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I tend to do a special Valentines themed February, to be hot and shallow and go to a lot of parties. (Mostly shallow, as I still largely aspire to either of the other two.) Some years it's a Casanunda challenge from Discworld, but I think I'm in Trek mood this year. So I'll do second edition of last year's Vulcan Valentine's challenge. 1. Strength training Dating on Vulcan requires a lot more combat than you might expect. So physical training is important. But what will not do is upsetting the delicate hormonal balance that keeps you from killing half a dozen people with sharpened hockey stick. To keep cortisol down, the goal is minimum effort, but lots of consistency. Low and slow. I'm still into isometrics. I haven't managed enough consistency to really know for sure if they're as efficient as the claims say, but they're Good Enough, and they're the workout I will do, so that's fine. I will count anything. The goal is consistency. But I do want giant muscles eventually, cuz I have people to beat with a lirpa. Also bonus points for my stupid daily walk for my stupid physical and mental health. It's boring, but it's a good daily vitamin of movement. Goal: be strong, do an exercise 2. Rest Dating on Vulcan requires quality sleep. I need to stick to a sensible bedtime. I also need to work hard to keep my chronic sleep deficit down. Under seven hours is the target zone. Under ten hours is pretty decent. Under 17 hours is sort of a yellow alert, not great. Anything over that, I am in red alert. I also need to baby the most annoying sinuses on the planet. I also need to do a yoga nidra meditation to practice sleep during the day. (I need remedial sleep lessons, guys.) Goal: 11pm bedtime. Keep sleep deficit under ten hours. Keep my sinuses happy. One yoga nidra session. 3. Emotional Management I've been reading a lot lately about emotions stored in the body, usually in the form of some kind of tightness or stiffness, and also in the form of different modes of nervous system activation that don't always respond to modern stressors correctly. (Emily Nagoski talks about both of these in some of her Burnout talks, and the yoga nidra-adjacent folks also talk about it, and various ADHD people have been touching on it from a different angle. It's just showing up everywhere I turn.) This is likely me, and probably a more effective approach than trying to out-reason various behaviors and emotions. Meditation has left me with a certain distrust of using the mind to master the mind, because it's just not that smart, and the only thing that's made a really noticeable difference in ADHD symptoms and so on is frequent rest breaks. There are various recommendations, but it's generally low intensity movement and rest aimed at helping stress responses shut off and undoing some of the physical symptoms they leave behind, so the body stops taking cues from them. Both my previous two goals count towards this, in part. But also, it turns out my fave yoga evening cooldowns are probably ideal. Also, there's mindfulness and metta meditation I'd like to get done; metta is definitely on point here, and mindfulness is just helpful in a foundational sort of way. I, uh, also need to remember to actually do the rest breaks I plan to do. If my day is going badly, I'm likely to start skipping them, but if my day is going badly, skipping them is probably the reason why. I have to treat them like a job. Goal: Get emotions out of the body. (By doing something extra that is not covered already, and, like, meditating and stuff.) 4. Vulcan Is a Hot Planet Vulcans play a darned good eyeshadow game. Also, it's easy to forget what sassy clothes horses Vulcan can be. Like, that bling, guys. They out-bling a lot of planets. The traditional Valentine's challenge includes various wardrobe, makeup, skincare, or bachelor pad modifications for increased hotness. (This is not totally shallowness, because I get stuck in utilitarian ruts and stop paying enough attention to that stuff. Caring appropriately for the aesthetics of one's body, clothes, and environment is purely logical, and not frivolity at all. Logic.) Goal: One style or hotness upgrade per day.

While this is supposedly a Doctor Who themed year, I tend to do a special Valentines themed February, to be hot and shallow and slightly drunk. (Mostly shallow, as I still largely aspire to either of the other two.) So we will have a short diversion. After all, one can get into a rut. 1. Strength training Dating on Vulcan requires a lot more combat than you might expect. So physical training is important. But what will not do is upsetting the delicate hormonal balance that keeps you from killing half a dozen people with sharpened hockey stick. To keep cortisol down, the goal is one single strength exercise a day, from this list: plank, bridge, horse stance, superman, maybe some rowing if I'm feeling it. Also, my stupid daily walk for my stupid mental and physical health. I will count anything. The goal is consistency. But I do want giant muscles, cuz I have people to beat with a lirpa, so strength. Goal: be strong, do an exercise 2. Eat the plomik soup. Dating on Vulcan requires correct fueling of the body. We're aiming for closer to therapeutic keto this time around. Brain needs ketones. I don't know if we'll get to that macro split, but we can manage a stick of butter. Goal: eat a stick of butter (or equivalent fats) Goal: drink a gallon of water 3. Rest Dating on Vulcan requires quality sleep, or at least some quality meditation. Goal: 11pm bedtime with meditation. 4. Emotional Management This is me lately. Also, I recently heard someone say that time management these days is really emotion management, and I think that's very true. For me, this also hits some ADHD stuff, cuz ADHD tends to magnify strong emotions. I'm gonna practice spotting and reacting to emotions or emotional spirals (hopefully not too many of those). Treating the don't-wannas with rest counts. Goal: one emotional intervention Bonus: Vulcan eye makeup Vulcans play a good eyeshadow game, so this probably requires at least some eyeliner. Okay, wait, this challenge is entirely inappropriate for a February challenge. It involves actual stuff, and not, like, stocking my bar and upgrading my wardrobe. I may need to reconsider this. Sigh. Vulcans do not know how to have a good time.

