It sure seems like forever since I've updated my blog. Sorry to the 1 person who follows me, I guess I got lazy when it comes to posting. It's been 5 weeks since I have posted and really all I've been doing since qualifying for the Regional event has been training. Outside of my work of course. Let me break down the past 5 weeks, it will be brief I promise.
The week after Sectionals I got right back to work, had to open up the gym bright and early that Monday morning and I did take the day off as I had just completed 4 body wrecking wods. On Tuesday I couldn't stay away from strength night though and got right back on it. My body was not fresh but I plugged away for the week and then took two rest days the following week which aided in my recovery. That first Saturday was my first trail run of the year in the D.IN.O. trail run series. It was a muddy mess. I finished 24th out of 400 and was happy to be done. The mud was ankle deep for a large majority of the course. I'm okay with some mud, but the extent of this slop was crazy, it was like running in quick sand. People were losing shoes it was so bad.
The following week was more training and work. Work has been going pretty well lately, I've really been pushing for my new job description, which is still being processed. Hopefully it is finalized by the 1st of May. It's been a year long transition and I'm very ready to have the switch/title/JD completed. I have been working on a lot of different video projects and brain storming for new ones. I've had some help with events going on at the school, and we've got more on the books this week to keep me busy. I am also gearing up to do a spotlight video on a graduate and one of our advisory board member's new restaurants. These two videos are going to be awesome.
The last couple weeks have been a blur pretty much, as I've ramped up my training and have included more tasks to prepare for Regionals. I signed Teresa and I up for Yoga classes and our first class was last week. The class went well, and I am really looking forward to working on my flexibility and enjoy flowing with my body and the calming effect I feel from Yoga. Last week I also attended an adult gymnastics class and it was a great experience. I worked on the rings some more, my muscle up is getting stronger and I'm starting to link them together. I also worked on some back hand springs, back tucks, and just basically played for an hour and a half. It was a fun experience and I hope to make it back up to Interactive Academy for some more play time this spring and summer.
I've also purchased a 1/4 slab of Beef and it's to be delivered within the next couple of weeks and it's good knowing that we're supporting a local farm, eating healthier meat that is grass fed, and saving money by buying in bulk. I've been getting a lot more of our food from Farm Fresh Delivery lately and supporting another local business.
Okay, I know it's not a thorough explanation of what journey's I've been on lately, but it will do. If you want to get the full version call me or send me an email folks, you know how to get a hold of me. I look forward to running into you somewhere down the line.
Joe_T
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Operation Crossfit Games: Update...
Well, this past weekend was the Ohio Sectional for the 2010 CrossFit Games. The Ohio sectional was for athletes in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky. I competed on Sunday and here is a recap of my day.
It was a sadistically fun day. I say that because the WODS (wod= workout of the day) were each brutal in their own way and I couldn't take down a whole lot of food throughout the day, but fruit and the sweet potato blend was my saving grace. Protein was not my friend during the competition and I'd say I only could force down about 4grams of Jerky throughout the day. That is total, not 4grams at a time, my protein intake was terrible. I did manage to crush 2 gallons of water with ease though. I'm currently working on editing the video throughout the next couple of evenings and am trying to get a short video posted in the next couple of days *(I hope). Photos are coming, as soon as they get passed on to me I'll post them.
Here is a breakdown of the day:
When we got there in the morning they announced that they switched events 1 and 2 to accommodate logistics so we did the Sandbag Sprint first. The sprint wasn't terrible, it just sucked. It ended up being 40 yards each way dropping off sandbags going 1 way and running back for another each time. The bags went up in weight 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100lbs. I fell down while unloading my 1st sandbag and that cost me about 3 seconds. I ended up @1:15 which tied me for 64th place, those 3 seconds literally would have taken me to 22nd place in the event and overall I would have finished 14th, stupid slippery floor. This is the only workout that I have a gripe with the scoring system because each second literally cost you 10places or more 7 seconds was the difference between 1st and 64th places.
WOD 2 was the Deadlift burpee (5 rounds for time: 7 DL @225# and 11 burpees, all with a 30# vest on) and I knew I was going to crush this Workout as I did it Friday morning and felt strong practicing it. On Friday I did it with a 20lb vest and hit cruise control after the 3rd round and finished @4:34 so my goal on Sunday was sub 4:20. I finished at 4:12 and I don't know that I've ever gone that hard in a WOD. It felt like my lungs were going to explode and my last set of burpees were absolutely atrocious. I knew I was killing it when HQs video guy was circling me with his camera and that kept me going because I had to keep it up for the camera.
