JediNickD

I caught the flu on Saturday. Recovering slowly, but I'm back at work for a half day. Sucks.

Just in case anyone was wondering: Confucianism is about being in harmony with your community. Buddhism is about being in harmony with everything. Daoism is about not screwing up harmony of nature and allowing harmony to happen.

Trampoline Park last night. Racquetball this morning. My legs are dead-er. Toastmasters training tomorrow. Should be pretty encouraging, motivating, and educational. Helped my middle school daughter learn about eastern religions and philosophy. It was fun. I have pretty good knowledge of Daoism and Buddism, but didn't know much about Confucianism. Now, I know. And knowing is half the battle. GI JOE!

I didn't run. My leg muscles are still cramp-y from Tuesday. Sleep has been bad, and I'm waking up late to go along with it. I'm not happy about missing the run, but I need to take it slow and avoid a set back. I can run next week on my own. Focus on what is now and next, not what has passed.

154.8 lbs My abs are burning and my legs are jelly. My arms aren't fairing much better. Last night's karate class featured an 8 min core blast followed by a 10 min cardio workout featuring a variety of squat thrusts. Exhausting, but also amazing. Recovery was needed. I did the hot tub this morning after getting up a little later. My heart rate is still feels elevated. Of course, like the others, I wrote it down so I can work on it outside of class. Though, I definitely enjoy these exercises more in a group, pushing each other to go further. Tomorrow morning, there is an MLK 5k, but I don't think I'm going to run. It starts at 7am, which would make me an hour late to work. The weather is suppose to suck, too. My plan since the summer was to run in as many 5k runs as I could. They do them almost monthly here, and most a free to raise awareness for a cause. I might change my mind to keep to this goal. I know I can put out a good performance, even though I haven't run since early December. If I don't run, then I'll probably squat thrust. As for MLK, I am doing an invocation for the Toastmasters meetings this week: Martin Luther King Jr., born January 15, 1929, will have his life and work celebrated this week and over the weekend through the Day of Observance on Monday, which is a federal holiday. Most famous of his work is the “I Have a Dream” speech. "I Have a Dream" is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, in which he called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the United States. Delivered to over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the speech was a defining moment of the civil rights movement and among the most iconic speeches in American history. Dr. King had been preaching about dreams since 1960, when he gave a speech to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) called "The Negro and the American Dream". This speech discusses the gap between the American dream and reality, saying that overt white supremacists have violated the dream, and that "our federal government has also scarred the dream through its apathy and hypocrisy, its betrayal of the cause of justice". Over time, Dr. King gave many speeches talking about a dream, which evolved into the “I have a Dream” speech given in Washington. Widely hailed as a masterpiece of rhetoric, Dr. King's speech invokes pivotal documents in American history, including the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the United States Constitution. Early in his speech, Dr. King alludes to Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address by saying "Five score years ago ..." In reference to the abolition of slavery articulated in the Emancipation Proclamation, Dr. King says: "It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity." Even today, 57 years after the delivery of the “I Have a Dream” speech, the American dream is an exclusive dream with minority groups still fighting for equality in our country. The march is not over until the American dream is inclusive for every American. Keep the Dream in your hearts and minds this day and always.

My daughter is pretty excited about the extra space. I'm excited to put it to use, since my dad built it while I was in middle school almost 17 years ago.

154.6 lbs Busy weekend. Oil changed, air filters changed, lights down, and the loft bed is up. We got the loft bed completed Sunday night. After I got it out of the garage, I realized cleaning was going to take longer than I anticipated and decided to skip karate. The cleaning went well, but the hardware was a bugger. We searched forever to find the zip-lock bag of hardware which we kept stored for the same 9 years as the loft bed stored in the garage. We gave up Saturday night and decided to buy new hardware on Sunday. Lowes didn't have what I needed so I had to improvise. I ended up buying lag screws that were too long, because the bins were mixed and I wasn't paying close enough attention. We realized the mistake at 6pm as we were finishing the frame construction in the bedroom. Tired, we decided to make one last look for the hardware before going back to the store. In a random bin, on the opposite side of the basement from my work bench and hardware storage, my wife amazingly found the hardware. I almost danced out of my shoes. We finished around 7:30pm and were exhausted. I lied in bed watching the football game zoning out. My hands are just wrecked from wrenching things and cleaning things all weekend. I hadn't worn my compression gloves since September, but they are on today. Hopefully, I can go easy on typing.

