Miw-Sher's Neverending Story

[Miw_Sher]

 

 

Miw-Sher looked up from her diary and scratched her head. Geez, this was hard.

 

She had been training solo for about a month now, trying to build enough discipline to finally join the Academy. Past experiences in training with the Rebels had ended up with her getting distracted, or trying too much too soon in eagerness to be able to keep up with the group. So, after leaving her home in Riverock due to being unable to practice her trade and once her broken foot had healed, she had decided to train alone, one step at a time, until she was ready.

 

Then the winter had taken its toll, she had fallen ill, and only managed to pull through thanks to a couple of Members of the Rebellion, who found her and helped her work her way back to health. Once again, going alone had proved to be a horrible idea. So when it came down to taking a decision on whether to hang around or go off solo again, Miw decided to stay put.

 

There was one condition, however, that applied to all members who wanted to stay long-term in the Rebellion: Miw-Sher had to keep a battle log and report in every day. She had to keep track of her progress, her adventures and her achievements in her trade.

 

And damn, was this hard.

 

* * *

 

I am starting a battle log to keep myself accountable on a day to day basis. The challenges as great for setting short-term, SMART goals, but they do not help me with my biggest issue: daily accountability and constancy. Thing is, while in life I am very successful at sprints, I fail at playing it like a marathon.

 

This is also why I chose The Neverending Story as a title* - aside from it possibly being the book I hold dearest from my childhood - because it is a reminder that a story does not end just because a chapter is closed, and that one tale will spawn others that must be pursued as well. It is also a great metaphor in keeping what really matters in sight, and not getting lost or distracted by things that may make you happy now, but destroy you on the long term.

 

Also, it provides me a great template for the Role Play/Real Life parallel. Hoping I got the colours right (I haven't opened to book in years): green is the colour Miw-Sher's story will be told in, red is my own daily update.

 

I am hoping for this to not become a way of keeping accountability, but also a way to reflect on my day in a more distant, impartial way. How was Miw-Sher's day, in which ways did she act well, and in which ways should she have acted differently?

 

There is obviously more to write in here, more details to put, an introduction to be made. Those will come. Consider this the "Front Page", "Prologue" or "Summary" that will be regularly updated as time passes. You can also find my current workout routine and a summary of my goals here.

 

*hoping nobody picked it yet...

 

* * *

 

Goal: establishing a constant, daily rythm that balances work and fitness to attain mental and physical health.

 

 

-

 

Current Workout Routine (TBA)

 

 

[Miw_Sher]

SAVED for Chapter Index

 

Chapter 1: Downward Spiral

[Miw_Sher]

SAVED for Introduction

[Miw_Sher]

SAVED just in case I need extra space for goals

[Miw_Sher]

SAVED for good measure

[Miw_Sher]

Day 1:

 

Today was a mixed bag. While I did get in two hours of work, it wasn't nearly as much as I would have liked nor was I productive as much as I wanted to. I did not stick to the daily schedule.

 

Morning routine went well, though I woke up too late and missed a lot of the morning rituals for that. Also, most of the rations were gone, so I had to improvise breakfast with what was left in the stocks.

 

Halfway through painting the décor for my working group, I got extremely restless. I decided to go for a run as that normally boosts my motivation. However, I came back starving and exhausted, and only had the strength to fix myself some dinner and write this log.

 

Tomorrow there is a big festival, and a lot of my friends and fellow tradesmen are going. However, I really need to advance in my work... At the same time, I have not gone out for a while now. I guess it will all be decided tomorrow in the morning.

 

Miw Sher looked up. This was hard indeed. It would take her a while to get used to it... What elseshoudl she write in it? Oh yes, her workout stats...

 

* * *

 

Workout:

 

60s Plank

35s Side Plank

60s Reverse Plank

30s Adapted Hollow hold (boat)

60s Arch Hold

 

Squats: 3x8 Weighted with Brick

L-Sit Progression: 3x30 seconds first level

Inclined Push-ups: 7 - 7 - 7

Bent-Knee Inverted Rows: 5 - 5 - 5

 

C25K: Week 2 Day 2

 

Darebee Foundation: Day 16 - Stretching

 

Although it does not figure in my workout yet, I took up running again as a way to de-stress and deal with my mood swings. It works to a certain extent, in the sense that I am not feeling down all day, but it does sap my energy.

[Aerisand]

Enjoying your battle log too
Will be following and cheering on the sidelines!

 

 

P.S. Tried to see your character, the link you used only lets the owner see it, gotta use the public link.

