Candidate Journals

I haven't posted a journal in a while.  Sorry to anyone that had been tracking my journey with my daily journals, but I've just had some much going on outside of the cycle my brain feels fried currently and emotions have been all over the place.  What a day. First, a huge Happy 30th Anniversary to my parents. I can only pray that my own relationship lasts and flourishes the way theirs has. Today was also my 40th birthday, though it certainly didn't start out as a celebration. I began the morning at the courthouse filing paperwork on a personal matter—something that has had my anxiety running through the roof since last Thursday. After finishing up, Lauren suggested grabbing a birthday coffee. It was the first coffee I’ve ordered out since August, and while it was incredibly sweet, it was a great idea and gave me a genuine moment of joy....

Today started off on a strong note before taking a rough turn in the early afternoon. I woke up super early with a lot on my mind, but heading to black belt class turned out to be really productive—we spent the entire session working on weapons forms. Since I'm still learning the material, I recorded everything on video with my mentor so I can study and lock it down over the next few days. Right after class, I rushed home to pick up a few of the boys on our flag football team and headed over to North Mecklenburg Park for practice. We had a great one-hour session with a solid turnout. While we didn't have the full roster present, the group that came showed a lot of promise. We definitely need one more full-team practice before next Saturday's season kickoff, which also happens to be our physical and written testing...

Today was a solid, productive day overall. I kicked things off with a good workout at 9Round before heading straight into work, where I installed the vehicle battery I had charged overnight. Unfortunately, the vehicle still needed a jump start, meaning either the battery or the alternator is shot. Once "Bug" finishes picking up the kids tomorrow, I'll pull the battery out to get it tested or put it back on the charger overnight. If the battery is dead, I'll swap it out for a new one; if it tests fine, the vehicle is going straight back to the shop. ​Before taking on my usual afternoon kid pickup, I managed to spend about 30 minutes working on my Five Kwans essay. As soon as I got back, I jumped right into helping in a class and leading warm ups in a class. I really enjoy filming the after-school students during training—it...

Today was a good day overall. I woke up and headed to 9Round for a workout—it was decent, though I wasn't entirely feeling it today. After getting to work, I ate lunch right away and spent about 45 minutes working on my essay before leaving to pick up the kids. When I got back, I pulled the battery from one of the vehicles to charge overnight, then jumped straight into helping with classes. I attended the 5:15 PM class before heading home. After dinner, we jumped online and gamed for about 30 minutes, which was nice since it had been a while. Now it's time for bed; I'm exhausted, and tomorrow is going to be a long day. Good night!

Today was a great day overall. It kicked off with a fantastic morning training session at Grandmaster Evins' school, where we focused on lots of kicking and new techniques I’ve never done before. Right after that, I went to 9Round and crushed a workout, burning 600 calories. I was starving by the time I got to work, so I ate lunch right away. Afterward, I had to jump-start and pick up a vehicle for the afternoon runs to grab the kids, though it was running really rough once we got it back. After finishing the pickup runs, Dad and I took a look at the vehicles—he got the rough one running smoothly, and I was able to fix up the other one I worked on. Once work was wrapped up, I headed home for a run. I was only planning on doing 2 miles, but I ended up pushing through 5,...

Today was a great day overall. Started the morning strong with a 9Round workout before heading into work. Task-wise, I only needed to fill up two vehicles with fuel today, so I knocked that out and grabbed a quick lunch before doing the camp pickup run. ​Once back at the school, I jumped straight into helping in classes. Spent some time taking and posting videos to the parent portal so they could see their kids in action—always easy to get awesome clips during board-breaking week! ​Headed straight home after work to tackle the yard. It had been two weeks since the last mow, so it was long overdue, but it felt good to get it cleaned up. Finished out the night with dinner and caught a bit of football before calling it a day. ​Goodnight, y'all.

Today was a great day. I woke up early to head over to the Jr. Instructors camp and lead a 50-minute session with 31 kids. We did a board-breaking drill, but with a twist: each student wrote something they find difficult on their board first. The goal was to give them a physical break through a mental obstacle—or at least spark that mindset. Everyone cheered each other on, and the overall flow of the class was fantastic. ​After camp wrapped up, I came home and knocked out most of my daily requirements. Since it was NFL Kickoff Sunday, I spent plenty of time watching games while taking care of random chores around the house. I ended up crashing for about an hour nap mid-game; I must have been more exhausted than I realized. ​Later in the evening, we grabbed dinner as a family and then headed to my in-laws' house to...

