Russian balls of steel

I discovered a new form of physical torture today - kettlebells. My 15 min introductory lesson resulted in intense quad agony later in the afternoon!! Wow. Who knew that swinging around a 20 lb cannon ball could be so effective?! I went out and bought a torture device of my own this afternoon, 25 lbs, so I can do this workout at home in the mornings after a run. I can use the ones at the school, but that would be before or after class, and I suspect that that is not a smart idea simply due to the level of fatigue you're left with after hefting this ball around.

The last few days have been good. I feel content, which is an odd feeling, not one I've felt in a while. Work, ignoring all the union shit which I really don't want to deal with anymore, has been good - getting back into research and feeling that companionship and comradery with my fellow mineralogists is excellent.

Training has actually started to come back to me as well. I banished one demon on Friday evening - I stepped back into the ring to spar. This was the first time I have sparred since Iowa. Why? Not quite sure exactly. Partially because I was injured. Partially because the feeling of fear I had in Iowa took a bit of time to get over. I don't think I'm over that feeling of fear, but I've embraced it and now can work with it. I think it will actually allow me to be a better fighter and sparring partner - it's made me slow down and lighten up. Friday was good - I went about 5 rounds, light, timing sparring, and had some fun. Then had a beer in Kru's office, which was a nice way to end the day. This is what it's all about, right? Fun. And physically I'm finally feeling like I'm getting back into shape. Rolling has helped, but it's also made me realize how much power I've lost in the last 2 months. It's coming back, slowly but surely. The fuzzy feeling in my lungs is finally gone as well - the cold/flu/plague I had took its toll but it seems to be clearing up. Finally.

So I'm having a beer and watching "Lost in Translation". Again. It's a bit of a fall-back movie for me. Like comfort food in movie form. I watched UFC 89 earlier this afternoon and now am just chilling. And trying to rest my poor aching quads!! The fun begins again tomorrow.