Post Championship Syndrome... it is around 8.30pm Friday 19th of January in Lisbon Portugal. After a deserved and necessary shower, my brother and I set to the restaurant located in front of our hotel.
International Cuisine...we chose an Angolan meal that consists of white rice, a peanut buttery sauce, chicken and kasav. To me it feels like extasy...imagine, it is the first meal in 2 weeks that I can enjoy without fear of PUTTING ON WEIGHT...I enjoy it.
After the dinner we head back to the hotel to get to bed as soon as possible as we have to be up at 3.30am to catch a 6.15 for my brother and a 6.40am plane home.
Guess what, I could not sleep the whole night, my hormones were playing up and despite being exhausted, I simply couldn't SLEEP.
3.30am Saturday 20th, the 3 alarms we had ready and the hotel phone rang... time to get ready for the departure.
4.15am we arrive at Lisbon airport and make some time, my eyes are wide open, so opened they hurt, I feel like a zombie, almost too tired to sleep.
5am they open the cafe and the shops, I promised myself not to leave Lisbon without having some pastry, so I order one and a hot chocolate...so good.
After my early breakfast, I go and buy my wife her Portugal favorites, Ginghiña and Crema de Nata. The former is a Portuguese liquor and the latter a pastry, both are part of the deal that allow me to go away to compete for 3 days without my wife to complain... she knows I bring her some treats!
The flight and the coach home went fine, I finally arrive home and am received with warm opened arms by my dear family, it really a good feeling!
Saturday afternoon, I am exhausted but it is good to be home, i spend time with the boys drawing and playing. The evening comes and I put them to bed, afterwards I spend time with my wife and put myself to bed...I am so tired that I am in bed around 9pm on a Saturday evening...
Sunday 9.15am 21st , I make it to the gym and receive a warm welcome from all the gym members I know and even from some I have never spoken to. I am still floating...
Monday is the weirdest day of all, it is my third day without exercising and it starts to do my head in.
I manage to book at 5.30am a sport massage with Josh Crosley (I highly recommend), he sees me at 9.30am and Literally beat my body up. The massage is s deep that it took me a day and a half to recover and actually feel REALLY GOOD.
1.15pm, Now come the amazing, to be congratulated in the gym is to be expected, but while on my bike at the round about Of Chappelfield waiting to cross, to have a guy stopped his car and popped his head at the window and congratulate me, this felt special, this felt Really good.
I got home and told my wife about what just happened...at that stage I thought it was it...
Monday 3pm, I am at school with waiting for my son Milo and to my surprise several parents of kids who are in the same class as my boy come to congratulate me. I start to feel AWKWARD, as I onliy meet them at the time of the school pick up.
3.05pm, my son school teacher has opened the classroom door and comes to me...she then says: massive congratulations for your big achievement. Your son MILO IS SO PROUD OF YOU, SINCE HE ARRIVED THIS MORNING HE HASNT STOPPED TALKING ABOUT YOU COMING HOME WITH A GOLD MEDAL."
This was it, this did me, I was fighting not to cry on the spot. THIS TO ME IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, EVERYTHING I DO, I DO FOR ME, BUT SECOND COME MY SONS. I WANT TO BE AN EXAMPLE, TO INSPIRE THEM. I WANT THEM TO BE PROUD OF THEIR DAD.
I WOULD NEVER IMAGINED IT WOULD HAPPEN SO EARLY, I WOULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED THAT MY 5 YEARS BOY WOULD CONNECT WITH ME TO THE POINT TO KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT MEDAL IS TO ME.
When I look back everything falls in its place, the year of pain, losses, the hours of training, the frustration...then the last minute doubts before the first fight, finally the LIBERATION.
I got at my return to norwich to savor of "Fame", to be able "Eat" what I want and to "Rest".
Guess what I have Enough of it, all this is NECESSARY AND GOOD BUT, WHAT I LIKE AND LOVE IS THE TOTAL OPPOSITE.
I like to Grind at crazy times in the morning, I like to feel good, strong and fit and I feel like that when I EAT LESS CHOCOLATE AND MORE VEGETABLES, and above all I love to Train. All the things above are necessary but they are REWARDS. They are 20% of my habits, The other 80% makes who I AM.
IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT BEING GOOD 80% o the time allows me to Switch off 20% with no Guilt and FEEL GOOD!
I want to be the Champion BUT KEEP The CHALLENGER LOW PROFILE. I HAVE TO STAY HUNGRY, KEEP ON WITH THE GRIND.
THE IMPORTANT IS NOT THE DESTINATION (the medal), THE IMPORTANT IS THE JOURNEY (the training, the losses, the emotions, the people you meet).
Guys, find a PASSION AND WORK HARD, IT WILL PAY OFF!
My Most Valued Prizes...