Woke up early and attended black belt class. I really enjoyed the session this morning. Right after, I headed over to my in-laws' house to help set up for my father-in-law’s 75th birthday party—his birthday was a few weeks back, but today was the big celebration. ​From there, I rushed home to grab my car and went over to King Tiger to help out and take some photos at the Jr. Instructors Camp. I couldn't stay long with the party underway, so I wrapped up, rushed back home to change, and headed back to the party. ​It was a fantastic turnout—great barbecue, good music, and awesome people to catch up with. Later in the evening, Texas pulled off a victorious, nail-biting win against Ohio State—an absolute classic game. ​Heading to bed now to rest up before leading the breaking routine with the kids in the morning.

Today was a decent day. I headed to 9Round in the morning to knock out a workout, though congestion made breathing a bit tough this week—so it didn't feel like my best session. Afterwards, I went to work, grabbed lunch, and before long, it was time to pick up the kids. Once that was done, Melanie and I took one of the vehicles over to get a door fixed. Shortly after getting back, black belt class started. It was a solid class with a nice change of pace to mix things up. When I got home, I packed a salad to go since Lauren wanted to head over to her parents' house. It's my father-in-law's birthday party weekend, and with a ton of family in town, it’s going to be a long, busy few days. Hope everyone has a great weekend!  

​Today was a solid day overall. Woke up and kicked things off with a great workout at 9Round. ​Felt a bit less hungry than usual when I got to work, so I saved most of my food for later instead of forcing it down. During lunch, I made some more progress on my kwan essay. Later in the afternoon, I picked up the kids, assisted with classes, and captured a few more videos of the after-school group staying active in Taekwondo to share with parents. ​Before sparring class, I went for a two-mile walk to get outside and clear my head. By the time I returned, my appetite was back, so I finished my leftovers right before stepping onto the mat. Sparring went really well—I was worried my foot would be sore afterward, but it’s feeling completely fine. ​Immediately after sparring, I rushed over to East Lincoln High School to catch...

​Today was a good day. Woke up and went to 9Round—got in a really good workout today. I was pretty hungry afterward, so I grabbed lunch right when I got to work. After lunch, I worked on my essay for a bit before getting the kiddos. ​I helped in classes this afternoon and took videos of our after-school kids to send to their parents so they could see them in action. It went well, and I hope the parents appreciate seeing their progress. ​I took the 5:15 class and focused on more self-defense. After class, I went through the rest of the test with my mentor to make sure my answers were correct for studying going forward. ​Once I got home, I had to grab a quick dinner since I was starving. Watched the NFL kickoff game before heading to bed. Long day tomorrow. Hope everyone has a good day!

Today went well overall, but I was exhausted when I woke up after sleeping terribly last night. It was close to 3:00 AM before I finally fell asleep—I happened to check the clock right before drifting off. ​I headed to 9Round for a workout, but it felt rough, and my tracked numbers definitely reflected it. It's so weird how my soreness has returned lately. I wasn't expecting it to come back like this, but some days are definitely worse than others. After that, I fueled up all the vehicles before picking up the kiddos. ​As soon as I got back to King Tiger, I jumped right into helping with classes. I really enjoy doing it, and it's great preparation for the future. I took the 5:15 PM class and got to work on all the black belt self-defenses, which is what I struggle with the most. Right afterward, I stayed to...

​Today was a solid day overall. I kicked things off with a great workout at 9Round, then headed home to take care of a few task around the house. I also finished writing my essay for the community service event. Other than that, it was a pretty low-key, relaxing day. The weather outside was incredible—hopefully, it stays like this for the rest of the week!

​Today was a good day. I woke up and watched the church service online. It wasn’t my favorite sermon, but it was still good—I like to change it up from time to time. Right after that, I knocked out a few of my black belt requirements.​I squeezed in a bit of gaming before diving into chores around the house. I set up our new internet and migrated all the devices over. It’s an easy process, just time-consuming. I also did some deep cleaning on the carpets, which was long overdue—they honestly needed it a year ago! Clean carpets make such a huge difference in both the smell and the overall feel of the house; I'm super satisfied with how they turned out.​Tonight, Lauren, myself, Christian, and Momma went out to dinner and then hit up Spare Time for an overall amazing evening.​Now, I just need to finish a few more requirements...

Woke up early to attend the community service event at the McCrorey YMCA—and what an incredible event it was! There was an overwhelming turnout of volunteers, tons of donations, and so many blessings all in one place. Charlotte’s mayor even officially proclaimed today as McCrorey YMCA Day! ​Despite the heat, it was worth every second: our goal was to pack 6,000 care bags for the homeless, and we blew past it to exceed 7,000. ​Afterward, I headed home to knock out some requirements before going over to my in-laws' house. We grabbed half-off sushi together as a family, then headed back to help them set up a new TV and hang out. After hot dogs for dinner, we returned home later in the evening to unwind with a bit of football before bed. ​Hope everyone is having a great extended weekend so far!

