Back to work

Okay, I was hoping that today I would have some quiet time at work to catch up on stuff, as per usual things didnt go according to plan. I was tied up wrestling with some figures for the whole morning and that set the rest of the things I had planned to do back for the whole day. Hopefully new years eve will be quiet during the day as I am back into work at our Trowbridge office that day so should be able to finsih off all the stuff I need to to enusre I start 2010 with a clean slate.

Will ensure that I finish off the text for my thesis when i return home tonight and after I have had a scrummy curry!

Hols nearly over

Another relaxing day today, spent most of it with my eldest daughter Eleanor watching Avatar, I have to say it was an excellent film. I did do some free weights this evening to at least do something physical, back to work tomorrow so will hopefully end up doing some cardio before dinner. Starting to think about the short space of time left until March when its black belt grading, still got loads to do and not a great deal of time, I also need to think about devoting some time to Ele as she will be thinking about her own blackbelt testing in 2010. Just settling down to watch a bit of Sci-Fi on telly.

So full

I'm amazed I can type with all the Turkey, mince pies and Chocs I have consumed in the last 24-36 hours. I feel really stuffed, bloated, sluggish but content that the kids have had another good Christmas, they are starting to get a bit fraught as the long exitement filled Christmas and boxing day frivolities come to an end. I think tomorrow a session on the x-trainer, just to keep the muscles from atrophing will be in order!

House party in the early evening will mean much merriment and good food with a housefull of friends and small kids, I think I will need a stiff drink just to get through it.

On an MA realted topic i am thoroughly enjoying a pressie that my kids got for me in the form of a book called 'The killing Art' by Alex Gillis, dubbed as the untold history of Tae Kwon Do it is a really interesting read and was recommended to me by a fellow student. It's a real eye opener and I am finding it difficult to put down.

Another couple of days and its back to work, boo! Will need to get maximum fun in!

Is it Xmas already?

Just thought I'd fire in a quick post, managed to get up the enthusiasm to do a short bit of cardio, thought I'd do something different today and went for a short, intense session so put the treadmill on an incline and did 15mins of interval training. I'd forgotten how a simple addition of a bit of an incline really works both your cardio but also your legs. On the last sprint session I was really blowing, may look to do at least one 30 min session on the treadmill with the ususal best effort mile and half but definately to incorporate these much more intense bursts as I have been reading this can really help boost your overall endurance and up the cardio.

Xmas eve and I have had a quiet 20 mins! The girls are all out with Shelly getting their nails done so I may be able to sit down quickly before they get back!

Arrrgghhh I can't escape

Oh dear, I can't get away from it, bloody work! Even on my days off I still have to cover stuff off, to be fair it is a situation that I helped to create so I need to clear my messes up, but even so.

Weird day today, had to go out for some last minute food and drink shopping so was caught up in a very busy Waitrose in Cirencester, Shelly slipped down the stairs and twisted her ankle when we got back and all in all not the relaxing day i had envisaged in bed this morning at 8.30am!

Yesterday I prevaricated throughout the day but I did finally knuckle down and got a 30 min cardio session in on the running machine, if yesterdays performance getting there is anything to go by sticking to this plan is going to be tough. After this I am going to do a weights session and again tomorrow afternoon I will force myself to either run or do 30 mins on the x-trainer.

Tonight is a curry night at my sisters so really looking forward to just chilling out.

Xmas hols

No work this week! Yippee, actually having some time to just mooch around on the net today, a rare occurance. I was actually hoping to do some thesis work today but I have Ele and Hannah's friends over today so its all a little manic at the minute so instead I did a search for some other martial arts blogs. I found the following http://traditionaltaekwondo.blogspot.com/ which had some interesting posts, especially around gradings and student prep etc. I was hoping to get it on the blog as one of the interesting sites but it seems to be playing up at the minute.

Any other sites you feel should be added please recommend.

Where has the week gone?

No blog entry since Tuesday! That about sums up how this week has gone by in a total blur, work has been all consuming really as we race to the end of our financial year. The good news from my perspective is that the team I managed will have had their best month ever so I leave that role in good shape for the new year. So all I have been doing really is travelling from one customer to another and that has left little time for anything else. I did ensure I got on the running machine for my mile and a half as I was determined to get a cardio session in even if it was only a short one.

Thuesday night was graduation at the school, however I was unable to attend as it was the sales team get together, alocohol was consumed in vast amounts (not by me it has to be said) and much frivolity was had, luckily it was my last sales meeting at 9am Friday morning so I had to be sensilble and I am glad I did when i saw the faces of a few of the team! I did however get an email from my instructor, Rich, late on Thursday evening telling me that I had been awarded the student of the year, really chuffed with that. Its always nice to get recognition when you feel you have put alot of yourself into something, even with all the distractions and competing priorities of life. As I said to Rich when I replied to his email, hopefully I can maintain the same standard and strive that little bit more to improve in 2010!

With Xmas upon us its time to think about how I will tackle the festive season from an MA persepective. I really need some complete down time purely because work has been so all consuming in the past 3 months, timings wise doing the black belt application couldn't have come at a worse time but nothing I have ever done in my life that has had any real meaning has ever come easily and to be honest why would you want to look back on something important to you, like potentially achieving a black belt and think, "that was easy", or I "coasted that"

So I will ensure that I keep the fitness up as that is really only 45 mins a couple of times a week, nutrition will most likely go out of the window but I will try really hard to avoid snacking too much on the salty, fatty stuff. This weekend I will finish off my thesis and complete the first stab at my pattern breakdown, this will hopefully clear the decks for the new year when I need to start pulling things together and focussing a bit more on the theory side of things and look at firming up a weapons drill and self defense demo. The blog will continue over Xmas but I warn you it will probably be me lamenting the 4 mince pies I ate or the slab of Xmas cake with brandy butter I had!

Goofing around

Rain, rain, rain, I was starting to feel festive last night and then got up this morning to the foul weather. This rain always gets me down, I would much rather wake up to a crisp and frosty morning. Last night in class was a good laugh, plenty of goofing around, striking, light sparring drills, fancy kicks and breaking, all good fun. That was the last session of class so will need to ensure I get an opportunity over the Xmas hols to keep on top of patterns etc. I did do a cardio session last night on the cross trainer, felt really energised so pushed myself hard and I am really feeling it today. Quick trip over the bridge today for a business meeting and then its Eleanors Christmas play tonight.

By the way I did treat myself last night to a couple of Xmas treats after training, a bit of indulgence every now and then doesn't hurt.

