Brown Belt Grading

I MADE  IT! I am now another step closer to making my of goal of getting to my black belt level in karate by the time I turn 60. I'll be 58 this year. I had to dig very deep for this one. I just ran the Ottawa Marathon the week before and that really took its toll. But I wanted this badly, so here we are. I am exhausted but feeling rather pleased with myself over what I have managed to accomplish over the last couple of weeks and of how far I have come over the last few years.

I went into this grading knowing I am still suffering from a bad arm injury, a pretty good case of  plantar fasciitis and just plain tired from the marathon run. I felt a bit apprehensive stepping into the dojo to start my warm-up stretches. There standing waiting for us was my Sensei, and all but one of the black belts from our dojo. They were clearly going over the plans for the evening.

plant

A grading is suppose to be a challenge. You have to put yourself out there and demonstrate to Sensei and all of the Senpai that you are willing to do just that. In the last few years I have learned what it is to rise to a challenge and just how rewarding it can be to make that challenge. Although I have to admit, I do sometimes have a tendency to go a little overboard and push myself maybe a bit too hard. Sensei knows this about me and approached me as soon as she had finished up with the black belts to remind me not to push through injury. She wants me back, not hurt. This immediately put my mind at ease. She knows what I am capable of and she also know that I am not 100%. So, ready or not, here we go!

The workout was tough. It wasn’t 5 minutes before the sweat was running down my back. I did the very best I could do during the workout. I was reminded a number of times by Sensei to be careful. I have to say I needed this. I absolutely LOVE a good workout. If I am not soaking wet with sweat at the end of a workout, what’s the point??

Next came kata demonstrations. This I did find frustrating. I work very hard at my katas. Tonight, I struggled badly with my balance. All the injuries kept throwing off my balance and forced me to dial down the power.

I like to imagine an opponent coming at me with everything he has, intent on finishing me as quickly as possible. But instead, I will deflect his fast but clumsy attack and then I treat him to a crushing elbow strike, a punch that will flatten him to the ground and a kick that will send him into next week! And on top of that, I will accompany some of these blows with a kiai that comes from my deepest warrior soul. 

This all looks a bit on the bloodthirsty side when I sit here looking at it in print, but it is just using the imagination after all. So not being able to do this with the power and precision I want can be a bit disappointing.

Well I got through my katas and received some corrections and tips from Sensei and the Senpai. I do like this. Katas are such an essential part of karate. This is where everything comes from. Learn your katas well and when or if you have to actually apply what you have learned to protect yourself and/or those around you, you will do it without thinking. You will just do it.

The details that go into a kata are mind boggling. I truly feel if I am not getting corrections or pointers, something else must be wrong. You can never learn too much about even the most basic of moves. And there is a reason for that but we can discuss that another time.

Anyway, here I sit, tired, stiff, a bit sore but happy! I am a runner and a karateka. “Only those who are willing to risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” T. S. Eliot.

Thank you Sensei.

Mount Everest, The 2014 Ottawa Marathon

I knew when I started this run that I was not where I should be in my training. I had a number of injuries that I was still trying to recover from. But, I had entered and I wanted to participate in this run, so my plan was to just run as far as I felt I could and call it a day.

The run started out jut fine. I started at the back of the pack, slowly built up my pace until I was holding a steady 6:45 per K. I was very happy with this but knew I would not be able to keep it up for very long. As I thought, by about the 18K mark my injuries got the better of me and I was forced to back way off. By this time I couldn't help but notice how busy all the aid stations were getting. People were pulling out as early as the 12K mark. Now in my mind, this had become a challenge. Now I was in it to the bitter end. I wanted that medal!

During this blind-eyed adventure, I think I experienced every emotion there was to experience.

Determination. I was going to finish this thing, one way or another.

Compassion. At around the 25K mark I came up on a young woman who was walking and crying. She was clearly in a lot of pain. I could relate to this. I came up beside her and asked if she was all right. She looked at me and told me through her tear-filled eyes that her knees really hurt. I asked her if she would like me to send back a first aid person for her. She sobbed and said no and then resumed running and sped off. Just a couple of minutes later I came upon her again, walking across the very narrow Alexandra bridge, oblivious to all the runners doing their best not to run into her. I came up behind her and gently guided her over to the side where she would be less likely to be run into. I stayed with her most of the way across the bridge and then got on my way again. I didn't see her again.