Click on the pencil on the top right corner of where your name and slogan are at your character page, then you'll see the url at the top,

looks something like this: www.nerdfitness.com/character/12345

 

 

Sent from my telepathic squirrel.

[Miw_Sher]

Enjoying your battle log too

Will be following and cheering on the sidelines!

 

 

P.S. Tried to see your character, the link you used only lets the owner see it, gotta use the public link.

Click on the pencil on the top right corner of where your name and slogan are at your character page, then you'll see the url at the top,

looks something like this: www.nerdfitness.com/character/12345

 

 

Sent from my telepathic squirrel.

 

Thanks for the tip! It should be fixed now. Glad to have company.

[Miw_Sher]

Day 2:

 

Today was a pretty decent day, I got up half an hour earlier, did my routine, got the commissioned décors done, and even slipped some casual exercise into my day: some leg raises and half-jacks while waiting for tea to brew. It really is a decent way to make the time pass, much better than going off reading a book or training manuals and forgetting the water in the kettle...

 

I did my morning routine at sunrise. I keep forgetting how much I enjoy it. There is something about the light flooding over this Rebel settlement that fills my spirit with joy and strength. As a child, I used to associate this with misery and getting up early, now it just inspires optimism.

 

My knee pain is back now. I sat cross-legged way too long. I might have to ask to see a medic.

 

Miw grimaced. Her knee had been acting up ever since she had moved to Belgaë, mostly after long periods of sitting or, for some obscure reason, when crossing her legs. The odd thing was that she barely felt it during the training periods, and not at all when running or walking.

 

Of course the simple answer was: stop crossing your legs when sitting, but it was a habit that was hard to kill. At any rate, she had noticed some slight improvements since she had started following the advice in her medical book; she she was going to stick with it a bit longer before seeing an actual medic...

 

In reality, this was not Miw's biggest concern. She had agreed with a member of her trade that she would go over to his place to work on her apprenticeship task over Saturday and Sunday. The long-drawn illness meant that she had not advanced much on it and was not able to present it on the due date. She had been feeling like a failure over it, so she was more than grateful for the support and help.

 

However, the encumbering equipment that had to be dragged over meant she would be spending the night there. Her friend had also made her promise that she would be completely focussed on her task and have no other obligations to distract her, which meant that Miw had to finish every task required for her to complete the Rebel's challenge tomorrow.

 

There was one in particular that she had been putting off for a while but which had to be finished regardless of the awards handed out for finishing a challenge. If she really wanted to move forward in her trade, she needed to find an atelier and a Master to work for during the summer months, and for that, she needed a cover letter and a summary of her previous practices, a task she had always dreaded doing.

 

Groaning internally at the thought, Miw opened her journal to have a look at the schedule for the next day. Nothing much planned, except for some minor repairs on her bed in the afternoon. She grabbed her charcoal and filled in the rest of the time slots with quick, nervous gestures. Next to it, she marked in big letters: CURRICULUM VITAE

 

* * *

 

Annoying knee pain is annoying. It is also the weirdest I have ever had. It barely acts up during training but flares up when sitting cross-legged. If it doesn't show any sign of improvement I will have to see a doctor.

 

Tomorrow I have to whip up a semi-decent CV. I am so dreading that. I don't think there is a task I dislike more.

 

Workout:

 

Knee Pain Routine - Check

Darebee Foundation: Day 17 - Cardio

[Scooby Chick]

Determined, a with a raging fire never seen before, Miw attacks the creating of an updated CV and find Miw is as powerful on paper as in real life. 

 

(I wanted the Po Kung Fu Panda fighting gif but I couldn't get it to load here-- so pretend Po's dancing with determined fluidity here)

[Miw_Sher]

Determined, a with a raging fire never seen before, Miw attacks the creating of an updated CV and find Miw is as powerful on paper as in real life. 

 

(I wanted the Po Kung Fu Panda fighting gif but I couldn't get it to load here-- so pretend Po's dancing with determined fluidity here)

 

Reading that this morning when waking up definitely helped my motivation to sit down and work on it. ^^

[Miw_Sher]

Miw-Sher looked up with a start as the bells tolled, marking the tenth hour. She had not seen the time pass, concentrated as she was at coming up with a functional but nevertheless appealing design for her Curriculum Vitae.

 

The task had been just as tedious as she expected, especially as she had decided, for the first time, to make her own draft rather than using one of the many templates made available from the Artisan Guild. However, Miw thoroughly enjoyed the art of placing pictures, decoration and writing on paper to make appealing patters, and once started could spend hours at a time on it without stopping. Despite despising the subject, this time was not any different. Still, most of the time had been wasted in trying to fix an early mistake that had slipped in and that Miw cursed herself for, now.

