8 February 2010 - My first day of training

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I wake up, having slept really well. I am convinced it is to do with the fact that I actually relaxed the previous evening. I get ready and remember that the only food I have in my room is a Boost bar that I picked up from Heathrow for emergencies. I figure that this counts as an emergency as I have to leave for training in 10 minutes. I eat the bar (which has melted and been chilled again) and make my way to the training centre.

I join the beginner’s area and despite my half-decent level of fitness and having done training before, I find it tough. Because I have to sort out registration details, I arrive late for the class which starts at 8, but bearing in mind that it finishes at 10.30, I get plenty of training in. Having done some training proves to be very useful, but I immediately realise that the stances are different to western boxing. At first find it difficult to adjust, but a couple of hours later, with instructors constantly telling me to use the new stances, I am getting there ...

It is the hardest class I have ever done. The ‘breaks’ between sets consist of press ups. And the instructors are on hand all the time to ensure you do not take any ‘unnecessary’ rests! After sparring, I am chatting to one of the guys to try and arrange a running session for the next day, when I am pulled away and pushed into the ring to do padwork.

However, training outside, surrounded by greenery and sunshine, beats training in an indoor gym any day. It is probably the reason I manage much more than I could in a gym in the UK. I am exhausted as I leave the class and then the instructor shouts out ‘See you at 3.30!’ I turn to one of the other trainees in disbelief and am informed that there are two sessions a day.

On the way back to my room I disturb a young lady’s lunch at a shop to try and buy some credit for my newly purchased sim card. She doesn’t have any top up cards but kindly invites me to have some of her lunch. Knowing that the lunch is unlikely to be vegetarian, I politely refuse but walk away feeling delighted by the offer.

I return to the training centre for 3.30 and as the initial running session finishes I am on the verge of collapsing. We follow this with some hardcore sets of exercise and when I do star jumps, it actually feels like I am taking a break. By the time we finish the training at 6.30 I dread to think how I am going to be feeling tomorrow morning. My knees and shins are aching from all the padwork and I’ve lost count of the amount of press ups I’ve done.

On the way back to my room, I bump into a couple of guys from training who are off to the beach. I jump behind one of them on his moped and soon we are at Kata beach. We arrive as the sun is setting and the sandy beach is stunning. Unfortunately I do not have my camera with me but am reassured when I am told that there are beaches around that are even more beautiful than this one.

I return to my room and it's back at the restaurant late evening. There are a few children living on the site and I spend some of the evening showing my pictures from Bangkok to them and the lady who runs the site.

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Comments

[Sam]

Thanks for blog
Probably the best diary/blog I have read. Beautiful pictures, well done. What training you doing..combat?

[karen]

Lazy thing!
Not fitting much in are you!!!? I feel I need a rest just reading all this. you'll be SO fit when you get back no one will be able to keep up with you. Great to have so much detail I feel I could be there, and it reminds me of places I have been. Good tip re the tuk tuks - I refused to go into the shops so just got dumped in the middle of nowhere! I notice the blog postings have tailed off since you started your training... hope you not worn out..... Keep it coming, lots of love K