BLOG.SPORTTALKWITHMYLESWETZEL.COM

Interview with Craig Sinclair

Myles — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:03:45 GMT

This is Craig Sinclair, a young Scott that I have had the pleasure to meet a few times at games. I really enjoy this young man. He brought his mom and dad to Loon this year and it really impressed me. The guy is young and has a big up side to his game. I expect big things from him in the future. So enjoy Craig and let me know what you think.

How old are you?

I was 26 on the 4^th of December

Where were you born?

Aberdeen,

Where do you live now?

Drumoak, a small village on Deeside 10 miles west of Aberdeen

How did you end up there?

It’s where my parents stay, and the living is easy

What do you drive?

Ford Mondeo

Are you a fast or slow driver?

I can be progressive!

What size shoe do you wear?

Have you gone green?

Not yet!!

What do you think about global warming?

We need some decent summer weather so if global warming is responsible for the poor weather we must reduce our emissions, and it’s never very warm in Aberdeenshire so this part of the globe isn’t very warm yet, I hope it’s not too late to reverse it but I some think we are farting against thunder

Do you recycle?

Sometimes

What do you do for a living?

Carpenter

How did you get into that?

A local joiner was looking for an apprentice. I was leaving school and wanted a trade so I was the man.

Tell us about your education?

Not much to tell other than I left school as soon as I could, after doing my standard grades.

As a kid growing up, what was your first job?

Driving the tractor on my grandfathers farm when I was still at school when they were lifting stones before the crop was sown, that was until I stuck the tractor in the soft ground, so I lost that job to my brother and then I had to lift stones too. Also worked in the kitchen at our local, Got paid for that.

When you grew up as a kid, what sports did you play?

None

Did you throw in high school and if so what did you throw?

There was no throwing at my school, competitive sports was not done at my school only on sports day and that was participation purposes only. They didn’t do competitiveness!!

Tell us about throwing in college.

I went to a Trades College, where there was no sports activities

How do you feel about American football?

Brock tried to explain it to me

You both are very respectful to others in the game, talk more about that respect and how you come about that?

I was brought up to be respective and it is easy to be respective towards people who are respectful of me

What does your mother and father think about you competing in the highland games?

They are pleased that I have a worth while hobby. My dad had never been to a Highland Games until I started competing, he hardly misses a games now so that kind of lets you know what he thinks about it, he supports my brother Grant just much.

What was your first Highland Game and when was that?

Braemar 1990, I was 4 years old, I was taken by my mother and her parents, who enjoyed the piping, can’t remember much other than it was a long day and didn’t want to go back

The next games I went to was Aboyne 2001, I competed in the Glenfiddich 17 – 25 y old competition, I was there a year early, only 16 but managed to place in some events.

Who was at that game?

At Aboyne there was David Dowson, Bruce Robb, I think that was his last year in the 17 – 25s, Craig Smith, Scott Sim. The Aitkens and the Gunns were there competing in the open and Bill Anderson was one of the judges.

What made you decide to try and compete at a game?

I found a 28 at my grandfather’s farm when I was 16 that the farm workers had used to throw years ago and my grandfather explained what it was used for so I started throwing it.Then my grandfather brought out a hammer and I was having a go with it,when his old pal arrived and started watching, and said that I should go to Aboyne games. So I did and I enjoyed it, I wasn’t last and got a few quid as well and the rest is history.

What is your favorite event?

Hammers

What is a common mistake you see people make in that event?

Starting with the hammer head in front of the trig.

I saw a big improvement in your hammers this year, what did you do to make that happen?

I started doing what my dad was telling me to do at the end of the season, parents don’t always nag sometimes they do know best!!

Talk about your game day shoes.

I wear astros most of the time but when it is wet I will use running spikes, rugby boots for the caber with long studs

Talk about using gloves.

My mum has a pair

What is your worst event and what have you done to bring it up?

The puts. I stopped practicing them and my distances went up

Who were the first people to influence and coach you in the sport?

The 1^st people to give me some proper coaching was Bruce Aitken and his father Bob. David Dowson was one of the first people that spoke to me at my first games and we have stayed friends. But when I was starting out every one had some advice for me and being on the same field as the Aitkens, the Gunns, Bruce Robb, Gregor Edmunds I was always going to learn something, good or bad!!

What were your favorite games?

Aboyne, these are my local games. A great atmosphere for a heavy, the crowd is very supportive and they stay to the end. I also enjoy Lochearnhead, great setting, very traditional. friendly people and the after games party is great

Do you have any game or lifting rituals?

I pack my bag the night before and double check it several times. I always have my porridge before on games day morning.

Who do you enjoy competing with and why?

Bruce Robb, his moaning makes me realise that there is always somebody worse off (but it’s not as bad he would have us believe) but he is always the first to congratulate when you have done well

Stuart Anderson, he tells me when I’m moaning!

But I enjoy competing any way and if we are all having a good time that is the main thing

Let me mention some of the throwers and let you comment on them

Betz; A true gent and always very supportive and a helluva competitor who’s always there or there about at the end

Hadley: I enjoy his company a lot, but I won’t let him book flights for me again.

McKim: One of the politest people I know. Very strong and will be hard to beat

Poke; Mike has worked hard on his techniques, a family man

Brock; Missed his patter this season, one of the first to make me welcome when I was competing in America, hope to see him back

Talk about some of the throws, games and moments you are most proud of.

