Woo Kim - Tae Kwon Do

On Friday, we took a field trip to Woo Kim and did some Tae Kwon Do. Although I originally planned not to go, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was a bit apprehensive at first, since there weren't very many girls going on the field trip, but it worked out eventually, with us girls having our own separate line. I really enjoyed learning self-defense tactics. It was interesting getting to see how easily you could take someone down just with a few simple moves. All in all, it was a fun experience, and even though tae kwon do is not really my type of thing, I would do it again. :)

GURU PYRAMID

Today, we did the Guru Pyramid. I think I've done it before, but I didn't try as hard as I did today. I don't think I've ever been so tired, but so happy with my results. I tried really hard to push myself to the very end, and I think I achieved this, since I was one of the last people to finish. However, looking back now, I feel like I may have skipped the 5th level. Oops... Even so, I know that I tried my hardest today. In the future, I think the only thing I would improve is to finish faster. I think I could have ran to the middle more often than walk there. One thing I did improve was taking less breaks. I didn't take any water breaks until the very end, and only took a few two second breaks in between exercises. One last thing I should note is that I did the modified push up, but I did twice as many push ups to make up for the modification. All in all, I'm very proud of the progress I made today knowing that I pushed myself and did my best.

Extended Beep Test

On Friday, we did extended beep test. I was really happy with what I accomplished on Friday. The most beep breaks I took was 3 or 4 beeps, and then I ran again. I don't think I've ever been able to do that before. I was really happy that I was able to motivate myself enough to keep running after 3 or 4 beeps. I was also really happy that near the end, I ran after 2 beeps. I think I really pushed myself and I was really satisfied with the sense of accomplishment I felt. I found that running with someone who is around the same fitness level as me really helped me. It made me think, "If they can do it, why shouldn't I be able to?" I hope for next time to continue to decrease the number of breaks I take. I also need to work on getting to the line before the beep, since I wasn't able to do so near the end of the beep test. All in all, I think I did really well, and I hope to continue making improvements as the semester goes on.

INSANITY!

On Tuesday, we did Insanity for fitness. It was so hard! I found it really difficult to stay active. I had to take a few breaks other than the given water breaks, which is okay with me, since Insanity isn't exactly the easiest exercise in the world. I was especially proud of myself during the beginning of the workout. I was working really hard, really pushing myself. I think what messed me up was the water break. I think it indicated to my body that it was over. It was after the first water break that I started to slow down, when I was really supposed to go faster. I hope that for next time, I will continue to push myself even after the water breaks. I hope to do the whole work out non-stop (except for water breaks) next time. 

I was actually really proud of myself when I did Insanity. I felt like I got a really good work out. It was really intense, and I was definitely sore the day after. Other than the improvements already stated, I think I did pretty well. I'm proud of the effort I put in that day. :)

Second Fitness Day!

      Today, we did a 40 seconds of exercise and 20 seconds of rest. It killed the day after, but I had a lot of fun doing it. I enjoyed the variety of activities we did. I also liked that it was like an at home workout. I think I got better at motivating myself in this fitness activity. I think what works for me is looking at how much time is left. It's sort of a reminder that it's almost over, and that I only have to do it for a few more seconds. I made a few modifications for some of the exercises, because I wouldn't have been able to last the full 40 seconds had I not done so. For example, I think there was an exercise where you reach your knee to the side and do a push up, then do the same to the other side. I took out the push up, since the push up was a bit much for me. I was still able to do the exercise, just without the push up. For next time, I hope to do less modifications, and do the full exercises. Another improvement for next time would be motivating the people around me more. I noticed that some of the people, including myself, would sometimes give up when there was still a few seconds left. I hope for next time that I will cheer people on, and think positive thoughts, so that I, too, won't give up so easily. 

First Fitness Day!

     Today, I did my first beep test. I did pretty well for my first time. I got a 8.4 on the beep test, which is pretty good, since I've gotten around 7.5 in the past. I' m not too upset, but I'm hoping for next time to get a 9, and work my way up to a 10, my goal beep test score. I hope to motivate myself more for next time, so my next beep test will be higher than 8.5.

