Balance

Balancing 2 passions can be tricky. So far running and TKD have not been at odds with one another. TKD is a great cross-training activity that exercises every single muscle of the body , including my mind. Running helps build endurance and stamina which I can then use in TKD.

My passion for both sports is pretty much 50/50 right now, but I have a significant goal that I am trying to achieve in each. The first goal is in TKD. Next week I will be testing for my blue stripe level. My running goal is of course to run my first half-marathon. That isn’t until May of this year.

It’s been almost a year since I last tested for a new belt level in TKD and I still don’t feel 100% ready. I will have to demonstrate 6 patterns, ranging from 7 to 28 moves each. I will have to spar for a minimum of 2 minutes against an opponent who may be strong/bigger/better than I am, using as many techniques and combos as possible. I will have to do 2 different step-sparring demos – essentially 2 person patterns with specific steps and movements and then I may have to answer theory and history questions. In order to be ready for all of that in just over a week, I’ve decided to put running on hold and attend as many TKD classes as I can before the testing date. As luck would have it, my new job is only a 5 minute drive from the Sackville Dojang, so I can attend classes on Tues, Thurs and Fri, giving me 4 more classes then I would get if I only trained in Halifax.

An hour TKD class is much more physically taxing than a mid-week, low mileage run. I’m certainly feeling it today and I’ve only done 1 extra class so far. I am feeling much more ready to test, so I know that it is the right decision.

There is risk of injury with both sports. I am still covered in bruises from sparring in a TKD class more than 2 weeks ago and my hips are not too happy with me today after some of the stretches we did last night. With that in mind, I will be taking a break from TKD as my half-marathon training ramps up in the spring. I would hate to have spent 20 weeks training for a race only to have to pull out at the last minute from an injury from a different sport.

And then there is the idea of balancing all of this activity with family, work and the rest of my life. That is a whole other post!