Happy new year
:fireworks:
 
Thanks, all you lovely Bees!

Programme:
:v: Power HIIT Day 1

Challenges:
:v: Daily Gratitude Day 14
:v: Ab challenge Day 7
:v: Easy Cardio Day 7
:v: Power Grip Day 7
:v: 50 Squats Day 4
:v: Guardian Day 1 - making me prove my mettle. I had 100 goblins to deal with.

New Year, but same old me.
When I began this new thread, I had a list of goals. They weren't many or huge, and I haven't achieved any of them yet (I did put a completion date of June this year), but some have changed for various reasons.
First, I wanted to get back to running. I had struggled through a C25K programme some time ago and was very pleased that I made it to the end, but then I dropped it, and running again became something that I did only when and because I had to, and I was still rubbish. So I resolved to change this. And then I pulled my polaris muscle, which effectively put the kybosh on running for a few months, and I only managed to restart at the end of November. As much as I enjoyed the ZR 5k training, sometimes I felt it was just too much for me, or rather, it progressed faster than I did! So I'm adapting it, and making the whole thing way longer than 8 weeks. I'm in no hurry, despite the fact I'm running!
Second, there was/is a strong Taekwondo focus, particularly with things poomsae-related. This was very hard for me to maintain during the last term, and I found I had difficulty going to class or enjoying myself when I was there. I felt I wasn't learning anything and I lost all motivation to improve. This disappointed me, because I love doing Taekwondo. I'll be changing clubs because I don't want to quit and really, I can't stay where I am. So right now, no particular Taekwondo-related goals.
Third, strength training for runners. Who am I kidding? Really, I just wanted an excuse to do fun programmes like Ironheart and Ironborn and this new Power HIIT - in short, anything with weights. Nothing wrong with that, right? :no:

It would be nice to have goals for this year, or at least, the beginning part of it. So:

With an achievement goal still of 1 June 2023
  • run 2 x 5k runs
  • 30 consecutive full push-ups
  • indoor cycling (I don't actually have a real bike) of 100k
  • Darebee Strength-specific programmes. I really want to gain strength, way more than muscle mass, so I've been doing a lot of reading about the best ways of doing this and, essentially, that's low reps, high weight, so I'll probably be tweaking any programmes, as well as slowing down reps, particularly the eccentric portion.
  • Additionally working the upper body, I want to play work more with my bokken. It's getting dusty, so some sword-play is definitely on the cards. If I can, I'd like to see about doing more with my arnis too.
Finally, I have decided (gulp!) that 2023 shall be TopNotch's Year of the Burpee! :confused: I am tired of avoiding (or dreading) workouts and programmes that have burpees because I am lousy at them. Therefore, time to change! So I shall be practicing my plank jump-ins, my jump squats, and, of course, my push-ups. It's all because of that new Bootcamp programme - burpees every 8 days, I think. I can do that.

Additionally, I want to hike a few more hills hereabouts (there are loads I haven't done yet), but that's a little dependent on the weather. Right now, it's okay; we're had cloudy days, even some rain, but it always heats up just before school starts and nobody wants to clamber up a tree-less hill in 30+°C!

Non-physical exercise related activity
  • finish second draft of first novel (not my first novel ever but rather the first in what has turned out to be a series)
Anything in addition to these things is a bonus. My mum will be coming this way in late March for the usual two-day walk and she's doing just 10k each day. I'll be accompanying her, unofficially, because I didn't need to pay $70 to walk in my own city and get an uninspiring medal. I weakened and put that money instead towards some Conqueror challenges because they've got really cool medals! :)

I'll need to keep a monthly round-up so I know just how much I've cycled, my longest running time, how many whatevers I'm up to now, etc. Right now though, it's just gone one o'clock (darn it) so I'd better get to bed.
 
