It's sunny today and I'm in La Canada. I worked the heavy bag on pyr8queen's back porch. There's no heavy bag at the gym I go to, and I don't go nearly enough anyway. It's been a long time since I really worked a bag over.

Started out with loose "pyramids" - Jab. Jab-counterpunch. Jab-counter-jab. Jab-counter-jab-counter, up to 10. Ran drills with hooks, upper cuts, jabs in various combinations, both feet forward. Shuffle-backknuckle-counterpunches. More pyramids. In no time I'm completely huffed, and my arms are like heavy sacks of oat. Keep going. Jab, counter, uppercut. Jab, hook, jab. Maybe it was half an hour, hard to say, but I was basically done, arms weak. A half an hour on the heavy bag is a workout even if you're fit - if you're overweight and out of shape, it's an eternity.

Warmed the shower (takes forever) and stretched. Shoulders and arms long and loose, stretch the hamstrings, the calves, the foot doctor's recommended stretches. I was sitting out on the porch reading for a while before the punching, so I'm pink already on the tops of my shoulders and chest, first time out in the sun for any length of time without a shirt.

In the shower I contrive to bonk my nose on the wall, but it actually felt good - like catching a hook while sparring. Endorphins in the body, that's the thing. Haven't had enough of those, not in the longest time.

Hello endorphins. I've really missed you. You even make a punch in the nose feel good.