Day One and Two

On Monday and Tuesday I did the usual 11:30 Jiu Jitsu classes, as I knew Wednesday would be a killer and I knew that the first week had to be a "ramp up" period, as increasing my training by 400% would result in injury or soreness at best. Wednesday was a KILLER! This day was the first of any inevitable "reality checks" that I am sure to endure. I did a daytime (12:30) Muay Thai kickboxing/conditioning session with Dan Black (one of my trainers in Concord at Cesar Gracie's famous GRACIEFIGHTER gym.) This 2-hour session involved several rounds on bag work, pad work and sparring, followed by a grueling conditioning segment that lasted 6 hours (at least in my mind it did). Even the "light sparring" quickly revealed my discomfort in getting hit and reluctance to hit back- is that so wrong??? I left 10 lbs lighter feeling defeated and questioning my motivation and mettle. Ouch. Then to top off the day, I took an hour rain ride to San Francisco and endure an hour of Jiu Jitsu grappling with several very skilled grapplers and fighters. Dead. Done. For Thursday and Friday I backed off a bit and did the 11:30 AM Jiu Jitsu training in SF and some rowing machine sprints. Jake and Gilbert bought a nice rowing machine after training on one with Chuck Liddell and I agree with them it's a bitch! It is a very effective form of conditioning and it simulates fighting as it demands us of both aerobic and anaerobic systems. I did a 500/400/300 interval, 3 in total and logged a decent time. I spent the rest of the session grappling to exhaustion. After The first week, I felt a level of fatigue and soreness I have never experienced. My legs hurt from squats, lunges, rowing, knees and kicks. My neck hurts 24/7. My muscles are sore. My mind says "Dude, miller time!"