Move

So, here we are at the last few days of Fit February, and I almost feel like I'm slacking off. This past monday, there was no fighter practice, and I have been packing/moving since friday(ish). Saturday and Sunday it was raining so we didn't get as much moved over to the house as we would have liked, but we did get some over. Despite not taking time to run, or to do workout specific things, moving boxes down to the truck all day has periodically made me sweat, and my leggs burn (we live on the second floor). All is not lost.
Crapaud is thursday, and I have stuck to my guns on my oath to not drink for the month. I don't have a scale, and I didn't take any measurements before or after, but I do feel like it has made at least a little difference. I'm sure that if I did put in the numbers, I would get scoffs left and right, I'm not particularly heavy. Five years ago though, I was 40 pounds lighter. I spent about 20 years being the featherweight bean pole, and now I finally have something to build on. So, Fit February, for me, has been about strength and endurance training, and focusing on being active, more than it has been about loosing weight. So, I am getting closer to where I want to be, in regards to my beer gut and love handles. Also, fighting 7 guys in a row, in what has come to be known at practice as "fight the line" has become easier to handle.
Here I am, in the last few days of february, feeling better than I did a month ago. With moving in to a house this week, I hope to be able to focus more time on staying improving on my healthy state. It will be much easier to focus on my training when I have enough room to swing a sword, and work on my armor. Fit March anyone?

I've Been Tagged

I'll make it short and simple...

1. Pick up the nearest book ( of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people & post a comment on your taggers blog so they can go see.


Ugh, gotta love school books...

"In the Classified method, color transitions are less subtle, but you can see exactly which value ranges correspond to which shades. In the Unique Values method, a different color is assigned to every data value in the raster. This method is available as long as the raster has no more than 2,048 unique data values."
-Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop

You asked for it, thanks Cami. ;p

Hail the Victorious Dead

Estrella, a week long SCA war in Arizona, just ended over the weekend. Some day I hope to make it down there, it's supposed to be tons of fun, a real west coast Pennsic. A real reality check for our sport, a newer fighter (this Estrella was his first war) died of a heart attack on the battle field. I don't have too many details about the incident, I did hear that he was given an award at the grand court after words, so that he would always be remembered. So, in honor of that, I salute you and yours, and hope you found the gates of Valhalla well. Farewell brave warrior.

A Case of the Mondays

Not really. That title was just all I could come up with. It was a basic night, three of us in armor, one new guy (very first time), and a handful of bystanders. The newbs run the practice! Anyway, things went decently, that is, until my elbow decided to crap out on me. No worries though, I was able to do some left handed work for once, that was kinda fun. I think next time I want to stress focus on the basics, slowing down and just throwing a good shot. I think we (as newbs) tend to incorporate just a bit of mayhem in to our style, and it might be causing some small injuries. Well, I hate to call them injuries, rather they are "bites" I guess.
Ah well, I pushed myself, I had fun, and there was some workout type stuff going on. All in all a good night, except now I'm up waiting for the advil to kick in so I can get some sleep...

Sunday Afternoons

The ADHD Viking and I, went up to the sunday afternoon practice in Sac today. This is really the first time I've been out of the area to get beat on, and honestly, doing stuff like that is out of my comfort zone usually. It was nice not going alone though, it made things easier. The whole practice was really good though. Despite the fact that it took me a while to relax and get in to a comfort zone around people I've never fought before, I eventually got in to a zone, and things worked out nicely. Now I'm not saying that I dominated the field or anything, 'cause I didn't, I got beat down quite well. It was nice because I was able to hold my ground, throw a few good kill shots, and give people a run for their money when they got me.

Anyway, it was a nice bit of exercise, and a really big leap for me socially. I no longer feel stuck within the confines of the small local area. The world of the SCA is slowly opening up for me, as I take the steps to open it. I'm having fun, and that's what counts.

Pain Displacement

I think that's what it's called. Well, my quad is almost fully recovered from the bruising, just in time for my to hit a sunday and monday practice duo. But, as happens sometimes, my leg feels better enough so that I notice how much my knee hurts, ugh. The bruising on my knee is very close to the bone, so either the bone is bruised, or the tendon/cartilage is bruised. Either way, it sucks. I'm not running right now, so it will hopefully heal. In place of that, I am substituting a homemade abs and arms workout, to keep up with fit February as well as targeting muscles that help me fight.

On a good note, we are going to be moving in to a house. I wish we were in a position to buy, but that just aint gonna happen till I finish school and get a real job. So, yeah. Lots to do the last two weeks of this month. Heck, lots to do the next month and a half. Sunday monday practice this week, wednesday class, saturday is a champions tourney in Sac, monday practice, wednesday class, thrusday Crapaud, pack, move, more practice, more class (not to mention the online class work I have to do), take care of the kid, drive the wife to work, buy a new car, buy a new bed, more practice, march crown in woodland... lots to do...

