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The Get Out! crew
June 3, 2008
Defend yourself
Sun Dragon Martial Arts and Self Defense is a not-for-profit organization located on East Riverside Drive, next to Thundercloud Subs.
In addition to providing martial arts classes for men, women, and children of all ages, executive director and head instructor Sensei Joy Williamson hosts self-defense instructional classes for all skill levels. I had the opportunity to observe one of the three classes she is hosting over the next few weeks to see what it was like.
Walking in, not having any experience or having been exposed to a martial arts studio/class, it was quite a surprise to see how the students acted when entering. To me, it was like walking into something you’d see on television. Everyone took off their shoes at the door and, prior to entering the locker room, they had to bow toward the instructor. Coming out of the locker room and onto the mat to join the rest of the group, the students had to kneel on the ground till acknowledged by the instructor. When asked a question or given instructions, everyone replied “osu” (pronounced “ooos”), which basically means, “yes” in Japanese. It was quite interesting to observe. I wouldn’t say it was a culture shock, but definitely an eye opener to things I knew nothing about.
The self-defense class was very informative. Even not having physically participated, I feel like I learned a few things by just watching. On this particular day, the agenda was to learn how to safely fall, how to protect yourself from an attacker when on the ground, how to protect yourself from a moving attacker, how to get up without turning your back to the attacker, how to defend yourself if an attacker is on top of you, and which parts of the body to target on the attacker in order to defend yourself.
Over the next couple of Saturdays, the classes will cover defense against an armed attacker and multiple attackers. The class was extremely informative and I highly recommend it. Sun Dragon also partners with other organizations — Girls Scouts, church groups, offices, schools, etc. — to offer custom classes. So if this sounds like something you or a group might enjoy doing, call 416-9735 or go to their Web site.
Click here for photos from the class.
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April 22, 2008
Outlaws take on their first opponent
“Alix, get in there for Monica! Right now!”
This was Coach Bobbie Narlen yelling at me to join the kickoff team in the first game of the season. Earlier, he had told a few of us rookies to be ready, but I didn’t think she meant, you know: ready. I ran onto the field, my mind blank; less in a Zen master way, and more in an unsettling, what-am-I-doing way. After the play, the action of which took place primarily far afield of me, a teammate advised that I ought to have my mouth guard in.
Whoops.
For those of you who read this blog, you’ll have to forgive the abundance of wide-eyed enthusiasm I convey in writing about the Austin Outlaws. I do realize many of you have played football before, or at least watch it, and that even the most rabid fan of the sport and/or the Austin Outlaws might tire of the rookie zeal that I occasionally dribble all over the front of my shirt.
As a spectator of football, I get caught up in what must seem to observers to be unexpected passion. Sitting in a bar, for instance, I appear to be a quiet writerly type, watchful but aloof. Put a Patriots game in front of me, and I’ll be screaming at the television and making empathetic guttural noises when players are hit. I say this to underscore the fact that watching my teammates play is an even more visceral experience. On one Outlaw run down the field that resulted in a touchdown, I realized that I had been unconsciously whooping and leaping through the air.
Houston scored twice in the first quarter. Austin scored late in the second, valiantly overcoming the effects of several penalties. It was an uplifting moment that changed the momentum of the game for a time — so much so that the team had to be reminded at halftime that we were still behind.
The third quarter would see that remedied: Austin scored to tie the game and then again to take the lead 20-14. It certainly seemed that the Austin Outlaws were getting into a rhythm and would be able to hold the Cyclones at bay. But late in the fourth, with fewer than two minutes left to play, the Cyclones made a labored drive that resulted in a touchdown. The score was now 27-20, Cyclones; and only a handful of seconds remained for the Austin Outlaws to do anything about it.
The Outlaws advanced, but it was too little, too late. The game clock ran out and we had lost. The disappointment-mixed-with-disbelief that the loss generated was tempered by how incredibly the Austin Outlaws had played against a formidable opponent.
The Austin Outlaws have another chance to beat the Houston team, at the Austin home field at the Texas School for the Deaf, on May 24. If you are (understandably!) eager to support your team, The Outlaws’ first home game is May 10, against New Orleans. Visit www.austinoutlaws.com or call 512.796.0108 for more details.