A Star Trek fan who has never seen the 80s movies? This cannot be allowed to go on! We will be watching Star Trek II, III, IV, and possibly VI on Fridays starting June 26th. (It's weird how the movies jump from IV to VI. I wonder why they never made a Star Trek V.) The rules: Watch on your own time and join in the discussion. (This means you can pick your own definition of Friday to be Fridayish, if you choose. It's Friday somewhere for 48 hours.) No untagged spoilers for future movies in the viewing sequence. At least one viewer has never seen them. Make sure they're behind cuts and marked with which movies they have spoilers for. There is no Star Trek V. Spoilers for the current week's movie are embargoed until 6pm EST/11PM BST on Friday. By request, the specific spoiler embargo dates: Wrath of Khan is fair game by 6PM EST on June 26th; any discussion of later films in the Wrath of Khan discussion should be spoilered. Search for Spock is fair game by 6PM EST on July 3rd; any discussion of later films in the Search for Spock discussion should be spoilered. Voyage Home is fair game by 6PM EST on July 10th; any discussion of later films in the Voyage Home discussion should be spoilered. Star Trek V does not exist. Whatever the Sixth One Is Called is fair game by 6PM EST on July 17th; any discussion of later films in the Whatever the Sixth One Is Called discussion should be spoilered. Basically, the purpose is to let people who've never seen them get a fair shot at them before the people who've memorised them geek out over their favorite scenes and ongoing storylines. So the precise time is a guideline, particularly if you're a first-time viewer. If you're watching for the first time in Europe at 8pm or 9pm and have a reaction post, don't sweat the spoiler embargo too hard - it's there to let you do that freely before everyone else jumps in, and we just needed to pick something to average the time zones.

Basically, I'm tired of Kathryn Janeway not being the most awesome thing ever, so it's time to go back with a rewatch and see if we can change that. This challenge: Captain's Log - Stuff is going on in my life, and I need my brain to work on it, so I will write it all down and create documentation. This is the "pics or it didn't happen" of the thinking process. Starfleet Fitness Training - Does what it says on the tin. Vulcan Meditation - Having Vulcan officers makes this hard to avoid. Ship Routines - Routines are hard, but ships run on them. I will try again. What Would Janeway Do - Take advice from Janeway during my rewatch.

(We're just gonna pretend this came at the end of Terra Prime and not that other episode that came after but did not, in fact, actually happen) I really like Star Trek, and with the new stuff out this year have reignited my love for same. I was wondering what to do for a challenge theme, but this is it. As it has been for a while, I'm really just slapping a Star Trek Patina over the same challenge I did for most of last year. Kettle Bells The NF KB workout has goblet squats, so this works. I'll do the KB workout 2-3 times per week. Yoga Yoga is good. I'll shoot for 2-3 sessions per week. Intuitive Eating Eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. Also, don't read this thread if you are hungry. Trust me. Walking I'll go for walks with the baby when possible.

I don't really do New Year's Resolutions. I prefer a "word of the year." Past year-words have included things like "Focus" and "Grateful" and "Peaceful." My chosen word of the year for 2019 is "Measured." I feel like things get away from me really easily when I take my eyes off of them. So I'd like to be a bit more precise and logical about how I define "progress" in various fields of endeavor. Beyond Quadrotriticale: Track my foods. Not in my usual "every single bite in MFP, freak out if I can't find an exact match, heaven forbid someone else cooks a stew" way. Ignore total calories, focus on: 1) three intakes of a solid protein source/day 2) one intake of an actual vegetable Get the impulse engines on-line: In the gym 3 days/week. Push, pull, legs, finisher. Captain's Log, Stardate 2118.1: We moved back into our bedroom today. This is humongous cause for celebration, because we've been sleeping in the guest room since September. One thing I was absolutely certain of was that I was not moving ANYTHING back into the master suite blindly. I was going to think through every single item that went in, and only take it what actually needed to be in there. To that end, before we moved my nightstand back in, I took everything out - and found my old five-year journal shoved to the back of it, buried under other notebooks, manicure supplies, jewelry I don't ever wear, and ... crap. I wrote in it for, like, the first couple months of 2013, and maybe the first couple months of 2016? Something like that. I'm not going to 'perfectionist' it to death and start a new one and then if I don't use it every day throw my hands up in despair and try to start over next January with a brand new journal. Y'know, like I do. So, since it is January first and it seems like a good time to do this - write in five year log. Every day. No biggie if I miss one once in a while, but as much as possible, every day. One sentence will do. Emphasis on Low Pressure, here! Low-budget costume design: The one thing I know for sure that I am doing starting Jan 1 (actually starting right now) is a Project 333 capsule wardrobe challenge - reducing my closet to 33 items, including shoes and accessories, for three months. I've been doing this sort of informally since Florence, but now I think I have a good enough handle on it to do it in a more - well, 'measured' - way. In nerdier news, my wonderful husband bought me all three seasons of TOS on DVD for Christmas.

