Candidate Journals

I'm still pretty sore in some interesting places post boot camp (lateral calves, anterior deltoids, inner thighs)....places that typically don't get sore doing push-ups and sit-ups. Burpees are very hard for me to do right now. I'm having to modify them in order to save my knees and lower back. I kind of hop back and down into the thrust instead of squatting, lower my body to the ground, push up, walk my feet toward my hands and then stand up. The jumping and squatting is painful. Hopefully I can work up to a full blown Burpee as I get myself back in shape. I received my Advocare products today and I'm very excited about getting starting on Wednesday! I've downloaded the iPhone app and I'm ready to go. Still don't have a pull-up bar and I'm WAY behind on that requirement. Planning on buying one this weekend.

Great boot camp today! Lots of fun. Went grocery shopping in preparation for the 24 day challenge and then cut up tons of vegetables and fruit this afternoon. My freezer is quite full and quite colorful! I'm going to do everything I can to make sure I'm successful. Worked on requirements during the Panther game and now I'm tired, sore and already in bed.

Looking forward to boot camp and the 24 day challenge. Didn't get as many requirements done today as I had planned but I'm still hanging in there. Shoulders are aching from push-ups and knees are a little sore from squat thrusts. Trying to make sure I don't injure my old, tired body too early in the game.

I've been breaking requirements up by doing some in the mornings and some in the evenings after I get home from work and it seems to be working out pretty well as far as time and energy goes. My diet needs lots of improvements. Looking forward to the 24 day challenge that starts Saturday 1/3/15. I'm really behind in pull-ups since I've done…. well…. none. Need to buy another pull up bar. I'm really looking forward to 2015. I think it's going to be a very important year for me!

Busy, busy, busy in the Christmas frenzy today. Tomorrow I will start tracking requirements again after a 2 day break. Merry Christmas everyone!

Busy, busy day. No requirements done. Will push myself tomorrow. Hope Santa brings me a pull-up bar.

Great Little Tigers class with Master Randle and Instructor Dege this morning. Walked 2 miles with the "Mom's Club" before 2 more classes and ended up pushing my knees just a little too far. Went shopping with my son this afternoon and now my knees are throbbing. Seems like I'm getting more requirements done by splitting my workout sessions between early morning and in the evenings after work. I was working part time when I tested for 3rd Dan so time was not as much of an issue. I'm very thankful for Master Randle and Instructor Dege. They both inspire me to keep moving and to push myself. I'm also very thankful for Alleve and Icy Hot.

Long day. Worked on requirements after class last night and again this morning. Did some more after work. My push ups are just awful. Lots of work to do to get myself back where I need to be physically. Left knee is really hurting but I'm going to hang in there. Looking forward to helping Master Randle in Little Tigers class tomorrow, Black Belt Class and the Cycle Meeting.

Weighed myself this morning so that I can track my weight loss through the journey. It was ugly. It's a bit of a slow start for me as far as requirements go, but my goal is to gradually increase my numbers every day as I build up my strength and endurance. I'm trying not to look at the final number of requirements and just doing what I can for now. The requirement total is scary and I don't' want to risk becoming overwhelmed by looking at it right now. Flexibility has become a bit of an issue for me since I tested for 3rd Dan, so I will need to incorporate stretching into my daily workouts. My patients bring lots of really yummy holiday treats to the office this time of year which makes eating healthy a challenge. Need lots of willpower. Can't find my pull up bar (misplaced d/t lack...

Today I made a decision. The choice was to either give up, give in and continue to make excuses for why I've allowed myself to become lazy, unmotivated and in the worst physical shape of my entire life, or to get up, get moving, regain control of my body and my health and become the person I know I can be. I chose the latter. I have a long way to go and I'll have to take it one requirement at a time, but I'm determined to give this my very best effort. The journey to Master begins now.

Thank you for fixing my Black Belt webpage access, Mr. Uczen! Now I can start tracking my daily requirements (as soon as I can tally up the past couple of weeks.) Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it to Black Belt class tonight. I can never predict what kind of day I will have at work and sometimes I need to stay late to admit patients to the hospital or to assist our physicians. Today was one of those days. I just got home, and even if I left right now, I wouldn't make it across town to North Charlotte in time for class. I'll get started on my requirements and hopefully that will help me feel less guilty about missing class (and causing my daughter to miss class.)

Still can't update my requirement numbers on the tracking page of the website, but Mr. Uczen is going to help me figure out what's wrong. Great Black Belt class with Master Knight this morning at North Charlotte! I'm feeling a little stressed today.....Need to sign up for the King Tiger 5K this week. Need to register for the PMAA seminar in Myrtle Beach. Need to clean my house. Need to start researching and writing my essays. Need to catch up on some paperwork at my paying job. Need to finalize vacation plans for my family's beach trip the week of July 7th-13th. Much to do. So very much to do.

Well, it has taken me a few days to settle into my 'Master's-Journey-mindset', but I think I am finally ready to get started. Hopefully I will figure out how to enter my tracking numbers on the website!!!!! I have to admit that I'm a little (ok, a lot) intimidated by the scary number of requirements I will need to complete before my testing date in October 2015, but I know that the only way to get close to those goal numbers is to tackle each requirement one at a time and keep moving forward. I'm feeling a bit old-ish lately--stiff hips, body parts and joints that make weird, random popping sounds, and a little (ok, a lot) extra weight to lug around these days (which one of you made me eat all of those Reeses Peanut Butter Cups?). This journey will be a challenge for me on many levels and I'm...