A Modern Viking: The Chronicle of Rurik Harrgath

[Rurik Harrgath]

A MODERN VIKING

THE CHRONICLE OF RURIK HARRGATH

Adventure.  Fitness.  Survivalism.  Philosophy.  Technology.

 

 

Herein lies my Epic Quest of Awesome, my legendary journey to Level 50 and finding my ideal Heroic Life.

[Rurik Harrgath]

2016 GOALS

 

 

• Character-driven attributes
  1. Equipment & Inventory
     1. Update my wardrobe.
     2. Complete my Go-Bag.
     3. Outfit my adventure gear.
  2. Skills & Abilities.
     1. Martial skills:  Krav Maga, weapons practice, gun range, sledgehammer workouts.
     2. Capability:  Climbing, swimming lessons.  Rings, standing desk, and rock wall in new Man Cave. 
     3. Survival techniques:  fire prep, knot-work, shelter-craft, foraging.
  3. Rewild.
     1. 5 minutes spent outside daily.
     2. Weekly backyard time with my cat, Meatball.
     3. Monthly hiking or camping expeditions.
  4. Uncage.
     1. More nature.  Biking, rucking, hiking, whatever.
     2. Less time spent in front of screens and logged onto the internet.
     3. Outdoorsy skill work (survival, foraging, first aid, etc).
  5. Adventure.
     1. GoRuck Tough & Light back-to-back, July '16.  Cancelled by GoRuck.
     2. MB Spartan Sprint, July.
     3. MB Mud Hero, July.
     4. Camp Nerd Fitness '16.
     5. Travel (list forthcoming...)
     6. Explore.

 

• Level up my RPG stats.
  1. Strength
     1. Eat To Perform nutrition.
     2. Reasonable lift goals for the near future:
        1. 350# Back Squat
        2. 400#  450# Deadlift
        3. 250#  275# Clean & Jerk
        4. 200# Snatch
  2. Dexterity
     1. 15+ pull-ups from the hang.
     2. 5+ consecutive muscle-ups.
     3. 10+ ring dips.
     4. Handstand walking.
     5. Rock & Tree climbing.
  3. Stamina
     1. CrossFit WODs. 
     2. Intermediate "CrossFit Girls" timings.
     3. Sub-25:00 5km.
        1. Zombies, Run! Virtual 5k (Autumn 2016).
        2. Couch To 5km.
        3. Hogwarts Running Club.
     4. 50+ consecutive double-unders.

 

 

LONGER TERM GOALS

 

• Character Achievements
  1. Equipment & Inventory
     1. Obtain motorcycle license.
     2. Purchase working motorcycle.
  2. Skills & Abilities.
     1.  
  3. Rewild.
     1.  
  4. Uncage.
     1.  
  5. Travel & Adventure.
     1. Visit every continent.
     2. Travel to Norway, Russia, New Zealand, Peru, Tibet, and Switzerland.
     3. Bicycle along the Great Wall of China.

 

• RPG stats.
  1. Strength
     1. CrossFit 1000# Club
     2. Powerlifting 1000# Club
  2. Dexterity
     1. 20+ pull-ups from the hang.
  3. Stamina
     1. Advanced "CrossFit Girls" timings.

[Rurik Harrgath]

 

I want to take a moment and discuss the very near and dear topic of Rewilding and becoming an Uncaged Man as they relate to Jonathon Mead's concepts and tribe, as well as my own recent awakening efforts and personal goals for the year.

 

When I first set out to craft a Heroic Life, I did so from the perspective of a barbarian warrior.  Little has changed there as I will always hold myself apart and my worldview remains an untamed one, I've started adjusting my goals to better suit the 21st Century and the world I find myself consumed by and living within.

 

Previous Version:

 

On 2015-05-27 at 9:41 PM, Rurik Harrgath said:

Originally posted January 2nd, 2016 (The Making of a Modern Viking: Fitness and Philosophy for the Modern Adventurer)

 

Unleash the Barbarian!

1. Pursue my formidable destiny. 
   1. Montana Spartan Weekend, May.
   2. GoRuck Tough & Light, July.
   3. MB Spartan Sprint, July.
   4. MB Mud Hero, July.
   5. Camp Nerd Fitness, Sept.
2. Level up my RPG stats.
   1. Strength
      1. Eat To Perform nutrition.
      2. Reasonable lift goals for the near future:
         1. 350# Back Squat
         2. 400# Deadlift
         3. 250# Clean & Jerk
         4. 200# Snatch
   2. Dexterity
      1. 15+ pull-ups from the hang.
      2. 5+ consecutive muscle-ups.
      3. DIPS.  ALL THE RING DIPS.
      4. Handstand walking.
      5. Climbing.
   3. Stamina
      1. CrossFit WODs.  Intermediate ‘CrossFit Girls’ timings.
      2. Couch To 5K.  Sub-25:00 5km.
         1. Zombies, Run! Virtual 5k (30 March 2016).
         2. Hogwarts Running Club.
      3. 50+ consecutive double-unders.
3. Character-driven attributes
   1. More barbaric.
      1. Purchase my Utility Kilt at long last (January challenge).
      2. Grow out my beard to braid.
      3. Tattoo planning.
      4. Brew my first batch of mead.
   2. Martial skills.
      1. Sledgehammer workouts.
      2. Swordplay practice.
      3. Spear throwing (Spartan prep).
   3. More adventurous.
   4. More outdoors.  Period. 
      1. Nature.  Biking, rucking, hiking, whatever.
      2. Camping or Microadventures, it matters not.
      3. Outdoorsy skill work (survival, foraging, first aid, etc).

