Goal + Action = Reality

[TopNotch]

Right, new place, new day, new start.
One thing I've discovered over the years I've been with Darebee is that, though I've generally had goals, they have been too many and too diffuse. Jack of all trades, master of none. That stops.

I have two foci: Taekwondo and running (which I never thought would ever be on my list!).
Everything I do should be done with the direct and deliberate intention of improving one of them - both is a bonus.

Therefore, I need to work on:
• quads/hamstrings strength
• glute activation
• ankle/foot stability
• back and core strength

I'd like to work on:
• increasing push-ups
• grip strength
• splits

Running focus:
• strength training for runners
• improving running technique
• consistency

Taekwondo focus:
• quicker foot movement/lighter on my feet
• better foot rotation
• faster strikes (both foot and hand)
• reduce arc for hook kick
• power!
• elevation!

I want to include things like ladder drills, kicking the heavy bag, and slow kick extensions. I shall build a more conprehensive training plan shortly.

For a goal to be truly effective, it must be measurable. I might not reach it, but it is something to aim for. So, my measurable goals, with an achievement date of June 2023, are:
• complete C25k again (however many times I need to feel good)
• run 3 x 5k runs
• hold leg above 90° for at least one minute
• constant 180° rotation on turning and side kicks
• 40 consecutive full push-ups

The other day, I read this quote:
“In absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia.” – Unknown
Bruce Lee said this: “It is not daily increase but daily decrease, hack away the unessential. The closer to the source, the less wastage there is.”
He applied this idea primarily to his martial art, and also to life—moving towards simplicity of movement, thought, and being. It’s about cutting away everything that isn’t essential, and restraining our impulse to keep adding on and accumulating.
So I shall stop adding, reaching for the next new shiny, and instead focus on the essential. And, of course, include as much fun as I can!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Looks like a solid plan, TopNotch!

I do have one question though, re: the inclusion of splits in your "like to work on" section. Just how high are you aiming to be able to kick? Does "hold leg above 90° for at least one minute" refer to a front kick position or a side kick position? The ability to do full splits is significantly hypermobile for a runner. High kicks will obviously benefit from greater hamstring flexibility--but even there, full splits seems like a lot.

 

[TopNotch]

@Laura Rainbow Dragon That's TWO questions! Okay, first answer - we do some kicks where we bring the leg (bent or straight, depending on the kick) up and then flick the foot down on the opponent's head (or nose, or sometimes just clavicle). So, it's got to be pretty high! Check this for some examples. Additionally, in Poomsae, the higher you can kick, the prettier it looks = more points.
Second answer - Front kick position. With the side kick, I have little problem holding at 150-160°, but front kick, those quads burn!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Front kick position. With the side kick, I have little problem holding at 150-160°, but front kick, those quads burn!

Wow! I work on this position too. But I cannot hold it at 90° for even one second. Maybe one day. (But yeah: the quads!)

I understand the splits training now. That is some high kicking!

 

[TopNotch]

I'm probably just really slow, but it took me ages just to find out how to start my thread, and now that I've managed to do that - how did I find it again?! Ah, I miss that Notifications tab that just showed all the people I'd subscribed to when they or someone had posted on their threads. Or have I just not discovered that. The bell thing doesn't seem quite as easy. If that's it, though, I guess I'll get used to it. But do I "follow" or "watch" - both of which, but especially the latter, sound a bit creepy... Humph, was going to add an emoji but they're not all here. Where are the three kittens??
Anyway, new beginning, and I've actually decided not to number my days!! [insert missing emoji here] This is a BIG thing for me - change. I don't mind it but I tend not to seek it out. But now it has been thrust upon me.
Of course, now I don't know what to start with.

Programme:
Back and Core Day 1. I haven't got my plan drawn up yet - I only wrote down my goals this morning so I need more time to cogitate, but this is something that I need to do, so I'll do this programme again. I used a mini-band for the bridges and leg raises. I had hoped that when the programmes and challenges moved over, all the red crosses would have been removed, but nope, had to do it myself!

Walk. Used Strava for the first time. It reckoned I did 4.47km. ZR reckoned I did 3.7km. Split the difference, I reckon it was about 4. Took around an hour, and I even did some gentle jogging occasionally, but only for about 30 seconds and only when the ground was either flat or downward sloped. That was why I never got to do more than about 30 seconds, though I don't think I was up to more anyway! Slow gentle jogging didn't hurt the leg at all - it's more the longer strides that does it. But it was such a beautiful day. Proably about 19° when I went out, no wind, lovely blue sky. I even wore a t-shirt! Can tell the equinox is almost upon us!


