(no subject)

[vicarz]

I always get lyrics wrong, but mine are cooler
Someone, somewhere - rules in hell! (Someone wake me up - Revco)
Is, this, your god... (Spin spin sugar - Sneaker Pimps)

Pics from a happy Sat night Just ignore the spooky arms...

I don't know how I did it - out until 3am, up at 8 LJing like my usual nerdy self, hit the gym that evening! This being able to moderate a buzz is a very good thing. Kirstin was right, I have sort of snapped out of a long funk - hope it lasts, holy shit hope it lasts. The murderous rage had subsided but I was still sad.

Holy shit workout. I think I made gym-friends with that front squat guy. The gym is being good and mixed to me. More weights are flatlinning, but my legs and core are strong. My bench got stuck, but then my weighted dips shot up. Huh. I'm going to push for more back work and really hone in on the core some more. My squats were ok at 245, did 8. I now have a new goal - 3 plates on deep squats. I think that is very achievable, and I don't see a lot of guys doing that. Sorry - I'm supposed to be just focused on me, but I'm not. I like doing more deeper than the guy beside me (re-arrange those words that for fun). My legs feel different, my ass looks and feels different, it's nice.

When I hit a good set, it's really hard not to bounce, shadow box, and/or dance. Just shoot me if you ever see me doing the arms-up circuit boy pelvic pendulum in the gym. Unless I join results.

On the other hand, I'm not going to go hard-core athletic. I might find a way to study MMA. Might not. I am probably not going to set competition goals nor compete, nor will I get nutty on nutrition. I can see myself getting into the gym hard-core, competing - but no. I want to maintain it as a diversion, a hobby I can sluff off on. It's cool, but I don't want it to dominate my life or sense of self. Sure it's fun to be strong, fun to be a self-declared self-appreciated hottie, but for fuck's sake - it's just a hobby. If you want to defeat people, shoot them - you can't even fight w/o going to jail anymore. If you want to be hot, well in my case shut up. If you want endorphins, shoot heroin (you can get poppies at the farmer's market now). The gym is nice, health is great, but it's just one hobby.

I'm happy. I'm smiling. I don't know why - I guess my emotions are all scabbed over. Yay scabs!

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_blackjack_/]

The sort of people who get involved in MMA are, generally speaking, insufferable. The MBF (Macho Bullshit Factor) is off the scale. If you want to learn a martial art, pick one that is utterly impractical; those are the ones that attract the people who are really interested in improving themselves, rather than indulging macho fantasies or winning trophies. Anybody who uses words like "real-world," "modernized," or "combat-oriented" should be avoided. If you want to learn how to fight, join the Marines.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

How to win a fight - go to it with 10 armed friends and sneak up on the "opponent."

But I do like the idea of training for fights - it's not just about aligning my chi or anything like that.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_blackjack_/]

It's not about "aligning your chi" so much as it is about doing something difficult BECAUSE it's difficult. You know, like, um, going to grad school for a useless degree. Learning to fight is not difficult. You can learn most of it in a month or two (see above, re: Marines), and at the same time, years and years of training won't do shit to protect you from one guy with a knife who shanks you from behind and runs, let alone the guy with a gun.

Weightlifting is not practical, unless you're a piano mover. Running is not practical, unless you get chased a lot. Why should martial arts be practical? You do them for the peripheral benefits, not as ends in themselves.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

All valid points. I joke that I do all this weightlifting just waiting for the day someone asks me to move a couch...

Finally, my moment...I've trained for years...

[utforsker.livejournal.com]

I liked Aikido. A lot of hard work toward a very subtle perfection.

[kelowna.livejournal.com]

I could see you doing Parkour.

--k

[vicar.livejournal.com]

You saw me doing some of that in Prince WIlliam - you were surprised at the speed of the diving rolls :)

Vijay sent me a link recently on how to deadlift, and I wound up reading an article on parkour - turns out the moves are just gym moves, so switching to that as an activity wouldn't be much of a transition.

Great thing to know when running from cops!

[chinese0phoenix.livejournal.com]

You do look really cute and really happy in those pictures. Especially spooky arms, I suspect you are doing the thriller dance and don't want to admit it!

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Admit? I'm flaunting the thriller action!
Left, left, right, right, left-left, right-right, stomp-stomp-stomp

[pictsy.livejournal.com]

You and I could do some badass partner acro. At least, if I can ever get my core and lower body strong enough to press up into a handstand.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

My balance utterly sucks, but I would LOVE to be able to do handstands - I know all I need to do is practice. Hey, I'm game - sorry I kind of forgot to follow up on that when we talked about it before.

