[RedPuma]: Spartan Race Prep, Phase 1

[redpuma]

*sorry, I couldn't find the name of the artist for this

Prologue

The Nyun cast ever deepening shadows upon the Endless Forest as Lielet tread through hardened snow toward its great base. She could feel the last sign of civilization at her back - the golden light from the Five Wolves Inn - she grit her teeth, willed herself not to turn and answer its beckon. Lielet sucked in the cool evening air, bracing herself for the long and uncertain journey which lay ahead. The goal was the abandoned Queen's Army tower midway up that snow-covered monstrosity, but she had only a crude map from her mentor to know its location and many miles yet to go to reach it. The Endless Forest at the base of the Nyun was a place where even the Grey Men feared to travel. There were few who dared pass through the shadows of the forest; those who did were reluctant to tell of it. It was as though the forest was capable of magic, binding their mouths from spilling its secrets.

Lielet could not help but take one last glance back at the inn as a few stray notes of song from its hall drifted on the harsh wind. It was warm inside, filled with the comforts she loved most: mead and roast meats. Perhaps I should just wait another day. It could be that the weather improves somewhat on the morrow, she thought. The wintry landscape was silent but for the crunch of snow under her boots as she shifted from one foot to the other in indecision. No. Frer Linn didn't die for me to just waste my time away in an inn. Taking a deep breath, she turned about and crossed the Five Wolves Inn's last warding circle.




 

Main Goal: Complete the Temecula, CA Spartan Sprint on September 14th, 2014

Upon crossing that last threshold of safety at the edge of the Endless Forest, Lielet felt the cold's bite sting at her cheeks. What once was a silent, looming forest became a fearsome labyrinth of pines which buzzed with the dark energy of the Nyun's malevolent heart. I cannot believe that I thought I was ever safe, she thought with some scorn for her naivete. I still have so much to learn.

Sub-Goals:
1) Reduce body fat percentage from 34% down to 30%.
2) Increase my bench press, American deadlift and squat to 95lbs., 165lbs. and 110lbs., respectively (5x5).
3) Be able to accomplish one full pull up.

Lielet drew her cloak closer about herself, willing herself to remember the mantra which Frer Linn taught her back at the abbey. She lost countless months to the Dread Slumber spell inflicted upon her by that faceless demon at the edge of the hamlet Melrose. When she awoke in the West Fields abbey two months' time previous, she was dismayed to find herself corpulent and without any memory of her warrior past beyond the name her long dead mother gave to her: Lielet.

The wind began to pick up as the last of twilight was eaten up by the inky darkness. It invaded her cloak, chilling her to the bone. A howl, loud and cutting caused her to stop in her tracks. That's too close. What am I walking into, so unprepared?

Life Sub-Goal: Dedicate at least one hour per day to writing.

Her hand found the hilt of her dagger. Movement ahead. In between the trees, she saw a shadow skulking. Yet, there was no sound from its motion. Is that a man? Do my eyes deceive me? Or is it a wolf, scouting for the pack?

Replacing the inescapably cold, looming forest, a dreamlike vision overtook her senses. She saw a woman - it was herself! But unlike her current attire, designed to keep her hidden from the beasts of the Forest, she was garbed in a fearlessly bright red cloak. Unlike her current soft state, her body was honed into weapon-like form. Surrounded by a starving wolf pack, she picked them off, one by one. The image disappeared from her view when a cold hand rested itself upon her shoulder. Disoriented, Lielet tried to remember what to do, clumsily grabbing again for the hilt of her dagger and brandishing it. With a shaking hand, she whirled about.

"Lielet," she heard a man's voice call out to her. There was no man about her.
Is it the shadow figure? Or, is it the forest?

"Lielet, you forget who you are. You forget what your true name is."

"What?! Who are you?! Show yourself!" she demanded, turning about in circles, her knife cutting aimlessly through the air. Another howl sounded in the near distance, followed by an answering howl.
Wolves. They come for me.

"You are Red Puma," the voice continued, "and I will help you to remember it as you make your way through this forest."

Red Puma? she thought with a snort. This spirit must think that he is funny.

"Trust in me to hold off those which might hunt you, hindering you in your quest. However, my power to keep the beasts and demons at bay is only as strong as your efforts to survive."

"Who are you!?" Lielet yelled loudly. She was met only with the ominous buzz of the forest and the answering howls of the predators which hungered for her flesh.



 

///

I have been working out in the gym for the past seven weeks, however I have had a pretty sedentary life for the last couple of years. Before that, I was in excellent shape. At 25% body fat, I was strong and fast, albeit a bit stocky. That's just my body type, though.

