[Radost]

Sticking with Snowspire for my challenge soundtrack this month.  Next month it will probably be something a bit more up-tempo, maybe even Solanaceae, thanks for the recommendation to @Rurik Harrgath!

 

This challenge is part of an ongoing trek to the  5Peaks BC race at Alice Lake in April.  Mr. Radost and I will head over to the mainland and crash with our buddy in Vancouver who last-minute registered to join me on one of my Island trail races this past summer, then all drive up together for the race.  I've been imagining the training as a grand cross-country trek and wrote a little story about how I got off-track last challenge.  This challenge I have some ground to make up, but I think my goals are solid, so...this might look a little familiar. 

 

Physical Discipline

All in a day's march - run at least once per week.  I will be hitting the trails every Saturday, or making time on another day if I know Saturday is too busy.

Combat training - do at least two workouts per week.  Could be continuing the Darebee Hero's Journey, Zombies!Run home workouts (have to finish Dragon Flight!), or 20 minutes of RingFit Adventure/Just Dance (thanks, Santa!).

 

Mental Discipline

Strengthen the shine - celebrate immediately every time I choose a veggie or movement snack instead of junk food. Check out my last challenge for an explanation of where this comes from and why.  This was a tough one last challenge, I know I can do better.  I need to make that good choice more often, and I need to follow through and actually do the celebration, not just think about it and then tell myself "yeah, but it's not like this is actually an awesome thing to celebrate..."

Sharpen vision - one hour of painting or gardening per week. I'd really like to be doing more painting...which means I need to actually set aside time to do it, right?  I do have some garden tasks that need to happen before spring planting, so that's the one activity that may bump this one. Both come under Mental Discipline because they help ground me when I'm struggling with executive dysfunction.

 

Adventure?

Decipher ancient mysteries - over the whole challenge, complete one set of hexipuffs from already-spun yarn, and spin one skein from the next puff of fibre. Long ago, I started a modular fibrecraft project: a Beekeeper's Quilt that I would knit out of handspun yarn.  I realized this week that the project will be 10 years old this year!  I'm not going to dream of an extreme goal like finishing it (I have probably 32/300 puffs made, haha), but I am committing to working on it regularly again this year. 

Say 'yes' to Plot Hooks - schedule two fun activities for this month. The past four years have been stressful.  I was working 3 jobs, then 2 jobs/back at school, then one job + school during pandemic, and now back to pandemic + 2 jobs (which only add up to about 38 hours/week, but one of them is fairly high stress).  I've definitely been hermiting in my home blanket fort.  But this winter I decided to start seeking adventure.  The important ones were going to the ballet (Nutcracker! Including one of the kids I've looked after for the past 11 years!) and sending hand-made Solstice cards to some pocket friends.  Small adventures by some standards, but adventures nonetheless! I even inspired Mr. Radost to grab his own Plot Hook and register for a dance class at the local rec centre!  So I'm going to find at least two novel activities I can say yes to during this challenge.

Bonus: learn from the Hawk - watch two videos from the Painting Big Patreon collection during the challenge.

[Rurik Harrgath]

15 minutes ago, Radost said:

Sticking with Snowspire for my challenge soundtrack this month.  Next month it will probably be something a bit more up-tempo, maybe even Solanaceae, thanks for the recommendation to @Rurik Harrgath!

 

Though shrouded in a half-moonlit perpetual mist, the brightly glowing cheeks of the Hexbane alluded to its blushing mirth at such acknowledging praise.

 

[Radost]

1 hour ago, Radost said:

Mental Discipline

Strengthen the shine - celebrate immediately every time I choose a veggie or movement snack instead of junk food. 

You know, in the interest of setting up for success I’m gonna change this. Instead I will celebrate when I choose a veggie or movement snack instead of or in addition to a sugar- or salt-based dopamine hit. This change brought to you by catching the Bad Reasoning in action today:

”I want to take my  Christmas chocolates with me to paint. But I should have a healthy snack instead. But I’m gonna have the damn chocolates so why bother with a movement snack when it’s not a replacement or a proper workout?” 

Anyway I’m gonna enjoy chocolates and tea, but dammit I did some toe taps and took the cat out for a backyard wander first. Celebration!

