“The Champ Is Here!”
(Image courtesy of Tomba Images)
I did it! I really, truly DID IT!
Six months after crossing the finish line of my first 100 mile-race, I held up my first Chicago Golden Gloves Championship trophy!
(with corner-man Melvin Miller, Jr.)
I’m not sure how many endurance athletes make the successful transition from all-day runners to amateur boxing champs, but I’m glad to say I can (and did!) do it.
(Image courtesy of Tomba Images)
(Image courtesy of Tomba Images)
(Image courtesy of Tomba Images)
Of course, I got some much needed encouragement from this raucous crowd of Iron Lung Fitness enthusiasts!
With a conscious effort to avoid hyperbole, I cannot help but admit: that was one of the greatest nights of my life. I was lucky to share it with so many awesome people. Special thanks to my family, to my fiancée, to my corner-man and to my hardworking Iron Lung Fitness athletes, all of whom motivate and inspire me to be the best ME I can be.
Every. Single. Day.
I wish I could give a detailed report of the championship bout, but to be honest, I only remember a few key moments: the standing eight counts and the first round knockdown. All the rest is a blur — an all-out, instinctual, anaerobic apex of a blur.
Luckily, we have the video:
And from a different angle, in the crowd:
At the end of the fight I took a deep look inward and asked myself: what’s harder, running a hundred miles or fighting for six minutes?
I still don’t know. A hundred miles hurts like hell, for a loooooong time. A boxing match only hurts for a little bit (one hopes), if at all, but then again, you have to deal with the fact that someone is trying to hit you in the face as hard as he can.
So while I may not know which one is the tougher test, the good news is I have plenty of time to keep up the experiment.
And you know I will.
More details to come…
***
Are YOU ready to train like a champion? Do you want lose weight? Get stronger? Do you want to build that dream body, improve your race times or qualify for Boston? Go to Iron Lung Fitness and start training with me today!
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Amazing, Jeff, congrats on your achievements!
-Mike
April 24, 2015 at 08:05
Thanks, Mike! Go Cardinals! (And Tigers!)
April 30, 2015 at 16:20
Natural born killah! First in Boston, then at Pinhoti, and now in the ring… amazing stuff Jeff, congrats on working your ass off to redefine yourself, and succeeding in a big way. There seems to be something about being outside your comfort zone that brings out the best in you… you thrive in those situations that so many others try to avoid.
Great pic of you and Edna with arms raised in victory… and cool video, I could hear Howard Cosell’s voice in my head as you charged Shingo and scored the first-round knockdown. Now that you’re an official two-sport letterman, look forward to seeing where you take your talents from here!
April 24, 2015 at 19:49
Thanks, Mike! I appreciate the kind words! You’re right, there’s something intriguing to me about being in places of discomfort… they make me stronger/better than I once was. True self discovery has come for me through these tests and I don’t see myself backing down! Thanks for reading!
April 30, 2015 at 16:22
Boxing and everything that goes into it is beyond my ken, so I can’t really speak to what you must have felt like, in and out of the ring. But the main point is, you are a fucking beast, an inspiration and a true champion. Seriously, to just up and dominate in something so far removed from running is incredibly impressive and it serves as a testament to your character, drive and willingness to succeed against the odds.
Keep harnessing those qualities Mr. Lung – you’re unstoppable.
April 27, 2015 at 12:06
Thanks, Dan! And don’t worry, I’ll be back to running loopty-loops nonstop very soon. I hope to train in both disciplines for a while. More to come! Thanks for reading!
April 30, 2015 at 16:23
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