My heat was fast all day long and we had more people in the finals than any of the other heats. 11 of the top 20 that are moving on to Regionals came from my heat! That's insane if you ask me. It was nice though because I knew if I did well in my heat that I was in the tops overall.
After WOD 2 I said that I laid it all on the line and I honestly wasn't sure how I was going to recover for the 3rd WOD because it took over 1/2 hour for me to start feeling normal again.
WOD 3 is my nemesis, it was 2 rounds, 500m row 15 overhead squat 95# 500m row 15 Toes2Bar. I had a bad feeling about it going in and I felt slow the full time. Ended up with a 12:42 and that was good for 82nd place. The good thing is that I still scored over 80 points for that placement and that was a really good thing for me. I fell from 17th to 30th after the 3rd WOD.
When they announced WOD 4 I wasn't sure what to think. The workout consisted of: 15-12-9 reps of Power Clean & Jerks 155#, Chest-to-bar pull ups, and 24" Box Jumps. I haven't ever done a heavy grace(30 clean & Jerk@155#), but I was happy that I had practiced going heavy with C&J in the weeks before sectionals and that gave me a little confidence. My legs were completely smoked after the first 15 C&J and the box jumps didn't come as easily as they normally do for me. I had to do step downs for the majority of them. The CTB pull ups sucked too and definitely cost me a decent amount of time. Once you finished with the triplet, it was a mind (expletive) knowing you had to go and pull a 110lb sled 40 yards when your grip is already completely shot. It felt like the sled wasn't moving at all and when I got the 1/2 way point I was pissed because I wanted to be done so bad. When I finished I looked to both sides of me and saw 9 guys still working on their sleds, I knew I had to beat at least 10 guys in front of me to get into the top 20 and after seeing 9 still working I knew I had a chance at making it. Ends up I finished 12th in the last event and that projected me up 13 spots and back into 17th place over all.
I'm taking a couple of days off and then it's high time to start training for the Regional. Regional competition is being held the first weekend of May and I have a lot of work to do!
PS. Thank you to all who came out to support me, your encouragement really means a lot to me, I appreciate it more than you know.
PPS. My great bud Larry took video of the day and here is a long version of the workouts! It's 30mins, I won't feel bad if you fast forward through it to get the gist of the day. My version will be available when I get the chance, as well as, an edited down short version.
Joe T at the Ohio Crossfit Sectionals 03.07.10 (full) from Larry Palazzolo on Vimeo.
It was a sadistically fun day. I say that because the WODS (wod= workout of the day) were each brutal in their own way and I couldn't take down a whole lot of food throughout the day, but fruit and the sweet potato blend was my saving grace. Protein was not my friend during the competition and I'd say I only could force down about 4grams of Jerky throughout the day. That is total, not 4grams at a time, my protein intake was terrible. I did manage to crush 2 gallons of water with ease though. I'm currently working on editing the video throughout the next couple of evenings and am trying to get a short video posted in the next couple of days *(I hope). Photos are coming, as soon as they get passed on to me I'll post them.
Here is a breakdown of the day:
When we got there in the morning they announced that they switched events 1 and 2 to accommodate logistics so we did the Sandbag Sprint first. The sprint wasn't terrible, it just sucked. It ended up being 40 yards each way dropping off sandbags going 1 way and running back for another each time. The bags went up in weight 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100lbs. I fell down while unloading my 1st sandbag and that cost me about 3 seconds. I ended up @1:15 which tied me for 64th place, those 3 seconds literally would have taken me to 22nd place in the event and overall I would have finished 14th, stupid slippery floor. This is the only workout that I have a gripe with the scoring system because each second literally cost you 10places or more 7 seconds was the difference between 1st and 64th places.
WOD 2 was the Deadlift burpee (5 rounds for time: 7 DL @225# and 11 burpees, all with a 30# vest on) and I knew I was going to crush this Workout as I did it Friday morning and felt strong practicing it. On Friday I did it with a 20lb vest and hit cruise control after the 3rd round and finished @4:34 so my goal on Sunday was sub 4:20. I finished at 4:12 and I don't know that I've ever gone that hard in a WOD. It felt like my lungs were going to explode and my last set of burpees were absolutely atrocious. I knew I was killing it when HQs video guy was circling me with his camera and that kept me going because I had to keep it up for the camera.