Check out that sky! And as I walked along the path, for a little while, I was a duck-herder until they peeled off to the left.




Not easy, getting used to dealing with these photos. Takes ages for me to be able to type under again. Everything takes time to get used to, I suppose.

Banded lateral walks - 2 sets
Push-ups - only got around to 25 today.

 

[OJJJEM]

I am confident that you will adapt to the changes here in no time! In the meantime, us other slow-to-adapt folk will cheer you on!

 

[HellYeah]

Do you know there is a Hive Group at Strava?

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

I'm probably just really slow, but it took me ages just to find out how to start my thread, and now that I've managed to do that - how did I find it again?! Ah, I miss that Notifications tab that just showed all the people I'd subscribed to when they or someone had posted on their threads. Or have I just not discovered that. The bell thing doesn't seem quite as easy. If that's it, though, I guess I'll get used to it. But do I "follow" or "watch" - both of which, but especially the latter, sound a bit creepy... Humph, was going to add an emoji but they're not all here. Where are the three kittens??

If you click on the bell icon, at the bottom of the pop-up list of recent notifications there is a link that says "Show all" that will take you to a new page with all your notifications on it, just like the old message centre.

"Watch" to subscribe to a thread or a forum, "Follow" to subscribe to all posts by a specific user. (The latter can be found under "New Posts - Your News Feed". Updates to threads and forums you're following show up under "Alerts".

I believe the Team are still in the process of adding emojis to the new forum. Neila said most if not all are coming back, but other things are a higher priority right now.

We have moved!

Hello there! We have moved! And this is our new home :happy: If you are new to the DAREBEE community, welcome aboard! If you had an account and a personal log in the previous forum, you need to register again and move all your stuff here, manually. You can find your old profile and your log...

www.community.darebee.com

 

[Anek]

That is a glorious sky indeed!

 

[TopNotch]

Do you know there is a Hive Group at Strava?

No, I did not. Perhaps I'll check it out.

 

[TopNotch]

If you click on the bell icon, at the bottom of the pop-up list of recent notifications there is a link that says "Show all" that will take you to a new page with all your notifications on it, just like the old message centre.

"Watch" to subscribe to a thread or a forum, "Follow" to subscribe to all posts by a specific user. (The latter can be found under "New Posts - Your News Feed". Updates to threads and forums you're following show up under "Alerts".

I believe the Team are still in the process of adding emojis to the new forum. Neila said most if not all are coming back, but other things are a higher priority right now.

We have moved!

Hello there! We have moved! And this is our new home :happy: If you are new to the DAREBEE community, welcome aboard! If you had an account and a personal log in the previous forum, you need to register again and move all your stuff here, manually. You can find your old profile and your log...

www.community.darebee.com

Ooh, I always love it when someone knows stuff and shares! "Show All" - of course! And by poking around, I guess I can't break anything! Though I did scare myself last night when I thought I'd lost my post, but do you have any idea how awkward it is trying to type on an android when a cat with a prehensile tail is standing on and in front of it and it's next to you anyway because another cat has populated your lap and you weren't sitting at a table or anything because, why?
And I love this Reply option!

 

[HellYeah]

No, I did not. Perhaps I'll check it out.

The Hive

Unofficial club of the Darebee Hive.

www.strava.com

 

[OJJJEM]

Ooh, I always love it when someone knows stuff and shares! "Show All" - of course! And by poking around, I guess I can't break anything! Though I did scare myself last night when I thought I'd lost my post, but do you have any idea how awkward it is trying to type on an android when a cat with a prehensile tail is standing on and in front of it and it's next to you anyway because another cat has populated your lap and you weren't sitting at a table or anything because, why?
And I love this Reply option!

*has three cats* *raises hand* I can do you one better: sitting at a laptop with all three cats trying to partially sit on its keyboard with their butts in your face trying to nurse from the bedsheet you're laying under because kitten behavior never left them when they became adults and I guess my bedding's as soft as a momcat's underbelly, and BOY do they really like to claw and nibble!

 

[NancyTree]

Yay for nice weather
If you decide to join the Strava club, I'm Johanna on Strava (something with privacy and work stuff).

Thanks @Laura Rainbow Dragon ! I was also trying to figure out how it works!

 

[NancyTree]

Where are the three kittens??

