Tag: fitness

Krav on Wednesday was awesome. We had a guest from out of town come practice with us. We had a small enough group that Michael and I got to jump in and participate instead of teaching. I had a great time and blew off some pent up steam from skipping working out on Tuesday.

Yesterday after work I used the punching bag at the gym again. I wore my gloves this time, but I should have taped underneath. The scabs on my knuckles from last week all rubbed off. Oops.

Today after work I plan to work in a run before I come home. Then Nik and I will have UWF fencing practice. I don’t count on fencing to give me much cardio, so as much as I dislike running, it’s best if I do it today. I’m staying in town this weekend, so there will be plenty of opportunities for local practice.

I had my second weigh-in this morning (my previous report was delayed – I weigh on Fridays only). I’m down 3 lbs total since I started tracking (that’s 1 lb this week). I’m not noticing much change in my endurance, but it’s only been two weeks. For once, I’m glad to have the scale to measure since strengthening my cardio will take longer to show in my day-to-day routine.

My weekend went as I expected, and it was awesome. I got to do some fencing, and I spent ample time with my far-away fencing friends.

On Monday I was back to work at Krav. I’m settling into my new instructor role. I did warm-ups with the advanced students and fine tuned some skills for some brand new students with special needs. It was super rewarding. After that, the other P3s and I stayed to work on getting out of headlocks on the ground.

Yesterday I went to yoga, and I had planned to run at the gym (I didn’t need to go to my night class), but I had a lot of work at home that needed to be addressed, so I did that instead. Now I’m simultaneously fatigued from staying up working and antsy from not getting much physical activity in yesterday.

Krav tonight should be fun.

If you’re interested, since I started tracking, I’ve lost 2lbs.

I meant to post sooner, but honestly, waiting only four days instead of a whole week or more is progress, and that’s really what this blog is all about.

On Monday I started tracking my food again. So far things are going well on that front. Fortunately I’ve been able to make very minor changes – primarily, I’m being mindful of what I’m eating. I’ll let you know how that pans out in a few weeks.

I’m not entirely sure how to measure progress since my goal here isn’t necessarily to lose weight or inches (though it would be nice to have a nicer fit in some of my dress pants). I’m trying to improve performance in a field that i find hard to measure. In running or lifting, you can measure speed, reps, or weight. With fighting, it’s a little more subjective. I figure the more “good days” I have training, the better I’m performing.

Anyway, Monday was the first day I really got to teach in Krav. It was a little bit nerve wracking, but your first day teaching always is. It helps that I’m learning how to teach this skill in a friendly environment with people I know. I expressed to Kita that I’m still learning which types of errors to look for. For example when I teach fencing, I know that new fencers tend to roll the ankle when they lunge, so I pay special attention to their feet when they learn this skill. I’m working on figuring out some “common errors” for Krav. More importantly, I’m working on finding ways to make warm-ups dynamic and appropriate for the exercises we’re about to do. This is all awesome and exciting; the bad news is that I don’t really get to work out on class nights anymore.

Tuesday was a yoga night, but I need to work on cardio, so I hit the pool after my night class. I was on the swim team in high school. That was a long time ago, and I wasn’t very good to begin with, but I really enjoy swimming. I managed to keep at it for half an hour – not too shabby by my book!

Last night was another teacher night. I spend about an hour teaching P1s, and then after they leave, I have about a half an hour to work on my own P3 training. We’re working on finding some days to meet and train outside of class.

Scheduling Krav practice time for the next two months will be difficult partially because of my schedule and partially because I have a HEMA event coming up soon, and I really want to participate in longsword. I want to learn enough that I won’t embarrass myself in front of the other fencers.

I don’t expect to update tonight, so I’ll tell you now that I plan to hit the gym after work and use their punching bag. If the gym is closed, I’ll come up with something else to do. If all else fails, I still have the Dreaded Exercise Bike at home.

Nik and I have made the decision to attend UWF fencing practice on Friday and then drive to Birmingham(ish) right after for a weekend SCA event. That drive should be fun. I’m looking forward to fencing with my friends on Saturday. There won’t be practice on Sunday.

