Oct 11, 2022 | Legs!, Tai Chi
I noted in my last post that I had been to my first Chi Kung/Tai Chi Chuan session last Friday. As an introductory class, a significant portion was devoted to the very basic concepts behind Chi Kung and Tai Chi Chuan (yes, there are various spellings, but I’m going to stick with those for now.) At the heart is the notion of the balance of Yin and Yang. The core elements we are asked to focus on are posture, breathing, relaxation, awareness and focus. A fundamental notion is diaphragmatic breathing focused on the lower dantien (or dantian or other spellings) which, in Chinese philosophies and practices, is the focus of energy in the abdomen. For both Chi Kung and Tai Chi Chuan, the abdominal dantien is the body’s centre of gravity and regulator of energy.
On Sunday, I went for a run and wondered about the application of some of these principles to the act of running. In particular I was interested in the abdominal dantien as the centre of gravity and regulator of energy and in abdominal breathing (as opposed to gasping for breath as I ran.)
And … I found it did help with the run, as did incorporation of Chi Kung exercises into my warm-down. I ran a comfortable 4.5km on Sunday and then tonight ran a comfortable 5km. Neither were fast runs, but I’m not especially bothered by that. They were, though, steady and comfortable runs, which is what does interest me. I found that consciously changing my running form to treat my abdomen as the centre of activity helped, as did envisioning the abdomen rather than the legs as the source of power. The breathing, well, we’ll get there.
Now: if you know me you’ll know that I’m not much given to mystical woo. You might say – entirely reasonably – that finding a good posture and paying attention to breathing is naturally going to make a difference, as is developing muscle memory and stamina, and you would be right. But the fact is that, for whatever reason, a single Chi Kung/Tai Chi Chuan session has had a marked influence on my running AND my recovery afterwards.
My next exercise session will likely be a swim and my next run, after a suitable rest, will be shorter. Considering that it is nearly a year since my doctor called to discuss diabetes and that I’m now 60+ lbs lighter and a lot happier, that’s a pleasing sentence to write.
Jun 23, 2022 | Goggle-eyes, Legs!, Writing
Mostly quiet here as I’ve been gearing up for the publication of my first novel on 14 July. I’ll write a longer post about that shortly.
I’ve also been revising the next novel, probably due in 2023, and distracting myself with running and watching TV and the occasional film online.
The running is going well. I’m trying to do a couple of short runs and one long run in a week with recovery time in between. The short runs are 3.5k and the long runs are 5k plus a bit more until I get home – on Tuesday I ran 5k then walked/jogged a further 2k to the house, with no reaction yesterday except stiffness in my quads. What I’m finding is that my pace is increasing as a consequence of my legs becoming more comfortable with the fact that they are running, without me having consciously to try and speed up.
The sore quads could be down to a number of things, not least that I live on a hill and inevitably have to include downhill sections that induce muscular imbalance. I also need to look at my stretching routine and the impacts of an essentially sedentary writing life. That will become more important as I start to look at my primary goal of running 10ks again, but I’m nowhere near ready for that yet and don’t expect to be giving that serious consideration until much later in the year.
***
On TV, Ms Marvel continues to be a joy, while Obi-Wan Kenobi was a disappointment. In the end, it reminded me of a quickly-written Star Wars novel that’s all narrative with little or no depth. It had a good cast who deserved better, as did the audience.
I’ve also been dipping into some old episodes of Warehouse 13, which have been entertaining without ever really hooking me. As with most programmes of its type and era, its dramatic structure is built around ad breaks on US Networks, which is a dated model.
On the film front, I finally watched Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and was disappointed. That’s not because it wasn’t enjoyable enough as a diversion, but because, like Obi-Wan Kenobi, it could and should have been so much better. The film played with cosmic trippiness without ever really feeling it in the way that the first Dr Strange film did. It had its moments of genius, but it was also flattened into what seems too often to be the default Marvel template now – surface spectacle as a substitute for depth, while simultaneously aspiring to depth. It didn’t have any of the heart or invention found in Ms Marvel. The Disney MCU is losing its mojo by playing safe, just like Disney Star Wars.
Jun 8, 2022 | Legs!, Writing
Just a couple of things.