THE SKY VOYAGER Part 2: Away Mission I had sat quietly all through the briefing, occupying my usual corner of the conference room table and doodling on my PADD. By now I was used to my usual assignment: Before the mission, use the Federation database to compile a report on their relevant cultural and physiological specifications, if they existed in our data; accompany the away mission, taking field notes on any unique behaviors, speech patterns, phrases, mannerisms, and cultural preferences that I observed; then, after returning, compare my notes with the previous information and add my observations into the database. I was getting good at the routine and enjoyed getting to travel with the away crews, without having too much responsibility. “... and Ensign Elvenword, I want you to lead a second away team to the rural areas outside the capitol.” It took me nearly three seconds to realize that my name had been called. Wait - did she say lead an away mission? I sat up and blinked at Captain Janeway’s face, which wore just a shadow of a smile. “Captain?” “I want you to take a team into the rural areas and prepare a report,” the captain said, striding slowly across the room with her hands on her hips. “I want a report on the geology of the land and the people’s living conditions, housing, habits, political opinions - give me a nice overview of how rural people in this country live and what they think about their government. This is a post-warp civilization so you don’t have to be secretive with your technology. Give me tricorder readouts, written reports, holophotos - whatever you think we need to know. We’ll be here for three weeks if all goes well.” My heart fluttered like a malfunction in the deflector shield as my mind began to race through personnel lists, what equipment I would need, what sections I should include in the report - all while trying to compose my face as Captain Janeway stopped in front of me, her eyebrows raised and one corner of her mouth twisted upwards. “Think you can handle that, Ensign?” I felt the eyes of the bridge crew on the back of my head, so I sat up straight and folded my hands in my lap. “Yes ma’am!” Janeway nodded shortly and reached out to brush her fingers across my shoulder. “Excellent. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.”

THE SKY VOYAGER Part I: Strange New Worlds I was writing the concluding paragraph of my weekly report when my comm badge buzzed and interrupted my thoughts. "Ensign Elvenword to the bridge, please." To the bridge? I froze and stared at my screen, my fingers motionless over the keys. That sounded like Lieutenant Tuvok, the chief of security! Me to the bridge? What for? I was only a junior-grade ensign on my first mission - what was I needed for on the bridge? "Ensign Elvenword, please respond." I jumped and slapped my badge. "Yes sir - on my way, sir!" My heart raced as I fumbled into my uniform jacket and paused at the mirror to adjust my tightly braided hair with trembling fingers. I had been stuck with the rest of the crew on Voyager for almost a year after we were flung into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker, but my position as a communications intern - later upgraded to "assistant science communications officer," which meant I was responsible for proofreading and compiling the science officers' weekly reports into an archived brief - never brought me into direct contact with the bridge crew. During the last six months, I had been independently studying Starfleet Academy language materials from the computer database and practicing speaking in the holodeck, in hopes of being allowed to go on an away mission someday; but I had not told anyone besides my roommates about my work - had one of them mentioned it to a bridge officer? The ride up to the bridge felt exceptionally long - until the turbolift glided to a stop and the doors opened up into the brightly lit space. There was Lieutenant Tuvok at the security station, silhouetted by dozens of brightly colored lights and buttons, and Ensign Kim at Operations; and down in front, I could see the backs of Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay's heads as they looked at a small star system out the massive viewscreen - so much larger than I imagined it! Everything smelled like heat and metal, but it was not hot, only very bright; and every officer's face was composed, focused, and occupied. Lieutenant Tuvok glanced up as I hesitated at the open doors, his fingers never stopping their graceful, efficient movements over the touchscreen. "Ensign, it does not take fifteen minutes to make your way from your quarters to the bridge," he stated, more of a factual observation than a rebuke. I hesitated, uncertain how to respond. "Yes, sir," I finally said lamely. "Did you wish to see me?" "Yes." He moved aside from his station and gestured for me to join him. I squared my shoulders and tried to look confident as I strode across the open space (feeling very small) and climbed the small step up to the security station. "Ensign, the next part of our journey will bring us into contact with several diverse alien cultures," Tuvok said, his voice measured and matter-of-fact. "The captain has asked me to select an additional crew member to function as an assistant on our diplomatic missions, preferably someone with exceptional interpersonal communication skills and combat experience. I have reviewed your performance during the rescue mission aboard the U.S.S. Ranger as a Starfleet cadet, and found it exemplary. I have also reviewed your progress studying the Academy language curriculum on your own, which indicates that you have initiative and a desire to expand your current role, which you have performed punctually and accurately for the past eleven months. Although you lack the Starfleet experience that some of your older crewmates possess, I believe you have promise, and that the training and experience you will receive as a diplomatic adjutant would enhance your career significantly once we return to the Alpha Quadrant." He raised an eyebrow. "Does this opportunity interest you?" I fought to keep my face from betraying the scream of joy that was bubbling up in my stomach. "Yes sir, it interests me greatly. What would I have to do to get started?" Tuvok reached under the console and handed me a PADD. "I have constructed a plan of study for you to continue your language studies, using additional data on Delta Quadrant species that you do not have access to in the Academy database. These lessons include language, culture, and protocol components. Additionally, I have arranged weekly meetings with five senior officers, to familiarize you with bridge and away mission protocol. Each of them will likely have additional training assignments for you to complete. You will continue your weekly duties as science communications assistant, but you will also be assigned a duty station on the bridge, which you will be expected to man whenever you are summoned, day or night." "Yes sir. Will I be further instructed on my duties at my new station?" "Yes. After one month, you will meet with the captain, and she will assess your readiness to assume your new duties. At that time, you will be officially designated a Diplomatic Adjutant and instructed in the duties of your new station." I took the PADD and stood as tall as I could. "I understand. I will begin my studies as soon as I complete my weekly report." Tuvok nodded gracefully and turned back to his station. "Very good. The five officers assigned to be your mentors will contact you to schedule your weekly meetings - their names are listed in your first lesson. Please see me or one of them if you have additional questions. You are dismissed." "Yes sir." As I stepped off the station platform and walked back toward the turbolift, I snuck a small peek over my shoulder at the captain's chair - and my heart missed a beat when I met Captain Janeway's eyes, already turned in my direction. Her stern face cracked into a slight smile and she nodded briefly. "We look forward to seeing you on the bridge, Ensign," she called across the room, her voice businesslike but pleasant. "Study hard and I'll see you in a few weeks." Dear Dad and Mom, I wrote in my letter that evening. Today was quite possibly the biggest day of my life - I have been chosen for promotion! After only a year out of the Academy! Can you believe it? I was summoned to the bridge this afternoon by Lieutenant Tuvok - yes, I finally got to see the bridge and the bridge crew! It was amazing! - and he said that the officers were looking for an assistant to specialize in diplomacy and language, to accompany them on away missions as a Diplomatic Adjutant. Because I've been studying languages on my own for the last few months, and because he read about my work on the USS Ranger, I was chosen! Over more than a hundred other people! What it means is that I will be given extra homework by five of the senior officers, in order to get ready - my weekly mentors will be Neelix, Lieutenant Tuvok, the Doctor and Kes, and Commander Chakotay; and once a month, I will also meet with Captain Janeway, to keep her informed on my progress. I don't know any of the bridge officers personally, but one of my roommates spent a couple of months as a navigational assistant on the bridge, and she has told me lots of stories about all of them, so I think I have an idea what to expect. When I was on the bridge, I tried to sense their emotions, but I'm not as good at that as you are, Mom. They all mostly just seemed busy and focused. When the captain greeted me she did seem sincere, though - I have so much admiration for her and I want her to be pleased with my work. As I may have mentioned once or twice, I hope one day to be a starship captain just like her. I love you both and miss you more than I can say. I heard a rumor today that some of the new species we'll be meeting soon might be able to help us get home faster ... I tried not to listen, of course, but of course I did anyway. I hope my new job won't take up so much time that I can't write to you every day - but even if it does, I'll keep good logs of everything I do, so I can tell you all my wonderful stories of data entry and report-writing when I get home. Maybe spiced up with a few alien encounters now and then, I hope. Talk to you soon. Lots of love, Sky