108’ heavy hammer in France with no boots as the airline lost my bag. Also pleased with all my ground records, some had stood for a number of years and had been set by some good throwers

Talk about training and your philosophy in the area of throwing?

Weights in the winter are important for building strength and conditioning but we are throwers and I think it is far more important to practice technique. To quote 2 people that have been there and done it; Ryan Vierra “if your throwing your lifting”, Bruce Aitken “good technique will beat strength”. So I would rather practice technique when I can, rather than get excited about massive weight numbers.

When you peak for a game, how do you structure your week prior to that game?

Peaking for a games is not easy when you compete every Saturday and Sunday and some mid week games too, if you are on you are on. This is something my brother Grant and I have spoken about so we will see

Talk about then how you structured your week in season with no game that week.

There is not a week during the season that there is not a games but I try to rest on Monday and then throw, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and rest Friday, I have a physical job so it can be quite hard to get going some nights.

Talk about the length of your off season and what your trying to do in that, phases and goals.

The off season is almost 8 months. I split the off season into 3 phases, firstly by doing conditioning and then strength work followed with speed work.

Tell us about some of the injuries you had as an athlete.

Worst injury was pulled muscles on the right side of my rib cage throwing the hammer at the beginning of 2010, took a long time to heal and get my confidence back to throw the hammer

Who makes you laugh at games now?

Kerry Overfelt and Mark Valenti, those two are double act. Gregor Edmunds has some wild stories, Dowson’s poetry is very funny, Alistair Gunn’s put downs and there is always some judging that will make you laugh!!

What training philosophy do you follow in the gym?

I haven’t done it long enough to have a philosophy, I am still learning.

When did you start lifting weights and what got you started?

I started lifting weights in the winter of 2009 because people were asking me what I was doing in the gym, so I thought I had better step it up.

What lift is your favourite and what is your best?

I enjoy front squats.

What do you like to do outside of the games?

I like going to the cinema.

If you did not do highland games, would you be involved in another sport?

I keep getting asked to play Rugby, so I might have tried it.

You do Loon and they have a very popular masters class, do you ever see yourself throwing at that age and with that group?

If I get the chance and if I stay injury free

Do you like a D ring or a Circle ring on the implements?

It really doesn’t matter to me, as I get told; it is the same for every one.

What is different about games in America compared to other places you have competed

The only athletics at games in America is the heavies where as in Scotland there are also light events such as running and jumping as well as tug of war. Some of the games on the European mainland have some strong men events. The highland dancing is as competitive in America & Canada as in Scotland. The pipe bands always seem to have a big following where ever you are at.

The rules are a bit different in America (and can vary in Scotland too). This must be the only sport that has so many variations of the rules. I would like to see the same rules all over.

The American games I’ve been to have a lot of musical acts that bring in their own crowd just to see them. This is something I think that could be done in Scotland to generate more interest and revenue in the games in Scotland.

My parents were at Loon Mountain this year and they travelled in the shuttle buses to and from the games every day and they were surprised by how many young families were going to the games, including teenagers, compared to Scotland.

Tell us something we would not expect about you, something you like to do.

I used to make model cars when I was growing up.

What other hobbies do you have?

What is your favorite food?

I like smoked haddock with poached egg and rice

What is a favorite dessert for you?

Jam sponge or rice pudding

At your house do you cook on the grille?

BBQ in Aberdeenshire? Hardly ever.

What supplements do you take?

I take protein shakes when I remember

Talk about drugs you use, and I don’t mean steroids. I mean anti inflames or something prior to training to get up.

I only take prescribed anti inflammatory if at all. Not worth the risk other wise

What do you drink with a meal at home?

Orange juice

Tell us about the rest of your family.

I have 2 brothers, Grant (22) he is a student and competes in the heavy events, he won the under 25s this season, he likes his games a lot, he broke his ankle, needed screws and plates, 8 weeks later he was back competing.

My younger brother Murray (17) is showing little interest in the games at the moment but you never know.

What faith do you follow?

Do you mow the grass?

If I get moaned at enough I will go do it to keep him quite

Are you a cat or dog person?

We have a cat

Are you conservative or liberal in your politics?

Are you into Astrology? What sign are you?

Are you superstitious? Or a Stevie Wonder fan?

I have a pair of kilt hose I have had for years that I will wear when results haven’t been going my way

Talk about some of the music you listen to at different times.

When I’m going to the gym or the games I listen to Limp Bizkit, rage against the machine, Van Halen, White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys, Eminen, Led Zeppelin, Black Keys, Marilyn Manson, Biffy Clyro.

Where do you like to go out to eat?

Garlogie Inn, this is a small Country Inn where we have been going to for years

Tell me about the following foods and if you eat a lot of them;

Beef; Nothing like Scotch Beef

Pork; I will eat it if it is put in front of me

Chicken; I eat a lot of chicken, cold, Roast, it doesn’t matter

Tofu; never tried it.

Sushi; not for me

BBQ; Hardly ever !!

Do you have a favorite dessert?

I still like Jam Sponge and Rice Pudding

What do you like to watch on TV?

Top Gear (our version), American Chopper, and Any motor sport

Are you a western movie or sci fi person? Tell a favorite.

I like both; Predator and John Wayne’s True Grit, but there are some good one liners in the Jeff Bridges one.

What are the goals for this year?

To get better at every thing

Thank you brother.

