I didn’t start out that way, honest. I started out just looking for a way to stay in shape despite a crunchy knee that prevented me doing distance runs. And there was that heavy bag that the Husband carted home for the boys that piqued my interest. But even when I shifted gears from regular boxing classes to joining the boxing team, I told everyone that I just wanted to learn technique.
Hello, have I met me? I’m frankly embarrassed at this flagrant show of self-ignorance. I’m competitive and athletic. I love a challenge that engages mind and body. I’m bossy and overbearing (truly pummel-worthy).
The fact is that no matter how slowly the ride began, the minute I climbed into an actual boxing ring and had a go at the sweet science, I was hooked. It was exactly like my first roller coaster ride: all the watching and studying just can’t compare to the incredible thrill of a single three-minute round. The need to focus, respond, endure, and deliver with power and speed is a competitive athletic person’s elixir of life.
So I shamefacedly went to my trainer and began my long speech in which I intended to admit that I would be utterly grateful to her if she could please get me a fight. This year. The sooner the better. Despite what I told her earlier. But first of course I needed to justify my changed position and include some stuff about how dedicated I would be. I had pirated parts of the “Mom, can we keep him, he’ll be real quiet and I promise I’ll feed him every day” speech and re-worked it for my purpose.
She let me begin without laughing in my face, but as I floundered around with my build-up, she shifted her feet and began looking around the gym for a distraction that might prove more interesting. I relented. “You know what I’m going to say, don’t you?” I asked, embarrassed.
“Well, yeah,” she told me, kindly not smacking her forehead. Or mine. She waited.
“I want to fight!” I exclaimed.
“Well, yeah,” she responded calmly.
“Can you get me a fight?” I asked, puppy dog hopeful.
“I can try,” she promised.
And thus began my fascinating indoctrination into the ways of competitive amateur boxing. Weight classes and rules have changed this year; I have to lose a few pounds in order to be at the top of my weight class (142-152 lbs) rather than the bottom. I have to start saving money because I’ll almost certainly have to travel out of state to get a match, given the dearth of female boxers in the Masters (i.e., old people 35 and above) class. I need to get very serious about sparring time, conditioning, and training with the team.
And I can hardly wait.
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