Finisterre Joins the Assassins' Guild!

[Finisterre]

So I made it through my first challenge (woop woop!) and have come to join the Assassins.

 

 

A bit about me - I'm a 25 year old PhD student in Edinburgh, and an aspiring trapeze artist.  My main goal is to perform in a semi-professional capacity...

 

Since I'm joining the Assassins, what better to base my first challenge here on than the Ankh-Morpork Assassins' Guild?  The Guild and its associates give out a range of degrees so I'm going to take my first steps to gaining some extra qualifications (and maybe even eventually get my MA Master Assassin).  I'm going out of the country for 10 days in the middle, so I am trying to ensure I set goals that I can keep up with while I'm away!

 

 

 

 

1 - DiPE Diploma in Physical Education  +2 STR  +1 STA

 

An Assassin must be in peak physical fitness to graduate as a member of the AM Guild of Assassins by completing The Run (or to perform a whole routine several feet up in the air).  To work towards my DiPE in this challenge I'm going to look at my overall strength, stamina, agility and dexterity in one fell swoop...

 

At least two sessions of NF yoga per week at as high a level as possible.  This CANNOT include flexibility specific yoga sessions but must be a full general session.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 - FGC Fellow of the Guild of Chefs    +3 CON   +1 STA

 

You can't kill people on an empty stomach!  Diet is my weakest area, but with a holiday in the middle I want to be realistic about what I can achieve here.  With that in mind...

 

At least three portions of fruit and vegetables per day.  I definitely don't eat enough fruit and veg, so this is step one in gradually increasing it.  Important rule: portions cannot be carried over from the previous day!  Eating five portions one day doesn't mean I can only eat two the next!

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 - MIDD Member of the Institute of Dance & Deportment   +3 DEX  +1 WIS

 

Assassins are a cultured breed, not your run of the mill hitman or murderer, and must be able to carry themselves in the upper echelons of society.  Flexibility is a huge part of aerial circus, and improving it can only improve my performances.

 

At least two flexibility sessions per week.  This can include flexibility classes, stretching alone or dedicated flexibility yoga sessions but CANNOT include standard yoga sessions.  My main focus is going to be on backbending, in particular chest stands, elbow stands and needles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Quest   +3 WIS  +1 CHA

 

A member of the AM Guild of Assassins should be a cultured gentle-person, well rounded and educated.

 

Read for at least 15 minutes per day.  I love reading, but find myself distracted by screens far too much.  At least 15 minutes per day will be dedicated to an actual book. 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting measurements:

Neck = 13"

Bust = 38"

Waist = 29"

Hips = 41"

L thigh = 24"

R thigh = 24.5"

L bicep = 13.5"

R bicep = 13.5"

[Finisterre]

Blocked out for weekly updates!

 

Week 1:

 

Quest 1 - yoga = 100%

Quest 2 - fruit and veg = 90.5%

Quest 3 - flexibility = 100%

Life quest - reading = 100%

 

Week 2:

 

Quest 1 - yoga = 0%

Quest 2 - fruit and veg = 62%

Quest 3 - flexibility = 50%

Life quest - read = 100%

Participation in mini challenge = +1 STR

 

Week 3:

 

Quest 1 - yoga = 100%

Quest 2 - fruit and veg = 62%

Quest 3 - flexibility = 100%

Life quest - reading = 100%

Participation in mini challenge = +1 CHA

 

Half-way summary:

 

Quest 1 - yoga = 67%

Quest 2 - fruit and veg = 71.5%

Quest 3 - flexibility = 83%

Life quest - reading = 100%

 

Week 4:

 

Quest 1 - yoga = 0%

Quest 2 - fruit and veg = 62%

Quest 3 - flexibility = 50%

Life quest - reading = 57%

Participation in mini challenge = +1 CON

 

Week 5:

 

Quest 1 - yoga = 0%

Quest 2 - fruit and veg = 38%

Quest 3 - flexibility = 50%

Life quest - reading = 28.5%

Participation in mini challenge = +1 DEX

 

Week 6:

 

Quest 1 - yoga = 0%
Quest 2 - fruit and veg = 57%
Quest 3 - flexibility = 50%
Life quest - reading= 14%

[raptron]

Welcome to the assassin's guild! We're always glad to see more of you circus folk.

