Setting Goals

Posted on May 6, 2008 by matt

As I hinted, I’ve got plans to run the Falmouth Road Race this August. Spraining my ankle put a bit of a twist on the plans, but really, it just changed the goals. I’ve been participating in werunfalmouth, a community of runners gearing up for the race. I got on board as a fitness professional, but those from my classes probably know that I did quite a bit of running to supplement my fitness program. 

My revised goals now hinge around successful ankle rehab, and a decent showing in the race. It’s seven miles, and I want to do well. To achieve this, I have to set some goals – short, medium and long term. This should be no surprise to anyone who has (or plans on having) a black belt. Short term? Elliptical workouts to maintain aerobic endurance, decrease swelling of the ankle, ankle strengthening. Medium? Running without pain, structured workouts to shorten my times, and a 12 mile run a couple times a month. Long term? FRR!

I’m not ‘a runner’, so my workouts include some decidedly non-runner goals, but the FRR is a powerful fitness goal. What are your short/medium/long term goals? Anyone want to go for a run this August?

Posted in KempoBlog, Personal | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Injuries and Training.

Posted on May 4, 2008 by matt

Last week I sprained my ankle in a spectacularly mundane fashion. It was during a test, and I was demonstrating a drill where the subject is attacked by surprise by one of several attackers. It went really well, just about flawlessly in fact. After a few go-arounds I said the fateful words,”Okay, now you try”, and stepped aside.

As I stepped aside, I rolled my ankle with a crunching sound reminiscent of many knuckles in symphony. I managed to get my weight off of it quickly, averting total disaster, but I knew it wasn’t going to be my day. 

It’s a couple days later, and the swelling has gone down mostly, and I’m ready for the next phase. The first few days I used the R.I.C.E. protocol – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation – and it worked well. For my classes the next day, I did my best taping job (with the help of my six-year-old) and it held up nicely. 

Now that the swelling has gone down and weight-bearing is no problem, I’m ready for M.I.C.E.

In this protocol, you replace Rest with Movement. The classic example is drawing the alphabet with my toe. It forces the ankle through its range of motion at every angle and prevents long-term stiffness. I’ve got this nifty purple stripe along the outside of my foot, but I can now walk with no discomfort, and can now focus on rehabilitation. 

There are a few factors I’m going to try to address in the process:

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Personal Note – I’m a Math and Science teacher.

Posted on May 3, 2008 by matt

Here’s a bit of good news (at least for me!). I went and completed the certification requirements for Middle School Math / Science for the state of Massachusetts, and I’ve been hired as a grade 7 and 8  Math and Science teacher at the middle school in my town. Hooray for full time employment!

Posted in Announcements, Personal | 3 Comments