On Thursday I rested.

Friday after work I tried out my new sneakers on the outdoor track. The results weren’t promising, and I was super apprehensive about the run. I went to fencing practice that night and went over some basic I.33 with the class. I’ve also been helping CC find her fight and become more aggressive (because of her stature, she really needs to get in close and fast if she wants to win). I’m seeing some progress and am proud of her.

On Saturday I did the McGuire’s 5K with my friends from Krav. Michael and I ran together (and walked a few stretches). The ship in my identification bib didn’t work, so I don’t know my exact time. I know I crossed the finish line at 9:50. The starting gun went off at 9, but it took us some time to get to the start line. Unfortunately I didn’t think to look at my phone when we started, so suffice to say my 5K took less than 50 minutes. I’m okay with that. I spent the rest of the day hanging out with my friends, enjoying adult beverages, and watching the bands play. That was my last hurrah until CIC. No sweets, fast food, or alcohol until I get back.

Sunday I was super miserable and sunburned because I forgot to wear sunscreen (at least I wasn’t hungover). I spent my time getting ready for the week ahead and working on a project for my job. Nik took me for a Poke-walk at the nature trail around dusk so that I wouldn’t be further harmed by the daystar.

Last night was Krav night. Michael lost his voice, so Kita taught with me. We had only two students this time, so we each took one and went over some skills; then we switched to do some review. That’s one hell of a student/teacher ratio!

I intend to visit the gym after work today. I like the camaraderie of going with Nik, but I also know that it’s faster if I go by myself (he likes to workout for a couple hours at a time). I’m still deciding what I want to do.

Tomorrow will be one month to the day before CIC starts. To prepare, I’m going to do what I always do and fight (or study) for 30 days.

Last night was another slow night at Krav, We had only two students. I’m not sure why attendance is dropping and whether or not we need to adjust what we’re doing to draw in more people. However, two nights does not a pattern make, so I’m still in “wait and see” mode.

Michael and I didn’t stay late this time since last night was my and Nik’s anniversary (we ate terrible food and went to a late movie – no regrets).

Today I’m back on the wagon. I’ll be running for half an hour after work to get ready for the 5K this weekend.

My fingers are still taped together, but when I let the, breathe yesterday, I was able to move the injured finger a little further than I could the day before. #progress

Thursday was a rest day last week, and Friday was a travel day. Nik and I took a bunch of our students to the Meridian Challenge of Arms (which took place Saturday).

I don’t even know where to begin. Our “kids” fenced so well and were so awesome… they made us look really good, and they weren’t even trying to. They were there to compete and do their thing, but they were just so awesome at it. One won a tournament, two others made it to semi and quarter finals. Some were competing for the first time and winning fights I’m not sure I could win. Nik and I each got taken out of tourneys by our own students. It was an amazing weekend.

I can’t brag on them the whole time. I did do some fencing myself. Like usual, I didn’t bring home the gold. I feel pretty good about my fencing, but there was a bout that I thought I should have put up more of a fight for and another that I think I should have won if I’d taken some chances earlier on. However, barring one exception, all of the touches landed on me were by masters or my own students (and I managed to take out one of the masters I fenced). I can’t complain about that.

Monday was a bit overwhelming after having been on the road. Michael really picked up the slack when it came to planning class, so I’m planning tonight’s class to pay him back. I got to jump in and do some conditioning and cardio with the rest of the class. That was great after being in the car most of Sunday (and eating whatever I could get my hands on over the weekend).

Last night Nik and I went to the gym. We lifted, and then I got in a run. My goal was a mile and a half. On the indoor track, 8 laps is a mile. I managed to run seven, but I broke and walked the eighth. Then I ran laps 9-11 and walked lap number 12 (plus two more to cool down). Even with walking interspersed, I managed to do a mile and a half in about 18 minutes.

It looks like my Krav friends are doing the McGuire’s 5K this month. I’ve been curious but never gone since the run conflicts with Gulf Wars. Since I’m not going to War this year, I think I’ll give this run a try. I’m supposed to predict my time when I sign up. I think 40 minutes is a safe bet. We all know I’m not crazy about running, but I need all the cardio I can get before CIC1. Plus there’s a decent amount of drinking involved after this particular race, so there’s some more incentive.

On Saturday morning I did a 5K. I say “did” instead of “ran” because we walked more of it than we ran. Gaby and I called it interval training.

I spent my weekend sewing like a mad woman. Nik’s elevation garb is ready (minus buttons). My garb for his elevation is almost ready – I need to sew on one more piece and do my buttons as well.

We’re gonna make it. Holy cow, we’re gonna make it.

Despite the pain last Wednesday, I was discharged from therapy on Friday. My therapist said that I might have flare-ups from time to time, but as long as I keep doing my stretches, I should be fine. I wasn’t in any pain on Friday, so that’s a relief.

On Thursday Nik and I hit the gym. I started training for the 5K next month (more on that in a bit). After that, we helped the UWF Fencing Club with an orientation demo. I got to fence some more and help teach some ringen at club practice on Friday.

On Saturday I walked and swam at the beach with my friend. Then I tried to go to the gym with Nik after. Going to the gym after spending the morning in the sun is a bad idea. Lesson learned.

I told Nik to run SCA fencing practice on Sunday, but there was an event that weekend, so no one showed. My neck really hurt – I’m not sure how I pulled it. I rested it for a day, and everything was fine, so I’mm thinking I did something silly like sleep on it wrong. I really don’t want this blog to become a catalog of my injuries, so I can’t stress enough that this one wasn’t a big deal.

In fact, I went back to Krav on Monday, and I feel pretty damn good about my test later this month. Tonight we’re going to drill like crazy (similar to the way the test is run). I’m optimistic.

Of course, yesterday after work I went to yoga to get my Zen on. I should probably make a point to do a couple sun salutations every day. I know I keep saying it, but man, it feels good to stretch.

So let’s talk about the 5K. When I did the Zombie Run, I did it cold. I didn’t train any more than my usual routine – I just showed up and did my best. Since this looks like a hobby that I’ll keep up at least from time to time, I’m going to work on getting better at running. I’ve been jogging on the track with Nik a little bit. The first time I tried, I didn’t really keep track. The next time I tried, I timed the first mile and got 11:45. I think that’s pretty good for someone who doesn’t really run. I kept moving for another two miles (so about a 5K) and spent less than an hour total on the track. I’m feeling pretty optimistic. I still have a lot to learn about running, though, so if anyone has any advice, I’d love to hear it. I’m a little less than a month out from my next run (a super soaker fun run), so I have some time to get my act together.

Because of the holiday and a pretty nasty dry head cold, I haven’t been fighting much lately. The last time I fenced was Sunday. I had the chance to do some pick-ups and study some melee techniques. It was a nice, low pressure environment, but I still did good fencing and was in a good head space.

My Krav class isn’t officially meeting this month, but I expect I’ll get together with some of my classmates off the books for some extra practice. I’m nervous about my P2 test, so I’ll be studying as hard as I can.

Oh, and I signed up to run a 5K next weekend. With obstacles. And zombies. It’ll be fun and a huge challenge. I’ll let you know how that goes.