My heat was fast all day long and we had more people in the finals than any of the other heats. 11 of the top 20 that are moving on to Regionals came from my heat! That's insane if you ask me. It was nice though because I knew if I did well in my heat that I was in the tops overall.
After WOD 2 I said that I laid it all on the line and I honestly wasn't sure how I was going to recover for the 3rd WOD because it took over 1/2 hour for me to start feeling normal again.
WOD 3 is my nemesis, it was 2 rounds, 500m row 15 overhead squat 95# 500m row 15 Toes2Bar. I had a bad feeling about it going in and I felt slow the full time. Ended up with a 12:42 and that was good for 82nd place. The good thing is that I still scored over 80 points for that placement and that was a really good thing for me. I fell from 17th to 30th after the 3rd WOD.
When they announced WOD 4 I wasn't sure what to think. The workout consisted of: 15-12-9 reps of Power Clean & Jerks 155#, Chest-to-bar pull ups, and 24" Box Jumps. I haven't ever done a heavy grace(30 clean & Jerk@155#), but I was happy that I had practiced going heavy with C&J in the weeks before sectionals and that gave me a little confidence. My legs were completely smoked after the first 15 C&J and the box jumps didn't come as easily as they normally do for me. I had to do step downs for the majority of them. The CTB pull ups sucked too and definitely cost me a decent amount of time. Once you finished with the triplet, it was a mind (expletive) knowing you had to go and pull a 110lb sled 40 yards when your grip is already completely shot. It felt like the sled wasn't moving at all and when I got the 1/2 way point I was pissed because I wanted to be done so bad. When I finished I looked to both sides of me and saw 9 guys still working on their sleds, I knew I had to beat at least 10 guys in front of me to get into the top 20 and after seeing 9 still working I knew I had a chance at making it. Ends up I finished 12th in the last event and that projected me up 13 spots and back into 17th place over all.
I'm taking a couple of days off and then it's high time to start training for the Regional. Regional competition is being held the first weekend of May and I have a lot of work to do!
PS. Thank you to all who came out to support me, your encouragement really means a lot to me, I appreciate it more than you know.
PPS. My great bud Larry took video of the day and here is a long version of the workouts! It's 30mins, I won't feel bad if you fast forward through it to get the gist of the day. My version will be available when I get the chance, as well as, an edited down short version.
Joe T at the Ohio Crossfit Sectionals 03.07.10 (full) from Larry Palazzolo on Vimeo.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Recent Journey: Fort Wayne Center for Learning benefit, "The Brain Game"
Our Regional Director once started a not for profit organization to help students receive the educational help they need. That organization is called The Fort Wayne Center for Learning. The FWCL is a great organization that makes learning accessible to all students. Depending on the student's families income level the cost is on a sliding scale and the FWCL has never turned a child away. They hold two major fundraisers every year. The first of the year is "The Brain Game." The second is an event in the fall called Ft. Wayne: Through the Beers, and is a great event with lots of great beer. The BG is an event that companies buy slots for teams of four individuals to battle it out with all the power in their brain. The Chef's Academy has been represented the past 3 years now, and we have never made it out of the first round, I guess chef's have "other" smarts, like how to make people happy.
This past Saturday was this years BG. I had been volunteered to be part of TCA's team this year and I was not overly excited to play as I'm not the biggest fan of trivial pursuit type games. Useless knowledge is just that to me, Useless. Let me take you back to my post on my winter afternoons: I also had a middle school wrestling tournament in the morning on Saturday. I had to leave the tournament early to make it to the BG. Let's just say that the tournament was not a smashing success. Have you ever had a parent threaten to take you outside? Yeah, it was one of those days and I was not in the mood to go receive a lashing of the brain after having to bite my tongue with the previously mentioned shenanigans.
After exiting the tournament, I caught up with my bro and we headed to Ft. Wayne. The full way there I was still in a funk and not really in the mood to be around people when the unthinkable happened: We got to Ft. Wayne early and stopped at Stoner's Fun store. For those of you not familiar with Stoner's, next time you are in Ft. Wayne it is a must. Lucas like small magic tricks and he was looking for something new and I was just gazing at all the funky masks and such when Mr. Stoner came over to lend a hand. He started an impromptu magic show taking us through many of the tricks they sell. I was immediately upbeat and happy. There really isn't much that compares to watching an aging man (clearly in his 70s or beyond) mystifying you with his many tricks. There is just something about magic that makes you 8 years old again. I had a goofy smile on my face the rest of the night. Thank you Mr. Stoner, I really needed you Saturday afternoon.