Current Stats
Age / Gender: 33 / F
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 177.8 lbs.
Body Fat: 32-34%
Bust: 37"
Waist: 31.5"
Hips: 40"

American Deadlift: 150 lbs. 5x5
Bench Press: 85lbs. 5x5
Squat: 95 lbs. 5x5

Goals and Plans
Main Goal: Complete the Temecula, CA Spartan Sprint on September 14th, 2014
I chose to sign up for an obstacle race because I wanted some concrete goal to push toward. Theoretically, you don't need to be a 22% body fat athlete in order to complete the sprint, which is the entry level of these races at 3+ miles and 15+ obstacles. Without knowing specifically which obstacles will be part of the race, I need to strengthen my weakest physical aspects (core and upper body, balance) while cutting fat for ease of mobility. I have 14 weeks until the race, which means I have 2 challenges to get myself in the best possible shape to show what I can do.

25% of Final Grade Sub-Goal: Reduce body fat percentage from 34% down to 30%.
In order to accomplish this sub-goal I will aim for 10 calories/lb, per day. I have a crap, underperforming thyroid, so I’m going off of experience as to my needs. I will aim for .67g of protein/lb per day. To start, that will be approximately 1778 calories per day with 119 grams protein per day. I will also be practicing "clean eating," continuing the whole grains/whole foods style of eating I've been doing for the past couple of months. I'm also going to be attending one to two boxing and Krav Maga classes per week as cardio conditioning. Being leaner will definitely help me to get through the Spartan.
Grading Scheme: Average of Daily Grades; A = 90-100% "on it", B = 75-89% "on it", C = anything below 75%

25% of Final Grade Sub-Goal: Increase my bench press, American deadlift and squat to 95 lbs., 160 lbs.. and 110 lbs., respectively (5x5).
I will be continuing with my four to five sessions of upper/lower body splits per week. I have seen remarkable improvement in just the last month. Only a month ago, I was scared to DL more than 80lbs. Been there. Done that. Boom-fist. I also will be performing accessory exercises to support the "big three." I'm not sure that being able to pull/press more weight is particularly going to help with my Spartan goal, but it couldn't hurt.
Grading Scheme: Average of Weekly Grades Based on Progress; A = 90-100% on it!, B = 75-89% on it, C = anything below 75%

25% of Final Grade Sub-Goal: Be able to accomplish one full pull up.
I have never completed a full pull up. For a sub-goal, this goal is pretty major. Accomplishing this will be as big a deal as getting married and graduating college were for me. I plan on using a couple of techniques: the negative pull up and assisted pull ups. Upper body strength, from what I can gather with the Spartan race photos and videos, is super important. I've read that being able to do a muscle up is a good idea for getting over a couple of the obstacles. Considering that I can't do a pull up... Yeah. Pull up. I'm comin' for ya.
Grading Scheme: Average of Weekly Grades Based on Progress; A = 90-100% on it!, B = 75-89% on it, C = anything below 75%

25% of Final Grade Life Sub-Goal: Dedicate at least one hour per day to writing.
As a writer, I'm going through a bit of a slump. I need to get my ass back in gear, which begins with simply sitting in front of my computer for a dedicated hour (minimum) per day. Yes, juggling writing, fitness, marriage, a job and a demanding cat is quite a handful. However, that's what I want to do and who I want to be. I want to be a writer-athlete-geek-wife-pet owner. I'm so close. I can do this.
Grading Scheme: Average of Daily Grades; A = 90-100% on it!, B = 75-89% on it, C = anything below 75%




 

///

If I succeed in completing the first 3 weeks of my first challenge, I will award myself:
STR: 4 | DEX: 1 | STA: 2 | CON: 2 | WIS: 1 | CHA: 0
Upon completing the second 3 weeks of my first challenge, I will award myself:
STR: 1 | DEX: 0 | STA: 1.5 | CON: 0 | WIS: 1.5 | CHA: 1

Since I'm going to be working on some overall awesome stuff I'm not going to micromanage points based on my subgoals. Instead, I'm going to use whatever my grade is from the above goals and award myself points adjusted according to the following scheme: A=100%, B=80%, C=50%. As an optimist, I don't think I'm going to fail out, but if I do... 0%.

[Yllek]

This is awesome. Good luck with your challenge.

[Blaidd]

Welcome Red Puma.

 

You have set this challenge up so well and your writing is beautiful.  Do you have a plan on how you're going to drop your BF %?

 

Good luck

AB xx

[redpuma]

Do you have a plan on how you're going to drop your BF %?

Thanks so much! For dropping body fat percentage... I mean, I'll be following fat loss for weightlifting caloric recommendations minus a bit since my thyroid is a piece of shit, even on medication. I'm going to monitor my weight loss and fat percentage weekly and tweak my workouts to be more tabata-y if I'm not seeing progress.

[Noname123]

Awesome Goals! I'm also planning to do the Spartan sprint next year, let me know how it is, def subbing

[Sabretooth-Kitty]

Looks awesome, good luck with your challenge, especially those lifts!

[Hazard]

Hello!

 

I’m Hazard, an ambassador for the Assassin Guild. It looks like with the pullup you may have goals similar to many in our guild work on, and we’d love to help you reach your goals!

