rushismissfit: September 2010

DAY 23

Play Kloofnek

Brilliant brilliant Monday!! Perfect weather for a 05:00 run up Kloofnek. Not in the mood to eat (Surprisingly) I eat a plum and dates anyway before I leave the house to meet Shanaaz in Kloof street, I will most probably not make it home in time to eat anything. We run up slowly, she tells me about her 15km she lazily did the day before, thank goodness I think, fantastic excuse to encourage her that we should take it slow... Chatting all the way up about whether or not I should enter the Gun Run 21km or 10km. I know what distance I should be doing, but I've never ever had the desire to run a 21km. What for? There are buses and taxi's and cars and hitch-hiking and rick Shaw's, would I ever really need to run for 2 hours? I don't see the point. Running around and up a mountain on the other hand is something that I would go gaga for. Anyway I'll just do it. Because I can. Before we know it we are on top. Absolutely effortless, non-stop, all the way. Mark from 360 Specialized Training http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=743104999&ref=ts would be proud. Goal next week: Hill REPEAT!!! In the car I'm on a race for time, hardly chewing my green apple, swallowing it whole like an ogre before sunrise, I know I'll be just fine...

Shanaaz for President! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=114006678638087&ref=ts

Panther Martial Arts, 436 Corner of Lower Salt River Main Road & Albert Road, Contact 072 290 4328

20:55 I managed to drive myself to Panther Martial Arts Studio in Salt River. One would swear that I'm being fitnapped, takkied, and black-bagged into these sweat fests, hell no, I sign up for this type of torture. First student there, be more keen please. Greeted by the homeless couple setting up residence at the entrance no 436 on the corner of Lower Salt River Main Road and Albert Road, we take our shoes off and Mikhail advises I take my socks off too to prevent slipping. The place is a fantastic infestation of sweat, battered plastic in all forms of punching bags, a ring, a vintage mini weight area, monkey bars and a functional zone. It screams of hard work and business and character that is unfaulted. We begin and Houssain has all 9 of us, 8 boys and myself kicking onto a soft MD Ball. Heart rate already escalating, its love at first sight. We do insane variations of burpees, explosive lunges, footwork, knee jumps, plank climbers, squat kicks, spinning kicks, and a creative bouquet of abdominal core crunches, explosive explosive explosive, the boys are sweating and I'm keeping up!!


Thabit demonstrating Upside Down Pushups

Mikhail getting ready to kick

We proceed to punching sets then floor work, kicking sets more floor work, and the shins are terribly weak, I try my best knowing that it will be a Shin War tomorrow, we do sprints in teams and squat holds and there is plenty of shouting and screaming and fun being had, its amazing what an endorphin release can do when people get together and sweat. 80min later, I am drenched and buzzing. The boys all strip down and it feels like Yoga studio dress code with added dirt and I look like a hosed down mud runner.

Forget about Sweaty t-shirt rating @ Panther, its Sweaty pant rating: 8/10

Getting a word in, Zain & Houssain Taleb on 1 on 1


Yazeed doing under grip pull-ups, feet @ 90

Deen

Looking at my feet and every exposed body part covered in the gym filth that is Panther Martial Arts! Houssain takes 1 on 1 sessions and pumps it up pushing everyone to their individual point of deflection. He leaves me lying on my back, feet in the air gasping for breath, we drop like flies. We finish off with holding squats and crazy arm shoulder twitches and toe strengthening calve raises.