#from now on i'm doing an olympics per week!

[carnivore-voyeur]

A Summary of Per Eriksson's Live on Insta (7/30/24) for those of you who haven't seen it. (It's still up on his instagram as of right now if you want to see it)

Under Read More because there's so much. There's a few heavy topics, so please be aware of that.

He was in Sweden again, and he spoke Swedish a little bit. He said he's very good at Swedish. (I don't understand Swedish very well, but he said where he was from and that he could speak the language) The house he stays in when he's in Sweden is his brother's house. The room he films in was built by him and his brother.

He spoke a bit more about The Black River Kult. Orders will be shipped about two weeks from now. He's planning a giveaway of one of the signed guitar picks.

He's not putting his hair down for everyone again. He doesn't love his hair, and he's not sure why people like it. He says if people keep asking him to put it down, he'll cut it off on screen. He says he's too lazy to take care of it.

He said Zero is about 6 months old. He wants to adopt a cat soon as well, and maybe another dog. If it was up to him, he'd adopt every dog in the world.

He's happy to hear that people were inspired by him to learn guitar. He says inspiring people to do something creative with their lives makes him happy.

He explained again that he's not "psychotic" about Snoopy. (Someone said there's a Snoopy theme park in Minnesota)

He's thinking of covering up his Sodomizer tattoo because he doesn't like it. He knows people are going to disagree with him on it.

PER IS 174-175 CM TALL. YOU CAN STOP ARGUING ABOUT HIS HEIGHT NOW!!! (That's ~5'8") He jokes that he's "Swedish Short" meaning he's short for a guy from Sweden.

He said all his height is in his limbs. He's got long legs and long arms. He says he looks a bit freaky. (Side note: this isn't uncommon in people with joint hypermobility. I'm not saying he has that, but he is flexible!)

He has an idea for a restaurant like Hooters but it's all men in tight pants with boners. It's called "Dongs." His OnlyFans will be called OnlyDongs.

He doesn't run the Zero fanpage. He loves it, though.

He doesn't know the band Avatar, but he says the bassist of the band kept hitting on his girlfriend.

He loves Muse, but he hasn't really listened to their newer stuff. He also loves The Misfits and used to be a drummer in a Misfits cover band.

He thought Gojira's performance at the Olympics was very cool.

He's thinking about doing a Twitch stream. He likes first person realistic shooters and horror games. He really likes Phasmophobia. He says he's not a great gamer, but he's okay with people watching him play. He's a big Silent Hill II fan as well and showed off his Pyramid Head tattoo.

Per's new tattoo is a "Fuck Cancer" tattoo. It's on the inside of his arm near his armpit. He says his father died last year from cancer and that it was a horrible experience. He says his mom had cancer, too, but she survived. He says he might need to go to therapy to deal with all of it. (He seemed reluctant to talk about his new tattoo at first).

He says he's not really a people person and he never really wanted children. He much prefers animals. He used to have an iguana.

He says it takes a lot of time and a lot of work to learn guitar. It can be slow and frustrating, but you've got to keep pushing. He always wanted to be a guitar player. He started with drums but he thought guitar was cooler. His brother and his father helped him. His first guitar was a Fender Strat copycat.

When asked if he was watching the Olympics, he said no. He didn't realize they were going on at first. Per says he lives in his own world, so he's not always sure what's going on around him. It's the only way he can live.

He stays away from Twitter because he says there's a lot of stupid people on there running their mouths.

He got into King Diamond because he thought the album cover for Abigail was cool. He ended up loving the album and the rest is history.

He likes tacos and breakfast foods. He used to like bacon, but stopped eating it because he felt bad for the pigs. He wishes he could go vegan, but he thinks he'd probably starve himself to death because he's not good at feeding himself. He limits eating meat.

He can't grow a beard.

Someone asked him what he thinks about hate crimes. He said he believes everyone in the world should be able to do what they want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. He doesn't understand why people would hate someone for being gay.

He explains that just because he doesn't say something about something doesn't mean he supports any of the horrible things happening in the world. He doesn't support any horrible thing happening in the world. He doesn't understand hunting people down for their opinions, though. He's not a political person, so stop asking him political questions or expecting him to make political comments. He says if you want to make a change, then you go out and do it rather than yell at people on Twitter.

He knows people were calling him a Nazi on Twitter. He says it was really weird of them to say that. He says he wouldn't have lasted long among the Nazis given who he's friends with. So to him, it made no sense.

Per addressed a rumor someone made up about him to exemplify how people make up things and they spiral out of control. Someone made up a rumor that Per had children all over the world that he didn't care about or support, which wasn't true. (I remember this rumor. It was awful). He said he got a ridiculous amount of hate for it, even though it wasn't true. So, he asks that people please fact check before sharing anything about him.

When someone said they were starting a "Sodo Cosplay", Per said "I don't really know what that is but maybe you should pick something prettier to dress up as" - clearly acknowledging that SODO is PER and not the ghoul's name.

[qveerthe0ry]

Misfire

Summary: Dieter gets waxed for a role and gets a little too excited. Word Count: 966 Pairing: Dieter Bravo x GN! Reader Rating: 18+ Explicit Warnings: 18+ mdni, dubious consent, body hair waxing, pain kink, humiliation kink (kinda), subby!Dieter, ruined orgasm, coming untouched, hands-free orgasm, reader does not engage in sex acts, mentions of alcohol, mentions of drug use, accidental exhibitionism, accidental voyeurism Note: I'm hoping this will be part of a long series of one-shots where I write Dieter as a pathetic little subby, desperate, whimpering mess. As of right now I don't have any big plans for what to write next, but I'm always down for suggestions ;) - Also, I had a hard time with the warnings on this one, don't hesitate to let me know if I missed something that needs tagged.

Dieter Bravo does not feel shame.

His entire schtick is doing whatever the fuck he wants, unapologetically. He hasn’t batted an eye at a tabloid headline in decades. 

But now… Now he feels like a fool. He’s gone and landed himself a really stupid part in a low-budget film about a bunch of old guys on an Olympic diving team. 

Which, first of all, ouch. He knows he has some years under his belt, but he wasn’t ready to be typecast into old guy roles this early on. 

But second of all, ouch again, because he’s gotta get a full body wax for this dud of a movie that’s inevitably going to sink anyway. 

And not ouch in a bad way, per se. But ouch as in he’s kind of really into the sting, and he’s ass naked on this cold table covered in paper, hard as a rock. 

Which was fine when he was turned onto his stomach. He was able to squish his cock in a not-so-pleasant way to stave off the desperation. 

But now you’re telling him to flip over, and he doesn’t want to move. Any other time he’d be dying to get his cock out and swing it around. But you’re just trying to do your job, and here he is, leaking onto your poor little waxing table, soiling it.

With a heaved sigh, he rolls onto his back, clambering all awkward on the small space. You’re turned away from him, preparing the next glob of hot wax, and his cock throbs. 

“I’m sorry,” he says, quiet and shameful, and you barely hear him.

“What’s that?”

Dieter can’t say it again. He just grumbles and covers his eyes with his arm as you fiddle with your waxing supplies and glance at him.

“Oh. It’s fine, happens all the time. I’ve seen worse.” 

That at least gets him to huff out a laugh. You sound unbothered, and it eases him a bit. 

“I’d hate to see worse,” he tries to joke.

You just hum in response. 

You start on his chest, though there’s not much to wax there. His armpits are ticklish, which makes him even harder. His cock bobs in the air, angry and red and neglected. He’s afraid to move, he’s afraid to breathe, he’s such a hair trigger. 

He starts thinking about all the directors he hates. He goes down the line, from his earliest project he can remember, and he’s about halfway through when you finally finish his shins and knees but it doesn’t help.

Your hand taps the inside of his thigh, prompting him to spread and bend, and the movement sends his cock lolling onto his stomach. It makes him jolt and suck in a deep breath. He can tell you’re trying to ignore it. He wishes he could. 

And fuck, he hasn’t gotten off in like, a week and a half, caught up between traveling and getting whiskey dick at that party and leaving his Cialis at his friends with benefits’ apartment. 

He jolts every time you wax the sensitive skin on the inside of his thighs. And every time he jolts, his cockhead rubs against his now smooth stomach. His dick is drooling. 

When you get to the well groomed, thank you very much hair at the base of his dick, you have to wipe away the obscene amount of pre-cum that’s pooled there. 

“Sorry,” he breathes again. 

“It’s okay,” you tell him, swiping the taut skin. 

It tugs on his dick. He whimpers. 

His knuckles are white now, gripping the edge of the table so hard he’s sure there will be permanent nail marks on the pleather. He’s biting his bottom lip, a metallic taste blooms inside his mouth. 

He’s lightheaded, between holding his breath and the fact that all his blood is in his dick, and his vision starts to tunnel a bit. Those tell-tale, fuzzy stars begin dancing around in the edges of his vision but promptly disappear when you grab his dick. 

The sound he makes is pitiful, a pathetic plea to his own body to stop betraying him. 

He chances a look down to see what you’re doing. One of your gloved hands holds his dick with just your thumb and forefinger, as professional as can be, while you spread wax across the wiry hairs just above it. 

He’s on the edge, his cock is jerking and pulsing between your two fingers, and if he can just make it past these next few minutes he can spill into his own hand as soon as you leave the room to let him dress. 

If only. 

You rip the wax from his skin, and it tugs on his cock and it hurts and it feels so fucking good. The pleasure shoots down his spine and he cries out a pathetic little whine. He’s barely able to push your hand away in time, breathing out an apology just as his prick jumps and releases a long, thick rope of cum. 

“I’m so sorry, fuck, s-sorry,” he pants. 

