40,000 push ups
40,000 crunches
50 yoga sessions
a week of Krav Maga training
7 straight days of Hot Yoga
participate in 4 running events
participate in 2 misc. athletic events
do not eat sweets for one month
participate and/or donate in/to 12 charity events/organizations
read a book by the Dalai Lama
10,000 front roundhouse kicks (each leg)
30 hours sparring training
100 reps each of current forms I know as of 02/01/2011
read 12 books designed to improve self
Ten Tigers taught me that it is best to set very specific goals. That seems to work best for me, so I designed a personal list for next year that I thought would help take me to another level of spiritual, mental, and physical fitness. I'm planning on participating in more 5K events this year as well as martial arts tournaments. I would like to participate in at least one open tournament as well. It is important for me to get back into consistent yoga training. I've found that this is the perfect fitness combo for me in relation to combining the strengthening of the mind and body. I'm also looking forward to taking a week of Krav Maga training. I've found the art fascinating since I watch a couple of documentaries on it. After viewing some online videos of it, I see some techniques that I believe make the practitioner vulnerable, but I am impressed with some of their conditioning work and bag work that I hope to incorporate in my training for fitness purposes.
In a broader sense, I hope to continue to improve my kung fu as well as growing in a positive way as a parent, husband, and citizen. I'm planning on producing my first film this summer too.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Goals
Planning goals for post-TT-year-two involves combining what I know about my goal-meeting strategies with what I now better understand about my physical needs. I'm working on a mind, body, spirit type structure that incorporates short interval training more than longer dedicated times, alternating types of workouts, etc. Now that I know myself better, though TT, I can craft goals that I WILL meet. CAN is not really the issue anymore.
So, in short, TT goals have made it so that I do not wish to exist without goals -- though I've done a fine job of pretending in these last few days. Without the impetus of goal-setting/reaching, I seem to exist in a weird kind of vacuum, not really aware and not really connected to anything.
I'm going to use February to try out some specific workout schedules to see how my body reacts. I'm also going to set specific goals to reduce my sugar intake, which has reached some significant heights lately.
Through the two TT years, I've surely seen some dramatic changes in my lifestyle, and in fellow TT members' lifestyles. It's important, I think, to look back to see where I've come from, as well as to evaluate where I am now. I don't want to forget the changes!
So, in short, TT goals have made it so that I do not wish to exist without goals -- though I've done a fine job of pretending in these last few days. Without the impetus of goal-setting/reaching, I seem to exist in a weird kind of vacuum, not really aware and not really connected to anything.
I'm going to use February to try out some specific workout schedules to see how my body reacts. I'm also going to set specific goals to reduce my sugar intake, which has reached some significant heights lately.
Through the two TT years, I've surely seen some dramatic changes in my lifestyle, and in fellow TT members' lifestyles. It's important, I think, to look back to see where I've come from, as well as to evaluate where I am now. I don't want to forget the changes!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
TT progress report
I'm behind on my private lessons, but I hope to get those caught up soon. They are truly rewarding, and I enjoy them very much. Unfortunately, I have not been able to attend all of the group training sessions. I have enjoyed them very much when I have been able to make them though. I'm also behind on my push ups, but I am making up ground very fast. My brother in law gave me a wonderful tip that I am going to continue incorporating in my training. You take a deck of cards. You flip a card and do however many push ups the card numbers. So it says 7, you do 7, then wait 30 seconds. Then you take another card, and it's a jack, you do 10 push ups. You can do a lot of push ups going through the deck. Since I have a almost 1 year old running around the house, sometimes I take the whole day going through the deck, but the great thing is you get in a ton of push ups. I've also incorporated dumbbell workouts because I want to get more toned and exercises the smaller muscles as well.
I'm ahead on my sit ups. I found the 8 minute ab workout that used to haunt our late night TV in the days of VHS to actually work quite well. I found it on YouTube and it was actually highly recommended by a number of fitness and men'shealth magazines. I have a long way to go, but I've lost around 5 inches of my waist, and I feel my core strengthening slowly, but surely. I'm also ahead on my form reps. I do the Ng Family Tai Chi form every morning when I wake up. I alternate days with Hung Gar forms and Ja Kari Do forms. When the weather is nice, I work my weapons. I'm also ahead on my running miles. I coach running, and logged in a lot of miles with during the season and over the summer. I love running in the super hot weather. It was a good thing I got these in early. Unfortunately, I tore a hamstring in the fall and got a horrible case of pneumonia in the winter. Fortunately, I'm much better now, but unfortunately, I've lost some conditioning. I ran a 9 minute mile this past Friday, but jumped up to a 11 minute mile on Saturday over a three mile course, which is definitely not acceptable.
