karinajean fights to be fit: unlocking strength, endurance, and skill

[karinajean]

I've been over at the women's academy since it opened in October, and I'm getting my guts up to check out these very big, very intimidating boards. YIKES THERE ARE A LOT OF YOU. YIKES YOU ARE ALL TOTALLY NERDY AND WONDERFUL. YIKES.

 

BACKSTORY:

* I'm turning 37! tomorrow! yay!

* I am an environmental engineer who cleans up hazardous waste for a living by writing lots and lots and lots of reports about it.

* I love motorcycling.

* I also knit a lot, and would like to have more time for sewing.

* I love tae kwon do. I'm studying for my next black belt test.

* I have a long commute (about 2 hours a day round trip)

* I live with my husband, wacky cat, and two stepsons (half time)

* I like being super strong. I also like running. I would like to run faster.

 

MAIN QUEST:

 

I am preparing for my third degree black belt. I want to be the best most powerful most staminaed person that I can be.

 

I need to focus on ENDURANCE, STRENGTH, and SKILL.

 

* ENDURANCE: Run faster - ideally, I want to improve my 5K time to below 30min. 

* STRENGTH: Improve my upper body strength so I can do a REAL push-up and a REAL pull-up. (this isn't just upper body strength, there's also lots of core strength there that needs improvement).

* SKILL: I am at a new school after having taken a long break from the martial arts. I'm lucky in that they let me keep my current ranking. The school is the exact style of tae kwon do that I practiced (chung do kwan) before - which I think is remarkable! but they do MORE than my last school did. This year I've been really struggling to catch up. I had to learn 5 new forms and advanced basics and 6-steps. I'm still working on it. I'm stressed, but my test is scheduled, so I need to do my best.

 

HOW WILL I DO MY BEST? my MISSION:

 

* Endurance - I'm planning to do the hal higdon 10K novice training program. I completed this in November 2013 when I was training for a turkey trot, and it was pretty great.

TL:DR this means running 3x a week.

* Strength - I'm currently doing the academy bodyweight brigade level 2. I want to keep it up and maybe do it again. It's got pushups and pull-ups and I need to continue to challenge myself to do the very best form I can do. ALSO i want to start to do handstand practice.

TL:DR this means bodyweights 3x a week, and handstands during the day at work.

* Skill - tkd is tuesday and thursday nights and sat. mornings.  go to all the classes. Practice the forms at home. do my best.

 

In order to meet this mission I need to go to bed by 930 every night (she says as she types at 1120pm). I need to drink more water. I need to eat more vegetables and get good clean protein sources. right now I really need to ratchet down, get more rest, and focus on fitness. I hope this challenge will help me do that.

 

 

so, hi there, peoples. nice to meet you. wish me luck!

 

 

[ajames]

Happy birthday first of all. You can do this. You don't need luck, just consistency.

[karinajean]

thanks ajames! you are RIGHT.

[Elder]

Handstand work is one of my goals too!  There is a handstand-super-fun-study-group you could join.  I think you are going to rock this challenge.  

[Ghostbird]

Best wishes on your challenge! =]

[Wicked Pixie]

Happy birthday!

And goals are solid!

Hoorah for knitting!!!!

I'm working on wristwarmers now- maybe they'll be done by Christmas lol!

[Hazard]

Happy belated birthday, and welcome to the fun!

 

I’m Hazard, one of the Assassin guild ambassadors.  It looks like with the bodyweight brigade, pushups, pullups, and handstand you may have goals similar to what many in our guild work on, and we’d love to help you reach your goals!

 

Here is a link to more information about the Assassin guild.

And here is a link to the Assassin phonebook with a list of various exercises/skills that guild members are working on for this challenge, as well as links to their challenge topics.

 

If you ever have any questions or need help with anything, I would love to assist you!  An easy way to get my attention is to use the quote button at the bottom right corner of any of my posts.  I have the setting turned on that makes the forum alert me when somebody quotes me.  You can also get in touch with me easily through posting on my own challenge topic, on my battle log, or by using the messenger system (the envelope button at the very top of the screen).

