FIGHT NIGHT... and the Days After

Well... I did it. I set a goal and I did it. I wanted to lose weight, I wanted to train to fight and I wanted to step in the ring. I didn't win, but I did what I set out to do and I couldn't be more proud of myself. After watching the video of my fight, I KNOW I could be better and I could win in the ring, but I just don't have the passion for it. What I experienced was REALLY cool! I will forever remember the night I stepped into an American Amatuer Boxing Association ring... fought an official match... and had fans chanting, "Ali, Ali, Ali!" Truly unforgetable! However, I won't be doing it again. I didn't hate it... but I didn't love it!

That being said, I would like to thank first and foremost my coach, Barbara Niggel for pushing me beyond anything I thought I could do. I'd like to thank the personal trainers at Willy's Gym for putting together programs for me to follow and keeping me on my diet. I'd like to thank everyone who trained along side me and/or sparred with me including Alex & Scott Wagenhoffer-Zahn, Bryan Carlander, Way Yeun and Anthony & Bailey Burke. I want to thank my opponent, who was such a great kid! I want to thank my entire family and all my friends for your love and support. I want to thank EACH AND EVERY PERSON who told me I could do it, who cheered me on, who believed in me. And a huge thank you to everyone who came to the fight. By far, this is one of the coolest things I've ever done in my life and I will cherish it always.

Below is a link to the fight on youtube. Enjoy!

T-Minus 4 Days Until Fight Night

Last night I sparred for the second time. I boxed with two black belts, one who... even though he probably wasn't going full speed... has been boxing/fighting his whole life. I wasn't wowing anybody with amazing skills, but I held my own. I learned that I can take punches without getting emotional or being too upset about it. I learned what it feels like to get hit square in the nose. I learned what it feels like to get hit "on the button". I had a lights out moment where my legs went wobbly and couldn't move my arms... but I recovered and kept going. I also learned that keeping my chin tucked is SUPER important. Why? Because sometimes you get hit in the throat... which is what happened to me. I left myself open and got clocked. I lost my breath, felt like I was choking. It was pretty scary, but I'm ok now. Tuck your chin!! I had a bit of a headache, but for the most part, I'm perfectly fine. I got in a handful of good shots myself so I feel pretty good about Saturday.

If you want tickets... www.capefights.com get them before they sell out! GO ME!

Day #77: Tickets on Sale

Hello friends and blog followers...

I don't have much to update on my training because it's become pretty much a routine at this point. I've dropped down to 218 (which is 24 pounds lighter than when I started, go me) and things are going well.

The real point of this particular blog is to tell all of you that tickets are now on sale. You can get them three different ways:

1- Go to www.capefights.com and order them online.

2- Get them from me. General Admission is $25. I need money before I can give you a ticket. Get in touch with me if you choose this option.

3- Get them at the door the night of the fight. There is the possibility the show will be sold out, so you're taking a risk by waiting... plus ticket prices go up if you wait to buy them there, General Admission seats will be $35 the night of the fight.

I will be donating 10% of every ticket I physically sell to the David Cohen Foundation and Cohenfest, a charity that donates all its' proceeds to the Jimmy Fund and the American Liver Foundation (for more information go to www.cohenfest.com) While you're at it, go buy a ticket to Cohenfest too :)

I hope everyone can make it to the fight! I'm excited to step into the ring for the first time! Go me!

Day #62: First Sparring Session

Today I fought someone, sort of. It's the first time I stood across from someone else wearing gloves/headgear/etc and we had the same goal, to punch and kick each other. It wasn't terrible. It wasn't awesome. I guess I'm somewhat indifferent about it. I've never been kicked that hard and, that I can remember, I've never attacked someone with the intent to hurt them. I didn't have nearly the type of control I wanted to have. Once I was hit and it kind of hurt I was pissed. I didn't care much about control or accuracy or technique; I just started throwing punches and hope they hurt. What sort of sucked was that the blackbelt across from me is Alex, someone I care about and I didn't really want to hurt him. I did get a little emotional about it later on. It was good in the sense that it pointed out some things I need to work on.

