6 Weeks of Evil Minion Training

[Phytomancer]

Hey, everyone, 

 

I got inspired by this awesome post of an awesome super villain. I want to be a villain too, but I must start somewhere.

 

Phytomancer is my name, for I am a plant user in profession. I am making my way up to be a mad evil scientist to challenge all the superheroes in Nerdfitness universe. 

 

Long Term Quest:

Become a mad scientist supervillain: I must be smart, strong, seductive, and super creative!

By the end of 2014, I must

1. Publish the two journal articles I am writing

2. Have a 32" waist (for I am a small Dwemer- Now, 35")

3. Have a strong thesis question for my PhD Program

4. Finish a fictional novel

5. Master 2 of 4 elements of Badassery (Earth: lifting, Fire: Martial arts, Air: Run, Water: Swim)

 

6 Week Quest

1. Eat paleo-ish lunches 4-5 meals a week

2. Produce the first draft of an article

3. Put 10,000 words of fiction between now and the end of this challenge

4. Do 3x7 clean pull ups

(Now- can complete, but not very clean)

5. run a 7 min mile, TWICE during this six weeks

(currently about 7.30, plus minus 15 sec. Best stat at 7.09 )

Side quest: Tag Marathon on Apr 25

 

How am I achieving this quest?

Through Evil Minion Training and philosophy

 

1. A minion must be nimble and strong: You will be the first to get hit by superheroes if you're not fast enough.

I practice Muay Thai, run short distance, and lift 3 times a week to achieve this goal

 

2. A minion must be frugal: Of course, being a minion does not pay well. I will pack my paleo lunch and avoid store bought dessert in this six weeks. I will learn some new recipes and try them for fun.

 

3. A minion must aspire to be a greater villain: You can't be a minion forever. I must learn my craft to be a renown mad scientist in my field. I will complete a publishing quality of journal paper.  

 

4. A minion must not despair: Being a minion is a hard, stressful path where you and your friends suffer everyday. A minion must keep positive outlook. I will think of stuffs I am grateful for and share them frequently. I will write creatively.

 

5. A minion must keep records: A minion must learn to write everything down. I will keep a daily battle log at least 3 times a week. 

 

Wish this minion his luck, so he may rise to challange Nerdfitness city one day!

[Wyrdling]

I really like how you incoorporated the elements into your strategy (I have a thing for the slightly occult). And I think the quest for becomming a mad scientist is awesome! Best of luck with it :]

[Phytomancer]

Thanks, Wyrdling. Will try to do my best! 

[acrimony]

I love love love your challenge.  Especially the elements and writing goals.  Good luck, I'll be rooting for you.

[Phytomancer]

Thanks acrimony. I do enjoy many movies and cartoons that build on elemental powers, like this one or this one.

I think if I'd become a super hero (or super villain, that is) I'd use the power of the elements as well, and being Phytomancer, that is, a master of plants, I must control fire (sun,) water, air, and soil!!

 

For this challenge, I'll focus on lifting and running, since it's a little easier to do for my schedule.

[Phytomancer]

I had a slow but satisfying first day. You can access my battle log here!

[18ck]

I'm glad to see there are other NFers working towards evil. I am planning to destroy the Galaxy this time around, although I've decided to go with brute force rather than science. Good luck, anyway.

[Phytomancer]

I'm glad to see there are other NFers working towards evil. I am planning to destroy the Galaxy this time around, although I've decided to go with brute force rather than science. Good luck, anyway.

 

Thank you, kind sir. 

[Phytomancer]

Today, I trained at The Earth Palace. (That is, gym.) You can find my whole exercise and food track here.

[Peekay]

Question: Is "Tag Marathon" just a normal marathon, or is it like a relay marathon where you tag somebody in once you get tired?

 

Everyone knows that every good mad scientist has at least one Ph.D. Good job on working towards yours.

 

What's your strategy on improving your mile time? I need to come up with a sprint plan. I know there's probably over 9,000 online, but I haven't spent the time sifting through them yet.

[Phytomancer]

It's something in between. You have a team of 4. Every member is responsible for 1/4 of a marathon, so about 6.02 mi. 

 

You're right. Evil scientists must have a PhD to proof his dedication to evilness. This also explain why they always-- ALWAYS-- explain their evil plans and give time for the heroes to escape. It's because we love to talk about what we study a little too much.

 

I have no solid strategy for now-- just keep my records, try different things, and analyze how they work, mostly.

