Day 96: Adapting Under Fatigue and Learning Through Pressure

A Short Night and a Cold Start

Day 96 fell on a Wednesday, and it started in a somewhat challenging manner, as I found myself operating on very little sleep. In fact, I barely managed to get three hours of rest during the night, which immediately set a rather daunting tone for the whole day ahead. Despite that struggle to recuperate from exhaustion, I decided to stick to my routine and took a cold shower. The temperature outside was particularly brisk, hovering around four degrees Celsius, and the water felt sharp and unforgiving against my skin. Still, it did its job remarkably well. It woke me up and forced my mind to focus on the tasks I had ahead of me.

After that brisk awakening, I hastily got ready and headed to school, mentally preparing for the day filled with learning and teaching.

Workday Rhythm and Managing Energy

The school day consisted of regular working hours, teaching passionate students, and squeezing in some time to work on my blog in between my classes. What helped a great deal today was the structured format of the schedule I had. I had three separate teaching sessions lined up, but they were spaced out nicely rather than being consecutive. This spacing allowed me to take crucial moments to recover mentally after each session, which made a significant difference considering how little sleep I had to operate on.

Even though the hours felt long, I stayed calm and focused throughout the day. I made it a point to try not to let the fatigue show or affect my overall productivity levels. Once I finally got home, my body finally reacted to the full day of activity and truly shut down. I collapsed on the bed and fell into a deep and well-deserved sleep.

Refueling and Preparing for Training

I woke up feeling quite hungry, which was expected given the circumstances of the day prior. I prepared a proper meal that I hoped would fuel me adequately for the day ahead, consisting of rice, chicken, a banana, an apple, strawberries, lettuce, dates, and a refreshing orange. I also took my Omega 3 and D3K2 vitamins to ensure my body's nutritional needs were being met. After eating, I realized much to my dismay that I had woken up much later than I had planned, which added a level of urgency to my routine.

I had originally aimed for a boxing session from 7:30 to 9:00, so I quickly gathered my gear and got ready. Before leaving, I made sure to take L Citrulline along with my collagen, zinc, and vitamin C supplements to support recovery and help my joints feel better.

A Late Arrival and a Change of Plan

I arrived at the gym around 8:00, which I quickly realized was far too late to properly join the boxing session. Training for only one hour felt entirely inefficient, so I made a snap decision on the spot. I opted to join the Muay Thai session instead, which just so happened to start at 8:00. The juniors who were there were still finishing up their training, so I patiently waited until they wrapped up.

Around that time, I was informed that the MMA and wrestling sessions would be cancelled for the next two weeks because the coach had traveled abroad for some personal engagements. Luckily, I had already planned to shift my focus more on boxing and jiu jitsu, so this unexpected news did not disappoint me, even though I will surely miss those sessions while they are on hold.

Warm Up and Getting Into Sparring

The Muay Thai session started with a comprehensive general warm-up, which involved light running, some jumping jacks, light punches, and extensive stretching of our bodies. We focused primarily on the wrists, arms, hands, joints, legs, neck, and back. The stretching felt thorough and much needed after the lack of sleep and recent running sessions I had undertaken.

There was no technical drilling today either. The session jumped straight into sparring. I had only brought my gloves and head guard, but I unfortunately did not pack my chin guard. As a result, I opted to borrow one from the gym's equipment supply. While it was a bit loose, it worked reasonably well enough for my needs.

Boxing and Kickboxing Rounds

I first sparred with a new guy named Vulcan. He is nineteen and hails from Turkey. We started off with boxing only. We engaged in three rounds, each lasting three minutes, with one minute for rest in between. He is still fairly new to the sport, so I focused on helping him refine his stance, guard, and protecting his sides effectively. It was not very challenging for me, but he showed good grip strength and a strong willingness to learn, which is always encouraging.

After our boxing rounds, we transitioned into kickboxing rounds. During this time, we kept everything light and very technical, focusing more on movement and timing rather than sheer power. We completed two kickboxing rounds before transitioning fully into Muay Thai, which then led to a more intense training approach.

Muay Thai Lessons the Hard Way

Most of the session turned into Muay Thai sparring, which was both challenging and enlightening. I partnered with a more experienced fighter who regularly trains Muay Thai, and he suggested that we avoid using elbows to reduce the risk of injury, which I genuinely appreciated. His insight was valuable and showed his understanding of safety in training.

He was taller than me and relied heavily on his leg strength in combat. Every time I tried to close the distance with punches, he countered swiftly with kicks. His impressive technique and leg strength became abundantly clear, and he managed to kick me down to the mat twice during the rounds.

Each time, though, I got back up immediately, refusing to let the setbacks discourage me. I stayed calm and kept the fight going. I managed to land several solid punches to his body, which fits my boxing style, but he continuously targeted my left calf, which was still sore from yesterday’s run. That made things even more challenging and forced me to adapt my strategy.

This exchange gave me a crystal clear perspective on just how effective Muay Thai can be, especially when combined with height, reach, and strong clinch control. Against a taller opponent like him, I had to rely on quick forward pressure, fast punches, minimal kicks, and staying light on my toes. Distance management became critical, and I had to stay sharp to avoid being in range of his kicks.

Core Work and Wrapping Up

After sparring had concluded, we finished up the session with core work. We spent around ten minutes doing various exercises designed to engage our core muscles, including holding positions on our forearms, which was intense but manageable with determination.

In total, the session lasted about one hour and a half instead of the intended two hours. I was completely fine with that, particularly given how the day had started off with such a rocky beginning.

Recovery and Reflection

After the intensive training session, I had my whey protein and creatine shake, then headed back home to relax. Upon arrival, I took another cold shower, ate a quick bite to eat from the previous meal I had made, took magnesium to help recover, and finally settled down for a much-needed sleep.

I ended the day feeling immensely grateful. There is still so much left to learn, and every day presents a new opportunity. When people ask me about my training journey, I remind myself that it has only been ninety-six days since I started. The intensity of the training is certainly high, but I know my limits and where I stand in the process. I lack technique in many areas, but what I am truly focusing on is consistency, and that matters significantly more right now.

Day 96 Lesson

Today reinforced the vital idea that progress does not always come from perfect conditions or environments. Fatigue, late arrivals, and unexpected changes are all inherently part of the journey of personal growth. What truly matters is the ability to adapt, staying humble in the face of challenges, and continuing to learn without ever thinking of quitting.

Day 96 complete. Lessons absorbed, limits respected, and the grind continues.

👉 How do you adapt your training mindset when faced with fatigue and unexpected changes that disrupt your original plan? How do you maintain your motivation during such times?