Old Habits Are Hard To.....Bring Back

[jmfargo]

This used to be fun, even though sweat was streaming down my face by the end of it, I couldn't breath, and all I kept hearing in my head were remixed 70's and 80's songs over and over again. Sure, my legs were as strong as jelly in a blender and felt like snapped rubber bands, but I would smile, grin even, and the world would be a better place.

Then I stopped doing Dance Dance Revolution. It's kind of like every other workout routine I've ever done in my life. It just fades away into obscurity for one reason or another, and all I've really done is put off the bulge, not beaten or stopped it. A pause, not an end.

So I'm back to this. I'm not grinning and happy, but that will come when I'm better at it again. My muscle memory for the songs I enjoyed the most is gone and I have to really concentrate to hit the arrows to the beat, or hit them at all. It doesn't help that the dogs go crazy because I'm hopping around all crazy like, or that MaiTai, the littler, younger, and more curious one comes over to investigate, thus making me worry that I'm going to step on her and snap her in half. But I can't blame that, I can only blame myself.

I like Dance Dance Revolution (affectionately known as DDR), and want to start doing it again. I know it's not a good work out routine, and it won't really do much for me, but it's action, and I don't get active often. Even one hour of activity a day will at least help me keep my weight in check. Healthy eating will help with the rest, and I've got enough damn kitchen toys that I should be able to come up with something healthy to eat.

I'm tired. This stuff's not easy. It'll get fun though. Eventually.

Oh, and just so you know: This post isn't about me getting into a work out cycle. I'm done with those. The next time I write about working out will be to say "Hey, I'm down to (x) pounds because I've been doing (y)!" Instead, this post is about how I wish I'd never fallen out of step with DDR. HA! Out of step! I kill me!

Yeah. That's right. Alf. I went there.

Comments

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

Yes, Brett, it's your fault. So stop gloating.

:-p

[evilbutcute.livejournal.com]

Ya see. I've gotta pull an Alf now. It's become a moral imparative!

[akdidge.livejournal.com]

Question. Do you remember Alf, the cartoon? For some reason I can vaguely recall the show, but each episode of the cartoon is easily retrieved in my 'swiss-cheese' stype of memory.

I don't know what's worse, that you used an Alf reference, or the fact that I went even more obscure by pulling out the, "Alf had a cartoon show." Damn it, now I want a cartoon show.

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

It was, as a matter of fact, a hilarious cartoon for a young child. I was younger than you when it came out, obviously, but I do remember it. Not well, mind you, but there's not even a seconds hesitation that yes it did exist, and that yes he did talk about eating cats a lot. As I recall, there were other alien friends in it too.

[kimmaline.livejournal.com]

I have watched kids at the mall doing DDR...I don't know that I don't buy that it is a FABULOUS workout.

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

Don't get me wrong - what you see those kids doing is an absolutely amazing workout. Where I am right now, however is the stage where I kind of plod around the pad, stepping indecisively on the arrows, slow and steady. Well, maybe not steady, and sometimes not so slow, but compared to what most of those kids do I may as well be standing still.

[(Anonymous)]

You're wrong there though.

DDR is like many other physical activities. So long as you push yourself, it's going to be a good workout. Just because you're not trying The Legend of Max or Paranoia Eternal right now doesn't mean you can't get a good workout from it. As you get better, it gets easier to do. Songs like "Castles in the Sky" on Light used to tire me out, but as I got better, they became easier, and like a drug, I need to try harder and harder songs just to get the same effect.

So, just make sure you're doing songs that are at the limit of your ability, and you'll both get better, and get a good cardio workout.

-tt (just about to start my evening hour of StepMania, after 3 episodes of Batman ;) ).

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

I guess in actuality I realize that I'm wrong about it not being a good cardio workout if I push myself, which I do. The problem, however, is that if I tell myself I'm working out, I'm bound to failure, and so I tell myself I'm just trying to get to a level where I can match what I've seen you and Earl do with such ease.

I have to keep pushing myself to hit that, because the two of you are so good. Thus, I guess it'll be a good cardio workout because I'll be pushing myself that hard, but I can't tell that to myself, you know?

[(Anonymous)]

That's probably a good way to think about it. Once I start, I don't think about 'working out', I think about 'ooh, those are cool steps, I wonder if I can do that one', or 'that's a good song, I'll try that!'

The first 20 minutes are a warm up, usually songs between 5-7 difficulty. After that, it's a free-for-all. I tried another 10 last night, and even using a chair for a rail I couldn't get through it...

When it comes to DDR/StepMania, I think Variety is definitely the spice of life. I would suggest getting StepMania, and finding a Playstation2->USB converter that WORKS.... unfortunately, that's the hard part. That way, you aren't limited to the 71 songs in Extreme, and can play the 1,000s available online.

If you DO decide to go this route, I'll try to help you find a PS2 -> USB adaptor... I already know the new ones at Radio Shack DON'T work. (The problem is most adaptors don't let "left & right" or "up & down" to happen at the same time... and therefore you'll automatically miss the Jumps...)

