Strongman Style: Nationals Day 2 - Tunica, MI

After a long night's sleep we got up early in the morning for day 2 of competition.  The sun was out, the sky was clear, and the fellas were ready to lift heavy objects and/or vehicles. 

After the last event we split Tunica and headed North for a night in Memphis, home of the most delicious BBQ food ever, the biggest burger ever, and the best blues around.

 Kooky Kanuks - 12 lb food challenge, this is not a joke people!

Beaver game on at Silky O'Sullivans!

Beale Street - The locations of the famous bars Silky O'Sullivans and BB King's Blues Club.  I am kissing part of the Blarney Stone from Ireland above.  (I typically do not kiss brick walls for no reason in case you were wondering.)

Strongman Style Tip: after lifting insanely heavy objects eat a 1/2 lb. Reeses Peanut Butter Cup a mere 1,200 calories!

MY BIRTHDAY STREET! OMG

I Have a Dream - MLK place of assassination and civil rights museum

Put some 'South' in your Mouth....no seriously, do it

Strongman Style: Nationals Day 1 - Tunica, MI

Well we hit the road again and this time our sights were set on Tunica, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee.  We were on a mission of strength - Chris was to compete in his first National Strongman Competition!  It is a grueling two day event with seven total Strongman events.  Again, we were accompanied by our dear friend Jeff Hart from Oregon which was quite delightful. I was indulged in an entire weekend of "strength talk" learning almost everything a gal needs to know about how to properly compete in each event, training philosophies, and training plan ideas.  

After a long morning the fellas had worked up quite an appetite, the only appropriate solution was Paula Dean's Buffet:  A plethora of deep fried country chicken, mashed potatoes, casseroles, cookies, treats, and any other food you can imagine drenched in butter or cheese.  In one setting I was able to exceed my calorie quota for the day like a champ.

Strongman Style: Marion, IL

Chris competed in a strongman competition back in October in Marion, IL.  Here are videos of his events and some prize pictures at the end.  Our really good friend Jeff Hart, and Chris' longtime training partner, flew in from Oregon to compete with him.  They were also accompanied by fellow Graduate Assistant and Intern Chas and Matt.  Chris and Jeff both ended up getting first place, qualifying for nationals, and winning a really sweet sword.  

Nice job fellas!

Updates to Come

Thank you for your patience - many updates soon to come!  So check back! Sorry I got so behind....oops

Happenings in September for Christopher

The month of September for Mr. Roth had quite a bit going on. A new job opening became available, he found some strongman buddies to train with him, he started school, celebrated his 1.5 year anniversary with his wifey, and welcomed a roommate into the humble abode. 

Beginning with the end, we formally welcomed Alejandro Vial to our little Carbondale family.  He is the men's tennis team Graduate Assistant coach, and yes he is from Argentina, and yes he has an accent, and yes he speaks in spanish all the time.  Josh would be in heaven!

Moving right along...Chris and Rachel celebrated the very important 1.5 year wedding anniversary on September 19th, 2012.  Since it was such an important occasion we simply could not attend class.  Instead we enjoyed a nice steak dinner at a restaurant called Houlihans - similar to maybe a nicer version of Ruby Tuesdays. It was very delightful to enjoy a night off from all the hustle and bustle and just chat over dinner.  

Wait, did I say we skipped class?  Haha oops!  Well for those that do not know we are now in full swing of graduate school!  Initially Chris was planning on mastering in M.S. in Education in Kinesiology, but decided that my choice in M.S. in Education in Sport Studies was much more interesting so he copied me.  Oh, and we are conveniently in all the same classes :-)  I think he just missed me.  The second reason he switched is because he wanted to get a more diverse and well-rounded education.  If he would have stayed with kinesiology he would have taken very similar classes to his undergraduate degree and since he is interested in being a head strength and conditioning coach someday he wanted to learn about the administrational side of things.  (So he wants to know how to B.S. people like me!)  Despite his constant grumblings about hating school, I believe he truly enjoys it and just grumbles for the sake of grumbling. 

Class schedule:

Mondays - Social Aspect of Sport

Wednesday - Introduction to Sport Management

Thursday - Facility Design and Event Management

Chris is also mastering in Strongman!  As many of you know he really enjoys picking up heavy things, pushing/pulling heavy things, and basically doing anything with heavy objects.  During the month of September he was in full swing training for his competition in October (blog post soon to come with video!).  In the process of training he has gotten a few others to catch the bug.  Co-workers Chas Ossenheimer and Matt Bertsch joined Chris in his training and thus the three stooges were born.  Having these two guys join his training really added a new intensity and enjoyment.  The beard growing contest between Chris and Chas also added an interesting spin to things. (pictures to come)

To train we go into the wilderness and he lifts mountains - no big deal

Last but not least....Assistant coach Maureen left for a new job at the end of the summer, which opened up the Assistant Strength and Conditioning position at SIU.  With employees still getting school paid for - it was a great opportunity for Chris and he jumped on the application process.  *Spoiler alert* I am going to skip ahead and just say he got the job!  I am so excited for him and proud of him I am basically bursting at the seams!  