First: I did a run through the woods and around our local hill yesterday. Back in the day, I used to run the same undulating route in around 22 minutes. Yesterday it took me 25 minutes (3.6km, 2.25miles). That gives me confidence that, as I get more into the running, I can get closer to my old fitness levels.
Secondly, I wrote a long post elsewhere on the blog about how I see my publishing options. Along the way, you will work out why you are unlikely to see my books in Waterstones, at least for now. The post is here:
1. Lessons Learned: Publishing
Jun 6, 2022 | Legs!, Writing
Just a couple of things. First, I ran another 5k last night – my second in 4 days and also my second since 2010. My aim is to do a few more repetitions before pushing the distance and to stay injury free. I timed it at around 33’30, which is faster than my first ever 5k which was on a treadmill in a gym around 2007/8.
Secondly, if you look at the menu bar across the top, you’ll see a new section called Books and Writing. This is where I’ll be putting posts specifically on those topics from now on, though I’ll link to them here too. The introductory post is here: Welcome and Introduction. Further posts will appear in a dropdown menu if you hover your cursor over the header.
Jun 2, 2022 | Legs!, Sugar, Ah Honey Honey
I intended to post tonight about progress with writing and publishing, but events got in the way. For those following along, I posted a monthly update on progress with combatting diabetes last night. In it, I wrote about sticking with where I was at with running for a few days, and then trying for a 5k next week.
I went out tonight following a different route. About half way round I was feeling good and decided to try and keep going until my legs gave out. After a while, I realised that my first 5k since 27 January 2010 was a possibility. When I got home, I found that I’d miscalculated the route distance and had jogged 5.95km, or thereby. I’m knackered, but happy.
Assuming I stay injury-free, I can now repeat the route until I’m comfortable with the distance. The thing is, now that I know that I can do 6k, then I also know that, with more pain and effort, I can manage 10k, which was my stretch-goal. My initial target was 5k and to manage it in under half an hour. I didn’t time things today, but I reckon the 5k time was around 40 minutes. So I now have three goals.
-
- stay injury-free
- cut the 5k time incrementally
- extend out to 10k.
May 24, 2022 | Legs!, Writing
Nearly There …
Another step forward with the next novel – the proof copy has arrived for what should be the final read through of The Raven and the Hart before I can put final plans in place to publish it. I don’t have a fixed date yet, but it will be mid to late June.
For Amazon buyers, it will be possible to pre-order the Kindle edition but not the physical copies. Quite why Amazon have that restriction, I don’t know. The book will be available as a Kindle edition and also as hardback and paperback. I’ll put more details here shortly.
I’ve also taken the opportunity to make a handful of corrections to the text of Coyote in the Corner. There were only 10 of them, and only one of those was a serious typo. (Congrats to all of you who spotted the Duke of Montrose briefly becoming the Duke of Melrose.) In anticipation of hordes of satisfied readers of The Raven and the Hart rushing to buy Coyote, I will be adding a hardback edition of Coyote too,
My plan this time was to go beyond Amazon, and I may yet do that, but I’m still exploring options. Going through distributors means offering trade discounts and it’s a difficult proposition. For an unknown like me, the margins are so fine that offering a discount comes very close to working at a loss, and yet it might be worth it if (a big if) it delivers some traction and sales, and is especially pleasing if I can get physical copies into brick and mortar shops. A conundrum.
Some years ago, an editor friend, Linden Stafford, now sadly deceased, wrote
I didn’t know you were writing fiction, and I’m glad it’s for pleasure only, not in the hopes of making a living from it.
She was right. Her encouragement came at the right time, though.
Even so, ever the optimist, I’ve added a ko-fi button to the site in case anyone feels inclined to keep me caffeinated while I’m writing (and blogging).
***
I’m happy to say that the calf pull that was troubling me seems to have resolved itself. I had a good walk last night and jogged a number of short sections of it without any reaction. I ought to be able to focus more on jogging again without worrying about injury. Years ago, a calf pull wouldn’t be too big a deal, but at 62 the recovery time is longer, so if I can avoid injury I will.
Meantime, I’m back on the kinda-keto diet. I have a notional weight target I’d like to hit by 1 June, so fingers crossed. We’ll be in the USA later this year and my current thought is to travel light and visit an outlet village/mall while I’m over to stock up on some new clothes more appropriate to my new size – nothing extravagant, just the basics, but at prices better than I can get here.
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