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I’m starting to look at fitness from a Warcraft perspective. Ultimately, the goal is raid progression (for me, anyway). You want to beat the newest content and be ready for the next patch. In order to be successful, you need to understand the mechanics behind your class – and how to utilize those mechanics. This is me – er, well the WoW version of me. Phedre. Baller Frost Mage who achievement hunts like there’s no tomorrow. If I weren’t a progression raider, I’d probably be in a guild that solely focuses on achievements (and yes – that is really my guild name. Pirate Hookahs xD) Starting quests to get into the end game content are usually simple. Things like establishing who you’re ultimately going in there to take down – and who’s your point of contact. Opening up the zone is easy – defeating it is another story. Now, let’s buff up and zone in! - What are mages famous (infamous) for? WATER. I’m making solid progress on the nutritional front, so let’s add to that. This challenge I’m setting a water intake goal: Ultimately I’m trying to achieve 72oz of water a day. It sounds like a lot! But, when you factor my Starbucks cup I keep at work holds 24 ounces, that’s three cups. That’s nothing. But this sets a good foundation for the next part of my quest chain. - Just like in real life and the ultimate quest for fitness and health – what you eat matters in Warcraft! Foods can provide stat buffs and it’s a no brainer. Better quality foods = better buffs = better raid results. Raiding happens only a few nights a week – so plan accordingly! Make sure you’re prepared to go into that battle with the right buff. I’m moving toward a paleo friendly diet. I felt much better when I was following a quasi-Paleo lifestyle (but keeping in dairy, because I don’t have adverse reactions to dairy). Full conversion seems a bit too daunting right now, so aim for 2 days a week (this is breakfast/lunch/dinner/plus any snacks). For this challenge, I’m making it a goal to eat clean with 2 full meals per week that are Paleo friendly. - Ahh the raid queue, bane of all progression raiders. As far as challenges go, last month I was on LFR. LFR (Looking for Raid) is sort of the training wheels of the raid encounters. You get the basics, but as you progress in difficulty, the bosses get harder. More hit points, more side effects that could threaten to wipe the entire raid if you’re not paying attention. This month - I’m moving to Normal mode and I need to ‘know the fights’ to succeed. I’m focusing on the progress I made from January’s questline (abbreviated w/late start, but good start nonetheless!). I’ve used the time off between then January quest ending & our new quest starting to solidify a routine instead of a vague ‘strength’ Mondays and ‘cardio’ Fridays. Right now, I'm cautiously optimistic that I can make my workouts work with my trainer's HIIT workouts being used the following Monday (So what I did Wednesday will be what I do this coming Monday) and then the treadmill at work has a setting for beginners that starts at like, 20 minutes. I figure that's a good place to start - and I can adjust from there as I get into better shape. - In order to be a successful raider, you need to make sure your screen isn't cluttered up with unnecessary junk, Clearing up your UI so you can keep an eye on targets, adds, or (for healers) your friendly name plates, can make a measurable difference in your performance. Need I say more? I need to clean up the clutter around me & prepare for the ‘raid’ that is my life xD – De-cluttering desk space, and finishing cleaning up my professional stuff. I've been lazy in switching jobs, so I need to consolidate my HSA/FSA accounts, drain the HSA if I can’t transfer the funds, update my financial records like my 401k, add all sorts of logins to my master file, etc. [This is the building block toward one of my epic questlines – getting all of this sorted out = time to focus on creating the budget I need for my 2020 trip to Europe and my 2017 trip to the Caribbean]

Let me start off by saying this: I'm mostly an RPG kind of nerd. There is something awesome about staying up all night, creating a character from scratch and going on impossible adventures. That being said, I particularly love tough, powerful, ass-kicking female characters. A random train of thoughts while watching a youtube walkthrough of Tomb Raider led me to the realization that I want to become my own kind of Lara Croft. I want to be fit and ready for whatever adventure may lay ahead. I want to be able to climb, run, dodge and jump. I want to be fluent in several languages. I want to be able to defend myself and save people. I want to be a survivor. So my Main Quest is: Become as awesome as Lara Croft. In order to do so, I've chosen these Three Quests: 1) Eat simple, nourishing food: I'm going to cook as much as I can, and use basic ingredients (trying to stick to vegetables, meat, fruit and as little flour as possible). Buy meals only when I'm unable to cook, and that food must be wholesome and simple (nothing fried, greasy, or with too much flour). Avoid processed foods with additives. I will only eat complex food in social gatherings, and if so, a small amount. 2) Exercise 1 hour per day, 4 days a week: My exercises will vary day to day, I will try to find a balance between my different options. Inline skating: for lower body strength, balance and coordination. Running: because I need to be able to scape collapsing ruins. Sprinting (Tabata): *cool girls don't look at explosions* Climbing, Jumping, etc: I've found this amazingly suitable workout plan! 3) Do something badass once a week: Parkour, Yoga, Krav Maga, Archery... I'll choose depending on the availability of trainers/places to learn/schedule. (((And yes, I do think Yoga can be super challenging, specially considering the strength, balance and coordination it requires!))) My Life Quest will be: Becoming fluent in French. I'm already taking a class, but in addition to that, I'll start watching movies and series, I'll listen to music and podcasts, all in French. I'll dedicate half an hour every day to this quest. Two saving points: Midway: If I manage to successfully reach the first half of this challenge, I'll reward myself with a new haircut. Last day: If I was successful in my Quests, I'll buy myself a special Christmas gift (to be determined later!).