a Travesty in action

Discussion in 'Training Logs' started by Travess, Jul 16, 2015.

  1. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Congrats for completing a year! And it's even better since it sounds like it was a successful one :)
     
  2. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Cheers Nachi ;)

    Wk 2 – Year 2 (11/07/16 - 17/07/16)

    Monday:

    AM: Phone Apps Day 4: 55 x Push Ups (11/13/9/9/13) / 34 x Full Sit Ups (6/7/8/7/6) / 8 x Chin Ups (3/2/2/1) – Decided to forgo the Burpees today, as I am planning something slightly more cardio based tomorrow.

    PM: Karate @ 90 minutes (45 min participation / 45 min Teaching)

    Continuing with our Peer to Peer Kihon analysis sessions, today we concentrated on Stance Transitions (Zenkutsu Dachi, Sanchin Dachi & Sheiko Dachi) and Basic hand techniques (Age Uke / Uchi Uke / Gedan Barrai / Oi Tsuki & Gyaku Tsuki) focusing on flow, correct Kime & Technique.
    The class then broke down in to 3 groups – The 2 senior 1st Dans (Sempai) worked together on creating their own flow drills (which will make up part of their 2nd Dan grading) - The bulk of the rest class gloved up for some contact Bunkai drills - Whilst I took the 2 ‘New’ students through a more in-depth look at the stuff that we covered in the first 45 minutes, expanded on it, and used it to help fine tune their Kata (Gekisai Di Ichi)

    (*Addendum – Started to feel an uncomfortable niggle in my right shoulder, during the latter part of this session. A similar feeling cropped up briefly last week, but never amounted to anything)


    Tuesday:

    NOT a happy bunny this morning!!! Yesterday’s shoulder niggle, has turned itself in to a case of partial frozen shoulder (Limited / Painful range of motion when reaching upward, be that straight up, or even just at a slightly elevated angle!)
    Shoulder issues run in my Family (Mother, Brother and little Sister, the latter of which has even required surgery for her condition) and I have always been mindful of this, when doing any exercise that focuses on that area – My Wife thinks (and at this point, I am inclined to agree with her) that these new aggravations, may be as a result of my new Push Up / Pull Up routines, so I may (regrettably) be scrubbing them all together.

    Okay, so hormonal whinge over with, eyes dried, and on to more energetic (and probably ill advised) things: 5 x 3 minute rounds on the Heavy-Bag Constant work rate, continuously moving, but only working at 50/60% power.
    • Round 1 @ Anything Goes (hands, elbows, knees & feet)
    • Round 2 @ Feet Only (front, side, oblique & round kicks only)
    • Round 3 @ Hands Only (jabs, crosses, hooks, ‘body shots’ from both a southpaw and an orthodox stance)
    • Round 4 @ Close Quarters (Between my bag and the wall [about 2 feet] throwing just knees & elbows)
    • Round 5 @ Anything Goes (hands, elbows, knees & feet)


    Wednesday:

    Another ‘planned’ Rest Day today, which turned out to be anything but – Though in my defence, I did manage to do closer to nothing between School drop off and School pick up, than I usually do! (Except eat, doze on the sofa, and reacquaint myself with ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ on Netflix that is….)
    It was when my Wife took my eldest up the park, whilst I stayed home to keep an eye on the sleeping Baby, that I came unstuck…

    Just a few (100) 12kg Kettlebell Curls this morning, alternating between a regular grip and a hammer grip, for 10 x 10 reps, followed by a descending 150 rep (4 level) Ab/Core Pyramid
    • Level1 @ 60 reps (15 x Crunches / 15 x Leg Raises / 15 x Mason Twists & 15 x Elbow to knees)
    • Level2 @ 45 reps (15 x Crunches / 15 x Leg raises & 15 x Mason Twists)
    • Level3 @ 30 reps (15 x Crunches & 15 x Leg raises)
    • Level4 @ 15 reps (15 x Crunches Only)
    Still, managed to not over do anything that required overt shoulder involvement, despite having so much greater range of motion than I did yesterday.



    Thursday:

    AM: - Phone App. Day 5: 61 x Push Ups (12/14/10/10/15) – Just the push ups this morning, because A) I could still feel a tightness in my shoulder, when reaching up for the chin up bar, and B) I did Abs/Core yesterday, so will be giving that grouping a miss today.

    PM: Karate @ 120 minutes – Got to the Dojo 30 mins early today, to run myself thru some personal Stance and Kata (Gekisai, Saifa & Sanchin) work We then began the session with a few Pad Drills, marking my 1st fully integrated pad session, since I hurt my wrist nearly 11 weeks ago (whilst there were a few touch and go moments, there was nothing to be overly concerned about)
    The rest of the session was then spent working out Flinch response drills with a partner, focusing on simultaneous defence/counter tactics, which we shared with our peers, who were then tasked with throwing ‘What if’ spanners in the works (How would the drill be effected if B, C or D happened)

    Friday:
    Rest Day

    My 1st in 5 days, so decided it was for the best….


    Saturday:
    Rest Day

    I received (and ignored) 3 notification from my phone today, reminding me that today was (meant to be) a 'Training Day', so to show it who is boss (and because frankly it is being a bit of a slow learner) I chose to pop up for a Nana Nap instead…! :D


    Sunday:

    Integrated Phone App. Day 6 into a 5 Station, 5 round Circuit session
    • Station 1 – Push Ups @ 13/15/11/11/17 reps (from phone App.)
    • Station 2 - Crunches @ 25 reps
    • Station 3 – Plank @ 30 seconds
    • Station 4 - Squats @ 25 reps
    • Station 5 - 12 kg Bicep Curl @ 15 reps
    (*Rest 20 sec, then Repeat @ 5 sets)

    Off on a 5 day Family holiday to Butlins tomorrow, and although I doubt very much that the week will be anything anywhere near resembling restful, it’ll still not allow for any real Training time


    Travess
     
  3. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 3 – Year 2 (18/07/16 - 24/07/16)

    Monday:
    Rest Day


    Tuesday:

    AM:Phone App. Day 7: 75 x Push Ups (14/16/13/13/19)

    Managed squeeze these in today, whilst my Wife was taking my eldest to a show… (She is under the stringent belief, that one does not train, when one is on his Holiday!)