Interview with Andy Vincent

Myles — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 23:45:36 GMT

How old are you? 33

This is Andy Vincent, I interviewed his brother last week. This is the older brother and the guy who does strongman and highland games. Very nice and respectful people again and a guy with a lot of information. Real strong guy, and another up and comer. I like the way he throws weight for height. So enjoy and give me some feedback on this.

Where were you born? Lake Charles, LA, but grew up in Sulphur, LA

Where do you live now? League City, TX

How did you end up there? Work. The company I was working for at the time transferred me.

What do you drive? GMC 1500 Crew Cab

What size shoe do you wear? 15

Have you gone green? Not so much

What do you think about global warming? Al Gore may not have invented the internet, but he did invent global warming.

Do you recycle? I do. League City has a curb side recycling program, which I think is cool. If they didn't I probably wouldn't, because I'm lazy.

What do you do for a living? I'm a Business Development Manager for a specialty contractor that performs heavy mechanical work in oil refineries and chemical plants. It's a fancy way of saying I sell people.

How did you get into that? My very brief NFL career ended with the Miami Dolphins in 2001. My wife and I are both from Louisiana, so we moved back to Sulphur and bought our first home there. I have a business degree, and petrochemicals are the biggest business on the Gulf coast, so I figured I'd wind up in that industry in some way, shape, or form. I saw the writing on the wall in Miami, and sent out resumes to everyone I could think of during the season, planning on taking a real job after moving back to Louisiana. I took a position with a great small company, and spent the next 8 years with them.

Tell us about your education? I graduated from Sulphur High School in 1996 and Texas A&M in 2000 with a BBA in Management.

As a kid growing up, what was your first job? I did odd jobs at a lumber yard when I was 15.

When you grew up as a kid, what sports did you play? Everything...soccer, baseball, basketball, then football when I got older. I started throwing in middle school and stuck with it through high school, though football was my primary focus.

Did you throw in high school and if so what did you throw? I threw shot put and discus, but wasn't very good at either. I was state runner up to a monster who was throwing 68' and going to Arkansas on a full ride.

Tell us about throwing in college. I didn't, but I did play football, which was a great experience. The years I spent playing football at Texas A&M was one of the greatest times of my life.

How do you feel about Alabama winning another championship in football? I think that they're going to have a heck of a time doing it against LSU, but I'm looking forward to the rematch!

Talk about your brother and his throwing. Matt is great. I've learned so much from him, and continue to do so. He has a natural talent for explaining things and breaking down the throws in a way that even a non-throwing meathead like myself can understand.

What do you think about this incredible year Matt has had turning pro? I'm not surprised at all. Matt is very talented, and works as hard as anyone I know. This season he decided to make throwing a priority, and once he sets his mind to something, watch out. Without sounding too much like a big brother, it's been awesome to watch him and the improvements he's made this season. I'm looking forward to sharing the field again with him next season as pros.

You both are very respectful to others in the game, talk more about that respect and how you come about that? We're new to this scene. There are guys that have been top level throwers for longer than I've been throwing, and you have to respect that. No different than the upperclassmen I played with in college or the veterans in the NFL, those guys have paid there dues and helped make the games what they are today.

What was your first Highland Game and when was that? November 2008 in Jackson, LA. Kay Cummings hosted North/South that year, and held an open amateur competition as well.

Who was at that game? Open ams included me, Matt, and Travis Ortmayer, and North/South had guys like you, Gillingham, Gustin, and others I know I'm forgetting.

What made you decide to try and compete at a game? I had started training strongman with Mark Cummings, who was the North American Strongman (NAS) State Chair for Louisiana. He also competed at the games, and encouraged us to give it a try. Like most of us, I always thought the highland games looked like a lot of fun, but had no idea how to get involved.

What is your favorite event? WOB

What is a common mistake you see people make in that event? Spinning, ha! Seriously, people don't get enough out of their lower body. The legs and hips are what drives that throw.

Talk about your game day shoes. Like many of the Texas throwers, I use javelin boots. The spikes offer just enough traction to drive off of, but don't impede turning. You can also vary the number and height of spikes to fine tune for individual field conditions, though I rarely do that.

Talk about using gloves. I use a glove on ring handle weights. The main reason I started doing this was for training volume. I can take a huge number of throws in training with my glove without hurting my thumb. I use a plain leather work glove, though I am experimenting with thinner leather gloves my wife found for me.

I use cheap baseball batting gloves in the hammers. I started doing this because 1) I sweat like it's my job, and 2) tacky turns to snot during Texas summers. I kept using them because tacky always sticks to the gloves, and it makes cleanup super easy. Again, because I'm lazy.

What is your worst event and what have you done to bring it up? Hammers are my worst event. I've watched a ton of video and have been taking a ton of reps in training. I have about a thousand to go, then I should be decent, ha!

Who were the first people to influence and coach you in the sport? Mark Cummings is who gave me the opportunity to do my first games and train with the implements, but after that the North Texas Heavies have been great, as has Jonathan Irvin, and of course my brother.

What were your favorite games? Enumclaw was my first, and only, "big" games so far, and getting to share the field with guys like McKim, Frasure, Betz, Zolk, and KO was pretty awesome. Those were guys I was watching on YouTube trying to learn how to throw, and to have a chance to compete with them was just incredible.

Do you have any game or lifting rituals? Like Matt, I have taken to getting a pedicure before a games. I did it the first time on his insistence while serving as his best man. I had a games shortly afterward and threw well, so I've been doing it ever sense. Plus, it makes me feel pretty. Look good throw good!

