Pneumatised!

Wednesday, August 17

Today, I went to the do jang. It was a small class for patterns and I got to spend some time practicing my pattern and techniques. I ended up taking the next class which was loads of kicking, bouncing, and hopping again. Nathan and I made plans to meet up after I was done at the do jang so we could go and do some track running.

My hamstrings are a little sore. My shins aren’t that sore now – they were sore for a few days after the trail run on Sunday.

The track running today was specifically to time my run on the 400m and to start to increase my top speed. This should help make the trail runs easier as I won’t be using my top speed. When we got to the track (I’m using Central Technical School’s track), we stretched out a bit and warmed up, then did a lap around the track. It was a bit tiring at first, but we did another run trying to pick up the pace a bit. We did this lap in 1 minute 55 seconds. Next, I did a lap by myself just concentrating on maintaining a decent pace. I finished the lap in 1 minute 48 seconds. Not bad. Not extremely fast, but not a turtle either. Not bad for someone who didn’t like running to begin with. Now, I have a base to work up from. I still need to work on the endurance though because I could feel the fatigue in my body (but still pushed it for the last little bit).

After my lap, Nathan did one fast one by himself. He did well with a time of 1 minute 34 seconds. I’m sure he’ll get better soon enough. I keep saying he’s got runner’s (and cyclist’s) legs because his quads are so huge! Then he did another easy lap by himself. I had enough of a workout and I did what I needed to do tonight (find my top time so far), so I didn’t do another lap. I tried to keep my legs warm though by doing some knee-ups and taekwondo-style bouncing.

Now, here’s the fun part. Assuming I can keep up a pace of 1 minute 48 seconds for 400m, I should be able to do 10k in 45 minutes. Not bad, I could live with that. So this means that if I can pick up the speed for the short 400m making the 1 minute 48 seconds an easy pace for me, the endurance shouldn’t be an issue for the 10k.

So, I’m happy about tonight. I feel good. It’s nice to get air in my lungs and I know the muscle soreness in my hamstrings, quads, and calves will only make them stronger. The other thing that felt good was the wind in my hair while running. It’s a nice feeling. Almost like flying. 🙂 It’s like that feeling going downhill skiing (when I was much younger!) Maybe I’ll learn to love running. Hm… at this point, I’m wondering if my taekwondo training has made running easier.

Tomorrow, I’m going to take it easy. I have gumdo class and I need to practice for the test on Friday. Saturday, I have 3 hours taekwondo training (black belts only). Thinking I should do more track work on Friday night if there’s time and the trail run on Sunday (assuming I’m not too tired from 3 hours of taekwondo training, not sure what the Master has planned for us).

Well, time for lots of R&R.

Cassandrah
Your local webmistress
Brigid’s Flame

Yes, I was asked to test for the next belt in gumdo. The test is this Friday and between now and then, I will have to review some of the stuff and practice a bit. I’ll be trying to blow out a candle with the sword with only 20 tries. Wishing myself luck on that and hoping my sword technique improves for that.

I’m a little nervous about the test, but think I’ll do fine. I pick up things quick enough, so I’ll just need to remain focused and concentrate on technique.

Next week, I’ll get to learn two more duelling techniques and two more sword patterns. Fun!

BB,
Cassandrah
Your local webmistress
Brigid’s Flame

I went to the do jang today for gumdo and taekwondo class. Gumdo class was fun as always. (More on this – next blog entry.)

I noticed some improvement in my kicking in taekwondo class. I felt like bouncing on my toes today which is a good thing, makes the kicks faster to execute. My kicks were a little stronger, although my legs were overall still a little tired. However, I think my muscles will just build up over time.

Tomorrow is patterns class and I’ll probably just work on patterns and techniques drills tomorrow. After, Nathan and I are going to do some running on a track. The track work will be mostly to develop some speed (as opposed to endurance on the trail runs).

So, I’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with an update on the track running.

Cassandrah
Your local webmistress
Brigid’s Flame

Here are the distances for the route Nathan and I did on Sunday, August 14:

1. Starting from our place on Isabella St. near Sherbourne, head west on Isabella to Jarvis.
2. Go north on Jarvis to Bloor St.
3. West on Bloor St. to Park Rd.

Total distance for the above is 0.8 km.

4. North, then east on Park Rd. to Rosedale Valley Rd. (0.3 km)
5. Turn right onto Rosedale Valley Rd. to Bayview Ave. (follow the bike trail; 2.1 km).
6. North on Bayview Ave. to Pottery Rd. (follow the bike trail to Pottery Rd. only; bike trail continues north so look for the green sign to turn onto Pottery Rd.)
7. East on Pottery Rd. (uphill the whole road) to Broadview Ave. (intersection is Broadview and Mortimer)

Total distance for #6 and #7 is 3.4 km.