Lucas picked out a couple of new tricks and we were on our way to the BG. The BG is a large event and all the teams dress up in funky costumes and is a generally fun time. We were to go on stage a little later in the evening as there were 4 or 5 divisions of preliminary rounds. You have to win your preliminary round to move on to the finals. The rounds before ours I was slaying all of the questions and had more than 80% of the questions correct. Then is was our turn. The questions literally went from:
"How old was Michael Jackson when he died?" (50)
to:
"What California city did the last Pony Express ride end in?" (Sacramento)
Sorry, but there is a big difference between those two questions. But I guess that's how the cookie crumbles. All in all the BG WAS a great event and I am happy that I was a part of TCAs team. I am more thankful for our stop at Stoner's fun store though, as it made my weekend.
This past Saturday was this years BG. I had been volunteered to be part of TCA's team this year and I was not overly excited to play as I'm not the biggest fan of trivial pursuit type games. Useless knowledge is just that to me, Useless. Let me take you back to my post on my winter afternoons: I also had a middle school wrestling tournament in the morning on Saturday. I had to leave the tournament early to make it to the BG. Let's just say that the tournament was not a smashing success. Have you ever had a parent threaten to take you outside? Yeah, it was one of those days and I was not in the mood to go receive a lashing of the brain after having to bite my tongue with the previously mentioned shenanigans.
After exiting the tournament, I caught up with my bro and we headed to Ft. Wayne. The full way there I was still in a funk and not really in the mood to be around people when the unthinkable happened: We got to Ft. Wayne early and stopped at Stoner's Fun store. For those of you not familiar with Stoner's, next time you are in Ft. Wayne it is a must. Lucas like small magic tricks and he was looking for something new and I was just gazing at all the funky masks and such when Mr. Stoner came over to lend a hand. He started an impromptu magic show taking us through many of the tricks they sell. I was immediately upbeat and happy. There really isn't much that compares to watching an aging man (clearly in his 70s or beyond) mystifying you with his many tricks. There is just something about magic that makes you 8 years old again. I had a goofy smile on my face the rest of the night. Thank you Mr. Stoner, I really needed you Saturday afternoon.
Lucas picked out a couple of new tricks and we were on our way to the BG. The BG is a large event and all the teams dress up in funky costumes and is a generally fun time. We were to go on stage a little later in the evening as there were 4 or 5 divisions of preliminary rounds. You have to win your preliminary round to move on to the finals. The rounds before ours I was slaying all of the questions and had more than 80% of the questions correct. Then is was our turn. The questions literally went from:
"How old was Michael Jackson when he died?" (50)
to:
"What California city did the last Pony Express ride end in?" (Sacramento)
Sorry, but there is a big difference between those two questions. But I guess that's how the cookie crumbles. All in all the BG WAS a great event and I am happy that I was a part of TCAs team. I am more thankful for our stop at Stoner's fun store though, as it made my weekend.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
High Fat = Lean Body
That's right folks, high fat = lean body. A lot of people at work and around my friend groups have asked me about what I eat now as I've lost 30+lbs since starting CrossFit and going Paleo. As I gingerly talk about what the concepts of CrossFit and eating paleo are, I watch their faces go from intent listening to "I could never do that." I know that a lot of people are stuck in the rut of going to the gym, lifting a few weights and then doing an hour of "cardio" and in love with their bread and pasta, but have you seen changes in your body composition lately? Have they been the changes you want to see? I'm not going to go any further into CrossFit and High Intensity Training now, but I will humor you and discuss my thoughts on nutrition.
