|
|
|
|
Summer lovin’
29 Aug 2009 11:54AM
So I’ve had a lazy month... ish.
Lots of Ben and Jerry’s, lots of lounging around, the odd take away, a holiday here and there and many missed MMA sessions. My conscience has been pricked enough to give myself regular beastings and thankfully my fitness is probably not too bad at the moment given the fact that I have borrowed a rowing machine over the summer holiday, which is stored in the garage. The fallout from this and my cancelled gym membership has been that the neighbours think I’m crackers. I’ll elaborate... as well as the Concept 2 rower (with heart rate monitor, for assured pain and misery) I have a 25kg Powerbag, skipping rope, 5kg medicine ball and a pull up bar, all of which gets used with relish on my driveway.
The sight of me chucking a sandbag and medicine ball around on the drive then disappearing into the garage for 45 seconds worth of whirring, grunting and panting before emerging again for more of the same (plus some rather dainty skipping) before then collapsing on the lawn gasping has induced new levels of curtain twitching. “He’s at it again Maureen!... what is he doing with that big blue bag?” Local kids stare at the ground when I walk to the shop to buy some milk and a paper and even the local cats are staying out of my garden... word gets around.
What is interesting about people’s reactions is their curiosity without question. Many people stop and stare, including neighbours of nearly 11 years, but no one asks what I’m doing or why... and none of them know I fight. I suppose I just think that the fact that a 35 year old teacher on all fours on his lawn dry retching and sweating profusely 6 times a week would or should pose the question to most well adjusted adults – ‘why?’... hahahahaha... that is a question I have asked myself a couple of times through August while lying on that front lawn. Maybe it’s just my ego or maybe it’s my own curious nature, but if one of my neighbours was doing that I think I’d like to know why he was doing what he was.
The reason for all the training? If I’m honest at the moment I’m not too sure. The easy answer would be to say “to fight, of course”, but, again, if I’m honest it can’t be solely that, as my enthusiasm and motivation to fight peaks and troughs from day to day. Some times I’m really up for it, the next I wonder if I ever want to fight again. Initially when I fought it was for the satisfaction of knowing I’d done it, later it was a case of proving to myself that those first few wins weren’t flukes. I sometimes feel like I should’ve had more than 6 fights by now, but I know realistically my job has limited my chances to get more fights in since my July 2007 debut. I have nothing to prove now, to myself and particularly not to anyone else. I may just be in a trough at the moment and feeling a little jaded, but even sparring with Ian on Thursday didn’t ‘get me going’. Even the thought of impending October/November fights doesn’t fire me up. For all I know I may be raring to go by Monday, I’m just fickle I suppose.
So what motivates me? Maybe I should ask the neighbours, I’d get as clear an answer.
|
|
|
|