I was right

It was a very busy weekend, here I am just gone 7pm and I am looking back thinking 'where did the weekend go?' Did try to get a little lie in this morning but only managed it until 9am and then it was all hands on deck to start getting the kitchen tidy, getting Ele ready for her grading and then before you know it, its the adult masters grading and its 4pm! Really enjoyed to day, I especially enjoyed the breaking as I havent done it with a palm or with my left foot before so it was a really positive way to finish the grading off with.

Next week is going to be manic, this is the last proper week that I am filling the role of sales manager so I am out and about all over the place and coupled with 2 sales meeting and a management board meeting at the end of the week I will be extremely glad to have a weekend of doing nothing (except maybe sneaking in a quick bike ride) and lounging around in my pyjamas. But before I can enjoy all that I have a 5.30am start tomorrow.

Busy weekend ahead

Just sitting in a Costa in Cheltenham at the moment, bit of a loose end as I have had to take my mother in law into hospital today for tests. Went training last night and had a really good session, did a bit of work with Martin on three step, always good to think about how you put over the concepts within pair work and also from a personal perspective it was interesting to see how Martins Karate influences his posture and movements. After the beginners session it was 45 mins of myself and John running through all the patterns (except Chon Ji but including Choong Moo), 2 step and 3step so ended up as a really focussed and targetted session, hopefully we both got a lot out of it as John is very technically minded and has a focus on getting the techniques just so.

Well the coffee is going down and I am starting to feel a  bit more human as the caffeine kicks in, time to get on with some work (the wonders of the connected world!)

Grading on Sunday, looking forward to getting stuck in as I always enjoy gradings (even when I feel crappy its always a good blast) even though this time I am not actually being tested for a belt rank. Not sure how many people are doing it this time as there werent that many last quarter. Tomorrow is super busy as Shelly and I are taking the kids to the pantomime at the Everyman in Cheltenham, last years was a blast so with any luck will have a great Saturday and Sunday leading into my last week at work before Xmas, starting to feel very festive and want to get the decorations up so I can start snaffling mince pies in earnest!

Something of interest

Over a five minute lunch break today (a rare visit to the office) I was noodling through my documents and came across my essays that I have been doing throughout my training (an integral part of training at the school) and I came across a recent essay which is very pertinent to the whole idea behind the blog and is something that I think would be of interest to any individuals involved in MA training and especially those students of the Ilyokwan Academy as this really sums up alot of what Master Olpins ideas and ethos are about.

Black Belt: A beginning not an end

When I began my training in the martial arts I have to admit to not giving much thought to attaining a black belt, it seemed such a long way off and so out of reach that I just put it to the back of my mind and concentrated on the day to day aspects of my training. Seeing other students going through the process recently has focussed my attention on what you need to do to attain a black belt but also what it means to me personally if I was successful in obtaining one.
Many people perceive the attaining of a black belt in a martial art as the pinnacle of their training, being presented with the belt the be all and end all of their training.

To some this is what motivates them to train, to learn and to develop their skills during their training; however I believe that such a focussed approach and imbuing the achievement of a black belt with near mythical qualities can be extremely detrimental to the student.
For some students they get what they want from their training and they see the rank of black belt as the final stage. For some training and achieving a black belt is about personal pride, boosting confidence, getting fit and proving something to themselves with something demonstrable to show. For these students they have a defined goal and once they have achieved the rank of black belt they are left with nothing going forward. The goal of getting the belt has been their target for so long that they have neglected to think and to understand what happens afterwards. For these students disillusionment and in most cases a ceasing of training follows the high from getting their belt.
Master Olpin regularly warns students about the danger inherent in placing too much emphasis on obtaining a black belt and 'chasing belts' if your goal is to be a lifelong martial artist, it should be remembered that a black belt is just that, a black belt, a piece of material. The wearing of the black belt does not suddenly give super powers to the wearer or mean that the student has mastered all of the basics patterns and forms that form part of the training schedule to black belt status.
Watching a recent children’s film 'Kung Fu Panda' re-inforced this message, Po trains with Shifu and is taught martial arts skills, throughout his training he has believed that this will be a path that will lead him to the fabled dragon scroll. The Dragon scroll, Po believes, will provide him with the 'ultimate knowledge' that will allow him to defeat all opponents as it is something 'special'. When the time comes for Po to read the scroll he discovers that it is empty of words, merely reflecting an image of himself. When he finally realises that there is no 'magic ingredient' and that he has had the ability within him all along to defeat his opponents he is free to express himself.
This really brought home to me what I believe is core to understanding that obtaining a black belt is merely the start of an even longer journey than the one I embarked upon when I decided to begin studying a martial art. I hope in the future to go on and progress within my chosen art and move higher within the dan structure, not for prestige, but more for beginning to truly understand what it is I am training in.
I have tried to not focus too much on the gaining of a black belt but more on what I wanted to achieve as a much longer term goal. My reasons for taking up a martial art were; a structured way to allow me to maintain my health and fitness, coming together with a like minded group of people and taking part in a discipline that would allow me to test myself constantly. I believe strongly that these reasons do not change, if I am fortunate enough to achieve the rank of black belt, rather they change and adapt to meet the overall goal of keeping a lifelong interest in training in the martial arts and continuing on the journey started when I first walked through the doors of the school.

Getting hectic

Christmas is looming and work is going into overdrive as this is our year end so I am out and about pretty much from now on, this means that Thursday will be my last training session of the year. I will be attending the grading on Sunday as it is always a good opportunity to put yourself under a little pressure to see how you have been progressing, plus gradings are always good as it gets loads of us together. Tuesday night was good as my eldest daughter needed to stay behind due to lifts etc and I always enjoy spending soem time with her at the school as I get to see how she is progressing within her MA. She has been training now for about 5 years and she has a real enthusiasm for MA that can't help but rub off on you, always a good time spent when I am with her and does recharge my own batteries.

Where am I?

Okay, the past week or so has been pretty difficult for me due to the stomach problems I have experienced but I seem to be much better and I did go back to classes last night. It was during the lesson that my instructor pointed out that I had not blogged for a few days, when I pointed out that I didn't think people would want to read about my stomach problems he actually said that I must remember why I started this blog and that actually when I experience setbacks and problems like this that it is important to still blog and put down how I am feeling and coping because that is at the heart of why I wanted to do a blog as part of my black belt goals. This is a completely valid point and something that I lost as I was focussing on the negative aspects of being ill witout realising it was this negativity that I should have been blogging about.

