Steadfast as the Hills of Stone

lpf

Well-known member
Rogue Posts: 335
"“I am, and always will be, the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes, and the dreamer of improbable dreams.” (Eleventh Doctor)"
View attachment 6997
The Kuya Falls. This was my favourite hike, I think.
this looks like a place in Rise of the Ronin video game, which might be pretty obvious, as it plays in Japan somewhere around Kyoto... but I it just catched my eye...
 
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Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,138
Thank you very much, @JCU , @Silent Wolf , @Maegaranthelas , @aku-chan , @Fremen , @TopNotch , @Mamatigerj , @Jaga , @Anek , @Louve Rose , @NancyTree , @PetiteSheWolf , @Lady Celerity , @CODawn , @Haleth , @AnnieW ! :love:

this looks like a place in Rise of the Ronin video game, which might be pretty obvious, as it plays in Japan somewhere around Kyoto... but I it just catched my eye...
Ooh, that one would be fun to play! After we got home, my husband started playing with Ghostwire: Tokyo, which has modern-day Shibuya modelled. He found several places that we visited. :LOL:

To show how (un)structured my training is nowadays:

Sunday, May 4

Midday
-- 62 min run | I could finally fit in a run after a long weekend spent working in front of a screen...

Monday, May 5

Before breakfast
-- 44 side bends | day 29 of Posture
-- 3x54 chest expansions | day 30 of Posture

During work
-- 9 min balance hold in one go | day 25 of Balance | It's tough to keep my arm up for so long... I let it rest for a few seconds when changing legs midway, and I didn't keep it quite as neat and straight as it would fit the tree pose
-- Rotator Cuff
-- Hand Mobility
-- Knee
-- Ankle Recovery

Late afternoon
-- 39 min run

Tuesday, May 6

During work
-- Super Soldier | lvl II

Afternoon
-- 39 min run

Late afternoon
-- 3x1 min high knees | day 23 of Cardio & Abs

Wednesday, May 7

Midday
-- 30 min run

During work
-- 4x60 high knees | day 15 of Action Hero
-- Day 21 of Momentum | lvl III

Thursday, May 8

Afternoon
-- Day 29-30 of Daily Crunch | hard
-- Day 22 of Momentum | lvl II
-- 3x1 min flutter kicks | day 24 of Cardio & Abs | not that I can actually do 1 min of flutter kicks with good form

Late afternoon
47 min run:
-- 10 min warmup
-- 3x: 7 min threshold pace | 2 min recovery
-- 10 min cooldown

Friday, May 9

During work
-- Day 16 of Action Hero
-- Day 1 of Recomp

As you can see, I'm not consistent with anything I do (maybe apart from running). Nowadays it sometimes takes me as much as three months to complete a single challenge or program. But I still like the variety of doing more of them at the same time. I don't claim badges anymore either, it would feel unfair to those who diligently work on them every single day. But that's fine, luckily I don't need the badges as motivation anymore.
My new job is still mostly done from home. I go to the office once a week at most, if at all, so I can have a short break almost anytime I'd like, and I try to fit in a micro workout then. That's what the "during work" label means, and the items listed there are usually spread throughout the work day. I need that, because with my side job and other projects (I'm organizing two LARPs right now! :dance:), and all the socializing I've found myself doing recently (I'm very, very grateful to have so many like-minded friends, but spending quality time with them comes at the price of my introvert social batteries draining very quickly) that's often the only option I have. Unless I go to sleep late, of course, which I don't like doing. Mainly because the earlier I go to bed, the sooner I get to be left alone with my thoughts. :night:
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,138
Thank you @Mamatigerj, @Syrius! :hheart:

I've slowed down on the workout front in the past weeks, in part because I had some injuries. My right hip began hurting the exact same way as the left one was... two years ago, I think, when I had to step back from a half-marathon race and was completely unable to run for two or three months. This time I was careful and stopped aggravating the injury, and now it feels good again. A stiff neck was also keeping me from working out much. It was due to poor form when sitting in front of the screen throughout my work days and an ergonomic pillow that apparently just makes things worse for me. I'm now back to my old, flat pillow, and it's much better.

Monday, 2 June

Late morning
-- 33 min run

Tuesday, 3 June

Morning
-- 33 min run

Afternoon
-- 40 min walk

D&D evening with my husband as the GM.

