[Wk 10] Improving in Fitness, Gaming & Music

Previous Weeks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

About this blog/diary:
I'm a professional musician and (very) amateur gamer.
Blogging about improving and sticking to a program is very effective for my overall progress!
Having myself been inspired by Haulvern, I hope this humble blog can motivate another someone in need of positive change.
Thanks for checking this out and feel free to leave any comments or suggestions!

Week preview: A mini-week this week! My brother's visit was declared a vacation zone of gaming and good food, but now to get back on the horse!

Goals for the Week

Fitness Goals:
4 Weight-lifting sessions (log)(program): [image loading]

2 Running or HIIT sessions (log)(program):
Weigh-in regularly (log): ( [image loading]

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Gaming Goals:
Log Write-Ups of OCC Blood Bowl games (Current Standings): [image loading]

                  Log CS:GO practice sessions and Ranked results: (below)
                  Log Hearthstone Drafts/Results: (below)
                  Log Write-ups and session prep for my DND 5E Campaign (wiki):

            Personal Goals:
                  Daily Mental Discipline sessions: ( [image loading]

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Log daily food intake: (log) (

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Quality challenge-seeking practice session: (

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Wednesday 9/3: [image loading]

Feels good to be back! Last week piddled out in motivation and focus, and I'm pretty frustrated by that fact. My brother came to town on a special trip using some combined airline miles and I used his trip as a dedicated relaxation zone. We basically hung out all day playing vidya and eating good food.

On Monday, I organized a Dreadball tournament for my brother and two friends which was a smashing success! It hilarious in that the winner ended up having his team killed off pretty thoroughly by the finals. Dreadball is a great game that I thoroughly recommend as a much more accessible and friendly version of Blood Bowl.

But now back to it!! My brother introduced me to a more sustainable and intelligent long-term lifting program called 5/3/1, and I'm jumping into it at full steam! This great website does all the computations for the lifts for you and even keeps track of long-term progress (if the damn register function will eventually work for me). Today's Press workout day was challenging! The 5x10 finisher sets pushed me to failure for the last 3.

Now on to get some good practice in! I was able to get a good nuts and bolts session in during work, but my brother's 4am airport dropoff messed my sleep schedule up a bit and I snuck a couple naps in earlier. I'm going to attempt to muscle it out and not nap anymore with some nice English Breakfast from Fortnum and Mason, the biggest tea store I've ever been to in my life.

I ended the day with a good self-guided full body relaxation and a couple of good practice sessions. The practice sessions helped reconnect to process-oriented learning and thinking. I'm feeling some good momentum as I end today and reflect! Tomorrow's deadlift day!

Thursday 9/4: [image loading]

Damn was Deads day in 5/3/1 a challenge. I had crazy back activation at the end of the Big But Boring 5x10 sets... Have to make sure to keep form!

Today will be a Blood Bowl day! I'm facing up against someone who I played against in the SCC last season so i know his wood elves can be a real pain in the ass :-). We'll see how it goes! Despite the AV advantage he took out more players than me, but I don't see that happening again.

Uuuugh... those darn pesky elves... I contained beautifully for seven turns of the first half, even forcing a turnover... But I fail to setup one play and he completes a 5+ pass, 2 dodges and a 4+ pickup to score on turn 8. Then, I get blitzed with a successful short kick to start the second half rolling double snake eyes on the first two blocks... I lose two more av9 warriors to non-MB blocks and viola... that's my game! At least it ended only 2-0. :-) At least the other guy was gracious with the win. He was helpful and informative to boot!

Practice and mental prep was quite good today! Got some good good work in! Definitely feeling like I'm ramping up. Continue the emphasis on process and getting excited about tiny improvements. Adjusting language in my practice journal has been beneficial as well.

I think I'm ready to announce a weight-loss target of 180 by mid/end of December. I think that should be manageable. That would take me down to a weight I can be more comfortable in keeping. I don't want to get down on myself if I slip up for a couple days or so. I have some stressful outings planned for the coming months...

Friday 9/5:

A minor setback day honestly. While I did get some good time in practice wise, it wasn't nearly as focused as I would have liked. I allowed myself to get distracted trying to foster some community on TL and also join a new community in the Fever Gaming Community. That group looks like it would serve my community needs well as it has active RPers, CSGOers, SC2ers, etc.

Saturday 9/6: [image loading]

The wife wants to make an IKEA/Asian grocery run today so I woke up in good time to get my morning practice, dog-walking and dish-cleaning in. Having accomplished all of that while watching an episode of Roll Play, I find she's still not awake... grr... I wanted to hit the road by 10 and here we are half past that. Oh well. Guess I'll do my mental prep for the day!

