Jogging

Just for variety, today's workout was a long jog. I've got another 5k coming up in September, so it's good to have some time to run. It's hard for me to fit in half an hour or more of running in the morning, though - I really prefer it when those workouts fall on the weekend.

Karate last night went reasonably well - I do better on the days where we're moving around more. My feet seem to stay dry enough as long as I'm not keeping them in one place all the time. My new shoes are in transit, though, and should be here by Monday, so this should be the last week I'll have to worry about it.

Sprinting

Sprinting plus some other exercises was the order of the day this morning. It was hard, but it felt good to go all out. It's looking like a pretty normal day - I am going to try to get back in the habit of posting in the mornings, so this is going to be a short one. Have a nice day!

Home Again

The trip went well overall, but it's nice to be home. The cats seem to agree.

I slept in this morning, but I did go to the gym. The workout was the Crossfit Total, and while my poor legs made a poor showing on the squats, I put another five pounds up on my deadlift, so I came out even on points.

I went to the store today and I'm determined to be good about my diet for the next month or so. July has been pretty much a total wash in terms of weight loss, which... well, it could have been worse, but I need to keep moving.

Sensei told me today that she thinks I should just wear shoes in the dojo, so I ordered another pair of my spiffy Vibram Fivefingers - in white, this time, and in the model with an ankle strap so they're a bit more secure. I think it'll solve my problems. That's good news, as far as I am concerned, because sliding all over the place has just been stressful.

A Brief Note

Just posting to say I'm in San Diego, eating whatever I can get my hands on (which tends to be not much all day and then a lovely expensive meal at night) and walking a LOT. Tomorrow I'm flying home, so may or may not post. Monday all will be back to normal.

Day Before

The day before I leave for a trip is always nuts, and today is no different. I have a million things to do, and then a million more come up, and I always end up running out of the house in the morning with the bed unmade.

This morning was one of the benchmark workouts - Fran - and I dropped about 15 seconds off of my February time. That's not too bad, although I still have trouble with lots of consecutive pullups. I'm expecting not to work out for the next two days of this triplet - I've never once managed to work out while in a hotel - but the hotel is three miles away from the convention center, so at least I'll get plenty of walking in.

Karate last night went moderately well. I'm getting a little more confident, if not much less annoyed, with the floors and my sweatiness. I figure another few weeks and I'll be back in top form, or whatever passes for top form for me :)

Bleary Eyed

I went to a late showing of Dark Knight last night, because I really wanted to see it before I spend three days at a convention where EVERYONE will be talking about it. It was a good movie, and worth seeing (although I think they could have trimmed half an hour off of it) but I'm paying the price this morning. Fortunately, today is a Crossfit rest day, so I got some extra sleep.

Karate last night went well enough - it's white belt class on Tuesdays, which is always interesting. Ironically, it tends to be one of the harder days just in terms of keeping up, as the instructor moves very fast and seldom pauses to explain. I think all the instructors are going to shift around starting in August when the schedule changes, and I'm interested to see the results.

Back on Track

I'm pleased to report that I've hit a new low this morning - the first since I went on vacation. I seem to be pretty much back in the groove, and while the weekend out of town will stall me out for another few days, I don't think it will stop me.

Crossfit was another strength workout this morning - it went quite well. I always enjoy those.

For the first time, I went to karate for two hours instead of one, last night. It wasn't easy, but I felt pretty good about it. The different floor makes my legs have to work harder, and in some new ways, so in some ways it feels like I've had to go back to the beginning, but my overall endurance is much better than when I had started.

I'm sorry to say that I don't think the tea is working at all. I am just going to keep the little towel around and hope that eventually I adapt to the conditions. The A/C wasn't at full blast yesterday either, although it should be soon - getting the temperature below 85 will probably make a big difference.

Happy Monday!

It's either a 4 or a 7-day week for me, depending on how you're counting. This weekend I'll be in San Diego for work, so while I'll get to do some fun stuff and see a bunch of friends, it won't exactly be relaxing.

This morning was a 2k row on the rowing machine. I haven't done enough rowing to be all that good at it, but I don't mind it at all. It's less stressful than running, and feels like a pretty efficient workout. I suspect tomorrow is going to be a tough workout, though - this one felt like an easy one to make sure we're well-rested.

Tonight will be the real test of my black tea experiment at karate - all the info I found said that after 5 days I should see the effect. I have just enough left in the box to do one more batch, but then... well, we'll see. I hope it works.

Filthy

The Filthy Fifty was the workout for the morning - it's a long, intense circuit that wipes me out with marvelous effectiveness. I'm glad it's Sunday and I don't have to do anything else of any import today!

I'm having dinner at a friend's house tonight, but it should be a pretty reasonably healthy meal, and the rest of the day isn't going to pose a problem. I'm slowly getting back on track!

Dinner and a Movie

Or, rather, brunch and a movie, and with different people, but today was a fun day nonetheless. I don't know that barbecue is really the best stuff in the world when I'm trying to be virtuous, but it's not the worst, either. Today was a Crossfit rest day as well, so it was really quite relaxing.

