Running It For Alan

AJ shadow boxes in the ring in the photo above.  It was his first time in the class.

Alan was out for Rosh Hashanah, so Paul and I were running the gym.  Paul worked with the new people including AJ and Lawrence, then I monitored the people -- Kathy, Connor, and Robert -- who sparred.  Connor knows how to box from both orthodox and southpaw positions.  He switched up from time to time on Kathy.  Connor showed me how using foot position can help an orthodox boxer keep control over a southpaw.  I'll have to show the kids that down at LaFollette.

Here is Jenny (Paul's wife) on the double-end bag, while AJ moves around in the ring.  For some reason, the double-end bag was installed upside down.  Plus, an extra strap was attached, I guess to pull it down so the kids can use it on Tuesdays and Thursday.

I didn't get much of a workout in, so I'll make it up when I'm at LaFollette, or try to fit in a day of exercise at home.  While putting up a new shower liner in my bathroom last week, I caught sight of myself in the mirror.  I'm carrying way too much body fat around my middle.  Yeah, I do portion control and try to eat the right foods, but obviously, there's something I'm not doing right.  I have to step my game up.

I forgot about Simons Park's boxing show later this week.  I'll try to get James and maybe KeVonte to commit to participating in that show.

Sniffling and Not Breathing

Kishaun (on the left) does a sparring drill with his cousin Derrick Jr., or has Kishaun puts it, "shadow sparring".  Hopefully, both boys will get fights at Loyola Park's boxing show later this week.

While I was at Loyola Park, I got some pad work with Gabe.  Standing next to him really pointed out how short I really am.  I believe Gabe is six feet four.  I lasted two rounds, and learned some new punch mitt techniques at the same time.  Gabe noticed that I wasn't breathing as I threw my punches.  I was a bit embarrassed because that is a rookie mistake.  As much as I tell the kids at LaFollette Park to "breathe!" I should know better.

I was also sniffling.  Right before I got to Loyola Park, I stopped to play with Alex, a tomcat who lives up the street from me.  No sooner than I started petting Alex, my allergies kicked up.

I was running the gym for Alan because it was Rosh Hashanah.  Outside of Gabe, Kathy, David, and Connor were in attendance.  No sparring took place but it could have.  "When I was a volunteer," I told Gabe, "I couldn't let people spar when Alan was out.  But as a coach, I can."  "That's what's up!" Gabe said.

Over the weekend, I brought a new pair of five pound weights for LaFollette's boxing gym.  I was never crazy about the neoprene covered ones that were available in the storage room.  After the kids broke one of them, I was determined to replace them with some real cast iron weights.  As time goes on, I'll build up a collection of cast iron weights for the boxing participants to use.

A Relaxing Night

The gym was closed on Labor Day.  Today was Rosh Hashanah, so I ran the gym in Alan's place.  The crowd was small, only Colonel, Gabriel, and Igor.  Igor revealed that he had an operation, which explained his recent absence from the gym.  "I like when there's not a lot of people in here.  It's relaxing," Colonel said.

I was dragging on the way down to the gym.  The holiday weekend wasn't one of the best that I'd had.  The bright spot was me house sitting for a dear couple who had gone out of town. It was nice to get out of my apartment for awhile, and see some cable TV, since I currently don't have that service at my place.
The couple also has the most content cat that I've ever been around, and the cat had a calming effect on me.  I needed that to counteract other problems I experienced over the weekend.  I wasn't feeling well most of the day on Sunday, and part of Monday as well.  I haven't had much of an appetite lately; maybe that contributed to it.  Also, I learned that a friend has stage four cancer, realized that I missed my half-sister's birthday by several days (not the one who lives here, but the one who lives out of state), and I had to drop kick several individuals from my friends list on Facebook.  Yeah, the weekend could have been a lot better.

As usual, Igor didn't stay the entire session.  Forty-five minutes and Igor was out.

Colonel had Gabriel cracking up with tales of his exploits.  Gabriel said that Colonel was "the most gangsta person" that he knows.  I had to agree.  Colonel does have some wild stories, and I believe all of them are true.  He told us that he joined the military when he was 24 years old.  "I was the old man among everyone else.  People would call me Pops.  I had graduated college, and I had been to several countries by that time.  I had more combat experience than the officers over me," he smiled.

Gabriel was asking me about upcoming fights.  He's back in school now, plus working during the day, so it's probably going to be a matter of juggling time in order to be able to participate in matches.

Colonel noticed that I was bit slow on the speed bag.  "Usually, you make that bag sing!" he grinned.  I was pushing myself to do the workout.  A combination of me feeling run down and me being distracted by numerous other issues made it hard for me to focus.  Jilberto, who opened the gym door, asked me if I was ready to take a fight during Loyola Park's boxing show later this month.  I want to fight, but at this point, I'm not so sure that I'm up for it.  Several people have been telling me that it looks like I've lost some weight, so that's a positive in my favor.

Professor sent me a message earlier in the day saying that he was told that people who take boxing classes via the park district can't have gym privileges at other park district boxing gyms.  This is different from what was told the park district coaches about two years ago.  Sigh. . .that may knock out long-held plans I've had to get some sparring in up at Hamlin Park.  I'm going to have to look into the private boxing gyms in the area to see what their day pass rates are especially on the weekends.