I started Muay Thai on Monday. Class starts with 10-15 min of jump rope before shadow boxing and then some combos into pads with the best partner in the world (Brent Kekoa Ramos). Then we switch.

So the first day I made Brent give me his jump rope because the ones available were all thick weird looking tubes and I felt like 😐 about it. The one I grabbed seemed way too long for me to use. I should've just brought my jump rope but I keep my jump rope at work since it's a nice go to for lunch time practice if I have the time.

Anyway, second day I feel like I should just use one of the ropes available. The thin ropes look way way too long so I grab the weird tube one. I start jump roping and at first it's all good. I'm like "oh, I guess this is weighted?" And one thing that was great was I kept going for a long time. At least it felt like that. Like easily 5-7 minutes straight in my mind lol. I'm like skipping and doing great. No big deal.

A while in, I'm like "phew, this rope really does get heavy." I stop for a second and then it happens. I keep hitting my $&@;! feet with the stupid rope! Everyone goes barefoot on the mats of this gym. So when I miss, IT REALLY HURTS!!! Like right on the top of your toes.

⚡️😤😭

And it's the same spot and same foot from there on out. To the point where it was like, "Barbara, get your shit together and don't cry in front of everyone on your second day. You're better than that." 😂😂😂😭

So I get through it, do the hard ass combos that made my brain feel so slow and other than my right foot still feeling the remnant of being whipped with that f-ing rope, I feel good. Really good like "yes, I love learning!" type of good.

Next day, do a little yoga. Feel tired, the day is not impossible.

Today: must sleep. Must not move. Must move like a sloth. My inner elbow hurts. I can't do anything I am normally capable of without issues.

Geez, it's one of those recovery cycles where it hits you harder the second day. Ugh. Okay, well, now I know.

You know, I don't mean to look at the whole thing positively but I guess my surprise keeps me coming back to 2 things:

1. I did that jump rope WAY longer than I ever have without stopping. I just feel like if I can do that then of course I can do way more complex things with it!
2. Even though that foot whip pain got to be extremely painfully intense after a while (combined with going past my threshold for cardio), after a while it faded and I forgot about until later in the evening. Then nothing. So, it does go away. It does fade.

I get the above lessons in martial arts all the time. Probably why I've stuck with it. Because would you still do something that would give you 1 if you had to go through 2? Maybe. I don't know. I suppose.

All I know is that next time I jump rope with my shoes on, I'm going to be really thankful for those shoes. 👟👟