Brian's Fitness Blog

February 14: Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T18:26:00.000-08:00

Kendo: no class at Mudokwan for me this evening. Not very happy about this, but seemed like the right thing to do, family-wise (not just my wife, but my son as well; I promised him I would do the driving for him to spend some time with his girlfriend on Valentine's Day). In other words, the sort of ongoing battle I always have with my kendo (and to much lesser extent my running). I'm hoping I can make it up a bit tomorrow by working with the folks at the Fishers YMCA.

Running: 8.5 miles. Another good, strong run in the Wellness Center. I thought more in terms of just getting in a god run than anything like a fast pace, so I was a bit slow. Still, it's good to just do a nice, solid mid-sized run.

February 13: getting back on track.

2012-02-14T18:19:00.000-08:00

Kendo: nothing today, other than watching a bit of film on youtube. I am just having no good results with my home suburi, lately. I need to find some way to integrate kendo into my daily life, along the same lines as my running, but I've not yet figured out how to do this.

Running: 6 miles. Had a god run in the Wellness Center; short, but strong. I think my four day layoff last week might have done me some good in terms of rest, because I felt more "up" on my feet, and had a better, smoother stride. Good way to begin getting myself back on track.

Weekly Plan, February 13-19

2012-02-13T15:02:00.000-08:00

Kendo: another week in February, and another week of problems and obstacles to overcome in merely trying to practice and attend class. This week's culprit is Valentine's Day (which will also likely make my attendance at the annual Detroit kendo tournament forever an impossibility). I'll not be able to attend Tuesday's Mudokwan class, though I might be able to make this up somewhat by working out with the kendo class at the Fishers Y on Wednesday. We'll see. Friday's Mudokwan class shouldn't be a problem, at least. And suburi at home, as always, will likely remain a bit of a piecemeal project.

Running: time to move on from last weeks flu-induced train wreck. I'll try to get back to 40 this week, with a 10 miler on Thursday for distance. I'm not going to do much else; I just want to regain my stamina and my running mojo.

More generally, I want to work on solutions to those four problems I identified over the weekend. This week my number one priority: designing a do-able, definitive approach to nutrition.

February 11-12: evaluation

2012-02-12T16:24:00.000-08:00

I'm spending the second weekend of February on a bit of a forced hiatus where my fitness life is concerned. A recent bout with the flu has left me so lacking in stamina and energy that I'm compelled to take a few days off from both running and kendo to rest and recharge. My nutrition practices--such as they are; and I'll fully admit I've not done very well here since the new year--are likewise rather up in the air. I literally did not eat anything for nearly three days this week (my bug was of the stomach variety, which tends to discourage such things as eating), and I'm trying this weekend to just get my appetite back.

   Maybe this isn't such a bad thing. I think if this had been, say, ten years ago, a day or so off from a fitness program (whatever diet or exercise du jour I was trying at that moment) would have surely spelled the end of said program. But I've been fit for a while now, and I've woven running, kendo and nutrition concerns so deeply into the fabric of my everyday life that I'm not at all worried about taking a couple of days off. I'll be right back at it on Monday.

   But what exactly is "it"? That's the value of this little weekend hiatus: I can use the time to not only rest, but evaluate. As I've written on this blog before, the key secret to my being able to both lose weight and keep it off for (now going on eight) years is a carefully cultivated ability to constantly re-evaluate myself, take stock of where I'm at and what I'm doing.*

*If anyone who reads this blog finds any value in what they see, it is I hope this: my blog is a daily record of what it takes to not only lose weight (hard) but keep it off (much, much harder). If anyone wonders why I keep blogging like this, day in and day out for years on end (other than the fact that I'm a professional writer, so writing is to me an act akin to breathing), it is to both keep myself accountable to something outside myself (absolutely essential to a fitness program) and maybe, just maybe help someone who runs across my quiet, musty little corner of the Internet who, like me, has struggled with his/her weight and is trying to find solutions. I've lost 100 pounds and kept it off for nearly eight years. How? No diet plans, gimmicks, or anything like that. Rather, I've done it with the sort of daily, incessant banging away that you'll read about in this blog. It's not glamorous, nor maybe particularly inspiring...but whatever it is, it seems to work.

So where do things stand, as of the second week of February 2012?

   Winter is always the most challenging time for my running program. Cold weather, lack of options, a busy professional and family schedule all tend to plant roadblocks in my path and generally reduce my miles and the quality of my running. This is a pretty consistent pattern; looking back over the winters represented on this blog, I find my mileage always decreases, despite my best efforts. This is one reason why I've never been able to run a spring marathon; the wintertime training leading up to that point is just too difficult.

   This winter so far is no exception. I'm averaging somewhere between 35-40 miles a week, with my best distance runs never exceeding the 10 mile range. I'm not very happy at all about this, but it really isn't anything new. And I'd say that this winter I've done better quality runs, at least in terms of getting in some decent hills/stairs training.

   Where kendo is concerned, I'd say I'm slowly progressing towards my goal of improving my kendo to the point of possibly passing my shodan exam, either at the Kentucky tournament March 10, or the Cleveland tournament at the end of March. My plan now is to compete in both tournaments and to register for the rank exams a both: if I fail in Kentucky, I'll test again in Cleveland. And I think I'm getting better, albeit slowly and in small, sometimes undetectable ways. I have a long, long ways to go, of course, but on the whole I'd say the arrow is pointing up here.

And nutrition? Not so much. I don't do horribly here; I generally eat healthy, I'm still a vegetarian, and I tend to keep my worst impulses under control. But despite my best efforts, I'm entirely unable to follow a real, serious plan here. I tend to indulge my sweet tooth far too often, and I go through stretches during which I eat just junk. All too often I eat the wrong things, counting on my running to forestall the consequences--which it generally does, since my weight is still more-or-less steady (in the 170 range) and I'm pretty well able to keep up with my running and my kendo. But I definitely think I'm experiencing what I've seen referred to as "middle age creep"--a very slow decline in my fitness level, and a bit too soft around the middle, more than I'd like--and I suspect that my ragged nutrition habits are the chief cause.

   So on the whole, there are good things here, but there are also problems. The problems aren't serious, but they could become so if I do not exercise due diligence.

Specifically, I need to address the following problems/issues (and I'm thinking broadly here; not the myriad details I need to address in my kendo, for example):

Find a consistent, practical daily nutritional plan that fits my needs
Strength training. I can tell with my longer runs that I'm slowly and very gradually losing muscle mass, as is normal with age. I can't stop the process entirely, of course, but I need to ameliorate its worst effects, especially if I'm going to do serious distance running in the future. I'm not sure exactly how to proceed here: weightlifting, or better hills/stairs training. But I need a viable approach, better than the spotty and inconsistent strength training that has been my norm.
Flexibility. This applies pretty much equally to my running and my kendo. In running, my stiffness--which seems to be something of a natural, built-in problem--tends to facilitate some of the little nagging owies I've experienced off and on. In kendo it is a more serious matter, robbing my form of smoothness and fluidity. Again, I'm unsure what exactly to do about this: possibly some pliometrics, certainly better stretching techniques. But as with strength training, I need to work out a good plan before spring.
Integration. This is more of a philosophical, really almost an existential matter. I need to find ways to make the seemingly disparate jigsaw puzzle pieces of my fitness life fit together better as a whole. All too often my running seems to operate in a separate compartment from my kendo, and vice versa, and both often seem separated from my nutrition. The pieces don't all seem to fit together into a cohesive enough whole--in fact, I worry sometimes that some of the practices I follow in one area are actually a detriment to my activities in other areas. The impetus here is my kendo, more than anything else. Hiro has often spoken of integrating kendo into the fabric of our everyday lives (and I've read similar remarks from runners, as well). He has a point, and its something I'd like to address.

February 10: stamina issues

2012-02-11T05:08:00.000-08:00

Kendo: I think I'm at the tale end of this stomach flu thing. Felt horrible this morning, but managed to get about three hours sleep this afternoon (all I seem to want to do lately is sleep; exactly how my sweetie felt when she had this flu), and I felt good enough to attend class at Mudokwan this evening. Things went reasonably well at first, but my stamina really fell apart during jigeiko, and my kendo overall became really weak. I think I'm no longer carrying the flu bug itself, but I definitely don't have my normal level of endurance.

Running: nothing here today.

February 9: bleh...

2012-02-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

Total mess of a day. I've picked up the stomach flu bug my sweetie and my daughter suffered last week--now it's my turn. Nausea, GI issues galore, and a 101.5 temperature just for a bonus. Spent most of the day in bed.

February 8: round two of the flu

2012-02-10T12:01:00.000-08:00

Kendo: nothing here again. The flu is making its second appearance at our house, so I spent most of my spare time dealing with that.

Running: 7 miles. I did manage a decent run in the Wellness Center this morning, albeit somewhat slower in terms of pace than what I've been running, lately.

February 7: birthday time

2012-02-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

Kendo: my sweetie's birthday, so no class at Mudokwan tonight/

Running: 7 miles. Another reasonably fast run, this time in the Wellness Center. A student passed me while I was on the track, so I decided to use her as a "rabbit," eventually catching and even passing her. A good feeling, and made for a decent pace.

February 6: short, fast run

2012-02-08T16:39:00.000-08:00

Kendo: kids day off; so, as I thought, no time at all for kendo practice.

Running: 4 miles. Spent much of the day driving back and forth between AU and home, dealing with various family matters. But I did squeeze in a short, fast (around 8.5) run at the YMCA.

Weekly Plan, February 6-12

2012-02-07T17:10:00.000-08:00

Kendo: going to a bit of a challenge, at least early in the week. Monday my kids are out of school, so the various complications this creates for my schedule likely will make home suburi difficult. I also will miss class at Mudokwan Tuesday (my wife's birthday). On the positive side, we are planning a trip to Dayton Saturday to practice kendo with the Miami Valley folks--always a good experience.

More generally, I'm not very happy with the intensity of my kendo right now. Class at Mudokwan is going generally well, but I'd like to have better success integrating kendo into the other five days of the week. I had hoped with the new year I'd find ways to do this, to make my kendo more holistic and more a part of my my daily life. So far, however, my kendo outside the dojo is still pretty intermittent and spotty. Need to work on this.

Running: finally hit 40 last week, and I don't want to go backwards. That said, this week presents scheduling challenges, particularly Saturday, when I'll visit Dayton for kendo but severely limit my running opportunities that day. One of the relatively rare occasions that the the two dimensions of my fitness conflict.

So, I'll make my goals modest this week: 42 miles, with a 10 mile distance run at some point, and some quality hills/stairs training.

February 5: actual outdoor running--in February

2012-02-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

Normally see this area under a foot of snow in February

Kendo: pretty much had to punt on the whole weekend where kendo is concerned. Flu bug again making the rounds in the family, which again made my family life pretty chaotic, and again sucked away my kendo time at home.

Running: 4 miles. I actually ran outdoors, in February, wearing shorts and only a couple of layers of shirts. Like, wow. Did my Lantern Road route, and passed a lot of other happy runners along the way.

February 4: wedging in some running time

2012-02-05T05:47:00.000-08:00

Spent part of the day in Hinkle Field House

Kendo: nothing today. One of those typically crazy Saturdays. Took the kids to a Butler basketball game, then found that my sweetie came down with that same flu bug that dropped nearly everyone else in the family over the last week or so. Hardly had time for anything...

