by ·Comments Off on Longest of Long Runs

On all marathon training plans I’ve seen and have actually tried, there is always a peak long run which is typically two weeks from the marathon run. Today was the day—the longest of my long runs—around 20 miles!

With my hydration pack on my back, I set my pace to be a very easy one.  I felt sluggish.

At mile 10, I had to take a pit stop as my bladder was starting to affect my run; I could not avoid it like I have in the past.  Luckily there was a McDonalds on my route which allowed for it; and did it feel good.  I don’t feel as sluggish as before, but I didn’t feel as fast as before.

The next 10 miles was a struggle.  I started to feel my left ankle get sore.  This just reminded me to keep my running form and to minimize the pounding.  At 11 miles, I started to eat some gummy bears.  I ran out of the GNU gels a few weeks ago and didn’t get a chance to get more.  The gummy bears seemed to have provided me with the necessary energy past mile 15.

At mile 17 I ate my second pack of gummy bears.  I didn’t feel the onset of weakness at all—a good sign.

My running plan has me do 4 striders starting at about 3/4 of a mile from the finish.  With my feet already tired, I pushed to accelerate over a rough distance of 100 meters, then took a little 30-second jog.

My total running time was 3:45.  Hydration and energy were definitely not a factor in this run.  However, the soreness and the call of nature seemed to have contributed to it.

Anyway, I’m about 2 weeks from the main event.  I’m suppose to taper off on training from this point on to give my body a chance to heal and recover.

by ·Comments Off on Koryo FTC’s All CA Taekwondo Champs
Forms Competition

2011 All CA TKD Championships

Last Saturday, 05 Nov 2011, we had five (5) of our kids compete at the annual All California Taekwondo Championships. The kids had fun and won trophies to boot.

Here are the results:

  • Jeremiah – 1st forms, 1st sparring
  • Rachel – 1st forms, 3rd sparring
  • Marso – 3rd breaking
  • Jessica – 1st breaking, 2nd forms, 3rd sparring
  • Diego – 1st breaking, 2nd forms
Please make sure to congratulate them or shake their hand when you see them in class.

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From time to time I check to see how my ranking is doing for the keyword “Taekwondo Gear” on Google’s organic search results.  Today my niche site is at 61st.  It was at 59th a few days ago, but this just goes to show that the rankings for various sites change as sites change.

I have not added any new content on my niche site, nor have I started any back linking work yet.  So it just makes sense that my niche site’s ranking haven’t change much.  The fact that I haven’t done additional work on it might reflect in the two position drop my site had in Google’s rankings.

Before the week is over, I will begin writing one more posting, then begin the back linking work on at least one site.  When I do begin the back linking work, I will do it on the following sites:

Article Directories (only if it's free)
  • EzineArticles
  • GoArticles
  • Amazines
  • ArticleDashboard
  • ArticleBlast
  • ArticleAlley
  • Buzzle
  • iSnare
  • TheFreeLibrary
Blogs (these are all free)
  • WordPress.com
  • Tumblr.com
  • Live Journal
  • Blogger.com
  • TypePad.com
Web 2.0 sites (free)
  • Squidoo
  • Hubpages
  • InfoBarrel
  • Bukisa

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Koryo FTC Halloween Potluck 2011

Halloween Potluck 2011

Halloween came early at the Koryo Family Taekwondo Center.

Halloween isn’t until Monday, 31 Oct 2011.  However, kids of all ages had the haunting of their lives a few days early–Friday, 28 Oct 2011, at the Koryo Family Taekwondo Center Halloween Potluck party.

We had creatures of all size, shape, age, and looks.  Here are some, just to name a few:

  • Link (from the Legend of Zelda)
  • Yellow Angry Bird
  • Zombie boy
  • Spiderman
  • Luigi
  • Vampire woman
  • Spider queen
  • Cleopatra
  • Anakin Skywalker
  • Yellow KittyContinue reading

by ·Comments Off on Long Runs and the Call of Nature

Last Sunday I did my long run—about 18 miles worth.  Whew!!!  That was a long run.

Anyway, I am not really a fast runner, and from the time I left the house—about 7 am—to the time I finished, hours passed.  And on this particular run, I felt the call of nature.

Specifically, I ran this in about 3 hours and 10 minutes (3:10).  Here’s the kicker—at mile 6.5, I felt the call of nature—of type #1.  Since I typically clear myself before such a long run, I decided to just let this ride.  I knew that this was just a feeling, and I just had to hang in there.

So all the way through the run I had the urge to pee.  Unfortunately there were no convenient place to do this for the running route that I took.  On at least one occasion, I seriously thought about going into a bush and just doing it there.

But, I hung on to the finish.  Here’s the funny thing.  When I finished the run, I no longer had the urge to pee!

The moral of the story…

Sometimes when you feel like going, it probably doesn’t mean you have to go.  If you can hold it, just wait until the finish.  If, however, you feel like you are bursting at the seams, by all means find a convenient spot to deliver.

by ·Comments Off on Market Niche: Second Google Rank Check

Just about a week ago, my niche site–mytaekwondogear.com– was on the 13th page of the Google organic search results for the keyword “taekwondo gear.”  Today, I checked again.  This time my niche site is 9th from the top of page 6 of the google organic search.  The rank is 59th to be exact.

