point for each day I get that sh*t done. Rest days are Friday and Sunday but can be shuffled if my social calendar jurisdicts it. Because it often does. Goal Two: Water Yourself, B! (0/28) I’ve been bad about water intake and I need to get better with the hot weather and the running. I am also trying to limit my alcohol consumption this month to 4 drinks a week. It doesn’t seem like much, but my social life is a lot of tasty beer and friends. Not tasty friends… I mean they could be, but I’m not really into eating my friends. So I need to drink 60oz of water a day to earn my point. That’s under my daily goal, but over what I’m already getting… so we’re taking baby steps. Goal Three: Get Your S*it Together, B! (0/4) The house needs organizing again. Each week there will be a task and it must get done by the end of the week. The four projects will be the craft room, the living room, the kitchen, and the bathroom. Clean them like they have never been cleaned before. Because it’s been a long time since they have been. Goal Four: Track Your Food, B! (0/28) It wasn’t a huge success in the last challenge, but I am getting to the point in training where it is really important that I am not undereating and that I’m getting enough fuel for my body. So we’re going to try this again. With MFP this time. Here we go. A point for each day I log. And SIDE QUEST, B! Playing on last challenge but twisting it a little. I am going to post one thing I am grateful for at each check in. Just… literally anything I am grateful for that day.

Oh hai guys. I am back. I sort of took off into the abyss and made like an invisible person. Contain yourself. I know this return thrills you. @Ceasefire came back this go, so I am, too. I am going to try at least. I have another half marathon in October, so here we go with training again. Four simple goals: Earth: Earth is a grounding force. I need to keep my core and cardio training up, so once a week I will complete a 30 minute Les Mills BodyCombat track to further my half marathon training. I will also lift heavy things with Les Mills BodyPump once a week. Strength training, ftw. Water: Is flexible and understanding. I live by the 80/20 rule with food. Be your best 80% of the time and the 20% you aren't doesn't matter as much. It's not an excuse to slack, it's the reality of being someone who lieks to go out to eat with friends and who really likes beer. I will food journal on YouFood daily to track this goal. Fire: Is full of energy - it destroys as well as heals. I will run 3x per week. Sounds easy, right? But these low mileage early weeks can get boring. I hope that keeping up here will help me focus and not find excuses to not run. Air: Is peaceful and patient. I need to be nicer to myself. So each check in, I will have to come here and write something nice about myself. Something I accomplished, something I like about me... Anything positive. We're going light and easy on the return.

Asa clambered up the stairs in response to the severe looking witch's call of "Pond, Asa!". Sitting heavily on the rickety stool facing the Great Hall, she had an idea of what was to come next thanks to the stories her siblings had told her when she was young. It didn't help her nerves much though. Being in the P's, Asa had the opportunity to watch several other students get sorted into their houses before her and she was desperately hoping she wasn't one of the ones that took too long. "Hmmm..." She jumped as the old, ratty hat murmured in her ear. "Ratty old hat am I?" It chortled. "I suppose I am getting a bit up there in years." Asa didn't quite know how to respond. "...I'm sorry?" "No, you're not and that is perfectly fine with me. Now let's see. You might as well get comfortable, this isn't going to be easy, I can already tell you that." Asa groaned internally. Of course it wouldn't be. "Definitely not a Hufflepuff, that much I can say." "Why not?!" Asa had no specific desire to be sorted into Hufflepuff but something in the way the hat made it sound like it was so obvious was unnerving to her. "Well, where I put you depends on where you'll grow the most as a witch and as a person. I can already tell that your loyalty and friendship must be earned and are not freely given, and while you do not hate hard work, it is not your first inclination." Asa responded with a mental shrug. She really couldn't argue with that. "I see intelligence in you and a desire to learn. Perhaps a Ravenclaw? No, not quite. I see your value lies more strongly in areas beyond your pure education. Ahhhh, yes. Ambitious. Very ambitious and willing to bend a few rules, maybe, to get where you want to be?" "Only in the most necessary of circumstances!" Asa thought. "Only when it's really needed." "Mmmm." She wasn't quite sure the hat believed her, but she was pretty sure she believed herself. "What is it you want in life, Ms. Pond? Where do your dreams lead you?" Immediately, towering mountains and clear cold lakes filled her mind. Next came a flash of flying though the air, then dancing in the square of a city among its native citizens. Climbing, jumping, racing, exploring. But there was also the office with the view from the top and the important title outside her door. Her future employees came to her asking for advice and handing in assignments that she had ordered. The two dreams warred in her mind. "I see." Whispered the hat. "Even you are not sure where you belong. A life full of adventure or a life with power. So where to put you? Where indeed." She thought hard, trying to picture what she wanted the most, what scared her the most. "Ah!" Gasped the hat. "So that is what is holding you back. You are afraid, yes? Afraid of where you might be lead if you follow your heart? Then that is what you must discover, Ms. Pond. You must face what scares you. And in order to do that, you must go in GRYFFINDOR!" Of course the last word was yelled out to the room and the expectant sea of faces on her left roared with applause. She hopped off the stool and handed the hat back to Headmistress McGonagall with a quick smile. She didn't feel as confident in the choice as the hat seemed to be, but she would do her best to live up to the sorting.

