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After a massive string of losses, my previous challenge was a huge success. The difference that I had between my last challenge and the past 12 or so was pretty simple: I gave myself an ultimatum. Either I beat this challenge with no fuckups, or I quit NF forever. It worked and it made me have a mental shift with being on NF in general. My entire life I've been morbidly obese. When I was 8 years old, I remember being yelled at by the gym teach to do pushups. I could do 3 knee-pushus while all of my other classmates were doing the 20 they were supposed to do. People would lap me: we had to run 3 laps around the gym afterwards and I barely got 1 lap done. I still remember sitting against the gym wall, counting off by 3s or 4s and being stuck do some shitty activity. It never got any better, being bullied by a teacher and multiple bullies over the years. I ballooned up to 360 pounds before I found NF. The motivation for finally changing? My pants were a size 58 and they looked like clown pants. I remember tearing up when I said to myself, 'I weigh as much as an xbox'. And I also did some research and once people get to 400 or so pounds, their metabolism shits the bed. I didn't want to be dead by 30. In other words: I had to feel like things were a matter of life and death before I finally pulled my head out of my ass. While on NF and the past 38 challenges, I started off with wall push-ups and swinging a sledgehammer around. I love hammers. Always have. Never been a 'sword' person. The thought of crushing things into dust versus stabbing things appeals to me in a very primal way. As I began losing weight, I started distancing myself from my emotionally abusive toxic enmeshed relationship that I had been in for 12 years. Eventually, a rift started; as supportive people from NF were cheering me on, my (soon-to-be) ex was actively sabotaging my efforts. Also during this time, I started developing feelings for a mutual friend, as well as falling in love with a woman on NF. In a clusterfuck of emotions, it all came to a head a couple years ago at a Spartan Race. I tried to beat a Spartan Race when I was 300ish pounds and after 4 grueling hours, I was only able to get 1/2 - 3/4 through it. I hated myself because of this. But people on NF supported me and cheered me on. Then, I decided I would attempt to run another one in a couple months. People from NF and across the country were in my corner and made the trip to Boston, Massachusetts to run the race with me. In about 2.5 hours; we had done it. We beat it as a team. And the lady 'situations' finally exploded. I ended my 12 year relationship, applied to get my master's degree; and crashed mentally. It was hell dealing with my now-ex for 9 months as she looked for a place to move. Finally, in August of 2014; she was finally moved out. I needed to purge all of the toxic shit in my life. Toxic people. Toxic things. I took 95% of everything I owned and burned it all in a massive funeral pyre. The old mike was dead. There was only the person that I wanted to be left: Teros. Then I cleaned, painted, built a kitchen table, built a home gym, built a bookshelf, put down carpet. I got my first tattoo. My first piercing. I cut my hair after 3 years of growth. I got dreadlocks. I got accepted into school. I started MMA classes. I went to camp NF (first time traveling and first time on a plane). I reinvented everything about myself. Rather that letting other dictate who I was and how I should act; I gave the world the middle finger and carved out who *I* was and who deep down *I* wanted to be. I also took a year off from dealing with any women, because I knew that I was a wreck emotionally. I made my own world. As time wore on, I started falling *hard* for a woman that I wanted to be with. She is exactly what I wanted. I got close to a couple other rare women that I developed feeling for as well but I didn't know what to *do* with these emotions. I started to become complacent. I was still losing weight, having lost a grand total of 120 pounds; but I still wasn't at my goal. Work and school were draining me, and then I started an internship which pushed myself from passionate into apathy. I felt myself falling, slowly, and I didn't know what to do. I drifted away from NF more and more, as I felt like there was nothing to say, I beat myself up more, I started getting suicidally depressed, and after a year, I decided that I just needed someone to talk to. I needed friends irl. So I signed up on a dating website with no intention of being with anyone. The woman that I had fallen in love with