beginnings and endings

It’s time for me to end this blog.

Not that it is the end of my journey, though.  True – I will not be boxing in the Restaurant Rumble 2012, but this event has moved beyond a single night of fights.  There will be a gym to create and train in, there are rumours of a Restaurant Industry Boxing League, and Aprons for Gloves will be a continuous ongoing event.

Mike Babiarz and Soren Johnstone from Warren Lane Pictures are the production team masterminds behind the Road to the Restaurant Rumble documentary series, and they’ve put together an episode highlighting my story.  You’ve all read it already, but still – they managed to make me look pretty adorable, it’s worth a watch.

I want to say thank you again.  Thank you for following along with me through this.  Thank you for your words and comments of encouragement, your advice, your strength when I was weak.  Thank you for helping me be the first to reach the $2000 goal, and then surpassing it, thank you for donating to this amazing charity, being a part of the future of boxing in Vancouver.  Thank you for sharing in this experience with me.

I’ve been offered the opportunity to write for the Aprons For Gloves website.  I encourage you to continue to follow me there where I’ll be blogging as “Big Bird’s Eye View”.

As for Nathan Boxes, I will keep this here as a testament to this experience.  Who knows – maybe in the years to come some other fey, awkward, scrawny, nonathletic dude will decide to compete for future AFG fights and find some inspiration here.  If you’re that person – DO IT.

It will change your life.  It will remind you that you can do anything.

Training Days 27…

You know, I have been leaving my titles to these posts with an ellipsis  intentionally because I figured that at any point, I may quit, get hurt, have something happen, or be kicked out.  You never know.

Last night at training, I was told I wouldn’t be able to participate on fight night, July 25th.

I’d had a bad feeling all day.  I didn’t get enough sleep on Thursday night, my alarm didn’t go off Friday morning and I woke up literally 5 minutes before I had to be at work.  Work was good but I was distracted (Lately, I’m always distracted at work boxingboxingboxing… I’ve even had an official “talk” about it from my boss…).  When I got home, I tried to nap, but found myself riddled with anxiety about that night’s training – would I get some practice time in the ring finally?  How much can I possibly improve before fight night?  WILL IT BE ENOUGH?!

I saw a picture on facebook of a woman being stoned to death and my first reaction was this sick intimate recognition of the feeling of having things thrown at your face repeatedly.  Things got grim in my head for a while there.  Seriously, lack of sleep will be the end of me.

On my bike ride to training I had a little summary of all the “signs” I have been getting lately that I should not be doing this… Does anyone believe in omens these days?  Possible brain damage, bruised rib, broken nose, incapacitating blister on my foot… Like my body was trying to keep me from boxing, and my brain stubbornly and consistently insisted that I WOULD SEE THIS GODDAMN THING THROUGH.

When I got there, I ran into Mark Louie, one of my morning warriors.  He talked me into a better mental space, explained that this kind of negative thinking is normal for lots of athletes, and that unlike many of them, I WAS PERSEVERING.

Training, Coach Dave didn’t put me in the ring again.  He kind of ignored me, like Wednesday.  Then I hear, “NATHAN..” which in itself didn’t sound good because he’s only ever called me “Big Bird”.

He took me into the locker room and explained that until I had the MRI done, it was irresponsible for him to put me in the ring to train.  He explained that, pending my MRI, I would be able to fight in October at the gym’s grand opening.  He explained that he’d rather give me this bad news than give my parents the bad news that he’d put their child into a wheel chair or a coma.  He did the right thing, right?

I told him it felt like bureaucracy mostly, but that I understood.

I went for beer and food with Mark and Aya and Shay after boxing at the Alibi Room.  Joni was there working, she dropped by for rushed hellos.  I rode past Bao Bei on my way home, where Chen Wei was working, and Jian (maybe Chris Giannakos’ new match?!) and even the guy making the amazing documentary (WATCH EPISODE TWO!) were all hanging around.  Jian bought me another drink.