​Today was a long, exhausting day, starting at 3:00 AM when one of the dogs got sick. After cleaning that up, I managed to crawl back into bed and catch a little more sleep before waking up for a workout—which turned out to be another great session. ​Work went smoothly; I hung out with a few kids and ate lunch until it was time to run the pickup route. The heat today was brutal. ​In the afternoon, I pushed through black belt class. By the time I got home, I was starving—just like yesterday—so I grabbed dinner right away. I wound down with some football before showering and getting ready for bed. Looking forward to the group community service event tomorrow! 

Today was a good day. The dog woke me up this morning because she needed to go out. I took care of a few things around the house before heading out for my workout. It was a great session today—Lo pushed me pretty hard at a few stations. 900 calories burned, which was a great start to the day. Afterward, I had to run over to the UPS Store to return my old phone to Verizon. I still don't fully understand the upgrade deal they offered, but I'm definitely not complaining because I love the new phone. Helping out in classes today went well. I worked with the lower belts on their hop-step kicks, which was a lot of fun. Being back on the floor more consistently will definitely help me think outside the box with techniques and fresh teaching approaches. I'm still waiting to hear whether I'll be coaching Christian...

​Today was a decent day. I woke up and took Christian to his orthodontist appointment, which went well, and then dropped him off at school. ​I headed back home to finish a few chores before going into work. Once there, I was able to spend a few minutes working on my essay before leaving to pick up the kiddos from school. ​Today was my first day stepping away from after-school duty to help in classes as soon as I got back, and I really enjoyed it. I got to watch two younger candidates during their mentee sessions, which was great for helping correct their techniques. ​After work, I dropped off one of the vehicles for service and returned home to grab dinner with the family. I finished up my testing requirements after dinner, then showered. ​I’m completely spent, so hopefully I can get a good night’s rest—another long day ahead tomorrow.

Today was a solid day. Woke up and took care of a few things around the house until about 9:00 AM. ​Around that time, I loaded up Christian’s dirt bike and drove over to Cornelius to drop it off at the shop for repairs. Hauling stuff like that always makes me nervous—it definitely pushes my anxiety on high. ​After dropping off the bike, I headed over to 9Round and got in a great workout. From there, I went straight to work to clean a few more vehicles. It was brutally hot today, so I was only able to power through one of them before calling it. ​I left work a bit early to pick up Christian’s bike once it was ready, then headed home. Traffic in the Cornelius area around rush hour is always crazy. ​Once I got home, I spent some time working on my kwans essay, had dinner, showered,...

Another solid day overall. Started the morning by knocking out a few requirements before heading into work. First order of business when I arrived was getting gas for all the vehicles that needed it. The workday flew by, and I managed to make some progress on my Kwans essay during lunch. Got home and went straight into yard work. No matter how short or tall the grass is, it’s always a solid two-hour job. ​After showering, we grabbed pizza with the family at a spot my in-laws highly recommended—it was a great deal and turned out to be fantastic pizza. Wrapped up the night by completing a few more requirements back at home before calling it a day.

​Today was a good day. I woke up and knocked out some of my requirements while watching two online church services. After lunch, I dove straight into cleaning around the house and getting through some laundry. ​I also finished my essay on the diet challenge today. I officially decided to keep the challenge going through the end of the cycle—there’s no reason to regress to a less healthy lifestyle. I feel better, have more energy, and notice my endurance improving, so I might as well see how far I can take this. ​Finished the evening with a great dinner before heading back home to complete the rest of my requirements, shower, and call it a night. Another solid week is coming—I can feel it.

Today was a great day. I woke up and went to Saturday black belt class—it was a solid session, though I owe my poomsae group an apology since I definitely earned us a few extra rounds of push-ups and sit-ups! After class, I relaxed at home for a few minutes before tackling the huge task of organizing the garage. I worked on it for a few hours, then headed over to my parents' house to celebrate Dad's and Tasya's birthdays over dinner. It was wonderful catching up with family, even if a massive post-meal food coma hit me right on schedule. Back home, I jumped straight back into the garage for another couple of hours. I made serious progress—it’s not entirely finished, but it is in infinitely better shape than when the day started. Now it’s time to shower and head to bed. I almost didn't get this entry written tonight,...

​Today was another good day overall, aside from waking up pretty tired. I didn't sleep very well last night, so I was feeling sluggish and got to my workout about 30 minutes later than usual. Unfortunately, being late meant I missed the birthday pictures the ladies set up for my dad this morning. HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPS!​My foot was a bit sore from catching an elbow in sparring yesterday, but I still pushed through a solid workout at 9Round. After that, I headed to work to hang out with the few kids who didn't have school today. We made paper airplanes, and I set up targets for them to throw them through. I also got right back into cleaning the fleet. I finished three of them—minus the exterior wash, since we're still under water restrictions.​After work, I stayed for Friday Black Belt class. It was another good one; we worked on Hapkido...