I don't usually do a themed challenge like this (apart from minis!), but I think it fits quite well. Michael spends a lot of the show getting acclimitised to her new home, building routines. I bought a house a couple of months ago. We had to do a fair bit to it (painting, flooring, carpet), but now we are living in it with a working oven and a BBQ, all furniture is in. I want to focus on getting it into a good shape by finishing unpacking, organising places for things - one room a week. And sorting out the pantry and fridge so I can cook three bulk meals a week using mostly what we already have. I also want to get in the habit of washing the dishes every day, so that my home stays tidy and clean. When there is stuff everywhere it is easy to leave plates lying around... so I'm thinking military ship discipline here The vulcan mental practices are of course very important to Michael. I will be aiming to do some kind of yoga, rolling or general mobility work every day. I have a program from Do Yoga With Me that includes a weekly meditation and a weekly breathing lesson. I tend to avoid these, so I am prioritising them this challenge. Like Tilly and her running, one habit I want to develop in my new home is bike riding. I normally use my bike a lot to get around, but the past year I have been living in a third floor apartment, so it was a lot of work to get the bike up and down stairs. My baby step goal is just to get the bike out once a week. In order to prevent fatigue, I need to get better at remember to take my vitamins. I will set reminders on my phone. This is a basic thing that anyone in starfleet should be able to manage! I have been inspired by the bullet journal thread to do up a colourful challenge map Rather than points, this time I will be earning dollars to spend on bumper plates for my new gym in the shed $80 - Pair of 5kg plates (25%) $120 - Pair of 10kg plates (35%) $200 - Both pairs of plates (60%) Stretch goal $300 - In addition to the plates, this will earn me a month of oly coaching (88%) There is $340 total up for grabs.

