Thoughts.. about cycling, life and WRESTLING

Today, Wednesday, has been a great day.  It's mid week, but I feel surprisingly great considering the loads of school and other work related tasks on my plate.  I'm pumped for this weekend's racing.  TWO chances to have some fun and stomp some pedals down in Sac.  From what I recall, the Golden State Series was one of THE funnest races I've done.  It was my first P/1/2/3 race (which was a doozy!).  I remember the circuit race being so long (in length and time), as well as the left right swooping turns of the course, that I felt like I was on a roller coaster. (almost getting a sick sensation 3/4 of the way through the race).  I am super pumped to return to that course with some confidence, having raced P/1/2 this season (getting the hang of things now).  No broken cleats this time around, and I've got my carbon wheels ready for action and I feel quite fit right now, both mentally and physically.

I just watched Chris Horner smash the field as he won the mountain top finish to Stage 4 of the Tour of California.  I saw him alongside Levi and Lance in the 2009 Nevada City Classic.  His nickname is "Smiley".

As for the non-cycling part of my life, I'd have to say I am pretty darn happy with things.  I have a great girlfriend that's fun to hangout with and spend time together, and I really appreciate that.  I've got great friends, including one of my good friends who I in fact just helped "hook up" his own blogging profile! (heck yes!) I think it's totally awesome that more people are blogging.  It's really awesome to hear from other people and see what's going on in their life and find out what's new.  Here's Tyler's blog if you're interested in reading for yourself, and actually that first post he wrote about was about our friendship! (http://diamondtyler34.blogspot.com/2011/05/true-friendship.html?showComment=1305770261951#c5388639330362246917)

  I feel like a star or something, man he gave me so many props but I've got to say he deserves just as many himself.  A fine athlete, dedicated to the sport of wrestling.  An all around great person, lots of class.  Since he brought up the "old school" days of wrestling, I'll add to it saying that those days were great.  Quite a life change when I began wrestling.  It was right in that time of my life when I discovered the "not-so popular" sports such as wrestling, cycling, cross country, etc.  The sports that aren't mainstream like football, basketball, baseball.. Who knew that my very own grandpa was a wrestling legend himself!  It was quite a great deal because I could learn wrestling moves at practice, then go to grandpa's and have him teach me more stuff and reinforce those moves that I had just learned.  

I'll never forget him showing me moves in his living room (which is full of antiques), and he's bumping me around, slapping my hands and what not, teaching me the "wrestling" stuff that I would soon learn more of.  I will admit, I was never a real aggressive kid back in 8th grade, and most of my wrestling was technical (and defensive).  I was not the one to "brute force" things or be the one doing the double leg take downs.  It was probably my junior/senior year that I actually started doing take downs.  Whatever, that's all in the past, but my point is.. I learned a lot from wrestling over the years.  At first I was quite shocked with the whole "wrestling" thing, yet addicted at the same time to the winning aspect.  That ability to beat someone up on the mat and know that you're better than your opponent.  I should dig up some journal entry that I wrote stating "why do I wrestle".  Because there were times when I asked myself why the heck I was wrestling.  I wasn't one of those kids who had been doing it since age 5, who's parents were the "wrestling type", who wore the rattler sweatshirts day in and day out supporting their love for the support.  

Now when I look back at wrestling, a few things come to mind.  Randall, Tyler and Lawrence.  And of course, Butch, Glen and Tamori.  

Randall pops into my head because he was the crazy squirrely-ass kid who you'd never trust.  I never found out his "nice" side.  I knew his bouncing-off-the-wall side, the side that loved to whoop on kids and make fun of them.  He was SO small yet so good! That was very frustrating.  He would always win no matter what, and I thought being paired up with him was a good thing because I was bigger, but he'd always whoop on me.  He was a classic example of the training parter you DON'T want.  My grandpa taught me that in wrestling, you're only as good as the partner you train with.  Randall was the type that would NEVER let you get a move in.  And that may contribute to the fact I hardly perfected ANY of the moves my first year of wrestling.  

Tyler on the other hand, Tyler was just good.  He had talent.  He was strong too.  I remember wrestling him in practices my first year.  He was the first kid to give me battle wounds.  Busted lips, bloody noses, bit tounges, bruised eyes, the works.  I started realizing "this is what wrestling is, you get jacked up!"  Sooner or later I learned how to return the favor (to other wrestlers initially), giving people bloody noses, etc.  I think I broke Randall's nose more than once, and I do remember elbowing someone in the face once when I was doing a standup (the right way).  Tyler taught me moves, and he always went 75% on me so I could work my moves and gain some confidence.  I never quite had the talent to match his skills in live wrestling (6 minute man, etc), but I sure got the feel for getting my limits tested.  If it weren't for Tyler, I wouldn't have been half as good as I was in high school.  Getting my butt kicked day in and day out by him was sure somethin else.  At first I used to try to line up a few people away from him in the weight line, but sooner or later coaches stuck us together and there was no fighting it, I had to get beat up by him and learn from him, but it was a good thing when I look back on it.  

Lawrence, now Lawrence is quite a character.  We go back way back too.. See the funny thing is, me and Lawrence were on the same level.  We BOTH got cut from the basketball team 8th grade, and we both found our love for wrestling.  He did wrestling in high school, and I always tried to partner up with him because I was better so I could boost my confidence by practicing with him.  Plus I knew that he wouldn't try to kill me, so it was all good.  I could do my double leg take downs without feeling like I was getting judged every time. etc,.. Lawrence was and still is one of my best homies in the sport, we've had plenty of good times together, lots of laughs.  The bummer was, he was one of those kids that had to choose work vs. sports.  See, I've never faced that problem before.  But for Lawrence, it was reality.  He got the job at McDonalds, and his hours wouldn't let him wrestle.  We lost him for the last two years, however he got into Jiu Jitsu, so his love for martial arts (kicking people's butts) is still there.  Glad to see that.  He was the one who'd show/practice wrestling moves on me in class.  I think Tyler and Lawrence both got a kick out of my grandpa and his "old school-ness".  Calling people donkeys or jackasses or shit hooks, you name it.  Too funny, he always taught us to control the hands (and man he can grab your hands HARD let me tell you).  It's like grandpa doesn't sense his level of power so he goes all out and he doesn't realize he's hurting you, so every time he'd do a demonstration he'd call over Randall or Lawrence and Randall would run off.  

I could go on about the coaches, but first off, Butch is crazy.  In a good way.. I get a good laugh when I think of him and all the wrestling tournaments and practices we've been through.  Glen, Glen's the man because he always loved teaching the wizzer to me (idk to this day if it's wizard or wizzer), And Tamori is awesome in every way.  He's like Yoda.. that explains everything.  Oh, and he had the same shoes as I did, that's bonus points in my book.  He would own Randall in demonstrations, SO funny, and he even knew it.  (If any of you knew his laugh, that evil laugh when he'd put the hurt on someone and make it look so easy).

Man oh man, those were the days.  Wrestling, sure taught me a lot.  Everything in life is easier once you've done wrestling.  Nothing has taught me to appreciate food and clean, crisp cool air than wrestling and wrestling practices.. I always was envious of the basketball players with their air conditioned gyms, when we'd walk in to get a drink of water it would be like "AHHHHHHHH, FRESH AIR!!"  Then now that I cycle, I've realized there's a pain to every sport.  In cycling, it's the "pain cave", and that's a place I've entered many times in the past 3 years of racing.