bldcuber314's Road to 5BLD NR- Quitting cubing?

[bldcuber314]

11.93 3x3 PR average finally sub 12! Also made Pyra finals

 

[bldcuber314]

Pyra finals was bad, happy I made it though. This was a great comp, nice to have my first Stevenage medal!(My first 5 comps were all at Stevenage, and Stevenage comps are 200 competitors so largest regular comp in the UK)

 

[bldcuber314]

Japanese NR 5BLD mean got lowered from 10:59 to 10:48, 4BLD mean got lowered from 2:58 to 2:37.

 

[bldcuber314]

I've been really busy the last couple of weeks and haven't really been able to cube, hopefully I can start now though(might be a bit slower I feel rusty)

 

[bldcuber314]

First 3BLD PB in ages, 35.32 PB mean(consistent memo lol)
Generated By csTimer on 2025-06-21
mean of 3: 35.32

Time List:
1. 40.32[9 sec memo] L F R2 U2 L2 R2 F U2 R2 F' U' R U2 B' D B2 R' D'
2. 31.45[9 sec memo] U' L2 D' L2 B2 F2 U' L2 F2 U2 R' B L' U F2 L2 U2 F2 R' F' Fw Uw2
3. 34.19[9 sec memo, PB mean!] L' R' U2 F2 L' F2 L U2 F2 U2 F2 R F' L2 F R' F D' R' U B Rw2 Uw'

Also might do an 18-19 cube multi attempt tomorrow if I'm not lazy

 

[bldcuber314]

Got the new rs3m and vin 5. The v5 started really snappy but it's feeling better broken in, and I originally really disliked the feeling of the vin but it's feeling a bit better now. I'll try to do a 20 cube attempt tomorrow morning, I'm not expecting to sub hour it but we'll see ig. I think for once I need to do more cubes than I think I can sub hour, my attempts are never close enough to the limit.

 

[bldcuber314]

Did the 20 cube attempt, result wasn't amazing but it's still a PB. The result was 17/20 54:49+, a lot faster than I expected so my next attempt will probably be 21 cubes(this attempt was really smooth). I feel pretty confident that I can get my attempts up to 22-24 cubes by August for Great Lakes and UKC.

Attempt breakdown-

I made a new memory palace and actually wrote it down for the first time, the general system is the same. Packs of 4 cubes, each cube has one location(e.g. my kitchen) and some packs have themes(e.g. school). I generally try to associate my stories with the room to make them stick better. In terms of memory this attempt was great, I didn't forget anything during exec(or at least not the type of forgetting where you sit there trying to remember something and can't). I rushed this attempt a lot- I traced a lot more quickly then I used to for multi, did minimal reviews and went really fast during exec.

Splits-

38:18 memo so 1:54.90 memo per cube(mostly reviews), 49.45 exec per cube and 2:44.35 overall time per cube.

DNFs-

One cube off by 2-twist, 2-flip and 3e
One cube completely scrambled, got my rooms mixed up and did the wrong story on the wrong cube(thankfully noticed before my next cube so this only led to one DNF).
One cube where I think I forgot to do parity
One +2

 

[bldcuber314]

Spoiler: Weekly comp squan spoiler alert

Just had the craziest squan round ever in the weekly comp. 31.07, (17.21+), (45.69), 31.86, 20.19 so 17.21 PB single(rip +2) and 27.71 PB ao5. Former PBs were 21.91 single and 32.98 ao5, and I global 45. 0/5 parity, even the 45 was really lucky but I messed up a CP alg and had to redo cubeshape.

 

[bldcuber314]

Did a 21 cube attempt and it was really bad, 17/21 56:50(40:02 memo).

DNFs-

One cube where I forgot corners
One cube that's basically scrambled
One cube off by 2e 2c
One cube off by 6e 5c

I might try another 21 cube attempt tomorrow, hopefully it goes better because this was terrible.

