2025 Training Log Part 39

On the stereo today- Random playlist. Sorry to disappoint.

So it was Rome at last. I lost first round on points. Had a couple of good moments, but had to take a risk before the end and got my back taken. The guy was good.

But in review, I enjoyed the training for this event a lot. I hadn’t trained for a NoGi event in a long, long time, and I wondered if I’d enjoy it. I really did. I got in great shape and aside from a weird bone bruise on my ankle that I got in a warm up, all was fine. Impact injuries I can deal with, it’s those things that “hurt and I don’t know why” that I’m afraid of.

I was discussing this with a friend during the last few weeks. Masters is just masters. No one is writing about who the best 34 year old or 47 year old in Europe is. Their eyes are on the adult divisions. So if you’re heading out to the Masters divisions, you’re in a race with yourself. You’re training to be the best you can be. On Monday, no one knows you won or lost but you, and no one cares.

And because of that, people think that there’s an attitude of “Oh well, never mind” when you lose. But that’s not so! I wanted to win Gold on Saturday, and as I missed the last sweep I went for, I could feel that slipping away, and it felt awful. I mean, I’m over it now, but yeah at the time, awful.

And the analogy I draw is this-

You meet a girl (or boy), and you are besotted. And there comes a time when you want to tell her so. It’s nerve wracking. You build it up, find the right moment, and eventually, you’re ready to go all in. Put your cards on the table. Leap from the diving board. And you look her in the eye and say…

“I love you”.

And she says…

“Oh, thanks.”

That’s what it’s like! You love the training and the sport and you give it everything. But it rarely loves you back!

I was in the airport on the way home, and I saw a father and daughter. Their luggage was a massive tennis racket bag. They were on their way home or to a tournament or training camp. I looked at Rooster beside me and thought, “That’s their thing. We have our thing, and they have theirs. And all of us probably couldn’t tell you why we’re doing it except that we love it.”

See you on the mat,

Barry