I'm on schedule for my stance training minutes and random acts of kindness. I chose fatherhood as my new undertaking, or I guess, it chose me. Either way, it has been a wonderful experience, and it's so hard for me to believe that my daughter will be 1 on January 6. She loves to be read to, and loves books. Also, she loves music, especially rockabilly and folk music. She loves playing as well with her toy pianos, etc. The list could go on and on, but I am thankful that she is part of our lives. Even though I was only required to choose one of three options in this category, I did a community action projects as well. Through an organization in Lebanon, TN, I collected requested items for U.S. Marines serving overseas that were sent over in care packages.
I read BIKRAM YOGA as the book for self improvement. I discussed this book in detail in a previous blog. I guess I had three days of empathy training that just sort of came to me. I had the lead role in the film YOU CAN'T STAY HERE, which won five awards at the Nashville 48 Hour Film Fest. In this competition, you film a movie in 48 hours. I played a man who lives in poverty and them becomes homeless. I had moments where we filmed at an abandoned school in Nashville that was used as a gang hangout and the cops showed up to keep an eye on us while filming. Also, I begged in Nashville for money for footage. Early in shooting they put make up on me to look sun burned. When I got the makeup off, you could not tell the difference. I actually got pretty bad sunburn during filming along with the rest of some of the crew. Also, I completely lost my voice for a couple of days. This has happened in the past, but this time, I looked at it through fresh eyes. It was very difficult because I had to teach those days. After I went to the doctor, I went to a restaurant to get dinner. Normally, I would go through the drive through, but I had to go in because I could not speak. It was interesting to see how frustrated people get at you because you cannot speak. The pharmacy was more compassionate of course. I remember when my Mom owned a clothing store. We had one customer who could not speak, and wrote everything on a notepad. My Mom was have long conversations with this man, and I was always fascinated how quickly he wrote.
Finally, with this entry, I'm on schedule with my monthly writing assignment. I wish everyone peace and love in 2011.
I'm ahead on my sit ups. I found the 8 minute ab workout that used to haunt our late night TV in the days of VHS to actually work quite well. I found it on YouTube and it was actually highly recommended by a number of fitness and men'shealth magazines. I have a long way to go, but I've lost around 5 inches of my waist, and I feel my core strengthening slowly, but surely. I'm also ahead on my form reps. I do the Ng Family Tai Chi form every morning when I wake up. I alternate days with Hung Gar forms and Ja Kari Do forms. When the weather is nice, I work my weapons. I'm also ahead on my running miles. I coach running, and logged in a lot of miles with during the season and over the summer. I love running in the super hot weather. It was a good thing I got these in early. Unfortunately, I tore a hamstring in the fall and got a horrible case of pneumonia in the winter. Fortunately, I'm much better now, but unfortunately, I've lost some conditioning. I ran a 9 minute mile this past Friday, but jumped up to a 11 minute mile on Saturday over a three mile course, which is definitely not acceptable.
I'm on schedule for my stance training minutes and random acts of kindness. I chose fatherhood as my new undertaking, or I guess, it chose me. Either way, it has been a wonderful experience, and it's so hard for me to believe that my daughter will be 1 on January 6. She loves to be read to, and loves books. Also, she loves music, especially rockabilly and folk music. She loves playing as well with her toy pianos, etc. The list could go on and on, but I am thankful that she is part of our lives. Even though I was only required to choose one of three options in this category, I did a community action projects as well. Through an organization in Lebanon, TN, I collected requested items for U.S. Marines serving overseas that were sent over in care packages.
I read BIKRAM YOGA as the book for self improvement. I discussed this book in detail in a previous blog. I guess I had three days of empathy training that just sort of came to me. I had the lead role in the film YOU CAN'T STAY HERE, which won five awards at the Nashville 48 Hour Film Fest. In this competition, you film a movie in 48 hours. I played a man who lives in poverty and them becomes homeless. I had moments where we filmed at an abandoned school in Nashville that was used as a gang hangout and the cops showed up to keep an eye on us while filming. Also, I begged in Nashville for money for footage. Early in shooting they put make up on me to look sun burned. When I got the makeup off, you could not tell the difference. I actually got pretty bad sunburn during filming along with the rest of some of the crew. Also, I completely lost my voice for a couple of days. This has happened in the past, but this time, I looked at it through fresh eyes. It was very difficult because I had to teach those days. After I went to the doctor, I went to a restaurant to get dinner. Normally, I would go through the drive through, but I had to go in because I could not speak. It was interesting to see how frustrated people get at you because you cannot speak. The pharmacy was more compassionate of course. I remember when my Mom owned a clothing store. We had one customer who could not speak, and wrote everything on a notepad. My Mom was have long conversations with this man, and I was always fascinated how quickly he wrote.
