Start the Countdown - Glasgow 2014 #1YTG

There is only 1 year to go until XX Commonwealth Games - Glasgow 2014

Last week there was officially only one year to go until the start of the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. To me that meant two things... The first being excitement. It's an exciting prospect getting to the games and potentially competing for your country in the second biggest multi sport stage in the world. I keep on imagining how amazing it will be to walk around during the opening ceremony and watching the spectacle that Glasgow 2014 is going to be. It's going to be an incredible atmosphere. I was in the volunteer centre the other day and you got a snapshot of what its going to be like.

The second thing was as you would expect is nerves...they have their part to play, I still need to get there and qualify and that's going to be no mean feat as i've said before. I have started to use a bit of positive imagery - next year winning a match to secure qualification to the games, that is a phenomenal thought. It seems very far away and still very surreal. I've been sitting out injured for 7 - 8 weeks already. I'm on the mend though, that's for sure, the ribs are still sore at times (sneezing is probably the worst). I was out in the garden over the weekend trying to shift some rubble was doing a bit of digging, that gave me a twinge just on the rotation but apart from that i'm not too bad. 

Training with the SRU regional U18 squad

That said I have been back on the mat a few times, more recently to help Coach Cavanagh with a session for the Scottish Rugby Union U18 Regional squad, some good lads in there. They picked it up quite well and were working hard 95% of their maximum heart rate so felt the benefit. It was good. Before that the first couple of times I got back onto the mat was just training, nothing too intense no live wrestling and this week i've been back into full training. Just doing the basics and trying to build up my fitness. It was OK, but psychologically i'm not quite back to my best. The second time on the mat was a complete disaster. I was wrestling with Danny from the club, we were just going over stuff that we had done before and when we got to parterre (on the ground) I couldn't remember very much, i'm not sure if it was because I was feeling drained or whether it was just me struggling because I had been out for so long but it was pretty disappointing. Does that happen to anyone else? use it or lose it!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to taking to the mat again and really getting back into some sort of competitive wrestling this month. I might not be able to do much but I'm hoping I will be able to get myself into decent nick for the Tryst Lions Open at the end of September. The key is to not go back to soon after these sorts of injuries and I'm seriously hoping it heals before too long. I am not the biggest fan of resting and never have been but it is unbelievably important to rest . I mentioned above its more the psychological side of things that's holding me back at the moment. Not in a bad way but at training every time I land on the mat or try to rotate there is always that niggling feeling that you just don't want to go through that pain again, it's more than that even, it's a feeling that I can't afford another injury there isn't enough time and the only way to stop that is to get fitter, stronger and more flexible. I say that they you'll read that I ate that monster below, protein? 

Men vs. Food! 

Where am I now! Well... I've completed 3 weeks of pre-hab, that involved some body weight exercises increasing the reps each week and including some interval training. I felt pretty good about all that and decided I would take it upon myself to start increasing the weight. After 7 weeks out I managed to do 3 x 170kg deadlifts and 5 x 120kg squats ,  the deadlifts without straps or chalk which was pretty decent, squats, I could have done more but was very tired. I was happy enough with that but really need to get to work on my strength which is where I'm heading over the next 6 weeks, I really want those numbers to increase over the next few weeks. I actually managed to persuade an old friend of mine to get out to the gym last week as well, you may remember from my earlier posts, a fella called the bear - he has't been out to the gym at [EN]GAGE in ages and to wrestling in even longer so I dragged him out for a pre weekend shoulder session. It was pretty good we both enjoyed ourselves before heading out with Wife and Sister in law in tow to a restaurant called Shebeen - possibly my new favourite restaurant for a couple of reasons which I've highlighted in the pictures this week. Yep, Bear and I shared a 1.2kg burger patty. The bad boy was huge but we

taming the monster!

smashed it, you have to remember that Bear and I have a combined eight of 240kg so to much 600g each, its doable, the meat was incredible an it was delicious, although I don't think I will eat another burger in the near future!

I saved myself all day for it and next time I go i'm demolishing a Lion sized steak! I've heard good reports! It was an outrageous feast followed by a hilarious night. 
Speaking of hilarious nights, I'm headed down south to Bristol for my good friend Simmos 30th Birthday in a couple of weeks and which will be my penultimate consumption of alcohol up till my birthday next year at the earliest. I'm not a big drinker any more, but am not shy of a night out. My good friend Benfoolio is arriving from Australia at the end of the month meaning that I have to tend to tradition and introduce him to the Whisky experience and a few of Scotland's finest drinking establishments, we have a thing about super brews and they are going to be out in force for the few days he is spending with me. That's the social agenda for the next little while but more importantly...

I'm back to training this week with the Scotland Coaches and Team which i'm really excited about, I've got my training buddy Dave Simm with me and I can't tell you how much I appreciate him coming to the Emirates with me as a training partner. This next little while is going to be a big transition for me, another challenge to add to the list. If i'm going to do this, I need to get bump training up a  notch, sort the diet out and get myself fitter, faster and stronger than I have ever been in my life and i'm actually looking forward to it, i've enjoyed lifting the last few weeks and its a great feeling. Back into the groove!

The final thing to report on this week is that i've had my Glasgow 2014 Volunteer interview, if unsuccessful on the competitor qualification, and pending selection for volunteering, I will be at the games in the wrestling arena helping out. That's a bonus. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to compete in a home games but its also a once in a lifetime opportunity to volunteer at a home games So i've got my fingers crossed that i'll be at the very least involved in Glasgow 2014 in some capacity. 

In case you were wondering, tickets for the Commonwealth Games go on sale this month, if i'm successful in the Qualification then i'll be competing on July 29 at the SECC - Now that's a date for the diary!


Thanks for taking time out to read.

All the Best!

@shocksjr