Modified Contour Drawing Well at least this time it is an actual...

Modified Contour Drawing

Well at least this time it is an actual contour drawing as opposed to whatever I was doing before. Time to do all the contour drawing exercises again.

via Tumblr http://douglasamcintosh.tumblr.com/post/58775619562

This was meant to be a contour drawing but after watching some...

This was meant to be a contour drawing but after watching some instructional videos on Youtube I see that I have been doing contour drawing in totally the wrong way. I eventually gave up as I just felt the whole thing getting away from me.

via Tumblr http://douglasamcintosh.tumblr.com/post/58773396381

I am only putting this up as I said to myself I would put...

I am only putting this up as I said to myself I would put everything up, like it or not.I only spent a brief amount of time on it and my model refused to sit still for 20 minutes. Even as a rough sketch I would need to learn more about drawing just so I could understand how awful it is. Museum of Bad Art here I come :)

via Tumblr http://douglasamcintosh.tumblr.com/post/58711141187

Week 7: Avoiding The Zombie Menace (Zombie Run 5k)

Week 7.3

Finally I am up to the last week. The only problem is that I am repeating week 7 and may well be doing it for a third time.  But I am happy with that since, irrespective of anyone else, I think I have done well for me. Which is the fun of running for myself.

Week 1: Introduction To The Apocalypse

Way back on Dec 31st, in the evening as people were just beginning to get ready to party, I went out for my first 'run'.

The mission tasks for this were:

• 10 min walking
• 1 min Walking
• 15 Secs slow run
• 10 min Free Form Run

The middle bit was repeated 10 times.

The story started introducing to the characters and location in an entertaining manner. As the weeks have progressed that narrative has only got stronger and more interesting.

The first week was horrible for me, with hindsight due at least in part to my very poor trainers, leaving me hobbling after what was in essence a brisk walk. A new, decent, pair of running shoes helped a lot.

Week 1, even at the time, looked like it should have been a walk in the park. I did a fair amount of brisk walking anyway. Sadly though it turned out that I was still plainly hideously unfit.

Week 3 which involved 1 min run / 1 min walk drills almost left me in a position where I thought I was going to have to phone someone to give me a lift home my shins were in so much pain. So I did all of week 3 simply because I could not face admitting to others that I could not run for such a short time. I took a couple of days off and repeated the week, listening to the same story again, with characters telling me how well I was doing. By the end of week 3 redux I felt I was completing it comfortably. Week 4 passed without a hitch. Then week five happened.

Again the drills were the problem. Shorter walks with slightly longer runs. Again the shin pain and another week I had to repeat. Like week 3 repeating it again seemed to do the trick and while I did not quite coast it
I was happy with my progress. I even managed to make 6k in one outing which to me was stunning.

Week 7: Zombies, Traitors and Scary Men

Not wanting to give any spoilers but the story for week 6 and 7 is brilliant.

• 10 min Fast Walk
• 5 min Free Form Run
• 1 min running
• 15 sec skipping
• 5 min Free Form Run
• 3 min Stretches
• 5 min Free Form Run

(Repeat 5 times, Repeat twice)

Week 7 was like a repeat of weeks 3 and 5, maybe it is something to do with odd numbered weeks? :) I am currently repeating Week 7 - 3 until I can complete everything and run each five minute block without stopping. Not quite there yet but every time I go out I get a little bit closer. For some reason it is the running/ skipping drills I am finding the hardest, not just because of the dangers of skipping through my hometown.

I look at 'proper' runners now that can do 5k in one run, or even 10k, and I am beginning to think I will be able to do that soon enough. I am currently hitting about 5.5k with a degree of regularity which strikes me as a good distance.

Lessons Learned

Giving Up

I should really have given up by now. This running lark is every bit as difficult as giving up smoking was. Many projects I start in good faith have crashed & burned by now. Normally if I get past the 3 month period, soon, I can be fairly confident it is now part of my routine. The things that have kept me going include the following.

1. Investing money in buying trainers etc. Having invested actual cash I don't want to see it wasted.
2. Having decent music to listen to. Really I made up a playlist I really like, this helps a little.
3. Making a huge fuss on facebook, irl and at work. This has helped a lot. I have spouted off so often about running, putting up run logs on the wall and all sorts, that I can not face the humiliation of not keeping it up.
4. Entering A Fun Run. I have put my name down for a 4k fun run and will be sponsored. The charity I have chosen is well liked by a work colleague. Again I don't want to let them down. This has probably helped more than 3.
5. Losing weight. Not really a major motivator at the beginning but has helped a little. Especially as when I started my BMI had just introduced me to the world of obesity. Hi fatland!

Running Through The Canyons Of My Mind

This will sound stupid. I have just hit the stage where I am beginning to 'zone out' when I am running, instead of paying attention to breathing, sore legs, distance, speed and so forth; this seems to be helping make a better time and distance. Will need to see whether this is something useful or just that my brain in becoming oxygen starved.

Next Steps

Week eight is the last week of the 5k Zombie Training. After that I will be on to the main app, which is exciting. 

