May 2010
29 posts
2 tags
1 Mile Run
Calibrating my Nike+ Sportband, so I mapped out a nice, easy 1 mile run on gmaps and hit the streets. Started at 4th Ave & 3rd St, ran up to 8th Ave, and back down to 5th Ave. Damned if I didn’t hit every single red light. Finished in 6:44.
April 2010
29 posts
2 tags
Kung Fu class
Got the fellas warmed up with a pushup/core workout and then got right into drills and techniques for the night. We covered a moving punch combo with some elements mixed in and partnered up using the pads. Spent most of my time instructing and didn’t get too much work in.
1 tag
“It’s unnatural for people to run around the city streets unless they are...”
– Mike Royko
1 tag
Long Overdue Goals Update
My last round of goals were to stay pretty much paleo (didn’t happen), complete 100 burpees in under 6:00 minutes (check), and to get my training routine more consistent (sort of happened).
The simple fact is that I don’t have the same amount of free time that I’m used to dedicating to each training session. And while I don’t have as much time for each session, I do have...
2 tags
Kung Fu practice
Found a nice quiet spot by the Old Stone House after my run tonight and worked on Tiet Sien Kuen for a while. Good connection and I felt like a million bucks by the end but damn my feet were aching by the time I was done. I wonder why this form bothers my feet so much when I wear shoes.
2 tags
2 Mile Run
It was a nice cool spring night for a run. Mapped out a 2 mile loop starting and ending at Washington Park, finished in 14:39. Felt alright but need to pick up the pace a bit.
2 tags
Kung Fu practice
Started with a light run-through of Tiet Sien Kuen and then spent the remainder of my time with some bridge training. Really feeling it after my sandbag workout. Also mixed in 3 x 10 pullups for good measure.
3 tags
Sandbag/Burpee Fun
Borrowed from Crossfit Virtuosity - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 reps for time:
Sandbag clean & press (80lb)
Burpees
Total time: 14:44. I thought this one would take me about 6 minute. Oops. Nice and tough though, and it really fried my grip. Made sure to tap the ceiling (about 9 ft) at the top of every burpee jump.
3 tags
Interval Running
4 x Uphill Run 400m (1:30, 1:36, 1:42, 1:43)
4 x Uphill Run 200m (:37, :37, :36, :36)
Mapped out a course on 3rd St from 5th Ave to 7th Ave and tried to get a feel for some pacing. Ran uphill and walked back to the start between runs. I haven’t touched these distances for a while and it shows - felt slow as shit. The hill gets steeper as you get closer to the end which makes it a...
2 tags
Kung Fu class
Got to the school a little early and got some sparring in before class, which felt good. I’m really missing my weekly sparring class. After working the guys with a pretty tough warmup and some relevant drills we did some more sparring in class. Afterwards I worked on Ng Lung Ba Gwa Cheung a bit.
Fixed-gear bicycling afficianados are ahead of a... →
“There was no derailleur to deal with.” So there’s nothing for me to break! If I only had a pal who could help me find a setup. Then I could ride like Pee-Wee!
2 tags
1.5 Mile Run
Alright, I’m running again. For my first run, I made a 1.5 mile loop from my apartment to the park, then down to 4th Ave and back home. I finished in 11:08, which is horsecrap but it will serve as a benchmark.
I only had to wait for two traffic lights and stop to tie my shoes twice. Note: make sure to double knot those damn Nike Frees before the next run.
2 tags
Kung Fu practice
Worked on Ng Ying Kuen for a spell after my sandbag workout. Focused on the opening section and the dragon section with varying speed and power. Felt alright.
3 tags
25 Repetition Roulette Sandbag Workout
25 reps of the following with my pal Larry Storch, this time to Ross Enamait’s specifications:
Burpee
Sandbag clean and press (80lb)
Perform a lunge with each leg while holding the bag overhead
Total time: 8:05. Almost 3 min faster than the first time I tried this and this time I did a full burpee for each rep (touched the ceiling at the top of every jump). Not sure if I was just feeling...
