We’re almost done with the year, so here’s the recap.
Improve my running further and be able to run 30 - 40 min with good form
[quote]A lot of my goals in 2013 will help me to accomplish this task, but most of the credit will go to rope skipping, which I do best on the track, so I'll integrate it into my track routine and as a warmup, if convenient.[/quote]
Did lots of skipping in the winter month on track, if possible. That has completely stopped atm. - I’m afraid, but I’m doing foot bag for mobility and reflexes indoors.
[quote]If I'll be able to integrate running into my everyday life as I did in 2012, I'll be running 3 times for about 20 min and 2 times 5 - 12 min on the track, GTG-ing my form.
Consistency and fun will be the key here, it should't be a chore. Longer runs will follow eventually.[/quote]
I integrated running in the form of running with the stroller for about 2.5 k three times/ week. Atm. I run at least once a week - 4 - 5 k alone, due to the conditions outside. I still enjoy it very much, but it has no longer that priority. However, I plan to run at least once a week in the future.
Run 800 or more k in 2013
[quote]Actually I decided not to make this a hard goal. With the above regimen, I should reach slightly less than 800 k. If I make it over 800 it’s a bonus.[/quote]
I’m probably not going to make it, but no sweat. I do a nice forefoot/ mid foot strike and short barefoot runs - even on a soft trail, plus I’m really fast when I run alone. So, I’m perfectly cool with that.
According to Nike, I just did about 400 km - the figure is actually lower than that, because the pedometer screws with the running km, when activated on the iPod.
Improve on Rope Skipping
[quote]That’s easy, just simply do it! However, I cannot skip indoors, so I have to carry the jump rope with me, when I train outdoors.[/quote]
See above. The current tschedule of things in the spring/ summer months does not involve much work on the track - atm.
Master the Muscle-Up
[quote]This should be doable! As soon as the outdoor bar workouts are not that frosty anymore, I should just GTG it. Strengthening shoulders, biceps, triceps and lats with dips on the bar and another mini goal: weighted pull-ups.[/quote]
Weighted pull-ups are down with my backpack full of groceries, but are now mostly replaced by hitting PRs on the pull-up reps (24) and free hanging rows - a new favorite exercise.
Just realized, that for really mastering the muscle up I should have a better access to a bar (or rings). The pulling I did with weights indoors lately used up a lot of my capacity, so the number of the outdoor pulls are quite low atm.
Walk 2,500,000 steps
[quote]10,000 steps a day, five days a week for 50 weeks - will I succeed?
That’s 6,850 steps each day and should be manageable.[/quote]
This is doable, and I will very likely have walked over 4,000,000 steps this year by the end of the month.
Find dysbalances, weaknesses and improve on them
[quote]I found some already and I bet, I find some more.
For now:
Right leg is weaker
Left glute is weaker
Left foot is weaker
Left biceps/ triceps and shoulder are weaker
dentatus, serratus, abs, obliques imbalances
Solution:
Glute work, foot gymnastic (quite fun and rewarding) unilateral leg and upper body work. Unilateral presses.[/quote]
I’m on it and eliminating these suckers! Actually, I’m pretty cool with my success, so I switch back to a more strength building oriented program.
Work on mobility
[quote]Always a goal. I do my morning gymnastic and incorporate mobility drills throughout the day, as a warm up and between the sets.[/quote]
Working on, getting better each time. I’m very satisfied with that. With a proper warm up, I’m quite flexible now.
Practice the transition from the crow handstand to headstand
[quote]I already succeed in that. The crow is fun and I definitely like to get better in the transition progress the next year, when I train more outdoors. I rarely do the crow indoors, because when I collapse, wich is very rare, I prefer to do it on woodchips or grass. Mental note: tumbling in general might be a good idea to practice.[/quote]
Currently - I’m on it and managed quite a good transition. Was not the top priority tho. I threw in another hand balance - the firefly - as well.
The two above points should lead to the next goal:
Improve leg strength
[quote]My modest goals here are 50 kg for the sumo deadlift (36 kg atm.) and 32 kg for the goblet squat (16 kg atm.). Actually I consider the loaded carries quite beneficial. I might incorporate lunges, shrimp squats or more likely Turkish Get ups, which I consider give a great bang for the buck.[/quote]
The goal for the goblet is already crushed, Sumo at 56 kg atm. All the lifts are still done with Kettlebells, which makes it slightly harder.
TGU at 20 kg atm.
Currently, I’m working with a barbell which is a slightly different technique, future training sessions will show, how things will develop on that front.
Kettlebell Swings with 16 kg
[quote]When I started in 2012 with the kettle bells and 67 kg bodyweight, 8 kg was heavy. I practiced the swings without weights, went up to 4 kg, 8 kg and am not too uncomfortable with 12 kg.
Still I prefer the 8 kg and 20 swings over the 12 kg and 10 swings, but that’ll change and eventually I’ll be using a 16 kg.
Update: Today (2012-12-31) arrived my 16 kg KB and I did 3 x 5 swings - pretty pathetic, I know, but success nonetheless!
