Hello dear readers,

Have you ever built something up in your mind to the point that–once you actually did it–you wondered what the big deal was?

I suspect the dreaded Level 2 muay thai class has become this way for me, reaching mythical proportions in my own brain. I will participate in my first Level 2 class in over a year this Wednesday. And I’m nervous, especially since I’ll have survived an hour of intense training before the class even begins. (Yes, this is the first week of three double classes in a row…four if you count personal training with my coach.)

For those of you not familiar with the class structure at KWest Kickboxing, Level 1 is an intensive cardio workout. It’s primarily for those who want to get in shape. You do learn muay thai skills, but not at an in-depth level. Level 2 is for people who are more serious about learning muay thai technique, including those who are interested in fighting. When I first started training at KWest, Level 2 was all technique, so you needed to do a double class of Level 1 followed by Level 2 if you wanted to get a workout as well. But things have changed dramatically during the past year. Level 2 is rumored to be a brutal workout, much more intense and challenging than the Level 1 classes I’ve grown accustomed to. When I recently asked a Level 2 student about attending a Level 1 class prior to the Level 2, he visibly shuddered and said, “I don’t recommend it.” And this guy is in the best shape of anyone I know! No wonder I’m nervous. But I have no choice if I intend to follow my coach’s training plan for my red prajioud test. (And I do, of course!)

It’s not like I’m a novice when it comes to tough workouts. At my other dojos, I always had one-on-one training with various coaches, and there’s no hiding behind other students when the focus is on you alone. A typical class at Sik Tai, my first dojo, would have posed a challenge for professional athletes, and Pan Am Boxing–host of the self-proclaimed “hardest workout in the city” was certainly no picnic. So what am I so afraid of? What’s the worst that can happen? I’ll probably be sore and stiff and weakened from my previous class. My energy levels may suck. I may not be able to get through all the exercises that first day, or I could embarrass myself by managing only weak kicks with a partner who will be working out for the first time that day. Is it really such a big deal, though? I’ve certainly been through worse.

This is why I suspect it’s all in my head. In my absence, Level 2 has achieved mythic proportions, and there’s only one way to bring it back to earth…I have to go to the class and get it over with.

How about you, dear readers? When was the last time you built something up to be much worse than it actually was? How did it go?