Monday Bacon: Happy New Year!

Posted on October 7, 2013 by tosabarbell

A small post on the Facebook a few weeks ago by Champion thrower Brian Oldfield caught my eye. He spoke of throwing season wrapping up and though he’s been retired for quite some time, he still remembers reflecting on how things went and moving into off season training. He wrapped up the post by saying, “Happy New Year!”

I like it. Reflect; make notes; be thankful, and move on. With that in mind…

I’ve learned an immense amount on the events and showed many times my naivete.  I’ve muscled the stones as far as I’m going to and this off season must include understanding the mechanics better. Mike and Mindy Pockoski have come up with a great DVD and book breaking down all of the events with cues and examples of the teachings. Getting this is first on the list so I can practice at home. Also, I’m hoping to make a few treks to Minnesota to see my twins and ALSO spend as many sessions as possible with Brian Hare over at the Southside Bully gym in Burnsville. Brian is a great throws coach and always sends me away not only a better thrower but also with a better understanding of throwing terms (separation; orbit; fast arm; quick release…) Here’s where I’ve shown how utterly naive I am in this throwing stuff, when a few folks have said I have a fast arm or quick release I’ve had to ask them if that’s a good thing. I guess it is so I should figure out how to use it to my advantage.

Hammers. I’d like to pick up a 16# hammer to feel the heavy more often. I’ve struggled so much with this event but a few things clicked for me this past weekend and I’m looking forward to practicing that more. My hammer must improve in order for me to frankly be competitive. I can hang in the other events but lose many points on the Hammers and the Sheaf.

Sheaf toss. I PR’d my toss at 18′ last April at Jason Clevenger’s backyard games; tied it again in August at his Throwing For the Cure event; and hit it this last weekend in Kirksville. Another points loser for me. This weekend’s throws actually felt really good and just like the hammers, I have some good things to work on. I need to get serious though and find a system to put a bar up in the back yard so I know how high I’m throwing. Throwing into open space isn’t teaching me anything but how to “hope” it’s going high.

Distance throws: thanks to the help of Kerry Overfelt and Craig Smith here during the Wisconsin games on Labor Day weekend, my two spin is back and this event is feeling extremely good. I was reminded by Jason Clevenger and Jeff Armstrong last Sunday in Lake Forest to throw the weight out and not up and I’ve had some nice numbers. Now I just need to dial it in and especially control my nerves on Games day. I’ll be practicing with all, the 28#, 21#, and 14# so I’m ready to go no matter where I throw.

WOB: no matter what the weight is on this one nerves are really my killer. So again, practicing with an actual height target will help to build confidence and I’m just going to have to get advice on the nerves thing. I do okay until it gets into PR’sville and then the adrenaline begins to make everything shaky.

Caber: just practice. I need practice. I need picks; and picks; and then controlling the log; and then toss after toss after toss. I know I can do well on this but need picks.

I need to make sure stretching and better nutrition stick with me into the second half of the season next year. In March, I came off of a very intense bodybuilding type program that was very helpful in gaining strength and making me feel better but I also came into the season very tight with erectors that were ready at the drop of any hat all season long to seize up. Stretch; massage; take better care of myself. Less sugar; less booze (not much less, just less during the week); keep the walks going all summer long.  I’m really hoping to get a board and do some of this next summer…

It looks fun and relaxing and I’d love to wake up my day on the water.

I’ll throw more and worry about strength less than I did this summer. I’m very pleased on how the last 1/3 of my season went in the gym and credit Matt Vincent’s Training Lab for that. There, he states that last part of the season gym sessions are very light and to be done on throwing day. I put the ego aside, did some squats at 135# and headed to the field. It worked very well and I was able to hit PR’s at the very end of the season which felt awesome.

I’ve written, probably ad nauseam, on how thankful I am for this entire season and the people who I’ve come in contact with. I can’t reflect without saying it one more time. I met an entire new crew of great Highland folks this past weekend in Kirksville and I’m looking forward to spending another day on the field with them in the future.

I know I can walk away from the field and say I’ve done my best. I’ve worked as hard as I could in the gym and on the field with what knowledge I had. I’v’e tried to be a good fellow competitor and find new ways of politely asking overzealous “coaches” on the field to not throw 20 observations at me after each throw in exasperated voices when I don’t do what they want me to do. Heh. I’m healthy and strong and though I’m tired, I feel pretty damn good.

So now I lay it to rest and move on. Just like 11:59pm on December 31st…HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

You find that you have peace of mind and can enjoy yourself, get more sleep, and rest when you know that it was a one hundred percent effort that you gave- win or lose.

Gordie Howe

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Friday Jams

Posted on October 4, 2013 by tosabarbell

Ask a 13 year old what Friday Jams should be, this is what you get.

Sabaton, Coat of Arms

Enjoy your weekend.

The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.

George S. Patton

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The Love of Books

Posted on October 3, 2013 by tosabarbell

I’ve always loved to read. I have my mom to thank for that. She read books to me far better than I ever did to my kids. Oh sure, we had story time and they had their favorite night night books and car books but they don’t have a love for stories like I did. If I had my way, my mom would read me an entire Nancy Drew or Little House on the Prairie book every night. When I got old enough to read them myself, I’d do the whole, flashlight under the covers to keep reading for hours thing. In the first grade, I got in trouble for finishing our semester paper reading book in the first week. Yes, in trouble. People don’t ever need to wonder why I’m harsh on the stupid teachers.