 

If you ever have any questions or need help with anything, I'll happily assist you.  An easy way to get my attention is to use the quote button at the bottom right corner of any of my posts.  I have the forum setting turned on to alert me when somebody quotes me using that button, so it's a quick easy way to let me know you're talking to me.   You can also get in touch with me by posting on my own challenge topic or by using the forum private messenger system (the envelope button at the very top of the screen).

 

Here is a link to more information about the Assassin guild.

And here is a link to the Assassin phonebook with a list of various exercises/skills that guild members are working on for this challenge, as well as links to their challenge topics.

 

There are numerous other people in the Assassin’s guild who you can also get help from.  I recommend stopping by the Assassin's Den – a general chat thread in the guild forum – and introducing yourself.  You can always ask questions there too.

 

In any case, I’ll stop by from time to time to check in with you and offer support.  Good luck!

[ShadowLion]

Super theme and awesome goals! This is going to be great watching you kick beast and demon ass!

 

Shameless plug: We generally have a number of writers in the Renaissance Rebels and I'm planning some anti-procrastination and block-busting activities for the group. You might want to check us out for support on your life quest.

 

And those goals have "Ranger" written all over them. Heh. No offense, Hazard.

[Silverwind]

Hey RP, great goals and narrative!

 

Good luck with the Quests and I'm looking forward to checking in on your progress!

[Arya Sapphire]

Wow! Your writing is so beautiful. (I'm a fellow writer, but in French, so I totally understand how writer's block can drive someone insane! Writing was gonna be my life quest, but I chose cleaning my room instead, haha)

 

Anyway. I'm going to follow your thread because you inspire me. A Spartan race is such an amazing goal to aim toward! I wish you the best of luck! 

[Guest]

Excellent opening for your challenge, great writing!!! (btw - what did that poor wolf ever do???)

 

Good luck!

[redpuma]

Excellent opening for your challenge, great writing!!! (btw - what did that poor wolf ever do???)

 

Good luck!

THANKS! Yeah, about the wolf... he shouldn't've messed with me. 

Actually, I admire wolves. IRL, I'd probably just let that hungry beastie rip out my jugular...  

[TheStephil]

Welcome!

 

Best of luck on your challenge.

[AnnieP (respawned)]

Great challenge and beautiful writing. Good luck keeping the wolves at bay.

[redpuma]

Wow! Your writing is so beautiful. (I'm a fellow writer, but in French, so I totally understand how writer's block can drive someone insane! Writing was gonna be my life quest, but I chose cleaning my room instead, haha)

 

Anyway. I'm going to follow your thread because you inspire me. A Spartan race is such an amazing goal to aim toward! I wish you the best of luck! 

Somehow, I missed this! Thank you so much, Arya! You have just made my day

[Lady Senie]

Madam, you are AMAZING!  God, I feel inspired just looking at your challenge!  I'm looking forward to watching your progress

[Spark]

Hello from Renaissance Rebels! This is gonna be an awesome challenge, and I personally look forward to more of your writing. Crush it!

[redpuma]

Hello from Renaissance Rebels! This is gonna be an awesome challenge, and I personally look forward to more of your writing. Crush it!

Thanks! I plan on crushing it! I'm also thinking that I might write weekly ficlets to continue the saga... It could fit into my life challenge quite nicely

[Arya Sapphire]

Thanks! I plan on crushing it! I'm also thinking that I might write weekly ficlets to continue the saga... It could fit into my life challenge quite nicely

 

That would be so awesome! Please do it.

[ShadowLion]

Please! Would love to read more!

[Super Destroyer]

Welcome, redpuma.  Your writing is amazing, and I can easily imagine you as a mighty warrior.  If you ever need any advice on weight training, feel free to call on us.  A possibility you may or may not know about is Strong Lifts 5x5.  It would definitely be helpful on the lifting part of your challenge.  Best of luck!

[QuirkyDM]

Fantastic introduction. I've only done a few obstacle course races myself, but I love them. OCR goals are my favorite type to follow. It looks like you've got a great plan to get ready.

 

I loved the intro. Keep them coming.

 

And welcome to the challenges!

[redpuma]

Hiya! I decided to take a double rest day this past week due to kind of messing up my left ankle a bit. I really should work in some stretches to my deadlift days. Below is a jpg of my exercise plan for this week and a couple of bangin' start photos. haha... It seems that I have a bit of a belly and some extra fluff. One of the things I hope to do in the next six weeks is reduce that extra fluff. Hopefully, my update photos will show an improvement at the end!

 

I'll be posting some progress updates here and there, and will also make sure to get a new ficlet up to continue the story of Red Puma by next Sunday.

[ShadowLion]

Nice workout form. Is that something you made yourself?

 

Looking forward to seeing you achieve your goals!

[The Most Loathed]

Your spreadsheet brings the boys to the yard. It's better than mine, it's better than mine.