Focusing

A week from today I'll be competing in Sioux Falls, Iowa at the largest competitive event in my life. Although I think I'm approaching things realistically my focus for the next week will be to prepare, travel, make weight, and compete. When I walk out onto the mat next Friday I'm comfortable that I'll be as ready as I can be.

I can be very focused and this entire thing will require tremendous focus. I don't know that anyone - even me - really understands what this is going to be like. Good thing, too, because I think I'd find it unnerving. Right now I'm just focused on being ready.

I went to wrestling practice at ASU for the past two days and ended up with a cut on my cheek, a poked eye, a half dozen bruises, and some close calls to my jaw. Thank God for Arnica. Still, tonight I'm pretty generally sore and tired - these kinds of workouts involve muscles you didn't even know you had....

For some reason the last couple of days have also been empowering and positive. I generally try to avoid doing two days of training in a row. To be honest, at this age it takes a while for the body and the muscles to recover from the intense workouts but this is crunch time. Today I did an hour of spinning class and there was a puddle around me by the time the hour was over....

As of this morning I was 5 pounds over my weight limit which is pretty much where I need to be. But it won't be a fun week - I can tell u that. There will be a plastic suit involved at some point.

I don't plan to talk much about it all except for here - on my blog. I don't need extra attention focused it and figure this is pretty much contained. As with the event in Cleveland I'm focusing on this as an athlete first and everything else second. My enjoyment and respect for the sport, the athletes involved, and the people from here in Phoenix who have helped me train make me just another competitor, albeit with unique obstacles to overcome. It will all play itself out as it will and my expectations are realistic, I think.

Weather here in the Valley hits high gear this weekend. The high today was 103 degrees but they're talking 110+ temps by the end of the weekend. It's 9:30 at night as I type this and still 90 degrees (humidity is 15%). They said on the news that June is typically the hottest month here which I found interesting. I typically don't get tired of the heat until sometime in July - by then it's time to cool off.

Friends in other parts of the country look like they'll be having an interesting next few months, as well. Forecasters are calling for one of the most active hurricane seasons ever (read story here). I can't imagine what that will be like when it starts to churn all the goop spilling from the oil pipeline in the Gulf. The scenes are just horrific....

Healing is coming along although half of my chin is still as numb as a stone. Today is the 5-week mark and I'm continuing to hope it all comes back. Anyone who gets any facial work done will learn that the chin takes extra time to heal from swelling and general "trauma". I've only bitten my lip a couple of times so I'm being extra careful. I hope it all starts to come back soon. It just comes with the territory.

All in all I'm feeling pretty upbeat for some reason tonight. Of course, each day is a new adventure and things can certainly change but I'm feeling pretty good. For now.

The last 6 weeks have been full of emotional high highs and low lows. Preparing for an event like this requires a significant amount of energy and focus. I expect that, no matter what happens, there will be an emotional let-down after it's all done. I'm ready for that. Then - life goes on.....