week 3

My sister got married this weekend, all the preparation, driving and late nights really caught up with me. I had my nephew and their two dogs at my place too which really adds to the craziness. This morning after I got the kids on the bus I laid down and slept through my morning class. I realized at work that I had signed up to do warm up today too. It was embarrassing to see Sifu tonight and tell her that I slept through it. On the bright side I think I've caught up on my sleep.

So we have started a new semester in the San Shou class and it seems that I am the only woman in the class now. I don't mind working with guys at all, in fact I think in some ways it's an advantage to have a bigger person to work with. My husband is my partner for all the extra training that I do and I feel comfortable working closely with guys, but it doesn't always go both ways. A lot of times I am hopelessly out weighed and I suppose if I was skilled enough that wouldn't always be the deciding factor in my matches as far as grappling and traditional san shou goes but for now it is. I know that a lot of the guys in the class like to train a little harder and that can be tough when your worried about hurting your partner. I would love to say that I can take as much as any guy in the class can, but I can't. Adrien has almost crushed my ribs a few times practicing moves... I just can't support the weight of someone almost twice my size. I would love to recruit some women for the class, but there aren't many that are interested. So I guess this means I just have to get really good. My biggest problem is remembering what I've learned while I'm rolling. Practice, practice, practice!

Keep on keepin' on

So it's been a great first week of 7. It's refreshing to have new goals to work on, not that I don't love doing kempo one two and three, but I was glad to be done that requirement! I like filling out the days blank spaces in my notebook with push ups, sit ups and the like, it feels good to have some physical evidence of progress made. Sometimes that makes a crazy day seem more worthwhile.

In the kids warm up tonight I did push ups and sit ups like I was flying off the ground, it felt pretty great. I love the days that you really notice all the hard work that you put in. I would love the kids that I help out with felt as fired up about kung fu as I do. I know some kids catch the enthusiasm and some don't seem to care no matter what you do. Its so awesome to see the ones that have the fire lit under them, or when you have a really high energy class. Those kids can really vibrate the walls when they want to.

Next week I will post my requirements, I can never seem to get the list and my blog together at the same time. Till next week!

GO!

Wow, it's 2010 and the beginning of UBBT 7. Started the new year off with 1000 push ups and 1000 sit ups, feels pretty awesome. It's a great start and makes me wonder why I have trouble getting in 150 some days.
It feels good to be starting a new set of requirements and have new goals to be working towards. I was a stay at home mom when I started UBBT 6 but I'm back working so 7 will have a totally different dynamic for me. I have to be smarter with my training and fitting my daily goals in where I can. I have been taking a pedometer to work with me and realized that I had been shortchanging myself with my kms. I had estimated that I walked about 4-5 kms a day depending on when I started. Turns out it's more like 15 or 16 kms just while I'm at work, pretty cool.
I've taken on less push ups this year and I will be adding in an equal number of rowing exercises to try and repair some of the damage I've done over the last year by strengthening one sided.
So, it's another year of aches and pains, bruises, and injuries but I'm proud of them because I know my teammates are just as tired and bruised and battered and we work hard to get there. yeah, it's going to be an awesome year.

51

So this will be my 51st and last blog entry of UBBT 6. So I guess I've sat here 51 times trying to write. The blogging is still pretty painful, but I guess I've become more ok with the fact that my blog will never be the most interesting read, that it's more of a tool for me.
I am excited to have new goals to work on, and having my husband in 7 will be a great motivator. Having the phys-out web site will be great for me to keep my numbers in perspective. I feel more prepared this time around, I have a pedometer for example, so I'm sure that will make the kms challenge better (having failed miserably this time around). I'm excited to have new team members, there are more non black belt student members in 7 and so I feel there will be more of a team feel for me as I don't really train with any black belts other than Adrien.
This feels sort of anti climactic, as I won't really be ending anything, just heading straight into UBBT 7, but I do feel a sense of beginning again. Can't wait to see where the next year will take me.

countdown

So we're in the home stretch. Pushups felt great today... I'm so excited that my body isn't going to have to get used to doing all the pushups like it did for the beginning of 6! Not a lot to say today, the past year in review has been amazing. I am somewhere I never thought I'd get to, it feels awesome

Busy doesn't do it justice

When I tell people I've been busy lately it falls woefully short of how crazy I feel right now. I have been struggling to keep my head out of the water as far as my requirements go since the beginning of the month. I wanted to end UBBT 6 with a bang and instead its that farty sound when you let a balloon out slowly. I have wondered so many times if it was wise for me to do the UBBT again when I am under so much stress. I always come back to the idea that it isn't about having perfect numbers, its about staying the course. Well, OK the numbers are important too. I have finished one project this week so I have a little more time at night now and I'm hoping that I can finish the second half of the month with the big hurrah I was going for. Part of my plan for UBBT 7 is to be smarter with my goals, get a pedometer for example. Having better recording methods and using as much of my regular routine like work etc. to my advantage. So that's the plan Stan. Better get busy. I mean busier.

Living Hero #3 Ayan Hersi

Ayan Hersi is a Somalian refugee that grew up in Canada. As a child her father was deported and her mother struggled to raise 5 children on social assistance. Growing up with her mothers support and the strength she had witnessed in the Somali refugees she resolved to be the first woman in her family to graduate university.
She ran for school president in high school and when she was told that she should run for something less demanding because she was a young black woman, she became more determined to win and did with her mothers strong support, becoming the first black woman to be president of the school council.
In the aftermath of 9-11 she started and anti racial campaign for the Muslim students who were experiencing an increase in bullying, threats and insults.
At the University of Toronto she assumed a leadership role in AIDS education, anti racial and anti violence advocacy. She spearheads human rights training for women in Namibia, Kenya, and Somalia. As a part of the United Nations Development she spent the summer of 2007 in Namibia as part of the University of Toronto HIV/AIDS academic field project. Ayan worked with the local women to advocate for anonymous HIV/AIDS testing, counselling and treatment and prevention programs.
She supports disabled students, ensuring they receive accommodations and financial assistance to succeed in school. Ayan is the founder of Youth in Touch, a youth led, non profit organization that provides young people with access to networking skills, money management, legal rights and access to education.
Ayan Hersi is an amazing young woman, she is my living hero #3.