So, I was whining to my mom about how crappy my sports bras were Monday after hip hop (and lots of bouncing), and realized something shocking. I hadn't replaced my sports bras since my senior year of high school. That is horrible. After pondering that, I realized it was because my entire freshman year I did yoga and pilates. Not easy stuff by any means, but hardly high impact.
So I immediately went off to Academy where I scored the deal of a lifetime! I got a sweet new Nike Pro sports bra for $15 (usually $30), and OMG it made all the difference in my run tonight. I felt really free to focus on running instead of "the bounce", and it was awesome. I will never ever again neglect the importance of a proper sports bra. This I vow!
Along with my amazing new sports bra, I just felt really on tonight. I ran stadium stairs and then did a couple of 400's with some fast sprinted 100's. Then I hit the gym and did the elliptical/kick work out. Lots of fun! Going to do some more running tomorrow, I was going to run all of day 3 today, butttttt it got super dark super fast and I was alone...on a track...in the middle of nowhere...
Ciao!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Training and Trials
Whoo! Well, I've started working out again, and its so hard...
Monday I had a long hip hop class that was crazy hard! I don't remember hip hop being that hard! I'm not sure I ever mentioned this, but I love dance classes. The rhythm really helps my more creative martial arts forms (especially the musical ones!) and it gets me so warm for my real work outs! So I took a class, then decided to just stretch my kicks and maybe do some light tumbling. Oh was it ever a failed attempt....
My right leg is almost perfect. I still have a great hook kick which is key, and I can still kick about 9 inches over my head when warm, so I was happy about that. Realistically, that's about as much as I could hope for for being out of the game this long. But my left leg...First of all, it's never been my strong leg. Second, that's the leg I have sciatica on, and it shows. I can't get my full range, it just hurts too much. What's so frustrating is that mentally I know its just a nerve, and even though it hurts it's not actually hindering my ability to do anything. But then it hurts and I forget all of that and just wimp out. Le sigh. But I have an appointment with an orthopedic soon, so hopefully he can handle it. I'm just so sick of spine doctors, I could scream. One says, work out, it'll be fine. Another says, just rest, it'll be fine. Well folks, I've done both and nothing has worked. I've been living in pain for a year, and I'm sick of it. I'm really not one to whine, but that's ridiculous. Just imagine having a pulled hamstring. Now have that pain go from your low back to your calf. Then picture living with that for a year. That's what I've gone through, and I'm done. Either someone gives me cortisone, some decent physical therapy, or I'm going to a surgeon. He can cut my piriformis in half and have done with it. He can even do both sides while he's at it! I don't care. Usually I balk at the idea of surgery, and it took like 3 months before I'd have shoulder surgery after I tore all the ligaments in my shoulder, but this I'm down for. I just have to weigh the odds. I only have maybe 10-12 good competition years left, and a ton of catching up to do that's probably going to take me 2 years. After that, I'll have another 4 before I'm really up to peak condition. And by then I'll be 26! Looking at getting married and having kids and graduate school! I do not have time to waste on a long-term condition!
On the bright side, I'm going running tomorrow! I would have gone tonight, but my brother needed math tutoring and since I conquered me some calculus (rocked the final!) I was up for the task and then some. Patiently explaining super easy problems made me wonder if that's how my tutors felt when they were explaining maximizing area problems to me though....Eep!
Overall, I'm keeping the faith alive. This orthopedic will work! Or I'm screwed, whichever! All I'm going to focus on is re-rocking week 3 part tres, and eating right. Speaking of, expect a food post soon! I've got some yummy healthy meals to share!
Monday I had a long hip hop class that was crazy hard! I don't remember hip hop being that hard! I'm not sure I ever mentioned this, but I love dance classes. The rhythm really helps my more creative martial arts forms (especially the musical ones!) and it gets me so warm for my real work outs! So I took a class, then decided to just stretch my kicks and maybe do some light tumbling. Oh was it ever a failed attempt....
My right leg is almost perfect. I still have a great hook kick which is key, and I can still kick about 9 inches over my head when warm, so I was happy about that. Realistically, that's about as much as I could hope for for being out of the game this long. But my left leg...First of all, it's never been my strong leg. Second, that's the leg I have sciatica on, and it shows. I can't get my full range, it just hurts too much. What's so frustrating is that mentally I know its just a nerve, and even though it hurts it's not actually hindering my ability to do anything. But then it hurts and I forget all of that and just wimp out. Le sigh. But I have an appointment with an orthopedic soon, so hopefully he can handle it. I'm just so sick of spine doctors, I could scream. One says, work out, it'll be fine. Another says, just rest, it'll be fine. Well folks, I've done both and nothing has worked. I've been living in pain for a year, and I'm sick of it. I'm really not one to whine, but that's ridiculous. Just imagine having a pulled hamstring. Now have that pain go from your low back to your calf. Then picture living with that for a year. That's what I've gone through, and I'm done. Either someone gives me cortisone, some decent physical therapy, or I'm going to a surgeon. He can cut my piriformis in half and have done with it. He can even do both sides while he's at it! I don't care. Usually I balk at the idea of surgery, and it took like 3 months before I'd have shoulder surgery after I tore all the ligaments in my shoulder, but this I'm down for. I just have to weigh the odds. I only have maybe 10-12 good competition years left, and a ton of catching up to do that's probably going to take me 2 years. After that, I'll have another 4 before I'm really up to peak condition. And by then I'll be 26! Looking at getting married and having kids and graduate school! I do not have time to waste on a long-term condition!