    Wednesday:

    Goal: 200 Crunches in 5 mins – In sets of 20 reps, with 10 seconds rest between sets.
    Actual: 200 Crunches in 4m 46s

    The last 50 or so of these were a real ’gut wrencher’ (No pun intended)


    Thursday:
    Rest Day


    Friday:
    Rest Day

    Today was meant to be a Phone App. Push Up day, but when I logged in to the App. I was instructed to do a maximum (to failure) amount of Push Ups (33) to see if I was ready to advance to the next level (I was)
    Doubt I’ll get anything done tomorrow, training wise, as it is my long suffering Wife’s Birthday and my time and attention, will be required (and gladly given) elsewhere…


    Saturday:
    Rest Day

    So, I was right about my attention/focus needed elsewhere today, I just could never have assumed why – A day spent at the Hospital, crammed with test after test, to try and figure out what was bothering my 9 month old (Upper respiratory tract infection) left both myself and my wife utterly exhausted!!! – Enough so that I am putting this week to bed, 1 day ahead of schedule



    Sunday:
    Rest Day


    Travess
     
  4. flaming

    flaming Valued Member

    Have a good rest day. :)
     
  5. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Resting well mate, resting well indeed... :D

    Travess
     
  6. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 4 – Year 2 (25/07/16 - 31/07/16)

    Monday:

    AM: – Integrated Phone App. Day 8 into a (very) small Strength Training Session this time. (There were originally a couple of extra drills, but my wife came home with lunch, so…)
    • 70 x Push Ups @ 12/17/13/13/15 reps (This was a struggle, following a 6 day absence.)
    • 22 x Pull Ups @ 7/6/5/4 reps
    • 100 x 12kg Bicep Curls @ 10 x 10 reps

    PM:Karate @ 60 mins

    Started off with 20 mins of Pad Drills to get the blood pumping, with consisted of Pyramid combination strikes - 2, 4, 6, 8 ,10 (back down again x 4) Punch combos before moving on to Single Strike Drills – 4 x 20 Palm strikes, 4 x 20 Hook Punches, 4 x 20 Front Elbows & 4 x 20 Round Elbows
    The remainder of the lesson centred around Mae Geri Drills – Going through the mechanics of the Kick, first slowly, then at speed / Target drills, on a stationery ‘opponent’, barely touching your partners abdomen (which we then escalated in contact, until we were knocking each other back, eventually turning in to a free flowing 30/40% contact drill, on a moving target) / Finally, we moved on to the kick-shields, taking everything we had covered, and applying with 100% effort and power
    30+ degrees in the hall, made for a whole hell of a lot of extremely sweaty folks…


    Tuesday:
    Rest Day

    Feeling an all too familiar ‘twinge’ in my shoulder, following yesterday’s pull ups, which is unfortunate, as I was starting to show definite signs of improving…


    Wednesday:

    AM: – A little Circuit session was the order of the day today, which was made up of 5 Circuits of 5 Stations
    • Station 1: Sanchin Kata
    • Station 2: 20 x Weighted Squats
    • Station 3: Tensho Kata
    • Station 4: 20 x Crunches
    • Station 5: 20 x Mae Geri (Front Kicks)

    PM:80 x Push Ups (14/19/14/14/19) from Phone App. - Do not mind admitting that the last couple of Push Ups, of the last 2 sets, were an absolute arm trembler!!!


    Thursday:

    Karate @ 90 mins

    Tonight started off pretty slow, with the 1st 15 minutes being made up of Touch Sparring & Kata (being run thru at 25%)
    We then ‘Gloved up’ for 60 minutes of Sparring which was broken down in to 2 parts –
    Part 1) 13 x 2 minute rounds (changing partner between rounds) Full Contact (controlled head shots) anything goes (striking, stand up grappling, take downs, ground fighting, submissions…)
    Part 2) We took turns facing off against 6 separate opponents, each of whom ‘attacked’ in turn, in 20 seconds intervals – The ‘Rules’ / Goal: You had 20 seconds to effectively deal with and counter their attack – Succeed, and you will get the remaining seconds to rest, before the ‘next guy’ joins the fight. Fail, and you could potentially end up facing the ‘next guy’ (and the next guy, and the next guy…) until you are in a world of hurt, trading blows with 6 guys at once.
    The final 15 minutes was slowed right down again, this time for some Seyunchin Bunkai which I took part in, but took a bit of a back seat for. (I usually tend to lead the groups in these kind of drills, and wanted to hear what others had to offer.)

    All in all, an absolutely fantastic, all be it very exhausting and more than a little painful 90 minutes…


    Friday:
    Rest Day

    A little tender today, especially around my left shoulder blade area (I can thank a couple of drop elbows from my Brother for that…) following yesterday’s session, so am definitely gonna take the rest.


    Saturday:

    2 x Tensho Kata, followed with 88 x Push Ups from Phone App. Day 10 (16/21/15/15/21) finishing up with 20 x 1 min Rounds on the Heavy-Bag (20 seconds rest between rounds 1-10 & 11-20, 1 minute rest between round 10 & 11) Operating between 60-100%, working on transitioning in and out of range, moving around the bag and footwork.


    Sunday:
    Rest Day

    Very happy with this week, from an energy/effort level stand point at least, but I have seriously started to let my diet get away from of late – Back on the wagon I go…


    Travess
     
  7. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 5 – Year 2 (01/08/16 - 07/08/16)

    Monday:

    AM:5 k Road Run @ 26m 46s

    PM:Karate @ 90 mins

    40 minutes solid on the pads tonight, running thru various striking combinations drilled against an ‘involved’ pad holder (they are throwing strikes at you, during the drills too) with then moved on to a couple of semi-compliant Throw and Takedown Drills primarily looking at O’ Goshi (Hip Throw), from a clinch and Osoto Gari (outer reaping) from an attempted push
    The last half an hour was then spent running thru Shisochin Kata, as a refresher for the 3 2nd Dan candidates, and an introduction for me.


    Tuesday:

    A session of 5’s today, with 5 x Shisochin Kata followed by 5 sets of Push Ups (totalling 93 reps) (18/22/16/16/21) then finally 5 min Plank Tabata


    Wednesday:
    Rest Day


    Thursday:

    AM: – Just a small, upper-body weight session this morning, consisting of 10 x 10 12kg Bicep Curls, 5 x 10 12kg[/b (Closed grip) Press’, 5 x 12 12kg Bent over Row[/b] and 5 x 10 6kg Lateral side raises (25 each side)
    Note: It is becoming a bit of a bit frustrating now, only having the 2 weights at my disposal (1 x 12kg and 1 x 6kg kettlebell) so I may have to actually invest in expanding my inventory.
    Followed by a bit of an Ab Blast with 5 x 20 Crunches & 5 x 20 Mason Twists (Alternating exercise between sets)


    PM:Karate @ 90 mins

    Tonight’s session began with a set ‘natural response’ blocking drill and a few Kakie (Pushing Hands) Drills to warm up. The bulk of the next hour focused on Stances, initially working on good form, and full body movement, before adding a few fun little extras. (Zenkutsu dachi, wearing our belts backwards, and having our partner hold on to them as ‘reigns’ to offer forward resistance and Sheiko dachi, having to carry our partner on our back, as we moved up and down the hall)
    The last half an hour was spent running thru a few Restrictive striking/kicking pad drills, working on Mae & Kin Geri from one knee, Mae Geri Keagi on a closing in target, stepping up into Mawashi Geri, from a seated position and finally Gyaku-tsuki firing up out of a chair.
    All in all a very enjoyable session.



    Friday:
    Rest Day


    Saturday:

    Zero motivation today, coupled with a 30-degree heat in the garage, made today’s effort just that – a HUGE effort!!! Ran thru 3 Drills, consisting of 5 x 2 continues exercises each today, resting only between drills.