I'm off to soak my feet in tea!

Friday!

I'm not sure how it got to be Friday so fast, but hey, I'll take it! It's been a weird week for me, and I'm just as happy that it's over.

Crossfit this morning was "weighted" pullups - which, since I can't do a pullup at all, let alone with added weight, means I just see how little assistance I need to do one. I'm very happy to see that I've gotten considerably stronger since the last time I did this workout in January (being about ten pounds lighter helps quite a bit, too.) I am confident that by the time I hit my next weight milestone I'll be able to do at least one unassisted pullup. That would be a pretty major feat, and I'm looking forward to it.

Karate last night went really well, compared to the rest of the week. I'm still sweating pretty badly, but I'm getting better at dealing with it, and the instructor pointed out that because the head instructor is out of town, the A/C isn't being turned on until just about an hour before my class - it was still 84 degrees by the time we were finished. If it's cooler in there, my sweat glands won't have to go into overdrive and I might be able to have something like a normal practice. Rumors of an upcoming belt test abound, and I really want to be able to test for my blue belt without making an utter fool of myself.

Better

I'm feeling a bit better today, although now I'm pretty sore for the usual reasons. This morning's Crossfit was an absolute killer.

Last night was still pretty slippery and irritating, but it's getting a little better as I get used to it. I still have hope in my tea solution, but I probably won't be able to tell for sure until next week.

I haven't been really good about my diet these last few days - it's hard getting back on a regular schedule - but it's coming along. I'm hoping to really get back in the groove by the end of the week.

The Bad Kind of Ow

I get mysterious joint pain in certain kinds of weather... such as the weather we're having today. Fortunately, it doesn't happen all that often, but unfortunately, when it does happen, it's been getting worse. It doesn't really restrict my movement, but it sure makes me grumpy and distracted.

On a more cheerful note, I did my deadlifts this morning, and they went well. It was a higher-rep workout than the heavy singles I'd been doing a lot of, which is good - somewhat more reps will build up my strength more efficiently. After all the lifting and carrying over the past couple weeks, I'm doubly determined to work on this kind of lift - it's just so practical.

Last night was just as slippery as Monday, although I did bring a towel and wiped my feet every few minutes. It helped, but was terribly distracting, and I was not at all satisfied with it as a long-term solution. I did some research and found a trick that I'm trying out - soaking the feet in strong black tea. Apparently the tannins in the tea are astringent and will make them sweat less, and the effect lasts for a while. It should take a week or so to see final results, but a box of cheap black tea is $3, and sticking my feet into a pot of it for twenty minutes a day is not much hardship. Here's hoping!

Horrible Tuesday

Not that kind of horrible... THIS kind of horrible. I know it's not health- or fitness-related, but it's still awesome.

Last night at the dojo was exceedingly frustrating. The floor has been sealed - it hadn't been, last Thursday - and my sweaty feet just could not get a grip on it. It felt like practicing on black ice - very stressful. I expect that with a little wear the floor won't be so slick, and I think I'm going to bring a little towel to try to keep my feet dry, but I'm still nervous about slipping and injuring myself.

This morning was a Crossfit rest day, which I'm grateful for - my knees and ankles are a little sore in a way that makes me grumpy, rather than the usual soreness which I actually enjoy quite a bit.

Back to the Grind

Happy Monday! I've caught up reading my work email, and I'm beginning to cope with the idea of being back at work. It'll take a day or so before it really sinks in...

I did yesterday's Crossfit today, because I figured I got my legs and cardio workout yesterday, but needed the arm workout. I'm plenty sore from volleyball and all the heavy lifting on Saturday, but I still feel pretty peppy.

Looking forward to karate tonight - we're in the new dojo, and it's the beginning of the first regular week of class there. We're on the old schedule for the rest of the month - starting in August, we'll be using a different schedule. I am not sure exactly how much that will change things for me - if I recall, one or two nights will be at 7:30 instead of 6:30, but it's mostly the same.

I need to hit the grocery store, but my diet's back on track as of this morning. It was nice to relax about it for a week, but I really didn't feel all that good - all the salt made my hands all puffy, and my more egregious cheats had plenty of MSG and artifical stuff, which gave me wicked headaches. I'm perfectly happy to go back to clean living :)

Catching Up

It's been a long, long week, with a lot of fun stuff as well as a lot of hard (non-work-related) work, but the vacation is just about over. Tomorrow it's back to the grind, and frankly, I'm more than ready.

I haven't posted in a couple of days (hey, vacation!) but I'll hit a few of the high points:

- The dojo is, as far as I'm concerned, finished. Everything's installed, painted, cleaned, etc, and we actually practiced there Thursday night - it was lovely. I spent way more hours than I intended yesterday helping clear out the old dojo, taking stuff to the dump, to storage, to Goodwill - but it's done.

