Peter’s Soapbox

Hundred Pushups Redux, Now With Squats!

Yeah, I’m back on the hundred pushups challenge, again. I’m also doing the two hundred squats challenge on alternating days! I’m in the middle of week 4 (since I was easily able to bang out 50 squats on the first week) of each.

Now, to make it through three Thanksgiving dinners (ah, the joys of large family and being popular) without totally mucking up my progress on making physical self-improvements. I briefly was back up as high as 174# a week ago, but I’m dropping back into my comfort zone below 170#. With an “ideal weight” for a man my height and age ranging anywhere from 125-169#, depending on who you ask and what method you use, I’m toward the high end, but I am adding some muscle mass and I feel great, have lots of energy, and am told I look great, so, I’m cool here.

What a Month!

I think I’ve had my busiest October ever. Here’s a quick summary:

• Fall gasshukku with Hiroshi Ikeda shihan at Shobu Aikido of Boston.
• Mountain biking with my new (to me) Sinister Splinter (affectionately referred to as “the Tractor”).
• Work work work work work! Audits and migrations and troubleshooting, oh my!
• Reading: The Road by Cormac McCarthy and Nmap Network Scanning: The Official Nmap Project Guide to Network Discovery and Security Scanning by Gordon “Fyodor” Lyon

I plan on elaborating on all of these points.

Eventually.

Perhaps.

Sinister Retrograde Chain Suck

I’ve been trying to decide on my next mountain bike. I really like my old Tomac Six Shooter – a versatile, light, nimble all-mountain bike. However, for some of the trails I tackle, something a little heavier-duty is called for. Continue reading Sinister Retrograde Chain Suck…

Book Review: The Power of Full Enagement

I recently finished reading The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. As the subtitle indicates, “Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal.” Continue reading Book Review: The Power of Full Enagement…

McConnell Taping

This weekend, after starting a new round of physical therapy for my knee, I experimented with McConnell Taping to see if it could keep my patella in place. I’d tried something like this before, and was pretty skeptical.

To my surprise, the technique not only moved my kneecap into a more proper location, the tape actually held through hours of hot, sweaty aikido practice, including kneeling and suwariwaza techniques. I definitely will be using this technique in the future.