Motivation

I've been reading that many people are struggling with motivation. I have struggled with the same thing. The best thing I have found is, as Sifu Brinker has suggested, is to build in habits. If you always do pushups while you wait for the kettle, even on the days you don't feel like doing it, you'll do pushups while the kettle boils. The difficulty I have found is that your day never goes according to plan. I can't say that at 1pm I'm going to do some form reps because I never know what will be going on then. What I can do is plan that when I'm making dinner, I'm going to do a form rep in the kitchen. It's about persistence and taking one day at a time. Even if you haven't done anything for months, if you wake up and do some pushups, your back on the way. Just keep trying.

Basic numbers: 204 pushups, 202 crunches, 208 kicks, 4 reps tai chi, 4 reps broadsword, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: gave the cat and dog a treat, made Mike breakfast and lunch, helped someone at work

Today I consumed: 2 boiled eggs, a brownie, 2 oranges, a bowl of oatmeal, some rice with tuna and green beans and some potato patties. I drank a cup of coffee and 8 glasses of water.

Getting nervous

Hmmmmm rest day. So nice to just rest....my body that is. Starting to worry more and more about grading day. Going for my third degree this year. But I still have so much practice to do. VERY nervous about it. I need to do more practicing.

Basic numbers: Rest day

Acts of kindness: gave the dog a treat, hugged someone, let the cat out and in and out and in.......

Today I consumed: a bowl of raisin oatmeal, 4 brownies, a bowl of macaroni with tomatoes, 3 slices of pizza, 2 cups of coffee, 7 glasses of water and 1 pop.

We need to get together....

The dragon dance tricks are coming along. I think we'll have a good dance for the tournament. We only have a few practices before the tournament.
It's a good idea for us to start doing nice things for each other too as has been suggested. I think the biggest thing we need to do though is get more physical. Less yack, more smack. We can talk all we want, but until we start doing what we're supposed to be doing, we'll feel like we're not doing well. But I think doing things together would help. We should have a sparring day. I'm trying to plan a good day for it so stay tuned! If we all got together  and pounded out 8 hours of sparring...we would be close to done our 1000 reps/minutes of sparring. I think doing something like this, where we could check something off our lists by working together, would boost all of our moral.
If anyone has a good suggestion for a day let me know.
Also, we need to memorize mastery, so we should start going over that as a group maybe.
I know I need to go over it a lot still.

Basic numbers: 208 kicks, 204 pushups, 202 crunches, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: held the door for someone, took Julia for a nice walk, helped Mike

Today I consumed: an egg on toast, an orange, a boiled egg, a cookie, a candy, a chocolate, 2 brownies, a bowl of macaroni with corn and ham, 1 and a half bacon/tomato/cucumber/cheese sandwiches. I drank 3 cups of coffee and 7 glasses of water.

You all have 1 weeks notice!

Tonight at class we were missing quite a few people and I know the team's moral overall is pretty low. But, the overall message I took from Sifu Brinker tonight was that we still have an opportunity to turn this boat around. We have the chance to pick up our socks finish successfully. We still can be successful. I know some people, actually probably everyone, is feeling alienated and alone. But you are not alone! Even if you don't receive comments, your blog is being read!
So, to start this picking-up-our-socks thing....I challenge everyone on Saturday, October 5th to do 1000 pushups and sit-ups. Post your numbers on kwoon talk so the whole school can see. Lets start our I Ho Chuan again with a bang!
You all have a week's notice, so no excuses! You're on the home stretch now, let's get some mojo going before the tournament!

Basic numbers: tai chi reps 5, broadsword reps 4, 208 kicks, 204 pushups, 202 crunches, 2.5 miles

Acts of kindness: gave the cat and dog a treat, walked the dog, did extra chores around the house, made Mike breakfast and lunch

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, half a bran muffin, some macaroni with tuna and corn, a couple of candies, some sausage with perogies and broccoli with cheese sauce and 2 oranges and half a chocolate chip cookie. I drank 3 cups of coffee and 7 glasses of water.