Bench day was pretty straightforward. It didn't feel particularly difficult putting 8reps on my 5+er. Also, the trip with the wife was great! We had a great talk about our plan for the next couple years and this job that I'm in. I've been feeling confused and frustrated about what her gameplan in for the future, but today cleared up lots of gray area for me. Because I'm the one actively pursuing a new job while also holding down our main source of income, I've been feeling a great deal of pressure to be the one to "get us out of here" and it's not necessary for me to feel that way. Having the air cleared made a big difference to my headspace for the big auditions coming up.

Sunday 9/7:

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CS:GO Reference Section:

Original Silver Elite Account: Case

9/3: L; 9/5: W, W

Nova 2 Alt Account:

9/5: L

Hearthstone Reference Section: Drafting according to LawrenceJames guidelines. 6-7 2s, 3-4 3s, 4-5 4s, 2-3 5s.

Mage Draft 9/3:+ Show Spoiler [Reactions while drafting] +

5: Bad row, but I'm going for the 5 drop with taunt even though it's weaker.
8: Another bad row, but I like the mirror image versatility.
9: Let's play around archmage synergies...
15: Terrible terrible row.. but I'll take the spell synergy
Through 15, this draft is terribly bad. no quality two or 3s really. A legendary and some argus's but nothing to get there.
17: Eeek.. gotta take the apprentice for the upside.
Through 20, full on 3s and in desperate need of some quality 2s and 4s.
21: Arcane over the shitty 2. ugh....
22: Argent for blood knight synergy and early game.
28: Hard hard row!! I have too many 1 drop options for bomber to be considered sadly... but between dark iron and straight removal that's a hard choice... I'm goign to lean towards dark iron because I love the body on the floor.

Analysis: It's and early slanted board control mage that's goign to need to use the archmage to burn late game. That's at least what I'm thinking now. The early curve is nearly perfect though.

5-3. Did about the best I could with it. Again, this draft was slanted too early and was punished by multiple flamestrikes. Antonidas did get me a couple wins.

Paladin Draft 9/3:+ Show Spoiler [Reactions and Analysis] +

3: Damn tough row! Ugh... Both LJ and AntiG rate Kings higher than the others.
5: Ugh... double kings this early... Venture Co Merc is good but I'm pretty full on 5s as it is... and Kings functions as a 4 drop.
10: So many watchers... boo.
Through 10, I'm feeling not bad about this deck. Kings can be a 4-drop or a win-condition card and the curve is popping nicely.
12: Hard hard row... Dark iron is probably the right choice to fill out the 4 curve.
13: What an epic row. Sword is the highest rated and I tend to agree... Such a great tempo/value creator.
14: Hard row in context... I could use early game... but also the 4 drop. Oasis is awesome with kings and dark iron... Yea If there's a slot to overfill on it's 4 drop, not 1.
15: Have to take the champ... avenge is nice and can turn games, but isn't a backbone card.
16: Glad I saved 5 space.
17: Hard hard row... full on 5s and pretty good on 4s... Venture Co could be good, but I'm so minion heavy. Hmm.. Abusive for the endgame possibilities... ugh... hard hard choice.
18: Nice! well hmm... LJ values brew over avenge... taking the 4 drop with upside...
19: I could use one more 3 drop.
21: Need a 2-drop
24: Equality is a potential game changer... but imp master is an amazing kings target... I'm full on 3s. LJ values Equality over Imp.
26: Taking the card draw as I have none... boo...
28: relatively full on 2s and could use a win condition card.
29: Not good... at 11 cards with battlecry, i can't afford to take that 2-drop.

Curve is perfect with potential late game upside. Let's see how far this completely reomval-less pally deck can go!

9-3. Lost a couple games I deserved to lose... grr misplays!!! Was fun though!

Rogue Draft 9/4:+ Show Spoiler [Reactions/Analysis] +

1: Terrible epic row... at least I get some removal.
4: Hard-ish row because I love Argus but Sunwalker is too good to pass on early. A real game changer.
5: Amazing row! Evis is the highest rated by everyone... taking it.
6: Another great row! Taking the champ because he's the champ :-). We're good on end-game now though. Lots of the 12 win condition cards.
8: What great rows! Uggh... kk taking the best 3 slotter... though I'm low on 2s.
11: Hard row here... card draw/2 drop or the upside of infinite 3-weapon. I could use 5 drops honestly... but I'm hurting my curve. I love the upside of smith... taking a big risk here...
13: Shit row... ugh.
14: Bad row...
15: Hard hard row here... do I take a great 4 or 2? I have 1 of each... Anub is the 2nd highest rated 4 drop by LJ... taking it.
18: hard row... taking the 4 drop as I can't activate the worgen. Doing better on 3s than 4s.
19: Need the 2...
20: Interesting row here... I'm at 9 of 12 supplemental removal/endgame cards... Do I take another or a shitty 4? Love the walker... Looks like this deck is going to build to survive and own late game.
21: ugh... looks like my 4 drops are going to be predictable... damn do I need 2s...
25: I'm good on late game... need to make my lategame count... have no weapons as yet soo...
26: Zombie actually fits perfectly here as I will NOT be killing anyone early.
27: CB to potentially get to the end game...
28: Ugh... hard choice... need the 2-drop.
29: Scientist is just too bad... taking the taunt.