[Finisterre]

Thanks!  It seems like the place for crazy circus folks.

[Mad Hatter]

Whee welcome to the assassins! I'm stoked that there is another backbender in the guild (though admittedly I've been on a looong break). Your profile pic alone acts as inspiration to pick it back up. And that looks like a scary balance! Or is the leg wrap more secure than it looks?

[sylph]

CIRCUS!!

 

 

I haven't done much trap, myself, but am always on the lookout for more circus-y folks.

[Finisterre]

Whee welcome to the assassins! I'm stoked that there is another backbender in the guild (though admittedly I've been on a looong break). Your profile pic alone acts as inspiration to pick it back up. And that looks like a scary balance! Or is the leg wrap more secure than it looks?

 

Awww thanks, glad to inspire (although that pose needs a LOT of work).  The wrap is pretty secure but it's not a beginners move, there are a couple of points getting into it when it's a bit iffy.

What're you aims with your backbending?

 

 

CIRCUS!!

 

 

I haven't done much trap, myself, but am always on the lookout for more circus-y folks.

 

 

Yay!  Trapeze is quite clearly the best of the aerials  Though I have dabbled in silks and hoop now and again.

[SpecialSundae]

More vegetables is a great rule for life. Let me know if I can help with recipe ideas.

 

Do you fancy coming along to yoga with me at some point? My yoga studio do a free first session for newbies.

[Finisterre]

More vegetables is a great rule for life. Let me know if I can help with recipe ideas.

 

Do you fancy coming along to yoga with me at some point? My yoga studio do a free first session for newbies.

 

 

Tbh it's mostly just going to end up being raw veg chucked in whatever I'm eating.  Always preferred them raw for some reason!

 

Oooh where/when do you yoga?  It probably would just be one session though as I am utterly skint :'(

[Finisterre]

Well today's been pretty successful!

Three portions of fruit (strawberries at breakfast, and a baked apple with raspberries with dinner) which is pretty good since this morning went a bit tits up and I failed to take either my veg containing lunch or apple to work 

 

I also read for more than my required 15 minutes this morning, and will hopefully get some more reading in before I go to bed tonight since I'm planning an early night.

 

 

 

Tomorrow I've got class, and I'm hoping I'll get away from work early enough to get to the flexibility class before it.

[Finisterre]

Tick in every box for yesterday!  Three portions (veg with lunch, apple, and banana when I got in last night), way more than 15 minutes of reading and a flexibility class.

 

Flexibility was pretty focussed on splits so no backbend work there but I did throw in a quick chest stand or three after trapeze class.  I can see my feet in front of my face now!  The floor is sooooooo close!

[Finisterre]

Today was mostly successful.  I had intended to do a yoga session tonight, but I'm so stiff after flexibility last night it's just not happening.  Plus my uterus feels like it's aliening its way out of my body which doesn't help.

 

Three portions are sorted - veg and an apple at lunch, raspberries with dinner.  Reading will be done in bed tonight.

 

It's been a stressful few days.  I've got my second year thesis committee meeting next week (which should be fine but still), and my rats are being nuisances.  One isn't well with a resp infection and an infected foot, she spent Monday in the vet for oxygen treatment and is on various meds just now.  She's doing pretty well, but one of the others has now had to be separated because she's going for the poorly one >.<  I'm going to have to go back to the beginning of the introduction process in a few days once Pandora's improved but I'm going away a week on Sunday leaving my dad rat-sitting and I don't want to dump him with a ratty warzone.  I really just want to curl up in bed for the next few days and ignore everything but that's not reallllyyyy an option

[Mad Hatter]

Awww thanks, glad to inspire (although that pose needs a LOT of work). The wrap is pretty secure but it's not a beginners move, there are a couple of points getting into it when it's a bit iffy.