Tournament coming

The tournament is coming up. It will be neat to see everyone's stuff. 

Basic numbers: 51 pushups, 51 crunches, 52 kicks

Acts of kindness: held the door for someone x 2, gave the cat pets, bought a friend a gift.

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, half a muffin, a bowl of soup with a bun, 2 cupcakes, some nachos and a chicken burger. I drank 3 cups of coffee, 1 beer and 7 glasses of water. 

My favourite blog to read

Totally didn't get my form reps done this morning so I was left trying to catch up tonight. Sigh......
The struggle continues!
I've been enjoying reading peoples blogs a lot. My favourite one to read is Ms Gibbons. I can totally relate to everything she says and I can always picture her telling me about her day. Always makes me smile....and often laugh. Totally awesome!

Basic numbers: 153 pushups, 151 crunches, 156 kicks, 1 rep tai chi, 3.4 miles

Acts of kindness: stopped for a waiting pedestrian, helped out a friend, took Julia to the library, gave the cat and dog treats, made the dog a special dinner for his sensitive stomach, made Mike lunch and breakfast

Today I consumed: half a bran muffin, a peanut butter and jam sandwich and 2 chicken burgers. I drank a latte and half a cup of coffee and 7 glasses of water.

Heavy bag

Started practicing my kicks on the heavy bag that we finally got set up. It is quite different kicking something solid. Definitely helps with developing your power. It's good to practice in the air to get your technique down but I think you need the heavy bag to learn how to transfer you power properly. Sure is a good workout too!

Basic numbers: 204 pushups, 202 pushups, 160 kicks, 4 reps tai chi, 4 reps broadsword

Acts of kindness: let someone ahead of me in traffic, brought my sister breakfast, answered questions in the labs I was running today. Made Mike breakfast and lunch, gave the cat and dog treats

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, a tims breakfast sandwich and hash brown, an apple, an orange and 1 and a half ham and cheese sandwiches. I drank 2 coffees and 8 glasses of water.

Success!

Success!
Totally got my work out done today even though it was really hectic. Now to carry that on to tomorrow. One day at a time!

Basic numbers: 202 crunches, 208 kicks, 204 pushups, 4 reps tai chi, 4 reps broadsword, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: let a car in front of me x 2, made Mike lunch and breakfast and gave the cat and dog a treat

Today I consumed: a piece of peanut butter and jam toast, a ham and cheese sandwich, an apple, a baked potato with sour cream and asparagus and some cake with cream. I drank a coffee and 9 glasses of water.

Early start tomorrow

Spent the day marking. Poor Julia is getting a cold. I hope I don't get sick as well. Tomorrow I need to get back to work in regards to my numbers. If I get my form reps done before work I'll be good.

Basic numbers: rest day

Acts of kindness: gave the cat and dog a treat, cuddled Julia, brought Mike some tea

Today I consumed: some oatmeal, a piece of cake with cream, some leftover shrimp pasta, 2 pieces of nutella toast and a rib dinner with baked potato and asparagus. I drank 2 cups of coffee and 9 glasses of water.

Need people for the dragon

Got to go to the practice today. Things are looking good, but we're still pressed for people.

Basic numbers: 51 pushups, 51 crunches, 1 rep tai chi, 2 miles

Acts of kindness: let someone ahead of me in traffic, tickled Julia, gave the dog a treat

Today I consumed: a piece of peanut butter and jam toast, a grilled cheese sandwich with soup, 2 pieces of pizza and some toquitos. I drank 2 cups of coffee and 9 glasses of water.

Back already

Got back from the funeral early so I'll be able to come to practice tomorrow...and help with tiling!
Spent a nice day with Mike and Julia and the family. A lot of driving though.