Tears prickle behind his eyeballs as he just keeps coming. There’s so much it’s almost comical, spraying the tender, reddened skin of his chest and belly.  You’re just staring too, completely emotionless, waiting for it to end so you can complete your job. 

Dieter whimpers again, biting his fist as he watches the last of his release dribble down his traitorous cock, then squeezes his eyes shut. A tear slips free, and he lets out a shuddering breath. This is the worst orgasm of his entire life, and that includes all the times he couldn’t help but rub one out with a UTI. 

You clear your throat, and you’re handing him a box of tissues. 

“I’ll let you clean yourself, then I’ll finish up.” 

He hears your impatient sigh as you leave the room.  Apparently Dieter Bravo can feel shame.

[ashleyloob]

Hi!

From someone who is disorganized and discouraged, I would love advice on weight-lifting/building muscle. Would you share your understanding of building muscle and the breakdown of diet?

If possible, could you share how you apply what you know to yourself? If you use any tools to help you?

Struggled with working out, gaining weight, and eating my whole life. Thanks!

prefacing this with some important info for fellow disorganized scatterbrains!!!!

the main reason why ppl have trouble sticking to a lifestyle change is because they try to make very drastic changes too quick, and you get overwhelmed and it becomes unsustainable. this is especially an issue for neurodivergent folks, and since it's Tumblr I assume a good chunk of y'all are (me too dw)

DON'T immediately overhaul ur diet and hit the gym 5x a week from day 1!!! hitting tiny goals consistently is also more rewarding than working towards one very large arbitrary goal that you might not reach, esp when it comes to working out. start veeery small if u need to, such as only 10 bodyweight squats per day like i did and go from there. you wanna program ur brain into feeling accomplished to keep you motivated. patience is key!!!!

ok!! now onto the more detailed info below

Disclaimer: I'm still a newbie myself!! only consistently lifting heavy for about 3 months as of this post. I did a good deal of excessive info diving on lifting using the power of Sheer Autism, and my main gym buddy is very experienced & taught me a good chunk of this shit so shout-out to my pal for making all this possible xoxo

so good news!! "building muscle" is very easy for beginners starting from zero. newbie gainz are absolutely real. at this stage you can do just about anything at the gym and get stronger bc u can only go up. BUT!! if you structure it, you can make the process enjoyable and much more efficient. if you're goal oriented (lookin at u ADHD menaces), you'll love the concept progressive overload.

PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD & SETS/REPS

wikipedia defines progressive overload as: a method of strength training and hypertrophy training that advocates for the gradual increase of the stress placed upon the musculoskeletal and nervous system. in layman's terms, it just means gradually adding more weight as you work out to increase the difficulty as you get stronger. progress is VERY easy to track because of this, and you'll be hitting PRs pretty much every week for the first couple of months and that shit feels fantastic because you physically feel yourself getting stronger so rapidly. I use the app Strong to track my workouts. so, how do we structure progressive overload? that's through sets/reps. A rep is a single execution of an exercise. 1 squat is one rep. 2 squat is 2 reps. and so on. A set is a collection of reps. The format is Sets x Reps, for example: 3x5 means 3 sets of 5 reps. You will rest between sets, and it's typically anywhere from 1 minute all the way up to 5 minutes depending on the level of exertion/type of training you are doing. Heavier weights mean longer rest periods and vice versa.

WHERE DO I EVEN START??

For those interested in barbell training: the r/fitness beginner routine is pretty good! I also recommend 5x5 stronglifts. both are very straightforward, but also note the typical olympic barbell is 45lbs. If this is a weight you struggle with, you can begin with bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, or machines at the gym which are all very BEGINNER beginner friendly. especially when it comes to legs you're probably much stronger than you think. Most people can squat 45lbs first try. don't be afraid -- you're standing on those things all day, they can support hella weight. Like I mentioned earlier, don't be afraid to start veeeery small and work your way up from there. I started at home with doing only bodyweight squats without the barbell, then added on benching with light 7lb dumbbells after a week, then impulse signed up for a gym membership a month later and began to go there to use equipment and now i'm deadlifting over 100lbs as a tiny girl that previously was too weak to even lift a 40lb dog. it snowballs quicker than you think once you gain confidence in your own body and its abilities!

WOAH I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SQUAT/DEADLIFT/BENCH/THIS IS SCARY AND IM FUCKING UP

If you can, i highly recommend getting a personal trainer to assist you, or tag along with a gymrat pal to show you the ropes. This page is also a good resource to learn specific lifts. otherwise, youtube is your best friend. you can record your sets and compare your form to form tutorials on youtube, and actively take notes on what to change the next time you work out. Be an active learner!!! be aware of what muscles are engaged when you lift and how your body feels. almost NOBODY gets it right the first time, esp with barbells. we've all made fools out of ourselves at the gym as beginners it's chill. i find people at the gym are very nice and willing to help you out if you're struggling, and people don't judge at all-- it's very easy to get in your own head in these spaces but most humans there are supportive and want you to succeed, especially since it's a hobby they are also passionate about. the more you do it, the less anxious you get. exposure therapy is very effective!! Also, almost all the barbell exercises can be replaced with smaller dumbbells, and you can do them at home if you get your own set + a workout bench (pretty cheap if u get secondhand, check facebook marketplace/craigslist). i got mad social anxiety myself so i understand sometimes you just can't, and this is an option for those that find public spaces overwhelming.

DIET

I personally don't think specialized diets/precise macro tracking is super duper important for newbies/casuals, only moderately important (spicy take for some but whatever). but you probably naturally will take an interest in diet once you realize it'll help you perform significantly better in the gym. the only macro i track is protein. You can use a TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculator to roughly estimate the amount of protein you need for maximum gainz. it's usually around .7-1g of protein for every pound of lean body mass (weight that isn't fat mass). Imma be real it's pretty hard for me to hit the recommended protein goal and most days I don't because my appetite just can't kick in for the amount it demands, and protein is super filling. I found that if i decreased the amount of carbs i eat, i am able to consume more protein bc i guess there's more room in my stomach lol. i eat a fuck ton of greek yogurt, chicken, fish, and tofu. when i started working out, i begin cooking a lot more and found i naturally craved less processed junk foods and snacks because the protein was keeping me full all day which is a plus! Even when im not regularly hitting my protein goal my gym progress is still going well and I think it's simply because my diet is A LOT better than what it used to be in my gremlin days. I also eat a lot more now that i've gained a bit of muscle, so do be prepared for food costs to go up as your metabolism increases and demands more energy to upkeep your gainz.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR ME TO LOOK LIKE A MUSCLE MOMMY????

a whileeee. over a year, probably, unless if you're on anabolic steroids (dont ever do that u will quite literally die). and physique is mostly from diet since it's dependent on your body fat percentage, the saying "abs are made in the kitchen" is true. its why you see hyper skinny terminally indoors gamer dudes with abs, even if they'd snap in half if you farted in their general direction. those mfs barely eat they too busy being gamers i am no longer interested in lifting for aesthetics personally since i get more joy from hitting PRs and i'm pretty content with my body image, but ik physique is the reason why most people get into lifting so i'll touch on it. Weightlifting on its own will not make you lose weight or fat. Again, it needs to be supplemented with a healthy sustainable diet (DO NOT DO CRASH DIETS THAT SHIT IS GARBAGE) and a form of cardio. I actually gained 8lbs since I began lifting from water retention & new muscle mass (muscle is more dense than fat, your body retains water when repairing muscle after a gym sesh) but my measurements and pants size have remained the same. I'm short, so something as small as a 5lb increase usually bumped me up a pants size but it didn't this time bc im gettin swole :') if you want to track physique changes, measuring your waistline & progress pics is a better way to do so than the scale. If you want bigger muscles, look into hypertrophy training. it's a tad different from strength training, mainly because you do higher reps at a lower weight.

[vaspider]

Intro Post, updated March 1, 2023

I post all asks under the name they were submitted under, and I post them when I feel like answering them. I will never honor a request to answer an ask privately or anonymously. Anon is never turned on. These are hard self-care boundaries. Please block the tag "harassment tag" if you don't want to be subjected to some of the horrible shit I get sent sometimes.

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I will not debate my identity or its history with anyone. I am a transmasculine non-binary butch lesbian, a cripple, a dyke, and lots of other things, too. You don't get a vote in that, and if any of those words are words you can't stand to have someone use around you in reference to himself, go ahead and block me. I won't censor my identity for your comfort; I took a long time becoming proud of who I am.

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Do the work to root out TERF/2nd-wave "man bad woman good" philosophies from your head. Do the work to root out the gendered behavior you were taught. I am not here to raise other people's children.

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I’ve been Out for over 30 years. I don't tolerate lectures from strangers, especially people half my age, about history I lived through.

I'm transmasc and if you believe transmisandry/transandrophobia aren't "real things," or that transmascs aren't "really oppressed," please just leave me alone. Oppression Olympics are bad, actually.

My immediate family consists of my partners, my adult daughter, and our dogs.

No one in my immediate family is cis or het. I have been called Spider for 20+ years, & now a lot of people call me Mama Spider. Mom is a role, it need not be gendered.

This is a lot shorter than it used to be. I don't really feel like posting paragraphs explaining stuff anymore.

My icon has lore, apparently.

I post all asks and anon is never turned on.

[whatitshouldvebeen]

GUN has really shot themselves in the foot with TCM recently. I'm going to rant beneath the cut, feel free to let me know your thoughts too.

I main family (Johnny, Cook, Nubbins, or Leatherface if our team needs it) with my husband and we absolutely hate going against 4 man squads. They bully the shit out of the family and then act like they won the Olympics as they t-bag at the exits until we come to watch their asses grind the dirt.

