An Ordinary Day

I had dinner plans today so I knew that I wasn't going to make my taekwondo class at night. I do hate missing class, but sometimes things can't be avoided -- and family always comes first.

I hit the gym in the afternoon. I warmed up on the treadmill and headed into the free-weights room.

I love how now I don't hesitate or feel self-conscious when I'm walking into the weights room, which is  predominantly filled with guys lifting heavy weights. Now I'm lifting heavy weights alongside them.

Of course there's still the occasional guy who looks with an expression of - What are you doing in here? It's great watching that expression change to - Damn! I'm impressed ;)

I've decided to follow New Rules of Lifting. Since I've already completed the New Rules of Lifting for Women, I've decided to start on the one that is for men. The exercises are pretty much the same. We'll see how it goes.

It felt good to have a 'normal' workout -- I've been so involved in classes and group fitness lately that I forgot how enjoyable the solitary exercise experience is as well.

It was great having my music on, my plan in hand, and the weights in front of me.

I finished up with 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. In between my exercises I jumped rope (100 skips - no double unders though). Finally, I did 15 minutes of really good deep stretching ... and then I was good to go!

It was really great seeing some of the trainers I hadn't seen in a while and having them comment on my progress. They were very encouraging and supportive of my exploration into martial arts. They were also great about telling me they would help me out with my lifting whenever I needed them, which has been something that's been on my mind since I'm still unsure of my CrossFit status.

It felt really good to know that I had a positive support team behind me.

New Adventures

When I sent to Sidekick Academy 2 weeks ago, I got there early. One of the team members told me to have a seat and watch the training session that was going on at the moment. It was a session for kids. There must have been about 40-50 3-6 year olds, all dressed in their white Gis, watching the trainers, and then each taking turns practicing their moves.

I'm not one to gush over kids at all -- but it was one of the cutest things I had ever seen. The trainers were fantastic; the kids were quite attentive (as much as possible with that many 3-6 year olds in one room), and they all did a great job. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them.

That day, after my first free trial session, I paid for a month's membership and was handed a bag with my first Gi.

When I got home and opened it of course my first thought was - It's not going to fit.

Not to worry. It did fit, and I threw a few punches and kicks and was relieved when I found that it was actually quite comfortable and didn't rip in any critical areas when throwing a kick, hahaha.

There are strings to either side of the Gi which you tie together to hold the Gi in place. I had to figure out what type of t-shirt I would be wearing underneath - one that was fitted enough to not get in the way, but also loose enough to be comfortable. In general, wearing the Gi and training was going to take some getting used to.

The class is basically 1 1/2 hours. For the first 15 minute we warm up with dynamic stretches and cardio (burpees, jumping jacks, push-ups, crunches, etc.) Then we focus on striking techniques - sometimes just shadow boxing type practice and sometimes with pads/bags --- this seems to be a mixture of taekwondo & kickboxing. I'm not exactly sure if it has a specific name. I should find out.

The last half hour focuses on Brazilian jiu jitsu.

Wow. Talk about trying something new that I've never done before!

Brazilian jiu jitsu - or BJJ - is basically grappling techniques. The objective is to learn how to get out of a hold by using your body leverage (not by striking).

The one thing that I had to come to terms with immediately is - You've got to be comfortable with your body. Let me tell you right now, I am not comfortable with my body. I'm getting there, but at that point in time, there was no way I thought I could just lie there on the ground with some guy right on top of me basically throwing me around.

I immediately felt tense. Would I be able to do this? Maybe I've bitten off more than I could chew. Still, I was there, so my only option really was to suck it up and get through the class.

I did. I survived. I enjoyed it!

The whole reason behind why I wanted to pursue martial arts training is because I want to get over my mental blocks, my fear, my hesitations.

I have completed 2 10-kms without any training, I've lifted heavy, heavy weights, I've been boxing and doing kickboxing for a few months now ... I know that I am physically strong and able to do a lot. With proper training, I can do even more.

The main thing that is holding me back is my self-doubt.

I think martial arts takes an enormous amount of discipline and mental focus. You've got to concentrate on your technique. You've got to learn how to keep your cool when you see a fist coming towards your face. You've got to react quickly. You've got to trust your body and yourself.

These are skills that I want/need to develop.

BJJ is perfect for that. You cannot let fear hold you back. After letting my fears hold me back for so many years, this is definitely what I need to be doing right now to move forward and really push myself.

I'm slightly apprehensive about what lies ahead, but I'm definitely very, very excited.

Last night I did passed my first test for my white belt ... let the adventures continue.

Me & my 1st white belt - Jan. 15, 2013 - Sidekick Academy, Kuwait

The Burpees Did It

I've realized that the soreness in my thighs that I was feeling earlier this month is actually from the 60-daily burpees that I've been trying to do each day (I have not been successful at doing these on a daily basis, but I haven't given up). After doing my 60 burpees on Sunday (after a 9-day recovery period from my bronchitis) my thighs were killing me. I'm torn between just ignoring the soreness and continuing the burpees so that I don't have to keep going through this soreness or taking a day or two to rest and recover before continuing.