 

Further character-based brainstorming for testing 2016's inspirational boundaries...

 

What is a Barbarian?

Strong. Wild. Free. Nature. Primal. Food. Drink. Boastful. Proud. Competitive. Selfish. Tough. Strong. Warlike. Unencumbered (kilt). Weapons mastery. Outdoors.

 

What is a Ranger?

Dexterous.  Enduring. Nature. Animal companion. Selfless. Survival skills. Outdoors. Archery.

 

I want my real life skills and abilities to reflect those of the idealized character.  My intention is to take realistically-attainable in-character skills and then connect the dots to build up my personal abilities.  For example, a D&D Barbarian-Ranger hybrid would display weapons mastery, the strength of a barbarian, endurance of a Ranger, and an affinity for the natural world from both.  So to better embody that trope, I need to build a foundation through all of those fields.  My strength and endurance are already well on their way from a year of CrossFit, and I have better than passing familiarity with nature and survival skills through a Scouting and military background, but weapons mastery is tricky.  So I might tie that into my challenges to come through sledgehammer workouts and swordplay practice using a wooden dowel or something.

 

A fitness-oriented life wouldn't be complete without an aesthetics goal either, now would it?  Having taken a critical look at many of my favorite actors and characters, the one that is most in line with what I can reasonably expect to accomplish and am most content with is a body composition similar to that sported by Jason Momoa in Conan the Barbarian (2011).  Can anyone figure out my upcoming challenge theme yet? 

 

 

Jacked but not absolutely ripped to shreds, basically a similar form to several of my CrossFit idols like Lucas Parker and Rich Froning Jr, which isn't altogether an unreasonable expectation (though I'll never exhibit their levels of fitness, haha).  Despite my frequent dietary indiscretions lately, I've found it as easy to build muscle as it is to gain or lose fat, so that will likely be a struggle I will have to make my peace with and count on the assistance of regular CrossFit WOD conditioning workouts.  That coveted 6-pack of abdominal musculature is ever-so-close, hovering just outside my reach, but the efforts to reach it have seemed to surpass my willpower as of late.

 

"Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate,

the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content.

 

Let teachers and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion,

then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content.�

~ R.E. Howard.

 

 

 

ElastiGirl has inspired a concept that I've been considering lately; daily and weekly efforts that bring me closer to my Level 50 Heroic Life. To that end, I've placed my original character-driven attribute subheading on hiatus and have adapted it to suit my present intents and purposes.

• Character-driven attributes
  1. Equipment & Inventory
     1. Update my wardrobe.
     2. Complete my Go-Bag.
     3. Outfit my adventure gear.
  2. Skills & Abilities.
     1. Martial skills:  Krav Maga, weapons practice, gun range, sledgehammer workouts.
     2. Capability:  Climbing, swimming lessons.  Rings, standing desk, and rock wall in new Man Cave. 
     3. Survival techniques:  fire prep, knot-work, shelter-craft, foraging.
  3. Rewild.
     1. 5 minutes spent outside daily.
     2. Weekly backyard time with my cat, Meatball.
     3. Monthly hiking or camping expeditions.
  4. Uncage.
     1. More nature.  Biking, rucking, hiking, whatever.
     2. Less time spent in front of screens and logged onto the internet.
     3. Outdoorsy skill work (survival, foraging, first aid, etc).
  5. Adventure.
     1. GoRuck Tough & Light back-to-back.
     2. Travel.
     3. Explore.
     4. Camp Nerd Fitness 2016.

 

 

On 2015-05-30 at 10:45 PM, Rurik Harrgath said:

A brief summary of some of aspects of my Heroic Life goal are as follows:

• Feel at home in the wilderness and embrace the natural elements.
• Exhibit impressive, almost superhuman strength and endurance.
• Spend more time exploring and wandering.
• Travel and experience strange, new cultures and events.
• Weapons training.

 

[Mrs Van]

That first video was very interesting! Following to learn and apply more of an adventurous spirit.

[Elastigirl]

Oh hey, I didn't know I was mentioned in your post Love the super organization of your list- especially compared to my random, just throw it out there list. Did you find the list inspired you?  I need to listen to the video. I like my list, but don't feel like it has enough adventure. I skimmed listened to it, and what he said about allowing discomfort resonated with me. I live in a mild climate, which you would think means we are outside more, but actually most of us have become acclimated to only a 5 degree weather change. So, if it is 5 degrees colder, it's freezing, or 5 degrees above, it's too hotI'm trying to widen the gap some.