Every so often (but more often than I’m comfortable with), I am faced with someone saying in sarcastic jest, “Oh, great idea – take a bunch of street kids and teach them how to fight… that’s productive.”  I had this opinion initially too.  I didn’t understand how they could possibly benefit from this experience.  Now I can’t see how boxing WOULDN’T make their lives better.  The constant support, encouragement, camaraderie… the physical benefits, the mental focus, the SUPPORT.  MY GOD, THE SUPPORT.  The feeling that if they didn’t keep their shit together, they’d no longer be allowed to participate.  Keep their grades high (by the way, I got a B+ in French afterall!).

Anyway, I will keep going to training, I will be at the fight, just not as a participant.  AND I WILL CONTINUE FUND RAISING UNTIL THEY KICK ME OFF THE SITE!  With your help, I’ve raised $2420 for this amazing charity.  Let’s just take that number higher…. please.  Please help.  Buy some gear.  Please help.

Anyway, maybe that’s the end of my Training Days posts… maybe not.  I’m not sure what to do with this blog now.  Stay tuned, we’ll see where it goes together….

…

Boxing Comics

beachesbeachesbeachesbeachesbeaches

 

Other comics!

Four

Three

Two

One!

Original inspiration from my fave online comic, Dinosaur Comics!

Training Days 26… B?

I messed up my training days count somewhere recently.  Anyway…

Small things about tonight’s training:

* I didn’t get to go in the ring.  I’m not sure why.  Coach Dave kind of ignored me tonight.

* I got lots of practice on the pads.  The assistant coach Luke was really encouraging.  The other guys, Marcus (who will be highlighted at the Fight Night event!) said very little when he was on the pads with me.  Jab Jab Punch Jab.  Knock Knock?  Who’s there?  Oh God, It’s a hard right!  Jab that door shut.  Jab Jab Punch Jab.

* My blister survived the evening.

* I really think my nose is broken.  Even the slightest tap feels like tiny hot pokers are jabbing at it from the inside.

* For some strange reason, I think cals were actually my favourite part of the night.

* I seriously love the people in this competition with me.  I genuinely hope some of these friendships stick post-boxing.  This whole event feels a little like summer camp, and there’s always that sad goodbye at the end when you never see the fast friends you’ve made again… except in this case we’ll all still be in the same city, so… we’ll see.

I also met with the filmmaker for the Road to the Restaurant Rumble documentary this afternoon and we did some sunny outdoor shots for episode two airing this Friday! He just catered to my ego for most of the afternoon.   As much as anything, it is very exciting to be a part of this!  Like a little souvenir of this experience.  I suppose my blog is too, but diaries are such odd souvenirs.

I’m really grateful to one of Aprons for Gloves’ sponsors, Scout Magazine.  They have brought this amazing thing we’re doing and made it very public and so… Thanks Scout Magazine!  You always know what’s coolest!

Here are two pics – one of my gross blister, one of me icing my nose to health!

I am very tired! Goodnight!

Floating and Stinging!

I forgot to mention this officially, but there is the Art Exhibit FLOATING AND STINGING happening next Wednesday night!

Check out some of the portraits that have already been leaked to the public, and come check out the event where all the posters (including mine!) will be silently auctioned off!  All proceeds will go to help Aprons for Gloves (duh), so if you haven’t had a chance to donate yet, this is an incredible opportunity to do so!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Training Days 25…

Well, Two weeks today until FIGHT NIGHT.  Many conflicting feelings on this.

But forget feelings for now, let’s talk about my blister!!  It’s a big ol’ pain in the foot!  I went in to a walk-in clinic yesterday where the doctor proclaimed “infection!”.  I think doctors always say that to be safe.  Doctoring is very much about safety, I find, which I will talk about more shortly re: MRI.  So now I’m on antibiotics.  She also advised me to visit an orthotics shop which I promptly did.  I was fortunate – I made it in within minutes of them closing, and while there, there was a cancellation for the first appointment of the morning (THIS morning) so I booked it!

The orthotics lady, after explaining why continuing to box on this giant blister of mine was imperative, said, “Wow… boxing!  Terrifying! What an exhilarating way to face one’s fears.  To sidle up to the edge of the cliff and confidently peer over.  Or in your case, I suppose, to jump!”

