To Diet or not to Diet, that is the Question

Last time you heard from me, I was getting ready for another fight. I had gained some weight and was working on losing around 10 pounds. I was going to fight again in Onterio, California for a pretty good purse. Because of that, I turned down a couple of other fights. It was coming down to the wire, and I was dieting really hard. I was getting close to my target weight.I got a text message from the promoter three days before the fight letting me know that the whole show had to be canceled due to lack of funds.

I was very frustrated. I already had the time off, so John and I took a little trip to the coast to relax. I started adding a few more calories to my diet and BAM, back up 5 pounds. I swear, it takes no time at all to gain weight but all too long to loss it. I relaxed my training a bit and hit the beach a few times for a run. Then I hear that I might have a fight in Costa Rica in a couple of weeks.

I started cutting again which is hard to do when you're camping, but I managed. I never heard back from that promoter, so I started eating a little more and gaining a little bit. Then I had another offer for a fight in Paso Robles next weekend. Man, I had my work cut out for me. I was back to training hard and dieting again. They were looking for an opponent for me and asked the girl I was supposed to fight in Onterio. She was my last chance for a fight on this card.

She said she'd get back to us after 8pm that night. It was morning yet, so I had a whole day of deprivation. I ate very little and got a beach run in. I was pacing the floor waiting for 8 pm to come around. I didn't hear from my coach until 8:30. Her answer was "NO". I'm thinking it was because, she, like me, had probably started gaining some weight after it was announced we wouldn't fight. It was a let down, but at least I was able to get some dinner in me.

One good thing that happened, I found a cool place to train when I go to Eureka called Humbolt Jiu-Jitsu Gym. Great mma training, great people, very reasonable rates. I even got to train with a couple of females who were pretty darn good. I had a killer workout and learned a few brutal moves to try on my next opponent. If you go there (509 H St.), be sure to tell Nick that Avery sent you.

So, no fights coming up for the time being. I'm trying to stay close to my fighting weight, so I'll only have 5 pounds to lose if something comes up. I've been doing pretty good, but Thanksgiving is coming up, and I'm worried. We have two dinners to go to in one day- my parents and then his. Oh well. I'll just have to be sure to get in a good workout that day.

My next project, though, will be on December 19th. I will be having a fun run at Dog Island Park at 9:00 am. It will be rain or shine, and it will be free to all who want to take part. The event will be called "Just Move It Tehama Country" and is part of a national campaign from Indian Health Services, who's goal is to promote physical activity for Native Americans. There are a lot of health issues that face Native Americans which increased activity can help combat. This goes for everyone, who couldn't benefit from some physical activity? This run will be open to everyone. I encourage you to come be a part of this, you have nothing to lose, except maybe some holiday weight.

A Weighty Issue

I was fortunate enough to attend a work related training in Washington D.C. last month. It was awesome. I got a lot of information on how to promote wellness for Native Americans. There was one downfall, however. Every morning, they provided us with a delightful breakfast buffet. It had cheesy scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, sausages AND bacon. I was running several miles every morning, so I came to the table with my appetite. I figured 'what the heck- I may as well enjoy myself' since I follow a pretty good diet most of the time. I would heap my plate full and sometimes even go back for seconds. No harm, I thought, I'm running it off. One day I even beat my personal best and did an 8 mile run.

I was feeling great- until I got home and hit the scale. I was up 9 pounds! I was floored! How could this happen? I really thought about the amount of calories I was taking in- and that little trip through the buffet probably more than doubled the amount of calories I usually have in a day. That, and only running- not getting in any weight lifting or sparring or wrestling- meant that I was taking in WAY more than I was burning off. I have a fight coming up on November 14th in Ontario, California, and I need to be at 125 pounds. This was NOT good. No longer do I have the luxury of cutting weight by sauna or dehydration (since the kidney failure). I have to cut this weight the old fashioned way- diet and exercise.