2nd Google Rank Check for keyword "Taekwondo Gear"

2nd Google Rank Check for keyword "Taekwondo Gear"

Note that I haven’t even started any kind of back linking or article spinning campaign yet. This looking good. I just need to write a few more postings, and I think the ranking will just continue to move up.

We will soon see.

by ·Comments Off on Why Sports Isn’t Helping Promote Taekwondo as a Martial Arts
Olympic Taekwondo Ditches Sport's Traditions

source: Chron.com

Early in October 2011, there was news posted on the web titled “Olympic Taekwondo Ditches Sport’s Traditions.”  In this article, they noted that just a year before, the governing body for Taekwondo changed the rules for sparring so that judges award more points for head shots.

In my own personal opinion, the way Taekwondo has evolved in sports, not just in the Olympics, isn’t helping promote it as a martial arts.  I’ve personally seen it detract from the traditional teachings of martial arts.

In the referenced article, competitors who make it to black belt say that they simply focus on training to fight and not even think about other parts of the art, to include forms (or “poomsae” in Korean).  This behavior is contrary to traditional teaching of Taekwondo as a whole.

People have seen evidence of this trend seen as early as the 2008 Olympics.  In one sparring match, a Cuban competitor wasn’t happy with a referee’s call, and decided to kick the referee on the face.  That Cuban fighter (I call him fighter because he isn’t a martial artist) has long been banned from Taekwondo competition.  That was a sad day in Taekwondo, an art known to help build stronger inner character for those who truly practice it.

I know of at least a couple of schools in my state where their main focus is sparring.  One of them is no longer in business, while the other remains open.  If all the focus is on sparring, then it is no longer a martial art.  They should explicitly be advertised as Sports Taekwondo instead of just plain Taekwondo (or Tae Kwon Do) so people will know it is sports and not a martial arts.

The sport itself detracts from realistic fights since it focuses on kicks.  The hands are mainly there to block or to help set up for a kick.  Never in my life have I seen anyone score with a punch; judges award points for kicks only.  This is why Taekwondo is widely known as a style that uses lots of kicks.

Note that the sport of Taekwondo has its place.  For my students, it allows them to compete and test their skills with other kids whom they’ve not sparred before.  It also helps them experience winning and losing, and in the process exercise the application of Taekwondo tenets–courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit, and victory.

If things are to improve in the sports of Taekwondo, techniques of both the hands and the feet must be awarded points.  After all, isn’t Taekwondo the art of using the hands and feet for self-defense?

What do you think?  Do you agree?  Please comment below.

 

by ·Comments Off on Is Taekwondo Good for Kids?
Taekwondo child bowing to show respect

Taekwondo child bowing to show respect

As a parent, you might have this lingering question–“Is Taekwondo good for my child?”

The simple answer to this “yes”, for the following reasons:

  • Respect.  Taekwondo teaches kids to show respect; at our Taekwondo school, the student begins by bowing to staff, students, and guests as soon as they enter the training hall.
  • Motor Skills.  Children perform drills which help them become more coordinated–helping them improve their motor skills.
  • Self-defense.  Kids learn that Taekwondo is only for self-defense.
  • Agility and Skill.  Kids learn about the Olympic sport of Taekwondo and through training improve their agility and skill.
  • Self-confidence.  Through training and testing, children are able to build their self-confidence.
  • Leadership.  As children move up in rank, they learn to set goals and objectives to reach their goals.  At higher belt levels, they are taught to lead the class through warm up exercises.
  • Code of Conduct.  Kids learn about the tenets of Taekwondo–courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit, and victory.
If your kids take Taekwondo, how has it change them?  Please share your thoughts by posting comments below.

by ·Comments Off on Long runs: What not to do

Last week was an easy week for me from the perspective of running.  From my last long run last week to this weekend’s long run, I didn’t run at all.  And guess what happened?

I basically took a week off, not because I really wanted to, but it was a necessity.  Remember, in order for me to get runs in, I have to wake up early.  Last week, I’ve been sleeping late which make it extremely difficult to wake up early.

So, in order to get enough sleep, I had to forgo running for a few days.

Then last Sunday, I did a long run—about 16 miles.  It wasn’t a bad run, until I got to around 12 miles.  At around that point, I started feeling soreness on my left calf.

I continued running through the pain to completion of the run.  A few hours after the run, my left calf was really sore, to the point that I dare not put pressure on it.

Anyway, I decided to rest my legs for a couple of days.  This morning, I did my interval training, and I was OK for a bit, but I could still feel the soreness on my left calf…not good.

The moral of the story are…

  1. On long runs, gradually build up distance again, after a one week or greater break.  Rushing to longer distance faster than recommended can actually slow your progress as a result of injury.
  2. Make sure to get enough sleep.  It is hard to get motivated when you are sleepy.