Tuesday 30 June 2009

Cycled to work & home yesterday (ordered a new back tyre for my bike - going for an expensive one (£28) to reduce the risk of punctures). Went for a run-karate-run yesterday. I ran all the way there; did Nujishiho, Bassai Dai, Nijushiho; ran back (walked quite a bit though).

I have re-energised my diet. I re-read the whole of the Beck Diet book on Sunday & made notes. I think I can manage to stick to 3 meals per day without snacking. Yesterday I did this but had 2 extra biscuits (peer pressure - didn't want to offend my mate - a fake excuse!).

Going to the dojo tonight but, only for 1 hour because my sons football coach wants to speak to me and him after his training tonight. My sons football training takes place at the same school that I do my karate at. i wasn't able to cycle in today because a) my tyre is bald & threadbare, b) I had a doctor's appointment to have some blood taken, c) need to go to bank, d) need to take my sons phone to car phone warehouse to be un-blocked. :-O

Friday 26 June 2009

Had a good session at the dojo on Tuesday. We had a large class and Sensei divided the room up interestingly. Across the short left wall of the dojo, the green belt children lined up. About 8. Opposite them, across the short right wall, the adults lines up. Also about 8 students. Across the back of the dojo, the remainder of the students (white - yellow) lined up. Then to practice basics, each line took it in turn to do 5 techniques forward & back. It worked very effectively. Every student could see Sensei demonstrating - an issue you sometimes have with multiple lines. Also, the 2 side ends had the longer length of the dojo to go up & down. That's one for the back pocket me thinks.

I went for my old work run-karate-run routine. I run about 1 mile to a nice quiet area next to the Caldecotte lake. I practice my tokui kata, Nijushiho. Then run back. The running wasn't so good (some walking) but, that's to be expected of me coming back after my illness. So long as I'm out there and doing something then my body will be getting fitter and moving forward towards my goal. I can't push myself like I had to for my Shodan because of the Warfarin. My goal is to gradually get back to doing this work-out without walking.

I'm about to go for a run now. I would like to do my run-karate-run routine but there has been a heavy rainfall. The place where I practice kata is on grass so it will be too slippery and muddy. I think I'll just go for a jog around the south lake (~2.5 miles) instead. Bye for now...

Tuesday 23 June 2009

I have been doing more training at home. Managed a 1.5 mile run yesterday, followed by some kata practice. I have been practicing my kekomi kick - as that really needs some work!

I watched Keith Geyer's Kumite DVD yesterday and there are some plyometric exercises in that DVD that I need to incorporate into my work out. Specifically, squatting down, come up & mae-geri, repeat other leg - keep going for as many as you can do! :-)

Situps & press-ups going well.

I will be going to the dojo at Caroline Haslett Primary School tonight. I am really looking forward to that. Last week when I went to the dojo, I found myself entranced by the sound of my Gi trousers rustling as I put them on. It really made me stop and smile. It was sooooo good to hear that sound again!!! :-)

Tuesday 16 June 2009

Looking forward to going to the dojo tonight!!!

Monday 15 June 2009

On Sunday, I went for another 1.5 mile run. This time I made it round without stopping or walking!!! Progress.

Today I cycled in to work (5 miles). Also had to pop to the local town center at lunchtime (another 3 mile round trip).

I emailed my Sensei today to ask if it would be OK to go back and train "lightly" with him on Tuesday's. He said he would be very pleased to see me back at the dojo. So, tomorrow I will return to the dojo and do some "light" / "no contact" training. I'm very pleased about that!

There's nothing quite like wearing your Gi in a proper dojo; with a nice wooden floor; and throwing your arms and legs around for a couple of hours :-)

Friday 12 June 2009

Yesterday I went for my first run (1 month after being diagnosed). The run was good. I had no breathing problems. I stopped and walked a little bit but that's not unusual on this run for me returning to training from a period off. It's interesting how determined I feel to go on a run when I decide that I should do. I have the same feeling with sit ups but, press ups are a different matter. I really procrastinate when I set myself some press ups to do.