Memo per cube- 1:54.38
Exec per cube- 48.00
Time per cube- 2:42.38

 

[bldcuber314]

PB Pyra ao12-

Generated By csTimer on 2025-07-04
avg of 12: 3.51

Time List:
1. 4.82 B' U R' B' U R B R' l r' b'
2. 2.57 R' L' R' L R' L' R' L' l r b
3. 3.73 R' B R U B U' R U' l r u
4. 3.04 L B' U' R' U R L' U' l' u'
5. 3.86 B' U' L R' U' L' B' U r' b' u
6. (6.30) U L R' U L' B' R L' l' r b
7. 2.64 B' U L' R' B' U' B L l' r
8. 4.41 R L R L R L B' L' r b'
9. 3.52 B' L' B' R B U R' B r' b'
10. 3.44 L U' L U' L U' B U' r b u
11. 3.03 U' B U' R' L R L' U l' b' u'
12. (1.92) B U B U' L' B L' U' l' r'

 

[bldcuber314]

Just did the worst MBLD attempt of my life. 14/21 56:18. Recalled everything so this was unexpected, I also threw a really good chance to get my first SS weekly win.

DNFs-

2 cubes off by 3e
One 2-flip
One 2e 2c
3 exec errors

Splits- 38:51 memo(1:51 per cube)
17:30 exec(50.00 per cube)
56:21 total(2:41 per cube)

I think I'll keep doing 20-21 cube attempts but with slightly safer exec, so that I can at least reduce my exec errors. I'll also swap out a couple of my cubes that are too fast and use the non-magnetic Meilongs instead. This was a really disappointing attempt, but hopefully next time it goes better.

I now have less than a month to prepare for Great Lakes Championships, which is my only chance to qualify for MBLD in UKC(and not much more time to prepare for UKC if I qualify). As of now 16th in psych sheet for UKC is 13/14 54:05, so I'll need minimum 12 points to qualify(and probably more). I'll just keep grinding, and hopefully my accuracy improves enough for me to qualify for UKC at Great Lakes.

 

[bldcuber314]

5BLD DNF- Almost 2 mins faster than my PB but a lot off bc of exec errors. Even though the Vin is faster it just doesn't feel comfortable for 5BLD.

Generated By csTimer on 2025-07-09
single: DNF

Time List:
1. DNF(6:45.55)[6:42[2:36], recalled everything but exec errors] Lw Fw' Dw' D Lw Uw R2 U' L' Lw2 Dw' Uw F R2 D2 Rw Lw2 Uw' F B Lw' F Fw2 Lw U' Lw2 Rw B' D Lw Uw2 Dw2 Rw Fw Rw' Lw D' Bw2 L Uw2 Bw' L2 Fw2 Uw' Fw' L F2 B2 U Rw Lw R' Dw2 R Rw' Lw Bw Fw Lw2 U 3Uw

 

[bldcuber314]

I've been doing some all-out 5BLD attempts to try for a sub 7 single(with the Vin, the MGC is slow to the point where it's unusable), and this morning tried an attempt with all-out memo but safer and lighter turning so that I'm less likely to make an exec error. Then I got this-

Generated By csTimer on 2025-07-11
single: DNF

Time List:
1. DNF(6:40.92)[6:38[2:24] on stackmat, off by 3x] Bw' D' L D' U2 F D' Fw2 Bw Lw' B2 F U' B' Lw2 Bw U2 Bw2 F' D2 Bw D U2 Rw L F U2 Dw Uw2 B' F' U' Lw' Fw2 Dw' U F2 Fw Lw' D' B' F2 U' Lw' R Bw' D R Lw2 Uw2 Rw' U' Fw' Uw2 D' Dw Lw2 Bw2 F2 Dw2 3Uw2

Really disappointing to DNF such a fast solve by 3 pieces, but at least now I know that sub 7 is definitely possible and depending on how my NR attempts go, I might even have a chance to podium at the comps I have coming up(Great Lakes Champs, UKC). I'll prioritise trying to get NR mean though. For some reason I'm just magically improving in BLD despite practicing less(my memo on all-out 5BLD solves has dropped by about a minute), so hopefully I can get some unofficial and official results which reflect this.

 

[bldcuber314]

My Vin popped and I'm having trouble fixing it(rn I have one corner piece which is half-popped and I can't even get it out of the cube) so hopefully I can fix that soon so that I can keep doing 5BLD. I did a MBLD attempt this morning and it went pretty well, 18/21 51:00 which is PB by 1 point.

