My Gym Has a New Web Site!

My gym, GoTime Chicago, has a new web site:

http://www.gotimechicago.com

Please visit the site and tell them I sent you!

Back in the Gym Today

Today was finally the day I got back to the gym to resume workouts. I intended to go easy my first time back, although once I got moving, I'm not so sure how easy I kept things. I guess I'll be able to tell by any soreness I feel tomorrow.

It was great to be back. We're getting a lot of snow here today, so that made traveling to and from my gym a bit slower than usual, but it wasn't all that bad. Rob, Chad, and Ricky really made me feel welcomed on my first day back and I appreciate that very much. Thanks, gentlemen!

Here's the breakdown of today's work.

• 30 minutes roadwork
• 3 rounds shadowboxing
• 4 rounds double-end bag
• 4 rounds speed bag
• 1 round heavy bag
• 1 round sit-ups and crunches
• 8 rounds stretching/flexibility

I spent a lot of time working on flexibility. I've learned multiple times that one doesn't take a fairly long break from exercise and then jump right back into it without being respectful to one's body. If I honor flexibility and give it the attention and respect it deserves, I will be fine. I don't care to have any injuries in general, and it certainly doesn't make any sense to have my return to training stopped by injuries resulting from being a bit too eager to resume the exercise routine.

Today's return was something of a homecoming for me. Now, the challenge will be to arrange my time skillfully so that I will be able to fit in a lot of workouts and use the one-hour trip each way as working time. I am blessed to have some projects now that ought to fit into that kind of arrangement. Ah, so good to be back!

Sunday's "Fight Club"

Had a good session on Sunday with Glen, Jeff, and Eric. It was good to see Eric back in action after a few weeks.  We did a lot of drills and I got two good rounds of sparring in--one with Jeff and one with Eric.

Glen pushed us really hard this week.  It was a great workout.  I am liking these Sunday morning sessions; they're a great way to start the week.

I also did one hour of roadwork.  It was good training.  Hopefully, we'll have a few more guys at the workout next Sunday.

Update on Sunday's "Fight Club"

As I mentioned last week, I've attended the boxing group at my gym the last two Sundays. It's fun. It's all midlife guys who have about the same level of boxing experience. It has been informally called "fight club." The coach is Glen Freedman, the head boxing coach at East Bank Club. I first met Glen several years ago when I boxed in a charitable fund-raising event for the DuPage County Bar Association called the "Bar Bouts." Glen was in my opponent's corner, and we stayed in contact after that. It's good to see him at GoTime for an hour or two each week.

The workout was a pretty standard boxing training session. Here's how it goes.

During the first part, we do a warm-up and then practice several rounds on all the bags (heavy, speed, double-end, uppercut), jump rope, and do shadowboxing. I almost always do some easy stretching after I break a sweat; I want to remain flexible and avoid injuries. This first part is the least structured; there are about 12 guys training in the gym at these practices, so having some time to get into the routine on our own is helpful.

While all the individual work is happening, Glen calls each of us into the ring to work one round on the punch mitts with him. We get just one round of this, because of the number of guys present, but if a smaller group showed up on any particular day, I think Glen might do more rounds with that. I felt a lot better this week working with Glen. Since the time is limited, there's an added sense of urgency to stay focused and mentally present during the round, in order to squeeze the most benefit out of it.

My round went well. My "finisher" right, which had been a bit sluggish last week, flowed easily as I threw the combination: left jab-straight right-left hook-right cross. It was good to have some power on that last punch without sacrificing speed or accuracy on the first three.

The next part is contact sparring drills. Because we're practicing punches, we wear headgear and mouthpieces and 16 oz. gloves. We start by working on the basics, such as left jab (so far, there are no southpaws in the group), one-two, and so on. As round follows round, we work at more complex combinations, defense, adjusting stance and balance as needed, and counterpunching. This is very helpful to me because it is realistic and lets us practice the fundamentals a lot. (I don't think any athlete can ever spend too much time practicing the basics of his sport.) It's safe and fun, but the guys punch about as hard as they do in sparring, so using defense is an important part of the practice.

Next, we have sparring. The drills and sparring are at a fast pace and Glen keeps everyone moving. There's a lot of rotation, so everyone gets some experience practicing with all the other boxers. I like the quicker pace and it allows us to practice with more of the other boxers. For example, this Sunday, I sparred four rounds with three different guys and had the benefit of practicing with their different styles. What worked well with Mark didn't work so well with Eric, and my two rounds with Brian had plenty of challenges.

