I've now been told that we have tickets to the Olympic Torch Concert at Madejski Stadium on 10th July. SO excited!! I was very jeaulous when I was told that my cousin got to touch the Olympic Torch (not the flame, idiots), when it was on route going past his house. But now it's my turn!!
It will be so amazing - I have big expectations!!
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Saturday, 21 April 2012
Update on the last post...
The last post sucked. Let's be honest. Even my single, most loyal (and only) follower probably thinks so. She didn't say but she's polite. So I thought I'd improve on it because I couldn't think of what else I could write about (apart from the fact that the Olympics starts on Friday 27th July in 97 days!).
Anyway, Thames Valley TKD entered the English Open in Guildford with 21 competitors, me not included. There were 3 categories to compete in (as always): patterns, sparring and special/power technique. They got a total of 39 points, with the average competitor earning 1.86 points (don't ask), which ranked TV fourth.
They were pretty amazing, though. And most of them got medals.
They did well in the special/power technique (breaking!!!) I haven't broken yet...
...watch this space!!
Well done to my awesome buddies in TKD>> :D
Anyway, Thames Valley TKD entered the English Open in Guildford with 21 competitors, me not included. There were 3 categories to compete in (as always): patterns, sparring and special/power technique. They got a total of 39 points, with the average competitor earning 1.86 points (don't ask), which ranked TV fourth.
They were pretty amazing, though. And most of them got medals.
They did well in the special/power technique (breaking!!!) I haven't broken yet...
...watch this space!!
Well done to my awesome buddies in TKD>> :D
Thursday, 19 April 2012
English Open 2012
Me and my friends at (tkd) training were talking about Thames Valley at the english open, wayyy back in Februray. Shannon was the only one in her (13+ but -18) category so she ended up with the gold medal without fighting!! I didn't go because I had a french speaking exam the next day (pathetic excuse, I know), but on a more reasonable excuse, I didn't have a mouthgaurd.
Everyone who did go did pretty well, and our coach posted on facebook "bursting with pride at thames valley's success", so it was good he was pleased.
There's the Welsh Open in May, and I'm hoping to go to that...but I will post more before then...
And for now, I leave you with the news that it is less than 100 days until the London Olympics 2012 starts!!
*insert funny / emmbarassing / stupid / insance photo here*
Everyone who did go did pretty well, and our coach posted on facebook "bursting with pride at thames valley's success", so it was good he was pleased.
There's the Welsh Open in May, and I'm hoping to go to that...but I will post more before then...
And for now, I leave you with the news that it is less than 100 days until the London Olympics 2012 starts!!
*insert funny / emmbarassing / stupid / insance photo here*
Monday, 2 April 2012
Countdown to the Paralympic Games 2012...
I've watched loads of programmes about the 2012 Paralympic athletes recently, and the sports; blind football, wheelchair rugby and judo are three of my favourites. The 'Inside Incredible Athletes' programme was amazing - sports psychology, science and aesthetic appreciation all in one. Here's a video I found on YouTube - the GB wheelchair rugby team in a 'powerplay' session (I don't own the video).
PE Exam, Day 2 RESULTS!!!
On the Thursday I had just one pe exam -- weight training YAAYYY. Sarcasm, if you couldn't tell. I was still aching from yesterday. I ate a banana in the hope that it might help... and then a smoothie and then an apple then a satasuma. It didn't help. I think the energy drained away in my nervousness.
Last lesson of the day (period six) at 2 o'clock sharp I went to the fitness room by the tennis courts. My pe teachers were talking and getting clipboards ready. They saw me come in and grinned happily. "Last exam in three minutes. At the end of this you'll have 60% of your final pe grade done."
I smiled back weakly. "Depends how good it was done." I said flatly.
"Oh, you shouldn't be worried. Your theory knowledge will help boost your mark. It's hard to be good at both the practical and the theory."
I didn't reply. I just went to my bag and got out a bottle of water, a pen and a ruler. Then I sat on a rowing machine, sliding backwards and forwards on the seat. "Don't use up all your energy before you've even warmed up. We'll just wait for the boys to come before we start." I stopped sliding and she sat on the weightlifting bench next to the Shoulder Press while Mrs C scrolled through her iPod playlists looking for her specially-chosen 'workout mix'.
We waited. And waited a bit longer. Five past two. Eight minutes past two.
I drummed my heels on the carpeted floor. I manouvered my tounge around my mouth in the hope that I would get some spit to hydrate myself. By this time I had gone a bit purple; I'd already swallowed nearly two-thirds of my water but was still in need of more.
Finally the boys wandered in: three out of the six had their hands down their shorts, one ambled in and asked what he was supposed to do next, another one had no pen to write with, and the other said he had to pee two seconds after he sat down. Great. Enthusiasm at its highest point, then. After Mrs R. yelled at the one with no pen to go and get a pen, we all sat in a corner and filled out the sheet. We had to draw a training graph; which meant working out our training thresholds. I had prepared for this so I knew what I was doing. Unlike the boys.
