BB at 57 - Status Report

Me Skiing in Good Health
Jan 2015

Last summer, 2014, I had a strong healthy season.

 I ran a 5K in the spring and was working out with a boxfit aerobics class. I did three sprint Triathalons (2 tris in Key Biscayne, one tri in Boca on Independence day)in the summer (even made it onto the podium once), and tried spending a little time in a boxing ring (one of which got recorded).

So summer 2014 for me was a peak. It didn't last. In the fall, I traveled for 3 weeks which was cool. I went to Greece & Israel. Then I worked and traveled a lot to DC over the winter for family reasons. This adds up to a lot of time NOT spent staying in shape.  In January, I travelled some more but did get a week of skiing with my son (Steamboat Springs, C).

 By Feb 2015, I was clearly  out of shape and had put on almost ten pounds from the previous summer so when my wife took off for two weeks to Cuba, I thought it was a chance for me to focus on my fitness and eating and to really get back in shape. Instead, the first day she was gone, I overdid it by playing several sets of tennis (I hadn't played in a year) and triggered a nasty set of back spasms which left me barely able to shuffle around for ten days. Uhg.

At the start of March, I tried to establish a program back towards good health. This is almost exactly where I was two years ago when my back problems got really bad. That time, I spent six months slowly building before I could work out hard again.  So now, I'm back to do the boring back-building exercises a few times a week, visiting Nicole (Focus Studios)  two times a week to rebuild my intrinsics and improve general core fitness, and very judiciously adding new levels of intensity and new activities. Mostly, I road bike and swim.  I've tried running two times so far and both times, I concluded that it was premature.

My great fear is that I might be entering a new normal. In Feb 2013, I attended my last martial arts class since my hip made each kick into a potential back injury. My concern is that people are now suggesting that I might have to rethink running, jump rope, and even shadow boxing as too hard on my back, given its propensity to spasm.

 

Three Weeks of Travel

I've been out of town and not training for three weeks now. The first week was a business trip, the next two were a family vacation to Colorado (what an incredible state it is). Great fun.

And now, the thrill of coming back from a few week layoff... I certainly have the motivation, I just hope that no injuries get in the way. I'll try to listen carefully to the old bod so that I push it, but not too much too fast.


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Back to Basics....Videos of Katas...My abs

Monday, I was back in class after a three week absence. Which was preceded by two weeks in class and before that, another two week absence. So its come-back time for me and with any luck, I'll be there with no interruptions until Christmas.

To welcome me back, the dojo is having a "back-to-basics week". Thanks so much. (The world does spin around me, doesn't it?) Monday night, we went through the basic kata, fast and furious. I loved it. White Belt Appreciation Form, Kempo Kata Short One, Kempo Kata Long One, Kempo Kata Short Two , Bookset, XMA Form One and Short Three. There are now videos and write-ups on each of these posts. OK, I admit. There were not videos on each of these kata when I first posted this article this morning but having gotten a few emails, I made some new videos today (thanks Kathy) and got them up on the site. Anybody want to add any details to the write-ups? Any corrections? Any great pictures of the poses for the beginners to contribute? Come on folks, it's web 2.0 time, you are supposed to participate....

I was proud to find that my memory of these kata was sharp. It helped that when I trained on vacation, I practiced the kata so I'd been through them on my own recently. Also, it helps that I'm still less than a year from earning my black belt when I learned all the kata well enough to do them in my sleep. Actually, I did do them a few times in my sleep as my fiancee told me when I asked her why she had those funny bruises. But I can't say that I was sharp on my stances and details. Way too many of my stances were sort-of hard bows or off-center horse stances.

I once spent some time video taping and watching myself on the details. I think I was trying to get a video of myself for one of the kata blog posts. It really helped with details having the ability to watch myself right afterwards. With some time and a tripod (or friends), I'd like to try that again.

I might have been over-doing this come back. I ran Friday hard (have I mentioned my cactus injury), I travelled Saturday (visiting a kid in camp in Pennsylvania), I ran hard Sunday, Monday morning, and Tuesday morning. I made it to class Monday night and Tuesday night. Tuesday night, I was stiff and moving was hard. It might have been a hot night. In any case, I really worked up a sweat and wasn't moving so great. It didn't help that it was an intense ab night which is never my strong suit and recently, I've been ignoring them.

Which gives me an idea. Maybe this fall, I'll take another of my weaknesses (abdominals) and through (quoting Kyoshi) a "massive action plan" such as hundreds of ab exercises on my own a few times per week, convert this historical weakness into a future area of personal strength.

I've done it in so many other areas, why not abs? Besides, I might start to look good with my shirt off again.....It's been a few years since I have....Of course, it means doing a lot of abs.....to be considered.... (no, this is not me. Not now. Never before....But I did do a hundred sit-ups today so who's to say about the future?



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