-tt

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Where you do your warm up is as hard as I can do, and that's normally a straight failure for me. My warm up begins on, like, 2s. 3s if they're slow.

I'm getting back into it though. I've picked a few of the songs I particularly enjoy, and learn the more difficult steps on those. I figure if I can get it down for those, I'll at least be getting my legs back into the mode that they need to be in to do the harder ones.

I've thought about the StepMania thing, and it's not a bad idea. What adapter do you use? (Or did it come with the pad you have?) How much am I looking at spending if I go this route?

[(Anonymous)]

The reason I bought the pad I did was because it came with USB, so I wouldn't need an adaptor. Well, that and it's a nice thick padded mat, not one of those stinky thin ones, it makes a big difference!

http://www.stepmania.com/wiki/USB_Adapters

It lists USB Adaptors, but I think it's woefully out of date.
As for cost? Under $20! Think of that, less than $20 to get 100x the DDR you have now :)

Some of the adaptors they suggest:
http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=23&products_id=93&PHPSESSID=b3ea7d8d3cfef44ec66dd601cc578781
(I like the sound of this one, because it SPECIFICALLY STATES that ALL 16 BUTTONS CAN BE USED SIMULTANEOUSLY! Sure, you only care really about 4 of them in particular, but still, they spell it right out there!)

http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=161&products_id=1697&lsaid=200674

http://www.positivegaming.com/shop/index.php?viewitem=19

I would rather be able to walk into a store and buy one, so it can easily be reutnred if it doesn't work, but good luck with that, no place around here seemed to carry any adaptors (except Radio Shack, and those don't work).

-tt

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

I used to play in the mall, until I watched those kids do it, and I realized what a fool I was making of myself. There are steps where you have to hit all four buttons at the same time! What's up with that?

Crazy kids these days anyways.

By the way, feel better, k? :)

You totally DID go there...

[lycaonvulpes.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean...I've been out of DDR for awhile now and find it more and more difficult to get back into it. Buuuttt who says DDR does nothing? My friend lost a lot of weight because he did the calorie burning mode every day for like at least a half hour. But I hope it becomes easier for you soon XD

Re: You totally DID go there...

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm sure it doesn't "do nothing," but as I told my friend "TT," above, I have to steer my thinking away from it really being a workout, and just bring it into a competition with myself, or I'll stop doing it. My mind seriously has this horrible compulsion against ANYTHING it thinks of as exercise.

For example: I play in Live Action Roleplaying Games, (LARPs). This means I dress up, go into the woods, and hit my friends with fake, safely padded, weapons. (If you want more of an explanation, I'll give it if you ask, but I don't want to blather on about it if there's no interest.)

Anyways.

For these LARPs, I have very often strolled through the woods, searching for a vile goblin or whatever to slay. I've walked ~miles~ doing this, because in my mind it was fun. I was searching for bad guys and out on an adventure.

Ask me to walk the dogs around the block with you (my girlfriend does this often), and I immediately get cramps in my leg. Not literally, of course, but I HATE going for a walk. Detest it.

Same thing as what I do at LARPs, really, but my mind doesn't qualify it that way. Horrible mental block.

I think DDR will help me get past that.

Oh, by the way, welcome to my journal, I hope I'm slightly entertaining. You'll find that I tend to blather on a lot, especially in comments, and I almost always try to return comments because that's just the way I am. So, hi!

Word up there homey

[lycaonvulpes.livejournal.com]

Please explain more! I've always wanted to run around in the woods with my friends and smack the crap out of each other with like foam swords or something but no one's up for it. *tear,sob* You have thus far proved yourself entertaining...especially with your zombie entries...it helps with my overall plans to survive from z-day. You'll find me to be ranty so I guess it balances out. XD

Re: Word up there homey

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

Alright, so LARPing. Sorry this took me so long to get back to, but life's been busy.

Okay, right now I play in the local chapter of Dagorhir (http://www.dagorhir.com), which is a battle game, slightly different from LARPing. Basically you get together once a week with a bunch of people and safe padded weapons and proceed to beat the snot out of one another for a few hours. Different scenarios are made, teams form, split up, make alliances, and sometimes it's only one on one, and it's all in good fun. Once a year the national chapters (this is national) get together in Ohio and have battles with a few hundred people, which is an amazing experience, let me say!

But there's really no roleplaying. Outside of battle there's nothing. It's good for what it is, but it's not quite a LARP.

LARP is more like Adventures In Midland (http://www.adventuresinmidland.com), which is the other game I play. Their forums are a good place to learn about the game, and the site is nice for basic info.

I'll tell some LARP stories somewhere down the line. Maybe later tonight. I promise that the stories are more interesting than me just rambling about what LARP is...k? :)

Re: Word up there homey

[lycaonvulpes.livejournal.com]

Dagohir! I think I saw that at a con once...Except it was just a designated area where you could line up and try to take out the champ. I'm going to find a Fla. chapter then. Thanks for the explanation, i'm defintely looking into these (hooray beating the crap out of each other XD). Looking forward to some stories.