Wednesday, 4 June

Evening
-- 43 min run

Thursday, 5 June

Midday
39 min run:
-- 10 min warmup
-- 19 min threshold
-- 10 min cooldown

Friday, 6 June

Afternoon
-- 33 min run

I spent the evening celebrating a friend's 40th birthday.

Saturday, 7 June

Hangover from the previous night's birthday party. Then, in the early afternoon we set up and went to the Hungarian Tolkien Society's spring summer meeting.

Sunday, 8 June

Medieval dance workshop in the morning, practicing how to crack a whip in the afternoon.

Monday, 9 June

The spring summer meeting ended, we went home. The DOMS from the whipcracking caught up to me by the evening. :LOL:

Evening
-- 54 min run

Tuesday, 10 June

Late afternoon
-- 22 min walk

Skillet concert in the evening! This was the first time I saw them live.
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,138
Yes, @Laura Rainbow Dragon, all's fine, just a bit busy. But the good kind of busy. :ss:

I still exercise almost every day, and I still keep track of it with the intention to post it here, but then I blink, and months have passed without posting. Anyway, this is what my last week looked like exercise-wise:

Sunday, 16 Nov

Before breakfast
-- Morning Ritual

Late morning
-- 30 push-ups in total (regular, knee, and wall) | day 16 of Push-Up Streak
-- Day 6 of Total Body Strength+ | lvl III
-- Day 3 of Power Pose

Monday, 17 Nov

Before breakfast
-- The Right Side | with EC
-- Day 4 of Power Pose
-- 60 push-ups in total (regular, knee, and wall) | day 17 of Push-Up Streak
-- Day 7 of Total Body Strength+ | lvl III

Tuesday, 18 Nov

Before breakfast
-- Energizer

Wednesday, 19 Nov

Before breakfast
-- Awake & Alive | lvl III | with EC
-- Day 8 of Total Body Strength+ | lvl III

Late morning
-- 65 push-ups in total (regular, knee, and wall) | day 18 of Push-Up Streak
-- 35 push-ups in total (regular, knee, and wall) | part of day 19 of Push-Up Streak

Midday
-- 35 push-ups in total (regular, knee, and wall) | part of day 19 of Push-Up Streak

Thursday, 20 Nov

Before breakfast
-- Day 9 of Total Body Strength+ | lvl III
-- 35 push-ups in total (regular, knee, and wall) | day 20 of Push-Up Streak

Late morning
-- Trailblazer

Afternoon
-- Day 5 of Power Pose

Friday, 21 Nov

Before breakfast
-- Core for Runners | lvl III | with EC

Afternoon
-- Days 6-8 of Power Pose

Saturday, 22 Nov

Late morning
-- Runner Strength Lowerbody | with EC

Midday
-- Day 12 of Total Body Strength+ | lvl III
-- Day 9 of Power Pose
-- 30 min jog

Afternoon
-- Rest & Rec
-- 30 knee-to-elbows | Daily Dare

Sunday, 23 Nov

Before breakfast
-- 40 push-ups in total (regular, knee, and wall) | part of day 23 of Push-Up Streak

Late morning
-- 40 push-ups in total (regular, knee, and wall) | part of day 23 of Push-Up Streak
-- Day 13 of Total Body Strength+ | lvl III

I have no injuries, my hip's fine! Possibly also because I run much less than before. I'm not preparing for any races right now, but the next one, and possibly all the others I'll enter in the foreseeable future aren't going to be road races but obstacle trail runs. They're more fun, and I think preparing for them allows for a more balanced training, as it's not just about running and then running some more on pavement, but on the one hand I'm motivated to look for opportunities to run on trails, and on the other hand I have to do a lot of strength work, on all muscle groups. It seems like this approach helps avoid overuse injuries.

