Steadfast as the Hills of Stone

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,093
Thank you, @JCU , @NancyTree , @Tileenah , @Nihopaloa , @Nightg0ddess , @Anek , @Julian4077 , @TopNotch !

This one seems like a hard program!

the days follow a pattern of medium-hard-rest. Hard days were very hard indeed. In the last week, I didn't even attempt to go beyond lvl I on those days. And that's without using the optional equipment, which would make it even harder! But this month's challenge will be a breeze after that. :LOL:

Wednesday, May 3

Before breakfast
-- 60 min walk | day 1 of 60 Days of Walking

Evening
-- 12 km bike ride | I'm trying to get used to a bit of elevation, so I got in about 100 m of it within 1.5 km in the first half of this ride. This may not seem like much to the experienced riders here, but I was very proud that I didn't get off the bike or stop moving at any time when climbing, even though I felt a bit like throwing up at the end of the last and hardest climb. :tired: My bike's weight (15 kg -- it's a MTB) doesn't really help either.

Screenshot_20230504-071117_Strava.jpg
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,093
Thanks, @Tileenah , @PetiteSheWolf , @roman , @CODawn !

Thursday, May 4

Before breakfast
-- Days 3-4 of Lower Abs | 4 & 6 sets
-- Nightingale | lvl III | 1 min rest
-- Fetch Quest | lvl I | lunge step-ups instead of butt kicks | bicep extensions with 3 kg dumbbells
-- Breakout | 2 sets | split lunges instead of knee strikes | 30 more split lunges at the end

Afternoon
-- 45 min walk | day 2 of 60 Days of Walking

Evening
-- Day 2 of 60 Days of Walking | part 2 | lvl I

Biking: 10.14 km in total
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,093
Friday, May 5

Before breakfast
-- 6x10 leg raises | day 5 of Lower Abs
-- Breakout | lvl I | lunge step-ups instead of knee strikes
-- 45 min walk | day 3 of 60 Days of Walking | on treadmill

Biking: 9.1 km in total

I enthusiastically tried my watch's Treadmill profile, but then I realised it was meant for running on a treadmill, not walking. 😅 So next time I will just track it along with my other workouts using the Other profile.

This was also the first time I used a treadmill, except for those ~3 minutes when my gait was assessed. And, for walking, it was love at first… workout. If I push the speed to 6 km/h, I can get my HR as high as it used to be on recovery runs. If I do most of 60 Days of Walking on a treadmill, with this intensity, it won't be that hard to get back to running.
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,093
Saturday, May 6

Late evening
-- Day 3 of 60 Days of Walking | part II | lvl II
-- Day 6 of Lower Abs | 4 sets
-- Day 1 of Power Up

Biking: 13.02 km in total

Today was the final, live round of our Tolkien Mailing Competition. I ended up being responsible for the costume station, which was… interesting for two reasons. One, I had to take photos of each team in their costumes, and I have zero knowledge of photography. Two, this station requires someone talkative, because after you're done taking photos and giving them their scores, you still have 10 minutes before they go to the next station, so you have to chat with them in the meantime. I'm an introvert, as are many of you, so I think you can imagine how drained I was after having had to actively chat with people I don't know for hours. But I did well, I think everyone who met me the first time there left thinking I was the most extroverted member of our Tolkien Society. 😅
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,093
Friday, May 12

Before breakfast
-- Fury | lvl I jumping jacks instead of popop tripods
-- 6x12 leg circles | day 11 of Lower Abs
-- Day 12 of Lower Abs | 6 sets
-- some modified combat and more explosive cardio workouts to test my hip | result: it's still a bit sensitive, so I have to pay special attention to form, but I can do high knees, butt kicks, climbers and even jump squats without pain!

Late evening
-- Day 3 of Power Up
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,093
Sunday, May 14

Before breakfast
-- 4x14 leg circles | day 13 of Lower Abs
-- Day 14 of Lower Abs | 4 sets
-- some more experimenting with jumpy exercises
-- 7 km indoor cycling

Evening
-- Day 4 of Power Up
-- Muscle Recovery
-- Raw | tried it with EC but I couldn't do #5 properly (not because of my hip, it was simply a general lack of flexibility this time) and I needed small breaks with some other poses

Late evening
-- Possum
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,093
Monday, May 15

Before breakfast
-- 4x14 leg circles | day 15 of Lower Abs
-- Peter Pan | lvl III
-- 3 km indoor cycling

Midday
-- Day 5 of Power Up

Afternoon
-- Backup & Restore

Evening
-- 23 km bike ride

Late evening
-- 60 min walk | day 8 of 60 Days of Walking

I promised myself that this day I would reassess my hip's state and decide if I needed to see a professional or not. After getting injured, I wasn't able to lift my leg fully without pain. In the mornings, when my muscles were still stiff, even walking hurt. Whenever I had to do an exercise on the floor, getting back up on my feet was a carefully executed slow ritual. I actually couldn't sit on the floor comfortably for any period of time.