Sadness and loneliness. At somewhere around the 32K mark, the best I could manage was speed walking. I was no longer in any kind of group. I had fallen behind most runners but well out in front of the walkers. So there I was, working my way down this long empty stretch of road, not able to run anymore and in a lot of pain. I don't remember ever feeling so lonely. There was nothing I could do but quit when I came to the next aid station. This just made me feel very sad and defeated. I stopped and looked around behind me to see if I could spot the young woman with the bad knees. No one in sight but a couple of slower runners working their way toward me. Where the hell was I? over 7,000 participants started this event. Now I was almost completely alone!

Anger and shame. Here I was, walking!! what the hell!!! In the back of my mind I knew I shouldn't have even started this run. I knew I would end up in trouble if I was silly enough to try and finish it. So the next best thing my head could do was to get angry at my body. I was just a raw emotion. I couldn't rationalize it and at that moment, I couldn't stop it. I was just angry. And at the same time, I was ashamed of myself. When I first entered this run, I had grand plans of not just beating last year's time, I was going to smash it! Now look at me. Reduced to speed walking, and getting slower.

Pain and disappointment. At about the 41K mark I was hit with such a terrible pain in my left calf, it felt like a knife thrust into the side of my calf and then quickly drawn downward toward the ankle. I have never experienced anything even close to that before in my life and hope I never do again. I stumbled and almost fell to the ground. I was able to make my way over to a hand rail that I grabbed on to. NOT NOW! I am just too close! All this suffering and work was going to end within less than 2 kilometers of the finish line. I tried my best to stretch the calf and much to my relief, the pain started to subside. Someone had pulled that knife back out. I was able to start moving again. What a relief. I was going to cross that finish line now, no matter what!

Happiness. I was within 800 meters of the finish line and a volunteer known as a Running Angel came up to me. She could see I was in an incredible amount of pain. She started walking along with me just talking to me, trying to encourage me along. It worked. With her support and encouragement I was actually able to get up to a slow but sloppy run. Style and form counted for nothing now. I could see the finish line. The two of us crossed it together. I MADE IT!! I just about collapsed the moment I crossed the finish line but I was across. Now, where is that stupid medal! I have never worked so hard for anything in my life.

It took me about 20 minutes or so but I was eventually able to move slowly around the recovery area. Sara was there to help and support me. It was over. My second marathon.

When I started running back in 2011, I had set a goal for myself to run one marathon, just to experience it. It seemed like a lofty goal at that time. Now I have done it a second time. I don't know why I signed up for a second marathon. I have climbed my Mount Everest, twice. I must be crazy.

Anyway, I have now run several half marathons, half a dozen 10K runs and I don't know how many other shorter runs. I do think that this is it for me for marathons. So what now? I have already thinking about that one. I want to try trail running. I hear there is a run near Milton this summer that I think I can get in. It is only about 14K long and is 100% on a trail in the woods.

I love a challenge!

Running for the Fun of it

Who would have thought that this was possible. I still consider myself a newbie to running. I logged my first run in May of 2011. I had tried running a number of times before but was never really very successful at staying at it. I just didn't like it and it was to much like work. Now here I am looking forward to some of the running events out there like the Perth Kilt Run or the Running Goat's Spring Goat Run. To all those would-be runners out there who think that running isn't anything more than a way punish yourself, your wrong!

I was exactly the same way. I would see people out there running and as I drove by them, I would think "that just can't be anything else but awful". I am here to tell you that this is not the case. Yes it is a lot of work, yes it can be hard, but yes it is rewarding, it is good for you and it can even be FUN!