By the by, just thought I'd mention that at the March Crown tourney the princess is going to put me on her guard. A very cool honor, that will be a lot of fun, and I get to wear a baldric, yay me! Hopefully I don't make a fool out of myself.

WW

Monday Type Stuff

So, I spend a lot of the day making a new shield, which I think came out very nice IMHO. It is not a terribly difficult or time consuming project, usually. After several hours of cut, drill, split hose, hammer in the fabric staples, etc. I finish with a resounding pain in my shoulder and my elbow. Well, ok, it wasn't that big of a deal right off the bat, but it got worse as the afternoon wore on. To the point that I actually considered not going to practice. But I went anyway, and before leaving I told the wife that I may not fight, to which her response was "Ha! Yeah you will." And she was right. I didn't last very long though.

So, after a couple warm up fights with the ADD Viking, I had to stop. Which sucks cause it takes a decent amount of effort to get all my gear on. So I missed out on a decent night of fighting, with three people from Sac showing up, and four local fighters (including me). I'm not sure if I am going to count it as a workout day, as far as Fit February is concerned. Yeah, I put some effort in to it, and yeah it was more exercise than I would have gotten if I sat around at home, but just barely.

Funny bit of info though. I was talking to the knight that showed up from Sac, the arm, fighting lefty, him and I not getting the chance to fight again this week. When I said that I probably shouldn't have even gotten in to armor, he said something to the effect of "In no book anywhere does it list Intelligence as a Knightly Virtue. We fighters are not known for our brains." And he has a very valid point. Sometimes I think stubbornness, or bull headed should be on that list though, 'cause we do what we're going to do, when it comes to fighting, and its hard to sway that frame of mind.

Today sounds like a good day to run.

Sunday Fight

I put together a fighting get together this afternoon. I hesitate to call it a practice, cause it was just the three of us newbs throwing down some shots in a park. A practice it may not have been, but it was a workout and it was fun. Being that it was the middle of the day, we were able to go until we were basically exhausted. Which is good, I am trying to push myself so that I improve, and I am trying to push Samurai Newb and ADD Viking so that they improve as well. It is nice to enjoy a hobby with friends. Not to say that the other people I have fought with at monday night practice are not friends, but I was friends with these two well before we got in to SCA fighting. I mean, after we were done at the park, we went to get dinner together (the women folk came as well) and finished off the day with some Rock Band. Despite the fact that I had to watch as everyone else had a beer at "Burgers & Brews" I still had a blast.

Kind of a fun little side note, we drew a small crowd at the park. Kids and parents stopping to watch the "sword fighting" was kinda cool. Hearing "Go! Go! Silver knight!" or "Go! Go! Black knight!" was a different level of encouragement. Fun times, fun times. Well, tomorrow nights practice should be fun now lol.

Nerd Alert!

So, I have my first badge for Fit February, but now, I have a Nerdy award! I personally prefer the term geek, but I like it none the less. I was bequeathed this award from Mielikki, one of my two readers, and blog friend. Since my other reader already has one of these awards, I guess I have to some up with my own, new award, so I can fling some bling. Thanks Mie!

Clarification

I didn't give up alcohol for lent. I am not religious. My motivation was Fit February, "A Knights Own Book Of Chivalry," my son, my wife, a little bit of family history, etc. You won't see me with dirt on my face on a specific wednesday this month. That is all...

WW

Feeling (Black and) Blue

Good turn out this week. 8 on the field, well, 8 1/2 anyway. Two dropped a little early, but there was plenty of fighting to be had.

I do have a problem though. I know I'm new and all, but the bruising on my left leg is getting to be a bit much. After Crapaud last thursday, I had a little bit of the blue/purple, but now I have bruises on top of bruises, and it kind of hurts. Ya, it really is an indicator that I need to block that spot, but I also think I should upgrade my armor a bit to prevent some of it. I need to figure out what I'm going to do with my helmet too, for some reason, it just isn't snug enough.

On a good note, I think my skill level is improving. Not by leaps and bounds mind you, I'm not ready to go out and take the whole kingdom on, but I did notice a few small improvements over a month ago. If only I could find a way to get a few more new people, beating up on newbs makes me actually look like I know what I'm doing lol.

R&R today. More thoughts later maybe.

Walking Among The Valorous

Crapaud... there was a lot about the night that was just so amazing. It is hard to believe that I was a part of it honestly. I have given this blog quite a bit of thought since I got home, and I just can't put it in to words, the feeling of being there. What it boils down to, is that I got to fight some great fighters. Not just great, honestly some of the best fighters in the whole of the SCA world (which is very big BTW). After all these years of being on (or just barely off) the sidelines, it is hard to believe I took the field with these gentlemen. I am beaten and bruised, and I'm not sure I won a single fight, but damn if I don't feel like I gained so much more.


It is too much to put in to words, but I reserve the right to come back and add ramblings later.