 

Since it had been a while though since she had had the chance to put her skills to practice, she had hurried ahead and forgot to plan for one vital piece of information, telling herself she'd add it in the end. Obviously, by the time the end came, there was no more place to put the information without breaking the carefully balanced design she had planned...

 

Oh well, there went an early Sunday sleep... Now was time to write in the log.

 

Day 3:

 

Today was fairly uneventful. I started getting into my old working rhythm again, which means I was pouring on the canvas all day, making schematic drawings for tomorrow and updating that stupid Curriculum Vitae.

 

Speaking of that, I am both exhilarated and frustrated at how close it is to be done. Exhilarated because today was the last official day of the Rebel Challenge, which I started late and had to delay due to my illness, yet all my tasks have been accomplished - including, nearly, the CV, something I had given up upon. Frustrated, because it really is not finished, so I can't cross it off my list and cry victory. Still, quite a big accomplishment.

 

Still, I guess this is an important lesson in perception - sometimes what seems impossible or pointless really just needs sitting down and getting it done.

 

I just realised I managed to see something positive in my day today. Maybe things are turning around already.  

 

Workout was decent today, I am still struggling on the pulls. I will start counting only clean rows from now on.

 

Funny story about repairing the bed by the way, that one is actually also not really finished although I decided it counts as done for all intent and purposes. For once, I can comfortably say it was not my fault. I have to remember to write it down when I have more time...

 

 

* * *

 

So yeah, I decided to make my own design for my CV and made a rookie mistake - I left the dates of my old employment and education as an afterthought. Now I don't know where to put it. The best strategy will probably be scratch everything, take the elements I definitely  like, and start over. However, other than that, it is nearly finished - I have all the information collected so if I need it urgently I can just copy-paste it into a ready made template and send it off. I will do my best to wrap it up on Sunday evening, though.

 

I skipped Day 18 of the Darebee Foundation since it was Strength focussed and I was already doing a strength routine today. Really, I could do both, but I figured there was no real point. Also, the cardio was a much better warm-up in the morning.

 

I might not check in tomorrow due to being at a friend's all day. We'll see. At any rate, running and stretching is planned.

 

Also no, not every post is going to be this long, but since these are the first I feel like I need to give some kind of introduction. These will be marked as "Prologue" on the first page.

 

Workout:

 

60s Plank

40s Side Plank

60s Reverse Plank

40s Adapted Hollow hold (boat)

60s Arch Hold

 

Squats: 3x10, Narrow Weighted with Brick

L-Sit Progression: 3x38 seconds first level

Inclined Push-ups: 8 - 7 - 7

Bent-Knee Inverted Rows: 5 - 4 - 4

 

Darebee Foundation: Day 19 - Cardio

[Aerisand]

Miw-Sher looked up with a start as the bells tolled, marking the tenth hour. She had not seen the time pass, concentrated as she was at coming up with a functional but nevertheless appealing design for her Curriculum Vitae.

Oh, hate when that happens.

 

Since it had been a while though since she had had the chance to put her skills to practice, she had hurried ahead and forgot to plan for one vital piece of information, telling herself she'd add it in the end. Obviously, by the time the end came, there was no more place to put the information without breaking the carefully balanced design she had planned...

Ahhh, the curse of the missing space!!!

 

I had help when I last updated mine, it went so much faster than I'd expected. Maybe a brother or sister could lend a hand as proof readers?

 

Congratz on the accomplished tasks!

 

How long is your resume? Two pages is still fine, just in case you're worrying about going past one.

 

And lol, no worries about post length, from me anyway

 

Go Miw! 

[Miw_Sher]

Day 4:

 

I managed to get ahead with work, but was not as efficient as I could be. I will do better tomorrow.

[Scooby Chick]

It's a beautiful day! You WILL do better today; each morning is a new beginning. Enjoy the scenery. 

 

[Miw_Sher]

"The combination is wrong."

 

This was the message that had appeared over and over again yesterday when Miw had tried to open the magic locked that contained her log. In the end, not wanting to skip her daily reflection, she had jotted her thoughts on a spare piece of paper that she was now pasting into her log. This is what it read:

Day 5:

 

I worked well today, but my demons came back to haunt me, and I broke down in the middle of the day. Regardless, a major step-stone in my project has been overcome, even though the most tedious part still lies ahead. I guess I should be rejoicing, but I can feel only bitterness at the thought that this should have been achieved 

 

I decided to take a break from the workout today, in anticipation of tomorrow’s new challenge. I have been invited and joined the Assassin’s guild, a big surprise, but this also means the stakes are much higher.

