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Get Fit, Stay Fit, Feel Good - 2026

SVsick50 said:
Yeah! From my experience of teaching hundreds of youth students, I also think it's a bad idea. It doesn't teach actual behavior correction, it just makes the kids miserable and resentful, which is the opposite of what I want them to get out of martial arts.
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My high school soccer coach, If you cussed on the field, practice or game, you ran until you puked. I only remember one kid cussing…and he never cussed again on the field.
 
Ridley said:
My high school soccer coach, If you cussed on the field, practice or game, you ran until you puked. I only remember one kid cussing…and he never cussed again on the field.
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I teach martial arts; and my youth class was a bunch of 8-11 year olds who were literally learning skills you can kill somebody with (especially American Jiujitsu, which was a big part of my curriculum). I taught striking (including headbutts) and judo, as well. We had full contact sparring, for 2 min. rounds, to include grappling.

I had to balance discipline vs. violence. Any of my kids could whoop ass in a bad way - they would compete and win, often. So, punishment without purpose and key take away's was essential with these types of techniques. My assistant coach is a professional fighter for LFA (he taught the grappling).

The kids would get into altercations, and with the ability to fight - and fight well - I had to teach emotional management and conflict resolution. So, when kids got into it, we resolved it in a civil way. I actually would not allow them to spar unless it was resolved (they loved sparring, so this was enough punishment).

I'd always teach not to fight in the street and to avoid conflict unless absolutely necessary. My goal was to raise martial artists, not a bunch of angry kids.

Right now, I volunteer twice a week at a boys facility ages 10-17 who can't cut it in foster care. I teach hard style karate here. For many of them, it was this, or juvenile hall, and it is run by staff and many volunteers like myself. Funded partially from government grants, but mostly from the wealthy here in Texas. 10's of millions of dollars have been given by generous philanthropists - but I don't have that kind of money, so I donate my time and talent.

My students here are extra challenging (they range between 16-17), and anger is inherent in them. They come from absolutely horrible conditions, violence and abuse. If y'all could hear the horror stories I've heard...

Because of my experience of not using tools of punishment, but rather, using what the old masters taught about Bushido and peace, I am having a lot of success with them. They all have fighting skills, but learning to live peacefully.

I ain't making them do burpees or run laps. They've had adults whooping their asses (among other things) their entire lives. There are better ways...
 
SVsick50 said:
I teach martial arts; and my youth class was a bunch of 8-11 year olds who were literally learning skills you can kill somebody with (especially American Jiujitsu, which was a big part of my curriculum). I taught striking (including headbutts) and judo, as well. We had full contact sparring, for 2 min. rounds, to include grappling.

I had to balance discipline vs. violence. Any of my kids could whoop ass in a bad way - they would compete and win, often. So, punishment without purpose and key take away's was essential with these types of techniques. My assistant coach is a professional fighter for LFA (he taught the grappling).

The kids would get into altercations, and with the ability to fight - and fight well - I had to teach emotional management and conflict resolution. So, when kids got into it, we resolved it in a civil way. I actually would not allow them to spar unless it was resolved (they loved sparring, so this was enough punishment).

I'd always teach not to fight in the street and to avoid conflict unless absolutely necessary. My goal was to raise martial artists, not a bunch of angry kids.

Right now, I volunteer twice a week at a boys facility ages 10-17 who can't cut it in foster care. I teach hard style karate here. For many of them, it was this, or juvenile hall, and it is run by staff and many volunteers like myself. Funded partially from government grants, but mostly from the wealthy here in Texas. 10's of millions of dollars have been given by generous philanthropists - but I don't have that kind of money, so I donate my time and talent.

My students here are extra challenging (they range between 16-17), and anger is inherent in them. They come from absolutely horrible conditions, violence and abuse. If y'all could hear the horror stories I've heard...

Because of my experience of not using tools of punishment, but rather, using what the old masters taught about Bushido and peace, I am having a lot of success with them. They all have fighting skills, but learning to live peacefully.

