The Final Round

Day 15

I'm exhausted and it's late so I'm going to make this a quick rundown of the day.  Tomorrow I'll post some pictures that Randy took during Thursday's training.
Training #1 - Made up kind of an odd workout just to try and do something different.  I did two rounds of:
Run 400 meters
15 bodyweight deadlifts
15 box jumps
15 handstand push ups
15 guard sit ups
15 burpees
The guard sit ups were an interesting addition.  I had Jay with me which was perfect since he has great balance and strength.  For anyone unsure of what these are, you have a partner that stays standing, you jump up into guard and while they hold you, you do sit ups from this position.  These are quite challenging.  I didn't expect them to be as hard on my legs as they were.

Training #2
We went over to our affiliates school, xtreme studios, do get some vale tudo sparring in.  We did little glove today and went for 9 five minute rounds.  Besides feeling a tad sick to my stomach I felt good.  We went a little harder than we usually would with this size glove on which I liked.  It makes me feel more ready to get hit a bit harder with the little gloves.  They feel a lot different than anything else and sometimes right when you first git hit in the ring it can feel kind of shocking or maybe jarring is a better word. 

Tomorrow's rounds are the tough ones.  Another great chance to embrace the suffering. 

Day 14

On the schedule for today were rounds and strength training.  I didn't feel nearly as bad today as I did on Tuesday.  I have two parts of my body that are extremely sore, I'm talking the type of sore where you don't want your clothes rubbing up against you.   But that was really my only complaint.  I can definitely tell my calories are low but it's not that bad really.  1048 calories for today, though I may still have a little protein tonight. 
This morning we headed over to my parents house to get the strength training in.  We're supposed to have heat installed in our garage very soon which will really make things a lot easier but I can get the job done with what I have at my parents house so that's all that counts.  Strength for the day was:
Hang Power Cleans
Superset of Back Squats and I arm chest press on physioball

Superset of hamstring curls on the physioball and rotational medicine ball throws

A couple of hours later we were at the gym for rounds.  When I looked at my program I had it folded up and the crease was right where my times for the day were.  When I looked at it, it said 2 five minute rounds and a 4.  That didn't sound to bad until I opened it up to double check and saw it was really 2 six minute rounds and a 4.  Not that much of a difference really but it sure felt like it at that moment.  I had great help for the day, Jay was running the rounds and I had Ryan (160lbs) and Paul helping with parts of it.  In some ways I was really psyched with the training.  Actually the only real complaint I had was that I was unable to get my breathing the way I wanted it.  It was just one of those random things that you don't really have an explanation for.  But my effort was right where it needed to be, my muscles felt great.  The biggest disappointment was during the second round (a 6 min round) I had been putting forth a crazy hard effort when Jay called over to Paul to check the time.  Paul yelled back that there were two minutes left and I immediately felt so disheartened.  It seemed like there should be much less time remaining.  This is a completely unacceptable emotion and I usually do a really great job with this.  It's a total loss of focus on the task in front of you.  I'm not going to beat myself up about it but I won't let it happen again that's for sure.  Once I got some endurox in me I felt pretty good, my body didn't have that total depletion feeling. 

Once I was home I had a good meal (as good as a meal can be that doesn't contain pizza) and did my visualization practice. 

Here's my thought for the day:

The shores of fortune, as Foster says, 
are covered with the stranded wrecks
of men of brilliant ability, but who 
have wanted courage, faith and decision, 
and have therefore perished in sight of 
more resolute but less capable adventurers, 
who succeeded in making port.
-Orison Swett Marden

Training Footage

Well I finally got two of the rounds from Tuesday uploaded to the internet so I'll go ahead and post these.  They're from this past Tuesday.  For those wondering exactly what "rounds" look like this will answer that question.  The training for the day was two five minute rounds and one seven minute round.  I'm posting the first and second rounds.  Most people only post things like highlight videos and sometimes full fights if they did great.  There is a reason for this.  Training is not glamorous.  If you're doing it right you probably look like crap for a lot of it.  Everyone wants to be seen as a stud or studette (is that a word?), the everyday grind is not flashy or impressive but it's how it really is so enjoy!!

