Kung Fu Black Sash Test in Two Weeks!

This is it folks.  The final two weeks before the black sash test.

You know the story.  Started training in January.  Intense, brutal early Saturday morning military-style workouts.  Almost fainting one day.  Lips turning blue another.  Didn't train as planned.  Kids in the class using me as a punching bag during the sparring time (ouch!). Final decision to go through with it amidst doubts.

And this morning we didn't have Kung Fu class because the school was closed for the holiday.  So I had to do something very opposed to my nature.  I had to give myself the whole gruesome workout at home by myself.  Because there is no way I'll make it if I don't keep it up during the time off.

I am really really proud of myself for putting myself through that workout all by myself this morning.  Was rewarded with a flood of great endorphins afterwards.

Something I noticed.  The jumping jacks were "easier" when I did them by myself.  Less fatiguing.  Could it be because I did them barefoot?

Remember the post where I agonized over what shoes to wear for the black sash training?  After all that guess what I did?  Nothing.  I just went ahead and wore the beat-up pair of running shoes the whole time.  I guess I was just tired and didn't want to go through the whole hoo-ha of finding out whatever shoes I chose didn't work any better.

All Kung Fu practice sessions at home have been done barefoot and I've been loving it.  My feet have not been liking that old pair of running shoes that I stuff them into for Kung Fu class.  The bump in the shoe has irked me and thrown me off balance. My feet cramp up in them when I'm doing the crunches, like I'm getting charlie horses in my feet! Every time I have them on I think, "I've got to do something about this," but then I don't.

At a certain point in the black sash class, we have to get our sparring gear on.  We have to get into this protective get-up in 3 minutes (which I haven't fully mastered yet).  You don't pass the test if you can't do it.

Well, lucky me, the "get-up" includes this protective foot padding that you wear without shoes.  So I get to do all the sparring in these babies here:

This is great!  I am wondering if I would be permitted to take the black sash test barefoot?  I feel that it would be way better if I could.  I would have way more fun going through that two-hour highly intense test if I didn't have to do it on a bump in my shoe.  Maybe I will ask.

Right now my barefoot running is an adjunct to this Kung Fu training.  I've been going out and running roughly two barefoot miles on the days I don't train the Kung Fu.

As soon as this black sash test is over with, I plan to start running further distance.

These next two weeks are crucial if I'm going to pull this off.

Mon -- Barefoot Run 3 miles
Tues -- Kung Fu advanced class
Wed -- Kung Fu role model class
Thurs -- Kung Fu advanced class
Fri -- Barefoot Run 2 miles
Sat -- Last brutal early morning black sash training class
every day -- go through Long Fist I and Long Fist II very slowly and thoroughly twice each and one time fast each.  I CANNOT MISS CLASS, because if I do I will have to do the workout on my own and I HATE THAT!!

There is still a chance I might chicken out of this.  I'm going to see how it is next Saturday morning and if it feels like it's going good, then I'm going through with it. No days off from here on in.

I have so much more to write about.  Next couple of posts will be one on the subject of "Pain" and the other on "Warming Up!"