Pavowski does ninja stuff

[Pavowski]

I come and go like the tides when I'm on my challenges, and this time around it's time to suit up as an assassin again.

 

Not that you guys need more assassins, or anything. (I'd comment on how crowded this guild is compared to the others but I actually can't tell how crowded it is because everybody's wearing black.) Still, here I am.

 

My running is stabilizing at 3-4 outings a week with a 5-miler on the weekends. I want to keep that where it is for now -- not push it, not try to improve it, just maintain it -- so I want to focus on more ninja-ey things this time around.

 

In particular, I have had the really awful idea of trying out parkour. Now, I own that I'm a little bit on the older side to be picking up such a habit, but when it comes to bad ideas, I just can't help myself. Besides, a little bit of functional strength and agility can't hurt in the least when the zombies come for us all (and you know they will). So the order of the day is functional strength, precision and control practice, and whenever possible, a bit of natural movement.

 

Strength: at least two workouts per week, especially push-ups, pull-ups and box-jumps. Arbitrarily I'm gonna say I want two hundred push-ups per week, fifty pull-ups per week, and ... man, I dunno... maybe eighty box jumps? Let's see how that goes for a week and maybe I can revisit.

 

Precision and control: The box-jumps count here too, with a focus on a balanced and controlled landing. But here especially I want to make some progress on my handstand -- I've been stagnant there for quite some time. I need to learn a somersault bail so that I can start working on separating myself from the wall. I also want to work on my support hold and my dead-hang. Is all that specific enough? Only four different sub-goals for this one.

 

Movement: I don't know that there are any great parkour spots near me, but there are some railings crying out to be vaulted and some big metal boxes just waiting to be scaled on some of my regular running routes. Hard to say if I can hit them with much regularity, but I'd like to get in some jumping and climbing and swinging and just generally monkeying around once a week.

 

And that's it. I'll be back to add some pictures and maybe figure out how to score all this (though I still haven't scored my last challenge, lol).

 

[Manarelle]

15 hours ago, Pavowski said:

I come and go like the tides when I'm on my challenges, and this time around it's time to suit up as an assassin again.

 

Not that you guys need more assassins, or anything. (I'd comment on how crowded this guild is compared to the others but I actually can't tell how crowded it is because everybody's wearing black.) Still, here I am.

 

Welcome back! "Need" is such a strong word - the more, the merrier!

 

15 hours ago, Pavowski said:

My running is stabilizing at 3-4 outings a week with a 5-miler on the weekends. I want to keep that where it is for now -- not push it, not try to improve it, just maintain it -- so I want to focus on more ninja-ey things this time around.

 

In particular, I have had the really awful idea of trying out parkour. Now, I own that I'm a little bit on the older side to be picking up such a habit, but when it comes to bad ideas, I just can't help myself. Besides, a little bit of functional strength and agility can't hurt in the least when the zombies come for us all (and you know they will). So the order of the day is functional strength, precision and control practice, and whenever possible, a bit of natural movement.

 

Sometimes, I think maintenance is just as hard as pushing for new things, just because... it's boring. There's no new PRs to break up the "I can do it!" grind. 

 

For what it's worth, I just started parkour this year, and I'm no spring chicken myself. My biggest challenge was realizing I'll get there at my own pace, and not trying to keep up with the young'uns doing everything full tilt (mind you, that realization was after an ankle sprain, but still). I've incorporated jumping and climbing on things into my daily walks, and am starting plyometric jumps in this challenge. All that to say:

 

 

Also, love the exit gif. I'm totally stealing that.

[Jonesy]

Parkour still seems so intimidating to me so I impressed with anyone who gives it a go.

 

Welcome to the Hellfire club! Following to cheer on a fellow team member.  

[EVEArgent]

Awesome! Following for handstands progression and parkour. 

[Pavowski]

6 hours ago, Manarelle said:

 

Welcome back! "Need" is such a strong word - the more, the merrier!

 

 

Sometimes, I think maintenance is just as hard as pushing for new things, just because... it's boring. There's no new PRs to break up the "I can do it!" grind. 

 

For what it's worth, I just started parkour this year, and I'm no spring chicken myself. My biggest challenge was realizing I'll get there at my own pace, and not trying to keep up with the young'uns doing everything full tilt (mind you, that realization was after an ankle sprain, but still). I've incorporated jumping and climbing on things into my daily walks, and am starting plyometric jumps in this challenge. All that to say:

 

 

Also, love the exit gif. I'm totally stealing that.

 

You can't steal it; it was stolen in the first place!

