Laser Focus

[thehobbes]

Haha yeah, I AM taking time off lifting mostly because I want to be immersed in BJJ, but I do miss it. My deadlifting callouses, a permanent fixture on my hands for YEARS, are even starting to disappear. WHAT? WHAT.

Ooooo I kinda know dat feel, still have callouses but brb not even going over 300lb on DL these days due to putting more time/effort into running, oh the shame!

OK so I woke up feeling mega droopy today, funny feeling in throat, almost worried I was getting sick again. Think I just need a day off pretty badly, so tomorrow it is. I did train today because it fit my schedule. And actually it was good training so I'm glad I went.

You gotta be fukking kidding me. I hope you're not sick again. You need to go live at Urgent Care OP.

[LunaLifts]

Haha yeah, I AM taking time off lifting mostly because I want to be immersed in BJJ, but I do miss it. My deadlifting callouses, a permanent fixture on my hands for YEARS, are even starting to disappear. WHAT? WHAT.

Re: the vegetable. Broc****ni is just baby broc****, so more tender and mild in flavor. You should try it--it's very good. But the one I got was different. No flower/crown. I actually think it was just the long leaves that grow at the base of the broc**** flower itself, if that makes sense. Kind of like kale almost. I'll go to the farmer's market again and ask.

It's great to see you! *waves* hope you've been well

Lifting will always be there if you want to get back to it. If you're loving what you're doing, you're good. You're still active, and healthy, just in a new way.

Huh, that sounds cool, and I do enjoy kale so I'd love to know what it's called if you find out.

Yep, been well, just less internet time recently. Lol.

OK so I woke up feeling mega droopy today, funny feeling in throat, almost worried I was getting sick again. Think I just need a day off pretty badly, so tomorrow it is. I did train today because it fit my schedule. And actually it was good training so I'm glad I went.

I hope you're not sick, and that a day off does the trick. I know it's fun, but your body needs to rest too. It's hard when mentally you want to keep at it nonstop, but your body disagrees. I have weeks where I want to workout everyday, but i have to remind myself I need recovery days too.

Marcelo was there today and actually taught the second class himself. SO COOL. But! Ah! One of the visiting women I was rolling with got in trouble with him. He's the most mild-mannered, kind guy, but he actually stopped our roll to tell her (again, not in a mean way) that her makeup was getting all over the mats and she had to sit out until she could come back not wearing something that would cause problems. I knew makeup wasn't allowed (it's on the sign on the wall) but had never given it much thought, since I never wear any myself anyhow. Turns out the reason it caused a problem was that it got alllll the heck over the mats and we were all rolling around in purple and pink glitter. I guess that's not great? Or could be mistaken for blood? IDK. I hope she isn't too upset by the callout and comes back, I liked her.

On the bright side, one of my rolling partners (male) said I was really strong. I always enjoy hearing that, even if I am not lifting right now, my past habits are paying dividends in my current sport.

That sucks to get called out, but I can see why they'd say that. Make up can be slick, and I'm not sure if that matters but it may be a reason. Also some mats are a bit porous, I don't know about those, but the mat I had would have been ruined if I smeared make up on it (it actually got ruined because a kitten pooped on it, and it got really in there. Different mat I know, but may still have that kind of material, or in general be hard to clean.
That and other people would probably complain about leaving covered in someone else's make up. I can imagine someone's partner wondering where that glitter came from, lol. Hopefully she doesn't take it too personal, it's just a rule, if she likes it that much she shouldn't let that stop her.

Yay for more compliments! Strength takes a long time to build, and it doesn't just poof when you stop lifting, especially if you're staying physically active. They're getting stimulated, so they're going to say strong, and you'll keep getting those well deserved ego boosts.

[shesprints]

Ooooo I kinda know dat feel, still have callouses but brb not even going over 300lb on DL these days due to putting more time/effort into running, oh the shame!

You gotta be fukking kidding me. I hope you're not sick again. You need to go live at Urgent Care OP.

Luckily, I think I'm not sick but was just in need of rest.

Yep, been well, just less internet time recently. Lol.

Sometimes that's a good thing!

Yay for more compliments! Strength takes a long time to build, and it doesn't just poof when you stop lifting, especially if you're staying physically active. They're getting stimulated, so they're going to say strong, and you'll keep getting those well deserved ego boosts.

