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Man, I'm fucking sore.

I was going to attack the volcano again today, but I know better.

The volcanic crater I'm running up and down is on the coastline, so the views are awesome.  It's an excellent workout area.  Not only can I run the volcano (the most difficult part), but I can take a nice (not so steep) run along the coastal road, I can take a swim at a nearby beach, and as I discovered yesterday, I can work out at an outdoor training area just a few hundred feet from the entrance to the caldera.

I was going to work out there afterwards, but I think it would be better for my body to be able to completely recuperate after yesterday.  I know I could work other muscle groups, but I'd rather let myself completely heal before going at anything again. 

I didn't expect to be this sore today.  I must be really out of shape.  Back when I was still fighting, my training partner and I would run up and down the volcanic crater and then do weight training and then either go to class or meet up with some of the guys for a sparring session at the house.  And at the end of the day, we'd be exhausted but we'd be recovered for another round the very next morning.

Now?  I take a brisk walk up to the summit, and now I'm incapacitated.

The good news?  Even though I found myself stressed out yesterday, I didn't light up a cigarette.  Yesterday showed me how detrimental smoking is to fitness, and that if I'm going to be serious about this re-training and getting back into MMA, I'm going to have to quit smoking.  More good news is that I drank an amazing four liters (about 136oz) of pure water yesterday.  Water is life.  I also managed to lose half a pound... whatever that means.

The bad news?  I consumed probably about the 120% of my normal daily caloric intake.  Bad.  I mean, the stuff I ate was of better quality than the junk I would normally eat... but still.  I need to adjust the caloric intake down, or at least if I'm going to keep it the same I need to adjust the quality and quantities.  More proteins, less fats.  Less processed stuff.

Anyway.

Fucking Xyience.  Talk about advertising.  You know, for a company that has it's logo in the middle of the UFC octagon and all over Spike TV and every MMA event I've ever seen (plus, Rachelle Leah is hot), they don't make much product.  It's a good thing because I actually found myself wandering back into a GNC after having not been in one for a good three years just to look for their products.

If they made a protein supplement, I would have bought it.  Just because their advertising worked on me.  I'm not so interested in that NOX-CG3 stuff.  I'm not even sure what it is.  But their advertising is making me want to try it.  Crazy.  Must.  Stop.  Watching.  TV.

What I do know is that I need to do some creatine loading, either by taking a supplement or by eating an assload of red meat.  Hitting that wall so quickly when I ran out of natural creatine in my body -- that was not fun.  I never really had a problem with any of the creatine mixes I've taken in the past -- only that it made me piss like a racehorse all the time.  I think I might go that way, as much as eating a 32oz Porterhouse every day appeals to me.  (Yay Costco).

I need to start researching schools around here again.  The old Shooto school is gone, and the old Muay Thai school is way gone (it closed down even before I left the state).  I'm not really sure what direction I want to go in -- only that I want to get out of this rut and go somewhere.