Liquid Endosperm-tastic

After not being able to train for over a week because I am performing in a play (thank you to all the KF dorks who came to give me chi!), I trained today. Right before class, I decided to try something new. I usually never drink anything during training, but today I decided to give coconut water (liquid endosperm) a try. Everyone has been talking about how great this natural sports drink is and I had to see for myself. I bought a VitoCoco coconut water from across the street before class and couldn't wait to rip the little tab off the box and gush it down.

During basics, I was dead tired and couldn't really catch my breath. After only 1 week of not training, my KF stamina disappeared. I was almost tempted to drink it right after basics but I didn't because drinking a cold drink right after a heated workout is probably not good for the body. So I was hoping that Shifu would give us a water break during forms. And sure enough he did. I only took a few sips, as I didn't want to overdo it. The coconut water was less sweet than I expected. It tasted more like milky water with a tiny amount of sugar added. It wasn't really delicious but I must admit, my body felt better. There was this warmth coming from my stomach (or was it my Dan Tian?) like a battery being recharged. After a few minutes, I could sense a recharge of energy. It's not like a jolt of caffeine but more like a slow and steady rise of energy. My muscles felt more loose and I had a little more pop on my 5 kicks.

After class ended, I drank the rest of it. And that warmth in my belly came back again. And I must say, I kinda liked it. I am not the type of person to depend on anything before or after training. But this might be my new formula for after training nutrition. "Monsieur? May I have a Number 1 soup and a coconut water please?"

"Please sir, I want some more [water]."

First, Amituofo to Qbertplaya whose cranky knee gave out on her right at the end of class Saturday. I hope it didn't scare her parents too much! In true train-harder style she was smiling and laughing (if limping) by the time she left class. I hope you will be back up and sweeping soon, Qbertplaya!

It was a fun weekend of training these past two classes. But dryyyyyy. No water breaks except for at stretching, and my tongue was sticking to my mouth. I thought both days it would finally be the day I broke down and asked Sifu for water. There was a brief month-or-so-long period where for some reason I got in the bad habit of sneaking drinks while waiting on forms line. I appropriately chastised myself and kicked that rule-breaking, but I've never been able to ask for water. I am not sure why, maybe it's some sort of false pride or something, but I don't want to get water unless I'm told I can. Or maybe it's my way of limiting my water intake since I've only recently learned to control my ill-fated guzzling of 3+ bottles per class. Whatever the reason, it was gratifying to know that I was in fact able to keep going without water. It wasn't the awesomest, but I survived just fine. It's like today when Sifu made us do ceshoufans for the 10th time and I thought "there is no way on earth I will make it down the carpet" and yet I did. I bout buckled at the end, but I made it. Or in the middle of erluquan when I think what I really want to do is just stop at five kicks, but push myself to keep going in spite of panting and aching legs. It's good to know I'm not giving up when something seems too daunting, but pushing myself every day to go a little farther. Will I push myself to ask for a water break? For now I'm maintaining my silence.

A Love-Hate Relationship with Water

Yesterday was a scorcher. When I went to get lunch in the afternoon and felt the heat, I knew that training would be a doozy. I have to admit, the scaredy cat part of me briefly considered skipping because I knew training would be miserable in this humidity, but then the other part of me said, 'playa, you've missed too many classes recently due to work and whatnot, and tonight you have the time to train, and you're gonna voluntarily skip?! Stop this crazy talk! So I chomped down and went.

I entered Temple, and only a few of the lights were turned on, but it already felt oppressive. Grrreat. The changing room was sweltering and I could not get outta there soon enough. For the first time, I wore my uniform top with the right sleeve tucked in. I didn't give a crap if people could see my flabby arm. As I warmed up a little by the sink, Gombulla was slicing up a beautiful mango and he offered me a piece, but I declined, figuring I'd puke it right up. Instead, I swallowed a few quick gulps of water from the tap, thinking it'd do me some good to have water in my system. Boy, did that prove wrong!

Basics started, and I was kinda near the front to start. After a while, I started feeling this sharp stabbing pain in my right side. My stomach did not like the water I drank just before class. It was cramping me up! I stood to the side and tried to massage the water through my system. I didn't want to set a bad example for the newer folks, so I pushed myself to get back in line, only to drop out again. My body was feeling exhausted from the heat, yet also combatting this stabbing pain. Oy!

I dunno how, but eventually, the stretching break came. The stabbing pain had subsided but I still felt woozy, so I downed so much water. I figured that since we were done with most of basics (especially the jumps and ceshoufan), I wouldn't have to worry about the water sloshing around in my belly and cramping me up again.

I noticed a curious thing -- the tip of my nose felt a little tingly, kinda numb, like it sometimes does after I've drunk a lot of alcohol and am hungover. I guess because my mind was blasted, I didn't put two and two together until later in the evening, when I realized it must have been because of dehydration that I was experiencing this symptom. When you're hungover, you're also dehydrated. Duh!!!

After class was over, I took my uniform off in the changing room and marvelled at how heavy my stuff felt in my plastic bag. Heavy with sweat! I was proud to have gone through with training, but also relieved.