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by BethBeth
so if i thought i was sore yesterday...wow.
i don't want this to become a forum for constant complaining, but let me suffice to say that i have never been this sore in my life. basically my muscles have me convinced that life is better if i don't move at all anymore.
i thought this whole "getting strong" thing was supposed to pass in short clips with 80's music blaring in the background in a beautifully empowering montage, resulting in me gleaming and in tip-top shape in about 5 minutes. so far it's been more like painpainpainagonypainexhaustionpain my new work out nemisis is sit-ups. "oh, sit-ups," you say, "they can be hard but they aren't that bad." and i insist, "but THESE sit-ups..." and then i explain:
these sit-ups are special. they make you do a sit-up, and they stand over you. you don't know why, but at this point, it seems futile to ask questions, because life is pain no matter how you slice it. you do a sit-up, and as you lay back down, in that split second that you relax your muscles before doing the next one, they punch you in the stomach. which you aren't expecting, so you want to throw up. repeat 30-50 times, with a punch in the stomach after each sit-up. then 200 more.
which is why, several hours later, as i lay in my bed, the water bottle at the foot of my bed is really just too far to reach.
the kung fu training that i did aeons ago, which i thought i had all but forgotten, is resurfacing in my mind and making a complete nuisance of itself. muay thai and kung fu are completely incompatible, and the remnants of kung fu training are serving as bad habits as i try to learn this new style of martial art. lots of instructors correcting me. and every mistake, even on the first day, results in 10 push-ups. did i mention i am sore?
speaking of 80's music, though, they have taken to blasting michael jackson during jumping rope, and no one seems to think this is as funny as i do complaining aside, i really do like the instructors. they are patient but the work me hard. they all have unmemorizable names like "ay-oh" (or something?) which make my mouth slip uncertainly over a jumble of vowels with no reliable consonants to hold them down. one instructor, who is thoughtful enough to be named "max" reminds me to "be a tiger." he makes me growl (as if this workout isnt humiliating enough already) and then meows in jest. he has a sweet smile and no front teeth, which makes him look like a cross between a kind gentleman and a 2nd grader.
i haven't been to the beach yet, and i haven't explored much of phuket, actually. i am really, at this point, just too tired. however, on the walk between the hostel and camp is a temple. korea, step aside. thai temples are GORGEOUS. perhaps not the same decor i want in my bedroom, but there is no denying that they have an awe-inspiring elegance that demands a few photos be taken. and, of course, pretty much everywhere there are pictures of the king, who honestly looks like the president of the chess club was accidentally plucked out of his computer chair and plopped onto a throne and dressed in gold brocade. long live the king.
also on the walk between home and camp are several signs that describe "big buddha." somehow it took me a day to turn my eyes to the hill, and see that big buddha is, indeed, actually a HUGE 45-meter-tall BUDDHA perched on the hill, just towering over the trees nearby. it is massive! almost enough to inspire faith! amusingly, at night, it is uplit, giving the impression that big buddha is holding a flashlight and telling some kind of campfire ghost story, with that smug expression on his face that suggests he's getting to the really scary part.
tomorrow the yoga class will start in the morning. which i am glad about, because otherwise, by the end of the month, i feel like this whole endeavor could result in me lacking enough flexibility to brush my own teeth. i look forward to when it is no longer painful to get out of bed. wish me luck tomorrow!
so if i thought i was sore yesterday...wow.
i don't want this to become a forum for constant complaining, but let me suffice to say that i have never been this sore in my life. basically my muscles have me convinced that life is better if i don't move at all anymore.
i thought this whole "getting strong" thing was supposed to pass in short clips with 80's music blaring in the background in a beautifully empowering montage, resulting in me gleaming and in tip-top shape in about 5 minutes. so far it's been more like painpainpainagonypainexhaustionpain my new work out nemisis is sit-ups. "oh, sit-ups," you say, "they can be hard but they aren't that bad." and i insist, "but THESE sit-ups..." and then i explain:
these sit-ups are special. they make you do a sit-up, and they stand over you. you don't know why, but at this point, it seems futile to ask questions, because life is pain no matter how you slice it. you do a sit-up, and as you lay back down, in that split second that you relax your muscles before doing the next one, they punch you in the stomach. which you aren't expecting, so you want to throw up. repeat 30-50 times, with a punch in the stomach after each sit-up. then 200 more.
which is why, several hours later, as i lay in my bed, the water bottle at the foot of my bed is really just too far to reach.
the kung fu training that i did aeons ago, which i thought i had all but forgotten, is resurfacing in my mind and making a complete nuisance of itself. muay thai and kung fu are completely incompatible, and the remnants of kung fu training are serving as bad habits as i try to learn this new style of martial art. lots of instructors correcting me. and every mistake, even on the first day, results in 10 push-ups. did i mention i am sore?
speaking of 80's music, though, they have taken to blasting michael jackson during jumping rope, and no one seems to think this is as funny as i do complaining aside, i really do like the instructors. they are patient but the work me hard. they all have unmemorizable names like "ay-oh" (or something?) which make my mouth slip uncertainly over a jumble of vowels with no reliable consonants to hold them down. one instructor, who is thoughtful enough to be named "max" reminds me to "be a tiger." he makes me growl (as if this workout isnt humiliating enough already) and then meows in jest. he has a sweet smile and no front teeth, which makes him look like a cross between a kind gentleman and a 2nd grader.
i haven't been to the beach yet, and i haven't explored much of phuket, actually. i am really, at this point, just too tired. however, on the walk between the hostel and camp is a temple. korea, step aside. thai temples are GORGEOUS. perhaps not the same decor i want in my bedroom, but there is no denying that they have an awe-inspiring elegance that demands a few photos be taken. and, of course, pretty much everywhere there are pictures of the king, who honestly looks like the president of the chess club was accidentally plucked out of his computer chair and plopped onto a throne and dressed in gold brocade. long live the king.
also on the walk between home and camp are several signs that describe "big buddha." somehow it took me a day to turn my eyes to the hill, and see that big buddha is, indeed, actually a HUGE 45-meter-tall BUDDHA perched on the hill, just towering over the trees nearby. it is massive! almost enough to inspire faith! amusingly, at night, it is uplit, giving the impression that big buddha is holding a flashlight and telling some kind of campfire ghost story, with that smug expression on his face that suggests he's getting to the really scary part.
tomorrow the yoga class will start in the morning. which i am glad about, because otherwise, by the end of the month, i feel like this whole endeavor could result in me lacking enough flexibility to brush my own teeth. i look forward to when it is no longer painful to get out of bed. wish me luck tomorrow!