[Radost]

Zero week was pretty much

 

 

but Week One is off to a good start! Already made time for a RingFit workout, ran on my last day of vacation, and spent probably seven hours painting in the past three days. Finished my Halloween witch so she and Jack o’Knives can preside over next spoop season.
 

 

And started another one. I am hardcore dealing with Fear Of Failure that’s holding me back from some of the awesome pieces I have so I keep getting out dragons and giants and axolotl adventurers and putting them away in favour of pieces I’m not afraid to “waste”…but this lady is a gas and I’ve decided she reminds me of an NPC from the D&D game I run for my in-laws. I’m excited to try some fun stuff with fabric textures, see if I can get an effect like those satins that look one colour overall but reflect another colour where the light hits them. 

 

 

[Radost]

Week one roundup! Doing pretty good!

All in a day’s march: success! Maybe double success (ran Monday and Saturday) or maybe retroactive success on this one for Zero Week, anyway, I got it. This week I was playing with what I’m calling Gerudo Meditation because it came to me as I was running and listening to London Musicworks’ orchestral cover of the Gerudo Valley theme. Basically it’s an exercise in running in rhythm; the rhythmic connection of step and breath and the need to refocus on the rhythm of the body is at the heart of meditation, and that’s something I used to feel more strongly out on the trails. Obvs not every song is suited to this, and I’m not looking to push it at this time, just notice. So this week’s Gerudo Meditations were

Gerudo Valley theme (London Musicworks)

Crystal Forest (Nox Arcana)

 

Combat training: success! One RingFit, one ZR/Darebee

 

Strengthen the shine: getting there. Still choosing sweet snacks a lot but doing better at actually celebrating when I don’t. Even if it’s got to be a 100% imagination dance party as I leave the grocery store snack aisle empty handed. 
 

Sharpen vision: plenty of time painting this week, although yesterday’s session was only made possible by a last-minute cancellation of our every-two-weeks Mage game. Thought about the garden (both like planting plans and like “maybe I should…?”) but I had a music/friends gathering that ate my afternoon. 
 

Decipher ancient mysteries : spinning is coming along nicely. I need to do some embroidery before I start the next round of knitting (I am keeping track of which puffs are the same breed by giving them an identifying mark…in theory, that gets written down in a notebook but I can’t find it right now, so I’ll make do with my running list over on Ravelry).

 

 

Say yes to plot hooks: hmm, nothing yet. 

[Radost]

Everything is great today. And I mean GREAT. Mr. Radost’s homemade pizza was GREAT. The episode of Star Trek DS9 we watched was GREAT.  About to play some D&D and it’s gonna be SO GREAT!

 

What’s my secret?

 

A half hour of Just Dance after work, haha. 
 

 

gonna keep this in mind for the future…which is gonna be GREAT!

[Rurik Harrgath]

On 1/3/2023 at 8:51 PM, Radost said:

Finished my Halloween witch so she and Jack o’Knives can preside over next spoop season.

 

I have some hardcore jealousy for your figure painting skills!

 

Glad to see successes all around last week too  

[Radost]

On 1/10/2023 at 12:52 PM, Rurik Harrgath said:

 

I have some hardcore jealousy for your figure painting skills!

 

Glad to see successes all around last week too  

Thanks! I sometimes feel pretty down about my lack of progress because I don’t put in time on the regular, but that pair I feel pretty good about! The witch’s face was a triumph considering how absolutely awful it looked on my first attempt. 
 

this week’s going well so far. Just gotta make time to run on Saturday in between hosting vocal ensemble practice and Mage RPG. Wish me discipline and good time management…!

[Sovalis]

You've got this! 🥳🎉

[Rurik Harrgath]

17 hours ago, Radost said:

 The witch’s face was a triumph considering how absolutely awful it looked on my first attempt. 

 

Any face that doesn't look like magma cooled twice over is impressive to me! hahaha

[Radost]

On 1/13/2023 at 11:37 AM, Sovalis said:

You've got this! 🥳🎉

Thanks! I did! Although it turned out I only needed discipline...both vocal ensemble practice and gaming tonight were cancelled a bit last-minute.  Kind of annoyed about the former - I baked TWO GLUTEN FREE CAKES (one for practice today, one for family sing-along tomorrow) and I think that might be too many cakes for just our little household.  I wrapped one for the freezer; hopefully it's nice when I thaw it sometime later. 