If they get the valve on, someone has to camp it the rest of the game. Often, two people have to guard it in case two victims team up to chain backstab the poor guy.

Now that they've hidden groups and levels, I feel really ambivalent about playing family anymore. I used to enjoy playing with lower level victims and giving them a fun game, letting them get away, and generally ensuring they aren't turned off from the game. Or playing against non-teamed high levels for a fun challenge. Now I have to treat every game like I'm going against the aforementioned t-bagging Olympic athlete Navy seal 4-man team and it isn't fun for me to try hard every goddamn game. But if I don't, and they do turn out to be a 4 man squad of level 80+, then I've fucked myself going easy on them. And you can be assured they will act high and mighty about beating me.

But it isn't even just four man squads. Let's face it—Texas Chainsaw maps are puzzles and most victims have them figured out. Now the entire game is patrolling doors and if you somehow miss them on your patrol they're out and you're fucked. You can't re-lock doors. You can't guard almost opened doors like you can generators in Dead by Daylight until they regress. And dont even think about going into the basement as anyone other than Sissy and Nubbins because they'll disappear into any one of the cracks never to be seen again and while you're fruitlessly chasing them, Connie has blown a lock and escaped.

And now they're nerfing Cook's ear stacking even though while he's stacking it he's literally standing still AND you can counter it by 1. Stopping running or 2. Clear all stacks by going into a freezer/dresser.

It takes minimum TWENTY MINUTES to find a match now, even if one of us plays Leatherface. And even though there's 1 family player per 50 victim players, the victims still treat us like they're hot shit and we're piñatas there to be beaten up for their entertainment. And that's not even to say we're bad, we're actually quite good at family. But when we do win, victims have some shit to say.

Not all victims are shitheads but so many of them are and I'm sure you non-shithead victim players have had to listen to your teammates rant at the family in the end game lobby.

And GUN is not making anything better. They could, idk, make it so only ONE fuse and ONE valve spawn on the map so at least the victims have to look a little bit longer. They could give the family a fucking mini map so we have knowledge of our own property. They could give us shirtless Johnny all-fucking-ready.

But no, we must instead suffer not knowing what sort of victims we're going against and completely annihilating newer players just in case they do turn out to be those four man 99 squads we so dread. As 2 players with a random, we just can't coordinate well enough to properly face off against a 4 man. They should make lobbies for full squads to go against full squads so solo q and duos dont have to be shit on, on either side.

Idk man. I love Texas Chainsaw. I have almost 300 hours in it. And I still have a MASSIVE crush on Johnny Slaughter. But... I think I'm going to quit. I'll come back and play for a week when new maps come out so we can all enjoy the freshness of no one knowing what's going on, but the moment that map is solved, I'm not gonna deal with it. Playing family is hell, most of the time I feel like the victim.

[expatesque]

girll give us tips for planning our travels, please! going to greece next month and i don't know where to start

Girl! This girl barely planned this one, I stole my friend's itinerary and just adapted it 😂 And now that I'm in Seoul I'm fully relying on my Aunt 😂

Okay but I do have tips which start with: What kind of trip are you taking? I tend to divide into weekend break, week long jaunt, and long trip (10 days+).

For weekend breaks, I either (i) stay in a beautiful hotel and plan to do nothing but read / lay about in gorgeous pajamas / drink champagne in tubs (the classic example of this is a British countryside weekend) or (ii) stay somewhere where there's plenty of things within walking / easy driving distance and just go where the flow takes me, usually centered around one sight or town or restaurant I want to visit.

For week long trips, I like to do two locations typically - I find it's a rare place I want to spend a whole week in, and changing every three-ish is days let's you settle in enough but not get bored. An example here would maybe be like 3 days in the Champagne region of France + 3 days in Paris.

For long trips, I like to do a combo of: city, cultural site, lay around place. In the city I go to good restaurants, see sites and hang in cafes, in the cultural sites I usually focus on a museum or place I really want to see, and then my last stint is either beach or place where I'm just hanging around a hotel. My Korea trip has basically followed this pattern but in reverse order (due to my aunt's timing - I generally recommend the chill part at the end). I started on the beach (Jeju), then the cultural part (Busan (Spa Land is cultural okay) then the ancient capital Gyeongju, then 24 hours in a Buddhist temple), followed by city time (Seoul!).

So for you, if I were in Athens for 3 days my schedule would be very different to if I were in Greece for two weeks! For Athens I might see the acropolis one day, museum another, cool bookstores and cafes my third (or something, I haven't actually been to Athens but I will this summer, so could be really off base). For two weeks, I'd do Athens, another archeological site, then some time on a beach (I've heard good things about Milos)!.

Other advice:

As a general rule, I plan one outing per day, but I generally don't do this until I arrive in the place or like a few days before. All I do is get accommodation and transport and let it roll from there. The exception is stuff you need to get in advance (e.g. I'm going to Paris for the Olympics with my fam in August, you have to get your museum tickets in advance bc of the Olympics). An activity can be one thing or several, but generally it's one block of leaving the house. I tend to only plan one block per day and leave the other one free for what I feel like.

I always plan at least an hour back at my accommodation to chill before dinner. Nothing more stressful than being rushed on vacation.

I honestly am a very chill traveler, I feel no need to see everything or fit it all in - I want to experience a place, hear new sounds, smell new smells, taste new tastes rather than see everything on some arbitrary checklist.

Also: Keep a travel journal! I hate journaling, it's not for me, but travel journals are different. Even if you just note down where you went and what you saw with a few ticket stubs here and there, it will help you remember the trip so much better and you'll appreciate it in the future, I promise.

[female-buckets]

A record WNBL crowd of 7,681 at John Cain Arena fell silent as Lauren Jackson was assisted from the floor just 62 seconds into the game.

Just minutes earlier, the legendary Jackson was the final player announced to a raucous ovation. Like much of the last twelve months, the gravity of watching the all-time great go to work had drawn the eyes of many to the WNBL, perhaps for the first time.

After her bronze medal heroics at the Women's World Cup in Sydney with the national team last year, Jackson has played a major role in the Flyers campaign, averaging 14 points and five rebounds in a perhaps more than expected 21 minutes per game.

As if the fairy tale story needed any more juice, Jackson's trademark determination and will once again came to the fore, with the recent news that she has been carrying a fractured left foot through a large portion of the season.

"The great news is that it's not my broken foot, it's the other one," Jackson joked of the suspected serious Achilles injury.

With scans to come on Sunday morning, there is a genuine fear that this may be last chapter written of the remarkable comeback of Jackson, with just four games left on the Flyers schedule before the postseason.

"For me, I said I was on borrowed time," Jackson said. "It's hard, the way that I feel right now, I don't know. I'm pretty tough, but when I felt it, I felt something pop. I was just standing there, I said to the referee that I can't actually walk. Now I can't put any weight on it, whatever it is, I'll go get the scans in the morning and go from there. Hopefully it's just a stinger but I don't know."

"As soon as I felt it pop, I was like oh my god, that's my day over. I went to try and walk and I couldn't. The poor ref, she said she can't stop the game, I said that's fine, but I can't actually move so I don't know what to do."

Jackson's absence understandably took the air out the building for the first quarter, before the Flyers and Flames put on a show that came down to the final possession with Tiana Mangakahia knocking down a free-throw with 2.7 seconds left to help lift the Flames to the 68-67 road win.

The aura of Jackson may have brought a large portion of the crowd, but in the end, it was the high-quality play on the court that captivated those in the stands. The 26-point performance of Mangakahia in particular is of note, with the star guard recently included in the Opals extended squad in preparation for the 2023 Women's Asia Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics.

"I obviously had a lot of time to take in the atmosphere and the crowd was just incredible. That was so awesome to see that at a WNBL game, just to suit up was one of the greatest privileges," Jackson said.

"What a magnificent thing for women's basketball in this country. It's a domestic league, it's the premier national league but to have that kind of support in Melbourne was just incredible.

"I've said it a million times, but I think off the back of the World Cup and the visibility that basketball has had, it's really lifted the profile of our sport. Hopefully it's just the start of many games like this. It was great to be able to prove that it can be done and I'm pretty sure every single person in that stadium enjoyed that game."

Flyers head coach Cheryl Chambers set aside her disappointment for Jackson and the Flyers, to praise the Southside organisation for what was a spectacular advertisement for the league.

"There is some real talent across the whole league, so hopefully there's some people there that don't go every week that think they are going to get on board and support women's basketball," Chambers said.

"The other thing I'm proud about our organisation is, we probably weren't ready for this game, we could have asked if we were perfectly ready for this game, was it the perfect one to have against Sydney, all that kind of stuff. Gerry (Ryan) and Ian (Coutts) took a chance on women's basketball because we weren't one hundred percent ready and I think sometimes we wait until we're one hundred percent and it's too late. It's an awesome thing for women's sport."

Postgame, Jackson took part in a presentation on court, before remarkably presenting to the media for a press conference that she could and should have been expected to skip. Shifting between crutches and a wheelchair for comfort, understandably in pain, Jackson continued to lead the discussion for the growth of the women's game in Australia.

"You've got to take risks to take that next step and evolve and grow. As a league, we're doing that," Jackson explained. "As a team in the league, I think Southside is definitely pushing those barriers and trying to set the standard.

"That's what we did tonight. Gerry and Ian and our whole team should be so proud of what our front office was able to do, to bring that crowd out here tonight. I'm very, very proud to be a Flyer."

It would be difficult and near on impossible to imagine another athlete of Jackson's status in any sport presenting in this manner given the difficult circumstances, though, in some ways it shouldn't have been a surprise. This is who LJ is. A class act.

