Sharla's Log

[Sharla]

Opps in all that ranting i forgot to mention the key things George said i need to work on Friday night. I have a habit of switching my feet over a second when I'm getting my balance after rebounding off of a heavier opponent. bad habit - messy - not necessary waste of energy.

I have a double right I like to throw and he wants me to stop that. I think I just throw it from too far way and end up over reaching a lot with the second. I will have to pick the times I use it more carefully. I can see his point that in many cases I'm better off throwing a single right and following through with the left hook so I'll try to do that more.

My slips are often too big, trying to calm them down a bit to make movement more efficient and direct. I think I get hit a little more often trying to do this but that's because i haven't worked out how to make my slips smaller and end up not slipping at all. Something balance related I have to work on.

I've been meaning to set up a slipping bag like Mike Tyson used so i might work something out for training next week. So many little gadgets from this forum still waiting to be made at home!

[Sharla]

Sunday

Rest day except for a walk to the supermarket. Lots of sleep and not doing anything too exciting but I feel a flu coming on. it's been going around and I thought I'd escaped. Started in left nasal passage this morning and already spread to my chest by this afternoon. Have to go out to the field a few days this week which will mean 6:30 am starts - I feel a shit training week coming on. I guess when have the flu shouldn't try to be as aerobic but would be a good time to get my weights and resistance training routine sorted.

[Sharla]

Monday

Nose still running like a tap but not feeling too bad by the afternoon. Went to boxing training just to show I'm training still and haven't decided to skip for the hell of it. Coach George likes to see people show up as much as possible and he's always there when he says he'll be so I don't like to let him down.

Did a light session as still not well. Worked with gym bell 2 min rounds 1 min breaks.

Skipped 3 rounds, stretched between.

Shadow 4 rounds - chin ups in breaks (8 reps, bodyweight)

Partnerwork with Kristine - Abs in breaks after first 5 rounds, back extensions after next 3 rounds

A few more rounds not doing anything in the breaks.

We worked on a lot of drills for movement to slip a jab or defend against a combo after throwing a combo, body shots holding pad for each other last 4 rounds.

Kristine is a trooper. She's completely forgiven my bitchy behaviour on Saturday. She has a great attitude for this sport!

Kristine rated my body shots power wise for me as I threw them. Strange how hard it is for me to tell what is a good one versus what is a bad one. Most other punches I can feel the difference. Don't have a clue with bodyshots!

Cycled home - clear conditions. However I did feel some pain in my left shoulder on the way home leaning on the handle bars. Still a bit sore from whatever happened to it Saturday. Odd. Don't feel comfortable lying on my left side either at night.

Did get some news Monday night - the show they nominated me to fight in was cancelled as they couldn't get enough fighters to nominate. next show will be the state titles in October. State titles are no biggy here but it does mean I'll have to pick a definite weight class and if I choose the wrong one I won't make it to the nationals which could suck. Something to think about.

[Sharla]

Tuesday

No training today. Left to go out to the field at 7 am got back 7 pm - showered and ate - still have some sorting of samples etc to do before bed and doing the same again tomorrow. Not a bad day to be unable to train though I guess since it's not likely to be great for my cold and no trainers at the gym on Tuesdays anymore.

One thing that does suck - me and my small Asian supervisor are totally incapable of getting through the same amount of soil coring 2 big burly men can even with expensive air compressor driven equipment. Being a midget sucks sometimes but i officially forgive my supervisor for all the times he's been an obstinate ass since he's out there suffering with me today!

[Sharla]

Wednesday

Didn't finish up sorting the soil samples and doing up labels for Wednesdays soil coring and gt home until 2:30 Wednesday morning. I'm going to get everything prelabeled and sort as I go for the next harvest. Why do I always learn these things the hard way - I'm such a disorganized twit!

I think for next big harvest morning workouts might be the way to go but didn't get up in time to do any exercise before having to leave Wednesday. Up 6:30 left at 7.

Soil coring was much better today as worked out all the little teething problems but still don't return until just after 7 pm. Decide to do all the sample sorting next morning - need to record soil colour before passing on samples for DNA analysis. Absolutely stuffed - I guess it's physical work but I'm dissappointed we got back too late to get to the boxing gym (closes at 8ish, takes 40 mins to cycle there). Wednesday night is the night coach George can help me with mit work etc and all he knows now is that i didn't show.

Went to bed at 8 pm, slept for 12 hours!

