Grady Robert Williams was born Sunday September 13, 2009, weighing 8 lbs and 7 ounces of peachy-cheeked blondness… or at least blond for now! Baby and mom are doing well, after a tough delivery.
Congratulations to Rob and Lori, who are not only IC Stars, but now also proud parents!
What an awesome crew – delivering ahead of schedule and beyond expectations. So many to thank, so little time: Lisa B, Ross, Calvin, Jill, Mel, Jen C, Melissa, Jared, Neil, Brooks, Eric F, Beth, Polly, Sam, Dona, Surya, Sara, Jeff D, Jess, Paul, Christina W, Craig, Jeff H, Steph, Barb, Kris, Brenda, Guy, Prateek, Pam, The Reeves, Danielle, Nick, and a special shout out to the IC design team: The Mecklers, Lorena, Daniel D, Tracy L! You guys rock like no other.
It’s coming together. 24 hours and counting…
Dona Savitsky
and Beth Wells bring it daily to the IC. Props to two very humble and dedicated athletes!
The 7am crew moving at its usual pace. Fast and furious.
Community Highlights:
Deborah hanging on.
Ben, Bill, Jen, and Tracy pushing forward.
Once we checked into our hotel in Chicago last weekend, Steve had his usual urge to go to the facility where our competition was going to be held in order to make sure we made it on time the following morning (nothing like getting lost in a state you’ve never driven in before)… but, instead of resting peacefully in our room in his absence, this time I was feeling pretty freaked out about different issues I carried with me from California. Once Steve left with the rental car, I ventured out into town by myself to let off some steam and hopefully get lost, away from my thoughts and fears. I asked for directions to the Magnificent Mile because I had heard Oprah mention it at the end of every show for the last 20 years. It turned out to be Michigan Avenue just two blocks down. Clearly one of the most tourist filled areas of Chicago, I was expecting the usual: cool architecture, great shopping, restaurants, and of course street performers. …but, just when I thought I had seen it all downtown, these two young men blew me away. I ended up staying to watch over three battles… and five songs later (mind you it had to be over 30 minutes of pure tap breakin’), I left totally inspired to celebrate physical movement, music & dance, and excellence in all forms. Perhaps they’ll have the same effect on some of you when you consider the training, the guts, the heart involved to pull this off on a busy street corner…
-Maya
Greetings to my fellow bootcampers and Ice Chamber enthusiasts!
Since returning from an incredible month of being a camp counselor at Plantation Farm Camp (How lucky am I!?), I have been involved in the Slow Food USA “Time for Lunch” campaign. This endeavor is aimed at improving school lunches on the national level, as well as teaching children healthy habits that will last through life. The Child Nutrition Act, which is the federal legislation that funds school lunches, is coming up for re-authorization and the time is now to make some much needed changes in what our nation’s children are fed.
A big part of this campaign are “Eat-Ins” which are all scheduled for Labor Day, and are akin to a virtual march on Washington. As of this writing, there are 281 scheduled eat-ins all across the country! I encourage you all to come to the East Bay eat-in at Martin Luther King Civic Center on September 7th from 11:30 to 3pm. It’s a pot-luck style picnic, and promises to be a fun time to share some food with your community, enjoy entertainment, hear some great speakers, as well as participate in a national show of support for changing school lunches. If you aren’t able to attend, please tell your friends, colleages, schools and communities about it! Please visit the website, and our local blog for more information. If you can’t make it to the Eat-in, you can sign the petition (PLEASE!!) and learn how to contact your legislators at the first link.
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/campaign/time_for_lunch/
http://www.sfebtime4lunch.blogspot.com/
We also hope to have a bunch of hula-hoops there, which are not only fun but promote physical activity, which as you all know is a big part of this picture. So come and show off your stuff!
Thanks for listening, and thanks for supporting the road to healthier food!
Tracy Tingle (devoted 9am’er)
“When Steve and Maya invited me to share an aspect of my experience in Chicago on the blog I was inspired to share something that might be informative to all of those IC community members who, like me, love Kettlebell Sport. This inspiration came as a result of having once again received generous and invaluable information from Master of Sport Catherine Imes as well as Master of Sport Marty Farrell. I continue to be deeply appreciative that such accomplished athletes take time to share their personal experience and knowledge so that new competitors such as myself can learn and progress.”
-Read more from Surya below video highlights…
WATCH Highlights from 2009 World Kettlebell Lifting Championships“Over the last couple of days I have had the opportunity to reflect on the rich experience of competing in Chicago. One of the many reasons I love Kettlebell Sport is that it is as much a mental sport as it is physical. Each time I compete I learn something new about myself, the sport, the critical importance of technique, and about how to be a better competitor. For me this competition illuminated the differences in who I experience myself to be when training in the gym as opposed to taking the platform. I am learning that there is both an art to training as well as an art to competing. The medium in which these art forms are practiced is in fact quite different.
While training in the gym I have creative control over each aspect of my training: the time of day, the music which elevates me, the individuals with whom I train, the focus of each training session, the food I draw energy from, the time I start a set, how long I want a set to be, etc. Each of these deliberate choices allow me to maintain an element of control over my training and have created an optimal atmosphere (calm, quiet, and out of the public eye) in which to learn and progress. I know how much sleep I need each night to allow my body and mind adequate rest time. For me, finding ways in which to feel in control in the midst of manipulating a 20kg kettlebell over extended periods of time have become essential to maintaining a calm and focused emotional state. Tuning in to the nuances which support my training as opposed to hindering it has been essential to my success. For the majority of my training sessions I am at peace, focused, determined, playful, and optimistic. I feel as though in many ways I have begun to master the art of training.
The art of competing, however, is one which I am just beginning to understand. While in the gym I experience myself to be calm and confident, I find it extremely challenging to maintain this inner quiet and self-assurance during the long hours of a competition. Regardless of the amount of hours I have put into training and the numbers I have hit in the gym, I have found it very difficult to be a confident competitor. I love the comfort of the gym and training in familiar surroundings. As an individual who thrives on routine, I have found the unpredictable elements of competition to be quite unsettling. Traveling long distances, crowds, inconsistent meals, lack of sleep, stress, the unknown of who my competition will be and what time of day I will be taking the platform, managing my own anxiety, sustaining excitement, and preserving energy can ultimately have quite an impact on my performance on the platform. As with many things in life, experience and self reflection have provided me with the opportunity to learn more about preparing myself mentally as opposed to just physically. Visualization, positive affirmation, self reflection, patience, and determination are all tools which I have begun to use to prepare myself for a competition. I have also begun to ask myself questions: How much energy can I afford to exert enjoying the company of my fellow competitors? Would I be better able to manage my anxiety if I distanced myself more from an event while waiting to take the platform? What types of food will sustain my energy? How do I remain calm and confident? How do I “warm-up” mentally?
My hope is that in asking these questions and reflecting on the positive & negatives of the experience, I will come to understand myself better as an athlete and as a person. The reality of competition is that it is grueling, emotional, vulnerable, inspiring, heartbreaking, and wonderful. Nothing is predictable or guaranteed and that is what makes it so exciting. Each time I decide to compete I know it will be an adventure, an opportunity to learn more about myself and others. That is the hidden gift in this experience–true self discovery!”
-Surya