Running: 4 miles....but I did find a way to wedge in a little treadmill run in the basement, late at night. Felt fortunate just to do that.

February 3: longer strides

2012-02-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

Kendo: bit smaller class at Mudokwan tonight; we missed Nicholai, in particular, who had a rare absence. We did kata (I worked with Andrew) and some of our usual drills, followed by a brief bout of jigeiko. I did the latter with Hiro, during which he encouraged me to lengthen my stride during my strikes by placing his shinai tip squarely on my chest, forcing me to strike from a greater distance. The trick here is to lengthen the strike without losing posture by throwing my arms and shoulders too far forward. Harder than it sounds, but I managed to do a few correct strikes.

Running: 5 miles. More morning miles in the Wellness Center. I'm still concerned about the muscle soreness that shut me down yesterday; wonder if it might be a sign that I need to do better strength traning.

February 2: a little longer

2012-02-04T13:03:00.000-08:00

Watched the sun rise through the Wellness Center windows this morning.

Kendo: still couldn't find time for suburi at home today. Thinking I may try to get to the dojo a little early tomorrow for some extra practice.

Running: 9 miles. Finally did better than a six miler--but not by much. I wanted to go much further, Thursday being my distance day. I had planned to do 12, but at the 9 mile mark some serious muscle soreness shut me down. This wasn't just a mental thing, either--real fatigue, especially in the calves (always my weak point). Could still be the after-effects of the flu, or perhaps something else.

February 1: more sixes

2012-02-02T03:54:00.000-08:00

Kendo: nothing today. Flu thing making a second round through my family--stepson this time, who was horribly sick last night and today--so even though I'm feeling quite a bit better, I spent much of the day taking care of the kids.

Running: 6 miles. Still another 6 miler in the Wellness Center this morning. My running seems stuck in Groundhog Day lately.

January 31: breaking my streak

2012-02-02T03:51:00.000-08:00

Kendo: had to miss class at Mudokwan tonight: broke a streak of never missing class going back to November. Hated to do it, but I'm still rocking this flu/cold thingy, and I didn't want to spread germs all over the dojo. Made up for a little bit with some suburi at home.

Running: 6 miles. Trying to take my running in moderation, too, so I just did a shorter run in the Wellness Center this morning.

January 30: still feeling low

2012-01-31T04:45:00.000-08:00

Kendo: nothing today. Cold/flu thingy made my workday difficult, and by the time I got home I didn't have energy for much of anything.

Running: 6 miles. I did find enough in the tank to d a halfway decent run in the Wellness Center this morning. in fact, the only time I felt halfway decent all day was during my run. Go figure.

Weekly Plan, January 30-February 5

2012-01-31T03:58:00.000-08:00

Kendo: should be a decent week. I'll likely not do much home suburi for a few days until this head cold/flu thingy blows over, but should be able to make both Mudokwan practices. I have a sort of little picture/big picture sense of what I want to address in my kendo: "little picture" meaning the details I need to address--shoulders, sword tip, etc.--and "big picture" meaning some of the issues Hiro mentioned in class Friday concerning a willingness to "lose beautifully" as a way of addressing one's weaknesses. He's given me real food for thought here.

Running: Pursuing the elusive forty again this week, which seems ridiculous given that for years forty miles in a week has been the minimum amount of mileage I normally run. And yet since the year began I can't quite seem to get myself out of the mid to upper thirties. It's not a physical thing, really, so much as just a long string of bad luck.

So, this week I'll aim for 40 again, with some hills work and an 11 mile distance run. I'll need to front-load most of my mileage, because the weekend is looking very hectic, family-wise.

End of Week Assessment, January 23-29

2012-01-30T09:13:00.000-08:00

Kendo: a good week here, even if my home practice was pretty limited, between the kids' flu and my own bout with same. Both Mudokwan classes went well, and I think I've made some decent progress in my problem areas--keeping my sword from dipping too low, and (as always) relaxing shoulders and upper body.

Running: 32 miles, 8 mile distance. Seem totally snakebit. I just want to make the relatively modest goal of a 40 mile week, but it seems every week some sort of problem drops me short. This week the culprit was the head cold I contracted that wrecked most of my weekend, along with my Sunday run. Still, otherwise it wasn't too bad a week, in that I got in some solid outdoors running Saturday, and good hills work on the treadmill. Not an awful week, but not great either; and since I'm not training yet for anything specific, no real harm, I suppose.

January 29: my turn, redux

2012-01-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

Yech...awful day. Full blown head cold/flu thingy, which pretty much wrecked my whole day. Just couldn't manage to drag myself to the treadmill, and went to bed early. Hoping for better things next week.

January 28: my turn

2012-01-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

Donned the cold weather gear for my run today

Kendo: nothing today, or likely the entire weekend. It seems to now be my turn to get sick, after dealing with flu bugs in the family. I have an awful head cold/flu thingy that's sapping all my energy for kendo, running, or much of anything else...

Running: 8 miles....though I did manage to actually run outdoors today for the first time in what seems like forever. Bad idea, really, because I think running in thirtysomething degree temps (with a serious wind, to boot) probably just made my cold/flu bug worse--I felt awful when I got back home.

January 27: all kata class

2012-01-29T08:38:00.000-08:00

Enjoyed doing kata with Doc this evening

Kendo: we did an all-kata class at Mudokwan this evening. I rather enjoyed this, because 1) I was awfully tired from a long day at work, and 2) I genuinely enjoy kata. I like the fact that our dojo practices kata in nearly every class, and not simply as a run-up to the latest rank examination. This evening I did most of my kata work with Kate (who is becoming quite good at kata, and kendo generally) and Doc, who is preparing to test for nidan in March. Really enjoyed myself.

In our discussion after class, Hiro had some interesting observations that I've been mulling all weekend (I'm blogging this on Sunday; got a bit behind). He pointed out that, in shia competition, the goal is to keep from being struck as well as striking. This is all well and good, but in the dojo, especially during jigeiko, the goal should simply be to strike with a good basic form. If you are yourself struc by your partner, so what? In shia, we should "cover our weaknesses," Hiro sad; but we should not do so in the dojo, necause those weaknesses will never improve.

Hiro has said things like this before, but for whatever reason his observations possessed particular resonance with me now. My biggest kendo weakness (among many) is the fact that my basics fall apart in jigeiko (certainly an issue during my shodan exam). I know this from watching film of myself; my jigeiko kendo looks totally different--and much worse--than my kata, or basic drills. And the reason, I am sure, is that which Hiro pointed out--in jigeiko I don't want to get hit. So I get energized, over-amped, and sloppy.

It boils down to ego. Jigeiko has a certain competitive edge. I don't want to look bad or weak when directly competing with Nicholai, Doc, Andrew, Steve--all good friends in front of whom I do not wish to embarrass myself, or look subpar. And yet that very desire causes my kendo to be subpar. Now, there's a zen thought :-)

At any rate, I need to get past this, I think next week I will make it a point to emphasis in my kendo at Mudokwan. I do not want to block, dodge, or anything of that sort during jigeiko. I just want to strike straight and true, with good fundamentals. And I need to suppress my basically egotistical desire to prove myself in front of my kendo mates.

Running: 6 miles. Needed to get some miles in this morning, so I decided not to run stairs--slows me down, and I had limited time--and instead opted for just a nice, decent run on the WC track.

January 26: more sick kids

2012-01-27T08:21:00.000-08:00

My worst running option, by far

Kendo: nothing today. I was lucky just to fit in a small, short little run, given that my kids are still dealing with flu issues--which of course means I'm dealing with them, too. No complaints; it's part of fatherhood, but I'm awfully short on spare time, lately.

Running: 5 miles. I was only able to squeeze in a brief little treadmill run in the basement this evening. Not at all what I had planned; normally on Wednesdays I want to do a stairs run in the Wellness Center, but that wasn't at all feasible today.

So I climbed aboard the basement treadmill. This is my last resort, my worst running option, something I have to almost literally force myself to do. I hate running on that treadmill, even more than the treadmills at the WC or the Y. I've never been able to quite determine why this is so; I just mentally wear down on the basement treadmill so much faster than I do with any other running option.

January 25: off day

2012-01-26T03:51:00.000-08:00

Off day today. Lately I've been building in one off day per week, which seems to be generally a good idea for people my age. A good day for it, too, since I had two kids sick with the flu, and needed to deal with that.

January 24: different sort of kendo class

2012-01-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

Kendo: Hiro wasn't at Mudokwan this evening, so we had a bit of a different class, taught by Park-sensei and Satomi-sensei. We devoted a bit extra time to kata-around forty-five minutes or so, rather than our usual thirty--followed by floor drills, after which Satomi took over when we got into bogu. I got in some decent jigeiko with Mark, Nicholai, and Park-sensei, and generally had a good class around. I feel as if I'm making some headway in keeping my posture, remaining relaxed, and strike with proper zanshin. On the other hand, I still feel as if I'm too jittery in jigeiko.

Running: 8 miles. Another 8 miler on the Wellness Center track. I could use a change of scenery, but the weather doesn't hold out much hope in that regard. I'm spending a lot of time running indoors, whether I like it or not.

January 23: doing some "hills"

2012-01-25T10:51:00.000-08:00

Kendo: did a bit of suburi at home, focusing only the placement of my right arm when lifting the shinai over my head, and taking care not to drop the kensaki too far back.

Running: 5 miles. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are my busiest teaching days this semesters, leaving only a small amount of time for running, early in the morning. So my focus on those days will not be so much miles, as getting in some good hills--quality over quantity, so to speak. This morning I ran 3 miles on a Wellness Center treadmill (can't do much more than that, since they have a thirty minute limiter), 6.8 miles at level 5, followed by 2 cool-down miles on the track/

Weekly Plan, January 23-29

2012-01-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

Kendo: both Mudokwan classes again, of course (proud to say that I've not missed a class since mid-November), but I'm also going to refocus and rethink my suburi at home. Doc is quite correct; I need to rethink what I'm doing here. But I do think I need to do some sort of daily practice routine, if for no other reason than to keep my head in the game, so to speak.

Running: still aiming for that 40 mile goal, this week with an 11 mile distance run. I also want to do a lot more hills/stairs runs. The more I read about ultra-running and the two races I'm training for this year, the more I think I need to do much more f this sort of running. Not the easiest trick in the world, living here in central Indiana, but I'll find a way.

End of week assessment, January 16-23

2012-01-23T09:03:00.000-08:00

Kendo: got things back on track at Mudokwan with a couple of solid classes this week. On the downside, I've found a new and annoying little quirk in my kendo that requires attention--dropping my sword tip too low.

Running: 35 miles, 10 mile distance. Just can't quite seem to make that 40 mile goal. The culprits this week were a forced day off Monday (due to MLK day) and some tepid basement running at home on the weekend. On the other hand, I've stretched my distance running out to 10 miles, and I got in some solid hills/stairs work. A mixed bag.

January 21-22: iffy weekend

2012-01-22T13:39:00.000-08:00

Kendo: took weekend off here, but I've got some good ideas about how to approach home practice suburi, beginning next week.