It's been really hard getting the weight off this time. I've cut back on the food, increased the exercise- but still- it's slow going. Right now, I'm only 2 pounds down. It's pretty frustrating. I just finished a brutal workout on Sunday- which is usually my light day. I flipped the tire, dragged the chunk of iron, used the sledgehammer, climbed the rope and ran the hill. I'm sore and tired and cranky. My poor husband gets the brunt of it. He overcooked my veggies the other night, and I was not pleased. When you have only veggies for dinner, they have to be delicious. I apologized, of course, but I'm sure I won't have mushy cauliflower next time!

Derek, my wrestler training partner, has been totally successful cutting weight. He got down to 133 this weekend. It sucks to weigh the same as him. He's usually over 150. Now that's he's all cut up and I'm puffy- he gets to call me all the nasty names until I make weight. His favorite right now is 'jelly roll'- the jerk! It is motivating me, though. I'm much more serious about avoiding the sweets, now.

On the plus side (literally), I feel a lot stronger. My punches are more solid, my endurance is good, and I feel really brutal. I have all kinds of nastiness in store for my next opponent. I just hope I can make weight!

Me Versus The 5 time World Kickboxing Champ!

I know a lot of you are wondering what happened with the big fight- the one last month against my hero, Kathy Long. Some of you were able to catch in online, and some of you got my updates on Facebook and Myspace. So here's what went down:

I showed up to weigh ins fat and sassy like I promised- drank as much fluid as I wanted and ate 2 meals beforehand. I still came in at only 127, and she only came in at 126. This was perfect, because we both agreed to come in 5 pounds heavier at 130. It was great to see her, she was a total lady. We did the post weigh-in pre fight pose off- but it was all smiles.

The day of the fight, I waited in the locker room like I always do, but I wasn't a bundle of nerves this time. I knew going in that I was fighting the 5 time world kickboxing champion, and, honestly, I had nothing to lose. I just knew that I would go in doing my best, and I was sure she would be awesome.

The bell rang, we smiled at each other and touched gloves, and it was ON! She came at me with what I think was a straight right that shook me to the core! I literally went weak in the knees! I looked over at my coach and my husband with a look of shock. I expected her to hit hard, but really- it was like she had fists of stone. At that point, I was thinking, this might be my first knock-out- only I'd be on the receiving end. I shook it off best I could and came at her with some punches of my own. I used my leg kick on her as much as I could to keep her at bay. I believe it went like that most of the first round.

In my corner, my coach was telling me I was doing great as he was jamming huge q-tips up my nose to swab the blood. My husband was forcing water down my throat- I tend to just want air between rounds- but he knew I needed to stay hydrated.

Round 2 was a little better, I was getting used to her punching power and attempted some take downs. I was able to take her down, but it was usually right on top of me. From there, I'd either heel kick her in her calves or clinch her to me until the ref would stand us up. When we were up against the fence, we would knee the crud out of each other- mostly to the legs.

Round 3 was same as the last round, but at the very end of it- I was on the bottom and was able to climb the fence to do a wicked escape right out her backside. She tried to catch me in an ankle lock, and then the round was over.

We hugged like best friends, and I told her she was awesome- and that she was STILL my hero. She smiled and told me I was really strong. (I flip tractor tires.) The ref grabbed our hands, and we waited for the judges to call the decision. It was a unanimous win for...... Kathy Long. I clapped. I was honestly happy for her. I limped back to the locker room- my legs were tore up from kicking and getting kneed. I was getting great reactions from the crowd- lots of "Great job! Great fight!" I was on cloud nine. I felt really good about my performance.

Then the pain started.... back in the locker my coach looked at a nasty knot behind my ear and took out his terrible cold iron (it's like a torture device for pressing out swelling). He pulled it out of the ice and mashed it against my knot. It was the worst pain I'd had all night. I wanted to scream, but I didn't want the other fighters to think I was a wuss. The knot went down mercifully quickly.