 

I tried running in a different posture. (more relaxed arm swing, tilting my torso slightly forward) It makes a much better first half mile. But by the end of the mile I was a melted candle. I ended up only a few seconds better time, but with complete exhaustion.

 

A breathing technique helps too, I think. But mostly in the first few minutes I end up with "OhmygodIamgoingtodieohmygodicantbreathesomebodyhelpmeohmygod" when I try to control my breath for a short run... 

[Teirin]

Excellent, we need more villains around here!  Excellent long term plans and breakdown into short term goals.

[SuperVillain]

SuperVillain checking in here. You certainly are taking on a lot during this challenge, with strength goals, endurance goals and work goals on top of your MT training. 3x7 pull-ups are certainly well above minion status and your lifting splits look pretty rigorous. And is that a full marathon on April 25th?

 

 

Glad to have you in the rebellion, the world certainly needs more mad scientist.

[Phytomancer]

Excellent, we need more villains around here!  Excellent long term plans and breakdown into short term goals.

Thank you, fellow villain. I will try my best to be deliciously evil.

 

 

SuperVillain checking in here. You certainly are taking on a lot during this challenge, with strength goals, endurance goals and work goals on top of your MT training. 3x7 pull-ups are certainly well above minion status and your lifting splits look pretty rigorous. And is that a full marathon on April 25th?

 

 

Glad to have you in the rebellion, the world certainly needs more mad scientist.

 

The run on April 25th is a tag marathon, so it's split between 4 people, about 6 mile each. I have run several half marathons before so it should be fine. The MT is only once a week for now, and running long distance is not a problem for me. I have a workout buddy who's also a PhD student (although he's not as evil) so we run and lift together, making it enjoyable. 

 

Glad to be here as well, SuperVillain. It's nice to be normal, but it's glorious to be mad.

[Phytomancer]

Day 3 is well... a bit rough, but The Book of Minions states that a minion must not despair, so I won't.

 

I made friends today in the meeting. I was reminded of true villainous honesty, and I got a spontaneous reply on work email!

 

Full story is here.

 

Thanks for the support, guys!

[Phytomancer]

Today was very relaxing. I rested from same ol' data and assignments, and I ran the fastest mile I have ever run before in my life!

 

Full story in detail, here.

[Peekay]

I ran the fastest mile I have ever run before in my life!

Kudos! And I can pretty much guarantee that I've never run a 7:06 mile. That's a great way to rebound from a sub-par day.

[Phytomancer]

Kudos! And I can pretty much guarantee that I've never run a 7:06 mile. That's a great way to rebound from a sub-par day.

 Thanks Peekay!

 

Day 5 was fun, but not very fitness oriented. Here is the full story.

[Phytomancer]

Day six was... dun dun dun... here.

[18ck]

I showed your thread to my daughter and you'll be glad to know it gets the #EightYearOldSealOfApproval

[Phytomancer]

I showed your thread to my daughter and you'll be glad to know it gets the #EightYearOldSealOfApproval

Great, great... *tapping my stubby fingertips together*

 

Today, an eight year old...

Tomorrow, ... The world...

 

But seriously, thank you, that was nice.

[Phytomancer]

This is week 1. Day 7 is here. Filled with a 6 mile run, carrot cake, and a lot of spoilers. (Seriously, don't click it-- it's sunday night, so you know what this is about.)

 

So far. Thinks have come along nicely. I work out consistently and work on my profession and creative work. I have to much dessert, and that's going to change. 

[Phytomancer]

And here is day 8. Mostly just regular day. Normal transit biking. Normal packed lunch. Not normal productivity. Hope for more creativity. Keeping it UP!!

[Phytomancer]

Week 2 have ended.

 

The highlight of week 2 included: Tag marathon, productivity, and 3 hours of Muay Thai.

 

Pro: The training goes well. The minion has run faster like wind. He could block the teacher's lightning blow and is trusted to train a newbie. He has only paid for 1 baked dessert this week, saving money for his meek experiments. His study is also going well-- a step closer to his evil plan.

 

Con: He eats a lot of carbs. He does not sleep much. He does not write creatively. These need to be done.

 

For the full story, read here.

[Peekay]

Great job so far, especially with your tag marathon! I feel like 3 hours of Muay Thai would be exhausting.

 

When I first started trying to be healthy I was really good at going to bed on time and felt much better for it. But now it's starting to become tougher again. Of course, after almost a year of 8 hours/night I feel much worse when I only get 6 than I used to. Or at least I notice it more.