Welcome back dear readers,

Thank you for all your insightful comments on the writing excerpts I posted over the weekend. I found the feedback very helpful, and apparently I’m not the only one! A Grade Five teacher has requested to use the entire post, comments and all, to educate her students about the value of constructive criticism and the rewriting process. So good on ya! You’re now helping to educate younger generations, if you weren’t already.

My agonizing over Dragonfly Summer is done for the year. It’s in the hands of my editor today, which I’ll talk about more in tomorrow’s post. This month is about two things: training for the upcoming red prajioud test, and getting Lost ready for the St. Martin’s Press contest.

I’m not that worried about Lost. I wrote it years ago, and it has survived plenty of rewrites. It just needs some cleaning up, as my technique as a writer has improved since I first created it. But the kickboxing test? That’s something else.

My kru sent me a training schedule last week:

Week 1

3 classes x 1 hour

clean up diet, no alcohol, saturated fats, sugars, carbonated drinks. lots of green vegetables and protein, and start reducing carb intake.

stretching 20 minutes 2 times a week – outside of class

3 – 5 litres of water a day

Week 2

2 classes x 1 hour

1 class x 2 hours

stretching 20 minutes 2 times a week – outside of class

3 – 5 litres of water a day

Personal training on Friday – 4:25 – 5:25

Week 3

1 classes x 1 hour

2 classes x 2 hours

1 – 5 Km run

stretching 20 minutes 2 times a week – outside of class

3 – 5 litres of water a day

Week 4

3 classes x 2 hours

2 – 5 Km runs

stretching  20 minutes 2 times a week – outside of class

3 – 5 litres of water a day

Personal training on Friday – 4:25 – 5:25

Week 5

3 classes x 2 hours

1 class x 1 hour

3 – 5 Km runs

stretching  20 minutes 2 times a week – outside of class

3 – 5 litres of water a day

Personal training on Friday – 4:25 – 5:25

Week 6

3 classes x 2 hours

2 class x 1 hour

3 – 5 Km runs

stretching  20 minutes 2 times a week – outside of class

3 – 5 litres of water a day

Week 7

3 classes x 2 hours

2 classes x 1 hour

3 – 5 Km runs

stretching  20 minutes 2 times a week – outside of class

3 – 5 litres of water a day

Week 8 – Test on Friday

2 classes x 1 hour

3 – 5 Km runs

stretching  20 minutes 2 times a week – outside of class

3 – 5 litres of water a day

I’m currently on Week 2 of the schedule. So far, I’m on track, although the intense stretching is killing me. I was hurting so badly that I missed one class last week, but I made up for it by doing pad work and a run on Sunday.

This week will be the first time I’ve taken a double class in years. My kru has encouraged me to begin Level 2 classes, but since they’re brutal, I’ll be easing into that. This week I’ll keep my double classes to Level 1, and increase in bravery as my conditioning improves.

This week also marks the first one-on-one coaching session I’ve had in years. (That’s what Kelly means by personal training on the schedule.) When I was a boxer, nearly all my training was one-on-one, and I’ve really missed the challenge. But I know from experience that it is much harder than working out in a class. My body is going to be pushed past its comfort zone in a big way, but as much as I’m nervous, I’m also looking forward to it. I’ve wanted to take this test for so long, and have kept putting it off. The time is now!

Thanks for pushing me forward! I can’t imagine doing this without your support and encouragement.

Any words of advice for me?