Day 90 and Beyond

I finished a week ago Friday, rather than Thursday. By the time I got home from work and my improv class, it was going on 10:00 p.m. I decided I wanted a full night's rest before tackling the last work-out.

It took 6 tries to get a no-miss (and non-smacked-in-the-face) set; and a couple of those misses came in the last 10 seconds.

So, what did I come away with over the last 90 days?

Here's the score:

Standing forward bend: 1 and 1/2 inches from the top of my feet

Vertical Jump: 8 feet, 11 & 3/4 inches (237.7 cm)

Consecutive hits of the ping-pong ball: 188

Here's the raw, gratuitous results:

Boo-yeah!

Last week, I was able to knock out 13 consecutive pull-ups in good form (and an extra one, in bad form). Four sets of 8 or 9 dips are no problem. I can do 75 V-Sits on a single session. At the start of this thing, there's no way I would have managed any of these.

More important--since it will have a longer-term impact on sustaining all this awesome progress--is what I've learned.

First, that this project, much like the PCP, is never really finished. The KFB is a path, not a destination. Really, this was 'Mindfulness, Strength, & Flexibility 101. Like it or not--and aware of it or not--I am constantly 'practicing' something. Sitting hunched over a desk all day is, essentially, rehearsing inflexibility. Obsessing about projects and looming deadlines at work is, in reality, a non-stop stres dress-rehearsal. Stopping for 3, 5, 15 minutes a day and just sitting still helped make me a lot more conscious of how unhelpful my 'professional' work persona can be, and how much of its bad habits had spilled over into what should be a much more richly experienced life.

Next, balance. Literally (I could probably stay in Standing-Crane for minutes on end) and, more important, symbolically. On the PCP, I was starting from such an abyss of un-fitness that I could get away with six hours of sleep, an irregular workout schedule, and almost no stretching whatsoever, and still see incredible gains. But once I was in shape, and once the intensity was wratcheted up in the work-outs, there wasn't any more slack in the system. Any lapse in the diet, any lack of sleep, or any over-exertion had a fairly quick impact on my workout, either that day or the next.

Finally, awareness. At first, the meditation seemed like this weird activity that was completely tangential to the workouts and stretching. Over the past three weeks, however, I've come to realize that it's totally essential to acheiving and maintaining a high level of fitness. I HAD to be aware to get here. Aware of my level of tension, so I could relax and get more out of the stretches. Aware of my day-to-day choices (sleep, outside activities), so they wouldn't undermine my workouts. And aware of my limits, so I could comfortably, safely push them.

Climbing this high up the mountain of wellness is an amazing experience. But closer to the summit, the path is steep, the trail narrow, and there are a lot fewer tree branches to cling to. There is a much more--a bad night's sleep, a few days of bad food choices, work distractions--that can knock you off the mountain. And there were a few times I definitely tripped and fell on my face. But, looking back, I don't see these as failures; I view them as learning experiences I've absorbed that will make it easier to stay on the path going forward. To have a strong body, I need a strong mind--to make the choices that nourish strength. And to have a strong mind, I need a strong body--to remain awake to the limitless choices I have, and the consequences of each.

Thanks to Ellen and Tara for all of your support, insights, and inspiration along the way. Deborah and Ilan, hopefully you'll get to share your efforts and insights in the future. And thanks again to Patrick, for once again helping me to see my limits, and forcefully--but skillfully, mindfully--push past them.

Despite how crazy fit I am now, I have a long way to go, especially in the area of flexibility. (I'd love to be able to kick above my head, as well as do justice to the wide-angel forward bend). But after the last 90 days, I feel I'm now prepared enough--with the skill, the gong-fu--to get there.

Peace!
-Brett

Day 81

Just checking in; it's been a busy day, and a busy evening trying to maintain not only the workouts, but a semblance of a social life, as well.

Still going strong--the alternating kicks and swings are a welcome break, but definitely no joke, especially by the time I get to the coordination exercises.

I feel like the changes that have happened over the last (almost) 90 days have been very subtle. I'm sure when I started out that I wouldn't be balancing myself while riding the Metro. I KNOW there's no way I would have been able to knock out as many pull-ups and dips as I currently do at the start of this thing, nor do 80 V-sits in one session.

Saturday I ran 6 miles in the recently arrived, 80-degree summer-like weather; the first time I've run that far in at least 3 weeks. And it wasn't too difficult, though it did make for some tired legs and heavier kicks over the following day or two.

Sleep has been a rarer commodity the past couple days, and because of it, I can feel my body & mind fighting the workouts. But I know it's just lack of sleep--I'm aware of it, and I've been able to step away, call it what it is, take care of the workout, and move on. Before, I'd just caffeinate myself and, in my sleep-deprived state, get agitated (or let myself think I was agitated) at some situation at work. But now I try not to let that mood grab the steering wheel of my thoughts and pull me off the psychic highway.

Time to exit off at the rest stop & hit it hard again tomorrow. Hope everyone is staying strong as we head towards Day 82...

Day 76

Long time, no post.