Talk about doing strong man and the difference in the competitors and the events from Highland games. Highland games are much more laid back, I think just due to the nature of the events and the thrower mentality. Pro strongman contests are better then amateur ones, where it's just a bunch of guys with bad tattoos mean mugging each other to worse music. Like the games, pro strongmen are, for the most part, very supportive of each other.

The events, especially at the pro level, are infinitely more demanding than the games. For a games, I'll taper my training slightly during the week leading up to the games, then may take a day or two off the following week for recovery. For a pro strongman contest, I'll taper 2 weeks out, do nothing but stretching, recovery, and mobility work the week before, and do nothing but recovery work the week after, because the contests take so much out of me. They're brutal.

Who do you enjoy competing with and why? Matt is my favorite person to compete with. We grew up competing in everything from driveway basketball to video games, and we bring out the best in each other. He's my best friend, and there's no one I'd rather share the field with.

Let me mention some of the Texas boys and let you comment on them

Spencer; Deceptively athletic. One of the most explosive throwers out there, and owner of the finest beard in the games.

Baab; YouTube Masters of the Gridiron, it will tell you all you need to know about the Baabarian. I hope to be half the man he is when I'm 50.

Duncan; Improving at a frightening pace, and the ladies swoon when he shakes his hair out. Watch out for this guy next season.

Quint; Phenomenally strong, and exceptional at the fine art of ball busting.

Talk about some of the throws, games and moments you are most proud of. Throwing 41' 3" on my last throw in the Braemar at Enumclaw to win the event and set a new field record, and throwing 18' in the WOB in Austin to take the Amateur standing record back from Matt, who had taken it from me earlier in the season.

Talk about training and your philosophy in the area of throwing? Right now, it's repetition, repetition, repetition. I'm just trying to build muscle memory so I don't have to think so much on game day. With Matt's help, I'll also be training more like a thrower, where I'll be moving away from training heavy all the time to focusing on speed work in season.

When you peak for a game, how do you structure your week prior to that game? I'll be in the gym early in the week and throwing more later in the week. Again, this is an area that Matt is helping me tremendously.

Talk about then how you structured your week in season with no game that week. Normal 3 days a week of lifting and 2 or 3 days of throwing.

Talk about the length of your off season and what your trying to do in that, phases and goals. Pure off season, with no games, is from November to March this year. I'll throw in the North/South games in January and my last amateur games in February, but will not alter my normal off-season strength training for them. My 2011 was strongman heavy at the end, so after experimenting with Power Factor training for about 8 weeks, I decided to use a block periodization program that Matt has been so successful with. Right now, I'm into the second half of my strength phase, which is 10 weeks of relatively heavy lifting, with the primary focus being increasing maximal strength. Next I'll move into mini-cycles of speed and strength work as I get into the season, and finally pure speed work and throwing as the season progresses.

Tell us about some of the injuries you had as an athlete. As an offensive lineman, I've broken and dislocated too many fingers and toes to count. As for major injuries, I dislocated my left shoulder and had a left knee hyper extension and 2nd degree MCL tear in 1998.

Who makes you laugh at games now? Matt and Spencer, especially together.

What training philosophy do you follow in the gym? After being a die hard Westside (conjugate method) follower the last 3 years, I'm switching to a block periodization program this season.

When did you start lifting weights and what got you started? I started seriously lifting as a freshman in high school, when I was 14. I always lifted for sports, either football or track.

What lift is your favorite and what is your best? Squatting is probably my favorite, though I'm a much better overhead presser than I am a squatter.

What do you like to do outside of the games? Hanging out with my two boys. Playing in the yard, playing LEGOs, whatever. They're soon to be 4 and 7, and I love spending time with them.

What other hobbies do you have? At the moment it's really just lifting, throwing, and strongman. Work and family take up the rest of my time, though I do enjoy video games. I'm just a big kid!

What is your favorite food? Tough one! I'll eat just about anything, but a good cheeseburger, fries, and a cold beer are tough to beat.

What is a favorite dessert for you? Pecan pie and Bluebell Homemade vanilla ice cream, and it's not even close.

At your house do you cook on the grille? Absolutely! Burgers, chicken, steaks, fish, I love cooking outside.

What supplements do you take? Chronomass protein from Conquest Nutrition, HMB, multi-vitamins & fish oil from Wal-Mart.

Talk about drugs you use, and I don’t mean steroids. I mean anti inflames or something prior to training to get up. SuperCissus from USP Labs for joint support and Jack3e and Modern BCAA from USP Labs for pre workout.

What do you drink with a meal at home? Mostly water, milk occasionally. I used to drink a lot of milk but have gotten away from it. Less milk seems to make me less bloated.

Do you live in a house, apartment or ? A house.

Tell us about the rest of your family. I've been married to the most amazing woman on earth for 11 years, Diya, and we have two boys, Payton will be 7 in March, and Lyndon will be 4 in January.

Growing up and fighting with your brother, tell us some of the things you broke or a memorable throw down. As kids, he broke his arm while we were playing some stupid game that involved him jumping off the bed, and me trying to trip him. I won, we both lost. He tried to cut my finger off with a can knife (think machete) while we were doing yard work for my dad while I was home for Christmas break in '98, I think. Partially cut tendon and 4 stitches for that one. Driveway basketball games were often epic and result in both of us bleeding. One of the carport posts at our house was part in bounds, and we'd use it to set pics on the other. That, and since neither of us were "finess" players, there were lots of elbows thrown.

