Tsune of RisenPhoenix

[Urgan]

59 minutes ago, RisenPhoenix said:

Also the ice cream: Heathbar for a scoop, and TIRAMISU for a scoop.  The tiramisu had chunks of ladyfingers in it.  Magical.  My only complaint was that the person scooping was amazingly stingy with the scoops, so I got a large that felt like a small.  Ah well.  Probably for the best.

 

#goodthing

 

59 minutes ago, RisenPhoenix said:

Only one hour of aikido last night, to make sure the knee is okay.  Throbby after class, but I suppose that can mean healing as much as not.  Stairs this morning, 27 sections with some stretching afterwards.  Today was the first time I actually went on the field at the stadium - first time in almost 5 years of going.  Yearbook photos were taken, I'm sure I look terrible.

 

Surely a little blood flow to angry tissues is good for you.

[Kishi]

1 hour ago, RisenPhoenix said:

My only complaint was that the person scooping was amazingly stingy with the scoops, so I got a large that felt like a small.  Ah well.  Probably for the best.

 

That could just be a policy thing. 'Gourmet' anything tends to go low portion... I guess because they figure that flavor makes up for it?

 

Which, I mean. If I wanted an art exhibit, I'd go to a museum. Feed us you stingy bastards! *shakes fist*

 

I liked Y The Last Man, although I'll be curious to see what you think of the ending.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I first read Small Gods while in Seminary. I loved it then and I love it now.

[RisenPhoenix]

16 minutes ago, Kishi said:

That could just be a policy thing. 'Gourmet' anything tends to go low portion... I guess because they figure that flavor makes up for it?

 

Normally I'd agree, but I've been to this place many, many times since it opened down the street from my office.  Normally a large is a good sized portion.  This was pretty much what I'd consider their small size in a large cup.  I didn't recognize the kid serving me, so I suspect he's just new.

[Urgan]

29 minutes ago, RisenPhoenix said:

 

Normally I'd agree, but I've been to this place many, many times since it opened down the street from my office.  Normally a large is a good sized portion.  This was pretty much what I'd consider their small size in a large cup.  I didn't recognize the kid serving me, so I suspect he's just new.

 

I've had this happen to me before at Moe's. I got used to normal portions then the jerks started cutting the meat they'd portion out in like, half. Getting what I once got calls for an extra charge. This doesn't happen to say, my Dad when he'd go with me. So. Yeah. Stopped going there...

 

Addit: mental image: once it was like going from a burrito the size of my upper arm to one roughly in line with my wrist. Kid's meal territory.

[RisenPhoenix]

So Friday I did more of the Yoga thing at work.  The instructor said as I walked in that she had been thinking about how to deal with my quads AND my calves all week.  It was a pretty chill session, and I learned that tennis balls work pretty well as not-LaX balls for trigger point release.  Need to grab a few, I think.

 

Did one hour of aikido on Friday night, helping a friend prep for her shodan.  Left after that class because 1) still babying my knee/leg and 2) it was a long week and I wanted to relax a bunch.  Saturday I did another hour at my dojo, and it wasn't too terrible.

 

Food this weekend was pretty bad, though.  Ended up hanging with my cousin and some other friends.  I brought burgers and snacks, cousin provided beer that she and her husband have hoarded over time and need/want to reduce before they move to their new house.  It was a fun night, that was very long, and also completely drained my extroversion/social battery.  So much so that I skipped aikido yesterday because my brain and body just noped out of wanting to deal with humans.  Even talking to my roommate was a task yesterday.

 

Aikido tonight is the plan, assuming my hip flexor/adductor stops complaining.  I also need to schedule my next couple of massages.  If I schedule July and August massages I get a $30 credit towards something, so I figured why not.  I'm already going to be paying for the massages, so why not get free shiz?

[RisenPhoenix]

Hokay, so.

 

Plan was only one class of aikido last night, but we had a new/visiting student, so the instructor convinced me to stay for the second class stating it would be a low key basics class.  So, you know, hard stuff, but early stuff.  But no crazy pacing.  Until the instructor starting launching himself at me for fun.

