Weight: 10st 6lbs
I cycled in to work in the rain and got rather wet.
Lunch was tuna and wholewheat pasta.
After work, I did a weight lifting session and then made a healthy dinner with lots of eggs.
Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol.
Tuesday
Weight: 10st 6lbs
It was a struggle to get out of bed today. I must get to sleep earlier.
I cycled to work, ate chicken and salad and then cycled home.
This evening's Karate session was great - plenty of kihon, kata and kumite. I practised Kanku Dai at least three times with some of the youngsters at the club - they are lightning fast and soon had me gasping for breath! I was rather sweaty by the time the session had ended. Must get fitter.
I went home feeling better about my karate but with no feedback tonight (there are a lot of students to get around) I don't know how well I was doing. I'm still considering postponing my grading until the spring but I'd still really like to try to get up to standard by December.
Home for salmon and brown rice.
Karate, no junkfood, no alcohol.
Wednesday
Weight: 10st 5lbs
I cycled in to work. After lessons, I went along to Mr Roger's circuit training session for staff. It was leg day! We started off with some interval running - light jogging and then sprinting, then light jogging, then sprinting etc.
After wiping ourselves out with that, the real hard work started! Mr Roger had us performing all sorts of weird and wonderful leg exercises such as Bulgarian split squats and sprinter step ups. We did some work with resistance bands and we ended up on the mats doing what felt like really painful yoga! After an hour, we were all feeling completely spent. I led the stretching at the end of the session before cycling slowly home.
I cooked a stir fry with brown rice and loads of chicken, mushrooms and peppers.
In the evening, Mouse and I watched Reservoir Dogs!
Circuit training, no junkfood, no alcohol.
Thursday
Weight: 10st 6lbs
How did I manage to put a pound back on after all that hard work in the sports hall yesterday?
Anyway, Lucy and I had to get away quick after work so I drove us in the car today.
Tonight, we attended Mouse's awards evening at school and she received two awards (drama and English.)
Back home, I got on with some lifting.
Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol.
Friday
Weight: 10st 7lbs
I've put another pound back on! I'm eating healthily and exercising for at least an hour every day. What's going on?
Anyway, I cycled in to work and back before heading off to the dojo for tonight's Karate session.
Sensei Gary was running the session and the pacing was perfect: we started with very relaxed, slow stretching and the pace gradually built and built into a frantic techniques lesson involving dozens and dozens of kicks and combinations. The sweat was running off me! However, a couple of the chaps I was training with commented on how fit I seem to be at the moment. Maybe the running is starting to pay off after all?
Home to eat loads of food and drink lots of water.
Karate, no alcohol, no junkfood.
Saturday
I cycled into Solihull to visit the bank and then cycled back home.
I walked the dogs around the park in the glorious sunshine and got my daily dose of vitamin D. After that, I went out on this week's 10K run. I'd set myself a target of 63 minutes and 40 seconds. I set off at a good pace and then did everything I could to not slow down! I got back home in a time of 62 minutes and 28 seconds. Good for me, but I know I can go faster.
This afternoon's Karate session covered basics and the very beginnings of kumite for the young lower grades. Once again, Sensei Gary managed to give the new students a gentle introduction, encourage the orange to purple belts, and really put the pressure on the brown and black belts. All at the same time!
I'm embarrassed to admit that during the basics part of the lesson, I got myself in such a muddle trying to get my breathing right, use my shoulders to move backwards and engage the hips, that I managed to smash my right fist into my left hand, bending my middle finger back rather painfully. It swelled around the knuckle but hasn't changed colour yet!
At the end of the session, Martha filmed me performing Kanku Dai:
With Sensei's input, it gave me a clear idea of all the things I've got to work on:
- I'm performing the kata too quickly.
- I need to finish each technique.
- My punches aren't jodan or chudan but somewhere in between.
- I'm not bringing my arm back far enough during manji uke
- I seem to be bending forward for many of the techniques.
- The jumping kick at the end wasn't actually a kick - just a bit of a jump forward.
I'm sure there are many other faults in my kata, please feel free to point them out in the comments section. All input helps!
Many thanks to Sensei Jody and Sensei Paul Hexley who also gave me plenty of helpful guidance after viewing the video.
Back at home, I drank three bottles of beer while watching the end of the day's cricket followed by Norwich's surprise victory over Manchester City.
After a super healthy dinner of homemade rice and chicken, I listened to some heavy metal in my man cave before heading off for an early night.
Karate, no junkfood, 3 bottles of ale
Sunday
Weight: 10st 5lbs
Up at 6am.
My finger is really aching now, and has gone a bit red.
Martha and I attended the 8am squad training session. We were two of only six students who turned up. I guess the early start puts off a lot of people.
Sensei Gary had us stretching and then running. He left us running for a long time and some of the young people looked rather flustered by the end of it. Then we went over the very basics of kata; in fact, we went over the very basics of Karate: the position of the feet and where the weight should be when we move.
Kumite was next. We did a lot of shadow boxing and focused on the way we move during sparring. Martha found that her belt was coming loose rather a lot (which is an old trick for when you need a rest!)
When we got on to actual sparring I had to dig deep to stay on my toes, I was really very tired. Unfortunately, there were no other adult males at training so I had to concentrate on control when partnered with the youngsters.
By the end of the session, the sweat was running down my face and back. And it was only 9am! What a way to start the day.
 |
| Red-faced and sweaty after the 8am session (quite possibly the worst photo of me ever taken.) |
I was glad to get home for a second breakfast.
After mowing the neighbour's lawn, I took the dogs out to the park. It was wonderfully warm and sunny but I resisted the temptation to remove my shirt (I didn't want to frighten any young children with my fat belly.)
Home for a lunch of homemade beef chilli and wholemeal pasta.
This afternoon's extended Karate session was a great mix of kumite partner work, hitting pads and kata. Pad work is always the highlight of the session. Unfortunately, my injured finger on my left hand hampered me a little but most of the black belts I worked with suggested I use the right hand only. Sensei Ronnie was in a good mood and had plenty of stories to tell (which won't be repeated here, obviously.) After two hours, I went home thoroughly worn out and happy.
In the evening, Jane and Eric came round, the entire family was there and we had a big dinner. I enjoyed two beers followed by an ice cream!
3 hours of Karate, 2 bottles of ale, 1 ice cream Magnum
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