thegirlsclub

Cunian · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 11:29 pm Post subject: End of the year sound-off 2011

Time for the annual introspective moment:

For me it's been a trying year - getting through the knee thing, having full-scale peri-menopausal moodiness from hell, having economic issues and elderly cars, adjusting to taking the family along to events rather than carpooling with friends.

I've been to quite a few events though I didn't make it south of Virginia.
I did get authorized in polearm and great sword, though I haven't fought with them as much as I would like to have. I did keep up with fitness stuff, though at a pretty low level. I did fight in Crown again. And I did get a whole new look with new aluminum lamellar and gambeson.

For next year: I want to get south for at least a couple fighting events. I want to fight with the off weapons more. I want to get somewhere with the helm situation and the knee situation. I want to work on the pell 6 days out of 7. I want to cast my net wider for ideas and new stuff to do.

What about you?

Isabella E · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 12:05 am Post subject:

I've been neck deep in school so this year has been mostly a bust for me. I barely have time to do the things I enjoy and I just don't have enough time for them all, so fighting has really taken a back seat. What I have been focusing on will help me down the road though. I've really been staying dedicated to eating better, eating less, and hitting the gym as often as I can.

With coming out, and all the personal and family issues that goes along with it, I just haven't had the inclination to even try and do any SCA stuff even when I do have time. Because of some things that happened with friends who are in the local group, I have drifted away from the SCA a bit. Time and money are obviously an issue so I can't really play with the people I am still close to who live in other parts of the Kingdom. I haven't really felt like being out in the SCA to everyone yet and having to explain or deal with people because I'm still married and my home situation is the same when I am very different.

Next year I am mostly going to be in the same place probably because my medic program doesn't end until August and I am going to be spending a lot of time putting my life in order I think. I am hoping to get back to fighting but it's not going to happen until the end of the summer.
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Slaine · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:30 pm Post subject:

2011 started great fighting wise. I felt like I was finally getting somewhere. I had just taken a local knight's "fighter school". I had lighter gauntlets. They Fyrded me.

for 2012 I have two big new things on the horizon which may negatively affect my amount of time to fight. Both are good but time consuming. My resolution is to take advantage of any opportunity to train including talking to the personal trainer at the gym after I'm cleared. On of the things we proposed in our application letter to be the new baron and baroness was supporting a practice on a different day than our usual meeting.

Their Majesties had requested more drill in group tactics and a return to the use of standardized orders. Everyone is working on this now while I can't fight so I'll have some catching up to do. (Maybe I should drill the kids in the basic movements.)

Further out I need to learn more weapons systems. I keep saying this and keep returning to the use of my shield. There's something mental in this which I can and should work on while benched.

Cunian · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 4:15 pm Post subject:

Great sword lends itself to slow work nicely.

Jesmond · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 1:07 am Post subject:

2011 was difficult. The first half of the year I was finishing up my term as Queen’s Champion and healing up a ligament injury of my thumb. Then, I took some time off trying to deal with what I thought was acute burnout but turned out to be depression. Started treating for that and actively trying to increase my household’s attendance at SCA events, so we invented “The Misery Tour” and started hitting a couple of events a month. We really came together as a house and bonded. My kit was greatly improved when my knight covered some aluminum cuisses in leather for my new leg armour. I was able to wear shorts this summer which was great. In September, Count Lutr challenged me to spend the next year gaining strength so I started making strength training more of a priority. I became a warranted marshal. I think my fighting skills have actually declined this year which is a pretty big bummer in light of my increased activity level. But on the other hand, my strength and conditioning is much improved. I’m finishing off the year still trying to get my head in the right place. Mostly I’m struggling to avoid despair, not to fight my knight’s advice and instruction, and just keep doing this until I start enjoying it again.

Next year, I want to revamp my kit. I need to make a new fighting jupon. I have some new body armour that needs to be covered and some new spaulders I am going to try out. I even got some sabatons I’d like to try out in the next bridge battle. I just need to get some motivation to get going on the projects. Maybe over the holidays I will get started on something.
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First authorized: 1996 - 2000
Re-authorized: 2006 - now
Last event: Coronation
Next event: Border Raids
The Misery Tour: You'll wish you had less fun.

LadyLia · Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 1:04 am Post subject:

I've been making some good progress. My kit has been worked on and looks spiffy. It still needs more work, but it most likely always will. My fighting has been getting to a level I am content with. I'm seeing improvement and people are commenting on it.

School has been crazy. Next year at this time, I will be done. I had wanted to start attending other practices, that didn't happen. I did start hitting the pell more often, however.

Next is to get stronger and healthier. When school gets rough, I drink too much coffee and not enough water. I don't eat right and that makes me feel worse. I also had some health issues. I need to take care of my body so it can take care of itself.
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Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the hell with sugar and spice.

Tibbie Croser · Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 4:18 pm Post subject:

I bought my first high-quality rapier at Pennsic, from Darkwood. It's far better balanced than my old rapier, and I think it has helped to improve my fighting. I've actually won an occasional tournament bout this year. I've tried to attend a second practice each week when I can, and I've tried to implement some training advice I received from a few White Scarves. Very recently, I identified some of the mental issues that handicap my fighting. I sum up my new goal as "win with what you have." In other words, I will try to fight tournament fights without worrying about my form. I've found that fighting aggressively brings me that nice adrenalin rush that increases my confidence and takes the sting out of losing.

I did get my first kingdom award this year, an Award of Arms for my dedication to improving my rapier skills.

rauokinn · Senior Club Member Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 484 : Items

2011 was a hard year emotionally for me, but as far as fighting goes I am seeing progress and I quarterfinalled in our spring Crown. I started seeing a bariatric nurse practioner to learn about nutrition and get help with losing weight and I have managed to lose approx. 45 lbs this year. I've picked up my stick lots, done lots of pell work and can see the stuff
I am working on in drill come out at speed in the fight. It has been encouraging in that respect.

Next year, I need to do more of the same: lose more weight, more stick time, strength training, and fight well enough in Crown to win.