Candidate Journals

Yesterday, I knew it was absolutely a Monday but for some reason when I woke up this morning, I had it in my head that today was Wednesday. I had planned out my day in my mind and completely forgot about all of my activities today until I checked my calendar at lunch and realized I had a club this afternoon and Scout COH (Court of Honor which is basically an award ceremony) tonight. That just threw off my day lol but everything else was fine! I've been working pretty hard on an English project I have to present next week :( and trying to get ahead on requirements because we only have about 3.5 weeks left of cycle!! Woohoo, I'm so excited for this to be over! I don't know about anyone else who has been on cycle before but I like to plan to start finishing all my requirements...

Today started off ok but by the end I was just exhausted and wanted to go home. School was alright, nothing much to report. I came right to KT for work and then class. The kids were a lot today and I just wasn't feeling it in rolls and falls or BBC tonight (the rain didn't help either). I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow and getting caught up on somethings. I hope everyone who is going has a wonderful time at Instrucotrs Camp and learns a lot. Have a great weekend. ~ Peyton

I think the biggest thing that being on black belt cycle has taught me is to schedule and budget my time. What is most important in the moment vs what can wait, and that getting ahead really really helps. "Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent." - Carl Sandburg. Today was very productive, I got to count some stuff for cycle from my PE conditioning today which was nice. Then, I came home and ran 3 miles and got all my requirements done today. Have a great rest of the week everyone! ~ Peyton

In Scouts whenever we are teaching someone something new we use the EDGE method; Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable. We just had color belt testing at LKN KT, so I did a lot of explaining and demonstrating today because most people are learning new curriculum. I feel like this is such a great way to give someone the basics or go into a deep explanation about something. Anyways, today was pretty good for a Monday. Unfortunately, I've got a lot of reading to do for English tonight and I still have some requirments to do. I hope everyone had a great start to the week! ~ Peyton

I haven't posted since Thursday so let me recap a little. Friday was good, I came home after school for about an hour and then got in the car to go camping with my scout troop. Every year there is an event called Klondike, where different troops compete at about 10-15 stations practicing skills like knots/lashings, fire building, teamwork/communication, first-aid, orienteering, ect all day Saturday. Friday night was not too bad but when we got up at 6:30 on Saturday morning it was pouring down rain. So we cooked breakfast and ate under rain tarps that we had to tie to trees. After about 9a.m. the rain stopped and the rest of they day was great! Most teams did really well and Saturday night they presented awards. My troop got 3rd place and congratulations to Carter Mech's team who got 1st!! This morning we packed up and came home. It was...

Lots of stuff going on tonight! I went to school and came home with about an hour of homework. I went running and started my other requirements. It was reallly nice to have a break from sparring this week (LKN KT has color belt testing)! I've been working ahead on my requirements to have a break this weekend while I go camping and thats been going ok. I also had to pack for my camping trip tonight because I have about an hour tomorrow at home before I get in the car. My dad made burgers and fries for dinner tonight that were delicious! Tomorrow is my last day of no sweets and I'm so excited!! I hope everyone has had a great week. If you are sick or injured I hope you feel better soon and get to rest over the weekend! ~ Peyton

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible.'" Quoted by Audrey Hepburn. A reminder that challenges can be overcome and your mindset is what matters. My day was ok, I'm going camping this weekend with my Scout troop, so I'm excited! Since Sunday I've been trying to get ahead because I won't have a lot of time to do requirements there. We leave Friday night and don't get back until Sunday morning. I hope everyone is having a good week! Keep up the great work! ~ Peyton

Today felt like a Monday, start of the school week and just drousy getting up this morning. But at least we only have 3 more days left in the week! My day was ok, nothing happened at school. I got home, started requirements and then went to scouts. I was elected into the OA (Order of the Arrow) tonight which is basically like the Honors Society of school but for scouts so yay! I got home and finished up requirments, ate dinner, and getting ready for bed now! Have a great Wednesday! ~ Peyton