    Drill 1: Repeated x 5
    • 20 x Push Ups (Then 25/20/20/23)
    • 1 x Shisochin Kata

    30 seconds rest

    Drill 2: Repeated x 5
    • 1 min Heavy-Bag
    • 1 min Floor-to-Ceiling Speedball

    30 seconds rest

    Drill 3: Repeated x 5
    • 10 x Squats
    • 10 x Lunges

    Sunday:
    Unexpected Rest Day


    Travess
     
  8. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 6 – Year 2 (08/08/16 - 14/08/16)

    Monday:

    Karate @ 90 mins

    Fairly straight forward Kata session tonight, which was broken down in to 2 halves – Firstly, we spent 45 minutes running thru Sanchin Kata in pairs, with one videoing the other, for playback and analysis, looking mostly at timing and breathing. The last 45 minutes was then spent on some Shisochin Kata revision.


    Tuesday:

    A mini strength Circuit session consisting of 5 circuits, with 4 separate stations
    • Station 1: 10 x Push Ups
    • Station 2: 15 x Tricep Dips
    • Station 3: 20 x Squats
    • Station 4: 25 x Crunches
    Rest (30 seconds) and repeat.


    Wednesday:

    13 km Road Run @ 1h 14m 46s Was only meant to be 10 km run, but things just sort of got away from me… :D


    Thursday:

    Karate @ 90 mins

    Another Kata heavy session, broken down into 3 equal(ish) parts – We started off by running thru Sanchin Kata, firstly as a group, then breaking down in pairs for some Shime Testing, which is always enlightening – At the end of the 30 minutes, I was asked to perform Sanchin Kata again, this time in front of the whole class, with my Instructor performing the Shime Testing, which is always… Painful! Lol

    The Kata theme continued for the remainder of the session, first with 30 minutes of Seyunchin Kata then with 30 minutes of Shisochin Kata the former of which was done under to peer-to-poor group analysis, whilst the latter was done as a Black Belt only, aside session.


    Friday:

    A gym based 45 minute / 13.4 km Triathlon today, consisting of 15 minutes Rowing (3.3 km) 15 minutes Running (2.6 km) and 15 minutes Cycling (7.5 km) with 10 minute Kata Cool down, running through Gekisai Di Ichi, Ni, Saifa, Shisochin and Tensho at around 40%


    Saturday & Sunday:
    Rest Days

    Been hitting it fairly hard(ish) this week, and as much as I feel motivated and enthused continue that theme today, I have been reminded of the benefits (and necessity) of rest…


    Travess
     
  9. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 7 – Year 2 (15/08/16 - 21/08/16)

    Monday:

    AM: Body Weight / Strength Session this morning, using what was left of yesterday’s enthusiasm, following an 8 hour night shift…
    • 10 x Push Up (x 5 sets)
    • 15 x 12kg Bicep Curls (x 5 sets)
    • 20 x Squats (x 5 sets)
    • 25 x Crunches (x 5 sets)

    PM: Karate @ 90 mins

    Another Kata heavy session tonight, making sure everybody has at least a good enough working knowledge of their next Kata, to be able to get in extra practice at home. Tonight’s class was split, as usual – Firstly, we spent 30 minutes running thru Sanchin Kata firstly as a group, then breaking down into pairs, for the Shime Testing portion of the session The next hour was then spent running thru the 1st 3 Kata (Ichi, Ni & Saifa) in turn, breaking off in to pairs between each, to work on the Bunkai, which we then demonstrated to the class for peer analysis.


    Tuesday:

    Planned a pretty big Bag Session today, working on a couple of 6 & 7 combination close quarter drills, with an aim to improving speed, flower and relaxation – Unfortunately, the temperatures in my garage proved to be too much (30+ degrees) and I only stuck it out for 15 minutes of consecutive drills, working at various tempos before calling it quits.


    Wednesday:

    Planned another run today, but this heat is proving to be too much for me, (more of a colder weather, including rain, runner at heart) so opted for a mini-strength session instead
    • 10 x Push Up (x 5 sets)
    • 20 x 12kg Bicep Curls (x 5 sets)
    • 20 x Weighted (12kg) Squats (x 5 sets)
    • 25 x Crunches (x 5 sets)
    • 13 x Tricep Dips (x 5 sets)

    Which I then followed up with a fairly medium intensity 5 x 1 min rounds of Shadow Fighting to ‘cool down’ - Still sweated buckets though…


    Thursday:

    Karate @ 90 mins

    Tonight, as planned, was to be the last in our current run of Kata heavy sessions – As with previous sessions, we got things started with Sanchin Kata, this time concentrating more on posture and body alignment.

    Next up was 30 minutes of ‘Mirroring’ Seyunchin Kata, performed in groups of 4, with 1 person performing the Kata, as the remaining 3 copied along, trying to mirror exactly how the ‘leader’ performed each technique – This was an interesting exercise, highlighting where each individual’s strengths, and weaknesses, lay within the Kata, as well as identifying how much varying body mechanics has on the aesthetics.

    The black belts were then given 20 minutes of so, to run themselves thru Shisochin Kata fine tuning some of the smaller nuances of the techniques, transitions and stances.


    Friday:

    10 x 3 min Tabata Pyramid working on 4 x Chest/Arm Exercises, 3 x Ab/Core Exercises and 2 Leg Exercises

    Chest/Arms:
    • 12kg Bicep Curls x 64 reps
    • 12kg Close Grip Press' x 81 reps
    • 12kg Pull overs x 45 reps
    • Press Up x 43 reps
    Core/Abs
    • Crunches x 101 reps
    • Plank x N/A
    • Mason Twist x 104
    Legs
    • Squats x 94
    • Calf Lifts x 100


    Saturday:
    Rest Days


    Sunday:

    Sorting out a few draws this weekend, I stumbled upon an old pair of Hand Grips so gave my forearms a quick blast, with 200 Grips (100 each arm/hand)

    A 10 minute Bag Workout was just what I needed on this rainy day, consisting of 4 x 40 second rounds, with 20 second rests between rounds, maintaining 6 strike combination bursts throughout, which I followed up with 4 x 50 second rounds, with 10 second rests between rounds, this time maintaining 7 strike combination bursts throughout. I then finished up on the Floor-to-Ceiling Speed Ball, with 2 x 2 minute rounds, with one 30 second rest, continuous striking, dodging and moving – All the above rounds alternated between Orthodox and Southpaw stance.


    Travess
     
  10. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 8 – Year 2 (22/08/16 - 28/08/16)

    Monday:

    Karate @ 90 mins

    As expected, the theme for next few sessions has been ramped up considerably, following the last 3 weeks of Kata drills – Which, due to me being required to teach a new walk-in student, I did not get to partake in. So, whilst the majority of the class ran thru drills involving Habitual acts of violence / common instigation attacks (firstly working on a compliant level, before gradually escalating things up, until they were non-compliant and full contact) I was running the newbie (who had previous Karate experience, all be it with GKR) thru a few refresher drills – We started with 3 x Sanchin Kata which I performed alongside, for her to copy along to. Next up was Basic ‘Blocks’, Straight punches and Stance transitions just to see what her level of ability was, and how much she remembered. Once it was clear that she had a fairly good (all be it rusty) foundation, I jumped her straight in with Gekisai Di Ichi which we both ran thru together, for the majority of the session.


