Troll Trivia of the Week
With the summer solstice approaching next week, the season of summer will be officially underway - which is actually Primrose's least favorite season. Which one is her favorite?
1) Spring
2) Fall
3) Winter
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Originally posted by Harrier88
Troll Trivia of the WeekWith the summer solstice approaching next week, the season of summer will be officially underway - which is actually Primrose's least favorite season. Which one is her favorite?
1) Spring
2) Fall
3) Winter
Time to introduce our big sporting challenge of the summer. 
The Olympics aren't for another year, but the Trolls are getting started right now, without having to buy a TGV ticket to Paris. And this time, we're doing the real thing, we aren't just sending some Mario characters on the track.
Here's the deal: I am shooting for the German Sports Badge, an official award of the German Olympic Sports Confederation. It certifies a level of athletic fitness that is considerably above what is expected of the average person in your demographic - doesn't even look too bad on a CV.
In order to qualify, you need to meet certain requirements based on your sex and age group in the areas of stamina, strength, speed and coordination. You will get Bronze, Silver or Gold (or nothing) in each event, depending on your performance.
You can choose one event representing each of those four fields. The possible choices are:
Stamina
- 3,000 meter run
- 10 kilometer run
- 7.5 kilometer walking/Nordic walking
- 800 meter freestyle swimming
- 20 kilometer cycling
Strength
- Medicine ball throw
- Shot put
- Stone put
- Standing long jump
- Gymnastics
Speed
- 100 meter dash
- 25 meter freestyle swimming
- 200 meter cycling
- Gymnastics
Coordination
- High Jump
- Long Jump
- "Sling ball" throw
- Rope Skipping
- Gymnastics
Note that gymnastics is included three times - I assume that each field will require a specific performance related to it.
The exact requirements in each event, separated by sex and age group, can be found here (in German). Feel free to have a look where you would rank right now.
Oh, and you need at least Bronze in each of the four areas mentioned above in order to qualify for the Sports Badge. The badge itself is available in Bronze, Silver and Gold too, depending on how well you did in the individual events... but we'll get to it later.
My training will start Monday next week, let's see how I will do. Originally, I only wanted to practice this year in order to possibly have a shot at the badge next year... but who knows, maybe I can already get something going. Succeeding to get any badge this year, whether it is Bronze, Silver or Gold, would be a huge success in my book. If it won't work out yet, I can try again next year... besides, there's always bobsledding. 
My hunt for the DLRG swimming badges, which is now almost complete anyway, will continue - but let me tell you, this badge right here is a lot tougher.
By the way, Primrose will unfortunately have to sit this one out due to injuries, but maybe she will join me next year too.
Citius - Altius - Fortius... let's give it our best shot. Who needs "Paris 2024" when you have "PokerStrategy 2023"?
It always has to happen at the beginning of the week, after making so many plans, has it? Two weeks ago, I had to delay my Silver swimming badge due to cramps in my shoulder, and now, I may have caught some minor infection. Nothing big, mostly just a sore throat, but enough to make me think that it could be wise not to engage in demanding physical exercise. As annoying as it may be, it's probably best to skip a day and get some rest.
The Gold swimming badge will have to wait... but until then, let's take a look at some of the specific events I already plan to participate in during the "Trollympics". Yes, swimming will be included. In fact, there is a special rule which says that if you are doing your Sports Badge for the first time, you must include at least one aquatic event. Good thing I have been practicing.
I think I will include both of them. The times to beat are:
25m Freestyle
Bronze: 35.0 seconds
Silver: 26.5 seconds
Gold: 18.5 seconds
Olympic Record (for 50m Freestyle): 21.07 seconds by Caeleb Dressel (USA) at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, August 1st, 2021.
World Record (for 50m Freestyle): 20.16 seconds by Caeleb Dressel (USA) at the International Swimming League in Budapest, November 21st, 2020.
I did a practice attempt last Sunday, and asked the pool attendant to please time me. My time was 21.2 seconds... not bad, would be good enough for Silver already. But can I shave off those extra 2.7 seconds for Gold?
By the way, I also had myself timed after that for 50m breaststroke, which will be part of the DLRG's Gold swimming badge exam. The time to beat in there is 1:15 minutes, I did it in around 56 seconds, so there should be plenty of leeway for me, even if I'm not at my best.
800m Freestyle
Bronze: 28:50 minutes
Silver: 24:00 minutes
Gold: 19:15 minutes
Olympic Record (Long Course): 7:41.28 by Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR) at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, July 27th, 2021.
World Record (Long Course): 7:32.12 by Zhang Lin (CHN) at the World Championships in Rome, July 29th, 2009.
