When I first started The Poet and The Platform, I took the time throughout several early posts to discuss my journey so far as a writer, hence the "Poet" portion of the title. Last week, on Radio 104.5 Philadelphia's PODCAST with Wendy Rollins and Paul Nance called Alter Natives, I had the opportunity to talk a bit about what that title means, why I write, and what it means to be a writer (I also got to geek out about the Pop Punk scene).
Apparently, I'm not just some power-lifter bro who likes to yell and lift things...
But let's be fair; a large part of me is still very much so just that haha.
So yeah, about writing:
I've been doing it for a VERY long time, and as I have recently just rounded over the age of 30 and gracefully made my way to 31, what I've realized is that I've been a writer for half of my life.
From fiction to creative non-fiction to slam poetry to pop songs to hardcore, I think it's safe to say that I've dabbled in just about all of it. Hell, I've even had the opportunity to write copy for various brands (*shadow high five to Don Draper* - SEE: Heavy Rep Gear ). Overall, it's been a great run.
But when people ask me about writing, there's always that question of, "So what have you been up to?" and then I say, "Writing," and then there's the question of, "About what?" and then I have to be self-absorbed and slightly pretentious and say, "Everything."
But it's true.
Because that's the only thing that can really keep you writing and motivated and optimistic. You stop, you die. It's that simple. When I say that I write about everything in every way, I mean it. It keeps the blade sharp. No one wants to stake a fighter who hasn't thrown a punch in years. So I write. Even this thing right here, this blog, has some work thrown into it. I write this to keep me sharp. I play around with sentence structure and diction and commas (or the lack thereof), and I try to keep a mental note. (Craft and structure matters, people. It's an art). And when I'm not writing, I'm reading. I'm reading blogs and articles and reviews and fiction and nonfiction and poetry and whatever else I can get my hands on.
Because no one wants a fighter who hasn't thrown a punch in a few years.
Writing is an aggressively messy practice, and if you're too afraid to get dirty, then it's not for you. But if you're down to make a mess like nobody's business...
... then full speed ahead.
When I did the pod cast two nights ago (Again, here is the link: http://www.radio1045.com/onair/off-the-air-wendy-rollins-36114/podcast-alter-natives-14353628/ ), I spent some time talking about a band called The Dangerous Summer, and I felt like I needed to share their first record with you all. I'd forgotten about it for a while and then picked it back up again for one reason or another... what a great decision that was:
This is the only song I could post to YouTube for some reason, but give it a listen and then check out the rest of the album.
As for the Podcast, Wendy and Paul will be doing shows weekly, and I cannot stress this enough: Listen to it, especially if you're a fan of music. I can promise you that you will find a few pieces of yourself buried in the awesome discussion that happens on that show.
A few notes on training:
Over the last two weeks, I've been having some fun with my training. I'd originally attempted to hit a workout called King Kong with a buddy of mine, but that fell through (#bourbon). Take a look at the video below to get an idea of what the workout entails. It's a throw-back video of Josh Everett doing it in like 3 minutes...
"I snatched 255 and clean and jerked 335 earlier today, so I guess that's like... a warm up."
Shut up, Josh.
A few notes about personal highlights: I managed to do strict FRAN in 10 minutes (my PR is 7:30). The video below isn't of me, but if you have no idea what I'm talking about, it gives you a decent idea of the workout. It's 21/15/9 reps of thrusters at 95# and strict pull-ups.
I felt like I was dying in a fire by the time I was done, and I was coughing for the next two days.
The following day, me, my coach, and a few buddies did an assault bike workout, too. That was miserable. Note the worst 3 minutes of your life: Max rep bench press @ your bodyweight. Then, 30 seconds max calorie on an assault bike. Rest 2-3 minutes. Repeat for 3 rounds. My buddy first suggested 10... then 5... but we eventually pulled the break at 3 rounds because we legitimately didn't want to die.
In other news:
I cleaned 250# for 3 singles. That was nice.
I snatched 155# for a single. That was cool.
I fooled around with a low-bar back squat and managed to smoke 295# for 3 with a 2-second pause in the hole.
I hit a 3 position clean at 225#.
A bit about de-load/off weeks:
At the end of the day, I train because I like to move and I think it's fun. If I wasn't making a run at nationals, I would probably do more of what you see above. It keeps the mind, body, and soul fresh. It also makes me feel like a god damn savage when I can carry a heavy, 30-inch bathroom vanity by myself from my car into my house alone. #reallife
I should be getting my program on Monday. Coach is changing things up a bit. It's looking like a 10-week squat cycle is on deck. See you all on the other side.
Be well,
C
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