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April 10, 2008
Come watch the Outlaws
So here we are, the Austin Outlaws, just four practices before the first game of the season; a useful, and by all accounts exceptionally favorable, scrimmage behind us.
I’ve personally recovered from a torn quad, a broken finger, and the repeated aggravation of my floppy ankles. I’ve learned and relearned how to hit, move my feet, take criticism from coaches (even if I remain awkward with praise) and how to incorporate (barely) the addition of workouts and practice into an already hectic life. I’ve learned that anger does not have to be frustrating and self-directed, that it can be as energizing and helpful to performance as a cold sports drink.
There are players on my team I still don’t know well, and some who may care little for what they know of me, and yet already I foster a feeling of ferocious protectiveness towards every one of my teammates who heretofore has been reserved for my scant and tattered family. I do not want to let my fellow players down. And unlike a family of origin, which can sometimes be an endless font of disapproval (mine, anyway), I have a good idea about how not to disappoint my team: listen, watch, work hard, and then work harder.
There’s more to it than that. For someone who has not participated in any team sports for at least a decade (and can report only the slimmest positive experience with them), the challenge of physical improvement is invigorating. When I ran trails, or hiked on mountains and through deserts, my only competitor was myself — a rousing contest, to be sure — but without the ever-present invigoration of matching my potential to someone else’s execution. Lacking, also, the wide-eyed stares and probing questions from my daughter’s classmates when I mention I play women’s semi-professional football.
“You do what?”
They breathlessly throng forward with a look in the eye of, “Is that even possible?”
Everyone wants to know: “Do you (dramatic pause) wear pads?”
“Yes, I wear pads. Full contact.”
“Wow.”
It’s there, in that moment; that an assumption developed even in children as young as 5 or 6, just shrivels up and blows away: boys play football and girls don’t. Because there I am, a living breathing example who can be imagined (hopefully with more grace and power than I actually possess) and used for future refutation. Such as when a schoolyard Schopenhauer insisted to my daughter that she could not possibly like Pokemon cards because she was a girl (albeit, luckily, one capable of finding serious flaws in that line of reasoning).
And if suffering empowerment fatigue is a hallmark of this election year, and you simply can’t stand any more milestones thrown through any more glass ceilings, the Austin Outlaws are simply fun to be a part of. The team is fun to watch. Although I have fun at every practice, you don’t have to take my word for it. Come see the Austin Outlaws play their first game, in Houston, on April 19; or at the first home game on May 10. And bring your daughters.
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March 27, 2008
Megan survives boot camp
I made it through the final week of Austin Sports and Social Club’s boot camp but, let me tell you, it was no easy task.
Week four was basically an accumulation of the things I had grown to hate over the previous three weeks. It started off looking pretty good. At 5:30 Monday morning, I stuck my leg outside, as I normally do every morning, to see what the appropriate attire was going to be for the day. And by my leg’s calculation it was approximately 70 degrees, which called for a T-shirt, shorts, and perhaps a light fleece pullover — and I was out the door.
It was the usual Monday routine at Austin High: hills, hills and more hills. But what was about to happen next on the very last hill at the very last peak couldn’t have been timed any more perfect than if I had planned it myself. It was like the calm before the storm: all was quiet then, cue the wind. A few moments later it began to sprinkle and then all hell broke loose. We quickly headed — read: ran — back to Zilker Park in the pouring rain, gusting wind, and a temperature that was quickly and noticeably dropping. By the time we reached our destination the weather was too bad to be out in the open, so we did pushups and other tortuous acts under the Mopac bridge. I was lucky to have brought that pullover because my towel wouldn’t have covered nearly enough of my bare exposed skin without it. That was just Monday, my friends!
Tuesday was off the to the sand volleyball courts, where trainers Marc and Monica took pleasure in every grimace our faces made and every groan and gasp for air that escaped our barely breathing bodies. Thursday was our final day — the best day weather-wise, but the worst day of my life in every other way when it came to boot camp. We ran, we did pushups, and … the Auditorium Shores Suicide with a twist. This time it involved weighted medicine balls and running with them! It was horrible, but I survived.