Yup! I think I'm definitely still working them. I did have a really insecure moment and ask my girlfriend if my back muscles were still good and she said yes lmao.


Today was OK, not great. I took a day off yesterday and it kinda messed up my digestion so my stomach hurt today (sometimes, if I go a day without working out, it's like my body forgets how to process food, or I allow myself more fiber because I don't have a workout and it isn't a great idea. Oh well. Decent training anyway! I worked hard on my defense and felt satisfied with that, though I did get one or two submissions and decent positions as well.

BJJ--2 hours
Level 2 gi
Butterfly sweep
If they grab your collar and post their leg, get your arm over their grabbing arm and get sleeve high up. Then kick out supporting knee while sweeping posted leg. Go to mount.

3 x 5 min rounds, 3 from standing


Advanced 1 nogi
Headlock while someone is trying to come up from bottom half guard. Head and arm lock with any grip you like ( s or 10 finger). Use free leg to help escape trapped leg and slide to mount.
Or if they are too close step trapped leg backwards and then if they try to bridge up while you're on your back hook their leg and flip them back then take mount.

5 x 5 min regular rounds
Worked mostly on defending against headlock from bottom half and kimura from top half. Getting better at this defense.

[anandagirl]

Glad you weren't sick!

[thehobbes]

Today was OK, not great. I took a day off yesterday and it kinda messed up my digestion so my stomach hurt today (sometimes, if I go a day without working out, it's like my body forgets how to process food, or I allow myself more fiber because I don't have a workout and it isn't a great idea. Oh well. Decent training anyway! I worked hard on my defense and felt satisfied with that, though I did get one or two submissions and decent positions as well.

The struggle is real. Taking a total rest day can mess up my schedule too, and sometimes you get that combined with your body deciding fuk you I'm not going to let you take a giant dump of peace first thing in the morning. Driving to work becomes a dangerous game.

[shesprints]

SO.

I'm not sick, per se, but guess what? I have a staph infection. The feeling of malaise this week was my immune system trying to fight it off. This small wound in my armpit got infected and now I have to alternate antibiotic and antifungal cream a few times a day and keep it covered. No BJJ for a week or so, until it heals. Also, in future, going to wear long-sleeved rash guards and make a few other changes to my routine to make sure I keep myself protected (bought some antibacterial towels, for example). I'm VERY UNHAPPY. DO NOT FEEL WELL. Not enjoying having open sores in my armpit (have you ever tried to bandage an armpit? it is a unique physics challenge). However, I guess you live and learn.

Today was spent working and washing every item of clothing and bedding I own twice.



Before all this happened I did have a couple of solid days of training, though. An instructor said that I and a 4-stripe white belt were rolling at a "very high level" which was excellent to hear. And I drilled a lot.

I think, however, I will need to train fewer days in general to avoid bacterial infections. I'm OK with that as I wanted to lift and run some anyhow.



Also: my girlfriend met my dad! They got along and were mutually impressed and it was all very casual. (My dad happened to be at my brother's apartment as my girlfriend and I headed out for dinner). She saw where I got my sense of humor, and he saw how smart she is, and all that is good. She's been very supportive with the stupid staph thing because, I suppose, she works in a medical-adjacent field and doesn't get grossed out easily, and she's currently got a sports injury herself, so she knows how it works.


I am still very upset, though. NOT enjoying this whole changing gross gauze bandages in my armpit 4 x a day. Not super awesome.

[Fiction2Fitness]

Yikes. That is a terrible place for a wound or any type of infection. All kinds of feels for you on that one. I hope it heals super fast.

Great about the girlfriend and dad getting along though. That's a good point at least.

[phoenix4444]

A staph infection, damn that is just awful.

[anandagirl]

Oh shiit! Staph is no joke Feel better soon!

[thehobbes]

Oh man, in your armpit?! I would be beyond pissed. How does that happen? Cut from shaving and picked up something from rolling?

I am still very upset, though. NOT enjoying this whole changing gross gauze bandages in my armpit 4 x a day. Not super awesome.

Ugh, that sounds awful. At least you're taking care of it so they don't have to amputate your armpit. That would suck, you'd probably have to start sweating out of your ear instead.

[LunaLifts]

I haven't tried to bandage an armpit, but I have tried to ACE wrap a shoulder. That really sucks that you got an infection, and there of all places, I hope it heals up soon.

Glad your dad and gf got along so well! It's a big step, but it sounds like a nice low-pressure sort of deal.

