tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426493218434580882024-03-05T03:56:43.206-08:00Fighting WordsA combat sports enthusiast's one-year quest to transform himself from a casual martial arts practitioner into a professional mixed martial artist. The story is linear, please start from the beginning.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-12822279815137991872009-01-25T18:07:00.000-08:002009-01-25T18:28:42.591-08:00RedirectI started this blog a little more than a year ago to chronicle my journey from couch potato to professional MMA fighter. That path delivered me to a lot of great, knowledgeable people who helped me greatly improve my fighting skill set as well as my physical and mental health. I may have been naive but I wasn't expecting to veer so far off course, to get so far from my original goal, but the project took on a life of it's own. Trainers became friends, my dream of a book deal became the reality of being a staff writer on the best MMA magazine on the market, and MMA training went from being a novel year-long pursuit to a fully integrated aspect of my life. <br /><br />So in order to fully embrace life as I experience it now and commit to the work that I need to do, I am shutting this blog down. I know that will disappoint both of my readers, but not all is lost. Rather than spread myself over multiple sites, all of my online commentary about MMA, MMA training, and martial arts philosophy, culture, etc, will live on my blog at <a href="http://www.fightmagazine.com/mma-blogs/Neal-Taflinger-25.htm">FIGHT! Magazine dot com</a>.<br /><br />If you want to get at me there, cool. You can also find me on <a href="http://www.nealtaflinger.com">Neal Taflinger dot com</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Neal-Taflinger/1582702380">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/taffyonthetown">Myspace</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/taffyonthetown">YouTube</a>, and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/nealtaflinger">Twitter</a>.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-83442694911355399772008-07-22T20:46:00.000-07:002008-07-22T21:00:45.366-07:00I kicked my house's ass.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:u2_IlHo__bf1cM:http://www.nataliedee.com/053005/dishwasher.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:u2_IlHo__bf1cM:http://www.nataliedee.com/053005/dishwasher.jpg" border="0" alt="" />Boosted from Natalie Dee dot com.</a><br /><br />Worked today, went to the gym, grappled for a while, and then out-wrestled a dishwasher for a unanimous decision. It took Amanda's dad and I four hours and one trip to Lowe's to return stuff we bought last week but we totally kicked my house's ass. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">8 a.m.</span> Banana, slice of Danish. <span style="font-style:italic;">Noon</span> Indian buffet, water. <span style="font-style:italic;">3 p.m.</span> Turkey sandwich, chips, cookies, water. <span style="font-style:italic;">9 p.m.</span> Frozen pizza, minestrone, water.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> Nada.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skills</span> Worked on positioning, passing the guard, keeping my position, regaining it if I lost it, scrambling, etc.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-41206410979785316912008-07-21T16:54:00.000-07:002008-07-21T19:52:21.380-07:00Single legs suck.Ah...back on the wagon. Cooking real food again, going on one month as an ex-smoker, and finding ways to get into the gym more often. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">8 a.m.</span>Half of a small bowl of cereal. <span style="font-style:italic;">10 a.m.</span> Small bowl of leftover jambalaya. <span style="font-style:italic;">2 p.m.</span> Turkey sandwich, chips, cookies. <span style="font-style:italic;">7 p.m.</span> Three homemade tamales in lettuce wraps, corn on the cob, stir fried green beans.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> 255# daedlift, ring dips, knees to elbows, hand stand push ups. Seven reps, seven rounds for time. 20:18.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skills</span> Single leg takedowns and a couple rounds of grappling. The gym was boiling hot and my technique was sloppier than a roofied sorority sister. I lasted a little more than a hour and a half.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-36807375004279582102008-07-20T14:55:00.001-07:002008-07-20T14:55:39.448-07:00Working all weekend.Catch up on Monday.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-27836773556149928952008-07-17T22:47:00.000-07:002008-07-17T22:53:05.646-07:00Finally, a night off...OH WAITSo I get home at 6:30 p.m. tonight with nothing to do for the first time in weeks. I am looking forward to making soup and setting up my office before turning in and getting a good night's sleep before my day off. I have to work all weekend so I wanted to take Friday off to hit the gym, CrossFit and MMA, hang out with my lady and our dogs, cook good food, and get some work done around the house. Then we find out that Amanda's grandpa had been hospitalized. That would have been manageable if her Mom's van hadn't broken down in Avon (20 miles from our house?) at 10:30 p.m. Grandpa Collier is under observation with a minor infection in his leg and will be released tomorrow. There goes catching up on sleep. I honestly don't give a fuck about summarizing what I ate today. Pissed off.