Welcome aboard the U.S.S. Ranger, the finest Excelsior Class Starship in the fleet. On behalf of the command staff, welcome. I’m your new Captain, Tanktimus, with me are your first Officer Commander DarK_Raider, second officer and operations officer Lt.Cdr Rurik Harragath, Chief Medical Officer Doctor (Cdr.) Darkfoxx, Chief of Security Lt. mr_willes, Chief Engineer L.Cdr Raxie, Helm Officer Lt. Xena, QuarterMaster Lt. RES, Science Officer Lt. Cdr Elastigirl, and Ship’s Counselor Lt. Cdr T2sarahconner. This will be your first training cruise since joining the academy, and our goal is to get you as much training as possible in the four weeks we have you. Be sure to sign in on the spreadsheet letting us know your home planet and species. (For simplicity sakes your character name will be your NF username. Home planet and species are optional, as they only apply to roleplaying, the mini is open to all rebels regardless of guild) You will be sorted into squads at the end of zero week. From within your squads a leader will be selected. Each week a squad will be assigned to a specific department, Medical, Engineering, Security or Navigation. Your progress and performance in each section will be recorded, and as results come in your performance for the week will be compared to other squads performances in the following weeks. At the end of the cruise the top ranking squad will be announced. (In order not to clutter up the Ranger Forum with extra threads, please don’t start any extra threads for your squad.) When assigned to the Medical section you will be focusing on recovery from your workouts. We will be counting Yoga as active recovery, so you will be scored on minutes of Yoga performed throughout the week. It doesn’t matter if this is part of your normal routine or something you add in just for the mini, every minute of Yoga performed is a minute of Yoga on the spreadsheet. The first squad assigned to medical will put their results in week 1, the second squat in week two, and so on. Dr. Darkfoxx will be taking care of you during your time in Sickbay. (If you have any questions during your week in Sickbay, ask them here in the general thread and the Darkfoxx or one of the Guild leaders will answer). When assigned to the Engineering section you will be focusing on bodyweight reps. If you’re not using weights and it can be counted as reps, it counts for the challenge. If you’re using weight, it doesn’t count. It gets too complicated trying to figure out how many points a 100lb back squat should be compared to a body-weight squat. If something is counted in time, like planks, they don’t count for the challenge, again for simplicity’s sake. Raxie is our chief engineer, she’ll be taking care of you while you’re in the Engine Room. When assigned to Navigation you’ll be working with our Helm Officer Lt. Xena. You’ll be tracking miles this week. It doesn’t matter what you do, if it’s trackable in distance, convert it to miles and add it to the sheet. Don’t round up or down, include two decimals if you are entering anything other than complete miles. Again, it doesn’t make a difference if this is part of your normal routine or something you do just for the mini, count it. When assigned to security you’ll be working with our head of security Lt. mr_willes. Preparation for combat is going to be your focus while at tactical. For the spreadsheet track number of reps on punches, kicks, or any other combat drill (sword strikes, etc). This is going to be a great four weeks. You are in good hands, we expect you to work hard, work as teams, and learn a lot.

Disclaimer: This has been a hell of a year!! Plus, keeping it positive here Secondary Disclaimer: Really, I'm going to really respawn this time This is going to be a respawn of Intergalactic (and sometimes inter-dimensional) proportions I have been on a roller coaster of a year and with 40 right around the corner, it's time to really get back on the ball and get myself in shape in all ways. This is something I really need to commit to in a major way. So, without further ado, here comes the challenge!!! This challenge (and for several more to come afterwards) will be themed Star Trek (Next Generation and beyond). Why? Mostly because I've figured out my answer to the whole Star Wars/Star Trek debate and yes, the winner is Star Trek for so many reasons. So, with a definite rewatch of ALL of TNG, DS9 and Voyager (maybe Enterprise but I've seen it recently enough), we are going to start this one with becoming the embodiment of our favorite acting ensign of the 1701-D, Wesley Crusher (plus I just freaking love Wil Wheaton!). He learned much of what he knows and believes in because of the positive role models he had so what I will do is try to embody some of the traits that they have including: Being Stronger like Worf! Worf, even in his earliest days aboard the Enterprise, was very stalwart and strong learning what he could of the ship as a junior officer then to his promotion to Chief of Security. Pushing his boundaries, becoming better than he was before, usually with his calestetics programs on the Holodeck. In that respect, I need to make sure that I am making myself stronger. Less physically frail, less weak in the knees (literally), and able to do more on a day to day basis. So straight up, what I need to do is take just 10-15 minutes daily to do some kind of activity. Initially I'm looking to do things that will focus on the arms and core. Daily, I can do it!! Being Smarter like Data! Data, oh my wonderful mechanical man!! He was smart clearly due to his positronic brain and being an android though new experiences were always some of the best teachers. This plan will focus on getting back into reading and not of the fictional variety. Technical magazines, non-fiction of various subjects (history, technology), that is what I will delve into with this goal. I plan to find a book to read through the entire challenge and magazines as I can but at least one a week. Being Emotional Braver like Troi! Troi has always worn her emotions on her sleeve considering that she feels the emotions of just about anyone and anything out there being a Betazoid. Even in the throws of some of the most terrifying adversaries and entities she has been stronger than the largest Klingon and braver than the most daring Starfleet officer. I have had quite the emotionally baffling year so my goal is to be more aware of my emotions, my feelings, and my effect on others in my life. In a more concrete way, I will show my gratitude on here in the form of a devotion to someone or something that has been transformative for myself, whether it be something that I've done within the year or more recently (needless to say, especially to my friends here, we've got a lot of catching up to do). Three times a week should be sufficient for now. Be in Command (of my life) like Picard! Captain Jean-Luc Picard, what can we say about him and Wesley.... besides an inescapable amount of "Shut up Wesley"s? Outside of some underlying father issues, quite a bit actually. Commanding officer, father figure, teacher, mentor, personification of a proper officer. Quire frankly, what I need to do it take a more firm command over my life in so many aspects along with the fitness. So, my overall goal will be to do this in increments and a different aspect each month. This month I'm going to go right for the financial jugular and start hitting the finances. Now, unless I decide to just copy and paste every single statement and bill I have, this is going to take some work. The plan starts like this: Beginning tomorrow, I will need to be more conscious of my spending habits which will include fast food purchases, entertainment decisions, the whole enchilada. I will provide baselines for all my financial data shortly and then give updates for my (hopefully really good) decisions. At least twice weekly updates will come about. The challenge starts tomorrow... ENGAGE!!!

