Ranked 57th In The World – The Climb #240

Monday 18^th September 2017

I took today off the day job ill today. I woke up with a sore throat and heavy eyes, and made the decision that this isn’t something to power through. I pushed myself over the weekend to ensure I competed and sparred but I’m not feeling better and so it’s time to listen to my body.
There’s part of me that wants to get a load of tasks done when I’m off ill. It happens so rarely that I want to seize the opportunity of the extra time. However, the truth is that, because I’m ill, I’m in no mood to do anything.
So I can’t really tell you what I did with my day other than watch random Youtube and feel ill.
I even skipped training this evening, which is annoying but I’m really not up to doing anything even vaguely energetic.
The best thing for me is to get a couple of days of rest and get well. Annoying, but I’ll feel so much better if I do, instead of powering on through and feeling like crap for weeks.
I did manage to get a couple of things done. I made some changes to the School of the Sword web site and uploaded my videos from the weekend. And yep, that was about it.
I had wanted to start mapping out some of the relationships in future books. I had this big plan that I was going to spreadsheet it all out, so I had the milestones in place… but I just felt too sleepy to give it any serious consideration.
There was one good bit of news today, though. The world rankings have been updated and… well, I’m now ranked 57^th in the world at rapier & dagger. Considering that one of my aims for this year was to get inside the top 100, I’ve not only done that but smashed it.
Like last year, I’ve worked away at my goals all year and find myself achieving them with months to spare. This one means a lot though, probably more than people realise. I have no doubt it will drop over time as I have a few bad tournaments, but my ranking puts me really close to the world’s best fighters.
As I said yesterday, this has been the product of a lot of hard work, and this feels every bit a major achievement as getting an agent or a publishing deal. I doubt many people would feel there’s a huge difference between being ranked 140 and being ranked 57, but I think the improvement shows not only my growth but my ability as well.
If you’d asked me yesterday I would say that going to Swordfish this year, I’d get annihilated. I now think I might win a fight or two.
It’s a shame I feel so ill as I feel really motivated now. Whereas a week or so ago, I had literally no fire in me whatsoever, now I want to get inside the top 50. And seeing as I equalised with Jay in the pools and then only narrowly got beaten by him, resulting in him rising to #22, I think I’m capable of a top 50.
So despite feeling like shit, I feel… vindicated feels like the wrong word. Validated might be slightly better. I’ve stepped up massively this year. I said last year that 2016 was about me getting equal, 2017 was about me getting ahead. I think, in terms of ranking, I’m the 5^th best fighter in the school now, and there’s at least a couple of people above me that I can beat on a good day.
This journey isn’t over, and my growth this year has been explosive. I know I’ve still got more I can go. I’m far from plateauing yet.
I just wish I didn’t feel so shit so I could appreciate it properly, because today, I feel anything other than explosive. Probably best that I rest then, as from here on out, everything takes a massive step up.
Bring it!
If you want to follow more of my journey, then be sure to check me on my social channels. Likewise, if you’d like me to expand on any point mentioned above, please say so in the comments.