 

Thanks for the commiseration. Let's hope I don't shatter any ankles.

[Pavowski]

You know, maybe I spoke too soon on not knowing any parkour spots near me. I may not have fancy staircases and gorgeous tiered structures or well-spaced rocks around, but I took a walk around my school today, and I saw:

 

walls that were just about head-high for climbing

fences for scrambling on

empty soccer goals for swinging on

staircases with railings to jump over

 

So maybe I can make this work after all...

[Pavowski]

Today:

 

100 push-ups (!)

28 shrimp squats (each leg)

20 pull-ups

40 box jumps

about 6 or 7 15-20 second wall handstands

 

whee!

[Pavowski]

This morning: Slept in. Dammit! Urge to just accept it and sleep til 6 was great, but the shame of a missed run was stronger. Plus, there will only be so many more perfect mornings (~60 degrees -- heaven!). Hauled myself out there.

 

I had to shorten my run from 3.5 to 2.5 miles, but at least I got it done.

 

Later today: more handstands.

[Trewest]

HELLFIRE!

 

as for Parkour anywhere, parking garages/lots work well too. Cement dividers are great for vaults and kongs.

[Manarelle]

15 hours ago, Pavowski said:

You know, maybe I spoke too soon on not knowing any parkour spots near me. I may not have fancy staircases and gorgeous tiered structures or well-spaced rocks around, but I took a walk around my school today, and I saw:

 

walls that were just about head-high for climbing

fences for scrambling on

empty soccer goals for swinging on

staircases with railings to jump over

 

So maybe I can make this work after all...

 

Oooh, soccer goals! I'm looking for more places to practice pull-ups, and I didn't even think about that. Thank you!

[Fenyx]

Welcome back to the assassin guild! Loving your humor here, very much my kind lol. Got some good goals here for sure, especially when you consider how you want to maintain in one area and improve in others. Maintaining can be just as hard, if not harder than, making improvements and not many realize this. And parkour! I've always wanted to try since I first saw it but it's never lined up for me thanks to my own sabotaging fears and such lol. But perhaps with one more person I now associate with doing it I will get even more motivated. Oh hey Manarelle is here, that's my other parkour friend lol. But big point is don't let any apprehensions get in the way of you kicking parkour square in the balls, I'll be the first to warn against giving in to it as it really leads to only regret and a longer catchup when you finally go for it. Kick some A!

[Pavowski]

8 hours ago, Manarelle said:

 

Oooh, soccer goals! I'm looking for more places to practice pull-ups, and I didn't even think about that. Thank you!

They are a perfect height to jump and grab on. I tried a lache off of one the other day ... really need to work on the release though. I'm just glad I was a half mile from the school with nobody around to see the wipeout...

[Pavowski]

7 hours ago, Fenyx said:

But big point is don't let any apprehensions get in the way of you kicking parkour square in the balls, I'll be the first to warn against giving in to it as it really leads to only regret and a longer catchup when you finally go for it. Kick some A!

 

And that's exactly why I decided to just jump in this time.

 

...see what I did there? With the jumping? And the --

 

I'll just go now.

[Trewest]

So this is where I need to come to to get my pun fix in....

[Manarelle]

18 hours ago, Pavowski said:

They are a perfect height to jump and grab on. I tried a lache off of one the other day ... really need to work on the release though. I'm just glad I was a half mile from the school with nobody around to see the wipeout...

 

Ouch. Well, keep trying! I was doing stair jumps last night in front of my house; for some reason by legs kept freaking out when I aimed for the third stair. I'm just hoping that no one felt the need to look out their front windows at 9:30pm. Sigh. I need to step up my game. 

 

(Puns are always welcome!)

[Pavowski]

6 hours ago, Trewest said:

So this is where I need to come to to get my pun fix in....

 

There are no puns allowed in the house of Pav.

 

5 hours ago, Manarelle said:

I was doing stair jumps last night in front of my house; for some reason by legs kept freaking out when I aimed for the third stair.

5 hours ago, Manarelle said:

 I need to step up my game. 

 

...Dammit.

 

 

Okay, seriously, let's escalate the humor around here.

[Pavowski]

Today:

 

100 push-ups (easier than Tuesday, but still pretty dead by the end!)

30 beginner shrimp squats (each leg)

20 pull-ups (getting better at doing them on rings, trying to keep the lower body calm)

40 box jumps (these seriously get the heart pumping, whee!)

 

And another ~30 minutes of various walking engagements around the school building.

