Kicking it up a notch

So, following some kind advice from a YSB guru in Colorado, I spent today trying out a reformatted form of my standard workout.

Suggestions for standing: 5 min. per side, total of 20 min., new posture
What I managed: Lion representative posture -- 5 min. per side (continuous) for a total of 10 min.
Verdict: Amazed I could actually do that. Shooting for 20 next time. Must learn more standing postures.

Suggestions for striking: Line-drill (1-step method) a strike (ex. "rising sweeping strike") for 8 min. (rather than counting repetitions), rest, drill a second strike 8 min., rest, etc. for 5 different strikes.
What I managed: Line-drilling the rising sweeping strike (in my tiny living room, no less!) for 8 min. Rest...yeah.
Verdict: My endurance really needs work. That aside, it was a good experiment. Must learn some new strikes.

Suggestions for circle-turning: convince myself I have to turn for 40 min. + 5 min. warm-up and cool-down.
What I managed: 40 min. New record. And boy do my arms feel weird. They're not quite sore, exactly. They feel kinda like coiled steel springs.
Verdict: I can do this. Holy crap.

Suggestions for forms practice: do the forms slowly, but still fast enough that the feet/hands, step/strike arrive simultaneously.
What I managed: None yet today. Still resting up from the above workout. Still on the list, however.

The end result is that, thanks to this advice, I've done a much more strenuous (and yet much more rewarding) training session than any thus far. And while I'm still coming up a bit short, I have an immediate goal to strive for, and some direction for future training. All in all, I am very optimistic, and I'm having a good deal of fun. Whether my body will agree with me when I have to wake up for work tonight is another story.

Additionally, I downloaded an interval timer app for my android. I rather like it. The ability to create a custom workout of any length and of numerous sessions is incredibly useful. It is also a good external motivator. As Jim in TN remarked a while back, interval timers are "merciless".

Let's just see if I can do this again tomorrow.