Week 3 – The Rest of the Week

Well, I made it.  It’s Friday, I’m home, showered, fed and… to be quite honest, totally knackered.  It’s been a rough week all the way around, but I’m proud to say, I never cried “defeat!” (though, I certainly whimpered it under my breath many times).

Let’s see.. where did I leave off…  ah, yes.

Wednesday – Simply Shredded (with Rich Cohen)

I staggered into the Total Body Training studio, feeling a little better in the knees – I know there is a joke there, I just can’t quite find it – and tried to find the inner athlete.  It was being a little quiet today, but fortunately, fellow classmate, Rich (not to be confused with Trainer Rich) was a super help to me.  It was almost like having a Rich² to work with.  Words of encouragement and high-fives were passed all around.  I can’t say I was trying to boost my performance to the level of an alpha male, but it was inspiring to have such a supportive class mate.

Thursday – Fighting Fit (with guest instructor Sasha Tolstikova)

Sweet Sasha led this class tonight and, man oh man, is she ever deceiving!  She is so nice to chat with, but once she starts a class, she’s all “go, go, go” with no mercy!  I really did have a great time in the class — I think I’m getting to enjoy boxing more and more (who would have thunk it?! I wouldn’t have!) and Sasha definitely helped curate that feeling.  I walked out another sweaty, tired mess, but very happy.

Friday – Cardio Nightmares (with Rich Cohen)

Tonight was just a one on one session with Rich at Banjasiri Park — always a lovely setting.  To my embarrassment, Rich found me snoozing on a park bench (as I was a little early).  I’m sure that provided him with plenty of amusement and, most likely, an evil notion that I needed a little “waking up”.  Way to shoot myself in the foot.

After some basic warm ups, I was taking to a padded playground for cardio “fun”.  So as to not kill my knees further with too much running, he set up a circuit of shuttle squats (gag), push ups requiring arms being flung out (whimper), burpees (hereafter known as “pukies”), and short sprints (sigh).  I know he means well, but I think I ended up sounding like a wounded rhino in the bush — easy prey.  Yes, yes, I know.  It’s all for my health.

I did have a few moments where my calves really tightened up — Rich worked some of his Mr. Miyagi magic again so I could walk instead of hobble.  I’ve scheduled a few leg massages this weekend to help loosen this tight muscle madness.

Many more thoughts are swirling around, but it’s Friday and my email is bursting at the seams (work is just unrelenting these days!)  Sorry there aren’t any amusing pictures or fun videos this time, but if I can get some decent sleep, I’m sure I’ll perk things up for Boot Camp Monday!  Happy weekend all!

Week 3 – Strength Training (and a little massage)

If you’ve been following my progress, you’ll know that I had a pretty hard time during last night’s Boot Camp workout with Jack Thomas.  My knees were really giving me a lot of problems and I had to sit out a fair bit.  I was really bummed that I couldn’t complete the work out, but… if something hurts, the first lesson is “don’t hurt it more”, right?

Well, tonight I met up with Rich Cohen at the Total Body Training studio for a Strength Training session and Rich really took some time to talk to me about the pain and then zeroed right in on the problem.  Turns out, it really wasn’t that my knees were broken from doing too many squats – I actually had some really tight calf, quad, glutes, and hip muscles (which, truth be told, was probably because I wasn’t doing all my squats with the best form).  It seems that my body was trying to compensate for these muscles that were all knotted up by allowing my knees to bear all the weight that the muscles weren’t.  Freakin’ lazy body, sometimes I want to trade you in.

Yes, fine. That's not me and I didn't look this happy while using the foam roller. But, damn it, it works!

The cure? Using foam rollers for “myofascial release”. Doesn’t that sound cool? I have to admit, I thought he was full of crap when he pulled out the foam rollers and showed me how to roll around on the floor as if I was a lump of yeasty bread dough and the foam roller a big ole rolling pin. Besides, “myofascial release” sounds a bit tawdry too, doesn’t it?  Turns out, it really works!  Who would have thought that would have been the cure for pained knees?  Well, I guess Rich did.

