Jarric - Year of the Muscle Wizard

[Jarric]

At some point I'll hopefully flesh this challenge out a bit more, but for now I just want to get something down.

 

Hi, for those who don't know me I'm Jarric. I'm a 30something ranger from England, and I've been knocking around the forums since February 2016 apparently. I live with my fiancée, Wonder Woman (usually referred to as WW), and out cat Bagheera. My main fitness goals revolve around obstacle course racing (OCR) and bouldering (rock climbing without ropes). I've spent a lot of the last couple of years going to a Crossfit gym as well, although that's on hold for a couple of months for financial reasons, as I'm hoping to buy a house in the next few weeks. My nerdyness is largely directed towards TTRPGs these days; I started a long D&D campaign with some fellow rangers this year, I play in a couple of different Pathfinder groups each week, and I spend a not insignificant amount of time watching High Rollers, Critical Role, Questing Time, and Acq Inc: The C Team.

 

The uncommonly good-looking half orc in my profile pic is Guglug the muscle wizard. He's been my avatar for the last few challenges, and if I get round to doing a theme this time he'll probably be involved.

 

*      *      *

 

Last year was a good year. No really, I mean that. Bad stuff happened in 2020 and I can't change that, but I can choose what I remember 2020 for and I choose to remember the good stuff:

• I started running a regular D&D campaign, and have had amazing fun doing it
• I achieved one of my major fitness goals, running 4 laps of The Nuts Challenge
• I managed multiple reps of ring muscle ups, learned to handstand walk a couple of steps, and got much better at handstands in general
• I was introduced to Questing Time, a brilliant comedy D&D show, and joined an amazing community of geeks through that
• I got a pay rise and a bonus, in a year that I wasn't expecting either
• I saved so much money by not going out over the summer that I'm somehow in a position to buy a house. WW and I found a place we love and got a mortgage approved

 

*      *      *

 

For this year I have some more big goals (which you can find in my 2021 road map), but for now lets focus on goals for this challenge:

 

Run 116 miles - 10XP

Simple one, run 116 miles this challenge. My goal for the year is 1,202 miles (2021 backwards), so 116 miles in this 5 week challenge is on track for that. Will be simple if I don't miss any runs.

 

Foam rolling - 10XP

Do some foam rolling at least 3 times per week. I am in considerably less pain when I do this regularly, and I like not being in pain, so I need to knuckle down and do it.

 

Protein - 10XP

Drink my protein shakes every day. I've yet to find a way to get sufficient protein without them (and without eating a million calories), so these need to be had.

 

Teeth - 5XP

Brush my teeth twice daily, and clean in between them in the evenings. Because apparently I'm a trash person and can't get to grips with this. Because I have a real mental block about this. I don't know where it comes from, or why, but when I get stressed or depressed I fall out of the habit very quickly.

 

Create - 5XP

Draw something, or do something else creative, at least 3 times each week. I think this is good for me mentally, and I enjoy it, and I want to get better at drawing because I enjoy it more when I'm improving.

 

*      *      *

 

Icebreaker

It feels like a time when a lot of people are coming back to the forums, and with mixing the guilds I'm seeing more of different people, so lets get to know each other a bit more. So tell me, what incredibly common thing have you never done?

[Rurik Harrgath]

2 hours ago, Jarric said:

The uncommonly good-looking half orc in my profile pic is Guglug the muscle wizard. 

 

Aye, ain't he just?   

 

[Rhovaniel]

2 hours ago, Jarric said:

Because apparently I'm a trash person and can't get to grips with this.

Not a trash person, and me too. It's something I have to really, really focus on. When my mood is low, this is doubly difficult. I admire you for putting it as a measured part of your challenge. 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Something I've never done is get drunk. I've been sober my entire life. 

[Jarric]

16 hours ago, Rurik Harrgath said:

 

Aye, ain't he just?   

 

 

 

14 hours ago, Rhovaniel said:

Not a trash person, and me too. It's something I have to really, really focus on. When my mood is low, this is doubly difficult. I admire you for putting it as a measured part of your challenge. 

 

Thanks, good to know it's not just me.

 

11 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Something I've never done is get drunk. I've been sober my entire life. 

 

That's interesting, I didn't know that about you. You drink beer though don't you? Just not to the point of drunkenness?

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

2 hours ago, Jarric said:

That's interesting, I didn't know that about you. You drink beer though don't you? Just not to the point of drunkenness?

I'll have a beer every now and then. I don't even by six-packs because it takes me so long to get through them. I have a bottle of Cognac I bought in 2015 I still haven't finished yet.

[Jarric]

1 hour ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I'll have a beer every now and then. I don't even by six-packs because it takes me so long to get through them. I have a bottle of Cognac I bought in 2015 I still haven't finished yet.

 

Ah fair enough. I'm with you on the cognac, my dad has a bottle that gets one glass poured every year at Christmas. I'm similar with whisky, I'll have a single glass every few weeks so a bottle lasts a long time.

[iatetheyeti]

Following along for the adventure of Guglug

 

(and of course the adventures of you!)

 

[starpuck]

On 12/31/2020 at 11:46 AM, Jarric said:

 

Icebreaker

It feels like a time when a lot of people are coming back to the forums, and with mixing the guilds I'm seeing more of different people, so lets get to know each other a bit more. So tell me, what incredibly common thing have you never done?

 

I have never changed a diaper.

 

Great challenge as always Jarric.  Happy to be here.

[Red1263]

Hey hey! I'm here to represent the Greenskins!

 

Let's see something common? hmm... I have never smoked a cigarette/joint.

[deftona]

I really like how you've set up this challenge and I am excited for when your mortgage completes! 

 

On 12/31/2020 at 5:46 PM, Jarric said:

So tell me, what incredibly common thing have you never done?

