June 2009
59 posts
Becoming an Expert - Deliberate Practice Part 2 →
“The second part of Ericsson’s model and the part I want to focus on today is what type of practice seems to be related to the eventual development of expertise in a given domain. I’ll finish up by looking at some criticisms of some of Ericsson’s ideas to answer the question ‘Can everyone become an expert?’ and then try to reach some kind of actual point.”
Becoming an Expert - Deliberate Practice Part 1 →
“I want to look briefly at what makes an expert (as opposed to a non-expert performer) as well as being looking briefly one of the primary models of the development of expertise.”
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Kung Fu class
Monday night is form night at the kwoon, so we jumped right into form work after a quick warmup. After helping the first class with the beginner hand forms, I worked on some weapons forms outside: Chun Choi Dai Dao, Ng Lung Ba Gwa Gwan, and Yu Ga Dai Pa. Felt good, fella.
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“A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood.”
– General George Patton (with apologies to the Chinese)
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Sprint Intervals
Headed over to the Red Hook track on this hot, sunny Sunday:
8 x 200m run (:30, :32, :35, :35, :37, :38, :40, :38)
Rest the exact time it takes you to do each interval. Never slow more than 3 seconds from the best interval.
If you slow more than 3 seconds off your pace, then you must do 15 burpees for each infraction. Penalty burpees should be done immediately after the last interval. Borrowed...
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Kung Fu practice
It was the first sunny weekend day in a while, so I headed out to Washington Park, just next to the Old Stone House to practice a bit. Started off with Tiet Sien Kuen, but doing it with shoes on always feels sort of empty and sometimes makes my feet hurt. I also dialed back the power because I didn’t want to scare any of the little kiddies that were infesting the park. Afterwards I worked on...
World's Top 100 Open Water Swims →
Very interesting.
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“To do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and...”
– Sydney Smith
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Liberty Island Swim 2009
Today Dave, Paddy, and I swam NYC Swim’s inaugural Liberty Island Swim - a 1.2k counter-clockwise swim around the island (and the statue). Registration was limited to swimmers who have finished in the top 60% of an NYC Swim event in the past two years. Since all three of us just barely made the requirement, our main objective was not to be the last swimmer out of the water.
As expected, the...
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Kung Fu class
Took it relatively easy tonight - warmed up with the first class and drilled some techniques with them. After they split, ran through Tiet Sien Kuen with Ali. I was pretty sore from yesterday’s Dumbbell Bear, so I needed it to get the chi moving.
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“Money is the most envied, but the least enjoyed. Health is the most enjoyed, but...”
– Charles Caleb Coltong
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Kung Fu class
Sparring day today. Made the other guys go through a tough little warmup since they didn’t do the DB Bear. Straight sparring after that, with brief interruptions for coaching and instruction.
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Dumbbell Bear
I started by working on some OHS after a quick warmup and got up to 135lb x 3. I felt pretty solid today. Then, I made my second attmempt at the dreaded “Dumbbell Bear” complex.
Every minute on the minute for 20 minutes perform the following:
5 Deadlifts
5 Hang Cleans
5 Thrusters
Load shold equal 45% of bodyweight, so I used 40lb dumbbells. Chuffed to complete this as rxed. Didn’t even...
Get Started on PaNu →
“A modified paleolithic diet that can improve your health by duplicating the evolutionary metabolic milieu.”
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Swim It Out
At the Chelsea Rec Center for a morning swim:
350m warm up
200m freestyle
50m breaststroke
150m freestyle
50m breaststroke
100m freestyle
50m breaststroke
50m freestyle
50m breaststroke
300m cool down
Total time: 30 minutes. Total distance: 1350m.
Working on my rhythym and total immersion technique today - trying to relax in the water and use a long efficient stroke (twss).
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Kung Fu class
Some days it gets really stuffy in the kwoon. Today was one of those days, so I made both classes go through the “round robin” circuit warmup - both classes hated it. I warmed myself up beforehand with 5 rounds of Cindy so I was exempt. Helped both classes with forms and fit in some practice with the kwan dao and bench between/after classes.
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“Life grants nothing to us mortals without hard work.”
– Horace
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Core Training
2 min L-sit (20, 20, 20, 15, 15, 15, 15)
Then onto the crircuit:
10 Kneeling Wheel Rollouts
20 Bird-dogs
30 Abmat Situps
Repeat 4x
Finisher: 2 min plank hold.
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Swim Intervals
At the Metropolitan Pool in Williamsburg:
300m warm up
200m kick (100 front, 50 left, 50 right)
Intervals - repeat 12x 25 freestyle sprint
25 breaststroke
300m cool down
Total time: 35 minutes. Total distance: 1400m.
Meh. I haven’t been able to get as much pool time as I’d like. It sure was easier when I lived a block away from the Tony Dapolito pool.
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Kung Fu class
I had to stay late at work so I missed the first class of the evening. Ran the second class and did a pretty standard warmup, followed by some element fist drills. Then I set up some staff drlls and helped the guys with Ng Lung Ba Gwa Gwan. All the recent attention to this form is making me feel a lot better about it.
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Review: Raw Milk
I first heard about raw milk (or REAL milk as it’s sometimes called) through Ross Enamait and I’ve been trying to get my lips on it ever since. Apparently, the distribution of raw milk varies by state (because it’s so dangerous) and New York state law limits the sale of raw milk to the farm where it’s produced. I’ve never seen a dairy farm in NYC, but I still checked...