[shesprints]

Yikes. That is a terrible place for a wound or any type of infection. All kinds of feels for you on that one. I hope it heals super fast.

Great about the girlfriend and dad getting along though. That's a good point at least.

Yeah thanks brahette! It's been about a week at this point and it's ALMOST better, so that's good. Got antibiotic cream and also regular oral antibiotics (which i have to take every six hours, yikes). So, yep. I went a full six days without exercise of any kind--the longest I think I've done that in quite awhile.

Going out to bday dinner at Tavern on the Green with the girlfriend tonight (her bday, my surprise choice for dinner). Hope it's a good time despite my meh-ness.

A staph infection, damn that is just awful.

It's bad luck, but now I know how to be more careful in the future. And ya know I think I needed some rest days. Been hitting it a little hard lately.

Oh shiit! Staph is no joke Feel better soon!

Thank you!!

Oh man, in your armpit?! I would be beyond pissed. How does that happen? Cut from shaving and picked up something from rolling?

Ugh, that sounds awful. At least you're taking care of it so they don't have to amputate your armpit. That would suck, you'd probably have to start sweating out of your ear instead.

Yeah... it's the pits.

Exactly right, cut it while shaving and then picked something up from rolling. Now I've got some long-sleeved rash guards. Hopefully, that will help, along with taking more care shaving and showering more immediately after class is over.

I haven't tried to bandage an armpit, but I have tried to ACE wrap a shoulder. That really sucks that you got an infection, and there of all places, I hope it heals up soon.

Glad your dad and gf got along so well! It's a big step, but it sounds like a nice low-pressure sort of deal.

It's mostly healed! The wound is totally gone--it's just some reddened skin now--and at this rate I should be better by next week. Not going to make any bets on when exactly, but hoping. And you know, it's not such a big deal for a gf to meet my parents... I'm so close to them, and LIVE so close to them, that we just cross paths a lot. Now... me meeting HER parents would be a big deal because of various things about how her parents are; she'd only introduce them to a very serious girlfriend. That difference was I think why she felt shy about meeting my dad, but she gets it now. It's not like, me asking her to marry me.


So!

Staph infection update. As mentioned above, the actual wound is gone and there's just a reddish patch of skin. I have two more days of my antibiotics, so maybe that will demarcate when I'm really all better.

Unfortunately, I still feel really... weak? Sick? Sort of just hot, shaky, achy, TIRED AF ALL THE TIME? I think it's the immune response and/or the antibiotics, most likely both. So I tried a short run today and it was, eh, FINE but I had to go pretty easy with just a few short pickups.


Run--2.1 miles
400m @ 6:40 pace
200m @ 5:27 pace
2 x 100m @ 4:50 pace

some random calisthenic drills like shot drills, lunges, long jumps, few box jumps.

It's funny... I used to be so attached to running but now I don't find it nearly as physically enjoyable as BJJ. I think I've defected. Alternatively, I feel yucky and couldn't breathe right and that's why I did not have fun.

But also I'm just so much more into how hard my brain has to work in BJJ as well as my body. Oh well. I'll be back soon enough.

[thehobbes]

Yeah... it's the pits.

Tee hee!

Exactly right, cut it while shaving and then picked something up from rolling. Now I've got some long-sleeved rash guards. Hopefully, that will help, along with taking more care shaving and showering more immediately after class is over.

Great, now you have me all paranoid. I generally shave my pits outside of the shower since I can't see what the hell I'm doing in the shower and will accidentally shave my ear instead lulz. Then I slather deodorant right on there and go ARRGGHHH, that chit is painful. Surprised I never got any weird chit doing that I guess.

It's funny... I used to be so attached to running but now I don't find it nearly as physically enjoyable as BJJ. I think I've defected. Alternatively, I feel yucky and couldn't breathe right and that's why I did not have fun.

Yeah that sucks to run when you can't breathe right, like right after a cold. Physically I don't find running anywhere as enjoyable as lifting. Mentally I do. It's like the difficulty and uncomfortableness of running is worth it in itself, srs, I enjoy things taking some serious effort. Overall I see why a lot of people hate running, those people don't like to suffer at all lol.

[shesprints]

Tee hee!

Great, now you have me all paranoid. I generally shave my pits outside of the shower since I can't see what the hell I'm doing in the shower and will accidentally shave my ear instead lulz. Then I slather deodorant right on there and go ARRGGHHH, that chit is painful. Surprised I never got any weird chit doing that I guess.