 

 

On 1/13/2023 at 2:40 PM, Rurik Harrgath said:

 

Any face that doesn't look like magma cooled twice over is impressive to me! hahaha

Right?!? I'll see if I can post the photo I took from the session before I fixed the face, it was Grim.  I keep painting things and then saying "NOTHING WITH FACES EVER AGAIN" but really how many barrels and wood piles can a person paint?

(spoilering because uploading photos here is a pain and it takes me seventeen tries to get it right)

 

Spoiler

It's a pretty bad photo, but also a very bad face.

 

ETA here is tonight’s nonsense with Madame Delia AKA La Duchesse Genevote de Vannes

beginning of the night is on the left. End of the night is on the right. But the camera isn’t seeing what I am, it does actually look better now. Still sketch though. 

 

(On a related note, sorry about the huge photos up-thread.  I mostly browse on mobile and they look fine until I crack open the laptop and am overwhelmed by HUGE PHOTO OF SPINDLE)

 

Round Up for Week 2

It's a bit early, but why not, I've accomplished Goals.

 

All in a day's march: Success! And one of my faster runs lately! Still a long way from my past average, but that's okay.  I'm meeting myself where I am.  Got new running leggings too, and they didn't fall down as much, which I'm sure helped me focus on running.

 

Combat training: Success! One RingFit session and two JustDance workouts. 

 

Strengthen the shine: Mild success.  Some knock-on effects as I was a bit more mindful of activity choices often this week, really considering what I wanted and opting not to spend so much time scrolling.

 

Sharpen vision: pretty sure I managed both an hour of painting and an hour in the garden.  I had an early day at work that happened to be beautiful and sunny, so I moved the plants I've been wanting to re-home.  Fair chance they'll die after my inexpert transplanting, but neither was something I'd planted, so I'm not too fussed if they don't make it.

 

Decipher ancient mysteries: kept up my spinning.  Finished embroidering the last set and started knitting the brown puffs.

 

Say yes to plot hooks: a friend is celebrating her 50th birthday in a couple weeks! Sounds like a plot hook to me.  Oh, wow, I just remembered what must have been the same friend's birthday, maybe even her 40th, when my social anxiety was cripplingly bad and I spent half an hour crying in her backyard trying to get up the guts to go inside.  Finally calmed down enough to try, and left again within the hour after bursting into tears again.  Things are so much better now.

 

[Radost]

Weeks 3 & 4 roundup

 

All in a day’s march: 50%
Week 3 I had an unusual schedule on Saturday and, well, fell in a Skyrim hole and didn’t climb out until I needed to make dinner, so no run. 
Week 4 I made it happen. Never two bad days weeks, right?

Gerudo Meditations:

Buck-Tick - Coyote

Zoe Keating - Lost

 

Combat training: 80%

Week 3 I didn’t manage my schedule or my energy levels well and while I did one good workout my other was abbreviated and easy-mode. Week 4 I did better.  I’ve been relying on Just Dance and Ring Fit a lot, so I will aim to do more Zombies!Stay Inside or Darebee during the rest of the challenge.

 

Sharpen vision: uhhh I think that’s a fail on both weeks. I completely forgot. 
 

Decipher ancient mysteries : I’ve made progress even if it doesn’t look like it. I think I can get all the spinning done during this challenge but plying (the next step to make yarn I can knit with) will have to wait for next time. 
 

Say yes to plot hooks: my friend’s birthday dance party was amazing! I rocked out in the dance floor room for probably three hours, tripled my daily step goal, and had a lovely time celebrating my friend. Need to find the next hook!

[Rurik Harrgath]

On 1/30/2023 at 10:37 PM, Radost said:

Gerudo Meditations:

 

 

On 1/30/2023 at 10:37 PM, Radost said:

Combat training: 80%

Week 3 I didn’t manage my schedule or my energy levels well and while I did one good workout my other was abbreviated and easy-mode. Week 4 I did better.  I’ve been relying on Just Dance and Ring Fit a lot, so I will aim to do more Zombies!Stay Inside or Darebee during the rest of the challenge.

 

Abbreviated and easy-mode is still a version of your goal.  Intention counts too!