Having this time to reflect over the last couple of weeks has made me think about the journey so far, I am nearly half way through and next March is starting to loom large in my thoughts. I asked my self a question the other day "Have I done everything I could so far in my training?" The honest answer has to be no. I could of course train every other night, do theory work use all of my spare time focussing on my MA training. I then clarified the question to "Have I done everything I could so far in my training within my limits of work and personal responsibilities" again truthfully the answer has to be no. I am a 'normal' person and some times after a particualry stressful day I just want to switch my brain off completely and veg out on the sofa, if I ignored this and stated 'of course I do everything possible' I wouldnt be truthful to myself or the process of testing for black belt. I think looking back on the last few months I have done an awful lot to support my journey and I have had a good number of successes so far, of ocurse there is more I can do, and part of the journey is the constant need to push yourself that little bit more each time, to constanlty evaluate and critique what you are doing, but never forgetting to celebrate the small successes along the way. I think the better question that I will ask myself as I approach the end of this part of the journey is 'Am I happy with my progress so far and do I know where I need to focus goign forward?' The answer to that question is a resounding YES, I have personally seen myself improve in a number of areas already, my personal fitness is approaching the best it has been in probably 10 years, I am starting to feel confident in my patterns and basics, I am starting to feel comfortable talking to other students about techniques and assisiting more junior students in their training and the other aspects of my MA training are seeming to slot into place. This is of course in the context of where my knowledge of MA is currently at, that of a fairly experienced beginner.

Good to be back...at least in spirit

Was good getting out to training tonight, at least got to do a bit and masters was really good as it became one of those discussion sessions that are excellent for expanding your knowledge of the martial arts. Still not 100% but I am determined to get back into the swing of things as soon as possible. A few bullet points from tonights training;

*When looking at training students in self defense techniques you use the principle of isolating and exaggerating the movements to let the students grasp how they can be applied in situations. Once this has been accepted by the student you can then start taking the larger more exaggerated movements down to a smaller level.When bringing the movements down to this smaller level it actually allows more players to be brought to bear naturally.

*Another fundamental principle to adopt during training in self defense is redundancy, ensuring that the moves you employ have a follow through that could also be just as effective as your initial move.

Cut off...but not by much

Feeling a bit out of it at the moment due to not training for a week, I have been using the time usefully though, a few posts on the forum have meant I have at least been contributing and making contact with other students, a big thanks to John as he has been a mini whirlwind on both the forum and the blog. I took advantage of the dead time travelling yesterday to get on and finish my first draft of the thesis. It felt good to get this first draft done and I have sent it off to my instructor to get some feedback, suggestions etc I didn't realise until the end that it is over 6,500 words so really pleased, once feedback is recieved that will most likely increase as I can already see a few areas where some continued research has thrown up some more info that may be pertinent to include. I am keen to close off the thesis though as that will reinforce a positive and will allow me to free up time to focus on other theory activities. I did put a small forum post concerning the origins of patterns in Okinowan karate up and I think I will do some more digging as this is going to help with coming up with a weapons routine for my grading. Rich gave me the idea to explain briefly the background and then show a couple of shorts patterns with different weapons to illustrate this. I like that idea and hopefully can get something bottomed out in my head before Xmas.

Sitting in Newcastle Airport with a cup of tea waiting for my flight so will probably go off and do some research.

Negative into a positive

Still not feeling 100% and rather than moping about because I am missing training I am going to take my instructors advice and do something related to the MA. Tonight I am going to do some research into the history behind the use of patterns in Okinowan Karate as it was something Rich mentioned a few weeks ago in class and it sounds like an interesting subject to explore a bit more.

Due to my stomach problems I haven't done any exercise and my appetite is all over the place, I am trying to keep a positive mental attitiude but each day lost due to either work or illness is a day less to train or work on the things I need to achieve. I was reading a fellow black belt candidate's forum posts yesterday and I share her frustration and concern that time is slipping away, as I am away tomorrow in Newcastle I am again going to use the time away for a positive action so will look at taking my pattern breakdown folder and do some work on that as well.

I get concerned, especially when I cannot do my exercise as I know how easy it is to get out of a routine and how much effort (especially at a really busy time of the year both personally and professionally) is required to get back on track. Will need to ensure I am on the forum as well to try and keep in touch with the other students.

Good, Bad and the Ugly

What a day today has been, it didnt start off too good, my bad stomach of last night has got worse and shall we say, accidents could happen :( I had to carry out a dismissal this morning and I havent had to do one for years so I was a bit apprehensive and it wasnt helped that I went to the wrong hotel first of all so then had to bomb it up the M1 to ensure I was there with time to spare. Once the deed was done I then had to get back home to crack on with all the work I wasn't able to do that morning.

This afternoon brought some really good news and is something that has a real bearing on what I believe is the black belt ethos and something that has given my journey to black belt a real positive lift. My thoughts on what makes a black belt are very much aligned with my Instructor, Richard Olpin, in that a black belt isnt just about focussing on the martial art itself, it's more about the whole person and the effect they can have in a wider sense. To that end a number of months ago I applied to join the board of trustees to Wales's largest homelessness charity, Shelter Cymru, today I was informed that I have been accepted and will be formally confirmed within the next 2 weeks. This is something that I am really pleased about as I have worked at the front line of housing provision in the past and homelessness is something I have strong views about, I hope that I can assist in making a small difference to vulnerable people in Wales by being part of the board at Shelter Cymru.

Shelly is just cooking dinner for the girls and the smell is making me feel very sick... I won't be at training tonight as accidents are a real possibility and I wouldnt want to mess my uniform up :(

Feeling rough

Not feeling too good at the minute, have very bad stomach pains at the minute, was going to do my cardio tonight and some free weights but just sitting down and taking it easy, feel very weak and not having a good time...

Off the rails...not quite

Training was good yesterday night, it was good to get back into class after missing all of last week, also managed to get in some exercise so was really tired by the time I got back early from class. Coudln't stay for the Masters session as I hadn't been able to spend much time with the family so had to get back.

Today was a nightmare from start to finish, late getting into work due to traffic and then a really long day of meetings was made worse by the fact that the A46 was closed so a massive detour later via Chippenham I managed to get home after 9pm. As it was so late the cravings kicked in and I ended up having a chinese takeaway so its only my fault if I end up not losing any weight again this week. It was a tough day today and that I think added to my ease of slipping into some poor nutrition so I just need to get a grip of things and get back into the swing of things.

