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Boxing For Buhinga: The Fight Club Diaries. Week 15
Finally, finally FINALLY after 15 weeks of training I have crossed the line. The line I have wanted to cross since January, the line known as the 10's....OK so no one cares as much as I do but my weight now beings with a 10-stone something and not an 11 stone something or a 12-stone something. It's been frustratingly slow progress lately, but finally it seems to be happening. Also I'm comfortably in my size 12 jeans, no hoiking, no pulling up, in them like they actually fit. Winner.
The team sends out an email about the night and what we'll be wearing. I have to check with Matt; 'when you say shorts...what exactly do you mean?' "Shorts Helen...boxing shorts!" ..cue blank looks from me....before this process I didn't even own any socks....sports based or otherwise, shorts? Shorts?!
Anyway my (hopefully final) delivery from Sports Direct arrives on Tuesday - boxing boots, the bloody shorts (kids ones - have you seen the options for women? Amuse yourself - go search for women's boxing kit on aforementioned popular sports website. Lonsdale you should be ashamed of yourselves) and a new headguard with cheeks in it (as I can't help but get punched in the face I figured added protection wouldn't go amiss). Have to swap the shorts with Christina as I forgot I'm not THAT small....oops so not the final delivery then...
Getting back in the gym after a five day break with last week's evil cold isn't the most fun in the world, especially when the Evil One turns up the resistance on the cross trainer to 40 - it's like stepping through water trying to keep going. Jumping from that the kettle bell swings isn't my idea of lunchtime fun with a lingering cold but as usual...grin and bear it. Training continues in the vein of last week quite nicely - and feel supremely pleased about the fact that Jacek said my left hook was 'perfectly executed'...spend entire journey home saying to boyfriend 'did I tell you he said PERFECTLY EXECUTED?' ha. Who am I kidding? I mentioned it again the next day too...and Thursday...and Friday.....
The class on Thursday at Legends just re-inforces my lack of co-ordination as Christina and I just lose all sense of what's going on with two different sets of numbers to try to work with. We're now naming combinations 'that one'...'that one from before'....'that other one'...'that pivot thing'...ah we know what we're talking about anyway. There's some scary things involving the throwing and catching of medicine balls - a deep seated fear developed in from Mrs Stallwood's PE class comes to mind (I actually threw a ball where I wanted it to go ONCE at school- literally on the last ever day setting up an art show. I think she nearly cried with tears of relief) but I don't knock anyone out so all good. I get excited for about a second that I may have escaped with no burpees this week but no, he was just saving them until the end. Right. Great.
I realise I have been so self absorbed in finding an opponent, in getting myself fit, in gaining confidence that I haven't even noticed that numbers have started to dwindle at training a bit. Motivation seems to be suffering in the wider group and response to my email about sparring is met with a trickle of responses (or maybe that's because no one wants to spar with the girls?) .
Saturday's sparring session works out OK though. We even manage to squeeze in the good old pivot from Thursday. Christina's husband joins in to give Nick someone to spar with and we have a decent 5 rounds - the second half of the last one I'm flagging a bit, but I try to remember everything Simon has said about not making it obvious I'm tired..I don't know quite how well I did on that one. Anyway the main thing is high fives all round because GUESS WHAT? No TEARS. Woop!
About Boxing for Buhinga & Universal Chance
The Boxing for Buhinga event will be held on the 24th of November at the Grange St Pauls hotel in London. For tickets and enquiries go to http://universalchance.org/tickets/. You can read profiles of all the fighters at http://universalchance.org.
Universal Chance is a charitable trust set up by a group of friends who share a common desire to use the skills that we have developed through our careers to do what we can to help communities that have not been granted the same chances that we have whilst inspiring others to do the same.
We are dedicated to implementing tangible projects that will help less privileged communities and individuals reach their potential . This could be anything from improving education facilities to providing medical facilities or giving access to clean water. To find out more check out our site http://universalchance.org/ or follow us on twitter at @universalchance.