I've been to one such race called Fighters' Run this September, and I loved every second of it, even when my heart rate went up to 200 while crawling up one of the many steep hills ~90 minutes in, or when my husband came up to me near the finish line, at the last obstacle, and all I could tell him was "I'm dying, I'm dying." What I loved the most was how willing the participants were to help each other. An experienced participant gave advice on a scary obstacle while we were recovering from an uphill segment, and when we met later, he remembered me, and asked how it went. At one of the most difficult obstacles – it's like a slip wall on a Spartan* race, but steeper and curved so that the top part is fully vertical – very few people were able to get through without help, so those who were already on top helped pull up the next ones, while the people still waiting to start pushed them up. And when the ones climbing reached the top, the roles were passed on, so they were now the ones to pull up the next row of people. That's how I, along with two girls about my height and weight pulled up two men who must've both been somewhere between 80 and 100 kg in weight. When I told the men "come on, come on, you've got this, we'll help", I really wasn't as confident in our ability to pull them up as I sounded, but it worked. :LOL:

*We do have Spartan races in Hungary, but I chose Fighters' Run (a Hungarian brand) instead because the smaller number of participants and the lack of international "hype" around it made it seem cozier and less... macho, if you get what I mean. I also like the theme of Fighters' Run races; their logo has a wolf on it, and they call themselves and all participants of their races "pack members". They also have "Wolf Pup" races for children between 4 and 14 years, and that's very cute!
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,138
Thank you, @Syrius, @f1shie, @Lady Celerity, @PETERMORRIS966, @Haleth! :love: :party:

Yesterday was pleasant, despite having to work. My husband gets a day off every year for his birthday, but my company offers no such thing, unfortunately. And today's a work day too! As a compensation for having Jan 2, normally a workday, off. But it's not too taxing, none of my Vietnamese colleagues are working, and the Hungarians don't feel like rushing anything either. So no one cared that I left home office for a little while to pick up my birthday cake. It will be for the celebration tonight! :D
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,138
Thank you, @TopNotch and @CODawn! :party:
The celebration was great, a lot of people could come, and it seemed like everyone genuinely had a good time with fun conversations. I'm happy, because I think this party helped strengthen some ties within our little community.

The following is what I've been doing exercise-wise in the new year. The intensity isn't high, but the effort is constant.

Sunday, Jan 4

Morning
-- 2x10 sec dead hang | day 2 of Negative Pull-up

Afternoon
-- This Princess Wears Pants! | lvl III | with EC
-- Days 3-4 of Arcade | anchor
-- Day 23 or 30 Days of Cardio | lvl I

Monday, Jan 5

Before breakfast
-- Day 3 of Negative Pull-ups
-- Day 5 of Arcade | anchor

Late morning
-- Day 24 of 30 Days of Cardio | lvl I

Afternoon
-- Fae Princess | lvl I

Tuesday, Jan 6

Before breakfast
-- Day 20 of Unbound

Late morning
-- Day 21 of Unbound

Midday
53 min run:
-- 10 min warmup
-- 3x: 9 min tempo run | 3 min walk
-- 10 min cooldown

Wednesday, Jan 7

Before breakfast
-- 2x10 sec dead hang | day 4 of Negative Pull-ups

Midday
-- Days 6-7 of Arcade | anchor
-- Day 25 of 30 Days of Cardio | lvl I

Afternoon
-- Savage Princess | lvl I

Thursday, Jan 8

Late morning
-- Day 5 of Negative Pull-Ups

Midday
-- Day 8 Arcade | anchor

Afternoon
-- Day 26 of 30 Days of Cardio | lvl I
-- Princess to the Rescue | lvl I

Friday, Jan 9

Before breakfast
-- 3x10 dead hang | day 6 of Negative Pull-Ups

Late morning
-- Day 9 of Arcade | anchor

Saturday, Jan 10

Late morning
-- Day 27 of 30 Days of Cardio | lvl III

Midday
-- Ninja Princess | lvl I

Today was a slow day, in part due to a mild hangover. With the friend I was celebrating with (also born on 9 January, just 9 years later than me), we emphatically told the guests not to bring us any gifts. The result? Many of them felt compelled to buy as drinks at the place instead. I managed to politely dodge some of the offers, but apparently not enough, considering the amount of vodka my chosen cocktail for the night contained.
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,138
Monday, Jan 19

Before breakfast
-- Day 9 of Negative Pull-Up

Tuesday, Jan 20

Midday

-- Days 17-19 of Arcade | anchor
-- Day 30 of 30 Days of Cardio | one set only

Wednesday, Jan 21

Before breakfast
-- The Princess | lvl I

Slow, slow,  slow on the exercise front. I really need to shift gears to keep up with everything I genuinely want to do.
 

Mianevem

Well-known member
Valkyrie from Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 1,138
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