Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

Top 10 Live It Buzzed Moments of 2011

2011 has been a good year to me.  I would say I made the best of the opportunities given. Without further ado, the top 10 Live It Buzzed Moments of 2011:

 

10) Welcome to the Dirty Thirty Club

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9) Blanket for the Bay project

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8) Enter the Vibram!

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7) Live Below the Line Challenge

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6) Volunteer Work: Jumpstart, Drew Elementary, and SPCA

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5) Meet my new Neighbor

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4) EXTREME: Outdoor Rockclimbing, Deep Sea Fishing, and Archery

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3) A Tattoo Makeover

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2) Warriors and Zombies - My first mudrun

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1) Family, Friends, and Living in the Moments

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Zombie Weapon of Choice: Bows and Arrows

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When I think of archery, I immediately imagine bows and arrows. I flash back to a specific scene in the Disney movie, Pocahontas, where the Native Americans used bows and arrows as weapons of choice against the invading English soldiers. I am sure that aspects of that movie were based on actual events of US History. At one point in time, archery was used to hunt for food, as well as defend against enemies. It is amazing to me that this means of survival has evolved into a unique and competitive sport (‘unless until the zombie apocalypse’- Dennis).

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By no means did I ever imagine that I would engage in this activity. Like many others, I have never heard of anyone ever trying it. Fortunately for me, Dennis saw a Groupon that offered discounted prices for a local archery arena which included rentals and lessons. I had the preconception that it would be easy to learn, and super fun. I was half right.

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When we arrived at Pacifica Archery, I was immediately intimidated when the first thing we had to do was sign a waiver. The waiver informed us of the risks that could occur, and a laundry list of rules we had to follow. After signing the consent form, my mind was further blown when we learned that there was protective equipment. After our forearms were covered, and ours fingers fitted with gloves, we were presented with glossy bows that were ¾ my height. That is the moment it started to sink in that archery was not just fun and games, it could potentially be dangerous.

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Out fitted in our proper gear, the lessons began. Brian, our trainer, quickly but thoroughly went through the body mechanics to archery. From what I remember, the steps included the following (for those right handed):

 

1.)    Legs hip width apart, perpendicular to the target.

2.)    Hold the bow with left hand resting on wrist

3.)    Fingers aligned with string

4.)    Right elbow up, and pull back the string until index finger reaches the point of your smile

5.)    Close left eye, and aim at target

6.)    Turn nose until the tip touches the string

7.)    Release

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Sounds simple enough. However, it took me about 30 minutes, and lessons from both Brian and the manager to teach me to hit around the target. Dennis, on the other hand, was naturally talented at archery. He hit the bull’s eye in the first round. Naturally, I felt defeated. It didn’t help that we were learning next to professional archers training for a competition that made learning even more difficult. We eventually figured out the problems. The first problem being, I was afraid of the bows and arrows! I couldn’t bare the idea of having my face in such close vicinity to the bow. But once I got past the fear that the bow would take off my nose, my arrows stopped going over my target, and actually landed on the foam board! Next, what I was aiming at caused me to miss the bull’s eye every time. After adapting my target, I was actually able to hit the bull’s eye at least once! After being able to nail the mechanics, archery began to be fun.

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Archery is by no means a social sport. The gym was dead quiet, with only sounds of speeding arrows penetrating foam boards. The only burst of laughter I heard was from other archers, after I accidently pierced their score boards. As I was observing the professionals, I noticed that they were of all shapes and sizes. But what they all had in common was their focus and passion for the sport. It occurred to me that archery is very appealing, because it doesn’t discriminate against people based on athletic ability. The secret to being successful was focus, and the consistency of your body mechanics. The more consistent you are, the better you perform. From what I learned, being unafraid of your equipment and being aware of your body position is the secret in attaining consistency.

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I would recommend this activity to anyone who wants to try something new, regardless of athletic ability. If you are looking for a sport not designed for team players, and are looking for a mental challenge, I would strongly recommend archery. My overall impression of archery was a positive one. I would definitely attempt it again sometime soon!

 

Cindy

 

Thanksgiving Bridge to Bridge Run

This thanksgiving weekend I decided to run two of my favorite San Francisco routes: Embarcadero and Crissy Fields.

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While everyone is out on the stores hussling and bussling to get the Black Friday deals, Cindy and I decided to have a run around Embarcadero. I love this location because not only does it have a nice view of the Bay Bridge, but there are also other runners out there as well. I get motivated seeing other runners along the water. I ran from Ferry Building, around AT&T park and back.  

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I've been working on improving my speed while preventing pain on my knees. Slowly but surely. :)

 

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The next day, Cindy and I decided to run again, this time around Crissy Field. Similar to Embarcadero, Crissy Field is by the water with a beautiful view of Golden Gate Bridge. However, it was more chilly than normal. Other than that, it was an awesome run.

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For this run we took our time and enjoyed the view so the speed is not where I would want it to be. However, we finished and that's all that matters.

