On Friday I was up bright and early for a demo at Gulf Breeze Elementary. I got to fence on and off for 3 hours. I hadn’t fenced much since Gulf Wars.
After that I went to the beach and swam a lot. It was a fun way to cool down, even if I did get a little bit too much sun.
On Saturday I met up with Mike and Eddie for some Krav Maga practice in the morning.
I skipped fencing on Sunday because I was worried I’d be an asshole. I was productive around the house, though, so that helped.
Today we had a guest from out of town come to the park for fencing practice. Nik and I hosted him. He’s a lot of fun and a skilled fencer.
Today was my first fencing practice at the park since the panic attack. I only fenced one person, but I did good fencing and had a good time. I got to do I.33, which is my favorite.
I ended up not stopping cardio yet. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical with the mask on and had an average heart rate of 144
After a short rest, I went to club practice. I got to fence with Nik’s mentor Mikolaj. He’s an extremely skilled fencer, so I felt like I was doing good fencing when I gave him a good fight, even though I didn’t make a lot of touches.
Once again, I skipped dedicated cardio time because I was doing projects. However, I fenced hard for half an hour, so I think I killed two birds with one stone.
I worked on taking my sword and buckler against a long sword. It’s a challenge, and I really have to be aggressive to make it work. If I can gain the blade and keep it, once I’m in distance, the fight is over. It was a lot of fun too.
I was just telling Nik that I don’t feel like I’m fencing when I do rapier. I move around and sweat and get tired, but it isn’t the same as when I use my arming sword. When I do sword and buckler, I feel like I’m really fighting. I don’t know if that means I need to change my rapier game or if it just means the two are different beasts. I’m not stressing over it – just curious.
Today I woke up a little later than I meant to. I skipped cardio but fenced. I haven’t practiced cut & thrust fencing much in my element yet, so fencing I.33 was a welcome change of pace. It felt really good to just fight my fight.
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.
Marie's Fitness Blog 