No, this blog hasn't died before it began, I've just been on a break from wrestling, with my first session back last night. I've been doing a bit of steady-state cardio while watching wrestling, some Convict Conditioning sessions (which I really enjoy), pilates and some gym work, but tragically only the one session of wrestling.

One of the most interesting things about wrestling, I find, is how unpredictable it is. In particular, no matter how many training sessions or matches I do, I always manage to find new and interesting ways to be sore the next day. Today's random DOMS (I don't know if it's actual, technical Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, because I'm no scientist, but I like the acronym) is my triceps, and basically only my triceps. There's a slight twinge if I flex my left forearm, but nothing I notice regularly, and as always my back and neck are stiff, but there's a definite, discernible burning pain in my triceps, and really nowhere else.

The real fun part is trying to work out what on earth it was I did that caused the pain, particularly since the answer is usually 'something stupid'. So far as I can tell, the pain comes from a combination of too many pushups - which as an aside, might be the single exercise that I am worst at, in the entire world - and trying to push a new wrestler out of bounds in drills. He was 15-odd kilos heavier than me, and quite a bit stronger so as you can imagine, it didn't go nearly so well as I'd hoped. The solution, when it came to matches, was front headlocks and 'gator rolls, which are always a nice way to disorient someone who's not used to the sport. My suspicion is, however, that's he's had a bit of martial arts training because he took me down at one point, got into mount then asked "What's a submission move I can use." He was disappointed when I informed him they weren't allowed, though to be fair, I suspect he just didn't trust me, since I was losing at that point and looking to scramble out. Thankfully he hasn't yet learned how to turn people, or I'd have been in trouble.

I'm feeling rather chipper today, despite my aching arms, and I put the mood down to having eaten carbohydrates for the last two days. My wild carb-spree is at the suggestion of Leon, who oversees me turning into a shaking, hypoglycemic wreck at least once a month, who has gently prodded me in the direction of carb-cycling. In particular, I've adjusted my diet from basically 1500 cals of Keto to 2000 cals including such indulgences as a slice of wholegrain toast with the eggs for breakfast, and a wholemeal peanut butter sandwich and a banana an hour before exercise on days I'm working hard. Explaining to my wife that I'm only eating carbs on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday isn't the easiest thing to do, however.

The eating changes have been gradual, but substantial. The big difference came in my week of cutting before the qualifier for nationals, where I had to weigh in at 84kgs if I wanted to compete at that class, and not be absolutely manhandled in the 96kg category. A week solid of oats for breakfast, then chicken, broccoli and spinach for literally every other meal was mind-bending. However, it did work, and I cut about 2.5kgs of bodyfat in the week, and lost the other one and a half in the sauna on the morning of the tournament. That experience solidified my desire to never again cut weight so dramatically, while also showing just how dramatic dietary changes can be. Since then, I've found it much easier to eat clean and low-carb, though avoiding the temptation to go crazy. Consequently I've lost about 15-odd kilos in the last 6 months. I'm looking to go down to 74kgs for the tournament after next - about 7 kgs down from where I am now, and taking me to a hefty 22kgs of weight loss in total.

More to come later.