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Trip Info

Well we're finally starting to get some info about the trip.  I was starting to get a little nervous that we didn't have a flight itinerary but it seems that everything is all set.  It looks like we'll be flying out of Boston on Tuesday morning.  We'll take a  2 hour flight to Detroit and from there take the seventeen hour and fifty minute flight.  I can't even really think about that flight or my brain will implode.  I'm not really one of those people that is scared of flying but it just seems like being in the air for almost eighteen hours is tempting fate a bit.  The longest flight we've done so far was about 16 to Japan one time so this should be interesting. 
Here's the link to the hotel we're staying at if you want to check it out.  It looks like a pretty nice place.  Jay's been doing some research and they apparently have some sort of mma/muay thai training facility in the hotel. 
The place where the fights will take place is called the Araneta Coliseum.  This place makes me glad I've fought in big venues before, otherwise it might be a bit of a shock. 

Here's a little promo piece for the show, it looks like they're going to be streaming the event live on their website so make friends with someone who has a really fast internet connection. 

1055 calories for the day.  I'm feeling about how you would imagine one feels on around 1000 calories.  I was supposed to do a recovery run today but decided not to do it.  It's always a tough call whether or not to skip a scheduled session.  I feel like I've been through this enough times now that I can be honest with myself about whether or not my body really needs the rest or if I'm just tired and sore.  It's a pretty fine line and there are some things I would never skip (unless it was for injury or major illness) like rounds and conditioning.  So needless to say I'm feeling pretty tired and run down still.  I'm getting a little bit frustrated with my body's rate of recovery.  The soreness and muscle fatigue is lingering.  It makes it difficult to do the high intensity workout when you feel tired during your warmup.  Of course it's always a chance to practice mental training but it is nice to go into a workout feeling really good now and then.  I know I'm on track to be right where i need to be on the 8th but knowing this doesn't make the training right now any more fun. 

I'm working on getting the video up of Tuesday's training but it's been a bit slower than i thought.  It's been a good learning process actually because I've had to learn how to post bigger files.  I should have them tomorrow.  In the meantime I've added another video to the video page if you want to check that out (upper right hand corner of the sidebar).  Over time I'll put all my fights on that page. 

Here's the supplement breakdown I've been promising.  As far as supplements go I think I have a pretty limited routine compared to a lot of fighters I've known.  Everyone always tries to give themselves every advantage they can and it can be tempting to get on every supplement being touted as the next big thing.  The problem is that most of them are crap.  I think you can be on a very simple regimen and be at your peak.  You'll also spend a ton less money.  It's really more of a psychological thing I think, you can pump yourself full of everything out there and it will give you some kind of comfort, like they're magic pills and powders.  You take most of that stuff away and you're left with relying on just your own body which can be more scary.  So here's what I take:

Glucosomine, Vitamin C, Breathe and Host Defense by New Chapter, Calcium/Mag., Beta Alanine, Astralgus, Udo's Choice Oil Blend, CLA                                                                                                                                               

The Beta Alanine is something I only take when training for a fight.  The same goes for breathe and cla.  Host Defense I definitely take when training but I also take it as much as I can on a daily basis (it's really $$$).  The other stuff I take every day.  I also drink greens 1-3 times a day, either Berry Green or Lightforce Greens.  So that's it, If you have any questions about why I take this stuff fire away in the comments section.

