Tales From the Milk Drinker

Last night I went to a clinic for new players in the Fredericton Ultimate Frisbee league. It was really fun and seeing as how I made it a point to make it a point to get out more I think I'll continue playing. The downside is that it costs fifty bucks to play, major bummer! Also for some reason last night when I got home I had the same thing happen that used to happen after broomball games - I found it very hard to get to sleep. I'm not sure if it's all that running within a couple hours of bedtime or if it's the huge meal I ate afterwards because I was so hungry that kept me awake but I did not get much shut eye last night. Oh well, it was worth it.

So Dr. G. Money did indeed recieve his funding to start his new project so I will indeed be becoming a master's student - that's what I'm doing for the next couple years after I graduate a year from now. I will be starting the project shortly and am looking forward to it, but also going to miss my lazy way of life I enjoy now. Today I trickled in at 9:30 and was still the first one into the room me and Sean and Ian work in. Later today we're watching this week's episode of trailer park boys which I'm looking forward to even though I saw it on Sunday at Neil's.

The Island was fun this week, Saturday night sat around with my brother and Adam Eddy eating a huge pizza and talking about how much we like the gym. Sunday saw me out at Neil's with him and Doug, enjoying Trailer Park Boys and some Chinese Sky Candy courtesy of neil. No plans for trips home in the super near future, probably make my way back there again in the general visinity of Father's Day. Would love to see a campfire event get put together for the cottage, I'll keep you all posted Neil Doug and Dan if you're going to be around.

Today we had our laser training at work with the guy from the company who made our laser. At first I was enjoying being free from my regular feeling of feeling like I should probably be doing something with my time, but then it was my turn to try tuning the optics of the laser. Wow it was frustrating! I felt like the guy from the laser company thought I was an idiot too so that didn't help me mood much, compounded by the fact that I started working at 4 and hadn't eaten since 1. (I think my blood sugar dive bombs at about the 2.5 - 3 hour mark). Tomorrow we continue laser training and now since I worked "late" tonight it means they owe me time in my screwed up little mind so I will leave a bit early on Friday to make it home to PEI at a decent time. It's weird, I've grown so accustomed to working short hours that when I actually do work and stay a full day I feel like they're cheating me. Cheaty McCheatertons.

I'm eating some oatmeal, a glass of milk and a banana right now. After this settles in I'm going to UNB gym to attempt to achieve a proper stimulus for muscular hypertrophy and if nature will allow it muscular hyperplasia. Tonight at home I'm making tortillia's (you know, with hamberger in them) and I was going to wash the car but I guess it's kind of crappy out for that. I think I have some dishes to clean and put away too.

Monday night the Rog (Roger Gillis) invited me to hang out for a while and it was really great, after all my griping about not having any social life. I guess it's better than I thought.

The Deadlift. It ain't over till the bar hits the floor! The bar and I have a combined weight of about 595 pounds. 

The infamous Bench Press. Wearing a lucky shirt given to me by the number one Canadian Powerlifter Darren Weatherbie. Thanks Darren! 

My squat. The face of intensity. I was just surprised by how well the bar moved so I yelled! 340 pounds baby! 

Well Saturday was my big powerlifting meet, the 2005 Nova Scotia Provincial Powerlifting Championships. I am proud to say the day could not possibly have gone better. I had an amazing amount of fun, didn't get hurt, and finished the day (I was 1% nervous about this because I realized that there's a rule that anyone who misses all 3 of their lifts in any event is not allowed to continue in the remaining events, i.e. someone who has 3 squats not deep enough is done for the day and this did happen to a couple lifters).

Actually I went 9 for 9 in the Powerlifting, getting full 3 white lights on all of my squats, bench presses and deadlifts which means I was able to do them to full compliance with the IPF rulebook which is really quiet an achievement - they actually mentioned me having a 9 for 9 day in the write up on the CPU webpage and a lot of people there told me I have picture perfect form, which is something I think I need to continue with.

I was able to achieve the title of 2005 Nova Scotia Provincial Junior Men's 100 Kilogram weight class Powerlifting Champion - I won my division! My numbers were:

Squat
130 kg = 285 pounds
147.5 kg = 325lbs (previous personal best)
155 kg = 340lbs (new personal lifetime best by 15lbs)

Bench Press ("with the clips, yup yup un hu that's right")
120 kg = 265lbs
135 kg = 295lbs (previous personal best)
142.5kg = 315lbs (new personal lifetime best by 20lbs)

Deadlift ("light weight, ya buddy" - this was actually yelled out by someone durring one of my lifts. It seems Ronnie Coleman had some followers in the audience)
157.5 kg = 345lbs (used to finish my goal of getting a thousand pound total between my best three lifts)
170kg = 375lbs (previous personal best)
177.5 kg = 390 lbs (new personal lifetime best by 15 lbs)

Total of best squat, bench, and dead = 475kg, 1045lbs (this is how the final scores are added up)

As you can see I destroyed my previous personal best in every lift, which I thought was just amazing and far exceeded my goal of just finishing the competition with at least 3 for 9 lifting, regardless of how light I had to go to do that. I hadn't factored in how pumped I would be for lifting in front of a room full of people and my brother and my dad were really great about cheering for me, and I seemed to be getting a great amount of support from people I'ld never actually met.

Meeting other lifters at the competition was great also, really nice to meet other people who finally "get it" when it comes to the way you like training. I was excited/nervous the night before so I hardly slept at all, maybe only like two hours but I was so running on adrenaline that it didn't matter at all. I'm already considering doing the Atlantic meet in September in Yarmouth, today I was on Mapquest and I saw it might not be too crazy long of a trip if I get the Digby Ferry from Saint John. There's rumblings of a possible meet in Charlottetown in December also and if they end up having one I swear I will miss final exams if necessary to train and lift in this meet.

I have some pictures I will post later, when i crop them down. My dad took them for me and he was actually unaware of the zoom on my camera so they're from a little far back.

I hope you're all having as good of times as I am!

I'm "at work" right now. I was drilling some holes in a block of aluminum but the machinist had to go to the bank so he booted me out of the shop. Since I'm getting over sore throatzilla I went out for a slurpie, came back and had a snack and he's still gone so I came to the computer lab.

Tomorrow night I leave for Nova Scotia where I'll be competing Saturday in my first powerlifting meet. I'm phyced for it too, the only thing in the back of my mind is wether or not I stand upright enough after I take the bar off the squat rack but I doubt it'll be a big problem. Tonight I'm going to get all my food ready so I'm not at the mercy of the golden arches or get stuck eating a crappy bag of chips or something.

Well hopefully Dennis gets back and reopens the shop soon so I can feel productive towards my work.