Yeah that sucks to run when you can't breathe right, like right after a cold. Physically I don't find running anywhere as enjoyable as lifting. Mentally I do. It's like the difficulty and uncomfortableness of running is worth it in itself, srs, I enjoy things taking some serious effort. Overall I see why a lot of people hate running, those people don't like to suffer at all lol.

Oh yeah. I'm definitely one of those people who loves suffering to the point of borderline masochism, which is why I was able to succeed at running without great natural talent. You clearly also have the right variety of grit for the sport, hammy.

Also, I wouldn't be too paranoid; staph or impetigo or etc. is much more common among grapplers and people who go to public gyms. That said, you very likely DO have staph bacteria on your skin and you SHOULD be careful with any cuts or scrapes, disinfect and cover them before you exercise and sweat all over them, etc. Just to be safe.


SO I AM BACK GUYS. My skin looks back to normal barring a very faint mark where it healed. I went to BJJ today and it was so much fun! I also was SO CAREFUL to take a super long shower afterwards and scrub all over with the Defense soap they have there. Plus I used my brand-new antibacterial towel and my new backpack with a special laundry compartment so it won't touch clean clothes.

Other good things happened that I will list below.

BJJ--1 hour
Advanced 1
Feet on hips with one sleeve and pant leg to De la Riva (snake leg between theirs and hook far leg from behind) then bring other foot down and push off to sweep
OR if they back step: let go of grips and swing to double hooks behind them while grabbing far leg (any grip) then grab belt and extend legs so they fall down inside yours. Feet out and hooks in while getting seatbelt.
Did this as drills first for 3 min second for 2:30 straight

5 x 4-5 min live rounds
Used the first version of the drill and attempted the second! Still need to work on my posture for butterfly sweeps as I keep falling backwards also need to work on after I use the sweep, coming up over the person faster with legs extended to get side control or mount.
But I got 3 submissions! One arm bar, one cross choke from s mount, one Ezequiel choke.

My drill partner said I caught on to it fast. And one of my sparring partners (female purple belt who had never rolled with me before) said "I didn't know you were good at jiu jitsu! You're really good. We should roll again!" I was so pleased. And this other 4 stripe white belt who's my drill buddy gave me a good tip about bridging but prefaced with "you're a lot better than me but" and I was like dude it doesn't matter it's a good tip but I was like aaaah omg. (Because I started like 9 months after her).


SO yep, seems like I came back strong and was even able to use the time off to make sure I was thoughtful during my rolls and truly trying technique rather than just muscling through. I think I may stick with 1 hour a day for most of this week in order to really come back to full strength.

[phoenix4444]

Can't keep a good woman down!

I do think you should take it a bit on the easy side this week. You said it yourself, listen to thy body.

[LunaLifts]

Now... me meeting HER parents would be a big deal because of various things about how her parents are; she'd only introduce them to a very serious girlfriend.

Well be sure to let us know how it goes when that happens then.

Welcome back! I'd say be careful, but it sounds like you're way ahead of me, lol. Of course you're still impressing the hell out of everyone at BJJ, it'd take more than that to knock you off your game!

[anandagirl]

Glad you're feeling better! This makes me not want to shave my pits

How was birthday dinner?

[shesprints]

Can't keep a good woman down!

I do think you should take it a bit on the easy side this week. You said it yourself, listen to thy body.

Yeah, I'm going to. Probably will take Wednesday or Thursday off entirely. I have a friend coming to visit Friday night who'll be here for the weekend so I'm not too sure what I'll be getting in then workout-wise (she's coming to see the open mat, though, so that'll be fun). I DID do 2 classes back to back today but it just happened to be convenient, because I had work right after the second class and figured it would be easier to go straight there from BJJ.

Well be sure to let us know how it goes when that happens then.

Welcome back! I'd say be careful, but it sounds like you're way ahead of me, lol. Of course you're still impressing the hell out of everyone at BJJ, it'd take more than that to knock you off your game!

I'll definitely let you guys know. I think it'll be awhile, as she's a cautious type--I don't blame her.

Yeah, I'm stubborn... and I've been around the block with injuries and illnesses. I spring back. I'm also an insane person, which I hear is great for sports lmao.

Glad you're feeling better! This makes me not want to shave my pits

How was birthday dinner?