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“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning...”
– Dwight D. Eisenhower (via)
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Official TWBS Warmup
My favorite warmup to get the juices flowing and the hips open:
15 Burpees
15 sec Samson Stretch (each side)
Repeat 3x
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Kung Fu class
I was well warmed up from my strength session, so got right into sparring when I got to the kwoon. It was a small crew, so I got some work acting as a punching bag, did some sparring drills, and a fair bit of sparring (albeit it easy sparring) myself.
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Back Off Strength Training
Started with the official TWBS warmup™.
Squat
2 x 5 x 225lb
Roman Chair Squats 3 x 10
Simple pair, repeat 3x:
Pullups (30, 18, 19)
Dips (26, 20, 22)
Today’s original plan was to do another playground workout at St. Mary’s, but it was locked up so I headed to good old 5th Ave Gym. Figured I’d go light today and work on form since I’m in the middle of a...
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Fuck You, St. Mary's Playground
“St. Mary’s Playground is temporarily closed due to falling debris from the subway tracks.”
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“Those who say it cannot be done shouldn’t interrupt those who are doing...”
– Unknown
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Kung Fu class
Ran through the standard warmup with the beginners tonight, then drilled some basic techniques and stances before working on forms. I helped the second class with forms too and then spent some time working on Ng Lung Ba Gwa Gwan maself. That form is definitely my goat and I need to give it more attention.
Run from home to St. Mary's Playground →
Exactly one mile on this route. This could come in handy.
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Bodyweight Strength Training
I found a lovely little space called St. Mary’s Playground that’s fully equipped with pullup bars and other goodies today. Started with my patent-pending warmup of 15 burpees/15 sec samson stretch on each leg, repeated 3x.
4 x Circuit A
Pullups - 18 regular, 16 neutral, 13 close-grip chin, 13 neutral
Glute-Ham Raises - 5, 5, 5, 5
4 x Circuit B One Arm Pushups - 5,...
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“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”
– Lao Tzu
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GPP Circuit
Burpees x 30 sec (12)
Mountain Climbers x 30 sec
Jumping Jacks x 30 sec
Grasshoppers x 30 sec
Chinnies x 30 sec
Repeat 8x, resting 30 sec between rounds.
I was aiming to do something more challenging on the turf field at Washington Park, but it was CRAWLING with little kids. There must have been 27 little league games happening on a space the size of a football field. Madness. I headed to...
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Interval Running
The rain finally stopped for 5 seconds, so I headed to the track by the Red Hook ball fields after work.
6 x 400m run (1:14, 1:17, 1:20, 1:21, 1:22, 1:19)
Rest 3 min between sets. Used my trusty gymboss to keep track of my splits. I’m working on my pacing so I can set my trot better for slightly longer runs. My pace averaged at a little over 5:00 for a mile, which I won’t be able to...
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“In crucial moments, breathing involuntarily comes to a stop. The circus...”
– Katsuki Sekida (via)
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Kung Fu class
I only had time for the 7pm class tonight, so I made sure I got my workout along with the guys. Quick circuit-style warmup followed by some static-dynamic complexes with horse stance and kicking. After everyone had a good sweat going, we drilled some butterfly palm and tiger claw techniques.
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“Men do not fail; they stop trying.”
– Elihu Root
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Kung Fu class
No newbies showed up today, so we opted for a weapons night. We started by working on some partner pole drills followed by some form work. Helped out with Ng Lung Ba Gwa Gwan and Ng Lung Ba Gwa Cheung, but didn’t work out too heavily myself.
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Explosive Strength Training
Warmed up with 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 pullups, pushups, and squats.
Thrusters 5 x 3 x 105lb
Barbell Punch Press 5 x 3/side x 75lb
Complex Pair - repeat 4x One Arm Bench Press x 5/arm x 85lb
Plyometric Pushups x 8
Wall Sit x 60 sec
Knee Jumps x 8
Finisher: DB Swings
3 x 15 x 75lb
Total time: 50 min. Strong work today. Strong sweat today. Comment of the day: “you got some ill...
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The Five Worst Exercises for a Sunburned Back
Turkish Get Ups
(Dragon) Flags
Back Squat
Bench Press
Wall Sit
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“And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters...”
– Dr. Seuss
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Kung Fu class
After the standard warmup, went through lots of drills with the first class tonight. Sifu had us working on a few basic side kick drills and then we drilled the basic tiger claw block for the remainder of the class. After the Level I guys took off, we ran through the royal sampler of forms - Fuk Fu, Chun Choy Dai Dao, and Ji Mo Seung Do. Didn’t get too deep into any one of em, but it was a...
Making Their Case for Raw Milk →
“Each state gets to regulate how raw milk is produced, bought and sold within its borders, and Connecticut is one of the easiest places to buy and sell it. About one-third of states nationwide prohibit its sale, New Jersey among them. Among states where it is legal, most restrict sales to the farm where it is produced, which is the case in New York.” I got my lips on some of this...
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2009 Susan G. Komen Connecticut Race for the Cure
Zach made me run this 5k road race in Connecticut today. He also made me bring Dave, thinking there’d finally be someone for him to beat. He was wrong. I finished in a torpid 23:05, but I still beat those other clowns by a few minutes (and Zach finished behind Dave). I’m going to start running more and get my 5k time under 20 minutes this summer. Mark my words.