On May 22nd-23rd I was a part of the St Rose Men’s Retreat; 3 years ago this same event changed my life in many ways. I sat in the crowd in 2019 going through the motions without any expectations. Listening to the stories of different men from all walks of life and getting to meet new people who I normally wouldn’t was transformational. This time, instead of being a participant, I was a team member and got an opportunity to speak in front of 40 men. I spoke about different times in my life where people “pulled me out of the mud,” got me back to my feet when I felt I might not be able to. People who inspired to be the person I was made to be. I have never been completely comfortable with public speaking. On this day I was lifted up both mentally and spiritually by the whole process. Everybody I spoke with afterwards told me how truly inspiring it was to hear my story. These comments blew me away because I was just telling the story of those who inspired me with no expectation that it would inspire others.
Having enough trouble motivating myself at times, I never thought my action could motivate others. In the last couple of months I have received some text messages from friends about seeing the progress I have been making and has motivated them to start working toward some of their goals. In particular, my long time friends from Pennsylvania Chuck and Joe Burgy. We have started a text group to hold each other accountable for getting off our asses and get moving. We are all fathers, have full time jobs, and busy schedules, so carving out time to take care of our health is vital. We even started a 30 day squat & push-up challenge. We check in with each other every day. This has pushed me to get my workouts in or else I feel I would let them down. This is a sign of true friendship.
Boxing training:
The workouts have evolved past the conditioning stage to working more on angles, defense, and positioning in the ring. Knowing where to stand in the ring, how to cut off your opponent, and what punches to throw after blocking an opponent’s punch has been a slow process for me. My reactions are still slow and I am trying to think my way through it too much. One drill I am looking to improve upon is the speed bag. It will definitely help with my shoulder endurance and strength. The concentration on footwork (agility latter, circle latter, balancing on a tire) and introduction of new drills has helped keep my workouts fresh and has helped with both coordination and balance.
Nutrition:
My weight is currently 283, 32 pounds down from original weight in January. It’s been a steady progress. I can feel the changes in my body, how I feel after workouts, and getting lighter has helped. People have told me do not concentrate so much on the number on the scale. The number gives something more tangible that I can see. In the coming weeks, I am going to start weighing in on my training days with Coach McDonough. This can be a way to hold me more accountable knowing I have to weigh in every Wednesday. My short term goal is to be out of the 280’s by the end of the month. My meals remain balanced and with the hotter weather coming I have to take in more fluids daily. The 3 to 4 shirts I have gone through each day becomes problematic. Luckily I have a small collection of 5000 t-shirts to pick from.
Strength training:
I have turned my strength workouts from strictly a lower body to a full body lifting program. Every 4 weeks I have tried to switch it up to keep it new and improve my overall strength. The goal is to get three days of lifting in and complete 15 to 20 reps for each lift. With a busy schedule, sometimes having only 45 minutes to workout I have kept the tempo very high so I can get all my lifts in. Lifting is familiar to me, so adding intensity and finding new lifts that will help with my boxing training is the goal.
Mental:
Consistency in the last couple of weeks of June was a struggle. The balance of family, work, and this project has had its challenges. At my job, I have been picking up overtime, I have picked up some extra work at Phinney’s, a local grocery store in Newtown that does meal subscriptions on Thursdays, and we have recently moved into a house in Watertown, Connecticut. Moving all the boxes and furniture in three days was a good workout, however I need a little goal focused exercise for my sanity. Falling out of the routine has been difficult; however I am refocused and adjusting to a new schedule and not waiting for a schedule to adjust to me. It’s all part of the process that I believe I am supposed to trust.
As rewarding it has been to feel I have motivated people and have been motivated by others, ultimately it comes down to me. I need to find a way to motivate myself every day. You can have support and people rooting you on but these are your goals and your aspirations. If I want to achieve a certain skill level in boxing and lose the weight, I am the one who has to get myself out of bed, I am the one who has to get to the gym, and I am the one who has to push my limits. Failure to do this will affect one person…me. Now that we are at the halfway point it’s time to turn up the volume and blast through some of these obstacles in my way.
“The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses-behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under the lights“
-Muhammad Ali
I’m proud of you my friend. As well grateful that you have shared your experience with others. Steve