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Olympic Feets

Well, I joined Ravelympics. If you are on Ravelry.com then I’m sure you’ve heard of it… if not, well, it’s Olympics for Knitters. There are events to compete in and you can’t start until the opening ceremonies.

I’m doing the Cable Cross Country.. which is very ambitious since I’ve never done cables before. I’m already behind since I initially was going to use this yarn dyed by the Chicks with Sticks which I got from the Knitting Purls sock yarn club.

The Chicks with Sticks
Which is a beautiful bamboo/wool blend that barfed on me so it took me ages to get ready.. and then it made this gorgeous spiral when I started knitting it and I thought “I have a better pattern for this yarn”..so you guessed it.. I frogged it.

Now I’m using this Good Grrl yarn by Tempted Yarns. also from the Knitting Purls sock yarn club.
Tempted Yarns: First Spring Iris
Incidentally, if one of you buys this before I feel justified in replenishing the stash, I will be sad.. but you will love it.. this is awesome yarn to work with.

Anywho…

Got a good amount of cable done.. after several false starts, I think I’m getting the hang of it.

CableSock.jpg

Um..that would be Fred the Yeti and Toby the Dragon in the background… being supportive.

In karate news, I didn’t make it to class all last week. I don’t know what I did to my knee but it was swollen for no reason… and painful.. wierd.. I think I slipped on the ice or something and hyper-extended it. There were times it felt way loose.. and other times it was fine. Sensei said that extensions with weights help by building the muscle around the joint.. good plan.. should give that a shot.

We had a good class today. We had two beginner students. Young kids. Very respectful and really listened. If they stick it out, they will do well. Good that they are together, though because they can help each other out and they can spar together. Kinda hard to be the only two kids in a group. I do hope they come back though.

My back stance still sucks.. I think I must have a mental block or something… and there are still quite a few things that I’m screwing up in my kata… annoying… I have to figure out how to do more practice at home.

KicknKnit February 14, 2010 Fiber Arts, Karate No Comments

Push

I meant to write this on Tuesday but it just didn’t happen. Oh well.

I’ve been really pushing myself to eat right and get to class. As of this morning I am down 10 pounds and 1.5 inches around my waist.

This brings me joy.

Getting to class can be tough.. when I’m busy at work, I can’t get there, and when it’s slow, I’m such a zombie that I have to force myself to go instead of sitting like a lump on the couch. So stupid.

So I push. I push myself to go. Once I get there I always have an amazing time. I really do love it. But it still requires a push to get there.

I’m also trying to remember to do my one hundred push-ups challenge. I did the first day and then promptly forgot about it. Man was I SORE after that first day. I’m not even doing real pushups.. just against the wall. Sad, but true.. Hey you gotta start somewhere right?

I also had to push myself to finish these.

CIMG0075.jpg

It was for a Knit A Long for my Old School Sock Knitters group on Ravelry.

I didn’t make it.

But I was close! and not for lack of trying. I just ran out of time.
I finished them two days late.. oh well.

CIMG0096.jpg

KicknKnit February 5, 2010 Eating Well, Fitness , , , 1 Comment

Just relax

Damn I have a hard time with that.

Had class today. Sunday’s are always great because not many people show up which means I get a lot of instruction. Today was a little different. It was still intense, but Sensei didn’t spend a lot of time picking apart our technique.

We warmed up, did a few combinations and as I was moving through them, I envied my classmates ability to smoothly move from block to punch to kick. When I move from one technique to another it’s jerky and clunky and slow.

One of the things that Sensei said today was to relax. He says this all the time, but today he elaborated a bit and I realized what I’m doing wrong. When I execute a technique, I’m tensing my muscles all through the entire technique.. instead of waiting until the end of the technique and then tensing… and then relaxing.

Talk about using too much energy! and there is now way to move smoothly through one technique to another if I don’t allow my body to relax. Seriously I’ve felt like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. Oil Can! Oil Can!

When we did the next combination, I tried to remember this… and it was much easier.. maybe now when I do 20 front kicks I won’t look like I’ve done a thousand (at least that is what Sensei said I look like– I know that’s what it FEELS like!)