155.6 lbs Racquetball games were fun and competitive. We had to cut it short in the third game to let another group use the court. I used the rest of my workout time on the 8 min ab blast and some bob-and-weave drills. I'm pretty uncoordinated in those drills, but I'll get better with practice. In spar, I have improved my footwork to avoid getting hit. I've improved my ability to predict and block when needed. With both those, I am working on my speed countering after the maneuver. After I get the hang of the bob-and-weave, I'll do the same with countering. Saturday will be a karate and Toastmasters day. I'm going to have a few projects as well. Auto maintenance and taking down Christmas lights are a must. I have a loft bed stored in the garage which we want to setup in my oldest daughters room. I will need to get it out and clean it up, then move it in the house. We may need to shorten the legs to fit better in the room.

Ok, more Rise of Skywalker ranting with spoilers:

We will see what they do with "The Child", but I don't think his ears will fit in the helmet. Tuesday night karate class is a workout class essentially. We test and condition muscles and the focus has been core recently. We did an 8 minute ab blast, then a bunch of kick and hip twist exercises testing the core. I have been using Wednesday as a rest day keeping my workout simple, since I've been doing Karate on Saturday. This week, my abs needed that rest. Today, I did the ab blast workout again, as we were challenged to do it every other day. I feel like I could cramp at any moment. I thought the 5 min ab workout he gave us before Christmas was bad. This is torture.

World 5 Level 3 Challenge GRADES: FITNESS: Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 500 min total, 100 weekly. Track time and distance. STA +1 A = 620 min, weekly met Walking: Fortify the Spine - 1250 min total, 250 weekly. CON +1 A = 1830 min, weekly met Exercise: HIIT Lifting and Bodyweight - 300 min total, 60 weekly. STR +1, STA +1 A = 380 min, weekly met Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - 700 min total, 140 weekly. DEX +1 A = 720 min, weekly met Karate: Training and Practice - 1400 min total, 280 weekly. Track progress towards belt. Track improvement on all material. DEX +1, STR +1 A = 1610 min, weekly met DIET: Lean Body - Track weight. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 5. Looking to maintain 150 lbs or less while shrinking my waist and building muscle. CON +1 A = I haven't gotten the weight down. 155 lbs is more realistic to maintain while building muscle. Keep on cutting out the crap - No CheezIts, limit snacking at work, cut down portion sizes. Drink more water. Track fruit and veggies for 5 cups a day (175 total). CON +1 A = 179 cups LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete 115 Hours of various Chores and Maintenance, with at least 23 hours each week. Chores and Maintenance are the following areas (goal hours for challenge) Dishes (16), Laundry (10), Cooking/Cleaning/Dusting/Vacuuming/Trash/Other (32), Yard Work (2), Animal Care (24), Home Renovation and Auto Maintenance (10) WIS +1, CHA +1 A = 120 hours, weekly met Epic Quest - Complete something EPIC! I want to be able to look back at my four week challenge and say, "that was the challenge I did X". My challenges tend to be a lot of the same old. I've given myself plenty to improve in small steps, but I also want to see big strides in the things I've been working on. What box can I check? What have I been procrastinating? What am I focusing on? WIS +2, CHA +2 Black Belt Test, Public Speaking Tips article, Toastmasters Mentoring, IJRS Novice Exam, Extra Life Goal Met. SO EPIC! INCENTIVES! Working hard for CASH! ($866.10 carried over) REWARD: For each week in which I complete 25 or more hours of Chores and Maintenance, I will put aside $10 to spend how I see fit. CONSEQUENCE: For any week where I complete less than 23 hours, I will give up $10 of saved cash. REWARD: $5 for each Personal Project hour CONSEQUENCE : Lose $10 for each week without at least one hour for Personal Projects. REWARD: $5 for each HIIT workout. For a healthy heart among other things, HIIT is recommended by my health coach. I don't like them, but they are a necessary evil. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $5 for each week without a HIIT workout. REWARD: $5 for each day with weight below 154.0 lbs. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $5 each day with weight above 156.0 lbs. REWARD: $5 for 1 Sprint/Run/Bike workout (minimum 10 reps/30 min/10 min), $10 for second, $20 for third and up. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $10 for each week without one of these workouts. BONUSES: $1 for each hour working on Jedi Training (mentoring, reading/writing, charity, meditation, IJRS lessons). $2 for each hour working on Toastmasters including meetings. $2 for each Home Renovation or Auto Maintenance hour PENALTIES: Lose $10 for eating pizza, candy, popcorn, CheezIts, pretzels, potato chips. Lose $10 for more than 6 Dr Peppers a week or more than 6 meals with cheese a week. Lose $10 for less than 5 cups of fruits and vegetables in a day.

