Bows and Beat Saber

 This morning the last thing I really feel like doing is pecking out a blog post. I do not know what I do feel like doing honestly. I would say crawl into my bed and get some rest, but that seems to make me feel worse rather than better so I am sitting here preparing for work and trying to make my oxygen starved brain focus and burn through these daily quests with more effort than I really feel like applying. Score a point of determination and dedication. 

Since I survived Covid-19 back in March my lungs have never been quite the same. If my allergies act up or I catch a cold it becomes difficult to breathe like never before. If you add in some sinus congestion I am just miserable feeling winded and sometimes even light headed. Even talking too long at a stretch can trigger that feeling. Given how much I love to talk that is a special torture. 

I push through all of this as best I can. Monday I overdid it a bit. I pushed myself until I was very winded on the treadmill and then spent my cooldown pedaling hard on the exercise bike. I get excited when I get winded or sweaty during a workout because those are sure signs that I am pushing my body to get more fit and healthy. 

The road in front of me seems so long and full of obstacles. If I were just morbidly obese that would be quite a thing to overcome. If my lungs were just weak from Covid-19 that would be a huge obstacle to my health. The combination is terrifying. Days like today make me wonder if I am going to be able to accomplish the level of health and fitness I am aiming for or if I have started the middle age decline that will shorten my lifespan significantly. 

What I know is that I am not going down without a serious fight. I am going to get my exercise in every day even when I do not feel like it. I may not maintain a 14 mile-per-hour pace today on my exercise bike, but I will keep the pedals spinning for at least sixty minutes. I will probably skip the treadmill entirely because feeling more winded right now would be scary. Blood pumping is good. Absence of Oxygen is bad. 

I have been trying new things out to add to my exercise regiment that I can do at my current fitness level. Right now I am saving up for a new bow and a big quiver full of arrows. For the record, arrows are NOT cheap. I think Archery has a few big benefits. I will be outside plinking the target. Fresh air is good for you. The repetitive motion of drawing and releasing the bow should be good exercise for my neck, back, shoulders, arms, and chest. Also, if I practice regularly, I should improve my aim. 

Shooting has always been a fun thing to me. I cannot lay hands on enough bullets to practice my marksmanship with pistols, rifles, and shotguns regularly due to all of these shortages. I broke out the BB and pellet guns for a while, but they are not nearly as satisfying. I think Archery will scratch the itch. Also, I know to be careful with those really expensive arrows. It is easy to lose them. It is each to knock of the fetchings, bend a shaft, or collapse the head of the arrow. I plan to start out with three dozen. Hopefully they will last a while. If not I will be extra motivated to do my daily quests to earn money I am allowed to spend on more arrows. 

I will also buy Teagan a bow of appropriate size for her age. I got my first bow around 6 or 7 years old. It was a blast to practice with and it serve me well for years. I doubt she will be very into Archery at first, but I also expect that to change as she gets older. I would like her to have memories of shooting a bow with me like I do with my Dad. 

I also bought myself an Oculus Quest 2. I was pretty skeptical about VR improving or enhancing my fitness. I haven't gotten so into it that I am willing to pay $18.99 a month for a Supernatural subscription just yet. I have been burning a few calories with Beat Saber. 

Being a lifelong Star Wars nerd, I thought I had lightsaber skills. I don't. I am a complete novice with a laser sword. Beat Saber taught me that quickly. I also do not have the cat like reflexes or hand eye coordination I always thought were so natural to me. These are good realizations. It is healthy to know that if the Sith show up I best stick to my blaster for the time being because I am no Jedi. 

Fine, after a few days practice I can get a C ranking on the first song hitting all 196 cubes correctly. That does feel like a nice accomplishment. I got a little cocky. I downloaded the Billie Eilish and Skrillex DLC. Level Failed pops up on the screen pretty often. 

The Oculus Quest 2 isn't going to slim me down by itself. It can make the time spent on the bike and the treadmill more enjoyable. I also can burn calories with games like Beat Sabre which do improve my reflexes. As I explore it more I am sure I will increase what I do with it. Gaming probably isn't going to be a huge part because motion sickness has been a thing for me for a long time. 

Pretty freaking cool times we live in. I really hope I am here for a long time to see what is next. Welcome to the Oasis. Ready Player One?