8. South on Broadview Ave. to Danforth Ave. (0.8 km)
9. West from Danforth Ave. via Prince Edward Viaduct to Sherbourne St. (1.6 km)
10. South on Sherbourne to Linden St. (a short side street a block before Isabella St.; 0.2 km)
11. Follow Linden St. to Huntley St. (0.2 km)
12. South on Huntley St. back to Isabella St. and head home. (0.3 km)

Total distance is 9.7 km.

Here is the new route with the distances:

1. From our place on Isabella St., west to Church St. (0.5 km)
2. North on Church St. to Park Rd. (0.5 km)
3. North-east on Park Rd. to Rosedale Valley Rd. (0.2 km)

The next few parts of the route is the same as #5, 6, and 7 above.
4. Down Rosedale Valley Rd. to Bayview Ave. (2.1 km)
5. North on Bayview Ave. to Pottery Rd, then up Pottery Rd. to Broadview and Mortimer. (3.4 km)

The additions to the route include Jackman and Huntley streets.
6. Continue east along Mortimer to Jackman, 1 block. (0.2 km)
7. South on Jackman to Danforth Ave. (0.8 km)
8. West on Danforth Ave., the Viaduct, and Bloor St. to Huntley St. (2.3 km)
9. South on Huntley to Isabella St. and home (0.5 km)

Total distance is 10.5 km.

Cassandrah
Your local webmistress
Brigid’s Flame

Sunday, Nathan accompanied me on a trail run. (He said he was going to run the 10k with me. :)) While, I wasn’t intending to run the whole trail (it was close to 10k), we did a good amount of running for the first half of it. The main purpose of the run on Sunday was to check out the trail first.

This is the route we did.

1. Starting from our place on Isabella St. near Sherbourne, head west on Isabella to Jarvis.
2. Go north on Jarvis to Bloor St.
3. West on Bloor St. to Park Rd.
4. North, then east on Park Rd. to Rosedale Valley Rd.
5. Turn right onto Rosedale Valley Rd. to Bayview Ave. (follow the bike trail).
6. North on Bayview Ave. to Pottery Rd. (follow the bike trail to Pottery Rd. only; bike trail continues north so look for the green sign to turn onto Pottery Rd.)
7. East on Pottery Rd. (uphill the whole road) to Broadview Ave. (intersection is Broadview and Mortimer)
8. South on Broadview Ave. to Danforth Ave.
9. West from Danforth Ave. via Prince Edward Viaduct to Sherbourne St.
10. South on Sherbourne to Linden St. (a short side street a block before Isabella St.)
11. Follow Linden St. to Huntley St.
12. South on Huntley St. back to Isabella St. and head home.

The bulk of the running we did was on Rosedale Valley Road, Bayview and a short run up Pottery Road. By the time we got to Pottery Road, I was getting a bit tired, but I felt good. It’s good to get fresh air (as fresh as you can ever find in Toronto) in my lungs. I timed the distance from Park Rd. and Rosedale Valley Rd. to Broadview and Mortimer. It took us just under 45 minutes, but that was because we had to walk part of the way. That was fine with me though. I had some chicken noodle soup before stretching up to go run (a good half hour before, but for me it’s usually better if I eat about 2 hours before, but I couldn’t run on a completely empty stomach), so that probably slowed me down a bit. Also, Sunday was an endurance run. I wasn’t going to push myself too hard on the long distance yet. It was good to get a feel for how long 10km would be.

After we got back, we determined what the total distance was. It was about 9.6 km, so going to add something to the route and change one thing. After we come up Pottery Rd., we will continue East on Mortimer to Jackman, then go south on Jackman to Danforth. From there we will continue west on Danforth and across the Viaduct to get to Bloor. Instead of going on Bloor to Sherbourne, we will continue one more block to Huntley, then head south on Huntley to Isabella and home. At the beginning of the route, we will go from Isabella to Church, then north on Church to Park Rd. to Rosedale Valley Rd. The main part of the route stays the same. Rosedale Valley Rd. to Bayview to Pottery Rd.

After getting back, we did some conditioning exercises. Situps, pushups, back strethening, and then some stretching to soothe our muscles. (Then of course, we ate! Hehe… pasta with home-made bolognese sauce!)

Well, today is gumdo and taekwondo class, so I have to run. I’ll be back later with the distances calculated for the routes.

BB,
Cassandrah
Your local webmistress
Brigid’s Flame

I just returned from the gym and had a nice shower. 🙂

Managed to survive just over 11 minutes at 7 mph (including short stops) on the treadmill. Pretty good so far. As mentioned earlier, my foot was hurting me so it was making the running a little difficult. Also, my hamstring felt like hyperextending on me so I had to stop and let my hamstring calm down. Overall, I feel pretty good. Energized. It’s good to get some air into my lungs. My total running distance today was about 1.1 miles.