This morning’s appointment had them forming my existing orthotics to diffuse the pressure from the blister.  They also covered the orthotics with some kind of anti-slip something to prevent further friction.  AND I was able to make it to the 9am training session in time!

Training was good, but I left early because after 3 rounds of foot work drills, my foot was throbbing and frankly I’d rather save the suffering for tonight when I might actually get some ring time in.  I need practice in the ring.  TWO WEEKS TODAY.  I need practice in the ring.

I know just the other day I wrote about how watching the other boxers and their weaknesses reminded me that I’m actually doing ok – today I experienced the flat absolute opposite.  Watching the other boxers doing their pad-work with Jordan seriously emphasized my lack of killer instinct in this sport.  They’re throwing amazing combos and hooks and jabs and have this intuition about where and how to punch that I simply am lacking.  I literally do have to think my way through every move (why I’m told time and time again that I think too much).  None of this has become comfortable or natural for me yet.

(I am a sheep disguised in wolves’ clothing.)

There are potential complications/alterations to the actual fight in two weeks.  As much as it would be great to live in a fantastical boxing world where everyone gets to fight who they want regardless, there are realities to be addressed.  There is boxing insurance to consider.  There is the health of the boxers.

For starters, while two and a half months of training have taken me from lean and formless to lean with slight form, I have yet to lose a single pound. I stand at 195 firm. My opponent, on the other hand, has gone from a short & pudgy Greek boy to a short and slimmed down boxer – and in order to fight him as we were hoping to do, I have to shave off about 10 lbs in the next two weeks.  This is … daunting. However, to be safe, we MUST be within a certain limit of each other.

Other match-ups are also changing for similar reasons.  Weights are changing everywhere.  Who’s complaining? I mean, we have ALL improved our bodies in some way through this training process.  However, it means that some of the pairings we had all hoped to see may not come to be simply for logistic reasons.

Then there is the situation with my MRI.  If you missed that one, I had a bike accident a year ago, the report of which says there is a “possible shearing of the white matter of the brain”.  So, the doctor will not sign for me to fight until I have had my brain scanned to say that it is safe to be punched.  My MRI appointment is slotted for July 23rd, 2 days before the fight.  I am on a cancellation list, but haven’t heard boo from the hospital.  MRI’s are so in this season, apparently.  Book yours well in advance, mkay?

Worst Worst Case Scenario – I don’t fight.  I learn I have a busted thinker.  Maybe I take up tennis.

Best Worst Case Scenario – I get to watch this fight with all my friends with a drink in hand.  There is a possibility of my fighting at the grand opening fight night of the new gym we’re creating, sometime in October we hope.  More time to prepare and train.

Worst Best Case Scenario – I get to fight and look like an idiot, get pummelled by a real wolf and exposed for the sheep I am.  I entertain the masses, and hopefully I’m not too broken to celebrate when it’s all over and done with.

Best Best Case Scenario – I walk away with a win, a belt, an amateur boxing record, and… pride in myself for having done and succeeded in something that I never, ever, ever would have considered myself ever, ever, ever doing.

Actually, I’ll have that last one regardless.  I already do.

 

The Road to the Restaurant Rumble – episode one

Oh man, I am so excited about this! It really captures well the feel of our tryouts, the essence of this whole experience, and plus it a little bit features me! Exciiiiiiting!!!

Training Days 24…

Back to Save on Meats this morning, back with my morning warriors, only four of us this morning which is good because we got more one-on-one with Jordan.

Mark, me, Chen Wei and Romano

I’m worried my blog is becoming too repetitive.  I was telling my friend Crystal tonight about this over dinner, and she said I should just keep at it because even when I keep whining or blah blah, I’m keeping it real.  This is my experience… so bear with me if I whine or blah blah.

My right still sucks.  Poor Jordan keeps showing me over and over and over how I should be doing it, demonstrating what I do wrong.  I think there was even a point while I was sparring with Mark when coach actually called out something like, “Throw something other than your right, it’s not strong enough” or something to that extent.  It’s hard to remember what people yell at you when someone else is constantly threatening to punch you at any moment.