    Tuesday:

    Another mini-strength session session today, with slightly longer breaks between sets than I would of liked, as I was also entertaining my girls at the time
    • 10 x Push Up (x 5 sets) *
    • 12 x 12kg Bicep Curls (x 5 sets)
    • 15 x Tricep Dips (x 5 sets)
    • 20 x Crunches (x 5 sets)
    • 25 x Squats (x 5 sets)
    • 30 x Calf Lifts (x 5 sets)
    • 35 x Forearm Grips (x 5 sets) – Each hand

    (*The 2nd Half of my 4th set of Push Ups were done with 5-year-old daughter, lying flat across my back! – This felt like quite an achievement, as I have always struggled with my Push Ups, and had previously been unable to perform even 1 successfully, with her ‘help’, let alone 5, having already done 35…)


    Wednesday:

    30 minute give or take, Cardio workout today, alternating between Road Running and Bag Work, focusing on Interval Sprints for the running and Close quarter striking, alternate stance switching for the Bag Work.

    • 1km Road Run 4m 57s
    • 30 Second Rest
    • 1 x 1 min round on Floor-to-Ceiling Speed Ball
    • 4 x 40 second Rounds on Heavy-Bag (20 second rest between rounds)
    • 1 x 1 min round on Floor-to-Ceiling Speed Ball
    • 30 Second Rest
    • 1km Road Run 4m 39s
    • 30 Second Rest
    • 1 x 1 min round on Floor-to-Ceiling Speed Ball
    • 4 x 50 second Rounds on Heavy-Bag (10 second rest between rounds)
    • 1 x 1 min round on Floor-to-Ceiling Speed Ball
    • 30 Second Rest
    • 1km Road Run 4m 55s

    Which I then followed up with a fairly medium intensity 5 x 1 min rounds of Shadow Fighting to ‘cool down’ - Still sweated buckets though…


    Thursday:

    Karate @ 90 mins

    Bit of a mixed bag tonight, starting off with 10 mins or so of Kata to get us warmed up, which consisted of 1 of each of Gekisai Di Ichi, Gekisai Di Ni, Saifa and Seyunchin, plus 3 x Sanchin Kata. Next up was some Break Fall revision, both on the matts, and then on the hard wood floor. Which left us the last hour or so, to partner up, and work on responses, and counters, for basic, unskilled attacks. These drills first took the form of the Rory Miller’s “One step” drill, but were eventually ramped to include None compliant, fully committed attacks & responses, in more of a free flow setting.


    Friday & Saturday:
    Rest Days


    Sunday:

    Bit of an Arm day to start things off today, with descending rep counts:

    • 60 x Push Ups (16/14/12/10/08)
    • 80 x 12kg Bicep Curls (20/18/16/14/12)
    • 60 x 6kg (each arm) Side raises (16/14/12/10/08)
    Then finishing up with a quick run thru of a few Kata:

    • 2 x Gekisai Di Ni (Not originally planned, but it was requested by my eldest, as it is her current Kata)
    • 2 x Sanchin Kata
    • 2 x Tensho Kata

    Note: Had seemingly bags of motivation at the start of this week, but noticed a definite lull, come Thursday – Putting this down to a change in diet, and/or that having 2 kids home for the school holidays, has finally caught up with me :D Either way, I will be monitoring it.


    Travess
     
  11. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 9 – Year 2 (29/08/16 - 04/09/16)

    Monday:

    Straight in off of an 8 hour night shift, and needed to ‘decompress’ – 5km Road Run with a brand spanking new PB time of 24m 51s which did not come easy… In fact, I was absolutely dead on feet, and struggled to get my energy levels back up, even after my bath followed by breakfast, and which lasted into the day. (which never happens! :bang: )

    Decided to give Karate a miss today too :bang: :bang:


    Tuesday & Wednesday:
    Rest Days

    Not sure if this was related to yesterday’s lack of energy, following my morning run, but Tuesday was an extremely lethargic day for me, struggling to find the strength/stamina for even the most mundane of tasks. I was prescribed (by my ever suffering Wife) and early night, followed by a lay in (of sorts) the next morning…

    …Which is exactly what I got!

    Wednesday was a much better day for me, but as we had a family day planned at West Midlands Safari, I decided another rest day couldn’t hurt – That being said, we were out of the house just before 10am and didn’t return home till a little after 9pm, so rested isn’t exactly what I was feeling…


    Thursday:

    AM: Feeling so much better this morning, despite the baby having me up until 1am! (Didn’t wake until gone 10am though, which I am sure made up for it) 4 x4 minute (Tabata) Rounds on the Heavy-Bag, again working on multiple combination bursts, favouring medium to close range techniques, operating from both Orthodox and Southpaw stances.


    PM: Karate @ 60 mins (*Note: This was actually a 90 min session, but the second 30 minute block was made of group discussion, so has been omitted from the log)

    My Instructor wanted to test some of the junior grades ‘Kihon Fitness’ tonight, so the 1st for 30 minutes we were ‘beasted’ with none stop Kihon drills, with all the senior grades (there were 7 of us) counted out of technique.
    • 70 x Age Uke (High ‘Block’)
    • 70 x Uchi Uke (Middle ‘Block’)
    • 70 x Gedan Barrai (Low ‘Block’)
    • 70 x Oi-Tsuki (Front Punch)
    • 70 x Mae Geri (Front Kick)
    • 70 x Yoko Geri (Side Kick)
    • 70 x Uraken (Back Fist)
    • 70 x Usheri Geri (Back Kick)
    • 70 x Mae Ashi Mae geri (Front Leg Front Kick)

    Finally, the entire class broke down in to 2 halves and ran through Kata as a whole, then each group had to come up with a piece of Bunkai for which ever Kata we just performed – The group with the ‘Weakest’ Bunkai, then had to repeat the Kata again, this time with their counterpart form the opposing group on their back. We repeated this for Gekisai Di Ichi & Ni and Saifa (My group fell short twice, which meant I had to perform Ichi once, and Saifa 3 times, with a rather large 19 year old lad on my back)



    Friday:

    Fairly relaxed approach to ‘pounding the pavement’ today, with just a 6km Road / Trail ‘Buggy’ Walk with my 10 month old, which we managed in just under 1 hour and 20 minutes – Not exactly a testing Phys session, but it was more than enough for me, follow last night’s ‘sweat-fest’

    Had some time left before dinner for an Ab / Core Tabata (with some Bicep Curls thrown in for good measure) session - Only had a limited amount of time, so reduced each round to 3 minutes instead of the usual 4 minutes
    • Crunches @ 109 x Reps
    • Plank @ x N/A
    • Mason Twists @ x 110 Reps
    • 12kg Bicep Curls @ x 61 Reps


    Saturday:
    Rest Day

    Had the Kids Krotty class this morning, and whilst I did manage to run thru Saifa and Shisochin as well as squeeze in a few rounds of Light Sparring with a couple of the bigger lads, it still wasn’t enough to class this as anything other than a rest day!



