Pneumatised!

July 3, 2007

I went for a run. I ran 1 mile. My time 9 minutes 6 seconds – a slow run, but okay.

July 5, 2007

Taekwondo day – took the 7 p.m. class and then walked home after with Nathan (he came to pick me up after his tai chi class since he was walking home anyway).

July 6, 2007

10k run – I did okay, a little slower than last year. I made the mistake of having some chai with milk the night before. Thus, I was feeling heavy and bloated for the run. I had to walk off the light cramps I kept getting each time I ran a lap and a half (600 m). I spent 46 minutes 31 seconds doing that – run, then walk for thirteen laps. Eventually the cramps eased up and I could increase the amount of laps I could run before stopping again. The next seven laps took 21 minutes 49 seconds. The last five laps took about 13 minutes (I forgot to time a lap I walked, so I estimate adding about 5 minutes to the 9 minutes 2 seconds I timed). My total time was 1 hours 21 minutes 20 seconds give or take a minute or two. A little slower than last year, but last year I ran the whole thing and didn’t have cramps. Anyway, there’s always next year.

I did notice that my legs didn’t feel as stiff as after last year’s run – I suppose I’m just getting used to the distance – my endurance might be increasing. Overall, I’ve found the running to be good for my knee – it helps build up the cartilage where it was damaged and helps to build up the legs muscles so the ligaments don’t have to do as much work (i.e., my knee won’t act up because the muscles are doing the work as they should).

After the run, those testing for their black belts had to do 1000 skips/jumps, then we administered the written test – that gave them a chance to rest a bit. Then started the curriculum part of the test. First, the candidates were warmed up with some punching drills, then they did all their patterns. After that was one-step sparring and kicking techniques. Then, of course, full contact sparring. Finally, board breaking which probably takes up most of the test. Everyone has to break with hands and feet. There are four hand breaks and four feet breaks. Everyone does the same breaks. Higher black belts have to break more boards equivalent to the level they are testing for (1st dans must break two boards to get 2nd dan; 2nd dan must break three boards to get 3rd dan, and so on). The hand breaks are punch, knife hand, elbow strike, and ridge hand. The feet breaks are front snap kick, side kick, back kick and spinning hook kick. Concrete breaking is not required due to the fact that many students have hurt their hands from it. (We have many small students, simple physics dictate that more weight exerted on a board or concrete is more likely to break it – smaller students have to compensate by being extremely good at their techniques and frankly, even then, concrete is still hard to break for smaller students.)

I helped out with the test. The hardest part was holding boards for those breaking them. Those not trained in martial arts may not realize that the board holder contributes to a successful board break. The board holder must provide resistance so that the board will break on contact. Some say that 50% of the work comes from the board holder; and of course, you can’t break a board without someone holding it for you. The other hard part of it is if someone kicks your fingers (ouch!) 😉

July 7, 2007

The second part of the black belt test is the do jang BBQ in the park with colour belt test and black belt demo. This is the fun part. All the black belts performed well and had interesting speeches – children are always so quiet with their speeches.

July 20, 2007

I took some time to rest and recuperate after the 10k run, plus life has been too stressful. Finally though, I decided I needed exercise. I ran one mile. My time was about 8 minutes give or take a few seconds. It felt good to do an 8 minute mile again. I really need to try to get to a 7.5 minute mile pace. I went to the gym after the run (actually I ran to the gym the long way around).

