Time is almost up!

Things I have yet to talk about before I leave September 6th:

Misommar

Euro Trip

Baseball progress

Swedish Mountains-camping

Finished Paint Job

and probably more filler stuff

Adds up!

I fell into a slump in terms of blogging and I apologize--blogging--what an annoying word...

As for now, I am no longer painting and camps do not start up until tomorrow, so I have much free time this morning while it pours outside the apartment. The weather has dramatically decreased, but in a good way---I love the cool weather, not the frigid, nor the humid heat, but that windy, dry, cool weather is perfect--and besides the rain, that is where we are at right now. I am getting excited to see those that I haven't been able to physically see, let alone talk to in a close to a half-year, but I am also saddened by the fact that I have met some incredible people and have lived a great life here in Sweden, and my time to leave is arriving. What is the cliche saying? "Bittersweet." that's it... Though this was an incredible experience and worth every minute, everything comes to an end, and that's okay, since more things lie in the future. I have met some interesting people, from Sweden and not from Sweden. For instance, a kid, 18 yrs of age, that has been recently coming to baseball practice, is from Nepal. He has lived a life completely different from anything that any typical suburban American guy has lived. Long story short, he grew up near the Nepalese jungle with tigers, monkeys, wild dogs, cobras, etc... He said that wold dogs are usually around town and that monkeys will swoop down and steal things from your backpack if they think there is food. The wild dogs have gangs and when paths cross, it can get ugly. He added that one could be walking and see a group of guys equipped with weapons such a swords on their backs. He fled Nepal in a van to Europe once he no longer had any family left in Nepal at 15 years old. He wound up in Sweden alone due to some misunderstanding, so he headed to the immigration office and they set him up with necessary Swedish classes, a Swedish father (good guy, but doesn't live with him), and a job. He is starting school next year and has hopes of going back to Nepal eventually, and hasn't heard from or seen his brother for four years or so. He has been living on his own since he was 16 in a country that is nowhere near home. A very nice and humble kid, he did not brag about his adventure, but rather enlightened us when we questioned. He has been stabbed and held at gunpoint. He complains of being bored as hell here in Sweden, and I can wonder why! A bit more laid back than a jungle. He was attracted to baseball since he saw us practicing as he was playing soccer in the fields next to the diamond. He was a big cricket player back in Nepal and has quickly picked up the game of baseball to some extent--naturally athletic. He said that him and his friends played all of the time back home, and since he cannot stand sitting at home alone in his apartment, he goes out and does whatever he can find outside of work--Where he is from, there is a lot going on around him in the city, so it is quite different from here, well that, and he no longer has his hometown friends around. I could go on telling the stories of this unique kid, but it is his life and I don't feel right telling the public of his years in Nepal, but I felt it necessary to tell a small portion since it is much different than anyone's I had ever heard. I know there are more stories from people all over the world much unlike mine, but that is what makes traveling and meeting others so fascinating--allows me to step back and be thankful and to also open up to new experiences and find more than Ohio. It really showed me how insignificant high school was! I mean while I was playing football and going to prom, he was dodging wild animals and trying to stay away from trouble with gangs. It's nice to meet those who make you think.