August

The month of August was Hot Hot Hot; Hot weather, Hot opportunities, and some Hot visitors.

With temperatures dipping into the mid-90's by midnight life was a bit sluggish and stifling.  Working at Pinch was not quite as enjoyable as the beginning of the summer.  Running around through drunk crowds of people all hot and sweaty did not make for the best evening, I learned to ignore the sweat dripping down my back, my smelly BO armpits, and matted hair - rationalizing that everyone else was experiencing the same phenomenon so I probably wasn't standing out too much. It just simply baffled me, however, that people were there by choice and thought that it was actually a good time.  In Oregon when it gets really cold the common phrase is "wear your liquid jacket" which of course is a reference to the warming effects of alcohol consumption.  Well apparently the opposite is true here, people must "wear their liquid A/C."

Other than the weather, life was good!  Chris was making huge gains in the weightroom, both physically and mentally. Since being here he has put on a good chunk of muscle, gotten much stronger, and has continued his pursuit of his own coaching philosophies.

The best part of August was our OREGON VISITORS!

Karri-ann, J. Estrad, and Britton all came out to spend a few days with us

Giant City Lodge Water Tower

Best friends reunited - wine tasting at Walker's Bluff Winery

Ladies ROAD TRIP!

Destination: Nashville, TN Home of Country Music

Country Music National Hall of Fame

There were so many great things to see and check out!  Definitely thought of Spencer the whole time we were here.

Broadway St.

This street was the best - all the restaurants had live country music bands (literally) and it was only Friday in the middle of the afternoon!  We checked out boutique shops, tourist shops, restaurants, and even made an appearance at the original Coyote Ugly Saloon 

(There was possibly a bar top hula hoop contest involved - only in Nashville!)

September events soon to come!

Updates and Ponderings

Sorry I have not been very consistent with updating this thing!  There has been a lot going on here in Carbondale and I have been trying to re-adjust to a new pace in life.

So What's up Doc?

Troutt-Wittman Academic Center

Some of you may know this already, I have been volunteering in the academic department for the past two months.  I have decided that I really want to have an impact on young athletes and coaching is not necessarily the route I am interested in taking at this point in my life.  The aspect of academic counseling that really appeals to me is the open and honest relationship I will be able to have with the students.  I will be able to help them in a much more holistic approach instead of simply an athletic and performance based approach.  As an academic counselor I will be able to have a huge impact on the student's experience during their college years and hopefully prepare them for life beyond college.  As a  former student-athlete I hope to be able to relate to their struggles based on some of my experiences.  

This summer I haven't had much contact with students yet since I am not officially the Graduate Assistant yet (waiting on grad school acceptance letter) and most of the students are home for the summer.  So instead I have been working with the other Graduate Assistant and Full Time Academic Counselor for programming for the fall.  It has been really fun brainstorming how to change things and amp things up.  We are adopting some of the programs we had at Oregon State and molding them to fit the needs of the SIU students.  It has been really cool to see how new ideas can cause so many changes in such a short amount of time.  I really hope to continue the trend and keep shaking things up!

Pinch Penny Pub

The bar is still a blast.  Now that I have been there for three months I don't have the 'new girl' feeling and it feels comfortable to be there.  I'm so glad I decided to go through with being a waitress.  I have learned so many things that I would have never learned if I hadn't of worked in this type of industry.  It is definitely a different world!  The people watching is the best - even when it is slammed and I am running my butt off I still get to watch people interact and overhear some pretty wild conversations.  I chuckle to myself all the time.  It has also been comforting to establish relationships with the 'regulars.'  Every shift is a little different and brings a different crowd; my favorite is surprising someone by already knowing what they want to drink, they get a startled look that turns into a smile because it makes them feel special that I would remember them and what they like.  (Also helps with the tips!) 