My eye issues are much better, and I've managed to get back on a more regular schedule with the work-outs. The diet continues strong--I've gotten into a pretty good rhythm of cooking 2-3 times per week and storing everything I need for a few days (or more) well ahead of time. I haven't even touched the punch card for my local salad joint, which still offers plenty of Gong-Fu-y choices, in almost one month. Here's a recent meal, with baked tilapia, salad, and farmers market bread:

For the most recent mindful food experience, I revisted the earlier one--a nice, big fat cup--OK, a bowl, really--of sugary, syrupy nutty coffee over-load:

And it's sweet, doughy side-kick, the low-fat, high-carb bran "muffin" (which is, in its essence, just a cake):

The muffin seemed thicker and doughier than the last experience. I was eating it later in the day, so it may have lost some of its moisture throughout the afternoon (or it could also have been a hold-over from the previous day). Perhaps for that reason, it actually seemed sweeter. My teeth actually stung a little from the sugar onslaught. Likewise, the macadamia nut mocha seemed consistently sweet over the course of my drinking it. Again, about half way through the gargantuan porcelein bucket-o-java, I felt a satiation switch in my head flip to the 'on' position. After this, I had trouble keeping my focus on the flavors, which felt less delightfully sweet, and more sickeningly so. Drinking and tasting became a little less mindful, and a little more mechanical. (Side note--if you are aware of losing your state of mindfulness, are you really losing your state of mindfulness?)

The interesting thing about this experience was how I paid closer to the after-effects. I went to see a comedy show later in the evening, after doing dinner with a friend. I felt much more hyped-up early in the show--and defintiely laughed a lot more than I did later, after the unavoidable sugar-crash. And hanging out after the show, I certainly felt much less awake and alert. It's probably true that there were more solidly humorous moments early in the improv show, but I the blood-sugar crash definitely brought me down more than I would otherwise have experienced. In earlier times, I may have seen the crash as a 'problem' that needed a quick 'solution'--another hit of caffeine, another shot of sugar. Now I feel like it's OK just to go with the feeling, and act on it with skill by acknowledging the message, heading home, and getting sleep.

A couple months back, I watched the documentary that Deborah had recommended, about the relationship between humans, our primate cousins, stress, and social higherarchy. I've come to appreciate the role that stress has in pushing us towards unhealthy choices. The stress created by working on the lower-rungs of a job higherarchy, at the mercy of clients and supervisors and with little control over what you do and when and how you do it, drives us to seek out quick and easy dopamine hits via food, booze, cigarettes, even shopping for symbols of higher status--which are in turn produced by companies with similarly stress-inducing structures. Eventually we become sick enough to seek out real drugs, which a different set of organizations--legal and otherwise--is more than happy to provide. The temporary stress-solutions we consume therefore end up creating ever more problems for ever more quick-fix producers to 'solve.' Naturally, we can't escape the costs forever, and eventually we all end up paying--through higher taxes, insurance premiums, and hospital bills to support a far older and far sicker population than we otherwsie would have.

Granted, this is a bit pessimistic; there are always going to be real, unavoidable problems that benefit from healthy, creative and efficient means to address them (such as, ahem, innovative on-line fitness programs). But once we've addressed these, I think we should just sit back and ride the flow of the experience of that better life we've created, rather than monkey around with everyone else.

That's my soap-box speach for the week. Off to bed, and looking forward to another week...

Alive... ...and still kicking.

I need to hit the hay, so this will be a short one. The pink-eye turned out to be much worse--inflamation of the iris. And damn it hurt. Thank God for steroids. (Eye-drops--nothing performance-enhancing). But after several doctor's appointments, I definitely got knocked out of the routine. I missed several days of workouts--not in a row, but every other day. I incorporated some of the missed sets into a couple longer workouts--I especially didn't want to miss out on some of the stretches, and the back exercises. But after tonight's stretches, I'm back on track. Since the eye issue is such a new and interesting source of excruciating pain (sarcasm--heavy sarcasm), I've decided not to risk starting up raging parties in other regions of my body. I decided to quit Aikido, at least for the next few months. It wasn't bad, just waaaay too risky for my joints right now, especially with the couple die-hards in the classes and all of the newbies. As Patrick noted, Americans tend to waaay over-do the martial arts, and even Aikido Dojos can often become "injury city." I'm taking a break while I'm still injury free, and think about coming back to it when I'm a helluva lot more flexible, and my system has calmed down. Onward...

