Shortest Post to Date

It's been too long since I wrote in here and I don't have much of anything to report, so I went ahead and named this the "shortest post" in advance.

Slowly but surely my achy thumb is feeling better. I've been cross training actively - lots of body weight exercises, plyometrics and running 4-6x/week - but I've made sure to shut everything down at the first sign of pain. My first trainer always told me that the most important thing you can do when training is "listen to your body." I think he kind of used that as an excuse for skipping a tough workout, but I've adopted it as a mantra as I turn the intensity back up.

I actually wouldn't even call my thumb painful at this point - it's more like a dull but frequent soreness. So that's promising I guess. I'm going to try a bag workout tomorrow and see if it still throbs on contact. It will be my first true boxing activity in more than a month. My fingers are crossed that it's pain-free.

Looking at the situation in as positive of light as possible, I think this injury came at a relatively good time. It always stinks having setbacks and injuries, but I have a major project in my life right now (will reveal it at the appropriate time - hopefully soon) that would have thrown off my schedule anyway. All of my setbacks and other "life" obligations decided to strike at once and so I guess I'm "fortunate" they piled up while I was injured. At the same time, it's unfortunate that they're happening at all. But I guess that's what determination is for.

As I revamp my training I'm going to revamp my posting. Promise. My recent "big boxing push" is still very young and has already encountered a number of obstacles, roadblocks and nuisances, but I have reason to believe that my feet (and thumb) are back under me and that there are good times in the squared circle right around the corner.

Friend or Foe?

My bout Saturday went very well. I bussed out to my gym at 11 a.m. and carpooled to the host gym with my cornerman (a kid named Dante I had just met, but he knew his stuff) and a couple other training partners from my gym who were fighting. I don't know whether it was the smaller, more laid-back crowd and atmosphere or the fact that it felt like just another lazy Saturday afternoon at the gym, but my preparation immediately before my fight was much more relaxed and smooth than in my previous fight. Perhaps the most interesting pre-fight experience was talking with my opponent for over an hour immediately before we squared off.

I was scheduled to fight fairly late on the card, so I made myself comfortable in the auditorium and watched some of the early fights. It didn't take much small talk before I learned that the kid sitting next to me was my opponent. With the circumstances of our meeting out in the open, I knew that our conversation could go two radically different directions. So what do I do? I laughed at the irony and continued to chat with my fellow combatant. From recalling past bouts to commentating the fights in front of us to subtly scouting each other (I made sure he wasn't a friggen southpaw) we discussed each other's boxing careers and preferences as if we were old acquaintances. The only reason our conversation ended was because I had to leave to go get ready to, well, kick his ass.

Odd? I don't know, you tell me. A great way to stay relaxed (being nervous before a fight is, hands-down, the easiest way to needlessly waste a ton of energy before a fight) and pass the time before my bout? You betcha.

Learning from my mistakes in my previous fight, I intentionally shortened my warm-up, essentially cutting it in half. 2 rounds of jump rope, thorough stretching, 3 rounds of shadow boxing and 2 rounds of light mitt work was all I needed to have my blood pumping and muscles loose and enter the squared circle in my fightin' state-of-mind.

I doubled-up the fist-pounding with my opponent (friend?) in the center of the ring, once when we received the ref's instructions, and a second time during the opening seconds of the 1st round. The opening minutes went as expected - feeling each other out with prodding jabs and diving in and out for quick exchanges, but never completely committing or loading up on one punch. The kid moved very well though, and definitely had an advantage over me in terms of raw hand speed. Or at least, that's what it seemed like before I realized in the 2nd round that it was a matter of timing - he had figured me out between rounds and now wouldn't let me get any closer than jabbing distance without sticking a 1-2 in my face.

Despite losing round 2 on points (my corner confirmed my gut feeling by greeting me with "he didn't like you getting inside, so he didn't let you that round - you need to fix that" as soon as I was on the stool) I had landed enough clean power shots that I still felt good. I entered the 3rd round with my confidence up, plenty of gas in the tank and the assurance that I, too, was figuring my opponent out.

The 3rd round started with another touching of the gloves (love fest!) and passed quickly, a long cycle of circling in the middle -> quick exchange -> working into the corner -> big exchange -> off the ropes and back in the middle of the ring. I felt like I definitely caught up on points in the 3rd round, but the fight was an exhibition so there wasn't a decision. My corner man and teammates all said I looked really good, and I felt the same way. I fought a smart fight, picked my spots, didn't eat any big shots, wasn't marked up, and, had it been scored, kept it very, very close. In all likelihood my opponent might have eeked out the win by amateur scoring, but I truly believe that I would have won comfortably had it been scored like a pro bout - which, against a very experienced opponent in just my 2nd fight in over a year, is fine by me. It was an exhibition, and I exhibited skill, ability and athletic prowess. More importantly, I learned from the experience, so it's all good in my book.