Bad weather blues

It must be a jinxed month, I have been having really good successes I feel with my fitness but getting on the scales this morning the bad news was another pound back on! I have of course understood that this week has again been one of those weeks where customer dinners have meant a couple of nights where my nutrituion isn't what I would have wanted it to be. However I have kept the level of exercise, to my mind, quite high, this worries me as what would have been the story if I hadn't of maintained the fitness sessions! This is after a very gruelling 25 mile X-country bike race yesterday that resembled the Somme, the mud was atrocious and even with special gripper tyres I was skidding and sliding all over the place (it was great fun but extremely hard work) This has been a couple of weeks on the trot where the weight has crept back up so I will have to work extremely hard to maintain the plan getting me to 12 1/2 stone for the fitness test. I may have to revise this figure anyway as it is becoming plain to me and to others that I am putting on a lot of lean muscle compared to the challenge I did 2 years ago, where I lost 2 1/2 stone. At the current weight I am, compared to then I am much leaner and noticeably thinner so perhaps it is the increased muscle that is starting to effect the results I am seeing (more likely it is having Shelly's steak and ale pie the night before I weigh myself :))

Missing in Action

Wow, just noticed that I haven't posted since my rant on Sunday, basically I have been really busy with a conference and exhibition the last 3 days so its been a whirlwind kind of few days. I was lucky that the hotel I stopped in had a gym so I was able to get a good cardio work out in and a strength and weights set the Tuesday evening. Yesterday moring was meant to be an early morning cardio session to blow the cob webs out but I had had such a lousy nights sleep that all I wanted to do wa crawl back into my pillow, so that's exactly what I did!

Due to the busy week I have done nothing martial arts related at all which ties a bit into my Sunday rant, even though I knew this week was coming etc etc I still get frustrated with myself, which is odd because the rational part of me is not trying to focus on the 'get the black belt, get the black belt' kind of attitude but at a deeper level my basic make up of going all out, not quitting and striving to succeed is causing me grief. Hopefully a good muddy x-country bike race on Saturday will switch me off for a few hours and allow the old grey matter to recharge a bit.

Training should be good tonight and hopefully will be able to get 45 mins of theory done, will just have to wait and see.

Is next week going to get any better than this one?

What a week, the only real positive to come out of the week has been my dogged refusal to give up on the cardio sessions this week. I have just been totally unfocussed this week and everything has gone to pot. I have retreated to my comfort blanket of computer games which is really anti social and usually means my sleep patterns are screwed up.

Just a general feeling of listlessness and prevarication about the smallest things, might just be a mid training blip but makes it really difficult to pull out of a tailspin when you haven't got a brilliant support network. Don't get me wrong Michelle is great but home is home and I can't keep relying on Rich all the time as he needs to spread himself out across all the students. Again I re-iterate, THIS IS WHY I AM DOING THIS BLOG. We all get together (if we are lucky) twice a week for over an hour of training, to the students who just want to turn up and then leave it at the threshold of the Dojang I say fine, we all train for different reasons, but this is a plea to the other students who have a desire to go beyond merely attaining a belt or rank and who want to have a lifetime journey with the martial arts. To those students I say ANY CHANCE OF SOME SUPPORT?

I am not looking for pats on the back etc just a level of interest and encouragement/ enthusiasm for the hard work Shirley and I are putting in. This blog is as much for you as it is for me, I have been very disappointed by the complete radio silence on the Academy forum this week and again, especially when I have not been able to attend class, just makes me feel isolated like this, and when you get into a spiral of cant be bothered it is very difficult to pull yourself out, this is wher eyour support network steps in.

I am genuinely interested in how other students find their training, what they like, dislike, what concerns they have and what makes them tick. As Rich bangs on about constantly when you are surrounded by positive people you all feed off each other and achieve much more. The forum should really be your first port of call if you are unsure about anything connected with your training as it has a record of the past 5+ years of student questions and discussions. 2 years ago a core group of about 6-7 students embarked on a personal challenge and for around 6-9 months the energy on the forum and in class was unbelievable, this led me to get a massive success personally and really made me want to carry on with my training in the years to come. I wanted to be around people like that and to get that buzz again.

Sorry if this post offends anyone, that was not my intention, it was merely to remind everyone that we don't study a glorified aerobics routine, we are martial artists and therefore have decided to rise above the mediocre and really achieve something worthwhile in our lives. Please get involved with the forum at the very least, it will take a couple of minutes to post a question or reply to an active topic, give it a go, you may be surprised how addictive it can be.

Soggy Saturday

What a crappy day its been. The weather has meant I have been stuck in the house with loads of screaming girls so I retreated  into PC Gaming only coming up for air to cook dinner and to do 30 mins on the runnung machine. That was good as  I managed to take another 5 secs off my mile and a half so down to 10 mins and 53 secs so that was a result, even though I am still feeling really nonplussed about everything at the minute, perhaps I miss the sun!

Still not feeling it

Been radio silent for the last couple of days because I just haven't had anything remotley positive or interesting to say. Weds night I went out with my team and had a good Thai meal, I did do some basic reps before going out but my heart wasn't really in it, did avoid temptation on the booze though so I suppose a positive.

Thursday was a real pain as a late finish meant I missed training, as I was thoroughly pissed off I decided I was at least going to get something from the night and got on the cross trainer for 30 mins, it did mean thought that I didn't eat until later and suffered for it as my stomach was not happy.

Still feeling in a bit of a fugue, hopefully will wake up tomorrow feeling a bit more positive.

Just don't feel like doing anything

As the title of this post says, just don't really feel like doing anything today. Work is really dragging today and to top it off I need to stay overnight. It wouldnt have been so bad if the Hotel I was booked into had a gym or a pool but it doesn't even have that so I won't be able to workout tonight, which is just adding more to the general feeling of meh! Days like this are rubbish as you can't work up the enthusiasm for what you are doing but you feel really bad about not achieving anything. Not a lot I can do, will do some reps when I get back to the Hotel room just as a statement of 'no matter how crap I feel I will still do something!'

Who says they don't like Mondays?

Interesting day today, managed to oversleep, was only by 20 mins but really woke up feeling refreshed, oddly this was even after being woken up by next doors dogs barking at 5am. Had a couple of meetings today which meant I was zipping about in the car a bit and then a medium drive back home in the afternoon, all was ticking along nicely until my answer machine called me and played a message from a new member of staff who only started with me last week. Unfortunately her father had died that morning and she was just letting me know, it's things like that, that do bring home some of the personal petty worries we fret over sometimes, like "oh I didn't get to do my press ups last week' kind of thing.

When I got back I decided to stretch out with a good blast on the treadmill so made sure I got a protein drink down me and jumped on, today was a blast. I felt really good and decided from the get go to push myself again so set the treadmill to 8 miles an hour from the start, after about 7 mins I had a good rythm, the breathing was good so I decided to kick it up to 8.8 miles an hour, I kept this pace up and came out from the 1.5 miles with a time just under 11 mins, 10mins 58 secs to be exact. That is a real result and is giving me a massive buzz, something that traditionally I have been very poor at is something that dare I say it, I might actually be enjoying!

