It seems over the last few months the virtual world is taking over my own. No, that doesn’t mean I’m living in a holodeck (but that would be awesome), it means that everything I used to do in the outdoors is now done “virtually”.

My daily workouts used to be a form of dance and kickboxing combined called Turbo Jam. (LOVE IT, Charlene Johnson: creator and instructor) but now I’m in my VR playing a game called Beat Saber. Strap on some wrist weights and get my squat on and an hour in the VR is as fun and sweaty as 45 minutes with Charlene.

Then those 5 km races I did, as well as a couple of 10k and attempts at a couple marathons and half marathons. These are all done virtually now. All the races, due to covid, have been cancelled, well turned virtual. You sign up, pay the dues, get your swag, including your medal, and your expected to do the race on your time at your pace whenever you want. It’s a system that no one actually checks to see if you’ve completed it. An honour system if you will.

I’ve signed up for at least 10 virtual races in the last few months. I’ve accumulated well...probably very close to 1200km. I haven’t done a fraction of that yet. Well that’s not entirely true I’ve done 171km’s.

I’ve received almost all my medals in the mail, but there are two races I won’t see the medals for until I complete those kilometres and record them with the company. These companies are The Virtual Missions and The Big Canada Run. I’ve been doing the Alps to the Ocean race with Virtual Missions, its 289kms. I’ve got 118 left. When I’ve completed and recorded those distances (daily count) they will send my medal to me.

The second race, The Big Canada Run, from NL to BC is 800km. (Yes I know it’s much farther than that, but because I’m doing it solo I only do 800k. Those in teams have to do 8000k.) This run doesn’t start until July 1st. I have a year to complete it. As I’m racing through these two beasts I’ll also be marking my time for the other virtual medals I have accumulated but technically did not earn. (I know, I know. But it’s such beautiful bling!)

The plan is to work my way through one medal at a time to earn the km’s they add up to. The bottom row is all virtual medals. Two of them I have completed, my first Virtual Missions races, the Hadrian Wall and the Inca Trail. I earned those two bad boys, did the work. The rest are just looking pretty.

I will remove the bottom row and add them back as I earn the kms. It’s important to find ways to motivate yourself. No matter what it is you’re trying to accomplish. Take everything in stride, make reachable goals and continue to bypass them.

It’s how we improve and grow. Push yourself out of your comfort zone, rise to the challenge, and become stronger for it.
 
Stay safe, Stay healthy, Love always.

There isn’t much to report on really, the lock-down has made all our lives one endlessly long day. However I’ve started to make progress with Tor, third book in the Realm Wardens Series (previously known as the Blood Magic Series). My number count was lower than I would have hoped this past week but given every other week it’s been zero I think 4300 is respectable. I’m about half way through the book at about 46k, 80k is always the goal. My goal for this week though is 6000.

I have no concerns that I’m going to make my timings at the end of July. I can only hope that I haven’t lost any of my betas in this long stint of nothingness!

I got into the specialist and he ran a number of blood tests and asked questions, listened to my heart, listened to the things that could possibly be triggers. His conclusion? More tests. He feels it might be anxiety so I was given itty bitty tiny pills that I dissolve under my tongue when I’m having an “episode”.
I find all it does is make me lightheaded and drowsy. They rarely if ever stop my heart from pounding out of my chest. It’s very frustrating.
Thankfully I got an appointment for the 30th to get an echocardiogram. There’s a ten dollar word! I’m waiting to hear back from the lab where they do stress tests; I get to run on a treadmill until I fly off the back of it because my legs can’t keep up. That should be fun.

In lighter news, between the light exercise, that I was given a go ahead to do, and my sudden rekindling love of Age of Empires, and of course my writing. I’ve been working on my crafts. Making dragons and coming up with ideas for designs and different kind of dragons I want to do.
Here as some pictures, I’ll be taking better ones later and putting them up in the Gallery. (It’s been under construction for some time now.)

I’ll also have some book trailers, and interviews coming to the site. All in due time I promise. In the meantime, enjoy the dragons!
 
Stay safe, Stay healthy, Love always, and always follow your bliss!