Now I have full range of motion again, I feel absolutely no pain doing everyday activities, and I started doing explosive exercises again (my calves were quite surprised, they already forgot what it's like to jump so much). High knees, plank jump-ins, jump squats don't hurt anymore (not even 20 jump squats in a row!). I still have to pay particular attention to form, but with this much progress achieved only by doing exercises that strengthen the muscles stabilising my hip joint, I decided to keep my money this time. I'm confident that soon I can slowly start running again!
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,093
Tuesday, May 16

Midday
-- 8 km bike ride

Late afternoon
-- Day 16 of Lower Abs | 6 sets
-- 45 min walk | day 9 of 60 Days of Walking | part I
-- Part II of 60 Days of Walking | lvl III | running on the treadmill instead of walking! It felt… comfortable. With the speed set to 9 km/h, my HR stayed in zone 2. My hip didn't complain, though it might have got a little bit more sensitive afterwards. I forgot to slightly raise the incline though; I'll try to keep that in mind next time, just to imitate running outside just a little better
-- Day 6 of Power Up

Evening
-- Possum
 
Last edited:

BlackButler

Well-known member
Witcher from Kent
Posts: 199
"True Failure is Never Attempting"
Hey you! Looking awesome as ever! Excellent news on the running can wait to see the rest of your journey :D

Forrest Gump Running GIF
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,093
Sunday, May 21

Afternoon
-- 2 hr practice with LARP-safe weapons

Two weeks ago some friends joined a group of larpers who regularly practice with all kinds of weapons (they're made of foam, so no risk of serious injury), and I decided to try it too. In autumn I will go to a Skellige-themed LARP, and I want my character to be a shieldmaiden because I've never played as a warrior at any fantasy LARP I went to. But there will be full contact fighting, so I better get prepared. :LOL:
The guys were all very nice (one of the main organisers played as my arch-nemesis at the Lord of the Rings-themed LARP we had in March, and I know one of the girls from the Stalin LARP). I don't remember most of their names and they don't remember mine, but they gladly included me in all the games and we had some nice chit-chat about organising LARPs and about biking (and, of course, about LARP-safe weapons and their distributors).

Biking: 20.81 km in total
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,093
Monday, May 22

Before breakfast
-- 6x18 leg circles | day 21 of Lower Abs
-- Day 22 of Lower Abs | 6 sets
-- Foothold
-- 3x20 standing hip abductions with resistance band
-- 3x20 single leg bridges with elevated feet
-- 3x10 squats with resistance band
-- 3x20 clamshells with develope

Afternoon
-- 60 min walk | day 11 of 60 Days of Walking | outside

Evening
-- 21 km bike ride

Late evening
-- 2x1 min single-leg stand on a stability disk
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,093
It is, @NancyTree !

Wednesday, May 24

Before breakfast
-- Day 24 of Lower Abs | 4 sets
-- 3x20 ankle pumps
-- Not Perfect | lvl III
-- 5 km indoor cycling

Midday
-- Day 10 of Power Up

Late afternoon
-- 15 km bike ride

Evening
-- 60 min walk | day 13 of 60 Days of Walking

Late evening
-- hip stretches

My new catchphrase when cycling: "if you pass me at a red lamp, move faster than a snail". I shouted this to two guys today. Rude, I know, but so is obstructing the bike traffic by not abiding by the rules. I don't care if they don't want to stop at a red lamp, but I don't want to have to pass them again in the dense traffic…
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,093
Thursday, May 25

Evening
-- Not Perfect | lvl I
-- Outlander | lvl II
-- Standing Core
-- 6x20 leg circles | day 25 of Lower Abs
-- 3x10 bridges
-- 3x10 lunges
-- 15 min run on treadmill

These were done in about two and a half hours, because I met a friend at the gym, and we ended up talking a lot. But I don't mind. I work out every single day, I can allow myself to slack off at the gym once a week. Also, this was my longest consecutive run since my injury, and there was no discomfort either during it or afterwards. And I showed Darebee to my friend, and he was amazed. ;)
 
Top