Basic numbers: 0

Acts of kindness: held the door for someone, let someone ahead of me in line x4, played with Julia in the park

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, a breakfast sandwich from tims with a hash brown, some sandwiches and soup, a pear, some candy and some pizza. I drank 4 coffees and 9 glasses of water

People stepping up

Packing up for the funeral. Long day of travelling and what-not tomorrow. I'm really impressed with how people are stepping up to help with the Tiger Challenge. It's really nice to see. I'm sure it will be great this year.

Basic numbers: 204 pushups, 208 kicks, 21 crunches, 4 miles

Acts of kindness: held the elevator for someone, let someone ahead of me in traffic, gave the cat extra pets, made Mike lunch and breakfast

Today I consumed: 2 bran muffins, a bagel with cream cheese, half an apple and a bowl of shrimp and zuchini pasta. I drank 3 cups of coffee and 8 glasses of water

Thanks Ms Gibbons!

Thanks for the comment Ms Gibbons! Brightened my day. I am feeling a little stressed but I'll manage. You are right about the coffee though!
Suggestion for you in regards to the dragon dance...why don't you help on the instruments? We need a gong person. That way you can still be a part of  the dance, but it won't be so hard on you physically.

Basic numbers: 202 crunches, 204 pushups, 208 kicks, 4 reps tai chi, 4 reps broadsword, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: held the door for someone, let someone ahead of me in traffic, made Mike breakfast and a lunch, took Julia to the library for story time, gave the cat and dog a treat

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, 2 peanut butter and jam sandwiches, some fries and gravy and a bran muffin. I drank 3 cups of coffee and 7 glasses of water.

Why do mornings have to be so early?

Didn't get much done today in regards to practice. I know that I need to get it done in the morning before Julia gets up, but sometimes (like today), making myself do it when I want to crawl back into bed is difficult. Need more discipline!

Basic numbers: 1 rep tai chi

Acts of kindness: held the door for someone x 2, stopped for someone waiting to cross the street, let someone ahead of me in traffic

Today I consumed: half a bowl of oatmeal, some apple slices, 2 boiled eggs, a bowl of macaroni with peas and tuna and a peanut butter and jam sandwich. I drank 2 coffees and 8 glasses of water

Won't be at practice this Saturday

Have to go out of town this weekend for a funeral. Won't be there for practice this Saturday.
Sad time but also a good opportunity to visit family we normally don't see.

Basic numbers: 153 pushups, 202 crunches, 156 kicks, 4 reps tai chi, 4 reps broadsword

Act of kindness: picked up some notes for someone, held the door for someone x3, let a car ahead of me in traffic

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, a banana, a pear, a ham and cheese sandwich, 2 boiled eggs, a granola bar and a bacon, tomato and cheese sandwich. I drank a cup of coffee and 8 glasses of water.

Kung-Fu and music

Spent a nice day with Mike and Julia. Read Sifu Brinker's blog about playing the piano. It will be easy to see how my Kung-Fu will help my violin-learning. I think it will help immensely. Discipline, practicing, learning...all true of Kung-Fu and music. Kung-Fu is in everything it seems.

Basic numbers: rest day.

Acts of kindness: took Julia to see the cows, got Mike a treat, made tea for Mike and I, gave the cat and dog a treat

Today I consumed: an apple, a brownie, some bacon and eggs with toast and hash browns, some fish and sweet potatoes and some chocolate. I drank 2 cups of coffee, 2 cups of tea and 8 glasses of water

Good meeting

Had the I Ho Chuan meeting today. One of the things discussed was getting together as a team more socially. I think that would be good. It would be nice to get to know everyone more.

Basic numbers: 51 pushups, 52 kicks, 4 reps tai chi

Acts of kindness: let someone ahead of me in traffic, took the dog for a car ride, gave the dog a belly rub

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, some fries, some salad, a cheese wrap with pepperoni, a boiled egg, some toquitos, 2 cups of coffee and 8 glasses of water.

Where is everyone?

Got to watch the I Ho Chuan class tonight. There was lots of cool stuff going on. I'm sure we're going to have so many cool things in the Chinese New Year banquet. Attendance has slipped though. Remember when our year had just started and the place was packed? Too bad it isn't still like that.