In retrospect, I really think I lacked killer instinct in that bout. I don't think this can be attributed to me becoming acquainted with my opponent immediately before the fight (though that definitely didn't help) so much as the setting - the small crowd, rundown gym and afternoon event just put me in too much of a sparring session state of mind. Regardless, it was great experience, and I've piggybacked off the positives to have a phenomenal week of training. It's now embedded in my mind to stay hungry - train for the kill and don't hesitate to move in for it when you see the opportunity.

Momentum is building. Good things are happening and great things are on the horizon.

More to come soon.

Go Royals. God bless.

Short Notice

My amateur boxing career is officially getting interesting. I went to the gym with my sparring partner last Saturday and ran into my trainer, who asked about my availability for bouts on June 21 and/or 27. Having discussed my scheduling conflicts on Fridays with him before (my increasingly late nights in the office and lack of a car prevent me from participating in most Friday events from fear of missing my ride or even the fight itself) I began to say "no, I'd like to, but I can't commit to either of those dates." My trainer pointed out that the 21st is a Saturday (and that the bout isn't Friday the 20th like he had originally told me) and encouraged me to fight. And thus, for the first time, I took a bout on one week's notice.

While I am obviously not a world-class pro that needs 3-6 months notice to properly train for a title fight, my training schedule has been erratic since my last bout, and having more than 7 days notice would have been nice. I am by no means in better shape now than I was a month ago, but at the same time I have maintained my conditioning enough that I'm confident a regimented week will let me adequately prepare for a fight. And I think that's my only worry - that come Saturday I won't be fully mentally-prepared, won't completely trust my body and I'll end up hesitating too much during the bout and absorb some unnecessary punches.

But then again, is there a better way to build on a successful fight than jumping right back into the squared circle?

With an above-average physical base, my training schedule the week before this fight (no weight requirement) will look like this:

Saturday: 4 rounds sparring, cardio/leg circuit, plyometrics, abs
Sunday: Weights (high-rep upper body circuit) and 4-mile run with wind sprints
Monday: 20 minute jump-rope, 4 rounds double-end bag, 4 rounds hook bag, 6 rounds heavy bag all with aggressive pace, 3 rounds focus mitts, abs
Tuesday: 4-mile run with wind sprints, Celtics game (World Champs, baby!)
Wednesday: 6 rounds sparring, 3 rounds focus mitts, cardio/leg circuit, abs
Thursday: light plyometrics, short jog
Friday: rest
Saturday: kick ass

All of this worked around 9-11 hour workdays. Bleh.

I'm truly happy that my trainer is encouraging me to fight so often, but I just hope that this quick turnaround turns out to be a positive, confidence-boosting experience instead of a tough bout that leaves me stewing for the next couple of weeks.

All I need to do is make sure that it's me - and not my opponent - that dictates the outcome of the fight and how I proceed after.

Quick hits

Wowee, I'm starting to neglect this thing. Balancing my job, lifestyle and (most importantly) training is tough enough as is, let alone trying to whittle out some time to make a worthwhile post on here. I think I'll try incorporating some posts with a little different format - some "quick hitters" that have bulleted thoughts, links and updates to bridge the gap between opportunities to write more.

- This has been a very inconsistent and frustrating week as far as boxing goes. Just as I felt like I had truly found a rhythm with my schedule, routines and training partners, I run into a week like this where I only made it out to Allston twice, and kept finding myself completely spent at the end of the workday before I even worked out. I must add that the two "boxing workouts" were very solid and encouraging, I lifted/ran/cross-trained two additional days, and am about to head out for some sparring as soon as I'm done with this post. Throw in the Celtics game I went to on Wednesday (played knockout on the court at halftime, too) and I guess you could say I did the best that I could with my schedule. But still - while I didn't lose any ground, I definitely didn't make any progress, either.

- Did some light work in the ring with a kid on Monday. I had a big reach advantage and moved well enough that in between rounds he had to ask "just how long you been boxing?" (Sorry, I just love "sneaking up" on people like this until I've gotten enough exposure and established myself at the gym to where everyone knows how comfortable I am inside the squared circle.) I was very (VERY) happy with my jab and stamina. I'm going to move forward with this a bit as I re-adjust my game: lots of lateral movement and angles, keep my jab in their face, use my hooks and straight rights only when I've set them up or see an opportunity to throw them while countering. I used to be a mix of a brawler and a "puncher" but I'm seeing an opportunity to re-define myself as a little more of a boxer.

