18th March 2009

Hmmm...

Only once sat in the taxi did what I had just signed myself into really and truly begin to sink in. Returning from dropping the enrollment forms to Zack (the White Collar Boxing trainer) over a brief chat, between his giving instruction to his evening class’s punishing warm up, I had just made the step from 'I might be' to the beginning of 'I am doing it'.

'White Collar' boxing as a concept started in New York during the mid 90’s and quickly caught on globally with clubs everywhere having their own variants. Now I am participating in the fourth such event held in Dubai. The fact that I am going to be training for 2 hours a day from 6am, 3 days a week for 2 months is daunting. Add to this that I have to then enter a ring and try my best to beat someone senseless within 3, 2 minute rounds at the end of it. Oh, and all in front of a baying crowd and, more scarily, my friends, and, well, frankly I’m laying the brick foundations of a 7 bed villa!

This is going to be a serious shock to the system as Dubai has a habit of radically increasing your BMI, or in layman’s terms, turning you into a right porker as soon as you step off the plane(My finger of blame points at spicy potato sandwiches and tubs of hummous!). As I already know, Zack’s training sessions are seriously traumatic, having attended a few previously to make sure that I could deal with them. Feeling like dying in the last twenty minutes but not actually doing so convinced me…ish! The cardiovascular focused, highly intensive, circuit training can easily re-introduce you to your last meal. And that’s before you’ve even put your gloves on.

So Saturday midday is the only time that all the participants will be together before split into our two training teams at the induction meeting. It will be a bit strange walking into a room knowing that one of those people, who may actually be a nice bloke, I have to focus for 8 weeks on preparing myself, physically and mentally, to punch as much as I can and as hard as I can, in the face…

At least it’s all for charity.

21st March 2009
Midday at the Colossium Mai Thai Gym in Karama and a number of the other participants are there already as I enter what is to be my second home for the next 8 weeks. Looking around I can’t help it, you start sizing the other fighters up wondering who you are most likely to be fighting. Not everybody is there as a number of people are on holiday but of the people present there’s maybe one person who’s about the same build, and height as me but there‘s really no way to tell.

The WCB organiser John introduces himself to everyone and takes us through the structure of the next 8 weeks. We train, we’re given supplements and checked over by nutritionists, towards the fight we’re prepared psychologically as well as physically. We’re basically told that we are entering a rollercoaster ride of emotions, blood, sweat and physical pain. Previous years have apparently had soap operatic inter-team conflicts on par with Christmas special of Eastenders, rumour milling, bitching and in-fighting. As I previously worked on a woman’s weekly publication before moving to blubanana.com, my WCB sponsor, this element of the whole experience is something I’m capable of tactfully ignoring. As John states finally ‘be selfish’ it’s only you on your own in the ring with your opponent so let nothing interfere with your preparations… fair enough - I’m an only child so ‘be selfish’ is a breeze!

Again, looking around it is sort of weird as to how to classify everybody? Are we ‘participants’ or ‘competitors’? Theoretically there are no losers as the 3 rounds we finally square off in are not judged, nobody is officially declared a winner. Ultimately though there is no point doing this unless you intend to be better than whoever you’re matched with… the eight hundred and fifty people watching you exchange blows will all know who ‘won’ and who ‘lost’.

24th March 2009
First training session and there’s only 2 of us there! Bit disturbing really but it does mean almost personal tuition. I have to admit I’ve tried to prepare myself as best as I can for this in my own time but I do find it incredibly hard going. Zack will keep pushing you until you buckle, and then push you some more! As there’s only two of us it feels a bit odd as one of the main points raised in the meeting was developing a strong team morale. Seems a bit difficult if you’ve only got a team of 2 out of 8 present.

Tuesday morning is a bit better… there are 4 of us. The training is tiring but I’m a bit annoyed as I nearly overslept. Not by much but it made the race down Sheik Zayed potentially expensive. We go through various routines focused on building our endurance and anaerobic ability. This is something important as throwing punches is not only bloody knackering but your breathing and oxygen usage is affected by the exertion. Anaerobic capacity means working without oxygen or how long your muscles work without a steady supply. You breath while trying to pummel the dude in front of you but expend the energy in your muscles faster than your body refuels it. In boxing the end of the round means breath deep and recharge. The amount you can deal out before fatigue relies on developing this capacity in you muscle. Only goes to show… you do learn a new thing every day!

So, Thursday is to be our weekly sparring day. This will be a bit weird as everyone seems quite pleasant, well the other 3 that I’ve met. Maybe the first time I get to meet the whole team will be when I’m trying my best to avoid being hit by them. Stil when I was 11 I met one of my best friends doing just that though so it’s a great way to meet people.

Me “Hello, my names Alex” jab, jab,smack!
Them “Hello, my names ****, what do you do?” thump!
Me “Oh, I” jabs “design stuff for bluebanana.com - what do you do? Ducks!
Them “Well I currently teach" 'uppercut' "kindergarten" jab, jab, straight right - SMACK!
Me "Mmmphf" clutches nose "thats nice" bleeds...