Yurishka said:
Hi, I recently discovered your thread. Out of curiosity, why do you want to improve your poomsae, do you plan to compete ? Or is it to take a new grade ? I am a 1st Dan myself :)
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@Yurishka I enjoyed the precision involved in poomsae. I used to do my club's elite poomsae class and was learning patterns way above what my grade actually required and I loved it. The coach was great (He'd been selected a couple of years ago to coach the national poomsae team but then covid stepped in...); the class was small (about 12 people generally); and we all got individual attention, meaning that if someone's hand wasn't exactly at 30° (or whatever) it was picked up and corrected. All this really appealled to my brain. I had intended to compete in a national competition but, alas, that was at the end of 2020 and was therefore cancelled. Now, I think it's just for me.
 
TopNotch said:
@Yurishka I enjoyed the precision involved in poomsae. I used to do my club's elite poomsae class and was learning patterns way above what my grade actually required and I loved it. The coach was great (He'd been selected a couple of years ago to coach the national poomsae team but then covid stepped in...); the class was small (about 12 people generally); and we all got individual attention, meaning that if someone's hand wasn't exactly at 30° (or whatever) it was picked up and corrected. All this really appealled to my brain. I had intended to compete in a national competition but, alas, that was at the end of 2020 and was therefore cancelled. Now, I think it's just for me.
Click to expand...
So your club is actually great for this, but you are bored now ?
The competitions did not resume in Australia?
 
Yurishka said:
So your club is actually great for this, but you are bored now ?
The competitions did not resume in Australia?
Click to expand...
@Yurishka Nope, my club WAS good for this. The coach left, there was no poomsae any more, and general training was unstructured and I felt let-down. Competitions have resumed, but the one I wanted to do is only every two years, which meant it happened last year November (and next in 2024) when I'd had no training for a while. A couple of pulled hamstrings the previous year didn't help, either.
 
Finally, I have decided (gulp!) that 2023 shall be TopNotch's Year of the Burpee! :confused: I am tired of avoiding (or dreading) workouts and programmes that have burpees because I am lousy at them. Therefore, time to change! So I shall be practicing my plank jump-ins, my jump squats, and, of course, my push-ups. It's all because of that new Bootcamp programme - burpees every 8 days, I think. I can do that.
Click to expand...

@TopNotch fellow burpee hater here! They are just so hard for me to do. I decided to slow them way down and focus on good form rather than # of reps. Eventually I'll be able to do more reps. For now I can do 2 burpees well rather than 10 sloppy reps. Hope that helps.
 
Programme:
:v: Power HIIT Day 3

Challenges:
:v: Daily Gratitude Day 16
:v: Ab challenge Day 9
:v: Easy Cardio Day 9
:v: Power Grip Day 9
:v: 50 Squats Day 6
:v: Guardian Day 3 - 200 goblins down!

:v: Banded shoulder rotations. Really ought to be doing these physio exercises again and more consistently since that elbow's still not the best.

@Lady Celerity I tank out at about 10, really slow down after that. I think it's the whole jump-squat bit that kills me. Oh, and the breathing bit. Yeah, that's a pretty important bit too. :muahaha: Who's for going back to the original burpee?
 
Programme:
:v: Power HIIT Day 4

Challenges:
:v: Daily Gratitude Day 17
:v: Ab challenge Day 10
:v: Easy Cardio Day 10
:v: Power Grip Day 10
:v: 50 Squats Day 7
:v: Guardian Day 4 - All clear!

:v: Banded shoulder rotations. I slung a mini-band over the corner of my chair so I don't even have to get up to do these things. How lazy is that?!

:v: (Marcy) Chest press - 2 x 5. On the last rep, I did a 30-sec hold.

:v: Walk/Run Training. 8min walk, 12min run. Increased by another minute. Slowly, slowly...

Hey, what's this new Running programme that's suddenly popped up?! Hmm... Now, I know I'm sworn off doing more than one programme at a time, but this is different, isn't it, since I'm already running, right? Four running days a week. Let's see how that works for me. Looks like I'll be starting a new programme on Monday. :LOL:

Bit of dark cloud, thunder and lightning before the deluge. The greyness just made the cockatoos munching on my apples positively glow.
20230104_161736.jpg
 
Programme:
:v: Power HIIT Days 7 and 8. Wow! Holidays really mess with my mind. I was convinced that today was the 8th so how come I was only on the 7th day of this programme? I must have missed a day, so I did what I thought was a catch-up and then did what I thought was today's - only it was actually tomorrow's! Don't know what was happening today!! And I still don't like those stretches...