[Sharla]

Thursday boxing

warm up 3 rounds shadow - 2 min rounds 1 min break used to stretch

Then 16 rounds 2 mins with 20 to 30 secs break except for a 1 min break when swapping bags after 8 rounds. First 8 rounds without patch 2nd eight rounds with eye patch.

Wanted a longer warm down for shadow but as coach Arthur needed to close up early could only do a 5 min round of shadow in the ring blindfolded.

Coach Arthur picked up a few things on my uppercuts to the body to work on. I'm telegraphing them a bit and not really fluent throwing them in a combo so I'm going to work on that. I realize that we may have very different styles in some ways but he still has a few things to add.

Cycled to aquatic centre. Got there early enough to book a session with staff for 11:30 Sunday morning to get my weight program planned. Then did some light leg weights. Upper body tired from soil coring and boxing training. I might get a split program and always do upper body weights except abs and lower back in the mornings since seem to tired to make the most of it at night.

Cycling conditions - windy on the way to boxing but not too bad, a little rain but no wind heading back home.

Friday morning run

I've just got to uni and my hands are shaking from the buzz

I met up with my old Friday morning training buddies.

Theres 2 groups a slow group which run the same course every Friday which is easier on the joints because it's uphill but winding and not too steep coming back down. There's a faster group I used to race against every Fri morning but they run harder courses and I'm not sure I want to push the knee YET 

I have cycled there and while fiddling around changing my cycling shoes with my runners they head off. I just look up and they're gone! I'm sure it's not 6 am yet - cheaters!

I catch up with the slow group and overtake all except one of them going up, then pass him going down. I'm taking it easy going down not wanting to push the knee and see him creeping up behind me again - then being the bitch I am I can't let him catch up - I take off and completely blitz him 

Yes I'm a bit shallow getting all proud of beating a slow group runner but it feels so good to be striding out again and racing people  .

We go to coffee afterwards. Ken the 81 year old who chooses the track for the faster group every Friday morning asks us all what we got him for father's day.

I hear about how some of the fast group runners went in the marathon on the Sunday just gone. Dean my old nemesis did really well! It's going to take something for me to catch him again but i threaten him anyway 

I hear about who's last man standing for the Adelaide marathon. Every year since it started - something like 29 years there has been a small group of men who did every one. The last 2 in that group entered this year and only one finished. It's so inspiring to hear about someone completing that marathon every year for 29 years.

I love this group - I don't think they have any idea of how much i really missed them. Feels great to be back and immediately I'm thinking about the boxing nationals. I knew my running gave me confidence to be competitive in boxing but I'm suprised at how much i feel it now. the blood is boiling and I can't wait! 

I blame Gally for taking marathons on the board yesterday making me wanna come out and run with them again. If I don't have something more exciting coming up in 2008 to train for I want to do the Cadbury Glass marathon on Hobart in January and aim for a good placing. 

[Sharla]

Planning some track work Saturday morning and sparring int the afternoon. Long run on Sunday morning - maybe with a group and weights at 11:30 to set my programs. No need for a day off this weekend since the start of the week was such a waste!

Morning weight for Friday = 56.2 kg. Only 2.2 kg to loose by October. I think I can do it - will try for bantamweight which means I have an idea of who the competition is which is good to know.

[Sharla]

Friday night boxing

Cycled to gym

All rounds about 2 mins, 30 secs break

3 rounds skipping, 1 footwork alone, 1 footwork leading and following Micheal in partnerwork, 12 tagging game with Micheal. Micheal is a 14 year old kid in the gym who's very eager.

About 3 shadow, 6 bag

Padwork with George.

He says that my right cross and hook are getting stronger.

We practice uppercuts to the body with big round pad thingy. I ask him to rate my bodyshots because I can't feel whether they're good or bad.

Left uppercuts range from "S***" to "not bad". Right uppercuts are only rated as "worse than S***". George thinks it's weird because he thinks my right should be my natural hand but I tend to think that these days everything with the left hand works better.

Got to Aquatic centre

Stretch

Do Abs and lower back then start feeling ill. Perhaps the protein shake I bought at the boxing gym was off?

Try to call a taxi home but am left on hold so long I run out of credit on my phone (prepaid). I end up cycling home slowly but feel better after a few hours. Just had stomach cramps.

Saturday

No morning run - still feeling a little off

Afternoon sparring - cycle 45 mins to the gym in Somerton

Get to spar 4 rounds which is plenty really because it's 4 rounds continuous with 3 different guys all close to my weight. I really didn't expect to see anyone my weight and am thrilled. There will be two more guys for me to spar next week. Both pros who are close to my weight! This is the only time I have not felt like a freak for being light in South Australia.