- I need to not try to swat someone away when they hit me, I have to learn to block it while keeping my guard up.
- I need to not take it personal when someone punches me in the head.
- I need to keep my chin tucked so that when I am punched, my head doesn't fly backwards and give me whiplash.
- I need to point my toes more when I kick because I now have a quarter-sized bruise on my right foot along with swelling, from not kicking correctly.

So I have a few things to work on for sure. I don't think I would have learned those things without actually fighting someone, so my first sparring session was helpful. I also learned that its VERY TIRING to punch someone and have them punch and kick you. I was drained for the entire day after that. Looks like I may need more cardio too! Go me!

Day #52 Baby Steps

Things have been going as they always have... training, sticking to my 300 workout, 5 miles every other day. Its been hard because I've sort of hit a wall as far as losing weight goes and I know Barbara would perfer to have me fighting closer to 200 than 220. But I'm trying not to lose sight of my goal.

Today I recorded myself again to see if I had made any improvements on the last session. I think I have. Less head movement, more keeping my hands up to block my face and I learned a few more kicks so I'm slightly more complete. I can see that I still have a long way to go but it's nice to notice that I am getting better. Here it is...



I think I will keep recording myself in small doses. It helps me see what I am doing wrong and fix it myself before getting punched in the face. Truthfully, I'd rather not learn the hard way :)

Barbara told me this week that I would be sparring soon, possibly as early as this weekend, so I am sure I will have another update sonner rather than later. Go me!

Days #38-#44 In The Right Direction

I've stopped writing about the everyday, because it seems the everyday has become monotonous. The training has been the same, being pushed further and further, the same cardio, the same lifting, the same bag work. But day #44 was a little different. I did bag work early in the day and had myself video taped. As an athlete, some of the best training comes while watching yourself and picking up your mistakes and TRUST ME, I picked out a half dozen things I need to work on.



I need to cover my face, I have to stop throwing my head when I punch, shorten up the swing of my hook... just a few things I realize I need to work on, but you'll see it all there in the video.

Later on that night, I also learned some new kicks. I had a front kick and saber kick. I added an axe kick which comes from the top down onto my opponents shoulder (which is really hard to throw), a counter-saber and a side kick. So I have to work on those. I have a lot of things to work on, but it's a good thing my match was moved to August, so I have time to work on them! Go me!

Days #35 - #37: First Contact

All day Sunday I was BEYOND excited to start training again. Why? Because Saturday night was the first boxing matches in the Cape Fights series. It was awesome! At first I was so intimidated by the ring, the lights, the crowd... but as the fights wore on in the night, I became more and more excited to get in the ring and compete. Although the fights have been postponed until August, which gives me more time to train, I was still pumped to get back into my training!

Monday morning I did a few miles on the treadmill and a lifting circuit. I didn't have much time, but I squeezed in what I could before work. Later on in the evening, we got a training session with Barbara with the heavy bags. Before we did that though, she told me to put headgear on, which means I was going to get hit... for the first time! At first I was excited because I'd never really been hit before and I wanted to know how I would react and what it would be like... and then I got hit, and I decided I wasn't as excited anymore. I traded head kicks with two Poekoelan black belts, Alex and Bryan, honestly... not my idea of a good time. The first couple kicks weren't bad, and I was surprised I could ACTUALLY kick someone else in the head (ie, get my leg up high enough). And then she started yelling, "Faster! Kick harder!" and they did. And a few times, I saw some stars. The moral of the story is.... I'd better kick my opponent before she kicks me because it doesn't tickle! But the good news is I was able to get some information out of it. I wasn't sure how I would react to being kicked or punched in the face, and now I know. It makes me really, really angry. I kept my composure though and managed just to kick them back harder... a little more focused. So that's great news! It means I won't just lose my cool, forget my training and go ape on my opponent, which would be ill-advised.

