We do some advanced rolls and strangle each other out. It’s fun, technical and harder the more sweaty we become. I work with Rich and we have a good run.

In the sparring part I get to roll with a couple of very good athletes and they happily teach me some tricks. One of them is Scottish and it’s not all that easy to get all he says, but I do my best.

Katja have other girls to roll with and don’t have to settle with me, who’s a bit out of her weight class. She also enjoys it.

Something it’s not right after training though. I have for years had a weakness in my achilles heel. Yeah, you know, like the semi god. I got it kicked in my calf in one of the bouts and the inflammation is flaring up. I go to the pharmacy and get some pills. Both muscle relaxation and antiflamatory.

Business as usual during lunch with cool down and food before another training session at four.

Then we figure out we need to get a haircut, both of us. Katja books us online and we rent a motorcycle to drive down. Katja’s hairdresser is taken aback with the No Poo thing. “But, but, but… No wash?” She won’t really let go and try to sell us dry shampoos among other thing. Katja shows an unusual strength not before seen in the face of probable shopping. My little girl is growing up.

Katja do Muay Thai while I go in the weight room. I ride a bike for ninety minutes just to keep blood flow in the leg to help rinse the inflammation.

After training we did dinner with Nezhi and Rich. Rich is going home tomorrow so it’s his last night here.

After five days of training we’re feeling good, but the heat is still taking its toll. Hopefully it’ll get easier as the days passes.

This is what Achilles will feel like when he is old. And then I remembered: he will never be old.

– Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles