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20 Seconds

That’s how much time I have to shave off my run in the red prajioud test.

I went to the dojo early last Friday for my first one-on-one coaching session in years. My kru started off by asking me to write down the three aspects of the test I’m the most confident about. That was easy:

  • punches
  • power kicks/knees
  • pad holding

Then he asked me to write down the aspects of the test I’m the least confident about. That was easy as well:

  • running (for the test, you have to run a mile in eight minutes, thirty seconds)
  • flexibility
  • double kicks

What I didn’t expect was for him to suddenly test me on the aspects I’m concerned about. Without much training or any preparation, he asked me to run the twenty-nine laps around the gym. I was nervous as hell–I haven’t been running that much yet, and twenty-nine laps seems like a lot to me. But what choice did I have? So, with Eye of the Tiger playing on my iPod (my secret weapon), I started off at a good pace.

Initially Kelly planned to give me updates on my time, but since I was wearing an iPod, he just showed me when I had five laps left to go. It was difficult not knowing how much time was left, and I’m confident that if I’d known I was getting to the end, I could have pushed it, completing the run at 8:30. As it was–without much training and not knowing the time, I was only twenty seconds over. Twenty seconds over! I have to admit, I’m really proud of myself, since the run is what I’ve been dreading most. Kelly was surprised at my time as well–I think he expected me to be a lot slower. My cardio wasn’t too bad–I wasn’t even breathing that heavy. My legs were tired, but that was about it.

To test flexibility, you must kick above your shoulder level three times consecutively. This turned out to be easy for me. Again, Kelly was surprised, and I have to admit that I was as well.

The next challenge was the double kicks. Twenty double kicks in one minute. I’m a power kicker. My hand speed is fast, but I find double kicks extremely difficult. I managed to get the correct amount finished in time, but my technique was sloppy. Still need to work on that.

After this test, it was time to take the Fun Friday muay thai class. I had a great partner who pushed me, and I think I did quite well, considering.

As a result of the one-on-one session, I’m a lot more confident about my ability to pass the test. I suspect that was Kelly’s rationale all along. What a confidence builder!

I’m going to need all the confidence I can get, since I have two consecutive days of double classes this week, and one is (gulp!) Level 2.

Any training advice for me?

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3 Comments

  1. Kim

    Congratulations. If you weren’t breathing that hard then you know you should be able to go much faster on that run. When you only have to run 1 mile then the point should be to be pretty uncomfortable — but remember it’s only for 8.5 minutes. Or faster. You just have to let your mind make your body accept the discomfort. Good luck. I bet you could shave that 20 seconds off tomorrow.

    Reply
  2. Lisa

    Continue to build on your existing confidence!!

    As Winnie the Pooh said:
    “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

    It’s one of my favourite quotes!

    Reply
  3. Story Teller

    Thanks, Kim and Lisa!

    @ Kim – oh, I could have shaved that 20 seconds off that day. If I’d known how close I was to the time limit, I would have pushed it more. I’ll used the stopwatch function on my iPod next time. I’m always scared about going too fast at the beginning and running out of steam. That always happened to me during endurance runs in high school. You’re right about discomfort – I have a difficult time pushing myself through it.

    @ Lisa – that’s a great quote. Thanks!

    Reply

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