What faith do you follow? I'm a Christian. I grew up going to Catholic school and was raised Methodist, and the older I get the less use I have for organized religion. I don't need man getting in the way with my relationship with God.

Do you like to garden? I like to mow, I hate maintaining my landscaping.

Do you mow your own grass or do you have a man? I mow. Like a lot of folks in the 'burbs, I have a pretty small yard. I can weed eat, edge, mow, and have everything cleaned up in less than 45 minutes. Hard to justify a yard man for that.

Are you a cat or dog person? I grew up with dogs, but we have 2 giant black cats now. They're 16 and 20lbs, and rather entertaining.

Are you conservative or liberal in your politics? Conservative, though I seem to be leaning more libertarian.

Are you into Astrology? What sign are you? I'm a Gemini, but that's about all I could tell you.

Are you superstitious? Or a Stevie Wonder fan? Best question phrasing ever! I'm not really superstitious, but I respect things like that.

Talk about some of the music you listen to at different times. I'm into lots of different things, just typically not Top-40 stuff. I'm into the Black Keys new album at the moment, as well as Tim Barry. Workout or pre-games music will often include Dropkick Murphys, Kanye West, Flatfoot56, King Fantastic, The Sword, and old Metallica. LIke I said, I'm all over the place.

Where do you like to go out to eat? I love Mexican and Chinese food, so those are always winners.

What do you like to watch on TV? I've been following Boardwalk Empire and The Walking Dead, though I've been watching more football since my son has started playing.

Are you a western movie or sci fi person? Tell a favorite. Both. Favorite Western is The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, and favorite Sci-Fi is Alien.

What are the goals for this year? Finish in the top 10 with invites to IHGF Worlds and Celtic.

Thank you brother. Thank you, Myles!

Matt Vincent

Myles — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:58:31 GMT

Matt is the new pro on the block and a good one. His first year on the pro side he did some amazing things and got second at the worlds. I was there for the event and he was impressive. Some of the most explosive throws you will ever see and a very technical guy also. A young man that is very respectful and I enjoyed his company. As you can see he writes a lot and has his own blog that has a lot of good info. So enjoy Matt Vincent.

Matt has a few sponsors that help him

Sport Kilt, USPLabs, and Conquest Nutrition.

Here is his blog addy http://thedriftalifta.blogspot.com/

How old are you?

Where were you born?

Lake Charles, LA I grew up in Sulphur, LA.

Where do you live now?

Baton Rouge, LA

How did you end up there?

I was asked to walk on to the track team at LSU. Once I started college it is where I have decided to stay.

What do you drive?

Dodge RAM 1500 HEMI GO!!!! It is a company truck.

What size shoe do you wear?

Despite lying to myself during high school and wearing a size 15, I think I thought that if I had big shoes I would eventually get taller and grow into them. I wear a 13 now.

Have you gone green?

I use a reusable water bottle, but other than that probably not.

What do you think about global warming?

Do you recycle?

No where I live we do not have recycling bins if we did I would though.

What do you do for a living?

I do outside sales for an Industrial hardware and distillation internal manufacturer. So what I actually do is sell specialized hardware to the petro chemical industry. I travel quite a bit since my sales area is described best as not Texas.

How did you get into that?

I worked for another company doing work in the refineries, then started doing sales for them. After that the company my brother was working for was looking for an outside sales guy. They offered the job I took it. So basically nepotism.

Tell us about your education?

Graduated from LSU where I studied to be a general.

As a kid growing up, what was your first job?

I worked at a pet shop in middle school.

When you grew up as a kid, what sports did you play?

Pretty much everything available soccer, baseball, football, basketball and track in middle school.

Did you throw in high school and if so what did you throw?

In high school I threw shot and discus. I was bad at discus throwing about 100’-110’ if I remember. Shot was different I threw 59’11.75” and won two state championships.

Tell us about throwing in college.

Throwing in college was a lot of fun. I wish I would have been as focused on it as I am now. I had a couple issues with coaches that I did not mesh with. Other than that it was great experience. Our team won 4 national championships while I was there. I learned a lot about training and throwing.

Talk about your brother and his throwing.

It has been great over the last five years getting a chance to compete with and against him. Whether it was strongman or Highland games it has been great. We are very close and talk everyday for the most part. While growing up we were never on the same teams since he was 4 years older. He got out of HS before I started.

Tell some about Andy’s competing and what he does and his influence on you.

Andy has taken great to the games. He is a lot of fun to train with when we get the chance. Getting a chance to work with him while I was doing Strongman was fun. I knew due to previous injuries that I was not going to be able to get where I wanted in that sport. While training for strongman three years ago, that is what really sparked my interest again as an adult in strength sports. He has been great motivation and always been a great influence for me. We did our first games together and we have been hooked since.

The games have been a change for us since right now I am throwing better than him. I think this is the 1^st time in our sports career that I have been better than him in what we are doing. I am glad I have a couple hundred thousand throws reps to fall back on. He will get it all together and be a great thrower as well, I just have to take this time to make as big a gap as possible.

What was your first Highland Game and when was that?

Jackson, LA. In November of 2008.

Who was at that game?

It was the North vs. South game. I think you were, Kay Cummings, Keven Dupuis, Jeremy Gillingham, and plenty of others.

What made you decide to try and compete at a game?

It was a natural path as a thrower but just like strongman I had no idea it was as available to compete like it is.

What is your favorite event?

Open Stone

What is a common mistake you see people make in that event?