I did not do the burpees yesterday ... but now all I keep thinking about is how behind I am with my burpee count.

My workouts have been spot on.

Yesterday I went to Body Balance in the morning. Marko has taken over the class since his wife, who used to lead the class, has gone to work at another gym. I was a bit apprehensive about how the class would go. It's hard to switch to a new group exercise leader when you're so used to one person and their particular style (plus they know your strengths and weaknesses) but he was great & I really, really enjoyed the class.

At night I had a killer kickboxing session at ClubFit. Marc really pushed me in the beginning - forcing me to put out the idea of being sick and just focus on what I could do and bang out those punches. It was terrific.

Today I had another session at Sidekick Academy. The taekwondo/kickboxing session is nothing too new for me. They're quite technical about getting form and posture right, which is great. The Brazilian jiujitsu part is really interesting -- something very different from anything I've ever done before.

So, my exercise has been great.

The thing that I've been faltering with for the past 3 days is food. I don't know what's happened to me but I do know that I need to get a grip.

This is something that I've been chanting over and over to myself. There's no point exercising for 2-3 hours a day and then eating a bag of Doritos (which is what I did today). They were in the house and I ate them. I'm totally surprised at myself and on the other hand I'm not that surprised.

The appetite that I lost during the worst part of my bronchitis has obviously returned. First it was bread and cheese and today it was chips. This is not good. There's food leftover from when my dad was here - it's gone now - and now there are some munchies that are part of the welcome basket for D's parents. They arrive tomorrow so all that food will be gone too.

I'm definitely disappointed in myself. I should be able to share the same living space with a bag of chips and not give in to temptation ... the fact that I did so gluttonously consume something that I knew was bad for me makes me realize that I do have a long way to go. This is the first time in a LONG time that I had such a binge. I'm going to do my best to ensure that it's the absolute last time that happens.

I've always preached - Don't bring the food in the house. I broke this cardinal rule. Shame on me.

It's done. I'm here now.

There's work to be done!

Training Issues

My training schedule is upside down at the moment. I've got my list of things that I want to achieve (based on my goals for January and 2013). However, I don't feel organized.

My main issue is with CrossFit. The advanced class that I was a part of has been cancelled because there were only 3 of us attending. The other two girls do a lot of CrossFit and also do Olympic lifting with the Box. They also have their own beginners class. The Coach suggested that I join their class to keep with the training. However, after my first experience at the end of last year, I am reluctant to try. The girls are really good and very enthusiastic about CrossFit. However, the reason why I joined the Box and stuck with this one is because I was paying for the expertise of our Coach.

A lot of people hear the word CrossFit and immediately think of injuries and overtraining. However, I truly believe that if you have a good trainer who knows what they are doing, then you'll be fine. When you're doing such intense exercises and you're lifting that much weight, you've got to trust and have complete confidence in those who are around you, particularly your trainer.

I only ever felt that way with our Coach ... and now he's not giving the classes, so I really don't feel comfortable training.

What this boils down to, at the moment, is that I won't be continuing with CrossFit.

I'm quite sad about this. I really did enjoy it and saw a lot of progress in my general fitness levels.

Still, it's not the end of the world. There are tons more things that I can do to continue with my training. I just need to figure it out. I guess that's the phase I'm in at the moment.

I've definitely got plenty going on. I've got Sidekick Academy for my taekwondo/kickboxing/jiujitsu training. Plus I've got the cardio kickboxing at ClubFit. On top of that I've got my general gym membership for regular training.

I know 3 gym memberships sounds insane, but I actually use ALL of them regularly.

I definitely do not want to stop resistance training. I absolutely believe that lifting weights is the way to go. However, I've got to balance it out with the martial arts training that I'm starting. I don't want to overdo it. I'd like the workouts to all compliment each other. Since I'm not doing CrossFit anymore, perhaps I'll just do weight training at my regular gym and get a personal trainer once in a while when I want to focus on heavy lifts. I'm not sure.

This is going to take some working out.

I'm supposed to meet with a trainer later on this week to talk about my general nutrition and fitness goals. Hopefully he'll help me figure out how to balance everything so that I'm getting the most out of the energy and time (and money) that I've invested into these different workouts.

Back at the Gym

I finally went back to the gym today. It was really cold this morning (6C/42F) but at least the sun was out.

The view of the outdoor pool area of my health club - Palms, Kuwait

I'm always a bit cautious after having my bronchitis phases because I really don't want a setback. At the same time, I've taken 9 days off from the gym - 9!!!! I don't even want to think about that number!

I started off with 20 minutes on the treadmill. I threw in a few mild sprints (total 6 minutes) just to test my lungs. The breathlessness after each sprint set didn't feel that great, but I didn't have a coughing fit which is a great sign.

