BACK IN ARMOR

Back in armor!

 So I haven't written in this blog all summer, and with good reason. After the Riverfest Demo I quit fighting because I was playing Hamlet (Awesome experience! Great production--though I am biased). I didn't fight again until Pennsic. Immediately after Pennsic, I went on a road trip to California, during which I attended CAID crown and delivered a car to a friend. It meant no fighting and really no time to blog (can't type while you are driving).

HOWEVER It is now time to train for Crown. No announcement has been made as to where or what weekend Crown will be held (which is late, it was due 8/15). However by rule it is supposed to be either the last Saturday in October , alternately the first Saturday in November (which would suck, that's opening day of deer season). So going on the premise that it will be on October 25 (as early as it can be) there are 61 days until crown. I started training yesterday.

WORKOUTS

I ran a mud race in June, and I walked all over Pennsic, and I went on a back-country horseback pack trip (more work than you would think) but all I've actually been doing for workouts in 50 pushups every day. Haven't skipped once.

FIGHTING

I fought in all the open heavy combat battles at Pennsic, plus the allied champions battle (as Queen's Champion of CAID). I fought with spear in most of them and got lots of kills. I did pickups and did really well against both the King of An Tir and the King of Atenveldt, but got worked over by a squire from Meridies. All in all a pretty good Pennsic. I lost weight which I promptly gained back driving cross country.

Yesterday was the barbecue and practice out at Count Horic's on Long Island. We knights spent the first half of it teaching. We started out with two group lessons, spear drills and footwork drills. Then we broke into groups and ran pairs of fighters through various drills: I ran the strike/thrust drills: Teric ran block/strike drills, Gui ran more footwork drills, Mordreth ran Man on ground drills, and Horic floated and worked on technique.

Then we held a few melees, including a roman melee.

Then we ran the Beau Geste Tournament. Myself and Sir Jabril were in armor and fighting. We advanced to the Semi finals but withdrew, leaving Tycho and Conrad to fight for the honor of facing Nicolai Wegener in finals. Nicolai beat Tycho 3-2.

I got some good pickups in and some good fights in the tournament. When I was wearing my breast plate I was totally gasping for air, but once I took it off and picked up my shield I had my wind. Because I had given my bauzibands to Torvaldr after Pennsic to be re-sized, I had to borrow vambraces, which really slowed me down.

TRAINING
Counting yesterday, I plan to be in armor 16 times before  crown. That's basically twice a week. I will lift or do some Cross fit training 16 times and have at least ten cardio days. I will fight at Barleycorn, Cloisters, hopefully at Great Western War, and maybe at the Roses tourney, River War, and/or  Fiery Beast.

There are 61 days until crown (we think). My next time in armor will be this Sunday, assuming there is actually a practice anywhere nearby, it being Labor Day Weekend.