[Woodsrunner]

 

This is my first challenge on my journey to become the best ranger (larper) of them all (in my area).
I hope you enjoy reading.

 

 

 

Leitmotif: Falling leafs

 

I have started to declutter my home, but also my routines and habits. Everything that does not serve a purpose, makes me happy or helps me grow, everything that holds me back, I will let go of. A look out of my window shows, that there can be beauty in it, too.

When you have a generalist approach to fitness, I think it's easy to fall in to the trap of trying to practice everything at once. At some points this summer, I lost focus and track of progress, sometimes, things fell off the wagon, because I was tired at the end of training. I need a clearer separation between my training focus (+3x per week) and the maintenance work (occasionally at my own leisure once every week or two).

 

 

 

“...you  have  been  chosen,  and  you  must
therefore use such strength and heart and
wits as you have.” lotr

 

 

 

Body

 

 

Running

After a failed first attempt and some form and posture correction training afterwords, I started
CT5K again last winter and build up to a fourth day of weekly running in spring.
In August, I turned one of these into a long run by increasing the time gradually to an hour and above. That quite revealed my weak spots: It's not the aerobic endurance that is lacking behind but my legs, knees, and hip flexors especially. I think, I need to strengthen them before pushing for longer runs again.

I will skip the long run until further notice and introduce some strength exercises instead. I started to add strides (now 4×100m, 1min recovery) to my easy runs twice a week, as a non-taxing way to work on speed.

The forest runs are where the fun starts. I run alongside, across or through a small creek in a nearby forest, jumping from stone to stone, vaulting over fallen logs, balancing and crawling.
It's not so much about speed yet, but about the integration of techniques into a run as well as the adaptability and fluidity of movement. I will continue those as long as the weather allows and before winter is coming.

• Easy Run: 3x per week, 35 min each, split between a soft track (dt:„Finnenbahn“ fin: „Pururata“) and a forest trail. Pulse < 130 bpm
• Leg strength: 2x per week, on the evenings after the ERs
• Forest Run: 1x per week, 30 min

My final goal is to be able to run the 5km in 24min on the trail if I need to, without hurting myself.
(That's one of the benchmarks in my epic quest log. But this is still far of.)

 

 

Climbing

When a ranger is not stalking, crouching or running away from something (s)he is hiding in a tree munching apples and watching the surrounding countryside. But You need to get up there first.
After learning swing ups, tuck pop-ups and different traversing techniques, it's time to master … well to manage the muscle up. At the moment, I can get to one kick muscle up, but only on a bar from standing. Mayor weaknesses being the height and explosiveness of the pull as well as the transition.

 

Goal: Get to a couple of muscle up reps on a branch, starting from a jump, then reduce kicking gradually.

 

• Muscle up with kick: 3x per week, starting on a bar
• For height: seated L-sit pull-ups, get from sternum height to the halfway point between it and the naval.

 

Supportive strength training:

My strength routine so far was quite cluttered with exercises and I saw not much improvement in the last couple of months. For the next five weeks, I want to go minimalist here as well and reduce the volume to something more manageable. Performed after the muscle ups.

Inclined one-handed push-ups, one-handed pull up progression, dragon flag progression
Three exercises, in a rep range of 3-5, three sets each.
(For those interested, I'm using the operator template from the book „Tactical Barbell“, as far as that is possible with body weight only.)

• strength training: 3x per week

 

 

 

Heart

 

„How much higher, then, is the pluck of the single scout who goes on some risky enterprise alone, on his own account, taking his life in his hand, when it is quite possible for him to go back without anybody being the wiser (...)“ Aids to Scouting

Without getting into too much detail, the psychological aspect is probably my greatest weakness.
(Among other things, I'm a chronic ruminator.) I am quite good at researching different models (e.g.: CBT) and exercises, less so at implementing them. In what is left of week zero, I will go through my old notes and decide on two or three practices to implement, then make an update to this section. (WIP Otherwise, I would postpone this post even longer. )

 

Note to myself: Can not be replaced with more pull-ups.


Goal: Finally get a habit going

• 3x a week

 

 

 

Wits

 

 

Meditation

Reflecting on my sessions in the past months, they were infrequent, long and of low quality.
Let's see, if doing the opposite will help my practice.

• Anapanasati: 5x per week, in the morning, for a minimum of 10 min, expandable to 20min.

 

Woodcraft

Well I wanted to practice my bow drilling skills again and guess who just got volunteered to teach a few people at my community how to start a fire. The date is not set yet, but will be somewhere in November. This means, I need to collect quite a bit of material (tinder, kindling, wood) make some bows, boards and spindels, maybe get a tarp in case of rain.