I've never been big on pastas and breads so for me this is a non issue. Now for those of you who crave carbs: Just because there are one or two things about the paleo way of eating you "could never do" does NOT mean to disregard all of the information. Research it and start with the parts about it that you like. Then over time, start implementing more ideas and concepts to tinker with it. Your diet/nutrition is seriously 80% of whether you lose weight or not. Period. Not calories in < calories out. Make good choices for food. Stay on the perimeter of the grocery store. If you eat 1300 Kcal of twinkies and burn 2000 calories a day, you might lose weight initially, but are you going to gain lean mass and look better naked? Doubtful. Quality of food supersedes quantity. Eat veggies, meat, nuts/seeds, some fruit and you'll be on the way to a healthier you. This doesn't mean you cannot indulge, learn that fruit is nature's candy. Craving sugar? Eat some blueberries mixed with peaches and a few almonds/pecans mixed in. It will satisfy your craving.
Start with Breakfast a few times a week: few eggs with some mixed peppers, spinach, and a slice or two of nitrate/nitrite free bacon. Take it all down with a large glass of water, add an apple and a few almonds to the mix and you have yourself a nutritious breakfast that will leave you satiated until lunch, no crash, no hunger pains.
Pack your lunch! Cook up nutritious meals at home and bring them to work with you. I cannot stress this enough. Going out to eat for a "healthy" lunch is a great idea. Does it really pan out how you envision it? There isn't a lunch in the City that I would exchange for my Big MammaJamma grilled chicken salad. Organic greens, 4-6oz of chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, some organic dressing, and an avocado make for another filling, delicious meal. Eating like this is not a "diet" it's a lifestyle.
Cook dinner at home. It's a simple way to spend more QT with loved ones and helps with eating proper foods. If you do go out to eat, don't be afraid to order with specific directions on how you would like your food prepared, just know they may not listen and the only way you have control on how your food is made is to make it yourself. Make plenty of food, pack your leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Experiment with new foods/ingredients find what you like and add to that list for variety.
Focus on eating 1Gram of protein for each lb of body weight. 150lbs = 150G of protein each day. Supplement that with leafy greens, and veggies, eat some fruit, add in nuts, good fats, and you will be on your way to a leaner body. This is a "cliffs notes" version of Paleo and how to start down the path of healthy eating, do some research to find out more.
I suppose that is the end of my nutrition rant, if you made it this far: props to you Sir/Madam.
I've never been big on pastas and breads so for me this is a non issue. Now for those of you who crave carbs: Just because there are one or two things about the paleo way of eating you "could never do" does NOT mean to disregard all of the information. Research it and start with the parts about it that you like. Then over time, start implementing more ideas and concepts to tinker with it. Your diet/nutrition is seriously 80% of whether you lose weight or not. Period. Not calories in < calories out. Make good choices for food. Stay on the perimeter of the grocery store. If you eat 1300 Kcal of twinkies and burn 2000 calories a day, you might lose weight initially, but are you going to gain lean mass and look better naked? Doubtful. Quality of food supersedes quantity. Eat veggies, meat, nuts/seeds, some fruit and you'll be on the way to a healthier you. This doesn't mean you cannot indulge, learn that fruit is nature's candy. Craving sugar? Eat some blueberries mixed with peaches and a few almonds/pecans mixed in. It will satisfy your craving.
Start with Breakfast a few times a week: few eggs with some mixed peppers, spinach, and a slice or two of nitrate/nitrite free bacon. Take it all down with a large glass of water, add an apple and a few almonds to the mix and you have yourself a nutritious breakfast that will leave you satiated until lunch, no crash, no hunger pains.
Pack your lunch! Cook up nutritious meals at home and bring them to work with you. I cannot stress this enough. Going out to eat for a "healthy" lunch is a great idea. Does it really pan out how you envision it? There isn't a lunch in the City that I would exchange for my Big MammaJamma grilled chicken salad. Organic greens, 4-6oz of chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, some organic dressing, and an avocado make for another filling, delicious meal. Eating like this is not a "diet" it's a lifestyle.
Cook dinner at home. It's a simple way to spend more QT with loved ones and helps with eating proper foods. If you do go out to eat, don't be afraid to order with specific directions on how you would like your food prepared, just know they may not listen and the only way you have control on how your food is made is to make it yourself. Make plenty of food, pack your leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Experiment with new foods/ingredients find what you like and add to that list for variety.
Focus on eating 1Gram of protein for each lb of body weight. 150lbs = 150G of protein each day. Supplement that with leafy greens, and veggies, eat some fruit, add in nuts, good fats, and you will be on your way to a leaner body. This is a "cliffs notes" version of Paleo and how to start down the path of healthy eating, do some research to find out more.