Running: 9 miles. Did two treadmill runs in the basement, both short: 5 miles Saturday and 4 miles Sunday. I had hoped to get outside for a bit, but Saturday was way too icy, and while Sunday was warmer, it wasn't quite warm enough to melt down the sidewalks and make the footing practical. Also still fighting the effects of that blister I developed on my left foot a couple of weeks ago. I had to cut off a piece of dead skin the size of a quarter, and the skin underneath was pretty sensitive.

January 20: adding some more hills

2012-01-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

Kendo: we did kendo without bogu this evening; half the class was devoted to kata, and we just did some basic men strikes with bokuto during the latter half. Still struggling with lowering my sword tip; or, to be more accurate, I need to make sure my right hand is above my left hand when my sword is over my head.

Running: 5 miles. Did some more hills today; 3 miles on the Wellness Center track, and 2 mile's worth of the hills program (level 5) on the WC treadmill.

January 19: getting some distance

2012-01-20T18:20:00.000-08:00

Weather like this puts me inside for my running

Kendo: nothing here. I'll probably give matters more thought--and talk to Hiro at the dojo Friday--and then work on revamping my home practice suburi over the weekend.

Running: 10 miles. This is what passes for a "distance" run for me these days. I'm slowly but surely adding length--1 mile each week--and this seems a sound strategy. I must admit that, mentally more than physically, these runs are a challenge, because here in the dead of winter my only viable running options are all indoors--either a treadmill or the Wellness Center track. I'm not complaining, really--heck, I'm grateful to have good indoor options--but long runs inside can be mentally very wearing. Still, I stuck it out today, with a 10 miler in the WC.

January 18: some days the bear gets you

2012-01-20T18:14:00.000-08:00

Kendo: nothing again, though I think I may reinstitute my home practice sessions soon. Doc gave me excellent advice, and his basic point is sound: I don't want to do anything at home that simply ingrains bad habits all the deeper. But on the other hand, I think if I don't keep a steady home practice routine going, I'll fall back into those very same bad habits--like the sudden recurrence of my problem dropping my sword tip too low.

Running: 3 miles. Today is stairs day. I started off tired--not enough sleep last night--and I was just wiped out after only a few laps. Managed 3 miles and 32 flights, but I'll need to do much better than this.

January 17: better kendo

2012-01-20T17:17:00.000-08:00

Kendo: a better kendo class tonight, better than last Friday. Our class wasn't quite so crowded, either, which helped. We devoted extra time to jigeiko; one f our dojomates, Jorge, is leaving for a while, and Hiro anted to get him some quality bogu time. I have, however, found that an old habit is raising its ugly head for me again; I'm raising my right hand and dropping the tip of my sword too far back behind my head when I strike men. I thought I had conquered this problem, but it appears not.

Running: 8 miles. I normally try not to do this much mileage on Tuesdays--saving energy for kendo--but yesterday's hiatus put me in a bad position that way. I did a good enough run in the Wellness Center, though I have to admit I paid the price in serious soreness after kendo.

January 16: another down day

2012-01-16T15:52:00.000-08:00

Things pretty much played out as I expected today. The MLK holiday kept both my kids and I at home for a three day weekend, with my sweetie and stepson out of town. I let my daughter have a sleepover with two other 11 year olds last night, and that kept me busy all day today, as well, as long with various activities with my son, as well.

Bottom line: no running time at all. It's ok, however, since I think the rest of the week will shape up pretty well.

Weekly Plan, January 16-22

2012-01-16T15:49:00.000-08:00

Kendo: not sure how to proceed here, other than attend both Mudokwan classes, try to get my head in a better place, and move on. I'm still not entirely sure what I'll do about my home practice sessions, but at the moment I'm not sure it's even all that important. I need to do better kendo in the dojo, first and foremost.

Running: another partial week of classes at AU (Monday is the MLK holiday). I've been taking one day a week off, lately, and I imagine that day will be Monday, since I'm dealing with a lot of family activities that day. Otherwise, I'll aim for more slow, steady progress: 40 miles, with a slightly longer distance run in the 10 mile range. I also think I need to put more effort into hills and stairs training. My reading in Relentless Forward Progress strongly suggests as much, pointing out that such training matters a great deal in completing an ultra, especially a trail run.

As for my cross-training and nutrition; I think I need to get to a better place in my kendo before I revve those goals. One thing at a time.

End of week assessment, January 9-15

2012-01-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

Kendo: a week of real highs and lows here. Tuesday's class went quite well; I felt good about some of the progress I've made with my shoulders and posture, and generally really enjoyed myself. Friday's class, on the other hand, was precisely the opposite, and opened up some family conflicts concerning my kendo that I would prefer to avoid. Meantime, I took Doc's advice and totally shut down my home suburi. Not sure if this was a good thing or not.

Running: 38 miles, 9 distance. Came up just short again of my weekly mileage goal, by 2 miles, but otherwise a good week here. Slow, steady upward progress.

January 15: basement time

2012-01-15T18:07:00.000-08:00

Kendo: nothing again today. Mostly just contemplating where I'm at and where I need to go--or, rather, what I need to do to get where I want to go. I'm mostly upset with myself about what happened Friday. I let myself get distracted by what was actually a fairly minor issue; moreover, the incident allowed the kendo hating in my family to have full rein, which is both unfair and unfortunate (I absolutely do not, as was implied, put my kendo before my children). I'm certainly not going to quit, of course, but I'm taking some down time to think things over.

Running: 5 miles. I'm home by myself with the kids this weekend (my sweetie has gone to Cleveland with my stepson Evan to visit my stepson Brad), which severely limits my running opportunities, particularly as my daughter is hosting a couple of her friends for a sleepover. I can't very well leave them all alone for a run, so I'm limited to the basement treadmill. Did a decent enough little run..

January 14: off day

2012-01-14T18:31:00.000-08:00

Sleepless night, for a variety of reasons, a long day with only me and the kids, and a very busy family evening, added up to no real running time, and an off day. That's okay; I just need seven more miles to reach my goal for the week, and I should be able to do hat tomorrow.

As for kendo...right now, I don't even want to think about kendo.

January 13: a "Friday the Thirteenth" thing, perhaps

2012-01-14T05:28:00.000-08:00

Kendo: six years to the day from my first kendo class at Mudokwan (one of the great things about having kept this blog for such a long time; I can accurately keep track of such things). One would think this was an auspicious matter for tonight's class, but not so. In fact, this was a horrible class; no reflection on Hiro or my kendo mates, but rather on myself and my own manifest flaws. I'd rather not even blog about it. Chalk it up to doing kendo on Friday the Thirteenth, I suppose.

Running: 5 miles (9.0 pace). Morning snow made my commute to work a bit longer, which sbsequently shortened my available running time. Just barely managed a decent little run in the Wellness Center before my morning class.

January 12: sort of a distance run

2012-01-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

Kendo: again, no home training today.

Running: 9 miles (9.3 pace). Did what passes for a distance run for me these days, turning laps on the Wellness Center track (the weather has really taken a nasty turn this week). A decent enough run, I suppose, though slower than I'd like, and I was more wiped out than I should have been, given that this wasn't that much "distance."

January 11: doing the stairs

2012-01-13T19:35:00.000-08:00

Kendo: nothing today, as planned, other than waching a few kendo matches on youtube.

Running: 5 miles. Did my first stairs running in the Wellness Center in quite a while. I'm reading this book on ultramarathons, and it so happens that I read yesterday that stairs running is a good way to prep one's quads for downhills. So I had an added motivation to do the stairs today. A good run, though I was (predictably enough) rather sore afterwards.

January 10: big--really big--kendo class

2012-01-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

Kendo: The largest class I think I've ever seen in my six years at Mudokwan (exactly six years on the 20th; one of the benefits of blogging s being able to keep track of this kind of thing): I counted seventeen kenshi. Pretty much all of our regulars, plus a few people I haven't seen in a while.

I love having this many people doing kendo, but it did make for a very crowded dojo. We kept bumping into each other during kata and drills, to the point that Hiro felt compelled to split us into two groups for jigeiko. I think if we had tried to do jigeiko all at once, the results would not have been pretty--like a bad samurai movie.

Still, it was a great class. I felt very good about my posture and shoulders, and think I'm making some solid progress on that front. Lots to work on, of course--Satomi-sensei pointed out during our jigeiko, for example, that I'm too right-hand-heavy in my strikes, leaving my kote vulnerable--but I think in general my kendo arrow is pointing up.

Doc also offered an excellent suggestion after class. He pointed out that it is entirely possible to make some bad habits worse by constant daily practice, of the sort I tend to do at home. Rather than correct bad habits, this might actually ingrain them all the deeper, making them still harder to correct. He suggested I forgo home practice for a week or two, just train in the dojo, and see what effect that has on my own particular collection of kendo quirks.

I really respect Doc's opinion, and not just because he's a good friend. He also has a great deal of martial arts experience outside kendo, so he certainly speaks with authority on these matters. So I think I'll listen to his advice, and drop my home practice sessions the rest of this week and next week. What have I got to lose? I'll re-evaluate after that time, and see where I'm at.

Now that said, I do want to do some kendo-related activities at home, as much as possible. I want to watch more good kendo film, and I think it would be helpful to work on some of the mental aspects of kendo, like mokuso. So I'll give this a try, and see what happens.

Running: 6 miles. Trying to take it easy on Tuesdays, with kendo in the evening. So I did a fairly light run on Lantern Road this afternoon.

Cross: nothing here; having a hard time keeping up with my crunches.

January 9: still fighting the foot

2012-01-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

Getting in all the miles I can outdoors while the weather holds.

Kendo: taking another day off here, to let the blister totally heal and be ready and good to go for Tuesday's class.

Running: 8 miles (9.1 pace). Slowish run along Lantern Road today. I'm still really achy in the feet, though things are improving. Lesson to be learned here about allowing my shoes to deteriorate too badly. At my age, he aches last longer, and have a bigger impact.

Cross: nothing here today, either; long day of faculty meetings, etc., left time only for running.

Weekly Plan: January 9-15

2012-01-10T07:43:00.000-08:00

Kendo: main thing I need to do here is figure out my home training. I've struggled with this off and on over the years; while on the one hand I'm blessed with a decent place to practice at home (high ceiling) on the other hand I've never been able to find a good, consistent time slot that fits with me family and work schedule. I'll likely take Monday off to make sure the foot thingy heals, then address this problem.

Running: aiming for slow, steady progress here: 40 miles this week, with a 9 mile distance run, speed training and hills. I start teaching again midweek, so this likely means a heavy dose of the Wellness Center.

Nutrition/Cross: I really have no idea what I'm going to do, nutrition-wise; try to work on it this week. Continue my crunches, and try to work in some other things I have planned with my sweetie. She wants to do some zumba classes again, and perhaps weights.

End of Week Assessment, January 2-8

2012-01-10T07:11:00.000-08:00

Kendo: not bad, I suppose. Made my classes at Mudokwan, and I'm getting past that holiday-break/new year flatness. Not much in the way of home practice. My schedule and foot injury were largely to blame here.

Running: 36 miles, 8 mile distance. Pretty decent week, foot injury aside. Missed my total weekly goal by 4 miles due to Saturday's off-day, and I wasn't able to do any hills training; otherwise, a good first week of 2012.

