[JediNickD]

GONE TURBO

This is my second challenge in my return to NF.  I decided to take a break from NF while I sorted through the pandemic, teleworking, and virtual relationships.  It was a good plan, because each day presented new obstacles and challenges while navigating to best ways for finding time and space for fitness and karate training, adjusting to maintaining healthy meals at home, and staying productive at work and in my different self-development programs with the myriad of distractions.  Planning a 4 week challenge would have been impossible, because I would be course correcting daily.  I took my time and built new routines understanding that they may be temporary.   Over time, I developed my new normal with virtual and hybrid Toastmasters meetings, virtual gaming with friends, moved to a new gym, and working a hybrid schedule for work with some telework built in.  Some things have been able to return to normal such as karate training, DnD, visiting family and friends, and working on-site but with known risk.  The biggest change came in July when I launched my own website:  Journey2U.org .  I started a blog and coaching business to help others.  It is in it's infancy, but it is a project I have been dreaming of launching for a very long time.    Having it out there, I am living that part of the dream and building a new future for myself and others. 

 

With all these changes, it feels like I am not just in a new world, but like I am playing a whole new game.  I'm taking a page from the movie "Wreck-It Ralph".  I've Gone Turbo jumping games.  

 

So now, here we go with 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.  As a Ranger, I tried to Do All The Things in World 1, my first extended stay at NF through 22 challenges where I learned how to develop and pursue health and fitness goals utilizing daily, weekly, and monthly routines.  I took a hiatus from NF and came back with a better focus for my goals where I warped to World 2, which I defeated in an Epic Boss Fight slaying some mighty big life goals. In World 3, I hopped over to the Assassins and continued 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 physical and mental training focus has been more on my karate training.  As I actively took on more responsibility of coaching, mentoring, and teaching in all aspects of my life, I formed a different me on World 5.  Now, I have Gone Turbo into World 6.

 

Every day, I just keep on L-I-V-I-N: fighting the good fight, lighting it up, and leveling up my life! 

 

Challenge Lesson:  "Relearning"  

 

I like themes so I'm going to continue with my karate dojo's creeds.  The next one is for our Green belt rank.  The creed is below:

  Quote

If you are talking, you are only relearning what you already know.
 

At Green belt, my dojo requires students to attend spar once a month.  This is to introduce them to spar at a point where they have gained basic skills and need to start applying the skills.  Students are also allowed to sempai classes at Green belt, though it is not required until Purple (3 belts higher).  Here is where they start to learn basic skills in teaching.  

 

Teaching is not an easy task, because all students are different.  Teaching is also easy, because you are essentially regurgitating what you know.  If you listen to your own teachings, then you won't learn anything new, but you will solidify your understanding and enhance your recall of the information.  This is what the creed means by relearning.  Relearning is just practicing, or getting more reps.  It is nothing special, but it is rather important when you want to build muscle memory or you want to improve your recall of information.  

 

The second aspect of this creed is to point out that discovery happens when you are silent and listening, because your brain can digest information and take time to wonder about it.  You learn new things in your silence.  If you are talking, then your ears will miss things.   If you are talking, then your brain is focusing on things you know about.  If you want to learn something new, then your first action is to ensure you remain quiet, so your brain can focus on new thoughts.  

 

These concepts are pretty straight forward for an adult, but for kids, they need to hear it, say it, and understand it.  We have many young students who like to jabber all class and they struggle to pick up new information.  Part of learning martial arts is learning discipline, where discipline applies to controlling yourself in all sorts of ways.  Quieting the mind and focusing on what is important in the moment is one of the hardest lessons for young students to learn.  

 

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 end in Jedi training for every light cast a shadow somewhere.  Instead, it is a journey of self-discovery and compassion for others.

 

World 6 Level 4 Challenge:

FITNESS:

Cardio: Speed and Stamina - Run twice a week.  Include sprints and distance.  Get on the treadmill if I have to.  I may have to throw the stationary bike in every once in a while to reduce impact.

STA +1, DEX +1
 

Walking: Fortify the Spine - 10+ min with good posture, daily.  Do some stairs too.
CON +1
 

Exercise: HIIT, Weight Lifting, and Bodyweight -  20+ min twice a week. 

STR +1, STA +1
 

Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - Daily exercises.  Focus on hips, hams, and splits. 

DEX +1
 

Karate: Training and Practice - Three classes a week plus every spar class I can attend, practice for 20+ min twice a week.  
DEX +1, STR +1
 

DIET:

Lean Body - I need to lose some weight, which starts with what I eat.  5+ cups of fruits and veggies.  Cut down flour and corn based carbs at lunch and snack time.  Fill up on spring mix.  Time to start tracking the weight loss and body measurements again.  163.2 lbs yesterday.  
CON +1

 

LIFE:

Write for Journey2U.org website, Facebook, and blog every day.  Publish a blog article once a week.  

