Training Camp

Posted on May 8, 2013 by tosabarbell

I’d been looking forward to the Minnesota Scottish Fair and Highland Games for a while now. A chance to spend a weekend “at home” (Minneapolis area); a chance to spend some time with my Z’s (who came for dinner, free food YO!); and another chance to learn.

And learn I did.

Jeff Bryan, the A.D. for the Games, gave us a competitors list which gave me a chance to scope out the competition. Turns out the women’s side wasn’t going to be much of a competition…on my end. Sara Hilgers took 3rd this year at the Women’s World Championships. Katie Steingraeber took 5th. Holy crap. To go to a games and throw alongside this caliber of athlete is part of what makes the Highland Games awesome.

ADD in the fact that my new friend and Fork/Sheaf expert (and maker) Jason Clevenger came from Illinois and threw with the Master’s in our group and I pretty much just paid an entry fee for a day long training camp with some of the best of the best in this sport.

As is almost ALWAYS the case with throwers I’ve met so far, Sara and Katie were very friendly and helpful throughout the day. I had to  quickly make notes on the i-phone of all the cues and tricks they, and Jason, gave me. I also chuckled at the fact that even though they’ve been constrained by the same weather as I’ve been in terms having lack of practice opportunities (they’re also from Wisconsin), they’d get just as frustrated as I would at “poor” throws. I say “poor” cuz they were still sometimes over 20′ further than mine.

Both Sara and Katie have an excellent coaching eye and were able to give useful cues to help my future throws. There were plenty of times I forgot that I was a competitor and just watched in awe. I also learned that this is something I need to change.

I’ve mentioned before that I am uber competitive and while I need to use that energy in my throws, I can’t let it distract me enough to take me out of an event. In this case, I was in pure learning mode and didn’t bring enough of that competitive spirit to the trig with me. I believe that while I need to use this opportunity to learn and show respect, I also need to compete to the best of MY ability. I don’t think I did that. So I need to fix that before I go to Enumclaw in July and compete with more “best of” athletes.

Overall it was an incredible day. I’m so thankful to these top athletes for being such classy and selfless competitors. Thanks to Jason for spending time with me afterwards to get me on track with some Sheaf drills.  Mother nature seems awfully pissed at Minnesota for some reason, dumping up to a foot of snow in the surrounding areas last week but the day was dry and the field was fine.

And the PRIZES! Here’s Jeff Bryan and I with my 3rd place prize. If you know what this thing is called, let me know.

MinnesotaScottishGames

Be bold. If you’re going to make an error, make a doozy, and don’t be afraid to hit the ball.

Billie Jean King

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Monday Bacon: Karma

Posted on May 6, 2013 by tosabarbell

We’ve all heard it, we’ve all most likely said it, “Karma’s a bitch.” Usually said with a self righteous nod of some sort. As in, ‘uh huh, they got theirs!’ Because we knew they would right? No one can walk the earth, crap on people all day long and not get what’s coming to them, right?

There are many interpretations of Karma but many agree on the idea of cause and effect. We’re probably most familiar with the Buddhist view that our actions and thoughts can either improve our Karma (through fixing past lives errors) or continue our misfortunes into our next life.  Tommy Suggs is a great teacher of our thoughts and actions having control over our center, or peace of mind.

Our actions are easy to watch. We can either be a mean person or a good person. It’s that simple. Its a conscious effort to be either. We can call it habits, but really, if you want to walk through life being cruel to people around you there will be a darkness in you. Now, maybe you’re the only one who knows it’s there, but probably not. People who are centered and at peace with themselves can usually spot it and avoid the influence. Perpetual chaos and discontent is a rough path, I have found that being around people with these qualities puts me in a position of a lot of stress and discomfort.

But our thoughts are tricky. It is so easy to have negative thoughts towards others or situations that it becomes automatic. If someone had a negative impact on us, we silently (or not so silently) cheer on their misfortune. And here’s what people miss in this approach: Your negative thoughts towards others come back to you. Not them, they are responsible for their own. You and yours. Dance on their graves all you want just because you believe they’ve wronged you in some way, it’s yours to own. The negative energy you send out in the world will come back to you, that is Karma.

So when life bites the ass of a competitor; a person who’s been unkind or unfair to you in the past; or really anyone who’s negativity has shaped part of your life, let it go. It’s one of the hardest things for us to do, but we’re better for it. Don’t clutter your pretty little head with shit. Live a life that makes you proud and don’t worry about the other guy. Sometimes bad stuff happens and has no more meaning than ‘it just happens.’ But celebrate in their pain or misery? That’s on you.

Because really? Your karma is the only bitch you need to be concerned with.

In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.

Dalai Lama

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Friday Jams

Posted on May 3, 2013 by tosabarbell

Face it, when you think of Louis B Armstrong, you smile and think of blue skies and butterflies and a wonderful world. Minnesota musical artist, Mick Sterling, showed his fb friends another side of Satchmo with this song. I’ve been a fan of Mick’s for quite some time and even had a friend who was a Stud Brother (Trumpet player.)

It’s a good lesson, move in on someone’s wife who has an audience and a creative writing side and you WILL be called out in public.

I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead. Louis B Armstrong.

Enjoy the weekend.

There are some people that if they don’t know, you can’t tell them.

Louis Armstrong

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Bad Timing

Posted on May 1, 2013 by tosabarbell

It’s NHL playoff time and for the first time in five years, the Minnesota Wild boys are off the golf courses and still on the ice. Yeah.

So I sit down with my dinner; a glass of wine; listen to a chill bump rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and here we go! Only we’re going without our starting goalie. Huh?

Starting goaltender (and Finnlander) Niklas Backstrom looked fine in warm ups until this happened. It looks as if he tweaked his groin, maybe an ‘Ahmstring? Who knows. What we do know? Bad timing.

For those of us who’ve been competing long enough, we know that feeling. Gearing up for the big game or big event and boom, a bicep tendon; an ‘Ahmstring; an achilles rupture changes everything. Our very narrow focus suddenly takes a sharp right turn. It is physically and mentally shocking. To do it on a National or World stage is even more so.

Josh Harding, the back up goaltender who was diagnosed with M.S. last summer was stellar in the net throughout the 2-1 Wild overtime loss to Chicago. So as Wild fans, we’re fine. No word on Backstrom yet, hopefully we’ll see him again this season.

The sauna- a poor mans pharmacy.

Finnish Proverb

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