But anyway, I worked out my maximum heart rate. 220 - my age. Done.
Then I had to work out my 'training zone' - your maximum threshold and your minimum threshold of work. Any value between that is your training zone, where you aim to get your heart rate when you train. Your minimum heart rate during training can't be any lower than 30-40% of your anaerobic fitness (the most effort you can put in), which in my case is 214, (220 - 16). So to get this I multiplyed 214 by 0.3 (30%), which was 65bpm. I made it easy for myself - I chose 30% instead of 40% so my heart rate only had to increase by a few beats per minute to get into my training zone. Then we had to write up our maximum threshold of training; can be between 60-80% of your anaerobic fitness. Again, I took the easy option and multiplyed 214 by 0.6.
Anyway, we filled in this sheet and plotted the graph. We all took a resting pulse and then started a cicuit on the weights machines. I started on the shoulder press, then the tricep press down, then the wide grip pull down, then the bench press, followed by the leg extension and finally the pec flye. Everyone else had to work on another machine as well; the leg curl. It involves lying on two weightlifters benches; one flat and one slightly raised. You lie on your stomach and slot your shins under two bars, one for each leg, which are attatched to the set of weights.
There is no way to adjust this machine for body length. You can only change the length of the bars on the end. You just lie on your stomach, legs under the bars, and flex the hinge joints in your knees to lift the weights.
I can't do this; my legs don't reach the end of the bench; so therefore my legs don't reach the bars under which my legs have to go to be able to lift the weights.
But at least I had one less machine to work on.
At the end I was still, like everybody else, tired, and I ached especially in my arms thanks to the bench and shoulder press, but I was quite content with that.
I went home on time (yess) and ate some chocolate, along with cranberry juice and another fruit smoothie.
Apart from the nervousness, food overload and the pain, it was a good day.
Last lesson of the day (period six) at 2 o'clock sharp I went to the fitness room by the tennis courts. My pe teachers were talking and getting clipboards ready. They saw me come in and grinned happily. "Last exam in three minutes. At the end of this you'll have 60% of your final pe grade done."
I smiled back weakly. "Depends how good it was done." I said flatly.
"Oh, you shouldn't be worried. Your theory knowledge will help boost your mark. It's hard to be good at both the practical and the theory."
I didn't reply. I just went to my bag and got out a bottle of water, a pen and a ruler. Then I sat on a rowing machine, sliding backwards and forwards on the seat. "Don't use up all your energy before you've even warmed up. We'll just wait for the boys to come before we start." I stopped sliding and she sat on the weightlifting bench next to the Shoulder Press while Mrs C scrolled through her iPod playlists looking for her specially-chosen 'workout mix'.
We waited. And waited a bit longer. Five past two. Eight minutes past two.
I drummed my heels on the carpeted floor. I manouvered my tounge around my mouth in the hope that I would get some spit to hydrate myself. By this time I had gone a bit purple; I'd already swallowed nearly two-thirds of my water but was still in need of more.
Finally the boys wandered in: three out of the six had their hands down their shorts, one ambled in and asked what he was supposed to do next, another one had no pen to write with, and the other said he had to pee two seconds after he sat down. Great. Enthusiasm at its highest point, then. After Mrs R. yelled at the one with no pen to go and get a pen, we all sat in a corner and filled out the sheet. We had to draw a training graph; which meant working out our training thresholds. I had prepared for this so I knew what I was doing. Unlike the boys.
But anyway, I worked out my maximum heart rate. 220 - my age. Done.
Then I had to work out my 'training zone' - your maximum threshold and your minimum threshold of work. Any value between that is your training zone, where you aim to get your heart rate when you train. Your minimum heart rate during training can't be any lower than 30-40% of your anaerobic fitness (the most effort you can put in), which in my case is 214, (220 - 16). So to get this I multiplyed 214 by 0.3 (30%), which was 65bpm. I made it easy for myself - I chose 30% instead of 40% so my heart rate only had to increase by a few beats per minute to get into my training zone. Then we had to write up our maximum threshold of training; can be between 60-80% of your anaerobic fitness. Again, I took the easy option and multiplyed 214 by 0.6.
Anyway, we filled in this sheet and plotted the graph. We all took a resting pulse and then started a cicuit on the weights machines. I started on the shoulder press, then the tricep press down, then the wide grip pull down, then the bench press, followed by the leg extension and finally the pec flye. Everyone else had to work on another machine as well; the leg curl. It involves lying on two weightlifters benches; one flat and one slightly raised. You lie on your stomach and slot your shins under two bars, one for each leg, which are attatched to the set of weights.
There is no way to adjust this machine for body length. You can only change the length of the bars on the end. You just lie on your stomach, legs under the bars, and flex the hinge joints in your knees to lift the weights.
