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Because falling down and getting back up is what RAPTRONNNN STUFF is all about. I do gymnastics, lift weights, bake pies, run around sometimes, and really, really, really like themes and costumes. 1. Sunday Funday *Work out every Sunday I have so much trouble getting to the gym on Sundays, but WE GOTTA, ok?! There are only like 6 weeks until my powerlifting competition on Dec. 2! 2. Don't Forget to Assassin *Vault 2x *Uneven bars 4x *Back handsprings on high beam at least 2x *Routine/choreo run-through at least 2x (<-- which means I have to have it ready to gooo!) Just because I am competing in powerlifting doesn't mean I should ignore the incoming gymnastics competition season, especially as there is a meet I could choose to compete in as early as Dec. 10! 3. Eat More Good *Aim for eating real meals at home (dinner with a vegetable, sitting down) 7x week *Eat out < 8x over challenge I'm a little soft around the edges right now from all the travel and wanton disregard of nutritional needs. I do want to actually compete in the weight class I signed up for, after all, and once that is over, leotards are pret-ty small. I am not doing a formal cut or anything, but there are some unnecessary indulgences I can stand to lose for a bit. I maintain within like a 10 lb range and am just at the higher end of that range right now. 4. New Beginnings *Apply for a job that I am genuinely excited about 2x per week It's time to turn over a new leaf! I love my workplace but there is no growth potential and I want to start being serious about seeing what is out there for me.

Valkyrie lay in the woods, comfortable in the familiarity of her surroundings. The leaves she lay on were soft as a feather down mattress, and she lay there for as long as she could remember. Now and then, she attempted to get up, but her limbs felt heavy, her head was muddled, and every time she settled again into her comfortable bed of leaves, unaware of the vines and roots of the darker things in the forest that had begun to wrap themselves around her body as she rested, utterly deaf to the sounds of the creatures which lay in wait for her. These creatures were Sloth, Complacency and Doubt. Suddenly, she opened her heavy eyelids and saw the snare for what it was, the creatures threatening only in their insidiousness. With a cry of alarm, she ripped her arms and legs free of the unkind foliage and staggered to her feet, weakened by her prolonged immobility. The creatures stood at bay, watching her with hungry eyes, but unwilling to advance upon her while she faced them. Determined, Valkyrie sized them up, then observed her surroundings with new eyes. Her previous bed of leaves was a moldy patch of mulch, where nothing could grow. To her left was the path she had wandered down to end up in this place, that she realized now was the creatures' den, a path that went in endless circles. The ground on this path was dappled with sunshine, clear of obstacles and debris - but full of deadly pitfalls, which led her every time back to this place, and a smell of decay permeated the air. To her right was a path that led...where? Surely away from this place! The ground was gnarled with roots, the sunlight strained to break through the old growth, but the air smelled fresher in that direction, somehow. As though, perhaps, a fresh water spring might be just beyond the thicket. Valkyrie knew one thing: she could not continue the way she had if she wanted to arrive someplace different. Valkyrie embarked upon a path unknown, a path less traveled, and that would make all the difference.

HERRRGGRRK BLEH Okay, so living fast and loose with hunters has made me strong, and eager to do more. That said, to continue my training, I’m going to seek out strict, organized, Military discipline. Fair warning – this challenge will feature A LOT of swearing. I’ll try to avoid RvB spoilers, but it’s hard with so many gifs available.) Turns out, being embroiled in an endless, pointless, Godot-type war/waiting game gives you plenty of time to work out and do squats. So, using the state-of-the-art training programs recommended by both the Red and Blue armies, I intend to spend the next six weeks going from Blood Gulch slacker (Grif) to awesome Freelancer (Tex). My goals are as follows: Seriously. What the fuck are “girly lapsâ€? DEX 2 STA 2 The step counting has been great, but I need to build up my stamina, especially as it starts getting hot and humid. 3 runs per week. No excuses. Long bike rides can substitute. If it’s too hot, I can wait for nightfall or go to the gym and work out on a treadmill. “What’s stronger than rock? Like, super rock?†“PAPER!†STR 3 I let weights fall by the wayside as I got more into dancing and taiko. My goals involve strength, though. So 3x/ week, I’ll do BW (or learn to do regular weights at the gym). Emphasis on pull-up training. I can let one slide, if I have a really intense taiko session, but dance has not been intense enough to take the place of a BW. Again, if it’s super-hot, I can do a Neila Rey at home or go to the gym. No excuses! “Do they put something in the water here?†“Water? We ran outta water six months ago.†“No water, then what do you drink?†“Uh, you know, ketchup, uh, soy sauce, gravy, the usual.†CON 2 WIS 1 Food and drink has varied wildly from overeating a bunch of junk (Grif), undereating good stuff, and undereating junk. And water consumption has just sucked. So I will log everything. I will use MFP and a text document on my phone to keep track. Not trying to hit macros, but I will journal a bit to figure out how much I need to keep going. Also, inspired by Polgara, I will not eat sweet treats when I am alone. Sweets are for sharing, so no solo snacking on crap! "I'm just chillin'. That's the only rule on blue team, rookie. Be cool." "I thought the only rule was don't kill the leader?" "Yeah, but we break that rule all the time. That's what makes us so cool." CHA 1 DEX 1 Without going all lazy like Grif, or a little . . . too stretchy, like Grif's sister, I want to continue my stretching and meditation/prayer ritual before bed. It helps me shut down a little - i often can't fall asleep because of whirling thoughts. “Talk about a waste of resources. I mean, we should be out there finding new and intelligent forms of life, you know, fight them.†CHA 1 WIS 2 I’ve been getting excited about going back home in August, but I have two more months in Japan to have amazing experiences, and “discover new mapsâ€. So my goal is, every week, to find/do/see/eat/try one new thing. This is a little fuzzy, but some ideas are: Cook a new dish, with a new ingredient Try a new activity/exercise See a new site in the area