All in all it was another sweat-filled training session and my head is just fine... a few bruises on my shoulders from "missed" kicks, but no damage. Awesome. Go me!

Days #28-#34: My Body Fights Back

I haven't written because I've been sick... and being as sick as I am means I haven't been allowed to train. Not that I don't want to, or I'm wimping out, Barbara hasn't allowed me to. And it's a good thing too because my body seems pretty upset with all the punishment it's been taking and is letting me know! It does prove to me that I need to get in shape and STAY in shape ... I'm pretty sure I'm just worn down from all of the intense workouts. Once I get to my goal weight/fitness level, I plan on staying there. I have to say, I'm a little disappointed with not being able to workout recently, and I know once I start up again it will be hard to get back to where I was, but I'm determined NOT to let this bump in the road deter me from my goal. Wish me luck! ha ha.. GO ME! :)

Days #24, #25, #26 and #27: Healing

I'm writing about four days together because I didn't work out ANY of those days. In fact today, day #27, was the first day since my last work out that I've been able to walk without pain. Ive been sticking to my diet as perfect as ever but I've been unable to workout. It's a little bit disheartening, but it's a big eye opener for what my body is and isn't capable of doing. I guess it's true, I'm really not a kid anymore and it takes a little longer for my body to heal. I will have a workout tomorrow later in the day and then most likely another intense one on Tuesday. I do know that I will be ready to go and that makes me happy. Go me!

Days #21, #22 and #23: Hitting the Wall

Day #21 (three weeks into my training) I started my "300 Workout" which consists of the following:
- 100 Squats
- 50 Jumping Jacks
- 50 Lunges - Left Leg
- 50 Lunges - Right Leg
- 25 Push Ups
- 25 Star Jumps
My goal is to do all of these, three rounds, and record my time, twice a week and then beat my time. This idiot *points to self* did squats first... it was all down hill after that. Now, as a former catcher, I USED TO have really strong legs. But I haven't been behind the plate in almost 10 years and you know what they say, "Use it or lose it" ... evidently I lost it. I finished my squats and did the jumping jacks and then the push ups. I was on lunge number 15 when my legs collapsed from under me and I fell on my face. Awesome. I got back up and tried to continue but with no luck. Instead, I "ran" to the bathroom and threw up. Even better. It took me 45 minutes just to get through round one, which I didn't finish, so technically it was a short workout, but it kicked my ass just the same.

Day #22 I spent the night at Chelsey's, so rather than drive 40 minutes to the gym to workout, I did my M/W/F routine there. I set myself up for a five mile run/walk which wound up only being three miles because my legs were still ridiculously sore from the previous day. But I finished out the three miles, did my 100 knee lifts, worked out as best I could the knife edge and zen push ups and finished up with the worlds hottest shower. By the end of the night, I could barely move my legs. At one point, I tried to move them off the table they were resting on while I was watching TV and I couldn't even do that, Chel had to push them off the table! Ludicrous! It was an awful night trying to get comfortable enough to sleep and I spent the majority of the night lying awake on the couch.

Day #23 was the first day I said "No. I am NOT working out today, I don't care who or when I am fighting. I can't do it." In a way, I feel like a wuss... but when I got to work and spoke to Dr. Judy, the head trainer at the gym, she confirmed that this was probably a good idea. She ran me through a few range of motion tests and said I probably shouldn't have even done three miles yesterday... that I NEED TO REST before I work out again or I risk tearing a quad muscle and being out for 6-8 weeks. So even though I feel a LITTLE guilty about not working out today, I could hardly walk, so it's probably best that I don't. I'm on orders to ice, heat, massage and most importantly, rest. Should be a day or two before I work out again. So I've hit a bump in the road, but I'll be ok. Go me!

Days #19 and #20: Turning the Corner

Day #19 was Sunday, and therefor my day off. I was RIDICULOUSLY sore from the intense workout on Saturday so it was very much needed. I took good care of myself with an hour of stretching, a few protein-packed meals and plenty of sleep! Not much to report on this day... but recovery was necessary!