And I’ve been knitting and crocheting. I’m currently into dishcloths, so I made a set for a friend. She loves orange.. like for realz

Chinese Waves – pattern
Chinese Waves

Chrysanthemum- pattern
Chrysanthemum

BallBand Dishcloth -pattern
BallBand

And my FAVORITE!

Dog with Paw -pattern
Dog

KicknKnit December 27, 2009 Crochet, Karate, Knit, Patterns 1 Comment

Two days in one week

Must be some kind of a record.

I went to class last night. Sensei started teaching me Heian Sandan. It was pretty darn cool.

KicknKnit January 7, 2009 Karate No Comments

Fail

Work kept me until 6:30.. dammit

KicknKnit December 30, 2008 Karate No Comments

I’m sore and sleepy but I had a good time!

So, I went to our little club’s first Karate Camp!  It was in Fly Creek, NY and was hosted by one of our members. 

I had expected to tent out over night.. haven’t done that in.. um..  well I don’t remember the last time I slept in a tent.

Evidently, I’m not as good at it as I thought.

I arrived late.  I had to swing by my mom’s house.   She lent me a camp stove and a little coffee pot.  I didn’t really get started until late anyway because Friday night is grocery night which meant I didn’t get to bed until almost 11:30 on Friday.

So Saturday I had to pack the cooler and all my stuff etc etc etc…

Three hours later I arrive..  it’s beautiful!!!!  Great Pond and the dojo was a converted barn.

Set up my tent.  Had a little chat with Sensei and then realized that it was 1/2 hour before the second training of the day. (2:30)

So with no lunch, as much water as I could down in 10 minutes and in 85 degree heat in a sticky humid barn, we got to training. 

An hour and 1/2 later, I was beat!   But training was GREAT!  Sensei from another local club that we are affiliated with gave instruction.  I was hesitant at first because I’d never met him but it was interesting to have someone else give you tips and pointers and to train different combinations. 

He asked me to follow along with my  new Kata.  Heian Neidan.  I’d only done it once but I wanted to make a good showing for my club so I tried.. I tried HARD!

I did pretty good!

So then dinner, but I was too hot to eat… I drank a ton of water and by 8:30 I was ready to eat.   In the meantime I watched the kids in the pond having a great time with the ziplines.. and teasing each other..  tweens are a hoot (when they aren’t yours)

Went and hung out in my tent for a while and ate my dinner cold. I didn’t want to get out the stove.. at this point I needed to eat.

Big bonfire.. lots of chatting with the teenage girls..  they are very interesting.. and I was the only one who brought a flashlight for potty runs.. I was VERY popular…..

went to bed around 11:30.

And tossed…

And turned…

And tossed some more..

In order to light the pond at night, the fountain had to be on…  it’s all on one switch.. and since we were all tenting AROUND the pond, we sort of had to have the light on.

Which meant I couldn’t really hear the bullfrogs (which I did want to hear).. but I could hear the fountain… running.. and splashing..

I got up three times for potty runs…..

which was two buildings and one BIG ass hill away…

Eventually, I just went and slept in the car.. I have a futon mattress in the back for the fur kids.. there were cookie bits and dog hair but I didn’t care. 

I was up again at 4:30… oh my gawd..  we were training at 9AM and all I wanted to do was SLEEP!  I think I got all of 2 hours of sleep.. in bits and pieces..

At first light I hiked back to my tent and grabbed my clothes..  back UP the hill to the bathrooms to wash up sort of and brush my teeth..   as I walking down the hill it starts to rain..

That did it.

Stick a fork in me…  done.

I looked up a the sky and with silent fury whispered “I don’t care how hard you RAIN.. I am GOING HOME to BED!”

The rain stopped… 

I packed up all my stuff as quietly as possible (after flicking the slugs ::shudder:: off my tent) and hopped in the car…

Home, James….  omg..  I had to stop for coffee.. An hour and 1/2 later.. home.. exhausted but glad I went…

Next time…  I’m tenting AWAY from the pond… 

Tags:

KicknKnit July 13, 2008 Karate 2 Comments

Taking a tip from Cynthia

Cynthia at Luna Tail does a blog and occassionally writes on what day it is.. in her cycle I mean (if there are any boys lurking and I doubt it, be warned.. this post is going to be about Girl Bits)

I, too, suffer from some nasty PMS… the older I get, the worse it is.. but I’ve noticed that since I’ve started working out, it’s gotten better…

But I’ve never really paid attention to where I am in my cycle… I know I’m when I”m going to get my period because I’m a rip roaring bitch the week before.. and I can’t stop eating… it’s crazy.

