Raptron Deep Breaths More

[raptron]

Hi all! I'm your friendly neighborhood (sometimes) fliperdoo who has only actually done gymnastics once since March, but really wishes she did more. Most of my goals for 2020 were related to gymnastics feats and lifting progress, but not being able to spend much time in a gymnastics gym + 4 months of being unable to lift made most of them rather unattainable.

 

I instead shifted my sights to running a half marathon, which I did a couple of weeks ago at a pace surprising even myself. 🎊 

 

But, since then, I've gone on just one, single run. Without a goal in sight, my desire to run has completely waned, so running is off the goal table (but I may sneak a few in here and there). My gym has rolled back access due to the recent COVID spike, but I think I've  finagled enough of a  schedule to pursue real strength gains again. However, I've noticed that I've been having a bad time with squatting and my bad shoulder has been acting up again for the last three weeks.

 

I CAN DO THINGS TO FIX THIS. 

 

1) Mobility work 2x per week  --  I have a program to follow and a friend of mine wants to do some sessions together, even, so I have NO excuse not to get back into mobility work! I think it'll help my body feel better in general and be helpful for my eventual return to gymnastics. 

2) 1 weighted shoulder PT exercise in each lifting workout + 1 dedicated ankle PT session a week -- My shoulder still feels really crummy and I did roll my ankle twice during my half-marathon prep, so I should start helping them again.

3) Yoga OR handstand workout 1x per week -- Mostly in here to focus on my breathing 😝

4) Go to a gymnastics gym 2x over this challenge  -- My team has access to two gymnastics workout spaces but the practices are only on the weekends, both are quite far away, and I do not have a car. HOWEVER, I have been given the offer of a ride from a couple of folks and now that I'm no longer doing long runs on the weekends, I definitely have the extra energy and time to re-dedicate to brushing off my gymnastics skills. 

 

Let's hope it goes better than this: 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I really like that Dragon Gif. Here to watch you repair your shoulder and your squats.

[PaulG]

Looks like we are squat/shoulder twinsies this challenge. I’m curious what you’ll be doing for mobility and PT!

[Mike Wazowski]

Here for the mobility solidarity!!!
 

I also feel you on total lack of motivation to run (can’t even imagine how much less I’d want to in a snowy city).

[sylph]

Here for Raptron shenanigans.

[KB Girl]

Ohhh a return to gymnastics! Makes me feel like maybe there is hope for 2021. 

[miss_marissa]

Yay recovery!!!!

[Harriet]

Here for pandemic exercise demotivation solidarity. I hope you'll have access to flipping again soon, and that you find some enjoyable ways to maintain or progress in the meanwhile.

That's Alot of dragon.

[Mad Hatter]

19 hours ago, raptron said:

Let's hope it goes better than this: 

This cracked me right up.  😂 (Also that'd be my best attempt.)

[DarK_RaideR]

 

[raptron]

23 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I really like that Dragon Gif. Here to watch you repair your shoulder and your squats.

It's ONYXIAAA. She's an excellent dragon.

22 hours ago, Mike Wazowski said:

I also feel you on total lack of motivation to run (can’t even imagine how much less I’d want to in a snowy city).

I don't mind the cold at all, but I have enough trouble staying upright without ICE IN THE MIX. 😬

8 hours ago, Harriet said:

That's Alot of dragon.

😁  Very much so. 

5 minutes ago, DarK_RaideR said:

 

Her reason was clearly getting up in a COOL WAY, c'mon! That is a valid reason to do just about anything. 😁

 

 

[DarK_RaideR]

6 minutes ago, raptron said:

Her reason was clearly getting up in a COOL WAY, c'mon! That is a valid reason to do just about anything. 😁

Agreed. Ninja kip-ups are universally accepted as THE BEST WAY to get back on one's feet.

 

6 minutes ago, raptron said:

It's ONYXIAAA. She's an excellent dragon.

Daaaaaaaang! Flashback...

 

Also HELLO HELLO HIII

[raptron]

So we're zero weeking away over here! I lifted on Monday and stretched a little yesterday but mostly was a listless mope-pile, as it goes sometimes around this time of year. I'm off of work today and the rest of the week and feeling much better about the state of things. I just went on a grocery run and plan on doing a mobility session after breakfast. I've got a lifting slot this afternoon and D&D later tonight. 

