PM to join Fitness at the beach

[Vasin]

Timestamp: 7th of Summer, 518 A.V.

Vasin had woken early in the morning, an itch at the back of his mind. As the sun filtered through the windows of his home the thought had occurred. 'That armor really makes me sore...' he thought, though it wasn't just that. He typically felt tired at the end of most days, which was normal of course, but sometimes things felt like they took tremendous effort. He leaned against the windowsill thinking about it more and more.' Maybe I need to be in better shape?' he thought though not entirely sure what that meant. During his chasing of people in Sunberth he always found himself short of breath, struggling to catch up. Then there was another matter, how in strength he had been simply tossed aside by that Dhani... the memory made him shiver. He had the sword, he had the armor, and he had the will, he just had to do something about it. But where to start? How does one get stronger, faster, and more durable?"Repetition." he said to himself. Ah yes, if he just wanted to get stronger, he just had to lift heavy things right? if he wanted to get faster he just had to run right? if he wanted to last longer, he just had to do both for long periods of time. It was simple, not elegant, but it rang true in his mind. Plus it worked well with what he recalled of his coincidental improvements.

"Maybe I'll go for a run first?" he said turning to look out the window."Along the beach..." he reasoned out stroking his beard."Then, I'll find a nice heavy rock... and just go to town!" he said with a smirk. If he was going to be a mercenary adventurer, then he needed the body for it. It wasn't just about the mind and what you knew, but also what you could do! He had to learn what it took to survive out there, but there was the physical element. Today was a good day as any to give it a shot. Hopefully, he didn't end up looking like an odd person running up and down the unfamiliar beach. "Eh..." he said rolling his shoulders."Can't worry about what others think." he spoke to himself again echoing what a friend had told him, though that was in regards to books, not exercise. Maybe at the end of it, he should go speak to those Knights outside the city? Would they even care to speak with him? Probably not, busy folk those are. Guarding roads slaying monsters and men or anything in-between. He paused thinking it over for a moment."Do they do anything else?" he questioned before shaking his head. Breakfast first, exercise and questions after.

Vasin had a quick breakfast, some of his trail rations from his bag. Stuff wasn't exactly gourmet eating... But it was what he had! Maybe he would have to stock up on some real food... Those were the thoughts in his mind as he washed down the food with some water from his waterskin. He was about to walk out in his simple clothes when a thought occurred to him."Need to take some water!" he said index finger raised as he took a few steps back. Even someone like him knew if you were going to go out running around, you needed water. With the water skin fastened to his belt, Vasin departed his home, locking the door behind him. It was early in the day, and he saw some people out and about heading to their jobs or going about their business. A patrol of the Guard could be seen down the street as well from where he stood. That was another new thing to him, law, the idea that this wasn't some massive free for all. There were laws and they were enforced by the WaveGuard or martial Society depending on the part of the city. It seemed kinda constrictive... but also comforting? Someone couldn't just shank him and no one bat an eye.

[Vasin]

It wasn't like he couldn't be stabbed for his stuff, just that he wasn't in constant danger of it. His mind would probably take some time to adjust to that idea. Of course he knew there had to be dangers in the city, otherwise, those Waveguard would not have to patrol. Just something to keep in mind he supposed. From where he stood watching the patrol they appeared to not be wearing much in the way of armor. Probably to conserve energy? Their uniforms were clean and well presented, and the armor they wore was at their arms. Probably so they didn't have to carry a shield? Yeah, could act like a buckler in that case, but with more freedom. Light and mobile for a city patrol. He wondered if the knights and their famed armor had a similar approach? He would have to find out today if he got the chance. But this confirmed something he had been suspecting. Armour is nice and all, but if you have to walk in it you would rather not wear so much of it. The only way he could see it working is if he got really in shape and got used to it.

