I'm using this journal entry to help organize my thoughts. Tommorrow I will be starting the UB7 daily training. My tommorrow will look like this:

Horse stance; hold for a total of 10 minutes
Pushups: 150
Situps: 150
Kicks: 75
5 Animal Chi Kung Form: 1 - 2
Tai Chi Sword: 4
Curriculum Technique: 4
Knitting Meditation: 20 mins
Walk, bike, spin, Kayak, or Hike: 18 mins
Consume no caffiene: day one of 365
Cleanse: Day one of 10
Meditation Journal Entry: 1
Garbage Journal Entry: 1
Read: 1 of 6 books on garbage, or 1 of 6 books on meditation.

There's one thing that I already want to add to this daily routine. Weight training. This category will include the stretches and will focus on the things I have been advised to do given injuries and arthritis issues. Over the next week, I will put together a program that I can do at home and at the gym.

I can chip away at the horse stance, pushups, situps, and kicks during the day and aim to have them all done by 9 pm. Forms, self propelled travel, and techniques will have to be done in the evening before bedtime usually, but it will be a bonus if I get them done before hand, like when I'm at class, or at open training etc. Then the evening can be all about a pleasant wind-down. Starting with the chi kung form, followed by 20 minutes of knitting meditations, then the journal entries. I always read a book before I fall asleep for the night, so no trouble there.

UBBT7 starts in a couple of weeks and I'm getting nervous. Preparation for this challenge did not go as well as expected in some things. Pushups is my main concern. In preparation, I actually stopped doing pushups, and booked some physiotherapy to fix a 'frozen??' left shoulder. The healing did not go as quickly as I had hoped (my timeline may have been unrealistic). The upshot of it all is that, with only 2 weeks left until UB7 starts, my left shoulder is still a work in progress, and my back and neck is very sore from all the adjustments, and pushups are a problem.

Sifu Laurie gave me some words of advice that I MUST listen to this time round. Vary the position of my arms and hands for the pushups, do opposite stretches like that superman one and bench lifts backward. I really want to train smarter this year. How many times do I have to hear the same advise???

I won't go through my entire list of UB7 requirements. Much more interesting to introduce them gradually. I have 5 physical requirements (pushups and situps and kicks is one), 3 Health requirements, 3 Martial Arts requirements, and 3 personal/spiritual growth requirements. That's ALOT. What was I thinking??? Never mind; they are all pretty exciting.

I spent the last couple of months preparing for most of my requirements. The above mentioned shoulder fix was one. Much more successful was preparation for the chi kung, the one year caffeeeine free, the tai chi sword, and meditation requirements.

Chi Kung: I want to do this form 500 times this year (or six times a week). In preparation, I took Sifu Olsvik's second set of chi kung sessions. And I issued a challenge to all chi kung students to join me in practicing this form regularly. So, there will be a little chi kung community to keep things going.

Caffeine Free Year: I had reduced my coffee intake this last year by eliminating the 2 - 3 cups of coffee I drank at work each day and instead drinking hot water which I like. A month ago I eliminated coffee completely and have avoided all other caffinated beverages. So I'm good to go on that one.

500 repetitions of Tai Chi Sword and one public performance with at least 3 other students: I employed the strategy of interweaving personal goals on this one. The tai chi sword is my weapon routine for the chinese new year ceremony, so I have had Sifu's Hayes, Frietag, and Wilson full support and attention in learning this form. I'm not sure how much of this form I have learned, but I am very happy with the progress in the techniques and form so far. Sifu's L. Shipalesky and Dennis have committed to preparing for the public performance this summer with me. Other students have shown an interest in participating, and I am excited about that too. And I have issued a challenge to fellow UBBT7 students to join in also.

Meditation requirements: I have secured a copy of 'Mindful Knitting: Inviting contemplative Practice to the Craft' by Tara Jon Manning. And I have selected the projects from this book - so I have a 'course curriculum in knitting meditations'. My knitting basket is ready with most sizes of needles and yarn for the projects.

So, nervous, but excited.

This has to be a record for me, and I'm proud of it in a twisted sort of way. One month less 2 days of no journal entries!!!! I was hoping to make it all the way to Jan. 1, 2010, when the UBBT7 journalling would start. But now I'm feeling much too naughty and selfish.

In actual fact, I have been feeling pretty exhausted of words and drained of thoughts. I really had no idea the amount of time and effort and focus that would be required of me after the initial black belt test, and up until the ceremony. Its alot of work coordinating practice times with 5 other candidates, making corrections and improvements, attending rehearsals and meetings. Unfortunately, I'm also run ragged with other things which cannot be ignored. I often wonder how long I can keep the pace up. And a number of times, I've felt sure that I would have to abort the whole black belt journey.

Though I'm happy, and surprised to still be in the running this week, I do look forward to a little bit of a slower pace.