Erek and I recently returned from a trip with a friend (Morgan) on the team from his summer cabin (his dad grew up there), and the Swedish mountains for camping. We have been living in Gavle, close to the city, and have ventured out in Sweden for baseball and Midsommar, but it was nothing like where Morgan took us. It was a five hour drive Northwest of Gavle, and since I do not speak the language, the names of towns never stick in my head. A kids father from the youth team generously supplied us with a car while they were on vacation (too nice here!!). It was a small Toyota Yaris--pretty much a bit bigger than a smart car. We stuffed that thing full and bags and gear and headed for the mountains. The landscapes on the way were again nothing less than amazing. After our long journey, we stopped and parked at the bottom of an area surrounded by old Swedish mountainous terrain. A few parts were actually areas for ski runs, and Morgan noted that many cross-country ski/hike up the mountain and then ski down--talk about a killer workout. As we made our summit, I noticed that it wasn't too high--the Swedish mountains are very old--some of the oldest in the world--all of the ice and wind and wear and tear have chiseled them into beautiful, stony, landmarks. There were rocks everywhere and green grass, small streams and ponds of water. As we took in the vast picture of being on top--the fresh air--cool breeze, we began to realize that we were the only ones around for miles--very cool, erie feeling. Morgan added that the weather as acting very bizarre, in such that there wasn't any wind--normally wind floods the mountains, but rather several mosquitoes! Usually when you climb past the tree line, the mosquitoes are no longer a pest, but without wind, I suppose the sustain their flight for blood. It was quite annoying at first, but we got used to it--maybe not Erek, but for the most part, as long as we covered up, it wasn't much. We set up camp in a flat area that overlooked some small ponds. It was nice to know that we could drink the water straight from the streams with no problems at all. It tasted just like a bottled water from the store. Morgan is no stranger to the outdoors and camping, so of course he had the perfect equipment for everything. He had silverware, cooking pots, stove, lights, durable tents that folded into the size of a football, extra clothing, water bottles etc... The right guy to have on the hike. After setting up, we decided to make our way to the areas of water. The ground around the water was just like walking on a giant sponge--so soft and dense--there really wasn't any grass, but rather small bushes and shrubs that lined the entire floor of the mountains. We were on a mission for cloudberries--in Swedish--hjortron-- a bright orange/yellow looking berry that is very hard to find since they are temperature sensitive and only around during certain months of the summer. They grow straight from the ground in dense, saturated areas near water. They have a very unique taste of sweet and fruity, but unlike anything I have tried before. The jam is quite expensive to purchase. Morgan said that one can receive about 50 kronor for one kilo of berries (sell to restaurants and other stores). As we made our way down, we found several berries to try--best berry I have had. He still said there is usually more and the weather just wasn't helping out--apparently Erek and I bring bad luck because we never found a lot of berries as expected. As the day came to a close, we saw some reindeer off in the distance, but not much other wildlife. Morgan made some pasta for dinner and we crept into our tents--each one was double layered for protection and warmth, and each had two separate, storage compartments on either end for setting the backpacks outside of the tent while remaining protected from the outdoors. I flicked on a light and tucked myself into my sleeping bag, which of course reminded me of a giant Chipotle burrito--one of the first things I'll get when I'm back. It was almost more difficult to sleep at first since it was freakishly quiet. The comfortable sleeping pad and bag made it easy to get cozy with the cooler, mountain weather. I woke up a few times in the night, but overall slept pretty well. The next morning, Morgan was up and preparing breakfast--he was always on top of making sure we had the full experience! We had oatmeal with some flavoring added--like blueberry soup--we do not have packets of these mixes in the U.S.

We made our way back after compressing all of the camping gear back into our bags. It was an easier trip downhill and I had to at least go and explore part of a massive gorge created from years of natural wear and tear. It resembled somewhat of a "half-pipe" for giants. I carefully made my way through the craters and up the side of the massive cut-out. I ended up climbing an area that ended up in a dead end, plus we had to get going back to the car in order to get to Morgan's cabin at a decent hour. The rest of the way down was pretty easy--all down hill.

Morgan's cabin area was awesome. Reminded me much of my aunts place with the old pictures and wooden tables and furniture. Maybe it is a Scandinavian thing since my aunt (half Norwegian), has much of the same setting. We arose the next morning to a beautiful lake in the back yard.

