Tag: yoga

On Sunday, my plans to get out and move around were thwarted once again by rain. However, my lazy day got exciting again when Prissy showed up and hauled Nik and I to a stretch & flexibility yoga class. It was more focused on expanding the range of motion than other yoga classes I’ve attended, and I was able to push myself further than I’ve been before. No lie – I saw more of a change in one class than I did in the year of gymnastics that I took.

Monday night was Krav night, as per usual. We did some drills inside and then got back outside and ran some scenarios outdoors. I like practicing outside, even in the dark and the heat – maybe especially in the dark and the heat – because it adds an element of realism. You don’t get to fight in a controlled environment in real life.

Tonight is my usual yoga night. I’m looking forward to going back after being off last week.

Last Wednesday I went to Krav and helped students in my more active teaching role. I feel completely out of my element.

On Friday I got to go to UWF fencing practice, and I actually got to DO some fencing as well as teaching.

Saturday involved some beach yoga and a walk to the pier and back. I’d say I s wam, but I mostly just floated around.

On Sunday I resumed SCA fencing practice. Introducing a new student to rapier was a welcome break from the heat. One disadvantage to training indoors is you forget how to train outdoors. I emphasize lots of breaks and lots of hydration.

Yesterday, however, I decided i needed a break. I’ve been feeling kind of down lately, and I wasn’t up to any sort of challenge. I stayed home and worked on an art project instead. Yoga is cancelled tonight, which is kind of a bummer, but I’m looking forward to actually being in my house for some time before class. Tomorrow, though, I’m getting back into the groove!

Last week was the first time in a long time that I did all my activities (and then some).

Monday: Krav Maga
Tuesday: yoga
Wednesday: Krav Maga
Thursday: rest
Friday: fencing
Saturday: beach yoga, beach walk, nature trail walk
Sunday: dancing
Monday: fencing (since the gym where I do Krav was closed)

I felt more than a little rusty during almost all of those activities at first, but it’s good to be moving again. I’m really really looking forward to yoga today because I need to stretch out all those muscles I used!

Monday at Krav Maga, a fellow came and interviewed some of the ladies for a project he’s doing with his young daughter. They make videos reviewing and exploring women’s fitness in the area. I’m excited to see my school getting some publicity.

Unfortunately I pulled something in my leg and scared myself. My knee really hurt, but I think it’s structurally fine. It holds weight and moves the correct way and all that jazz. I sat out for the rest of the class (so about half) and did some couch coaching.

Yesterday I went to my first yoga class of the semester. The knee seemed to like yoga with the exception of child’s pose. I’m thinking I’ll rest up again today partially to make sure the knee is fine and partially because I have a super busy weekend ahead of me with Nik’s elevation. I don’t know if I’ll get the chance to fence or not, but I really hope I get at least a little blade time in.

I passed!

I’m really excited and relieved because my training partner and I both passed our P2 tests. Last night’s class was pretty brutal, but I know working out harder and longer (now we help with P1 and P2 7-8 and train P3 8-8:30) will make me stronger and more adept. I am also very very tired.

I’m looking forward to yoga tonight. I’ve been working on correcting my posture this summer, and yoga really helps me keep everything aligned. I’m also trying to increase my flexibility in my hamstrings and lower back – that whole region can get super tight and (I think) cause cramps in my calves when I’m working out.

My Krav class is helping with a self-defense seminar on Wednesday. I’m thinking I’ll take the opportunity to fence that day at UWF, but I told my coaches to call me in if they’re short handed since the two practices will be close by. It would be kind of funny to show up in my fencing gear to Krav!

Last night was our last Krav review before the test on Wednesday (I said “next Wednesday” in my last post, but I meant this Wednesday coming up – I guess my brain was still in weekend mode!).

Tonight I’ll go to yoga after work. Then I’ll go home, get some rest, and wake up rejuvenated for work and then my test. Wish me luck!

My P2 test is next Wednesday! Last Monday and Wednesday, we went over the material in P2 without much review. I’m feeling pretty good about the test. I have one more practice (tomorrow), and then we’ll test on Wednesday.

On Friday and Saturday I went to the beach. I did my usual routine of touching the pier and beach yoga. This time I brought my snorkel gear with me and looked at the fish under water. I spent more time in the water, but I don’t think I did much swimming – I mostly just float when I’m snorkeling.

Today Nik and I brought the dussacks to SCA fencing practice. It’s super hot (heat index over 100 degrees), so we wanted some options for practice that don’t involve getting all armored up. Dussacks count as arts & sciences, and they’re leather, not steel, so we didn’t need to wear all the layers. We also brought the plastic foils for youth – the blade mechanics aren’t much, but you can still do timing and distance. I’m hopeful that we can have more days at the park without necessarily frying our butts off.

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.

Blind Krav went well enough. We focused on a handful of defenses, and then I met up with Kita on Thursday to work through the rest of the module. We made it about halfway through. I’m hoping to make some decent progress tomorrow.

On Friday and Saturday I went to the beach. Friday I went alone, so I did walking, swimming, and beach yoga. On Saturday I brought a friend, so we went for a stroll and played in the water.

I cancelled SCA fencing practice on Sunday because of the heat index. It wouldn’t be so bad if we didn’t have to wear so many layers!

Last night I went to UWF fencing practice. We had some new students, so that was exciting. I helped a couple of our club officers get ready for Arabian Nights.

Today is yoga day, and that’s about all I’m up for.

I did some more beach yoga on Saturday and lots of walking – the leg felt much better after that. I ended up canceling SCA fencing practice on Sunday because there were a lot of things that needed to be taken care of at home. I’m a little bit overwhelmed with things that need to be done by the end of the month, but I know I have it in the bag.

Monday’s UWF fencing practice was long because we had a demo in addition to our regularly scheduled time. One of my students is a challenge for me. He’s super fast, and that’s a fantastic advantage to have, but I also really want him to learn skill. I have trouble showing him skill in real time because I’m not nearly as fast as he is. I want to be a good teacher, so I’m working on finding ways to emphasize technique without downplaying his natural advantages.

I forgot my stupid contact lenses at my stupid house. Looks like I’ll be doing blind Krav tonight…