New Year's Eve Session and 2013 Weight Plan

The academy was closed today but I joined a seasoned Blue and Professor Antonio for a bit of competition training this morning.  The Blue and I are competing at the Abu Dhabi World Pro Trials here in San Diego and Professor Antonio is heading to Lisbon for the European Open at the end of the month.  I got my butt handed to me.  The Blue destroyed me.  Must have tapped me six times.  But when he wasn't tapping me he was racking up points.  Faired a little better against Professor Antonio, but I don't think tapping me was his number one priority.  He was definitely working on things.  After about 4 rounds or so each they began a strength circuit with kettlebells and ropes.  I joined about half way through.  I'm definitely out of jiu-jitsu shape.

Speaking of being out of jiu-jitsu shape, I start my diet for the 2013 competition season this Wednesday.  I need to lose about 5lbs for the World Pro Trials; however, I can weigh in the day before so I don't really need to cut for that.  But I want to make slightly better choices, restrict my portion sizes, and reduce beer consumption to lose fat while increasing muscle mass through more strength and BJJ training.  Hope to be down to 200lbs or so by mid-March.  Then maintain that weight through Master/Senior Worlds in the fall.  That's the goal anyhow.

Week in Review

Start weight:  209.0 lbs.

• Mon 12/23:  45mins light cardio and core.     

• Tues 12/24:  Rest day.

• Wed 12/25:  Rest day (work interrupted).

• Thurs 12/26:  1hr cardio (6.2 mile run).   

• Fri 12/27:  1hr strength and conditioning.

• Sat 12/28:    45mins light cardio and strength. 

• Sun 12/29:  1hr cardio (6.2 mile run).      

Final weight:  209.2 lbs.

Week in Review

Start weight:  208.4 lbs.

• Mon 12/16:  1hr light strength, core, and balance.     

• Tues 12/17:  1.5hrs BJJ.

• Wed 12/18:  1hr strength and conditioning.

• Thurs 12/19:  30mins cardio (3+ mile run).  

• Fri 12/20:  Rest day.

• Sat 12/21:  1.5hrs BJJ.  

• Sun 12/22:  1.25hrs cardio (16 mile cycle and 3+ mile run).    

Final weight:  209.0 lbs.

2wk Hiatus

Trained tonight for the first time in two weeks.  A combination of illness (cold), work, and triathlon training conspired to keep me off the mats.  Good news is the cold is gone and the triathlon (turned duathlon due to bay pollution from rain) is over.  More on that later.

Training went fairly well.  After warm-ups we worked a few butterfly sweeps.  Then specific training followed by rolling.  Got a late 20s Brown and early 30s Purple, both about my size and far more experienced.  6min rounds.  Managed well enough.  Survived the round with the Brown.  Got a nice take down from a transition from the spider sweep off a pass.  Been working that since I thought about it after failing to sweep my opponent in my division at Nationals.  So it felt good to see the transition work in a live situation against a more experienced jitsuka.  Also had a couple passes to knee on belly that I couldn't seem to secure.  Doubt I would have got the points.  Got a spider sweep on the Purple too, but that's about all I could get going against him.  He ended up choking me with 2secs remaining in the round. Drats.

Rolled with my son for 10mins before the end of class.  His instincts are remarkable for only his 7th class.  Attacking arm bars and triangles from guard with vigor.  Also quick to transition to tripod and spider sweep set ups as soon as I open his guard and stand up.  The best part though was his near instantaneous shrimp to guard recovery when I stepped around his guard via torreando or x-pass.  And his response to my side control was almost as reflexive:  bump to underhook to belly down to elevator takedown from knees.  Really impressed.  And not just saying that because he's my son.

As for the duathlon on Sunday, I did alright for my first race.   It was a 12 mile cycle and 4.5mile run.  Finished 36th overall out of 180 registered (turns out only 150 showed up) and 17th in my division (out of 35).  Averaged 22mph on the cycle and 8:30sec miles.  Felt good, despite the lingering cold.  Looking forward to a real triathlon.  Maybe in February.

Week in Review

Start weight:  207.2 lbs.

• Mon 12/9:  Sick day.     

• Tues 12/10:  Sick day.

• Wed 12/11:  45mins light strength and core.

• Thurs 12/12:  Sick day.  

• Fri 12/13:  45min light strength and cardio. 

• Sat 12/14:  Rest day.  

• Sun 12/15:  1.25hrs cardio.  Duathlon (12 mile cycle and 4.5 mile run).    

Final weight:  208.4 lbs.

Week in Review

Start weight:  209.2 lbs.

• Mon 12/3:   45mins cardio and core.   

• Tues 12/4:  1.5hrs BJJ.

• Wed 12/5:   2hrs BJJ plus 1hr strength and conditioning.

• Thurs 12/5:  1.25 hrs cardio (16 mile cycle plus 3 mile run).  

• Fri 12/6:  30min run. 

• Sat 12/7:  Rest day.  

• Sun 12/8:  Sick day.  :(

Final weight:  207.2 lbs.

Week in Review

Start weight:  205.2 lbs.

• Mon 11/26:   1hr strength and conditioning.

• Tues 11/27:  1.5hrs BJJ.

• Wed 11/28:   20 mile cycle (including 4mile sprint) and 2.2 mile run.

• Thurs 11/29:   Rest day.  

• Fri 11/30:  1hr strength and conditioning.  

• Sat 12/1:  2hrs BJJ.

• Sun 12/2:  25 mile cycle (including two climbs up/down Mt. Soledad and Torrey Pines).

Final weight:  209.2 lbs.