The desire for water

It is hot in Thailand. It may not be the hottest season but if you are from Germany, Thailand is definitely a hot place for you. Already after the warm-up my sweaty rashguard sticks to my body and I have to wipe drips of sweat from my eyes. While my experience back home was that your thurst during the class depends on how much water you drank before training during the day; this does not go in Thailand.

I know about the drastic effect of water shortage on your physical performance, so I have always payed attention to drinking enough and pay even more attention to it since I am here. But still after five weeks it feels like a fight I cannot win.

I stand up from the guard of Glenn and we clap hands. Sweat runs down my forearms, my legs and my forehead. Every inch of my body, not covered by clothes, is not covered with hundreds of beads of sweat. It is just half-way through the training and the mats already look like someone emptied two big buckets of water on them. If someone wears a cotton t-shirt instead of synthetic sports clothes it not only changed its colour for two shades darker but it may become at least one size bigger – and maybe two sizes longer. Hanging stretched and shapeless on the body of its owner.

"Grab some water guys! And then we´ll do another drill for passing the guard." Dylan tells us while grabbing one of these small glass bottles filled with an yellow, isotonic sports drink, he always has in his bag. We talked about this drink: for him these are his special drinks what for me is ice coffee since I am here. I did not drink a lot of coffee before I came here. But basically I am powerless against the superiority of restaurants and stands selling ice coffee for a 15 to 30 Baht. There are seven different places only on my street – one right in front of my door. Really, they force you to get addicted here. But this is another story.

When I go and get my bottle of water to quench my thirst and have the first sip my body craves for more – I just raised the bottle to my lips and it is already half-empty. My body absorbs the water like a sponge. We are just training for 45 minutes now and I could already drink two litres.
This is one of the feelings I hate! You drink half a liter and the satisfaction lasts for maybe a minute. Just after two repetitions of the next drill later you start to be thirsty again. Your throat becomes dry and you feel like you already lost more sweat than water you drank just seconds ago.

With the bottle in my hand I hear a voice inside my head: "Simply do it! Drink more! You are thirsty – it will feel good!". I have another small sip and close the bottle - unsatisfied. Never will I make this mistake again. Never drink too much when in the mid of a hard workout. And I am – Dylan can be a drill seargant (he just lacks the shouting at you and calling you names. Maybe drill seargant is the wrong word. Polite slave-driver fits better.)

Have you ever done that mistake? Did you ever have to go all-out with your belly filled with a litre of water? This feeling as if waves hit your abdominal wall? This feeling as if the water inside of you is getting more and more and starting to overfill you? This feeling as if all the food you ate in the last two days swims on the top of this dangerous lake inside of you and finding its way up your throat?

With a heavy heart I throw the bottle on my backpack and get back on the mat. To continue the workout. 45 minutes more. But I am thirsty...

...to be continued