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Once again, I'm getting a little bit of a late start. This past weekend saw two birthdays (including my own), visiting family and friends, and general craziness. On to the good stuff! Main Quest Continue to drop the extra weight and develop a positive body image (still) Active Missions 1. Run like the wind! [+3 STA] Last challenge, I chopped off about a quarter of my 5K time just by actually running the whole thing. This time around, I want to ease my way into a better time. My best so far is 29:38, so the grading will go as follows: A: 5K in less than 27 minutes B: 5K in 27-28 minutes C: 5K in 28-29 minutes D: 5K in 29-30 minutes F: 5K in more than 30 minutes 2. This is wheely hard work! [+2 STR, +2 STA] The first time I tried to ride the bike I got during the last challenge, I failed miserably. It took me considerably longer going to my destination riding the bike than it did for me to return home walking said bike the whole way. The route to the gym is 3.7 miles. It takes me roughly an hour to walk, which is one of my biggest reasons for wanting the bike in the first place. I need to be using it way more than I am and I need to be able to make it downtown on the bike without passing out on the side of the road or taking so long that I need to turn right back around by the time I get there. I'm keeping this one very simple. Bike 120 miles. Three trips to the gym per week would easily cover this, but chances are I'll use other means more often than not. This will also get easier as it gets warmer. Right now, I pity anyone who has to be outside more than five minutes. A: >=120 miles B: 115-120 miles C: 110-115 miles D: 105-110 miles F: <105 miles 3. Find your center! [+3 DEX, +2 WIS] After a visit to the Detroit Zen Center near the beginning of my year of service, I said that I wanted to incorporate more meditation into my life. I want this to become a natural part of my routine, so I'll be doing at least ten minutes of meditation and/or yoga each day. A: >=40 days sticking to the above guidelines B: 36-39 days C: 32-35 days D: 28-31 days F: <28 days Life Quest Break a leg! [+1 WIS, +2 CHA] I agreed with another of the Detroit JVs that I would perform at an open mic sometime in March. I've always wanted to write poetry, but never really given myself permission to do it. It feels like something you have to already be good at to start. That doesn't make any sense, but I can't imagine how some people can articulate their experiences this way. The goal here is to write, even if it's just an idea or a few lines of a poem, every day. Updating this thread and other things I'd do anyway don't count! A: Write at least a few lines every day and perform at an open mic C: Do one or the other F: No poetry Exciting stuff!! This will be my third full challenge and also my third in a row. I've been feeling pretty good about my routine, almost always making good food choices when possible (it's not always when you're a Jesuit Volunteer) and working out or running five or six days a week. There are SO MANY things I want to focus on... a web design project, barbell training, doing a handstand... This challenge, though, I want to keep it practical. I know what sorts of things I'm supposed to eat and I've been pretty successful with avoiding starch as much as possible, so I'm not going to specifically lay out how I'll be eating. I'm going to try a few different things, including tracking my intake, and see what comes of it. It's worth mentioning that Lent is coming up and some of my housemates will be going vegan. I've never observed Lent before, but I will be affected by my community's food-related decisions. I will NOT be cutting out animal products entirely, but I will likely eat significantly less meat. I'm also going to continue to go to the gym for a workout at least three times a week, but will not be keeping track of those workouts as part of my challenge.