No Concession Stand, No Problem

It's has been weeks since I've written, due to job searching on top of an already hectic class and wrestling schedule, but it was all worth it when I received an offer on Thursday to work for Lockheed Martin.  The very next day I received an offer from Cisco, but ultimately I ended up picking Lockheed.  That means that after this year I'll be in Akron, OH.  Some nice side perks of being there is that I'll be near relatives and I'll be near a wrestling hotbed!  The greater Cleveland area has rich wrestling traditions, and I plan on catching some matches of powerhouses such as St. Edward's, Massillon Perry, or Walsh Jesuit.

Unfortunately RPI's first tournament was later than we'd hoped, as the NCAA started strictly enforcing the start of the season being November 1st, and so the tournament in Brockport on October 29th was canceled.  Our first tournament was two weekends ago, where we went to Springfield Technical Community College for the Veteran's Day Open.  I was fortunate enough to have my dad visiting for the weekend, and so he got to see me take first place.  This past weekend we were at the University of New Hampshire for the Northeast Conference Duals.  I won three matches there, two of them while bumping up to 141, putting me at 7-0 so far.

One point I want to emphasize is the importance of bringing nutritious food to tournaments.  It sounds simple, but you'd be surprised how many people don't make the effort to pack food for after weigh-ins and throughout the day.  The entry form for the Veteran's Day Open stated that there would be a concession stand, and some people were banking on that, but it turned out that there wasn't one.  Without even considering the fact that most concession stand food is not great fuel for your body, you should always be prepared with healthy snacks.  The last thing you want is to be tired and weak because you haven't eaten all day. 

The night before every tournament, I pack some gatorade, a banana, peanut butter, and a power bar or other energy bar for after weigh-ins.  I also pack something small to be consumed after each match.  I usually bring a mixture of gatorade and protein powder (see my chapter in The Definitive Guide to Burning Fat and Building Muscle for more info! http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Guide-Burning-Building-Muscle/dp/0983340420/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322010282&sr=1-1), another energy bar, fruit, vegetables, and maybe a sandwich or larger meal for when I have a longer break between matches.  And most of all, I am drinking water throughout the entire day.  Every time a new match starts, I take a couple sips of H2O.

RPI practiced last night, but we are off the rest of the week for Thanksgiving, and our next tournament is the Ted Reese Invitational at the University of Southern Maine on December 3rd.  Tomorrow morning I head out to my grandparents' house in Ohio.  One thing that's great about Cleveland's The Plain Dealer newspaper is that they have the best coverage of wrestling out of any paper I've seen.  My grandma is always cutting out articles about the local high schools for me to read, and I'm looking forward to reading more.

Eat up,
Jeff