​Today was another solid day overall. I worked out early before work again, and it was another banger of a session. I burned over 600 calories, awesome way to start off the day. Once I got to work, I filled up one of the vehicles and gave it a quick clean. It still needs a bit more work—just like all the other vehicles—but I’ll get to them soon. ​I spent about 30 to 45 minutes working on my essay for the 30-day diet challenge. I stayed after work to catch a mentee session, helped out with the 5:15 class, jumped into class right after, and wrapped up the evening with sparring.  I did throw a few solid kicks in sparring tonight that I was happy with, but I did catch an elbow on a kick and foot is bruised again.  Dangit.  After sparring class I tried to give some advice on...

Today was another good day. ​I got in another great workout before work today and stuck around to put in a little extra effort. Right after, I went to King Tiger, picked up Joe and the little bus, and headed to Enso to load everything out. We eventually got it all packed up and moved over to storage. ​I had a fantastic lunch with Dad and Joe at City Barbeque, followed by a nice workday—the time goes by so quickly compared to summer camp! ​After work, I came home and spent about an hour writing my 30-day challenge essay. Later on, I met up for dinner with someone who used to work for me and is now out in the world flourishing. It’s always refreshing to catch up with him. ​Now I’m back home, showered, and relaxing. Got a long day ahead tomorrow, topped off with sparring in the evening!

Today was a good day. Woke up feeling great and ready to take on the day. ​I headed straight to 9Round and hit a killer workout—it felt good to be back in the gym. I even stayed after to get some extra work in. I stepped on the scale for the first time in about two weeks; the weight hasn't changed much, but more importantly, I'm feeling strong. ​After work, I took class and then headed home to tackle a few chores. Dinner and a shower followed, and now exhaustion is setting in. Hopefully, I'll get a solid night's rest. ​Tomorrow starts early with a morning workout, followed by heading over to Enso to load up the rest of the gear and haul it to storage. ​Goodnight, all.

​Woke up and went to get my passport sorted out. My in-laws mentioned they want to take us overseas next year, so I need to get that good ol’ passport ready. That also reminded me that I need to get my Real ID taken care of soon, too. ​Right after that, we headed over to the Lincoln County Courthouse to file some paperwork. All in all, we spent a pretty good amount of money today. For lunch, we grabbed a sandwich from a small shop out in Lincolnton—it was delicious. ​Came home, completed some requirements, and did more research for the essays. After grabbing a quick snack of yogurt and granola, I went on a 4-mile run. It felt okay—wouldn't say it was great, but not terrible either. ​Took a shower, ate dinner, and then relaxed before bed. Cranked up all parts of the requirements today! We’ll see how I feel...

​Today was pretty laid back. I woke up and knocked out my requirements for the day, then spent some time working on random projects around the house. Overall, it felt like a really productive weekend. ​I also got to hang out with my brother-in-law today. We grabbed dinner together before heading back home to relax and catch up for a bit. I spent a few hours researching my diet essay and the history of the Five Kwans. It's fascinating—and eye-opening—to see the data on sugar and just how tough it is on our bodies. ​Tomorrow, it’s time to step up the intensity as the daily requirements increase. I have a very busy day ahead, but I'm ready for it. Hope everyone has a great week!

Today was a good Saturday. I woke up early and headed straight to black belt class, which went really well—we managed to cover a lot of material. After class, I spent some time with my mentor and mentee for a much-needed tune-up and some note-taking. Once I got home, I grabbed lunch and knocked out a few items on the honey-do list. By late afternoon, the fatigue caught up with me, so I squeezed in a quick one-hour nap that felt amazing. After waking up, I had dinner, knocked out a few requirements, and settled in to watch some football. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Today was a good day at work. Took the little kiddos over to Enso so they could watch a movie, while the older group had a game day. I didn't set up the best games for the older kids, but they still had fun playing. We tried a variation of a game we played the other day, adding a few twists to make it more interesting for them. ​around the time I left to pick up a few kiddos—a great downpour that cooled things down considerably. Hopefully, the cooler weather sticks around for a few days before the extreme heat kicks back in. ​I definitely need to get better sleep tonight; I was pretty tired today. Great Black Belt class this afternoon! It was awesome working with Evan on our Hapkido breakaways. Looking forward to Black Belt class in the morning and hopefully a great weekend ahead. I hope everyone has...

Today was a fairly typical Thursday—at least until work wrapped up. I was head counselor for the older kids and helped transport the middle group to the pool. It’s becoming very clear that the kids are ready to go back to school; end-of-summer cabin fever has set in, and their attitudes toward one another this week have definitely shown it. There was no sparring today due to testing, so I’ll need to figure out when and where to make up those rounds to stay on track for my cycle requirements. Even without sparring, the evening turned out great. I joined my wife, son, and in-laws for dinner at EEZ Fusion, which is always fantastic. Happy 75th Birthday, Bob! We love you and appreciate everything you do for our family. After dinner, we headed back to their house to help glue down a countertop and wire up a new TV and AV...