One of the coaches thinks I have longer than average arms for my frame. That's nice. I've never thought I have any physical features which help my boxing at all!

I find that with some of the guys I'm not running backwards much but the one who moves me around the ring the most is actually the lightest! He's got an unusual way of using hooks and overhands to counter etc. It's a style coach George would be totally against (as he reminded me to forget overhands on Friday night - which he still doesn't know the name of) but this guy has it working very cleanly and controlled. I have a long chat to his coach who is actually from the UK to get an idea of how he's using it.

I'm really looking foreward to next Saturday because I learnt so much!


Sunday

Ran to aquatic centre - a bit over an hour - then went through program for weights with an instructor there. We discuss it for over an hour but run out of time.

Will continue tomorrow morning. I'm very demanding and he's really thinking about everything I ask for and all my muscle imbalances, making sure I do things with the correct technique etc. I'm impressed since I did not expect him to be so thorough.

He recognized my model of heart rate monitor too and showed me some functions on it I haven't seen before. Handy! I think perhaps he's fairly into whatever his own sport is which helps.

I catch the bus home which thanks to our amazing public transport service takes about 3 times longer than running would but my nose is still dripping like a tap after a week so I don't want to push it. The instructor commented on my cold as perhaps being a sign I'm overtraining.

I don't think I overtrained but since it came on at the end of the week when I was tired I think perhaps if I'd managed my time to allow more sleep etc during the week it wouldn't have been an issue?!

Geez time management - I've NEVER been good at that!

Fortnightly cook up

3 curries - beef, chicken and sliced up sausage meat (been frozen for ages needed to use them) with extra vegies added and Basmati rice. Also bought some Up and Gos. Not as good as protein shakes but cheaper and since I usually have to at least cycle 40 mins home after I'll be drinking one i could use a few carbs.

[Sharla]

Monday Morning Weights

Cycled to aquatic centre

Did back and chest. Still haven't completely finished getting the program set but have an appointment next Wednesday to review what we've worked out and talk about whether or not it's a keeper.

Will usually do chest on a different day - we're just setting the program for it today.
Chest once a week, back and legs twice a week all different sessions. Not completely settled on how we're going to do abs yet.

This guy has a theory that you can work a muscle once a week really thoroughly and then provided you eat enough protein it will still allow to you have strengths gains. Freaky - I always thought twice a week minimum and preferable 3 times a week per muscle group!

Cycled home

[Bomp]

I think a lot body builders follow that philosophy. I used to get an e-mail newsletter from this excercise website a few years ago, there was one in particular where this guy was adamant that you should only train each muscle group once week very thoroughly, he believed it took at least a week for the muscle to repair the 'damage' (he claimed to be a biochemist, which may have been true).

I followed this routine for a while (a few years ago now, before boxing), I felt myself getting a little bigger, but I didn't really progress much with the amount I was lifting, though I'm sure if it's done correctly it does work.

Anyway, the only real worry I'd have if I'd incorporate something like this into my training is that each muscle group may be sore for a couple of days after being worked hard and then affect the rest of my training.

Keep up the good work.

[Sharla]

Good Points Thanks for the input CC Bomp

[Sharla]

Monday night boxing

Cycled there, warmed up with 3 rounds footwork stretching between rounds (2 min rounds 1 min breaks), 1 round on wobble board (feel very unco)

Rest of night used timer set by training partner for 2 min rounds 20 to 30 secs breaks

4 rounds shadow

16 rounds on bags - 4 different bags

1 round shadow

3 rounds of shadow on medicine balls alternating with about 3 mins walking the balls across the ring.

Still sick. Tonight accidentally spat a big yellow friend onto the bag. Luckily was able to wipe it off before anyone saw (i think).

Decided to go straight home from boxing to get an early night and to take Tuesday off. Having symptoms of this cold thing for 9 days is enough.

[Sharla]

Took Wednesday off too and slept in Thursday morning. Still snot nosed and tired. Bought some nasal spray from the chemist though - hoping it'll settle things down a bit.

Aim to do something Thursday lunch and get to boxing training tonight.

[Sharla]

Thursday

Went to chiro in the afternoon. She's fairly happy with my progress but we've got another appointment in 6 weeks to make sure everything is still going OK. There were a few tight points in my upper back and neck which she adjusted.

She doesn't want me to train hard after the appointment and my nose is still dripping like a tap (makes facing down on the chiro table awkward ) so i only did an easy boxing session afterwards.