While I had a bit of relief, it wasn’t total.  So (and this is where I really got my moneys worth) Rich started to massage my legs!  That earned a bit of a glance or two from some other folks that were working out in the studio (real hard core students doing some serious muay thai) and a snicker or two, but I was like a kid in a candy shop and really enjoying myself.  Well, sort of enjoying myself – I should keep this professional, no?  Anyway, it really did the trick and I was back doing squats, lunges and (horrors) rowing.  I guess myofascial release isn’t a reason to get a pass on a training night. Sigh.

Tonight’s lesson?  Rich Cohen really knows his stuff and isn’t all push, push, push.  He has a knowledgeable “rehab” side to him (and quite skilled hands) that keeps me from hurting myself.  Oh, and I guess the other lesson is that stretching before and after a work out is actually really important.

Week 3 – Boot Camp Monday – Not My Finest Day

Sad to say, but today wasn’t my finest hour. After pulling pretty much an all nighter last night (not something I’ve done since I was in University — and, even then, it really wasn’t my thing at all) and getting through a really busy day, I almost found myself thinking of ways I could miss my session with Jack Thomas tonight.  I thought I had a plan sorted when I saw the black rain clouds rolling in around the time I would normally be going to the sky train for Boot Camp (Total Body Training!) class – perfect excuse not to go.  Rain in Bangkok is a reasonable excuse for missing just about anything!

Not my picture, but seriously, this is what the sky looked like on the way to class tonight.

But, I dragged my lazy ass to the sky train and then made good time to the park. But, just after I walked off the train platform and started walking down the stairs to the park, the skies just opened up and started to drop a ton of rain down.  Score!  But, there was about 20 minutes until class was supposed to start and the damn Boy Scout in me thought I should wait until the start of class to ensure that no one would show up.

And, of course, 2 minutes before class started, the rain just stopped.  Damn.  Oh well, I thought to myself, that’s just the way it needs to be.  I’m here. Rain is over. And everyone showed up, Jack Thomas included. So, let’s just work out and get home.  I started to work out, and really did intend to do my best, but I guess I got my wish after all — I had to slack off a bit because my knees were crapping out on me.  Combine bending and putting weight on them and I could feel some pain — Jack recommended that I stopped doing the things that made them hurt, so I pretty much had to bail on the class.

I guess the good news is that I actually went and participated as much as I could.  That probably is the part that isn’t a failure, but I can’t help but feel like I should have been able to do more. Good job, Mom – Catholic Guilt is still working.

Now, taking it easy at home and hoping a good night’s sleep will help.  Tomorrow, Rich Cohen gets to figure out what is wrong with my freakin’ knees.  Until then…

Week 2 – Fighting Fit Thursday!

Oy.  Talk about some achy muscles!  Last night’s training session was a good one and I could feel its effects today.  Not in a painful way, but in a way where I just knew that I did something good.  I’m starting to feel like I’m standing up straighter, walking less like Lurch, and more in command of my body parts.  I know that sounds strange, but you kinda have to experience it to know what I mean.

I arrived to the Fighting Fit class at Total Body Training a bit early and was able to watch another session finish up.  As always, I’m quite inspired and it helped me get ready for the boxing session.  Today we had a lovely group – a nice German girl who is quite friendly (but, my poor brain, I can’t remember her name) and a little Brazilian spitfire named Maria.  Maria and I sparred a little bit (we were working on knee kicks – I guess that’s a little Muay Thai thrown in) and she was kicking the stuffing out of me!

We finished up with more rope slinging, power squats using the ViPR and the dreaded “mountain climbers” in a 5 set circuit.  I think at one point, I wanted to cry, but, that’s just pain leaving the body, right?  I’m still not very graceful, but I think my forms are getting better and I’m still losing a little bit of weight every day.  So, all in all, I’m very pleased.  It’s nice to start feeling a bit stronger again!