Wednesday, 04/16/08

Its time!!

This weekend is going to be crazy I have seen many teams practicing all of which look strong! Im very excited everyong is going to bring it! the judges are going to have a hard job!!

respond to post >

Thursday, 04/10/08

Competition Time

Well, it's time for the meet. My training has been a little bumpy, but I feel good to go. We had some light lifts this week, but the biggest obstacle will be actually getting to Reno. As of tomorrow morning, I have to drive 3 hours to Green Bay and make a 7:30 flight to Chicago and then catch a flight straight to Reno. There's been some rumors of bad weather in Dallas, TX, where many people will be flying in to, so hopefully everything goes smoothly for them. The meet is supposed to be web-cast live on Sunday (also the day I lift) so feel free to tune in and hopefully it'll be a good show.

respond to post >

Wednesday, 04/09/08

My Penultimate Entry

Dear faithful Readers,

Since I'm so astonished the Daily Northwestern actually published it, here is the article in question and my subsequent Letter to the Editor. (Note: I did not create that really lame title.)

People meeting me for the first time, after remarking on my extraordinary beauty, frequently wonder why, out of all the possible sports in the world, I chose weightlifting. I really have no answer, so I usually pretend I didn't hear the question and quickly change the subject before the person realizes I devote most of my life to a sport that, for the most part, sucks. There are some advantages like, for example, fantastic bone density and fluency in kilos. Actually, those are all of the advantages.

The truth is that I do weightlifting because it's the only sport I can do. Team sports are obviously out since no one would want me on any team. So are combat sports like wrestling and fencing because I'm too much of a wimp. And I've never really liked the mindset of sports that have descending aims--swimming and cycling, for example--because there's an ultimate limit on the possible distance of your goals. That same concept rules out sports like gymnastics and figureskating, which have actually set ceilings on how well you can do. The only sports left are track's field events like throwing and jumping. It just so happens that I'm really not good at jumping or throwing, so I got stuck with the only option still open, which is lifting stuff.

I have to admit that it was a good arranged marriage; I've grown quite fond of the sport over the years. The best explanation of those warm fuzzies I get when I pick up the bar is that it's wonderful to be debt-free for a little while. It's exhausting to walk around trying to be worthy of everything's that been done for me. Just right now, for example, I'm in debt to Ashley for this blog, Freddie Mercury for the music I'm listening to, and Al Gore for the internet, not to mention my darling parents for the genes that made me so amazingly good-looking and...okay, basically everything. Anyway, my point at the end of all of this rambling is that for the couple seconds of the lift, there's nothing anyone can really do to help me, which means there's nothing I really owe anyone. Once I drop the bar, I go back to being in debt to Gichael Mattone for spending sleepless nights worrying about me and to the Wall Street Journal for providing such excellent reading material between sets.

So there you have it, folks--a couple of long-winded paragraphs that don't really answer any questions. I suppose the sport is like how people describe parenthood: frustrating and inconvenient and exhausting but remarkably rewarding, and I can't remember who I was before I began.

Winsomely yours,
Natalie

Because Catch-22 Should Really Be Required Reading for Everyone:
"Soon the only people attending were those who never asked questions, and the sessions were discontinued altogether, since Clevinger, the corporal and Colonel Korn agreed that it was neither possible nor necessary to educate people who never questioned anything."
(from Joseph Heller's Catch-22)

respond to post >

Tuesday, 04/08/08

A Detailed Analysis of My Pre-Competition Training Program

Dear faithful Readers,

As you may have noticed, I only have two workouts left before I leave for Collegiates. You're probably asking yourself right now, "What are Natalie's goals for this meet?" unless your name is Gichael Mattone because then you really wouldn't care. (Confidential to GM: please get some sleep.) Well, young reading grasshoppers, I have exactly two (2) goals for this meet:
01. Weigh more than 66 kilos. I've been threatened with grave punishment (which may or may not include having to listen to Gichael Mattone tell a story about his college years) if I don't achieve this one. In fact, Rambo is under strict orders not to coach me if I weigh under 65. Gichael enjoys positive reinforcement.
02. Catch my flight coming home. My session starts at 4:00, and the plane leaves at 7:50. You may begin placing bets.