World Record (Short Course): 7:23.42 by Grant Hackett (AUS) at the Victoria Championships in Melbourne, July 20th, 2008.
I had myself timed in there last Sunday too, after doing the three laps mentioned above, and hit a time just below 22 minutes. Once again, good enough for Silver, despite having been tired out from the short distance laps before, but saving 2-3 minutes for Gold should be tough...
I am not yet capable of crawling all the way through the 800 meters, and I highly doubt I will be by the time I take the test. My strategy last Sunday was to start out crawling until I get tired, then do the breaststroke until I feel ready for another lap of crawling, repeat, and finish with a crawling final sprint. I'm not sure if there is a better way if I don't have the stamina to crawl for 32 laps.
So that's where I stand so far in the water, let's see what will await me on land next Monday. I have no idea yet in which events I will compete in the areas of strength and coordination.
Originally posted by Primrose6789
I can do that!
I know you're a very good swimmer, but can you beat both the 25m and the 800m Gold times?
Originally posted by Harrier88
Originally posted by Primrose6789
I can do that!
I know you're a very good swimmer, but can you beat both the 25m and the 800m Gold times?800 m Freestyle: I already DO it!
25 m Freestyle: I guess so, gotta try it out.
Originally posted by Primrose6789
Originally posted by Harrier88
Originally posted by Primrose6789
I can do that!
I know you're a very good swimmer, but can you beat both the 25m and the 800m Gold times?800 m Freestyle: I already DO it!
25 m Freestyle: I guess so, gotta try it out.Well, those are the times for men aged 35-39... I can already tell that if you choose to go for the Sports Badge next year, the swimming events will be two free Golds for you.
This could be an Aqua Challenge for you: Beat the time that I will set in the 25m freestyle event.
Originally posted by Harrier88
II may have caught some minor infection. Nothing big, mostly just a sore throat, but enough to make me think that it could be wise not to engage in demanding physical exercise.
Looks like it's a common cold, I must have caught it from one of my nephews last weekend. A bit annoying, especially at those hot temperatures - if you do catch one of those, it would at least be nice to be able to cozy up under a blanket, rather than sweating like a pig in a t-shirt. It's not too bad, though, and it will be over soon. I practiced some tennis today, but otherwise plan to take it slow until the weekend.
I should at least be ready for the first day of the "Trollympics" on Monday, and I hope that I can do an attempt for the Gold swimming badge soon.
How about we have a burger while I deal with those sniffles? I made one the other day, stay tuned...
First African stop, but we stay close to the Mediterranean. Let's head to Morocco.
On my way to a nearby city, I recently saw a poster announcing that Burger King introduced a burger that includes harissa. I will use some of that here too, but I will not use any BK sandwiches for reference - I almost never go there anymore anyway. Instead, I will mostly follow this recipe.
Two tablespoons of harissa, a teaspoon of cumin, some salt and garlic powder, and about four tablespoons of cilantro - that's what's going into our beef burger patties.
As the recipe suggests, I will also prepare a sauce using 2 to 1 parts mayonnaise to harissa.
That's all nice and well, but we need some veggies. I got very loosely inspired by this recipe for Taktouka, a kind of Moroccan salad. I just cooked some tomatoes, bell peppers and garlic with some parsley, coriander, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and sugar in a pan.
I think we can get started now. We begin with the seasoned patty on a slice of goat cheese...
...add the Taktouka-inspired veggies and a little bit of couscous, and then spread some of that harissa mayo on the top bun.
A bit of a messy build, but our Morocco-inspired burger is ready.
I didn't like the goat cheese that much, I left it out for the second serving... but other than that, it was pretty good. The harissa packed a nice punch, both in the sauce and in the patty. The veggies were fine as well - a pretty tasty burger overall.
Primrose approved, she likes her spicy stuff. We would have to leave out the couscous for her, though. It doesn't really add much anyway, I just thought that it would fit with the theme.
As for its place in the ranking... it will get dragged down a little by the original version with the goat cheese... maybe 15th place?
1st Switzerland
2nd Cyprus
3rd Israel
4th Greece
5th Mongolia
6th Denmark
7th Korea
8th Spain
9th Germany
10th Alsace
11th Italy
12th Texas
13th California
14th Mexico
15th Morocco
16th Brazil
17th Arabia
18th Turkey
19th England
20th France
21st Colombia
22nd Cuba
23rd Canada
24th Hungary
25th The Netherlands
Check out what arrived in the mail today.