Day 58 and the Black Cygnet

I'm back in the saddle after hitting my first significant speed bump on the Kung-Fu highway. Last week, I noticed that my right contact started bothering me. So I took it out and wore glasses. But the eye just got worse, and by Thursday it had exploded into a gory expose of excruciatingly painful conjunctivitis. Even worse--it's the end of the quarter at work. Worse still--I encountered error after error when trying to run all of my end-of-quarter reports. Several errors were new--they were related to system changes. Others were more routine, but I should have spotted them. Still others were routine, but popped-up last minute. On top of the eye and the work gremlins, I had my first level 1-B Improv class the same evening. As a result, what I was hoping would be a nice, easy 8-hour day, followed by some spontaneous fun and exploration turned into a 13-hour work-a-thon with a 3-hour break for class, topped off with a nearly sleepless night popping pain pills and icing my eyeball to dampen the relentless sensation of someone jabbing a needle into my cornea. I stuck to the diet, but there were no workouts Thursday and Friday. And yes, I did head into work Friday to finish up my reports. But I did leave early, to head home and crash. The eye is a little better, but still looks like something out of Fangora magazine, and is still, I assume, contagious. I'm taking off tomorrow from work, at the very least; I don't want to pose any further risk to my team members. And I'm going to need most of the day to wash, clean, and disinfect everything I've had contact with in the apartment, in addition to the usual work-out routine, and some extra stretching. Ugh. At the very least, this will help me appreciate, once again, the fortune that is maintaining good health. I managed to get in part of Thursday's work-out on Saturday, roping for 18 minutes, then doing 5 sets of pull-ups, followed by the hang-out. The regularly scheduled workout followed later in the afternoon. Just finished up today's workout (my sleep-scheduled has also been thrown waaaay out of orbit). Off to bed--and, hopefully, a start to recovery and a return to a steadier--and more skillful--path.

Day 48: Some Thoughts at the Half-Way Point

...of course, it's not really the 'half-way' point. Just as the PCP is not really just 90 days. But still a good time for reflection.

First, the Stats:

1. 87 hits with the ping-pong ball.

2. 'Cold' morning bend: finger-tips hovering about 2 and 1/2 inches above my feet. Not great, but an improvement.

3. Standing jump: 8 feet, 11 inches (2.718 meters)--almost 3 inches gained.

Mindfulness

I recently decided to give up caffeine. I realized that my one--and often twice--daily ritual of heading down to Bourbon Coffee to get my fix was really just getting me wound up and tense, and therefore costing me a quality work-out, quality stretching, and quality sleep.

I feel like I'm definitely more aware of my mood swings, and what affects them. I still bury myself in my work. Today was a great--not so great?--example: a 12-hour day, much of it packed into my chair. I almost caved and got caffeinated, but settled on defaf, instead. Back on the horse tomorrow...

Strength


Tons. I can knock out V-sit after V-sit. On Day 46, I was also able to complete all 4 sets of 8 dips, with decent form, AND the 3 sets of 10 elevated push-ups. My weakness is still the pull-ups, where I always hit failure on the last set, before completing the minimum reps.

Flexibility


Still my achilles heel--pun intended. And I know it will take time--long beyond the end of the ninety days (probably several hundred in total). But it'll be worth it; I can imagine how cool it would feel to be able to draw giant circles in the air with a crescent kick, or touch my knee to my chest on a leg swing.


Balance

Tons better. Limited flexibility keeps me from going horizontal in the Buddha pose, but I can rock the crane and flying crane with minimal difficulty. I can easily stand on the subway for minutes at a time without holding the hand rails.

Coordination

Getting better; I run into fewer things (usually), and find myself more easily snaking my way through crowds on the subway, especially on the escalators.

Speed

Steady, but slow progress. My new nemesis: the paper, which I only blew down with a punch twice this evening.

On an up note:

As I ran for the bus today on my way home from work, my umbrella bounced out of my backpack. I sprinted back across the street, grabbed it--and then got stuck waiting for traffic. The bus motored on up the block toward the next stop. I lept across the avenue at the first break in the cars, then launched into a full sprint--when my coffee mug took its turn and bounced out of my backpack. "S%$#&!!". The bus crossed the next street north, and pulled up to its next stop; two riders began to board. Still a half-block away, I ran back, grabbed the mug, tucked it under my arm like a football, and then let my legs unleash their full fury. I focused on pulling my knees up as high as I could, and covering the most pavement with each stride. I breathed easily and let my upper-body relax and my arms propel me forward. I took advantage of the green light and remaining 10 seconds on the 'walk' sign and sailed across M-Street. The last rider cleared the yellow line as my face, with wide eyes and a half-crazed expression, filled the side-view mirror. The driver paused long enough for me to bound into her field of vision, then waited for me to bounce aboard. I pulled my SmartTrip card, then looked down: a map covered the meter. "It's broken, unless you want to pay with cash..." she said. "Naw, not really," I replied, smiling. Then, breathing quickly but deeply, a small shot of adrenaline coursing through my buzzing arms and legs, I took my seat and enjoyed the free ride.

Mindful consumption and mindless grazing

I Friday, I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I combined the mindful consumption with a dinner party with some friends. Of course, since this was a dinner party, I slightly modified the criteria--I defined 'one sitting' as the general time frame during the party over which everyone would be eating/drinking/drinking more. So, really, any time between when I got off of work, and 1:00 a.m.

And just to be sure I kept it mindful (so I told myself), before the party I went solo on a grande gelato with brown butter, espresso, and Mexican chocolate flavors. (I truly wish I could entertain with a picture, but my phone had died by the time I started to dig in). The flavors were amazing, each unique and sharply delineated from the other, bound together by the same creamy, smooth texture and cool temperature. The brown butter was almost like a soothing balm against the spicy kick of the Mexican chocolate, while the espresso took it in an entirely different direction. After about the half-way point, as I dug down deeper into the butter flavor, I found my mind wandering, and I started people-watching in the gelato shop. About two thirds of the way in, my tongue partly anesthetized, the sugar rush kicked in. I ended by focusing more on the buzz than on the flavors.