On another matter I totally cocked up today, I went to Holland and Barrets meaning to get some Carnitine and ended up getting some Creatine, one I wanted to help with lean muscle and weight loss, the other is for strength building but does retain water so isnt so good for taking the weight off, doh!

A day to remember

This weekend has been a nice relaxing time which is great as the old batteries were getting a bit run down, didn't do too much yesterday, got up late and then managed to arrange a short notice bike ride, typically my mate turned up we jumped on and I noticed a flat on my back tire. Rather than give up I picked the bike up and ran into Wotton to get the tube changed, 10 mins later we were on the road for a good 15 miler. My friend Dave has also just embarked on a fitness campaign and he has just started getting into a gym and swimming regime so I will probably need to up my game in a month or two as his results should be pretty good with an organised regime of cross training. I have been finding the 15 miler easier of late but yesterday was so cold that my muscles really didnt get a good opportunity to warm up, and that was with pushing Dave to some 1/2 km sprints, but he said he enjoyed getting pushed and we completed it in 1hr 15mins which was 25 mins better than the last time I went out with him on that route.

Today I am off with Eleanor (my eldest daughter) to the remembrance service so time to polish the medals and remember thos epeople who make the ultimate sacrifice to allow us to enjoy the way of life we currently have. To continue the theme of relaxation I am going to run through my patterns this afternoon with Ele and ensure that I am comfortable with them.

Feeling odd continued

After posting on Wednesday I got to thinking why I might be feeling out of sorts. With the increase in exercise over the last few weeks and the focus on strength and stamina my body is most likely complaining by bringing on some aches and pains. Having never really thought too much about what is needed to support a really aggressive fitness regime I have started to think more about bringing sports nutrition into my daily routine. I asked Rich (my instructor) for some advice and he directed me as a minimum to go for a protien drink, he also suggested I take a look at the Maximuscle website http://www.maximuscle.com/ which had some really good training and food plans. So today I am going to take the plunge and get a good protein drink and start taking it 3 times a day to support my training, hopefully I will see the benefits over the coming weeks.

Training last night was really good as it is always a balst to have a session on leg strength and jumping kicks, one of the key things I picked up last night when it comes to any sort of turning or reverse kicks is the concept of target acquisition. The idea is that if you keep your focus on the target and as you turn, get the target back into focus as quickly as possible it enables you to get strikes in much more effectively and also can reduce the disorientation or dizzyness you might expect.

This week has been pretty good so far, was disappointed in not being able to get to training Monday night but the positives are still my cardio training and hopefully the introduction of some sports nutrition will help to to continue and build up on these activities and support my goal of increasing my strength and stamina.

KAIZEN!!

Feeling odd

Think I might be coming down with something as I was feeling very run down last night, decided to get a good nights sleep but have woken up this morning still feeling funny. Had a good chat with Rich and Shirley last night, was really good just to look back on the last month and think about the successes and the challenges faced. Having to make sure that I don't let things slip as I have just over 4 months left, which on the one hand is over 16 weeks but will be arriving before I know it.

Due to how I am feeling I will decide wether or not to do some exercise this afternoon, just need to make sure I don't overextend myself.

Too good to last

As I suspected the past few weeks have been good as I have been able to get to all the sessions in the week and get some good training in but today was a pain as a meeting originally scheduled until 5.30pm went on until much later. I was so annoyed that by the time I got home I had decided to not let it be a negative and got straight on the running machine to at least salvage something from tonight. The problem was I hadn't had the opportunity for a decent lunch so my energy levels were really low, still managed a sub 12 min mile and a half so that is my positive for the day. Will look at maximising training opportunity tomorrow night instead.

Some thoughts so far...

I was hoping when I started this blog to get some interesting comments and interaction from other students in the school but perhaps that was rather niave. I think people believe that doing training is more of a personal thing and that we all just get on with it. I would like to state that I personally believe that training in any endeavor worthwhile of your time and efforts usually involves a strong element of teamwork. This belief is borne out by many things in my life but especially mith my 10 years in the military, it is only through personal effort that challenges are started but most likely it is down to the encouragement and support of others that they are completed successfully. Even the solo yachtsman or woman has a support team that helps them through the rough times, the times when they just want to jack it all in and go home, that is what I believe is going to help me through my journey to black belt. I have many challenges in my life every day, busy job, hectic family life and to make sure I keep the motivation high for my training I need the support of others, I try to support and help others in the school and this blog was designed to show the personal thoughts, the successes, failures highs and lows of 5-6 months of quite intense training to achieve something worthwhile. As you can probably tell the frustration is coming out in this post.

Feeling fine

It's amazing what a bit of exercise does for you, started the day feeling really tired and run down but made sure I got on the treadmill at lunchtime as it was in my plan, 30 mins later being very hot and sweaty I did feel really good and its carried on for the rest of the day. Off out really early for a bike ride tomorrow so its bound to rain!

Hot and sweaty

Been a good couple of days, managed to work from home for a bit which has allowed me to catch up on stuff, I was also able to spend a bit of time going through my patterns, looking at some of the meanings of the patterns and also getting some good phys in as well.

In parallel have been getting a little bit stressed with work and it has been bleeding out so was really glad to have a good blast tonight as it is always a great stress reliever. My mind is a bit blank at the minute so well sign off until later tomorrow.

Getting into a groove

Past couple of days have been pretty standard to date, did my cardio yesterday and brought in the next set of chest exercises, which were very tough, may consider bringing a couple of them into the circuit I need to plan out. Training was good last night as I had the opportunity to take a small group of students through the basic applications of the moves within Yul Gok. The purpose was to give the less experienced members of the school a visualisation of the moves so that they could work on that mind, body connection I mentioned last week. Masters was a continuation of the pain and pressure points we started looking at last week. I think I forgot to mention in my blog that last Monday we were running through pressure points and Master Olpin wanted to show a combination of strikes on connecting pressure points. He used me as his demo dolly and in rapid succession struck a combination of pressure points quite lightly but repeatedly, as he was then talking to the rest of the class I suddenly realised that I had been effected by the strikes and just as I piped up with a "...Sir!" my feet started moving and my balance went out! So not a bad demo dolly as the demo showed the real effects of even light strikes.