"Nobody could have scripted this last year, it's been completely insane. Then how ironic, how ironic (is this), it is what it is," she said with a smile and a shake of the head.

Claiming another medal for the national team could have been the perfect swansong for Jackson, but her work was not yet done, with her presence in the WNBL a delight for basketball fans young and old. It would be foolish and premature to write Jackson off given what has been witnessed over the last 12 months, but in a bittersweet way, if Saturday night is ultimately the last time Jackson suits up in a professional environment, doing so in front of a record-breaking crowd would be fitting for a legendary legacy.

All Jackson has done is create history since she first burst onto the scene more than two decades ago as a teenage star. Saturday night at John Cain Arena was no different.

[charlotteswebbbbb]

What's the vibe? #66

Okay, so we have our first budget on its way 31st of October in the UK. A 22bn short fall in finances was found by chancellor Rachel Reeves. I'm predicting austerity tbh (a la George Osbourne style), but there may be some positives to public sector pay rises.

Speaking of budget... luxury fashion is in a tough time right now. Even though LVMH are sponsoring the Olympics, they're still struggling for big growth. Even champagne sales aren't great (down 15% in the first quarter) and China is having an economic slowdown.

Something else in Chinese society is happening where the government is controlling the optics of the rich. "But the downturn is being compounded by mounting government pressure on China’s wealthy not to flaunt their riches, recalling a slowdown in the mid-2010s linked to an anti-corruption push" - BOF

“Champagne is quite linked with celebration, happiness, et cetera,” Chief Financial Officer Jean-Jacques Guiony said during an earnings call earlier this week. “Maybe the current global situation, be it geopolitical or macroeconomic, doesn’t lead people to cheer up and to open bottles of champagne." - from USA Today

 "Among those bucking the trend were Hermès, which delivered a solid 13 per cent growth, as ultra-wealthy shoppers continued to prove resilient. Consensus expectations for Prada Group (that is reporting its numbers on Tuesday) are a year-on-year increase of 13.7 per cent, including a 5.7 per cent for Prada brand and a dazzling 62.9 per cent for Miu Miu. Moncler Group held up well: the Moncler brand’s revenue was up 5 per cent." - Vogue

Everything feels mid but how do we get out of it? Question for the ages. Maybe I'm pushing it but it's also August: culture slowdown, reflection, go on holiday, touch grass.

I just wanted to say 'brat' felt like one of the most sort of marketed campaigns that worked. People were able to use what Charli XCX gave them and apply it to themselves - Von Dutch is the universal hot-bitch-in-charge song which sets off the tone. The Boiler Rooms are irl meeting spots, places to clang and show off remixes. It's an out of control thing. The whole 'Kamala is brat' thing made (some) people dislike Charli XCX and then you have that moment where *Bloomberg*

starts paying attention because they think she is the voice of young people. The Mayor of London using it to explain the ULEZ is working and clearing the air for Londoners.

(To verbalise, Kamala is brat is obvi not serious at all. The thing is that you can't control memes. You can only maybe add like The Mayor of London. You can't control the spiral when it's moving fast like this - is there a point? Relax.)

It irritates people to this day, British Vogue....Dazed...Pitchfork...everyone wants to call time on a big moment.

The thing is with truly organic moments is that unlike other things made by writers or commentators of culture....these people aren't in charge. It isn't their rodeo. They think they're in it and their word is law. It's akin to being on the dance floor and not vibing with the music the DJ is playing and them wanting to stop the party. But you're not that important. You're just another dancer on the dance floor so......

Speaking of endurance! There’s this trend for "real life features" to the forefront: Vibram toes (cc Georgia Graham), flat shoes ideally for running, long lasting make up, short hair cuts.

“The top-growing makeup trends in search data reveal a consumer preference for long-lasting and low-maintenance beauty solutions. Tubing mascara is popular for its smudge-proof quality and ease of removal, while brow stain shows a desire for lasting, low-effort brow enhancements. Lash bonding reflects a shift towards fuller, more defined lashes that avoid the need for frequent touch-ups. Silicone-based foundations and primers, meanwhile, highlight a demand for smoother application and finishes.” - Vogue Business

People are doing long endurance days and want long endurance good looks. Could also be connected to the rise of the handbag (alongside the fact that brands are pushing for profit on accessories), or it's feeding that or that's feeding us?

Democrats are now using the word “weird” against Republicans. Does that affect us? Will there be an evaluation on the word "weird" in the next year?

In the UK, it would lack context as I feel like Labour and the Conservatives believe in similar things. There's parts of youth culture in the UK that are weird and the government or wider society doesn't really vibe with it. But then that's how punk culture was born and mod culture and nature/mysticism/folk is born and cultivated. ~My subculture is not a costume~ is something to explore as we go on ...

Fashion Week schedules are up again if you're interested. London Fashion Week is celebrating 40 years but lets see if the government is going to give Fashion anything in it's budget.

Paris is going to be an interesting time with the Gucci and Loewe rumours floating. But we'll see. When will the interesting women get their turn though to helm a house?

Things to explore:

Flaky by Denai Moore is opening up in Dalston Yard this summer.

https://www.instagram.com/flakybydee/

New Two Shell x Sugababes collaboration coming up....this interview made me laugh.

This video I guess is going viral but similar to maybe something like Icelander where you play on the tropes of the country to deliver something interesting for people to pay attention to.

[eldritchsurveys]

1215.

Thoughts on Pokemon Go? >> I think it’s a neat concept. I don't play it, personally, because I'm not into the gameplay aspect of Pokémon (I just think the creatures are fun).

What podcasts do you listen to, if any? >> I don't, it's not a form of media I feel like I have any time in my life to devote to (considering all the other media I interact with already). The only podcast I ever listened to more than like 3 episodes of is Welcome to Night Vale, back when that was new and popular. I would still listen to it but I'm just so far behind in it by now that I can't be bothered. But who knows what the future holds. I do keep up with another podcast through its transcripts (I've actually never listened to it, only read it; I might go back and listen to at least a few episodes eventually now that I'm already invested, but we'll see) -- The Silt Verses.

Which period of history was your favorite to learn about in school? >> I didn't enjoy history in school at all. Which makes sense, since in most USAmerican public schools, "history class" is more like "memorise a bunch of dates and historical figures, most of which are related to all the wars the US has started or escalated, whilst we fill your heads with a bunch of patriotic atrocity-whitewashing nonsense class".

If you’re a tea drinker, what’s your tea of choice? If not, what’s your favorite beverage in general? >> Lapsang souchong is my top favourite, but that's hard to get a hold of so mostly I drink my other faves -- various herbals and such.

What was your most recent binge watch? >> I don't binge-watch things. The most episodes of something I'll watch in a day is 4, and that's for shows that run 20-30 minutes per episode, like anime.

What’s the oldest thing currently in your house? >> I have no idea.

What’s something silly you believed as a child? >> Nothing comes to mind.

What’s the last thing you cooked or heated up? >> The last thing I heated up was a sandwich in the toaster oven. The last thing I cooked was rice cooker fried rice.

Are you excited at all for the upcoming Olympics? .

Last video game you played? >> FFXIV.

Which of your parents’ birthdays did you last celebrate? What did you do? .

If you use Snapchat, do you post to your story or send individual snaps more often? .

Have you ever used a power tool? Which one? .

Is your favorite color the same as when you were a kid? >> I don't think I had one when I was a child.

Can you see a picture frame from where you are? What’s in that frame? >> The picture frame on the shelf across the room from me has a Dark Tower art print in it. The one next to it has a stylised drawing of New Orleans.

What is your go-to summer outfit? >> Cutoff shorts and a t-shirt is the easiest thing right now. I really need more clothes. The cutoff shorts technically don't even fit, they're too tight.

If you have Facebook, what is one of the topic trending right now? If you don’t, what is the most recent news you heard? >> I use the Facebook Purity extension, so I don't see any of that other shit. My feed is strictly people and pages I follow. I also haven't heard any recent news from any other source. Who was the last person you know to graduate? .

Think of the farthest place you’ve traveled to. Do you have any souvenirs from there? >> The farthest I’ve travelled is from NY to Colorado (and back). I don’t have any souvenirs from either place.

Does your town put on any fireworks displays for the 4th of July and/or other holidays? >> There is a formal display that the city itself puts on (it's Saturday the 6th, this year), but fireworks are legal for regular people to purchase too, unfortunately, so basically I've been hearing fireworks for the past week and will continue to hear them until midmonth.

Do you know the number of the fire truck/engine closest to your house? >> I do not.

Have you ever met anyone the EXACT same age as you (some birthdate and year)? >> I don't think so.

When was the last time you or someone else said/used your middle name for something? >> Whenever I go to a food place where you give your name so they can call for you when your order is ready, I use my middle name. It's easier to parse than my first name, which saves everyone time and saves me an annoyance.

Do you own anything covered in glitter? >> I do not.

When was the last time you rolled your eyes? At what? >> I did watch some Riverdale earlier so I probably comically rolled my eyes at something on there, lol. Oh you know what, it was probably when Veronica said "mobsplain". Dialogue in this show really cracks me up sometimes.

Have you ever helped plan a wedding? >> Mine, yeah. Do you get overwhelmed easily? >> You have no idea.

Do you like mozzarella sticks? >> Eh. I get the appeal when they're piping hot but as soon as they cool down even an iota they turn into like... fried glue.

What was the last blue thing you touched? >> There's a body pillow next to me that's blue, and I'm sure I've touched that at some point today.

What was the last email you sent about? .

If you had to name one of your children after a friend, solely based on their name alone, who would you choose? .