UGH I KNOW RIGHT? I actually shaved mine again today >< it just feels so itchy to have hair there in the heat.

The dinner was great! So beautiful at tavern on the green, and they had live music and beautiful lights and we got to eat outside. We did a little bit of dancing to the live music, though only slowly due to her boot, and she got a free birthday cake slice with a candle. I did her the favor of not singing because I don't sing. But it was really fun.

I've also been introducing her slowly to the hilarity of the Misc forum. She finds my stories of the threads there so amusing. Now she's able to use 'cope' and 'mogging' in everyday conversation, for example when I told her she handmogged me (her hands are a bit bigger). It's just. so funny. I'm so glad I found someone who has my sense of humor because it's great. She is also competitive like me (but we don't take it super seriously) and said that I had left the bar high for MY birthday. She said she'll make me a flourless chocolate cake and I was like 'can you put flowers on it' and we were like 'yes then it will be a flourless chocolate cake with flowers.' It sounded funnier in person.


As noted above, 2 hours today solely due to convenience, but I definitely felt it. Felt pretty draggy after. Likely only going to do the wrestling class tomorrow, which has no live sparring at all, just drills.

BJJ--2 hours
Level 2 nogi
Roll out of turtle and then either walk legs out around them or bridge and put in near hook then pull them back into seatbelt
2:30-3:00 positional start, 5:00 regular training

Advanced 1 gi
Escape from full guard
-protect elbow and get their sleeve
-duck under their collar grab or break grip while posturing up
-also duck under lapel pass and keep their other arm as well

5 x 4-5 min live roll
Tried out half guard and got the lapel pass from closed guard, almost got sweep when round finished.

High note was making a new female friend yay! Another white belt, very nice to drill with, good technique, had to be a bit easy on her in rolls but that's true for most women at least strength-wise. She's the one whose lapel I got to grab. I figured, since I can't use strength, I should practice the technique of the day! It was actually great; I've been meeting my goal of practicing techniques in rolling for the past two days and I'm pleased with that.

[thehobbes]

The dinner was great! So beautiful at tavern on the green, and they had live music and beautiful lights and we got to eat outside. We did a little bit of dancing to the live music, though only slowly due to her boot, and she got a free birthday cake slice with a candle. I did her the favor of not singing because I don't sing. But it was really fun.

Jeez you guys are a walking medical disaster together lol. In all seriousness that sucks that fracture is so bad she's booted. :'( How long is she stuck with that?

[shesprints]

Jeez you guys are a walking medical disaster together lol. In all seriousness that sucks that fracture is so bad she's booted. :'( How long is she stuck with that?

I know... we have so much in common lmao. She's actually out of the boot as of today or so she said, I don't know if she's actually asked the doctor... hm must investigate.

[shesprints]

Sadness! Wrestling class was canceled and we just had regular Level 2. It's because the wrestling coach is out for this week and next week due to a new baby. It went fine, actually, only downside is my back is somewhat raw under my sports bra? I need to get one that's a different shape but it's so hard to find good sports bras that are supportive but not strangling... my chest is pretty sizeable . But I REALLY don't want to f*ck around with potential skin infections again!


BJJ--1 hour
Level 2 nogi
Escape from closed guard
Hands on biceps, jump to feet and posture up
If they grab foot from front circle leg out by first kicking forward then windmilling back using momentum
If they grab from under pull leg back so you don't hit their hand

8 x 2:30 start from closed guard to pass, sweep, or submit
5:00 regular round
Did a lot of guard passing by going to knees and getting top half guard
Also evaded triangle using defense I learned in the semiprivate lesson
Took back but couldn't find the submission because I suck at seatbelt from back. Need to work on taking the back in general. Feels slippery and I'm scared of getting rolled over. I am really getting better at passing guard--felt almost too easy against the white belts I rolled with (there were 3 of them).

Also, it was super humid and everyone was like 'ugh I'm so exhausted' but I kept going fine. I think it's the years of cardio paying off.

So, a good lesson and some good rounds but I'm so sad no wrestling! I love takedowns the best.

[thehobbes]

Ah glad to hear she's kicked the boot! Yeah hopefully that move was doctor approved.

Sadness! Wrestling class was canceled and we just had regular Level 2. It's because the wrestling coach is out for this week and next week due to a new baby. It went fine, actually, only downside is my back is somewhat raw under my sports bra? I need to get one that's a different shape but it's so hard to find good sports bras that are supportive but not strangling... my chest is pretty sizeable . But I REALLY don't want to f*ck around with potential skin infections again!