I can't do this; my legs don't reach the end of the bench; so therefore my legs don't reach the bars under which my legs have to go to be able to lift the weights.
But at least I had one less machine to work on.
At the end I was still, like everybody else, tired, and I ached especially in my arms thanks to the bench and shoulder press, but I was quite content with that.
I went home on time (yess) and ate some chocolate, along with cranberry juice and another fruit smoothie.
Apart from the nervousness, food overload and the pain, it was a good day.
Sunday, 1 April 2012
So...here's how my PE exam went!!
My friends will know that I had two days of pe because there was a small examiner guy with a visitors' badge in a tracksuit at school last Wednesday and Thursday. He made me feel a bit taller, actually. Not much, because he still loomed waaay over my head, but to everyone else he was smallish. Anyway, on the first day I was examined in Athletics and Netball. Errm...athletics was ok, apart from the small mistake of falling over during my sprint start...although he might not have seen that, hopefully. But even if he did, the bright side still exists because my baton exchange during the relay practises were clean - thank you so much J!! (She was my very nice & helpful buddy because we were the only two girls in the exam). It was easy because she's right handed and I'm left and cause you're supposed to pass the baton to opposistes, this worked out perfectly. Shotput wasn't bad, I guess, because I walked out the circle in the right place which was a great triumphant moment for me!! (In practise I usually walk out the front).
Netball was a bit worsey, though. We got to pick our positions first, and I chose - as I always do - goal shooter. Yeah all right I'm short but I can shoot.
But before we played a game we had to do practices with the Yr 10s who were helping out because there weren't enough people to play a full game. And, yes, they were a lot taller. All of them tall and weirdly thin (I caught them eating chocolate and some sort of chewy gummy thing as they went down to the sports hall. I was too nervous to eat and lived off berry flavoured powerade the whole day.) Except one, who miss paired me with because she was only about three or four inches taller than me. She wasn't happy about it but there wasn't much she could do. This was my exam, not hers so she had to do what she was told. "You can show off when you're in your exam, next year," I said grinning at her, "but for now, play easy, right?" She nodded sullenly as she saw our pe teacher smiling and giving me thumbs-up enthusiastically.
In groups of three we did some practises. The first was shot practise: in a triangle passing with chest, shoulder, bounce and some other throws.
The second was marking: we all swapped round being the feeder, marker and the reciever. I used a sprint-dash dodge every time it was my turn to get free...and it worked well!!
The game wasn't so good, though. Remember I asked the year 10 to play easy?? She didn't. Batting the ball away, or jumping or skillfully intercepting, I lost the ball many times. Although, I did score one of the three goals our Year 11 team managed to get. The worst part came last. Us (the Year 11 examinees) lost 4-3 to the casually-taking-time-out-of-lessons-to-kick-butt-in-netball year 10s.
At the end of the 45 minute game I was insanely tired and defeated. I downed half a bottle of watered-down bright blue powerade and dragged myself off to my citizenship mock.
It's just one exam after another...
Netball was a bit worsey, though. We got to pick our positions first, and I chose - as I always do - goal shooter. Yeah all right I'm short but I can shoot.
But before we played a game we had to do practices with the Yr 10s who were helping out because there weren't enough people to play a full game. And, yes, they were a lot taller. All of them tall and weirdly thin (I caught them eating chocolate and some sort of chewy gummy thing as they went down to the sports hall. I was too nervous to eat and lived off berry flavoured powerade the whole day.) Except one, who miss paired me with because she was only about three or four inches taller than me. She wasn't happy about it but there wasn't much she could do. This was my exam, not hers so she had to do what she was told. "You can show off when you're in your exam, next year," I said grinning at her, "but for now, play easy, right?" She nodded sullenly as she saw our pe teacher smiling and giving me thumbs-up enthusiastically.
In groups of three we did some practises. The first was shot practise: in a triangle passing with chest, shoulder, bounce and some other throws.
The second was marking: we all swapped round being the feeder, marker and the reciever. I used a sprint-dash dodge every time it was my turn to get free...and it worked well!!
The game wasn't so good, though. Remember I asked the year 10 to play easy?? She didn't. Batting the ball away, or jumping or skillfully intercepting, I lost the ball many times. Although, I did score one of the three goals our Year 11 team managed to get. The worst part came last. Us (the Year 11 examinees) lost 4-3 to the casually-taking-time-out-of-lessons-to-kick-butt-in-netball year 10s.
At the end of the 45 minute game I was insanely tired and defeated. I downed half a bottle of watered-down bright blue powerade and dragged myself off to my citizenship mock.
It's just one exam after another...
Haven't posted anything in ages...
I haven't posted anything since MARCH, amazingly because I've still been on the blogger website recently, following my friend's blog on mybrainisnotnormal.blogspot.com. She mainly posts stuff about her drama work or food tech coursework, but she also draws stuff too, which are emmbarassingly amazingly good. She's also amazingly good at spelling too, so I should probably get her to help me when I next post.
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