Fitness & Nutrition

The water yet again called my name...I will never be able to escape it!  Haha, I started swimming with the local masters team here in Carbondale back in the spring.  I have been fairly consistent with swimming 2-3 mornings a week.  It feels really great to get back in the water, but it is a constant struggle not to get discouraged with the comparisons of what I used to be able to do.  Last weekend I competed in my first swim meet since PAC12s my senior year.  I absolutely had a blast and I am so glad I did it.  I think there will be a few more meets in my future for the year :-)

I had an 'off' month where I struggled quite a bit with being consistent in the weight room and with conditioning.  I think I am struggling with being a post-athlete and not having a team or a purpose.  (masters swimming is not the type of competition or team I am yearning for).  No one told me that I would still be having a hard time a year and a half later!  I feel like I am just reaching my prime of physical fitness and capability...but for what?  I have no outlet or competition, I just workout every day for the sake of working out.  I understand now why so many swimmers get into triathlons, but that is just not anything I am interested in doing.  If anyone has any suggestions I am very open to ideas!  (Not including crossfit, Olympic weightlifting, distance of any kind, or anything with a ball)

I have also struggled with nutrition.  Having the intense personality that I do, it is hard not to become obsessed with what I am eating to the point of being "too healthy."  I have to constantly take a step back and realize that life is meant to be enjoyed and every once in awhile it is o.k. to splurge a little bit. 

Life is all about balance - life & work balance, relationship balance, physical balance, spiritual & emotional balance - the key is realizing that balance your constantly looking for is always changing. There is no 'ultimate balance' to be achieved because every day is a new day and every day we live shapes us and changes us to a different person.  We have to learn to adapt to our ever-changing situation and not get so wrapped up in daily expectations and pressures that we loose sight of the overall picture of life.  We were put on this earth for a reason and we were blessed with this opportunity of life for a reason; we are not meaningless creatures going through the motions.  Everything that we do has meaning and everything that happens to us has meaning.  I am learning how to cherish those meanings, because ultimately at the end of the day it doesn't matter how many hours you worked, how many carbs you ate, how many reps you did or miles you ran...what matters is how much you have loved.  How much have you loved those around you?  More importantly how much have you loved yourself?  If you can't love yourself for who you are and all the wonderfulness that God has created you to be, then how can you fully love those around you?  How can you fully love this world God made? How can you see the beauty of the little things? Balance = loving yourself, loving the people in your life, loving the strangers around you, loving the little things, loving the big things, and loving God.   It is so simple, yet we always make it harder than it has to be.  Just Love.

My Handsome Hubby

Christopher is doing awesome.  I admire his work ethic so much!  This summer he has been taking a sports psychology class and kicking butt at it.  This week has has his final then a few weeks off before fall semester starts.  

His teams are also doing great and getting stronger.  He really loves working with the athletes here and has really stepped up to the challenge of coaching women's basketball and will be soon taking over men's basketball.  (Both very high-profile sports here in Carbondale since we are historically a basketball school).  He has also been working with football and men's and women's swimming and diving.  It has been very cool to listen to him when he comes home talk about all the news things he is learning and the stories about how he is relating to the athletes and getting them to do what he wants them to do. I have said this many times before, but he has so much potential as a coach.  I think that he is really going to make a name for himself in the world of college athletics and strength and conditioning.  He is so natural at it and has amazing insight.  What makes him so special is that he continually thinks outside of the box - he hates doing things by-the-book and continually experiments and uses his gut feeling to see how things could be better.  He hates being average and I love it!

On top of dealing with me and my craziness, school, and coaching he has still found ample time to continue his Strongman training.  He has a competition coming up in October where he is hoping to qualify for nationals in November.  Oh and he has been fishing and getting pumped up for hunting season.  (literally I have to listen to it every day! lol)

It is really hard to be so far from home, but we have grown so much as individuals and as a couple.  We are learning so much about what it means to be a married couple and how to overcome struggles together.  Every day our relationship grows stronger and we grow closer.  We are truly blessed for this opportunity of growth!  Even though sometimes it is hard to see it. 

Miscellaneous

Other than all of the previously stated information I am taking on a new project!  The swim team wants me to lead them in yoga sessions...in less than a month!  I have my work cut out for me for sure, but I am excited to tackle this new challenge.  (If anyone has any really great resources let me know) I am pirating Barnes & Noble's books and trying out all the classes available around town.  Better watch out Tonja I am going to be as flexible as you! 

I am also currently reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan - I HATE THE FOOD INDUSTRY. SO. MUCH. CORRUPTION.  Trust me you will be seeing a post in the near future outlining and highlighting the main points.  Nothing gets me riled up faster than reading about this topic.  I literally want to start a revolution.  One day at a time though.

I hope everyone is doing well back in Oregon.  We miss you like crazy!  So many of you are consistently in my thoughts and prayers - even if you don't hear from me individually I am thinking about you and wishing you well. 

Much XOXO 

P.S. I am obsessed with the Olympics!  Go World!