Jiu Jitsu

Today my body aches in an old familiar way I have not experienced for far too long.  The muscles in my core, back, and limbs cry out to be rebuilt.  I stand taller, my back is straight, shoulders swept back and my head is held high.  After one night of Jiu Jitsu I feel beat up but also stronger and confident.  The change in seasons has brought about this change in my training, good bye cycling and hello strength training and MMA.

I took up Jiu Jitsu in the fall of 2007 and have since adopted it as my winter sport.  It was easy to fall in love as Jiu Jitsu is a fast paced, intellectually challenging, social experience.  Practical experience is gained, flexibility increased, muscles are strengthened and cardiovascular performance is improved.  A better total body workout cannot be found.

Ten months of running, cycling, and swimming left me in good shape for my return but I am notably weaker.  My arms, never large to begin with, measure over an inch smaller today.  Luckily my mind has remained sharp and I picked up about where I left off.  I plan to split my time between training for the 50K trail run 4 Feb 2011 and MMA / strength training in the coming weeks.  If all goes well I can add much needed muscle and build a solid base for running.