TRAINING UPDATES – 23.05.2009

I never meant for it to happen this way, but my training updates seemed to have regularized itself to a weekly kind of format.

This week has not been too good for me. For a start, I fell sick at the start of the week. No, I did not have H1N1, though I was in contact with several people who HAD travelled to affected countries. I only wish it were H1N1, since it doesn’t seem to be too bad if caught early, and a whole week of self quarantine (aka R&R) is just too attractive to turn down.

Anyway, training for the entire week was sub-optimal. I was tired most the time, could not really lift as heavy and just did not feel like training anyway. The training program has been recently changed, which could account for the poor recovery as well.

Saturday heavy lifting was not too bad, considering how I felt for the entire week. I actually managed a new PR of 52.5 kg on the back squats. I have to attribute that to Coach E, really. He noticed I was keeping the barbell in a rather uncomfortable position and helped me with some adjustments, after which I could pile on the weights. There are improvements on the chin ups front too, although I am definitely still far from the day where I can do a dead hang chin up by myself.

Coach J mentioned that I should be seeing lifting gains every week and was suggesting the use of fractional plates (like 0.25 kg plates) to break PRs if necessary. But I don’t think I really agree, especially when we start lifting really heavy. Two of those small plates probably amount to manufacturing tolerances when the weights get really heavy. I doubt I’ll be consoling myself with new PRs that way anytime soon….or so I hope.

Muay Thai – same old, same old. Just like last week, I got through only by the skin of my teeth, and with the help of some 100 plus. However, while I manage to last physically, techniques for the pad work sessions suck, because I was so tired and my muscles are so fried. I have to rethink my training schedule soon, because I don’t like the idea of half-assing my way through Muay Thai training. I am definitely capable of much better and I want to move on.

Oh, my testimonial video is up at the Coach J’s blog. I cringed a bit as I re-watched it, because, gosh, I sound like a total bimbo, complete with silly giggling. I wish I had thought of smarter things to say other than the fact that my clothes fit me better. That sounds so totally shallow and vain somehow. I am not like that in real life, REALLY.

Highlight of the week? Got served by the cute maitre d’ with the sunny smile at my favourite pork chop place again. And I was offered free tea, coffee, ice cream etc on the house. Just because I am such a regular customer. Wow, that’s a first for me and makes me feel really special. For reasons that I have not figured out yet, I actually declined the offers. But not before flirting a bit with the guy and trying not to show too much teeth when I smiled at him (all the while frantically wondering if I have something stuck between my teeth!). I made a mental note to myself to make sure to pick my teeth surreptitiously before he comes to clear my plate and chat me up the next time I lunch there, so that I can dazzle him with MY sunny smile as well.

PS: With all these mental notes to self, I imagine my brain looks worse than some of my colleagues’ computer monitors with yellow post-it notes plastered all over them.