Tag: elliptical

The day after my return to the gym, I did cardio but didn’t have time for much else. Here are my set lists for the following days.

There was a hurricane last week, and the karate studio was closed for Labor Day, so my routine was off. I went to fencing Monday (since the college was open) and Wednesday.

The gym was closed Tuesday for the storm. Nik didn’t feel well on Thursday, so we declared a rest day.

I was exhausted on Friday, so I slept through the gym and fencing practice, but Nik went.

On Saturday I got back into the gym. I had a panic attack on the elliptical, so I left early. I finished my run but didn’t lift. This is the second one in just a couple weeks, so I’m going to the community clinic tomorrow to look into treatment. I can’t keep having panic attacks when I try to do what I love.

Today I got back for real after working on longsword. We ran through some drills and did free fencing. It was the most fun cardio I could have done.

Today I tested out my lungs in this new and unusual land. I was on the elliptical for about an hour and felt pretty good. I had a light headache, but managing my breathing wasn’t too bad. Here are my stats, but I didn’t keep my hands on the heart rate monitor the whole time.

What astounded me was that my sweat actually evaporated instead of drawing more moisture to my body. My shirt was the same color after my workout as it was before!

After a short rest, I changed and hit the hotel pool. I swam for about 20 minutes (head out of water) and enjoyed the hot tub for 5 more.

I didn’t push myself super hard today, but I’m feeling optimistic.

I was without Internet access a few days, so I’m behind on my updates.

On Tuesday I had limited time at the gym. I hit the elliptical for about 15 minutes with the mask at the highest setting. Here’s a photo of my stats.

I had another short workout yesterday (Wednesday). I did about 20 minutes on the elliptical with the mask on high. I didn’t get a good photo of the machine.

After that, I went to Krav. Mike and I had one student, so we trained with her. I got a nice workout. After class, I worked security at a bar until midnight – it wasn’t much of a workout. I just got some steps in.

Today was a rest day.

Yesterday I did some cardio with the mask on. Here are my numbers from the elliptical.

Today I didn’t make it to the gym, but I did have a very active Krav class. None of the guys could make it, so I was lead instructor. Three people showed up. I definitely got my workout in by explaining, demonstrating, and partnering up with the odd (wo)man out. Everyone did the techniques right, was huffin’ and puffin’, and had a good time.

I’m sorry I haven’t been updating. Part of my problem is that I don’t like typing on my phone, and I’m usually away from the computer when I remember my blog exists. I’ve been home from CIC for about a month now. The spring semester has ended. The summer semester has begun, and I’ve picked up some odd jobs. I have a new routine:

Sunday: SCA fencing (weather permitting)
Monday: Krav
Tuesday: gym after work
Wednesday: Krav
Thursday: walk during my lunch break
Friday: Friday Knight Fights (I’ll explain below)
Saturday: long walk on the beach (weather permitting)

I’m trying to do something active each day, but I’m also varying my level of activity. I know I can’t go hard every single day. I also know that now that I’m teaching Krav instead of practicing, those days aren’t as demanding as they used to be.

The weather has been lousy (or there have been events or holidays), so I haven’t been able to fence much. I think I made it to one fencing practice after CIC, and I spent most of my time doing long sword drills, not sparring. I’ve barely touched my rapier, and I’m not happy about it.

I also got sick last week and couldn’t eat much, making me very weak for a few days. I think that this week is the first time I’ll really get into my routine (only to have it change abruptly for the holiday weekend). 

So now that I’ve gotten the complaining out of the way, let’s talk about the fun part: Friday Knight Fights. Nik and I have acquired a new entertainment job. We now do a “medieval show” that consists of us doing three full contact long sword bouts in armor (tournament style). It’s a lot of fun and very challenging. We still have some issues to work out with our armor (I can’t see out of my helm, for example), but I already love it!

At any rate, assume no news is good news, but I’m going to try to be more diligent in my updates.

It’s almost time. Here’s what I’ve been up to since my last update.

I hit the elliptical after work Friday (3/31). I went to fencing that night as well. We had a good time even though we had a little scare – at one point the gym staff asked that all patrons stay where we were since there was an incident outside. It sounds like some people had a beef at the outdoor basketball courts, and a firearm was involved. I’m glad we have a safe indoor space to practice.