Day 12

My weight is finally dropping, I was 141.8 this morning.  I have made the cut to 135 from this weight before so that gives me peace of mind.  I still plan on having my body weight a lot lower by the time the day of weigh-ins rolls around.  When I say cut I mean what I actually cut in water right before weigh-ins.  I think it gets confusing because these days you hear all about these tremendous cuts that fighters are making but when most of them say how much weight they cut they're talking everything, dieting down, really cutting calories the few days before, then cutting water.  When I say cut I mean what I actually drop purely in water so that I can make the weight.  My goal at this point is to have my bodyweight as close to fight weight as I can.  I don't want to cut weight any more.  I hate how it makes me feel and it makes no logical sense that your body would not be effected by putting yourself through something so drastic within 24 hours of the fight.  It's become such a common part of the fight game that it's just a given that people will do it.  Maybe I'll face some monster someday that makes me reconsider but until then I'm going to try to cut little to nothing.
I have to say I'm feeling pretty run down today.  I woke up this morning feeling really sore and tired.  Because of this I decided to do my rounds first and strength training second.  I wanted to be able to put everything I had into the rounds since that's my priority for the day.  Today's schedule was three rounds with times of 5,5,7.  This is a pretty miserable scheme.  I had Paul and Jay helping me out.  Rounds today were random calls of mitts, thai pads, sparring, negative position, clinch sparring, knee bag, ground bag, bag slams, shot carries, combos to takedown on the crash pad.  I might be forgetting something but I think that covers it.  I knew I was going to feel like crap and I did.  I was tired within about a minute of round one.  But there were more positives than negatives which is the important thing.  I'm not as concerned with how I feel during the rounds physically as I am how I feel mentally.  One of the things that can happen is that your physiology can dictate how you think and feel.  You can get tired enough and feel bad enough that you're no longer showing aggression, you're no longer trying to mentally put yourself in your fight during the training, you're just surviving and going through the motions.  This didn't happen, I still felt aggressive, I was still focused on the task in front of me, I felt angry at the tiredness instead of broken by it.  So all in all these were great. 

After recovering for quite awhile I did my strength.  I can't say this was my most inspired workout.  When I'm starting to feel really worn down, my strength training is the first thing I want to skip to get some extra recovery.  It's not because I don't think it's important but because I get a lot of strength work in other workouts.  But I did it which is better than  nothing.  Today was:
Lateral box jumps with a weight vest
A superset of Deadlifts and one arm alternating db chest press on the physioball
A superset of Push Press and body rows with elevated feet

My food was less than stellar today.  I didn't eat anything that I wasn't supposed to but I a lot of my calories came from stuff like liquid sources and bars.  This isn't ideal since I try to eat whole foods as much as humanly possible.  It won't kill me though and tomorrow I'll do better.  I think today was around 1500 calories. 

I'm going to post my supplement plan tomorrow since there's not much training to report on.  I'll also post the video of the rounds I did today.  In the meantime here are some photos of yesterdays sparring courtesy of our photographer extraordinare Randy Ury.

Day 12

I've been having one of my usual bouts of insomnia so seeing as how I didn't fall asleep last night until quite late I decided to sleep in and do both workouts later in the day.  I think it was a good idea, feeling exhausted from not enough sleep can really effect your training, especially when it happens for a bunch of days in a row. 
The biggest thing on my mind right now is food.  I've averaged 1266 calories over the last 7 days.  My body seems have to developed the ability to defy the laws of science and has not only maintained the same weight on this eating schedule but has actually had a couple days where I gained weight.  Keep in mind that I haven't exactly been sitting on my butt during this last 7 days either.  This morning I had a pretty significant drop in weight for the first time and was down to 142.8.  The question is whether or not this was because of the sauna the night before or not.  I drank water the whole time I was in there so I wouldn't actually drop weight but I'm not sure if I drank enough.  I'll know tomorrow morning, if my weight is higher it was the sauna if it's lower I'll know my diet has finally kicked in and my weight is really starting to drop.  I hate feeling starving and I can't eat.
On to the day's training.  Training #1 was a skill based workout.  This is supposed to be done at about 70 %.  I'm not sure how often we're able to actually stay within that range.  I sparred with Jay today, we did 7 five minute rounds, 4 with the small mma gloves, and 3 with the more padded mma gloves.  The rules for this event are supposedly pre-unified rules.  This means that you can throw all elbows (including 12/6 elbows), knees and kicks to the head of a grounded opponent.  I have a hard time believing these will actually be the rules but we'll just have to wait and see.  These rules change things, I can tell you that.  There is pretty much no position that is not changed by them.  Knees to the head on the ground means one thing to me: Do not accept the bottom position.  Fortunately this is pretty much my theory anyway.  Being on the bottom, whether it's in side control, guard, or turtle is a bad proposition when you can get kicked in the head.  Overall the workout was great, my muscles felt pretty tired but it didn't feel inappropriate for the pace of the training I've been doing. 