​Today was a good day. I drove the little kids to swimming, then came back to King Tiger to play a quick game with the older kiddos, until it was time to pick up little kiddos and transport them over to Enso. I grabbed lunch, gassed up a few vehicles, and checked the fluids. It was another hot one today—though I guess not quite as hot as Monday. Did another transport with little kiddos back to King Tiger then off to pick up Laundry from PLP.  Always enjoy that drive in the afternoon.  ​The new pull-up bar is awesome! Christian loves using it, and now I’m doing way more exercises with it, too. Definitely a great Goodwill purchase. Hope everyone has had a great week.

​Today was exhausting, but a good day overall. ​We started off at work trying out a new game with the kids involving cones and bear crawls/crab walks. It went well enough to keep in the rotation as a quick filler activity before bigger games on Game Days. ​After that, the kids went swimming. We had the pool area to ourselves for most of the time! The slide was closed, which bummed a few kids out at first, but they got over it quickly. Post-swim, we headed to Enso for snack time and introduced another new game. It took a little explaining and a minute for the kiddos to catch on, but it went well. We’ll definitely give it another shot on Friday. ​When I got home, I put in two more hours of yard work and knocked out some requirements after that. I’m pretty wiped from the last two days. Only...

​Took the older kids to the park today—wow, was it hot! 🔥 🥵 I stayed in the shade and drank plenty of water, but the kids were actually running around playing soccer. Absolutely crazy; I would have passed out! Looking forward to indoor swim day tomorrow. ​Got home and put in about two hours of yard work. By the time I finished, I looked like I’d just stepped out of the shower. Grabbed a bite to eat, hit my requirements, showered, and then bed. ​I need to make sure I pack my protein shake for work tomorrow. I forgot it today, and I can definitely feel the difference. Goodnight, everyone—hope everyone sleeps well!

Today was a great day. I spent most of it at home with the family. We cleaned off Christian’s desk to make room for a computer—we don't have it yet, but hopefully soon!​Later, my wife and I stepped out for a few hours to look for gems at Goodwill. I’ve been substituting other exercises for pull-ups lately, so finding a pull-up bar there was a total score. The Denver Goodwill never fails—there are always a few nice finds.​Once back home, I knocked out my physical requirements, played a few online games with Christian, and grabbed a shower.​All in all, it was a solid day. Group 3 is all mine tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to mixing things up with the kiddos now that Charlie is heading back to school. I hope everyone had as good of a weekend as I did.

​Today was a great day. I was pretty tired waking up early to head to Masters Testing in Greenville, but it was so worth it. I got to travel there with my family, though I ended up crashing on the way because I didn't sleep well last night.​I'm super thankful for the opportunity to go and watch everyone perform. For me, seeing all the hard work and experience from years of training come together in front of Grandmaster Lee was amazing to watch. Everyone did an excellent job with all aspects of their performances, and getting to hold boards for a few of the testers was a real treat as always.​After testing, a group of 12 of us grabbed a bite to eat at a ramen restaurant, and it hit the spot. I ended up driving the crew back home tonight, which wasn't bad at all—traffic flowed well and we only...

​Today was a good day overall. I stuck to my normal routine, starting off by heading to work and grabbing one of our fleet vans that was ready at the repair shop. Once I got back, we took the kids over to the park to hang out for a few hours.​Afterward, we headed back to eat lunch and help out with the older kids. Once we wrapped up picking everyone else up from the park, we spent some time at Enso before heading back to King Tiger.​I took the black belt class today, and it was great—huge thanks to my sister for running an awesome session! To top it off, my brother-in-law came into town today, which is always a blessing. We all grabbed dinner together as a family before heading home for the night.​I’m heading to bed shortly since tomorrow is going to be a long day traveling and watch...

​Today I woke up earlier than normal for two reasons: it was Christian's first day back to school, and I was meeting a mentor for morning coffee. Christian was wide awake and ready to go right off the bat.​My mentor meeting was great, as always. He continuously helps me spot perspectives I might otherwise miss, and he isn't afraid to call me out when I need it.​Work went really well after that. We had a visiting scientist lead an activity with the kids where they got to make cotton candy, and we set up a quick experiment for the middle group to observe and check back on later. All in all, a solid day at work.​Afterward, I took class, logged a leadership credit, and stayed for sparring. Sparring went great this week—no new bruises, which is always a win!​Just a few last requirements to wrap up before bed. I'm really looking...

