So far this year, I seem to have been more grumpy than usual. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I had a bit of an enforced break from training before Christmas with flu, which merged into a voluntary break over Christmas spent sitting around (sorry, “recuperating”) and getting out of shape. Now, I’m forcing my body kicking and screaming back into a twice a day routine at the gym and, well, I’m getting squashed. A lot. And punched in the face a fair bit too. And I’m sore. So I’ve stormed off to my computer for a sulk.
Anyhow, I’ve added another new years resolution… I’m going to focus on my technique this year. I’m going to stop rolling with big people who want to sit on me for a round, and get more time with the smaller, faster, technical guys. We’ve got plenty of them, so it makes sense to focus on the stuff that’s going to give me the biggest returns on my time and energy.
So… back to the things to be happy about.
1) Yesterday an unexpected parcel dropped through my door. I thought my subscription to “clinics in sports medicine” had run out, but apparently not, and this issue is a whole volume on “shoulder problems in athletes”. Wahay! It might not sound exciting, but believe me, it is. If only it had arrived a week earlier when I was writing up my case study….
2) I’ve been re-reading the “grappler’s guide to sports nutrition” by John Berardi. The first time round I didn’t really put most of it into practice, but now I’ve been forced into getting my diet right. And it’s really really good. Probably the single best sports nutrition book I’ve read. It’s straightforward, easy to understand and do-able, but at the same time based on solid principles. I’d recommend this to anyone involved in MMA or grappling, or any other sport for that matter. As an added bonus, I’m actually enjoying eating again.
3) Deadlifts.
4) Freecycle. It’s an opportunity to get someone else to come and take away stuff you no longer use, and you get to feel good about it too. And it’s a chance to meet (albeit briefly) some really nice people. I got rid of my broken Dyson vacuum cleaner a little while back, and got a message a few days later saying that its new owner had managed to fix it and was delighted. Aside from a slight “grrr, dammit!” moment at the thought that they’d achieved what I hadn’t managed to do (even with the aid of a repair shop), it’s nice to know that its gone to a good home. It would still have been cluttering up the house in 2018 otherwise.
You know, I’ve read a fair old bit about nutrition, and I too have never really put any of it into practice. Well I think it’s time to revisit said book myself and kick my lardy butt back into shape!