At the bottom of the list!

 

[TopNotch]

At the bottom of the list!

They've just popped up! They weren't there when I looked yesterday. Mind you, my three can be like that too!

 

[NancyTree]

Yeah, cats....

 

[TopNotch]

Programme:
Back and Core Day 2. I have always struggled with hollow hold...

Walk. Unfortunately the GPS on Fitbit failed again (it happens often) so I had to upload this manually into Strava. And just when I was thinking how cool this all was! Anyway, Went up a mountain again - took just under an hour, 4.5k, and 265m elevation. As I was coming down, I decided to run on the flatter areas. One time I spent too long running and was on quite a slope and I don't know whether my legs were going faster than my body or my body was going faster than my legs, but one of us was not keeping up with the other, so I made sure to walk on the obvious slopes! So I got to run for 30-60 seconds and then walk for about a minute, quite a few times. Unfortunately, I don't think that was a wise idea and now I am forced to have a rest day tomorrow. Well, it's the National Day of Mourning, so I've got nothing else to do.




Very different weather from yesterday.

 

[OJJJEM]

That's a $500+ bird you've got in that tree.... Love those pics! It's a nice reminder for me to treasure what I've got where I've got it... Never know what others think when they see all of the bounties that I consider "commonplace".

 

[TopNotch]

@OJJJEM I always consider sulphur-crested cockatoos to be the teen-aged boys of the bird world - noisy, generally hanging around in groups, and rather stupid. But, yeah, whenever I see 'roos on my walks, I think "yum", but when I post pictures, it's all "wow!" For me, seeing forests and large lakes and such - that's a thrill. It's when you look at the things around you with a different eye, you actually start to appreciate what is there. So I take pictures of the "commonplace". After all, who knows - some day even these might not be so commonplace any more.

 

[lofivelcro]

If you don't mind me asking, what are you mourning over there in Australia?
And that bird... you can only see those in zoos or zoo shops over here. Never in the wild, of course. A bit jealous.

 

[Nevetharine]

Ah! Another featherbaby parent... I wish I could get my Amazon outside like that. But he doesn't ever want to leave his cage. I only got him when he was already 12yrs, sadly.

 

[TopNotch]

Ah! Another featherbaby parent... I wish I could get my Amazon outside like that. But he doesn't ever want to leave his cage. I only got him when he was already 12yrs, sadly.

Oh, he's not mine! Too noisy. My chickens are bad enough!

 

[TopNotch]

If you don't mind me asking, what are you mourning over there in Australia?
And that bird... you can only see those in zoos or zoo shops over here. Never in the wild, of course. A bit jealous.

The Queen's death/funeral. After all, we are part of the Commonwealth.

 

[TopNotch]

Another day - unnumbered!

Programme:
Back and Core Day 3.

Bent over back shrugs with weights. 3 x 10

I was determined to keep things quiet today, give the legs a good old rest. Contemplated going on the rowing machine - after all, that's not much legwork right? Resisted. It was supposed to rain today so was beautifully grey and still outside, so this afternoon I decided to go out and do some weed-pulling instead. Spent about 75 minutes out there, first digging up some vinca minor as it was encroaching over where there used to be grass (where did it all go? Dirt patch again. ) and then moved out to the front where I weeded a 1 x 2m bed. I'd estimated that it would take me three days to do the three beds, taking my time, of course, but no more than three days. It started raining just before I finished this bed so I quickly grabbed the last few weeds and was done. Less than an hour. The other beds will take a bit longer, especially the one with the overgrown oregano in it (somewhere, I think...) Then there are the bigger beds, but they're for another time.

 

[lofivelcro]

The Queen's death/funeral. After all, we are part of the Commonwealth.

Oh. Oooh. That makes sense. Ah, sorry for being insensitive. I mean, I'm familiar with mourning periods when a monarch dies, but I didn't make the connection.

 

[TopNotch]

Oh. Oooh. That makes sense. Ah, sorry for being insensitive. I mean, I'm familiar with mourning periods when a monarch dies, but I didn't make the connection.

That's okay. She and me - well, we weren't really close.

