chemkarate

Second challenge, so it's time for a different focus. I'm happy with my physical fitness and the current state of my martial art training, so now it's time to work on some other aspects, namely eating and professional development. Still need a job before I graduate! Fitness Goals Learn to eat more slowly! I tend to shovel food down. In an attempt to set a quantifiable goal, I want to be chewing full bites at least 20 times before swallowing."Perfect" the four kata I memorized last monthSleep enough that I only hit the 'snooze' button onceLife Goal Follow-up with all contacts I met at a career fair this past weekend. Apply for positions if I find good ones.

Name: chemkarate Brief overview of goals: Learn to eat slower. I have a bad habit of shoveling down food, which I'm worried will come back to haunt me when I'm older. My father, who does it too, had to have intestinal surgery when I was a child."Perfect" the four kata I memorized during the last challenge. (Nothing can ever be truly perfected.)Recently went to a career fair and got a number of leads. I want to have applied and followed-up to all by the end of the month.Class: Monk Eating: No strict diet, though I follow a rather predictable set of meals that work for me and control my portions. Team creation: I'm fine with any team! I have experience going from being completely unfit and overweight to very fit, so I can help others and be a cheerleader! Part of a team? Sure!

My fitness goals went very well. The non-fitness goal... eh, not as much. However, to be fair, it's partly because in the process of attempting this goal, I realized just how much work I needed to do if I'm going to execute it properly. Anyway, without further ado, here we go! Fitness Goals Extra hour of karate practice per week: 100%Memorize four new kata: 90% (almost, but not quite, got the last one memorized)Prepare one fresh dinner each week: 100%Non-fitness Goal Apply to ten job positions: 40%Final Grade: 82.5% (B-) I did great on my fitness goals, but to be honest those weren't that difficult. These were an incremental improvement on my current regime and diet. My non-fitness goal wasn't even close to completed, but I definitely wouldn't say it was a failure. In the process of finding these jobs and seeing what I need to do to properly apply for them (network, cover letters, informational interviews, etc.), I got a much better idea of what I need to be doing. So while the goal wasn't completed, I think I'm much more prepared for my job hunt this coming month.

So life got a little busy and out of order the last week. This past weekend I went to Tahoe with friends, which meant the week before I was busy doing work since I'd be taking a day off for the weekend. To save us all a massive list, I'm going to just post the important points from the week regarding my goals. Day 15 - 22 Report: Jan 10 - 17, 2011 Managed to fit in an extra karate sessionNot only cooked another delicious steak for myself this week, but also helped cook a number of meals with friends at TahoeStarted work on cover letters for a number of positions I'm pursuing

@Labore: No, I have not heard of that! I hope that holds though, because I need to compensate for the fact that my research in grad school has been plagued with horrible, horrible luck (and a few other not-fun obstacles). Day 12 Report: Jan 7, 2011 1 hour workout that focused on legs with some arm work. Lots of weighted squats, jumping exercises, and core stuff.Day 13 Report: Jan 8, 2011 1.5 hour karate training session. Didn't have to teach, so I got a good workout. Also worked with my sensei to learn a few moves I keep forgetting on tekkei-nidan.Wrote a long document on protocol within karate. We've got a lot of beginners, and a few don't seem to get the whole "don't argue with sensei" and "ask before being excused from class" thing. Kids these days.Signed up for a bunch of workshops, information sessions, and other events through Stanford's career development office.Went to a super-fun mash-up dance party held in San Francisco. It was like a second workout! Was completely exhausted the next day.Day 14 Report: Jan 9, 2011 Day off from working outSpent the entire Sunday in lab. Boo!

Love the 'Hangover' date. It's also smart, because you've planned that day off on your workout.

Day 11 Report: Jan 6, 2011 Did an extra hour of karate practice prior to my actual session, and solely practiced kata. Confident I have bassai-sho and nijushiho memorized.Actual karate practice was a little light near the end, as I had to help teach beginners again. Very thankful I got that extra hour beforehand in.I've been given an interview by an agency I applied to a few months ago (they have a long app process). Interview will be one month from now. Excited!

Congratulations!! Keep up the good work!

Day 10 Report: Jan 5, 2011 1 hour gym exercise, combination of free weights and body-weight calisthenics focusing on back, core, arms, and legs.Heard back from a friend that put me in contact with a nearby solar company

Thanks! I'm hoping today to get a bit more on the job hunt done today. I totally blew it off last night because I was finishing Mass Effect 2. OMG I LOVED THAT GAME! Day 9 Report: Jan 4, 2011 First day of karate class this quarter! So happy to have a sensei ordering me around again. Wasn't a full workout because, as the senpai that day, I had to teach beginners in the last half hour, but still a good session. Left me a happy karate-ka.Formally rejected the job offer that started this newly invigorated job search. It was easier than I thought it would be.

Ah, ok. I've been playing 'wait-and-see' with paleo, so I didn't know OJ was on the outs with it.

lol! Yeah, sweeps tend to be very effective against people who never have to worry about what happens to their lower body. This is true not just with regard to landing an attack to the lower body, but for also distracting the opponent in order to land an upper-body attack. Unfortunately, I only spar people in my own style at the moment. At some point I really want to spar people in styles like Muai Thai to get a different experience.

