BlackTezca's 11th Trial: An Artsy Geeky Amazon becomes a Badass Retro Agent of the SSR!

[BlackTezca]

I have arrived!  Yet in again!  In a classic style!

 

Now that the March challenge is complete, I'm back here again to kickass!!  I am BlackTezca, returning here in good old fashion style to start another challenge and kick some ass in April!  Travel back in time to the start of my journey with my first field assignment From Lurker to (Newb) Rebel!, also, I have created and planned out strategies to take out enemies, both super powered and not, in my battelog called BlackTezca's Daily Battle Towards Feline Greatness (which is highly confidential) and also, now in my lists of operations succeeded and battles won, you can see the latest mission in BlackTezca's 10th Trial: An Artsy Geeky Amazon Takes on the Grim Darkness of WAR!!!

 

I am a big fan of retro styling; the awesome sophiscated Retro fashion, the Film Noir themes, the good ole idioms and speech, classic American diners, etc.  I do enjoy the bright colors and even some of the music of the 1940s and 1950s...what I don't like is the rampant sexism and racism of the error that was not only common place but also legal.  So no surprise that I would love a show that not only, rightfully, criticizes and aims to destroy those attitudes and boundaries that mar the error in my mind, but also shows the beauty, the fashion, the music and styling that I really enjoy from that era.  The spy tech, the film noir mysteries, the old slang that I do find, all of that can be found in one awesome show about one fantastic, fascinating character...

 

 

I'll be focusing again my strength training; going be buying new weight plates (10 lb ones now) to now be able to go up to 50 pounds per dumbbell for my workouts (though some worry about how wide the plates will be) and figured that they should arrive in time for the next challenge!  I shall still focus on my art still as well, this time also accounting for time spent painting teeny tiny models.  I shall also work harder on having some voice time with family members (mostly my mom and dad) and on not only eating better and keeping up my macros (including keeping down my sugar levels).  All this is of course to not only protect our Nations' secrets from threats abroad and domestic, criminal and super powered, but also to support my main quest!  A quest to be like another fabulous and powerful woman...

 

My Main Quest is to be as POWERFUL and BATTLE READY as Wonder Woman

This image still never get old...

This challenge is another one that is short and sweet, though a little bit on the tougher side since I am doing five side quests again, with the fifth one not being a one off.  I'm still thinking about the fifth quest though, leaning towards either doing fashion photos (styling myself off cute and taking a picture) or still on the Martial Arts tone and focusing on only counting going to Muay Thai or privates lessons again.  Give me ideas!!  I need to strategize how I'm going to defeat Leviathan and take down any Hydra remnants with the SSR!  Finding SHIELD takes time and teamwork you know! 

 

Now with out further ado, let's dispatch my crew to conquer this challenge!

 

Agent Carter is kicking ass and take names! 

Details: Need to ramp up some strength training!  Peggy is no nonsense, direct, and her fighting is dirty and focuses on her strength as well as using other people's strength against them.  Thus to match the power of Agent Carter I shall do two lower body strength workouts and two upper body strength workouts.  I could combine the workouts (so one day I may do a short leg followed by a short upper) but I need to do two lower body and two upper body workouts per week!  Especially since I'm getting new plates!  I do note that my legs are already pretty strong, but I also work out my arms quite a bit too during kickboxing, thus the (hopefully) equal treatment!

Contingencies: Travel can be a bit of an issue though nothing is on the books yet.  I also need to be flexible in case of illness and count body weight exercises (especially stuff like pike push-ups, single leg push ups, reverse planks, tricep dips off of a chair, pistol squats...that shit is HARD...).
Tracking: I'll be tracking the workouts using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and this lovely thread will be updated as well.
Grading:
A for Strength training four times a week ( 25 pt - 2 Sta 3 Str )
B for Strength training three times a week ( 20 pts - 1 Sta 2 Str )
C for Strength training two times a week ( 15 pts - 1 Str )
F for all else

 

 

Edwin Jarvis is supporting the heavy hitters!

Details: I have slipped a bit when it comes to my protein, my sugar and carbs are a bit too high and I just need to reign things in! Overall my diet has been slacking over the winter and DAMMIT, it's Spring!  So time for a little Spring cleaning with Jarvis and time to work on my macros once more!  I went to check on my macros and came up with the following to track on MyFitnessPal

1585k (total), 178g (carb), 44g (fat), 139g (protein) and 56g (sugar).  