 

[TopNotch]

Programme:
Back and Core Day 4

Bike. 19 minutes, 8k, so a pace of around 25kph. I'm kind of liking this more and more, thinking of resting my bum from the bike by walking or rowing, rather than perhaps even focussing on going for a walk. Just thinking on that right now - off the top of the head, so to speak, but it sounds like a cool idea. It's easier to increase the intensity, and as I mentioned - ooh, that was in Darebee 1.0, does it still count?! - I've already gone from resist 5 (sometimes only 4!) to 7 in a year (though I did have that period of Z2 training but even with that I found I had to increase the resistance... Rowing, of course, is more whole body cardio so a spot of that from time to time could be cool.

Gardening. Another grey day but not cold. The sun popped out briefly and I had to change into a t-shirt which was rather refreshing. Pulled up more vinca and cleared the second bed. I had anticipated it would take a bit longer, and it did. All up, I was working for about 1 hour 40 min. This young chap came to keep me company. Got so close that he was sometimes almost under my arm, and when he flapped away, startled, his wings hit me in the face. See how intently he's watching me pulling out that weed? Probably waiting to eat more of my worms. Bloody magpies! Still, I reckon I'm pretty high on his list of "100 people I can remember".

 

[TopNotch]

Programme:
Back and Core Day 5

Banded lateral walk - 1 x 3.

Gardening. The sun came out just when I got started so t-shirt again. Did a bit of work around the old pond because the grass frog is back. He comes back every year and I heard him first again three nights ago. The pond is sorely neglected. So I did an hour's work, and shortly after I went inside, it clouded over again and I would have loved to go out but my friend was coming over for some tea before heading off o/s again.

Shortly after my friend left, I decided to see what falling off a ladder would be like. Learnt a few things:

1. I cannot fly
2. Metal rungs of ladders really hurt shins and ankles when forcibly connected
3. My grip strength, in extremis, is much better than I thought! A quick thought flashed through my mind at the time that I was hanging there by one hand like Tarzan to a vine. Tarzan? Really? Probably best not to investigate these near-death flashes too closely...

Been working on my plan. Trying hard not to be too diffuse, and I've gone through all the programmes in levels 1, 2 and 3 to see which ones I can allow myself to do - yeah, I know Ironheart shouldn't be on that list but it was fun! Besides, I need my badges back. Okay, eventually...

 

[NancyTree]

Hopefully you didn't get seriously hurt.. healing vibes for rhe shins and ankles

 

[Nevetharine]

Wow, that smarts! Hope you get better soon. Have a virtual healing potion

 

[Whirly]

Glad you are (mostly) okay after your fall

 

[Anek]

Woha, scary! Glad you're ok!

 

[mavie]

The fact that you are joking about it hopefully means you didn't hurt yourself too bad!?

 

[lofivelcro]

Some experiences don't really have to be made. Falling off ladders is one of them. I hope you're okay

 

[TopNotch]

Thanks, @NancyTree @Nevetharine @Whirly @Anek @mavie @lofivelcro Nothing worse than a couple of nasty bruises. Oh, and the cat (the reason I was on a ladder, holding on with only one hand ), she's fine, too.

Programmes:
Back and Core Day 6
Vitality Day 1 I'm using this mostly as a warm-up, something to get the blood flowing and the joints moving. Besides, I've got to get my badges back!

Banded lateral walk 1 x 3
Home Front workout. Had the training room to clean and washing to fold so I did three missions all up. That included forearm plank, bicep curls x 3, step-ups x 3, commando crawl x 2, front kick, jumping jacks, crunches, air punches, and wall sit x 2.

 

[Nevetharine]

I think it's only fair you command the kitty (by whatever means necessary) to nurse you back to health with her purrs...

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

This young chap came to keep me company. Got so close that he was sometimes almost under my arm, and when he flapped away, startled, his wings hit me in the face. See how intently he's watching me pulling out that weed? Probably waiting to eat more of my worms. Bloody magpies! Still, I reckon I'm pretty high on his list of "100 people I can remember".

Wow! That's awfully well-acclimated to people for a bird! Is that common for magpies?

Glad you and the cat both survived your ladder mishap without too much damage!

 

[NancyTree]

The troubles our cats get (us) into... glad the cat is okay too!

 

[TopNotch]

Wow! That's awfully well-acclimated to people for a bird! Is that common for magpies?

Glad you and the cat both survived your ladder mishap without too much damage!

Magpies are very intelligent birds and can recognise 100 people. I hope this one recognises me as a friendly and doesn't swoop me! Actually, I've never been swooped by our nesting pair/s (they are territorial but I'm not sure where the territory begins and ends!) so maybe all of the local one do. Nice to think that! I've just got this thing with birds. Once picked up a kookaburra from the balcony railing. Not sure who was more surprised!