 

I never got a detention throughout my whole time in education. And I had the record for the most merits ever. 

 

I know, I'm wondering wtf happened too. 

[iatetheyeti]

18 hours ago, Starpuck said:

I have never changed a diaper.

 

You know what? I've never done that either!

 

Everything else everyone has said so far, though...

 

[Jarric]

On 1/1/2021 at 3:42 PM, iatetheyeti said:

Following along for the adventure of Guglug

 

(and of course the adventures of you!)

 

 

Thank you! I'm not sure how much of an outing Guglug will get this time, but I'll see if I get inspired.

 

22 hours ago, Starpuck said:

 

I have never changed a diaper.

 

Great challenge as always Jarric.  Happy to be here.

 

Me neither! And honestly, I plan to keep that up for as long as possible

 

And happy to have you, as always.

 

14 hours ago, Red1263 said:

Hey hey! I'm here to represent the Greenskins!

 

Let's see something common? hmm... I have never smoked a cigarette/joint.

 

Hey, good to have you!

 

I feel like one of those is much more common than the other (though I guess that depends where in the world you are).

 

11 hours ago, deftona said:

I really like how you've set up this challenge and I am excited for when your mortgage completes! 

 

 

I never got a detention throughout my whole time in education. And I had the record for the most merits ever. 

 

I know, I'm wondering wtf happened too. 

 

Thank you, I'm equal parts and terrified!

 

3 hours ago, iatetheyeti said:

 

You know what? I've never done that either!

 

Everything else everyone has said so far, though...

 

 

Exactly the same here. I realised I posed this question and I'm struggling for my own answer

 

[Rhovaniel]

2 minutes ago, Jarric said:

Exactly the same here. I realised I posed this question and I'm struggling for my own answer

 

I'm still trying to think of something common I haven't done!

 

[Jarric]

Quick update on the last couple of days. New Year's Eve was lovely, I sat on the sofa on the NF Discord all evening, drinking copious amounts of beer and talking nonsense whilst watching silly stuff on Twitch.

 

On New Year's Day I got up a bit late, but feeling surprisingly good. Around lunchtime we went for a walk across the countryside for an hour and a half.

 

When we got home we started cooking a continuous supply of party food. You know the stuff you get frozen, that's all designed to cook at the same temperature so you can just heat it all up as nibbles? Beef lattices, mozzarella sticks, a 'Chinese selection', and 'Indian selection'. Basically we just left the oven on for about 5 hours and cooked one thing after the next. We did the same thing last year and I think we might have to make a tradition of it.

 

I also remembered that we now have access to Star Trek Picard, after reading @Tanktimus the Encourager  's thread and remembering how long it's been since I watched Star Trek. So we watched the first 5 episodes of that - not what I expected but I definitely enjoyed it.

 

This morning I got up later than planned, but eventually got out for my 3 hour run. It felt hard, unsurprisingly after a couple of weeks off and a heavy Christmas, but I got the first 12.8 miles of the year done. 12.8 down, 1,189.2 to go!

 

By the time I had showered and had lunch I was late for D&D, so I jumped in to an amazing session run by @jonfirestar, along with @Mr_Willes, @Red1263 and @WhiteGhost . We got to meet a couple of my favourite D&D creatures - Flumpfs (weird flying saucer jellyfish creatures) and Kua-toa (insane reverse mermaid creatures). Jon also nearly killed my warlock, Isaiah, which feels fitting after I actually killed his wizard (she got better) in the game I run a couple of sessions ago.

 

Plan for the rest of the day is some intense relaxation, and maybe some foam rolling.

[Rhovaniel]

Kudos on the run! I'd definitely recommend foam rolling! 

[Jarric]

6 minutes ago, Rhovaniel said:

Kudos on the run! I'd definitely recommend foam rolling! 

 

I should really do some! It does require me getting off the sofa and clearing space on the floor though...

[Rhovaniel]

5 minutes ago, Jarric said:

 

I should really do some! It does require me getting off the sofa and clearing space on the floor though...

Which you are obviously going to do now, right?

 

(I say this, but since I bought my massage gun, I haven't touched my foam roller at all since... poor thing, all neglected under my bed)

[Jarric]

2 minutes ago, Rhovaniel said:

Which you are obviously going to do now, right?

 

(I say this, but since I bought my massage gun, I haven't touched my foam roller at all since... poor thing, all neglected under my bed)

 

*sigh* ...fiiine, I'll do it now 

[Rhovaniel]

1 minute ago, Jarric said:

 

*sigh* ...fiiine, I'll do it now 

I'll be checking up on you!  

[WhiteGhost]

On 1/1/2021 at 1:46 AM, Jarric said:

what incredibly common thing have you never done?

I have never had coffee

[sarakingdom]

Just now, WhiteGhost said:

I have never had coffee

 

I knew you could not be trusted.

[deftona]

8 minutes ago, WhiteGhost said:

I have never had coffee

 

WHAT

[Rhovaniel]

59 minutes ago, WhiteGhost said:

I have never had coffee

I.... but.... what??

 

To be fair, I started pretty late with coffee. I was just fine with tea (and I still love it) but then a ranger with a bean-to-cup machine showed me real coffee and it was a revolution. 

 

[Mr_Willes]

14 hours ago, Rhovaniel said:

poor thing, all neglected under my bed)

 

 

1 hour ago, WhiteGhost said:

I have never had coffee

 

Me too!

 

Even more just sniffing the grinded up beans makes me dry heave.

 

14 hours ago, Jarric said:

in to an amazing session

 

It was a fantastic session!

 

On 12/31/2020 at 6:46 PM, Jarric said:

My goal for the year is 1,202 miles (2021 backwards

 

My god you are BONKERS!