 

Oh, and more handstanding. I have been neglecting my pirouette bail practice, so I'm going to brush up on that before I take on the somersault. Funny thing though... the strength for the handstand is a total non-issue these days. Which is kinda cool.

 

Tomorrow is runday funday, no sleeping in this time...

[Trewest]

13 hours ago, Pavowski said:

 Funny thing though... the strength for the handstand is a total non-issue these days. Which is kinda cool.

 

 

That moment is the best, where you realize that all the training you've put your body through is working. Like 'I KNOW I couldn't do this X many days ago, but now I can.'

[Pavowski]

Runday funday! (Every Runday is funday.) 

 

Woke well ahead of the alarm this time and put in a brisk 3.5 miles. Felt like I could have easily gone for more, but with a longer run ahead on Sunday (Sunday Runday funday) I figured best not to push it... not least of all because my foot is feeling stronger and less achy than it has felt in months (maybe years). So,baby steps and taking good care of the lower extremities is the name of the game. Except when the game is Hungry Hungry Hippos.... then we TAKE NO PRISONERS. 

 

Oh, and more handstands during my lunch break. I have often wondered what I would say if anybody ever walks into my classroom while I'm inverted. I imagine that conversation would be an odd one (especially since I'm not the sort to interrupt a set), but it has yet to happen.

 

Happy Friday. 

[Jayniana Jones]

On 5/14/2016 at 8:53 PM, Pavowski said:

Oh, and more handstands during my lunch break. I have often wondered what I would say if anybody ever walks into my classroom while I'm inverted. I imagine that conversation would be an odd one (especially since I'm not the sort to interrupt a set), but it has yet to happen.

 

Happy Friday. 

1

 

If anyone walks in on you during a handstand, you totally need to have some one-liners at the ready. It's definitely not something expected, but it could be a ton of fun to roll with. Especially, if you can pull off an attitude of this is a completely normal thing to see. No to mention, you're setting an excellent example for your students. Anyone who can join you should get an A on an upcoming assignment.  

 

What do you teach?

[Fenyx]

On May 14, 2016 at 9:53 PM, Pavowski said:

Runday funday! (Every Runday is funday.) 

 

Woke well ahead of the alarm this time and put in a brisk 3.5 miles. Felt like I could have easily gone for more, but with a longer run ahead on Sunday (Sunday Runday funday) I figured best not to push it... not least of all because my foot is feeling stronger and less achy than it has felt in months (maybe years). So,baby steps and taking good care of the lower extremities is the name of the game. Except when the game is Hungry Hungry Hippos.... then we TAKE NO PRISONERS. 

 

Oh, and more handstands during my lunch break. I have often wondered what I would say if anybody ever walks into my classroom while I'm inverted. I imagine that conversation would be an odd one (especially since I'm not the sort to interrupt a set), but it has yet to happen.

 

Happy Friday. 

 

Great job this week it looks like, kicking ass on those runs for sure lol, and here's to limbs definitely feeling better and strong. And I would like an update and complete rundown on the situation when someone does walk in on your handstand. Will be a story for the ages I think.

[Pavowski]

15 hours ago, Jayniana Jones said:

 

If anyone walks in on you during a handstand, you totally need to have some one-liners at the ready. It's definitely not something expected, but it could be a ton of fun to roll with. Especially, if you can pull off an attitude of this is a completely normal thing to see. No to mention, you're setting an excellent example for your students. Anyone who can join you should get an A on an upcoming assignment.  

 

What do you teach?

 

I teach high school English. And yeah, I love the little things I can do to one-up my students. My personal favorite was busting out a legs-tucked L-sit for a full twenty seconds in front of my soccer team this year (I'm the coach). Not one of them could even almost do it. 

 

One might wonder what's wrong with somebody when one has to get his jollies out of humbling a bunch of kids half his age, but consider: when one spends his entire working day dealing with the shenanigans of those same kids half his age, one has to get his laughs out of the situation somehow.

[Pavowski]

3 hours ago, Fenyx said:

 

Great job this week it looks like, kicking ass on those runs for sure lol, and here's to limbs definitely feeling better and strong. And I would like an update and complete rundown on the situation when someone does walk in on your handstand. Will be a story for the ages I think.

 

I already know what I'm going to say:

 

"I know this looks weird, but I just want to ask you -- what would you say if our roles were ... inverted?"

[Trewest]

Has any of your students ever accused you of being a pun dispenser?  

[Fenyx]

Has any of your students ever accused you of being a pun dispenser? [emoji14] 

They seriously need to, you're pretty damn good at it lol, love me a punny person