Though I am keeping in mind my macros, I got a really good suggestion to make protein my focus here, especially since I do tend to go really intense with my workouts (last Friday anyone?  THAT WAS HARD).  However, I still will be keeping an eye on my sugar and thus keep sugar set low.  Protein is the main goal though.

Contingencies: Usual suspects: birthdays, special events, etc.  I don't think I have anything coming up in April except for the ski trip this weekend and that's still BEFORE the challenge so I should be good.  However I will let myself have one day per week where I'm not counting this.  Still tracking but just not caring for one day only.

Tracking: I'll be tracking the eating using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and this lovely thread will be updated as well.
Grading:
A for 6 to 7 days of keeping up my protein ( 25 pt -  2 Str 2 Con )
B for 4 to 5 days of keeping up my protein ( 20 pts - 1 Str 2 Con )
C for 2 to 3 days of keeping up my protein ( 15 pts - 1 Con )
F for all else

 

Daniel Sousa is reconnecting with Peggy and encouraging me to do the same

Details:  Peggy has a type; honest, reliable, perhaps not the strongest physically (she loved Steve before the super serum, and Daniel is a disabled vet), but the strongest in integrity.  Daniel is all that, though he moved away from New York not just for a promotion but to avoid confusing emotions he had with Peggy.  I myself have been slacking on calling family members and Daniel, in a way, was pushing those closest to him away. Time for me to talk to one of my relatives (at least my parents) at least once a week.  Simple, easy and must keep up the calls!

Contingencies: I can text!  I can make a quick phone call.  I shall count voicemails I leave just in case they don't pick up or I miss them.  At least I am calling at least once a week and calling someone I love.  Also, sometimes I chat with family members so I may count that too!  We'll see
Tracking: I'll be tracking using my phone (duh), computer (duh) and this thread shall be updated!
Grading:
A for at least one call per week, voicemails included ( 10 pt - 1 Con )
F for all else

 

Howard Stark is inventing with dramatic (insane) genius!

Details: Creativity geniuses are always working; always inventing, always having new ideas.  Thus I shall be, keeping this going; I shall work on art 30 minutes a day, at least 4 days a week!  Need to get some more art finished during this time as well...or maybe show off my model painting skills!  Either way, my creativity must be strong! 

Contingencies: Busy weeks and weekends.  However I have been making time for both model painting and my drawing so this should not be an issue :D.
Tracking: I have an art Tumblr and I also have DeviantArt (WATCH ME FOR ACCOUNTABILITY). I shall use those and this thread to keep track.
Grading:
A for at least 30 minutes 4 to 5 days a week - 20 exp ( 2 Wis 1 Cha )
B for at least 30 minutes 2 to 3 days a week - 15 exp ( 1 Wis 1 Cha)
F for all else

 

Dottie Underwood is assassinating marks in disguise! 

Details: Dottie Underwood is one of the original Black Widows; the dark predecessor to Natasha, and one with an somewhat unnerving attachment to Peggy.  She is beautiful and deadly.  Thanks to very helpful decisions, I decided to make this quest a combination of Deadly and Beautiful by using this to not only make sure I go to Muay Thai (and not counting kickboxing) once a week, but that I also look fabulous and take a lovely fabulous fashion photo once a week as well (not on the same day but I could!).

Contingencies: Mostly the Muay Thai may be hampered by schedule, freak weather, etc.  But I managed to do it before!  I CAN DO IT AGAIN!

Tracking: I'll be tracking the DEADLY using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) and this lovely thread will be updated with the BEAUTY photos.

Grading:

A for one Beauty and one Deadly per week - 20 exp ( 1 Dex 1 Cha )
F for all else

 

I know I know..why Dottie and not someone else?  Why not Agent Thompson?!

...

...This is my favorite gif of him.  Nuff' Said.

 

Anywho!  My challenge is now set and I'm gonna repost some measurements...reposting because it was the same measurements for last challenge but since not much has changed since then I didn't even bother to redo them.  So bam let's take a look and let's see if I can make them go the way I want them along with posting a new fitness image as well!

