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Mia Garlock
Oct 20, 20225 min read

Valkyrie Squad Day 44: Countdown to Blade

Tuesday we had Upper Body strength, yesterday we had core, today is Lower Body Strength day. I remember this workout more than the others from this week because Sam has us doing baby pistol squats. The first time I watched this video I was like “Is she for real? Like she’s serious, we’re doing pistol squats?!” And yes, she was absolutely serious, and yes, we did those baby pistol squats. Today’s workout promises to be hard, and I’m curious to see how sore I get after it, since the sore has been way less with other workouts this week.

This is also one of the last few workouts before I start Blade, so I’m counting down. After today, there are 3 days left of Novice before I finally move onto the next level. Boxing, Drills, Footwork, Self defense, on top of body weight, core, and strength training for the next 4 weeks. I’m so excited to get into this next level.

I took a peek at the weather and temp outside before I got dressed, and it’s a wonderful 43 degrees out and finally not raining. You bet your sweet tushy I layered up a bit and took myself outside. It’s pretty chilly, I’ll give you that, but today’s workout is a sweaty one and I’d rather not be inside if I can help it. I also keep pushing myself to workout in various weather if I can, because it increases my stamina and endurance, while helping my body acclimate to stress of different kinds. It’s a similar idea to Cold Water Therapy, something many athletes and stress health coaches swear by, because you’re training your body to respond to stress with breath and focus. Sort of like Mindstilling, but the opponent is temperature acclimation and the mind. Your knee-jerk reaction to that extreme cold on your body is to lock up your muscles, run in circles, breath shallow and fast, and run indoors. But what if your breath and your mind gave you the power to endure, to withstand, and temper that extreme into something calm and mellow, but still sharp and awake, capable? Yeah, I want that, so outside I go.

We warmed up with Windshield Wiper Knees, and then stood up to do some standing Hip Circles to warm up our hips and lumbar spine. Low Sumo Squats, or Goddess Squat came next and I rocked back and forth on my feet a little. I’m a little tense around those spots today so I’m glad for them. I did a little forward fold and some little twists to shake it out a little more before moving on.

Blocks and weights are our companions today, and we’re starting with Squat to Deadlifts. These babies are deceptive, after a few reps I can feel it all over my body. Replicating functional movement that I do every day picking up after my kids, Sam reminded me of this the last time I complained. She’s not wrong, but still…. what a butthead.

Baby Pistol Squats came next and I couldn’t help but smirk a little because I knew how much these would warm me up and get my heart going. My legs were shaking within a few reps and I was swearing at my own arrogance, thinking these would somehow be easier. The lies we tell ourselves always bite us in the ass later, don’t they?

We did a Lunge Series next with three different compound movement variations. My legs are jello.

“You need to get the lactic acid out of your muscles- that’s what’s hurting you, Cassian had said when she’d complained nonstop for the first thirty minutes. Whatever the hell that meant. She lay on the black mat, panting again, taking in the cloudy sky. It was a good deal crisper than yesterday, with tendrils of mist wandering past the ring every now and then. “When do I stop being sore?” she asked Cassian breathlessly. “Never.” She turned her head toward him, about as much movement as she could manage. “Never?” “Well, it gets better,” he amended. pg 158 A Court of Silver Flames

When we finally came down to the mat for stretching, my muscles were jumping under my skin. The shake so hard, that I almost couldn’t get into the low lunge stretch Sam was guiding us through to cool down. Still outside, I knew I needed to keep moving before that sweat cooled me down too fast, so I forced myself to move through the stretches and breathe. Mindstilling coming into play as I willed it, focusing on breathing deep and slow, bringing that rhythm back to myself.

I knew today’s workout would be hard, and it was. I also pushed myself harder this round because I knew what to expect from myself. I knew how to hold my core, how to square my hips, keep my spine neutral and my shoulders back. I knew how to control my breath with each move and how to engage the right muscles in the right places so that I didn’t lose my balance. I found control in repeating Novice, and it’s showing up every day as I move through these exercises again. With only 3 days left of Novice 2.0 and Blade to look forward to, I’m feeling confident that I can take it on next week without keeling over, or hurting myself.

When the sun comes up a bit more, I’ll take Yrsa for her walk. Yesterday we did 7 laps, but I didn’t record because I was too cold to want to chat. It’s been nearly a week since I did my Warrior Walk for Tiktok, due to the 5 days of straight rain and ice falling from the sky. I need to get back into it today and keep it going. Just another vehicle for accountability and spreading the word for Valkyrie Squad.

I love the community we’ve built with this. I love how Sam has cultivated this group of baddies and how we support and cheer each other on, joke around, and share sweat and complaints of “what is this crazy lady doing to us?!” With each workout accomplished and each affirmation posted and received, we all grow a little stronger. We all love ourselves a little more, accept ourselves a little more. Face the wolves inside ourselves and begin to understand those teeth a little better, and when to use them. To train ourselves to be unafraid, to be bold in our bodies and minds. All of us recognizing the force to be reckoned with that lives in our bones, tucked away because no one else understood why it was there, and we were never taught how or when to use it.

I think of all of us, how many of us are mothers. How we’re inspiring our kids, and I envision the future full of young women raised by us, the bookish girls who found a warrior lurking inside, waiting to be called out. How we fed that beast inside and trained it, honed it, turned ourselves into a sharp sword. And the little boys watching and seeing that their soft mothers could be strong, fierce, warriors too. I see the ripple effect and I wonder how far it will reach, wondering at what else it can change. I see myself training my kids, teaching my son that strength of mind is just as important as strength of body. Teaching my daughters that they need not be quiet or demure, pretty smiles on pretty faces, that they can be as sharp as the sword, and hard hitting as an ax. I see more than just myself getting in shape or chasing some ideal body type, I see a future of strong, bold kids, challenging and changing the world, because their mother’s found out they could be the warrior in their own stories.

Maybe I do belong in the Night Court, the Court of Dreams.

Photo by Marco Milanesi on Pexels.com


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