Today was amazing! I slept in until about 8, did some homeowork and started requirements. Around lunch time my dad and I drove to the greenway where I ran 4 miles. The weather was so nice today and felt so good to run on flat ground becuase neighborhood is very hilly! After that I got a smoothie from Smoothie King and finished the rest of my requirements. Finished off with work today, helping the kiddos getting ready for color best testing Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I had a great mentor session with Master Natasya, working on double stick form 2 and she even taught me some Korean vowels today! ~ Peyton

We had lots of laughs at poomsae class today. Master Marcus had us try to do punches and blocks balancing on a large excersise ball. That was quite hard but a lot of fun!! I had a great mentor session with Master Natasya after that, working on Hapkido 1 and 2. It has definitely been a couple years since doing those! I came home and started working on requirements after lunch. Then, I practice flute for a little while and some other homework. I'm so happy to have school off tomorrow but I really hope the weather improves because it is super dreary and not going to make running very fun. Have a great start to the week everyone! ~ Peyton

Happy Valentines Day everyone!! I got up to go to black belt class, stayed for work, came home to run, finished up requirements and then had a Galentines party with my friends!! That was super fun, we decorated pink sunglasses and we each brought a board of different foods. It was so much fun! Now I'm relaxing and watching the olympics with my family! Have a good rest of the weekend!! ~ Peyton

Today marks the end of week 6 in a 12 week cycle so we are officially halfway!! Pat yourself on the back and celebrate tonight because you have gotten through half of it. Also, make sure to thank your mentors, mentees, instructors, and masters. But especially your parents or who ever has driven you back and forth to class, helped you with requirements, made sure you are on track, cheered you on. Because those people are in it with you too. Also take this weekend to make sure you are on track, its a great weekend to catch up if you are behind or get ahead! Update the website, check how many classes/credits you have, mentor/mentee sessions, journals, and requirements. Have an amazing weekend everyone!! ~ Peyton

I'm so excited because I have e-learning tomorrow, and then Monday off for President's Day. And I'm actually doing nothing this weekend! Work and class Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Then Galentines with my friends on Saturday which I am so excited about!! Unfortunately I still can't have any sweets but it my last day is next Friday 2/20!! Other than that, I'm chilling out this weekend, getting ahead on running, requirements, and maybe even starting/finishing some essays!! Keep up the amazing work everyone! ~ Peyton

Another day of wonderful sunshine and 65 degrees!! School was ok, not much happened. I got home, got my run in and started doing requirements. I'm finishing up now and then going to relax with my mom for the rest of the night. I hope everyone is doing well! I know the cycle can be really overwhelming right about now, because there is a lot going on and everything will start piling up soon (if it hasn't already). Just know, you're not alone this. One of the reasons we have these journals is so that we can struggle together and be a community. Its not just everyone for themselves. Your masters and instructors have gone through this and we all know how hard this is. So if you need some encouragement or some help, never be afraid to ask. Even if this isn't your first cycle, its ok to struggle too...

I don't know about you guys but the weather was beautiful! It was so nice that my friends and I sat outside for lunch today! I went to school and took a math test, I think I did pretty well. I came home, went running in shorts (I haven't been able to do that all cycle), finished up homework, and went to Scouts. I got some Chick-fil-a on the way home and am finishing up my requirements now. Have a great Wednesday! ~ Peyton

Today was ok. The only thing that is getting me through the week is an e-learning day on Friday and no school Monday! I went to school, straight to work, then home for dinner and requirements. I got a good amount of stuff done today. I'm all finished up with leadership 2 credits so yay! I don't have much to say but keep pushing through! We are almost half way through the cycle! ~ Peyton

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Saturday I went to BBC and stayed at King Tiger until 11:30 to help out with classes. I came home for about 2 hours and ran a couple miles. Then I went back to KT from 2p.m. to 11:30a.m. the next morning for Jr. Instructors Camp! As always, a great turn out and a lot of fun. Thank you to all the masters and instructors that came out to teach sessions. And thank you to all the kiddos for coming out and not causing too much trouble! I got about 4 hours of sleep last night on the hard floor so when I went home at noon I quickly took a shower and took a nap. Jr. Instructors Camp was exhausting so I did what I could with my requirments and now I'm watching the Super Bowl with my family. Have a great start...