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-390649493555131762008-07-15T19:58:00.000-07:002008-07-15T20:09:24.678-07:00I'm not fat...Pat is in Vegas with Jake O'Brien this week and there it was mostly new or random dudes at the gym tonight. We warmed up before splitting up into two groups. Chris Lytle went over submissions and escapes while other dudes did rounds of Muay Thai sparring. After that we did Thai drills and calisthenics. Adam, the Muay Thai instructor I have seen rarely in the last few months, told me I gained weight since the last time we talked. I told him I just expand in the heat.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">8 a.m.</span> Banana. <span style="font-style:italic;">11 a.m.</span> Salami sammich, chips, carrots, cookies. <span style="font-style:italic;">3 p.m.</span> Two slices of cheese pizza and water. <span style="font-style:italic;">9 p.m.</span> Jambalaya and greens. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> Just moving in the heat is a conditioning program.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skills</span> Worked on escapes from side control, submission chains from keylocks and counter strikes off kicks.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-1225805953445954972008-07-15T10:28:00.000-07:002008-07-15T10:46:48.751-07:00Jake O'Brien vid from the Indianapolis Star<object classid='clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000' codebase='http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0' width='320' height='305' id='embeddedplayer'><param name='movie' value='http://gannett.a.mms.mavenapps.net/mms/rt/1/site/gannett-indianapolis-532-pub01-live/current/immersiveplayer/immersive/client/embedded/embedded.swf'/><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true'/><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always'/><param name='scale' value='noscale'/><param name='salign' value='LT'/><param name='bgcolor' value='#000000'/><param name='wmode' value='window'/><param name='FlashVars' value='playerId=immersiveplayer&referralObject=792748543&referralPlaylistId=daa69ea88594654a24eca0e051a0a15e5e026ca1'/><embed type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://gannett.a.mms.mavenapps.net/mms/rt/1/site/gannett-indianapolis-532-pub01-live/current/immersiveplayer/immersive/client/embedded/embedded.swf' id='embeddedplayer' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' menu='false' quality='high' play='false' name='immersiveplayer' height='305' width='320' allowFullScreen='true' allowScriptAccess='always' scale='noscale' salign='LT' bgcolor='#000000' wmode='window' flashvars='playerId=immersiveplayer&referralObject=792748543&referralPlaylistId=daa69ea88594654a24eca0e051a0a15e5e026ca1'' /></object>Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-33285101887262036352008-07-14T20:54:00.000-07:002008-07-14T21:28:17.693-07:00Back to the grind.I have a confession to make: I just quit smoking. A light smoker for the last several years, I promised Amanda that I wouldn't smoke once we were in the new house. I had cut back from a half a pack a day to one to three cigarettes a day, but it needed to stop. I won't lie - I really enjoy having a couple of cigarettes a day. But when I get busy or stressed two smokes becomes 20 and then I am back to trying to scale it down, all the while promising loved ones that I am seriously going to quit soon. The move into the new house dovetailed conveniently with a week-long trip to Texas; no routine, theoretically no stress. I've had a couple of irritable moments and close calls, but tonight is my two week anniversary without a cigarette. I've experienced some weird detoxing like allergies and my throat generally feeling like shit but overall it's fine.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">1:30 p.m.</span> Beef hot dog, fries, small soda. Crappy lunch because I was stopped on my way out to do a breaking news video. <span style="font-style:italic;">7 p.m.</span> Turkey melt, chips, soda, cookie at McAllister's. Got highjacked by Amanda's family after CrossFit. Our kitchen hasn't been functional until...well, Amanda is cleaning the rest of the assorted junk from the counters as we speak. Tomorrow I can make food in my own kitchen for the first time since...June. <span style="font-weight:bold;">10 p.m.</span> Burrito from Taco Bell. Hungry again after weeding and mowing our yard (which hadn't been cut since the former owner accepted our offer).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> 21-15-9 Front squats, pull ups, 600m, 400m, 200m runs. It took me forever to get through the first set of pull ups. I had no grip and my hands kept slipping. Finished in 19:53. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skills</span> Is "stick-to-it-iveness" a skill? Sportscasters say it so it must be a real word.