I have no purpose for this entry except procrastination. I'm in the middle of trying to dissect a German news podcast. Apparently some German police officers were having a nice vacation in Libya when they decided it would be a great idea to share some combat tips with some charming chaps on the Libyan security forces. I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would go on vacation in Libya. Wasn't that the first clue something was up? On the bright side, I'm learning lots of useful words. For example, some teacher was "erstochen" the other day by her neighbor's boyfriend. Leave it to the Germans to have a special word just for "stabbed to death."

In other news, the Daily Northwestern is supposedly going to publish the Letter to the Editor I submitted today. I don't know how I'll deal with the fame.

Winsomely yours,
Natalie

Another Grammar Tip for Dana, Who Enjoys Them So Much:
You lie down and go to sleep.......you lay SOMETHING down on the table.
You lay down yesterday........you laid SOMETHING down yesterday.
You have lain down.......you have laid SOMETHING down.
Intransitive verb........transitive verb.
Cannot have direct object.......must have direct object.

respond to post >

Friday, 04/04/08

Dear faithful Readers,

Spring quarter has begun (much to your dismay, I know) even though "spring" in the meteorological sense has yet to arrive or even hint at an eventual appearance.

I am now eight (8) days out from Collegiates, which Gichael Mattone has decided he will not be attending. Apparently I've trashed him so much in this blog that he fears "retribution from [my] fans in Reno" should his real identity be discovered. Rambo, who so far enjoys a neutral reputation here, has agreed to be seen with me in public. I learned yesterday that Rambo has ridden in an elevator with J. Edgar Hoover. If he survived that, I'm very confident that he can count attempts.

How are my classes? Thank you for asking. I'm learning much more about soccer in my German Current Events class than I ever wanted to know; evidently the European Cup is the only interesting thing happening in Austria this year.

Now I'm off to more important, productive activities. Like nap taking.

Winsomely yours,
Natalie

Some lovely Conrad:
"'His very existence was improbable, inexplicable, and altogether bewildering. He was an insoluble problem. It was inconceivable how he had existed, how he had succeeded in getting so far, how he had managed to remain--why he did not instantly disappear.'"
(from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness)

respond to post >

Tuesday, 04/01/08

The Canuck is coming!

The Collegiate Championships are coming! But what is the most striking and disgusting? Eating of course!

I am pleased to say that I am one of the contestants this year. It has only been about a year that I have performed eating stunts, but in that time I have performed some crazy things.

My “Accomplishments”:

- 72oz steak meal in 12 minutes (First try ever)
- 72oz steak in 7 minutes (Second try ever)
- 106oz steak in 30 minutes
- 50 slices of pizza in one hour (Pizza Hut Buffet)
- 1500 grams of raw oats in 40 minutes
- 18 bananas in 2 minutes
- 40 Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches in 45 minutes
- 35 Pizza bites in 2 minutes
- 9 Hard Shell Tacos in 2 minutes
- 50 Large Ribs in a sitting
- 164 Wings in a sitting
- 2 Liter beer chug in a minute
- Pitcher of beer through a straw in a minute

And mind you these challenges started after my buddies and I went out for a night of drinking. We went to a breakfast place, hung over as hell; I beat the previous record of linebacker breakfast plates (2 pieces of the following: French toast, pancakes, eggs, sausages, bacon, toast and home fries). Previous record was two; I got down 4 in the hour time frame. Since then my friends, from back home and from bodybuilding.com, have been challenging me to random eating feats as listed above.

Now I’m not one to go around bragging about eating feats and what not, and personally I don’t plan on making this a career. My interests lie in mechanical, more over aerospace engineering and bodybuilding. I love both, and will continue to pursue both for the rest of my life.

Now what the heck can you expect come April 19th? Well a damn good showing from me. I intend on giving it my all, and giving the title a good run!

Here’s a good question. Do I train for this? No. Do I put my body through horrible maneuvers to eat more? No. Am I a freak when it comes to food? Yes. Yes of course.

respond to post >

Monday, 03/31/08

All Said And Done

This picture is me doing a backside rodeo off the third jump.