Here are the rest of my test scores:
 - beep test: 8.4
 - push ups/30 sec: 12
 - wall touch: 245-230=15
 - T-test: (didn't get to do it)
 - balance board touches/30 sec: 7
 - flexibility: 5
 - plank: ~45 sec

       I was pretty impressed with my results in the beep test. I tried really hard in all the activities listed above, and managed to get decent results. One thing I really want to improve is my plank. I've done the plank for a much longer period of time in previous fitness testing days. I'm aiming for 3.5 to 4 minutes by the end of the semester. Another thing I want to improve is doing more push ups. I think for the push ups, I tried really hard, but I gave up before I could fit in a few more push ups. Looking back now, I could have done at least 3 more push ups.
       Internally, I want to improve on finding things to motivate me. I need to tell myself to keep going and that my "pain" or uncomfortable feelings are only temporary. I also need to better understand that the sense of achievement I will get after is better than giving up and not gaining anything.
      All in all, I was quite proud of myself, since it was the first fitness day. I know what I need to do for next time, and I know what I need to do to achieve the new goals I have set. 

My Personal Profile

*I registered for this course because…

I enjoy being active. I've actually missed doing fitness and challenging myself, pushing myself to my full potential. I feel like that's the only way I can feel like I accomplished something, by pushing myself. It's also a course that I find gives me ideas of activities I could be potentially doing in the future. Lastly, I joined this course so I would be more motivated to be active. It's hard for me to have a fitness routine, since my schedule is constantly changing. It's also hard for me to get up and actually go to the gym or do something active.

* My favorite part of PE is…

Playing sports. I feel like I am quite competitive, and it can sometimes be excessive, but I really like playing sports. I also like the field trips, the little adventures we take as a class to do something fun and active. I also like seeing my progression as I go through the course. It's cool getting to see how much I've improved as the course went on. It's also nice to see what I want to improve upon for the next fitness day.

*I think my current level of fitness is…

NOT GOOD. I don't think I've done a decent workout in half a year, which is pretty bad. I feel that once I finished my GTP physical activity hours, I lost interest in being fit, which is sort of ironic since the GTPs are supposed to help me plan to be MORE active. It needs a LOT of improvement. Quite disappointed in myself now that I think about it.

*My previous personal best beep test is...

I think it was a 9.5.

*I am currently doing the following things to be active (outside of PE)…

Unfortunately, not much. I'm not very active at all. I don't go to the gym very often, and I don't do much else to be fit. I'm a little embarrassed saying this, but it's the truth...However, when I am in a PE course, I tend to do a lot more. My family recently bought a treadmill, which I can use to help improve my endurance. I'm also planning to get some weights, so I can do more home workouts.

*Things that PHYSICALLY prevent me from doing exercise (i.e. medical, injury)

N/A

*Things that MENTALLY prevent me from doing exercise (i.e. energy, time)

For me, it's mostly time. I worked out a bit during the summer, and staying active came to a halt when school started. I had a full course load, and I couldn't find time to do any workouts during the week (I know...excuses excuses). I also had no motivation to go to the gym or do anything active. It was hard for me to motivate myself to get active since I didn't have anyone to go with me. I also didn't feel like it. Doing something active was always a thought at the back of my head, and I just kept putting it off.

*My eating habits are…

Not too sure. I only eat the food my mom makes me, which is half good and half bad. My family and I eat stir fry and food with lots of vegetables, but mostly on weekends. During the weekdays, my meals usually consist of meat and a few vegetables. But on the plus side, I don't eat out too often, only on special occasions. I think I've cut down to eating out once every two months. I would like to eat more vegetables during the week. Sometimes I actually crave vegetables...like a normal kid would...

*I Want to be able to learn more about…

How stress impacts health, and how to deal with stress.

*I want to improve my abilities in… (ex. fitness, communication, positive impact)

Fitness. I really want to push myself to my full potential, and feel the gratification of having achieved the goals I set for this class. I also want to improve on doing more outside of class time. I want to be able to motivate myself enough to do a simple 20 minute workout, or just a simple jog around the neighbourhood. 

*Outside school activities I’d like to try are...

Hiking, surfing, sprinting, rock climbing, snowboarding, gymnastics?

*My fitness goals for the semester are…

To really push myself and get a 10 on the beep test at least twice. I know it's quite a stretch, considering that I haven't had a PE course in a more than a year, and I haven't been staying consistently active since GET FIT, but I think this year is my year to really push myself and get a 10. I think I can accomplish this if I put in the time, both in class and outside of school hours. I also think that I've trained myself well enough in the past to motivate myself to just keep going, no matter how uncomfortable I feel or how much my legs hurt. I think this goal can also apply to the other aspects of the course. I need to set high goals for myself and actually accomplish my goals by putting in the time.

*My personal character goals are...

To be positive, even if no one else is. Positive thinking spreads almost instantaneously. I want to be able to lift people's spirits and hopefully motivate them to be more positive and more enthusiastic about the activity, as well. I think a positive thinking class makes the class more fun and enjoyable for everyone.