 

Also at the end of the first class said instructor looked at me and asked "Are you testing [for shodan]?"  I replied with "Not any time soon."  Which got a raised eyebrow from him, and one of the harvard students who was visiting coughed pointedly.  So I was over ruled and shoved in the back for some tiny shodan prep.  

 

This morning was (shocker), the stadium.  One of the CoLeaders stepped down today, and it was his last workout (he warned people last week).  I only managed 25 or 27 sections, because my knee was angry at something or other.  But still a solid workout.  Next Wednesday I'm kind of excited for, because since it's the Fourth I get to do the stadium and then eat breakfast with people.  So that's great, since I miss doing that.

 

Planning on doing yoga at noon at work again.  We'll see how my legs hold up.  Worst case scenario is that I skip aikido tomorrow.  Ah well.  As long as I get my weekend classes in, I'll be happy.

[RisenPhoenix]

Quick update. 

 

Yoga ended up happening on Wednesday AND Thursday. Bonus session on Thursday because of a wellness fair at work. My shoulders and chest are sore from both days back to back. 

 

Thursday i skipled aikido because i was I was a dead zombie and went to bed early. Slept a blissful 8 hours uninterrupted for the first time in weeks. 

 

Friday i I went to train at NEA with Harvard folks, mainly to help my friend prep for her exam that’s in exactly one month at Summer Camp. Ended up not really playing with her much, but working with a senior student who I really like and who has beautiful aikido. Worked on iriminage and like, four different ways to perform it while achieving the same thing. Kind of figured out what my body liked to do on those, so that was nice. I’m definitely not as linear up-and-down as my chief instructor likes/performs, which was a nice thing to discover. Because it means I know how to modify certain things now. 

 

Second class kind of was a half class class because we got the instructor involved in an on-topic conversation, and then totally missed that time flew by. So we got on late and ended on time. Just some Jo take aways, which I need. Because I suck at weapons. Hell, the reason I started going on Friday was to start learning weapons more. 

 

Skipped the social dinner post aikido because I just wanted to go home and crash. Also I had eaten out at lunch so I wanted some healthier fair than greasy Thai. Delicious, but I stuffed my face with pizza at lunch. So choices. 

 

Aikido a couple hours this weekend, maybe a hike if the weather isn’t the worst. We shall see. 

 

[RisenPhoenix]

Aikido for two hours this morning.  A hot, humid, stinking, sweating morning.

 

We have a new student at the dojo, and he seems like a pretty cool guy.  Starting a business down the street from the dojo, and has trained previously, though not crazy amounts.  As he described it, he's practiced 4 years, but those 4 years are spread out over nearly a decade.  But he's picking things back up pretty quickly, is fun to work with, and seems to be enjoying himself.  So that's always a plus.  That, and the fact he said he plans on being at the dojo as much as possible.  Huzzah!

 

Ummmm, that's pretty much it.  Yup.  Nothing overly special.

[Mistr]

Yay for yoga to keep things moving. I hope your knees are happier. All the aikido. Good that you are pacing yourself so you have recovery and self-care in with the training.

[RisenPhoenix]

Aikido Monday was not taught my the regular instructor. It was taught by the chief instructor. Which is fine, but his normal classes are high intensity and exhausting - so in our current heat wave I was a shopping mess at the end. But the class turnout really was great. Two new students who are definitely energetic to be on the mat and seemingly stay there. One of them practiced in Seattle for several years, but hasn’t been on a mat in ages, and he is claerly so pleased to be back. He brings good energy. The other new guy is a young kid, maybe 22? I see a lot of myself in him and his reactions. I suspect he may become my pet project. But he is enthusiastic. Helps he’s the son of me of an instructor’s friend. But good kid, anyway. 

 

Tuesday i I skipped for heat/holiday/ social reasons. Friends bought a house a while back and last night was their house warming bbq. Went, nerded a bit, saw some fireworks, and left. 

