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.