Day #20 was the first day of the planned workouts which look like this:
M/W/F - 5 Mile Run
- Knife Edge Push Ups
- Zen Push Ups
- 100 Knee Lifts
- Soccer Ball Kicks
What are all these? Well this is sort of a Knife Edge Push Up except we do them with our hands at the chest instead of under the shoulder. I can do about one... ok maybe more like half of one. Technicality. Zen Push Ups are hard to describe, especially without a visual. Basically laying on your chest, you put your arms out to the side so you look like the letter "T" and with your palms flat, try to push your body up off the ground. Try it. You'll see why I can't even remotely lift any portion of my body ...at all. BUT with both of these, I'm at least TRYING and using the muscles it takes to do it so hopefully at some time soon I will be able to do them. Knee lifts are where I hold my hands up to block and lift the knees outside of my arms as high as I can. I can make it through these though its difficult and afterward, my hips are on fire! I wonder if I'm even allowed to use my knees... we'll find out hopefully soon! Kicking the soccer ball teaches me how to keep my feet directly below my knees and thus maximizing the power of the kick.

I didn't make the whole five miles, but only because I ran out of time. I did the last 1.5 miles on the bike because it's faster and I didn't want to quit before the 5 were done.

Though it wasn't required, I also spent 40 minutes in Poekoelan class with Scott hitting the bag. Tomorrow is the first day of the "300" Workout from Eric done on Tues/Thurs. Wish me luck. Go me!

Day #18 Take it to the Limit

Saturday, June 5th, 2010... Day #18... the day I was prepared to be pushed to the brink, did just that and couldn't wait for more!

Waking up before 8am is an anomaly for me, in that it doesn't happen very often. But this morning I rolled out of bed at 7:30am, drank a few cups of coffee, ate my egg whites with dry toast and left for the gym at 9:00. When I got there, Scott (who is also fighting in July) told me we had to do five 3-minute rounds of jumping rope to warm up. Fat kids are not meant to jump... which is why you don't see any frumpy basketball or volleyball players, or for that matter, high jumpers! But I did it and then did another 15 minutes on the treadmill to warm up. When Barbara got there (along with Bryan, another fighter), we did three rounds each in a circuit... one punching the pads, one shadowboxing and another jumping rope. At this point, we had been doing an hour of intense workouts. But evidently, we were just starting.

We went into the group exercise room to hang up the heavy bags, put the kickers and gloves back on and got to work. We did another five rounds of kicking and punching the bags non-stop. Towards the end, I was so exhausted I could barely move... but we did another round of sit ups and tried to do one of push ups until she realized none of us could so much as lift ourselves off the ground. I'm pretty proud of all three of us though, as little as we could do toward the end, nobody gave up. We learned what our weekly routines will be like along with a cardio and plyo workout from the head trainer, Eric. One of the members of the gym stopped me on my way out of the training and asked how it went and how did I feel, I said "That was awesome, can't wait to do it again!" Go me!

Days #15, #16 and #17: A Lesson Learned

Day #15 I trained on my own at the Eastham Willy's in the gymnasium, shadowboxing and kicking the soccer ball to work on my kicks. I pushed myself... I worked hard... I earned myself a cozy 15 minutes in the hot tub and I was proud of myself. I really tried to get the mechanics of the kick down while kicking the ball and when I shadowboxed, I tried to incorporate those mechanics into kicking... more than just the ball, of course. I can't wait to spar, because I still feel as though I'm missing a few aspects of what will be ahead of me and the sooner I know what lies ahead the better.

Day #16 was a day of rest for me, as I accompanied my girlfriend to the wake and services of her neighbor and friend, Marc. Not only did I not work out, but I figured I had earned myself a little cheating room. So I had a couple drinks at the reception afterwards and I ate food that maaayyyybbbeee isn't really part of my diet. I went to bed later than normal and the whole day was pretty much a loss.