Thank goodness its Friday!! Fridays are always the joy of the week because it means everything is coming to an end and there's usually something to look forward to on weekends! This weekend happens to be Jr. Instructors Camp! I'm so excited to work with some kiddos and help them be better versions of themselves. Its definitely going to be a long night but its always worth it! I went to school today, came straight to work, rolls and falls class, BBC, and then finished with some dinner at Jason's Deli. I'm now doing my requirements and then hopefully getting a good nights rest because tomorrow and Sunday will be exhausting!! Have a great weekend everyone! ~ Peyton

Yesterday I didn't journal, so let me recap for a second. Yesterday was pretty good, I just had school with a 2 hour delay which was honestly really nice to sleep in and have shortened classes. I came home, went running, did some homework, and finished up requirements. My mom and I had dinner at Five Guys last night and that felt so good to eat a greasy burger and fries. I'm not sure why but it hit different last night lol. Today was alright; I had school, went running, requirements, and then sparring class. Sparring wasn't too strenuous and I enjoyed seeing everyone there tonight! Now I'm getting ready to go to bed and am definitely looking forward to Friday and Jr. Instructor's Camp this weekend!! Finish off the week strong everyone! ~ Peyton

I hope everyone is having a good week! I had e-learning today and that was fine, just ready to get back into school and a normal schedule! Theres a 2 hour delay tomorrow so that's nice. I got lots of requirements done today and enjoyed some relaxation by watching Grey's Anatomy! Just taking the week day by day and getting through it. Karen Salmansohn once said, "Strength grows in the moments when you think you can't go on but you keep going anyway." Good night! ~ Peyton

I feel like the last week has been the same schedule; school (whether it be remote or in person), BBC requirements, then work, repeat. While, I'm tired everyday and have lots to do, I'm just kind of bored of doing the same old things over and over again. Anyone else feeling this way too? I hope something changes in the next week or so because its getting kind of old. I hope everyone had a good start to the week. Keeping working ahead on requirements and essays! ~ Peyton

It felt really good to sleep in this morning! I got up and went for a walk with my family. Then we all shoveled the driveway together and had some lunch. We relaxed with a movie and then I got to work on my requirements. I'm trying to take advantage of the snow days by getting ahead on requirements when I can. Today was day 10/30 for my no sweets challenge. I think I'm doing better, I'm not craving them a lot anymore even though I would love to munch on some chocolate right now! Stay safe and warm. Keep working hard everyone! Have a great start to the week! ~ Peyton

Weeks 5-8 of BBC are going to feel like the hardest and longest weeks of your life, at least for me they do. Most of the requirements will max out, the essay deadlines will start approaching, school will get busy, life will get busy, and you will still have the same amount of time in a day to get things done. But after these four weeks, its all downhill. So...embrace the challenge, enjoy the small victories like the snow and going out with your friends, because its going to be hard but if you make it past this you will feel really proud of yourself on the other side. Have a great weekend! ~ Peyton

Happy Friday!! A little less tired than yesterday but still just physically and mentally exhausted from the week. I had 2 tests today which I think went ok, I don't have my grade back from them yet. I went straight to work, mentee session, falls and rolls class, BBC, and mentor session. My dad made some really good chili tonight for dinner and I'm finishing up the rest of my requirements now. And while I don't really like snow because its cold and makes daily activities much more complicated, I'm hoping for another remote learning day on Monday so that I can sleep in until 7! Have a great weekend everyone! Remember to keep working on your essays, getting ahead on requirements, and taking rests/breaks so you don't burn yourself out! ~ Peyton

Overall, just really tired today. I had my English presentation today which went well. I came home, went running, finished up requirements, and went to sparring. Thankfully sparring class was more drills than actual sparring so I didn't expend too much energy. My dad and I got some Chick-fil-A on the way home so that was nice. I've got a bio and English test tomorrow that I need to study for and then off to bed. Have a great Friday everyone! ~ Peyton

