I'd loosened the self-inflicted restrictions over Christmas and had a couple nights on the town. I hadn't found my return to the world of pubs/clubs and dodging VDs as enjoyable as I'd hoped and the final straw to kick start my new nine weeks bid was a crap date in January. I watched as my date flirted with another guy for most of the night then ended things early by sustaining a head injury falling off his borrowed push bike, f*cks sake!
I wanted to be in the adult world. I didn't want to be in this sort of situation again on drunken crap dates trying to decide on 'the one' when I wouldn't go get drunk before I made a significant purchase.
Nine weeks x 2 was to happen, a minimum of 18 weeks with stuff I had failed to achieve from the last 9 weeks carried over, kicking and screaming if necessary! I'd also decided on a couple additional challenges which were:
- Been to atleast 2 Capoeira sessions;
- Been jogging at least once with the local running club;
- Been to atleast one parkour session;
Now with more time ahead and some additional tasks, I set off on my new journey.
Only 5 days into 18 weeks of no cigarettes and alcohol and it was feeling harder to get motivated the second time around. The first detox in 2010 was a much needed break from binge drinking. Because of that detox I hadn't been as drunk as often at Christmas and so this second detox was easier therefore locating the motivation was a lot harder.
I did feel rotten after recent festivities and had felt my newly acquired energy slowly dropping due to restrictive hangovers, but because I was not going cold turkey after significant levels of cigs and liqueur I was having to dig a little deeper to find the justification to carry on. It didn't help that any new benefits weren't quick to appear.
I did find that after 13 or so weeks without alcohol my first drink , a chilled Guinness wasn't half as enjoyable as the anticipation leading up to that fateful chug. In a strange sounding way the thought of drinking helped me to not drink. Sounds daft but it worked.
The first nine week stint had helped create a motivation to push on and make more things happen , for example it had been years since I saw that awful kickboxer film containing a brief scene of two chiseled fighters performing the incredible spin kicks from the Brazilian martial art 'Capoeira'. Since that viewing I had vowed to start the exotic style and to be honest now (back then) was as good a time as any.
The class was quite hard I'll admit, lots of running up and down the room, wheelbarrows, running on all fours, then lots of stomach crunches and tonnes of stretching that brought on a sweat all on their own. Once past this heart pounding workout it was onto learning some of the moves, mainly kicks and cartwheels both motions I was not well accustomed too. After about an hour of different drills the class was over , but the Capoeira was not. Everyone stood in a circle and sang ( in
Portuguese! ) while two people inside the circle 'played'. It wasn't like any other martial art I'd tried , there was a social element , definitely more like grown-up play fighting than sparring. Strange and unfamiliar, something different which gave me a good feeling inside from being part of something so different. I'd found this thing I'd needed for a while.
A social activity that offered fitness training , beautiful athletic women and some stylish dance/ martial art moves. It ticked boxes am telling you.
My fitness had improved enough to make this first session less crippling. I have no doubt that without my detox I would have suffered immensely. This session had shown me I had improved and how I could improve so much more. It gave me a new goal, something to drive my teeth into. After all for me there is no worse place than on a plateau not knowing where to go next.
My nine weeks x 2 was coming on nicely which was brilliant as something significant and life changing was looming. For the last 5 years I had lived with my ex. There was no sex going on I promise we simply cohabited because we got on well as mates. Living with my ex sounds strange , but living with my pregnant ex , pregnant to another man , another man who is not willing to have anything to do with the pregnancy or the baby and I felt a duty to help out where I could... probably sounds stranger.
I was about to step up and become a guardian to my ex's baby and alcohol couldn't play a significant part in this new role. I'd managed to keep off the booze long enough to weaken its significance and it was much needed. I didn't want to be known as the drunken uncle to my soon to be born niece. Capoeira / the allotment / jogging were all things to help me feel better, look better to get a woman ( well maybe not the allotment huh!) and impress the little girl who was about to enter my life. Real life can sometimes be a good reason to change yourself as any reason you can think up.
Valentines day 2011 and my life changed for ever.
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