As wrestling and school get cranking in full gear here, I have less time to sit and write.  But, like any good teammate, I will not abandon my readers (if there are any).  My main focus right now is that of a wrestler and a student—not a writer.  Henry David Thoreau once famously wrote, “How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”  That is what I intend on doing, standing up to live.

Hopefully my results on the mat this year will speak for themselves.  I will do my best effort to keep passing along anything I can, but with less frequency.  I have a strong belief in quality over quantity, and I don’t want to bog readers down with the trivalities of my life (“Today I worked out, it was really intense!!!”).  Keep checking back for updates.

A lot of high school wrestlers ask me this question: What should I be doing in the preseason? In college, our preseason training is very structured, however high schoolers often lack this element. Here are my ideas on the matter; they are by no means the only or the best ideas out there, just some suggestions. In fact, many people will disagree with my methods, and that’s fine—I welcome any and all criticism.

First:

This is the time of the year to reformulate your style and straighten out any kinks in your technique. Let me explain: there are two scenarios, either you worked hard and improved over the summer, or you didn’t. Either way, it’s too late to change that now. If you worked hard and learned a lot of new technique, it is now time to consolidate your new technique and mix it into your repertoire. If you didn’t jump levels over the summer, well then now is the time to clear the cobwebs and try to get your groove back before the season starts.

The best way to do this is to get on the mat and experiment. Starting out, I would recommend finding a worthy practice partner and rolling around—nothing more. A lot of people hit the ground running and go crazy with live wrestling. I would say that it just isn’t worth it; the point is not to get in awesome shape overnight, but to get your feel back. Plus, the risk of injury is high when wrestlers are rusty.

So let’s say over the summer you learned a good finish on a single leg. It doesn’t do you any good to just know the move and say you know it. You must have the feel, timing, and reaction down pat. Feeling it out with a partner is an ideal way to push through the awkward phase of a new move and be ready to hit it when the season rolls around. Not just repetition (though this is very important), but innovation, improvement, and experimentation.

As the weeks pass, more live wrestling and hard drilling is crucial, but always remember to tweak your habits. Try new moves as you wrestle—through this trial and error, your technique will start to click. The best way to do this is to join a club or go to open mats where you will be able to experiment freely and have access to solid coaches to guide you.

Second:

You MUST get in shape during this time of the year. Many view the preseason as just another time to improve your overall conditioning. I see it slightly differently, if only in principal. I think that working out in the preseason should be intended specifically to give you a foundation on which to build during the season. Here is what I mean: if you go into the season out of shape, you will no doubt get whipped into shape by your coach eventually, but it will come at a cost. This cost is that this process will pointlessly wear you out and drain your body.

I’ve seen really good wrestlers come into the season looking good, but by the end they are so fatigued that they crash and burn. So I view the preseason as a time to get in shape for…getting in shape again. Again, nothing too serious at first, just some casual lifts and long distance, slow-paced runs to build this base. As you progress, it’s good to start upping the wattage by maxing in the weight room or doing sprints. One of the most important parts of lifting during this period is that it will help prevent injuries come wrestling season.

With your foundation set firmly, you will be in great position to make the most of the season and pull ahead of competitors quickly. Also, it will give you extra confidence knowing that you are starting out on the right foot.

Finally:

At this point—months before the season—weight should not be a central issue. It is something to be aware of, but not obsessed over. This means eating healthy and exercising, but retaining plenty of energy to focus on wrestling. This is a period measured not by the scale, but by improvements on the mat.

Remember:

Have fun.  Wrestling in the off season can be tedious and routine if you aren’t having fun.

As I move back into school this year, it brings me back to a harder time: the beginning of my sophomore year. My roommate, Thomas, and I had to completely repaint and fix up our new room, which was debris-laden and disgusting at best. Due to an error in the housing arrangements, we were forced to live in the basement of the house. The only problem was that it wasn’t actually a room, but the former kitchen. We hauled bag after bag of trash out before we could even move our furniture in. Upon moving in, we found three dead rats (one was cleaned to the bone) and scores of dead cockroaches.

On top of all this, the rigorous academic year had just started, and preseason wrestling was as grueling as ever. We were lifting three times a week and running more 400s that I could count on my fingers. Day-in and day-out, it was exhausting on the mind and body. Needless to say, I was very stressed out.

When all aspects of my life seemed dismal, suddenly there was a glimmer of light. That glimmer came when Thomas returned home one day with an Xbox and the game Guitar Hero. I’ve never been crazy about video games, and I had not played this one before, but I figured, what the hell, it’ll help pass the time. I was hooked immediately.