Last year at the Perth Kilt Run I took this fun part of running to a new level. I got involved with the Running Goat Club and helped out with a few small things for the race. I was the guy dressed in full Scottish garb, swinging a sword helping fellow runners find their way through the lines to pick up their running kits. It was quite a bit of fun. I had also signed up for the warrior class. This was GREAT!!! I had so much fun running in the warrior class. The race was a whole different experience for me. How often do you get a chance to wear a kilt, jump up on a bench in the middle of a golf course swinging a sword and encouraging runner to keep going. What an experience!

Now I see the Perth Spring Goat Run is not far off. Now this looks like it is going to be a great deal of fun. Climbing hay bail walls, crawling through a 10 foot long culvert and who know what else they have planned for this.

So what I have learned is this; running is a challenge, it's suppose to be. But it does not have to just slapping your feet down on the pavement or treadmill for those long hours. It can also be a great experience. You meet some amazing people out there. I can't get over how encouraging every runner I have met, bar none have been toward new runners. You are doing something good for yourself and they have all experienced it and at some point, no matter how experienced and skilled the runner is, they to were new to the sport. The other thing is that is can just be so much fun to get out there and do something different like the Perth Kilt Run or the Spring Goat Run.

Also, you don't have to be the best to win. Crossing the finish line for the first time in your first race is an experience that is like non you will ever have. There you are completing your first race. You put you mind and body to the test and did it! And yes, you did it while wearing a dress

 ;-)

The Spring Goat run is a prediction race. This means when you sign up, you guess at how long it is going to take you to complete the 5K long course. No timing or pacing devises of any kind are allowed. This means that no matter what your experience level is, no matter how fast or slow or good or new you are, you have just as much of a chance at winning as anyone else. The whole thing is up for grabs.

Checkout these links to these 2 races on Facebook and get registered.

Spring Goat Run

http://www.onestoprace.com/search/event.aspx?id=18976

Perth Kilt Run

http://www.onestoprace.com/search/event.aspx?id=17418

So what are you waiting for? Never done anything like this before? You don't have to be fast to be a winner. Every time you put on those runners and get out, whether you are in a race or just out there by yourself logging kilometers, your a WINNER. So here's your chance to meet some amazing people and have an incredible experience. Lets get out there, have some fun and do something really good for yourself. You won't regret it.  As for me, I'm doing both of them. Just look for the guy in the dress wearing the funny hat.

And by the way, since that first logged run in May of 2011, I have logged just over 3,000 kilometers and lost 100 pounds on the way. Not bad for an old guy.

SEE YOU OUT THERE!!

Vacation!

It has been a while since my last blog posting. I had let thing catch up with me and ended up dropping a few things that I like doing because I just couldn't find the extra time for thing that I told myself were just extras. Well, I like doing some of these things and miss them so I will try to get back on line.

I had actually written the following post just after our vacation. So I hope you find it interesting. 

It has been quite a year so far this year (2012) but vacation time is finally here. As the time came closer, things just seemed to keep piling up.  The week before I was about to go on vacation, it seemed to me that the whole place had gone crazy! Nothing was going quite right and there was a big production run planed for some of the new equipment I have been working on.

To top it off, the engineer I have been working with was also going on vacation. This would not normally be any kind of issue, but this time he was leaving 3 day before I was. This meant I had to be sure all of his plans we put in place executed as he had laid out. My last day before vacation was Wednesday so by Monday afternoon I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders and mine alone. Not the case of course but it was just how I felt. This new equipment needs to run and if it didn't run, that would impact our plant and the company in a very negative way.

The run started Tuesday morning and for the most part, everything went as planed. I gathered the information the engineer asked me to gather and worked with the other engineer through the run to be sure everything ran. Later on in the day my Supervisor came to me and thanked me for all my efforts. I admitted to him that I sweat blood over this and was very pleased at the progress we have made so far.

Through these last few day, I have been trying to bring one of the other mechanics up to speed on the project. Fortunately, I am a real note keeper and a great believer in sketches and photos. It was a lot for him to cram in but it is just for 2 weeks and he is a very capable man. He will do just fine. The end of the day Wednesday finally arrived and I felt a huge weight being lifted off of my shoulders as I walked out of the plant. It was time to relax and slow down.