And, you know what? I’m really glad I did it.
I can definitely see a change in my performance from the first week to now. I’m running faster at the end instead of slowing down, I’m getting in those last few pushups, and I feel great doing it. Well, not at the time, but afterwards I feel really good. And I’ve even signed up for the next boot camp. Call me crazy, but I really do like it.
In all seriousness, I had a great time over the past four weeks and would highly recommend Austin Sports and Social Club’s boot camp to everyone. It would be a great thing to do with co-workers, friends, spouses, or for a little one-on-one time with yourself. If you’re looking for something new and need a push to take you to that next level, then you should definitetly give this a go. Plus you get a T-shirt at the very end!
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March 20, 2008
Boot camp: Three weeks and counting ...
I’ve been playing Kanye West’s “Stronger” in my head to try and get myself through all the running (No walking!) for week three of Austin Sports and Social Club’s Boot Camp.
Corny, I know, but it’s sadly true. Monday we did the usual running from Zilker Park to Austin High to sprint the hill from hell — it has no incline but rather leaps straight up like a pole. We knocked out the normal set of five, but Monica decided to move us back for more distance and throw in three more sets. All the while I was thinking/singing in my head.
Despite the hill and running, I was feeling pretty good about myself. My body felt great and not too sore, I had more energy during the day, and I thought I was finally overcoming the aches and pains of boot camp. That was until Thursday morning rolled around. Thursdays we meet at Auditorium Shores and instead of dividing ourselves into two groups — one working at the bridge steps and the other at the parallel bars — it was all for one and one for all in one big group.
Trainers Marc and Monica do a great job of mixing things up, so we’re not doing the same repetitive things and, in turn, working different areas of our bodies. But something was different today, and not just with everyone being in one big group. Their eyes were glistening, and we soon found out why. I don’t know if there is a name for what we did next, but I’d like to call it the “Auditorium Shores Suicide.”
If you’ve played any sort of sports in junior high, high school or college, you know what a suicide is — a running drill usually done on a field or basketball court where you sprint to one line, run back to the beginning, sprint to the next line, run back to the beginning, and so on and so forth. They’re the worst of the worst things to do and are usually a punishment from the coaches for losing a game, poor performance in practice, or something else that’s really really bad. I don’t know what WE did that was so wrong but we were being punished — maybe for something we did in a former life.
We started at the side of the trail closest to the water and sprinted to the first wall. From there we climbed the wall and did agility drills to the next wall, then push-ups on the wall, agility drills to the last wall, then dips on the wall, and sprinting all the way back to the beginning. We did that three times and then it was back to the wall to do step-ups. Step-ups are just how they sound. You step up the wall with one foot and then back down. Simple sounding enough, but the key word is “sounding.”
After those it was circle time — usually this time is used for some crunches/sit-ups and stretching. More of a cool-down time than anything. However, this particular circle time was used for another torture technique. We separated into groups of two — one standing, one on the ground lying down with legs in the air holding onto the other’s ankles. The one standing shoved the other’s legs to the ground and the one being shoved had to keep their feet from hitting the ground and bring their legs up to the starting position. We did this straight up and down, and then shoving side to side.
The next day I felt like every ounce of muscle and meat had been ripped from my torso … and I loved it! I knew that if I hurt this bad then I was doing something right. Things can only go up from here, and I’m excited to see my progress next week.
For more information on upcoming boot camps, go here for all the details.
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Alix is an Outlaw
Some of you may remember I tried out for the Austin Outlaws on Jan. 12, recently featured in an Austin-American Statesman article as well as this blog.
Unlike the article’s author, I completed tryouts and began attending practice as a team member. In fact, I write this while icing my quad post-practice, which began twinging during the conditioning drills that comprise a large segment of the first few practices. In one version of the “suicide,” we sprint 10 yards and either touch the turf or drop down completely, sprint back, touch, sprint to the 20-yard line, touch, sprint back, sprint to the 30-yard line, touch, sprint back.