- I pride myself on the fact that I never leave the gym with anything left in the tank, but I've become aware that during the process of wearing myself out, my intensity fluctuates. I feel like sometimes I'll just be "going through the motions" on a bag, instead of moving in and out with the speed and ferocity of a bout. To rephrase: I need to make sure that I am optimizing my workouts for competitive boxing and not merely getting in boxing shape. I'm by no means loafing, but I think I'm still looking for that happy medium of pacing myself throughout the (brutal) workouts to where I know that I am working the right muscles/skills the right amount for the entire workout. I have faith that over time and a couple of bouts this will work itself out.

- I think my diet is working itself out nicely, too. I have yet to implement a strict regimen, but I've always eaten very healthy, and the past month has been no exception. I've started making huge pots of beans and rice, eating it for a meal, and then storing the leftovers at work for healthy snacks/meals throughout the week. I'm eating lots of whole grain cereals, oatmeal, canned fruits and veggies, fish, sushi, chicken, turkey, hummus, pasta, and yogurt with fresh fruit. One thing I know I'll eventually have to watch: the amount of pasta I'm eating. My favorite lunch spot is an Italian eatery near my office (Viga). It's super cheap and delicious, but, well, it adds up to a lot of carbs at the end of the week that I ordinarily would not be consuming. When I need to start cutting weight in the near future, I know this will be one of the first places that becomes off-limits.

- I remember watching the first Pacquiao/Marquez fight live. It was an incredible fight, and I wish their rematch wasn't on PPV so I could watch it, but such is life. This is a much-anticipated fight, and both of these guys look to be in tremendous shape. I think Freddie Roach has supplemented Pac-Man's style enough that his strength advantage will be too much for Marquez again. For what it's worth, I see Pacquiao winning by a comfortable margin in a 12-round slugfest.

- I can only hope that the legends in this awesome ESPN.com article weren't the last great generation of boxers, and that some of the current superstars are as highly-regarded as these guys still are 25 years later.

Where I Want To Be

I knew Saturday's workout was going to be rough, with part of that pain being self-inflicted (pushing myself extra hard on the weekends, of course) and part of it being a result of the nature of the sport. Saturday, however, was not any old grueling workout - it was my first day sparring since I resumed training actively.

I am more than comfortable boxing (obviously) and Saturday was no exception. The squared circle, after all, is my happy place - it's where I want to be. But after almost a yearlong hiatus (has it really been that long?) since I got some actual work in (picked that kid apart, too) I was feeling some butterflies when my trainer stopped by the heavy bag I was pounding on and told me he was "gonna get (me) a little work in the ring with Tommy today." I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. After all, Tommy is one of the few people at the gym whose reputation precedes him. He is hands down one of the best boxers in all of New England, if not the country, and has the regional and national Ringside and Golden Gloves championships to prove it. And now he'd be able to add "Jonathan's first sparring partner in over a year" to his trophy case. (Ha?)

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

But then again, Tommy is the benchmark of where I want to be: a seasoned, accomplished, highly-regarded amateur who in all likelihood will have a solid professional career. Steel sharpens steel, man sharpens man. The best way to get to where he is is to work with him and go "through" him. Right?

Boy am I far from there...

The 3 rounds weren't one-sided (honestly!) but he was clearly the superior boxer. He started each round with a series of lead left hooks, most of which I was able to catch or duck under and stick a couple of jabs in his face . My jabs stayed crisp throughout our session, but unfortunately this was my only real bright spot. To say I had ring rust would be an understatement: my game was completely corroded, and Tommy's ring savvy definitely didn't help.

I couldn't find any sort of range or comfort zone to let my hands go. I'd fall in with my right hand, was sluggish and standing too tall with my counterpunches (usually one of my strengths,) kept dropping my head, and was prone to just hide behind my guard against the ropes instead of getting my base and giving 'em hell. 2 more rounds with an uppercut-happy combatant named Hector drove home the point that I adopted some REALLY bad habits during my year off, and that I need to work out some of these kinks ASAP if I want to get back to where I was, let alone where I want to be as a boxer.

Afterwards Tommy acknowledged that he didn't hold back on me at all and that I did fine. He gave me some suggestions (namely pointing out my newfound bad habits) and insisting that I could hang with anybody in the gym. I told him about my long layoff, and how not only am I needing to get my comfort level back in the ring, but my conditioning as well. After all, there's a huge difference between plyo's/bag work/mitts and actual sparring. As I was stretching out, Tommy hollered at me from the ring and offered to guide me through an absolutely brutal leg workout.