100 swings with 20 kg already done
22 swings with 20 kg in one set[/quote]
42 swings with 20 kg reached, switched to one handed swings with 16 kg, doing swings with both hands again for the moment.
[quote]All this should lead me to one big goal[/quote]
76 - 78 kg bodyweight and 5 - 8 % BF
[quote]We’ll just have to see, how all works out.[/quote]
Scale is at 80 kg, so I went a bit over the top with that, BF is about 15 %. That’s ok, the goal was a bit lofty anyways.
[quote]Here comes another one, that might just skrew the conditioning goal:[/quote]
Cross the Alps and cycle to Milano (take the train back)
[quote]Phew! I really like to, but how to incorporate heavy cycling into my program, I don’t know yet. Seems, I just have to. The distance is about 400 - 500 km and I’d have 3 to 4 days for that. Actually I’d love just to buy a tandem and give my great daughter a lift with it, whenever needed. That should quite work. The crossing of the alps would be done with my road bike, I guess.
I’ve done that before. In 1995 with 26. How that’ll be in 2013 with 44? I guess, I’ll just die.[/quote]
Cancelled due to monetary issues.
Do a cake sling on my 44th birthday
[quote]I write that down, to remind myself, how much I like to do this. Maybe I’ll indulge in the cake and am off over the alps the next day, speaking about carb loading here.[/quote]
Was not at home to do this.
Learn Italian
[quote]I’m already on it. Crossing the alps will actually give me an opportunity to really use it.[/quote]
Casually learning along, due to not crossing the alps this is a minor goal for now.
Read 12 books
I just keep on reading and check at the end of the year, if I reached this goal. No sweat.
1. Batman Dark Victory; Loeb, J. (author); Sale, T. (illustrator)
2. Chew 3; Guilliory R. (illustrator); Layman, J. (author)
3. Bretonische M�¤rchen - tales from Brittany
4. Batman Black Glove - Batman gets disassembled, Morrison, G. (author); illustrators: Daniel,T.; William, J.H.; Benjamin, R.
5. Catwoman Damals in Rom; Loeb, J. (author); Sale, T. (illustrator) - Miniseries on Selina Kyle
6. Rule 34; Stross, C.
7. Batman DK1
8. Batman DK2
9. With a Little Help; Doctorow, C. - great shorts, read with the help of dailylit.com in the e-mail
10. Chew 5; Guilliory R. (illustrator); Layman, J. (author)
11. Batman: Das 100. Jahr: Pope, P.
12. Just a Little Run Around the World; Swale Pope, R.
13. Little Brother; Doctorow, C.
14. Homeland; Doctorow, C.
15. For the Win; Doctorow, C.
16. Pirate Cinema; Doctorow, C.
17. Lolita; Nabokov, N.
18. Feuchtgebiete; Roche, C.
19. Winterkartoffelkn�¶del; Falk, R.
20. Dampfnudelblues; Falk, R.
21. Schweinskopf Al Dente; Falk, R.
22. Grie�?nockerlaff�¤re; Falk, R.
23. Sauerkrautkoma; Falk, R.
24. OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review, OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review | Ars Technica; Siracusa, J.
25. Ready Player One; Cline, E.
26. The Windup Girl; Bacigalupi, P.
27. Lawful Interception; Doctorow, C.
A pretty nice list already, comic books novels and other stuff, I might finish one more book. Reading books, I always wanted to read and add books that made me want to read them to the mix, made a huge difference.
Write more
[quote]Producing more articles for my various weblogs or even start some sort of anecdotal book, spiced with recipes is something, I’d like to accomplish, but optional.
I have the romantic impression of me, sitting on the computer and writing before dawn. BUT with the suckling, I have to try, to get my sleep whenever possible. Usually I’m awake before the rest of the family anyway, preparing breakfast for them. If I really can get up one more hour earlier, I just might get on the bike and log some km (or run).[/quote]
I’m not writing at a novel, but I feed my weblog more with short snippets and I’ve started a collaborative weblog on food and cooking.
Declutter my (digital) life
[quote]A work in progress.[/quote]
It still is and will be. I’m very satisfied how far I came with it during that one year.
So actually, I succeeded on the goals that were on top priority for me and skipped the minor ones.
Walking can make you incredibly sore.
On a side note: I’m very content having seen our little daughter growing from a suckling to a toddler and our older daughter becoming a teenager and taking my part in the raising process.
So I learned from that and will focus on fewer goals in 2014:
Bigger legs:
Grinding through an upper/ lower split the whole year.
3 weeks mass building, 1 week fun/ deload
done twice and the followed by
4 weeks upper/lower circuit
repeat
That should give the lower body the focus, that is needed
Shooting for 85 kg while staying at the current BF level, or lower.
Go outside every day:
Not counting steps, walking and hopefully more cycling with the kid mounted on the bike in 2014. Running casually. Swimming as much as possible.
Read at least 12 books - like always.
Declutter.
Plain vanilla.