COMPLETE LIST OF WEIGHT TRAINING EXERCISES:
Machine/apparatus Exercises:
Pull-ups/chin-ups (this machine works on a counterweight, which means you are lifting your weight minus the weight you set the machine to; thus if I set the machine to 35 lbs, I’m really lifting 70 lbs if I weight 105)
-overhand (palms facing front) – 35 lbs
-underhand (palms facing back) – 25 lbs
-parallel (palms facing towards each other) – 25 lbs
Dips (same apparatus as for the chin-ups) – 20 lbs
Weighted squat machine – 120 lbs
Leg press – 275 lbs
Hamstring flexor/seated leg curls – 105 lbs both legs
Hamstring flexor (lying down on stomach) – 50 lbs both legs, 20 lbs single leg
Hip adductors – 100 lbs
Hip abductors – 100 lbs
Seated row – 65 lbs
Seated chest press – 75 lbs
Lateral pull-downs – 75 lbs
Pectoral fly (sometimes done using free weights) – 45 lbs
Reverse deltoids – 40 lbs
Shoulder fly – 40 lbs
Shoulder lift/press – 45 lbs
Back extensor – 180 lbs
Bicep curls (usually done using free weights now) – 30 lbs, or 15 lbs single
Tricep extensor – 40 lbs (the dips do a good job of working the triceps, plus a special kind of push-up that I learned from taekwondo)
Leg lifts (I do a set of 30 reps. Lift legs out in front, the right, and the left. Doing the leg lifts to the sides helps work out the obliques/side muscles. I hate the new apparatus for this. I can only tolerate the apparatus once in a while because it aggravates my back, even though it’s supposed to be ergonomically designed.)

Free weights:
Two additional shoulder exercises
– lift weight in front using shoulder muscles
– bending at waist lift weight out to the side using muscles along the scapulae (this is the same as the machine that works in reverse of the pectoral fly)
– wrist strengthening – 15 lbs
– dead lift – 30 lb bar

Other exercises:
Pushups (I’m slowly working on single handed pushups – it’s very hard! For now, I’m just holding myself up on one hand for a 10 second count)
Situps
Cycling
Elliptical

July 23, 2007

Finally went to the do jang. After taekwondo class, I stayed and practiced some hand techniques – ridge hand, knife hand, elbow strike, and two-inch punch. If I plan to test in about a year and a half, I need to get ready to break those two boards again (I’ll remember to check if they are dry this time). After the do jang I went to the gym for weight training.

COMPLETE LIST OF WEIGHT TRAINING EXERCISES:
Machine/apparatus Exercises:
Pull-ups/chin-ups (this machine works on a counterweight, which means you are lifting your weight minus the weight you set the machine to; thus if I set the machine to 35 lbs, I’m really lifting 70 lbs if I weight 105)
-overhand (palms facing front) – 35 lbs
-underhand (palms facing back) – 25 lbs
-parallel (palms facing towards each other) – 25 lbs
Dips (same apparatus as for the chin-ups) – 20 lbs
Weighted squat machine – 120 lbs
Leg press – 275 lbs
Hamstring flexor/seated leg curls – 105 lbs both legs
Hamstring flexor (lying down on stomach) – 50 lbs both legs, 20 lbs single leg
Hip adductors – 100 lbs
Hip abductors – 100 lbs
Seated row – 60 lbs
Seated chest press – 75 lbs
Lateral pull-downs – 75 lbs
Pectoral fly (sometimes done using free weights) – 45 lbs
Reverse deltoids – 40 lbs
Shoulder fly – 40 lbs
Shoulder lift/press – 45 lbs
Back extensor – 180 lbs
Bicep curls (usually done using free weights now) – 30 lbs, or 15 lbs single
Tricep extensor – 40 lbs (the dips do a good job of working the triceps, plus a special kind of push-up that I learned from taekwondo)
Leg lifts (I do a set of 30 reps. Lift legs out in front, the right, and the left. Doing the leg lifts to the sides helps work out the obliques/side muscles. I hate the new apparatus for this. I can only tolerate the apparatus once in a while because it aggravates my back, even though it’s supposed to be ergonomically designed.)

Free weights:
Two additional shoulder exercises
– lift weight in front using shoulder muscles
– bending at waist lift weight out to the side using muscles along the scapulae (this is the same as the machine that works in reverse of the pectoral fly)
– wrist strengthening – 15 lbs
– dead lift – 30 lb bar

Other exercises:
Pushups (I’m slowly working on single handed pushups – it’s very hard! For now, I’m just holding myself up on one hand for a 10 second count)
Situps
Cycling
Elliptical