Workout with the best to be the best, right?

My legs are still sore four days later.

But I guess there's some truth to the old boxing adage that you can't shoot a cannon out of a canoe.

Sparring and training with the best - I can't imagine a better route to take to get where I want to be in the ring. Which, of course, is having a career worthy of a fan making a baller tribute like this one on YouTube 50 years later.

Maybe expecting a career worthy of a two-part highlight is a bit much (what, I can't aspire to be like Sugar Ray Robinson?) but hey, I'm on my way.

Back in the Saddle (And Already Saddle Sore)

So after only one week back in the full-swing of training, I’ve already learned what my greatest adversary is going to be: time. There just isn’t enough of it in the day. Monday-Wednesday was literally a 72 hour cycle of me waking up -> working -> making a pit stop at home to change and eat -> gym -> home to sleep. While the common (non-boxing) man might find this routine to be monotonous and drab, I find it to be nothing short of bliss. Seriously – words can’t describe how nice it has been getting back in the squared circle everyday. It’s just unfortunate that my weekdays no longer have time for things like, um, this blog. (My over/under for time until I neglected this new project was 6 weeks. Unbeknownst to me, it’d be a mere 6 hours before I became “too busy” to update it regularly. Oops.)

I broke my 72-hour model on Thursday when I had the lovely variation of lifting at my local gym instead of bussing out to Allston to box. Not only did I want to make sure to keep my workouts fresh and change my venue every now and then (hey, lifting’s important too) but my legs were spent from 3 grueling days of plyometrics, drills, and bag work. I’m quickly learning that there’s a fine line between drive and overzealousness that, when crossed, will take me on a fast-track to the DL. I guess it’s not exactly a problem that I have to tell myself “6 days a week is enough, Jonathan, just keep working and be patient.” The concrete floors I skip rope on, however, are already beginning to try to tell me otherwise…

I’ll attribute my kick-ass workout Friday to being well-rested. Trekking through a “Nor’easter” (it’s a blizzard, you yuppies) I was one of four gym members brave (dedicated? stupid?) enough to leave my cozy confines and workout. I couldn’t be happier that I did.

With one thing leading to another, I ended my workout by going through a lengthy focus mitt workout with a tall, Irish 20-something named James. This work-out accomplished the two things I had been so desperately seeking my first week back: to “move, feel good, feel alive, let my hands go and BOX again,” and to impress someone who is a better boxer than me. After all, I need to be “trained, not taught,” and I need a skilled/competent trainer/partner who can pick out flaws in my movements, point out opportunities to string combos together, and all in all enhance my game while wearing me out to do so.

Whether it was noticing my 20 oz gloves (most people train in 14-16 oz gloves), the pop of my right cross (“double it up, 2-3-2….ay, you hit hard”), my ring generalship and movement, or the fact that each of us wanted to ignore our exhausted, rapidly-numbing limbs and go “1 more round” ad infinitum, I definitely had a phenomenal workout with James, and based on the comments I got from everybody in the gym, made a strong impression on all. Of note was one trainer pointing out that I “looked great…have you fought before?” (ha?) and that “James is nasty…definitely stick with him.”

Ah, the breakthrough.

During my previous stint at this gym, I found the competitive talent to be very bottom-heavy, so hopefully this was the first of only a few eye-opening sessions before I’m looked at as, well, a boxer who can more than hold his own in the amateur ranks and doesn’t need to be coddled or eased along. You earn your opportunities in the ring, and I at least need the opportunity to be lumped with the “James’s” et al to earn, well, additional opportunities and avoid being unfairly tagged as a clueless new guy. I’m sure it will all work out.

PATIENCE.

I slept on my boy Bob-O’s couch Friday night since he lives 3 blocks from the gym. I don’t know whether it was the box springs on his pullout sofa bed or my berserk workout the night before, but it took a lot of effort to get up, stretch out the kinks, and hit the gym again. A platoon of fighters were leaving the gym for some exhibition bouts as I was arriving, giving me an added spark (albeit unneeded) to work hard in the desolate gym.

Ah, irony.

And envy.

And for that matter, IMPATIENCE.

All in all, it was a very solid week. My pre-training conditioning was in fact phenomenal, which is very re-assuring as I continue to, um, kill myself in my workouts and pray my body can keep up. As I mentioned earlier, all I need is time and patience…andmylegsandbacktoholdup wait, what?

Back in the saddle and on my way, baby. More updates to come, and hopefully more often.

Go Royals.