Between days, I switch between the fast group, which challenges me but in which I am always the slowest runner, and the next-fastest group, where it is a little easier to keep up. After conditioning, the team is broken up into groups: receivers and quarterbacks, offensive line, defensive line, and defensive backs. It a relief to pick up my water bottle and run across the field towards my coach and the other DBs.
Coach Bobby always has something to tell us before we get started, and I listen attentively, trying, usually unsuccessfully, to memorize the information. What can I say? It’s a lot all at once, and the real challenge is converting brain understanding to physical understanding. It often takes me several tries at a skill before I feel like I’ve even begun to incorporate it into memory.
The DBs are the smallest group, a fact that means I am working with the same people over and over again. This is ideal for me, as I tend to clam up when I feel awkward, and getting to know a small group is much easier.
My friends are, in a word, fascinated. Everyone wants to see me in the uniform, even though I try to tell them that wearing it, I may as well be anyone else. As the Outlaws are a player-supported team, I’m thinking of charging for appearances.
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March 11, 2008
Boot camp update: Week 2
I have made it halfway through Austin Sports and Social Club’s boot camp — and all I have to say is, “I DIDN’T WALK!”
Probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life by the way.
I may not have been the fastest and I may not have been able to do the most push-ups, but I did not walk — no matter how bad I wanted to or how bad my chest was burning. And for that I am very proud of myself.
However, despite not being the fastest or strongest, I can already see a change in my performance. I have better form, I’m getting in that one last push-/pull-up, and I’m only sore as opposed to crippled like last week. And no matter how well I think I might be doing, trainers Monica and Marc have graciously shown time and time again that there is always room for improvement.
The most memorable day this week was Tuesday, when it felt like 20 degrees below zero. We did our morning run and then it was off to the volleyball courts — correction, SAND volleyball courts — where we had our rear-ends handed to us. Everything was done in the sand — sprinting, agility drills, these lunge-jump switcheroo things, some more sprinting — you get the idea. And to make it even more enjoyable, as the sun came up it only got colder. By the time I made it to the car that morning after it was over, I had to sit and let my hands thaw out for about five minutes before I could even grip the wheel.
Additionally as you may or may not remember, our dieting habits are also being monitored with our weekly food journals and the response back from trainer Marc wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought is was going be. Although, I wasn’t too thrilled when he suggested I forego my morning Sugar-Free Red Bull before boot camp because it was an excessive amount of caffeine when accompanied with my morning coffee at work. He also recommended that I needed to eat more (go figure) starting with three egg whites and a serving of fruit a day for breakfast.
My water consumption was also an issue, and he said I needed to up my water to 10 (8-ounce) glasses a day as opposed to eight, especially on days of boot camp. My bladder didn’t really like that one, but I gave it a good effort.
All in all, I am really glad that I’ve made it this far and am excited about the final two weeks. My husband says that he can already see a change in my body, but I think he’s just being nice.
Stay tuned next week to see if I’m still alive after week three. And, if you think putting your body through torture (like me) sounds like fun, remember there is another boot camp coming up soon. Go to here for all the details.
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March 5, 2008
Megan heads to boot camp
In case you didn’t know, Austin Sports and Social Club is in the boot camp business.
I just finished the first of four weeks — and I am the most sore I’ve ever been. In fact, I’ve had to literally roll out of bed every single morning this week.
Boot camp runs nonstop for an hour three days a week — Monday, Tuesday and Thursday — at 6 a.m. at Zilker Park. On Monday, we met trainers Marc and Monica and, after seeing them, I knew they meant business. They briefly explained to us what to expect and our one and only rule — no walking — then it was straight to running.
The sky is the limit with the type of activities they have us doing, from running up and down hills, stairs — or anything with an incline to push-ups, pull-ups, all sorts of agility drills and more. The hardest part is just pushing yourself beyond what you think you can do — and Marc and Monica help a lot with that, too. They make their way around the group, focusing on each of the participants to make sure our form is correct so we can get the maximum results out of our minimal time together.
