So I'm having to change the format because I have forgotten what day I am on!
Today was one of the most difficult mornings physically I've had since I got here- or at least it certianly felt that way!!
I stepped right out of my comfort zones, I had made myself quite happy in (in fact I was kicked right out of them today)
I wake up at 5.30am and get ready for our 6.30am workouts at James' house, I dress, brush my teeth and have recently started drinking smoothies I make the days before with fruit and natural yoghurt. I need something to get me started!
I then leave at 5.50am and cycle the 30 minute trek to James'. Then we have herb tea (sometimes milk tea!) and at 6.30 exactly we begin.
We alternate days of running and skipping (jump rope) and today was a running day. I HATE running (ski janai!!)
So we start running and I don't run up hills, it's hard enough to haul myself along at a faster than walking pace on a relatively flat surface but to then ask me to do more than crawl my way to the top of the hill is a bit much!
Today though, James was having none of it, I was running up the hill basically whether I liked it or not, with him right next to me the entire way up. This hill is a beast, in fact all the hills around his house are but this is the lesser of them all as it has a more gradual downward decline than the rest! Still- I made it up more of the hill than I ever have before- In fact I was about 10 meters off making it up the entire thing. You then have to remember we carry on running the circuit back round to this hill- and again James was right there waiting for me :/
We did this FOUR times. I didn't run the entire way once but cumulatively I ran more of the hills than I've ever ran in my life. I thought my legs were going to drop off and my lungs were burning. I didn't die- but it felt that way!
(We all have to remember also that it's 6.30am and I've already cycled a 30 minute - not flat!! Bike ride to get to James' - including another beast hill to actually get there)
So we finished running and then we start doing reps of squats and push ups. Again, my legs don't really understand what they've done to be abused so badly at this time of day.
We then move onto the weight training which is lifting the 40kg barbell, clean and press style- then putting it on your shoulders and doing squats- today though- jumping squats. Yea. There's a 40kg weight on my shoulders and I'm attempting to jump with it.
Then you lift until your arms lift no more and then do more squats ('normal' ones this time) and then you have the final (controlled!) lift over the head and back to the floor. Then we do pull ups and hamdstands and then another weight lifting rep. My arms and shoulders have then entirely gone like jelly and I'm feeling rather lightheaded!
We then stretch and finish. Finally.
Then it's breakfast time. My favourite little buddy (Kari) and her papa made pancakes, we had homemade pancakes and natural yoghurt, followed by a Mikan melon fruit (we weren't sure what it was - Higa Sensei gave it to James- it was the size of a melon but it tasted like a Mikan and was the colour of a grapefruit!) it was tasty though, and some strawberries too.
Then I had a coffee and got back on my bike for the 20 minute ride from James' to Sensei's house.
It was just Miltos, Sensei and me today and we had a proper dripping sweat class. I thought I was going to faint at one point during the let's repeat that kata again, and again and again. I mean, it's great because I'm learning a new, very difficult kata (Chinto) but there's a flying front kick, lots of deep stances and moves that need power and snap! That which I struggled with but gambaru! (I did the very best I could!)
Then home to shower and rehydrate because I think I'd lost a LOT of my body weight in sweating this morning.
Shower and water later and I'm off to the bar, I stopped by the best little Oni giri (rice wrapped in seaweed) place and got a chicken one. Oisheeee!!
Stopped by the supermarket and got bananas, Mikan and yoghurt and have made the nicest banana smoothie and Mikans to snack on.
I can't waste all that hard work this morning by eating crap now.
It was far too painful to go and do that!!
Currently everything hurts. A lot. But in a good way. A really good, worked hard, satisfied way.
it's all happening again tomorrow.