(Mental note: I need to move more when sparring with Brian. I could easily see him and me standing toe to toe and trading huge bombs. There is definitely a time and place for that, but I'm trying to avoid developing bad habits, or, as the case may be with my willingness to get into a slugfest, to avoid sliding back into old bad habits.) The pace and power were perfect, too; no one is trying to take anyone's head off, but the guys do push each other and encourage one another to improve. There's a camaraderie--even a team spirit--in this intense, most individual of sports. For example, Eric commented that my jab was working a lot better this week, so it was good to see some of that ring rust falling off.

After sparring, we do some abs work. It's a straightforward routine, but beneficial, and you can work at your own pace in an encouraging environment. The medicine ball gets to play a part, and I always feel especially alive when I get that lactic acid burn as I push myself to do yet one more crunch.

Finally, we finish strong with "30s"--three rounds of punching the heavy bag as hard and as fast as we can for 30 seconds, while a partner holds the bag. Then we switch with our partner and he punches for 30 seconds while we hold the bag. That goes on until all the guys have done their three speed rounds. Final stretching and cool down is on our own.

Back to Blogging; Busy Weekend; Training Hard and Enjoying It

February was quite a month. I've been away from the blog, mostly because I have been busy with work. It's an interesting challenge to balance all of these activities, but I am definitely learning a lot from it. Although I haven't posted any training updates, my training continues and is going fairly well. It could always be going better, of course, but I'm a perfectionist, so my attitude is permanently oriented toward improvement.

Here's a recap of what has been going on lately, in work, life, and boxing.

• In my defiant approach to the economic recession, I have been hustling to get some new clients. I have two new prospects and one to contact tomorrow. I am not being naive, but if the basic laws of chemistry and physics still apply, matter and energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Thus, in the aggregate, there is no less matter or energy in the universe today than there was a year or two ago, so we haven't truly "lost" anything. The matter and energy may have changed into different forms, but they still exist. As a practical matter, this means that the opportunities are still available, but we will have to be more persistent and imaginative as we look for them.
  

• Life continues to send its nonstop series of ups and downs. I'm enjoying my new neighborhood--and am confident I'll enjoy it even more once spring arrives with some consistently warmer weather.
  

• I helped my good buddy Mark move his home over the weekend. He's in the same building, but has moved to an apartment two floors above his former unit. I'm thrilled for him. He's still relatively new to Chicago, so I am glad he's getting settled comfortably in his new place. Mark is one hell of a great guy and a really good friend. Unfortunately, he recently lost his cat, Fritz, so it's a difficult time for him.
  

• Training got an added boost on Sunday. It was my first time attending the Sunday "fight club" (also known as "Small Group Boxing") at my gym. I was there in a group of about 12 guys and Glen, the trainer, who runs the 2 pm Sunday gathering. It was a great time and I look forward to attending the practices regularly. In addition to the shadowboxing, work on the bags, abs training, punching-and-defense drills, and work on the punch mitts with Glen, I got in some good sparring, too. (Thanks to Jim and Eric for pushing me hard and making me work!) It was a blast. Since all of the boxers are midlife guys--basically late 30s to late 50s in age--the group might offer some good business networking opportunities, too, as well as the chance to make some new friends. After all, some of my closest friends are guys I have punched in the face. I'm hoping my buddy Mark will attend some Sundays.
  

That's the update for now. I'm planning to get more content on this blog, including links to various articles I've found interesting. For now, thanks for reading, and stay strong!

Friday's Morning Training

Friday's training was brief, but I resisted the temptation to skip it entirely. I went to my parents' closing on their new condo later in the day, so the morning was pretty hectic, but I'm glad I got to the gym. The recap is brief:

• one hour of roadwork (I did this later in the day)
• 6 rounds of shadowboxing
• 1 round of stretching

I also talked briefly with Chad and asked him about learning some grappling and ground-fighting techniques. I will still always be a boxer first, but I'd like to expand my skills and learn some things that are outside my ken. He suggested that I talk with Robbie, so I'll do that this week and see what I can arrange.