 

Still, I did practice my push-ups. I am lagging behind on those, so I decided to do some nonetheless.

 

 

Darebee Foundation: Day 21

Push-Ups: 7-7-8

 

 

Once that was done, Miw turned the page and moved to the present:

 

Day 6

 

Class was pretty horrendous today, we had a surprise exam that nearly got me crashing again. I had not touched those tools in ages, and here I was having to carve a presentable piece with them in 15 minutes. For at least ten minutes, it was like I had never touched them before. Then, slowly but surely, I was able to start chipping away at the material, until using those tools was like second nature to me again.

 

Today also made me realise how far back I am in my work, but at the same time, I have received plenty of support from my classmates, most of whom are as stressed out as I am. Even though I will have to work hard over the next couple of weeks, I feel oddly energised about this. My lack of motivation is replaced with determination and excitement. Yes, I messed up, but yes, I will sort this out.

 

Let's hope this lasts.

 

* * *

 

A bit of a sour-sweet note in my thoughts at the end of a very successful day. Most people see this as a downer but I have found that being realistic actually helps me get through moments of negativity and anxiety like I am having at the moment. I know I am still at risk of falling down that pit again, I just need to keep an eye out of it.

 

I believe that sometimes, not being too optimistic is the best form of positive attitude.

 

Workout:

 

Darebee 30 Days of Change Day 1
Darebee Foundation: Day 22
Knee Reps: 19
 

[Miw_Sher]

Day 7:

 

Today had been an exhausting day for Miw, who had spent the entire day mapping the surface of her sculpture for her project. So far, she had only done one leg and a half.

However, despite her brain crying for sleep, she actually felt rather satisfied, and somewhat proud of herself. She had accomplished every task she had to do for today, despite it being hard, unsatisfactory work.

 

In fact, she had found having to dedicate so much time to her trade that she had had to review her challenge. She was going to start her running and endurance training only once she was finished with Foundations. Oddly enough, she was ok with it, she knew it was a thought-through choice and not making excuses.

 

And that was good.

 

* * *

 

Today was exhausting. They only thing i want to do is go to bed.

 

Workout:

 

Balancing: beginning

Knee Routine: 20 Reps
Foundation: Day 23

[Miw_Sher]

Day 10:

 

That exhausting day was followed by another. I have had three shitty days in terms of fitness and keeping to my proposals. I am still exhausted.

 

I managed to do Foundation Day 24 today. so there is that.

[Miw_Sher]

Day 12:

 

Switched from Beginner's Knee Routine to Intermediate Knee Routine

 

Workout:

Foundation Day 24

Intermediate Knee Routine 2x a Day

 

[Miw_Sher]

Day 15:

 

Skipped knee routine. This was actually thought-through but I fail to remember what the exact reasoning was. Probably something doing with the fact that I am doing two (albeit light) Foundation days + my bodyweight training so I can finally wrap up the 30 Day Challenge.

 

 

Morning:

Foundation Day 28

 

Workout:

 

60s Plank

55s Side Plank

60s Reverse Plank

Messed up hollow hold, no idea what is going on there. Need to look into this to better tr

60s Arch Hold

 

Squats: 6 - 6 - 6 Bulgarian Split Squats

L-Sit Progression:  45 first level

Half Push-ups: 6 - 5 - 5

Bent-Knee Inverted Rows: 6 - 5 - 5

 

I also bought myself a knee race from the running shop. It was quite expensive, but on the plus side I do feel stress being relieved from my knee and it fits really well.

 

All throughout the Day: Foundation Day 29

[Miw_Sher]

Day 17:

 

Workout:

 

60s Plank

55s Side Plank

60s Reverse Plank

30s Boat Pose

60s Arch Hold

 

Squats: 7 - 6 - 6 Bulgarian Split Squats

L-Sit Progression:  55s - 50 - 48

Half Push-ups: 6 - 6- 6

Bent-Knee Inverted Rows: 6 - 6 - 6

 

Darebee 30 Days of Change, Day 1

[Miw_Sher]

So, it's been a while, what are we at, Day 24?

 

Let's get the basics out of the way:

 

Workout:

 

60s Plank

60s Side Plank

60s Reverse Plank

60s Half Boat

60s Arch Hold

 

Squats: 8 - 8 - 8 Bulgarian Split Squats

L-Sit Progression:  50s - 50s - 50s

Half Push-ups: 7 - 7 - 7

Bent-Knee Inverted Rows: 7 - 7 - 7

I was planning to write a longer post, but I still need to get my thoughts into order. Luckily, holidays are coming up soon so I should have some time then.