Challenges:
:v: Daily Gratitude Day 20
:v: Ab challenge Day 13
:v: Easy Cardio Day 13
:v: Power Grip Day 13
:v: 50 Squats Day 10
:v: Guardian Day 7 - 50 goblins.

:v: Marcy Chest Press 2 x 5 plus 30sec hold.

:v: Walk/RunTraining. 8min walk, 13min run. As this will be the last time I do this, I thought I'd go a little longer today and finish with a 13-minute run. Yay me. On Monday, I'll start the new running programme. It's nice that the non-running days are no longer just squats and calf raises as they were in the Challenge. Part of me is wondering, though, if I start running for less time for a few weeks than I have managed to get up to right now, will it take me more time to get back to where I am? Will I be setting myself back, and should I therefore start a few days (week?) ahead? A question for tomorrow. Or next week. I'll give it a go, see how I feel and decide later.

Non-physical related goal:
:v: Finished first revision of chapter 6 (current total of 37K words). Only 11 chapters more to revise.

My neighbour asked permission for her grandson to come into my yard because he's doing a "backyard blitz" on her yard and wanted to get at the ivy. Made me realise that I've really got to get out there and do some serious work. She thought I was on my own and kindly invited me to dinner, but I told her I have two childen still with me. I generally lose only one at a time during holiday periods. :) So the weather's warming up but the hen-house and chicken yard are on the To-Do list for tomorrow. And whatever else I can do. Because in my yard, it's a bit like:

drag no GIF by Red Fang
 
When people train hard for running races, there's usually a period of tapering, where they significantly reduce the training load for a few weeks before the race to allow for the training's benefits to accumulate and be effective. So no, I don't think reducing the load at the beginning of the new plan would set you back, because you'd still have consistent and structured running training.

(But if you want to run more, I definitely won't advise you not to :P )
 
Thanks, @Mianevem I had rather assumed it would take a little while but it's taken me a fair bit to get this far and I didn't want to risk losing it all! But I won't, right? Right? :LOL:


Programme:
:x: Power HIIT Gave myself a pass on this one today since I did it yesterday!

Challenges:
:v: Daily Gratitude Day 21
:v: Ab challenge Day 14
:v: Easy Cardio Day 14
:v: Power Grip Day 14
:v: 50 Squats Day 11
:v: Guardian Day 8 - All Clear

:v: Hen house clean-out. Phew! A deep litter system is great - until you have to clear it all out right down to the bottom! Fortunately rice hulls don't weigh that much, but still a lot of forking it up. Then brushing away all the spider webs - only one nasty-looking spider. Unfortunately for the spider, I looked nastier! :plan: Cut down some branches (more to go) but as I only had a small pruning saw, that took a fair bit of effort. Good work-out, though. After a couple of hours, I called it quits. There are more days in the week.

My second-born wants to do more cooking, so I had her make our favourite type of meatballs today.
Me: now a shake of nutmeg. ... Hmm, for future reference, that's not what we mean when we call for a 'shake'. Should be all right, though...
 
@NancyTree Once the Lad decided to help and added the salt to a pot of chili. Fortunately I was able to spoon the pile out! :LOL:

Programmes:
:v: Power HIIT Day 9
:v: 8 Weeks to 5K Day 1 - Started with a 6min walk as a warm-up, then did 2min at 5.5m/8.8k. Damn, but that nearly killed me. Seriously. Seriously. I was a bit concerned. I know people go faster than that for, like, ages, but by the time one minute was over I was really doubting that I would survive to the end of the second minute. Fortunately I did. The second lot of running I did at 5m/8k which I found much more do-able. Not going to try that experiment again in a hurry! But at my current speed, I'm not getting 5k in 30 minutes. In 8 weeks, sure, I can do that! :muahaha:

