Goals

Goals are a lot easier to write down than to accomplish. Today I set out with a number of goals for my training, and I nearly accomplished them all, falling short, really, only in the turning department. The turning was to be the last department of the day, and I think the sun and sweat took something from me. Also, I ran out of time.

My agenda for the day included the following:

• Get up early: eh. I kind of did this one, rising on a Sunday morning that had no obligations at about 8:30 without any kind of assistance. It wasn't 6, but it was still pretty early (for me).
  
• Standing Practice: 30+ minutes of continuous static postures, spending some time in each of those from the Lion System, a minimum of 4 minutes to each side in the Lion representational posture. Success: 32.5 minutes of static postures, with 8:15 of that time in the Lion posture at the start, though I was sweating like I'm pretty sure I never have before (I did them after strikes, which worked up a mighty sweat). I dripped four small puddles. It was crazy.
  
• Basic Strikes: attention to all 24 Lion System basics, doing each palm continuously (i.e. not stopping between the three strikes in each palm, but taking a quick drink after each palm). Success: 50 strikes (minimum) from each, putting in static, box, and three-step methods on the 18 striking-strikes and using static and reciprocating-L stepping on the S&G strikes for a total of 1200 strikes.
• Single-Action Striking from "The Three" Forms: attention to all 21 strikes in The Three forms, including redundant strikes, doing those from each form continuously. Success: 50 strikes (minimum) from each non-lying-step strike, putting in static, box, and three-step methods on each; 30 or 40-some-odd of each of the lying-step strikes in box and three-step methods for a total of around 1100 strikes. [that means around 2300 strikes, with power, today... that and wobbly legs]
• The Three Forms: repeat each with power 10 times, paying particular attention to connecting one move with the one(s) following it and the stepping. Success: 10 times each.
• Stretch: stretch enough to hurt less after everything than before it. Success!
• Heavy Grippers: usual workout. Success! [Right now that's a warm-up on the 100, a set of 15 on the 150 in each hand, then two sets of 12-ish in the right with the 200 and a set of 12-ish with the 150 followed by a set of 8-ish with the 200 with the left. After that, I use both hands to close the 200, hold it closed as long as I can in each hand, and then finish with a burnout of 25-30 with the 100 in each hand].
  
• Classic zhan zhuang: at least 30 minutes, like usual. Haven't done it yet, but it's coming soon.
• Sitting Meditation: at least 30 minutes. I've done a little over 10 of the minutes so far, but not all of it. I'll finish after I stand tonight.
• Watch the Apps Video: 30 minutes or so. That's up next! It really puts me in the mind of thinking about this art and gets me revved up about exploring the moves in my mind, so I find it to be a real treasure. I can't wait to get my hands/eyes/brain on the Qin-na Deeper Understanding video and the up-and-coming stepping video!
  
• Turning: turn for an hour or more without lowering my hands. Fail. I think I was bordering on heat stroke or serious dehydration by the time I finished the strikes (it was f-ing hot here today, and I did it outside, mostly in my driveway in the sun because that's where I have to rock out this way), but a couple of quarts of cool water really helped settle that. What actually got me was starting too late in the day and running into Heather's work requirements. I ended up turning for about a quarter of the goal, though I felt pretty good doing it all along (though a mite weak from the cumulative strain). I could probably be turning some more right now instead of typing this, but I'm sated with what I did for the day.
  

At this point, I feel pretty satisfied but generally kind of wan. In fact, I have a vague headache and seemingly insatiable thirst, so I figure I probably was overheating out there. The kicker is that I decided to take advantage of this Sunday of Labor Day weekend to put myself through a hard workout, and so I sat down last night to write it out. I became keenly aware of how much easier it is to write down goals than to achieve them and how much more reasonable they sometimes look on paper than they really are.

It also hearkened me back to my "how do they do it" post. All-in-all, my actual workout time, including stretching and all the not-bagua stuff and between-sets/strikes resting came up to a little over three hours and a half (30-ish standing, 90-ish striking, 20-ish with forms, 30-ish stretching, 15-ish with the grippers, 10-ish meditating, 15-ish turning). To read the forum is to see that this is a little more than a "typical daily workout" for many folks. I'm either a bit skeptical or a bit of a sissy.... The saying is that the proof is in the pudding, though the only thing I can think of when I think of pudding at the moment is how some parts of my thighs feel.