 

[Miw_Sher]

Day 32:

 

Miw stood in front of the closed doors of the challenge registration halls, a bit peeved. Her past challenge had been sucessful overall, but due to not being able to check in regularly with the other assassins and failing to log her progress daily, she had been sent off the Druids to learn the importance of routines before focussing on getting stronger again. The rebel alliance was very welcoming, but it expected only the best from its members, and right now, Miw was simply too much all over the place to be a productive member.

 

Part of it had not entirely been her fault, the artisan guild had been very demanding this month, her current project taking a lot more time than expected. Her alliances within had also started shifting, driven by an increased ambition and self-interest.

 

Still, she had decided to take heed on the suggestions and had woken up at dawn and taken a morning off to reflect and plan her next month with the druids. She had come up with an effective, if somewhat unconventional, plan, surprisingly quickly, and had immediately come over to submit it to the Druid's guild, just to find out registrations were still closed.

 

With a sigh, Miw opened her journal and checked her daily agenda. There were more than enough things for her to get done today, and she had an hour scheduled the next day for logging purposes that she could use instead. Resigned to wait, she folded her plan for the next moon cycle and walked home.

 

* * *

 

Checking in here regularly has not been going well. I have made a point to make this a priority next month. I don't want to spoil the details, so for the moment, here are my current workout stats:

 

Workout Stats:

 

60s Plank

60s Side Plank

60s Reverse Plank

40s Boat Pose

60s Arch Hold

 

Squats: 8 - 8 - 8 Bulgarian Split Squats

L-Sit Progression:  50s - 50s - 50s

Half Push-ups: 8 - 7 - 7

Bent-Knee Inverted Rows: 8 - 7 - 7

[Miw_Sher]

Day 33:

 

Woke up at 6h30

Did morning routine

Checked into Nerdfitness, started a new challenge

Continued working towards being disciplined. I was too tired to accomplish some tasks but at least I showed up to do them.

 

Working on accepting, moving on and not "wolfing in".

 

I didn't manage certain tasks because I was too tired and they were non-essential to finish today. However, this means having to do them tomorrow instead of taking time for stuff I want to do.

 

To make sure I wrap up everything tomorrow, I will go to bed earlier than usual today.

 

I was, however, also very efficient on other tasks which gave me a lot of free times. I used that time to read rather than mucking about on the computer. That is a positive thing.

 

Overall it was a positive day.

[Miw_Sher]

Day 34:

 

Miw threw a quick look at her project building itself before her eyes. By the rate of it, this would take at least an hour. She tried pulling out a few scrolls to review the techniques she was going to have to use tomorrow, to use that time productively, but her brain refused to make sense out of the words that danced in front of her eyes. She put them back with a frustrated movement and took out her journal instead.

 

Although she had had quite a bit of free time today - her morning tasks had not even taken half the time she had expected them to, in her efforts towards self-improvement and discipline, she had filled the available gaps by pouring over scrolls and listening to enchanted recordings of ancient philosophies. By the time she had moved on to her project, she was too mentally exhausted to properly concentrate on it and block out the requests she was getting from the organiser's of the assembly she had to lead next week.

 

Ah well, tomorrow she would just have to prioritise her project and block out the rest of the world...

 

* * *
 

Today wasn't horrible by any means. I did advance on my project though I mucked around quite a bit, and I also got done everything I had to finish. However, I haven't been nearly as productive as I could on my project due to multitasking, which, as I have established several times in the past, not only decreases productiveness but also drains my metal abilities at a much higher speed than when I do one thing at a time.

I also went on an inexplicable chocolate binge, which is not something that happens to me in general. Ah well, mysteries...

I have decided to cut myself off from any distractions tomorrow. I already scheduled the one meeting I need to do and will cut off Facebook, slack and hide my phone until then. No podcasts either unless I have free time.

I also decided to start setting myself clearer goals for what I want to achieve. Working 3 hours on my project is fine, but if those hours are spent doing something I can do in 1h, there is no real justification in using them all up.
 

 

Morning:

 

Woke up at 6h30

Meditated for 5 minutes
Mobility Drills for 5 Minutes
Knee Routine Done

 

Workout:

60s Plank

60s Side Plank

60s Reverse Plank

40s Boat Pose

60s Arch Hold

 

Squats: 9 - 9 - 8 Bulgarian Split Squats

L-Sit Progression:  55s - 50s - 50s

Half Push-ups: 8 - 8 - 7

Bent-Knee Inverted Rows: 8 - 8 - 7

Went for a walk to decompress.