 

Starting Measurements:
Date: 02/28/2016 @  10:30 am
Weight: 130.2
***Body Fat***: 22%
Waist: 23
Waist @ Navel: 24
Hips: 34.5
Neck: 12
Chest: 32
Left Bicep: 11
Right Thigh: 16
Wrist: 5.5
Forearm: 9

 

Definitely need to get a hold of my eating of sweets and get back my abs dammit!  The art maybe a bit difficult, but everything else should be manageable...even the eating, though that quest has always been a bit scary.  However it's the most important one so far so I better get it right!  Time to go out and kick ass and prove the world exactly what I am capable of!  Time to be like Margaret Elizabeth Carter and not only take down the bad guys and save the world, but also kick the ass of my companions if they end of thinking I can't handle the mission!  I'm a beast dammit!  LET'S DO THIS!!!!

[BlackTezca]

***Awesome Summaries Index***

Week 1 Summary

Week 2 Summary

Week 3 Summary

Week 4 Summary

Challenge Summary

[Luciana Valerosa Culming]

Jay, challenge!

[Urgan]

Once again, no clue but following anyhow and awaiting goals with bated breath~

[BlackTezca]

6 hours ago, Luciana Valerosa Culming said:

Jay, challenge!

 

W00t!  And with goals now!

 

3 hours ago, Urgan said:

Once again, no clue but following anyhow and awaiting goals with bated breath~

 

Agent Carter is an amazing show.  I love it  I hope my gifs and images as well as what I describe of it keeps you interested too!  Admittedly, I got the idea from StarsApart since she did a challenge based on another vintage awesome woman Miss Fisher.  If you like that show, I think this one is a good one too.

[Kishi]

Ah, yes. Hayley Atwell. A classically beautiful (read: 40s/50s) woman who kicks some serious ass. All right, then, very good.

 

I let myself drift away from the Marvel TVerse, but you know, that's really something I should get back to. Heck, I can probably afford to run the streaming services for those shows anyway now.

 

As to that last goal, hm. Fashionable or Muay Thai... hm.

 

Wait. I got a crazy idea.

 

 

No, wait, just hear me out on this one. Suppose you do your dress up and such like that, and take your photos... but when you pose, it's in some manner of Muay Thai stance.

 

See, that way, you're incentivized to keep going to class to iron this kind of thing out, and you get to meet your aesthetic goals.

 

...

 

Maybe crazy, but maybe works.

[Urgan]

Thoughts! First, love your challenge. Your macros seem a little low, especially given I assume they're gross (i.e., what you'll hit before accounting for all the exercise you do). I'd set the protein bar a little higher. You weigh 130lbs, so given the intensity and ferocity of your activities, I'd definitely peg the protein to your total weight (as opposed to LBM) for optimum recovery. Let the calories fall where they may, if you like the sugar macro where it is, you can always custom set the sugar back down to where you've got it (56g). 

 

As for your Dottie quest, why not both?? You could do matching selfies with you all dressed up for every Muay Thai session or vice versa?

[blkhole24601]

Here for this, as always~

 

And I'm all for fashion pics~

[BlackTezca]

1 hour ago, Kishi said:

As to that last goal, hm. Fashionable or Muay Thai... hm.

 

Wait. I got a crazy idea.

 

 

No, wait, just hear me out on this one. Suppose you do your dress up and such like that, and take your photos... but when you pose, it's in some manner of Muay Thai stance.

 

See, that way, you're incentivized to keep going to class to iron this kind of thing out, and you get to meet your aesthetic goals.

 

...

 

Maybe crazy, but maybe works.

 

1 hour ago, Urgan said:

As for your Dottie quest, why not both?? You could do matching selfies with you all dressed up for every Muay Thai session or vice versa?

 

These are both interesting options and both fit very well with Dottie considering that she tends to look absolutely fabulous (more so than Peggy sometimes) while kicking ass!  

 

For Kishi's suggestion: I do like the idea dressing up all Fashionista like and doing a Muay Thai pose (maybe a kick or punch or something; checking form, etc) but the issue with that is getting someone to take the picture... I do have a tablet that can take photos and I should be able to pose it and maybe put a timer.  Would be interesting.  I also have a webcam on my pc that I think I can use to take pictures on and should have a timer on it maybe.

