We marked this as our last month of training together in the morning as we would be moving on to night training in the upcoming fasting month in April. This month we were introduced to new various training routines which add some spice to our morning exercises. Despite the fact that training under Performance Optimisation Center (POC) could be challenging and strenuous at times, we slowly learned to stimulate the fun that comes out of suffering together during training.
After the end of every month, Ms Rose would measure our BMI where we would get a breakdown of every area that we need to improve on in terms of our Overall weight, Body Fat Mass and Fat-Free Mass. These would be helpful for us in targeting our desired muscle gain/fat loss for the next month.
We always start off our week with long-distance running. We did our long-distance run in various places each week. Among the places we ran in were Eco-Corridor Park in Bandar, Bolkiah Garrison, around Stadium and we even did a Beach Run!
I often find myself struggling in running long distances, as back then, I would find it impossible to constantly run 10km non-stop. However after all this time running on a regular basis, keeping a constant pace within 10km is no longer that much of a struggle for me.
Among my favorite training routines is spending our mornings in the gym where we would work out either our Upper and Lower body or our Core and Back muscles. Ms Rose would demonstrate difficult workout routines (or we'd like to call it our 'menu') for us to do during those mornings in the gym.
Most of the time, the extensive number of sets and reps for a certain exercise given to us would make us question whether doing so would even be possible in the first place. However, we would soon realize that it was the whole point of our training in the first place, to get out of our comfort zone. The most memorable and painful exercise that we could agree on was the single legged deadlift, we all thought that twenty reps for five sets for that was impossible at that time.
The main highlights of the month were the hiking spots that we got to visit. I made sure to enjoy our morning hikes to the fullest as we were aware that we would not be able to go hiking at night next month for obvious reasons.
The first hiking spot of the month we went to was at Bukit Sipatir, Subok. Even though I live so near to the hiking spot, it was my first time hiking there. The hike itself was relatively easier than the route at Tasek Lama as it has less steep hills. Despite that, Hannan and I still managed to fall down twice towards the end of the hike. My falls were not too bad, Hannan on the other hand, injured her ankle for the second time within a span of two months.
The other hiking place we went to was Bukit Silat Trail, where the entrance was literally right next to the highway. Most of us weren't really familiar with this trail, however we were there for the number of waterfalls to visit within the hiking area. We enjoyed climbing up steep hills along the trail where we had the benefit of admiring the amazing views the place had to offer. There were so many man-made structures which we encountered along the trail, among them were bus stops, a wooden train and car, and we also came across a real jungle gym!
Thankfully, we got to visit some of the waterfalls and towards the end, we got the chance to take a dip and cool off in the water. Even though we finished the hike feeling like we were covered in nothing but our own sweat, We all had so much fun and it is moments like these which make training with POC cherishable and memorable.
Although it could be mentally and physically challenging at times, I have enjoyed pushing myself and slowly stepping out of my comfort zone throughout this whole month. Training our mind to wake up early every weekday for morning workouts is a good habit as it increases our productivity and keeps us in a good mood throughout the whole day. Finishing off our last week of training for the month of March, we are excited to turn to a new chapter of training at night during Ramadhan. It is an experience that we, new scholars, have yet to experience and are looking forward to.
Prepared by:
Abdurraziq Abdul Aziz,
SCRBAF Scholarship Recipient 2021
Arranged by:
Aiman Abdullah Tee
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