One of the things I love about our training is the amount of time I get to spend in the open air. Yesterday because it was raining we were stuck training inside. So our coach decided that we should practice rolls, which was cool because I don't get much time to work on them, and I've never been super comfortable with my rolls.
I had an accident when I was younger, and besides a minor neck injury I came out fine physically, but mentally, well not so much. I was so afraid to fall, roll, and be thrown, or even throw another person. Yesterday was fun for me, because although my rolls are a little rusty, I realized that my mind has changed a lot. I'm much less afraid of injury in general. The interesting thing is that since I started training here, I've been injured so many times. And although the recovery period usually really sucks, my body's a lot heartier than I ever gave it credit for when I was younger. I just find ways to be more resourceful.
I also feel like in my time here that my self confidence has really improved. And considering the emotional strain I'm sometimes under, I'm glad that I've come out stronger. Of course I still have my confidence issues sometimes, but I always have, and now I can really see that I've made some changes for the better. Of course as I write this I feel like I'm tempting fate... We shall see.
Tuesday 15 April 2014
Friday 11 April 2014
The Mountain
I had a pretty great birthday weekend. Since Wednesday/Thursday is the time I have off, I went with some friends for a very long hike up the mountain. I'm not sure when the last time I've walked that far is. I can't think of a time I ever have. I'm not sure it exists, it seems so crazy. Myself and three friends left at 5am on Wednesday morning and arrived at the area with the cable car at 2pm. So it ended up being a good 9 hours of walking. Finishing off with a very large number of stairs. Of course that's including a few breaks for food and water, and a good foot soak in the very 'refreshing' stream.
My intention was to sleep at the cable car and climb to the peak the next day, but unfortunately, it was raining and I had a big blister on my foot. So I didn't make it to the peak, but I was pretty happy with the walk I had. The thing about China is, climbing a mountain basically means climbing what feels like a neverending staircase. It was beautiful though. I don't have any pictures because I don't have a camera, but I'm hoping to get some from my friends for a keepsake. All in all, a great time to be had. Welcome 29!
My intention was to sleep at the cable car and climb to the peak the next day, but unfortunately, it was raining and I had a big blister on my foot. So I didn't make it to the peak, but I was pretty happy with the walk I had. The thing about China is, climbing a mountain basically means climbing what feels like a neverending staircase. It was beautiful though. I don't have any pictures because I don't have a camera, but I'm hoping to get some from my friends for a keepsake. All in all, a great time to be had. Welcome 29!
Thursday 3 April 2014
Yay April!
Well I missed my blog last week for the first time this year. Kind of a bummer, but I had a great holiday and I feel like a lot has happened since I wrote the last one.
Xi'an was awesome, I've been there before, but I had a great time just spending some time relaxing with my classmates. Some of my class members are pretty much already on their way out (heading back for university etc.) so it was nice to get the chance to spend some time together outside of training.
My calligraphy is going really great at the moment. Started moving on from the basic characters to a bit more cursive style which is challenging, therefore interesting.
I've learned a new guitar song including a solo which I've never tried to tackle before. Thanks to a friend from Israel, I've got a better understanding of reading tabs now too.
I've had to make some adjustments to my personal goals. I've unfortunately had to admit that I can't handle the 150 pushups a day. It's nothing to do with the time, or the discipline, but my body is just not recovering enough and I'm hurting myself. It got to the point where not just my shoulders hurt, but my elbows and wrists were also giving me problems before I had to face the facts that it's just too much for me.
I've decided to keep the number 150, but I'll throw some other exercises into the mix. Squats, calves and some glute exercises. I want to keep the practice of doing extra strength building stuff, so I'll just have to listen to my body. I don't want to spend the next 5 months recovering from injuries.
It's my 29th birthday in a week. I'm looking forward to spending next weekend hiking up to the mountain peak. Give me a sense of accomplishment on my birthday.
Xi'an was awesome, I've been there before, but I had a great time just spending some time relaxing with my classmates. Some of my class members are pretty much already on their way out (heading back for university etc.) so it was nice to get the chance to spend some time together outside of training.
My calligraphy is going really great at the moment. Started moving on from the basic characters to a bit more cursive style which is challenging, therefore interesting.
I've learned a new guitar song including a solo which I've never tried to tackle before. Thanks to a friend from Israel, I've got a better understanding of reading tabs now too.
I've had to make some adjustments to my personal goals. I've unfortunately had to admit that I can't handle the 150 pushups a day. It's nothing to do with the time, or the discipline, but my body is just not recovering enough and I'm hurting myself. It got to the point where not just my shoulders hurt, but my elbows and wrists were also giving me problems before I had to face the facts that it's just too much for me.
I've decided to keep the number 150, but I'll throw some other exercises into the mix. Squats, calves and some glute exercises. I want to keep the practice of doing extra strength building stuff, so I'll just have to listen to my body. I don't want to spend the next 5 months recovering from injuries.
It's my 29th birthday in a week. I'm looking forward to spending next weekend hiking up to the mountain peak. Give me a sense of accomplishment on my birthday.
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