had her own demons to deal with and drifted further and further away. There was nothing I could do to convince her that I want to be with her, through thick and thin, that I want to grow old with her, that I want to start a family with her, spend the rest of my life with her. She just....wasn't there. I haven't given up on her yet. I just can't. When going on the dating website, I had shitshow after shitshow. Tons of attention from lots of broken women. Women that, when I look back on it now, where not WORTH my attention. I didn't want any of them... I wanted *her*, and as I learned more about these broken women, I realized just how much loss I felt. The following year, (bringing me to this past October) made me have very little faith in people. My best friend of 26 years took money from me and disappeared; and I have no idea what happened. If the love of my life and my best friend can both vanish; what does that say about other people? I was an island, isolating myself more, and eating junk. My depression came back, full force, and I felt worthless. I needed something to put a stop to this. That came in the form of my last challenge. What worked and finally had me pull my head out of my ass to start losing weight was a 'do or die' mentality. I either was going to get to my goal weight and get things done, or I was going to die. In my brain, I didn't have a choice to back out. Just like with the Spartan Races: once I was there....I was going to face it. Last challenge, I set up the stipulation that I don't deserve to call myself 'Teros' anymore if I'm just going to be a mopey fuck and let inferior and shitty relationships bog me down. No more albatross around my neck. I needed a reboot and to feel like I was an animal caught in a corner and needed to claw my way out. And once I got back into that 'do or die' mentality, everything clicked. And what that mentality did, was have me beat a Spartan Race, on my own, in roughly an hour: I realized that this is the only way I'm going to finish this quest. I've lost 120 pounds. I have another 40 or so to go. I have a TON of future plans that I haven't told anyone about. If I don't embrace my full potential, I'll be an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone. I refuse that. Starting from now on: if I do not pass any of my goals that I set out to do, then I fail, and I quit NF forever. The plan is simple, I'm either going to get to my fucking goal within the next few months or I'm gone. Do or Die. My theme this challenge is taken from one of my favorite games: Diablo. In Diablo, you had the option of creating a character and selecting [HardCore Mode]. In [HardCore Mode] or [HC], if your character died once, you lost all of your gear and levels. One life. So I've made a Hardcore Character that I will be 'playing' as, in this challenge. I choose the Crusader because he uses a hammer and a shield. As a friend of mine told me, 'Teros' means 'shield' in Greek. When I had this nickname back when I was playing videogames at age 7 or 8, I had no idea about this, but it's fitting. Also another reason I'm choosing [Crusader] is because of the purge-heavy theme. I made my banner as well: A Crusader shield with flames underneath. My [Hardcore Crusader] Challenge: 1) Purge the Body - I'm starting a whole30+. I'm eating whole 30, with Thanksgiving/Krampus being the ONLY flexible days for me. Everything else is 100%. 2) Purge the Mind - I'm purging things that distract me. a.) I'm purging Facebook and not going on at all. b.) I'm purging Youtube and not going on unless I need a link for goal #6. 3) TomeWork - A Crusader has trusty tomes of knowledge. This is multiple parts to complete: a.) (School) - Do my assessment paper b.) (School) - Do my first process recording c.) (School) - Do my second process recording d.) (Intern) - Do my client trainings e.) (Intern) - Organize paperwork f.) (Intern) - Built resource list g.) (Intern) - Start policy drafts h.) (Personal) - Finish anatomy picture book 4) Temptations of the Flesh - Purging physical temptations. a.) Purging any porn sites. b.) Only 3 evenings per week with 'ladyfriends'. 5) My Hammer - My workouts. I'm doing at least one of each: a.) Sledgehammer b.) Interval Jog c.) MMA class 6) My Shield - I'm doing something creative at least once per week (besides this whole challenge idea). This includes any of these (and what I would maybe need Youtube for): a.) Bellmyst Campaign b.) Painting c.) Claywork d.) Papermache e.) Anything else creative that might come up I have also signed up for another Spartan Race. All Paladin, Crusader, Hammer, and Shield pictures welcome as motivation.