 

Having a list has helped me, we've gone geocaching more often, and sometimes I look at my list when I have some spare time and work on the list instead of hanging out here or facebook.

[Gaelle]

That Daniel Vitalis video was interesting for sure, some very good points.

I like the whole rewilding philosophy, particularly in this modern age where we/I spend way too much time in front of the computer. I'm looking around to how people organize their Epic Quest as I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed on how to get started. Yours is well thought out and put together.

 

[Rurik Harrgath]

2019 GOALS:  The Scoundrel Manifesto.

 

1. Pursue my formidable destiny. 
2. Level up my RPG stats.

1.     Strength  

1.     Reasonable lift goals for the near future (currents in brackets):

1.     350 405# Back Squat  (375)

2.     315# Bench  (305)

3.     400 450 500# Deadlift (485) 

4.     275 305 315# Clean & Jerk (305)

5.     200 225 255# Snatch  (245)

2.     Dexterity

1.     15+ pull-ups from hang.

2.     Return of the Ring Muscle-up, then: 5+ consecutive muscle-ups.

3.     10+ ring dips.

4.     Handstand walking.

3.     Stamina

1.     Intermediate CrossFit benchmark timings.

2.     50 100+ consecutive double-unders.

4.     Charisma

1.     Be a better friend - more social gatherings

1.     One or two social activities per week.

2.     One monthly major group activity (i.e. axe throwing, bowling, etc)

2.     Step outside my comfort zone.

1.     Commit to a new sort of social hobby (D&D, axe throwing league, etc)

5.     Constitution

6.     Wisdom

1.     MB-Westeros Experience

2.     Online education.

3. Character-driven attributes
   1. More barbaric.
      1. Purchase my Utility Kilt at long last (January challenge).
      2. Grow out my beard to braid.
      3. Tattoo planning.
      4. Brew my first batch of mead.
   2. Martial skills.
      1. Axe throwing.
      2. Firearms practice.
      3. Spear throwing (Spartan prep).
   3. More adventurous.
   4. More outdoors.  Period. 
      1. Nature.  Biking, rucking, hiking, whatever.
      2. Camping or Microadventures, it matters not.
      3. Outdoorsy skill work (survival, foraging, first aid, etc).

 

Further character-based brainstorming for testing 2019's inspirational boundaries.

 

What is a Scoundrel?

Strong, but agile. Dextrous. Gunslinger. Drink. Boastful. Proud. Competitive. Selfish. Tough. Urban & Urbane. Experienced. Rakish.=

 

What is a Ranger?

Dexterous.  Enduring. Nature. Animal companion. Selfless & Serving. Survival skills.

 

How to live the Ranger: Human Scoundrel (Jason Momoa) archetype?

CrossFit training, focus: Gymnastics & Olympic Weightlifting, lean down to Momoa standard. Active on NF Forums. Shooting, climbing, and axe throwing. Socializing and extrovert hobbies; life of the party. Fashion forward.

 

As with challenges passed, I want my real life skills and abilities (and aesthetics) to reflect those of my current character archetype.  My intention is to take realistically-attainable in-character skills and then connect the dots to build up my personal abilities.  For example, a Ranger-Scoundrel would exhibit agility and strength, grit and determination, but a lighthearted/playful outlook toward even the worst of circumstances, along with a never-say-die attitude and scrappy machismo.  He's essentially Han Solo, the Gunslinger from The Dark Tower or the Spellslinger class from Wild Star.  I already have the fitness foundation for an intergalactic gunslinger, it's simply a matter of dialing in my out-of-gym skill set and continuing to hone that charismatic attitude through careful extroversion.

A fitness-oriented life wouldn't be complete without an aesthetics goal either.  Having taken a critical look at many of my favorite actors and characters, the one that is most in line with what I can reasonably expect to accomplish and am most content with is a body composition similar to that sported by Jason Momoa in many of his popular roles; most notably Aquaman.

 

 

Jacked and pretty much ripped to shreds, naturally of a similar form to many of my CrossFit idols like Lukas Hogberg and Patrick Vellner, which isn't altogether an unreasonable expectation (though I'll surely never exhibit their levels of fitness!).  Despite my frequent dietary indiscretions lately, I've found it as easy to build muscle as it is to gain or lose fat, so that will likely be the struggle I will have to make my peace with and count on the assistance of regular CrossFit WOD conditioning workouts.  That coveted 6-pack of abdominal musculature seems unattainable now, hovering just outside my reach, as if the efforts to reach it have seemed to surpass my willpower as of late, but I've already proven it possibly to make dramatic transformations and it's simply a matter of applying the principles I already know and putting the plan into action.

 

 

Though borrowed from my prior dabbling with the barbarian archetype of Conan the Barbarian, I feel like the following adage still rings true...

"Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate,

the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content.

Let teachers and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion,

then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content."

~ R.E. Howard

Just try to imagine blaster pistols and dramatic speeder bike chases instead of swordplay and horses.