3 sentence intro (Hiya druids!): I’m Pretzle, 25, Dutch, of the female sort. I teach English at college, like reading, cooking, good coffee & tea. A former (and future) assassin who has been mostly primal for the past month or so, loves BW stuff but can be a little mentally unstable at times. (This will be 4 but: I’m also looking for some friends (of the online and/or real life versions).) (Also, I write long posts. Just read the bold/underlined/italics and you'll get what I'm aiming for .) Main goal: Become/Stay sane & healthy - whatever happens. Ok, not really ‘whatever’, because sometimes you simply don’t have a say. But whenever I do have a say, I want to do all I can to achieve my main goal. Goal 1: Feed my mind and soul. * Read and study scripture for 15 minutes a day, before bed. I already have a solid habit of reading. I read about a book every week/10 days, so that’s absolutely fine (and fun) in a general sense. But I need sustenance, proper food. I’m a Christian, so I’d like to study the scriptures a bit more than I currently do. Why time based? I’ve read through the Bible in a year before, with a schedule telling me which chapters to read for the day. This means I would sometimes just read as quickly as I could to get through the planned reading. Good for general Bible knowledge and ‘just having read it all at least once’, but not for actual studying purposes. By setting a time goal it doesn’t matter how much I read. I can decide to study a few verses and really think about them. Which would be a good idea, I think. WIS 1 STA 2 Goal 2: Give them what they pay me for. * No work e-mail after 8 pm, only check once on Saturdays. I’m a teacher. It’s normal in my profession to work a few more hours than you’re actually paid for. I’m absolutely fine with that. The thing is, I’m addicted to checking my e-mail (both personal and work… I still checked my uni mail 2 months after graduating - until they closed my account!). I check my e-mail in the morning before work if I have time for it. I think that’s fine - it helps me anticipate some things which will happen (or suddenly won’t happen) during the day. But still mailing back and forth with a colleague after 9 pm? That’s just silly! So to allow me to get ready for bed, and really enjoy my weekends… I won’t check my work e-mail after 8 pm (all days) or check more than once on a Saturday. This will be difficult for me. … Ugh, habits CON 2 WIS 1 Goal 3: Keep up the good work. * Exercise 3 x a week I feel a bit silly for including this, but I’m afraid I’ll slip back into old (ancient by now) habits if I allow myself to do so… I’ve exercised for about 3 times a week ever since I started running in December 2011. I’m busier now with work, though, and the autumn has started and winter is on its way. That’s why I will still include it as a goal, just to keep myself accountable on days I simply don’t feel like it. Forms of exercise will likely consist of: Bodyweight circuits, balancing, Poi, jump rope, swimming, walking, sprinting… Basically bodyweight exercises (which I love) … and whatever else I feel like! STR 2 STA 2 DEX 1 Lifequest: Try something new! * During this challenge do two things I’ve never done before! Tentative ideas: - Go to KB girl’s KB workshop (I’m terrified, but really want to try ) - Go to a classical concert - Send my grandparents a letter explaining what I’ve learnt from them over the past 25 years, saying thank you - Go to a gym and get a PT to explain weights stuff to me - Organise for a native speaker to visit my classroom (the organising part, not sure I could make this happen during the challenge) - ... I’ve actually been doing REALLY well with this particular goal. I’ve graduated, started a new job, tried in-door climbing, got myself a museumcard and visited a few of those (even went to one all by myself)... Still, I’d like to keep it up and expand my horizon even more. CHA + 4