Challenges:
:v: Daily Gratitude Day 22
:v: Ab challenge Day 15
:v: Easy Cardio Day 15
:v: Power Grip Day 15
:v: 50 Squats Day 12
:v: Guardian Day 9 - All Clear again
 
Programmes:
:v: Power HIIT Day 10
:v: 8 Weeks to 5K Day 2
:v: Arms of Steel (chair edition) Day 1 - No, seriously, this is not me starting another programme when I swore I would only ever do one programme at a time! Really! The description of this one says that it's great as an "add-on"! for lower-body training, and as Add-Ons are "allowed" with other programmes... well, this is my add-on. :)

Challenges:
:v: Daily Gratitude Day 22
:v: Ab challenge Day 16
:v: Easy Cardio Day 16
:v: Power Grip Day 16
:v: 50 Squats Day 13
:v: Guardian Day 10 - 200 goblins

Finally did it today. Finally contacted that other Taekwondo club, expressing my interest in moving. Turns out, the bloke I spoke with last month had already spoken to the owner about me, so he was prepped. Classes still on Tuesday and Thursday, though a little earlier than the ones I have been attending for the last 4+ years, and a touch further way but not so far. And there's a poomsae class on Wednesdays! So I reckon that's that then.

And a couple of photos to end the day.
When I planted apple trees near the front steps, I didn't realise that the cockatoos would be such fiends!! Clean up in Aisle four, hey?!
20230109_170859.jpg

My eldest is off down the coast atm so there is an extra cat to sleep with me. This is what I woke up to this morning. That lump at the bottom of the photo - my legs, forced off sideways across the bed. Honestly, the things I have to put up with!
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Programmes:
:v: Power HIIT Day 11
:v: 8 Weeks to 5K Day 3 - ran 3 x 2min all at 5m/8k. I know the first run is always going to be the hardest simply because the heart hasn't caught up with stuff yet. It's always helpful to know that there is a good reason for something like that, and it's not just me being pathetic!
:v: Arms of Steel (chair edition) Day 2

Challenges:
:v: Daily Gratitude Day 23
:v: Ab challenge Day 17
:v: Easy Cardio Day 17
:v: Power Grip Day 17
:v: 50 Squats Day 14
:v: Guardian Day 11 - All Clear

Burnt my bridges today and told my club to cancel my membership. Got an email back saying, essentially, okay, and signed off by [club name] administration (so no actual person's name), and that was it. I would have thought that after 4½ years and my continuing despite lockdowns and extreme decrease in adult membership numbers there might be something a little more ... oh, I dunno, personal? Curious? Sort of, why you going? Or even, all the best for future ventures. You know, something like that. Oh well.

@Lady Celerity Cats eat birds. My cats are indoor kitties. Besides, the cockatoos would just look at them and probably drop apples on their heads. :LOL: The cockatoos get the apples when they are still little and rip them open just to get at the seeds. Then they drop the apples. All the apples from the tops of the trees are gone now - well, they will be once I've raked them up - so that's it for the cockatoos right now, though I saw a corella having a bit of a hopeful look. It amuses my children when I refer to corellas as "zombie cockatoos". They lack the yellow crest and they are generally red or grey/blue around their eyes (not my pic)
images(1).jpg
 
Programmes:
:v: Power HIIT Day 13
:v: 8 Weeks to 5K Day 5 I thought it was just me so I actually looked into this, and it all makes perfect sense when I stop to think about it. When you start a run, the heart is suddenly under a lot of stress. It has to work a lot harder than it just was, and it gets a little... shall we say, surprised? Anyway, it ramps things right up, pumping way harder than it was, moving around blood etc because there is suddenly this greater demand. After a little while, supply meets demand, and the heart can calm down a little and settle into a comfortable rhythm, ticking things over nicely. And that is why the first part of the run is the hardest - or, in my case when I'm doing a very short run and then a walk and then another run (rinse, repeat), why the first run is the hardest. It's not just me! :)It's human physiology. So this time, I did my first run a little slower (don't be rude! It was faster than walking pace!) than the next two runs, and I think that's probably what I should stick to - beginning a bit slower. This explains why I had always noticed a big spike in my HR when I started running, and why it then went down a bit, despite my continuing to run. The human body is indeed an amazing machine.
:v: Arms of Steel (chair edition) Day 4

Challenges:
:v: Daily Gratitude Day 25
:v: Ab challenge Day 19
:v: Easy Cardio Day 19
:v: Power Grip Day 19
:v: 50 Squats Day 16
:v: Guardian Day 13 - All Clear. Hmm, three days in a row...