    Sunday:

    A nice little Circuit Session was the order of the day today, which comprised of 6 Stations with 5 Circuits of each station –

    • Station 1: 15 x 12kg Kettlebell Press’
    • Station 2: 15 x 12kg Weighted Sit Ups
    • Station 3: 15 x 12kg Bicep Curls
    • Station 4: 15 x 12kg Weighted Squats
    • Station 5: 15 x 12kg Kettlebell Rows
    • Station 6: 1 minute round Shadow Boxing

    More rest days (3) than I would have liked this week, but it was definitely done out of a sense of necessity, rather than a lack of intent, so I’m still pretty happy with how the week went.


    Travess
     
  12. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 10 – Year 2 (05/09/16 - 11/09/16)

    Monday:

    Karate @ 60 mins

    This was predominantly a Kata & Bunkai session, starting off with 3 x Gekisai Di Ichi just to get warmed up. Then, continuing with ‘Ichi’, we partnered up for 6 rounds of Renzoku kumite before moving on to Bunkai for Ichi, Ni and Saifa working in pairs, and then demonstrating to the group our interpretations.


    Tuesday:

    5km Off Road (Paths & Fields) Light Run @ 28m 41s – Been thinking about taking the hound out on a run with me, something we had never done before, for quite some time now, but things did not go as planned! Poor old fella (10 year old Cocker Spaniel) struggled with the course, and was violently sick, when we returned home :( Plenty of cuddles this evening, and no more future runs are definitely the way to go!


    Wednesday:

    Bit of Basic Kihon & Kata day today, getting things started with 150 ‘Defensive’ Techniques & 150 Offensive Techniques

    • 30 x Age Uke (High ‘Block’)
    • 30 x Uchi Uke (Middle ‘Block’)
    • 30 x Gedan Barrai (Low ‘Block’)
    • 30 x Kakie Uke (Hooking ‘Block’)
    • 30 x Mawashi Uke (Circular ‘Block’)
    • 30 x Oi-Tsuki (Front Punch)
    • 30 x Mae Geri (Front Kick)
    • 30 x Age Tsuki (Rising Punch)
    • 30 x Uraken (Back Fist)
    • 30 x Mawashi Empi (Round Elbow)
    …and finishing up with a single run thru of Ichi, Ni, Saifa, Seyunchin, Shisochin, Sanchin and Tensho to wind things down.


    Thursday:

    Karate @ 120 mins (*Note: This was actually a 90 min session, but I got to class 30 minutes early, so that I could run myself thru some Shisochin revision)

    Today we started off with 20 x 1 minute rounds of Light to Medium Contact Restrictive Sparring Drills (Hands only, Feet Only, Favourite Hand Only, Least Favourite Hand Only & Anything goes - 4 x rounds of each)

    Then, taking things back a step from Monday night, we ran thru Renzoku kumite from Gekisai Di Ichi again, this time without partners (just repeatedly running thru both sides of the drill) until some of the less confident were ‘up to speed’. We were then allowed to partner up, but even then, only working at around 60% (Myself and another Black Belt were called out to the front of the class, to demonstrate the drill, both sides, with 100% intent and contact, but that was the only time things were escalated beyond the 60% mark)

    Finally, we broke off into pairs, to look at Bunkai Oyo, again from Gekisai Di Ichi, focusing more on the Kata’s Principles, than the actual pattern, and then demonstrating what we came up with to the group.


    Friday:

    Not done any Strength / Weight training this week, and as this is my last day, before having 2 rest days, I figured I’d better squeeze some in – Which today took the form of a 600 Drill consisting of 100 reps of each, across 6 varying upper-body exercises
    • 12kg Bicep Curls @ 10 sets of 10 reps
    • Crunches @ 5 sets of 20 reps
    • 12kg Kettlebell Press’ @ 10 sets of 10 reps
    • Plank @ 100 seconds straight thru
    • Mason Twists @ 5 sets of 20 reps
    • 12kg Kettlebell Row @ 5 sets of 20 reps


    Saturday & Sunday:
    Rest Days

    Whilst I haven’t exactly been going at it hard this week, I have been going at it for 6 days straight now, so I have planned the weekend off (Barring the Kids Krotty class, and working both Saturday AND Sunday night of course – Boo Hiss!!!)


    Travess
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2016
  13. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 11 – Year 2 (12/09/16 - 18/09/16)

    Monday:

    AM: Looking to up my Heavy-Bag usage over the next couple of weeks, starting this morning with 5 x 2 minute rounds (with 45 seconds rest between rounds)

    PM: Karate @ 60 mins

    Started off light (ish) with some Kihon Drills consisting of 20 x Age Uke (High ‘Block’), Uchi Uke (Middle ‘Block’), Gedan Barrai (Low ‘Block’), Oi-Tsuki (Front Punch – High, Middle & Low), Mae Geri (Front Kick), Yoko Geri (Side Kick), Usheri Geri (Back Kick) and Kin Geri (Front ‘Flick’ Kick)

    Next Up we ran thru a few Pad Drills moving in and out of range, working on a minimum of 4-6 strike combinations, of varying heights and angles with every strike aiming to be a knockout.

    Finally, we covered a few Obstacle/Limb Clearing Drills aimed at getting passed/around or even ‘thru’ an individual who is blocking your path. This was run firstly as a Passive/Defensive Drill which later progressed up to include Strikes & Takedowns


    Tuesday:

    AM: Continued with my newly planned Heavy-Bag usage this morning, with the added bonus of sticking an extra round on the end - 6 x 2 minute rounds (with 1 minute rest between rounds)

    PM: A little bit of Strength Training to compliment my Bag work, which I aim to do every other day, over the next couple of weeks. Hopefully this should look something like 5 sets of each of 10 x Push Ups, 15 x 12kg Bicep Curls, 20 x Crunches and 25 x 12kg Squats


    Wednesday:
    Rest Day

    Unplanned Rest Day today, but this last few night shifts, couple with my next-door but 1 neighbour building an extension, has left me behind on my sleep, and completely wiped out! (Plan to make up for it tomorrow though…)


    Thursday:

    Mid AM: Unable to get out on to the Heavy-Bag today, as I have my youngest with me, but will be replacing those rounds, with - 6 x 2 minute rounds (with 45 rest between rounds) of Shadow Boxing instead, whilst she has her nap.

    Early PM: Continuing my alternate days Strength Training and following the same format as Tuesday routine of - 5 sets of each of 10 x Push Ups, 15 x 12kg Bicep Curls, 20 x Crunches and 25 x Calf Lifts Which Today I also bookended with 2 x 22 Push Ups (1 before and another when I’d finished.)

