Back to the grind - what it feels like after 1 year

Hey guys,

I just checked my Steemit account and saw that my last post is already 20 days old - WTF??? I can't believe it! Time flies, the days are too short and I can't get enough done. Baby Tayel is already 14 weeks old, can you believe that?

I mentioned before that I started working out again, and that I'm slowly but surely getting back on track. However, I'm not going to lie to you - it's F"·$% hard.

I'm not even talking about the physical effort required to regain muscle mass, but more to the fact that now I have to exercise while lacking sleep chronically. Normally when you work out, you get a good night rest and your body recuperates. Try that while waking up several times to feed a baby and change diapers. No so fun =)

So my workout schedule is very light at the moment, with about 2 sessions per week at the most. No BJJ until last week though, because I was too much of a chicken. For some reason I feel that my body is less tough, and adding fatigue to the mix makes me a little afraid to get injured. An injury is the last thing I need right now, and so I had been pushing it back....but last week I took the bull by the horns and went back to my first BJJ class. I received a warm welcoming from my teammates, which was very nice. People couldn't believe that I had been gone for a year already, but as I mentioned earlier, time seems to just fly by.

so how was it?

I barely survived the warm up! Cardio was OK, but again, strength and coordination seemed to have disappeared completely. Some movements that seemed so natural before, now require a HUGE effort, and believe it or not, even shrimping (or hip escapes) demanded some concentration and getting used to again. I was totally clumsy and weak..

I went to the advanced class, meaning techniques were not exactly easy. Lots of delariva with several transitions to sweeps and arm-bars as well as counter attacks, including inversions (oh yeah try to invert after 12 months of doing nothing!), and I felt like a total rookie. Of course things come back quickly, but it was painful, to be very honest.

On the bright side

I didn't get frustrated, and was able to laugh at myself. I felt like a toddler who is trying to run without falling, but because I prepared myself mentally to totally suck, I was OK with myself. After all, I'm not only the only girl training, but also the only mom! Oh yeah, more power to me!

The only "negative" things is that I didn't roll at the end of class. Why? Well, I chickened out.

My classmates are all a little rough, and don't know exactly how to flow roll. I got a little intimidated, and also wanted to give my body a little more time to adjust to all the pains and aches before adding more bruising to the mix. When you're tired, you not only roll badly but also increase your chances of getting injured, and responsible Eve wants to avoid this at all cost. Also, my professor told me not to roll for the time being (he actually thought I was starting again way too soon...), so I'm going to listen to his advice.

He kept saying _"are you sure you can train? You just gave birth, are you SURE that you can do this?"

But I know deep down he's very proud. He told me that most people wouldn't come back after such a long time off the mats and congratulated me for being what he calls "in it for life". I will not beat myself up and will start sparring soon. My little Tayel is now 3 months old, and from hereon, things will get easier. He will let us sleep more, and I will be able to be more rested an function like a normal human being. Things are already a lot better, and I feel like the worst moments are behind us. Here's a pic of our little man (I don't know how I managed to catch him doing this!)

He's still sleeping, so I'm going to take advantage of this free time and browse blog posts in my feed =)

I hope to be more active soon!

Cheers,