Lad: What's the date today?
Me: Um, 11th?
Daughter: No, it's the 12th. 11th was yesterday.
Several hours later ...
Me: Oh, it's the 13th. Friday the 13th!
(Suffers flashbacks of Freddy marathons...)
 
TopNotch said:
:v: 8 Weeks to 5K Day 5 I thought it was just me so I actually looked into this, and it all makes perfect sense when I stop to think about it. When you start a run, the heart is suddenly under a lot of stress. It has to work a lot harder than it just was, and it gets a little... shall we say, surprised? Anyway, it ramps things right up, pumping way harder than it was, moving around blood etc because there is suddenly this greater demand. After a little while, supply meets demand, and the heart can calm down a little and settle into a comfortable rhythm, ticking things over nicely. And that is why the first part of the run is the hardest - or, in my case when I'm doing a very short run and then a walk and then another run (rinse, repeat), why the first run is the hardest. It's not just me! :)It's human physiology. So this time, I did my first run a little slower (don't be rude! It was faster than walking pace!) than the next two runs, and I think that's probably what I should stick to - beginning a bit slower. This explains why I had always noticed a big spike in my HR when I started running, and why it then went down a bit, despite my continuing to run. The human body is indeed an amazing machine.
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I didn't not check this for the 8 weeks to 5k.... well, it was just one day so far, so don't blame me (o;
but I noticed something similar, when I play a bit of handball with my handball-boys... especially with the older ones...
you usually sprint from one side to the other.... and the first sprints really get my heart pumping... but the more I have to do these sprints, the more comfortable it gets,
and my heartrate settles a bit...
well, this is no science evidence, so it has to be taken with a grain of salt, but it fits your observation a bit, I think....
 
Programmes:
:v: Power HIIT Day 14
:v: 8 Weeks to 5K Day 6
:v: Arms of Steel (chair edition) Day 5

Challenges:
:v: Daily Gratitude Day 26
:v: Ab challenge Day 20
:v: Easy Cardio Day 20
:v: Power Grip Day 20
:v: 50 Squats Day 17
:v: Guardian Day 14 - 100 goblins

:v: 36 push-ups
:v: Marcy chest press - 2 x 5
:v: Marcy leg extensions - right leg only 2 x 15

One of the non-physical related things I said I'd like to do is put more focus on my writing, so I'm going to add another check-box - well, actually 📝 for writing/revising, and 📚 for researching, so I can keep a track and endeavour to do at least one (preferably the first, but I also have to do the second some time) every day, certainly aiming for at least 5 days a week. So today:
📚 - 3-4 hours.
📝 - probably only a couple of hundred words. I'll keep a better check of this from now on.

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Programmes:
:v: Power HIIT Day 15
:v: 8 Weeks to 5K Day 7 - longer running today with 3 x 5mins. The first run was done at 4.5m/7.24k (pace 8'17"), the next two were done at 5m/8k (pace 7'27"). Hard, but I recover quickly. I want a programme that was designed for and tested by an obese, sedentary 70-year old. With a dodgy heart. And a wooden leg. Sometimes I think that's the only thing I'm capable of...
:v: Arms of Steel (chair edition) Day 6

Challenges:
:v: Daily Gratitude Day 27
:v: Ab challenge Day 21
:v: Easy Cardio Day 21
:v: Power Grip Day 21
:v: 50 Squats Day 18
:v: Guardian Day 15 - 50 goblins

📝 1,009 words but it's early yet so I might get a few more out before bed.
📚 Found an interesting book on writing fights scenes.