 

There are numerous other people in the Assassin’s guild who you can also get help from.  I recommend stopping by the Assassin’s Den – a general chat thread in the guild forum – and introducing yourself.  You can always ask questions there too.

 

In any case, we’ll stop by from time to time to check in with you and offer support.  Good luck!

[karinajean]

thanks Elder! I just went over and joined.

 

practiced handstands in the lounge at work. it's a quiet room with a door that can close, so I don't have to worry about my skirt flipping over my head while I'm practicing (huge barrier to doing things at work: the outfits). and I did pretty good! I can get my feet up the wall to about waist height, and hold it for about 45 seconds. I did 3 reps (time decreasing each time) for a total of about 1 1/2 minutes.

 

also my big goal for today, which I think I will share, is to drink 2x as much water as I do caffinated beverages (coffee or tea). I'm currently at 1 part water, 2 parts coffee. which means I need to drink 3 more glasses of water to keep up.

[Teri]

Hi! This is Teri from the NFA Rebel Women facebook page. It sounds like you have a great challenge in front of you. I am working on doing push ups and pull ups with proper form too, although not as part of my challenge. I dropped back to knee push ups until I can do 50 of them with proper form, then I'll try to do a few real ones with the same form. Pull ups...well, I'll be doing assisted pull ups forever, but that's okay, even assisted pull ups are tough!

 

Good luck with all your goals and happy birthday!

[KBLynx]

Great goals and Happy Birthday! I also need to drink substantially more water, always a good one to work on for total health. I suck at knitting but fist bump for the yarn arts (I crochet).

[karinajean]

ghostbird - thank you! so far this group is waaaay less scary than I'd made it out in my head.

 

kblynx and wicked pixie - high five for fiber arts!

 

teri - nice to see you! I'm still on knee pushups, and assisted band pull-ups, so I want to get better at that. I think it's a lot of core strength that needs improving at this point. darn core. so annoying.

[karinajean]

Hazard thanks for the welcome! the guilds are SO MYSTIFYING but I think I'll get the hang of it by the end of the 6 weeks.

[Rebel Pilot Gar]

Woah another environmental engineer!! Well, technically I'm a future environmental engineer, getting my undergraduate degree end of May. Still exciting to see another one on the boards, welcome!

Your goals all look awesome and looks like you've laid out a good system for measuring achievement. Definitely looking forward to seeing your progress this challenge. Best of luck!!

[Lou_be_Lou]

Wowser Karinajean, you have amazing feedback already!

I'll have to check out the asassin guild - have been thinking monk, but maybe assassin...?????

 

Yay for fronting up to full on nerdfitness!  Good luck with your challenge - and again YAY for getting huge feedback already.  I love the comment about "you don't need luck, just consistency".  Absolutely.

[Claire]

Good luck on your goals!! Yay yarn artisans! I crochet

[VTSPE772]

I gotta say, I feel like I read this email as fast as your were typing it...like trying to get on an already running treadmill. HaHa!  Good luck with your TKD Belt Test!  and Happy birthday, can wait to see your progress.

[Red1263]

Heya Karinajean! Man, you say you're intimidated by the forum, I say I'm amazed at your goals! a 3rd degree black belt?! THAT'S AMAZING!! I look forward to seeing your progress!

[sjr243]

Howdy!  Happy Belated Birthday!  I also crochet, though I do know how to knit.  I made a blanket once and switched to crochet.  I also ride motorcycles.  Super fun.  I do not, however, take any martial arts.  That is super cool!  Good luck with your test and with your goals!  YAY!

[karinajean]

Woah another environmental engineer!! Well, technically I'm a future environmental engineer, getting my undergraduate degree end of May. Still exciting to see another one on the boards, welcome!

Your goals all look awesome and looks like you've laid out a good system for measuring achievement. Definitely looking forward to seeing your progress this challenge. Best of luck!!

