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Showing posts from August, 2011

Getting Stronger...

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Yes, I am getting stronger, but the title above refers to the Rocky theme song :) Strength is a big weakness of mine. My metabolic conditioning needs work too, but right now, strength is a limiting factor for me. I have many problem areas: Weak squats (need to lift heavier) Weak push-ups (working on high reps with perfect form) Muscle-up (need to develop more explosive pull and strengthen false grip) Weak lifts and o-lifts (need to focus on technique) At CrossFit today, I did the following: 3 sets, 5 reps, Back Squat 185-205-205 (in lbs) - Then - 5 Rounds for Time 15 Deadlifts (185 lbs) 15 Toes-to-Bar ( Time: 14:40)

Ouch ...

This morning I did yesterday's WOD. 5 Rounds for Time: 40 Double-Unders 30 Box Jumps (24") 20 Kettlebell Swings (55lbs) A few rounds of this wasn't so bad. Five rounds though ... was a bit painful. I did a mile run to cool down after, which helped loosen me up a bit. I attempted the partial muscle-ups again after the workout, but no luck ... I guess I can only do it when I'm fresh. Need to get stronger. Finally, I learned that nutrition is important. I had a Tim Horton's breakfast sandwich (greasy sausage and egg in a greasy homestyle biscuit) prior to the workout. While this was supposed to gas my lungs, I ended up feeling only a fraction of the pain I was supposed to feel, since I was going a lot slower due to a queasy stomach.

The Weight of Being a Man

Continuing from my previous post, the second lesson I learned on my drive to Michigan was the weight of being a man . (As a note, there is "weight" in being anything involving responsibility and is not necessarily gender specific.) Preamble A few weeks before the drive the Michigan, I drove to Montreal for one of our dragonboat races. Despite my fatigue, I managed to power through with the help of friends singing, playing random games, laughing, and lots of ice and coffee =) What startled me was that I could barely drive much during the Michigan trip. My dad drove the majority of the trip. I would go at spurts of an hour, barely holding on. Eventually my dad told me to just relax and he'll take over. The mystery of being a man How were both these cases different? It wasn't that much farther to Michigan. Mind you, we were driving to Michigan in the late evening, whereas the Montreal trip was around noon. Nevertheless, in both cases, you noticed that there is

Lessons on the drive to Michigan

Last week I drove with my dad to Michigan. It was definitely an adventure staying awake and a good time to catch up with my dad. There were two things that made an impression on me: 1. GD (Giant Dump) A term coined by my younger brother and used by my dad to describe the incredible feeling of "letting go". Okay, definitely not the best analogy and a bit crude, but I thought about how wonderful it is to let go of things you're not meant to hold on to. What's worth clinging to? When is it time to let go? Often, these questions become apparent over time, as our body gives us plenty of signals! Not just our physiological responses though, but also our emotional, mental, and spiritual responses. The more challenging aspect about letting go is not knowing what to let go of, but to have the courage to let go. Often we become constipated in our own strength, pride, or confidence. Of course, the converse can be said about the importance about clinging to the right th

Muscle-Up somewhat completed

Monday (Aug 22), 8pm class. Completed my first "muscle-up" on the rings. These were partial muscle-ups (starting with arms bent instead of from full extension) and using a kip. Next steps: - Work on false grip - Kip with full extension - Kip without false grip - Strict Anyways, needless to say, I was pretty happy when I finally did my first muscle-up! My body benefited from all that training and the rest I gave it last week.

Types of Running

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Running is awesome. The picture shown above was taken along one of my runs in Hong Kong. I love the view. In fact, often I would run to places just to catch a glimpse of breathtaking scenery (e.g. the stillness of the lake, the sunrise over a sleeping urban setting, the rushing waterfall). As I was reflecting on my life journey as a runner, I was reminded of two kinds of running: Running to Running from Running to ... ... the finish line ... school ... the gym ... get fit ... push my body to its limits Running from ... ... a scary monster ... a coach chasing after you during interval runs :) ... responsibilities ... relationships ... situations requiring tough decisions There are times when it is good to run away. And there are most definitely times when you should not run towards things (e.g. please do not run into the wall or a pole ... not fun!). However, more often than not, we run away when we need to run to, and we run to when we should run away . What should you r

Muscle-Up Attempt Failure(s)

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Not fail , a verb that I typically use as a noun. Muscle-Ups by Tuesday (3 days ago) I was supposed to get my muscle-ups by Tuesday and I still cannot get it. I have been going to CrossFit a lot just to work on this basic gymnastic movement. Yet it seems the harder I try, the less I improve, and the more I rip (see image above). Less is More I am taking the next two days off and will allow my body to recover. While it seemed that I made little progress this week, I did put in a lot of work. I believe that all this hard work, the coaching from the CF trainers, and the encouragement from my fellow athletes will all come to fruition in due time. For now, I need to rest, trust in the training, in the trainers, and never give up. 4-D Failures There were multiple times this week when I should have rested. I was a bit too desperate to get the muscle-up by Tuesday (or as soon as possible). Rather, like Jesus' Parable of the Sower , I need to just keep sowing the seeds in good soil. Putting

4-Dimensional Laziness

Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. --Ephesians 5:15-16 I recently started reading the book Making Life Work , by Bill Hybels. The book gives practical advice to everyday situations based on the teachings from the book of Proverbs. As a snapshot, here are some sample questions from the back cover: What factors are critical to achieving life's goals? How can I get a friendship back on track? Why is it so hard to trust God in certain situations? How can I make a difference in the marketplace? How should I respond to someone who is angry with me? What is the surprising result of helping others? How can I establish a solid financial foundation? In the second chapter of the book, Bill Hybels talks about the value of taking initiative and the importance of not being a sluggard . He makes the case that most of us struggle with some kind laziness. In other words, that most of us are selectively lazy ,

Welcome to CrossFit

Today I brought a friend (James) to try out CrossFit for the first time. What better introduction than by starting with one of the most difficult CrossFit workouts. Of course, as expected, he did fairly well for his first time. Here's what we did: "Murph" 1 mile run 100 Pull-Ups 200 Push-Ups 300 Squats 1 mile run *Note: The exercises in the middle were broken down into 20 sets of Cindy (5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats). ( Time: Josh - 59:16, James - 53:15, Jireh - 72:58) I have ONE MORE DAY left before my first muscle-up is due! I made a few attempts after Murph today, but was pretty tired. The best I can do is to rest up and do my best tomorrow! And that is what I plan to do :)