Feeling a bit stuffed at the minute as I got the girls a portion of chips as a treat for their tea and the chips they left I ended up snaffling (only a few mind :))

Really good end to the week

This weekend has been pretty good all round really, yesterday was a bit of a mixture of massive frustration and near computercide and then a trip up the motorway for a family get together.The only downside being that I hadn't eaten any dinner as I thought there was going to be plenty of food and the reality was a pretty limited buffet that didn't come out until 9pm and had to feed over 60 people.

Not to worry though today was a cracking day, started off with about 1 min lie in as the kids don't have a setting to turn their clocks back and then got on with my monthly fitness test. Was really happy with the results, which I have posted on the Academy forum, and it just set the rest of the day up as a good one. Had my mum and sister (plus kids) over for Eleanors family party and had decided after such a good performance on the fitness test to just have a day off from healthy eating, but I have to admit I feel like I have eaten my entire monthly salt allowance in one afternoon.

One thing I haven't mentioned in these blogs so far is the idea I have been having about taking up Master Olpins Black Belt challenge. To date I have been looking to get involved with something that has a positive impact on the community at large and to that end have applied to become a Trustee of Shelter Cymru, a Welsh Homelessness Cahrity based in Cardiff. I am off for an interview in a week or so after visiting them a couple of weeks ago to see what they did and wether I woudl be interested in becoming a trustee member. Hopefully the interview will go well and if so may well join the board around Xmas time. To me this is really embracing the entire idea of what it is to be a Black Belt and the sorts of things you need to consider if you really want to wholeheartedly get something positive from the whole BB experience. It's not something for everyboday as we all have different reasons for getting on the BB journey but for me this isn't simply about chasing a belt. I have no illusions that on one day attaining the rank of BB that I will suddenly have access to some mystical wisdom beyond my years. I am looking to have a lifelong interest in Martial Arts as a way to maintian fitness and feel like I belong to a group of like minded individuals.

Thats enough of the preachy stuff, not sure how many people actually read this, I'm off now to avoid a horde of screaming girls who Michelle foolishly allowed to have a sleepover (I feel a Marathon Company of Heroes session could be in order)

An end to another week

Friday comes around again, not much to talk about at the moment really. I'm starting to get into a routine of fitness and settling into sorting out my nutrition. I may need to alter things a bit as I am noticing a dip in energy in the afternoon and early evening. Last nights training session was a good cardio and strength blast but there was a bit of a mishap with Shirley during sparring as I caught her in the stomach with a side kick. I'm glad I pulled the shot as the wind went out of her like a shot. I have never seen that reaction before and it made me think how effective a well placed side kick can be when done with full power and intensity.

Did some weights today and a few sets of strength exercises, abs and chest and will be looking to do a fitness test on Sunday so am tossing up wether to do anything tomorrow or not.

Hectic day

The beginning of the week wasn't too bad and today was when it came to a bit of a halt. A very long day of quite tense meetings meant I wasnt able to get home until nearly 7pm tonight, but in the spirit of the thing I got changed and got straight on the treadmill. I had eaten an apple and banana about 45 mins before but after about 5 mins it soon became apparent that I just didn't have the energy and to be honest the inclination so I stopped after a mile and had some dinner.

Monday nights training was good and I picked up one very important point:

* In all of your basics and patterns try to get a mind/body connection to the activity, visualise an opponent and a strike that you will either defend against or attack.
* When looking to visualise use the simplest attack to assist in making the connection.

I did manage to get to a Tuesday night session and run through Choong Moo, feeling pretty confident about the sequence, now I need to focus on elements, such as the jumping side kick to ensure I am showing the correct emphasis.

New week, new start

Yesterday was a near perfect Sunday, got up at a decent hour had chance for the brain to relax and then out for a cracking 15 mile bike ride, very brisk but it just meant I went faster, managed to do the same route but at least 15 mins quicker. Mooched about at a mates for a bit with Shelly and the kids and then it was home and time for me to get my chef's hat on.

Made some pastry and then a steak and guiness filling, mmmm pies my downfall, as well as pizza, kebabs, fish and chips, pretty much anything deep fried really :)

Was woken up this morning by next door's dog at about 5.30am, really not impressed as today was the first day in ages when I have had the chance to work from home, which should have meant a little longer in bed, but no barking non stop until 7.30am amazing how it all stopped then, but it meant I was a bit zoned out for the first 30 mins until the green tea kicked in!

Had a very busy day getting some key reports togetehr and trying to fathom out what the hell it is I am now supposed to be doing on top of all the other stuff I am also meant to be doing. By about 12pm my head was spinning so decided to get the running machine out and went for a brisk 3 miler. Felt really good running so I thought why not push myself a bit further and see how quickly you can run a mile and a half without really going for it, I ended up doing it in 12 mins and 11 seconds so very happy with myself. I rate this as a real achievement because I truly dislike running, I just find it boring and a real strain on the knees, but it is a good cardio work out and coupled with yesterdays bike ride I am really seeing some rapid improvements in my overall cardio fitness.

I am doing my 4 weekly fitness test this Sunday and I had programmed in a mile and a half in 13 mins, I will let this stand as I am looking to build up core fitness and stamina and don't want to fall into the trap of training for the test as this can be a big mistake.

Currently sitting in the pool watching Ele do her swimming club, after this a swift trip hoem and then straight to the school for training tonight.

A good day

Really had an enjoyable time yesterday, I was dreading 7 small girls and a Frankie and Benny's but everyone was an angel, go to enjoy a nice spicy Meatball Calzone and then just mooched about for a couple of hours at the mall and my sisters as Shelly and the girls saw Fame.

Today I had planned for a bike ride with my mate but he rang up to cry off again, instead of doing the same just got changed and went for a nice 15 miler, weather was kind if a bit chilly (may be time for trousers rather than shorts) and I flew along, managed to take over 15 mins off my last time which I was really pleased with. The only other stuff I needed to get on with today was making the Sunday dinner which is a chore I never tire of. Today's feast is going to be Steak and Guiness pie. Yesterday Shelly misread my shopping list and bought a Kg of butter rather than a Kg of all butter pastry, so I decided to make my own shortcrust pastry today which is relaxing. didn't partake of the Guiness but did have a taste for an ice cold cider around 3pm, come to think of it I coudl just go for one now :) As I am still prepping the dinner I will sneak in some patterns in between chopping the veg and rolling out the pastry.

Another long day

Today I am resting up again, was up very early to get into London and managed to get back for about 4.30pm. Not a whole lot to mention today really, had a browse through a good reference book for the thesis called Get Tough. It's a book produced by W.E. Fairbairn who trained the commandos and special services during world war 2 in unarmed combat, waiting for another one by the same guy. Having to plan Ele's birthday party tomorrow so will sign off.