​Today was a great day spent with the family. I took the day off work so we could spend some quality time with Christian before he heads back to school.​I woke up, got a few chores done around the house, and then we hit up Topgolf. Christian had two friends and his cousin join us for two hours of golfing, which was a blast. Afterwards, we headed to Charlotte Premium Outlets in Pineville and scored some really good back-to-school deals for Christian. I'm glad we took a few hours to do that before heading home.​Once we got back, I spent some much-needed time organizing my closet and clearing out clothes I know I’ll never wear again. Shortly after finishing that, I went out for a 3-mile run. While out on the road, I spotted a Bluetooth speaker on the side of the road—tested it out, and it still works! I posted...

​Today was a good day. Work went well, though it felt like most of the groups were pretty uppity—almost like it’s a full moon. Hopefully, they’re a little calmer tomorrow. ​Came home to complete some requirements and then took the boat back to storage. On the way home, grabbed dinner with my wife at a new-to-us spot recommended by my in-laws; would definitely go back. Finished a few more requirements after getting back, and now it's bedtime. ​Didn't get a run in today, so I'm planning a long one tomorrow (around 4–5 miles). Weirdly enough, I'm actually looking forward to it.

​Today was a good day. Woke up early and cut the grass before heading over to my parents' house for my nephew's 18th birthday. It's crazy how fast those 18 years have flown by. ​They had pizza, wings, garlic knots, and mozzarella sticks. I kept it sensible with a few slices of pizza and a few wings—pretty good overall! For dessert, there was ice cream cookie dough cake and ice cream Oreo cake. Wanting to stay on track with my intake goal, I opted for just a small slice of the Oreo cake. It was so good, and so sweet. ​Once I got back home, I hung out with Christian for a few hours. We spent time gaming, grabbed dinner, and worked on restoring a computer—he’s really excited to see how it performs. I also managed to knock out some requirements while watching part of a movie with him. ​Off to...

​Today was a great day. Didn’t wake up as early as I wanted, but I still got plenty of work in. ​Got to black belt class this morning, which was fantastic.  It was a great class taught by my sister, Master Natasya.  I'm so blessed to have some much experience in my family and around, not just me but all of the testers, there is no reason why we cant all get to the end goal. There are plenty of things I need to correct within a lot of the upper belt poomsaes.  A big thank you to Peyton for helping me after class get my notes right so I can practice properly. ​Got home and went out for a 3-mile run, and it felt terrible! Had to stop about 10 times, but I kept pushing through and finished. Ate some fruit and had a protein shake for breakfast before relaxing...

​Today was a great end to the workweek. Took the kiddos to the park—it was warm out, but the cloud cover and occasional breeze kept it pleasant.​I took black belt class this afternoon and learned some new material that I definitely need to practice. Afterward, I went to dinner with my dad, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew.​Planning on waking up early tomorrow to get a few miles in before class, hopefully with my son if he wants to join. My knee is pretty sore from sparring yesterday and sports a nice bruise, so hopefully the run goes smoothly. Looking forward to seeing everyone in the morning!

Today was a good day. Went to work this morning like usual, and arrived to find it was still hot—the AC guys hadn't been by the school yet. The little kiddos went to Urban Air today. Once we got all the kids, I helped move Group 2 from the pool over to King Tiger, then picked up the kids from Urban Air and hung out at Enzo for about an hour. Later, I set up a rotation with three different activity stations where the kids switched every 10 minutes. It worked out great and made the time fly by. Big shout-out to Audrey for being an awesome counselor—she’s always on top of what the kids enjoy and what they're capable of doing. Working with her makes managing the day with the little ones so easy. After a few more shuttle runs moving kids around, I wrapped up the workday. Christian and...

​Today was a good day. I was with the little kids today, and it went really well. Audrey does a great job with the group. I set them up for crafts later in the afternoon while she ran games for Game Show Day. The kids made masks out of paper plates today, and I think they really enjoyed it—a lot of them walked up and put them over their faces to show their parents. ​I did a little bit of driving today, but not much since Reena came back on a very quick turnaround. ​After work, I came home to follow up on some personal stuff, then hit the road for a 3-mile run. It felt good, especially after the 5-miler I did the other day. Came back home for a few more requirements, a shower, some dinner, and a movie with the wifey. 72 Hours is pretty funny. ​Hopefully, good...

Today was a good, busy day. It was pretty much nonstop driving from the moment I got to work: took one group of kids to the pool, another group to Urban Air (where I managed to capture some great action shots to upload), another trip back to the pool, and then brought kids back to King Tiger. After that, I picked up the remaining group from Urban Air to drop off at Enzo. During lunch, I grabbed a sandwich combo from Harris Teeter that came with a drink. I think it was actually the first time I've ever drank unsweet tea. Honestly? It was not good, but it did its job by keeping me under my daily sugar intake goal. The soda or high sugar drink challenge is still going strong—just dealing with small cravings here and there, but pushing through! One of the newer vehicles is acting really strange, so...