CROSSFIT

I am not writing this to rant and make everyone go to the gym and push themselves beyond limits they never thought possible, sweat their ass off, grunt, yell, scream, cheer and curse at resistant barbells---that would be nice, but simply, I only want others to recognize the benefits and also to congratulate a friend on his triumphant display of strength and endurance at this years Crossfit Games. After beginning my post-college life, I stumbled upon a local gym outside of Columbus through some guys on my summer baseball team. They kept talking about this gym headed by this guy named Ralph that had some crazy workouts we could try for free. I was getting pretty burnt out on going to a recreation center riddled with retired elders by myself or one other and just simply lifting weights (you know, do sets of bench and squat then aux lifts like triceps, back and other smaller muscle groups, followed by some running or cardio). I still worked out fairly hard, but nothing like I was about to experience in the near future. I was also looking around for local kick-boxing or some sort of sport workout non-related to lifting in that sense--to be competitive, but also fun and a great workout. As I arrived, I was immediately excited. No machines, reception desk, pools, mirrors, sweat towels, water machines, tvs, treadmills, ellipticals etc.. Just one giant, almost warehouse-like garage-rental space with free weights, rings, running space, and other functional equipment not found at your "everyday" gym. Ralph was an ex-pro baseball player in the Astros organization who began giving baseball lessons and expanded into fitness, prompting him to open his own gym. A very nice guy who allowed us to come in and get a personal trained workout for free. Well, long story short, it went well and I kept going back at a low fee until one day he asked me to help him in training the growing clientele. I jumped on the opportunity right away since I was looking for other jobs upon graduating from school, plus I was always interested in the challenge of training and helping others realize that fitness pain is good pain.

After several months of training and learning about how to go about certain clients and using the best circuits for the most efficient workouts, I really began enjoying the atmosphere and the philosophy of functional, athletic movements. Most gyms and training have clients sit in machines and focus on single muscle groups; enough for a little burn and sense of accomplishment, but with nothing accomplished except a large chunk of money. Everyone looks for the easiest and least stressful way of getting into shape (it is shown in all of the infomercials regarding new stimulation ab-machines--"sit on the couch and get a 6 pack in 5 minutes!"), but the truth is, getting in shape is not easy, but in doing the work, it gives a much higher high than anyone ever understands! A lot of people that had arrived at our gym get frustrated and turned away because we flip tires, run, and do pull-ups, especially the women. There is a gym across the street that is available at much more money and is the "easy way out" because they won't flip tires there, lift barbells, jump onto boxes etc... and they also will not produce results--trust me--plus when one accomplishes the feat of flipping a 300 lb tire and completing 5 un-assisted pull-ups--mainly the women, it gives an instant feeling of power and strength--I mean how many women can say they can row 500m and then do 10 tire flips of 300 lbs or do 10 pull-ups and then jump onto a 2 ft box 20 times? Even with the men, doing something that sucks real bad is only going to feel twice as good afterward. Like anything else, it becomes easier, not in the work, but in understanding how to get through it--it is a mental makeover. It makes you feel more inclined to accomplish more outside of the gym, and to realize your body can go much further than you think. For instance, if you had to build a deck, paint the house, get laundry done, help a friend, and walk the dog all in about a couple weeks, you may have originally felt this to be a ridiculous amount of work, but after getting through a once-thought-impossible workout, it seems like nothing, or at least doable. I have gone into the gym too many times feeling tired and sluggish, not believing I would be able to complete a workout and getting through it--never gets old. Happiness lies in accomplishment and working out and fitness is that fuel for the drug of endorphins and immediate satisfaction. It teaches you to never give up on something, and if you try enough, that it eventually happens---sooo true... I don't know how many times I have failed getting a weight and on the 7 or 8 time, I had gotten it. Many people do not understand why I go through that kind of torture, but the fact is that most people never have tried. I think a lot more people would achieve or at least believe they could do more if they tried Crossfit or any fitness regimen just a few times. The reason I see this as so valuable is because not everyone is playing in front of 100,000 cheering fans each week, and intense training and accomplishment in a group is as close as one can get to feeling that adrenaline. Everyone needs a little "loud" in their life--so crank up the music and yell and scream and through some weight around--just meditation in a not so meditative way. I remember reading a quote from Muhammad Ali that talked about how he hated every minute of training, but he knew it was well worth it to get him to where he needed to be. I am sure he felt much better upon completing his workouts and having pushed through them. In regarding the Crossfit Games, Ralph and others mentioned this competition in the spring where men and women competed in certain workouts for prizes. I had heard of the Crossfit before, but did not realize there was a whole "games" and competition--I didn't think much of it in the past. With the games being only a year or two old at the time, a co-trainer and I decided to compete. After only a few months of training, it turned out that he was to advance to the final competition and I missed out do to a fault in pull-ups. That is another beauty of this growing sport--you have to be all around capable--able to lift massive amounts of weight, run miles, push body weight a high speeds and think on the fly since workouts aren't usually given until moments before you are to complete them. Workouts are for time, highest amounts of reps in time, maxing out, and distance runs. It is everything to solidify someone as being the fittest. Olympic lifts, rings, sprints, military obstacles--anything can and most likely occur--it's intense, fun, stressful, and rewarding all in about sometimes a few minutes. It exploited my weakness, pull-ups and therefore I did not advance--had I done well, I probably would have qualified. Graham, the co-trainer and friend went on to place 19th in 2009--pretty good for quickly jumping into the Crossfit community.

