In the afternoon, at work, is when camp wears on me. In the mornings I’m still riding my post run high. Evenings I’m either training, enjoying the post workout buzz, or spending time with my family. If only I could skip afternoons.
My mind wanders in the afternoons. I don’t worry about being an inferior boxer, I’m confident in my skills and I’m truly not afraid of losing. Losing is 1,000X better than quitting. And I’m not afraid of getting injured, I’d happily sit back and heal over a plate of spaghetti & meatballs and a glass of red. Err scratch that, baby back ribs and beer, yeah that would be my medicine.
I am afraid of getting tired and not putting up a fight in the later rounds. The thought of looking back and regretting how hard I worked in camp sickens me. More than that I fear getting hurt and not being able to fight. To do all this and have nothing to show for it, absolutely horrifying.
Mostly I’m just tired and hungry. I miss leisure time, I miss my wife and son and I can’t wait for a time when the cloud over me lifts and I can be carefree. You can box because it’s fun, or because you have a big chip on your shoulder. In the afternoons it feels more and more like I just have something to prove.
March 18th, 2010 at 4:20 am
I have been reading your work for about a month now, and I must say it is incredibly inspiring. Whenever I feel lazy and don’t want to train, I get a nerdcore email and it reminds me that I need to strive to become a warrior, not just another nobody wasting their life away.
Thanks for letting us into your life and your mind, as I thoroughly enjoy the entertainment, insight, and motivation that you provide.
March 18th, 2010 at 9:21 am
Thanks Bushi! Train hard.
March 18th, 2010 at 10:23 am
Hey buddy, stay strong! I haven’t blogged lately because of work and some personal stuff that have been consuming my time, but I am still training. I’ll be back to blogging soon.
I know how this part of the training is. You don’t have a big chip on your shoulder and you don’t have something to prove. You are just a boxer training hard for a bout.
This level of intensity will stop soon, once you’ve had your bout. That’s important to you and you’re making it happen. That is truly awesome, my friend.
I can tell you from experience that all the time spent training is worth it when you step in the ring for the bout. There will be some nervousness and “butterflies” in the stomach, but those things go away once the first punch is thrown. It’s amazing.
Hang in there, man. This part of training is hard, for sure, and when you’re working all day as a professional in a demanding career, it’s difficult to balance everything. But you will do it. Stay strong and feel free to e-mail me anytime!
March 19th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Thanks for the pep talk Steve, I felt better reading your comment. I think getting last night off has also helped raise my moral too.