Going to rest up

After my rather downbeat post Rich (my instructor) contacted me telling me it's probably best to relax rather than train tonight. Even though he is speaking sense and I know having a rest will do me good I still feel annoyed with myself for feeling this rubbish. As he is always saying a good martial artist walks into their training hall always giving 100% I think I am at 60% at best at the minute. I still have to run Ele and Robbie to their session but will have a relaxing night and hopefully be a bit more refreshed when I wake up tomorrow.

Feeling crap...

Feel like I'm burning the candle at both ends at the minute. A succession of early starts, long drives and late nights is taking its toll. Today and yesterday were prime examples, 5.15am start, all day working then back home for about 7.30pm, by the time I had had my dinner and sat down it was time for the kids to go to bed, just feeling really tired. Had to be up early again to make sure I could spend some time with Ele as it is her 10th Birthday today, set off for the relatively short drive to Cardiff and when I got there found I didn't have my laptop, then went into a tailspin when it wasn't in the house. After much frantic phone calling to the Hotel I was at yesterday, they luckily found it and popped it into the safe, just means another 5.15am start tomorrow. Ended up coming back early and as a consequence got on the cross trainer, okay, not sure I should have done it but didn't get the opportunity last night, didn't feel energised just crappier. Will be at training tonight but am concerned that I'm feeling so strung out that I wont do it justice, all I want to do is collapse on the sofa and not think about work, training or anything, just take some time to just be.

As it's Ele's birthday I am going to share some fish and chips with her and Shelly, with a small slice of chocolate Birthday cake to finish it off, hopefully that might cheer me up, don't want to feel like this on her birthday.

Soooo tired

I am cream crackered, have to be up at 5.15am tomorrow for a drive to London and my brain feels like Jelly at the minute. I did go training tonight to try and get a little more practice on Choong Moo, to be honest I can't really think of anything more to write...

Sometimes Technology is just crap

Was going to post last night but as per usual just when I want to use it the internet decided to play up, sometimes I swear technology is self aware, it only seems to pack up just when you really need it.

Okay Sunday was a good day, busy weekend need a rest now but unfortunately straight back into work. Had a great session yesterday, managed to get a 3 mile run in after I got back in from work which really helped to make me feel positive and shook out the cobwebs of a long drive. I have never enjoyed running, even when I was in the Army running was always my least favourite activity. I can't say I have grown to enjoy it but I can tolerate it and it is improving my cardio resistance which is why I am doing it as part of my fitness routine.

After the run I had to jump in the car to pick up  my eldest daughter from swimming, so by the time I got hoem I had about 5 mins to cram some food down me before it was off to training. Really enjoyed the session on pattern breakdown, it really helped to demystify the whole process and taking some ofthe lower grades really made me have to think how to put forward some of the key concepts:

* You don't need to focus on the formal move or how you got to the position
* If it feels right then it usually is a valid application
* Get a student to remain static in a position and then move around the student adopting different positions, this then makes the student asses what attack or defence they codul adopt in any given position.

Masters was also really good as I enjoy the self defence stuff and takedowns are always good when you have a group. Being able to think about how to deal with takedowns effectively opens the subject up:

* Think about control of the opponent when they are on the floor
* Use pain as a control element and support that with a strong purposeful command to the opponent directing them what you want to do e.g. relax the arm, I am going to roll you over etc.
* One of the ideas behind the control element is to enable you to assess the situation and decide your exit strategy under control.

I am going to stop now as I am in a conference session (not too relevent hence the post) but I should listen in.

The house is still a mess

Yesterday went okay, we managed to get all the decorating done and by the time Ele came back from her friends house we had the bed and her bookcase done. The look on her face was worth it all though as she is really please with her new 'grown up bedroom'. I did fit a bit of training in though, managed to go through Choong Moo about 4 - 5 times so hopefully am locking in the early sections already. Most likely not going to be able to work on my thesis which is a pain but I am continuing with my research as one of my books turned up yesterday. Starting to read up on Krav Maga which already looks really interesting, certainly one for the student who is keen on self defence principles.

Need to get cracking as I still have a wardrobe and a curtain rail to get up before I can get the opportunity for a bike ride.

The house is a mess

Didn't get the opportunity to do any phys today which was disappointing but really it was down to the fact that the house is being turned upside down as we are redecorating my daughters bedroom. The house is looking like a bombs hit it and when the house is like this it does effect my head. I am hoping to get the chance to get out on the bike on Sunday but it really comes down to how much we can get done tomorrow.

Its days like this when it gets tough, have too many commitments and juggling then all causes problems and 9 times out of 10 I end up not achieving much at all relating to my plan. All I am really focussing on is sorting out the bedroom (and I hate DIY)

Drive by blog No 2

Was a pretty normal day really, loads to do at work, did manage to get 30 mins on my thesis during lunch and made a good start on WW1 and WW2, have a couple of books coming from Amazon that I will get reading up on when they arrive, mr postman I'm looking at you.

Got back late from work and found a bit of a family crisis happening so wasn't able to go training tonight, I have kept up with my reps today and I did go through Choong Moo (up to the steps I know) so at least i did something positive. Feelng very drained again as I get to the end of the week, I think I have been fighting a bit of a cold so hopefully things will turn around next week. Shelly and I have a big weekend of re-decorating my eldest daughters bedroom but am hoping to get a couple of sessions of forms practice in and maybe a sneaky bikeride.

Drive by blog no1

Just a quickie today, had to get up to Bradford for this afternoon so decided, as my plan stated a cardio session today, to get on the cross trainer early this morning. Had a good sweat session and it woke me up for a 3hr drive up north. Just got back in so am deciding to take it easy with a relax on the sofa.

Work Life Balance...What's that

Woke up to see the glowing red numbers on the alarm clock register 5.15am. so started the day. A long trip up the M4 in the rain to London for an all day conference on Digital Inclusion, rock and roll or what eh! Doing this conference whioch was due to finish at 5pm meant I wouldn't be back in the area until after 8pm at the earliest, so the plan was to go straight to training and quickly look at the first part of Choong Moo. This mornings sessions were interesting but the afternnon had nothing that related to my business area, so at 2pm i took the decision that it was time to come home and see my family. So here I am writing this blog.

Will get the opportunity to train tonight but I do want to get back early to spend some time with Shelly as I am up to Bradford tomorrow so will be another late one returning. This is another part of the challenge having to fit in all these training activiites, as well as spending time with the family and juggling a demanding job. We'll just have to see how this pans out.

