‘Push.’ I think to myself as I sprint another 10 seconds that lasts forever up the hill. ‘Fucking PUSH. Absolutely DO NOT STOP.’ Today, the run is killing me. As I reach the end of my sprint I keep a steady pace breathing hard. The top of the hill seems an eternity away. I break into another sprint  ignoring the amused grins of passers by. As the hill levels off I hit my steady pace again letting my mind drift into the fight, letting the negatives pass me by. I feel good. I feel better than good. I give it everything I’ve got again..

As I throw my left knee quickly into the bag followed by a burst of short left and right knees I try to stop mentally clock watching the seconds go by till the end of the round. Keep hitting. keep kneeing. Keep Kneeing. KEEP KNEEING. The hoody I always wear for training to help me sweat out an extra bit of weight feels intensely heavy tonight. I feel tired, but we’ve moved onto another bag.. ready for the last two minutes. The last round. I have to give it everything. I won’t stop.

It’s been a tough couple of weeks training. I’ll start again. It’s been a tough 6 weeks training but being honest it always is. Last week felt like an achievement as I trained all week and had a well deserved weekend rest. I finally feel like the work I’ve been putting in has begun to start to come through. This week it seems like my nerves have dissolved into a steady calm and focus that it feels like I’ve been lacking for a while. I hope it’s with me at the weekend when I fight again. I’m expecting Mr negative to give me a little tap on the shoulder any day soon but I’ll be ready for him too.

I guess as long as you’ve put in the work then you’ll find what you need. And a little self belief always goes a long way too. Despite having wanted to have trained that little bit more I know that I’ve trained enough. On weight, feeling focused and ready for the show. It’s good to see everyone around me looking sharp too. Motivation and focus can be an infectious thing.

So the rest of the week things slow down a little to give us some time to recover a little and be ready for war on Saturday. I have a feeling that this show is going to be a good one all round. I’ll check in with you all on Sunday as usual, and I’m hoping this Sunday I have something positive to say. Watch this space. Have a good week, and just like the last time, I’ll see you on that road.