Just for fun, I took one last look at my old Thread. I had thought of keeping a copy but that was the past and is no longer relevant. I heard something: "Who you are today has got you as far as you are going to get. If you're going to get any further, you've got to reinvent yourself." So that's why I didn't keep it. Impossible Is For The Unwilling has gone now because the TopNotch who began that thread was not the one who finished it and certainly isn't the one who started this one. But I looked at it for only one reason. When I started this thread, I decided not to keep track of my Days. Streaks can be chains, and though I am determined not to break this exercise streak, I didn't want a constant daily reminder of what it was. But here, just once, I'll say what it is.
I started exercising daily on 1 January 2020, and joined the Hive on the 12th. My last post in the Hive 1.0 was on 19 Sept 2022, and I'd counted 976 Days (but for my exercise streak, I'd have to add 11 to that). So far, I've done a further 128 days. The Grand Total is, therefore, [drum roll, please] 1,115 consecutive Days of Exercise. But I'm no longer counting. Big numbers scare me. :LOL:
 
I attempted 8 weeks to 5K in the fall of 2021 when it was a challenge...and I failed at it. I used to run, too. Although I was very slow (think.12-minute miles) and never did more than 4 miles (usually 2‐3) and it was years ago.
 
TopNotch said:
When I started this thread, I decided not to keep track of my Days. Streaks can be chains, and though I am determined not to break this exercise streak, I didn't want a constant daily reminder of what it was. But here, just once, I'll say what it is.
I started exercising daily on 1 January 2020, and joined the Hive on the 12th. My last post in the Hive 1.0 was on 19 Sept 2022, and I'd counted 976 Days (but for my exercise streak, I'd have to add 11 to that). So far, I've done a further 128 days. The Grand Total is, therefore, [drum roll, please] 1,115 consecutive Days of Exercise. But I'm no longer counting. Big numbers scare me. :LOL:
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1115 days of exercise, that's quite a feat! I can easily believe that you are different from when you started. Keep on :unstoppable:

I get what you are saying about streaks being chains sometimes. I prefer to put a checkmark in a notebook for each day. It will still be satisfying to see the page covered in checkmarks even if there are 2 or 3 holes in the pattern. This way I won't be too bummed if I break the streak.
 
TopNotch said:
Right, new place, new day, new start.
One thing I've discovered over the years I've been with Darebee is that, though I've generally had goals, they have been too many and too diffuse. Jack of all trades, master of none. That stops.

I have two foci: Taekwondo and running (which I never thought would ever be on my list!).
Everything I do should be done with the direct and deliberate intention of improving one of them - both is a bonus.

Therefore, I need to work on:
• quads/hamstrings strength
• glute activation
• ankle/foot stability
• back and core strength

I'd like to work on:
• increasing push-ups
• grip strength
• splits

Running focus:
• strength training for runners
• improving running technique
• consistency

Taekwondo focus:
• quicker foot movement/lighter on my feet
• better foot rotation
• faster strikes (both foot and hand)
• reduce arc for hook kick
• power!
• elevation!

I want to include things like ladder drills, kicking the heavy bag, and slow kick extensions. I shall build a more conprehensive training plan shortly.

For a goal to be truly effective, it must be measurable. I might not reach it, but it is something to aim for. So, my measurable goals, with an achievement date of June 2023, are:
• complete C25k again (however many times I need to feel good)
• run 3 x 5k runs
• hold leg above 90° for at least one minute
• constant 180° rotation on turning and side kicks
• 40 consecutive full push-ups

The other day, I read this quote:
“In absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia.” – Unknown
Bruce Lee said this: “It is not daily increase but daily decrease, hack away the unessential. The closer to the source, the less wastage there is.”
He applied this idea primarily to his martial art, and also to life—moving towards simplicity of movement, thought, and being. It’s about cutting away everything that isn’t essential, and restraining our impulse to keep adding on and accumulating.
So I shall stop adding, reaching for the next new shiny, and instead focus on the essential. And, of course, include as much fun as I can! :cool:
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Love the Bruce Lee quote… Happy New Year sounds like you are off to a great start. Thanks for your insight.
 
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