The party was not pretty. Unlike the gelato, my experience was pretty far from meditative. Essentially, over the course of 3 hours, I gorged myself. The upside: half the fare was actually pretty healthy, with chicken & veggie skewers, a spinach & green-leaf salad, all washed down by water. The downside? The other half, not so healthy. I munched on potato and tortilla chips carrying teaspoonsful of either fatty dip or salty salsa. And towards the end of the evening, after everyone was on to their third (or fifth, or sixth) beer, I was downing the lemon squares our hosts made for dessert. About five of them.

Honestly, aside from a bit of a sugar hang-over and a somewhat bloated stomach, I felt fine the next day...

...as I would have if I hadn't lept quite so far from the wagon into a sea of gluttonous indulgence.

Day 39 and the last 10

I was happy to finally unleash my appetite on all the veggies that I can eat, but I also noticed that comes with the price of more--more reps, more sets, more jumps. But definitely worth the 'cost.' I'm trying to stick to PCP rules--80%full.

Otherwise, the diet has been fairly easy to stick to; I've done well cooking & prepping everything ahead of time, and when I've been caught eating out in social situations, I've successfully steered friends towards places with healthier options--a kabob house (meat on a bead of fresh greens) yesterday, a Moroccan place with plenty of decent salads on Friday, and the local cafe (Open City) with some fairly healthy breakfast options on Sunday. (A couple of their meals feature arugula salad. For breakfast. Love it.) Tonight, I did hit a happy hour for my grad program, for prospective students & alumni. All bar food, all carb-y. I had a spoonful of salsa, then headed home for a proper meal.

At this point, there's only one thing I could use a break from--the eggs. (And I'm sure we're just warming up). Seriously, I think I may end up triggering one of the bomb-detecting devices on the subway. In the interest of my social life, I'm open to doing some substitutions...

The workouts go well. I still keep forgetting to bow, especially when I break up the rope, strength/agility, and flexibility segments. Throughout the PCP, I never really finished out the recommended sets of dips, within the proscribed range of reps. This morning I successfully pounded out 4 sets of at least 6 reps; a definite first. The new bar-stool chairs, with their wide, flat surfaces, are definitely helpful. And I'm loving the targeted freestyle & shadow boxing. For a while, I was starting to feel robotic; now, I just slap my round, albino nemesis with whatever combo works best.

The challenges remain the same--the flexibility (slooooowly getting better) and trying to get enough sleep. (I flipped from night workouts to mornings, again, but my z's took a hit last night.) I'm sure my form, especially on back-kicks and side kicks, is atrocious. And I can definitely relax a bit more on the stretches, especially the Big One. I did work in a couple extra sessions on this puppy over the last week or so; hopefully I can squeeze in 1-2 more before Friday.

My right ankle has been feeling gimpy the last several days; that, along with my Improv show and trying to catch up with friends, has put Aikido on hold for almost 2 weeks. Obviously, I'm not worried about losing my physical condition, but would like to retain what I've learned so far.

One interesting side-effect of our more realistic, organic, messy free-style kicking and punching: I notice myself sizing people up more, imagining what they might be like as adversaries.

Off to stretch, meditate, and sleep. Hope every one's week is gong-fu-y.

Day 37: Alive and kicking

Just checking in, still alive and kicking... ...the ping-pong ball.

It's been a busy week; my last improv class, our showcase on Sunday, and having to exercise skill in balancing a social life/friendships, diet, workouts, and sleep. All in all, not bad, all workouts & sets knocked out, but I'm looking forward to being a little more regimented during the coming week.

Details later (hopefuly early) this week.

Off to sleep...

Day 28: Sweet Meditation and Some Sweet New Gear

Mindful Consumption and Mouthful of Meditation

Friday afternoon, I lept 'off the wagon', deliberately, and enjoyed the following:

The bran muffin was sweet, with earthy tones from the whole wheat. I savored the silky texture if the foam from the caramel indulgence, with it's own earthy, coffee flavor. The sweetness from the muffin seemed to mask the sweetness of the coffee drink. There was a richer, more varied texture to the muffin, which changed as the fluffy cake was compressed by the tongue, giving it a doughy consistency accented by the hard, more bitter flakes of oat & bran. The sugar rush kicked in right after the muffin was gone, but with half the drink to go. I felt the same rush as I do after a filling meal or the first couple minutes if rope, but more sudden, almost panicked, as if my body were looking to justify it's own reaction to the sugary spike coursing through my veins. The coffee became fluffier an creamier as it sank lower, the froth gradually overtaking the liquid and the spirals of caramel syrup replacing the sweetness of the muffin.

Two hours later, the sugar high burned off, I noticed I was hungrier than usual. And, therefore, crankier. I found I was quicker to get frustrated; I lost my patience at the grocery store checkout, of all places, when the card reader didn't register my debit card strip, and I had to switch to a credit card, instead. I didn't mellow out again until after I managed to grab some dinner.