    Late PM: Karate @ 60 mins (*Note: This was actually a 90 min session, but I got to class 20 or so minutes late, as my Wife was late home from work)

    Tonight we looked at a basic introduction to dealing with Multiple Attackers/Aggressors firstly as a group - 1 person in the middle, with the rest of the class encircled around them, one of whom would then attack, and if that attack was not dealt with within 10 seconds, then a 2nd person from the circle (then a 3rd etc…) would join the attack. (I missed this part)
    Next up we broke into 3’s and 4’s, and looked at 1 person being corned/approached by 2 unknowns, with the aim of controlling/getting behind 1of them, to use as a ‘shield’ from the other. This started out as static and compliant, before advancing to a dynamic, non-compliant drill.
    Finally, in the same groups, with same dynamic set up, we covered pre-emptive strikes, ‘attacking’ whichever of the 2 you thought would create the best escape route. Also dealing with the reality that choosing the ‘wrong’ one, could see you running on to an attack.


    Friday:

    AM: Fairly chilled session planned this morning, just running thru 3 x Sanchin Kata alternated with 3 x Tensho Kata

    PM: Back in the garage again this evening, for another visit with my Heavy-Bag and continuing with escalated round count - Today 7 x 2 minute rounds (with 1 minute rests between rounds) – Struggled with this one today, and was definitely running on fumes, during the last 30 seconds of the last round!


    Saturday:

    Another Strength Training day today, starting out with 1 x 22 Push Ups then moving straight into 5 sets of each of 15 x 12kg Bicep Curls, 10 x Push Ups, 20 x Crunches (Had my 5 year old sat on my chest for the last set of these, and let’s just say that there were definitely some odd noises being made, as well as some strange faces being pulled!) and 25 x 12kg Squats No afternoon or evening session today, as it’s a Saturday, and all work (or all training in this case) and no play, makes Travess a very grumpy boy! :D


    Sunday:

    Awoke (finally, at gone half 10) feeling more than a little delicate this morning, following last night’s festivities, so have amended today’s workout accordingly…

    2 x 11 Push Ups (as it turned out that I was not up to the full 22 in one go!)
    Dumbed down the power/impact & aggression on my Heavy-Bag workout today, still completing the full 7 x 2 minute rounds (with 45 second rests between rounds) but only operating at around 50-60%


    Travess
     
  14. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 12 – Year 2 (19/09/16 - 25/09/16)

    Monday:

    Karate @ 60 mins

    Tonight we covered Kata Principles coupled with Deciphering Bunkai from unfamiliar Kata – How my Instructor likes to run this, is for us to choose a non-Goju Kata, (My group went with Bassai Dai) pick up and ‘refine’ as much of that Kata as we can, in the allotted time, and then attempt to figure the Bunkai (or Oyo) from any specific sequence, found within that Kata.


    Tuesday:

    AM: Back in the garage this morning, starting out with 22 Push Ups then jumping straight on the Heavy-Bag, this time working for 8 x 2 minute rounds (with 45 seconds rest between rounds) – Only have one more day of this planned (Friday) so wont quite make it past the 10 round mark, as I’d originally hoped, but it has still proven useful, none the less.

    PM: Continuing this evening with my Strength Training Drills, before heading out to work…
    • 50 x Push Ups (22, the 4 x 7 reps)
    • 75 x 12kg Bicep Curls (5 x 15 reps)
    • 100 x Crunches (5 x 20 reps)
    • 125 x Calf Lifts (5 x 25 reps)

    Wednesday:

    Had to take the car in for its MOT today, so figured I’d make the most of being out and about with a – 6km Road Run @ 30m 40s – Which will be the sum total of any exercise from me today!


    Thursday:

    AM: Concentrated on more of an [/b]Arm/Shoulder[/b] day this today, rather than an overall (ish - No core & No legs) workout.
    • 5 x Chin Ups
    • 72 x 12kg Bicep Curls (6 x 12 reps)
    • 72 x 12kg Kettlebell Press’ (6 x 12 reps)
    • 5 x Chin Ups
    • 72 x 6 kg Lateral Side Raises (6 x 6 reps each side)
    • 72 x 12kg Bent Over Row (6 x 12 reps)
    • 5 x Chin Ups
    • 200 x Forearm Grip (5 x 20 reps each hand)

    PM: Karate @ 90 mins

    Started with 20 minutes of Shisochin Practice to get ourselves warmed up. Next up was 10 minutes (or so) of Moving Kihon looking mostly at the correct use of stances, and how they play their part in both forward and backward power generation – This, ‘Power generation’, was to be the main focus for the remainder of the session, firstly working a single Oi Tsuki on the Pads, moving both in towards the target, as well as away from. Lastly, we ditched the pads, and repeated the previous drill, this time striking our partners in the chest (gloved up) to get a true feel for the impact, both receiving, and giving.


    Friday:

    Rather than sticking to my current Bag Routine I decided to integrate one into 5 Circuits of a 7 station (including the rest period) Circuit Session instead, just to break from the monotony of it…

    • Station 1: 10 x Push Ups
    • Station 2: 1 minute on the Heavy-Bag
    • Station 3: 15 x Ab Rollouts
    • Station 4: 1 minute on the Speed Ball
    • Station 5: 20 x Squats
    • Station 6: 30 seconds of 10m Shuttle Runs
    • Station 7: 1m 30s Rest Period.

    Saturday & Sunday:
    Rest Days

    Been on it for 9 days straight as of today, with no Rest Days since Wednesday of the previous week, so am yet again giving myself the weekend off!


    Travess
     
  15. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 13 – Year 2 (26/09/16 - 02/10/16)

    Monday:

    AM:Been umming and ahhing over taking part in an upcoming local 10k event, so figured I’d better stick on my running shoes, and see how my 10k effort is looking these day – Result: 10km Road Run @ 52m 15s (which incidentally is a new PB time for me, smashing my previous best by over 2 and a half minutes – Happy at that!)

    AM: Karate @ 60 mins

    Very relaxed session tonight, playing around with a few of Rory Miller’s ‘One Step Drills for the 1st half of the session, then narrowing down the field for the 2nd half of the session, limiting the drills to focus mainly on Joint Locks and Joint Destruction concentrating mostly on Wrist, Elbow, Shoulder, Knee and Ankle locks, with a bit of digit destruction thrown for good measure.


    Tuesday:
    Rest Day

    Absolutely ‘Zombiefied’ today, not managing to get any sleep, following last night’s nightshift.


