Back from the dead.

Well hello everyone out there in blogger land. It really has been quite a while since I had last posted. I am just back on here looking at my old posts, man those were fun times. I am about to take of to India in about 2 days and I am debating on starting up my blog again. I will have to see if I am up to it. If there are still people subscribed to please email or comment me to let me know. If I get a good amount of responses I think I will continue the blog. Thanks :)

Freedom, Icon, Laguna

So if you have been wondering where I have been the last few weeks, the three words in this blog title says it all...

FREEDOM...ICON...LAGUNA

That is basically the three main bars people hangout in around Rawai. Unfortunately I haven't been doing much training dude to a shoulder injury that hasn't gone away and has actually gotten worse... So that only leaves Freedom, Icon, Laguna.

Don't worry, still here.

Since my fight I haven't been doing much training at all. I was so bruised up I really couldn't hit the bags or anything. So next thing I know its 3 weeks later and I have trained maybe 5 times. I am going to try to get back into it pretty hard but I believe this weekend a bunch of us are going to Phi Phi Island. Thats basically a huge party island and also where the movie "The Beach" was filmed.

I was planning to fight again before I leave but now it looks doubtful, but in Phi Phi there is a bar with a ring in it and drunks fight for a bucket of whisky. So I think I will fight some poor drunk there totally sober, and so technically I will have another fight in Thailand haha!

Also I think I will be moving out of the shared bungalows just to my own private one, I am tired of living I am in college and need my privacy.

Hope everyone is doing well back in the cali and to everyone else that reads my blogs as I found out its more than I thought!

Fight Results

Ok, so here is my whole fight uncut. It went 5 rounds...It was very close but I lost on points on a mistake in the 5th round. Watch the rounds and tell me what you think, I will write up some notes on each round as well! Enjoy!


Al Araneta's Fight Round 1 & 2

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Al Araneta's Fight Round 3 & 4

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Al Araneta's Fight Round 5

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SHORTER VERSION OF MY FIGHT: VIEW FROM RINGSIDE
Al from the USA - 16th July 2007

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without sacrifice there is no reward

Rest...I finally get some rest and a few days off before my fight. These next 2 days I will use to clear my mind and let my body heal from about two weeks of fight training. A slightly black eye, bruises on my nose, stomach, legs and muscle fatigue everywhere. My daily routine of fight training consisted of waking up at 6 am training at 7 am. About 5 rounds of shadow boxing, 5 rounds of padwork, more technique and then running 5k. Go home, eat, sleep and repeat the process at 4pm...off Sunday. These past two weeks I have been in agony training, and yet I am in the best shape of my life...without sacrifice there is no reward.

In total I have been training 5 weeks and have been totally SOBER (no booze or cigarettes) for 10 weeks now. 10 WEEKS! For those that know me well know thats a long fucking time for me. I am not going to lie...I admit, it has been hard some nights going out with people here but I stayed strong. At this 10 week point its not to difficult to stay sober anymore. The thought of being hungover and stinking like cigarettes makes me cringe!

A lot of people ask me "Are you ready for your fight on Sunday?" I have been training hard, eating right, doing everything I can possibly do to come out on top of this fight in the time I have. From what I believe and been learning from people's advice and training, the fight is won or lost before the fighter ever steps in the ring. It has to be won first in the fighters mind and heart. The fighter has to believe in his trainers, his training and in himself. And in the end when two people step in a ring, the one that wins is the one that wants it the most, the one with the most heart. Training isn't just about making your body strong its also about making your mind strong, the confidence in yourself. I am ready...

Fight Update

Sooo...now in fight training mode, my body is still get used to it, I am almost training a full six hours a day. The sparring is harder and the runs longer. I actually threw up yesterday from training and today as well, but I threw up a little later than yesterday so I think I am getting better haha! Anyway Tuk told me that it looks like I am going to fight on the 15th, but that date may change. Its no joke now, I better train hard or get my ass kicked in the ring...wish me luck!

I have a day off tomorrow as I have to do my visa run. I didn't opt for a 90 day visa when I was back in the states so I have to go to Burma I believe to renew another 30 days. I am looking forward to the ride so I can read one of the like ten books I brought with me and sit in AC for the day. Praise Jesus!!! Air Conditioning!!!!

The Path to War

Well, believing I am ready to fight soon I told Tuk, the head trainer at the gym that whenever he thinks I am ready to fight I will fight. He told me I am ready now and that everyone thinks that they are never ready, which I find true cause I never think I am. With that said, I am going to be training more on the fight training side and my sessions more intense.

So that night, I believe it was Tuks brother's birthday party at a place called "Candy Bar". I thought I would hangout a bit and join in on the festivities. During the night, Bang, another trainer at the gym called me over. He asked me if I wanted to fight tomorrow night, I thought he was kidding, but he wasn't! I ask about fighting that day and they asked if I wanted to fight the next day, holy shit...I wasn't ready for that! Well I had to say no, it was way to soon, for one thing my cardio isn't where I want it to be and could use a little more work in other areas too. But now that I know I may fight any day now, if they ask me again to fight on short notice again, I am ready...