life, kids, and brazilian jiu jitsu » forties http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Parenting Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:38:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Meditation on day 24 http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/fitness/meditation-on-day-24/ http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/fitness/meditation-on-day-24/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:35:43 +0000 admin http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/?p=2899 Wow, so far winter has not arrived in Kingston.  I thought this was supposed to be the coldest part of the year?  It is 4 degrees celcius today.  What gives?

But I digress.

A big part of mindfulness is arrived at via meditation.  Hmmm.  So I am attempting to learn to meditate.  Easy right?  Nope.  I have now been practicing for almost a week.  The idea is to calm the mind by focusing on your breath.  It is like trying to stop a run-away train with strong language.  So far it is not going well.

What IS going well is that I am on day 24 of sticking to a fitness plan.  The “Plan” is to do a minimum of 30 minutes a day of high output rowing on my Concept 2 erg.  So far I have mixed and matched 30 min,  12km, and 8x500m sessions  with intensity that leaves me just short of throwing up or falling down.  My resting heart rate has already started to drop.

The other effort involves a strategic diet strategy, namely:  EAT LESS.  That also is going well.  I am down 2.5 lbs.

Tonight I have been scheduled to work from 9pm until 4am on short notice.  Can’t sleep, so here I am writing away.  Dumb but relaxing so w/e.

 

Onward.

]]> http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/fitness/meditation-on-day-24/feed/ 0 2 weeks of vacation – Kingston style http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/bjj/2-weeks-of-vacation-kingston-style/ http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/bjj/2-weeks-of-vacation-kingston-style/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:00:08 +0000 admin http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/?p=2893 I needed two weeks to recover from numbness in my fingers from shitty ergonomics at my workstation.  I also needed sleep.  Not one or two nights but two weeks worth.  Stomach issues are improving.  I needed the opportunity to take stock.

Today will mark 20 consecutive days that I have either rowed or run.  I am starting to feel like a fat version of the old me.  Aerobic capacity is starting to return.  My left shoulder is weak but starting to come back.  Aidan and I went to BJJ last night.  We sucked.  But damn it felt good.

So I’m older and have to be smarter to be able to continue being physical.  The rowing machine is helping…low impact :)  Low key BJJ will mean I don’t get injured.  Being mindfull will help essential ego supression so I can focus on learning.

Conclusion – I’m actually optimistic about 2012.  It will be a good year.  Day by day.  Minute by minute.  Second by second.

]]> http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/bjj/2-weeks-of-vacation-kingston-style/feed/ 0 The Wolverine Program http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/fitness/the-wolverine-program/ http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/fitness/the-wolverine-program/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:55:27 +0000 admin http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/?p=2887 I’ve been trying to get back in shape.  Life kinda got in the way of fitness so now the wagon is miles in front of me and I really need to work to catch up.

This is day 13 of my attempt to get back in shape.  Days 1 through7 were baby steps.  30 minutes of rowing.  Then 2 days running.  Then a 30 minute row, then a 10k row.

Last night I rowed intervals. 8x500m with a 5 minute rest between.  It hurt but less than I thought it would.

Today a 12km row at 2:21 pace.  Very responsible approach to building up without going crazy like I usually do.  I have a serious problem with doing too much.

Tomorrow some fixed stroke rowing.  All part of the “Wolverine” rowing plan.  Complicated but not too complicated.  :)

]]> http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/fitness/the-wolverine-program/feed/ 0 John McKay’s avulsion fracture of the proximal fifth metatarsal http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/bjj/john-mckays-avulsion-fracture-of-the-proximal-fifth-metatarsal/ http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/bjj/john-mckays-avulsion-fracture-of-the-proximal-fifth-metatarsal/#comments Sat, 03 Sep 2011 15:59:59 +0000 admin http://johnrossmckay.com/wordpress/?p=2755 UPDATE!

I broke my foot on June 23rd when I was thrown onto the edge of a low platform during a warm up for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  One of those stupid avoidable injuries.

At first, I thought it was just bruised and I was able to finish the class and drive home, walk the dogs etc.  The following morning however, I couldn’t put any weight on it at all.  I hobbled around for a day, iced it and finally took the advice everyone was giving me and went to the hospital.

The x-rays clearly showed a broken bone.  The doctor told me I could have an air cast or wear a supportive shoe.  I chose the latter because I felt it would give me more mobility.

The first couple of weeks were a bit painful and I limped to favour the injured foot.  I continued to roll at the club but I was careful.

After about 4 weeks I was able to walk a bit better but still with a a pronounced limp.  I could bear about 60% of normal weight without too much pain.

By 6 weeks after the injury I was able to bear full weight on the foot but it still hurt a bit.  I didn’t try to run.  There was still a noticeable bump at the injury site that was tender to the touch.  Sitting cross-legged was too painful to attempt but overall it felt good.

Then we went to Europe and walked A LOT for 16 days.  Although I could feel the injury, it did not trouble me.  It ached a bit at the end of the day and was still a bit tender to the touch.

Now it is approximately 95% healed.  Still a bit tender if I bump it.  I rolled last night and didn’t notice it at all.  I may try and run on it this weekend.

So you can expect 8-10 weeks for a simple fracture like this.  I’m sitting cross-legged on my mats in the basement as I type, and it seems just fine.

So if you do fracture your foot in the same fashion, that is what I went through, so it might by similar for you.

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