18/21 51:00
This attempt was decent, recalled everything and it was really fast. My accuracy could have been better, but it's not terrible.

DNFs-

One cube off by 3c
One cube off by a 2-flip
One cube where I forgot to do parity(I really need to pay attention, I think this is 3 attempts in a row where this has happened)

Splits-

35:47 memo(1:42.23 per cube)
15:13 exec(43.47 per cube)
51:00 total(2:25.71 per cube)

Stuff I changed-

I rushed tracing even more and did less full reviews
I didn't use conjuction letter pairs(e.g. OR used to just be "or" but since it can be hard to remember that it's an actual letter pair and not just a conjunction, I used "ORca"
I was more careful during exec and turned more smoothly

Stuff I'll change next time-

Attempt more cubes, 22 or 23
Pay more attention to make sure I do parity

 

[bldcuber314]

Got my Vin 5x5 back together and one of the midges is flipped

 

[bldcuber314]

Stevenage July this weekend! Goals-

3x3- Sub 10 single, PR average(11.93)
2x2- Make finals(top 20 out of 200 so this'll be hard), PR single(1.72), sub 3 average
Clock- Sub 8 single or qualify for UKC(sub 12 average). I don't have a Clock average rn
Mega- Make cutoff(1:45)
Pyra- Make finals(top 20 again, I'm 19th on psych sheet so it'll be close), sub 4 average
Skewb- PR single or average(5.92, 9.41)

None of my main events, but hopefully I do well anyway

 

[bldcuber314]

Failed my first 4BLD mean(would have completed unofficial WCA profile)

Generated By csTimer on 2025-07-17
mean of 3: DNF

Time List:
1. 3:15.40 F2 U R2 B2 U2 R D2 L' F2 B2 D2 R B' D R' L F U2 D2 Rw2 D Uw2 R' B2 D Fw2 L2 Uw2 R D L' Rw2 F' Fw' U D' Uw R2 Rw2 B R Fw' R2 Uw' x y
2. 4:07.95[Safe, 2:05 memo] D2 L D2 R F2 R' F2 L2 B2 R U R2 B2 D' L U' R' D2 F' L' Uw2 L U D' R Uw2 B2 R' Fw2 Rw2 F2 D' L' Fw Rw2 U2 Fw L2 F' Rw' B' Fw' Rw U' R' F2 y
3. DNF(4:47.71)[2:35 memo, safe, off by 2 corners] U F D' B2 R B' L' U2 D' R U2 L B2 R2 U2 R B2 U2 R U' Uw2 L Fw2 R2 F' B' Uw2 F D2 L Rw2 B Rw2 U' Uw' F R' D Uw2 Rw Fw' D2 Fw2 R Fw z y'

 

[bldcuber314]

MBLD PB single!

21/23 57:54

DNFs-

Lost track of where I was during exec on one cube(2e 2c)
Messed up exec on another cube(7e 6c)

Splits- 37:36 memo(1:38.08 per cube)
20:18 exec(52.95 per cube)
57:54 total(2:31.04 per cube)

Thoughts-

This was a good attempt. Exec felt really bad, I kept feeling like I was messing up and the exec speed was terrible(52s per cube compared to 43s per cube in my last attempt). My memo was fast which kept the attempt sub-hour by a couple of minutes. When I finished the attempt I was expecting a result like 16/23, so I was pretty surprised to see only 2 DNFs.

I'm going to America soon, where on August 1st at the Great Lakes Championship I'll have my only chance to qualiify for MBLD at UKC this year. Right now 16th seed is 15/17 56:45 so hopefully I can beat that. This attempt would have put me in 4th seed lol, but I know that a lot can go wrong in multi especially under pressure so I can't assume that I'll qualify for sure.

 

[bldcuber314]

First official sub 10 3x3 single! It was a 9.86, I messed up PLL so it could have been better but whatever. We don't talk about the average

 

[bldcuber314]

There was a really good scram in my Pyra round but my cube popped and I DNFed. Made next round though