Enough thoughts for the moment, he decided to head down to the beaches at the Sailor's Quarter. He didn't want to start running yet so he took his time, taking in the sights and sounds along the way. The city was still all very new to him. The atmosphere was completely different than the average day in Sunberth. There also wasn't the constant stench of the proudly standing slag heap. The air was fresh in comparison! The smell of the sea was obvious. It was like night and day to be sure. He took to the sides of the road to avoid the traffic of carts and would squeeze past people. He felt his hand instinctually going to where he would usually keep his coin pouch when he went by people. A lifetime of watching out for pickpockets made this automatic, and it was weird how he noticed his action. He gripped his hand a little and shook the thought from his mind continuing down to the beach. He would have to take Tack with him on his next outing... Tack probably would enjoy that very much.

Eventually, he would make it down to the shores below, the waves gently lapping against the beaches over and over. They came in and went out with a push and a pull. Stepping up to the beach he would after a moment and reach down. Vasin decided he didn't really want wet shoes, so he took them off putting them in his bag. Stepping on the sand he let out a breach, feeling the sand between his toes. He stood there for a moment enjoying the sensation before moving forward onto the wet sand. He could stay here for hours relaxing if he wanted... 'No...' he thought to look up and down the beach. He came here to train his body, not to enjoy the sights. He would have plenty of time for that later. Focusing his mind he quickly decided that he would head east.

[Vasin]

With a moment staring down the beach Vasin wasn't even sure how to pace himself or any of that mumbo jumbo. He would just have to keep going until he was too tired to run anymore! 'That should do the trick!' he thought with a quick nod to himself. Facing the east side of the beach he bent his knees a little recalling what he learned from sword fighting. His legs capturing and storing energy like springs he could feel his calves tighten a little and warm with energy. Then he pushed forward! Unleashing the energy of his legs like a released spring! One step! Two-step! Three steps! he was pumping his legs as hard as he could as he ran. His feet with each stride dug into the sand, and kicked it up! He started at a full sprint going from zero to 100 as best he could. He tried to keep at it as long as he could, pumping and pumping the wind at his face blowing back behind him.

His footprints in the sand behind him growing in the number he kept up the run, his heart pounding faster and faster in his chest as he went. He could feel his lungs starting to warm or burn as he breathed in. Taking deep but steady breaths through the nostrils. The scent of the sea filled his lungs each time. His legs were starting to become a little sore, but nothing noticeable. it was a progression as his body would run out of energy but he had to keep pushing! It wasn't just about running he realized all too fast! It was also his ability to endure it! Endurance! That was the key! A little more to go he reached back and grabbed his waterskin, an idea has come to him. Uncorking it as he ran the water sloshed with each heavy step. Bringing it to his mouth he struggled to drink it as he ran, but he managed all the same. He took a couple of deep gulps, wiped his face and kept going. It helped a little, and he was working up a sweat in the summer heat for certain.

As he kept going his lungs burned a little more and more, and he felt as if his airways were drying from the effort. His legs were sure to soon beg him to stop. How could he build his ability to run for a long time like this? Perhaps... was he giving it to much? Gradually he began to slow down, little by little. He tried each level for a couple of minutes as he ran. Is that okay? No... just a little slower. Drink some water, repeat. Eventually, he came to a moderate pace, a far cry from his all-out sprint. His was much more comfortable at this pacing. Though he could feel the constant need to take a stop and rest build within him. No! He would not stop running just yet, not while he had so much beach left. He hadn't even left sight of the buildings to the left of him. He had to keep going, and so he did his legs pumping pushing him with each stop. The sound of his water sloshed with each one, and he was able to move onward.

[Vasin]

It was a change going from the mad sprint to this, things were more gradual, and he was not pushing his body so hard. But he was starting to feel the effort stacking up. As he went he nearly lost balance at one point for not having a very good pace just yet. He was able to catch himself and keep going, the movement causing a stir in the sand behind him. His footprints looking like a brushstroke at that point. He noticed his body starting to slag and slump. He had been doing it unconsciously, and so consciously he straightened up to keep a good posture. Confidence swelled in him, his heart beat heavy and lungs needing more and more air. Sweat forming on him coming out in wet patches on his clothes. The sun beat down on him as it rose over the head. He could practically hear a pounding in his head as he refused to stop just yet.