What're you aims with your backbending?

Yay! Trapeze is quite clearly the best of the aerials Though I have dabbled in silks and hoop now and again.

At the moment I don't have any goals except to try and get bending again. [emoji15] second will be to deadlift into a chest stand, my teacher doesn't let you do them if you can't deadlift into them. But it's so hard!

I love trapeze too, it's definitely my favourite of the things I tried! But for now I'm going to play on the pole and maybe a bit of hoop since those are the most easily accessible. I do love to watch corde lisse too, but never played around with it.

Sorry about your rats.

[Finisterre]

It's actually been a pretty successful day in the end. I'm still a portion of fruit and veg down, but I'm going to have some banana on toast while I read in bed tonight

Did Fire Session A in NF Yoga and was quite happy with it. Going to go for Fire B next time!

[Finisterre]

Deadlifting into handstands seems mental tbh.  Though I can't handstand to save myself...

 

I've tried Chinese pole but never shiny pole.  Rope is alright, but I'm not that excited about watching or doing it really.

[Mad Hatter]

Chest stand, not handstand lifting up into a contortion handstand will take a looooong time.

[Finisterre]

Chest stand, not handstand lifting up into a contortion handstand will take a looooong time.

 

Ooooh that make so much more sense.  Reading comprehension ftw

 

I just went and tried to completely deadlift into one then realised that I'm not warmed up in any way so it doesn't really work.  I'm jealous you have an actual teacher for it though - I've got flexibility teachers but there's only one or two other people in my circus school who can chest stand at all so I'm essentially self taught.  Which started with me sliding face first off the sofa to see what happened... 

 

ETA:  ZOMG I ACTUALLY DID IT!!

[Finisterre]

Friday

Three portions, and more than 15 minutes of reading.  No yoga or flexibility as I spent two hours open training on the trapeze

 

 

Saturday

Three portions:  Check!
Yoga session:  Check!  Though I did wait until my parents were heading to bed to avoid awkward questions.  This means that I've done my two sessions for week one

Reading:  Not done yet but will be doing this when I go to bed.

 

 

Also went to doubles trapeze this afternoon which included some...interesting...conditioning.  Doubles pull-ups are HARD.  Also if you put five people on a trapeze bar and ask them all to do a pull up only the ones who are on the outside will get anywhere...

[Finisterre]

Sunday didn't go quite to plan - I got in a flexibility session and did my reading but only had one portion of veg

 

So at the end of week one - Yoga 100%, Flexibility 100%, Reading 100% and Eating 90.5%

[raptron]

Still not bad, even if it wasn't too plan! Very solid week.

[elinox]

I love your reading goal!

 

Although your FGC goal intimidates me!

[Finisterre]

Still not bad, even if it wasn't too plan! Very solid week.

 

Thanks!  I'm looking at it that even if I didn't quite make my full targets, I still got in more fruit and veg than I would normally

 

I love your reading goal!

 

Although your FGC goal intimidates me!

 

It kinda intimidates me too!  Plus fruit and veg gets so expensive

[Finisterre]

I put together a wee progression timeline for my chest stands - five months ago, three months ago and yesterday

 

 

It doesn't look like a huge difference between two and three, but there's a huge improvement in the technique.  My face is less smushed into the floor, the curve through my back is more even (though my upper back still needs to just GIVE IN already and bend) and I can actually SEE my feet in front of my face.  Getting my feet to the floor actually seems like an achievable goal

[Finisterre]

Monday was good - I got my three portions in and my reading.  No yoga or flexibility - Monday is a rest from that as I work pretty solidly through the weekend.

 

Yesterday I also got my three portions in (all at lunch amazingly!), and went to a flexibility class in the evening.  Where the teacher sat on me.  Repeatedly.  ALL THE BENDY.

[raptron]

Ahhh, weighted stretches. The best (worst).