I have to admit to being of two minds about this. It is a good feeling being needed and appreciated and I am. I know it is wrong but I felt a twinge of concern turning all of this over to someone else, even though it is for just 2 weeks. The engineer working on the job at the time and I had a couple of laughs about it. He asked me if I was going to have my cell phone with me. I told him I promised to take it and he could call me any time he wanted but it probably wasn't going to him much good. When he asked me why, I told him that I was going to take the phone but I have no planes on taking the battery with me. Very funny he told me. " You really don't care do you" he said jokingly to me.

I responded by saying " that is so unfair! You cut me to the quick! And what was your name again??" Just before the end of the day, I went to him and told him that I would have my cell phone with me and if he got stuck, he could call me any time. He did just fine as did the mechanic who was covering for me.

It is a good thing to be part of something like this and to know that what you do maters. I was once told by one of the supervisors that I was very passionate about my work. I know that was not a total compliment but he added that he appreciated my level of interest in my job. On the other hand, I was once told that I take my work to seriously. I should just let it go as soon as I walk out the door. I just can't do that. My favorite mantra in just about everything I do is "never, never let go". And I don't I like things to work the way they are suppose to so that is what I strive for. Not perfection, you could drive yourself mad with that. Just to work and work properly. What more could you ask for.

So, after working some very long hours, sweating blood, training the person who is covering for me with far to little time to do it, I am now on vacation.

There I sat on the jet as other people boarded, including two very young babies who are probably on their first flight and not dealing well the pressure changes and noises, some woman behind me who hasn't stopped coughing from the time the wheels left the ground, some guy in front of me who wants to recline his seat back into my lap and some other guy beside me who I am sure has never used deodorant in his life. Ah yes. Thank goodness for vacation. A chance to get away from it all and enjoy a bit of a break.

WHAT HAVE I DONE!!

The 2012 Great Perth Kilt Run

It has been a very busy summer so far. With work keeping me running, all the training I am trying do for karate, Iaido and running along with just regular life things, sometimes it just all seems to mash together.

But there are always the highlights that really stand out. One of the really big ones for me was the Great Perth Kilt Run. Have a watch of the video I put together and put up on YouTube.

The Perth Kilt Run was a run set the world record for the greatest number of kilted runners in a race. It was also a benefit run for MS. A great idea for a great cause. The record was set and will appear in the Guinness Book of World Records.

I went to this run with just one goal in mind, to have fun. And it was great! I ignored my time and everything else and just went out for the experience. And running with almost 2,000 kilted runner is certainly that.

Before the race I had the opportunity to help out in a very small way by helping participants find out where they had to be to pick up their numbers and answering, where I could, questions about the day's activities. Here I stood, dressed up in my best Scottish gear, pointing things out with my sword. I was told that after a very short time, people were lined up to ask questions of me. I guess I stood out in the crowd a bit. It was GREAT fun.

For the race I was of course in my kilt and carrying my sword and shield as all the Warrior Class participants did. But I was in fairly typical running gear after that. My goal for next year's Kilt Run is to compete with the Duke for best runner's costume. I already have plans in the works, Dave.

The warrior tasks were kept a closely guarded secret up to just before the race. When I found out that the first warrior task was to give a toast and down a shot of scotch, I knew this was just going to be great fun. And it was. My suggestion for next year for the warrior class, make it DIRTIER!

This whole event was just so well put together and run. It was amazing! Way to go!!! I very much hope the tradition of this race in Perth will continue on. If it does, the best advice I could give you is BE THERE! Even if just to watch and cheer on the intrepid runners  who are brave enough to be out there in a KILT.

OTTAWA RACE WEEKEND

On May 26th I participated in my second ever 1/2 Marathon in the Ottawa Race weekend. I thought I would do something different and share this experience through a short movie clip so I carried my small sport camera with me and recorded the event from a participants point of view.

The experience was incredible. First, just to go out there to attempt to run 21.1K is quite a challenge. Then, to be standing there on your own but with 12,000 other runner, I don't know how to put this into words

You'll notice that as the race goes on, and I sweat it out, the lens of the camera gets more and more clouded. The whole thing was quite an experience so I hope you enjoy the show.