CHALLENGE LOG Earth Date: December the First, Two Thousand Sixteen. This month marks One Year since I first began my voyage into the unknown frontier of becoming healthy. I joined the Rebellion and never looked back! I have learned many things over this past year and have shared in many failures as well as successes. In all I have gone so far from 200 pounds down to 165. This year I hope to get down to about 140 and maintain. I have gone from size 18 pants down to 12 and hope to get to 8 by this time next year. I have learned that there are no short cuts and that slow, small progresses add up in the end. I have just begun the second attempt at reaching the Healthy Frontier. My previous attempts were thwarted by the stresses that life has to bestow so generously upon my family. Having recovered and found myself ten pounds heavier, I have researched the problem areas and laid out a fresh course to begin anew. Moving forward for the month of December, I will be following a strict health plan that is laid out in detail below. It is designed to start with the basics and will build once Mastery of Basics has been confirmed. An "X" indicated goal was achieved. DIET 1: Maintain caloric deficit as tracked using application name MyFitnessPal. Notate every item ingested, regardless of size (example: "just a bite.") Allot additional daily caloric intake based upon additional physical activity tracked via the personal fitness transponder, herafer referred to as "FitBit." Remain in "Green Zone" to achieve best results. | X X X _ _ _ X | _ X X _ _ _ _ | _ _ _ _ _ _ X | _ _ _ _ X _ _ | DIET 2: Follow paleo-centric nutrition plan for optimal health. Alot for one non-paleo item per day (example cereal or hot dog bun) to allow for smoother transition, maintaining resolve to lifestyle changes, and legitimize the longevity of follow through. This is not crash and burn mission, this is a change in my relationship to food. Many small changes over time. | _ X _ _ _ _ _ | _ _ _ _ _ _ _ | _ _ _ _ _ X X | _ _ _ _ X _ _ | FITNESS: Increase endurance while in the recesses of space by meeting daily step goals as laid out by my FitBit. Estimated daily goal will be approximately 5-6 miles. | X X X X X _ X | X X X _ _ _ _ | _ _ _ _ _ _ X | _ _ _ _ X _ _ | LIFE: Use off duty time effectively by allotting at least one hour daily towards yarn projects. The holidays are coming and there are 4 items that MUST be completed. Do something for 1 Hour that brings me happiness. This can be crocheting, watching a movie with the hubby, spending time on the rebellion forum and listening to good music. Anything that I find enjoyable and relaxing. | X X X X X X X | X X X _ _ _ _ | _ _ _ _ _ X X | _ _ _ X X _ _ |

Disclaimer: This has been a hell of a year!! Plus, keeping it positive here This is going to be a respawn of Intergalactic (and sometimes inter-dimensional) proportions I have been on a roller coaster of a year and with 40 right around the corner, it's time to really get back on the ball and get myself in shape in all ways. This is something I really need to commit to in a major way. So, without further ado (and with more fleshed out details coming very shortly), here comes the challenge!!! This challenge (and for several more to come afterwards) will be themed Star Trek (Next Generation and beyond). Why? Mostly because I've figured out my answer to the whole Star Wars/Star Trek debate and yes, the winner is Star Trek for so many reasons. So, with a definite rewatch of ALL of TNG, DS9 and Voyager (maybe Enterprise but I've seen it recently enough), we are going to start this one with becoming the embodiment of our favorite acting ensign of the 1701-D, Wesley Crusher. He learned much of what he knows and believes in because of the positive role models he had so what I will do is try to embody some of the traits that they have including: Being Stronger like Worf! Worf, even in his earliest days aboard the Enterprise, was very stalwart and strong learning what he could of the ship as a junior officer then to his promotion to Chief of Security. Pushing his boundaries, becoming better than he was before, usually with his calestetics programs on the Holodeck. In that respect, I need to make sure that I am making myself stronger. Less physically frail, less weak in the knees (literally), and able to do more on a day to day basis. So straight up, what I need to do is take just 10-15 minutes daily to do some kind of activity. Initially I'm looking to do things that will focus on the arms and core. Daily, I can do it!! Being Smarter like Data! Data, oh my wonderful mechanical man!! He was smart clearly due to his positronic brain and being an android though new experiences were always some of the best teachers. This plan will focus on getting back into reading and not of the fictional variety. Technical magazines, non-fiction of various subjects (history, technology), that is what I will delve into with this goal. I plan to find a book to read through the entire challenge and magazines as I can but at least one a week. Being Emotional Braver like Troi! Troi has always worn her emotions on her sleeve considering that she feels the emotions of just about anyone and anything out there being a Betazoid. Even in the throws of some of the most terrifying adversaries and entities she has been stronger than the largest Klingon and braver than the most daring Starfleet officer. I have had quite the emotionally baffling year so my goal is to be more aware of my emotions, my feelings, and my effect on others in my life. In a more concrete way, I will show my gratitude on here in the form of a devotion to someone or something that has been transformative for myself, whether it be something that I've done within the year or more recently (needless to say, especially to my friends here, we've got a lot of catching up to do). The challenge starts today, ENGAGE!!!

