blissmorgan

"The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret." – Sarah Bombell


Body/Martial Arts/Physical Improvement/Testing: I've attended my weekly Shaolin Kung Fu class. I need to make some changes in my diet and overall general health. I need to be more mindful of my food intake - more protein, fewer carbs, and much less sugar. I have started with a 24-hour fast, which I will probably do weekly. I am now minimizing sugar and carbs in favor of meat and vegetables.

February's GoRuck 'Discipline' Challenges are completed. The workout was the "Valentine's Day Massacre", which was a Buy In of 100 Sandbag Back Squats, and 4 rounds of a 200m Sandbag Shuffle (carry any way you would like), 20 Sandbag Clean & Front Tosses, 20 Bear Crawl Sandbag Drags (each drag is 1 rep), 20 Sandbag Shoulder to Shoulders (total) - and then a Cash Out of 100 Sandbag Front Squats, all with a 60-lb. Sandbag (Tough Level). The Rucking and Additional Challenge requirement this month was to "[r]uck 10 - 20 minutes every day in February. You pick the load, speed, and distance. Suggestion: alternate between light/fast and heavy/not as fast!" The repeat F*CK was "a mobility check, working on 3 mobility checks by doing the following: Couch Stretch: 60-second hold on each side; Airport Scanner Arm Raise: Lift arms for 5 breaths, repeat 5 times; and Squat: Sit in a full squat for 60 seconds."

During Week 4, I maintained a daily ruck, and we got the workout and the F*CK done. The repeat F*CK was slightly easier, and the workout was completed on a sunny, cool day - a shorter but intense Sandbag push-and-pull. We earned our patch on time.

March's Goruck 'Fortitude' Challenges hadn't dropped as of this post (dropped late?), but they had updated their online calendar, so we started on time. The workout is the "FOX FORCE 55", with a Buy In of 50 Sandbag Clean & Front Tosses, and then 2 Rounds of 55 Sandbag Back Rack Walking Lunges, 10 Sandbag Devils Presses, 55 Sandbag Bent Over Rows, 10 Sandbag Devils Presses, 55 Sandbag Thrusters, and 10 Sandbag Devils Presses, with a Cash Out of 50 Sandbag Overhead Flutter Kicks (4 count), with my 60 lb. Sandbag. The rucking and additional challenge is 54 miles rucked (details later). The book-of-the-month is We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America by Norah O'Donnell. The F*CK is the 60 x 60 (Max Sandbag Burpees in 60 seconds with a 60-lb. Sandbag).

On Week 1, Day 1, we completed the initial F*CK, the 60 x 60 (Max Sandbag Burpees in 60 seconds with a 60-lb. Sandbag). I completed 6.5 burpees.

Mind/Spirit/Centering/Health: I'm still studying The Art of War by Sun Tzu, but I have finished reading The Art of Peace by Morihei Ueshiba and John Stevens (Editor). I've added Ideals of the Samurai by William Scott Wilson, and I'm rereading Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. I've picked up some of the books from the 100 MustReads.

Maintenance/Shit Got To Be Done: No progress. I had my yearly wellness checkup this week, although I still have some lab work to complete. I had a taillight assembly fail in the Daily Driver, but it's now fixed/replaced. I'm still preparing my books for my CPA. My deadline was March 1st. *frown* I'm late.

In Case of Zombies/Disaster Preparation: I'm continuing Jim Cobb's Countdown to Preparedness book/assignments. Week 22 is firearms, and I still need to check, clean, and practice more with my existing gear. Week 22 is still on hold, but it's now more on my to-do list. For Week 51, Drills, I will have a go-bag drill to my MRC assigned location (Legacy Emanuel Medical Center) in early March, counting ruck miles for March's GoRuck requirements. This week was the wound care class, Basic Wound Care Course for Medical Professionals, taught by the medical team that specializes in the houseless population in Portland. In addition to coffee, breakfast, lunch, and excellent training on treating everything from abscesses to pressure injuries, we were gifted boxes of unopened high-quality compression bandages. Thank you, Health Share of Oregon. *smile* I am still confirmed for the Effective Communication in Emergency Response class in early March.

Base Station/Ol' Number 3: No progress.

Travel/Adventure/Doing Stuff: I am seriously looking into repeating the geocaching Jasmer and Fizzy Challenges. I unexpectedly had an opportunity to visit OMSI with some friends, where we spent an enjoyable afternoon geeking out with chemistry, geology/earthquakes, and music. We went to the Seattle Opera to see Fellow Travelers, a contemporary opera of the Lavender Scare and McCarthyism, and grabbed all of the Seattle McMenamins Passport stamps.

I'm also still spending a lot of time organizing and checking credentials for the Kinkfest Medical Team, now with 36 volunteers approved on the list, and more coming slowly as they are processed through Volunteer Registration. I will need a total of 40+ volunteers, 6 Shift Leads, and myself. Scheduling for shifts is ongoing, with 24 volunteers scheduled, and 3 mostly scheduled. All of the pre- and post-event teams have been scheduled, and most of Kinkfest has also been scheduled, with a few gaps remaining. I have ordered all of our critical/emergency supplies, and one of our Shift Leads has inventoried what we'll need to order for our regular supplies. The order will be submitted this week, I hope.