Day 54 - Slow Motion

Its been hot for the last few days - I mean really hot and the A/C is not working.

Started my training in this sauna-like weather and I felt like I was doing it in slow motion. Everything seemed so much harder to finish. My punches were pathetic and my kicks were terrible - I had to really work hard at things I thought I was good at.

I must have lost a litre of sweat and by the end of it all I felt a little sick and lightheaded.

If your body continues to lose fluid, you are likely to experience increasingly severe symptoms of heat illness -- general discomfort, loss of coordination and stamina, weakness, poor concentration, irritability, muscle pain and cramping, fatigue, blurry vision, headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion and unconsciousness. These symptoms and even mild effects of heat stress also increase your chance of suffering an accidental injury.

So please take it easy during any hot weather and keep hydrated - I know I'm taking it easy during this heat wave!


I am craving jelly beans! I saw a pack of those gourmet ones - with all the funky flavours, and I can't stop thinking about them.

What crazy cravings have you had?

See you soon.

Day 51 - Lost and Found

Its been a while since I've written here and quite honestly I've been a little lost. Too many things at once and your life starts to give way at the weakest points. Last week I took it easy - focusing on my family and my business. While the KFB took a back seat I still found time to do most of the workouts, meditate and eat right(for the most part). I needed to reset and refocus and looking back on it I think I did pretty well.

Life is about balance and lately things for me were a little out of control. I think I'm back on track - I'm re-energised and I'm excited about finishing off the program.

During all of this I did take a great deal of comfort in the meditation. It was reassuring and comforting to do this - It calmed me and relaxed my nerves, helping me to focus on what really mattered.

Last post I talked about my goals and what really helped was to continue with aligning my values with my goals. I asked myself several times "Is this important, is this who I want to be" and the answer for this program was yes. I'm also very proud to be working with such a strong and motivated team! Great job everyone!

I'll see you soon.

Day 45 - Goal Drift

The last couple of weeks have been real busy and looking back, while I did have some breakthroughs, my focus on the goal of this program have wavered - I've simply hit the wall. Like most people I often loose sight of my goals, the road becomes weary and I fail to complete the steps. Sometimes when I attempt to "break it down into small steps" I get frustrated since the small steps still add up to a hell of a lot of work. And in these times when I imagine success it may not be as clear an image as it once was. However, when I focus on my values, on my family and children, what kind of person I consider myself to be and the goal aligns directly with this I do get back on track. So do I go against what I believe or do I kick ass?

Today I am eating the killer diet that reduces my intake considerably. I'm a little worried about my cravings haunting me between meals and snacks. I think this got me down a bit - I remember the PCP and how this was a tough hurdle to climb. The fact that we are in a great group and helped along by Patrick and 'The Plan' is great - I'm not sure I'd be able to do it alone.

The fact that this post is here for the whole world to see is also motivational. While not as strong as focusing on values, I don't want to fail for myself and everyone else who may be watching.

So today I will stick to the diet but other than jumping rope and meditation I'm taking a day off.

How are your goals holding up - what wall are you hitting?

See you soon.

Day 42 - Balance(again)

I'm taking Patrick's advice about Yin and Yang to heart... I'm a big North American male brought up on action movies and raw meat - okay I'm not that bad but aggressive Yang comes out easier than it should and the Yin gets pushed to the background.

I need to keep the Yin and Yang in me balanced - it makes perfect sense but it can be hard to equalize them both.
Where is the force and where is the yield? Thats what I'm going to find out with every punch, kick, push-up, strain and stretch.

The G20 is here in Canada and and protestors are straining against the security fences while the Police look stone-faced on and world leaders meet within air conditioned luxury. I'm wondering who's Yin and who's Yang?

See you soon.

Day 39 - Reflexes

I know my reflexes are getting better since I started the freestyle mix of the agility program - I am reacting quicker to the flailing ping pong ball and I rarely miss when I strike - this is in sharp contrast to even a few days ago when I felt drunk trying to hit it in freestyle.

At first my uppercuts couldn't connect, but now I almost always land a hit. Very satisfying to get large combinations of hits, back up and go in for another round of strikes. I kept wondering though how much more difficult a real opponent would be and so when I did some shadow boxing I visualized my opponent and imagined some return hits and kicks coming at my head - Its a lot more fun than I had originally thought.

I love seeing so many improvements - reflexes, flexibility, strength, agility, relaxation - are all so much better and we're not even half way through.

See you soon.

Day 38 - Kung Fu Complexity

I've found that the Kung Fu Body is much more complex than the Peak Condition Project, party because of the time it takes but also because, for me at least, there are portions that require intensive attention and focus - learning and practicing new techniques, stretching and meditation. These new components are not easy but they are what make this program so fulfilling.

I've found that these parts of the program are particularly interesting and difficult for many reasons - they are difficult, physically fulfilling, and have spiritual and philosophical components.

I'm intrigued by the idea that a martial art like Kung-fu is as much a philosophical and spiritual exercise as it is a defensive physical skill set. It makes sense though that in order to control a situation that may call for physical action, you must first be able to control yourself and your emotions. I'm starting to understand that Kung Fu is so much more complex that I originally thought - and for me much more interesting too.

I was craving a sugar fix the last few days - Didn't give in but I wasn't able to quench it with fruit at all. I think I ate a bit more vegetables and drank more water just to feel full and get away from the urge.

See you soon!

Day 32 - Home again

Got home yesterday and I know I'll be out of sorts for the next few days - I find the jet lag particularly difficult when I get back home since I don't have the same drive and energy as I tend to have on a business trip. While guidelines suggest 1 day recovery per eastward time zone(1 day per 1.5 westward time zones) that means I'll be back to normal in 15 days!?, for me it usually takes only a few days to get back on track.

During my workout today I concentrated specifically on my shoulders - I'd never focused on them like this before and found that at first my inclination was to tighten them up during a punch. When I relaxed them I found that the motion was much more fluid and I made use of the rest of my body, employing my legs and hips to a greater/or at least more natural degree. I also found that my shoulders were not fatigued the way they have been in the past.

During my flight yesterday I practiced my meditation. I was concerned it would suffer in the confines of the cabin but to the contrary I found it easy and enjoyable. In all I meditated a total of 3 times during the 15 hour flight and I know this made the trip more bearable.

See you soon.