This is Trimmy, the official mascot of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, which is the organization behind the events of the "Trollympics" challenge. He will accompany us through this challenge, whether it is glory or failure that awaits us... but Trimmy is giving me the thumbs up, so I'm having a good feeling about this. 
He looks a bit weird... but then again, the Trolls are weird too. 
The doll itself is actually pretty well done, I think. It has defined fingers and hair, hard shoe soles, and a removable shirt (theoretically - I don't think it would fit over the head, but I wouldn't want to remove the shirt anyway).
Here he is sitting on a new measuring tape from the official store, which I also ordered and which came with him. I also wanted a stop watch, but I think those were unavailable.
Obviously, I wanted to put the measuring tape to use right away to practice for what could be a possible event for me in the area of strength:
Standing Long Jump
Bronze: 1.65 meters
Silver: 1.95 meters
Gold: 2.25 meters
Olympic Record: 3.47 meters by Ray Ewry (USA) at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, September 3rd, 1904.
Yes, this really was an Olympic event from 1900 to 1912.
World Record: 3.73 meters by Byron Jones (USA) at the NFL Combine, February 23rd, 2015.
I gave it a try in the backyard just now, despite my mild cold, and managed to get something a little over 2 meters, maybe 2.04m? Once again, good enough for Silver, but even though I would be more than happy with getting Bronze overall, I am aiming for Gold in all events. Why? Because there's no Platinum. ♠_wink:
Maybe I can get that extra distance for Gold when I'm in better shape, or I could find another strength-based event where the Gold is within reach. Still, those are some promising results so far, with solid Silver pace in three events already. As long as I can keep it up and do well in the coordination events too, I should have a good shot at the badge.
I want it too😁
Spoiler
Originally posted by Harrier88
Troll Trivia of the WeekI guess we all have a song we absolutely can't stand... there's definitely one that Primrose despises, which is...
1) Saturday Night by Whigfield
2) Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega
3) The Ketchup Song by Las Ketchup
here I would have been wrong to choose the 3
Originally posted by Harrier88
Troll Trivia of the WeekHarrier's nephew is turning 5 this weekend.
What am I getting him?
1) a Lego soccer set
2) socks and shin guards
3) a tennis game for the Wii
legos are cool your choice is unusual🤔😁
Originally posted by Harrier88
Troll Trivia of the WeekWith the summer solstice approaching next week, the season of summer will be officially underway - which is actually Primrose's least favorite season. Which one is her favorite?
1) Spring
2) Fall
3) Winter
autumn is wonderful but in my opinion he prefers spring, the first sprouts are beautiful
Originally posted by Saffo7
I want it too😁
The Pokerstars shark plushie or the swimming badge?
Originally posted by Saffo7
legos are cool your choice is unusual🤔😁
Agreed, Legos are very cool, one of my favorite toys from my childhood.
But as I said in the solution, I already got my nephew one of those sets a few years ago. He also likes the other sports themed Lego sets I have at home, which Prim and I once used in one of our early Live Challenges. He always asks for one of those sets when he's visiting.
I plan to get some extra stuff this year for a follow-up to last year's advent calendar on my personal blog. I hope I can find some good deal, the classic sets can be hard to get these days.
Originally posted by Harrier88
Troll Trivia of the WeekWith the summer solstice approaching next week, the season of summer will be officially underway - which is actually Primrose's least favorite season. Which one is her favorite?
1) Spring
2) Fall
3) Winter
Solution:
Spoiler
2) Fall
All seasons are beautiful in their own way, but when it comes to our favorites, Primrose and I are in agreement by now: Fall > Spring > Winter > Summer. Both of us happen to be born in fall too. In my case, it's even September 23rd, which is usually the autumnal equinox.
Summer used to be my favorite in my teens or so, but as I got older, I began to prefer the colder seasons.
Primrose loves the mild temperatures, the romantic evenings by the candlelight, the harvest season, hot soups and stews, and of course the beautiful, colorful leaves. Not to mention that the summer heat is finally over, which is something that Prim really struggles with, for good reasons. This year, she even has to take some extra precautions due to her skin.
Where Primrose and I are not in agreement with is the end of summer, in early to mid September. Prim especially loves this time, with mild sunshine and earlier evenings. I personally find this time of the year a little depressing, with the bright summer days slipping away and everything turning darker, but once fall is in full swing, it is my favorite too.
Runners-up are spring, with everything coming to life after winter, beautiful flowers, days getting longer, mild sunshine, and refreshing rain showers. Then winter, when it is time to cozy up inside, while also enjoying a few trips outside - and of course Christmas time. Unfortunately, the last few winters have been rather dull and gray over here, with little to no snow and bland weather that was neither fish nor fowl.
