Week 24 – There’s No Such Thing as “I Don’t Have Time”

WOOOOOO! My mileage requirement has been met! I broke through the 1000 mile mark and it feels good. That’s one requirement I can check off. Now I just have 1400 to go in order to reach my goal mileage 🙂 Other than that there’s not much to say. The numbers are consistent and I’m happy with that.

The Training:

The physical aspects of training are feeling good. I’m enjoying the Tabata workouts even though they will be causing my mileage to drop a bit for a couple more weeks. They are worthy workouts,  I work out a lot and a 20 minute Tabata circuit leaves me aching. Highly recommend a dose of Tabata for anyone who wants some But… there’s more to training than the physical aspects.

nThis morning I read the Ultimate Black Belt Test (UBBT) blog entry of a friend of mine from the Alabama trip, Paul Castagno (you can read it here). His blog reminded me that there are some other aspects of the training to write about. For example, healthy eating. That’s a part of my training that could use a bit of work. I mean, I won’t give up chocolate, and in general I’m a healthy eater, but there is room for improvement. I get my 5 fruits a day and eat loads of veggies. But… I could clean my eating up a bit. Less frozen veggies, more fresh ones; less frozen meals for lunch at work; more home-cooked stuff (which also means I’ll be eating more burnt food, haha); and less iced tea more water… Those are good things to focus on for the time being. Thanks, Paul, for the reminder.

The Challenges:

Remain the same. Time management isn’t necessarily getting easier, but I squeezed in a couple hours of welding in on Saturday and it does make me feel better. So, although it sounds ridiculous when I tell myself I’ll make time for my hobbies every week, I’m going to say it anyway 🙂 What I absolutely won’t say, is that “I don’t have time” for something. I feel like that’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, so I won’t say it. I will find a balance somehow. Rest, workout, train, play and breathe.

Another challenge that I haven’t talked about much is the meditation. My brain doesn’t do “radio silent” very well. The two things that keep my mind in a quiet place are running and kata. Sitting and trying to still my mind is NOT easy. I am, however, getting more comfortable sitting in seiza for longer periods. Not long ones, mind you, but longer than 5 months ago 🙂

Levels:
Injury: Finger
Number of bruises: 4
Motivation: Getting back up there where I want it
Next Event:  June 2nd – Oyama Tournament, June 28th – Zooma Napa Valley 1/2 Marathon