No bag work but 2 min rounds, 30 sec breaks of lots of shadow with a few rounds skipping and some stretching to warm up. Some light ankle weight leg exercises at the end. Then cycled home. Fine cycling conditions.

Friday Morning

Burnside road runners run. Went up Mt Osmond. Not sure yet whether or not that was smart. My heart rate was pretty close to max most of the time and I wasn't able to control things very well on the steep descent. Lower back feels tight now which makes me think i need to strengthen my core and have a good routine in place to get back into these hill runs safely! My pace is OK though and Dean is pretty happy with me - although he'd probably run faster if he wasn't recovering from a marathon a couple of weeks ago and some of the other faster runners were there.

I'm never sure of how to train when I'm sick. Always unsure whether I'm going too light or too hard. I hope I haven't done anything stupid or not done anything I should have!

[Sharla]

Oops - haven't filled this in in a while.

To be honest this week has been a bit dodgy - I'm forever rearranging things and after thinking it was a good idea to do weights at night after boxing i now think those nights were too late for me and I function better waking up early rather than going to bed late.

Anyway this is what i can remember

Friday night

Warm up - skipping and a few rounds shadow
One 25 min round on the bag. liked it. Get really tired but seem to be better at working my fluency and balance in a long round. I think i pick up more technically without the round break. I think i don't mentally engage straight away so the longer round has my attention to detail more - odd!

Went to the aquatic centre - did back weights routine and then cycled home.

Saturday

Cycled to the club in Somerton for interclub sparring, about 45 min bike ride. Warmed up while the heavier guys sparred, then had my sparring. Sparring posted in Ask the trainer section. I have a few ideas of how i want to improve from that. Maybe making my feet slightly narrower will give me more control when pivoting and moving sideways and I can reduce this huge bounce back thing i have putting me too far out of range all the time. I think I can be much faster than that too so that's the goal for next week - to speed things up and stay inside more without getting my head knocked off.

Mum came to watch me sparring and gave me a lift home - you can probably hear her in the vids - she's loud!

Sunday

Off - still hell sore from run on Friday morning - lower back and legs from the steep descent. Also aim to run more often next week to make Friday mornings less of a shock!

Also grumpy - one thing I'm just getting now is that I can't spend all my spare time on the weekend cleaning without turning into an absolute she devil. Nearly evicted a flatmate (not the legend who sometimes tapes my sparring who owns the dog but the other one who complains about mess all the time but never cleans) for being late with rent money and she's still not talking to me!

Aim to do more during the week to stay sane. It's boring but I think part of managing training time and keeping morale up so the time spent training is enjoyed rather than feeling like a big sacrifice.

Monday

Good news is that my cold seems to be pretty much gone now - at last!

Lunch - warm up jog about 10 mins then 8 X 200 m sprints walking back between, cool down

Boxing - speed emphasis - not many rounds but tiring because all at 100 % fastest pace I could do - about 4 shadow warming up, 6 bag, 2 floor to ceiling and another 3 on the bag, finished with some balancing on a wobble board.

Went to the aquatic centre for a 30 min swim to cool down.

Tuesday

Lunch run - about 45 mins easy


Cycled to boxing

Boxing - lazy night. Tired but not sure why - perhaps just being a lazy bum since the gym is so dead and day at uni has been busy.

Shadow work, a couple of rounds on the bag, lots of balance work on the medicine balls and the wobble board.

Cycled home


Wednesday

30 min lunch run - easy, all on grass - some aching in my knees - I think I'm overdue for a really good stretch.

Boxing

warmed up with a few rounds shadow and footwork, stretching between rounds. Then did 25 min round on the bag and followed with ab work and back weights. Wanted to get home early so crammed everything in at the boxing gym instead of going to the aquatic centre.

cycled home


Thursday

Got up at 5 to go for a 30 minute jog before leaving early to work in the field today. Just using the mini soil corer so less physical than the deep soil coring. Not too tiring except I forgot my sunscreen and got burnt to a crisp (red like a tomato!) and then to top it off rain came in late afternoon so while catching bus back home heard that thunderstorms are predicted and people have to be very careful on the roads tonight.

I've decided not to go to the boxing gym tonight since one of my bike lights has been broken recently and the other is a bit dull and with bad weather might not be safe. Will try to rehydrate and hope I don't get blisters from my sunburn!

Going home now - might use tonight to stretch although it looks like another early morning tomorrow to go out into the field again (hopefully won't be raining in the morning) so can't run with the road runners this week .