Apr 5, 2025
Lydia Valentín
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Lydia Valentín
High-fantasy tabletop RPG about humans becoming something else
Every week I edit and publish a chapter of my new game on Itch.io. A couple more weeks and it'll be completely done.
Being friends with athletes (or artists)
These photos were taken in Hornachuelos (Córdoba), Spain back in March 2015.
Samuel, blue shorts, is a trainer in one of Córdoba's track and field clubs. He invited me to go on a hike with him and his other track friends in a town about 45 minutes outside of Córdoba. We took photos, they jumped on trees, I didn't make it on said tree.
Serious athletes, like serious artists, are really interesting to me. Definitely more interesting than non-artists and non-athletes. They have passion, drive, and a network of like-minded individuals who share similar values.
What I really like about athletes and artists, is that they have a very strict schedule and structure in their everyday life... I'm not saying I'm a professional athlete nor artist, but being an Olympic Weightlifter (and past jiu-jitsu fanatic, and cross country runner during my high school years) and ex-pianist, I've always had a lifestyle that some people never understood... Growing up, I was never able to go out on the weekends because I had to practice, and I wanted to practice. After school was for studying and practicing. Summers were for relaxing and catching up on even more piano music.
Sportswise in my adult life, I have a strict no going out rule between Sunday night-Thursday night and this ban is lifted for Friday and Saturday night, if and only if I am in bed by midnight. I come home from work on days that I train, eat dinner by 7, train with my club from 8pm-10pm, and I'm in bed sleeping by 11pm. On days I'm not with the club, I condition which involves cardio, free weights, and body weight exercises.
Why is my schedule so strict? Because I get fucking tired from lifting a barbell with plates over my head, add to that a whole day's worth of work as a teacher, and my training and sleep is a whole more important (and enjoyable) than going around town talking about whatever.
Another thing that fellow athletes or artists will never do to you is question you to death about why you do the things you do and then give you their unsolicited advice and opinion on your craft. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that martial arts and weightlifting is just a way for me to get injured, hurt, or a fast track to look like a guy, I'd be a fucking bajillionaire.
What's dangerous is when I didn't have piano or sports, I ballooned up and gained so much weight that even I was disgusted with myself. I still have a long journey to go but I'm stronger, I'm faster, and my body can do (and lift, ha!) so many things that many of my peers can't imagine attempting to do.
I don't care if you think martial arts is so dangerous and aggressive, I don't care if you think girls with muscles are ugly, I don't care if you think olympic weightlifting will fuck up my back...
Not doing sports is dangerous. Not being artistic is dangerous. Being mediocre, 90% of the people I meet, is dangerous.
I'm not dangerous. I'm fucking fabulous.
-meF.