I did not, in fact, push through and go to Krav, but that’s also the last class I’m skipping for a long time. Now I’m focusing on getting ready for civilian instructor certification level 1 (CIC1) in April, so I can’t afford to slack off. I’ll be moving into a more active teaching role in my own little Krav school (I feel like a Krav TA) before I head off.

I did go to yoga on Tuesday, and I made it back to Krav on Wednesday. The calf is still sore, but moving around and stretching helps.

Thursday was a rest day, and Friday I (finally) made it to UWF fencing practice. We had a special guest for that practice – Prissy got some teaching experience by warming us up with some yoga. I focused primarily on rapier during that practice, but the room was busy with rapier, dussack, and ringen.

Yesterday I went to the beach, took a walk, and did some sun salutations. The jellies were out, so I elected not to swim. Nik and I took a Poke-walk on the beach after lunch. 

Today, SCA fencing practice is cancelled. We lost one of our own last week, so all local SCA activities are cancelled, and we’re spending time with our loved ones.

I believe that’s all I’ve been up to this week. Looking forward, In addition to getting ready for CIC1, I have a big fencing event coming up in November, and I want to participate in as many tournaments as possible, so I need to tune up my dussack and long sword skills. November is a big month for me in general. I have somewhere to be (involving fencing) every single weekend that month. I’m excited, but I also expect to be exhausted.

I’m hoping that some of the adjustments I’m making to my diet and fitness levels for CIC1 will help me make it through that month. I’ve installed MyFitnessPal on my new phone, and I’m keeping track of what I’m putting in (again – I use this app in phases). I’m considering getting a fitness tracking device, but I’m not entirely sure which one I want. They’re pricey, so I want to make sure I get the right one!

I think that’s it for now. I’ll try to update more consistently. I really hate these weekly walls o’ text, but my schedule has been hectic. Thanks for bearing with me.

Mental Health and Training

I wasn’t sure where I wanted to post this or if I wanted to post it at all, but today I’d like to talk a little bit about how my mental health (specifically depression) affects my training. I figure someone out there is likely dealing with the same types of issues.

I’ll start off with some background information about me.

From time to time, I find myself (mentally) in what I call the Dark Place. I like this metaphor because when I picture it, the darkness isn’t absolute. Near the edges, it’s a little bit dim, but I can find my way back. The further in I go, the darker it is, the harder it is to get back out. It’s also appropriate because my intermittent depression seems to be directly linked to lack of sun exposure (seasonal affective disorder – SAD)

If that’s the case, then why am I presenting as SAD in the summer? I think right now part of my issue is that I work in an office with no windows (as many people do), and I’m very isolated at work (this will change as the semester kicks into gear).

What does this have to do with fighting/fitness?

When you’re depressed, you aren’t just sad all the time. I like to look at the word itself: depress. I feel like something is pressing down on me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I sleep more, and my appetite is strange (no appetite, huge appetite, selective appetite – all over the course of a day or two). I’m sure you could see how those factors alone could hinder someone’s ability and desire to work out.

The biggest factor for me, though, is just not caring. Don’t mistake this for the not caring that I do on a regular basis: not caring what strangers think of my appearance, not caring if I get to the party on time, etc. This is not caring in a way that would be alarming if you had the inclination to care. For example, I love fencing. It’s one of my favorite things in the world. I love doing it, reading about it, watching videos, talking about it, teaching it. I often refer to it as “my heart.” When you’re depressed though, when something is pressing down on you from all sides, you don’t care about your hobbies any more. If eating three squares and getting a good amount of sleep is a chore, then getting up, driving to a specified location at a specified time, gearing up, and practicing for an hour or two sounds impossible.

So what are we to do?

This is the hard part. If I had one perfect answer, I wouldn’t really have this problem anymore. Instead, I have a bunch of okay answers.