Basic numbers: 4 reps tai chi, 4 reps broadsword, 204 pushups, 202 crunches, 208 kicks, 2 miles

Acts of kindness: took Julia to the library, made Mike lunch and breakfast, gave the dog a treat

Today I consumed: 2 bagels with cream cheese, a bowl of macaroni and cheese. a piece of chocolate, some gummies, some macaroni with peas, half a banana, leftover tacos and some toquitos. I drank 3 cups of coffee (too much!), 9 glasses of water.

Ugh!

Hardly did any practicing today. Only some pushups. gotta get it together.

Basic numbers: 51 pushups, 2 miles

Acts of kindness: held the door for someone, made sandwiches for Mike, gave the cat a special treat

Today I consumed: a cheese and jam sandwich, some macaroni and tuna, some banana and pear, 2 tacos with all the fixins. I drank 3 cups of coffee and 9 glasses of water.

geostats!

Taking a geostats class. Super hard. Up late finishing the assignment.

Basic numbers: 4 reps tai chi, 4 reps broadsword, 62 pushups, 30 kicks, 4 miles

Acts of kindness: held the door for someone, let someone ahead of me in traffic, bought coffee for someone

Today I consumed: 2 pieces of bread with jam, a piece of nutella toast, a cheese sandwich, a banana, some peas and carrots and a chicken burger with cottage cheese. I drank a cup of tea, a cup of coffee and 6 glasses of water.

Long day

Long day...Work started at 8 and ended at 8. So tired. Didn't get any workout done.
Was planning on doing some when I got home, but it didn't happen. Sat down, ate dinner and just wanted to do nothing. Time to go to bed.

Basic numbers: 2 miles

Acts of kindness: held the door for someone, helped people in lab, complimented someone

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, 2 ham and cheese sandwiches, some peas and carrots, an apple, a cookie, a chicken burger with salad and cottage cheese. I drank 2 coffees and 6 glasses of water.

and it begins!

Phew! Labs have started again and so I'm back to teaching. I remember doing labs and thinking how easy it was to be the ta....you already know the stuff, you just come answer questions and do a bit of marking. What I didn't realize was the hours spent preparing and marking. It takes a long time to mark 60 lab assignments.
The same could be said for Kung-Fu, I remember when I started, I thought the blackbelts knew everything and had done it all. Now I realize that the learning never stops. That's why Kung-Fu is so fun...and so hard.

Basic numbers: 204 pushups, 202 crunches, 208 kicks, 4 reps tai chi, 4 reps broadsword, 4 miles.

Acts of kindness: helped students in the lab, made Mike lunch and breakfast, gave the dog a treat.

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, a ham and cheeses sandwich, an apple, some peas and carrots, a cookie, 2 pieces of jam toast, a bowl of noodles with toast. I drank 1 cup of coffee, 9 glasses of water and 1 neocitron.

open training

There was barely anyone at open training today.  I hope people start coming again.

Basic numbers: 202 crunches, 204 pushups, 208 kicks, 4 reps tai chi, 4 reps broadsword, 40 flying kicks, 3 shoulder rolls and 3 miles.

Acts of kindness: let someone ahead of me in traffic, picked some stuff up for Julia, gave the dog a treat, let Mike sleep in

today I consumed: half a bowl of oatmeal, 2 eggs with toast, some tomato, an apple, a bowl of mushroom soup with toast, 3 pieces of pizza. I drank a cup of coffee, a cup of tea and 8 glasses of water.

Leg cramp!

Sparred in the black belt class tonight. Man do I have a lot to work on. I took a good strike to the leg though and have a wicked leg cramp....awesome! Although, in hind-sight that means I need to work on my blocking....better my leg though than my face!
My sparring goal now is to try and be more evasive, instead of so linear. I'll see if that makes a difference.

