Journal - 3rd of Week 5

            Today was my first day of my new journey: Personal Fitness. I went to the gym right by my house right after I signed out and got my workout things from home. Initially I was planning on doing my basketball exercises first and then running and then coming back home to do my core workout. That plan failed the minute I walked into LA Fitness. There were too many people on the basketball courts so instead of wait and waste time I went to the treadmill and ran for 15 minutes and walked for 1; I reached a total of 1.43 miles, which isn’t bad considering I haven’t done anything for 2 weeks. Once I finished on the treadmill, I went back to the basketball courts and began to do my exercises. I began with dribbling exercises and those killed my back because I had to get low. Then I went on and did the shooting portion. I felt a little rusty but I just have to keep doing those simple drills so that they’ll turn out better. The only problem I faced besides not everything going as smoothly as I imagined it was that my ankle, which I hurt during basketball season, still hurt so I couldn’t put a lot of pressure on it.

            The timing of my exercises was a little of and I’m glad I decided to try this Personal Fitness thing out because now I can adjust the times so that they can better suit me for the results I want. I think I’m going to add another 5 to 10 minutes on the treadmill so that I can sweat more and feel more tired. Although my legs feel as if they were dead, I think the workout could have been better with more intensity (meaning that certain things should be done more than others). Hopefully next time I have basketball skills scheduled, there will be less people there when I arrive so then I will be able to start them as soon as I get there. I think tomorrow I’m going to bring my stuff to school so that when I leave I can go straight to the gym and then I’ll see if less people are there. Although I know this is going to be hard, so far has gone pretty well.

Journal - 2nd of Week 5

            So I think I’m going to follow through with changing my project. This past weekend I have spent researching and planning out what exercises I would do for the remaining two months. I created a calendar and a chart that breaks down each exercise and the days I would be doing them. For guidance I have talked to my brother, who has been working out for 15 years; he helped me decide in which ways to combine the exercises each day. So far it looks like a promising workout. Now that all of that is mostly established, I still face the problem of maintaining my self-motivation throughout the whole process. I’m pretty sure that the first 2 weeks will be easy enough to get through but it’s the next 2 that worry me. I’m still thinking about ways to help keep myself monitored, in a way, so that I keep my progress up.

            This week I have done 2 things that are part of my future workout plan twice; I swam twice and played tennis twice. After doing each thing I felt more motivated to pursue my personal fitness idea because of how well the events went. If I am able to keep up my workout plan for the following 2 months than I believe I’ll be able to overcome my self-discipline problem.

Journal - 1st of Week 5

Others’ opinions aren’t always what you want to hear, but they help you see things differently and they allow you to have a more objective view. I’ve had several conversations with different people in the past 2 days that have helped me clear my head and straighten out my thoughts. After the conversations, I had a few days to think about what I truly want to do and I decided to change my WISE project yet again.

            One of the people I talked to was Coach Selvidge and one of the many great points he brought up was that whatever I decide, I need to stick with it. I feel like the best way to assure that I do that is to draw out a plan, stating what I am going to do each day for the remainder of WISE. So today I came up with possible exercises for 3 categories: cardio, strength, and skill. I’m trying to balance out the workouts each day and to help me with that I looked through this book I found in my house with several exercises. I also plan to create a plan to better control my diet.

Journal - 3rd of Week 4

It feels like my journals are getting redundant because the last couple of ones have been the same. I’m still practicing my chords, and though they come easier to me now it feels like I’m not getting anything accomplished. It’s almost like that passion Coach Love always talks about is hiding somewhere. It’s starting to make me wonder if guitar is really for me. :/ I don’t want to stop because I feel like its quitting, I feel like there isn’t a drive there anymore; I don’t know what to do. I’m caught between sticking with it and hoping that “passion” begins to reveal itself or changing my WISE project.

            Since basketball is over now I feel like I’m getting so out of shape that it’s ridiculous. In the past when high school basketball season was over I had a couple days until travel season started so I didn’t really get that out of shape; now I don’t have a next season to look forward to unless I end up getting something for college. I want to start running and doing some kind of sport so that if I do end up getting something for college, I won’t be in horrid shape. I want to make an exercise schedule so that I’ll be able to monitor my progress. I swam today and although I couldn’t really breathe I lasted longer than I thought I would (50 laps). I don’t know if I can change my project to personal fitness. I honestly don’t know what to do!

Journal- 2nd of Week 4

This weekend I’ve been practicing so much that my fingers are really starting to hurt. Haha. But this practicing has really paid off. The chords keep getting easier and easier.  I’m starting to get better at it. Hopefully next week I can talk to Diego so he can give some advice on the songs I should start playing.

            On another note, college stuff has really been on my mind lately. It’s not really about WISE but in a way I guess I can write about it because its been on my mind. I have no idea where I’m going yet. I kind of wish I could just stay in high school a couple more years. Well at least my WISE project has been coming along. 

Journal - 1st of Week 4

This week has had its emotional ups and downs. We lost our game on Tuesday and therefore my high school basketball “career” is over, so I haven’t been in the best of spirits lately. I suppose that’s not an excuse but it’s almost like that’s the only thing that has been on my mind lately; maybe I need to just get all of it out of my head. This week’s past events have really started my mind and a million thoughts have been running through it. Hopefully after a couple more days of thinking things through everything will get back to normal or change for the better.

There were some down sides to my WISE project this week. I didn’t get to meet with Diego this week, which in a way hindered my progress. Besides that I believe I advanced sufficiently on my own. I’ve gotten pretty good at playing 4 major chords. I practiced a lot more than the past week and my fingertips have gone numb. I feel the blisters coming. Well I have way more to advance on this weekend and I’m looking forward to next week as well.