That sucks, what did he do with the old one, trade it in? LOLOL I'm solidly in the "medium sized bazongas" club over here so I can get away with regular Under Armour bras and have fine support. If yours are sizeable then you probably need some bras with heavy duty adjustable straps. :/

[Fiction2Fitness]

Glad you're all healed and back to pushing things. Made it through the pesky skin issues and antibiotics quite well. I'm terrible at that and qid is the worse (every 6 hours basically) but I'm one of those, ironically, who struggles to even get through a z-pack properly as I forget pills so take like 8 days for a 6 day treatment, lol.

The b-day plans, cake and just stories of the gf are so freakin' adorable.

I don't have tips for bras anymore, not that would be of help for you. They are doing a variety of shapes and strap placements it seems but not sure what sizes are doing what but there is bound to be something out there. Just gotta keep searching.

[LunaLifts]

Sounds like dinner was a blast, you guys sound so cute together!

If you pop "best sports bras for big busts" on youtube there's some recommendations there. Some just talk about them, and show them, some show them on, some of the girls are bigger overall, some just have a larger chest. I'm sure you can find a couple that you think would be closest to your struggle, and get some good ideas.
I know there are written lists too, but it's nice when the person actually shows it, and I find it easier to get what people mean in their descriptions on video.

[anandagirl]

I'm shocked that as a runner you still struggle with sports bras? Or did you just suffer through? Or maybe because you didn't run longer distances? I got the worst chafing with my sports bra on long runs But I also don't know how BJJ affects sports bras

[shesprints]

Ah glad to hear she's kicked the boot! Yeah hopefully that move was doctor approved.

That sucks, what did he do with the old one, trade it in? LOLOL I'm solidly in the "medium sized bazongas" club over here so I can get away with regular Under Armour bras and have fine support. If yours are sizeable then you probably need some bras with heavy duty adjustable straps. :/

NAH, they're not so big I need adjustable straps I don't think--I'm a 34 or 36 DD. I actually fit into the small size regular Nike bra (what I am wearing in avi) which is an absolute ????? to me.

Glad you're all healed and back to pushing things. Made it through the pesky skin issues and antibiotics quite well. I'm terrible at that and qid is the worse (every 6 hours basically) but I'm one of those, ironically, who struggles to even get through a z-pack properly as I forget pills so take like 8 days for a 6 day treatment, lol.

The b-day plans, cake and just stories of the gf are so freakin' adorable.

I don't have tips for bras anymore, not that would be of help for you. They are doing a variety of shapes and strap placements it seems but not sure what sizes are doing what but there is bound to be something out there. Just gotta keep searching.

Honestly we are sickeningly adorable, I agree. I just got her final bday present in the mail, too--she works in a lab (cancer research) and likes superheroes so I got this one: https://www.snorgtees.com/forget-lab-safety I think it's cute hope she likes it.

Sounds like dinner was a blast, you guys sound so cute together!

If you pop "best sports bras for big busts" on youtube there's some recommendations there. Some just talk about them, and show them, some show them on, some of the girls are bigger overall, some just have a larger chest. I'm sure you can find a couple that you think would be closest to your struggle, and get some good ideas.
I know there are written lists too, but it's nice when the person actually shows it, and I find it easier to get what people mean in their descriptions on video.

Yeah I think I'm just going to go to Modell's and check out what they have there. The thing is a streamlined shape, which I'll explain below....

I'm shocked that as a runner you still struggle with sports bras? Or did you just suffer through? Or maybe because you didn't run longer distances? I got the worst chafing with my sports bra on long runs But I also don't know how BJJ affects sports bras

Yeah, see, the bras I have now are great for running [I did double-layer when I ran long distances, like the 1 time I did a half marathon). The chafing is in the BACK of the sports bra, because in BJJ I wind up pressed down on my back on the mat, or scooting around on my back with my legs up to guard, and a lot of our drills involve rolling around on our backs too. So the bras that have that T-shape in back have rubbed at my skin kind of to either side of the spine, likely because the makers didn't expect someone to be smashing the back of the bra into themselves. I think I need something that covers my back as evenly as it covers my front, which is kind of hard to find! Most of the ones that are like that are those very thin-strapped bralettes. I'll see.


So I did go to BJJ today, because I felt peppy, but I only did one hour.