    Wednesday:

    Had a poorly 11 month old with me today, so rather than try and squeeze in a prolonged workout, I decided to something a little and often – 10 x Push Ups / 12 x 12kg Bicep Curls / 15 x Crunches / 20 x 12kg Squats - Every hour on the hour! (9am til 3pm)

    My Wife got home at half 6 this evening, so I Skulked off into the garage, for 10 x 1 min Rounds on the Heavy-Bag incrementally increasing the work rate, along with the rest periods, from round to round!
    • Rnd 1: 1 minute work / 10 seconds rest
    • Rnd 2: 1 minute work / 20 seconds rest
    • Rnd 3: 1 minute work / 30 seconds rest
    • Rnd 4: 1 minute work / 40 seconds rest
    • Rnd 5: 1 minute work / 50 seconds rest
    • Rnd 6: 1 minute work / 60 seconds rest
    • Rnd 7: 1 minute work / 50 seconds rest
    • Rnd 8: 1 minute work / 40 seconds rest
    • Rnd 9: 1 minute work / 30 seconds rest
    • Rnd 10: 1 minute work / Cool Down


    Thursday:

    Karate @ 90 mins

    Got things moving with some Kakie drills this evening, working with various partners. This led us straight in to Body Conditioning, (Receiving and delivering - Soto Uke, Gedan Barrai, Thigh Kicks, Torso Punches & Front kicks to abdomen) We then finished up the 1st 45 minutes of the session running thru Kata – End to end Ichi, Ni, Saifa, Seyunchin, Shisochin and finally Sanchin Which gave us the final 45 minutes to concentrate on Grade group Bunkai which saw my group (Dan grades) come up with a piece of Bunkai, for every sequence of moves found within Seyunchin, predominantly for either a stand up grappling situation or for ground fighting.


    Friday:

    Didn’t have a lot of time today, so I broke my day down to 2, (one Bodyweight and one Cardio), very short workouts.

    AM:Did a little bit of Upper Body Weight work today, primarily for Abs, Chest and Arms consisting of 25 x Crunches / 25 x Mason Twists / 25 x Leg Raises / 25 second Plank with each of which being alternated with 10 x Push Ups

    PM: For today’s Cardio I opted for 3 x 4 minute Tabata sessions, each one consisting of Staircase Sprints* with 1 minutes rest between each 4 minute block. (*Standard UK, semi-detached house staircase, totalling 13 steps)


    Saturday
    Rest Day


    Sunday:

    Did something a little different this morning, for today’s Cardio Session – Gave myself a 10 minute block, to complete both a 1km run and a 3 minute round on the Heavy-Bag and whatever ‘change’ was left from each 10 minute block*, acted as my rest period… (*With exception to the last block, when took the rest period between the Run and the Bag work, instead of at the end)

    • Block 1: 6m 20s Run + 3 minutes on the Bag = 40 sec rest
    • Block 2: 5m 49s Run + 3 minutes on the Bag = 1 min 11 sec rest
    • Block 3: 5m 34s Run + 3 minutes on the Bag = 1 min 26 sec rest
    • Block 4: 5m 29s Run + 3 minutes on the Bag = 1 min 31 sec rest
    • Block 5: 5m 40s Run + 1 min 20 sec rest = 3 minutes left on the Bag

    Really liked this, and will hopefully not only get to use it again, but will be able to add ‘blocks’ to it as I go.


    Travess
     
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2016
  16. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 14 – Year 2 (03/10/16 - 09/10/16)

    Gonna be a very light week for me this week, doing just enough to keep active.

    Monday:

    Karate @ 60 mins

    Kicked things off with Peer to Peer Kata Analysis (I opted for Shisochin Kata, experiencing my first ever Kata based ‘Brain-fart’ along the way!) Next up we were on the receiving end of a little Kihon Beasting which consisted of 50 x Age Uke, Uchi Uke, Gedan Barrai, Mae Geri, Kin Geri, Oi Tsuki, Yoko Geri and Usheri Geri Lastly, we broke down in to 3 separate grade groups, to look at practical applications for Basic strikes (for the Beginners) ‘Blocks’ (for the Intermediates) and Kicks (for us seniors)


    Tuesday / Wednesday & Friday:
    (The same 3 drills, repeated over each of the 3 days)

    5 sets of 10 Push Ups, 12 Leg Raises and 15 Calf Lifts


    Thursday:

    Karate @ 90 mins

    Eased in to things tonight, starting off with various Kakie Drills before moving on to some of Rory Miller’s ‘One Step’ drills firstly in pairs (1-on-1) then adding an additional ‘body’ to the proceedings, with each round, until we were running it in groups of 5.
    The last hour of the session was then spent dealing with Live Obstacles initially, 2 people (with kick-shields) presented a fairly static ‘blockade’ for us to get thru/passed/around, then they did away with Kick-shields, and grabs, takedowns and holds were introduced, to prevent us getting by. Finally, striking was added to the mix, starting off in a fairly controlled manor, before kitting up, and adding a lot more ‘flavour’ to the strikes! (Addendum: Came away with a sprained (Big) toe, which is little uncomfortable to walk on now, a day later, which I am hoping will not cause any issues with my run on Sunday)


    Saturday & Sunday
    Rest Days

    Had originally been meant to be taking part in a local 10km Race Event this coming Sunday, which I had both signed up for, and paid my entry fee in full for, but was struck down with the dreaded Man-Flu on Friday, and will therefor be taking the weekend off!!!


    Travess
     
  17. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 15 – Year 2 (10/10/16 - 16/10/16)

    Monday / Tuesday & Wednesday:
    Rest Days

    Still feeling very under the weather, (Last week’s suspected ‘Man-Flu’ ended up being something slightly more respiratory related) and whilst the motivation to train/exercise is still there, I have no desire prolong this illness unnecessarily - Only spectated at Karate on Monday evening)


    Thursday:

    Started feeling (and breathing) slightly better today, and whilst still nowhere near 100% (or even 60% for that matter*) I have decided to get back to training, with 15 minutes of light Basic Movement Drills in the form of 5 minutes of Stance Transitions / 5 minutes of Tensho Kata and finally 5 minutes of Light** Kettlebell Exercises
    (*Which has influenced my decision to spectate at Karate, rather than participate, again this evening)
    (** Sticking with my Wife’s 6kg Kettlebell for these)


    Friday:
    Rest Day


    Saturday

    Breathing still feel a little ‘Funky’ today, but I needed to get off my rear and do something… anything! Headed out to the Heavy-Bag to give it a Gekisai Di Ichi related pounding – 20 x each of the 23 techniques* of the Kata, in order, with ‘blocks’ being executed as strikes
    Managed to work up a fairly respectable sweat, without too much of a negative impact on my breathing – Happy days!
    (*Foot sweeps performed, but not on the Bag)


    Sunday

    Today was meant to see my 1st road run in a while, but I was way too pooped, when I got in from the nightshift, and had way too much Daddy/Hubby things to do, when I awoke – Did manage to squeeze in a very small amount of strength though: 10 x 7 reps of Push Ups / 10 x 15 reps of Bicycle Crunches & 10 x 10 reps of 12kg Kettlebell Curls

    Travess
     
  18. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 16 – Year 2 (17/10/16 - 23/10/16)

    Monday
    Rest Day

    ANOTHER missed Karate Class today, this time due to a very poorly 11 month old… Barring holiday, I do not think that I have ever missed this many sessions, at least not in 1 hit, since I started at this club back in 2010.


    Tuesday:

    My wife has been suggesting that I go out for shorter, more frequent runs, for quite some time now. (Rather than 10k+ distances, once in a blue moon) There happens to be a nice little (exactly 3km) lap route, using the lanes near/around my house, which I am planning to make use of - 3km Road/Path Run @ 15m 05s (pace 5m 2s per/km)
    I did wake with a sore throat, and a pounding headache today, but couldn’t postpone this run any longer.


