Lou finds a routine

[Lou_be_Lou]

My last challenge was mainly about admitting that I felt like rubbish and wanted to feel better.

This week, I've felt awesome!

 

It could be a fluke, it could be because I played a stupid amount of music in the weekend and am lacking sleep.  Or, it could be that I'm reasonably healthy again.  Please please please let it be the last one.

 

So, I want to stay healthy.

 

Mission 1: Stay healthy

Components:

Good food - for me this is gluten free, dairy light (some butter, maybe some cheese, but most days dairy free), and for this challenge I'm also going to eat at least one meal a day that is grain free.  The fun bit is to cook a new recipe every week.

Clean kitchen - just like it says on the tin, I cooks, I cleans, I eats, I washes up those peaky dishes.

Wash my hands like I'm in the lab.  I instituted this last challenge, and I think it helped me avoid cross contamination.  So, keep doing it.

Rest - if needed, rest takes priority over almost everything else.  No guilt, just fess up that I won't be turning up and rest up good.

 

Mission 2: Music

Play that bass - 5 days a week (7 is an amazing goal, but lately I haven't managed it, so 5 is more manageable, and means much less guilt, and I can enjoy the days that I can play).

Play more jazz!  Not sure how I'll manage this - I need to find people to play with and organise meeting up - so a lot of this might be organisation and preparation rather than actual playing, but if I don't organise it, it won't happen.

 

Mission 3:  Exercise

I need to find a groove with this - its going to be a mixture of jujitsu training, kickboxing training, yoga and gym.  When concerts and life don't get in the way, I try to get to jujitsu 2x a week (but this might be changing as there is the possibility of jazz instead of jujitsu on tuesday, and I'm very undecided about which is better for me), kickboxing 1 x a week, yoga 2 x a week, the gym 2-3 x a week, plus possibly a couple of outdoor runs (5k park run on a saturday and a longer one on sunday).

Confession time: its ages since I've managed all of that in a week - so I want to ramp up into it, and see how it goes. 

 

Complications:

The festive season - there will be some extra gigs and some social stuff - I want to enjoy these, and not get all guilty about them.  So a certain amount of flexibility is required.  I probably won't make jujitsu training the day of the work christmas lunch....... Sigh.  Oh, and time for christmas preparation?

 

Family guff - my parents will be staying with me for about 12 days of the challenge - I'm not sure what I'll manage challenge wise during this time......  And my priority has to be having a good time with them - especially as this is them en route to NZ as they move from Sweden.  Big life changes.  So there is a bit of a free pass on everything for those 12 days - any exercise I manage there is a bonus.

 

Summary: It looks a lot like Lou does all of the things.........

 

[joedog]

Jujitsu and jazz has a nice ring to it. That should be a thing. [emoji1]

[RisenPhoenix]

Jujitsu and jazz has a nice ring to it. That should be a thing. [emoji1]

 

Joint locks and Jazz, a Dizzy Gillespie album.

 

Looks like a solid challenge!  Don't worry about the challenge when you're folks are around - try to be consistent with what you've already established and the challenge can wait.  No need to stress!

[Kishi]

Well, remember: the challenge supports your life. Your life is not meant to support the challenge. If you feel like you'd enjoy music more than martial arts on Tuesday, well, don't be afraid of that. Go off and play.

 

That said, I hope the ramp up works really well for you.

[karinajean]

I like that you do all the things. I like that a lot.

Sent from my iPhone while riding a unicorn through the cosmos.

[Lou_be_Lou]

Jujitsu and jazz has a nice ring to it. That should be a thing.

Absolutely!  But no choking the brass players!

 

 

Joint locks and Jazz, a Dizzy Gillespie album.

 

Looks like a solid challenge!  Don't worry about the challenge when you're folks are around - try to be consistent with what you've already established and the challenge can wait.  No need to stress!

Breakfall bass?

I like your theory of not stressing with visiting family - the reality is that I'll need to go for runs - makes it much easier to be calm for the rest of the day.........

 

 

Well, remember: the challenge supports your life. Your life is not meant to support the challenge. If you feel like you'd enjoy music more than martial arts on Tuesday, well, don't be afraid of that. Go off and play.

 

That said, I hope the ramp up works really well for you.

I definitely want to remember "the challenge supports your life" - the bigger challenge is to figure out which flavour life I really want to have and to go for it.....  Just had a hugely inspiring visit to a friend's studio - at 58 she transformed herself from a seamstress and curtain maker into a luthier!  She's starting violin number 20 - and wow, her violins look and sound beautiful.  Incredible to discover and chase after a talent at an age when other folk would be thinking about retirement.  She has taken huge risks and her transformation is amazing.  A complete inspiration re chasing down your own particular dream.

 

My ramp up is started, and so far it is fun - tiring, but fun.  I even resorted to box jumps!

 

 

I like that you do all the things. I like that a lot.