Nutrition/Cross: nutrition is kind of up in the air, but got a start on a crunch routine.

January 8: bit better on the blister front

2012-01-10T07:08:00.000-08:00

Kendo: still taking it easy here; my foot s better as far as running is concerned, but hurts like heck for kendo.

Running: 6 miles (8.8 pace). The weather has really been pretty decent of late, so I'm taking advantage of that and the waning days of my Xmas break to run outside. Did a nice little run along Lantern Road (I really wanted to do a trail run, but Town Run was closed). The blister is getting better, but my feet really ache, and in odd places. I think those Brooks shoes really beat up my feet in a general way.

Cross: 19 crunch reps.

January 7: down day

2012-01-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

Got a new pair of Asics today. Hopefully this'll prevent future blister issues

Nothing today. This #$%@ blister hurts to the point that I've been hobbling around like a cripple all day. I think it'll be okay if I give it a little rest today, and I'm all the more motivated by the fact that the weather and my schedule seems to be setting me up for a rare winter trail run opportunity. I need to take advantage, so I'd rather miss a run today if it means I'll be good to go on the dirt tomorrow.

On a more positive note, I was able to ditch those godawful Brooks shoes (I didn't care for them much even before the blister) and find some of my tried-and-true Asics, so things should get better. I've never had a blister problem with Asics.

As for kendo, this thing hurts even worse when I try to push off for kendo work, if that's possible. So, it's been an off day all the way around.

January 6: blister issues

2012-01-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

Kendo: my running blister issue spilled over into my kendo this evening. The blister is on the outside front part of my left foot, at almost the exact spot where one pushes off to do most basic kendo strikes. Darn thing hurt like heck during class at Mudokwan this evening, but I managed to gut it out.

A good class, with most of our regulars. Hiro and I had one of our instructive (and for me highly valuable) conversations prior to class, in which we discussed exactly what I need to address in my kendo, particularly regarding the upcoming promotion exam. I need to work on keeping my weight back as much as possible, holding my strike until the last possible moment, and then letting my feet guide my arms and hands, rather than vice versa. I'm finding this very difficult, and the biggest barrier to improvement in my kendo; if I can master this, many of my other difficulties--bigger footwork, better posture--recede. I actually did it a few times while practicing before class--or so Hiro told me--so I have somewhat of a feel for what Hiro is talking about. I now need to practice this a great deal more, particularly while doing suburi at home, the better to instill it in my muscle memory.

Running: 4 miles (7.30 in two 1 mile repeats). Got my speed training back in gear today, doing intervals at the Fishers YMCA. Pretty good run, but I'm dealing with a major blister problem on my left foot, product of worn running shoes. Darn thing hurts so much I'm actually walking with a pretty bad limp right now.

Cross: continued my crunch reps, at 18 each.

January 5: bit longer run

2012-01-06T06:45:00.000-08:00

Ran in the WC today

Kendo: feeling my kendo enthusiasm returning. I did some suburi this evening, my usual warmups with 100 men strikes. I worked on extending my feet out, forward and back, as much as possible. I would like to have practiced forward body movement drills, but they are rather loud, and I didn't ant to wake anyone up. Also watched some film on youtube of the 2010 and 2009 AJKF finals, by way of good visualization.

Running: 8 miles (8.8). Trying to get out of the 6 mile rut I've been trapped within this week, by doing an 8 miler in the Wellness Center. I'm pretty pleased with my pace, lately, staying consistently under 9 minutes, but I'm fighting quite a bit of foot soreness, because my running shoes are about shot.

Nutrition/Cross. nothing here today. I'm afraid I'm getting a bit sloppy here.

January 4: feeling stale

2012-01-06T06:39:00.000-08:00

Managed to get outdoors today a bit

Kendo: since the New Year, my kendo has felt a bit, well, stale and flat. Class at Mudokwan on Tuesday went well, but I've just not felt my usual enthusiasm. I imagine the long layoff due to the holidays has something to do with that. So this evening I decided to try to rekindle things a bit by watching the Eiga documentary and hashidan exam documentary on youtube.

Running: 6 miles (8.8). Actually managed to get outdoors, since it's been a bit warmer than one usually has a right to expect this time of the year. Did a solid little run along Lantern Road.

Nutrition/Cross. lost track of my protein intake today, I'm afraid, but it had to be pretty decent, since I had eggs and a couple of Clif bars throughout the day. By way of cross, did 17 crunch reps.

January 3: propelling the body forward

2012-01-04T19:49:00.000-08:00

Kendo: finally, class resumes at Mudokwan after the holiday break. We had a decent turnout tonight, as well: all of our regulars, pretty much, except Nicholai (an extreme rarity). I did kata with Andrew Y.--we seem to be partners fairly often lately--followed by pretty much a normal class, albeit quite a bit more kirikaeshi than usual. I did jigeiko with Andrew Y. (who is developing a very quick, sharp men) and Park-sensei. A good class, and a nice beginning to the new year.

I enjoyed a useful conversation with Hiro before class about my footwork. I am aware that my footwork tends to be too short, and mentioned this to him. He pointed out that the issue isn't so much short steps, but an inability to propel my entire body forward. I tend to press and stomp down in my strikes. Hiro sees this as primarily mental; I am thinking far too much about the strike--my upper body and arms--as opposed to my core and legs. I need to find a way to put my mind into my lower body, somehow, in ways difficult to describe. Hiro tells me this was something he remembered working on as a very young kenshi in Japan. I need to find a way to do it as a not-so-very-young kenshi here and now.

Running: 6 miles (8.3 pace). Pretty much a repeat of yesterday, with a solid and pretty fast treadmill run at the Fishers YMCA.

Nutrition/Cross: good protein day, at around 90g. Added 1 more rep--16--to my crunches. I plan to increase by one rep per day until I discover my max.

January 2: better run

2012-01-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

Kendo: practiced suburi at home this evening: usual warmups, and 100 men. Just tried to get my head back into things, after last week's long layoff.

Running: 6 miles (8.6 pace). Winter has definitely arrived: snow, serious, howling winds, and very cold temperatures. I'm also sending most of my time at home this week, and would greatly prefer avoiding basement treadmill runs if at all possible. Ergo, the Fishers Y.

The Y is a pretty good option, for the most part. Their treadmills are better than anything I have at home, and it sure beats running outside in the frozen tundra of central Indiana. But it is very crowded this time of the year with New Year's Resolution types, and they have that pesky 30 minute time limit on their equipment. Still, I hammered out a good run, and at quite a decent pace.

Nutrition/Cross. I'm still mulling in my mind whether or not I want to do serious calorie-counting (probably take the week to decide, one way or another), but I did eat healthy today, and with a 60g protein count.

As for cross-training, I've decided to go simple: 15 crunches, 3 sets each (straight and bicycle).

Weekly Plan, January 2-8

2012-01-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

After the sucky week from heck last week--apropos of a generally bummer year in w2011--time to move on and get going with 2012. I don't foresee any 1000 mile road trip(s) for the upcoming week, thank goodness, and kendo at Mudokwan is getting back to normal. So, my week should look like this:

Kendo: classes at Mudokwan, and daily home practice. I really want to work on revamping my home practice routine. In particular I need to find a way to do my home kendo practice on a semi-regular, set schedule.

Running: 40 miles, with a 10 mile distance run, a hills run and speed run. Getting back into the routine, in other words. The weather isn't great, but I'll do what I have to do. I'm looking at a week that looks something like this:

Mon. 6 miles
Tues. 6 miles
Wed. 6 miles (hills)
Thurs. 10 miles (distance)
Fri. 6 miles (speed)
Wkd. 6 miles (trail run, weather permitting)

Nutrition/Cross: follow my nutrition plan, and lay foundation for a decent core routine.

Nutrition/Cross for 2012

2012-01-01T18:50:00.000-08:00

After a long bout of neglect--one could reasonably say laziness--about both my nutrition and my cross-training for the last year or so (at least), I want 2012 to be a year of renewal and refocus on this score.

Like nearly every other human being on the planet (especially us middle-aged human beings) I have sometimes struggled with my eating habits, even after my big 100 lb. weight loss program of 2003-2004. While I've successfully kept the weight off for nearly eight years, I've had my share of relapses, difficulties and problems. I'm also, as of this writing (January 1) a few pounds heavier than I'd like to be (say around five pounds or so). While weight loss is not my goal here, good nutrition and related cross-training, as a foundation for my running and kendo, is indeed paramount, and if I lose a few pounds, that'll be all to the good.

My plan is to build on the good things I already do, and to both do those things even better and add a few new wrinkles. I eat generally healthy right now, save a persistent sweet tooth indulgence, and I've been a happy vegetarian for quite a while. I'll use this as a foundation for bigger and better things in 2012.

That's the nutrition front. As for cross-training...well, I've struggled with cross training even more than nutrition. Running and kendo are my primary fitness activities, and since I'm not blessed with an abundance of spare time, they take up most of my attention. Whenever I've tried to create a decent cross-training program, it tends to fall apart after a few weeks, when I'm presented with a time crunch and invariably choose running and kendo over whatever cross-training exercises I've been pursuing.

Part of the problem, I think, has been my tendency to focus too much on various weightlifting and cross-training machines: stationary bikes, stairmasters, etc., all located in either the Wellness Center or the YMCA. This ties my cross training to a particular machine at a particular place and time, which invariably becomes problematic at some point, given my schedule. I think I need for 2012 to find much more simplified, non-mechanized and straightforward cross-training methods that I can do pretty much anytime and anyplace.

In fact, more generally, I want to become something of an essentialist in my fitness life generally for 2012. It sort of fits with my trail running vibe, anyway, to strip away redundancies and superfluities, to simplify matters and focus on essentials.

With all of this in mind, my nutrition and cross-training plans for 2012 are:

Nutrition:

January-March

protein intake 60-80 grams daily
vegetarian (of course): aim generally for at least five different types of veggies daily.
reduce (if possible entirely eliminate) refined sugar and processed food intake--go caveman, in other words, as much as possible.

April-September

Not quite sure yet what I'll do here, but I want to create a nutrition program tailored to my ultra training during these months. Likely up my calorie and protein intake a bit, and I'll also need to work on hydration, given the amount of serious summer running I'll do here.

October-December

Use the same plan from January through March

Cross-Training

Under construction

Kendo for 2012

2012-01-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

I suppose I should think in terms of earning my shodan rank as my primary goal for 2012. But I think it is actually better to think more in terms of making my goal the improvement of various basic aspects of my kendo to the point that I am doing shodan-level kendo, and that this is irrespective of my actually passing the rank examination.

This may seem a distinction without a difference, but after nearly six years of practicing kendo, I've come to believe otherwise--and herein lies a key difference between running and kendo. Running is all about setting and achieving singular, focused concrete goals (or at least, it is for me). My kendo works better if I think more in terms of process, of improving the smaller component parts of kendo, with an idea towards achieving better form, technique, etc., while letting the actual rank take care of itself.

So while my primary goal for 2012 is in fact achieving the rank of shodan, My actual thought process should center more on the various aspects of my kendo which require improvement. Following my own observations and those of my dojo mates, I want to make improvement of these four basic components of kendo my goal for 2012:

improved shoulders and posture
better, "larger" footwork.
proper tenouchi
better kiai

Of course, there are many other facets of my kendo that require attention. And there will be other, incidental factors related to these four goals that will require my attention. But I want these four fundamental components to be my primary focus, especially when I practice at home.