After resting for quite a while I drank an accelerade to get some calories in me and got going on my conditioning.  The workout I made for the day was as follows:
Versaclimber 150 meters
21 reps of 95lb cleans, pull ups, ab wheel
Versaclimber 115 meters
15 reps of cleans, pull ups, ab wheel
Versaclimber 75 meters
9 reps of cleans, pull ups, ab wheel
I forgot to start the timer on this one but it took me between 20-30 minutes.  This was the craziest workout.  The versaclimber is usually my downfall.  I'm on that thing for 15 seconds and my heartrate is through the roof and my legs are completely full of blood.  Today it was like my body was possessed.  For all three rounds of versaclimber I kept up my max pace.  I almost felt separate from my body, like I was watching in disbelief as my body did this thing I didn't think possible.  I was obviously exhausted during the workout but I felt amazing, and it was one of those sessions that shows you that "the zone" does exist.  I was very grateful for the experience as it was a good confidence boost.  I followed this training with core work and a bunch of stretching. 

Medicals had to be submitted today.  It was a big fiasco where the coach of our team found out today that the medicals had to be submitted by the end of the day and our team was the only one that didn't have theirs in.  The kicker is that supposedly if the promotion didn't get everyones by the end of the day they wouldn't let us come.  They required HEP B and C, HIV, and a cat scan.  I had mine in order and got them faxed over, I can only pray the rest of my team got them in as well.  I'm not going to be a happy camper if this fight doesn't go through because of something like that. 

Tomorrow I'll do my usual training log but I'll also give you guys a supplement breakdown so you can see exactly what I've been taking. 

Day 11

It's hard to believe the weekend is over.  I felt like it was going to be so restful with only one training session in two days I thought I'd get a lot done and feel really refreshed.  But it seems like it wasn't enough time.  It seems impossible that tomorrow is already Monday and the start of another training week.  Equally bizarre is the fact that we leave one week from Tuesday for the Philippines.  It seems crazy that you can feel exhausted from training yet at the same time feel like you've had no time to train for the fight.  I keep adding it up in my head, half a week before I got my program from Stan, two weeks of Stan's accelerated program, half a week during the travel week.  My logical brain knows that three weeks is long enough.  My irrational brain keeps thinking about how I've gotten used to having as much as eight weeks to prepare.  You know what it's like?  It's like walking a tightrope, either you've done your mental work and you stay on the tightrope, go in the ring, do what you came to do.  Or you allow your mind to spiral out of control with nerves, self-doubt, excuses.  Fortunately for me, I don't fall off tightropes any more. 

We went to the hot tub/sauna today which was amazing.  I did multiple rotations of sauna/cold bath.  I'm hoping that being in a sauna consistently for the few weeks before leaving will help my body feel used to it which will make it willing to let go of water easier when it comes time to cut weight.  Saunas are so relaxing until you're in one, you want to get out, and you can't because you haven't dropped enough weight yet.  I am not looking foreword to that. 

I started doing a little research on the Philippines today trying to figure out what to pack.  I am an extreme early packer.  If I'm not all packed for the trip by Friday I'll start to get stressed about it.  Jay is the complete opposite and would pack everything an hour before leaving if it was up to him.  Probably a happy medium would work best some personality traits you just have to accept.  We're going to Manila.  So far what I've found out is that there is a huge amount of smog, there are a lot of pick pockets, you shouldn't drink the water from the faucets, and the cab drivers will try and rip you off.  On the bright side we're going during the typhoon off season, but just barely as the off season starts in December.  So if we can just steer clear of the terrorists that seem to be causing travel warnings we should be fine. 
We're hoping to get a chance to experience a little of this:

and not just this:

Day 10

"The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep."
Robert Frost

There are certain days that really push you past that red zone whether it's physically, mentally or both.  If you're honest with yourself these days do not come often.  Every fight day is one and sometimes you get one in training.  Today I got one.  It wasn't so much the training on it's own but the culmination of the past week.  Saturday's are a fight simulation so you do whatever your fight is, in my case three 5 minute rounds.  These days are always the hardest training of the week.  There is that feeling of being sore and there is that feeling of your muscles just having nothing in them, today I felt both and that was before the rounds started.  The rounds consisted of mitts, thai pads, clinch sparring, negative position, slam ball, shot carries, repetitive takedowns on the crashpad, pop up high pulls, knee bag, pass the guard, sparring.  I had Paul (one of our lighter weight fighters) and Jay helping.  I can't say it was an impressive physical performance but my mind was still in the right place, my effort was 100%, I could not have gone any harder.  In the end that's really the only thing you have to ask yourself so in that sense the day was a success.  On the ride home I felt waves of nausea, headache, exhaustion, extreme irritation, the urge to cry.  As miserable as this felt I have to be grateful for the day because these are the ones that actually build the strength you will look for in the ring.  If you don't have days like this you won't find it when you look for it.  Now that I've been pounding the calories I feel sane again.  Now I just feel appropriately tired, and not like my cells have been completely depleted.  I will spend the next 24 hours moving as little as possible until it's time to go to the sauna/hot tub tomorrow. 