Title is deceiving sorry; nothing wacky today I just liked how it sounded lol! Unlike many of you, I had school today. It was nice to get back to a regular schedule but also tiring to wake up early again. At least we only have 2 days left in the week! School was ok, I have an English presentation tomorrow on Elie Wiesel, he is a really cool person if you want to look him up! I got home and went for a run, 2.81 miles, no slips today! Finished the rest of my requirements and relaxing the rest of tonight. Also, shoutout to Lucas for a really cool journal yesterday! Have a great rest of your week everyone! ~ Peyton

I had another remote day at school and got all my academics done by about 11a.m. I started working on my requirements and then decided to go for a run. Boy was I in for a treat! My neighborhood is not very big but it is quite shaded and so there was still a good part of it covered in slippery ice. I just got off of my street when I slipped, fell, and slid on the ice on my left side. I know its really bad to fall like this but I put my hand down. And then I slipped and fell again on the same side! So I am pretty bruised up; my hand, knee, and hip have ice burns/bruises and are already hurting! But I did get in 2 miles so yay I guess! I'm going back to school tomorrow and I'm kind of excited to get back...

Throughout the cycle it is so so important to take advantage of days off and building up a little extra cushion in case you miss a day or two. Since most of us have tomorrow off or remote it is prime time to get ahead on requirements and essays, especially since next week ALL requirements increase! If you're like me and dread writing essays, just know the hardest part is getting started! Getting ahead doesn't mean finishing EVERYTHING, maybe its just making an outline for an essay to build off another time, or doing an extra minute or two of something. Everything you do now, you don't have to do later! However, definitely be safe outside with black ice and I hope everyone can recover from being sick or injured soon! ~ Peyton

Yesterday, I slacked off on my requirements and didn't do very much. So today I played catch up, I did all my requirements today and made up half of them from yesterday. School is e-learning tomorrow for me so hopefully I can get completely caught up and a little ahead on the rest of my requirements. Watching some football and gymnastics on TV tonight. I'm on day 4 of no sweets and its killing me! I miss my chocolate, ice cream, cookies, and brownies already! Keep working hard everyone, you're doing great! ~ Peyton

Lately, I've just been really tired. Not really feeling myself, going through the motions and dragging myself out of bed. It was really hard to get up this morning and I have been falling asleep most of the day. I went to BBC, stayed for work, and then came home. After that I went ice skating for 2 hours, which was fun but I was barely staying awake for that. Came home, to just sit and do nothing. I haven't really done any requirements today so I'll have to make it up for the next couple days. I hope everyone is staying safe and warm. Fingers crossed that our power stays on! ~ Peyton

I hope you all had a great week and are keeping up with your requirements! Definitely charge your electronics tonight and tomorrow so you can use them if the power goes out. If we end up getting snowed/iced in, try to get ahead on those requirements and take advantage of your time! Also tomorrow morning/early afternoon would be a good time to go running since we don't know what Sunday and Monday will look like. Stay safe everyone and have a great weekend! ~ Peyton

Today I started my nutrition challenge. I generally eat pretty healthy. I drink soda like once a month, I drink a good amount of water, I eat a lot of protein, vegetables, and fruits. So I had a tough time thinking of what to do. The only thing I can really cut down on is sweets, I love my cookies, brownies, ice cream, and definitely chocolate!! So 30 days with no sweets is going to be pretty rough for me! School was alright, nothing interesting. Came home, finished up requirements, and went to sparring. I can't believe tomorrow is Friday, this week just flew by! Have a great Friday everyone! ~ Peyton

Just wanted to take a moment to celebrate everyone; you all are already half way through week 3! That's almost to 25% of the cycle! Take a moment and think about where you started, what was the hardest thing for you on day 1. Maybe you couldn't do a single pull-up and now you can do 1 or 2. Maybe it was running, it took you 15 minutes to run a mile, now you can do it in 11 minutes. Maybe you had trouble remembering poomsaes or self-defenses and now you can do them with ease. Wherever you started, look at where you are now, because I doubt there is a single one of you who hasn't improved on anything. Pat yourself on the back, be proud of how far you have come. Because without the celebrating the small victories how will you know when you have achieved the big ones. ~ Peyton

Today was alright, nothing special. Went to school, came home, finished up requirements and homework, and ate some dinner. I'm definitely happy that it is a 4 day school week but I've just been feeling tired and bleh lately. Hopefully I'll be in a better mood tomorrow. Have a great rest of the week! ~ Peyton

