More Aspirin, More Sparring

I walked into Pastor Roger's office on Wednesday morning and asked if I could please have another aspirin.  "I've basically been hurting ever since I had my last fight in early October," I told him, after he made a joke about me being knocked upside my head again.  That time, I was feeling the effects of the body punches Alan gave me on Monday.  The aspirin helped a little.  A long hot bath in Epson salt probably would have been better.

There were some guys in the gym whom I did not recognize.  One was a coach who I learned trains fighters way out in Crete, IL.  Another was Sosa, who was being trained by that coach.  Sosa looked like he knew what he was doing.  He told Alan he'd like to come in again.and get some sparring in.

Oscar and his friend Jesus returned to the gym.  Oscar and I sparred twice; we did two separate rounds, and Kenny and I did one round together in-between that.  It was easier to spar with Oscar, only because Oscar is my height.  I got Oscar with some jabs and hooks.  Alan was on the side saying, "Beautiful!  Now keep it up!"  Oscar seems to have become quicker each time I spar with him.  I remembered to keep my chin down, and watch better for openings.  But there were times when I goofed up.  For example, I swung wildly at Oscar during our first round and ended up spinning in a circle.  Alan chuckled about that one.  Then Oscar popped me with a right, and I put my head down and closed my eyes, not seeing the jab that came behind it.  Afterwards, Colonel told me, "You're tough for a church lady!"  That's a new nickname for me.

Reggie, seen facing Kenny in the above photo, went several a few rounds with him.  Kenny has become our second Eveready Bunny in the gym (Jacob is the other one).  When he has a fight coming up, Kenny can go several rounds non-stop.  Kenny is sort of a like a snake in the ring, as I noticed when I sparred with him on Wednesday.  Always coiled, and when he strikes, it's quick.  Some of the guys that Kenny has sparred and fought with have been bigger, like Reggie, but Kenny's quickness and observation skills are assets in overcoming larger opponents.

Kevin sparred with Ralphie.  Alan must have told Kevin ten times to keep his hands up.  "You're not listening to me," Alan told him during a break in the action.  Then someone else ringside -- I think it was Kenny -- gave the same warning to Kevin.  Alan told Kevin, "There's more than one person telling you the same thing -- do you think I'm lying?"  Kevin went back to leaning on the ropes.  Ralphie took advantage of the situation and kept popping him in the side.  When Alan told Kevin not to stay in that one spot, Kevin replied, "I'm waiting for him to tire himself out."  Several of us fell out laughing.  "Oh, no!  Ralphie's not going to get tired!" I told Kevin.  Before the next round took place, Ralphie explained to Kevin that he will lose fights if he keeps waiting by the ropes and not answering punches properly.

In another month and five days from now, my birthday will be here. .  . .I still haven't made up my mind about whether to continue competing beyond that time.  Alan called Sam to let him know that I am one of the fighters interested in having a bout during a show fight that will take place downtown later this month.  Seward Park's boxing show is next week, but I'm sure I won't have a match there.  Beyond those fight shows is Brooks Park, which will take place the day before my birthday.  Most likely I will have a fight at Brooks, and how I do there may be the deciding factor on whether I take any more fights.

But based on the fact that I'm still feeling soreness from the fight with Meg last month, and the hard sparring with Sarah that followed behind that. . .I can't keep denying that it's become a bit harder to recover from punches.  Wait. . .I just found a series of scrapes on my right forearm.  They weren't there earlier, so that must have happened while sparring.  I'm glad I'm not that vain of a person.  Otherwise, I'd constantly have fits about all the scratches and scrapes I get (from boxing and elsewhere) and the scars they often leave behind.   While I'm aware that I give off a youthful appearance, young I'm not.

 Alan was happy that none of Reggie's punches caught him in the back while they sparred.  "It would have been bad if Reggie had gotten me, but if you hit me like that, I would have been out," Alan told me.  I'm always apprehensive about really hurting someone.  The second round that Oscar and I sparred, he didn't put on headgear.  I kept throwing hooks, but honestly, I really didn't want to connect, considering Oscar's head was vulnerable.