I ain't making them do burpees or run laps. They've had adults whooping their asses (among other things) their entire lives. There are better ways...
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This is rad. :love

I feel like that ability to control anger is lacking in a lot of us. There’s no way we can really calculate the ROI but this is for sure saving lives and futures.

Editing to add that my VO2 max is now at 26.2. So close to being back to average.
 
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Long race report incoming!

Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona was this past weekend, ~100 miles through the hills of NE Phoenix / Scottsdale area. I did this race for the first time back in 2024 and kinda sucked at it. It was mostly a sufferfest and I finished 36% behind the winner just outside the top 100. I don't like finishing races without actually racing them. So I knew I needed another shot.

This course is somewhat unique in the gravel scene because it's a lot of NOT gravel. Miles 9-25 & 42-55 are through OHV areas with tech-y single track, huge moto woops, and banked turns filled with sand. Miles 33-42 and all the dirt from 62-100 are MTB single track with twisty sandy trails and some rocky climbs. And for nearly every bit of dirt, there is the chance to end up in some cactus or cholla if you screw up - more on this later.

Screenshot 2026-03-03 at 9.32.13 PM.png


My race started ok this year. The course had a mostly-flat 8mile asphalt run to the first choke point. I had the power in my legs to stay in the lead pack, only needing to do 300w for a minute here and there. We were moving, averaging 25mph with a few rollers. But "easy" riding means that everyone else can do it too. Everyone swarmed and I got to the first dirt with over 50 other dudes. The choke point was a sharp left up a steep dirt hill with a huge rut in it. A few riders ate shit and everyone behind had to walk. Ugh.

IMG_4386.JPG


Everything kicked off there. Once back on my bike, I pushed hard to find a faster group. I ended up setting my 2nd-best 15min (264w), 45min (238w), & 90min (219w) powers starting right from that choke point. And this was through moto riding area. It's not like you can pedal every bit of off-road terrain. So it's kinda nuts the on/off punchy nature of the riding averaged to be that powerful. But that definitely took its toll. My legs started to tighten up, my saddle started feeling way too high, and my low back started to hurt. Around mile 20 I decided that I would stop and lower my saddle at my first aid station. It's stupid to make mid-race changes like this... but it's also stupid to just hope that my back wouldn't hurt more with 3/4th of the race still to go. I stopped at mile 25, got 2 bottles and an ice pack from my swanny, and lowered the saddle ~5mm. And immediately my back felt better. Holy crap was that the right call.

Clean speedsuit - no salt stains yet.

IMG_4387.JPG


From there I pushed on to the high point of the course. I had a small group to work with, but that quickly dwindled to just one other guy. We both dodged a 6ft brown and tan snake in the road. During the race I feared it was an oddly docile rattlesnake. I later learned the head was too small so it was prob a gopher snake. Then he dropped me just before the dirt. I caught another small group for the dirt descent and let 2 others lead. The guy in front ended up on his head around mile 35. Around mile 38, I caught up to a guy with a piece of cholla stuck in his face and through his ear. Ya, I could literally see a cholla spike sticking completely through his left ear. Around mile 40, the lead woman passed me - making up 10min from their wave start. Damn she is fast. At mile 42, I got to my 2nd aid station and picked up another 2 bottles and another ice pack.

So about those ice packs. This race was fucking hot. Here's the temperature graph from my computer. The cyclist trick for ice is to put a fist-sized amount into a pantyhose and tie it shut. Then the rider shoves that into their jersey, usually down the back. Holy fuck does it feel amazing. The ice melts down your whole back, takes the edge off the heat, and absolutely gives you more power. The grocery store the night before didn't sell pantyhose - but we found cheesecloth and it worked well.

IMG_4370.jpg


I got another bottle at mile 55 and pushed on. But the asphalt climb at mile 65 is where the heat started to get to me. The guy I was riding with ran out of water and fell back. The remnants of water in my bottle were hot and I didnt have enough to share. My right inner thigh gave me one massive cramp. The short rocky climbs after that were brutal AF. Sadly, I had to turn off race mode and went into survival mode to make it to mile 77 for the last aid and more fluid. Thankfully my endurance pace is faster than it used to be. But it still felt shitty in so many ways to "give up" for a little bit.