  • talk about it – You’d be surprised how many people are going through this same thing. It’s one reason why I’m sharing my experience. Frequently, talking about it helps both sides; don’t assume you’re burdening someone else. If you have the means, seek professional help. They really do know what they’re doing, and they can give you objective insight.
  • take breaks – Usually I say that the day that I don’t want to practice is the day I really need to go to practice. Sometimes, though, you’re better off resting. I wouldn’t fence on a sprained ankle, so I’m not going to push my brain too hard either. Know your limits.
  • self-care – This is super important, but it can easily be mistaken for “cheering yourself up.” Try to do three things each day that make you happy. I’m not talking about big crazy plans here. I’m talking about lighting a candle you really like, taking a long bath, eating something you enjoy, or watching an episode of your favorite show.
  • treat yourself kindly – Don’t think of being in the Dark Place or skipping practice as a failure. That will only make you feel worse. Every time I find myself genuinely thinking something disparaging about myself, I counter it with one good thing. It’s hard to avoid intrusive thoughts, but replacing them with something else is easier.
  • make a schedule – If your eating and sleeping are erratic, set a time to eat, even if you aren’t hungry. No matter what you’re training to do, eat something that appeals to you. You need calories to fuel your body. Even if you can’t sleep, set a time to rest. You might luck out and catch some zzz’s, and if you don’t, that’s okay because you’re still letting your body recharge a little.
  • don’t be afraid to be sad – Think of your feelings like an interesting rock. You can pick it up, turn it over in your hands a few times, examine it. You can spend a lot of time looking at this rock, running your fingers over the cracks. But at the end of the day, it’s just a rock, and you have enough stuff collecting dust at your house. When you’re finished with it, put it down and keep walking.
  • don’t forget that feeling something (even if it’s bad) is progress – The worst thing for me about the Dark Place is the numbness. I haven’t cried since I started feeling this way. It’ll come eventually (possibly intensely and for a long period of time), and when it does, that will be a step in the right direction.
  • use media to your advantage – Okay, so I can’t cry over my own situation. However, I’m pretty sure I can cry over someone else’s. Tonight I’m going to watch a few episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and have strong feelings about other people’s problems even though I can’t be bothered to care about my own. That’s what media is for. Enjoy your books, shows, movies, memes, whatever. Experience them. That’s why they’re there.

I didn’t mean for this to be so long, but I’ve been kicking a lot of this around in my head, and I really didn’t want to leave anything out. I’m sure I left plenty of stuff out, so if you have any questions, comments, or additional good words, please let me know!

*Special thanks to my student, who helped me fill in some gaps.*

Yoga yesterday was just what I needed to recover from Serfo.

I skipped Krav on Monday, but I went back tonight. Class was intense and rewarding. We kicked things off with some sparring. We put four people into a small space and tried to force one another out. That got our blood pumping, and then we did forward momentum exercises.

Now my bruises have bruises, but I’m feeling rejuvenated and in high spirits.

Krav was challenging tonight. We’re putting several steps together to escape a choke, and it was hard to coordinate my hands and feet. We’ll see how it goes once I sleep on it.

Last week I didn’t have a lot to say. Krav was cancelled Monday , so I fenced instead. Yoga was good. Very relaxing. Wednesday I went back to Krav, and we focused on technique. I had other plans on Thursday, so I didn’t make it to the women’s seminar In Friday, I FINALLY WENT TO FENCING. It was my first Friday in awhile. Fridays are short, so I was glad I went Monday. All in all, I didn’t get to do a lot of fighting last week. I’m hoping to fix that this week.

Today there weren’t any new students in yoga, so class was challenging and rewarding. I pushed my limits and managed to surprise even myself with what I could do. I’m still feeling it in my arms.

In addition to the new strengths I found, I also made some advances in my meditation. I managed to clear my mind, and when I did, I was full of light.

Last week at Krav I trained so hard I forgot what day it was. I said, “See you Wednesday!” to my friends as I was leaving, and they looked at me, confused, and said, “…it is Wednesday.” I’d call it a good night.

This is the month that we’ll start training toward passing the proficiency tests. I’m super stoked to see the new curriculum tonight.

On Friday I got to go to fencing. I spent the session helping a new lady fighter. I’m trying to figure out how I can help young women who are new to the sport make it work with their body mechanics.

My mentor is coming to town this week, and he’s going to visit my students. I can’t wait to see him and to see him interact with my “kids.”

All in all, I’m just super excited about all the fighting in my life this week.

Oh, yeah… I dropped one pants size.