I substituted a 3-mile run for the rope today; I'll be knocking out the new workout in just a few.



Gear


And to tackle this week's work-outs, here are a few new additions to the apartment:






I shopped around for shoes, but couldn't find anything that was both sturdy (not just for pretty looks) and flat-soled. Luckily, Amazon saved the day with the martial arts sneakers above. Did my first work-out in the park with them two days ago--a world of difference on the kicks!


I'll be trying out the two bar stools above in a few minutes. One looked like it had been used for some home carpentry, then returned to the store, so I was able to talk Target down to $5. Together, they were around $30. Not bad for a home-made dip station--and a better set of chairs for the kitchen. I'll also be putting together the pull-up bar for some fun tomorrow--looking forward to getting back into the real pull-ups.


How is everybody else doing with the workouts? Anybody else still sore, aside from yourse truly? I think the goal this week, along with the working on the spacial awareness punches and getting down the new, targeted punches and kicks, is going to be to focus on more skillful sleeping.

Off to go hang a ping-pong ball--then kick its ass!

Days--or Day--27 & 28

On the PCP, I felt that the trade-offs were always pretty clear; I worked out EVERY day, rain or shine, no matter how little sleep I've gotten, or how much, or what other activities I subjected my body to. Likewise, I stuck to the diet, no matter what sugary, carby garbage friends and co-workers shoved my way. PCP was linear.

The past week's soreness and fatique have been a wake-up call. All the stuff that I ignored or essentially shelved on the PCP--sleep, stretching, and coping with stress--has a MUCH bigger impact on my progress on the KFB. Some of that I chalk up to how out-of-shape I was pre-PCP; I could stomp blindly ahead with workouts and diet on 6 hours of sleep and still see tons of progress. But now, the starting line is in an entirely different place. I began this journey near my physical peak--to push further, I can't ignore that little list of 'shoulds' I put up on my blog last July: more sleep, better protein, and consistent stretching.

Yesterday, I stayed later than I wanted at work, then went directly to a Peace Corps 50th anniversary party I had committed myself to attending--my second of the week. Unlike the first, there weren't many diet-friendly options; all of the protein came with mandatory carbo-packaging: empenadas. I had 2 of them, just to get in the protein grams, along with some raw carrots (good) and corn-bread (bad) for 'veggies.' Aside from a few sips of cranberry juice, I stuck with water. The party went late; by the time I got home, I was exhausted. Worse, I didn't have access to the gear I needed for pull-ups and Kung-Fus. The apartment buidling's gym was closed, and it was far too late to go 'hang out' in the park.

I contemplated doing everything but the bar-dependent exercises, but then I stopped myself. Really, what would be the most 'skillful' response? Staying late at the party wasn't very gong-fu; however, neither was working out until 1:30 a.m. then logging 5 hours of sleep, then getting up and trying to tackle the stresses and challenges of the day ahead. Unskillful decisions are not math--yes, they have a multiplicative impact on your day, but they don't equal out to a positive in the end just because they are negative. So I skipped yesterday's workout, and basically did Day 27 and Day 28 same-day; I did my Day 28 jumps along with the workout, mindfully at my bran muffin and slurped my caramel delight in the afternoon, and hung out in WAFB this evening, all after getting a fairly good night's rest.

Maybe there's a lesson here from meditation. As our thoughts wander and get tangled up in the random laundry lists our mind spews out, it's best not to fight or push them away, but just let them go and return to focus on the breath. As we make less than ideal decisions, is it really best to try to scramble to 'catch up'--to sprint back to the point where we strayed from the path, then sprint to where we think we should be? Perhaps it's better just to stroll back to the path with the same attention with which we walk it.

My stretching and levels of (in)flexibility are still pretty atrocious; however, I did manage to touch my toes on the twist-leg forward bend, as well as the half forward bend. Possibly for the first time since I last sucked on my thumb.

One more thing I realized this week: on the PCP, as I knocked out increasingly difficult leg exercises, I would inevitably wake up with painful leg cramps in my calves--a direct consequence of nil stretching. So far? Nada--none. Not a single episode.

Onward to Day 29.

Day 23

Evening workout again--tomorrow, back to mornings...

I just polished off a banana-date milkshake; probably too carb-y for the evening snack, and I'm not sure I'm going to bomb my system with that much sugar again. Sweeter than just about anything you could find at Ben & Jerry's. I would have taken a picture, but was simply enjoying it too much.

Day 20 and the last week

Long time, no write.



Fortunately, not the case for the workouts--or the diet. Both continue strong, overall.

Meditation is about the same--lots of buzzing thoughts, and still a struggle to not get caught up in them--or not get caught up in the struggle to not get caught up in them. Every time I feel like I'm straying from the 'present' path, I try to focus my attention back on the breath. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it sucks. Either way, I'm trying to break the habit of 'judging' or 'rating' the session or, worse, berating myself for not focusing enough--I feel like that sort of defeats the purpose.