After last challenge where I tried to respawn in a more unstructured manner and didn't quite get it, I realized that I need some more structure to help guide me. For this reason I am going to more fully take advantage of the NF Academy, with a Star Trek overlay, because it's the 50th anniversary! As I join Starfleet Academy I'll explore all the major divisions, with a mentor from each to help me learn the ropes: Command - Kirk A Starship captain has to be physically fit in order to take on whatever challenges come his way. I will be working on the Nerd Fitness Academy level 3 workouts, working up to doing them 3x per week. Science - Spock The science division is all about making observations and testing hypotheses. This will be a key part of my challenge. I am going to try to identify triggers for my bad habits, and try implementing good habits to replace them. Medical - McCoy I'm doing a lot of my training as a ship surgeon (starting my surgery rotation in a couple weeks), so Dr. McCoy is here to help me keep some balance. Although the medical training can be quite intense, it's important to make time for my own health too. So I'm going to give myself permission to take some time to relax in between my school responsibilities and my health goals. Engineering - Scotty The engineering division takes care of starship maintenance and fuel supply. You need good fuel to keep the ship going warp speed. I'm going back to square 1 on nutrition and slowly building new habits into my diet. I'll be following the NFA diet levels, and trying to progress through them as I succeed. Helmsman - Sulu As a ship's pilot, you need to be flexible enough to get out of some sticky situations. To work on my flexibility I will stretch for 10 min at least 3 times/week. Communications - Uhura Communication is key to receiving help when you're in trouble and for staying accountable. I haven't used the Academy facebook page since I signed up, but I think the extra level of accountability will help. I don't know for sure what's holding me back, but by the end of the challenge I'm going to join it and make at least one post. Navigation - Chekov A navigator's job is to plan where we're going and how we're going to get there. For this part of the challenge I will re-read at least 2 topics from the academy each week, and plan which Academy challenges to try to tackle. The mini-challenge will also fall under this category. This challenge does have a lot of parts, but I think the structure will really help me get back on track. Also most of the goals are designed to build slowly, so that I can make small, manageable changes. Here we "boldly go"!

It's about time Starfleet decided to create an actuarial1 department. And I'm perfect for the job! I mean, who told them to get rid of red shirts to lower workers' compensation and accidental death & dismemberment claims? Yours truly, that's who! But did they listen? Nope. Some other consultant (*cough* Wade Wilson *cough*) convinced them that they'd save on their uniform budget by sticking with red, which doesn't show the blood as much . . really? You'd think Starfleet could at least afford new uniforms for everyone. Now that they've learned from they're mistake, I'm coming on board as the Chief Actuary2 of Starfleet. Woohoo! To prep for my first day, I'm doing the following: Improve water intake. Dehydration leads to physical and mental fatigue FAST. To be at the top of my game, I need enough water. Week 1: Track water intake. Week 2-4: Steadily increase water intake until I complete the "High Quality H2O" NF Quest (3L of water per day for 5 days out of 7). Physical fitness. Continue with the Zombies Run 5K program. Should be able to run a 5K by August 15, which will give me some 'street cred' with the admirals I'll be working with. Also continue with the NF gym workouts, with extra focus on improving my push-up form. This will definitely give me street cred with those admirals. Injury avoidance: Finish reading ChiRunning, and incorporate 2-3 suggestions into my running practice. No workers' comp claims from me! Stress management: Help one of my kitties get on the fitness bandwagon - increase her activity level by playing with her daily. On the off chance I get to go on a site visit to a Starbase or Starship (wouldn't that be awesome?), I need my pets healthy enough to come along. Those are looong trips. When all that is done, I know I'll look awesome in my new uniform: blue dress (for actuarial science) with a command pin (cuz I'm in charge!). And maybe then we can do something about that red shirt liability issue. Notes 1) Actuary (noun): a person who compiles and analyzes statistics and uses them to calculate insurance risks and premiums. Basically, an insurance geek. 2) Yes this is a real title. I didn't make it up. Well, the Starfleet part is made up. And no, I'm not a chief actuary in real life (yet).