I suppose that is the end of my nutrition rant, if you made it this far: props to you Sir/Madam.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Short and Sweet
This is a video montage from interviews with Will Smith. He has a lot of good things to say, I guess what started with "parents just don't understand" led to great intellectual insight such as my favorite quote from this video "Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity". This short post brought to you by the letter D. as in Do Work, Determination, Dedication, and Discipline.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Current Journey: Operation Crossfit Games
I'm currently training for the 2010 Crossfit Games Sectional Qualifier being held on Sunday March 7, 2010 at The Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio. Up to this point I have been really lax in how I feel about competing in this arena. I said "up to this point," now, I am starting to get some nerves about the event. I have not competed in anything since my boxing debut back in April 2003 see my previous post. I am planning on taking a short break here in the very near future and then ramping up my training leading into the sectional qualifier hoping to peak out at the perfect time. I have been adding more strength work into my schedule and have also added a lot to my warm up in the form of skill movements. I've gone heavy a few times in the last week and I feel my strength is pretty good and my metcon ability is strong. It's going to come down to how the Workouts play out, but I'm definitely gunning for placing in the top 20 and qualifying for the Regional event. As of last week, there were about 150 men registered for the event, top 10% is my goal.
This is something that I've been thinking of since last spring when I heard about the regionals. I didn't feel I was ready for competition last year, but solid progress has me excited for this competition in approx. 3 weeks. The workouts will be posted some time the first week of March, and that will give me a few days to dial in the movements that are going to be required. I'm hoping for a good combination of bodyweight movements and heavy lifting. I guess I'll just have to prepare for the "unknown" these next couple of weeks.
Below is a little video I saw on Derby City Crossfit that I liked. It is true that success has 1 denominator: How hard you train and prepare for game day. NO EXCUSES JUST HARD WORK.
This is something that I've been thinking of since last spring when I heard about the regionals. I didn't feel I was ready for competition last year, but solid progress has me excited for this competition in approx. 3 weeks. The workouts will be posted some time the first week of March, and that will give me a few days to dial in the movements that are going to be required. I'm hoping for a good combination of bodyweight movements and heavy lifting. I guess I'll just have to prepare for the "unknown" these next couple of weeks.
Below is a little video I saw on Derby City Crossfit that I liked. It is true that success has 1 denominator: How hard you train and prepare for game day. NO EXCUSES JUST HARD WORK.
Friday, February 5, 2010
My winter afternoons
Well my winter afternoons have been pretty busy since November. I am an assistant coach for a wrestling program here locally, and it has kept me very busy the last few months. Last year when I started getting involved in CrossFit and returning to fitness and a healthy body, I started reminiscing about the days of old. While thinking it all over one thing came back to me very often. Wrestling was one of the things that continues to shape my life to this day.
The sport of wrestling is in my opinion a way to follow our roots back to ancient times. On the grounds of the Colosseum men proved their mettle in a lot of facets, and I believe wrestling had to be center stage. There are few other sports that put a person up against another to demonstrate their indomitable will, technique, and perseverance. It is just you and your opponent, no one else to rely on, no one else to blame. It is a sport that reveals your weakness and demonstrates your strength. There are many things that I learned through my years of wrestling that I cherish to this day.
First, Discipline.
For a person to be successful in wrestling, they must be disciplined. Without self discipline one will not achieve the technique that is imperative to be successful against an adequate opponent. We drill technique in the wrestling room for hours over the season, as do many athletes. When a wrestler fatigue's it is ever more important to remain disciplined because if we get sloppy at this time, we will be sloppy in a match and it oftentimes leads to defeat. It is also imperative to be disciplined outside of the wrestling room. Wrestling taught me about staying disciplined while in the classroom, or out on the streets. I had a very short fuse before I started wrestling and oftentimes would first look for resolve with my fists. Through discipline learned in the "room" I learned to remain calm in the face of a storm. This discipline has helped me to learn how to "turn the other cheek" and smile in the face of a transgressor. Discipline takes one's "mental weakness" and reforms it to "inner peace" or "mental toughness." I really feel in today's society there are too many weak minded people period. Having a hobby or sport that is demanding of one's self, will help to alleviate this condition.
Second, Goals.