The number one thing is people not using a left side block.

Talk about your game day shoes.

Ok well I am a bit of a gear junkie. This is a carryover from my days of Powerlifting and Strongman. So I think in my box I have hammer boots, javelin boots (these are for all the distance events and sheaf), and I use weightlifting shoes for WOB. I also carry throwing shoes as well as soccer cleats. I hate not having everything I want.

Talk about using gloves.

I use a simple leather glove from Lowes. The biggest difference in the games for me using it or not was the amount of volume I can handle with it versus without. I like to take a lot of training throws and warm-ups. Consistent repetition is what helps me get better. For example it is not uncommon for me to take 40 HWFD throws a week during the season. Without the glove my hook grip kills my thumb. Using tape helps but even then it is just not great I will lose a thumb nail every games without it.

What is your worst event and what have you don’t to bring it up?

Hammer and Caber for sure are the biggest hole in my game. To fix it I am spending a ton of time working both events. I also built a caber this off season. Like I said I need the repletion on implements to get good at them.

Who were the first people to influence and coach you in the sport?

There is a local guy who does strongman Mark Cummings and he was the guy who originally got me into both games. He had equipment and some of the basic ideas down.

Talk some about throwing games as an amateur, what games you did and where.

I like to compete and for the last two years have done 15+ games a season. I have competed in lots of different places. Here are some of the states I have thrown in over the last two years: PA, TX, NC, GA, FL, CA, WA, NH, MN, OK, NE, TN and I know I am missing something. I travel a lot for work so I try to catch games while also out on the road where ever I am.

What were your favorite amateur games?

The amateur world championships in MN were great games both years I had the chance. Pleasanton was lots of fun as well and legendary. Loch Norman is a lot of fun as well. Enumclaw however is probably my favorite. I love throwing off that surface in throwing shoes. Iron thistle is a great game in OK. All of the TX games were amazing, we were really lucky to have well run games and a Super A class the whole time I have been competing. Over the last three years if you can win in TX you can win anywhere. I also really enjoyed the Maryville games in TN.

But my favorite is probably Enumclaw and Pleasanton.

Do you have any game or lifting rituals?

As a thrower in college I have some repetitive moments that I do. For example on Stones I kick the toe board with my left foot before each throw and look at the sector. This is habit from college. As far as anything else I have purposely work really hard on getting rid of anything major since things can change so much game to game.

The only note able competition ritual for me is having my toenails painted. I have been doing this since college and it has always worked. I don’t argue it.

Talk about some of the pro games you have done and your favorites.

Well I am a new pro so I only have two “pro contest” under my belt. I will consider Enumclaw a pro contest as well though I just happened to qualify for it. I have spoke about how much I love Enumclaw. With that said the IHGF World Championships in NH were great. I have wanted to compete at Loon Mtn since I was just doing Strongman. So getting a chance to throw there was really an honor some amazing athletes have done battle on that field.

Second place at the worlds your first year pro, tell how that feels.

It has been a lot of fun. I am glad that I got the opportunity through the IGHF Amateur Worlds to get a shot at the big dance. That game really was perfect for me. I was in a great position to come in and succeed. Being new and my first pro games some people may have had some nerves or felt pressure on them. After talking a bit with Mike Pockoski it really cleared my head. It was clear that no matter where I finished people were going to be impressed. So I went out and threw hard with nothing to lose. I came in second and the points at the end make it look closer than it ever felt with Dan. I have always been a gamer and want to compete with the best. Dan was the man all last year and that was the 1^st time I got to share a field with him or meet him. I now know where I stand in regards to all the top guys, there is no room to make mistakes at that level.

Talk about being explosive, is there anything you think others can do to make that happen for them. In other words tell me how I can be that way.

One of the old mantras I have always heard was squat for strength and jump for speed. I do bounding as well as spend one of my training days doing Olympic movements.

Who do you enjoy competing with and why?

I always love getting to throw with my brother. I am so happy this is something we can share as men. It always brings me back because we are typically talking trash and making fun of each other like we are kids. He is my favorite that I want at every game.

Let me mention some names and you comment on them;

Overfelt; He set me straight day one about how the pro class was going to work. Also he is a jokester and a ton of fun to be around all day.

Betz; Sean, is one the most knowledgeable guys out there. He has always been there for me to bounce ideas off of.

Bogue; Really don’t know the guy personally just of him. Legend

C. Smith; What can I say Craig is great. He has been my go to guy for opinions on training and the game of being a pro thrower. He is always very supportive as well.

Valenti; Strong dude. I look forward to getting to throw with him more next year. I have always enjoyed competing and sharing the field with fellow meat heads and getting him, Craig, and KO together at Stone Mtn this year was a riot. I was just trying to keep up with the talk on that field. There is nothing I love more than hanging out and being ruthlessly made fun of and dishing it back out.

Zilstra; Really don’t know the guy personally just of him. Legend

Poke; Really don’t know the guy personally just of him. Legend

Dan; Is something else. I appreciate everything he does. He is also possibly the nicest guy I have ever met. He is the real deal strength wise and throwing. He is the guy to beat right now. He is also as genuine with everything he does as he could be.

Talk about some of the throws, games and moments you are most proud of.

Throwing 60’4” in the open stone at Worlds was big for me. I have been chasing that number a long time. I never threw 60’ in college or high school. Now that the door past 60’ is open I need to keep chasing Oldfield. All though coming through in the caber is probably my best performance.

Talk about training and your philosophy in the area of throwing?