 

[TopNotch]

Programmes:
Back and Core Day 7
Vitality Day 2 I love the way these exercises just flow into each other.

Walk. See below. Guess who's just started with Strava! I have no idea how to find and follow people, though, @NancyTree , but I've joined he Hive group.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

That is a magnificent (and challenging) trail! Thanks for the pics. I love to see all the interesting places other Bees get to roam!

 

[Anek]

That looks so awesome!

 

[NancyTree]

Walk. See below. Guess who's just started with Strava! I have no idea how to find and follow people, though, @NancyTree , but I've joined he Hive group.

Looks like an awesome hike! I love mountains and waterfalls
You should have a notification that I follow you, so you can find me in your followers list. If you go to my profile page (just click on my name), at the right you can click on a red button 'follow' or 'follow request' or something (I have a Dutch page, so don't know what the English version says). Looking forward to see your adventures there!

 

[mavie]

Guess who's just started with Strava!

Guess who did the same, joined the Hive and followed you and @HellYeah, as i believe. Who else is there?

 

[TopNotch]

Guess who did the same, joined the Hive and followed you and @HellYeah, as i believe. Who else is there?

There's @NancyTree !

 

[NancyTree]

Guess who did the same, joined the Hive and followed you and @HellYeah, as i believe. Who else is there?

I am Johanna on Strava, just started following you!

 

[TopNotch]

Programmes:
Back and Core Day 8
Vitality Day 3

Walk. The golf course circuit which is about 5k, and took about an hour. It had rained in the wee hours, so it was very muddy and slippy. Often I had to walk off the path because it was either a large puddle or bog, and so I got wet socks. But the forecast was for rain this afternoon which held off until just before the Lad and I were leaving his swimming lesson and then it absolutely bucketted. For about 10 minutes. So I got wet. He was already wet. There was a little bit more later this evening.

Home Front missions. Another two missions because there was more washing to fold - why does that take so long?! I guess it could be because I break it up to do a minute each of jumping jacks, bicep curls x 2, step-ups x 2, forearm plank, mountain climbers, and air punches x 2. Though I'm not sure that 9 minutes really made much difference...

I've been working on my plan but school holidays makes things a little less structured, so half the plan has already gone out the window. Mostly, I want to get some cardio every day - either walking (I'm not going to do any/much running except during training until November at the earliest. Want to make sure this calf is properly healed this time!), cycling or rowing. Then a simple programme as a kind of warm-up. Then there are more specific things, and right now, they're a little difficult to schedule but they are on a list so I know what to do when I can do something - which is way better than spending half the available time trying to think what to do! I'm looking at moving stuff around the training room to see if I can squeeze the squat rack/pull-up bar in. So long as I'm not thinking about muscle-ups, there's clearance, and I'm probably more likely to use it if I don't have to sweep the spider webs off it first, or if it's not been rained upon, or...

 

[TopNotch]

Programmes:
Back and Core Day 9
Vitality Day 4

Challenge:
Dead Hang Day 1 I watched again Benefits of Hanging so thought I may as well give it a go. Been ages since I've hung, and that was partly why I did what I did today.

Exercise bike. I went to bed to the sound of rain, I woke up to the sound of rain. No fancy for slippy trails, so I cycled. Just a brief one today - 18 minutes and a shade under 8k, so a pace of almost 25kph.
Home Front missions. First part of the clear out with 2 missions. Did plank x 2, commando crawl, side-to-side shuffle, crunches, bicep curls, front kicks, mountain climbers, and tricep dips.

So what did I do today? I moved my squat rack/pull-up bar off the deck and into the training room. In order to do that, though, I first had to move stuff away so I had the space. I had asked my daughter to give me a hand with the bar. She eyed it and asked if it would get through the door. Damn it! So I had to dismantle the thing, clear all the spider webs (and spiders) out of the hollow pipes, bring it in, wash it down, and rebuild. I'm happy with things, though. I'll be able to use the bar more easily, and that area looks a lot better now. Unfortunately, now my battle rope doesn't have an anchor point...



The mat in front of the treadmill is for the cats to scratch on. They were totally wrecking my good mats so I pulled them all up but kept two to put down when I need them (they're behind the bar now). Not everything has been put back here - there are some weights missing, and a pedestal fan sits next to the stepper and has to be moved out when using the rack, but that's no problem. Just need to stick some things on the wall and she'll be sweet.

 

[CODawn]