Eating

We didn’t eat anything different, per se, leading up to the tournament, unless you count switching to the Gracie Diet 2 months prior.

I guess you could, considering I lost about 13 pounds without trying, and came in under weight for the competition without unhealthy weight-cutting methods like the water elimination I’ve done the last two tourneys.

Historically, I’d have had an ultra-light dinner (maybe a boca burger with no bun) with no liquids the night before, skipped breakfast, and driven to the tournament with the heat on full blast to sweat another pound off if possible. This time we had homemade pizza the night before, and the usual peanut butter toast that morning. I was comfortable and strong going into the tournament this time.

Training

Training was uncharacteristically light leading up to the NE Sub Only.

Due to schedule conflicts, I actually had maybe one of my usually-biweekly private lessons with Jay in the two months leading up to the tournament. I also had two wrist injuries, a finger injury, and some neck issues, ultimately (though stupidly not immediately upon injury) keeping me off the mat for a few days to a week each.

I don’t know how I feel about “training for a tournament,” as though I don’t always ask questions and try to learn with focus and dedication. Schedule-wise, I couldn’t train more times per week, and I’m not sure I’d find value in training “harder.”

What I’d love to do more of is visit other schools. It is such a comfort to recognize so many faces at the tournament. Knowing a bit of each player’s game is helpful too, even though it means they know mine too. We all learn more and better, the more we cross-pollenate, and it makes tournaments like this one a summit of friends doing what they love most.