I love it how many think I live a life of luxury because I only technically work 4 hours a week.
I work 4 hours a week.
I box 13-15 hours a week.
I weight train 7 hours a week.
I train five times more than I "work".
I "work" 4 hours a week but train 4 hours a day...well except on weekends.
I used quotes around the work because so many fail to see that my training IS my work. I love boxing and I love weight training but don't kid yourself if you think it's easy. I may not be at the level of training you're at but when I train it's at my level 10, what level it is to anyone else is irrelevant.
Those who know me know I don't get sick but I do get injured and exhausted. Today my training brought me to such a level of exhaustion that as I geared up for training I felt as if I was rather punch drunk. What's punch drunk you ask, it's when you feel like you've taken too many hits to the head -- you feel light headed, dizzy and just out of it. Today an early morning training member kept on asking to repeat what I was saying because my words were all mumbled, I accidentally stepped on my coach's foot as I passed him, I had difficulty wrapping my hands -- a procedure I do every single day so you know I have it down pack, and I just had this kind of glazed over look. Yup, definitely signs of exhaustion. We joked and said I was punch drunk because I did experience similar symptoms but the truth is punch drunk isn't something to joke about, look at Tyson.
I wasn't honestly punch drunk, I was exhausted.
Training today felt like the last round in a fight, exhausting. I knew I could push myself through it but I had to dig down deep to mentally and physically do it. It was as if I had to soak up every last drop of energy in my body from the tip of my toes to the edges of my ears. But I managed to get it done.
I did it. I did it and then I was fed for my efforts. I then went home and crashed.
Crashed for a solid 3.5 hours.
Woke up and decided I could head out to weight training. I thought I should perhaps stay home and I would stay home but I'm as stubborn as a Polack gets and I still very much have that lets-overdose-on-training mentality training over in Korea ingrained on my brain.
Should I go or should I stay?!
Nothing like good old Mother Nature making the decision for me.
Upon going to get my handwraps I had wrapped around the railing outside on my balcony, I noticed they were gone. The wind had mysterious whipped them off and took them down to the 3rd floor where they were loosely hanging on someone else's railing.
Mother Nature's 1st attempt at telling me to stay home from training.
Went down to the 1st floor, walked outside to get another look at where my wraps were hanging from...gone. They were no where in sight.
Mother Nature's 2nd attempt at trying to tell me to relax.
Headed back upstairs and changed clothes. Despite having no wraps I was going to skip the boxing warm up and just go weight training. Upon heading back down and out the door, pouring rain.
Mother Nature's 3rd attempt at telling me rest and recovery is just as important to my body as training is.
Three warnings and I finally got the hint. No training for me for the rest of the day, no physical training that is. Ended up engulfing myself in a sports psychology podcast and doing some mental imagery training for tomorrow's sparring.
2 comments:
Well, you do work only four hours a week. The fact that you box 15 hours a week doesn't change the fact that that isn't your job. Unless you're making money from those 15 hours of boxing. I actually know quite a few aspiring boxers (which is the level you're at, even after a few fights here and there) and they all have jobs. Actual jobs. Not four hours per week. They train on top of their jobs, after work, before work, on the weekends. The fact that you can get by on four hours of work means you have it easy. Yeah, training is exhausting. So it's training for other sports, and most of the people I know who compete in those sports also have jobs. Sorry, but your boxing dreams aren't particularly difficult. All you have to do is train. Other people need to actually make a living while pursuing their dreams. Good for you that you don't, but it's really not that impressive.
Hi Anonymous,
Yes, I do get paid for those 15 hours actually -- I'm a financially sponsored athlete. I'm trying to figure things out so that I'm not dependent on the cash flow that comes from Korea but for now it's what pays my rent and keeps food fueling my training. I think you misunderstood my posting though. I wasn't looking to impress anyone. I actually agree with you in that I too know many athletes who juggle both full time training and full time jobs PLUS holding down a family. They, in my books, are super humans -- super heroes!!! My point was that I do work, that my training is my work, and that my work isn't easy. I will argue that you're wrong in staying that my dream isn't difficult because "all you [I] have to do is train". It's hard to keep the passion alive when you get injuried, are constantly are pushing your limit everyday at training, and so forth. I'm not looking for brownie points there but it's true and it's true for anything you do consistently.
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