Today was probably the biggest test of the diet thus far--our department director's 'retirement'/(not really) 'going away' lunch. (In fact, she's transitioning to another role, but will still be engaging in many of the same activities with our team). At one point, our conversation in my part of the room turned to weird things everyone has eaten. I'll spare the stories from overseas (e.g., pancakes with extra 'protein'), but I've now added elk to the list of meats I'd like to try.


And since this is the good 'ol US of A, every transition must be celebrated...



...with tons of carbs and sugar. Unfortunately--or, fortunately?--I didn't snap any camera-phone pics of the ginormous chocolate chip cookies and red velvet cake, all washed down by litre after litre of sugary soda. That was just dessert; lunch was pizza--from Pizza Hut. I stuck to my guns, and stuck with the fruit salad (as my morning fruit snack), then ate a later lunch of sauteed ground bison, steamed squash, and quinoa. (It was easy to avoid Pizza Hut; I worked there in college and, like the red Everclear Kook-Aid that I drank to near oblivion sophomore year, I've already consumed enough for one lifetime, and will never go there again). I've been pretty open about the diet; it's actually easier this time around, since most of my colleagues have already seen me drop my first 25 lbs or so during the PCP (sorry, can't resist a little bragging--it still amazes me...) I just tell them I'm doing another diet/exercise thing, they make a mental note--but hopefully not to avoid inviting me to happy hours, where I'll merrily drink water and socialize.


The workouts have proved a bit more challenging over the past 6 days. I started off the jump-kicks with a little too much gusto, and suffered a small muscle pull. Running 4 miles with a friend later in the weekend was probably not the wisest move, either. I've laid off the Aikido all week, just to play it safe, and I rotated my workouts to evenings, allowing me to sleep in until 8:00 a.m. I also stopped at 6 sets of kicks during work-outs the past two days, rather than the full 8--again, just to play it safe.


It seems to have worked; I just knocked out Day 20, flying kicks, punches, sucky stretches, and all, and the leg bicep has held up fine. Otherwise, push-ups, pull-ups, dips, V-sits--all completed to the max.


Flexibility is still the challenge. And since I'm desk-bound much of the day, I recently resurrected my stand-up desk:











I figure since I'm trying to become more flexible, I can use every advantage. Toward that end, I'm also hoping to add several longer sessions of wide-angle (forward bend?) to my weekly routines.

All in all, I'm starting to notice subtle changes--my balance feels better; I can much more easily stand on one leg while doing my set of shoulder/arm warm-ups before the work-out. I've also been 'surfing' on the Metro a lot more--that is, just standing and focusing on my center of gravity to stay upright, rather than grabbing one of the germ-infested overhead hand-rails.

So the gonfu keeps getting a little stronger.

Day 15 and the week gone by

It's been a busy week, and as with the previous 90-day endeavor, scheduling workouts has proven to be the week's challenge.

I usually like to do the workouts in the mornings. First, it's a great way to start the day (cliched, yes, but true), and second, it sucks trying to force them in at night, when I'm getting tired, hungry, bitchy, and generally not my best self. (Imagine those 'Snickers' commercials, where one of the group turns into diva/rock star/acclaimed-film-director-cum-pain-in-the-ass). Unfortunately, after my visit to see Jenny off to Africa, I apparently ate or drank something (the humus? The tap water in Philadelphia, aka 'Philthydelphia'?) that turned my stomach in knots. No Peace-Corps-esque ceremonies worshiping the porcelain gods, but enough to put my sleep schedule totally out of whack for the rest of the week.

Luckily, that was all that was out of whack. I stuck with the diet like a champ; only once did I have to cave and stop at a store for some carbs with lunch (a croissant; less grams than called for, but probably a lot more butter & salt). Otherwise, I'd already had the foresight to cook & weigh all of my breakfasts & lunches, and managed to nail all of my dinners, as well. Lots of cooked ground bison; organic, free-range chicken breast; steamed veggies (carrots, potatoes, beets, & sun-chokes); whole-grain bread; and mesclun salad with carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, avocado, & cucumber.

Work-outs the rest of the week were good. Yesterday's wide-angle forward bend was not quite as pathetic as last week's, though I did use a pillow, and spent most of the time propping myself up, with my arms behind me. I did manage one small stretching victory--I was able to grab my toes on the elevated groin stretch on Day 9. A first in I-don't-know-how long. Since I'm a few grade-levels behind in the flexibility department, I'm wondering if there is any 'extra' stretching I can do. 5 minutes of forward bend while I read the morning news?

I went to Aikido last Sunday, but haven't been back since. One of my classmates was, uh, somewhat hard-core, and I felt like I pulled something in my shoulder. (I also got to class late, and probably didn't warm-up as much as I could have). Nothing major, thankfully; the soreness went away after a day or two, but I didn't want to take chances and over-do it. I hope to be back for class tomorrow morning.

I pulled a 12-hour day yesterday to try to get a draft of a handbook section done for work, so today was 'catch-up day.' After last night's workout, I literally unplugged my alarm clock, took out the batteries, and let myself sleep as long as I wanted to--which turned out to be about 9 hours.