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-72623374001061510772008-07-11T20:50:00.001-07:002008-07-11T20:51:00.874-07:00Can't catch my breath.Back from the honeymoon, trying to get the new house functional. Hopefully I will be back to my routine on Monday.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-14969899465704162032008-06-28T06:44:00.000-07:002008-06-28T21:45:20.948-07:00Ok...I am sitting in front of my house overseeing a yard sale so I figured I'd take the opportunity to muse on an argument that seems to be coming back into vogue. The idea that certain martial arts are too lethal to test in competition was bandied about a lot in the early days of MMA. Unfortunately, <a href="http://www.cagepotato.com/2008/06/26/more-kung-fu-versus-mma-nonsense/#comments">it's back</a>.<br /><br />There's a double-barrel kind of idiocy that keeps this argument alive and both sides bring shells to the shooting range. <br /><br />First is the notion that so-called traditional martial artists are privvy to secret, dangerous techniques that would overwhelm a "sport fighter." Iron claw, dim mak, yada yada yada. I'm sure that in the mists of history some martial artists honed certain techniques to be lethally efficient. Because in the past martial artists actually, like, you know...fought. The average 2008 kung fu dude may have amazing chi and thousands of hours of practice slicing watermelons in mid-air with giant scimitars but he doesn't have a lot of experience, like, you know...fighting. You're going to tell me that your preying mantis strikes are lethal because your teacher was told they were by some dude at a seminar in in 1974? In a perfect world they might be. Those strikes are pretty accurate on a wing chun dummy - not so much in a real fight. So traditional martial arts dude - don't overestimate myth when you have no practical experience fighting people who know how to fight. You might end up like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4NYXlYj28s&feature=related">this guy</a>.<br /><br />Now, the truly amusing part of this tragic comedy is MMA fans and practitioners who think that wrestling, BJJ, and Muay Thai comprise the sum total of effective fighting styles. That's a stretch, as it seems that a lot of MMA fans think the double leg takedown is the most devastating technique in a fighter's arsenal. It's funny that fans of a sport that embodies Bruce Lee's "style of no style" are so quick to settle on a handful of arts as being the total repository of worthwhile fighting theory and practice. There are things to be learned from so-called traditional arts - the counter striking of silat, the fast gap-crossing attacks of point fighting to name two. To my mind, the point of MMA is to give practical experience to martial artists who want to distill the pure, effective elements of various arts into one seemless package. So MMA guy - don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-6889360377985252982008-06-27T19:33:00.000-07:002008-06-27T19:35:50.883-07:00Moving.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://uberfashion.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/moving6pf.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://uberfashion.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/moving6pf.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Closing on a house. Packing and moving. Leaving for a week's vacation on Tuesday. Back to our regularly scheduled programming when I return.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-30593966562309712292008-06-25T16:01:00.000-07:002008-06-25T18:41:31.859-07:00Chariots of Fire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dvdtown.com/images/displayimage.php?id=3609"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://www.dvdtown.com/images/displayimage.php?id=3609" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />"Thirty four-forty," Jeff shouted. "That's your best time ever."<br />Actually, Jeff, it's my only time ever. <br /><br />Today was day two of the Indy CrossFit Challenge. The workout was simple: Run a 5K. Problem is, the number of times I've run 5000 meters, or 3.1 miles for you 'Mericans, is between not-on-your-life and fat-fuckin'-chance. I had a decent pace for the first mile but I kept slowing down. The trick, I decided, is to not stop. Every time I stop in a CrossFit workout, it gets worse not easier. If you drop the weight you start thinking about how much it's going to suck to pick it up. If you walk during the run, you think about how much your lungs burn, or how heavy your feet feel. Better to suffer for the shortest possible amount of time. So mark it on your calendars, another milestone for Taffy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">8 a.m.</span> Homemade sausage muffin with ze egg and ze cheese. OJ. <span style="font-style:italic;">Noon</span> Chicken fajita sammich, chips, sodee pop. Haven't eaten dinner yet - the future is unwritten!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> I rode my bike to work and back. See above.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skills</span> Nada.