Getting Ready for the Marines Part 4 Hey guys! This will be my tenth challenge now! Last challenge I wasn't proud how it ended, I really want to make it my best but I didn't . I let my personal problems effect my goals and as a result I crashed. But now I'm better! A series of events happened and now I'm the me I used to be 10 years ago. And she's a Badass . So let's do this, let's all make this challenge our best! Who's with me?!?!?! Goal #1: Beast Mode ENGAGED!!: I'll be working out 6x a week, leaving Sunday a rest day. The workouts will be hardcore to. The Marines won't hold back, so I shouldn't either. (Str. +2) A. 6x B. 5x C. 4x D. 3x F. 2x Goal #2: Eat Like a Warrior: I'm sticking to a very strict diet. It's mainly veggies and meat, even then it'll be mostly veggies. If I get a sugar craving I'll have some fruit and nuts. No dairy either. (Con. +2, Wis. +1) A. 0 cheats B. 1 cheat C. 2 cheats D. 3 cheats F. 4 or more cheats Goal #3: Run faster than the Zombies in 28 Days Later: Running for me greatly helps me mentally. I can face the day and all the stress if I've ran earlier, and I don't want to go back to how I used to be. Everyday now I'll be running and trying to push to go faster. (Sta. +2) A. Run everyday B. 1 day missed C. 2 days missed D. 3 days missed F. 4 days missed Goal #4: Rest and Repair: If I feel my body giving out because of how hard I'm pushing I will rest. A rest day will include, extensive relaxing Yoga, a cold bath, some diy spa treatments, reading, drawing, etc. (Wis. +1, Dex. +1) A. Listen to my body and rest F. Push to hard Life Goal: Size 8!!: I am a size 12 now and although I'm happy about that, I want to take the chance and strive for a size 8 in 6 weeks. Can I do it? Don't know but can't hurt to try! (Cha. +3) A. Size 8!! B. Size 10! F. No change I have no idea right now how to grade this haha . So if anyone has any ideas let me know please. Feedback is welcomed! What do you guys think? Before:

So I'm squeaking in under the bar for the start of this this week. I wasn't going to participate as I was unprepared with all these things changing around here with goals and such like. MAIN MISSION: drop 10% body fat This will be ongoing, I expect it to take a few months obviously. I'm starting at basically 31% body fat, which is better than this time last year. I want to be strong and made of muscle and not just jiggly fat. I can see some definition starting in my legs and arms and I want more please, kthxbai. BUT WHY?! I went to roller derby practice today, and got to scrim (play against other girls) and have come out battered and bruised having been hit, fallen, and hit and skated my legs off. I am a newbie and I played against the big girls. And I am STILL on an endorphin high. Then I got a text from my coach asking if I was prepared to knuckle down and get through my minimum skills tests IN THREE WEEKS. I said yes. And here I am. So I want my body to perform better, as good as it can be. And hefting less of me around will aid that exponentially. To do this I will be doing derby/fitness related/diet stuff to LEVEL UP MY LIFE. HELL YES! HOW?! 1. Get up at 7am on weekdays and DO something productive before work: workout/walk the dog/prep lunch. I'm finding it hard to get my ass outta bed, and I'm wasting a good portion of my day because of it! +2 CHA +2 CON Each day I will record my get up time at home and allocate point accordingly based on percentages, rounded down to the nearest 0.5pt 2. Stop snacking on crap! Allow myself one item of "junk" per day - this includes servings of carbs. +2 CON Record my food in myfitnesspal, so I can be accountable for the stuff I put in my facehole. 3. Workout 5 days a week, either a run, or a strength workout (I have a PT workout, but I'm a bit bored by it, so I'm mixing it up with some of the off-skates circuits we do, and mixing lower/upper body and core, so I'm getting a full body workout) This is on top of my two days skating a week. Workouts can be short or long, just DOING IT is the key +3 STR +2 STA + 2 DEX Again, I will record this on my getup sheet (I'll make a little poster and stick it on the bathroom cabinet with a pencil by it!) and allocate point as percentage complete LIFE QUEST Read more! Try to fit in 30mins of reading for pleasure per day to help switch off my mind +2 WIS If I haven't finished Game of Thrones by the time this challenge is done I get ZERO. Simple. Also, I lost my way a bit last challenge, so I'm going to steal some tips from mrrrichpearson and put my goals as my lockscreen on my phone, and up around the house in places (along with: DERBY STANCE!!) so I cannot put it in a box on a shelf in my mind. OH YES GOALS YOU WILL BE OWNED THIS TIME. Yeah, so um. I think this might be my last adventurer challenge, as I guess I'm turning into more of a ranger as my goals and fitness progresses!

Tough Mudder. Charlotte, NC. November 2. I got on this website to start working towards doing this. http://toughmudder.com/events/charlotte-2013/

I am officially signed up to run in the 4:30 time slot in Kansas City on April 27th!! This is my very first Warrior Dash.. hell.. it's my very first official 5k! HA! This is what I've been training myself for and pushing myself towards with the current 6 week challenge. Building up muscle and endurance in an effort to DOMINATE THIS THING!! Any other Rebels going? Strife and I are going down together, but it'd be neat to meet some other people from the Rebellion. So excited!