And I finally got to the challenges today. So, for the record:

1. 12 hits with the ping-pong ball.
2. 'Cold,' morning forward bend: finger-tips 2/3 of the way down my shins. (Ugh.)
3. Standing jump: 8 feet and 8 & 5/8 inches (2.657 m).

Meditation seems very 'hit' or miss; if I'm tired or have something planned post-work-out, then my thoughts tend to drag me along for whatever ride they are on in the moment. Since it's getting cold again, I'll probably split up the work-out & stretching/meditation, taking the latter back inside where it's easier to relax--and avoid frost-bite.

Now to catch up with the rest of the team--hopefully everybody had a solid week!

Days 8, 9 & 10--and a reunion

The rest of day 8 went well; the weather was warmer than it has been, and I managed to do everything--including the meditation--in the park. Here are a couple of the work-out stations where I normally camp out. I use the first for incline pull-ups; the second, triceps dip. Due to the slant on the bar below, I rotate sides.

As we work up to vertical, I hope to graduate up to the big leagues and start using the actual pull-up bar. More photos to follow.

I may eventually bring the meditation inside; as it gets warmer, there are going to be many more people out and about, presenting more distractions. At this point, at least, I'd prefer some quiet and calm during this time.

The diet also goes well; here is this evening's fare. Mixed greens with chopped peppers, carrots, cucumber, and zucchini, with sauteed shrimp & fresh squeezed lemon:

I do have an admission, however. I had a brief lapse on Monday.

Not the work-out; that was fine. I was once again able to get it done indoors, in my room, including jump rope.

No, the lapse was in some guacamole and, later, some hummus & veggies, during my trip to Philadelphia. But then it's not every day--or month, or even decade, really--that you get to see off a fellow PCP graduate and KFBer Jenny "The Paddle" Haddle as she heads overseas to Zambia:

And I did take a tiny, baby-sip of that high-end tequila that Jenny is hoisting, though given the octane level, I think most of it evaporated before it cleared the back of my throat.

We met at the airport, then drove down to the hotel and spent time in downtown Philly. It was great catching up to Jenny, and reminiscing about our days in Morocco as volunteers. Being in DC, I probably had more updates on our compadres then she did, though I'm glad she managed to keep in touch with a couple members of our crew. And yes, she is still in killer shape. And yes, she packed a jump-rope. Two, I believe. (Sadly, we did not pass by--or I didn't notice--any sturdy hanging bars or ledges. The pull-up showdown will have to wait until another day). What was striking was seeing how calm and collected Jenny was. Excited to be going, definitely--but somehow more at ease. Her Gonfu is still strong.

We hung out with several of the other trainees before we had to say our good-byes. Or, really, 'see-you-laters'--southern Africa is on my bucket list, and there's no better time to go than when your friends are already there with some couch (floor?) space.

I'll close out with this pic--I think it kicks ass:

Days 6 & 7

Thursday was not a fun work-day; long, and stressful. So it was good I saved the workout for after work. Rope, strength, and agility all done in the park, the stretching and meditation back in the apartment.

Friday was good; I enjoyed my last few meals 'out' before I start spending more time in the kitchen prepping meals, and said goodbye to my last 'occasional' Aztec Chai. The barister probably knew is was my last for a while, at least subconsciously--he accidentally gave me a large, served in a cartoonishly over-sized mug. My 'wide angel forward bend' is currently none of the above; it's more like a 'narrow-angle upright slouch.' I had to grab the carpet and pull myself down to feel any kind of stretch otherwise, I felt like I was just going to tumble backwards. I had crammed in the workout just before going to a party, so during my 10 minutes of 'watching the mind' was more like 10 minute mental version of Sylvester Stalone's Rocky 'chasing the chicken'. It's tough to meditate when you have somewhere else to be, and you know you are behind schedule getting there. Of course, I really wasn't that late, the party kept going until 1 a.m., and I had a great time.

Day 8--Part I

Today is the first day back on the scales & measured diets. I've been here before, nothing new, and I'm looking forward to getting creative with my food again--and trying to branch out and try some new things. It's winter time, so I'm thinking of doing a lot more squash in the diet, since there is a lot more squash to do. I did the morning forward bend, and will hit the other challenges later this afternoon, after my workout. This is going to be interesting...

Days 4 & 5

Day 4 the workout was done in the evening, in the 'gym' in my apartment building. I spent a good deal of the remainder of the evening cooking, before crashing well after 12 a.m. At least the dinner was right on target:




Ground bison, a few sweet potatoe slices, and a salad with lettuce, peppers, carrots, avocado. And a few walnuts.

Day 5 was not pretty--I was up far too late the night before. I managed to get in the workout in the morning, but I was dead tired by afternoon. I ended up sucking down two Aztec Chai lattes to keep going. I'm taking an Improv class right now. It's mostly for fun, but I also don't want my social and public speaking skills to atrophy, much as I don't want to see my abs, triceps and biceps disappear. One of the consequences of the late night and caffeine abuse was that I was hungry, thirsty, and tired all throughout the class, and I felt it--I wans't nearly as focused and present, and it wasn't nearly as fun as the previous sessions.