It was actually quite dramatic there today, in a not-so-great way. The class before I got there a young woman had injured her elbow, and then during my class one of the black belts hurt his knee somehow. This is especially worrisome because he's supposed to do the Kasai Pro in a few weeks and that's for a $10,000 prize so... bad timing. I hope he's okay--he screamed and then had to lie on the mat for like 10 minutes. Aghhhhh. Knee injuries terrify me.

But. I was careful and had a number of good rolls. Weird--rolling didn't stop during the injury event, and I guess people are just used to it.

BJJ--1 hour
Advanced 1 nogi
Reverse de la Riva while blocking their other knee as they try to knee cut. Foot on hip and sweep them forward overhead so they have to put hands down. Then come up on either single or double leg.

6 x 45 seconds drill from this position

5 x 4-5 min regular rounds
Chained together several moves like arm bar attempt, hip bump sweep attempt, omoplata and back to closed guard then arm bar from closed guard by grabbing the arm and swinging across. First time I had ever gotten that arm bar after tons and tons of lessons on it, so happy!

I'm starting to put together the pieces but still don't quite see options from every position I'm in. I did do better at not getting flattened out/put on my back, surely incentivized by the soreness I have from the bra chafing (I wore a different one today so it was actually fine). Still getting good feedback from rolling partners and I think I'm at least keeping them busy/keeping moving, even if they're at a higher level than I am--which a lot of the advanced class are.

[shesprints]

OKAY guys. I'm definitely taking a rest day tomorrow. So fatigued! But not in the yucky sick way I was last week, so I'll take it. When I get this tired I notice a. more smelly people [it bothers me more] and b. terrible body image which sucks. (Made worse by the fact that I'm premenstrual so I feel all yucky from that. Oh well. It was good practice anyway, though I'll do better on Saturday when I'm more fresh for open mat.


BJJ--2 hours
Level 2 gi
Butterfly sweep attempt
They post leg
Move to x guard with arm under leg up at the KNEE
Push their other leg out to extend them and come up on the single leg
If they grab your pant leg pass head under their nearer leg by sitting up to shift balance. Grab their belt and pull them down backwards.

4 x 5 min rounds start standing guard pull only
Got to practice class move 1 time so I'm calling that a win.

Advanced 1 nogi
Granby roll when someone tries to pass guard with one arm between your legs and 1 posted. Block their posted arm and come way up onto knee then foot and swing back to guard or triangle.*
*seriously need to practice this! Did 1 round drill instead of regular training.

4 x 5 min regular training
Got one omoplata from an odd position I think? Keep trying to get from omoplata attempt to arm bar. Works rarely.

Very tired. Day off tomorrow.

GF news: last night we went to this cool "three true stories and a lie" storytelling event that's about NYC history. They did this raffle at the end and she was one of very few who correctly guessed the liar. I was so proud. She's so smart!

[thehobbes]

It was actually quite dramatic there today, in a not-so-great way. The class before I got there a young woman had injured her elbow, and then during my class one of the black belts hurt his knee somehow. This is especially worrisome because he's supposed to do the Kasai Pro in a few weeks and that's for a $10,000 prize so... bad timing. I hope he's okay--he screamed and then had to lie on the mat for like 10 minutes. Aghhhhh. Knee injuries terrify me.

Jeez, that paints an awful picture. I hope it's not a broken body parts injury.

[Fiction2Fitness]

Have a good rest day. That t-shirt (forget lab safety) is awesome!

[shesprints]

Jeez, that paints an awful picture. I hope it's not a broken body parts injury.

Good news! He is already back in training, just wearing a knee brace, so I think it was only a tweak.

Have a good rest day. That t-shirt (forget lab safety) is awesome!

I know right??? I gave it to her and she loved it, she's actually going to wear it to the lab. Then, if someone asks her about the shirt she can say "my GIRLFRIEND got it for me." And everyone will know I'm a good girlfriend! Aha!

I also got myself a shirt from there with the Triforce on it, because Breath of the Wild rekindled my deep love of Zelda. Come to think of it, I'm going to spend some of my day off (today) playing that game. If you can call it a day off... I've been fielding parent emergencies a lot lately. >< so stressful. But I also know I'm more stressed because of being a bit exhausted/overtrained from pushing it on the BJJ post-infection. Good for me for taking a day off. Really should've been yesterday or the day before but there you go.