Goal: every one of my pupils gets a fire going

 

• Preparing the event 1x per week
• Practicing bow drill 1x per week

 

 

 

Wish me luck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ranger Hal]

13 minutes ago, Woodsrunner said:

Woodcraft

Well I wanted to practice my bow drilling skills again and guess who just got volunteered to teach a few people at my community how to start a fire. The date is not set yet, but will be somewhere in November. This means, I need to collect quite a bit of material (tinder, kindling, wood) make some bows, boards and spindels, maybe get a tarp in case of rain.

Oh what fun! It has probably been almost 10 years since I did any bow drilling, although every now and then I think about trying it out again. I liked to make my bows out of vine maple because I could usually find a branch with a nice curve and a fork at one end to tie the string around. Cedar bark and hemlock twigs were the preferred tinder in my area when I was doing it. What kind of materials do you use?

 

Best of luck with your challenge!

[Diverse_communion]

Hello, 

 

I'm new, and I was reading the forums, looking into whether life as a rebel might suit me. I moved to Finland recently, and was definitely surprised to find the first entry I read was not only beautifully creative, but also ... well... Finnish.

 

The connection struck me, and made me think about how, having moved to a new country, I should look into a way of connecting and making roots through my choice of goals. 

 

Thanks for sharing, it's given me much to think about! 

[Elastigirl]

I love your goals and set up! I can relate so much to your weakness of wanting to practice everything at once.We refer to that syndrome as Ranger Brain, and I definitely have it!

This past summer I did my first runs. Most of them I did on the track, and then on the suburbs. But what I want to get into is trail running.

[WhiteGhost]

8 hours ago, Woodsrunner said:

Get to a couple of muscle up reps on a branch

Wow, that sounds tough. I only figured out the bar muscleup just recently but have never tried it on a branch.  I worry it would completely destroy my hands...

 

8 hours ago, Woodsrunner said:

Inclined one-handed push-ups, one-handed pull up progression, dragon flag progression

I approve of these exercises

[Rhovaniel]

These look like excellent goals! Good luck and welcome!

[athousandwords]

On 10/22/2021 at 4:37 PM, Woodsrunner said:

After a failed first attempt and some form and posture correction training afterwords, I started
CT5K again last winter and build up to a fourth day of weekly running in spring.
In August, I turned one of these into a long run by increasing the time gradually to an hour and above. That quite revealed my weak spots: It's not the aerobic endurance that is lacking behind but my legs, knees, and hip flexors especially. I think, I need to strengthen them before pushing for longer runs again.

 

Oooh this is exactly the problem I'm having as I work my way up to 45 min runs and longer. Eagerly following along for tips to improve strength! I love your forest trail route - might have to look for something like that nearby.

[juliebarkley]

On 10/22/2021 at 4:37 PM, Woodsrunner said:

Without getting into too much detail, the psychological aspect is probably my greatest weakness. (Among other things, I'm a chronic ruminator.) I am quite good at researching different models (e.g.: CBT) and exercises, less so at implementing them. In what is left of week zero, I will go through my old notes and decide on two or three practices to implement, then make an update to this section. (WIP Otherwise, I would postpone this post even longer. )

 

Note to myself: Can not be replaced with more pull-ups.


Goal: Finally get a habit going

• 3x a week

I understand.

[athousandwords]

How did your first week of the challenge go? We'd love to hear about your progress so far!

[Woodsrunner]

Hi everyone, thanks for replying and checking in on me.
I did not fall off the wagon for the most part, but I am still unused to regular posting, in addition to being a slow writer in general. The combined update for zero week and week one is in the next post.

 

 

 

On 10/22/2021 at 11:01 PM, Ranger Hal said:

Oh what fun! It has probably been almost 10 years since I did any bow drilling, although every now and then I think about trying it out again. I liked to make my bows out of vine maple because I could usually find a branch with a nice curve and a fork at one end to tie the string around. Cedar bark and hemlock twigs were the preferred tinder in my area when I was doing it. What kind of materials do you use?

 

Best of luck with your challenge!

I am still a beginner in bow drilling and have only used boards of birch, elder, and European ivy so far as well as lime-/basswood, which is apparently considered to be the best around here. Apart from bow drilling, I used charred punk wood or cloth to catch a spark. For kindling, I usually form little nests of dried grass with some thistle seeds, cattail or something similar to take in the amber, plus birchbark. I need to try some fibrous barks in the future! Sadly, the spruce is dying around here, thanks to the dry summers, so there is plenty of resinous, splintered wood around too.