This long-distance running was different from what he was used to. In Sunberth he had only ever done short bursts of running compared to this. It had always ended up an effort, especially when he had started wearing armor to jobs. He took another deep gulp of water his eyes focusing on his destination. The rocky end of the beach was a fair bit away, but it was in sight now. 'Alright...' he figured to himself that he would stop there, rest, and then look for some rocks to pick up and put down for a while. His knees were feeling a little weak, for some reason the sight of his destination made him feel more tired. It seemed so far away... He shook his head! No! You are almost there! he motivated himself and with an extra push went a little faster along the beach. His feet being kept nice and cool by the wet sand, but he was feeling hot all over.

His extra burst of speed waned out just a little while alter, and he found his running to start petering out. He slowed more and more, and each time he tried to put a little more effort in it lasted shorter and shorted. His heart beat so hard and fast, and his legs felt hot and sore. He drank some water, which seemed to do little to moisten his airways."Come on... almost there..." he muttered as he became closer and closer, his legs carrying him to his choice of the endpoint. He was so close! He pushed hard one more time! Then, after running the length of the beach he found himself at his endpoint. In the sand of the beach, he almost collapses, but instead sat himself down. Taking a mouthful of his waterskin's water he tried to replenish what he had spent. Then he laid back, enjoying the wet cool sand as the water lapped at him. Then, he sat up and waited a bit to catch his breath. It wasn't over just yet.

[Vasin]

Vasin practically lost track of time as he sat there watching the waves come in and out. Though after some time he snapped out of it, having taken more than enough of a breather. With some effort, he stood up with the aid of his hand. Unsteady for a moment he stretched his arms out and then began to look around. Walking up the beach a little he scanned the ground, looking for something in particular. Rocks, that was what he was looking for. Loose large rocks. He wanted two types of rock, one medium one and one large one. He had some ideas on how he could build his strength. It was experimental, as he had not really ever done anything like dedicated weight lifting before. So, after a few moments, he found some rocks jutting out from the sand. Kneeling next to them he began to dig them out one by one. Sandy hands he lifted out one that was a little larger then his two fists combined. Then, he found another, a little larger than a melon. He sat them there next to one another and breathed in. Which one first?

Sat there on the ground he decided on the smaller of the two first. Taking it into his hand he weighed it a little. Maybe it was forty? forty-five pounds? he couldn't actually tell, all he knew was it had some weight to it. So after that, he stood up with it and extended his arm all the way down with the rock in hand. Then, he began to lift his forearm up and counted it as one. At that point, he slowly lowered it not letting it drop and extended all the way down. Then once more, he lifted it in the same fashion. Having learned from his run he took things slow. Two, three, four, five, six, seven and so on and so forth. He kept pumping the rock up and down from where he stood in his right arm. He just kept going, making sure to count each time he did it so he knew how many to do the next time. He could feel something like a burn starting in his arm, a sore kind of feeling as he went on and on with the lifts.

It was odd, he kind of felt light on his feet? His arm was starting to get a similar feeling as he passed the forty mark. So he kept going, though it was getting more resistance as he went despite that loose feeling. It was different, new, and he wasn't sure if that was good or now. He breathed out."Fifty-five..." he was starting to think he should switch over soon. When he had lifted it about sixty times in the right arm he decided to switch. That is what he did, passing the rock to his left arm so he could start on his left arm. After having lifted with the right arm so much it certainly felt lighter, but sore and tired. Stone in the left hand he lowered it and got ready to do what he did with his right arm but now in the left.

[Vasin]

Much the same as before Vasin lowered his left arm all the way and then slowly raised it. With this, he brought the rock all the way up as before, just with his left arm now. Then, he with a breath slowly lowered it supporting the weight of the rock. Prior he had not been breathing with the motions, and naturally as a part of thought came to it. In... out... up.... down... there was a rhythm to the whole thing as he pumped up and down. Gravity worked against him and his muscles tightened as he lifted. he could feel the strain starting to build as he exercised his left arm by itself. The feeling was the same as before, a slow burn began to come to his left arm. Four, five, six, seven and so on as he kept lifting. He watched the motion trying to make it as smooth as possible. it was tempting to just let it drop, but he figured that would do him no good. The wind at his back as he lifted and lowered, the cool sea breeze felt pretty nice. He was working up a sweat again as he entered the twenties.