After that, I cleaned up best I could, so I could go out and enjoy the rest of the fights. Again, people were giving me lots of pats on the back and congrats. Then I ran into Kathy. We hugged each other one last time and got a post fight picture (which she had taken, and I have included for your viewing pleasure). You can tell by the looks on our faces that it was a great experience for both of us. All I have to say now is, thank you, Kathy, for the opportunity to fight a true champion. Best of luck in your mma future!

Thank You, God, for the Second Chance!

Last time you heard from me, I was in pretty bad shape. I suffered from kidney failure as a result of being sick and getting dehydrated in my last fight. My doctor (Dr. McDaniel- who NEVER sugar coats anything) warned me that my fighting days were most likely numbered. I could have cried when he told me that, and he knew I was seriously bummed. Everyone did. I was moping around for days. My doc told me, though, that the final decision would be in the hands of my kidney doctor, Dr. Krahling. It seemed like it took forever to get in to see him. I waited whiled he looked at my latest blood tests. I expected the worst. I was thinking- maybe I can start doing Tai Chi or something. He looked at them and said I was fine. I did not believe what I'd heard. I asked if that meant I could work out again. He said, "Of course." I waited a second to let that sink in then asked if that meant I could fight again. He said, "Of course. You can do anything you want, just don't get dehydrated again!" I could have kissed him, but my husband was next to me (I'm just kidding, honey!).

I was so relieved and happy and excited! I felt like I just got a pardon from the Governor! First thing I did was call my coach, Mike Chu, and tell him that I was back! He was worried he lost a fighter. I asked him to get ahold of Kathy Long, my hero- whom I was scheduled to fight in August, and ask her if she'd let me be an alternate in case her opponent didn't make it to fight her. She wouldn't hear of it. She wanted me to be her opponent, and the other girl could be the alternate! I could have kissed her, but my husband was there (kidding, baby!).

I started training like crazy- I had almost a month off to recoup- a month of zero training a tons of junk food. I had to ask Kathy to agree to come in heavier- 130 instead of 125- she readily agreed. I couldn't chance losing weight- didn't want to skip any water whatsoever!
I questioned if I had enough time to prepare for her- less than a month to fight the former 5 time world kickboxing champion. I decided I could be ready- if I really put my mind to it.

Here I am, now, just a few days before the fight. I feel like a little kid before Christmas! This fight is my gift. I feel blessed to have this second chance. I've gotten a lot of flack from people, though. Most say I'm crazy for getting back into the ring after such an illness. I say I'd be crazy not to fight this fight- it's a dream fight- it's against the best of the best. This is a real test of my skill and my heart. I feel like if I don't fight her now, I may never get another chance.

It's kind of cool to go in fat and sassy. I've plumped up to 130 very easily, and I feel stronger than ever. Sure, I don't look as good, but I'd rather feel strong than look good. It's a beautiful thing to be able to eat 3 real meals a day the week of the fight, and to be able to drink as much water and fluid as I want up until weigh ins! My shorts won't be baggy on me for this fight!

So the fight will be in Ontario, CA on August 15th in case any of you make it down to Southern California. If not, win, lose or draw, you will hear about the results in next month's column. Wish me luck!

Fighting for my Health

I had another fight recently in Modesto. It was supposed to be against an awesome fighter, Jennifer Tate. A week before the fight, she had to pull out due to appendicitis. Just my luck. So they give me the option of fighting the girl I had just beat in Wyoming. Not wanting to miss a chance to fight, I took it. We agreed to fight at 125. I got there pretty easily. On the day of weigh-ins, I find out that she is over 130 and can't come down in weight. My luck, again. I agree to fight anyhow. At weigh ins, I was 123- she was 131. She must have plumped up to the 140s at fight time, but, due to some stomach virus that I developed on fight day, I never got over 123.

