These past 90 days of KFB have passed very fast and are hard to describe. As Patrick said, the results of KFB are subtler and thus, harder to grasp and explain.
I'll try to explain as best as I can what happened during the 90 days and since it's going to be a long reflection, I'll make this a two parts tale with photos of my outdoors training at the lovely Wittener Park some three weeks ago.
flying like a crane
I loved the idea of joining the pilot KFB group because I was thrilled with the results of PCP and I felt that I didn't want to stop there, my body wanted to keep on exercising and it's always fun to join brilliant people on their new adventures.
I have to admit that I was ready for the daily training but not so eager to be strict with food weighing or not having summer treats. I guess that's my old mind set and body wanting to take a break from the hard time that PCP was.
I was also a little afraid that this new training period would consume as much time and focus as the PCP, which I couldn't afford this time. And on the emotional level I was also a bit tense to think that my angry monster would wake up again.
There was only one way to find out so I signed in and the fun began.
From the first day I loved the exercises. They were a great way to use all the strength and muscle I have gained plus facing new challenges like improving balance, endurance and coordination.
At times I felt discouraged with the new exercises. How clumsy I felt the first session with the ping pong ball or never being able to knock down the paper; and how ridiculous I must look at the freestyle mix sets.
But as soon as I understood that it was only natural to suck at something I have never done, exercising turned into a fun moment and the next time I enjoyed it. So I learned the beauty of sucking at something, giving it a try anyway and improving. A big lesson for my ego.
I swear I can do at least 10 push ups per set
I also learned to workout first thing in the morning. I can only recommend it. You feel invigorated and begin the day doing something great for yourself.
The KFB exercise routine has a peculiar effect. With the weeks you begin to feel that it is always the same. Same moves, same sets, same combinations. This has the risk of making you loose interest. But on the other hand, those fixed exercises are never easy. You never feel like you have mastered the moves or that you finish the sets without effort. There's always something to improve; as a result, everyday feels different. So I think that for our cluttered and fast internet / tv / stress loaded minds doing the same simple thing over and over again is the hardest challenge. In this way I learned patience and constancy.
On the physical level I can say that my body did change. I shrank. I need to buy a smaller size of pants, my core section is harder than ever and my arms are thinner but stronger. Not as spectacular as last time, but these are the kind of changes that make you smile alone and want to keep on improving.
I'm sure my cardiovascular resistance has improved, but as I mentioned before, I still have to get used to this Andean atmosphere to see how much I gained.
mhhh... I need to work on the posture!
On the flexibility level my results are moderate. I can stay the 30 long minutes on the wide angle and it's wider than weeks ago, but I still have a lot of work to do. The tips Patrick gave us were very helpful to make the stretching sessions a mindful moment and obtain results. I also learned that flexibility is what takes more time and effort to attain.
Meditation was an important component of the training. How simple it is to sit down and shut up for 5 minutes and at the same time how hard. This short daily practice has opened a new universe to me. I feel like I have only touched the shore of an immense ocean. Now I want to train my mind as hard as my body and get amazed. Any recommendations on how to get deeper on meditation?
Tomorrow: second part
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