After, I did some weight training. Because of my knee, I always have to do the leg press to strengthen up my quads and hamstrings. Also, because I have a shifty left kneecap, the leg press helps me to stablilize it by strengthening the appropriate side of the quads. Also did a bunch of other weight and conditioning exercises.

Here’s a list:

Hamstring flexor
Hip adductors
Hip abductors
Pull-ups (both military style and fists together parallel)
Dips (works the triceps)
Shoulder fly (works the medial deltoids and anterior deltoids)
Shoulder lifts overhead (works the anterior deltoids and the medial deltoids)
Tricep extensions
Bicep curls
Shoulder extensions (arms in front)
Leg lifts (lift to center, right, center, left)
Stomach curls (machine, better than doing sit-ups if you have back issues)
Push-ups (always try to do 100 in some variety)

Of course, I stretched out a bit before I leave for the day. Flexibility is very important in taekwondo as it helps make those fancy high kicks easier to do. 😉

So, that was my workout today. I didn’t do a full weight training workout. I’m thinking with the running, I might have to cycle in the other machines so I don’t have to do full weight training all the time. Might be too tiring at first.

Okay, I have got to run. I promised to help some people set up for tonight.

Cassandrah
Your local webmistress
Brigid’s Flame

Today I start training for a 10k run. Granted I probably won’t have to do it until next July but it’s never too soon to start training – not when it’s important to keep fit. Plus, I figure if I can get my running speed and endurance up to a certain point, maintaining that level should be relatively easy and running the 10k should be less overwhelming (but still challenging!)

I have to do two things:

1) Push my running speed up to at least 8mph (which means I would finish a 10k run in 46.5 minutes; 10km = 6.2 miles). Ideally, 10mph would be great. It would pushing elite athlete level and means I could finish the 10k in 37.2 minutes. For reference, the world records for the 10k are 26 minutes 20 seconds (men) and 29 minutes 31 seconds (women) (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-distance_track_event). The woman ran at just over 12.61 mph.
2) Of course, I have to increase my endurance. So far I’m only at 6.5 mph but can push 7 mph and I’ve only been doing 10 minute runs on the treadmill at the gym. Have to start running 20 minutes each time I run and gradually increase the pace.

Those are my objectives. On top of all that, I have to maintain my taekwondo training. The past year because of my knee, my kicking speed and endurance have decreased. I’m only now just getting that back up. (Kicking speed and endurance in taekwondo is mostly important to Olympic-style taekwondo, the sport aspect, and is what the general public associate with taekwondo. However, that does not mean we, or I in particular, neglect hand techniques and developing excellent form. If anything my hand techniques are probably better than my kicks right now when before it used to be the opposite.) Overall though, I’m thinking the running will help with that as well. Hence, I will be tracking my martial art classes as well.

So today, I’m going to try to push myself a bit. It’s going to hurt. I might just only start with 10 minutes but pushing the speed to 7 mph. Not quite sure if I can last 20 minutes. Not because of the cardio but because my foot is a bit sore today. This is due to the hour of taekwondo training where we are bouncing on our feet the majority of the time doing kicking drills – lots of stepwork, running, and hopping. Since I hadn’t been doing this type of training for awhile, my foot is only getting used to it again (as is my knee). There is alot of impact coming down on my feet (and knee) with each bounce. (For those who know anatomy, it’s my metatarsals and the metatarsophalangeal joints that hurt.) I’m thinking I’ll use some lavendar and peppermint oil on my foot to make it feel better. In the long term though, the bouncing, running, and hopping is good for my feet (and knee) because it will help calcify and stregthen the joints. The biggest issue is making sure that my form is correct and that my feet land properly.

Okay, I should be back later with a little update.

(Oh, I did one hour of gumdo then one hour of crazy taekwondo kicking class yesterday. Wednesday, I went in to help teach the patterns class, then did one hour taekwondo kicking, then one hour weight training at the gym.)

Cassandrah
Webowner
Brigid’s Flame

MM,

I’m not a running fan. I’ve always found it a little boring to just run, but as a new challenge for me and because I’ll have to do this next year to test for my 2nd dan black belt, I have to start training for a 10km run.

Now, this isn’t easy work. Professional athletes make it look easy. At the gym, I do the threadmill as a way to keep up my cardio on my days off taekwondo or when I feel I haven’t gotten a good cardio workout. So far, I’ve only been able to establish a 9.67 minute mile pace (i.e., running at 6.2 mph I finish a mile in just under 10 minutes) For a 10km run, that means I’ll finish in 1 hour (10 km = 6.2 miles). What this means is that I’ll have to increase my pace or I’ll be exhausted after an hour. Running at a faster pace is more efficient and better cardio-wise. (More on running, see Wikipedia article on “running”.)

