Saturday, February 27, 2021

Judo

It's now been over three weeks since Michelle and I began taking judo lessons. We've been going twice a week and are starting to notice a slight increase in our stamina...encouraging given our level of deterioration. 


The lessons are private which allows me to encourage Chaz, our instructor, to use his Army bootcamp Sergeant's voice with Michelle. She's somewhat cat-like and if you're not paying close attention she'll try and get away with stuff like pretending she did the #7 pushup when, in fact, she just skipped it. Another advantage to the privacy is being able for all to share in the laughter as we struggle to heft our obesity and wrangle the challenges of groaning olde.

Chaz has demonstrated exemplary flexibility in modifying the workouts as we encounter plantar fasciitis, generalized aches, joint stiffness and, for me, shortness-of-breath.


Weight has been an issue since my mid-forties when my thyroid gave out. It's disheartening to see the continued "widening" as age erodes the stamina; the WILL continues though!



 

I like to think the hat, with its authentic gamsbart 


Olde Goat
(Capricorn)

lends a Burgermeister-esque quality to my "dimensionality." I only need to lose about 50 pounds (22kg) in order to fit into my lederhosen. YAH! Nussing but carrots und turkey breast frum now on!


4 comments:

  1. right on! It is so brave to start something totally new at our age :) Skipping certain steps, i would say is a must, now we are not 25 anymore.

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    1. Well, sorry to disappoint...it's not so much brave as BORED.

      I've always had an interest in juijitsu and we were lucky to find this one dojo offering classes on a limited basis. They disinfect the entire workout area and bathrooms after EVERY class and our class is private so we have no exposure except to the instructor (who got his Covid shot last week) and we are all (the three of us) usually 12 or more feet (3.5m) from each other. At our stage of learning there is no need for physical contact.
      Chaz, our instructor, is great and we're really enjoying learning.

      Albuquerque is one of the most boring cities of its size on the planet. It's pathetically limited when it comes to cultural entertainments. Even before covid there was very little theater, no dance, no music scene; only one or two contemporary art galleries.

      The Art Museum is pathetic and once you've been to the Natural History Museum and the Biopark, (nobody wants to go to the Nuclear Weapons Museum) there's not much else to do except buy Native American and Hispanic crafts.

      They've driven the prostitutes off Craigslist and off Central Avenue...that leaves driving around (a decades-long entertainment for the Low-Riders) and walking the dog. And since we're cat-people that leaves us out of that.

      I can't wait to leave, but it's been wonderful having time with Michelle!

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  2. whatever
    but thank you so much for the response. and
    check this out for me please (it might give you something to do) -the center for contemplation and action in Albuquerque-

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    1. Thanks, but I'm not into mythologies, dogma, nor am I a follower.

      I consider meditation a form of soma, the stuff dispensed in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

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