Now How Does It Feel

One sheep, two sheep, red sheep, blue sheep. 

Woolly sheep, shorn sheep

I really need to get back to sleep.

It is 3:30 am and I have already been awake for over an hour. The cause of my insomnia is so very sad and ironic. I would like to say chronic, but that rhymes with ironic, and that would be just stupid. So, I will just say it is happening a lot lately.

What has changed in recent weeks? Why am I suddenly finding it hard to get to sleep and even harder to stay asleep. I have no doubt in my mind it is that I have gone back to training. And there in lies the irony: To stay fit and healthy I chose to give up one of life's most precious gifts.

It starts with restless leg, which is essentially the uncontrollable urge to move or jiggle your leg as the nerves fire incessant and unnecessary signals to your muscles causing them to contract, which in turn cause the most insane agitation and irritation. Doctor Google says it is genetic, age related, and exacerbated by medication, pregnancy or chronic disease. Sorry Doctor, but I am not pregnant, I have had it for about 8 years, I am not sick (other than sick of the autonomous twitching of my extremities), and it has nothing to do with medication. 

It comes and it goes, but it only goes when I am not training. Furthermore, when I am focused on kicking I get it in my legs and when I am working punch combos I get it in my arms. So I am going to get out the crayons and draw my own conclusions - it is related to over-stimulation of muscles; otherwise known as exercise.

To add insult to injury (pardon the pun), an injury at training dictates that the nights slumber will be severely disrupted on each and every occasion I chose to re-posture my person. Last night (tonight - whatever) I can't lie with my left arm under my head/pillow because one of my sparring buddies decided that a 'flying knee' was a good move to practice during a light sparring session. "Craig - I forgive you. Now where is your phone number so I can keep you awake to share my misery."

Guilty party on the right; not me on the left, but sums up how I feel at present

And the cream on the cake? When you finally drag your sorry self out of bed, the floor is a foot lower than it was last night when you went to bed and you fall into a miserable heap on the ground. Why? Because all of the muscles that you 'exercised' in your training session are staging a protest against any further body function for the day.

Like pregnancy, once the worst of it is over (around lunch time) you forget just how bad it was and pack your training gear that afternoon and go and do it all again that night.