I must do more kata training, somehow now. There's no contact in kata training so in theory I could do a lot of kata training whilst I'm on warfarin.

Now that I'm back to running, I could do my lunchtime thing. I jog about 3/4 mile to a quiet place by Caldecotte Lake. Do some kata there. Then jog back. Sounds like a good plan to me! I will instigate it from next week.

Monday 8 June 2009

There is loads of free cake on a desk nearby - I haven't had a single piece!
My simple exercises are going OK. Up to 100 situps and 3x20 press ups in an evening. I can feel my upper body taking shape.

My biggest fight however, has always been my fat belly! Even when I went for my Shodan my belly stuck out. I was fit. I was very fit. I could run for 5 miles. It's just that my body was fit enough to carry the weight around with me. I can only lose weight (around my middle) when I get my diet under control.

This is the training I must now pursue - controlling my diet.

The restaurant at work is doing a great Salad bar for £1 a bowl. It seems to be working for me. I've been eating salads at lunch time and I've not craved chocolate in the afternoon anymore. My weight is just under 15 stone, and dropping ever so slightly.

I need a bit more discipline now.

1, Weigh once per week only.
2, Find a good weekend lunchtime meal/routine.
3, Stick to toast for breakfast (not Shreddies!).
4, Keep up the walking and gentle exercise.

Friday 5 June 2009

In case you're wondering why I'm not talking about training ultra-hard as a Black Belt (I am a shodan black belt in shotkan karate), it is because I was recently treated in hospital for multiple bilateral pulmanory embolisms (blood clots in both lungs).

My breathing was severealy compromised - I could not walk 50 yards down the road without getting out of breath! Normally, I cycle 10 mile round-trip a day for work; I run 2.5 miles twice a week; I train at least 2 times per week in the dojo and more than that on my own; Do situps and pushups every day.

So, to suddenly start getting out of breath was a major sign that something was wrong.

The Doctor's think that the blood clot occurred in my leg after I received a very wayward kicked (which should have been a sweep!). The clots broke away, travelled through my body, through 1 half of my heart, and got stuck in my lungs.

So, 1 month later, I'm getting back in to the fitness routine slowly and carefully - I'm sure that most of you sports people out there know how that feels - it's soooooooooo frustrating. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to do any contact sports until I finish on Warfarin (another 5 months to go).
I didn't get to do my walk around the Lake yesterday. I had to deal with a production problem on a computer system and missed my entire lunch. But, I used the principles of karate during that time.

I was completely honest about the problem and honest about the fact I'd made a mistake earlier in the week. Telling the truth, no matter what, is very liberating. All you have to do then is take a slap on the wrists - which for a Black Belt - is easily absorbable! ;-)

Today I have a high priority personal matter to deal with which has prevented me from going for a walk but, my wife will be out this evening so I hope to fit it in then.

Thursday 4 June 2009

The sun is shining so I'm looking forward to another walk around the Lake today.

That reminds me to checkout a few kata videos before I go. There were a few bits of Jutte and Hangetsu that I wasn't sure about yesterday.

I have a free evening tonight so I hope I'm going to be able to get some time to go through my basics - depends what the missus has in mind. If I tell her my plans I'm sure she would find something else for me to do. You see, my wife isn't keen on me doing karate, never has been. She sometimes says she "supports" me doing it but, her actions say the opposite.

Wednesday 3 June 2009

I popped in to the dojo at Caroline Haslett Primary School, last night. It was good to see my Sensei and the other Karateka. It felt good seeing everyone again. It made me want to train some more.

Today I went for a walk around Caldecotte Lake. As I was walking, my thoughts were just rambling all over the place. So, I decided to go through every kata that I know in my head. Perfect. I completed all 22 katas in my head by the time I had got around the Lake (about 30 minutes).

Focusing your mind on this type of visualisation training is piowerful because it helps to "tighten your mind". I.e. stop your mind from just rambling all over the place and make it focus on something specific.