Welcome back for another episode of The Exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge. World 1 was my first extended stay through 22 challenges. I took a hiatus from NF and came back with a new direction for my goals where I warped to World 2, which I defeated in a Boss Fight slaying some mighty big goals. In World 3, I continue to develop my fitness, getting my body in the best shape of my life, even with the Degenerative Disc Disease, Arthritis, Disc Fissures, and more. Through physical therapy exercises and karate, I have maintained my core and back muscles to ease the pressure off my spine, but in the end I defeated World 3 by transforming my life into a new form. With chiropractic care healing my spine, reaching the high ranks at karate, blazing through the new Toastmasters education program called Pathways, and working to complete Novice rank at IJRS, World 4 was something new everyday. I have moved over to the Monks to reach for more diversity in my workouts and culture as my focus has been more on my karate training in the recent months. As I actively take on more responsibility of coaching, mentoring, and teaching in all aspects of my life, I can see a different me forming on World 5. I just keep on L-I-V-I-N, fight the good fight lightin' it up, and level up my life!  Challenge Lesson: "This is the Way" My Main Quest and Mission: My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow. I'm using Habitica and Excel to track a ton of things, so I may make some changes below to better integrate them, but I'm sticking to the basics drawn to 5 Weeks. World 5 Level 4 Challenge: FITNESS: Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 400 min total, 80 weekly. Track time and distance. STA +1 Walking: Fortify the Spine - 1250 min total, 250 weekly. CON +1 Exercise: HIIT Lifting and Bodyweight - 400 min total, 80 weekly. STR +1, STA +1 Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - 700 min total, 140 weekly. DEX +1 Karate: Training and Practice - 1250 min total, 250 weekly. Track progress towards belt. Track improvement on all material. DEX +1, STR +1 DIET: Lean Body - Track weight. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 5. Looking to maintain 150 lbs or less while shrinking my waist and building muscle. CON +1 Keep on cutting out the crap - No CheezIts, limit snacking at work, cut down portion sizes. Drink more water. Track fruit and veggies for 5 cups a day. CON +1 LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete 115 Hours of various Chores and Maintenance, with at least 23 hours each week. Chores and Maintenance are the following areas (goal hours for challenge) Dishes (16), Laundry (10), Cooking/Cleaning/Dusting/Vacuuming/Trash/Other (32), Yard Work (2), Animal Care (24), Home Renovation and Auto Maintenance (10) WIS +1, CHA +1 Epic Quest - Complete something EPIC! I want to be able to look back at my four week challenge and say, "that was the challenge I did X". My challenges tend to be a lot of the same old. I've given myself plenty to improve in small steps, but I also want to see big strides in the things I've been working on. What box can I check? What have I been procrastinating? What am I focusing on? WIS +2, CHA +2 INCENTIVES! Working hard for CASH! ($866.10 carried over) REWARD: For each week in which I complete 25 or more hours of Chores and Maintenance, I will put aside $10 to spend how I see fit. CONSEQUENCE: For any week where I complete less than 23 hours, I will give up $10 of saved cash. REWARD: $5 for each Personal Project hour CONSEQUENCE : Lose $10 for each week without at least one hour for Personal Projects. REWARD: $5 for each HIIT workout. For a healthy heart among other things, HIIT is recommended by my health coach. I don't like them, but they are a necessary evil. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $5 for each week without a HIIT workout. REWARD: $5 for each day with weight below 154.0 lbs. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $5 each day with weight above 156.0 lbs. REWARD: $5 for 1 Sprint/Run/Bike workout (minimum 10 reps/30 min/10 min), $10 for second, $20 for third and up. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $10 for each week without one of these workouts. BONUSES: $1 for each hour working on Jedi Training (mentoring, reading/writing, charity, meditation, IJRS lessons). $2 for each hour working on Toastmasters including meetings. $2 for each Home Renovation or Auto Maintenance hour PENALTIES: Lose $10 for eating pizza, candy, popcorn, CheezIts, pretzels, potato chips. Lose $10 for more than 6 Dr Peppers a week or more than 6 meals with cheese a week. Lose $10 for less than 5 cups of fruits and vegetables in a day.