Training gets over thought a lot. I have had the chance to train with a ton of talented guys pro strongmen, powerlifters, throwers, and just great meat heads I respect. When it boils down to it there is no magic bullet or hidden key. It is consistency and hard work. All strength sports are the same they require strong back, legs, shoulders, arms, and hips.

This is nothing new I am not a unique snowflake. A healthy serving of heavy squatting, pulling, pressing both overhead and bench are the keys to strength. Everything else is built to make you better at those things. The only difference that changes when it comes to training to throw is remembering all of the lifts are accessories to throwing. To get better at throwing you have to spend a ton of time throwing. The strength you pick up in the weight room will not translate into distance if you are technically bad at throwing.

When you peak for a game, how do you structure your week prior to that game?

Peaking for a games for me consist of backing off the weights. I change to some light lifting 4 days a week really only a main lift for some quick doubles, then go and throw. I throw up until Thursday the week of competition and then back off Friday and compete Saturday. We threw all the time in college and this is no difference. If something big is coming up say for Worlds I will back off a couple extra days.

Talk about then how you structured your week in season with no game that week.

I am a 3 day lift and 3 days throwing. Some days I do both. It is day 1 squat/bench, day 2 Overhead/Deadlift, and day 3 is clean/snatch. I like having my more explosive movements at the end of the week. I will throw on the weekend regardless of games or not.

Tell us about some of the injuries you had as an athlete.

Well I have had all of the minor stuff but that is just aches and pains. The only major is ACL tear during college. I have had reconstruction on it, but since have retorn it. I do not plan on having surgery again for this knee unless I Pulcinella it. I have been really lucky with major injuries. Something is always tender or hurting, but that is part of the game. I have always believed that if you are training hard you are riding a fine line of healthy and hurt.

Who makes you laugh at games now?

I love laughing so it doesn’t take much. I love the “ball busting” that comes with this crowd. That type of constant picking always makes me laugh.

Did you know there was a masters guy who wore pink way back in 2003 at the MWC in Springfield?

I did not, I bet he drops bombs. No more pink this year. I am changing my color scheme. I hope it still looks as ridiculous.

What training philosophy do you follow in the gym?

Listen to your body not the newest fads. Strength training has always revolved around big multi-joint lifts. These are your bread and butter. Do those 3-4 days a week for a decade and you will get where you are going. Strength training is something I love and will always will.

When did you start lifting weights and what got you started?

I started in high school for football. We had a serious strength training program in high school, though misguided it taught me the fundamentals of the basic lifts. It also told me how to work hard and push myself past where the body wants to stop.

What lift is your favorite and what is your best?

I love squatting. Well as much as you can love squatting it is a love/hate thing. Squatting for me is the best lift there is. It is a full body lift and always leaves me trashed. I have puked many times from squatting heavy. No one ever puked form benching or curls.

What do you like to do outside of the games?

The games are my hobby that and training. Other than that I love traveling. I want to experience as much as I can from food to different cultures. My job allows me to get this travel bug I have kept pretty well at bay.

What other hobbies do you have?

Meeting some of the people I respect in world of strength and Iron and talking with them one on one. In the world of the internet you can read everything someone has ever written. I personally want to get to talk to them and see what makes them tick. I don’t want to talk about what it would be like to train with someone or somewhere I want to know what that is like.

What is your favorite food?

This is tough for me. My love affair with food has gone on much longer than my attraction to lifting. I will list a couple of my favorite things from traveling. I love sandwiches and the best thing I have found in the country is in Lake Charles, LA. It is the Darrel’s Special. This sandwich is roast beef, ham, turkey covered in gravy, two types of cheese, and bread that could not have any more butter in it. Also the home made Jalapeno Mayo is a must. I have eaten a ton of different things from poboys in NOLA, cheese steaks in philly, and beefs in Chicago. Darrel’s is the best and it is not even close.

I love hot dogs as well and Hot Doug’s in Chicago is the best. Steaks in Philly from this place down the street in Glenolden PA from Iron Sport this place kills all the other more famous spots.

But if I was going to die and had to pick my last meal it would possibly be a never ending plate of pot roasted Teal with dirty rice made with hearts and livers. I wish I had a trap door I could open in my stomach so I could just continue driving it into me.

What is a favorite dessert for you?

My favorite of all time is glass of milk and Oreos or Chips-ahoy reduced fat (they absorb milk better) Chocolate chip cookies and nesquick chocolate milk. I purposely don’t have these in my house because I will eat them till they are all gone. I mean all of it all the cookies in a pack.

At your house do you cook on the grille?

Almost daily I eat more than, fifteen chicken breast a week. I also love simple steak and potatoes.

What supplements do you take?

I have been lucky enough to get sponsored by the supplement company USPLabs. They send me a ton of stuff. I searched them out after using their pre-workout product Jack3d for a couple years. I take Protein from Conquest Nutrition it works great for me as a meal replacement

Talk about drugs you use, and I don’t mean steroids. I mean anti inflames or something prior to training to get up.

Again Jack3d mixed with Modern BCAA by USPLabs has been the best for me for a long time. I went to them for sponsorship because I was using these products and figured it couldn’t hurt to ask. They have turned me onto a fantastic joint supplement Super Cissus it helps strengthen and rebuild connective tissue. I take regular stuff like fish oil, flax seed oil, and Aleve. Also fiber is a must for all athletes and people; I care enough about this that I wrote my first article on it. The only thing out of normal is I take an absurd amount of Vitamin C about 12,000 mg a day. I read some stuff on it and have since started taking it. I like the results I have seen. Vitamin C boost immune function and keeps your body healthy we do not get near what we need from food, so I supplement this.