When I got older and we’d head up north to Grand Rapids to the cabin with no television, a transistor radio, and nature to entertain us, books were even more important. My mom and I decided that we were going to have a contest to see who could read the most books for the summer. I remember I read 21 but she still probably beat me. Now at nearly a book a day, these things had to be interesting. There’s only so many Judy Blume books available and after a while, the Harlequin romance novels all had the exact same stupid story where the woman appeared so weak that she had to be saved by some stupid, but rich, man. Meh.

Then I found Tom Clancy and The Hunt for Red October.

I was hooked. I went on a Clancy streak that, if it were written in the 80’s and 90’s, I’d read it. He opened up an entire new world for me that pushed me to think of other things besides the best parties and the next Journey concert. There was a big bad dangerous world out there and even sometimes our government may have not been the man in white we’d always like to believe we were. He brought strategy, and weapons, and Jack Ryan, and blurred lines, and a “not always a happy ending” that I didn’t know about reading other books.

His style of writing opened me up to other authors who’s mystery or techno-thriller military dramas brought me into adulthood and demand a higher quality when paying for entertainment whether it be books or movies. By the way, I didn’t think Alec Baldwin was a horrible Jack Ryan, but you can’t compare when you’re up against Han Solo. Word.

I was sad when I heard the news Wednesday that he had died. Not crying sad, but you know, wispy sad in that way where you know someone who had a bigger talent and impact than yourself is no longer walking the earth. RIP Tom Clancy.

I stopped reading Clancy in the past ten or so years. No idea why. Maybe three kids and a busy schedule, probably. That changes now. I think I’ll download a few and grab one paperback for the long plane ride to Lithuania in a couple weeks.

I have no idea what his personal life was about, how he died, or if he was a happy man or not. All I know is that he was able to use his experience and intelligence and weave a very good tale. And for that I’m thankful.

Fundamentally, I think of myself as a storyteller, not a writer.

Tom Clancy

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Motivation

Posted on October 2, 2013 by tosabarbell

I was asked an interesting question last week during a training session. We were talking about the silliness of globo gyms but also how the social aspect of a gym can be nice when out of the blue, I’m asked if seeing really fit women at the gym are a motivator for me?

Huh. I’ve never thought of it before. First off, “fit” has evolved into a bastardized term. It has been thrown around so often in so many different groups that it has ceased to have real meaning. If you are a marathon runner, are you fit? If you are the Strongest man in the world, are you fit? If you do high intensity workouts 7 days a week and have dieted down to the extreme that you no longer get your periods but look awesome in lululemon’s, are you fit? See? Fit means shit. And in all actuality, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone even resembling “fit” in a globo gym.

Of course my answer was quick, what other people do or look like does not motivate me. I want to be as strong as I can, as conditioned as I can, and in the case of the fringe sport I’m participating in, I want to be the best that I can. Once I start comparing myself to others, I dismiss all the hard work I’m doing to be a better me. Nope. Not going there. To chase someone else’s journey puts me in immediate failsville. I could say I wish I threw the hammer further (hate that thing) but to say I wish I threw the hammer further like Kristi Scott? Uhhhhh, not gonna happen. I just put myself in the “can’t” column which means I’ve failed before I even stepped into the circle. No thanks. Now, I WHILL say that I wish I threw the hammer with Kristi’s smooth technique. That’s something I can actively pursue, better mechanics. Improving the mechanics of all the Games events to throw further is a great motivator, because it will directly impact me.

Something else occurred to me on Saturday regarding motivation. We took in the nephew’s soccer game, Oz’s football game, and back to the nephew’s flag football game all in one gorgeous fall morning. We were visitors at Oscar’s game so we got the old, run down, rickity bleachers. That’s fine, whatev. I hate bleachers to begin with and no matter how nice they are have about a 12 minute time limit before my back is hurting and no, it’s not an age thing, I’ve always hated them. But I was in near panic attack mode on Saturday when many of the Grandma and Grandpa’s were navigating the wide, high steps. There were so many near tumbles that I pictured aged bodies strewn all over all crying, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” Stressful.

At the flag football game, there were at least two instances where a grandma was stuck in one of those portable lawn chairs that fold up and don’t have a hard back. They didn’t have enough strength to push up and allow the person on each side to pull them up. Yikes. Motivator number one. Barring a catastrophic accident, I never want to be so weak that I can’t get out of a chair…unless I’m like, 104 and my 80 year old twins put me in one of those stupid portable lawn chairs for their own entertainment to see me try to wiggle my way out of there.

I guess I’ve always been a self motivator, that’s a plus AND a minus. A minus in when I’m not motivated, I don’t look outside for other circumstances or people to put that spark back in me. Also, when I begin to get unmotivated and I have someone or something adding negative influence, I completely withdraw. I’ve worked for boss’ before who believed that public humiliation or screaming would motivate me to do better. Nope. Done. Not only am I not motivated, I’m on my way out no matter how long it takes to get there. I’ve learned the hard way that I don’t do well in those circumstances. Being a self motivator is a plus in many circumstances though and I’m thankful for it. When I stumble, I know I’m almost on the right track and can adjust to get there quickly (see Gut Check.) I can stay focused on what works for me and not be swayed by others and program jump every 8 weeks trying out the new big thing. (By the way? Nothing is new in the strength world.) I can (mostly) stay positive and believe in the hard work I put in the gym and in practice to know it will  pay off in some way in the future.

And I’ll climb those rickity bleachers, for as long as I can.

On that note, here’s some major inspiration…

86. I can’t do that at 46. I have 40 years to learn.

Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.

Babe Ruth

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