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-11660253116430953972008-06-24T20:25:00.001-07:002008-06-25T20:32:09.284-07:00Yes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rogerdean.com/logos/images/33-YesClassicBlue_jpg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://www.rogerdean.com/logos/images/33-YesClassicBlue_jpg.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Have you ever asked a question you knew the answer to but were still stung by the response?<br /><br />"Hey, Pat, honest opinion. Do I need to be in here more?"<br />"Yes." He didn't even look up from what he was doing.<br /><br />All my workouts have been sporadic for the last month. My wedding, other people's weddings, packing up our house, closing on another one, changing jobs and getting busier: my "project" has taken a backseat. But that's kind of the point. "Supposebly" there will be a much more flexible, and later, schedule at Red Cobra/Integrated Fighting so I can go in on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays to work on my jiu jitsu or Muay Thai. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">8 a.m.</span> Eight ounces of milk, EAS protein powder, banana, assorted berries. Delish. <span style="font-style:italic;">Noon</span> Tuna sammich, chips, water. <span style="font-style:italic;">4 p.m.</span> Grilled chicken salad, water. <span style="font-style:italic;">7 p.m.</span> Steak 'n' Shake meal, dog. Father-in-law paid so it was his call.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> See below.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skills</span> Jumped in on the latter part of the MMA workout and worked takedowns and armbars. It was one of the more constructive drills I've done in a while and made me more excited for a formal BJJ class. After that we did shots back and forth across the room, then shots with resistance. After that we did pushups in the round which suuuuuuuucked.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-81950766321279229042008-06-19T21:37:00.000-07:002008-06-20T05:09:14.691-07:00Hm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/8233/untitledbw5.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/8233/untitledbw5.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />I was listening to National Public Radio the other day and there was a piece on a Japanese heritage celebration in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It bore no immediate relevance to MMA but it set some thoughts in motion. Dana White talks about how MMA is THE global sport because everyone understands fighting. While that's true I think he is glossing over a greater truth, which is that MMA embodies globalization. The open-source sport sprang out of challenges issued by masters of Brazillian Jiu Jitsu, itself a mingling of Japanese science and South American soul. Now MMA, like the economy, world music, fusion cusine, is a multi-ethnic stew, the true sport of the future. More on that thought as it develops. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> Soda in the morning, couldn't eat lunch until 3 p.m. because of work bullshit, sandwich and chips for dinner, sandwich and chips after the gym.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> I missed the MMA workout today so I went swimming at the Y. I feel really good after we swim laps but it makes my heart pound like crazy, so hard that it hurts my sternum. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skills</span> Nopers.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-63120485624549161072008-06-18T20:05:00.000-07:002008-06-18T20:28:01.743-07:00Workin' for the man every night and dayStill tired from last night, I overslept CrossFit and went to work at 8 a.m. so I could leave early. The ride in was super easy, I felt like I was gliding. Ran around like crazy, at like crap, but I did get shoot clay pigeons all morning and sit in on <a href="http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=videonetwork&videoID=773629501">Ice-T rehearsing with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra</a>. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">9 a.m.</span> Sausage egg McMuffin, Dr. Pepper. <span style="font-style:italic;">2:30 p.m.</span> Pizza and breadsticks. <span style="font-style:italic;">7 p.m.</span> Qdoba, goddamn.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Sumo deadlift high pull, box jumps, and double unders. I asked Jeff what a good time would be for me. He said 12 minutes. I pushed and pushed and pushed and stopped just enough to breathe and finished in 11:34. Not amazing but competitive with the other guys lifting to prescription. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skills</span> Nada.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-52650034622826096582008-06-17T19:30:00.000-07:002008-06-17T19:42:32.669-07:00Yes, dear<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.fugly.com/media/IMAGES/Crazy/ymca_jesus.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.fugly.com/media/IMAGES/Crazy/ymca_jesus.