 

This is morning I woke up at 4:50, dragged myself very slowly and inefficiently to the stadium for what was supposed to be the 0530 workout.  I got there at a little before 6. Got started, and over the next two hours did 2full tours in terrible heat and humidity. But I did them. It was 74 sections for 7/4. I am shockingly no sore, but terribly dehydrated. Need to drink a lot more water today. And then some.

 

dojo potluck tonight for the fireworks, and I need to cook something. Not sure what, but leaning towards deviled eggs. Cheap, easy, tasty. Maybe if an idea happens I’ll change. 

[Sloth the Enduring]

74 flights of stadium stairs?  You’re insane brother. 

[Mistr]

Wow, you are hardcore. I hope you are able to walk tomorrow. Sounds like you had a great holiday.  

[RisenPhoenix]

9 hours ago, Mistr said:

Wow, you are hardcore. I hope you are able to walk tomorrow. Sounds like you had a great holiday.  

 

18 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

74 flights of stadium stairs?  You’re insane brother. 

 

I'm not hardcore, @Mistr.  @Sloth the Enduring has it right - I'm just insane.

 

Lets aren't terrible today, but I am feeling it in my hips.  Only one class of aikido tonight in the card, and I think that's a good life choice anyway.

[Kishi]

Eh. Who needs legs? They're just for walking anyway.

[RisenPhoenix]

44 minutes ago, Kishi said:

Eh. Who needs legs? They're just for walking anyway.

 

And without them, I get to be closer to the ground.  Which means my center is lower than everyone else.  So my aikido would be much better!

[RisenPhoenix]

Wednesday Stairs day!

 

Doesn't exactly rhyme quite as well as Sunday Funday.

 

Only 27 sections this morning, because the humidity was killer, it was a Fire Drill (so all the push-ups and squats happened), and I was trying to keep an eye out for a coworker who said they'd be there.  They renegged apparently at 9PM last night via email, but whatever.  Hot, humid, gross day today, so hopefully next week they'll be around.

[RisenPhoenix]

Right, so.

 

Last week I had 33 hours of aikido training with 17 different instructors and it was FUCKING MAGICAL.  I really can't wait to go back, and it's certainly going to drive my desire to attend seminars a lot more than I had expected.  That said, my knees/quads/legs hate me from 33 hours of training.  Also my right shoulder is angry from the car ride back.  Ah well.

 

Trained last night at the dojo for an hour only, because my right leg is way too tight somewhere again.  Thankfully I have a massage schedule for tonight.

 

November Project this morning, as always.  Rucked 25 sections before time was up.  Didn't go super fast, and in fact slowed down a whole bunch to work on some things.   Notably, I focused on moving from my center, not my legs.  Shocker, it became easier to move up the stairs with 30-something pounds on my back when I kept my posture and moved with my Center.  Dramatically so, in fact.  It barely felt like I had a ruck on when consciously moved with my Center.  Lose the posture or Center, and crushing weight happens again.

 

So that was nifty to play with and focus on.  Might do that in the near future.  Also it gave me the idea of wearing a weighted belt to help me feel my hips throwing weight around a bit more.  Might be an interesting thing to use to practice irimis and tenkans.  Even if I need to design and create it myself.  Maybe something with ball bearings...

[Kishi]

1 hour ago, RisenPhoenix said:

November Project this morning, as always.  Rucked 25 sections before time was up.  Didn't go super fast, and in fact slowed down a whole bunch to work on some things.   Notably, I focused on moving from my center, not my legs.  Shocker, it became easier to move up the stairs with 30-something pounds on my back when I kept my posture and moved with my Center.  Dramatically so, in fact.  It barely felt like I had a ruck on when consciously moved with my Center.  Lose the posture or Center, and crushing weight happens again.

 

Would you mind expounding on that a little bit? Like, what does it mean to move with your Center in this context?

[RisenPhoenix]

2 hours ago, Kishi said:

Would you mind expounding on that a little bit? Like, what does it mean to move with your Center in this context?

 

Oof.  I'll try.