 

My little side project is going to be FINALLY pulling together video from my 30th birthday scavenger hunt and using it as a hype video/preview for the 2021 Exscavaganza Re-re-re-remix!! I started working on prompts for a new scavenger hunt when the lockdowns started, but all of my friends seemed too depressed and overwhelmed to take on such a vast -- if very fun! -- project. I think that winter is long and boring enough that I'll be able to round up at least a few teams. 

 

And... since we're still in pandemic mode, this can be a fully virtual event. And I would welcome participation from you folks here at NF if you're interested! I'm going to try to limit the prompts to be things you can complete on your own, but may require at max 1 other person to help out. I always have a TON of prompts to choose from, so even if something would be impossible or extremely challenging in your situation, there should be plenty of other ways to gain points. I'm also going to limit team size this time around to 5, probably, so there won't be an overwhelming swarm of 25 gym members rallying to try to beat the other teams. 

 

I do not know what the prizes will be yet, but I'm trying to keep the virtual nature in mind as coming up with them! 

 

More deets to come when I finish the trailer, but the event would run in mid-January (around my birthday on the 19th). 😁

[KB Girl]

That sounds fun  I look forward to seeing the video.

 

and ehm. Moar dots! 

[JuiceeTarget]

Here for flippy stuff and shenanigannery of course.

[juliebarkley]

Hey, mid-January birthday buddy! (Jan 22)

 

That scavenger hunt is a way more exciting way to celebrate a birthday than cake and prezzies.

[Manarelle]

10 hours ago, raptron said:

It's ONYXIAAA. She's an excellent dragon.

 

Bare naked truth. 

 

Following again.  

[Mad Hatter]

Those prompts are glorious, sounds really fun!

[Epsilonte]

Here to send good vibes for ALL the PT exercises  

[raptron]

On 12/30/2020 at 9:07 PM, juliebarkley said:

Hey, mid-January birthday buddy! (Jan 22)

 

That scavenger hunt is a way more exciting way to celebrate a birthday than cake and prezzies.

 

On 12/31/2020 at 2:42 AM, Mad Hatter said:

Those prompts are glorious, sounds really fun!

You guys should plaaay. All people need to participate is a Google Photos album... I'll post the rules when I finish writing them up, but I'm serious when I say anyone is welcome. 😁

 

Here's the video of highlights from 2019 -- the music may or may not be muted depending on your viewing region, but it's still excellent even without sound (for the most part):

 

[raptron]

And HAPPY NEW YEAR, nerds! Love to all of you who make up this fantastic community and the many friends I've made here. 🤗

 

More updates:

I lifted on Wednesday.

 

Squats: 4 x 5 x 245#

Bench: 4 x 5 x 155#, 2 x 4 x 155#, 2 x 8 x 135#

Assisted shrimpish squats: 4 x 12

Glute ham raises: 4 x 8

Half kneeling db press (this is t!): 4 x 8 x 35#

Weighted Ys, Ts, Ws, and Us (pt): 4 x 10 x 5#

 

D&D after was an excellent, all RP session where we avoided combat entirely for once (gasp) and managed to both infiltrate the enemy camp, get paid a ton for bounties we didn't actually do, and smuggle all of the gold back to home base with my skeletons carrying it for us -- which was probably less ethically dubious than the "hobos of holding" method we had been considering before I realized the skeletons could be our beasts of burden. ✌️

 

Thursday (NYE) I went to gymnastics~!! Ahh. There was a scheduling issue so it would up being 2 hours instead of 3 hours but it's not like I was actually going to be able to do gymnastics for full 3 hours anyway. We brought some festive props to celebrate. ✨  I did some tumbling and uneven bars and things felt noooot great, but I do love gymnastics so and it was so much fun to be both doing it and seeing a couple of my gym friends again for the first time in a WHILE. Have some gifs for the occasion: 

 

 

I went home, ate some food, and started opening the wineeee. Had a couple of glasses with my roomie and then went over to my friend's backyard fire -- cozy in my reindeer onesie with the sequin jacket on top. I don't think I took any pictures but it was A Look, to be sure. We set off fireworks at midnight! I went home around 1:30 and passed TF out. 

 

 

 

[@mu]

Happy New Year dear Guild Leader   So happy to read you can access gymnastics practice again!

[KB Girl]

Happy new year!

LOVE the highlights video - you've got amazing friends! 

And you look fabulous in your gymnastics celebration props

 

[Harriet]

17 hours ago, raptron said:

 

 

 

 

This is the best costume ever and I want to know where you find your threads! Beautiful, as is the pool of red squares.

[Epsilonte]

Outfit on point!  

 

Happy new year to you too, sounds like you had a great day/evening!