 

garjan! that is so awesome! where are you studying? what kind of next step are you looking at?

 

Wowser Karinajean, you have amazing feedback already!

I'll have to check out the asassin guild - have been thinking monk, but maybe assassin...?????

 

Yay for fronting up to full on nerdfitness!  Good luck with your challenge - and again YAY for getting huge feedback already.  I love the comment about "you don't need luck, just consistency".  Absolutely.

 

Lou I have to say, you gave me the boost I needed to get over here and THANK YOU for that.

I also really wasn't sure monk v assassin but these assassin ambassadors are really making a good case!

 

Good luck on your goals!! Yay yarn artisans! I crochet

 

high five for yarn!

 

I gotta say, I feel like I read this email as fast as your were typing it...like trying to get on an already running treadmill. HaHa!  Good luck with your TKD Belt Test!  and Happy birthday, can wait to see your progress.

ha! I do have a habit to launch full on in to things. the planning is my favorite part of the process, though, so sticking to it will be my ACTUAL challenge. I think this group is going to be super helpful.

 

Heya Karinajean! Man, you say you're intimidated by the forum, I say I'm amazed at your goals! a 3rd degree black belt?! THAT'S AMAZING!! I look forward to seeing your progress!

 

I'm  ALSO pretty intimidated by the 3rd degree test, for what it's worth - I had an extended break from tkd and have just been back at it for about 1 1/2 years now, and the new school I'm at has a little bit more stuff for me to learn than my old school, so I'm in a place of uncomfortableness. but if you're not uncomfortable you're not growing, so I guess I just have push on through.

 

the test is scheduled for June 7th. eep!

 

Howdy!  Happy Belated Birthday!  I also crochet, though I do know how to knit.  I made a blanket once and switched to crochet.  I also ride motorcycles.  Super fun.  I do not, however, take any martial arts.  That is super cool!  Good luck with your test and with your goals!  YAY!

 

wait you KNITTED A BLANKET? that is a big deal! I am not great at finishing projects so I stick with little stuff like mittens and hats.

what kind of a bike do you ride? I'm on a DRZ400 supermoto. it's scrappy, which is kind of the type of person I'd like to be (scrappy, that is).

[Hazard]

 ... these assassin ambassadors are really making a good case!

 

[karinajean]

so yesterday I managed to drink 6 glasses of water and 2 glasses of coffee/tea. that's good!

 

tkd wasn't that strenuous because I was teaching, which is a requirement for my black belt level. because it was my birthday I had to walk "THE GAUNTLET," which is basically two lines of students that you walk between, and they attack you and you get a counterattack. it's pretty silly, actually, and one of the kids did a non-cannon move called "the dolphin dive" which involved him throwing himself at me while making chittering noises like flipper. SO silly.

 

today I didn't wake up early to exercise early either. I'm nursing my knee, which has a stupid internal bruise or something on it from crossing my legs wrong. But tomorrow I will certainly get up, and I will absolutely go into the office lounge today and practice handstands. Do something EVERY DAY, even if it's not the running and jumping that I want to do!

 

so today's checklist:

* maintain 2x water to 1x caffine

* handstand practice

* eat good foods all day. started out right with my raw meal shake, manage my office-catered lunch input well, and have healthy choices at the sushi dinner I'm meeting friends for.

[karinajean]

aaaah duplicate posts rookie mistake

[Hazard]

... and one of the kids did a non-cannon move called "the dolphin dive" which involved him throwing himself at me while making chittering noises like flipper. SO silly.

 

LMAO!

[Rebel Pilot Gar]

garjan! that is so awesome! where are you studying? what kind of next step are you looking at?

 

I'm studying at Stevens Institute of Technology. Small engineering school in New Jersey just across from NYC. We focus mostly on wastewater treatment. 

[karinajean]

garjan - awesome! I work for a consulting firm in NJ that mostly does remediation work (at least in our office).