Chia seeds = magic food →
Ch-ch-ch-chia
2 tags
Kung Fu class
Warmed up the fellas with some calisthenics, bridge training, and stances. Pretty standard really. Then onto the technique of the day. Worked on Tiet Sien Kuen with Malcolm after class and felt great. Also brushed up on Yu Ga Dai Pa after that.
2 tags
Kung Fu practice
By the Old Stone House, as usual. Worked on Ng Ying Kuen, focusing on the opening section. I was only at it for about 30 min, but it was all the time I had today. Felt strong.
4 tags
Turf Workout
Headed to the turf at Washington Park for a quick lunchtime workout in the sun:
Burpees x 30 sec (9)
Jump rope x 30 sec
Plank hold x 30 sec (alternating front, left, right)
Repeat 10x, no rest.
The plank offered me a chance to catch my breath but it kept the shoulders burning, which hampered my burpees a bit. It felt nice to skip rope on the turf once I got my rhythm going.
For Better Muscle Tone, Go Lighter and Repeat... →
“Lifting heavy weights makes you big and bulky — or at least that’s the conventional wisdom. It’s the reason many women (and some men) who want slim and ‘toned’ physiques opt for lighter weights, lifted more times.”
If I had a nickel for every time someone gave me that argument, I’d stick them all in a sock and beat some sense into em with it.
“‘The 3, 4, 5 Rule’, as it was explained to me, is that you are not...”
– Coach Keith
3 tags
Tending to the Barz
I took pictures while Zach and Dave biked and ran the Brooklyn Biathlon in Prospect Park today. Luckily there was a jungle gym setup right near the finish line, so I ran in for some chinning while they were hoofing around the park:
10 Pullups
10 Dips
Repeat 10x
Not for time since I kept running back to the race to take photos when Zach and Dave completed a lap. I got 2-3 rounds in during each...
5 tags
Bitter 16
I headed out to Washington Park for a Sweet 16-style Tabata workout. I originally wanted to use my jump rope, but it was too windy, so I modified on the fly:
Tabata Mountain Climbers
Tabata Pushups (8)
Tabata Chinnies
Tabata Squats (16)
Tabata intervals of each exercise, max intensity for the 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. Each exercise lasts 8 tabata rounds or four...
2 tags
Kung Fu class
Led the fellas through a standard warmup and some bridge training before going into technique tonight. We built on the stuff we did last week and everyone made good progress. After class Malcolm and I worked on some interesting stuff with Sifu.
2 tags
Kung Fu practice
Walked over to the Old Stone House after my crab walking session to work on some Fu Hok Seung Ying Kuen. I mostly worked on the crane section, but went through the whole thing a couple of times.
5 tags
Walk Like a Crab
Nice sunny morning + working from home = morning workout in Washington Park.
Sprint 50m
Bear Crawl 25m
Crab Walk 25m
AMRAP in 15 minutes
Score: 11 rounds, which seems to be par for the course. The timer shortly after starting my last crab walk, but I finished the full round. Crab walks suck.
Previously: 11 on 10/4/09; 11+ on 6/22/08
2 tags
Kung Fu practice
Tiet Sien Kuen to cool my jets after all those getups. Did it barefoot and felt a really solid connection - the chi was flowing in all the right places at all the right times. Maybe I should always do 80 getups before training?
4 tags
80/80 Sandbag Getups
Grab an 80lb sandbag (Larry Storch) and do 80 sandbag getups (Turkish getups with the bag on your shoulder) for time.
Total time: 20:45. For some reason I thought I’d finish this in around 12 minutes. After I finished the first 20 in around 4 min, I knew I was way off. This was rough and really put my form under the microscope. Apparently I was shooting my foot back to stand up in an...
2 tags
Kung Fu class
Tonight was tiger claw Thursday (tm). After the warmup we went into some very basic tiger claw drills, then practiced the application before going into a more advanced tiger claw technique. Everyone did well today. In keeping with the theme, I grabbed the tiger fork and stayed to work on Yu Ga Dai Pa after the guys left. Felt pretty rusty.