Curve Ball

Okay, started the day out okay, got into work and then got a phone call from my Director telling me that a bit of a curve ball was coming my way in that my job would be altering to take into account my impending management of the Account Managers of a company we have recently acquired. So off I duly went from Trowbridge to Newbury to discuss this, nothing like having a simple life is there!

Writing this in a lunch break and hoping to get home in time for some cardio, very early start planned tomorrow and will be taking my uniform with me as probably won't get back to Wotton until 8.15-8.30pm but will go straight to training as I am keen to start understanding Choong Moo.

Feeling worn down and it is only 2.05pm on Monday, roll on the rest of the week ;)

Early Bird

Was up fairly early for a Sunday today as I had planned on going out with my mate for a bike ride, firstly though I had to find out how I had been doing on the weight loss this week. With a bit of trepidation I got on the scales and found that I had lost 6 pounds! Really chuffed with that, your body does get rid of a bit of retained water and othe rrubbish so the first week of a fitness and healthier eating regime usually gives you these sorts of results. The harder act is maintaining it week after week to get the average of abut 1-2 pounds every week, but I'm happy, to me its a real achievement and a really positive way to end the week.

The bike ride was cracking, weather was perfect, sun shining and the countryside around Wotton never lets me down, had a thoroughly enjoyable ride and was good to have a blather with my mate Dave as we managed to sort out some more demanding X-country rides in the near future.

No rest for the wicked though as soon as I was home it was time to get the Sunday Roast on! As I had had a good week on the weight loss and after a good long bike ride I decided to treat myself to a couple of roast potatoes done around the chicken, mmm yummy:)

This afternoon was spent walking down to Synwell playing fields and managing a handful of giggling girls, was pleasant and a good way to settle down after a big Sunday Lunch.

Have run through some of the forms today and will complete when I get back from taking Ele and her friend Beth swimming. I also managed to find a couple of good reference books that will help me with my thesis so ordered those on Amazon last night, should get here in a week so can get cracking and see what all the fuss is about on Krav Maga. If anything really decent crops up in my research I will have a chat with Rich about it and see if we can incorporate any of it into a self defence session on a Tuesday night.

So all in all I am feeling like the early bird that caught the worm, pretty happy with the first week but mindful that there is a long road yet to travel so need to keep thi slevel of activity and enthusiasm for the next 5 months.

Mmmm doughnut...

Had a good day yesterday, apart from the 5 hours in a car on my day off. Had a good meeting, all very positive, a different opportunity presented itself which is worth exploring so just need to wait a couple of weeks to see how things pan out. Got back about 6pm and as my plan said cardio I got straight on to the cross trainer, dylu did my time and then cracked on with some reps on the free weights. Felt good and then settled down to a relaxing (relatively) Friday night.

Today so far has been a hectic one, left the house at 10am and had to do tonnes of shopping to sort out a redecoration of my Eldest daughter, Eleanors, bedroom. By the time we had all got in to Yate it was well past lunchtime so decided to treat Ele with a Burger from BK, mmmm flame grilled beef! I did resist and was hoping to grab a salad from somewhere but no luck. It was all made worse when we eventually got something from a nice sandwich shop and Michelle and the girls decided on having cakes as well. The jammy donut Hannah chose looked really good and she made it worse by smacking her lips after every bite to get all the sugar stuck to here mouth and fingers.

Will do my reps tonight as I have done every night so far and on the whole when I get on the scales tomorrow I am hoping for a positive outcome.

Oh dear

Just read an email from Rich where I have dropped a major bollock! Should have actually applied BEFORE the grading so in reality I am nearly a month into the formal application cycle already. Mmm have replied to Rich this morning but need to switch my head into the trip today, have done quite a bit of planning already for the black belt cycle but need to ensure that it is realistic with a potential March grading. Bit of a set back but you have to make sure you are doing things for the right reason not just to chase the belt so will most likely try and get a chat with Rich and talk it out. So far talking to myself ,so on looking at this blog thing I am already looking like a weird loner with bell tower sniper tendancies...

Big day, could it spell change?

Got up this morning, very groggy I think I have been doing too many miles and too many early mornings recently. Today could be interesting, a new opportunity has presented itself which has intrigued me enough to travel to Middlesex on my day off. Did my reps this morning and found that my side is still swollen from my bike accident, probably due to the punding I gave myself in the gym on Weds night. Probably for the best, flush all the bad gunk out and keep the blood flowing. Read the black belt requirements last night, gulp, it all becomes a little bit more real when you look at it set down like that. Hopefully the sun will shine today and all will be okay, things are hectic and I think I need the world to slow down a bit, will enjoy a weekend with some forms practice and perhaps start thinking about the pattern breakdown.

Lets get it on

Hello all, well finally managed to get a few minutes this week to get down my black belt goals down and sent off to Master Olpin, I am going to make a post on the forum later which will list the goals. This first proper blog entry is more about the stresses of this week! As per usual work has done it's best to scupper my plans, this week being the first week proper meant I needed to get stuck in and meet the targets I set myself for the week, which are:

1. Have three sessions looking at the Spartan chapter of my thesis
2. To get three distinct cardio sessions completed (min 30 minutes)
3. Lose 1 pound in weight
4. Establish morning and nightime reps routine

All looking okay I suppose you might say but this week I had a retirement dinner on Tuesday and then I had to be in Birmingham for 9.30, all great until you realise that I then had to drive up to Edinburgh, nightmare. Got to the hotel last night to find they didn't have a gym, however they have some sort of arrangement with a hotel down the road, what I didn't reaslise was that my session was going to cost me a £10! I suppose I only would have spent it on kebabs and chocolate, was a good 1hr and 30 min workout, plenty of sweat and then sat down to a pretty healthy dinner.
 
The conference I was at today was very boring, so boring in fact that I decided to get stuck in to my thesis, I actually started it over the weekend and got the introduction sorted and the skeleton on the first chapter, by the time I needed to scoot off to drive the 7 hours back to Wotton I had completed the first chapter and I think finished off the second, looking at about 1,800 words at the moment so pretty chuffed about that. I did work until 10pm last night so I am putting it all down to work life balance.
 
So far I have managed to achieve everything on my plan which makes me a happy bunny, just extremely tired and looking to just put my feet up, still got some exercises to do though. As this is a blog please feel free to comment, ask questions. See you later.

The Longest journey starts with a single step...

I have started this blog to record my 6 month testing period to see if I have what it takes to become a Black Belt in TaeKwon Do. The blog will detail the daily(hopefully) things I have to do, physcial, academic or mental that will enable me to be ready when I hopefully have my black belt grading in March 2010. There will be no further posts until I have agreed that this blog can form part of my black belt goals with my Master.