In addition to working on our physical fitness, our eating habits are also taken into consideration with daily food journals that we e-mail in every week. This is where I need to work the hardest because I love food — with the exception of anything green, orange, or raw/crunchy. And to add to everything, I made a bet with my husband after my first day of boot camp (while I was still on my newfound wellness high) that I could go a whole month without eating cheese. That means no queso with my chips, no swiss with my turkey, no parmesan with my popcorn, NOTHING! But I can and will do it because with the help of Marc, Monica, and the rest of my fellow boot campers, I am making a life change.
This has quickly turned into way more than a four-week survival quest and I can’t wait to see what happens. I am going to be keeping a weekly blog of my progression so stay tuned for next week.
If you want to more on learn how enroll in the next boot camp session, go here for all the details.
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January 28, 2008
Ouch! That hurts
Getting out doesn’t always have to involve strenuous activities, being out of breath, or pushing your limits. I say this because this past week I had to teach myself how to be active in a not-so-active way.
Last Saturday a friend and I were trying to settle the score from a previous skip race (skip race: a contest of speed where two or more people move in a light, springy manner by bounding forward with alternate hops on each foot). As I bounded for my first jump, I felt a horrible pop in my left knee and was down for the count — and the week to come. Long story short, I was slightly immobile in that I couldn’t do my normal weekly activities such as running or bike-riding. I didn’t want to just sit around so I had to try to come up with some things that didn’t involve too much action from the waist down.
You’re never too old to fly a kite. Although you might need a friend to give the kite a running start, the weather has been pretty kite-friendly lately. If you want something different than the everyday-low-price-store kite, you can go to World Wind of Kites located in North Austin on McNeil Drive. World Wind has just about everything from beginner kites, single-line kites, sports/stunt kites, college/university kites, and more. Plus, the Zilker Park Kite Festival is coming up on March 2 and it’s never too early to start getting ready for that!
Volunteer. It’s always great to give back to your community, especially if you find yourself taking advantage of the great outdoor amenities that Austin has to offer. I like volunteering for different organizations and a great one that I’ve discovered is the Austin Parks Foundation. It’s a great way to contribute to your city and be active at the same time.
Don’t Forget the Wildflowers: January is almost over and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is giving free admission for the rest of the month. Although there is not a lot in bloom this time of year, it is still nice to get out and enjoy the fresh air in a quaint setting at your own pace. You can go to www.wildflower.org for more details.
So, even if you think you may be stuck in the house due to an injury or whatever the case may be, try to think outside of the box and still get out. You don’t have an excuse any longer!
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December 17, 2007
Meet Megan
Hello to all who have stumbled across this page.
My name is Megan and I’m excited to be one of Austin360.com’s Get Out! bloggers.
When — and if — people ask, I like to say I’m from Austin because it feels way cooler than saying I’m from Schertz, Texas. I graduated from UT with an RTF degree and, after that, moved to Virginia Beach to get married to a Navy man, then moved BACK to Austin this past July once he finished his time in the military. Believe me when I say it’s GREAT to be back.
I just got a bike for Christmas for the first time since I was about 8 years old, so expect to hear my first experiences riding a bike in more than a decade are going.
My favorite outdoorsy place is Town Lake. I’m there at least three times a week, running the trail, people watching, and wishing I had a dog because that, too, would make me so much cooler.
I also like doing the different races around town, but only for fun, not to compete. (I only compete when I know I’ll win). I just did the Light Up the Night 5K at Zilker Park for the first time and had so much fun!
I also play volleyball, but haven’t had the chance to do much of that since moving back. But my favorite things to do are those that I can either do with my husband or a buddy because I have a tendency to get hurt in places that I can’t call for help when I’m alone.
I’m really pumped about contributing to this blog so I can expand my horizons and bring you, the folks out there, a little closer to the city we love — Austin!
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Meet Alix
Alexandria Dobkowski (commonly known as Alix, Alby, “Red” or Al-in-the-Pulpit) 67” (170 cm) long. Female only. Red above, with mottled hairless skin throughout. Usually found covered in the scavenged pelts of sheep or plant fibers, such as a hermit crab.
Habitat
Primarily deep forest to mountain ridges, preferably near water, but adapts to scrub desert, plains and suburbs if rocky or brushy. An excellent swimmer, an Alix will seek out water wherever it may be found, from cold Atlantic waters to freshwater lakes and rivers to garden pools. When running or walking, she prefers rocky over smooth terrain. The Alix spends less time in trees than her close relative (and 5-year-old daughter), the Aoife, but is also an adequate climber.