Saguaros are so cool. If it has arms, it's probably over 100yrs old.

IMG_4385.JPG


I got 2 more bottles and the last of my ice at mile 77 and turned it back up a little bit. The 2nd to last climb had fucking logs across the trail to control erosion and TONS of rocks! So annoying! But the last climb was smooth, a steady 3-4%, and only 6mi / 28min. By that point, my position in the race had been sealed for over an hour. It was a little hard to find motivation to push hard. I just put the legs in tempo mode and motored up. Then the last 7 miles was 27min of glorious MTB descent - maybe the funnest part of the entire course!

Check the salt stains on my shoulders in this pic.

IMG_4384.JPG


I finished the race in 6:40:55, 26% behind the winner. I was 4th in age group (M40-44) and 53rd overall (Men). I missed the age group podium by 18min. My goals were top 50, within 20% of the winner, and maybe a podium. 20min faster would have succeeded at all of those. But honestly, Im not entirely unhappy with this result. Given the heat, things could have been so much worse. My prev two races were cold by comparison. I did just fine here with no heat training. For the men, there were 69 DNFs of 217 starters. That's a 32% DNF rate which is absolutely absurd. Crashes, mechanicals, heat issues, and cholla took so many people out of this race. I'm not sure if I'll be back, lol.

Next race is MidSouth in Stillwater, OK in 2 weeks. It's another 100mi gravel race, but over rolling clay hills this time. There is no time for training between now and then - recover this week and taper next week! Even more pros will be at that race.

Other numbers -
NP: 196w
Avg HR: 156bpm
Calories used: 4369 Cal
Calories consume: 2200 Cal
Fluid ingested: 4.5L
Sweat loss: 5.2L

Btw this is a cholla (pronounced choy-ya)
rob-sheppard-teddy-bear-cholla-cactus-in-desert-near-phoenix-arizona_u-l-q1t1zkm0.jpg
 
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@stangmx13 I was on pins and needles, or cholla spines :laughing waiting for that. It sounds intense and hot.

I’ve been to Stillwater. My grandpa went to OSU. I feel like that race will be a relative walk in the park elevation wise. I’m looking forward to reading about it.

Bud should change your name to saltymx13.
 
For all the aerobic focused athletes in here.

My coach wrote an article about some intricacies of VO2Max training on the bicycle. There’s a lot of info I there about what signals your body should be giving you when doing VO2 workouts well, and those apply to other sports too.
www.trainingpeaks.com

Stop Prescribing Zone 5: Build Better VO₂max Intervals

A practical guide for coaches to get more VO₂ adaptation from the same (or less) suffering. Build VO₂max sessions around oxygen kinetics to maximize time near VO₂max for more adaptation and less fatigue.
www.trainingpeaks.com www.trainingpeaks.com
 
two wheel tramp said:
@stangmx13 I was on pins and needles, or cholla spines :laughing waiting for that. It sounds intense and hot.

I’ve been to Stillwater. My grandpa went to OSU. I feel like that race will be a relative walk in the park elevation wise. I’m looking forward to reading about it.

Bud should change your name to saltymx13.
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Funny enough, the reported elevation gain for MidSouth is comparable to AZ - 6500ft vs 6700ft. The OK dirt roads seem to roll up and down constantly. But ya, there isn’t a single sustained climb and im sure it’ll feel very different. The longest climb RideWithGPS can find is 0.5mi 😂

IMG_4390.jpeg
 
stangmx13 said:
Funny enough, the reported elevation gain for MidSouth is comparable to AZ - 6500ft vs 6700ft. The OK dirt roads seem to roll up and down constantly. But ya, there isn’t a single sustained climb and im sure it’ll feel very different. The longest climb RideWithGPS can find is 0.5mi 😂

View attachment 590693
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I have a local road like that and I find it kind of... not relaxing but those rollers mean you have momentum going down that you carry up the next roller.