To that end, I want to rethink and expand my home training program for kendo. I have quite a few ideas about this, but fundamentally I want to retain my suburi, while working on some other, kendo-related training that I think will help me with my flexibility and reflexes. I also want to work on my mental approach to kendo: watching more film (both of my own techniques at Mudokwan, and whatever is available on youtube) and working on meditation and mokuso techniques.

As for my actual training schedule: from January through the end of March I plan to focus my primary fitness energies on my kendo, with an eye towards the Kentucky rank exam and tournament on March 10, and the Cleveland tournament on March 31. My running will take a backseat to kendo, here, and it is during this time I plan to make the most progress on my kendo goals. From April through September I plan to reverse this, with trail running and ultra training taking my primary attention, and kendo moving a bit into the background (albeit I will try to attend the AUSKF Summer Camp in 2012, when and wherever it may be). From September through December I plan to refocus on kendo, with an eye towards the Johnson Cup.

Running for 2012

2011-12-31T14:45:00.000-08:00

From January through the end of March kendo will be my primary focus, as I prep for both a tournament and rank exam in Kentucky in early March, and the Cleveland tournament sometime at the end of that month. My goal here will be to maintain a solid weekly base in the 40-50 mile range, and do some good cross-training. I want to do at least one "distance" run in the 10+ mile range, as well, but my focus here will be quality rather than quantity. Most of all, I want to do some decent speedwork and hills/stairs running.

After that...I see 2012 as the year of the trail. I love trail running, more so than the paved road. I'm going to make a real effort to focus on trailwork this year, as difficult as that might be at times. I plan to run as many of the DINO trail runs as possible (something new for me; while I've run the Tecumseh Trail Marathon, I've not done any of their other events, or really any organized run less than 13.1 miles).

My ultimate trail goal, however, will be an ultra, a 50 miler in September in Pinckney, Michigan. I've tried several times over the years to train for and run an ultra, and every time something or the other went wrong. But this year I hope will be different. I am planning very long term, and I think I'm more focused on just that one goal. And if I can spend January through April improving my hills work, along with solid cross-training, well...I hope to finally do my first ultra by the end of September.

After September, I'll likely become very kendo-focused again, looking at competition in the Johnson Cup in December. And 2013, I hope, will be the year of R.I.P.--for which my previous year's trail and ultra work should be excellent preparation.

My training routine will look something like this (allowing for the inevitable changes necessary throughout a husy year). This will likely change in the details, but given my rather extreme type A personality, I like to have at least a preliminary plan for the year in place:

January-March
1. weekly base: 40-50 miles.
2. 1 hills/stairs run per week
3. 1 speed/interval run per week
4. at least one run 10+ miles in length
5. Good cross-training, focusing on core.
6. Lay solid nutrition foundation

April-May 14
1. start laying a good base for my ultra training (16 week program to begin in mid-May)
2. aim for 50-60 miles per week.
3. increase weekly distance runs to at least 12+ miles per week.
4. as much trail running as possible (DINO series will be useful here)
5. weekly hills and speed training

May 14-September-8
1. Begin 16 week training program for the Run Woodstock 50 miler
2. Keep in mind: AP History Exam reading, June 1-8.
3. Keep in mind: Florida family trip, June 9-15.
4. Eagle Creek Trail Marathon, August 4; use this as a training run
5. Run Woodstock 50m, Sept. 8

September 9-December 31
1. scale back a bit after Run Woodstock.
2. 40-50 miles per week base.
3. Possibly do a late fall marathon (another Tecumseh Trail Marathon?)

And of course, I'll spend the year laying the financial groundwork and other planning for the project of a lifetime: the Run Indiana Project in 2013

December 31-January 1: last sucky days of sucky 2011

2011-12-31T14:22:00.000-08:00

2011 is going out with a whimper for me--appropriately enough, since this has not been a good year, fitness-wise. I was unable to do even one organized run this year, I'm still ikyu in kendo, and I've had to deal with all sorts of injuries and setbacks.

Ah, well...tomorrow is a new day and a new year. 2012 will be be better, I think. I'm going to go after shodan in a serious way from January through March, then get my trail running mojo going from April through September. After that I'm hoping to do some good kendo at the end of the year at the Johnson Cup in December. And I'm revamping my entire approach to nutrition and cross-training, for the better.

Anyway...Saturday I was only able to do a little 3 miler on the basement treadmill, what with the various New's Year Eve activities stacked up for the day. Sunday was completely barren, due to yet another family-related road trip and various other activities leaving me so exhausted that, by the late evening (when I finally had at least a little time for a run), I had no energy for much of anything.

I'm rather glad to see the backside of this Christmas season. Here's hoping for a better, more fit and active New Year.

December 30: a little bit better run

2011-12-31T05:39:00.000-08:00

Kendo: Nothing. Mudokwan closed today for the New Year's holiday, and I seriously doubt I'll be able to do much home practice for the same reason--the holidays. I'll likely just wait until Monday and then reset my kendo for 2012.

Running: 7 miles. A pretty fast treadmill run in the Fishers YMCA--averaged under a 9 minute mile for the first time in quite a while. Best run I've had this week--on a Friday. Geez...

Nutrition: 1800cal., 50prot. Dodged a couple of bullets here today. Ate at Olive Garden, but found a healthy, veggie-friendly pasta dish on the menu, and wasable to forego any snacks at the movies this afternoon.

December 29: long, ugly day

2011-12-29T18:41:00.000-08:00

My entire Thursday, dawn till dusk--way past dusk, actually--was consumed by my grandmother's funeral and the 480 mile return trip to Fishers. Normally I can deal with such obstacles by rising early and using the hotel treadmill, but there was no hotel treadmill at our $%#@ hotel. Sedalia is also very much not a runner's town; no sidewalks (at least, none where we stayed), a lot of traffic, and townspeople who don't seem much used to runners. So, it was total bust day, though I again did pretty well in the nutrition department, all things considered.

December 28: scratching and clawing

2011-12-29T18:38:00.000-08:00

My childhood home in Sedalia

Kendo: nothing here, of course. There is I am sure no kendo to be had in Sedalia, Missouri, in any form or fashion.

Running: 6 miles. Road trip today, and a long one. I had a 480 mile drive ahead of me, from Fishers to my old home town of Sedalia, to attend my grandmother's funeral. I managed to squeeze in 3 miles very early in the morning on the basement treadmill, and then 3 more miles just as the sun went down in Sedalia (our hotel had no treadmill). Not a good running day at all.

Nutrition: 1770cal, 100prot. Pretty happy here. Road trips like this tend to wipe out my nutrition plans, but I stuck to my guns here, cutting down on the behind-the-windshield munching and doing Subway for lunch on the road. My one failing was an utter inability to locate anything remotely vegetarian on the Sedalia Applebee's menu--but I did the next best thing with a tilapia dish that compensated somewhat by shoving my protein intake up where it should be.

December 27: an unforeseen short kendo week

2011-12-29T18:31:00.000-08:00

Kendo: A very full class at Mudokwan this evening--around twelve of us, which was a nice gathering. We enjoyed a solid workout (I focused largely on the shoulders, as always, though Andrew has--quite rightly, I think--suggested I think about my footwork as well), but were a bit surprised to learn that the dojo will be closed Friday for the New Year's weekend. No kendo at the Y right now, either, so it would seem this will be my only kendo this week.

Running: nothing here. Preparing for the Missouri trip and the evening at Mudokwan left no time for much of anything else.

Nutrition: 1720cal., 60prot.

December 26: bad memory, hectic week

2011-12-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I have totally spaced on what exactly I did today. I'm actually blogging this entry on Thursday evening (a rarity--I don't like to get more than a couple of days behind in my blogging) after a crazy downer of a week dealing with my grandmother's funeral, a long trip to Missouri and back, etc. All I can remember about what I did Monday is:

Kendo: nothing here.

Running: 5 miles. Basement treadmill run, as I recall, but otherwise not much else. I also did some crunches by way of a bit of cross training, and....

Nutrition: 1507 calories, 60 grams protein. I'll blog about what exactly I'm doing here later; right now, I just need to record the data (and thank goodness for the notepad feature on my cell, or I'm sure I'd have forgotten all of this by now--Thursday at 9:30pm

Weekly Plan, December 26-January 1 The New Year

2011-12-26T07:11:00.000-08:00

My journey from here......

...to here had nothing to do with a "New Year's Resolution"

I've always hated the "New Year's Resolution" approach to fitness. Every year at about this time we all see and hear a deluge of diet and exercise ads, the fitness centers suddenly get very crowded (one of the staff at the Fisher's Y told me last week that they tend to get buried with the resolution types and subsequent overcrowding after the 1st of January), and everyone is suddenly concerned with weight loss and paying for their Holiday sins. It all lasts until around February, at which point most people simply settle back into their old routines.

I don't mean to sound overly cynical. Most people who attempt fitness-related New Year's resolutions at least mean well, and are making an attempt to fix what's broken in their lives. But how often does it actually work, in the long term? I've seen statistical studies that suggest this is almost never an effective life-changing approach. Look around; many people make such resolutions, year after year, and as a nation Americans just keep getting fatter, year after year.

I've always viewed my own weight loss story as something of a mystery. In 2003 I weighed around 260 pounds; a year later I was done to around 160, and in the nearly eight years since, I've managed to keep my weight more-or-less in the 160-170 range. I have no clear idea what exactly triggered the change in 2003, nor do I know exactly what has enabled me to maintain my weight loss during the ensuing years. Oh, I can describe the various physical components: running, kendo, etc. Anyone interested in the subject can peruse the 2800-odd entries I've made in this blog. But I'm not so clear on the mental changes, what those were and how they work. Nor am I altogether certain I truly understand that nebulous concept called willpower.

But I do know this: none of it had anything really to do with a "New Year's Resolution," or anything along those lines. I don't write this on my blog to discourage anybody from trying during 2012 to lose weight, beginning January 1--if you think that's a good beginning, go for it. But be advised--it is only a beginning, and by itself, a New Year's Resolution means very little.

Still, there is something to be said for using the turnover of a calendar year to refresh and rethink one's fitness goals. The mere numerical turnover to 2012 is a useful mental trigger, in some ways. So for 2012 my approach won't be a "resolution," really, so much as a goal of re-committing to the various aspects of my fitness life, and to find new goals and a stronger sense of commitment.

In this spirit, I'll use this last week of 2011 to take an honest look at where I stand in the three main areas of my fitness life: running, nutrition, and kendo. I have good things to build upon in each area, but there is also room for improvement in each. The foundation of fitness, I've come to believe, is constant re-assessment--looking in the mirror, literally and figuratively. I'll do some blog entries about such matters this week.

I also want to think about ways to make this blog more useful to anyone who happens upon it while searching the web. My blogspot data indicates I have ten followers, and around 20 visitors per day--a very small corner of the web. Still, I've been blogging for a long time now, and this seems to have served a vital purpose at least for me personally, and perhaps for others as well. I'd like to make it a better website in 2012, and I'd welcome any suggestions concerning how this could be so.