 

For Urgans' suggestion: I could plan out wearing a cute outfit when it comes to days with Muay Thai; however that may remove some flexibility when it comes to when I want to look cute VS when I want to go to Muay Thai.  Now I do go to Friday classes for Muay Thai so considering that Friday may mean fun activities for cuteness this could work out as well.  Same with doing Saturdays.  Or Wednesday. 

 

I could mix up both.  Depending on my posing/camera skill.  Either way, I think it'll be an experiment.  Thursday is a private lesson with Gigi so I'll do a test run and then I'll consider the weekly measurements for it.

 

 

30 minutes ago, blkhole24601 said:

Here for this, as always~

 

And I'm all for fashion pics~

 

Definitely looks like I need to do something Fashion like then!

 

1 hour ago, Kishi said:

Ah, yes. Hayley Atwell. A classically beautiful (read: 40s/50s) woman who kicks some serious ass. All right, then, very good.

 

I let myself drift away from the Marvel TVerse, but you know, that's really something I should get back to. Heck, I can probably afford to run the streaming services for those shows anyway now.

 

You should get back into it; Agents of Shield is currently playing on Hulu for free and Agent Carter also appears there.  Then you have DareDevil and Jessica Jones on Netflix and that's a whole 'nother level of awesome.  I'd like to hear your thoughts; I'm big on talking about shows and movies and so on so it's always fun to see what other folks think of cinema and such!

 

1 hour ago, Urgan said:

Thoughts! First, love your challenge. Your macros seem a little low, especially given I assume they're gross (i.e., what you'll hit before accounting for all the exercise you do). I'd set the protein bar a little higher. You weigh 130lbs, so given the intensity and ferocity of your activities, I'd definitely peg the protein to your total weight (as opposed to LBM) for optimum recovery. Let the calories fall where they may, if you like the sugar macro where it is, you can always custom set the sugar back down to where you've got it (56g). 

 

Hmmm...you know what...I like that.  I think I'll tweak Jarvis up more to up my protein and not focus too much on anything else.  I do need to watch my sugar though, thus why I do want to hone it on that just a little bit...though I'll remove that 56g limit for now

[Urgan]

A fashion pic of you doing martial arts would be cool, but mostly as a bonus, lol. Re: balancing fashion with training, if you opened that quest up to the entire four weeks, you'd have a whole month to keep the two in sync, as opposed to doing fashion and Muay Thai on the same day.

 

3 minutes ago, BlackTezca said:

Hmmm...you know what...I like that.  I think I'll tweak Jarvis up more to up my protein and not focus too much on anything else.  I do need to watch my sugar though, thus why I do want to hone it on that just a little bit...though I'll remove that 56g limit for now

 

You can always clamp down on sugar once you get used to the protein macro change--that's a handful all by itself, ya know. Even adjusting up the sugar, it'll still be a challenge to do IIFYM. 

[BlackTezca]

41 minutes ago, Urgan said:

A fashion pic of you doing martial arts would be cool, but mostly as a bonus, lol. Re: balancing fashion with training, if you opened that quest up to the entire four weeks, you'd have a whole month to keep the two in sync, as opposed to doing fashion and Muay Thai on the same day.

 

 

You can always clamp down on sugar once you get used to the protein macro change--that's a handful all by itself, ya know. Even adjusting up the sugar, it'll still be a challenge to do IIFYM. 

 

I see what you mean!  I can do it so I aim for Muay Thai once a week and Fashion pose once a week.  Not on the same day.  Okay!  Duh...this is what happens when you're at work for too long.

 

Good point on changing my macros with such high protein.  This is something else I can experiment with this week before the challenge official starts.

[Urgan]

Just now, BlackTezca said:

I see what you mean!  I can do it so I aim for Muay Thai once a week and Fashion pose once a week.  Not on the same day.  Okay!  Duh...this is what happens when you're at work for too long.

 

Work brain is a thing. 

 

Just now, BlackTezca said:

Good point on changing my macros with such high protein.  This is something else I can experiment with this week before the challenge official starts.