HAVE FUN.
 
Riding back home was good, but here in Texas where I live, it is insane. If you think drivers are bad in California, try Texas. Heck, my car insurance went up here when everything else went down. I have never seen such bad drivers in my life.

Also, there isn't much for MTB'ing. I have a 26" SS rigid (1996 Gary Fisher Wahoo) and the trails, were, um... boring.

On the topic of this thread, I was able to do something pretty awesome that I didn't think I could do anymore: Squat all the way down and walk like a duck, aka, the "Duck Walk". Hips low, head level... pretty stoked I have that type of hip and knee mobility, but I do keep that stuff up every day.
 
stangmx13 said:
For all the aerobic focused athletes in here.

My coach wrote an article about some intricacies of VO2Max training on the bicycle. There’s a lot of info I there about what signals your body should be giving you when doing VO2 workouts well, and those apply to other sports too.
www.trainingpeaks.com

Stop Prescribing Zone 5: Build Better VO₂max Intervals

A practical guide for coaches to get more VO₂ adaptation from the same (or less) suffering. Build VO₂max sessions around oxygen kinetics to maximize time near VO₂max for more adaptation and less fatigue.
www.trainingpeaks.com www.trainingpeaks.com
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Thanks for this Robert. Super helpful.
 
Well I signed up for the mid-distance 66 mile Truckee Gravel race at the end of June. I have more than 100 days to ramp up my training. Tonight I am going on my first run since July of last year. It will be about 5 miles. I think I am going to do one run a week and try and get in 3-4 rides per week. Should be doable with the time change.
 
Ridley said:
Well I signed up for the mid-distance 66 mile Truckee Gravel race at the end of June. I have more than 100 days to ramp up my training. Tonight I am going on my first run since July of last year. It will be about 5 miles. I think I am going to do one run a week and try and get in 3-4 rides per week. Should be doable with the time change.
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You can do it. That’s pretty close to what I average a week with a swim or two in the mix. :thumbup
 
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Gym this morning, feeling tired as it's the end of the week:

Full body warm up with DUCK WALKS!
5-2min. rounds jump rope (practicing tricks, mostly, but my knees are feeling good enough to do squatted double unders)
4 sets, 12 reps Arnold Shoulder presses 50-65lbs (these things are very hard to do)
4 sets, 25 reps Hammer Strength shoulder shrugs @135lbs.
4 sets, 12 reps forward lateral raises with a 45lb plate
4 sets, 12 reps forward lateral raises with 30lbs dumbells
4 sets 12 reps side lateral raises with 30lbs dumbells
4 sets, 25 reps Hammer Strength shoulder shrugs @135lbs (again)
4 sets, 12 reps, reverse cable crossovers @ 30lbs (each handle) for rear delts
15min sauna, 5 min cold

Still have one more "bodybuilding" workout tomorrow, then next week its power, strength and endurance as a de-load. I plan on sleeping 12 hours a night this weekend.
 
Hit the gym last night for Bicep, tricep and shoulders. Got in solid 3 sets of 8 reps for tricep pushdown, tricep behind the head extensions, bicep olympic bar curl, bicep preacher curl, font+rear+back shoulder raises and standing shoulder presses.

Hit the treadmill 5 minute warmup with speed and incline increases, 5 minutes at 2 incline and then 5 minute 4.4 pace flat incline jog, then about 5 minute cooldown.

my goal with the treadmill is to increase my jog interval by a minute each session until I get to about 10 or 15 minutes then I will start increasing pace and duration each session. Thinking about going up by .2 pace and one minute when I hit my desired time interval which will be probably 10 minutes just to see how it goes at that point and see how my body reacts to the increases and adjust from there.

Might or might not hit the gym Friday as I have a half-day at work and then plan on doing 18 holes which is a pretty good workout as I walk a lot chasing mishit balls. :ROFLMAO:
 
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