WIS +1, CHA +1
 

Record gaming videos.  Practice editing and publish videos.  Record speeches and talks to build a Vlog library.  Find a time to live stream on a schedule, even if it is just once a month.

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 +1, CHA +1

[JediNickD]

Published a new blog:  https://www.journey2u.org/post/your-hero-s-journey

 

This incorporates some writing I did for NF challenges around Yoda's "Adventure..." quote, which is going to part of a Star Wars / Jedi series, much like what I write for my challenges, because I enjoy it.  

[JediNickD]

Yesterday was test day at the Dojo.  I volunteered to help out because we had 3 amazing young kids going to black.   I've seen these kids grow over the last 4 years and I can't wait to see them in Black Belt class.   

 

Today, I tried a new single leg hamstring and glute isolation dead lift.  It's fire and I'm going to be sore tomorrow.   It wasn't even leg day.

 

This week is hela busy.  Karate tonight and Wednesday.  Tuesday is company holiday party and Toastmasters.  Thursday is the kids Choral Concert.  Saturday, I have a Toastmasters leadership training most the day.  

[JediNickD]

162.2 lbs which is a good start.  I have to say that I am going to miss my Spar goal due to scheduling.  Last Saturday, we had a Friendsgiving.  Tomorrow night is the kids Choral Concert.  This Saturday, I have Toastmasters Leadership training.  I need to make it to spar on Dec 18th, because the next class won't be until January 8th.  And I won't make it to any extra classes either.  So bad start there, but that is mostly just mistakes made planning my challenge.

 

Work life is about to take a big change.  We are bringing someone new in to work under me.  My first subordinate!  He is highly qualified and been with the company for years.  In a few months, I'll be splitting time between a second project where I expect my expertise to be leaned on heavily as the current technical lead is leaving Friday.  This is exciting stuff, but I'm going to need to buckle down on the books.  No worries on that front, though.

 

 

[JediNickD]

We did Kotegeishi take downs at karate, which are a wrist twist take down.   I thought I had these down where I could do them at full speed, but there is always another detail to improve.  My entry needed some polish to account for when I'm tired or sweaty, using a two handed catch, slide, and roll.  My technique is already messy at full speed, so learning how to do it messy certainly helps fine tune my technique.   This was really good practice.  Unfortunately, I can't work on it again today.

 

My wrist and shoulder are sore from demos and partner work.  I was matched up with a 14 year old for most the time and he had no qualms wrenching my shoulder and wrist.  I'm ok with a partner doing a few reps full speed with no quarter given.  I'm ready to protect myself in those reps.  Every half and quarter speed rep?  No thanks.  I had to intentionally miss my punch, because he hardly moved to get out of the way.  I asked him several times to move out of the way first.  When it was my turn, he would not punch at me, which was also not helpful, because I was moving too far out of the way.  Just make sure you are a good partner when you are working with someone.  Give them an authentic attack, give them natural body reactions, and take care not to hurt them.  

[JediNickD]

Yesterday, I worked glutes for my HIIT.  Today, I did a squat thrust HIIT, which is 10 different squat thrust exercises 12 reps each in under 10 minutes.  February 2020, I broke 9 minutes on this routine.  Today, I did that again.  When I started at Planet Fitness, it took 15 minutes and I was ready to puke.  Not today.  I feel flipping great.   Finished the HIIT with 10 minutes of kata speed and power style.   Karate class tonight!  My wrists and shoulders enjoyed the time off, but i expect I'll beat them up with more cardinal practice.

 

I posted a bunch of my live stream recordings from Extra Life Game Day on my YouTube channel.  The recording quality came out so much better this year with my improved hardware.  I have one more video to film.  I have eat a raisin.  Yuck.  I'm going to play Alien: Isolation and when I die, I'll eat the raisin.  It is just a matter of when.  Looking like Sunday afternoon will be the time.

[JediNickD]

163.4 lbs.  I ran Wednesday and today 2.5 miles in ~20 mins with an inclined walk cool down for 7 min.  Both felt great and I followed up with a kata cool down and a hydro massage.  Breathing and muscles are in good shape, but I've been in better.  It's a process I had been procrastinating, because I don't like treadmills, but I hate running in the cold more.  Putting "Cowboy Bebop" on helps get me through.  I expect I'll make it more routine in January.  Spar class tomorrow hopefully.  It's our last weekend at home before heading to the in-laws, so we'll be plenty busy.