 

Good idea, you can see if it works for you beforehand and tweak further~

[starpuck]

Tagging along as always.    Ah, here we find an opposite in our likes!    I am so not enchanted by period stuff, especially anything from the 1920s-60s.  LOL.   I should have been all over Agent Carter.  Chick bad ass?  Yes please.  But nope.  Couldn't even give it a chance lol.

 

But you rock, so I shall endure the period theme and continue to watch the awesome happen!

[Achaedia]

Fun quests!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Luciana Valerosa Culming]

I like it. So now I'm here for art, fashion and awsomeness.

[BlackTezca]

13 hours ago, Starpuck said:

Tagging along as always.    Ah, here we find an opposite in our likes!    I am so not enchanted by period stuff, especially anything from the 1920s-60s.  LOL.   I should have been all over Agent Carter.  Chick bad ass?  Yes please.  But nope.  Couldn't even give it a chance lol.

 

But you rock, so I shall endure the period theme and continue to watch the awesome happen!

 

If you ever find yourself curious, do give it a try, especially if you're watching Agents of Shield as well. 

ENDURE THE THEME!!! ENDURE IT!!!

[BlackTezca]

16 hours ago, Urgan said:

 

Work brain is a thing. 

 

 

Good idea, you can see if it works for you beforehand and tweak further~

 

There is a limit to how much someone can work in a day...oof

I did manage to make 131g of protein at 1818 kcal with 72g of sugar.  The sugar I think I can fix a bit still, but man I can hit protein if I pay attention to it  and not worry about much else.  We'll see how it goes.

 

12 hours ago, Achaedia said:

Fun quests!

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thanks!

 

9 hours ago, Luciana Valerosa Culming said:

I like it. So now I'm here for art, fashion and awsomeness.

 

AWESOME!! Always happy to see you here

[Urgan]

1 minute ago, BlackTezca said:

There is a limit to how much someone can work in a day...oof

I did manage to make 131g of protein at 1818 kcal with 72g of sugar.  The sugar I think I can fix a bit still, but man I can hit protein if I pay attention to it  and not worry about much else.  We'll see how it goes.

 

 

Killin' it! 

[Waldgeist]

Now, that is a classy challenge.

[Kishi]

Hey! I watched all your intro vids for WH40K and if I lived in CO I would totally play with you!

 

Also if I had actual money! Because that shit expensive, yo.

[Luciana Valerosa Culming]

Now I have to find that youtube channel. ^^

[shaar]

YesSSSSSSsss SASSY CHALLENGE, GO!!!

[BlackTezca]

18 hours ago, Kishi said:

Hey! I watched all your intro vids for WH40K and if I lived in CO I would totally play with you!

 

Also if I had actual money! Because that shit expensive, yo.

 

Yes...yes it is.  Its' very expensive.  Ooof!  But fun!!

 

4 hours ago, Luciana Valerosa Culming said:

Now I have to find that youtube channel. ^^

 

Ask and ye shall receive.

 

56 minutes ago, shaarawy said:

YesSSSSSSsss SASSY CHALLENGE, GO!!!

 

SASS!!!

[BlackTezca]

I made a Accountbilbuddy group thing for art stuff!!!  I shall call it...The Loft

[BlackTezca]

Before I forget and get distracted by work and/or challenge things, I need to talk about the last ski trip of the season!!!

It was nothing like that but damn that looks fun!

 

So!  We were planning two days of skiing but day number 2 didn't happen because it lovely, Sunny, gorgeous...Saturday.

A Sunny Gorgeous Saturday after a lot of snow the few days before...

Which means NO PARKING!  None!  The hubs and I, already exhausted from sleeping like shit in a very comfortable but extraordinarily noisy Inn, decided to just call it quits and head back fun.

 

Which sucks.  BUT that was Saturday.  We were also their the day before.  Cloudy, snowy, a little nervewracking due to white light but...very very fruitful.  I did a lot of hard trails Friday including doing a black runs several times, which was fun, though on one of the trails, I really need to go faster and make cleaner, tighter turns, something I'll be working on when I get used to it.  Overall, this year has finally shown me that I can ski quite well!  Or at least at an Advanced Intermediate level.

 

Another, challenge begins!  Let's see if I can get that much protein in me! O.O;