I finished my 250 push ups last night right before midnight.  It was tough as we did 41 in class earlier. I did them in sets of 50! By the end my knuckles were beaten up from the last week of the challenge, which started with 225 last Monday.  
For the past few days I used my Gi pants folded in half placed on the wood floor as padding. It helped to slightly relieve the pressure on my knuckles, however it did not change the fact that after finished, it would take a few seconds for me... Read full post

Well well... Here we are - finally - at 250 push ups!  It's been an amazing exercise in will power, but the physical effort and beneficial results - including the severely calloused knuckles - are something I can take pride in...  With this final 250 push ups today, we completed 1,580 for this week and an astounding 6,400 push ups in total, if my count is right, over the last 7 weeks!  August 25th was our start date and October 13th our finish. 
I send my heartfelt... Read full post

The Challenge seems like the Italian words "sensa fine" - without end!  Today is 235, which means that Saturday, October 13th is the day we hit our target!!  That day can't come soon enough for me...  The issue is not so much the push ups themselves, it is more keeping track of how many I have done as the day progresses.  When you are doing so many reps to make the count in one day your mind starts to play tricks on you... As in: Did I just do that rep or did I just think... Read full post

Just posted my full set of left handed custom-made Ping golf clubs (Irons 2-PW) from 1977 on eBay.  For anyone who is in to collectables, this set is a one-of-a-kind!  They're here if you are interested:http://www.ebay.com/itm/1977-Collector-set-left-handed-custom-made-Pro-Ping-Karsten-II-irons-2-PW-/300791919901?ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123  Happy to give a "family price" to friends!
The reverse direction Orizaba Baskwerd putter, Model 1, is A-MAZING!  Truly a... Read full post

I had really looked forward to finish the season competing in Wasdale Triathlon - arguably the world's hardest half ironman distance race (see description from the race organizer below).
Unfortunately we were hit by the worst possible weather! Torrential rain, flooded roads, potholes covered by water making it dangerous going fast or descending from Hardknott Pass and Wrynose Pass, 70+ mph winds, zero visibility in the mountains.
The 6.30 am race briefing was moved to 7.30 am and we were told... Read full post

So today's count is 200 push-ups...  I can honestly tell you that at this point it is a grind.  I'm doing 8 reps of 25 to get there and have two more reps to do as soon as I finish this posting.  Jeremy, one of the big, young bucks at Koguma Dojo told me last night in class that he is banging out the whole count in approximately 30 minutes each morning!  But then (I'm guessing) Jeremy is in his late 20's, early 30's, and I'm just shy of 60, so reps of 25 works for me.  ... Read full post

Wasdale Half Iron Distance Triathlon.Doing this on Sunday 30 September - final race of the seasonQuoting the website: The Worlds hardest Half Iron Triathlon set beneath the towering cliffs of Wasdale Screes in the English Lake District. Wastwater, the Lake District, is where the day begins with a 1.2mile swim in the deepest and coldest lake in the British Isles.Incorporating the fearsome twin passes of Hardknott and Wrynose, covering 56 miles and climbing 7,217 vertical feet, the bike ride is... Read full post

Today I logged 140 push ups as part of our Koguma Dojo push up challenge.  It was the first week were everyday the amount was three digits.  The total of five days 650!  I am loving the challenge and seeing the results on my body.
The remain portion it is going to be a steep climb, but I am looking to successfully complete it.

The Challenge continues with each day.  As the number of daily push ups goes up, calculating in which increments you'll do them is part of the process.  I have four sets of 20 behind me and two to go, as I write this.  Doing constant push ups for weeks now has given me a new appreciation for them as a 'one stop shop' for the whole body... Ombretta and I are both feeling stronger bi- and triceps, abs, shoulders, back, etc.  My posture has improved; my shoulders drawn back by... Read full post

I blogged about our Koguma Dojo meeting the push up challenge of our California brothers a week or so ago, so for those of you following along at home today's effort is 90...  The funny thing about this challenge is not so much struggling through the last few push ups of each series that one does to amass the total for the day, rather the struggle is to make the necessary time to get them all in.  I can tell you from experience, trying to bang out 30 or 40 push ups before climbing... Read full post