January 2nd I began the 30 in 30 HEMA challenge, 30 days, at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. Today marks day 15.
How has it worked? In December we started taking classes at the gym. A water aerobics class that is doing a fair job at kicking my ass because I am pushing myself. 4 days a week, one hour classes a day. Then came adding another Long sword class to my normal training. There is another group in town that meets at the University on Tuesday nights, which happens to be one of the dead nights in my schedule. Thursdays is Olympic Fencing, which as of last week I am helping coach. And In addition to the water class on Saturdays I have my normal sword class. But what about Fridays? The one night a week that I have nothing on the schedule?
That is where my sword trainer tool comes in handy. I dedicated to this thing and dammit, I am going to hit the 30 days without skipping a day. What this little training tool lets me do is practice my cuts inside, in my living room without hitting furniture, ceilings, or breaking light fixtures. The length of the handle is as long as my Feder, and the cross guard is the length of the cross guard, so if I do something I shouldn't be able to with a sword I get hit with it. Also the length of the guard means that I can cut down then use my hands like I should to bring the weight up unlike doing practices with a dumbbell. The first one was wood, the second one aluminum and I couldn't be happier with it.The balance is a bit forward but not as bad as it could be. The weight is changeable so right now I am training with 2.5 pounds but it is easy enough to train with 3 or add a weight on the other side and double the weight. It has been an awesome tool to train with for a half hour on Fridays when I have nothing else going on, or on days when I have something that keeps me from the other classes or exercises that I normally do. The cool part about it is that the cost was minimal to make it. (I had all the parts laying around) and after 50 cuts I can feel it working. I even have one in the works for my friend who wanted a short sword one, and for 10 bucks without the weight can easily make one for him.
What I am really driving at here is that if you want something and are willing to put the time energy and effort in, you can get there. I am still a long ways from my weight goal but the thing is that this time it does not matter. The numbers on the scale do not mean I am not a fast swimmer, or that I cannot hold my own against enough of the people I fence with that I feel like I am super far behind. I am helping drive the conversation, and I am training myself in little ways that will, when I am done, make me better at what I do.
Fridays could have been the off day. They could have been the day that I did nothing but watch TV and ate chips. Instead they are the light, 30 minute of cutting drills day. The day that I get my 30 in and then do whatever else I need to.
Nutrition has changed too. My wife is a partner in this, we are eating much more fruit and less carbohydrates not because they are evil but just as a way of eating better. Last week I lost 6 pounds, this week my weight went back up by 1 but I am not worried. This is not a short term fix to long term problems. You want to know the super secret way to loose 30 pounds? 100? Keep on it, change your life, it is not in a pill, a wrap, or some magic exercise routine that you follow for 30 days. It is in making the change from grabbing a candy bar to grabbing an apple on the way out the door. I am down a few pounds so far, but I feel better, and training a little each day helps that. Weighing the cost of eating 250 calories of candy bar when it means I have to work out for a half hour or more to burn it off means it is just not worth it.
This is a journey. After 30 days starts my longer challenge. Maybe I am only 15 in it now, but if I can keep it going after this month I cannot imagine the rewards being anything less than good.
Every journey starts where your feet are and ends, where you take yourself. I am glad I have begun this one and it is getting me where it is.