What do you drink with a meal at home?

It is rare for me to drink anything but water. I pound about 2 gallons a day.

Do you live in a house, apartment or ?

I have a house I bought in 2006.

Tell us about the rest of your family.

I got married in December of 2010. Her name is Ashley and I have no idea what I would do without her. She is great and tremendously supportive in all of this. I also have two dogs Sunday (chocolate lab) and Zombie (mutt looks like German Sheppard but small, typical mutt).

Talk about the impact of traveling to all the games and dealing with that in regard to work and family.

As far as work goes it has not really been an issue I will try and do games that I can drive to and work my way there and home after. I am on the road a lot about 5-7thousand miles a month without games. Like I said before I have been very lucky and my wife supports the games. She knows that I am a wonderer by nature and need to run occasionally for a change of scenery.

What faith do you follow?

Do you like to garden?

My wife does occasionally but I think she does it just to take out her rage on plants. If there ever was a serial killer for plants she would be it. Slowly searching them out at stores only to take them home and torture them and kill them slowly of thirst.

Do you mow your own grass or do you have a man?

I mow my own grass. It is one of my least favorite things to do even though it takes less than an hour to do all of it.

Are you a cat or dog person?

Dog though we both want a hairless cat. They are so awful looking I think it would be neat to have roaming the house.

Are you conservative or liberal in your politics?

I think both side pretty much screw it up and there is less difference between them. I am Libertarian.

Are you into Astrology? What sign are you?

Are you superstitious? Or a Stevie Wonder fan?

Not terribly superstitious at all I can manage to do with the flow, but like when things fall into our normal routine at home. Stevie Wonder? Yes please. I got a chance to meet him two years ago in Los Angeles, I ran into him and his security team at the movies. I know that is weird I thought the same thing. “Why is he at the movies?” Concert sure but movies are visual thing. I know I feel the same way but you are not going to not meet Stevie Wonder given the chance.

Talk about some of the music you listen to at different times.

I am all over the map on this one. I am currently listening to Say Anything. It is probably my favorite band of all time. Also for just listening Florence and the Machine, Radio Head, Alkaline Trio, Adele, Tim Barry, Queen, David Bowie, and Prince.

However I listen to lots of rap and metal while training. Current lifting favorites are Childish Gambino, Kanye West & Jay-Z, King Fantastic, and Lil Wayne as far as rap. Metal would be Every Time I Die, Red Fang, Sleep, The Bled, High on Fire, Electric Wizard, and Refused

Where do you like to go out to eat?

I love Mexican food anywhere I can get it or Sushi.

What do you like to watch on TV?

Currently I am watching The League, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Layover, No Reservations, Archer, and Top Gear (BBC not the awful dribble they try and pass off on the American version.)

Some all time favorite shows are The Shield, Party Down, Trailer Park Boys, The Wire, and Boardwalk Empire.

Are you a western movie or sci fi person? Tell a favorite.

I like both. All of the old westerns are great not Will Rodgers old but Spaghetti Westerns. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is a great piece of film. As far as sci-fi goes love Zombie stuff. All time favorite has to be 28 days later. It is great from start to finish. My favorite genre is definitely Horror and there are too many great ones to mention.

What are the goals for this year?

I want to win both Celtic and Worlds. I can make up other goals but honestly those are the two things I think about the most.

Thank you brother.

Thank you Myles.

Loon

Myles — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:23:14 GMT

I went to Loon again this year and competed. I did not have a good weekend. I had gone to the speed work and done 2 six week cycles of this. Seemed the first cycle did me a ton of good. Seemed the second I got weak and my throws went in the tank. I felt good, just not strong. Was real disapointing after a year and then not to do well. But I will just go back to the drawing board and figure this out. There has to be some way I can get back to something near what I was before the surgeries.

I think I am going to hit the Huntsville games this weekend. I have done this game a lot of times. I have some very fond memories of this game and have won it a lot. Wish Lannie and Chris were there with me this weekend. I did this game a lot of times with those guys. None of the old crew will be there but me.

Still think of Kay every week. I miss talking to him.

Fun to be in Tuscaloosa this time of year. The U of Alabama football is a lot of fun in the town. They look to be very good this year. Super d.

I don't think Auburn is going to be so good this year. You can't replace the two main guys they lost. That simple. Will see how good of coach they have this year.

My Dolphins are the worst team in pro ball. Joe Robbie is turning over in his grave. Don Shula must be sick.

Braves are down to the last day trying to get into the playoffs. Did I mention how good Alabama is in football? Who really cares about pro baseball this time of year?

What happened to Fedor?

I am going to try and post my training in the next phase on here and a lot more frequent. Not sure what I am going to do diet wise. I think I am going to put some weight back on and see how that effects my throwing. I know I like being heavier period. I just love mass.

Speaking of mass. I was with the mutant white rhino at Loon. We had a ball. The whole group of guys are just a ball. Roomed with Baab again. We do real well. Have done this a lot of years and enjoy each other a lot. He is a good friend and it is a shame we are so far apart all year. Wish one of us had more bread to visit. Was great to see the other guys, Geno went nuts throwing and looks real good. I could not even hit 16 with the 42. Made me sick. I used to smoke this with the 56.

Yours in steel,

Myles