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I've been dealing with women, oh, all of my life now, but I'm still slow to catch on to the fact that discussions are never just about what you are talking about, noooooo, they are about 100 other things women won't mention until they burst into tears and make you feel like an asshole for not being psychic. The moral of this story is that when your wife asks you to go swimming at the YMCA at 8 p.m. after dinner with her family which was after your MMA workout which was after work the simple answer is, "yes, dear." <br /><br />In other news my weight is holding steady now at 250. I am down a pant size and my overall fitness level is rising, but I am not losing a pound. My diet still sucks and that is the hardest thing to fix when my home life is so chaotic. Hopefully we can close on the house and not live amidst boxes forever.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">8 a.m.</span> Small bowl of leftover spaghetti, two eggs. <span style="font-style:italic;">Noon</span> Two slices of pizza, two breadsticks, small soda. <span style="font-style:italic;">7 p.m.</span> Italian beef sandwich, small soda. <span style="font-style:italic;">9:45 p.m.</span> PB&J, chips, carrots. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> Swam laps at the Y. Nothing serious, and definitely not high intensity, but it was definitely tiring.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skills</span> Two five minute rounds of shadow boxing, two ? minute rounds of grappling. Pat wasn't there today and almost everyone there was getting ready to fight on Saturday so I drilled by myself for a bit - boxng, Muay Thai, BJJ - and took off.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-41485592800119611322008-06-16T19:51:00.000-07:002008-06-16T20:28:44.965-07:00I'm back<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.redlinebicycles.com/2008-redline/800/Monocog29er-blk-800.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.redlinebicycles.com/2008-redline/800/Monocog29er-blk-800.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> (My sweet steed.)<br /><br /><br />I did more before 9 a.m. than most people do all week. I felt really good all day. Strong like bull, a little sleepy in the afternoon, but I crushed my ride home. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> So damn hungry today.<span style="font-style:italic;">8 a.m.</span> Spaghetti with meat sauces. <span style="font-style:italic;">10 a.m.</span> PB&J and half an apple. <span style="font-style:italic;">Noon</span> Tuna sandwich, chips, couple cookies, carrots, can of soda, water. <span style="font-style:italic;">3 p.m.</span> can of soda, water. <span style="font-style:italic;">7 p.m.</span> Split a frozen pizza with the lady. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> 6:30 a.m. CrossFit - Five pull-ups, 10 push ups, 15 squats, max rounds in 20 minutes. I knocked out 11 which is...um...half a good performance? At least I am doing workouts to prescription and my GPP is improving. After CrossFit I went to the Y for a little and kept the sweat going on the treadmill, went home, ate breakfast, and rode my bike to work. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skills</span> Nope.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-26511263009823032442008-06-13T05:27:00.000-07:002008-06-13T05:43:43.559-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.prairienet.org/~dwillcox/img/Sweat1Lg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.prairienet.org/~dwillcox/img/Sweat1Lg.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">(Sweat lodge from Prairie Net.)</span><br /><br />Yesterday was my first day back at MMA workouts. The garage doors were up in the gym and there was a nice cross breeze but after the six rounds of ground and pound against the cage I was sopping wet. Jake O'Brien worked on takedowns with me and another guy and for the first time I think I may actually be able to include them in my tool box. Two five minute rounds of rolling with strikes wrapped up my day. Then I walked over to the garage door and dry heaved before wringing the sweat out of my shirt. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> Nothing in the morning. <span style="font-style:italic;">12:30 p.m.</span> Indian buffet - salad, rice, vegetables, chicken, bread, water. <span style="font-style:italic;">7 p.m.</span> Two beef hot dogs, baked beans, mac and cheese, potato salad, steamed broccoli. Can you say wedding weekend barbecue leftovers?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> See above.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skills</span> See above.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-66828173231902898582008-06-11T11:06:00.000-07:002008-06-11T20:16:07.333-07:00Sleep<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.stationnight.com/Homer-Sleep1.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.stationnight.com/Homer-Sleep1.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">(GIS for sleep.)