Happy Martin Luther King Day! "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: Only love can do that." - Martin Luther King Jr. I love that quote, be positive. Break the cycle of hate and transform with love. I punched out all my requirements this morning. 6 hour drive home, felt nice to just do nothing. I hope everyone had a great weekend and has a great start to their week tomorrow! Cycle can get tough, but think about where you started and how much you have improved from day 1. Indiana vs Miami game tonight, good luck to both teams! Excited to see a good game! ~ Peyton

Hope everyone's having a great weekend! I'm up in VA spending time with my family. And I have to say, it is a lot colder up here than it is in NC. Unpopular opinion, but I don't like snow. Its just so cold and makes everything so much harder and more complicated. It started snowing today, not too much stuck to the ground but constant flurries. I went out and ran 2.3 miles and the snow was blowing into my face the entire time. Definitely not comfortable, but proud of myself that I got it done. Finished up some more requirements and then we went out to a Mexican restaurant (I love Mexican food)! Relaxing with some football the rest of the night! ~ Peyton

I'm up in VA visiting with my grandparents this weekend! We got in at 1a.m. last night so I'm a pretty tired. I got some requirements done this morning. Then I played Uno with my grandma. That's our thing, we play about 15 games of Uno every day and keep track of who wins. I have records from when I was five years old of our Uno games! I worked on some more requirements, ate lunch and then went for a run. In their neighborhood, they have this one huge hill and when I have been on cycle before I have always had to walk up that hill, but not today! Today was the first time I ran all the way up the hill. I had really great stamina due to the cold weather! I finished up my last requirements and ate dinner. Relaxing the rest of the night! Keep working hard...

I hope everyone had a great week! Today was pretty good, school was alright. I got on the bus and went to work. The kids had a lot of energy today so that was fun. Took BBC and got to work on some stick forms with Master Natasya and the 3rd dans. I'm now in the car on my way to my grandparents house in VA. It'll definitely be a late night! Make sure to rest your body this weekend, because you deserve it but also try to work ahead on somethings. Take advantage of your time that you do have! Keep up the good work! ~ Peyton

Heyy! I hope everyone is having a great week so far! Keep practicing and doing your requirements, I know its hard but just think about the long weekend and resting up then! Today was pretty good, I went to school, came home and ran 2 miles. Then I finished up the rest of my requirements and some homework. I'm going to relax the rest of the evening. I am so looking forward to relaxing even more this weekend! ~ Peyton

Today I went to school, I got to do a book tasting in English. We read about the author and their book and then wrote our order for the books we would want to read first (1 through 6). I had never done that before, so that was kind of cool. I got home, ran 2 miles and got to work on the rest of my requirements. Lot of stuff done for the week, so definitely happy with that! I'm finishing up some homework now and relaxing the rest of the night! Have a great Wednesday tomorrow! ~ Peyton

Heyy, hope everyone had a great start to the week! I definitely did not want to get up this morning, but I never want to get up in morning lol. I went to school, nothing much there. Went to work and was teaching kids today when I was surprised by how bad their stances were. In multiple classes, I had to review what a front stance, back stance, and walking stance looked like. So I guess this is a reminder to make sure you check your stances in poomsaes and self-defenses! Sometimes, you grow without realizing it and before you know it your front stance is still 2 feet long from when you were 8 years old! Anyways, I got home and finished up some requirements. Have a great day tomorrow! ~ Peyton

Heyy everyone! Read a lot of journals saying you all are pretty sore, which is very understandable (I am too)! Something to help with that is stretching and rolling out your muscles, it may hurt in the moment but it should feel better afterwards and help you be sore for a shorter amount of time. My day consisted of sleeping in (which felt really nice), poomsae class, requirements, and then a birthday party that I just got back from. I'm tired but I'm not tired, I don't know if that makes sense but yeah. I'm definitely going to bed early tonight. Have a great start to your week tomorrow! ~ Peyton

It was so nice to put a face/voice to everyone's name today! I was so proud of all of you who came out and completed the pre-test before the sun was even up! Although some need a little more practice than others, I saw really great effort today and was very proud of all of you. BBC is really hard and everyone has different ways of pushing through. You have to find your way, what works best for you may not work best for someone elese and that's ok. Anyways, my run went really well. I achieved my goal of being sub 40 for 4 miles!! Once I got back to Lake Norman TKD, I still had to work but then I came home and watched some TV while I did the rest of my requirements. I worked ahead on some stuff today and I'm hoping I won't be too sore tomorrow!...