Day #17 ...is when I learned my biggest lesson. Taking a day off to rest is ok, but cheating on my diet and doing things that aren't helping me is STUPID! I am SO mad at myself for screwing off day sixteen because today when I tried to work out, I was exhausted, I didn't have the energy, I was lethargic and I couldn't even really get done the things I wanted to do. I could have done the 20 minutes of cardio and half hour of lifting program I USED to do before I started training, no problem. But these intense workouts require energy and I just didn't have it. So needless to say (but of course I'm saying it anyway) I learned my lesson. No more mental days off, no more cheating and ... no more being an ass! You heard it here first! I'm disappointed, but I'm glad I learned the lesson right away instead of making the mistake more than once. Live and learn. Go me!

Days #13 and #14

So day #13 wasn't bad... I pushed myself, but I wasn't dead at the end of it. I shadowboxed in my apartment for about an hour. The GREAT news is that I feel as though had I done this two weeks ago, I might have been far more tired and been able to do far less the next day. It actually feels as though I am getting somewhere, which is an incredible feeling. I also videotaped myself (with a camera phone, nothing crazy) so I could see myself and found I am leaving a few spots open during particular punches and kicks. It was awesome for me to get an idea of what someone else will be seeing so I can close up those gaps and better protect myself. I won't say it was a brilliant idea but... I'm pretty smart :)

Day #14 is, by far, the biggest ass-kicker of all the days. In the morning I did a bunch of cardio, treadmill.. elliptical.. and shadowboxing, all with the knowledge that I would be stepping into the Third Phase Poekoelan class later in the night. When I got into class, I put on the boxing gloves (which are Bryan's) and a pair of kickers (which are sort of like shin guards... also Bryan's) and everyone had a bag to fight. We did five 3-min rounds of straight punching and kicking, ie beating the crap out of the bag. I also spent that time being taught a few kicks since I've never actually kicked anyone, or really anything, before... just ask Jorge how bad I am at soccer and kickball! The 6th round was spent doing 3-min of sit-ups with punches at the top and the 7th round was spent doing push ups. I can't do A SINGLE push up, but I already knew that!

I was covered in sweat from head to toe, I've NEVER had sweat drip off me like that before. I couldn't get a good grip on the floor because my hands were so slippery, so I would try to push myself up and do a face plant on the wood floor. But I kept getting up and trying again, and when my arms gave out, I hit the floor and tried again. I may not have done a single push up, but I'm pretty proud of myself for not ever stopping my effort. I'll let you know when I can do a single push up ha ha it will be a day of victory! I'm sure I will be feeling the pain of tonight's workout tomorrow morning even though I stretched and hydrated. Tomorrow is another work out day... wish me luck. Go me!

Days #11 and #12: Now We're Getting Somewhere!

Day #11: I weighed myself before my workout... and I've lost six pounds since starting! That's exciting! The other day I was a little discouraged by just two pounds, but six.... now we're talking! I did two miles warm-up on the treadmill and was a little more motivated to be punching the bag. I also threw in some kicks, trying to simulate what it would be like to be hitting a person. Again, this is all very new to me and perhaps it's not even close to what it will be like, but it has been very helpful. I've competed in a lot of different sports, but they were all team sports and none in which my opponents goal was to hurt me, or I to hurt them. I'm not scared, not even close. But I am nervous. I'm nervous because I don't know what it's like to walk down an aisle to a ring to music I selected and a crowd watching me. I don't know what it's like to stand in the center of said ring listening to instructions by a referee. I don't know how to celebrate after I win... though I am planning on knowing exactly what all those things feel like. For the time being, I imagine them while I am training and sometimes that helps pull me through. After my work out and then work, I went to see Chel, who helps me stick to my diet by making me an amazing fish dinner...

Day #12... and also a spinach/egg whites omelet. She's wonderful. Sometimes I find it difficult to stick to my diet when I'm not training that day. It's hard to be focused ALL the time on a particular goal, but I suppose that is what I have to do to make it happen. In a way, I have to treat it as if I am training all the time. I am definitely excited to see where the whole journey takes me. Go me!