Finally, with this entry, I'm on schedule with my monthly writing assignment. I wish everyone peace and love in 2011.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Progress Thus Far
It's taken me the better part of a morning to figure where I am in my Ten Tigers spreadsheet. Math skills aside, shifting from light to full after the first quarter was confusing, though entirely beneficial. As was having to figure out this posting!
Behind on 40.5 one hour private lessons
All attended/12 group lessons
Ahead on 28,781 pushups
Ahead on 28,781 situps
A little behind on 650 form repetitions
A little behind on 22.5 hours of sparring practice
A little behind on 650 two minute cardio rounds
Ahead on 300 miles of walking/running/swimming/biking
Only a very little behind on 3150 minutes of stance training
Done!/One martial arts tournament performance
Done!/365 Random Acts of Kindness
In Progress: harmonics on guitar/Try something new
In Progress: Women who run with Wolves/ Nicomachean Ethics/Read two books aimed at improving the self, one ancient (tao te ching, gospels, etc.) and one modern (Thich Naht Hahn, Tolle, Covey, etc.)
NOT DONE/Environmental Cleanup
NOT DONE, but is planned/Community Action project
NOT DONE/One day of empathy training
This posting catches me up/Monthly writing assignments
Behind on 40.5 one hour private lessons
All attended/12 group lessons
Ahead on 28,781 pushups
Ahead on 28,781 situps
A little behind on 650 form repetitions
A little behind on 22.5 hours of sparring practice
A little behind on 650 two minute cardio rounds
Ahead on 300 miles of walking/running/swimming/biking
Only a very little behind on 3150 minutes of stance training
Done!/One martial arts tournament performance
Done!/365 Random Acts of Kindness
In Progress: harmonics on guitar/Try something new
In Progress: Women who run with Wolves/ Nicomachean Ethics/Read two books aimed at improving the self, one ancient (tao te ching, gospels, etc.) and one modern (Thich Naht Hahn, Tolle, Covey, etc.)
NOT DONE/Environmental Cleanup
NOT DONE, but is planned/Community Action project
NOT DONE/One day of empathy training
This posting catches me up/Monthly writing assignments
Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
#8
Yes yes I know that this was extremely late and it’s not going to be any good but at least it’s here.
Things that I can apply to non martial arts part of my life (wow that was really weird) is that sometimes you just can’t do everything at once you have to take small bites at first then after you get the hang of it then you can speed up (speeding up part optional). For instance the ten tigers program is very good at teaching me that you do have to take small bites (I mean trying to do 35000 pushups in one day dose not sound fun, I don’t know about you Steven but I’d rather just do 30 per day)
Another example is that it is a, shall we say, good idea to take good care of your body for instance for the instance, when I just stopped doing the ten tigers for eh…call it four months and then I tried to do ten pushups, I got really angry at myself because of how hard it was, but I couldn’t get enough motivation to do anything about it. Cause it just kept going through my head that it was too much trouble to actually do 30 pushups (and sit-ups but that’s implied) I actually tried to quit the ten tigers program, but when I got home that night I was so angry at myself for trying to do that. But now I think that it’s a piece of cake to do 30 and 30 and 5. In fact I already did 100 pushups and am about to do 100 sit-ups.
So there you go
Larkin
Things that I can apply to non martial arts part of my life (wow that was really weird) is that sometimes you just can’t do everything at once you have to take small bites at first then after you get the hang of it then you can speed up (speeding up part optional). For instance the ten tigers program is very good at teaching me that you do have to take small bites (I mean trying to do 35000 pushups in one day dose not sound fun, I don’t know about you Steven but I’d rather just do 30 per day)
Another example is that it is a, shall we say, good idea to take good care of your body for instance for the instance, when I just stopped doing the ten tigers for eh…call it four months and then I tried to do ten pushups, I got really angry at myself because of how hard it was, but I couldn’t get enough motivation to do anything about it. Cause it just kept going through my head that it was too much trouble to actually do 30 pushups (and sit-ups but that’s implied) I actually tried to quit the ten tigers program, but when I got home that night I was so angry at myself for trying to do that. But now I think that it’s a piece of cake to do 30 and 30 and 5. In fact I already did 100 pushups and am about to do 100 sit-ups.
So there you go
Larkin
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Learned From Failure
An important thing I have learned from failure is that sometimes, failure is needed.
If I am not on the path I need to be on, a failure can force me to reexamine my journey.
If I am not making progress on the path I need to be on, a failure can show me the changes I need to make.
Sometimes, barely succeeding allows me to keep following a very difficult path, whereas failing allows me to abandon that path to follow an easier one.
I've learned that even though it is a blow to my ego, and feels rotten, failure sometimes is exactly what I need.
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