In the shorter term, my goals for the week:

Kendo: classes resume at Mudokwan, and I can hopefully continue the streak I began at the end of November in that I've not missed a class since my failed shodan test on November 20. The Xmas break was not really a welcome event for me in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons, and chief among these was the interruption in my kendo. I want to get back in the groove this week, both at Miudokwan and my my home practice. Shoulders, kiai, and posture...those are my primary focus.

Nutrition: I haven't blogged about this for a long time--and that's the problem. I want to start again, beginning this week. I need to keep better track of what I eat, and I need to tighten up my eating habits in a variety of ways.

Running: Another challenging week, schedule-wise. My grandmother passed away--aged 100, which was pretty remarkable--and so I'll need to travel and attend her funeral midweek, which will make my running schedule problematic. I also have quite a few family obligations of various sorts both at the beginning of the week and during the weekend--so, as always, I'll be obliged to fight for running time. This being the case, I can't really do a viable daily plan at this point. I'll aim for 40-50 miles, total, and get my miles where I can find them.

December 24-25: Holidays

2011-12-26T06:29:00.000-08:00

Not much fitness-wise over the Holiday weekend. I only managed a short 4 mile run on Saturday, and no kendo (though on a brighter side, I was able to take advantage of a Christmas sale at ebogu.com and ordered a couple of new shinai).

Christmas wasn't altogether pleasant this year, for a variety of reasons. And in terms of my overall fitness this is also true. My running and kendo were off during the Holiday week, and like pretty much everyone else I didn't eat like I should. I feel heavy, bloated and just generally unhealthy. I've been fighting stomach and GI issues off and on all week long--stress tends to have that sort of effect, and I've has more than my share of late--and my sleep patterns have been disrupted.

December 23: more Xmas busy-ness

2011-12-24T14:13:00.000-08:00

Had to fight a lot of traffic running through downtown Fishers today.

Kendo: nothing today. Too much last-minute shopping, etc...

Running:...but I did carve out enough time for a solid 8 miles along Lantern Road. I had to be very careful, because the traffic was worse than usual along Lantern and 116th street--a lot of last-minute Christmas shoppers, I assume.

December 22: Yuletide

2011-12-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

Rachel and an unnamed reindeer at the Yuletide concert.

Kendo: managed to do a full practice session at home despite the Christmas craziness. Focused (as always) on posture and shoulders. I'm still too stiff and reaching out too far in my small men strikes--something I really need to address, since it is during jigeiko that my form deteriotiates so badly.

Running: 6 miles. Got in a decent enough run at the Fishers Y, along with 10 minutes on the stairmaster and 15 crunches. Probably the only cross-training I'll get to do this week.

December 21: more flu time

2011-12-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

Kendo: nothing here today; still fighting the stomach flu thing....

Running:...which also impacted my running. Just did a short little 4 miler on the basement treadmill this evening.

December 20: fighting off the flu

2011-12-21T07:27:00.000-08:00

Kendo: I had to miss our Mudokwan Christmas get-together this evening. I'm fighting off a touch of the stomach flu (my stepson has been terribly ill today); not a bad case where I'm concerned, but enough that I really don't want to be around sushi right now. I was able to do a solid home practice session this evening. I'm focusing only on posture and shoulders, and men strikes. I did 300 reps this evening: 100 forward and back, 100 forward, 100 small men.

Running: 4 miles. Probably shouldn't have done any running at all today, but I did manage a few miles on the YMCA treadmill. Also did 10 minutes on the stairmaster, and 15 crunches on their abs bench. Felt pretty ill afterwards, but at least I got in some decent work.

December 19: back outdoors

2011-12-19T18:56:00.000-08:00

Rain has raised the water level, at least somewhat, in the little creek along my Lantern Road run.

Kendo: nothing today. Every spare moment dominated by grading, which I finally finished at around 9:00 in the evening. Hopefully I can do some good home practice for the rest of the week.

Running: 8 miles. Weather was halfway decent this afternoon--temp in the forties, a bit breezy--and I really needed to get my head out of the gradebook for a while. So I managed a decent outdoor run along Lantern Road.

Weekly Plan, December 19-25

2011-12-19T18:53:00.000-08:00

Kendo: Christmas week means no classes at either Mudokwan or the YMCA. Our dojo mates are all supposed to get together for sushi Tuesday, in lieu of class, and that's about it. I seriously doubt I'll be able to do anything on Monday--grades are due Monday evening--but after that I'm hoping to get in some decent daily suburi as we head into the holidays.

Running: need to keep this flexible, as well. Christmas disrupts scheduling at the Wellness Center, and to a somewhat lesser extent at the Y, so I'm probably not going to able to much in the way of cross training this week. I also want to keep my daily goals flexible, to take advantage of what is supposed to be decent weather early in the week.

Bottom line: my Christmas running goal is simply to manage 45 reasonably quality miles this week--a worthy enough goal, given my rather light running last week.

December 17-18: grading kind of weekend

2011-12-19T18:48:00.000-08:00

Story of my life this weekend

Didn't do much this weekend, other than grading, grading, and still more grading. The life of a college professor is pretty hectic this time of year; grades trump pretty much everything, including running and kendo. I did manage a short little 4 mile run on the basement treadmill Saturday night, but nothing at all Sunday...and nothing in the way of kendo.

December 16: little kendo quirks

2011-12-19T18:46:00.000-08:00

Kendo: our last class before Christmas (no classes next week). We worked on kata during the first part of class. I was paired with Steve, and we ended up repeating the fifth kata numerous times. This was my doing; as uchidachi, I have always struggled with the men cut on the fifth kata; I keep striking a hard downward thrust, rather than out and ending at shodachi's chin level, which makes the suriagi block difficult for shodachi to execute. I keep wanting, in other words,to turn the fifth kata into the first kata.

I know better than this. It is in my head to do the proper technique, but for whatever reason, I just can't seem to execute it properly. We must have repeated the fifth kata twenty times (Steve is a very patient kendo mate, thank goodness). Towards the end I was making progress and doing the strike properly; but I'm sure I'll need to practice this a great many more times, to get the proper rather than improper strike in my subconscious, my muscle memory, if you will.

This is one of the more maddening and frustrating aspects of kendo. So much of kando happend just below the level of conscious thought that it is very easy to pick up these little quirks, and much, much more difficult to correct those quirks.

Running: 6 miles. Good little WC run.

December 15: overdoing it a bit

2011-12-16T04:59:00.000-08:00

Kendo: shoulders...that's my focus. I practiced this evening with my whole emphasis on keeping my shoulders relaxed and down. After warmups I did 150 men strikes to that end. I'm also trying to focus on proper left-handed power; Satomi-sensei pointed out to me in Tuesday's class that my right arm is too stiff, and this is also disrupting my posture.

Running: 6 miles (8.6 pace). I'm home today and Friday, doing nothing but grading. This (and cold weather) puts me in the Fishers YMCA. I did a fast treadmill run--quite fast, in fact, and I really pushed the speed towards the end. This worked to my detriment with my cross-training, however, for I found when I climbed on the stairmaster that maybe I'd pushed it a bit too far. I could only manage 10 minutes on the thing before my quads were just totally trashed. Guess I'll need to do do the rest of today's cross-training later in the week.

December 14: off day

2011-12-16T04:54:00.000-08:00

How I spent a good part of my day--reading Runner's World as I proctored final exams

Kendo: extremely busy work day, proctoring two finals on campus and a lot of grading through the evening. No chance to do anything in the way of kendo.

Running: 4 miles. My running was off today, as well. For a variety of reasons I haven't gotten much sleep the last couple of nights--around four hours each night--and it caught up with me. I just had nothing this morning in the Wellness Center, so I ended up with just a light run around the track.

December 13: back to a large class

2011-12-14T12:16:00.000-08:00

Kendo: class was back to our normal large attendance for Tuesdays, with about a dozen of us. Hiro and Satomi-sensei were back from their respective illnesses, and we had most of our regular attendees of late.

Changed things up a bit and worked on kata (rather than bokuto keiko), followed by a lot of kirikaeshi. Hiro observed during my strikes that I have become very right-hand-heavy, stiffening my right shoulder and wrecking my posture. He wants us all to think in terms of left-handed power, and to avoid reaching out to correct distance (a bad of mine). I therefore tried to maintain my posture, even when on a couple of occasions my motodachi wasn't maintaining the right distance and my strikes weren't landing properly. I felt that, at this stage of my training, I'd rather keep proper posture, even if this means missing with my strikes.

I tried to keep the same mindset during jigeiko: shoulders relaxed, proper strikes, don't extend the arms to the point that my shoulders and upper body move up and forward. This meant, predictably enough, that I got nailed a lot, doing jigeiko by turns with Andrew, Nicholai, and Steve. But Hiro (and others) have been drilling this thought into our heads--forget being struck. This isn't shia kendo, after all, and it was for this very reason that I declined to attend the Johnson Cup. I need to think only about posture, shoulders, kiai, and the basics right now, rather than being struck.

And this seemed to help. I had a very good bout with Nicholai, who told me the shoulders look a bit better, as did Andrew. I got all stiff and bolluxed up again when we did uchikomi with Hiro and Satomi-sensei, so of course I have a great deal of work to do. But this is progress.

Running: 6 miles. Did my usual shorter run/cross routine in the Wellness Center. I've decided to limit cross training to just the four sets I'm doing now, at least for the foreseeable future: stairmaster, bike, abs-weights, crunches. To that end, I did 15 minutes, level 6 on the stairs, ten minutes level 6 on the bike (Alpine pass program), 3 sets of 12 reps each on the abs (70 lbs.), and 12 crunches on the incline bench.

December 12: decent enough run

2011-12-14T11:58:00.000-08:00

Kendo: worked on nothing but shoulders tonight at home. After warmups did 150 men strikes, paying attention each time shoulders and posture as much as possible.

Running: 8 miles (9.1 pace). Pretty decent Monday run in the Wellness Center, and actually did a mile further than my weekly plan required.

Weekly Plan, December 12-18

2011-12-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

Kendo: I'm going to focus my home practice sessions on just one particular issue this week: shoulders. I need to get a better shoulder position worked into my muscle memory, so to speak, so that it becomes natural and doesn't wreck my jigeiko. So this week I'm going to do--in addition to warmups, etc.--nothing but big men strikes, thinking primarily about my shoulder position. And of course, both classes at Mudokwan.

Running: build on some good things from the last few weeks. It's finals week at AU this week, which means--in addition to a lot of grading--a more open schedule, and a bit more variety. I think my week will look something like this:

Mon: 7 miles
Tues. 6 miles/cross training
Wed. 7 miles/hills
Thurs. 6 miles/cross
Fri. 7 miles/speed
Sat. 12 miles

Total: 45 miles

End of week assessment, December 5-11

2011-12-12T14:37:00.000-08:00

Kendo: good week here. I haven't missed a Mudokwan class since my rank exam, and I think I'm making at least a bit of progress in that I'm gaining a sharper focus on what I need to address in my kendo. Kiai, posture and shoulders--these three things are my primary focus for the foreseeable future.

Running: 42 miles (made goal). Good week here too, as well. Made my weekly mileage goal, got in some quality stairs and cross training, and (aside from Thursday) maintained a decent pace. My only complaints are my lack of speed training, and my need to work in some better individual distance runs.