 

 

 

On 10/22/2021 at 11:38 PM, Diverse_communion said:

Hello, 

 

I'm new, and I was reading the forums, looking into whether life as a rebel might suit me. I moved to Finland recently, and was definitely surprised to find the first entry I read was not only beautifully creative, but also ... well... Finnish.

 

The connection struck me, and made me think about how, having moved to a new country, I should look into a way of connecting and making roots through my choice of goals. 

 

Thanks for sharing, it's given me much to think about! 

 

Thank You for your kind words, but I'm not Finnish, sorry. I could not find any English term for what here in Germany is known as a „Finnenbahn“ so I gave the Finnish original in the hopes it would be more recognizable internationally.
 

 

 

On 10/23/2021 at 4:08 AM, Elastigirl said:

I love your goals and set up! I can relate so much to your weakness of wanting to practice everything at once.We refer to that syndrome as Ranger Brain, and I definitely have it!

 

"Ranger Brain"
*Copy and paste into the search bar*
Well, if the internet has told us one thing, it's that, if you have any obscure problem, there are at least ten thousand other people that had to deal with the very same problem already. 😉

 

As a solution, I'm trying to cycle domains and techniques between phases of focus and maintenance and I'm going to be more strict about it in the future.

 

 

 

On 10/23/2021 at 4:08 AM, Elastigirl said:

This past summer I did my first runs. Most of them I did on the track, and then on the suburbs. But what I want to get into is trail running.

 

I am fortunate in this, for the wood is just half an hour away by bike.

 

What I like most about the trail as opposed to streets (apart from the nature) is the constant change of rhythm. Road running can feel monotonous like a metronome, but on the trail you are always purposefully losing your rhythm and finding it again, playfully adapting to your environment.

 

It is advantages, that you will have developed a base endurance already when transitioning to the trail.

One less thing to distract you from your surroundings.

 

 

 

On 10/23/2021 at 6:42 AM, WhiteGhost said:

Wow, that sounds tough. I only figured out the bar muscleup just recently but have never tried it on a branch.  I worry it would completely destroy my hands...

I'm doing my regular pull-ups on branches, smooth and rough, for some time now and the transition wasn't actually that hard on the skin. The real difficulty is the springiness of the branches: They soak up a lot of energy, especially in explosive movements. For the Tuck Pop Up, I eventually learned the correct timing to use that spring to my advantage, but I'm skeptical, it will work with the MU the same way.

 

I'm also concerned about my wrists' stability in the false grip position, that I will need on thicker wood. The bar I'm practicing on is thin and slippery, so I'm only able to rotate in the palms with wrists straight. Any advice is welcome.

 

 

 

On 10/23/2021 at 6:42 AM, WhiteGhost said:

Quote

Inclined one-handed push-ups, one-handed pull up progression, dragon flag progression
Three exercises, in a rep range of 3-5, three sets each.

 

I approve of these exercises

 

It seems really hard to program the progression though. I'm using the template below, originally made for weights, and try to stick to the rep ranges, by modifying things like incline (OHPU), added weight (PU) and range of motion/depth (DF) but it's more like rules of thumb and feeling than anything else.

 

 

 

On 10/25/2021 at 2:13 AM, athousandwords said:

Oooh this is exactly the problem I'm having as I work my way up to 45 min runs and longer. Eagerly following along for tips to improve strength! I love your forest trail route - might have to look for something like that nearby.

My routine is basically, twice a week:
Knees over toes front lunges, calf raises, side lunges, and one legged glute bridges, performed in a circuit, for two sets each.

I try to add weight by carrying a stone. After that I do Pilates style lying leg lifts (front and side) as well as clamp shells, for one set each. But they are too easy and I'm thinking about getting one of these bands.
But I'm not doing that long enough to tell if it's working.

[Woodsrunner]

The combined update for zero week and week one:

 

 

 

Body

 

Running: W0 [4/4] W1 [4/4]

Leg strength: W0 [2/2] W1 [1/2]

In the past, my body didn't handle the stress of combined running and strength that well, so I'm being careful, with only two sets per muscle group. Maybe I will get a band for the easier exercises, like clamp shells. A few runs were longer than intended, and I am enjoying the autumn weather so far. A deload week is scheduled for W2.

 

 

Muscle-ups: W0 [3/3] W1 [3/3]

Minimalist strength: W0 [3/3] W1 [3/3 kind of]

I managed my first muscle-up (with knee drive) from a jump and without ground contact on day one and from there on, worked on consistency. Next, I would try to get two reps in a row, or so I thought. But in the middle of last week, fatigue was setting in, and I wasn't able to do a single one. For the last session, I only did negatives and high pull-ups.