Range
Native to Maine, particularly coastal regions. See Biddeford Pool, Portland, etc. As of November 2002, can be found as far south as Texas, most recently Round Rock. Some reports place an Alix living in South Austin at one time, but these sightings remain unconfirmed. In the North Austin area, the Alix can be found running at St. Edwards Park, the Bull Creek Greenbelt, or any area that isn’t paved. The Pedernales River area holds particular appeal for the Alix, and she can often be spotted there, either alone or with her recalcitrant young.
Comments
Even when fairly common, the Alix may be difficult to observe, as she is solitary when abroad. When approached cautiously, however, she is social, even gregarious. The Alix is quite curious, and will stop mid-gait to view an interesting segment of moss or a previously uncategorized insect. The Alix is omnivorous in diet as well as experience, in that she will try nearly anything once, but prefers a nice Roquefort, a well-worn book, and as little weight on her feet as possible.
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Meet Eric
Hiya. I’m a freelance writer and a former three-sport athlete, and I recently moved to the area from Washington, D.C.
Some day, I’m going to complete an Ironman triathlon. With any luck, the great Texas weather will keep me training year-round.
My best sports story involves meeting my girlfriend while playing at the World Cup of Beach Ultimate in Italy. If you see me out and buy me a drink, I’ll tell you more. My worst? Getting stuck on a rock face in Boulder, Colo., after the sun went down. Buy me another drink, and I’ll tell you that one, too.
My big sports are rock climbing, ultimate and cycling — and, in addition to the great outdoor sports scene, I love Austin for the barbecue.
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Meet Hudson
Greetings, outdoorsy types! I’ve never really introduced myself to a (hopefully) large readership before, so bear with me here. We can get through this … together.
My name is Hudson Coleman Lockett IV, and I like to run. I also like to sit around doing nothing, so already we’ve got ourselves some good conflict going. Human interest, right? That’s always a winner.
Where was I again? Right, the introduction.
UT journalism sophomore that I am, I’ll be supplying the blog with the sort of extreme, youth-oriented skew that’s become so popular as of late. My posts will each contain a minimum of five “extreme” terms, including, but not limited to: “Rad,” “ill,” “off the hook,” “off the hizzook,” “rad to the max,” and “rockin’ sweet.” Editors are currently negotiating for the rights to use the term “jawesome,” as coined by the 1990s weekday afternoon cartoon, “Street Sharks.”
We think that last one is going to be a real hit with the kids.
But seriously, I’m reasonably youthful 20-year-old runner living in a city practically made for outdoor activity. If that’s not reason enough to give a man a blogging job I don’t know what is. My other interests include soccer, video games, Aikido, good books, and a nice cup of tea. I speak jilted, awkward Spanish and have a rudimentary understanding of Japanese. At great personal risk I will also reveal to the world that I enjoy karaoke.
I think that’s plenty of information for now. Stick around, though! I’ll be working with my fellow bloggers to bring you guys a fun, personable look at the recreation scene here in Austin. With the lineup we’ve got, it’s sure to be jawesome.
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Meet JJ
Born in Austin, I soon migrated to Canada for high school where I was politely asked to leave after rejecting hockey for so many years. Following my tour de farce in the French-friendly frozen tundra I returned to Austin for school and developed a penchant for recreation around the city that is unique to Austin, whether it’s unicycle mountain biking in the greenbelt or kiteboarding.
By day I’m an online producer and freelance writer. I’m not the type of person who enjoys taking extra long walks, especially if I’m in a hurry — because running is more fun. When I’m not looking for some sort of oddball sport or activity, you can find me at concerts, bookstores, Barton Springs, Alamo Drafthouse, playing basketball, and searching for Austin’s best burger.
I hopes to one day have completed all those activities that one only dares to do — simply to say I’ve done it. And they make for great conversation starters. Swimming with sharks, base jumping, racing with indigenous people in the Amazon, climbing the Himalayas and cyclin