Tag: running

I lifted weights and used the elliptical on Tuesday – nothing to write home about there. It was my last night of non-Krav workout before CIC.

Last night my Krav activity primarily consisted of teaching. After that, Michael and I went over some ground work, and then he showed me how to use focus mitts to add to our activities. I was in kind of a rush because I wanted to take Nik out to dinner for his birthday, but Michael and I agreed to review a few skills and then either use the focus mitts or do some sparring (or slow fighting) each day after class.

Tonight I’m going to make Nik spar with me a little bit. I realized that I haven’t done any sparring since I got my eyes fixed. I’m a bit apprehensive since I noticed recently that I still act like my vision is impaired (trying to correct for depth perception problems that aren’t there, for instance). Because it’s been so long, I’m not used to hitting and being hit. That needs to change this month.

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.

Tuesday’s “run” was terrible. I used the indoor track because it was overcast outside, and I knew that rainfall would stop me in my tracks. I’ve been working on pacing myself (I tend to run or walk – nothing in between), so that was my focus – go 30 minutes at a steady pace or with minor variations. My body did NOT cooperate. I barely got any cardio in because my legs kept cramping. Like I could not get to the aerobic portion of the run for the life of me. I left the gym and bought new shoes. I’ve been breaking them in the past couple days.

Last night was Krav night. We had another low attendance night. Michael and I talked about the class – most of our students have other things keeping them away on certain nights or for a given amount of time. However, we’re working on finding a sweet spot between teaching an active and engaging class and scaring away new students by overwhelming them with activity. It’s not easy.

On the health front, I stopped buddy taping my finger yesterday, and I didn’t wear a bandage on it today. It’s a little sore, a little stiff, but I think it’s fine now. I had my one-month LASIK post-op appointment. So far so good, but he wants to see me in another two months to make sure I’m equalizing the way I should be. For the most part, though, things look the way they should

Today is a rest day, but I’ll probably review some DVDs or something. I’m just over a month out from CIC. I think I’m ready, but ooooh boy does that not sound like a lot of time.

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.

Monday’s post-practice Krav practice went well. Michael and I burned through four skills fairly easily (without breaking a sweat). Then we talked about pedagogy stuff and whether or not we want to pare down how much we teach in a given day. I’m working on tonight’s lesson now, and I think I have a decent plan going with two skills plus a backup if the class is picking it up quickly.

Last night Nik and I hit the gym. We skipped the rock wall but will be back at it next week. I thought hauling my body weight up the sheer surface might count as strenuous lifting. Instead, I did very light weights but with more reps. I can feel it today, so I’m happy with it. I also did some cardio. I alternated laps (walk 1 / run 1) and did my mile in 13 minutes while keeping sweat out of my eyes.

After that we met up with a bunch of our students (I think there were seven of us total) for extra UWF fencing practice. It was a fun day – plenty of goofing off. I mostly took films, corrected form, and hung out, but I did get some Valentine’s bouts in with my loaf.

Today I am one week post-op. As of tonight, I don’t have to take the drops anymore, and I can get sweat and tap water into my eyes. Should the occasion arise, I can now wear make-up. My next milestone will be 10 days, when I no longer have to wear my super high-tech eye shield when I sleep.

Wow, I’ve been slacking. Sorry about that, friends.

Last Wednesday I taught Krav with Michael. That went well. I worked with the P1s while he took the P2s, and then we worked on some really sweet looking kicks (P4) after everyone left.

On Thursday Nik and I met up with our UWF fencing students for some extra fencing time. I didn’t feel too hot, but I went anyway. I figured some fencing was better than no fencing. I found a “hole” in my defense. I was also having issues with one of my toes. I dropped a book on my foot a little while ago, and apparently my toe decided to swell up on Thursday. I taped them together on Friday, and everything has been peachy since then.

Friday was a regular UWF fencing practice. Nik helped me deal with the “hole.” Knowing about it seems to help. Tiny Nick! and I have been exchanging lessons on knife fighting – mine from Krav Maga and his from Fiore. It’s a beautiful conversation.

On Saturday I helped teach a Krav seminar in the early afternoon. I had trouble generating volume when teaching; I don’t know if it’s because I was outside or if I was feeling froggy in my throat. It’s easier when we’re in the gym. I came home and swapped out my Krav gear for my fencing gear and headed to the gym with Nik for extra practice with the UWF fencers. We fenced a bit, and then I got in a quick run. I managed to squeak in a mile under 10 minutes, and I only wanted to die twice. Progress!

On Sunday Nik and I went to the park for SCA fencing. Tiny Nick! joined us and helped us show the basics to some new people. We had a pretty good turnout.

Yesterday was Krav night. Michael and I taught kicks (high knees and front kicks for P1; roundhouses and stop kicks for P2s). Everyone did the stomp kick because why not? After practice we worked on some P4 blocks.

Tonight is going to be a rock wall night. I’ve slept on it, and I’ve thought critically about my fears, and I think I’m going to make it to the top this time.

On Tuesday, I went to yoga after work and hit the pool after class. I ended up swimming only 15 minutes, though, because I was worried about bleeding hair color all over the pool. Few things are more embarrassing than making your workout space look like a scene from Jaws. Nik has begun his quest to fence every day, so that’s what he was up to while I was at class and at the pool.

Wednesday night was Krav night. We did more P1 review. During P3 class, I asked some questions I had about kicks. I’ll be meeting up with The Ladies to work on groundwork over the weekend.

Last night after work I met Nik and some of the UWF fencers at the gym, and I worked primarily on long sword. I’m picking it up fairly quickly – I’m far from the best, but I’m doing good things. After fencing, Nik and I took a quick run because I still needed some cardio. My mile is down to 9 minutes. Last night was Nik’s Day 5 of #fencingeverydamnday.

Today after work I’m going to use the elliptical to get my heart rate up, come home, rest (probably have a snack), and head to UWF fencing practice. Tonight will be my Day 3 of #fightingeverydamnday.

If it sounds like a lot of activity, it is. Nik is training for a big tournament, and I’m training for that tournament while simultaneously preparing myself for CIC 1.

In the midst of all of this, I lost a pound and a half last week. I’m down 5 lbs total since I started tracking. I also recommended that Nik start tracking to make sure he’s getting enough calories for his amount of activity.

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.