Do you like caramel? >> I do, but I'm really picky about it. I don't like the caramel you'd find in most common candies. It's like a cheap imitation of the actual thing.

[lobaznyuk]

Countdown to the Olympics: 56 days (8 weeks)

Daniela Silivaș of Romania competes at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where she won three out of four gold medals in the event finals. Although she missed getting a clean sweep after 'only' placing 3rd on vault– she was the only gymnast, male or female, to medal in every single event (including AA and TF) at the 1988 Olympics. This performance mirrors Simone Biles in Rio 2016, who also got three golds and a bronze in event finals. She also equaled Nadia Comăneci's record of seven perfect 10 scores in a single Olympic Games.

[mylife-whatisit]

38 Weeks pregnant and while this whole ride has been a struggle, I literally feel like I am falling apart and definitely not ok. At least with the puking stage I could crawl into bed and cover myself with the covers and just feel sick but safe - but third trimester, ready to pop at a moments notice?

No no no.

Laying down these days needs a strategy - did I take the tums to battle indigestion? Can't lay on my left side - I'll for sure get indigestion. Laying on my back? Upsets Filbert - now he's kicking me - but he's big now so the kicks aren't little flutters anymore - and while they don't hurt per se , they are VERY uncomfortably startling when he kicks in the right place.

Finally get comfortable? Nope. Gotta pee out a shot-glass worth of urine for the 50th time today. Great. But getting up to go do that is an Olympic event of rolling over and pulling myself up because my abdominal muscles are not very useful these days.

Thirsty constantly - but drink too much water and then lay down? Indigestion. X.X Not to mention it just refuels the 4000 trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Then the weird restless leg syndrome. Hip discomfort (I already had a bad hip, now it's widening or getting loser or whatever? Just chop it off god who needs it.)

And if it's not the indigestion, it's the frigging GAS - I think I've been non-stop burping since 4:00. Weirdly, eating a slice of pizza and drinking a can of pop helped make it less severe.

Oh sweet - a contraction. But not like, a useful one, just a test of the good ol' contraction muscles or whatever. And then it upsets Filbert and he gets back to kicking. Thanks uterus and friends. I hate u.

I don't even have a baby yet and I can't sleep at all. Maybe like an hour and a half chunk if I'm lucky, before I need to use the bathroom, rotate from the bed to the couch to the floor to the couch to the bed, crack at 4am and go "I NEED A BOWL OF CEREAL RIGHT NOW" because I tried to hold off on food before bed to combat the indigestion.

And then can we just discuss the frigging hormones from yesterday and earlier today? Just crying because of discomfort and frustration, and boredom and whatever else - literally, sitting at work entering new users into the computer and just staving off tears of weirdness for no reason. Luckily a Black Eyed Peas song came on and weirdly made things feel better for a bit.

But Dalton is so sweet and nice and helpful and he's a good listener. I don't know how so many women do this alone or with horrible partners. I could not. But I also don't even know how I'm going to get through the next two weeks feeling like my uterus is going to fall out on no sleep and a thirst that feels like I've been licking a brick of salt throughout my trek of the Sahara desert. Maybe Filbert will just fall-out a little early and save me a week. Please.

But I still haven't packed the hospital bag or put batteries in any of his swings or toys, and my house needs to get vacuumed first; but if we can just make it to the weekend then those things can get done. And then we'll be 4 days closer to the end of this and the beginning of new fun like leaky boobs and baby poops and omg why did I do this to myself.

EDIT: I forgot about the HOT HANDS. Trying to sleep? NOPE - hands are ON FIRE - gotta get downstairs and find a cold can of pop to grip to try and make it better. Or run them under cold water? That works better. But also, UNBEARABLE. I hope that goes away after all this too.

[alienaiver]

GENERAL MASTERLIST;

contains every fic from all fandoms!

HAIKYUU MASTERLIST // D. GRAY MAN MASTERLIST 

HEADCANON POSTS

REQUESTS

all my fics are gender neutral and warnings are found on the fic’s post!

[Haikyuu] Half the Battle, pt1, 2 [kuroo tetsurou], 11k words

-> [two part, collab work] In a world where soulmates exists, Kuroo tries his damn hardest not to find his but he cannot keep fate at bay, not when you were supposed to be made for each other. What'll happen when he meets you? 

made for a soulmate collab event

[Haikyuu] Going right the wrong way [kuroo tetsurou], 892words

-> [drabble] you had to move abroad three years ago, but now you’re back. Is Kuroo’s pining still going to go strong?

[Haikyuu] If I die, I'm going to haunt you [miya atsumu], 717words

-> [sentence prompt] meeting up with your childhood friend Miya Atsumu after some time apart, he comes up with a bad idea on how to spend your time together

[Haikyuu] Nekoma boys and their first kiss (with you) [misc] 1k words

-> youve started dating the boys, how are they acting the first time you share a kiss with them?

+ Seijoh boys and their first kiss (with you) [misc], 1k words

-> part two of first kiss series.

[Haikyuu] FV90BNS2BE [suna rintaro], 1.2k words

-> [one shot] when you and suna bought a house it also came with the responsibility of choosing appliances for the house and really, how difficult could it be to choose a washing machine?

+ buying furniture in IKEA! [suna rintaro], 774words

suna hates rocking chairs, you dont!

[Haikyuu] Kuroo and Snapchat [kuroo tetsurou], 856words

-> [drabble] kuroo gets himself a snapchat account because you have one.

[Haikyuu] How do you feel about raisins? [iwaizumi hajime], 2.4k words

-> [oneshot] you were a reporter sent to observe and interview japan's men national volleyball team who had gathered for the olympics and Iwaizumi is very attracted to you but is good at making a fool of himself.

[D. Gray Man] The sanctuary of the heart [lavi], 1k words

-> [oneshot] he was to become the next bookman. he was the textbook definition of a real shitty romance and while all rationality in your being agreed with that fact, your emotions had a life of their own and you developed foolish feelings anyway.

[D. Gray Man] how you met [misc], 1.2k words

-> [headcanons] how you met lavi, allen and komui for the first time.

made for dgm week 2022!

[Haikyuu] Birthday Pancakes [tsukishima kei], 1.8k words

-> [oneshot] its your birthday and tsukishima wants to make it special this year by surprising you with pancakes but he's afraid he might not be able to make it before you wake up.

made for opal's birthday

[Haikyuu] Power-up [kuroo tetsurou], 3.1k words

-> [collab work] a rivals to lovers scenario for valentine's day for you and kuroo. he laughs at the thought of you making homemade chocolates - you prove you're very much able to make some.

made for a confession collab event!

[Haikyuu] misc headcanons posts, 250-300~ words per character

Kita, Tendou Tanaka post

Atsumu and Sakusa post

Kuroo, Hinata and Osamu post

[D. Gray Man] doll!reader headcanons [misc], 2.3k words

-> [request] how would Allen, Lavi and Kanda behave around a doll who functions much like Lala?

[My Hero Academia] Inked Coffee [shinsou hitoshi], 38.5k words

-> [multi chapter] Shinsou's mantra crumbles beneath him as you enter his life, adamant on becoming friends with him. How can he really resist when you're known for not giving up? Strangers become friends and friends become best friends and best friends become... strangers? // contains a disabled reader

[D. Gray Man] Random Lavi relationship headcanons [lavi], 554 words

[request] cute and fluffy headcanons regarding Lavi!

[D. Gray Man] Random Alma relationship headcanons [alma karma], 882 words

[request] cute and fluffy dating headcanons regarding Alma!

[Haikyuu] Of all the ugly parts [sakusa kiyoomi], 1.3k words

-> [oneshot] a vent piece and character study!

[My Hero Academia] Tiramisu Ice Cream [shinsou hitoshi], 1.3k

-> [oneshot] it's shinsou's birthday and it puts a cog in the machine for the both of you - or does it make it easier?

made for my favorite boy's birthday!

[Haikyuu] Truffle Oil [kuroo tetsurou], 2.5k

-> [series] you work at an italian place down town and kuroo drags kenma along with him to see you.

kenma's tired but it's also nice to see his best friend giddy and absolutely smitten with someone like this. it will at the very least give him ammunition against his best friend to witness the chaotic interactions between you two.

written by me as a birthday present to myself!

+ Tuna Oil [kuroo tetsurou], 1.9k

-> [series] kuroo's cat, carrot, runs off and kuroo is now on a search to find and rescue his lost kitty, obviously frightened by the cruel, cruel world outside... right?

you're determined to help him and carrot might be closer than you both think. does he strive to play matchmaker?

[My Hero Academia] jalousi (n.) [shinsou hitoshi], 1.4k

-> [collab work] Shinsou comes home and you don't greet him properly because you're busy with a task. A pouty and big man-baby plops down on the bed next to you and demands your attention. Kisses are required.

[D. Gray Man] Relationship headcanons [kanda yuu], 1.2k

-> [request] cute, random and fluffy relationship headcanons with kanda!

[My Hero Academia] The Favorite [kaminari denki], 925words

-> [drabble] kaminari's never tried being a favorite. until he met you.

[D. Gray Man] Relaxing after tiring mission [allen walker, lavi], 1.9k

-> [request] relaxing with allen and lavi (seperately) after a tiring mission where one of you almost died.

© alienaiver 2022.

[sirixsconversations]

strawberry lemonade • chapter two

warnings: like one curse word? uh this is long so 😐

summary: after breaking up with your boyfriend of three years, you move out of your apartment as your best friend’s high school friend comes back to Japan for a “break”.

wc: 2k

|| masterlist || previous || next ||

For two weeks, you learned that Tooru Oikawa was very very loud. Both of you were currently staying at Iwaizumi’s while the lease was being finalized. Thankfully, you and Oikawa both made a decent amount of money, so you both could afford a bit more expensive apartment. You remembered the qualifications that Oikawa had listed off the day after you decided to move in together. 