I am planning on signing up for a 5k Zombie Evac run in October which looks like ti should be fun.

After that I should be ready for the apocalypse. As long as I can run faster than you ...

Zombie 5k: Couch to Apocalypse Survivor

This is about Zombies,  Run! 5k training which you can find more about here:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sixtostart.zombies5k

Zombies, Run! 5k Training is an 8-week training program and audio adventure for beginners that’ll improve your fitness so you can run a 5km distance. We give you clear and detailed instructions about when to walk, jog, run and stretch, building up your confidence and stamina over 25 workouts - combined with a gripping story delivered straight to your headphones.

Reviews of the app (both android and ios) can be found at the following links:

http://www.148apps.com/reviews/zombies-run-5k-training-review/

http://www.velocitygamer.com/zombies-run-5k-training-app-review/

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPhone/Zombies%2C+Run%21+5k+Training/news.asp?c=45725

This post is really just to share my thoughts and experiences with the app in general as well as any hints and tips I pick up along the way. Please note, as I will explain, nothing on this site should be considered reputable advice and I strongly suggest you google for running forums and exercise sites as well as being sensible and speaking to your doctor before undertaking any serious exercise regime. Other posts will cover how I am feeling and getting on at particular stages of the training. 

From Couch To Pie Shop

I am currently just finishing week five of the 8 week training course. It has taken 6 weeks to get this far, as I will be repeating week 5 it will take at least ten weeks to get all the way through, that is if the zombies don't get me first. 

For background I am approximately thirty-ten and according to my BMI score a big fat bloater. Though when I look in the mirror I see a body like David Hasselhoff's (this makes me cry). AS far as exercise goes I did watch the Olympic Games this year but it made me feel sleepy. I do some walking, I will walk from A to B if there are less than two bus stops between these points

Having done 6 weeks of more exercise than I have ever done before my weight is just the same, my waist line might be thinner and I discovered my shins have muscles going down the front, who knew?

General Advice

Get decent trainers. 

Really. Don't bother starting if you don't have a comfortable pair of trainers that fit snugly and are reasonably well padded on the soles. I start with some cheap ones I got a a 'closing down' Sports Direct sale. Nothing against the shop but the trainers were useless. If I had just wheezed my way up the stairs and had a quick glance at the decent trainers I am sure I would have saved myself a lot of grief. A later trip to another shop and a better pair of trainers made the sessions a much more enjoyable experience.

There are specialist running shops that will observe your running style and fit you with the trainers that suit. They don't look wildly expensive and I am looking forward to treating myself when I finish the training.

Get A Phone Armband (Waterproof)

So your phone can do the GPS thing and track your progress. You can use the accelerometer if you want to run inside but then you would have to imagine all the other people in the gym were brain hungry zoms! I like going out and seeing the strange sights.

Do Heel Lifts All The Time

This may be me and my running style. At the beginning my calves caused me a lot of discomfort. An awful lot. Doing a lot of calf stretches between sessions seems to be helping. At least when I reduced the number of stretches between runs the discomfort came back. There is a lot of advice on the internet, Google away and see what works for you :) Here is what I do:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWHTjaumYBs

Also some advice here:

http://www.runnersworld.com/stretching/stretch-your-calves-correctly

Do It Religiously But Not Too Much

I mostly do every other day, with two days off at the weekend. This does not entirely sync up with what the app tells me but it does not seem to make any difference. Once (I think about week 2) I was feeling like an Adonis and went out two nights in a row; this was not a good move. My lower legs felt like they had been given a kicking by midget ninjas. So don't do that. Also returning to the regime after an extra long break of a few days led to much the same problem. 

Repeat A Week If You Need To

General advice from c25k forums, and the like, suggest repeating a week until you can complete it with a degree of comfort. I chose to repeat week 3 and it did my confidence the world of good.

Notes & Observations

Zombies, Run 5k Lies

There is a huge discrepancy between the distance recorded by RunKeeper and the Zombies, Run! application. Despite using the same GPX data. I have no idea why but ZR tends to add on anything up to several hundred metres.


Anyway that's all for now. Will update this post as and when.

For Gold and Glory - Released

Thanks to the Retro Roleplaying blog for posting about this.

From the For Gold and Glory site.

After 3+ years of work from several talented individuals, I’m proud to officially announce the first complete release of [i]The Adventurer’s Compendium:
A Comprehensive Guide to Adventuring [b]For Gold and Glory[/b] and How to Survive Long Enough to Enjoy It[/i].  This is a role playing game adapted from and based on the Advanced Fantasy RPG (2nd Edition) published in 1989 by TSR and developed by David “Zeb” Cook, Steve Winter, and Jon Pickens.  As a “simulacrum” game, the goal is to update, compile, and revise the material in compliance with the Open Game License to be compatible with old material and create new, derivative work.

Downloading now.

Have updated the Retro Clone List.

Note (30 Mar 2013): The site seems to be down. If you go to the bottom of the Retro Clone List you should find an updated link.

Hulks and Horrors Core Set -- Indiegogo

http://www.indiegogo.com/hulksandhorrors?a=562939 Came across this on another, better, blog.