Lesson learned. Tomorrow I'm hitting re-set; sleeping in (a little), moving KFB to the evening, and pushing back Aikido to the weekend. To have Kung Fu, I will need do a better job of keeping a Kung-schedule...

Day 3

Workout: Good, still outside, did all three sections back-to-back in the park. No one has me confused with someone with schizophrenia and tried to offer counseling and meds--yet. (Or they are just too scared to approach when I'm punching and kicking).

Dinner--basically same as Saturday, but with no sweet potatoes. Sunday's was not my usual Superbowl carb-a-thon, but I did have an extra piece of pita with hummus, and snacked on walnuts and peanuts. Probably calorie-dense enough to call carbs, so they won't be making an encore appearance after 5 p.m.

I had my first Aikido class of the week, and it went well. Though I'm a little sore, and my joints are starting to feel firey, at least the toes. One of the questions I thought of today was how I should schedule KFB workouts with Aikido. The classes are pretty flexible; I can go Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings, or any evening of the week. I'm a little hesitant to do them back-to-back, just to keep the stress off the joints. For now, I'm thinking morning KFB, with Monday and Thursday evening Aikido, with an odd Saturday thrown in (pun intended) if Thursday night turns social.

As I mentioned during the PCP, sleep is important, and it's going to take some more discipline to make sure I get my 8 in every night.

On that note...

Ready, set... slow?

I completed the first workout outside, in the cold, and in relative dark. My new building is much nicer than the old abode, and I can't really get away with jump rope inside, as I've done on the PCP. So most of what I'll be doing will be outdoors or, if the weather is really bad, in the apartment complex's small--but adequate--gym in the basement.

I admit, the first workout was... easy. Last week I knocked out 6 of the PCP maintenance workouts. So 4 sets of regular push ups didn't feel too tough.

But it was also fun. It felt great to be hanging out in the park, clad in almost all black, punching and kicking the air. And I know, from following the stories of others who have gone down this path, that developing flexibility, agility, and tranquility involves a different approach than just building muscle and melting fat. I'm guessing the next 90 days are going to be MUCH more focused on my nerves, especially that rather large concentration of them between my ears. I'm looking forward to learning how to put it to better use.

The questions are starting to crop up--can I jump outside, then take 5 minutes & move it into the gym? Should I be doing my meditating outdoors, as well, even with all of the cars whizzing past, or should I break up the work-out and head back to my room after stretching?

I cut down my carbs for dinner, eating a 1/2 portion of sweet potatoes, mixed steamed veggies (beets, carrots, broccoli), and some ground bison for protein. I just had a protein shake for a snack (a recently acquired vice that I'm sure I'll be dropping shortly). But I used 1/2 the powder I usually do.

I'm still contemplating my goals for the next three months--and whether I should even have any, or just enjoy the ride. More thoughts on this over the next week.

A quick blog update: I've fleshed out some thoughts on where I would like this to lead in the earlier intro post.

Off to dinner--and Day 4 tomorrow.

Ready!

The Tao is like a well:
used but never used up.
It is like the eternal void:
filled with infinite possibilities.

Nice intro--hopefully I'll come to appreciate it over the next three months.

So, I'm back! And looking forward to a new, interesting, challenging, and different experience as we begin KFB.

And I'll spare the long intro; if you are interested in where I've been--especially where I started--check out the PCP blog.


As far as where I've been recently, like a lot of graduates, I've maintained a far healthier diet overall, but with a few more indulgences than I intended, and a few extra pounds gained due to the colder weather--and said indulgences. But I've kept up fairly well with PCP maintenance workouts; at least 3 times per week, and often 5-6, depending on work and travel.

And where am I going? This question is a little tougher, and not just because the future is uncertain. Having challenged myself before--be it PCP, living abroad, school, learning guitar--one thing I've learned is that it's really about the experience. I love a lot of things about DC, but one thing I don't love is the incessant focus on goals, results, and performance. It's fine for work; I owe it to my employer, and the people I serve, to do well. But I know it's easy to be so focused on the end result that one also forgets about the process and the experience. And it's that process that carries you to any goal. Indeed, process and experience is where we live.

So let's keep it simple; here's what I'm looking to "gain":

1) Flexibility. How much? I'm starting from near decrepitude in this area, so let's just say that I want to look back and be surprised at how far I've come. If I can touch my toes with locked knees, I'll be happy. Grab the balls of my feet--ectstatic!

2) Strength. Just more--that's it. As much as I can build on my post-PCP efforts, pushing the envelope.

3) Agility. See number 1. To add a little more, I've reacently taken up Aikido, and I'd like progress in this area to complement my practice, and help me become competent with the basic forms.

4) Peace. I'd like to walk-strut?-away with a sturdier peace of mind, better able to handle the little stressors that creep up throughout the day. I know that they are ALL little--I could just do a better job of treating them that way.

5) Finally, I want to do whatever I can to help my teammates reach their 4 (or 5, or 15) goals, or whatever they would like to do through the KFB. Because, again, it's the experience--and as I learned during the PCP, that experience is bigger and richer when shared.

So it begins.