2024 Training Log Part 14

On the stereo today as I’m typing- Ezra Collective. Thanks to Dave for the tip.

Monday

Went to the gym in the morning for some upper body, and all went well until I went overhead for some light presses. Ow, what the hell is that, I said. A pinch behind my shoulder blade.

Then I remembered feeling a bit tight in my back on Saturday. I had hopped in, no warm up. What an idiot.

Anyway, it was a spasm in my back, tight rhomboid and sub scap pain. I only had Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to train last week, and I got none of them. None! It’s still a little tight today but I’ll risk it for tonight.

Which means no training to report, dear reader. Just the stress and grunt work of running a major event last weekend, so here’s that, for anyone interested.

Irish Open work for me starts about 4 months out. We’re already planning and putting the moving parts in place from about 6 months, but the 4 month mark is when we start to recruit staff, sponsors, refs and things like the streaming service, caterers, vendors, and stuff you wouldn’t think of like “are the tablecloths clean?”.

But the dog work is last week. I’m always on the phone or on email or driving somewhere to collect something. It’s not bad work, and to be honest, I like the excitement, but you get tired. usually hump work starts Thursday and it’s moving the equipment (The “tournament” is in two 20 foot containers) to the venue. This week, we had a trucking company do it on Friday (another massive expense!) but I still had to supervise and make sure stuff wasn’t being destroyed. Then, it was a brief stop at a florist for the awards ceremony, and on to the venue for set up.

Details make events. This is what I’ve learned. Details are things like “Is the grain on the tatami in a chess board pattern”. Wait, what? If you’ve been at an event you’ve never noticed that have you? Well, the next time you are, or if you can pull up a photo now, look at the mats. Each tatami has a grain running across it, and if you lay them down with that grain going left-right-left-right, it looks well in photos. It also takes about twice as long to do it as everyone has to check their grain before laying them, and we have to occasionally stop and correct errors.

Do all the table cloths touch the ground? Are there any visible cables? Can spectators see loose bags, bottles, rubbish? Does everyone know their job? And if they have to go to the loo, does the next guy know their job? Are they well fed? Did the launderette put the creases in the referee shirts. (they mostly do but laundry standards are slipping)

And that’s before the event starts!

Details matter. Any chump can do the broad strokes. That’s my opinion.

And you’ll make more money doing the broad strokes, ignoring the details, and trying to be everyone’s mate. But it’s not good for Jiu Jitsu. I want to do something good and lasting for Jiu Jitsu in Ireland. That’s why I’m at this and not something else.

I’m wiped out today but I’ll train tonight because you know what, I need to do some actual Jiu Jitsu instead of planning it!

See you on the mat,

Barry