I've started adding some more content to the blog.  There will be photo albums in the side bar, links to some cool sites, and a page with videos (right now there's only one but I'll add more in the next few days).   Check this stuff out if you get the chance.   

Day 9

The wall that I'm trying really hard not to hit is looming in front of me.  I'm focusing on getting to Sunday when we'll go to the sauna/hot tub/cold bath.  I know that I'll feel like a million bucks after that.  Tomorrow is the hardest workout of the week but unless my weight is bad in the morning and I need to run it will be the only workout of the day.   I've been consistently happy with how my body and mind is performing in the training.  I'm not sure if my body is doing great which is making my mental performance good or the other way around.  Either way everything seems to be firing on all cylinders.  Today's conditioning was brutal and was only the second time since starting this sort of conditioning that I've thrown up from the training.  The workout was:
Three Rounds for time of:
21 burpees
75 meters on versaclimber
21 wall ball shots
21 db thrusters with 25#
21 db squat cleans with 25#
Time for the workout was 29:29

I do this workout at least once during each fight training cycle.  Until I do it, it looms in my mind, it's that bad.  I actually changed it up a bit though.  It's supposed to be squat snatches and not versaclimber but my shoulder has decided that it no will no longer be supporting weight over my head in a snatch position.  A cortisone shot has done no good so it's a matter of working around it for now.  The versaclimber was worse, much worse.  It also added time.  The other change I made was to increase the dumbbells from 20# to 25#.  The first time I did this workout I knew it would be tough but it's one of those that hits you even harder than you thought it would. 

About two hours later we did the rounds for the day.  Today wasn't bad time wise, it was four rounds with times of 4,4,3,2.  We did timed stations this time instead of randoms.  The stations were heavybag, clinch sparring, thai bag, ground work.   Jay came up with the workout today and I have to say that I was really crabby about it at first.  Even though I can see the value of all types of training when I'm doing the coaching I have a hard time accepting any workout that I don't feel like will kill me when it's me doing the training.  As usual Jay was really patient dealing with my irritation.  I think he knew I was just really tired and sore and still totally wasted from the training earlier.  He pointed out that the bag work would be a good change and he was right, it was good to do something different.  The rounds went well considering my muscles had officially retired for the day.  After the rounds we did four 5 minute rounds of vale tudo sparring at about 70%.  This last part wasn't really prescribed for the day but I figured it would be good for some calorie burning and good for my brain to have more technical practice.  Because of the accelerated nature of this program the days I normally do skill based training were replaced with rounds for this week only.  Next week I'll be on a normal schedule. 

One downside for the day was my food.  I've been using this online nutrition software called Fitday that's great.  You enter in all your food and you can keep precise records of what you're taking in.  You can also track exercise but the stuff they have to choose from doesn't really fit with our sport.  Anyway, the downside was that after I entered my food for the day I realized I had only taken in 837 calories for the day.  I may have to eat something else tonight though I've really been avoiding food after about 8.  But heading into tomorrows training with almost no fuel is not a pretty thought. 

Thought for the day:

Never admit defeat or poverty. Stoutly assert your divine right to hold

your head up and look the world in the face; step bravely to the front

whatever opposes, and the world will make way for you. No one will

insist upon your rights while you yourself doubt that you have any.

Believe you were made for the place you fill. Put forth your whole

energies. Be awake, electrify yourself; go forth to the task. A young

man once said to his employer, "Don't give me an easy job. I want to

handle heavy boxes, shoulder great loads. I would like to lift a big

mountain and throw it into the sea,"--and he stretched out two brawny

arms, while his honest eyes danced and his whole being glowed with

conscious strength.

- Orison Swett Marden