Three days earlier

“But y/n! I’m going to be home a lot, so wouldn’t it be better to have a larger living space?” Oikawa looked up at you with a teasing look in his eyes. 

“Why would we need a large, expensive may I add, apartment? I’ll be home a lot too, but It’s not like we’ll be throwing parties or cooking-”

“Oh I plan on cooking,” Oikawa exclaimed while grabbing your hands

“You know how to cook?”

“You don't?” 

Fast forward a couple of days, and here you were, moving into a large, expensive apartment. Trying to drown out Oikawa and Mattsun’s loud laughter, you moved into the kitchen to go over things. 

Living with someone other than a significant other was hard work, no wonder why your parents didn’t want you to get a roommate off of campus in university. Sighing, you closed your laptop and got up to make some tea. 

Green tea was the one thing drink that didn’t remind you of someone. Hajime was coffee, strong and dependable. Kaori reminded you of iced coffee, like Hajime but she was sweet and cool. And of course, peach tea reminded you of him. He was calm, refreshing, and sweet. 

Your thoughts were shattered when a voice pierced through your consciousness. Oikawa. 

“You seem to be interested in that teabag, something wrong?” He moved to your left side and bent down to make eye contact. Flustered, you snapped out of your depressing trance. 

“Yeah! I'm just thinking about people and drinks,” you laughed the concern off and tried to reassure him. 

“Drinks? Do you want me to invite people here?” Oikawa seemed confused. Why would you suddenly want to drink?

You waved your hands frantically, trying to stop Oikawa from doing anything. 

“No! No, I was thinking about how drinks sometimes remind me of people,” you laughed as Oikawa cocked his head to the right, looking like a lost puppy. 

“Oh, I see! So then, what do I remind you of?” the confused face on Oikawa’s face melted into one of cockiness and teasing. Nonetheless, you answered his question. 

“Hm, strawberry lemonade.” 

Iwaizumi arrived back home a few hours after the teabag incident and walked into a very intense Mario Kart tournament. 

“Come on y/n~ let me win once, please.” Matsukawa groaned out as you beat him for the fifth time that night. Oikawa simply chuckled before getting up and greeting Iwaizumi. 

“Iwa! When did you get here?”

“He obviously just did, idiot,” You rolled off of the couch before standing up to meet the two in the kitchen. Iwaizumi motioned his head towards your open laptop that had the details of the apartment displayed. As if he was stressed, he just sat down and sighed. 

He couldn’t shake that feeling. Why did Oikawa come back? He was doing perfectly fine in Argentina, he had won against his team during the Olympics even. So why the hell was he here? How did you end up moving in with him? He tried summing it up as the shock of the breakup clouding your decisions, but as he stared at you and Oikawa picking out a rug, he felt as though that wasn’t it. 

You were different. 

~

Hajime trailed behind you and Oikawa as you gleefully ran into the elevator, excited about finally moving in. It took a few days to move in, but with all of your and Oikawa’s friends helping, things went smoothly. 

“Oh just wait Iwa! We set up a little corner for you to stand in when we have friends over!” Oikawa teased Iwaizumi while you sent a short reply to Kaori. She and her girlfriend got into a little argument, so you were offering a piece of advice, although you felt as though you weren’t in the position to give advice anymore.

“Hey.” Iwaizumi poked your shoulder and gave you a look that was full of concern. He looked worried about something. 

“What’s up?” You asked the taller male, who was looking down at your phone.

“Are you texting S-” Your eyes widened as the name of your ex-boyfriend threatened to slip past his lips. 

“No! It was just...Kaori. I was offering advice,” you gave Iwaizumi an awkward smile as he apologized under his breath. Meanwhile, Oikawa was staring at you with curiosity. As he was opening his mouth to speak, he was cut off by the sound of the elevator dinging. 

“Hajime! Let’s go!” you laughed while pulling the dark-haired man out of the elevator and towards your new home. 

The apartment was large, to say the least, but it was perfect for you and Oikawa’s antics. The living room was spacious, and per request, there was a large kitchen for Oikawa to cook whatever he wanted. The two of you had your own rooms, of course. The third room was a study for you to work in, and for Oikawa to do whatever Oikawa wanted to do. Downstairs, there was a gym (which Oikawa enjoyed, although he would train elsewhere), as well as a small bakery across the street. Things were perfect. 

Iwaizumi left after thirty minutes, claiming “I can’t stand to be around the both of you”, which led to Oikawa calling a near-by pizza place. 

“I thought you liked to cook?” you teased the tall male, but he simply laughed. 

“My dearest y/n, how do you expect me to cook with only carrots and cream cheese?” He laughed, motioning towards the fridge that had yet to be filled. Rolling your eyes, you lay down on the soft couch and breathed out. Oikawa moved your legs so that they rested on his lap before closing his eyes. Looking at your conflicted face, Oikawa tapped your legs, trying to draw your attention.”

“You seem to be lost in thought a lot, does this happen frequently?” you giggled quietly at his joke but sat up. 

“No, I’m just..thinking that things are too easy right now. It seems like everything a week ago was so hard, and that my life was ending,” you giggled as Oikawa widened his eyes in concern. 

“So why did you even move out of your previous apartment anyways? Did something happen with your landlord or something?” Oikawa questioned as he moved to grab something to drink. You sighed and shook your head. 

“No, my boyfriend broke up with me,” you laughed as you watched Oikawa choke on his water. He set down the glass and rushed over to you, scanning your face for any signs of hurt. In the years that he had lived in Argentina, he had his fair share of relationships, and he knew that people were typically sensitive. But somehow, there was nothing there but worry. 

“Well! I'm sure that you don't need him anyway, he was probably a shitty guy anyways so-”

“Actually, he was pretty amazing. There wasn’t anything to hate,” Oikawa closed his mouth in thought and was about to reply with a snarky comment, but the door rang. As Oikawa ran off to greet the delivery man, you just stared at the back of his head. 

Was this the right choice?

Across town, a man dragged his things into the house. He had been gone for the last three weeks, and all he wanted was to lay down with his girlfr-. 

Wait. 

The light-haired man sat down on the couch and remembered the words that were exchanged before he left. 

| Three weeks prior |

“....”

“y/n, I just don’t know what you want me to say-”

“Just go, okay?”

| Present time |

The man dug through his coat pockets before looking at his lock screen, not wanting to change it. He swiped up and looked for the one person that would always answer; you. 

Calling your number, he stared at the one thing that was left out on the counter. 

Peach tea. 

~

You and Oikawa were arguing over what to watch as a “celebratory moving day movie”, as Oikawa called it. 

“y/n, I have watched this movie every time that I’ve moved, trust me,” Oikawa whined as you held the remote out of his reach, making sure he wouldn’t put it on. 

“Why not Howl’s Moving Castle? When moving in with a new person, you need a new movie to watch!” you pouted. Oikawa huffed and crossed his arms. 

“I-I’ve never seen it,” he admitted under his breath. You widened your eyes and jumped on top of him. 

“What do you mean you’ve never watched it?! Are you jo-” you were suddenly cut off by your phone ringing. 

Although you changed his contact name and photo, the ringtone was personalized. Your blood ran cold as you picked up the phone. You shouldn’t answer, but you owed him after leaving abruptly. Covering Oikawa’s mouth, you picked up the phone. 

“Hi,” you answered, punching yourself mentally for being so awkward. Oikawa mocked you as you sent him a glare. 

“Oh god y/n, where are you? Are you staying at Kaori’s? I’m so sorry, I’m on my way-” you cut him off before he could go bang on your best friend’s door.

“Koushi, I'm not-”

“Koushi?! As in Sugawara Koushi?” Oikawa exclaimed with excitement. Your eyes widened as you felt your face go red. On the other end of the line, Sugawara stopped pacing around the living room and fell into a state of confusion as a familiar voice rang out from the other end. 

“Oikawa? You’re back?” You could feel yourself sinking into a state of despair as Oikawa laughed and took the phone from you. 

“Mr. Refreshing! Yeah, I'm back here while I’m on...break. How have you been? I haven’t seen you since-”

“I remember,” you could hear Sugawara’s laugh flow from the phone, and it made your heart hurt. You motioned for Oikawa to hurry up and give you the phone back, but he simply brushed you off and gave you the remote. 

“I’ve been uh, not well actually. Which is why I was calling y/n,” Sugawara sighed. Oikawa glanced over at you and waggled his eyebrows. You rolled your eyes, humored by the man’s idiocy. 

“Ah, I see! Anyways, I’ll let you get back to your call. I’ll have y/n give me your number later so we can catch up!”

“I’m not sure-” Oikawa handed you the phone, not understanding the context behind the phone call. You glared at him as he cheerfully watched the beginning of the film. 

“I’m sorry about that, he’s uhm, intrusive,” you apologized to Sugawara, but he just brushed it off. 

“It’s fine, I knew him from high school. It doesn’t seem like now is a good time to talk though, can we discuss things later? I’ll buy you coffee or dinner, whatever you want okay?”

“Yeah that sounds fine, I’ll talk to-”

“Are you okay y/n?” he asked hesitantly, knowing damn well that he had hurt you. 

“I will be,” you ended the call, and immediately pinched Oikawa. He jumped and sent you a glare. 

“Hey what was that for? I didn’t do anything!” you just rolled your eyes. 

“I hardly think taking my phone to talk to my ex-boyfriend counts as “nothing”, Oikawa,” you huffed. His eyes widened before standing before you in disbelief. 