Sent from my iPhone while riding a unicorn through the cosmos.

Thats just cause you also do absolutely all of the things!  I've even started knitting a cardie - cunningly with worsted yarn, so it is growing relatively fast.  Unfortunately boy cat thinks that the yarn I'm using is fabulous so he tends to prevent me from knitting by using a strategy of complete collapse on top of the nascent knitting.

[Teirin]

Knitting pics?  Pleasepleaseplease?

 

Hope you have a great visit with your parents when they pass through. Will they still be really stressed from the packing and moving prep?

[Cheechoe]

Go on runs the WHOLE TIME family is there??

 

 

Am I helping??

 

 

(Monk Melodies - I had to try one)

[RisenPhoenix]

I like your theory of not stressing with visiting family - the reality is that I'll need to go for runs - makes it much easier to be calm for the rest of the day.........

 

As someone who is driven crazy by his family after spending more than 36 hours with them, I wish I could take my own advice.

 

But yea.  I tend to go on runs when visiting my folks mostly partially so I can get away.

[Lou_be_Lou]

Knitting pics?  Pleasepleaseplease?

 

Hope you have a great visit with your parents when they pass through. Will they still be really stressed from the packing and moving prep?

Knitting pics to follow (mainly cause its upstairs and I'm downstairs and yep I am feeling that lazy).

Oh yes, parents will be exhausted and stressed, I've laid in a supply of trashy novels/teen fiction for them.  Plan number two involves large amounts of wine.  Plan number three is daily walks for all of us, possibly via the bottle recycling.

 

 

Go on runs the WHOLE TIME family is there??

 

 

Am I helping??

 

 

(Monk Melodies - I had to try one)

Monk melodies = BRILLIANT!

Hell yes to the running - but i'll need reminding while they're here.  It is such a win - especially with my mum - she spent so many years telling me I needed to get fitter, that now going for a run is a perfect way of getting time on my own as she can't complain (just hoping she's not reading this........ - Love ya MUM!).

 

 

As someone who is driven crazy by his family after spending more than 36 hours with them, I wish I could take my own advice.

 

But yea.  I tend to go on runs when visiting my folks mostly partially so I can get away.

Oh yes.  Also if i get the me time on runs then I enjoy the rest of the day with other folks.  It makes all the difference.

[Lou_be_Lou]

OK challenge update.

 

BONKERS start to challenge.   Yesterday = day one of challenge and I had a sodding migraine - it took until afternoon to reveal itself properly (until then it was general run-over by bus, can't stand up, fatigue and bleugh) - so I was kind-of relieved that it then started feeling like a migraine cause I was panicing about whether I'd somehow eaten gluten.  But i was horizontal all day.......  not in a fun way..... oh no....... Then managed more this morning (like had a shower!  got to work, late, but got there and managed hmmmm, email updates) but everything was still a bit sparkly looking and loud and bright and under my desk was looking seriously tempting.  Much better in the afternoon.  Miraculous revival in time for jujitsu - huge relief cause today was grading day! 

 

I PASSED MY GRADING!!!!!  Plus got asked by the coach "have you been taking martial arts pills?" cause he was "thrilled" by how good my grading was!!!!!!!!!!!  Finally nailed loin or hip wheels, and the coach especially liked my spring hip throws.  YAY.  Plus after the gradings were all done and we'd all been re-belted, the head coach singled out two of us for bonus comments - and i was one of them!  I am delighted.  And I'm now a blue and white belt in jujitsu. YAY!

[karinajean]

YAY CONGRATULATIONS!

[sarakingdom]

I would like some martial arts pills, please.

 

(Congrats!)

[Kishi]

GIMME DA PILLZ

 

But seriously, way to fight through and get the grading done and pass! Very good.

[Sabretooth-Kitty]

Good luck with your new challenge

[Lou_be_Lou]

I would like some martial arts pills, please.

 

(Congrats!)

 

GIMME DA PILLZ

 

But seriously, way to fight through and get the grading done and pass! Very good.

So, I reckon:

1 part frustration at migraine + 1 part NF support/inspiration + 1 part crosstraining (0.5x yoga + 0.5xcircuits) + 3 parts training

 

gonna be hard to grind that lot into a fine powder.......

 

Good luck with your new challenge

Many thanks.

 

Today was a gym day - started early with tibetans at home, made it to the gym (YAY - cause that has been more miss than hit lately), a treadmill 5k, and circuit done (almost back to a proper BW L4 circuit - complete with box jumps and burpees, still missing some of the squats - though I blame the blue belt's grading - I was folded into indian death locks many times last night and my left knee is slightly grumpy from it).  I also got to lunchtime yoga - quote of the day "enjoy your delicious inhalation" - all good.  Less good is having been a bit too calm after yoga, so I'm having to work late as my science all got set up a bit toooooo slooooooooooowly.  Oops.

 

Next on today's list is bass practise........  Once I'm home.