Summer is in last place for us by now, but it has its beautiful sides too. I especially like the pleasantly cool nights that are often still full of life, the golden wheat fields, the long daylight hours, outdoor swimming, and of course cocktail season - I should get back to that on my own blog.
Still, especially after that last week which was a little exhausting, mostly due to the nasty humid heat which was not helped by my sniffles, Primrose and I are looking forward to some cozy days at home in the fall already. We have a lot we want to do in the summer, though - it will make it all the more rewarding to relax inside while sipping on your coffee and cocoa in fall, especially if you have some well-earned swimming and sports badges from the summer to look at.
Congrats to Vorpal!
Cool evenings?
Not over here! Definitely not over here at my place. As I live in a valley, there are NO "cool evenings", and so, summer nights become real nightmares in summer over here, as it doesn´t really cool down in the evening and makes you pretty much sweat in the night, if you don´t have an air conditioner (we have a mobile air conditioner though).
Originally posted by Primrose6789
Cool evenings?
Not over here! Definitely not over here at my place. As I live in a valley, there are NO "cool evenings", and so, summer nights become real nightmares in summer over here, as it doesn´t really cool down in the evening and makes you pretty much sweat in the night, if you don´t have an air conditioner (we have a mobile air conditioner though).
I mostly meant the actual nights, including anything past midnight. As long as you don't get those "tropical nights" like last week, the temperatures are usually pretty pleasant, still allowing people to be comfortable outside, which makes it a popular time for some parties and get-togethers. While I am admittedly not much of a "party animal" myself, the knowledge that the neighbors are still socializing outside at night is usually a pretty nice feeling for me.
I know that everything tends to be a few degrees warmer at your place, though. It's not great, neither in summer nor in winter.
But now, it is time to wish the grindette a nice vacation!
As Primrose has pointed out on her blog, she is going to take a trip to the North Sea for two weeks. She will surely enjoy the mild maritime climate and the quiet atmosphere, even though she has to be a bit careful with her usual sports program this time.
We are all wishing the grindette a marvelous vacation! Please stay safe and come back healthy and well-rested. 
My nephew loves Super Mario Bross legos and honestly I don't mind building the course with him and accumulating points, he's cute. With lego you can do everything, build robots or a fantasy safari but even shin guards have their own reason🤭😁
Plush of pokerstars I love it, the emblem is cute but not suitable for me, if I dive I stay there, I can swim but not at the levels of doing a race with someone, let's say I stay afloat🤦♂️😅
Originally posted by Saffo7
My nephew loves Super Mario Bross legos and honestly I don't mind building the course with him and accumulating points, he's cute. With lego you can do everything, build robots or a fantasy safari but even shin guards have their own reason🤭😁
I don't think I was aware of Super Mario Bros Lego sets before, but now that I have looked them up, it seems like a good match. There is a lot you can do with the theme, both for playing and for building.
And I see this one even features what is now the Troll's favorite Mario character as an antagonist.
Originally posted by Saffo7
Plush of pokerstars I love it, the emblem is cute but not suitable for me, if I dive I stay there, I can swim but not at the levels of doing a race with someone, let's say I stay afloat🤦♂️😅
I got the plushie back when it was available in the Pokerstars Rewards store. I gave another one to Prim as a birthday present two years ago, I was lucky to find an auction for it on eBay. She gave her plushie a little pearl necklace (originally a bracelet) and called her Megan after the character from the Sherman's Lagoon comic strips, which I was also not familiar with before. So I guess my shark is now Sherman.
Honestly, staying afloat is pretty much all you need to do to get the Bronze badge. In the swimming, part that is. I never did it as a kid despite being a decent swimmer because the diving in the deep part scared me, which is why I had to take my swimming classes at grade school in the shallow part.
Bronze is considered the minimum standard for swimming unsupervised, so it doesn't require a great swimming performance. Back in my mother's day, children would have the badges sewed on their bathing suits and swimming trunks so the teachers and lifeguards knew who was allowed to swim where and who had to be watched. I think some kids may still sew them on, but it's not necessary anymore, unless they want to show off. My own badges will stay in the drawer, along with the passport thing I got.
By the way, guys... my thighs are still hurting quite badly from those Standing Long Jump practice jumps I did on Thursday... 
I should have taken it easy, but I already kept doing them over and over again, trying to get a few more centimeters out of my jump.
Climbing stairs is no fun at the moment - neither is descending them, actually. I did some basic loosening-up exercises, which I think may have helped a little, but I should mostly give my limbs some rest, I believe. I intend to do some proper practice on Monday, possibly even some attempts already.