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1/15 – More intense practices

It’s about 10:30 pm on January 15, 2008. 
 
Here’s an update on how today went.  We slowly got up this morning.  Michael came over in time to accompany us to the grocery store.  We bought more vegetables and healthy foods… and LOTS of water.  After the grocery store we came back to the apartment and pretty much sat around talking while eating lunch.  Sayaka, Michael and I tried watching a movie… but nobody really wanted to watch. Michael went back to his dorm and Sayaka, Molly and I watched Oprah DVD’s. After Oprah, Sayaka and I went on the balcony and chatted with Stephanie online. Then it was time for judo….
 
Tonight at practice there were only 9 girls there, but it was still an intense practice.  We started out with stretching and warming up. Then we moved to 15 minutes of uchikomi along with a few other drills.  Then we went straight into randori. We did 15 – 5 min rounds.  Yes I said 15! That’s 75 minutes STRAIGHT of randori. All in all, it wasn’t too bad.  I think we are getting used to doing a lot of rounds, so we are lasting longer.  I think I only took 1 or 2 rounds off because I didn’t have a partner.  After that we did 10 -3 min rounds of newaza randori. Then we did 3 person uchikomi … 6 sets of 10.  After that we were done and finished with stretching.  Right now my arms and back are sore. I am definitely feeling all the judo.
 
Tomorrow we have a day off… Sayaka and I are going to Hitachi, Japan to visit 2 of my great aunties.  I’m very excited. I’ve been told that I’m the first American family member in a LONG time to visit Hitachi.  Hitachi is a small farm town an hour and a half away from here.  We are supposed to go with my aunt to her English class.
Then on Thursday we have judo at Nichidai again. That will be the last Nichidai practice for me and Molly.  We leave next Tuesday… But hopefully the Nichidai girls will be able to meet up with us and go to Tokyo Disneyland on Saturday. We have the weekend off, so Me, Michael, Sayaka and Molly are going to go to Tokyo Disneyland.
 
But for now, I’m going to go to bed. It has been a long tiring day….
 
Oyasumi (good night)
-Annie