You never think to back out on a fight for not feeling good- so despite being pretty ill that day, I forged on. I entered the cage weak- but I felt I still had a good chance to win. The first round went great except for a head butt (my bad) early on which cost me a point. The second round- I had a tough time keeping my hands up- but I managed to do pretty good. She caught me in some take downs, but I had some wicked escapes and ended up on top a few times. The third round, I was plumb tuckered out. I fended her off mostly- I'd have to give her that one- except for after the bell rang (and the fight was over) she stomped on my head and flipped me off. Nice. A true lady, wouldn't you say? I caught this on tape and am submitting it to the California Athletic Commission for review. The judges gave the decision to her, but due to her unsportsmanlike behavior, I'm hoping they'll take the win away and call it a no contest.

After the fight, the real battle began (for my health, that is). I was sick as a dog- couldn't hold any fluid down. I was experiencing the worst flu-like symptoms of my life. The drive home was horrible, we had to pull over several times. I couldn't even keep Pedialyte down. Once home, I ended up in the hospital for severe dehydration and found out I had suffered kidney failure. I was pretty scared. It took 4 days of IV fluids to flush out my kidneys and get them up and running again. This is how much fluid they pumped into me- I went in at 123 pounds and left at 137 (I'm back down to my fighting weight, now).

I kind of understand how my poor dog felt- she was at the vet's office for almost a week getting pumped full of fluids for almost the same thing. They say dogs resemble their owners, for us it was the other way around. By the way, she is just about back to normal- perky as ever!

Here's the part that kills me; I had a fight lined up against my hero, 5 time world kickboxing champ- Kathy Long. It was slated for August, and I had to back out of it. At this point, I'm unsure if my kidney doctor will release me to fight at all. I'm trying to remain hopeful, but it's hard. If you want to be supportive- try to avoid saying "Oh well- you were too old, anyhow" or "You shouldn't have worked out so hard". Talk about adding insult to injury.

As I've been healing (lot's of bed rest and fluids), I've been enjoying more junk food than normal. My husband, who's been wonderfully supportive, has asked what I might do if I can't fight anymore. I joke that I might start doing the food eating contests- I can put away A LOT of Oreos! Anyhow, whatever happens, I will continue to work out and train people, but I will be hopeful that I can have at least that one last fight against Kathy some day.....

Dog Days of Summer

The Stikeforce fight never happened due to my opponent not making weight. She came in at almost 4 pounds over and was unwilling to cut one pound to be able to fight. So, no Showtime this time. It was frustrating, but I'm confident that I'll get another opportunity to be on Strikeforce.

This past weekend, I decided to push myself and take a jog down into Hogsback (a canyon that is a good, challenging hike). It was Memorial Day, and I invited one of my training partners, Derek Ellis, to go with me and my 2 labs. We stopped several times so everyone could stay hydrated. We made it down to the creek, and my female lab, Raven, collapsed. I figured she was overheated, so I had Derek help me get her into the water to cool down. It didn't help. She wasn't moving. I pulled her out of the water and thought about what I could do.

I seriously doubted my ability to pack her up out of that canyon (a mile straight up with some rock climbing- and my Raven weighing around 90 pounds). We tried to make a sling to carry her out, but that didn't work. We figured we could take turns and take lots of breaks. One nice teenage guy helped us get her up to the trail. From there, I started to feel desperate. She was like a dead weight.

That's when my heros came up behind us and offered to help us carry her out. Mikey Cramer, Steven Hayward and Jesse Hayward- THANK YOU! These guys took turns with us either carrying her or pushing me while I carried her. We were all spent by the time we made it to the top. A few times, I felt like my back was going to break under her weight. Amazingly, we got her out of there in record time, and they got us to our car which was parked down the road.

From that point, I called my husband who met me down town to see what we should do. I lucked out and ran into a friend, Scott Williams, who works for Fish and Game. He gave me some sage advice on how to get her cooled down and hydrated quickly. Thanks, Scott. Without his advice, she wouldn't have made it through the night.

First thing the next morning, we got her into Mill Creek Vet, where Mark Whinning came out to my car like a knight in shinning armor and scooped up my sweet Raven like she was light as a feather and immeadiately started the process of healing her. It was touch and go all week. I don't think I've cried that much in my life- so many emotions.. worry for her, guilt for taking her down there, fear of losing her.... It was a bad week to say the least.