Approaching the thirties his arm was moving much or smoother, or rather much more loosely. Just as before he also powered through the urge to quit there, knowing he had to endure this feeling of tiredness and burning. It wasn't that severe of a feeling, in fact, he found it rather encouraging. To him, that meant it was doing something. He was progressing! he could practically feel it as he stressed his body for results. Even if he wasn't a professional, these rocks were doing something. Encouraged by this revelation he noticed he was starting to slump again and corrected it. Standing as straight as possible as he pumped his left arm. Taking it nice and slow though as he didn't really want to go through what he did while running again. He barely made it because he overdid it at the start. He would have to make sure he didn't overdo it when it came to that. Though it was like with over giving... how would he know what is too much? Would his body tell him? Seemed like it was telling him something...

Pump after pump he felt his left arm grow more and more tired, a stiff burning sensation that was light in his left arm. The rock had taken to the heat of his hands, warmer now from his workout. Sweat mixed with sea water as he approached the sixties growing ever closer. Eventually, he was within five pumps of reaching his mark, but he could not hurry no matter how tempting it was to try. Fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine... sixty! He was there, but not just yet. He slowly lowered the rock and then let it drop, his arm feeling lighter in comparison without lifting that rock he had been pumping over and over again. Both his arms felt weak, so he rolled them and his shoulders before reaching down and grabbing his waterskin. he took a nice long drink from it before looking to the larger of the two rocks. How would he work with this one? He didn't think he could do it one armed... no, he would have to try it another way.

[Vasin]

The final rock, nearly the size of a melon, just a little bigger than one. He studied it for a moment when a memory came to his mind! The docks! he recalled how the sailors lifted those crates. They squatted down and then lifted up! He wasn't entirely certain why, but dockworkers tended to be pretty strong right? So he rubbed his hands together, squatted down, and grabbed a hold of the rock! He found his legs strained a little with how he squatted. They were pretty tight, having not done stretched before so he took it slowly with some difficulty. Hands firmly on the sides of the rock, he started to lift with his legs with some resistant from gravity and weight. He kept lifting until he reached the very top, his legs nice and straight. Then when his legs were straight he raised the rock up right in front of him nice and slow. After doing that he lowered it to where it had been resting at his waist. Not going slack for even a moment he started to bend his knees into another squat.

Back in a squatting position, he began to raise himself up again his legs pushing himself up and leaving an impression in the dirt. He breathed in and out as he brought himself up... raising the rock, then lowering it, then going back down to a squat. He did this over, and over again with repetition. he could feel the sore burn in his arms and legs each time he did it. Stiffness in his legs easily ignored as he got a groove to it. Up and down, that was the motion, and with the effort, he kept doing it again and again. The strained feeling in his arms and legs increased further and further the more he did it. The sweat was coming out more and more, but he didn't' stop even as he really wanted to. He decided to try and go up to sixty with this one as well. It was much slower going then with when he was lifting the rock with just his arm. It was also a lot more effort, he was working a lot more muscles. Arms and legs were being targeted in what he was doing now.

Eventually, he had reached the fifties as he raised up once more. Fifty-one... fifty-two... and he just kept going. Though it was really getting hard for him to keep going. It was just in sight, but he wasn't entirely certain. But he, in the end, refused himself even a momentary break to catch himself. Thanks to enduring it and persistent he reached that number of lifts."Sixty!" he would say out loud as he squatted back down setting the rock down. He took in a breath and quickly drank some water. How long had he been out here? he wasn't sure, but for the moment he was going to take a break from this. He wiped the sweat from his brow and sat back into the sand enjoying the nice sea breeze. Having finished his nice lil exercise routine for the first time he felt a sense of accomplishment."Now... just got to do it again and again..." every or most day and he would be on the right road.

[Alric Lysane]

Vasin If you ever return, please update your CS and PM me for your grade