For those of you who’ve never played Guitar Hero, you’re missing out. Like I said, I have never enjoyed video games, but this one was different. Instead of a classic Nintendo controller, players use a near life-sized electronic guitar to simulate real play. You have to strum it and hit the right frets to play along with popular songs on the screen. I started off on Easy mode.

I’d like to say that I was a natural—that I took to it like a fish to the sea—but that would be a lie, I was horrible. I played on Easy mode for a long time, learning the ropes before trying the harder levels. A few times, I tried playing Medium, but failed right away. So I stayed in the kiddie pool, refusing to jump into the proverbial ‘deep end’. The game started to consume me and I played it incessantly, but I wasn’t getting any better. Then one time Thomas called me out, “You’re never going to get better unless you stop messing around on the easy levels.”

It was as if he had challenged my manhood. Was he calling me weak? I’d show him. So I took the plunge into Medium…and failed…then I failed again…and again. Determined to succeed, I must have failed 15 times before I could complete a song on Medium, but once I got there it was a breeze. Looking back, the Easy level was almost laughable. How could I have ever been that bad? So I played on, trying to master Medium.

Another time, my friend Rodrigo challenged me to a head-to-head match on Hard. I tried backing down, “No way, I’ll get my ass kicked.”

“Come on, man. You gotta try it sometime.”

“But you have to use all four fingers on Hard, there’s no way I could do that.”

Eventually he convinced me to play and proved me right—I got crushed. But I played on, and eventually I could manage on Hard. Looking back, the Medium level was almost laughable. How could I have ever been that bad? So I played on, trying to master Hard. You get the point.

Sometimes, the level above us seems daunting, so we avoid it. It is the Unknown and Unfamiliar, and it’s a little frightening. I was comfortable playing Easy, and winning. It is always comforting to know you can succeed without any challenges. The price of that comfort is that you never progress. When you stray from your comfort zone, it is not easy. There are new challenges and overwhelming obstacles you will have to face, but it is these struggles that define and sharpen your resolve.

This applies to all aspects of life; when you push yourself past your comfort zone, you are forced to adapt, quickly. In the process of ‘jumping into the deep end’ you perform on a higher plane and eventually make a distinct jump to a higher level. Think of the first time you did something scary and how uncomfortable you were. Push past it and it’s no longer a challenge. Take the jump.

Jump levels.

With my precious summer winding down, I’ve been seeking refuge on Cape Cod for the past few days. My grandparents have a peaceful waterfront property on the Childs River, which feeds out into the Vineyard Sound. Sitting around this morning, I felt the need for an adventure. I grabbed my Yellow Lab pup, Brando, and struck out in a rowboat for the unknown.

Down the river there is a huge chunk of land known as Washburn Island, which is uninhabited except for campers and picnickers who make the trip in boats. I rowed about three football fields downstream, pulled the boat in, and set off into the woods. Brando surged ahead, as if directly challenging me to a race. Barefoot and shirtless I thought, What the hell, I’ll go for a jog.

We ran the winding path a few miles to the end of the island. There are few simple pleasures in life as satisfying as a romp through the woods. Stopping, I looked around at the scenery and took in the salty sea breeze. This is the life.

Long distance runners often change up their training to get away from the monotony of laps on the track. A run in the woods is an ideal way to get some mileage and have fun at the same time. Runners even have a word for this, fartlek (seriously), which is stolen from the Swedish word meaning “speed play.” This method usually consists of a casual run through the countryside. It has become a training philosophy used by Olympians and casual joggers alike.

With my four-legged friend setting the pace, I turned my course about, continuing on my fartlek. Suddenly I took a wrong turn and lost my bearings.  I decided to bushwhack it, as newspaper headlines started zooming through my head. Search Continues for Missing Wrestler. We pressed on, my bare feet bruised and shins cut up from tangles of thorns that infest the island. I let Brando lead the way, thinking he’d use his animalistic instincts to get us back to the boat. We zigzagged through the woods, wishing I’d left a trail of breadcrumbs. After miles upon miles of wasted effort, we reached a beach. A couple picnicking there gave me directions and sent me down the shore.

The rocky beach and broken clam shells cut into my feet, so I took to the knee-deep water. This was a perfect resistance workout. I sprinted ahead, overtaking Brando in the deep water with my longer legs. This was the longest I’d run in years and it started to get to me. Completely exhausted, my stride started to shorten and my pace slowed. With the boat in sight, we sprinted the last 100 meters and both panted to the finish.

I rowed home and collapsed, completely spent. Going against the current gave me plenty of time to reflect on my trip. It was exhilarating; the combination of adrenaline and summer bliss formed a powerful stimulant. Though I had just tired myself to the core, I felt like I could do it all again a few more times.

Who says workouts can’t be fun too?