 

 

 

 

Heart

 

W0: - W1: 0/3

That's the part where I had a hard time getting anything done. Often, it feels like it's not worth it.
I only wrote a routine at the very end of W1, consisting of a Rumination Intervention Protocol, and a list of positive, strength based exercises (such as a „value compass“, writing lists of one's accomplishments etc.)

The later I plan to do three times a week, and the R.I.P. as needed.

 

 

 

 

Wits

 

Meditation: W0 [5/5] W1 [6/5]

Woodcraft: W0 [1/2] W1[2/2]

I collected kindling as well as some hazel spindles and found a thick vine of dead ivy for boards. But since my old saws handle came loose, I have not harvested it yet. I also had my first fire practice since last year in week one, and it was quite humbling.

The date for my little workshop is set to the end of November.

[Harriet]

On 11/7/2021 at 11:05 AM, Woodsrunner said:

Heart

 

 

W0: - W1: 0/3

That's the part where I had a hard time getting anything done. Often, it feels like it's not worth it.
I only wrote a routine at the very end of W1, consisting of a Rumination Intervention Protocol, and a list of positive, strength based exercises (such as a „value compass“, writing lists of one's accomplishments etc.)

The later I plan to do three times a week, and the R.I.P. as needed.

 

 

This sounds like a great idea. I'll be interested to know how it turns out and if it helps!

[Rhovaniel]

On 11/7/2021 at 10:05 AM, Woodsrunner said:

I managed my first muscle-up (with knee drive) from a jump and without ground contact on day one and from there on, worked on consistency. Next, I would try to get two reps in a row, or so I thought. But in the middle of last week, fatigue was setting in, and I wasn't able to do a single one. For the last session, I only did negatives and high pull-ups.

I have found this time and time again. Some days, I can get two chin ups in a row from an active hang. Other days, I can't do a single one. Particularly if I'm tired, or had a few hard workouts lately. Sounds like you're doing a good job of taking it in stride. It'll come. 

[Woodsrunner]

On 11/9/2021 at 8:54 AM, Harriet said:

 

This sounds like a great idea. I'll be interested to know how it turns out and if it helps!

It actually did. However, with two pages of bullet points and questions, it's kind of a big caliber approach.
I think, I will need something shorter, with a lower entry barrier too.

 

On 11/9/2021 at 7:11 PM, Rhovaniel said:

I have found this time and time again. Some days, I can get two chin ups in a row from an active hang. Other days, I can't do a single one. Particularly if I'm tired, or had a few hard workouts lately. Sounds like you're doing a good job of taking it in stride. It'll come. 

Thank You. After I didn't manage a single one on Tuesday, I think it's best, to forego the MuUp training this week.
For the rest of the challenge, I will stick to simpler progressions, the negatives, and the high pull-ups, something I can do more repetitions of without the same risk of injury, and only try the full technique only on occasion, when I feel fresh. (For chin-ups, that could be body weight rows, if you pardon the unsolicited advice.)

 

 

 

Summary of week two:

 

 

 

Body

 

Running: [1/1] Deload

Leg strength: [1/1] Deload

 

Muscle-ups: [3/3]

Week two followed the same pattern of the one before: In the first session I made progress – two muscle-ups in a row for the first time, the second session was mixed and in the last, I was back to negatives and high pull-ups again.

 

Minimalist strength: [3/3]

According to the plan, I ramped up the intensity, trying to get into the range of three repetitions.
I managed nearly full dragon flags and did my assisted one arm pull-ups in my almost finished ranger armor (only 7 kg, or 15.5 lbs, though). But with push-ups especially, calibration was difficult. Either I could do four in a row, or I failed at two. This week is the deload.

 

 

 

 

Heart

 

R.I.P.: I used it one time when I was overanalysing a situation and dragged myself down... and it work!

 

Positive Selfreflection (is there a better name for this?): 1/3

I started creating a „value compass“ to hopefully help me find a way out of the woods.

The whole thing is quite personal, but I can tell you it's ranger but also Mulan inspired,

you know the one: Tranquil as a forest, But on fire within ...

 

 

 

Wits

 

Meditation: [9/5]

Well, I overfullfilled my goal quite a bit. As I still have trouble sleeping without waking in the middle of the night, I used the time for a short, second meditation session.

 

Woodcraft: 1/2

I only carved the hazel spindles but didn't practice any drilling since they are not dry enough yet.
I really need to ramp that up in W3!

 

 

 

I also got myself a new teapot as a mid-challenge reword, after the old one broke.

