Well, today is the day after the first day back at Martial Arts training since I went on holidays over a month ago. It was two hours. It might have been three, but I don't like grappling, so I don't participate in the free grappling session that happens before class officially begins. Yesterday was also the day I started doing a short, pre-training workout. I've started weightlifting. This isn't because I want to bulk up, but because I am completely exasperated with my inability to haul my own body weight around. I can't lift myself over a wall, for example.
And don't even get me started on how freaking hard it is for me to do a single chin up. My last count on unassisted chin ups achieved was a whopping zero. Ugh!
So, finally exasperated with my lack of strength, I approached my Kung Fu brother J.K., who has been helping some of the guys with weights, about maybe joining in with the pre-training weights session. He very kindly agreed and so, yesterday, I started weight training.
I am absolute rubbish at it.
I'm so, so weak it isn't even funny. I'm just... I'm not impressed with myself, to say the very least. It was frustrating and disheartening.
And it really, really pissed me off.
So now I am determined to do better. I am determined to be stronger. I don't know why I care so damned much about my lack of physical strength. It's not like humanity is hurtling towards a self-created extinction event that I'm keen to survive or anything...
Ahem.
Speaking of, I found this shirt and I really want it:
My training partner, C.S-L. is miles stronger than I, and I'm very jealous about it. I mean, I love her and would never ever let my jealousy affect her, but I am jealous. She knows. It's been said. And in truth, the jealousy is also a motivator. I now have someone I can measure myself against, and while I will always find myself lacking, at least I have a goal that can be reached. At least one person before me has reached it.
Now I have a starting point. It's not as great as I would like it to be, but it's a base point that I can use to measure my improvements against. It can only go up from here, right?
A quick note about my Kung Fu brother J.K. He's is the ideal weightlifting instructor for me. There is no yelling. There is no eye rolling (though honestly my efforts were very eye roll worthy). There is simply his gentle encouragement and good humour. Honestly, that man is a saint. I learnt long ago that I do not respond well to being yelled at. Thanks for teaching me that lesson, Drill Sergeant Wheeler. Some people find it motivating. I find it makes me want to simultaneously attack the screaming coach and burst into tears (sometimes I get so angry, all I can do is cry). J.K.'s quiet voice and very serious 'I don't want you to quit,' has made me want to work harder. It's easy to walk away from an arsehole. I would feel utterly miserable if I did that to J.K.
On the plus side, I managed an extra tasty dinner after training last night. Just for Geoff, Lina and Zoe, it was an amazing gluten free pasta with steamed kale and olives smothered in a sauce made from butter (so much butter), garlic and onions and then topped with copious amounts of freshly grated cheese. It was fatty and it was frakkin' delicious! I intend to eat that particular meal as often as humanly possible... though I should really add some chicken or something. I'm going to need the extra protein.
Sigh. Back to ridiculously expensive grocery bills. Yay?
Speaking of, breakfast this morning did nothing for me. I'm determined to find Vegemite so I can add some (gluten free) toast with Vegemite to my regular breakfast. Om nom nom!
This week, training is only on Tuesday and Thursday. My usual schedule of Monday through to Thursday begins next week. Thankfully, I will only be doing weights on Tuesday and Thursday. Also, very happily, I have three friends who have decided to sign up for Kung Fu on Monday nights. Not only do I get to share my awesome Kung Fu school and my passion for it with them, I also get to see them far more regularly than I already do.
And that makes me very happy.
I didn't see another friend who was supposed to be joining me on Tuesdays (and Thursdays?) but that was largely because he was unsure of the time, and I was training when he tried to contact me to get the time. I didn't see it until after training ended at 9:00pm. Oops. Hopefully he'll come Thursday.
Right, I'm sure I've bored you enough with tales of my Martial Arts shenanigans. I'll leave you all to go about your day.
I have work to do too, after all.
Ciao!