My right foot pivoting has improved… or rather, the blister has grown.  It’s now this huge hard pillow of really painful crummy pain.  I was going to go to training again tonight, but I’m seriously walking on the side of my foot right now because walking directly on the blister (which has grown to the size of a toonie) is so excruciating.

I gave myself the weekend off to rest my ribs, but they didn’t ever really end up feeling better.  That’s actually not true – but rather when finally they would end up feeling better, I”d do something stupid or clumsy/awkward to make them hurt again.  Same with the bridge of my nose.  I actually woke up in a yell in the middle of the night because in moving around my bed I”d somehow accidentally bumped my nose and it felt like getting punched again.

OK WHINING DONE.  I checked the BC Health Guide and it said that when a blister is over 2.5 cm (which mine is), it’s better to drain it.  There are instructions.  If my blister doesn’t improve overnight while I sleep, I’m going to deal with it before I start my shift at 6am – 7 hours on my feet.  BLISTERS NOT ALLOWED.

My rib IS improving.  Mark landed a little jab on it today that had me out for an 8-count (they give you 8 seconds in boxing to get your shit together when you’re hit too hard), but it’s feeling ok now.

AAAAAand my nose actually didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would when Mark landed a few punches on it.

So really, I dont have that much whining to do, I’m just sore all the time and it makes me want to break out into Princess Pissy Pant mode.  I’m glad that after the main fight in ONLY TWO WEEKS, I’ll have time to finally recover without risking making anything worse through continued training.  Crunch time is on, so training has increased – and training is dangerous!  PUNCHING FOR SPORT PEOPLE.

Whatever.  I’m also totally bummed that I missed training tonight, and I am super into this, and when I was discussing the possibility of missing the fight because of this MRI stuff with the organizer dude, I got REALLY UPSET to potentially have to miss out on fighting.  I’ve always said I’m in this to win this…

I read this comment someone posted on Nigel (another contender and personal favourite)’s Facebook wall:

“Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” M. Ali

My Big Fat Greek Boxer!

Mad credit and huge thanks to my buddy Kert for putting this together for me!

More Ways to Donate!

Ok, so yesterday I met up with that personal trainer my loooovely customer hired for me, and it went well!  Then I met up with another customer who has donated his services as a massage therapist, and he helped me out with the sciatic pains I’ve been having in my butt!  Then I met up with another contender to have a little spar training in a park, including some up-hill sprinting which was way less awful than I expected.  He recommended that with my ribs all bruised up, and the bridge of my nose still hurting so much, it may be helpful for me to just take a few days off of training and let my body rest up a bit.

SO I DID.  This morning, instead of going to training, I read my book in the sun for a while, took my bike in and finally got it fixed up (Our community bikes = amazing).  My ribs still smart, but they feel WAY better already, and I think that with the weekend to rest them up too, I should be in top shape for another double-dose of training next Monday and Wednesday.

I feel great.  I’ve been eating a LOT and sleeping a LOT and drinking basically NO booze and the summer has finally arrived and I just feel like I’ve hit some kind of stride.

ANYWAY, the reason for this post is actually to promote something new they’ve done at the Aprons for Gloves website!  Now, instead of just picking a contender (aka *me*) to pledge, you can actually donate your money towards specific equipment that we’re going to need for the new gym we’re creating!

If you go to www.apronsforgloves.com/donate, you can pick any item and donate any amount towards its purchase!  This is especially great for companies who don’t want to pledge any single boxer.  For example, Coffee Geek donated an uppercut bag, and Chambar Restaurant put $200 towards well needed head gear!  All donations are going to fund these items anyway, but sometimes it’s nicer to know that your money is going toward a specific thing.

TWO DAYS LEFT TO VOTE FOR MY FIGHT AGAINST CHRIS!  Please help us secure a TITLE FIGHT by voting at www.apronsforgloves.com (on the right side of the screen).

Want to keep up to date with all the info and pictures of our training?  Simply log into Facebook and “Like” the Aprons for Gloves page!  Their pictures capture so much more than I can possibly blog about.

Thanks everyone!  So many of you  readers have given so much already, and I just want to say thanks again.  THANKS AGAIN.