    Wednesday:

    AM: Weight day this morning, nice and simple: 6 x10 reps Bicep Curls / 5 x 10 reps Weighted Crunch / 5 x 15 reps Closed Grip Press’ & 5 x 15 Weighted Squats (All performed with my 1 and only 12kg Kettlebell)

    Early PM: Inflicted some Hand Conditioning on myself this afternoon, with a few sets on the Makiwara which consisted of 100 x Front Punch / 100 x Back Fist / 100 x Knife Hand & 100 x Ridge Hand (50 of each, on alternating hands)

    Later PM: Day 2 of my more frequent, shorter runs - 3km Road/Path Run @ 14m 52s (pace 4m 57s per/km)



    Thursday:

    Karate @ 90 minutes

    Fairly relaxed session tonight, (though as a senior Black Belt’s Uke, I was on the receiving end of more than a fair few knocks) as we worked in groups, on piecing together a Flow Drill for Saifa Kata with each group being assigned a different section of the kata to work on. Then after collectively learning each group's individual section, we then worked on piecing them all together.


    Friday:

    AM: As yesterday was more mentally challenging than it was physical, I decided to double down again today, and get in a couple of ‘workouts’ – Starting with 4 x 4 minute Tabata with 1 minute rest between each 4 minute block.
    • Crunches @ 162 reps
    • Squats @ 116 reps
    • 12kg Close Grip Press’ @ 104 reps
    • 12kg Bicep Curl @ 77 reps

    **Cancelled** PM: Day 3 of my more frequent, shorter runs – Though due to continued throat and sinus issues, I opted for an easier pace, than that of the previous 2 outings. **Cancelled**

    Mid-afternoon I started to get the shakes, dizzy spells and a spot of nausea for good measure, so I am gonna be taking the rest of the weekend off…!!!


    Saturday & Sunday
    Rest Days

    Travess
     
  19. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 17 – Year 2 (24/10/16 – 30/10/16)

    Monday

    A visit to the GP today told me that I have a fairly bad case of the Flu, leaving me very short of breath, with weak / shaky limbs, so this week will be very chilled – 2.5km walk with Dino (my pooch) at a very relaxed pace today. No Karate tonight either, in fact, I did not even go and watch (The Walking Dead was back on)


    Tuesday:

    Had to get my prescription filled today, which allowed for a nice little 4km round trip walk to the pharmacy.


    Wednesday:
    Rest Day


    Thursday:
    Rest Day

    Did go and watch Karate @ 90 minutes though…

    Grading coming up this weekend, so whilst those grading went thru syllabus related stuff, the rest ran thru Throws and Takedowns firstly in a compliant fashion, drilling the mechanics of the techniques with your uke, then finally as live, competitive Randori Drill which was fun to watch.


    Friday:

    Whilst the Cough, headaches and shakes seem to be still lingering, my respiratory system appears to have improved massively, so I figured a (tentative) session on the Heavy-Bag would be enough to test me, without killing me. 10 x 1 minute rounds, with 30 second rests (8 out of 10 of these were done at the greatly reduced work rate of around 30-40%, opening things up to around 90-100% for rounds 7 and 10, just to test myself.)
    Followed this up with another 2km Walk to cool down.


    Saturday
    Rest Day

    Had a really full day today, and between :banana:my youngest’s daughter's 1st Birthday:banana:, running the Juniors class, and then dealing with an endless stream of friends, family, in-laws and well-wishers, I ended up with zero time to train. (I did end spending a few hours with my Sensei and my Sempai in the evening, but that was down the pub, over a few too many beers, and nothing even resembling training was achieved…!!!)


    Sunday

    Drove the couple of miles in to town for last night’s festivities, leaving my car in an overnight carpark, so figured I’d kill 2 birds with 1 stone this morning, and run back to collect it – 3km Road/Trail Run @ 16m 19s – Chest infection still lingering, coupled with a bit of a Hangover, probably made this unwise, but to say I have been going stir crazy these past 2 weeks, is a bit of an understatement!

    Travess
     
  20. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Wk 18 – Year 2 (31/10/16 – 06/11/16)

    Monday

    Karate @ 80 minutes

    Got to the Hall 20 minutes early tonight, and warmed myself up with some Shisochin Practice followed be a few minutes of Shadow (fighting) Boxing which proved to be a wise choice, as we were pretty much beasted for the remainder of the session.
    40 minutes of Fast repetition Kata, Kihon, Stance, Power Generation and ‘Trigger’ drills, all interspersed with Several sets of Push Ups and/or Burpees. The final 20 minutes was then dedicated to Restrictive Pad Drills
    (*Note: Had to take a 2 minute breather during the middle portion of tonight’s class, as a result of my lingering respiratory concerns, but jumped back in for the Pad Drills)


    Tuesday:

    Awoke feeling pretty good today, better than I have in some time, so wasted no time in getting straight on with a small Upper Body Strength Session – Though it is clear to me, that my 12kg weight is no longer up to par!
    • 120 x 12kg Kettlebell Curls @ 10 x 12 reps
    • 150 x Crunches @ 10 x 15 reps
    • 120 x 12kg Closed Grip Press’ @ 10 x 12 reps


    Wednesday & Thursday:
    Rest Days

    Had a bit of a relapse these past couple days, where in my chest infection appeared to be making a bit of stand, so decided to take it easy AGAIN (Which meant missing Karate AGAIN :bang: )


    Friday:

    2 days downtime seem to have at least made a start on me feeling better, so whilst today will not be another rest day, I shall be taking things (very) slowly – Starting with Sanchin Kata whilst waiting for the kettle to boil, or preparing lunch/dinner etc… (waiting in for a parcel to be delivered), coupled with 12 x Push Ups on the hour, every hour and 24 x Full Sit Ups half past every hour, throughout the day.
    (*Note: Parcel was delivered earlier than expected, so only squeezed in 4 x Sanchin, 60 x Push Ups and 72 x Sit Ups!)


    Saturday

    Kids Karate Class @ 40 minutes (of a 60 minute session)

    Took part in the class today, to give some of the newer students someone to copy along to 5 minute Basic Warm-up (running on the spot, jumping jack etc…) Followed by Gekisai Dai Ichi Practice (1st 6 moves only) before finishing up with Basic Kihon Drills (Oi Tsuki / Age Uke / Uchi Uke & Mae Geri) – The last 20 minutes was then made of a very basic stand up grappling drill (Moving your partner side to side and/or back and forth) which I supervised rather than took part in.


    Sunday

    A brisk Sunday morning up on Whitehorse Hill, Uffington this morning, for a 20 minute / 3km Cross Country Hill Run – Messed this one up a tad, getting a little disorientated at the top of the hill, which took me down a steep, unbeaten and icy track, rather than the equally steep, but fairly even grass and gravel path I intended to take.

    Travess
     

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