Monday: Starting the Week Right

I got to the gym fairly early this morning. (I wanted to get there even earlier, but I was making a map for my dad for his condo search and doing some online networking, and it was raining hard outside so I wanted to wait until I could head out the door without getting completely soaked.)

I saw Ricky this morning. That was cool because I hadn't seen him for a while. I seem to have been training at the times he's not there, so it was nice to see him again.

The workout was pretty good.

• 45 minutes of roadwork (in defiance of the pouring rain, hah!)
• 4 rounds of shadowboxing
• 4 rounds on the double-end bag
• 2 rounds on the heavy bag
• 1 round of stretching

That makes 11 rounds plus the roadwork. Not bad for a rainy Monday morning.

I noticed my footwork was a little sluggish during the shadowboxing. That's frustrating, but I'll work on it more this week. Specifically, I'll focus on moving after throwing combinations because that's where I need to make it smoother.

Monday's Training

Got to the gym after work today. Here's the recap.

• 45 minutes of roadwork
• 4 rounds of shadowboxing
• 4 rounds on the double-end bag
• 4 rounds on the heavy bag
• 4 rounds on the speed bag
• 4 rounds of stretching
• 1 round of situps and crunches

Not bad. That's 21 rounds plus the roadwork. I worked a lot on polishing combinations. In boxing, as in any sport, there's always something the athlete can do just a little better. Tonight, I focused on the speed of my punches and making them follow one another smoothly. Of course, I had to do that while staying balanced, in a good stance, moving my head to make it harder to be hit, gliding across the ring like an air hockey puck, and so on...

On another point, Robbie was the man in charge of the gym tonight. He's a great guy, as well as a very good fighter, and I'm happy to see him taking over more responsibility.

Monday's Workout

Ever have one of those days when work consumes more time than you thought it would and you come close to talking yourself out of going to the gym? Today was such a day. As I was scrambling to finish various projects and get on my way, I began to think, "Maybe I'll just take today off and go in early tomorrow morning." Doing that was tempting, but I am glad I got to GoTime this evening.

Here's a recap of the workout.

• 35 minutes of roadwork
• 3 rounds of shadowboxing
• 3 rounds on heavy bag
• 2 rounds of stretching
• 7 rounds on double-end bag

I spent a lot of time on the double-end bag to work on my speed and timing. I'm trying to improve some combinations with it. I love that bag--it's like a close friend--because, as frustrating as it is to use, it always teaches me a lot.

I'll write more about my routines with the double-end bag soon. I'm trying to make the practice as interesting as possible so that I'll stay with it.

Wednesday's Training

I'm posting this (as well as the entry that immediately follows it) a few days after the fact, but because it mentions a slightly different approach to training, I want to post it.

On Wednesday, May 21, I tried something new: I did my training in the morning before work on a weekday. I haven't done that in a while and it was a great way to start the day. I got over to GoTime, talked with Chad for a few minutes, and then got to my routine. Here's the recap.

• 35 minutes of roadwork
• 3 rounds of shadowboxing
• 3 rounds on the heavy bag
• 6 rounds on the double-end bag
• 2 rounds of stretching
• 1 round of situps/abs

It was nice to do a morning workout. If I am going to continue doing them, I'll have to start a little earlier than I did on Wednesday, but I am still pleased with the results. Having some variety in the training program helps me stay interested.

Brief Training Update

Things are going great at my new gym. The workouts are going well and I am getting to know some of the other people who train there. I'll post more details about the training soon. I probably won't post detailed information about each training session because that will take a long time. But I'll post the highlights here along with lots of other good stuff.

Friday's Workout

I'm really liking the new gym. The weather was kind of chilly on Friday, but I got there. I'm still working on developing the routine, but I will do that, too. Here's the recap.

• 37 minutes of roadwork
• 6 rounds of shadowboxing
• 2 rounds on double-end bag
• 2 rounds of stretching

So You Wanna Be a Boxer, Huh?

I guess I really do. It took some pretty strong effort to get to my new gym today. The transition has been a little harder than I had expected. The guys at my old club don't seem terribly excited about setting up any new workout arrangements right now. I think we're going off into different directions. That's understandable, but still kind of disappointing to me.

Since our club closed on August 31--and it hasn't even been two weeks since that date--it is probably still too early to predict accurately what will happen. I have pretty much done what I can to keep the guys together; the rest will be up to them.