I don't want to wait until November 11, so this will be a 7 week challenge, starting with week 0... Week 0 is a trial week to sort out the goals & set the pace, but won't count towards the total. Inspiration: I just started another rewatch of my favourite TV series – Star Trek: The Next Generation and I have decided to draw upon that for inspiration. I love many of the characters but on is my clear cut favourite. And I think he is a great role model! Jean-Luc has many awesome qualities that I want to focus on in this challenge: he is reliable, responsible, driven, hard-working, passionate and values his health – he is in great shape! So when I am wondering if I should, for example, eat ice cream instead of practicing handstands, I can simply ask myself “what would Picard do?â€. Main Quest: Short form: feel better in my body and do awesome things with said body. My life is pretty great. I have achieved a lot of the big goals that I have worked towards. My family is rad, and I have friends that I love and hobbies that make me happy. However, I constantly dragged down by my insecurities and general feeling of self-lameness (less severe than self-hate, but still not good). My main quest is to get right with myself! I can do this my treating myself well – mind and body. I am an advocate of healthy living and I want to be a positive example. And equally importantly, being fit and feeling comfortable in my body makes me happy! Exercise is great for my soul and helps me get through my hectic life. Self-care is important, and exercise and healthy eating are some of the best things I can do for myself. Often when I struggle, I get in a rut. Ruts are bad. So to counter this, I am adding a “never two in a row†rule. That means that I have to turn it around the next day. I can’t skip two daily work outs in a row. I can’t eat poorly (self-evaluated at C or less) two days in a row. This main quest is rather abstract and immeasurable; I am okay with that. Within the framework of this main quest, I can develop many specific and attainable sub quests. Which are as follows: Diet Quest: Short form: a. log my food, grade my eating & b. lose 5 pounds. Resulting from an unhealthy relationship with food, I am a few (many) pounds heavier than I would like to be. I know what healthy eating looks like for me, and I feel best when I eat healthy. But sometimes my emotions and thoughts get in the way and I use my fork to self-destruct. I keep learning more about myself in this regard. Anyways, the quests! · Every day, I need to log what I eat and grade my eating. My grades will be assigned based on how closely I follow the diet laid out by my person. I’ll average my marks at the end of challenge and assign stat points accordingly. (2 CHA) Strategy talk: Sometimes I make shitty decisions. Now I have a plan! Before I eat, I will ask myself ‘am I hungry’. If I am not, rather than giving myself a food hug I will do something else nice – go for a walk, do some gymnastics, snuggle my dog, focus on my breathing, have some tea. If I feel crazy, I can ask myself ‘what would Picard do’? And I can watch this helpful inspirational video: · Weight loss…. The entirety of my success on this part of the quest is not dependent on the scale but my weight does matter to me. I would like to lose five pounds over the course of this challenge. That will get me a bit closer to my goal weight. Forward progress is great, even if it is slow. (2 CHA) o November 5 weigh in: 176.2 lb Fitness Quests: Short form: a. daily flexibility routine b. work out at least 5 times per week. I started gymnastics a few months ago, and I am head over heels in love. I have never loved a sport this much. I can’t get enough. What I lack in skill (I am very lacking in skill), I make up for in enthusiasm. I am still working on the basics – I want to get them down solidly before I move on to more complex skills. Currently, I am only focusing on tumbling. The ‘basic’ skills I am working on: cartwheels, handstands, bridge, kicks, front and back rolls. I am working towards: front and back walkovers and round offs. Gymnastics and aerial training have made me very aware of how weak and un-bendy I am. I want to address those shortcomings in this challenge. · Daily practice: I am going to work every day to improve in key areas – splits, shoulder flexibility, bridge and handstand. I will record my progress in this sheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ai4WicKAma42dFFKYzBYQ3c1RVd1SGNvSGR4YjFEckE#gid=0. The workout doesn’t need to happen at the same time, but I need to be sure to warm up for the splits, kicks and bridge work. (4 DEX) · Weekly workouts: I would go to most of these anyways, but for a few of the work outs I need that ‘extra’ motivation. Below is the general schedule – but things change week to week. Ideally, I will work out every day; however, if I work out 5/7 days of the week I am counting that as an A. (2 DEX, 2 STR) o Monday: Gymnastics o Tuesday: Strength o Wednesday: Gymnastics o Thursday: Silks & Trapeze, Conditioning & Flexibility. Optional – drop in handstand practice o Friday: Spin o Saturday: Strength until I start Saturday gymnastics in December, or aerial open gym. o Sunday: Run, strength or hot yoga. Life Side-Quest: Short form: early to bed, early to rise. Recently I have been getting up late (and getting to school late). This is probably because I go to bed late and have poor sleep hygiene. I plan to correct this by going to bed 15 minutes earlier every week. My average bed time is midnight. So I will be in bed, lights out and no TV at 11:45 in week one (one hour later on the weekends). I can read my textbook in bed after this time, but nothing else. And I can only hit snooze once. I will set my alarm for when I want to get up, and get up then. (3 STA) Revision! I flourished when I was working towards my last 'life' goal and I want to focus on that a bit more before moving on to something else. So, the goal is to study for at least an hour every day and to go to every class unless I have a conflicting academic commitment. And I will try really hard to be early! (3 WIS)

Stardate 67200 I've recently embarked upon a personal journey of sorts--A quest, if you will. My end goal? Health, strength, virility, and eternal life. A journey of this magnitude requires the discipline of a Klingon Warrior, but I am only a human. So I'll track my progress here--I must record everything. My trials, my tribulations, my successes...and, most importantly, my failures. Although today is the first entry in this log, it is not my first day of my journey. However, as we cannot change the past, I will simply record from this moment on. I have identified a number of tasks that I feel are important to accomplish within certain parameters, and will record them below: Daily: One-mile walk in the morning with The Small Beast Two mile walk in the evening with The Small Beast, working in runs in increasing .5 mile increments Consume healthy food at a 500 calorie deficit Consume no more than one type of unhealthy food (1 can soda, 1 serving treat/chocolate/candy/etc.) Update log and keep track of progress Weekly: At least 3 body/light weight workouts Accomplish one 2-mile run, decreasing time each week Lose approximately one pound of unhealthy body weight, total of 10 pounds loss (or replace with healthy weight; this is a more fluid goal.) One food "cheat day" every week Consume no more than 3 alcoholic beverages Monthly: Reassess workout program and increase difficulty if necessary I'm afraid I've already broken two goals today, but my hope is that keeping this log will make me feel more accountable to myself. Wish me luck! I'll post a supplemental post at the end of the day to record my overall daily progress. Vox Out!

I've always liked Star Trek's Klingons.Their warrior culture and strict honor code always make me feel at home. I myself am the product of a warrior culture: I am an Army Veteran, my father was federal Law Enforcement, and my grandfather and his brother served in WWII and Korea. And it seems to make more sense than trying to decide whether or not the Prime Directive applies to a given situation. So this challenge will be Klingon themed! While I'll never fully recover from the injuries I sustained in the military and may never again be the warrior I once was, I am not now the leader that I could be. A leader should be physically and mentally prepared to overcome any obstacle or hardship. My Quest Be mentally and physically prepared to lead my family into the ever-changing future My Goals Design and implement a sustainable plyometric workout Do 6 Rocky Push-Ups Design and implement a weekly meal planner (instead of just eating whatever I find first) Life Quest Organize the family finances My Motivation

trek humor anyone?