Not looking forward to this funky deck... It's going to hinge on getting the early game out... I'm goign to have to watch my mulligan style and realize that chow and deckhand are something I can't pass on... nor is deadly poison... This deck will be better with coin to even the curve.

Shaman Draft 9/6:+ Show Spoiler [Reactions/Analysis] +

4: Hmm... hardish choice... I'll take the hex as I may get some good 4 drops later.
7: I'll take 1mana silence over 2.
through 16... not too shabby but light on 2s. time to hunt for some win condition cards! and late game... eek Nervous that I'm full on curve fillers other than 2s...
17: Too good taz...
18: Only 1 overload so taking boulder
21: taking the variety and some forked lightning.
22: Need the 2...
28: early game...

Not expecting anything with this deck at all... Possible win conditions, but will die to FStrike so easily. Just meh and bad.

Paladin Draft 9/7:+ Show Spoiler [Reactions/Analysis] +

2: Great row! LJ values crusader over Venture, but on this count I'm not sure... hmm... I want the 5 drop, went to AntiG for confirmation and he suggests the crusader too... done.
3: wishing I had taken the venture...
5: Eeek... hardish choice... Do I fill up on 3s? Or take a highcost removal/hitter... It's a good 10mana kings wombocombo... but still. Think I have to take the rocketeer here.
6: Damn am I glad I did! 3 drops for days!
8: I can't take another damn 3 drop right nwo... ugh... Going to have to take the big guy.
Through 12... damn I need 2s and 4s... I could have 7 good tier 3 drops right now... wtf draft!
12: Shit row... taking the situational buff card.
13: Damn damn hard row... Darkscale has great upside, and Stormwind is fricking awesome. Spiteful could combo with Truesilver, but that's unlikely... Would make being forced to take a light's justice better... I think at this point I have loads of above 5-drops already and need to get a 5... I'm going with spiteful
15: Jesus 3drops!
16: Finally a 2!
17: What is this deck? Ugh... I think my spiteful ups the value of Truesilver... I'm proabbly going to rely on those to get to end-game.
18: Early game buffer I'm thinking... the deck kinda needs somethign there... jesus.
19: Seriously!? You're going to force me to take THAT 2-drop? Ugh... I can't take Hammer... too full on removal. I could use another 5, and Grunt is just so bad... God... I can't take that shitty card when the knight is there to fill my 5 drops.
20: FML... let's Faceless... waaaait... I have no real big hitters in the end game... Just some finishers and chargers... Do I double giant? No, I have to manipulator for the random element.
21: 2 drop!
24: Hmm... Another 3? or a big hitter... I have no 4s... This deck will neeeed to go second. Taking Venture.
25: Damn hard row! I need the silence for sure.. but I need the 2s as well... Game defining row here. I have to breaker this...
26: In lieu of the 2drop, something that trades with a 2-drop.
27: Think I have to take another...
28: Lack of kings reduces worgen value... I'll take another chow for the early game and I think I'm set in that regard. Chows are 2 drops now.
29: terri-bad row.
30: Hard row... do I need consecrate buffers? couldn't hurt to have a flamestrike... I do need 4 drops... Done.

This deck looks not too terrible if I consider the chows 2-drops... particularly with the noble sac's as well... We might be able to pull this off!

Paladin Draft 9/8:+ Show Spoiler [Reactions] +

5: BoK highly valued, over Hammer... taking it!
6: Terrible rare row... wraith it is...
14: Hard choice here... Have no 5drops and can't Kings a dragon... thinking smith it is...
19: Hardish choice... warlord I'm thinking fits the curve ideal better, because I'm basically full on 3s... Yea... I'll take lord now.
20: Grr... curve choice here... Takin the 2.
24: Nerub fits the curve, but punishes half my early drops... eek... taking Fen

4-3

Shaman Draft 9/8:+ Show Spoiler +

1:
10: Terrible epic row ends the first third.
11: Another bad row.
12: I have to take the 2... full on 5s already.
14: Need draw...
17: need the 2s...
18: terri-bad.

[Wk 10] Improving in Fitness, Gaming & Music

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