The following year, I worked on everything I could and advanced, but could had other obligations and did not make it to the regional. Graham, however, placed third in his region and advanced to the big show in California. Every year the stakes are higher and more and more people are catching on and becoming addicted. It is definitely a cult, either you understand it or you don't--there is certain terminology (workouts are named after people so everyone knows what you mean when you say you completed "Annie" in however amount of time). It has become a norm to take epic pictures at landmarks posing in certain lifting positions--it has been a fun time growing in the Crossfit community as it is on the rise. This year the competition was even tougher as expected. Many of the athletes that have been around since it started are still competing four years later and have made household names for themselves as "professional Crosfitters" in a sense. They are on the main website regularly, travel to promote and give fitness tips in the online journal. They are slowly becoming minor celebrities and in a starting point of California, they are well on their way to becoming at least as popular as the "strong man comp." guys. Graham went in as a definite, high competitor, but no one really said much regarding him as a possible champion--too many people in the Crossfit news regarded other more well known names to be crowned champion, especially the defending Finnish champ, Miko Salo. After competing with Graham for a couple of years (we would always challenge and go head-to-head on workouts to push each other-he usually got me on the body weight workouts and I usually ousted him with weight--of course, he is about 20 lbs less than me-but in Crossfit that does not matter--there is no weight class--no bitching, just do it), I could easily argue he would tear up the competition. After taking over another local gym and branching out and learning to run his own fitness area with another friend of ours, I wouldn't compete with him as much, but would hear the times he was posting and see videos from their site. Always disciplined and never one to stop short, he cruised his way to being the fittest man in the world. Crossfit is a lot of physical prowess, but more heart--you have to find that strength to go faster when it seems like your body is putting up a barrier---trust me it is okay to push through burning and fatigue--you wouldn't be able if it weren't good for you. Graham definitely has each of those. To be in the California heat, throwing a kettle bell over your head over a hundred times without dropping it once, coupled with running and pull-ups and a max overhead lift is enough to deter anyone away from the sport, but if you ever try anything close to it, you will understand why it is so appealing. Graham went on to surprise many and establish himself atop the ranks as the fittest, and this is merely a congratulations---many wonder how a physical competition of this sort is inspiring--how is it not? To out-compete thousands of competitors from across the world to become the lone man at the top is something everyone can relate too and dream for and accomplish. He prepared, stayed disciplined and always looked forward.

I am not saying everyone should drop what their doing and embed themselves in this fitness world, but I suggest that if your feeling bored, unhealthy and un-motivated, then find a local Crossfit gym and you will be back on top. You will probably hate it at first, but since when has something so good ever been liked the first time around--gotta go through discomfort to find comfort. I rambled a little throughout this post, but I just wanted to give a shout out to Graham and Ralph and everyone I have worked or trained with because Crossfit has given me a new outlet and way of competing and staying in shape after college and has been much more in so many ways. Don't get me wrong, I still love baseball and the other original sports, but Crossfit supplements my health to last in the various movements of those sports, so I and thankful. I only ask that maybe some of you will go to crossfit.com and read the journals and stories-- I bet you will want to start moving! I wouldn't write about this if it weren't worth it--- some other sites---

rhsportfit.com roguefitness.com

For those of you who read this blog--I know this isn't about Sweden, but I felt like writing about something that has been pretty big lately and more people should check in.. I will post more about my Euro experience later--this is just what I was feeling at the time--sometimes in writing you just gotta go with what you want to write about, not what you should.