“Mr. Refreshing is your ex?!”

facts: 

- Sugawara is y/n’s ex ;)

- The former couple’s breakup was clean, but Sugawara didn’t mean to actually break up with y/n

- Oikawa is an amazing cook, im telling you. 

[zashamalkin]

Geno and Anna’s Match TV interview

ABOUT THE RETURN TO RUSSIA AND THE RETURN OF THE NHL

- It's so good in Moscow, our parents have now arrived to babysit their grandson. We get high, we feel good. But, of course, it's hard to be in the dark - we, like everyone else, are waiting for specifics: when, what, why. Because the very preparation for the season gets confused when you do not know what will be ahead. Hopefully things will start to settle down soon.

I would like to return to hockey already. I've already started thinking about age - not much remains until the age of 40. Moreover, when you performed unsuccessfully, there is a desire to go on the ice again and prove that we have a good team.

Do I want to play at the Olympics? I always wanted to, but again - I am for justice. I agree with the coaches that the best should play in the national team. If I am ready and fit the style of the team, I will come with pleasure.

ABOUT THE FUTURE AT PITTSBURGH

- In the new season, the team will be new. Would I like to spend my entire NHL career in one club? Let's not guess, but everything suits me in Pittsburgh. I am not the kind of person who likes to move from city to city in search of warmth or the ocean. Of course, I want to be where the child is better, but this team chose me 16 years ago, and I'm going to serve her faithfully.

But I really don't know how it will turn out. Maybe we will lose, and the line-up will begin to change - no one is safe from this. In America it is doubly noticeable that hockey is a business.

ABOUT WHAT MALKIN IS AT HOME

Anna Kasterova: I understand how Zhenya is generally perceived. And all this is true. He is really very kind, he has a soft heart. He is very helpful and calm. But at home Zhenya is a little different. And I, of course, understand that, given his workload in training and games, he needs to throw it all out somewhere. In general, he is very explosive - he can be a very dangerous comrade. But I am not so simple either.

In a relationship, someone has to give in. And I concede more. In some key events, Zhenya always acts very right in relation to me: there is both support and concessions on his part.

Evgeni Malkin: I would like to add that my mood depends on my work. In times of failure and injury, I cannot go out and do something like that - I leave all the negativity at home. I understand that sometimes I break down and cross the line, but this is not related to family problems.

FRIENDSHIP WITH CROSBY

- I think this is my closest friend. We are friends with families. I have said more than once and will repeat that Sydney no longer impresses me as a hockey player, but as a person. I know both his family and his fiancee. (This likely does not mean actual engagement. It's a translation hitch.) If this person comes to your studio, he will be the most humble athlete of all with whom you had to communicate - despite all his regalia, medals and cups.

ABOUT THE SCANDAL AROUND DZIUBA

- We all understand that this is natural and there is nothing illegal in this. Especially my personal opinion: the reason why Dziuba should be in the national team is that he should enter the field and forget himself. Now he will not be able to sleep, he will wind himself up - a person's career can simply break down. A person can drink after this at all. I would not want his career to break down because of this.

If he was called to the national team, then he would be busy in training and in communication with the boys. They will support him.

ABOUT CORONAVIRUS

- Yes, I had it, I had it. Heavy? No. The story is really strange. Friends with whom we were in the same company said that they had a coronavirus. The whole family passed the tests, Anya and I were positive, the child and the nanny were negative. We handed over in three days - the same situation. There were no symptoms at all - not even the sense of smell disappeared. There was no fatigue either. When I passed the second positive test, I was told to stay at home. In a week we donate blood - there are no antibodies, no virus - nothing. After three weeks, antibodies had just begun to appear. It was all a month ago.

I don't want to say anything bad about people, but even now the statistics are very serious, plus 20 thousand infected per day, and when people come to training, I understand that they want to be photographed, and the children run to hug you. You don't know how to act in such a situation. People may not understand the refusal and be offended. And I see that they are offended.

Anna Kasterova: In general, he is 100% recognizable in Pittsburgh. You go out with him on the street, and everyone knows him. It was very hard to get used to it - I just did not expect this.

ABOUT LIFE AFTER SPORTS

- The question of retirement is the most difficult one. I thought about this a lot. There is no answer yet. Life is such that you do not know what will happen tomorrow. With all the events that take place in the world, I don't even want to guess anything.

It will turn out to end his playing career in “Pittsburgh” - so it happened. If you manage to play for Magnitogorsk last year, then so. Again, your level must match. If I am a 40-year-old pedestrian, it will not be a very beautiful story.

WORKING AS AN EXPERT ON MATCH TV AND TONGUE TWISTERS

- Ask questions as an expert on Match TV? Until the contract is signed - what questions can we talk about? Do you think I could do it? Would you take it in 5 years? How the channel would explode! Tongue Twisters? Let's not make Zagitov out of me.

As a result, Malkin gave up and repeated the tongue twisters. We recommend watching them and further comic skirmish with Guberniev in video format. Heat.

FINALLY: THE WISHES OF THE SPOUSES TO EACH OTHER

Anna Kasterova: I want to wish my husband health first of all and so that he never loses his sense of self-confidence, because he is really one of the coolest hockey players in the world. I want him to always remember this. And I also want to wish him to win the fourth Stanley Cup. He has everything for this - I would really like that ( with these words Anna began to wipe away her tears).

Evgeni Malkin: I will not say much, I will just say: "I love you very much."

X

[wanderlustinwonderland18]

Turkkila & Versluis: A Story About How Two Single Skaters Found Hope In Each Other

Matthias: Juulia sent me a message via Facebook, where she said that she was injured and was thinking of switching to ice dance. She had sat down with Maurizio (Margaglio) and thought of different options, so she asked me if I would be willing to come and try... And of course I said yes!

Juulia: In Autumn 2014, my first major injury happened. I was away for a whole season because of a stress fracture in my back and after that, I was not able to move forward as I hoped. The situation became worse when I constantly got new injuries and at that stage, I was both physically and mentally exhausted. I didn’t see any future in single skating anymore.

Juulia was sent on short notice to the last Olympic qualifying race to secure a spot for Sochi 2014. It went as it went and for the first time since 1972, Finland did not have any figure skaters in the Olympics. With the missing Olympic spot, the then 18-year-old reserve got an undeserved loser stamp. On the men's side, Matthias was the name coming out of everyone's lips at that time. He was the first Finnish skater to land a flawless quadruple jump in competition. Matthias won the Finnish National Championships and was in place to make a European Championship debut in January 2014… But that all came to a stop when he found out that he needed knee surgery. As simple as that, Matthias’ momentum was over.

Matthias: It was a big disappointment when I missed the European Championships. I continued after the knee operation, changed coaches, but had difficulty finding the same motivation as before. I felt very lonely in training, which was perhaps one of the biggest reasons why I completely lost motivation.

Maurizio: We started with very basic things. For them, it was a bit like learning a new language. Although both were already Finnish champions in single skating, I told them that as ice dancers, they must learn everything from the beginning. They work hard everyday and they have become good at concealing the fact that they are quite a new couple.

The masters suddenly became novices. As single skaters, both were known for their excellent skating technique, but they say their first two years together were very challenging.

Matthias: When one skates with another, one has to learn how the other moves so that they can move as a unit and not as two separate skaters.

Although Juulia and Matthias have to catch up because they started so late, Matthias also sees advantages with their background in single skating.

Matthias: In elements where we do not dance, it is easy for us to find balance immediately… Those who are used to always having the support of the other can feel it’s more difficult. The step sequences that are included in ice dance are the same as the one in singles. In ice dancing, however, the level of requirements in terms of quality is considerably higher. Learning how to lift was very new to me.

This season, the couple have impressed the audience with an acrobatic rotational lift in both competition programs. Matthias got the idea from a dance video on Youtube. By combining elements from there with elements from other ice dance lifts, a lift was created.

Juulia: It is very fast so you have to be prepared to react quickly. If one is a bit tired and does not react fast enough, an accident can happen. You have to be sharp, but I'm not afraid.

Juulia: I have always loved ice dance and performing. Of course, it is also technical when you have come this far but for the most part, it is about performing and opening up to the audience. Besides, I have a partner! It's great to do everything with another.

Matthias: As single skaters, we had 1-2 hours of ice time per day and now we have up to four hours. In an ordinary week, we have about 18-20 hours of ice time, four hours of dancing, and an hour of pilates or yoga. The reason why single skaters train less on ice is the huge impact of the jumps on the body. Stress fractures, back problems, hips, knees and ankles are common. As a single skater, you are lucky if you experience a day without any pain in the body. Since I switched to ice dance, I have been able to train in a completely painless state. It has been nice!

Juulia: Matthias is a reliable partner, ambitious, and purposeful - qualities that have led us far in a relatively short time. He is easy to get along with! We are able to train hard without fights and have a clear sense on where we are going.

Matthias: Ice dance is a discipline where it takes many, many years to build up a name. It is important that the judges know who you are and it is important to be consistent all the time. We have had good results so far this season, but we know that there is still a long way to go for us. We would love to participate in at least two Olympics, and we want to be in the World podium in the future. If I had answered no to Juulia on Facebook, I would certainly have focused more on my studies and perhaps completely quit figure skating.

Juulia, like the whole Finnish figure skating family, is happy that the answer was yes.

[fiti-vation]

Hi! I wanna run a marathon sometime this year, but I'm currently an unfit blob. Do you think it's possible or am I being unrealistic? I know nothing about running. Thanks!

Hi dear,

Sorry for the late reply, I hope you’re doing well.