On the bright side, I'm going running tomorrow! I would have gone tonight, but my brother needed math tutoring and since I conquered me some calculus (rocked the final!) I was up for the task and then some. Patiently explaining super easy problems made me wonder if that's how my tutors felt when they were explaining maximizing area problems to me though....Eep!
Overall, I'm keeping the faith alive. This orthopedic will work! Or I'm screwed, whichever! All I'm going to focus on is re-rocking week 3 part tres, and eating right. Speaking of, expect a food post soon! I've got some yummy healthy meals to share!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
GUESS WHO'S BACK?!
OMG, it feels like a different lifetime since I last updated this blog. It hasn't really been all that long, but oh how they days have been long. I've been busy cramming my head so full of junk (yah Accounting, I'm talking to you), that I really haven't worked out at all. This is terrible because I actually depend on my workouts for stress relief, but the gym's been closed and I really haven't had the time or inclination to run. I've literally been in a study coma for the past 2 weeks, and it paid off. I'm not sure how I've done officially yet, but no exam beat me up and took my lunch money so I'm calling it a successful finals season.
In completely unrelated news, I was talking to my best friend MJ via email this past Monday, when she asked me if I was going to try and compete in the NASKA competitions this time around. I was honestly blown away by that question. I hadn't even remotely considered NASKA.
Let me explain. NASKA is a governing organization for a series of tournaments. It's basis is karate, but it's open to all martial arts- primarily for striking ones (kung-fu, taekwondo, tang soo do, etc). It's known for being the main arena for "extreme martial arts", marital arts combined with gymnastics, tricking, and dance. When I was around 13, I thought it was the coolest thing and begged my parents to let me try and take gymnastics to compete in NASKA. They told me no, and I gave it up when I went through my "traditional is the best" phase in high school. Apparently MJ listens to me when I bore her with my taekwondo talk, and she wondered if that's what I wanted to try and compete. I said no, I want to do USAT. I still want to do USAT. USAT is the way to being a state, national, world, Olympic, etc champion and while I may never reach the upper echelons, it's a good way to get my name out in the taekwondo community. But...NASKA is fun. NASKA is a great way to get people interested in martial arts because it "looks cool" and I've always wanted a reason to learn to do a lay out. Anyway, I'm still not sure if I'll compete in NASKA. But now I'm thinking about it. I'll definitely focus first on just getting back into competition shape because right now even my signature spinning hook kick is a hot mess. I only have splits on my left leg. Work needs to be done, and badly. But maybe, just maybe a year and a half from now or so, I'll go for NASKA.
In completely unrelated news, I was talking to my best friend MJ via email this past Monday, when she asked me if I was going to try and compete in the NASKA competitions this time around. I was honestly blown away by that question. I hadn't even remotely considered NASKA.
Let me explain. NASKA is a governing organization for a series of tournaments. It's basis is karate, but it's open to all martial arts- primarily for striking ones (kung-fu, taekwondo, tang soo do, etc). It's known for being the main arena for "extreme martial arts", marital arts combined with gymnastics, tricking, and dance. When I was around 13, I thought it was the coolest thing and begged my parents to let me try and take gymnastics to compete in NASKA. They told me no, and I gave it up when I went through my "traditional is the best" phase in high school. Apparently MJ listens to me when I bore her with my taekwondo talk, and she wondered if that's what I wanted to try and compete. I said no, I want to do USAT. I still want to do USAT. USAT is the way to being a state, national, world, Olympic, etc champion and while I may never reach the upper echelons, it's a good way to get my name out in the taekwondo community. But...NASKA is fun. NASKA is a great way to get people interested in martial arts because it "looks cool" and I've always wanted a reason to learn to do a lay out. Anyway, I'm still not sure if I'll compete in NASKA. But now I'm thinking about it. I'll definitely focus first on just getting back into competition shape because right now even my signature spinning hook kick is a hot mess. I only have splits on my left leg. Work needs to be done, and badly. But maybe, just maybe a year and a half from now or so, I'll go for NASKA.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Quick Update...
Hey y'all,
I know, I know. I never update.
Finals season has hit, and I'm in the midst of a 3 week manic run for summer. Once I finish, I swear I'll get back to updating. For now, it's all I can do to study my butt off and try and get through. Two tests this week, 2 last week, 4 next week. The university just had to schedule all of my finals for 4 days straight, all one day after the other. After that, it'll be summer, and my only obligation will be to c25k, the gym, and taekwondo. And...job hunting. But that's another story.
For now, Accounting owns my soul, and Calculus is making a bid too.
Good news though, I have my official schedule for next fall, and I can FINALLY join the university's taekwondo team. For the past 3 semesters, I've had a discussion group or class at the time of practice (7pm), so I've been ineligible. I'm really excited, they did so well at nationals this year, and next year it'll kick even more butt!
Next update in...2 weeks. Wish me luck!
I know, I know. I never update.
Finals season has hit, and I'm in the midst of a 3 week manic run for summer. Once I finish, I swear I'll get back to updating. For now, it's all I can do to study my butt off and try and get through. Two tests this week, 2 last week, 4 next week. The university just had to schedule all of my finals for 4 days straight, all one day after the other. After that, it'll be summer, and my only obligation will be to c25k, the gym, and taekwondo. And...job hunting. But that's another story.
For now, Accounting owns my soul, and Calculus is making a bid too.
Good news though, I have my official schedule for next fall, and I can FINALLY join the university's taekwondo team. For the past 3 semesters, I've had a discussion group or class at the time of practice (7pm), so I've been ineligible. I'm really excited, they did so well at nationals this year, and next year it'll kick even more butt!
Next update in...2 weeks. Wish me luck!
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