Why am I mentioning all this? Simply because it has been affecting my motivation. I really need to accept this change in my life. It has happened and is the reality I am facing now. The old arrangement was nice while it lasted, but now we're in a new situation (at least I am).

I like the new gym. Everyone is friendly there, I fit in well, and it's already starting to feel like home to me. Work has been kind of nutty, though, and I was really on the fence about getting over to the gym today. Oh, the excuses a man's mind can generate!

After I had my bag packed and went out the door, I really thought about turning back and doing the workout tomorrow instead. It was miserable outdoors. The temperature had dropped significantly this afternoon, and a nasty, misty rain was falling and making the whole scene look like something from a horror movie. Alright, maybe I am exaggerating just a little.

Anyway, I didn't turn back. I went to my new gym and had a decent workout. Here's the recap.

• 30 minutes roadwork
• 4 rounds shadowboxing
• 3 rounds on the heavy bag
• 2 rounds of stretching
• 1 round on the speed bag
• 1 round on the double-end bag

While shadowboxing, I got a few helpful pointers from Ray Pace, GoTime Chicago's boxing coach. He talked with me about doing some training with him and about meeting up with him and some of the other guys on Saturday mornings for sparring practice. That all sounds promising, too.

I don't know what will happen with my friends from my previous club. They are all great guys, and they're still my friends, but I don't know if we'll be pursuing our sport as a group. I cannot control that.

However, my experience today has taught me a valuable lesson. Even with the challenges, I am dedicated to this sport. I want to improve as a boxer. I'll stay with it.

Moving Ahead: A New Gym, A New Beginning

Finally, after all my talk, last Friday I joined a new gym. My former athletic club shut down officially on August 31, so I decided to waste no time in getting set up in a new place where I can continue my boxing training.

Although I am stating this in a matter-of-fact way, the transition is still somewhat painful. I left an athletic club where I had been a member for almost 17 years, and where I had been one of the principal instigators of the revival of boxing as a sport at the club in 1994. I have a lot of good memories from my years of membership, and I am unhappy about the circumstances under which we closed. Nevertheless, it really is time for me to move ahead.

On Friday, I found a new home at a gym called GoTime Chicago. Here's a link to their Web site.

http://www.gotimechicago.com

Chad Robbins, one of the co-owners, is a great guy who gave me a tour and orientation, explained all the details about membership, and talked with me about how we can bring in the rest of the guys from the Chicago Athletic Association's boxing team, if they are interested. I will work on that more this week. I don't know how many of our boxers will go along, but I'll try to get all of them.

Chad also told me he has been thinking of holding some boxing shows at the gym. I already told him I'd be interested in boxing in some of those events. That probably won't happen for a few months, but it's nice to know it will be an option. Also, I need to figure out how Bernard can join us. But I am not going to get bogged down with all the details and make it seem like yet another job. I'm just going to enjoy my workouts and have fun for a while.

I did my first workout there on Saturday morning. Here's the recap.

• 20 minutes roadwork
• 4 rounds shadowboxing
• 3 rounds stretching
• 3 rounds on the heavy bag
• 3 rounds on the double-end bag

I have a lot more to say about this new experience. Details will follow over the next few days. This is good. I feel grounded again.

Final Workout At My Current Boxing Club

It was a pretty emotional experience. Yesterday, I had my last workout at my athletic club. I didn't do much of a workout because I was running really late and was lucky to arrive while some of the guys were still there. First, the recap of my very brief workout.

• 20 minutes of roadwork (even this was short!)
• 1 round on the heavy bag
• 2 rounds on the focus mitts with Bernard

Yes, that's it. I felt incredibly guilty yesterday, but I got there late and did what I could to make the best of it. It was good to see several of the guys there. In addition to Bernard and me, Tim, Cory, and Bill were there. Kevin wanted to be there but had a dinner he needed to attend. Henry Coyle, a professional boxer and a friend of Bernard's, joined us to give us some help with sparring. Sadly, I was too late for sparring. Oh well, next time!

We all went to dinner afterward. Over dinner, we discussed some ideas for our future. I'd be really happy to keep all our boxers together. I am realizing it may be tough to do that, but I will sure try to make it happen. I will be talking later today to one of the owners of a fairly new gym in Chicago that might work very well for us. I'll post more about that here soon. I am determined to turn this difficult challenge into a great opportunity.