Not Much To Say

Well not much to say. Been feeling sick lately but, I think I am starting to feel better again. My drinking less pop challenge is going really well. It's actually going better than I thought it would.

Just a side note, I think the kwoon looks really good. Kudos to everyone who helped out with the project.

Susan

Seeing Green

Well I received my green belt about two weeks ago and feel very proud of myself. I have also hired a personal trainer to try and help me with my flexibility issues and my bad posture, my shoulders have rolled forward because of my bad posture and it is sure hard to get them back to where they should be. It's going really well though and it's quite the workout I must say. My trainer's name is Steffan and he has a martial arts background in Tae Kwon Do. Althought it's different than kung fu, he understands what my goals are with respect to being all that I can be and more with my kung fu journey. I have wrote out all the different sets of exercises (for lack of a better word) and I try to work on them at home along with my kung fu training. I wish I had of hired Steffan a long time ago. He is stopping me from becoming the "Hunchback of Notre Dame."

Anyway that's all that's going on for now. Talk to you soon.

Susan Crawford

UPDATE ON MY CHALLENGE

Well my cutting back on pop challenge is going great. Last week I only had 3 pops for the whole week. I was able to go three days straight without drinking one pop, which for me, is pretty good. I will say thought at the beginning it was hard and I was always craving it and so I had to fight with myself not to drink it and I did okay. I am also trying to be aware of what I am eating.

I guess I don't have much more to say so, see you all at the Kwoon.

Susan Crawford

Get Blogging Again

Last night it was pointed out to me that I haven't been blogging lately. Thank you to Sihing Kichko and Jacqeline for reminding me to do that. It's nice to know that the students read my blogs.

Anyway not much new just plugging along with my Kung Fu. A co-worker and friend of mine have decided to challenge ourselves, she is not going to drink coffee anymore and I am not going to drink pop through the week just on the weekend. This will be a tough challenge for me as I like my pop and sometimes I will drink three cans a day, which is not good at all. I will come home from kung fu at night and suck back a whole can in seconds, which again is not good late at night. I plan to drink more water, as I really need to do that. In one can of pop alone there is at least 10 to 12 teaspoons of sugar. I measured this out in a glass and it was very shocking to see the visual of this. I keep it by the fridge so, if I get the urge to have a pop, I look at this glass to remind me of all the sugar that is going into my body. If I drink two to three cans a day, I am sure that glass would be almost full of sugar.

I took out that book from the library "A Fighter's Body." I plan on reading it and getting some ideas from that. I may even buy the book. This is the book that Sifu Prince recommended, at least I think it was Sifu Prince who recommended it.

Susan Crawford

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Well just when I was starting to figure out how to deal with my struggles and get motivated again with my training, I get sick. I ended up getting some kind of sinus infection with a sore throat and fever. Then it decided to move into my chest so, my energy level was gone and it took everything in me to just function. I missed a few days of work and of course my kung fu classes too. I just feel like someone took me out back and beat me up within an inch of my life. I guess I am feeling about 40% better but still want to sleep all the time. I am back at work but, it's a struggle to get through the day.

Anyway hopefully I will be back to normal soon and back to classes. I especially want to get back to practicing and training.

See you all soon.

Susan Crawford

Struggling

Well what to say. I can honestly say I am struggling with practicing my kung fu. This is not the first time I have journaled about this problem. I am not sure why this is happening. It's like there is a chain attached to my back and then attached to the couch and I can't seem to break free from it. There always seems like there is something else that needs to be done when I get home from work and there is no chain holding me back from those things. If it isn't animals that need feeding, its' laundry, making lunches for the next day, making supper etc etc etc. By the time I am done, I am so tired I just don't feel like doing anything else.

Then it's time for kung fu classes and I get so embarrassed with myself and I go home disappointed because I feel my skills suck and it's all because I am not practicing. I know I need to do this to progress with my training and to get ahead of the game but, I am struggling. I have a spot in the basement all set up for this sort of thing but, I am sure my kick bag has a lot of dust on it right now. I really think that's why I get nervous when I go to class too because I know I am not practicing and I know the instructors can tell who is and who isn't.

I like kung fu and I don't regret staying in kung fu. I enjoy going to class and talking to the students in my class. I feel really comfortable in class now unlike when I first went to the orange belt class but, I have to break that chain that's attached to my back with respect to my training. Maybe when I get home I should be practicing first and everything else can just wait. It's all still going to be there when I am done so, maybe I have found a solution to break that chain.

Thanks for listening to my rant and rave.

Susan Crawford

Did or Dose Anyone Get Nervous?

I pose this question to all students of Silent River.

It is really strange that everytime before class like around 4:00 I start to get nervous about going to class. I am thinking it's because I lack self confidence with my skills which have come a long way since I first started so, I am not sure why it happens to me each week. It's not like I am walking into a room full of strangers, these are my classmates and I feel very comfortable around them. Plus I have been in kung fu now for about two years or so.

Once I get to class and start into the warm up, I am fine. Once we start working on what we are doing that night I am also fine, although sometimes I feel frustrated with myself and vow to practice more and other times I amaze myself but, I am sure we all feel that way at times.

So, I just thought I would put that out there to see if anyone else ever felt like this. It's strange but, hopefully its just another faze of life's little tests that I need to work through. I guess what doesn't break us makes us stronger or something like that.

Susan Crawford

The Storm Before the Calm

Right now all of you are probably thinking isn't it "The Calm before the Storm?"

Well for me right now in my life it is the storm before the calm. Someone very close to me is going through a stressful time right now and he has shut down and worst of all he has shut me out of his pain. Some of you may know who I am talking about and for those who don't, it's my husband Brian. Near the end of October Brian's mom passed away.

I want to help him and make all the guilt, stress and pain go away but, he won't let me help. I feel like I am up against a brick wall and I can't go through it, over it or even break it down. This is affecting our relationship and I am worried he will never get past his sorrow. I know it's going to take time and I appreciate that but, I want to snap my fingers and make it all go away but, it doesn't work like that in life. It takes baby steps every day.

For now I have to let him grieve and give him all the space he needs even if it's hard for me to do that. Don't get me wrong I do want him to take all the time he needs to heal, it's just hard watching it and not being able to do anything about it.

Susan Crawford

Happy 2011

Well just thought I would say Happy New Year to my Kung Fu Family.

I can't believe we are in a new year already and 2011 to boot. I remember when it was going to be 2000 and the concern as to what was going to happen in the world. That was 11 years ago, my time flies.

I have now completed my fifth massage treatment for my back and have been told that my muscles are still pretty tight but, my lower back is starting to feel a little better now. The muscles that are tight are my glutes, the muscles below my shoulder blades and close to my armpits at the back, and the muscles on top of my shoulders along side my neck and a few other muscles. The most excellent comment was that I have gained muscle and that made me feel good. I owe that to my kung fu classes.

I am looking forward to going back to class but will miss my classmates that were tested for their blue belts before xmas break. Congrats to Mr Donohue, Mrs. Laars, and Mr. Chervanka. Good Luck to you all and have fun in your new class.

Well not much more than that so, see you all at the Kwoon.

Cheers!!!

Susan Crawford