Day #10 "All this for two pounds? Really?"

This was what I said to myself when I stepped on the scale. I lost two pounds. *sigh* I know I have a long way to go before the fight and a lot more hard work ahead of me, but I was SORT OF hoping the weight would just... ya know, FALL off. No such luck. I am trying to keep in mind that I've gained muscle, so evening out isn't too bad. It was, however, another mental challenge to step back into the workout knowing what I'd done thus far hadn't really caused me to lose weight.

I set the heavy bag up in the group ex room, turned the lights down low and the AC up high and went to work. I think today was probably one of the more helpful of workouts because hitting the bag gave me some sort of idea what it will be like to hit a person (though I'm sure its not all that close to the same thing). Its very different than hitting pads on the hands of my trainer to either side of her head. I was alone, so I spent a lot of my time figuring things out mechanically and putting together a series of strikes that made sense to me, mixing things up and trying new things. It was a good workout, though I hope Day #20 brings me closer than -4 pounds!

Days #8 and #9: On My Own

Day #8 was hard. Not because I was pushed to the limit or because I had to persevere through a tough workout. It was hard because after a week of pushing my body far beyond what it's been through before, I hadn't lost one single pound of weight. If you're just joining me on my journey, my goal is to lose between 30-40 pounds of fat before my fight and trust me, I have it to lose. Truth be told it was hard to convince myself to eat nothing but fish for lunch, strap on the boxing gloves and push myself. I'm impatient like that, I guess. But I did... I ate nothing but fish for lunch, I put the gloves on and pushed myself again, trying to remind myself that someone would be trying to kick me in the face and if I didn't hit them before they hit me, I would lose. Sure, finishing the workout was hard, but not as hard as starting the workout.

Day #9 wasn't as tough because, although I had to wake up early and leave my sleeping girlfriend (and nobody looks more cozy when they're sleeping) to drive to Orleans to kick my own ass. I did three miles on the treadmill in "rounds" of three minutes with my hands up and then did a lifting circuit. It was the first time I lifted since I started training. I had been lifting prior to ... but when I wasn't able to lift my arms I stopped. Again, it's been tough to motivate myself when I haven't dropped any weight but I know I will see results soon. Plus, I have my first sparring session coming up soon, though I don't know who it will be against or when it will be, I've been told I'll be throwing punches at a real life human soon (who will also be throwing punches at me). So I guess I'd better keep pushing myself! Go me!

Days #6 and #7: Walk it Off

My girlfriend has this very gentle way of telling me to stop whining. She doesn't come right out and tell me I'm being a baby, she gives me the same advice I got in years of playing youth sports; "Walk it off". That phrase used to only carry meaning when I would get hit in the leg by a pitch or twisted an ankle going for a rebound because, ya know, it was in my LEG and therefor walking made it better (if it wasn't seriously injured, and it never was). Now Chelsey tells me to "walk it off" even when I have a headache, I want ice cream instead of a protein-filled meal or, in this case, my arms feel like they're going to fall off.

Monday (Day 6) was spent doing three-minute "rounds" of an exercise with a minute break in between, to simulate the time I will have in the ring. The first five rounds were spent kicking my soccer ball to learn how to kick humans. At one point I kicked and I felt a sharp shooting pain in my hip, my first bodily instinct was to fall (and possibly cry like a little girl, whatever) but instead I thought "walk it off" and I kept going through the end of the round. Turns out I'm OK (I can only assume, I'm not a doctor) even though it still hurts a little, but it sure hurts a lot less than it did when it first happened. The last six rounds were spent shadow boxing. When I felt like I couldn't even hold my arms up to block my face anymore, I kept telling myself to "walk it off" ... and even though that didn't totally work (sorry, babe) it did remind me that people I love will be watching me during this match and I certainly can't make a fool of myself, so I kept going.