Dr. Whinning found out that she had a heart condition and had damaged her liver through the ordeal. He kindly tried to relieve me of my guilt by letting me know that it was a pre-exisiting heart condition. That helped a little. He said he'd let us know by Friday what our options were. We were expecting the worst.

I got a call from my husband on Friday letting me know that Raven was being released and that she was probably going to be ok. I can't describe how much joy filled my heart right then. She made it, thanks to all the hard work of Dr. Whinning and his staff. I asked my husband to bring her by my work, so I could see her before he took her home. He pulls up, opens the door, and there's my precious Raven. I give her a hug and a kiss, and I'm able to go back to work with a weight lifted off my heart.

I had to write this as a warning to other dog owners. My dogs were both in pretty good shape- they were my running partners. I had taken them down into the canyon before, no problem. It wasn't that hot on Memorial Day, but it was hot enough. Don't take your dogs out for exercise unless it's early in the morning or after the sun has gone down. Don't take them hinking somewhere unless you can carry them out (not only are there heat issues to consider, we have tons of rattlesnakes around here). Always pack plenty of water for them. And, this goes without saying- but I've seen some cases of poor judegemnt in town, NEVER leave your dog in your car when you run errands. They will DIE.

The Wyoming Fight

I had a "title" fight in Casper Wyoming last weekend. It was not a sanctioned title fight, but it was still for a nice, shiny belt. I had to cut 10 pounds (it's so easy to pack it on when you're not careful!) It was a pretty easy cut with some strict dieting a few days before the weigh in. I made it to 125 without having to get in a sauna.

The cutting was nothing compared to the actual trip- dang promoters (the people who put the fight on) had us fly into Denver, rented us a car and had us drive to Casper. An easy drive, they assured us. We found out that it would take several hours and that we'd have to drive through snow storm conditions. We'll never do that again! Fly us into Casper next time, or forget it!

The fight itself was quite a battle. I was prepared for war going in (both with my opponent and myself- it was a high altitude fight- and we had to fight 5 minute rounds- since it was for a title.) I was worried that my lungs would burst. I got some good running in, though, prior to the fight and felt pretty confident about my ability to last all 3 rounds if I needed to.

I had to contend with a blond, model in this fight, and fortunately, I'd just seen her fight in Oroville the prior month. You're probably thinking, oh- a model- easy win. Well, you'd be wrong. She was a tough opponent- definitely no push over.

The bell rang, we tapped gloves, and I immediately went to work. It felt like I was channeling Chuck Liddel (a straight shot, knock out brawler). I left my game plan in the locker room and just started slamming her with straight shots. I was so focused on hitting her, I didn't defend when she took me down. From the ground, I struggled for an arm bar. She dropped an elbow down on my face, and my eye nearly swelled shut. I reversed the position on her, and she caught me in an arm bar. I rained down some hammer fists and posted my knee on her head to get her off my arm. Then I dove on top of her and continued to rain down punches.

Now, here's where it gets sticky. She's yelling at the ref that I kneed her in the head (an illegal move on the ground) and that she can't see. He does nothing, so I continue to rain down punches on her. She clinches me to her- the ref stands us up for lack of action. She doesn't get up. She reiterates that I kneed her in the head and that she can't see. The fight doctor comes in, looks at her, leaves the ring. Her corner/manager comes in, and appears to be trying to talk her into continuing the fight. She refuses.

The ref announces at this point that I won with a TKO (technical knock out), and the ring girls wrap the belt around my waist. I'm happy, but spent. She gets helped out of the ring mumbling that I'm a dirty fighter. Whatever. I've got the belt and the win. My husband and my manager (and fellow fighters Ken and Cutter) were totally happy for me.

Next up, a tough fight in Fresno for Strikeforce on May 15th. It's at a nice low elevation and only 3 minute rounds. I can't wait. That will make 4 fights this year. If I get a fight every month, maybe I'll lose those pre-fight nerves. Wish me luck!