- I went up 5 points on my Crossfit Total on Wednesday, and I think I'm on the verge of going up a whole bunch more. Today I subbed in two hours of volleyball with some friends for the official workout, and I think it was a more than fair trade. I hurt in places that haven't hurt for years...

- My diet has been on vacation all week - really the past two weeks - just because my schedule's been so off (and my social calendar's been so full, what with all the dinner-and-drinks after working at the dojo.) I haven't lost any weight, but it doesn't appear I've gained any either - I've had some impressive water-weight spikes, but as of this morning I'm just about exactly where I was pre-deviations. That's fine - it'll probably push the next milestone out of September, realistically, but only by a week or so.

- It has been a good vacation overall, primarily because I've not had to think about work at all for then days. I've kept busy, had plenty of social time, stayed physically active, and if the house STILL isn't really clean, well, it's the only real problem.

Vacation? What Vacation?

Yesterday was a VERY long day. I got to the dojo around ten, worked until 3, came home for a few hours, went back at six, then went to dinner with the usual suspects. (It's only been a week and a half, and there are already "usual suspects.") I didn't get home til 11, and went straight to bed.

I haven't heard for sure if they need me today - they may not. I'm actually going to go into the gym today, because it's the Crossfit Total - always fun. That means I'm sticking with my original schedule, even if Crossfit itself isn't. There's definitely no practice tonight, but we're planning to hold it tomorrow, so that will be nice.

Otherwise, today is a house-cleaning day, this time for real. What fun!

Closer Now

The floor is very close to being done, and the trim is almost entirely painted. I have a splendid sunburn, but I will survive :)

Crossfit mucked with its schedule this week, and the next triplet starts tomorrow instead of Wednesday. I'm going to go ahead and take this one off, I think - I might change my mind, but I'm anticipating at least one more day on my feet.

We had our last class at the old dojo, and it was very nice. About twenty people showed up, and after some practice we all sat down and people told stories about the building and their experiences there. It was fun to hear, and good to see everyone saying goodbye to the place that has, for many of them, been important for many years.

I got nothing else done, of course - the house is a mess, I need to go grocery shopping, etc - but I just can't wait to get everything done.

Only 4 Hours

...A nice short shift, today. Unfortunately, we're not done yet, and I'll be spending at least some of my vacation helping out. Fortunately, I don't really mind - it's actually pretty relaxing work at this stage. It's satisfying to see things really start to come together - I think, ultimately, it will be work we can be proud of, and use for many years.

That being said, I need to take some time to get stuff done around the house, too, because it's a mess. I've got a whole week to get the place together, but I'd like to have at least some of it done in the next day or so. I keep saying I will, then spacing out or going to bed at nine :P

Floors

Another day at the dojo... didn't manage to update before, and it's been a loooong day, so I'll just say that I think 8 hours of painting and laying flooring is sufficient workout, and go to bed.

Happy 4th!

Today is a Crossfit rest day and the beginning of my vacation. I'm going to try to keep my diet in check, but I'm taking the next Crossfit triplet off, so my exercise will be a little lower than normal. Of course, we still have the new floor to lay in the dojo, so I'm not going to be a total couch potato this weekend!

Today my only plans are to play video games and clean the house. We'll see how that goes.

Last Day

As I expected, I dropped about two pounds of water yesterday, and probably have another two to go. I'm PMSing like mad, so my food choices are not ideal, but I don't really have terrible food in the house, so my options for cheating are limited.

Crossfit this morning was Death By Pullup - one of my favorites. I really haven't been doing that many this past month or so, but I still beat my best score handily. I feel pretty good about that :) I'm taking the next triplet off, and possibly the one after that, depending on how recovered I feel and how bored I am.

I spent last night at the new dojo painting, but I think I'm going to go to practice tonight - I don't want to go a whole week without practicing.

Water

...retention, that is. Between this weekend's nonstandard diet, Monday's cheat meal, Thai food last night for dinner, and it getting to be that time of the month, I'm probably about four or five pounds bloated. Not my favorite thing, but at least I know it'll pass.

Another challenging workout this morning - I really won't be able to lift my arms above my head if this keeps up. Tonight I'll be doing more work at the new dojo - we're trying to get everything done this weekend, so we can move in next week. It's still sort of fun, but I'll be happy when it's all done and I can go back to practice :P

Another Month

I'm officially eight pounds down from the beginning of June - which is precisely where I want to be. It's sort of funny, because my June 1 weight was pretty bloated, and today's weight is equally bloated, but it works out. Now I'm beginning my third month of stubbornly healthy living, and I hope the trends will continue.

This morning's Crossfit was a terribly long and difficult set of overhead presses - none of the bits were hard on their own, but dealing with the fatigue of the relatively few muscles involved is the point of the exercise. I kinda like it.

I went to karate practice last night, and it went reasonably well. I'm starting to get to the point where I can move in horse stance for ten minutes and not die, although it's still difficult. Tonight I'll be back in the new dojo texturing the walls, which will be interesting if I can't lift my arms overhead...