I'm not confused. I'm just well mixed.

Friday, May 11, 2012

The FInal Countdown

Well the day has finally arrived.  That moment I've been working my tail end off for.  The Test.  My body is in a constant state of sore and my mind is a Slurpee of jumbled up information just waiting to be poured out.  Ok, maybe I need more sleep too.

Even though I've known about this for close to a year, it's really been the last 6 months that I've really started to get motivated and the last 6 weeks have been kick it in high gear and go go go time.  What was a light workout maybe a few days a week has turned into a intense sweat session on a daily basis.  There have been laps around the track, outdoor runs, elliptical, recumbent bikes, treadmills, free weights, weight machines, wacky exercises, you name it, I've done it.

One of the nice things about doing Tae Kwan Do with the loving husband is that I have a training partner to help me out.  Seriously, I don't think I could have done this all by myself.  There have been times when my motivation level has been located somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere and he's been the one to knock it back where it belonged.  Actually, he told me months ago that if I wanted my 2nd degree then I had to want it for myself, he couldn't want it for me.  That is very true.  I do admit, there have been many times when what I really wanted was to tell him and everyone else to take the belt and shove it.....but I was grown up enough to realize I was being childish and petty.  I had a heart to heart with myself and did decide that yes, I did want to do this. 

So for the past six weeks or so, we have been scheduling kicking time together and attempting to learn our material.  Unlike the first test, there was a lot more out of classroom practice time required.  And I also had to step it up a bit and practice on my own....not something I like doing.  But once we set up the very nice practice studio in the garage, I was able to make the commitment to practice my stuff on my own like a big girl.

There has been a lot of sweat and a few arguments involved, but we always found a way to have some fun and get a few laughs in too.  During the weekend practice sessions, we were able to bond with the Red Belts who were practicing for their Black Belt test and a spirit of camaraderie was born.  I will fondly remember the garage sessions with the husband who with almost saintlike patience helped me with those techniques that eluded me (swords anyone?) and the Skype sessions with our instructor. I ended up with a lot more bruises this time around but I guess they go with the territory.

I have no idea what the Test will bring.  I only hope that I have trained hard enough to earn this belt.  My chances of actually passing everything on the first attempt are slim, but I'm gonna give it everything I've got.  One thing I do know for certain is, I'm gonna be very very very sore the next day.




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