Today (Tuesday, day 7) was spent with Barbara doing, what else, punching. Now when I woke up (way earlier than I wanted) I didn't have much life left in my arms or shoulders. I had a tough time even driving to the gym. When I got there and she said "OK gloves on, we're punching" I thought for sure they would detach from the rest of my body and die a slow painful death right there on the gym floor. They didn't, of course, but as I was pushing myself more and more and "walking it off" I felt a BURN like I've never felt before and unfortunately I only made it through four rounds. Barbara made sure to remind me that if I looked this way in the ring everyone I cared about would think I was an idiot. Very motivational. No, I'm not being sarcastic... seriously, I don't want to look like an idiot. So I walked it off, however at some point, my arms just quit on me. Literally. I told them to punch and they just like... were on strike or something. I said "punch" they said "bite me" and that was the end of that. I was disappointed in myself even though I know I didn't quit. I wanted to keep going but my body wasn't having it!

I stood there in the middle of the room feeling like I let her down, let myself down, wishing my body hadn't quit on me when she said, "I want you to go do 10 laps in the parking lot. Don't run, just walk, but keep up a good pace... walk it off". And I did.

Day #5: My First Day of Rest

Yesterday was the first day since I started that I haven't trained and let me tell you, I NEEDED IT! The previous night, Barbara called and asked how I felt. I said I was feeling great. She suggested I take Sunday off. I said, "Are you sure?", because at the time I felt like I could go again the next day. But when I rolled out of bed on Sunday morning I could not have been happier that I didn't have to train. I couldn't lift my arms up past 90 degrees and even yawning hurt! The previous four days caught up with me REAL quick! It was nice to have a day to myself to officially start my new diet. And as hungry as I am ALL THE TIME... eating all the time definitely has its downfalls.

First and foremost, I am NOT a fan of eggwhites, I learned that yesterday morning. I am a fan of food that has FLAVOR, but I had them for breakfast just the same along with some cucumber/celery/strawberry/carrot/apple/grapefruit juice. (it tastes way better than it sounds) An hour later I had a protein shake and two hours after that a piece of chicken with a baked potato. Three hours later I had a piece of fish with broccoli and another protein shake before bed. I was full all day! Not to mention the fact that I was actually supposed to have SIX meals instead of FIVE. *sigh* I went to bed relatively early and woke up feeling awesome and ready to go for Day #6. I wont lie though, I'm still pretty sore. Off to the gym, wish me luck. Go me!

Days #3 and #4: My Arms/Shoulders HATE Me!

"You don't know what you've got till it's gone", says Joni Mitchell... and boy was she right! I know this because today I can't move my arms. I do a lot of things with my arms, include WALKING, which is sort of weird when you can't swing your arms! Yesterday I did six miles on the treadmill holding my arms up in a face-blocking position holding 1-pound weights. No.... I did NOT make it the ENTIRE six miles, because I had to put them down for a few seconds every minute or so. But just when I thought yesterday was about all my arms could take, this morning happened. I woke up extra early to head up to Eastham, where I spent 45 minutes doing nothing but punching. About a billion (give or take) jabs, crosses and hooks later, I couldn't even lift my arms up to drive back to Orleans! But as my girlfriend often suggests, I walked it off.

Today was TRULY the first day I was tested and pushed. I was punching at moving hands, listening to my boss and trainer, Barbara, who will be in my corner telling me what to do during the match, with sweat pouring off my face, not allowed to stop. Jab, jab, cross, hook! Jab, jab, cross, hook... more times than I can count. And she's got just about the fastest hands on Earth, so often times she would pull away my targets and come at me with a counter punch. Of course, she didn't HIT me ha ha! Or I might not be writing this now :) She just wanted to let me know when I was keeping myself open for a free shot for my opponent. I learned A LOT... I sweat A LOT! At one point I looked at the pads on her hands and saw they were all wet. I thought, "where did that come from?" And then I realized the sweat was coming off my head, onto the gloves and transferring to the pads. Um... gross! But awesome, just the same. I earned every bit of pain I am currently feeling and I love it!

