I entered a few competitions, and they are all coming up in the next few weeks. Managing strength, cardio and of course Jiu Jitsu in a very busy time of my life is quite a challenge, but it's exciting.
A couple of weeks ago I went up to Liverpool to do competition training with ladies only. I had been to a session like this before, and they are tough! The level of jiu jitsu is high, and probably the only place where you will see an equal amount of brown belt ladies on the mats as white belts.
Everyone who trained, all had competitions coming up or in the pipeline. It was a brilliant day, and made such a nice change to train with so many ladies.
We are lucky at Carlson Gracie Essex, and also Carlson Gracie London to have so many ladies training BJJ. But what are the chances of 2 of my training partners getting pregnant within a few weeks of each other!?
Its an interesting subject, pregnancy and Jiu Jitsu. From what I've heard, there isn't much online to read about, to find out if it's safe and if people who are lower ranked belts have gone through this.
I don't have any children, and I'd like to think that if I did, I'd still keep training. Both my friends and training partners said they would, but their reality has been very different to one another. One friend has stopped training, and the other has carried on. I guess its a very personal decision, and like anything, if it doesn't feel right, don't do it, but if it does feel right, keep on.
I made a promise to my friend who has carried on training during pregnancy that I would always partner up with her during drills and techniques. It's only in the last week or so that she has started to show a little bump. Before then I would forget that she was pregnant and snap back to reality and remind myself to go lighter. She would forget too, but I guess her bump would be a gentle reminder.
It's an exciting time to know that this is possible, to train BJJ if your body feels that it's ok with it.
Thankfully at our gym we spend 2 thirds of time on drills and techniques, and the last part of the class is sparring. During certain drills, such as the berimbolo drill, we would have to change that up a bit and my friend would do something else that allows her body to move in an easier way. Techniques have not been a problem as yet, and the last few classes have been focussed on sweeps, so the bodies leverage just goes with the flow.
My friend has been sitting out of sparring, and this is probably the hardest part of the class. I've done it in the past with an injury or because of a competition the next day and it's painful!
As the pregnancy weeks go on, I'll keep writing about our training together. I have mentioned to my friend that she should write a BJJ pregnancy blog. I definitely would, but for now, I'll stick to the food.
Which leads me nicely to a breakfast recipe, and there hasn't been one for a while on here.
Stuffed Sweet Potato Breakfast
Ingredients
1/4 Red Onion
1/4 Red Pepper
3 Mushrooms
Coconut oil
Sweet Potato - Mine was fairly small
Grated Cheese
1 egg
Curly Kale
Method:
For a quicker breakfast in the morning, bake your sweet potato the night before. 5 minutes in the microwave, then 35 minutes in the oven at 200c.
Zap the sweet potato in the microwave for one minute to heat it, but not scald it. Cut a circle at the top of the potato and scoop the inside out, leaving a thick edge of skin and potato. Keep the inside of the potato to one side.
Dice the onion, pepper and mushroom and fry in a pan with the coconut oil. Add this to the potato to stuff it with half way. Add a layer of cheese, then crack the egg on the top, then layer this with some more cheese.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 200c or until the cheese has browned.
Heat the remaining of the inside of the potato, add a little cheese. Fry the Kale in the pan with coconut oil and serve.
I still had some of the stuffing left over, so I served it with the mash.
Yummy!!!
Enjoy!
Jolie x
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