I feel like I've come to a bit of a crossroads with my training (more on that later) so I decided to restart the New Rules of Lifting program. This time, however, I'm doing the men's one (very similar exercises)   just to change up the routine. Plus D is doing the program for the first time so it'll be nice to compare our progress.

So I started off with day one of the warm-up phase of the program. It felt good to be lifting again even though I took it fairly easy and didn't lift too heavy. My body felt quite stiff after all that time off. I'm sure I'm going to feel sore tomorrow!

I was very hesitant about doing burpees today, but I'm already so behind in my count that I had to get it done. So, somehow I banged out 60 burpees (burpees suck) and didn't collapse. That's a good sign.

In the evening I went for my first official taekwondo/kickboxing/jiujitsu class at Sidekick Academy. It went really well. We did tons of push-ups - I really need to work on improving my form! It was my first time working out in a gi. That definitely felt a bit strange. I guess it'll take some getting used to.

All in all, a really good day in terms of workouts. My food for the day was so/so. I ate some bread and cheese which I normally don't do. I really need to stop eating bread. It's all the darn leftover bread from when dad was here. I gotta get rid of it.

French Bean & Roasted Tomato Salad

I've been meaing to post this recipe for a while. It's really simple and a lot yummier than it probably looks. It's a good salad for winter because the French beans and tomatoes are warm. I've had a piece of grilled salmon with this as well just to add some more protein, but usually I just have the salad. It's actually got more calories than I realized - mainly because of the olive oil. You could reduce the amount of feta to lower the calorie count, but it really does add a nice change of texture to the salad.

Pictured without the pine nuts or dressing

Ingredients:

4 cups lettuce/mixed greens

1 1/2 cups trimmed French beans

4 tablespoons feta cheese

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

10 cherry tomatoes

2 bay leaves

sea salt & pepper to taste

2 teaspoons + 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil 

Dressing

1 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Slice cherry tomatoes in half. Place on a baking tray (spray with olive oil before placing on tray) and sprinkle sea salt and ground black pepper on top. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the tomatoes. Also crush 2 bay leaves over the tomatoes. Bake at 225 for 45 minutes.

2. Top and tail the French beans; slice; boil for 5 minutes. Drain.

3. Make the dressing - combine all the ingredients together and blend well. 

4. Toast the pine nuts in 1 teaspoon of olive oil. 

5. Mix the salad ingredients - lettuce, French beans, roasted tomatoes, pine nuts, and feta cheese. Add the dressing.

Nutritional Info: (calories per serving/serves 2 - including the salad dressing)
550 calories
19 g. protein
56 g. carbohydrates (16.5 g. fiber)
28 g. fat (4 g. saturated fat)

A Few Deeper Breaths

Today was the first day that I started to feel quite a bit better. Unfortunately I'm still coughing, and although I can take deeper breaths, I still cannot deeply inhale and exhale without choking/coughing ... so there's a ways to go.

Today marks 1 full week off from the gym. I cannot describe the frustration ... but I am just trying to hold on to the thought that this is needed rest time. Rushing back could cause a relapse, and then that would just be devastating!

Dad has been visiting from Bangladesh for the past few days. He leaves tomorrow night.
When he was visiting back in October [you can read this past post], we had quite a few issues with food. I was in the middle of the Whole Life Challenge and he just didn't get it. As a diabetic, he should be extra careful with his food intake ... but he isn't, and it drives me insane.

The second day he was here we stopped at the supermarket - he bought some chips, some chocolate, cake, and different types of bread - sliced, pita, croissant. In the days leading up to his visit I kept telling myself - don't get into a fight with dad over food. He's only here for a while. Just let it go. I tell you though after seeing him put those things in the shopping cart, it was insanely tough to bite my tongue. Of course he offered me the foods; he commented about my eating habits; he joked about food (which gets me the most) etc. etc. I had a really rough time dealing with it ... but I still kept quiet. I decided that it was his life. He could do whatever he wanted to do. In my house, I'll only provide tasty, healthy options. If he wants something from outside, then he can do it ... but that does not mean that I need to partake.

The main reason that I didn't want to get into an argument with him is because he's my dad after all. I tried to make clear (again) that his joking about food really upsets me but I also didn't harp on it. He's set in his ways and his mentality. I do not want to fight with him and then have him travel back to Bangladesh ... I do not want there to be bitter feelings between us because I might hurt his feelings by being angry about food. It's not worth it. I would be so devastated if something happened to him and the last the we had done was leave each other in anger.

Bigger picture. Bigger picture.

The best I can do is lead by example and stay true to my new lifestyle.

So, that has been quite a challenge. It's gotten a bit better though of course there are a few daily incidents that drive me crazy. Still. No need to lose sleep over it. We all make our choices and then have to deal with the consequences.

I'm hoping to get back to the gym by Saturday. I'll probably ease myself into my routine, which is fine. I just want to move again (and not cough)!