Well Saturday marked the end of the 3rd annual collegiate nationals. After almost 12 hours on the hill the competition finally came to an end. The day started with mens snowboarding qualifiers. It was dumping snow and everyone had trouble clearing the jumps with the new fallen snow. There were only a hand full of competitors who where able to make it down the course without falling and no one was able to throw the runs they where doing the day before in practice. After qualifiers was done I found myself having qualified 2nd. Mens snowboarding finals didn't start for another four hours, but in that time the storm blue over and left us with mostly sunny skies. Because of the ever changing conditions I was never able to throw the run I had practiced on Friday, so every run I took was different. I stomped my first run in the finals which was; switch underflip, front side 3 tail, into a backside rodeo, nosepress to tailpress on the box, backside lip on the down bar, to a hand-plant on the quarterpipe. My second run I fell when I over shot the second jump on a front side 7 and because of a quick revert on my rodeo in the first run, cost me 2nd place leaving me in 3rd. The Keystone local Christian Martin was killing it all day. He rides Keystone everyday and it showed. He sealed the deal in his last run of finals with a front side 5, cab 9, and backside 7. All in all it was a fun event and I look forward to coming out again next year. Until then keep shredding and make sure to watch all the action on CBS on May 25th.

Bosco

respond to post >

Friday, 03/28/08

The Journey Continues

After a couple weeks of more reps and strength building exercises, the focus has shifted to refining technique and doing more singles with the snatch and clean and jerk. We get up to about 90%+ in both lifts twice week. The weights are feeling pretty good, but my technique is a little off, so I am working on trying to straighten that out. It seems winter is on its way out. A lot of the snow melted and its probably only about 30 degrees now. One can even see the dead grass on the ground now. This week we are gifted with a special guest star at NMU. I'll give some clues as to the identity of this mysterious person: Long, blond hair, blue eyes and has a hurt arm (recovering from surgery). If clues didn't scream the identity to you, then Click Here It's Steve Jarvis! For those of you who don't know Steve, he is a 105 kg lifter who is a resident at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Steve decided to spend his spring break up here in the remote city of Marquette, Michigan. Part of the reason (besides the excellent company) is that he is originally from Wisconsin and it's not very far from his house. Well Collegiate Nationals is fast approaching and there's only a week left of heavy lifting to prepare for it.

respond to post >

Friday, 03/28/08

It's hard to breathe here.

Dear faithful Readers,

I write to you from the Athlete's Center (I'll never figure out who that one athlete is) at the Olympic Training Center on a computer that's creatively named "Cyber 30." I have survived a very snowy Easter and, so far, two nights sleeping in the same room as a Miss Cheryl Ann Haworth. I'd also like to note that we're staying on the third floor in Building 87, which is quite possibly the farthest point away from the weight room on complex. Cheryl reminds me of this fact several times a day.

Bragging Point #1: I just came back from an Art Garfunkel concert. He's still awesome. And he still has his fro.
Bragging Point #2: I can make a mean bag of ice. The creation of ice bags is one of the few activities I really excel at, so I like to mention it as much as possible.

My connection at the USAW office gave me new lifting shoes that are two sizes too big (I forgive her; she's Canadian), but I finally have shoes that a robot with my foot length might wear.

In news actually related to the subject of this blog, we're two weeks out from Collegiates! On a sadder note, that means only two more weeks of updates about my extremely exciting life and my remarkable ice bag making talent.

Winsomely yours,
Natalie

Everyone loves Kundera:
"Ugliness: the poetic capriciousness of coincidence. In the case of a beautiful person, the play of coincidence happened to select an average of all the dimensions. Beauty: the unpoetic average. Beauty, more than ugliness, reveals the nonindividuality, the impersonality of a face."
(from Milan Kundera's Immortality)

respond to post >

Monday, 03/24/08

Sessions Log Jam

The day, March 22nd. The place, Squaw Valley. The event, Sessions Log Jam. The winner, Chris Bosco. A beautiful sunny day set the stage for the third annual Sessions Log Jam. Three jumps and a variety of log jib options was the lay out. The competition was fierce with riders like Kyle (taceto) Earl, Zak Hale, Silas Stannard, Jonny Lazz, and Jonny Brady, but I was lucky enough to stomp my last run in the finals and come out on top. Fuel TV covered the event so be sure keep an eye out for the footage of the event and a little interview with me. Hope everyone is enjoying the great weather we have been having and see you on the hill.

Check out the footy at Reelcomp

See the full story and pics at twsnow.com sierra sun and snowboard-mag.com.

Bosco

respond to post >