 

So first thing was posture, and maintaining my head over my hips.  Not exactly easy with a 35 pound ruck pulling you back, and looking up also upends the balance and posture, so I had to work hard to ensure my neck was neutral and looking forward, while my eyes were the ones looking up.  I also had to make sure that when I stepped, I used the same focus points on my foot that you use when doing a squat - so the triangle of big toe-heel-pinky toe - for stability.

 

As for the literal movement part.... It was.... pushing with my Center/hips/core to engage the movement, rather than moving my legs first.  So the hips/Center moved, the legs went forward with the movement, and it felt lighter.  As opposed to starting the motion with my quads/glutes/hamstring, in which case my Center/hips followed the movement, which inevitably cause my core to collapse, making me bear the brunt of the weight of the ruck.  With the correct posture and Center movement engaged, everything just felt lighter.  Foot falls, the bag, the Stair's concrete.  

 

It solidly falls under the "Move with your Center" woo talk that happens in aikido, that after practicing long enough just starts making sense because it's felt, rather than displayed.  But it was a totally bizarre realization to have at 7am after hiking up 20 sections.

[RisenPhoenix]

Man, I have been lazy.

 

So last couple of weeks my knee/leg has been bothering me.  It started after Summer Camp, so I had been going light at the dojo and November Project.  So the last few weeks have been very light in activity - maybe 4 hours on the mat each week, I skipped NP last week, and yoga (though that was for a doctor's appointment).  This Monday I had to skip aikido because I signed my new lease with my new roommate, and had to deal with the landlord (who was actually sane and reasonable for once).

 

Yesterday was crazy at work and I had a really shitty posture/location to work in, and my shoulder developed a crappy knot that made it hurt to raise my arm.  So last night I did only one hour of aikido, when I really wanted two.  This morning I did a full tour at November Project, even though I was aiming for 40 sections, not 37.  Ah well.

 

Today I want to do yoga, but enough things are on fire at work that I may be stuck doing work, rather than yoga.  I also need to prep the apartment for new roomie and the girlfriend arriving tomorrow night.

 

Plus side to all of this, I have been collapsing early at night (as in barely making it to 9PM, fighting to stay up, and falling asleep at 9:30), and my major life stresses are more-or-less gone, so my anxiety is actually letting me sleep for once.  It's weird to pass out so fast, and either not wake up or wake up briefly once.  I forgot what that was like.  So yea.  Things are good on that front, but my workouts have been lacking.  And this coming week they'll be low because of vacation and travel.  Ah well.

[Kishi]

I'm kind of surprised that Company won't have you doing stuff. I'm unaware if she's still recovering from things or what, but if she's off crutches you'd have to run to keep up with her, no?

[RisenPhoenix]

1 hour ago, Kishi said:

I'm kind of surprised that Company won't have you doing stuff. I'm unaware if she's still recovering from things or what, but if she's off crutches you'd have to run to keep up with her, no?

 

Full recovery takes a year.  And that's not being completely cautious.

 

She did just get passed the 3 month follow up and got the okay to do light jogging routines, but nothing like we've seen her do in the past.

[Mistr]

On 8/22/2018 at 12:19 PM, RisenPhoenix said:

Full recovery takes a year.  And that's not being completely cautious.

 

She did just get passed the 3 month follow up and got the okay to do light jogging routines, but nothing like we've seen her do in the past.

 

That sucks for her, but might be a good thing for you. The two of you can do walks and mobility work together while you both heal.

[RisenPhoenix]

Okay.  I've been super slackery.

 

Besides walking while being on the Cape for a wedding, I did no physical activity while on vacation.

 

When I got back, my muscles were angry being on the mat for a little bit, so I've been taking it easy there, too.

 

Yesterday was the first true back-at-it mentally day I've had in a bit.  Two hours on the mat last night.  Today was Stairs (only 28 sections, I sandbagged hard), and then yoga during lunch at work. 

 

Goal is to keep moving forward at the moment.  I need to think of some more training options for endurance work.  Unfortunately I am leaning towards HIIT, which I hate.  So I need to do some research to see if I can find something I'll hate less.  And, like, I dunno, actually do.