[Kishi]

Aight, so I gotta ask... for the Tibetans, are you referring to a sequence of energy exercises?

[Lou_be_Lou]

Aight, so I gotta ask... for the Tibetans, are you referring to a sequence of energy exercises?

Hmmmm, I'm not sure?????  Its a sequence of exercises that my yoga instructor loves and treats us with a couple of times a year.  You warm up with spinning on the spot with outstretched arms.  Then there are four or five other exercises - all core/back mobility based, with specific breathing patterns.  Certainly a good way of waking up, and after a week of them my stomach is telling me its been worked.  Good fun. 

 

Ok, update on last week:

Mixed start to the challenge.

Food - brilliant - managed 1 meal a day with no grains - cooked not one but three new recipes - all from Nom Nom Paleo - and I'm planning on cooking them all again, so food is a win.  Kitchen clean up went well also.  YAY.

 

Play that bass: miserable - only played three days.....  worked out that having to learn mahler 5 is putting me off playing, consulted with friends faced with the same orchestral challenge, they're either loving it (grrrr) or hating it and not practising.  So I am not alone, but I still need to sort this out, especially as the gig is this saturday - not many days and too many notes.......  Then on sunday I can play what I want!!!!!!!  Jazz organisation, also a fail.

 

Exercise: moderately ok.  Passed my jujitsu grading (YAY!!!), got to kickboxing (substitute coach, and my right leg and foot are still sore from her getting us to do everything lopsiddedly, huge number of reps on the right side and only a few on the left - oops), loved my 2x yoga, and ran 15k, plus 2x circuits.  So I'm about to upgrade moderately ok to good.

 

But - this week is going a bit tits up - somehow I still have bucketloads of cleaning to do before picking my parents up on Friday, plus that pesky little mahler to learn, and extra rehearsals....... Got to jujitsu tonight (circuits = all of the tiredness right now).  Aiming for yoga wed and friday - but I might plan on at home short workouts (plus burpees.......) rather than longer runs and gym sessions.  I'll do what I can - but not as much as usual.......   Ugggh. Oh and apparently I'm finding my parents shifting countries quite stressful.  Who'ld have guessed it?  I think its partly cause I can't help.  Well, not until I encourage them to start recovering here.

[Kishi]

Sounds like the same, then. Cool!

 

So it sounds like the first week was not all about that bass, but it wasn't bad either. As for this week, well, it's only 2-3 days old. Bad as it might look now, it doesn't have to end that way at all. You can do it.

 

Also, how could you not be stressed about your folks? I stress about mine all the time. I think that's just a thing we do...

[Teirin]

Crazy busy week, hope you take some time to take care of you.

[Lou_be_Lou]

Phew, I am very glad that week two is done.

It was mixed.

Lots and lots and lots of cleaning - so my home is now all shiny - i like it like that - will i be able to maintain this?

 

I did well on my food - kept up the one non-grain meal, made a new recipe, still gluten free and dairy light. 

Bass playing was good this week (the power of panic with a scary concert) - played everyday - learnt enough of the music for saturday's concert to have been pleasantly surprised by how much of saturday's music I could play.  But ughhhhh, mahler's 5th symphony was a challenge.  All done, and I'm relieved to not have to spend more time on it.  Now I get to have more time with my playing.

 

It was a minimal exercise week though - managed kickboxing (I was a disaster - probably my worst training for years - fortunately i think the coach found it funny rather than frustrating - apparently exhaustion wipes out all abilities in martial arts - oops), one x jujitsu and one x yoga.  The week was sufficiently bonkers that I'm just relieved that I did make this much training.

 

So far its a good start for this week - woke up wanting to do some remedial kicking - so 300 kicks and some stretching.  YAY.

 

Parental visit all good so far - they're exhausted but good.

[Kishi]

Week 2 really seemed to knock a lot of us flat on our backs. But we're monks - we fight from our backs as well as our feet.

 

Glad that the bass playing went well, and that you now have time to play more recreationally. Though you have to admit, having a deadline really makes the creativity shoot up high.

 

Bonkers week and still training? Good enough. Week 3, here we go!

[Teirin]

Hahaha remedial kicking describes it so well.  Hope the visit is still going well :-)

[Teirin]

Hi Lou, how are things?

[Lou_be_Lou]

Just a quick post cause I should be writing up my lab book at work.......

 

1) I am still alive!

2) family visit was great - but I'm still recovering!

3) food component of challenge still going well

4) all of the bass playing has been happening - 3 saturdays in a row of classical concerts - all done now, so the trick will be managing to practise this week

5) exercise was a bit of a fail - but I did some running and some martial arts while I was off line - just not as much as I normally do.......

 

So - I'll do a properer post soon - and I'm currently picking up the pieces re getting exercising again.

But on saturday I did a 5k santa run - massed photos of run here: http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/perth-kinross/17-photos-from-perth-s-santa-fun-run-1.723229

550 santas!