100 Pushup Challenge - Week 4

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End of week 4 was starting to be a struggle for me. I'm not sure if it's because I don't give my muscles enough time to heal and strengthen. I'm in the middle of a bench press bet so I had to use my rest days to go to the gym and use the bench. Yes, I know that's a lot of chest workouts. :P

100 Pushup Challenge - Week 3, Day 3

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Completed.

Sets completed
Set 1: 16
Set 2: 21
Set 3: 15
Set 4: 15
Set 5: 21
Max set: 34

The rest period for this day is 2 minutes in between sets. At first I felt the rest period was a little too long. However, after giving it much thought, I can see how someone would need that long of a rest. Looking at Week 4, I have a feeling that's when it will start getting pretty intense.

SF Downtown Run

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Yesterday I decided to run my co-worker's route from 7th & Townsend to the Ferry. It was definitely a good run because I started off by running in a secluded park in the city and then made my way down along the water side. The route took me behind AT&T Park and then along Embarcadero it was the perfect weather for a run. This is my furthest distance by far. I know, it's not really that far but I'm working my way up. :)  My goal is to be able to run a half marathon.

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100 pushup challenge: Week 3 - Day 1

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Week 3 - Day 1 complete. As mentioned in my first post the app had me take the initial test and the fact that I was able to do 40 straight, the app had me skip to Week 3. As you can see I had to do 5 sets with a minute rest in between:

 

Set 1: 12
Set 2: 17
Set 3: 13
Set 4: 13
Set 5: 17
Max set: 30

The app did not have the MAX set which I added on my own. I figured that would help me get to my goal faster. Week 3, Day 1 wasn't too challenging for me but I'm sure it doesn't get any easier from here. On to the next one...

Races and Mud Runs for 2012

Ever since completing the mud run at Warrior Dash, I've been addicted in when it comes to races and mud runs. Completing them is not just for the new experiences any more. Now, I actually want to collect medals as proof of completion. Growing up in an athletic family, I've always seen my dad and brother's collection of trophies they've won from their basketball games. I won a couple but it's still nothing compared to their collection. Now, I feel like this is my chance to add to my little trophy case, even if it's just a collection of medals. 

I did some research on some well known runs in either the Bay Area or SoCal for 2012 and here are a few that I plan on doing (For most of these runs/races you receive a medal at completion but not all).

IF YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT DOING THESE RACES I SUGGEST REGISTERING EARLY!!! THEY FILL UP FAST!

When: 1.28.12
Where: San Diego, CA
Length: 8 miles

When: 2.5.12
Where: San Francisco, CA
Length: 13.1 miles

 
Sham

When: 3.11.12
Where: Sacramento, CA
Length: 13.1 miles

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When: 3.24.12
Where: Big Sur, CA
Length: 5 miles

When: 4.8.12
Where: San Francisco, CA
Length: 13.1 miles

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When: 4.12
Where: San Francisco, CA
Length: 3.1 miles

When: 4.21.2012
Where: Norcal
Length: 3.47

 
Gladiator
When: May 19, 2012
Where: San Jose, Ca
Length: 5k (w/ 14 obstacles)

B2b12k
When: 5.20.12
Where: San Francisco, CA
Length: 12k

When: 7.29.12
Where: San Francisco, CA
Length: 13.1 miles

When: 8.31.12 - 9.2.2012 (Registration will be open on January 18, 2012)
Where: Los Angeles, CA
Length: 13.1 miles

When: Norcal (Tahoe) Sept. 22 &23, Norcal (Diablo Grande) Sept. 29 & 30
Where: Northstar, Tahoe & Diablo Grande
Length: 10-12 miles

When: 10.7.2012
Where: San Jose, CA
Length: 13.1 miles

Nwm
When: 10.14.2012
Where: San Francisco, CA
Length: 13.1 miles 

When: 10.20.2012
Where: San Diego, CA (hoping for a location in San Francisco)
Length: 5k

 

WhatHell Run
When: TBD
Where: San Francisco, CA
Length: 3.25 miles, 12 obstacles

When: TBD
Where: San Francisco, CA
Length: Half Marathon, 10k, 5k

***I will continue to update this page as I continue to find more races and get more info. Also, feel free to comment if there are ones you would like to add.

UPDATE: Added videos for the mud runs.

100 Pushup Challenge

Challenge: Do 100 consecutive pushups

Length: 6 weeks (30 minutes a week) 

Start Date: Second week November 2011

End goal: increase strength and be able to do 100 consecutive pushups

Initial Test: Rank 4 (I can already do 40 pushups straight so I will be starting at week 3)


The test will highlight your current fitness level and determine where to start and how to plan your push ups training program.

initial test: the road to one hundred push ups
AGE < 40 YEARS 40 - 55 YEARS > 55 YEARS
RANK *
number of pushups performed
1 0 - 5 0 - 5 0 - 5
2 6 - 14 6 - 12 6 - 10
3 15 - 29 13 - 24 11 - 19
4 30 - 49 25 - 44 20 - 34
5 50 - 99 45 - 74 35 - 64
6 100 - 150 75 - 124 65 - 99
7 150 & above 125 & above 100 & above

Tools to accomplish this task

Pushup Bars

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100 pushups app

I will put together more posts on my progress. Wish me luck!