Marathon (Wo)Man.

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Today is the day of the Taining run 23k (or half a marathon run) to the nearest town. I've had about four hours sleep and my stomach still isn't very well so haven't digested anything solid for three days. Perfect.

The morning looms and somehow the weather gods have taken pity on me. Instead of the usual scorching sun and cloudless blue sky of the past few days the mountains are heavy with rain and strewn with hanging clouds.

As half the school will be doing the 23k run (You have to give it to me i'm definitely a woman of extremes – i've gone from never running before in my life to attempting to complete a Half Marathon in the space of a week.) They have decided to do a more gentle morning circuit at 5.30am. We just hold various plank positions for half an hour. Lovely.

For our morning session we do a another form of Qi Gong which involves moving in and out of various poses which are supposed to help the Qi flow freely around the body and are good for overall health. I really enjoy this and it helps calm me and focus the mind.

After breakfast I gather my thoughts then come downstairs for just before 9. Only the Shaolin class have to do the run but Camille and a couple of the other Tai Chi students have decided to do the run as well – Camille is shaking with nerves.

And so it is that I set off – a light drizzly rain helping me on my way. I have my new bright red running shoes on (purchased the day before to confounded looks by the other students - you came here without running shoes...???) Black Eyed Peas is on my i - Pod. I set off at a VERY slow pace and slowly I realise that I can do this. I high five myself after every landmark I see – the second bridge (5k) the little village (7k) and finally after what seems like a lifetime I see this huge wrought iron bridge arching over the landscape. Its the 10k mark. I give myself a huge high five and a FUCK YOU ARSENAL just for good measure.

I am ecstatic. I never thought I would be capable of it. It starts to go up hill shortly afterwards and i'm exhausted. I get to the little shop which signals the half way mark – (13k) and buy a cookie and some more water and then proceed to power walk the rest. I finish after about 3hours 30 minutes. Unfortunatley because i'm me and I have no sense of direction - I take the route (which turns out to be correct) come across a construction site blocking the path and then somehow manage to add on another hour and half to my time getting lost trying to find the meeting point! Ah well no matter.

OK its a very long time i'm not about to get into the Guinness book of records anytime soon and i think Usain Bolt can probaly still sleep easy at night. But considering i've never run before in my life - Its an amazing feeling – pushing yourself to achieve something you never thought you'd be capable of. I'm so proud and elated I can't believe it – and its the weekend! No more classes until monday.

I go to bed and sleep til 12 the next day.

"Are you going to stick at Shaoli??" They ask me again.

" Yeah why not – how hard can it be ..." I laugh. So there we go - as well as Patrice there is ...

Sergei – 6ft 4, blonde, 19 year old Russian but living in UK, long term student. Abs of steel.

James – 6 ft 3 ish,18 years old , Mancunian just about to study at University.

Felix – 5ft 8, 21 years old french boy with 7 years of previous Kung Fu training, abs of steel.

Don – 6 ft 2 ish, 21 years old Australian construction manager wanting to get into the army. Abs of steel.

Ferdinand - 6 ft. 18 year old German redhead, 90 kilos with a year of a martial arts that the Israeli army train in under his belt- nickname "The Juggernaut. "

Oh and me:

Dominique – 5 ft 7 – 37 years old. South East London. No martial arts experience and whose most recent work out over a year ago was a weekly Zumba class.

Bring it on...😊

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