Any time you want to set up a time I'm interested! This includes tumbling in the grass, gym work, or sitting in murky and talking about it :)

[pastor-saturn.livejournal.com]

I guess my emotions are all scabbed over. Yay scabs!

Yay for you! Just don't pick at 'em. ;)

[blindtillnow.livejournal.com]

Crash Test Dummies - An Old Scab

I sit each morning
Look at my empty notebook
The room is quiet
The air conditioning sounds like rain falling

Manic-depressive composer Robert Schumann
When he could not write
He'd get down on his knees and he would pray for help

It's not as bad as eating your own liver
But still, I'd like to think that
there are better methods

I try to tackle the page that lay before me
But then I drift off and think about
the concept of ben-wah balls
I rouse myself and I finish washing dishes
Make lists of errands
Make all my phone calls
And then I pray for help

But each time I try to make a fresh stab
I end up just picking at an old scab
_____________________________________________

One of my favorite 10 songs ever. Applicable to both writing words, music, and life in general.

-s

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Knowing the answer and being able to implement it are not always the same thing :(

Clearly, I have to find jebus fruit

[kelowna.livejournal.com]

CDN CRAP!

[blindtillnow.livejournal.com]

heh. i like me some stream-of-consciousness-drunken-canadians...

;)

-s

[cweaselle.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're happy. I get excited when I can do any exercise bcause I'm usually worn out without doing anything. It makes sense that I don't want food because I can't exercise. I hope that changes because I don't want to lost anymore muscle. Can you exercise for me?

[kelowna.livejournal.com]

As they say in the hippest o' Kelowna circles: w00thiddity!

--k

[virgogirl.livejournal.com]

yeah definitely there are things i wish i could do that my body cannot do...like we were talking, sometimes i just wanna do a cartwheel! :)

You don't think it would be kind of fun to do crazy shit with your fitness? like take it to a new level and learn gymnastics or something, or take ballet or modern or another kind of dance?

I know there is a local choreographer who also teaches at NOVA, and she has a troupe and everything. I think her name is Cathy Harding Gray or something.

Anyhow, hi! Oh yeah can you please tell me more about the boots you're wearing in the happy pics? They seem too nicely fitting or something to be military issue... i am seriously wanting some boots and the Ariat riding boots i just received are unfortunately not going to work out and i have to send them back.

whoaaaa can you tell someone hasn't had their adderall yet? lol

[vicar.livejournal.com]

My problem is if I go all serioius on a program I could easily get lost in it. You can measure every calorie you eat, and i've shown I can control myself with eating. I could give up 100% booze. I could work out every day, and measure my heart rate each step of the way. I could spend hours researching programs and making every single movement in the gym premeditated and the scientific ultimate for my goal. It's compulsive, and icky.

Cartwheels are fun and learnable. If you fall, you don't go far :)

The boots are easy! Just hit ebay - these are genuine issue army boots with speed laces - you can nail a boy size 8 for around $10 plus another $10 shipping. Now the military boots, GI, come with a slightly mooshy bottom which is good for your foots.

Although see http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/

[virgogirl.livejournal.com]

Huh? i don't get your meaning about going serious on a program. Here i am going to spell it all British just for fun: programme lolz how twee.

Do you mean you are afraid you will get into dance and then not come out or something?

thanks for the tip on the boots! :)

[vicar.livejournal.com]

I worry that as much as I compete and am a control freak, that when I say I am not going to go hard-core into a program I mean when I'm looking at everything from martial arts to power lifting, there is an all-consuming world available with measurable goals and isolated communities - I'm almost compulsive sometimes, and I know to avoid the danger of getting into something which would consume my life and ultimately not make me happy. There is more to life than lifting weights, so I know to limit the time I expend on it. Coz I'ze got the crazies.

[virgogirl.livejournal.com]

oh! ok.

you big silly you didn't say anything about becoming a dancing acrobat gymnast though.

and btw taht article is AWESOME thanks so much for sending it, and i am looking into buying a pair of those ninja kayak toe shoes as we speak!

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Save your money - I checked some out, spendy! Hundreds of dollars - better off just getting some crappy chuck taylors or payless shoes.

Or, waht about those aqua socks?

[virgogirl.livejournal.com]

oh no i meant the 70-ish dollar shoes at the far right column that have articulated toes...the Vibram Barefoot :)


But then as i was reading about how these can be hard to fit, etc, and they don't carry them at my beloved Zappos, i am looking at aqua socks just like you said! like other people's water shoes.

But it's funny you mention payless because i am going there tonight with my friend. i will see what they have that is extremely simple and not too thick-soled.

I loved the part of the article that said that the runners who spent less reported fewer injuries. I told you my whole sneaker story right? or ljed it or something?