I'm glad we were able to help you out! That actually encourages me to check and post on other people's threads more, as I know that this actually has an effect. Good for you for wanting to up your burpee and jump rope count. Not only are they super-effective, but recognizing that because they're your "kryptonite" that they may also be the most effective is a great attitude. Good luck with reaching your count goals on them!

Day 8 Report: Jan 3, 2011 1 hour gym exercise, combination of free weights and body-weight calisthenics focusing on chest, legs, core, and balance.Made steak and salad for dinner. Enough for two nights.Looks like I may have to add a few more companies to my list, as it seems a few are still in hiring freezes. Thankfully, they're not companies I was all that hard-core about to begin with.

Oh man, those breadsticks... part of the reason I avoid Olive Garden like the plague... Congrats on avoiding the pasta. That is DAMN hard to do in an Italian restaurant.

Uh, dumb question, what's wrong with OJ?

Yes Yes YES! This is totally true. Days when I go all out in karate, to the point where I've got nothing left, are days that are well spent. Best training of my life was 5 days at karate camp where we were doing 5 hours of karate a day, going all out every minute, and doing an exam at the end (where I definitely couldn't half-ass it). Keep giving it your all!

I like how you've noticed the weights haven't gotten you sore and are going to up them. My own cautionary note is that make sure you have good technique. I've seen a lot of people in the gym have poor technique. One example is throwing the back into it when doing bicep curls. This makes people think they need heavier weights (since they're back muscles are helping), but they're hurting themselves in the long run. However, if you're good on your technique, then by all means, up the weight (gradually)!

Yay for work-out soreness! It's one of the best things about getting back from a vacation. If anything, it lets you know that a workout is still kicking your butt. If you don't feel sore even after a break, it needs to be stepped up. I love your attitude of not letting small setbacks get you down. Especially at the start of a new diet or exercise regime when you don't have a trail of successes to point to, it can be really difficult to not get depressed. Keep up the positive attitude. It's one of the most potent weapons you have.

Excellent idea, and thanks for the links! I've been off the boards for a few days, but now I will stalk the ever-loving hell out of my team.

Day 4 - 6 Report: Dec 31, 2010 - Jan 1, 2011 Didn't do a god damn thing due to new year's celebrations, helping parents with stuff, and places being closedNow that I'm back at Stanford and their gym is open, I can't wait to get back into my normal workout routine. Used Sunday, which is normally a rest day, to scratch the workout itch. Day 7 Report: Jan 2, 2011 Solo karate practice for one hour. 50 punches each side, 30 kicks each side. 1-, 2-, and 3-move progression combos for punches and blocks, 10 repetitions each. High-, low-, and 2-target progressions for all kicks, 10 repetitions each. All done at full-speed and full-power. Ran through all memorized kata once, then practiced bassai-sho and nijushiho.Heard back from several contacts regarding companies I'm looking at.Bought groceries keeping in mind I'll be cooking one meal this week. It's going to be pretty simple though. (Steak and salad!)

My workout playlist is so nerdy, it's ridiculous. While there's definitely a lot of rock (nothing gets me pumped like Green Day's "Know Your Enemy" and Coheed & Cambria's "Gravediggers & Gunslingers"), as well as some pop (Lady Gaga FTW), a huge portion of the playlist is video game music. Some of the music on there includes: Nobuo Uematsu's battle music from the Final Fantasy series (inc. the Black Mages' metal versions) and Lost OdysseyYasunori Matsuda's battle music from Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and Xenosaga: Episode IAnamanaguchi's chiptune soundtrack to Scott Pilgrim: The Video GameSome tracks from Persona 3, Persona 4, and The World Ends With YouYeah, I'm kind of a JRPG nut...

Thanks for the tips! I definitely need to mine the Career Resource centers of my undergraduate and graduate schools. Now that I've got a bit of a better handle on what types of companies I want to apply to, it will be easier to identify companies and see what alum connections I can work. Day 3 Report: Dec 29, 2010 Solo karate practice for one hour. 50 punches each side, 30 kicks each side. 1-, 2-, and 3-move progression combos for punches and blocks, 10 repetitions each. High-, low-, and 2-target progressions for all kicks, 10 repetitions each. All done at full-speed and full-power. Ran through all memorized kata once, then practiced bassai-sho and nijushiho. It was also incredibly windy outside, so I felt like a badass with my belt flapping in the breeze. Submitted my resume for three positions at Google through a contact I have there. I was able to find three positions that are a match for my science PhD despite the fact I'm not a computer scientist.Used LinkedIn to determine the contacts I have at the other companies I've compiled thus far. Was surprised at how many of them have someone that I could meet through a friend. Sent e-mails to those friends asking for introductions and have been introduced to one already!

Never read past the first Dune book, so I have no idea what a Fedaykin is, but it sounds cool. Regardless, it is time to start some serious butt-kicking!

Wow, there are a lot of versatile musicians on here! I studied piano for 11 years, but stopped when I was 16. I'm grateful for the music education it gave me, but I just got tired of it. I've also studied the clarinet for a couple of years. These days, I'm a singer. I studied for two years in college and participated in an a capella group for a year as well. I don't have time for formal study these days, so I just practice on my own. I have to say... that "Rock Star" achievement for Music sounds like a good idea. Maybe we should start a "Nerd Fitness Has Talent" thread for people to post songs/videos for those achievements which require them.