December 10-11: back outdoors

2011-12-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

Felt very wintry outside today.

Kendo: Saturday I worked in a good practice session, focusing on shoulders and men strikes. Sunday was an off day, the only day this week during which I did nothing kendo-related.

Running: 6 miles each, Saturday and Sunday (12 total). Pretty chilly on Saturday, so I did a treadmill run at the Y. Sunday was warm enough-barely--to run outside this afternoon, so I ran Lantern Road (something I haven't actually done for quite a while), and listened to the Colts go 0-13 on my ipod.

Running: choosing my next run

2011-12-10T20:51:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of not entirely neglecting my running during this period of intense focus on my kendo (between now and April), I'm considering what sort of run I wish to do next. I really want to do this right and choose carefully, especially after the various debacles I experienced this last year.

My basic criteria in choosing my next run:

No training until after the Cleveland kendo tournament. The tournament should happen sometime near the end of March (as of this writing (December 11) no date has been posted), and between now and then I do not wish to divide my attention by trying to do serious training for a run. I'll still run, of course--I have a pretty good plan for my winter running--but I don't want to do a focused, intense training plan until after Cleveland is concluded.
Leave time for a full 16 week plan. I tried to do a shorter plan this summer while training for the Monumental, and that turned out to be a terrible idea (one of the factors that scuttled the Monumental for me). I want a full, complete training plan, to prepare properly. This means that the earliest races I can consider must be scheduled on or after July 21, 2012.
Find a run that is good preparation for R.I.P. I still very much intend to do the Run Indiana Project in March 2013, and I see this next race as sort of a launch point for that much more ambitious project. This being the case, I want to find a race that is ambitious and challenging enough to be worthwhile, and useful preparation. I haven't quite yet decided whether this means a challenging marathon or an ultra.
The run needs to be practical, and compatible with my teaching and family schedule. Goes without saying. I need something within a reasonable traveling distance, not too costly, and scheduled on a date that does not conflict with all the other moving parts of my busy life.

So far, the candidates I have identified:

July 28, Burning River 100 mile Endurance Run, Willoughby Hills, OH (near Cleveland), 100m. I like the location, which is reasonable, as is the date. Not real sure I want to attempt a 100 miler for my very first ultra.
Sep 7-8, Run Woodstock, Pinckney, MI, 50km/50miles, 100 miles. I would choose either the 50k or 50 mile option here. Definite possibility.
July 28, Grand Isle Trail Marathon, Munising, MI, 26.2. Really leanng towards this one. Location isn't too far away, perfect date, and I've read great things about this run. Trail Runner did a feature article on this run a few months ago, labeling it one of the best trail events in the Midwest. My only objection: I would prefer an ultra.

December 9: carrying the shoulders thing a bit too far

2011-12-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

Kendo: bit of an unusual class this evening. Quite small (typical for this time of the year; as we get closer to Xmas, the Holidays tend to effect our attendance): Park-sensei, Kate, Mark, Steve and myself. Hiro was out with a cold, and Nicholai had a rare absence, so I ended up leading mokuso and warmups as senior student, while Park-sensei conducted the class.

Park-sensei has always emphasized a relatively small number of basic points: make a clear cutting motion at the end of your strike rather than just hitting, endlessly practice men, put your heart and mind on the shinai's monouchi, etc. He spoke of these things again this evening, as we did basic footwork and floor drills, and kirikaeshi (along with a bit of jigeiko). In particular, Park-sensei devoted time to practicing proper blocking techniques for motodachi during kirikaeshi (we've all gotten rather sloppy on this), and the correct posture, hand placement, and attitude for mokuso.

I've been listening to Park-sensei discuss these points for years now. I suppose there would be those who found such an approach tedious. But I've come to understand that Park-sensei's approach to kendo (and probably the other martial arts, as well, all of which he practices with a high degree of skill) is very much rooted in this endless search for absolute perfection in executing proper basics. I like this. I also like his emphasis on mokuso and zen meditation, often neglected aspects of kendo that I think I would do well to emphasize. Good mokuso will lead to a proper mindset, better concentration and a relaxed approach that is crucial to improving my kendo.

All of which is to say how much I enjoyed working with Park-sensei this evening. Hiro is my kendo sensei and good friend, and I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to learn kendo under his guidance. But this is in no way to slight Park-sensei, a fine man and an excellent teacher in his own right.

Running: 6 miles. Lately, I've had my mind focused on kendo to such an extent that it is even much on my mind while I run. This morning I tried to practice proper kendo shoulder placement and posture while running in the Wellness Center. Seemed like a good idea, but I may have carried it a bit too far, because my concentration on these things really changed my running stride, and probably for the worse. Lowering one's shoulders and keeping a good posture is a good idea while running too, of course, but I think that in doing so I really shortened my stride, got up on my toes a bit too much, and ended up with a snail's pace of a run, approaching 9.8 minute miles. Yech. Probably shouldn't do this again.

December 8: self-assessment

2011-12-10T10:18:00.000-08:00

Kendo: I finally was able to watch most of the CD Hiro gave us from the class at Mudokwan he recorded last week. This was a very useful exercise. I found interesting (and telling) the fact that I was able to identify my classmates rather easily because I've done kendo with them for so long, but I sometimes had trouble picking out myself among my bogu-clad compatriots. This just illustrates the value of this CD; I just don't have a very good idea about what my kendo looks like.

I'll need to watch the CD a few more times to do a really detailed analysis, but I'm already taking away one broad (and very helpful) observation: my kendo looks bad during jigeiko. When I do bokuto keiko and drills, my posture and shoulders, while far from perfect are at least halfway decent. But during jigeiko it all gets very stiff, jittery and awkward--exactly what has been sinking me during the rank examinations. I lean too far forward, my shoulders are up and stiff, and my movements nervous and jumpy. I suspect this is due to the simple fact that, when doing jigeiko, I'm concentrating on striking and being struck. Naturally enough, I suppose, but it's wrecking my posture and technique.

Running: 6 miles. I made up for yesterday's shortened stairs routine by doing an extra mile today, and doing two of those miles on the stairs. I also did my cross-training: 15 minutes on the stairmaster, 8 on the bike (both hills, level 6), and my two core workouts (weights and crunches). Had a decent day here, I believe.

December 7: weary day

2011-12-08T12:49:00.000-08:00

Kendo: Hiro did us all a very valuable service. During last week's Mudokwan class, he--with able assistance from Josh--recorded our entire class. He then burned the recording onto CD's, gave us each a copy, and told us to use the footage for training purposes.

This is a very good idea, something I plan to do with my home practice sessions eventually (I need to locate a good camera and tripod). It is so difficult to know just what exactly we are doing wrong and right in kendo if we can't see ourselves. This is particularly true for my own situation; I need to correct problems in my shoulders, posture and footwork that I cannot see for myself without the aid of a camera.

At any rate, this evening I started to watch the CD. I only was able to watch the first fifteen minutes or so--it was a very long, exhausting day--but I can already tell this is going to be very useful.

Running: 5 miles. I did my stairs workout in the Wellness Center today, but came up a couple of miles short, and ran at a terribly slow pace, even for my stairs routine (which slows me down even on good days). I was just really exhausted, a feeling that lasted all day. I don't think I've gotten enough sleep, lately, with end-of-the-semester grading, etc. (not to mention two books that require editing and indexing). This is no excuse, of course, but today was just one of those off days.

December 6: uchikomi

2011-12-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

Kendo: Mudokwan classes have been somewhat small, of late--around eight kenshi who attend on a regular basis. This evening we had that number, which actually worked pretty well, since it gives us a bit more room on the floor. Following bokuto keiko we worked quite a lot on kirikaeshi, focusing on proper kiai and attaining a good distance from our opponent. Hiro then led us in uchi komi (a bit like hikarikeiko, with the difference being that motodachi deliberately displays openings). I tried to keep my mind on my kiai, and lowering my shoulders--this last with, at best, mixed success, as Hiro told me a couple of times that I'm still too stiff in my upper body, and I'm still over-correcting distance by leaning up and out.

In fact, this wasn't one of my better classes. I was dogged by little mistakes and a general sloppiness that I can neither explain or excuse. My hope is to simply persevere, work through experiences like this, and get out of me whatever it is in my mind--stress, lack of concentration--that causes my shortcomings.

Running: 5 miles. Some good basic laps in the Wellness Center, followed by cross-training. I'm aiming for 15 minutes on the stairmaster (hills program) and bike (alpine pass program) at level 6 (I'm trying to keep both machines at the same level; it's easier to remember). I managed the 15 minutes on the stairmaster, but only 8 minutes on the bike, and I was pretty sore (in a good way) when I finished. I then did some core work: reps on the abs machine (60 lbs., 3 sets of 12 reps each, with 20 seconds between sets), and then 10 crunches on an inclining bench.

December 5: shoulders

2011-12-05T18:52:00.000-08:00

Kendo: late evening home practice. I'm finding that, with my current work and family schedule, my best time to practice kendo at home is later at night, after everyone else has gone to bed. this has its advantages and disadvantages, but for now it is just about my only workable practice time.

This evening I thought about nothing other than my shoulders. Hiro wants me to concentrate on relaxing my shoulders, keeping them down and back, so that my strikes look more relaxed and smooth. Easier said than done, but I worked hard on that tonight, doing around 200 men strokes with only my shoulder position in mind. Guess I made some progress here, but it's going to take time.

Running: 7 miles (9.0 pace). Not a badly paced run at all in the Wellness Center, especially for a Monday run.

Running: goals

2011-12-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

Kendo is my primary focus between now and the Cleveland tournament and rank examination (likely the end of March; no date has yet been announced). While kendo and running have over the years been more-or-less coequal components of my fitness life, I've learned that, at any given time I need to have a primary focus on one or the other--a major note and a minor note, so to speak. And if my recent setbacks in kendo have taught me anything, it is the need for focus.

That being the case, what to do with my running between now (December 3) and the end of March?

The big goal, the Run Indiana Project, remains the same, with an aim towards the spring of 2013. That's a ways off, so short term my thinking leads me towards 1) maintaining a solid weekly mileage base, 2) doing some decent cross-training, 3) increasing my pace, and 4) setting some sort of distance running goal, a race of some sort that will help me keep my sense of purpose through the upcoming winter.

I'm not sure what that race will be yet. Ideally, I'd like to find a good ultra, in the 50k/50mile range, the better to lay a solid foundation for R.I.P. But I don't want to begin serious training before the Cleveland kendo gig--I do not want to lose my focus on kendo for the next few months. I've also found that training in the wintertime for a long race is very, very difficult, given the weather conditions and my teaching schedule.

All of this being case, my running goals between now and the spring will look like this:

maintain a weekly running base in the 40-50 miles per week range.
in any given week, I want to do at least one speed run, a hills/stairs run., and a distance run of at least 10 miles.
cross -training twice a week, focusing on lower body strength and core training.
identify, register for, and create a training program for an ultra of some sort in the late spring or early summer
setup scheduling, financials, and publicity for R.I.P.

Weekly Plan, December 4-11

2011-12-04T17:44:00.000-08:00

Kendo: should be a normal enough week: both Mudokwan classes, and practice at home. I'm thinking primarily about two things right now: kiai and posture. On that last point, I'm going to focus my home practice this week on my shoulders, keeping them low and back, as Hiro suggests.