There is nothing like achieving a goal, especially when it takes hard work and dedication to achieve it. The beginning of every year I made goals for myself. Some years I made better goals than others. I didn't always achieve my goals, but I ALWAYS expected to meet all my goals. I make high goals for myself and I'm my biggest critic. One of the great things about this is there is never a time where someone coming down on me is any harder than what I've told myself. Following the KISS method of goal setting, I know I have set goals that are achievable, but are also going to be a stretch to achieve. A lot of people set goals too low so they know they will reach them. There are times that it is more important to fail at a goal than it is to achieve it. It isn't until failure that we can truly appreciate success.
Third, dedication/perserverance.
Ever bailed on something that you later regretted? I have, more times than I like to think about. Through wrestling I learned a lot about sticking with something until it is complete. My very first wrestling match lasted 12 seconds. I was totally embarrassed and humiliated. Did I want to get back out on the mat again after that day? No, that is about the last thing I wanted to do. But I had made a promise to myself and my dad that if I started the season I would finish it. Guess that was a great lesson from dad! But, I did stick with it, and had a very rocky first year. My second year got better and I won a lot more than I lost from that point on. Having a never quit attitude has helped me endure a lot of things that have made me better for finishing out what I said I would do, wrestling helped amplify these traits.
There are many more traits that wrestling taught me, but these are the big 3 that I wanted to elaborate on. While I was sitting and thinking about what made me who I am I did come back to wrestling a lot. These are some of the reasons, but while I was reminiscing, I also thought a lot about my High School Wrestling Coach and how he helped shape me. I still talk to my Coach, not as frequently as I used to, but every time we talk he always has something to say that is worthwhile. I try to listen intently and use his advice whenever I can. This is the reason I contacted coaches in the area to see about becoming a part of their program. I want to be able to mentor to others and pass on the traits that my coaches have taught me. Being coach-able is a trait that far too many young people are failing at today. I have made it a goal of mine to help reach out to kids and help them realize their potential and prod them to stretch themselves to reach what they can become. I know I was viewed as what I could achieve and through my coaches persistence to get me there I became a better person, as well as, a better athlete. For that I want to first thank my wrestling coaches as they pushed and respected me more than any other coaches I had, but also thank all of the coaches I have had through life. It is a challenge and a joy to be able to coach others and this has been a winter of learning for myself through my coaching efforts. Wrestling season is nearing an end and I am happy to report that I neither killed myself nor anyone else. Chalk this one up as a success!
The sport of wrestling is in my opinion a way to follow our roots back to ancient times. On the grounds of the Colosseum men proved their mettle in a lot of facets, and I believe wrestling had to be center stage. There are few other sports that put a person up against another to demonstrate their indomitable will, technique, and perseverance. It is just you and your opponent, no one else to rely on, no one else to blame. It is a sport that reveals your weakness and demonstrates your strength. There are many things that I learned through my years of wrestling that I cherish to this day.
First, Discipline.
For a person to be successful in wrestling, they must be disciplined. Without self discipline one will not achieve the technique that is imperative to be successful against an adequate opponent. We drill technique in the wrestling room for hours over the season, as do many athletes. When a wrestler fatigue's it is ever more important to remain disciplined because if we get sloppy at this time, we will be sloppy in a match and it oftentimes leads to defeat. It is also imperative to be disciplined outside of the wrestling room. Wrestling taught me about staying disciplined while in the classroom, or out on the streets. I had a very short fuse before I started wrestling and oftentimes would first look for resolve with my fists. Through discipline learned in the "room" I learned to remain calm in the face of a storm. This discipline has helped me to learn how to "turn the other cheek" and smile in the face of a transgressor. Discipline takes one's "mental weakness" and reforms it to "inner peace" or "mental toughness." I really feel in today's society there are too many weak minded people period. Having a hobby or sport that is demanding of one's self, will help to alleviate this condition.
Second, Goals.
There is nothing like achieving a goal, especially when it takes hard work and dedication to achieve it. The beginning of every year I made goals for myself. Some years I made better goals than others. I didn't always achieve my goals, but I ALWAYS expected to meet all my goals. I make high goals for myself and I'm my biggest critic. One of the great things about this is there is never a time where someone coming down on me is any harder than what I've told myself. Following the KISS method of goal setting, I know I have set goals that are achievable, but are also going to be a stretch to achieve. A lot of people set goals too low so they know they will reach them. There are times that it is more important to fail at a goal than it is to achieve it. It isn't until failure that we can truly appreciate success.
Third, dedication/perserverance.