That Saturday I went to work and played with kids.

On Sunday, since most of the people in my SCA group were at an event, I called practice off and went stand-up paddle boarding with Nik instead.I did end up in the water once – not on purpose! The wind was pretty strong, so paddling was a challenge. We had a great day.

Monday and Wednesday were Krav nights, as usual. Michael and I worked on getting Jacob ready for his P2 test, and we brushed up on P3 materials as well.

I usually hit the gym on Tuesdays, but I was exhausted and needed sleep more than I needed cardio, so I took it easy that day. Thursdays are usually rest days, so I had two last week.

On Friday I got back to the grind and went to the gym after work. Then I got home, had a little rest, and was walking out the door to go to fencing when anxiety hit me. I did NOT feel prepared for CIC. I sent my apologies to the fencers and stayed home packing and getting organized. I was more prepared than I thought, and Nik and I went to the store to pick up a few more supplies as well, so I feel much better about it now. I kind of feel silly for missing the fun at fencing, but it was worth it to have some peace of mind.

On Saturday I walked around the island before work, where I walked around some more when I wasn’t playing games.

Sunday morning was the moment of truth. I woke up bright and early to be at the gym in Gulf Breeze at 9:30. Eddie, Kita, Michael, Jacob, and I were all there to test. Everyone did really well, and I got over half my steps in before noon. Michael dropped an elbow on my back a little too hard at one point, so I’m getting a neat bruise back there, and Kita clipped my chin with a hammer fist, but I DIDN’T GET PUNCHED IN THE FACE. This is a first for me. 

After that I went home and changed clothes for fencing. I took it easy-ish and kept enough gas in my metaphorical tank to fence everyone who brought gear. I was mostly in teaching mode, but that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t moving around a lot!

Tonight is my last Krav class before I leave for CIC. I’m debating going to the gym tomorrow after work (it’s only half an hour). I’d like to have more time to pack, and I’m already incredibly sore, so I would like to rest my muscles before I go murder them for a week, but I also kind of want to keep the hype train rolling over here. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.

No promises on updates while I’m on the road.

#30daysofkrav isn’t going the way I planned. It doesn’t work like #fencingeverydamnday because I have such a small pool to draw from. I haven’t been fighting daily. However, I have been preparing. The new hashtag is #countdowntocic .

Wednesday: teaching, review with Michael
Thursday: light sparring with Nik
Friday: elliptical, fencing, watching videos
Saturday: lots of walking
Sunday: weight lifting, fencing

I hesitated about including fencing in the above list, but being in that headspace, in “fight mode,” benefits my Krav training. It gets me up and moving around, even when I want to stay home.

I’m looking for a freestanding punching bag so that I can practice by myself. I’ve gone for a walk today, and class will happen tonight. Eddie is subbing for Michael, so I’m hoping to go over some of the advanced skills with a different partner after class.

Today after work I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical (even though I really just wanted to relax). I’m glad that’s what i did though since I didn’t have much chance to do Krav tonight. Instead, I re-watched the P3 video. I figure doing cardio and reviewing the techniques is a good approach.

Wednesday was a quiet day at Krav because of the holiday. Some of our students were at Ash Wednesday mass, so it was just me, Michael, and two students. We got to jump in during conditioning, so that was nice. We watched the P5 video and feel pretty good about our understanding of the content. At this point, we just need to practice more.

Thursday was a much-needed rest day.

On Friday, I went to the gym after work for a quick run (30 minutes on the elliptical). Then I met up with Tiny Nick! and Nik to go to the fairgrounds to set up the tent for Ren Faire. Then we ran back to the university for practice. We had practice and ate dinner with our students (I did some sewing) – nothing too outrageous.

Saturday and Sunday were Pensacola Renaissance Faire. I was present for two demos on Saturday and one on Sunday. I managed to smash a finger during a long sword bout (while wearing full gauntlets, I might add). It isn’t broken, but I am buddy taping for support for the rest of the week. I went to a memorial service on Sunday afternoon, so I missed the second demo and most of the take-down. I arrived in time to load the car and head home.

I think I need a weekend to recover from my weekend, but tonight is Krav. I’m hoping that moving around and doing some hitting will help me blow off some steam and reduce my stress. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed today.