I'm feeling better. The travel wasn't too uncomfortable. We went to Dollywood and road some roller coasters, which didn't cause any issues. I had more issues swimming in the pool with the kids. But my hips, knee, and back are pain free for the most part. I get sore if I stand or sit too long, so I keep switching it up to stay comfortable. Karate class and spar on Saturday went well. I was loose and quick, especially during our footwork drills. First match was ugly with two illegal kicks to the back from my opponent. I spun into a turn back both times, which means he should have pulled his kick. If it was point spar, then I would have scored a back fist to the head and a controlled head-kick with a tornado out-to-in kick. It was a 30 second match, so no points, just warnings. I did the same thing, except I partially pulled my kick while he was turning and lost my balance a bit so when he finished his turn back, he side kicked me and knocked me down. The judges stopped the match and gave me a warning. After my opponents second kick to the back, he was disqualified and we ended the match. Second match was point spar against a lower rank and younger kid. He did well and I gave him opportunity, but he made it easy for me to get in with a punch. I watched a video recently of a guy just using head bob-and-weaves to avoid getting hit. He went up to people on the streets, gave them gloves and said you won't hit me. He threw a few blocks, but for the most part, he just moved in a pattern. He avoided punches for 30 seconds or more until the other guy was too tired. That is the kind of quickness practice I need to work on. I'd love to be able to move my head like that and score my combos on quick counters. I do well with moving and countering, but I do best when I overwhelm.

Friday morning, I played racquetball. Great games as usually, but I hurt my back at the end. In fact, I had to call it, because I hurt it really bad. Mostly muscle cramps, but I worried about a spine or disk injury. I was in pain and hunched over almost all day Friday. I loosen up enough on Saturday morning to help teach karate class, but demonstrating kicks was a bad idea. Ice didn't really help, but the hot tub has loosen my muscles up. Feels like the spine is good. I'll see the chiropractor today as a precaution. I probably just need to keep getting in the hot tub and using the jets to massage the muscles, instead. I'm not looking forward to the 9 hour drive on Thursday. I hope it feels 10 or 20 times better by then.

154.0 lbs Crushing my abs this morning. They are burning. Karate last night we worked on form for a bit, application of techniques in the form, then take downs. I learned two take downs and did pretty well with them. I need to work on recognizing my own body movements and momentum to how it is used in the techniques. Understanding the application of the moves drives home their importance.

154.6 lbs Toastmasters last night was a fun meeting. I gave a speech and conducted Table Topics. We ended early enough for me to hop in the car and make it to Karate class, which I needed to keep my class count on track. We had an intense workout in class testing our leg muscles first, then the abs. The ab workout was a 5 minute HIIT workout. It was tough. The lead instructor challenged us to do it every day for a week, then he'd give us a new workout. I did it this morning after a good warm up and stretch, I did some of the leg exercises as well. My abs are going to be sore tomorrow for sure. Lastly, I had Toastmasters today. I gave my humorous speech again. It went a bit better, but not by much. It is a rough draft for next humorous speech contest in the fall of 2020. I've got the basics for the speech, but I need to write it out and develop better, more clever language and gestures for each part. I also need a secondary punch line after the climax of the story to keep the laughs rolling. I can get away with tightening up the stories as well.

154.2 lbs Karate practice this morning working on Keum Gang kata after a hearty warm up. Toastmasters Leadership meeting last night went well discussion member retention with Mentoring. Turning the presentation into a workshop at a club meeting would be amazing for developing the programs at the club level. Toastmasters meeting tonight and I am working on a humorous speech for it. Should go well.

