The physio people don’t seem like an optimistic bunch. In any case I am off for a few months while we see if it can heal. If not then what? Surgery? Hmmm. No BJJ. It sucks. I can’t work out because of my shoulder. SO….
Need to find a way to make this a positive experience. I guess running is still in.
Not really sure what is wrong. It was sore. Then sorer. Then a bit better. Then really sore. Then I stopped. Got it looked at. Then it got worse on it’s own. Now…I dunno.
So maybe I’ll just run a lot. What else can I do?
Not a good time to have given up swearing.
You wake up, shower drive, meetings, computer stuff, drive, physio therapy, tortellini and tomato sauce, dishes, kiss kiss, bang bang…. blah blah.
Then someone nice gives you a call and is so positive that you smile.
Then you ask the boys if, on the off chance, they might consider contemplating, the possibility of riding my coveted Rocky Mountain race bike beside me while I run in the dark? Who am I kidding? They’re on their computers.
Then, I decide that bed is a better option, I get a drink, and Aidan brings in the dogs.
Now Aidan, to be fair, rides beside me a lot. he always has. But wait…
“What was that about a bike ride in the dark?”, Liam asks.
So we’re back. Ran 7.5km on dark trails and quiet streets. Liam rode and lit the way with my Petzl head lamp. And we talked.
Life is very very good.
Great line. Liam, Aidan, Annette and I went to see Robin Hood. Movie was okay but I am a sucker for lines like that.
Back to physio today. I was doing the damn stretch wrong darnit. More exercises and stretches. I’m on it.
Still reading “Blink”. Cool concept. Worth the read.
Was away on business this week. Detroit. A lot of flying, a little training.
Now I’m back and bought…wait for it…yes…a bed!
Being a divorced full time father has it’s monetary drawbacks so I have been sleeping on a mattress on the floor since I bought our house. Tonight I hit the point where I said “to heck with it” and bought a bed frame from Jysk. I can’t believe how good it is to be off the floor. It was affordable and it’s solid pine.
My shoulder is still taped. It still hurts. Yes I am doing my exercises and stretches. I go back to physio on Tuesday so we’ll see if I’ve made any progress by then.
Just read half of Malcolm Gladwell’s “Blink” in a single session. Very interesting.
Looking back, yeah Contempt and Criticism were used to battle Stonewalling and Defensiveness. I wish Gottman had been there in ’85.
I guess I have always known that my “gut” can be a double edged sword. Mostly it has cut in my favour. I have rarely missed the mark in my assessment of people. The fact that other people have different criteria for friendship and acquaintance, doesn’t change the fact that my gut is right. It only means that it is tailored to my preferences and reality.
I like what I like. Simple really.
Be polite, fair, and pretend to take advice. It’s a strategy.
A bit of a lull. So to speak. While I examine my motivation.
It took a lot of will power, that I didn’t know I had, to get ready for the tournament. I didn’t expect to be quite so nervous either.
So now what? I enjoy the classes, the rolling, the challenge. I admire the people who go hard and work at it. So now what?
I am older than most BJJ students. I’ll be 47 in July. Some days I feel like I am invincible. Strong, lean. Other times, broken and sore.
Thing is…I’m going to stay with it. Against all good sense. It takes a long time to get a blue belt. And there is no Master’s class after white. I’ll need to work twice as hard and 5 times as smart to compete with the younger guys. It takes even longer to get purple. I don’t know whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing that I latch onto things and then go after them like I do.
Discipline and curiosity. It’s what I do.
……….Time for a workout. All things being equal, and at my age they are not, one needs to have a really meaningful strength to weight ratio.
Running a household with two teenagers is a logistical challenge. Blogging is a discretionary activity and is one of the first to be dropped when I get busy.
Since last time…
Ran x3,
Inline skate x1
Rowed intervals x1
Nursing a sore shoulder
Still eating to cut weight
……………………………………………gotta go
This morning I was 165.5 lbs on the scales. So I have lost 5 lbs in 17 days. At this rate I WILL be able to make weight for the April 24th tournament. PROVIDED I stay disciplined. This is equivalent to 2 lbs a week which is not outrageous. This intermittent fast (19 hours fast followed by 5 hour eating window) seems to work for ME. Other people I know have tried it and they just feel terrible so it goes to show that one size does not fit all.
My strategy for the tournament is pretty sketchy because I have never competed:
- I will prepare by rolling as much as possible over the next couple of weeks.
- Mentally I need to be more the attacker than the defender. Better by far to never have to dig myself out of a tough position.
- I will focus on a combination of cardio to shed the last bit of weight (I need to be 167.5 lbs wearing my Gi)
- and on power endurance workouts (Crossfit and Gym Jones style) lasting more than 5 minutes
- I’ll also make sure I include exercises emphasizing grip strength, bridging power, hamstrings for the guard, and abdominals
- I’ll try to get more sleep.
Aidan’s Gi is torn up past repair so I ordered him a new one. A Keiko Raca black Kimono. He really wanted black. You pretty much need 3 Gi’s each in order to stay ahead of the laundry. He loves his Howard Combat Kimono but I always imagine it would feel like wearing a kevlar weightvest.
Here’s a pic of me back in February trying for an omoplata from rubber guard. My fingers are as bad now as they were then. Healing is slow.
BJJ was good tonight. I like open mat. Rolled with Tyler. He showed me a few things with chokes that I need to remember. Plus he accidentally gave me a huge “racing stripe” scratch across the side of my head.
I was one pound over competition weight on the scales at the gym. So this Fast 5 thing is helping. Just need to stay with it.
Rolling again tomorrow.
I was 3.5 lbs lighter than my start weight this morning. Encouraging start to the day really. Then I managed to get through the whole day again on this retarded intermittent fasting intervention…diet…thing.
Nothing worth doing is easy. So I’m sticking with it until I hit competition weight. At this rate that will be on April 7th. Still 5 days short of the registration deadline for the tournament so I can choose the appropriate weight class. Then I will have to decide how I want to structure my eating regime going forward.
Tonight I had a protein shake with banana, apple and kiwi and an omelette with tomato and ham. I’m stuffed. Oh and I checked calories in olive oil…holy crap!
Tonight…English with Liam. Not my forte so I’d better get started.
