between the rock and the cold, cold sea

Today is not a day off. Sigh. But it is not yet noon, so I don't feel too guilty about wandering around the internets.

Pursuant to a conversation last night, I've realised that perhaps my present fitness training plan may not actually be the most efficient for building muscle and endurance. It's great, within a limited framework, for building certain types of endurance - my wind and stamina have improved from the running, for example, and the handful of weight sets I've been doing have certain improved my muscular endurance, but only in a limited fashion.

Until the exams, I'd been training three times a week. And you know, it's good, because it pushes me without wearing me out. But. Since it's not wearing me out, I don't feel as though it's pushing me far enough.

It's three years ago, now, since I was training steadily in hockey (twice weekly), karate (twice weekly) and gym (twice weekly), and I was fitter then than I've ever been since.

Of course, I wasn't spending ~2-2.5 hours commuting every day then, and I didn't have quite as intensive a program of study (it felt really intensive, but looking back? The study-to-homework and study-to-exams model is somewhat less intensive than the study-to--continuous-assessment-essays and study-to-exams model).

By April 10, or April 14 at the outside, I should have all my essays for the year done. After that point, I think, it ought to be enough to spend two hours in the library three times a week until the exams begin around May 20 (barring the miracle of an exemption or two). So after April 10, I need to start doing a few new things, to see how they work out:

The college Shotokan club trains Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and my local club trains Sundays. So I need to pick two days and go without fail. (Probably Thursday and Sunday: I can see that working.)

I need to find a partner or two to hit the wall with for a couple of hours twice a week, probably Tuesday and Friday mornings, since the club times (7-9pm) really do not work for me. (Maybe take lessons on Wednesday evening, if the budget stretches.)

And Mondays and Wednesdays (maybe Fridays too, but that may be pushing things if I wind up with a regular climbing date), I need to keep hitting the gym for weights and running, and on Saturdays I need to work on outside running. Which is different to gym running, because of little things like weather. Or, alternatively, see if I need a falling-down day.

That leaves me Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays to spend my leftover hours in the library. Ah, sweet freedom, how I miss it.

And now, to work!

An evening out with the karate club. Great times were had by all. As the night grew later, singing was involved.

No, not me: our chief sensei also organises ballad sessions on the side.

The chiefest of the merry-makers repaired to the pub for quality drinking time at around 23:30. Me, I took a lift home with the single other Sober Adult in Residence, escaping before our youngest companion, the club's twelve-year-old Messer-in-Chief, could give us all the hiccups from laughing too much.

There were bangles involved. Or maybe earrings. Or maybe bangles masquerading as earrings: it's all kind of unclear.

I think if we try to go to that restaurent again, they will probably have a mysterious attack of being All Booked Up. Still, it was fun.