Ever bailed on something that you later regretted? I have, more times than I like to think about. Through wrestling I learned a lot about sticking with something until it is complete. My very first wrestling match lasted 12 seconds. I was totally embarrassed and humiliated. Did I want to get back out on the mat again after that day? No, that is about the last thing I wanted to do. But I had made a promise to myself and my dad that if I started the season I would finish it. Guess that was a great lesson from dad! But, I did stick with it, and had a very rocky first year. My second year got better and I won a lot more than I lost from that point on. Having a never quit attitude has helped me endure a lot of things that have made me better for finishing out what I said I would do, wrestling helped amplify these traits.
There are many more traits that wrestling taught me, but these are the big 3 that I wanted to elaborate on. While I was sitting and thinking about what made me who I am I did come back to wrestling a lot. These are some of the reasons, but while I was reminiscing, I also thought a lot about my High School Wrestling Coach and how he helped shape me. I still talk to my Coach, not as frequently as I used to, but every time we talk he always has something to say that is worthwhile. I try to listen intently and use his advice whenever I can. This is the reason I contacted coaches in the area to see about becoming a part of their program. I want to be able to mentor to others and pass on the traits that my coaches have taught me. Being coach-able is a trait that far too many young people are failing at today. I have made it a goal of mine to help reach out to kids and help them realize their potential and prod them to stretch themselves to reach what they can become. I know I was viewed as what I could achieve and through my coaches persistence to get me there I became a better person, as well as, a better athlete. For that I want to first thank my wrestling coaches as they pushed and respected me more than any other coaches I had, but also thank all of the coaches I have had through life. It is a challenge and a joy to be able to coach others and this has been a winter of learning for myself through my coaching efforts. Wrestling season is nearing an end and I am happy to report that I neither killed myself nor anyone else. Chalk this one up as a success!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
How the juice came to be
Some of you may wonder how the juice came to be. Well, it happened about 6 years ago, my senior year at Ohio U. During a January evening out at a local watering hole, my roommate Kyle saw a poster for "Friday Night Fights" and was adamant about me signing up. Kyle is the type of guy that some would call an instigator. Seriously, Kyle loves to get people into things that he would never do himself but thinks will be funny to watch. I took down the number to call to get signed up, but wasn't totally sold on the thought of letting someone punch me in the face for the enjoyment of others.
A few days passed and Kyle didn't let up in his excitement to see me get pummeled. Maybe he was mad at me and didn't want to take on the chore of hitting me himself? At any rate, I finally called the # and got the information on getting dialed in as one of the fighters for OU's return of Friday Night Fights. We trained a couple of times a week, nothing much, just some sprints and minimal sparring. As the event got closer we were told to make sure we had a proper name for the Fights, so I let my mind get to work and had some discussions with close friends on what sounded good. I came up with Joe "The Juice." Doesn't that have a nice ring to it? I mean come on, "The Juice is Loose!"
Fight Night came and went, I've had many journey's from that time to now, and I intend on beginning to log some of those past journey's, maybe a few tall tales, and also, the current state of affairs with all things "Juice."
By the way, "The Juice" retired after that fight, but I'll have you know, He won by TKO, ref's stoppage in the 3rd round. When I have the opportunity I'll upload the video of my heroic Rocky style battle of coming from knocked down and nearly knocked out to the glorious taste of sweet victory.
A few days passed and Kyle didn't let up in his excitement to see me get pummeled. Maybe he was mad at me and didn't want to take on the chore of hitting me himself? At any rate, I finally called the # and got the information on getting dialed in as one of the fighters for OU's return of Friday Night Fights. We trained a couple of times a week, nothing much, just some sprints and minimal sparring. As the event got closer we were told to make sure we had a proper name for the Fights, so I let my mind get to work and had some discussions with close friends on what sounded good. I came up with Joe "The Juice." Doesn't that have a nice ring to it? I mean come on, "The Juice is Loose!"
Fight Night came and went, I've had many journey's from that time to now, and I intend on beginning to log some of those past journey's, maybe a few tall tales, and also, the current state of affairs with all things "Juice."
By the way, "The Juice" retired after that fight, but I'll have you know, He won by TKO, ref's stoppage in the 3rd round. When I have the opportunity I'll upload the video of my heroic Rocky style battle of coming from knocked down and nearly knocked out to the glorious taste of sweet victory.
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