</span><br /><br />I got off work late yesterday and couldn't fight through traffic and construction to get to the gym on time to workout. We're already packing up the house so I ran some errands and picked up a truckload of boxes from Amanda's parents. I crashed out at a reasonable hour and felt halfway human by 7 a.m. this morning. Ate a little less like crap yesterday but I did kill another salad. Club sandwich today, looking forward to getting in the kitchen tonight to prepare some better food to take to work with me and clear the remaining soda and beer from the fridge to donate to the homeless. With any luck I'll make the PM CrossFit workout this afternoon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">Noon</span> Club sammich, chips, soda. <span style="font-style:italic;">6:30 p.m.</span> Spaghetti and meat sauce, water.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> 21-15-9, hang clean press, wall ball, box jumps. 18:28. I started out like a maniac, flamed out by the second round but finished strong. My back hurt so goddamn bad today.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-33251407243507624752008-06-10T07:00:00.000-07:002008-06-10T08:42:36.610-07:00Thunder thighs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.exrx.net/Graphics/QuadricepsAnterior.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://www.exrx.net/Graphics/QuadricepsAnterior.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />(From <a href="http://www.exrx.net">Exrx</a>.)<br /><br />Yesterday was my first day back at Indy Crossfit. It wasn't the worst experience of my life, but I was gassed about a third of the way through the work out. It seems that taking two and a half weeks off from the gym, working two weekends in a row, getting married the weekend after, and living on a diet of meat, chocolate, and booze makes you feel like shit. Whoodathunkit?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">8 a.m.</span> Soda, leftover pizza. <span style="font-style:italic;">Noon</span>Turkey and bacon wrap, chips, diet Coke, big salad. <span style="font-style:italic;">8 p.m.</span> Qdoba burrito, soda. Not a lot of water, lots of soda. It's funny how far and fast you can veer off track when you stop making a conscious, daily effort. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> Seven front squats (115#), seven knees-to-elbows, seven ring dips, 385 meter run, max rounds in 20 minutes. The squats and knees-to-elbows were cake, the ring dips were tough, and the runs killed me. I almost finished my fourth round but didn't have enough time for the run.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skeeels</span> None.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-13696197164839014842008-06-08T10:16:00.001-07:002008-06-08T10:17:48.210-07:00The Day After<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ouroneheart.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/wedding-cake-topper.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.ouroneheart.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/wedding-cake-topper.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Day one of married life. It would be nice to relax now but we are closing on a house in early July so there is no rest for the wicked. Back to work on Monday - at my job and at the gym.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-89345855765725729662008-05-29T06:29:00.000-07:002008-05-29T15:58:29.654-07:00Out Rocky Mountain Way<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/Denver-Broncos.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/Denver-Broncos.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">(GIS for "Denver." From the Onion.</span><br /><br />I am in Big Sky Country until Saturday evening to interview Roger Huerta for FIGHT! My body clock is all screwed up but I am a little more relaxed than I have been the last couple of days. The wedding is eight days away, Amanda and I might be putting an offer in on a house, and I am under the gun with 9-to-5 and freelance work.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> Crap, morning, noon, and night. Short term derailment.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> 400 meter run, 50 push ups, 400 meter run, 50 sit ups, 400 meter run, 50 squats, 400 meter run. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 minutes.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-63224141642581374122008-05-26T06:30:00.000-07:002008-05-26T06:59:47.371-07:00Walk, walk, walk<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OTjVEwlqB-AjGFOhOIhzo1xvby281EmQEbJNyTEva6jOXP2PB8HGr_a7hd1adYsd154SYd8saiJ6Kd32290tyyt-w-5h84nnP2by5vhi12MqzNYwXTa9qgMu0z9XHkJUVQt9OSBy6z0/s1600-h/Map+Screenshot.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OTjVEwlqB-AjGFOhOIhzo1xvby281EmQEbJNyTEva6jOXP2PB8HGr_a7hd1adYsd154SYd8saiJ6Kd32290tyyt-w-5h84nnP2by5vhi12MqzNYwXTa9qgMu0z9XHkJUVQt9OSBy6z0/s400/Map+Screenshot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204684031626074978" /></a><br /><br />I rode my bike to work at 10 a.m. on Saturday, got home around 2:30 p.m., then went back to work at a quarter to 7 a.m. Sunday to work the race. Since I'd be done at 3 p.m., I was told I could carpool home early. Problem was, the early carpool left without calling me. My options were to wait until 8 p.m. and leave with the other photographers or walk home from the track. I started walking around 4 p.m. Five and a half miles with thirty pounds of gear after working all day. Sucked.