I took a quick cold shower, jumped into a 104 degree hot tub, took a nice long shower and worked six hours. I also went food shopping for my new diet. If you know me, you know the word "diet" rarely seeps from my mouth, unless it's "I don't diet" :) But I have a goal and this is how I reach it. So what can I eat?: Egg whites/dry toast and fruit for breakfast. Some combination of chicken or fish, potatoes or rice and vegetables for lunch and dinner. I have to drink two protein shakes a day, drink a gallon of water (which I already do) and take a few vitamins/supplements along the way. ZERO alcohol. Not a cheap food bill! But when I am a lean, mean, punch-broads-in-the-face machine... it will be well worth it! Big love to my wonderfully amazing girlfriend, Chelsey, who is excited to help me stick to my diet and has been nothing short of perfectly supportive! (even though she tells people I am training to be a cage fighter ha ha ha!) Go me!

Day #2: Windsprints are Not My Friend

When I first heard yesterday's workout would be another five miles (at a slightly higher incline) I thought, "Well I did it once, I can do it again", even though I was a little sore from the previous days' workout. Until she added, "Oh and go into the parking lot and do 10 windsprints after". *sigh* it begins!

The first couple miles were ok. I watched Sportscenter on my personal viewing screen on the treadmill, was running near a few guys participating in Eric's boot camp and was motivated to make it through without stopping. I managed to go the first two miles without a break, but miles 3-5 were killer! That voice started to come back telling me it was ok to quit, I could win any fight without cardio training... she was persistent, but I fought off that obnoxious voice tooth and nail. Plus, how would I feel after I quit? I would be disappointed in myself, knowing I could have kept going and didn't. So I did. I did four miles and then "took a break" by heading into the parking lot to do my windsprints. I never said I was a genius. I imagine mile number five was so terrible because I had already sprinted in the parking lot. My heart rate was through the roof and I had to get back on and finish. But at that point, not even that little voice wanted me to quit, so I pushed through and finally finished.

Today's workout starts in just under two hours. Go me!

Day #1 - Five Miles of Hell

Welcome to my blog. I'm writing to document my road to the ring. I found out on Tuesday that the gym I work at (Willy's Gym) is hosting some boxing and kickboxing fights this summer. After our meeting, my boss, Barbara Niggel (Her Profile), says "Gee, I wish there was a ladies bout on the card, that would be awesome!" If you know me, you know I'm a wise-ass, so the first words out of my mouth were, "I'll fight" ... and not in an excited "I really want to fight" voice but in the "look at me, I'm an idiot" voice. She offered right then and there to train me. I said no because my first instinct is to run away from a challenge of that magnitude, but the more I thought about it, the more the idea seemed like a good one. So I called her up later that day and asked if the offer still stood, so here we are.

Day #1 wasn't bad... it wasn't great, but I'm still alive. She called and told me to do five miles on the treadmill at an incline of three. I haven't done five miles of anything except maybe window shopping since I was a senior in high school. Because I had already done two miles on the AMT (Sort of like an Elliptical) I finished out the last three on the treadmill like she asked me to and let me tell you, they were the hardest three miles I've ever done for a few reasons.

First, I kept trying to tell myself "I am training for a fight". Except I've never stepped inside a ring before let alone across from someone who has every intention of separating my head from my neck, so it's hard to imagine what it is I am working towards. Second, I am all by myself. Nobody is yelling at me, screaming for me to pick up the pace, work harder, don't give up. Just me and that little voice I've always had in my head that says, "Your knees hurt, you have shin splints, you can just do an extra mile tomorrow to make up for it, it's OK to give up now!" That voice is a WICKED JERK. But she's also very convincing, or at least she was until yesterday when I started to ignore her and work through whatever imagined (or real) pain it was I was feeling. Truthfully, I couldn't be more proud of my first five miles, even though it took WAY longer than I wanted it to. But day #1 is in the books and I am one step closer to achieving a number of goals. Go me! :)