To properly train for a 10k run, most sources say somewhere between 10 to 12 weeks consistent training is adequate to ensure completion of the run. This depends on who often you train – 3 or 4 times a week. Generally, less or more than that is not effective. Once or twice a week won’t get your cardio up as you have to constantly put the bar higher and more than 4 times a week doesn’t allow your body to properly rest after the strain you put on your body (most notably knees and ankles) from training. So not only do I have to put in my hours at the do jang (where I already put lots of strain on my knees and ankles from the kicking and bouncing) but I have to somehow fit running training in 3 times a week. (And let’s not talk about the work I actually should be doing… but hey, this all fits together… I can’t be an expert promoter of health and fitness if I’m not healthy and fit. Talk the talk. Walk the walk. Integrity – one of the taekwondo principles. See? That all relates.)

Aside from the above stated reasons for doing a 10k run, I also feel that the challenge is also a test of my spirituality. Being able to accomplish the run is all in the mind – ask the professional runners. The mind can make the body do what it wants it to. So, having set my mind to do this, I should have no problems completing the 10k. 🙂 However, my goal isn’t just completing the 10k run – it’s completing it and feeling great after. I don’t want to just complete it and then collapse right after. The goal is to complete it feeling exuberant and with a smile. (Perhaps I’ll be a running fan afterall… oh, little cynical other me voice in the head saying “Don’t push your luck.”)

But before all that happens, there’s the training. In the end though, I think it will be worth it. My spirit and soul will probably thank me (my body will thank me later I think after a good rest and lots of water!).

BB,
Cassandrah
Your local webmistress
Brigid’s Flame

P.S. Anyone have a good training plan (3 times a week), please post. Thanks.

MM,

I recently started taking Haidong Gumdo classes – a Korean sword martial art. So far, I’m enjoying it.

When I was studying taekwondo, I was introduced to a variety of weapons arts – short sticks (Tahn Bong in Korean), nunchakus, and long staff (Jang Bong in Korean, or commonly known as bo staff in Japanese). While I enjoyed these weapons arts, at the time I was primarily focused on learning taekwondo and getting a base in that one martial art first (i.e., finally getting my black belt). I also particularly wanted to learn Sais (if you don’t know what a Sai is, it’s the weapon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Raphael uses) and sword. For Sais, I’m pretty much learning it on my own right now as I have not found anyone to teach it. But I’ve been lucky to find that a taekwondo do jang teaches sword – Haidong Gumdo. After my first three classes this week, I already feel that the sword is my weapon (see “What Kind of Weapon Am I?” quiz below). It has a grace and feel that is natural and seems to complement what I’ve already learned from taekwondo. It also emphasizes learning patterns, something I learned I love from taekwondo, and teaches Dahn Jun, a breathing exercise very similar to many other moving meditation styles utilizing the tantien (an energy center located a few inches below the naval; Reiki students, Tai Chi students, and other martial artists should be familiar with this concept).

This week too (yesterday night), I also got a taste of what to expect from a sword test. Patterns, of course, but also blowing out a candle with a sword. In order to blow out a candle with a sword, one must develop excellent technique and create wind with the weapon. This is a concept that is very important to any kind of strike in martial art. This recalls to my mind my taekwondo instructor (one of the best!) saying that we should hear the wind every time we punch or strike. After seeing the candle blowing yesterday, I decided to have a go at it. Even if I don’t blow the candle out with the sword, at the very least it will let me know how good my technique is and be good practice for me!

In doing this sword practice (today!), I decided to try blowing out the candle with an empty hand technique from taekwondo. This I thought much more than breaking concrete would be a very good test of my martial arts abilities. So sitting on both knees and leaning over slightly, I started doing knife hand techniques passing over the candle flame. Now, this is tricky because you have to make sure you do not exhale sharply and blow out the candle with your breath! As a taekwondo student, I got used to doing my kiap (Korean for “yell”) while doing techniques, but could not while trying to blow the candle out with my hand. All I could do was control my breathing through my nose. To my amazement, eventually I blew out the candle with my knife hand strike! Yay! I was a little stunned and happy. “Wouldn’t my instructor be proud?!” I tried this again with a standing candle (the first one was a tea light), and did it again. A third try today did the same thing.

So, now I know I can blow a candle out with a knife hand strike. Next, I’ll have to do that in less tries (I lost count but I think it was around 10 tries) and of course, I will have to do this with a sword! Thinking I will need roughly one month of sword practice…

BB,
Cassandrah
Your local webmistress and “kickmeister”
Brigid’s Flame

P.S. On a theoretical note, all martial arts deal with developing and controlling internal energy through practice. It is good control of energy that allows a martial artist to accomplish some amazing feats.