155.6 lbs Spar class and senpia on Saturday. The spar instructors announced a change this weekend. They have actually modified the Red Stripe for spar to include countering or breaking the rhythm of a match. A lot of the lower rank matches go back and forth with one person throwing a combo, then relenting and allowing their opponent to combo. It's like they are just taking turns trying to hit, then trying not to get hit. They said my fight was one of the best for demonstrating what they want to see. My opponent brought in some heat with some great continuous combos to drive me back, but I was able to use my side step and circle her to get away with counters to score points. It was a really fun and challenging match, where she did really give me much opportunity to get my own combo work in until I broke her rhythm. Three holiday parties this past weekend... I'm stuffed, but each night was a blast. Made some new friends, too!

153.4 lbs Racquetball this morning. Really fun games, but I tweaked my back and hip or groin. Felt like a strain through the hip and groin muscles and a pop in my lower spine. I finished playing, but it definitely slowed me down. I hope I'm alright for the Karate Dojo holiday party tonight. I have three boards to break. Black Belt Spar class last night. It was a fun class. The dojo owner runs the classes and everything just goes so smooth. The regular spar instructors do not have the experience to run a tight ship like that. It'll come though. I got to spar a 2nd Degree who I had not fought before. It was a really fun match working through his techniques and finding what works. I'm still a bull in that I charge in, which can be predictive and present openings. Patience for the right opportunity to be a bull is tough. I did win, but the winning point I scored was close.

I used them specifically as a pause. If it were a speech, then those were the spots I would pause for a little longer than normal. Typically, a comma will do. Or just end the sentence.

I really appreciate the feedback! Thanks!

155.0 lbs I do a lot of stretching. I've been told be a wide variety of people that I am hurting my workout by stretching before. I kept telling them that I don't workout like them. Here's a great scientific article about muscles, joints, and stretching: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273886/ It is "science" to my ears. My stretching utilization lines up perfectly with the recommendations section: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273886/#__sec4title

Sore, but grateful for a great day Sunday. After five and a half hours, I suited up in black. Making it to Shodan has been a 3 year journey. In November of 2016, I stepped on to the dojo floor as a family activity. My wife and daughters wanted to do it. They saw a demo and thought it would be fun. I was still recovering from my re-injury of my back, so I was reluctant that I would be able to stick with it. I certainly had some downs were I was hurting, but between karate exercises and chiropractic care, my back has straighten up and become pretty limber. Sore today, but I can work with it. I couldn't have done it without my family supporting me, especially the last few months, where they had to take a step back from attending while I required a step forward to get there. I couldn't have done it without my classmates and instructors, who have carved a special place in my heart. Tonight, is my first black belt class. I'm excited and a little nervous, but I know they won't put me in over my head, or leave me without help, or give me a hard time when I ask for help or have a question. The dojo will add me to their leadership in the under-rank classes, just as I would sempia classes before, but with more responsibility for the lesson, safety of students, and enforcement of rules. Toastmasters meetings like mad over the next two weeks. Officers meeting and a Mentoring meeting today. Club meeting tomorrow. Another club's Officer meeting Wednesday. Area Leadership next Monday. Club meeting next Wednesday. Phew. I should knock out a speech or two.

Is it compelling? Inspiring? Is there anything you would personally change? Did you share it with anyone?

154.2 lbs Racquetball this morning was lit. We were both crushing the ball, playing smart, and hustling. Some really great shots. Happy with my wins too. Karate last night was rigorous. Advanced class was a review. I recited creeds while doing kata and combos to maximize my time. I caught a few others doing the same later. Pretty cool. After that hour, I took adult class. I worked on my breaks, but in a slow, exaggerated style to work on flowing, dynamic techniques, then "a medium pace", and lastly a fast, compact, and powerful style to apply the flowing, dynamic techniques into a break. Tonight we have nothing planned, so I am hoping to play some board or card games and just relax. Tomorrow morning, I am planning a haircut, maybe an oil change on one of the cars, fixing the outside lights and replacing a GFCI outlet, and karate class. Shodan test on SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! WOOT!