Running: my last week of classes at AU before finals and the Xmas break, so my schedule will look pretty similar to what it has been for the last month. I also want to add a new exercise to my cross training, something core-related.

The week should look like this:

Mon.: 7 miles
Tues.: 5 miles, cross training
Wed.: 7 miles (stairs)
Thurs.: 5 miles, cross training
Fri.: 7 miles (speed training)
Wkd: 12 miles

Total: 43 miles

End of Week Assessment, November 28-December 3

2011-12-04T17:39:00.000-08:00

Kendo: another good week here. Made both Mudokwan classes, and seem to have made some progress in impressing upon the people around me that I do indeed intend to make both my kendo classes each week, come what may. I'm beginning to focus my mind upon the chief goals I must meet to improve me kendo: kiai and posture, for the most part. I've made kendo my top fitness priority, and I have my mind properly focused here. the arrow is definitely pointed up.

Running: 33 miles (missed goal by 7 miles). Actually a good week, until Sunday. I ran with good pace and variety, and was only derailed by Sunday's bout with some intestinal issues. I've also gotten my cross training pretty firmly off the ground.

December 4: down day

2011-12-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

Nothing today. Fought some serious GI issues again, which have plagued me off and on for several days. I'm taking a couple of different kinds of medicine for my ongoing dental issues, including an antibiotic and a steroid, and my wife thinks these may be playing havoc with my digestion, etc. Whatever the reason, this was a bad day all the way around.

December 3: in the basement

2011-12-04T15:49:00.000-08:00

Bad weather kept everyone indoors today

Kendo: did a good home practice session today. I'm thinking more about my shoulders than anything else, trying to keep them down and back to improve my posture. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for me to see if I'm actually making progress; I have no mirrors in my practice area at home. Might be a good idea to rig some sort of camera/tripod system and film my men strikes, so I can see what I'm doing and adjust accordingly.

Running: 5 miles. Wet, cold weather and a busy family schedule drove me into the basement and on my home treadmill this evening--something I generally try to avoid. Still, as far as such things go, it wasn't a bad run.

December 2: new kendo look

2011-12-04T15:45:00.000-08:00

Feeling pretty spiffy in my keikogi

Kendo: attended class this evening at Mudokwan rocking a new keikogi that I just ordered from ebogu.com. I feel as if I really need to get two sets of keikogi/hakama, rather than just wearing the same one over and over. At any rate, I ordered one of ebogu's higher end keikogi, and it felt very comfortable (and sufficiently long; I hate wearing a keikogi that's too short).

Class went well, attended by our regulars plus a couple of kenshi from Purdue. I focused on kiai as much as possible during class, and posture. Hiro reiterated my need to work on keeping my shoulders down and back, my back straight, and correcting distance with my core and feet, rather than my hands.

Running: 5 miles. Didn't feel well at all this morning, with some ongoing GI issues and just a general lack of energy. I therefore just did a short little run in the Wellness Center, trying to save what energy I did possess for kendo later in the evening.

December 1: cross training

2011-12-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

Kendo: did some good home practice this evening. I've decided to keep the core of my home practice routine intact--sonkyo, chudan no kamae, warmups, 100 men, 20 each kote and do--while adding work on whatever I think I more specifically need to address, given the input Hiro has given me at the dojo. This evening I worked on posture, keeping my back straight and shoulders lowered as I do men strikes.

Running: 5 miles. Followed a brief run at the Wellness Center with some solid cross training. Fifteen minutes on the stairmaster, 100 minutes with the Alpine Pass program on the stationary bike, both at level 5 (I'm trying to use the same level on all of various machines; it's easier to remember). I then did some work on the abs machine, by way of starting a core workout program.

November 30: "hills"

2011-12-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

Kendo: worked on "details" today; specifically, some issues I've been having with my bogu. For some reason, I've been having a heck of a time with my tenegui, lately--I just can't seem to get it on straight, or tight. This is ridiculous, of course, but I think I've developed some sort of subtle glitch, or a kendo version of Steve Blas disease, or whatever. So I actually booted up a couple of youtube videos relating how one properly ties a tenegui, and practiced this evening. A minor point, I know. But attention to detail is something in my kendo that I really need to address.

Running: 7 miles. Hills day, or as close to "hills" as I can get in central Indiana. I alternate Wednesdays between running stairs at the Wellness Center and doing a hills program on a WC treadmill. Today I ran a 4 mile warmup on the track, then did a 3 mile hills program, level 5, on the treadmill.

Kendo: adding resources

2011-11-30T19:13:00.000-08:00

I'm making an effort to add more and better resources to my blog about kendo. I have some good material about running, as well, but I'd like to place a special emphasis on gathering useful kendo links, because I think this would prove particularly useful to visitors who've never heard of kendo (surely most of the people who view my blog have at least heard of running).

To this end, I've added a section on kendo films, drawn from whatever I've been able to find of value on youtube. This involved a fair amount of sifting through some awful stuff, but I have found some good kendo filmmaking. I've included a nice little film that seems to have been part of a series about Japanese culture that should be quite informative for anyone who has no familiarity with kendo. I also include the documentary A Single Blow, which is a personal favorite: unfortunately, Part 1 is nowhere to be found, for some reason. And I've linked to a National Geographic special about the 8th dan examination process, which is sadly of poor quality, but still useful.

Hopefully these links will be of some value. If any of my fellow kenshi who happen to visit my blog have suggestions, please let me know via the comments section of this post.

November 29; the mysteries of kiai

2011-11-30T14:31:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for class at Mudokwan this evening

Kendo: had to drive through the first snowfall of the year to Mudokwan, which slowed me down a little bit, and took a bite out of my pre-class practice time. Still, I was able to do most of a home practice session, by way of compensating for yesterday's down time. When Hiro arrived, he suggested I focus on my posture, especially when I attempt fumikomi. I think I'll make this the focal point for this week's home practice.

Class was fairly full--around eight kenshi--and we spent the first forty-five minutes or so doing bokuto keiko. I worked with Kate, a very nice young woman from Hiro's YMCA class who has recently become a (most welcome) addition to our Mudokwan class. We then did some very brief warmups, followed by a lot of kirikaeshi and men strikes. Hiro spent quite a bit of time teaching us about the finer points of small men: how to close the distance, take the centerline, and perform a proper small men (as opposed to some of less fundamentally sound techniques one sometimes encounters in shia kendo).

But Hiro's primary focus this evening was kiai. I don't think any of us do proper kiai: we all use too much of our throat muscles, and not enough from the abdomen. I must confess I've always struggled with this. I tend to just scream, as opposed to proper kiai. Hiro suggested that we focus on tightening our abdominal muscles, and concentrate on squeezing all of the air out of our stomachs to achieve the proper results.

I think I made some progress, but I clearly need to concentrate on this. On my feedback sheet, nearly everyone suggested I need to perfect a better kiai technique, and Hiro has repeatedly pointed out that kiai is foundational in kendo. I need to focus my mental energies on using my lower abdomen, which also has the beneficial side effect of causing me to lower my shoulders.

Running: 5 miles. Tuesdays are cross-training days, so I keep the running on the lighter side. After doing a run round the Wellness Center track, I did 15 minutes on the stairmaster (hills program, level 5), and 10 minutes on the stationary bike (another hills program). I want to add a new exercise per week, so today I did some lifting on the shoulder press machine. But after a bit of reflection, I think I'll postpone upper body work for a while, and start doing some core and abdomen work. Kendo is my primary focus right now, and I think building my core and abdomen should help with my kiai.

November 28: decent Monday run

2011-11-30T14:14:00.000-08:00

Kendo: nothing today. Had some GI issues all evening long, which interfered with pretty much everything I tried to do.

Running: 7 miles (9.1 pace). Pretty decent run this morning, especially for a Monday. For some reason, Mondays have always been a sluggish day of the week for me. I always run a little slow, and feel a little heavier. But my pace was comparatively fast today. A good sign.

Kendo: foregoing the Johnson Cup, and future goals

2011-11-28T19:03:00.000-08:00

I've decided not to compete in the upcoming 2011 Steve Johnson Cup at OSU on December 10. I've competed in the last three Johnson Cup tournaments, and enjoyed the experience. The folks at the Miami Valley Kendo Club always do an excellent job organizing the event, and it is a good opportunity to see my kendo mates from Ohio.

I had planned to compete this year, as well. But this isn't the best idea right now. The reasons, of course, center around my recent rank examination setback. It isn't a confidence problem, really, so much as a conviction that, if I were to focus my energies on training for the tournament, I would be focusing upon the wrong aspects of my kendo--or at least wrong for me at this particular time.

It is difficult to express, exactly. I don't want to think externally, about competitive kendo, avoiding strikes, etc. Instead, I want to think internally, about striking with commitment, about what is in my head when I do strike, and about doing deliberate, fundamentally sound techniques. These things are not necessarily incompatible with tournament kendo, but right now it simply feels more appropriate for me to avoid such events and concentrate my energies inwards. If that makes sense.

My plan now is to do as much dojo training and home training as possible, with an eye towards advancing my kendo--mentally, physically, and spiritually--and setting a longer-range goal of competing in the Cleveland tournament in late March 2012. This tournament also features rank examinations, so I'll retest for shodan at that time, as well.

Weekly Plan, November 28-December 4

2011-11-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

Kendo: should be another good week here. I've decided that I will insist on making both Mudokwan classes, come what may, so hopefully I've handled that recurring (and very annoying) problem. More generally, I'm thinking about how I need to hone my mental approach to my kendo, and rework my home practice routine.

Running: getting settled into a routine that is appropriate to the kendo-first approach I want to take between now and April. I do not want to neglect my running, of course, but for the next few months I want my mind and heart in my kendo. I want my running to have quality, if not necessarily quality, and to compliment my kendo needs. With that in mind, my week should look like this:

Mon.: 7 miles
Tues.: 5 miles/cross
Wed.: 7 miles (hills)
Thurs.: 5 miles/cross
Fri.: 7 miles (speed)
Wkd: 9 miles

Total: 40 miles

End of Week Assessment, November 21-27

2011-11-28T18:51:00.000-08:00

Kendo: a good week here. I actually managed three kendo classes, and good home practice. More generally, I feel as if I'm getting my head in the right place. I'm rethinking my approach to class and practice, and figuring out what I need to do to put my exam failure behind me and move forward.

Running: 38 miles (missed by 2 miles). Came up just a bit short this week--due partly to the Thanksgiving holidays, and partly the weather--but otherwise a very good week. Did quality speed and stairs training, a longish run of 10 miles, and a decent pace.

November 27: indoors at the Y

2011-11-28T18:48:00.000-08:00

Quite crowded at the YMCA this afternoon

Kendo: did a normal home practice session. I'm still trying to rework my approach to home practice, but right now I'm sticking with my usual routine, focusing on tenouchi, proper extension and footwork, and doing almost exclusively men strikes.

Running: 4 miles (7.3 on two 1 mile repeats). Bad weather drove me indoors at the Fishers Y, which was crowded with fellow exercise devotees. Had a difficult time getting some machines, but still did some solid intervals, 10 minutes on the stairmaster (85 steps per), and 10 minutes on the random hills program with the stationary bike.