I've heard that the first two weeks are rough and then it gets easier. I disagree. The first week was rough and then it gets easier. I know we did pretty much the same things as the first week, but it just didn't seem as difficult. I suspect that this is because I actually had time to rest this past weekend. I had arrived at the school on a Sunday, had an optional intro lesson with one of the Sifus that same day, and immediately started serious training that Monday morning with no time to recover from my trip. This past weekend I was able to take it easy as there is no formal training on the weekends, although I did go for a 4km run on Sunday to help prep for the week. I still hate running, though.
Last weekend I took a bus into Mouping with some fellow students to get a few things I need and to eat something different from what they serve at the school. Among other things, I bought a duck from a street vendor. 'Twas a complete duck, cooked, for 20 quai (about 3.27 USD), and it was yummy. I also picked up some running shoes. Feiyues are great martial arts shoes, but they're terrible for running in.
Tuesday morning, I seemed to be rocking the run. I was way ahead of most of the rest of the Mantis group. I ran to the tree that marks the halfway point and then turned around to run back. On the way back another of the Mantis students who was walking (much to my surprise as he is normally a very motivated runner) hailed me to inform me that, on Tuesday mornings, we go up to the temple to train so I shouldn't be running back to the school. No wonder I was ahead of everyone. Last Tuesday we hadn't gone to the temple because it was our Sifu's turn to remain on duty at the school. Furthermore, I had left my water bottle at the usual training area thinking that was where I was running back to. The upside of this is that, to get water while at the temple I had to climb a small hill that went up to a stone dragon fountain at the side of the temple and the view was lovely, so I went back later and took some pictures.
Wednesdays are truly the hump day for me here. The morning conditioning and heavy bag training is fine; the afternoon power training right after the temple run is the killer. I spoke to whom I believe to be the strongest runner in our group and he said that he doesn't run the entire way to the temple and back although he does run at least 90% of it. He said that he can and has run the entire way but he's completely exhausted afterwards. Nevertheless, I will run the entire way before I leave a year from now. It'll probably be at a very slow pace and probably only once, but I will do it before I leave.
Friday of the first week was the periodic big mountain run. This only occurs every couple of months or so from what I'm told. Friday of the second week was a more typical Friday. We had Sanda training in the morning, consisting mostly of partner drills and heavy bag training. In the afternoon, we had what is called the mountain run, not to be confused with the previous Friday's big mountain run.
A fellow Mantis student explained to me that the mountain run involves going past the temple and up the mountain to Yanxia Cave, then going up and down the stairs between the temple and the cave. This is repeated in the time allotted (an hour and a half) with the goal being six ascents. He advised me that I might see someone carry a log up the mountain, although this is purely optional and very few do so. The preference is to run up and down, but I saw that only the particularly accomplished runners ran up although many did walk up and run down, and of course many just walked the entire way. Having not yet done the mountain run, I chose to just walk my first time for a total of four ascents. Next time I'll try walking up and running down. As I was about to begin my third ascent, I saw a descending student carrying the log. I asked him if I could carry it to the top, and he handed me the log. After a short time I began questioning the wisdom of this decision as it made the ascent much more difficult but I was committed at that point and continued carrying the log to the top. I received accolades for this from many other students as I passed them. On the way down I chose to repeatedly move the log from one shoulder to the other to work my arms as the descent seemed too easy by comparison otherwise.
I find that in some things I slack off and in some things I push myself too hard. In doing the bear crawls, frog jumps, and duck walks up and down the hill after the Wednesday temple run - this being the part of the power training that I have a hard time with - I try to take it as easy as possible, but when it came to the stance training I grabbed the heaviest bricks I could find - the ones the other students were avoiding. A pair of bricks doesn't seem like much, but I assure you that, when holding them through over 10 minutes of going thru stances, those suckers get heavy. Sifu saw my exertions and took the bricks from me partway through and replaced them with smaller ones. One of the students commented that it was bit crazy to try it with the ones I grabbed. Similarly, I walked my first mountain run (slacker) but also carried the log (overachiever). Hopefully I'll figure out the middle ground at some point.
There is a notable lack of fruit in our diet here, so this morning I walked down the road to a street vendor and purchased a bag of pears for the week.
The first week was an adjustment, but after the second week I'm glad that I'm here.
