Kung Pow: Enter The Fist

I attempted to complete a double with the swimming earlier today, but it was not to be.

Today, I couldn't even reach twenty laps. My body was still recovering from all the strains of the last swim. The main problem I experienced while I was swimming was my breathing. Somehow, I couldn't get enough air into my system; so I struggled to complete multiple laps. By the end of the 10th lap, I struggled with much difficulty.

Not having much of a choice, I decided to just take it easy and relax in the pool. Maybe help myself to a bit of tanning. I think I'm getting pretty dark now. All that swimming in the afternoon has done wonders for my skin. It feels great to not be as white as I used to be. It must be something here in Singapore. Everyone is darker here compared to people else where. Well, that's what I notice.
Besides how Amoz baked in the sun for this Commissioning Parade, I think people are generally darker around here. Especially the males. I think it's the combination of the heat and the humidity that contributes to the darkening of our skins. Just looking at my arms, I see it so much darker than when I was back in Australia. It's not a big difference, but after staring at my arms for 17 years, I can tell the difference.
It's darker, it's tanner, it's hotter, and girls love it. I think.


At the moment, there are about three weeks of freedom left. It sounds long, but I know it isn't. If there's Frasier on the tele once a week, it means only three more Frasier episodes left before I am sent into the doom of mental and physical torture. Also known as the Police Academy.
Initially, my mindset for these three weeks was to train and prepare myself. But after what happened today in the pool, I have suddenly lost this will to train as intensely. If I am unable to complete my usual twenty laps in two days, I think the training will be harder than I anticipated. My body is not ready for the training I thought I could accomplish. After all, after months of just bumming around in front of a work computer, my body is not as fit as it once was back in January when I did my NAPFA test.
I was insanely capable of doing 51 sit-ups in one minute! I can't even do that now. I can't even get anywhere near the 50 mark. I'm starting to wonder if I really did get 51 because it seems so surreal every time I try each morning. It seems so 'unrealistic' that I was able to get that score during the NAPFA test because now that I'm trying again, I don't know how I managed to pull it off. Maybe the fact that I am 6kg heavier now plays a part in my attempt now. All the flab or muscles, or whatever is in the way, is preventing me from getting the 50 sit ups.
Then again, maybe something I can't get doing alone plays a part in my attempts now - if we compared it to when I did the test that day, there were other sources of motivation. When I did it that day, there were 3 others doing it with me. If I remember correctly, during some stage of that minute, I heard the others calling out the number of sit ups they did and when I compared it with the number that I had done, I was falling behind.
That really kept me pumping. I fed on the thought of not wanting to get the lowest score and pushed myself to go up and down.

With 10 seconds left, I pushed myself even harder. The pain in my abs were excruciating but I had to push harder. Up and down, up and down, until time was up.
What I got was something I thought the other 3 guys would beat easily; but it turned out during that day, I got the highest score. I got the higest score on this test and on basically everything else. Victory was sweet.

But now, I'm beginning to question my fitness. After what I call a disappointing result in my swim today, I'm starting to wonder if I will be as fit as I want to be for the Police force.
My 'aim' for my fitness is to be as fit as I will ever be. I want to be much fitter than when I was back in school because it's time for me to grow. I want to take advantage of what they are going to teach me and put it to full use. This is so easily said than done. Anyone can say this. But what's gonna be different about this is that I really want to try. If I don't try, I will be very disappointed in myself. I have to.

This is my opportunity to learn something not everybody will have a chance to learn, and this is my chance to bulk up to the point where I'm happy.
As a kid, I've always wanted a 'tanky' body. I think this goes back way before we left for America in 1996. There was always something about it that appealed to me and since then, I've had this mindset to get that body during some stage in my life. I was determined to get it sooner or later, and it looks like my opportunity is here.
It seems like I am at that stage where my body will develop rapidly over a short period of time and on top of that, I am not really putting on weight as fat as I eat like a pig. So given that this opportunity to grow is right in front of me, I want to take hold of this and convert that into what I call muscular and height build. My mum is suggesting that I could grow another few more centimetres to hit the six foot mark. At this stage, it's possible, but I think I will need more calcium. Back in Australia, we would drink milk like water which I think played a large role in our development. Here in Singapore, there is less access to the milk because not many people drink milk here. So I think it's time for me to make that move and grab some before it's too late.

Ok ok, for those who are concerned, I am not thinking of a wrestler's body. Even though the prospect of having tanky body parts does seem quite lovely to have, I don't think it will suit me. Very few asians look 'appealing' in a tanky wrestler body. So don't worry about me going overboard. If I can't control myself from going to the gym two times a day, someone will have to take me down. Or at least try to. =P