I’ve hesitated keeping track because I don’t want to be anticipating things, but maybe if I track it, I can keep tabs on what helps… so I’ll also be adding in what I ate that day…and what exercise I got  (with the help of The Daily Plate)

I have NO idea what day I’m on.. or what to start with.. is day one the day I start my period? or the day it ends?  probably starts…  because that’s pretty clear.. ending is sometimes, well…  dragged out…

Maybe Cynthia will swing by and let me know what she uses as day one.

KicknKnit June 7, 2008 Fitness 1 Comment

Sensei Kicked Me

Omg.. it was so funny!

We were practicing Front Kick to Chest and we were supposed to target the knot of the belt of the person we were practicing with.

I did ok.. I was so careful to try and extend my foot that I was going too slow and not really snapping my leg out there.

My partner did better, but she didn’t extend her toes out so she kept missing.

Sensei demonstrated on me.  Tap .. tap.. tap.. the ball of his foot tapping my belt.  Fine, no problem..

Then he says “And then if you want to extend”.

BAM!  He kicked me!   Not hard.. but hard enough to knock me back a foot.

I grunted like a pig and then cracked up..

(but I can see where he could really really hurt a person)

KicknKnit April 11, 2008 Karate , 1 Comment

That was humiliating

I decided that before class yesterday, I would walk the track at the Y first. Not fast and not a lot.. just enough to warm up my major leg muscles. Our warm-ups are often not long enough for me since I’ve been so sedentary.

My mistake was not hydrating myself. I should have brought water, but didn’t.

Halfway through class I had to ask to leave to get a drink. My heart was pounding so hard it was scaring me and I could feel my mouth drying up.

Sensei asked “Do you really need to?”

I was so mortified… I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t think I was going to blow a gasket.. he let me go, but I was very embarassed that I didn’t take care of myself before…

Then I almost kicked the kid next to me doing side snap kicks. And I was so surprised that I started giggling.. my stress response is to giggle or cry. I prefer giggiling.

Sensei reminded me to keep my focus. Then I made another mistake and tried to explain myself.. Doh!

Sensei then told me that it was ok to make mistakes, that’s how we learn. Funny, that’s how I train my dogs too…

It was a hard class for me.. oddly, physically it wasn’t as bad.. mostly it was the mental challenges and I didn’t realize it until it was too late.

I’ll do better on Saturday.

KicknKnit January 11, 2008 Karate , No Comments

That 12 year old officially scared me.

Class was really exciting! There is still a lot I need to learn. Classes are ongoing so I have to catch up. I was supposed to have another private lesson on Monday but the holiday sort of threw the wrench into that.

Tonight, I did push ups for the first time in 20 years.. ow.

The best part, I think was the “target Practice”. We stood opposite each other .. the other beginners were little kids so I got to stand with the 12 year old who just got her brown belt.

So I throw punches at her chin and chest, without hitting her of course… and then we switched…

That sweet little girl turned into a viper. Oh My gawd… I had to close my eyes! She never hit me but I could feel the breeze off her punch and the energy behind it was incredible.

Yup… scared…

When we was done, she smiled at me… I think she got a little kick out of freaking out the “old lady”.

KicknKnit January 3, 2008 Karate No Comments

Ichi

Tonight is my first actual Shotokan Karate Class.  I’m really looking forward to it. 

Sensei gave me a private lesson last week and I really enjoyed it.  I feel I can trust him and that is important to me. 

He demonstrated a few kicks and punches while I stood there.  His hands and feet came within 1/4 inch of my body and I didn’t flinch.  That tells me somthing. 

I expect I’ll be awfully sore.  and I’m concerned about not remembering the rules of the Dojo.. when to bow.. when to meditate…  etc etc.

oh, in case you were wondering “Ichi” means “one”.

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KicknKnit January 3, 2008 Karate No Comments
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