Had a lot that were hard, but two were recent enough that I can still remember the pain and shittiness very clearly. Usually looking back it seems like it wasn't that bad, but in this case it still makes me shudder to think of them.
The less shitty one was a 12 mile bike ride and a 3 mile run. Now normally I wouldn't consider that so difficult at all, but on this day in West Texas the winds were 25 miles per hour and gusting to almost 40. The first mile had the wind behind me, the next 5 were completely against it, next 5 with it, and the final mile which killed me the most was against it.
I immediately got off the bike and ran 3 miles. At this point it was 100 degrees and I was in hell. I was so hungry, cramped, and thirsty I couldn't stand it but I just made up my mind that I wasn't going to stop. I kept telling myself I didn't have to be fast, but I was not allowed to stop. When I finally finished I was wrecked, the wind, the heat, and already being sore from doing legs 2 days before made me really really hate my life for a while, but afterwards I was very glad I didn't quit on myself. No one was watching, no one could judge me, but I didn't let myself down and it made me feel pretty damn good. If I had had that mindset during the HARDEST workout I ever had it probably wouldn't have been so hellacious.
ANYWAYS, the hardest was in MMA class when I was getting ready for what was supposed to be my first amateur fight. It was like a month beforehand or something and after we had worked out and sparred for an hour and 15 minutes the instructor pulled me aside and told me we were about to get me ready for my fight.
He got 2 of the other instructors, 3 of our amateur fighters, one guy who had just trained there for a while, and had a little talk with them that I wasn't able to hear. He then came over to me and kind of explained himself but I didn't really understand what he was saying,
"This is going to suck and you're gonna be tired and hurting but just don't stop. There's no stopping I don't care what happens. I want to see that look in your eye."
I started getting a little nervous so I was telling myself to calm down and breathe over and over. My cardio had been bad already, and this time I couldn't stop. Then he explained to everyone who was watching and not participating that each of the 7 guys was going to come in for one minute and I had to go with all of them. We were wearing boxing gloves, headgear, and shinguards but we had MMA rules.
The first guy was someone who's number I thought I had. Our minute was all standup and I felt like I had the upper hand, but after we clinched and I worked to seperate I all of a sudden felt very tired.
Second guy has very fast hands and hit me on the chin pretty hard a couple times. I was getting mad everytime I got hit because it was pretty easy for me to realize what those shots were doing to me.
Third guy I just remember him moving REALLY fast. This is when it started getting hard. He doesn't usually throw a lot of kicks but he was that night. He was kicking to the body so much and it was taking so much out of me I was praying he would start leg kicking me instead.lol. At one point he went for an inside leg kick and kicked me SQUARE in the nuts. I kinda yelled at that point but no one was about to let me stop so I went after him. He circled to my right and I was so tired I remember thinking, if I knock him out with a head kick they'll let me stop. I NEVER throw headkicks, but I threw one that night with some ill intent on it. He caught it on his arms though and then it was time for the next guy.
Fourth was the BJJ and Judo instructor. I don't really remember much of our minute, but I think he was the first guy to take it to the ground and beat on me.
Fifth guy was the instructor who set it all up. 6'5" 305lb. professional MMA fighter and BJJ brown belt. All that was probably good because I think he was able to beat my ass without having to worry about trying too hard so he didn't go too hard. He hit me and I bounced off the wall. He punched so hard I decided to try and take him down. Not happening. He took me down, passed, mounted, beat the fuck out of me. At this point I distinctly remember thinking, here I am with my head literally bouncing off the mat and blood and snot flying out of my nose and mouth and there's not a damn thing I can do. He's not stopping, I can't tap, and I just have to lay here and take it.
Next guy was the younger guy who just graduated high school and hadn't been training for months. As he came up I could tell he was thinking I was going to be easy pickings and I just remember thinking that he hadn't been training, he had gained some weight(outweighed me by about 40lbs.) and there was no way in hell I was going to let him do anything to me. I hit him a couple times and he went for a lazy double leg. I got an overhook and an underhook, used his momentum and threw him on the ground. At that point I kinda rallied and jumped into his guard hoping I would get to rest there but he scrambled and we ended up back on the feet. NOthing much happened except I kept shooting for takedowns from way out in left field and never came close.
The last guy was an instructor who I don't have a very good relationship with.lol. He took me down, got mount and pounded me for most of the minute.
Everyone in the gym was screaming for me and I was so exhausted I could barely stand afterwards and everyone came by and hugged me after beating my ass.
My nose was swollen and bruised, both eyes were black, etc. It was a good time.hahaha