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-60009267014968507032008-05-26T05:25:00.000-07:002008-05-26T06:17:23.153-07:00Be the hammer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.80stees.com/images/products/Thor_Hammer_Costume.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.80stees.com/images/products/Thor_Hammer_Costume.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />"That's how you do it," Jeff Chapman said. "That's how you do it every time." <br /><br />I was bent over gasping for air after the day's CrossFit workout when Jeff contragulated me on a good effort. Before I started he told me he wanted me to finish in less than 18 minutes so I started strong and managed to keep a pretty good pace throughout. When I headed out for the last run Jeff told me I had just over two minutes to make time so I decided to push it and finish sub-17. I ran as hard as I could manage and came in at 16:44, my best CrossFit performance to date. <br /><br />That good news is tempered by bad news, or at least bad news in my little world. With just a couple weeks to go until the wedding and the Indianapolis 500 and a freelance work trip to Denver between now and then, I decided that it is in my best interest to take a couple weeks off of MMA workouts. It's not a ton of time each week but it's a huge energy expenditure and one more thing to accomodate in my schedule. It sucks, but life will be much less complicated the second week of June.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> Honestly I can't remember.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditionin</span> 50 squats, 200 meter run, 50 push ups, 200 meter run, 50 sit ups, 200 meter run, 50 box jumps, 200 meter run, 50 double unders, 200 meter run.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skills</span> Nada.Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42649321843458088.post-36820315059706288242008-05-21T19:58:00.000-07:002008-05-21T21:01:00.213-07:00Dull Ache<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.google.com/url?q=http://byrdhouse.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/headon_byrdhouse.jpg&usg=AFQjCNG7RYNAzgKtnEzUeLmMgTiC_07jMw"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://images.google.com/url?q=http://byrdhouse.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/headon_byrdhouse.jpg&usg=AFQjCNG7RYNAzgKtnEzUeLmMgTiC_07jMw" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Days are peeling off the calendar quicker and quicker and the wedding that seemed so far away is hurtling toward us. Juggling work and last minute wedding details gave me a dull, achey headache that made me want to lie down after work and not get up until tomorrow. In a moment of will power, self abuse, or stupidity, I figured that CrossFit would either eleviate my headache or make something else hurt bad enough that my head wouldn't be foremost on my mind. Sure enough, after the workout my headache was gone. I chilled out for an hour after I got home and then went to Self Defense Systems for a class Jerry Smith is calling "secrets of the temple." It's an invite-only class for his longtime students so that he can teach techniques and strategies he learned from Joe Lewis while competing. Fifteen-year old Neal would have attended the class and gone home. Twenty-nine-year old Neal took notes and did drills on the bag afterwards. <br /><br />And Amanda just told me that she spent $280 dollars on books at Teacher Appreciation Week at the Scholastic Book warehouse. Jesus fucking christ. I think the headache is coming back. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Diet</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">9 a.m.</span> Soda and mini-donuts. Fuck me. <span style="font-style:italic;">Noon</span> Pizza and water. Feeling worse. <span style="font-style:italic;">6:30 p.m.</span> PB&J, water. <span style="font-style:italic;">9 p.m.</span> Wendy's. Why not finish the day on a high note?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Strength & Conditioning</span> 21 15 9 Hanging clean, pullups, 600/400/200 meter run. Finished in 16:30. Felt faster but pull ups kill me. At least I am doing workouts to prescription now. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Skills</span> Worked on slip kicks, squeeze steps, switch steps and entry kicks off angles. Jerry gives me a hard time about throwing my lead hand down when I kick now but when done quickly and correctly you're shielding your chin with the shoulder. You can't be 100% protected 100% of the time. I am accepting the fact that learning Muay Thai is changing how I approach American Kickboxing but my AKB colors my Muay Thai, too. I started working on karate-style kicks again just to have them in my arsenal, adding mechanical elements from Muay Thai to add a little oomph to them. I would explain more but these are secrets of the temple, man. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/3/5685922_e97ef39489.jpg?v=0"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/3/5685922_e97ef39489.jpg?v=0" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Does this guy look like a good secret-keeper?</span>Neal Taflingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647816156887062207noreply@blogger.com0