[Woodsrunner]

Summery of week three below.

In addition, I managed to read up on the challenges of many rangers, druids and assassins as well as the two scouts.

 

 

 

Body

 

Running: [4/4]

Leg strength: [2/2]

By now, I have increased my weekly running time to the amount I was used to, before cutting back on it for strength trainings sake.

I'm still hesitant with longer runs (>1h) though. In terms of leg strength, I almost doubled the reps in the main exercises.
Sadly, the lumberjacks worked diligently in the parts of the forest where I was running, and half of my old trail is just gone.

I try to see the positive: An opportunity to find a new one.

 

 

Muscle-ups: [1/3]
After I was not able to perform even one in the first session, I cut them out completely for the rest of the week.

 

Minimalist strength: [3/3] deload

This week was the deload. For maintenance and recovery, one session focussed on muscle endurance with lower intensity and high reps.

 

 

 

Heart

 

R.I.P.: There was no need, luckily.

 

Positive Selfreflection (is there a better name for this?): 2/3

Im slowly ramping this up and would be thankful for recomendations.

 

 

 

Wits

 

Meditation: [10/5]

What can I say...

 

Woodcraft: [2/2]

I started with the hand pieces and practiced drilling once.

The hours of daylight are decreasing, and this is what falls to the wayside.

I only have time on the weekends for this now, but Suterday, I helped someone move.

 

Vigilance: [3/3]

„It should be a point of honour with a scout that nobody sees any object that he has not already seen for himself.“

Aids to Scouting

 

Speaking of decreasing daylight hours, I try to use that as an advantage, by introducing a new goal, mid-challenge: Practicing my general awareness of the surroundings. There are two parts.

One, I need to get into the habit for my eyes to be „never resting, continually glancing round in every direction“, which I will practice on my way through the forest, before and after training, between sets and while running on the trail.

Two, I will try to get better in my peripheral vision. This seems to be mostly a cognitive thing, and dim light apparently helps. (Within the retina, the rods have a higher concentration in the peripheral parts of the eyeball and these are the ones that are more light sensitive, and hence more active in the dark than the cones in the center.) Since it's already dark when I get back, and requires little extra time, this is a low-hanging fruit by now.

[Woodsrunner]

Summery of week four below.

 

It was the worst week so far, as I got ill on Monday evening and still feel sick while posting this.

(Just a cold, the test was negative, don't worry) I lay in bed the first few days and only trained in the second half of the week.

Also injuries.

 

I used the time for a little side quest: picking up the needle again to finally finish my armor, a long term WIP.

The next larp for my group, and the first since the pandemic started, will be in January.

 

On Saturday, I met with old friends for P&P role-playing, which was quite enjoyable.

 

 

by Rob Gonsalves

 

 

 

Body

 

Running: [3/4]

Leg strength: [1/2]

 

I scouted for a bit and found a new forest trail, but unfortunately it's too close to the highway to be enjoyable.

By the end of the week, that appeared as a luxury problem, though: My shin splints are back. This means half a year of rehab exercises and more than a year of running progression afterwords turn out to be worthless. All the progress, just gone, or it will be gone when I will have recovered. And I don't know why. I increased my distance extra carefully, way below any “ten percent a week“ rule. While I am not able to race a 5k after two years and seem to be forever stuck at zone two workouts, other people, normal people can reach marathon level in half that time. I just want to be an average runner.

 

 

Muscle-ups: [1/3]

 

Minimalist strength: [2/3]

When I was with my friend, I secretly used his scales in the bathroom.
It seems I only gained about 5kg/10lbs in like … three years of training, depressingly little.
According to the World Wide Web, almost twice as much is the average for a man… in your first year.

 

 

 

Heart

 

R.I.P.:

I used bits and pieces here and there. One hindrance seems to be that step one of the protocol is “bad situation“ and how you could interpret them differently, while my problem, the thing, I'm ruminating about, is myself most of the time.

 

Positive Selfreflection: 0/3

What positive? There seems to be nothing, honestly.
I searched the archives in the forum for mental exercises or tactics, but they are hard to navigate.
I found many discussion why people don't want a board for mental health related subjects, though.
A collection of resources like that really could have helped me. If anyone is still reading and has any threads bookmarked somewhere, I would be glad.

 

 

 

Wits

 

Meditation: [4/5]

 

Woodcraft: [1/2]

Practiced drilling once and was able to spot and correct a mistake in my technique.
Controlling the spindle is so much easier with the right posture.

 

Vigilance: [1/3]

Being ill, I felt less inclined to stay outside in the forest after dark, but being watchful while running starts to become more natural.