Today was a good day. Got to work and swapped in a battery for one of the vehicles—hopefully, it just needed a solid charge and isn’t a bad alternator causing it to drain or fail to charge. I drove the kiddos around today since our main driver was out. Got to hang out at the park for about an hour where I worked on some requirements; it was partly cloudy and breezy, with pretty comfortable temperatures. It definitely helped that I kept a hand towel wet with cool water from the fountain to stay fresh. The day seemed to fly by. Came home, sat down for a brief rest, and then headed out for a 5-mile run. Running on a level surface makes a massive difference! I planned a flat route to get the miles in, and it felt night-and-day compared to my 4-mile run the other day. As far as...

​Not too much going on today. I woke up, completed a few requirements, and grabbed some breakfast before heading into the garage to clean up a bit. Shortly after, we went over to my in-laws' house for dinner—it was delicious as always, and I always appreciate their cooking. ​After getting home, I knocked out a few more requirements, showered, and now I'm heading to bed. Today was Day 2 of my no-soda challenge. I had a strong craving to crack open a nice, ice-cold Coke, but luckily it passed pretty quickly.  

​Started the day off with black belt class! Missed an email from last night, so I was a few minutes late, but it was a solid session—definitely gave me a few things to work on. ​Afterward, I got the van door fixed and ready for summer camp next week (just need to charge a battery for Monday morning). Then, I picked up the boat and took it out for a few hours. It ran great! It was our first time taking it out since getting it fixed, so that was a huge win. ​Finished up the day handling a few quick tasks, getting in a little gaming, and catching up on some good sleep. Hope everyone’s having a great weekend so far!

Today was a pretty tough one to get through. My feet are bruised up pretty badly from sparring over the last two weeks, and while getting out of bed wasn’t the hard part, actually walking was brutal. I pushed through the pain, made my way to work slowly, and got through the day. Group 3 had movie day, so we watched Monsters vs. Aliens—it’s a good movie, and most of the kids hadn't seen it before. In the afternoon, I made sure the fleet was good on all fluids. I decided to skip black belt class today because I really wanted, and badly needed, to give my feet a rest. As soon as I got home, I plunged my feet straight into an Epsom salt ice bath for about 20 minutes. Once the feeling came back, they felt about 50% better and I was able to walk around somewhat okay after...

Today was a good day. I was running a tad bit behind this morning due to traffic being busier than usual. As soon as I arrived at work, I picked up a vehicle from the shop, then helped get a game together for Group 3 before leaving for Quest with the young kiddos. It was probably 5 degrees cooler today than on Tuesday when I went with the other group which was fantastic, yes it was hot but not to bad. Got to see some different things there today, which was cool. I didn't work out this morning in anticipation of taking sparring today, using the time while waiting for class to start to knock out some requirements. Sparring hurt like usual, but it felt better than last week in terms of moving around on the mat and just feeling out the opponent. Wrapped up the evening with dinner, completed a...

I skipped the morning workout today—I really wanted to test the difference in my energy levels throughout the day without an early session. By the end of the day, the difference was huge. Camp went smoothly: my group headed to the pool while the other half took care of things at King Tiger. After work, I came home to tackle two hours of yard work, grabbed dinner shortly after, and then knocked out some requirements. It’s a peculiar feeling—how you can physically feel stronger overall, yet feel so weak in the moment that you can't display your full strength. Happy Birthday to my mentor soon to be Master Jennifer Gould.  

​Today was a good day. Went to work out before work, and that was killer—chow at every round, 1,180 reps in total! I was exhausted after that, but I powered through work, and today's field trip was Quest. It’s always a cool experience; every year feels a little different visiting these spots with the kiddos. ​After work, I stayed for class, logged some leadership credit, and worked on self-defense. Came home, ate dinner, and relaxed with the family. Ended the night with a bit more self-defense practice, and now it's time for a good night's rest before doing it all over again tomorrow. ​Good night, all. Hope everyone is getting stronger, mentally and physically.

​Today wasn’t a great day. Woke up feeling like my head and shoulders had been beaten with a bag of quarters—splitting headache. It didn't help that I barely got any sleep. ​I called out of work, took some meds, and went back to bed until 12:00 PM. Ate some lunch, watched a little TV, and then went back to sleep for a few more hours. The headache didn't finally go away until around 7:00 PM. ​Ate some dinner, forced myself to get through my requirements, took a shower, and now here I am about to hit the sack. Good night, all. Hope everyone had a better start to their week than I did.