Since, I don’t know what your current fitness level, this will be a general answer to your question.

The marathon is a difficult distance to master, no matter if you’re a bucket-list runner whose only goal is to cross the finish line, or if you’re a competitive runner on the hunt for a personal best. Even the most seasoned marathoners have no idea what their marathon times will be. Think about it-setting a finish time is a little like picking the winning lottery numbers because there are so many variables that can affect your performance: wind, rain, cold, heat, humidity, etc. Everything-from an ache in your calf to a hotspot on your foot to that cup of water you missed at the last fluid station-is heightened when you cover 26.2 miles on foot, but that’s part of the lure of the marathon. If it were easy, the accomplishment wouldn’t be as coveted.

It is definitely possible to run a marathon as long as you not scared of getting out of your comfort zone. If you stay in your comfort zone, you’re not going to do anything special. A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there. Running challenges, you.

The key to running a strong first marathon is to remember the three “P’s”: Preparedness, Patience and Perseverance.

Preparedness: Mental toughness

As I have discussed in previous posts the first step to any fitness goals is mental wellbeing.  Those who’ve been following me for years know that I am a huge advocate of mental discipline. Most of us think that it is our body that will get the job done when it fact it is our mind. If you’re not right mentally you will never perform well physically. Mental Toughness is really what will get you to the finish line. The body achieves what the mind believes! 

If you’re just getting into running, the first obstacle to overcome will be yourself. Getting through the first couple of months will be the most difficult because most people’s brains aren’t hardwired to have exercise every day. But sticking with it and exercising every day, after a couple of months your brain will be reprogrammed to expect you to get out and exercise every day. After that, it’s much easier to make the time and find motivation to go for a run or walk.

Having once weighted 220 pounds myself and suffered from class 2 obesity, I can attest that the first couple of months are horrible. You’ll probably see very little in the way of results and you’ll wonder why the hell you are bothering. You’ll get tired and you’ll get sick of it and you might lose your motivation. Just remember that it will get easier at the end of those first couple of months. While you’re establishing that routine, it’s really important to be kind to yourself. Don’t look at the scales, don’t worry about your times, don’t focus on running a marathon. Just focus on establishing a regular fitness routine. Commit to exercising every day regardless of what the outcome is over those first three months let’s say. That’s all! Just as you can’t start with a 250-lb deadlift, you can’t jump into training at an 8-minute mile. If you want to make it past a week of training you have to mentally and physically slow down.

While working on your mental toughness, also take this time to find yourself as a runner. Do you prefer training indoors or outdoors? It’s a lot easier to jump off a treadmill vs. running outdoors where giving up means you’ll still have to walk home. Are you a team player or a soloist? Find a running buddy who is just a little bit faster than you to keep you challenged, otherwise work on an awesome playlist to keep you pumped throughout your run. And find your solemate-stop by a running store to analyze your gait and find the proper sneaker (turns out the stability, cushioning shoe I splurged on would help ease shin splits for my overpronating feet).

To conclude here, I would also recommend that you start mastering the power of visualization. On several nights before going to bed, or first thing in the morning, visualize yourself crossing the finish line as the clock shows a new personal best. Before the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials, where Wells placed seventh, she replayed positive mental images before falling asleep at night. “I knew the course we would be running, and I’d see myself out on it running well,” she says. “There’s a hill in the 25th mile, and I’d say to myself, ‘Okay, get up that hill, and then run strong to the finish.’”

Personally, I utilize self-talk and positive thinking. Self-talk is all about encouraging yourself, especially when things are starting to get tough. If I am hurting during a race, I tell myself that the other runners are probably hurting just as bad, if not more. When it comes to positive thinking, I think it is a good technique to use in running and in life. Even when things are not going well, there is a better day tomorrow. But you have to work for a better day, not just hope for one.

Mental limits will hinder you far behind physical limits will. Trust your training, trust your body.

Preparedness: Fitness Assessment

Before you start running you should start your new training cycle by assessing your current level of fitness. Many coaches have their runners complete a detailed self-assessment of their strengths and weaknesses as a runner, what types of runs they do and don’t enjoy, as well as previous PRs and reactions to training cycles. Look back at your training log to help complete your own self-assessment.

Preparedness: Training/Recovery

After that you’ve assessed your fitness level

choose a plan based on your fitness level

. Focused running is more important than long useless mileage. Longer endurance events need more aerobic work than shorter events. The key is to not overtrain. Make sure you are logging workouts to assess your volume week-by-week, month-by-month and year-by-year.

Your training plan should gradually build weekly mileage and the distance of the long runs. This slow-but-steady buildup allows you to get stronger and go longer, without getting hurt or burned out. Some days you’ll want to add more miles, but it’s best to stick to the plan.

Each week, you should do a long run to develop the endurance you’ll need to cover the race distance. On these runs, focus on covering the mileage for the day, and forget about pace. Take walk breaks to stay energized throughout.

There are a bunch of running schedules you can find online (like the ones from Hal Higdon, for example), but accept the fact that it’s OK to modify based on your ability and schedule, and set realistic, achievable goals in terms of mileage and pace. I have included one below.

Keep the training fun: mix it up with different length runs and a variety of speeds.

Build up gradually to a long run of more than 20 miles but less than 24, preferably over several months of a crescendo, adding two to three miles per week to the distance.

If you don’t have time to build up gradually, work in “brick” sessions where you run long on two sequential days so that the total is a marathon and your legs and mind know what it is like to run tired.

Avoid injury and illness by monitoring your body and addressing niggles when they are merely warning signs. Massage, ice, cross-training, a strong core, proper rest and recovery, shoes that match your running form and aren’t overly worn, a healthy diet, and a smart training schedule will all help in that quest.

Use ice baths to recover after longer runs and avoid massages before the big event-but feel free to make an appointment now for a few days after the race (a sports massage one or two days after the event could help speed up recovery).

Make Smart Adjustments to Your Training Plan The most difficult aspect of a bad workout is deciding how to proceed once you know it’s not your day. The two best options: slow the pace, and if that doesn’t work, stop the workout entirely. When you’re struggling this much to hit times for a workout, it’s better to regroup, put the workout behind you, and just move forward with the training. It’s important that you do not try to make up a workout the next day. This throws off the balance of the training program.

Note that when training for a marathon do not only focus on cardio. Don’t skimp on the strength training! It’s so important for injury prevention and goes a long way to help with both speed and endurance. Learning proper glute activation for any hills on the course will allow you to expend far less energy than if you were powering through with your calves, while lateral movements will help strengthen your hip and knee stabilizer muscles.

Preparedness: Nutrition/Eat well

In order to run your best, it’s important to have a balanced diet. About half your daily calories should come from carbohydrates, like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. About a quarter of your calories should come from lean protein, like dairy, lean meats, beans, and legumes. The remainder should come from heart-healthy fats like olive oil and avocados. I would recommend that you read about the science of carb loading.

PRACTICE EATING ON THE RUN: You’ll need to refuel every 30 to 45 minutes during the race, so on your long runs, experiment with different brands and flavors of sports drinks, gels, and chews to find out which one sits best in your stomach. Be sure to try out the brand and flavor that will be offered at the race.

Plan out your hydration and nutrition strategy to get you comfortable through the entire distance. Find out what electrolyte drink they’ll have on the course and make sure it works for you. If not, find a solution, such as carrying your own or using salt tabs.

According to the latest science, the best way to fuel your body through a marathon is to drink enough fluid to keep your thirst consistently under control, and to consume at least 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. There is more than one way to fulfill these recommendations. The specific way that’s best for you depends on how your body responds to nutrition intake while running.

Preparedness: Stay committed to your goal

No matter how big or small your goal-whether it’s losing 5 or 50 pounds, walking a mile or running your first marathon-making change requires planning and S.M.A.R.T. goal setting.

Specific - target a specific area for improvement.

Measurable - quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress.

Assignable - specify who will do it.

Realistic - state what results can realistically be achieved, given available resources.

Time-related - specify when the result(s) can be achieved.

Be SMART is an acronym championed by everyone from the University of Virginia to MIT to Fortune 500 companies for how to set actionable goals. Objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Accountable, Realistic and have a Timeframe. Specific goals will keep you accountable. “Lose weight” is too vague. “Lose 15 pounds in six months” gives you much more direction and allows you to have a way to measure your progress. 

Be consistentOnce you’ve set your goal, you need to come up with a plan that emphasizes consistent effort. The idea of goal-setting is to challenge yourself each time you set out to work toward your larger goal. Setting up smaller, intermediate check points will help you track your progress and keep you motivated to work out on a regular basis. Remember: slow and steady wins the race. Small wins equate to big results. When people set out to run a marathon, they don’t immediately run 26.2 miles. They increase their mileage every week. Channel that same mentality as you set up a plan that allows you to realistically achieve your goal.

Patience:

Above everything else - nutrition, training programs, sneakers, etc. - being patient is the most important quality to possess. Running is an extremely humbling sport that breaks even the best runners. If you are patient and give yourself time to adjust to a routine and to build on the previous week’s work, then you will be able to accomplish your goals in due time.

Running your first marathon is all about conquering the distance, not beating the clock. It’s a way to establish your marathon fitness, which you can continue to build on and improve in future races.

Perseverance:

As a final word, I’d like to say here that running is not just about fitness and competition; it’s about changing our lives. Most of us run because it makes us feel significant, powerful, and in control, not just because we want to compete. When people who have never had a sense of accomplishment before suddenly gain it, it transforms every aspect of their lives. They become increasingly fearless. People always realize they can do more when they first do something at all. Confidence grows, and with it, so does vision.

I hope this was helpful.Cheers, Steph :)