When the soul is willing but the body’s on the “blink”!
This past Saturday, I was at Gleason’s figuring that I’d go full-bore into training mode. Something about my walk to my daughter’s Aikido Dojo, however, should have tipped me to the fact that I was going to be dragging!
Once I got to Gleason’s admittedly fairly spry on the stairs, I was in sweat-stinging-my-eyes mode by my third round of shadow boxing – and grateful for the end of the fourth and the one-round break I had before the double-ended bag was up and ready for me to use.
The killer, though, was when Lennox called out to me and said, “step it up,” on the second round of the double-ended bag. Sure, I’d been throwing combinations and had dedicated the first round to mostly jab-jab-hook sequences as I worked my way around the bag in right and left circles, but what he wanted was to see me move around the bag, as in “push-it-girl” kind of move. And that’s when the dog-pant started to kick-in and the flashbacks to my doctor saying – “you need more cardio”!
Okay. So I got through those four rounds – kicking butt, so to speak and after my one round break started in on the focus pads with a “can-do” spirit in force if ever I felt one. My body, however, was in a different mode. It was saying, “Are you kidding me or what???” Still, I tried, pushing myself even as my muscles were caving. And here’s where the interesting thing happened. In the third round, I didn’t have as much “pop,” but having dug deep into my core I was using my abs to throw cleaner, crisper shots at a faster rate. It’s as if by ratcheting back just a little in terms of absolute “punch-power,” I was finding another kind of throttle on my engine – with breath that started to sound like breath again instead of the ragged tortuous sound of the previous round.
By the end of the fourth I was no longer “dead on my feet” at all as I had been after the four rounds on the double-ended bag. And yes, while I was a bit slow during my first speed bag round, the other three were down right peppy, and I even had enough energy left to do three rounds of abs on the a small abs bench, not exactly the deepest sit-ups ever, but enough to feel it.
So where did this leave me? Good question. Perplexed for one, because I’m not sure why my energy was so low on Saturday, but glad that the way around it was to remember that adjusting my stance to take advantage of my core strength not only leveraged the energy of my body, but allowed me to pull back from the edge of my rapidly depleting muscle energy stores that meant I couldn’t enervate my breath never mind a left hook.
And here we are again. Back to the fundamentals: stance, core strength, stamina and conditioning … and yep, C A R D I O !
Girlboxing 
Second wind! Sorta, anyway. I have been experiencing that on my runs lately. Sucking the first mile and a half, begging for, wishing for, dying to just STOP, but I keep on. Then, from nowhere, a fresh outlook and the belief — for about five minutes — that I can run FOREVER. But of course that, too, goes away. But I still feel elated, having worked past the suckage and into something new. Finishing the run. Checking it off my list. Done!
I would love to find the core strength you’re talking about. I do know that we can trade power for precision sometimes… but it’s rare that my shots get better as I get tireder. My gloves develop higher gravity, drooping down past my chin…
Sigh. Weird how this sport keeps calling, demanding, and we keep responding. You would think we were married to it, right? And we are, somehow. We’re inexplicably in love.
Hey Lisa, The core strength thing is illusive — cause believe me, I couldn’t run past 4 blocks never mind a mile or two. I guess the point is as you say — you find “a fresh outlook” and “belief” in whatever it is that’s being accomplished even if it is only for a few minutes. At this stage in the game I take it and say THANK YOU — cause there’s no reason not to look at life with anything other than through the lens of a full glass!
You’re also right about the love part because we all have to strip ourselves down at some point and give it over. To me there is nothing more tender than having my brow wiped when I’m wearing my big clunker boxing gloves … right? Not only are you wiped out, but, and this is the HUGE part, you have to let someone do something for you. I don’t know about your life, Lisa, but in mine that sort of letting go and trust is what brought me to the sport in the first place. That’s why I love your story of how your finding your way to connecting with your new trainer. That is truly a momentous leap of faith; and as with love, fraught with all sorts of feelings and counter-feelings, and yet, there you are, which is just great!
Hey Lisa, The core strength thing is illusive — cause believe me, I couldn’t run past 4 blocks never mind a mile or two. I guess the point is as you say — you find “a fresh outlook” and “belief” in whatever it is that’s being accomplished even if it is only for a few minutes. At this stage in the game I take it and say THANK YOU — cause there’s no reason not to look at life with anything other than through the lens of a full glass! You’re also right about the love part because we all have to strip ourselves down at some point and give it over. To me there is nothing more tender than having my brow wiped when I’m wearing my big clunker boxing gloves … right? Not only are you wiped out, but, and this is the HUGE part, you have to let someone do something for you. I don’t know about your life, Lisa, but in mine that sort of letting go and trust is what brought me to the sport in the first place. That’s why I love your story of how your finding your way to connecting with your new trainer. That is truly a momentous leap of faith; and as with love, fraught with all sorts of feelings and counter-feelings, and yet, there you are, which is just great!
Good for you, GB! I can also relate to Lisa’s statement about running. The first few blocks I’m like “forget this.” (Except I use Cee Lo Green’s original lyrics.) Then, something kicks in and I feel like I’m running on air. I need to get back to it. I’m not back in my groove yet and it’s killing me.
I hear you! I pursued running for a few years in my late 30’s. I loved running for distance and remember how incredible it felt the first time I went up the 110th Street hill in Central Park. My route took me on a full loop around the park. Eventually I built up to running for an hour 3-4 times a week — and miss it still, but just don’t have the knees for it anymore.
It is terrific that you’re able to pursue it because the feeling of being in the zone is a rare thing indeed! The main thing is if you plod away at it, one day it’ll just be there for you again 🙂
Re: running. I couldn’t do the distance, either. Before I started boxing I was working up to a solid, regular 10k, but my knees were screaming. Hips, too. Joint issues. I’m pretty sure I have form issues as well. Anyway, I quit completely to take up boxing and everything got better. But I started adding little bits of running in for cardio. First just the elliptical, then the treadmill and outdoors. The amazing thing is that I found I had a threshold for running. I learned that I could run about six miles a week without too much joint pain. So I keep it there or under, and do fine. So it may be that you could come back to running if you love it, you just may not be able to do as much of it… fwiw
Thanks for that, Lisa. You’re point is well taken and I do walk and jog lightly on the treadmill from time to time. The fact that my weight has been up about 15 lbs over the past couple of years –the joys of menopause– hasn’t helped, but as I come back down the ladder maybe I should push running a bit more. Thanks!
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