Today was a pretty laid-back day, which I really needed. I slept in late—the latest I’ve slept in for a long time. I got some laundry done, cleared out a ton of old paperwork I hadn't gone through in years, and picked up around the house before lunch. I even stumbled across two gift cards I’d completely forgotten about! Later on, I hit a wall and took a nap, which felt amazing since I haven't taken one in forever. Ended up getting my requirements taken care of, too. Looking forward to some growth this week.

Today was a good day overall. Slept right through my alarm this morning and ended up missing class, but I still got plenty of work done. Hit the pavement for a 4-mile run—by far the longest run I’ve done in a long time, and it felt like forever. It was tough; my neighborhood is definitely not flat, and some of those hills are brutal. Came in around an 11-minute mile pace, which I’m pretty happy with given the elevation. Spent some great quality time hanging out with the family. Right knee is feeling pretty sore today, which is weird since I’ve never had issues with it before. I'll keep an eye on it and hopefully it feels better tomorrow. Looking Ahead: Might take the boat out tomorrow after a morning football workout!

Today was an okay day. Took Christian to the dentist this morning before heading into work. My feet were definitely hurting well into the late afternoon from yesterday's sparring—comes with the territory, but I still made it to Black Belt class today. There’s so much I still need to lock in on. Tomorrow is going to be a push: starting with Saturday Black Belt class, followed immediately by football training, and then fitting in a few miles on top of that. No real plans for the rest of the weekend beyond that. Need to get some solid sleep tonight—got a long day coming up.

Today was easily the most exhausting day since the cycle started. I kicked things off with another solid 9Round workout. Summer camp went great today, especially thanks to Spare Time Bowling for being so flexible and accommodating us on short notice. After work, I attended class to get through my required self-defense drills. Since there was an extra class right after, I used that downtime to keep refining them. We finished up with sparring. It's been a while since I've sparred, and it definitely showed—I was rewarded with instant bruises! I felt super rusty, but I’m really grateful for everyone in class tonight. The energy was fantastic, with everyone encouraging and pushing each other to do their best. Knocked out some dinner, finished a few more requirements, took a shower, and now it's time for bed. Hoping for a solid night of sleep tonight.

Today started with a morning workout at 9Round. It was a refreshing change of pace compared to my usual evening sessions. Summer camp ran smoothly, keeping me busy shuttling the kids between the pool and the dojang. Back home, I managed to get the grass cut in anticipation for rain coming. For dinner, I experimented with air-frying some wings—they turned out great! My soreness has almost completely faded now. Keep on keeping on!

Today was easily my lowest energy day since the cycle started. I originally planned to hit 9Round early this morning, but another terrible night of sleep threw a wrench in that. Summer camp went well today. Later on, Christian and I took class together, and I earned a leadership credit by leading warm-ups. It was my first time leading warm-ups in over 10 years, but it felt like second nature—like I never stopped. I honestly felt like I could have run more of the class, but I respected that it wasn't my class to teach. After class, Christian and I hit 9Round together, and then I went home and logged a 2-mile run. I really hope I get some good sleep tonight so my energy bounces back tomorrow. Hearing others talk about their journeys and seeing some of their journals was a great reminder of why we’re all doing this.

Didn't sleep well last night for whatever reason. I started the day with a dentist appointment before work. Starting tomorrow I will be going to 9rounds before work to ensure I can get my classes and leadership credits in during the evening classes.  Summer camp went great overall—it was hot out there, but a good day with the kids. After work, I hit up 9Round for a solid workout with Dad and left with my shirt completely soaked. Finishing up a few more requirements tonight before heading to bed. I'm feeling pretty wiped out, so I think I'll crash fast tonight. Safe to say I shouldn't have any trouble sleeping this time around!

Today marked the second day of the current cycle. I began the morning with a stretching routine to alleviate soreness before transitioning into some of the day's primary requirements. I will say I noticed a huge lift in my appetite yesterday, the physical demands of yesterday’s session resulted in a significant increase in my appetite. Midday, me and the family went to visit my in-laws for lunch and watch the World Cup Finals. Spain delivered a dominant performance throughout the match, maintaining control well beyond what the final score suggested. Upon returning home, I prioritized my recovery with a protein shake and completed the remaining cycle tasks for the day. Knowing that so many others are diligently working toward this same objective keeps me fully focused and accountable. Let’s keep pushing forward—we have what it takes to succeed.

Completed the Fall 2026 Black Belt Cycle pre-test. Overall, I’m pleased with where my baseline performance is after a 10-year break from testing. While my core technique and form felt solid, the pre-test clearly highlighted a few specific areas that will require focused conditioning and refinement over the next few months to get them to testing standard.  Today was a massive reminder of the sheer scale of a black belt cycle. Talking with fellow testers put the collective dedication into perspective. It’s not just an individual physical challenge; it’s a shared commitment to excellence, discipline, and pushing past mental limits. Stepping back onto this path after a decade requires a high level of humility and focus.