Heyy everyone, hope everyone had a wonderful week! My day consisted of school, work, mentee session, BBC, mentor session, dinner, then requirements. Thankfully I didn't have any homework due tonight. A little nervous to run 4 miles tomorrow but it is just pre-testing so at least I don't have to beat a specific time! For tomorrow: bring water, jump rope, wear running clothes, bring uniform/belt, book and pen. Personally I would also bring a sweat towel and an extra change of clothes if you are riding the bus back, as well as some deodarant, and hair ties! I'm so excited to see everyone bright (well maybe dark) and early tomorrow morning! Get some rest! ~ Peyton

Cognratulations to everyone who performed well on tests and who have been working super hard, getting up early, and staying on top of all your requirements, homework, work, and other daily duties! Time management is super hard but that is one of the best things you learn from being on this BBC, taking advantage of every minute you have! My day consisted of school, homework, requirements, and sparring class. Overall, not too bad. I hope everyone recovers from any sicknesses and has a great Friday tomorrow!! ~ Peyton

Half way through the week, woohoo!! I had MAPs testing today which was super boring and used up all of my brain cells. I came home and had a good run today. I finished up my other requirements and have the rest of the night to myself! I just wanted to remind everyone that the way your practicing is important! Even when no one's watching make sure you have correct stances, good blocks, strong punches, ect. How you practice is how you will most likely perform so make sure you think about that next time you are just "running through" your poomsaes or self-defenses. Sparring tomorrow, BBC Friday, pre-test Saturday! Have a great rest of your week! ~ Peyton

School was school, nothing super interesting. I had an orthodontist appointment and am hopefully getting my braces off in about 2 months!! I came home and went for a run but for some reason it was just really tough today. However, I did get in 2 miles so I'm happy with that. I get done with all my other requirements too and am going to hopefully relax the rest of tonight! I hope everyone is doing well with school basketball tryouts! Also make sure to make your color belt poomsaes and self-defeneses solid before Saturday! Definitely work with your mentor if you have any questions or need to run something by them! Keep pushing through all of your requirements! ~ Peyton

I'm not a big fan of Mondays and today was a Monday which means back to school and a regular routine. I definitely had a hard time getting up this morning, especially since I am still sore! :( Went to school and then work. I got some good work in with the kiddos today at TKD and worked on some self-defense and poomsae with Ms. Jen! I got home around 7:45p.m. and started working on my BBC requirements and just finished up some homeowork. Hopefully I will be less sore tomorrow! Also Happy Birthday Jordan!! Have a great day tomorrow everyone! ~ Peyton

I woke up today and my entire body was super sore! I went to poomsae class and got to hold baby Olive (Master Natasya & Master Marcus's new baby)!! I came home and punched out my requirements. It was actually a really nice day for running, the weather wasn't too cold but the sun was out and made it nice! I'm very happy that I could push  through all of my soreness and still be productive today! I'm definitely not excited about school starting again, but hopefully the teachers will take it easy! I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the weekend and a great start to next week!! Keep up the great work! ~ Peyton

Hi everyone, my name is Peyton! I attend Lake Norman KT and have been since I was 4 years old and I am now 14! I love TKD, the people there are my 2nd family! I am on my audit cycle for my 4th degree black belt. I am so excited to start this new cycle in 2026! I love writing these journals on the website and love reading others, usually I write a lot! If I had any advice to give for newbies who haven't done this before, just don't fall behind. Work ahead as much as you can on the weekends, especially if you work or go to school Mon-Fri. Get as much as you can done, when you can and definitely keep up with your essays! Don't wait until the last minute to do everything! Overall, my day was good! BBC was a lot of fun with bocho...