Journal - 3rd of Week 3

I FINALLY GOT THE GUITAR TUNER TO WROK!!!! I’m so happy because now I can practice so much more. I can practice at home all the time which is great because I feel more relaxed at home than in guitar class with so many people doing other things. I didn’t go to Mr. B’s class today but I am defiantly going in tomorrow.

            Before I start thinking of a song I want to learn how to play, I’m going to ask Diego what songs he recommends I start with. I also have to get more proficient with switch chords smoothly because I can’t learn how to play a song without switching chords smoothly. After I go to guitar class tomorrow, I want to go home and keep playing before I have to go back to school for my basketball game.

Journal - 2nd of Week 3

            I have been experimenting all day with this guitar tuner software I downloaded so that I can accurately tune my guitar so that I can practice.  Today I was reading through other people’s blogs and it makes me realize that I kind of behind. Well I guess I need to focus more. I don’t really think that I should compare myself to other people’s projects but it’s hard not to. Hopefully things will run smoother this week and I have a better direction.

            I also have my regional semi-final game this week and it’s against one of the best teams in Florida. It should be an intense game. The only down side is that if we lose then our season is going to be over which sucks. It was a good season though even with all the obstacles we had to overcome. I’m glad that things worked out the way they did.

Journal - 1st of Week 3

This has been my busiest week so far. I barely had any time to get on the computer. On Tuesday I went to Mr. B’s class, but Diego, Mr. B’s assistant, wasn’t there so not much was accomplished accept for my mom picking up my guitar. On Wednesday I had my mentor meeting so I didn’t go to Mr. B’s class. On Thursday I went back and Diego was there again. He gave me a piece of paper with most of the main chords and told me that that’s what I should be learning. Then after that I practiced a couple of chords for most of 4^th hour. Diego told me to start practicing changing chords which was harder than I expected. He also told me to start practicing strumming on beat; also harder than I expected but I think it just needs a little more practice.

            By sometime next week I want to have an organized idea of how I am going to start getting way better at playing the chords. The main problem with playing at home for the moment is that I don’t know how to tune the guitar. I asked Diego and he said that I should try looking something up online like a digital tuner because doing it by ear right now is kind of hard. He also told me that if I ever want to learn how to play a song that he will be happy to teach me. First I have to perfect the chords. Hopefully by next week I will be able to switch chords smoothly.

Journal - 3rd of Week 2

I’m the kind of person that doesn’t like getting out of their comfort zone, so I have been having second thoughts about going into Guitar class during 4^th hour, but needless to say I coughed up the courage and went to class today for the first time. My only concern about going to Guitar class almost every day is that I will probably end up deaf by the end of WISE. I am really looking forward to my next lesson, in spite of the noise that 25 students playing different instruments can make; that will take some time to get used to. Another down side to learning how to play is that my fingers are numb and sore at the same time from holding down the strings, but Mr. Bautista’s aid, who is helping me, told me that the more I play the faster my fingers are going to get used to it.

            On a more positive side, I’m really excited and thrilled to have this opportunity and I’m going into this experience with a “keep moving forward even when things feel impossible” mentality. Attempting to learn the easiest chords today, reassured me that I have to have a persevering attitude. It took me an hour to get the right sound half the time I played each chord. I only focused on 2 of the chords he taught me because there wasn’t enough time for the 3^rd. Hopefully tomorrow it only takes me 15 minutes to get the right sound. He said eventually he was going to teach some parts of the theory that he was taught while he was learning which sounds extremely interesting because it will give me a better understanding while I continue to learn. I have been looking into buying my own guitar so that I can continue to practice what he teaches me in class at home. Today I ordered one online and my mom is going to pick it up tomorrow so hopefully after basketball is over I will be able to have enough knowledge so that I can sit down and practice for hours and be able to advance quicker. This week should be progressive.

Journal - 2nd of Week 2

Since the last time I posted a journal, a lot of things have happened. I had my mentor meeting; I had my interview with Mr. Bautista and he said I would be able to go into his fourth hour guitar class whenever I was able to; I had my distract semi-final game and then I had my championship game. With the numerous things happening this week it has been kind of hard to sit down and journal. Well first thing is first, my mentor meeting and interview helped me finalize my decision of pursuing my ambition of learning how to play the guitar. Two main reasons helped me to decide that that is what I want to do for my WISE project; the first one is that Mr. Bautista has given me a perfect opportunity to pursue it and the second one is that I feel that this is a perfect and a once in a life time opportunity. It’s almost like after high school, life is just going to blast off and it will be difficult to find a time to learn how to do something that you always wanted to learn how to do. That pretty much sums up the WISE part of my week.

                Basketball has always been a big part of my life and the last couple of weeks my attention has been driven to that probably more than any time before. Not only is this because it’s my senior year and there’s a possibility that this might be my last chance to play organized basketball, but also because I wanted to win Districts, not just for my team but also for my coach who has done so much for me. Saturday we played in the District Championship and I can’t remember the last time I saw so many people crying in the same place. Some people were crying because they were happy and others because they were sad. I’m happy that I can say that everyone cheering for Cypress Bay who cried had tears of joy. It was an intense game and it came down to the last 20 seconds.

Journal - 1st of Week 2

This is the first full week of WISE. I feel slightly lost and in a way unsettled; our first WISE homework is due Thursday and it’s an interview, which creates some problems considering that I am not a hundred percent sure of what I am doing for WISE. Well tomorrow is my WISE mentor meeting with Coach and even though the time might be limited, we’ll probably be able to figure something out. If not, then right after I am going to go talk to Coach Love and see what suggestions he has. Today, practice got me excited for Districts; there is one more practice left until it’s game time. I wish I knew exactly what my WISE project is so I wouldn’t have to be so helpless, but yet again I feel as if being patient and deciding on the right topic will have its rewards later on.