Basic numbers: 4 reps tai chi, 4 reps broadsword, 51 pushups, 102 kicks, 2 miles

Acts of kindness: gave the dog a treat, made Mike lunch and breakfast, made someone smile

Today I consumed: a bowl of cheerios, some macaroni and cheese, an apple, some fruit snacks, some macaroni with tuna and olives, half a popsicle. I drank 2 cups of coffee and 7 glasses of water.

Thanks Sifu!

Good practice tonight. I think we'll be good to go for Sunday. Thanks Sifu Beckett for helping me rewash the floor!

Basic numbers: 204 pushups, 202 crunches, 208 kicks, 4 reps tai chi,  reps broadsword, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: held the door for someone, let someone ahead of me in traffic, gave the cat and dog treats

Today I consumed: a piece of toast with peanut butter and jam, a bowl of mushroom soup with a grilled cheese sandwich, 2 bacon, tomato, cucumber and cheese sandwiches, a coffee, 2 teas and 8 glasses of water and a half a glass of wine.

Good luck Sihing Langer!

So violin update.....still playing twinkle twinkle. Tried to advance to Mary had a little lamb last night but I don't think I'm quite ready to move on yet. Still trying to perfect twinkle twinkle.
Workout done as well....this week I'm back to a somewhat normal work schedule so I've been able to fall back into my routines which is nice.
Sihing Langer...hope you had a nice first day of university. I know it can be stressful the first few days. If you need help, look me up!

Basic numbers: 202 crunches, 204 pushups, 208 kicks, 4 reps tai chi, 4 reps broadsword, 5 miles

Acts of kindness: held the door for someone, bought someone a coffee x 2, helped a new student

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, a chicken and cheese sandwich, a brownie, a cucumber and cheese sandwich and some chicken strips. I drank 2 coffees, a cup of tea and 8 glasses of water.

Calming

Sitting outside enjoying the evening. So nice just to take a second and enjoy the moment. Living in the moment takes a conscious effort sometimes. After a long days work, it's easy to plop down and dull you mind with something on the tv or youtube. It's harder to immerse yourself in the moment when your tired. But I think it's worth it. Listening to the trees in the wind, the ducks, the cows, the neighbours...it's calming in a way that is stimulating. I feel content.

Basic numbers: 4 reps tai chi, 4 reps broadsword, 208 kicks, 202 crunches, 204 pushups, 5 miles

Acts of kindness: held the door for someone x 2, let a car in front of me, said hi to someone on my dog walk x 2

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese,  a chicken and cheese sandwich, an apple, a banana, some snap peas and carrots, some ham with mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and cabbage and some icecream with peaches. I drank 2 coffees, a cup of tea and 7 glasses of water.

Twinkle success!

Totally learned "twinkle twinkle little star" on the violin today. So much fun. Also managed to get my workout done today so great day all around. Kung-Fu and music have so much in common. Like Sifu Brinker always says...practicing your forms is like practicing your scales, they are the base for everything. So true!

Basic numbers: 202 crunches, 208 kicks, 204 pushups, 4 reps tai chi, 4 reps broadsword, 4 miles

Acts of kindness: brought my brother a coffee, did extra chores, gave the dog a treat

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, leftover cornbeef and cabbage, half a muffin, 2 pastries and a cucumber and cheese sandwich on pumpernickle. I drank 2 coffees, a cup of tea and 7 glasses of water.

Let the music begin!

Got a violin today. Going to start to learn how to play. So if you hear weird screechings coming from Spruce Grove, it's probably me and my violin. It is interesting to start something new. I'll have to find time to practice though. Might be difficult. Gotta keep up on the Kung-Fu stuff first.

Basic numbers: Rest day

Acts of kindness: sat by a lady at church so she could see Julia, visited some family, made a nice dinner, gave the dog a treat

Today I consumed: a bowl of cheerios, a peanut butter and jam sandwich, a tims breakfast sandwich and a half, a hashbrown, a corned beef and cabbage dinner and a piece of blueberry pie with cream. I drank a cappicino, a cup of tea, half a cup of coffee and 7 glasses of water.