I’m freewheeling a little it this time around so this challenge will be more like a battle log. There are a few things that I need to do over the next few weeks, so most of my goals will be a list of things that I need to get done before the end of this challenge. No doubt the list will get longer as the month goes on! Of course, none of this is fun without a theme. I didn't really put much thought into a theme this time around, so I’m going to randomly post meme’s from Welcome to Night Vale - seeing as WTNV has taken over my life in the last few weeks and it’s endlessly quotable. On the first day of this challenge, I have my first Half Marathon of the year. I’m not particularly looking forward to it as it’s going to be a tough, hilly course; possibly in hot weather (though rain is currently predicted) and I’ve been having a few calf issues the last few weeks. My aim is to just complete the race, I’m not worried about how long it takes or how many walk breaks I need. I just want to get across the finish line, preferably on my feet and with all my appendages intact. Charlie’s list of stuff: Book eye test & contact lens check-up Call Electric Company and give a meter reading Buy Father’s day present Buy brother’s birthday present Stuff for Wales Weekend Trip: Arrange key pick-up time with cottage owner Make list of food / drinks to take with us Buy food / drink to take with us Arrange birthday evening for brother The only other real "goal" I have this challenge is to make sure I keep up with the Ranger Mini Challenge as I keep starting it but never finishing.

When last I wrote, I had been struck down by the influenza virus, that curse of our Midwestern dwelling. For days my running schedule was despaired of, and when at last I came to myself and became convalescent, I was so whingy and restless that a board of my peers determined that not a day should be lost in sending me back to training. I was dispatched, accordingly, with team Altair in the walk for Multiple Sclerosis and a day later was in possession of a plan, with my miles irretrievably ruined, but with permission from a motherly figure, to spend the next 5 months recovering them. I had neither kith nor kin in the running community, and was therefore as free as air—or as free as an income of a post-grad with student loans will permit a runner to be. Under such circumstances, I naturally gravitated to OCRs, that great cesspool into which all the rangers and scouts of the Rebellion are irresistibly drained. It is here that I am now, writing my current challenge. I have penned a mud run and an inflatable obstacle course run into my diary which will test both endurance and mental fortitude. But I am up for the challenge. Apparently, it will take a while to adjust to the running life, and "writing a blog about everything that happens to you will honestly help", which is where you come in. You see, you are here to follow my adventures, and the game, my friends, is on.

This challenge, I’m drawing my inspiration from one of my favorite MCU characters, Margaret Elizabeth “Peggy” Carter. I love everything about Agent Carter’s character. She’s strong, capable and doesn’t give a crap what other people think. I’m going to have to switch things up a gear for the next 4 weeks. Not only do I have 2 OCR’s this month (the first one this coming Saturday - excited!), I’ve also got to keep training for my first half marathon of the year in July. Goal 1 Follow half marathon plan Pretty simple, do all runs as stated in my half marathon training plan. The only caveat is that I can skip the weekend run if I have a planned race that day. A 10-12km OCR is enough of a replacement for a long run! 12 runs in total Goal 2 i) Continue bodyweight exercises. Perform each exercise at least once a week. 16 in total Push Ups Dips Body-weight rows Chin ups ii) climb at least once a week 4 climbs in total Goal 3 A few weeks before any OCR or running race, I always find myself doubting myself and what I’m capable of. This self doubt gets so bad that it tends to keep me awake at night a few days before the race. It then bleeds over into other aspects of my life and I start criticizing my abilities elsewhere - for example, it affected my climbing this weekend. I also have a tendency to over analyse my performance after an event, the obstacles I failed or if I could have gone faster. I’m overly hard on myself and it taints my experience at events as I focus more or what I couldn’t do instead of what I could. I’m not sure how this quest is going to work as this is more of a mental challenge as opposed to something I can track. The goal for now is to aim to say something positive about myself each day. If anyone has any ideas how to expand on this, it would be really helpful. Side Goal OK, I couldn't find a gif to go with this goal, I just love this scene Drink a protein shake 5 days a week 20 in total I’ve been tracking my macros on and off for the last month or so and I've found I'm always low on my protein intake. I want to build more muscle and haven’t been seeing the results I’d like. This is an experiment to see if lack of protein is part of the reason. I'm not going to officially start my challenge till Monday next week, but will be test running this week to see if there is anything I need to tweak.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... Episode IV BALANCE Stronger, yet exhausted from their battle with the Sith, Starstuff and the other Jedi Initiates return to the Jedi temple on CORUSCANT to continue their training. Starstuff has learned much, but the call of the Dark Side - old habits, cutting corners, and a tendency to try to do too much at once - can be hard to resist... Main Quest: Prepare for the Initiate Trials I have passed one of the Trials: a full push-up! Four more to go. You can see the goals I'm working toward on my Epic Quests list under The Initiate Trials. I've got a half marathon coming up on 5/7, and I'm hoping to have that Trial knocked off by the time the next challenge starts, but I want to make sure I'm keeping on top of my other goals, too. Goal 1: A mind and body at peace My sleeping habits are kind of terrible. "Kind of" in the sense that Jabba the Hutt is "kind of" awful. I usually get a full 7-8 hours in any given 24 hour period, but usually only through sleeping in and taking afternoon naps. My mornings are generally pretty tired and cranky, which isn't good for me physically or mentally. So, I'm setting myself a sleep goal for this challenge: in bed by midnight every night, with lights out by 12:30. Goal 2: Harmony in movement It's important for a Jedi to keep in good physical condition, because you never know when you're going to find yourself running from blaster fire or needing to pull yourself up from hanging off a ledge. My goal here is to keep up with the last few weeks of my half marathon training and keep working on my strength training, which means running five times a week and strength training two times a week. Goal 3: Find balance in the Force More handstand practice! For this goal, I'm going to work on inversion and hand-balancing three times a week, with five minutes one day a week spent on each of the following: freestanding headstands, wall handstands, and crow pose progression. Life Goal: Roughing it, NaNoWriMo-style Camp NaNoWriMo runs throughout the month of April, and I've set myself a goal of 15 hours of editing my novel during that time. Things have been pretty crazy on the personal front the last few days, so I'm starting this challenge with a grand total of zero minutes editing so far, so that means I need to do 15 hours of editing before the end of the challenge.